#and the fact that calling your buddy beautiful should be normal and encouraged <3

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝑀𝑎𝑓𝑖𝑎! 𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧: 𝐵𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑜𝑓𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑

Warning: Just one brief mention of kidnapping and being held hostage. Other than that, it's safe to proceed.

Disclaimer: In no way am I condoning, supporting, justifying or encouraging mafia activities or lifestyle. This is all fictional and not meant to represent real life scenarios.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰 ﾟ･:*✿

It felt like an eternity before someone opened the door and walked in.

Hongjoong took one look at you before widening his eyes. He looked back at one of men behind him and sighed.

"You had one job Hangyul and you couldn't even do it right?! This isn't the right person!"

Said Hangyul bowed his head and apologized profusely.

Hongjoong rubbed his temples in annoyance. He looked back at you and examined you closely. Even with your puffy hair, tear strained cheeks and messy hair, he thought you looked beautiful. The longer he looked at you, the more some weird feeling in his chest started to grow.

"What's your name?" He asked you.

You struggled to find your voice, but managed to utter out your name in a soft whisper.

It was almost like music to his ears.

"Well Y/N.....it seems we accidentally mistook you for someone else.....Ooops."

He really didn't know what to say to you. He felt bad that you were now standing before him, scared, trembling and no doubt hurt. Part of him told him to release you from your restraints, and hold you tenderly. Then one of his men reminded him:

"Hongjoong sir? Since we can't release a witness for security reasons, do you want us to get rid of her?"

Your head snapped up at the comment and you began desperately trying to break free.

"No please don't! I'm begging you! Have some mercy on me! Let me go and I swear I won't say anything to anybody!"

Hongjoong hesitated for a brief moment until your crying got louder and you said:

"I have a son! He's only 3 years old! I'm the only one he has! So please......." You begged, all the little strength you had left in your body began to slowly drain as you realized you might never see your son again.

That's all it took for Hongjoong to break.

"Release her."

The men looked shocked. "But sir-"

"I said release her. Now!" He commanded.

Instantly, all the ropes were cut and you were free. You tried to stand up, but you were so shaken up your legs gave out. Luckily, Hongjoong caught you in his arms and carried you away from there.

"I'm really sorry about this."

He ordered for his car and personally saw that you made it home safely. Even days afterwards, he still kept an eye on you and your son, whom he couldn't help but find adorable.

You noticed that someone was watching you when you suddenly started to receive strange packages that sometimes contained groceries, clothes or even toys. You wondered who could be sending these things.

Your question was answered when you took your son to the park. Hongjoong tried his best to stay hidden but you quickly found him. He stood there looking awkwardly at you.

"It was you wasn't it?" You asked him.

"Yeah....." He replied shyly. Seriously, he was one of the top mafia bosses. Why was a single mom like you making him nervous like a schoolboy?

"Mommy!" Your son ran up to you.

You picked him up and your son just stared at Hongjoong. He leaned into your ear and asked you who he was.

You smiled at him. "Oh him? He's just an old friend."

Your son looked back at Hongjoong, somewhat afraid of him. But Hongjoong just gave him the warmest smile he could.

"Hey there little buddy. You don't have to be scared of me."

Hongjoong knew it would take time, but he also knew that in the end, he'd be part of your life and of your son's.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪 ﾟ･:*✿

You don't know whether you were grateful or you regretted ever accepting to work at the bar Seonghwa owned. You couldn't complain about the pay, it was more than good and although you knew Seonghwa was sketchy af, you never felt unsafe as he always made sure you were protected and no one harassed you.

However you knew Seonghwa had the hots for you, everyone knew it actually. At first, they thought he just wanted to get in your pants, that's what he usually did with any hot female that worked for him. But time passed and everyone now knew that he was head over heels for you. Boy was like a love sick puppy for you. It was quite entertaining to watch actually.

No one resented you for it or even tried to bother you. You were constantly turning him down and keeping a strictly professional relationship with your boss. If he offered you any gifts, you rejected them. If he offered the schedule everyone fought for, you turned it down and accepted the shittiest shift. Seonghwa never gave up though. He wanted you and he'd get you no matter what.

"You've gone soft." His best friend, Hongjoong told him one day.

"No I haven't." Seonghwa refuted that statement.

Right then, the phone rang. Hongjoong picked it up.

"Hello? Oh hi...... Oh really? Ok. I'll let him know. Don't worry. Hope you feel better. Bye."

Hongjoong hung up and continued his task of polishing his gun.

"Well?" Seonghwa asked rather annoyed.

"Oh it's nothing. Just Y/N calling in sick. She won't be coming." Hongjoong stated as if it was the most normal of in the world.

Seonghwa, however, was panicking.

"Y/N?! Sick?! What do you mean sick?! She's never sick! She never calls in! What if something happened to her?! I need to see her!"

Grabbing his jacket, he ran out the room, leaving Hongjoong dumbfounded.

"Ok. But you're not soft huh?"

Seonghwa sped over to your house, bag full of medicines and other things he deemed necessary in his arms. He frantically knocked on what he hoped really was your door, he had never been to your house.

"What?!" You shouted when you swung the door open.

"I came cause Hongjoong said- Wait! You look fine." Seonghwa noticed you didn't look unwell as he scanned your body.

"If this is another stupid attempt to hit on me, I will slam my door on your hand. I don't care if one of your men end up cutting off one of my fingers." You warned him.

"You said you were sick!" Seonghwa exclaimed.

"No. I called in a sick leave because-"

You were interrupted by a soft 'Mommy' from behind you. You turned to see your 2 year old daughter standing there, blanket wrapped around her tiny and frail body.

"Sweetie. I told you not to get out of bed. Your cold will get worse."

You completely forgot about Seonghwa and proceeded to attend your daughter, who was the reason why you called in sick. Seonghwa was shocked at finding out you had a kid. But it wasn't a bad surprise. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He didn't even realize that he ended up walking into your apartment and watched as you tucked your daughter in the couch, helping her blow her nose.

If people thought he was whipped before, now he was fucking wrapped around your finger. He adored kids, and this revelation just made you even more perfect in his eyes. Now he was more than determined to make you his.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸 ﾟ･:*✿

With Yunho, you actually didn't take long to start dating. He was so caring and attentive to you. You remember when you told him on a date that you had a child. You felt it was necessary to let him know before your relationship got more serious.

"A kid?" He repeated.

"Yes..... I have a son..." Your voice trailed off.

Your head already started imagining the worst and most common scenario: he'd be all sweet but say he's not ready for that responsibility and dump you like all the others. It happened every single time. It didn't turn out to be the case though.

"Really? How old is he? Do you have a picture? When can I meet him? Does he know about me?"

Yunho was ecstatic to find this out and he was very interested in anything that had to do with you. Besides........ you weren't the only one keeping secrets. He hadn't exactly told you what his job really was. Just like you, he was afraid of you leaving him when you found out his connections to the criminal world. Which is why he kept it hidden for a long time.

But he did tell you one day. He came clean about it.

"I know I should have told you earlier, especially now that I'm a part of your and your son's life.... but I was scared...... I love you but I understand if you'd rather not see me anymore."

Maybe you were crazy, maybe you were too much in love, but you assured him you wouldn't leave him. You only voiced concern about your son's safety. You didn't want anything to happen to him.

"I swear on my life, nothing will ever happen to him or to you. I promise to keep you both safe."

It was a promise he always kept. He became a constant in your life, and he was always making sure to spend time with your son, spoiling him to no end. You remember when he threw a birthday party for him at his mansion. It was small and not a lot of people could come because he couldn't risk having strangers over, but you all had a great time.

That's where you met his other friends, who were very curious to meet the woman and the kid who made Yunho into a hyperactive puppy.

"I'm serious, I've never in my life seen him be like this." Mingi pointed out as they watched Yunho play with your son.

"Really? Since I met him, he's always been like that." You were surprised to find out from his friends what he used to be like.

"Then you must really be a special lady. Congratulations. You turned a criminal into a total dad."

You blushed at Seonghwa's comment.

"He's not a dad...." You cleared your throat.

Seonghwa turned to you and smirked.

"Not yet.....but trust me. Very soon it might be official."

✿*:･ﾟ𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰 ﾟ･:*✿

Yeosang and you didn't have the greatest of start in the relationship. Both of your parents were mafia bosses and so you were both forced into a contractual marriage that neither of you wanted.

"Look. How about we just carry on our lives as if nothing happened?" You suggested.

"Agreed." Yeosang nodded.

Years passed and eventually Yeosang took over the family business, working alongside your brother Wooyoung, who took over for your father. Because Yeosang spent so much time with your brother, you ended up spending so much time togethers.

Soon you both stopped avoiding each other company and actually became close friends. Or you thought you would just be friends, until one day Yeosang couldn't help himself and just kissed you.

"What was that for?" You try not to look too happy about it though.

"What? Is it a crime for me to kiss my wife?" He winked at you.

Gradually, you fell in love and completely forgot that this was a contractual marriage. It became a real marriage for you both. Yeosang doted on you and was such a devoted husband. And he was so ecstatic when he found himself you were pregnant with your first child. He immediately made preparations and began decorating one of the rooms, choosing gender neutral colors like green and yellow.

He was over the moon when you gave birth. He cried so much when he held your precious bundle of joy in his arms for the first time. He was so overwhelmed with emotions. Leaning down, he kisses your forehead tenderly. He was so grateful to have you and your daughter.

You two became his whole world, and his friends teased him to no end about it. After all, how did the cold mafia Prince turned into such a warm family man?

✿*:･ﾟ𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷 ﾟ･:*✿

Your relationship with San was very blissful and passionate. It definitely started with a lot of passion. You two met at a club and randomly hooked up. You thought he'd be just a one night stand, not that you cared. You weren't particularly looking for a relationship. But he was hooked on you and so he sought you out, properly asking you out on a date.

You quickly found out that he wasn't just the kinky lover in the sheets. He was a total cutie and a cuddle bug. That ended up sealing the deal for you and you completely fell in love with him.

Things definitely moved fast in the relationship. 4 months in and he asked you to move in with him. You thought it was strange, but were so in love with him that you agreed. You didn't know it was because he wanted to make sure you were safe in case any rivals tried to hurt you. And he made sure not to let you find out what and who he really was.

After a year, you two welcomed a baby boy into your lives. You spent the first months like all new parents: full of happiness and joy over your new baby. San was already making plans for his boy, imagining him taking taekwondo just like he did and excelling at all things that had physical involvement. Everything seemed to be going fine......

Until one day you found out who he really was. Your heart shattered at this new piece of information.

Had he lied to me? Is all of this a lie?

One thing was for sure, you panicked when you thought about your son and his safety. Without thinking, you began packing a suitcase, taking only the necessary things for him and you. You didn't know where you'd go, but your mind told you to leave.

"Baby? What-what are you doing?"

You turned to see San standing at the door, confused as to why you were packing.

"I know. I know everything."

His heart dropped at your words. So you finally found out. It clicked to him what you were up to.

"And so you're leaving me?" He couldn't believe it.

"I have to! How could I stay with you knowing our son could be in danger because of you?!"

San marched up to you and pulled you against him, holding onto you for dear life.

"Baby please listen to me! I lied to you, I know and I'm sorry! But I honestly do love you, I love you and our son so much, you two are my everything! You can't leave me! Please don't walk away from me and don't take him away from me! I'm sorry! But I promise I'll take care of you both."

He sanked down to his knees and held you by your waist, his tears staining your shirt. When it came to you and your son, he was no longer the strong confident mafia boss. You were his ultimate weakness.

"Please don't go..... please say you still love me...."

Your heart clenched. Even though finding this out tore you apart, you still loved him. You'd never stop loving him.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲 ﾟ･:*✿

At the beginning, you didn't want to be with him. You knew who he was and what he was capable of. You were practically forced to date him, scared shitless thinking about what he'd do to you if you refused him. He really did try to show you that he wasn't the ruthless and violent mafia boss the media played him out to be.

"Why do you look so uncomfortable? Don't you like the food?" He asked you.

"The food is great, it's just you know, not every girl wants to have a dozen men in suits standing around with guns in their pockets while on a first date." There was a hint of bitterness and sarcasm in your tone.

Mingi pouted. "It's for protection purposes."

If someone had told you the most feared mafia boss in all of Seoul was actually a clumsy, soft baby, you would never have believed them. But indeed, that's the side of Mingi you ended up uncovering. Sure it still terrified you when his rage was released, but never was it directed to you.

Finally after years of asking and asking, you accepted his marriage proposal and he was the happiest man alive. No happiness could compare. That's what he thought until the day you gifted him with a precious angel. She instantly became daddy's girl and nothing could change that. It was quite funny actually.

Like one time when he was having a meeting with his other mafia friends. Things got very heated and Mingi was about to blow up. Until a tiny head peeked in.

"Daddy!" Your daughter ran over to him, while you failed to try and catch her.

Mingi completely forgot what they were talking about and he picked her up.

"Hi princess! How are you? Did you miss your daddy?" He cooed at her.

Snickers were heard from his friends.

"Who would have thought?" "The Song Mingi has been tamed" "And by a child nonetheless"

Mingi threw a glare over at his friends.

"I can still order your heads on a platter you know." He threatened them.

"Mingi." You warned him, gesturing to your daughter.

"Sorry." He mouthed, remembering not to say such things in front of your daughter.

That's when his friends totally lost it.

"I told you San! Y/N is the one who really wears the pants in the relationship."

✿*:･ﾟ𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰ﾟ･:*✿

Were you furious that your father practically sold you into a marriage with his mafia friend's son? Yes. Was Wooyoung pissed off at having a wife thrown at him? Nope, not at all. He fell in love with you at first sight.

"Hi! I'm Jung Wooyoung, your soon to be husband and I can tell we're going to be really happy together!" He was practically beaming with joy.

"Hi, I'm L/N Y/N, the girl that's going to be caged to you for life......or death. Whichever comes first." You responded.

Wooyoung actually laughed at that, but you were serious. What if one day his mafia ass gets tired of you and he just decides to put a bullet in your head? You secretly hoped he did that before you were bound to him for life.

But 5 years later and you're still married. He's just as much in love with you as the first day he met you. You learned to love him, or as you often said to tease him: you learned to put up with him.

"Deny it all you want, but I know you love me just as much as I love you."

When he found out you were pregnant, he became even more clingy with you. Always making sure you were ok, going to everyone of the doctor's appointments, and constantly talking to your growing baby bump. The baby wasn't due for another 4 months and he was already wrapped around their finger.

"I can eat by myself Wooyoung." You reminded him as you tried to take the bowl from him.

"Let me baby you, ok!? I want my queen to be treated like one and I want to make sure my little princess will be ok." He stated.

You chuckled at how he kept insisting it was a girl.

"What if it turns out to be a boy?" You cocked your head to the side.

"It's a girl! She will be a precious bundle of pink glittery joy that I will love and cherish for as long as I live!" He really wanted a girl.

You rolled your eyes every time and you were desperately hoping that the ultrasound you were scheduled to get would reveal it was a boy. You really wanted to wipe the grin off his face. That and you wanted a mommy's boy yourself.

"So tell us doctor. It's definitely a girl right?" Wooyoung asked as he held your hand tightly.

"Actually......you're carrying a very healthy baby boy. Congratulations."

Wooyoung's hand dropped yours and he stood there stunned. You couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. For goodness sakes, he had already had the nursery painted pink.

"Ok, now that you've been proven wrong, hand me that catalog. I'm deciding how we're decorating my son's nursery." You told him when you got back home.

"Uh.... it's our son! If I remember correctly, it takes 2 to make a baby. And please no sport related decorations! Get something more original! Ooh! I saw some really cute marine animals design that..."

You just smirked at him as he turned the pages of the magazine. He was still whipped.

✿*:･ﾟ𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸 ﾟ･:*✿

When you applied for the secretary job, you didn't think anything was sketchy about it. But you were wrong and instantly you were dragged into Jongho's mafia world. And you knew that now there was no way out. You knew too much and the only way you would ever walk out of there would be in a coffin.

That's what you thought, but honestly, Jongho liked you so much that if you wanted to, he'd dismiss you if you wanted it. But he didn't want you to go. He was too hooked on you to let you go. He liked how different you were from other women. You were so mature, and he liked your 'I don't give a fuck' attitude you exuded at times. He also loved to play around with you, even if he was the one doing most of the pulling while you were doing a lot of pushing.

"Sooner or later you will be mine doll." He often told you.

"Go find some other girl to play around with Jongho. I'm a little too old to be anyone's toy." You always responded with things that if it were anyone else, it'd get their head blown off.

You tried to keep your personal life as secret as possible from him. Your deepest fear was of Jongho finding out about your daughter, your only joy in life. You were afraid he'd use her against you........... that's what you tried to tell yourself. But really, you were afraid that if he found out, he'd lose interest in you. You couldn't deny he was attractive. But what kind of man would involve himself with a woman that already had a kid? Especially someone as young and powerful like Jongho?

But one day, you had no choice but to bring her along to work with you, since no babysitter was available. You thought you'd be all right. Jongho wasn't supposed to be there and you only had to pick up some papers. Luck wasn't on your side that day though. While you were rummaging around your desk, the devil himself walked into the office.

"Ah Y/N. Good thing I caught you. I need you to see if I got- who and what is that?"

He immediately pointed at your daughter, who was currently holding onto your leg, her other hand holding her bunny plushie. The color drained from your face, but you took a deep breath and gathered your courage.

"Jongho, this is my daughter, [insert name here]. Sweetheart, this is Jongho. He's the man I work for." You smiled down at her.

You didn't even want to look back at Jongho, afraid to see his expression. You were startled though when he came closer to you and bent down so he was eye level with your daughter.

"Hi there princess. What you got there? Do you like bunnies?"

Your daughter took an instant liking to him as she began explaining in her 2 year old language who her plushie was. And Jongho only played along, completely enchanted by such a cute and innocent baby.

"Ok that's enough sweetheart. I'm sure Jongho has some other things to attend to and we have to go."

Picking her up, you bid goodbye to Jongho, who held the door open for you. He grabbed your free arm though and whispered in your ear before you left:

"If you think this changes anything doll, you're completely wrong. I still want you and I still stand my ground that you'll be mine......."

He pulled back and smiled at you.

"Your daughter is very charming as well. You should bring her over more often."

He winked at you as you made your way out.

Gifs not mine, credit goes to their respective owners.

[awanderingdeal]

The one in which Logan finds Corbett - Chapter 3

This one is dedicated to the very sweet anon that suggested Corbett in the snow! Thank you for your love and encouragement. Join Finn, Leo, Logan and Corbett for a snow day! 

CW: one joking threat of murder, and a brief mention of a snowboarding injury.

Please message me if you feel that any content warnings need to be added. 

Rating: G (Not all chapters in this fic will be the same rating)

Credit to @lumosinlove for Finn, Leo, Logan and the sweater weather universe. Thank you for letting us use them! Corbett is mine :)

Please see my masterlist for future and previous chapters! "Fucking snow'," Finn growled, seeing the white blanketing the floor when he opened the blinds. 

He felt Leo perch his chin on his head, wrapping his long arms around his torso and squeezing - a small display of excitement. "Can we -" 

 "Absolutely not," Finn interrupted his boyfriend's question, wriggling out of his hold. "We have nothing to do today. There is no way I am going outside in that," he stabbed his finger towards the window, "if I do not have to."

Finn would have liked to have said he was surprised when forty-five minutes later he was wrestling on layers of clothing to protect himself against the ungodly wind chill. However, he would be the first to admit that Leo Knut had him well and truly wrapped around his little finger. There was only so long Finn could resist his boyfriend’s doe eyes. 

"This is a little excessive, non?" Logan laughed, watching Finn pull on another pair of socks. "Will your feet even fit into your boots?" 

Finn looked down at his feet, and considered that maybe Logan had a point. Perhaps four pairs were too many. He removed the last of them, chucking it at Logan’s head. "That's what you get for teasing me."

"It is not even cold," Logan said, crouching to scratch Corbett's belly, the dog giving a satisfied whine. "Wait! This is Corbs first time seeing snow," he gasped. "Are you excited? Are you?"

"I'm going to kill you,” Finn said, how dare Logan say it wasn’t cold. It was snowing!  I'm going to kill you, and bury you and no one is ever going to find you." The threat may have held more weight if he had been able to keep the smile from his face whilst he issued it. "You love me too much to murder me," Logan smirked. "I am loath to admit that is true," Finn sighed. "Leo!" Logan’s gaze looked past Finn towards the doorway "Save me!" "I'm just going to pretend my boyfriends aren't crazy if you don't mind," Leo replied, seemingly unfazed by the dramatics. He pressed a thermos into Finn's hands. "Coffee, can't have you freezing on us now, can we?”

