#andrew: *mentally preparing their wedding* | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

honeyedmiller · 2 months

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A Burning Desire part four

firefighter!joel miller x f!reader

series masterlist | main masterlist

rating: 18+, minors dni

warnings: joel miller au, reader's family members finally get names in this, a whole lotta tooth-rotting fluff, sexual innuendos, sexual tension, your (fictional) brothers are a pain in the ass, reader has a nickname given by the brothers, smut (unprotected piv, f!oral receiving, fingering, body praise, quick handjob), no use of y/n.

word count: 9.2k (i'm so sorry)

a/n: sorry it took forever. life has been so hectic after graduating. thank you for sticking around <3

synopsis: you and joel take a road trip to san antonio for your sister’s wedding, and with feelings at an all-time high, you find it nearly impossible to resist each other.

“So what time are you and Joel leaving tomorrow?” Your sister asks on the other end of the line.

Tomorrow was the rehearsal dinner for her wedding, and you had to drive out to San Antonio. Joel promised you countless times that he was more than happy to accompany you to the wedding, even though you warned him countless times about your family.

“Probably around ten. He’s spending the night tonight so we can just get ready and leave in the morning.” You’re folding the last of your clothes to pack, phone tucked between your shoulder and ear as you mentally double check that you have everything you need in your suitcase.

“Okay, good. Mom’s kind of upset that she hasn’t met this ‘mystery man’ as she calls it. She’s been dying to know all the details.”

You roll your eyes and sigh, already knowing this weekend was going to be absolutely exhausting dealing with everyone.

“She’ll literally meet him tomorrow. I kept our relationship at bay because of how she gets. Not to mention Andrew and Cole, and god knows what they’ll say to Joel tomorrow.”

Your sister laughs, “That’s true. Can’t imagine they won’t harass him about treating you right. I’ll make sure to keep them in check.”

“Em, you know they will. They hovered when Christian and I broke up.”

“I know. But Joel’s a good man. The whole family will love him.”

“I really hope you’re right.”

“Always am. Call it big sister’s intuition.”

“Funny.” You scoff with a smile, closing your suitcase.

“I know. Hey, Josh and I have to talk to the wedding planner about a few last minute details. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She says.

“See you tomorrow, Em. Love you.”

“Love you too!”

The line goes dead and you sigh, tossing your phone onto your bed. You were trying to mentally prepare yourself for the hellfire you were going to receive after keeping Joel a secret for awhile. You looked at your bedside table and the alarm clock on top of it, red numbers blinking at you to remind you you still had a few more hours until Joel would be coming over.

Nerves settled in about him meeting your family, but nobody could resist Joel and his Southern charm. You couldn’t help but fantasize that your whole family loved him, welcoming him in with open arms. God, you hope that was the case.

You killed time by cooking some dinner and watching some more of The Bachelor, feeding into the drama of the show. You were so invested that you almost didn’t hear the knock on your door.

The feeling of giddiness took over your body as you opened the door, revealing your boyfriend. He had a small smile on his face, but his eyes were tired.

“Hey baby,” You say, stepping to the side for him, “C’mon in. I made us some dinner. Figured you could eat after your shift.”

Joel groans in appreciation. “Thank you darlin’.” He sets his bag down and closes your door, locking it before wrapping his arms around you. He buried his face into your neck, breathing in your scent for a minute.

You could sense something was wrong, but you didn’t want to push him about it. Maybe a little shove wouldn’t hurt, though.

You run your fingers through his soft curls before turning your head to the side to kiss his neck, separating yourself from him for a brief moment.

“You okay?” Worry was evident in your voice, and he couldn’t help but melt at the concern written all over your face as you took his in between your hands.

He nodded, but you weren’t convinced. You could see it in his eyes, sensing that he was holding something back.

“You can talk to me, you know. If you’d like. I don’t want to push you if you’re not ready, though.” You take his hand and lead him to the couch, coaxing him to sit down. You climbed behind him, sitting down to slot your thighs on either side of his.

You start to rub his back, slowly putting pressure on any knots that you’d found. You kiss him between his shoulder blades, silence consuming the both of you for a good few minutes before you hear his faint whisper.

“Rough shift. Had a call that didn’t go so well. Kinda shook up the whole firehouse.”

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.” You wrap your arms around his torso, resting your cheek on his back. His hands cover yours and swipe his thumbs over you.

You hear him sniffle and your head shoots up, attempting to turn his head toward you. He resists at first, but eventually melts into your soft touch and turns his face toward yours as you slightly lean over his broad frame.

“It’s okay, Joel. You never have to hide how you’re feeling from me. If you need to cry about it, that’s fine. I’ll never think you’re less of a man for showing your emotions.”

He offers you a small smile before leaning in to kiss your forehead, softly knocking his against yours as he sighs.

“I’ve been so used to suppressin’ rough calls for years. Nobody to turn to except my coworkers n’ Tommy, and even then it’s not somethin’ we all collectively talk about. My ex,” He huffs an angry laugh at the mention of her, “Sarah’s mom. She– she always told me that cryin’ about how tough my job can be sometimes isn’t somethin’ a real man does. No man should cry over a job. So I just pretended. I pretended that the job didn’t affect me anymore, that I was fine every time I came home. I pretended to be okay when in reality I jus’ wanted to fuckin’ scream and cry.” He turns his head to the side again as more tears silently cascade down his beautiful face.

“Hey, look at me,” Your voice is soft, as if you’re trying not to scare an already frightened animal. “I can promise you that you never have to pretend with me.” You wipe his tears with your thumb, kissing his cheek softly as you continue to gently rub his back.

“Y’don’t know how much that means to me, darlin’. It’s not easy carryin’ the weight of this job on my shoulders alone. I don’t want to burden you with any of it–”

“Hey, none of that alright? You’re not burdening me. I can’t even imagine the terrible things you’ve seen and endured while on the job. I swear to you that I’m here to listen. Or just be a shoulder to lay on. We don’t even need to talk if you don’t want to, but just know that option is always there.”

He turns his head to kiss your temple, squeezing his eyes shut before leaning his head back onto your shoulder.

The “L” word rolled around in your mind for a split second. A month and a half ago, it would’ve scared you. But now, being here with Joel, it just seemed so normal and comfortable. He may have felt the same too, you think. Maybe it was too early to tell.

You wish it was a morning where you and Joel could laze around and relax. Waking up beside him gave you a sense of comfort you hadn’t experienced in so long. You secretly study his face as he sleeps: tan skin glowing from the morning sunlight, eyelashes fanned over his cheeks, messy curls resting haphazardly over his forehead, and plump lips parted as he emits soft snores.

He’s so handsome.

You couldn’t help but bring your hand out to trace his face with your fingertips, leaning forward to gently kiss his cheek.

His eyebrows scrunch together as he slowly begins to wake from his slumber, hands shooting up to rub over his face. His eyes find yours when he drops his hands from his face, a grin curling onto his lips.

“Mornin’ baby.” His voice was deep and raspy, still full of sleep. It made something stir deep down inside of you.

“Morning, handsome.” You kiss the tip of his nose before sitting up to get out of bed, but Joel pulls you back by your wrist and maneuvers you so you’re laying on top of him.

You laugh as he wraps his arms around you securely, making sure you can’t move an inch or wiggle away.

“We gotta get up and get going, Joel.”

He groans loudly, the sound vibrating his whole body and yours. “Five more minutes.” His muffled voice says from underneath you.

“Uh uh, cowboy. C’mon, I’ll make you a thermos of coffee.” You tap his stomach twice before he releases you to stand on your feet. You make your way into the kitchen, fighting the urge to look back at Joel, because you knew you’d give him more than five minutes if you did.

You start up the coffee pot and lean against the counter, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. Joel emerges in the kitchen shortly after, leaning against the wall as he admires you in your sleepy state.

“What?” You ask, cocking an eyebrow up at him.

“Nothin’ baby.” He smiles before coming into the kitchen, lifting you up on the counter and slotting himself between your legs.

“Mmmhm.” You say, putting your hands on his warm chest. You feel his heartbeat beneath your fingertips and notice it’s slightly elevated, which you can’t help but smile at.

Joel leans in to you and kisses your neck, and you can’t help but loll your head to the side to give him better access. His lips graze over your pulse point and you instinctively grip onto his biceps, trying your hardest to suppress a moan.

“Joel—”

“Hm? What is it, pretty girl?”

“If you keep doing that, we’re never—fuck— never gonna leave in time.” He pokes his tongue out and drags it down your jugular, kissing the base of your neck before lightly nibbling on your soft flesh.

“Doin’ what, baby?” He teases, smirking against you.

“You know what, cowboy,” And before he could retort, the coffee maker beeps to indicate Joel’s coffee was done. “Saved by the bell.” You mumble, gently separating yourself from Joel. His honey brown gaze bores into yours as he chuckles at your flustered state before sliding his phone out of his pocket.

He types in the address to the hotel the wedding party was staying at. Joel meticulously calculates the stops you may need to make along the way before looking at you again.

“Should take us about an hour and a half to get there. Two hours if there’s heavy traffic.”

“It’s not too late to back out, you know.”

“‘N why would I do that, darlin’?”

“To save yourself from the chaos that the weekend will bring. I can tell my family you had to work instead. Nobody can get mad at a firefighter for working.”

Joel tosses his head back as he gutturally laughs, shoulders shaking. The whole thing was a little ridiculous, but you know how your family is, and you were ultimately just looking out for him.

His gaze meets yours, a glint of adoration in his eyes as he leans forward. You can’t help the stupid grin that curls onto your lips as he gently nudges your body closer to his, finally slotting his lips with yours.

You’ll never get tired of those butterflies that rumble rambunctiously in your tummy every time you kiss him.

He leans back a little, and with his irresistible charm, winks at you before he huffs another small laugh. “Wouldn’t dream of it, baby.”

You hop off the counter and pat his abdomen adoringly before flashing him a grin. “Well then, cowboy, let's get to it.”

The drive wasn’t as bad as you’d thought it would be, pulling up to the hotel around one in the afternoon. Joel unloads your luggage from the bed of his truck and you wrap your arm around his bicep, walking toward the lobby after he locks up. It was a fancy hotel located right next to the Riverwalk with a huge ballroom for the reception. You had to hand it to your sister and Josh; this place was absolutely beautiful.

You walked up to the reception desk with Joel in tow, and the spunky brunette smiled as you approached her.

“Hi, we’re here for the Martinez wedding.”

“First name?” The receptionist asks, typing something into her computer. You give her your first name and she pulls two keys out of a cardholder, handing it over to you.

“Ah, sister of the bride! How exciting. You two will be on the seventh floor, third room on the right after you get out of the elevator. Enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you so much.” You say, taking the card keys from her before you step away from the desk. You and Joel were heading towards the elevator when you heard a familiar voice call your name, and you turned around to see your brothers.

Panic overtook your body for a few seconds, glancing at Joel who gave you a small smile. How was he always so calm?

“Thought you could sneak past us without saying hi?” Cole says with a shit-eating grin, eyeing Joel as he comes up to you to give you a hug.

“You ain’t slick, Shadow.” Andrew says, hugging you after Cole.

“God, Andy, seriously? That nickname?”

”What, you afraid we’re gonna embarrass you in front of your boyfriend that you’ve been hiding from us?” Cole jerks his head toward Joel, who shifts on his weight as he lets go of his suitcase.

“Shut up, Cole,” You roll your eyes, huffing a laugh. “Joel, these are my idiot brothers Andrew and Cole. Andy, Cole, this is my boyfriend Joel.” You introduce them, and Joel puts on his best smile before extending his hand.

“Nice to meet you both.” He says, and it’s comical how both of your brothers try to come off as intimidating toward Joel. Joel keeps a calm demeanor anyhow; his steady, charming smile never wavering.

“Uh huh. Nice to meet you too. Hey, let us buy you a drink, yeah?” Andrew says, jerking his head toward the bar located at the far end of the lobby. Joel glances at you as you give him a tight-lipped smile, wrapping your hand around his bicep once more. You turn back to your brothers before sighing.

“Let us put our bags up in our room first before I let you harass him. Jesus.” You half-joke, and Cole claps Joel on the shoulder.

“What makes you think we’re gonna harass him, Shadow? We’re just looking out for ya.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. Now please let go of his shoulder.” You roll your eyes and tug on Joel’s arm gently, coaxing him to follow you to the elevators.

“Fine. See you down here in a few.”

You wave your brothers off before getting into the elevator, hitting the seventh floor button.

“Jesus, Joel, I’m so sorry. Thought we’d get a chance to fucking breathe before my brothers started literally harassing you.”

He laughs and shakes his head, giving your temple a kiss. “Ain’t nothin’ to worry about, baby. They’re just bein’ protective. I get it.”

“Just… take anything they might say with a grain of salt.”

He chuckles and nods as the elevator dings and the door opens to the seventh floor. You stop in front of your room and open the door, gasping at how beautiful it is. The king bed in the middle looks absolutely heavenly, and your mind can’t help the image flashing in your mind of you and Joel getting tangled in those very sheets. Heat rushes to your face at the thought, and you walk over to the window to distract yourself. The gleaming summer sun reflects on the calm waters below at the Riverwalk, giving it a mesmerizing gleam.

Joel wraps his arms around your waist from behind and kisses your shoulder. “Beautiful,” He murmurs, but unbeknownst to you, he wasn’t talking about the water below.

“We should go back down so my brothers don’t give you more shit than you’re probably going to get.” You grimace at the thought of what they’re going to say to him.

Joel chuckles and playfully shakes you before loosening his grasp on your midsection.

“Just promise me you won’t run for the hills if they get to be too much. I’ll put them in their place.” You offer, and Joel kisses your forehead.

“I’d only run if you were right by my side, baby.”

Joel didn’t know what to expect from your brothers. He could feel the nerves buzzing off of you as you both made your way back to the elevator to go down to the lobby again, and he wanted nothing more than to ease your erratic nerves.

He knew from the very beginning that he’d be in the long haul of things with you, so he knew facing your family at some point was going to happen. Absolutely nothing your brothers say or do will make him ‘run for the hills’, as you’d put it.

Joel thought the look you tossed his way when the elevator doors opened to the lobby was adorable. He could tell that you wanted this to go well, and who was he to let you down?

Joel gave your hand a squeeze as you both made your way up to your brothers again.

“Joel, how ‘bout that drink.” Andrew says, head jerking toward the bar on the opposite end of the lobby.

“Sure.” He says, trying to keep his cool. He wondered briefly if this was the slight fear you might’ve felt when you met Sarah.

“I’m gonna go find mom and Em.” You say, giving Joel a kiss on the cheek. He watches you walk out before your brothers tug him along to the bar area, ordering a round of Lone Star.

“So I’m a real cut-to-the-chase type guy,” Andrew starts, settling into the barstool next to Joel. Joel nods and sits up straight before taking a swig of his beer to ease his nerves. “I’m sure you’re aware of our sister’s past relationship. Who’s to say you won’t hurt her like that asshole did?”

Joel was taken aback at Andrew’s bluntness, but his expression never wavered or gave anything away. “I know what it’s like to be hurt in a way that ya can’t ever forget about. The mother of my child left when my baby girl was only a year old. Said she couldn’t handle bein’ a parent n’ left me to fend for myself. Bein’ hurt like that,” Joel shakes his head and looks down, “It ain’t right. I would never want anyone to feel the way I felt when she walked out the door. I know your sister’s situation is a bit different, but my feelings toward it are all the same. I like your sister a whole lot n’ the last thing on God’s green Earth I’d ever wanna do is hurt ‘er.”

Andrew nods, weighing Joel’s answer in his head. Joel was telling the truth. He’d never want to hurt you. You deserve to be happy, and he knows you can do that completely on your own, but he loves to be the reason behind it. He loves seeing you smile knowing he’s the reason it’s there in the first place.

“What do you do for work?” Cole changed the subject, and Joel shifts his gaze to the younger brother.

“I’m a firefighter for the city of Austin.”

“I’ll be damned. Shadow always said she loved a man in uniform,” Cole teased, and the three men chuckled in unison.

“How come y’all call her Shadow? She’s never told me anythin’ about that story.” Joel says, and the brothers can’t help but smile at the opportunity to tease their little sister.

“She was afraid of her shadow when she was younger, maybe around like two or three years old. We’d always tease her about it and the nickname just stuck.”

“‘S actually really funny.” Joel said, thinking about how he’d be able to tease you later on with the newfound information.

“So how did you meet our sister? She hasn’t told us a damn thing about you.” Cole grimaces, taking a sip of his beer.

“I met her at a local coffee shop near her apartment. She actually made the first move,” Joel recalls, and he can’t help but smile at the memory. “She paid for my coffee.”

“That’s pretty out of character for her. She’s usually pretty shy.” Andrew said.

“Believe me, I was surprised. She was so sweet… after I caught her checkin’ me out. I was in uniform.” Joel laughs, and the brothers join in with him.

“Told ya she loves a man in uniform.” Cole nudges Joel.

“You said you’re a firefighter,” Andrew repeats aloud, wheels turning in his head. “Shit, the accident,” He says, looking at Joel. Joel nods, not quite sure where he was going with this.

“Wasn’t pretty. Got the call and I saw her car—”

“Wait, so you were on the scene? You’re telling me you’re the one who got our sister out of her car?” Andrew was bewildered, blinking rapidly in complete disbelief.

Joel furrowed his brows and looked down at his knotted hands, reliving that moment in his head.

“Yeah. I’d only known her for hours at that point, but all I knew was that I needed to get her out of there. Scared the hell outta me.”

“Unbelievable. Can’t believe she left out that huge detail,” Cole chuckles and shakes his head, but looks up at Joel in all seriousness. “Thank you for saving her.”

Joel gives them both a soft smile. “I’d save her all over again in a heartbeat.”

“You’re a damn hero, man. To our sister and to Austin.”

Joel never knew how to accept compliments that well, let alone the hero compliments. He just saw it as doing his job and getting to help those in need.

“Well, cheers to you. We can both tell you’re an honest man and anyone who’s willing to literally—and figuratively, I guess—save our sister is a man who has our utmost respect.” Andrew says, holding his beer bottle up in the air.

Cole raised his bottle and Joel followed suit, an echo of ‘cheers’ being thrown around. Joel’s nerves dissolved like cotton candy in water, relief flooding through his bones that your brothers approved of him. He knew meeting your dad was going to be an even bigger deal, so he was holding onto hope that it would go just as well.

“So when am I meeting this Joel of yours?” Your mom says, perching her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she took a sip of her margarita. You found her and Emily poolside as they sipped their drinks while talking about last minute wedding details.

“He’s at the bar in the lobby getting harassed by Andy and Cole.” You roll your eyes, and Emily laughs.

“He’s a good man. I’m sure they’re all buddy-buddy now. Men are simple when it comes to meeting new people.” Emily waves her hand dismissively, easing your nerves a little.

“Where’s dad?” You ask, looking between Emily and your mom.

Your mom scoffs, “He’s upstairs taking a nap. Told him he wouldn’t be tired tonight but he seemed to think otherwise.”

“He’s probably overwhelmed with all the wedding stuff.” You offer with a shrug, and your mom huffs.

“He isn’t the one planning the damn thing.”

“There you guys are!” Cole calls out to you three, Andrew and Joel in tow. Your eyes lock on Joel’s gaze and you’re relieved to see he made it out of the interrogation unscathed.

He makes his way over to you, leaning down to give you a chaste kiss.

“So you must be Joel.” Your mom says, eyes alight at the exchange you and Joel had.

“I am. It’s so great to meet you, Mrs.—”

Your mom waves her hand to dismiss his formalities. “Oh, none of that. Just call me Alexandria. It’s nice to finally meet the man who’s been making my youngest daughter so happy.” She grins up at him, and it was easy to clock the blush that spreads over his tan cheeks.

“I can argue that she makes me the happiest I’ve ever been.” He looks down at you and shoots you a wink, and you can’t help but roll your eyes playfully.

“Touché, Miller.” You say, warmth filling your body as he wraps his arm around your waist.

Everyone got into chatting about the rehearsal dinner and the bar of choice afterwards, scampering off to their respective rooms.

It only took a couple of hours for everyone to get ready and head down to the lobby, being shuffled into the courtyard by hotel staff. Sage green and cream decorations adorned the spacious place with rows of chairs neatly lined up for the big day tomorrow. The gazebo at the end of the walkway was strewn with fairy lights that gave a soft glow that added to to romantic ambience.

For a split second, you couldn’t help but let your mind wander to what your future wedding would look like… with Joel. You may have been presumptuous in thinking such a thing, but you truly felt deep down that this was the man you were meant to marry.

The wedding coordinator lined all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen up, and you took your respectable place next to Karina who was your sister’s best friend and maid of honor.

After two full run-throughs of the ceremony and placement adjustments, the wedding coordinator took everyone to the ballroom where the reception was being held.

It wasn’t long before everyone finished their dinners, polite conversation being held as the night went on.

“So you’re the Joel everyone’s been buzzing about.” Your dad says, and you give him a stern look to say go easy on him. Not that Joel couldn’t handle himself, but because your dad could get a little out of hand at times.

“Yes sir, that’s me.” He says, grabbing your hand underneath the table to give it a squeeze.

“I hear you’re a firefighter. Good man.” Your dad nods in approval, and proceeds to ask Joel about some calls he’s gotten in the past. Everyone at the table was listening intently to him, curious as to what life as a firefighter is really like.

Your gaze roams to your mom, who’s already looking between you and Joel with a sparkle in her eye you’d never seen before. She gives you a wink and sips her wine, turning her attention back to Joel.

It seems his Southern charm and calm demeanor had won every single one of your family members over, and relief floods through your body at that. That’s all you wanted, and you couldn’t have been happier to see it become a reality.

