#FINISHED CHAPTER 3!! THAT WAS. A WHOLE DAY AFFAIR. WOW

[thegreatyin]

im gonna call it jerry :)

[bluejayblueskies]

i cannot stop thinking about tma hell's kitchen au

(@f0xesand0wls thank you for enabling me)

- elias is the head chef, and peter and gertrude are his sous chefs. there are 20 total chefs in the competition: red team: jon, tim, georgie, daisy, naomi, agnes, gerry, jordan, helen/michael, oliver blue team: martin, sasha, melanie, basira, mike, jude, julia, jared, jane, manuela

- the black jackets are jon, martin, tim, sasha, georgie, and melanie, and the finalists are jon and martin. the winner is probably martin, but it doesn't really matter, because the actual plot of this is a jonmartin rivals-to-friends-to-lovers slowburn

- annabelle is the one who puts all of the film and audio together at the end. jmart watch the show once it's put on television and go 'what the fuck i didn't say any of that' because that's how reality tv is babey

- martin is one of those chefs who does poorly at the beginning but gets better and ends up in the final two. even though he's not on the same team as jon, jon is like 'this guy sucks' and maybe martin messes something up for jon early on and jon decides he does not like martin.

- jon is so nervous that he's going to screw up and get sent home early (he doesn't have formal culinary training and feels deeply underqualified) so he's very stiff and overly professional at the beginning. he relaxes over time as he becomes more confident in his own cooking and as he does well at challenges and dinner services.

- somewhere around chapter/episode 5, martin tells jon that he doesn't have any formal culinary training and that he said he did in order to get into the restaurant job he had prior to coming on the show. he's been cooking for his mother since he was ten though, and jon surprises himself by saying that that's a lot more impressive than studying technique in france or something. that's the catalyst of their transition from rivals into friends

- somewhere around episode 8, jude (who got switched to the red team a few episodes prior) gets eliminated, but on the dinner service before she does, there's an incident in the kitchen and jon's hand gets burnt pretty badly (not so badly that he has to go home, and he fights through the rest of dinner service because of course he does). he insists he doesn't have to go to the hospital for it, and elias reluctantly agrees and has the medic look at it. in the dorms later, martin helps jon unwrap it and put more burn cream on it and change the bandages and... yeah <3

- daisy and jon do not get along at first, and daisy actually tries to sabotage jon early in the season/fic. jon nearly gets eliminated because of it and he is not happy. then, a good few episodes later, the red team wins a challenge and they go on some sort of outdoorsy award and something happens and jon saves daisy from getting seriously injured. they're on better terms after that.

- when jon, tim, sasha, martin, melanie, and georgie get black jackets, elias (like every actual season of hell's kitchen) brings their family members/friends in for them to see. jon gets his grandmother, tim his brother, sasha her mother, georgie her best friend alex, and melanie some of her ghosthunt uk (the restaurant) friends. the only person martin has is his mother, and they tell him that she was too sick to come, but he can't shake the feeling that she just didn't want to. she didn't even agree to make him a video. it's a very awkward affair, and after the challenge (which tim wins) jon stands by martin while they're... idk, peeling 200 pounds of potatoes or something and they talk about it and they talk about a lot of their personal lives. for most of the competition, they're very aware that they're on camera at all times, but jon decides that being there for martin is more important than worrying about that.

- jon wins the next black jacket challenge and, when asked who he wants to invite on the reward, invites martin. they get to go wine tasting in a beautiful vinyard together and then they get some time to sit in the vinyard and just relax. martin probably realized he had a crush on jon around... episode/chapter 8? pretty soon after his admission that he doesn't have formal training. this episode is when jon realizes that he has a crush on martin, and the wine tasting suddenly seems very romantic and he gets very flustered. martin just thinks he's getting nervous since they're getting closer to the end of the competition.

- it's martin and jon in the finals. martin has tim, melanie, basira, and agnes on his bridage and jon has sasha, georgie, daisy, and gerry. in the middle of the entrees, something goes very wrong in martin's kitchen (not because of martin, because agnes burns like... ten racks of lamb or something ridiculous like that) and it looks like martin might not even be able to finish and he's freaking out just a little bit, so jon does something incredibly stupid and tells sasha to take charge of the kitchen for a moment and goes over into the other kitchen and pulls martin aside and takes martin's hands in his and is like 'it's okay, you're okay, everything's going to be okay. you're extremely talented and an amazing chef and an amazing person and i love you and this is not your fault and you're going to go back out there and get things back on track.'

jon goes back to his kitchen, elias yelling at him the whole way, and martin kicks agnes out and gets his kitchen back under control and they have no other issues that night. and martin's brain completely skips over the 'i love you' until the end of service, when the adrenaline wears off and they start to clear down and jon gives him this smile and suddenly martin remembers and he's like 'oh fuck'

but jon doesn't say anything about it so martin assumes he hadn't meant to say it, because of course he didn't, because they're competing for a job and $250,000 and he probably just heard jon wrong or something. jon probably said 'i love your cooking' and martin's just being stupid and letting his crush get away from him. so they both go back and sit in the dorms and wait for elias to call them up to his office. meanwhile, jon also remembers that he accidentally let i love you slip and he's having a bit of a crisis about it because on the one hand he meant it, but on the other hand he should not have said it then and martin hasn't said anything, so maybe he didn't even hear.

still, martin needs to thank jon. so he's eventually like 'thank you for what you did back there. i don't think i would have made it through service without what you said.' then, after a moment, because it is a competition: 'why did you help me? you could have let me drown and you'd have a secure win'

and jon just shrugs and says, 'because you needed help, and i... i care about you. i didn't want to see you fail. you are a good chef, martin, and i... i know you deserve this job just as much as me. you can go work at elias's restaurant and i can go back to mine and... and that'll be okay, if that's what happens'

and martin realizes suddenly that jon lives across the country from him normally and he doesn't know if he'll be able to see jon after this (chefs are busy people, after all, not a lot of time for family and such) and before he can really think about it he's like 'i wouldn't be okay with that' and then when jon just looks at him he clarifies, 'i... i don't want to just go back to living in [washington?], working all day and coming home to an empty apartment, and you'll go back to [new york?] and i... will i even see you again? because it's been so nice, being here, being with you, and i want to see you again, jon. every day.' he hesitates a moment, then decides fuck it, if i'm wrong, at least i'll only be embarrassed for a little while longer and says, 'what you said during service. did you mean it?'

and jon, tentatively, is like, 'that you're a good chef? yes, martin, i meant it, of course i did' and martin's like 'no, the... the other thing you said. right in the middle of it all. i- i don't know if i heard you right, and i just... i need to know if you meant it'

and it would be easy for jon to say no, to pretend like he didn't. but instead, he sits next to martin on the couch and takes martin's hand in his and nods and says, 'i... i've meant it for quite some time, i think' and he smiles at martin, a little bit shy, and martin's overwhelmed with affection and he reaches for jon's face, leans forward, and--

and the phone rings. unfortunately. because elias made a decision

- martin's door opens and jon's doesn't. jon thinks he should feel crushed, and he does feel disappointed, but mostly he's just so, so happy for martin. martin is stunned, and tim and sasha and georgie and melanie and basira and daisy are waiting for him below to congratulate him. martin's stuck in a round of thank yous when he turns and sees jon, who's run down the stairs to join the celebration and is looking at martin with those same eyes he would get when he was determined to win a challenge or finish a dish that needed two more minutes in one minute. and then jon just hugs martin, so tightly martin can barely breathe, and he mumbles into martin's neck, 'i would very much like to kiss you, but i very much do not want our first kiss to be on national television' and martin laughs and hugs jon tightly in return and mumbles back, 'i love you too, jon. just in case it wasn't obvious' and even though jon just lost, he's never been happier

- (they watch the show when it comes out together half a year later, in the little bit of free time they have around running their own respective restaurants, and they spend the whole time picking it apart

jon: okay i did not say that, where did they even get that from??

martin: god do i really look like that from behind...

jon: oh christ. martin, i- i think they thought i wanted to have sex with you. ugh, they've put on weird romantic music. red lighting. i hate this. i clearly did not--no, martin, don't give me that look, you know what i mean.

martin: wow, this makes us look like terrible chefs

and, at the end:

jon: christ, of course they were recording us in the dorms after the last service. this is a cooking competition, not a romance.

martin: eh, it was a bit of a romance.

jon: hush, i'm trying to watch. they're about to announce the winner. i don't have much hope for this chef martin; after all, he did burn that risotto back in episode 2--

martin, trying not to laugh while he glares at jon: oh my god jon let it go)

[issabees]

✨ New Fic! ✨

Wieeee I am super happy that I have finished another project! I'm just trying to maximize the time I have left before my break ends and I head back to my classes for the new semester.

Hope you enjoy this!

Title: I Wanna Love You (But I Don't)

Book: The Nanny Affair, Book 2

Pairing: M!Sam Dalton x MC

Genre: Romance, Angst

Rating: PG

Type: Standalone/One-fic/Song-fic

Song Inspo: I wanna love you but I don't by Ben Platt

Word Count: ~ 1990

Author's Note: Aha, the title says it all! Anywho, this takes place either at the latter part or after Book 2, where it's the night before the interview Naya mentions to Sam and MC in Chapter 3.

Author’s Note (2): Oh my god, I forgot to add this earlier but you may have seen a recent post of mine for Sunday Six. That post is for this project! I did need to edit some things, but you can still find the original text that I posted last week pretty much integrated into the final work!

Additional Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Brief Mention of Sex

Marina tours around her apartment, checking once more if everything is in order. She spent the entire morning cleaning; starting from her bedroom, she quickly worked her way to the rest of the place. By lunch, the whole looked pristine and spotless. Nothing out of place; everything as it should be.

Going on a cleaning spree isn't anything new for Marina. But whenever weekends had come, when Sam would visit for their weekly date night, she often finds herself wanting everything to be perfect. This has to be perfect, she tells herself, for Sam.

She hears a knock on the door, opening it to find Sam standing in the hallway, watching his face light up at the sight of her.

"Hey," he sighs, his smile brilliant. She notices a shade of pink dusting his cheeks, a tell-tale sign that he is practically enchanted to see the woman, as he always has been. "You look...wow."

Marina returns the smile and the greeting, "you say that every time."

"Because you're beautiful every time," he chuckles before leaning in to press a quick kiss on her lips. She looks into his eyes, charmed by how sweet he is being. She opens the door wider, inviting him in.

They spend the next half-hour eating takeout while talking about what had occurred in the past week. Sam had become swamped with meetings, barely able to catch a breath ever since officially assuming the role of CEO of Dalton-Russo Incorporated.

"But overall, things are going well! I still make sure to spend time with the kids once I get home. I know better now than to go back into drowning myself with work, or the boys will definitely be upset and I'm going to get my ass kicked by you again."

Her eyes grow wide before she throws her head back laughing at the memory. "Nice of you to remember," she remarks, and it was his turn to laugh.

He asks rhetorically, "how can I forget?" She rolls her eyes.

"I'll still kick your ass if you do, you know."

"I know."

They share a knowing smile, the moment slowing down as they enjoy their burger and fries in peace, quiet for a brief moment before Sam inquires about her week.

Marina shrugs.

Taking a sip of her strawberry milkshake, she shares about how she had brunch last Monday with Jenny. And another one last Thursday with her mother and her sister when they visited the city. That was when she notices the crinkle in his forehead as his face slightly falls. She shakes her head, reaching across the table to hold his hand.

"Don't worry," she reassures, "I made them swear that they cannot tell anyone about anything I shared that is related to us."

He nods, thanking her, "but that's not what I mean. You don't seem...particularly happy."

She tilts her head to the side, amused. "It's not that I'm not happy. It's just...that's all I did this week. The rest of the days flew by so quickly, I don't even remember what I did then."

Sam suddenly grows quiet, clearly lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" He chuckles. Squeezing her hand tenderly, he brings it to his lips and presses a kiss on her knuckles.

"I just think that, I don't know, maybe this has something to do with you quitting your job in Dalton Labs? You didn't even look for another job after that."

An ache grows in her chest, his words tugging on her heart. It only feels like a pinch, but enough to make its presence known to Marina.

"Only because I wanted to focus on us first, Sam," she explains. She feels his thumb running across the back of her hand, drawing patterns as he takes in her words. She giggles as if to reassure him.

"How about," her words breaking his reverie as he looks at her, "we get through tomorrow first, yeah?"

Tomorrow, at this time, they will be on live television where they will announce to the world that they are dating. They will share their story, starting from when they met in the Eastern Shore Yacht Club's regatta, up until their most recent public appearance where they spent a couple of nights in Martha's Vineyard with friends. Everyone will cheer for them, everyone will support them. Marina is sure of this.

She has to be, for she had invested so much of herself for the last few months to see their plan succeed.

Sam warms up to the thought, and a smile quickly develops on his lips. "We will get through tomorrow," he promises.

They finish their dinner in peaceful silence.

After clearing the food wrappers into the garbage, they find themselves in the living room, watching the glittering city below their feet. Her back rests against his chest, and his arms wrap around her waist. Sam plants a kiss on the back of her head. Another on the pulse point just below her ear before sighing, his warm breath tickling her skin. She turns to face him, resting her arms on his shoulders and raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," he answers her silent question, "just thinking about how much I love you. How much you mean to me."

He blushes once more, his cheeks pink and warm. It was a charming sight, and Marina couldn't help but giggle at the adoring way he looks at her.

"Tell me."

"I don't think I can," he confesses, one hand pressing against the small of her back while the other cups her cheek. She melts into his touch, feeling the warmth emanating from his skin as he runs a thumb across her lips.

"Show me, then."

Before she could even finish her sentence, Sam pulls her closer, his lips meeting hers halfway in a fierce kiss that knocks the wind out of her. This surprises Marina, but she quickly relents as she embraces him, hands roaming across his broad back. She breathlessly calls out his name, searching for something as he combs his fingers through her hair. Suddenly, he pulls back, waiting to hear her voice. She pouts playfully.

"Kiss me again."

Smiling, he obliges, kissing deeper and slower. Guiding Marina to the couches, Sam sits on one and pulls her on his lap, staring up at her eyes as if they were the stars in the night sky.

"Can I stay here tonight?"

Marina gives him a funny look. "What about the boys?"

"They're already asleep, so it's not like they're missing me now." He leans up, the space between them closing in.

"And Naya?" she whispers against his lips, "I'm not sure she'll approve of us being together the night before our interview."

"Then I'll leave right before dawn. No one will notice," he vows in an attempt to persuade her. He envelops her hands in his, their fingers intertwined. "Please, Marina" he begs, "let me stay."

She considers, staring back down into him, before getting off his lap and leading him into her bedroom.

The sky had just begun to light up when Sam left, just as he promised.

After a night of passion, a complete and incomparable show of love and devotion, they settled on her bed. They talked about whatever, wide awake so as to not miss any opportunity that to just be themselves. They were in each other's arms, and for a moment, they had a taste of the future that had been waiting for them for almost a year.

The sky now lights up in a hazy shade of blue. The city lights are off, and the streets are quiet. Marina thinks of sleeping, but ultimately decides not to. In a couple of hours, she will be needing to head to Naya's office anyway for last-minute preparations for her and Sam's interview. After picking up her clothes from the floor, she gets dressed and heads out of her bedroom.

She spots a note on the kitchen counter, a message scribbled on the back of a grocery receipt.

Thank you for last night. See you later, I love you. - Sam

"I love you," she repeats as she holds the note between her fingers, the tips brushing against the paper to feel each letter of each word.

She repeats it once, a little louder this time, as if to prove the existence of whatever emotions come from such a statement.

"I love you!" she cries out into the emptiness of her apartment, wanting to feel it swell her heart until she couldn't breathe anymore.

There was much to love about Sam. The way he touches her, electrifying her with lightning that pierced through her skin. The way he smiles at her, brightening her day like the sun during summer. The way he looks at her, worshipping her like she was a goddess and he couldn't help but revere her.

But most importantly, the way he kissed her.

Her fingers find their way to her lips, gently gliding across the rosy skin. Her touch is soft and careful, a ghost of the sensation she recalls feeling when Sam kissed her the night before and earlier before he left.

His kisses are always purposeful, full of conviction and promise, leaving her blushing and flustered by their intensity. His kisses are always passionate, playful, breathtaking; even the softest touch of his lips against hers was enough to sweep her off her feet.

Marina thinks of those memories, small fragments of the past evidencing his love for her. From the very first moment their lips touched, in the kitchen of his penthouse, to the most recent, taking place a couple of hours ago. His kisses hold the story of how he fell in love with her and how he will always fall in love with her.

But nothing blooms in her chest. Nothing comes into mind.

Because the truth is that Marina had grown tired. Tired of everything she had to keep up with for the sake of their cause. Tired of all the parties, all the public appearances. Tired of pretending that the plan was for her and Sam to make their relationship public. It was never that.

The real plan was for the public to deem her worthy of Sam.

It was never them against the world. It's just her against his.

And in the quest of proving her worth, she had become lost in the sea of despair and helplessness, drowning in the waters of quiet compliance and absent-minded acceptance. The life she once knew is now crushed by the expectations placed upon her in proving that she is the perfect woman for Sam Dalton.

All she needs to do is sit still and be pretty, and sit still and be pretty she shall do.

Her mind brings her back to months before, and she reminisces of the love she and Sam shared in total secrecy. When they weren't just hiding from the world, but from Sofia and Robin, from Sam's parents, and even from themselves. When all she was was the boys' nanny while he was her boss who has engaged to someone else.

Somehow, things were easier then. There were more people to hide from, but there wasn't a care in the world. Maybe because they had a legitimate reason to spend time together. No one would suspect a nanny and her boss getting intimate with each other.

Or maybe because the thrill of a secret relationship was there, especially one that had just begun to grow.

Regardless, Marina finds herself clinging onto those moments, when everything was new and exciting. When there wasn't a care in the world because the world didn't know about them yet. When they were freer because they were just themselves, the truest they could be reserved only for each other and for them alone.

There was nothing now, just the ghosts of what she used to feel for him.

*****

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I honestly found this super challenging to write because the Lord knows how much I struggle with writing romance :') Nevertheless, I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Have a great day/night, and take care!

~ Issa

🐝 Tagging: (Feel free to message me if you want to be added or removed from this list)

@txemrn @choicesficwriterscreations @peonierose

Shameless Plug: check my first fic here!

[somersetmummy]

(A/N): This fic takes place immediately following book 1 chapter 11 (after being rescued by Sam from Sofia's closet). 

- I promise the Robin lust that is part three is coming soon! -

Series/Pairing: The Nanny Affair (M!Sam Dalton x MC Katie Hide)

Original characters - all property of PB: Katie Hide (MC), Sam Dalton, Mason & Mickey Dalton, Jenny Blake, Robin Flores (part 3 only)

New characters: (present in part 3) Serena-Rose Warren, Tessa Finch, Lucinda Hansen

Rating/Content warning: PG13, a little bit of lust & desire but nothing graphic

Word Count: 1199

Summary: Katie prepares for a night out with the girls but is distracted by a certain roommate...

- Scroll to the bottom for bonus text message between Katie & Jenny -

Find Part One here. 

Part Two -

When Friday evening swiftly arrives, Katie tried to distract herself from the excitement building within by throwing herself into her love of cooking and creating an overly elaborate meal for the boy's dinner. While they don't particularly need a full roast dinner with all the trimmings, she's in far too good a mood to care. As is usually the norm when she cooks dinner, the boys sit at the counter half watching - half playing, keen to be around her as much as possible.

There's a certain calm which they feel when they're with her, safe and warm. They'd spent so much time bounced between family, babysitters and tutors over the last few years they relished the opportunity to be around someone so steady and secure, plus she just effortlessly understood them and knew how to put their needs first.

"Suck it Mason!"

Mickey's cheer startles her from her culinary daze as he slams down the last of the cards in his hand with vigour, winning the nail-biting game of snap the boys are playing.

"Mickey, language...please."

Katie glares at him to show that she's serious but can't completely stifle the grin underneath, threatening to give away the fact that she's humoured by the intensity of their game.

Of the twins, Mickey has always been the most energetic and animated, he rarely holds anything back and doesn't take any prisoners. Mason on the other hand is a much more sensitive soul, wise beyond his seven years and far more observant about the world around him. They're a real split of Sam's personality and a constant reminder of all the things she loves about him.

Before Mickey can apologise, the elevator dings sparking confusion in the kitchen. Katie pulls her phone out of her jeans back pocket to check the time. 5 o'clock on the dot. Equally puzzled and completely in sync with one another, the boys hold a ceasefire in their game as they all turn to look to the hallway waiting to catch a glimpse of the intruder.

Her heart flips as Sam saunters into the room, eyes sparkling and a wide smile already on his face as he takes in the scene before him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd made it home this early, but something had changed recently, something which made him long to be at home, long to play with his boys, long to live a little. And then he locked eyes on that something. Katie.

"Well if it isn't my three-favourite people."

The sincerity in his voice paired with the adoring look he gives is enough to make Katie's knees go weak. The boys are clearly oblivious to the fact that his fiancé should probably be above her on his list of favourite people but in that moment she's happy to take the compliment, nonetheless.

"What are you doing home so early?"

Sam makes his way over to the kitchen, ruffling the boy’s hair before slipping casually onto the bar stool next to Mickey. The boys in return beam at him, revelling in the novelty of having two grown-ups to shower them with attention.

"You didn't think I'd forget your big night out, did you? I wanted to make sure you had plenty of time to get yourself ready without having to chase these two clowns around."

He winks at her before turning back to the boys. Mason throws Sam a look of mock offence at being labelled a clown, Mickey on the other hand smiles proudly, totally owning it.

After putting the boys to bed, Sam settles himself in the living area, pacing around unable to stay still. Nervous energy tingles through his veins as he waits impatiently for Katie to emerge, already letting his mind run away with the less than innocent images of her in his head of how she'll look when she appears.

Nothing could've prepared him for what he was about to see as she emerged like a butterfly from its cocoon, transformed.

With the wind knocked out of him, his eyes trail over her capturing every detail to recall later. He admires her delicate curves wrapped in a form fitting deep blue sequinned mini dress, so dark it almost looks black until it catches the light and a blue hue shimmers, just like when the moon hits the sea on a clear night. He immediately wishes he could trail his hands along the flimsy spaghetti straps falling gently over her shoulders, crossing over her back revealing the barely-there rear of the dress.

As she confidently flicks her golden blonde hair it smoothly drips over her shoulders like honey, long soft curls bouncing just below her breasts. Her sweeping fringe ever so slightly obscuring her intoxicating blue eyes which sparkle back at him full of conviction.

The whole look gives her an air of unfaltering confidence which he's never seen on her before. This may be the most turned on he's ever been from just looking at her, so much so that his hands seek refuge in his pockets, untrusted not to grab her at the first opportunity.

"Wow, you look incredible!" He throws her a mischievous smile and continues, "If I'd known you'd look this good I wouldn't have been so eager for you to have the night off!"

Noticing the fire in his eyes, she feels conflicted as she allows herself to imagine what might happen if she were to stay at home tonight. The air crackles between them as they hold each other's gaze a little longer than they should.

"Thank you, I'd forgotten how much I like dressing up and looking good!"

The fire in his eyes extinguishes and leaves behind warm sincerity, a small smile crosses his lips as he finally builds the courage to move closer.

"You always look good. I'm particularly fond of your jeans and t-shirt look, but yes, this look..."

Unable to finish, the fire returns to his eyes as they're drawn down to her legs which seem to go on for days, the delicate sequinned dress barely falling past her upper thighs. The intensity of his gaze thrills her.

Taking as much strength as it would to pull two magnets apart, she finally steps away to grab her purse. Ever the gentleman, Sam picks up her jacket holding it out for her. Unable to resist, he takes the opportunity to lean into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. She smells like a breath of fresh summer air, flowers and sweetness dancing in the breeze.

Her spine tingles as his lips graze her neck and his fingers gently fondling soft tendrils of her hair to move them out of the way. His whispered words make the hairs on her skin stand to attention.

"God, I wish you were mine tonight, you don't know what you're doing to me."

The indignant ring of the penthouse intercom breaks the spell they find themselves in and she begrudgingly steps away exhaling shakily.

"That'll be my cab."

He watches her sashay over to the elevator, the sway of her hips captivating him once again. Slowly she turns to face him, winking wickedly as the doors are almost closed.

"Don't wait up."

TAG list: @shewillreadyou @txemrn @silma-words @thefrenchiemama @secretaryunpaid @sfb123

- BONUS-

Messages between Katie and Jenny while Katie prepares dinner for the boys.

[subatomiccherry]

New Perspective: Chapter 1

I told y’all I was gonna post more lol.

Tom Nook x Reader

Slow Burn

Warnings: Spoilers for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Words: 2.7K

Links: Prologue  -  Chapter 1 (You are here)  -  Chapter 2  -  Chapter 3

Chapter 1

             Dreams could be thought of as like an escape from reality, right?  Well then for you, it must be the complete opposite. Stuck in a never-ending loop of trauma really puts a damper on the whole escape thing.

