#apparently i have some.. second cousins from my dads side who lived near from before we moved

[thecherrygod]

im thinking about my great aunt, who was basically the only family member from my moms side that we really knew. i remember her being kind but like. i was a little kid, if every time i went to visit you youd give me candy, or a toy, or a candy that came with a toy, id think you were a wonderful person

but im not exactly thinking about that, but what i think was the last time i saw her. like im. unsure if im remembering it right. i dont even remember how old i was, maybe a 5 or 6 year old.

it.. felt like a party of sorts, in her apartment. a lot of people i didnt know so i stuck to my mom. i. dont even remember my brothers or my dad being there i just remember being right next to my mom, and my great aunt was in bed i think, i dont know if she simply couldnt get up or what. but i also remember she gave me a... flower? or something like that. she had sculpted it before giving it to me, and the clay, or whatever the material was, was raw.

and i just. remember walking around the apartment. seeing an amount of people i didnt know, in my memory everyone was having a good time? and everyone was dressed sorta like for a party

..... also i think i managed to spend most of the party with the clay flower as a flower but at some point i sorta started playing with it bc i loved doughs and stuff a lot and i couldnt get myself, and i think i got a bit disappointed i couldnt turn it back into a flower

i cant remember if i managed to ask her to make it into a flower again or not, in fact i cant remember if i saw her again that night before leaving

[innytoes]

Another chaos prompt: You’d marry me if I asked, right? for Rulie pretty please?

And also for @bananakarenina who asked: Ooh, chaos prompt! 51, rulie.

Julie had long since accepted that her family liked her boyfriend almost more than they liked her. Her dad and Reggie had been friends since before they even started dating. Even back then, when Julie was still just nursing a massive crush on him, it had been cute. Carlos thought of all of the band as ‘honourary big brothers’ in that he liked to drag them whenever they were nearby. And of course Reggie had won Tía over with his earnest praise for her cooking and his big puppy dog eyes.

These days, Julie got flack if she came to family events without him. The one time Reggie had been sick and couldn’t come to her Abuela’s 85th birthday, only two people in her extended family hadn’t greeted her with ‘where’s Reggie?’. She’d gone home with three different soup recipes and a lot of conflicting health advice from various (great-)aunts and uncles, second cousins, and even her grandmother herself.

So of course Reggie was invited to family movie night. He had his own spot on the couch (wedged between the arm and Julie, where she could cuddle into his side). They’d watched some zombie apocalypse movie Carlos had picked first, and now some rom-com her aunt had chosen.

“That’s bullshit,” Julie whispered, when the Clearly Not Right For The Heroine starter boyfriend freaked out when she proposed to him, because it was ‘weird for a girl to do it, you have to wait’. “You’d marry me if I asked, right?”

“In a heartbeat,” Reggie agreed, watching as the Heroine went home to her Small Town to heal her broken heart and probably run into a way hotter dude who had like, a dog or a precocious kid or a really nice beard or something.

It had just been an offhand comment.

Which was why Julie was confused when a day later, the congratulations started rolling in. On the family group chat. In her Insta DMs. On her woefully underused Facebook. The band group chat was going insane, and she had no idea what to tell them. She’d managed to calm Flynn down by explaining that nobody was engaged, she had no idea what was going on, and for her to please help her hunt down Carlos just in case this was one of his pranks.

Reggie came back from the grocery run looking confused and flustered. “I just got off the phone with your abuela,” he said. “She was so excited, and wanted to know when the wedding was. Did I... did I hit my head and forget something important, Julie?” He asked it so earnestly, like he was actually concerned that was what had happened, she couldn’t help but laugh and kiss him.

“I have no idea what’s going on either,” she admitted. Also, she couldn’t help but be amused her grandmother had called Reggie before calling her. She was about to ask what he’d told her, when her phone started ringing. It was Tía Victoria.

“Mija, I am so sorry,” she said before Julie could even get a ‘hello’ out. “I was talking to your Tía Camila about the movie, and I mentioned that cute thing Reggie had said, and apparently she misunderstood...” Oh god. Oh my god, that made so much sense. Tía Camila lived for drama and gossip. Reggie was pressed against her so he could listen in, and he pulled back, eyes wide.

“Thanks, Tía. We’ll... we’ll sort it out,” Julie managed. When she hung up, the first thing she did was text Flynn a ‘stand down’ before she actually managed to hunt down Carlos. The second thing she did was turn to Reggie. Except he wasn’t next to her anymore, he was rummaging through one of the grocery bags near the door.

“Aha,” he said, beaming. Julie could hear something being opened, and then he came back, hiding something behind his back. “I think I have the solution to our problems.”

“Is it a tub of cookie dough ice-cream? Because I think I could use a tub of cookie dough ice-cream right about now,” Julie said. Reggie shook his head, grinning, before kneeling down in front of her and presenting her a ring-pop.

“I picked these up while your grandma was talking, just in case,” he said. Julie felt her breath catch in her throat. Reggie was kneeling in front of her. With a ring. A candy ring, but still. Suddenly, his eyes went wide, like he realised what he was doing, and he stood back up. She fought down her disappointment.

“Wait!” he said. “You’re supposed to be the one who proposed!” He pushed the ring at her, and she couldn’t help but laugh, taking the ring and his hand between hers.

“Really?” she asked, fighting back tears.

“I told you, Julie,” Reggie said, his free hand finding her cheek, thumb stroking away the first tears that spilled over gently. “I’d marry you in a heartbeat.”

[sauntering-down]

another dream post compiled from discord

ignore this lol i just like to have them all under one convenient tag...

i had an extremely detailed and vivid dream right before i woke up this morning, and for once i woke up AFTER it finished rather than in the middle... so ofc now i can only remember a few random bits

like the possibly-magical rose hips this dude got from another world

and my tattoo sleeves which had been hidden via magic and when some kind of potion was poured over my arms they all came back

and also my cousin and i wanted to go to the beach alone but i guess we couldn't?

and at the end, when the "adventure" was over, i was packing all my stuff into plastic bins to take home and i had so many i didn't think my dad could fit them all into the car...

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anyway i also had this delightful little dream where i took a train home from my old elementary school? like there was a station there... the entire school looked bizarre, but dream-me rationalized that as 'oh, i haven't been here since i was 12 and they've added onto it since then, i shall allow Lauren to guide me since she has younger siblings who went here post-renovation'. so we walked through the halls and to the station on the far side of the school. we had to wait for train 398 - there was another that came before it, but according to Lauren (a childhood friend who lived around the corner from me) that one didn't stop anywhere near our houses. mind you, i think our train stopped somewhere near the library, which is further from our houses than the school... but whatever. we let the first train pass and got on the second. sort of. mostly we clung to these poles on the outside and stood on the steps like it was some kind of trolley. i dimly remember thinking this was dangerous but not really caring lol. then the next day i took the train home alone and was very proud of myself, although i think i might've left something on it. there was also some later bit where i was in class at that same school and i'd been absent the previous day, so my teacher had moved my desk somewhere weird? he told me to move it back if i could, and it wasn't heavy so i could lift it and put it in place easily... idk. the end.

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hate it when i have interesting dreams but only remember snippets of them!! in one i was involved with some huge battle to decide the future of humanity or something world-changing like that... and it took place in a shopping mall for some reason. in another i was a boy named Nim who was sixth of eleven children - or, as he put it, "five on each side" making him the true middle child of the family, lol. they lived on this big wooded lot somewhere in Hawaii, apparently... most of his siblings also had weird Dweep names (there were two boys named Zolt and Melk) but some got away with normal ones, like the brother just older than him who was called Liam. last dream, my family had moved into a new house somewhere. we went to eat at this nearby restaurant several times and my brother and i kept inexplicably taking a table that these two older men liked? sometimes they'd sit with us anyway and we'd just ignore one another?? but then one time my grandparents (including my long-dead maternal grandmother lol) came too and some of them sat with us and suddenly the men were super chatty and nice and fatherly, it was weird. then we went back home and i showed my mother how much the lighting in my bathroom sucked, but at least the view from the windows in my bedroom was GORGEOUS - one faced a bunch of fields and rolling hills, the other looked out towards the ocean. i wanted to get some pictures or like a short video panorama to show you. and then i woke up.

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i had the weirdest fucking dream early this morning, right before i woke up. i wish i could explain it but it really was an incoherent mess. highlights include me actually going to a party a girl i knew back in school was throwing, her living in a place in Oakdale called 'Halloween', sliding headfirst down a hilly street at extreme speeds and somehow being fine, some sort of music or vocal contest at my school kinda like NYSSMA but some people were treating it like a gala and brought champagne and shit, some OTHER kind of school competition where we'd designed mascots and stuff for our teams, the school itself looking half like my high school and half like a Target or grocery store, buying an insane amount of expensive merch for this contest featuring our weird mascots... god it was so bizarre

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meanwhile i remember two dreams... one was the typical "i need to go to school but i have so much stuff to pack i'm running late" dream. in the other i was in this little town where a bunch of people i'd known as a kid lived... i went skateboarding with some of them, i think? i was bad at it lol. and one friend had a cool scrapbook of all the stuff our old friends had done since high school, which was a nice little "everyone's succeeding and achieving their dreams or at least LIVING and You Are Not", thanks a lot, subconscious. there was also this hotel called the "World Star" up atop this very steep little hill in the middle of town, which is funny because that exact same hill/hotel has shown up in my dreams from time to time and in this one i made a point to LOOK for it and there it was! it was a nice town though

it's ALWAYS atop that small but very steep hill

i've never been inside it but once or twice i've walked/biked up the driveway (which takes Effort because it's so steep lol)

i think this is the first time it's actually had a name!

thrilling development in my life

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dreamed my family and i were taking the cover off the aboveground pool at the old house and there was a cobra lurking in it. when we realized that we started ushering everyone (because there were a whole bunch of people there for some reason) inside, along with the cats who were inexplicably out. unfortunately the cobra followed us onto the deck and tried to get inside? since i hadn't made it in yet, i grabbed the snake behind the head, planning to toss it into the grass, but it twisted around just enough to bite my thumb. it also bit some random dude somehow. i kept holding it but now i was yelling for my mother to grab a knife and behead it, which she TRIED to do, but it took a really long time until she'd like... sawed through the snake enough that i could let go of it... it was gross lol. and then i was like "hm, should i actually worry about this bite? i know cobras are venomous but i don't feel much of anything. maybe my thumb is a little numb. skin looks sorta pink and swollen around the bite. eh, might as well pop over to the ER and make sure." so then i grabbed a tote bag from under my bed and started packing it in case i had to stay a day or two at the hospital - taking my phone and laptop and chargers and whatnot - and then woke up. honestly better than the previous night's "it's time to go to school but i haven't packed my bag yet and i have so much stuff it's taking forever to pack and i keep finding more stuff and i'm going to be late" dream.

The funny thing is I remember the other bitten dude being like “if it’s serious they might have to airlift you somewhere else” and I went “oh cool I’ve never ridden in a helicopter before! :D :D :D”

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good morning, i had a dream where i went to the dentist supposedly to have a tooth extracted, but we never actually got around to it... first i had to do some treatment that involved chewing what appeared to be a piece of red clay that was all gritty and sandy? and then the dentist and assistants were making sausage in the lobby and there was meat and casing everwhere??????

(Mary: ...now...hear me out on this...but i do feel like that's a huge red flag)

"dentist removed my broken tooth and also an unbroken arm. sent me home with some delicious sausages that gave my daughter a prion disease. 2/5 stars, dentist was very pleasant but i couldn't get past the mess in the lobby-slash-sausage-factory and also my daughter is terminally ill now."

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i had some rather bizarre dreams... one was a very weird little thing where my girlfriend (whoever she was) died of anaphylaxis after accidentally eating something she was allergic to. but that was just like, a premonition or something? so i was trying to prevent it??? except i failed to stop her from eating The Thing, so her mouth started getting super swollen and all - and also we had this dog who was sick i guess - and i immediately went to call 911 so hopefully we could get to the hospital in time. the 911 operator was basically like "lol sounds like nbd" when i told him about my girlfriend, so i told him about the dog too and he was like "oh okay, i'll send a helicopter to airlift you to the vet by the railroad." hung up like ?????? because i had no idea if he was serious... but then a helicopter landed outside? so i took the dog and my GF (who at some point along the line became my IRL cousin. wild.) onto the helicopter, thinking i'd call 911 again from the vet and maybe get someone who'd listen about my girlfriend-cousin's allergy. we make it to the vet, which looked more like a weird hostel or something, the dog is whisked away, and i'm about to call again when girlfriend-cousin is like "eh, i feel better, i'm just gonna go take a nap." and went to some little back room to do so. i was VERY confused and kept checking on her to make sure she was alive, and then woke up

also there was another part of the dream where i was back in my hometown, on a road supposedly near Vets Highway that definitely doesn't exist. i was riding my bike and took a shortcut through like... a video game store or a Best Buy or something??? idk why haha. but i wound up on a residential street where there were a TON of fruit trees. i saw a huge pear tree first, followed by a bunch of others, all loaded with fruit - several of them were like, banana and mango trees, which i'm pretty sure don't grow on LI but i didn't notice then lol. i was snapping pics with my phone, but i don't remember anything else

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k i had two dreams before i got up this morning... the second one was a really depressing dream about visiting an old university i'd supposedly been to at one point, so let's not. but the FIRST one? i went up to the Honda in Cocoa because i guess something had happened to my car and it was time to go pick it up. i get there and the guy's like "oh yeah, we had to do some body work but it's fine :)" and i was like :) and then... he shows me this tiny white car which is NOTHING like my actual car. and when i say tiny, i mean child-sized, like one of those battery-powered toy Jeeps kids can ride around in at 2 mph. i just shrugged and rolled with it lol. my dad texted me like "just got the bill and the repairs only cost $95 👍🏼" and i did not know how to explain what those repairs had done. so i get in this car and my legs do not fit. they literally dangle over the hood and almost to the ground. i had to sit on the BACK of the driver's seat in order to keep my legs in so i can work the brake pedal (the gas was controlled by this weird handle on the steering wheel??). there was no windshield or roof. it still accelerated like a normal car so i went "hm, not safe, whatever" and just hoped i didn't tip over or anything.

drove out onto the road. it was daytime at this point, but by the time i made it to the corner to get on route 1, it was like, midnight. didn't see anything wrong with this. car only gets to 40 mph max. i am getting passed a lot. finally decide maybe i should drive on the sidewalk for my own safety and immediately after that, the car slooooowed way down, then died completely. my childhood friend Lauren was there for some reason - we inspected the car a little and concluded it wasn't going anywhere. i said i was going to ask my dad for a ride and she didn't have to wait with me, she was like "...okay" but didn't seem too happy to leave because i was stranded in the middle of the night in a rough area, though i guess she did leave because poof, gone. just as i'm about to text my dad, a car pulls up behind me - it's my brother, who asks if i need a ride. he makes me remove my jacket and shoes first so i don't get his car dirty. his car is inexplicably really cluttered - he had a tea kettle on a burner in there and everything - but finally i was allowed to get in. we stuck my car in his trunk, lol, and that's when i woke up.

also at some point i was in this huge mall where i might have worked in the Hot Topic? not sure what that was all about... maybe connected to the university dream

the only bit of THAT dream which was funny was the part where i was in a dorm and elected to take a shower in this tub that was weirdly placed in the middle of a hallway, right next to the stairs. it was very inadequately hidden by two small shower curtains. people kept walking by and going "who are you and why are you in our shower????" while i'm just casually using all their hair products. or stealing them. literally walked out with a few.

and at the end one of the girls i met wrote me this little story and drew a picture based on some tale i'd told her earlier, and it was adorable and i was so happy i took a photo of it with the other girl's phone and sent it to my own so i could keep it

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god i just remembered the freaky-ass dream i had last night

where i was in some house vaguely resembling my old one and i glanced into another room and saw a man climbing in through the window

and i freaked out and ran to alert my brother, who was kinda going to help me but then... didn't really? and this dude's chasing me through the house, trying to hurt me, and i kept throwing things and hitting him and it wasn't slowing him down?? and at one point i managed to get away, went downstairs, and found my dad and brother. my dad was half-naked. not the half i would've preferred. anyway he was all concerned when i told him what was happening but when the guy showed up again he just... forgot?????? and didn't help me at all? so i gave up and got my hands on a knife and cut the dude's throat so deeply i almost severed his neck. no blood. it didn't kill him and he had what looked like layers of bacon and lettuce and tomato instead of bones and arteries and whatnot. my dad took a piece of tomato from his gaping-open throat and ate it. i think i willed myself awake at that point because what the fuck.

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i've been trying to explain the dream i had last night, but i'll be damned if i can actually put it into words. it started with a 'let's get the team together for a heist' scene which rapidly deteriorated into 'we're actually going to hunt a giant buffalo who killed my dad' and went downhill rapidly from there. the Google Maps screenshots... the weird side-trip into LotR where Legolas and Gimli were strolling through the woods... the main female character's Russian little sister also hanging out in the woods... building weird traps... finding out the New Guy we'd recruited had actually heisted something and was going to jail... except he didn't go to jail, he was just on house arrest... driving 75mph through a residential neighborhood... New Guy claiming his neighborhood was a slum but it was really gorgeous (though it may not have had electricity??)... the backwards mahjongg game... the $20,000 gold-encrusted piece of chocolate... the woman and Russian sister going on a Christian TV channel to promote watches... little sister hitting on the also-female TV presenter and casually flashing her boobs on live TV (she was like 13/14 so this was. weird)... something about Deadpool at the end and little sister getting an actual badass girlfriend... god it was a mess.

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right before i woke up this AM i had a dream where i was like... some kind of live-in babysitter or au pair for a family on an island in Canada? i was 18 - this was specifically mentioned - and i'd taken this job because of something to do with Pokemon. don't really remember the explanation. anyway the family was Mom, Dad, and a son around 7; he had a French name i don't recall. nice kid. their house was pretty but i don't remember that either. i just know they lived in a semi-suburban little area (there were also a bunch of really skinny townhouses) right on the edge of a forest. after we had dinner i said i was going to take a walk, and i followed this path that ran behind a bunch of other houses' backyards before curving off into the forest. kept thinking i should grab my phone and take pictures to send you, but i wanted to get some in the woods so i headed that way. right after you reached the forest, there was actually a clearing to one side where the local school was, this really gorgeous brick building... ofc just as i got there, a couple of cops kicked me and some other people walking around out of the forest, because apparently there'd been a murder?? idk i was really disappointed because i wanted to take pictures for you, but then i woke up

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can't remember much from last night's dream... my family lived in this little house and there was a sort of shaved ice or snowcone shop attached to it? i guess that was our business? only part i remember clearly was my brother and i sharing a bedroom and i left the window open one night and a guy climbed inside. i think he was planning to hurt or kidnap me but i started yelling and he escaped back out the window.