“Thanks, Nutty. You're the best," Finn hummed against Leo's lips, pulling away with a grumble. "Right, come on. Let's get this over with." "Smile," Leo laughed, something soft and melodic. It always sounded like a song to Finn's ears. He poked Finn lightly in his cheeks until his mouth somewhat resembled a smile, "We're going to have fun." Logan slipped Corbett's leash into Leo's hand, before reaching for the beanie Finn was holding. Finn began to protest the theft, but then Logan was placing it on his head, with a softness that he rarely possessed outside of Finn and Leo. "We're going to have fun," Logan reiterated, adjusting the hat slightly and kissing Finn. Corbett thumped his tail against the hardwood as Logan took his leash back from Leo, excited to leave. Finn looked between his boyfriends, who seemed just as eager as Corbett, and decided even if his fingers fell off with the cold, he wouldn’t care much.

"You have to promise not to scream," Logan said, letting Corbett into the back seats of the car, Finn sliding in beside him. 

"Only if you promise to drive like a normal person," Finn argued. There had been a brief argument over who was going to drive, Finn refusing to do so in this weather. In the end, Finn had reluctantly handed over the keys to Logan, who had claimed he had the most experience in these conditions. It was true, but he also had a tendency towards road rage that slightly terrified Finn. “I promise,” Logan nodded, “I’ve got precious cargo on board.”

“Are you talking about us or Corbett?” Finn snorted a laugh as the door shut in his face. 

"How do you even know Corbett has never seen snow?" Leo interjected, changing the conversation as he buckled his belt.  "He's 8, it's possible that he has."

"He's from Texas," Logan shrugged, muttering something under his breath about tall people as he adjusted the seat. "I just figured it wasn't likely." 

"He could have gone on vacation," Leo reasoned. "Have you been on vacation, buddy?" he asked, craning his head around to look at Corbett.

 "Can you stop ruining the fun with your big logical brain, s'il vous plaît?" Logan scowled playfully. 

They were a few minutes away from the park when Corbett sat up, thudding his paws against the window. "Heyyy boy, you know where we are?" Finn laughed, trying to escape the wagging tail.

"He's smart, like his dad," Leo said, his expression smug. He too was starting to show signs of excitement. They were small, but Finn had spent enough time cataloguing Leo's mannerisms that he would never miss them. The slight flex of his fingers. The way he took a second , then third glance at the snowman somebody had built. The way he sat up straighter with every inch closer they got to the park. Finn would have thought one winter in Gryffindor was enough to dampen anybody's enthusiasm for the snow, but Leo had made it through his first year with his still in-tact. Whilst Finn teased him for it, he felt there was something poetic in the fact the snow, which was so unexceptional to him, held such magic for his boyfriend. 

Corbett's barks pulled him from his thoughts and alerted him to their arrival in the parking lot. Finn had to admit, from the comfort of the warm car, it was a beautiful scene. Snow was still falling in a kind of slow dance. At this early hour, it was still winning its war against the footsteps that tried to mar the quilt it was knitting on the ground. He pulled his jacket tighter around him and stepped out into the wintery battlefield. "Baby," Leo cooed, pulling a pouting Finn into arms. "Thank you for coming with me, it wouldn't be the same without you."

"Can I get in on this hug?" Logan asked, "Or is it a ticketed event?" "You're an idiot," Finn shook his head, but gestured for Logan to join in. They were only huddled together for a few seconds when Corbett barked his discontent. It was probably for the best anyway, considering they were in public. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget themselves. The fleeting melancholy of it all was forced away by the sound of his boyfriend's laughter. Finn looked up to see Corbett was perched on the very edge of the car seat, looking out rather warily to the snow. his eyes darted between the three of them and the ground, as if his brain couldn't reconcile the fact they were standing on it.

"Come on, Corbett!" Logan encouraged, breaking away from them. A stream of French left his mouth. It was lilted and bouncy, nothing like his usual tongue. Leo huffed out a laugh, saying something that Finn was pretty sure was just a mocking repetition of one of Logan's sentences. The theory was confirmed when Logan flashed Leo his middle finger, still talking to Corbett. Finn cocked his head, asking silently for a translation. 

"A summary," Leo said quietly. "Logan should definitely take over from Cap giving the team talks. He's very inspirational" 

"I can hear you, Knut," Logan whipped his head around quickly. "I was, in fact, just telling Corbett what a brave boy he was."

Corbett seemed to have taken the words to heart, and took the leap of faith onto the snow. Finn thought he heard Logan stop breathing in anticipation of his reaction, but Corbett just froze. Other than a tiny twitch of his nose, he stood stock still. "Is he broken?" Finn said quietly, feeling Leo shaking silently with laughter beside him. "I think he's broken." 

Corbett snapped out of whatever trance he was in just as quickly as it came and he galloped away, his legs splayed unusually wide. Finn saw Logan purse his lips to form a whistle, but Corbett started his return to them before he could get the sound out. "You can't run around the lot, but you can go free once we're in the park, okay," Logan clipped Corbett’s leash to his collar.

“Your coffee, sweetheart," Leo said, handing Finn the flask he'd shoved into the cupholder. Finn gave him a soft smile as a thank you, not even bothering to deny he had forgotten it. Leo helped him remember things, and he helped Leo with anything related to numbers. They were a team, both on and off the ice. Logan too. Finn loved his team, he loved his life. They trailed behind Logan and Corbett by a few steps, sneaking small glances at one another as they watched what was apparently a riveting conversation. "

You gonna run around in the snow too," Finn grinned, bumping his shoulder against Leo's.

"Maybe I -" Leo started, but then they reached the park. Logan let Corbett off his leash, and all their attention was pulled to the German Shepherd prancing through the snow, shaking his head with glee. 

"Hey, Corbett!" Logan called, packing snow into a ball and throwing it. The ball splintered as it hit the ground, Corbett's face turning into a picture of confusion. He looked between Logan and the ground multiple times, before turning his stare to Leo and Finn. Rather than trying to solve the mystery any longer, Corbett scooped a mouthful of snow and bounded back to Logan, dumping the offering at his feet. Finn was distracted by the dog’s antics, so he didn’t notice Leo creating the snowball that collided with the back of Logan’s neck.

"Leo!" Logan yelped, already crouching down to pack more snow into his gloves. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" Finn protested, seeing exactly where this was going. "Leave me out of this," he struggled to make his voice heard over Corbett's excited yips.

He quickly realised the words were a mistake. A challenge that Logan would never be able to resist. There was a gleam in those green eyes that Finn had long since learned only meant trouble. He took a few small tentative steps backwards, as if he were retreating from a wild animal. Thankfully, in the brief moment Logan took to contemplate who would be his first target, Finn's phone began to vibrate in his pocket. 

"My phone!" Finn said, relief evident in his voice as he pulled the device out of his pocket. Alex's timing was, for once, impeccable. Hopefully, Leo and Logan would get their bewildering need to pummel one another with the freezing substance out of their systems whilst Finn talked to his brother. "Alex, hey!" he greeted, turning his back on his boyfriends.

Some part of his brain told him it wasn't wise to let his guard down so easily. He took a glance over his shoulder as Alex began to ask him a question about their upcoming family reunion, just in time to see Logan jump on Leo's back, dragging him to the floor.

“Hello, are you listening to me?" Alex asked, his voice full of a fond exasperation. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Finn gasped, feeling his eyes begin to water, “Logan just…” he couldn’t finish the sentence, his words distorted by laughter. 

"Do you want me to call you back?" Alex said.

Finn managed to compose himself enough to answer the question, "No, no. I'm using you as my excuse not to get involved in this chaos."

 "Chaos? Where are you?"

"We got the first snow of the year," Finn explained. "So of course Leo got all excited -"

"He's so Southern!" Alex chuckled. 

"Don't interrupt me! Leo got all excited, so we're at the park and," Finn raised his voice so that Leo and Logan could hear him, "somebody decided it was a good idea to chuck snow at Logan, which has obviously descended into madness.”

"I miss snow," Alex sighed. "Nat and Kase were talking about hitting the slopes when we get a break though so that'll be nice." 

Finn snorted, "Al, last time you went snowboarding you managed to break your leg.

 "Anyway! As I was saying, Uncle-" Finn didn't hear the rest of what Alex had to say, the next thing he knew he was falling face-first into the snow.

"Finn, baby. Are you okay?" Logan asked, laughing slightly as he helped Finn to his feet. Once he was upright, Finn shook him off, crossing his arms across his chest.

"No, don't baby me. I am not happy with you." Finn said, looking around for Leo. He spotted him a short distance away, talking on the phone that had flown out of Finn's hand. 

"It wasn't me!" Logan argued, tugging at Finn's arm. When Finn refused to unfold them, Logan merely hugged him anyway. "It wasn't! It was Corbett!" Finn looked at the dog, who was now sitting on his haunches, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he tried to get his breath back.

"Sweetheart, are you okay? I think Corbs got a bit excited," Leo said, just as Finn was about to make a point that it wasn't fair to blame the one individual who couldn't defend himself. "Your brother said he'd call back later.”

“Thanks,” Finn nodded. “And no, I am not okay,” he pouted, “I am cold and wet and I think I scratched my nose.”

 Logan laughed, taking a surreptitious look around before pressing a small kiss to Finn’s nose. “There, that’ll make it better.” Finn’s lips curled into a smile, never able to stay angry at Logan for long. He could be infuriating in so many ways, but his heart was always kind and generous.

“Come on, let’s get you home and in front of the fire.” Leo chuckled, taking the leash from Logan and clipping it to Corbett’s collar. The German Shepard gave a small whine when he realised the fun was over. 

“You’re grounded,” Finn huffed. 

“Finn, you can’t go two minutes without giving him treats,” Logan said.

“I am the parent, I get to decide when he’s ungrounded,” Finn argued, pulling his wet hat off his head. His ears felt the cold immediately, but it was better than having the damp thing over them. 

“Here Fish, you can have mine,” Logan smiled softly, handing over his own beanie. Finn took it gratefully, and allowed Logan to adjust it in the same manner he had done earlier. 

"You want this?" Leo asked, holding out the thermos that he had retrieved along with Finn's phone. Finn's eyes widened, making grabby hands at the object until Leo surrendered it. He took long gulps of the drink, feeling the dark liquid glide down his throat, warming him from the inside out like some sort of lifeline. It was hot and bitter and just what he needed. "Okay, you can take me home now."

Corbett let out a single bark, which the three of them took as his agreement and headed back towards the car.

[redhawtriot]

Caught in The Act (Bakugou x Reader)

Tip Jar ☕- Not expected but always appreciated💞

Bro, these get longer and longer😭 I am so sorry, but I enjoy myself way too much writing these! Plus, this will be the last one for a while! The next poll is open for a few days longer than the last (since this is about the halfway point of this interactive series!) I have a few different endings in mind😈

Anyway, thank you for voting for the last part, even though it got a little heated between the 750+ of you☺️

If it’s not the choice you wanted, there will be quite a few more opportunities to vote and get your way, so don’t worry your pretty little booties❤️

HnM💕

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Part 3:

“Hey… wha’s wrong, best buddy? Holy hell, w-why are you crying?!” Kirishima loudly whispered. A loud rumble could be heard before he violently gagged, releasing the contents of his stomach, “Oh, God,” he croaked before gagging again, “I am so sorry.”

Bakugou didn’t even bother looking at him before he turned his back and harshly faced away. The blond aggressively dried his eyes with the back of his hand-- muttering a stream of curses through gritted teeth. He deeply hoped that that damn idiot would forget this night ever happened,

“Go to bed, shitty hair,” he snapped, still refusing to look at him, “Sober up so you can clean that shit up, because I sure as hell am not doing it for you,” he pointed to the mess of bile on the floor so hard that his weight followed after his finger, causing him to stumble. 

“You’re the one to talk,” Kirishima giggled as he scratched the back of his head. His best friend didn’t even attempt to retort an aggressive defense and only stared at the ground with a much softer glare than normal. Something had to be very wrong with him.

The redhead sympathetically reached out to him, but Bakugou immediately swatted him away and roamed off in another direction,

“Hey, why you cryin’, man? What’s wrong?” Kirishima called out to Bakugou as the latter continued to walk away from him— instantly tensing up,

“Nothing,” he spat as he entered Kirishima’s room and began rummaging for pants. Kirishima’s clouded mind didn’t even notice that he was naked until then.

“Hey, bro,” Kirishima followed Bakugou to his dresser. He reached out to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder to both steady himself and comfort the blond, “I am not judging you I just want to he—”

“I SAID NOTHING, DAMMIT!” Bakugou snapped, smacking a clumsy Kirishima’s hand away before angrily stomping a few feet away to clothe himself. He slid down the hallway wall and took a seat to face your door, sending a weak glare in that direction.

Kirishima mindlessly followed after him and found a seat by his side, “Why aren’t you going inside then?” Kirishima shrugged as he struggled to keep himself from leaning.

“None of your god dammed business.”

“Oh…” Kirishima’s eyebrows were raised suddenly. He drunkenly blinked a few times, “You’re in trouble?!” he concluded incredulously, “You guys have never fought before, dude! What happened!?” he slurred loudly.

“Nothing!” Bakugou’s furrowed and defensive eyebrows dropped sadly for a few beats, before he could fix them.

Kirishima knew his friend more than Bakugou would like to give him credit for, “I-Is she okay?” he dragged himself up to his feet, “I can only imagine how much she’s hurting if you’re crying like this.” his words seemed to sober substantially. 

“I’m okay, dammit. We are okay!” Bakugou threw his glare towards the ground before throwing his arms up to rest on his knees. His heart felt extremely heavy as he spoke for some reason. It was like when a lie hung heavily on his chest, but that couldn’t be the same feeling. He was sure that he wasn’t lying. The two of you were going to be okay.

Right?

Of course, you were.

Bakugou determinedly threw his head up towards his best friend, “Just go to sleep, you alcoholic!” he demanded in a slur before noticing that Krishima was not in the same place that he once was. He made a quick sweep of his surroundings and saw Kiri leaning with his ear pressed against your bedroom door, “HEY, bastard!! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“Shhhh,” Krishima smashed a drunk finger against his lips, “She is crying Bakugou! I can hear her!!” the man’s face was twisted in utter terror as he looked back and forth from Bakugou to the door. He shook his head in disbelief as he grabbed onto your door handle, “I-I am gonna go in there and help her—”

“No! Stop, dammit,” Bakugou practically threw himself up and over to Kirishima before he could open your door. The two intoxicated men struggled against each other for a bit before Bakugou finally overpowered him and snatched him away.

“What’s your problem, Bakugou?!” Kirishima had yet to accept his loss and continued to struggle against Bakugou’s grip, “She needs our help!” 

Bakugou gave him one final shove before choking up, “I fucked up, okay!?” He blurted with tears in his eyes.

The man anxiously grabbed his own hair and leaned back against the wall before once again painfully writhing down it as sobs dared to fly out from the back of his burning throat, “I… really fucked up.”

“How—” the word became stuck in Kirishimas mouth. Even inebriated, he knew that he would be overstepping his boundaries. Bakugou obviously wasn’t ready to talk about this. He hardly ever wanted to confront his mistakes, but in that moment, it seemed like it might have been more than just a simple mistake.

Whatever it was would have to be dealt with another day. But for now, all Kirishima could do was offer some encouraging words to his best friend.

The man sighed, “She really loves you, you know,” he began as he walked over to his crying friend and once more found a seat next to him. He continued with a soft, almost sad smile, “From the day she saw you. When, uh, we had our quirk tests the first day in Aizawa’s class? She lit up whenever you had your turn on the softball throw,” he smiled at the memory,

“She was always so calm and gentle, but she never really looked as happy as she did whenever you were involved, man,” Kirishima gave a sigh before softly throwing his head back onto the wall to watch the world spin. He gave a short laugh, “Even when she was dating Todoroki for that short while,” his smile slowly died down after a short silence,

“Whatever you did, she loves you, but it’s all on to you to fix it, man.  You gotta start putting more effort into her. You can’t just rely on the fact that she is super loyal to you. Stop taking her for granted.”

This automatically sent flames under Bakugou, “What are you fucking getting at?” he spat.

“Relax man, I live with you guys, remember?” his words became more slurred as his eyes fluttered shut, “I see things. All I am saying is that you are always going to have a part of Y/N’s heart. But… you have to show her that you are deserving of that or else... she is eventually going to leave us.”

“How do I even know if I am deserving of her? What if..” the thought became stuck in Bakugou’s throat. He had to swallow hard to get his words flowing again, “What if she deserves better than me, dammit? I love her I know I do, but the terrible things I do and say just fly out so damn naturally,” he choked out. As much as he hated to admit it, it had only been a matter of time before he did something so terrible to you.

Bakugou angrily bumped his head against the wall behind him as tears continued to roll down his face, “I am such a fucking idiot. Fuck, I want to hold her and kiss her and tell her how much she means to me every day, but it’s like something in my DNA prevents me from doing that—from focusing on anything other than winning,” the blond shook his head in complete disgust at his own thoughts, 

“What if all this time I thought that my relationship with her was holding me back from becoming the number one hero, when really, I was the one holding her back from being happy?” he finished as he looked over to his best friend.

However, Kirshima was already sound asleep, his head leaning awkwardly on the back wall.

Yes. Bakugou knew that he was a raging mess of a man. He knew that he didn’t deserve you, but he never wanted it to get to the point where you knew that too.

But as you stood in front of him with compete hatred in your eyes, about to abandon him, it was like all of his worst fears were coming to eat him alive.

“Please, don’t leave me…” he cried through gritted teeth as he buried his face into your stomach. He hated everything about himself right now. He was absolutely pathetic, and you had every right to leave his ass. He never should have looked at that woman,

“I-I am so in love with you,” he begged as he painfully gripped your waist. You were so good to him. You stayed with him through all of his shittiest moments—even when he was an ass to you. You were a complete angel—a blessing placed right in front of him that he had so foolishly tried to forsake so many times. God, you were the most beautiful thing that had ever happen to him.

So why then, did he fuck everything up so badly? He was complete and utter trash, yet you always still saw the best in him. He prayed that you could find the best on him just one more time, “Don’t give up on me…” tears finally could freely roll down his cheeks as he sobbed loudly into you.

Words couldn’t find their way out of your mouth. The many thoughts seemed to congregate in a massive mess in the forefront of your brain and became stuck in a traffic jam on the tip of your tongue.

Your lips fumbled over themselves, and nothing came out but disgruntled noise as you looked at the broken man in front of you.

The sight of him broke your heart to pieces.

No.

He broke your heart to pieces already. And still hasn’t even properly apologized to you.

“Bakugou,” you softly called out to him before he reluctantly looked up to your face. His wet eyes shimmered with only a glimpse of hope, but as soon as you grabbed his hands that were gripped around your waist and threw them off of you, that little hope died,

“You cheated on me—unashamed and unprotected. I deserve more than that. I deserve love, and... you can’t give that to me right now,” you choked out, your words not fully convincing even yourself. You had to dig deep within you to find resolve. You took a deep breath, 

“I’m... I’m leaving,” you said lowly as tears streamed down your face. His wet cheeks matched yours as you promptly turned back towards the front door and left with nothing but your slippers, phone and car keys.

Bakugou couldn’t help but to stay frozen as he watched your form disappear behind the cold metal frame of the door. That couldn’t have just happened.

As minutes of him staring blankly at the door passed by, reality seemed to slap him in the face. He threw his head down to the ground as heavy and painful sobs ripped through his chest.

You weren’t faring much better as you tried to blink your blurry vision away and focus on the road in front of you as you drove. You didn’t even know where to go.

You couldn’t go to Jirou’s. She would probably go crazy on Bakugou and you had had enough yelling within the last 24 hours. Plus, it was way too early in the breakup for that. You honestly had very little faith in yourself that you would be able to maintain permanent distance from the man you love.

Loved?

No, the debilitating pain in your chest most definitely proved that the word was in present tense. You fought a sob from freeing itself from your sore throat as you frantically patted at your lap in an attempt to find your phone.

God, who could you call right now?

All of your friends but Jirou were just as close to Bakugou as they were you. You didn’t want to put anyone in the middle of your mess, but you felt like you were about to explode—like the sobs and tears could only release so much pressure. It wasn’t enough. You needed to vent, but to who?

