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xx-autmnlvr-xx · 4 years

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Tom Nook’s birthday (Tom Nook x Reader)

I am so very proud of this story! I worked on it for two-three weeks! It’s around a 20 minute read so I would get some snacks or a drink before reading.

I love Tom Nook and when I saw his birthday was coming up I was determined to write something for him! So here it is!!! It’s a genderless Y/N so anyone of any gender can read and enjoy this story!!!

Tags and warnings: cursing, violence, alcohol. So if it was a movie it would be rated PG-13

I am uploading this right now because my summer college classes started and there is just too much homework. LOL

I woke up to the sunlight hitting my bed and some villagers talking outside. I groaned, flipping over to go back to sleep. I opened my eyes slightly to see my painting of Tom Nook. I smiled and sat up.

"Wake up, (y/n)! You can't sleep in today!" I told myself, stretching. I left my home and looked out at the town where I am mayor. It really is a beautiful location. I walked and got a coffee to-go before heading to city hall.The lobby smelled of apples and sea. Isabelle was at the front desk, as sweet and well-combed as ever.

"Good morning, Mayor! How was your night?"

"It was wonderful," I replied, going up to her, "how about yours?"

"Oh! It was splendid! I kind of fell asleep doing some embroidery on the couch." She blushed, rubbing the back of her head.

I chuckled, "I bet you can embroider perfectly! I'll have to pay you for one of your designs!” She smiled and waved her hand playfully, then she looked like she remembered something.

"Oh yeah! The morning report! Well one of the villagers caught a birdwing butterfly and donated it to the museum, so I gave them a Lily seed and--" she continued speaking. I took a big sip of my coffee.

"Oh! And there's a guy selling art at the plaza! I thought about buying something but I am saving my bells for a nice dress." After she said that I spit out my coffee. She gasped.

I looked at her."Are you telling me Redd is here TODAY??"

She had some paper towels in her paw, "um, yes? I believe that's his name. Why?" I received the towels and leaned down and cleaned the coffee up.

"Do you know what today is?"

"May 30th!" She answered.I stood up and threw away the soaked paper towels.

"exactly! It's Tom Nook's birthday. Redd can't be here!"

"Oh!" She said, blushing, embarrassed, "I forgot about his birthday! What should we do?"

I sighed, "I'll have Redd leave. Can you see if Dr. Shrunk will let us have the party at his club? K.K Slider is Mr. Nook's favorite artist. Today has to go perfectly!"

She smiled, "of course! Leave it to me!"

I made my way to the plaza and when my eyes landed on the tent with Redd's logo on it I felt fire in my lungs. Why today? Why did he decide to come to (your town) on Tom's birthday? I had to get rid of him before Tom took wind of it. I entered and the kitsune smiled.

"Cousin! How's it been? Are you here to buy more of my wares? I have a fantastic selection!"

I raised my hand for him to be quiet, "Redd I'm not here to buy anything today. I'm here to ask you to leave town for this week."

He looked offended, "what? Why? I didn't do nothing to warrant the removal!"

"I know. But today is not a good day for you to be here."

"Why, cousin? Was my last art pieces wrong?"

"No no... Nothing like that. Look, if I told you you will never leave so just pack up your frauds and take the next train out. I'll even pay you the price you paid coming here." He looked me up and down and thought for a moment before smirking.

"Ooooh I know what this is about. That raccoon in the apron that rules this town."

"First of all he doesn't own this town. Second, he has a name!"

"Yes I know. Tom Nook," he snarled, his face contorting, "why is he the reason your forcing me out?"

"Like I would tell you. He just doesn't need you to be hanging around today."

Redd looked like he was thinking, "what is today? ...the 30th? Ah! Of course. His birthday!"

I rolled my eyes, "wow. Love how you had to think about it. You have until 3 o'clock to leave. The next train out is at 2."

I turned to leave when he stopped me, "hold up, cousin. I ain't leaving 'til you buy something. Policy y'know?" I rolled my eyes, pointing at something random.

He smirked, "no no no. You got to look."

I sighed and examined the pieces. He was behind me and started talking.

"You know, I remember when me and the raccoon was friends. He was cooler then. Could sell anything. He was fun to hang with. Then he tried to tell me that he loved me! Can you believe that? Left town that night I did. Couldn't be seen with someone like that." I chose a painting and started to leave.

"He's a crook, (y/n). Always will be. Don't get too chummy with him." I ignored him and left the tent.

I talked to my villagers and gave them invitations to Tom's party. Dug up some fossils and headed downtown. I went into (your nookling store) and was greeted by the twins.

"HEY, (Y/N)! HOW ARE YOU?" Timmy greeted cheerfully.

"..YOU!" Tommy followed.

I chuckled, "I'm doing great! I just came to see you both! Do you know what day it is?"

They nodded, "Mr. Nook's birthday!!" I kneeled.

"what did you both get him?" Timmy raised his hand eagerly.

"I built him a nightstand with a mug holder for his coffee!"

Tommy rocked on his heels shamefully, "i made him a small vase. Not as awesome as Timmy's gift but I tried."

I smiled, "hey, not everything has to be big. I think Tom is going to love your vase. In fact I bet he will put it right beside the nightstand so he can look at both of your gifts at the same time!" They grinned and high-fived.

"Now tonight is his party! But it's a surprise, remember? You didn't tell him did you two?"

"No, (y/n)! We didn't!"

"Good. He's going to love it! Now. I need some groceries!" I informed before grabbing a cart and going down to the snacks for the party. I paid for the items and left, heading to the able sisters.

I invited sable, Mable, and LaBelle, then I went and invited blathers and Celeste. I was happy at how well everything was going. I walked down to check on the club LOL gig when I saw a shadow scurry down the stairs to town. I was confused until the door to Nook Homes opened. Tom opened the door with a piece of paper in his paw. He looked around like he was looking for someone. I walked up.

"Hey, Mr. Nook! Is everything alright?"

He looked at me, "oh yes yes! Everything is fine! Someone just slipped a letter in and left! It was weird!"

I cocked my head to the side, "a letter? Can I see?"He put it in his pocket, "no no! It's all alright. Just a weird junk mail. No need to see it."

"Oh.. okay?"

He smiled softly, "everything's fine! Yes yes! I'm on my break so I'm going to go over to the bench and sit down with my lunch!"

He left. Curious, you entered Nook Homes. Lyle was at his place at the HHA table.

"(y/n)! How are you feeling this day? I hope you feel fantastic! Wanna talk about your home? Because the score is here and it is a doozy of a report!"

"No not today, thank you. I'm just wanting to ask if you know anything about the letter Mr. Nook got."

Lyle shook his head, "sadly no, but when Mr. Tom Nook looked at the letter his face dropped sure did! Boom! Like a bell to the floor drop! He immediately left the building, talking about his break. But... He's never taken a break before. Strange! As strange as a whisper in the night! Now that I think of it I should have checked on him! Yes I should've! Hindsight? 20/20 as they always say! And I think that's all!"

I sighed, "thank you, Lyle. Oh! I forgot. Do you and the other HHA members want to come to his birthday party? It's at 8 PM but it's a surprise! So do NOT tell him! Okay?"

"Yes! I won't tell him! He won't hear a peep about it from me! Zziip! That's the sound of my lips being shut. We'll be there! Thank you, (y/n)!" He smiled, receiving my invitations.

I said my farewells and left nook homes. The sun was already on the other side of the sky. I glanced over to the town clock to find that it was 4 pm. Yellow birds flew through town and landed on top of the post office, chirping at each other in conversation. The blue sky turned a baby blue. Knowing that time was passing I decided to check on the reservations. I turned toward the club, my eyes landing on the bench to find it empty. Tom has left the town square.

"What was in that letter? Tom never acted like this before." 'At least... Not since I met him.' I thought. I walked over to the bench and noticed a ham and lettuce sandwich and peach slices left on the seat, some yellow birds pecking at it. It must have been Tom's. My worry grew and a shiver ran down my spine. As if a light bulb went off, I remembered that Katrina worked in town. I turned on my heel and ran to her door, knocking before entering. Katrina had an incense of Amber and lavender burning and the lights were dimmed more than usual. She was sitting at her pillow, in front of the low table.

"I've been expecting you, (y/n). I believe I know why you're here, yes?" She said calmly, taking a drag of her cigarette from her opera length cig holder.I took a few steps and sat on the customer pillow.

"yes. I need help. Can you tell me what is up with Tom nook? Something's wrong and I don't know what. Today's his birthday and I want it to be brilliant!" She looked at me passively and took another smoke, smiling softly.

"I cannot tell the thoughts or future of another. You know that. It's against moral code. I can, however, tell you how your day will go and therefore, you will know how the party will end."

I nodded, "okay, that sounds good." I held out my hands and she placed her cigarette on the edge of the table, taking my hands in her paws. They were soft and kind of cold. We closed our eyes.

"Kah hee mee... YEEEEEEEE" The atmosphere changed. I no longer felt like I was in her building. I kept my eyes closed.

"Yes... The stars are at their best position... The future is as clear as a glass orb... Rain.... But the rain clears... Lights and music.... Yes... Yes it's all clear now. You will have a blissful evening full of laughter but keep your wits about you. There will be tears. Not from you, but from another. That is all I can see." The atmosphere returned to normal and she released my hands. I opened my eyes.

"Thank you for seeing me today. That will be 500 bells." She explained, picking up her cigarette and taking a drag.I handed her the bells and stood up.

"Hey, Katrina. Do you want to come to the party? It would be fun!" I offered.

She smiled, "thank you, but it's not in my fortune. Furthermore, the music will cloud my third eye. So I will have to decline."

"Alright. Thanks for the fortune!" I began to head out.

"And... (Y/n)?"

"Yes?" I asked, looking at her.

"Today will be the most important day of the year. So don't act hastily. And remember that bad times... Are just times that are bad." She calmly stated before looking off in the distance. I nodded and left.

Leaving the building, I looked up at the sky."Well that just left me with more questions." I huffed. My eyes dropped from the sky toward the stairs and landed on Isabelle walking down them.

"HEY, ISABELLE!" I called out, running towards her.

She looked at me with a bright smile, "Hello, mayor! I just got done convincing Dr. Shrunk in letting us use the club!"

"How did it go?" I asked, my hands nervously fumbling with my shirt.

"It went well! He was willing to do it for a 7,000 bell rental fee and a durian!"

"Alright. When does he need the bells?"

"Oh don't worry yourself about it! I took care of it." She giggled, waving her hand.

"No, let me pay you back!" I handed 7,000 bells to her.