After dinner, Josh and Emily told everyone that they weren’t having a ‘traditional’ bachelor and bachelorette party. Instead, they wanted to go to a bar together and have a few drinks with everyone as one last celebration before they both say I do.

It wasn’t surprising to you. Your sister had always been the homebody type and Josh was right there with her. You thought it was romantic in a sense, knowing that they really didn’t need anything big or to spend time apart before their big day.

The bar was a few buildings down from the hotel, with a huge dance floor in the middle and patrons singing along to the mix of music that was playing as they drank.

Your dad ordered a round of shots for everybody, making a toast to Josh and Emily.

“To the bride and groom to be.” Your dad says, and everyone clinks their glasses together before throwing back their liquor.

You shudder at the taste, setting the cup down onto the sticky bartop.

“May I have this dance?” Joel asks you, holding his hand out for you to take. You grin and grab his hand, grip steady as he leads you out to the dance floor.

You steadily sway to the song as you lean your head on Joel’s shoulder, letting him guide you to the beat. You glance up to see your family members have joined you both on the dance floor, and you smile in content as you squeeze Joel’s hand. He kisses your head before separating you, spinning you around so your back is against his front.

He rocks you slowly, resting his chin on your shoulder before kissing your cheek.

“‘M real happy you let me tag along this weekend, sweetheart.” Joel says, and you turn your head toward him and quirk an eyebrow.

“Yeah? And why’s that?”

“‘S nice to get out of Austin every once in a while. Your family is real invitin’, too.”

“Before or after they interrogated you?” You ask with a smirk, and he laughs before spinning you again so you’re face-to-face.

“Mostly after.” He confesses with a softness to his voice. You study his features unashamedly, the soft smile he has on his lips making your heart skip a beat as he looks at you with half-lidded eyes.

There’s a certainty behind them that you can’t exactly pinpoint, but it made your whole body feel warm and fuzzy inside and you honest to god never wanted to forget the feeling. Joel is the only man who’s made you feel things you’ve never felt. He’s the only man who’s ever kept you on your toes yet has this overwhelming sense of comfort to him that just makes you want to give it all to him.

And by the way he was looking back at you, you’d bet his thoughts are similar to yours.

“You two are so in love it makes me sick.” Andrew sidles up beside you, nudging you in your ribs.

Your eyes go wide and you look at your brother in panic, pleading him to shut the fuck up before you kill him with your bare hands.

“Fuck off, Andy.” You roll your eyes, trying to play it cool. You didn’t deny the painfully obvious fact, though. You didn’t want to deny it.

Was it fast? Yes. But you couldn’t help how you felt. You were tired of running from something that was great for you. You were tired of running from solidity and peace and patience and love, all of which Joel gave you without having to say a single word.

And then you realized—Joel never denied it either. He didn’t deny it when your brother’s loud mouth said that sacred word. He didn’t deny it when you looked at him again, that familiar look in his eyes returning as he just smiled at you, seemingly content in every possible way.

Before you could say anything, Cole comes up to you while waving a crisp twenty dollar bill in your face.

“Betcha one Jackson that you can’t ride that bull over there and stay on for more than a minute.” He’s got a mischievous glint in his eyes, and you’d take any opportunity to prove your brother wrong.

“Oh, I will. After this song though,” You grin at Joel as Boot Scootin’ Boogie plays over the speakers. “C’mon cowboy, I wanna show off my new moves.”

Joel easily obliges as he takes you deeper onto the dance floor. You’re slotted in a mix of a sweaty and drunken crowd, too far gone to care if they’re too off-beat or embarrassing themselves.

You follow Joel’s lead and you two easily end up in sync with one another, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Somewhere between the spin in the chorus and the two-step move he’d taught you, you catch your family members staring at the two of you. Your mom whispers something to your sister, and you hope to god she didn’t change her opinion of him or something after seeing you two dancing like this.

Emily knows you better than the back of her fucking hand, though, and she instantly reassures you with a smile and thumbs up before panic settles into your bones.

Although it seems everyone in your immediate family approves of Joel, it would devastate you if they changed their minds about him for whatever reason. He wasn’t your ex. They at least knew that much. As much as you loved them, they were overbearing sometimes when it came to protecting you after what’d happened with Christian. You didn’t need that to drive a wedge between you and Joel, no matter how much of a forewarning you give him.

The song ends and reality trickles back around you, as Joel spins you into him, giving you a chaste kiss. Your eyes flutter open after you pull away in the slightest, and there it is — that look — unwavering, and clear as day in his eyes.

“Go show ‘em how you ride it.” He remarks, shooting you a wink. Your face heats at his obvious innuendo, and he can’t help the sly smirk that grows on his lips.

Without another word, he releases you from his grasp and urges you toward your brother, still waving the twenty in his hand around like a flag.

You roll your eyes at him and climb up onto the mechanical bull, the DJ timing you into when the machine will start to move.

It was slow at first, and you easily found a rhythm to keep steady on its back. It started to jerk around and spin faster, and your thighs burned as you clenched onto the sides for dear life. You wanted to give a little show though, so you placed your hands behind your back and looked up at your brother with a wicked grin.

His face deflated as he knew he’d been beaten. Your eyes flicker to Joel and you want to laugh at his expression—it seemed to be a cross between lust, admiration and astonishment.

Oh, cowboy. You have no idea what you’re in for.

The DJ announces your victory and the patrons of the bar cheer you on as you hop off of the bull. You walk up to Cole and snatch the twenty bucks from his hand before leaning into Joel, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Wanna go back to the hotel room? I’m beat.” You ask Joel, and he nods. You say goodnight to your family and other members of the wedding party before you both head back in a comfortable silence.

Exhaustion settles in your bones as you fall into step side-by-side, and Joel pulls you into him as you walk into the lobby of the hotel. You make your way onto the elevators and Joel presses the button of your floor, looking at you with a softness in his eyes as he settles his hand on your shoulder.

“Thank you again for doing this whole wedding fiasco with me.” You say, voice full of exhaustion. He shoots you a soft smile and pulls you in, wrapping his arms around you securely. You mirror his actions as you look at him, an adoring gaze sparkling in his eyes. He leans in and kisses your forehead, giving your body a small squeeze.

“Of course, darlin’.”

You went to bed that night with Joel’s arm wrapped around you and a mind of racing thoughts, all consumed by that feeling again—the terrifying, wonderful feeling that kept playing in your mind as if it was the most obvious conclusion you’ve ever come to.

The next morning was a blur. You got up early, trying not to disturb Joel because he looked so peaceful in his sleep. It was chaos amongst the bridal party with everyone getting ready and your sister revealing her final look to the girls. Tears sprang in your eyes as you saw her with the biggest smile on her face, unwavering as she twirled around in her dress that fit like a glove.

“Emi, you look so beautiful. Josh is going to lose it when he sees you.” You say, sniffling as she gives you a tight hug.

“I love you sis. Thank you for being a part of my big day.” She says, rubbing your back before pulling apart from you. You grin at her and blow her a kiss, turning when you feel your mom slightly nudge you.

“Speaking of losing it, Joel’s gonna be head over heels seeing you in this dress,” Your mom says, “Wonder what he’ll be like when it’s your guys’ wedding and he sees you in a bridal gown.”

“Mom,” You stop her, but you can’t help the way your heart stutters at the thought of marriage with him. “Please don’t.”

Way too fucking soon. Right?

Your mom throws her hands up in defense, giving you a knowing look.

“That man is in love with you, baby. He looks at you like you’re the sun, moon and stars.”

That feeling tugged at you once again. You began to internally panic, but luckily the bridal party got called to an area in the hotel to take pictures. You needed a distraction, because knowing you and your mind, you’d unintentionally start self-sabotaging your relationship with Joel.

Fuck, your ex really did a number on you.

The day seemed to run by in a blur. Watching your sister say ‘I do’ to the love of her life made you glance over at Joel in the crowd, and to your surprise, his focus was already on you.

There was this undeniably soft look in his eyes that said a million words without him having to utter a single one. He winks at you with a small smile and you mirror his grin, heading back down the aisle after Emily and Josh made their way down.

A few hours later it was well into the reception, and Joel offered you his hand so you could slow dance with each other.

“You know this thing drives me crazy, right?” You say, tapping the brim of his Stetson. He looked at you with a smirk, raising his eyebrows.

“Really? Couldn’t tell.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice and you rolled your eyes as you huffed a laugh. He was wearing an emerald green button down with black slacks and black shoes, and his black cowboy hat tied the whole look together. He’d been getting stares all night by various family members and friends from both sides of the parties.

You thought jealousy would’ve brewed its way into you, sinking her claws into your flesh—but it was the complete opposite. Pride blooms in your chest as you slow dance with this handsome man—your handsome man.

“You look absolutely breathtakin’ tonight though, baby.” Joel whispers in your ear as you lean your head on his shoulder, taking in his addicting scent.

You smile against him and bring your arm up over his other shoulder, gently wrapping your fingers around the base of his neck. Your index finger twirls the curls peeking out of the bottom of his hat absentmindedly, swaying with him with total ease.

“I can say the same for you.” You murmur, and he squeezes your waist softly.

“Yeah?”

You lift your head off of his shoulder to meet his gaze, light and playful. A glint of mischief flashes in his eyes and you bite your lip in anticipation, the bubbling arousal having never left you since the previous night.

You nod, hesitating for a second to find the right words. You knew you wanted to take the next step with him and finally go all the way without being interrupted. That is, if he’d have you.

“I’d love to show you.” You whisper as the song ends. An upbeat tune plays immediately after, everyone crowding on the dance floor. It was the perfect time to make an escape.

He links his fingers with yours, leaning forward to kiss you. You can’t help but smile as his lips press to yours, and you can’t help yourself—you take the hat off of his head mid-kiss, plopping it onto yours. He separates himself from you with a soft smile and a daring glint in his gaze.

He tsked at you teasingly, adjusting the hat to sit straight onto your head.

“What was that about the ‘Cowboy Hat Rule’ again?” You feign innocence, and he can’t help but laugh at your antics, ultimately deciding to play along.

“How ‘bout I show you rather than tell you?” He says, and that’s all you need to gently tug him away from the crowd and toward the lobby. You make your way to the elevators, nerves buzzing through your veins at the prospect of what’s to happen.

After what feels like forever, the elevator doors finally open and you both step inside. The doors close after Joel hits the seventh floor button, and the tension radiating off of both of you in such a confined space was nearly unbearable.

Joel takes his hat off of your head and gently pushes you against the elevator wall, crowding you with his broad body. Your heart is beating a million miles a minute as you stare at him, gaze never wavering.

You open your mouth to say something, but Joel crashes his lips to yours in fervor. You moan into the kiss as you tangle your hands through his curls, tugging on the base of them.

His free hand finds your hip and squeezes, rutting his hips into yours. You can feel his bulge through his slacks, and you can’t help but whimper into the intense kiss as one hand travels down his back.

Before you can touch him any further, the elevator dings and he separates from you, locking eyes with an elderly couple.

The woman has a knowing smile on her face and sighs, “Oh, to be young and in love.” Joel takes your hand and leads you out of the elevator and to your shared room, fumbling with the key. It almost calms you in a way to know you aren’t the only one filled with nerves, anxious about finally being able to have this time to yourselves.

Joel tossed the keycard onto the side table when he finally got it open, putting his hand on your lower back to guide you into the room. The soft glow of the lamp illuminates his handsome features as he stares at you admirably, tossing his Stetson onto a chair next to the bed without looking.

Joel steps closer to you, grabbing your hips gently before leaving a trail of kisses from your forehead, nose, cheek, and finally, your lips. The kiss was softer this time—full of emotion, saying a thousand words with one simple gesture.

His hands skate up your back and to the zipper of your dress, parting his lips from yours as he looks into your eyes.

“Can I?” His voice is soft but hopeful, and you instantly nod. He drags the zipper down your back with ease, slowly removing the straps from your shoulders. The dress pools to your feet below you, and you’re left in a lacy nude and black bra with black panties. Joel’s eyes rake over your body hungrily, hands twitching at his sides.

“You’re so beautiful, baby.”

You can’t help but feel shy for a second, but Joel wasn’t having any of that. He grips your chin between his thumb and forefinger, kissing your lips a few times before he nods his head to the bed.

“On the bed, baby. Spread your legs for me.” His deep, commanding tone sent a shiver down your spine. You didn’t know what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t this.

You do as you’re told, settling your head onto the plush pillows as you let your legs fall open. Joel moves to untuck his green shirt. He unbuttons the shirt slowly, never breaking eye contact with you. You bite your lip teasingly as you watch him undress, and his thick, tan torso comes into sight.

“Fuck, you’re so sexy, you know that?” You say, but it nearly sounds like a whine. Joel flashes you a smirk before climbing onto the bed, slotting himself between your legs. Your arms grip his shoulders before grabbing the green material, sliding it off of his arms completely before tossing it onto the floor for him. You kiss his shoulder and neck, hands moving up to tangle themselves in his curls once again.

He ruts his hips into you, and the pressure of his bulge catches perfectly onto your aching clit. You moan his name softly, moving one hand down to gently palm him through his slacks.

“Can’t believe we finally get to do this without any interruptions.” Joel chuckles, moving down to kiss your neck.

“Let’s not hold our breaths.” You say teasingly, fingers moving to unbutton and unzip his slacks. He allows it, not stopping you from eagerly undressing the rest of him.

He separates himself from you, sliding the slacks down his legs before moving down the bed, kissing your body as he goes. His tongue traces lines down your thighs, dangerously close to your aching core, before he kisses your skin. He continues the assault of kisses until his mouth is hovering over the only thing that separates your most intimate part from him and his line of sight. He kisses the lace fabric once, then pokes his tongue out to drag the strong muscle from your entrance to your clit.

You can’t hold back your moans anymore. You need him so bad.

Your body was nearly shaking from the buzz of anticipation coursing through your veins, aching to have his hands and mouth all over you.

He finally hooks his fingers into the side of your panties, tapping your hips twice to silently instruct you to lift them. You comply once more, and Joel drags the lace material down your legs.

He comes back up to you, kissing your lips once before settling his face between your legs again.

You feel so exposed and almost embarrassed, but the carnal need for this man outweighs the shyness a thousand times over.

“So perfect, baby. So goddamn perfect. ‘N all mine.” He says, looking up at you before separating your glistening folds with his middle and forefinger. You gasp and whine his name as he just stares at you, mesmerized by the way you squirm under his touch.

You try to beg and plead him to do anything, but the words won’t come out.

He seems to have decided he’s teased you enough, because the next thing you know, his tongue licks a long stripe up from your entrance, through your folds, and up to your clit. Your moans only spur him on as he solely focuses on you, eating your pussy like a starved man.

Nobody has ever turned you on the way Joel Miller has, and you cannot for the life of you believe this man is yours. He’s yours, and he’s here, very present and very meticulous when it comes to pleasing you with that beautiful mouth of his.

Joel moves his tongue down and prods into your entrance, fucking you with the muscle. Your back arches off of the mattress and he has to use both of his hands to hold your hips down, locking his fingers down into your flesh.

“Fuck, Joel—” You squeak out as his tongue moves up to your clit, circling it a few times before sucking it into his mouth gently. The pressure is just right, and your brain is getting fuzzy—you knew you weren’t going to last much longer.

Joel takes one of his hands away from your stomach before separating his mouth from you, coating his digits in your slick. He sends a wicked smirk your way before going down again, and this time, his middle and ring finger enter you.

It stings so good, mainly because you haven’t had this in a long time. He pumps his fingers in and out of you at an expert pace, curling them up to hit that sweet spongy spot.

You immediately crumble. Your hips are writhing wildly beneath his half-soaked face as you cry out his name over and over again. You’re gushing all over his fingers, desperately gripping onto the soft comforter beneath you as you ride out your intense orgasm.

“Atta girl,” Joel breathes, mesmerized by the way you clench around nothing after he removes his fingers from you. “Taste so fuckin’ good, darlin’.”

He moves up to kiss you, and you can immediately taste your slick arousal on his lips and tongue. You hum into the kiss as you palm him through his boxers, tugging on the band as you separate from him. He knocks his forehead against yours gently before sliding the material down his legs, now completely bare for you.

His hand moves to the clasp of your bra and unhooks it easily, breasts spilling out as he tosses the material on the floor with the rest of the clothes.

He looks down at you with a soft smile, and you can’t help but mirror his actions. It’s pure bliss and you selfishly never want this to end. His hand travels down your body and in between your legs, swirling the tip of his middle finger through your arousal. You gasp at the featherlight touch, clenching around nothing as he never breaks eye contact with you.

You decide to return the favor, licking your hand before skimming your fingers over his torso before looking down to see them slide through the dark hairs that appear below his navel. You take in the sight of his cock; it’s girthy and the perfect length. You just know it’ll feel divine. You thumb the pre-come leaking from his tip, popping your finger into your mouth.

You moan at the slightly salty taste, moving your hand back down to finally grip him with care. He feels heavy in your palm, warm and pulsating and fucking desperate for you to start rythmically moving your hand. You twist your wrist and start to pump him, and a guttural groan rumbles from the confines of his chest.

“Fuck, baby—yeah, just like that. So good.” He groans softly, brows furrowing as he leans down to kiss you.

And you spend the next few minutes like that—making out with Joel while he teases your swollen clit, fingers briefly delving into your entrance before moving back out, and your hand slowly twisting up and down his silky flesh.

Something about this was so sweet to you, albeit the act being promiscuous. You were taking your time with each other, savoring every moment you have now. God knows when you’ll be able to do this in peace again once you get back to Austin.

Joel’s body tenses for a second before he pushes your hand away, chuckling in defeat.

“Don’t wanna come yet, sweetheart.”

You nod in understanding and he slips his fingers away from your dripping heat, bringing them up to your mouth. You eagerly suck on his fingers, staring up at him in a way to say I want you. I’m ready to have you—if you’ll have me.

Joel climbs on top of you once more, kissing your forehead. He nudges his nose against yours before looking at you again.

“Wait, I didn’t bring any protection.” His shoulders deflate at the realization, and you can’t help but softly laugh.

“I have an IUD, Joel. Only if you’re comfortable with going through with this, I’m right there with you.” You reassure him.

He looks concerned for a second, hesitating as if his mind is running a million miles a minute.

“You sure about this, baby?” He asks, cupping your cheek in his hand before kissing your nose. You nod with no hesitation.

“Absolutely sure, Joel. I’m yours.” You whisper, and he can’t help the grin that spreads across his face before he leans down to kiss you. He swipes the head of his cock through your folds, stopping at your entrance.

He separates his lips from yours once more, “Tell me to stop if it’s too much, okay?” He says, and you nod. He hums in content, pushing himself into you slowly.

You gasp at the stinging feeling, fingertips digging into the back of his shoulders.

“There you go baby, that's it. Doin’ so well, pretty girl.” He praises, kissing your lips repeatedly as he reaches the hilt.

The feeling is cosmic. The stretch is absolutely delicious. You whisper his name to him, threading your fingers through his hair once more in desperation as your meek voice finally found its way aloud.

“Move, Joel. Please.”

And he does. He starts off slow, rocking his hips into yours. The slide of his velvety length in and out of you is otherworldly.

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as he held onto the back of your neck, picking up his pace. He leans down to capture one of your breasts in his mouth, swirling his tongue expertly around your pert nipple as he continues rocking his hips into yours.

Your moans are increasingly louder, not exactly giving a fuck who can hear you anymore. Your mind was solely consumed about the man ravishing your body in such a way that had you seeing stars.

The weight of his body on yours, his soft groans, the heavy feeling of his cock, his scent, his curls—everything about him was all-consuming, and you loved it.

“So pretty, baby. Feel so fuckin’ good. All mine.” Joel babbles, dropping his forehead onto your shoulder. You try to grind your hips in sync with his expert thrusts, creating an almost unbearably pleasurable friction.

Your hands fly to his back and you scratch down his skin, head flying back onto the pillows as you arch your back into him.

“Joel, fuck, I’m so close.” You cry, eyes squeezing shut as the familiar flame burns bright within your core.

“Me too, baby, fuck—where–where do you want me?” He asks, chest heaving as his thrusts become impossibly faster.

“In me, Joel. Please.” Your plea is breathy and desperate, and you feel yourself teetering over the edge, devastating euphoria ripping through your body as your cunt convulses around his cock.

You bury your face into his shoulder, crying out his name.

“Fuck, sweet girl, I—”

His spend is warm as he comes, buried in you as he groans your name breathlessly. He slumps down onto you, wrapping his arm around your waist as he rolls over on his side, taking you with him. He slips out of you slowly and you both groan at the loss of contact.

You nuzzle into him as he kisses your forehead repeatedly, running his hand up and down your spine as you both come down from the high.

“Fuck, that was—” You pause, and Joel chuckles.

“Yeah, it really was.” He agrees, tipping your jaw up so he can kiss you chastely.

Your eyes were heavy now, tracing his hairline down to his jaw and to his lips. He kisses your fingers as exhaustion consumes you both. He throws the comforter over your bodies and he gives you one last kiss.

“Goodnight, sweet girl,” And if you weren’t in such a comatose-like state, you would’ve heard him softly whisper the words “I love you.”

