#also secret santas these days feel very selfish

[satohqbanana]

I just want people to know that I have chosen not to do any more Secret Santas with people I don't know very well because the last person who was my giftee in a fandom Secret Santa never ever responded to my gift. Not a thank you, not a reblog/like/kudos, and not even a "sorry I don't like this".

Anyway, Giftee, if you're out there, I hope your other Santas in other events got you better gifts I can ever provide. I'm sorry I disappointed you or did whatever caused you to walk away. It's fine; just don't do it again.

Also, for anyone's reference, please don't ever invite me to one if it won't involve my friends. It makes me feel all the more horrible. Please keep it to yourself.

[nightghoul381]

Dead or Love ~ Ellis Twilight

This a fan translation so it is definitely not 100% accurate. I do not own anything related to Ikemen Villains. Support Cybird by buying their amazing stories!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Bitter End | Premium End | Epilogue

Kate, I want to be your Santa Claus.

The kind of person who only gives you kindness.

However, the more time I talked to Kate,

The desires that I buried deep inside my heart and kept a lid on were writhing.

(Kate.)

(You, only you, make me… just a little crazy.)

Ellis: “… I don’t want Christmas to end just yet.”

Kate: “Eh?”

I pulled Kate’s arm closer and looked into her face.

Ellis: “Kate, will you be my Santa Claus this time?”

Ellis: “You can listen to my selfishness.”

(If I say that suddenly, will that bother you?)

However, contrary to my expectations, Kate’s face suddenly brightened up.

Kate: “Yes, of course! I’ll do anything I can.”

(……)

Ellis: “Fufu, you’re really…really cute.”

Ellis: “…Then, will you kiss me?”

Kate: “Ah, K-kiss?”

(Her eyes are blinking… so cute.)

Because Kate reacts so kindly and cutely,

I bury my desires deeper and deeper, keeping it a secret from Kate.

(Let’s think about the selfishness that will make Kate happy.)

(…That’s it.)

Ellis: “I’ll save the kiss for later.”

Ellis: “Instead… I want you and me to have fun together.”

--Courtyard—

Kate: “Ellis, what you want to do is… play in the snow?”

Ellis: “Yeah. This is the first year it’s snowed.”

Ellis: “…Do you hate it?”

Kate: “Fufu, no way. I’m kind of excited.”

Kate: “What do we do? Snowball fight? OR—”

Ellis: “What about the snow rabbit?”

Kate: “Oh, that’s great! Well then, let’s see whose is the cutest.”

Ellis: “Then I’ll make a snow rabbit that looks like you.”

Kate: “If that’s what you want, I’ll make you the cutest little Ellis bunny.”

Ellis: “But… if you use me as a model, won’t you lose?”

Kate: “I won’t lose. I’m confident.”

I can’t help but laugh at Kate’s disappointed face.

Ellis: “Then, let the match begin.”

The two of us squat down, scoop up snow, and work wholeheartedly to make a snow bunny.

(…When is the last time you played like this?)

When I glanced at Kate, I noticed that she looked more serious than I did, which was kind of cute.

Maybe I like seeing Kate working hard at something.

(I thought of a grown-up date to make Kate happy.)

(But… maybe a date like this would have been better.)

With Kate, no matter where I am or what I do, I feel like I have a lot of fun.

Ellis: “…Yeah. I’m done.”

Kate: “Me too. So let’s show each other.”

Ellis: “Yeah, okay.”

Kate / Ellis: “Ready, set, go!”

Kate: “Wow, Ellis, your snow bunny is so cute!”

Ellis: “Yours is too. I guess this is a draw…?”

Kate: “Fufu, right.”

(I finished making the snow bunny… Maybe I should have made it a little more slowly.)

Kate: “Ah, Ellis. Are you free for just a little longer?”

Ellis: “…? Yeah, of course. What’s wrong?”

Kate: “I feel like this isn’t enough, so I would like to add something else.”

It seems like Kate is still trying to give me something.

(Kate, Santa Claus is a great service.)

--Crown Castle—Common room—

Kate: “Sorry to keep you waiting, Ellis. Here it is.”

Ellis: “…Hot milk?”

Kate: “Yes. Your hands got cold from playing in the snow, right?”

Kate: “Besides, I was happy that you made some for me earlier, Ellis.”

(You remembered me.)

Ellis: “Thank you, Kate. I’ll take it.”

Kate: “Also, when I went to the kitchen, Victor brought out some sweets for me.”

Ellis: “So many. Fufu, it’s like a party.”

Kate: “Yes, it’s our very own midnight Christmas party.”

We drank hot milk, snacked on sweets, and talked about nothing.

It’s like Christmas when I was a kid…

Memories of a distant day seemed to tumble into the palm of my hand.

Ellis: “Kate, I lied to you, a little bit.”

Kate: “…Lied?”

Ellis: “I told you that when I was a kid, we had Christmases like any other…”

Ellis: “Christmas like anywhere else ‘was’…true.”

As I told you before, my house was a really normal house,

It was a Christmas like any other.

The candles on the Christmas cake were always blown out with a single blow.

(But)

Ellis: “One day, everything fell apart.”

Ellis: “I wanted to get it back somehow, I tried my best but…”

Ellis: “Maybe I was the one to screw everything up in the end.”

Kate: “…”

(Maybe that’s why I was relieved every year when Jude assigned me a job.)

(If I stay busy, I don’t have to remember what I broke.)

Kate was just quietly listening to me.

Then, she murmured in a voice as calm and gentle as falling snow.

Kate: “Ellis, when you suddenly remember things from the past and are having a hard time… I’ll be by your side.”

Kate: “When you don’t want to remember, let’s talk more like this again.”

Kate: “…and, this is such a beautiful thing…”

(Aah, Kate.)

(If your words were beautiful things, there would be nothing more beautiful in the world.)

Ellis: “Thank you, Kate.”

Ellis: “Hey, just one more thing… it’s selfish, okay?”

Kate: “Of course, what is it?”

I went behind Kate, who was sitting, and hugged her from behind.

Kate: “Ellis…?”

Ellis: “My family and I used to do this together and hug each other on Christmas.”

Kate: “Yes, that’s what this is? Well then…”

Kate wraps her arms around me and hugs me back.

(Kate, I’m sorry, that was also a lie.)

(I don’t know why… I wanted to do this with you.)

Again, deep within my heart, desire is writhing all over.

(…no, don’t go wild.)

(I want to be nice to you, Kate.)

Kate: “Ellis, um…”

Ellis: “Not yet. Please, let me stay like this just a little longer.”

After all, I don’t think I’ll be able to become the kind of Santa Claus that everyone likes.

A few days passed and before I knew it, the snow bunny I had mad that day had melted away without a trace.

When I told Kate about this, she laughed.

Kate: “Let’s make them together again next year.”

She said.

I can’t explain it well, but I was kind of… happy about that.

Very, very happy.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Bitter End | Premium End | Epilogue

[lilyrizzy]

day 3 of 12 days of the maxiel advent calendar lol. this one is sad in a bittersweet way. content warning for a discussion focused around the loss of a newborn child. Please don't read if that is something too upsetting to you <3 set in the same universe as this.

Underneath the apple tree in their garden, there’s a patch of daffodils.

They bloom every springtime, the vibrant shades of sunshine yellow enough to light up whatever room they are put into. The first bunch, Max always likes to arrange in the vase Grace and Joe gave them as a wedding gift, the second, third and fourth into each of the babies rooms. The air of the ranch becomes sweet with their scent, and at lunchtimes when Livia and Oli are called inside from playing, sticky pollen covers their fingertips.

“Papa,” Livia says to him on one of these September days, and Max knows to brace himself for a question by the curiosity laced in her voice. Like always, she does not disappoint.

“What happened to our big brother?”

The breath catches in Max’s throat.

He and Daniel had always agreed they would never keep their first son’s existence a secret from their children, no matter how hard it might be to help them understand. The idea of Theo becoming something that could only be spoken about in hushed whispers at convenient times was too painful when every day they felt his loss. The absence of a fourth pitch of giggles to hear playing from the next room every day, a second curly head for them to tuck safely into bed each night.

But this is the first time Livia has ever mused the ‘why’, of that out loud.

She is drawing a picture titled my family, her ‘homework’ for nursery. Max can see their flattering stick figure portraits, her and Oli almost as big as he and Daniel are, while Toni resembles an earthworm on the ground beside the four of them. In the top right-hand corner, just underneath the sun, she has drawn her eldest brother, complete with a set of pink angel wings.

“Me and Daddy told you, remember?” Max reminds her, but gently. His patience for his children is endless in a way it never was for racing. “Theo is in heaven.”

Max isn’t sure he believes in heaven, knows for a fact Daniel doesn’t, but he also knows how important it is for children to have good things to have faith in and to hope for, like the tooth fairy or Santa Clause. A source of comfort, the way his mum lighting candles used to be for him.

Livia nods seriously, busy scribbling what Max guesses is supposed to be Daniel’s hair if the twisting lines are anything to go by. Then, seemingly no longer satisfied with this answer she asks, “Why is he not with us?”

Daniel is out with Oli and Toni at the aquarium. The only reason Max and Livia aren’t with them is because in thirty minutes, they have to leave for the under 5’s football training Livia loves so much.

She get’s that from her Papa, Daniel likes to remind him, as though mashing keys on FIFA is comparable to the overexcited way their daughter squeals when she scores a goal.

Alone, Max feels totally unprepared for this. Daniel is so much better at wrapping the world up into words their children can understand and make peace with. For a moment, he almost asks her for a cuddle, the selfish reassurance of her warmth and the rise and fall of her chest as he holds her, but he doesn’t want to clue her into how hard this is for him.

He is her Papa, one of the two people who are meant to stand between her and all the bad in the world. Instead, he reaches to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she continues to draw and thinks back to how Theo’s little tuft had been all brown.

“When he was born, he was very poorly,” Max explains, and though it has been a very long time, it is as easy as anything to remember him in his hospital bed, tubes, wires and needles all protruding from his skin, tinged a sickly grey. “He wasn’t strong, like you, Oli and Toni.”

“Because he didn’t eat his carrots?” Livia asks, looking up at Max with owlish eyes, and Max has to laugh, charmed by her childish logic, her belief in everything he and Daniel tell her. He knows this phase won’t last forever, that they’ll soon be replaced with teachers and google, but for now he lets himself enjoy it.

“No,” he promises, shaking his head. “No, because something went wrong, when he was inside the tummy. Remember like me and Daddy told you that you used to be, also?”

She nods, enthusiastic suddenly to show off her knowledge.

“You had to find a lady to keep us in their belly so we could be borned,” she recites, and Max smiles. It feels like yesterday she was as small as Theo, and now she is big and smart, and her own little person, the way all of his babies got to be except for one.

“Exactly,” he encourages. “Well, when Theo was in the belly, something bad happened, so that when he was born he was sick. It made him very tired, and so he had to go to sleep forever, in heaven.”

Livia chews her lip like that still might not be enough to appease her. Max is just thinking about how to reword it, when-

“Will I ever get to see him?” She asks, like this has been the real reason for her line of questioning all along.

Thinking about the patch of daffodils where he and Daniel scattered the ashes of their first born’s, Max considers telling her that she sees him every spring, when Daniel goes out to collect a bunch to place in vases all around their home. That in a way, Theo has watched over her every year from his spot on their dresser, bringing added sunshine into their bedroom.

She is too little now though to truly understand. In time she will, but for now he wants to hold onto all the ways she is still his baby for just a little while longer. He is in no hurry for her to grow up.

“I don’t think so,” he says honestly, with an apologetic smile. “But I think he see’s you, watches you and your brother and sister play from the sky.”

Livia pauses, like maybe she has more questions and again Max braces himself.

“Okay,” is all she says though, and then she is picking up her crayons again. Max can’t help but lean over to kiss the top of her head, then tickle her side until she giggles, and swats him away telling him seriously, “Papa, you will make my drawing wonky.”

“Sorry, liefje,” he says, matching her tone, and then reaches for his phone.

Livy just asked me about Theo, he texts to Daniel. The last thing in their message thread is a photo of Oli, nose and palms pressed against the shark tank, and beneath it four words, our brave little fucker.

Unsurprisingly it’s only a few seconds before Daniel is typing a response.

its normal for her to have questions, and Max resists the urge to roll his eyes fondly, because of course, Max knows this.

Then, big kiss coming your way in approx 78 minutes, Mr Verstappen-Ricciardo.

Then, I love you.

I love you too, Max texts back, pocketing his phone. There isn’t much to be said over text, or even in person maybe, other than an repeat of what Livia asked, what Max explained to her. Everything else has already been said and these days can the pain can be shared with a simple kiss, and an evening holding each other as they watch their children play.

 Turning his attention back to Livia now, her little hands clenched tightly in fists around a black crayon, he notices the strange circle shapes she is drawing over angel Theo’s eyes.

“What are these?” He asks bemused, pointing to them.

“Glasses Papa,” she says, like she thinks this should be very obvious. “Theo needs them to see us, if he is so high up.”

[lotr-sesa]

Lord of the Rings Secret Santa 2023 Masterlist!

To date, we have FORTY stories and two pieces of fanart. The mods would like to thank all the writers and the pinch hitters, and also extend a special heartfelt thanks to those who filled prompts without signing up with prompts of their own. Thank you! ❤️

All the links in the masterlist go directly to the work on AO3. Go, read and enjoy, and please don't forget to leave kudos! And if you received something, please thank your writer or artist!

A long Journey Home by Plant_Murderer for octopus_fool

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationships: Éomer & Théodred, Éowyn & Théodred, Théoden & Théodred, Thèodred/OC

Characters: Théodred, Gríma, Théoden

Summary: Thèodred, now older and called Aldred, thinks back on the events that led him to be mocked and scorned in the home of his birth as he rides through night to get home.

A star docks at Balar by Kirta for Plant_Murderer

Rating: General Audiences

Relationships: Elrond & Elros & Elwing, Eärendil/Elwing

Characters: Elwing, Elrond, Elros, Eärendil

Summary: Vingilot docks at the Isle of Balar near the end of the War of Wrath, brilliant with light and the gleaming of crystal dust undimmed by the scars of battle. (in which Elwing is fully prepared to carry on the family tradition of rules-lawyering)

Aftermath by ingenious_spark for silvergreyleaf

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Characters: Maedhros, Eluréd, Elurín

Summary: Maedhros searches for Eluréd and Elurín in the aftermath of the Sack of Doriath. He cannot allow Celegorm's last act to be this tragedy.

All day I had the feeling a miracle would happen... by I_did_not_mean_to for cilil

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationships: Irmo & Námo & Nienna, Námo/Vairë

Characters: Irmo, Námo, Nienna, Vairë

Summary : Right after the beginning of everything, it soon turns out that "everything" is not quite...what it was promised to be. Námo, Nienna, and Vairë struggle with their purpose on account of a certain lack. For once, Eru actually intervenes positively. Enter Irmo, stage right... Welcome to my reimagining of canon. No warnings--it's all very tame!

And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? by I_did_not_mean_to for Melkor (Melkors_big_Tits)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Relationships: Manwë & Morgoth, Manwë/Morgoth, Morgoth/Oromë, Morgoth/Tulkas

Characters: Morgoth, Manwë, Oromë, Tulkas

Summary: This is Melkor, Cílil, and my little person. Please heed the tags and take care of yourselves-this is your official warning not to proceed without asking yourself long and hard whether you really want to do that.

Anoint My Love, Under the Sky by Maironite (noxeos) for Anonymous

Rating: Mature

Relationship: Arien/Eönwë

Characters: Arien, Eönwë

Summary: Telling her that he worries for her, that he craves her full attention is selfish - not in his nature. Eönwë is there to guide them, to protect them, to fight for them. He is his Order firstmost, and his own person secpond. Manwë's Herald has no time for matters of the heart, no right to claim a specific person. And yet-

Athelas by nyctophilic0vitnir for atamascolily

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Category: Gen

Characters: Éowyn, Aragorn, Théoden, Éomer, Daisy Baggins, Celandine Brandybuck, Elendil, Isildur, Eärien

At the Mirrormere by Caiti (Caitriona_3) for Jarakrisafis

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationship: Aulë/Yavanna

Characters: Aulë, Durin, Yavanna

Summary: Family is found and created in many ways, and a son will always seek to match the example, the legacy of his father.

Basic Instinct by BaccaratBlack for Anonymous

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Eönwë/Gil-galad

Characters: Gil-galad, Eönwë

Summary: During the War of Wrath, Gil-galad seeks comfort where he can find it. He?s simply not prepared for the peculiarities of his Maia comrade.

Berry cakes and elfling plagues by GoschateWabn for Lost_inMiddleearth (between_thepages)

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Erestor/Glorfindel

Characters: Glorfindel, Erestor, Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond

Summary: The (failed) attempts of lord Glorfindel of the golden flower to propose to head councillor Erestor.

Budding Romance by ingenious_spark for Lost_inMiddleearth (between_thepages)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationships: Elrond/Gil-galad, Celebrían/Elrond, Celebrían/Elrond/Gil-galad

Characters: Elrond, Gil-galad, Celebrían

Comparative Studies On Eldarin Cultures Across Aman and Middle-Earth by maironite (noxeos) for sallysavestheday (illustrated fic)

Rating: General Audiences

Characters: Silvan Elves, Avari Characters, Laiquendi Characters, Noldor, Sindar, Vanyar, Falmari

Summary: An artistic rendition on the various different ethnicity amongst Elves

Dawn Comes For All Of Us by maironite (noxeos) for Anonymous

Rating: Mature

Relationship: Fingon/Maedhros

Characters: Maedhros, Fingon, Sons of Fëanor, Fëanor, Nerdanel

Summary: And would have Maedhros ever imagined to get such life, a life he still felt that deep down he did not deserve. But loving someone wasn't only about whether or not you felt you deserved it, it meant becoming the best version you could for them and Fingon, his sweet loving Fingon had awaited ages for his return. For Maedhros to put back together a sense of identity not tied to the cursed stones, not tied to a bloody oath, not tied to a doomed legacy. Until he could stand on his own two feet and accept love in his life once more without the broken shards of a looming tragedy awaiting in every shadow. It's the Winter Solstice in Aman. and Maedhros' family is here.

Excerpt from Flora and Fauna of the Third Age, Volume 1: Flora by Galadriel for atamascolily

Rating: General Audiences

Characters: Alphros, Original Characters

Summary: A page taken from celebrated non-fiction author Barahir Elfwine IV's botanical guide, Flora and Fauna of the Third Age, Volume 1: Flora. This exclusive excerpt concerns the habitat and history of the mysterious simbelmynë.

Finding Our Way by Melusine6619 for likethenight

Rating: Not Rated

Relationship: Imrahil/Legolas

Characters: Legolas, Imrahil

Summary: After getting to know each other, Legolas and Imrahil confess their feelings and take a first step together.

Forged by Jarakrisafis for Tathrin

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: character death

Relationships: Celebrimbor/Narvi, Celebrimbor & Sauron

Characters: Celebrimbor, Narvi, Sauron

Summary: In the ashes, what is left?

Geriatric Gas Giant by I_did_not_mean_to for cilil

Rating: Mature

Relationships: Eönwë/Gothmog, Eönwë & Manwë, Eönwë & Finarfin

Characters: Eönwë, Gothmog, Manwë, Finarfin

Summary: Yes, that was a weak pun-ny title...sue me! Here we go, friend, I am a woman of my word. Firebird à la sauce Twilight... I am afraid I'll end up insulting and offending everyone, but that's a risk I've got to take :D

Haladriel Fill by nyctophilic0vitnir for Anonymous

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationship: Galadriel /Halbrand

Characters: Galadriel, Halbrand, Sauron, Finrod, Felagund, Celeborn

I Do Wander Everywhere by Empy for facethestrange

Rating: General Audiences

Character: Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot

Lanternlight by Empy for Anonymous

Rating: Mature

Relationship: Bard/Thranduil

Characters: Bard, Thranduil

Summary: Thranduil pays a late visit to Dale at Yule and Bard receives more than one gift.

Letters from the eve of despair by octopus_fool for Kirta

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Category: Gen

Characters: Fíriel of Gondor, Faramir (son of Ondoher), Artamir

Summary: On the evening before riding to battle, Faramir and Artamir write each other and their sister Fíriel letters in the knowledge that they might not see each other again.

Life just over there by oakenting for Anonymous

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Elwing/Maedhros

Characters: Elwing, Maedhros

Summary: Sometimes you just have to break out of the life you live and do something stupid. Elwing goes to meet Maedhros, and they connect.

Limit Testing by cilil for Melkors_big_Tits

Rating: Explicit

Relationships: Morgoth/Sauron, Gothmog/Morgoth

Characters: Morgoth, Sauron, Gothmog

Summary: Melkor suggests an experiment - testing the limits of physical pleasure. His two favourite servants are more than excited to participate and fulfill their lord's wishes.