"No no, I won't accept your money! I was happy to do it!"

"I insist!" I assured, we went down the last step.

"I'm honestly okay! Thank y--" she wasn't able to finish her sentence when there was screaming coming from the train station. We looked at each other before I put away the bells and we ran into the station.

The train station was tense. Porter was cowering behind the lockers and Katie was against a wall, recording the middle of the room with Rosie beside her.In the middle of the room stood Redd, a gigantic smirk plastered on his face. In front of him was Tom nook, his face contorted in a scowl and his eyes held the worst anger I have ever seen. Isabelle and I looked at each other. Her face was filled with worry and fright, you could tell he wasn't used to physical confrontation. I looked at the two fighting. "Why do you even come here, Redd? What do you have to gain?" Tom said frustratingly, his voice straining a little.

Redd smiled in false innocence, "I got art to sell, Nookie! You should be able to understand that!"

"Don't call me that! You know I live here and you know what you did. Yet you still want to come to this town out of the hundreds of others!"

The kitsune shrugged, "maybe I just like watching you squirm. You are just so pathetic that it's entertaining to see you like this." Tom's fur started to stand in end.

"You better leave, Redd." The tanuki said sternly.

Redd lifted his paws, "fine! Fine! I'll leave, Nookie!" He walked over to the monkey and tapped the podium.

"I would like to go to the city." Porter nodded nervously and typed something on the podium.

"I-it will just be 30 minutes." He said nervously.

"Perfect," Redd smirked, "oh, and nook?"

Tom glared, "what?"The kitsune turned around, walking close to him.

"How does it feel to never feel the love of another? You never hooked up on your birthday, have you? Do you feel lonely at night? I hope you do, stupid cunt-- UGH!"

Next thing I knew, Redd was on the floor and Tom was hunched over with his paw out, curled in a fist.

"If I ever see you or hear from you again I will kill you." He growled, his fur ruffled. He turned around and his ears twitched at the sight of me and Isabelle.Not a word was said, me and Isabelle moved out of the doorway.

"Thank you." Tom mumbled, leaving. I tried to follow him but Isabelle touched my shoulder.

"Give him a minute alone, (y/n). Anyway, we need to file an incident report for our records."

I shook my head, "can't we look the other way? Redd isn't even a villager in this town!"

She smiled softly, "we have to file or we'll get in trouble for withholding information." I sighed, leaving with Isabelle.

The clock hand ticked ever so slowly, every click of the second hand started to tug on my hair. I needed to get this over with so I could go. The sun has all but disappeared from the windows and the light from the bulb above me seemed to grow stronger. Isabelle tapped her pen to her chin, "what time was the fight?"

"Hhmmn... About 6:12?"

The shih tzu nodded and wrote it down, "I'm sorry, (y/n). I hated that all that happened."

"I know. Tom wasn't supposed to see Redd, let alone fight with him." I rubbed my hands on my face in frustration.

She looked at me silently for a while before speaking, "mayor, if it isn't an overstep, may I ask why today has to go so perfectly? I'm sure he has had good birthdays before."

I leaned back against my chair, "well I don't know about his other birthdays. He's never really talked to me about them. But I heard he used to sleep on a stump so it obviously couldn't have been a good childhood. I don't know if he would appreciate me talking about his old life when he was in the city so I'm not going to say anymore."

She nodded, "I understand... But shouldn't it be Timmy and Tommy organizing the party? Why are you putting it on your shoulders?"

I blushed softly, "well..." I sighed, scratching a spot on the desk."I know this is probably selfish, but... I am planning to confess to him tonight. Show him how much I love him, you know? And I thought that giving him a perfect birthday and a relationship on the same night would be a good idea." There was a looming silence. I slowly raised my head and Isabelle was smiling at me.

"That sounds so romantic! I'm sure Mr. Nook will love the hard work you're putting in this party."

I smiled, "thank you, Isabelle."

She looked at the time, "oh! It's 7 O'clock! Shouldn't you be setting up?"

"Oh, right! What are we missing on the incident report?"

"Nothing. I just finished it!" She walked over to the filing cabinet and slipped the paper in.

We made our way from town hall and stopped by my house.

"You go on and see if things are alright. I'm gonna head inside and grab the decorations and cake." I said.

She nodded, "okay! See you soon!"

I entered my home and went to my dresser, taking out the decorations and noise makers and stuffing them in my bag. I walked over to where I had the cake and smiled at it. The cake was a white honey cake with hazelnut frosting. It was three tiers high with cherries around the edges and on top. I gently picked it up and made my way out the door. The cake was a little heavy but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I moved a few steps at a time toward town square. After about 15 minutes I made it up the stairs to town square. Nook Homes still had lights on so I turned around so that only my back could be seen. I silently hoped Lyle was distracting Tom. I made it down the stairs and in front of club LOL. Exhausted, I kicked the door and called out to Dr. Shrunk. When the door knob started moving I backed up so the door could get opened. Dr. Shrunk's head popped out, "Hey, (y/n)! Come in!"

I made my way inside and finally put down the cake at the bar, I made a noise of relief. Isabelle was at the stage hanging the town's birthday banner we use for villagers birthdays. I smiled and went over to her.

"Thank you so much for everything, Isabelle."

She smiled, "it's really no problem! You never ask for anything and work so hard for this town it's the least I could do."

We went around the building and decorated it with pink roses for happiness and Sakura for kindness.Then I dug the other decorations from my bag. As we placed and hung them up K.K. Slider entered the club. Isabelle gasped and started bouncing in place.

"Woah! What's all this for?" He said lazily, putting his guitar case on a chair.

"Mr. Slider!" Dr. Shrunk smiled, "today is a special day! It's a villagers birthday! And you're his favorite artist! So (y/n) and their secretary has asked for you to play at his party!" K.K. Slider looked over at me and smiled softly, doing finger guns.

"I can dig that." Isabelle fainted.

Villagers started to file in around 7:50 and everyone was settled by 8:30.

"Okay everyone!" I called out, clapping.

"It's time for me to get the birthday tanuki! When we come back I'll knock. That's your sign to be quiet!" Everyone nodded and muttered agreements.I left the building and went up the steps. Crickets chirped in harmony. The lights in nook homes was off, which I was expecting it to be. I knocked rhythmically. I heard rustling inside and then nothing. I knocked again.

"We're closed!" Tom called out from inside. I took that as my cue. I opened the door and closed it behind me. The lobby was empty. At least, it seemed that way at the door.

He made a frustrated groan from behind the halfwall, "I said we're closed!"

I took a step, "I know, but I came to see you."

"...(y/n)?" He asked softly. It sounded like he was crying.

"Tom? Are you okay?" I walked forward a little.

"NO! I-I mean... Yes I'm okay. Please.. thank you for checking on me but I'm fine." I felt myself tense as I walked over to him.

My (e/c) eyes found his blue ones. They were shimmering and sad, his tears falling just to land on his fur. His nose was twitching with every sniff. His mouth slightly open as his teeth bit his lip to try to stop crying. Tom's whole persona he always tried to keep up like a mask has disappeared. Back against the halfwall, his knees were drawn up against his belly, a small bottle of whiskey in his paw. I felt as if I got stabbed. How long has he been like this? Since the train station? I fell to my knees beside him, my hands reaching out and touching his cheek.

"(Y/n)... Please.." he moved his head from my hand.

"Tom, I'm so sorry. I tried to prevent what happened. I guess it gave him ideas..."

He shook his head, "it wasn't just Redd. I just hate my birthday. Remember how I told you I had a pretty rough childhood?"

I nodded, "yeah?" He hugged his knees, leaving the whiskey on the ground.

"My mother left me on my fourth birthday with my father. My father was distant and would not come home some nights." He sighed before continuing, "then the house got repossessed and the bastard went to live with his coworker who hated children. I guess you can guess what happened." Tom looked at the wall on the other side of the room, more tears flowing down his cheeks. I stayed quiet, moving to sit with my legs crossed.

His lip quivered, "I was homeless and the only time I saw that deadbeat was on my birthday. It never went well. In fact, one time when I was eleven, Sable threw me a party at a park. My dad showed up and tried to do unspeakable things to her. I told him I never wanted to see him again and a park ranger called the police."

He took a deep breath and reached for the whiskey, "I was alone on my birthday up until Redd. It was the first time I was in love; then I had to open my mouth and tell him I loved him. Left the next day with all the bells and the day after that was my 25 birthday. Alone, penniless, and homeless every birthday. I'm lucky I have the twins, they bake me a cake. It doesn't help the trauma and being romantically alone, you know?" I put a hand on his knee, "I could never know how much it hurts, but I understand that you must feel so helpless. I am here for you, Tom. I will be here for as long as you want me to."

His face contorted into a grimace as he began sobbing uncontrollably. He let his legs give out as he turned toward me and throw his arms around my neck. His form shaking with every gush of tears. He sobbed into my shoulder, letting go of his mask. I hugged him tightly, comforting him as best as I could. We sat there on the floor for a few minutes as he let out all his sadness and fear onto me. His sobbing decreasing and his breathing calming softly. I petted his fur comfortingly.

"Thank you, (y/n). Thank you much." He said, slowly letting go and sitting up while wiping his tears. I smiled softly.

"Of course. I care about you." I blushed, "Tom?"

He looked at me, "yes, (y/n)?" He was drying his wet fur on his sleeve.

I looked at him, "I want you to know that I care about you so much. I never want you to feel alone again. I want to be the soul you can trust with everything. I want to be your partner in life. What I'm saying is..." I rubbed the back of my neck, getting scared. His cheeks started to flush through the fur. I looked down at the floor.

"What I'm saying is that I love you, Tom Nook. I want to be with you always. You don't have to say yes. If... If you don't feel the same way that is alright, no hard feelings. We could go back to being friends with no awkwardness. I-I... "

He lifted my chin and kissed me softly. His fur gently tickling around my lips and nose. The kiss was warm and soft and so full of love. I sighed in happiness, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and closing my eyes. He placed his paws on my hips and deepened the kiss. It was so wonderful that I never wanted to leave it. He stopped and looked in my eyes.

"I love you too, (y/n). It means so much that you would love someone like me. This is the best birthday ever."

My eyes lit up, "OH RIGHT! I forgot! You're birthday isn't over just yet!" I smiled and stood up, pulling him up by the paws."Where are you taking me?" He chuckled.

"I heard there was a birthday sale at club LOL. Let's see what Dr. Shrunk has at his bar!" I led him from nook homes to the club and knocked on the door three times.

