#and now I decided mmmm I want sour. and. well. it hurts

[cr0wc0rpse]

Did you guys know that if you chew part off your lip raw and eat sour candy it will hurt. Does anyone else know about this

[kusagrasskusa]

Michael Myers X Short! Reader

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

I wrote this story on Wattpad (@Red_scarfed_person) and decided to post it here lol. If you saw this on Wattpad and don't believe me, you can go to my page on Wattpad and see that in my Messages, I talk about having a Tumblr account and left my Tumblr username there :)

And rereading my old story scared me. If you're here expecting a violent, fearful story, please don't read this. This is full of the sarcasm someone who lacks sleep can muster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ah yes. Y/N's favorite part of the day. Trying to cook. Was that sarcasm? Partially.

Y/N loved cooking; it was so satisfying to see people enjoy her food. But the part she hated was trying to reach the goDDAMN bowls and ingredients from the cabinets. Why did the construction workers have to put them 17 light years high?

Of course, it wasn't the construction workers' fault. It's just that Y/N is the size of a fifth grader. 4'6" tall. What makes it harder to live being so short? Living with someone who's 6'7."

You see, a while ago, there was a certain incident...

A tall male in a white mask and blue jumpsuit, brown hair and blue eyes, found himself in the home of another. He silently panted in his mask, in pain even if he wouldn't show it. Rolling up his sleeves and pulling up the bottom of his shirt, Michael started checking for severe wounds.

"Damn, you're hot..." Some short woman mumbled, turning on the kitchen light. Michael perked up, pulling his shirt back down and reaching for his knife.

"Oh, damn, wrong time to speak up? Sorry," Y/N said, not even knowing if she was being sarcastic in that sentence or not. Mainly since author-san doesn't know if their being sarcastic or not. Anyway--

Michael started walking towards her with the knife, not running since we all know that Michael can walk and still win Olympic runs. Y/N just grabbed a candy bar in her cabinet, opening it and taking a bit.

Michael was confused as hell. As a result, he stopped walking and lowered the knife. "So, you're not gonna kill me? That sucks since my dept is unbelievably high." Michael blinked quickly in confusion, thinking, then it might not be too high with short you are.

Y/N sighed, then gasped. "Oh wait! You're that boogeyman guy who everyone is scared of!" Y/N said with a small smile. She wasn't sadistic or anything, but she was sorta excited to see him.

Michael just stood there, not even knowing how to react for the first time in his life. Y/N then sighed again, throwing away the wrapper to the candy bar and shrugging. "If you decide to kill me later, stab my neck. It's very sensitive. Oh and my room is down the hall, to the left. And my couch is comfortable if you wanna sleep there."

And with those last words, Y/N walked to her room, closing the door behind her and getting it bed. Leaving a confused serial killer.

The next morning, Y/N yawned as she walked out of her bedroom and to the kitchen. Her kitchen and living room was one large room, the kitchen set to the right near the front door, and the living room on the other side of the room.

Between them is a hallway that leads to a bedroom and bathroom. It was a two story house. The top two floors had an office room, another bathroom, and a storage room.

Anyway, Y/N rubbed sleep from her eyes as she walked over to the stove and grabbing a pan. She also pulled out milk, pepper, salt and eggs and set them ok the counter. But now she needed a bowl to even put those in.

Michael heard noise from the kitchen which resulted in him waking up. He slowly sat up on the couch, turning to face Y/N. He got up and walked towards her.

"Why is this so high up," Y/N mumbled to herself as she tried to reach a bowl from a cabinet. She couldn't even reach the handle on the cabinet. Growling in frustration, Y/N gave into defeat.

But then comes Michael opening the cabinet for her, making her help and turn around. "W-Who the hell are you!" Y/N shrieked, blushing a bit. I mean, here she is, a tiny gal blocked in the corner of the kitchen by a tall, mascular guy.

Memories came flooding back and Y/N remembered who he was. "Ooooh, so you're that boogeyman guy? I remember now...wait... I let a damn serial killer into my house!?" Y/N shrieked again as Michael set down the bowl, turning on the stove.

As Y/N went through her epiphany, Michael actually started to cook. It wasn't until he was done did Y/N snap out of it. He set out two plates and cups, putting the scrambled eggs on them and filling the cups with F/D.

"W-Wait...so you aren't going to kill me? You're really gonna..." Y/N mumbled as Michael grabbed a nearby receipt and pen. He wrote down something, making Y/N shush and lean over at what he's writing.

"My name is Michael. I'm not planning on hurting you anytime soon. What is your name?" it read. Y/N was confused as hell now. Why would he spare her? What is so special about her? I should just be grateful, Y/N thought.

"I'm Y/N, Y/N L/N..." Y/N said, looking up at Michael. She blushed a bit, making eye contact. Michael grabbed a plate and cup and handed it to her, then grabbed his own and sat down at the small diner table. Well, way to go from one thing to another, Y/N thought as she sat down next to him.

As much as it confused her, Y/N still wasn't sure how she was still alive. But she was grateful she was, anyway. She always the tall male attractive, but never had feelings for him until recently.

Even if he'd refuse to get things for her that were high up, give her looks that just screamed out about her being short, and wrote down short on sticky notes and put them everywhere, she fell for him. What a lovely crush.

"Why the hell are the damn cabinets 17 light years high," Y/N growled as she climbed on the counter. Just as she was about to grab a bowl, she yelped when large arms wrapped around her an pulled her down carefully.

"Michael! Hey, let go!" Y/N yelled, trying to be serious despite how much she wanted to smile and laugh. Michael shook his head, hugging her tighter.

Despite how badly be wanted to tease her about her height, he kept quiet of course. He didn't just want a hug, either, he wanted to pull her down so she'd have to struggle to get back on the counter again. As said before, what a lovely crush.

Michael eventually pulled away, taking a couple steps back. Y/N looked over at him with a sour-sweet look, blushing a bit. She crossed her arms, "so, was that all you wanted?" Yeah, is that all you wanted, baka? ≧n≦

Michael shook his head, pointing to the bathroom. Y/N raised a brow. "What?" She asked, thinking for a moment. "You need a towel or something?" Michael then nodded.

Y/N smiled a bit, nodding. She walked to her room, Michael following until they reached the door. Grabbing a towel, Y/N walked back over to him and handed it. "It might be a bit small for a giant such as yourself, but here."

Michael nodded, then walked towards the bathroom and went inside. Y/N smiled a bit, thinking to herself about what he'd look like once he got out. It made her cheeks heat up and her heart beat a bit faster.

And about 15 minutes later, Y/N was back in the living room, watching TV. "C'mon, Saitama, beat the hell outta them..." Y/N mumbled under her breath, watching an intense fighting scene.

Y/N perked when she heard the bathroom door open and looked over. Long story short about that was happening in her mind: bad idea.

"MMMM-" Y/N screamed muffledly, having covered her mouth with a pillow that moment. Her face was red, blushing hard from the sight. The towel covered just enough on Michael to where nothing was shown, but he was h o t. Even the scars on him weren't seen as disturbing or anything.

Michael cocked his head, holding his clothes in his hands. He ignored Y/N's reaction to seeing him, since he only cared about his jumpsuit being cleaned. Of course he would act like that--

Y/N, already knowing what Michael wanted, slowly stood up and walked over. She was figitting, clearly still flustered as she grabbed his clothes. "I-I'll just, uh, go wash these..." She mumbled as she walked passed him quickly, to the washing machine and dryer.

Michael blinked a couple times, thinking about the hell he's supposed to where for the time being. Just the towel?

About five minutes passed, Michael was still waiting next to the bathroom for Y/N to come back. He just wanted something to c h a n g e i n t o.

Alas, the moment finally came. Y/N walked back out after almost crying to herself in the laundry room. Typing this out now made me realize I'm making it sound like Y/N was-- well, if you know, you know. But no, that wasn't happening. Our child, Y/N, was just flustered, ok? Yes, our child. I care about you so much reader and I love your OC even though idfk what they look like. They're a beautiful specimen. :):):):):):) Anyway, back to the story.

"H-Hey," Y/N stuttered as she walked out, waving as Michael. Michael, who kept his mask on by the way, just rolled his eyes from inside the mask, handing her a piece of paper. It said that he needed a change of clothes, to which Y/N just chuckled about. "I-I mean...Do you reallllyyy? Can't you just stick with that? You don't look too bad in it, heh heh."

Michael have her a dull look from under his mask, making Y/N sigh. "Fine, whatever. But let's be honest, I'm not gonna have anything that fits you. You should just stick with that," she said, shrugging and pretending to calm about seeing him like that. She was clearly in a flirty mood, which she sometimes gets like when she wants to annoy Michael.

He likes to out sticky notes everywhere with the word short on it, pull her off counters so she has a harder time getting stuff from cabinets, and put his hand above her head as if he was saying, "You're not tall enough to do ____." So it's only normal she would flirt to get him back. But mayyybe acting like that isn't a good decision on her part.

Michael sighed silently, grabbing Y/N"s wrist softly. "Wha--" Y/N cut herself off when Michael pulled her close, leaning down to get his face close to her's. Then, for the very first time in years, Michael spoke.

"Whatever makes you happier~" Michael whispered in her ear; his voice was low and husky. Y/N turned red immediately, incapable of even coming up with a response. Hold on- a tall, mysterious guy with a good figure pulled me close and now can speak, in a hot goddamn voice at that, Y/N thought.

Michael caressed her cheek, pulling away. Y/N had her mouth slightly parted, her eyes widened. "Yo...You can..." Y/N stuttered, not even able to come up with a sentence. So instead, she just nodded slowly, slowly walking into her room and gesturing for him to follow. Michael smiled proudly under his mask, following her.

Yes, what he did was small but Y/N was the kind of person to be a bit extra about these things. Of course it affected her. Anyway, about five minutes later, Y/N couldn't find anything for him to wear other than a large hoodie and very oversized sweatpants she got from a Plot Convenience Sale, which was kinda tight for him. But at least she had a use for the sweatpants, since that was kinda just in her closet.

Y/N took a deep breath once Michael was done changing, coming out of her room. Of course, she left the room when he got changed so don't think dirty, precious readers. Y/N looked over, smiling a bit with heated cheeks at Michael. The small moment from earlier was still bothering her.

"Does it fit?" she asked, raising a brow. Michael nodded, putting his hands in the hoodie pockets. "That's good," Y/N mumbled, staring at the ground awkwardly. A couple moments of silence later, Michael smiled from under his mask, taking it off while Y/N was too busy being lost in a daydream to notice.

"Thank you," Michael whispered as her kissed her forehead, making Y/N flinch. Because Michael appears to be as fast as light, he was already putting his mask on by the time Y/N looked up. Her face was red again, but even worse than before.

"M-Michael, did you just--" Michael was already walking away, brushing her off. "Hey, listen to me!" Y/N yelled as she caught up to him. Like hell that was going to be a one time thing, Y/N thought. I'm going to see his face eventually, she promised herself.

[shadow--writer]

I Heard That you Fell in Love or Near Enough

hm yes TITLE :D (mmmm slowed my beloved). Look a way longer chapter because we’re setting up some fun foreshadowing and I just went nuts with internal dialogue. So much fun with this lmao. It’s v chaotic 

Maeve x Lucas. From bad to worse. 4.5k (we arent gonna TALK ABOUT IT)

TW (more squicky than anything): mention of blood, robbery, LOTS of language 

@dela-png

To say today was a terrible day was the understatement of the century. 

First she didn’t get any sleep due to some noise going on close by. Of course it had to be loud on the first day she was actually willing to sleep in mm say...two three days? So she was even more irritated in the morning. 

Then of course after eating she went downstairs and screamed so loud she broke her soundproofing charms.

Fan-bloody-fucking-tastic.

She kicked at the broken pieces of what used to be one of her tables. Looked like someone took a running jump and broke it. 

And to top it all off she had been robbed. 

She let out a frustrated yell, muffling it by biting down on her knuckles. 

“Gods and stars fuck,” she snarled, stomping her foot once as she tried to think things over. There was paint. 

There was paint everywhere.

And don’t even get her started on the blood.

Bloodied handprints! All over her front door! Smeared along with the paint.

“And what the fuck is with this W?!” She spun to look at her back wall, palms open. Blue paint. Like her tattoos. She rubbed her arms as she moved closer to look at it. 

Crescent spots. A W. What was this? A threat? 

They left a calling card of course it was a threat. But why against her? Did she do something? Not that she remembered. 

Was it to get to someone?

But who? She had cut off everyone who tried to get close besides the kids. And she doubted someone would go to...these extremes to get back at a child.

Maybe she did something. 

But even if she did, what did these even mean? Wouldn’t it be more effective to threaten someone who recognized the markings? 

Ugh it was giving her a headache. 

She moved to her trashed backroom, grabbing a cleaning bucket and a rag. Taking the green handkerchief from it’s hook and rolling up her sleeves she knew it was going to be a doozy of a day. 

And of course, with her luck, her lucky stars, it got worse. 

~~

She collapsed against her counter, now covered in blood and so much fucking blue paint. They had painted those damn animal print spots all over her fucking clinic. 

AND they had stolen the medicines she kept locked up! Including the herbs she made them from!

Oooh if she ever got her hands on the thieves she was going to make them regret laying eyes on her clinic. String them up she would. Might even skin them like a fish if she was in the mood. 

Oh great she’d have to go to the market as well. Sure she was now out of food. She had been meaning to go. 

But fucking hell did she not want to. 

She adjusted the green handkerchief (it...stopped smelling like him), cleaned her paint stained hands down the front of her skirt and steeled her nerves.

Oh she hated going to the market for many many many reasons.

Reasons she was not going to go into.

Grabbing her basket and muttering to herself angrily, she slammed the door to her clinic shut, locked it and then stared. 

“...they’re going to come back. Dipshits won’t stop. Not after one night,” she huffed, resting her palms on the door.

Locking charms. Right. 

Aislin taught her this one. 

Breathing in and holding the air, she willed her magic to life. A gentle warmth settled across her skin, small locks appearing at her fingertips. This didn’t take energy from her, she pulled from the air around her. Aislin’s magic was more wind and air stuff so this was easier for her younger sister anyways. Much stronger than Maeve’s locks. 

Speaking of, thank goddess her charms held. She didn’t know what would’ve happened if whoever stopped by had managed to get into her house. 

Stepping away to admire the fading glow on her door, she nodded, satisfied. There. Those would have to do. She might need to update her soundproofing charms though. 

Who knew the neighbors didn’t like it when patients screamed? The things you could get away with back home. 

Stepping away from her clinic she made her way down the street. 

Maybe if she tried a disguise spell so she wouldn’t be bothered…

No, that wouldn’t work. She was shit at disguise spells. No one in her family was good at them. Last time her Seanmháthair tried she grew a fake beard and it didn’t go away for a week. 

...fine she would just suffer then. 

It’s not like once she got there anything could possibly get worse. No sir. Only being fucking robbed and then having to deal with the market. 

All she had to deal with for today. 

Letting out a sigh she walked into the market. It didn’t take her long to start gathering medication and plants. Of course they were backwater stalls. 

But it’s always been like that. 

Feeling a bit lighter she started to hum as she went through her mental checklist. Still didn’t have aloe, the asshats stole her entire fucking plant. 

...she also didn’t have anything to make lunch.

Great. 

She opened her eyes, turning around to go look for something to eat, letting out another small sigh.  

And there was Lucas. 

She choked on her sigh. 

Why oh why did he have to be there today of all days. She couldn’t even go back home! She needed something to eat (thinking about it now she hadn’t eaten in quite a bit) but noooo. 

So why did all those stars and spirits above decide today would be a good day for him to come to the market as well?

Sometimes she wondered if some deity had it out for her.

She turned to quietly sneak away.

“Thumb- Maeve?”

...oh fucking fuck. 

She forced a smile, slowly turning back around. Mmmm so this was how today was going to go. Fucking fantastic. “Giiiiant.”

...too informal, too informal. Abort mission.

He flinched a little at the nickname. Ah yes, this is definitely how she wanted her afternoon to go. This was perfect. So wonderful. 

She was going to fight whatever star had been assigned to watch over her and her fate.

“What are you doing here?”

Wow it wasn’t obvious? “...shopping. What else would I be here for?”

“Shopping for what?”

Oh she did not like his tone. Her eyes narrowed. Her basket swung off her wrist as she placed her hand on her hip. Sure maybe snapping at a seven foot tall man who was still fairly hurt and mad at her (for good reason) was not the smartest thing she could’ve done but…

She was in a terrible mood and ready to just go home and call it a day. Of course after she actually got what she needed for dinner. And actually eat something.  

“Do I have to tell you anything?” she huffed. “I am here to get something to eat for dinner and herbs to make more medication? There? Is the marketplace police happy?”

His eyes widened. “O-Oh! Didn’t mean to come across…” The softness and the...actual innocence of the apology sent her reeling. Then, as her luck would fucking have it, he seemed to remember he was still mad at her. “...sorry.”

She rolled her eyes, moving to look past him. Fine. This was fine. She just needed to get something for her to eat. Maybe something for Tehi. The old bat would kill her if she went hungry. 

Maybe she herself could deal without dinner. 

Her mood soured even more when she spotted mortal enemy of Maeve #1. 

The fruit stand guy. Malory. (it was a very unfortunate name)

Malory’s eyes narrowed when he spotted her. “Well well well, if it isn’t the little thief.”

She shifted away from Lucas, glad she now had someone to direct her building frustrations to. 

“I am no thief, you just want me gone!” she sneered, glaring at him. “You accuse me of taking things and then try and get me arrested! Every time I come here! Without fucking fail! Aren’t you tired of it?!”

“I will never be tired of it until I see the likes of you behind bars!”

“Unfuckingbelievable!” She threw her hands into the air. “I am not a thief! It was an accident. Tehi was hungry and I paid for it!”

“Your little bat has it out for me! And her owner is no prize either.”

She gasped in offense. “You fucking dickjerk ASSHOLE!” Her footsteps were loud to her ears against the rush of blood. Oh he got on her very last nerve. EVERY TIME! She jutted a finger at him as she growled. “I. Did. Not. Steal. Your. Shitty. Merchandise!” Well that was a half lie. His produce was quite good. 

It’s why Tehi stole from him so much. 

All too bad the guy selling was a balding old man who had it out for her. A vendetta! 

“Malory you are a slimy weasel who has no idea what he’s fucking talking about! Tehi was hungry. I caught her and I paid for the few grapes she had stolen. What else do you want?!”

“For you to go to jail!”

She was on the verge of fighting him. 

This close. 