Middle-Earth's Greatest Tourist Trap by octopus_fool for Adsters

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Characters: Hobbit Characters, Sauron, Original Baggins Character(s)

Midwinter by Lost_inMiddleearth (between_thepages) for sallysavestheday

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Éomer/Lothíriel

Characters: Lothíriel, Éomer

Summary: It is Midwinter in Rohan, and Lothíriel, recently wed to the King, joins the celebrations for the first time.

Mission Impossible: Dragonhoard by GoschateWabn for octopus_fool (fanart)

Rating: General Audiences

Character: Ravens of Erebor

Summary: In which the ravens of Erebor would like their share of the treasure, thank you very much.

Ode to a Nightingale by ohboromir for Anonymous

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Aragorn/Arwen

Characters: Aragorn, Arwen

Summary: An unkempt stranger pays a visit to the Elven-Queen of Gondor. Neither of them are disappointed.

Old friends by silvergreyleaf for Anonymous

Rating: General Audiences

Relationships: Celebrimbor & Narvi, Annatar/Celebrimbor

Characters: Narvi, Celebrimbor, Annatar

Summary: Narvi has died of old age and learns of the fate of Ost-In-Edhil in the halls of Mandos. Enraged, he seeks out his old friend. A conversation ensues.

Out Of Love Cometh by chiliadicorum for Anonymous

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Irmo & Námo

Characters: Irmo, Námo, one sleeping Elf

Summary: The Valar have decided to invite the Elves at Cuiviénen to move themselves to Aman, but Námo didn’t say a word during their entire council. Irmo seeks him out afterwards to find out why.

Parure by Empy for Anonymous

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Gimli/Legolas

Characters: Gimli, Legolas

Summary: A series of vignettes. Legolas does his best to court Gimli properly.

Perfect Moments by Lillithsea for Anonymous

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationship: Maglor/Turgon

Characters: Turgon, Maglor

Summary: Turgon falls in love with his cousin, almost without realizing it.

Sharing is caring by I_did_not_mean_to for Anonymous

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationship: Caranthir/Haleth/Caranthir's Wife

Characters: Caranthir's Wife, Caranthir, Haleth

Summary: Here is my tiny take on Haleth/Caranthir/Caranthir's wife.

Songbird by facethestrange for oakenting (Fanart)

Rating: General Audiences

Character: Disa

Summary: Sometimes Disa likes to go outside to sing and make some winged friends in the process.

Spinning by I_did_not_mean_to for BaccaratBlack

Rating: Mature

Relationships: Curufin/TurgonCaranthir/Turgon

Characters: Curufin, Turgon, Maedhros, Fingon, Celegorm, Caranthir

Summary: Here is my take on your beloved having a little bit of fun! I love you dearly, and I hope you'll like this :D

The Edge of Flames by BaccaratBlack for Anonymous

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Elwing/Maedhros

Characters: Elwing , Maedhros

Summary: After ages together as unlikely companions on Elwing’s lonely isle, she has her ways of both comforting and haunting Maedhros.

The Egg is the World by cilil for GoschateWabn

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationship: Eönwë /Gothmog

Characters: Gothmog, Eönwë, Sauron, Morgoth (Mentioned), Manwë (mentioned)

Summary: When Gothmog's attempt at helping with brooding and hatching their precious egg ends with Melkor and Mairon discovering and seizing it for their own collection, Eönwë fearlessly marches on Angband alone to retrieve it - by any means necessary.

The hands of a healer by GoschateWabn for Plant_Murderer

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Arondir/Bronwyn

Characters: Bronwyn, Arondir, Theo, Aragorn, Sam

Summary: The moment Bronwyn touches the cursed swordhilt, she and Arondir are whisked away to the battle at Weathertop, where another cursed blade has just done it's damage.

The quest for a book by GoschateWabn for Anonymous

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Ori /Original Female Character(s)

Characters: Ori, Original Female Character(s)

Summary: In which Ori makes a friend at the library.

These Our Braided Lives by sallysavestheday for Anonymous

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Gimli/Legolas

Characters: Gimli, Legolas, Thranduil, Thranduil's Wife

Summary: Legolas and Gimli among the Elves. The challenges and delights of marrying into the Greenwood, in a chain of drabbles.

This is Our Place by tehhumi for Anonymous

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationship: Fingolfin/Maglor

Characters: Fingolfin, Maglor

Summary: Two regent-kings glare at each other from opposite sides of the lake. There's nothing more to it, just cold calculated politics. (That's a complete lie)

When the Hurly-Burly's Done by sallysavestheday for Kirta

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Elrond & Gil-galad & Celebrimbor

Characters: Elrond, Gil-galad, Celebrimbor

Summary: Elrond and Gil-galad and Celebrimbor picnic on the edge of the world.

[dnsecretsanta]

Hello! Checking in with an update to the previous post.

As of the time of writing this, here are the circumstances for our outstanding five gifts:

- Two Secret Santas have let me know their gift will be late and in shortly. (If you're a giftee who falls into this category, you have been contacted.)

- Two Secret Santas have dropped out.

- One Secret Santa has not responded to my attempts to connect. It's been a few days now, so I'm going to go ahead and call this one and assume they won't be submitting.

In light of the above, I'll be doing an interest check for prompt fills to see if anyone would like to pitch in. If not, mod will take over making sure everyone gets a gift, but if anyone feels inclined to help, please do! (I won't lie here- this is semi-selfish, as one of the outstanding missed gifts is mod's, and it'd be a bummer to be left out.)

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

I'll be making a separate post about this, but: in the event I do this again for 2024 (and I would certainly like to, it's been a lot of fun), the individuals who have either been nonresponsive or did not let me know that they would not be submitting anything until after the deadline/until I prompted them will be put on at the end of the list. This is not intended to be a punishment- if I run this again, these individuals will just be contacted with a disclaimer that they've been paired up with someone else who also had issues with submitting last year, and that in the interest of full transparency, there's a chance that neither party will get a gift if the same thing happens again. I don't want to punish or shame anyone- it's just that the way things shook out didn't end up being very fair to myself as an organizer or the other participants, and the drop deadline was in the rules to try and make everyone's experience a little smoother. (^ Please note- if you let me know you were dropping/late without needing to be prompted about it and within the deadline constraints, you're fine! This only applies to individuals that were nonresponsive.) If anyone has any input on this, please let me know.

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

I hope this is a solid update! Interest check polls/prompt fills to follow! Putting this in the general DN tag to try and ensure that everyone involved sees the update, if they'd like to help out. You've all been lovely!

[revoleotion]

december 24th

this is my gift for @cnr-golden! Merry christmas and thanks to @animes-trash for once again hosting the secret santa!

This was a lot of fun to write and honestly, I could've gone on for ages but I decided to end it there so I can still post it on Christmas. I hope you enjoy! <3

~ rev

.

To Hyde, Servamp of Greed, Christmas is no longer just Christmas anymore. It’s Licht’s birthday. And because it’s Licht’s birthday, it gives Hyde a free pass to make the day about him. 

Licht doesn’t seem to agree with him here - but then again, when does he ever? 

They’ve had arguments about it before. Both very loud verbal ones and the much more scary kind, where they would say nothing to each other for days. It might be an inherent part of their contrasting personalities, the sin and the virtue. Perhaps it is selfless of Licht to not want to celebrate his birthday, perhaps it is selfish of Hyde to insist anyway. 

It’s funny because during one of their fights, Hyde told Licht, “Isn’t it kind of selfish that you refuse a party?”

Licht only raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it kind of selfless for you to care that much?”

Point taken. 

It didn’t feel like this was an argument they were going to solve anytime soon. But it also wasn’t a deal-breaker. It’s just one day in the year after all. Just like the Christmasses before, it will end in a compromise. Licht will accept birthday wishes and gifts, all while celebrating the bigger holiday that stubbornly lingers in the air. 

They’re both stubborn. They’ve always been. Not only that, they also get even more stubborn around each other. It’s how they show their love, Hyde thinks. 

“Why did you put the angel down,” Licht asks him on the afternoon of the 24th of December. He has his legs pulled up to his chest and a blanket draped across his lap. He looks so cute that Hyde wants nothing more than to affectionately bite him, but he can just pull himself together. 

Christmas - Licht’s birthday - ended in a compromise. That’s what they are, right? A compromise in the making. They had some cookies and hot chocolate earlier, and because it’s a tradition in Licht’s family, they will have fondue later. 

“Can’t you guess?” Hyde asks. 

Licht turns to him, making eye contact for a full, frightening five seconds, before turning back to their Christmas tree. It’s a small tree in comparison, which came in handy when Hyde stole the angel placed on top when they decorated it. 

“No,” Licht answers. “I don’t think I want to guess.”

“Well it’s because…”

“Don’t.”

“You’re an angel!”

Licht turns away and lets out a very long exhale. 

“You have to admit that this was funny,” Hyde says. “At least a little bit.”

“Mh.” Licht pulls out one hand from the blanket and reaches for him. Hyde gives his fingers a little squeeze; they’re warm and soft and, according to Licht, it is an honor to even touch them. 

“Do you want me to prove it to you?” Hyde asks. 

Licht blinks at him in confusion. He still looks confused when Hyde gets up and lets go of his hand. The understanding only settles in when Hyde picks him up and starts marching towards the tree. 

“Drecksigel, what are you doing.”

“I think you know what I am doing.”

“You are going to break it.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

Licht makes a little noise that might be a chuckle, and it fills Hyde with enough enthusiasm to follow through with his plan. 

.

For the record, Licht does look very angelic and majestic for the whole one-and-a-half seconds he clings to the treetop. 

And that’s all that counts. 

.

Licht is the first one to start laughing, a sound Hyde doesn’t hear all too often and is immensely thankful for. His Eve sitting inmidst of what used to be their Christmas tree and the presents they put underneath. Hyde’s first thought is not devoted to the damage he caused, though. They do this all the time. It’s part of them, in a way. It’s how they show their love. 

All Hyde thinks is, “I won this time, Engelchen. This is your day.”

.

“Where are we going to get a tree at this hour on Christmas Eve?” Hyde quotes the Christmas movie Licht made him watch because it’s a family tradition. (Hyde did not think about the fact that this somehow means he is family to Licht. He didn’t.)

Sadly (or thankfully), no Christmas tree bursts through their window, so Hyde shrugs and turns to the door. “Wanna look for one?”

Licht frowns. Rolls his eyes. Nods. 

They don’t really look for a Christmas tree. At least Hyde is not actively looking. They celebrated in Vienna last year but this year they are staying closer to Licht’s hometown. Both of Licht’s parents are busy with concerts but Licht, in typical Licht fashion, refused to give one on Christmas Eve. He will have some around New Year’s though, and perhaps it’s selfish of Hyde but he wants to have him for himself for as long as he can. 

There’s no clear goal to their walk, except maybe the walk itself.  Licht offered him his hand about ten minutes in, and Hyde can tell that only spite is stopping him from putting it back into the pocket of his coat. 

They stop at a bench in the town square. Licht sits down, and Hyde takes advantage of his hedgehog-form to curl up in his lap. 

“Sorry for breaking the tree,” he says. “For the record, I still think it’s funny.”

“It wasn’t.” A pause. “But it doesn’t matter. Christmas is more about the spirit anyway.”

��The Christmas spirit?” Hyde asks. 

“Yes.”

“And you think I have that?”

Licht gingerly touches him with his hand. “Of course not, you’re a demon.”

“Your demon.”

Licht’s fingers start scratching his belly the way he likes it. He doesn’t say anything, but sometimes that tells Hyde more than if he forces himself to talk. 

Still, “Hey, Engelchen?”

Licht looks at him. 

Hyde clears his throat, at least as well as that works as a hedgehog. “Thank you for spending Christmas with me.”

===

And now, an artistic rendering of the whole event: (@pinkestlittlebutterfly made me a Licht plushie and I love him and will cuddle him every night and also put him up on the tree to annoy my family)

[sosoane1]

White Christmas

Steggy |1508 words| For @red-revenger | @steggyfanevents |Secret Santa

I hope you enjoy this gift! Do yourself a little favour and listen to White Christmas by Bing Crosby, he has an amazing voice and just think of these two dancing together to that song.

Enjoy the short fic! It’s also on AO3

The war is cold but dancing together at Christmas is so much better.

They spent months hunkered down in the dirt. Travelling around the wasteland that had become Europe. The 107th would hurdle around the campfire that was strategically placed at the centre between all their tents. They would strategically place them facing each other, with a fire in the middle so they could all comfortably enjoy each other’s company. Everyone except Peggy. She had to share her tent with the troop’s nurses.

It annoyed her that she couldn’t be one of the boys, but she was also painfully aware that sleeping with the other woman was better because at least they respected her. But they did give her curious looks when she would come back late and slightly drunk after spending the evening with the howling commandos.

It was the best of both worlds for Peggy. She would spend the day being this self-confident force of nature, ordering people around. In the evening she could decompress with the only people she cared about anymore. And then she would go to sleep alone surrounded by medical nurses. Or maybe that was just what she had to tell herself to get through those years of living in the dirt.

----

The campfire was Steve’s favourite place. It was the only time of the day when he allowed himself to be a little selfish. The warm glow of the dancing flames reminded him of those cold winter nights when his mother would smother him in blankets in front of their old wood burner. She would make him the best tea, with just a hint of honey.

Now it was Peggy who made him the best tea. It was crazy to think that someone as strong and determined as her could make something sweet and delicate. And somehow, she made it just like his mama did, without him asking. She would steal some honey from the cooks and mix it in gently. He could watch her stir the tea for hours, with the anticipation of what was to come warming him in the meantime. That was the exact touch that could instantly bring him back to the warmth of his mother’s arms.

Steve would also be lying if he didn’t mention that he enjoyed the campfire because he got to spend time with her. It was the only time and place where she didn’t mind his admiration or shameless ogling. He didn’t mention it and neither did she, but he could sit there staring at her for hours. Watching, analyzing, and memorizing every little reaction. What words could make her smile, what stories could make those beautiful eyes water. Wondering how could someone be as amazing as her.

One day he hoped to work up the courage to go up to her and tell her how he feels. But just because she doesn’t mind his staring, it doesn’t mean that she feels the same way. So for now he will be content with watching from afar. Admiring her determination, her strength, her heart, her soul, everything about her.

----

Steve wondered why everyone seemed to be running in the same direction. Upon further analysis they weren’t really running, more like walking fast, they seemed happy. And surprisingly well-dressed. He followed the music and the sound of cheers. When he turned the corner and finally saw the dining hall, he was stunned.

They had been very busy. November turned to December and suddenly it was December 24th. He only noticed once he entered the hall. A band was playing on the stage that was normally used for announcements. People were drinking and dancing. Every single nurse and secretary was on a man’s arm, swaying the night away. Someone had been working hard, decorating the place and hanging lights. It looked magical. To think that in such a terrible place, they found time to make joy. 

The music died down just enough for the sound of laughter to drown it out, catching his attention. The Holling Commandos were all dancing with one another. Clearly, they were already drunk.  And as they spun each other around he saw her. A vision in red. That very same red dress he had seen before. The one that lived in his sketchbook and in his dream. How he had longed to see it again. And there she was, wearing it.

It wouldn’t surprise him if it was the only dress she had with her, but what a dress. It fit her perfectly. And her hair, how she found the time to make her hair look perfect in the middle of a battlefield was beyond him, but right now it was dressed with a few mistletoe berries that matched her dress perfectly. And her smile. She was happy, laughing even as Dum Dum Dugan twirled her around the dance floor. He would be jealous if she didn’t look so happy.

He approached the group wanting to join in on the fun. Bucky spotted him first, ordering another round ‘‘In honour of our favourite captain’’ he said. The group cheered, welcoming Steve to the party. Junior Juniper came rushing in with some mistletoe. He held it above Peggy and Dugan. Shyly they gave each other pecks on the cheek and embraced. Looking over Dugan’s shoulder she finally saw him.

She eyed him up and down, appreciating this nice outfit, not yet sullied by the mud that constantly surrounded them. She swore he would never admit her attraction as long as they worked together, less it discredit her hard work. But she wasn’t blind either. He was clearly a very attractive man. That smile of his brought her back to that small man she met all those years ago when they were still stateside. She had a hard time resisting him then, and now spending every day by his side, knowing him inside and out, every day her resolve chipped away. And when he looked as good as he did today, she hoped the war would end soon, because she had other activities she wanted to do with him.

Dugan finally let her go, giving her one last twirl. She wasn’t sure where she was spinning too, but the alcohol in her blood made the experience pleasant. The only thing that made it better was when a warm hand grabbed her hip, stopping her and forcing her to look at what was in front of her. A beautiful view to be honest.

----

Steve steadied her right before she could bump into the drinks table. Without thinking, he took hold of a loose strand of hair and placed it behind her ear. His fingers lingered along her cheek before returning it to his side.

‘‘I thought you could hold your drink, Peg.’’

‘‘Bucky might have been refilling my glace without me noticing.’’

‘‘Maybe I should stay by your side, make sure he doesn’t do it again.’’ He said playfully.

‘‘Oh thank God you are here to save me, Steve.’’ She said sarcastically.

‘‘Well in that case I can go dance with someone else.’’

‘‘No!’’ she said grabbing onto his forearms.

The rhythm of the music started to slow down as a soothing voice started singing ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.’ The voice wasn’t as smooth as Bing Crosby but for a live band in the middle of a battlefield, it was perfect.

‘‘Well then, shall I have this dance?’’

She looked at him with glowing eyes and nodded yes. He led them toward the crowd of dancing people away from the commandos. Neither would admit it, but they had found the right partner. ‘May your dreams be merry and bright.’

The only thing that could make this moment even more perfect was if Junior Juniper came rushing by with his mistletoe. But sadly he dropped it in the mud. The mud was getting pretty bad under all their dancing, Peggy was glad that she decided to wear her normal boots and not her pumps like all the other ladies had done. Mud had started to gather at the hem of her dress but she didn’t notice it as she only had eyes for him.

----

‘And may all your Christmases be white.’ The music swelled before finally coming to an end. The two dancers reluctantly let go of each other. Finally looking away from one another and returning to the real world. Their surroundings came back into focus, as the feeling of closeness they had created quickly faded to the back of their minds. 

Slowly, taking their time to adjust to the crowd of people around them they return to their group. It had not gone unnoticed by the Howling comendos that the two had gone of to dance together. Bucky even greeted them with the sound of a whistles and pated his best friend of the back. They both blushed, still cooling off from being so close together.

----

That night they both remembered how they danced in eachothers arms. Remembering perfectly how they fit together and swayed. They both dreamed of a white Christmas where nether was shy to reach out and kiss.

La Fin.

[alstroemeriadissonance]

Scorched Earth Offensive - ver. Vyn (NSFW)

I'm a big fan of this Vyn fic series in AO3 (read it! It's one of the reasons why I even bother checking AO3 even if they don't want me to make an account lol. That and this fic too) and it pretty much spurred me to write this after the Artem in their story hit one of my very few tolerance thresholds. I am a patient person. At least I like to imagine myself to be one. But when it comes to Vyn...

This would be the first time I have two *active* drafts I write concurrently--the other one being a Secret Santa thing that's supposed to be a fluffy fairytale fantasy. It'll be fun to see if I manage to pull it off...or will elements from both bleed into each other? I shall find out, for SCIENCE

Rosa's Scorched Earth attack here

Rosa: Vyn, I just got home. I'm sorry for having to cancel our dinner. I had to do overtime, again.

Vyn: Never you mind, beloved. After the third night of this being pulled on you, I have anticipated that tonight will also turn out to be the same.

Vyn: I do not have any pressing matters to attend tomorrow. Would you indulge this selfish request of mine to let me visit and pamper you tonight?

Rosa: If you put it that way, Vyn...yes, please. I'd really appreciate it if you can drop by. Let's have a chat over some dinner?

Vyn: Yes. I already have dinner prepared. Let me borrow your kitchen when I get there so I can reheat it over the stove.

It did not even take a few seconds after closing the door behind him for Vyn to drop his things by his feet, and gather Rosa in his arms for a deep kiss filled with utter longing. "Rosa," he breathed against her lips before claiming them once again, his arms pulling her close to him, as if reminding Rosa of his touches, and how perfectly their bodies fit against each other.

"You belong to me, and me alone," Vyn whispered as he reluctantly pulled away from his beloved. There was the matter of dinner that needed to be taken care of, after all; Vyn tried his hardest to ignore the first stirrings of hunger that started to grow in his loins.

"Mm, dinner can wait...?" Rosa's eyes were still heavy with initial stages of arousal.

Vyn had overdone his greeting, but he could not help it; three days of not being able to see his beautiful rose was already causing him anxiety enough to affect his self-assessments.

"No. Dinner must not be made to wait any further; as a doctor I am compelled to attend to your nutritional needs as well." With a gentle laugh Vyn shook his head as he picked up the bags containing their dinner and his change of clothing for the night.

"Fine," Rosa murmured with a mock sigh. "I shall eagerly await dinner then." She padded her way to her sofa to rest her feet.