"Why are you knocking? Isn't it open by now?" Tom asked, curious.

"Yes but I'm just making sure everything's decent in there."

"What?" He laughed.I opened the door and the club was pitch black. We entered and Tom made a comment about the darkness. I turned on the lights.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Everyone screamed, pulling confetti wands and blowing noise makers. Tom screamed and backed up at the sudden surprise. After he saw what was going on he laughed heartily. Then the laughter turned to tears.

"Y-you guys! This is so awesome! Yes yes!" He said through sobs. Timmy and Tommy ran up to Tom with a drawing. It was a childish painting of Tom and the twins on top of a mountain of bells.

"Mr. Nook! We drew you a picture of you and us for your birthday!" Tommy said cheerfully.

"I drew the bells!" Timmy added. Tom smiled and hugged the twins tightly, tears flowing.

"Thank you much, boys. Did you two plan this?"

They shook their heads, "nuh-uh! (Y/n) did! They invited everyone and had this club rented and even made you a cake! ...yes yes!"

Tom turned to look at you and smiled, "thank you so much, (y/n)."

Timmy spoke up, "ooh ooh! That's not all! K.K Slider is here!" Tom's eyes went wide, he looked at Timmy and then the stage. Everyone moved out of the way and Slider was sitting on a stool on the stage. K.K. smiled and held out his paw to motion toward Tom.

"Let's all give a groovy howl to the birthday boy!" He said. Collectively, everyone gave a howl and clapped for Tom. His whole face turned red and I was afraid he was going to faint with the excitement. Tom nook requested a song and everyone talked and laughed and congratulated him on his birthday. Blathers got Tom a surgeonfish plushie, sable sewn him a sweater vest that had his leaf logo on it, Brewster gave him a coffee mug, Isabelle gave a porcelain cherry decoration. I gave him (gift you would give Tom).The night ended with multiple drunk villagers stumbling out the door and Dr. Shrunk asking me to come in tomorrow to clean.

Not to mention the multiple kisses Tom nook and I shared in the corner of the club.

AFTER THOUGHT:

I just realized I forgot to explain the letter Tom got. Oh well! If you want to know what it said comment a question.

#tom nook #tom nook x reader #ac tom nook #animal crossing tom nook #happy birthday tom nook!#happy birthday tom nook #happybirthdaytomnook

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wwitbeyondmeasure · 4 years

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Summer At The Burrow - r.w. fan fiction

Previous Chapters

Introduction / Author’s Note / Chapter 1: The Journey to The Burrow / Chapter 2: Hidden Letters

Chapter 3: Ron’s Return

The next couple days at The Burrow were some of your favorite days ever spent. You awoke every morning to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking downstairs and spent the majority of your days around magic. Every afternoon, you and Ginny would get together and complete your school work together, just like you used to at Hogwarts. It was a bit more difficult to stay focused without Hermione around, you and Ginny kept getting sidetracked with talk about Quidditch, but you managed to get some work done.

After your dinner in the garden, you spent the rest of your afternoon in the living room talking with Mr Weasley. He was fascinated by muggles and you were more than happy to indulge him and answer all of his questions. You explained the difference between a light switch and an outlet, and even told him about how your television works.

Whenever you were in the living room, you felt your gaze wonder to the clock hanging on the wall. Ron's hand was still pointing towards "Diagon Alley" and you were starting to wonder why he was shopping for so long.

Pushing the thought out of your mind, you directed your attention back to Mr Weasley.

"Do you have any muggle pets, y/n? What are they like?" He asked. You smiled as you saw the pencil next to him jotting down notes onto a pad of paper. Mr Weasley treated your conversations like an interview, wanting to remember everything you said. He was a sweet man, as all of the Weasleys were, so you didn't mind spending hours chatting with him.

"I guess the pets are sort of the same in the muggle world and wizarding world. I had a couple of goldfish when I was younger but I kept overfeeding them so my parents gave them away. Then I had a dog named Benji, but he now lives with my cousins because my family travels so much. And then my last pet was Celeste, but she died last spring," you told him.

The thought of Celeste made your good spirits sink a little. You had first met your snowy white cat in Diagon Alley when you were shopping for your first year at Hogwarts. It was difficult to navigate the streets of the busy wizarding shopping centre with two muggle parents, but they were kind enough to offer to buy you a pet for school.

Celeste had been the best pet you'd ever had. Unlike your boring goldfish, she was rather affectionate and could understand you well. She would cuddle onto your lap while you studied and bite at the ankles of classmates you didn't like. While at Hogwarts, she reminded you of home, and while back in London, she reminded you of your magical school.

Sadly, you hadn't realized that when you bought her in first year, she was already pretty old. Last year at school she started limping and moving slower than usual. Within a couple of months, she had passed away. It still made you sad to think about so you brought your attention back to Mr Weasley.

"So yeah, I suppose most of the pets are pretty similar. Except, muggles normally don't keep rats as pets," you explained with a laugh. Mr Weasley smiled, thanked you for talking with him, and then excused himself to finish up some work in the shed outside.

You hadn't realized how long you were talking because when you looked outside, it was already dark. Your eyes found their way to the clock again, forgetting it didn't actually tell the time, and your heart skipped a beat when you saw Ron's hand was now pointing at "home."

Standing up quickly, you brushed down your hair frantically, though you weren't sure why. Ron had seen you at your worst, messy and covered in mud after many Quidditch matches, so you didn't really have a reason to try to straighten your appearance out now. You sighed to yourself, your crush on him was really starting to make your head spin.

Just then, you heard the backdoor close behind you and you turned around. Standing there, clad in a familiar maroon jumper, was Ron. He looked slightly older than the last time you saw him when leaving Platform 9 and 3/4, but that was only a few weeks ago. When your eyes met each others, his face broke out into a wide grin, and he took three long strides towards you before wrapping you into a tight hug.

"Y/n! I'm so glad you're here," he said through the hug. You wrapped your arms around his torso, and let yourself be engulfed in his embrace. He was much taller than you so your face was buried in his shoulder. He smelled like cinnamon and apples, just the same as his room.

"Thanks for letting me stay. I think I would've gone mad being cooped up in my empty house all summer," you said once he let go of the hug.

"I think you're already a bit mad for agreeing to spend the next few months with my hectic family, but whatever suits you," he said, nudging your side.

You smiled as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder and walked you outside.

"Where is everyone? I thought I would make it back in time for dinner," he asked, a slight frown on his face when he saw the empty tables outside. You couldn't blame him, his mom's cooking was so good that you would be disappointed to miss it too.

"Won Won!" Two voices in unison came from above you. Looking up, you saw Fred and George leaning their heads out of their bedroom window, sly grins on their faces. Ron's arm slowly slipped from your shoulder and you felt your smile falter.

"Come on up here, we've got a surprise for you two lovebirds," George said with a wink. The twins had taken to calling you that two years ago when they decided to forever torment you about your love life. Much to Ron's ex-girlfriend Lavender's dismay, they continued calling you that even when he was dating someone. You were comforted to see that Ron's cheeks were tinted the same color as his hair at the mention of the nickname.

As you walked up the countless stairs to the twin's room, you and Ron caught up with one another. It was easy to feel relaxed with him and soon the awkwardness from outside seemed to disappear. You were back to being best friends again, and nothing could make you happier. Well, maybe you'd be happier if he was more than your best friend...

Not bothering to knock once you reached the landing with the twin's door, Ron pushed the door open. That probably wasn't the smartest idea because he was immediately hit in the face with a jet of purple sparks.

"Ow," he said, his voice nasally as he held the bridge of his nose where the sparks had hit him.

"Sorry, mate. Better knock next time. We'd never barge into your room without warning," George said as he pulled both of you into the room and closed the door.

"Yeah, you could have a pretty lady in there, we wouldn't want to interrupt," Fred continued, winking at you.

You swatted his shoulder as you stalked past them, towards the pile of what looked like fireworks in the corner of their room.

"Is this what you wanted to show us? Fireworks?" You asked.

The twins then launched into a detailed story of how these weren't just any fireworks. They told you about how they bought them off a wizard in a pub and how they were special for Percy's birthday in August.

"Special how?" you asked suspiciously. It was common for the twins to poke fun at their prim and uptight brother, but you were sure they wouldn't do anything too drastic.

"That's a surprise that you will see on August 22nd. We are throwing him a birthday party, even inviting his girlfriend, so it will be the perfect place to showcase the fireworks," George explained.

"Then why call us up here if you aren't even going to tell us what they bloody do?" Ron asked with an annoyed voice, still nursing his bruised nose.

The twins turned to him quickly, "We wanted to talk to y/n. Now please get out." They ushered him to the door, with annoyed protest from Ron.

"Come on! I just got to see y/n!" He complained, as they promptly shut the door in his face.

"You'll see her tomorrow!" Fred yelled, "Also, y/n has been staying in your room so you have to sleep on the couch downstairs. Goodnight Won Won!"

The sound of Ron's disgruntled steps retreating to the bottom floor of the house filled your ears.

"What is it?" you asked the twins impatiently, your bad temper reflecting Ron's.

"Have you told him yet?" George asked. "You know, about your massive heart-wrenching crush on him?"

You glared at them as you sat on the windowsill. "No, and maybe I would've if two hooligans such as yourselves weren't shouting at us out of the window!"

The twins nodded, "Fair enough," they said together.

"Just make sure you tell him before Percy's birthday party, eh?" George said, his voice sounding guilty.

"Why?" you asked, your suspicion about the fireworks returning.

"No reason at all," he replied curtly. Then they quickly started shoving you out of the room.

"Sweet dreams!" They said together, before shutting the door in your face. You pressed your ear to the wood, hearing low whispers exchanged between them but you couldn't make any of their words out.

Sighing with annoyance, you walked up the stairs to Ron's room. You felt slightly guilty for staying in his room while he slept in the couch downstairs, but he did arrive late at night so you didn't really have time to discuss sleeping arrangements.

Once you arrived at his room, you closed the door and flopped down on the bed. You were exhausted from the day, and as you changed into pajamas and crawled under the covers, your mind drifted once again to the box of letters under the nightstand. Should you ask Ron about the letters? Or would he get mad that you were snooping in his room? Deciding to leave this dilemma for tomorrow, you shut your eyes and tried to get some sleep.

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aleapoffaithfiction · 5 years

Text

"Love is not all about loving everything perfect, it is when someones corrosive nature is the only thing that glues you to them which you wished it were never there." ― Michael Bassey Johnson

“I heard you the first time ma.”