You mindlessly dialed one of your contacts,

“Hello?! Y/N?”

“T-Todoroki...? Can you talk right now?” you croaked. You instantly tried to fix your voice through a subtle cough, “You sound… active. Are you busy?” you faked poise.

 Yes, of course you knew that the ex-boyfriend card was way low, but you guys had honestly only dated for about three months ages ago in high school and had stayed close friends even after that. It wasn’t until your engagement to Bakugou where your friendship had eventually faded away—much to Bakugou’s enjoyment.

“No! Of course we can talk!” he gently argued. You could hear a lot of noise on the other end of the call before he continued, “I am just… surprised is all. It’s been a long time, after all,” he finished, but you could still hear a noise in the background. Were those sirens?

“Yeah, I know and I am really sorry for calling so suddenly,” you apologized, ignoring the distractions on the other line, “I just.. I don’t have anyone to talk to right now,” your eyes widened as you realized how terrible that must have sounded, “Not that you’re my final resort or anything I--!”

“No, it’s okay. I understand. So, what is it that you need to talk about?” he answered. As soon as he finished speaking you could hear screams on his side of the line.

“I—um,” the distractions were becoming too much for you, “Todoroki? Are you—uh, busy right now?”

“Truthfully, I am at work right now,” you could almost hear his familiar soft smile on the other end, “but it’s nothing major, just stopping a bank heist.”

“BANK HEIST!?” you gasped, before a laugh made it’s way from you. You were finally able to sniffle some of your tears away as the corners of you lips widened into a smile, “Oh my God, It’s really okay, Todoroki. It’s not that importa—”

“No, really, Y/N, it’s fine!” he interrupted,  “You seem to be very upset. I would like to help you in any way that I can... Why don’t you come over to my house, so that we can properly talk? I’ll try to wrap things up on my side and meet you there as soon as I can.”

As soon as he finished speaking, your phone dinged. You quickly flashed the device towards your eyes as you tried to mind the road ahead of you:

My Son: Hey. I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were alright! Bakugou is throwing an absolute fit right now so maybe I should leave and give him space now😅... We can meet up at our diner and you can get me up to speed on…

“Y/N? You remember my address, right?” Todoroki snapped your attention away from the rest of the text, but you got the jest of it. 

So, Kiri wanted to meet up as well, huh? But... were your really ready to face him?

You felt humiliated by just the thought.

Do you meet up with ex-boyfriend Todoroki? Or Best friend Kirishima?

YOU DECIDE!

Click this link to cast your vote!

[lailannajacobs]

Circles

Pairing: Steve Rogers x fem!reader

Prompt: Costume Party: Stark is throwing a work Masquerade party and you’ve decided to go, hoping you’ll finally work up the courage to talk to a certain someone you’ve had a crush on for a while now

Warnings: fluff! 

Word Count: 4.3k

A/N: My submission for @moonstruckbucky​ Halloween challenge! Although it’s not creepy in the slightest (I’m the world’s biggest scaredycat) I had a great time getting into the Halloween spirit! First time writing Steve Rogers so I’m curious to know what you guys think!! <3

“I look stupid,” You whined, staring at your reflection in distaste, “Why am I even going to this thing.”

Nat’s gaze slid away from her own reflection in the mirror to yours, “Because you’re hoping that Steve shows up so that you can finally make a move.”

She fiddled with the clasp of her earring, one of the final pieces to her costume. Leaning against her bathroom doorframe, you watched as she finished getting ready, trying - and failing - not to be so much of a Debby Downer. Normally, you weren’t against accompanying Nat to these events, but it had been a long day. All you wanted to do was go home. Instead, you had dressed up in a cliché, itchy cat costume you had found last minute in a thrift store downtown, and had shown up at Nat’s door, pairing your costumed with a forced smile.

Tony Stark had decided to throw a masquerade work party for Halloween this year and had stated in his e-mail that he hoped everyone would make an appearance. Although you had been tempted to spend the evening handing out candy at your mother’s house in the suburbs, Nat had convinced you that Captain Rogers - Steve as he had insisted you call him on multiple occasions - would be there as well and that it would be a perfect opportunity for you to stop pining over him and actually do something about your crush. Now that you were all dressed up and the party was already getting started a few blocks away, you weren’t so sure about any of it.

“We both know I’m never actually going to make a move,” You tugged on the hem of your costume, trying to make it longer than it actually was, “And even if I did, you know he never shows up to this kind of thing.”

Her lips curled into a wicked grin, “It’s not my fault you’re into a centenarian who’s too old to party.”

“When you say it like that, you make it sound like I’m into old men.” You laughed, staring at her elegant yet somehow distinctly peacock dress.

You wondered if she knew exactly how stunning she looked.

“You are into old men,” she extended her arm so you could tie the clasp on her bracelet even though you knew perfectly well she could have done it herself. Still, you were thankful it made you feel useful while you waited, “Or at least one old man in particular.”

You rolled your eyes, having trouble keeping the smirk off your lips, “Age is just a number.”

“I don’t see why you haven’t talked to him,” she paused, sifting through her makeup bag, “He’s not scary or anything.”

“Says the former assassin who’s been friends with him for years now. I’m not like you guys remember? I’m normal.” You scoffed.

The humour vanished from her face, “Anyone working for Stark isn’t normal.”

“Are you telling me that Janitor Bob has a special skill set I don’t know about?” You raised a brow, trying to get her to see your point that you weren’t in the same league as any of the Avengers, regardless of the fact that technically you all worked with Tony Stark in some form or another.

Every once in a while, you wondered how you had gotten to be friends with the infamous Black Widow. She was one of the Avengers - she had saved the world. You were one of Stark’s no-name employees in the IT department who, more often than not, worked regular 9-5 hours. Sure, every once in a while you were called in to help out on certain missions, but in general, you didn’t live in the same world as the Avengers.

The only reason you had met Nat at all had been because you had been the one to get her out of a particularly sticky situation, hacking into Hyrda’s security system and disabling their communications systems. She had found you when she had gotten back and had taken you out for drinks as a personal thank you. Since then, she had become your closest friend, but it still shocked you a little when you really thought about it.

“What I’m trying to say, (y/n), is that working in Stark’s IT department, after being hired for hacking through his security system for fun, doesn’t make you normal.” She insisted, an eyelash curler clamped tight around her lashes.

Even if you didn’t quite believe her, you shrugged, knowing you couldn’t change her mind, “Fine, so I’m not normal. But that still doesn’t make me special enough for a guy like Captain America to notice me, right? To him, I’m just the woman who fixes the problems on his laptop about once a week.”

“He’s really the biggest dork,” she repeated for probably the hundredth time since she had discovered your crush, “He doesn’t notice anyone much. He’s all about work. And like you said, this really isn’t his kind of thing.”

You stared at her incredulously, “Then why am I even going? You said he’d be there! I should just go back to my apartment and have a nice a cozy night in with a cup of tea, a soft blanket and my lap top.”

“Trust me, he’s going to be there. Maybe not for long, but he will be there.” Her lips pulled into an encouraging smile, “And you’re coming to keep me company. It’s good to feel normal every once in a while.”

You raised a brow.

“Just because we’re not normal doesn’t mean we don’t want to take the weight of the world off our shoulders for the night. That’s why Tony throws these things after all.”

“You know nothing Tony Stark does can be considered normal.”

“As close to normal as we can get,” she laughed, zipping up her bag, “And it’s not like we’d have it any other way.”

“Fine,” you groaned, pretending not to notice how gorgeous she looked as she titled her head from side to side, looking for imperfections in her makeup, “But I still look stupid.”

Nat turned all her attention on you, making you want to cower under that intense gaze, “That you do,” she amended, a wide cat-like grin spreading across her lips, “But I have something that’ll fit you much better.”

Steve combed his hair back, looked over at Bucky, and then sighed. It seemed that after all that had happened to the guy, Buck was still ten times better at the the whole social thing than he would ever be. He liked that he had managed to keep a hold of the part of himself that would always be that skinny kid from Brooklyn, he just wasn’t too sure how much help that part of him would be tonight. He’d take a bully and a fight over any one of Stark’s parties any day. How Bucky had convinced him to go tonight, Steve still couldn’t figure it out.

“It’s Halloween.” Bucky replied when Steve voiced his concerns, “You show up in a mask for an hour and then leave. No one notices you’re gone because everyone’s too busy getting drunk to pay attention to who’s behind the mask, but everyone is pretty sure they remember you being there.”

Steve looked down at his mask, almost afraid to pick it up. “Don’t you think it’s a little ironic that we’re all dressing up to go to a masquerade party?”

“I think that was the point,” Bucky shrugged on his tux jacket, “He did say he did say a ball cap and sunglasses didn’t count as a costume tonight, remember?”

“He did?” Steve unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, suddenly finding it hard to breath.

Bucky secured the mask around his face, white and silver framing blue eyes. “I’m pretty sure you were at that meeting”

“I might not have been paying attention.” Steve confessed, “I had a flight to catch right after and a mission to get to.”

“Of course you did,” Buck let out a sigh that was a cross between amusement and disappointment, “It wasn’t like you actually thought you’d be going to a party tonight. Now that you’re here though, you should work up the courage to talk to that girl from IT you can’t seem to keep your eyes off of.”

Steve fumbled and dropped the cuff links he was attempting to secure, “What? I do not.”

“Sure.” Buck’s lips spread into a knowing grin, “Whatever you say.”

Steve stared at his friend, a little mesmerized that he was getting back to normal so well. The bags under his eyes had lessened in the past months and over all he seemed happier and just a little more awake. It would never completely go away, but the fact that Buck was trying so hard made him sigh and say through gritted teeth, “One hour. That’s all.”

“That’s all I can ask from you buddy.” Bucky chuckled, “Anything more would probably kill you.”

Steve looked back down at the mask and tentatively picked it up as if it might transform and a attack him. He was kind of hoping it might. At least then he’d be more comfortable with it.

“It doesn’t feel like me.” He grumbled.

Bucky shot him a daring grin over his shoulder before walking out the door. “Well that’s the point isn’t it? It’s a costume party.”

“Stop fiddling with it.” Nat scolded, swatting your hand away from your mask.

By the time Nat had found the black dress she was looking for, had coaxed you into it, and had made it up the sky rise, the party was in full swing. Colourful costumes and intricate masks hid hundreds of party goers, while upbeat music resonated through the air and through your chest. The massive ballroom, taking up the entire 50th floor, had cobwebs hanging from the chandeliers and other Halloween decorations strewn across the room. A thin layer of smoke hung just above the ground, and although it was all a bit tacky, you supposed that was the point.

The decorations might have resembled a slightly higher budget version of your high school’s Halloween dance, but the costumes were stunning and in a league of their own. When Nat had pulled out the dress for you to wear, you had been surprised by how much you liked it. It was beautiful yet subtle, though not something you’d have ever bought yourself. The material was soft and unrestrictive, the lacy cape-like wings just apparent enough to consider the dress a costume. Complete with the thin, golden bat mask and maroon lipstick, you had liked what you had seen and had found yourself smiling for the first time that night. Maybe you would go up to Captain Rogers - Steve - and talk to him about something other than work.

Now that you were among so many other incredibly gorgeous party goers, you weren’t so sure about anything anymore.

“You look really good, trust me.” Nat continued, giving you a comforting squeeze.

You forced a smile and tried to be brave about this whole thing, “We look really good.”

“That we do,” Nat scanned the room until her eyes landed on the bar in the far corner, “Now, let’s go get a drink. Something that’s toxic green or has gummy eyeballs floating in it.”

A laugh bubbled out of you, but you were genuinely amused by her excitement. Although she was usually in a teasing mood, it was nice to see her getting excited about something so inane. It almost made you suggest organizing a board game night once a month at work to get people’s minds off of some of the horrors they’d seen, but you kept your mouth shut. They all had so many other important missions to go on, the idea felt silly in comparison.

Following, you wove through the crowd on her heels, pausing as she said hi to a few people in passing. Some were completely recognizable, the mask and costume unable to completely hide their distinct size or look, but others were as recognizable to you as strangers. Honestly though, you stayed holed up in IT so often that the odds of you having actually met them were slim to none.

“What do you want to drink?” Nat shouted over the music, gesturing to to the bartender.

You shrugged, “Whatever you’re having!”

She nodded and leaned over the bar to order. You glanced around, fiddling with your dress and knowing too well that you wouldn’t be able to hang around as Nat’s shadow all night. You’d have to mingle eventually, but you couldn’t spot any of your coworkers from IT who might have made the prospect less terrifying.

Maybe all you’d have to do was hang around for an hour and then you could call a cab home. Or maybe even walk home. It was a surprisingly warm night and you didn’t live far.

A hand on your arm snapped you out of your dreams of escape, and Nat handed you a pink drink with the gummy eyeball she had promised bobbing merrily on the surface.

She leaned in close, a sly grin on her lips, “Now, let’s go see if we can find those two, hundred-year-old dorks.”

“This whole not being able to get drunk thing is a bit of a bummer, isn’t it.” Bucky said, handing Steve his third beer of the hour.

“At least you didn’t have to find that out after having watched you die.” Steve mentioned before taking a long swig of his beer.

“Woah, that’s a little dark for a party there, buddy,” Bucky clapped him on the back, “And anyways, didn’t Thor have something that ‘wasn’t meant for mere men’?”

Steve shook his head, a smile growing. It was impossible not to find Bucky’s light-hearted mood at least a little contagious.

“He’s not hard to find. The bear over there is clearly him.”

Bucky nodded, scanning the room, “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious who’s wearing what costume.”

“Yourself included?” Steve asked.

The white suit jacket with silver lining, black dress pants and intricate wolf mask might have hidden all but piercing blue eyes, but there was no mistaking who wore the costume.

“Yeah, like mine.” He answered automatically, still searching the room.

Steve peered in the general direction Bucky was looking in but couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. If he was lucky, his friend might have sensed something amiss and they could leave the party.

“What are you looking for?”

The words seemed to snap him out of his hunt and Buck dragged his attention away from the crowd, “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Steve echoed, not quite sure he believed him.

“Nothing.” Buck affirmed, “Just taking in all the costumes”

Steve let out a dissatisfied humph, figuring he’d know what Bucky was really looking for by the end of the night.

“Well don’t you boys look ravishing.”

Steve smiled, Nat’s voice a comfort among the unfamiliar faces hidden behind masks.

“Natasha,” Bucky dipped his head in greeting, a funny little smirk on his lips, “You look stunning as always. How many weapons do you have stashed in those magnificent feathers of yours?”

Her lips pulled into a wicked grin, “No less than you have tucked into that dashing suit of yours.”

“It wouldn’t be fair if you didn’t.” He amended.

“We both know only one of us actually needs them though.”

“And we both know very well who that is…but maybe we should test it out on the mats tomorrow just to be sure.” Bucky answered, a goofy little grin on his lips.

Nat nodded, her lips pursued as if trying to contain a genuine smile.

Steve watched the whole interaction, something tugging at the back of his mind, telling him that he was missing something, but before he could figure it out, she turned her attention to him.

“Steve, I’m surprised you actually made it. Isn’t it past your bedtime, old man?”

An amused chuff escaped his lips, “It is, but sometimes you got to make an exception. Or so I was told.”

“I’m glad you did. There’s someone I want to introduce you to-“

“Nat, I told you, I’m good.” He interrupted.

Buck coughed and Steve shot him a look that only caused his smirk to widen.

“I’m not looking for anything,” he insisted, “Seriously.”

She searched the crowd for a second and sighed, “Fine. She ran off anyways.”

“I know you’re only going to let it go for tonight, but I appreciate it.”

The music slowed and people started pairing off. Steve watched them all, thankful for the change. Slow songs meant that it was beginning to be acceptable to leave.

“Steve, you’re not leaving now, are you?” Nat asked as he began to inch away from where they were standing.

“No, I’m just going for out for a breather.” She shot him a skeptical look she had every right to throw his way. “I’ll be back. Why don’t you dance with Bucky while I’m gone? By the time the song ends I’ll be back.”

Something flashed through Buck’s eyes and he tried to run his fingers through his hair but was stopped by the mask he clearly forgot he was wearing, shrugging instead.

Nat shrugged as well, an unfamiliar look crossing her face so quickly Steve thought he had imagined it. “What do you say soldier?”

Bucky nodded, looking like he was at a loss for words and extended his hand.

She took it, “Let’s see if you can dance better than you can fight.”

He chuckled, loosening up a little before leading her toward the rest of the dancers, never once taking his eyes off of her.

Steve figured he had just gotten permission to step out for a bit and beelined for the balcony.

You were glad for the fresh air. When Nat had begun weaving through the crowd, claiming to have spotted Steve and Bucky, you had made your escape. Even if you hadn’t actually gotten a glimpse of them, the prospect of seeing the two soldiers outside of a professional work environment terrified you to your core. You hated to admit it, but you had literally run away.

Your breathing had finally slowed, but you couldn’t bring yourself to leave the cool comfort of the night’s silence. You hoped Nat would stay inside and have a good time. She deserved to and you had a feeling there had been someone there she had been hoping to see, though you weren’t skilled enough to have figured out who.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone else was out here,” A deep voice broke the silence as if you had conjured him from your daydreams, “I’ll go back inside.”

Your whole body had gone rigid at the sound, but you blurted out, “Not that’s okay. It’s a little crowded in there but I think there’s enough room for the two of us out here.”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind…” He trailed off.

You forced yourself to turn around, knowing it was impolite and more than a little strange if you kept talking out at the skyline.

Of all the masks you had been expecting on Captain Rogers tonight, the only one you hadn’t was the one he was actually wearing. The costume he wore could only be described as one thing; the prince of darkness. He looked like a fallen angel, his inky suit blending in with the darkness around him, the intricate black mask painstaking beautiful against blue eyes. The top buttons on his shirt were undone and his pale hair a mess on the top of his head as if he had been running his hand through it all night.

You didn’t know if he had been the one to choose the costume or if someone else had, but whoever had chosen had apparently wanted to kill you by stopping your heart.

Long, confident strides led him to the balcony not far to your right and he shot you a polite smile before staring out at the city. It took everything in you to tear your gaze away from him and look out at the skyline that now paled in comparison to the sight beside you. The silence grew and you knew that the longer neither of you said anything, the less likely you’d think of something relevant to say - not that you had any more of a clue what to say now. You were about to turn away and leave him in peace, but it was as if Natasha was in your head, ordering you to stay.

You let out an annoyed sigh and glanced over at him. He seemed content with the silence and probably didn’t want to be bothered. Nat’s voice in your head told you that you were making up excuses.

“Long night?” You finally asked.

He let out an amused little huff, “You could say that…this kind of thing is not something I really do often.”

“So I’ve heard,” You shrugged a small smile on your lips, “If it makes you feel any better, it’s not really my thing either.”

He cocked his head, as if trying to figure something out, “That why you’re hiding out here?”

“You could say that,” You parroted his words, hoping he would never figure out it was him you were trying to avoid, “I seem to be much better at dealing with computers than real people.”

“If you don’t mind me saying” He cut himself off and looked back out at the skyline.

You took a step forward, more than a little curious, “What?”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “If you don’t mind me saying, you definitely look the part. You don’t look like you belong anywhere else than a stunning Halloween party.”

You weren’t too sure if it was a compliment or not, but the words caused the butterflies in your stomach to take off. “Then I guess we’re both pretty good at blending in. That costume is a long way from the red, white and blue spandex.”

He chuckled, “Was it naive of me to think I could go unnoticed tonight?”

“Honestly?”

He nodded.

“Yes,” You kept your eyes locked on the horizon, “You’re a hard person to miss Captain Rogers.”

“Call me Steve.”

“Sure.” You answered, the same way you did every time he asked you to call him Steve.

The silence stretched until felt his eyes on you, and you realized he was staring.

You slowly turned your head to face him and raised a brow.

“umm, yes?” You weren’t too sure what else to say, all you knew was that you wanted to know why he was staring. You suddenly wished the mask wasn’t stopping you from reading his expression.

“(y/n)?”

You breathed out a “yes?” surprised he remembered your name.

He let out a laugh of disbelief.

“What?”

“I can’t believe it took me this long to recognize you.” Even in the dark you could feel his eyes travel from your feet to your head, actually taking you in.

You shrugged and wrapped your arms around your chest in a loose hug, “In your defence, I’m not very noticeable.”

“That’s not true.” He shook his head, taking a step closer.