Vyn discreetly observed Rosa all the way from the kitchen as he started to heat the pan. He noted how she put up her feet, the way her shoulders slumped even as she reclined on the sofa, how she rubbed her eyes from time to time, her poorly-hidden yawning.

Rosa is keeping the extent of her fatigue from me to assuage my own worries, and to make me feel welcome despite the late hour. He took out the container filled with risotto from the thermal bag. She is severely overworked, and I can see it no matter how much she tries to hide it.

Vyn's brow twitched at the thought of someone deliberately keeping her in his domain, despite the toll it was taking on her physical, mental, and--god forbid--emotional well-being, for the express purpose of keeping them separated out of sheer pettiness and poorly-handled need for control.

Artem. He will get his just deserts.

He will know what it means to cross me.

A tendril of smoke rising from the pan snapped Vyn out of his darker thoughts; softly swearing under his breath he turned off the heat and waited for the pan to cool.

===

Rosa gasped in delight when Vyn brought out their dinner.

"Strawberry risotto," Vyn said with a soft smile as he placed Rosa's plate in front of her. It was heaped full of rice tinged pink with strawberries, topped with slices of fresh strawberries and grated parmesan cheese for garnish.

"I thought you would like something new, to let you forget about your stressful day at work." He bent over and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "It is savory and not at all sweet, despite how it looks. You may even find it...moreish."

"It even smells delicious!" Rosa, apparently only realizing the extent of her hunger the moment the enticing aroma touched her nose. With nary a delay she shoveled a spoonful of risotto into her mouth and tried to say the word "delicious!" again, only to end up with muffled intelligible sounds.

"Careful, darling," Vyn chuckled as he filled Rosa's wine glass with rosé spumante. "I do not want to see you choke."

"If I were to choke on something, I have one thing in mind," Rosa said after swallowing the spoonful of risotto. "You know." She bit her lip, corners of her lips upturned in an impish grin.

"Heh. Not now, beloved," Vyn met her mischievous grin with a hungry gaze. "Lest you are alright with the idea of the dinner I made for you being left to spoil."

"Sorry." Rosa took a sip of her sparkling rosé wine. "I couldn't help it. It's only the end of Wednesday and already it feels like I haven't seen you for a year." She frowned. "I swear, all of the overtime we've been doing feels contrived just so he'd keep an eye on me--"

Vyn reached out to her across the table and laid a slender finger across her lips. "Ssh. Enjoy your meal first. Nourish yourself; let us talk about that later." His amber-gold eyes sparkled with warmth. "Well? What do you think of dinner so far?"

Rosa chewed on a bit of strawberry, thoughtfully. "It looked strange, I have to admit, if it weren't for how good it smelled. Also," she said before she chewed on another spoonful.

"Hmm?" Vyn hummed as he helped himself to his own portion.

"This dish is so very you, you know?"

"Oh? How so?"

Rosa laughed. "Well, I've always associated you with desserts, and wine...it wasn't much of a stretch to think that if you were to make a savory main course dish, it'd look like dessert somehow." She ate another spoonful. "You are right, this is rather moreish...I can't get enough of how rich it tastes with butter, yet the tanginess of the strawberries tempers it."

"Knowing that you associate with me pleasurable things in life such as sweets and wine makes me immensely happy," Vyn murmured as he sipped his sparkling wine. "Thank you, Rosa."

"Hm?" Rosa's head tipped to one side, inquiringly. "What are you thanking me for?"

"For reminding me that there is still something good in me." Vyn said as he once again touched her lips with a finger. "But...you will need to forgive me." He slipped the tip of his finger into her mouth, lightly touching her tongue. "For whatever drastic measures that I may need to...take."

He removed his finger from her mouth, bringing it into his, sucking on it. An indirect kiss.

"I will put a stop to this nonsense, Rosa, even if it means I may get hurt." His smile slipped off his face, revealing the cold fury that he had been nursing all the while.

===

"Hahh...Vyn, darling, I..." Rosa moaned, sweat trickling down her neck. "I missed this. I miss you. A lot. Even if it was just for three days of not seeing you." She moved underneath Vyn's still shuddering form. "I want more."

It took a while before Vyn shook his mind clear of the orgasm haze, his own sweat dripping from the ends of his silver strands. "More? Rosa, are you not tired...?"

She reached out to him, pulling him down on top of her with eager arms. "Tired? I was only hungry earlier, and you fed me well." Rosa said before let her lover claim her lips in his, relishing the feel of his tongue against hers. Her legs once again wrapped his waist, holding him in place and not even letting him pull out of her.

Vyn laughed in delight as he nuzzled her neck. "Heavens, you are insatiable for me. Hungry for me," he said, purring into her ear.

"Yes, let it get to your head, Dr. Vyn Richter."

"If only he knew how much you crave for me," Vyn murmured, loathe to even mention Artem's name. "How much you want me, and no one else..." his voice trailed off.

"Rosa, do you understand what your senior partner is trying to do?"

Rosa bit her lip. "I don't even want to say it out loud, because it sounds so petty and stupid. But." She took a deep breath.

"Everything feels like he's been keeping me in overtime to put a wrench in our after work plans. Or keep an eye on me. He's been like this ever since he learned of our relationship." Rosa sighed. "He wouldn't even let me go home alone. He was insistent on bringing me to a restaurant for dinner earlier but I managed to convince him to drive me home instead."

Ah. At the very least she understands what is happening. I do not want to be accused of putting the idea into her head.

"If there is only a way to let him fully understand that you are no longer available for him to take," Vyn planted small kisses on her cheek. "That you are off the table, so to speak..."

Then something clicked in his mind.

"Rosa, dearest," Vyn teased the shell of her ear with his tongue. "Would you want to be my accomplice?"

Rosa let out a moan; she writhed underneath Vyn as he assaulted her with his teasing touches. "...accomplice? For what?"

"Something that may put a stop to your senior's abusive behavior." A small bite on her neck.

"Ah--Vyn, this is no way to ask a favor! You're trying to butter me up with sex!" Rosa half-moaned, half-laughed as he worried over the teeth marks he just made with his tongue. "This is considered putting me under duress!"

Vyn laughed.

Stifling her giggle, Rosa looked Vyn squarely into his amber-gold eyes. "Okay, I'll bite. What's the plan?"

He told her.

Rosa's face, already tinged pink with sex flush, went a couple of shades darker at every lurid detail Vyn outlined for her regarding this plan.

"That is, if you are comfortable with it," Vyn said, smiling apologetically. "I am sorry for even bringing it up; sometimes my darker thoughts--"

"I haven't said anything yet, Vyn!" Rosa giggled nervously. "I find it rather...sexy. I can see how it may work though, but even if it doesn't--I can always mention it so he'll be too awkward to try and do anything." She cleared her throat. "Besides, it's not as if it's our first roleplaying gig. Remember?"

"Ah, that is my courageous, beautiful, ravishing rose," Vyn said as he licked his lips in anticipation.

"Well then, for the second round..." he rolled off Rosa and laid on top of the bedsheets, his hands above his head. "...do you want to practice?"

===

The first part of the plan was for Rosa to suggest to Artem that she planned to take her work to the NXX Headquarters, as Vyn had so graciously set up for her a workstation hooked to a privately-ran library that contained details of all cases made public spanning several decades.

"The key for this plan not to backfire is making sure that you only briefly mention offhandedly what you intend to do; but never outright suggest that he go there with you or telling him to go there at a certain place and time," Vyn had suggested earlier.

"He has to come of his own volition."

"I will be spending my time regularly there, Artem," Rosa told her law firm partner, showing him a keycard that Vyn created especially for her so she can enter the premises without the need for him to let her into the building.

Artem's eyes narrowed. "Rosa, I am sure the resources that we have are more than adequate."

"Who's to say that without even checking it out?" Rosa shrugged. "I intend to drop by Headquarters starting tomorrow after lunch. I plan to do so whenever there's no field work to be done." She slipped the keycard back to her pocket.

===

"I can't believe he actually fell for it," Rosa murmured as she watched the CCTV monitor in the NXX server room showing Artem's car pulling into the automobile bay of the NXX Headquarters.

"Heh. So predicable," Vyn muttered as he stood up from his swivel chair. "Ready for showtime, Rosa?" He asked as he reached for the power control panel.

"Mm..." Rosa blushed. "Ready when you are, Vyn."

"Magnificent." Vyn said as he cut off the power to the first floor of the NXX Headquarters, including the conference room that was adjacent to the server room.

====

Artem walked towards the conference room in purposeful strides. The lights along corridors were turned off--which was not at all unusual in itself given that the place was supposed to be deserted--but from experience they were never turned off, not even once.

Then he noticed that the emergency lights had kicked in, which explained the faint light that--

Muffled noises reached his ears.

Moaning?

"What the hell--" Artem muttered, his strides transitioning into a sprint. Whatever he saw when he reached the conference room, however, stopped him in his tracks.

Rosa?

His eyes widened as the scene in front of him finally registered in his mind.

Rosa and Vyn were inside the conference room; the closed glass door separating them from him.

Vyn sat on one of the swivel chairs--his hands bound behind the chair's backrest with his own wine red necktie.

In front of him stood Rosa. One of her knees was planted on the chair, wedged between Vyn's thighs.

"Vyn, why do you tease me so?" Rosa said, almost purring, as her fingers worked on the buttons of his waistcoat. "You know I would come here alone--why don't want to do it with me?"

"Rosa, you're supposed to be working--ah!" Vyn moaned, his voice carrying over the emptiness of the conference room and no doubt spilled over to the corridors outside.

Rosa had grabbed his silver hair by the fistful and pulled on it, hard, raising his face meet hers. "You know how much I wanted to fuck you ever since last weekend--why won't you do it with me right now?" She dipped in for a kiss, letting her tongue slip inside Vyn's slack mouth, her tongue hungrily sliding against his, her hand still pulling at Vyn's silver hair.

Vyn moaned loudly, once again. He could not speak, not with Rosa filling his mouth with her hungry, probing tongue.

"You still taste delicious as ever," Rosa said as she surfaced from the kiss, making a show of her licking her lips. "Vyn. I don't understand why you've been avoiding me. Why?"

Rosa parted his waistcoat; she now worked on the buttons of his white shirt.

"You have been spending time with Artem more than me," came Vyn's reply, voice filled with misgiving. "You do not even have time for--"

Slap.

"Ah!" Vyn cried, his cheek still stinging from the slap Rosa had inflicted on him.

"Shut up!" Rosa spat out. "I absolutely hate how Artem has been forcing me to do all those overtimes, how he's browbeating me into joining him for dinner and forcing me into taking his car as sole transportation after he's done sapping away my time and energy for the day."

Outside the conference room, Artem's hand clung to the door handle so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Is this...is this what she thinks about me, all these time?

And what is she doing with Vyn?

She slapped Vyn again, this time on the other cheek. "And now you're denying me the stress relief I've been looking forward to for days?"

Vyn bit his lip. "Rosa, I am sorry," he said despite the physical assault inflicted on him. "I will make it up to you. So please. Please release me from my bonds."

"No." Rosa, having fully unbuttoned his white shirt, parted it to reveal his fair, lithe torso hidden underneath. "I am having my way with you. I am already this done with the men in my life trying to control me." She licked his collarbone, at the spot where his secret beauty spot was located. "Damn. Have I already mentioned how your beauty spot here drives me crazy?"

Vyn whimpered softly.

Rosa, grinning, knelt in front of him. "I want to hear you make more of those sounds, Vyn," she quickly unbuckled his belt; undid the buttons and zippers of his pants. "Who would have thought the illustrious Dr. Richter is actually putty in the hands of a nobody like me?"

"You are not a nobody, Rosa," Vyn hissed as Rosa freed his cock from his underwear. "You are--oh damn," Vyn moaned, driving his head back deeper into the backrest. "Please..."

"Please what, Vyn?" Rosa languorously licked the entire length of his shaft, from base to tip, letting her tongue-tip linger at that sensitive spot just underneath the tip.

"Please don't stop what you're doing!" He moaned.

Vyn could see in his peripheral vision Artem watching their little play that they put on just for him, face dumbfounded, his hand on the door, perhaps trying to open it--but he would never be able to, not with the power to the conference room completely cut off from the grid and the electronic doors disabled.

Heh.

Vyn was about to let himself gloat further, but Rosa's exquisite sucking of his shaft distracted him from relishing in his victory. "Hahh, beloved," Vyn groaned. "I'm about to come--"

"Vyn," Rosa said softly in a stage whisper. "Can you take over? I really really want you to fuck me now."

"Mhm. Untie me now." Vyn whispered back. "Let's end this show and finish strongly."

"Alright, Vyn," Rosa put on her acting face again. "You will not come in my mouth." She reached out to untie the wire-red strip of his necktie that bound his wrists. "Fuck me. Fuck me hard."

"As you wish."

Vyn kicked the wheel lock of the swivel chair with his heel, and, dropping all pretense of being dominated by Rosa he roughly handled her by the hips, making her kneel onto the chair.

He lifted the hem of her skirt, bunching up the black fabric around her waist.

And, grinning, he let himself give Artem a side eye with a look of utter triumph, of overwhelming confidence on his face as he tore at Rosa's pantyhose and pulled her panties down to her knees.

Artem was now trying to shake the door down, furious.

"Fuck. This will probably be the riskiest sex I will ever have," Rosa murmured as she felt Vyn rubbing the tip of his cock against her wet slit. "Risk being I may lose my job--ah shit so good--"

Vyn had plunged deep inside her in one go. "Hahh--he will lose his job first if it even comes to that--" he grabbed Rosa by the waist, and started pounding into her hard, hard enough for the swivel chair to creak loudly at his every thrust.

"Vyn, do you think this chair can take it?" Rosa cried, and then moaned as she felt Vyn reach over to tease her clit with his cool fingertips. "Oh shit--!!"

"I do not care about the chair, nor should you, Rosa," Vyn laughed, drowning in sexual high mixed with the euphoria at the absolute victory brought about by his scorched earth retaliation.

Vyn felt Rosa's inner muscles come undone and shudder around his shaft, prompting him to ruthlessly chase his own orgasm, railing Rosa fast and hard on the chair.

WIth a loud groan he pulled out, spraying his seed all over Rosa's back, some dripping onto the chair.

There. That should take care of it.

===

Next day. NXX Headquarters, Lounge.

"Vyn, a word, if you please," Artem muttered, voice clipped.

"I am preparing tea for the upcoming meeting, Artem," Vyn murmured as he put in tea leaves into the tea chamber of his pot. "If that will take long, then can that wait until after the meeting?"

"This will be short." Artem's voice came low, almost a growl.

"Very well then." Vyn followed Artem to the kitchen area located at the back of the lounge.

"Well? What is it?" Vyn asked Artem, arms crossed.

Artem's face was several shades red. "I saw what happened here yesterday."

"Oh. That," Vyn raised his eyebrow. "So, you saw a couple being intimate. Just unfortunate that it took place in the headquarters, but there were...instances that necessitated it. What about it, Artem?"

"That..." Artem's hands balled into fists. "That is highly unprofessional, Richter," he spat out. "If--"

"If what, Wing?" Vyn sneered. "Are you so controlling of your junior partner that you cannot help but control her personal life as well?"

In a whisper, Vyn continued, "No matter how late you keep her in the confines of your office, it will be my bed she will be warming at night, Wing. Or, if you childishly insist on browbeating her into dinners with you or driving her home, she will call for me to warm her bed at night."

Blind with fury Artem lunged at Vyn, who effortlessly sidestepped his advance.

"You would need to be quicker than that, Wing," Vyn kicked the other man's stomach, sending him to his knees.

"If you must insist on abusing your power over your junior," Vyn carried on, as if he did not have Artem on his knees in front of him, hacking and coughing all over his shoes. "Then remember this. I will not take kindly to any further abuse of power exerted over my lover. As to what will happen to you if I ever find out, I shall leave it to your imagination.

Vyn's amber-gold eyes glinted cruelly.

"You will learn just how vindictive I can be."

[mandoalorian]

Fireworks [Max Phillips x Reader]

Summary: When your boss, Max Phillips, asks you to work late on New Year's Eve, you're infuriated. However, you don't realise what his true intentions are.

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: mutual pining, colleagues-to-lovers, mention of drink, mention of family, cursing.

Author's note: This is my second time writing for Max Phillips and I have to admit, it was slightly out of my comfort zone but I hope you enjoy it none the less!

Masterlist

---

For @66wookies

Kiki, it was such a pleasure to write this. After this intense year and the anticipating lead up to 2021, I thought now was a perfect time to share this fic with you. I truly hope you enjoy this fic and had a wonderful festive season. With love,

Your Secret Santa (Rach) Xx.

---

You hated him. Okay, maybe that was a slight over statement, but you weren't exactly pleased with your boss. It was New Year's Eve and you had plans to spend time with your family like you did every year. You'd go to the beach and watch the firework display before heading back home and getting cozy on the sofa, nursing a mug of your favourite hot beverage and watching the countdown on live television. It was simple, but it was your tradition, and it was important to you.

You had to drop by the office during the break between Christmas and New Year's to drop off a sales project you'd been working on for the past month. Proud of the results, you slipped it on your boss' desk and turned around to leave when a large hand dropped down to the small of your back, stopping you in your footsteps. Your whole body stiffened up and you swallowed the lump that had appeared in your throat. You knew it was your boss, because there was just something so distinct about the aura Max Phillips gave off.

He called your name and you took a deep breath, turning around to face him. His hand slipped from you and he smiled politely.

"I need you to stop by on New Year's Eve… work late." Max said matter-of-factly like you couldn't even question it. You stood there completely dumbfounded, your eyes turning comically wide in disbelief when you saw him spin around and walk into his office. You hurried after him.

"I can't do that," you replied with a small, incredulous scoff, like his suggestion was ridiculous. "I booked in to take a holiday for New Year's Eve months ago. I have plans."

"Plans change," Max sighed, sliding into his chair and casually slipping his feet up on his office desk, crossing over his ankles and folding his arms against his chest. "You knew what you were getting yourself into when you took this job. You knew that you must make your position here a priority."

He was right. You hated that he was right.

"But I have plans!" you repeated in protest, perhaps a little too loudly. Max looked up from the paperwork you handed in and stared at you with a quirked eyebrow. Something about the look on his face made you infuriated. It was like he failed to understand how much this has upset you. "Can't you ask Evan? Or Amanda? Or hell, even Tim?"

"Now, no need to get upset," Max hummed, his tone as condescending as ever. "If I wanted Evan or Amanda or Tim I would've asked them. But I want you."

You were angry. So angry you felt your cheeks burn up with rage. But there was something so personal about Max specifically selecting you. You didn't understand it— truth be told, you were just as qualified as everyone else in the office. You always felt like you didn't particularly stand out from a crowd, but clearly, in this circumstance, you had stood out to Max. In fact, you had stood out the moment Max hired you.

He shouldn't have done it, but it wasn't his fault. When you walked into his office for the first time, bright eyed and prepared for your interview, he found you completely and utterly alluring. You were smiley, perky, and gave all the right answers. Even if you had given the wrong answers, the chances were that Max would've still hired you. He figured he could get used to your irresistible good looks by seeing you every day, but he hadn't really. It had been months and he hadn't gotten over you.

Max was no monster. In the moment, you were filled with blinded rage and you were certain he must've had a heart made of stone— but actually, that wasn't true at all. In fact, you couldn't have been more wrong. After you had stormed out of his office, Max was left alone. He swung his feet off the table, immediately ridding himself of that cocky persona he always displayed, and began to nervously pick at his fingernails. He did feel bad. He did feel selfish. But if he didn’t do this now, he felt like I would simply explode. And that would be messy.

He’d admired you from day one. He loved your charm, and the way you’d waltz into the office every morning and brighten up the room. No one else noticed, but Max certainly did. He tried dumb little ways to win your affection, like bringing you a coffee on his lunch break or the bouquet of red roses on your birthday, but you never took the hint.

Maybe you hadn’t taken the hint that he liked you because you were too busy yearning over him yourself! You were smitten with Max. Who wouldn’t be? On the exterior, he was cool and collected, smug and suave. He wore these perfectly pressed designer suits and had the most beautiful chocolate brown hair. You swore you always caught his eyes sparkling, even under the dull, artificial office lighting. He was your dream man, but he also happened to be a man you never would’ve imagined ending up with. He had such a big and boisterous personality, and his job was literally his lifestyle. He was so career oriented whereas you were more focused on spending time with your family. Maybe that’s why this hurt you so much.

You laid on your bed, staring at your wall clock as it ticked by with every second. You had to be at the office in half an hour. If it was up to you, you would’ve been at the firework display doting one of your sleek, little black dresses. You huffed out your cheeks, mourning the New Years Eve you could’ve had. But that was when the realization hit you. You looked down at your comfy slacks and sweater and decided that you weren’t going to let Max Phillips ruin your evening. You could still have a good time, even if your plans had changed. You got up, walked over to your closet and picked out the outfit you had planned on wearing tonight.