“We’re here! We’re here!” the cries from the small tanuki children roused you from your slumber with a start. Confused with post awakening haze, you looked around the cabin of the plane you were in to see the kids with their faces pressed to the window. Wiping the drool from your face scratches against your skin as you sit up and stretch. “Wake up!” Tommy nudges you excitedly, shy demeanor shoved aside to make way for enthusiasm. “Come look! It’s our new home.”

           You smile, their eagerness bleeding into your own as you look out the window as well. Green stretches out, blending in with the pure blue of the ocean below. Fish jump out of the water, speckles of light flying off and glinting in the air. Your gaze fixates upon a small dock breaching out into the ocean from a sandy beach. “Wow” you mutter under your breath.

           The speaker in the cabin crackles to life. “Attention passengers, this is Captain Wilbur of Dodo Airlines speaking. Dodo Tower has just informed us that we are due for touchdown November Oscar Whisker, so sit down and buckle up cause this Dodo is coming in for landing!”

           Landing was a bit of a bumpy affair, so once the light for the seat belts turned off, both Timmy and Tommy raced out the doors, eager to leave the cramped interior. Resigning yourself to the fate of being the bag carrier, you turned to get your luggage. You were stopped though, as the aviator-wearing pilot entered the cabin. “No need to do that now! My brother Orville will be taking your luggage to the square in just a bit. No need to stress.” Grabbing your one backpack, you thanked him and exited the plane as well. Passing briefly through the airport lobby, you stepped out into the brightness towards your new home.

           Timmy and Tommy were standing on the dock, Timmy chatting eagerly to two others while Tommy took his place slightly behind him. Back to his shy ways, you noted to yourself. Turning your attention to the two new faces, you are greeted with a nice-looking penguin talking with Timmy, and on another part of the deck, ignoring everyone, was a hamster lifting weights. Tommy notices your approach and nudges his brother, who turns, abruptly ending his conversation with the penguin. “You’re here!” He turns to address everyone on the dock, his helpful customer service springing into his voice and presence. “Now, I know you must be incredibly excited to explore your new island home, but I have one small request.”

Tommy steps to stand beside him. His small voice loudening briefly, he addresses you all as well. “Would you please join us for a short orientation in the nearby plaza? Our-“

Their voices join together, “-fearless leader,-“

“-is giving a presentation, so I’d hate for everyone to miss it.” Timmy finishes, clasping his hands together. “We’re heading there right now so feel free to follow us!”

           They take off , Timmy in the lead, Tommy’s paw wrapped firmly in his as they run towards the middle of the island. Looking over at the others, you all shrug and follow the children who had disappeared over the hill. Lagging behind the others, you walk more slowly, taking in the views from all around you. Soft green grass tickles your ankles as you walk, a light breeze swaying though the trees. Some of them even bear fruit, you notice. They look like peaches, but this is a new land, so it could be some fruit that just looks like peaches. Twigs litter the ground along with copious amounts of floral weeds. You turn in a small circle, taking everything in. It was so... fresh. So pure. It seemed like a new beginning. A new horizon if you will.

           Cresting the hill, you come upon a sandy area, occupied by the two newcomers, Timmy and Tommy, and an older tanuki man. A tanuki in a yellow sweater and aqua jacket. ‘Dear lord,’ you think to yourself. ‘Did he pick out his wardrobe blind?’ Despite his odd clothing choices, you study him a little closer. He has vaguely the same markings as the kids, which leads you to believe that he may be related to them in some way. He had a weighted figure, more of a dad-bod, but his eyes were really the factor that drew you in. Tired blue eyes locked onto yours as you entered the area, and your breath stopped. His gaze seemed to rake you up and down, and you bless your luck for a day that was hot so that you could blame the blush staining your face on the heat.

           “Alright is that everyone? Let’s see,” He says, his rich voice speaking out. “Is Flo here?” The penguin raises her flipper and smiles. “and Hamlet?” The hamster pauses in his weightlifting and waves over at him. “Good good. Let’s see,” He gazes at the paper a moment before his gaze lifts to yours. “And you must be _____.” Pointedly ignoring the blush on your face, you wave. “That’s me,” you confirm. He smiles, and oh lord you see the way his eyes crinkle at the corners and your heart thuds against your chest.

           “Welcome everyone!” His voice snaps you out of your trance and you force yourself to pay attention. “Welcome to your new island. My name is Tom Nook, and I’m the founder and president of Nook Inc. Yes yes!”

           “Today is the first day of your new life on this pristine, lovely island. So, congratulations! And this is a package deal, hm? As such, Nook Inc. staff will always be here to support you and ensure your comfort and safety. But first things first, yes? I’d like each of you to choose a spot of your own. It’s the first step to putting down some real roots! I’d like you to dream big – I do have certain connections in construction and real estate, and…” Timmy and Tommy nudge him at the same time, startling him from his rambling. You giggle as he sheepishly rubs his head.

           “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s just get started with a simple tent, shall we? Please collect a tent from either Timmy or Tommy and then choose a spot to place it.” He finishes with a smile, stepping back to allow the boys to pass out the tents. They run up to you afterwards, Tommy handing you your tent as Timmy eagerly asks you about the island. After spending a few minutes with them, they wave you off with your tent. Unbeknownst to you, your interaction with the boys are watched by the older tanuki, who smiles at the sight of them acting so happy with you.

           You had only been walking for a few minutes through the trees before you came to a small clearing flanked by a river. Sunlight filtered in through the leaves on the tree, casting a glow onto the spot. ‘This is definitely it...’ you think to yourself. Setting up your text requires an extra level of brainpower that currently seems inaccessible to you, and you are soon sitting on the ground fuming at your failed attempt to put together your temporary home. “This sucks!” You groan out, tossing a pole to the side.

           My my, it would seem like you’re having a bit of trouble!” An undignified squeal leaves you as you’re started by a voice from behind you. Scrambling up and turning, you see Tom Nook standing there, hands in his jacket pockets as he observes your failure lying crumpled on the ground. You groan again in embarrassment and bury your face in your hands. “Is it obvious that I’ve never put together a tent before?” Your muffled voice causes him to laugh loudly, his head thrown back and you peek at him through your fingers. “I think it’s possible that you could use some help,” he chuckles, walking over to the mess of fabric and poles on the ground and beginning to untangle everything.  “Thanks,” You say, leaning down to help him. With his gentle instruction, the tent goes up in no time.

           “Well then, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?” Tom claps his hands together. You smile gratefully at him. “Thank you, really.” You admit. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d really be sleeping under the stars tonight.” “Now now, I wouldn’t let that happen.” He reassures you. His voice softens slightly, “I see that my boys have taken quite a liking to you! They’ve already blessed me with the details of your trip here, and I would like to thank you for keeping an eye on them.”

             “It was really no problem, they’re sweethearts. You’re lucky to have them as your sons.”

           “Oh yes,” He smiles at you. “Though we aren’t blood related, they are my sons, and I’m blessed to have them. “

           Silence spans between you briefly, and as he opens his mouth to speak again, he is interrupted by Timmy and Tommy running up to both of you through the trees. “Sir!” Timmy exclaims, “The other villagers have finished setting up their tents and are waiting for you in the square!” Tommy stands beside you, leaning against your side and you cradle your hand against the side of his head as Timmy eagerly explains his plans of a celebration to take place later in the evening to celebrate the move in.  “Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea Timmy! Go ahead and start those preparations with Tommy. _____ and I will take care of the food and firewood for you. You look up as your name is mentioned.

           “Yes sir!” Timmy salutes, and drags his brother off. “So, a celebration huh?” you ask, walking along with Nook, who had begun to gather twigs from around the area. “A celebration to commemorate all of us on our new beginnings, is what Timmy said, “ He chuckles. “He’s not wrong.” You laugh along with him. Spying some low hanging fruit from a nearby tree, you pick some off the branches. “These are peaches, right?” you ask, inspecting the fruit in your hands. Nook walks over and takes it from you. His fur brushes against you and you marvel silently at how soft it was. He sniffs it and confirms your question with a grin. “They sure are! They’ll make some wonderful drinks and snacks for tonight.” You agree and turn to collect more as Nook finishes his task of collecting firewood.

           Reaching things turned out to be within the list of things that were causing you difficulty today, as a peach just out of hands reach hung from its branch, mocking you. You were on your tiptoes, straining as much as you could but reaching didn’t seems to be adding any inches onto your height. Resigning yourself to cruel fate, you gave up. Before you could turn around however, you felt two strong arms wrap around your legs and lift you up, causing you to gasp in alarm and grab onto whatever was lifting you. Which turned out to be Nook. “Um, hi?” You say questioningly. “it seemed like that peach was just out of reach,” Nook teased, hoisting you to sit on his shoulder. Oh. Oh. He was strong. As in, you could feel muscles under there, strong. Be still your little beating heart. You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak without stuttering. However, after you had gotten the fruit, he didn’t put you down, instead choosing to walk to the main area everyone had been in before, both of you chatting the entire way there.

 _______________________________________________________________

           “Now then, let us start the festivities!” Nook exclaims, lighting a huge bonfire in the middle of the main area. You clap along with everyone else, reveling in the decisions that led up to this moment. “Now, since this can’t exactly qualify as a deserted island anymore, I feel as if it is our duty to name our new home! Yes, we’ll put it to a vote. Everyone think of a good name for this island!”

           As Flo and Hamlet split off to talk together, you stand and think to yourself. Many names came to mind but nothing seemed to fit the best. Until one name came to you.

“Avviare”*

           Heads turned to look at you and you flush red as you realize you said it out loud. “We love it!” Flo and Hamlet exclaim, clapping eagerly. Nook smiles, “Well then, if we are all in agreement,” He turns to check with Timmy and Tommy, who nod happily, “Then it seems like we have an overwhelmingly positive response to the name Avviare! How splendid!” Taken aback by the response, you smile and give a small bow. Nook gazes at you, a twinkle in his eye. “_____, since you have proven yourself by naming this island, I’d like to rely on you for other critical decisions we’ll need to make along the way. Yes yes, I hereby name you the Resident Representative of Avviare!” Cheers erupt from the others as Timmy and Tommy rush to hug you. “Say a few words!” Tommy urges you.

           “Um well… You can count on me!” you declare, slightly overwhelmed by all of the attention. Ever your savior, Nook hands out drinks to everyone and declares a toast. “A toast!” You all raise your drinks, “To Avviare and the happiness of its residents!”

             “Cheers!”

             The sky has long since grown dark as you all sit around the fire. Crickets chirp in the background and a breeze flows through the air. You lean back while sitting on the log serving as a bench and your gaze wanders over to Nook. The firelight casts shadows across his face, highlighting his features and giving him an air of relaxation. He takes a sip of his drink and your eyes lock yet again. He smiles that all knowing smile and walks over, sitting beside you. “Having a good time?” At your quiet nodding, he chuckles. “This all must be a bit much for you, so if you feel like taking a rest in your tent, by all means, go ahead.”

           “You go to deny but a yawn sneaks out, destroying any chance you had for an excuse. “maybe I’ll go do that..” you admit, standing with a sheepish look on your face. Nook stands as well and offers you his arm to take. “Let me walk you back to your tent. You look dead on your feet.”

           The walk back to your tent is carried out in comfortable silence, and all to soon the tent comes into view. “Thanks for walking me back Mr. Nook,” your arm is still interlaced with his as you turn to look at him. “Oh please! Call me Tom. There’s no need for such formalities now.” His eyes meet yours. “Well,” He sighs, “We’ve got another big day ahead of us tomorrow, so rest up as much as you can tonight. “ he steps back, and you silently mourn the loss of contact. “Sweet dreams, _____,” He lingers a moment, acting like he wants to say something, but decides otherwise. He gives you a wave as he walks off back through the trees. You watch as he goes.

           Stepping inside your tent, you are greeted with a sleeping cot, radio, and lantern. A smaller place that what you were used to, but this was a tent so that was a given. Your suitcase had been delivered as promised so you dug through it to find your pajamas. Laying in bed sounded like a wonderful idea and you plopped down as soon as you had finished changing. You could still hear the wind and crickets outside creating a natural ambiance.

           When coming to this island, it was in your plans to just pick a spot and try to live with as few dramatics as possible, but it seemed that life just loved to throw curveballs your way. ‘This one, however,’ you thought as sleep began to take you, ‘doesn’t seem so bad.’.

 ____________

(*) Avviare- Italian translation of ‘to begin’

________________________________________________________________

And there we have chapter 1! Y’all don’t know how much fun this actually is for me to write haha. Don’t forget to read the prologue if you haven’t already, the link is up at the top.

If you want to be added to a tag list, let me know! 

I’m not sure if I’ll have a consistent upload schedule but i’ll try to upload as often as I can now that summer break is coming up.

Aaaand, I think that’s it. Let me know what y’all think!

[lifeinahole27]

CS ff: “Walking the Tightrope” (Chapter 5/10) (au)

Summary: Killian’s daily routines are a matter of habit. When he wakes up late one morning, his routines all change for the better. Emma doesn’t care about routines, but she does care about Killian, no matter how reluctant she is to admit it to herself.

Rating: E (much later in the story)

Content Warnings: Maybe some strong language.

A Special Thank You: My continued gratitude to my lovely friends, @captainstudmuffin and @phiralovesloki. And a heap of love to @captainswanbigbang for putting this together and helping me accomplish this.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | 

Find it on Ao3 & FFN!

-x-

Chapter 5: Of Pirates and Settling In

October 31: Thursday

The night before Halloween, Killian is thankful for his prompt attention in setting out his Halloween costume a week ago since he doesn’t get home until after dinner time. Not that he’s going to complain, of course, since he had a damn good reason to be home at that hour after snogging Emma Swan in the middle of the street for way longer than either of them anticipated. 

He wonders if they’d still be there if Granny hadn’t interrupted them. 

Just thinking about it again sets his heart racing. After Emma asked him to be patient, Killian genuinely didn’t know if they would ever develop past friendly acquaintances. But after tonight, the way her hands had framed his face as she leaned up to kiss him before going inside, he’s pretty sure they’re well beyond that. He figured he would be lucky to find himself amongst the ranks of her friends and allies, but now there’s a genuine chance that this could turn into something more. 

Kissing her is an experience he can’t compare. Not only does she affect the way his heart beats but he would let her steal the air right from his lungs if that’s what she wanted. It’s probably dangerous to be this enamored with her already. 

Shaking his head, Killian pushes through his nightly routines, enjoying the ghost sensation of Emma’s lips on his.

At the end of the night, he doesn’t even notice that he didn’t follow his steps precisely or in the correct order, only that he completed what he had to before he climbs into bed anticipating the next day.

On Halloween, he wakes up early enough to fully prepare. He’d been told shortly after arriving that Halloween in this small town was a much-celebrated affair, and it just so happens that it is one of his favorite holidays to really get into. So he takes his time sliding on each part of the costume he’s had for years. 

Just about the only good thing that’s come out of losing his hand is the ability to authentically pull off a Captain Hook costume. He’s so adept at putting on the layers that he still has plenty of time to grab his coffee and secure his bag as he strolls out the door. 

It’s cold out, cold enough that he wishes again for a hat and a glove, and certainly not to have half of his chest exposed with the way the shirt buttons up. He hastens to his meeting spot with Emma, already looking forward to her reaction and to see what she’s wearing as her own costume. When he’d asked her about it last night, she’d smiled unassumingly and told him he’d have to wait and see. 

He’s more than a little surprised when he gets closer to the corner to find it already occupied. He knows it’s Emma, of course, but he’s so used to her hair being down and free-flowing that it takes him a couple seconds to absorb the fact that it’s carefully pulled back in a bun and pinned away from her face.

She turns when he gets closer, and his steps stumble just the slightest bit which causes her to smirk. She’s wearing glasses, which he’s never seen before, and his eyes just glance across the rest of her to take in the details. Her black leather jacket is on again, but instead of the usual jeans, she’s wearing a pair of dark grey dress trousers. On top, she’s wearing a button-up shirt and tie that look so close to something he owns that he wonders for a second if she snuck in and raided his closet. It’s all topped off with a waistcoat that matches the bottoms, but dips low and fastens beneath her bust. 

Her eyes must focus on him because her jaw is dropping and her eyes pop open wide beneath her spectacles, and they more than likely have matching looks on their faces. 

“Wow,” she says slowly, looking him up and down a few times. “You were not joking when you said you go all out.”

He spreads his arms wide so she can see the whole thing uninterrupted, spinning once when he finally gets all the way to the corner. She inches closer, tucking a book he didn’t notice before under her arm so she can reach out and grab the much older fashioned hook he uses with the costume. It’s a bit of a pain in the sense that he doesn’t have the functionality of his usual hook, but this fits the costume better and he loves the authentic feel of it. 

She lifts the apparatus to inspect it, running her fingers along the smooth metal. 

“Captain Hook? Really? Where’s the perm? The waxed moustache?”

“Left them back in England,” he tells her, shifting forward to move closer to her. 

“I like the eyeliner,” she confesses, her other hand sliding along the lapel of the greatcoat that he had specially made for this costume. 

“Our light is about to change,” he murmurs as she steps even closer still. He’s certainly not going to complain about these developments, even if it’s throwing their whole morning off by a few minutes. 

“Yeah, I know.” Despite those words, she still leans up and kisses him, lingering over the one simple press of her lips until just before the safety bell starts dinging to let them know the protected cross will end soon. 

She moves fluidly, then, using her grip on his hook to guide him across the street. When they get to Granny’s they pause again. 

“I’ll be working late tonight,” she tells him. “Text me to keep me entertained?”

“Hordes of rival pirates couldn’t stop me, love.” He bends to kiss her cheek softly, enjoying the noise she makes in approval before he steps away again. “Have a good day, Swan.”

“Thanks. You too, Captain!”

She’s already moving up the pathway before he remembers to ask, confused at the bookish look she’s wearing. “By the way, who are you supposed to be?” he asks from the entrance to the patio. 

Just as she reaches the door, she turns and pulls the book from beneath her arm, flipping it open and adjusting her glasses on her face. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m you,” she responds, fixing him with a look he knows he gives her when he’s flirting. His heart beats double-time even as he laughs. If he’s not careful, he’ll fall in love with her before they even manage to go on a date. 

Thankfully, she takes the opportunity while he’s laughing to lift the book in farewell, entering the diner and leaving him still chuckling as he moves along towards his office. 

The whole company has dressed for the spirit of the day; Robin is dressed in full Robin Hood regalia and Will as his second-hand man. They’ve been friends for so long and the joke’s been made so many times that they just go with it now. Even Anna is playing along and wearing a traditional Norwegian dress that he knows for a fact was passed down from her ancestors because she’s told him three times now. 

For the most part, however, no one seems to be doing their work. If this was a Friday, he’s willing to bet that most people would be out of the office at noon. Instead, since they’re mingling and not attempting to be productive, he’s the only one in his office trying to get something done. He gives up before lunch time, packing up Henry’s book and all his notes and heading to Granny’s, but even there the festivities seem to be lingering and he can’t seem to concentrate on anything he’s reading.

Instead, after he’s finished his early lunch, he collects the darts from the board and starts throwing, thinking back to that night out with Emma. As if thinking her name summons her, the door to the diner opens and shuts and he turns to see her scanning the restaurant before heading straight for him.

“Everything all right, Swan? Or have you come to get your second caffeine fix?”

“Something like that,” she says, taking a moment to continue. He lines up his next throw but it ends up going far off course with what she says next. “Actually, I’m here to ask you out. To dinner, or something.” The clack of the dart hitting the wall goes unnoticed as he turns slowly to look at her.

“Shouldn’t I be the one to ask you out?”

“Should’ve known you’d try to be old-fashioned about it. But we’d both be three hundred before you managed to do it. You had the perfect opening last night!” 

The whole diner seems to have paused in their activities to watch the progression of their conversation. It’s not like he can blame them, since it’s definitely not anything he was expecting to be dealt today, and they all get front-row seats to the show. Even Granny is staring at them, only turning and going back about her business with a knowing smile on her face when she notices him look at her. 

“I was trying to follow your lead,” he says incredulously, throwing his hand and hook into the air. When Emma continues to just stare at him, he drops his arms and moves closer. “I’ll happily accept on one condition: you let me plan the evening.”

“I know how to plan a date!”

“You know how to chase traffic violators and blow into my workspaces like a whirlwind. I know how to plan an evening out.”

Her expression says she knows he’s not wrong, and she bobs her head in acquiesce. 

“Well, I don’t pillage and plunder on the first date, just so you know.”

He chuckles at that, moving closer as his scoundrel side peeks out again. He regards her from beneath hooded eyes for a second. “That’s because you haven’t been out with me yet,” he says plainly, breaking the moment only a bit with a smug smile when he sees the look in her eyes. 

“Saturday,” she says after she snorts and schools her facial expressions again. “Save it for Saturday.”

“I’ll try my solid best, love.”

She rolls her eyes, but she’s laughing under her breath as she does. She turns, looking like she’s about to head to the counter but instead she moves back and kisses him solidly again. 

“See you tomorrow morning,” she tells him as she backs away.

He watches as she approaches the counter, to Granny and the softly amused look on her face. “On the house, Emma,” she tells her as she hands over a bag of food that he doesn’t think Emma even had the chance to order yet. 

She says her thanks and moves back towards the exit, turning once when she gets to the door. He’s still watching her, fiddling with one of the darts and a star-struck look on his face. He lifts his hook in a parting gesture, pleased to see her returning grin come out full force. 

The second she’s out the door, everyone goes back to exactly what they were doing. Normal conversations resume, and the sounds of cutlery hitting plates echoes around the small place once more. Even the kitchen seems to make noise again, with the cooks calling out orders and the life returning to the whole restaurant. If Killian was a betting man, he’d guess that the whole town will know of their impending date by the end of the hour. 

He keeps his word and texts her later in the day, even sending her pictures of the other employees that dressed up. In return, she sends the picture she gets later of Granny and Ruby dressed up as they get ready for trick-or-treating. Granny’s usual outfit is just topped with wolfy ears and a tail, and a frilly white apron with Ruby dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. 

In the early evening as he’s just trying to pack up and head home, Will appears in his door. 

“Did you know your girlfriend dressed up as you for Halloween?”

He almost corrects Will that Emma isn’t his girlfriend, but now that might very well be a lie. They do have a date planned and she has kissed him multiple times now, so while the words are on the tip of his tongue, he just gives a long-suffering sigh as he continues to tidy his office, diligently shutting down his computer as he responds.

“I’m aware, yes.” 

“She steal the clothes out of your closet for that?”

“Amazingly, no. She hasn’t even been to my flat yet.”

Will makes a noise at that, but he looks impressed. The fact that he doesn’t push or tease any further speaks volumes as to how fast the news has already traveled. “You comin’ out for a drink tonight?”

“Aye,” Killian responds, tucking the last of his notes into his bag and looping it over his shoulder. “Might as well. But only the one!” They do have to be at work tomorrow, and he doesn’t plan on looking exhausted out of his mind when he shows up to his meeting in the afternoon. 

He’s glad he agreed after he walks into the bar. Despite it being a Thursday, the place is packed. Among the throngs, he’s still easily able to pick out Emma, leaning across the bar so Jefferson can hear what she’s saying. The other man, doing way too good of a job dressed as the Mad Hatter, nods and hands her a bottle of water before she turns and starts heading back towards where he’s still standing. 

As soon as she spots him, she grins and yanks him in the direction of the door. 

Outside, with the noise dampened by the structure of the building, he can hear her when she greets him.

“Hello, love. Off shift yet?”

“No, but almost. I just had to warn Jefferson that a group of teenagers was overheard bragging at the diner about how real their fake IDs looked. Hey, you’re Captain Hook right now. Think you can keep an eye out for some Lost Boys and scare them off if you see them?”

“Careful, Swan. I may just try to recruit them to join my merry band of pirates so we can finally defeat that blasted Peter Pan.” He makes sure to go into the full character, letting his voice dip low in a growl and shaking his hook with vengeance. 

Emma tilts her head back, chuckling at his theatrics before dropping it back down to level him with a stare. “Also, Prince Charming and his Snow White are in that bar somewhere so if you get out of line, at least one of them is coming for you.”

“I can’t wait to see the costumes,” he admits, even as Emma takes his hook in her hand again and he forgets what exactly he was excited to see when he heads back inside. 

“Don’t get into too much trouble?”

“I’ll be the very picture of innocence.” He takes her hand gently in his, bending low and kissing the back of it, smirking up at her when he catches the look in her eyes. “Unless you want me to be otherwise, of course.”

She hums, using her grip on his hand to pull him closer so she can place a kiss on his cheek. “Be good. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Looking forward to it,” he says, waving as she starts heading back towards the station. 

By the time she returns, she looks a little frazzled and tired but relieved to see him still amongst the crowd inside. He’s spent the majority of the evening clustered at a hightop table with David and Snow, with Will and Belle popping by for bits of time. Emma happily accepts the seat Killian vacates for her, shrugging out of her jacket and throwing it over his greatcoat on the back of the chair. 