You scoffed, “If it wasn’t for your reputation, I’d say you were lying Captain Rogers.”

“Steve,” His voice was a deep command that sent shivers down your spine.

“Steve” You echoed.

“Good,” The corner of his mouth curled slightly, “Can I let you in on a little secret, I.T.?”

You nodded, only able to watch as he took another small step closer, the gap between your two bodies only a couple feet.

“I figured out that computer ages ago.”

“What? Wait. What? I…” You couldn’t say anything coherent, his answer not making any sense.

“Yeah…I liked having you come up once a week.” He was so close now you could smell the spicy scent of his body wash.

“Why?” You whispered.

He shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“Oh…yeah…of course,” Your heart fell, knowing there was no way he could have the same thing in mind that you did, “you don’t know…”

“Well…maybe I do,” He paused, plucking one of Nat’s loose feathers from your shoulder, “I just don’t know if it’s a good thing to say aloud.”

You tilted your head up to get a better look at him, to try and see past the mask. The whole conversation was confusing you, but you couldn’t step away, as if you were magnetically drawn to him, “Why wouldn’t it be?”

His lips spread a little further into something almost dangerous, “Because I don’t know what it would mean if I did.”

You sucked in a deep breath, trying to slow your pounding heart. This was it. If there was ever a time to be bold, it was now.

“Who says you have to say anything at all?”

His hand snaked its way to the back of your neck, and before closing the distance, whispered, “That’s a very good point.”

The kiss was firm but gentle, his lips moving and guiding yours. You slid your hands up his strong chest, your fingers wrapping around the lapels of his jacket and tugging him even closer. He took that as a sign to deepen the kiss, his other hand traveling to your hip, fingers pressing firmly into the material. It only made you try to get even closer, but you had to know what was going on.  

Breathless, you broke the kiss and leaned back to look into his bright eyes, “umm, right…wow, okay, umm, what? Should we go back to the party?

“How about we not.” He all but growled, pulling you back in.

[meltypes-blog]

peadpod mchanzo week day 3

[mr. krabs voice] day 3, give it up for day 3! Also, this is a college au because I’m weak for those and young mchanzo is cute

3. Secret Admirer | ao3 link |

Jesse normally wasn’t the type to get flustered. His mama had told him that since he was 4, his three defining characteristics were cute, charming, and shameless. Growing up in a loving and accepting family had given him the right ingredients to bake into that particular mix, but when his mama passed ten years after, and the collectors came after his Pa’s farm, those particular traits rotted and left a bad taste in his mouth. Cute and charming didn’t get him out of the orphanages quick enough, so he ran. At 17, before his new dads swooped in and grabbed his ass out of the fire, his gang buddies described him as quick, deadly, and reckless. It showed in his steady trigger finger, the unnerving accuracy of his aim, the lopsided smiles and toothy smirks. But all the swagger and confidence from his misguided teenage years were particularly missing from his mug shots; a single heist inevitably gone wrong, most of his ‘family’ dead yet again, and half a missing arm later were enough to sober him entirely.

His new dads….they tried not to define him. When they got to him, he was hollow. Quiet. Sad. As hardened war vets, they’d seen some shit, so they knew a little bit in dealing with what Jesse had gone through. They brought Jesse home with them after a grueling two years in court, though Jesse never did get a clear reason why. Gabe told him that he’d seen something in Jesse. Jack joked that he was blind, so he just went along with whatever Gabe saw. They helped heal him by letting him be, doing the opposite when his mistakes hit him hard and left him gasping at night, and encouraging him to believe in himself just as fervently as they did.

Now, at 24, GED under his belt and close to graduating with a bachelors in investigative journalism, Jesse had proudly improved upon his mama’s words. Cute turned into roguishly handsome, his shamelessness transformed into easy-going confidence, and his charming demeanor- well, that was a welcome fixed trait. But despite the fact that no one had ever called Jesse smart aloud, he wasn’t dumb. Any smart person could see that there was more to the man than a cowboy hat and smiles, and that you didn’t get a prosthetic arm and criminal record by riding a horse (unless, of course, you were a bandit from the 18th century). Even dumber people didn’t know what to make of Jesse, most of the time caught off guard when it turned out he wasn’t a complete idiot. In conclusion, no, Jesse didn’t think he was desirable in the long-term, romantic sense of things, despite his many trysts and conquests, so he put it out of his mind.

At least, that was the case, until the fourth flower delivery.

“Again, Reeha?” Jesse asked, face hot as she dropped a sunflower in his hands. “You’re not doing this as a joke right?”

His RA leant against the open doorway of his dorm with crossed arms and snorted. “I’m a college student, Jes. Flowers are expensive. If I wanted to prank you, I could just put a bucket on your door.”

“Zero points for creativity.” He responded, thumbing the back of the card attached to it. He flipped it over, getting significantly redder at the note.

Fareeha snickered. “What’s it say, loverboy?”

Jesse knew she wasn’t going to leave until he told her (she hadn’t for the last two deliveries) so he cleared his throat and read. “‘You are as brilliant as when the sun rises, you bring me warmth as its beams do. Your smile is just as bright. Thank you for existing.’”

“Aw, Jesse.” Fareeha gave him a genuine, wide smile. “Whoever that is has really lost it over you.”

His chest fluttered. “Nah, this is- it’s a joke. Someone here has just got a sick sense of humor.” He looked back to her. “Do you have any idea who it might be?”

“Jes, half the people on this floor are pretty much into you,” she responded, rolling her eyes. “It’s the cowboy hat, probably.”

Jesse chuckled. “Yeah, sure. Wait ‘til I bust out the chaps, that’ll get everyone hot and bothered.”

“It sounds genuine, though,” she said, frowning at his tone. “You’ve just gotta put your degree to use. Do some investigating.” She clapped his shoulder and stood up. “You’re good at that.”

The wheels in Jesse’s head started turning. “Do you know who puts ‘em on your desk?”

Fareeha shrugged. “Satya brings them in from the mailroom, and I’ve asked her who delivers them there, but she says she doesn’t know. Just that there’s a sticky note to have them brought to you.”

“Huh.”

After a bit more brainstorming, Fareeha waved her goodbye and left Jesse in his door, flower clutched in his good hand. He went inside, thumbing the soft petals gently, a plan developing in his head.

He was going to find whoever this was.

“Maybe they do not want to be found.”

Jesse snorted into his coffee. He and Hanzo were seated in the campus coffee shop, taking a break from an especially grueling math homework session. Jesse had first met him in his second semester Research Writing class, which, much to Jesse’s surprise and Hanzo’s embarrassment, the other man was failing. Their professor had insisted Hanzo visit Jesse for tutoring (which, up until his junior year, he did as a work-study student), and the two hit it off. The pair (sometimes with the addition of Hanzo’s younger brother) met up regularly for study sessions, finding that they worked well together despite their differing majors.

Jesse raised his brows. “Then why do they send them in the first place?”

“Perhaps they get off on buying flowers for cowboys,” Hanzo smirked.

“Gross Han,” Jesse laughed, wrinkling his nose. Hanzo smiled and Jesse felt his insides warm, a pleasant syrupy feeling in his gut.

This….thing he started feeling for Hanzo wasn’t a new development. He only needed to spend four months in Hanzo’s presence to become infatuated, though he ignored it for the most part, reasoning that shallow appreciation for an attractive man was nothing worth exploring. Then the man got a haircut, pierced himself up, changed his major to what he was actually passionate about, and Jesse’s heart was a goner. What he felt was honestly too childish to be called a crush and the other option scared the hell out of him, because even after knowing Hanzo for 2 years, he still had trouble figuring out if the man was seriously flirting or not.

“But really,” Jesse continued, “it seems a bit….I don’t know. Weird.”

Hanzo raised a brow. “You do not enjoy the attention?”

Maybe if it was from you, Jesse thought unhelpfully. “‘S not that, it’s just….I never thought I’d get romanced like this. Flowers.” He chuckled. “What’s next, chocolates? A full bouquet?”

Hanzo’s eyes got that strange glint in them Jesse had been noticing lately. “Is that something you would like?”

“Oh, hell no, that’s a bit much to be coming from a stranger,” Jesse said. He leant forward. “You got any idea who it could be?”

Hanzo’s face fell flat. “You have many admirers, Jesse. Many find you attractive, you know this.”

“You sayin’ I’m good looking?” He teased, smiling at Hanzo’s eye roll.

“I am saying,” Hanzo smirked, “Many people lack taste.”

Jesse barked a laugh. “Right where it hurts, Han. Your aim is unerring.”

“You just make it too easy,” he replied. “Speaking of,” he tapped his notebook, “we should finish these equations.”

Jesse groaned. “Easy for you, Mr. Math Major. Some of us are better with words than numbers.”

“Oh, I am well aware of that,” he chuckled. “But why you would choose a math course for your last elective if you hate it so much is beyond me.”

Jesse just smiled. “I like a challenge.”

The fifth flower arrived during Jesse’s investigation. He made his way down to the dorm mailroom, deciding to ask Satya herself if she knew anything essential.

She scoffed at Jesse’s question, putting her cell phone down. “Why would I keep the sticky notes? They are trash once their duty is fulfilled.”

Jesse sighed. There went his first lead.

“Okay,” he said. “But did you get a look at the handwriting? Was it neat? Messy?”

Satya considered the question. “Well….all of them were written in capital letters.”

“Hm.” Jessed hummed. “And….no one else gets flower deliveries?”

“Not that I have seen, no.” She smirked slightly, picking her phone back up. “It seems you have a secret admirer, McCree.”

He sighed again, pink in the face. “Seems that way.”

It didn’t help much, but he thanked her anyways, heading out into the hall. He closed the mailroom door behind him and exhaled, exasperated. He didn’t really think that asking about the sticky notes would help, but it was the first thing that came to his mind to check. He stepped forward- and almost tripped when he realized there was something on the ground in front of him. His heart pounded when he bent down to look closer.

“No way,” he breathed, picking up the single pink rose. He straightened quickly, looking to his left and right, trying to catch a glimpse of someone, anything, but the hall was empty save for himself and the dorm event bulletin board. He looked to the card and laughed softly.

“They did not have red ones, so I hope you are fine with pink. It reminds me of the times you are silly, blushing and happy. I wish you many more moments like that.”

Jesse would’ve written the secret gifts off as insincere if they’d called him sexy or complimented his ass, but the notes were always heartfelt and profound. The first, paired with a camellia, had regaled his beauty, declaring that “the depths of which are rivaled only by that of the oceans.” The second, attached to a sweet smelling gardenia, paid homage to his intelligence; “an incomparable mind” and “a smart mouth to match a smart man.” The third came with a red carnation, calling him kind-hearted and wonderful; “you inspire me to be my best.” The strangest part was that each delivery had happened in the span of a single month, each floral arrival erratic and unpredictable. The timing made little sense too: February was three months ago, and his birthday was in December. Jesse brainstormed the motivations himself but decided that they were 100% genuine, the other option being that it was an elaborate prank before grad. Most of his friends were too busy with finals or too short on cash. Jesse trudged back to his room, placing the flower in the same vase near the window as the previous ones and the note in the small ornate box on his desk that held the others, deciding to enact the next part of his investigation the following weekend.

Now, Jesse usually liked Genji, considered him a brother even- but right now, he felt like throwing him to the wolves. The green-haired bastard was cackling loud enough to draw the attention of almost everyone in the coffee shop to their small corner; he found Jesse’s floral predicament particularly funny. Jesse looked to Hanzo for help, but the man just gave him a toothy smile and shrugged.

“So, you have no idea who it could be?” Genji asked, after having calmed. “Not a single inkling?”

Jesse’s eyes flitted briefly to Hanzo (he immediately squashed that hope down, Hanzo didn’t seem like the flower giving type) before he turned to Genji. “I wouldn’t be askin’ for your help if I did, ninja.”

“Some investigator you are,” Genji snorted.

He pointed to him. “Hey now, I just haven’t finished looking around yet. I’ve got a plan.”

“Oh? Do tell.” Hanzo spoke, sounding amused.

“Well,” Jesse started confidently, settling back into his seat,” it’s gotta be someone on campus right? And the flowers gotta come from somewhere. So I sussed out the location of every flower shop in the area- which there are three of, by the way- and I plan on bringing the notes and asking around. They’re bound to know something.”

Genji hummed appreciatively and Hanzo balked.

“How do you know they didn’t order them in advance? Or that they would remember their patrons?” Genji gave his brother a weird look at the question while Jesse chuckled.

“No one has the time for advanced orders during finals. Plus, it seems like these gifts were a last minute kinda thing, because there’s no pattern to the delivery times. And if my hunch is right,” Jesse leaned forward conspiratorially,” it’s probably someone I know.”

Hanzo’s face seemed to go through a myriad of emotions before smoothing over into a blank expression. “You truly are intelligent, then.”

“I know,” Jesse grinned cheekily, feeling proud.

Genji let out a choked noise at something and stared incredulously at Hanzo. Then at Jesse. Then back to Hanzo.

“Jesse. You really can’t guess? Really?” Genji’s eyes were pleading.

Jesse furrowed his brow. “If you know something I don’t, the help is appreciated.”

Genji muttered something in Japanese and stood up suddenly, grabbing his bag. “No. I don’t know anything, apparently. If you will excuse me, I’m going to go somewhere else before I throw up.” He turned a devious smile to Hanzo, who sat uncharacteristically frozen. “I will talk to you later, brother.” Then he was gone.

“Well, that sounded foreboding,” Jesse commented to a strangely flushing Hanzo. “Did you catch what he said under his breath?”

“No,” Hanzo answered quickly. He stood up too. “I- I have to go. Satya needs my help with a project.”

“Oh.” Jesse sat back disappointed. “Okay. See ya later, then.”

Hanzo gave him a tense smile before he hurriedly departed. Finals week, Jesse decided, was a bitch.

The sixth flower was thankfully delivered in person.

He woke up that morning feeling motivated, ready to find the mystery person behind the roses. His trip to the first floral shop wasn’t what he expected, considering it closed down 5 years ago and sat on the side of the road as a sad, dilapidated building (thanks, Google)- but he wasn’t deterred. The second shop, however, didn’t yield satisfactory results either. He showed the owner the notes, and much to his embarrassment, she said that they didn’t even use the same cards or ribbon as the ones the stranger gave him.

“Whoever it was probably made them themselves,” she said, eyes twinkling. “That’s so sweet!” Jesse mechanically nodded his agreement, said his thanks, and left feeling flustered at the situation all over again. Handmade note cards. Maybe they really didn’t want to be known.

So found Jesse on his way to the last floral shop- Bastion’s Bouquets- and losing all semblance of hope. He pushed the door open, bell ringing overhead, and was instantly assaulted by the sweet aroma of flora.

Flowers ranging from roses to calla lilies to desert flowers crowded on shelves that stretched to the ceiling. Long vines and leaves from medium sized palms and ferns leaned over Jesse’s head as he traversed deeper into the store, reaching the counter. It was colorful, and wonderful, and Jesse began to wonder if he was in the wrong line of work at the sight of a bright pink bougainvillea trailing along the wall behind the cashier’s desk.

“Howdy,” he called to the empty space in front of him, resting his hands on the wood. “Anybody in?”

A clatter of noise and a curse responded. Then, in a strange accent:

“Be right out!”

Jesse took to looking around as he waited, exclaiming in pleased surprise as he found a small bird hiding among a gorgeous display of hyacinths. It chirped quietly as it settled in Jesse’s outreached hand and fluffed its wings. Jesse cooed and it tilted its head, chirping louder as he rubbed a finger down its back.

“Ganymede, stop begging for attention. The name is Torb, what can I do for you, son?”

Jesse turned to find a short- very, very short- man behind him. He had a mechanical arm, a fake eye, and was wearing a pink apron with the store name and a cartoon robot on the front. Jesse immediately liked him.

“Ah, well, ya see,” he muttered, struggling to get the notecards out of his back pocket with his prosthetic, not wanting to jostle the bird. “I got- aha! I got these cards along with a bunch of different flowers over the past month and was wondering if they were ordered from you, or if you remembered who ordered them.”

Torb took the cards from Jesse’s hand, sifting through them. His ears grew hot as the short man chuckled and raised a brow at him.

“Sounds like someone really likes you, eh?”

Jesse cleared his throat, cheeks flaming. “I mean, it could be a prank. Haven’t gotten rid of that possibility.”

Torb laughed harder and handed the cards back to Jesse. “I, for one, think you should throw that thought out the window. What were the flowers?”

Jesse told him and Torb rubbed his chin.

“Well,” he started. “We do carry all of those.”

Jesse felt a surge of hope.

“But carnations, camellias and roses are popular ones, and we haven't sold any sunflowers recently. I would remember that.” He gave Jesse a sympathetic look. “‘M sorry lass, I can’t help you there.”

Jesse’s stomach plummeted and he sighed. Ganymede chirped softly and flew away to the back room, probably to eat or sleep. He looked at Torb imploringly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Are there any other flower shops around here that have the same selection you do?”

Torb shook his head. “Afraid not. Otherwise, we would be out of business.”

Jesse nodded and said his thanks, ready to give up when Ganymede came flying back out, a small slip in her talons. She landed on Torb’s shoulder and dropped the paper into his open hand.

“Ah! That’s right, it almost slipped my mind!” He said, reading through it. He looked back up to Jesse with a toothy grin, waving around what looked like a receipt. “Seems I was wrong. There is one other place that carries the same selection we do, though it only orders a small amount from our stock.”

The supermarket. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

Jesse had walked by the flower freezer in there every time he shopped, but he never paid it enough attention for its presence to register in his head. He ran hurriedly from Torb’s shop to the market a few blocks over, hope swelling. It was getting late, the sun almost finished setting, and he knew the store was going to be closed in a couple of hours. He would get in there, and he would- well, he would look and- huh.

Jesse slowed to a jog, coming to a stop in front of the store. He frowned, realizing he had no plan. What would he do? Rather, what could he do? Too many people went in and out, and it’s not like a chain market would take note of each customer that bought sunflowers. He swallowed, feeling his hope shatter yet again.

He could….stake the place, he guessed. But his admirer obviously knew what he looked like, and loitering was still considered a crime. He was about to walk inside, maybe buy some booze and drown in it, when a voice ripped him from his thoughts.

“Jesse?”

He turned to his right to find Hanzo, looking as attractive as ever in his dark jacket and jeans, with a comically stricken expression on his face.

Jesse wondered what was wrong, until his eyes zeroed in on the package in his hands, and he sucked in a breath.

A bouquet of roses.

Hanzo held the flowers in a tight grip, an entire bouquet of expensive red roses, and Jesse, tired and emotionally charged at the sight, blurted the first thing that came to mind.

“You get off on buying flowers for cowboys?”

Hanzo turned red and made an audible noise in the back of his throat, taking a step backward, away from him.

He’s gonna run, Jesse suddenly realized, and he raised his hands in apology, a hysterical laugh bubbling in his throat at the relief he felt that it was him, at what this situation had come to.

“Hanzo,” he laughed, slightly breathless, and the man took another step backward. Jesse took a large step towards him and fought down another laugh. “Hanzo, wait.”

“I did not think you would find my affections funny,” he said, looking and sounding hurt.

Jesse sobered instantly, realizing what was at stake, and took those last few steps to reach him. “Hanzo, wait no, I’m not laughing at you. It’s just- this whole time?” He reached for Hanzo’s free hand. “You could’ve just talked to me, hon.”

“I am not good with words,” he responded, looking anywhere but at Jesse. “I know it is childish, but Genji told me that you had never had a serious relationship before, and with you leaving in two months for that job in Gibraltar, I just….”

He sighed, searching Jesse’s eyes. “I wanted to make sure you at least knew that someone cared for you, in that way….still cares.”

Jesse’s heart pounded and he gripped Hanzo’s hand tighter, not knowing what to say. He had Hanzo right where he had wanted him since he first saw him, and he was speechless.

“Okay, here’s the thing.” Jesse decided to lay it all out. “I’ve been in love with you for almost a year now, and if you’re willing, I’d like to try. Gibraltar or not, I’ve been absolutely hopeless for you. If you’ll have me.”

Hanzo lowered his burning face and heaved a deep, shaky breath. Then, he looked up and pressed the bouquet to Jesse’s chest, a small smile making its way onto his face. Jesse held the flowers there with his prosthetic, face burning.