“For the last time,” she snarled, stomping closer as she felt her skin heat up with her rage. She slammed her hands on the counter of his stall, opening her mouth to snap back. The others around went quiet with the show they were getting. She. Was. Going. To. Kill-

The ground under her feet was all of a sudden not under her feet. 

And she was thrown over someone’s shoulder. Like a sack of flour. 

“Put me down! I demand it! Right this instant!” she yelled, smacking the back of the person who had picked her up. 

Gray shirt. 

Oh fucking hell. Today was just not her fucking godamned day. Maybe if she became a hermit things would go her way in the luck department. 

“Lucas set me down!” 

“Maeve as angry I am with you I don’t want to watch you murder someone and then get sent to jail.”

“Well he would fucking deserve it!”

“Murder is still murder no matter how much he deserves it.”

She sulked, propping her face up with her hand, elbow resting on his back. “I thought you hated me.”

“It’s broad daylight. Very least do it at night.”

“Killjoy.”

She and Malory glared at one another. “Fuck off,” she sniffed, lifting her hand in a very vulgar gesture. 

“Maeve!”

“Guards! Guards! These two stole from me!”

“FUCK YOU TOO, MALORY!”

“Maeve!” 

She kicked her legs. Didn’t Lucas like, hate her? This was the first time they saw one another in weeks and it was a total fucking accident. 

“Put me down!”

“...you’re going to give the guards a reason to arrest you if I do.”

“Yeah? He would FUCKING DESERVE IT!” She yelled the last part at the fruit vendor, still flipping him off. “Droch áird chúgat lá gaoithe! Go mbrise an diabhal do dhá chois! Go ndéana an diabhal dréimire do chnámh do dhroma!”

“Maeve what the hell are you saying?”

“Droch chrích ort! Droch chrích ort!” she said, waving her arms. “Go dtuitfeadh an tigh ort!” 

“Maeve I have no idea what you’re saying but watch your language.”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” she said, sticking her tongue out. “If I want this asshat’s house to fall on him I will tell him such!”

“...you said what?”

“You heard me! Go dtuitfeadh an tigh ort! Fucking bastard.” She sneered at Malory, who was still calling for the guards. Who were coming around.

Quickly. 

Ah fuck. 

And goody for Lucas, he was now an accomplice. 

Meaning she wouldn’t be able to get rid of him. 

Though judging by how people gave him a wide berth it wouldn’t be the absolute worst thing. Maybe she’d actually be left alone. (but why did people look so skittish? And then there was the anger? What the fuck did he fucking do?!)

“...shall I escape with you or do you want me to leave you behind?” He was still hurt. She could hear it.

But this was a short truce. 

She sulked, falling limp. “Fine. Carry me away. Just to a hiding spot. You can hide in one of the alcoves down the street if you hurry.”

“...thank you for the tip.” His voice was just dripping with sarcasm. 

“Well I’m sorry if I do this every other week and know what I’m doing!”

“You’re also tiny! You think I can fit in an alcove?”

“Fine! Don’t listen to me! Just set me down and let me get arrested! Save yourself.”

“You know I’m not gonna do that.”

“Oh you hate me anyways,” she groused, her filter was coming completely off as he moved quickly through the market. Guards shouted after them as he dodged the crowd. “Why not just abandon me?”

“Stop being dramatic, I'm not abandoning you.”

“Hmph you didn’t even touch the hate me part.”

“Just because I’m saving your ass doesn’t mean I’m not mad.”

“Ah! So you do hate me!”

“I never said that.” He didn’t elaborate, only tapped his fingers lightly on her thighs. 

She squirmed. “Hey buster watch the hands.” 

“Nervous tic.”

Even with his defense he didn’t stop. Little bastard. 

She kicked her legs a little as he ducked into an alleyway. It wasn’t what she recommended but oh well. 

“Hey stop that, you’ll get us caught,” he huffed as she tried smacking his nose with her heel. He shifted out of the way. 

“Put me down.”

“If you promise to be quiet I’ll put you down.”

“...fine.” She didn’t promise. 

He set her down, she huffed and dusted off the front of her skirt. 

“Malory is a fucking dick,” she muttered. 

“I thought you promised you’d be quiet.”

She stuck her tongue out at him again, getting more irritated by the second. “I never promised that. Only said ‘fine’.”

His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. “Don’t be a child.”

“I’ll have you know,” she snarled, pointing a finger at him. He almost went cross eyed staring at it. “I have had the shittiest fucking day today and seeing you has done nothing to improve my mood or overall day so thanks a fucking lot.”

“...you’re really going to blame me now?”

“Well I do not appreciate being picked up and thrown over your shoulder when I had the situation under control.”

“You were going to kill him.”

“I was and as I’ve said many many times; he would’ve deserved it.”

Lucas seemed to weigh what he would say next. She huffed, staring up at him with her fists at her sides. Damn him and his height. She was going to strangle the person that decided making him this fucking tall was a good fucking idea it made fucking arguing with him or even just ranting a pain in her neck. Literally. 

“Ugh!” she yelled, standing on her tiptoes to be at least a little taller. 

God fucking damnit she was just BARELY up to his shoulders now. He looked almost amused as she puffed up her chest a little. 

“You listen here buster,” she snarled, shifting so they were chest to chest. “I have had it up to here with the BULLSHIT I just had to put up with today!” 

His face was red.

Why the fuck was his face red?!

Excuse you sir, she was in the middle of a RANT here. 

And he was still fucking mad at her for the shit she pulled. Yeah sure it was to protect him. Yeah sure she should not be as close as she was to him at that moment. She should also not be ranting. She should also not have been robbed didn’t she lock her doors?!

Also why the fuck was he still adorable when blushing?! Unfair! She was calling bullshit! She was supposed to be distancing herself and her feelings to not feel attracted to him. But nooooo the gods and stars above just had to bless him with being so fucking adorble she wanted to kiss him. Oh stars and spirits she was not going off on a fucking mental tangent about wanting to kiss him. That was not going to happen.

Even though she was close enough to. 

Gods why did everything have to be so fucking complicated?! 

That’s it she was going to fight someone. 

“Hey! Are you listening?” she asked, they were now chest to chest. She was off kilter with being on her tiptoes, back arching to get a good look at him. God fucking- height. 

She growled, settling back down onto her heels. He pursed his lips to keep from laughing and that was it and that was the last straw.

She pulled him down by his ear, hissing through her teeth. “You listen to me here Lucas whatever-the-fuck your last name is.”

“K-Karimov.” He stumbled a little with the weird angle which she was holding him in. But somehow, the filter was off and so was her ability to care. 

“Thank you. You listen to me here, Lucas Karimov. I do not want to be stuck in this alleyway with you anymore than you want to be stuck with me. Today has had it OUT for me the whole fucking day!”

He seemed to hear something but she was too caught up in herself fuming to notice. “Maeve-”

“And don’t get me fucking started on what happened to me this fine morning-”

“Maeve!” He shifted out of her grasp. 

“-with my clinic and the mess I had to- MMPH!” He slapped his hand over her mouth, shoving her roughly against the alley wall, caging her in between his legs and resting his elbow beside her cheek. 

“Shut up,” he whispered, looking over his shoulder. 

She watched the guards run by their hiding spot, yelling about hearing something. 

His face was so close to hers, his breath tickling her ear as he murmured to her. “You’ll get us caught.”

She glared at him over his palm. He wasn’t looking at her. Her brows furrowed as she squirmed, but he held firm. He didn’t let go of her even as the guards disappeared. 

So she took matters into her own hands. 

Or well, between her teeth. 

So she bit down on his hand. Hard. 

He pulled away with a yelp. She scrubbed at her mouth with the back of her hand as he nursed his wound. 

“You...you bit me!”

She placed her hands on her hips. “You needed to let me go!”

“You bit me!”

“Indeed I did!”

“What put you in such a sour mood?” he muttered, rubbing the bite gently. 

“Hm? Bad mood? Me?” Her eye twitched a little. She was so done. She was actually ready to sleep for a million years. 

Fuck the nightmares he was starting to star in she was done. 

“Yeah! Me getting fucking robbed was great to put me in the best of fucking moods!” she snapped, pacing around the small space of the alley while she waited for the clear. 

She shocked him into a stunned silence. “You were...what?”

Her head whipped around and her eyes were deathly narrowed. Absolutely done. 

“Heavens and stars are ya deaf?” Oh no her accent was coming out. Fan-fucking-tastic her accent was coming out. “I was fuckin robbed! So I was not put in the bestest of moods today so you get to see me when I’m irritated. I know! I’m so fucking fun aren’t I?”

Who would’ve guessed having her clinic trashed and her things stolen then having to deal with both LUCAS and MALORY would put her in such a sour mood that she didn’t even care if half of her words were clouded by her accent?! Oh and being handled like a sack of potatoes REALLY added to it! Then being pinned…

Hmm okay being pinned against the wall by Lucas wasn’t the worst thing to happen to her that fine day. 

Even so she felt the tiniest spark of pride at biting him. 

Was she guilty over that? Surprisingly no.

Check back later. 

“Who...who robbed you?”

“Shit if I know! I’m sure that weird thing I found was a fuckin callin card though. Why do you care?”

“Calling card?”

“It was a pain in the fuckin ass to clean too! I don’t know where the hell they got all that blue paint to paint my entire back wall but they fucking did it! And then leaving the weird stains on my door. Blue and I don’t know probably blood. All and all it was fucking disgusting.” 

“...blue paint? What did they paint?”

She rubbed her temples. She did not have to share this with him. She did not have to share this with him. “Some weird crescent spots and a letter. Took forever to clean.”

Annnd she shared it with him.

“Spots? Letter?”

She cracked one eye open. “Yeah. I think they were either leopard or cheetah spots. Letter was a fucking W. And then they tried to break into my house and left bloody handprints! I had quite the scare this morning.”

All the colour drained from his face. 

“Blue...cheetah marks?”

“Did you just...ignore everything I just said? Yes! And blood! Like everywhere! They tried to break into my house and I don’t know why I am sharing this with you I should not be sharing this with you and I am going to regret this later but oh well I have no filter and I’m rambling.”

There was a slight anger swirling in his eyes. Barely contained. 

Even with how pissed she was it spooked her. 

What did he have to be angry about? 

“Were you hurt?”

“Does it look like I’ve been hurt?” He crossed his arms. She threw her hands into the air. “No! I have locking charms on my door. I didn’t hear them because of the sound proofing charms I have on my clinic and above that in my flat.”

Why the fuck did she just mention that?!

And she kept fucking going. 

This was it. 

If he didn’t hate her before because she rejected his kiss (like a fucking MORON. She did have a good reason for it (at least to herself. She was such a liar) but why oh why did she have to break things off with him. Granted if she kissed him that would’ve made things so much worse even though she really wanted to kiss him holy fuck she wanted to kiss him why was this hitting her now of all times when he was so close why was he so close and why did he look so scared and so pissed?!) he would definitely hate her now. 

Nice fucking going O’Connor. You did it. Messed up one of the only good relationships you’ve had in a while not just once but twice. 

Give the girl a medal. 

“Do you need help cleaning it up?”

“My tables are broken and I need to fix them and set them up again but I cleaned up this morning. All my medications and herbs were stolen. My tools. Stolen. My clinic? Fucking wrecked. Fruit stand guy? Tried to get me arrested again. You? Pick me up like I weigh nothing. So yeah. Having a great fucking day today.”

“...you are scary when irritated.”

“Oh and you barely scratched the fucking surface. I. Am. Going. To. Kill. SOMEONE!”

“Calm down Maeve the guards could hear-”

“I am not going to fucking calm down. I have bottled up everything for too fucking long. The only time I could sleep in peace was fucking ruined by my neighbors being obnoxious. And they bitch about me. So no a ghrá mo chroí, I am not calming down! You haven’t talked to me in weeks and now that you do you tell me how to feel and no. I am so done! I am done with you, I am done with Malory and I am done with the shitty fucking gods who decided creating me and giving me my fucking luck was a good fucking idea!”

Hold on. 

Did she just say that nickname out loud? 

The hurt on his face let her know that she did, indeed, say that out loud.

And he was taking it in the entirely wrong direction.

“...sorry.” His tone was deathly soft. 

Ah great.

Third times a fucking charm. 

“I...didn’t mean for it to come off that way. But you don’t need to curse me in another language.” Great, she hurt him again. As per fucking usual. 

Maybe he was right by calling her a trainwreck. Useless without him. 

Her voice cracked a little, hoarse from yelling. “Lucas-”

“The guards are gone now. I’ll...see you.” He was angry with her. 

Gods...fuck. 

“That's not what I-”

His expression was a mixture of hurt and anger. “I get it. You don’t like seeing me anymore. I was too...too much. Too much too soon. I understand. I overstepped again and I’m sorry.”

She brought her hands back to her chest as he moved out of the alley. “...if you go to your right and then down the first alley you should avoid the guards,” he whispered. “Get home safe.”

“Lucas I didn’t-” But he was gone. 

Her hands shook with both the raw snapping hurt of his words and just even more anger. 

“I didn’t insult you,” she snarled to the open air. “I said some dumb fucking shit by accident...a ghrá mo chroí.” It felt...right to say.

Because it was true.

He was her heart’s beloved. 

Even if he was a fucking dumbass. Shit, she was a fucking dumbass. 

Maybe she didn’t deserve love. If this was how it was going to treat her, maybe it was better if she just was...alone! 

Once again Maeve was off by herself. 

Hurting people she really liked because she couldn’t keep her dumb mouth shut. 

She muttered to herself as she picked her basket of new (if she found the perpetrators she was going to whoop their asses) medications and plants to make medications. 

Fan-fucking-tastic. 

She followed Lucas’ instructions after she ran into the guards on her normal way home. 

Damn you Malory you asshole.

With a sigh she arrived at her doorstep. His way added ten extra minutes to her walk. How fun. 

She peaked inside the clinic to see if anything else was destroyed but it was...cleaner than when she left it.

Her tables that had been turned over were set up again. There was paint and blood all over the tops of the tables but...they were up again. 

She ran her hands along the grooves, looking around. 

She stopped when she saw a small cloth bundle sitting on her counter. The string was a ribbon, and it was tied into a messy bow.

Her earlier bashes slowly dissolved as she stared at it. 

And that one lone butterfly fluttered to life. 

[ythankucaptainmccoy]

Jango Fett x Reader (Plentiful Bounties Chapter 8)

Here’s the next chapter of Plentiful Bounties. Hope you all like it as there is a wedding this time. I do not own Star Wars or any characters. What will Jango and Reader do for their honeymoon? Will they leave Boba for this Honeymoon or take him with them. So many questions that will be answered today. Oh and a surprise character shows up!

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

Jango was nervous as you and him planned the wedding. It was to be a simple mandalorian wedding, and as the day grew closer the more excited Boba seemed to get. (Y/N) seemed to pace as she tried to figure out how to do seating since it was going to be a small wedding with mostly family since neither of them had many friends. Jango had also noted that it would be bad if other Bounty Hunters knew they were together. 

Jango didn’t have anyone that he invited, and he didn’t seem bothered by it. (Y/N) had three friends that she invited who said they would be able to make it. Your father would smile and tear up whenever you asked for help which in turn would make you tear up. Jango got a bounty two days before the wedding, but he told you he would let this one go. “Jango you should go if it’s an easy one. You can take Boba if it’s something easy”, you discussed. 

“No, I want to make sure I’m here for the wedding. Someone else can take it”, Jango replied. You didn’t push the issue as Boba came in with a couple of his friends. “Hey mom can I go to Hajat’s?”, Boba asked you. This was the first time he had called you mom, and you looked towards Jango who smiled at you. “Ummm ask your father”, you dodged. “Dad can I go to Hajat’s?”, Boba turned towards his father. “I don’t know, did you polish your armor the other day for the ceremony?”, Jango questioned.

“Yes Buir I did”, he nodded smiling wide. “Alright I guess you can as long as you're back before dinner”, Jango told him. Boba excitedly ran out the door with his friend as you came to sit in Jango’s lap. “You know when you are officially his mother, and I’m not here you're going to have to make decisions”, he chuckled.  “Did you make up your mind whether we are going to take Boba with us or not for the honeymoon?”, you quizzed. “No what do you think cya’re. If we take him with us you know he will want to explore”, he replied.

“Well I’m sure that I would want to explore some, but maybe not the same as Boba”, you joked as you ran your hand up his chest, and playfully pecked a kiss to his lips. “(Y/N)”, he warned. “I think we should take him along. He is your son, and it wouldn’t be fair to leave him as if he doesn’t belong”, you explain. “This is why I love you, and why you will make a good mother for Boba”, he tells you to then kiss you.

You both kissed for a moment until you decided you needed to get the chairs set up for the wedding. It took you about ten minutes to get all the chairs set up, and your father joined you. “Are you nervous?”, he asked. “A little, but I know he is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, and Boba is too precious”, you smiled. “Oh wait until he becomes a teenager”, he joked. “Yeah I don’t know how Jango was as a teenager. I hope it will be somewhat easy”, you laughed out.

“You’ll do fine I’m sure”, your father told you. “Your mother would be so proud to see you getting married. I’m sure she would be leary about you marrying a bounty hunter, but after meeting him I’m sure she would understand”, he said tearing up. You felt a tear slide down your cheek as your father told you how proud he is of you, and wishing your mother could be here for this. You had just started on dinner when Boba entered the house covered in dirt, and a bruise on his cheek. “Boba what happened to you?”, you panicked looking him over. 

“Another kid was making fun of Hajat’s sister, and I punched him then we got into a scuffle. He gave me this bruise, but he won’t be bothering her anymore”, Boba growled out as he held back tears. You understood in an instant that it reminded him of Eya, and you pulled him to you as he finally let the tears flow freely. “Why did it have to be her? It should have been me”, Boba sobbed. “Boba never think that it should have been you. She isn’t hurting anymore, and she is with her mom now like you're here with your father and me”, you sniffled.

When Jango walked in you had Boba in your lap on the couch as you held him as he cried. “You know me and your father made the decision to take you with us for our honeymoon”, you told him trying to sooth him. His tears slowed as he confirmed that what you had said was true. “Go get ready and I’ll have dinner ready in no time”, you told him, kissing the top of his head. He went to the refresher to take a sanisteam, and you explained to Jango what Boba had said.

“He lost a friend, and I know how hard that can be”, Jango told you. “I just wish he hadn’t had to see it happen”, you replied. Jango came up behind you to wrap his arms around your waist as you cooked. When Boba came back into the kitchen Jango hoisted him into his arms, and Boba giggled as Jango started to tickle him. “No haha dad ahhh”, Boba squealed as he kicked and pushed at his father to get away. 