“Something to quench your thirst, Swan?”

“I’m tempted to ask for a whole bottle of rum but I’ll take a weak vodka cranberry, instead.”

He returns with the drink after a few minutes, careful of how close he stands. He doesn’t know what she’s told her brother about their progress into a relationship and he’s determined to let her do this all in her own time. 

It’s difficult, however, when she goes about rolling up her sleeves, loosening the tie around her neck and popping open a few buttons at the collar of her shirt. She rolls her neck, and when she looks at him, he can tell by her expression alone that she’s been doing it on purpose. There’s a smirk hidden in the corner of her mouth and he somehow manages to hold back the groan that’s trying to make its way out of his chest. 

If either of the others at the table notice anything, neither of their faces give it away. He’s just fine with that, though. 

It isn’t until David and Snow are occupied talking to Ariel that Emma places her chin in her hand and looks up at Killian with an innocent smile on her face. “Just a small taste of your own medicine.” He’s tempted to ask what she means by that but he sees she’s undone yet another button on the shirt and he sighs and averts his gaze. 

“One day you’ll pay for this, Swan.” When he looks at her again, she’s looking right back with a very readable expression on her face. She knows damn well what she’s doing, by the looks of it. 

This is still new. And because it’s still new, he knows that while he wants to venture into a whole sinful variety of responses to her teasing, he also knows he wants something that lasts. They have plenty of time to get to the fun parts, so for now he takes the coy behavior and slips it away with a redirection. “Tell me, love, did you ever gather up those Lost Boys that were running amok around town?” 

“Every last one of them has been taken back to their homes and tucked in for the night. And if not, it’s Phillip’s problem.”

As the evening continues, he gets pulled onto the dance floor by Emma. He knows dances - he knows the Waltz and can hold his own in a Tango if he has to, but casual dancing to a steady, heavy bass beat is a different ballroom, so to speak. 

“Come here,” she says when they get to the middle of the swaying bodies. “There’s only one rule. Pick a partner who knows what she’s doing.” 

Since he moved to Storybrooke, Killian has felt like an outsider looking in. Even with the Fridays at the bar and the new friends gained over the past months, there’s been something holding him back. But in this moment, as Emma moves to the music in front of him, this feels like him becoming a true part of the town. 

The dance they’re doing is very tame compared to some of the other couples around them, but this is a good start for him. At one point during a slower song, his eyes scan across the rest of the bar and his eyes land on Snow, her smile soft and considerate as she watches the two of them sway together. When she sees Killian looking, her smile grows wider. Then she’s grabbing David’s hand and pulling him to the dance floor, as well. 

It’s not long before Emma turns Killian’s wrist to look at his watch. She groans, resting her forehead against his chest for a moment. 

“One more song and then I’ve gotta call it a night,” she tells him.

“Agreed.”

Far earlier than he would’ve gone home on a raucous holiday in his youth, he and Emma push out of the bar and into the open, cool air. The spirit of the day follows them down the street, with Emma holding his hand and swinging their arms. 

“You know,” he starts. “I quite fancy you, Emma Swan.”

“Yeah? Enough to accept that I’m walking you home instead of the other way around this time?”

“If that’s what the lady wishes, it would be bad form to deny it.”

“I do wish it, so lead the way, Hook.”

“It does suit me, doesn’t it?”

“There’s a lot we could unpack with which version of Hook you’re trying to be.”

“You’re familiar with Barrie’s discussions about the character?”

“I liked reading as a form of escape growing up. When the internet became a thing, I kind of went on a Wikipedia bender and ended up looking up everything I could about the play. There was this kid in one of my classes that was named Peter. We all called him Pan and we got in appropriate levels of trouble whenever the teacher left the room.”

“And what happened to young Pan?”

“We don’t really know,” Emma says, her eyebrows drawing down in thought. “He was gone one day. His foster parents wouldn’t talk about it. I thought about trying to track him when I got older but decided that there are some things that shouldn’t be found.”

“Kindred spirit with reading to get through life’s challenges,” Killian says, more to change the subject than anything else. It’s clear that the subject of the past still upsets her but at least they had a major thing in common growing up. “I would read for hours after I was finished with my assignments and chores. It was a Liam-approved activity that kept me occupied and out of trouble until the trouble got into me.”

“Is that from the files of the… how did you phrase it? That sordid but charming history?”

“Aye. All of which you’ll get to hear about in a couple days if that’s where the conversation takes us.”

“We can skip all the breakup stuff, if that’s cool with you,” Emma throws in. 

Ground rules. He likes ground rules. And establishing them now means he won’t do something idiotic like pry into something she doesn’t want to discuss. And likewise, that means he doesn’t have to tell her anything about Milah, so it’s a perfect concept.

As they get closer to the end of the street, Killian nudges her a little bit. “This is me. The first floor.” He nods with his chin to indicate the charming little duplex up the short walkway. She tilts her head as she looks at it, smiling at the dark green and the small but intricate stained glass piece that makes up the window. 

He falters trying to decide if he should invite her in, spitting it out at the last second. “Would you like to come in? I have hot chocolate on hand, since I prefer it over the powdered varieties.”

“That’s what Snow always makes me,” she says with a wide smile. “And while I’d love to, I have to get home and wash the holiday out of my hair. But save me some?”

“Of course, love. Would you text me just to let me know you’ve arrived safely?”

Her grin stays put as she removes the space between them, pushing onto her toes for a moment to press her lips to his. “I can do that. Goodnight, Killian. See you tomorrow.”

His quiet tidings slip out of the dreamy look on his face, and he sighs as he watches her walk back up the sidewalk. He waits until she turns down the next street before he makes his way inside, closing and locking up before he rests against the door. 

It’s good that she didn’t agree, since most of his home is still packed away. Perhaps, he thinks, it’s time to change that.

-x- November 1: Friday

The hardest part of knowing they’re going on a date on Saturday, at least in Killian’s mind, is acting totally natural when he sees Emma Friday morning. Of course, it’s hard not to look excited and surprised when she throws off his whole routine by showing up outside his flat. She’s back to her hair flowing free, a knit cap snug over her head and a scarf wrapped around her neck. She lifts one of her gloved hands to wave to him, looking sheepish at the same time.

“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, love, but what are you doing here?”

“Well, I figured it was pointless to make you walk by yourself when we’re going in the same direction. And the Bug is all warmed up and ready to go so those ears of yours don’t have to turn bright red again today.”

It’s only then that he realizes she’s standing in front of a yellow Volkswagen Bug, looking aged but well-tended if the soft puttering of the motor is anything to go by. 

“I’ve never been one to turn down the kind gesture of a beautiful woman,” he responds, making his way towards her from his front stoop. “And it just so happens I have one in return.” 

With care, he maneuvers his arm to shift one of the two stainless steel mugs from his protective hold and hands it over to her. 

“I was going to give you that at the corner, but I suppose now is a good time, too.”

She happily accepts the coffee, flipping the lid open so she can inhale the warm aromas before closing it up again. “Thank you,” she says on the exhale, smiling gratefully and beckoning him forward towards her car. 

“This is quite the vessel you captain, Swan.”

“Gets me from point A to point B. I take better care of it now than when I first got it.”

“There’s a story there. Going to share?”

Emma hums for a moment but says nothing else as she pulls on her seatbelt. She shifts into gear and starts making her way along the route he’s so used to walking. It goes so much faster, obviously, but then he realizes he has just a limited time to talk to Emma this way. In realizing this, his whole mind clams up and he’s at a loss for words as he watches the scenery zip by. 

“I’m having dinner at my brother’s place tonight, so I won’t be out at all,” she tells him as they get closer to their corner. “You have tomorrow planned?”

“Aye,” Killian responds, thankful for the conversation opener. “But you’ll have to wait to find out where we’re going.”

“Gonna give me any hints?”

“Wear whatever you think constitutes as nice,” he tells her. He looks at her when they stop at a red-light and she’s staring at him with her eyes narrowed, probably trying to figure out where he’s taking her. “It could be that outfit from yesterday and I’d be just fine with that. Light’s green.”

She presses her lips into a thin line, but it’s more to prevent the smile from getting any bigger. “Okay, okay. Keep your surprises.”

“I’ve every intention of doing just that,” he tells her as they pull up outside of his office building. “Until tomorrow, Swan.” He lifts her hand from the gearshift to place a kiss on her knuckles, even if it is through the fuzzy fabric of her gloves. He exits the car as gracefully as one can from such a cramped space and makes sure to give her one final wave of goodbye before she drives off.

Now to just get through a day of work with his head on straight so he can enjoy tomorrow. 

Once in his office, he sits down with his notes from the day prior and gets into the mindframe of where he needs to be for this story. Just from a quick glance at the planner in front of him shows he has a progress meeting with Robin today and another meeting with Henry on Monday. 

There’s a solid ten minutes where he sits there, frozen in his chair, staring at the words on his computer as they blur together. His life has been about routine and order for so long but lately it’s felt like a breeze of chaos has swept through it. Not that he minds, of course. The sole reason everything’s a bit less structured is because Emma brings a new adventure to his life every day.

He can remember a time when the simple act of being surprised, like he was this morning, could’ve derailed everything, but instead it was such a small but thoughtful act on her behalf and one that he finds he would invite into his life now more than ever. 

With a subtle shake of his head, he clears his mind in order to focus. Then, before he can get lost in thoughts of his date tomorrow, or what he’ll wear, or what they’ll talk about, he wades right into the next chapter of Henry’s book and lets himself be immersed. 

He reads through the chapter again, jotting down notes by hand to check consistency later. Then it’s time for the surface edits. Spelling errors and word choices, grammar and syntax. He follows through each step carefully before going back to the start of the chapter to make notes. He’s barely a page in when Will appears in his doorway with a steaming mug of coffee and a take-out bag from Granny’s. 

“Best to eat now because you’re up next in the line of meetings,” Will says as he sets the items down on the edge of Killian’s desk. Will has his own projects to tend to but he makes sure to leave some of the concept art for the cover of Henry’s book along with lunch. 

“You’re a good man, Scarlet. No matter what everyone else tells me.”

“Funny man,” Will mutters on his way out, holding up a hand in farewell as he goes back to his own side of the building. 

Killian has just finished his lunch when Robin taps on his door frame. “Ready?”

“Aye. Let me save everything I did today and we’ll get started.”

The rest of the afternoon is consumed with his meeting with Robin. He’s thankful for the freedom his boss is giving him regarding this project but it only means that this progress report goes longer than it would’ve if Robin was breathing down his neck the whole time. They sit there with their combined notes on the chapters Killian has completed and talk about what the discussion with Henry will consist of the following Monday.

Despite having a good deal of experience with editing under his belt, this is Killian’s first involvement from start to finish. It’s something he knows will get easier and smoother with time, but for now he’s already feeling the pressure to get it all just right. At the end of this tunnel comes everything else, including helping with marketing and strategy. With how young Henry is, there will be more buzz around this release than they generate for their usual authors. The road ahead is long and arduous, but one he’s absolutely willing to take.

In an astounding turn of events, Killian is one of those that ducks out of the office ahead of quitting time. He waves to Will on his way out, smirking when the other man throws up his hands in exasperation. He shrugs, pushing through the exit and welcoming the cold chill of November. 

The walk back home is a little more brisk than usual, and he’s grateful for the fact that his heat is on and working to make his house as comfortable as possible. 

He follows his own line of routines after he gets back, tucking his boots on the tray beneath his coat rack before heading to his office to put away his work. There’s a likelihood that he’ll sit down with it again later, but for now, he has every intention of going through every item of his clothing until he knows what to wear for his evening with Emma. 

Choosing his outfit for the next day derails everything else for a few moments. After dinner is in the oven, he goes to his closet and carefully selects the items, standing back and admiring the effect of each combination. The winner is one that’s not far off his usual brand, but different enough that he won’t feel like he’s going to work. And hopefully, Emma will see that, too. Pleased with his choice, he sets it aside and goes back to check on his meal.

Once he’s sitting at his kitchen table, he looks around the sparsely furnished area. Much like his office, he hasn’t done any settling in the time that he’s lived in Storybrooke. It’s not that he feels like he’ll be leaving again any time soon, but rather an inability to see the big picture of comfort here just yet. As he glances at the counters and surfaces in his respectable kitchen, however, he starts to see what he never could before and what he thought of last night: a home. 

Just after he finishes eating and cleans his dishes, he gets a text from Emma about dinner at the Nolan residence. There’s a picture of her hot chocolate, a respectable dollop of whipped cream to top it off, and he imagines what she must look like curled up in what is clearly a comfortable place for her. 

“What are you doing?” she texts a little bit later. He’s not quite sure how to respond, since there’s an absolute disorder of boxes and package filler littered around his normally pristine kitchen. 

“Creating a mess,” he sends back when he finally gets to his phone. He’s surprised when it rings right after.

“A mess?” her voice comes across, and it’s clear that he’s on speakerphone, so she must be back home already.

“An awful mess, Swan. Did you know that bubble wrap, if left alone for too long, multiplies inside the boxes you packed it away in?”

“I was unaware,” she says, clearly amused by the tone in her voice. “What are you unpacking?”

“Well, a little bit of everything. Other than some absolute necessities, my possessions have been living in boxes since they were shipped over. I’ve decided to start with the kitchen tonight, for some reason. And while everything is now out of the boxes, it’s in utter disarray until I get it all put away.”

“You finally settling in?”

“Something like that,” he says, his voice going a little soft. “Everything just seemed so orderly when I could keep a running inventory in my mind.”

There’s a momentary lull in the conversation, but he can hear Emma rustling around on the other line so he still knows she’s there.

“I was surprised you called,” he admits. On the other end, Emma huffs out a quiet laugh.

“I’m working on something. It was easier to call than text,” she tells him. “Besides, now that I finally have your number, I figured I should make up for lost time.”

“I nearly asked your brother for yours before I added it to your card,” Killian tells her. “I wasn’t sure if we were heading towards that ‘dating’ status and so I was afraid he might bite, as previously warned.”

Emma’s laugh comes across loud and clear, and he can hear the audio jostle. When she speaks again, it’s closer, and he knows she’s taken hold of the phone.

“Only if you ask him to, I told you that. I’m going to leave you to your chaotic kitchen. Don’t get so lost in it that you forget about our date.”

“As if I ever could, Swan.”

“Goodnight, Killian,” she says, her voice soft and smile evident.

“Sweet dreams, Swan.”

-x-

Chapter 6

[artemisegeria]

Love by Design (Chapter 9/11)

Title: Love by Design (Chapter 9/11)

Rating: T

Word count: 3188

Warnings: None for this chapter.  

Summary: Vision makes elaborate foam art as a barista at the coffee shop that his brother owns. One day a new customer comes in, and he completely loses his cool. As she keeps coming back, they grow closer. A casual acquaintance becomes something much more.

Chapter Summary: Wanda and the others comfort Vision after the sudden upheaval in his life. They also come up with a plan to fix an injustice. Meanwhile, Vision ponders where he will go next.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16272371

Chapter 1  | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 

A/N: Well, it’s been another multi-month gap between updates. Sorry, but life and writer’s block do sadly get in the way of fanfiction. It has been a real struggle. But I can say that I have officially planned out this fic all the way to the end, and I will finish it, so I can move on to other things with a clear conscience. This is the third to last chapter.

Part of this chapter and the next was inspired by a comment on Chapter 8 from FrozenHearts, who suggested “I hope Wanda's fellow teachers rise up and barge in and help get Vision's stuff back.” It was not in the original plan, but I liked the idea so much that I rearranged a few things. So thank you for that.

And thank you to everyone who continues to read this despite my inconsistency. I hope you enjoy.

After a leisurely morning hanging around the apartment together, Wanda waited for Vision to return from his mission to find out what happened to the coffee shop, busying herself by straightening up her apartment and cooking. The others had all agreed to come over. Natasha was bringing over some drinks. Steve and Bucky were bringing some chips and lending clothes to Vision, as they were the closest to his size. Mantis and Nebula were bringing some games.

He finally knocked on her door about four p.m. She would have to get him a key if he was going to be staying with her. His unusually hunched posture suggested that things did not go well. He carried a small box, and nothing else.

She took the box from him and set it carefully in the corner. “Do you still feel up to having people over tonight?” He didn’t look quite as lost as the previous night, but he was avoiding her eyes.

“Yes, I believe the distraction would be helpful.” His tone was hollow.

She guided him to the couch. “What happened?”

He sighed and finally looked at her fully. “I knocked on the door. A stranger answered. When I explained who I was, he shrugged and said I collect a few personal items. He followed me the whole time I was in the apartment. I tried to determine what was going on. All they said was that Ultron had sold them the business to pay off some of his debts. He would not let me take my computer or any of my books. Though, he did offer to sell them back to me. I simply left.”

“I’m sorry, Vizh.” Wanda deliberately kept her words soft and slow. She had half a mind to go down and talk to the new owners herself. She could set them straight. But it wasn’t truly her place, and Vision needed her more at the moment.

“It’s alright. I don’t want to dwell on that right now. What can I do to help prepare for our friends?” She allowed him to change the subject, though she continued watching him with some concern as they laid out cups, plates, and silverware.

They only had a few moments to themselves to sit quietly before Bucky and Steve were the first to arrive.

***

Later that night, the party was in full swing, everyone putting on a good face to cheer Vision up. Tony even brought a karaoke machine. Vision and Wanda headed off any attempts at matchmaking by volunteering to go first, with a non-romantic rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Wanda resisted the urge to stay by Vision’s side all night. She simply wasn’t ready to tell the others yet. Though she was a bit surprised that no one had yet questioned Vision’s sleeping arrangements.

She was in the middle of pondering what else she could do to help Vision when a grinning Scott approached her. “Hey, Wanda, a few of us were thinking that we may have a way to right the wrong that’s happened to Vizh. You in?” 

“Of course. What does this involve?”

“Oh, just a little heist.” Scott smiled even more widely. Wanda was vaguely aware that he had a juvenile record from his Robin Hood activities, but she had never seen him in full planning mode. “Nat and I already looked into these buyers. Their security system is ridiculously lax. Bucky, Steve, and Tony agreed to do a stakeout to see when the building is empty. Then, we go right in, get Vision’s stuff, and walk right out again.”

Wanda could see one glaring problem with this plan. “I’m not saying no, but what about after? I don’t want them thinking Vision was involved.”

“Oh, that’s already taken care of, too. Nat dug a little deeper. She prepared a file of all their financial indiscretions. They’ll keep quiet about it.”

“You two are thorough. Let’s do it.” They shook hands on the deal as Nat walked in with some glasses. Scott gave her a thumbs up.

The plan confirmed, Wanda returned to the main room. She squeezed in between Vision and Nebula. He almost put his arm around her naturally, but he stopped himself at the last moment and turned the motion into placing his arm behind his head.

They stayed up laughing and playing around until weak dawn light started to pour in through the curtains.

*** 

Despite his exhaustion after two nights of virtually no sleep, Vision managed to apply himself to the next task at hand. Wanda left the apartment to run some errands and attend a practice session in preparation for her concert, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He and Wanda had not had a proper opportunity to talk about how his staying with her would work. He felt that their relationship was still too new assume that he could stay indefinitely. 

He did not even know what their lasting sleeping arrangements would be. They had not broached the topic due to the chaos of the last two days. While both of them had grown more used to physical closeness over the last month of their new relationship status, sharing a bed seemed a major leap. 

It was some hours later before he realized how much time had passed. When he looked at his watch, he determined that it was time to start dinner so it would be ready when Wanda returned. He put together a salad, an entrée of chicken, broccoli, and rice, and brownies for dessert. They had hardly had time to eat a proper meal over the last two days either.

He was just arranging the candles and place settings when Wanda rushed in, beautifully flushed from the heat outside. “Wow! You really went all out. You didn’t have to do all this.” 

He leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I know, but I wanted to thank you.” Noting the protest forming on Wanda’s lips, Vision continued, “I know that I do not have to, but I want to.” 

“Okay.” She admired the table, and Vision felt a surge of pride. She looked far too impressed by his efforts, but he was gratified by her reaction regardless. “And thank you.” 

Dinner was a quiet affair. Wanda spoke a little about her practice, but was curiously close-lipped about the errands she had completed beforehand. She insisted on helping him to clean up. They fell into a brief soap bubble war before moving to the couch for the evening. 

Eventually, Wanda sat up more fully and looked at Vision directly. “You’re welcome to share my bed tonight.” She smiled, but her gaze turned serious. “The couch is too small for you. I know we haven’t really talked about it, but it only makes sense.” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t presume-.”

Wanda said at the same moment, “I know.” Vision immediately paused and gestured her on. She smiled, certain that was coming. “That’s why I’m offering.” She put a hand on his arm. “Only if you want,” she added.

“I would like to.” The thought of lying beside her and waking up with her was indeed very pleasant. Still, Vision considered that she might yet change her mind. He did not know the proper boundaries or the words to make himself understood. “If you’re sure.” He hoped that those three words might convey half of his uncertainty. 

“I’m sure.” Her response held all the warmth of her smile and the touch of her hand. His own smile widened to mirror it. “We’ve cuddled together before. There’s no reason this would be any different.” 

“I see your point.” 

“Okay. Just let me get ready, and then you can.” She jumped up, and he immediately mourned her loss, even though her absence would be momentary.

It was only a few minutes before Wanda emerged and beckoned him to her door. Vision retrieved his pajamas from his small box of belongings. He changed quickly, unnerved by the sensation of being naked in a new space. He focused on Wanda’s décor, which carried a charming imprint of her like the rest of her apartment. Knick knacks were scattered around. It was not his preferred style, but it suited Wanda. And he would never have her change any part of herself for him. 

Once his nighttime ablutions were complete, he took a breath and opened the door to let Wanda in. As they climbed into bed, Vision wondered how they were supposed to arrange their limbs. Wanda was apparently thinking along the same lines because she rolled to face him. “Sorry, this is a little weird.” The single bedside lamp cast odd shadows on her face.

He nodded in understanding. It was strange. He had not shared a bed with anyone since he was a small boy. He feared taking up too much of Wanda’s space. There was only so much he could compress himself. “I agree. Do you want me to move to the couch?” 

“No, I just don’t want to kick you or something. I flail around a lot in my sleep sometimes.”

It was comforting to know that Wanda felt her own uncertainty at times, but he reached out to reassure her as she did him. He laid a hand gently on her arm. “I do not fear a bit of jostling.” 

“Okay.” They both turned over onto their backs, not touching. “Good night.”

“Sweet dreams.” It was odd sharing a bed. Vision wasn’t used to being so close. The warmth coming from Wanda was pleasant, but he was not quite sure where to place his limbs. He did not want to bump into her or crowd her either. Vision noted that Wanda was also unnaturally still. It took some time for him to give into sleep after those musings. 

Still, when he woke in the morning, he supposed that he had been worrying over nothing. During the night, their bodies had resolved the dilemma for them. Wanda had ended up in the middle of the bed, her breath softly feathering the side of his neck. One of his arms had landed across her middle. Judging by the smile on her serene face, her sleeping self did not mind.

After dinner on the second quiet night they settled on the couch, and Wanda presented him with a small box. Vision held his breath, for a moment convinced that she was proposing to him. But when he opened it, he was relieved to see a simple key. It was not that the idea of marriage was repellant, but it was surely to soon for that.

Vision forced himself to respond calmly as Wanda looked at him expectantly. “Am I to assume that this is a key to your apartment?”

“Yeah, since you’re staying here, I want you to feel comfortable coming and going whenever you want.”

“Thank you.” stroked through her hair, and she sighed. “Wanda, there is something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Okay…” she muttered into his shirt.

“Much as I have loved staying with you, I would like to find my own place.”

Wanda raised her head to look at him properly. “You don’t have to, you know, if you’re saying that for my sake.”

“I’m not. I have never had a space that is truly my own. Besides, we have only been dating for a month.”

“That’s a good point. You should get the chance to experience that. I still remember when I moved away from Pietro for the first time. I was a wreck for the first few weeks, calling him every night sobbing, but once I got used to it, it was wonderful.”

Once they were lying in bed together, Wanda added, “Keep the key, though. Use it as you see fit.” Vision accepted her suggestion with a soft kiss.

The next morning Vision called Marian’s number, hoping that she hadn’t found a tenant yet. “Hello?”

“Hello, Marian? This is Vision; we met at the river clean-up back in May.”

“Yes, dear, I remember you. What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you were still searching for a tenant for your condo.”

“Why, yes, I am. I was beginning to think no one would ever take me up on the offer. Do you have a name for me?”

“Actually, I would be the prospective tenant. I have found myself rather suddenly in need of accommodations.”

“Nothing would make me happier, Vision. My schedule is open all this week and next if you have any time to come see the old place and discuss terms.”

“Yes, today would be wonderful, if I may.” They set a meeting time, and Vision felt as if a tremendous weight was lifted from his shoulders. Before leaving, he wrote a note for Wanda, informing her that he was going to inquire about an apartment.