“You said that you wouldn’t take a bouquet from a stranger and I was actually going to give these to you in person, when I found the right thing to say.” He pressed himself closer to Jesse. “I do not have a card this time, so I apologize.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Jesse breathed, moving his hand to the small of Hanzo’s back, the roses crinkling between them. “What were you going to say?”

“I love you, too.” Hanzo leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to Jesse’s lips, and Jesse brought him even closer, closing his eyes, Hanzo and the scent of roses overtaking him.

After he and Hanzo made their way back to the dorms, the roses (a bit crumpled, but still whole) found their way into the vase near the window, the other flowers pressed safely into a textbook. And when Jesse finally left to Gibraltar, Hanzo sent him off with his seventh- a snapdragon that Jesse snuck in his carry-on. The message on the notecard was pretty much the same as the last one, but it didn’t make him feel any less flustered and happy.

I love you. Come back soon.

[kingofthewilderwest]

I am being ignored by people in this fandom what should I do? I send people asks and they ignore me. Please help

Hey there, buddy! I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having difficulties communicating with other people. Communication can be a difficult and complicated thing! I don’t know your particular situation communicating with other people in the fandom, so I’m going to go through a variety of things, and hope that some of my comments may help below.

Sometimes if people don’t respond, it’s not because you did anything wrong. Sometimes all it will take is a little more waiting. The people we’re talking to on the other end can’t always answer in a timely manner. Some people might not be online often and respond to asks slowly. Some people might be going through irl circumstances that keep them away from the computer. Other people might have a LOT of asks in their inbox and can only respond so fast - what looks like them talking to other people “instead of” you might just be them trying to get through lots of messages and not getting to yours yet. Some people might have accidentally forgotten about your ask in their inbox. Some people might have accidentally lost your ask in the midst of other things in their inbox. Waiting with patience for someone to respond in their appropriate time can sometimes be the solution.

I know one reason people might not respond fast is because they don’t have social energy at the time (if you’re familiar with spoon theory, what I mean is moments when people lack “spoons”). If a person feels socially exhausted - even if they’re online and reblogging things - they won’t have the energy to talk to someone. I have this happen to me a lot and I have to wait to respond at a later time. Sometimes responding to different people event takes a different amount of energy - for some people, it’s less energy to talk to other introverts, or to other people they know, or about certain topics than others. It might look like ignoring on the outside, but once you find out the person’s lack of energy, it turns out that they would like to respond but can’t. I always like to take people with the healthy benefit of the doubt, understanding that there could be many reasons why I haven’t heard from them - not jumping to conclusions it’s because they’re against me in particular. That’s usually not the case. Usually they’re not ignoring me, usually they don’t find anything wrong with me, and usually there’s something going on with their life that means they can’t respond yet.

Other times people might not respond on social media if they’re not familiar with you and/or aren’t comfortable talking to strangers online. Some people may be socially awkward and not know how to respond. Others might not feel gripped with a started conversation online and decide not to respond to your greeting. Some people just might not be interested talking with you. It’s not that they’re necessarily ignoring you, so much as enjoying social media in their own way, and picking-choosing conversations they think might go well. It’s okay not to interact and engage with everyone you come across online. We can’t be forced into every conversation with every person every day every time something happens… we do have the right to be selective in our responses. Not everyone can handle everything thrown at them (it’d be an overwhelming inundation). And no one should be FORCED into a social interaction. Sometimes messaging another person is a hit-or-miss about whether or not they’ll respond - not because they’re ignoring you, but because of what type of interactions that person prefers on social media.

All of this is to say you might not be doing anything wrong and they might not be doing anything wrong! yet. There may (I hope!) be nothing wrong.

Another thing that may be worth considering is analyzing how you come across. Again, I don’t know your situation, but this is something that happens a lot on social media platforms: we mean well when we talk to someone but it “comes out wrong.” If it comes out wrong, we can accidentally make a bad impression that makes people less likely to respond to us. Given that online we’re only talking through text, we lack body language cues and voice cues to let people know how we feel - which means that our words are all the more likely to be misinterpreted or unintentionally “rub wrong” or raise “red flags” to someone else.

Things that might make people uncomfortable with an ask or PM (and thus, they won’t respond) include:

Overly emotional messages. This is especially so for negative emotions, though positive emotions (like being over-the-top sappy) can sound creepy or uncomfortable if written wrong, too. 

Sending too many messages in a short time span and sounding clingy. If someone doesn’t respond and you keep sending more stuff to get them to pay attention to you, that’s stifling and can give some red flag warnings for bad social interactions. That’ll drive them away and they’ll become wary of who you are as a person.

Sharing uncomfortable information that might be TMI. Not everyone is comfortable with all information. Check to see what types of conversations the blogger tends to have before sending messages that might be hard to handle.

Saying something that sounds drama-inducing. People know trolls want to incite others, cause drama, etc. If an ask sounds like it’s poking at sensitive topics or pointing fingers at the community, trying to sew discord in a fandom, people may steer clear of responding to these asks, or may respond to them negatively.

Sending messages from obvious throw-away side blogs you created just for the sake of being anonymous.

Sounding pedantic, cold, or unfeeling. What you might intend as straightforward fact-telling can sometimes sound like talking down. I’ve noticed sentences starting with “Actually,” for instance, tend to come off… wrong. It’s the issue of only having text to work with, not tone of voice.

Sending messages boldly disagreeing with someone else or speaking poorly of something that person loves. That’s ill will to the conversation recipient. It’s hurtful because it’s a conversation insulting what a person enjoys, spoken specifically to the person who likes that thing. They’re not going to want to make conversation with that. (I’m not talking about conversational sharing different opinions or viewpoints, I’m talking about stuff that’s more blunt-on-the-head “I don’t like this”).

This shouldn’t sound like a scary list. I’m not saying that anything you say could be construed wrong. Most messages are going to sound fine, but there are people who may unknowingly write things that fall into these categories and make their recipients uncomfortable. Their messages may be called “troll” messages because they come off so wrong. This is hopefully informative - for people who need it - about what sorts of messages can commonly come off sounding “wrong” in the inbox. We all need a learning curve when it comes with interacting with others, and sometimes how we send asks is part of the learning curve. I had to learn how to interact online myself - I think we’ve all been there at some point in time! And for some people, it’s easier for us to sense how we come off, than it is for others.

If it helps anyone: One way to sense if you’re falling into one or more of these “uncomfortable” categories I listed… is if LOTS of people respond to you in the same non-ideal ways (negatively, hostilely, angrily, not answering you, blocking you, warning others about trolls, etc.). It’s normal to have bad interactions here and there. It’s normal for not-everyone to like you. That’s okay and you’re not a horrible, hated, unloved person - not in the least! You’re beautiful.

One thing I do encourage you, whatever your situation may be, friend, is to not “push it.” As you may already understand, you can’t force people to interact with you. Trying multiple times to the same people to talk to you will dig a deeper hole and make things worse. I encourage a good sense of moderation and consideration for what the other side may feel.

I also encourage you and others to do your best not to worry and not to act on that worry! Sometimes it’s easy to be scared that things are going bad - and then imagination, depression, or anxiety get hold and make you think everything’s much more awful than the situation may actually be. It’s easy to fear a situation is crashing and burning when it’s not that bad in truth. It’s easy for us to think we’re unloved and hated - when in truth, others around us find something to treasure.

And even if things are hard now, that doesn’t mean they’ll always be hard. What might feel like isolation or being ignored now doesn’t mean it’ll always be this way. We can all find ways to interact healthily with the tumblr community. We can make positive connections with others in the fandom! It may take time, but we can all find a happy place in the community. The fandom is full of really cool and friendly people. I bet you’ve got some awesome and cool things about you, too!

Sending you the best of wishes! Take care, friend!

Another post that may be helpful for people going through social media struggles: [here].

[topazshadowwolf]

The Door (Chapter 11)

An Undertale Fanfiction by: Topaz Shadowwolf Undertale is owned by: Toby Fox Setting: Post neutral run when Papyrus dies with chapter intros being before the child fell. Relationships: Sans and Toriel is the main focus, with a little bit of Undyne and Alphys Rating: I’m thinking Teen? Heads up: There is some depressed thoughts, feelings of worthlessness/wanting to die, mention of major character death, and the occasional bad word. Oh, and flowey being flowey, so you know, psychological/physical trauma. I really don’t want to say much more since I really don’t want to spoil anything further down the road…

You can read it on AO3! Here is Ch 10 Ch 9 Ch 8 Ch 7 Ch 6 Ch 5 Ch 4 Ch 3, Ch 2, and Ch 1 on Tumbler.

Random thoughts from the writer about this chapter: I am so happy I was able to get this done on time for the last day of Soriel Week. I’m sure many of you will be too busy reading all the fics that have been submitted for the week, and if you haven’t yet, I encourage you to. But, for this fic and me as a writer, Soriel Week means a lot. It gave me the courage to post the first chapter of The Door when I saw the reactions people had to my one shots last year. I thank all of you for sticking with me, and I hope you had a wonderful week, and year, filled with beautiful Soriel!

I also want to thank the artists who have drawn something for this fic, be sure to check them out: JDylah_da_Kylah from A03 posted this beautiful piece on chapter six of the comment section: With permission I posed it here on Tumblr.

For chapter 8, @blaiddsumu​ made this beautiful piece of art: Found here.

Just this week, @poisondilu​ drew a comic of one of the scenes in chapter 5, which I am still marveling at: Found here. 

Also recently, @skeleplatypus drew these, one from chapter 8 and the other from 9: Found here. 

The Door

Chapter 11: No longer Under a-rested

"hey, uh, lady?"

"Yes?" Toriel responded. The two had been sitting in silence for a while. Each reading their own thing, only occasionally interrupting the silence with a fact or a random joke that came to mind. It may seem odd, sitting near someone and not talking, but both were tired, and just wanted the company. Well, company without the added stress of needing to be funny or interesting for the night. It felt nice, familiar, just knowing he was there.

"you hear me talk about my bro, but i never hear you mention any of your family, except for the occasional hint that you have, or, well, had one," her friend said. He then quickly added, "sorry if that was a little... uh... nose-y," he laughed, she wasn't sure why. It's not like he could see her long snout. Perhaps he had one himself?

"No, it is alright," she then sighed, quietly, "My family is gone, and I guess I don't like talking about them because of that. Not that they aren't on my mind, much like your brother." She closed her eyes, feeling her heartache at the memories of children’s’ laughter, and even the booming laugh of the man she once called husband. "But those memories are now a painful reminder of what was. Perhaps, one day I will wish to speak to you about them."

"but not now, huh?"

"Sadly, no," she then closed her book and looked at the door, "I hope you don't mind that."

"naw, lady, it's fine," he was quiet, either returned to reading or he was thinking on what she said. From what she has learned about him, though, she is inclined to believe he was thinking. Her suspicions where proven correct as he spoke up again, "hope you don't mind that i keep talking about my bro."

"Nonsense, I love hearing about Papyrus," she smiled, trying to imagine the large smile that has been described to her countless times.

"good, 'cause, uh, honestly nothing much happens in my life that doesn't involve him," he confessed.

"I hardly believe that, you sound like a rather interesting person," Toriel replied brightly.

"being honest here, lady, anything i have done... well, it doesn't matter," he chuckled, and she heard him turning the page of the magazine he was reading.

"On the contrary, I think it does matter," she informed him, trying to sound insistent while remaining friendly. "You're being here to keep me company matters to me," she said cheerfully, "So, I'm sure there is plenty of other things you do that matter."

"thanks, but, uh...," he fell silent, not finishing his thought.

"But, what? There is nothing an individual does that is not important," Toriel insisted. It was clear he was in one of his moods, and it bothers her that they seem to be more often than before.

"it's," he paused then sighed, "it's different than..." He sounded oddly frustrated, like the words he wanted to say just weren't there. Again, he sighed, louder this time, before trying again, "it's not like the normal kind of 'not mattering.'"

"How so?"

"like, uh, how best to describe this...," she heard rustling of paper, and figured he was fidgeting with the magazine while he thought. "okay, have you ever had a dream, like a really vivid dream, where you do something only to wake up and realize it never happened?"

"I have had such dreams a few times. More in the past when I was with my family," Toriel replied.

"it's like that."

With a tilted head, she thought about what he just said, but she wanted to make sure she fully understood what he meant. To verify, she asked "Are you trying to say, everything you've done was in your sleep? I know you say you sleep a lot, but I hardly think that is the case."

"heh, naw. but, might as well have," he said in that tone she hates so much. He brightened up, before saying, "anyway, when, or if, you're ever ready to talk about your family, i'll listen."

Of his tones of voice, she much preferred that one. It sounded relaxed, almost happy. She rested her head against the door and smiled, "I know, and thank you. But can you please not speak so ill of yourself again? You're my friend, and I don't like anyone talking about you like that, even yourself."

"no promises, but i'll try, sound fair?"

"For now, Dishes, yes," she then smiled, "speaking of families, what do you call a female monster with children?"

There was a definite chuckle, and she wonders if he knows the answer, but will feign ignorance to hear her give the punch line, "don't know lady, what do you call 'em?"

"A momster!" she said brightly. That was always one of her favorite type of puns and jokes. Even the "your momma" jokes, to an extent, could make her laugh even though she was sure she was supposed to take offense to them. Still, you can't be hurt by something you accept as your own, right? Well, they aren't meant for civilized joke telling, and she wasn't sure how her friend would react to them. So, she’ll stick the with the milder mother jokes for now. What mattered to her was how much he had laughed at her pun, and that was a lot. And she did love that sound, which set her mind at ease. What would she do without her pun buddy?

 ---

 Shortly after picking him up, Sans was practically asleep in Toriel’s arms. He was trying to stay awake, and she felt him start to lean back to avoid drifting off. It was partly out of selfishness she hung onto him, preventing him from doing so. It had been so long since she had seen him, she wasn’t ready to let up on her hug, even if it meant he would soon be asleep.

As much as she would love to talk to him, the way he looked disturbed her, and she would rather he take this chance to rest. Which resulted in her glaring at Undyne when ordered to put him down. The notion of being ordered to release him caused her lips to curl, exposing more of her fangs. From within she could feel a growl starting to form from the protective nature taking over.

Oh, she wanted to fight. She wanted to make Undyne sorry for all of this. But right now, Sans needed her more. To properly fight Undyne, she could not be holding Sans. Yet, Sans needed to be somewhere safe, to rest, and he would worry if Toriel did get into a fight. These thoughts were conflicting, and causing her to worry about what the best course of action should be.

Then the quiet words he said, “please don't,” tore at her feelings. She heard in his voice the same desire to never be separated again. His magic felt disoriented and weak, most likely because of the vile thing on him. She doubted he was even aware his magic was trying to reach out for her own, but she could feel it. Looking at Undyne, she felt her rage, for now, put at ease. First comes the care of Sans, then, when she knows he is well, she will show this other monster her wrath. She will hold her tongue for now, and try to keep the peace.

“We should let him sleep, then try getting more answers when he wakes. In the meantime, please get this thing off him,” Toriel said, indicating the inhibitor.

She didn’t know if she was expecting a fight or argument over the removal of the inhibitor. The fact Undyne just complied, and without a word, came as a surprise. When Undyne moved closer to remove it, Toriel watched her carefully, making sure of no foul play. It didn't sound like something this proud warrior would be inclined to do, but at this point Toriel didn't know what to expect. She didn’t have any past experiences of her own to give confidence in Undyne’s honor; only word of mouth testimonials, and those she is starting to question.

“Fine, we’ll let him rest. But I don't want to wait forever. If this ‘thing’ Alphys talked about is a threat, I want to hear about it as soon as possible,” Undyne said. The inhibitor was tossed to the side far gentler than Toriel would have thrown it, even if it did hit the wall, before falling to the ground.

“I am curious myself,” Toriel forced a sigh, giving herself more time to relax before she continued speaking. With the barbaric contraption off, Sans’s magic felt stronger, which let her relax. This calmer mood allowed her to look at Undyne differently. If she were to describe the ruler she would say she looked like a wilting flower. “Since I have traveled a long way, same with Alphys, I think I will take this opportunity to rest while we wait. And perhaps, you should too,” Toriel said, offering the younger monster a friendly smile, an action far harder than it appears. “Believe me when I say, I am aware how hard it is to get sleep as a rule. But, if you don’t rest, when you can, your ability to make wise decisions decreases.”

“I don't have time, or need the lectures,” Undyne glared at Toriel. In her eyes was a clear desire to fight, her magic sparking around her hands. It seemed to be her glances to Alphys that kept her from attacking.

“U-Undyne,” Alphys said with a slight squeak, “I-I can help you after you wake. B-besides, there w-was that one series we were watching. And you h-have to see the end! I know you'll like it.”

She could see Undyne weighing her choices only to give in, “Fine, but the moment he wakes, or you wake him, I want to hear about this ‘anomaly.’”

“Of course,” Toriel replied. She then noticed Alphys shifting back, as if trying to be part of the background, “And I would like to hear more about what you know too. It never came up before, that you might have made this ‘anomaly,’ during our travels. Needless to say, I am a bit surprised by that bit of information.”

“Well, y-you see,” Alphys started, looking away.

“That is something else we can discuss later,” Undyne came to Alphys’s defense, “after we rest.”

Opening the door to the dungeon to calling for a guard, Undyne found them still there. Some were looking a little nervous, and several had char marks on their armor. Undyne shot Toriel a glare, but the boss monster didn’t care. When she arrived at the dungeon, she had asked the guards to move, and a few needed convincing before obliging. Still, Undyne ordered a guard to take Toriel to a guest room.

Knowing the guards were just following orders earlier, Toriel did apologize to them. It pleased her that most of them accepted it, though they did so while avoiding Undyne’s glares. The one that was leading her to the guest rooms, was one of those guards, and he seemed more than happy to get away from there.

It felt weird for her to be escorted to the rooms she had previously walked visitors to, while giving them a tour of the castle. Other than those few occasions, she rarely went down these halls herself. When she lived here, both with and after Asgore, she mostly was in the house, within the castle grounds, or in the throne room. Both, were not places she enjoyed being within the second time around, but she accepted that her presence there as part of her duty. Besides, there wasn't a need to go anywhere else, most of the time. Nevertheless, she had been this way enough to see Undyne had done some redecorating. That was no surprise to her, it is not uncommon for new rulers to adjust their surroundings to fit their needs or desires. And Toriel found it interesting that there were more images of past members of the guard, most of which were around during the wars on the surface.

The guard opened a door and let her into one of the rooms, which she remembered as being nicer than some of the rest. She thanked him for his service and entered before breathing a sigh of relief. Deep down, she wanted this, to be alone with her poor, tired Sans. He hadn’t stirred at all or reacted to anything since falling asleep.

She moved over to the bed in the room and tried to set Sans down, but he was still clinging to her. This made her chuckle softly and figured she was stuck like this for now. Getting into bed, she continued to hug him, resting her head against his skull, and closed her eyes.  Hoping for just one last thing, she ran her fingers along his spine, gently massaging the vertebrae as she had done in the past. Sans was deep asleep and she didn’t know if it would work; so, when he started to rattle softly she couldn’t help but smile. This was a sound she could easily fall asleep to. Feeling greedy, she continued massaging his spine until she drifted off.

Not to her surprise, she was the first to wake between the two of them. At least his grip had loosened and she could finally free herself from him. Not that she was ready to let him go, but there was something that needed to be done. Staying cuddled in bed won’t help in that regard, and she was set on putting her wants behind the need. She stood and walked into the bathroom to clean up first. It felt good to wash the grit and dirt of her travel to New Home out of her fur. She just wished she had something new to change into. Having left in such a hurry, she didn’t bother grabbing anything.

Exiting the bathroom, she found Sans half curled around a pillow he started hugging in her place. She hated to leave him, but this was something she'd rather do without him there. The bedside stand didn’t have anything on it, other than a lamp, let alone something to use to write a note. She checked the draw finding a note pad and pencil and started to reach for them. Before she could, she considered how she would feel waking up to find him gone. They had been separated for too long, note or no note, it would hurt her soul to wake up to find him nowhere near.

Still, she needed to get this done before he arrived to talk to Undyne. After some thought, she knelt by the bed and started to use her right hand to pet the back of his skull. Something caught her eye that she missed the night before. There was a mark on one of his cervical vertebrae, where that “thing” had been.

She knew all too well about inhibitor burns, and that clearly was one. Biting her bottom lip to hold back the boiling feeling building inside, she first reached out and healed the damage. As her magic healed the wound she saw him start to relax, the burn must have been a constant discomfort. On his face, she saw the start of his genuine smile in his sleep. Amused by this she ran her thumb softly along the healed bone, taking care in case it was still tender.