And if you would’ve heard those words, you would’ve said them right back. It might’ve scared the hell out of you, but you could no longer deny the fact—

You were, in fact, in love with Joel Miller, too.

taglist: @ilovepedro ; @nostalxgic ; @endlessthxxghts ; @punkshort ; @pamasaur ; @clawdee ; @pascalpvnk ; @bensonispunk ; @merz-8 ; @darkblue-tennesseee ; @typewriter83 ; @lizzie-cakes ; @sawymredfox ; @keylimebeag ; @nandan11 ; @pedropascalsbbg ; @pimosworld ; @yxtkiwiyxt ; @anoverwhelmingdin ; @kikaaauu ; @buckyispunk ; @untamedheart81 ; @picketniffler ; @fluffygoffpanda ; @paleidiot ; @survivingandenduring ; @party-hearses

divider by @saradika-graphics

#joel miller #joel miller smut #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fic #joel miller x reader #joel miller fanfic #pedro pascal imagines #firefighter!joel #fic: a burning desire #tlou au #joel miller au #joel miller fluff #joel miller x you

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ccsainzleclerc5516 · 6 months

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Come Home With Me (part 1)

Pairing: Carlos Sainz x reader

Warnings: angst

a/n: was sorta crying while writing this, i love this sm..there’s going to be part 2! hope you enjoy it!

From the first moment one of your close friends told you she was getting married, you knew you'd have to mentally prepare for the fact that on her wedding day, your ex would be there.

It wasn't just any ex. It was Carlos Sainz. Your first true love. The boy you thought was the one. The boy with whom you were the happiest ever and for whom you thought there was no one else after him.

But things don't always work out the way we want them to. There is no greater pain than when two people who are made for each other meet at the wrong time.

Even though you both knew it would be difficult, you didn't want to give up on each other at first. When you met, you were 23 and he was 28. You were in the middle of finishing college in Madrid, which meant a lot of responsibilities, a lot of sacrifices, a lot of hard work and effort, a lot of suffering. And he just signed the contract with Ferrari and wanted to prove himself, show what he can do, show that he deserves to be where he is, he focused all his time and energy on his career.

You pushed together for two years, you tried somehow to find time for each other, but over time it became too difficult. He had no understanding of your needs, he devoted himself too much to work and, if you were the one to ask, in the end he gave up too easily on you, on the two of you.

Being with him was difficult at times, but being without him was countless times worse.

Even though you were very young when you first started dating, you wanted everything with him. You didn't see yourself with anyone else but him, nor did you want anyone else but him. And he, 5 years older than you, for him you were not his first love, but you were his greatest. You were his niña. That's how he used to call you. His niña bonita.

You were the one who ended things with him, but that didn't ease your pain at all. On the contrary, you expected him to fight for you, to say okay, we'll find a way to solve this, but he didn't. Therefore, you couldn't wait to finish college and return home to Monaco. You adored Madrid, you fell in love with that city as much as you did with Carlos, but after the breakup it was simply impossible to stay where every street, park, square, every corner where you were together reminded you immeasurably of him.

And so two years later, when your friend Isabella told you she was getting married and that Carlos would be at the wedding, you knew you weren't ready to see him. Two years later you had a new boyfriend Andrew, but deep down you knew you never got over Carlos.

Isabella was the one who introduced you to Carlos. The two of them have always been good friends, so it was logical that he would be invited, but you didn't think about it at all because you tried to suppress every thought about him. You knew you weren’t ready, but there wasn’t nothing you could do about it.

When that long-awaited wedding day came, as you all watched the bride walk towards the altar, you couldn't help but search for his face in the crowd of people in the church.

You shifted in place the whole time, your knees rocking back and forth. Even Andrew noticed something was going on with you.

“Are you alright, love?” He startled you when he asked. You almost forgot Andrew was standing right there behind you.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry.” You gave him a fake reassuring smile just so that he doesn’t ask any more questions.

You searched and searched and suddenly your eyes stopped at the last row of benches. There he stood, in a dark blue suit, his hair brushed to the side and freshly cut, more beautiful than ever. When you saw him, you didn't know that his brown eyes had already been watching you ever since he entered the church.

Your eyes immediately filled with tears as your gaze met his. It was the perfect moment to pretend you were crying for Isabella walking down the aisle.

“You sure you’re alright?” Andrew whisper-asked again.

“I’m just emotional, everything’s okay.”

In the evening when you arrived at the hotel where the wedding party was, your idea of having a good time was long forgotten. The venue was beautiful and luxurious. Everyone was happy, dancing and enjoying the newlyweds' day, only you were extremely nervous because you could feel Carlos' eyes on you all evening.

You tried to ignore him, to relax with a few drinks, but it was simply impossible to pretend he wasn't there.

“I'm going to go out on the terrace for some fresh air, okay?” You turned to Andrew who was talking to a friend that was sitting next to him.

“Okay, love. Give me a kiss.” He said. You leaned down to peck his lips before taking a glass of champagne and heading out.

There were a few people on the terrace, but you found an empty corner for yourself. You leaned your elbows on the fence and took a deep breath, closing your eyes in front of the night lights of beautiful Monaco.

Feeling the cool breeze on your skin, you wished it would take away all the pressure and sadness you carried with you. You wished that it would clear up everything cloudy in your mind that has been preventing you from moving on for two years already.

After about 10 minutes, you pulled yourself together and wanted to go back inside. Just as you finished up the champagne from the glass, you turned to go inside, but suddenly your breath stopped when you saw none other than Carlos standing behind you with his hands in his pockets and watching you with tilted head.

Your heart started pounding like crazy and your body froze in front of him.

“Carlos..” You barely spoke in a whisper.

“Y/n” He said quietly taking a step closer to you making you take a step back until your back hit the fence.

You didn't know what to say, what to do, even if you wanted to run away, your feet were as if glued to the floor. You just stood there in front of him looking straight into his eyes.

“What are you doing out here alone?” He asks breaking the silence between you two.

“I just needed to get some fresh air, that’s all.” You weren’t lying.

“Did my presence make you nervous?”

“No, your presence here doesn’t have anything to do with me.” But now you were.

“How have you been?”

“Good, very good actually.” Another lie.

“You’re not gonna ask me how I’ve been?”

“That’s none of my business anymore, so no. I don’t care.” He nods his head at your untrue words looking down at the floor.

“So who is that boy you came with?”

“That’s Andrew. My boyfriend.” You say biting the inside of your cheek. You almost felt guilty for calling him your boyfriend. Andrew. You were sure he was gonna go look for you if you don’t come back soon. “I should go. He’s probably looking for me right now.” You say trying to walk by past him, but he stops you by pulling you back by your elbow.

“Don’t go yet.”

“Why not? We have nothing to talk about.” You pull your elbow out of his grip, but you don't leave.

“Because you never left my mind.” He says. “Or heart.” He adds.

“It’s a little too late for that. You should’ve thought about that before you let me go.”

“Y/n, you were the one who broke up with me. I never wanted to end things between us.”

“You didn’t want to end things between us yet you gave up on us without a fight, so easily Carlos..” You fought with yourself not to cry. You didn't want to look weak in front of him even though you wanted to let him know how much he hurt you.

“That doesn’t mean I stopped loving you.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better or what?” You asked with a sneer. “I have a boyfriend now, I moved on Carlos. I’m happy.” You say hoping you sound convincing at least to him if not to yourself.

“You’re lying, I know you are. I can feel it.” He takes another step closer until you can feel his breath on your skin as he looks down at you. He puts his hands on the fence on either side so that you are between them. “You can lie to yourself all you want, but you know you’re always gonna be mi niña. Mi niña bonita.” Your heart aches and trembles at the same time at your forever favorite nickname. He puts his hand on your cheek as he leans very close to your face.

“Carlos, stop..” Your voice cracks as you lean your cheek into his hand.

“Come home with me, baby. Please.”

“And where is that Carlos? Where is my home?”

“Your home is in Madrid, with me.” His hands move from your face to your hands taking them into his and bringing them to his lips.

“You know, while Isabella was walking down the aisle, I couldn't help but imagine that it was you, and that I was there waiting for you at the altar.” Tears just flowed down your cheeks as you listened to him say everything you once wanted to hear.

“Remember how we used to fantasize about it. I still want all of that, y/n. Letting you go was the biggest mistake ever. I am so sorry baby.”

“Yet you never cared enough to look for me. Your words don’t match your actions, Carlos.” Once again you pull yourself out of his grip and step away further from him. Listening to him was causing you too much pain especially because you still wanted all of that as well, but your pride did not allow you to surrender to your emotions.

“Because I knew you were suffering and I didn’t want to be the reason of that! I’m sorry, y/n, I wish I could go back in time and make you stay.” He says flustered, waving his arms.

Right in that moment, Andrew’s voice interrupts you breaking you from your bubble in which you found yourself in completely forgetting where you are.

“Y/n?” You quickly wipe the tears from your cheeks and the smeared mascara under your eyes.

“Well, I’m sorry too, Carlos.” With that you leave him standing there on the terrace as you turn around and head towards Andrew.

part 2

#carlos sainz #carlos sainz fluff #carlos sainz imagine #carlos sainz one shot #carlos sainz x reader #f1 #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #carlos sainz smut #carlos sainz x you #f1 x female reader #f1 smut #f1 scenario #f1 blurb #f1 one shot #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #f1 fluff

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melien · 10 months

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Eventually, Cory-Anne got pregnant. She wished she had a bit more time to mentally prepare for children, possibly try for them after the wedding, but she's fine with it as long as she's doing it with Andrew.

At the same time, Andrew still keeps refining his musician skill and hopes to build a career based on that.

#sims #ts3 #sims 3 #swiftacy #swiftacy gen 1: debut era #generation debut #cory-anne mcgraw #andrew tanaka

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queen-haq · 3 years

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Fic: A Woman Reborn (Part 1)

Pairing: Billy Russo X Reader (from A Woman Scorned)

Rating: R / 18+ only

A/N: This is a sequel to A Woman Scorned and takes place a few years after the events of AWS. You can read AWS here.

Summary: You and Billy are happily married when tragedy strikes, jeopardizing your relationship and everything you two have built together. Can the two of you find your way back to each other or is the special bond you once shared broken forever?

gif credit: @barnesdaily

Then…

You were pissed. In five days you were supposed to marry Billy and start your lives together but there he was, standing at the tiki bar, flirting it up with the bartender. Jealous fury coursed through you, seeing him laugh and charm the hot blonde. You knew he was deliberately putting on a show because he was angry with you, he’d clocked your entrance the second you entered the beachside bar - but it still irritated you and you had enough of it. Well, two could play that game.

You turned around and headed to the bar that was on the opposite end of the resort, a safe distance away from Billy and his stupid antics.

The breeze from the ocean had a slight chill to it. You contemplated going back to your room to pick up a shawl but decided against it. As you passed by several of the other guests heading to dinner, they greeted you with a smile and nod. An older couple walked ahead of you, hands intertwined together, laughing and chatting. It warmed your heart to see them, but it also saddened you. Would that ever be you and Billy? Right now, you didn’t think so.

The poolside bar was crowded, filled with people partying and socializing. You took a deep breath, mentally preparing yourself to get into “work” mode. You were a great schmoozer, it just wasn’t an inherent part of your personality and you actively had to work at it. But forcing yourself to have a good time was better than being stuck in your room and seething at Billy.

Spotting a group of people at the bar you and Billy had chatted with earlier, you made your way towards them.

An hour later you were on your third drink and actually having a great time with a guy named Andrew when you felt someone’s arm snake around your waist. Billy. He pulled you close, your back flush against his chest, his way of reminding you that you were his.

“Having a great time?” Billy asked.

Oh, he was pissed. You could hear it in his voice right away even though he sounded perfectly friendly to everyone else. “Wonderful time,” you replied flippantly, not turning around.

“Andrew, right?” Billy asked, extending his hand out to the guy in front of you. “We met at the lobby bar earlier.”

Andrew shook his hand, oblivious to the tension in the air. “Yeah, I remember. Billy. Feeling better? Your wife said you came down with something.”

“We’re not married,” you said, deliberately goading Billy.

“Not yet.” Moving to stand beside you, he planted a hard kiss on your bare shoulder. “Looks like you’re taking good care of her though. Where’s your wife?”

“Oh, she’s around here somewhere.”

Billy dipped his head to the side. “Maybe you should go look for her and leave mine alone.”

Finally sensing the hostility, Andrew mumbled, “Alright man, see you around,” and left right away.

You took a sip of your drink, purposely ignoring Billy which he didn’t like. Not at all.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “Enjoying myself.”

“Clearly.” His dark eyes blazoned with rage, peering at you closely. “If this is you getting cold feet, get the fuck over it. You’re marrying me. No matter what.”

“Oh, were you discussing the wedding when you were flirting with the bartender?”

Eyebrow cocked, he gave you a smug grin. “Saw that, did you?”

“Disappointed I didn’t stab her?”

“Always.” He took the drink from your hand and finished it off in one swig. “Are you still planning to stick to the ridiculous no-sex rule?”

You shot him a dirty glance before standing up to leave. “You might as well go back to the bartender. That’s the only way you’re getting any.”

As you made your way out of the bar, he came up from behind and grabbed your elbow to spin you around. “Why you pushing me away?”

“What are you talking about?”

He glared at you, leaning in close. “You spring this whole no-sex thing out of the blue-”

“I just wanted our first night as a married couple to be special. You’re acting like I asked you to be celibate for a fucking year! It would only be until the wedding.”

“Yeah well, that’s too fucking long.” His eyes trailed down to your breasts, inhaling you in. You’d chosen to wear a strapless maxi dress for dinner on your first night in Barbados, and while it was loose and comfortable it also required a strapless push-up bra which did wonders for your cleavage. “You look like this and then tell me I can’t fuck you?”

You tried to hold on to your anger but it was difficult, especially considering the look of pure lust on Billy’s face. “There are couples that don’t have sex for months,” you pointed out.

With every step that he advanced towards you, you retreated backwards, taunting him.

“That’ll never be us.” His voice was hoarse as his fingers linked with yours, his arm encircling your back. “And you don’t want that anyway.”

“No, but I do want us to wait. It’s only five days.”

“Five days of fucking torture,” he grumbled.

He led you to the beach, the sounds of waves crashing against the ocean calming your nerves. The beach was dark and isolated, a picturesque heaven with a full moon shining amongst a thousand stars. You followed behind Billy as he tugged you to a nearby lounge chair and the two of you lied down, wrapped in each other’s arms, both watching the sky together.

Cold, you clung to him while he rubbed your arms and back. “Sometimes I can’t believe we’re actually here.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, lips grazing your temple.

“That we’re together, we’re getting married.”

“You’ll be mine. Legally.”

You chuckled. “I don’t think marriage gives you ownership over me.”

“Whatever.” He took your hand and kissed the tips of your fingers. “Legal or not, I own every fucking inch of you.”

“Every inch, huh?” You teased, sitting up and shifting your body so that you were now straddling him. “What about this part?” Your fingers smoothed down your neck, his hungry gaze following your movement.

“Mine.”

Eyes locked with his, you shimmied the top of your dress down, exposing your satin push-up bra. He reached out to caress your boobs but you slapped his hand away. “Can’t touch. That’s the rule.”

“So you can touch me all you want but I can’t do the same?”

“Bride’s prerogative.” Your hips started grinding against his, deliberately slowing your movements atop him so you could feel his erection through all the layers of clothing between you. “Just because we can’t fuck doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.”

His fingers tightly clenched the arms of the chair, his face tense as you continued to tease him.

Your hands gripped his stomach as you circled your hips in the other direction. “Think it’ll always be like this between us?”

“Always.”

“Maybe you’ll wake up one day and decide you don’t want to get married.”

He groaned, and you could see he was trying to focus on your words and not give into the fucking ecstasy from your hips rolling atop his erection. “Never… gonna… happen.”

Pressure spooled in your stomach as your wetness soaked through your panties and onto his shorts, both of your breaths coming out in short spurts.

“Want to be inside you,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

You shook your head. “No. Not allowed.”

“Then let me see your pussy.” His teeth pulled at his bottom lip, eyes pleading with you. “Let me eat you out.”

Before you could respond he was lifting you by the waist and dragging you close and then you were on his face and his mouth was between your thighs and he was fucking you with this tongue and you were screaming with pleasure at everything he was doing to you. But the voice in your head didn’t want to give up full control, no, absolutely not, and despite your trembling knees you picked yourself up and maneuvered yourself around atop his face. As he fucked you with his tongue, you unzipped his shorts, took his cock in your mouth and started sucking him off, leading to one of the most erotic experiences you’d shared with him.

He came first in your mouth, you followed shortly after, and by the time your hearts had stopped pounding and some semblance of reality returned it was minutes later and he was spooning you from behind.

“Five days is too long.”

You turned around in his arms, facing him. “I just gave you a blow job and that’s still not enough?” You pouted.

His eyes brimmed with emotion as he studied you. “It’s never enough. I could fuck you every day and every night and I’d still want more of you. Always. That’ll never change.”

“How can you be so sure?” You sounded so vulnerable even to your own ears, you couldn’t imagine how pathetic you must have sounded to him.

He lifted your chin to meet his eyes, his gaze intent. “Because I love you.”

Those were words he didn’t say often, it had taken him a long time to even admit he felt that way about you, but every time he vocalized them your heart swelled and you were ready to burst with happiness.

“And I always will. Nothing’s gonna change that. And I don’t want to wait another five days to make you mine.”

“I’m already yours, remember?” You dropped a tender kiss on the tip of his nose.

“Marry me.”

You chuckled. “We already did this bit? You slipped the ring on my finger when I was sleeping. Told me I had to marry you, you wouldn’t accept no for an answer?”

“I mean marry me tomorrow, not five days from now.”

“Billy, our friends are flying down here to see us get married. We can’t just push up the wedding-”

“We can put on a show for them too, but let’s do something with just the two of us. Tomorrow.”

You saw the rush of excitement on his face, the way his eyes lit up in the dark - but the realist in you warned you to temper his expectations. “Is all this just because you want to get laid sooner? Fine. Forget the no-sex rule-”

He pressed his finger against your lips. “No, has nothing to do with that.” He sat up partially, resting his weight on his elbow. Forehead creased with worry, he watched you intently. “Don’t you wanna marry me?”

“Of course I do. You know that.”

“Good, because you don’t have a choice.”

You ruffled his hair playfully. “Do I ever?”

“So we’ll get married tomorrow.” He kissed your hand. “And you’ll be mine. Forever.”

You smiled, feeling closer to him than you ever had before. Closing your eyes, you snuggled him tightly.

***

The wedding ceremony took place the next night in one of the private gardens at the resort, under the stars, with the Marriage Officer officiating and with two members of the resort staff serving as witnesses. You wore a red slip dress and he wore his pin-striped suit and you couldn’t remember the last time he looked so elated. You were not the type of couple to write your own vows but when he promised to love and cherish you as long as he lived you knew he meant every word of it. As did you.

After the wedding the two of you slow danced in the gazebo, without any music, simply holding each other in the moonlight. And by time the two of you reached your suite, your clothes were already ripped off and you two were clawing at each other. You didn’t make it to the bed, barely even making it inside the suite.

It was the first night of the rest of your life together, and it was the happiest you’d ever been.

***

Now…

“Are you okay?”

Matt Murdock’s words brought you out of your reverie. You gave him a small smile, nodding your head. “I’m fine.”

He leaned in to whisper in your ear. “Do you need a break?”

“No, let’s just get this over with.”

Although hesitant, he resumed the negotiation with the opposing lawyer sitting across from you.

Throughout the talks, you felt Billy’s eyes on you. As much as your heart wanted to believe he was watching you like he used to before the accident, his molten eyes full of love and lust, you knew that wasn’t the case. These days he only looked at you with contempt and anger, like you were the bane of his existence.

When a short break was ordered, you rushed out of the boardroom. The walls felt like they were closing in, you couldn’t breathe.

“Here,” Matt said, giving you a bottle of water.

Despite his lack of sight, Matt seemed to always know when you were struggling. It was like he had a sixth sense when it came to people’s emotions, probably why you and him became fast friends after Karen introduced you a few months ago.

“We don’t have to go through with this,” he advised. “It isn’t too late. Just tell me you want Anvil-”

“No. I’m tired of dragging this out. I just want to move on.”

“You helped make the company what it is now. Half of it’s rightfully yours.”

You shook your head ‘no’. “I want to cut all ties with him.”

On cue you felt Billy’s eyes on you, standing at the other end of the room. His face was beautiful as always despite the scars from the accident, and when you looked at him long enough you could almost convince yourself he was the man you fell so deeply in love with, the man you married. Except he wasn’t, and hadn’t been in the last two years. He was no longer your Billy and it was time to face that reality.

An hour later the negotiations were finally complete and the two of you had reached a settlement. After the documents were filed, you and Billy would be officially divorced.

Four and a half years of marriage obliterated in the span of an afternoon.

You could see the relief on Billy’s face as he left the room with his lawyer, his happiness at finally being rid of you. Even though it had been your idea to draw up a prenup in the first place, you had fought against it as your way of buying more time and holding onto the marriage. Maybe Billy would be himself again, maybe he’d remember you and love you like he once did. But your altercation with him last week had finally shown you that he was a changed man.

You didn’t cry after the accident. When Billy was in a coma for weeks after the crash, you didn’t cry then either. You stayed strong and reminded yourself he would come out of it. Because this was Billy. Your Billy. And he wasn’t going to let an accident take away everything he worked so hard for. When he regained consciousness and it soon became apparent he’d lost large fragments of his memory – including all reminders of you – you still clung to hope. You didn’t give into tears.

But right now, as Matt walked alongside you to your car, you finally fell apart. The tears rushed out, your knees gave way and you fell to the ground and sobbed for your husband. Matt held you tightly and tried his best to console you, but the grief was overwhelming. Because it hit you at long last that Billy was gone. The man you loved more than life itself was dead.

All remnants of him had disappeared and the love that you shared with him no longer existed.

To be continued...

A/N - Um, thoughts???