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weirdass dreams last night. one of them had something to do with Brambleclaw (he had a different name i don't recall - Leaf-something?? - but i still knew it was him) and i think StarClan was sending him shitty visions that made him have seizures. also dreamed there were a bunch of huge blisters on my left thigh and beneath the thin bubbly blister-bit was like, NOTHING. i could see straight down this HOLE in my leg at all the fat and muscle and shit. they stung really badly and i finally went to my ex-nurse mother and asked if i should be worried about this, but she was like "nah nbd". didn't believe her. thanks a lot for the help, mom

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had a fuckin... uncomfortable dream where i was on this hill that had a chairlift to get to all the houses for some reason. there was also a really nice park by a school - i went to the park and hung out for a bit, and apparently there was some event happening at the school at the same time, because when i left, there were a few cops directing traffic. one of them stopped me and asked if i had been at the school and if i lived around here. when i said no, just chilling in the park, he made me get out and pretty much grope-searched me?! for some reason he thought i'd gotten surgery to hide a gun under my skin and was suspicious of these "scars" i don't actually have???? it was really really weird... luckily i think eventually his partner told him to let me leave, i clearly didn't have a weapon...

didn't even MENTION the part where my dream-boyfriend and i were sleeping in a double bed and some rando aunt of mine inexplicably joined us and may or may not have died there??? dream-BF either made her go elsewhere or just. disposed of her body if she was dead lol, and in doing so spilled Oatmeal Square cereal all over my floor

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had boba tea in my dream!! got it from this little stand in the shopping center across the highway from my old house. shopping center actually exists, but the stand does not... anyway i was extremely nervous because i had no idea how/what to order, but eventually i got myself a black tea (in frappuccino/milkshake form) with boba! they were also pretty busy so the guy also forgot to charge me for it lol. i wanted to take a pic to send you, but it was taking FOREVER for my phone to focus because it was so dark - btw it was like 10pm - so i decided to walk to the other end of the shopping center where the McDonald's was, in search of better lighting. had to go that way anyway since i'd left my car in a parking lot further down the highway (WHY i did this involves the earlier part of the dream, which made 0 sense, so we'll skip it). the Chinese takeout place we used to get food from was still there, but now it was a freestanding restaurant; i was going to walk through there, but couldn't find the door out once i was inside. had to go back out the way i came. someone might've been held captive in there, not really sure. kept going along towards the well-lit McDonald's, drinking my tea... i think i woke up around then

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woke up this AM and fell back asleep and had a short but awesome dream... i guess my family had moved to another house and my new bedroom was HUGE. had gorgeous French doors leading outside and everything, plus this massive bathroom that had two separate tubs - one was just a regular if large bathtub, the other was a hot tub i think? and whoever had lived in the house before us must've left without taking everything, because their stuff was still all over my bedroom. i was sorting through my things and finding so much of theirs in the process... i tried on a dress that didn't fit... found a bunch of posters in a box beneath the bed... there were all sorts of unfamiliar books... also found photo albums in the wardrobe and i was about to check them out because i wanted to know WHO had lived here, but then my cousins arrived and i had to go hang out with them instead, and then i woke up

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had this dream where i was in the front/side yard of my old house (which didn't look very much like my old house, but whatev), digging up all kinds of Legos from the dirt?? like, i have no idea why they were there or who buried them, but there were TONS and i was digging them out, cleaning them off, and putting them in a bin. finally realized it was getting late, so i went inside to wash up... and then found out it was the night of my graduation from junior high (properly called the 'Moving Up Ceremony' lol). cue panic because we were SUPER late and i didn't have time to do anything but wash my hands. so we drove over to the school, which again looked nothing like my actual junior high, and my parents and brother went to the LGI to sit down while i met the rest of the 9th graders backstage. everyone's all dressed neatly and the girls have purses and whatnot; meanwhile, here i am in dirty denim shorts and a tank top, carrying an empty ziplock bag????? i was deeply self-conscious about this but nobody really seemed to care, or at least they didn't tell me about it lol. the ceremony started, but for some reason they decided to split it into two halves - sat through the first half, then we were dismissed for like an hour to go have a meal in this enormous cafeteria, then we'd have the other half and get our 'diplomas'. met up with the fam in the cafeteria, but i wasn't really hungry, so instead i went outside and found a friend of mine named Liam. fyi, Liam is an OC i made up for something once.

anyway, he'd come in a golf cart and we hopped inside and drove off along a path through a bunch of hills until we reached a HUGE stone building. inside was very dimly lit and the floor was just a giant mess of sand. bunch of other people were digging around - apparently there were TONS of archaeological artifacts buried in this place and everyone was finding stuff constantly. i was like "hell yeah, finally my Lego dig experience comes in handy" and started digging through the sand too. found a gold coin almost immediately, followed by a couple other random trinkets. i also found these two stone boxes that had to be EXPLODED open - i inexplicably had a bomb on me, and Liam had a lighter and offered to blow them open for me, but i was like "no, let's wait until we're done, we might find more of these boxes and i only have one bomb. also people might panic." and then i woke up, so i have no idea what was in the boxes or if i ever went back to school for the other half of the ceremony.

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hmmmm dreamed i was walking around some little town at night, when it was kind of cold - not LATE at night, there were places open and a bunch of people milling around, and it would've been nice except i was inexplicably carrying Jazz with me and she wasn't at all happy about it. and in another part of the dream, i had a twin brother named Jakub (because i guess 'Jacob' is too mainstream? come on, at least make it 'Jaiykub'!). he died when we were kids, though; he either fell or got hit with something and fractured his skull so badly it killed him. RIP

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dream last night was weird... in one part i was at school and this dude and i went into a classroom together because he was supposed to be sort of a guide for a new student, a guy who also happened to be blind... anyway they're all sitting at a table working things out and meanwhile i'm just in the background loudly sharpening a pencil??? and somehow i screwed that up so i showered myself and the new student in pencil shavings??????? idfk... different part i was playing with Legos, yay. someone had built a huge house and i was messing around with it and suddenly realized there was a whole hidden section in the attic above the garage. except then i was really there and as i tried to get back down through the hatch in the floor i slipped and fell into the garage and broke my leg.

and the house (not the lego version, the actual one?) belonged to an old lady named Samantha who had all these sculptures and miniatures and tiny replicas of stuff in her yard... not sure why i was messing around in her secret attic, but i think i was looking for a photograph

AND there was also a part where my mom and i went shopping at some department store and i found a skirt i LOVED - it had a bunch of patches and pins on it - but it was $100, SUPER short, and probably wouldn't fit me anyway. i was trying to take a picture of it but failed miserably.

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hmmm last night's dreams... in one i was in my grandparents' old house in Deansboro, though it looked pretty Wrong lol. i went down to the basement where the garage was (except irl it was not) and was looking for something in the middle of the night in the dark?? and then suddenly i saw a door opening and someone stepping inside, and i freaked out and slammed the door into the guy???? he fell on the floor, groaning, and my grandfather came downstairs just as the guy jumped up and ran away... apparently it was some neighbor kid who kept breaking into their garage lol. and there was something else about finding these 'uneven arrows' (arrows with one side longer than the other i guess) carved into things to lead me to a box buried by a guy named Troy, who'd hidden his journal in a box underground... /shrug

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most of what i remember of my dream was living in this really pretty neighborhood somewhere in New England, very rural, with this little abandoned building down the road that was being turned into a cute post office, and another building just a bit further that had a couple things in it, and one was a cafe that sold bubble tea - i was going to get some boba and send you a pic and i was all excited about it, but that was the end of the dream

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can't really explain my dream except i was taking some kind of class that could only be summed up as "Capitalism: The LARP" but also we were all playing Warrior Cats

we were all these business owners and shit, except like half the class was given a leg up by having their business ready to go when we started, so they could just start making money. meanwhile the rest of us had to decide what we were doing and get our offices together and dig tunnels (????) so we could get from place to place... and THEN we could start making money... but also we were cats

that'll be the next series, just you wait

you thought cats with magic powers was bad... wait until they start dodging taxes

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you were in my dream! i was visiting you or something! we went for a walk on this wooden bridge over a narrow but deep river and you decided we should go for a swim, so you jumped in. i was unsure.jpg but once you proved it was pretty deep and i would probably not be harmed by all the random bits of wood floating in it, i left my headphones (?) in a geode-shaped box on the bridge (but held onto my phone i guess??) and jumped in too. we swam down the river a little ways until we reached the cave it flowed into. the opening was REALLY small and i was like "hell no", you went in a bit but turned around before it got too narrow and came back out. then we swam back to the bridge. then i woke up because the fucking emergency alert test thing blared through my phone at 4:45 am.

-----

had a dream last night where i had a bunch of relatives visiting, so my whole family went to an amusement park (i recall a sort of children's rollercoaster which inexplicably had entire parts of the track separated so the train could 'jump' between them, but it was actually closed down and the track was being properly connected because i assume someone realized that was batshit insane), and then we came home and i went to bed. next morning i got up and it was the last day my relatives were visiting - one of them noticed an ad in the newspaper and we decided we'd all go to some local carnival because admission was half-price. and instead i went off into the foggy woods with a bunch of friends and we explored a creepy abandoned bunker we'd found and, ofc, were attacked by the terrifying shapeshifter who lived down there. @ myself this is why, when faced with the choice between 'creepy abandoned bunker in the woods' and 'carnival', you always choose the carnival.

[the-final-sif]

I was thinking about different way the league could try to kidnap Katsuki and thought what if they just adopted him. Like got the paperwork filled it out (using an alias) and just battled the Bakugous for custody. Yeah, they're villians, but the paperwork checks out, and they can provide all necessary essentials, and maybe the Bakugous aren't the best parents.

This idea is extremely funny to me, and so I tried to think of a way it could work out that even kinda makes sense. After talking about it in the discord, I think I figured it out. (Set after USJ & sports festival, but pre-any kidnapping stuff)

We’re going to assume Bad Parents!Bakugous, with the situation being bad enough Katsuki is removed from their custody. The plan was for Aizawa / UA to take custody of him after that.

Only, there’s 1 tiny flaw in that plan. Katsuki’s quirk.

See, Katsuki’s quirk is considered a ‘dangerous’ quirk. 99% of the time this doesn’t matter, but there’s an old law regarding child custody that comes into play with dangerous quirks.

The law basically says that if a child has a ‘dangerous’ quirk, and their removed from their birth family’s custody, other relatives MUST be contacted to see if they are willing + capable of taking custody of the child. Even distant relatives.

Furthermore, if a relative wants the child (and passes a few other criteria), then they are all but guaranteed custody, even if there’s other circumstances that would usually prevent it. If the relative has a similar quirk to the child, that boosts their chances even further / offers extra protections.

The law was created during an earlier period of quirks, when ‘dangerous’ quirks were extremely hard to handle, and usually only family members with similar quirks could do it. It’s not a great law, but nobody’s gotten around to removing it since it doesn’t come into play often.

But of course, Katsuki isn’t so lucky. He has three relatives that have to be contacted and decline custody of him before Aizawa can claim it. He’s never met any of these people, has never had much contact with any extended family, but now he has to wait for them to say no before he can move on with this bullshit.

Two are easy enough, both are great uncles or something similar and live in assisted living facilities. Neither have the interest / capacity for Katsuki.

And then there’s Katsuki’s distant cousin on his dad’s side.

Honestly, it’s such bullshit. The guy went missing ages ago. His whole family was confirmed dead, but apparently the guy himself wasn’t, and since he’s still considered alive, they have to at least try to contact him.

A newspaper ad goes up for “Tenko Shimura”, there’s a 15 day waiting period while the ad runs, and then they should finally be free to move on.

Except, holy shit, turns out the guy isn’t actually dead.

He saw the newspaper ad, and actually calls in out of curiosity.

Katsuki is taken off guard and relieved, because the guy will say no, and then they can finish this, right?

Right?

Only, the guy doesn’t say no.

He doesn’t say yes either, but he asks to be put in contact with Katsuki so he can discuss it.

Katsuki is so done with all of this, but he agrees to talk to the guy hoping to convince him it’s fine for Aizawa / UA to take custody.

Tenko & Katsuki talk on the phone for an hour, and by the end of their first conversation, Tenko isn’t convinced it’s fine and now Katsuki isn’t either.

Because, fuck, the guy actually sounded nice. And nothing he said was wrong either. Tenko was worried about the sports festival (and Katsuki has to admit, hearing an adult express concern for him & tell him what happened to him was bad for the very first time took a weight off his shoulders he hadn’t known he was carrying), he was worried about how UA had handled him so far, and he was worried what would happen if Katsuki didn’t have any outside figures to turn to in the future.

Several long phone calls later, including one between Aizawa & Tenko, and it’s been decided. While Katsuki will be staying at UA and living primarily in the dorms set up for international students (since Tenko lives quite a ways away), custody of him will be going to Tenko.

Aizawa isn’t exactly happy about it, but that law gives Tenko the first claim, and he has to admit that Tenko raises quite a few good points. After having spoken to him at length, Aizawa feels like he has Katsuki’s best interests in mind too.

Paperwork goes through, things are set in motion, and in the meantime, Katsuki keeps calling / texting with Tenko, slowly growing closer to his cousin. Turns out the two have a lot in common.

Tenko also have family issues and was adopted, which is why he appeared to go “missing”. In reality he’s just been living under a different name. His quirk is apparently related to his hands and also considered ‘dangerous’ although he doesn’t like to discuss it, and he and Katsuki are both very blunt people, meaning they get along great.

Finally, everything is said and done, and Katsuki is going to go on a weekend trip up to where Tenko lives to meet him in person for the very first time. He’s given a train station and told he’ll be met there, and he’s honestly kinda excited for it.

Throughout the court case, Aizawa was the only one from UA allowed to have access to all the records / be in contact with Tenko. He couldn’t even discuss things with anyone else.

Now it’s all over though, he’s in the staff room and only half engaged in the current planning session. Mostly focused on his phone / checking in with Katsuki.

Mic teases him about being worried, and Aizawa just mumbles that he’s still kinda unsure of this ‘Shimura’ guy.

All-Might, who is also at this meeting, does a spit take.

It takes several seconds for him to regain himself.

He’s sure he must’ve just misheard though.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I just got confused about something for a moment. What did you say the name of Katsuki's new parent was again?"

 “The guy’s legal name is Tenko Shimura, although he apparently stopped going by that awhile ago, which was why he came up as missing. He responded to a newspaper ad though and was able to verify his identity."

All-Might.exe has stopped working.

It has to be a coincidence. There's no way.

"Tenko... Shimura? His name, uh, well I used to know someone by that name. How old was he again? And why was he chosen?"

Aizawa is a little confused, but still not concerned, he just assumes All-Might happened to know the guy.

"He's 20, which is young to be taking on a kid, but he's properly prepared for. It was the quirk-relation law that set it in stone. Shimura is a distant cousin and has similar quirk to Katsuki, the specifics were a little hazy, but a dangerous hand-related quirk. Why?"

All-Might needs several seconds before he can speak.

“Tenko Shimura is Tomura Shigaraki.”

“... What?”

“Tenko Shimura, that was Tomura Shigaraki’s birth name. That’s- That’s him. There’s nobody else that could be.”

“WHAT?!”

Yeah, so they try to get in contact with Katsuki but it’s too late, Kurogiri already ‘picked him up’ and his phone is not working in the underground area he’s in.

Anyways, so Tomura introduces himself, and Katsuki spends awhile trying to fight him but not really getting anywhere until Tomura is finally able to convince him to let Tomura explain himself.

Katsuki is Upset, but also wants Answers.

Tomura reveals that he never lied, he was Tenko Shimura, and everything he told Katsuki was true. Truths were certainly omitted, but he never lied. And he has no bad intentions towards Katsuki.

He saw the newspaper ad, and having seen what happened at the sports festival, felt compelled to step in. He promises he just wants to be a good guardian.

And Katsuki does not want to believe that. He doesn’t.

Except, at the end of their scheduled time, Tomura just,,,, lets him go. No demands that Katsuki can’t tell anyone what happened, no threats, nothing.

Kurogiri just teleports him back out to some place near UA and bids him goodnight, very pleased to see Tomura taking this seriously & that he now has a grandchild.

Katsuki shows back up at UA, after 12 hours of them searching for him frantically, and he’s just as confused as they are.

Obviously, they try to remove custody from Tomura after that.

Problem: They can’t.

Between the bullshit law from before, and the fact Tomura has never actually been caught / arrested / charged with a crime, they legally cannot remove Katsuki from Tomura’s custody.

He would have to fail as a guardian for Katsuki in order for them to remove him. Until then, he’s got custody.

This is just something they’re going to have to live with.

Katsuki Is So Done.

When he goes into class on Monday, a very excited Kirishima greets him.

"So dude? How did visiting your cousin go? What was he like?"

"You know that guy who attacked us at USJ? The guy with the creepy hands who almost killed Aizawa?" 

“... Uh, yeah?”

“Turns out that’s my cousin.”

"Oh my god! What the hell dude! Are you okay???"

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Welcome to the Katsuki Shimura AU, where Katsuki’s life is weird and Parent-Teacher conferences get fucking awkward.

[amazingmaeve]

Going Home - Michael Gray

Main Masterlist // Peaky Blinders Masterlist

Summary: After his cousin and mother sent him to America Michael was angry with them but then he meet you. Then you guys go back to Birmingham with your kids and another on the way

AN: I haven’t seen season five but I know Michael isn’t the best character. And Gina doesn’t exist in this and John is alive. Also don’t judge me if i get anything wrong from the show.

Pairing: Michael Gray x Female!OC

Warnings: Pregnancy, Language, angst, alcohol

YOU and Michael met when he came to America. When he first arrived in America he was pretty pissed as his cousin and his mom sending him there. Plus he barely had no way to contact them and he knew they wouldn’t contact him either. He would probably stay there for the rest of his life he thought. He was bitter for the first weeks he was just angry and always mad at people. Until he met you.

You were working as a seamstress who makes suits and etc. in her own store. He ran into you on the streets and he was about to yell at you before he actually got a chance to look at you. He apologized for bumping into you and you waved it off and accepted his apology.

He suggested walking you back to the store you worked at. You blushed and nodded clearly smitten by him and everything he does and the way he spoke. He was smitten as well. On the way to the shop you almost tripped but he caught you. He thought how clumsy you were was very cute and the way you blushed when he caught you. As you were nearing your shop you said farewell to each other feeling sad he was leaving already.

But he came in the next day asking for a suit with a smirk on his face which made you get butterflies in your stomach like from the day before. You thought you’d never see this mad again in your life but apparently he wanted to see you again. You agreed on making him a suit and he asked you to dinner that night and you agreed feeling real giddy as you jumping around in your head.

You got your best dress and did your hair and make up real nice. You wanted to impress him but what you didn’t know you already made a great impression on him. He looked real nice as well as he put a different suit on but he looked real good. He took you to a nice restaurant and got you the best food there and it tasted good. You talked about your lives like how your father ran out on your mom and she became a single mother. And you always admired her. You weren’t that tough of a child to raise and you were a single child which made it easier.

He told you the story of him growing up in a village and that his name was Henry and then Tommy found him explaining his family wasn’t really his family. He moved to Birmingham and met his mom and cousins who got along until he came to America you didn’t ask why because it seemed like a sensitive topic.

After that night you guys were like glue, always at each other’s sides, going on dates every week. And two months later he asked you to move in with him and you were shocked but agreed with a smile and you already loved him so much.

Then not even a month later you were pregnant with your first child and you were scared to tell him. You hadn’t even told him you loved him. You didn’t even know if he wanted kids. but when you were about to tell him the big news he blurted out he loved you. You were shocked shocked but also very giddy and you wrapped your arms around his neck and hugged him happily saying you loved him as well.

You told him you were pregnant and hoped he wouldn’t be mad. And he wasn’t. He was a little surprised but happy nonetheless He asked you to marry him which you scoffed and rolled your eyes saying he only wanted to marry because you were pregnant. And you guys only knew each other for three months. But he told you that ‘you loved me and I love so why the hell not’. You thought about it for a few days and agreed wanting to do it as soon as possible so that you would be able to fit your wedding dress only being a months pregnant.

You got married a week after with your mom being the only one there. You gelt like the happiest girl alive.

Then months later you gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. And Michael suggested the name Anna saying it was his sisters name. You agreed because a few months earlier he told you he never met his sister and she died. Plus you thought it was a good name.

You got pregnant about 6 months later. God it felt like your family was growing every day. When you told you felt happy but he was even happier

The midwife also told you it was twins which as an even bigger shock and you were a little scared since it was two instead of one. Not only pushing one kids out but two. You only went through it once and it hurt then. But now twice the pain. Michael reassured you that you were strong woman and you could do it.

Three months later you being eight months pregnant and looked like you were about to pop, Michael told you some news. You found out you were pregnant at four months. It surprised it took so long for you to find out.

“My mom wants me to go back to Birmingham,” He told you one night when you guys were cuddling. You only asked about his family a few times and he told you almost everything about them. That they were blinders and his mother and cousin sent him here. You were kind of angry but happy because you wouldn’t have met him if they didn’t send him here. He told you about the Italians and you didn’t blame him for any of it since he thought his mom was still mad at Tommy and that’s why he didn’t tell him. Plus it was in the past and he hadn’t done anything to you to prove he was a monster.

“Why does she want you to come now,” You asked as you looked up at him. You heard about his mom and she seemed like nice person and you didn’t want hold a grudge against for what happened. But you wanted to be on Michaels side as well. But it seemed he gotten over it as well. But he had a little anger in the pit of his stomach that he could ignore.

“She says that she wants to settle things between us,” Michael explains looking down at you with love in his eyes. You both layer in silence for a second.

“So what are you going to do,” You asked as you traced your fingers along his chest.

“I think I should go,” He replied. “Patch things up with the family.”

“Well if you’re going I’m going,” You beamed while looking up at him with a smile on your face.

“Nope,” He disapproved and you looked up at him with a shocked look on your face.

“What why not,” You pouted whole looking up at him.

“Sweetheart you look like you are about to pop and I don’t want you to get hurt,” He cooed you in a stern voice. You knew that he was worried about you.

“I know but I want to meet your family and I want to make sure your okay while you’re there as well,” You told him. He didn’t seem faltered by your words. “Okay how about this if I feel like somethings wrong tomorrow I’ll stay with Anna if not we both go with you. And I won’t put my self in stressful situations,” You offered. He let out a deep sigh before being his hand up to rub his eyes.

“Fine,” he grumbled but before you could cheer he put his hand up. “But we make sure not to put you in ANY stressful situations,” He approves with a stern tone in his voice.

“Ok yep agreed,” You agreed happily with a smile on your face. A wave of tiredness crossed over you. “Let’s get to bed,” You yawned before curling into Michael.

Before you fell you asleep you heard a soft voice “I love you,”

As You Michael and Anna got arrived in Birmingham you started to feel nervous wondering what his family was like in person.

Michael told you that they were dangerous but to not be afraid because they wouldn’t hurt you.

You guys were on the train on your way to Small Heath. As you promised you didn’t put yourself in stressful situations. You were starting to feel a bit uncomfortable on the train and hoped you would get there soon.

Once the train stopped Michael tapped you on the shoulder when he noticed you didn’t get up.

“Come one love we’re here,” Michael coos as he stands pulling his daughter up with him.

You let out a yawn and stood up and stretched. God you could barely move without taking everything out.

“Ok I’m ready,” You sighed and looked at your daughter sleeping in Michaels arms.

Even though she was a little past 1 years old and knew how to walk she loved being in her dads arms. You smile at the two them.

Anna stirred in her sleep and rubbed her eyes with her tiny hands.