“Sans, dear,” she says softly, and he started to curl tighter around the pillow, as if it would save him from waking. This made her giggle before she leaned forward, nuzzling the back of his skull before kissing him.

In response, Sans started to uncurl and she kept kissing, moving slowly around his skull to his mouth while sliding a paw under it to turn his head. It took a few more kisses on his mouth before she started to feel his magic tingle on her lips in a pleasurable manner. To her annoyance, his magic felt hesitant, fearful, as if expecting repercussions. Before now, and once he accepted she loved him, he very forth coming with his magic when it came to expressing love. This cautiousness was aggravating to feel from any monster in this situation. But from the one she loved?

What helped soothe her from a building anger was his boney hand, as it moves to her cheek, slipping through her fur gently. It wasn't him she was mad at, and he didn't need that feeling around him right now. Leaning back slightly, she could see his eye sockets were only half open, and his eye lights are fuzzy around the edges, but there was still a look of love in them.

“My sweet,” she said while touching his cheek, and he turned his face into her hand. The soft sound he made, to indicate he was listening, accented how tired he still was. “I am sorry to wake you, and I want you to continue resting a little while longer, but I need to go take care of something.”

That made his eye lights focus to smooth edges, and he started to sit up, “I can come with.”

“Nonsense, my love. I know you're exhausted, and this is something I can do myself,” she said as she placed a hand on his chest to hold him still. Before he could object she added, “Just rest a while longer, I’ll see to it that you are woken, and I’ll get your clothes brought to you. Then you can clean up and get out of those.”

“Do you really need to?” he asked while placing a hand on hers. She saw the worry on his face and felt worse for needing to leave. If there was something to take away from this, she was happy she didn’t let him just wake up alone.

Leaning over again, she nuzzled his nasal bone and smiled bigger as she heard the wonderful song of his deep, rumbling chuckle. How much she would love to stay here, and get him to fully understand how much she has truly missed him. She sighed, sitting back, “Yes, Sansy, this is something I need to do.”

“heh, alright, t,” Sans said, but he didn’t look any more convinced. Right now, she wouldn't be surprised if he tried following her, and she knew how sneaky he can be when he really wants to. If she could get him to fall asleep again, that would be best.

His brow ridge was creased with concern, so she gently placed her hand over his sockets, forcing him to close them. In response, he raised his hands to lift it off, but she kept it there. Perhaps this was a bullying move, as between the two she was easily the strongest, but right now she wanted to get him to relax. To ease the tension on his face, she ran her thumb over his brow as if trying to smooth it out; which caused his attempts to uncover his eye sockets to become lethargic.

Pleased with this, she reached up with her other paw and started to pet the top of his skull softly, knowing well that doing so could help him get back to sleep. “I’ll have someone come to wake you. Be nice to them,” she said and giggled at his grumbled reply. It didn't take long before he was out again, his mysterious "Z's" being proof of that.

Standing up she walked to the door and looked out. There was a guard nearby, and she called softly to him as she exited the room, not fully closing the door behind herself, “Excuse me, but do you know where his things are? When he finally wakes up, I’m sure he will be wanting to change out of what he is currently wearing.”

“I can have them brought up,” The guard, a canine, replied, “will you need anything else? Breakfast, perhaps?”

“Oh, yes please, if you don’t mind,” Toriel smiled, “but for him. I have business to attend to with the Queen.”

“Empress, actually,” the guard corrected.

“Ah, right, I’ll try to remember that, thank you,” Toriel nodded, “Do you know if she is awake?”

“Empress Undyne is meeting with Gerson in the throne room.”

“Wonderful, thank you. Anyway, can you see that he gets those things in an hour and a half to two hours, and that he is up? He also has business with the Empress.”

“I will let the room service know to bring the food then. And his things should have arrived around that time, as well,” he bowed slightly and started to walk off.

“Oh, and before you go, can you make sure they bring ketchup with the breakfast? A bottle would be best.”

“I can do that,” He bowed again.

“Thank you very much,” Toriel said. She watched the guard go before looking back in at Sans. He was still completely out, and she sorely long to climb back into the bed, hug him, and feel him start to cling to her again.

Closing her eyes, she sighed. No, she can't indulge in those thoughts, not right now and with what business she had to attend to. Looking in at Sans one last time, she rekindled her resolve as she remembered the burn. Her lip twitched slightly as she remembered seeing him in that cell, weak and barely standing. Within, her magic turned like a cyclone of fire as she recalled the hesitation of his magic. Quietly, she closed the door and turned, walking down the hall with a single-minded goal.

When she arrived at the throne room there were two guard standing outside. One of the guards took notice of her, and turned to face her, “Toriel, Undyne has been waiting you and Sans.”

“Yes, well, he is not quite ready, and I have some unfinished business to discusses with her Majesty, that he is not required for,” Toriel replied before moving to the door to open it.

The other guard moved quickly to block her way, “We’ll announce you're here.” The one closest to the door started to open it, but she was not about to wait for such… procedures.

She didn’t really push her way past, as she didn’t really push anyone out of the way. She just continued walking forward and both guards decided not to test her, letting her enter the room with worried looks. Undyne and Gerson were sitting together in the bed of flowers that Asgore had grown. Both looked up at Toriel, Undyne looking annoyed and Gerson with an intrigued smile.

“Ah, hello there, Toriel!” Gerson greeted her.

“Toriel, I was expecting you and Sans. Why are you alone?” Undyne demanded.

“He will be arriving later. For now, I believe you and I have unfinished business to take care of,” Toriel replied, walking further into the room until she was standing beside them.

The fish monster looked at her a moment then looked back to Gerson. “It can wait,” she said while casually waving Toriel away.

“No. It can’t,” Toriel said flatly.

The old turtle was grinning, watching this. Rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner, he said to Undyne, “I think you have more pressing matters to "discuss." Perhaps I'll rest while you two sort things out.”

“You will not!” Undyne snapped before turning back to Toriel, “And you will, now out!”

“You think you can just order me out like that?" Toriel gave a short scoff of a laugh. "After you kidnapped my love, placed a torturous device on him, and then neglected him?! I saw the untreated burn mark on the back of his neck,” upon mentioning the burn Undyne turned her head to look at Toriel. It was clear she knew nothing about that, which made Toriel all the madder. “I held back when I first arrived. I saw a greater need than releasing my rage out on you. But now that need had been met, it is time for us to settle this,” it was a struggle to keep her tone even through all of that, but years upon years of practice permitted her to maintain an authoritative tone.

“Is that so?” Undyne snarled.

“Get up, ‘Empress Undyne,’” Toriel growled with no respect for the title. “I’d hate to burn the flowers my ex-husband painstakingly cared for all these years.”

“I’m surprised you even care,” Undyne replied, mockingly. But she stood, a determined look to win this fight crossing her face.

“While my love for Asgore never returned, I do not harbor hate for him. He was part of my life, and someone I, at one time, loved dearly," she said, then looked around at all the flowers. They were like the yellow flowers that now grow where Chara's remains rest. Closing her eyes, she looked back at Undyne, "Thus, destroying a memento of him is not my intent. I’m sad he died, but it was a consequence of his choice to declare an unnecessary war.”

“UNNECESSARY WAR?!” Undyne yelled back, “He was fighting for our freedom!”

“No, he was fighting for your hope, and had everyone clinging to a false ideal. We had already lost the war to humans, why would we return to the surface at war again? I knew eventually the bottom to this lie would dropped, and everyone would fall hard!” Toriel stepped towards the back, where she was sure her ex-husband fought many times before. Him, and the children she once mothered.

“And look what has happened? He is dead, and your focus is to continue what he knew could never happen. As great as Asgore was, he knew, deep down, the humans would just kill us if we returned to the surface by means of murder. And yet, instead of choosing another option, a peaceful option, he forsook my council and stayed with the plan that suited his anger,” Toriel finished as they entered the room. Turning, she faced Undyne, feeling the anticipation building within for the fight about to occur.

Undyne summoned a spear into her hands while snarling, “And then you ran away. Like a coward, you turned your back on us, your people!” Several more spear bullets formed and she sent them at Toriel.

Toriel was not expecting an attack just yet, still she ducked and weaved her way through the attacks, stepping carefully, eloquently, and ignoring the biting pain as one she did not see hit her shoulder from behind. Toriel reminded herself that this was no time to be under estimating her enemy. Undyne was, after all, Head of the Royal Guard. That is not a position given to just anyone. Also, Sans had said in the past, that Undyne trained Papyrus, whom Sans said was the greatest fighter he knew. Granted, it seemed Sans was inclined to talk up his brother anytime, but it was still a detail she should keep in mind.

“For the longest time, I too believed that," Toriel closed her eyes, remembering her own self-hatred, and the day she first heard Sans through the door. Composing herself for combat, she looked at Undyne, "Then I was reminded, by one I hold most dear, of the real reason I left. I didn’t run away, as you so callously accuse. I left what I perceived as insanity. My morals would not hold to the notion of killing those who could be no different than my child, Chara, just because they were human. I went to where I hoped to prevent Asgore’s wrath." Magical fire writhed her hands, the colorful flames dancing with her anger. All the hues that made up her soul in view, with Integrity blue being the most predominate on display.

Taking the opportunity presented, she returned with an attack of her own. She started with a simple wave of dancing flames, wanting to gage the skill of her opponent. To her surprise, Undyne didn't dodge away from the flames like most try to. Using the spear in her hands, she blocked the balls of flame that came close enough to be a threat.

“You should have been here for us, your people. Besides, you had more than one child! Asriel, remember him? Murdered by humans, like the very ones you want to protect. But I guess the only one that mattered was the human, right?” Undyne then used the spear to seek out Toriel’s soul and turned it green.

Toriel didn't enjoy the feeling of being unable to move, but so be it. Like a lioness, she roared, "How could you insinuate such! I am, was, a mother. There is not one of my children that I favor over the other!" Toriel gathered her magic in preparation, "Asriel, my dear, sweet child... his death was tragic, but he did not blame the humans who killed him. He would not have wanted such bloodshed in his name."

Undyne summoned up a multitude of spears which came at Toriel from different directions. Using a fire barrier to block the attacks, Toriel turned and watched for the incoming spears. There were a few that were trickier than she expected, switching directions on her at the last second. But all of which she successfully blocked. Wasting no time, Toriel sent another wave of flames at Undyne the moment she could.

“No, I'm sure he would have rather been alive! Besides, it is not like you had a plan.” Undyne yelled back. She was fighting admirably, but it was clear her anger was getting the better of her. A common mistake, especially for the young who have not seen, or experienced, real combat. One can train and practice all they want to avoid it, but only a real battle could test one's abilities. Toriel saw a hint of carelessness as a fire ball scorched the proud warrior’s shoulder. “If you so strongly believed all you say you did, why didn’t you help him!” Another mass of spears was summoned up and they encircled Toriel.

“By trying to save the humans, I was also trying to protect my people,” Toriel replied. This time, she was ready for the trickier spears and expertly blocking the attacks as if dancing in place. The fire she used as a shield then gathered together her paws. Sweeping her arms wide, she sent a wave of flames toward Undyne. “What good would come from us returning to the surface in a state of war we could never win? What you did to Sans was no different than Asgore's blind war declaration. Making snap decisions, made from anger without any real consideration, is not a way to lead.”

"It is better than doing nothing!" Undyne snapped, blocking the attack. Her magic was becoming more erratic.

"Just like Asgore, you let your emotions lead," Toriel frowned. She straightened herself, eyeing the ruler as if judging her, "What have you done with your rule? Well, other than falsely imprison a monster and--"

"HE LET'S US ALL DOWN!" Undyne yelled. She sent more spears at Toriel, who again, turned in place to block the attacks with her magic. "Just like a coward, he chose you and that human over his own family, over the king!"

"And if Sans had died, would you really be that much happier?" Toriel asked. Again, she caused flames to rain down onto Undyne, but she watched more carefully, and she noticed that Undyne was losing her resolve.

Still, the fish monster blocked every attack as if they were nothing. Her stance was solid, unmoving, and there was an eccentric aspect to her fighting style. While she has seen monsters and humans fight in this manner for audiences, she doubted it was for fans that Undyne acted so much. It was likely Undyne was showing what she can do to intimidate Toriel. Unfortunately for her, this is not Toriel's first fight, and that is a technique that will not work.

"Never, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have done something!" Undyne refuted.

"Fair enough," Toriel said, "but only if you ignore the fact he is already aware he could never win against the human." As more spears traveled towards her, Toriel prepared to defend. "You forgot he was hurt by his brother's death as well. We were mending each other’s emotional wounds in peace, before you interrupted."

Again, same attack, just different rhythm and faster speed. There were also more spears, making the attack longer and more challenging, but over all, she was starting to feel ready for something new. Though, being trapped by the green magic, there was little she could do against some attacks. At least this is easier to deal with when immobilized.

“Asgore needed you more, and more than those humans,” Undyne snapped. She summoned up another multitude of spears and sent them toward Toriel, "You weren't the only one hurt by the loss of your children. Even the humans he killed weighed on him. I could see it."

Toriel varied her attack by having the flames come at Undyne from the side instead of above. At this point they weren't getting far, and Toriel knew she would have to fight harder. It has been a long time since she fought anything that stood a chance against her. She had fought the child, but she wasn't going full strength against them, after all, her goal wasn't to kill them. Now, though, she intended on winning.

“I always gave him my counsel, and was there behind him, guiding him with my knowledge and experience,” Toriel responded once Undyne was done defending.

Again, same attack but slightly different. The spears were moving in at different speeds, nearly tricking Toriel. Some were traveling slower than others, but appearing first, acting as a distraction for the fast ones. Keeping on guard though, she didn't intend on taking any more damage from Undyne. But this was becoming more difficult than Toriel thought it would be.  She wouldn't be surprised if Undyne had been practicing with Asgore, which gave Undyne the advantage of knowing some of her attacks. Still, she doubted Asgore had fought Undyne with the fierceness she was about to unleash.

Calling up more of her own magic, she sent fire raining down on Undyne. “Do you honestly think,” Toriel exclaimed while Undyne tried to block the flames, “that I would just leave him without a word? Did he not tell you of the days we argued, debated, and fought over this? I didn’t just leave him to deal with all of that alone without trying. Do not forget, I had loved him. But he made his choice, and it was one I could not stand by.”

Keeping her attack up, while Undyne was distracted, Toriel summoned up more fire to surround the fish monster and move at her from all sides. Undyne noticed them as Toriel sent the mass of fire in at her. The warrior barely had the time to build a defense, but she managed to block most of flames. As the smoke cleared, Toriel could see the char marks of a few successful hits.

“You keep saying you loved him! BUT YOU LEFT HIM ALONE!” Undyne’s spears were becoming unstable, and wild in formation. Magic may be a way for a monster to express their emotions, but when emotions become out of control, so does a monster's magic. Toriel could feel the danger of each bullet, but they were barely holding together, “Do you have ANY IDEA HOW MANY TEARS HE CRIED WAITING FOR YOU?!”

Toriel was free from the green magic on her soul, which was a welcomed feeling. But now the attack has changed, as a group of spears come at her head on, she dances to the side when needed. The attacks now coming at Toriel, lacked the aim of before. Composing herself, she didn’t make a counter attack, allowing Undyne to summon a mass of spears that required Toriel to dodge more as they followed her. Keeping her fire around her paws, she avoided most of the spears, save one that cut a small slit in her left ear. Toriel couldn't help but wonder how much more threatening a composed Undyne would be.

Once ready she turned to the Empress, a large fire ball summoned in her paws. With ease, Toriel sent it towards Undyne, and it collided with its target. It caused no harm, but did knock Undyne down. “I loved him, Undyne. Do not think I didn’t spend days, weeks, months, and years in the Ruins crying. DO NOT tell me for one moment that I did not love him!” Toriel felt a tear moving through her fur and instinctively reached to wipe it, only to feel her fur was soaked. She didn’t know how long she had been crying with her focus on the encounter, perhaps the whole fight.

Undyne hadn’t stood up yet, and Toriel walked closer, “Yes, I did not return to him, but he did not seek me out too.”

“You were hidden away!” Undyne yelled back.

“To most monsters, yes,” Toriel said, calming her tone, but more tears slid down her face, “he knew me enough to know where I was. Just as much as I could have returned to him, he could have come to me. I left to the old home we once shared, near where the humans fall. He knew, I know he knew.

“The forgiveness we needed to restore what we had is a two-way street. It can't all be him, or all me. We both must reconcile with the pain we felt and still feel. We both felt betrayed, and the trust we once had, broken,” Toriel sighed, turning away, “I thought for sure, he would see he was wrong and come for me. Then as the years dragged on, I understood he was no longer the monster I once knew.”

Undyne sat up, “Yeah? And what about you?”

Looking back at Undyne, Toriel shook her head, “I changed too. I was far more… open and happy before. I can still act that way, but inside I am closed off, and cold. As much as I thought I wanted him to come and get me, I also didn't want his apology. I wouldn't accept it unless he told me he would give up on his futile war. This torn perspective left me feeling as a failure, and that my people would be destroyed by my incompetence.

"I am no longer who I once was. I do not know if I have it in me to fully forgive him, and now I never will because I don't have that chance. It tears at me, day in and day out, that the last words we shared where so angry. But, not enough to surrender my own morals for his wellbeing. I am too stubborn for that, and he is too passive. That is what our argument revealed about both of us."

With a sigh, Toriel calmed her flames, she looked at the, slightly burnt, Empress of Monsters. Extending a paw, she offered to help the younger monster up, but was refused. "I just don't understand how you could have left him like that, alone," Undyne said, calmer, but still anger was in her tone.

"I do not know if what I did was right, but I couldn't stomach his war declaration. Not if it meant potentially killing children that would have been no different than our Chara. It was hard enough watch that dear one...," her body trembled, "that dear one wither. Seeing, and knowing more like them died by my husband's hands, that is what I struggle to forgive him for.

"I understand you and Asgore became family to each other," Toriel smiled, "Well, those humans were my family." Looking down and away, her smile fading, "Family that I ultimately failed."

"And were they?" Undyne asked, looking at Toriel. There was still frustration of the fish monster's face, but some had waned, "were they like your Chara?"

"A few, though several were, admittedly sweeter. Chara had their... issues, but overall, they were a good child. I honestly believed they wanted the best for us, all of us."

"Well, now," Gerson said, walking into the room, "got that little tiff with each other out of your systems?"

"I believe so," Toriel smiled at the turtle before looking back at Undyne.

"Yeah, I'm good," Undyne smiled a large toothy grin at the turtle. There were still going to be arguments between them, that was sure. But based on what she knew from the stories Sans told and what Gerson said, Undyne becomes more reasonable once she has released her anger.

If that is so, then the meeting they will soon have should run smoother with that out of the way.

 ---

  “Sir.”

A strange voice interrupted his dreamless sleep, and it took a moment for him to work things out in his mind. He remembered which timeline he was in, and the current situation. He was alone, though only currently. Toriel was alive, but had left to… do something. There was still a heavy fog clouding his thoughts. He struggled to remember what it was she said she had to go do, or anything really that was said.

As his thoughts cleared, he remembered Tori wanted him to continue sleeping while she went off to take care of… she never said. He remembered wanting to go with her, but she insisted on going alone. If his memory serves him right, she even held him down and did what she could to cause him to fall asleep. She used his tiredness to her advantage. Had he been more awake, he would have asked more questions, but instead, he just let her lull him to sleep without much fight.

Was he really that easy to manipulate? For Tori, he is. Papyrus possibly could have, but it was not in his bro’s nature. Normally, he would be upset by this revelation, but thinking about it, he really didn’t mind. If it is just Tori, having her knowing his weaknesses shouldn’t be a problem, she wasn’t the type to make them public. Some of his weaknesses already were well known, but they were basic. At MTT's resort, he has joked about how he sleeps too much, is lazy, and, over all, unhealthy. But none of that was like what she knows. If he was honest with himself, he preferred it this way. There was still so much he kept hidden, but it was nice to have someone he didn't have to feel so reserved with.

“Sir, Lady Toriel requested I wake you when your food arrived," the stranger said, reminding him that there was someone other than himself in the room.

Sans sat up, rubbing his eye sockets. If he was remembering right, Tori did ask him to “be nice." Well, he’ll try, for her.

... Grillby was right...

“thanks,” that’s a good start, right? He figured so, even if his tone of voice didn't really sound thankful.

