#I know so many people missed the official merch order dates

[revenantghost]

The Super Groupies Vash coat is up for preorder again, if anyone missed it the first time around and wants to snag it

[soukoku-rivals]

Author's Note

There are so many things I would love to tell you! But, I decided to keep it short and simple. After all, Rivals is a comic, you're not here to read blocks of text.

I will address what are, in my opinion, most important issues.

1. Why is Fyodor actually alive after chapter 9?

Well, we had an 'in comic' explanation - Chuuya wants to believe Fyodor has some feelings for him after Fyodor intentionally missed all of his vital organs when stabbing him. Dazai tries to be a better person so he cannot simply kill someone who is already tied and defenseless, no matter how much he hates him.

Real life explanation - it was the best choice for the continuity. Rivals is very much an AU when it comes to Chuuya's past and quite possibly Dazai's past [I honestly know nothing about Dazai's past before 15. There might be something mentioned in Stormbringer but I avoid spoilers until we get official English translation]. However, it still takes place after season 2 of the anime and the Dead Apple movie. Which means season 3 comes after.

Basically, if you ignore the 15 episodes, you can imagine season 3 continues after Rivals and Dazai and Chuuya are somewhat dating at that point, which is also why Ranpo found it so easy to outsmart Chuuya. And then, all the events in the anime/canon slowly lead to them finding the Book and the Epilogue.

I know, you have to stretch your imagination a little to make that work, but honestly, it's fun to imagine Soukoku dating while all that stuff is going on.

Obviously, none of that could happen if Fyodor dies, so here you go!

2. Does Chuuya actually have feelings for Fyodor?

Short answer - yes. And it's not only because the author ships Fyoya. [I ship almost all Chuuya/X pairings, most notably Chuuya/Sigma, deal with it.]

As explained in the comic, Fyodor was there when Chuuya had nobody and nothing after he lost his memories. He told Chuuya they were partners and lovers, and Chuuya was his most loyal man. Obviously, that would influence Chuuya's opinion.

We, as readers, outside observers, didn't realle get to see much of their interactions [I couldn't make the chapters that long] but we did see that Fyodor is a manipulative bastard. But it wouldn't fully work if he wasn't gentle at times. As manipulative as Fyodor was, he has also shown compassion and care towards Chuuya in his state. That purposefully missed stabbing at the end only confirmed to Chuuya that Fyodor doesn't actually want him dead. Maybe he wants to hurt him to push him away, like Dazai did all those years ago? To protect him. To make sure the Mafia and Dazai know they aren't working together.

How can Chuuya not appreciate that? After all there was only one person before who hurt him not to actually hurt him but for his protection.

So yeah, Chuuya believes Fyodor has some feelings for him, he believes there might be a good person hiding in the rat, just like there was a good person hiding in Dazai. Dazai and Fyodor were too similar at one point for Chuuya not to develop any feelings for him.

I'm not saying it's healthy or logical. I'm saying this is how it happened.

3. Does Fyodor have feelings for Chuuya?

Short answer - also, surprisingly, yes! I mean, how can you not love Chuuya?

I couldn't really show it clearly in the comic. We already had so many characters and Fyodor/Fyoya weren't the focal point so I couldn't dive to deep. However, here is what I can say now.

At the start, obviously, Fyodor saw Chuuya only as a tool. Chuuya was a powerful weapon, with a powerful ability and most importantly, he served as a great distraction for Dazai.

Fyodor, however, made a mistake when he convinced Chuuya they were lovers. Because that meant he had to spend more time with him than originally planned. And as much as Fyodor hates abilities and believes they are a sin, he could not not notice all Chuuya's good qualities. Even rushing that mission to destroy some building, when he knew it was possible Chuuya wouldn't survive, was mostly because Fyodor wanted to push him away. And to push his feelings away. He knew he was growing fond of Chuuya and if he didn't stop that soon, he might grow some conscience.

Unfortunately for him, it was too late. And thus, we go back again to the train station stabbing. For all intents and purposes, the most beneficial thing for Fyodor to do was to kill Chuuya right there and there. With Chuuya dead he would have been able to leave with Atsushi, find the Book and leave Dazai broken after his love's death and Mafia without its most powerful weapon.

Fyodor just couldn't bring himself to do that.

4. Extra - unused sequel idea.

This has nothing to do with any unexplained plot points but, yeah, there was a sequel idea. A few actually. But let's go with the one that has most sense.

At the train station, after Soukoku leave, only Atsushi stays there to keep an eye on Fyodor while Loki searcher through his memories for the Book.

Unbeknownst to Atsushi, while Locke goes through Fyodor's memories, he finds something very interesting. A memory of Fyodor who looks like he's talking to his mirror reflection but his words are directed at Loki. And with a smile on his face, Fyodor informs Loki that the Book can change reality, he can destroy people and give them life. There is already a person created by the Book. From nothing! So, it is not entirely unbelievable to assume that it could bring somebody to life. Like, let's say, a certain red headed girl.

If Loki helps Fyodor escape, he will be able to bring Hela back to life.

Locke loves his daughter very much, so obviously, he agrees. And instead of lead to season 3 when Fyodor escapes, he get an Agency/Mafia vs Fyodor/Locke story.

This is not happening but it was a nice idea.

And this time, this is really it! There is nothing more left for me to say, Rivals is done!

Thank you so much for reading it, some of you were here for years, some joined only a few month ago, some will find this story in the future, but I thank you all the same! I would have never gotten this far without you. You are all very precious to me. I hope to see you soon, when @kkfil-soukoku starts updating.

And now, for a couple of unrelated announcements:

Merch design is going great. I have all die cut stickers and the second charm already finished, and most of them is already published on Kofi for supporters. Also, the Rivals sticker page is all drafted. Support me on Kofi to view them all and to get an extra sticker with your order: https://ko-fi.com/hayatepl

After Kiss Kiss Fall in <Love3 comic is done, I will be working on an original idea, to be published on Webtoons/Tapas. It's going to be a supernatural adventure story featuring a witch, a warrior and a dragon, set in modern times. For more info when that happens, follow me on @hayateart and @sylvankaart

I also started using twitter again: https://twitter.com/SylvankaArt

And instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sylvankaart/ [Yes, it's all SylvankaArt, I thought it would make it easier to remember. As for tumblr HayateArt blog will remain my fanblog for fanart but all original posts will be published on SylvankaArt.]

[atlafan]

Take it Slow - Part Seventy-Seven

a/n: okay this is my first shot at a harry:y/n fic, and it will be multiple parts. y/n had a bad experience with an ex over a year ago, and finally accepts her coworker and good friend Niall’s invitation to go on a blind date with his friend Harry.