Marian was as gracious as Vision expected. They caught up on the past months of news and current events over cups of coffee. Then, she gave him a tour, pointing proudly to the pictures of her children and grandchildren. When they sat down again after that, Marian proposed a scandalously low rent. Vision had to negotiate to get her up to a reasonable level given his research on the local rental market and projected future home prices. She did get her way on the point of insisting that she leave her furniture, claiming that she had no need for it at her new place and it would only be left on the curb if he refused.

Vision agreed, and they shook hands on their deal. Marian let him know that he could move in as soon as he was ready. Vision thanked her and waved on his way to his car, feeling like he had finally made progress toward a new, Ultron-free life.

***

A few weeks later, Wanda was working on preparing some lesson plans when Scott and Sam entered the breakroom. She was grateful for the summer emptiness of the school. It allowed her to think properly, as well as plan illegal activities with her colleagues. “I think we’re ready.”

“Oh, good! Vizh was able to move into his new place the other day, but he still spends most of the time at mine. He says it feels too empty there.” He was spending every other spare moment working to reconstruct his presentation for his conference. She hoped to be remove that burden from him.

Sam grinned at her and alarm bells sounded in her head. “Good excuse to seal the deal.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no deal, and I’m not trying to seal anything.” 

“Sure, whatever you say, Wanda.” Sam spoke good naturedly, but his eyes glinted. Wanda felt that the only possible response to this that would not dig herself a deeper hole was silence. 

She was rescued when Tony and the rest trouped in. Among them all, they hammered out the final details. Scott assured them he had transportation. Natasha finalized the security details. The others provided material support and muscle, and Wanda had the knowledge of what items were most important to retrieve for Vision.

After their meeting was over, Wanda sat back and relaxed for a few minutes before going home. She reflected that such trust and cooperation would not have been possible six months earlier. She never would have expected to even receive an offer of help, nonetheless relying on these people to carry it out.

Wanda smiled softly to herself as she gathered her things and walked home. 

***

A few days later, Wanda ran her hands over Vision’s neck and shoulders while she kissed him. He settled his hands on her waist. They continued in a similar fashion for some time. “Your apartment is a much more congenial location for kissing than mine.”

She found herself chuckling. “I’m glad you think so.” She leaned in to kiss him again. “I’m trying to soften you up before I ask you a favor.”

The level of concern in his frown as he pulled away warmed her. “You don’t have to kiss me to encourage me to do you a favor. What do you need?”

She kissed his cheek. “I’m teasing, Vizh.” 

“Oh.” He looked away from her, his face reddening in embarrassment.

She drew his face back to hers with her fingers on his chin. She tried to smile reassuringly at him, and he returned the gesture. “I was just hoping that I could have a key to your place, since you have one to mine. It only seems fair.”

“Of course. You are welcome any time.” They did not waste any more time that evening talking. Vision had not had much time for anything besides preparing his presentation in the last few weeks. This respite was just what he needed to carry on. 

***

Wanda waited in the school parking lot under the cover of darkness. Eventually, a van that she didn’t recognize pulled up. She pointedly ignored it until the passenger window rolled down and Scott stuck his head out. “Hey, Wanda. Come on, we’re all here.” 

She squeezed herself into the middle row with Natasha, Steve, and Bucky. Scott introduced her to the others in the front and back as old friends from his delinquent days. The driver, Luis, drove out from the parking lot, around the corner, and down the street from the coffee shop.

Wanda was never so grateful to live in a small, sleepy town. It was barely past ten o’clock, and the streets were dark and silent. The four friends stepped out of the van and walked to the alley behind the shop. She held her breath slightly when Bucky started picking the luck, but the task was accomplished soon enough. No alarms sounded, so apparently Natasha, Scott, and his team did their job.

Wanda led the way up the back stairs. The apartment above at least looked undisturbed. They quickly started unfolding the boxes they had brought. She found Vision’s laptop and computer bag first, handling it with care. Then, she went for his books. The others gathered his clothes and other personal effects.

She was just admiring their handiwork and checking for any other missed items when she caught sight of the bottle with the model ship sitting on the mantel. Wanda bit her lip. Given recent events, she wasn’t at all sure that Vizh would want the reminder of his brother. But she figured that was his choice. She removed it and nestled it among some clothes in one of the boxes.

They were finally ready to back out the way they had come. They were able to carry all the boxes in one trip. Stacking them in the back of the van, Luis drove away as if he had not just aided and abetted a felony. They dropped Wanda off at her apartment on the way to wherever the van was kept.

She waved at them from the front door of her building. As soon as she reached her own apartment, she changed into pajamas and collapsed into bed. She couldn’t wait to surprise Vision with this.

[singingisfun]

Changing Tides - Chapter 22

link to cover art by @otpapprovedbythegods

And here’s a link to an adorable pic of Dopey as a pirate by @clockadile

ff.net: From the beginning - Current Chapter

AO3:  From the beginning - Current Chapter

Tumblr: Prologue - Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 3 - Ch 4 - Ch 5 - Ch 6 - Ch 7 - Ch 8 - Ch 9-Ch 10 - Ch 11- Ch 12 - Ch 13 - Ch 14 - Ch 15 - Ch 16 - Ch 17 - Ch18 - Ch19 - Ch 20 - Ch 21

Chapter 21: The Confession & The Declaration

Hello everyone! No, you're not seeing things. I've finally finished the next chapter! Thanks for all of the encouraging messages. Sorry it took so long. Hopefully, the last few chapters will go faster. Lots of love for sticking with me! Hope you enjoy!

Rachel

And, as always, thank you @optomisticgirl for your beta services!  

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Dopey has always prided himself on his ability to see the best in every situation.  And he’s always endeavored to encourage others to see it as well.  Life can be stressful.  It can be fraught with danger.  And in the case of those closest to him, stress and danger are a regular occurrence which, at times, has made his goal nearly impossible to accomplish.

And it certainly has been impossible for the past week.  The blanket of anxiety that has settled over the Jolly Roger since the night they escaped Regina’s warship has been nearly suffocating.  Everyone is tense.  Everyone on edge.  And no amount of distraction is helping.  

The Spark of Prometheus is still unlit.  Regardless of how many times Emma and Killian try to light it, it continues to lay stubbornly in its case, dull and black.  And with each failed attempt, the peace the two of them had forged since finding each other again has deteriorated.  In fact, it’s gotten so bad, they are barely speaking.

For instance, right now. There they are at the helm with Merlin while he holds the case and murmurs encouragement.  Killian’s hand is resting on Emma’s waist, but that’s the only point of contact between the two of them.  Emma’s hands are balled into fists at her sides, her brow glistening with perspiration and her eyes clamped shut in concentration.  

No one else is on deck and Dopey can’t blame them.  During the first few attempts, everyone had been gathered around, watching expectantly, but now they intentionally make themselves scarce.  Even Merlin looks like he wishes he could be anywhere else.

Long minutes pass, and Emma’s breathing becomes harsh.  Her eyes squeeze tighter and her head bows.  Then, with a sound of frustration, she stomps her foot and opens her eyes.  

Killian’s hand drops from her waist and Emma mumbles something Dopey can’t hear.  Then she turns and walks to the hatch, disappearing from view. Killian shakes his head and walks to the opposite hatch.

Dopey sighs and goes back to polishing the Jolly’s bell.

The way Dopey sees it, there are two obstacles standing in their way.  

First, David.  As much as he loves his king, the man is hell bent on keeping Killian and the princess from having more than a few minutes alone.  His protective nature was a bit comical at first, but as time has passed, it’s become clear the king is hindering more than the couple’s… um…  romantic tendencies.  

The second reason is less obvious. At least to most.  But Dopey can see it plain as day.  Killian is keeping something from Emma.  A secret that weighs heavily on him.  And he’s been keeping it from her since the first day she awoke on the Jolly Roger.  

“Do you know what it is?”

The sound of Merlin’s voice startles Dopey so thoroughly that he drops the scrub brush to the deck with a clatter.  

Turning, he faces the wizard with wide eyes.

“Do you know what he’s keeping from her?” the wizard asks again.

Confused, Dopey turns to scan the deck behind him to see who on earth Merlin is addressing.  Finding no one in the vicinity, he looks to the other man and points to his chest.  Me? he thinks.  

“Yes, you, Dopey,” the man confirms.

I… I don’t…  You can hear me?

“Yes, I can.”

That takes a minute to process. Dopey has never had a full conversation with anyone.  He’s always been limited to hand gestures and the occasional nod, so the thought that Merlin can understand him is a bit awe-inspiring.

A grin breaks across Dopey’s face. This is amazing!

Merlin mirrors his smile. “No more amazing than your innate skill of observation.  I’d be willing to bet you know more about the goings on in this kingdom than anyone, even the king himself.”

Dopey didn’t think his eyes could get any wider, but now they feel like they’re ready to burst from their sockets.

The wizard is right, though. He does know more than anyone. People tend to disregard his presence most of the time.  It’s almost like his inability to speak renders him invisible, which has made it very simple for him to learn a great many things.  Of course, his knowledge is all for naught since he can’t communicate it, but…

“You can now,” the wizard says.

Right.  Wow.  

Dopey bows his head, his brow wrinkling.  Now, what’s the one thing I’ve always wanted to - Oh! He looks up to Merlin as the thought gushes out.  Doc and Granny have been having an affair for almost five years now but they’ve kept it secret because, when we were young, the seven of us swore we would always put our brotherhood first which included never getting involved with a woman.  Whew! It feels good to get that off my chest. But – you can’t tell anyone.  Doc will have my head if you do.

Merlin laughs outright. “How long have you been holding that one in?”

A long time.

“Well, their secret is safe with me.”

Thanks.

“What about Killian?  Do you know what he’s keeping from Emma?”

Sorry, no.  I just know he’s keeping it from her.  Something catches his eye and he points over the water. Oh, look!  A baby dolphin!  Isn’t she sweet!  I wonder where her mother is…

“Dopey, focus,” Merlin says, bringing Dopey’s attention back to him. “Are you sure he hasn’t mentioned anything?”

Nope. But can’t you see it?  I mean, you can see things, right?  Things you weren’t actually there to witness?

“Yes, but not everything.  I can’t pick and choose what to look at.”

Dopey eyes scan the water as he replies, Well, I’m not sure it makes a differ – Oh there she is! Look!  He points over the rail to the mama dolphin who has just emerged next to her calf.

This time, Merlin spares a glance over the rail and a grin flitters across his face.  “Yes, the mama won’t let her get too far.  But back to Killian and Emma?”

Oh, right, well, I’m not sure it matters what the secret is.  Only that he won’t tell her.

“Fair enough.  But why wouldn’t he?”

Dopey thinks back to the first day Emma awoke and tells Merlin about the whole ‘pirate’ issue.

“Ah, I see,” Merlin replies.

And… Well…

“Well, what?”

Well, I’m not sure having the king here is helping matters.  

“You’re right about that,” Merlin says.  “We need to figure out a way to get him to go back to Camelot.”

Any ideas?

“Usually the simplest way is the best one.”

And that is?

“Tell him the truth,” Merlin replies.

Predictably, the king is none too happy about the suggestion.

“You can’t be serious!” David bursts.

“Unfortunately, I am, Your Majesty,” Merlin replies.

The king’s arms are crossed over his chest but he drops them to his sides.  “I’m not leaving my daughter!”

“David – ” the wizard tries again.

“No.  I’m not going back to Camelot without her!”

“But they need time alone.”

“They can have time alone.”

Dopey can’t stop the pfft that comes out of his mouth but when David turns his fury on him, he sidesteps to stand behind Merlin.

“Your Majesty, please,” Merlin says in a calm voice, “I know you can see Emma’s frustration growing.  She and Killian need to talk.  And it’s not the type of discussion either of them can have if they’re worried about you hovering around.”

"I don't 'hover'!"

Merlin lets his silence answer.  

"Okay, fine.  Maybe I hover a little.  But if I didn't..."

"If you didn't, what?"

"Don't treat me like a fool, wizard.  I know damn well they were sharing a cabin before I showed up."

"And I feel certain they'll share one after you leave."

David’s voice takes on a dangerous edge.  “If that’s your way of trying to talk me into going, I can assure you it’s not helping.”

This from the man who snuck into Snow White’s room every night for a solid week before their wedding, Dopey thinks.

“Did he?” Merlin asks, turning to Dopey with interest, “Did he really?”

“’Did he really,’ what?” David asks.

Merlin smiles at Dopey.  “You really are a font of information, aren’t you?”

Dopey shrugs and Merlin shakes his head in wonder.

“You and I are going to have to have a little sit down later to see what else you know.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” David growls.

Merlin turns back to David but amusement still lights his face.  “We were just discussing a castle wall you figured out how to scale in your youth.”

David’s eyes widen then land on Dopey.

“You knew about that?”

Dopey tilts his head and gives David a sardonic look.

“It doesn’t matter,” David declares, “This is a completely different situation.  Snow and I were – ”

“True Loves?”  Merlin interrupts.

David grits his teeth.

“Look, there’s more to this than just giving them time.  Think of all the things you could do in Camelot.  You could prepare for our arrival, find out if Arthur has found the other half of the dagger, coordinate with the other kingdoms.  There’s not much time left and a great deal that still needs to be done.”

David remains steadfast, shaking his head.  “Then, you go,” he says to Merlin, “Check in with Lance and come back and give us a full report.”

Merlin rolls his eyes.  “You think if I return to Camelot without you, Lancelot will answer a single one of my questions?  If you’ll recall, he wasn’t too keen on you joining me in the first place.”

“I can write him a letter.  Explain everything.”

“And he’ll think I forged it or forced you to write it.”  

“Then we’ll wait,” David asserts, “We’ll be there in two days, anyway.”

Merlin lets out a long-suffering sigh.  “Okay,” he says, “You don’t want to leave your daughter. I understand that and I sympathize. But they’re further from lighting it today than they were the day after we escaped the Regina’s warship.”

“That can’t be…”

“It is,” Merlin insists.  “If you don’t believe me, watch our next attempt.  We’ll be trying again after dinner.”

“Fine.”

K&EK&EK&E

Three hours later, David has to admit Merlin might be right.  He’s standing on deck, subtly observing the lesson.  

Tension radiates from the couple standing at the bow.  Killian stands behind Emma, his hand on her hip but keeping an obvious and awkward distance between their bodies.

As David watches, Emma releases a frustrated growl and opens her eyes.

Killian drops his hand from her waist.  “Emma…” he says gently.

“If you tell me I need rest again… “

Killian’s mouth snaps shut.

Looking back to Merlin, Emma adds, “I think we’re done for the day.” Then stalks away and disappears into the ship.

Killian stands immobile as he watches her go, an indecipherable emotion crossing his face that causes David’s brow to wrinkle.  It’s not anger.  It’s not frustration.  It’s something else…  Defeat, maybe?  No. Not with the way his eyes cloud and his jaw tightens.

Killian mumbles something to Merlin and goes off in the opposite direction Emma had taken, stopping at the rail to look out over the water. David stays where he is, apprehensive curiosity holding him frozen.  

What the hell is going on?

He watches the pirate run his hand through his hair and lean over, bracing his elbows on the rail.  His shoulders are slumped, his head bowed and realization slams into David’s chest.  

Guilt.  

David’s not sure how he knows, but that’s what the indecipherable emotion had been.  Guilt.

Guilt and fear.  

Over what? David wonders.  

“He’s keeping something from her,” Merlin says in a low voice, having crossed the deck to stand beside him.

“Do you know what it is?” David asks.

“I have my suspicions.”  

David continues to study the pirate’s defeated posture and things start falling into place.  This is the reason for that look they shared when they read the prophecy, when they found out they were True Loves.  Apparently, it was an issue before he even showed up on this ship, he’s just been too distracted by other things to see it until now.

“Something that happened while they were separated?”

“Yes.”

While they were separated… which the prophecy said they should never be.  

“Now do you understand why you need to give them space?”

Resigned, David bows his head.  “Yes,” he replies, “I guess I do.”

“Good,” Merlin says.  “So, you’ll go back to Camelot?”

It’s a struggle to be sure.  He doesn’t want to leave Emma.  He’s just gotten her back and the thought of willing saying goodbye to her makes his stomach churn.  It’s not just about the thought of her and Killian sharing a bed.  She’s his little girl.  His family.  

He’s waited years…  Years of solitude in Camelot.  Years of being cooped up while others were out doing.  And the past week, while he’s been on this ship, he finally feels like he’s contributing.  

The end of this is near and his patience is thin.  He’s always been a man of action.  And the thought of going back to the virtual prison of Camelot, grates under his skin.  

“Couldn’t I just stay out of their way?���

Merlin’s voice is sympathetic. “I don’t think that will work. They need privacy.  The kind of privacy that excludes parental supervision.”

David’s thoughts take a dark turn at Merlin’s phrasing.

“Not like that,” Merlin adds quickly.  

David huffs out a breath.  “Fine.  But I’m going to have a talk with a certain pirate before I go.”

  K&EK&EK&E

 After staring at the ocean for what feels like an eternity, Killian turns and heads below.  Hesitating on the bottom step, his eyes dart toward his cabin where he knows Emma is but he goes in the opposite direction toward the galley.  

Despite his somber mood, amusement tickles at his lips when he enters the room. He’s never seen the galley look so warm and inviting.  Ruby has put her unique staple on it.  The spices are lined up on the counter in pristine order, a plate of cookies made to look like different animals sits on the table, and where on earth she managed to find a cloth to cover the scarred wood, he’ll never know, but the room looks more suited to royalty than a rowdy pirate crew.  Smiling, he chooses a cookie that was obviously made by Grace, a line of sugar used to draw what would usually be a menacing tiger’s snarl now a happy grin.  

Rolling his shoulders, he pops the cookie into his mouth and sits down to reach for the scroll still sitting in the middle of the table.  He’s read it enough times over the past few days that he could recite it by memory, but he opens it anyway.

He’d been right.  It will be Emma against Regina – every one of his greatest fears confirmed – the now certain fate that the woman he loves is the only hope for the realm.  

His True Love.  

She’s his True Love.

It’s the most powerful magic of all.  Or at least it’s supposed to be.  And yet, when they faced Regina it wasn’t enough.  And that’s his fault…

Stuffing another cookie in his mouth, he leans back and stares at the ceiling.

“Do you have a minute?”

Killian’s eyes swing to the door to find King David on the threshold.  

Standing, he nods and David enters the room.  

“Please sit.”  David says, crossing to take the empty chair on the opposite side of the table.  

David leans forward to study the plate of cookies, taking his time making his choice.

He holds one up.  “What is this one supposed to be, do you think?”

It’s an odd opening for the king.  David is usually the type to get right to the point but for whatever reason, he’s taking his time today.  

Killian examines the cookie.  “My guess would be a dragon.”

David nods, still considering the cookie.  “You may be right.”  

At long last, he breaks a piece off and pops it into his mouth, then he sits back in his chair, eyeing Killian while he chews.  

“I’m going back to Camelot tonight.”

It’s the last thing Killian expected to hear and his mouth drops open.

“I don’t really want to leave Emma, but it would be better for me to return ahead of the rest of you so that we can prepare for your arrival.”

He pushes a map across the table and Killian sees an ‘X’ that has been added since the last time they spoke.

“This is where I want you to dock.  It’s remote but the cliffs are easily defended and the cove will provide privacy for us.”  

Killian looks more closely at the map, examining the area to see if he can identify any potential danger.  

The king drums his fingers on the table while he waits, and after a few minutes of study, Killian drops the map.  

“It’s an excellent choice, Your Majesty.”

David doesn’t respond, he just keeps drumming his fingers, his eyes narrowed and on Killian’s face.  

After a few tense moments, during which Killian has to resist the urge to squirm, David finally speaks.  “Are you still planning to marry my daughter, Captain?”

Killian can feel his eyes widen, but before he can reply, the king continues.

“Because your engagement is still official to my mind.”

“I… well… I hadn’t really…”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it,” David says with a touch of derision.

“I – I mean, we – we haven’t really discussed…”

“You love her,” David says, reaching for the prophecy.  “You can’t say you don’t.  The proof is right here.”

“It’s not a question of love.  It’s…”

“It’s what, exactly?”

It’s a question of whether she’ll still want me when this is over, Killian thinks.  But he can’t say that, so instead he bites at his lip and lowers his gaze to his lap, idly twirling the ring on his thumb.  

Several heartbeats pass in silence before the king speaks again.

“You want to marry her, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do,” he replies instantly, “But…”

“But, what?”

Sucking in a harsh breath, he regards his king.  David isn’t going to let this go.  And Killian can’t blame him.  The king isn’t a fool and he’s surely aware that Emma and he have already… consummated their relationship.  But the thought of voicing the doubts plaguing him makes his stomach churn.  

His silence prompts David to sit back in his chair and let out a small sigh.  

“I’ve heard a lot of stories about you, you know.  Stories of the ruthless pirate, Captain Hook.  Some were brutal, some were impressive, and some were simply outlandish.  I imagine the truth lies somewhere in the middle.”

It’s doesn’t surprise Killian that David has honed in on the real issue. He’s intuitive and smart and misses very little.

“I’m not asking what you did,” the king continues, “but you need to talk to Emma about it.  If you’re afraid she won’t understand – ”

“That’s not what I’m afraid of,” Killian interrupts, but then sucks in a deep breath.  “No, that’s a lie.  I am afraid she won’t understand.  But that’s not…  all.  It’s…” He picks the scroll up and holds it out.   “I love her. She loves me.  Like you said, the proof is right here but…”

“But what?” David prompts.

“What if that’s not enough?”

“How do you mean?”

“Merlin told us that our magic is light magic.  Its power is fueled by good.  So what if I tell her and our magic still isn’t powerful enough?  What if that power has been diminished because I’m… dark?”

“But you’re not.  Not anymore.”

“Maybe.  But I lived in darkness for a long time.  I’ve done some terrible things.  And I do regret some of them.  But others I don’t.”

David regards him in silence for a long moment before speaking.  “Everything you did – every choice you made – brought you here.  It brought you back to my daughter.”  

“Yes. It did.  But you don’t understand.  That darkness, it’s…  it’s still there.  I can feel it inside me.  So if I tell her.  And if she forgives me… What if that’s not enough?”

“You’ll never know until you try.”  The soft feminine voice has both of their heads swinging toward the threshold where Emma is standing, silently watching them.  

Both he and David freeze, but the king recovers quickly.  

“I’d say that’s my cue,” he says, standing and crossing to his daughter. “I’ll see you in a few days, pumpkin.”

“A few days?” she asks.

“Yes, I’m going back to Camelot tonight.  Merlin is taking me.  I’ll ensure everything is ready for your arrival.”

“But I don’t want you to – ”

“Merlin – and Dopey – think it’s better this way, and as much as I don’t want to agree with them, I do.”

Emma’s smile is a bit sheepish but she nods her head.

The two embrace before David crosses back to Killian and extends his hand. Killian takes it and nearly winces at the strength of the king’s grip.  

“You will marry her,” he says in a voice low enough that Emma won’t hear.  “Do you understand me, pirate?”

When Killian nods his agreement, David releases his hand and Killian immediately shakes it out to allow the blood to flow again.  

“Good,” David says, then raises his voice back to a normal level.  “I’ll see you both in Camelot.”

K&EK&EK&E

 Regina is sitting in her storeroom, pouring over her books when the door swings open.  She snaps her head up in annoyance at the interruption but before she can react, Claude steps in, his pace urgent.

“Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty, but there’s someone here to see you.”

“Who?”

“I think it’s better if you see for yourself, my queen.”

Regina’s brow wrinkles. It’s not like Claude to speak in riddles so whoever it is must have substantially flustered him.  With a long-suffering sigh, she lays the book down and stands.  

Claude follows her out and half-way down the corridor motions to four other knights to flank her. His concern piques her curiosity. It’s not usual for her to have bodyguards.  She doesn’t really need them and Claude knows that and yet, for some reason, today he feels she does.  

Who on earth would warrant such a display?

The doors in front of her swing open and she stutters to a halt, her eyes widening.  

Well, that answers that question.  

Of all the people in the world, this would have been one of the last people she would have expected to show up on her doorstep.  

Her guest turns, eyes meeting hers.  They size each other up for a heartbeat then her guest inclines their head with a quirk of a smile, “Your Majesty.”

Regina raises a brow. “What do you want?” she asks, refusing to deal with pleasantries.

Their smile spreads into a full-fledged grin.  “A great many things.  But let’s start with what I can offer.”

 K&EK&EK&E

 Emma follows behind Killian as he leads her to his quarters.  He hasn’t said a word since her father left them in the galley and his shoulders are stiff and set.  

He holds the door open and lets her proceed him into the room.  Once she reaches the center she turns to see him leaning against the now closed door, watching her.  

A distant ‘whooshing’ sound has her glancing to the deck above them, and she tries to smile.  

“Alone at last,” she comments in an attempt to lighten the mood.

But Killian doesn’t smile, his expression doesn’t change at all.

“I think, perhaps, you should sit down, love.”  

His voice is flat but not harsh and she complies, taking a seat at the table and folding her hands.