“Hey Anna were here,” Michael whispered to his daughter with a smile painted his lips. Anna smile and let out a little giggle.

“Daddy,” Anna let out. She has been saying some words ever since she turned a year and would try to form sentences.

You and Michael shared smiles before walking out onto the platform. He put Anna down. You guys where nervous about letting her walk but Michael held to her hand. You stood to his side while Anna was on his other.

You could tell he was nervous about seeing his mother.

“It’ll be ok Michael,” You whispered in his ear wrapping your hand around his.

Michael nodded doubt running through his veins. He felt extremely nervous about seeings his family again. And about them seeing you and Anna as well.

Then you saw Michael stare at a women with dark hair and high cheek bones. You guessed that was his mother.

“Stay here,” Michael whispered to you and put Anna’s hand in your own. You nodded and watched him walk towards the woman.

You saw that they talked for a minute then a smile was spread across the woman’s face as she hugged him. You saw Michael relax and hug her back.

You let out a smile at the reunion.

“Up,” Anna raised her arms indicating she wanted to be held. You laughed a little and bent down being careful of your belly and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around you watching out for your belly. She let out a little smile and played with your hair.

You looked up and saw that Michael and Polly were walking over to you. You would say you were nervous but that would be an understatement. She looked like a very intimidating woman and you’ve heard a lot about her from Michael.

“Mom this Y/N my wife,” Michael introduced two of you and pointed to your daughter. “And this is our daughter Anna.”

Michaels mom, Polly, looked at your daughter who was resting her head on your shoulder feeling a tad tired. You noticed that Polly was getting a bit teary eyed.

“Nice to meet y-you I’ve heard good things about you,” You stuttered a bit feeling nervous about meeting your husbands mother. She looked like she could be very intimidating at some points but now she hasn’t done anything to make you feel like that.

You put your hand out to shake but she pulls you in for a hug which was kind of uncomfortable with your belly and your daughter in your arms but you tried to hug back anyways. You didn’t want to seem rude.

“Anna after,” Polly trailed off looking at Michael who nodded knowing who she was talking about after she retreated from your hug. She pulled Michael into her arms and whispered something in his ear. “Let’s get you two home you two must be tired from the the ride.

You, Michael, and Anna walked into Pollys house which wasn’t huge but wasn’t small either. You thought it looked really comfortable which you loved. Anna seemed to be getting a bit fussy so Michael took her from your arms into his. Anna put her head into his neck drowsing off.

“I’m going to go lay her down it’s been a long day for her,” Michael told you before going upstairs to one of the rooms.

After Michael left you stood there awkwardly waiting for him to return or Polly to come back from the kitchen.

“Come on in I don’t bite,” Polly called out to you when she noticed you didn’t follow her to the kitchen. You blushed a little before entering the kitchen and sat on one of the chairs. “So has my son been treating well,” She asked you as she got some tea ready.

“Yes he has been a complete gentleman,” You reassured while giving her a smile you put your hands on your belly and felt one of the babies kicking.

“I’m guessing 8 months along and with twins,” Polly asked before sitting down as she noticed you rubbing your belly.

“Yes did Michael tell you,” You ask curiosity painting your face.

“Nope intuition,” Polly gave you smile which you returned.

“I don’t want to sound rude but I’m hoping I give birth soon its been a lot of uncomfortable months for me,” You explain as you try to get situated in the chair.

“I’d assume it would be uncomfortable for twins,” Polly teases while giving you a smirk.

“I’m kind of scared though,” You admitted.

“What are you scared of darling,” Polly asked as she looked at you with a worried look on her face. Even though she didn’t know you for long she felt that you changed her sons life and would be a good addition to the family.

“Well it hurt with Anna so I assume it will hurt twice as much with the twins,” You explain to her. “Michael always reassures me though but it doesn’t help that fear in that back of my head.”

“You’ll be fine I can tell you’re a strong woman,” Polly acknowledged while taking a sip from her tea. “And plus we can get the best doctors to help you through it,” She reassures you.

“I hope so,” You mutter looking down at your huge belly.

“Have you and Michael thought of any baby names,” She tries to distract you.

“We’ve has a few but nothing that’s stuck,” You explained. You thought if it was two boys Henry and William and if it was two girls Rose or Luna. Michael just told you whatever you wanted. Before Polly could say something Michael came down into the kitchen.

“Didn’t have to much fun without me,” Michael joked and kissed your forehead then sat down next to you.

“We were just discussing baby names,” You explain while makes an oh face. Before he can respond Polly interrupts.

“We’re having the family over so that we can celebrate the new family members to the family and your arrival,” Polly surprises you and Michael.

Great a family reunion with the whole family.

As the family rolled into the house you were introduced to everyone. Michael seemed to be taking to his cousins while you were talking to Esme, Ada and Polly. Linda was sitting down reading a book. Anna was asleep upstairs. You woke her her up to feed her and then a few hours later everyone rolled in. So you put her to bed not wanting her to be stressed.

“So you and Michael happy for the baby,” Ada asked as you guys sat food down on the table.

“Yes but it’s going to be more stressful with Anna and it being twins will make it harder of course,” You explain while setting some silverware down after setting down the potatoes.

“Yeah it was hard when I married John he already had a lot kids when that happened,” Esme joked with you while nudging your arm.

“Plus with you getting pregnant every couple years,” Ada jokes while Esme rolls her eyes. It didn’t look like she took it to heart though.

“I don’t think it should be to long now,” Polly told you pointing to your belly.

“Well I hope so,” You laughed while leaning against the table. Before you could speak you felt some pain in your stomach which made you groan a bit.

“You okay Y/N,” Ada asked concern lacing her voice.

“Think it might be soon than later.”

Turns out you were in labor because not 5 minutes later you felt your water break which made you groan as another contraction hit you. Ada and Esme helped you upstairs to one of the rooms and laid you down.

You could hear Michael and Polly arguing. You knew Michael wanted to be with you when you gave birth since he was their for Anna’s birth. As another contraction hit you someone ran into the room and began to soothingly rub your back.

You looked and saw that it was Michael which made you sigh in relief.

“Michael you aren’t going to leave me are you,” You whimpered while some tears travelled down your face. Michael soothed you while wiping away you’re tears.

“Don’t worry love I’m not going anywhere,” Michael whispered in your ear.

You smile but let out a moan when you felt another contraction hit. You could feel them getting closer and closer.

Polly and Ada came up with some supplies and got you ready and when she said push you pushed with all your might.

It took about 5 minutes before one of your babies were out. You let out a breath before letting out a sigh but knowing it wasn’t over.

“It’s a girl,” Ada smile at you while Polly cut the cord. She wrapped the baby in a blanket while handing her to Michael. Michael started down at you’re daughter in awe.

It was broke as you felt another contraction hit you. Polly told you to push and Michael was by your side with your second daughter. Trying to comfort you while holding the baby. Ada took the baby from Michael knowing that you need some comfort.

“I can’t do it,” You sobbed as you leaned back on the bed and wiped the tears from your eyes.

“Don’t worry darling just a few more pushes and you’ll be done,” Michael cooed you.

You nodded before pushing again and only a few minutes later another baby was out you let out a happy sigh while leaning back on the pillow sweat coating your body.

“Another girl,” Polly whispered handing her to you after she cut the cord. Ada handed Michael the first baby and you looked at your babies in awe.

Ada and Polly left you alone for some privacy.

“They’re so beautiful,” You whispered while kissing your daughters nose.

Michael was about to respond before you guys heard someone say, “Mommy,” You looked up and and saw Anna standing there with a smile on her face.

“Come here sweet heart say hi to your sisters,” Michael smile as your first daughter came over to you and tried getting on the bed but failed a few times before succeeding. She went up to lay next to you staring at the new baby.

“What should we name them,” You ask while looking at Michael trying to wrap your arm around Anna with a baby in your arm.

“How ‘bout we both name one,” Michael suggested. You nodded and Michael whispered “Emily.”

“That’s a beautiful name Michael,” You whispered as Michael came and sat down next to you guys. “I’m thinking for this one Rose,” You suggested with a smile.

“I love it,” Michael pressed a small kiss to your lips.

You guys chuckled quietly when you heard Anna start to snore and you weren’t to far behind her.

Michael smiles warmly at all of you. His family.

[troop-scoop]

Youth II

Chapter Two -  Common Interest

Word count: 2.9k

Series Summary: On a family trip to your dad’s home town of Hawkins, Indiana, you make a series of decisions that result in you ending up in the year 1983 with more questions than there are answers presently available.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Female Reader ( slow burn )

Chapter Summary: With the disappearance of Will Byers, you lend a helping hand to try an find the missing 12 year old boy. 

A/n: forgive me for posting a second chapter on the same day as the first. I just need to get this one out before I lose my mind. 

⟛⟛

You’d spent plenty of time staring off into space with your thoughts racing, you’d done it plenty at school, but this wasn’t right, it didn’t feel right and you hated it. Sure, you had plenty of odd experiences growing up, things you used to think were normal for other people, but apparently, they weren’t. And when you’d realized that, you kept them to yourself. But this wasn’t just something you were seeing, this was real, and you knew it, and everything else paled in comparison to this level of oddness.

Why was it always small towns? When you hear about missing people or cold cases that seem to throw police and detectives for a loop it always took place in small towns, quiet ones that people described as great to raise your kids in, places people settled down in to get away from the big cities.

When you’d been getting things together to leave for the day, you’d briefly heard about a missing kid, but hadn’t heard the name before you were slamming the motel door behind you to get to school, hopping down the walkway to the stairs trying to get your shoes on.

It wasn’t right, you would have known about this. Wouldn’t you? Sure, your dad never really talked much about his home town unless it was fond memories with his childhood friends, your uncles, but this was huge, something that should have at least been mentioned.

You had zoned out of the conversation happening next to you, ignoring every detail about the party Steve was throwing that night. You’d already declined on going to, much to both Steve and Carol’s disappointment. Carol mentioned how she was desperate to have another girl in their friend group, while Steve didn’t have much to say, just saying to come with him to find Nancy Wheeler.

“Oh, God, that’s depressing.”

Steve’s tone wasn’t what you would consider empathetic, it was rather that of someone who didn’t want to see what was happening.

Tommy, Barbara, Nancy, Steve, and Carol all looked to the subject of your staring, their eyes all landing on Jonathan Byers using a thumbtack to put a missing person flyer on the bulletin board near the front office.

“Should we say something?” Nancy questioned.

“I don’t think he speaks.”

“How much you want to bet he killed him?” At that, you turned your head and glared at Tommy, as Steve hit his chest a friendly yet serious “Shut up.” being said before you turned back to look at Jonathan.

Nancy walked towards him, leaving the rest of you to stand and wait. The only real thing you could think about was how when you were 11, you had been with your parents, uncle, aunt and cousins, helping your uncle and aunt pack things to move to a new house, and when you’d been left alone, you’d found a box full of old things and you’d dug through it, curiosity getting the best of you. You’d gotten to an old yearbook, labeled ‘1984-1985.’ and before you could ever flip through half of it, your uncle had snatched it away from you, and without saying a word, he’d grabbed the box and left the room.

“You alright?” Barabara asked you, reaching out to hold your shoulder, it brought the other three’s attention to you as well. You didn’t really know Barbara, but you knew she had good grades, and sometimes tutored students in the library after school.

“Yeah, peachy.” was your response, turning your attention back to the conversation Nancy was having with Jonathan, everything being said completely unknown to all of you with the distance.

The bell rang, and students began to frantically move, like cockroaches when you turned a light on. Scattering as quick as they could, but Barabara kept a hand on your shoulder, and in your peripheral vision you could make out her concerned look. Watching as Nancy came back over to the group of students Barbara took her hand off of your shoulder, everyone turning to walk down the hall once Nancy was there. But you were stalling, taking slow uneasy steps, barely keeping your eyes off of Jonathan, but when you knew that the group of students wouldn’t notice you weren’t with them, you turned back around, to see Jonathan heading for the doors.

“Jonathan!” You called out, jogging after him, seeing him stop just as he reached the metal and glass door. Catching up you placed your hands on your hips, trying to think of what to say. “Where we going?”

“What?” Jonathan questioned, brows furrowed as he looked at you, both his hands on the push bar of the door.

“Where we going? Wanna hear it French? Ou Allons nous?”

“We are not going anywhere. You have to go to. . .” Jonathan looked at the small notebook you held between two fingers, reading the angry red scribble on the front that said ‘Math’ “Mr. Swann’s?”

You breathed out through your nose, dropping your notebook. “Not anymore. Where are we going? This is about your brother, right? I wanna help.”

Jonathan sighed a bit, looking down at the linoleum floor before back up at you. “Why?”

“Common interest.” You told him.

“Our English project doesn’t have anything to do with-”

“This isn’t about Romeo and Juliet, moron. This is about your brother. Listen I just. . . everything about this, makes my stomach churn, I need to see him come back home alive. See? Common interest.”

Jonathan gave an absent-minded nod, the look on his face telling you he knew that feeling. “Indianapolis.” He told you, opening the door and barely stepping out, with you hot on his heels. But he stopped suddenly, turning back to you, holding a finger up. “But you stay out of it, Lonnie isn’t too friendly, and I've seen him angry. If I tell you to go back to the car, you go, understand?”

“You’re not my dad, if I see things start going south, I’m getting both of us out of there.” You told him. “Teamwork makes the dream work, now go before I stomp on your shoes, and there’s no guarantee that I won’t give you a flat tire on the way to the car.”

⟛⟛

Sitting in the passenger seat, you looked to the radio, eyes on the station number as the familiar intro to a song began on the radio. The first time you remembered hearing the song, you were four and had woken up from a nap to the smell of macaroni and cheese, and the sound of your newborn baby brother sneezing in his sleep in the crib on the other side of the room. The music was being played from the living room stereo, loudly. But one thing about being raised by your dads was that you had to adapt to loud music being played. Even Daniel had adapted to it at a few weeks old. You’d gotten out of bed and gotten to the living room, where the stereo was on, and your dad in the kitchen, putting some of the macaroni in one of your bowls and one of his own.

The last time you remembered listening to that song was when your cousins had convinced you to go with them into town, Torrey being the one with the idea, and with her speaker, playing a random playlist. You remembered that she skipped the song halfway through.

Torrey never had a good track record, that was for sure, she was always in trouble, much to your uncle Mike’s dismay. But you and James were always the more reasonable ones out of all of you. But Torrey was the oldest, and as a result, like the older sister, and everyone wanted to be like their cool older sister. So whatever she suggested the lot of you do, you did it.

That always resulted in trouble. The only one who could ever reason with all of you was Uncle Dustin, of course, it had to be the uncle who didn’t have kids. It annoyed Mike, Lucas, and your dad to no end that when with Torrey, they couldn’t get through to any of you.

But, Torrey wasn’t technically your oldest cousin. No, that was Rob. Your uncle’s oldest son. But he was a bit over a decade older than you, so you didn’t really know him all too well. Torrey was almost a decade older, just short two years.

“This the place?” you asked, looking past Jonathan trying to see through the foggy window, rain pouring down onto the pavement outside, and tapping gently on the windows and roof of the car. The fogged-up window told you it was cold out there, and warmer inside.

“Yeah. . .”

“Lonnie’s. . . Who is Lonnie, exactly?” You questioned, unbuckling the seatbelt as Jonathan did the same.

“Our dad,” Jonathan answered, opening his car door and getting out. You reached into the backseat, grabbing your coat as a sudden and startling cool gust of wind hit you, sending goosebumps up your neck and arms. Jumping a bit you looked to the door, seeing that Jonathan had gotten it for you. “Come on.” he rushed you.

You didn’t know if you wanted to go up to the house that the teenage boy was eyeing, you knew that if you’d never heard about Lonnie before, it was for a reason. Likely a good one.

Stepping out of the car, you pulled your jacket on just as Jonathan closed the passenger door for you, heading to the run-down home across the street. You followed shortly after, feeling your ankles begin to get wet as drops of rain-soaked through the canvas material of your shoes.

Standing under the overhang of the front porch you watched as Jonathan looked through the glass of the front door, music from either a television or stereo being hear from outside, over the rain. Jonathan knocked on the door. “Hello?” He shouted.

“Maybe he’s not home?”

Jonathan gave a bitter scoff as he continued to bang on the door insistently before you heard a woman’s voice yell out something indistinct. And before you could process it, the front door was opened.

“Can I help you?” She demanded.

“Yeah, is Lonnie around?” Jonathan asked, his body language giving off just as much attitude as her but his voice remaining calm.

“Yeah, he’s out back. What do you want?”

“To look around.” and with that, Jonathan stepped past her into the house, with you following right behind.

The living area had warm lighting from the lamps, with the absence of an overhead light. And the tv that was small by your standards had M.TV on. It was a mess, with things seemingly tossed around, it felt like the beginning of a hoarder’s home before it got worse and it was filmed for a stupid television show.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Hey!” The woman yelled after the two of you. You were hot on Jonathan’s heels, keeping in mind what he said about his father. You’d rather stick close.

“We’ll be fast, promise!” you told her.

“Hey, Will?” Jonathan questioned, going down the hallway, looking into doorways, calling out his younger brother’s name in a more urgent tone while you gave a longer look into each room.

Jonathan turned around from the last room, shaking his head and looking at you, going to walk back out of the hall. But just as he came to the end, a man slammed Jonathan against the wall, holding the collar of his sherpa jean jacket. You jumped back, just before Jonathan shoved who you were now assuming was Lonnie. “Get off!”

“Damn, you’ve gotten stronger.” The older man gave a shove to Jonathan’s shoulder, looking past the two males you saw the woman from the front door.

“Will someone please explain what the hell is going on?”

Lonnie looked at her, then back at Jonathan and then to you, before doing the opposite. “Jonathan, Cynthia. Cynthia this is Jonathan. My oldest. I don’t know who this little lady is.”

Lonnie shoved Jonathan’s shoulder again before pulling him into a hug. “Get off me, man.” Jonathan pushed him off.

The look on Lonnie’s face was that of pure cluelessness as if he didn’t understand why Jonathan would shove him away like that. But with how Jonathan had briefly spoken about him and how he had just acted, you knew the relationship wasn’t what you’d expect of a father and son.

Lonnie turned his gaze to you, “Who’s she?” He asked, looking to Jonathan again.

“A friend,” you responded. Sure, you and Jonathan weren’t all that close, but in this situation, you were sure he needed one, and even if you weren’t technically ‘friends’ he would know he had someone in his corner. “We’re looking for Will.”

“I already talked to the cops. He’s not here and he never has been.”

“Right, well, I think everyone gets a little nervous when they see and talk to cops, if Will’s here I doubt he would have come out when police were here.”

Lonnie looked as though he was trying to process what you had said. “If it makes you two feel better you can look around.”

“Hm, gladly,” you responded.

Jonathan and you spent a few moments in the rundown house, and once the rain had let up, Jonathan went outside, with you and Lonnie both trailing behind.

“Take a look at this beaut. Should’ve seen it when I got it. Took me a year, but it’s almost done.” Lonnie spoke about the car Jonathan was headed toward, opening the trunk once he reached the back. “Really? Do you want to check up my ass, too? I told you the same thing I told those cops, he’s not here and he never has been.”

“Then why didn’t you call Mom back?”

“I don’t know, I just. . . I assumed she forgot where he was. You know, he was lost or something. That boy was never very good at taking care of himself.”

“This isn’t some joke, all right? There are search parties, reporters. . .”

The way Lonnie was treating the situation made you uncomfortable. He didn’t care. It was clear he didn’t with the new information that Jonathan’s mother had called him, and he never answered or called back, how he lived a two-hour drive away and seemed to be talking about anything else but Will.

“Hopper’s not still chief, is he? Tell your mother she’s gotta get you out of that hellhole. Come out here to the city. People are more real here, you know? And then I could see you more.”

“If you wanted to see them more you wouldn’t have made the choice to live so far away.” You interrupted. You knew full well that had your parents ever split in an ugly way like it seemed Lonnie and Joyce had, neither of your fathers would move so far away that it felt like two different worlds. They’d stay close together so both you and your brother still had both of them. “Sounds like shitty parenting on your part, not her’s.”

Lonnie looked at you and tilted his head. “What? You think I don’t want to see my boys?”

“It’s kinda obvious that you don’t.” You responded, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Has Jonathan let you be around his mother? Because you sound just like her. Speaking of her, does she even know you’re here?” Lonnie turned back to Jonathan. You didn’t even know the answer to that, but Jonathan’s silence was an answer. “Great. So one kid goes missing, the other one runs wild? Some real fine parenting right there. Look, all I’m saying is, maybe I’m not the asshole, all right?”

Though Lonie couldn’t see it, you were glaring at him, but Jonathan could, and he gave you a look before reaching into his shoulder bag, pulling out a poster. A copy of the one he’d put up at school. “In case you forgot what he looks like,” Jonathan grumbled, shoving the poster into Lonnie’s chest as he walked away. Gesturing for you to follow.

The two of you walked around the house instead of through it, with small water droplets coming down once again as you crossed the street to the car.

“He’s a prick.” You mumbled as you passed Jonathan to get to the passenger side. Jonathan stared at you for a second.

“Y/n.”

You had grabbed onto the handle of the car door when he said your name, catching your attention. “Yeah?”