You quickly placed a plate of food at each placement and called everyone for dinner. You all ate, made jokes and let your father tell some embarrassing stories about you. It seemed to help the mood, but Jango was quickly getting ammunition to use against you. Once you all were finished you started on dishes, and you asked Boba if he would like to help you. He helped you dry the dishes after you washed and rinsed them. You couldn’t wait for the wedding, and neither could Jango. 

The next two days seemed to fly by, and you woke up early on the day of the wedding. Jango had been exhausted since he seemed to be having trouble getting to sleep. You gave him a peck on his lips, and quietly slipped out of the room. You made breakfast and before long Boba and your father made their way into the kitchen. You made a tray and walked into the bedroom, and gently woke Jango. 

“Here darling”, you smiled. He sat up to take the tray, and looked up to you confused. “I figured you would like to lay in bed for a little bit until we have to start getting ready”, you told him. “You know I could definitely get used to this”, he jested. “Mmmm I’m sure you could”, you giggled. “So I figured we could go to Alderaan. It’s beautiful and a safe place for Boba to explore since the place we will be staying is about an hour from any major city”, you explained. “Sounds good. I have never really been there”, he replied. “Neither have I”, you agreed.

The whole day was very fast paced as you all got ready for the wedding. A friend of your father got there to officiate the wedding, and you had spent the night before preparing food for the reception which was basically going to be people sitting around congratulating, and drinking. Boba answered the door as everyone finally made it, and made their way to the garden where you would be married.

Everyone dressed in mandalorian armor as most of the family had been warriors. Jango waited for you, and your father brought you to him, and gave him his blessing. The ceremony was going well, and many laughed when Boba presented the rings in his armor. It got to the vows and both you and Jango repeated them together,  “Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde". It was done as Jango kissed you, and everyone cheered for you both. 

Boba hugged you and Jango picked him up to head back inside. Everyone drank and told jokes as you stayed close to Jango. “Can I have some?”, Boba questioned, pointing at Jango's drink. Jango smirked and told him only a sip, and once Boba takes a sip he makes a sour face causing everyone to chuckle. “That stuff is gross”, Boba smacked his lips. When night started to fall the guests all stumbled off as they left. All of you wishing them well and a safe journey home.

All three of you packed, and made the decision to leave in the morning since Boba was falling asleep standing up. “Jango, maybe we should go ahead and load the Slave I”, you told him, feeling uneasy. “Why? (Y/N)”, he questioned. “I’m not sure, but something is wrong”, you told him. “Cya’re let’s just sleep it’s just your nerves”, he tried to calm you. “No. Please we can let Boba sleep. I would just feel better if we do it now”, you said almost feeling panicked.

A voice kept telling you to hurry, and you grabbed your stuff as Jango grabbed his and Boba’s things since you seem so urgent. You loaded the Slave I, and made your way back to the house. You tried to sleep, but you couldn’t as more voices joined the other voice you heard. A loud banging on the front door had you sitting up, and you walked to the door. When you looked, a friend of your fathers was standing there.

You opened the door to let him in as he told you to close the door and lock it as he panted out of breath. Your father had been woken as well as Jango as they both came in. “You all must leave. Some guy...a jedi by the saber he carried was looking for your new husband. Said he was to arrest him, and bring him to Coruscant to the Jedi Temple, and anyone aiding him”, your father's friend explained.  “We need to go now”, you trembled now knowing why the voices had been telling you to do so. 

You ran to get Boba up, and all your armor and things had already been loaded onto Slave I. “Boba you need to get dressed and we need you to be ready to go in the next couple minutes”, you urge. He got dressed without a word as he seemed to know something was wrong. “Dad you should come with us”, you pleaded. “I don’t think I should go”, he argued. “Dad please you know what happened to mom when the Jedi came here”, you begged.

Your father quickly got dressed and packed things to take with him. Right before you were about to go out the front door you felt a presence at the door. The knock made you all freeze as your father looked from you to Jango to Boba half asleep in your arms. “Go out the back I’ll cover for you all”, your father’s friend whispered. You four quickly ran to the garden, and you climbed the tree to the roof as your father climbed up next. You used the force to bring Boba up to you as Jango climbed up.

The knock on the door increased as your father’s friend made sure you all were on your way. He answered the door as a Jedi stood there. “Can I help you?”, your father’s friend asked. “Yes I’m looking for a bounty hunter named Jango Fett. I had information that he was living here”, the Jedi informed. “No man by that name lives here”, he replied. “Well then you wouldn’t mind if I checked for myself since his ship is here I assume he is here on Mandalore somewhere”, he said.

You could hear the conversation as you made your way to the edge of the house. You jumped down into Jango’s waiting arms. All of you silently made your way to the docking ports. Something was wrong, you could feel the anxiety wrapping around you through the force. All of you made it, but a lightsaber igniting made you all turn around. “Stop!”, a voice rang out.

You knew that voice, and you didn’t want to face this person. Your mother had actually trusted this Jedi and he was the only one that was allowed to visit you both. “Obi-Wan”, you whispered. “(Y/N) please tell me what your doing?”, Obi-Wan questioned. “Please just let us go. I don’t know what you want with my husband, but I won’t let you take him”, you told him, pulling a lightsaber out from your sleeve.

Obi-Wan and your father recognised your mother's lightsaber. Jango stiffened as you stepped in between your family and Obi-Wan. “Wait Jango Fett is your husband! Since when did this happen?”, he inquired. “Today but we have been together for some time. Please I don’t know what you're accusing him of, but he is innocent. I’ll die before I let you destroy my family again”, you cried. “(Y/N) we just want him for questioning. I don’t want to fight you”, Obi-Wan calmly stated. “Just like how you and the Jedi council just wanted to talk about my future”, you growled. 

“(Y/N) it was an accident, and you know it. I was her friend, and she knew my master well. I never wanted to hurt her”, he tried to reason. “I won’t let you make Boba fatherless. I mean it’s what you all are good at, killing fathers and mothers, and trying to take their children”, you bellowed. Before he could respond you leapt at him as your father held Jango back. 

“Boba start the ship so we can make a fast getaway”, your father convinced him. You swung at Obi-Wan as he deflected as he stayed on the defensive. He never made a move to hurt you, but you were blinded by the fear of anything taking Jango or Boba from you. The green lightsaber you held felt so familiar and you kept swinging until you used the force to push him back. 

All of the sudden there was blaster fire coming from your side as Jango stood by your side helping you. Obi-Wan directed it back, and you knew you couldn’t deflect it, but quickly deactivating the lightsaber you used the force to stop the blaster bolt. It hovered inches from Jango’s head as you shot it off to the side. You used the force pressing Obi-Wan into the ground causing cracks in the floor after distracting him.

Blood started to come out your nose, and you could feel something wet coming out of your ears as you pressed Obi-Wan harder into the floor causing him to yell out, and causing more cracks to form. Jango had started to retreat at your comment to go, but all of the sudden you swayed as you felt like you were floating. You still felt like you were floating as you realized Jango was carrying you.

“Boba lets go!”, Jango yelled laying you on a cot. Jango worried over you as you paled more and more by the minute. “Do you have any stims?”, your father asked. “Yes”, he replied, grabbing some stims. Your hand seemed to be searching for something and Jango held your hand as your father administered two of the stims. Boba asked where they were headed to, and Jango left to go put everything into the navigator. 

When you came to you noticed you were in a large room, and when you looked to your right there were two large glass doors that led out to a large balcony. It was dark outside and everything that happened came flooding back as you sat up. You felt movement beside you, and jumped out of the bed when someone's hand landed on your shoulder. You fell as dizziness overtook you. “(Y/N) it’s okay I’m here cya’re”, you heard Jango tell you. “Where are we?”, you questioned confused. “Alderaan. I made sure to jump around from planet to planet to make sure they didn’t follow us. Boba and your father are asleep in their rooms”, he explained.

“Are we in the city?”, you inquired. “No we are at the place you wanted to go for our honeymoon. Now come to bed everyone is safe”, he tells you lifting you into his arms to lay you back on the bed. “This is not how I imagined spending our first night together as husband and wife”, you say. “It’s okay we have a couple of weeks to make up for tonight”, he tells you as he pulls you to his side.

You lay your head on his chest, and it doesn’t take you long to fall back to sleep. Jango watches to make sure you fall back into a deep sleep. He never imagined he would ever marry. He smiled remembering Boba asking if they were going to pick up a brother for him on Kamino. When Jango asked why Boba explained that you had told him he may get a brother once both of you were married. He fell asleep not too long after you, and dreamed about you.

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

Man that was a rollercoaster, and damn when will this family get a break. Well I guess you all will have to keep reading to find out.

[allie1804-fan]

Connecticut (Chapter 13)

Warnings Smut

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 Photo shoots and interviews filled the beginning of Keanu’s week and then he got the call to say some re-shoots were necessary on “The day the Earth Stood Still” back in Vancouver. He would have to leave the following week for 2 weeks. He called Grace and asked if they might be able to spend some of the weekend alone together if Faith would look after Hannah again.  Everything was agreed and Grace arrived at his place late on Saturday afternoon.

Grace dropped her overnight bag to the floor and stepped into his arms.  

 “Man are you a sight for sore eyes, I’ve missed you!” he said

 “I missed you too – I thought I’d see more not less of you once we were back in LA”

 “I know, I’m sorry, it’s just been a bit of a crazy week for me”

Truth was, he had had enough free time to see her on a couple of nights but he’d needed time to clear his head after her revelations.  He was calmer now and seeing her again reminded him how much he really did love her.

“Come ‘ere. Let me show you how much I missed you” He took her hand and led her to his bedroom.

They started to kiss and were soon aroused and tearing at each other’s clothes. Keanu lifted Grace off the floor and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he pressed her forcefully against the wall grinding his cock against her jeans.

“I can’t wait any more” he groaned and pulled away to rid himself of his clothes. She did the same and he pushed her down on the bed.

“Later, we’ll go slow, OK? I just have to have you now!”

He straddled her and started to play with her breasts, teasing them till her nipples stood erect and Grace was writhing underneath him, pleading him to enter her with her eyes.

He sank into her slowly, groaning loudly then staying completely still, breathing in and out through his nose once he was all the way in.

“You OK?”

“Yeah! Just pacing myself – you reduce my staying power to that of a 15 year old boy you know that?”

He started to move then, all the while murmuring to Grace about how hot and wet and tight she felt to him.

Gradually what had begun as a desire to just fuck her turned into making love as he alternated his pace and the depth of his strokes and the force of his kisses. Grace’s cries were already beginning their tell tale rise in pitch as she clawed at his back pulling him to her. As they rode towards their release, he looked down into her beautiful face and wondered briefly if he’d ever know the joy of making love to her with the chance of making a baby.  

The thought was obliterated as the white flash of orgasm took over his brain and hers and they fell into each other’s arms panting.

“Wow! that was intense”

“Mmmm” she replied drowsily, stroking his face, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too!” he murmured back, kissing her neck.

They dosed for a while then got up and decided on ordering in some Thai food for dinner rather than going out.  After their meal they sat by the lap pool holding hands and dangling their feet in the water looking out at the lights of the city below.

“So have you had a chance to think any more …….. about us ever having a baby together?”

“God, Keanu, I’ve thought about little else this week if I’m honest with you.”

“And?”

“And …….. I still don’t know if it’s the right thing for us to do. I mean when I think about our chances, I can see all these different scenarios. Only one ends happily and all the rest………….. she broke off looking into his eyes pleading with him to understand.

“They end with more dead babies or both of us at each other’s throats because I can’t conceive. It’s such a huge thing. I don’t know if I can take the pressure… to make your dream come true”

“Would it have to be just my dream, wouldn’t you want my child too as much as I want yours?” he said clearly hurt.

“God I’m sorry, I didn’t mean in that way it’s just I’ve been through all this before. I would love to have a child with you, I’m just trying to weigh it all up rationally as well. The stress of trying for a baby can be huge Keanu you know?”

“But we’d be in it together, supporting each other. And the cold hard fact is, you fell for Hannah without really trying”

“I know, but there are no guarantees that could happen again, it could get rough you know. And what if you’re away filming when it’s time – what are you going to do, fly home for each ovulation?”

“You’re making trouble for us where there doesn’t have to be”

“No, you’re just not listening.  It’s like this mother fucking rollercoaster that you get on and then you realise it’s driving you crazy but somehow you can’t get off.” 

Keanu could see Grace was working herself up into a frenzy now. He chose not to argue back any more.

“And it’s not just me you’re asking to go through this. You have to ask yourself if you want to take that chance of losing another precious child. I don’t want to be the one that does that to you. And what about Hannah, she’d be sucked into all this too however hard we try to protect her. I have to think about her welfare Keanu. She’s a real child with feelings not just the dream of a child”

Her words sliced through him.

“And that’s what you’re asking me to give up Grace, the dream of my own child” he said, eyes filled with tears at the course their conversation had taken.

He sighed and stood up.

“Let’s just drop it, you’re upset. I… I’m going to go to bed”

Grace put her head in her hands and wept. Keanu walked back into the house leaving her alone on the terrace.

Keanu lay on his bed, reeling still from how the conversation had turned so sour. He squeezed his eyes trying and failing to stop the tears. He knew Grace was scared but he didn’t understand why she seemed to have so little faith in the chance of a good outcome. And why had she made that last comment about Hannah being a real child.  Was she trying to push him away?

Two hours ago he’d been in love. Sure of himself and her. Now he was confused and wondering at the choice he felt she was asking him to make  - a choice between her and his dream of fatherhood.

Back outside, Grace, was exhausted from crying, though finally dry eyed.  She barely knew where all the angst that that had poured out of her came from. It has been so long since she’d been actually lived through it that the emotions had been buried deep within for a long time.  If he knew what it was like, she thought bitterly, he wouldn’t ask her to do it again.  Maybe he should just move on to a younger model, someone who wasn’t damaged goods like her. She made her decision. There was nothing left to say right now. She went to the hall, picked up her bag, let herself out and drove home.

Keanu heard her go.  He almost chased after her but thought better of it. They should cool off. Maybe his trip to Vancouver was the breathing space they needed.

Keanu almost left town without contacting Grace at all, not really knowing what to say, or what he wanted to achieve by saying anything. After all, she knew where he was going and for how long. In the end though his good manners won out and he wrote her a note. A real letter was better, he figured than e mails or sms messages. He kept it short and he was honest when he said he was sorry she was upset. He didn’t mention his own hurt feelings though they would be clear to anyone reading it by the absence of any affectionate sign off.

Grace

I don’t really know what to say about last night. I’m just sorry you were so upset. I’ll be out of town for a couple of weeks at least. Maybe some distance will help us both clear our heads.  I’ll call when I get back.

K

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[hookedontaronfics]

Aber Girl series - Sunday

Title: Aber Girl - Sunday Part 3 of 3. Find Friday’s adventure HERE. Find Saturday’s tale HERE. Rating: T Pairing: Taron x OC Warnings: Cursing and alcohol use A/N: Will Morgan finally let her walls crumble away as Taron tries to show her the best parts of Aberystwyth - and himself? There is so much sweet, adorable fluff in this final chapter it will make your heart ache! Please enjoy the sweetness! x

I awoke straight out of sleep far too early, as it was still pre-dawn dark outside my window. I squinted at my phone and groaned when it read just after 7 a.m. No one had a right to be up this early on their day off, but then I remembered I was to spend the day with Taron and there was going to be no going back to sleep for me. I felt a definite mix of anxious and excited as I sat up in bed, propping myself up a bit and doing what anyone would do; I started scrolling through Google search results. The truth was that even though Taron had always been on my periphery, I hadn’t kept up with what he’d been doing all these years.

I knew he’d gone to RADA after leaving Aberystwyth, and I’d even seen the Kingsman movies because my friends were obsessed. But after that my knowledge was a bit sketchy, so I tried to catch myself back up and found he’d done a bunch of different projects, not always as a headliner, but always seeming to make the most of his roles. I switched over to the images tab, scrolling through photos, most of them from some premiere or film event or the other, although some personal photos had made it onto the internet also, of course; nothing was sacred online. Taron had indeed grown very handsome; I couldn’t deny it anymore. I wasn’t exactly breathless over him, but he had a certain charm about him.

Just then, a text notification popped up from Taron, no less. <Hope you’re ready for today! Dress in layers - We’ll be outside for parts of the day and I want you to stay warm.> I wondered what he had planned; there were a few iconic places in Aber that I’d already spent plenty of time at over the years. I wondered if being there with Taron would make them feel different somehow.

I eventually got myself out of bed and worked on getting dressed, a little bit more successfully than the day before, being ever-careful of my arm. I’d pulled on a pair of warm tights under my jeans and piled on a sweater and zip-up hoodie over my shirt. I swallowed another of the prescription painkillers, hoping it’d keep the pain to a dull ache so I could enjoy my day, and, in a decent mood, I started making breakfast for my parents who weren’t up yet.

I’d got some sausages and eggs in the frypan and set some toast out on the table when my parents came down, still in their robes and pajamas and rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

“Morning,” I said cheerily, carefully sliding food onto plates for them both with my one good arm.

“You’re in a pleasant mood,” my mum remarked, accepting a plate.

“Mmm, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I laughed at that, as my parents exchanged glances. “Okay, okay, I have a bit of a date today,” I grinned at them both.

“With who?” my parents both managed to ask at the same time.

“An old school friend,” I said as casually as possible.

“Well that’s wonderful, honey,” my father said. “I hope you have fun!”

I just grinned at that and wolfed down my breakfast. Taron said he’d pick me up at 10 a.m. sharp, and the clock had nearly arrived at that. I felt stupidly nervous as I waited, making small talk with my parents until I saw his car pull up to the house. I got up quickly and pulled my coat on around me, trying to button the toggles as quickly as possible.

“Oh, is that him? Invite him inside!” my mother said, trying to get a peek through the curtain as I pulled my Wellies on over thick socks.

“Yeah, no… Let’s at least wait for the second date? Or like, 30th?” I said as I grabbed my purse and smiled at them. “I’ll be back later, love you!” I shouted as I bounced out the door, letting the screen door slam as I usually did.

Taron had obnoxiously decided to be chivalrous and got out to open the car door for me; I thanked him and slid into the seat quickly, willing him to get back in the car in case my mom was trying to look out the window again. The less questions I had to answer about all of that, the better. We’d been blessed with a warmer day, thought it was still cold enough for the snow on the ground to stay, and there were only a few clouds scudding across the sky.