“She had also asked that your things be brought to you. I placed them here on the nightstand.”

Looking beside him, he saw the small bundle of clothing and his slippers. Relief eased the ‘on edge’ feeling he was having with the guard being around. Go figure Undyne wouldn't have any actual 'room serves,' and has the guard doing everything. “sure, thanks again,” pockets, soon he’ll finally have pockets.

“Welcome, anything else?” The guard asked.

“no, i'm good,” Sans replied with a shrug.

“I'll be just outside,” the guard said, and finally left Sans alone in the room.

Collecting his things, double checking to making sure he had everything, Sans got up. He made his way to the bathroom, but stopped to look at the food. Perhaps he should eat something? He wasn’t hungry, but the food looks better than what mess he was offered before. It would be wrong to let it go to waste. Not that magic food spoils or anything like that, but it does taste better fresh.

Giving in, he sat down, setting is clothes to the side, and started to eat. Once he started, he found himself eating more than he thought he would, but not up to his normal standard. A few days of normal food should fix that. His only regret eating that much was it left him feeling sick and weighed down. The magic the food was made of was far richer than what he’s had recently, and his body wasn’t quite ready for that much so soon.

He should be fine in the end. His body needed food with more magic in it; and, as soon the new magic can be properly distributed, he would feel better. It would just take time for his body to readjust.

Once done, he finally entered the bathroom and took the time for a quick wash before getting dressed. Once his hoodie was on, he savored the sensation of his hands sliding into his pockets. It invoked a feeling of safety, like being hidden away from anything that may try to harm him. Between Tori’s hugs and his pockets, the hugs win in the overall protected feeling. But still, this was a close runner up, plus, it’s just what he is used to for most of his life.

Looking in the mirror, he could see how exhausted he was. Well, he felt that way, so this was no new discovery; but, now he can see it was more than just a feeling. At least he can stand straight, so that’s something. He chuckled, noticing that was a "Papyrus" thought, and wished his brother was here to say that to him.

Rubbing his eye sockets, he yawned, trying to force out the want to sleep now that he feels more like himself. Opening the door, he looked out into the main room but froze. Something shiny and rectangular was there, on the nightstand. It was something he really didn’t want to see right now, or think about. Closing the door, putting it between himself and that thing, he felt himself shaking. Pressing his forehead against the door, the thought back to when he grabbed his clothes. Was the present there?

No. He would have seen it. All his things came with him. He even double checked. There was nothing other than his clothes and slippers. Did someone sneak in while he was distracted in the bathroom? That was the only thing that made sense, but why would someone do that? But then, why would anyone be doing this at all other than to get at him in some sort of psychological way?

Maybe he was just seeing things? He was still tired and feeling very stressed. Closing his eye sockets, he tried to calm down before reopening the door a crack and looking out.

No, that was definitely the gift he has yet to open. It was just sitting there on the night stand, as if waiting for him. Again, he closed the door before sitting down and using it to lean.  His hands couldn’t go any deeper into his pockets, yet they still tried to seek refuge.

He wanted so badly to know what was in the gift, but he had a sickening feeling he already knew. Who it's from is something else he wanted to know. Was it Undyne? This really didn't feel like her, and after some sleep, he felt almost certain she wasn't the culprit. But, that doesn't answer who else would have the knowledge to do this. After all, how many people could Papyrus talk to about the special wrapping paper with?

Well, it was Papyrus, it was likely he talked to a few people about it.

This was no time for a meltdown. Toriel needed him, but he felt trapped in his own fears. It was just a gift, a cruel one, but it couldn’t hurt him… physically. Taking a deep breath, he stood and opened the door again, this time avoiding looking at the stand before quickly exiting the room. He’ll deal with it later… he should know what is in there, but not before this meeting.

[xmydaysinmilanx]

(You could do these when you're bored) Hi!! My small headcannon would be for Young! Prompto and how he gets embarrassed and shy when his (younger!)s/o fangirls about how big he is and she tells him how he's so perfect to her. -in cooking class-for Ignis, his s/o gets very irritated when the teacher is bragging about Ignis's work. - and for younger! Gladio- His s/o and little Iris play with Glass hair and try to put it in small ponytails and/or buns but he ends up doing it on her.

A young Prompto’s younger S/O who fangirls abouthis bigger size and how she views him as perfect:

11 year old Prompto was a freshman in high school and despite hisinsecurities about his chubby figure, he caught the eye of his S/O in Scienceclass, third period on a sunny Monday morning. His S/O, a quirky female withstrawberry blonde hair and a face full of the most beautifully unique freckleswith piercing indigo night sky eyes. They were partnered for an astrologyproject and became best buddies – only, she was his ONLY friend for a while,till he met the chocobros. After a whole month of working solidly on theirproject, Prompto decided to discuss his weight woes.

Prompto: ‘I’ve been the big blonde kidsince I was 6. My parents, it’s not their fault, I just, I feel so lost andhopeless, food became my comfort. Only now, it’s uh, not so comforting.’ 

He finishedhis confession with a chuckle.S/O: ‘I guess you’re right, I mean um,constantly eating won’t lessen how lonely you feel huh? Hey, look, why I don’tI help. Don’t worry, I’m not going to put you on a diet, I just want you tofeel more comfortable in yourself. Besides, I think you’re amazing the way youare.’Prompto’s mouth opened slightly. Prompto: ‘Uh, wow, hey, thanks……’Only a few days after their heartfelt conversation, Prompto plucked up thecourage to ask his friend to be his girlfriend. She promptly accepted the offerand much like when they were friends, she’d try to play the part of a ‘motivator’,encouraging him to do things to please himself. In fact, it was during theirscience project that Prompto discovered his fondness of capturing the finest ofmoments. One dark Saturday night, Prompto suggested the two of them gostargazing – finding an empty field near the Citadel proved challenging, sothey caught a bus and walked to a deserted location bordering Insomnia. Okay, alittle dangerous for 12 year olds to be venturing off at night but that’s whatmade it even more exciting. Besides, they had each other. They leaned against alarge rock, sitting close to eachother, Prompto’s S/O grabbing his belly.S/O: ‘Six, I’ve always wanted to sayPrompt. Your rolls are so adorable and I am clearly blessed by the six that Ihave you all to myself. My little chubby nugget.Prompto would’ve normally been offended by this sort of trace of hisappearance, only he knew she meant well. He could see it in the moonlight glowof her eyes; she adored him so. The gaze of adoration she demonstrated beforeresting her head on his shoulder was all that mattered to Prompt. Although they’re (evidently) no longer together, in present times, Prompto looksback on memories with his first girlfriend, fondly. She helped him become whathe grew up to be, a loyal, loving sidekick who despite his fears, would putthem aside for his nearest and dearest in critical situations.Star pupil Ignis and his cooking class – his S/O becomesfrustrated when the teacher is bragging about Ignis’s work.

14 year old Ignis recently acquired hisfirst ever significant other. Even at his tender young age, he would alwaysrefer to his S/O as his partner, as opposed to girlfriend. Formal might as wellhave been his middle name and that’s partly what attracted his S/O to beginwith – always the guy to have an answer for teachers in lesson, whilst the restof the class evidenced a lack of enthusiasm, leaning their elbows on desks,eyes barely open.

Food tech class was Ignis’s personal favourite. He doted on the creation ofunique recipes – fun fact: Ignis was not always a great cook. In fact, as afreshman, he LOATHED cooking class till his teacher pulled him aside for a oneto one lesson on a gluten free, vegetable supreme pizza. Eventually, Ignis gotthe whole kitchen thing figured out and became a cooking whiz, earning exceptionalgrades and a reputation as the ‘most likely to be a chef’ student.

Fast forward a couple of years to Ignis and his S/O sharing the same cookingclass every Wednesday and today’s lesson revolved around custom coffee making.The class had been asked to spend the previous 2 weeks mapping out ideas for their‘ideal’ coffee and specific ingredients they’d choose, tailored to suit their preferences.As one would predict, Ignis was ALL OVER this project like a mad man – his S/Owould beam would pride, even when he couldn’t make it to her after schooldinner due to his commitments to the project. Ignis decided to list ingredientsto make the perfect ‘morning energy’ beverage with a hint of cinnamon. When thetime came to present ideas in class, the teacher made no secret that hishomework was her personal favourite; constantly comparing his list of ingredientsto Insomnia’s finest of cooks. Ignis’s S/O felt a little insulted. She too hadworked pretty hard on her coffee, naming it ‘moondust’ because the liquid wouldbe ‘dark as night’ topped with small speckles of sugar for added sweetness anddecorative purposes.

Post class, Ignis couldn’t help but notice his S/O acting a little distant.

Ignis: ‘You’ve been acting awfully stand offish sincecookery, might I dare intrude?’

S/O: ‘Okay, so maybe my idea was more about theaesthetics but still, I should of got a few points for originality. Damn, isn’tit time someone else got a standing ovation for their efforts? I’m kinda doneof seeing the same old!’

Ignis doesn’t do drama or confrontation so he decided to lether cool off to avoid aggravating the situation further. 

His S/O gets pissed off when he doesn’t answer themasquerade of text messages she sent that night, complaining about the teacher’sconstant bragging.

Ignis becomes somewhat displeased with her behaviour. Hesends ONE text back suggesting the two discuss the matter in private afterschool tomorrow.

They meet as soon as the bell rings to end the school day,at exactly 3:15pm. His S/O complains that cooking has become his livelihood andwhilst that’s fine, she wants to be recognised for her efforts now and then, alsoexpressing how it’s unfair on other students.

Ignis understands her point of view but is not willing to rationalise– he does have a selfish trait, he wants to be perceived as the best cook inthe entire Royal Advisory school and is not willing to have that reputationtarnished, even if his S/O comes up with some great ideas now and then.

S/O essentially not willing to compromise and says otherpeople deserve a shot.

Ignis: Nope.

S/O has only been dating Ignis a couple of weeks but herfeelings instantly diminished, so to avoid further tension and disagreements,she decides to call it off. 

Ignis: His ego is a little bruised but he won’t admit it. Heinsists the two remain friends and whilst they DON’T for the rest of the schoolyear, come senior year, they have become acquainted once again, as friends.

Inshort, teenage Iggy was selfish when it came to the subject of cookery and itcost him his first relationship.Gladio brings his date home: HisS/O sister Iris play with his hair and attempt to style it intopigtails/buns.13 year old Gladiolus Amicitia was a bit of an outsider – dark tall,handsome and mysterious, although he didn’t have many friends at school, he wasa hit with the ladies. The most popular girl in his school year pursued himfrom the moment they first set eyes upon each other in English! Occasionally,the pair would skip Eos history class to hang out at the back of the school’sart block – there was a good hiding spot for optimum privacy! Gladio: ‘How about you stop over at myplace Friday after English?’S/O: ‘Ohh, forward! Won’t your family bearound?’Gladio: ‘My Dad’s always away for workbut our housekeeper will be in for babysitting duties…. and uh….Iris is nobother! C’mon, whaddya say, she really wants to meet you!’S/O: ‘Sure, sure, cool, let’s do it!’Gladio: ‘Oh and we are having cup noodles for dinner.’Gladio’s S/O winks.Friday arrives and classes finish earlier than usual – an excited Gladio meetshis S/O outside the school gates and they walk back to his home. She wasastounding at the size of his house – it was a huge bottom floor apartment.Gladio’s S/O nervously stepped into the premises and was greeted by anexcitable young Iris.Gladio: ‘Why don’t you two wait in theliving room whilst I make some drinks. Ebony for my sweetheart and fizzylemonade for the sis right?’Gladio’s girlfriend was hella nervous to be left alone with an excitablechild and was hoping her evening wouldn’t be spent babysitting but wanted tomake a good impression.Iris started playing with Gladio’s girlfriend’s hair, making plaits – she waspretty good for a child.Gladio smiled to himself whilst finishing the drinks – heentered an empty living room a little worried shouting for Iris.Several stomps were heard in Iris’s bedroom– Gladio rolled his eyes and turnedaround to see Iris and his girlfriend running out the room in a dramaticfashion.Iris had 2 boxes filled to the brim with Moogle hair bobblesand various headwear accessories.Gladio: ‘Awh, time fordress up sis? Think you can make my sweetheart any more beautiful?’Gladio’s S/O blushed before running over to him, grabbinghold of his thick dark chocolate brown hair and Iris rushing to aid her instyling his hair, ‘pretty princess’ style. Gladio made no attempt to flee, he was delighted to see hislittle sister and girlfriend bonding.Gladio allowed one plait before turning it all around,requesting that he and Iris style his S/O’s hair to make her feel special andpampered.Okay so his S/O would not have imagined such an event butnonetheless, to see how he played with his sister was darn right adorable – he obviouslyknew how to treat the ladies in his life, ultimately reflecting what partner hewould be long term.S/O enjoyed the pampering – she was pleased the attentionwas on her. Eventually, Gladio and his S/O styled Iris’s hair in braids. The housekeeper arrived at 5:30pm, allowing Gladio and hisgirlfriend to finally enjoy their evening alone, complete with Gladio’s customordered cup noodles he bought in bulk to see him through  the week.  Thanks for your request. I was having troubles in regards to the bullet points for headcanons as I had typed this up on Word and pasted it here! Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy!XMyDaysInMilanX

[traveltoursrss]

10 Best Red Wines for Winter

While some of us may be eternal summer children, lamenting the colder days of the year, there is always a silver lining to every storm cloud – and in our case, it just happens to be in the form of red wine. Yet, why are red wine and winter such a formidable pair? To start, where white is zesty and fresh, red wine tends to warm us up – quite literally. Its higher alcohol content provides a natural thermogenic effect. Red wine is also typically served at a warmer room temperature, which brings out the fuller flavour. But perhaps our favourite reason is that red wine pairs exceptionally well with richer, bigger meat dishes, giving us all the more reason to enjoy a glass at the end of a cold day. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up our 10 best red wines for winter – guaranteed to pair with your heartier dishes and fluffier blankets.

1. Pinot Noir

The Low Down:

Pinot Noir can be described as the ballerina of the wine world – delicate, feminine and fragile, leaving behind a delicate waft of cherry and lavender in her wake. As a light-bodied, dry red wine, this is the perfect choice to switch to as the seasons start blurring from warm into chilly.

Food Pairing:

Pinot Noir is fantastic thanks to its versatility. It’s very subtle tannins means it can be enjoyed on its own, but its higher acidity makes it a welcome partner with poultry dishes like duck or chicken. It also stands very well alongside mushrooms as it often exhibits earthy, forest floor characteristics.

Try: Galphin Peak Pinot Noir from Bouchard Finlayson or check out our top 10 South African Pinot Noirs.

Image credit: @bouchardfinlayson via Instagram

2. Grenache

The Low Down:

Known as the ‘poor man’s Pinot Noir’, you should never turn your nose up at Grenache. In fact, it is currently enjoying a new wave of appreciation within the Cape, loved for its adaptability to hot climates and minimal irrigation. It also grows exceptionally well as a bush vine. As a wine, it is light-bodied with a relatively high alcohol content – the heat being enough to warm you as the temperatures decrease. It showcases spicy, berry flavours on the palate, and has subtle, soft tannins. 

Food Pairing:

Super easy drinking, Grenache can go with just about any meal – even sushi! It does, however, have a penchant for less spicy styles of Asian dishes, as well as grilled meats, be it beef, veal, pork or chicken. 

Try: Fairview Stok-by-Paaltjie Grenache or choose from our top 20 South African Grenache Noires.

3. Cinsault

The Low Down:

Cinsault is a stalwart of the South African vineyard climate, being the father to our only indigenous grape, Pinotage. As a variety, Cinsault has often been overlooked, but recent years have seen the medium-bodied grape variety rise in the ranks. It thrives in hot, dry climates, and produces wine light in colour and low in tannin, often showcasing notes of bright cherries, earth and spice.

Food Pairing:

This strongly savoury wine makes it a dream with flavourful, savoury dishes – best seasoned with garlic. Think garlic snails or prawns, as well as stews or braised and roasted meat dishes. This is a definite favourite of our best red wines for winter!

Try: Blacksmith Wines Prince of Bones Cinsault or check out our top 10 South African Cinsaults.

4. Merlot

The Low Down: As one of the world’s most beloved and popular grapes, we would be amiss if not to include Merlot as a winter drinking choice. Red fruits, easy tannins and a soft finish are the shining characteristics of this variety, and besides being smooth, it’s a bit of a chameleon, made in differing styles but always 100% drinkable. Food Pairing: Merlot is mellow, like a jazz singer crooning in your ears. As one of the most popular red cultivars in the word, it matches just about any dish, as it finds itself smack-bang in the middle of the red wine spectrum. Enjoy it with anything from chicken to lightly-spiced dark meats. Try: Eagles Nest Merlot

Image credit: @easglesnestwines via Instagram

5. Pinotage

The Low Down:

Pinotage, like a local South African rock star, has bold tannins – but that doesn’t mean there’s no sweet side thanks to the relatively low acidity. It’s often recommended that if you like a Shiraz, then you’ll probably enjoy a glass or two of Pinotage just as much. Deep red in colour, Pinotage tends to offer notes of smoky, bramble and earthy flavours, sometimes with notes of bananas and tropical fruit. Food Pairing:

If you’re drinking a local grape, why not pair it with some tasty local cuisine like a delicious braai (‘barbeque’ for non-South Africans)? Everything about Pinotage is bold – and so it pairs well with bold food. This deep red wine tinged with spicy notes of tobacco and fruity undertones act as a dreamboat for a hot Malay curry or voluptuous meat dishes South African’s so love.

Try: Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage or try one of our top 10 South African Pinotages.

6. Shiraz

The Low Down:

Que Syrah, Syrah right? Or is it Que Shiraz, Shiraz? Don’t be concerned if you’re never quite sure, because as it turns out, these are the exact same varieties. Only Shiraz tends to be made in a warmer climate, while Syrah in a cooler one. As Explore Sideways is based in sunny South Africa, we tend to sip Shiraz during winter. As a variety, Shiraz is best described as big, brooding, and boozy. Enjoyed for its powerful black fruit flavours, peppery notes and higher alcohol concentration, this variety is destined to warm you right up. Food Pairing: It’s not for the faint of heart or palate, but it’ll warm you up quick sticks. Think grilled lamb and roasted potatoes,  especially served rare or with a pepper sauce, to highlight the pepper notes on the Shiraz. Are you drooling yet? We are. Try: Cederberg Private Cellar Shiraz

7. Cabernet Sauvignon

The Low Down: 

As we move into the depths of winter, no one can argue with Cabernet Sauvignon as the obvious and ultimate winter red winner. After all, it’s not called the ‘King of the Grapes’ for nothing. As a variety, Cabernet Sauvignon is celebrated for its big, bold flavours. It has mouth-puckering tannins and should have spent considerable time in barrels to soften and generate that welcome vanilla tobacco aroma. Food Pairing:

As a layered and complex wine, a high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon almost always has to be paired with an equally rich dish. Classic food pairings include pepper steak, brisket, roast, duck, goose, lentils, and mashed potatoes. Think hot, meaty meals that further encourage your winter hibernation mode. Try: Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon

Image credit: @lerichewines via Instagram

8. Petit Verdot

The Low Down:

Petit Verdot forms part of the other ‘Big 5’, namely the 5 varieties used in making up a classic Bordeaux blend which consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. However, this dark little berry is earning more and more limelight as a single variety, gaining an appreciation for being an intensely bold, fruity-yet-floral red wine that can comfortably stand on its own. In terms of characteristics, Petit Verdot has a lot of body, tannins and sharp acidity, which is why it is normally used in blends. However, it has been showing beautiful expressions within warmer climates like South Africa, and when paired with rich dishes, makes for an interesting winter accompaniment. Food Pairing: As a hardy grape with a lot of tannins, Petit Verdot needs to be paired with equally big and bold dishes. It shines next with meat dishes such as grilled steak, spicy pork, veal, lamb or even game. Thanks to the acidity, there is a welcome freshness that can handle spicy food and even hard and semi-soft cheeses. Try: KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot

9. Sangiovese

The Low Down:

Earthy and rustic, this Italian variety is typically known for being high in acidity and tannins. So that’s why it’s not necessary your first go-to for a winter red. But that acidity is quite welcome when you’re eating something fatty and it lifts the weight of the wine on the palate, making this cultivar an excellent choice for rich vegetarian dishes. The best part is that it has a wonderfully complex nose – a welcome treat for sitting, sniffing and contemplating how to get out from under the cosy blanket to go make dinner. Food Pairing: This Italian stallion is a natural complement to its origin’s food, so think tomato sauce, roasted winter veggies, sausage, pizza, hard cheeses, and fattier cuts of meat like pork belly. Try: Morgenster Sangiovese

10. Cape Blend

The Low Down:

What would a winter wine list be if it doesn’t include a blend of some sorts? After all, while there are many red cultivars that stand just fine on their own, the ultimate art for a winemaker is the craft of blending, and we’ve opted to put the Cape Blend on the podium for our best red wines for winter. As should be expected, a Cape Blend is a red blend that requires from 30% to 70% of Pinotage as a component to qualify. Typically, Pinotage’s best blending buddy is Cabernet Sauvignon, which together, create a delicious harmony on the palate.  Food Pairing: It should come as no surprise that a classic Cape wine like this should be paired with classic Cape food. Most Cape Blends will be medium-bodied thanks to the lightness of the Pinotage and are delicious when complemented with Bobotie, braais and even small local pastries such as samosas. Try: Beyerskloof Faith Cape Blend

Image credit: @beyerskloof via Instagram

If you’d like to work your way through our 10 best red wines for winter, remember that we at Explore Sideways are always here to help create and curate a special day out for you and your curious palate. The best part is that many local wine farms have fireplaces. Tempted?