“Why do you care? You’re new in Hawkins, you’ve only been there for a few months, and you care about this more than people who have known me and Will since were kids. You’ve never even seen Will.”

You looked down at the pavement beneath you. The smell of rain invading your nose, calming you down just a bit. “Common interest.” You repeated what you had said before.

He didn’t look convinced with how his face seemed to harden and become far more serious. “Look,” You started, letting go of the handle resting your hands on the roof of the car. “Will’s alive, he has to be. I know he is. If I told you how I know, you’d call me crazy. I care about you, your brother and your mom. Lonnie? Not so much. . . Just. . . trust me, okay?”

Jonathan didn’t say anything or even do anything else in response. He opened the driver’s door and got in his seat, tossing his bag into the back as you did the same, buckling yourself in and looking out the window.

⟛⟛

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[immacaria]

Family

  Hello there! So this for Sangchengber Day 5: Family and it brings as a jealous Nie Huaisang, a amused and overprotective Nie Mingjue and a tired Nie Zonghui. There are some OCs of mine in there and I ask for forgiveness right now if their names are horrible or shitty. I hope you enjoy this and have a nice day!

  For almost two years, Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng were living together now. Almost two years that Huaisang had to deal with his roommate’s beauty and stupid. Really, how come that he didn’t notice Huaisang’s pining over him? More than two years and Jiang Cheng didn’t ask or did a thing to acknowledge him for goodness’ sake! Not a thing at all! Now, he was here, attending to a fucking wedding party while his crush was back at their house doing God knows what!

  “A-Sang!” An aunt of his father’s side sang on his ear, throwing an arm over his neck. “My little A-Sang! How big you are!” She laughed, taking a full gulp of her drink. “Another wife, do you believe it? Your uncle has no shame!”

  “Auntie, I think you have drunk enough.” Huaisang said, getting the glass from her. Just because he didn’t remember that one, didn’t mean he wasn’t going to look after her. ‘Well, until she passes out or go pester someone else. Whatever comes first.’, Huaisang thought as she nodded in agreement.

  “But it’s true, you know?” She said, leaning into him, looking at the recently married couple bitterly. 

  “What’s true, Auntie?” He sighed, looking around for a savior. Anyone would do, truly.  

  “The rumors. That your uncle is marrying again because the first one couldn’t have children.” She explained, looking at the groom strangely. “Poor Mei, that’s what I think.” She breathed deep. “Poor Mei didn’t deserve this. She loved this asshole too much.” 

 “What do you mean, Auntie?” Alright, even if Huaisang didn’t like being there, the last family gossip always lifted him up. Even if it was just a little. “Do tell more.”

  “Please, sweetie.” The woman said, looking directly at him, strange and suddenly sober. “Everybody knows that your brother and the oldest of the twins Jades of Gusu are nothing but boyfriends. One’s already out for love.” She chuckled, looking around for Mingjue. “And you, everyone knows that you are way over hills for the youngest of the Jiangs.”

  “What do you mean, Auntie?” Nie Huaisang turned fully to her, curious and intrigued. 

  “Oh, sweet and innocent A-Sang. Once your father is dead, Mingjue is going to take over the business. But after his death, what happens?” 

  “I will still be here?” Huaisang said quietly, not liking what was going to happen next already. 

  “Oh, dear…” She said, touching his cheeks, eyes filled with pain and pity. “Everybody knows that you know nothing about your family’s business.” She whispered, stroking his eyebrows sadly. “Nobody expects you to, A-Sang. That’s why your uncle is marrying that whore. Anyway, enjoy the party, A-Sang. While it lasts.” She disappeared in the crowd, leaving Huaisang alone with his thoughts. ‘Why? Why would that woman do that to me?’ He groaned, turning to the waiter passing by. 

  “Do you guys still have whiskey?” He asked.

  “Plenty of it, young master.” The waiter smiled at him, before vanishing in the kitchen, chuckling with the gentle ‘thanks’ of Huaisang. “Here it is, younger master Nie.”

  “Thank you, Wu.” Huaisang smiled at him. “Bring me the whole bottle, would you?”

  “Of course, young master.” He smiled, simpatectelly. After he brought the bottle, Huaisang decided that nobody would ruin his already horrible night even more, not even his own family. Maybe that was the real reason why he went to the dance floor, maybe it was the alcohol, but the fact was that he went to the dance floor, fearing nothing. 

  As his favourite music blasted through the speakers, he let his body move on his own, not caring for what the others were saying, doing or thinking. His heart was already broken, his head still full of thoughts, horrible thoughts. ‘No!’, he thought. ‘Tonight nobody can hurt me!’ he smiled as Blackpink started to play. ‘Not anymore.’

  “A-Sang!” A cousin of his called, waving at him. “Do you know the choreography?” She yelled, throwing her stilettos away, almost hitting a cousin of theirs.

  “Of course!” Huaisang answered smiling widely as Kill This Love blew through the amplifiers. “Uhuu!” He laughed, dancing and singing along with the other girls at the wedding. He kept dancing and singing as all the playlist played out, drinking and joking around with everyone, caring even less if Jiang Cheng liked him or that girl in his class with every passing second. “Let’s kill this love!” He chanted, dropping a little of the whiskey on the floor. 

  “Huaisang!” Mingjue screamed over the noise. “What are you doing?”

  “Dancing!” Huaisang laughed, drinking a little more. He didn’t care if he passed out, he was having the time of his life. And nobody would stop him. 

  “And drinking!” His cousin, TongTong, said beside him. “Do you know I love you?”

  “Yes. And I love you too!” He yelled back as Mingjue threw him over a shoulder. “Da-Ge!” He turned to him, completely ultraged. “What are you doing?” 

  “Getting you home.” Mingjue retorted, putting the nearly empty bottle on a table nearby. “You are too drunk, Huaisang.”

  “No! I was having fun!” He reached for the bottle. “Funkiller!” He screamed at the top of his lungs before dissolving in a mess of giggles. 

  “You’re absolutely wasted.” He sighed, dumping his little brother in the backseat of the car. 

  “No, I’m Huaisang.” Giggled as Mingjue started to leave the parking lot. “Da-ge…” He called, lifting a hand to him. “Auntie said that Uncle is marrying that whore so he could take over father’s business.” 

  “I’m still here.” Mingjue patted his head. “As long as I’m here, you will be fine. And father’s business too.”

  “But, Da-Ge…” Huaisang groaned, turning to him. 

  “Go to sleep, A-Sang. No uncle of ours will take over father’s business.” The older one threw his own jacket over the other’s shoulders. “Da-Ge will resolve everything.” He stroked Huaisang’s hair, smiling sadly at his sleepy brother. “No need to worry.” Was the last thing that Nie Huaisang heard before dozing off to a dreamless sleep, the first of many nights since he moved on with Jiang Cheng. 

  Sincerely, he didn’t know the exact reason him and Cheng had moved in. At first thought, Jiang Cheng’s brother, Wei Ying, was moving in with his boyfriend, Lan Zhan, and Nie Huaisang needed a place near the Art Institute after he got accepted. At second thought, Da-Ge could always buy him an apartment, but he prefered to go living with his long-life crush and best friend.

  Now, here he was, sleeping on his older brother’s backseat while he drove around the city, giving him time to think, sleep or do anything Huaisang wanted to. But, what Huaisang wanted to do right now was go home and hide from all the world for the rest of the weekend, just eating and watching Netflix with Jiang Cheng. And, yet, he really didn't want to deal with Jiang Cheng saying that he was irresponsible, that all he and Wei Wuxian knew was to party and just get themselves fucking wasted and a lot of other things. So, nah, not coming home tonight. 

  Because of that, when he woke up, Huaisang looked through the window in front of him, trying to calculate if they had already arrived at his apartment or not. He really didn’t want to deal with Jiang Cheng’s grumpiness and all of the Jiangs brothers’ dramas tonight (nor the rest of the weekend, to be true).

  "Da-Ge…" He whispered, getting up slowly. "Where are we?" Huaisang asked, putting Mingjue’s jacket on.

  "Almost at your home." Mingjue answered, making a soft turn. "Your husband called four times already." He smirked as his little brother came to sit on the seat next to him. “Apparently, you are two hours past your bedtime.”

  "Who?" Huaisang asked, putting the seat belt on. “I don’t have a husband. Nor bedtime. I’m not living with you anymore.”

  “If you say so…” The older smiled fully, stopping in front of a small building. “Here we are.” 

  “I don’t want to go in, Da-Ge.” He whined, turning to him slowly, after some time. 

  “Why not?” Mingjue asked, entering in the overprotective mood instinctively. “What did that Jiang do to you? And don’t you dare lie to me, Huaisang, because I know he did something to you. You never drank how you drank today, Huaisang! Actually you never drank anything stronger than… Than… I never saw you drinking before, Huaisang!” He waved around, looking terrified. “So, please, please, what happened? You can tell Da-Ge. Da-Ge will protect you from that monster!’ He held Huaisang’s hands, searching for the younger’s eyes. 

  “Da-Ge!” Huaisang looked up to him, exasperated. “Jiang Cheng did nothing wrong!” He huffed, feelling the little squish Minigjue gave to his hands. “It’s not Jiang Cheng’s fault I still have a crush on him, beside I got worried about you and dad…” But Mingjue wasn’t hearing anymore, too shocked to process anything else. “And you aren’t even listening.” He sighed, rolling his eyes, before yelling. “Da-Ge!” 

  “What do you mean ‘still have a crush’? When did you get a crush on that kid?!” Mingjue grabbed him, pulling him closer. “And he doesn’t love you back? Fuck business’ friendship, I’m going to commit a murder.” He whispered in Huaisang’s hair. “Don’t worry, A-Sang, Da-Ge is here.” He patted his back.

 “Da-Ge!” Huaisang pushed him away. “He doesn’t know and neither do I want him to.” Huaisang murmured, leaning back into his seat. “Just… Just take me to another place, please.” He closed his eyes, not working the energy to talk with Mingjue or anyone else and, yet, expecting him to argue. But the older one just hummed in agreement and drove away (still shooting a murderous look at the small and beige building). 

  After that, the Nie brothers went to an old apartment of theirs. Even if Mingjue wanted to stay and take care of his younger brother, he had responsibilities with their dad’s enterprises, trips to do and new deals to make. Nie Huaisang didn’t blame him, he did all of it so he didn’t have to, that’s all. His Da-Ge only wanted him to be happy, doing what pleased him. 

  At first, he planned to pass only a day there, but then a day became two and, suddenly, it was Wednesday and Huaisang had even put a foot out of the loft since the party. Nie Mingjue came to visit him everyday, not commenting on what he was doing, nor saying what was happening in the world around them. 

  "You really didn't check on your phone since we got here?" Mingjue sighed after Huaisang asked how TongTong was doing along with Zonghui. 

  "No, it died three days ago. The only charge here is from my old one.” He shrugged, making coffee for them. "And I couldn't find my old one."

  "I see." He took the mug from Huaisang's hand. "Have you explained why you didn't go to college this week?" 

  "Nope." He chuckled, popping the "p". "I didn't even manage to work up the courage to get out of here, Da-Ge, let alone actually talk to someone.”

  "And what the hell were you doing here all this time?" Mingjue sighed, putting the mug down.

  "I'm painting again. And drawing. I forgot how cool and relaxing it was, to just paint and don't worry about anything else." Huaisang smiled, playing with his cup. "Do you want to see them?" 

  "Yeah. I do, A-Sang." 

  “C’mon, they are in my room.” He led the way to his bedroom, even though it was usually the other one who used it in his freetime. Seriously, since he had moved in with Jiang Cheng the only places he went to was the college, Mingjue and Xichen’s house, Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan’s apartment and his own apartment, beside the shopping nearby. ‘When did I get so old?’, he thought as he showed some drawings he had made that week. ‘When did I get so domesticated? And A-Cheng still says that the only thing I do is partying.’ 

  “These are pretty cool. Thinking about putting it in your portfolio?” Mingjue asked, smiling to the scenes of birds and bees, to the neighbour’s drooling dog smiling back at him and to the… “Wait, what’s this?” He squinted his eyes, not quite believing in himself. “Is it Jiang Cheng--”

  “Nope, this is personal, Da-Ge!” Huaisang pulled the paper from his hands, hiding it beneath his pillow, breathing deeply. “What about the other ones? Did you like it?”

  “Yes, but I’m more interested in the one beneath your pillow.” He crossed his arms, smirking at him. “Was the young Jiang here these days?”

  “No, Da-Ge, A-Cheng is at home, studying and, probably, hitting on a girl in his class.” 

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because he only talks about her! He’s always like Hua Mei this, Hua Mei that. She is gentle as a morning breeze and smooth as a petal.” He murmured, pouting. “That little shit didn’t even notice that it was always me, me, who was there for him. Not Hua Mei.” 

  “A-Sang, don’t take it wrong, but you should get back because your man asks me about you every single day!” Mingjue said, sitting on the bed. “Every single day, the Jiang boy asks where are you? Why aren’t you going to class?”

  “He does?” Huaisang turned to him, momentarily forgetting his paintings.

  “Of course, he does.” Mingjue huffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s getting annoying.” 

“Oh!” He said, fidgeting his nails, stopping for a while. If it was true what Mingjue was saying, maybe, just maybe, Nie Huaisang had been a little bit too blind too, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He just had to muster up the courage to get out of the loft and actually talk to his crush. “Do you know if he is in class now? Or something like that?”

  “For what I know, he is currently in class, sending you messages a mile per hour.” Mingjue fished the phone from his back pocket, looking at its screen for a second. “A cousin of us does the same classes as Jiang Cheng and said she would keep an eye on him for you.”

  “Which cousin? A-Hua? I remember she wanted to be a veterinarian.” He said, laying behind him. “Or it was A-Liang?”

  “A-Hua. Wang Hua Mei.” He smirked as realization came to his didi, his eyes widening with every minute. “Yes, our little cousin Wang Hua Mei who is a lesbian and a veterinary student.” 

  “I was jealous of A-Hua? The little A-Hua?! No!” He hid his face with his hands, howling dramatically. “I can’t believe this! Please, tell me TongTong don’t know this.”

  “Of course I know this, sweet cousin. I know everything that happens in this crazy family, including the affairs and jealousy.” TongTong laughed, smiling. “Aaand you should thank me too. I made damage control on that video of us dancing. In the wedding.” 

  “What video?” Huaisang looked between his fingers, fear cradling at his insides. 

  “The one where you scream Fuck Jiang Wanyin so many times it became the name of the video.” Nie Mingjue said, smiling too. 

  “And to best everything, Let’s Kill This Love is blasting in full volume.” TongTong sat by his head, caressing his hair. “You really know the choreography, uhm?”

  “Of course I do.” He mumbled, trying to hold the tears back. Now Jiang Cheng wouldn’t look at his face ever again. “I really screamed Fuck Jiang Wanyin?”

  “It’s the name of the video, A-Sang, dear. What do you think?” She sighed, eyes looking fondly at him. 

  “Oh, gods! A-Cheng isn’t going to look at me ever again, Da-Ge!” Nie Huaisang groaned, trying to not scream too loudly. “What am I going to do?” 

 “I don’t know, fight back, try to talk with him, change your name and move to the USA.” Nie Mingjue shrugged, getting up. “Either way you choose, you will have to get out of this loft, get your things in your apartment and know that your family is by your side. Now, get up, hand me that painting of the Jiang kid and let me be the judge if it will go to your portfolio or not.”

  “What painting?” TongTong said, perking up. 

  “Da-Ge!” Nie Huaisang screamed, but pulled the painting from beneath the pillow nevertheless. He may not know what he was going to do right now, but he knew that his family was going to be by his side at any circumstance. Because that’s what you do when you are part of the Nie family, you take care of each other and let yourself be taken care of. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  Okay, maybe the idea of bringing Nie Mingjue, TongTong, Nie Zonghui and A-Hua wasn’t the greatest idea Nie Huaisang ever had in his life, but they were family and certainly would intervene in the talk he was about to have with Jiang Cheng. If they did, then he would accept Nie Mingjue’s advice and move to the USA as quickly as he could because they were going to start screaming with Jiang Cheng and one another and Nie Huaisang would be kicked out of his home. And if there were a few things that he couldn’t stand, being humiliated was on top of them all. 

  “Okay, listen. I’m going to talk to him, okay? No need to shout or intervene or pull any weapon I didn’t manage to find before we came here, alright?” He turned to them, trying to look like the personification of calm and collected. “It’s just a talk, nothing that I can’t handle. There’s nothing to panic over. Everything is fine.”

  “A-Sang, dear, you look like you want to be everywhere minus here.” TongTong said, passing him a fan. “Here, you forgot this at the party.”

  “Thank you.” He said, breathing deep as he looked for the spare key they usually let hidden on his plants. “Ah, here.” He pulled it out, shaking it a little. “Breathe, Huaisang, it’s very unlike that he is going to be home now.” He whispered, behind his fan, looking to the sides. “Everyth--”

  “Nie Huaisang.” Jiang Cheng growled, coming out of the kitchen, hearing an apron and yielding a knife. 

  “Da-Ge!” He yelped, running to hide behind Nie Mingjue. “Help”

  “Haven’t you said that you didn’t need our help?” Nie Mingjue snickered, looking at him over his shoulder. “It’s just a talk, nothing I can’t handle. It was something like that, right?”

  “Shut up.” He murmured, making himself look smaller.  

  “Hold yourself, kiddo.” Nie Zonghui rolled his eyes, a hand inside his jacket. “Put the knife down, Young Master Jiang.” 

  “Why the hell didn’t you answer my calls?! Or my messages?!” He said, walking to him. “Excuse us. Can you leave?” 

  “Ooh, I like him. He has no brain cells, just pure and beautiful anger.” TongTong whispered to A-Hua, smiling like crazy.

  “Jiang-xiong has brain cells, he is just too worried with Huaisang-gege and kind of angry too.” She whispered back, laughing behind her hands. “They are kind of cute together, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah. Good propaganda too.” 

  “TongTong!” She slapped her arm as the other just shrugged. 

  “Let go of the knife and I will step back.” Nie Mingjue said, looking amused at him. “Now, Wanyin.”

  “Fine.” Jiang Cheng turned around, scowling as he put the knife on the small cafe table Jiang Yanli gave them. “Happy now?”

  “Yeah…” The oldest Nie of the room stepped aside, smirking at him. "For now." 

  "Why didn't you respond to my messages, Huaisang? Just because of that video?" He said, furrowing his eyebrows. 

  "Yes?" Nie Huaisang said, hiding behind his fan. 

  "That's it? Yes?" He crossed his arms. "No more explanation?" 

  "I panicked, okay? I thought you weren’t going to look at my face ever again and hide.” Nie Huaisang started, knowing fully well that he would start rambling. “I was angry at you, okay? Every single time you opened your mouth, you would talk about Hua-Mei this, Hei-Mua that and I was getting jealous, alright? To worsen everything, when I arrived at the party, my fucking aunt simply glued on me and would let go, insisting that my uncle was marrying another woman so he could get children and usurp Dad’s company because Da-Ge insists that he is not dating Lan Xichen. But everybody knows that they are dating. And nobody believes that I could command it because I’m just the ‘poor and innocent A-Sang’!” 

  “Huaisang. Huaisang. NIE HUAISANG!” Jiang Cheng screamed, clapping his hands together. “Breathe!” He instructed when Nie Huaisang looked at him. 

  “No! Now that I started, I will finish. I was angry at you, I was angry at my poor Aunt who did nothing more than tell me gossip and I was angry at Hua-Mei without reason.” He pointed at her, fan furiously coming back and forth in front of him. “So, I started drinking and Wu brought me a bottle and I got another from who knows who and then TongTong asked if I knew how to dance Let’s Kill This Love. Of course I know how to dance it. I remember dancing, drinking and not caring even when Da-Ge put me on his shoulder and carried me out of there.” 

  “Why didn’t you come home?” Jiang Cheng crossed his arms again. 

  “Because I couldn’t look at your face, see you praising someone else and deal with the Jiang brother’s drama while drunk and dealing with my own drama and drinking. I was fucking wasted, A-Cheng, my hangover was horrible and I didn’t left the loft for nothing but do go get some groceries.” He answered, rubbing his face. "That 's it! Happy now?”

  “So you're telling me that you got jealous over me and Hua-Mei, who is a lesbian and have a girlfriend…”

  “And cousin.” The girl added, smiling. 

  “I didn’t know that at the time.” Nie Huaisang grumbled. 

  “And cousin, angered yourself in the wedding, got yourself drunk, started dancing with your another cousin and screamed Fuck Jiang Wanyin seventeen times in a row while singing Let’s Kill This Love?” Jiang Cheng carried on, lifting one finger to each action he quoted. “That’s why you didn’t answer my messages?”

  “My phone died and I didn’t have a charger nearby.” He shrugged, still slowly fanning himself. “Sorry.” Jiang Cheng stayed silent, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows. Some moments passed and nobody said a thing, just looking at each other as if trying to determine what was going to help next. 

  “A-Cheng, say something, please.” Nie Huaisang begged, when it all got too much for him. 

  “So, you like me?” Jiang Cheng said, looking uncertain of himself. 

  “Yes, A-Cheng, I like you.” He smiled as TongTong groaned behind him and A-Hua chuckled. 