Curtains and dinnerware. She’d been going on and on about the need for both for nearly thirty minutes. I’d have to question my own mental capacity if I hadn’t remembered it. With the first day of fall already over two weeks behind us, she complained about the need to change all of the pale coral drapes in the house to be in accord with the season. She raved about multiple shades of red being the perfect color palette for the Brooklyn townhome she resides in but eventually changed her mind by randomly blurting out that it’s too early for things to be so Christmas-y and instead opted for brunt orange. As for the dinnerware, it specifically has to be the nearly five hundred-dollar twenty-piece lace gold Vera Wang Wedgwood set that she fell in love at Bed Bath & Beyond.

It took every ounce of energy I had left within me to get off of the couch, change my clothing, and drive over here per her request after an extremely loaded day at work, so the last thing I want to hear about is her trivial needs and yet...here we are.

“Well, I know it’ll be like pulling teeth to get you over here any other day this week, so maybe we can do a little shopping this weekend. We can pick up Celeste and take that new car of yours for a good drive around the city or maybe we can head back your way so that I can go to Walmart.” Or she and Celeste can take either one of their cars and go on their boring shopping trip without me. With mommy’s early retirement and Celeste’s somewhat loose schedule with her counseling and life coaching career, the both of them have more than enough time to be in and out of stores for the sake of having something to do.

Every now and then, they’ll pester me into joining them for the sake of the three of us spending time together, but I usually dread it. They’re the slow, look at anything and everything for no logical reason, shoppers who slowly stroll around the stores while discussing the most trivial things. And me? I’m usually trailing behind them while huffing and puffing in annoyance at it all. Celeste always deems me to be the annoying little sister who throws a tantrum when everyone isn’t doing what she wants whenever I react in that manner and I always let her know that she can kiss my black ass every single time she says it. There’s a lot more I can be doing on a Saturday besides walking around Walmart and looking at the same ol’ shit.

“Yeah, I guess so.” As she wiped her counter top in the kitchen, I broke off another piece of the piña colada pound cake she made with my fingers and dropped it into my mouth. Per the usual, the flavoring and moisture was to perfection.

“I know I thought you better than that. The spoon is right there.” I let that go in one ear and right out of the other. The only way I’d be using that spoon is if she had some vanilla ice cream to go with this cake and she doesn’t, because it’s the first thing I checked for when I arrived. She only has butter pecan. What is it with older people and butter pecan ice cream anyway?

“Are you still going back home for auntie Shelly’s birthday or are you still thinking about it?” She immediately scoffed with a roll of her eyes and began to fold up the wet kitchen towel so that she could toss it behind the faucet as she always does when she’s finished wiping the counters.

“I’ll probably be there. She’s yet to stop calling and getting on my damn nerves about it. I’ve never known anyone to be more obsessed with their birthday than Shelly. You’d think that she’s turning twenty-one years old with the way she’s carrying on. Oh, and then there’s the part about her wanting a Gucci bag as a gift. She has a lot of damn nerve. Why do people automatically assume because you live in America, that you’re made of money?” And just like that, with her frustration, came her Trinidadian accent in full swing. Though they’re only two years apart in age, both mommy and auntie Shelly clash like no other and yet will give you hell if you dare to test either one of them. Even with the complaints, I won’t be surprised when she flies to Trinidad with that Gucci bag packed with her belongings because she plays the big sister role well and spoils auntie no matter how much she nags about her ridiculous requests. My grandmother, Auntie Shelly, and mommy migrated to the United States when mommy was seventeen and though she’s been here ever since, Auntie Shelly moved back to Trinidad to be with her now husband, Uncle Winston. Supposedly, mommy dated Uncle Winston first and that’s what caused their clashing ways, but that’s a story that I’ve never cared to look into. That skeleton and whatever else involves it, can remain in the closet.

“Because people stereotype. It’s a part of life.” And that’s the truth. You won’t believe how many family members believe my bank accounts are on Oprah levels because my face is on television five days a week. I dread family events for that very reason. I’m all for putting my people on and have definitely extended a helping hand for the sake of granting people opportunities but there are so many people who have no interest in working their way up to where they want to be in life. How do you expect to be somewhere in life without a foundation under you? More than anything or anyone else, the esteem you have for yourself after having busted your ass for an achievement is magical.

“Celeste said that she’d fly down with me for the birthday party if I do decide to go. Why don’t you come too? It’ll be a nice getaway for you and I’ll be able to have both of my children with me.”

“It all depends on the scheduling. I have to warn them weeks ahead if I decide to take a trip because they have to reach out to other analysts or athletes to find creative ways to fill in for me while I’m gone. I can’t just pick up and go. If it’s a weekend thing, I can probably fly out on Friday right after we wrap up on air and just skip out on the Podcast. That should get me there by like Friday evening.”

“Sounds fair enough to me, for as long as you come.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“So how is work?” My eyes instantly widened at the question because it’s one she never asks.

“It’s going great, honesty. I can’t complain even if I wanted to. How can I? I have one of my dream jobs. I’ve always wanted to have a show on ESPN and now I’m apart of a panel for the highest rated show on the network. I’d be a fool to have a single complaint about that.”

“I’ll never be able to understand how sitting around and talking about sports all day long is so interesting but that’s who you are, I suppose.” And there it is; the condescending dismissal of what I love.

Being a tomboy was something that happened to be within my nature while I was a kid, I didn’t ask for it nor did I go seeking that identity. I had no interest in playing with dolls and doll houses, I wanted soccer and basketballs. The whole kitchen and tea party thing was more of my sister’s style. I urged daddy to sign me up for the Boys and Girls Club, every summer league in Brooklyn, and to buy me game systems so that I could play them on those rainy or snowy days when I couldn’t or didn’t go outside and play. Dresses were for church and Easter, as far as I was concerned. Jeans and sneakers were more of my thing and still are; I just sex them up whenever I feel like it because I’ve confidently come into my womanhood and can be multifaced in the way that I dress myself.

I compromised with her by learning how to cook, only because she would constantly drill it into Celeste and I heads that she refused to have her children go out into the world without knowing how to feed themselves, but other than that, all of my thrills were in exciting times like those NFL wildcard games to clinch playoff spots, Venus and Serena Williams coming up in the ranks, or that kid from Akron, Ohio who was deemed to be the greatest human being to touch a basketball while still in high school. Hell, I remember when all of the girls around my way had a crush on Coney Island’s own Sebastian Telfair, meanwhile all I wanted was to play a couple of games of one on one with the guy right in the projects where he, his older brother Jamel, and their cousin, former NBA player Stephon Marbury came up. Though us two girls were all they had, daddy would always happily boast and brag about me being his best friend because I was the best of both words all made up into one. As for my other parent, she refused to understand it and even now, the stubbornness still gets in the way of the potential for us to bond more than we do.

“I’ll never be able to understand how you sit around and watch all of those Housewives shows and yet I don’t judge that you do. If anything, you should be thrilled that I’m accomplishing my goals and doing something positive with my life.”

“Oh, I know you’re doing something positive with your life. I’m not disagreeing with what you do. I’ve told you many times that I’m proud of you, but you know that I’ve never been into those things. You are your father’s child in that aspect and Celeste and I relate more in terms of our interests.”

“That approach is silly though, because despite my lack of interest in a lot of the things that the both of you like or entertain yourselves with, I at least try to figure out a way to enjoy it for the sake of the both of you, but neither one of you grant me the same courtesy. I’ve offered for the both of you to come and visit Bristol and see the studios and you’ve yet to take me up on the offer. I’ve asked you guys to come to games or events, but you haven’t come. So, I stopped asking. What’s the point in wasting my time and setting myself up for disappointment?”

“Sarai, don’t be ridiculous. You really believe that I can sit through hours of a bunch of guys dribbling a ball up and down a court? I’m getting a headache just thinking about it.”

“You believe that I wanted to be a part of that purposeless and stupid debutante ball? I mean just think about how sexist and elitist the concept of it is. It’s a ball to present young ladies to the high society and most of all, to display her to eligible bachelors so that she can marry into a rich family. How shallow can you get with something like that? And yet I did it, for you. I hated every single minute of it, including Chase Williams, and his weird topics of conversation. I can’t believe you thought he and I would ever hit it off.”

“It was at that same debutante ball that your sister met her now husband.”

“Okay, so what?” I was seventeen at the time. I wasn’t worried about finding a husband. Shit, I wasn’t even concerned with a boyfriend. I didn’t date in grammar or high school. My greatest concern at the time was gaining acceptance into the undergraduate program at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. I wanted it more than anything else and yet during my senior year, I juggled trying to keep my grades as close to perfect as possible while obliging her erratic decisions for me. Chase Williams being my future husband was a failure, but my acceptance into NYU was a success.

Despite journalism being my major and broadcast and multimedia being my minor, I also had to choose a second major within the College of Arts and Sciences and I ended up going with computer science and economics. If the journalism side of things didn’t work out, I planned to go in the cyber security route or I was going to get rich or die trying by trying to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. Thankfully, journalism was truly my calling. I was accepted into the honors program during the spring semester of my freshman year and was given the opportunity to work on an in-depth multimedia piece over the course of one academic year that ending up being reported on by The New York Times. Arguably the best part of my undergraduate years was six rigorous weeks of a summer program in Ghana where I worked as a foreign correspondent. It was an experience that I’ll never forget.

“I wanted you to be a part of that ball to expose you to things beyond yourself. Sports aside, you were so caught up in just you. I believed you needed to see there’s a lot more to life than balls flying all over the place and the occasional outings with your teammates.”

“Yeah, that’s what family vacations are for and even when we did those, it was never anything I liked. I asked you for Knicks game tickets and you took Celeste and I to see Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera House instead. I asked you for a ticket to the U.S. Open and you took us to see Swan Lake at the American Ballet Theater. For my birthday, you told me to pick anywhere in the U.S. to go for a family trip and I chose the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts and where did we end up going? Niagara Falls.”

“You sound so ungrateful right now. This is exactly what Celeste talks about when she says that you throw silly little tantrums when you can’t get your way.”

“I’m not being ungrateful. You’re calling this a tantrum because I’m telling the truth?”

“Well, Sarai, in a lot of cases, you chose things that myself nor Celeste would enjoy so I tried to find things that I thought would interest all three of us.”

“An opera and a ballet show? For me? And even then, I didn’t even complain about it. I just figured out ways to enjoy it despite being internally angry that I couldn’t go to the places that I wanted to go. I had to get a summer job for that.”

“What about when I took you two to Disney World?”

“It was nice.” And it was. It was the first and only vacation I enjoyed.