Warnings: Fluff and smut.

a/n: shorter part tonight since last night was so long.

Masterpost (all previous parts can be found in the masterpost)

“Babe? Gotta package.” Harry says as he comes in from work.

“Oh I wonder if it’s my shirt for the concert!” You rush over to him and snatch it. “I got a shirt from Etsy cause I don’t really like the merch.”

Harry smiles as you open the package and you gasp with delight. You got a black short sleeve crop top that said “Blinding Lights” on it it glittery writing.

“It’s perfect! Do you like it?”

“Yeah, looks nice.” He kisses your cheek and goes to sit on the sofa with Buster.

“I’m so excited, Harry. I still can’t believe you got fifth row seats!” You plop down next to him.

“Was thinkin’ we could go in and eat at Beer Works beforehand, would you like that?”

“Yeah! Love it there. Only a couple more days!” You squeal. “Do you feel like you know enough of the lyrics?”

“Yeah, babe. Think I got it.” He smiles.

“I wonder what songs he’ll do from his older albums. I hope he does Party After the After Party, that’s one of my absolute favorites.”

“I know, that’s your go to when we’re fuckin’.”

“Shut up.” You swat at him and giggle. “I like Aquainted too, and I Feel It Coming. Honestly, every song by him is a good song.”

“And you’ve really never seen him live before?”

“Never! This is the best early birthday present ever.”

“Does your family have anythin’ planned for you. I know we’re gonna be gone for a long weekend during your actual birthday…”

“No, I think our plan is to do a conjoined thing. Michael’s birthday is the weekend after mine, and my dad’s is the weekend after that. Michael’s gonna be one I can’t believe it. So we’ll just go to his birthday party. My family will call me on my birthday.”

“That’s right, I forgot about Michael’s party. Damn, this summer is just flyin’ by.”

“I know! We leave for London soon too, it’s crazy.”

“Are you sure your mum is cool with having Buster for an entire week?”

“Yeah, she loves watching him. I’m gonna miss him so much.” You pout.

“I know, he’s just too big to bring on a plane, unfortunately.”

You grab the remote and turn the TV on.

“Do you mind if I watch Glee? I feel like once I start I can’t stop.”

“Yeah, I don’t care.”

“You like it a little, don’t you?” You look at him grinning.

“It has some funny moments. Jane Lynch’s character is hilarious. It’s a little cringey though.”

“That’s Ryan Murphy for you.” You shrug.

“Plus…I’m fully invested in this will they won’t they with Rachel and Finn. I’m hooked on it.”

“God, I don’t think you’ve ever said anything sexier to me.” You kiss him and get snuggled up.

//

The night of the concert you make sure your hair looks perfect. You had really grown it out, and your waves looked great. You put your new crop top on and get to work on your makeup. Tonight was a false lash kind of night. You grab a high waisted pair of black jeans with some rips in them and put them on. You could just see the top of your naval piercing. You cuff the bottoms of your jeans and you’re very happy with how you look.

Harry had a pair of salmon pink shorts on and a black silk shirt with the first few buttons undone tucked into them. You liked that you and Harry had different fashion senses. You also loved when he wore anything to show off his tattoos a bit.

“You look so good, Harry.” You wrap your arms around him.

“So do you.” He kisses the top of your head. “Niall will be here soon to watch Buster, he just texted.”

Niall comes up with Sarah.

“Damn! Okay, out on the balcony, gotta take some cute pics before you get all sweaty at the concert.” Sarah says and you giggle.

She takes some pictures of the two of you outside. You take some nice ones and some silly ones. You kiss him on the cheek in one.

“Kiss each other, go on.”

Harry chuckles and turns to you. He tilts your chin up and kisses you.

“So cute.”

“Thanks, Sarah.” You take your phone from her.

“I’m so glad you finally got a new phone, the camera is so much better.”

“I know! I was just waiting for a good deal to upgrade.”

“You two kids have fun.” Niall smiles. “Do you want us here? I don’t mind bringin’ him across the street.”

“It’s up to you.” Harry says. “You guys can stay here if yeh want, doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah, make yourselves at home.” You smile and give Buster a hug. “Thanks again for watching him.”

You and Harry head out. You decide to take the green line over towards the Garden. You walk over to Beer Works which isn’t too far away, and sit at the bar. You each do a tequila shooter and order some apps. Harry sticks with beer, and you get a hard cider.

You walk hand in hand, slightly buzzed, into the Garden. Your tickets get scanned in and you make your way to your seats.

“Harry…holy shit, look at how close we are.”

“Want me to take your picture in front of the stage?”

“Please!”

You beam at him and hand him your phone. Someone offers to take a picture of the two of you in front of the stage as well.

“We’re really going to be able to see him, oh my god.” You hug him and he chuckles.

“Want me to grab us some drinks?”

“Yeah, that would be great actually. Do you want some money, I brought-“ He looks at you.

“I’ll be back with some beers.”

You watch Harry walk away, and look back to the stage. You can’t help but squeal with excitement. Harry comes back about ten minutes later with two large beers.

“Line was already crazy.” He hands you yours.

“Thanks, babe.” You sip on it and he sits down next to you.

You both were taking advantage of the little time left you wouldn’t be on your feet. You were happy you both were smart enough to at least wear sneakers.

You and Harry go for bathroom and beer runs during the two opening acts, not really interested in their music as much. You get back in your seats just when the second opener is done. The Garden goes dark and you squeal. You both stand up and you scream along with the crowd when he comes out.

He starts off with Alone Again, and works his way through most of the After Hours album. The crowd goes nuts when he goes into Starboy. You were having a great time. You ended up standing in front of Harry so you could rock against him. You would occasionally here him sing along and it sent a shiver up your spine. You got some great pictures and videos of The Weeknd, you swore he looked right at you. He sings I Feel It Coming, and Harry wraps his arms around you tighter. Another song you two had on in the background many times. Next he goes into Earned It, Often, and Acquainted. You were losing your fucking mind. He sounded so good loud, and you were having the best time just jamming out.

“So I thought I’d talk to the crowd for a minute, we’re at that point in the show.”

The crowd roars as he addresses certain people. He calls different people out, it’s a lot of fun. He has thre lights up in the balcony so he can thank the people from farther away. He walks along the stage, calling out people closer to him. Then his eyes fall to you.

“This girl, who’s been dancing on her man all night, where’d you get that shirt?” You freeze and point to yourself. “Yes, you. That’s not official merch.” He scolds you and you laugh.

“It’s from Etsy! Get better merch!”

“Get better merch, huh?” The crowd laughs. “Well, I’m glad someone made some money, guess that’s all that matters. You having a good time?” You smile and nod your head yes. “I know you are, you’ve been grooving the whole night, we love to see it.”