Tag List:

@yourfavoritefruitybitch @voyevoda-thejoy @adreamemporium @queenmalhinewahine @gubleryum @galaxyjane @xceafh@maralisa124@tomhollandisabae @daybleedsintonightfa11 @lil-baby-nor @all-art-is-quite-useless @tanyaherondale @nashibirne @dour-trash @thetallassgirl @athenamikaelson @agent-jbarnes @primadonnasdream @aleksanderwh0r3 @elisemockingbird @nihilismworld @archisur@nemesis729 @lysawayne@kaqua @ladyblablabla @lemasonda@advictedtohim @24-martie @tarkanelima-blog @shinebrightlikeafanbase @krystal-clear1 @damalseer@dontjinx-it@darkishx @wanderlusting-about-life @thatguppienamedbae @happypepperdog @bat-revival @sassygirl25 @consulting–heroes @the-celestial-kitsune @mackaywhore @ablxssm @competitive-dust @red-head011 @exo-1204 @sunsetenigma @millieb-3199 @chatnain @licensedcheek @tinkertailor1212 @vertesalope @safetyhtom @acourtofglassandroses @eliwinchester-barnes @finnismyoriginalsin @weallhaveadestiny @beananacake @beauty-and-the-beast97 @smurfelle @fire-treasure-iii @charly-0 @kestrafagnor @pigwidgeonxo @damagelove @allegra-writes @pensandthings @jad3djay @batshitbarnes @kashimayuki @secretsthathauntus @odetostep @awesome-eccia @mackaywhore @stories-you-wont-hear @vvsdiamond28 @supernaturalcat7 @arieltwvdtohamflash @iknownoqueenbutthequeeninme @devs-stufff @ticosas @moodacheeks @myakai13 @carlywhomever @fvckthisbxtchup @its-evita-here @papapapadumb @talesfrommycell @bat-luna-cat @fific7 @elluvians @dailydoseofchoices @everythinghappens-love @papapapadumb @mylife-love-and-other-things @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @ancientbeing10 @natty2245 @stuckysavedmylive @kasslucilfer @simp-for-ben-barners @originaldeputycalzoneegg @bdffkierenwalker @kimoranelson03 @sadbi-hours @haushinka27 @haushinka27 @caylaxwrites @extraneousred @agentmstark @crazywitchkitty @its-an-idea-not-a-blog @partypoison00 @fictional-hooman @hoglady @helnicks @luckyfreakfishpeach @chiquitita18 @rachlovesactors @icecream50055 @doloreschanal @lupinsfavslytherin @swthxrry @wanderlusting-about-life @dreamer7black @leahnicole1219 @superawesomegeek @weallhaveadestiny @toxicenough @tiiffanym @dark-twisted-and-mechanical-mind @cap-just-said-language @edithsvoice @natashasilverfox @ohsorandomlyme @lupoliatova @alltheloztboys @bl0ckedurl @nothingbettertosay81 @antideppresants @clarissahunter @profoundme444 @shazianazir05 @zos-things @my-day6 @thelightinmyshadows @lincerad @ramadiiiisme @blanchedelioncourt @wondergal2001 @aunicornmademedoit @sarcasm-n-insomnia @outlawadvocate

#billy russo x reader #billy russo #the punisher #ben barnes #a woman scorned #a woman reborn

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the-empress-7 · 3 years

Note

*tea time ladies*

It is very much known in some circles that the royal family has been divided across a simple line since the 90s. One group, we can call group Wales. This group consists of Charles, Camilla, Anne, William, Anne's children and husband, and in more recent times, Edward and Sophie. Most courtiers prefer working with this group. The other group, York, consists of Andrew, his daughters who mostly stay out of the shenanigans, his former wife, Harry, the ex Princess of Wales and fringe members of the family upset with their position (I think they need to introduction).

Harry used to consider Andrew a second father after his mother died. They went on vacation together, Beatrice and Eugenie stated that in the case something happened to Andrew, Harry would be the one to walk them down the aisle, Eugenie wanted him to be a godfather to little August. Beatrice planned a smaller, intimate wedding before the virus in the Chapel Royal and Harry was supposed to participate in her wedding somehow, as he was supposed to participate in the wedding of Eugenie as an usher.

Now, you're probably wondering,how did they fall through?

Harry married a version Fergie with a dash of Princess Michael on meth. She bullied the York girls, especially Eugenie around the wedding, banned Anne's granddaugthers from being bridesmaids, she got into a fight over jewelry with William and that was not even in the first year.

Then, the Gloucesters considered briefly moving to the country and Meghan harpied to get apartment A or Diana's old apartments because she saw certain pieces from the royal collection she wanted placed in her household so she can merch clothes, home deco and products off them. The Gloucesters couldn't move in the end and Meghan nearly snapped.

Then came the staff bullying. Meghan, who likes to play a liberal is horribly prejudiced against gay people, gay men especially. There are gay employees she has been using slurs for berrating them. Or maybe there was just one. William didn't just kick them out. He put on a crown and fired them from being senior royals. The Queen stated that she wanted to downscale their engagemets, especially hers, until they are reduced to private citizens, but she pulled megxit to one up the family. The entire story about her mental health and palace leaks has been a lie. The person responsible for the covering up of Meghan's treatment of staff is not Charles, but Andrew. He paid off many of the staff Meghan tortured and bellitled with money from a source I would not like to name. In the end, Andrew couldn't kill the story and this is why there were leaks everywhere. He distanced himself from Meghan because she was too much even for him. This is why they haven't trash talked Andrew. He burried her skeletons,not just those in the palace, but beyond.

Now, there is one person that both Wales and York like and that would be Catherine Cambridge. She is much more powerful because both parties listen to her and believe her. Catherine is the glue that holds that mess together and this is why Harry hopes to rebuild a relationship with her, not William. That bridge is burned forever. We've seen some positive PR regarding her lately, but we still haven't seen the biggest thing she has been preparing for this year.

Let's start this off with a bang shall we?

***New Tea Alert***

* Allegedly and for entertainment purposes only

#new tea #tea rex #tea anon #brf tea

279 notes · View notes

shintorikhazumi · 3 years

Text

“Daydream.”

A/N: I have NOT written in a while. Or posted rather. It’s been.... a month??? I’m sorry. It’s been.. hard. I also have summer classes which are slowly choking me. Yey.

Anyway, I hope... you all enjoy? I think I’m rusty. There are a lotta plotholes and some... hhrnnghh characterization that i feel iffy about. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

Anywhooooo. Thank you to my lovely platonic crushie @tanuki-pyon hihi for allowing me to use your drawing for inspiration ;-;. Thank youuu <3 Hope you like this.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

It is a bustling city, full of life and vivid color. The songs of the late afternoon played- their notes produced by that independent street musician, backed by the passing cars beneath the balcony, the rhythmic dripping of a loose faucet in the bath, and the rustle of leaves caused by a passing breeze that caresses her cheek.

Life, color, music, and a touch.

They all paint a particular picture- one of wine-red eyes, and a charming smile; brown locks that she had tucked behind a heated ear, adorned with exotic jewelry she had purchased for her.

As she draws the cup away from her lips, she sighs in contentment, the distinctive taste of Boldo tea and the dimming rays of light blanketing the expanse of what she could see making her smile bittersweet.

It's getting late.

She knows she has to finish her packing. After all, this fleeting vacation is a dream she'd have to wake up from, come the morning rays of tomorrow. It was short-lived, but she'd like to think these few moments in the city or Buenos Aires are moments worth remembering forever.

Even if there was a possibility that they were but a daydream.

That she is her daydream.

Her phone rings, and she sighs a different sigh. It's one of disappointment and reluctance as walks into the room, swiping the blinking gadget off the table. She taps the green icon, placing the device by her ear, eyes dulling as she listens to the speaker on the other end with poorly-veiled disinterest.

["-Are you listening?! Do you understand? The moment you step off that plane, your fiance will be there to greet you. Then he will drive you to work, and you will-"]

Her face contorts in disgust at the statement. "He's not my fiance." She says, voice cold and adamant.

["Diana! How could you say that- about Andrew Hanbridge, no less! The man who has not once given up on you, unlike all the other low-life suitors out there. He's rich, intelligent, charming, and well-mannered."]

Diana scoffs at the very first descriptor of the man she was to marry supposedly. 'Rich'. Of course he had to be.

"Listen here, and listen well. You've been off on these silly trips, writing god knows what for well over ten years. It's time you grew up and got married, and inherited the corporation!"

Diana grits her teeth, hands crumpling a few papers on the table. She immediately regrets that action as she realizes her manuscripts now have ugly creases in them, much like her own plans for life. Not that those were any easier to iron out.

["Then dinner at the Hanbridges will be at seven-thirty. Sharp. I have a dress prepared for you in your room. We will be discussing your wedding with And-"]

And she hangs up.

Turning her phone off, she throws it onto her mattress, the silken covers causing the device to slide right off and onto the floor with a thud.

Diana curses as she rushes over, checking for any cracks or damage. She hasn't turned the lights on, and her open balcony does not give her much light, so she opts to run her fingers over the screen, praying she hadn't broken anything. As able as she was to afford a phone, that doesn't mean she wanted a change at any time.

...also, her number was saved here. Diana isn’t good enough with phones to know how to retrieve that.

Diana sighs again. This time it is of relief. She leans back with a plop against the side of the bed, staring blankly at her wall.

Tomorrow... she leaves.

Tomorrow, she never sees her again.

Tomorrow, she talks of marriage plans with two families who couldn't care less about what she actually desires in life.

Tomorrow... she's gone. She may as well be dead if she wouldn't even be 'living' in the first place.

Tomorrow...

What would she be doing?

Where would she be at?

Would she still have the same smile on her face as she greeted the passersby who would freeze in place, stand in awe as time stilled for them as they become entranced in the magic that was her dance?

Diana frowns.

Would someone else fall in love with her?

Like Diana has?

...Would she... fall in love with them back...?

Diana feels a pang in her heart as she slumps to the floor, now lying against the hard wood. If she were back in the UK, she wouldn't be caught *dead* in this position. Her aunt would have her head.

She blinks, staring at the ceiling.

Oh? It's quite comfortable, she thinks, consciousness slipping into nothingness.

-It's a slap to her cheek that has her sitting up in haste, body moving in a trained way of self-defense as she arrests the perpetrator in a hold face-down onto the floors.

"Diana! Diana! Fu- shit! Waitwaitwaitwait-owowowowow it huuurtsss, it hurtsssss!!!"

And it’s a familiar voice that cuts through her panic, and makes her let go rather clumsily, resulting in more hurt for Diana’s victim.

“Akko!” She exclaims, happiness and concern in her voice.

“Well, you sure look happy. Are you into this sort of play?” The girl chuckles wryly, rubbing at her joints as she fixes herself into a seated position on the floor as Diana kneels in front of her, confused at the words.

“Play?”

“Yeah. BDSM, that kind of stuff.”

Diana flushes at the bold remark, floundering helplessly as her mind ceases to produce a coherent response.

Akko watches her with open amusement, head resting against her one propped up knee. She hugs the limb, keeping her steady as she stares at Diana unabashedly.

Diana stares back.

“Wh-what.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“I-! Ah-uh, nnggh?!” Diana doesn’t know if she’s going into a seizure. Maybe she is. Maybe she should have gone to med school after all, to confirm-

“Pff-” Akko begins giggling, then cackling, then just falling onto her back, hollering in laughter on the floor.

“Wh-what! What… why are you laughing? I- Did i do something silly?”

Akko wipes a tear from her eyes, laying on her stomach and propping her head up on both hands as she faces Diana. “You’re silly.” She teases, tongue poking out, eyes crinkled moons.

Diana can’t help herself, biting onto the bait.

It’s a deep kiss, and Diana didn’t know she knew how to do it.

What do people call it? French kissing?

They pull apart and Akko presses her sweaty forehead to Diana’s, chuckling breathlessly against her lips.

“Many types of attacks today, Miss Cavendish. You are one powerful woman with a vast arsenal.” She jests, a hand reaching to cup Diana’s face and pull her back in for a chaster peck on the lips that turns into two, then three.

“I like to have many options at my disposal.” Diana sighs into every brush of their lips, returning a few of her own, nipping at Akko’s bottom lip as she leads her into a submissive position, lying on her back with Diana hovering over her.

“Boy, am I glad you do…” Akko whispers, eyes glued to Diana’s glistening mouth, the pair leaning closer and closer and- “OHMYGOSH-WAIT. THIS. This is not what I came here to do!” Akko yelps, pushing Diana’s face away and accidentally spraining her neck.

Diana groans as she rubs at her nape, cursing quietly.

“SHIT SORRY”

Diana waves her concern away as she offers a crooked grin.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. I’m sorry, Diana. Sorry, I-”

“Akko.” Diana giggles, carefully nearing the girl once again. She leans in slowly this time- just in case-, and plants a kiss on her cheek. “How and why did you come find me?” She asks, tone joyful, yet pained.

“Because I know you’re leaving tomorrow.”

Diana hears a record scratch, and the city’s music comes to a pause. It’s deathly silent, and her breath catches in her lungs, heart painful.

Diana’s smile falls, as she places distance between them, sitting formally in front of Akko.

“You…”

“You told me in your sleep…” Akko murmurs, her words playing flashbacks in Diana’s mind- memories of a night that was not supposed to exist.

“No- I… I… Akko…”

Voices in her head play back all her duties, her realities that tell her that the woman in front of her is not a part of them. She’s a daydream, and she’s- as all daydreams are- a fleeting one.

Diana has to wake up tomorrow morning. She has to go back tomorrow.

She has to be ‘the real Diana Cavendish’ again. Not because she wants to be. But because she is.

“Diana, I need to say that-”

“Then- then…” Diana cuts Akko off before she can deal more damage to her mental state. “Then you must know… that being here… makes it harder for me not to leave.” Diana replied with a crack in her voice. “I can’t stay, Akko. I can’t. Even if I wanted to…” She whispered, unable to project her voice.

“Diana, that’s not what this is abou-”

“I can’t stay here, Akko! I’m supposed to go home and get married!”

Her eyes widen, and so do Akko’s. Diana… doesn’t know what to say. Neither does Akko. They both remain frozen in time and in place.

“I can’t… stay here… with you…” She feels a tear slip past her cheek… then another, and another, until they dribble down her chin and onto the back of her hands that are clenched on her lap. “You’re a daydream… and… and…”

“A reality you won’t face?” Akko asks, voice surprisingly steady and clear. “I’m not a daydream, Diana Cavendish. I’m not a figment of your imagination.” She speaks, voice bolder as she gets up and walks up to Diana, making the girl crawl backwards as she hits her back against the foot of the bed.

Diana gasps as Akko grips her collar, pulling her closer to her. She instinctively closes her eyes, awaiting a hit- a punch, a slap, whatever it was.

And she gasps again as the soft caress, much like the gentle winds soothe her skin and her pounding heart.

“I’m not your summer getaway, or your escape from real life. I’m not a fairytale to lull you to bedtime that you forget once the sun rises.” Akko explains with a crooked smile, tears staining her cheeks as she buries her face into the crook of Diana’s neck. Her breaths tickle Diana there, and her tears pain Diana’s heart.

Diana moves to wrap her arms around Akko, but stops midway. She… doesn’t deserve to do that.

“...hold me…”

But Akko deserves to be listened to.

And so, Diana holds her. She holds her tight, and she doesn’t let go. Not until Akko wants her to.

“I’m not asking you to stay.” Akko murmurs against Diana’s skin as the latter runs her fingers through smooth strands of hair.

Diana admits that hearing that statement hurts as much as it relieves her.

Her sense of duty tells her she has to go back to her home in England and run her company, and yet her heart told her that Akko was her home, and that not staying would mean losing something that she might never be able to earn back again.

As much as it pained her to know more, she needs to. For both their sakes. “Then what must I do? What can I- we… what do you want me to do? What do you want us to do?”

Akko pulls back slightly, grinning sheepishly as she presses her feelings into a kiss against Diana’s lips, before pulling her up with her to head towards the door.

Upon opening it, Diana sees a few bags lined up against the wall, ready for a trip to god-knows-where.

Her mind wasn’t registering this at all-

“Bloody fuck.”

“Took you long enough to figure that one out, huh?” Akko laughs, bringing their joined hands to her lips, and kissing Diana’s palm. “Weren’t you supposed to be the smart one?”

“Well… I… holy shit…”

“I had no idea you could curse like that.”

“Mother of… my… arse…”

“Mother of your arse? Really?”

“Akko.”

“Yes?”

“Akko.”

“Yes, Diana.” Akko rolls her eyes, as she pats Diana’s cheek with her free hand. “You’re supposed to take me with you.”

“Bloody hell…” Diana murmurs. “Just marry me.”

“...”

“EH?! Really?!”

Bonus :>

“So why were you in my room that night in the first place?” Diana laughs, running her fingers along Akko’s cool arm, holding her close as they snuggled together in a hammock, reminiscing a daydream so long ago.

“Ehh... are you really asking me this right now? Diana, it’s been years since that happened.”

“And yet, I know you remember it as well as I do.” Diana laughs, knowing that Akko was rolling her eyes as she scoffs against her neck. “I’m right, aren’t I.”

“Cheeky.” Diana chuckles as Akko pokes her cheek in annoyance, but explains anyway. “I was knocking on the door, but you weren’t answering. I rang, and spoke through the intercom too. Then room service came by and I said I just forgot my key and they let me in.”

Diana feels slightly concerned about the security of that hotel. But wait, there are better questions that need answering.

“... then why did you slap me?”

“...”

“Akko?”

“Because you were asleep.”

Diana guffaws, disbelieving. There was no way she was that hard to awaken. She pulls back slightly, looking Akko in the eyes.

“You couldn’t have woken me up other ways?”

Akko looks away momentarily, feet already swung off to the side, as if she is about to step out. Which she did.

“...no?”

Diana watches her skeptically, now also sitting up.

“Akko?”

“Well, you know. It was nice chatting and all, but maybe I should get back to my practice for my road show and...”

“Akko? Akko… Akko why are you walking away? Akko- hey! Come back here- AKKO!-”

And she was gone, bolting like the wind, leaving Diana stunned and comically livid.

“ATSUKO KAGARI-CAVENDISH, YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT. THIS. INSTANT!”

#diakko #diana cavendish #atsuko kagari #lwa #little witch academia #fanfic

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qqueenofhades · 4 years

Note

Everytime I read "Nicolo di Genova" my brain glitches and I read "Nicolo do Genovia" instead so /whispers/ Kaysanova Princess Diaries AU?

...yes. Did someone say Gay Champagne Romcom? Because that is my Brand.

Nicolò is an Italian-American graduate student living in New York City with his widowed Italian mother and working on an engineering degree at NYU. He was thinking about joining the priesthood for a few years and recently dropped out of seminary and is feeling that Millennial Crisis that all of us know about. He has gone on a few Tinder/Grindr dates, but it’s hard enough to meet someone in this city even when you’re not a gay ex-priest engineering student living in his mother’s rent-controlled apartment in Morningside Heights because have you seen the property prices in New York. Plus WHENEVER he brings a nice boy home, HEY PRESTO there’s his mom waiting eagerly up in the front room, “NICOLÒ WHO IS THIS HANDSOME YOUNG MAN, DOES HE HAVE GOOD PARENTS, IS HE A CATHOLIC NICOLÒ” and of course that instantly kills any kind of romantic mood. Nicolò is like “let’s just go over to yours PLEASE.” But he tends not to see his dates again anyway, and it’s equally depressing, and it’s nice that his mom isn’t homophobic or anything, but he’d like to just meet someone without his mother instantly planning the Big Fat Gay Italian Wedding, and yes he knows this is a nice problem to have but STILL

Anyway, then of course the Dead Dad Circus rolls into town, and Nicolò learns that he’s not actually the son of a nice hardworking Italian immigrant, but of His Serene Highness Prince Domenico Grimaldi of Genovia, who wouldn’t you know it, has recently died too young from cancer and left no legitimate heir except the result of his rebellious teen fling with a cocktail waitress in Capri – which would be, you guessed it, Nicolò. While Nicolò is still processing the horrifying mental image of his mother being a cocktail waitress in Capri and having to look up Genovia on a map, the rest of the royal machine is kicking into overdrive. This involves a very awkward meeting in a very fancy Manhattan hotel with Nicolò’s magnificent but rather out-of-touch royal grandmother, Her Serene Highness The Queen Mother Maria Elisabetta Henrietta Julia Victoria Mignonette Grimaldi of Genovia. She’s basically Julie Andrews because obviously. She informs Nicolò of his Solemn Duty to return to Genovia and become Prince Nicolò and eventually be prepared to take the throne and submit to a fascinating life of minor European royal family ribbon-cutting duties. Oh, and getting married and producing more heirs to the throne, on pain of breaking a thousand-year-old bloodline, though she doesn’t say this out loud. Her loyal right-hand man, driver, and general bodyguard/fixer/man about town, Sebastien le Livre aka Booker, gives Nicolò various sympathetic looks but does not interrupt.

Nicolò obviously freaks out and runs off to call up his best friend at NYU, Andy. Andy is some indeterminate degree of years older than him, in some indeterminable stage of her Classics PhD, and sometimes says weird things like how badly the Library of Alexandria had already been defunded by the Roman emperors before it finally burned, like she was there and holds a personal grudge about it. She is a cranky vodka-drinking lesbian who rides a motorcycle, gets them into periodic scrapes, and understands his shit dating life. She deeply empathizes with all his “I’m not going to run away and leave my life in New York to become part of some creakingly antique regressive imperial monarchic system of racist and homophobic oppression, NO SIR!” Fight the power, Nicolò. Fuck those guys.