“Okay then.”

“But, if we’re going to be technical, the only reason why I was able to see all of the things that I liked is because of auntie Shelly. I spent most of the time in the park with her.”

“Sarai, please. All that matters is we went and you enjoyed it.” In a gesture that she’s been doing in response to my complaints since I was a child, she waved me off with a roll of her eyes and turned her attention to the touch screen display on the right-side door of her brand-new Samsung refrigerator that I’d gotten her for her birthday. She threw enough hints out about the two thousand five-hundred-dollar state of the art gadget to convince me that it would be an essential part of her kitchen and I made it happen.

“Daddy would have taken me to all of those places though. That’s for sure.” I went to my first Knicks game with him. I saw my first home run at the Yankee stadium with him. We saw the Nets together back when they were still in New Jersey. We even went to a Jersey Devils game, though I wasn’t that into hockey at the time. In the summer time, we’d go stand outside the gate at the Rucker Park and watch the guys hoop while we enjoyed ice cream cones from the Mister Softee truck lingering on the corner. I had every pair of Jordans that hit the shelves and my poster collection on my bedroom walls? Unmatched.

“I’m sure he would have but he’s no longer with us and I’m not sure why you feel compelled to bring up what he would have done if he were.”

“I guess because it’s the truth.”

“Well he’s not here Sarai. I’m sorry if you don’t think I was a good enough parent for you. I had a roof over your head, I put food on the table, clothes on your back, and made sure you were in a great school. You had good birthdays and Christmas’. We went on vacations, whether you were grateful for them or not. I tried to do my best as a single parent so don’t come in here throwing it into my face what your father would have done. I did what I could and he would have been damn proud of me.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t a good enough parent. Daddy just understood me more.”

“Well guess what Sarai? He was my husband. You don’t think my time with him was cut short too? I miss him just as much as you do. While I understand that he was your everything, I don’t think he would want you to be behaving in the manner that you do. Parents bring children into the world with the expectation to raise them and then one day leave them behind to be here to make a legacy for themselves. Your father’s life was cut short, but ultimately, he was raising you to prepare for a time when death would happen. I’m not going to be around forever either.” The pitch of her voice suddenly increased as she leaned forward to align her eyes with my own.

“I attempted to break you out of that odd mold you were creating for yourself and to expose you to different things because I don’t want you to do exactly what you’re doing right now; being alone out in this world. You’re so hostile towards life itself and it’s such a horrible mentality to have. I’m surprised you’ve kept Taylor around for so long because all you do is push everyone away. You think your father would want you behaving like that? He would have given you a never-ending earful. I’m sorry that he’s no longer here Sarai, but Wesley isn’t coming back. It’s been sixteen years. You have to move on.”

The tears that were once burning my eyes, came trickling down the sides of my cheeks. Many of our conversations always end up here, with her making this point, and then dismissing any criticism that I have for her as me unfairly measuring her up to my father. It’s never been about that. I don’t believe we have a poor relationship with one another, I just know that it has the potential to be so much better than it is. It’s not even about the past, because I don’t have to bring it up, but when I do, it’s always to point out how things are still the same when it comes to her stubbornness about who I am, what I do for a living, and my interests. I’m not as extreme with my tom boyish ways as I used to be, but I’m also not a prissy girly girl either. I’m just me.

“Move on like you have?” She hasn’t. It’s been sixteen years and she’s never remarried. The government funded support groups helped with her coping skills but anything beyond that? It’s been a slow burn progress. When I do attend church with her, I see guys checking her out and smiling in her face all the time, but from her view, they may as well be speaking to a wall. She still wears her rings and his on a necklace that she always wears around her neck and there are pictures up around the house with him in them as if everything is still as normal as it was before our world came crashing down with his sudden death.

“Don’t worry about me and what I have going on. You’re still wet behind the ears with a whole lot of life ahead of you. Don’t waste your time by trying to be like me. You’d be a fool for that. Your happiness is somewhere out in the world waiting for you and it’s up to you to find it or accept it when it finds you. Dry your face.”

I could barely finish off the second slice of cake as my stomach dropped for the millionth time at the sight of the season ending injury that snapped Beckham’s ankle during their week five match up against the Chargers. The sight of him lying on the field clutching his ankle in agony as tears began to pour out of his eyes is still as gut wrenching as it was when I watched it from my couch yesterday and the many times ESPN replayed it as we reported on it this morning. It’s always disappointing to see a player injured but the manner in which it happened to him drew emotion out of me that I hadn’t expected and yet, I didn’t have enough courage to pick up the phone and check on him. I just…couldn’t.

How could I when I spent the last two weeks ignoring any form of communication that he attempted to have with me? His text messages had gone from being sweet messages wishing me a good morning and his own opinions on the segments from the show, to being filled with confusion as to why I refused to respond to him. He attempted to call me three times but I simply stared at the phone and watched it ring. I thought after the unanswered phone calls his persistence would cease, but he then reached out through a Twitter direct message where he asked me if I was alright, because he was worried. A day or so after that, I believe he’d gotten the hint that I was deliberately leaving him unanswered and he stopped.

I thought I would have successfully disappointed and discouraged him when I spoke on the conflict of interest between myself and any athletes beyond the professional setting but it all went into one ear and right out of the other, so I needed to go another route and ignoring him was that. In the midst of the necessary barrier I built between he and I, I hated that I would find myself looking at my phone in anticipation that he’d try again. I scolded myself for lying in bed wondering about him and hoping that he still watches the show. Last night, I berated myself for the tears that I shed in sympathy for what he’s going through right now.

It felt like the Giants were cursed that day. Dwayne Harris left the game with a fractured foot, Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard left the game with ankle sprains, and Beckham with a fibula fracture. It was somber in New York, especially for a team that wanted to redeem themselves after such a terrible season ending playoff lost in the prior season. It pained me to read off Harris being out for the season, but it completely sent my mood into a downward spiral when I had to state the same exact verdict for Beckham. As such an explosive player and someone who only gets sixteen games a season, excluding the playoffs, to play the sport that he loves, I can’t even begin to imagine his disappointment.

I spoke with Heather. When I reached out, he was still in recovery from surgery. She said it was successful and he’s okay.

I reached out to Taylor a short while ago and asked her had she heard anything about his surgery. Everything took place today at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

Okay, good. Thank you.

The remaining half of the additional slice of cake I was having went into the garbage. I then slipped into my jean jacket and grabbed my car keys.

“Ma, I’m leaving. I need to run somewhere right quick.”

“Will I see you this weekend?” I knew she wasn’t too far away. She was right there in the living room wrapped up into what NeNe Leakes has going on in her drama filled life.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Okay, then. Don’t catch an attitude when I call you.”

“I never do.”

As I neared the door, something within me told me to turn around, and I swiftly approached her and planted a kiss on her forehead. No matter how many disagreements we may have, that’s my mother, and I’m always going to leave her on a respectful note.

“Drive safely. Are you going to see a guy?” The gleam in her eyes instantly evoked the rolling of my eyes.

“Ma, don’t be ridiculous. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

My first stop was Scott’s Flowers, a florist I frequent when I feel like putting a brighter smile on my mother’s face or whenever an occasion calls for someone to receive flowers. They’re so familiar with my face that I don’t have to call ahead of time for most of my orders and today was of no exception. While swiftly flipping through a booklet of floral arrangements that weren’t impressive enough, I tossed it aside and opted for one hundred long stem yellow roses inside of a cylinder glass vase. In the corner of the room was an assortment of teddy bears that caught my eyes, so I chose the biggest one they had. I know if I had surgery, I’d want a teddy bear to keep me company. Scott slipped in a number of sly questions about who I was spending four hundred dollars on at this time of evening, but I avoided lying by diverting the subject matter. I considered grabbing some chocolates but I ultimately chose not to because I’m not sure if he likes it. The bottles of wine he raved about while I was on my way out of the door were pointless too. Wine can either be nice for a celebration or a painkiller for sadness, but it can’t be either for him because I’m sure he’s on a ton of actual painkillers.

“Tell Dominique I said hello.”

“Will do.” Yes, mommy’s name is Dominique. Mrs. Dominique Nicole Thomas-Nazaire. Trini to de bone.

The drive to the hospital was twenty minutes of bad nerves and conversations with myself that drowned out whatever Hot 97 had playing. I hadn’t even announced that I would be showing up and yet, here I am, in the parking lot, about to intrude on he and his family’s privacy as he recovers from surgery. I’ve always considered myself to be a thinker even though I think too damn much at times, but I didn’t spend much time taking into consideration all the things that could go wrong with this mission to do a good deed tonight. Who I am to even think that I may be able to slightly cheer him up with some tired ass flowers that’ll die within a few days, a teddy bear that his little brother will enjoy far more than he will, and two “Get Well Soon” balloons that I grabbed from a dollar store five minutes before arriving here? And I didn’t even take into account that it’s fucking me. I’m not Oprah known, but I’m known enough for people to make a narrative that is far from the truth if I’m seen here.

“You can be such a dumbass Sarai.” I panned my eyes over the parking lot. “Fuck it.”

I cleared my conscious as I slipped out of the car and retrieved all that I’d gotten for him out of the backseat. With the click of a button, I locked all of my doors and quickly trekked through the sliding doors and to the lobby’s information desk to get a pass.

“Good evening, how are you?” The short, stocky, and elderly woman warmly smiled at me while watching me manage to juggle the flowers, bear, balloons, and my purse.

“Hi. I’m well. I’m here to see Odell Beckham Jr.”  “Are you on the list?”

Oh. My. God. See? I’m stupid. How and why didn’t I think about there being a list? He’s only one of the most high-profile athletes in the whole fucking world.

“Um, I’m not sure.” I’m not. Obviously.

“What’s your name? Also, I have to note that visiting hours are ending soon.”

“Sarai. Sarai Nazaire.” Great. Just great.

As her fingers went to tapping away at the keyboard, I began to strategize my escape plan so that I won’t suffer in embarrassment when she tells me that my name isn’t there. While on my way out, I’ll trash all of this, because they’re obviously not going to make sure all of this gets upstairs to him due to it being a security risk.

“Sarai?” I couldn’t mistake that voice. As my head twisted to the left, Heather stopped squinting her eyes and brightly smiled at my presence. God decided to be gracious towards me today. I definitely have to go to church this Sunday with mommy. I’m not going to use cramps as a poor excuse like I did yesterday. My period ended Saturday. Lord, forgive me please.

“Hey Heather.” She adjusted the strap on her Chanel bag while approaching me and immediately engulfed me into a hug. Much like her son, I don’t know how anyone can ever become angry with this woman. She’s just one big ball of positivity.