You slipped into the dress, fastened your heels and grabbed your favourite jacket, pulling it over your body for warmth. Knowing the roads would be busy, you didn’t want the stress of driving, so you called a cab. As you waited outside for your taxi, your feet became submerged in the thick, fluffy white snow and your breathing became jittery from the cold. You almost regretted wearing the short dress but knew once you entered the office, the heat would engulf you and it would be so worth it.

You were right, too. When you had finally arrived at work, you noted that Max had left the heating on for you. You supposed that had been thoughtful of him, all things considered. The front door got stuck, as it always did. You groaned, trying to get it to budge open and took a mental note. You'd have to text Frank in the morning and remind him to get the stupid lock fixed before something bad happens. The lobby was dark but you did notice the small amber light illuminating Max’s private office at the end of the room. You walked down the deserted office space, your heels clicking against the marble floor as you approached the very end. You knocked on his door, which already stood slightly ajar and waited for Max to call you in. After a brief silence, you finally heard Max’s voice.

His jaw dropped when he saw you, but as always, you didn’t even notice. You always failed to recognise the signs that Max was indeed completely enamoured with you. His lips parted slightly in awe and his eyes widened as you slipped out of your jacket and hung it on the coat peg. Max drunk in your appearance like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen; he even felt something begin to stir in his lower abdomen. It was a sensational feeling. He couldn’t tear his gaze from you as he admired the way your dress hugged your body and accentuated you in all the right places. You were even wearing that beautiful shade of red lipstick, the same one you had worn at the annual Christmas party. The same one that Max had specifically mentioned he adored so much. That colour suited you so well, it drove him crazy.

"You… you look exquisite," he gulped nervously, feeling himself begin to fluster up. "I didn't realise we were making it formal."

"You always wear your suits," you pointed out. "I figured I could dress up too. I bought this dress specifically for my plans tonight and well, I didn't want it to go to waste,"

Max didn't reply, he was still too busy raking in your appearance. The prolonged silence irritated you slightly and you released a sigh that you didn't even realise you were holding back. "Max, if you don't mind me asking, why am I here?" you quizzed.

"Oh, right," Max replied, an air of apology in his voice. He pointed at the chair that was located on the other side of his desk. "Sit."

You obeyed his instruction, gently sliding into the plush leather seat and crossing your legs. You literally took his breath away. He was going to do it, he was finally going to admit his feelings to you, but he couldn't help but notice the scowl that played across your lips. You looked genuinely pissed off with him. So much so that he figured maybe now wasn't the best time after all.

"What is it?" you raised your eyebrows, waiting for the acting sales manager to say something— anything.

"I-" Max started but he really couldn't bring myself to continue. He just couldn't do it. It would be humiliating for him, and there was no way you'd even feel the same way. His whole idea was a joke and he couldn't have been any less thrilled. "Doesn't matter. Sorry for calling you here tonight. Go be with your family." He told you, finally breaking eye contact and looking down at the floor sadly.

You knotted your eyebrows together. "I'm sorry? What?" you gritted out. You weren't as much angry as you were confused.

"Yeah," Max muttered, pointing aimlessly at the door. You blinked profusely. "Sorry." he mumbled again. This was really embarrassing for him. Max Phillips didn't let this kind of shit happen. Max Phillips wasn't the kind of guy to fall in love with his employees— but you had him wrapped around your little finger and didn't even know about it.

"Don't you have family to be with?" you asked your boss hesitantly. Come to think of it, you had never heard Max talk about his family. All you knew about his personal life was that he was excluded from university and ended up finishing his Business Management degree in some quaint and rather illegitimate sounding Romanian college. Max shook his head 'no' and you opted not to prod him any further about it. "Well, I appreciate you letting me leave. But it's no fun staying cooped up in here all night. You're more than welcome to join me and my relatives at the firework display."

Were you mildly annoyed that Max had brought you to his office on New Year's Eve for no evident reason? Yes. But were you also ecstatic that he was allowing you to leave and see your family? Absolutely. You weren't going to deny him, and you were afraid that if you questioned him any further he might change his mind.

Max's eyes lit up at your suggestion. "Wait, really?" He asked, already grabbing his coat and pulling it over his shoulders. "I can drive." His enthusiasm reminded you of the very reason you had fallen for him in the first place.

You giggled. "Of course! Mind, my family can be quite...intense." you warned. Max shut the light and the both of you walked down the empty office to the front door where you tried to open it. But, it wouldn't budge. It was stuck. Your movements became erratic as you tried to yank it open, your fingers clenched tightly around the handle. "Um, it won't open." you said hesitantly, beginning to panic and use all your upper body strength to try and push the lock back. You had remembered the door had been on its last legs for quite some time now… but of course it would only be your luck for it to finally give way on New Year's Eve.

"Let me try." You stepped back and watched as Max jiggled the lock a little. He looked up and down at the door, trying to gauge its sturdiness before slamming his full body into the wooden frame and breaking it down. You screamed, your eyes going comically wide as the door shattered into a million splintered pieces. Max brushed his fitted suit down like nothing had even happened.

"What the-" you gasped, your voice turning incredulously high pitched. "How did you do that?"

"Uh, just a simple shift of weight," Max said, analysing the damage done.

"Gosh, it's like you have super strength or something." you started pointedly at the mess on the floor, your gaze flicking between the rubble and your boss who was just waiting for you to follow him outside.

"...or something," he muttered when you eventually stepped over the mess and walked with him to the parking lot. Max Phillips was not your ordinary guy by any means. He'd love for you to one day learn the truth about him, but for now he'd have to tackle one step at a time and all he could think about was the possibility of finally admitting his feelings to you.

You slid into the passenger's seat of Max's car and he followed behind you. As he turned on the exhaust, you pulled down the interior mirror and padded out the little snowflakes which had fluttered into your hair. As you fixed your appearance, you noticed Max was staring at you from the corner of his eye, trying to be discreet. He waited until you had finished before he started to drive.

The drive was filled with a comfortable silence, the car radio quietly humming in the background as you glanced outside, unable to contain your smile. There was just something so beautiful about this time of year. You loved seeing the way the ground was lapped with snow and the trees which stood tall and bare. It was magical.

Max finally pulled up as close to the firework display as he could get— although it was still around a ten minute walk away. You both slid out of the car, immediately shivering as the cold winter air once again hit you. "Definitely wasn't planning on doing this tonight," Max admitted with a light chuckle.

"You know? Me neither," You laughed back. "Otherwise I would've brought my gloves."

Truthfully, Max didn't feel the cold. There was something about him… it was like he was always cold and so the winter air didn't bother him as much as it would bother anyone else. Max slipped his hand into yours, his fingers curling around yours and giving you a gentle squeeze. You felt your heart rate increase speed under his touch and you looked up at him with confused, glazed eyes.

"Transferring just a little body heat," he explained, but cursed himself as soon as the words left his lips. Who speaks like that? Could he not have just admitted that he's been wanting to hold your hand for what feels like forever? You nodded unknowingly and shot him an adorable grin.

You both walked through the thick snow, hand in hand, and Max paid extra care to make sure you wouldn't slip over on the black ice. Those heels you were wearing looked like a nightmare to walk in. He had your back, and for the first time in forever, you genuinely felt protected.

You spotted your family immediately once you arrived at the display, smiling and shouting them over. Max nervously followed behind you, his hands in his coat pockets. "Hey, I thought you couldn't make it." your mom grinned, pulling you into a comforting hug.

"Well we figured something out," you laughed. "This is my boss by the way, Max Phillips."

Your family and Max exchanged pleasantries as you waited for the display to start. "I'm going to get some hot cocoa from the vendor over there," Max announced. "Does anyone want anything?"

Your family said no but you asked him politely for a cup of your favourite hot beverage. "So," your mother cooed. "What's the deal with you two?"

"What do you mean?" you asked with a quirked eyebrow, but you knew what her tone suggested.

"Are you kidding? I see the way he looks at you!" Your mom explained and you felt a flush of heat swamp across your cheeks.

"I really don't think he feels that way about me," you scoffed and your mother emitted a small hum. "We're just friends and uh… colleagues."

Max came back and handed you your hot drink. You hummed in delight as you nursed the cup, the heat warming your hands and the smell enticing you.

The firework display began, bolts of pretty colours shooting up into the air and exploding into magic. You leaned your head into the crook of Max's shoulder as you both watched the night sky explode into colour. It was awe-inspiring.

Your mother tapped you on the shoulder, interrupting your moment. "The kids are cold," she explained. "I think we're going to head home early and watch the countdown to midnight on the television. You and Max are more than welcome to join us."

You turned to Max, wanting to know what he thought. He dropped a hand to your wrist. "Uh actually, could we have a moment of privacy?" he raised an eyebrow and you hesitantly nodded your head. Your mother smiled understandingly and waved you both goodbye.

"So," you hummed, gently rocking backwards and forwards, a slight awkwardness in your body language.

"I've never actually seen fireworks in real life before." Max admitted.

"Really?" you felt your eyes widen in surprise and Max nodded. "You know Max, I've always thought you were like an enigma. Mystery man. There's so much I don't know about you, but then sometimes, you come out with the most random things."

"Well, what do you want to know?" Max asked.

You thought for a second. "I want to know why you invited me to your office on New Year's Eve, only to let me go home after all. I don't understand. I finished the sales project, done all the work you asked of me…"

Max sighed, cutting you off. "I know," he said. "It wasn't for a work thing…"

You furrowed your eyebrows together in bewilderment, waiting for him to continue. "Countdown to midnight in one minute!" the announcer yelled and everyone around you screamed.

"The truth is, I had to tell you something. Something I've been keeping to myself for a long time," Max began to explain. He felt himself getting nervous but he knew he had to do his best to shake off the anxiety. Now was a good of a time as any. "I like you," he admitted. "A lot. And I've liked you for a long time. And I'm not sure if you feel the same way but these feelings have been eating me up for what feels like an eternity… I never thought a man like me could fall in love but I'm pretty sure… I'm pretty sure I could be falling right now."

You were in complete disbelief. Your boss was admitting he had feelings for you this whole time?

"I invited you to my office because I wanted to tell you, but when I saw how upset you were with me… it put me off," Max sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. If it does, just let me know and we can forget all about it."

He was rambling on, he hadn't even noticed the countdown beginning.

10, 9, 8…

"But I don't want to forget. I want to go into this new year with you knowing exactly how I feel. I'd love to go into the new year with you by my side because shit… I've imagined it for so long,"

7, 6, 5…

"I'm not a perfect guy, in fact, there's a lot you need to know about me. But if you just give me one chance… I promise I won't mess it up,"

4, 3, 2…

"Please."

1.

The crowds erupted into chaos as the final batch of fireworks exploded into the night sky. "Happy new year!" People cheered and screamed excitedly. You pressed your lips against Max's, unable to contain your smile. Your action took him by surprise. After a slight stumble backwards, he wrapped his arms around you and rested his palms on the small of your back.

"Happy new year," you mumbled against his lips.

"Happy new year," he replied, affectionately nudging the curve of his nose against yours.

"I love you too." And with your confession, Max pulled you into another, deeper and more passionate kiss. You knew in that moment you'd be in for a great year ahead.

Taglists — let me know if you wish to be added!

Permanent: @supernaturalgirl @phoenixhalliwell @ah-callie @luvzoria @stardust-galaxies @wickedfrsgrl @goth-topic @nerdypinupcrystal @wonderfulfluffer @kiwi-the-first @pedroepascal @castiel-barnes @honeymandos @rocketqueen @ladycumberbatchofcamelot @dybalalover10 @girl-obsessed-with-things @elena-myth @moth-guillotine @pedro-pascal-love @hayley-the-comet @pinkninja190

[egcdeath]

secret santa

pairing: ransom drysdale x f!reader

a/n: this is so self indulgent. SO SELF INDULGENT. more self indulgent than anyone will ever be able to comprehend. before u all read this, i want u to know it was originally supposed to be about training ransom at a job, but then i realized that i nothing about 1. working at a coffee shop and 2. training an employee. also, i am the worst at writing dialogue. so i didn’t write a lot of dialogue LMAO enjoy :)

also, half of this was written at 1 am. just a warning

warnings: coffee shop au, enemies (kinda) to lovers, a lil fluff, not really angst but bitter feelings, kinda slow burn and then all the sudden a fast burn i’m sorry 😭

word count: 2.6k

You woke up to the sound of your alarm rumbling your bedside table sometime around the asscrack of dawn, and rubbed your eyes with a groan. Sometimes, you really couldn’t stand your job, but bills didn’t really pay themselves, did they? You rolled out of bed, and began your dreaded morning routine before heading out to start your opening shift at your local café.

Somewhere between warming up the espresso machine and taking out last night’s trash (which you shouldn’t have had to do in the first place), an older, yet expensive looking car pulled up to the front of the parking lot. You were a bit confused, as you’d never seen this vehicle, and it was quite clear that you weren’t exactly open yet. You watched as a tall man hopped out of the car, wearing a large peacoat and very unnecessary sunglasses. He approached the door, gave it a knock, then waited for you to come open it for him. Reluctantly, you made your way over, and in order to keep yourself safe, began to speak through the glass.

“Can I help you?” You asked in an annoyed tone, then gestured towards the piece of paper that labeled your hours on the door. There was no reason for any customer to be here this early. You looked up at the mystery man and made a rather intense eye contact with him. If this was any indicator of your crowd today, work was going to be far from pleasant.

“Yeah, I was told that I’m starting today?” He had a wicked smirk on his face, like he knew he was getting under your skin already. You hated people like him, and couldn’t believe that he could possibly be your coworker. On the bright side, he probably wouldn’t last long in the first place.

“Well, are you sure you’re here on time? I can’t see any situation where Melissa would schedule to open for your very first shift.” You commented with a furrowed brow.

“Eh, I kinda just figured I’d come in whenever. The girl in my bed was an early riser, so I thought to myself ‘Why not just come in now?’” He said casually.

“Your name?” You inquired, trying to keep your annoyance to yourself, and put on a customer service smile.

“Hugh, or Ransom,” he responded. You turned around, allowed yourself a huff and eye roll, then walked through the kitchen, and into the break room to check if he truly was a new employee, or just some random creep. Sure enough, a bright pink post-it note in very neat handwriting confirmed this man’s existence. You made your way back to the door, unlocked it, and let him in.

“Since you’re here, you should… set down the chairs,” you told him, less than entertained by his presence. You could just tell he was bad news. This Ransom guy was like the textbook definition of a red flag. He talked your ear off while you tried to get through your opening routine, some casual remarks about his last hookup, complaints about how he only got this job because his mother was a regular and good friends with your manager, and how he was threatened to get cut out of his grandfather’s will if he didn’t get employed soon, and what better way to spite your family than to mess up their daily coffees.

Eventually, a few more of your coworkers, along with your manager, Melissa, made it to the café before the morning rush began. You were sitting down at your typical barstool spot, and sipping an iced Americano when Melissa broke the news to you that you would be training the new employee. Upon hearing the news, you audibly groaned, and rubbed your forehead. There was no way that you could handle this man.

-------

During his first week, Ransom not only managed to offer (and successfully give) six customers his phone number, break two mugs, mess up more orders than even Euclid could comprehend, and spill straws a multitude of times all over the floor, but he began to flirt with you relentlessly. You had no idea why you’d become his new target of choice, when it was clear that he could have literally anyone he wanted. Maybe he liked that you were playing hard to get.

If you were being honest, you had to accept that he was handsome. And rich. And the definition of a fuckboy. And since you were being frank with yourself, you had to acknowledge that you were attracted to that ‘toxic and will treat you like shit’ kind of guy. You had a roster of ex boyfriends to prove that for you.

---

It was a pretty slow Tuesday afternoon, which meant you were sitting on your phone until a customer placed an order. Eventually, the little bell above the door chimed, and an older man came through, ordering a dark and bitter drink, then standing by the counter to wait. You began to restock lids while Ransom took care of making the drink, and once it was ready, you passed it over to the man. The man in question took a rather large sip, then promptly spat it out.

“What the fuck is this!” He roared, barely giving you time to react before he proceeded to toss the drink at you, spilling most of the hot content on your apron.

You gasped, gawking down at your scorched and ruined clothing, then up at the customer, who’d turned around with a huff and left, leaving a stream of strong language on his way out. You bit back tears at the whole fiasco, and cringed as both the steamy drink, and your salty tears stung different parts of your body. You turned to look at the barista, who had passed you along the drink, and were met with no other than the white devil himself. It seemed that all the blood had drained from his already otherwise pale face.

“Oh my god, this is all my fault,” he began remorsefully. “Let me make it up to you somehow.”

“Whatever,” you huffed, running a hand through your hair, and shoving Ransom angrily while you more or less stomped into the staff bathroom.

You looked at yourself in the mirror and frowned before bringing up your bundled apron to your face and screaming into it. Stupid fucking customers. Stupid fucking job. Stupid fucking Ransom. It’s like he came to your job just to make it hell. You were tired of cleaning up all these messes for him, and honestly, you wish he’d just quit already. The longer you worked with him, the more tempted you were to pour sugar in his gas tank, then take a club and break all the windows in the Beemer.

------

For the next month, your brain was completely elsewhere at work. Your brain was constantly going back and forth with you between finding Ransom hot and horrendous. While the pair of you finished up closing one night, you heard your coworker begin to speak to you as you placed your hand on the keys in your pocket.

“I know you hate me, Y/N. I get it. What that guy did to you was awful, and yes it was my fault, but what else have I done to hurt you?” He asked, seemingly out of the blue. You weren’t even sure how to respond. Ignoring the man and demonizing him in your head had become almost a second nature. “I mean, I think we could’ve been good friends. Even though you seem to think I’m devil incarnate, I think you’re a pretty cool chick-“ he continued before being cut off by you.

“Why do you even care?” you burst out, “Ransom, you just don’t get it do you? You’re just.. a douchebag. I get it, you have your moments where you’re candid and open with people, but half of the time you’re talking, you’re objectifying someone. Or bragging about something you own. Don’t get me wrong, I could get past what you did to me on accident, but you seriously have to work on yourself,” the words just seemed to pour out without your control. “Goodnight, Ransom,” you said simply before leaving the café for the night.

——

Since that day, the tension between you and Ransom had evidently become more thick. Since he was finally finished training with you, you made sure to only speak to him if you absolutely needed to, and even then, you only communicated with him in brief and straightforward answers. Sure, it seemed like a small thing to be upset about, and sure, he’d apologized, but something told you that any excuse to stay away from Ransom was a good excuse.

Though he appeared to be an immoral and selfish man, he seemed genuinely sorry for all that he’d put you through. Occasionally, you’d be sitting in the break room and look up from your phone to see him watching you. When you’d make eye contact, he would look like he wanted to say something to you, but your petty ass would leave, or look back at your phone. He was bad news anyway.

Your boss quickly caught onto what was going on between the two of you, and usually, Melissa didn’t like to participate in petty drama, but your new sour mood was such a stark contrast from before, and it seemed to shift the whole mood of the café.

That afternoon, Melissa called for a team meeting a bit before closing, and suggested a family dinner along with a Secret Santa. She’d said something along the lines of ‘It’s been way too long since we’ve done a team bonding activity, and a gift exchange is perfectly fitting for the Holiday season.’ This did make you perk up, as Melissa had a great taste in restaurants, and you were always down for a good gift exchange.

Melissa then told everyone to write their names down, then put them in a decorative Santa hat. You and your coworkers obliged, then began to pass around the hat once again in order to draw a name. You really hoped to get Xavier. You had the perfect idea of something he’d love. As you drew a piece of paper from the hat, you imagined the matching pair of fluffy socks for a human and dog that you’d passed by during your last trip to Target. You began to unfold it, thinking of what color he might like the most, when you looked down and saw ‘Ransom’ drawn out in chicken scratch.

You tried your best to mask your annoyance at who you received, but on the inside, you were seething. You mentally cursed the universe out while you pulled on your coat, and grimaced to yourself once you got out to your car. How were you supposed to get this asshole a gift?

—-

The week leading up to the exchange went fairly well for you, although it was getting a bit exhausting to be so mad at Ransom all the time. You tried to be less harsh with him, considering you needed to learn more about him in order to get him a somewhat decent gift for your exchange.

He’d seem to have taken your conversation with him to heart, and began to talk less and less about other girls when he was working with you. He didn’t comment on how well your jeans fit you, and you noticed that he’d often overextend himself in order to help you with (pretty basic) daily aspects of the job. Ransom would ask you questions about yourself, and your family, and speak less about himself. If you were honest with yourself, he was becoming a better man. And the best part was, he seemed to be doing it just for you. The thought of which brought heat to your face.

—

On the night of the exchange, you threw on a hideous and scratchy Christmas sweater before picking up your neatly wrapped gift for Ransom. You truly hoped that he’d like it, even though it certainly wasn’t the most expensive item. You bid farewell to your cat, then went on your way to the restaurant. You had to admit, you were a bit late. So it should’ve been no surprise when you arrived, and found that the only seat left at the table was next to Ransom. You gave him a cordial smile before sitting down and ordering yourself a glass of Merlot.