“Morning, love,” Taron grinned in that eternally cheerful way of his.

“Morning,” I couldn’t help but grin back. “So I am yours for the day. Thrill me.”

Taron raised an eyebrow at that and grinned. “So I think the first thing we should do is go up the Cliff. I’ve spent a lot of time up there, and I always find it peaceful.”

“You take all of your girls up there?” I teased.

“Ouch, do you always think I’m so predictable?” he said, pretending to be hurt.

“Mmmm,” I just responded, making him chuckle, and I found I rather enjoyed that sound. We made the quick drive over to the railway, and I insisted on buying our fare for this. I knew he’d probably be paying for most of the day, and besides that, I had also always loved going up the cliff. Taron had brought a pack with him and sat so close to me on the way up that his thigh was against mine, distracting me slightly. But I also couldn’t help staring out the window as we rode; the views were always stunning from 430 feet up.

Despite the cold air, it was surprisingly busy, but then I remembered that the railway was only operating on special hours at the moment because of the influx of people for the holidays. One of my favorite places to spend time, the Camera Obscura, wasn’t open either, but Taron cutely took my hand and led me over to some benches overlooking the city and sat the pack down at his feet, producing two tin mugs and a thermos of hot chocolate to keep us warmed up. We sat there in our mutually content silence, sipping the warm sweet drink and eventually I laid my head on his shoulder.

“Do you miss this when you’re off in London?” I asked.

“All the time, of course. Aber is the center of my universe,” Taron replied. “I don’t regret making the move, but London doesn’t have my heart. Plus, if I don’t visit often enough, my sisters turn into completely different people. They grow up so fast.”

“I used to hold such a grudge that you left,” I admitted. “That you still claimed to be Welsh when you’d left all of us behind, made a name for yourself in Britain. I suppose that wasn’t very fair of me,” I said, as Taron just listened to me ramble. “I guess part of it was that I wanted nothing more than to leave myself, and felt like it was going to be impossible to do. I felt stuck and resented you for my own fortunes. Everyone here considers you such a hero. I never saw what was so special, and it didn’t help that we had all of that history behind us that I blamed you for exclusively.”

“But you think differently now?” he asked.

“It’s why we’re here, now. I want to give you a chance to prove that you still care about this place, its people. That you aren’t too good for it.”

“I don’t think that. I’ve never thought that. I hope I’ve never acted in a manner that would constitute that. I live in London because that’s where it’s easiest to access what I need. Do you honestly think it was easy to say good-bye to my mam, my sisters, everything I grew up with here?” he asked, his gaze searching my face.

“I don’t know, Taron. I feel like I’ve had to literally confront everything I thought I knew about you and found that I’ve been so, so wrong. I suppose I should apologize, it’s a bit shaming, really,” I said, my face growing red.

“Hey, you’ve been misguided, but I can forgive, and you should forgive yourself for that as well, yeah? It’s not so bad, we have this day to make amends and begin again. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll find some magic in it too,” he said, the way he looked at me so softly making my heart skip a few times.

“Maybe,” I said, stumbling a bit over the word and trying to remember how to breathe.

“Right, shall we head back down? I figured we could walk through the National Library to get warm and then grab a bite for lunch at one of my favorite spots.”

“Sounds good,” I nodded, watching as he wiped out our glasses and packed everything back up before sweetly taking my hand in his and swinging our arms between us as we ventured back to the platform. We took the rail back down, chatting about lighter-hearted subjects, and I was really enjoying his company.

We made the drive over to the Library and walked inside its hallowed walls; I’d spent so many hours here, studying for school or just being transported somewhere else through a book. We wandered through an exhibition related to Wales’ musical tradition, actually spending a fair bit of time there together. Taron always took a particular interest in music, and credited his own voice to growing up in a place that fostered music wherever you went.

Once we’d both grown rather hungry, Taron drove us over to Sophie’s. The brunch and lunch spot was busy but we were thankfully able to grab a table. We both ordered burgers and shared a chip stack, loaded with cheese and bacon and sour cream. It turned out that despite Taron’s pretty built physique, he was quite a foodie, and I loved that there was no shame to it. We ended up laughing and talking a lot, and a few times he’d just wind up staring at me with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher.

“You’re clearly thinking something,” I said softly once we’d finished our food and were just waiting for the tab.

“You’d think me bloody crazy,” he chuckled.

“No I wouldn’t, promise!” I smiled at that, placing my chin in my hand and gazing at him a bit.

“Just thinking how I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have a chance with you. You were always the girl that got away from me, mostly because I never took a chance. That’s dogged me for years, you know,” he sighed a bit wistfully.

“You’ve really thought about me for years?” I asked, a bit incredulously.

“Ahh Morgan, I’ve had my share of breakups and lonely nights. It always left me wondering what could have been,” he said, running his fingers through his hair.

I looked away for a second, almost ashamed by the fact that I’d been on his mind at all and had spent that time just fuming away. It was very nearly comical.

“Hey, don’t be embarrassed,” he said, misreading my reaction.

“I’m not embarrassed, just ashamed of myself, really. I know you’re not mad at me, but I just feel like this could have happened a lot sooner if I had, I don’t know, just tried a little harder. To see all sides of the story. I just assumed I knew what had happened. I talked to my brother before I texted you yesterday, you know. He said you got blamed for everything, that you took the fall for it. Why?”

“I had amends to make, Morgan. And I was protective of my friends, too. I knew I could handle being hated by your brother. I just didn’t realize I couldn’t handle being hated by you,” he said in nearly a whisper. I could feel the vestiges of the walls I’d built up around myself beginning to crumble slowly.

“I don’t know what to say,” I said quietly as Taron reached over and took my hand in his.

“You don’t have to say anything at all. But I’ve felt like this for years, and being able to finally put it in words, and to be honest with you about it, has been such a relief. I don’t want to place expectations on this. I’m just willing to see where it could lead,” he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling up as he did so. That was something I had never noticed about him before; when he smiled, it lit up his entire face. He was incredibly expressive and I’m sure that’s what made him such a brilliant actor. You could read what he was thinking without a word being said, and we were having a conversation right then and there by the way he was looking at me. To be the subject of that gaze left me completely breathless.

“So, shall we head out to the next thing?” Taron asked after a moment, and I could only nod in agreement, having to figure out how to put my thoughts back together. I felt undone somehow, but it wasn’t in a bad way; it was just that unnerving feeling that things I thought I had known, about Taron, and about myself, felt completely stripped away.

We got up from our table but Taron was pulled aside for a selfie from someone who recognized him. At least they had waited until we’d finished our meal to ask, so Taron obliged her while I stood awkwardly nearby, feeling somehow like the third wheel. But I wasn’t even a girlfriend, not really, so there was no reason for Taron to acknowledge me in his sphere of actor and fan. Still, he politely excused himself from that conversation as quickly as possible and followed me out the door.

“That’s happening more and more,” he said with a bit of an anxious chuckle.

“So are you big leagues now or what?” I teased him, but he only shook his head.

“Frankly it overwhelms me a bit,” he admitted.

“I imagine so. I mean, I wouldn’t know because I’m just a pleb,” I smirked, making Taron laugh.

“Embrace it,” he smiled. “I wouldn’t give up acting for the world, but celebrity is such a weird thing to me.”

“Well, you’re just Taron to me,” I said with a cute shrug, making him grin.

“Well, just Morgan, shall we go to the castle then?” he grinned, offering his arm to me, which I took.

“Carry on, my fine escort,” I said with a giggle, getting an eyebrow raise for that. God, that eyebrow was classic. I wanted to run my fingers over it, but I decided that might require a beer or two first so I shoved that urge down deep.

The castle was only about an nine-minute walk away, so we decided to leave Taron’s car parked where it was. I promised that just because I was down to one workable arm didn’t mean I didn’t have workable legs, and with the sun shining I was almost too warm under my sweater and hoodie and coat. We strolled down the street, just enjoying the bustle of the city, people running into stores to make their last-minute holiday purchases, and eventually came upon the old castle ruins.

“I’ve spent so many childhood days here,” I grinned as we walked under the north tower gateway.

“As did I,” Taron grinned back as we climbed our way through ruins we both knew so well, Taron taking my hand sweetly to help steady me when there was a large step, since I couldn’t use my other arm to steady myself. Eventually we made it to the topmost point, looking out over the sea. The wind was somehow colder up here, and I pulled my jacket in close about me.

“My parents would bring my brother and me up here to burn off some energy when we were younger. And likely driving them crazy,” I laughed. “We always pretended that this was our castle back in medieval times. Only I wanted to be the knight, and Declan would always be a dragon. Sometimes he would defeat me, sometimes I would slay him. Sometimes we would just rule together and be best friends. Trust me, I was no princess,” I laughed at the memories.

“I mostly just came up here with other schoolmates. Probably did things I shouldn’t’ve,” he chuckled. “Your story is much cuter than mine,” he grinned as I huddled in the corner where two partial stone walls met, trying to seek solace from the bite of the wind. There was a bit of a keyhole window, and I got caught up staring out at the choppy waves for a moment, traveling through my thoughts a bit and unaware that Taron had taken his phone out and snapped a photo of me. “Morgan,” he said to get my attention. I turned to face him, a mix of thoughtfulness and curiosity on my face, and he must have snapped that photo too.

“What are you doing?” I said with a laugh, shaking my head at him.

“Only making sure I don’t forget how you look right now,” he said, a bit of an odd timbre to his voice, almost like he was a bit choked up.

“That’s… Taron,” I said. “Why do you say these things to me? Such pretty things?”

“Because you should know how beautiful you really are. You cover up your insecurities with all this sarcasm and sharp wit but confidence is knowing your own worth. I wanted to show you how I see you,” he said, turning the phone around, and I had to gasp a little bit. Staring back at me was a girl who was both me and not me. There I was, framed by the window, the light streaming about me and almost giving me a bit of a halo, a few strands of hair having blown across my face. But what was most captivating was the soulfulness of my own eyes, the way they seemed to be looking into the universe. The photo was in black and white, but that seemed to enhance the very real vulnerability of it, as if I’d been pared back to nothing but my essence. As Taron had said, not hiding underneath the humor and self-deprecation I used to brush away my insecurities. 

“Wow,” I said, unable to tear my gaze away from myself. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Make me look like that?” I asked.

“This is you, Morgan. You’re incredibly introspective, and smart, curious about the world around you, protective of your family and fiercely loyal to your friends, and full of empathy. You’ve got a high spirit but it means you won’t take anyone’s bullshit. But you’ve put these walls up so high because you’re scared of the world seeing you for who you really are. But I have, I always have,” he said, taking a step closer to me. I shivered, but not because of the wind.

“Taron, I don’t know what to say,” I replied, feeling my breath catching as he took another step closer.

“Let me take those walls down, Morgan. Let me in, please,” he pleaded, and with one more step he was in my space, reaching out to touch my cheek gently, his fingers whispering over my skin as he tilted my chin up slightly. “May I?” he asked, and I gave a slight nod.

Taron leaned in, and I found myself holding my breath as we stared at each other, before he gently pressed his lips to mine as I closed my eyes on instinct. That kiss was so achingly sweet and I never wanted it to end, but all too soon he’d pulled away. I cracked an eye open at him, just to catch him looking totally unnerved, overwhelmed, maybe even a little anxious.

“Are you okay?” I asked, suddenly feeling insecure. Had it really been that bad for him? I thought.

“What? No, of course I’m okay. Better than okay,” he laughed. “Can I kiss you again?” he asked.

“Come here,” I grinned back, grabbing a fistful of Taron’s jacket and pulling him into me, kissing him a lot more forcefully than he had done, suddenly needing so much more of him. He pressed his hands against the wall on either side of me, enveloping me and making me feel safe in that space we had created for ourselves as we continued to kiss, his eyelashes sometimes brushing my cheeks.

When we finally broke apart, giggling and breathless, I felt like the entire world had finally shifted, like I’d found my center and things made sense, why I was here in this place. Everything had led me up to this moment, and being with Taron very much felt like a place I wanted to belong.

“I can’t feel my fingers anymore,” I laughed suddenly. 

Taron quickly covered my hand with both of his. “My days, you’re ice cold. We should get back inside, warm ourselves up again,” he said, and I nodded in agreement because despite the flush in my cheeks, I was cold. As we made our way out of the castle grounds, my lips were still tingling and I couldn’t help but brush my fingers over them every so often, marveling a bit at how kissing Taron had made me feel. Almost as if I’d grabbed onto a live wire, feeling every emotion with so much more clarity and depth than before.

How had he gotten so under my skin? I wondered. And made me feel so alive?

We made it back to the car and I held my hands up to the heater vents as Taron put the air on full blast. I couldn’t help shivering a bit as we both tried to get warmed up again. He drove around Aber a bit aimlessly before finally pulling into the Waterstones lot. We went in and just browsed a little bit; I was curious to see what his interests were and had to laugh at the fact that I ended up in bookstores even on my days off. The obsession with books was a bit too real.

We ended up poking around a few other shops, including Coastal Vintage and Siop y Pethe, or Shop of Things, which was one of my personal favorite places to just kill some time. It had such an eclectic mix of books and gifts. Taron had been inspecting something on a display and called me over, holding up a necklace with a heart pendant that read werth y byd, or essentially you mean the world.

“Was thinking of getting this for a girl I know,” he said with a cute wink.

“I’m sure your mam would appreciate it,” I teased, making Taron throw back his head with a lovely laugh.

“That’s good,” he said, his eyes sparkling at me. “But I had a different girl in mind,” he grinned, undoing the clasp and then fastening it around my neck.

“Taron, this is just too much,” I said, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

“You just have never been treated right, that’s all,” he said, pulling me in close and kissing me lightly on the forehead, traveling down my nose before capturing my lips in another one of those breath-stealing kisses I was going to have to get used to.

Taron paid for the necklace and we headed out again, deciding to take a chilly but sweet stroll along the Prom. We had it mostly to ourselves at that point, and the few people we passed greeted us warmly as was the Aber custom but kept walking on by. The sun at this point had sunk low toward the horizon, painting the tops of the sea’s choppy waves with oranges and pinks. In a sudden burst of insanity, I took off across the snowy beach with a shriek, not looking back to see Taron’s surprised but amused expression. I was careful to not wipe out on the slippery pebbles under the wet snow as I squelched my way to the very edge of the water, the waves breaking against the toes of my Wellies as I closed my eyes, threw my arms out wide and breathed in the salty air.

“The sea calls me and I must go!” I said as dramatically as possible when I heard Taron approach.

“Not without me, you won’t,” he said sweetly, making my heart beat faster in my chest as I turned around to face him.

“This is always where I’ve found my peace. As much as I’ve always wanted to leave Aber, I don’t know if I could ever live in a place without the sea,” I confessed. “I’ve never felt so big and so small at the same time anywhere else.”

“It is beautiful here,” Taron agreed, as I noticed that his eyes were much the same color as the sea at the moment, almost a slate grey.

“It’s not London,” I replied. “And you’ll have to go back after the holidays, right?”

“Sadly yes, but, we can figure this out,” he said softly. “Besides, it doesn’t help us to think about that right now. Our day together isn’t quite over yet.”

“You’re right. You still have a little time left to convince me,” I joked, bending over to scoop up some snow and tossing it at Taron, hitting him square in the chest as I took off running across the beach again, giggling. Taron gave chase, managing to scoop some snow up of his own. My Wellies were struggling to keep balance more so than Taron’s shoes, so he caught up to me quickly, lobbing his snowball and hitting me in the back before wrapping his arms around me and hugging me to him, making me squeal with laughter.

“C’mere you,” he grinned as I turned around in his embrace to face him.

“I was kidding you know,” I grinned. “I just wanted you to kiss me again.”

“That can be arranged,” he said, his voice a bit gravelly as he leaned in again and kissed me some more until I could feel the heat rising in my chest. Unfortunately for me, the creeping twilight chill and our growing hunger would soon chase us off the beach, seeking warmth and food again.

We ended up at a restaurant/bar called Baravin right there on the Prom, with a table by the windows so we could still see the sea and also the twinkling Christmas lights on the houses and store fronts. I always loved this part of the year. The food was excellent and I was beginning to think I had never felt this comfortable with someone.

“This has truly been one of the best days I’ve ever had,” I said after we’d filled ourselves up on the chocolate and honeycomb sweet pizza for dessert.

“I’m grateful I could be a part of that,” Taron smiled, his chin in his hand as he gazed at me.

“You’re more than just a part of it. You’re the whole reason for it,” I replied, toying with the necklace a bit absent-mindedly.

“Well that’s very kind of you but I don’t think you would have said the same two days ago when I tripped you in the store,” he said with a bit of a smirk.

“Oh God,” I said, covering my face with my hands. “I was such an arse to you,” I sighed.

“Well it’s all been forgiven, yeah?” he smiled.

“You of me, and me of you,” I nodded at that, my phone lighting up with a text from Andreyah.

<I’ve tried so hard to wait to hear from you all day but I MUST know, how is it going?!> she had sent.

<Um, very well indeed> I texted back, attaching one of our many selfies that we’d taken together. It hadn’t even been a good picture, because I’d said something that made Taron laugh, so his eyes were squeezed shut and his mouth was hanging wide open and he was a bit blurry, but I still loved it because it just felt so genuine in that moment. I loved the sound of his laugh, and knowing I was the reason for it made me feel really good.

<OMG that’s soooo cute! You look really happy!> she texted back right away.

<That’s because I am> I wrote back, while Taron also checked his own phone briefly. <Who would have thought it? But everything’s changed. I can tell you more later, promise.>

<You’d better> she texted back before I stowed my phone away in my purse.

“We can’t sit at this table for forever, but I really don’t want this evening to be over yet,” I laughed softly after a moment.

“Oh, I’ve got an idea,” he grinned a bit mischievously. “We’ve got a bit of time to kill but… You should call your friends, I’ll call mine, and we can all meet up at the Pier’s nightclub for a little bit. Wouldn’t that be a bit nostalgic?” he asked.

“Oh my god, yes! I haven’t been there since college days. Once I graduated my mates and I felt we were all too grown up so we’ve stuck to the pubs but we should totally do it for old kicks’ sake!” I laughed.

So that’s exactly what we did. We gathered a group of our friends and, after admittedly killing time by talking and making out in Taron’s car, we entered the old nightclub I had such fond memories of. They had refurbished the inside of it, so it looked a lot nicer than I remembered, but the music was just as loud and neon lights just as blinding. We all got some drinks and after some introductions between us all, we spent the last bit of the night dancing away. None of my friends even gave me any shit for doing a complete 180 on Taron, but I think Andreyah had filled them in on our reconciliation.