“I’m so glad to see you. O’s going to be so happy you’re here.”

“They said that visiting hours are ending soon.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. We’re in good standing with the surgeon. Once you’re upstairs, no one’s going to bother you. I stayed here all night long last night.”

“How is he?”

“He’s alright. He’s in good spirits even though he’s in both mental and physical pain. I know that sounds like it doesn’t make sense, but it does to me. He could be a lot of worse, you know? As I told him, it’s a minor setback for a major comeback.”

“That’s true.”

“And the surgery went extremely well. The fix is as perfect as it’s going to get so I can feel a lot of weight being lifted off of my shoulders and his, even though he’s not going to admit that right now. He has a long road ahead of him before full recovery and of course him getting back to the athletic O that we all know and love, but the fact of the matter is that he’s going to recover. There are people who do not, so he’s blessed.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. When I saw his ankle bend like that, I literally yelped out loud.”

“Oh, so did I. I just about had a heart attack. Thank God I was here. My nerves would have been shot to hell had I been back home.”

“Were you leaving?”

“Yeah, I’m going to head back to the house to freshen up and get a bit of rest. He sent everyone else home about an hour ago. I was the last one hanging around. He claims everyone needs to go and chill out for a bit, but honestly, I think he was tired of the crowd being in the room. He couldn’t get much rest himself with everyone hovering over him and doing all of that talking.”

“Oh my gosh, well then, maybe I can just have this sent up and I’ll just head out. If he’s trying to rest, I don’t want to disturb him.”

“Oh no. Don’t be silly. Please go up, I insist. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, I know he’ll be happy you came by.”

“Okay.” Maybe I’ll stick around for ten minutes.

“I should be back first thing in the morning. Oh, and thank you so much for the words of encouragement you spoke this morning for he and the other wide receivers who were injured yesterday. You’re so awesome Sarai. Truly.” Yet again we were hugging.

“Oh, there’s no need to thank me. I hate to see players get injured. It’s awful.”

“Yes, it is. They’ll be alright though. I just try to think positive. I grabbed him a light dinner earlier because he’s not fond of the hospital’s food and he has some snacks up there too, so he should be okay. He knows to call me if he needs me. You can also call me if anything comes up. You have my number.”

“Yes, I do. I’ll be sure to call.”

“Alright then. I’ll see you soon. Have a good night.”

“Goodnight.”

As she walked away, I realized that she hadn’t given the receptionist clearance for me to be able to go upstairs.

Shit.

“Sarai right? I placed your laminated pass right there. I just need you to step back a bit so that I can take a picture with the camera and print one out.”

“Oh, everything is okay?” My brows raised in confusion.

“Of course. Your name is there.” She said it so nonchalantly, it almost went over my head that my name was indeed on his visitor’s list. I’m sure the picture she took looked foolish and that was confirmed once she passed it to me. How is my name already on the list?

“He’s on the fourth floor. The room is on your pass. The elevators are right over there to the right.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Flutters filled my core as the elevator ascended to the fourth floor. The feeling worsened as I stood in front of the closed door to his private room.

What will I say? If he saw this morning’s episode, then I don’t want to be repetitive with the words of encouragement. Then again, does he even want to hear that? I know I wouldn’t want to hear the cliché “it’ll be okay” after being told I won’t be able to play for the rest of the season. That’s not okay. Maybe I won’t say anything and I’ll just listen. After so much disappointment and a surgery, who wouldn’t want to vent? Either way, I came all this way, so I might as well go through with this. I’ll kick myself in the ass later on when I’m back home.

“Beckham?” I poked my head into the room. There was silence. As he lay there in bed, he stared up at the ceiling in deep thought until I interrupted him.

“Sarai?” He cleared his throat to rid it of some of the rasp as I stepped into the room and allowed the door to close behind myself. Our eyes instantly met and the glossiness within them sunk my mood even further. I could tell he hadn’t been crying but it was clear that the weight of all that had happened to him over the last twenty-four hours was on his shoulders like a ton of bricks and right now, within this moment, he feels something he typically never feels for himself; helpless.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Wow. Flowers?” A bit of gleam filled his eyes and he chuckled at the sight of all of the yellowness in my hands. As I glanced around the room, I noticed a ton of balloons, two gift baskets filled with chocolate, but no flowers. “I’ve never received flowers before.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Is it a bad thing?”

“Of course not. I’m flattered, honestly.” I found a nice spot near the window to place them down, so they’d be able to receive a good amount of sunlight and I placed the teddy bear on the couch just near the window.

“I figured I’d get them in yellow to bring some brightness around here. I don’t care what they look like; all hospitals are dull and glum to me. You don’t need that kind of energy around you right now. You want to hug the bear?”

“A hug from you sounds better.” It felt like someone punched a hole into my chest and knowingly squeezed my lungs once he said that. The hesitance was clear as my feet remained just about glued to the floor for a few seconds but I eventually began to inch my way over to his awaiting arms and laid my upper frame on top of his. With him laying down, I was only able to grip both of his arms as he wrapped his drawn-out arms around my body and pulled me close. The beating our hearts synced and somehow, I felt more alive than I did at any point during this befuddling day. A laziness filled me as the warmth of his body relaxed mine and the enthralling scent of his cologne coerced my eyes to close as we basked in the moment. The feeling his fingers lightly pressing into my back informed me of just how much he needed to be embraced and if that could give him just the slightest bit of comfort through this, I’m am willing to give him as many hugs as it takes.

“I ran into your mom. She said the surgery was a success.”

“Yeah, the doctor claims all is well. I have a long road ahead of me though.” Despite me sitting up to be able to look at his alluring face, I was still wrapped up within his arms.

“It takes about six weeks for bones to heel, but there’s a possibility it can be longer. We’ll just have to pace it. For the next four to six weeks I really have to chill out and keep my weight off of it as much as possible. They’re going to put me on a pain management protocol so I won’t be so dependent on the opioid medications which is great for me because I hate how all of that shit is making my body feel. I’m going to be in a splint when I get out here and I have to basically sit on my ass and elevate it ninety percent of the day. In about two weeks, he’ll take the sutures out and then I’ll get one of those boots that you can take on and off. I’ll be able to start slightly moving the ankle then and taking showers. They’ll do an x-ray in six to seven weeks to see how well the bone healed and if all is well then, I’ll be able to start putting weight on it and doing physical therapy.”

“Well, at least you really listened to all that he had to say.” I had to laugh at the way he easily listed off the way his life is going to be for the next month and a half. He didn’t sound enthusiastic about it whatsoever, but he’s certainly well informed.

“Well, yeah I did. I can’t take not being on my feet for so long. All of that sitting around is going to drive me insane.”

“It doesn’t have to. Now is a good time for you to find other things to entertain yourself with.”

“You know what’s crazy? Remember when I said to you that I was praying to God for more time to do things that are beyond the football field like spending time with my family, friends, and the dogs? Now look.”

“Well, I don’t think God decided to grant you that wish by snapping your ankle, but at least you’ll be able to gain some perspective about life in the midst of this.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that it’s going to be alright. Minor setback for a major comeback.”

“Well, I’m not going to tell you that.” His hands trailed down my back as he frowned in confusion in the same manner that I had been doing downstairs.

“What do you mean?”

“You snapped your ankle. You’re lying in a hospital bed. Despite what everyone is telling you, that’s not what you feel. This feels fucked up and pretty shitty. You’re out for the season and now you have to watch your team fight for victories without you. That feels even worse. So right now, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be alright because it’s still all so fresh and you have the right to feel that way. Be angry, frustrated, hell, even cry if you want to. It’s alright to have those emotions because this isn’t easy. There will come a time when you do feel like everything’s going to be alright, but tonight isn’t it…and that’s okay.”

I don’t know how anyone uses those ridiculous and yet absolutely insulting adjectives such as diva, asshole, little girl, and selfish to describe this man. The majority of the time we see him, he’s covered up in a uniform and is defined by the number on the back of his jersey. For sixty minutes, people create so many false narratives of who he is based upon passionate responses on the field and his will to win. It’s beyond unjust because the person that I’ve come to know is charming, compassionate, and has elements of shyness within him. He’s composed, observant, and aware. He has a keen eye for detail, listens intently, and thinks before he speaks. He carries himself with his head held high and brings about an energy into any room he steps into unlike any other. He puts smiles on people’s faces, tells the silliest jokes to lighten the mood, and shows genuine concern for the well-being of others. He’s unique; a one of a kind Baton Rouge born royal who has made his mark and is continuing to do so no matter what negativity his naysayers speak.

“Thank you for that, Sarai.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Can I ask you something? You don’t have to explain yourself if you don’t want to. I’m just curious.” And suddenly I wanted him to let me go. I hate that he could easily feel the nervousness within my now tense fame. To soothe me, he ran one of his ridiculously huge palms up and down my back.

“Yeah?”

“Why’d you ignore me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No. You didn’t do anything wrong. Beckham, you don’t understand.”

“Help me understand.”

“This can’t…” It was me who broke his embrace as the door suddenly cracked open. With one step, I dashed backwards to create some space between the bed and myself.

“Mr. Beckham, it’s time for your final round of medication for the night. You should be able to sleep with this one. Are you feeling any pain?”

“Nah not really. The only thing I’m feeling is flips in my stomach and chills from all of the medication.”

“Yeah, those are typical side effects, especially because we’re giving it to you intravenously. Usually when medication is going straight through the vein it can cause you to have slight jitters, chills, possible anxiety, or it feels like there’s this rush happening within your body. I promise we’re not going to give you anything that is dangerous for you. We’re just trying to keep your pain under control. Remember you had surgery today.”

“I know.”

“At least your girlfriend is here to keep you company. She’ll keep your mind off of it until you fall asleep.” My mouth fell agape at her assumption and he giggled like a young school boy as she viewed his chart.

“That’s true.” If I didn’t have any sense, I would have beamed my phone at his head.

“So, this is morphine and your antibiotic. This should last you throughout the night, but I’ll be in to check on you. Do you have to use the bathroom?” She began to check his pulse and blood pressure.

“Nope, because I’m not going in that bed pan again.”

“Beckham, don’t be stubborn.” I had to butt in. He’s in here for an ankle fracture and he’ll be back for a damaged bladder if he holds his urine due to being too prideful.

“I actually don’t have to go.”

“Are you sure? Why don’t we try? I’ll get a pan.”

“I’ll step outside.” Their conversation was officially shifting into a privacy territory.