Something about being so close to him was kind of riling you up. The strong timbre sent coming off of him was making your whole body feel slightly warmer than normal, and you tried to ignore this strange sensation while you talked and joked with your coworkers. At one point, Ransom leaned in nice and close to you, and began to speak to you.

“Jesus Christ, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as hideous as Karmen’s sweatshirt,” he whispered right into the shell of your ear. Maybe it was the wine talking, but that simple action sent a whole chill through your body, and made you flush even harder than you’d flushed before. You let out a little giggle and nodded in agreement, looking across the table at her very ugly sweater.

“To be fair, the whole point of this was to wear something really ugly,” you turned your head back to where it was before, only to find that Ransom had somehow moved even closer to you.

“I just don’t know where you find something like that,” he commented, gazing much too deep into your eyes. You swore you felt the room shift after he began looking at you like that. There was about a 20% chance that you’d be able to keep your panties on after this kind of exchange. Luckily for you, a waitress broke the tension for you, setting down a few plates for everyone, then bidding them farewell. Damn.

The food was amazing, and didn’t last very long, meaning that it was time to pass gifts around sooner than later. You watched as Amy received a gift card from Sophie, Emily opened a plethora of chocolates gifted to her by Melissa, and Xander whiffed a candle given to him by Kennedy, then, it was your turn. You glanced around the table before you felt the arm next to you reach down, then hand you an oversized gift bag.

“I hope you like it,” Ransom said with a shy smile. You casually felt your cheeks on your way to pull out the very large item. You found it was a very large, and soft, hand knit blanket. It looked like it could’ve cost a small fortune, and you immediately found yourself embarrassed.

“Oh wow. This is perfect! Thank you so much,” you grinned over at your coworker, who seemed to be blushing himself. “Well, I guess I should probably give you this then,” you chuckled awkwardly before passing him your wrapped package. He tore it open barbarically, then began to laugh. Of all the gifts in the world, you two had gotten each other somewhat similar items. Sure, it wasn’t hand knit with the love of some grandma who ran a small business on Etsy, but it was the thought that counts.

“I love it, Y/N,” he exclaimed, looking deep into your eyes once again. He ran his fingers through the soft fabric, then set a hand on your arm. In that moment, it felt like time stopped. It was just you two, sitting in a quiet room, enjoying the presence of each other. You don’t even know what had gotten into you, but before you knew it, you felt a nose pressed up against yours, and a billion butterflies erupt out of your stomach. You heard a few grimaces from your coworkers at the sappy, Hallmark-like moment but what could you say.

Maybe Ransom was not that bad after all.

[vonschweetz]

Just asking to see if I got my priorities right in this one and if I’m valid over being upset about it:

So I “befriended” a coworker who doesnt work at my store anymore they got a job somewhere else. Naturally she texts me all the time complaining about her work so because we worked together previously I vent about stuff during my shift. This absolute bitch goes and hangs out with the rest of the crew after work despite the fact that she AND other people in that group had covid AND my store is constantly reporting new cases daily and she is such a hypocrite because she talked a big game about how she thought hangjng out with them out of work was irresponsible but after she admit she still went she was like “I cant help it I need I am a social person and need social interactions” bro just say you’re selfish. But besides the point so at the group hangout two of the managers are there and she for some reason brings up a situation I told her in confidence that she would have had no idea knowing about if not for me which makes things awkward and obvious that I am telling her shit and she brings it up so she can start trouble! Then one of the managers tries to say they werent around for this specific thing AND SHE BROUGHT OUT HER PHONE TO SHOW MY TEXTS! THAT ABSOLUTE BITCH! Like when she told me to my face she did that I immediately was upset and she had the nerve to be like “😲 oh no why are you upset? That’s a normal thing to do. I djdnt think about you while I did this.” And she kept trying to belittle my feelings in the situation and make it all about her. She made it really clear that shes a very selfish person who does not think about the actions of her consequences EVER but this one takes the cake (for Christmas she once tried to glitter bomb the secret Santa and I seriously had to talk her out of it because that’s genuinely not cool and also the collateral damage from that is so bad. She looked upset when I told her frankly that if she ever got glitter on me I would break off the friendship and I meant it.) it’s been a couple days and I have not text her since because why the fuck would I text a person who is just gonna rat me out like that? She also projects way too much onto me to the point that it’s really fucking with my mental and emotional stability. This isnt a friendship. This is her trying ti get a free therapy session and I am not having it.

[bellarxse]

february 2nd: interruption

the world turned sweet (AO3) Nate hates the rain – hates the way it punishes the flowers in the grounds of Tulip Hall, hates that it has spoiled his companions’ moods.

Hates that it has thwarted his plans for a ride with the Captain.

The Captain, though, is genial enough. And also, it seems, an inveterate flirt, eyes lidded as he brushes off Nate’s grousing about the weather from the other end of the chesterfield. “I can hardly complain of spending more time with you, here.”

“I—” Nate is grateful for the low, ambient light of the hearth in the drawing room to hide even the barest hint of a flush on his face, turning his face away to collect himself and not be drawn in by the way the Captain’s eyes shine with fire beneath dark waves.

“I should like that too, Captain—”

“Mickey. I insist.” The Captain’s—Mickey’s—intervention is gentle, and a muscled arm stretches out across the back of the chesterfield as if to bridge the gap between them, and Nate turns to face him as if following some long-forgotten instinct.

“Mickey.” Mickey’s eyes are warm at Nate’s words, and he smiles at Nate widely enough to make Nate’s heart ache.

“I had merely hoped that I would be able to show you more of the estate.” The weather outside was far too inclement, winds howling and sky steel-grey, though thick, dark eyebrows disappear under lush tresses as Mickey reassures Nate.

“I had expected nothing more from my first English winter, you need not worry.” Mickey draws closer to him and slowly—so slowly—raises a calloused finger to trace the flush high on Nate’s cheekbones, making Nate’s eyes flutter shut for a moment.

“Though I had not expected the winter blooms to be so captivating.” Mickey’s voice is sinfully deep, and when Nate opens his eyes again Mickey is right there, pupils ink-like as normally bright blue eyes flicker down to watch as Nate licks his lower lip reflexively, his mouth inexplicably dry all of a sudden.

Nate’s breath hitches, and he dimly recalls his governess teaching him about Isaac Newton’s theories and—

And then the Lieutenant arrives, and the moment shatters like cristallo in Nate’s hands.

Mickey leans back as if burned, scowls at the Lieutenant who affects not to notice the irritation. The three of them sit in silence for a while before Nate requests more lights to be brought in, so at least he can escape into another world in one of his books.

Tries to, at least. Every other page, his eyes are drawn back to Mickey, who has not stopped looking at him in what feels like centuries, sometimes with a small, secret smile that Nate feels warm his soul.

They continue thus (the Lieutenant having stubbornly resisted any of the Captain’s increasingly less gentle suggestions that he might like to tend the horses, or check the bags, or be somewhere else) until it is dark without and Mickey and the Lieutenant must leave to return to Sutherland’s townhouse.

“We will see you soon, your Grace.” Mickey’s tone is thick and dark with promise, and Nate does not sleep a wink that night.

**

The day after his valiant attempts to stop his commanding officer making a fool of himself, Mason is bored, and tired, and bored, trying to explain something very simple to a man in his late twenties who should know better. “You know that you cannot stay here.”

Mickey looks bored too – or tries to, but the tightness around his eyes betrays the affectation, even as he tries to cover it with a sharp laugh. “I know. But why can I not enjoy myself while I am here?”

It is not as if Mason does not know fun – has not indulged himself in the pleasures of the flesh (though not recently, not since they first arrived in London, and he does not like to think about why that might be). Instead, he deflects and defends Richmond with a scowl.

“He deserves to be more than a plaything, you—”

“He is.” Mickey is harsher than Mason remembers ever seeing him, even on the blood-soaked battlefield at Santa Maura, blue eyes now ablaze and teeth bared in a snarl.

“Prove it.” Mason is shocked at himself, that he is involving himself in Mickey’s business so – but he Nate deserves better than to be cast aside, and Mickey is hurtling towards a precipice that Mason cannot save him from.

“I—” Mickey, for all his bluster on the battlefield, looks like a lost, little boy then, blue eyes wide with what looks like fear and soft, Mason realises, with unshed tears.

“I’ve never—” Mickey has not said much about his past, but Mason knows he had wandered half the globe before his 22nd nameday, lost and adrift – little wonder, then, that he has not known this kind of companionship before, even if he is well-versed in the other.

“Talk to him.” Mason tries to calm his voice, squeezes Mickey’s well-muscled shoulder gently, even as he chides him. “Get your head out of your arse.”

A wet-sounding hum of assent and a nod, before Mickey turns to face the wall to compose himself.

~

Nate does not want to interrupt them, is perfectly prepared to return to the library from whence he came – but he fancies that he hears his name on Mickey’s—Mickey’s—lips and cannot resist listening.

“You know that you cannot stay here.” The Lieutenant’s accent is as familiar as Mickey’s, as is the flat tone of his voice.

What is not familiar, is the harsh bark of laughter that leaves Mickey, whose laughter is usually warm and lilting, musical in its peaks and troughs.

“I know. But why can I not enjoy myself while I am here?”

Nate feels quite ill, all of a sudden, feels something within him slam to the floor like a leaden weight. Jerks away from the door and lets the book fall through his fingers as he flees to his father’s folly, where he stays until the storm outside has grown to a crescendo, loud and wild enough to match the storm of his own heart.

Nate jerks away from the door, flees to his father’s folly, where he stays until the storm outside has grown to a crescendo, loud and wild enough to match the storm of his own emotions.

**

Nate can hear the men searching for him and for a selfish moment does not care, does not want to care (caring hurts, it hurts to have been used so). Then thinks of what might happen if they do not find him soon, thinks of Riona and how the scandal might affect her with their arrangement in place, and ventures out into the storm, one step at a time.

The wind is punishing, and he welcomes this pain, drinks it in instead of savouring his own.

“Richmond!” And too late, Nate realises that even when trying to lose himself in the storm he has fallen back into Mickey’s orbit.

Mickey walks slowly up to him, dark hair plastered to his cheeks and blue eyes wild with a worry that does not seem to dissipate even though he has found his quarry. “We were worried sick, what—”

Nate brushes the outstretched hand away and carries on walking, carries on even when he loses his footing in the mud and skids down the bank.

“Don’t walk away from me!” Mickey’s voice is little more than a howl, primal and wanting, and Nate turns to face him with lips pulled back in the nearest thing to a snarl he has ever managed.

“Why? Is this not fun?” Nate’s voice is harsh, harsher than it has ever been, and he enjoys the flinch that draws from Mickey, even as Mickey strides confidently down the bank and stands before him.

“Fun is us being able to laugh in the warm. Safe and happy.” Mickey’s eyes are soft as he brushes hair away from Nate’s cheek, and Nate’s skin burns under Mickey’s touch, calloused fingers sanding away his hurt.

“But you—”

“I would not – you deserve more. That doesn’t mean I can’t want—” Exactly what Mickey wants must go unanswered for now, as Nate bends to capture Mickey’s lips, tastes the rain and salt on his tongue, and is not sure whose it is as he tangles a hand in thick, dark hair and devours the man in front of him, who offers himself willingly with a gasp.

“Your Grace!” Mr. Jenkins’ voice can just be hear over the storm and over Nate’s thundering heartbeat.

Mickey laughs helplessly, even as he steps away reluctantly to look up at Nate as best he can with the rain in his eyes.

“Always with the interruptions.”

[oof-musicals]

Together, me and you//Chapter one

This is the first chapter of a project I haven't been able to stop thinking about. I'm so excited about it and I just,, I'm really proud of this guys. I’m not the too educated on travelling out of the occasional trips I’ve been on, so thank you so much to Chandler for talking it out with me, you are a lifesaver. Anyway, here it is guys, I hope you enjoy it:) 

Tag list: @tarantulas4davey, @racecrack-higgins

(let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list!)

“Racetrack Higgins has always been apart of the busy city of Manhattan, he loved the busy streets and lively aspects that accompanied the state. He had never thought about leaving until now.

Albert DaSilva moved to Manhattan from then the never-sleeping New York. In the 6 years he'd lived here, he had started to build his life in the city he now called home. But from time to time, he can't help but want to experience the quietness of a small town again.

With impulsiveness and desire, the two set out on a trip across the country. 50 states. Two boys set out for an adventure. One trip.

They got this.”

--

Road trip au

Content Warnings: Implied child abuse (Not explicit and it’s like 0.2 seconds), Self-esteem issues. 

Words: 3142

Read on Ao3

Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins was a city boy. Living in Manhattan and visiting nearby boroughs often since the day he was born made navigating the subway - though he opts to walk instead - fairly easy. He loved the city. The lively energy of the city and the never-ending busy streets made him feel at home. He'd never thought about leaving before, could you really blame him? He’s been here for twenty-five years. He has a great life. He loved it here. Why would he leave?

       Albert DaSilva, unlike Race, grew up in a city in Illinois. He moved to New York shortly after his two years of community college and never looked back. That’s what he needed. An escape from his family. Well, his father. He hadn’t seen his brothers since his sophomore year of high school. And his father was just… not the best. So moving away was probably one of the best things he could’ve done. He had a great job and he made a family here. He had good friends and a boyfriend he loved very much. Still, as much as he loved New York, he missed the quietness of the Midwest - how could he not? His hometown had friendly faces that were much more common than in the active streets of Manhattan and the way some nights were just simple. When he was growing up, he loved falling asleep to the cicadas outside his window. Falling asleep to cars honking just wasn’t the same. Sometimes, the desire to go back to that was too much to handle. 

      Right now, the desire was too much. 

      He doesn’t know what brought it on, but Albert recognized the feeling of homesickness the moment he woke up. He felt selfish to feel like this, especially when he had a good life with his boyfriend of five years. Race was his rock, the love of his life. To say he missed Illinois felt like he was saying he never wanted to meet Race. And while Race would probably understand that’s not at all how Albert meant it, it troubled Albert deep down. 

       Albert had decided to open up about it to Finch a while ago. It was probably the best decision Albert has made in a long time. Finch was actually pretty good when it came to giving advice. Davey would’ve been too pushy - not that it was totally Davey’s fault that he came on a little strong sometimes, that advice was not something Albert was particularly looking for. He didn’t want to go to Race - Race was amazing and great and Albert didn’t want to bother him with any problems he might have. Finch was the best person he’d had to give him advice lately. And today was no different.'

      It was hard to concentrate on work all day. Sure work was never the best but he had the job of helping design video games. This was a teenage boy’s dream and he had trouble concentrating because he was missing his hometown. It sucked. He hated his hometown for the nineteen years he lived there, and now he couldn’t help but miss it. 

      Finch noticed. He noticed almost immediately. Albert noticed Finch eyeing him multiple times throughout the day and Albert could tell what he was concerned without him even needing to say anything. And, almost predictably, he brought it up when they were finally alone during a lunch break that they thankfully had together, despite them having separate jobs. 

        “Okay, I’m just gonna get to the point,” Finch announced as they sat down to eat lunch. “You’ve been off. What’s going on?” 

         “First of all, you’re blunt.” Albert sighed. “Second of all, what are you, my therapist?” 

         “Albert.”

        “Okay okay, fine.” Albert stirred his water with a straw. “I’m just, missing Illinois and shit, and I kind of want to go back.”

         “Like, move?” Finch’s voice had the slightest hint of sadness to it. 

       “Nonono not move,” Albert replied quickly. Sure, he missed home a lot but he couldn’t leave his new life behind. Not his friends. Not Race. “I don’t want to be in New York for the rest of time either.” 

       “Okay then, what about just visiting?” 

        “No, I can’t just go.” Albert opposed Finch’s suggestion. “I’d love to but, Race and I have a great relationship and I don’t want to mess that up with my own issues. I don’t want whatever I have with him to crumble.” 

      Finch was silent for a moment before he finally spoke his mind. “Albert. You are my best friend and I completely understand where you’re coming from but can I say something, as your friend?” Albert nodded. “You are such fucking idiot. Race loves you. He never shuts up about you! Even when you are around. You’ve been together five years. If he wasn’t completely in love with you, he would’ve left a long time ago. And Al we both know he’d be down for the idea to travel the world with you if he could. I get that you feel that you are one step away from messing things up with Race but seriously, I don’t think he could love you more than he already does. Just, talk to him. And if something horrible happens, which it won’t, I’m only a phone call away.” 

      And that’s why he went to Finch for advice. Albert smiled a bit. Even though he wasn’t the most convinced that his relationship was a landmine, Finch was probably right. Race has done crazier things than just travel to a different state (even when he’s never been to a different state). Really, what’s the worst that could happen?

___________

  The first thing Albert was greeted to when he entered the front door to his apartment he shared with Race was their cat, Fishy, rubbing up against Albert’s legs. It was an interesting name to give a cat, and it was definitely a joke Race had stolen from the stage adaptation of Waitress, but the little guy seemed to love the name. So it stuck.

      “Hi Fishy,” Albert kneeled down to scratch behind the cat’s ears gently. “Where’s your papa?” He asked, getting a purr in response. Albert checked his phone to see a text from Race, saying he had to go out and help Jack with an unspecified project - which kind of worried Albert, but not to the point he should be - and would be back with dinner in a couple of hours. 

      That left Albert to himself. Well, himself and Fishy.  He didn’t do anything special during his time alone. Just put on an episode of The Good Place and played with his cat. 

      Soon enough, Race came home with dinner, The two rarely actually ate out, both opting to eat actual meals together. But tonight, neither of them had the time to get up and cook - so rice and dumplings made a good substitute. 

       “Jack wouldn’t stop calling me to help him with this top-secret project for Davey and he annoyed me enough I gave in.” Race rolled his eyes as he recalled the reason he left. “I swear ever since they got engaged Jack has talked more about Davey.”

       “Well, do you think that’s going to change once they actually tie the knot?” Albert took out two plates from the cabinet and set them on the table.

      “Don’t know, but he’s still gonna annoy the hell out of me. Even if he’s my best friend.” Race fed a tiny bit of rice out for Fishy - which was, fortunately, one of the things they were a hundred percent sure she could eat. Regarding Jack and Davey, they, despite being the second-worst couple to get their shit together, had gotten engaged 2 months ago and become the first couple in their friend group to do so. Jack was Race’s best friend, so of course, he was excited for him and Davey, but he was also annoyed. So so annoyed. 

   The two spent most of the meal enjoying each other's company. Race took up the opportunity to talk about his job as an astrologer, which Albert didn’t really know anything about, but still loved when Race talked about it, and Albert spent the whole time listening to his boyfriend and just adoring the boy in front of him. As the conversation drifted from stars to life back on the ground, however, Albert’s homesickness started to creep up on him again. Race must’ve noticed because he didn’t push Albert to talk and opted out of talking about everyday life. Soon the conversation became a comfortable silence between the two. Just them. No talk about work, no talk about life. Just them.  

     "Do you ever just get tired of the busy life in the city?” Albert said suddenly, looking up from his plate. “Like, do you ever want to get out?”

     “Well, I’ve never thought about actually leaving.” Race admitted. The idea of leaving was intriguing once he thought about it. But Manhattan was home, he couldn’t leave all that as much as he wanted to. That’s the reason Jack didn’t move to Santa Fe out of college and was now getting married to Davey in New York. Family had a strong tie. “Manhattan has always been home for me.” 

     “I’m not saying we should move away from family, I’d never make you do that if you don’t want to,” Albert assured. “I’m just saying, do you ever just - want to get out of the city? Even if it’s just for a day?” 

     “I mean- I guess.” The blond set his fork down before standing up and taking his plate into the kitchen. “I’d love to see what life is like outside of a major city, someday. And you’re bound to miss home at some point, so I’d be open to going with you if you’d ever think about going back.”

      Wow. Well, Albert was worrying over nothing. 

      “You’re the best boyfriend in the world, you know that?” 

       “Yeah, I do.” Race smirked. God damn. Why was this man so amazing? And amazingly sarcastic? “Seriously though, if that’s what you want, I’m down. I’ve never been out of New York and cities close by, so getting the chance to travel with you is something I’d be down for.”

      Albert chuckled. “At this point, we need to take you to every state.”

      “Why don’t we do it now?” Race suggested, setting his plate in the sink.

       Albert snorted. “Yeah, let’s do it,” It took a second for him to realize what Race really meant. “Wait Tony are you serious?”

       "Hell yeah! Let's just - travel the country!" Race turned around to Albert. "We can get a rental car to visit the connective states or whatever shit it's called we can buy plane tickets to go to the last two states and it'll take like what? A month at most? Let's do it, baby." 

        "I meant traveling the country as a joke, T,” 

        “I know, but honestly, Al,” Race walked over to the table, placing a hand on Albert’s cheek. “We’re young and stupid. It’s arguably the best time to do something like this.” 