He moves on to someone else and you turn to look at at Harry, your mouth agape.

“I filmed that whole thing! Look!” Harry shows you his phone.

“That was the coolest fucking thing ever!”

He does his Dirty Diana cover, and then goes into Party After the After Party. You turn around to Harry and squeal, then you turn around to watch the stage again. Harry couldn’t help but laugh at your excitement. You had been a ball of energy all night. The show ends, and he comes back out to sing The Hills.

You and Harry wait a minute or two to head out, letting the crowd disperse before fighting your way through it. You walk through the Garden, keeping your hand on the back of Harry’s shorts while he leads you through the people. You get down to the green line, and only find one seat available. He sits down and pulls you into his lap. You turn to look at him and smile.

“This was one of the greatest nights of my life. Thank you so much.”

“I’m so glad you had fun. That was one of the best concerts I’ve been to in a long time.”

“I can’t believe he actually spoke to me! That was so cool.”

Harry moves to whisper in your ear.

“I can’t wait to get you home. You were grinding your ass on me all night, it was torture.” He kisses your cheek and holds you a little tighter. You smile at him and kiss him quick.

//

Sarah was passed out, leaning on Niall’s shoulder. The two thought Buster would be more comfortable in his own home. They were watching TV when she fell asleep. Niall was half asleep when he heard the shuffle of feet and giggling from the front hall.

“Babe, I think they’re back.” He lightly nudges her.

“Hm? Okay.” She yawns.

Harry gets you through the door, and lifts you up so you can wrap your legs around him. He pushes you up against the wall and kisses on your neck. You start giggling. Your hands move to unbutton Harry’s shirt. You push it off his shoulders and he lets it fall to the floor. He takes your crop top off and kisses on your chest. You had a simple black bra on.

“Bedroom.” You groan into his ear.

He gets a better grip on you and starts walking into the rest of the apartment.

“Oh my god!” Sarah says.

Harry sets you down and hugs you to his chest. You hide your face in him. He needed you to stay close to hide his raging boner.

“You two are still here?” He says embarrassed.

“Yeah, we were gonna stay until you got home! Are you both drunk?!” You turn your head slightly to look at them and nod.

“Jesus.” Niall laughs. “Glad yeh didn’t get full naked out there.”

“Okay, well, thank you both so much for watchin’ Buster, goodnight.”

“Wait, how was the concert?”

“It was good Sarah, goodnight!” You say to her.

“Alright, alright, we’re leaving.”

Niall gives harry a thumbs up before they leave.

//

“They act like they never get a chance to do it.” Sarah laughs and looks at Niall. “How come we never do that?”

“Do what?”

“You never feel the need to get my clothes off the second we walk in the door.”

“Oh, you mean like this?”

Niall lifts Sarah up over his shoulder the second they get into his apartment and she squeals.

//

“I completely forgot they’d be here.” Harry says laughing.

“Me too!” You look at each other for a second. “Are gonna stand here or?”

“Oh right.”

He lifts you back up and carries you to the bedroom. Buster stays asleep in his dog bed. Harry undoes your jeans and yanks them down your legs. You do the same with his shorts. His lips connect with yours and you moan against him as he pushes his hips to yours. He really was hard.

You suck his bottom lip into your mouth and he groans. His hands dip into your panties and he drags them down your legs. He stays kneeling before you and grabs you by your ass, pulling you closer. He tugs one of your legs over one of his shoulders and he lips connect to your clit. You gasp when you feel his tongue lick up and down your folds. You tugs at his hair and he moans against you. He sucks and slurps on you and you feel like you’re going to lose your balance, but he steadies you. Just like when you feel you’re gonna come he stands up.

“Sorry.” He smirks. “My knees just hurt.”

“Thought you were trying to tease me.” You pout.

“Not tonight, angel.”

His hands move around you to unclasp your bra and it falls to the floor. He moves you over to the bed and he hovers over you. He kisses down your neck and chest, and sucks one of your nipples into his mouth. You reach for him and pump him slowly. He twists your piercing between his teeth while he kneads your other breast.

“Harry.” You groan. “Want you inside me, please.”

“Want you on top.”

He kisses you and sits up against the headboard. You swing a leg over him and line yourself up to sink down on him.

“Fuck.” You breathe out.

You swivel your hips and grind against him. Harry wraps his arms around you and thrusts up. You move in a rhythm together and it feels amazing. You tug at his hair and kiss him, tongues gliding along each other. Your head rolls back when he starts to rub your clit. His other hand slides up to your throat. You make eye-contact with him.

“Okay?”

“Yeah, go for it.” You smile, and he tightens his grip around you.

He moves his other hand faster on you as both continue in sync. You start panting, and love the way Harry’s large hand grips your throat. Harry looks at you, loving the way you’re just losing yourself.

“Shit, I’m not gonna last much longer.” He grunts.

You feel your stomach tighten and you clench around him.

“Fuck!” He moans as you both release at the same time. He thrusts up hard one more time as you gasp.

He loosens his grip on you, and you rest your head against his chest.

“You forgot to take your rings off.” You say, looking up at him.

“Oh, baby.” He smirks and moves some hair out of your face. “I didn’t forget.” He lightly grazes his fingers over the forming bruises on your neck. “I like the way you can kind make out my initials on you.” You involuntarily tighten around him. “And I see you don’t really mind it either.”

“I feel like I should…but I’ve always liked when you leave marks on me.” You smile. “It’ll fade, it’s fine.”

He kisses you, and you both sit there making out while he’s still inside you. You roll down on him and his cock twitches. His hands move to your hips and he rocks you back and forth on him.

“Harry, will you fuck me from behind?” You say against his lips.

“Always.” He smiles.

You giggle and get off of him to lay on your stomach. He grabs ahold of you to slide in, he gets fully on top of you how you like so his chest is flush with your back. You moan as he rocks in and out of you.

“God, you’re like balls deep, it feel so good.” You grab at the pillow under you.

Harry hooks an arm under you to grab one of your breasts, his other hand pressing into your hip. You press your ass against him as he moves around in a circle.

“Fuck, Harry.”

“Yeh like when we fuck like this?” He says into your ear.

“Yes.”

“M’not crushin’ yeh?”

“Not at all.” You moan again when he thrusts deep into you. “Fuck, I’m gonna come again, oh god, right there, keep doing that.”

Harry keeps thrusting in and hitting your g-spot. You scream into your pillow and back your ass up right into him. His release comes shortly after. He lays on top of you for a few minutes before getting up. You get up to use the bathroom after he does.

You face each other as you lay in bed. Harry rubs your back and smiles at you.

“This was the perfect night, Harry.”

“Even when we almost got naked in front of our friends?”