“You don’t have to step outside.” Beckham found her responses to be all too funny as I widened my eyes in disbelief. Uh, I absolutely do have to step outside and I’ll be stepping outside of the building if she continues with these assumptions.

“Nurse Meghan, I really don’t have to go. I’m okay.”

“What about number two? Have you had the urge yet?” And then it quickly became my turn to laugh at him as he frowned his face up in sheer embarrassment at such a question.

“No.”

“That’s normal. It may take a day or two for your bowels to open up but if it’s any longer than that we’ll give you a mild laxative to fix that problem.”

“I doubt I’ll need that.”

“We’ll see. Hopefully you won’t. Your blood pressure is great. I’ll check your temperature, insert your medicine through the IV, and you should be good to go. You need anything else for the night? I already showed you how to work the television. On the remote is a button for you to press to call the nurse’s station and I’ll be right here to assist you. You have water right over there if you want it. You want any extra pillows or blankets?”

“Nah. My mom brought me some from home so that I could be comfortable. I’m straight.” He lifted his tongue for the thermometer and within a few seconds she was jotting down his temperature.

“All normal. If anything should change, you know how to reach me.” I’m not sure why but my eyes followed her every move as she worked with the IV to properly insert the liquid within both syringes into the line. She was gentle enough to make sure she didn’t irritate his arm and the vein by pulling on or adjusting it.

“I do.”

“Alright then, I’ll check on you in a bit Mr. Beckham.”

And yet again, we were left alone. His eyes hadn’t panned back up to the ceiling like they were before I intruded on his thinking. Instead, they were directly on me while I leaned against the wall.

“You’re going to go to sleep soon, so I’m going to get out of here. You need your rest.”

“I don’t want you to go.” Why does he say all of the things that men don’t say but actually need to say?

“You’re going to fall asleep within the next ten minutes or so.”

“I’ll fight it. I want to talk to you.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“I won’t fall asleep. Just stay for a little while longer.” How can I deny someone laying in a hospital bed?

“Okay.”

“So, I watched clips from today’s show on my phone. I couldn’t see the whole episode because I was in recovery and still under the anesthesia when it was on. Scott wasn’t there today, which made the show even better.” My laughter was louder than it should have been because that is one of my co-hosts after all, but gosh, he peeves so many people. There’s one side of him that deliberate does it for the sake of sparking debates and the other side is actually just his personality coming out to shine, often times, in the worst ways. He can be condescending, over exaggerated, and a large majority his sentiments causes our viewers to unleashed full on rants about him on social media but he is who he is and he’s yet to say anything controversial enough to be removed from the show. His disdain for Beckham, Tom Brady, Lebron James, and Antonio Brown never falters. We’ve all learned not to take him seriously whatsoever because if he were to meet any one of the three, he’d never keep that same energy in their faces.

“Yeah, Scott went on vacation with his girlfriend.”

“I see the way he looks at you. I think he likes you.”

“He does.” He flirts, he’s asked me out for drinks once, and his compliments can be overkill. I’m not interested nor will I ever be.

“You’re out of his league. He should know better than that.” Though he attempted to suppress it, I noticed the yawn and the way he attempted to pull the covers up over his body. I decided to help. If I felt the chill within the room, I’m sure it feels worse for him.

“How’s that?” I covered him up to the top of his shoulders.

“It’s great, thank you. So back to what I was saying, he’s out of your league.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I’m sure he knows it too.”

“So, who’s in my league?”

“No one.”

“No one?” I didn’t expect that answer. I figured he’d throw in some joke about it being him. He’s good for a flirtatious moment.

“No one. You’re definitely in a league of your own, but I’m trying to work my way up to bring drafted in. With the first and only pick in the 2017 Sarai Nazaire draft, Sarai selects Odell Beckham Jr. from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the New York Giants.”

“Shut up!” I knew it was coming. We roared in laughter because of that. He wouldn’t be himself without inserting some kind of joke into the mix.

“Sarai, you know after this you can’t ignore me ever again, right? You bought me flowers, a teddy bear, and balloons. You told me I could be as mad as I want. You were about to help me use the bed pan.”

“Oh, no I wasn’t.” The only way I would have done that is if it were truly an emergency and the hospital had not a single nurse within reach of him.

“Yeah, you were. You tucked me in. All that’s left for you to do is kiss me and then we can start talking about the rest of our lives together.”

“Go to sleep Beckham.”

“You go to sleep Nazaire.” This yawn came with his heavy eyelids struggling to stay open so that he could focus on me. He didn’t have the strength to say anything more. I looked on as he eventually drifted into the deep slumber that he was fighting against and the light snoring was a clear sign that he’d be out for the night.

The reclining chair directly next to the bed had a pillow and blanket neatly folded up in its seat and on the opposite side of the room was the couch. I had options and yet I chose to remain nearby. I’m going to assume this is where Heather slept. She did a nightshift last night, so I’ll do one tonight.

I gently lifted the yellow beanie hat covering his head just a bit and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. I, then, gave him a second one for good measure. As my eyes panned down to his slightly pouting lips, I mentally scolded myself for momentarily craving to feel them against my own. The man is laying in a hospital bed and yet I’m consumed with my own childish and temporary fantasies.

I kicked off my sneakers and curled up into the chair. I didn’t expect it to be comfortable but it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The cushion is soft enough to keep my back and bottom without aches throughout the night.

Lastly, I covered myself in the blanket smothered with his scent and propped up the pillow that smelled just the same right under my head.

“Sweet dreams, O.”

Within a half an hour, I was having sweet dreams of my own.

#fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic #fan fic #odell beckham jr fanfic #odell beckham fanfic #obj fanfic

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wholockedcumberwumber · 6 years

Text

Sweetwater Runs Deep ~ An AU Riverdale/Southside Serpents Fan Fic

Lucy Collins had Been Living in Riverdale for almost six months her Housemate was a waitress at Pop's Diner. Lucy was alone in the house and it was Saturday morning and she decided to see if there were any horses on the neighboring farm. Celeste, her half brother's friend was still training her Puppy. So Lucy was afraid to get horses for their farm that riding was one of the few pleasant memories she had of Collinsport after her Mother's Death.

So she was wondering, on a warm day in mid-February, she had been walking for 45 minutes when she saw two horses near a fence. "They remind me of my horses." she got closer "Countess? Simeon?" she waved to the man standing nearby "Sir, would mind answering a few questions?" he nodded "where did these horses come from and do they have names?"

the older man smiled "Young Man who moved here from Maine about 7 months ago brought them with him. he didn't have a place to house them and he only asked me not change the names. He said their names are Countess and Simeon."

Lucy leaned against the fence, there was only one person who would bring her horses with him after Leaving Collinsport but that was too much to believe. "He may be someone i knew before coming here. Sir, i believe these were my horses is it okay if i come back tomorrow to ride them. i can help pay for feed." the horses nuzzled against her "If i am right i was in the barn when they were born. and i named them."

It was probably too much to hope that the person who brought them was the same person her father had forced to leave Collinwood. *It can't be Declan. if it is then it wasn't my imagination that i saw someone with the serpents who looked like Declan."

the man looked at her "Yes and that's not necessary the young man pays for their supplies. Would you care for a drink? My name is Paul."

"It would be my pleasure and my Name is Lucy Jones-Collins. my full name is a lot longer a little more pretentious i prefer Lucy." after spending time with Countess and Simeon she went back to the house and thought back on the night of the Valentine Dance, four days before. She Had seen the Serpents hanging out outside and she thought she had seen Declan there

Wednesday, February 14th, 2018

Northside High School School Cafeteria lunchtime. “Smeg, i forgot to ask Jughead if i could sit with him at lunch,” she mumbled to herself she looked at the menu for that day she had been ignoring the posters for the school dance. "I will have a spinach salad and a piece of baked chicken and a Pepsi. please,“ she told the school cafeteria chef when it was her turn

She always felt like the chef was staring at her when she would ask for Pepsi with healthy meals. but water didn’t sound good and orange juice didn’t taste good with salad.

She looked at her phone “Dang the school dance is tonight. and i don’t really want to go.” she sighed “But how am i supposed to meet people?”

that night at the school dance, more specifically outside the school “Lu! I am taking Betty back to the trailer park for late night cookout wanna come?” Jughead asked

“Are you sure?”

“You are family come on. Fang let her ride in your sidecar.”

FP looked at them “Never mind Fang. she’s my blood she will ride with me in my truck. No offering alcohol to her she’s only 15.”

End Flashback..

Valentine's Day Came and Went and now it was nearly Independence Day and Lucy was 16, Her uncle Gabriel had ended up In Jail after trying to attack her on Serpents territory. and she was now a Serpent Girl. Declan parked his Motorcycle in front of her house "I am glad you stopped Whistling like guys from 1950s." she said as she walked up and kissed him

Declan "My 17th BIrthday is on the Third and Serpents are having a party at the Wyrm." he said. Lucy woke up from a dead sleep crying. Declan had been killed inin fight between the ghoulies and the serpents.it had been almost two months since Declan had been killed and Fangs had been there for her. He had also accepted that it would take time before she felt like being more than friends

“Lucy, I know it’s not much of comfort. But he always talked about you. before he knew you were in Riverdale.” Fangs said as he sat next to her "He wanted to become a person who felt like he could be worthy of you." Fangs had been assigned to stay with her that day because the Serpents were taking turns.

"I know Fangs. I am just glad he got to celebrate his 17th Birthday before he died. Declan was hte only Friend i Had in Collinsport." she looked down "IN Unity there is is strength. I think that is why he joined The Seprents for himself not for me. In Collinsport he was always the strange son of the horse breeder." she rested her head on his shoulder "I am hungry. Can you take me to Pop's?"

He smiled "Sure. i will buy." this was hte first time in weeks she had wanted to go outside. School was starting soon. the fight between the Ghoulies and The Serpents had happened o nthe 4th of july and it had taken a few minutes for Sherrif Keller to figure out it was gunshots and not just fireworks he was hearing. "It;s been raining so it's kind of shilly outside." he handed her a hat.

Five Months Later.... Another Valentines day was approaching and lucy finally felt like moving on but she wasn't sure if te person she wanted to take her to dance would be willing to take her. It was saturday afternoon and Fangs was woking at Pop's so Lucy had been sitting on his porch reading while waitign for him to get home. when he walked up it had nearly startled her.

"Lulu, what are you doing here?"

She took a deep breath "Fangs will you go to the Valentine's dance at Northside High with me?"

He laughed "I was goign to ask you to the dance." he helps her stand up "I got paid so i bought some dinner on the way home." they go in. "I can't dance very well."