         Now that he thought about it, Race was the perfect one to travel the country with. As dramatic and annoying Race was even when driving from Manhattan to Brooklyn, Albert would drop anything to be with the blond. And they were young and stupid, just like Race said. If down the road they got married and had kids, having the chance to do this - which with the help of amazing friends, they wouldn’t have to worry about their apartment or Fishy (as much as they would probably want to take her) - would be now. He wanted to do this with Race so bad. But there was still that part nagging at him. Something that stopped him from throwing caution to the wind and doing this with Race.   

               “Can I think about it?” Albert tried not to feel guilty when Race nodded silently. But he just needed a minute. A minute to reassure himself. Just a minute. 

        The rest of the night, Albert kept thinking about what Race said. He was definitely down for the idea, but some part of him was fairly hesitant. Hesitant that sometime on the trip Race may realize that he and Albert would probably not work out long term. Hesitant that 

       When he was comfortably sleeping in Race’s arms, Albert realized he had definitely lucked out with the boy. To have someone who not only understood Albert missed his home but also was down to get up and travel the country with him. In his few serious relationships he’d had, Albert had never come close to someone as lovable as Race. Sure, he still was worried about the possibility that Race would realize he may not want to make this a long-term thing but Finch was right. It’s been five years, and here they still were. 

        And if Albert was being honest, he’d be more than happy to travel the world with Race if he asked. 

             “You know what? Let’s do it.” Albert broke the silence. “Let’s go travel the country.” The redhead turned to Race, who grinned sleepily.

        “I knew you’d say yes.” Race laughed quietly. 

       “Yeah, right.”

_______________________

       They hadn’t finalized the idea of going across the country that night. Of course they hadn’t made the decision in one night. Traveling to all the states in the country took lots of planning - even for the most impulsive couple on the planet. First of all, they needed some form of transportation. Both Albert and Race had driver’s licenses - even if the idea of Race having a legal document allowing him to be on the road was terrifying - sure, but they favored using public transportation or just walking to get around. Luckily, New York has numerous car rentals. Second, this trip was going to be expensive. Really expensive. 

         That’s what they were discussing now. It was nearly one am and probably not the best time to be discussing where a huge amount of their finances will go but nevertheless, here they were. Discussing money over microwaveable pies in the middle of the night. 

        “What about where we sleep?” Race asked, throwing away the box for the pie in the recycling before shoving half the pastry in his mouth “Should we set aside a chunk of money to stay somewhere occasionally?” He asked between chewing.

         Albert drew out a breath before rubbing his eyes. “I don’t know, hotels are expensive and motels are shady. For the sake of our wallets and safety, we can sacrifice a month of comfortable sleeping and we can sleep in our car." 

         “Motels aren't shady." Race rolled his eyes, setting the other half of the pie on a plastic plate.

        "Yes, they are." 

        "You just don't want the extra excitement." 

         "I don't want to get murdered."  

        "Okay, okay valid point," Race finished off the pie. "I'm going to bed." 

          Albert let out a hum of acknowledgment. “I love you, Racer.”

          “I love you too.” Race kissed Albert’s cheek. “Don’t stay up too long though. We may be prone to pulling all-nighters but doing math isn’t the best at one am, and this is coming from a math whiz.”

          “Shut up I hate you.” Albert pushed Race jokingly, a smile forming on his face. 

          “You love me.”

          Yeah. He really did. He really really did.  

___________________________________

        It only took a week or so to get everything in order to hit the road. It's honestly crazy how fast the most spontaneous couple in their friend group put so much thought into a trip. At least it was a crazy thing to Davey, who somehow found himself helping his friends load up a rental van to travel the country. 

         Traveling the country was not for Davey. For his boyfriend - no fiancé. He and Jack were engaged. For his fiancé, the idea would be sold. A trip around the country was probably high on Jack's bucket list. The idiot was almost as impulsive as Race and Albert. But for  Davey, not so much. He loved traveling, sure. But that's something he wanted to do after he got married. Not on a whim in the middle of June.

         But his preferences aside, here he was on a Saturday morning, helping Albert and Race pack up a rental van for their trip to visit 49 states. That and get their apartment key so he could be in charge of watching their house and cat for upwards of a month. 

          “Are they really taking five different blankets?” Jack’s voice interrupted his thoughts, holding a clump of said blankets. “It’s the middle of summer.” 

         “Different climates, Jackie.” Davey kissed his fiance's cheek before taking a box full of very unhealthy snacks to the car. He definitely was friends with some of the most impulsive people ever, it seemed.

          Outside, Race set his duffle bag into the trunk. Well, one of his duffle bags. Davey might’ve rubbed off on him a little and he ended up overpacking a little. Granted, they didn’t know how long this trip was going to take in days, but he was pretty sure 4 duffle bags was a little extreme. Still, it’s not like he really cared. 

          “Seriously," Albert said, "One or two was enough." 

         "I'm sorry I wear more than sleeveless shirts and snapbacks." 

          "How about three?" Albert ignored Race's comment and took out two of his duffle bags, despite the disapproval whine Race let out. "We can always wash clothes." 

           "Whatever." 

           Jack eventually appeared out of the apartment complex with the blankets, nearly tripping around four times, catching himself almost every time. The last time he ran into the rental car. It was kind of funny to Race. Jack glared at the blond's snicker, causing Race to smile innocently. 

           Soon, Davey came out with the rest of the stuff they really needed plus a backpack that the nurturing side of him probably put together. He made a switch of giving Albert the snacks and Race the bag that included chargers, a list of numbers in the event they needed to contact someone without having their cell phones, a book or two, water bottles, and actually healthy snacks. He really was the mom friend. Race gave him a key to the apartment and Albert snuck him a short list of what to do with Fishy that only consisted of 'remember to clean her food & water bowl' and 'she has sharp claws. Race was supposed to take her to get them cut but he didn't so sorry about that'. Race and Albert said goodbye to Fishy and then to Jack and Davey. 

                And then, they were in the car. Ready to go on a trip across the country. 

          “Holy shit. We’re doing this.” Race breathed, buckling his seatbelt.

          “We’re doing this,” Albert repeated. 

          They were actually doing this.

[lucythedoomcakes]

hello again~! did you have a nice weekend? you have great taste in anime, naruto and bleach are fantastic and i am currently watching fairy tail and it is good! my next question is: what are some traits you love about your favourite characters like lucy heartfilia? - animanga secret santa

Hi!! I had a good weekend, I played dnd with my friends and finally wrote a paper I had in one of my courses. As for what traits I love about characters like Lucy Heartfilia is a hard question. I am not sure why I got so attached to her or why she became my favourite. I think it has to do with how she is very human in a way. She reacts to the scary world around her, and is open with her emotions, be those good or bad ones. But even when she is scared and doesn't want to do things, she never backs down from a fight if it means protecting someone else. Even when she knew she was outclassed she did not back down, because she knew people were relying on her. The fact she is also an extremely kind soul also speaks to me. Yes she can act selfish at times, but she is genuinely loving of others. Even when someone has hurt her, she still doesn't wish them ill.

So I think Lucy became my favourite because she refused to give up even when the whole world had told her to. She kept fighting and surviving until she found a place she could call home. And I think that some part of me found that very inspiring (as I watched Fairy Tail for the first time in 2015) and so I grew attached to her.

Also I hope you have a great day as well! Make sure to drink water and eat something! (And feel free to send me more asks than once a week if you want, no pressure tho! Just letting you know it wouldn’t annoy me!)

[sanderssides-secretsanta]

Sanders Sides Secret Santa!

This is my gift for @phantomslogic! I was asked for Logan but I added some Loceit haha

I hope this works! Happy Holidays :)

(Slight nsfw?? Remus makes a single kinda dirty joke at the end but there is literally nothing else)

- - -

Logan sighed. That had been a very, very long day. Trying to keep up with Thomas' wellbeing was hard, even though it was his job. Especially considering the others weren't helping much. They were selfish, in their own ways, which isn't inherently always a bad thing, as he'd learned from Janus. Actually, Logan thought, there is one person that does help out. Janus himself. He was an advocate for Thomas' wellbeing and self care, and although this sometimes slowed down productivity a bit, Logan had to admit it was better for Thomas. That was something he admired in the man; he kept a clear head and knew what to do. Not that it was the only thing he admired about him. Logan doesn't usually notice a lot about people, but small details about Janus keep catching his eye. His scales tend to reflect light well, almost as if they were glowing sometimes. His eyes also, metaphorically, shone that bright. He had a nice fashion sense too. The yellow compliments the black, in Logan's opinion. It matches his... 'aesthetic' very well. Is that the word? Most likely. He was excellent at chess. Logan had played a few games against the reptilian and they drew multiple times, which was impressive. Logan could be tough competition. And- His thoughts were interrupted by an alarm beeping on his phone. He always had it set for 5pm, 10 minutes before the rest of the sides ate dinner. He had a tendency to overwork himself, so he needed a reminder to go take a break. He stood up with a sigh, fixing his glasses. He didn't usually get so distracted with his thoughts, but here he was. He opened his door and made his way downstairs.

Janus was the only one there when he arrived. Of course the side he was thinking about was there. The snake man waved at him. Logan nodded. "Hello, Janus." "Good evening, Logan. You're early." "So are you." He sat down across the table from Janus, summoning a glass of water. He took a small sip, sighing. Janus noticed his face. He could tell when the blue side was distracted. "Is everything alright, Logan?" He asked. "Hm? Oh, yes I'm alright." "That's a lie. You are very clearly distracted." "I- yes, you're right, but it's nothing of consequence." "Clearly it is, you usually take bigger sips." "Why do you know how I drink my water?" "I... I'm very observant. Come on, what's on your mind?" "I-I suppose I'm just... thinking. There's somethi- someone on my mind." Janus raised an eyebrow. "Someone?" "Yes." "Who might that be, pray tell?" Janus asked, sipping on his drink which Logan could only assume was wine. He truly hoped Janus was sober for this. "Well... you, if you don't mind me saying." Janus choked slightly on the drink, placing it down. "I- me? Is that right?" "Well, yes... I believe in a romantic way? Perhaps... I'm not sure, I have no experience with romance-" Suddenly, Janus reached over and grabbed his tie, pulling him in for a sudden kiss. Logan didn't know how to respond at first, before trying to match Janus' movements. They didn't take it any further, just appreciating the moment. After a bit of time, they pulled away. "Tell me, how did that feel?" Janus asked. "Good. Very... enlightening." "Is that so?" Janus asked, a smile playing on his lips. Logan allowed himself to smile back. "Yes. I believe I was correct when I said I was... in love." "That's good. Me too." "Excellent. Shall we resume?" "That sounds... satisfactory." "Just satisfactory?" "Come here." With a smile, Janus leaned back in. Logan seemed to know what he was doing this time.

"Ahem..?" "Ah-! Remus, I- we-" "No no, don't stop on my part, braincells! Please, do continue." "I- Janus, shall we take this elsewhere? We can get food later." "We don't even need food, we're in Thomas' mind. Come on, let's go. Goodbye, Remus." "Use protection!" "REMUS!"

[freebooter4ever]

Ice Cream And An Apology

Eugene drags his bff Snafu on a vacation to Los Angeles six years after Snafu left him on that train. They end up on Santa Monica beach where they finally admit they might be in love, and it might've been brewing for a long while, and wow are they clueless sometimes. Ace Eugene and Snaf, written for @skelesocks​ who makes the best Ace Eugene content around, thank you! And who was sad that I made Eugene cry, so here is me making him feel better through Snafu. (their vacation date includes a tiki hut, ice cream, swing dancing, secret cliffside hotels)(I took all the parts I do like about living in LA and put them here)(the ballroom existed but it's torn down now, the hotel is a real place I stumbled on while hiking way too far down the beach but it's actually a 1930's pool building called Palos Verdes Athletic Club)(with bonus historical photos cause I'm a fucking nerd)

Two years into grad school Eugene decides he needs a proper vacation. The only reason Snafu knows this is because Eugene also decides Snafu is the person he's gonna vacation with. And apparently Snafu has no say in this decision.

A very curt letter arrives one spring afternoon with a time, a date, and the address of the New Orleans railroad station, as if Snafu needed to be told where that is. Granted, Snafu's track record in being responsive and easy to reach is perhaps not the best, but Gene's known that for years. Snafu doesn't know what's changed with this particular meet up.

He's also a little resentful of the fact that Eugene thinks he can snap his fingers and Snafu will drop everything on a dime and come running. Mostly Snafu resents this on account of how true it is. Six years after the war and Snafu still can't let go.

So Snafu shows up at the train station, right on time, with his duffel packed tight, and his hat a little jaunty.

Eugene steps off the train with his ticket book in hand. He looks right and left, like he can't see Snafu standing a mere three feet in front of him. It must be the hat.

"You lost, Sledgehammer?" Snafu asks.

Eugene's eyes finally find his. Snafu's heart drops out of his chest, and he suddenly remembers why he made his original vow years ago to walk away and never see anybody again.

"Shelton?" Eugene asks, like he can't quite believe his eyes, and the formality stings.

"Miss me?" Snafu smirks.

Eugene doesn't answer. He simply walks up to Snafu, shoulder's Snafu's bag, and climbs back onto the train.

Snafu follows - like fucking always.

Eugene shoves Snafu's duffel into the luggage racks already almost stacked full, and guides Snafu to a private compartment.

Snafu glances admiringly at the plush seats and curtained windows, and whistles, "Adjunct professors must make quite a bit of money these days."

"I'm paying both your way and my way on this trip, so...yes," Eugene says, and Snafu knows it's non negotiable. No matter how many times Snafu offers, Eugene never accepts repayment.

"The truth is…" Eugene says that night after they've converted their plush seats into a bed, "...not making much money doesn't matter so much when you don't use it. I don't go out, I don't do anything, my parents pay my rent. What else am I going to spend it on?"

Snafu shrugs. A lot of things pop into his mind, but it's true Eugene never goes out so Snafu doesn't want to discourage this change. Eugene is the most boring college student ever. Snafu knows because he makes the drive from New Orleans to Auburn every weekend. And every weekend is the same, they spend most of the time lying around Sledge's dorm - Eugene studying and Snafu reading his latest murder mystery novel.

He supposes the sacrifice of Eugene's social life might have been worth it, though, if it meant being able to pay for the sleeper car. Because that night on the train when Eugene wakes Snafu with a yell, there are no prying eyes to judge them. Snafu wraps his arms around Eugene's shoulders in the privacy of their bunk and holds him till he calms down.

Sometimes Snafu wonders who does this for Eugene during the week, on the nights Snafu's not there.

"I just don't sleep those nights," Eugene whispers in the dark, his voice barely audible over the clacking of the train tracks.

Snafu squeezes him tighter. Eugene's back is pressed against Snafu's chest, and Snafu's nose is in Eugene's hair. And sometimes Snafu worries he might be crazy, but he also swears that the smell of Eugene's neck is the only thing capable of stopping Snafu's own nerves from jumping out of his skin. He'll never admit to Eugene how selfish he is. That Snafu doesn't keep dropping everything to run to his side out of some altruistic need to please. No.

Snafu's fucking addicted to the boy in his arms and he can't let go. No matter how much it hurts.

Plus they aren't boys anymore. Eugene is twenty eight, and Snafu is thirty, and he keeps waiting and waiting for Eugene to grow up and leave him behind but it hasn't happened yet.

It takes four days for the train to reach Los Angeles. It's hot - so fucking hot, Snafu wonders why Eugene picked summer of all times to vacation here, but the dry wind and brilliant blue sky is still a relief compared to the sticky humidity of home. He can kinda see why people come out here, even if the baking sun also makes him feel a little like a raisin.

Eugene rents a car. An unnecessary expense in Snafu's mind. The car even has a swamp cooler, which at first Snafu decries as the most absurd waste of cash. But then he presses his face to the passenger window to watch the rocket-like thing work. And sure, he can't feel the wind on his face anymore, but damn if the air in the car doesn't become more bearable faster.

Eugene watches Snafu and just smiles.

The outside heat cools off the closer they get to the coast. Snafu has no idea where Eugene is taking them. Perhaps that's why Eugene invites him everywhere, because he never asks questions. Honestly Eugene could take him anywhere in the world and it'd still be something, simply because it's with Eugene. Except caves. Snafu doesn't mess with caves.

They park in a giant lot, and when Snafu opens the car door he hears the familiar sound of gulls and the ocean. All around his head, though, are two story buildings - not a horizon line in sight. They must still be in the city. But then they turn a corner, walk two blocks down the street, and there it is: the Santa Monica pier.

The hippodrome catches the eye first. Then Snafu sees the long line stretching down a checkerboard walkway. The crowd of people ends at the mirrored doors and box office of the Aragon Ballroom. Something must be happening for it to be so busy in the middle of a random saturday. The crowd is young too, mostly teenagers. Snafu feels old, looking at them.

Snafu stares at the ballroom for a minute and then leers at Eugene. "You taking me dancing?" He asks.

"No," Eugene says, "I don't dance." He turns away from the gigantic world famous dancehall hanging over the ocean on spindly legs, and starts walking down the boardwalk.

Snafu hurries to catch up.

They clamber down tall wooden steps to get to the beach. Snafu touches one and ends up with a splinter in his hand, naturally. He's too busy trying to pick the damn thing out of his finger to notice when Eugene stops. Snafu collides with his back.

Eugene balances precariously at the edge of the bottom step, leaving only a little room for Snafu to squish in behind him. Snafu leans his chin on Eugene's shoulder and tries to figure out what is on the ground that Eugene's so intently marveling at.

"Gene?" Snafu slips his arm underneath Eugene's elbow and wiggles his hand in front of Eugene's face, "Your pa's the doctor."

"What?" Eugene asks in confusion as if brought out of a trance.

"Splinter," Snafu explains.

Eugene very carefully pries the long skinny splinter out of Snafu's finger. And then he goes back to staring down at his feet.

"What are we waiting for?" Snafu asks. He places his hands on either side of Eugene's hips and tries to remain patient.

"An engraved invitation," Eugene intones. He bends over to untie his Chuck Taylors and pull them off.

"That's just asking for splinters," Snafu points out when Eugene's socks come off next.

Eugene leaves his socks neatly tucked into his shoes on the wooden plank and steps into the sand.

Snafu, being more familiar with thievery, hastily threads the shoelaces through his own belt loop and then ties Eugene's two shoes together to hang off his hip. His own shoes stay on as he traipses after Eugene. Snafu's had enough sand between his toes to last him a lifetime.

It doesn't take long to catch up to Eugene. When Snafu reaches him, Eugene is breathing shallowly and clenching his fists, staring at the rolling ocean waves and the handful of beachgoers. To the casual observer, Eugene would appear to be enjoying the view, but Snafu sees the tension. Snafu sidles up to Eugene and leans against his shoulder.

"I thought it would feel different," Eugene says. His voice is calm, he looks calm, but he's anything but. Snafu knows the feeling all too well.

"C'mon," Snafu slips his hand into Eugene's and tugs him away from the shore, "Let's get off the sand."

They make it back to the boardwalk and Snafu gives Eugene back his shoes.

Eugene smiles at him gratefully, and that grin with those eyes is precisely the reason Snafu's always here. And in this case 'here' means 'by Eugene's side come hell or high water.'

Eugene smiles, and Snafu shrugs it off, and lets Eugene use his shoulder to steady himself while he puts his shoes back on one-handed. Those smiles make Snafu want to kiss them off Eugene's face to get rid of them. They're altogether too kind, altogether too caring, and it just worsens the already deep hole Snafu's dug himself.

They walk down the boardwalk for a short distance, eyeing the push carts, and the souvenir stalls, and the hot dog stands that look suspiciously crusty.

"Those aren't for you," Snafu says, pushing Eugene along by the small of his back when the boy lingers a little too long in front of a cheesy sign with a cartoon corn dog dancing on a stick. The dog has eyes, and looks way too happy about being eaten.

"What, why not?" Eugene asks.

"They're un-hi-Gene-ic," Snafu drawls.

"Oh god," Eugene casts his eyes to the sky.

"It's in the name, no Gene's allowed," Snafu adds.

"I got the joke, Snafu," Eugene says.

The next food stand they come to is a tiki hut. There's no other way to describe it. It's the tackiest thing Snafu's ever seen. Snafu  hears about the 'tiki' craze sweeping the nation after all the boys came home from the south pacific. He sees advertisements using the motifs in the magazines at the mechanic shop he works for.

The tiki design is always heavily stylized, and completely fake, and so fucking ugly it makes Snafu's eyes hurt.

He turns to Eugene, and their eyes meet. There's a rush of shared knowing between them, it sends Snafu tingling down to his toes, and a genuine smile breaks out onto his face, and before he knows it they're both laughing. They lean against each other, giggling helplessly at this silly simulacrum of the islands they were trapped on for so long.

"Four nights on a train for this, Gene?" Snafu teases.

Eugene slings an arm around Snafu's waist to steady him and, still laughing, they wobble over to peer at the menu tacked against the entrance to the hut.

"Coconut ice cream," Snafu reads with exaggerated admiration.