Of course, however, Julie Andrews Grandmother Maria prevails and Nicolò is forced to take Prince Lessons, which he hates but tries to be a good sport about, because, well, he’s Nicolò and he’s a good person. He is then whisked off on a private plane to Genovia, because they want to see him in situ before they make a final decision on accepting him as their prince. There of course we have the high-life palaces and parks and snooty clueless aristocrats who look at Nicolò like he’s a prize racehorse and have absolutely zero clue, none, nada, about the real world. Just as Nicolò is about to firmly decide that this is a complete crock of shit and he’s going back to NYU, he meets….

Prince Yusuf “call me Joe” al-Kaysani.

Joe is a minor member of one of the Middle Eastern royal families, some fictional tiny Gulf kingdom that is super SUPER oil rich. He has a title and a lot of money but doesn’t have a clearly defined role in the family, other than that he’s been ordered not to embarrass it. Nicky does not know this when they first meet, but obviously it’s not possible to be an out gay prince in a conservative Arabian-peninsula Islamic kingdom, and therefore the fixers have arranged for Joe to be publicly dating a daughter of the Malaysian sultan, Quynh. (We are making her Malaysian in this instance so she can also be Muslim and hence an appropriate match for Joe.) Except Princess Quynh is also hella lesbian and is getting the same thing out of the fake dating with Joe that he is, i.e. throwing people off the scent of their real selves. They spend their time together in private eating popcorn, commiserating about their lives and crazy royal families and the press invading their privacy, watching romcoms, and Judging the Straights. They’re actually best friends and text each other all the time, so at the royal function where Joe runs into the stiff and nervous and clearly overcompensating New Guy who’s evidently the New Prince of Genovia, and oh my god Q he’s the Most stuck up person I’ve EVER MET, Quynh is the first to hear ALL about it. She immediately suspects that Joe doth protest too much.

Meanwhile, Nicky meets Nile Freeman, another young American (from Chicago, obvs) who is working at some important EU institution currently headquartered in Genovia. They also hit it off and Nile tells Nicky about the things she wants to do to help change the world and why she’s here, and he is moved by her kindness and altruism and remembers that that was what he wanted too, and why he joined the priesthood in the first place. He opens up to her about the shock of learning the truth about his now-dead dad and the crazy whirlwind he’s been sucked into and how he doesn’t know what to do, and their friendship is beautiful and we love it.

Meanwhile, of course, Nicky and Joe keep running into each other and getting on each other’s nerves, Nicky is thisclose to calling up Booker and ordering him to deport Joe because why is he always here (Booker, of course, will eventually become a secret ally in helping them see each other, but that is not quite yet). There is some Shenanigan where they end up both getting into trouble, Grandmother Julie Andrews is not amused, and finally they are forced to sit next to each other for a whole state dinner and Be Polite, because Genovia is trying to forge better relations with Joe’s kingdom. (Genovia is tiny, ancient, and broke, Joe’s kingdom has obviously a ton of money, there are old historical ties between them, some Genovians traveled to the kingdom in the past, Genovia’s trying to improve its human rights record and take in more refugees, etc. Nile is also helping with this last). So Nicky and Joe get ordered to fake a highly convincing bromance and pretend they’ve been best buddies all along (think Red White and Royal Blue) and that means they have to actually learn about each other and spend time together and ugh, he’s a spoiled rich playboy brat, and ugh, he’s a clueless American who thinks he’s better than us, and…

Oh no.

Yes, of course they fall in love, they deny it as hard as they can, Nile and Quynh and Booker are all increasingly exasperated by their attempts to pretend they’re not, and finally they kiss and make love and admit their feelings and that they want to be together. Then of course they get outed by some scheming evil cabinet minister (Merrick) who doesn’t want Nicky to become king and disapproves of him dating (gasp) a MUSLIM WHO IS ALSO A MAN, and there’s a huge scandal and a ton of drama and the usual Romcom Breakup Angst as they decide whether they can still see each other. Andy flies out to Genovia to comfort Nicky, Booker has a Word With The Queen, and Joe hides in his room until Quynh (along with Nile, who she’s met and hit it off with) appears to tell him that he has to be brave, she’ll help.

Anyway, etc etc., Drama, “I love him no matter what, if you don’t accept him you don’t accept me and your STUPID BLOODLINE CAN CHOKE” speeches from Nicky, Julie Andrews sees the light, they decide that Nicky and Joe can keep seeing each other, and it’s all rather sweet. There’s a lot of public relations to be managed and whether Joe’s family is going to disown him and what this will mean for the whole international relations thing, but… one thing at a time.

Nicky agrees to become Prince of Genovia as long as he can be with Joe, Joe decides that hey, he likes Nile too and there’s plenty of meaningful work to be had here and the three of them can join forces to do good things and he’s going to stay, and the Genovian public obviously comes around and loves them. Nobody can find Princess Quynh. It’s rumored she ran off to America with a cranky vodka-drinking PhD student of indeterminate age and was last seen on the back of a motorcycle heading west.

Everyone lives happily and gayly ever after.

The End.

#the old guard fanfiction #joe x nicky #kaysanova #anonymous #ask

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helenaredamancy · 4 years

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just some musicals i rly like that aren’t talked about enough

listen i know these are all popular/successful but they r STILL underrated idc

(musicals like hamilton, deh, hadestown etc. aren’t here because i feel like they get the hype they deserve)

next to normal (!!!) if you like deh, sa, company, or falsettos you’ll prob LOVE this- it talks about mental illness without stigmatizing it, the music is incredible and has rock vibes, the vocals are AMAZING, also it has aaron tveit, the ending is bittersweet and really pretty- it won a pulitzer for a reason. it focuses on a family in the suburbs and the effects of grief, loss, and mental illness. it might be hard to follow from the soundtrack alone so looking up a synopsis would be helpful to first time listeners. there’s a big theme of recovery and acceptance, and moving to something close enough to ‘normal’ to get by. you will cry. tw: suicide attempt, mental illness, drug use, death (happens before the show begins), electroshock therapy, memory loss

falsettos the 2016 revival cast has a proshot available! the casting is 100% and it’s such a nice story, focusing on an unconventional family unit in the late 70′s - early 80′s amid the AIDS crisis, and growing into a family and learning how to love. the lyricism is lovely, and the pacing is always quick and energetic, the songs are really catchy, and you WILL cry. (you will like it if you have daddy issues or anxiety) tw: death

spring awakening very emo. rock vibes. you’ll prob like it if you like next to normal, falsettos, deh, heathers, mean girls, or most andrew lloyd webber. angsty teens in germany. jonathan groff. there should be a tw for suicide, abuse, abortion, rape, and a sex scene that’s in the grey area consensually, and mental illness. its DARK. somehow every song is about sex, the lyrics and melodies are very poetic and metaphorical and pretty. you will cry. its the most emo musical ever. tw: like, everything

the last five years the story of a 5 year relationship, starting from its inception to jaime and cathy’s eventual divorce, based off jason robert brown’s real marriage. jaime starts from the beginning of the relationship and cathy begins at the end, with their respective timelines intersecting in the middle at their wedding. they take turns telling the story. they are the only ones singing, the soundtrack is basically the entire show but the timeline stuff could be confusing. there is a movie version w/ jeremy jordan and anna kendrick that’s well done and easier to follow. you will cry. tw: dysfunctional marriage??? infidelity i guess, and divorce

catch me if you can aaron tveit and norbert leo butz. AND KERRY BUTLER. do i need to say more? really good music, from the dudes who made hairspray. based on the 2002 movie of the same name, which was based off the real life story of frank abignale (a con man in the 60′s). the songs all fit the vibe of the story well and are addictive. aaron tveit served in this (funfact: he didn’t miss a single show during cmiyc’s broadway run), and his vocals are just amazing. kerry butler’s big song, fly fly away, is my favorite song of hers ever. you probably won’t cry. its a fun show. tw: I have no idea, maybe prepare yourself for the beauty that is aaron tveit+kerry butler’s voices together. idk. you’ll like this if you like beetlejuice. bc kerry butler.

bonnie and clyde jeremy jordan AND laura osnes! musical about bonnie and clyde, the music was written to fit their voices, their chemistry is really nice, and their voices blend together well. it’s a fairly (?) sad show, you MIGHT cry but it’s generally a fun show with catchy music. jeremy jordan’s clyde barrow accent is an experience. tw: death, sort of toxic relationship, rape/abuse,

assassins one of my favorite sondheim shows, ever. it explores assassins throughout american history, specifically people who have tried to kill and have killed american presidents throughout history, starting with john wilkes booth. it uses a framing device of an american CARNIVAL. very unsettling. dark. twisted american dream. good music (as always, thank you mr sondheim). tw: lots of murder and assassins (duh), good dose of southern racism mainly courtesy of john wilkes booth, suicide attempts

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princesscatherinemiddleton · 4 years

Text

DISCLAIMER: I haven’t sat through the entire interview and I genuinely doubt I ever will. I’ve seen clips. I saw part of it when I walked past my front room and it was on. But I haven’t seen the whole thing

Feel free to not read this and ignore I posted it. This is only because I promised to post it yesterday and... forgot. TLDR: Meg is an angel who deserves happiness, I still love and always will love KMiddy (that’s why I have a blog on her bbs), me and Hazza are done, Charles is no longer my friend

I’m going to split this into sections but I need to start by saying that if I could take away one ounce of the pain Meghan went through I would. It sickens to me to know how she felt. I only wish she has the best life with her two beautiful babies and is happy. I also want to say I don’t blame anyone who saw Meghan’s interview and decided they needed to cut ties with royal watching for their own mental health. While there are parts of the interview I may disagree or have issues with, the point remains, this interview was not for me and my opinion is only here for @duchessanon

The Suicidal Ideation: The only blessing I can see here is that Meghan didn’t seem to have a plan. I might has misread it - but I truly hope I haven’t - but I hope it hadn’t reached that stage. I’m angry and upset and in pain that she felt like that. The fact she’ll have to carry that with her forever. The fact she was in so much pain she couldn’t see a way out while she was pregnant. If you don’t believe her or think it’s a lie, please never interact with me ever again

Mental Health: While I don’t blame Harry for his reaction, I also do blame him. I am angry that he didn’t act immediately to protect Meghan when she told him, his family be damned. I’m angry that his reaction was “my family won’t like this” rather than telling his family. I’m furious with “the institution”. I don’t care how it looked - if someone says they’re ill, you get them help. I would love to go back in time to when Meghan was struggling and drag her to the doctor’s myself, but I can’t and I’m sure her friends and family feel the same. I’m angry he has spoken about getting mental health support for himself but wouldn’t get it for his wife. I’m furious that he said he was “ashamed” (although I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that it was the wrong word)

Mental Health - subcategory Heads Together: From what both Meghan and Harry said, bar one member “high up in the institution” (which sounds like Charles), no one else in the family knew about how Meghan was feeling. I could be wrong, and if so, I will hold my hands up, but the initial reaction of “I don’t want the BRF ever talking about mental health” is dangerous. I don’t think it can be overstated how incredible the positive impact Catherine has had on mental health in the UK is. When my sister was seeing First Response, they spoke to her a lot about Catherine’s Early Years Initiative. That has to continue (I’d like to point out that I don’t blame this narrative on either Harry or Meghan, but rightfully angry fans of the couple)

Kate Made Meghan Cry: I’m here to get kicked out of the KMiddy fan club. I believe it. A heavily pregnant or recently post-partum woman, a soon to be bride, a dress fitting. It’s a recipe for disaster. Meghan said Kate sent flowers in apology and she seems over it so y’all should get over it too

The “Dark” Comment: I know the rumour is Anne but it sounds like Charles to me. I do not stan that man. It’s wrong and disgusting and we all know that

Security: Official security is for working royals and always has been. Non-working royals have private security. The fact we don’t know who’s paying for Andrew’s security is an issue and needs to be dealt with. When they stepped back, the Sussexes were no longer entitled to official security. Should they still have been offered it, considering they were in a pandemic, the DM had leaked their address, and they were targets? Obviously. Just because something should happen doesn’t make it right. But I do understand why the security wasn’t there.

The Exit: Speaking of which, I don’t want to hear about who was or was not blindsided ever again. Harry and Meghan signalled they wanted to leave. They then jumped the gun. They were both blindsided and not blindsided

Titles: Meghan is saying the conversation was that when Charles is King, Archie wouldn’t get a title because he was “too dark”. That’s wrong. She was not saying ARCHIE SHOULD A PRINCE NOW. Read the room people

Being Trapped: The way Harry, and William and Charles to a lesser extent, talk about being royal really frustrates me. Crown Princess Victoria has spoken about what an honour it is the serve Sweden. Kate spoke about how she was honoured to show George off after his birth. Even Meghan spoke about how excited she was to work for the crown and meet people. These men aren’t trapped. They could all leave at any point. They’re babies

Harry: Harry clearly did not prepare Meghan. From the story about the curtsey, to the National Anthem, to what the press are like, he did not prepare her. He lacks and clear and complete understanding of the family and job he grew up in. I genuinely believe he was so scared Meghan would see how she would be treated and (rightfully) say no and he rushed her into marriage, without preparing her properly. Why is he so obsessed with his grandparents (I have guesses)? I’ve run out of patience for this manchild

Other:

Who the hell are the HR people for the royal family? Imagine that being your job

The newspaper articles they showed are honest and great except they also used those magazines that publish stories like “Camilla has KILLED the Queen”

Hazza called the UK Press racist, which is true, but he glossed over the fact the press feeds off the public

The mini vow exchange before the actual wedding was cute AF

Meghan calling the press corps a holiday party is cute but an honest mistake. Harry not correcting her is not so much

I would like to know how Meg made it to 2018 and did not know what the national anthem of GB was. Did she not watch sport?

The oversaturated comment - my initial thought was Catherine but now I’m thinking Eugenie?

Harry says Netflix and Spotify weren’t part of the plan but also said they wanted to be financially independent. What’s the truth? Were they going to get a job at Costco?

I’m surprised Archwell didn’t get a real mention because I very much assumed it was going to 90 mins of drama and 30 mins of promo

BABY SUSSEX IS A GIRL I KNEW IT WE ALL KNEW IT

#mine #personal #harry #meghan #please ignore this

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

Text

People, May 10

Cover: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade

Page 3: Chatter -- Mindy Kaling on technology woes, Amy Adams on wanting to go into acting because of Grease, Gal Gadot on telling her daughters Maya and Alma about her pregnancy, DJ Khaled on using Rihanna's skin-care line, Christie Brinkley on showing off her body on Instagram at age 67, Whoopi Goldberg on writing a superhero movie about an older Black lady

Page 4: 5 Things We're Talking About -- Michael Keaton returns as Batman, Jane Fonda recalls her first and best kiss, Maya Rudolph would give Bridesmaids another go, the stars of ER scrub in one more time, popcorn and donuts team up

Page 7: Contents

Page 8: StarTracks -- one day before Prince William and Princess Kate's youngest child Prince Louis turned 3, Kensington Palace released a new portrait of the little royal to mark the occasion; Kate snapped the photo of Louis, who wore a school uniform and backpack as he rode his bike outside their home in London ahead of his first day of preschool

Page 9: JoJo Siwa and mom Jessalynn went for a roller-coaster ride at Disney's Hollywood studios in Florida, Madonna in a three-piece Gucci suit for dinner at West Hollywood staple Craig's

Page 10: Stars on Set -- Rachel Brosnahan was pretty in pink while filming season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with costar Alex Borstein in NYC, John Cena flashed a peace sign when he took a coffee break while filming The Suicide Squad spinoff series Peacemaker in Vancouver, Tika Sumpter and James Marsden shot an action-packed scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in Vancouver

Page 11: Katie Holmes was spotted on a Connecticut set preparing to film the drama The Watergate Girl in which she'll play Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks, Awkwafina and Bowen Yang filmed the upcoming season of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens in NYC, Melissa Benoist suited up for Supergirl in Vancouver

Page 12: Brooke Shields who is recovering after breaking her femur in a gym accident walked arm in arm after a lunch with husband Chris Henchy, Britney Spears and boyfriend Sam Asghari posed for a photo before attending a friend's wedding

Page 15: Stars in the Sun -- Maren Morris flaunted her new tan while enjoying a tropical getaway, Simone Biles and boyfriend Jonathan Owens cuddled up during a trip to Florida, Lindsey Vonn caught some waves and some rays while paddleboarding in Tulum, Derek Hough cooled off in the ocean during a beach day in L.A., Brie Larson enjoyed a dip while on vacation in Hawaii

Page 17: Scoop -- Life After Their Split -- how Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are moving on

Page 18: Inside Caitlyn Jenner's run for governor

Page 20: Heart Monitor -- Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae Young ready to wed, Pete Davidson and Phoebe Dynevor going public, Zac Efron and Vanessa Valladares split, Billie Eilish and Matthew Tyler Vorce new couple?

Page 23: Jana Kramer and Mike Caussin's messy divorce

* Susannah Constantine -- my royal friendship with Princess Margaret

Page 24: Open House -- French Montana

* Baby Boom -- the latest on Hollywood's growing families -- Marie Kondo and Takumi Kawahara welcomed a son, Nick and Lauren Carter welcomed their third child

Page 27: Ed Helms talks life after The Office

Page 29: Passages, Why I Care -- Lisa Kudrow is working with doctors at UCLA to end the stigma surrounding mental health issues

Page 31: Stories to Make You Smile -- most cats can't stand the water but 8-month-old Marlin can't get enough and his Instagram is @carolinejarvis, a first grader's airplane kits give wings to kids' travel dreams

Page 35: People Picks -- Tom Clancy's Without Remorse

Page 36: Limbo, One to Watch -- Shadow and Bone's Jessie Mei Li

Page 37: Pose, Pet Stars

Page 38: The Handmaid's Tale, Thomas Rhett -- Country Again: Side A, Q&A with Olivia Holt

Page 39: The Mosquito Coast, Inspiring America: The 2021 Inspiration List

Page 41: Books

Page 42: Oscars 2021 -- The Return of Glamour -- the show was unconventional, just 170 guests were allowed in L.A.'s Union Station, and COVID restrictions were strictly enforced, but stars did their part to bring back some movie magic

Page 43: Andra Day

Page 44: Fabulous Fashion -- crop tops, ball gowns and bows ruled the red carpet -- Angela Bassett, Zendaya, Carey Mulligan, Maria Bakalova

Page 45: Margot Robbie, Reese Witherspoon, Viola Davis, Amanda Seyfried

Page 46: Behind the Scenes -- Regina King -- the actress closed out awards season in a custom Louis Vuitton creation

Page 48: Shine Bright -- there's no such thing as too much bling -- Laura Pausini, Vanessa Kirby, Zendaya

Page 49: Maria Bakalova, Daniel Kaluuya, Glenn Close, Tiara Thomas

Page 50: Very Well Suited -- these sharp dressers put their own twists on the tuxedo -- Lakeith Stanfield, Colman Domingo, Paul Raci, Tyler Perry, Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Kim

Page 53: Getting Ready with Andra Day

Page 55: Getting Ready with Angela Bassett

Page 56: Romance on the Red Carpet -- these couples only had eyes for each other -- Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher, Halle Berry and Van Hunt, Chloe Zhao and Joshua James Richards, Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza

Page 57: Steven Yeun and Joana Pak, Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson, Paul Raci and Liz Hanley Raci, Aaron Sorkin and Paulina Porizkova

Page 58: Best in Show -- there were A-list stars, groundbreaking moments and social distancing as Hollywood gathered safely to honor the best movies of the year -- Reese Witherspoon

Page 61: Alan Kim, Angela Bassett, Rita Moreno

Page 62: Major Moments -- these artists broke barriers during the most historic ceremony ever -- Emerald Fennell, Chloe Zhao, Daniel Kaluuya

Page 63: H.E.R., Anthony Hopkins, Yuh-Jung Youn with Brad Pitt, Mia Neal

Page 65: Yuh-Jung Youn and Daniel Kaluuya and Frances McDormand, Elton John and Dua Lipa, Andra Day and Winnie Harlow

Page 66: Cover Story -- Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union -- Dream Team -- the actress and NBA champ open up about protecting their family, fighting for what's right and why they're stronger than ever

Page 72: George Floyd's Killer Found Guilty -- We Can Breathe Again -- friends and family of the Minneapolis man killed by police rejoice after a jury's verdict and vow with supporters to keep fighting systemic racism

Page 76: Bethenny Frankel -- what I know now -- the irrepressible former Real Housewives star and businesswoman is newly engaged and back as a boss with a new show

Page 80: A Son Lost to Suicide, A Father's Mission -- we loved him every day, but it wasn't enough -- after the shocking death of his 12-year-old son, Brad Hunstable has a message for parents: talk to your kids about suicide

Page 84: Andrew McCarthy -- I was never suited for fame -- the beloved actor, and author of a new memoir, looks back on his enduring films, surviving his '80s stardom and how his affiliation with the so-called Brat Pack was a mixed blessing

Page 88: Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton's 10-year anniversary -- remembering the big day -- those who made the wedding a fairy tale share their memories

Page 92: Country Singer Thomas Rhett -- fame, family and finding my way -- the star opens up about overcoming struggled with his wife Lauren in their 8-year-marriage and learning to put their family first

Page 98: Murdered Soldier Vanessa Guillen's Fiance -- every day I pray for justice -- a year after losing the love of his life, Juan Cruz is determined to make sure the Army specialist's legacy is never forgotten and that her tragic death inspires lasting change

Page 102: George W. Bush -- painting with a purpose -- the former president avoided making waves, until his party's nativist prompted him to use his art to celebrate immigrants

Page 106: Pop Star Julia Michaels -- how I learned to love myself -- the singer talks falling in love, managing anxiety and writing hits for Britney Spears and Selena Gomez

Page 116: One Last Thing -- Josh Duhamel

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nekojitachan · 4 years

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I just read armies for the third time and every time I reread is just as fuckin amazing as the last time... Also I saw an ask once mentioning a collection about Aaron visiting Andrew in London, just wondering if you have any plans of posting again? I'm just so weak for my minyard boys. Hope you're good! Love your writing please never leave us ❤️

Ah... I went looking for the link to the story but I’ve been unable to find it yet (I know I would have used something to tag it, but that’s not working). I do have it saved, but not the link (on a side note, I found a twinyard prompt that I’ve forgotten about). So here it is again (until I either add it to Armies properly or do an Armies side stories post on AO3):

*******

Abram smiled at Ashley as he leaned gingerly against the top of one of her monitors with his chin resting on top of his folded arms. “So, I sent you the file last night, and let me tell you, it was rather difficult reining in Andrew while I corrected the few grammar mistakes – he wanted to make a couple comments on the paper.” That had surprised Abram, his husband’s interest on the topic, but Kimberly had picked an interesting book for once.