"i can teach you." she said

"I guess this will be our first date." he said with smile as he took of his jacket and hung it next to the door. "Mom's working late tonight."

"I am guessing it is your turn to clean i can stay and help you. since you've been working all day." she said smiling after they finished eating she cleans the kitchen and he puts away the laundry.

She follows him to his room to watch him put away his laundry and when he sees her casually lean against his door frame. "I know the School dance is our first date. but I've been wanting to do this since i met you." he sit the basket on his bed and goes over and kisses her. he had expected her to pull away from him but her body leaned into his fitting with him perfectly.

"The school therapist said if i can make it through telling story about Declan without crying." she sits in his desk chair and tells him about she first became friends with Declan. "I think even if we had only been high school sweet hearts he would have stayed in my life." Fangs squeezed her hand "I am ready to move on with you Fangs. You never answered my Question i know Fangs is a nick name."

"It is Galen Hannibal Fogarty. Mom's Favorite Movie is Silence of the Lambs" he said already knowing what she was about to ask. It was always an unspoken rule that unless it was necessary they would never speak their real names.

"Galen is one of my favorite Names," she said cuddling against him

The End

#riverdale au #fan fiction #ocs #started 2/15/18 #finished 8/5/18 #fangs fogarty x oc #southside serpents #riverdale fan fiction

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fedorasaurus · 7 years

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I wrote up a detailed origin story for my D&D character. He's a chaotic neutral Drow Warlock who got swindled into buying magic powers from a Fiend and then used them to run away from home because his mom is a jerk. Now he roams the surface world selling trash to the locals who think his garbage is COOL AND EXOTIC because it came from the Underdark.

Now he has to pay back the Fiend (who he also considers his bff), but it's fine because he's about to join an adventuring guild to take missions for fast cash. I assume that our DM will take it from there!

Full story under the pagebreak 'cause it's a little long and also the other players MIGHT NOT want to see my boy's personal details all at once for the sake of roleplaying. *shrug*

Oh, one last thing: My goal for playing this character is to see if I can play a Dark Elf who isn’t edgy and brooding. I think I also project a lot of my own insecurities and weakness to flattery on him, so maybe we can help each other with that?

Quasaris: Origin Story

-1-

Quasaris was born to the House of Redsilk as the youngest of three siblings, having two older sisters: Lunasta and Celeste. While his sisters were physically fit and had an affinity for magic, Quasaris lacked the strength and wisdom necessary to perform any useful job skills. When Lunasta and Celeste became priestesses of Lolth, Quasaris spent his days in the family mansion, cleaning and taking care of other mundane tasks, or tending to guests at his mother’s lavish parties.

His mother, Lady Crauline, was a wicked old sorceress who kept a distrustful eye on Quasaris at all times, and he suspected that she even sent spiders to spy on him while she was away. It was Crauline who put fear into Quasaris by showing him the crazed Drider that was contained in the depths of the Underdark's dungeons, telling him that the hideous creature had once been her husband--Quasaris' father--transformed into a mindless spider-beast after disrespecting Lolth's priestesses. Although Quasaris began to doubt this story as he grew older, it was enough to make him obedient toward his sisters and mother for many years.

One night, while Quasaris was tending to the household duties alone, a shadowy figure appeared to him. It had no discernible shape, but it was vaguely humanoid and spoke fluent Undercommon.

The figure claimed to be a Fiend of great magical power, but, more importantly, it told Quasaris stories of a world high above their own, a world full of color and opportunity for financial success and social influence without the control of Lolth in every aspect of life. Quasaris was skeptical that Drow could be welcomed in such a place, much less respected enough to become rich and powerful, but the Fiend assured him that the overworlders were a curious folk who adventured for the fun of it, had deep pockets, and loved all things exotic. And what could be more exotic than a reclusive race of Elves who lived deep within the earth? Sure, the Drow had been banished long ago, but things were different now, the Fiend insisted.

Although Quasaris wasn't entirely convinced, he appreciated that this powerful, intelligent Fiend took the time and care to befriend a useless fool like him. The Fiend returned regularly to keep him company on dull, lonely nights, never taking the same form but often bringing small gifts from the surface: seashells, flowers, even once an iridescent beetle the likes of which Quasaris had never even imagined. With each of the Fiend's stories and presents, Quasaris became a little more convinced that maybe there was something to a life on the surface, selling "exotic" trinkets to the locals. But it was all only a grand fantasy, for there was no way Quasaris had the brains or brawn to actually LEAVE the Underdark. The exits were heavily guarded, and surely his mother or sisters would find him out before he even came close. He'd be no match for their magical abilities.

On his 442nd birthday, the Fiend appeared to him with a slice of beautifully decorated cake, and a special offer. The Fiend, generous as he was, could give Quasaris a means to escape: a catalogue of spells, and an orb of pure obsidian from which to cast them, no prior arcane training required. It was a bundle valued at over several million gold pieces, but for his best friend Quasaris (on his birthday of all days), he could give him a special deal of just 1k.

Quasaris didn't have a thousand gold of his own, and didn't think it would be wise to steal from his family's treasury (although the consideration was tempting), but this was all no problem for the Fiend. A contract was drafted, stating that Quasaris could have the discounted 500g orb and 500g spellbook, as well as cast any of its spells for 100g each [per spell level / cantrips 10g] with no money down. Quasaris could then repay the debt at any point in his life, so long as it WAS repaid before his death. In the event that he is unable to do so, well, the Fiend would simply claim Quasaris' soul as compensation.

Appreciative of the great offer, Quasaris signed the contract and used the rented magic to escape that very night.

-2-

Debt: 2k

Business on the surface was harder than Quasaris had anticipated. Most overworlders were out during the day, but the sun hurt his eyes and made his skin ache, so for a while he tried to engage only at night. However, he found that many businesses conducted after sunset were by those even shadier than himself, those far more streetwise and suspicious. He resorted to magic to escape from most trouble, but this only made his debt grow, and without a steady income to counter it, things could get tricky in the future.

He regularly communicated with the Fiend via the Orb, finding his Patron to be very patient and understanding. And, of course, remarkably generous, allowing him access to even more powerful spells after a time.

As months went on, Quasaris learned to conduct business in the shade, how to persuade his marks to buy common Underdark goods (junk from his old home, really; a broken fork here, a roll of wrinkled sheets there) for an inflated price. The money was good, but he would run out of stock eventually, and he still had the occasional troubles that were most easily avoided via magical means, so he would have to consider an alternate method of work when the time came.

-3-

Quasaris eventually learned not to stay in any one town too long while doing his business. It was safer to have fresh customers and less potential enemies or law enforcement attention. Not to mention, it seemed that some folk still regarded the Drow as dangerous, evil people.

One night, while traveling between towns, Quasaris was jumped by bandits on the road. Although he could have quickly dispatched the gang with some violent spells, he could talk a good pitch by now, and decided to give it a shot (and besides that, his spellcasting ability had been nearly exhausted earlier that day).

By some luck, he not only talked the bandits out of robbing and killing him, but also convinced them to purchase a number of his remaining trinkets in exchange for their treasure stash. The stash would have put him close to paying off his debt with the Fiend, but it turned out that it had all been stolen from a local village, and when Quasaris showed up there to pawn the items for gold, he was regarded as a hero for retrieving the goods. He was, therefore, forced to turn it over to the villagers, or risk looking like a thief himself.

It was shortly after this incident that Quasaris would be welcomed into the Silver Swords guild. With nothing but one last trinket and 15g, the opportunity to take on adventuring jobs for money could not have come at a better time.

Current Debt: 5k

- Other Notes! -

Quasaris has NOT seen his Patron Fiend's true form, nor does he know its true name. He just sort of refers to him as "Fiend" or "Friend" or sometimes "Benefactor," but like in a super ironic tone like when you and your pals are all in on a joke.

Whether the Fiend is more interested in money or Quasaris' soul is something I want to leave up to the DM's discretion, unless it isn't gonna be relevant to the campaign.

Quasaris has somehow been on the surface for months without seeing a single spider. He doesn't think they exist outside of the Underdark. Like. At all. He's gonna lose his composure when he finally sees one, I just know it.

Quasaris kinda-sorta has a crush on his Patron Fiend. Not in a romantic "I want to make out with you right now immediately" way (although I guess he'd consider kissing him if they met in person?), but he's just very smitten by the fact that the Fiend gave a damn about him in the first place and has just been SO NICE AND FRIENDLY AND GOOD AND QUASARIS YOU FOOL HE'S PLAYING YOU LIKE A LYRE. SPEAKING OF WHICH--

Quasaris is really good at playing the Lyre (self-taught), but music wasn't really useful where he's from so he never considered that to be a special skill. He still brought it with him to the surface with the other trinkets, but he plays it sometimes and isn't sure if he wants to sell it. (This possibly opens up an idea to multiclass him as a Bard, depending on how things go)

Quasaris wanted to be a priest when he was young, until he was basically told LOL, BOYS CAN'T BE PRIESTS OF LOLTH. He wouldn't rule out retiring into priesthood after his wealthy businessman days are over, assuming he found a deity that appealed to and accepted him. (I also love the idea of multiclassing him as a Cleric if he meets the requirements for that, or just imagining it as the ideal happy ending for my boy).

Quasaris never knew his dad, but he's like 70% sure that the Drider wasn't really him and 40% REALLY REALLY HOPING THAT THE DRIDER WASN'T ONCE HIS DAD.

Quasaris' sisters are twins and are about 7 years older than he is. They all got along when they were little, but they sort of fell out of touch with him once they became Priestesses.

His full name is technically Quasaris Redsilk, but he doesn't use his family name unless he has to, or he just shortens it to "Reds."

One of the reasons Quasaris has trouble paying off his debt is because he loves food. Like, a lot. He loves surface world meals and always asks what the different dishes are called so that he can use them as the verbal components to his spells (I have every intention of yelling "fillet mignon" when I cast something).

Quasaris isn't SUPER romantic/sexual, but he does think most Tieflings are cute and they make him a little flustered. Most of his emotional/flirty energy is directed toward his Patron Fiend, though.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'd be thrilled to explain anything further!

#Quasaris #original character #OC #D&D #Dungeons & Dragons #5th Edition #D&D5e #DnD #Dungeons and Dragons #Drow #Dark Elf #Warlock #I haven't played him yet but I love him a lot #that said I don't want the DM to go easy on him #MAKE HIM WORK FOR HIS GOALS AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT #even if he has to play half the campaign as a goat or something

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