Have any other wines you could recommend for winter, or perhaps tried any of the mentioned wines? Let us know, we would love to hear from you! Sign up to our newsletter while you’re at it, and stay updated on all things wine!

Planning a trip?

Want to know more or have any questions, let an Explore Sideways expert help you plan an experience you will never forget!

Speak To An Expert

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The post 10 Best Red Wines for Winter appeared first on Explore Sideways.

from Explore Sideways Tour http://bit.ly/2ULTSMn via IFTTT

[exploresidewaystour]

10 Best Red Wines for Winter

While some of us may be eternal summer children, lamenting the colder days of the year, there is always a silver lining to every storm cloud – and in our case, it just happens to be in the form of red wine. Yet, why are red wine and winter such a formidable pair? To start, where white is zesty and fresh, red wine tends to warm us up – quite literally. Its higher alcohol content provides a natural thermogenic effect. Red wine is also typically served at a warmer room temperature, which brings out the fuller flavour. But perhaps our favourite reason is that red wine pairs exceptionally well with richer, bigger meat dishes, giving us all the more reason to enjoy a glass at the end of a cold day. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up our 10 best red wines for winter – guaranteed to pair with your heartier dishes and fluffier blankets.

1. Pinot Noir

The Low Down:

Pinot Noir can be described as the ballerina of the wine world – delicate, feminine and fragile, leaving behind a delicate waft of cherry and lavender in her wake. As a light-bodied, dry red wine, this is the perfect choice to switch to as the seasons start blurring from warm into chilly.

Food Pairing:

Pinot Noir is fantastic thanks to its versatility. It’s very subtle tannins means it can be enjoyed on its own, but its higher acidity makes it a welcome partner with poultry dishes like duck or chicken. It also stands very well alongside mushrooms as it often exhibits earthy, forest floor characteristics.

Try: Galphin Peak Pinot Noir from Bouchard Finlayson or check out our top 10 South African Pinot Noirs.

Image credit: @bouchardfinlayson via Instagram

2. Grenache

The Low Down:

Known as the ‘poor man’s Pinot Noir’, you should never turn your nose up at Grenache. In fact, it is currently enjoying a new wave of appreciation within the Cape, loved for its adaptability to hot climates and minimal irrigation. It also grows exceptionally well as a bush vine. As a wine, it is light-bodied with a relatively high alcohol content – the heat being enough to warm you as the temperatures decrease. It showcases spicy, berry flavours on the palate, and has subtle, soft tannins. 

Food Pairing:

Super easy drinking, Grenache can go with just about any meal – even sushi! It does, however, have a penchant for less spicy styles of Asian dishes, as well as grilled meats, be it beef, veal, pork or chicken. 

Try: Fairview Stok-by-Paaltjie Grenache or choose from our top 20 South African Grenache Noires.

3. Cinsault

The Low Down:

Cinsault is a stalwart of the South African vineyard climate, being the father to our only indigenous grape, Pinotage. As a variety, Cinsault has often been overlooked, but recent years have seen the medium-bodied grape variety rise in the ranks. It thrives in hot, dry climates, and produces wine light in colour and low in tannin, often showcasing notes of bright cherries, earth and spice.

Food Pairing:

This strongly savoury wine makes it a dream with flavourful, savoury dishes – best seasoned with garlic. Think garlic snails or prawns, as well as stews or braised and roasted meat dishes. This is a definite favourite of our best red wines for winter!

Try: Blacksmith Wines Prince of Bones Cinsault or check out our top 10 South African Cinsaults.

4. Merlot

The Low Down: As one of the world’s most beloved and popular grapes, we would be amiss if not to include Merlot as a winter drinking choice. Red fruits, easy tannins and a soft finish are the shining characteristics of this variety, and besides being smooth, it’s a bit of a chameleon, made in differing styles but always 100% drinkable. Food Pairing: Merlot is mellow, like a jazz singer crooning in your ears. As one of the most popular red cultivars in the word, it matches just about any dish, as it finds itself smack-bang in the middle of the red wine spectrum. Enjoy it with anything from chicken to lightly-spiced dark meats. Try: Eagles Nest Merlot

Image credit: @easglesnestwines via Instagram

5. Pinotage

The Low Down:

Pinotage, like a local South African rock star, has bold tannins – but that doesn’t mean there’s no sweet side thanks to the relatively low acidity. It’s often recommended that if you like a Shiraz, then you’ll probably enjoy a glass or two of Pinotage just as much. Deep red in colour, Pinotage tends to offer notes of smoky, bramble and earthy flavours, sometimes with notes of bananas and tropical fruit. Food Pairing:

If you’re drinking a local grape, why not pair it with some tasty local cuisine like a delicious braai (‘barbeque’ for non-South Africans)? Everything about Pinotage is bold – and so it pairs well with bold food. This deep red wine tinged with spicy notes of tobacco and fruity undertones act as a dreamboat for a hot Malay curry or voluptuous meat dishes South African’s so love.

Try: Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage or try one of our top 10 South African Pinotages.

6. Shiraz

The Low Down:

Que Syrah, Syrah right? Or is it Que Shiraz, Shiraz? Don’t be concerned if you’re never quite sure, because as it turns out, these are the exact same varieties. Only Shiraz tends to be made in a warmer climate, while Syrah in a cooler one. As Explore Sideways is based in sunny South Africa, we tend to sip Shiraz during winter. As a variety, Shiraz is best described as big, brooding, and boozy. Enjoyed for its powerful black fruit flavours, peppery notes and higher alcohol concentration, this variety is destined to warm you right up. Food Pairing: It’s not for the faint of heart or palate, but it’ll warm you up quick sticks. Think grilled lamb and roasted potatoes,  especially served rare or with a pepper sauce, to highlight the pepper notes on the Shiraz. Are you drooling yet? We are. Try: Cederberg Private Cellar Shiraz

7. Cabernet Sauvignon

The Low Down: 

As we move into the depths of winter, no one can argue with Cabernet Sauvignon as the obvious and ultimate winter red winner. After all, it’s not called the ‘King of the Grapes’ for nothing. As a variety, Cabernet Sauvignon is celebrated for its big, bold flavours. It has mouth-puckering tannins and should have spent considerable time in barrels to soften and generate that welcome vanilla tobacco aroma. Food Pairing:

As a layered and complex wine, a high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon almost always has to be paired with an equally rich dish. Classic food pairings include pepper steak, brisket, roast, duck, goose, lentils, and mashed potatoes. Think hot, meaty meals that further encourage your winter hibernation mode. Try: Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon

Image credit: @lerichewines via Instagram

8. Petit Verdot

The Low Down:

Petit Verdot forms part of the other ‘Big 5’, namely the 5 varieties used in making up a classic Bordeaux blend which consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. However, this dark little berry is earning more and more limelight as a single variety, gaining an appreciation for being an intensely bold, fruity-yet-floral red wine that can comfortably stand on its own. In terms of characteristics, Petit Verdot has a lot of body, tannins and sharp acidity, which is why it is normally used in blends. However, it has been showing beautiful expressions within warmer climates like South Africa, and when paired with rich dishes, makes for an interesting winter accompaniment. Food Pairing: As a hardy grape with a lot of tannins, Petit Verdot needs to be paired with equally big and bold dishes. It shines next with meat dishes such as grilled steak, spicy pork, veal, lamb or even game. Thanks to the acidity, there is a welcome freshness that can handle spicy food and even hard and semi-soft cheeses. Try: KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot

9. Sangiovese

The Low Down:

Earthy and rustic, this Italian variety is typically known for being high in acidity and tannins. So that’s why it’s not necessary your first go-to for a winter red. But that acidity is quite welcome when you’re eating something fatty and it lifts the weight of the wine on the palate, making this cultivar an excellent choice for rich vegetarian dishes. The best part is that it has a wonderfully complex nose – a welcome treat for sitting, sniffing and contemplating how to get out from under the cosy blanket to go make dinner. Food Pairing: This Italian stallion is a natural complement to its origin’s food, so think tomato sauce, roasted winter veggies, sausage, pizza, hard cheeses, and fattier cuts of meat like pork belly. Try: Morgenster Sangiovese

10. Cape Blend

The Low Down:

What would a winter wine list be if it doesn’t include a blend of some sorts? After all, while there are many red cultivars that stand just fine on their own, the ultimate art for a winemaker is the craft of blending, and we’ve opted to put the Cape Blend on the podium for our best red wines for winter. As should be expected, a Cape Blend is a red blend that requires from 30% to 70% of Pinotage as a component to qualify. Typically, Pinotage’s best blending buddy is Cabernet Sauvignon, which together, create a delicious harmony on the palate.  Food Pairing: It should come as no surprise that a classic Cape wine like this should be paired with classic Cape food. Most Cape Blends will be medium-bodied thanks to the lightness of the Pinotage and are delicious when complemented with Bobotie, braais and even small local pastries such as samosas. Try: Beyerskloof Faith Cape Blend

Image credit: @beyerskloof via Instagram

If you’d like to work your way through our 10 best red wines for winter, remember that we at Explore Sideways are always here to help create and curate a special day out for you and your curious palate. The best part is that many local wine farms have fireplaces. Tempted?

Have any other wines you could recommend for winter, or perhaps tried any of the mentioned wines? Let us know, we would love to hear from you! Sign up to our newsletter while you’re at it, and stay updated on all things wine!

Planning a trip?

Want to know more or have any questions, let an Explore Sideways expert help you plan an experience you will never forget!

Speak To An Expert

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The post 10 Best Red Wines for Winter appeared first on Explore Sideways.

[kiddiemom-blog]

cuppacocoa|parenting. education. marital relationship. food

Parents, have you ever became aware of a Quiet Schedule? Likewise called a Busy Book? It is a cloth book filled with fun activities that your kid can have fun with ... quietly!

.?.!! My child girl LOVES her quiet book!

BRILLIANT isn't it? From making different Mr. Potato Head mixes to counting cupcake sprays to buttoning buttons to building sandcastles, quiet books help children develop their fine motor abilities, evaluation instructional ideas, and encourages creative believing all while keeping your kid hectic and quiet.

Um. Yes, please. (Go

HERE to make your own!)I'm not of the"kids should be seen and not heard" camp by any methods, but there are simply times when you require them to be quiet-- at a church service, or on an aircraft. Sometimes, you simply want something useful to keep them busy-- waiting at the medical professional's office, or when you're going to with a good friend that has no kids and no toys and you don't desire to truck a whole bag of playthings for your youngster. THIS BOOK IS GENIUS! I seriously can't believe I have actually never heard of it prior to!

Everything started when I was at a friend's place and found a homemade felt book pushing the flooring. I flipped it open up to have a look-see, and inside was a felt xylophone, with removable pieces velcroed down in the colors of the rainbow. How charming!! I relied on another page and saw a colorful felt page with surprise animals hiding below rectangular flaps. Much enjoyable for a little one!

I wanted one.

I asked her where she got it, and was a little brokenhearted when she said she and some other friends mass-produced pages and swapped them to make the book. I was brokenhearted since I missed the boat! However I figured Etsy would be all over this, so I went house to see just how much these bad boys were opting for. And then I got some severe sticker shock: $200 for a 12-page book?! FOR SERIOUSLY?! There were individual pages choosing $6-30, and despite the fact that I'm not a craftsy individual, I couldn't assist however think ... I could make that!

I did.

Sort of.

I decided to draw it up and put on my organizer hat (which I am good at, but normally do not enjoy *), and sent out an e-mail to a few mommas who I thought might be interested. Some forwarded the message to a few of their mother pals, and within a day, I had 14 commits. Wow.

Wow # 1: That is a lot of pages to make.

Wow # 2: ... WE'RE GOING TO GET 14 DISTINCT QUIET BOOK PAGES! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!

I was incredibly stired! I reached out to Christy D., the initial organizer, got as much info as I could on how she arranged it, and after that got the ball rolling with my own group. Quick forward 2 months and ... WE FINISHED! WE MADE 14 QUIET BOOKS !! AND THEY'RE AMAAAAAAZING!!!!

Here's a comprehensive take a look at each stunning page! I have no patterns for you, however you can discover similar pages and patterns on Pinterest and/or Etsy. I will share how I made my felt chain links in a future post, since that was the one I did:]

* Can I just say that arranging this group of mothers was THE BEST ever ?! They were so responsive, so accountable, so encouraging, and did such a gorgeous job!! Everybody helped one another out, pooled resources, and composed encouraging reactions in email. I didn't even understand all of them (some were good friends of pals) when we began, but I sure hope our paths cross again!

I divided my 14 pages into 2 books: one for babies (0-2yrs), and one for toddlers (2+). Considering that they're bound with a book ring, I can quickly swap pages in and out.

I provide to you my Child Quiet Reserve:

Front Cover I simply sewed down some adorable fabric and stitched some lines across for a quilted look. Kinda untidy.

That's how I craft =P Cars and Stoplights The traffic lights are velcro, and my lady loves to rip them off and put them back on. The vehicle slides up and down along the white ribbon. She is still finding out that it

's not a rip-off item! Ocean Scene with Moving Fish Have a look at the detail on those moving fish, and the detail on that stitching around each fish and through the coral and plants! It's a beautiful page, however I'm not letting her play with it up until she understands the concept of moving-- not yanking!

Sensory Jellyfish My buddy made this as part of our daughter's first birthday present! Isn't it beautiful? Our woman enjoys to flip back to this page often to tickle("Ticko ticko! ")the arms. It's the prettiest thing on the planet!

Mitten with Snowball I think these were indicated to be mittens for outside snow play(includes a white snowball concealed inside the mitten ). Being a baker, I decided to pair it with the Apple Pie page so it looks more like a baking mitt Babies can slip their hands in and out of these cute mittens!

Apple Pie Weaving Not sure why I put this in the child book instead of young child, cause I'm pretty sure she won't be weaving anytime quickly ... however at least it matches with the baking mitt! Not to fret: thanks to the book ring binding, I can easily move this page over to the toddler book anytime (in addition to the Hungry Alligator, which it is back-to-back attached to).

Starving Alligator I truly desired a zipper in the peaceful book someplace, so I'm actually happy somebody made a zipper page

! Isn't this adorbs? Children can unzip the alligator's mouth and put the fish into the ocean! Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head Felt potato heads! I enjoy it! There are a lot of mixes for this! Each of the pieces had Velcro glued onto it, which was simply enough to make it adhere to the felt. Also, the potato head itself is a pocket, so you can store Mr. Potato Head's pieces in there while playing with Mrs. Potato Head's pieces! Craftwise, this page needs a lot of cutting, but works well for the individual who does not sew!

Sandcastles on the Beach How adorable is this? I enjoy the details from the sewing along the water's edge to the little starfish to the double-backed pages. The individual who made this consisted of two sandcastle sets in case any got lost. You 'd think individuals would try to do what was "most convenient" or "quickest," but clearly the group of women here offered their all-- even with children/babies in your home (or in the belly)!

... Which was just the baby variation, folks.

Here are the pages for my toddler book!

Chain Hyperlinks This was the page I made. I liked how kids would have the ability to get some ROYGBV practice in while also establishing great motor abilities as they attached the snaps. I likewise included black and white strips for moms and dads who wanted to teach their kids how to use colors (black, white, red, green, "gold") to teach the Gospel message. More on that in another post!

Counting Flower Kids can practice counting with these flowers! The intricate numbers were eliminated from a good friend's Cricut device, and inside the flower pot is a second set of blue petals ... simply for variety. So thoughtful!

Lace-up Football We had the option to pick a lace-up football or ballet slippers. I understand we have a woman, but I couldn't assist but choose the football, because my own youth was filled with a great deal of football( and no ballet ). And I enjoyed it that way. This is a fun method to practice tying laces! Plus, the football fabric is a very soft suede that even I like to rub!

Breezy Clothesline This adorable page permits kids to take clothing down from the line and put it into the white basket. I enjoy

the colors and multimedia! Fancy pants! Oh my goodness. That giraffe print. Could it be any cuter?! I also love the sewing information throughout. The person who made it likewise told us we could switch the buckle to the other side, to establish both the right and left hands!

Great idea! Balloon Buttons This was Part I of my"celebration pages":-RRB-. Not only are the buttons hand-sewn down, but the buttonhole is edged all professional-like and everything! Fantastic page for button practice!

Last, however not least ... drumroll please ...

Counting Cupcakes Your child counts the variety of sprays on the(detachable Velcro )frosting and matches it up with the number composed on the cupcake liner! This page literally took my breath away. Why? Because, people, each of those "sprinkles" is actually a button that has been HAND-SEWN ON. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? (1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9) x 14 = 630 BUTTONS!.?. !!! And I thought my chain links were a lot of work!! C. definitely takes the (cup)cake on this one (ha ha!)!

Incredible? Do not you wish you had one? (Sorry to make you yearn for ...) I hesitate mine is priceless, though, so you'll just need to make your own. Not the organizational type? NOT TO CONCERN! I got your back! I have actually set up a post detailing How to Make a Peaceful Book with a Group of Buddies, and will post it for you soon, consisting of e-mail design templates and resources you can utilize to direct your own group peaceful book project!I just ask that you link my website and share the Cuppacocoa love:-RRB-.

I am going to send this post to all the women involved in the task, so please show some love below in the comments! Which peaceful book page(s) did you like the most? Which details do you enjoy? Which one(s) would your kid (or ... you?;-RRB-)enjoy having fun with? Do you think you'll ever make one?

Thanks for reading, and delighted holidays !!

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34 actions to "I Can't Keep Quiet About My Peaceful Book!"

I'm going to make one for my granddaughter!! Thank you for this post!

Ooh so ambitious! Are you going to do all the pages yourself? I have a post coming up on how to make a felt one, so you can inspect that out for concepts, too ... especially if you have some other pals who may have an interest in making one =-RRB-.

I still have my peaceful book my mom made me as a child. I remember investing numerous church services playing with it. Then my own kids had fun with it when they were young. Someday I will have grandchildren who can play with it at my house! Mine was made prior to Velcro was popular, so my pages have snaps instead. That's another alternative to utilize somewhere on your young child pages.

You're the 3rd person who informed me their mother made them a quiet book! I can't believe individuals have learnt about this for so long and I've only just heard about it. She must have done a fantastic job since it is lasting many generations! Thanks for the tip-- I did happen to use button snaps for my page (links), and it works well! I believe it'll be rather resilient =-RRB-.

Wow, I have actually constantly enjoyed reading your posts because you released it. With today's publishing, I like to comment I really like the details, they are really cute and thoughtful designs. What a group of creative ladies. Grace from Michigan

Thanks, Grace! I'm so pleased you enjoy my blog site and value the information on these pages:-RRB-.

Peaceful Books-- 12/26/2014

I enjoy your quiet books! I made something very similar for my 3 year old nephew for Christmas. I have not done the numbers and alphabets. Your book gave me some excellent concepts of how I may improvise to do them for my nephews book. When I saw this idea on a different web-site I just enjoyed it. Yours ended up great. Thanks for all of the important things that you share.

Thanks, Patti! So great of you to take the time to make this for your nephew. I would like to get one as a gift! It takes a tremendous amount of time! What a fortunate guy (and lucky moms and dads !!:-RRB-).