Ashley laughed as she leaned back in her chair and toyed with her long, dark brown braid. “I appreciate your efforts since I can only imagine what he’d have put in there.” She shuddered a little which made Abram smile in shared horror. “She’s doing better?”

“Yes, I imagine soon enough you’ll have to come up with something else when I ask for a favor.” Ashley smiled at that, a mixture of pride for her younger sister and delight in thinking up a new ‘price’ for Abram when he needed certain things done; he didn’t mind because Ashley was a minor miracle worker and usually asked for small, easily to do things in return such as proofing her sister’s uni papers or bringing back certain items from their travels.

“I’m sure I’m up to the challenge,” Ashley said as she tapped away on her keyboard. “As is, I’ve just sent you my part of our latest bargain. The email contains all the information you need in regards to the reservations I made for your dinners and a private appointment at Barts Pathology Museum.” She gave him a pleased smile as she once again toyed with her braid. “Anything else?”

“Don’t let the place descend into chaos while we’re away, yes?” Abram asked as he stood up and gave her a jaunty salute.

“I’ll do my best!” Ashley called out as he walked away, voice bright with laughter. Maddy and Rita (who was back in the office while she did some research before her next mission) wished him a nice ‘holiday’ as he left the office to meet up with his husband.

Andrew was standing out in the hallway with Lloyd and Kathryn Ambrose, one of the higher-ups who handled the EMEA region. Despite Lloyd’s occasional grumbling about the woman (he tended to grumble about anyone ranked above him), Abram never had a problem with Kathryn, who always treated him and Andrew with polite respect. “Hello, Abram,” she greeted him.

“Hello, Kathryn. Everything all right?”

“Yes, I was just talking to Lloyd and Andrew about how there’s a potential situation in Hungary. I know you’re about to go on holiday, but I just wanted to give you a head’s up that we may need to send the two of you there once you’re back.”

Lloyd nodded as he motioned to Andrew and then Abram. “Bit of a special request, but some people feel that you two could help out the agents already there.”

It wasn’t as if they could say ‘no’ when it was their jobs; Abram shared a look with Andrew who gave a slight nod after a moment. In a way, it might be better for them since someone else would be taking the lead on the mission and they would be providing support, would be more in the background. Though it meant that they’d have to do a bit of research before they left even though they were supposed to be on break.

“Send us all of the necessary information,” Abram said as he went to stand next to his husband.

“Though we’ll need an extra day or two to prepare,” Andrew argued as he stared down Lloyd.

“Of course. I’ll have Maddy put together the intel and send it to you by tomorrow.” Lloyd knew better than to fight with Andrew by then, especially with Kathryn right there (and when she appeared pleased by their agreement). That dealt with, they said their ‘goodbyes’ and left.

It wasn’t as if Andrew’s brother and sister-in-law would want to see them the entire time they were in London – they were visiting for a medical conference, after all, so they should have plenty of time to go over the material. If anything, the extra day or two they’d won from Lloyd would be spent by themselves to ‘recover’ from the visit.

Abram had the suspicion that they would need the days to recover, considering how Andrew was already on edge from the approaching visit, which was why he’d done everything he could to ensure that Aaron and Katelyn had an enjoyable (and busy) time once they arrived. He’d enlisted Ashley’s help on the matter, since he didn’t want the family too involved with Andrew’s brother ‘just in case’.

The Minyards were due to arrive the next day, and were staying at some hotel in central London where the conference was being held (along with a couple of ‘minders’ from the family), but had agreed to meet up with Andrew and Abram during their free time. Nicky and Erik would come to visit in a couple days for a mini-reunion, so there were dinners arranged and Abram had planned for an excursion or two for the couple to enjoy (by themselves).

Things between the brothers had improved since the wedding in South Carolina last year, had been tense phone calls at first before the two had moved on (somewhat) from the past, but Aaron and Andrew spending time together like this was a big step that Abram wasn’t certain that they were ready for just yet. Still, it was what it was, and in a few days Aaron would return to the States and soon after that Andrew would have an excuse to vent any disappointment by killing someone (more than likely).

“What idiocy are you contemplating now?” Andrew asked as he drove them home.

“Hmm, just that you’ll probably have to wait a week or so to commit therapeutic homicide, hon,” Abram confessed, and laughed when his husband heaved a weary sigh.

“Should have had the damn judge say ‘until insanity do you part’, could have gotten out of this marriage ages ago,” Andrew grumbled even as he held out his hand for Abram to entwine their fingers together.

“You like my mental instability,” Abram insisted as he smiled. “Keeps things interesting.”

Andrew did the sighing thing again but didn’t disagree.

Stuart and Davis were in the townhouse when they arrived, which drew a displeased frown from Andrew when he caught sight of Abram’s uncle standing in the kitchen with a purring King in his arms. Davis grinned while he held up his hands in a placating manner. “Just dropping off a few things and checking in on the kids.”

Abram patted his husband on the back before he went to hug his uncle, mindful of King who was handed over when they stepped apart. “You look tired, is everything all right?” Jamie had told him that Stuart was traveling a lot lately when they’d last talked; Abram had checked a few documents for the family to ensure that everything was on the up and up in the contracts.

“Too much drinking with Camillo last night,” Stuart complained. “Looking forward to being home for a bit.” He gave Abram an exhausted smile as he scratched King’s chin. “I know you’re busy the next few days, but if you’ve some time, call me and we’ll have some tea, yeah?”

Abram nodded in agreement. “That’s doable.” They should be able to meet up while Aaron and Katelyn were busy with the conference.

“Good. There’s some chocolates and jenever for you, and Ravi will show up with the cars when you need one, just call.” Stuart waved to Andrew as he left, and Davis bent over to give a meowing Sir a stroke along the back on the way out.

“Couldn’t he have brought some damn whisky?” Andrew complained as he headed straight to the boxes of chocolates out on the island while Abram shook his head and set King down on the floor.

“Your life’s so hard,” Abram remarked as he picked up the bottles of gin-like liquor and stored them away in the cabinet (he had a feeling he’d need them soon enough). “So, we eating in tonight or going out?”

“In, since we’ll be going out the next few nights,” Andrew said between bites of sweets.

That decided, Abram checked the fridge and cabinets before he settled on a spicy chicken and rice dish to make later, and worked on a few more documents for Jamie in-between calls with his cousin and Nicky while Andrew read a book. They went out to sit by the fish pond for a little while before he started on dinner, a mug of tea in his hands and a glass of whisky in Andrew’s, an enjoyable half an hour where Andrew made his usual threats over the poor fish and Abram slumped down enough to rest his head against his husband’s broad shoulder, content to sit there next to him and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Then he was given a shove to the knee and told to go cook something that wouldn’t poison the both of them.

Abram bit back a smile as he called his husband a prat for the umpteenth time, affection a warm tingle in his chest.

Andrew sat at the island and texted with Nicky while he made their dinner, and had a glass of wine waiting for him once it was done (and stole the damn naan once Abram sat down). It was nights like these which Abram treasured the most during all the years they’d been together, when they ‘bickered’ during dinner then curled up together in the living room (since it was late spring it wasn’t too warm yet for a fire) to watch a few episodes of a baking show they both enjoyed (easy to follow with their schedule) then head upstairs after a few hours.

They were tired, but not too tired. Looks were exchanged and clothes were shed before they sprawled out on opposite ends of the bed, where Abram spent a moment enjoying the sight of Andrew’s stocky yet muscular body (save for the slightest pouch of fat on his belly which he adored) before he gasped as his husband stroked his half-tumescent cock then leaned in to nuzzle it and-

He much enjoyed it when Andrew performed oral sex, but he also much enjoyed it when he could reduce Andrew to a shuddering mess with his mouth and hands, so it was the best of both worlds when they both blew each other. It didn’t take long until they both were shivering messes sprawled out on the bed, and then the bastard dragged him off to the shower to wash off before they tucked in beneath the blankets for a restful night’s sleep.

Mostly.

Andrew was up first, which was a rare occasion; Abram resisted the temptation to follow his husband out of the bed but decided to give him a bit of peace (half an hour) before he got up as well. He found Andrew working out and only put in a mile or two on the treadmill before he went to wash off then began work on a batch of chocolate chip and hazelnut hotcakes. It was right as he finished the last one that Andrew joined him, fresh from his own shower.

“I guess you won’t be fish bait just yet, babe,” the prat remarked as he rested his chin on Abram’s left shoulder and wrapped his right arm around Abram’s waist.

“If it wouldn’t be so traumatic to the cats and Nicky, I’d file for divorce,” Abram teased as he added the last hotcake to the huge stack next to the stove.

Andrew clicked his tongue before he snatched up the plate. “You’ve never had it so good and you know it.”

Yes, Abram did indeed ‘know it’, but there was no need to say it, was there? “Did you hit your head with a weight or what?” he asked instead, and rolled his eyes when Andrew made a rude gesture his way. “I’ve merely decided to wait for you to die from clogged arteries or diabetes instead, it’s much easier than dealing with solicitors and the such, hon.”

“What was that?” Andrew waited until he was seated at the island and his precious carbs set down to reach for his phone. “I’m making note of this so when we’re either divorced or you mysteriously disappear one day, there’s no problem with me taking custody of the cats and Bren – yet another cruel comment bordering on abuse.” He made a show of typing on his phone before he set it down then got up to fetch the whipped cream and syrup for his hotcakes. “How I suffer for this relationship.”

“Yeah, yeah, be sure to tell Nicky – oh, wait, I’ll do it for you.” Abram grinned when Andrew’s shoulders hunched upward at that remark. “I’m sure he’ll be ever so helpful with recommendations on how to save our marriage.”

Andrew gave him a long, level look for several seconds (which was impressive, considering the stack of hotcakes before him) before he spoke. “He’ll torment you just as much as me, you know.”

Ah, a flaw in an otherwise perfect plan. “Uhm… I’ll be off with Stuart?”

“You think the pest won’t rat you out to the family?”

Dammit, there was that – Stuart had actually calmed down on the whole ‘Andrew is bad’ front and all. “He’ll still be worse with you,” Abram argued as he set about making some scrambled eggs for himself.

“Right. Idiot.” Still, Andrew appeared smug as he finally cut into his stack of sugary carbs, so Abram felt pleased as he prepared his own breakfast. Once it was done, he sat down and rolled his eyes at how most of the hotcakes were already gone.

Andrew checked his phone while they ate and reported that Maddy had sent the intel for the Hungary mission, which they’d start parsing through later. Abram had just enough time to wash the dishes and go change before they left for the airport in the Aston Martin sedan which Navi had dropped off for them to use to pick up Aaron and Katelyn since neither of the sports cars in the garage would handle four people and luggage. Since Andrew didn’t trust anyone but the two of them or Bren (who made sure the cars didn’t sit idle too long) driving the sports cars, they didn’t want to have them out of the garage for the few days that Aaron and Katelyn were in town, so Ravi would drop off and pick up the sedans whenever Andrew needed one to drive his brother around town rather than let them sit in the driveway overnight.

Abram waited until they were past the worst of the traffic to speak up. “Aaron’s into general practice and Katelyn’s pediatrics?” He hadn’t paid much attention when Andrew spoke about his brother, other than to note that they were getting along (finally).

“Yes.” Andrew tapped his fingers against the steering wheel then sighed. “They both work at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Guess it balances out us a bit, right?” He glanced aside at Abram with a slight quirk to the corner of his mouth. “We kill people, they heal them.”

“We don’t kill everyone,” Abram argued. “There’s some missions where people live.” He smiled when Andrew snorted in dissent. “Whatever.”

“Whatever indeed.” Andrew’s eyes narrowed at the hatchback driving much too slow in front of them. “I’m about to kill someone right now.”

Someone was probably going to get multiple vehicle violations in the mail within the next few days, Abram suspected, but for once the threat wasn’t directed toward himself so he merely settled a little lower in the comfortable leather seat and used his phone to check the traffic ahead.

They reached Heathrow shortly after Aaron texted to say that he and Katelyn had cleared Customs and retrieved their luggage, and so drove to Arrivals to pick them up. For some reason the two had declared that they didn’t have to go into the airport to greet them, so Andrew drove the sedan to the general arrival area where the two should be waiting and found them by spotting Aaron’s familiar visage.

The couple appeared surprised by the Aston Martin as it pulled up to the curb and when both Andrew and Abram exited the vehicle, with Katelyn breaking into a grin while Aaron shook his head. “It’s so good to see you!” the young woman exclaimed as she made an abortive motion as if to give Andrew a hug then thought better of it. “Thank you so much for coming to pick us up.”

“Ah, yeah, you didn’t have to do that,” Aaron said in a much more subdued manner; he was dressed in worn jeans and a MUSC long-sleeved t-shirt, while Katelyn wore leggings and a brightly colored PSU sweatshirt. “We could have taken a cab or something.”

“But the hotel room won’t be ready for a few hours,” Abram said while Andrew grabbed the luggage to put into the car’s boot. “I thought that’s why-“

“Ignore him,” Katelyn insisted as she nudged her husband in the side. “He’s grumpy because of the long flight.” She gave Abram a grateful smile while Aaron huffed and went to help his brother with the luggage. “We appreciate everything you’re doing for us.”

“Uhm, it’s nothing, really.” Abram motioned toward the car and fumbled for the door handle so he could open it for her. “Let’s get going.”

“Okay.”

Katelyn smiled as he closed the door once she was inside, yet Aaron gave Abram a displeased look over the hood of the car before he slid inside. Abram frowned over the reaction then shrugged as he returned to his seat up front.

“This your car?” Aaron asked once they drove away from the airport. “Seems a bit too normal for you, a bit proper and all.”

Abram bit into his bottom lip to hold back a chuckle as Andrew revved the 560 horse power engine to easily bypass the traffic as they merged onto the highway. “It’s not bad for a loaner, but I much prefer the Vantage S Roadster or the Maclaren 720S. They’re not meant for four people,” Andrew stated in a bored tone, “unless you want to ride on the roof.” He gave a look at his brother through the rear-view mirror. “That an option?”

His brother was quiet for several seconds before he made a disgusted noise. “Like rubbing it in that you’ve got money now, don’t you?”

“Aaron,” Katelyn protested in a quiet, unhappy voice.

“I wasn’t the one to bring it up,” Andrew pointed out as his hands tightened around the steering wheel.

That seemed to deflate Aaron’s bad attitude as he slumped back in the seat and was quiet for the rest of the drive to the townhouse. After about ten minutes, Abram spoke out in Chinese. “Perhaps we can be assigned to Hungary a little early.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Andrew replied, but there was the slightest bit of humor in his deep voice and his grip relaxed.

It looked as if Aaron wanted to say something when they reached the townhouse, but Katelyn managed to step on his foot before she walked away from the car. “It’s lovely,” she said in a bright manner as they entered the building.

“Ah, thank you.” Abram was a little unnerved by how cheerful she was about everything, despite being used to Nicky’s exuberant nature; why was she with a dour person like Aaron? “Would you like something to drink? Tea or coffee?”

“Tea?” Aaron muttered as he glanced around. “Can he be any more British?” That seemed to be directed at Andrew.

Katelyn’s smile appeared a little strained at the comment, and then Sir came trotting along, probably attracted to the sound of their voices. “Aw, would look at… him?” she asked as she glanced at Abram, who nodded. “Aw, such a pretty boy,” she cooed as she bent down to pet Sir, who began to purr at the attention. “And coffee, if it’s not too much trouble. We’re trying to stay awake until tonight, we heard it’s best for jet-lag.”

Abram made a quick escape to the kitchen and left it to Andrew to show his family around the first floor of the townhouse. He heard Katelyn’s excited voice as the coffee brewed, and the three returned as he poured the hot beverage in four mugs; it didn’t come as a surprise when Andrew headed straight for the cabinet which contained the whisky.

“The place really is lovely,” Katelyn exclaimed as she leaned against the island as she looked around at everything. “I especially like the backyard. We keep talking about getting a townhouse one day, but we’re so busy with work right now that an apartment is easier to maintain.”

“It won’t be anything like this,” Aaron muttered, but he gave Andrew a slight, grateful smile when whisky was added to his mug. “We’re saving up enough money that we’ll get something nice for Charleston.”

“Just another year or two!” Katelyn gave a slight laugh as she leaned against her husband with an arm wrapped around his waist. “And by that point, we should be able to enjoy the new home! You know what they say about residents and long hours.”

Aaron grimaced at that. “I didn’t think anything could make me feel as tired as Day’s obnoxious practices when we reached the semi-finals, but a twenty-hour shift will do it.”

Abram perked up a little at the mention of Exy, at least until his husband gave him a ‘gentle’ kick in the right ankle. “So lots of long days, huh?” he asked as he got up to fetch a tin of biscuits to go along with the coffee, which he made sure to set close to Andrew. “I’m sure you have stories to tell, yes?”

He might not know how to deal with ‘normal’ people like Aaron and Katelyn after being raised by criminals and murderers, but he knew how to get people talking, especially after going to work for Lloyd. Especially after seeing the flashes of envy in Aaron’s eyes (an emotion so unfamiliar in Andrew’s) since picking the couple up from the airport.

It didn’t take much prodding for the two (especially Aaron) to reminisce about stories during their years as interns and residents, about the patients they’d treated while on the long training shifts and their fellow students. For a while it appeared that Aaron tried to disturb them by recounting the most gruesome stories that he could, but gave up when neither Abram nor Andrew were bothered (that and it seemed as if Katelyn did some kicking of her own).

If only Aaron had a clue what his brother had been up to the last few years, but all he’d been told was that Abram’s family was in ‘shipping and trading’ and that the two of them currently worked for the government.

Abram noticed that Andrew avoided looking at Katelyn directly when she talked, his gaze often cast at the mug held behind his hands, and figured that his husband still had some issues in regards to Aaron’s relationship. He also noticed that Aaron focused his attention on his brother rather than look at him, especially once it was clear that Abram wasn’t the ‘squeamish’ sort.

Andrew wasn’t the only one with his issues, it seemed.

Katelyn was in the middle of talking about some child who’d eaten too much raw pizza dough when her phone chimed. “Oh,” she said when she read the message. “We can check in now.”

Andrew stood up while Abram gathered the mugs. “It won’t take long to get to the hotel,” Andrew said as he walked away (probably for a cigarette before the drive into the city), and Aaron excused himself for a moment, which left Abram and Katelyn alone in the kitchen. He went to put the mugs in the dishwasher and was surprised when Katelyn came over with the tin of biscuits.

“Uhm, we really appreciate all of this,” she said in a quiet voice. “I know you don’t have to drive us around or have dinner with us and stuff, that it probably would have been enough for Andrew and Aaron to just meet up for coffee or something.” She gave Abram a wry smile when he held up one of the mugs. “He might not show it, but it means a lot to Aaron that Andrew’s willing to spend so much time with him after everything, and he’s… he’s trying, honest.”

Abram was beginning to see why Aaron had fought his brother so much (according to Nicky) for this woman, with her cheerful disposition, intelligence and obvious love for the man. “Well, he is a Minyard,” Abram said once the dishes were put away. “I know what to expect.”

She giggled a little and nodded. “Yes, and while they’re wonderful men, they’re stubborn as well. Very stubborn.”

“Ah….” Abram made a show of holding up his hands and shaking his head in a clear sign of not wanting to incriminate himself (at least, not when there was a chance of Andrew walking in at any moment).

Katelyn giggled some more and gave him a sympathetic look. “Right, not trying to get you in trouble, but I understand. I can’t always say that we’ve gotten along,” she rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner at that, “but I’m happy that Andrew found someone.”

“Thank you.” Figuring it was best to change the subject before his husband returned, Abram motioned to the young woman’s purse. “So, there’s a couple of dinners we arranged and a friend of ours lined up a tour we think you and Aaron might enjoy, but do you want or need to do any shopping while you’re in town? Anything to take back home?” There’d been times when some friends of Nicky’s had come for a visit and needed souvenirs and the such. “I’ve a good friend who works at Harrods who can be of assistance.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Katelyn beamed at the offer and went on about a shopping list she’d been given by her coworkers and her mother, as well as a couple items she’d hoped to find before she left; both Andrew and Aaron rolled their eyes as she talked while Abram sent a text to Liliya to arrange an afternoon when the two could meet up – maybe even have Nicky join in since he’d probably enjoy the excursion and got along well with Liliya.

Tension seemed to leave Andrew’s shoulders once the couple was dropped off at their hotel, and it was a quiet ride back to the townhouse. Abram made them some spiked tea and tugged Andrew out to sit by the pond, content to be alone with his husband once again. “That wasn’t too bad, was it? Katelyn seems nice.”

For once, he didn’t think the frown directed at the pond had anything to do with Andrew’s ‘dislike’ with the fish. “She’s still annoying as ever,” Andrew proclaimed before drinking his tea.