“Especially when that happened.” You giggle. “No, but seriously. I love making these memories with you. I’ll never forget this.”

He pulls you in closer to him and rests his chin on the top of your head. You end up falling asleep like this. Ten months ago you never thought you’d be where you are right now. Being held by the person you loved most in the world, and him loving you right back.

[datguynuma]

My thoughts on Game Freak's new policy.

Oookay... so... it's official. We're not gonna have every pokemon be transferable in Pokemon Sword and Shield. And yeah, I can see everyone being extremely upset about this. Hell, I was disappointed too. But after looking at some videos pointing to this heart breaking decision, I'm starting to see why Mr. Masuda had to do that and change Gamefreaks policy.

Yes, we may not have the ability to transfer all of the national dex, but you have to keep in mind that we are close to having over a thousand pokémon overall. Gamefreak probably is having a hard time keeping up with such a huge roster. And I know what you're all about to say, "Why can't they just reuse the models from the 3DS? It shouldn't be THAT hard." Well, yeah you could be right. But 807 pokemon so far is still a pretty huge number. It would take them quite some time to get each and every model updated for Sword and Shield. Not to mention that they always rush them out for the holidays. We've constantly been getting pokémon games through out the decade, about two games for each 1-2 years passing. Why? Because the Pokémon fandom is pretty impatient when it comes to a new generation of pokémon.

No joke, I feel like Masuda and the rest of GF are just constantly making these games, each generation now being three years apart from one another, because they're trying their hardest to satisfy everyone. But here's the thing that almost always happen: the fandom would find one small flaw in the game and immediately complain about it, begging Masuda for a new generation almost immediately. And the sad part? Masuda's got no choice but to keep making new generations for each three years, hoping to make everyone satisfied. But now, because we've made the pokedex so big, not to mention each region's debut pokémon constantly getting smaller by said number based on some fans complaints, they now have to shrink down on what previous pokémon should be in the Galar regional dex, and what should stay behind in Pokémon Home, the new method of transfering Pokémon.

And because of their new policy on transfering Pokémon, everyone, even myself, got disappointed with this news. So much so, that nearly the ENTIRE FANDOM ITSELF rioted all over the internet believing that Masuda is a fraud and Gamefreak is ending the Pokémon world. They even started a hashtag campain that demands GF to "Bring back the National Dex". I'm sure you've seen it every where all over Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, here on Tumblr, basically nearly every social media site. I sure do. In fact, I've noticed that Nintendo took down one of their oosts from E3 this year because every pokémon fan kept spamming the hashtag "Bring back the National Dex". Well, at least it's proof that Masuda, himself, already knew what he had done. He practially broke everyone's heart that day. I can't blame them, I'll miss most of, if not ALL, my pokémon that are still in ORAS, Sun and Moon and USUM. We still don't even know what Pokemon Home will have in store for when we transfer every pokémon that we've captured, raised, breeded and so forth into it yet, let alone if it'll cost us and/or have a limited time to hold them all before they deside to delete them all. (Dear lord, I hope they don't do that, because most of the fandom's gonna cancel their pre-orders immediately if they already haven't yet.)

But after watching some videos by RuffledRowlet, BirdKeeperToby, HoopsandHiphop and so on, I think I can come to the conclusion that this is definitely NOT the end of the franchise just because we're only gonna have about a half or one third of the national dex worth of pokémon from the last seven generations prior. In fact, Sword and Shield shouldn't really be about which of our favorite pokémon will make it into the region. Each generation of pokémon, including Galar itself, was always about finding what brand new pokémon reside through out the region, what new challenges await us, the many new faces we meet and all that.

Remember the third gen games, Ruby and Sapphire? Remember when you could never get to transfer the pokémon from Gold, Silver and Crystal versions to those? A lot of people were upset about that too! And now it looks as if history's repeating itself. But despite this, Masuda decided to have the company make more games, like Fire Red and Leaf Green, the Colosseum games and Emerald, one of my all time favorite pokémon games, and then add those missing pokémon in there. So what I can assume will happen through generation eight, and probably the rest of Pokémon's future, is that Masuda will resort to make more games like he normally does, and try to fix the national dex again through that. So, rather then having to either patch the games (which he already denied) or delay them along with the anime, trading cards, other merch and such, GameFreak will resort to having the entire world of pokémon be split through out the generation. For example, if we don't get Sinnoh's starters, legendaries, etc, then there's a chance they'll have them ready for potential remakes of the Sinnoh games. Still not enough pokémon? There's always a possible third version to look forward too. Hell, maybe have a Pokemon Stadium/Colosseum inspired spin off to have every one of your pokémon, competitive or not, to store and use for all sorts of battles there. They can do that if Masuda chooses to.

I was about to give up on pre-ordering the games too, but after some thinking, I've decided to still get them. I may not be able to have most of my hard work and long time companions with me, but we all still got new pokémon to discover and plenty of fan favorite pokémon roaming the wild areas, including some that I myself may still use for some gym battles. We may not get some other starters, but Charizard was shown in one of the trailers, so that's proof that we may get all three of the iconic Kanto starters. We may not get some other pokémon like Absol, Zangoose, or what ever competitive pokémon you prefer, but we still have all time favorites like Gardevoir, Lucario, Tyranitar, and so forth. And yes, even Mimikyu will still join us. And sure, we may not have the privilage to transfer all of our legendaries and mythicals, but then again, I wouldn't mind Gamefreak having to make room for a new batch of legendaries rather then to just find them all in one big region yet again. Also, uh, anyone miss the old days when we get a special item and go on a quest to find a certain mythical? Aren't you sick of getting them for free, or in Mew's case, have to pay $50 bucks for a pokéball shaped controller? Yeah, I'd like them to bring back mythical quests too...

Anyway, this whole fiasco really isn't that big of a deal. Masuda knows well that we'll all be upset about this. So what will he do if he won't update Sword and Shield after their release date? Just keep making more games and have all models be updated and ready for the next Pokémon core RPG title. I'm hoping the third version will have every pokémon be fullt transferable. As for Pokémon Home, we still don't know what it'll be like other then the fact that it won't be out until early 2020. If I had to guess, it'll probably be similar to Poké Pelago from generation seven, but probably will have some other features too. Maybe. I don't know...

Tl;dr Masuda isn't taking away all of your pokémon, he's gonna have some more games soon. So just calm down, and be patient on what else he and Gamefreak have in store through the 2020's. Also, please stop threatening him, that's not gonna help anyone at all.

[beckyalbertalli]

Your 2018 Spoiler-Free Mega Guide to Albertalli Stuff

Deep breath. Big year. I’ve got lots of cool things coming up, so I’m creating this info-packed timeline to help walk you through it!

Ready?