  “Good, don’t this again or last time I will break your legs.” He took the knife back, walking to the kitchen. “I’m making dinner, put the table.” 

  “Okay, okay.” Nie Huaisang smiled, following him, chuckling when he heard Nie Mingjue said begrudgingly. 

  “Did he just use my threat?” 

  “Yeah, he did.” Nie Zonghui said, chuckling too.

  "I'm liking him even more." TongTong said as A-Hua agreed with her. "We are staying for dinner, aren't we?"

  "Yeah. I'm fucking hungry." Nie Mingjue said and Nie Huaisangī wouldn’t be happier than he already was. 

  “Just so you know, I like you back. Since we were in school.” Jiang Cheng whispered to him, nudging his arm with his elbow. 

  “Does this mean we are dating?” He whispered back, a smile forming on his lips. 

  “I think so. What you think?” He smiled back, returning to where he was cutting the vegetables before. 

  “Yes! I love you!” Nie Huaisang jumped at him, kissing his face. 

  “Careful, you idiot, I’m holding a knife!” He screamed, but soon he was laughing too. And if Nie Mingjue and the others looked inside the kitchen and screamed at them for delaying dinner with their smooches, Nie Huaisang didn’t care because now he was truly happy! He was dating his childhood crush, his family were by his side and happy for him and even if there were things that were kind of bad in his life, it was nothing he couldn’t handle. Alone or not. 

[gingerale2017]

𝟜| 𝔹𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕕𝕒𝕪

Present Day

Winter was getting on her nerves. First, she drops in the middle of an argument between Selene and her aunt. Then Winter didn't come for patrol at 5:00, so Scarlet had to cover. And she ate the last cookie that Selene had been saving for herself. Well, at least she got to see Kai today. Her heart thumped at the thought of him. Jeez, Selene, get a grip! she thought. Every time she saw those copper-brown eyes and his breath-taking smile, her heart would expand to the size of Jupiter. She fantasized at night how it would be like to date Kai Pierce. Probably better than Selene could ever imagine; it might be even better than Scarlets and Wolf/ Ze'ev romance. But it wasn't possible. They were only friends, after all.

Sighing, she walked over to where her friends were sitting. Scarlet and Ze'ev gave lovey eyes to each other while Thorne flirted with Iko. Winter laughed as she ate Selene's cookie but had protection from Jacin's icy glare. Selene sat down next to Thorne, who started using his antics on her. She hit him and groaned into her hands.

"Hey, Cinder?" Scarlet asked. Her friends preferred to call Selene since it still felt weird to call her by her real name.

"Yep?"

"So I forgot to do West Streets today. Can you cover?" Selene nodded, "Thanks." Wolf kissed Scarlet, and they started yet another make-out session. Ever since the team got Wolf out of Blackburn Skyscraper, he and Scarlet hit it off immediately. And they made Scarlet, Winter, Jacin, and Wolf part of their team. Officially, they were One-Shot, Snowflake, Assasin, and Wolf (his real name was Ze'ev), and the team has been better than ever.

But Selene couldn't say the same for herself. She pushed herself out of the worn couch and made her way towards the lockers. When she first thought of creating an alter-ego, it was mostly to get revenge on the crooks who killed her stepsister, Peony.

Peony was an innocent human being and the only one in the Linh household who accepted Selene for her deformities. When Selene was three, a terrible fire happened in the Blackburn Industries Skyscraper, killing three. Selene's mother and the CEO of the company, Channary Blackburn. Evret Hayle, Winter's father and Levana's husband. The third person being herself, Selene. Everyone thought she died in the fire, but she survived and was placed in a coma secretly for most of her childhood. Instead of letting the fire consume her, she consumed the fire and scarred her arm and leg. She can heat those parts at will, and sometimes she can melt items. Not only that, she had the famous Blackburn power, mind control. When she was eleven, the Links took her in and compensated heavily from Levana for keeping it a secret until she was 14, when Cinders already existed. Winter had found her in a burning house in one of her strange dream predictions and figured out who she was. Selene met up with Winter, and her step-cousin advised her to reveal herself to the public. Which she did, and here she was two years later.

Back to Peony, when Selene was thirteen, she had figured out that she had a knack for mechanics and the sort. So she, Iko (her best friend other than Scarlet), and Peony went to a junkyard in the city's dark parts. Some thugs with superpowers assaulted Peony because they knew who Selene was (as the dead girl, not the hero) and wanted money. Peony begged them to stop, but they hit her on the head hard once, knocking the poor girl out. Selene watched it happened from afar and couldn't reach Peony in time. The thug paid no attention to Selene as she sobbed over Peony's body and headed towards Iko. But little did he know that Iko's power was invincibility. So he tried to attack her, but failed and ran away, but his partner didn't and stayed behind to taunt the girls.

Iko went in for a punch but knew nothing of the sort and fell. On the other hand, Selene attacked the guy, putting full force on her scarred hand and burned him. He screamed and ran away, but Selene used her Blackburn power, mind control, on him. She remembered torturing him, but not too well. It was almost as if Selene zoned out and let her powers take over. Then she fainted and woke up in the hospital and heard the news.

Peony was brain-dead.

Peony's brain was bleeding, and the doctors took her in for surgery. She flat-lined, and the doctors couldn't resuscitate her in time, leaving the body without enough oxygen to work, and the brain couldn't function right. She went into a coma, and the doctors said she would never wake up. Pearl and Andri hated Selene after that and mistreated her even more. Peony was left in a coma because Adri was too much of a coward to pull the plug. Selene's little sister had to live off of machines for the rest of her life. It was terrible to watch a loved one live that way, and Selene had a lump in her throat every time she thought of it.

That's when she realized that there was too much crime in New Beijing, most of them having powers. So Selene created a team with Iko and a guy she knew who was three years old than her but could fly and super strength (apparently, his parents mixed their powers and created this weirdo). Their first few fights went viral on the internet, and everybody was proclaiming about New Beijing's heroes. And here they were today.

"Cindyyyyy," Thorne tapped her shoulder, and Selene jumped. She just put her black and orange jacket on and was chalking her hair orange.

"Don't call me that, " she growled and went back to chalking her hair. Thorne ignored her and began to pick his nails.

"Winter told me to tell you that she got info about some girl Levana's got trapped or something like that."

"Not another one. Levana likes locking people up, I guess."

"I dunno. She's your aunt."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Cinder grabbed her boots and zipped them up, "anyways, I'm off to Kai Pierce's place for the second time today."

"Oh, and happy birthday," he winked at her.

"Whatever, " she got off the used bench she was using for support and tapped Thorne's chest, "try not to burn down the place while I'm gone." He gave her a thumbs up and smiled while she turned away, heading for the exit.

The worn walls of the abandoned warehouse they chose to take over all those years ago greeted her on the way out. Knowing the streets of New Beijing well, she headed for West Streets.

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

The white wall towered over Selene's head, and beyond that, she could smell flowers. She knew that jumping over the fence is trespassing, and as both Cinders and Selene, if she were caught, there would be terrible consequences. But she remembered once Kai had told her that the Pierce mansion was famous for their garden. Selene always denied Kai's requests to take her there, but now she let her curiosity get the best of her. 

She grabbed the nearby tree and claimed it until she was above the wall. Hopping off, she landed on the other side of the wall and found a beautiful garden. There were all kinds of flowers, all sorts of colors, all sorts of scents. There was also a mini koi pond with little fishes swimming in it. 

Laughing, Selene let herself explore a bit before continuing with patrol. Nothing ever happened on West Streets anyways; it's filled with rich people with high-tech security systems. Selene wandered over towards the peonies and sighed, remembering her little sister. 

"Hello?" Selene turned around so fast that the peony she was holding ripped out of the stem. She put the ripped flower with the others and patted it so it wouldn't fall. Turning around once again, she saw the boy who recognized her. 

"Sorry. I was doing patrol, and I heard about your gardens, and I got curious, so I jumped over the wall, and now I'm here. Sorry again." Selene's heart did a little flip when Kai blinked in surprise. He opened his mouth to say something but changed his mind and closed it, "I better get going. Sorry again!"

She walked towards the wall but stopped when he asked her to wait. She turned around a bit clumsily and inwardly cursed herself. Was she always this clumsy when she was Cinders? Was she clumsy when she was Selene? That's embarrassing. She met his eyes, and his ears turned red.

"Sorry. It's not every day a superhero jumps over your wall while you're trying to study." He smiled at her, and Selene's heart was going to town. His copper-brown eyes were just so perfect, and his lips... SNAP OUT OF IT CINDERS, she thought; Selene gets feelings for Kaito Pierce. Cinders does not. 

 "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"Do you want to talk?" she blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"I meant, you looked so sad when you were holding that flower, and for a moment, I thought you were going to cry," Kai scratched the back of his head, "So, do you want to talk about it?"

Selene looked down, "Well, it's a sad day for me because," she paused to lick her lips. Daring to look up, she saw that his eyes were a mix of concern and curiosity, "because it's the anniversary of my sister's death." 

"I'm sorry," he reached out to consulate her but pulled away, "I'm a terrible person; I shouldn't have pried."

"It's fine. If anything, I'm sorry for trespassing-."

"Don't be. Besides, it gets a little lonely here. It's nice to have some company," Kai smiled and gestured towards the bench, "stay as long as you'd like."

Woah. Was Kai this nice towards strangers? Not that Selene was hardly a stranger but still. Maybe she could stay a little longer...

"Um, thanks, I guess," she awkwardly made her way towards the bench near the roses and sat, "anyways, do you have anything to talk about?" Selene already knew the answer. Earlier today, he confessed to her that he was worried about his father. Kai already lost his mother and didn't think that he would cope well after losing his parents. He said this over chocolate cake, Selene's favorite.

"You probably already know about my dad, so I'm worried about him. Levana is taking advantage of this, and she's getting on my nerves. And then there's Selene." She flinched when he said her name. What did Selene do to anger him? 

"Oh." She nodded and listened intently to his following words.

"Yep. It's Selene's birthday, but she seemed so distant today. She's my closest friend, and I didn't know why." Selene never liked her birthday, it reminded her of the day she failed.

"Maybe something happened that day, and she didn't feel like sharing?"

"Maybe," he looked at her and smiled softly, but it was more forced than before, "Thanks for letting me rant to you. You probably have places to be."

"Yeah, actually I do," she got up and walked towards the white wall. There was another bench near, and Selene stood on that one, "I hope your dad feels better and don't let Levana get to you." She jumped and hauled herself up until she was sitting on the wall, "Also, Selene will come around."

"Thanks." He waved and turned around.

"Wait!" Kai looked back at her, "maybe I'll come again, and you can rant to me some more. I also have some ranting to do. Also, you won't be so lonely." She flashed him a smile.

"Yeah. I would like that." She hopped off the wall and landed on the other side, blushing crazily. 

"Yeah. I would like that too," Selene whispered as she disappeared into the night.

Prev | Next | All

Tagging: @cerenoya @salt-warrior @cindersassasin @not-the-founder-of-rome @winterrhayle

[purplesurveys]

1044

survey by a7xbabii 

Do you use e-mail often? I use it for eight hours, five days a week for work, so yes.

Do you hear any animals right now? I’m in a Starbucks inside a mall situated in the middle of a busy highway. It would be very unlikely to hear any animals right now.

Are you in a well-lit room? Sure, I’d say this establishment has good lighting. There’s no light directly above me unlike the other seats, but it’s okay in this case as I don’t want other people seeing me take surveys.

Is your trashcan full? The main one we use at home just got full, so the last time I checked this morning my mom was airing it out.

What was the last crunchy thing you consumed? My chicken barbecue sandwich from last night.

Did you view anything disturbing today? Hmm, I guess so? I wanted to entirely redo one part of my embroidery piece since I wasn’t happy with how I did it, so I had to remove the threads and stuff. When they were all gone the template was filled with holes and it looked like one of those trypophobia photos. I’m not personally disturbed by that phenomenon, but I know a lot of people are.

Are there any holiday decorations in your house? Yeah, we’ve had our Christmas tree up since the beginning of November. We also usually put a wreath up our door but idk why my mom didn’t this year.

When was the last time you had a terrible headache? Last night, because I had not eaten all day. 

Have you recently put lotion on your hands? No. I don’t like the feeling of lotion, so I don’t apply it on me a lot, if at all.

Are you hungry? Not so much, actually. I don’t feel too hungry today; I didn’t even finish my breakfast and that’s the only meal I’ve had so far today, and it’s already 4 PM.

Is it rainy where you're at right now? No, it’s quite fair. The sun’s not too strong anymore because of the time, but it’s still very much bright out.

Do you carry a purse? If so, describe what it looks like. I take a wallet with me. It’s pink, made of fake leather, has three main slots inside, and it also has some tiny bite marks on the outer edges from when Cooper was a lot younger.

Is your cell phone on vibrate? For certain notifications only, like texts and Viber.

Is your dishwasher full? We don’t use a dishwasher.

When is the last time you saw someone you like/love. Around a week and a half ago.

Do you like to wear gloves? No, I find them too itchy and I don’t need to wear them anyway.

Is there a body of water near where you live? There’s a creek that passes through my village near the clubhouse area, if that counts.

What are your thoughts on Avenged Sevenfold? No opinion. I never listened to them; though I am reminded of this one mutual I used to have on Tumblr/Twitter. She used to be a wrestling fan and was a part of our main circle, but she gradually shifted her main fandom to Avenged Sevenfold. By the time she cemented her new interest she then went on a huge unfollowing spree of wrestling fans on her feed and she apparently PM’d each person she intended to unfollow, including me. I remember her explaining that she was now in a different fandom and was gonna have to stop following me which I found...kinda extra to be honest lmao because nobody does that, but I appreciate the effort to approach each one of us, I guess.

Are you wearing anything pink right now? Nope, but my wallet is pink and so is my keyboard cover.

Do you like to swim in the ocean? I prefer beaches, but sure.

What is the creepiest bug you've ever saw? Cockroaches.

Do you currently have split ends? I don’t think so.

When is the last time you used the bathroom? Around five hours ago when I took a shower before heading out.

Do you chew on your lip? Almost never.

Are you afraid of needles? For the most part yeah, especially syringes. I’m not afraid of them when I do my embroidery, but that’s the only time I feel comfortable with a needle.

What is the last thing you lost? A pen, I think.

When is the last time you saw a bald person? Five hours ago, when I said bye to my dad.

What car were you last in? [continued from two days ago] My own. I was driving home from the mall.

Do you like Batman? I tried to get into Batman and the whole shebang of comic books when I was a teenager, but I just couldn’t.

Have you ever played tennis? Never have, actually. I’ve always wanted to try.

Can you see a star shape in the room you are in? Probably not in my bedroom.

What are you sitting on? A pillow I’ve placed on my work chair so that it’s more comfortable. My parents got me a basic chair initially meant just for my internship, so it’s not the comfiest of chairs haha. But now that I have a job, a more suitable work chair is probably one of things I’ll have to invest on.

What is the last warm thing you touched? My chest felt itchy just a few seconds ago, so I was able to feel my skin scratching it.

Do you use hand sanitizer? That’s kind of a necessity now, so...

Where do you want to go in life? [continued from...I don’t even remember anymore] I don’t know if I even plan to make it past 30 at this point. I can’t answer this right now.

Are you sweating? No, I’ve been in air-conditioned rooms all day and it feels so damn good.

When is the last time you had to scratch an itch? A few minutes ago when my neck itched.

Are you in any kind of club or group that is trying to save animals? No, but I very much support the cause.

Who is the last blonde you saw? At work today I saw someone who had her hair dyed blonde.

Where were you two hours after you got up, and what were you doing there? I needed to go to the office today because my team and I needed to pack some stuff to seed to certain media. It was the first time I got to visit the place and it was sooooooo homey and pretty :) I wish we can be allowed to work in the office soon; it would be best for my mental health at this point.

Do you wish for world peace? Um, of course.

Have you ever played fetch with a dog? We were able to teach Cooper how to pick up items that we throw but he’s still slowly learning that he actually has to give it back to us, haha.

What is the nearest object that is wood? The table I am typing on is made of wood.

Do you use Netflix? Yes, we have a family subscription.

Does your house have a fireplace? No, we don’t. And I can confidently tell you all other houses in this entire country, and probably the whole of Southeast Asia, don’t.

Do you wake yourself up in the morning, or does someone else? I wake myself up. On important days, I’ll put an alarm on.

What kind of hoodie did you last wear? It was a white hoodie with a UP seal on the left side.

Do you play games on your computer? No, my laptop isn’t equipped for games. I tried downloading Sims 4 when they made it free for a few weeks back in 2018, but my laptop’s fan started whirring like crazy and the battery got drained super fast. The entire period of me booting it up and then deleting it took like, a literal 15 minutes.

What is the last video game that you played? Mario Kart 8 on the Switch. I want to get myself Switch games as gifts, but I’m just so stingy towards myself hahaha.

Have you ever pet a stingray? I’m 50% would like to at least once and 50% I know of what it did to Steve Irwin, and I’m not messing with them.

If you were on vacation, would you ever go to Ireland? It’s not a big item on my bucket list, honestly. I’d love to go to Ireland, but it would probably be a part of a bigger itinerary, like if I decided to take a trip to that part of Europe.

Are you logged into Myspace right now? I haven’t been on there for more than a decade.

Did you have anything bad happen to you today? Yeah, but they’re stuff that happened at work that are a little hard to explain. 

Have you ever been to New York? Nope. I’d love to take a trip there.

Do you use the term "lol" if you don't have anything to say? Not really. I use it in the end of my messages more so that I don’t sound mean.

Should you be sleeping right now instead of taking this survey? Hell no. It’s a Friday night so the last thing I want to be doing is sleeping.

Can you truly say you hate anyone? I don’t think so. I greatly dislike my brother, but I guess I don’t hate him. I find it too strong a word.

Have you ever disected a baby pig in a class at school? Not a piglet, no. We dissected an earthworm, a fish, and eventually a frog.

What brand of dish liquid do you use? A local brand you wouldn’t recognize.

When is the last time you ate a Hershey Kiss? It’s probably been more than a year. It’s not my favorite candy.

Do you ever feel unappreciated? Yes.

Do you currently have any blemishes on your face? No. My pimple finally went away, hallelujah.

Who is the last baby you held? My cousin who is now 13 years old. I’m too anxious to hold babies; I always feel like I’d drop them so I find myself declining even when I have the chance to hold one.

Are you a lover? I guess.

Do you use smileys often in text convos? Yes. Not a lot of people like them but it’s better to sound friendly and approachable than stoic.

Do you have the Google toolbar on your computer? Like...Chrome? I have the program, yeah. It’s my default browser as well.

Do you like Sunkist? I’ve never had it.

Would you ever consider being a cannibal? I mean...I guess only if I was in a life-and-death situation, like if a plane I was in crashed on an island and I was starting to get hungry. I certainly don’t fantasize about cannibalism on any regular day.

Did you forget something important in the past week? I made a few mistakes at work due to me forgetting things, yeah.

Do you like learning new things? Sure.

What color is your toothpaste? White.

Are the floors in your house creaky? Nopes. I don’t think our doors are creaky-level just yet as well.

Do you fear death? I hate the uncertainty of what happens while it’s taking place, and what happens after. But I’ve been wishing for it for a while as well. There’s a difference.

Is your mouth dry? Not right now, no.

Do yoou have any scars from an animal? Yeah I’ve got a few marks and scratches from Cooper. I never run out of them, really.

Did you have fun with this survey? It was okay.

Was it random enough? Sure.

[buckyscrystalqueen]

The Difference: Part 4

Pairings: Mark Sheppard x Reader

Warnings: None??? Swearing must likely…

Word Count: 3,600

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

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

You did every single thing you could to keep Mark as far away from your extended family for as long as you could, but before you knew it, it was Halloween night and time for the boys’ second birthday. And since you had been dating for ten months, you couldn’t really come up with excuses on why he couldn’t make family functions any more. You simply had to bite the bullet and throw him to the wolves. And it wasn’t like you didn’t want him there in the first place, you just didn’t want your family to scare him off.

“Kitten, if the boys and their screaming haven’t scared me off by now, I highly doubt your family will.”

“You don’t understand.” You sighed as you wrestled Evan into his Iron Man costume. “They are all crazy.”

“So nothing like you.” You looked up at him in his Hawkeye costume with a death glare and he blew you a kiss as he put Captain America Theo in the ‘Quinjet’, which was a four person wagon that you had decorated for your four Avengers.

“Listen here.” You laughed as you got up and grabbed Thor Luca as he toddled by. “You don’t know crazy.”

“Where’s the Hulk?” You paused and looked around your bedroom with your brow furrowed as you finished buckling Luca into his spot.

“Thomas… You wanna go see Lilly?” Your eyes stopped on the closet where there was a loud bang a moment before your youngest did a slightly awkward flip out of the space and practically scrambled to get to the cart to see his favorite cousin. “Yea, that’s what I thought.”

“Alright, Widow. Are we ready to go?”

“You double checked the bags?”

“I double checked the bags.” He said as he stood up and turned off the light in the front half of the room. “Lets go, munchkins. Time to party.” With one final glance around to make sure you had everything you had set out for the birthday party and for trick or treating, and headed out the back door to walk a whole block over and half a block down to your Aunt Selene’s house.