Crossing to his desk, he pulls out a bottle of rum and two glasses.  He pours both, then drinks one and refills it before crossing back to the table to hand one to her.   She stays silent, worried that any word from her would only make his anxiety worse, so she simply throws her head back and downs the contents of her glass, laying it gently on the table when she’s done.  He’s already turned away again, studying the amber liquid in his own glass as he swirls it around, then with a long exhale, he lifts the glass to his lips and swallows.

Keeping his eyes on the empty glass, he begins, his words slow and controlled, “The news came of your death while we were still in the Evil Queen’s dungeon.  The guards celebrated it, cheering in the corridors and rattling their swords along the bars – taking immense pleasure in taunting all of us.  Our kingdom was lost.  Our beloved queen was cursed, our brave king on the run and our beautiful princess dead and…”

He trails off, dropping his chin to his chest and squeezing his eyes shut as though trying to fend off the pain rising in him.  After taking a moment to gather himself, he lifts his head, his gaze unfocused somewhere on the wall in front of him.  

“I nearly died in that cell. My wrist was infected and I was burning with fever, and losing you took away all the will I had left to live. But I hallucinated, you see…. vivid hallucinations of you galloping across an open field of flowers, of walking through the woods, and I…  I just…” his voice starts to rise, “I thought I’d know it if you were gone.  I thought I’d feel it and I… I didn’t.”

He enunciates the ‘t’ on the last word, practically spitting it out, then takes a deep breath.

“After we escaped, I convinced Jeff to help me search for you.  Liam had told both he and Graham about an inn where we were supposed to meet you and he made them swear that if anything happened to him, they’d try to get me there.  So that’s where we went.  The innkeeper denied having ever seen you but I didn’t believe him.  He’d obviously been paid off to keep your whereabouts a secret, so we searched the area, looking for any clue and… and that’s where we found August.”

His voice breaks and he stops again to take several deep breaths.  

“I knew August would protect you with his life and it seemed that, if he were dead, there was no hope… But even after that, I kept hoping. I didn’t tell Jeff.  He always thought it was a slim chance and finding August was enough to convince him.  And since there was no trail to follow, we couldn’t continue the search anyway but… But I held onto that hope.  I lived off that hope until…  Until I found something that, in my mind at least, proved you were gone.”

His eyes flick to the chest and Emma has to fight the urge to stand and go to him.

He angles his body away from her, his voice rough and dripping with self-loathing when he tells her what he did.  He tells her about the ship they came across.  He tells her how he’d felt when he found the proof of her death.  He tells her how he’d wanted to die himself. He tells her about the venom that had run through his veins when he’d stood at the bow and given the order to sink the ship, the need to make someone pay for stealing his life.  He even tells her about the satisfaction he’d felt when the ship disappeared beneath the waves…  

Then he tells her about the fall out.  He tells her about the instant he’d realized what he’d done and the grief that rained down on him.  

Emma almost wishes he’d stop speaking, not because she doesn’t want to hear anymore, but because she can see how much it hurts him, how badly he’s tortured himself over this. He made a terrible mistake, a mistake that, yes, was horrendous, but it was a mistake.  

Tears stream down his cheeks, and hers, too, the image of him blurring as the words drip like acid from his tongue. “They didn’t deserve to die,” he says fervently, finally swinging his eyes to hers, “They were simple tradesmen who happened upon something of value.  They had no idea what they had.  They had no idea it was ever yours.  They were innocent men trying to provide for their families and I murdered them.  And for what?  Vengeance?  They hadn’t done anything wrong!”

The blue of his eyes bore into hers like he’s trying to convince her to hate him as much as he hates himself and her stomach drops to the floor.  She starts to rise but the step back he takes stops her.

“But it didn’t matter to me who they were,” he goes on with venom in his voice, “They did business with Regina and that was enough to justify it in my mind.  I made widows and orphans out of their wives and children – wives and children who, to this day, don’t know what happened to them because I couldn’t see past the hatred in my heart!”

He stops there, his confession complete, viciously swiping at the tears on his cheeks, like he realizes he doesn’t even deserve to mourn those men.   Shaking his head, he sniffles and crosses the room to stand in front of the chest.  

When he speaks again, his voice is clogged but his tone is calm and detached.  “Every time I’d find something of yours or your family’s, I’d put it in here.  Other than a few things of Liam’s, everything in here belongs to you.”

Slowly, he lifts the chest and carries it to the table, setting it gently down right in front of her without meeting her eyes.  The click his hook makes when he removes it echoes through the quiet room before he lays it on top of the chest.  Instinctively, she covers his hand with hers before he can draw it back and he sucks in a breath, his fingers contracting around hers.  They stay like that for several seconds while he watches his thumb traces circles on the back of her hand but then he shakes his head and steps away, pulling his hand from hers.  

The message is clear: This isn’t over yet.  It’s not over until she sees what’s in the chest.  But more than that, he’s not ready to accept her forgiveness no matter how badly she wants to give it.  He doesn’t trust yet that this isn’t a snap judgment.  He wants her to take some time alone to process everything he’s said.  

He looks raw and broken when he meets her eyes one last time.  Then, without another word, he turns and walks out of the room.  

She keeps her eyes on the closed door, almost tempted to chase after him without even looking in the box.  She even takes a step in that direction but stops herself.  Because he’s right.  She needs to see what’s in there.  She needs some time to gather herself – not because there’s a chance she’ll change her mind but because she needs to take a minute to let everything sink in.

With shaky hands, she reaches for the key, twisting it in the lock until it clicks.  Slowly, she lifts the lid and her eyes widen, amazed at the number of treasures he’s found.  Her father’s crown is on top, her mother’s rubies, her pearl necklace, her mother’s ring…  She looks through every piece, memory after memory blooming with each new item but then… Then she sees what he found and her eyes gloss over, her heart contracting.

Her jade necklace. The necklace she was wearing the night they were separated.  

With slow movements, she reaches in and curls her fingers around the jewels.  Tears stream down her cheeks and she cradles them to her chest, misery crawling up her throat until she sinks into the chair and sobs.

K&EK&EK&E

The night is starless and still as he stands at the helm and surveys the ocean.  There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, to see but pitch black in every direction; there aren’t even any waves being illuminated by the Jolly’s lanterns, the calm eerie and desolate.  

He doesn’t hear her approach, which is surprising given the utter silence of the night, and he startles when a plank only a few feet behind him creaks.  

Turning to face her, he finds her cheeks dry, but her red-rimmed eyes tell him they haven’t been dry long.  His own eyes are gritty and burning and it takes a great deal of concentration to keep them from filling.  She stands speechless for a moment, the diamonds and jades on the necklace in her hand glittering even in the near black night.

At long last, she looks down to the necklace, fingering at the jewels.  “I had to sell them to pay for a new roof for The Gold Mine,” she starts, “Leroy wanted to sell it because we couldn’t afford the wood, so I offered to sell these to make up the difference.  I didn’t want to move again.  I’d finally found a place where I could have a little peace and the thought of giving that up was agonizing to me.”

She sniffles lightly, finally looking up to him and he’s surprised to see how tortured her expression is.

“Do you know what brought me that peace?” she asks quietly and he shakes his head, his lungs burning from his attempt to hold the tears at bay.  “Naval ships used to dock there and, occasionally, the officers would come in and it…” she pauses to swallow and swipe at a tear that escapes, “It was the only thing I had left of you.  The only connection I could find and… And I would have done anything to keep it. This necklace… It meant nothing to me but… Being near the sea…  Being near anything that kept you close to me… I – ”

She cuts off and turns away, struggling to find words once again.  He aches to hold her, so much so that his arm twitches at his side, but he stays where he is, knowing there’s more she wants to say.  

“It never occurred to me that you might still be alive.  Graham told me he saw you die and I had no reason not to believe him.  I never had any hope, so I don’t know what it must have been like to have it crushed.  But I do remember what it felt like when Graham told me you were dead… the way every muscle in my body turned to stone, the way my lungs squeezed into an icy cold weight that pressed on my heart…”

She pauses for several more deep breaths and then her demeanor changes, her shoulders straightening and her head lifting as she looks out at the blackness of the night.  When she speaks again, he’s surprised by the malice in her words. “The next night, black knights caught up with us on the road and I was…  I was glad to see them.  I wanted them to catch us.  I wanted an excuse to draw my sword.  And I wanted them dead.  I charged into them before August could stop me and...  and…”

She shakes her head to cover the crack in her voice, “He chased after me.  He was standing right next to me when he died.  And I can’t help but wonder…  If I’d been more retrained…  If I’d waited like I should have but…” She clears her throat and tightens her hands into fists.  “But I was so angry that I… I couldn’t stop.  I wouldn’t stop until either they were all dead or I was.  I can still remember that rage racing through my bloodstream.  I was consumed by it.  I enjoyed killing them.  Every single one that fell made satisfaction rise up in my chest, every drop of blood was gratifying to watch as it spilled to the earth.”

Killian’s feet feel rooted to the ground, his heart hammering to the point of pain as her confession settles cold and hard in his stomach.

Turning only far enough to see him out of the corner of her eye, she takes a deep breath. “I know it’s not the same as what happened to you.  But my point is, I know how what it feels like when fury blocks out everything else and twists you into another person for a time.  I remember it with perfect clarity.”

The last words come out as nearly a whisper and he forces his feet to work, crossing to her and spinning her into his arms.  Cupping her chin, he lifts her eyes to his, smoothing his thumb over her temple as he takes in the dark emerald.  

She does understand. She does remember.  And she’s just as tortured and repentant for her mistake as he is.  

His heart aches for both of them, but there’s a cleansing quality underneath it that surprises him, realizing this is something they’d both been in need of.  They’d both needed to make these confessions.  And now that they have, they can bear the burden of them together.  It’s an astoundingly profound feeling, this feeling of being completely exposed, of breaking down the remainder of the walls that had been between them.  

They stand silently for some time, slowly allowing the guilt and sadness to release itself, both seemingly content to simply hold the other.  A breeze begins to blow, soft and warm, and Killian feels a sudden peace settle into his heart.  He hears Emma release a long sigh and snuggles further into his chest.

He lifts her chin to find her eyes soft and smoky and he smiles.

“I love you, Emma,” he whispers.  

Her chest expands against his on a sharp breath.  

“I love you, too.”

The moment she says it, he feels an overpowering crackle of magic rush through him but he ignores it in favor of lowering his lips to hers.  They meet softly, light grazes filled with reverence and love while the world around them brightens.  He doesn’t notice at first and she doesn’t either, too distracted by the shimmering peace that settles more firmly with each brush of lips, too caught up in the relief and joy of finally having no barriers left between them. Eventually, though, the light amplifies so much that it can’t be ignored and they turn in unison to see the Spark of Prometheus burning brightly in its case.

[thesnottedbrat]

[manga review] Men’s Kou

This is just my personal rant. I just finished ‘seems-fine-manga-turns out-a lil-shit-in the end’ kind of manga.

Men’s Kou (Izumi Kaneyoshi) - baka updates 

Description

From Serenus Dreamers:

Five minute walk to the sea. The closest train station takes 50 minutes by car. Famous private dormitory male high school Seihou is located in that super remote place. What will happen at that place where men are crazy for love?! 

BEWARE, THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY LONG POST

Good Point

Idk whether The Author intention’s to portrayed such an ambiguous moments. 

Educational purposes (life’s experiences)

Our main charas’s designed to have some painful past memories and traits, a death of our loved, unrequited love, unable to express our feelings, introverts, shy, etc. Its a common things and very humane; teenagers/HS students (mostly) have their first adult-to be-experienced in this timeline.

There’s no exact period when and which we could overcome those feelings, maybe a lifetime, maybe 3 mos, maybe years; who knows. It different with each other. But the important things are our willingness to let go the past, learn from our mistakes, and move forward to the future.

Forever but not really forever

Shoujous manga typically selling fluffy dreams, way too fluffy and occasionally way too stupid to read. I have read many shoujous manga that I dont want to read because it way too stupid. In this case, josei or any mature-ish mangas is much better.

Shoujous manga have this kind of philosophy, ‘your first love is gonna be forever and ever’. A simple reality form of classic fairy tale.

I rarely saw a shoujou manga which had a failed first love, overcome it, and obtain a new love. If there’s one, fans sometimes have their majority vote to ship female oc with 1st lead mc. Well, since shoujous type reader range from 13-18 yo, no wonder the stroyline was dreamy like.

It takes a lot of courage for shoujous mangaka to make a new POV for shoujous readers. Otherwise, their new projects unable to sell. In the end of the day, it comes back to money, eh?

* Plot

Plot wise, it’s very good. The plot is straight forward and each characters able to make a significant development. The main setting is about male high school (in deserted dorm) and their love story. 

I able to grasp the author’s core in this story:

ability to take a chance

ability to let go and step forward

a strong willful of human being

friendship and loyalty toward it

* Characters

The characters design are great , eventho the style wasnt your typical shoujo style (wide eyes and detailed hairstyle). The style itself is simple but we able to understand the whole story.

The relationship between characters drawn very well. Maybe because the author wrote it in male pov, there’s sometimes a scene/dialogue that shown in male pov. It doesnt feel like shounen-ish manga, but almost like a real life male pov. 

Each characters have their personal problems and background, but they manage to live in harmony in dorms and solve their daily problems. Disini juga digambarin kalo misalnya seseorang punya masalah itu, ga ada gunanya kalo disimpen sendiri, with sharing to our friends, we able to take step forward with their support. Still the choice to make still upon themself. What a beautiful of friendship!

imo, this is why i love man friendship rather than female friendship.

* Dialogue

I cant say much about this, since it was not an official translation. But, the humor they make sounds plausible to reader to understand. They have occasionally male high school jokes on it, which silly but entertaining. I guess this is the most fun part (for me).

Negative Traits

I pretty much understand, because this is a MANGA (a shoujo to boot), THE CHARAS MUST HAVE A GOOD ENDING, NO MATTER WHAT (business stuff, I know), but OH COME ON!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!? 

I totally pissed. Betraying and cheating is not cool. And with your best friend? Just to fucking heal your-oh-so-deep-past-scar-cus-our-important-person-didnt-understand-ours !!? yeah right, KISS MY ASS!!!

tbh, i hope the author can wrap the ending more realistic, it sucks. like everyone can really forgiven their best friend betrayal. even though Kamiki and Takano affair didnt emphasize what they’ve been doing for the past 4 months, but God know it was an affair afterall.

So, Author-san, did they for the past 4 mos comforting each other with:

secret phonecalls - what? they just talking about their pain? 

secret meeting - hmm? just having a dine in and talk about some painful moments/feelings? or did you guys comfort physically too?

petty talk - i understand your loneliness, and i hope we can fix it together even tho we dont love each other (we have bf/gf).

wow, talk about some serious bullshit here.

I dont think that Takano and Kamiki have a platonic relationship. The Author hints too many mysterious and WTF moments between em. Moreover, WHAT WITH THAT BLUSHED FACE!!!!

Hohoho, what an obvious feeling, dont you think!!!?

And in the end, it turns their affair wasnt that big deal. They simply forgiven because Kamiki have a knight complex and Takano just studied abroad, they comforting each other while doing nothing wrong (talk about self justification here). 

Dude, you missing the point. It’s not what you supposed to do in a relationship. That way of thinking is what all betrayers do (and thought) all over the world. You dont trust and respect your original partner in all manner accounts. You just completely disregard their true values, their feelings and somehow put them in a whole different dimension. You think you doing this for their sake, but whose sake we really talking about?!

To make it worse, even their own friends; Genda, Nogami, and Hanai - in unison that ‘their’ affair happen for some important reason and Maki and Fuyuka should forgive ‘em. YEAH RIGHT. TELL ME STRAIGHT TO MY FACE IF THERE’S ANY IMPORTANT REASON FOR ALL AFFAIRS IN THE WORLD.

OVERALL THOUGHT

This manga kinda complicated for me, i like it but at the same time i hate it. So maybe someday, I will give it a try to read it again; eventually like it. But for now, I just gonna avoid it as much.

Personally, this is was a quite good manga. The characters, plot, and artwork quite my liking. This is a shoujou manga but in the beginning it has a shounen ai tone (eventually it’s gone after the 2nd volume till end). I love such a setting, all boys dorm with many ikemen around, and it reminded me with  Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike! (Miyuki Abe) Well, tbh i kinda hope it turns more soft BL tho hahaha.

It started very good, a lot of humors side (daily life at boys dorms, school and friendship - totally hilarious), romance (those very typical high school), and slice of life. The climax was unexpected, but still good; well at least the Author able to make me swearing a lot at this chapter (hey, I’m praising her here). But seriously, the ending was totally SHIT.

[natasha-cole]

Ready Steady Part 35

Summary: Rob and Reader attend their reception and get a little frisky.

Word Count: 4460

Warnings: fluff, swearing, and smut... honestly I don’t know how the smut happened…

Note: For the sake of the remainder of the fic, I’m using some old Louden Swain songs and making them new ones. Also, as you can tell, my reader is a singer/songwriter and a country girl at heart… so for her, instead of trying to write my own lyrics, I’m using songs by Miranda Lambert and claiming them as the reader’s own. Hey, this way, you can listen to the actual songs after you read!

Another Note:  I finally did it! I wrote chapter 35! There’s more to come, but we’re getting closer to the end. This chapter ties up Vegas and time jumps a couple of months.

Catch up: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18

Part 19  Part 20  Part 21  Part 22  Part 23  Part 24  Part 25  Part 26  Part 27

Part 28  Part 29  Part 30  Part 31  Part 32  Part 33  Part 34

The rest of Vegas Con had gone well. You had managed to be able to spend some time enjoying the panels, Jackson feeling as content as ever most of the time. Throughout Rob’s busy work schedule, you also managed to find time to spend together. Although the green room had always served as your safe haven at any convention, this time, you decided that a little wandering wouldn’t hurt. You hadn’t been able to actually see any of the cons the entire time you and Rob had been together. Nashville had been a whirlwind in which you spent most of your time getting to know Rob and getting caught up in your love affair. After Chicago, your entire view on wandering the conventions alone had been ruined by the incident with Chris. Even though he had been caught and jailed during that con, you hadn’t exactly felt one hundred percent safe since. You were always in the green room. There, at least you were safe.

On the third day of the con, one of the busier days, you decided that the green room had become too stifling. You enjoyed spending time with Rob and your friends there, but you also knew that there was so much more to see.

After talking with Rob about taking Jackson to check out the con, to which he agreed as long as you were accompanied by a handler, you packed Jackson up in the baby carrier and made your way to the vendor room.

The hallways were a lot more packed than you remembered they had been at past conventions, but you happily weaved your way through fans in order to see what else these cons had to offer. The vendor room was large and filled with tables adorned with various fan art, t-shirts, and memorabilia. Just as Nashville had been. Your handler kept close to your side, watching you almost hawk-like as you mindlessly wandered throughout the room.

You had stopped suddenly at the Louden Swain booth to chat with the ladies who were selling their merch. You knew them a bit, as you had met them a few times before. You stood there, talking about nothing in particular, the ladies oohing and ahhing over Jackson as you showed him off.

“You’re her, aren’t you?” You heard a voice ask from behind you. You turned to be greeted by a few girls who were obviously there for the convention, as they were sporting different Supernatural related shirts and con badges. Normally, the attention and recognition of who you were would cause you to lapse into a state of panic, but right now, you didn’t feel threatened for once.

“I’m who?” You asked with a smile.

“You’re Y/N,” one of the girls stated, “you’re the one who married Rob.”

For a split second, you did feel slightly panicked when you wondered if these fans were the type who did not approve of the wives of their favorite celebrities. But, you decided to play it cool to see if you were wrong about them.

“Uh, yeah I am.”

“Wow, it’s so great to meet you,” one of the girls beamed, “I know your music. You’ve written a lot of great songs.”

“Oh, a country fan?” You asked. It wasn’t usual to run into fans of country music at these things.

“Yeah, I’m from Tennessee, grew up on country.”

“Well, hello to my fellow Tennessean,” you said as you smiled at her.

“I was actually at your show in L.A. I heard you were doing the whole singing thing now, so I had to make the trip to see you.”

“Oh, wow, really?” You asked, “thank you, that’s really sweet of you.”

“Yeah, I mean, you’re one of my favorite songwriters, so I had to support you.”

“Well, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve heard from anyone.”

“I have to ask though… You were supposed to be doing that show to promote yourself as an artist, and you did amazing by the way… but then you just sort of, stopped.”

“Oh, yeah,” you mumbled, “I guess sometimes life gets in the way of life.” You glanced down to Jackson, recalling the extremely emotional and difficult time you had had when you found out you were pregnant with him. Truthfully, that entire situation had derailed your professional plans, but looking back, you wouldn’t change it for the world.

“You found out you were pregnant after huh?”

“Actually, I found out before that show. After I did the show, my focus just… shifted. I had more important things to think of.”

“Well, family is the most important thing.”

“It sure is.”

“Well, we just wanted to tell you congratulations. We’ve been going to these conventions for years, and Rob seems to be happier now than he has been in a long time.”

“Thank you, he makes me very happy too.”

“And your son is adorable.”

“Ah, that’s because he looks just like his daddy,” you chuckled.

“Can we get a picture with you?” One of the girls asked quickly. It caught you off guard. Never have you ever been asked to take pictures with fans, hell, you didn’t really think you actually had real fans.

“Oh, um, sure,” you stuttered, touched by the fact that they recognized you as someone they looked up to rather than just as Rob’s wife. “Just, please don’t get Jackson in the picture.”

“Of course,” the girl smiled as they moved alongside you for a pose. Your handler, who had been watching uncomfortably the entire time, made a movement toward you as if he were going to get you out of this situation. You glared at him, discouraging him from ruining this moment for anyone.

After the picture was taken and you approved of it, the girls congratulated you again and headed off. It was rather quick and painless really, not how you imagined run ins with fans to go.

When Jackson became fussy after some time in the vendor room, you left the room, your handler still hot on your heels. The events exploring the convention had been pretty unexciting and you were sure that had a lot to do with having a babysitter all morning. You had thought about ditching him at one point, but decided against it when you remembered how poorly things had gone the last time you had gone against Rob’s wishes on wandering alone. You sighed heavily as you made your way back to the green room. At least it was time for lunch and you knew Rob would be back soon.

“I think I’m ready,” you said as you picked at the food on your plate. Rob looked up at you, curious as to what you were talking about.

“Ready for what?” He asked before taking a bite of his food.

“I’m ready to get back to work.”

“Oh?” Rob’s eyes studied you.

“Yeah, I mean, I basically have a complete album, I just need to finish recording.”

Rob smiled at you. He reached out across the table, taking your hand in his. “I think that’s fantastic, Y/N.”

“Really? You don’t think I need to stay at home with the baby?”

“I think you need to do what you set out to do. Having a family shouldn’t derail your plans, it should encourage you to do what you love.”

“This means that there will be long days where I’m not home, or I get home late.”

“Okay,” he answered simply.

“You’ll be pulling lots of dad time with Jackson.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Rob gave you a sweet smile.

“Thank you,” you said softly.

“For?”

“Supporting me.”

“I believe in you,” Rob smiled. He squeezed your hand that he was still holding.

“Will you record ‘Pushin Time’ with me?” You asked. You weren’t sure why you were nervous to ask him, but you really wanted him to record it with you. In the end, the song really did encompass your entire relationship.

“Really? You want me on your album?”

“Of course I do. Couldn’t do the song without you, and I really want that song on it.”

“I’d be honored to record it with you.”

You offered Rob a cheesy grin, pleased that he was willing. The two of you finished your lunch, enjoying each other’s company as Kim and Ruth played with Jackson on the other side of the room.

You glanced over occasionally, your heart feeling as if it would burst from how happy you were. Not only were you officially married to Rob, but you had a beautiful son and a family who loved and cared for all three of you. To top it off, you had Rob’s blessing to get your career back on track, even if that meant spending a lot of time away from home. The two of you had gone through hell together, and you finally felt content to know that no matter what life threw at you; you could make it through.

2 months later

Despite having already been married for two months, the reception that had been planned to follow your actual wedding date remained on. You and Rob had quickly informed everyone that there would be no wedding in April, simply because you had eloped in Vegas already. This news was exciting to some, a bit of a letdown to others; including Rob’s family who had not been able to be a part of the excitement of Vegas. Rob’s mother let it slide after a while when you promised her that you would still go through with the reception.

It was a small peace offering really, and it took some time for her to no longer be upset over your sudden marriage that didn’t include family. As long as she was able to be a part of the reception, she seemed happy. She seemed to be becoming more and more used to you and Rob’s unconventional relationship and decided that as long as her son was happy, she was too.

The reception had been lovely; your friends who had been there for the wedding attended, along with those who couldn’t be in on the spur-of-the-moment event. Rob’s family all showed up along with your close friends that consisted of your manager and some others from the business that you had been close to over the years.

While you had originally thought that even doing the reception was a waste, you had to admit that it was nice to have everyone together to celebrate you and Rob.

“How is my wife doing?” You heard Rob’s voice come from behind you as you stood at the refreshment table. You turned to him, smiling.