When a slow song came on I wrapped my arms around Taron’s neck and swayed with him. It’d gotten hot in the club so we’d all ditched our coats and jackets. Taron looked so cozy in his sweater, and I was just so thrilled to be there with him. He had his hands loosely at my waist as we just got lost in that moment together. He slowly slid his hands down and around, his fingers gently squeezing my bottom as he asked “Is this okay?” in my ear. It sent a thrill running all through my body, and it was the first time I really understood that this could go so much further. I wasn’t in any way ready to take it that far yet; I had too much past shit to work through. But suddenly I wondered what he’d looked like naked, and I was grateful for the darkness of the club because I was blushing hard at that.

“Want to step outside for a moment? I’m a bit sweaty,” he said against my ear so he could be heard over the music. I nodded and we both went to grab our coats and beers and stepped out onto the pier into the night air. I wrapped my arms around Taron under his coat, laying my head against his chest; his heart was beating rather fast, I noticed. He took a long pull of his beer and had a far-off look in his face, staring out at Cardigan Bay.

“What are you thinking?” I asked softly.

“Things I shouldn’t be, in all honesty,” Taron said, his voice a bit deep, a rough edge to it.

“And in all honesty, I probably am too,” I whispered.

We weren’t alone on the pier, but no one else was paying us any mind, busy with their own conversations and probably as buzzed as we were. Taron stepped me backwards until my back hit the wall of the building, and we were now partially hidden by shadows. He leaned in and kissed me, his hands roaming under my coat and sweater and finding the skin at my waist, setting my nerves aflame. His kisses traveled along my jaw and then down my neck, leaving trails of fire where his lips touched. With the effects of the alcohol our inhibitions had lowered quite a bit, but I was still hesitant, and when Taron realized it he backed off, just resting his forehead against mine as we tried to recover our breaths.

“To be continued,” he smirked lightly at me.

“Definitely,” I laughed softly, biting my lip almost shyly.

Eventually we rejoined our friends, but it had gotten quite late and I had an early shift the next morning, so I decided that it was probably best to head home. I was tired, my arm was beginning to throb yet again, and as much as I would have loved to just dance until the sun came up, I was no longer that college kid with few responsibilities. We said our good-byes and packed ourselves back in the car, happy and worn out. Taron drove me through the quiet streets of Aber, a place he had somehow managed to make feel special all over again.

He parked the car when we pulled up to my house and we both sat there in silence for a few minutes, unsure of what to say or unwilling to end the night.

“Thank you, for today, for everything,” I finally said.

“Yeah, of course, of course,” he said, smiling over at me. “I’m in town for a little while longer, and I’d love to see you again.”

“Now that is a given,” I grinned tiredly at him.

“You should go sleep,” he laughed gently at my sleepy expression.

“Nope, just gonna bunk down right here,” I giggled, patting the car seat and pretending to snuggle in.

“You’re ridiculous,” he chuckled at that. 

“But you like it,” I replied, as Taron reached over and brushed my hair away from my face, caressing my cheeks sweetly and then lingering over my lips, so I placed a kiss right there on his fingertips. “Alright, I should go or we’ll be here all night and morning,” I said, both of us getting out of the car and Taron actually walking me up to my door. I thought that only happened in the movies, I giggled slightly deliriously at the thought.

“Today was fun. Let’s do this again soon,” he said, hugging me tightly.

“It was so fun!” I said from somewhere in his arms. “And we will, hang out again, that is. I guess you sort of won me over. Lucky you,” I said teasingly, but Taron just pulled away to gaze at me for a long moment.

“You have no idea just how lucky I feel right now,” he said, making my heart feel like it was growing three sizes in my chest. “And you know, you’ll always be my Aber girl,” he added. If I wasn’t already swept off my feet, that sentiment definitely did me in.

“Oh Taron,” I breathed softly, standing up on my toes to kiss him again. We finally managed to say our good-byes; I’m not really sure how but eventually he was back in his car and waving cutely to me as I hung in the doorway, watching as he pulled out of the drive and waiting until the darkness swallowed the tail lights.

I must have fairly floated upstairs; my head was full of reliving the day as I brushed my teeth and changed into my pajamas. While I laid on my bed, scrolling through the photos we’d taken, I paused on the photo Taron had taken of me at the castle. He had shown me so much more than just a good time; he had somehow helped me find the person behind all the walls. I felt more at peace with myself then I had in such a long time, and being able to let go of those long-held grievances was liberating.

I set my alarm and then put my phone on the nightstand, snuggling under my covers and closing my eyes, ready to sleep after the events of the day. But oh, what a day it had truly been. Not only was Taron just so thoughtful and kind and handsome to boot, but he had never once judged me for anything I’d felt or had to go through. 

I touched the necklace still hanging around my neck, feeling the weight of its significance. Taron had promised to give me the world, but he had also truly come to mean the world to me. I slipped into the sweetest sleep, a smile on my face. True happiness didn’t come from things; it came from forgiveness, from discovering yourself, from knowing your worth, and maybe even from finding love.

[askthelittleassistant]

All of This

(This took so long to finish, sorry ‘bout that! I actually got inspired on how to write the last part of the story after reading your latest post, Dark Days. This little thing has been in my head since seeing the sketch page of a small Dark, so I finally wrote it down. Hope you enjoy!)

–

When Shop rushes in through the door and hastily checks it with her hip to close it (not slamming, of course, she knows from personal experience that giant slamming doors aren’t exactly comforting noises), she automatically slumps. She shoots a concerned look down at the familiar ego huddled up in the crook of her arm- still trembling, still glitching terribly. He’s taking this whole thing… well, badly, to say the least.

Not that she can blame him, really. The poor thing had been tugged on like some kind of toy, passed back and forth between egos he had once stood above as one of the most powerful of the bunch.

Shop cringes at the memory before marching over to the kitchen table. She pauses, evaluating the next best course of action, before leaning her head down a little and talking in as gentle a voice as she can muster. “I’m gonna move you to the table, okay? Just… a brief adjustment. That’s all.”

Dark doesn’t answer. Instead, he mumbles something under his breath and squeezes his eyes shut.

Furrowing her brows in concern, yet taking it as a go-ahead, Shop cautiously scoops her free hand underneath Dark before gently setting him on the table’s smooth surface. The ego doesn’t look at her- refuses to, in fact. He shakily slumps to sit on the tabletop, clutching his right arm in a clearly pained gesture. His leg, too, she thinks. He’s favoring his right leg- she thinks the left one must have gotten strained somehow.

She winces at the thought before leaning down to the table- best to stay at his eye level instead of looming over him.

“Dark, can I see your arm?” She asks softly.

He grimaces and stares down at the tabletop. After a moment, he firmly shakes his head.

“Dark, please…”

“No.”

Shop hesitates before slowly moving her hand just a little closer to the small ego. “Please, at least just let me-“

Dark’s head snaps up at the movement- and he finally makes eye contact.

It’s not his usual direct stare, though.

No, he looks frightened. Small and frightened and utterly helpless. For a split second, the red and blue “outlines” of his form almost entirely split apart, a distressingly-loud ringing noise piercing the air.

“̵̳̠̪̰͍̔̉́̚D̶̨̛̆̓̈́O̴̪̊N̴̠̩̫̭̯͆̽’̶̡̗͙̫̣̊̔̐̈͛T̵͎͙̫̒ ̶̡̯͍͉̜̮̳̓̎́̊͆̾͝T̵͈̅̽́̓̉͌͌O̷͍̟̭̬̩͈͉͆̽̊́̚͝U̶̱͐͆̀̚Ç̷̢̼̪͛Ḫ̷̲͚̒̌ ̴̢̢͈̳͕̝̅M̷̬̑͛͗̅̂̇͝Ė̶̢͈͓͙͇̳̖͝!̵͙͓̙̯̩̯́̈́͑̈́̀̓̿͜”̵̨̱̲̠̫́̀̈͆̏͌̕ͅ

Shop flinches at Dark’s sudden outburst, taking a hasty step back.

“Ah- sorry, sorry! I won’t… I’m not gonna touch you. Not if you’re not okay with it.”

The ego’s auras slowly meld back together into one, the familiar red and blue settling back over his form. His shoulders slump and he stares at the tabletop with a rather unreadable expression.

Shop pauses, tapping her chin uncomfortably.

Okay. Checking him for injuries is probably not an option right now. Ah, so what now…? Sleep? No, he seems too nervous for that. Plus I would have to move him to a bed… yeah, not happening anytime soon. Mmmm…

“Food?” Shop blurts out.

Dark blinks, frowning uncertainly. He risks a glance up at Shop, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, uh, sorry- thinking to myself, hah.” Shop rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. “But, um. Are you… hungry? I can make you something to eat!”

She almost expects him not to answer, or to say no, but the small ego quietly runs a hand over his face before responding. “Yes. Food sounds nice.”

Shop blinks in surprise before clasping her hands together and quickly straightening up. “Okay! Just give me a few minutes.”

—

It’s in the middle of fixing lunch when the idea hits her.

If he was so uncomfortable with her being so big next to him…

Why not shift down to match his size?

So, with a fresh pep in her step, Shop makes her way back to the table… where Dark hasn’t really moved much. It seems he’s lost in thought.

Shop pauses and adjusts herself, and before long, she’s shifted down to just a little shorter than Dark’s current height. She makes her way over to him, food in hand and a hopeful smile on her face.

“Dark-“

The ego quickly jolts upon her approach, glancing at her warily.

Shop pauses, her smile twitching into a more neutral expression. “Ah- here, Dark. I made you a sandwich; kinda plain, but. Well. Quick and easy, and it might make you feel better, just having something in your stomach, y’know?”

Dark continues to eye her, and then he hesitantly takes the proffered food. While he eats, he keeps an unnervingly close eye on her; to avoid making it any more awkward, Shop doesn’t meet his eyes, just stares at anything but him and hums quietly to herself.

After a few minutes, Dark finally finishes and, deciding it’s as good a time as any, Shop moves just a little closer, sitting next to Dark and giving him an encouraging smile.

He looks uncomfortable still, but at least he doesn’t move away… or freak out this time.

“Dark…” she starts, tapping her fingers together. “Would you mind letting me take a look at you? I just… I just wanna make sure they didn’t break anything. You don’t have to let me check if you don’t want to, though.”

Dark bites his lip, but he finally offers his arm up for Shop to see. The girl quickly and carefully rolls up his sleeve- and the first thing she notices is a large, nasty patch of bruises all along his forearm and elbow. Under his unwavering watch, Shop continues to check… though, fortunately, aside from bruising, his arm seems fine.

It actually even seems to be healing rather quickly; but, well.

Dark is Dark. Of course he probably has some magical, death-defying healing factor of some sort.

His leg, as far as she can tell, is also bruised, but at least it’s not broken.

…Which doesn’t completely ease her mind.

The others had literally been tugging at his leg- if they’d pulled too much harder, they could’ve broken his bones, or, well.

She’s no expert, but she’s pretty sure getting your leg ripped off isn’t exactly good for your health, even if Dark isn’t exactly human.

She’ll try to avoid that train of thought, though. It… probably wouldn’t have come to that.

Then again, Wilford could get a little… unpredictable, at times…

No. Hush. Focus.

Overall, he looks miserable, and she bets that he’s probably in a lot of pain. However…

“Well, hey, it could have been worse.” Shop gives him a half-hearted smile. “Nothing too seriously damaged, as far as I can tell.”

Dark nods, unsurprised. “…It’ll probably be healed within the next few hours,” he mumbles.

Shop clasps her hands together, forming as encouraging of a smile as she can. “Good! That’s… Well, that certainly makes things easier! Ah… Do you want anything else right now? While you heal up?”

There’s a moment of silence, stretching on for an almost painful amount of time, before Dark finally shakes his head and closes his eyes.

“No. Just… stay like that.”

Stay like what?

…Oh.

Yeah, makes sense he wouldn’t exactly want someone towering over him right now…

Shop quickly nods. “Yep, sure thing.”

A flicker of relief passes over the ego’s face, but it’s soon replaced by a distant look in his eyes as he stares out into seemingly nothing at all. His brows slowly furrow as a distant memory surfaces.

His hand ever-so-slowly drifts to his own ribcage, a look of discomfort crossing his face as his thoughts sour, the memory sharpening in his mind.

This is clearly some kind of trap. She should’ve… done something by now.

Maybe not? Maybe she cares.

No, she wants something from us. That’s… Yes. The only explanation.

Why would it be the only explanation?

I… We wouldn’t ever forgive someone who hurt us. We’ve hurt her time and time again, but she keeps crawling back for more- how do you explain that?

Well, maybe she’s a better person than we give her credit for.

She’s certainly better than we are.

Dark shakily sighs, his auras wavering uncertainly. The ever-present static shrouding him has increased in volume, but he forces it back down to manageable levels.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

After a moment, Dark huffs. He refuses to glance over at Shop, no- he keeps staring straight ahead.

“…Why did you do that?”

The girl blinks in surprise upon being addressed. “Huh? Wait, do what? I mean, I shifted down to make you more comfortable, if that’s what y-”

“No.” He glares at nothing in particular, making a vague gesture with his hand. “Why did you… save me? And why do you continue to act so… pleasant?”

Dark finally turns his head, his brows furrowing even further. “What could you possibly hope to gain from all of this?”

Shop opens her mouth as if to speak, squints, and snaps it shut. She then runs a hand through her hair, a tiny hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Weeeellll,” she drawls, “I wouldn’t complain if you threw more vacation time into my schedule, heh.”

Dark’s face scrunches up a little at that, although he almost looks… prideful?

Knew it. I knew it-

“…Nah, but really, Dark? I… Well, if we’re being honest here… I couldn’t stand the sight of you being hurt.”

The ego’s head whips up, his gaze locking onto her in surprise. She’s rubbing her arm sheepishly, an almost… sad look on her face.

“I mean. I gotta say, you and I don’t usually see eye-to-eye. Literally and figuratively, you know? I haven’t exactly had a stellar relationship with you since I met you, and… Well, frankly, you scare the hell out of me sometimes and make me uncomfortable. And you can be a slave-driver sometimes. Aaaand sometimes you forget your own strength. And… Bad experiences have happened. You get the point. Anyways.” She sighs, leaning back. “I still don’t like seeing you hurt… especially lately, y’know, since… I dunno. I feel like you’ve kinda been warming up to me a little bit? It’s probably a big stretch, but… maybe you have a good side to your heart. A potential to be good, and to care. And… maybe someday, I can bring out enough of that good side so. Uh. Maybe… we can be friends?”

Shop grimaces, glancing off to the side. “Sorry, that’s really embarrassing. It sounded a lot better in my head.”

An unreadable expression slowly dawns upon Dark’s face as he watches Shop.

“… I’ve hurt you in the past. What’s the guarantee that I won’t do it again?”

Shop blinks before awkwardly shrugging, an uneasy, forced smile on her face. “Nothing’s stopping you from hurting me again when you go back to normal. Admittedly, I almost kinda want ya to stay this size, y’know…? But…” She pauses, a somber look entering her eyes. “I dunno. If I’m gonna be stuck here as your assistant anyways, it doesn’t hurt to have a little something to hope for. Something to maybe look forward to in the future.”

For once, Dark’s churning thoughts, an amalgamation of many presences- human and not- are almost… silent.

He doesn’t understand how she can be so hopeful, knowing his ways. Knowing him. He’s manipulated her, beaten her down, frightened her…

But here she is, hoping to one day call him some kind of friend.

Here she is, forgiving him and actually seeming to care about his well-being.

He can’t explain it, can’t explain the behavior, can’t explain what he’s feeling because he’s silenced so many feelings before- feelings don’t matter, they’re inconsequential, irrelevant and always getting in the way, but…

Suddenly, he doesn’t necessarily want to immediately cast them all aside.

He wants to ponder this dilemma he’s found himself in. He wants to ponder whether or not he believes she is truly being sincere, and if she is, what it will mean to him later on.

Dark takes a deep, uncertain breath, covering his eyes with his hand as he slouches, breaking his ordinarily rigid posture.

“…I need to think.”

Shop quickly pipes up. “Take your time. I’ll, uh… Y’know. Just lemme know if you need something, ‘kay?”

Dark is silent for a while.

He eventually gives her a mute nod in response, looking far more tired than he’s been in a very long time- certainly more tired than she’s ever seen him.

It almost slips out, it really does.

For once, he finds his lips moving of their own accord, mouthing a silent ‘thank you’.

He doesn’t say it aloud, naturally.

He’s not sure when he will properly be able to tell her those two words to her face, but now isn’t that time. They haven’t reached that point yet.

But that does imply they may very well reach… that point.

What does “that point” entail? He can’t quite figure it out. A mutual respect? Peaceful coexistence?

…Friendship?

He really does need time to think this through. Much more time, indeed.

(( I FUCKING LOVE THIS AND I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS THOUGHT SOMEONE WOULD WRITE SOMETHING SO ON POINT WITH MY IDEAS, LET ALONE BEAUTIFUL!!! ))

[missslywild]

Esser’s Excerpt

The adventurers found a small pool beneath the great tree of the Oracle and they’d decided to give something precious to the small body of water in the hopes of getting something even greater in exchange. This is one of many conversations that occurred in the aftermath of that incident.

1/18/2019-1/20/2019

VICTOIRE: Victoire comes to stand by Ha. She takes in Ha's new appearance, with the horns and longer hair, then she folds her arms and looks at the pool.

"So. No more disguise, huh? Is that how you used to look?"

MONK HA: Ha ran her hand over her hair. "Yes. Well, not exactly. Most people saw me with a mask. But the hair and horns were...the most recognizable parts of me. That I couldn't remove. Until I did."

VICTOIRE: Victoire nods. "... How did you handle it? Being a monster?"

Wrong Kind of Monk01/18/2019

"I didn't, really," Ha said. "I just...tried to quit. To leave it."

VICTOIRE: Victoire inhales sharply and grimaces.

"That's, um, good to know," she murmurs.

MONK HA: Ha looks at Victoire. "I have spent the last ten years of my life running. Hiding. I thought it was the only way to keep me from being who I was. But nothing can change my past." She looks over her shoulder, catching sight of Horace and Marigold.

"I can only change my future."

VICTOIRE: Victoire's eyes trail over to where Horace and Marigold are. She smirks, and it doesn't reach her eyes. "It can be hard to run from your past, especially when it'll apparently visit you again."