January 30th

SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA: Special Edition Hardcover

Includes:

- 2 pages of black and white movie set photos from my personal collection

-11 pages of conversation transcript with Angie Thomas, Adam Silvera, and me, including the infamous boner story.

-15-page excerpt from THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED

-11-page sneak peek of LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT

- and, of course, 19 pages of Simon and Blue’s very first emails.

FAQ:

Where can I preorder/purchase this in the US? Links here. 

Where can I preorder/purchase this outside the US? Book Depository

Can I order a signed/personalized copy? Yes! Call FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, GA or email gary@foxtalebookshoppe.com, and be sure to request that they hold the book for personalization. They can ship internationally for an additional fee. 

Will the special edition bonus content be translated into any other languages? I don’t think so - this content was acquired specifically by my US publisher. I’m so sorry for any frustration!

Will the bonus content be available electronically? As far as I know, no.

Did you write the bonus emails? Yes. 

Did you really tell Nick Robinson to enjoy his boner? Yes. 

Also January 30th

SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA: Movie Tie-in Paperback

Includes:

-9 pages of me in conversation with Greg Berlanti and Nick Robinson

-4 pages of black and white official stills from the film

-7 page excerpt from the LOVE, SIMON script

-6 page excerpt from THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED

-8-page sneak peek of LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT 

FAQ:

Where can I preorder/purchase this in the US? Links here.

Where can I preorder/purchase this in the UK/AUS/NZ? Links here. (PLEASE NOTE: At this time, I cannot verify what bonus content may or may not be included in the UK edition.) 

Where can I preorder/purchase the US edition in other countries? Book Depository 

Can I order a signed/personalized copy? Yes! Call FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, GA or email gary@foxtalebookshoppe.com, and be sure to request that they hold the book for personalization. They can ship internationally for an additional fee.

Will the MTI bonus content be translated into any other languages? I don’t think so - this content was acquired specifically by my US publisher. I’m so sorry for any frustration!

Is the text of the book the same as other editions of SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA? Yup, same book!

Will this edition include the Simon/Blue bonus emails as well? No - that’s only in the Special Edition Hardcover. 

Will the bonus content be available electronically? As far as I know, no.

Why is the LEAH sneak peek shorter in this edition than in the Special Edition Hardcover and UPSIDE paperback? It’s the same chapter, but it cuts off sooner. This is a different edition with different content.

Can Nick actually sing? Yes.

Also January 30th 

THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED: paperback edition! 

Includes:

-11 page sneak peek of LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT

FAQ:

Where can I preorder/purchase this in the US? Links here. 

Where can I preorder/purchase this outside the US? Book Depository 

I’m confused - my copy of UPSIDE has always been a paperback. You probably have the UK/AUS/NZ edition, which has been paperback from the beginning. 

Can I order a signed/personalized copy? Yes! Call FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, GA or email gary@foxtalebookshoppe.com, and be sure to request that they hold the book for personalization. They can ship internationally for an additional fee.

Will I still be able to purchase THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED in hardcover if I want. Yes!

Do I need to read SIMON VS before reading UPSIDE? No. You’ll miss a few Easter eggs and references, and UPSIDE occurs chronologically after SIMON in the same universe - but UPSIDE does not spoil Simon (and Simon’s love interest is not mentioned by name in UPSIDE). Many people have read UPSIDE first. 

Does this edition include the recipe for edible cookie dough? Nope. Google it! 

March 16th

LOVE, SIMON releases in the US!

Trailers: 

Full length

Teaser

FAQ:

Is LOVE, SIMON based on a book? Yes. It’s based on my book, SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA. 

(This is, in fact, a frequently asked question.)

Is the film being released in my country? I’m afraid I’m not given up-to-date information on international release dates. It is being released widely, and dates have been set for many countries. However, changes to release dates are common, and I’m unable to keep up with that info for every country. I recommend checking IMDB and/or the major film distribution outlets in your country. 

How involved were you in the creative process for LOVE, SIMON? Are you happy with the film? My team was very collaborative, and I obsessively love this film. Check out my film-specific FAQ here.

Will there be any early screenings in my city? I’m not involved in organizing screenings, and I usually don’t have up-to-date information on this.

Is Blue’s identity the same in the film? Yes. 

Something from the trailer looks different from the book. WHY??? Check out my film-specific FAQ here.

Have you seen the film yet? Yes, and it’s even better than you think it is. 

What songs are on the soundtrack? Check out this writeup in EW and preorder the soundtrack here!

Tell me about the cast and crew of the film. Check out my film-specific FAQ here.

Will there be merch?! I don’t know! Hopefully?

Do I need to read the book before I watch the film? I can’t make you, but I hope you'll check out the book either before or after the film! 

Would you consider making a film of UPSIDE, LEAH, or WHAT IF IT’S US? I have no control over whether a film gets made of any of my books. I’m sorry! 

April 24th 

LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT: hardcover

FAQ:

Where can I preorder/purchase this in the US? Links here.

Will it be available in the UK/AUS/NZ at the same time? Yup, via Penguin UK - I just don’t have a link yet. 

What about other countries? Translation rights for LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT have already been acquired by multiple countries, but I don’t have updated information yet on their publication dates, covers, and purchase links. In the meantime, you can preorder the English language version from Book Depository.

Can I order a signed/personalized copy? Yes! Call FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, GA or email gary@foxtalebookshoppe.com, and be sure to request that they hold the book for personalization. They can ship internationally for an additional fee. There will also be copies signed without personalization at several retailers. 

Do I need to read SIMON VS before I read LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT? What about THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED? You’ll probably want to read SIMON before LEAH, since Leah’s story is a fairly direct sequel to Simon’s. LEAH definitely spoils the ending of SIMON VS. You’ll miss a few Easter eggs if you haven’t read UPSIDE yet, but it’s not necessary to read UPSIDE first. 

Can you send me an advance reader copy of LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT? No ARCs will be available for this book. It’s embargoed until its release date. 

Will you be touring for this book? I will be, but I don’t have updated information on that yet. 

Will Simon and the rest of the Creekwood High School gang make an appearance in this book? Yes - basically every character you know from SIMON VS makes at least a short appearance. Most make significant appearances. Simon in particular plays a very large role.

I heard Leah might be bi. Is that true? Yup! She’s bi (Simon doesn’t know yet, which is why it’s not mentioned in his book). That said, this book is not about her discovering or coming to terms with bisexuality. She has known she was bi since age eleven. 

Nope, you’re not.

Is Leah fat in the book? Yes. 

Will you write about <insert character> next? No, it’s very unlikely. The Creekwood gang are graduating seniors in this book, so it feels like a very natural ending point for the Simonverse. 