“We’re here!” You called out as you pushed open the side gate to her back yard. Your family all yelled hello and almost instantly started to swarm over to finally meet Mark. “Wait, wait, wait.” You said quickly as you held your hand up. “One at a time.” Your uncles, who understood boundaries, helped keep their respective kids back, while your aunts simply ignored you and continued coming toward you.

“Oh, he is cute.” Your Aunt Serena cooed in Italian as she squeezed your arm. “Good job.”

“He doesn’t look like a lawyer.” Aunt Alessia commented with a small shake of her head.

“He has to nice of face.” Aunt Caterina chimed in.

“He doesn’t speak Italian.” You pointed out as you handed Thomas to your Aunt Mia.

“You have a nice face!” Aunt Sofia practically shouted in English from the back of the group of women.

“Oh! Thank you.”

“OK, move aside.” Your mother barked as she squeezed through the group to come to your aid. “Where are my birthday babies?”

“He’s not deaf.” Aunt Viola joked in Italian as she whacked her younger sister in the arm.

“And he still doesn’t speak Italian.” You repeated as you picked up the small bag of birthday gifts you had bought your sons to put them on the table with the rest. You glanced over at Mark as he held Evan’s hand and followed Luca toward the swing set where your sister and her four year old daughters, Lilly and Chloe were playing with some of your second cousins.

“Look who finally decided to show up.” Your cousin, Natasha, who was Selene’s second oldest of six girls, teased as she sat by one of the many tables, nursing her four month old, Nikolai, who you hadn’t gotten to meet yet.

“You have four kids at once and try to get anywhere on time. Is this my newest nephew?”

“Yea, who keeps me up all night long.” She sighed.

“As someone who… I guess ‘got lucky’.” Mark teased as he came over, and parked the wagon on the side of the porch. “I can say that it does get better…”

“Oh, do NOT listen to him!” You laughed as you pushed your boyfriend’s arm. “He could sleep through a hurricane, and then a tornado without even slipping out of his dream. I have to hit him with a pillow and then pretend to be asleep when I want him to be the one to see what son is crying.”

“You hit me with pillows?” Mark asked as Natasha, and a few of your other family members laughed.

“What, you think you wake up yourself?” You giggled. “Yes, I absolutely hit you with pillows.”

“I will remember that next time I find myself awake at three am.” He said with mock seriousness as he gestured to the table of drinks. “Want something.”

“Yes.” You said as you took a step over at him. “Green punch bowl is always kid safe… looks like orange is alcoholic this year.”

“Got it.” He said with a nod as he kissed your cheek and headed off to grab drinks.

“He seems nice.” Your cousin, Shannon said as she came over and grabbed one of the many seats with her plate of Halloween themed treats.

“He is amazing.” You confirmed with a nod as you habitually looked over your shoulder and quickly located your four boys in the crowded back yard. “And the boys love him.”

“Do you?” Natasha asked with her eyebrow raised.

“I do.”

“OK, since everyone’s here, let’s do presents before Nonno and I start dinner!” Your dad called out from the other side of the yard.

“Oh, yay. Corralling cats.”

“Here, I got it.” Mark said as he handed you your drink. You drank yours in two gulps, set the cup aside, and followed him across the yard toward the towering pile of gifts as chairs were dragged over and kids were corralled. You grabbed a seat beside Mark in the grass, and pulled Evan on to your lap as your mom and Emma moved some presents around on the table.

“OK, there is an order to these.” Zoe called out as she passed the first couple gifts to you. “Cousin gifts first.” You nodded your head and passed the thirty dollars and under gifts in your hand over to Mark so he could help Luca and Theo open them. You helped Evan open a bag of large Lego blocks, and helped Thomas reveal a stack of new books, while your other two sons opened a toy truck and more Legos. 

You opened a plastic farm house, some more toy trucks and toy cars, a toy garage, some learning toys and games, and some bath toys. There were fake kitchen toys, and a fake tool box, a fake cleaning toys, and even a pair of fake lawn mowers. And too wrap it up, a couple of your cousins had apparently pooled their money to create a pretty amazing activity table that was large enough for all four boys to play side by side; which was apparently the winner of the night anyways since once the wrapping paper came off, the other toys were forgotten by all of your sons.

“Well, we don’t really need them for the rest anyways.” Emma giggled as she handed you a card with a smile. “From Yaya, Nonna, and Nonno.” You nodded your head and looked up at your three living grandparents, who were sitting up on the porch near one of the many heaters Selene had her husband, David, set up incase anyone got too cold, and waved. You pulled the card out and smiled at the cute cover before flipping it open and hesitating.

“Wait, what is this?” You asked as you pulled out a stack of American Airline plane tickets.

“Open this one next.” Mark said as he handed you another card that he had pulled out of his Hawkeye jacket.

“What did you do?” You laughed as you dropped the tickets in your lap and opened the next card.

“It’s from my dad.” He said as he caught the folded papers and opened them up. “He knows someone that knows someone that works for Disney company and they got him a great deal on a nice, deluxe room for us… he’s the one that kinda set this whole idea in motion and Ben and Emma helped coordinate it.”

“And I may or may not have cheated a bit and jumped on the idea and booked our family a trip as well so our gift to you is a night of free baby sitting so you can have a Disney date night.”

“Of course you did.” You laughed as you looked up at your twin.

“Here, we have more presents.” Your mom said with a giant smile as she handed you a small box. “This is from dad and I.”

“Stop, I can’t.” You said with a shake of your head as you started to tear up. “Really?”

“Open the box, (Y/N).” Your dad chuckled as he pointed at you with the grill spatula. “People are getting hungry here.”

“Tony, be nice!” Your Aunt Camilla snapped as she reached out and whacked her brother’s arm.

“We covered tickets.” Your mom said as you pulled off the wrapping paper to figure out what your mother had gotten. “But they’re on those band things. You gotta keep them with you…”

“I have emails for all of it.” Mark said as he collected the important paperwork for you.

“This one’s from Aunt Bianca and I.” Your Uncle Devin said as he handed you a slightly heavy box.

“You guys are gunna make me cry.” You said as you pulled the wrapping paper off a new to you, hand me down double stroller.

“They don’t allow the wagon ones.” Bianca said as she pointed to her old stroller. “And we don’t need ours anymore. We were gunna give it to you anyways…”

“Same with ours.” Catarina said as she grabbed her unwrapped stroller from behind the table and brought it around for you. “I made Adam put new wheels on the thing because they were a little stuck and I’m waiting for a new handle grip thing to come in the mail so I’ll put that on when they come in.” You nodded your head as Selene and Viola came over to grab their boxes.

“These were rated number one in parenting magazines but if you don’t like them, we can send them back.”

“They’re inflatable toddler beds.”

“Oh, I was actually looking into these for Mark’s place.” You said as you looked at the box for the The Shrunk's travel inflatable toddler bed. “See, it has the rails so that the boys can’t roll off it even if it is close to the floor.”

“No more climbing out of the play pens.” Mark agreed as he took a look at one of the other bed boxes.

“You move in now. Get small boys beds.” Yaya said in broken English as she picked at the snack table.

“Ma!” Zoe barked behind you as your face flushed red.

“She has a point.” Selene said in Greek with a shrug.

“No, no.” You said with a shake of your head as you looked over at Mark. “We’re not there yet… are we?”

“Discussion for another time.” Your boyfriend said as he reached out and rubbed your back. “Still not scared.”

“Here, open this one.” Emma said quickly as she handed you the next gift. You nodded your head and quickly opened the next one, which was four stroller fans, and a pair of stroller rain covers. With the last few gifts, you could tell that your family had done a lot of research on taking toddlers to Disney; gifting you insulated sippy cups, some cooling towels, reusable bags, disposable dirty diaper bags, bedsheets, suitcases, rain jackets, hats, sunscreen, a couple Disney guide books, and a small but pretty bad ass first aid kit, which left you very little to actually have to buy for this surprise trip. Just as you finished thanking everyone, profusely, your dad announced that dinner was ready.

“Did you do all this?” You asked Mark before you got up to get plates together for the boys.

“I asked you two months ago if you could take them anywhere, where would you want to take them? You said Disney so I just helped make it happen for you.”

“Why are you so good to us?” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he got up to start convincing your sons that eating was gunna be more fun than playing with their new toys.

“Because I love you all more than words, kitten. Simple as that.”

——

“What in God’s name are we gunna do with all this candy?” Mark asked as he sat on your bed, sorting through four plastic pumpkins of candy to sort out what the boys could have and what was going to you and him once the two of you got the boys bathed and in bed for the night.

“Eat it all.” You said as you looked over at him from the travel book you were skimming through. “I think we can do it, don’t you?”

“I think we can manage that.” You nodded your head, and went back to looking at your book until he set a stack of papers on your page.

“You know, I would love nothing more than to come home to you and your boys every day. To make you breakfast every morning and be the one tuck those little terrors in with you at night…”

“You mean tuck them in for me.” You said as you looked at the papers in your hand. “Mark, these houses are way to much…”

“Let me worry about that.” He said as he ripped open a snack size Butterfinger and held it out in front of you. “Here.”

“This isn’t a Pavlov dog, situation here.” You giggled before you ate the candy bar. “You are not paying a million dollars for a house.”

“Look at this one, my love.” He said as he pulled one of the papers out and set it on top while opening a small Snickers bar with his other hand. “Six bedrooms, gorgeous atrium.”

“We don’t need six bedrooms…”

“This one has five bedrooms…”

“It’s barely above a thousand feet. Too small.” You mumbled around your Snickers as you tossed the paper aside.

“This one…”

“No.”

“How about…”

“No, that tile is hideous.”

“Kitten, I can put in new tile.”

“No, because we’re just fine… wait, this is by Emma.” Mark nodded as he handed you another candy bar.

“It is. Ben brought me the paper tonight. His sister is the realtor on it and I may have already emailed her to get us an appointment…”

“Mark, this is a million dollar house.” You said as you turned the paper over to look at the details. “It’s gorgeous but I can’t afford to spend this kind of money…”

“I can.” He said as he pulled the other papers out of your hand except the one you liked. “(Y/N), I want you to understand something. I am in this. I want you and those boys in my life forever. And yes, I’m quite aware that proposing now is not what is best for us at this moment, that’s not what I’m doing here. I’m asking you to let me be able to come home to you after work every day. I’m asking you to let me help you raise the four boys that make me a better person every day. And I’m asking you to let me love my family, because that is what you five have become to me. Kitten, let us be a family, please.”

“Buy the house.” Your dad whisper yelled above your head from the stairs. “Get out of my basement.”

“Go to bed!” You hissed back as you flipped the paper back over in your hand to look at the photos of the five bedroom, five bath home. “Mind your business.”

“My basement is my business!” He hissed back as he smiled at your boyfriend. “Don’t worry, son. I got your back.”

“Dad! Go upstairs before I go get Mom!” You barked in Italian as you you tilted your head back to look up at him. “Go to bed, and stop eavesdropping though the baby monitor.”

“Move out of my house so I don’t have to hear your conversations through the baby monitor.” He countered before he hurried out the door so you wouldn’t get up to find your mother.

“Here, love. You love Milky Ways…”

“You are not helping here!” You giggled as you took the candy from him. “I’ll think about it, OK?”

“OK, well you can think about it tomorrow when we go see the house at noon. Chocolate?”

“Quit bribing me with chocolate!” You scowled at him for a moment before you reached out and snatched the candy from his hand. “Shut up.” He chuckled as you leaned over and kissed his cheek before popping the chocolate in your mouth and leaning against his side with a sigh. “Fine, we’ll go look at the house.”

“Thank you, my love.”

——

“This house is way to big.” You sighed as you stood in your new grey and white kitchen, that felt like it had more space than you could ever want or need, with a box of the boys dishes on your hip.

“It’s a family home, kitten.” Mark said as he pulled the box from your hands so you would keep working. “One to grow in which is exactly what our family needs.”

“Yea, but there’s so much room.”

“So we have more kids.” He huffed as he headed outside into the snow to get more boxes from your van so you’d be all moved in before Christmas in a few weeks. “Simple as that.”

“What, you looking to have a whole zoo?”

“Just a basketball team.” You couldn’t help but laugh as you grabbed a box of your clothes next.

“Yea, you are out of your mind if you think I’m signing up for another round of quadruplets.”

“So what, you’re all done having kids?”

“No idea. Maybe one day when the boys are older and a little less monster like. I don’t know, I love being a mother and I would never say no to doing it again, just not now.”

“I could get on board with that.” He said with a nod as he dropped his box on his bed (and your mattress because you both agreed it was way more comfortable than his). “Are you always going to have multiples?”

“It’s a crap shot.” You said as you headed down the stairs. “Could be one, could be four, could be seven. I don’t really have a set schedule or a direct connection with my ovaries to tell them we only want one or two more, you know?”

“OK, valid point.” Mark chuckled as he handed you a lighter clothes box. “But let the record show, I wouldn’t mind doing four again.”

“Let the record show that I would greatly mind doing four again. My ass looked like a Goodyear blimp for months.”

“I bet it looked fantastic.” 

“OK you keep your pregnant girlfriend fantasies in your pants for now, you hear me?”

“Oh no.” He cooed as he he wrapped his arms around your waist before you could walk out of Theo and Thomas’ room. “Now I’m gunna have that image in my mind for months.”

“And that’s where it is gunna stay for at least another year.”

“Oh, so I’ve got you down to a year now.”

“Mark!” You screeched as you pushed him away from you to finish unpacking. “Unpack your current kids shit before you start planning on adding more shit to it.” You headed down stairs, grabbed the next box, and headed back upstairs before you realized that you had left your boyfriend in the hallway.

“My kids?” He asked as he looked up from the wood floor to find your eyes. You paused with a furrowed brow and nodded slowly.

“You’re the only father figure they have ever known and you’ve been there for them… for us, nearly every day for the past what, almost a year, without batting an eye, no matter how much I tried to scare you off. Of course they are your kids, too.”

“(Y/N), do not put that idea in my head if you ever plan on taking those boys…”

“Mark, I wouldn’t have agreed to buying a house with you if I ever planned on taking them away from you. And at the same time, I wouldn’t be able to take you from them at the end of the day because you are their world. You may not be a biological father, but you are their father.” He nodded his head and tears welled in his eyes as he reached out to hold the banister and scrubbed at his eyes.

“OK.” He choked with a sniffle and a nod. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.” You giggled as you passed him the box in your arms and headed back down to go get more. “You still have no idea what you’re signing up for.”

“Apparently I never will.”

“Don’t worry, neither will I!”

Part 5

[pocminiseries]

Body Smile

Jealousy.

••••••••••

"Who's all coming again?" Aliyah questioned out loud, turning to face her mother as they set the table for their weekly Thursday night family dinner.

"The usual. I think your brother is bringing Traci for once and I know your Uncle Raymond is finally going to reveal his new wife to everyone." Her mother, Connie, replied, chuckling at Aliyah's bulging eyes.

"Mama...I know you did not invite him just to see Aunt Lynn start some mess? You know she can not stand Uncle Raymond," Aliyah stared at her mom in disbelief as an evil spread across her beautiful face.

"I consider this payback for all those times she continually put down my marriage while placing her cheating ass husband on some pedal stool. You know she always thought she was better than me because of the luxurious lifestyle she lived, now look at her."

Aliyah shook her but smartly decided not to say anything else involving "grown folks business". "So does that mean she's bringing Trina with her too?"

Her mother shrugged. "Probably," She replied, placing the last plate on the table. "Are two still having problems?"

"If you mean by problems, her jealousy towards me for no apparent reason, then yes, we do." Aliyah wasn't sure when her cousin developed such a distaste for her, especially since they use to be so close when they were kids. It seemed to happen out of nowhere when Trina's attitude started to change towards her.

Aliyah just found it all to be weird because Trina had everything a girl could ask for, the money, the cars, the clothes, vacationed to the best spots, the big group of friends, etc. The girl was literally out here living her best life. And yet, even with having all that, she became rude and judgemental of everything Aliyah did. She couldn't even remember the last time she heard her cousin say one nice thing about her.

It was ridiculous.

"Maybe you two should sit down and talk, try to fix whatever issue is there," Her mother offered, earning a look from Aliyah. "Don't make that face at me,"

"I hear you mama but I'm good. She can continue to sink in her misery alone." Besides they were grown now. Fuck that bitch.

Connie smiled softly at her daughter, reaching out to stroke her face. "You know I'm proud of you, don't you? You've grown so much baby," She cooed, earning a playful eye roll from Aliyah.

"Mama..." She whined as her mother squeezed her cheeks. "I appreciate the love, really, but c'mon." Her protest only went in one ear and out the other when her mother continued to pull her in for a bone-crushing hug that she couldn't break free from.

"Baby? Have you seen my brown loafers, I can't seem to find them anywhere," Her father's voice boomed from the other room until he made his presence known. "Let her go so she can breathe, you're killing her." He smiled, shaking his head at his wife and her worrisome ways.

Her mother pouted but stepped back to give her some space. "You always know how to ruin the moment, Roy, and your shoes are in the laundry room,"

"You sure? Why would they be in there?" He questioned, seeming confused as to why he would leave his shoes in the laundry room of all places.

"Because you had to handle a situation in there that required you to take them off," She reminded him with a tight smile, hoping he would get the hint.

Her father rubbed his chin, thinking back to what problem his wife was talking about. "I don't rec-...oh, that," A grin broke out onto his face once he realized what he meant, the wink he sent towards his wife causing Aliyah to scrunch up her face in disgust.

"I'm going to go check on the food," She mumbled, hurriedly walking back into the kitchen to get away from her parents and all of their nastiness. Just the thought of them being like that made her grimace.

Picking up a fork, she barely was able to taste the yams when her mother had caught her. "Aliyah, what have you told you doing that? You can wait for a few more minutes."

Quickly stabbing into one, she placed it into her mouth and put the top back onto the pot. "Nobody’s counting candy yams mama, they'll be fine." She stated once she swallowed the sweet vegetable.

Her mother waved a dismissive hand and grabbed some needed utensils. "Did you invite Kaiden to join us?" She questioned, wondering when or if she was going to see the young man again. She was still in shock when she saw him show up for Aliyah's graduation party. She always knew he would grow up to be a fine young man and she was not disappointed.

Seeing the way Aliyah looked at him in the same manner she did when they were teens was so adorable to her. She was still so entranced by him after all this time.

"I did but I don't know if he'll be able to make it," Aliyah shrugged. She wasn't entirely sure if she wanted him to come anyway, especially tonight and around Trina conniving ass.

"You two have seemed to have gotten back to being close," Her mother observed, attempting to probe and be the nosey mom that she was.

"I guess. We went out on a little date two nights ago and finally talked."

"And how did that go?"

Aliyah smiled to herself, still feeling all giddy inside. "It was nice finally being able to clear up a few things and do some catching up on our lives. I enjoyed it." Though Kaiden answered some of her questions, she never gained enough courage to ask him how he got involved in the world of doing cam shows. Plus she still felt like there was more behind him leaving back then.

Her gut never lied.

"So did you admit that you're still in love with him?" Her mother asked knowingly, showcasing her magical ability to read her daughter like a book.

"I don't know about being "in love" but I do still love him," Aliyah admitted, just as the doorbell rang.

Her mother squinted her eyes at her accusingly for a few seconds before putting on a smile. "If you say so. Start putting the food on the table for me, ok?"

Aliyah nodded and watched as her mother went to answer the door while she started to place the different dishes her mother made on the dining room table. She could hear more voices in the living room while she retrieved the rolls from the oven and carefully placed them in a basket. Just as she was about to pick it up, she was pulled back against a hard chest.

"Beauty," Kaiden whispered, those soft lips brushing past her earlobe. With his arm secured around her waist, he pecked her lips once she turned back to look at him. "You didn't think I would come did you?" He teased, letting her go so she could completely face him.

"I had my doubts," She smirked, letting her eyes take in his appearance. Why did he have to so damn good all the time? She wondered to herself as someone stepped into the kitchen.

"Hey cuzzo," Said a voice that made Aliyah become instantly irritated. Lowering her head, she looked over to see Trina standing near the kitchen entryway in all of her negative glory. "Kaiden," She smiled sweetly, focusing her attention on him. Aliyah could feel a twinge of anger begin to rise inside of her at the way Trina's eyes danced over Kaiden like she was ready to pounce at any second.

"How are you, Trina?" Kaiden acknowledged, leaning back against the counter behind him. He glanced at Aliyah and smirked at the dark look on her pretty face, finding it to be both cute and hilarious.

"Better now. I didn't know that you were coming." She said taking a few steps forward. "Why haven't I heard from you?"

"I've...been busy, I'm sorry." He apologized, raising an eyebrow at her biting her lip.

"Oh, no it's fine I understand but- you should text me later, so we can chill at least," She suggested, giving him those infamous bedroom eyes. Trina always knew how to use what she had to get what she wanted, and this was no different. Kaiden was not someone she was going to pass up on. And judging by the way his eyes danced over her, he was fair game.

"Of course," Kaiden agreed which made Aliyah roll her eyes hard as hell. "Where are you going?" He asked suddenly, reaching out to grab her arm, pulling her to a stop.