“Really?” Abram sighed as he leaned against Andrew. “How long are you going to hold this grudge? I mean, it’s just been… what, almost ten years? Something like that?” Couldn’t he just accept the poor woman already?

“Forgiven Ally for Calais yet?” Andrew asked as he stole Abram’s tea, the bastard.

“Never mind,” Abram sighed as he slumped down on the bench. “It’s going to be a few awkward dinners, how wonderful. At least I’m not driving.” He had a feeling that there would be at least a bottle or two of wine consumed at dinner.

“I put up with your insane family all the time, you can put up with Aaron and the cheerleader tramp for a few nights,” Andrew told him in that ‘agree with me or else’ tone that always made Abram want to grit his teeth.

“I don’t mind the cheerleader ‘tramp’, I just have to put up with some weird, twisted copy of you.” Abram scoffed as he thought about Aaron. “Does he really think he’s getting anywhere with those feeble scowls and insults? After I’ve lived with you this long?”

There was a slight twitch to Andrew’s full lips before he finished Abram’s tea. “It is rather amusing to see him try, isn’t it?”

“Prat,” Abram said as he rested his head on Andrew’s shoulder. “Why do I bother with you?”

“Someone has to remind you to feed the damn fish, babe.”

“More like make sure you don’t try to fry them up one day, hon.” Abram hummed in happiness as his husband tugged on a lock of his hair then closed his eyes so he could enjoy Andrew’s presence and the sound of falling water. It was quiet for at least a few minutes before Andrew tugged on his hair again, harder that time. “Ow, what?”

“Come on, it looks like it’s going to rain and I’m not about to have you get soaked then pass out on me during a mission again.”

“One time,” Abram moaned as he stood up. “One fucking time. Are you ever going to let that go, either?” he asked, even though he suspected he knew the answer already.

“No,” Andrew said in a succinct manner as he gave him a slight push toward the townhouse. “Idiot.”

Abram wondered if he could get Katelyn alone during her visit and commiserate over living with a Minyard (former Minyard, in his case, he supposed) for a good hour or two, perhaps see if she had any advice which may come in handy (other than ‘render him unconscious for a bit of peace and quiet’).

*******

#nekojitachanfics #armies fic #andreil #aftg au #neil as abram #neil josten #andrew minyard #aaron minyard #aaron/katelyn #Anonymous

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gstqaobc · 3 years

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THE ROYAL FASCINATOR

Friday, May 21, 2021

Hello, royal watchers and all those intrigued by what’s going on inside the House of Windsor. This is your biweekly dose of royal news and analysis. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox.

Janet DavisonRoyal Expert

Meeting the Queen online

For Dr. Steve Beerman, it was in many ways like having a pleasant conversation with his 92-year-old mother. Except it wasn’t his mother. It was the Queen. Beerman, a retired family physician in Nanaimo, B.C., spoke with Queen Elizabeth online the other day as she gave him — virtually — an award recognizing his longstanding work in drowning prevention. “I’m very delighted to be able to present you with this cup, a very large cup, which one day you might see if you come to London,” Elizabeth told Beerman as she honoured him with the King Edward VII Cup during the virtual session with the Royal Life Saving Society. Beerman, co-chair of the Canadian Drowning Prevention Coalition, was quick to reply that it was “a pleasure and a humbling honour to be with you.” Being with the Queen in this way has become the way of the royal world during the pandemic. Many observers have said that virtual sessions involving the Queen have offered new insight into the 95-year-old monarch, who has more often been seen from afar, giving formal speeches or doing a walkabout. “Many people who commented to me about the interview [said] that they had never seen her have what they would describe as a nearly normal conversation with some people,” Beerman said. “My own mother is 92. This was not a whole lot different than talking to my own mother.” Beerman, a trustee with the Royal Life Saving Society, had met the Queen at Buckingham Palace a handful of times in connection with that Commonwealth organization. But his most recent session with her was memorable in a new way. “It was more chatty,” he said. “It was more communicative than when I’ve experienced these encounters in real life, face to face. So I thought this was actually a better way to do this.” A seven-minute video of the session involving Beerman and others honoured for their drowning prevention efforts was posted online, but the overall virtual encounter lasted about 20 minutes, and came after participants had two practice sessions. “In the second one, we actually rehearsed what we were going to say and we were coached in a very nice way by the people from the royal household about pausing and being slow enough to allow her to interject with comments or questions,” Beerman said. “We were very much encouraged to participate in a conversation as opposed to doing an acceptance speech.” Still, there was a bit of nervousness for Beerman as the call began. “There’s always some nerves about are you going to misstep or say something in a way you might regret or that might be perceived to be awkward by others,” he said. As the conversation progressed, Elizabeth shared her own memories of receiving a life-saving award as a teenager. In 1941, she became the first person in the Commonwealth to receive the Royal Life Saving Society’s junior respiration award. “I didn’t realize I was the first one — I just did it, and had to work very hard for it,” Elizabeth said. “It was a great achievement and I was very proud to wear the badge on the front of my swimming suit. It was very grand, I thought.” Beerman sees the shift to the virtual world for the Royal Family as a signal the House of Windsor can change with the times. “I think it’s a strong statement of ... we can pivot when we need to, we are flexible, adjustable and, like the rest of the world, we have to respond to the reality that we live within.”

The deceit behind the Diana interview

The interview was as devastating as it was haunting. And now, 26 years after Diana, Princess of Wales, sat down with a BBC journalist and told the world “there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” an inquiry has found that Martin Bashir acted deceitfully to gain the interview. It’s a finding that will echo through both the royal and journalistic worlds. In response, Princes William and Harry made statements that lay bare the deep pain the interview with their mother has left with them. “It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said. The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse and has since hurt countless others," William said in his statement. "It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC’s failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her." But what saddens William the most, he said, “is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived.” Diana was failed, he said, “not just by a rogue reporter, but by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions.” Prince Harry said their mother “was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave and unquestionably honest.” He said what “deeply concerns” him is that similar journalistic practices are still widespread. “Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for.” Observers suggest it will all have a significant impact on how the BBC is viewed. “It shakes the real core of journalism because people will no longer look to that broadcaster and trust them wholly because we now know that they're prepared to lie to coerce people into taking part in interviews,” marketing consultant Diana Young told the CBC’s Tesa Arcilla. Diana and Prince Charles were divorced in 1996. She died after a car crash in Paris in 1997.

Babies and the line of succession

(Peter Byrne/Press Association via The Associated Press Word this week that Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, are expecting their first child will add yet another shuffle in short order to the line of succession. The child, due sometime this fall, will be the 12th great-grandchild for the Queen, and the fourth baby to arrive in a matter of months. Beatrice’s younger sister, Princess Eugenie, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, welcomed their son, August, in February. The following month, Princess Anne’s daughter Zara, and her husband, Mike Tindall, welcomed their son Lucas. Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are expecting a daughter, with a due date thought to be in early summer. That baby will take the highest spot in the succession among the new arrivals, landing at No. 8, following her father, Harry, who is sixth in line to the throne and Harry and Meghan’s first child, Archie, now sitting at No. 7. The passage of time can mean marked shifts in the line of succession for those who enter it somewhat lower in the roster. Take, for example, Sarah Chatto, daughter of Princess Margaret. When she was born in 1964, she was No. 7. Now, she is 26th.

Royally quotable

"Planting a tree is a statement of hope and faith in the future."

— Prince Charles, in a video posted online to mark the launch of the Queen’s Green Canopy,

a tree-planting initiative to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee

next year that aims to enhance the environment now and for future generations.

Royal reads

1. Prince Harry says the pain of Diana’s death

pushed him to drinking and drugs

. The Duke of Sussex’s latest comments, along with further criticism of how he said the Royal Family neglected both him and his wife, Meghan, came in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in The Me You Can’t See, a new Apple TV series about mental health debuting Friday. [CBC]

2. Queen Elizabeth’s

first major ceremonial duty since the death of her husband

, Prince Philip, came during a scaled-down state opening of Parliament. [The Independent]

3. Prince Michael of Kent, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth, has

denied reports

he was willing to use his royal status for personal profit and provide access to the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin. [BBC]

4. There was

lots of taffeta and no tantrums

during the creation of Diana's wedding dress, recalls one of its designers. [The Guardian]

5. One of the Queen’s two new puppies, which she reportedly received a few months ago from Prince Andrew for companionship,

has died

. [The Daily Mail]

6. The succession for the British throne is clearly laid out, but succession can in some other countries be

considerably more complicated

. [The Guardian]

Cheers!

I’m always happy to hear from you. Send your ideas, comments, feedback and notes to

[email protected]

. Problems with the newsletter? Please let me know about any typos, errors or glitches.

New newsletter alert! Our CBC colleague Peter Armstrong has a newsletter called Mind Your Business, a weekly guide to understanding what’s happening in the worlds of economics, business and finance. Subscribe to it

here

💜🙏🏻🙂✝️💟PG💟✝️🙂🙏🏻💜

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺🇳🇿.

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purplesurveys · 4 years

Text

964

..leave me here in my..stark raving sick sad little world.. by daizy62

**GENERAL JUNK** How many people do you know with the same first name as you? Two with the exact same spelling, three with a different spelling than mine. What in your opinion is the best love song ever written? Always so much pressure and a lot of thinking to answer superlatives like this...I haven’t listened to all the love songs in existence so I wouldn’t even be credible to begin with. My answer is pretty basic; I love Yellow by Coldplay. What were you doing at this time yesterday? I was either taking a shower or playing with Cooper, I can’t remember well. Have you done anything drastic to alter your physical appearance recently? No. I’m not the biggest fan of change, and that trickles down to my physical appearance. I like to stay where I am and only ever act on change if I get an extreme urge, like earlier this year when I got my bangs and had my hair cut all the way to my neck. Is there anything bothering you right now? Sadly there always is now. It’s gonna be lingering for a while and all I can do is wait it out. I hate not being in control of things, and that bothers me too.

Are you wearing shoes right now? No. No shoes are allowed beyond the first few steps from our front door.

How old were you in 2005? I was 7 and starting first grade. Pro-life/Pro-choice? Choice. Are you wearing anything purple? I guess some would consider it purple. My shorts are in the middle of being pink and purple, so I’m sure some level of confusion is bound to come up if people were to tell what color they think it is. Do you live east or west of the Mississippi River? I live very far away from it. Have you ever been to Chicago? No but it’s my favorite city in the US. If I had to go to the country one day, it has to be a trip to Chicago and nothing more. Do you drive a stick-shift? Nope. Never learned, not really willing to. Have you kissed anyone who's name started with A, K, M, or T? No. Do you have a sister? Yep, a younger one. Where are you right now? I’m in my room, at my desk. Do you straighten your hair? Never. Not a good look on me. Do you have a gym membership? No. I’ve never been interested. Can you count to 10 in another language? Of course. Is there a calendar in the room you are in? There are digital ones on my phone and laptop, but I’ve never put up a physical calendar in my room. Is it possible you could be pregnant? Hah, not a chance. How long is it until your birthday? 7 months. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? I know one person in real life; the rest are celebrities. Was your mother married when she had you? Yeah, I was born less than a week before their first wedding anniversary. Would you ever go skinny dipping with your #1? **LASTS** What was the last thing you drank? I finished up the last few drops of my coffee from my mug last night. Last thing you ate? A pizza roll. I think I’m gonna be called for breakfast in a few minutes though. What was the last movie you watched in theaters? Knives Out, last December. I’ve been giving the same answer for months now lmao. I wish I can watch movies at the theatres again. What was the last thing you watched on tv? The evening news last Friday. That’s the only thing I watch on an actual TV these days. I prefer watching everything else on my phone or laptop now. Who was the last person to text you? Andrew. They checked up on me last night – I’m guessing they’ve noticed I’ve gone off the radar on all social media, so I appreciate the words they gave me. They made me feel present. Who was the last person to call you? My dad. I heated up water last night to make coffee but I didn’t want to keep waiting downstairs, so I told him I was gonna head to my room first and to just text me if the water’s all ready. He ended up calling my phone.

Where was the last place you went? Bathroom, to take a shower. When did you last hang out with your 22nd phone contact? I have not seen him since March, and I think the last time we were together was at a local protest in my college. We’re not friends though so I think it’s too much to call it ‘hanging out’ lol. Our relationship was mostly professional. Who was the last person to comment you? I haven’t been on social media for a week or two now, so I no longer remember who commented on any of my statuses or tweets last. Ate Alyanna maybe? Aliyah? I really have no clue. When was the last time you kissed someone? Just a little less than a month ago. When was the last time you stayed out all night? 2017, I think? I enjoy staying up til like 2 or 3 AM, but pulling all-nighters just sounds like way too much. I like being able to catch up on sleep because not enough of it makes me cranky. When was the last time you went to Walmart? I’ve never been inside one. What is the last digit of your phone number? 5. When was the last time you were in the car for more than an hour? There was a short period last month where I’d go to my car and stay there for an hour or so whenever I started to feel especially distraught, so that I can have a good cry alone for as long as I want and be loud if I needed to. But I’m really glad it never developed into a full-blown habit and that I only did it a handful of times. Where was your last vacation to? It was a quick weekend trip rather than a vacation, but we went to Tagaytay and Cavite. Ugh, I reeeeeally miss going out of town... Who was the last person you rode in a car with? It’s been a while since I was in a car with anyone since I usually drive on my own and the only being I’ve been bringing with me is Cooper. I think the last people were my parents. When was the last time you had to be up before 7 AM? Two weeks ago for my job interview. I dunno if it’s right to say that I had to be up before 7 AM since the lockdown has greatly reduced the traffic in Manila and I didn’t need to get on the road super early to beat the traffic, but I still set my alarm to around 5:30 AM anyway because I like allotting several hours to prepare for things as important as that. Who was the last person(s) you took a photo with? I haven’t done that with anyone other than my dogs. My camera roll’s been devoid of other people for the past few months. When was the last time you saw your dad? Like half an hour ago. Why did you cry the last time you did? Because the sads had finally hit me and I started feeling worthless again. When was the last time someone gave you a compliment? Sometime last week. Apparently my mom and aunt got to talking about me and my new job and my aunt apparently complimented me on my chosen career field and said that I was a better fit for PR than journalism and broadcasting, which is what everyone in my family originally expected me to land in. That really means a lot, considering how much happier I am in this path.

When was the last time you locked your keys in the car/locked yourself out? I locked myself out sometime in late 2019, but it was because my key to the front door fell out of my keychain while I was in school and I never noticed :( What was the last thing you spent money on? We had Kimi trimmed and groomed the other day. When did you last see your #2? **FINISH THE SENTENCE** I should probably: Discover a new hobby that can help with my mental health and overall wellness. Crocheting? Baking? Working out? All sound good at the moment. We’ll see. When I can't sleep: I pick out a few YouTube videos to watch and keep me company until I start feeling sleepy. I need more: Happiness. Right now I would love: For things to settle back into normal again. I feel like I’m living in the middle of a nightmare. My last kiss was: A month ago. If I could, I would: Move and start anew somewhere else. When I'm pissed: I need to be alone so that I don’t end up accidentally exploding on someone who doesn’t deserve it. I am listening to: Rhett and Link trying unconventional dumplings. I never leave the house without: Phone, keys, wallet. I believe in: Gender equality, marriage equality, pay equality. Granting people their rights, basically. I am wearing: A shirt all the way from high school. I tend to daydream when: I’m bored and stuck somewhere I can’t leave, like a boring class lecture. My grandma is: They *are* amazing cooks. After this I am going to: Try to find another survey to take...or maybe find something in the pantry to eat because my stomach’s grumbling a bit, ha.

#surveys #survey

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walkerismychoice · 5 years

Text

Stripped Bare - Chapter 10

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Bryce X MC (Charlie Hawkins)

Summary: Tuesdays activities continue and Bryce and Charlie sneak in a little free time between events.

Note: Things are not going to plan. I’ve been trying to hold things off longer, but these characters just don’t seem to want that, so where it goes from here, who knows, lol.

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 2964

Katelyn and Landry lead the group to a large conference room near the front desk of the hotel. On the table, there are stacks and stacks of colored paper, along with numerous boxes around the perimeter.

“Everyone find a seat,” Katelyn instructs. “Due to logistics, we weren’t able to assemble the table decorations ahead of time, so we had all the materials shipped here. There are instructions at each place and an example in the middle, and with all of you here, it should only take a couple hours to get them all done. Landry and I have some final things to go over with the wedding planner, but since you will be working through lunch, we are having food brought in.”

Kyra covers her mouth and whispers to Charlie. "Do we get bathroom breaks or are we chained to our chairs?"

Charlie tries to hold back a laugh and snorts instead. Katelyn glares at them before continuing her spiel. "Depending on how soon you finish, you may have some free time before our dinner cruise. Remember the boat departs promptly at 5pm, so if you aren't there on time," she looks right at Kyra and Charlie, "we won't be able to wait for you." With that, Katelyn turns to leave, and Landry follows like a submissive puppy dog.

Charlie takes a seat between Kyra and Bryce, and honestly the two of them are the only thing keeping her from going off the deep end and strangling Katelyn. She looks at the origami lotus flower lantern in the center of the table and then studies the double sided instructions thoroughly, picking up the paper and fumbling within the first couple steps. "What the...I can hardly fold a paper airplane, how the hell am I supposed to figure this out?"

She's been too wrapped up in her own frustration to notice how Bryce is fairing, when he places a completed flower in front of her. "There. That wasn't so bad".

Charlie shoots him a look out of the corner of her eye. "How in the world did you do that so fast?"

Bryce shrugs. "I'm very adept at spatial reasoning, and did I already mention I'm great with my hands? Both helpful traits for a surgeon."

"God, Charlie, is there anything your man can't do?" Kyra quips.

"I'm terrible at baking. Don't have the patience for it. But other than than that? I'm good at everything." Bryce winks at Kyra and they both laugh.

Kyra sighs. "Smart, handsome, and a good sense of humor. You better not let this one go, Charlie."

"Yeah, he's great," Charlie smiles weekly at Bryce and hopes her tone of voice doesn't give anything away. She's forced to think again about how she's going to have to come up with some reason for a breakup, and it hurts to think about her time with him ending.

Bryce squeezes her thigh under the table and plants a kiss on her cheek. "You are great too, Babe."

Kyra chuckles. "Ugh, you two are so disgustingly cute, I can't take it. Get back to work before I develop diabetes from all the sweetness."

Bryce helps show Charlie how to make one, which makes much more sense than than the directions. She's proud of her accomplishments even though she can only make one to every five Bryce makes. A couple hours and multiple paper cuts between the group later, they've completed all 300 lotus flower lanterns. Bryce has probably single-handedly saved them about an hour’s worth of time.

The group disperses and Bryce and Charlie return their suite. Bryce pulls his swim trunks out of his suitcase. "I think I'm going to go for a swim. There's that semi-private pool in the courtyard and it would be a shame to not get a chance to use it. Care to join me?"

Ugh, that would mean getting into her swimsuit in front of Bryce, which is bound to happen at some point, but she isn't mentally prepared for it right now. Sure he's seen her naked already, but that was briefly and not in a form-fitting bathing suit that can magnify problem areas. Going stark naked would almost be preferable. But maybe she could just hang out in her coverup and dip her feet in.... "Sure. Just give me a few minutes."

Charlie retreats to the bedroom and closes the door. She goes through her suits, murmuring to herself. "Definitely not that one, but this one should should be okay." She selects a black one piece with a plunging neckline and strappy back, hoping the cleavage will distract from other areas. If she can say anything positive about gaining weight, aside from having a healthier relationship with food, it's that her boobs are pretty amazing now.

She puts the suit on and turns to look at her back in the mirror. The straps kind of smush the little bit of back fat she has but she realizes she's probably the only one who would even notice, and she scolds herself for being so critical. She slips on her coverup and hopes what she's wearing underneath won’t matter regardless.

When Charlie and Bryce arrive at the pool, nobody else is around. Bryce immediately starts applying sunscreen to his front side and extremities, and then points the bottle at her. "Can you get my back?"

The thought of rubbing her hands over his lotion slicked skin is enough to make her palms sweat, but how can she really say no? "Oh...sure." She squeezes some into her hands and rubs them together before spreading sunscreen over his shoulders and down his back. His skin is so perfect and smooth, and his taut muscles seem to relax under her touch until she reaches the sides of his lower back and he flinches.

"Sorry, I'm pretty ticklish there," Bryce admits.

"Good to know." The words fly out of her mouth without thinking, as if she'll somehow need this information filed away for later use. She's pretty sure he's used this line on her though, so he can't think too much of it.

Charlies starts to lotion herself, finishing up her arms and legs when Bryce interjects. "Let me do you now."

She knows what he means, but the double entendre paints a mental picture that leaves her fumbling to form cohesive thoughts. "N-no, I'm good. I'm just going to dip my feet in and keep my back covered."

Bryce shakes his head and a devilish look flits across his face. "I thought we came here to go swimming?" He suddenly scoops her up and Charlie shrieks as he holds her over the side of the pool. "If you won't go in yourself, I'll have to make you."

Bryce, you wouldn't dare!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but do you really want to test me?"

"Okay, okay, okay, just put me down." He sets her down and Charlie tries to act mad about the ordeal but she can't hold back her smirk. "You win," she says as lifts her cover-up over her head. "Now do me." Might as well continue using his language.

"With pleasure." Bryce squeezes out a generous amount of sunscreen, starting at her shoulders and working around the fabric of her suit. He covers the areas between the straps and Charlie can't help but suck in and hold her breath like it's going to make a difference. Once he's got every exposed part, he moves back up and massages her shoulders, focusing on two big knots on either side. "You are still so tense Charlie. You know you can relax around me."

If only it were that easy. Does he not realize the effect he has on her? "It's just hard with Katelyn being such a tyrant." It is part of the reason, so it's not a total lie.