“I’m doing well, husband,” you giggled, still excited to be able to call him that even two months after your wedding.

“Have you seen our son?”

“I believe he has been whisked away by your sister and is currently making the rounds visiting everyone,” you scanned the space, wondering who really had him at this point.

“I have a feeling we won’t be seeing much of him today,” Rob chuckled. You frowned, suddenly sad that Jackson wasn’t with you. It was still very difficult to be away from him.

“Thanks, now I miss my baby,” you pouted.

Rob moved closer to you, wrapping his arms around your waist as he leaned down to kiss you.

“Enjoy the moment,” he replied when the kiss ended, “after tonight is over, we’re back to it just being the three of us and back to being interrupted.”

You threw your arms around his neck, pulling him in again for another kiss.

“What are you suggesting, Benedict?” you asked slyly.

Rob raised a brow at you, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

“I’m suggesting that we sneak off to one of the rooms in the house and fool around.”

“It’s not our house,” you replied, blushing slightly at his proposal.

“That’s what makes it exciting,” he said as he grabbed your hand, leading you toward the house.

You laughed, but followed him as he led you inside. It might be a bit risqué, but the man certainly knew how to keep things interesting.

Once inside, you both agreed on sneaking off to a guest room. The entire house was empty since everyone had gathered outside to mingle at the party. Still, you chose a room at the far end of the house to avoid getting caught. You giggled as Rob pulled you into the room, closing the door behind you before he immediately pounced on you. He pushed you down onto the bed and pulled the bottom of your dress up before he laid on top of you. You could feel the hardness in his pants as he moved against you, causing you to gasp.

“Rob, are we going to do this or what?” you panted, desperately working at removing his shirt.

“Yeah,” he replied breathless, “but we don’t want to get caught, gotta do it quick.”

He crashes his lips into yours, tongue delving into your mouth as he tasted you. You moaned against his mouth, excited now as he continued to grind into you.

“You locked the door, right?” you asked suddenly, glancing over nervously at the bedroom door.

“Yeah, of course,” he replied. He stood up swiftly, reaching down to remove your underwear. He promptly removed his pants and boxers, kicking his shoes off as he tried to scramble out of his clothes.

You knew you wouldn’t get caught fooling around, the door was locked after all; but the idea of having to do this quickly to avoid getting caught was exciting. You reached for him when he finally got out of some of his clothing, pulling him back on top of you. He kissed you again and you could feel his hand move between your legs, his fingers teasing at your entrance. You moaned out loud, prompting him to press his mouth harder against yours to stifle the sound. When he pulled back, he gave you a disapproving look.

“Keep making sounds like that, someone will hear,” he warned. He continued to work his fingers into you until he decided that you were ready for him. Everything was happening so quickly, you couldn’t catch your breath. You gasped as he suddenly pushed himself into you. He groaned quietly against your ear as he pressed his hands down on the bed on either side of your head. Before you could even prepare yourself, he was rocking his hips into you. You grasped onto him, closing your eyes as you enjoyed the feeling of him. You must have been making a lot of noise, because he kept his lips on yours, pressing his mouth harder on yours, his tongue exploring your mouth as he thrust into you repeatedly. All you could do was moan into his mouth, unable to stop yourself.

You enjoyed the lovemaking the two of you normally did, but for some reason, this quickie was very exciting. The idea of messing around in someone else’s room while your friends were outside for your own wedding reception had you on edge. You pulled your mouth from Rob’s when you felt like you couldn’t breathe any more. You watched him, gasping as quietly as you could with each push of his hips against yours.

“Quiet, baby,” he said as he continued to move.

Just as you could feel your release building up, Rob’s movements became frantic. He moved faster and harder against you, causing you to want to cry out. Instead, you grabbed the back of Rob’s head, pulling him down so that you could kiss him and hopefully stifle your sounds.

You were closer now and you moaned into his mouth, probably louder than you should have. Just as you were sure you were about to be pushed over the edge, you heard a distinct knock coming from the other side of the bedroom door. Rob stilled himself immediately; both you panting as quietly as you could against each other’s mouths.

“Bob-o, you in there?” You heard Rich’s voice ask curiously from the other side.

“Jesus Christ,” Rob whispered, still trying to steady his breathing. You figured you’d both try to remain quiet, hope that Rich would just go away when no one answered.

“Okay, I know you’re both in there,” Rich continued, “this is awkward, but everyone is ready to give toasts and all that stuff.”

“Oh my god!” Rob shouted, “can you just give us a few minutes!?”

You heard Rich chuckle, “really? Just a few minutes?”

“Go away! We’ll be out in a bit!” You laughed as Rob yelled at Rich, obviously irritated that you had been interrupted.

“Okay, have fun, don’t ruin the sheets.”

You both waited for a moment, listening for sounds on the other side of the door.

“Do you think he’s gone?” You breathed out.

“Fuck it,” Rob replied, moving against you again, “let him listen if he really wants to.”

You grinned, feeling really turned on at this spur-of-the-moment, risqué version of Rob. This time, you didn’t hold back as he continued to fuck you. Although he still tried to keep you quiet by kissing you, you moaned and swore as your climax built up again. When it finally broke, you threw your head back, gripping into the comforter as you came. You were sure you had screamed his name, swearing out loud at how amazing this felt right now. You half expected him to scold you, but he came not long after you; swearing and grunting against your neck.

Once the two of you had steadied yourselves, breathing returning to normal, he stood up and dressed quickly. You did the same, body still shaking as you came down from your high.

“That was so fucking hot,” you purred as you wrapped your arms around his waist, nuzzling into his neck as you dropped soft kisses against his skin.

“Even if we did get caught?” He laughed.

“Oh yeah, that was exciting,” you grinned when you pulled away from him and headed for the door.

“Everyone’s gonna be able to tell that we just did it,” he said. He was right. You were both a mess; clothing wrinkled, hair disheveled; but you didn’t care.

“Good,” you said as you shot him a wink, “let them know that we can’t get enough of each other.”

The rest of the night, you and Rob exchanged sly glances; still very much excited over the impromptu quickie that you had had during your reception. You were certain that everyone was aware of the reason why you had disappeared, and you were also certain that Rich was much more aware than anyone else. While you expected him to tease you about it all night, the man avoided eye contact most of the night, obviously a bit embarrassed over having heard you and Rob.

Regardless, the reception had gone on as they usually do. Some friends and family took the time to give small speeches about the two of you. Some were emotional, pointing out the difficult things you had gone through to get where you were today. Others were fun and filled with stories that made everyone laugh.

You realized now just how lucky you were. It had been evident to you since your wedding, but hearing all of these people share their favorite stories about you and Rob only made you feel more welcome. You stared at Rob adoringly, still asking yourself how you had managed to keep him after everything that you had put him through. You looked over at Jackson, who was now being held by Jensen’s wife, Daneel. He had certainly been introduced to the entire extended family today and it warmed your heart to know that he was going to have something that you never had as a child.

You were broken from your thoughts as Rob stood up to say a few words.

“We just want to say again how grateful we are to have all of you in our lives,” he began, “my family who has welcomed Y/N into their lives, friends who have become her friends… if it weren’t for all of you, I don’t know that we would have made it through some of those tough times that tested our relationship. Honestly, it’s because of so many of you that we are here today; married, parents to an amazing little boy, and generally still kicking.”

There were a few soft chuckles, everyone knowing that what he was saying was accurate.

“So, thank you all. I especially want to thank my extended Supernatural family for always interfering, thank you for offering advice and shoulders to cry on during the tough times, thank you for being aunts and uncles to Jackson, thank you for accepting Y/N into your lives just as much as I have, and thank you for being a family to my little family.”

The last few words came out quietly as he tried not to choke up. Rob raised his glass of champagne, everyone following suit. His words were simple really, but they meant a lot to not only you, but your friends. You smiled warmly at Rob as he returned to his seat, taking his hand in yours and squeezing it tightly.

“As the best man, I have something to say.” You and Rob turned your attention to Rich who was now standing, ready to give his toast. Rob bit his lip, unsure if it was a good idea to let the man speak after what he had just heard in the house.

“I’ve watched these two go through it all,” he continued, “I watched them meet, fall in love, and go through the devastation of a breakup. I can say, with confidence, that these two have been through hell, but they always come out on the other side; just as in love as they were in the beginning, and stronger. I took Y/N to the hospital when she was pregnant and sick, I talked her down when she was panicked over Rob proposing to her. I watched Rob get his heart broken, and spend a good amount of time reminding him why he shouldn’t give up on this one. I don’t think their relationship makes a lot of sense to most people, but I know for a fact that it is the only relationship that makes sense for these two. Despite all the hard times, which unfortunately overshadowed all the good, they have finally found each other again. And they have brought a handsome little man into this world, who, by the way, is named after me.”

Rob groaned, rolling his eyes as you laughed at Rich’s words.

“What I’m trying to say, is that their relationship may not have been perfect in the beginning, but they are perfect for each other.” Rich turned to look at you and Rob, raising his glass to toast you. “Here’s to real love. Love that doesn’t come easy, love that seems impossible at first, love that gets to where it needs to be eventually.”

You smiled at Rich, raising your own glass as everyone did the same. His words were truly touching, and you knew you had made a good choice in confiding in him all those times.

“Also, they just did it in my guest room, so I guess it’s safe to say that they’re still pretty crazy about each other,” Rich added as he shot you a wink before downing his champagne in one go. You could feel your face turn red as you tried to hide it by pressing into Rob’s chest. You still couldn’t help but laugh as Rob shook his head at his friend. Most of the party laughed at Rich’s little addition to his speech, and you knew that it was all in good fun. After all, you were pretty certain everyone could tell anyway.

At the end of the night, you had finally found Jackson again; this time, sleeping in the arms of Misha. You collected your sleeping baby, giving Misha a kiss on the cheek as he and his family headed out now that the party was over. You were exhausted after having said goodbye to everyone, and you searched for Rob so that you could also head home. When you found him, he was saying goodnight to Rich and Jaci, thanking them for holding the reception at their home. You blushed again when you remembered how you and Rob had messed around in their guest room. Rich didn’t seem to mind as he pulled you in for a hug, careful not to squish Jackson who was snuggled against you, still fast asleep.

“You crazy kids have a good night,” Rich chuckled, waving at you as you and Rob started toward the car.

“We did and we will,” Rob replied. He put his arm around you as you walked.

“Yeah, I’ll send you the bill for that,” Rich said.

“I’m sorry!” you called out to him, still a bit embarrassed that you had actually done that.

“Don’t be,” he replied, “it’s good to know my friends have a healthy sex life.”

“Dammit, Rich.” Rob mumbled, picking up his pace as if he were trying to leave quicker.

You only laughed at Rob’s own embarrassment, waving to Rich and Jaci as you left the backyard.

Rob drove home; Jackson sleeping soundly in his car seat, you, watching Rob fondly as he focused on the road. You really were lucky. You recalled how you and Rob had discussed luck and fate once before. You hadn’t been too keen on the idea of either of those back then, not like Rob had been. Right now though, you knew that it had definitely been fate that kept you two together after all this time and luck also had a lot to do with it. You leaned in suddenly, reaching over to kiss him on the cheek as he drove.

“What was that for?” he asked, glancing over at you briefly.

“Just because I’m madly in love with you and I want to never stop kissing you,” you replied. You reached out a hand, brushing your fingertips along the spot that you had just kissed.

Rob grinned at your words, looking over at you quickly, those blue eyes sparkling.

“I love you too, Y/N. When we get home, I’m going to kiss you all night long.”

“When will we sleep!” you exclaimed dramatically, giggling at the thought of making out with your husband all night long. You weren’t sure why, but tonight; Rob had you feeling like a teenager in love for the first time.

“We’ll sleep in tomorrow,” he replied, “we have all the time in the world to do anything we want.”

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[missblanchette]

Long Dream [6/7]

Series: Joker Game

Characters: Hatano/Jitsui

Rating: G

Summary: Hatano wasn’t one to read shoujo manga, but there was something familiar about this mangaka named Kunio.

Words: 4504

Notes: Modern AU/Reincarnation AU; Spin off to Déjà Vu (KamiMiyo); Phew, glad I managed to get this up before the year ended...!! Certainly less action packed than the last chapter but finally leading up to the finale haha

ko-fi //  Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | You can read this on AO3! Thank you guys so much for reading, I hope you all enjoy~ (*´∇｀)ノ

Ch. 6 - Jitsui III: Days of Searching 

Being a spy meant constantly presenting a new act to others, a new face, a new person; even the personality he wore now as Jitsui wasn't his true one. Though as time went on, the line between his "true" self and the man named Jitsui began to blur. Eventually, distinguishing which feelings and thoughts belonged to whom became nigh impossible. He supposed it didn't matter in the long run, especially now when he was to play the role of Morishima Kunio.

Such as it was, he found himself in the library preparing for his mission. Black frames sat on the bridge of his nose, his hair had been swept to the side, and a book of myths rested in his hands. It didn't hurt to get a feel of whom Kunio was ahead of time, just like every other part he'd been told to play. Not to mention, it was easier to trick himself into thinking that he didn't care about leaving the building and the people in it -- one man in particular -- if he was someone else.

Of course, he shouldn't have forgotten how persistent some people could be. He heard the footsteps behind him a little too late, something he mentally reprimanded himself for, but nonetheless braced himself for the "sneak attack." There was only one person he knew who would do such a thing, anyways, without fearing the consequences.

"Boo," Hatano said at the same time his hands slammed onto his shoulders. Jitsui jumped at the sudden contact but that was the only reaction he allowed.

"Can't you let me have my fun?" He heard the annoyance in Hatano's voice as he moved to take a seat beside him, but he knew him well enough to know that he wasn't actually angry.

"You're starting to sound like Kaminaga," Jitsui teased, a smirk on his lips.

"That's an insult if I've heard one." Scoffing, Hatano rested his hands behind his head.

"Don't worry, you're a lot more tolerable."

"Gee," he said, sarcasm dripping in his tone. "Thanks."

They fell into a lull of silence, not that Jitsui minded much considering this would be one of his last moments with him (For a while, he reminded himself, trying not to dwell on bad outcomes; he trusted himself, he trusted him, he trusted them ). Any time spent with Hatano was like a blessing with that notion in mind. It was funny, now that he thought about it, how quickly he'd grown attached to Hatano. He hadn't anticipated befriending anyone considering that this was a spy training facility. They were only supposed to be allies to each other and nothing more, and that was just how Jitsui intended on using Hatano and the others. Ironically, he'd never felt closer to anyone before joining D-Agency, nor did he ever feel... such intimate feelings towards someone. He'd once deemed relationships of any sort meaningless, but in times like these, he began to wonder how he'd gone without them.

"The glasses look suits you," Hatano said, breaking his thoughts.

"You think so?" As much as he appreciated the compliment, Jitsui took them off and ran a hand through his hair. He had no need for an act around Hatano, anyways.

"Mhm, fits a bookworm like you." Hatano's eyes drifted to the book on his lap. "Mythology, though? Didn't think you were into that stuff."

"Oh, I'm not." He was erring on the side of carelessness, sharing classified information, but Jitsui often made exceptions for Hatano. "But Kunio is."

There was a slight pause as Hatano let what he'd said sink in, no doubt having already solved the meaning behind it.

"Yeah?" Hatano said, putting two-and-two together. "Then what does Kunio think of it?"

"Enjoyable, but you probably wouldn't be interested."

"I'll take your word on that, but --" Without warning, Hatano took the glasses and put them on his own face, pushing his bangs up to change his appearance. It was strange, indeed, but he couldn't say he looked bad. "-- maybe Shimano would."

That name, too, was unfamiliar to Jitsui, but he didn't need any explanation as to whom it was. Seeing as this was how Hatano was going about it, he played along, slipping right back into his role as Kunio rather easily.

"Really?" he asked, his tone taking on a softer air.

"Try me," was Hatano -- Shimano's -- reply.

And so try Jitsui -- Kunio, rather -- did. With the introduction alone, he could tell he was already losing Hatano's interest despite how well he acted otherwise. Truthfully speaking, these types of tales weren't Jitsui's cup of tea either, but there was some appeal to story of Osiris and Isis. Perhaps he'd gotten softer during the course of his studies, but Isis' struggles managed to shrill out some sympathy from him. It was a harrowing affair, losing Osiris and having to track down all the pieces of his dismembered body, only to lose him once more as he'd become Death itself as soon as she'd found him again. The whole story left a bitter taste in Jitsui's mouth, though at the same time, it drew him in. As he'd been reading it, he couldn't help but imagine what he'd do in Isis' place, to what extent he'd go to find a loved one. Sadist he may be, but most sadists had a masochistic streak as well, didn't they?

"You were right," Hatano said when he'd finished recounting the myth. He took the glasses off and shook his hair back in place, and there was the Hatano he knew. "I didn't care at all."

"Shimano was the one listening," Jitsui said matter-of-factly. He held back a chuckle as Hatano gave him a look. "What did he think of it?"

Hatano hummed, drumming his fingers against the back of his head. It was rather cute, Jitsui mused, how he pretended to be thinking of an appropriate answer.

"Searching for a lost lover seems like a waste of time, doesn't it?" He shrugged. "Sure Isis brought Osiris back, but what's the point if they're going to be separated again?"

Hearing his answer, Jitsui wondered how much of Shimano was in that reply and how much of Hatano was in it.

"It depends on how you look at it."

"Wow," Hatano said, dragging the word out. "Didn't realize you were a romantic deep down inside."

Jitsui didn't respond immediately, somewhat stunned to hear that spoken out loud. If he had to be honest, he didn't realize so either. Once he would've scorn the sentiment, but as a spy, he'd learned how to adapt -- even if it meant accepting feelings he shouldn't have in the first place.

"I'd do the same," he finally said. Though posed hypothetically, they both knew exactly what he meant. "Wouldn't you?"

Hatano stayed silent for a moment, their eyes meeting, as if trying to find a lie in his words.

"Careful," Hatano said after some time. "Someone might think you're actually capable of love." And though he meant it as a jest, Jitsui knew his feelings were mutual.

Jitsui smiled, one that Hatano returned. Yes, their time together was limited, but Jitsui -- the man he'd become and embraced -- was a rather simple man. Having Hatano by his side was all he needed, and he'd do anything for that.

Upon first impression, many would describe Jitsui as calm, level-headed, and demure among other saintly adjectives. They always saw him as an angel, the picture of what a perfect gentleman should be. Little did they know that couldn't possibly be further from the truth, his sadistic, stubborn side coming to light as one got to know him better.

And now was one of his stubborn moments.

As sensible as he tried to be, there was no way he could sit back and let things happen -- especially with what was at stake. Maybe it was the shoujo mangaka inside him taking over, but he knew deep in his heart that Hatano would've waited for him, if not outright taken the situation into his own hands. In his ideal fantasies, things would've gone smoothly; he and Hatano would've been together by now, and he wouldn't be pacing a hole out on the sidewalk contemplating his next move. Though Jitsui didn't consider himself much of an optimist, he never imagined that the meeting yesterday would've gone that badly.

That was, unless, if Hatano hadn't gotten his letter.

Jitsui wasn't quick to anger, but the very thought of it made his blood boil because it was looking more and more plausible. He knew that making assumptions wasn't good either, but what little he saw of Hatano's father was enough to tell him that there was nothing good going on with him.

Nonetheless, Jitsui wouldn't let this deter him; his pride nor his stubbornness simply wouldn't let him. And, pardon the wishful thinking, maybe this time Hatano would answer the door. As he made his way back to Hatano's apartment, Jitsui comforted himself with those pretty thoughts. Doing otherwise would only make the seeds of hesitation grow more and more.

Unfortunately, reality wasn't like his shoujo mangas where everything would fall into place right after the conflict. What greeted him at the door were not those droopy, brown eyes he'd come to adore in his previous lifetime but the sharp ones he'd come to loathe in less than twenty-four hours. Come what may, he'd have to keep his cool lest things continue falling in a downward spiral and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Good afternoon," Jitsui said in the most sickeningly sweet voice as possible.

Mr. Ryosuke's response was to click his tongue. Jitsui resisted the impulse to strangle him right there and then.

"You again."

"Yes, it's me again." Though he kept his tone polite, even he couldn't bother to hide his annoyance. "You said Hatano would be around later and since it's later, I was wondering if he was around?"

Already expecting a negative response, Jitsui peeked through the space between the door in search for any sign of Hatano.

"Sorry, kid. He's not here."

"Then," he said, eyes still surveying the room. It seemed as though Mr. Ryosuke's words were correct, but Jitsui knew not to take things at face value. "Could you tell me when he'll be back -- exactly ?"

"I wouldn't be able to tell you," Mr. Ryousuke said, only irritating Jitsui even more. "He's back when he's back. Now leave."

He moved to close the door, but Jitsui was quicker. He stepped forward, not only preventing the door from closing but also giving him a better view of the inside. His stomach dropped when he didn't see anything of importance, but then he caught sight of black fur poking out from the hallway. Jumping to conclusions was foolish, he knew, but he couldn't help but wonder.

"I'm sorry, but --"

The tuft of black fur moved forward, yellow eyes meeting his.

A cat. A black cat with yellow eyes that seemed all too familiar. His heart lurched at the sight of it, though he could only guess whom it was. He could only spend so much time dwelling on the matter, however, having been pushed back and pinned down with sharp eyes.

"I said leave."

With that, the door was slammed into his face but Jitsui didn't find himself as frustrated as he'd been earlier, surprisingly enough. The desire to murder Hatano's father still lingered, but he needed to use his calculation skills for something else for now. Never before had he felt so much hope because of a cat of all things, but the sight of the feline sent his brain thinking. Surely, there was another way; surely, he would get to Hatano -- somehow, some place.

If he couldn't get in the directly, then Jitsui would just have to take another route. Based on his observations, the fire escape ran down the balconies in the back of the building. And if his guess was correct, then one of the entrances was on Hatano's floor. Whether or not it was outside Hatano's room was another question he had yet to figure out, but he supposed he would be finding the answer to that very soon.

Finding the fire escape wasn't difficult. One would have to be an incompetent fool not to notice the shoot. No, it was the matter of climbing up the shoot. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't as fit as he used to be. He didn't really have reason to keep up a rigorous training regimen in this life nor did he find it necessary. Nevertheless, up was the only way to go, to Hatano, so up he would go.

The first few steps were clumsy, his feet slipping up and his grip on the walls loose, but he found his stride eventually. Soon enough, he reached the top but all that met him was the trap door. He hadn't thought it would be a problem, but he bit back a curse on his tongue when he pushed up on it to no avail. The damn thing certainly didn't appear to be so heavy. Regardless, he gave it another push, stronger this time, but that proved useless as well.

He'd already made it this far, so no way was he going to turn back now. Despite the cramp in his legs and the strain on his arm holding his body up, he kept banging and banging on the door until he budged it open. How great would it be if that'd been it -- Hatano would be waiting for him on the other side and they'd be together again.

But there was nothing. As far as his eyes could go, he couldn't see any other person. He couldn't hear anything either except for the afternoon breeze of spring. The balcony was empty, as well as the messy room connected to it --

Meow.

-- or perhaps there was something. His eyes flew to the source of the noise and landed on a black cat, which appeared to be the same one that he'd seen yesterday. The cat drew nearer as he hauled himself up, circling him and scrutinizing him. By all means, he should've hurried on inside. The balcony door was slightly ajar, presenting the perfect opportunity to go inside, but for some reason, he sat still on the edge. When the cat had finished its inspection, its yellow eyes met his and Jitsui knew this couldn't be a coincidence. Seeing that the cat wouldn't hurt him, Jitsui decided to test out his theory.

"Yoru...?"

At that, the cat -- Yoru -- meowed, his ears faced forward and tail straight up, quivering. Well, Jitsui thought, so it seemed that cats indeed had nine lives. Though he couldn't claim to be extremely close to Yoru in the previous life, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic at the sight. Allowing himself an instance of compassion, he scratched the underside of Yoru's neck before standing up proper.

"So then Hatano should be inside..." Jitsui thought aloud, not expecting an answer but finding some comfort in having a companion. But as he neared the door, he felt Yoru's paws on his ankles as if stopping him. He tried again only up be met with a similar response, even side stepping here and there but Yoru matched his steps.

He huffed, but it'd be shameful if he let his temper out on a cat. Counting to ten, Jitsui bent down so that he was eye level with Yoru. There was a reason they'd let him roam around in the Greater East Asia Cultural Society. Hopefully, nothing about that had changed.

"Yoru," he said, calling his attention. On one hand, Jitsui couldn't believe he was about to question a cat; on the other hand, this couldn't possibly be the most farfetched thing he'd come up with considering he was a shoujo mangaka. "Sway your tail once for 'yes' and twice for 'no.' Do you understand?"

Truly, he'd expected a null answer but thankfully, Yoru's tail swayed once.

"Is everything okay?"

Yoru hesitated, his tail still as if pondering the question. After a moment, his tail swayed 'no.' Jitsui's blood ran cold.

"Hatano is inside, right?"

One sway.

"What about his father?"