Eugene shudders violently, and Snafu can feel it through his body. "I can't stand the smell of coconut," Eugene whines, "All those coconuts on Pavuvu, buried in the sand, rotting with that inescapable stench."

Snafu shakes his head, "You're missing out."

"Nope," Eugene insists and breaks away from Snafu, "We're not eating here. I would rather eat the No-Gene's-Allowed dancing corn dog."

"I bet by the end of this trip I'll get you eating coconut ice cream," Snafu calls.

"Not happening," Eugene calls back, making his point by already walking away.

Snafu eyes the coconut tiki shack, eyes Gene, and starts plotting.

Blissfully ignorant, and completely confident in his ability to talk Snafu into or out of anything, Eugene continues down the boardwalk.

Meanwhile, Snafu's attention is captured next by the neat row of bicycles at the very end of the small line of makeshift booths. The bicycles are clean, and shiny, with pastel baskets and sparkling handlebar bells, and colorful seats with clean, bright stitching. The kind of bicycles Snafu dreamed of when he was a kid. He slows to a crawl as they pass by and eventually stops, unable to resist going over and putting his hands on one.

Snafu rings the bell and chuckles.

He glances up and Eugene is smiling at him again in that overly fond way that says Snafu could probably get away with practically anything right now.

So, they end up renting two bikes. Snafu's is a mint blue with a grey basket. He pulls his shoes off and drops them into said basket to ride barefoot. The spikey plastic pedals feel hot and firm underneath Snafu's feet. Eugene's bike is a reddish salmon color with a burnt orange basket that when combined with the sun glinting off Eugene's red hair, makes him strike a truly imposing figure.

Snafu laughs about this for at least five minutes straight before they get on their way. He wishes he brought a camera. There's one slung around Eugene's neck, but Eugene blushes and refuses Snafu's request to use it.

"If I can't take embarrassing photos of you with it, what's the point of even having it?" Snafu demands.

Eugene still refuses.

Snafu sticks his tongue out at Eugene and takes the lead on the bicycles. It's incredibly easy to ride along the flat beach. The path isn't paved, and is a little rough, but half the time Snafu is standing on his pedals as he rides, so he hardly notices. Occasionally he looks back to make sure Gene is keeping up.

The only time he loses track of Eugene is when they're pedaling through a dilapidated old pier. Snafu banks a slight curve and notices Eugene isn't appearing around the shops and buildings behind him. He circles back around to find Eugene stopped and straddling his bicycle, looking towards the ocean.

Snafu pulls up alongside him and eyes him quizzically.

"It's two men…" Eugene nods at a couple making out on a beach blanket in the distance, "I saw them walking out there. The one with long hair isn't a girl, he's a guy."

Snafu looks at the couple passionately embracing, and then at Eugene's expression. "Shocking," Snafu says sarcastically, "Scandalous."

"You don't seem surprised," Eugene says.

"I live in New Orleans," Snafu replies, "Not all of us spent most our lives in hicktown Alabama."

"Mobile is not a hicktown," Eugene scowls.

"Stop staring at them, Gene," Snafu warns and nods at the couple, "They might give you a show." He rides off, this time determined to leave Eugene in the dust.

Snafu keeps going on his bicycle for a few hours. They're forced to make a brief detour around a marina, but they end up back on an oceanfront path, and continue on pedaling until suddenly the beach abruptly ends. The sand narrows off into rocks, and rising high above them are towering cliffs.

Eugene coasts to a stop next to Snafu and puts his foot down to rest. He's breathing hard. All that studying and not enough manual labor.

"Guess we're continuing on foot from here," Snafu suggests casually.

Eugene huffs in disbelief, "You're joking."

"Four nights on a train…" Snafu smirks, "I ain't stopping yet."

They bring the bikes back to the nearest beach facilities and lock them up in a rack, then set off across the rocks. At first it's fairly easy, there is a dirt path running directly beneath the cliff face but slightly above the worst of the jagged rocky beach. They've climbed over much worse during the war.

Eugene is an unenthusiastic hiking partner, however. They pass by a beautiful stucco building nestled into the cliffs with a high wall and flanked by old fashioned lamps. Eugene stares longingly at the NCAA sized swimming pool behind the wall.

"Later," Snafu promises him, and leads him on.

The rocks turn a little more treacherous past the wall, and eventually it gets to the point that even Snafu is carefully picking his way across rock by rock. He climbs hand and foot up to the base of the cliff and expertly assesses the narrow ledge leading across a plunging chut to the next rocky beach. The chute is roughly four feet long and ends in churning water. The waves are coming in, crashing against the rocks and zipping up the chute to lap at the ledge. Snafu puts one shoe on the ledge and wiggles it around to test his grip.

"Snaf," Eugene pleads from the rocks below, "I can't…"

Snafu stares down at him unblinkingly. And then turns and starts to walk carefully across the ledge. He makes it to the other side and leaps over the rocky outcrop.

"Merriell!" Eugene cries.

Snafu can no longer see him. After vaulting the end of the ledge he lands on another rocky beach, and in the distance he sees another point where the rocks give way to cliffs. Snafu clambers on tirelessly, but the path soon becomes all but impassable. He's reached the farthest point he can go. Eventually he gives up and turns around.

He climbs back onto the taller rock sticking out from the ledge and sits down on the top to watch the waves break against the rock's front edge. Below him and across the chasm, Eugene sits huddled on his own rock, intently watching the waves. Eugene ignores Snafu's return.

"Eugene?" Snafu calls softly.

Eugene's head jerks up and he looks at Snafu with a painful mixture of worry and anger. "What the hell, Snafu?" Eugene yells, "You jump over the other side and don't answer me for a half hour? I had no way of knowing if you slipped, or fell, or hit your head, or drowned…" Eugene's voice wavers.

"You could'a followed," Snafu argues.

"I cannot cross that ledge," Eugene snaps back, "Not all of us have your super human climbing abilities. You shouldn't go on alone...what if you ended up in the water?"

"Gene, I'm a good swimmer," Snafu says dismissively.

Eugene shakes his head at him in exasperation. "Fuck you, Shelton," he says, and he clearly means it. He turns back to the waves splashing at his feet and rubs his hand into his eye.

Which is when Snafu notices something odd.

He toes back across the ledge and hops down to the rock next to Eugene's to confirm his suspicions. Snafu tilts his head and scoots as close as Eugene will let him.

"Gene?" Snafu prompts gently, "Are you crying?"

Eugene screws his face up and presses his chin against his knees. He's clearly about to start crying in the way anyone starts to cry when they're feeling on the verge and someone asks them about it.

Snafu hastily stands and closes the last few inches between them. He crouches next to Eugene and puts his arm around Gene's shoulders.

"This was a mistake," Eugene breathes.

"I'm sorry," Snafu says. He leans his head in close to Eugene's and leans his weight against him in hopefully a comforting manner.

Eugene shakes his head and a brief sob chokes his next words, "I can't…." he pauses to catch his breath, "I can't do this anymore."

"Then we'll leave," Snafu suggests, "You've got a car. We'll drive out to the desert. You can draw some cacti."

"No, Snaf," Eugene says quietly, his voice goes almost calm, "I mean I can't do this anymore with you."

Snafu stands when he hears those words.

Eugene shivers and starts crying anew.

"You're gonna leave me stuck here without even a train ticket home?" Snafu's mind immediately jumps to how much bus fare will cost, and whether he's got enough cash on him or if he'll have to pick up some odd jobs before he catches the first train back.

"No!" Eugene exclaims, angry again, "I would never do that to you."

"Then what, Gene?" Snafu asks, his own voice rising.

"You can't keep leaving me like this," Eugene insists.

"I just jumped over a goddamn ledge…"

"You left!" Eugene tilts his face up to Snafu and hurtles the accusation at him, "You left without a goodbye and…"

"I came back!" Snafu interrupts.

"Not for my wedding," Eugene says sullenly.

"Nor for Burgie's," Snafu waves it away with a gesture.

"I'm not Burgie!" Eugene declares.

"I came back for your divorce!" Snafu counters.

Eugene drops his head onto his arms.

"For fuck's sake, Eugene haven't you cried over her enough?" Snafu sighs. He climbs back onto the ledge and scoots across over to the jutting rock to put some space between him and Eugene, "It's been four years. You barely knew each other."

"I'm not crying over Edna," Eugene protests sourly and sniffles snot back into his nose.

"Can't imagine why you two didn't work out," Snafu rolls his eyes and swings his legs over the edge of the rock to dangle above the crashing waves, "With names like Edna and Eugene."

A very slight smile tugs at the corner of Eugene's mouth. "E squared," he says.

"She's probably better off," Snafu offers, "No longer saddled with the terrible mouthful 'Edna Sledge'."

"You're one to talk, Merriell," Eugene points out.

"Merriell Sledge has a nice ring to it," Snafu goads him.

"I like Eugene Shelton better," Eugene jokes back.

"Thought you said you were done with me," Snafu says, unable to prevent his big mouth from opening.

Eugene looks up at him with the meanest glare he's ever seen.

It slowly, slowly starts to dawn on Snafu that he might be the reason Eugene Sledge is crying.

That comes as a shock. Snafu takes a moment to think back on his life and all the times he might've made someone cry. And not because he shoved some bully or asshole into the dirt. It's a very short list. One of his earliest memories is visiting his grandma as a child. She cried when he left, and hugged him for longer than he's ever been hugged in his life. His parents died, but they weren't the crying type anyway. His baby sister stopped crying after their parents' deaths. Even when Snafu enlisted, she didn't shed a tear.

And absolutely none of the men Snafu formed attachments to were the crying type either. Till Eugene, till now.

But Snafu can't imagine why Eugene is crying over him. He answered the extremely self-pitying letter Eugene penned in the weeks after Eugene's divorce, he's spent every weekend with Eugene since to keep him company, he tries to be there for whatever Eugene needs. Eugene's got no fucking reason to cry because of him.

Eugene's crying like Snafu broke his heart, except there's no possible way Eugene could care about him that deeply. This love Snafu's got going is a one way street, and he's careful to keep it that way.

Snafu digs into his pocket and pulls out a rather beat up carton of cigarettes. He calmly lights one and tosses the rest to Eugene. Eugene holds the carton like it's something precious.

"Sledgehammer," Snafu says, "Just tell me what you want."

Eugene takes a deep breath to steady himself. He grips the paper cigarette carton hard till it crinkles. "I think I want what those two guys on the beach have…" Eugene tells the waves. And then looks to Snafu for some sort of validation, "...but with you."

Snafu smokes his cigarette and tries to remember there's a ten foot gulf with choppy waves between them and launching himself across it is not physically possible.

"And this is why I can't keep doing this anymore, Snaf," Eugene says when Snafu doesn't answer his request. Eugene turns back to the rocks below his feet and says with great frustration, "Our friendship means everything to me, but it's killing me."

Those last words weigh heavy on Snafu's conscience. "Okay, Gene," he says, "We'll finish out this vacation, and then I promise you'll never have to see me again."

Eugene swallows hard. He squeezes his eyes shut and buries his head in his arms once more, so he doesn't have to see Snafu right now.

Snafu makes his way over the ledge for the last time and carefully places a hand on Eugene's trembling shoulder. "C'mon," he says kindly, "Let's get back to the bikes."

Eugene twines his hand with Snafu's. Snafu bends down, braces Eugene's arm with his own, and helps him stand. Eugene sways into Snafu's chest and for a minute their faces are too close together for comfort. But neither of them are looking at each other. And Eugene isn't smiling, so it makes it easy for Snafu to deny the kiss and pull away.

Eugene's horribly quiet as they make their way back over the rocky beach. He pauses before they pass the wall with the swimming pool.

Snafu looks back questioningly.

"I'm hungry," Eugene announces, "You made me ride my bike for three hours, then scramble over rocks for two. This place looks nice, it's hygienic, there's no palm fronds or fake tiki statues. We're stopping here."

Snafu eyes the iron gate skeptically. The lock is hanging loose and the gate is ajar, but only because a few people from the private pool are swimming in the ocean nearby.

"You object?" Eugene asks stubbornly, ready and looking for a fight.

"It's too fancy," Snafu says and jerks his chin in the direction of the three story building stacked in layers on the cliff like a cake, "I see white lace curtains in those windows. Fucking clean lace curtains."

"The hot dogs were too poor, this place is too rich," Eugene says, "Make up your mind, Snafu."

Snafu sighs, but concedes Eugene may have a point. He gestures for Eugene to go through the gate first.

Sometimes Eugene's ability to take all of his generational wealth and privilege and put it to use comes in handy. After hours of physical exercise they look bedraggled. Both of them are dusty, the armpits of their shirts are damp, Eugene's collar is creased, Snafu never had a collar to begin with, they have sand pouring out of their shoes, and yet when Eugene walks through that gate he owns the place.

Snafu slinks in on his coat tails and settles in to watch the show from a distance. Some pool boy comes up to stop Gene from going any further, and the set of Eugene's shoulders takes on a stubborn slant. Eugene isn't pretentious. But he knows how to be. Snafu's never seen Eugene use his status, or his upbringing to deliberately belittle anyone beneath him. When he does draw out this intangible skill to demand the kind of respect money offers, it's always in defense of someone who doesn't have it.

And Snafu kinda likes being the beneficiary of that benevolent righteousness. It's entertaining to watch people's attitudes change toward Eugene in the blink of an eye when they realize he's someone of means.

All it takes is a few quick sentences, and the attendant who initially stopped Eugene is suddenly apologizing and taking Eugene's ID. Before the attendant reverently carries the ID back towards the main house, he glances nervously at Snafu.

Snafu tilts his head back against the pool wall and lazily smiles. Snafu knows where he belongs but he doesn't give a shit.

The attendant turns tail and runs.

Snafu watches him go with a bit of hypocritical glee till Eugene quietly returns to Snafu's side. 

"We're staying here tonight, huh?" Snafu smirks.

"Yeah," Eugene nods confidently, his hands in his pockets, "It looks comfortable."

Snafu hums and grins at Eugene admiringly.

"You might have to put up with clean lace curtains for longer than expected," Eugene warns.

"Think I can handle that," Snafu replies.

"Swell," Eugene says, only half sarcastic and immediately satisfied with Snafu's agreement. Eugene's eyes start roaming around the pool deck till he spots what he's looking for, "Now that's settled, I see a burger bar with my name on it."

"I believe the name on that sign says 'Hanna's'," Snafu points out drolly.

"Grab that table overlooking the ocean," Eugene says, "I'll bring you a menu."

Snafu climbs a narrow stone staircase built into the cliff face and sits down at one of the three tables hidden in a nook behind a trellis of lavender. He adjusts the tables a little, shoves one closer to the wall at the edge of the cliff, and then sits down.

Eugene comes up a few minutes later and offers Snafu an embossed menu featuring a long list of items and no prices. "I see you removed the lace tablecloth," Eugene notes with a grin.

Snafu briefly glances at the discarded pile of table linens he made on the table next to theirs and scoffs, "Don't need that shit for hamburgers."

Eugene bites his lip and concentrates on reading his own menu.

They both order hamburgers, and Eugene deliberates between a milkshake or a soda before eventually settling on the house rootbeer. Snafu additionally orders three extra sides of french fries. The hamburgers are as large as Snafu's hands and the french fry portions are generous enough that Snafu still has a large stack at the end of the meal. He leans back in his chair, props his feet up on the ocean wall, and snacks on fries while surveying the waves.

Meanwhile Snafu can feel Eugene's eyes on him.

Snafu finishes his fries, and lights a cigarette.

Eugene is still watching him. 

Snafu can't bring himself to meet Eugene's gaze. Eugene's eyes are everything good - kindness, vulnerability, trust, smarts...when Snafu looks into them he feels this rush of uncontainable emotion, that drug that makes his nerves calm. And the persistent need in the back of his head to be somewhere doing something quiets down till it goes silent entirely, because he's here, sharing this with Eugene, and somehow that's more than enough.

They're not even doing anything, they're relaxing on the side of a bluff looking out at the ocean and sharing a cigarette. It should be boring as hell, and yet when Snafu does finally get the guts to flick his eyes towards Gene, he's utterly satisfied.

He's going fucking insane, is what it is. All cause of Eugene's eyes. He tries to clumsily explain this to Gene. Snafu feels he owes him that much. It doesn't come out right. None of Snafu's words ever come out right, not like Gene's with his studied elocution and tendency to think long and hard before he speaks.

Except this time, as Snafu speaks, Eugene's face loses his sour expression entirely, and Snafu sees hope there - maybe a little bit of joy.

Eugene places the cigarette back in Snafu's hands and leans his elbows on the table intently. "Snaf," he says very seriously, "how do I explain to you that I feel the exact same way every time I look at you?"

"Not possible," Snafu counters stubbornly.

"Snaf!" Eugene laughs.

"I can't be for you what those guys on the beach are for each other," Snafu says.

"Why not?"

"Just can't."

"Just like I can't fall in love with my asshole gunner during the middle of a war?" Eugene's still grinning like he can't stop now that he's started.

"I'm not enough, Gene."

Eugene sighs. He studies Snafu's profile quietly for a minute, and then switches tactics. "Do you know why mine and Edna's divorce was okay by my parents?"

Snafu shakes his head. He hadn't even given it a thought. Just assumed Eugene's parents knew their son deserved the best, and anyone named Edna was clearly not that.

"We, uh," Eugene coughs, "We never consummated the marriage. I kept putting it off. Easy to do under strict christian values. Till Edna got fed up, realized I wasn't about to give her kids anytime soon or ever. And demanded we split."

"You're still a virgin?" Snafu stares at him in surprise.

"I am," Eugene blushes angrily, "And I'm kinda tired of people shaming me for that."

"No shame," Snafu says fairly, "I remember how you were during the China occupation years. Always thought that was just cause your fear of VD, though."

"Yeah, that was my excuse at the time," Eugene says, "Snaf, you know I love you. Passionately. I want to be able to say that, whenever I feel it, instead of choking it down and trying to hide it. I'd like to kiss you. I very much enjoy holding you. I think we could live together very happily. That's what I want from you, nothing more." Eugene reaches over the table and takes Snafu's hand resting beside the crystal water goblets. "I'll beg you, if that's what it takes to get it through your thick skull." 

Snafu smiles a little despite himself.

"Also, we're both gonna have to work on quitting smoking," Eugene concludes his list, "cause I'm going to need you to grow old with me."

Snafu plucks at the bar menu on the table beside his elbow. He casually picks it up and scans the dessert section. "You know...," he says casually, "...they've got coconut ice cream." He flips the menu around so Eugene can read the list.

Eugene reaches with his free hand and grabs the menu to examine it. "If I buy you coconut ice cream will you finally admit you love me back?"

Snafu looks at him and Eugene is smiling so hard his cheeks must hurt.

Snafu uses their twined hands to pull Eugene closer over the table and press his lips to Eugene's in answer. He looks deep into Eugene's eyes, his gaze as unwavering and cliche as his devotion, and says, "I love you, Gene. Heart and soul."

Eugene threads his free hand into the back of Snafu's curls and touches their foreheads together. There's a knowing between them that's existed in some form since that first day on Pavuvu. Eugene doesn't need to say a word, Snafu can read it all in his eyes. He leans in and kisses Eugene one final time before pulling away and standing up.

"Now that that's settled," Snafu says with a devil grin, "Let's go see about that coconut ice cream."

Eugene groans, but when Snafu wraps his hand tighter around Gene's to help him stand and leads him back down the cliffside stairs to the pool deck, Eugene willingly follows.

Snafu stands on his tiptoes at the poolside bar to order a double scoop ice cream cone with chocolate drizzle. Eugene stands to the side and fiddles with the condiments while he waits. Snafu tilts his head to bat his eyes saccharinely at Eugene while the bartender is in the back with the scoops. And Eugene's reflexive smile in return is bashful and more than a little endearing.

They take Snafu's prodigious two scoop chocolate drizzle coconut ice cream cone outside the gate and onto the ocean rocks. The evening air is finally cooling, but the setting sun melts the ice cream fast. Snafu keeps having to lick at his hands where the milky cream runs down his fingers. Snafu sucks at the edge where cone meets ice cream, and notices Eugene watching him.

He waggles the cone in front of Eugene's face invitingly.

Eugene hastily grabs Snafu's hand so his wiggling doesn't make the double scoop fall off into Eugene's lap. "Fine," Eugene sighs, as if tasting ice cream is a true hardship. He holds Snafu's hand still and takes a tentative lick.

Snafu grins when he sees Gene's eyes light up. "It's only called 'coconut ice cream'," Snafu announces, "Never said it tasted like coconut."

"How…?" Eugene asks.

"They just make it out of coconut milk, it's flavored with vanilla," Snafu says, proud to have won an argument.

Eugene eases the cone out of Snafu's hand in order to better take another bite  of ice cream.

Eugene's hair is blowing wildly in the ocean breeze. Snafu watches strands of hair fall across Eugene's face and Eugene desperately tries to shake it out of his mouth so he can eat. Snafu chuckles and brushes Eugene's hair off his forehead and holds it there to give him easier access. 