Aliyah looked at his hand then his face before moving away from him. "The dining room. Clearly you two have things to discuss." She pointed between him and Trina. Grabbing the warm basket, she made her way towards the table, leaving them alone without saying another word.

Sitting in a random chair, she tried to push back her anger at what she just witnessed. Truthfully she didn't have a right to be mad, she wasn't dating Kaiden, they were just technically friends but damn, her cousin, really?

Crossing her arms, her thoughts begin to fill with images of her whooping the dog shit out of her cousin for pulling some mess like that. She always found a way to get under her skin somehow and Aliyah hated it so much.

"Damn Liyah, what the crescent rolls do to you?" Her brother laughed softly as he helped his girl into her chair before sitting in his own beside her. "You good? It isn't Trina duck head ass again, is it?"

Aliyah softly shook her head, while everyone started to pile into the dining area. "I'll be fine," She reassured him with a small smile.

"I can handle her if you need me to, Liyah, just say the word and I got you." Traci offered seriously, knowing how much of a nuisance Trina could be.

Aliyah giggled at that. "I'll keep that in mind," She nodded, glancing at Kaiden sliding into the chair to her other side. He attempted to smile at her but she quickly dismissed it, choosing to walk the petty path instead. Besides, he could focus his attention on Trina since she took it upon herself to a seat across from him.

Once everyone was situated in their seats, a short prayer was said before everyone dug in and the sound of silverware scraping against plates could be heard.

Between laughing at her brother and dad going back and forth over sports, her mother getting into it with her sister and watching her Aunt Lynn almost throw hands with her ex-husband and his new girl, dinner night wasn't all that bad.

She had for the most part, successfully ignore both Kaiden and Trina the entire time. Tuning them out when they spoke to each other or someone else. Kaiden fell back into step with her family as if he had never left, bringing up old memories from back then. If she wasn't so into her feelings, Aliyah would've thought the whole thing was adorable.

Once everyone was full and the drama settled down, the table was cleared as everyone went their separate ways in different areas of the house. Unfortunately for Aliyah though, who was finishing up her dessert, was left sitting at the table with both Kaiden and Trina. She rolled her eyes so much as they talked and laughed, she was surprised they didn't get stuck in the back of her head.

If it wasn't for her phone occupying her the entire time, she probably would've lost her mind.

Quickly taking the last bite of cake, Aliyah stood up and got ready to leave. "Wait, Aliyah, we need to talk," Kaiden says before she had a chance to fully leave.

Aliyah made a face, shifting her eyes to the side. "No, we don't, I'm good. Continue your interesting conversation with Trina," She insisted and walked away, ignoring him calling her name.

Maybe she was acting childish but she didn't care. It wasn't as if Kaiden had been neglecting her the entire night because he hadn't. Throughout dinner she could feel his hand squeeze and caress her thigh, even jumping when he cupped her heat. She was thankful she chose to wear shorts and not the dress she was originally going to go for.

She couldn't imagine trying to control her facial expressions with Kaiden's fingers playing with her pussy at the dinner table.

Shaking her head of those thoughts, she washed her dishes and moved towards the hallway. With her attention on her phone, sending a quick text back to Hazel, she was suddenly pulled down the hall and into the nearest bathroom.

Flicking on the lights, Kaiden stood in front of her, blocking the door with an upset look on his handsome face. "Are you done being childish?" He asked, the irritation in his voice evident. All throughout dinner she acted as if he didn't exist, barely answering anything he asked her. It bothered him because he absolutely hated being ignored, especially by her and she of all people knew that.

"No," Aliyah sassed. "Now move so I can leave." She attempted to push him aside but he wasn't budging no matter what she did.

Kaiden angrily ran a hand through his hair, turning his heated gaze towards her. "I don't want her Liyah, I already told you this."

Aliyah scoffed at that. "Funny, your actions tonight proved otherwise."

"How? By talking to her? Am I not allowed to have conversations with other women?" He asked in disbelief at how she was acting right now.

"Seemed a lot like flirting to me but go off I guess," She said with the wave of her hand. He must've thought she was blind? Aliyah saw the way he was looking at Trina, she wasn't stupid.

"I was being respectful Liyah, that's it. I have no reason to be ill towards your cousin." He explained, snatching her phone from her hand and putting it in his pocket. "Look at me when I'm talking to you."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she fixed her gaze on him. "Whatever you say Kaiden. It's over now, so can you please move aside so I can leave?" This was the last place she wanted to be. She wasn't in the mood to talk to him, especially about her damn cousin.

"No, I can't, not until we fix this. And stop calling me Kaiden. I hate when you do that."

"Well, that's your name so..."

Done with her actions towards him, Kaiden's hands swiftly wrapped around her neck and pulled her closer to him. "Stop playing games with me," He warned, careful to not to cut off her oxygen supply...well most of it.

Aliyah gripped his arms, thrown completely off by his actions. Not because she was scared but more so turned on by this side of him. "You're jealous, I get it but the only woman I want is you. It has always been you." He breathed, walking her back until she hit a wall.

"Don't ever ignore me again...you hear me?" He muttered, squeezing her neck slightly as her nails dug into the skin of his arms.

"Ok," Aliyah whispered low enough for him to hear, feeling light-headed.

Suddenly Kadien let go, letting her breathe correctly. His eyes searched her face, lingering on her partly opened mouth. "I can't wait anymore," He tells her, pulling at her bottom lip with his thumb.

"For what?" She swallowed, taking notice of predatory look in his eyes.

Kaiden began to smirk, his hands finding their way to her waist. "This..." He trailed off placing a soft kiss to her lips, the taste of the chocolate cake she had eaten still on her tongue. She moaned as his hands moved lower to cup her ass, pulling her closer to him. He had wanted to wait a little while longer, slowly lead her into it but she pushed him to do this.

"Ace...what are you doing?" Aliyah panted, feeling his hands undo her shorts.

"Shut up," He grunted, pulling them and her panties down her legs, letting them pool at her feet. He was happy she had left her shoes back underneath the dining room table. Less work he had to do. Running a finger down her folds, he smiled seeing how wet she already was.

"Sit on the counter for me," He instructed, taking a step back to allow her room to move. Doing as he said, Aliyah lifter herself onto the cool bathroom countertop and followed Kaiden's every move. "Open your legs baby," He urged, running his hands up her thighs as he placed kisses along her neck.

He stepped between her legs and started to unbuckle his own jeans and pushed them down until his dick was free. Aliyah looked at him nervously. She was expecting him to eat her out again, not this, especially now in the bathroom at her parent's crib.

"I need you to be as quiet as possible, can you do that for me?" His voice had become deeper, more lust filled as he spoke. Aliyah bit her lip as she felt him rub the tip against her other set of lips.

"I'll try,"

"Good girl," Kaiden praised, lifting his shirt enough to watch himself slowly disappear into her. As he expected, it was a tight fit. Looking up, he took in her facial expression, making sure he wasn't hurting her until he was fully inside. Kaiden let out a shaky breath, his eyes closing as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"You're so damn tight, Liyah," He whimpered a bit, waiting until she was adjusted to him. With his hands on her hips, he could feel her fingers digging into his shoulders. He glanced at her, seeing her eyes closed tightly and her teeth biting her bottom lip.

After another minute, he finally pulled all the way out and thrust forward, earning a low cry from Aliyah in the process. He lightly pumped into her to get them both used to the feeling, to adjust to the insane pleasure that was being created between them. Kaiden watched her head fall back as he picked up speed, sending Aliyah into a frenzy at his consistency.

She sobbed louder than expected and quickly slapped her hand over mouth to keep quiet. The sound of her wet channel could be heard every time he entered her, yet her walls squeezed around him, pulling him deeper with each stroke.

Opening her legs wider, she allowed Kaiden to go harder, the sound of skin slapping skin becoming louder. "Shit..." She cursed when he paused to roll his hips and grind into her, the pressure to her gut taking her higher.

Needing to feel more, Kaiden reached under her thighs, pulling them over his forearms and placed his palms flat on the counter, fucking her harder. "Fuck!" He whined sexually into her chest, trying his best to keep himself from getting louder. Her pussy was so fucking wet and warm, it was slowly beginning to drive him insane. The way she clenched around his dick was going to turn him into an addict, he felt it.

Aliyah fell back against the mirror, pulling Kiaden along with her. His thrusts quickened causing her to cry out, no longer caring if anyone heard her. She couldn't hold it in when he was beating down her walls like this, it was impossible.

The way he worked his hips, moving to hit certain areas inside of her had her legs shaking. "Liyah? Are you in here? Mama is asking for you." Her brother's voice called out from the other side of the locked door.

Aliyah looked towards the door with wide eyes, immediately remembering where she was. But her brother being here didn't falter Kaiden's deadly assault to her cunt as he began to furiously pound into her, knowing fully well that her brother could probably hear what they were doing. Kaiden could feel her pussy start to swell around him, signaling how close she was.

"Are you about cum for me baby?" He taunted, loud enough for her to hear. "I feel it,"

"I'll be right there!" She rushed out, knowing her shaky voice sounded suspicious but she couldn't help it, Kaiden was killing her right now.

"Shit, Liyah...I'm about to cum," He chanted lowly, his thrust getting sloppy. "I'm cumming..." Knowing she close as well, Kaiden smashed his lips against hers to keep as silent as possible. His movements paused as he pushed himself deep inside of her one last time, feeling her release as soon he did, his seed coating her walls.

"Aight," Her brother says turning to walk away, only to pause at the last second. "And Kaiden, we need to talk when you come out, ok? You foul for doing this at my mama house man."

Kaiden laughed through his heavy breathing, laying his head on Aliyah's chest. "Sorry," He panted out, pulling himself free from her womanhood. He knew that after this he would want her daily. It was going to be harder to keep his hands to himself when she was around.

"And hurry up." Her brother fussed moving away from the door.

Wiping her forehead, Aliyah shook her head in disbelief. "I swear you get me in trouble every time Ace," She mumbled, wincing from her legs and pussy both being sore. But even being in slight pain, she still wanted him again.

"I know and I'm sorry but I can't help it, I need you." He told her seriously, kissing once more. The huskiness to his voice only making him more appealing. Aliyah bit her lip looking him over, taking in his semi-hard dick. Following her gaze, he smirked, lifting his head to lock eyes with her.

"Spend the night with me, Beauty? Please."

[antiquecompass]

Look, I was never going to get the Day Thirteen: Cultivation theme to fit into this AU so instead have this very tongue in cheek ficlet.

“Bromance my ass. In no believable world are those two ‘just friends,’” Jingyi said.

“The themes we’re supposed to analyze are ties of friendship, loyalty, and family. Not the clear subtext that the two lead characters are obviously fucking,” Jin Ling said.

“Not obviously. I mean, where would they find the time between the fighting and the more fighting and the near-fatal wounds, and the actual wounds, and the whole mourning and rebirth thing,” Zizhen argued.

“Wills and ways, Zizhen,” Jin Ling shot back.

The boys fell silent as a door loudly banged open in the Lan-Wei mansion. Loud footfalls and a pained groan echoed through the hallways until a ghoul emerged, hair messy, stringy, and greasy, pajama pants wrinkled, and a once white t-shirt now stained with coffee.

Jingyi shrugged and turned back to the show they were supposed to be watching for their Film and Lit class. He’d seen Sizhui’s dad look much worse. Zizhen and Jin Ling kept staring as Mr. Lan-Wei wandered into the kitchen, threw open the freezer, rustled around in the cutlery drawer, than emerged with a pint of Americone Dream and a confused look on his face.

“Jingyi?” he asked.

“Sir?”

“Where are my husband and child?”

“Target run.” Jingyi glanced up from the screen. “Apparently <i>someone</i> ate all of Cousin Zhan’s Kit-Kat stash.”

Wei Wuxian looked down at his ice cream. “Look, I crave sugar when I’m stressed. I needed the energy. I was on a deadline.”

“All excuses for your husband, sir,” Jingyi said. “Perhaps don’t break into his candy stash right before the end of the grading period next time?”

“Hmm,” Wei Wuxian agreed.

“May I suggest a shower before they return? At the very least some mouthwash?”

“That bad?”

Jin Ling and Jingyi nodded, but Zizhen was kind enough to only wince.

“Fine, okay.” He shoved his ice cream at Jingyi. “Finish this. I’ll go--wait, what are you boys watching?”

“No,” Jingyi said, trying to cut off the distraction.

“It’s a Chinese web series for our Film and Lit class. Miss Graves offered it as an extra credit assignment, since we apparently can’t read the literature. But she has us doing analytical essays on the thematic subjects,” Zizhen said.

“Really,” Wei Wuxian said as he almost sat down.

Jingyi quickly shoved the ice cream into Jin Ling’s hands and grabbed Wei Wuxian’s arms.

“Cousin Wuxian, I love and respect you, but I love, respect, and fear your husband and son more. They made me promise that if you emerged from your office that I was to get you to, at the very least, brush your teeth and drink a liter of water. So, please, go.”

“But this is interesting.”

Jingyi held up his phone. “Please don’t make me make that call.”

“I can always bring Fairy in from the patio,” Jin Ling offered.

“Fine! I’m going,” Wei Wuxian said, even though he stomped up the stairs much like Jin Ling’s youngest brother.

The boys remained quiet until the grumbling and stomps grew distant enough.

“Wow,” Zizhen said.

“What the fuck was that?” Jin Ling asked.

Jingyi took back the ice cream and sighed. “That, boys, is why you <i>don’t</i> wait until your deadline to finish the last entire quarter of your novel.” He shook his head. “Every single time and he doesn’t learn.”

He pressed ‘play’ and the show started again, where the two main leads were staring meaningfully at each other, as if no one else existed, while their theme music swelled. 

“Oh ,come the fuck on,” Jingyi said. “How is <i>that</i> just buddies? They’re surrounded on all sides by dudes with swords, but nah, we’re just going to stand here and smile at each other while our lives are in grave danger. It’s the kind of stupid shit that idiots in love do.”

“Aren’t you one of those idiots?” Jin Ling asked.

Jingyi nodded. “And I totally blank out on the rest of the world when Sizhui smiles at me like that so, yeah, I am and I know that look, and that is not just bros.”

“To be fair, you and Sizhui were just friends for a really long time,” Zizhen said as he jotted something down on his page of highly detailed notes.

“Yeah, how did you figure out your feelings changed? Jin Ling asked.

Jingyi froze. “You got a little crush there, Jin Ling? Want to share it with the class? Who are they? What grade? Do they go to the Academy or are they one of your little archery buddies?” He tugged on Jin Ling’s ponytail. “Speak, Merida, I got a bet running on this.”

“Yes. No. None of your business. Not telling you. Yes. Sort of. And too bad.” He carefully pulled his hair out of Jingyi’s grip. “Just answer the question.”

Jingyi shrugged. “I’m sure it’s different for everyone, but I don’t know. I just knew. I mean, almost having a fucking panic attacking thinking of Sizhui liking anyone else, or dating someone, or spending his life with someone else was my big clue.” He shuddered. “That was a hell of a nightmare, but it was also. I don’t know. My heart skipped a beat when he smiled or laughed, so I thought about why that was. And then that feeling didn’t stop and it just got more intense, and well, here we are.”

“Hmm,” Jin Ling said, eyes glued to the screen. 

“Is it Simone?” Zizhen asked, eyes fixed on his notepad. “You’ve known her for years and she’s amazing.”

“It’s not Simone,” Jingyi said.

“Please tell me it’s not Brady,” Zizhen looked up in alarm. “He’s...unpleasant.”

“Brady Miles?” Jingyi asked. “He’s an ass. It can’t be Brady.”

“It’s not Brady,” Jin Ling said. “And it’s not anyone else in my archery club, or on the school team, so let it go.” He threw a hand over Jingyi’s mouth. “Don’t you fucking dare start singing.”

“We should get back to the show,” Zizhen said. 

“You don’t even need the extra credit,’ Jin Ling said, still trying to muffle the words of <i>Let It Go</i> spilling out of Jingyi’s mouth.

“No, but you do, and I can’t help you with your essay if we don’t get through the rest of these episodes.”

“Fine,” Jin Ling said, sitting back down, but taking the ice cream with him.

“You just got told,” Jingyi sang.

“Shut the fuck up, Jingyi.”

Jingyi sat back and smiled. He pointed at the screen. “You do have to give them points for the Ride or Die of it all.”

“Battle couple trope,” Zizhen agreed jotting down another note. 

“I wish they had more of the sword flying stuff from the earlier episodes. That looked fun,” Jingyi said.

Jin Ling scoffed. “You can’t even manage to skateboard. How would you do that?”

“Magic, obviously.”

They fell silent again as the stomping returned, though this time with a more recognizable version of Mr. Lan-Wei, hair wet and dripping, but freshly showered in clean clothes, with a massive bottle of water under his arm. He vaulted over the back of the couch and grabbed his ice cream.

“Now, boys, tell me everything.”

“We’re on the forty-second episode.” 

“Then tell me quickly. Who’s that and why is he choking up blood?”

[fireintheforest]

Behind the Blue: chapter 5

 Maybe they’d lost a day and a half waiting for the meeting with the owners of the Den but by all the daedra, they regained that time. Almost four days of mostly walking, stopping only to sleep and rest when necessary. And now they were at the Valenwood - Cyrodiil border.

To be fair, all borders between provinces were usually a commotion. Between ox carts, horses, mer, men and beasts, the noise raised was considerably high. People here and there spoke in the vowel-ridden Common, in the hissing Slaxheel, in the purring Ta’agra that was accompanied most of the time with hand gestures, in the guttural Dunmeris, in the Common language adorned by the Nordic and Redguardian accents and in the chirpy Bosmeris, akin to birds. Added to that was the sound of footsteps here and there, bells, coins, animals, chewing, hissing, laughing, calling out, tables being pushed, chairs being pulled, doors opening, jewelry clinking, here and there and near and far noises all overcame Marcello, who was sitting at the door of the tool booth while Saufinril and Toivon were inside. He had his bag at his feet, his elbows on his knees and his face on his hands, waiting and now and then closing his cranberry-colored eyes to absorb as much of the noise symphony as he could.

Out of curiosity, he raised his head from his hands and looked back. The door behind him was wide open and it was easy for him to see Toivon and Saufinril talking with the Imperial guard. He knew the proceedings would take time, it was just how it was in Cyrodiil (with its importance to order and records), but he also knew Toivon didn’t see eye to eye with the Empire. Saufinril was more of a mystery to him, but so far he didn’t seem that unreachable.

Still, they’d be in there for a while. He pulled his bag towards him and fished around in it until he pulled the three rice-filled balls from his bag. He started with one, tossing it in the air and passing the second one to the free left hand. Then the second one went in the air, the third to the left hand and the first one to the now empty right hand. And like a cycle, he was now juggling. If he was to wait for a while, he might as well do so with his juggling.

When he’d calculated that a while had passed (he was never good with guessing the exact amount), he caught all three bags and started to just throw one up and down, catching it with his own hand.

“Why did you stop?”

Marcello turned back to see Saufinril resting against the doorframe, looking at him with curiosity in the emerald eyes. Marcello shrugged before replying, “It’s a game. It’s just to pass time.”

“How did you learn?” Saufinril asked, this time separating himself from the doorway to sit down next to Marcello. Marcello, on the other hand, couldn’t help feeling surprise at this. An actual Altmer was sitting on the ground, next to him, asking him about juggling? And not a speck of sarcasm on his question, as far as he could tell. If anything, there was real interest. Right, Saufinril had been sleeping at camp with them in all these days and night, doing pretty much the same thing as they did, but one thing was camping because you have to and actually being interested in something as “lowly” as juggling. All the Altmer he’d met in his lifetime looked like they’d spit at him straight in his face at the mere thought of asking them to do so.

“Well,” Marcello began, “my dad taught me. He was a street artist and it was adorable to see a kid juggling, I guess it brought more coin that way. Then I kept at it because it was fun.” He narrowed his eyes a bit, “You’re interested in this?”

“Sure.” Saufinril said, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his crossed arms atop of them, “The Den is always full of artists. One has been seeing circus acts since one was young.”

“Wait, you’ve been in the Den since how long?”

“Young.” Saufinril repeated, “Very young.” There was nothing in his face or voice to suggest hostility, yet Marcello quickly caught the message that Saufinril wasn’t going to talk openly about it. So he continued tossing the ball up and down, catching it with his hand as Saufinril observed silently, sight following the ball up and down and up and down, both mer in silence.

“Alright gentlemen, let’s go.” Toivon’s voice rang behind them after a couple of minutes. Both Saufinril and Marcello stood up and walked ahead into Cyrodiil, followed by Toivon. It took them around 5 minutes of walking amongst carts, people, buildings, businesses and animals before they walked out into a quieter dirt trail, surrounded on both sides by green plains and far away tall trees, different to the ones in Valenwood. A fence on their right had been left unfinished. Travelling merchants could still be heard here and there, offering wares or chatting amongst themselves, but the noise of the border was left behind.

“What’s the route from here?” Marcello asked

“We go up north until Skingrad, turn northwest and go on until Rihad, then we cross Hammerfell until we get to Evermor.”

“You know, this is a lot of energy for one party.” Saufinril commented. He’d walked eventually to end right next to Toivon, so he was looking at the Dunmer, expecting an answer. Or at least, trying to decipher it from his face. Marcello, who walked behind the two of them, observed Saufinril and Toivon closely.