Yoru's tail swayed vigorously, accompanied by a hiss. Jitsui's lip twitched in frustration, taking a peek indoors once again. No wonder Yoru had tried stopping him from getting inside. It'd be a disaster if he'd caught him. Still, things couldn't be as simple as that. He tapped his foot furiously against the balcony floor, pondering the their circumstances. Inside the room, post-it notes were tacked onto various surfaces -- the walls, the books, even the headboard of the bed -- alongside forgotten, misplaced things. If he squinted hard enough, he could make out the characters on the notes. From that which he could see: "letter"? The gears in his head began spinning.

"Yoru, do you know if a letter I sent arrived here?"

Yoru's tail swayed once. All right, so the problem didn't lie there.

"Did Hatano get it?"

Two sways, to which Jitsui let out a swear. It was times like these that he hated being right. Even so, what was he to do about it? He couldn't send another one without the possibility of it getting intercepted again nor could he sneak in without fear of getting caught.

Then again, maybe he didn't have to do anything.

"Do you know where it is?"

Yoru's tail swayed twice, but Jitsui didn't let that discourage him too much. Judging by this interaction alone, Yoru seemed intelligent enough to follow through with his plans.

"Do you think you can find it then? And if you do, could you show it to Hatano?"

Without hesitation, Yoru meowed whilst his tail swayed ‘yes.’ It really wasn't much, he figured, relying on a cat of all things, but he felt some relief. As he pet Yoru, he knew still that he couldn't grow lax here. Even if Yoru managed to get the letter to Hatano, there was still the matter of meeting him. He still had his fair share of work to handle and Jitsui wasn't one to slack off.

Waking from his memory-dreams oft left Jitsui with feelings of nostalgia and tranquility, the fleeting moments of yesteryears ringing throughout his mind. But today, when he woke up, the icy feeling of dread washed over his body. And such was a feeling he didn't like one bit. Especially not when he'd dreamed of one of the moments he shared with Hatano before their goodbyes.

Perhaps it was just the stress of everything going on. Ever since he'd given Yoru his task, he'd yet to make progress on his end. It was much like trying to grab hold of sand -- the grains continuously slipping through his fingers no matter how much of it he grabbed. He didn't believe in any higher beings nor fate, but if they did exist, it was almost like they purposely found obstacles to get in his way. Every time he thought he'd managed to catch Hatano, something always drove Hatano further and further away. 

Try as he might to ignore superstition, he couldn't help but grow dismayed as the days passed. Still, there was something Jitsui felt like he needed to do despite everything that had happened. For some reason or another, his gut told him to take the direct approach today. Meaning, go right up to the front door of Hatano's apartment. He hadn't forgotten his two previous failures already, but it wasn't like any other way was working out either. After all, the saying "third time's the charm" must have held some sort of merit and so, figuring he had nothing else to lose, Jitsui followed his instincts.

He found himself in front of the door sooner than he expected, the white door staring him in the face. He raised his hand to ring the doorbell, only to find himself hesitating.

Nervousness wasn't something he experienced often, not to sound too prideful or boastful. Of course, he had his fair bouts of it every now and then, but his belief in his skills had always won over. Mayhaps it was an advantage of remembering one's past life, that he was so sure he could do everything all over again. But he'd never encountered anything like this before, all things considered. It was only human to fear the unknown, but it was times like this he wished he'd be more akin to the monsters that Sakuma had called the spies so many years ago. A monster didn't fear nor doubt; a monster would've gotten what it wanted by now.

Unfortunately, in this reality, he was very much human. He feared, he doubted, he'd yet to make his peace. But it was those same fears that pushed him forward now, that lead him on to Hatano's place. As nerve wracking as it was to be so close yet so far away, he would only hate himself if he did nothing about it.

Ignoring every doubt that screamed in his mind, Jitsui rang the doorbell and counted the seconds that passed.

Heartbeats reverberating throughout his eardrums was a sensation he thought only happened in fiction, but he figured by now he should've learned that art mimicked reality. He willed himself to stand still as he waited for the door to open, feeling the urge to pace around. It only intensified as he finally heard the latch being unchained and the lock opening. He braced himself for more disappointment, that hope would only aggravate him even more. Still, as the door swung opened, he held his breath and --

Time stopped when their eyes met.

It took a few moments for Jitsui to process the sight before him, unsure if he was still dreaming or not. All this life, Hatano had just been a fragment of the past -- only tangible through his memories and dreams. But looking at him now, he was just as he remembered him, every single feature from head to toe. Even in this lifetime, he was shorter than him, and he still had that middle part in his hair that framed his face nicely, and those droopy brown eyes that bore into his soul, and the cute, button nose that he'd grown to adore. All these little details were exactly that same as he remembered that it was almost as if they'd never parted ways in the first place. It took all of his will power not to take Hatano into his arms and hold him close, but even a part of him feared that he'd disappear if he did just that.

"Hatano?" Jitsui managed to spit out, the name but a breath on his tongue.

Hatano didn't respond immediately, his eyes widened as if, too, in shock. Jitsui remained silent and still, letting Hatano take his time. As uncertain as Hatano looked, their gazes met again, and there was that light of recognition in his eyes and that, for Jitsui, was enough.

"Jit --"

All of a sudden, Jitsui's collar hit his neck, choking him as he was pulled back. His mind scrambled, trying to figure out what was happening, but there could only be one answer to that question.

"Excuse me." Just the sound of that man's voice grated his nerves. Reminding himself that murder was illegal, Jitsui whipped around quickly to face Mr. Ryousuke but he was already halfway through the door. "We're not having visitors right now."

The door slammed in his face but after all that had happened, he wouldn't let that stop him. He ran back towards the door -- towards Hatano -- and began pounding against it with all his might. The rational part of his mind knew it wouldn't accomplish much, but it was the only thing he could think of to do in a rush. Under the midst of all the force, the hinges of the door loosened though not enough to get him in. Seeing that was the case, he finally let his arms take a rest, paying little attention to the soreness in his hands and arms. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but as he pressed his ears against the door he heard only silence. That, to him, was much more disturbing than the yelling he anticipated.

He needed to get in. Or, at the very least, he needed to know if Hatano was okay.

Not wasting a single second, Jitsui hurried to the back of the building. Quickly locating the fire escape shoot, he climbed his way up. How funny it was that what once seemed daunting was effortless in the midst of a matter. The only thing -- annoyance, rather -- was the weight of the trap door once he'd reached the top, but even he managed to swing it open in his hurry. Hauling himself up, he quickly assessed the scene.  

Only the sounds of the wind gushing by greeted him up there. The balcony was empty, as was the room connected to it, much like it had been a couple days ago. This time around, though, the door was shut close and not even Yoru was around. Peering inside, he tried to make out some semblance of life. Surely someone had to be inside. But then again, a lot could have happened in the time he'd spent trying to get here. Light poured in from the living room to the hallway and the door on the other end was closed tight. An argument or a fight, Jitsui could deal with, but the lack of activity was sending him on the edge.

He gripped the balcony door handle, but it didn't budge. He huffed in frustration, telling himself not to do anything rash. He then patted his pockets and scoured the balcony for anything he could use a pick lock, but as was the theme for today, there was nothing. It would have been easy to just punch the glass and break in but he didn't want to draw too much attention nor cause any more problems on top of this one.

Nevertheless, spending any more time here would be a waste. The sun was steadily falling west and glancing at his watch told him that it was already evening. He hadn't even realized he'd spent most of his time out here, having missed a few calls from Gamou and some texts from Odagiri when he checked his phone. But then again, he thought, what was there to do? Perhaps the silence meant that Hatano had left. But if he did, then where to? He hadn't the faintest clue, but he berated himself for even thinking of giving up. It might've just been a thought of false hope, but that thought was better than what he wanted to imagine what Hatano was going through at home.

Sometimes hope was all he had, and that hope was better than nothing. With that in mind, Jitsui set off again. Hatano had to be somewhere . He would be damned if he let things end like this.

[withluvgen]

HEARTBREAK Part 2

Bucky X Reader X Pietro

Summary: After Bucky breaks up with you, he goes back to your room to get all his things back. He then says that he regrets breaking up with you and wants you back. But the mess he left you in was too much too handle. Broken and a little famished you find yourself in the kitchen where a certain speedster makes a bold move.

A/N: HI!! Sorry it took so long for me to post this. I didn’t have much time to get into writing last month because of my finals and theatre. Please don’t hate me.  If you guys want to be tagged in the next chapter just drop me a message. I add and remove by request. :)

  Warning: fluff. angst? emotional stuff really.  

Part 1, X, 3, 4

MASTERLIST!!

____

There was a long while before you got used to the tower. What made it bearable was seeing him every day and it filled you with every bit of emotion you could feel. It was two months after your first arrival at the tower that you noticed him acting different around you. He started getting nervous around you a lot and he tried to avoid eye contact a lot, and you swear you could see him blush a bit whenever you talk to him. It made your heart melt every time you think that he could feel the same way.

It wasn’t until your fifth month in the tower that you started getting flowers at your door every morning with a sweet note attached. “Good morning, doll.” “Good luck on your mission today, hope you get back safe.” It was a different note and type of flower each day. It was easy finding out it was him because of his pet name for you and that you asked FRIDAY to show you security cameras. You approached him after a week of receiving flowers every day. That’s when he asked you out on your first date. He took you to a nice little restaurant for dinner and then a stroll around central park. You lied down on the grass admiring the stars together.

It was on your third date that he asked you to be his girlfriend. From then on you two were inseparable.  He took you on dates every now and then, it was romantic. He’d think of new ways to make you feel like a princess every date. One time he took you to a 1940’s themed dance and he taught you how to dance, it was the first time you saw how Bucky was before he became the Winter Soldier. That was when you first spent the night in his room taking things to a more intimate level. Everything was pure bliss, it was smooth sailing for two years until you felt him becoming distant.

You feel the tears streaming down again as you reminisce. Last night was just a confusing mess. You turn to the side of your bed where he usually lies, it still smells like him. You can’t deny the fact that you miss him, but you can’t really do anything about it now. You hear the door open but you don’t have the strength to sit up. You were a broken mess without him and last night didn’t really help at all. Sure you were bound to move on someday, and you know you have yet to explore your feelings for the silver-haired Maximoff, but today wasn’t that day. It wasn’t going to happen in a flash, you needed time.

“Hey. I’m just here to get my stuff.” You hear his voice echo in the room. You abruptly sit up and wipe the tears off of your face.

“Go ahead, they’re right where you left them.” You say as you bite your lip to try to stop yourself from crying again.

He moves around the room and your eyes follow his every movement. He stops suddenly and lets out an exasperated sigh. He turns to face you and brushes his hair with one hand.

“Look, (y/n), I’m sorry. I don’t really want to do this.” He says as he sits down on the bed with his back facing you.

“If you want I’ll just take your stuff out myself and have them by your door tomorrow morning if you really can’t do this with me here.” You say coldly, still trying to suppress your tears.

“That’s not what I meant.” He says as he slouches down a bit.

“Then what?” you look at him questioningly.

“I mean breaking up with you. It was a mistake. I admit I had an affair with Natasha and it turned into a secret relationship. I thought I lost interest in you so I broke things off when I was on that mission. But then on the way back to the tower I got to thinking whether or not I did the right the thing. Then when I got back and saw you with Maximoff it just dawned on me. I don’t want to break up with you.” He says with his back still facing you. You feel your tears streaming down again.

“Then why the f*ck did you?!” You scream as you get up from the bed and start pacing the room. He avoids looking you in the eyes.

“Because I… it doesn’t matter why. I take it back, (y/n). I want YOU back.” He says still avoiding your eyes.

“That’s just it? I’m not some toy you can you just leave somewhere when you get bored and go back to when you want to play with it again! I have feelings too, Buck! And guess what, you hurt me pretty badly!” You scream at him as you’re still pacing the room.

“I know I hurt you and I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I love you, (y/n).” He says now locking eyes with you, but you avoid his gaze.

“I love you too, Buck. I want to fix us, really I do, but I need time to breathe. I don’t think I can do this right now. Just…get out. Please?” You say looking down as your tears fall. He walks towards you.

“(y/n)…” He says as he tries to wipe your tears away with his hands but you push him away.

“I SAID GET OUT!” You scream as you grab the nearest object and throw it to the other side of the room. Luckily it fell on a pile of laundry so it didn’t really break.

Bucky walks towards the door and looks back at you before he leaves your room. You stood there looking at the ground. You drop to the floor in tears once you heard the door shut close. It took you a couple of hours before you completely stopped.

It was a quarter to midnight when you realize that you haven’t really eaten the whole day. You figured that everyone else was sleeping so you decide to leave your room to get a snack. You walk to the kitchen and find Pietro sitting on one of the islands. His back was to you. You didn’t really want to talk to him at the moment because of how messed you felt. You were silently about to retreat when your own stomach betrayed you. He looks back as he chuckles.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d be here. I should just go.” You say as you hesitantly turn your back to him. Within a blink of an eye he was already standing in front of you.

“I don’t think you should, Printessa.” He says as he brings you to the table.

“Pietro I –“ before you could finish what you were about to say you had takeout from your favorite restaurant in front of you.

“You have not left your room all day. So I am guessing you have not eaten a single a thing, no?” He says as he raises an eyebrow at you. That thick accent of his making you focus on every single word he says.

“Caught me. Thanks, Piet.” You say as you open one of the takeout boxes.

You eat in silence as Pietro sits in front of you. You notice a smile creeping on his face as he’s starting to stare at you. You look at him with an eyebrow raised and suddenly he’s out of his trance and his cheeks get tinted with a deep shade of red.

“I was uhhh…” He says but he couldn’t find an excuse.

“Staring?” You finish his sentence.

“Yes. I mean I wasn’t. I was just…just admiring how beautiful you are, printessa.” He says as he smirks. A tint of red still on his cheeks.

“Again with the compliments, Maximoff? I’m starting to think you’re hitting on me.” You chuckle as you put away your takeout.

“What if I am?” He says with a sudden kick of confidence.

“Then you have to try harder than that.” You laugh as you walk towards the fridge to get a drink. Before you could reach the door he blocks your path.

“That’s not what happened last night, (y/l/n).” He said as he smirked. His arms crossed.

“Shut up. To my defense, you lead me on. I am actually going through something.” You roll your eyes and around him.

“You were the one who bought it.” He says and you turn around to face him.

“Hey! I was emotionally unstable you jerk.” You joke as you cross your arms.

“I’m sorry, Printessa. Normally I don’t hit on girls with the “it’s complicated” status because well, it really is complicated. But somehow with you I want to take that risk.” He says as he runs a hand through his hair.

“Wow. I appreciate your efforts, Piet, I really do. But I hope you understand that I’m still getting my shit together. I want to sort things within myself before I go into another relationship. If you want to start things with me you have to wait. “ You say as you wrap your arms around yourself as you look at the ground.

“With you I’m willing to wait a lifetime. You matter a whole lot to me, Printessa. And I bet you’re going to look gorgeous by my side in about a week.” He says as he walks closer to you.

“Are you trying to say something, Maximoff? If you are, just spit it out.” You say as you look up at him and put one hand on your hip.

“Stark’s party next week. I’ll pick you up at eight.” He says smugly.

“What if I say no?” You say as you turn your back to him and get a can of cola from the fridge.

“Then I’ll give you a reason to say yes.” He says and with blink of an eye he has his face only an inch in distance to yours.

Part  3 will be up on Friday next week

There might be some smut on the next chapter. ;)

TAG LIST: @chipilerend @gypsycat111 @dusknightmare @brutalwerewolf @kate-katie-bishop  @writingwithadinosaur

[mbmrocks]

Ready Or Not: Chapter 6 - Maeve Donovan

Prologue  Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3  Chapter 4  Chapter 5 

Spencer regretted many things that he had done or had happened in his life, but none more than he did Maeve Donovan.

The whole situation started when he got his vicious headaches; piercing migraines that took away his concentration. He had tried to hide it, but he just couldn't they had been so bad that they left him dizzy and unable to see properly. Eventually after pressure from Darcy and the team he made a call to a geneticist named Maeve Donovan for help. He and Darcy had hoped she would help them find a solution. For a while it worked, she was smart, very smart and her intelligent had been something Spencer had admired from the beginning. However, what he hadn't expected was to develop feelings for Maeve the person who was trying to help him. It started out with the phone calls, then he found out that she had a stalker and their calls had become weekly; unbeknown to Darcy. Over time the team began suspicious of his behaviour, thinking he was seeing someone; none of the team having any knowledge of Darcy of any of the kids at the time. As expected, Darcy also found out she had noticed a change in her husband behaviour too. The length of the phone calls he had with Maeve the way he would be left smiling brightly when they ended. Thoughts of an affair assuming had left Darcy hurting. So, one day when Spencer got home from a case, she told him she was leaving and taking Charlie and Eli with her; that she hoped he would be happy with the women who he had slowly started to fall for. It left Spencer confused and slightly hurt because he, of course, being the socially awkward guy, he had been, there was no way had he realized what was had been happening. That he was slowly falling in love with another woman. Still today nearly seven years later, he still felt guilty about it all, not only that he had let it happen but had what had occurred afterwards.

He had tried to see if things would work with Maeve, but he realized that what he had felt for her was completely different to what he had felt for Darcy. If only he had a chance to talk to tell Maeve because before he had the chance to, she was taken; taken by the stalker that had been plaguing the background of the whole situation from the start. He and the team he tried to save her, but they were too late. When they found the stalker and Maeve, the stalker killed herself a bullet through the brain, Maeve's head held right next to her. One bullet killed two people. That was when Spencer broke down completely; not just because he had watched someone, he had grown to care about deeply shot in front of him but because he had had also lost his marriage, the love of his life and the family he had wished for due to it. The team had only thought he was grieving for Maeve, but really, he was grieving for both her and that pain he had cause Darcy and now himself.

The whole ordeal had knocked some sense in him, in some way making him into a better person. So, after a while and a bucket load of grieving and soul-searching, he plucked up the courage and talked to Darcy. Since she had left, he had been very lucky to still be able to see Eli and Charlie, although Charlie hadn't been to enthuse about the whole idea.

It had taken time but slowly things started to get things back together. Since neither of them had legally filled a divorce they had overtime slipped back into how things had been previously. It almost seemed like the whole situation had been slipped under the rug, but for both, it still sat tucked away in the back of their minds. Which is why they tried so hard to make each other feel like they were loved and appreciated. So that nothing like that would happen or ever come between them.

"Not that today has been full of unexpected things, but I was definitely not expecting that," Garcia comments after Spencer had finished the story. She along with JJ, Emily and Rossi who had known Spencer longer than most could only watch him; they were all completely flabbergasted.

"Ok so let me get this straight," Luke voices trying to process it all, "you have a wife, Darcy and children who no one knew about for thirteen years. After seeing a geneticist names Maeve about your headaches, your Darcy left with the kids sensing that you were falling for her. Only sometime after she left, Maeve who you had sort of been seeing is kidnapped by her a stalker who shoot herself and Maeve dead. Then after grieving, you find Darcy to try and work it out, which they do. Now our year's things are going well until you got the phone call just before, to find that she has been kidnapped."

"Yes," that was all Spencer could say in reply to what the agent had just said.

"Wow you are probably one of the most complex people I have seen in a while," he shakes his head.

"Ohh newbie, you don't know the half of it," Garcia chides rolling her eyes as she exits the room to complete Emily's orders.

"Spence I can call Will to come and pick up-," JJ pauses not completely sure of his kid's names.

"Mia and Elijah. I need to break the news to them first, but that would be great thanks JJ," Spencer smiles tiredly as he continued, "Charlie is not going to want to leave so I'm not going to make him, things are already tense as it is."

[pandabearlikes]

Temporary Affairs

Table of Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 

Chapter 17. It’s Okay, That’s Love

  For a week, you slept over at Minah’s house, avoiding Jongin at all cost to the point that your phone was never ever on anymore.  As you sat up in bed, you wondered what you were going to do now.  It’s not like you were never going to return home but you just needed some time by yourself.  Beside you, your best friend snored in her sleep.  You shook your head amusingly, kicking the blanket over her head to muffle out her snores.  At least you had a best friend to cry to because you sure didn’t want to alert your parents about your runaway. 

  With a sigh, you lied back down onto the bed but as soon as you do, there was a pressure on your abdomen.  Clutching it, you covered your mouth and sprinted to the bathroom.  The loud noises woke up Minah and she immediately got up to check on you. 

  “_______ah?  Are you okay?” she asked worriedly, patting your back. 

  You opened your mouth to reply but ended up hovering over the toilet again to vomit. 

  “_______ah…are you…pregnant?” she cautiously asked as her patting motions slowed down. 

  When you were finally done emptying the contents of your stomach, you stood up straight and nodded in affirmation.  Minah stared at you, tears brimmed on her eyes, which in turn made yours begin to well up too. 

  “_______ah!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around you in a bear hug, “It will be okay.  If that asscrack doesn’t want to take responsibility, I will raise the child with you!!!”

  You separated your hug and laughed, “He doesn’t even know I’m pregnant”.

  “What?  Then why’d you leave him?” she asked dumbfounded. 

  “That’s a long story…” you began. 

    ----

Two days later, you sat in a café for a business meeting with a client.  As you sipped your morning coffee, a familiar face showed up a few feet from you.  At first, you pretended to not see him, concentrating fully on explaining to your client the details of a new contract.  However, Jongin stepped forward and hovered over you. 

  “________ah…” he called but you ignored him. 

  The client looked at you two apprehensively.  You took another sip of your coffee and continued to chat with the client.  Jongin placed his hand on your arm. 

  “We have to talk,” he said.  Oh, now you want to talk.  Now you want to talk…

  You ignored him again. 

  “________ah…” he called, squeezing your arm. 

  Finally you looked up at him with a glare, “I’m doing work right now”.

  “Well, well.  Who do we have here?” you male client asked, motioning for you to introduce your intruder. 

  You parted your lips to speak but Jongin beat you to it. 

  “I’m her husband,” he simply stated, then took your hand and dragged you away. 

  He stopped at a back corner of the café.  Annoyed, you flung your hand away.    

  “KIM JONGIN!” you hissed, “I’m in a business meeting right now”. 

  “________ah, I miss you,” he spoke. 

  Gritting your teeth, you said, “We will talk about this at home”. 

  Clicking your heels, you turned around to leave but he grabbed your arm and pinned you against the wall. 

  “Tell me why you said that,” he commanded, his hands locking your arms in place. 

  “Said what?” you asked confused.

  “I don’t understand why you said that I was treating you like a sex toy,” he explained with a cracked voice. 

  Rolling your eyes, you pushed against him to escape but his hold on you remained strong.  Why are you doing this to me? 

  A tear trickled down your cheeks, despite the fact that you were trying so hard not to cry.  Seeing that, your husband’s grip instantly loosened. 

  “Because we don’t even go out in public anymore.  We don’t date, heck we don’t even talk anymore.  We just have sex all night, every night,” you confessed, and then added, “you don’t even bother to tell me you love me anymore”. 

  “I love you, Jagiya.  I really do,” he replied, bringing your head to his chest. 

  As you opened your mouth to respond, you felt the familiar feeling of nausea.  Your hands clasped over your lips and you darted across the hall to the bathroom.  Stunned, your husband ran after you. 

  Inside, Jongin patted your back worriedly while you hovered over a toilet.  Holding your stomach, your back began to hurt and your throat felt like it was ripping into shreds.  You ended up sobbing uncontrollably. 

  “Jagiya…are you okay?” your husband asked. 

  “Just…just go.  Please,” you begged through your tears, “I need some time alone”. 

  Jongin hesitated but you harshly flung the stall’s door in his face.  From the narrow slit, you watched him reluctantly retreat.  You rubbed your growing belly and continued to vomit into the toilet bowl. 

  -----    

  Two weeks passed and your baby bump was beginning to show.  Jongin had constantly sent gifts over to Minah’s place for you, including flowers, necklaces, and sparkling diamonds.  You had no problem ignoring him since you were never a materialistic person.

  But staring at today’s gift, you couldn’t do the same.  A small blue box sat on the center if your palms.  Inside were a key and a note that read, “________’s Art Gallery”.  Your fingers grazed over the metal as a tear rolled down your cheek.  You recalled that he did indeed promise to buy you an art gallery. 

  From behind, Minah placed her chin on your shoulder to peep at the object that had caused you to be in such an emotional state.  You sniffled back tears when she patted your back. 

  “Did he buy you a vacation home in Paris?  If so, you should forgive him!” she joked, plopping himself down on the bed. 

  You giggled through your tears, “It’s better than that”. 

    Throwing on a light jacket and your pink bow flats, you walked out of the house to find your poor, lonely husband. 

  “Oppa, it must have been hard for you,” you whispered to no one in particular. 

  Rubbing your tummy, you skipped happily down the street.  A red Mercedes pulled up in front of you and you grinned widely.  However, because you were semi-stubborn, you wanted to give him a final test.  So instead of walking toward him, you crossed your arms and turned around.  Immediately, you heard the sound of the car door open then slam shut. 

  “Jagiya!” Jongin called.