October 9th

WHAT IF IT’S US hardcover, co-written with Adam Silvera

FAQ: 

Where can I preorder/purchase this in the US? So far, here! 

Will it be available outside the US? Translation rights for WHAT IF IT’S US have already been acquired by multiple countries, but I don’t have updated information yet on their publication dates, covers, and purchase links. In the meantime, you can preorder the US version from Book Depository. 

What imprint of HarperCollins is publishing WHAT IF IT’S US? We have two imprints and two editors! WIIU is both a Balzer + Bray book and a HarperTeen book. 

Here’s the team! Editor Donna Bray (who has edited all of my books), agent Brooks Sherman, a tall dude, and editor Andrew Eliopulos (who edited Adam’s THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END). 

Who wrote Arthur’s sections, and who wrote Ben’s? If you don’t already know, you’ll get a clue in the first line of the book. 

Did you know your title is a lyric from a song in DEAR EVAN HANSEN? Yup, that’s intentional.

Will it have a Becky ending or an Adam ending? You’ll have to read to find out! (Seriously, though, if you need to know about possible triggering moments in the book, reach out - we can give more information if you need it to be safe!)

Can I get an Advance Reader Copy? No ARCs are available yet. When they’re available, please reach out to HarperCollins (we won’t be handling ARC requests directly). 

Will you be touring for WHAT IF IT’S US? Yes, but we don’t have the details on that yet.

Will this book contain kissing? OH YES. 

December TBA

DEAR HEARTBREAK: YA AUTHORS ON THE DARK SIDE OF LOVE (anthology edited by Heather Demetrios)

No FAQ yet, but learn more about this anthology here! 

General FAQ:

Will we get a book written from Blue’s POV? No, that’s very unlikely. However, check out this series by Bansheee on Ao3, which is what I would have written, only better. SPOILERS!! Seriously, check out Ao3 for so much incredible, original work in the Simonverse. 

Please follow me on Twitter! I’m so sorry - I don’t respond to any follow requests. It’s not personal at all, I promise. 

Do you ever intend to write a book about a character from <a particular marginalized community>? This gets complicated! I’ll never say never, but I always want to make sure I can do this character justice before I attempt to write from their POV. For many marginalized communities, mainstream YA representation is so scarce that I am mindful of how much space I’d be taking up by writing outside my lane. That said, writing diverse casts of characters is incredibly important to me, and I hope to get better and better at including thoughtful, nuanced rep of a broad range of communities. It’s also REALLY important to me to read widely and boost the amazing (often #ownvoices - hashtag cr: Corinne Duyvis) work other authors have already put out there. A few fantastic resources: LGBTQReads, Latinx In KidLit, We Need Diverse Books, American Indians In Children’s Literature, Coretta Scott King Book Awards list, Disability in Kidlit, and Rich In Color. 

You haven’t replied to my email yet! I know - I’m sorry! I’m super behind. I get lots and lots of emails, and every single one of them makes my day. I will hopefully have the chance to write back to each of the personal ones eventually.

I have a question that wasn’t addressed in this post. Where’s the best place to ask it? Email my assistant, Matthew, at albertalli.requests at gmail.com. He’s much quicker to reply than I am, AND he’s awesome, AND he knows everything. 

That is literally Matthew sitting behind Bram Greenfeld. He’s in the movie!

Okay, y’all! That’s the latest. I love you, thanks for reading this far, and don’t forget:

[killiancygnus]

Serendipitous Melody 21/22

Summary: Everyone has dreams. You might dream of becoming an astronaut or teacher, or you might want to become a doctor and save as many lives you can. Emma Swan’s childhood dream was being a singer. But with life getting in the way and never finding the courage to overcome her fears, she never had a chance to follow it. That is until a little push from her friends lead her to cash on an opportunity; and, who knows, she might even get more than what she’d wished for.

Rated: T

Word count: ~3.6k

A/N: Here we are guys, the last official chapter of this story. I’ll leave all the thanks for next week just to make everything even more cheesy. I mean, this chapter is pretty cheesy too (how couldn’t it be? I used Ed Sheeran’s Photograph, after all) but the epilogue will actually give you cavities from all the fluff. Anyway, if you like this chapter and want to leave a comment, don’t be shy! I always love to hear your opinions. That being said, I’ll leave you to this last chapter and I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Thanks as always to the wonderful @the-reason-to-sail-home.

Tagging some friends: @mahstatins, @villains-happy-ending , @stardusted-nymph, @allisonchameron, @kmomof4, @hencethebravery, @katie-dub, @acourtoftruelove . @resident-of-storybrooke , @irishswanff, @thejollypirate, @dassala , @imhookedonaswan, @ofshipsandswans , @legendofthephoenixcs, @yayimallamaagain and @londonsbridge

If you want to be tagged too let me know :)

Links: Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9- Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20 / AO3

A charity concert: that was his grand plan.

Regina had been a bit surprised when he told her, but she, like Henry, was more than supportive, even though that meant she had a lot of work to do to organise the event before Christmas, probably even more work than he had.

The following two weeks seemed to go by much faster than normal. On one hand, Killian was working himself crazy in order to fish up all the songs for the new album, make the one he was actually going to sing perfect and decide the set for the concert. On the other hand, instead, Regina was doing her best to organise everything: from the venue, to publicity, to filing a list of nonprofits to whom the money of the event would be donated. Eventually, he chose one of the few that helped children in the foster system find a home.

As he correctly foresaw, Emma didn’t make any move to contact him. He missed her terribly, but it probably was for the best because her absence allowed both him and Regina to focus and actually make the impossible.

The date was set, just a few days away from Christmas. The venue was found and made ready for the big day. The announcement and publicity was made, selling all the tickets out in a few hours. The merch had been shipped and would have been ready on time. The association had been already sending thank you cards after seeing how much money had been risen with the tickets sale.

Everything was perfect. Now all he had to do was sing.  

She was a coward. That was more than just a fact by then.

She could tell herself that she was still too shocked after finding out that both Neal and Gold had been behind everything since the very beginning all she wanted, but truth be told, the anger and shock had been gone as fast as they came. She could tell herself that if Killian had truly wanted to, he could have called her now that everything was over, and she would have actually answered for once and apologized then, but the fact that he hadn’t made her worries grow. Had he given up on her after just a week? Or even worse, had he forgotten about her and already moved on? Had all his words been a lie? And would it have been a good idea to call him first in case? Or was her brain just being a jerk and making up excuses to avoid heartbreak in chance he actually had?

It was probably the latter. She was being stubborn as always, wanting to apologize but not to make the first move. But still, she had lost count of the times she wrote him a text only to delete it five minutes later or hovered her finger over his number only to never actually call him.