"Yeah, Katelyn is pretty terrible. I can't understand how you two are even from the same gene pool." Bryce circles thumbs deep in the muscles of upper back one more time, and a soft moan escapes as an almost she feels and almost orgasmic release of tension. He leans in close and drops his voice low. "Does anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are? Something tells me you don't hear that nearly enough."

A shiver runs down Charlie's spine at the same time a surge of heat rushes through the rest of her body. She doesn't doubt his sincerity this time, but he's right. Between her mom always trying to buy Charlie clothes a size to small, Katelyn never failing to remind her of her shortcomings, and the way Andrew would point to old pictures of when they were first dating and remind her of how good she used to look then, she's not used to such compliments, and she has a hard time believing them.

"Thanks," Charlie mumbles and jumps in the water like it will magically wash her awkwardness away. Bryce does a backflip into the water, and lands beside. At least it lightens the mood, and she can't help but give him a hard time. "Show off."

"I'm running out of ways to impress you, Charlie."

"You want to impress me? Beat me to the other end of the pool!" Charlie leaps forward with a head start, kicking water in Bryce's face before he can make sense of what's going on. She's just about to reach the edge of the pool with her fingertips when Bryce swims underneath her, touching the pool wall first. He surfaces between her arms, back against the wall, and her body collides with his.

"I win!" Bryce announces with a sly grin. "So, did it work?"

Charlie sits frozen against Bryce's chest with her hands gripping the edge of the pool on either side of him. He has that look in his eyes again, like he's begging her to kiss him. She inches her face closer hesitantly, giving him any opportunity to back down if for some reason she's misreading his signals, but he doesn't.

Their lips are mere millimeters apart, when the loud squeak of the pool gate interrupts them, and Charlie turns to see a group of three couples entering the pool area. She quickly pushes away and swims the the center of the pool. She's not sure if it's a sign our what, but she's not about to make out with Bryce for real in front of an audience.

Charlie and Bryce float around casually in the pool with the other guests. Charlie gets out to bask in the bright sunshine, so Bryce decides to do laps, because of course he does. That boy does not sit still for long.

Before long it's time to go back and get ready for the dinner cruise. Once inside the room, Charlie flops down dramatically on the bed while Bryce stands in the doorway looking amused.

"I take it you aren't looking forward to tonight?"

"Do you think Katelyn would notice if we just didn't show up?"

Bryce sits on the bed next to her. "As tempting as that is, I'm sure she'd find some way to use it against you."

Charlie sighs heavily. "You're right. But screw her suggested dress code. I'm wearing flats instead of heels."

Bryce bursts out laughing. "Sorry, but your rebellious side is adorable. How about I live dangerously too and go without a tie."

"Hey!" Charlie swats his shoulder with the back of her hand. "It is a big deal! A Connecticut socialite wearing flats to a dinner function could be social suicide."

Bryce just shakes his head. "Then it's a good thing you have me by your side. Nobody will be looking at your feet."

Charlie chuckles. "Yes, I'm very thankful to have my trophy boyfriend on this trip...But in all seriousness Bryce, I'm really glad you are here. This whole trip is so much more tolerable because of you. I know it's only because I'm paying you-"

"Hey," Bryce cuts her off. "I would have come with you for free. Well maybe not before I knew you. I was pretty skeptical of some rich girl who was desperate enough to pay a guy that much money to pretend to be her date to a wedding. But after meeting Katelyn, I get it...and I actually like spending time with you." Bryce inches his hand over on the bed and brushes his pinkie against Charlie's, sending an electric tingle radiating through her.

Charlie looks at Bryce, unsure of what to say. There's a definite thing between them she can no longer deny, but she's still afraid to find out exactly what that means. "Well, I suppose I should go shower so we don't miss the boat." Not her smoothest response but at least she didn't say anything embarrassing this time. She'll take that as a win.

~~~

Bryce sidles up to Charlie standing against the side of the boat overlooking the water. Cocktail hour and dinner had gone fairly well, with both Charlie and Bryce mingling amongst the tolerable people in the group, but she still needed a minute away to breath.

He hands her another drink and slips his arm around her waist. "How are you holding up?"

"All things considered, it's been a pretty good night. And my shoes are so comfortable!" Charlie laughs as she holds out of foot showing off her strappy sandal flats.

"And you look stunning as always." Bryce seems to get distracted by something out of the corner of his eye. "Don't look, but Katelyn keeps looking over at us. Should we give her a show?"

“What do you have in mind?”

Bryce takes Charlie’s drink and sets it on a nearby table next to his. He turns her towards him to allow Katelyn the best view, and loops his arms around her waist. “Kiss me.”

“Oh...” Shit. She’d figured that was where this was going, but she’s still not prepared to hear it. With all that’s happened today, the thought of kissing him is more terrifying than before. Is it real, fake, or somewhere in between? “...Okay.” She rests her hands on his chest and lifts her her heels up to reach his mouth for a slow but chaste kiss. It’s barely anything more than a kiss she would give her grandmother, but her heart’s still pounding nonetheless.

“I think you can do better than that,” he encourages with a sly grin. ‘You want to make her jealous, don’t you?”

Their agreement was nothing more than kisses like that, but is that even part of this anymore? Charlie slides her arms around Bryce’s back and tilts her chin up as he leans down to meet her. She parts her mouth just slightly, tentatively, waiting for Bryce to take the lead, but all he does is mirror her actions. She summons her courage and deepens the kiss, and her stomach fills with butterflies, sparks transferring between their lips. He tastes like rum and mint and his lips are as smooth as silk. His hands settle lower and lower on her waist until Charlie breaks the kiss. She tries to discreetly look at Katelyn, but Katelyn sees her and abruptly turns and walks away.

Charlie steps back and out of Bryce’s grasp. “Seems like that did the trick.”

Bryce grabs his drink and takes a sip, and amused look on his face. “I would agree.” He give Charlie her drink and places a hand on the small of her back. “We should probably rejoin the others.”

Charlie sighs. “Probably.”

~~~

The rest of the night passes quickly yet torturously slow at the same time. Charlie can’t stop analyzing the kiss and what it did or didn’t mean. She’d been sure Bryce had felt something just as she had, but then as soon as Katelyn was gone, the moment was over. Had she expected him to pull her back in, push her up against the wall, and kiss her passionately until she could no longer breathe? Maybe it was just for show. Neither one brings it up again, and soon they are back in their room getting ready for bed.

“Is it still cool if I sleep in the bed with you?” Bryce asks as he comes out of the bathroom in his boxer briefs. “I don’t mind sleeping on the couch...”

Charlie’s heart sinks. Had the kiss changed something for him? “I don’t mind if you sleep with me, really.”

“Ok, good.” Bryce smiles brightly, and Charlie is awash with relief.

They climb into bed and Charlie instinctively puts the pillow barrier back up. Bryce chuckles and throws the pillows off the bed.

“That’s really not necessary, Charlie...unless you want it.”

“No, I don’t need it.” If Bryce isn’t afraid of some incidental touching, who is she to try and prevent it? She flips over on her side away from him and towards the edge of the bed like the night before.

She can hear Bryce laugh under his breath. “If you want us to be believable as a couple, you have to stop being so afraid to touch me.”

Charlie looks over her shoulder and shrugs. “We even had the yoga instructor fooled today. I don’t think we are doing such a bad job at that.”

“That’s because you were able to get out of your head. But when you have time to think about it, you’re still so timid and tense. Come here.” Bryce tugs on her hips and she scoots back into him, Bryce draping an arm over her. “Is this okay?”

“Yes,” she answers, her voice barely a whisper, although “okay” might not be the word she would use. It’s intimate, too intimate, but having his body against hers feels so good she’s not going to deny him.

Bryce gives her a soft squeeze. “Goodnight, Charlie.”

#playchoices fanfic #open heart #Stripped Bare #bryce x mc #bryce lahela #my fic

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TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #24-25 MAY 2011 - MARCH 2012 BY ANDREW MODEEN, GARY CARLSON, ROSS MAY, WILL TUPPER, ARSENIY DUBAKOV, FRANK FOSCO, DONNA G. OMO, DENNIS KENNEDY, A. C. FARLEY, DAN BERGER AND RED HERRING COLOR. WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO MARK PELLEGRINI (TMNT ENTITY)

SYNOPSIS (FROM TMNT ENTITY)

Flying the Triceraton aircar through the skies above New York, Don’s cyborg body suddenly goes on the fritz. Apologizing to Zog, Don crashes the aircar in the streets.

At the current HQ of the New York branch of the Foot, Cheng addresses the Lady Shredder. He informs her that his spiritual tether to Splinter via the Astral Plane has proven most beneficial and that the two “surprises” she ordered for the Turtles have been prepared. An Elite Guard orders Cheng to leave so that the Lady Shredder can psychologically prepare herself for the coming battle with the Turtles.

The Lady Shredder, actually Tang Amaya, remembers back thirty years, to her youth in Japan’s Chihaya village. There, she met a young Oroku Saki, who was training in the art of ninjutsu to slay the killer of his brother: Hamato Yoshi. Saki told Amaya that after killing his brother, Yoshi kidnapped her sister, Tang Shen, and fled to America. This shared tragedy bonded the two and together they gained entrance into the Foot Clan. They spent many years training together, and at age 18, Saki was elected to lead the New York branch of the Foot Clan while Amaya was selected to join him as a member of his Elite Guard.

Nineteen years ago. After learning the location of Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen, Saki (now going by the alias “the Shredder”) left to gain his vengeance, forbidding Amaya from accompanying him. Saki returned, having slain Yoshi, though he arrived too late to save Shen from a deadly beating at the hands of Yoshi. As a token, Saki gave Amaya the gauntlet he used to slay Yoshi.

For a time after that, Amaya took on the identity of “the Headhunter”, a mercenary taking contracts out on other underworld figures. This was all a ruse to help her weed out traitors within the Foot as well as enemies attempting to assassinate Saki. Impressed even more with her skill, Saki selected her to lead Goseico (a profitable business front for the Foot) following the death of Gosei Kenji.

Years later, Saki was killed by a freakish ninja clan trained by Hamato Yoshi. Swearing vengeance, Amaya donned the gauntlet Saki had given her and prepared herself to hunt down the “turtles”. However, her vengeance would be postponed once the Foot Mystic Mashima resurrected the Shredder as a blasphemous creature stitched together by worms. Amaya rejected the Worm-Shredder as merely an imposter of Saki even if he retained all of the original Saki’s memories. The Worm-Shredder then revealed that he knew that Amaya had secretly bore Saki’s child and had given the girl up years ago. Amaya refused to divulge any further information, not that it mattered, as shortly afterward, the Worm-Shredder was decapitated by Yoshi’s clan.

More years passed and Amaya (now going by "the Mistress") eventually had her first reckoning with the Turtles at the Goseico building. Though she lost Goseico in the battle, a sleeper agent within the company informed her that one of the Turtles was parading around in Saki’s armor. Enraged and ready to take her rightful place as leader of the New York Foot, Amaya used her contacts with the Oroku clan still among the Japanese branch of the Foot to solidify her leadership (though she feared such tactics might dishonor her in a manner similar to Karai). She then arranged for the duel between Raphael and Pimiko, two others claiming leadership of the New York Foot, as a means to draw her enemies out.

Back to the present. Now going by the name Lady Shredder, Amaya dons her armor and prepares for her final assault on Yoshi’s clan.

At the mausoleum HQ in Westwood Cemetery, the Turtles and Pimiko spar and prepare themselves for their impending battle with the Foot as Splinter and Dr. X look on. All are unaware that the Foot gather just outside; Cheng’s spiritual bond to Splinter having led the ninja to the cemetery.

Down in the sewers, a badly malfunctioning Don has reached his secret lab and reactivates the imprisoned cyborg remains of Dr. Baxter Stockman. Don implores Stockman to help him, though Stockman has a price: he wants Don’s living nanite-infused metal. Don refuses, knowing Stockman will use it to resurrect himself, but the Turtle is running out of time.

On the Utrom Homeworld, Security Officer Yat escorts Leatherhead to the presence of Ambassadors Klag and Korobon. The Triceraton that had been teleported alongside Leatherhead has been dealt with and Leatherhead rescued. The Ambassadors thank Leatherhead for his previous service to the Utroms, defeating the Illuminated Utrom Alliance. Leatherhead, still suffering his mental conditions, remembers nothing of that adventure. The Utroms disregard his mental troubles and offer him a new challenge: to bring his friend, Dr. X, back to the Utrom Homeworld.

Back at the mausoleum, Mike tries over and over again to call Sara “Horridus” Hill, but there’s no answer. Suddenly, Splinter senses the presence of enemies. Outside, Lady Shredder orders the strike to begin and several rocket launcher-toting Foot Soldiers proceed to obliterate the mausoleum.

Down in the lab, Donatello finally concedes defeat and willfully gives up his living metal to Stockman. As Stockman begins to reform himself, he lets the helpless Don know that they’re about to have “a little bit of fun”.

In his secret lab, Donatello wakes to the sight of Baxter Stockman hovering above him, inserting cables and tubes into his body. As it happens, Don’s natural immune system is rejecting the cybernetic parts and if they remain, he will die. Stockman is using his own cyborg body as “life support” for Don while he siphons off the nanite-infused liquid metal. As it happens, though, as the nanites recede, Don’s own mutagen-enhanced healing factor is now able to progress unimpeded. His shell has already grown back and he’s gradually returning to normal.

At the mausoleum, Leo, Raph, Mikey, Splinter, Dr. X and Pimiko have survived the explosion set by the Lady Shredder, Cheng and the Foot. As they escape through the streets and into the sewers, a Shredder Elite sees them and alerts Lady Shredder. In the tunnels below, Leo sends Splinter to hide and protect Dr. X while he, his brothers and Pimiko stand their ground against the final assault.

At the Jones apartment, Casey is icing his head from the beating he took at the bank when his check bounced and he pitched a fit. April soothes him, assuring him that they’ll make ends meet and he’ll find another job. They’ll just have to save up a little bit longer for their wedding. Shadow awakens from bed and comes to see her parents, having had a bad dream about Uncle Mikey.

In the sewers, the battle begins. Hordes of Foot Soldiers fill the tunnels and overwhelm the Turtles. Leo orders everyone to retreat back to their original Lair. Meanwhile, Cheng unloads his “surprise” from the back of a van at the behest of the Lady Shredder.

Don comes to once again in his lab and finds that he is rid of nearly all traces of the liquid metal, which Baxter has absorbed and used to repair himself. Don resigns himself to the fact that Baxter will now be able to escape, but such isn’t the case. Only being a brain, there wasn’t enough organic matter for the liquid metal to bond with and Baxter crumbles back to his previously dismantled state. Baxter thanks Don for the fun, anyway, and asks that after he puts him back up on his shelf… he give April his regards. Don leaves with a suspicious look on his face as Baxter laughs maniacally.

In the sewers, Cheng’s surprises reveal themselves: the two surviving mutant Shredder clones the Turtles thought they killed years ago. The clawed Shredder clone and the midget Shredder clone, fully healed, attack. Cheng is pleased with his work, certain that by perfecting Mashima’s mystic worms, he’ll be able to create whole armies of the creatures. There’s another surprise on the way, though, as King Komodo returns amidst the chaos to finish Leo off. King Komodo kills the clawed Shredder clone so that he can have an unobstructed match with his one-handed foe.

Cheng and the Lady Shredder finally enter the fray, with Cheng leading a pair of Foot Mystics in mystically enhancing their army’s strength. Lady Shredder prepares to take Raph off guard when Pimiko intervenes. Raph confronts Cheng as Leo continues his battle with King Komodo and Mikey takes on the midget Shredder clone. With all the extra Foot Soldiers around, things look bad until Don returns to lend a hand. Grabbing a staff from one of the Foot, he offers to give explanations later and proceeds to fight by his brothers’ side. In the battle, King Komodo bites off Leo’s prosthetic stub-blade, revealing a re-grown hand beneath. Komodo is perplexed and Leo uses the distraction to decapitate the monster. Taking a cue from his brother, Mikey wraps his nunchaku chain around the midget Shredder clone’s neck and squeezes until the creature’s head pops off. Meanwhile, Raph kills the two Foot Mystics with shuriken and stabs Cheng with his sai. Raph believes that by killing Cheng, his astral tether to Splinter is now severed. While that is true, Cheng assures the Turtle that he has already dealt their father a fatal spiritual blow. Angered, Raph kicks Cheng’s corpse.

Lady Shredder and Pimiko continue their duel and it becomes apparent to Lady Shredder that Pimiko is her daughter. Pimiko won’t believe it and, protecting Raph from the Lady Shredder’s gauntlet, impales her through the stomach with her katana. In the skirmish, the Lady Shredder delivers a decisive strike to Pimiko as well, piercing her stomach with her gauntlet. As they both lay dying, they remove their masks and the truth is revealed. Lady Shredder, Tang Amaya, tells Pimiko that she left her with Warlord Komodo in the hopes of sparing her the life of an assassin and is truly saddened to see that her daughter could not escape her fate. Even sadder, she regrets that she was unable to avenge her sister, Tang Shen, or her beloved, Oroku Saki. Hearing this, Splinter exits from the Lair and places his hand on Tang Amaya’s head. He shows her the death of Tang Shen as he saw it through his own eyes (as a normal rat) and Amaya finally knows what really happened. With her final breath, she curses Oroku Saki and tells Pimiko she loves her. Pimiko attempts to tell Raph something important, but her life gives out and she dies, too. Removing his bandana, Raph cries through both now-healed eyes.

Their leader dead, the surviving Foot Soldiers retreat into the darkness. Only the last surviving Shredder Elite remains. He approaches the Turtles and, cursing them, pulls out his katana and commits seppuku. With the circle of blood that has plagued them and the Oroku family finally complete, Splinter tells them that the feud that has lasted their whole lives is over.

The next day, Karai arrives in New York via helicopter. As it happens, her whole “disgrace” was nothing but a ruse to weed out the last remaining Shredder-loyalist dissenters amongst the New York branch of the Foot. She addresses the two shamed heads of the branch and the surviving Foot Soldiers: The need for a “Shredder” is over, the Council of Five from the Japanese branch has her back and she is now in complete control.

In New York harbor, Leo and Raph cremate Pimiko’s body on a funeral pyre as they did her father many years ago, though they wish her peace in the afterlife. Confidentially, Raph tells Leo that he sort of had a thing for Pimiko; a real thing, not like the “romance” Leo and the others chided him about having with his friend Lucindra. Leo understands and, also confidentially, tells Raph that he and Radical have been seeing each other, lately. On that romantic note, April and Casey deliver Mikey the good news: his novel “A Rose Amongst Thorns” has gone for a third printing and is a best seller. Mikey’s muse, Horridus, stops by to visit and Mikey can’t wait to share it with her. Horridus, though, reveals that she’s developed a thing for Dragon and that she’s staying with him, now. Heartbroken, Mikey throws his typewriter across the room in a fit of rage.

Later, the Turtles, Splinter and Dr. X reconvene at the Lair, where Don finishes picking the last of the liquid metal from his skin. Suddenly, Leatherhead arrives through the transmat to complete his task; sending Dr. X back to the Utrom Homeworld for a debriefing. Dr. X is surprised that her assessment of the transmat’s functionality was incorrect (while Leatherhead is surprised to learn that Dr. X is actually female) and bids her friends a fond farewell (Leatherhead opts to stay on Earth).

At Puzorelli’s apartment, the mob boss finds the severed head of his nephew, Joey, on his bed along with a terrible message on his answering machine: the Foot Clan has rallied and are aggressively taking the city back from the mob. Even worse, the assassin Razorback is rumored to be back in town. Puzorelli pours a drink and considers that, in the end, it is better off that Shadow is with a family that can keep her away from the mob violence that has consumed his life and murdered his family. Right on cue, several Foot Soldiers invade his apartment and assassinate him.

With all the insanity of the past year finally behind them, the Turtles and Splinter take a much-needed retreat to the farm in Northampton.

On the Utrom Homeworld, Ambassadors Korobon and Klag debrief Dr. X on her extended mission to Earth. Dr. X reveals that she believes the Earthlings to be ready for “first contact”, though a few more years are necessary before they can make their move.

At the Halls of Lost Legends, Merlin talks with his pet owl, Archimedes, who wonders if the Turtles are ready to join them in the Hall. Merlin discards the notion, as the Turtles won’t be ready for quite some time.

REVIEW

Volume 3 is not canon. That was Peter Laird’s decision when he started TMNT volume 4. So if you were a fan of this volume and you wanted to know the end of the story... well, too bad.

Years later, it was finally possible to offer fans some sort of closure. But in a way that you could say, puts everything back into Mirage continuity. So in a way, these two indie comics, that are not published by Mirage or IDW, closed all the plots and even managed to connect the series to volume 4. Which is impressive, and made possible by many stories from Tales of the TMNT vol. 2.

Now, is it good? At certain points you feel like a deviation was needed to throw backstory at you. At other points you feel like certain developments are too convenient (like Puzzorelli’s fate, or the reptile healing factor). But for the most part it feels right.

Having said that... because IDW is adding three new issues to volume 3, through “Urban Legends”, this ending is not canon... for the non-canon volume.

Nevertheless, I feel the effort makes this a worthy read and it’s free.

The art deserves a special mention. The style doesn’t match the style from volume 3, which you would think is a bad thing. But it does remind you of the original TMNT issues and a bit to the next volume, so in a way, you could think of these issues a transition, even in the art.

I am glad this exists. Let’s see what Gary Carlson does with “Urban Legends” in 2020.

I give the story a score of 7.

#kevin eastman #frank fosco #courtland brugger #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #comics #review #2011 #2012 #modern age #spawn

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