  A small smile appeared on your lips but you quickly hid it and feigned a pout. 

  “I don’t want to see you,” you faked an angry tone while stomping off. 

  He rushed over and surprised you with a tight back hug.  You gasped in shock but relaxed in his embrace. 

  “Jagiya…” his voice cracked.  Was he crying? 

  Your eyebrows furrowed but you don’t turn around.  Your hubby placed his chin against your shoulder.  Automatically, your hands stroked his shaking arms.  Were you being too harsh?  With a blank expression, you turned around to look at him, but he tightened his hug.  

  “Jagiya, I love you.  I really do.  I know you don’t believe me now but I will prove it to you with time.  I will wait for you.  One month, two months, a whole year, even ten years – it doesn’t matter.  I will wait,” he tearfully confessed.

  Your lips quivered.

  “When you are ready, let’s start over.  Please give me a chance to take care of you and love you right,” he finished.

  Nuzzling in your hair, he kissed the side of your face.  I’m ready now.  Let’s start over!  You turned around to look at him but he abruptly lets go of his hug.  Before you could even say a word, he had gotten back into his car. 

  “Oppa…” you called but he already drove off.  OMG YOU PABO.  MY HUSBAND IS A PABO. 

  Digging into your pocket, you searched for your phone to call him but were disappointed it was empty.  Dammit, is this some kdrama joke?  Hurriedly, you rushed back to Minah’s house.  You flung the door open in lightning speed, causing your best friend’s mouth to drop onto her chin. 

  “My husband is a pabo!” you said, searching around for your phone. 

  You looked through the laundry basket, under the bed, even searched through Minah’s butt pockets, but it was gone.  For the past month, you had ignored Jongin’s calls to the point that you haven’t even seen your phone for the longest time. 

  “Minah, let me use your phone!” you commanded, grabbing it from her hands before she could even respond. 

  “Heyyyy!  I was so close to beating my high score!” your best friend whined. 

  Quickly, you punched in Jongin’s digits.  The phone rang.  Your heartbeat raced at the speed of light.  You pouted hearing his voicemail.  Really?!  Was he pulling a prank on you?!  What guy apologizes to his wife then leaves before he hears her reply…and now not even answer her call???  You hung up and redialed.  Beside you, Minah leaned her ear against the back of her phone to eavesdrop. 

  “Wow.  His voice is pretty sexy on record,” she joked and you rolled your eyes. 

  Disappointed, you tossed the phone back to Minah.  She clumsily leaned over to catch it as it bounced off the bed.  Childishly, you pouted and burst into tears.  Your best friend looked at you as if you were insane. 

  “Fine!  Fine!  If he doesn’t want to answer my calls then I don’t want to see him!” you shouted, punching a pillow. 

  “Jeez, your preggo hormones are going crazy,” Minah murmured. 

  You glared and her and she immediately covered her mouth with both her hands.  Groaning, you faceplanted onto your thighs.  Kim Jongin, pabo!  PABO! 

  ----

Three days later, you were sleeping comfortably snuggled with your forever alone boyfriend pillow, when someone shook you awake.  Wiping your drool, you threw the cover over your head.

  “Five more minutes, Minah!” you grunted. 

  “________ah,” a familiar female voice called. 

  You blinked a few times before you finally processed who it was.  Immediately, you kicked the covers off to greet your visitor.

  “Omunim, good morning,” you bowed your head in embarrassment.  

  “How is my beautiful daughter-in-law?” she asked, tenderly stroking your cheek. 

  Shifting around nervously, you desperately finger-combed through your bed head. 

  “I’m well, Omunim.  How about you?” you cautiously asked. 

  She exaggerated a sigh as she slumped her shoulders. 

  “Not well at all,” she replied. 

  With your eyebrows furrowed, you crawled over to join her at the end of the bed.  Your hand rested against hers and she patted it gently. 

  “Why, Omunim?  Tell me and let me help you with your problem,” you said genuinely curious as to what was upsetting your precious mother-in-law.  You were ready to fight them to death. 

  She exaggerated another sigh and you tensed up, getting super worried that something dramatic had happened.  She doesn’t have some deadly illness right?  You didn’t even want to think about it.

  “How could I be happy when my daughter-in-law left me?” she revealed.

  You let out a foolish crackle as you wrapped your arms around her. 

  “I have the best Omunim in the world!” you exclaimed. 

  “Then why would you leave me?  Is it Omunim’s fault?  Did I pressure you two too hard for a grandchild?” she asked worriedly. 

  Immediately, you shook your head.

  “Of course not.  Whatever is going on between Oppa and I have nothing to do with you,” you assured. 

  She shook her head not believing you. 

  “Though…I do have something to tell you…” you tempted. 

  Your mother-in-law raised her eyebrows. 

  “I may be able to grant you your wish by the end of the year,” you shyly replied, recoiling into your blanket. 

  Blinking a few times in puzzlement, she looked at you then your stomach then at you again.  Timidly, you nodded in confirmation.  In an instant, her frown flipped upside-down into the biggest grin you’ve ever seen appear on her face. 

  “_______ah!” she called, squeezing your hand as she jumped up and down like a kid. 

  You giggled along.  As you followed her back to the Kim manor, she patted your hand and said, “Make sure to tell me if Jongin hasn’t been treating you well”.

  With a gracious smile, you shook your head to decline her offer. 

  “I’ll kick him out of the house if I have to!” she joked. 

  Sighing contently, you walked up the stairs to your bedroom.  The road there felt so nostalgic.  You recalled the first time you walked up those steps when you had apparently “infected” your husband.  Giggling, you knocked on the door.  No one responded but you opened the door anyway. 

  Your smile immediately dropped.  Crumpled cans of beer and shattered glass bottles of wine covered the entire floor, tainting your beautiful Egyptian cotton rug.  You gaped in horror.  The smell of alcohol made you feel sick.  You held your stomach so that you wouldn’t hurl. 

  “GO AWAY!  I don’t want to eat anything!” Jongin hollered from under his blankets. 

  With a sigh, you tiptoed your way to the bed, making sure that you wouldn’t cut your feet with the shards of glass.  Stupid, dumb hubby L. 

  You placed your hand on his arm. 

  “I said go away!  I am not eating!” he stubbornly growled, still not looking up. 

  Your upper and lower lips smacked together into a thin line. 

  Crossing your arms, you asked, “Not even friend chicken?” 

  Jongin jolted up, staring at you as if you were a ghost. 

  “I’ll leave then…” you said, pretending to turn around. 

  Instantaneously, he grabbed onto your hand and murmured, “Jagiya…”.

  A small smile crept onto your face.  You turned around and sat down on the end of the bed.  He stared at you intently as if still believing that you were a hallucination. 

  “Kim Jongin-ssi, how are you going to take care of me if you can’t even take care of yourself?” you asked as a matter of fact, pointing at all the junk that covered your beautiful floors. 

  “D-does…does that mean you forgive me?” he cautiously questioned.  What do you think pabo?  No, I just came back for the fun of it?

  “Maybe if you finish this whole box of chicken…I’ll think about it…” you teased, side eyeing him. 

  Immediately, he took the box out of your outstretched hands.  He devoured the contents like a hungry bear.  Shaking the box upside-down, he looked at you for approval.  You stifled back a giggle.  Oh, how much he looked like a lost puppy. 

  “Maybe if you pick up the trash on the floor…and clean my Egyptian cotton mat…” you continued to tease. 

  Without a word, your husband leapt from the bed to clean up the mess.  At one point, he almost cut his finger with a glass shard.  You squatted down beside him, pulling his hand to your face to examine his cut. 

  “Pabo!  Does that hurt?” you asked worriedly. 

  “Not as much as it hurt watching you leave me,” he admitted. 

  You let go of his hand, sighing in defeat.  Your husband always knew how to pull at your heartstrings.  Smiling, he cautiously leaned in to give you a peck on your lips.  You giggled into the kiss, but gently pushed him away. 

  With your nose crinkled you said, “And maybe you need to shower…then I’ll forgive you”. 

  He bounced up, saluted you, and said, “Yes, Madam”. 

  You threw your head back laughing as you playfully smacked his behind. 

    That night as you snuggled up against your hubby in bed, you finally realized how much you missed his embrace.  He leaned in to kiss you on top of your head and you pulled him closer.  You never wanted to leave him ever again. 

  “Oppa…are you sure you don’t want to uh…“fight” tonight?  Because, if we don’t then we can’t for the next six and a half months…” you informed, resting your head on his chest. 

  “Nope, I just want to cuddle with you for the rest of the night,” he responded, giving you butterfly kisses on your nose. 

  Then when he reinterpreted your words, his eyebrows furrowed.  He pulled you apart from him to look at your expression.

  “Why six and a half months though?  Are you leaving me again?” he asked frantically. 

  “No, pabo,” you said, burying your head back into his chest, “we’re having a baby”. 

  His body tensed.  Frightened, you looked up.  Did he not like children?

  “Oppa…?” you fearfully called out. 

  His body shook as he hid his face in the palm of his hand.  Worried, you sat up straight and pried his hand to look at his expression.  You snorted.  Your husband was laughing so, so hard that his laughs were inaudible.  Picking up a pillow, you smacked him in the face.  But he continued to laugh like a maniac, which in turn caused you to uncontrollably giggle as well. 

  “Oppaaaa…what’s wrong with you?” you half-whined. 

  “I have super sperms,” he managed to say in between his laugh. 

  Rolling your eyes, you dropped your fluffy weapon and bounced back onto his chest.  Automatically, he threw his arm around your shoulder.  His lips landed on your temples and you sighed in contentment.  Still recovering from his fit of laughter, he leaned over and turned off the lamp.     

  “We’re having six children,” he whispered.

  “No, we aren’t”.

  “Yes, we are”.

  “No”.

  “Yes”. 

  “No”.

  “Yes”.

      a/n: YAY The last chapter of Temporary Affairs!!  I hope you guys enjoyed it.  It’s been a wonderful journey spazzing with you guys about Kim Jongin TAT.  I’m in such delulu right now, I think I’m starting to believe I actually have a husband hahaha. 

  I initially wrote a longer version of this chapter with an epilogue similar to The Lucky One’s where there’s a time skip but I didn’t like it and scrapped it.  Which brings me to ask you guys a question…ARE YOU READY TO SPAZ MORE!?  Because I sure am.  :p There’s two secret links within this chapter. LOL FIND IT.  SCAVENGER HUNT START.  Send me a message when you find it.  I won’t publish it until most of you have found it LOL.  But make sure you DO NOT reblog with the answer or comment in this post with it.  JUST SAY “I FOUND IT” in the answers ;p or msg my inbox Hahaha   (ﾟヮﾟ)

SCAVENGER HUNT HAS ENDED.  FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, THERE IS A PART 2 TO THIS SERIES!!!  GO READ CHP 1 NOW HERE: Chapter 1 Unasked Questions 

????

[50funny]

Mage: Chapter 65-The Long Road To Lemia

Written By 50Funny

Part 1- Sea Legs

A loud horn sounded out echoing out through the metal halls of the large vessel. Liz’s eyes slowly began to groggily open up as she felt the rocking of the boat and heard the sound of the sea all around her. Her vision was blurry and dark bags hung under her eyes from a long string of nearly sleepless nights. She sat up on her hard, lumpy military issued bed and rubbed her weary eyes before noticing the light streaming into the dimly lit room through the small window.

“Huh… it’s morning already? I only just got to sleep,” Liz moaned in a croaky voice.

“Still getting your sea legs huh?” Came a voice from the corner of the room.

Liz turned to look to the source of the voice, seeing Tom standing there pulling his uniform on over his head.

“Ha, don’t think I could ever get used to this. How can you sleep with all this rocking? I can barely stop myself from throwing up all over the decks.”

“At least we’re almost there when we get to the mainland you'll just have to deal with these crappy beds they give us.”

Liz glanced down to the ground as a knot began to form in her stomach. By the time evening rolled in she would be standing on her ancestral home for the first time, a place she had hoped never to have to see. She knew better then anyone else what would happen to the Mages who landed on Lemia if they were found out and couldn’t bear to think about it. Liz looked up as Tom approached her, holding out her uniform towards her with a kind smile on his face.

“Come on… time to get ready. We’ve still got work to do before we make shore.”

Liz returned Tom’s smile before taking the uniform from him.

Alex grabbed at the tie that squeezed his neck and with his other tapped uncomfortably on his leg. He had been forced to wear the same uniform as the other bodyguards and was far from comfortable in such formal clothes. The head of the guards who sat next to him let out a low pitched growl as he watched Alex fidgeting out of the corner of his eye.

“Honestly… can't you just sit still and stay professional,” the man growled.

“It’s not my fault your uniform is stupid. Maybe if you loosened off your tie you wouldn’t be so grumpy all the time,” Alex replied.

The president placed his glace of wine down on the table in front of the group before looking across to the pair.

“Now now you two behave, you’re meant to be a team.”

“I’m sorry sir but he’s impossible to work with. He’s so sloppy and unprofessional.”

“Geez tell me how you really feel,” Alex muttered under his breath.

The president lent back on his cushioned leather seat and let out a long sigh.

“Adam… how many times do I have to tell you please don’t call me sir. Now I know you’re not happy about having to work with Alex here but if you are to be an effective guard you have to at least try to get on and work as a unit… ok?"

There was an uncomfortable silence between the group as Adam thought on Chris's words. The president turned to look at Alex.

“So Alex, this is your first time on a plane, isn’t it? So what do you think?” Asked the president.

Alex looked around at the luxury aircraft filled with all the finest things. There was artwork on the walls, deluxe rugs, and even a bar fully stocked with the most expensive drinks one could find. Other bodyguards stood motionless by each of the exits as others patrolled up and down the aisle.

“It’s… something I guess. Not my thing if I’m being honest,” Alex replied.

“Ha… well, I’m sure that for magic users like you the ability to fly is mundane, something that can be obtained with a simple bit of training, but for the rest of us normal folk this could very well be the future of travel.”

“Don’t get me wrong it’s impressive. I’ve seen some helicopters around before and even then was pretty amazed by how someone could make a hunk of metal like that fly, but this is something else. This thing is massive, it feels like I’m on a luxury train. I can't even begin to wrap my head around how they can make something like this fly so high without using any magic at all, it makes me a little tense. I'll stick to walking if you don’t mind,” Alex explained jokingly.

“Well if you think this is big you’ve seen nothing yet. From what I hear there working on a plane five times bigger than this with the ability to carry hundreds of people at a time. When it’s done the everyday joes and janes on the street will be able to travel from capital city to Seaside in just a few hours. Of course, it’s nowhere near finished yet but once this peace treaty is done we’ll have access to Lemian tech to help us. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you some of the things the genius Lemian scientists have made. Portable devices that can send and receive messages instantly and metal creatures that can work and are used to increase productivity in factories. That’s just one of the reasons I’m so eager to get this treaty signed, just imagine what our nation could do with that sort of thing,” The president said, no small amount of excitement lacing his voice.

Alex thought back to the man who he had fought in Steal Lake City and his metal body and strange weapon. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the man they had fought had more to do with the current state of affairs then they had thought. He knew something fishy was going on behind the scenes but could quite figure out what.

Part 2- Life On Deck

Liz collapsed backward onto the cold metal ground of the ship's deck and letting her broom drop next to her. She let out a long exhausted groan as she stared up at the blue, cloudless sky. Tom continued to sweep the decks ignoring Liz’s break down.

“Come on get back to work. You don’t want any of your superiors catching you slacking off, or you’ll get us both into trouble,” Tom said.

“The works done… it was done this morning when we did it and last night before that. It’s done finished complete, so why are we still doing it,” Liz continued to groan.

“Ha, yeah well that’s military life for you. They’ll make sure you’re busy even if the work is pointless, guess it teaches discipline.”

Liz looked up at her companion with a scowl firmly etched onto her face.

“You’re forgetting I’m not really a soldier, why should I care if the deck is clean or not?”

“For the time being you are so you might as well act like it, so like I said get back to work before someone sees and reprimands us.”

Liz pulled herself back up off the ground, reaching out to grab her broom as she did.

“Fine… but I’m not happy about it.”

Liz joined Tom once again in sweeping the decks. The speakers around the sheep all began to crackle and let out the hum of static.

“Attention all crew, we are approaching our destination. We are now entering preparation for landing so please move to your stations immediately.” Came a voice from the speakers.

The static cut out leaving the pair with just the sounds of the sea. Tom turned his head to look overboard only to be met by a wall of mountains coated in greenery off in the distance.

“Huh wow, looks like we’re earlier than expected.”

Liz turned to look at the stunning mountain range. She had heard stories from her parents in the past about the vast mountains surrounding there homeland but it was much more impressive than in the stories. Liz and Tome walked over to the edge of the ship to get as close as possible.

“Those mountains run around basically the whole continent making any attempt at invading a task and a half. If we were here to assault them id be crapping myself right now, guess I’m glad we’re here for peace.”

“Yeah,” Liz said only half-listening.

Her mind continued to think about everything that was happening. She had never thought she would see those mountains and had never wanted to. The reality of what was happening was fully starting to sink in. Her arms began to tremble slightly as she looked out over the ocean. Tom noticed Liz fear setting in as Liz stared out at the mountains.

“Hey… come on,” Tom said firmly, snapping Liz out of her state. “Let's get a move on, we don’t want to miss all the fun.”

Liz smiled kindly at Tom before the pair turned around and walked off down the ship to prepare for landing.

________________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading chapter 65 of mage If you like what you see consider checking out my AO3 at this link https://archiveofourown.org/users/50Funny to see all new chapters 3 days early. If you feel so inclined please consider following my tumblr for all updates and other tid bits. Until next time , have a good one.

[daniellethamasa]

Hey all, Dani here.

Okay, this might end up being a slightly longer post, because I’m combining my usual weekly wrap-up with my monthly wrap-up. Otherwise I would just end up having two posts that have a 50% overlap and that seemed silly to me. Anyway. Wow, we made it through March and we have reached April. After all the crap of last month in the world, I am sincerely hoping and putting all the good vibes and positive thoughts that I can to the universe so that April is better.

As usual with my monthly wrap-up, let’s start off by checking in on my overall goals for the year.

Reading: I finished 25 books in March, which is pretty awesome. So I’m up to a total of 71 books read so far in 2020. This puts me in a very good spot for my Goodreads challenge of reading 125 books in the year–I always start low on my challenge goal and then increase as needed throughout the year. It will probably end up being somewhere around 200-230 like last year, I hope anyway.

Blogging: Well, I’ve done really well with this category for the month. I posted every day, and have been doing well with my Manga Monday bonus posts, as well as bringing in a handful of other bonus posts. I’m hoping to keep up this momentum in April, but my job parameters are changing again next week so I have no idea how that will end up affecting things. I mean, I know I’m going to have to deal with major muscle soreness, but aside from that, there’s the stress of working around other people.

Writing: Oh man, I pretty much failed on the writing front again this month; I mean, unless you count the blogging, because I did manage quite a few words on the blog. I have thought about writing, and I guess technically I have done a lot of mental writing, which is worth nothing in reality, but at least I have more of my book thought out.

Conventions: Lexington Comic and Toy Con was postponed until mid-May, and we’re hoping that we’ll be able to go then, but depending on world events, it might get postponed again or cancelled all together. My friends at Colorworld Books are trying to continue with their business as a digital affair, but 99% of the profits were made from attending conventions, so this has been a struggle for them. If you want to go check out their online store, that would be great. They have metal art prints and bookmarks, geeky t-shirts, and books. Oh, and you can use ConLife30 for 30% off of all metal, or CORONACON for 10% off any shirts.

With that done, I’m going to jump into the standard watches and other activities wrap-up from my weekly posts. I’ve been playing Animal Crossing on my Switch. Not a whole lot. Maybe a half-hour or so a day, because I also have to work and read and blog and all of that, but I’m enjoying it so far. Oh, and for our 3 year anniversary I bought Damian an air fryer and got myself an Instant Pot, so I’m going to be trying some Instant Pot recipes here soon; I’m really excited about that. As for watches, we finished Season 1 of “Grimm” and started Season 2. Damian is really enjoying this show, so we pretty much watch it whenever we have time together. But I guess we’ll be getting more time together starting next week since we’ll finally be on the same shift again. Other than that I finished watching Season 2 of “Shadowhunters,” and I’ve been keeping up with the latest season of “Survivor” and with awesome and musical new show “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”

All right, let’s jump into the reading portion of the wrap-up. If I have a review up already for the book, I will include a link to that post, just in case you missed it or want to check it out.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M Valente — 4 stars

Black Clover Volume 20 by Yuki Tabata — 5 stars

Magus of the Library Volume 3 by Mitsi Izumi — 5 stars

My Hero Academia School Briefs Volume 1 by Anri Yoshi — 4.5 stars

My Hero Academia School Briefs Volume 2 by Anri Yoshi — 4 stars

My Hero Academia School Briefs Volume 3 by Anri Yoshi — 5 stars

My Hero Academia School Briefs Volume 4 by Anri Yoshi — 4.5 stars

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows — 4.5 stars

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon — 4.5 stars

Homerooms and Hall Passes by Tom O’Donnell — 4 stars

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer — 4 stars

Light the Dark edited by — 4 stars

The Adventurers Guild: The Night of Dangers by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos — 5 stars

The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Pictures by Noelle Stevenson — 5 stars

Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell — 5 stars

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco — 5 stars

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace — 4.5 stars

Between Burning Worlds by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell — 5 stars

Manga Classics: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen — 4 stars

City of Bones: 10th Anniversary Edition by Cassandra Clare — 4 stars

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton — 5 stars

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams — 5 stars

The Girl from the Other Side Volume 8 by Nagabe — 5 stars

Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa — 5 stars

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas — 4 stars

For the books I haven’t reviewed yet, I have most of them already planned for April–aside from manga, which I have planned out through like June already. So that’s pretty exciting, if I can keep up with my blog schedule anyway. I’m hoping so. I’m a bit more organized than I have been in previous years.

Okay, let’s talk about current reads. I’m trying to bounce between the topics of my weekly and monthly wrap-ups so I remember to include everything. I’m in the middle of a few pretty great reads already, so April is already feeling like a pretty darn amazing reading month and it literally just started. Like, one chapter into Bonds of Brass and I was hooked. The Winter Duke was a little bit slower to start, but I’m liking it well enough. And of course, I’m doing a Shadowhunters re-read right now, so I can maybe catch up on the series by finally reading the books I’ve put off for several years.

All right let’s move on to the book haul portion of the post. I don’t exactly have an unhaul portion right now, which is okay because I wouldn’t have anywhere to unhaul them to anyway. That has to wait until all the businesses are able to open back up and all that. But, I have been trying to support authors and indie bookstores and such, so I have temporarily cancelled my book-buying restrictions.

And now for the OwlCrate unboxing. This was a special edition of the book subscription box because it was their 5 year anniversary. They celebrated with a different colored box and an extra special item inside. Plus, the OwlCrate edition of the book has shiny silver edged pages.

From there, I guess it’s time to talk about my TBRs for the month. Yes, TBRs, because I’m hoping to do a bunch of reading in the month of April.

First, I’m participating in the OWLs Magical Readathon, and going for the wizarding career of Trader of Magical Tomes. This means I have to read 4 books: Ancient Runes, Charms, History of Magic, and Transfiguration.

Then, I’m hoping to spotlight books about books and libraries for National Library Week April 19-25, so I have a separate TBR planned for that week. If I manage to get these books read, expect plenty of bonus posts that week.

Finally, there’s a couple other readathons. First I’m hoping to participate in the Basically Readathon this weekend. It is a 24 Hour Readathon hosted by Basically Britt. This is a 24 Hour Readathon on Sunday, and the goal for this round is to read a book that has been on your TBR forever. I don’t know if I’m going to tackle that specific goal, and I won’t get to read the whole 24 hours because I’ll have to go to bed so I can wake up for work Monday morning (yuck), but I’m hoping to do some good reading anyway.

Then there’s Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon, which is April 25th. I haven’t selected my TBR for this one yet, because I’ll probably wait until closer to the day of the readathon, but I have loved participating in this event for the past few years.

And there might be one more readathon I’m participating in, but it hasn’t been announced just yet, so I’ll keep you posted on whether it’s happening in April or if we’re pushing it back to May.

But, as you can see, there’s a whole lot of books that I am hoping to read in the month of April. Okay, just counted, and there’s 26 books. I read 25 in March, so that isn’t out of the realm of possibility. I think my best month since I started this blog was a May a couple years ago where I read 31 books in a month. I feel pretty good about that.

Oh man, I just looked at my blogging calendar and I have 41 posts planned for April. I sincerely hope I can keep up with all of those posts.

All right, well that’s it from me for now. I hope you all had a good reading month in March, and I hope your April reading is even better. Are you participating in any readathons this month? Let me know in the comments and I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

  March Wrap-Up and April TBRs/Weekly Wrap-Up (58) Hey all, Dani here. Okay, this might end up being a slightly longer post, because I'm combining my usual weekly wrap-up with my monthly wrap-up.