MONK HA: "Yes. It is something I will have to confront." Ha said, turning back. "I am...not ready. But...it is easier, knowing that perhaps, I do not have to do it completely alone." She gazes at Victoire steadily. "Don't you agree?"

VICTOIRE: The question shakes Victoire from her reverie. "Mm? Oh, yes. Oh. Oh yes." Victoire grins savagely. "It'll be a party."

She laughs. "I would say- I would say, 'don't want a repeat of last time,' but, well."

"No, I'm glad to have you here, Ha. And I'll help you with whatever fight you need fought. And I'll need your help too, when it comes time."

MONK HA: Ha bows her head. "I will be here for you, Victoire."

VICTOIRE: An array of emotions passes over Victoire's face - it almost looks painful - but she settles on an almost genuine smile. "Thanks. Yeah." She toes the ground idly. "... Do you know what 'fateless' means?"

MONK HA: "I would assume... someone who no longer has a set fate. Or a set future. There is no right path. Perhaps... there is no wrong one too."

VICTOIRE: Victoire worries at a thumbnail with her teeth and grimaces. "See, that'd certainly make sense, based on the meaning of the word, y'know. But- but- it's- the illness still has its mark on me. Even if nothing else kills me, that will in a few years."

"Which doesn't sound very 'fateless' to me," she says, face dark.

MONK HA: "Perhaps your illness is not as hard a deadline as you thought." Ha said. "Although I am hard-pressed to agree. I also... do not know how long I will live, now that I have these marks on me," her hand brushed her horn. "Especially if we travel north. But it has been a while. Perhaps both of us will die. Perhaps neither of us will."

VICTOIRE: Victoire eyes the horns. "Yeah, that... Listen, you can't die alright? I couldn't bear to watch that. I- yeah. And- oh. If anybody gives you trouble about your horns-" she pulls out her disguise hat and dons it, transforming to look much like herself, only with red skin, a pair of horns curving back over her head, and a smile of sharp teeth, "-just let me know."

MONK HA: Ha looks down at her and laughs. "That's not...oh, you're just like Marigold," she said, "being a tiefling is...difficult, but not the largest problem. Being the Red Oni..." She trailed off.

VICTOIRE: Victoire cycles through a few more colors - blue, green, purple - just for the fun of it and then doffs the hat. "The Red Oni?" She asks, trying to be casual.

MONK HA: "Ah... That would have been..." she leaned back. "You are...21? you would have been 11. When it ended. Before your time, really," she said. "I do not know if you have heard of the Many Faces?"

VICTOIRE: Victoire narrows her eyes and slowly shakes her head. "Mmmm, don't think I 'ave, no."

"Am I 21? Oh, that's right, I am. Man, I feel so old. Anway, you were sayin'?"

MONK HA: Ha chuckled. "I was...known for many things. And my horns are a very recognizable part of me. Their shape and size... but it has been a long time," she said softly.

VICTOIRE: Victoire looks at the horns for a long moment. That drags. Finally, she says, "Okay, this might be a dumb question, but: could we cut them off again?" She cocks her head to the side. "Did it hurt the first time?"

MONK HA: Ha looked at the pool. "I think that would...be missing the point," she said softly. "It hurt, but I thought it was worth it. I thought it signified some great change." she looked back to Victoire. "But I think, even then, I was missing the point. I was merely... hiding. Like a child. It was merely another mask."

VICTOIRE: Victoire looks almost lost in thought, as she mumbles, "Yeah, that's missin' the point... But then, if the magic of the pool also prevents it... Would that mean the horns are impervious to damage?" She trails off, mumbling something about skulls and battering rams.

MONK HA: Ha blinked. "I suppose that is a possibility," she said doubtfully. "I would not like to test it. What if it is interpreted as denying the gift?" she looks down. "I should not have... it wasn't mine to give, or take, I suppose," she said quietly. "But I had to...I need to protect you all."

She bowed and ground her teeth. "I was so selfish," she said angrily. "Asking about myself. We had a mission, a purpose... and I forgot it. Why? To see if I could fix anything that I ruined years ago? I do not deserve a new fate."

VICTOIRE: Victoire pats Ha on the shoulder. "I know how you feel." Her face darkens again. "I know only a few things I deserve and still I hope none of them come to me." She sighs. "Still, even if the Oracle had told us about the Immortal Mistress, what are the odds it would've actually been helpful?"

Her face sours. "... Wish I knew where Micolash is. He would know how to make sense of this."

MONK HA: "Micolash?" Ha said. "I remember you mentioning that name."

VICTOIRE: "Oh, um." Victoire looks away, embarrassed. "He was, uh, one of the people from my- er- from our s-study group. He- well, he knew how to actually research things and put together the clues. We were kind of... Unofficial co-leaders? Sort of thing."

She sighs. "And then he up and vanished. He was really vague about why, too. Y'know, I'm gettin' real tired of vague hints and people not telling me things."

MONK HA: "Perhaps he knew--or guessed-- the results of your...research?" Ha suggested.

VICTOIRE: Victoire chuckles and smiles even as her eyebrows furrow in anger. "Oh, he knew. He was the main reason I knew. No, the reason why he left..." She waffles a bit and then digs through her bag. "Lemme just read it to you, because he was bein' just, insufferably opaque." She produces a well-worn letter.

She coughs and reads, "'By the time you read this I will already be gone'... 'Out of our control, no matter how'...  'Don't look for me'... Mmm... 'I mean that in no way as a compliment'- yes! Here we are. Ahem. 'We were rash. We were short-sighted. No, not short-sighted. We didn't set our sights high enough.'"

MONK HA: "That sounds like he is planning something worse,"

VICTOIRE: "Right? And then, and then! He has the gall to write, 'I suppose you don't know what I'm talking about. I'm sure the confusion is driving you mad. I'd be lying if I said that didn't give me some satisfaction. Not every question should be answered, Victoire,'" she finishes and looks at Ha. "I am going to punch that elf the next time I see him."

MONK HA: "I would too." Ha said, "Although it is probably not the wise counsel I should give."

VICTOIRE: Victoire nods and goes silent as she stashes the letter back in her bag. "... Do you think the Oracle told us everything?"

MONK HA: "No." Ha said. "I expect we must figure out many things on our own."

VICTOIRE: "I think... I think I saw something again. Like back in Uru'Prith," Victoire whispers. "Like with the Immortal Mistress."

MONK HA: Ha blinked. "A vision? At the Oracle?"

VICTOIRE: Victoire nods, eyebrows furrowed, not looking at anything in particular. "It... Wasn't as long as that one. Maybe only a few seconds. It was when he was talking to me. There was a moment where... I can remember him saying- something, to me, but then - it was the weirdest thing - then it was a few seconds before and he said something else. I could've sworn he was goin' to say somethin' else."

MONK HA: Ha frowned. "What do you think he was going to say? What did he say?"

VICTOIRE: Victoire shakes her head. "I... can't remember, but that 'appened right before he mentioned the- the time when the Dream Worm will be weak." Victoire grabs her shoulders, suddenly shivering. She looks at Ha, eyes wide. "I- I don't think it's just bad things that the Dream Worm is trying to prevent."

MONK HA: "You think...the dream worm changed what he would say to you?"

VICTOIRE: "Almost certainly!" She grabs Ha's sleeve, eyes intense, pleading. "How many other things has he changed without me noticin'? What else has he prevented me from findin' out?" Her shoulders slump. "How in the world am I supposed to-!"

"How in the world am I supposed to f-fight that?"

MONK HA: Ha gripped her shoulders. "You are already fighting. You are noticing. And you are telling us what you see." She said. "If he could control everything, he wouldn't need to use you in the first place. And he wouldn't need to try and deceive you."

VICTOIRE: Victoire sways slightly under Ha's grip. "I- yes, you're right." She flashes Ha a shaky smile and says, "There's always hope, right? 'As fateless, no hope is denied you', right?"

MONK HA: Ha smiled. "We are not bound, Victoire. You and I...we have choices."

VICTOIRE: Victoire shakes her head and grins, even though the tears that had started welling up. She grips Ha's arms and says, "Let's see if we can make the right ones, shall we?"

MONK HA: Ha nodded.

VICTOIRE: "Everything's goin' to be fine," Victoire says as she releases Ha and turns back to the pool.

[fallen029]

Remember Me.7

Laxus had never really seen the baby get so happy to see him. This was mainly because he was always there. For those few months there, he was the one who put her to bed, the one who woke her up from naps, and the one that changed her diaper during the middle of the night. He figured she never thought he'd be gone for so long.

And by so long, he meant five days, three of those being chalked up to travel, as he went to take care of a minor job. When he got back to the house though after that time was up, he found it empty. Which wasn't right, as it was three in the afternoon. Then he remembered that Lisanna liked to take the baby for a walk sometimes and figured that flipping out like last time wouldn't help him out any.

So that's where he was when Lisanna came home, sitting on the couch, freshly showered and shaved, awaiting his baby to come home. Haven was in her stroller, though she quickly took to whining the second she was wheeled into the house by her aunt, reaching for someone to take her out the second she saw Laxus. He knew who that someone was and rushed to do so.

"Hey, kid," he grumbled as he plucked her up, bouncing her slightly in his arms. Haven only gigged then. "You look alright. Guess I can trust them not to hurt you while I'm gone."

Lisanna only smiled at Laxus, but he ignored her, instead taking his baby over to the couch with him. There was where his duffle bag still sat.

"Alright, kid." He sat her in his lap as he reached over with one hand to unzip it. "You ready to see what I brought you?"

Of course the baby had no idea what he was talking about and only took to laying against him, yawning slightly. Lisanna had taken the nine month old to the park every day since Laxus had been gone, as it seemed to be the only way to get her down for her nap when they got back. It was clear that she had been accustomed to whatever it was Laxus did to get her to fall asleep. They'd forged a bond, apparently.

"See?" Laxus produced a little stitched doll from his bag. "I picked it out just for you."

Lisanna almost laughed. It was, by far, the ugliest…thing she had ever seen. She had no idea what merchant had conned Laxus into buying it, but even free would be too high a price. Still though, he seemed rather excited by it and Haven was too young to realize how hideous it was.

Laxus rubbed the little stuffed doll against the baby's face, who only giggled. Then he said, "You like it, kid? Huh? I do good?"

"Laxus," Lisanna said after a few moments of letting him play with the baby. "It's her naptime now. Do you-"

"You can leave," he said as he stood up, taking the baby and that…'doll' with him. "Me and Haven'll be in the bedroom."

"Well, I was going to start on dinner for Mira-"

"You can do that," he said stiffly as he carried his baby out of the room. "Just leave us alone. And wash my clothes too."

Giggling, Lisanna said, "Welcome home, big brother Laxus."

Snort.

When he got to the bedroom, he laid the baby down on the bed before laying her little stuffed doll next to her. Then he got into bed next to her with a sigh.

"You learn anything new while I was gone, kid?" he asked as he shifted onto his side, looking down at her. She only stared up at him though as he spoke. "Or did you just spend the whole time missing me? Huh? Little baby. Little Haven."

He snuggled her some, even let her pull at his hair, and gave her kisses. Then he settled her back down for her nap. After all, if she didn't get one, she'd be cranky later. And he didn't want that.

As much as he hated to admit it, he was a little tired too. He hadn't exactly gotten much sleep while he was gone and being home just settled him out so much. It was simple for him to fall asleep.

When he awoke, the baby as whining and he could smell why. He groaned when he opened his eyes because, as glad as he was to be back with his kid, that poop stuff was not something he enjoyed. At all.

"You know, kid, you're lucky that I'm such a great person," he grumbled after he finished cleaning her up. "You know that?"

Taking Haven with him into the kitchen after all that, he found Lisanna in there, sitting at the kitchen table while reading a magazine.

"You start dinner?" he grumbled. Lisanna only nodded at the stove which got her a grunt, the closest to a good job she'd probably ever get out of him.

"She eat yet?"

"Before we went to the park."

"Think she's hungry?"

"How would I know?"

He only bounced his baby in his arms as he went to go open the fridge and peek inside. He'd had a hard time recently as the baby started to drink less bottles and eat more regular food. You'd think that made it easier, but it didn't. He was constantly afraid that he'd give her the wrong thing or that she'd choke and die.

…A lot of his fears ended with her dying. Like her rolling off the counter when he was changing her diaper or her falling out of bed. Or her trying to walk and hitting her head on the table when she fell. Or…or…a thousand other things!

Now he was freaking out. Taking a deep breath, he decided he needed a distraction.

"Lisanna, make me a sandwich."

"No way, bro."

"I'm not your-"

"You know how to make a sandwich, Laxus."

"Yeah, but I don't like to," he grumbled. Haven was rather wiggly then and he went to drop her in her aunt's lap before going back to make his food. You know, since his freaking sister-in-law was too crappy to do it for him.

When he sat down at the table finally with his plate of food, he found that Haven was just sitting in Lisanna's lap, staring at him. As Lisanna was focused on reading her magazine, Laxus thought it was fine to make a face at the baby which sent Haven into a round of giggles. Pleased with himself, Laxus went back to eating. Just as he picked up his sandwich though, his sister-in-law spoke.

"Laxus?"

Grunt.

"You know I saw that right?"

What?

"I don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled as Lisanna only rolled her eyes.

"Mmmhmm."

"I don't."

"Okay."

"I-"

"I'm agreeing. Calm down."

Still grumbling, Laxus hurried and finished his food before going to take his baby from Lisanna.

"We don't need to put up with her, kid," he grumbled as he carried the baby with him to her bedroom. That's where they were keeping most of her toys then. They'd still take a few into the living room so she could be in there with them, but they now got put away everyday, back in Haven's bedroom.

Laxus got her a few toys to play with before setting her down on the rug in the middle of the floor with them. As she got busy with that, he took to laying on his side, watching his little baby play.

"See, kid? It wasn't so bad, was it? Huh? I left and I came back. That's how it's gonna be from now on, alright?" He was laying so close to her that it was easy for him to lean over and kiss her head. The baby looked over at him then, grinning. She was so cute. He just grinned right back at her because that was his baby.

"I ever tell you I'm the best fucking wizard to ever walk this earth? No? Well, I am. So don't forget it." He flexed. "You see these? I work out for these muscles, kid. People always try to say that I wouldn't be as strong without my lacrima, but you know what? That damn lacrima didn't give me these, did it? Huh? Did it? No! I worked for these. I worked my ass off for-"

"Laxus."

He frowned then, as in the doorway of the baby's room, was Lisanna. She had her hands on her hips, staring down at him. He only moved to sit up, glaring right back at her.

"What?"

"Haven is not someone to vent to," she said as she stood there, glaring at him. Haven looked up at her name, but only giggled. "She's a baby. You talk gently to her. You don't rant about how underappreciated you are."

Grunt. He fell back onto his side again, staring at his baby. "Don't tell me how to play with my kid."

"That's not playing, Laxus. And you might scare her, yelling like that. You-"

"Does she look scared?" he asked, gesturing to his baby who was busy with her toys. "No? Okay then."

"You sure are in a sour mood today," Lisanna grumbled before finally leaving. Laxus got up and shut the door behind her.

"She's more of a brat than you ever have been, Haven." Laxus went to sit back down in front of his baby. She looked up at him then, but he only smiled at her, making the baby giggle and reach out for him.

"You're supposed to be playing, silly," he grumbled though he did move to put her in his lap. When she reached up again, he knew what she wanted and bowed his head slightly so she could touch his scarred eye. She really liked it for some reason. Not that he minded. It had never served him any real purpose, but if it kept his baby happy, then that was more than enough a reason for it.

"I can't believe he fell asleep before dinner."

"Well, I think it had more to do with Haven being sleepy than him," Lisanna admitted as they spoke in whispers. Mira was standing in front of her bed, staring down at her husband and daughter, who were both asleep in it. Lisanna was hanging back, not wanting to wake either of them up. "She's been sleepy all day. She didn't even get a bath tonight. She ate dinner and then just conked out."

"Hmmm. Well, the dinner you made smells nice. What'd you give her?"

"I ripped her up some pieces of the chicken that I didn't use in the stew and then gave her a bottle."

"Mmmm." Mirajane just continued to watch Laxus though, who was laying on his back, snoring slightly as his baby laid up against his side. It was then though that Mirajane noticed something next to the baby and frowned.

'Uh, Lisanna?"

"Hmmm?"

"What is that?" She pointed to the little doll. "Because-"

"Laxus got it for her," she said slowly. "I know it's ugly, but he picked it up while he was out. He thinks it's great."

"It looks like trash," Mira mumbled. "Is the baby afraid of it?"

"No. She seems to like it."

Mira only sighed then before turning to walk out of the room. "Well, come on, Lisanna. Let's go eat. Laxus can have some when he wakes up."

That actually only took another ten minutes or so. Laxus woke slowly, still feeling a little groggy. When he opened his eyes though, he found it was dark in the room. What had woken him though was the sound of laughter.

Mirajane. And Lisanna. He could hear them, somewhere in the house, giggling. Grunt.

"You still sleep, baby?" Laxus looked down at his daughter with a slight grin. Leaning over, he kissed her head before moving to gather her up in his arms. "Time for your crib, I think."

After dropping the baby off in her bedroom and making sure she was fine, Laxus headed off to go get himself some dinner. He was rather hungry.

"Laxus!"

"You two are loud," he said simply as he went to kiss Mira's head. She was at the kitchen table, eating, and he moved to lean down and wrap an arm around her neck in some sort of an awkward hug. Mirajane only grinned though, reaching up to rub his arm with one of her hands.

"How was your job?" she asked, turning her head to look up at him. He quickly placed a kiss to her lips then before releasing her.

"Fine," he said, going to get himself some of that stew then. "You were good while I was gone?"

"Mmmhmm," she giggled. "Was Haven happy to see you?"

Grunt. He hid his smile from them then as his back was turned. "Brought her a toy back."

Mirajane paused. "Did you now?"

"Yeah. I said I would. Every time I leave."

"Will you bring back a…doll every single time?" Lisanna asked slowly. "Like the one you brought this time?"

"No, of course not. I'll bring her back things that I think she'll like."

"Well," Mirajane said slowly. "As long as you're thinking of her, I guess."

"Of course I'm thinking of her. I'm always thinking of her."

"Aw." Lisanna giggled while Laxus only frowned. This kid was making him sound soft. Grunt. Let someone test him though. He was just as tough as ever!

"Lisanna said that you slept most the time you've been home," Mira commented as he sat down at the table. She just as quickly got up and went to stand behind him. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she paused before asking, "Were you just sleepy or are you hurt?"

He frowned at the way she phrased that while Lisanna snickered.