Agreeing to accompany Henry to a concert had sounded like a good idea then (however she actually might just have a problem at resisting puppy eyes; but also have you met Regina? That woman was scary, it was better not to go against her). What was better than live music to forget about all her worries and maybe find the courage to talk to Killian, after all?

Maybe more than a hundred things. But still, she was going to go for Henry.

When Regina arrived to get her and Henry that evening, she wasn’t really in the mood to go out, but Henry’s excitement was contagious. It was his first concert and he babbled excitedly for the whole trip to the arena. He still wouldn’t tell her of whom the concert was.

“It’s a surprise, mom,” he had told her when she asked, blushing. Maybe he was just embarrassed, but she honestly wouldn’t know why. Whatever it was though, she didn’t care. She lost ten years: she wasn’t going to back out from spending time with her son anytime soon.

Emma smiled. His eyes shined with enthusiasm and a huge smile was plastered on his face, cheeks all pink. It was kind of cute.

Once they got there, Regina escorted them to the back door and let them in.

“So, you know how this works,” she said handing them two plain white passes that still didn’t give Emma any hint about who was going to sing. “Wear these, then follow the corridor and then turn right. There you’ll find someone that will get you in. I’ll be waiting for you here when the show will be over.”

Emma nodded, putting the pass over her head and over her neck, letting it fall on her thin sweater.

“Yes, mom. Can we go now?” Henry basically jumped on his feet.

Regina chuckled as she watched his son drag Emma down the corridor waving goodbye before she headed back outside.

The man that they found at the end of the corridor was at least a feet taller than Emma, if not more and the suit he was wearing did nothing to hide his muscles. He glanced down at their passes and then left them in gesturing them where they were supposed to go.

Front row. They got to see a concert from the front row. Henry truly was a lucky kid.

After they settled in, Emma took a good look around her. The place was huge, definitely bigger than Enchanted studios. The stage right in front of them was circular with two wings that extended on the side and ended in two specular stairs directed downwards to the centre of the arena. Soft blue and bright white light illuminated the stage as the excited chartering of people grew louder as they got inside.

“Will you tell me who’s playing to now?”

Henry’s eyes left the stage where the opening be had begun to settle to meet hers. “Nope. I told you, it’s a surprise.”

She didn’t have the time to argue that the band started with their first song. They weren’t half bad, Emma had to give them that, especially considering how young they looked like, but she wouldn’t listen to them all day long. But with a little work and luck they could actually become great in a few years. Still, their performance seemed to last ages. She was just too curious about who would be stepping on stage next to actually relax and enjoy the music. Soon though, an applause erupted from the people around them as the band bowed on stage.

Then everything went black.

Someone in the back gave a few surprised screams which quieted down as soon as the few notes and a pretty known voice came from the speakers.

Emma froze.

She knew that song. Far too well actually, after all she had worked for so long on it with Killian. She knew that voice far too well too. Part of her didn’t want to believe it was actually him, though, not until she saw it with her own eyes.

As if on cue, a spotlight lit the centre of the stage.

Her heart had skipped a beat right then, she was sure of it. It was actually him. She was at Killian’s concert. Concert she never knew would exist. In the first row. With Henry.

Emma’s legs itched to run, to get as far away as she could. But she couldn’t leave Henry alone. He was just ten and Regina couldn’t come pick them up and he was so excited for this, she couldn’t ruin it all for him just because she was scared and… And it totally was a set up. Henry had been on it, she could feel him staring at her from her side; Regina had definitely been on it; hell, probably all her friends had been on it as far as she knew. Question was: was Killian aware she would have been there?

However, that was a question she couldn’t answer to, at least not yet.

Killian was still keeping his eyes closed as he sang, as if he was trying to channel all the memories, all his feeling in the lyrics. And all Emma could do was listen, transfixed. The last time she had heard him sing “Like Fire”, it was in the early stages, when they were still working about the melodies and making the lyrics perfect. After that they always sang it together. But now there he was, in a plaid shirt with sleeves rolled over and characteristic dark skinny jeans, singing it on his own, eyes closed as he cradled the mic in his hands and guitar laying on his back, strapped over his chest.   

Emma couldn’t help a small smile appear on her face. God, she had missed him so much. And all because of such a stupid reason.

Once the song came to an end, Emma looked down at Henry as the arena exploded in cheers. He must have seen the sad smile on her lips, because he smiled back and nudged closer, reaching for her hand to give it a reassuring squeeze.

“Good evening LA!” Killian screamed, rewarding himself with deafening cheers from his audience.

His eyes scanned the people in front of him for a few seconds before his eyes met hers. He grinned at her as he brought the microphone at his lips once again. “Oh, you look beautiful tonight.”

More cheers erupted from the crowd behind her, but he still was looking right at her. A blush spread on her cheeks as realisation drew upon her.

Her. He meant she was beautiful, not the whole audience.

Emma took it as an answer to her previous question. Yes, he had been on it too, and honestly that made the butterflies in her stomach come back to life. She felt tears pool in her eyes and she bit her lip. She wasn’t going to cry, no way. She just wanted to try have fun.

Killian started to sing again.

He sang all her favorites of his songs that night. Everyone was having so much fun that by the end of the concert they asked him in chorus to sing just one more, upset that it was already over. Everyone except Henry.

Emma frowned, but the answers to her questions were given once Killian gave in and got ready to sing once again.

His fingers started plucking at the cords of his guitar playing an unrecognisable tune as he said, “This song is for someone very special who came into my life and made it a thousand times better.” His eyes met hers briefly. “This song is for you, love.”

Emma’s eyes widened and the arena grew quiet as Killian started to sing. It was a new song, so different from all the others he had ever written. His eyes never left hers as he sung words of love and heartache with such simplicity and softness that a knot soon formed in Emma’s throat.

Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes

But it’s the only thing that I know

When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes

It is the only thing makes us feel alive

Lulled by the music, her mind started to wander. Flashes of memories from the past year appeared in front of her eyes. The audition; sharing a coffee in the studios; their first date; the first time out at sea; watching movies only to fall asleep on the couch; the night in the woods he asked her to move in; their first kiss; waking up in his arms on a normal day; getting breakfast ready while dancing in the kitchen. And then all the silly arguments they had; the beginning hostility between them; the heartache that keeping themselves at distance brought; her running away, slamming the door in his face twice.

We keep this love in this photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts were never broken

And time’s forever frozen still

So you can keep me

Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans

Holding me closer ‘til our eyes meet

You won’t ever be alone

And if you hurt me

That’s okay baby, only words bleed

Inside these pages you just hold me

And I won’t ever let you go

She had been so caught up in the memories that she hadn’t noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks, nor Killian putting down the guitar and walking to the stage’s right wing. As the song was quickly coming to an end, Emma watched him walk down the stairs.