Eugene crinkles his eyes at Snafu in amusement and mumbles his thanks in between bites of ice cream.

"I think you've had enough," Snafu comments and draws the cone away from Eugene's grasp after two thirds of the ice cream has magically disappeared. But instead of eating more himself, Snafu kisses Gene and sucks on his bottom lip to get the last drops of ice cream. Eugene tastes sweet, and his lips are refreshingly cold. And when Snafu opens his eyes, he can see that Gene is silently laughing at him - or with him, because Snafu is laughing too.

Snafu grins, kisses the tip of Eugene's long nose because there's some ice cream there, and then turns back to his cone. He barely gets his mouth around it before Eugene is tugging the cone out of his hand a second time.

"Hey, you could'a got your own!" Snafu exclaims, trying to keep the ice cream away.

Gene wins. Because of course he does. "I'll buy you a second one," Eugene promises.

Snafu threads his fingers through Eugene's bangs again to hold them back, and chooses to watch Eugene instead of the sunset. Gene's tinted round sunglasses are brilliantly rosy, casting colored shadows on his cheeks and making them even rosier.

"Gene," Snafu says, just to be able to savor his name.

"Mm?" Eugene cuts his eyes to the side and raises an eyebrow at Snafu even as he licks melted ice cream off his hand.

Snafu tilts his chin up and scoots closer till their sides are pressed tight together. "I think this is gonna be the best vacation I ever have," he confesses.

Eugene turns back to his ice cream and comments, "Thought this was the only vacation you've ever had."

"Yeah, but I mean in the future too," Snafu swipes at his collar and unbuttons it a little to give himself more breathing room.

"Naw," Eugene scoffs, "Don't worry, we'll top it." He licks his lips and hands the almost empty ice cream cone back to Snafu, "That's pretty darn good."

Snafu breaks into a wide grin. "I told you. I told you so, Sledgehammer!" he says proudly, "Next time I suggest new food, you better listen!"

Eugene laughs and agrees, "I will." He maneuvers around on the rock till he can lay his head in Snafu's lap. "If you drip any ice cream on me, try to aim for my mouth," he advises.

"Sure thing, Sledgehammer," Snafu says and bites into the last of the cone with a crunch. It's a bit messy and he does end up dripping some on Eugene, but it lands on Eugene's forehead . It's okay though because Snafu bends over to kiss him clean, and Eugene laughs and complains that it tickles.

When the ice cream disappears, and the sun is set, and the last bit of twilight is slowly fading, Eugene and Snafu make their way back across the rocky beach to their bikes. Nothing's changed, yet everything feels different. This time when Eugene miraculously spots a tiny crab species scuttering over a rock, and stops to admire it, Snafu can openly admire Eugene and Eugene's goofy fascination. And when they're chatting as they walk, and Eugene retorts with something particularly sarcastic, instead of just laughing it off, Snafu gets to tug Eugene back by his hand, spin him around, and lay a kiss on him. Just because he wants to.

Of course, when they do finally reach the bikes and rejoin civilization, Snafu has to reign in his urges somewhat, but from time to time he still manages to smile at Eugene in that way that makes Eugene blush, and usually trip over his own feet if he's not being careful.

They drop the bikes off at the booth, and Eugene pays a rather hefty late fee. They're walking back to their car when Snafu grabs onto Eugene's elbow and stops them both.

He draws Eugene in close and whispers, "Look at the pier, all lit up at night. Like fireflies." 

The hippodrome is dotted with popcorn lights, it's turrets and arches glamorous behind shadow in a way they aren't during the day.

Eugene stands straight, takes a deep breath, locks Snafu's arm under his elbow, and takes off down the street towards the pier.

"Gene, where are we going?" Snafu asks worriedly, slightly alarmed and keeping a sharp eye out for anyone looking at them askance because of being arm-in-arm.

"I want to dance," Eugene decides. He marches them straight up to box office window of the ballroom and slaps a ten dollar bill on the counter. "Can he and I enter the ballroom as a couple?" Eugene asks challengingly.

Snafu nearly chokes. It's late enough there's not many people around outside. Most everyone is in the ballroom where the band is in full swing. Whenever one of the front doors opens and people exit, a cacophony of talking and loud music escapes with them.

The bored and exhausted woman behind the desk takes in Eugene, lingering on Eugene's Marine Corps ring, and then Snafu, and shrugs, "Sure, whatever."

Eugene nods enthusiastically in relief, "Thank you," and slides the money over. Being pressed up against Eugene's side, Snafu can feel him sweating.

The girl behind the counter gives them two tickets and their change. Eugene gratefully pushes five dollars of it back to her, nods once more, and drags a still-in-shock Snafu over to the doors.

Eugene falters once inside the doorway, suddenly shy. He holds his head up high, but there's tension in his neck when Eugene swallows nervously. 

It's up to Snafu to pry his hand out from underneath Eugene's sweaty armpit, and walk them both onto the dance floor.

The first few dances are easy as pie. The songs are familiar, big band numbers both of them recognize from their days during and immediately after the war. Eugene is a horrible dancer, but Snafu more than makes up for it. And with how lively everything is, no one notices two boys in a crowded corner doing the jitterbug with themselves.

Plus Snafu secretly enjoys having to grab Eugene's hips and turn him in the proper direction or place. Even if it also means he nearly trips over Eugene's feet every five minutes. There's a freedom in being able to be naturally affectionate with each other in public.

The only person that bothers them is a short but very handsome man who comes up to compliment Snafu on his dancing.

"How'd you get stuck with this dancing ginger elephant," the guy says to Snafu and sticks his thumb at Eugene, "Why, you're so light on your feet, I bet you could get any girl on the wall in here."

"I'm teaching him how to dance," Snafu says curtly. He shifts his grip on Eugene's hand and swings Gene close into his side protectively.

Meanwhile Eugene is glaring at the newcomer.

"Hey, you're teaching skills must be pretty swell," the guy says admirably, "Can I get a lesson?"

Snafu skids their dance to a stop. There's no way this asshole is going to go away without some kind of placation. Snafu turns around and grins, fully prepared to give this guy a verbal vertical buttstroke to the chin. But Eugene intervenes first.

"You're out of luck, mister," Eugene says. He pushes his way in between the guy and Snafu, "I'm afraid he's all booked up tonight."

"Oh," the guy says affably, completely clueless to Eugene's souring mood, "Well, how about tomorrow?"

"He's busy tomorrow too," Eugene replies.

"But not tomorrow night," Snafu interjects, slipping around Eugene, "Give me your name and number and I'll call you with my lesson schedule."

Once Snafu jots down the guy's information, the man finally goes away satisfied.

"You're not really going to call him?" Eugene asks.

Snafu tries to coax him back into a dance, but Eugene's limbs turn very floppy when he's unenthused. "Of course not," Snafu answers, "But he's gonna leave us alone now. And he won't go complain to someone about the two guys dancing together on the floor."

"True," Eugene sighs.

Snafu spins them around and launches into one of the dance moves Eugene picked up the fastest in order to give Gene something to feel confident about. They link hands and hook opposing arms behind their heads. In one swoop their grips slide down each other's arms till they catch their hands again.

Eugene grins.

Snafu uses their momentum to snap them close together again and they playfully push each other to rotate clockwise.

"Feeling better?" Snafu asks.

"He was smarmy," Eugene states. He switches direction on the beat and touches Snafu's shoulder to follow.

"He was," Snafu agrees, amused.

"He's not your type," Eugene says, turning a second time.

"Definitely not," Snafu agrees again.

"What is your type?" Eugene asks. He sounds slightly worried, as if the thought just occurred to him that Snafu might have a 'type'. And he might not be it.

"I like guys who are smarter than me," Snafu reassures him smarmily.

"Well shit, that rules out at least ninety percent of the population," Eugene declares.

"Yeah," Snafu grins, "Good thing I found you."

"Good thing," Eugene agrees.

Snafu swings out and twists back in till he's tucked neatly under Eugene's arm, and pauses to wink at his dance partner. "Plus, you're no elephant," he reassures him.

Eugene snorts, "Actually he might have been right on that front…"

"No way!" Snafu insists, stepping out and holding their hands at length, "You'll be a great dancer. I think you might be ready for a few aerials."

Eugene furrows his brow and looks concerned, "Please tell me you're joking."

"Nope. Don't worry about it, I'm light, you'll toss me around like I'm nothing," he says.

"Snaf," Eugene exclaims, "I'll end up dropping you is what I'll do."

"You won't," Snafu insists. He shim shams into Eugene's space and tilts his head up till they're a breath away from kissing, and smiles disarmingly, "I trust you."

Which, of course, Eugene can never resist so here they are on the dance floor, Snafu explaining the simple physics of launching one body off another to an expert in biology. Hooking their arms together and him rolling over Eugene's back is the easiest so they start there.

For all his nerves, Eugene proves to be a very solid dance partner. He never shies away from a hold, and his feet might be slightly off but they never stumble. The first time Eugene effortlessly swings Snafu over his leg and into a side dip, Snafu's heart is fluttering in his chest and he's gazing up at Eugene in exuberant delight. Eugene sets Snafu down, swings him out, and when they come back together they almost collapse against one another in relieved laughter over their success. Snafu's arms lope around Eugene's neck and they giggle terribly.

Snafu didn't expect this.

He probably should have, Eugene never does anything by half and he always is a quick learner. Eugene picks up the steps so fast, in fact, that by the end of the second hour Snafu has to start shooing wallflower girls away who keep wanting to take Snafu's place.

Eugene, being Eugene, completely fails to notice the girls' interest, which is almost as entertaining as him refusing to take his attention off Snafu all night. A few times Snafu offers to give Eugene a break, and maybe find his own girl to take for a spin in the middle of the dance floor. But Eugene insists he needs no breaks.

When the music finally switches to something slow, Snafu slides to a stop and leans heavily against Eugene's shoulder panting.

"Let's get some water," Eugene suggests, and pats Snafu on the back. He starts off in the direction of the bar but Snafu hangs behind.

"What," Snafu taunts when Eugene glances back at him, "You won't slow dance with me?"

Eugene's eyebrows shoot up, his eyes go wide.

Snafu doesn't give him a chance to overthink things. He takes Eugene's hands, positions them properly for a waltz, and leads him into the dance. At first Eugene is stiff, and he refuses to make eye contact with Snafu, too busy scanning the room.

But after a few steps, after the world doesn't end, Eugene folds in closer to Snafu's body. Their cheeks brush. And Eugene's ear is suddenly right there, in front of Snafu's mouth. So Snafu tightens his embrace, and sings along to the song's romantic lyrics in a whisper meant for Eugene alone.

Snafu can understand Eugene's initial hesitation. After all the years Snafu spent sharing dances with various partners he didn't give a shit about, this feels especially vulnerable, despite the fact that they are one couple among thousands on the floor. There's a part of him that didn't think he'd ever have this moment. That for all the people jumping at the chance to dance with him, Snafu'd never feel the same way about someone else.

Eugene is so fucking gentle, it's easy to mistake him as soft. His hand is light against the small of Snafu's back. It's a little hard to believe not two minutes ago that same hand was gripping Snafu's thigh hard as Eugene spun him into an aerial. But as always, Eugene only uses his strength when necessary.

"When I graduate this year, I'm going to do my PHD in Florida," Eugene says as they slowly sway to the music, "I know I'm asking a lot but...Merriell...would you come with me?"

Snafu remains silent. He hadn't fully considered what loving Eugene might actually mean. That with him came Alabama, the Sledge family, the universities...

"I'll have a stipend, to take the financial pressure off," Eugene hastily elaborates, because Eugene always feels that if he adds more facts into the conversation he'll be more likely to win, "If you can find a job locally, that'd be great, but you wouldn't need to work. I've been budgeting this past year and I've calculated a way for the two of us to live off what I make. Maybe not comfortably, but it wouldn't be for long. When I get my diploma we can go back to New Orleans, or anywhere you want really. There are colleges and universities in almost any city. Snafu, I want you with me. No more pining after you every week and only feeling whole on the weekends…"

"How long've you been thinking about this?" Snafu asks.

Eugene is quiet for a while. "Do you mean how long have I been planning for it, or how long have I wanted it?"

"The second one?" Snafu asks, slightly uncertain.

"That day on the train…" Eugene begins.

"A few days??" Snafu interrupts incredulously, "That's all the thought you've given this, for fucks sake Gene!"

"On the train in 1946!" Eugene corrects sternly.

Which just about shuts Snafu up.

"Why the hell didn't you say anything sooner?" Snafu asks.

"Snaf, if you would just let me finish," Eugene complains, "That day on the train Burgie was talking about marriage, you were asking about jobs, everybody seemed to be thinking about commitments and when you turned to me the only damn certainty I had in my head was you. But then you didn't say goodbye. I thought...I figured…you were done with us in your life...with me."

"If I follow you to Florida will that make up for it?" Snafu asks.

Eugene grins, real slow, like he knows the past four years of Snafu being at Eugene's beck and call is partially Snafu's way of atoning for his abrupt departure. "It just might," Eugene says confidently, "It just might."

One thing about the timeline of everything doesn't add up in Snafu's mind. "So," he says, "I don't say goodbye and six months later you go and get yourself married?"

"I assumed leaving was your hint to me to try to fall back into civilian life. To forget about the war, and war buddies, live normally. And according to everyone, that meant marriage," Eugene sighs.

"Who's everybody?" Snafu smirks.

"Not you, obviously, Mr. Confirmed Bachelor," Eugene smiles back at him slyly, "But my mother, and Sid. Hell, even my brother got on me for still being a virgin."

Snafu laughs and dips his head closer to Eugene as they dance. He rests his cheek on Eugene's shoulder along with most of his weight, relying on Eugene to hold them both upright. "Did you love Edna?" he asks.

"I did, but not in the way she wanted," Eugene says quietly, "She's a lovely person, sometimes I wish I could love her like she deserves, like how I love you. Might've made life easier. But not better, I don't think."

"You saying me walking back into your life after your divorce made things better?" Snafu laughs at the absurdity.

"Yes," Eugene says seriously, "Infinitely better."

Snafu lifts his head from Eugene's shoulder in order to pull away and look into his eyes, to see if he's telling the truth. "Okay," Snafu agrees, "We'll go to Florida together. Till then, I'll see if my boss knows anyone in Auburn who can find me some work up there, and I'll move to Alabama."

Eugene gives Snafu a blank stare, so akin to the ones Snafu usually gives him, that it throws Snafu off and makes him question everything (including the efficacy of his own blank stares, maybe he should try to learn to communicate better).

The song the band is playing comes to an end, and the swing starts up again. The couples around them whirl into motion. But nobody pays attention to the two men standing in the middle of it all with their arms locked around each other.

Till Eugene surges forward and kisses Snafu.

The kiss catches Snafu off guard. Eugene's hand is flat on the small of Snafu's back and is holding Snafu flush against Eugene's body. Good thing too, cause Snafu's knees almost buckle in surprise. Eugene bends him over backwards in his enthusiasm to kiss Snafu harder, and Snafu wraps his arms tight around Eugene's neck and smiles into the kiss.

This is it, this is the 'war-is-over-we-are-going-home-together-in-triumph' kiss Snafu has been waiting for. Not triumph in the form of parades and adulation. But triumph in that against all odds, they survived, they found each other, Eugene fucking loves him, and they're gonna actually, finally...live.

They're about six years late, but Snafu figures that's forgivable when taking into account insecurities and the lingering numbness and fear hanging round their necks.

Eugene breaks the kiss and stares into Snafu's eyes, and Eugene is so pretty - he's so fucking pretty it hurts. Snafu wants to kiss him till all traces of that war weary blankness are gone from his eyes. There's moments - when Eugene comes to life with his sarcasm or sly wit or intellectual curiosity, and Snafu likes to pride himself on being able to bring those moments out. But is it enough?

After a bit Snafu begins to notice that it's not just them gone completely still. The couples around them are stopping and staring, and whispering.

"Shit," Snafu says under his breath to Eugene. He ducks his head and takes his arms off Eugene's shoulders.

"Yeah, we should probably get out of here," Eugene agrees. His hands still grip Snafu's hips.

Snafu laughs, giddy and reckless, and bumps his shoulder playfully into Gene's. If anyone nearby had any doubts after that kiss, all they'd have to do is take one look at Eugene's face and see how damn in love he is.

"Hey!" someone in the crowd calls out and Snafu can see the guy coming at them in the peripheral of his vision.

Snafu grabs Eugene's elbow. "Walk fast, but try to not draw more attention," he whispers and leads Eugene off the dance floor. They make it to the entrance and out the doors. As soon as they get outside, Snafu twines his hand with Eugene's and breaks into a run, their feet hitting the wooden boardwalk with loud hollow thumps. They can hear agitated voices and footsteps behind them, and they don't stop running till they reach the car.

Snafu slams the passenger door shut and turns to Eugene as soon as he gets inside. They're laughing from adrenaline and Snafu's heart is racing. He cups Eugene's cheek and tilts his head for another quick kiss before Eugene starts the engine.

Somehow Eugene knows the drive back to the hotel on the oceanside cliffs. Snafu doesn't pay any attention. He kicks his feet up on the dash and is too busy admiring Gene's long nose and the curve of his jaw backlit by the passing neon lights to give any thought to the car's direction.

The parking lot for the hotel is at the top of the cliff. There's a locked iron gate, nestled between eight foot tall hedges, with the name of the place welded onto it in an arc. The gate is small, and barely noticeable at the edge of the lot. Eugene has a key - it's antique and very decorative - and lets them in. The stairway beyond the gate switchbacks down the cliff, with thick walls protecting people from falling off the path. The air is thick and heavy with the smell of flowers growing abundantly around them.

Snafu pauses under one of the lamps. He folds his elbows over the wall, rests his chin on top, and looks out across the hotel and gardens below, and the ocean beyond. "We stepped into a goddamn fairytale," Snafu says.

Eugene comes up behind him with an embrace and rests his chin on Snafu's head, "Does that make you my prince?"

"No way," Snafu emphatically denies, "If anyone is a prince in this scenario, it's you Gene."

"Impossible," Eugene says with a smile, "Prince Eugene sounds like a pompous ass. Prince Merriell, on the other hand…."

Snafu laughs. "Maybe that's what my ma had in mind when she made up my name."

"Definitely," Eugene agrees, "She knew you'd grow up regal."

"Fuck regal," Snafu rolls his eyes, "Fuck propriety. You willing to give up all that shit for me, Gene? We ain't gonna be accepted into those circles anymore."

"Yes," Eugene says readily.

And Snafu believes him.

Their hotel suite, as expected, has white lace curtains covering each window, holding back the ocean breeze. Snafu's mother hung lace curtains in their home too, but those were already yellowed with age, patched in places, and quickly turned grey with dust. These hotel curtains reach to the floor and yet remain pristine.

Snafu stands on the balcony and smokes before bed. Eugene sits inside and reads. Or at least Snafu thinks Eugene is reading. Snafu turns his gaze away from the ocean only to catch Eugene guiltily ducking his head behind his journal.

"What?" Snafu asks, with a wry smile.

"Nothing," Eugene says, which almost definitely means it's something he's embarrassed about.

Snafu snubs out his cigarette and leans over Eugene's shoulder to investigate.

"Thought you just drew plants?" Snafu asks.

"I'm expanding my range," Eugene says dryly.

"You made me look skinny," Snafu comments.

"You are skinny," Eugene counters. He hooks an arm around Snafu's waist and walks him over to the bed. He sweeps Snafu off his feet in one of the lindy hop holds, and tosses Snafu onto the bed.

"Never should have taught you those aerials," Snafu teases. He stretches out across the pillows and dares Eugene with his eyes to join him.

Eugene says nothing, just grins widely as he climbs onto the bed next to Snafu.

Snafu kisses that self satisfied smile on Eugene's face.

They lie next to each other, their legs entwined, and their noses so close they're almost touching. There's a lightness in Snafu's chest he's never felt before. Happiness he knows, elation he knows - as rare as those things are. But this is new. He knows it can't last. Nightmares will come, they won't just go away, but for now he can lie here and soak up Gene's presence.

"I already knew you loved me," Snafu confesses.

"What do you mean?" Eugene asks.

"Even before you said it today. I think I've known since Okinawa," Snafu says.

"I figured," Eugene replies.

"Were a couple of fucking cowards," Snafu laughs.

"No, the world is cowardly," Eugene counters, "We were just trying too hard to adapt to it."

Snafu bites his bottom lip in consideration. He lifts his chin, thinks about saying something, and then decides words aren't necessary. Gene knows. Gene's always known. Snafu reaches over and gently takes Eugene's hand. Snafu twists around and pulls Eugene's arm across his body till his back is tucked against Eugene's chest.

Eugene folds around him. He's warm, and he's so much in love.

"Snaf," Eugene whispers in his ear before they fall asleep, "Let's get it right this time. Just you and me." 

tagging requests: @xmxisxforxmaybe​ @diasimar (btw i think you have tagging turned off) (also if I am missing anybody on this list I apologize, pls tell me <3)