"Neither," he grumbled. "I just napped with the baby and then-"

"You are getting older, I suppose," Lisanna said slowly. "What are you now, Laxus?"

"What difference does it make?" he growled. "I am not that much older than the two of you, so stop acting like I am."

Mira only giggled, beginning to knead his shoulders. "It's okay, Laxus. Everyone needs a little nappy sometimes."

"Stop talking to me like this!"

She kissed his head. "You're cranky."

"Knock it off!"

"More like grouchy," Lisanna giggled.

"I-"

"We're just kidding." Mira kept messing with his shoulders. It actually felt nice. "I'm more concerned with how tense you are right now."

"Of course I'm tense. The two of you won't stop bothering me."

"We just love you," she assured him. "Don't we, Lisanna?"

"Of course, big brother-"

"I'm not your brother!"

It wasn't until after Lisanna left for the night that Laxus calmed down some. And even then it was only because Mira, still worried about him being tense, took it upon herself to give him a full massage that night.

Not that he was complaining. In the slightest.

"It's been awhile since we've done this," she told him softly as she sat atop him, straddling his back as he laid flat on his front, letting her get to work on his tense muscles. His little demon knew just how rough he liked it.

"Mmmm."

"I feel like I haven't been paying you much attention since the baby got here," she admitted softly as she dug into him. "And I know how bad that can be for a relationship.. I-"

"Mirajane," he sighed. "Trust me, babe. Our relationship's fine."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Fine enough to have another baby now?"

Groan. "Mirajane-"

"I was just asking."

"Why do you want another, Mira? Huh? What's wrong with Haven?"

"Nothing's wrong with Haven." She removed her hands from him then. "At all. I love Haven."

"Then why-"

"Because, Laxus, I loved being pregnant. And I loved nursing. Now all that's over. Pretty soon Haven's going to be walking and talking and-"

"And? Can't you just focus on all of that right now and learn to love that? Please?"

"Laxus-"

"I'm not saying we can't ever have another baby. I'm not saying that at all. Just not right now, alright? I'm still adjusting. It's not even been a year yet."

"Then on her first birthday, we can talk again. Right?"

"Mirajane, you're-"

"Laxus-"

"We can talk more then, alright? After her first birthday. Okay?"

She was pouting, he could tell, but still did go back to massaging him. "'kay."

"You're not mad now are you? 'cause if so, go ahead and tell me so I know if I can turn this massage into a happy ending or not."

"Laxus!"

Still, she was giggling, so he knew all was well. For the moment anyhow.

The next time he went off, it was for a full week. Again, Haven was happy to see him and he stayed for a few days before taking off for a few more days. These tiny missions didn't bring in a lot of jewels by themselves, but they did bring in enough when he did them in succession. And Mirajane told him it was for the better if he and the baby didn't spend every single day together. That way she'd be able to bond with other people.

He thought that was funny, considering for the longest time he was worried about her forming any bond with him at all.

At the moment though, he was mostly bent down next to her high chair, watching as she ate. He had given her a few tiny crackers to snack on while Mirajane made their breakfast. She was scrambling up some eggs while talking loudly to him about the things he had missed out on while he was gone.

Apparently, Lisanna had brought Arik, her boyfriend, by the guild.

As she talked about that, Laxus stared down at his baby who only continued to eat. Then, surprising him, she held up her hand to him, one of her crackers clutched in it. Bending down some more, he opened his mouth and let her feed him, which made her giggle. He rewarded her with a kiss to the head.

"Alrighty, Laxus, your eggs are done," Mira was saying then. When he turned to glance at her, he found her scraping most of the eggs in the fry pan onto a plate. A tiny bit, however, she put on a tinier plate. "We gotta let Haven's cool a little though."

He gave the baby one last kiss before going to take his plate for Mirajane. "Ain't you gonna eat?"

"I already ate some toast."

"Mira-"

"And ooh, Haven." She turned her attention to the baby then. "Do you like your little crackers? Huh, baby?"

Rolling his eyes, he just went to go sit down at the table with a sigh. Whatever. Let her starve for all he cared.

"So what are you and Haven gonna do all day, Laxus?" Mirajane asked him at one point. He only grunted though. "Well, I know you just got in last night and probably want to spend some time with her-"

Grunt.

"-but Lisanna was going to come over today and take her to play with Locke at Levy's place. If you don't want her to though-"

"What am I supposed to do while she's gone?"

"Well, you could rest," she said slowly. "Or perhaps even come down to the guild with me. Hangout some. You never get a chance to do that anymore. Or you could work out. Anything you want, really."

He grunted before glancing at his baby. She was so happy when she woke up that morning to find him there. He had gotten in late that night and not wanted to wake her, so when she woke up that morning to see him standing there, she was ecstatic. And now he was going to throw away their day together?

"She really does like going to see Locke," Mira told him gently when she saw the look on his face. "And it'll only be for a few hours. It's good for her to interact with others anyhow. You know that."

Grunt. He would be fine with her only ever spending time with him, her, and Lisanna. Maybe Ever, Elfman, and Gramps. If she had to.

"Besides," Mira went on. "Lisanna won't be here until noon, when I have to go into work. So you still have the rest of the morning to play together."

That's just what he did too. He took the baby to her bedroom and let her get out all the toys she wanted (she'd formed a fascination with dumping over her little box of blocks and such recently) while he just laid on his back, talking loudly to her about all sorts of things. She was a pretty good listener. Better than Mirajane who would always interjected and say things like, "No, Laxus, you weren't right. You're not allowed to just hit people in the face for getting on your nerves." Ugh.

Haven though basically agreed with anything and everything he said. Err, rather, she didn't disagree. She thought he was quite entertaining, in fact. He knew how to make her giggle and sometimes she'd give him kisses. She was the best.

Mirajane poked her head in a few times, but she was mostly busy cleaning up around the house and getting ready for work. Not that he cared. At the moment he was trying to cram a day's worth of time into a few hours.

It was not an easy feat.

In the end, Laxus found himself laying down on the floor, Haven on his chest, snuggled up to him as she sucked gently on one of his fingers, even chewing on it slightly. He didn't mind though. She was his baby, after all.

"Lisanna's here," Mira announced as she came into the room. When she saw them like that though, she frowned. "Laxus. Have you washed your-"

Grunt.

"Well, anyhow, get up. Lisanna's here. It's time for us to go."

Go? He leaned down to kiss Haven's blonde little head. For someone that wanted him to love the baby, Mirajane sure did seem to separate them enough.

She let him stay long enough to get the baby settled with Lisanna, but they had to leave before her lunchtime because Mira had to get to work. When the baby cried at their parting, Laxus liked to pretend that it was both he and his wife, not just her. He had a feeling though that the baby liked Mirajane more than him.

"Don't look so sad, Laxus," Mira said as they walked down the street together. He wouldn't look at her though and had his headphones on. "You look so angry."

"Not angry," he grumbled.

"Then what?"

Grunt.

She only giggled, moving to wrap both her arms around one of his, hugging him to her before dragging him along at a faster speed.

"Come on, Laxus," she said as he only rolled his eyes, allowing her to do so. "I don't wanna be late."

When they got to the guildhall, Laxus only went immediately to take a seat far away from everyone and lay with his head down. Mira only grinned though, glad to have the old days back, before heading off to get to work.

"What's wrong with him?" Kinana asked at one point after bringing Laxus his drink only to have him stare blankly at it. Mira only continued to wipe down the bar though.

"He's just all mopey."

"Why?"

"Lisanna's got the baby today instead of him and apparently he wanted to play with her."

"Aw," Kinana said. Elfman though, who was seated at the bar, only made a face and glanced over at his brother-in-law.

"That doesn't sound too manly," he remarked. Mira gave him a look while Evergreen, who was next to him, gave him a smack to the arm.

"More manly that crying at the drop of a hat," she remarked making his frowned.

"Crying is very manly!"

Mira only smiled though, shaking her head and getting back to work.

Still though, randomly throughout the whole day she'd glance over at Laxus. He seemed to be in a rather bad mood. Ever went over and sat with him for awhile and even Bickslow showed up eventually, but he mostly just kept his head down and drank.

It was near closing, however, that Master showed up. Mirajane was most excited to see him, but he was much more interested in Laxus, who was over in the corner still, moping. Mirajane neglected to tell him that, actually, he could probably have gone home already, as there was no way that Lisanna would stay at Levy's more than a few hours.

Still though, she thought that getting out for him was good and didn't want him to leave just yet. And it turned out to be a good thing, as whatever Makarov had to speak about with him seemed to be rather important. They even went into one of the back rooms to do so.

Not that Mirajane was concerned. Master was getting older and there was nothing more that she wanted than for the two of them to finally make amends. A absolute one. Not to mention, it would be nice to invite Makarov over to dinner occasionally without having to worry about Laxus acting out.

When the two returned though, Makarov just went to sit up on the bar while Laxus came over to give her a kiss and mumble something about having to go. She only nodded and told him no when he asked if she wanted him to wait for her. Then, with one more kiss, he was gone.

"He seemed to be in a better mood," Kinana remarked to which Mira only nodded slightly. She was right. Something was up.

Laxus was waiting for her when she got home. Even though it was late and the baby was supposed to be in bed, she was seated in his lap as he sat on the couch, watching the door.

"Is something wrong?" Mira asked at the sight of her daughter still being up. "Is she being fussy? Because-"

"She wanted to stay up with me."

"What?" Now she frowned and began to scold him. "Laxus Dreyar, you know better than to-"

"Come sit down, Mirajane." He was looking down at Haven then though who had reached up to pat his cheek. "We gotta talk."

She blinked at those words before slowly going over to him. "Well, is something wrong? With you? Or Master? Because-"

"No," he sighed. "Just come sit."

Slowly, she went to take a seat next to him. Haven wanted her almost immediately and Mira pulled the baby into her lap.

"See, Mira, the thing is that, you know, things have been pretty alright with me going away for a few days at a time, huh?"

"Laxus," she started slowly, but he only scratched the back of his neck and continued.

"And Gramps has a new job for me. A long one. And it shouldn't-"

"You said you would be-"

"And I will be, Mira, back for her birthday. I promise." He grinned at her then, but she didn't look too happy so he turned his attention to his baby. Haven giggled when he leaned over to give her kisses. When he finished with that, he tried to give her mother a kiss, but Mira turned her head.

"Mirajane, you know that I'll always come back," he told her as he sat up again, though he kept a hand on Haven's head, stroking it tenderly. "You're my little demon and she's my little baby. So don't be all bitchy about it, huh?"

He was trying to lighten the mood, make her lecture him for his language, but Mirajane only shook her head.

"Every time Master sends you out, Laxus, it ends up lasting you months."

"I can't tell the old man no, Mira," he sighed. "And you know that you don't really want me to. Do you?"

"I want him to stop asking you to-"

"I'm a guild member, Mirajane. The strongest-"

"The strongest fucking wizard to ever live. Is that what you're going to say? Huh?"

He blinked. Then he said, "Well, it sounds a lot less cool the way you put it, but yes, that was what I was-"

"And you think that that makes me feel better? That it's ever made me feel better?"

"Well, I say it more to make myself seem awesome, but your feelings do matter, I guess, so-"

"Laxus, you can't just-"

"See, I knew this would happen, Mirajane. You were fine with me leaving or whatever at the beginning, but now that I took time off, you think I should just stay off. I can't. I'm a fucking S-Class Wizard and-"

"Okay, if we're going to fight, Haven's going to bed, so say goodnight." Mira stood then and began out of the room. "You big jerk."

"How am I a jerk? Mira," he groaned as he got up to follow. "And hey, I put her to bed, remember?"

"You're leaving for months? Remember?"

Growling then, he trailed her to the baby's room. "You know, Mira, you're acting like this is some shocking thing. What did you think Gramps and I were doing then up at the guild?"

"I dunno," she said honestly. "Talking about your feelings, making amends, becoming friends-"

"Babe, I love you and everything, but your outlook on life pisses me off sometimes."

That got him a look, but they were in the baby's room then and she was more focused on putting Haven down.

"Thanks to you, Laxus, she's going to be mighty cranky in the morning. So if you're through acting this way-"

"Hey, don't put her in the crib yet," he complained then, coming closer. "I gotta, you know, tell her goodnight. Mira-"

"She's tired, Laxus. I can't believe you were selfish enough to keep her up so long."

"I wasn't being selfish, Mira. She wanted me. And she's going to miss me."

"Even so, you shouldn't deviate her so much from her schedule. She's just a baby."

"I just…" He huffed then. "I don't wanna leave either, Mirajane. And if I wasn't a wizard, if I just had a normal job and was a normal guy, then I never would. But I don't have one. I'm a mage. This is what I do. You wanted to add a kid to the mix, not me. So don't pretend to be annoyed with me when you know you're only mad at yourself."

She elbowed him then, rather hard, before leaving. And then it was just Laxus and his baby in the room. She was already settling down in her crib though and he knew that she really was sleepy. His poor baby.

He gave her a few kisses and promised to see her in the morning before going off to find Mirajane. She was in the bathroom though, getting ready for bed, and he figured it'd only make things worse if he bothered her. So instead, he went into the bedroom, stripped down, and got into bed to await her.

She took forever. He only waited though, knowing she'd have to come to bed eventually. Mirajane never slept on the couch. Never. She'd kick him out there quite frequently (in fact he was afraid that's where they were headed that night), but never go there herself. No way.

When she finally did come to bed, she didn't say anything to him. She didn't even turn on a light. She just crawled between the sheets, keeping silent as she curled up away from him.

He wasn't having any of it.

"Don't you at least want to know about the job, Mira? Or when I'm leaving?"

Nothing. Frowning, he continued.

"He said I need to leave in the next two days, so-"

"Does it matter, Laxus, what you're doing? To me?"

"Well," he said slowly. "I thought you'd be interested at least."

"I'm sure it's something that someone else could just as easily do," she said simply. "Is it not?"

"Well, easily is a harsh word."

She sighed then, rolling over to stare at him. He only laid there though, watching.

"Let's just go to sleep, Laxus," she said then, staring into his eyes. "Please?"

He bit his lip then, watching her, before slowly nodding. "If it'll make you feel better, Mira, fine."

"It will," she sighed as he moved to pull her closer. "A lot."

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every multimuse question. all of 'em. 1 - 30

   WELP. │ not accepting now christ.

gonna get long

1. is there a muse that you wish gets more attention?

Literally any of them but Faron. But primarily Revas. She is literally my main and I love her so much. Faron’s my boy but the amount of attention he has right now is like hecking me the fuck up not gonna lie. 

 2. if you HAD to choose, who’s your favorite muse?

Revas. Not even a question. I can list them from fave to least fave if y’all want. I love all of them, but favorites are easy. 

3. which muse is the trickiest to get into character for?

So far, most of the canon characters. I’m not used to writing canon characters and I get nervous that I’m not doing them enough justice. 

4. is there a muse that not a lot of people roleplay with?

I unno. I mean most of them. Again, canon characters make me anxious & nervous so I have to work on that. It’s mostly me. 

5. if you HAD to choose, who’s your least favorite muse?

Like to play? iunno yet. as a character? Evelyn. She’s literally the fucking worst. She’s fun to write but hooooo H O OO OO. 

6. which one of your muses have you been playing the longest?

Evelyn, Erin & Vega. Evelyn was my first muse I ever rped and that was like. Years ago. I was still in highschool lm ao. 

7. which one of your muses has the most ships?

Revas, probably? Like, of ones made via writing. Canon characters? probably top her out tho. 

8. what is each of your muses otps? notps?

…. this is so much. otps usually consist of fairly mutual feelings and interest and aren’t fucking pedophiliac. ( lookin @ u she.ith fucks ) notps are. Vast and i have a lot of them. Like this would need to be it’s own post. because it’s way too long for this one, which is already long god. 

9. why were you drawn to each one of your characters?

I relate to them, plain and simple. Or I made them. Canon muses I always relate to. If i didn’t I wouldn’t want to write them. There’s always something I relate to and love about them so immensely that I want to write them. Or i want to write them out of spite towards the fandom or whatever.    Out of all of them, I relate to Grog the most. 

10. which muse is the most fun to write for?

god uhhh. I wanna say probably ones I haven’t written yet!! There’s a lot of them that I’m just really excited to write!! But uhhh. Probably Revas or Vega for ones I have written.  

11. is there another muse you’ve been thinking of adding or writing for? who?

I’m currently debating on adding either Kagome, Sango, or Koga from Inuyasha! Mainly because it’s all I’ve been watching for awhile. I will probably add more one day. 

12. what is something everyone should know about your muses before interacting?

Shipping Rules. And basics about them. My interpretation of canon characters are not the same as your standard shit. I do not adhere to most canon.if you want to know something about ANY AND ALL of them, ASK.

13. what’s a weird headcanon you have for each of your muses?

I’ll keep it short.      • Revas gets more and more bird like over time. Probably puts feathers in her hair and everything.       • Faron likes watching octopi dance bc of soy sauce.       • Eludysia takes care of birds.      • Evelyn enjoys beating people with her prosthesis instead of wearing it.       • Erin digs k-pop.       • Morgan is actually afraid of blackholes and worries about them a lot.       • Grog likes to braid his beard.       • Bruce doesn’t like having a beard or facial hair.       • Terry makes references to memes a lot.       • Noah probs looks after Gansey a lot without him being Aware.       • Adam doesn’t dig sour things because they make his cheeks hurt.       • J’mon Sa Ord is actually a big history & arcane nerd.       • Raven Queen enjoys sweets & tea.       • Sarenrae likes talking to the pearls and souls of her domain.       • Nova would & has punched a fiend straight in the jaw.       • Vega likes cooking and enjoys seeing his friends smile because of his cooking.       • Garrus likes to braid hair bc its a weird feeling but nice.       • Symm? Worship kink probably.       • Reinhardt likes spending time with the younger characters because he likes being a granddad.       • Sombra knows how to spray paint cool shit.       • Wash is uhhhhh scared of dying       • Hisraad thinks everyone is small. Even Bull. ( they’re like 8′. )      • Sehren collects story books to give to her daughter after everythings over.      • Kaaska enjoys making sweets for everyone.       • Meg isn’t as devoted as she pretends to be.       • Rogue is Poly. Not weird but ya know.       • Hawke knows how to sail.       • Ronan would probably be one of those kids at an arcade playing racing games.       • Shiro keeps his hair short bc of habit. 

14. which muse has the most aus or verses?

Currently Revas. Because main focus. But all muses will have fully fleshed out verses in almost all the same areas. if applicable. like some of them won’t be able to transfer well to other universes so. we’ll see. 