Killian walked towards her, singing the last lyrics and her heart began beating faster and faster. By the time he was singing the last line, he’d gotten right in front of her. Softly, he reached for her cheek, caressing the tears away.

It was then, when the last few notes echoed in the arena and the audience started cheering, that their lips finally met in a kiss.

That was the night Emma went back home.

If didn’t take them much to get back to their normal life. She would still apologize for running away, both through words and actions, while he’d find any occasion to hold her and whisper how much he loved her, but they both knew they would be alright no matter what.

Decorating the house for Christmas had been a nice way to get the gears of their relationship run smoothly once again. They put fairy lights by the path and over the trees by the pool, they got a fully real tree for their living room and spent enough money on decorations to make most people’s eyes widen comically.

They took their time, but once done, the place had gotten a kinda magical homey feel.

They decided to stay home on Christmas Eve, spending the day shamelessly snuggling up on the couch while watching movies and enjoying each other’s company. It was quiet, something that definitely shouldn’t be the following day celebrating with all their friends and family.

It was a few minutes before midnight that Killian lightly nudged her as the titles of their last movie rolled over the screen. Odd. She didn’t remember how the film ended.

“You dozed off about ten minutes ago, love,” Killian informed her, seeing her brows knotting in confusion.

“Oh,” Emma said, a bit upset that she had missed the end. “Tell me how it ended?”

Killian chuckled, guiding her upstairs and into the music room. “Maybe later. First I have something for you.”

Emma sat with a sigh on the couch and watched him go get something from one of the desk’s drawers. “What are we doing here? I thought we were going to bed.”

He laughed nervously as he walked up to her keeping whatever he got in his hand from her sight before sitting next to her. Emma felt her stomach do a flip and her heart beating faster, noticing how nervous he suddenly looked.

Killian’s eyes met hers for a second, before falling on his slightly bouncing leg. “I just wanted to give you something.”

“It’s not Christmas yet,” Emma observed, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Didn’t we agree to exchange presents tomorrow with all the others?”

“Yeah but,” Killian took a deep breath before handing her a cylindrical-shaped thing, eyes meeting hers once again, “I wanted to give you this without anyone around. It’s the sheet music of the song you heard the other day. Your song.”

Trying to keep the tears at bay, Emma smiled, looking down at the present. It was just a simple couple of pages, rolled up perfectly to have the title of the song, “Photograph”, right on top and tied up with a red satin bow. That only would have been enough to make her heart burst in her chest, but then her eyes caught the small sparkling object knotted in the middle of the bow.

A ring. A simple, beautiful white gold ring with small diamonds running on its band up to the bigger stone.

Her vision grew blurry, but her eyes couldn’t leave the ring as her mind started racing. Was that it? Was he actually going to ask her to marry him? Because she was this close to breathe out a yes over the knot that had formed in her throat before he’d even ask and she had to know if it was actually it before making a fool of herself and hitting him for making her think so. After kissing him, of course. But seriously, if he wasn’t really proposing she was going to hit him.

Killian cleared his throat making her look up from her lap only to find him kneeling in front of her. She hadn’t even noticed him moving and suddenly all the air was knocked out of her lungs. Suddenly, she wasn’t that sure she could manage to form any sound anymore.

“I wrote that song one night, thinking about how far we’d come. As I was lost in my memories I tried to pinpoint the exact moment I fell for you, but I couldn’t. I think a part of me fell for you as I listened you sing, but after that I feel like I loved you a little more every moment we spent together, and I still do, every day. When we met, I never thought I would love someone so deeply and completely after everything that had happened, and I definitely didn’t believe in love at first sight. But you came along and turned my world upside down. And here I am now, kneeling in front of this beautiful, fantastic woman I love and dream of spending the rest of my life with.

“So, Emma Swan, what do you say?” He asked, voice cracking. “Will you marry me?”

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Emma smiled brightly and nodded as she leaned forward to whisper her answer on his lips before kissing him.   

With the new year, so finally came Mary Margaret and David’s wedding.

Minor last minute crisis aside, it had been a beautiful ceremony. Mary Margaret looked stunning in her white dress and Ruby had cried during their vows, which made Emma cry too. She was fairly certain David had teared up at some point too, but she wasn’t sure. She’d have to ask Killian once he got away from the piano.

No one, aside from Emma, had imagined they would get an impromptu mini concert by the famous Killian Jones himself. Not even the newlyweds did, who had to be forcibly shoved on the dance floor for their first dance when Killian had started singing their song. Now that the shock had worn off though, most of the guests had joined the dancing couples as the other chatted, waiting for their drinks to kick in before busting their moves.

Emma, instead, was standing by the side, watching people twirl in front of her and listening to her fiancè sing as she absent-mindedly toyed with the ring on her finger with a smile on her lips. Her mind went back of a few weeks, on what had been the best Christmas of her life, surely the first of many incredible ones.

She and Killian had showed up at Regina’s for Christmas lunch only slightly late after spending far too long in the shower, but surprisingly no one realized. Be it Christmas or the general excitement and worry about getting everything ready and perfect, but whatever it was they were thankful for it. They had talked about it and they both agreed that they wanted to surprise everyone with the news, and not getting grilled about being late definitely allowed that.

It was a very nice day, overall. They had lunch, chatting and laughing away about the weirdest things, before they all gathered around the tree in the living room to open the presents. During all of that, Emma definitely didn’t try to hide her left hand, and yet no one seemed to notice.

Henry, being the oldest child present, was deemed responsible for the presents distribution. It was him in the end who, when bringing Emma’s present to her, noticed the ring and made his congratulations.

After that there was an explosion of “Oh”s and kisses and hugs and wedding talk. Mary Margaret especially seemed ready to throw herself into another wedding to plan, much to everyone’s surprise.

“So…” Emma jumped at the feeling of somebody’s hands on her waist, too lost in her mind to notice that Killian had finished singing, but at the sound of his voice she soon relaxed in his arms. “Pray tell me, how is it possible for such a beautiful lady not to have found a fine gentleman to dance with tonight?”

Emma purred quietly at the feel of the way his breath tickled her ear as a playful grin appeared on her lips. “Maybe I’m not interested in just a gentleman,” she said, turning around in his arms to face him. “Maybe I was waiting for a pirate.”

Killian’s eyes darkened as his tongue poked out to wet his lips. “Well, it looks like you found one then. Shall we?”

He guided her in the middle of the dancing crowd, joining them in a slow waltz, only after little hesitation on her part. Soon though, they gave up on following the right moves.

It was then, swaying slowly in his arms, head resting on his chest, that the image of her in a white dress, slow dancing with her husband, didn’t seem so out of reach.