15. can you sort your muses from youngest to oldest?

 Adam & Ronan  Noah  Terry  NovaShiroRogueRevasVegaFaron (age hasn’t been update on the muse page)WashSymmSombraMorganHisraadHawkeMegSehrenKaaskaGrogBruceReinhardtErinJ’monEludysiaEvelynRaven QueenSarenrae

i miss anyone? 

16. which muse is most willing to fight another muse?

Erin is ready to throw down with Evelyn at all times. & vice versa

17. do your muses get along with each other?

Some do, ye. would all of them? fuck no. 

18. would you ship any of your muses together? who?

Ronan & Adam. Sombra & Symm. 

19. for each muse, is there a character you wish had a blog so you could interact with them?

Probably.

20. have you ever considered making a multimuse/is it easier having a multimuse?

It’s easier. Much easier. Makes it easier to manage. i originally ran a multimuse ages ago before it was Acceptable™

21. which muse is the most problematic towards other muses?

Evelyn. 

22. which muse is most likely to make new friends?

Revas, Erin, & Vega 

23. which muses’ fandom do you like the best?

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Critrole muses fandom. Only one I like. Legitimately enjoy l m ao.

24. is there someone playing the same muse/s as you and you really look up to them?

Yes!! I really look up to @freedomsacrificed!!! Savvy’s Adam is really amazing and I really hope I can be half as good, but I won’t compare our adam’s bc like. Adam is a good bean and needs more love anyways ;u; I’m not submerged in my other muses community enough anymore to uhh give a shit atm. tbh. t bh .

25. which muse do people send the most asks for?

i dont even. I unno man. I unno. Faron. Always has been always will be I guess?

26. which muse is most likely to have kids?

a lot of them have kids already. but some of them would wanna be a parent one day when the universe decides to fuckin chill. 

27. is there a rule that someone keeps breaking for your muses?

mmmm. people tend to not read abouts. Which is a biggie. but hasn’t happened in a while. 

28. can you sort your muses from weakest to strongest?

I sure can. 

29. which muse are you considering deleting?

A few. Keeping it on the down low currently. 

30. most importantly, are you having fun playing each one of your muses?

Yes and no. Some muses are a struggle and cause me stress when they get overworked. Others are easier, come to me naturally. And a few are rarely written so. 

[miraculoustrashblogger]

Season of Miracles Chapter 10

“The Most Wonderful Day of the Year”

It’s been nearly two months hiatus of this supposedly holiday fic.  I’m a turd, I know.  But things are looking up for me right now.  I have a great job, I’m getting my shit together slowly, I’ve finally started to kick my seasonal depression to the curb, etc.

So here it is.  All aboard the fluff train!  Toot toot!!

Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X  11  12  13

AO3

Christmas Day

“Marinette!  Wake up! Wake up!  It's Christmas!”  Adrien cheered, crossing the room from the chaise that he had slept in.  Climbing up her ladder excitedly, he started nudging the girl, trying to get a response.  Plagg sat on his shoulder, ready to dive into hiding at a moments notice.  “C'mon, Mari!  Presents!  Wake up!”  When she rolled over and grabbed her blankets into a death grip, he decided he had no choice.  “Alright, you asked for it!”  He teased.  He got up fully onto her bed, crouched down like a cat ready to pounce-- and did just that.  She let out a grunt as he landed belly-flop style on top of the mound of blankets she hid under.

“Adrieeennnn....” She groaned.  “You're squishing me!  Get oofffff!”  She tried feebly to push him over.

“Well then, get up! It's Christmas!  Aren't you excited?!”  He slowly clambered off, being careful where he put his limbs.

Her head peeked out from under the blankets.  “Clearly not nearly as excited as you are.”  She grinned.

“Think our parents will be awake yet?”

“Mmmm....”  She thought for a moment.  “Mom and Dad are usually early risers, but they also stayed up pretty late last night.  I woke up around 2am, and I could still hear them and your dad talking in the living room. Hard to say, I guess.  We could always go check and give them a wake-up call like you did to me.”  She chuckled.

Adrien blushed. “Would they really be okay with that?  Especially if they stayed up late?  We could just wait here until we hear them moving around...”

She grinned at him. Moving past him, she climbed down from her bed and gestured him to follow.  Being super sneaky, they made their way across the house, over to her parents room.  As quietly as she could, she turned the doorknob.  The door swinging open silently, the two snuck into the room.  Sabine and Tom were still fast asleep, and she grinned mischievously.  Marinette, getting Adrien's attention, counted to three on her fingers.  His grin grew with each finger added.  On three, the pair launched on top of the bed.  Their landing was met with a pair of startled “Oof!”s.

The teens laughed. “Merry Christmas!”  They cheered.  Tom and Sabine laughed along with them, until Tom grabbed the two in a giant bear hug that threatened to smother them.  Adrien gasped in surprise, and Marinette squealed.

“Papa!  I can't breathe!”  Marinette whined, still smiling broadly.  He let the two go, and Sabine and Tom shooed them off to the living room.

“We'll be out in a minute.  Go get your father, Adrien, and we can get breakfast going.”

Adrien went wide-eyed. He had almost forgotten that his father was here too.  Marinette smiled

mischievously.  “Should we tackle him too?”  She asked.

“I haven't woken him up like that in years.  Probably since I was eight.”  He said absently.  “I don't even know how he would react, honestly.”  His father had been in a good mood yesterday, which was unusual in and of itself.  His father was a very serious man, and Adrien though it was unlikely that he would find being tackled while asleep to be amusing.

Marinette paused and considered possible outcomes.  She quirked a smile at him.  “If he gets upset, I'll say it was my idea.”

“I can't ask you to do that, Marinette.”

“You didn't have to. Besides, it's Christmas.  Everyone is supposed to act like a kid and get excited.”  Before he could come up with a reply, she began sneaking her way down the hall towards the guest room.

Adrien stared after her.  Marinette is so amazing.  How did I get so lucky to have her in my life?

She looked back at him, still standing outside her parents room, and gestured for him to follow.  Quickly and quietly, he snuck along with her.

He took charge, turning the doorknob this time, and counted down on his other hand for their synchronized launch.

When he ran out of fingers, he threw the door open and the two pounced onto the guest bed.

Gabriel jolted upright, startled at the jostling of his bed.

“Merry Christmas!”  Marinette cheered.  

“Merry Christmas, Papa.”  Adrien seemed cheerful, but there was a trace of fear hidden under it.  

Gabriel, on the other hand, felt a pang of guilt upon seeing his expression. I've distanced myself so thoroughly that he thinks he can't even get away with being playful on Christmas.  She would be so disappointed in me.

Gabriel smiled and chuckled a little bit.  He did find their actions amusing. Hiding that would only hurt him more.

Adrien smiled back, his fear vanishing.  He and Marinette made eye contact, and she gave him a reassuring smile.

“We're just about to get breakfast going, if you want to get up and get dressed.”  Marinette spoke up.

Gabriel nodded.  The two teens went back to Marinette's room to get dressed themselves, taking turns in the bathroom.  By the time Gabriel dressed and walked down the hall, entering the living area, Marinette and Adrien came bustling down the stairs, laughing and racing.

Gabriel suddenly had a vision swarm in front of his eyes.  Three little children, none of them more than 10 years old, running down those same stairs.  A blonde girl with green eyes, hair in pigtails, who looked remarkably like his wife did when she was young, laughing the loudest.  A dark-haired boy, his messy locks sticking out in every direction, with blue eyes,  running the fastest.  Trailing behind was the littlest one, a boy with dark hair and green eyes, a lopsided grin plastered on his face as he called “Wait for me!  Wait for me!”

The vision faded back to Marinette and Adrien, dashing across the kitchen and living room, to go and look under the tree.  Gabriel froze where he stood, trying to understand what he just saw.

“No opening presents until after breakfast!”  Sabine called.  The teens whined simultaneously.  They looked at each other and then chuckled. Everyone gathered around the table as croissants, fruit, and a pot of coffee was passed around.  They ate in silence, enjoying the peace of the morning.  In the distance, Notre Dame Cathedral's bells began to ring.

“I trust everyone slept well, last night?”  Sabine asked.  Adrien nodded-- he had just taken a bite of croissant, so he quickly swallowed.

“Yes, thank you.”

“And you, Monsieur Agreste?”

“Splendidly, thank you.”  Sabine smiled at him.

Marinette and Adrien still snuck glances under the tree, assessing the haul of presents.  They all seemed to be pretty generic-- rectangular boxes that gave no hints as to what laid inside.  Still, they both made guesses as to what might be there.

As everyone finished breakfast, and tidied up, Marinette and Adrien got more and more excited.  

Everyone finally settled around the tree-- Tom, Sabine and Gabriel sat on the couch; Marinette and Adrien on the floor.  Marinette leaned over and grabbed two gifts, handing them to her parents.

“Let's start with these.”  She said.  “You're probably expecting them anyways.”  She smiled.

Her parents smiled knowingly and began unwrapping the packages to reveal new aprons.  Her mom's was a pale pink, decorated with dark, knobby branches and delicate pink cherry blossoms.

Her father looked at his and gave a loud hoot of laughter.  “Breadwinner, huh?”  He chuckled.  He turned the piece around and put it on, its navy blue material bringing out his green eyes.  Written on the front was “#1 Breadwinner” with an arrow pointing upwards.

Adrien smiled, having a moment of pride for suggesting the pun to her. Adrien trusted Marinette's judgment, and for her to use his idea-- it was a huge compliment to him.

Sometime while he was lost in the daze of affection for Marinette, the girl had gone and handed a gift to his father.  He snapped out of it in time to see a brief look of awe and respect cross his face before he habitually squashed it back into his regular indifference.  The item he unwrapped was a tie, and closer inspection showed it was hand stitched and embroidered, featuring the Agreste brand logo (an angular butterfly design in black, surrounded by a circle) front and center on a silk lilac background.  

Adrien stifled a shudder that threatened to show.  Ever since Hawkmoth had begun his reign of terror, Adrien couldn't help but see anything resembling butterflies or moths as dangerous.  He would escort most bugs that entered his room back out the window, but not butterflies. They met the daily newspaper.  Of course, this paranoid fear also began to apply to his own heritage, as his fathers logo was a butterfly, and his last name was also the name of a type of butterfly.  Seeing the logo-- which happened almost daily-- always caused the slightest twinge in his stomach.

Marinette saw the slightly sour expression cross Adrien's face.  When he looked at her-- intending to have brief glance-- his eyes met hers, and he found himself unable to look away from her silent question.

He raised his brow, pretending not to know exactly what she was asking, trying to play it off as nothing.

She scrutinized him for a moment, before giving up.  It wasn't the time or place.

The two had their gaze broken as Sabine cleared her throat.

“Adrien, I have a gift for you, dear.”  She smiled, and handed him a package.

It was heavy, whatever was inside, and as he took it from her hands, the jostling made it rattle.  Curiously, he opened the box.

Inside was the chess set they had played with before.  The beautiful purple wood and mother of pearl squares were unmistakable, and the rattling sound had been some of the chess pieces shifting inside their box.

“Sabine, your chess set!”  He exclaimed.  “I can't just accept this!  You said yourself it's a family heirloom!”  He was stunned and flustered and had no idea what to do.  He looked at Marinette, who smiled knowingly, and at his father, who seemed surprised, and at Tom, who chuckled.

“Adrien,” Sabine said.  “I have decided to pass it along to you.  Marinette has no interest in chess, and she and I agreed that it should be passed along to someone who will care for it and also use it.”

Adrien looked down at the chess board in his hands.  It was true, if he had a board like this, he would find every chance he could to use it. Anyone who was willing to challenge him, and he would pull it out. He also knew he would make sure to care for it properly, as such a work of art deserves.  He felt honoured.

“Besides,” Sabine smiled mischievously.  “I don't think anyone who possesses it will really be outside the family tree for long.”

It took a moment for what she said to sink in and then--

“Mama!” Marinette scolded, her face bright red.  This made Tom guaff, and Gabriel to glance back and forth between the two teens.

Adrien blushed a little at the thought, but he was more focused on the board itself, and who he would challenge first.

“Papa,” he said, turning.  “Would you play a game against me?  Later, I mean, after lunch maybe?”

Gabriel's face showed the hint of a smile as he nodded.

They continued opening presents.  Marinette received several bolts of fabric from her parents, and Gabriel presented her with free sewing and designing lessons with some of his top designers.  She interrupted his explanation with a squeal of delight.

“Are you serious?!”  She barely managed to keep her voice from being shrill, and she had jumped up into a standing position, her hips wiggling in excitement.

“Quite serious.”  He replied.  “If your work during these lessons proves to be quality, you may even earn yourself a summer internship with my company.”  He promised.

Marinette couldn't contain herself anymore.  She actually screamed, before pouncing on Gabriel and wrapping him up in a hug.  She caught herself after a moment, and released him, straightening herself up.  He schooled away his surprise once again-- this day was turning out to be full of it.

“I won't let you down, sir.”  She said.  “I look forward to beginning my internship.”  She said with determination.  It was a pretty ballsy statement to make, but Marinette would not let an opportunity like this go to waste.  If she knew that was a possibility, she was going to prove she was capable of handling it.

Gabriel chuckled.  “Your confidence is certainly commendable.  Fashion can be a cutthroat industry, I hope you never lose it.  That, and your honesty.  You would not believe the amount of scheming and ass-kissing I put up with in a day.”  The smile he wore in that moment seemed far too familiar to Marinette, but it disappeared before she could decide why she knew it.

Has Adrien ever smiled like that?  Is that what it is?

Gabriel also had an offer for her parents, it turned out.  An offer for them to become regular caterers of his shows, and regular morning deliveries to his company office.  He produced a thick contract from his bag-- how long had he been planning this?-- entailing payment, quantities, and dates.

“I would get in touch with a lawyer, have them look over the contract, and please feel free to contact me about any questions or things you would like to negotiate.  I am prepared to pay to cover new staff members wages, as I expect you will need the help.”  He explained.

Sabine and Tom were stunned into silence, as well as both teens.  Tom perused the contract-- he wasn't unfamiliar with them, having organized most of the catering contracts for the bakery himself.

His eyebrows raised.  “Thats... that's quite a generous offer of payment, but we normally don't charge even half of that.”  Tom said.

Sabine leaned over his shoulder at his statement, needing to confirm it with her own eyes, which blew wide.

“Consider it as a request for my company to become priority clients.  And, as I said, you may need more staff, which I hope that will cover the cost of.”

“It certainly will do just that...”  Tom mumbled.  “I'll take your advice and look over it with a lawyer.  It's an incredibly generous offer and it seems very detailed.  It will be a busy few months in the bakery as we prepare for this.  My wife and I will need to talk a lot of it over first.  Perhaps give us a week to decide?”

“I look forward to hearing your decision on the matter.”  Gabriel smiled.

A timer dinged in the kitchen, pulling the groups awareness from the conversation.

“That will be lunch ready!”  Sabine chimed.

Lunch was filled with conversation about business, both of the fashion world and of the confectionery world.  After they finished eating, Gabriel and Adrien played chess on Adrien's new board.  Adrien lost, unsurprisingly, and Sabine stepped up to challenge Gabriel.  Adrien was riveted to the game, watching every move carefully.  In the end, Sabine won, narrowly.

As she shook his hand, Gabriel spoke.  “You grasped my strategy very easily.  Most find me a very difficult man to read.  How did you manage it?”

“Everyone has their own unique way of playing,”  She replied.  “Often it is highly reflective of their personalities, if you understand enough. Once you lost your queen, you went very quiet, and yet tried very to get her back, throwing pawn after pawn towards my end of the board to promote them.  I cornered that last pawn, and used that desperation against you, leaving you no choice but to leave your king undefended. I think I have learned a lot about you Gabriel, even if you didn't realize you were telling it to me.”

Gabriel was quiet for a moment, absorbing her words.  Slowly, it began as a smirk, and then a hum, a chuckle.  He began to laugh, his shoulders shaking, until his composure was lost completely, clutching his stomach in silent laughter.  As the brief spell subsided, he straightened up and ran a hand through his hair.

“Sabine, you are an incredible player, and I should hope that one day, I shall be able to challenge you again.”

“I look forward to it.”  She replied smoothly.

“For now, I'm afraid it is time Adrien and I take our leave.  You have been most gracious hosts to us, and I am most humbled by you and the kindness you have shown my son.  Marinette will be welcome at our home any time she wishes to visit, and we will have to make arrangements to have your family over for dinner at my estate.”

“It's been our pleasure.”  Sabine replied.  “Your son is a brilliant and kind boy, and he has been a wonderful friend for our daughter. Though between you and me--” She looked over to where Marinette and Adrien had gone to gather his things, and she whispered.  “I hope they become more than friends.  I think they make a good match.”

Gabriel smiled and spoke quietly.  “I know my son does not share my interest in the fashion world, so the question of my successor has been something I have been thinking about.  Should our children decide to follow a romantic path, and Marinette proves herself capable in the fashion world, I would not be opposed to her filling that role.  I supposed only time will tell if she is willing and able to do it.”

Tom, who had been listening, piped in.  “Don't let my daughter hear you say that.”  He laughed.  “She would prove it so fast you'd be forced to retire early.”

Adrien and Gabriel made their departure, Marinette and Adrien promising to hang out before the school year resumed.

Once they climbed into the car, Gabriel spoke.

“I'm lifting the ban on your friend Nino from the house.”

“Really?” Adrien asked, sitting forward in his seat.

Gabriel smirked at him.  “How else are you supposed to rehearse before you perform a duet for me?”

Adrien gasped.

“Of course, it will be probationary, I expect him to be well behaved.”

“Absolutely. Nino is a really good person, he wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone, ever.”

“Not even send adults into the stratosphere?”  Gabriel raised a brow.

“Okay, that wasn't his fault, he was akumatized.  Which he only became because he wanted to do something nice for me.”

Gabriel conceded his point.  After all, it was he who had pulled out the worst in the boy.

The two arrived back at the house, and Gabriel decided he was going to try hanging out with his son.  He had missed far too much, and with nothing else to do for the day, he proceeded to let Adrien choose the activities for the afternoon.  A few chess games, some dinner, and even some movies-- Gabriel was not familiar with “Studio Ghibli”, but after seeing Adrien's excitement over explaining the stories and themes, they decided to watch Spirited Away.

Adrien quoted several scenes in the film, and knew each characters name, and even knew a lot about the creators and their intentions for this story, all while smiling broadly.

Gabriel decided that if it made his son this happy, it was a good movie.