“I thought the same.” Toivon replied after a second of silence, “This is too much effort for one jewel. But apparently they’re dead set on getting it.”

“Why?”

“Emotional attachment, I guess. Just someone too invested in someone else’s life instead of letting things go. I don’t really ask for details when it comes to jobs.”

“You just don’t care?”

“One. And two, it’s not professional.”

Marcello rolled his eyes. Here he goes again, with being professional about petty theft. Saufinril, however, arched his eyebrow in interest.

“Professional?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t have some personal code when doing your job. Things you won’t accept, you know, cases you wouldn’t take…?” Toivon now looked at Saufinril, who’d gone back to looking at the road, “…right?” he asked again, an eyebrow arched.

“Children.” The Altmer replied, “Includes pregnant women.”

A bout of silence.

“And?” Toivon asked again

“And that’s pretty much it. And the standard discretion, obviously. One gets you. One just didn’t imagine there’d be much of an ethic code in the Guild.” Saufinril replied. Wow, Marcello thought, this dude did anyone.

“Of course there is.”

“It’s mostly stuff like” Marcello started to number it with his fingers, “don’t steal from others in the Guild, accept crimes you didn’t commit to give the other time to escape, no swinging from the ladders to the exterior fountain of-”

“Marcello,” Toivon interrupted him, “That one’s just for you. Nobody swings from that ladder, we’re all old.”

“…shit.”

“Do you have a personal code?” Saufinril asked

“Something like that, yeah.” Toivon commented vaguely. Saufinril awaited. Was he…going to elaborate, or…

“When you say something like that, do you m-” “Horses!” Marcello called out, pointing to their left. Toivon and Saufinril turned to look at their left, where a group of horses was indeed grazing. Brown, black, white, spotted. All three mer remained silent as they watched the horses, until they were left behind in sight.

 Their first camp in Cyrodiil was a day of walking from the border, just another day away from Skingrad, where they’d be able to buy food and recover from the travelling. Saufinril had piled wood and easily set it on fire with his magic. Marcello was untying his shoes and setting his things inside his tent as Toivon set his own, when the Altmer’s voice came to his direction.

“Marcello, may one ask you a question?”

“Sure.” He said, putting the shoes by his side and crossing his legs, turning to Saufinril with a smile, “What’s up?”

“How did you get your name?”

“Not that common of a Dunmer name, huh?” Marcello grinned. He pushed the matt to roll down before sitting down in front of his tent, facing Saufinril, “I was adopted as a baby by the Valentis.”

“You grew up with Imperials, then?”

“Yep! Both of my parents. And then when they passed away I stayed in Cyrodiil until I met Toivon. And then,” he scratched his hair with one hand as he looked through his bag with the other, “I guess I got adopted again because we went to Morrowind-I told him I wanted to know more, see, about Dunmer culture and all because I know of Imperial culture, obviously, but not Dunmer and he’s Dunmer, clearly, so he’s the best to know. Or at least, he knows, you know? Anyways, we went to Morrowind and I stayed with him but also spent time with his family and it teaches you a lot about someone’s culture when you live with a family, you know?”

Saufinril nodded, listening.

“So I stayed with his family for a while, which was nice I mean his cousin and sister are my age so we got along well, and then I was like, ‘wow where does Toivon get that money?’ and I asked him and he got me in the Guild and the rest is history, I’m here. Like, here as in ‘in the Guild’ because I’m obviously, physically here. So hey! What about you?”

“What about one?”

“We kept meeting you in Valenwood and then one day you weren’t there, you were in the Imperial City. Do you live in Valenwood? I thought all Altmer came from the Summerset Isles. Is it rare to be born in mainland? Were you born in the continent? Or in the Isles? Or in Valenwood? You did say you’d been in the Den since you were young.”

“One was born in the Isles. In Cloudrest.” No wonder Lillandril had done the exchange of questions one by one when he was younger, back when they met, Saufinril mused. The shooting interrogation was amusing and mildly overwhelming, “One’s not sure one has seen that many Altmer that were born in mainland, to be honest, other than one’s partner. Well,” he hesitated, “Ex -partner. In any case,” he added quickly, “one splits one’s time between Cyrodiil and either Valenwood or Skyrim.”

“Why? What’s in Skyrim? You like Skyrim?”

“One does. But also because one’s patron has a store in Whiterun and sometimes one goes up there, see that everything’s fine. If he’s there, one stays with him.”

“What patron do you work for?”

“It’s the Altmer that runs The Den.”

“Ohhh.” Marcello arched his eyebrows, nodding. Saufinril nodded back. “Dunno who it is.” Marcello admitted then, shaking his head.

“It’s Rialas’s husband.” Saufinril said with a small laugh.

“What! Rialas is married??”

“The plot thickens.” Toivon said with a small smile, amused at Marcello’s crestfallen face.

“She’s married, Toivon!” Marcello cried out, turning to Toivon with disappointment.

“He is, yeah.” Saufinril corrected.

“He’s a guy?!”

“Oh, like you haven’t liked guys before.” Toivon retorted, “Remember that one time in Arenthia?”

“That was a guy?!”

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @everchanginginks!

AN: My very first Sterek fic and my first published proper fanfic in like four years! Very exciting. This is a Sterek Secret Santa 2k18 gift for the incomparable everchanginginks, so I hope I have done everything she could ever want in this.

Within: Fluff, There Was Only One Bed, friends to lovers, and magic!Stiles, which is 4/5 of the prompts I was given! If I had 10k to work with I could have encompassed the fifth of enemies to lovers, but we do what we can. I'm already WELL OVER the 5k limit I am so sorry SSS it just happened like that orz

Read on AO3

******

Wędrowiec

Hey -SS

Hey -SS

Hey -SS

What -DH

What’s your address. The loft. -SS

Why do you need it -DH

Well I can’t just ask the postal service “hey what zip code are Derek Hale’s eyebrows” -SS

I mean I could but it wouldn’t get me anywhere -SS

Why do you need it -DH

I’m going to be in Michigan for Christmas so I can’t be there on the 25th to give you your present so I wanted to send it to you, if you must know -SS

You don’t have to get me anything -DH

Well you embarrassed me by getting me a way-too-nice present last year so yeah I actually kind of do. We have spending limits for a reason!!!!!!!!!!!!! -SS

That wasn’t a Christmas gift, and your laptop was nearing meltdown. We need you technologically capable to keep the packs safe and up to date. It was a necessity. It just happened to be around Christmas -DH

My Christmas gift was within the spending limits. That was the laptop case. -DH

Why are you going to Michigan? -DH

My mom’s family wants to see us again, apparently they’ve gotten over the spat happened between my uncles and my dad and they want us all together -SS

Really I think it’s because they figure it’s my grandfather’s last Christmas so they want us to pretend that everything’s fine for his sake -SS

I’m sorry to hear that -DH

Oh I don’t really give a fuck it’s just free food and free gossip about my cousins as far as I’m concerned -SS

I’ll just be bored to tears because they don’t have any fuckin technology. Just a frozen ass lake and a frozen ass town in a frozen ass state. How do they survive in a house with NO WIFI?!??!?!! -SS

Guess you’ll just have to die, then -DH

The typing indicator went up for a few seconds before a full half a minute’s pause, then Derek’s ringtone played as Stiles was now calling him. It was Derek’s preferred method of communication anyway, tone was completely lacking over text and he kind of needed some sort of cue to figure out what people meant.

“That was a fffucking meme you’re so full of shit when you pretend not to know what I’m talking about!!!” Stiles was trying to sound some form of mad, but there was way too much of a smile in his voice. “So full of shit. Fuck you.” Stiles’ verbiage towards Derek had gotten crasser and somehow even more confrontational since he’d gone off to college, but paradoxically more affectionate.

“Mhmm.” Derek didn’t give him much to go off of, but figured that Stiles had something else to talk about with him rather than just to whine about his alleged meme knowledge. Honestly, he’d just heard Isaac say it once and it garnered a positive reaction from others, so he filed it away for later use.

That wasn’t exactly what Stiles was hoping for, but he wasn’t going to let something as trivial as Derek’s resistance to banter stop him from talking. “So what are your plans for Christmas?” He still hadn’t gotten that address out of him, but if Derek had plans to be somewhere, he wanted to find out what.

“Nothing.”

Stiles stopped in his pace around his room, “Wait, nothing? What about Cora ‘n Erica ‘n Boyd ‘n Isaac ‘n Scott?” he listed off the people Derek was close enough to be around without too much annoyance in either direction.

“Cora’s down in Peru with her old pack, she’s pretty excited for their plans there, and it didn’t come with an invite, I figured I’d let her be. It’s…” He trailed off, grateful that Stiles held his tongue so he could find his words. “We’re siblings, but those six years of thinking the other dead and her pack being hundreds of miles away, we’re just not that close. I’ll call her on Christmas and I’ve sent her a couple things, it’s enough. Boyd and Erica are visiting Boyd’s grandmother in South Carolina, since his mom got a nice Christmas bonus in her paycheck.”

“Christmas bonus, huh.” Stiles’ tone was completely not buying the story.

“Christmas bonus.” Derek reaffirmed, not addressing Stiles’ suspicions in the least. It’s not that he was wrong, but Boyd was the hardest to convince to accept his financial support, so he had to resort to more sneaky measures to help him out. “And Scott and Isaac are with Ms. McCall.”

“Which also didn’t come with an invite.” Stiles filled the blank for him. It prickled at him that everyone just forgot Derek, even the ones staying in the area. “Hell, man, if I knew you got fucked over like that I’d have stayed, screw the free food ‘n everything, but we already said we’d go. I could have made you watch all of the Christmas movies that you missed out on living under a rock. And my famous hot chocolate.”

“Your famous hot chocolate, which is powdered hot chocolate mix made with whole milk, a Lindt truffle at the bottom, and a half a can of whipped cream?”

Stiles glared at the phone like the screen had personally insulted him, his ancestors, and the entirety of the Power Rangers all in one sentence. “Who told you.”

Derek was smiling despite the topic being how alone he was on the holiday. “Lydia warned me of the sugarbomb.”

“Traitor.” Stiles had an idea in his head. “Hey…..I’m gonna be bored as hell over in Michigan, and it won’t be much fun without technology, you wanna come with? You can convince them that I actually have friends and you won’t be listening to the pipes clanging in that loft all by yourself.”

“I couldn’t impose on-“

“Fuck that, they’re my family and they barely like me anyway, they’ll love you and that way I’ll at least have someone I can talk to aside from my dad, who’ll probably be bickering with my uncles, and my grandfather, who mostly speaks Polish and is about as social as a wombat.”

Derek squinted at the simile. He had to ask, even if it was stupid. “How social are wombats, exactly?”

“Hell if I know.”

Derek thought for a moment. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to at least have somewhere to go instead of staring at empty walls. “Check with them if they’re alright with you bringing someone you want to kill half the time, and if they say yes, I’ll pay my way and get a hotel.”

“No, no no, you’re staying in the house. They have a pretty big house, they got it decades and decades ago and it’s right on the lake, it’s really nice. I haven’t been there since I was…” Stiles counted on his fingers for a few seconds before giving up and ballparking it. “…Like twelve but yeah. I’ll tell ‘em I’m bringing a friend, I’m sure they’ll be fine with it. Should be grateful my fine ass will even be showing up at all.”

Derek rolled his eyes only part of the way. “See what they say, but don’t push. I won’t die if I’m on my own for Christmas.”

“Yeah but I might if I’m bored for too long out there.”

“I guess harassing me is entertainment.” He could concede that as Stiles’ motivation, it was easier than accepting a invitation offered out of guilt to bother his family by intruding on their Christmas

“Ever since I trespassed on your property, it’s been my favorite pastime.”

“Talk to you later, Stiles.” Derek wanted the conversation over before Stiles got too wrapped up in the parley and didn’t start asking, which was a basic courtesy before bringing someone they didn’t even know all the way there to stay in their house and eat their food and intrude on their family Christmas. He didn’t have high hopes, but even just the offer was enough to make him feel a little less alone.

*~*

Stiles was still blinking in shock at being awake at the ungodly hour that he was awake at, sitting in San Francisco Airport, when his father put a coffee in his hand. John was making something that was as close to small talk as Derek could get as they waited for the plane at the gate. How the both of them could stand to be so conscious before 7am was beyond him. How dare they. Didn’t they know that 5:55 am was a fake time of day and that being awoken at 3 in the morning was tantamount to a Geneva convention violation?!?

“Nhghhhgngh.” Stiles mumbled in response, shaking hands lifting the cup to his face and putting all of his faith in muscle memory to navigate the rest of it. It worked well enough, liquid went down the right tube and not down his shirt.

“C’mon, get that down so you can cram Dramamine in your face and when you wake up we’ll be in O’Hare.” John’s tone of voice was surprisingly warm and sincere despite a sentence which could easily be condescending. Maybe it was the whole Christmas spirit getting through to him, or maybe it was that Stiles was way too groggy to backsass him at this hour of the day and he was enjoying it as much as he could.

They got Stiles upright enough to get him on the plane and negotiated seating, Derek wanted on the aisle for easy escape from a compacted tube full of a ton of people and noise and smells and recycled air, which John couldn’t fault him for, and given that Stiles was going to be unconscious shortly, it was better he was on the window, so Stiles was next to Derek on the two seat side and John across the aisle from them.

Derek figured Stiles would just curl up on the window and fall asleep and he could read on his tablet in peace, so it was a mild surprise that Stiles, buckled in and half gone already, leaned on his shoulder and nuzzled in, breathing steadied and as comfortable as anything.

John leaned over to check on his son, and though wildly perplexed, he leaned back and decided that as long as Derek wasn’t strangling his kid for touching him, it was fine by him.

*~*

The arrival to Gerald Ford Airport in Michigan was, to say the least, a wakeup call for the youngest of the trio’d travelers.

“Jesus fucking Christ, oh my god, why is it so cold?” He asked as the pilot announced that the temperature in Grand Rapids was a balmy twenty-five with flurries all day. Barbaric.

“Stiles, you know it’s gonna be like, ten degrees and windstorms in Michigan the whole week, right?” Derek’s eyebrow rose at the double hoodies and vest Stiles was sporting, that Stiles had not taken out anything warmer from his luggage. That wouldn’t be nearly enough for wind straight from Canada’s frozen wastelands. Derek had done his research into where he’d be heading before packing his luggage, you know, like an adult.

“This is what I got!” Stiles shrugged, a California native that did his schooling in D.C. and Virginia, where neither place got REAL snow on the regular.

“Well, as it turns out, I expected as much.” Derek pulled out his carry-on duffle and extracted three coats, one light brown, one navy, and one black. He handed the brown to John in the middle of their row, and the navy across to Stiles. “Figured you guys wouldn’t have remembered how cold it gets in real northern places.” He said as he shrugged the black coat on himself, a slave to aesthetics.

“Hell, Derek, you didn’t have to…“ John did have a halfway warm enough coat, it wasn’t- oh, it was actually pretty nice. “How much was this?” He’d be really weirded out if Derek was dropping stacks on him and his son, he was already confused at the gift of a laptop the previous year, it’s not like he couldn’t afford a laptop for his son. He couldn’t have afforded the one Derek got him, but he didn’t want to be upstaged in taking care of Stiles. The other kids could take advantage of Derek’s money all they wanted, but the Stilinskis had pride. They didn’t accept charity from rich boy werewolves.

“Not nearly enough for either of you to worry about it.” Derek said, sliding his sunglasses on and leaning back, not interested in carrying on the conversation any longer.

John, unable to turn down the gift but weirded out by Derek both anticipating this need at all, actually going to the trouble to getting these, and sacrificing space in his carry on to bring them on the plane all for this specific scene along with buying him gifts, pulled it on all the same. What a fucking drama queen. “Thanks, Derek.”

Stiles had rolled his eyes at yet another extravagant present from Derek that was way too much to accept but he was trapped by it, since he did desperately need it and couldn’t say no. Well, he’d saved Derek from being the saddest bastard in all of California on Christmas, so maybe this was recompense. “It’s not like I can’t warm myself up.” He grumbled. Heat spells were elementary on the roster of the things any spark worth his salt would know. And Stiles was the saltiest of all.

“Yeah, Stiles, go ahead and slightly set yourself on fire through the whole week.” Derek’s deadpan delivery could easily be mistaken for sincerity, which did well enough to disguise the fact that he was actually really impressed that Stiles had been getting far enough with his magic to do some interesting and sometimes even useful things. “You’ll be our Yule Log. Very seasonal self-immolation.”

John expected Stiles to look pissed at that level of smack-talk, but Stiles looked oddly gratified by the response, like getting Derek to make fun of him was his goal all along.

“Such a good alpha provider, takes such good care of us. Thaaaank you Dereeeek.”

There might have been just a twitch of a smile at the corner of Derek’s mouth, but it could have just been a trick of the lights as cabin prepared for landing.

*~*

Stiles was giving Derek a rundown of the family members he’d have to keep straight while there, cousins and uncles and aunts and people that were peripheral to the family but close enough to be considered part of the group, the bits and pieces of them that he’d pulled together. He hadn’t seen them in a decade, so much of what he knew was informed by Facebook posts and a few Instagram bits that let him know who was who and look at least a little less like he didn’t remember jack shit about his cousins. Which he did, just they were also around 8-14 so it’s been a while, alright? Some of ‘em had gone to college, some of ‘em got jobs, hell, one of ‘em was married with a kid. Wild.

“Shortlist of the important family to know: Nelia, grandpa’s wife. My grandmother died a few years after my mom, but Nelia’s a pretty nice woman, she’s got a really thick accent so if you don’t understand what she’s saying you can ask one of us to translate, we all speak Polish to some degree.”

“I don’t.” John added, at the driver’s seat of the rented car. Derek would rent a car in town, they figured that arriving together would be easier, and then no one was alone for the ride from the airport to the family house.

“Well, Dad doesn’t, but there you go, you and him can be awkward together when we talk shit about you guys, it’ll be great.” Stiles was in the passenger seat, texting people at lightning speed about how this was going to be the most hilarious week of his life and it was all because Derek was going to have to be exposed to a TRADITIONAL FAMILY CHRISTMAS. Did you pack Benadryl? -ER

Why? -SS

For when he breaks out in hives from people expressing genuine emotion around him -ER

“Then there’s Grandpa, I call him the Polish term for it, Dziadek, you’re probably best off with Mr. Gajos. I think I’ve heard a grand total of ten words out of him my whole life, so you don’t have to worry much about him.”

Derek’s eyes were fixed on something in the distance, and casually added, “He’s who you’re named after, right?”

Stiles went stiff and turned around to look at Derek. “Who told you.” Much less humorous than the previous inquisition about the hot chocolate, he seemed properly displeased about it.

Derek only mildly smiled and made no other answer. Stiles made an aggravated noise but wasn’t going to try and interrogate Derek. He continued his familial explanation but sounded much more irritated at everyone in it. “Then there are my cousins, there are a bunch and some new ones I’ve never met, but you pretty much only have to know Nika, who’s two years older than me. She’s the only one that sort of kept in touch and therefore the only one I care about. The uncles are …well you don’t care, and I bet they won’t mess with you much. Now, the whole drama with them, Dad, if you wanna take the lead on explaining why we haven’t talked to ‘em in over a decade.”

John gave Stiles a meaningful glance, but didn’t explain it. “Well, after Claudia died, I had a hard time of it for a while. They thought that I should have handled her, and Stiles, differently than I did.” Derek realized the glance was begging Stiles not to ask John to air his most closely guarded shames right in front of Derek, who signed up for a little getaway and not to hear all their most private secrets.

“They were firm believers that ADHD was cured by beatings and were annoyed that I was a bit of a holy terror.” Stiles translated.

John grimaced a little. “They wanted to take Stiles in, raise him properly. I admit I wasn’t perfect. They weren’t right to say it, but I understand why they did.”

Derek could connect the dots laid out before him. They saw John as a useless drunk and Stiles as a neglected brat and thought they could do better. “So now you’re talking again?” He asked, desperate to save John from further agonies.

“Enough that they didn’t threaten to play family politics chess and try to make Stiles’ grandparents chose which children they liked better this year.”

“We did alright on our own.” Stiles declared with a defiant smile, clearly not about to entertain the notion of understanding their position whatsoever.

It was hard for Derek to wrap his head around a family fracturing so easily like that, Hale lines ran so deep that even someone as gone as Peter could find his way back in Derek’s heart if he worked for it. To cut someone off so cleanly on either side was alien to him. But it wasn’t his family, and frankly none of his business anyway.

*~*

They stood outside of a surprisingly expansive house on the edge of Silver Lake on the western side of the Michigan mitten, the gray sky above their heads threatening to dump yet more snow on them as they waited for someone to reach the door. Derek could hear a collection of heartbeats and voices within. Two of them old, one arrhythmic. A couple more adults, a few younger voices, a decent family gathering. There was apple, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg in the air, someone made mulled cider. It was only the 22nd, this was just a small contingent perhaps, or at least not held to the same importance as Christmas Eve.

The door opened, and a short, stout woman with steel curls and a smile that felt like home stood in the doorway to welcome them. “Mieczyslaaaw!“ She reached forward and pulled him down to kiss both of his cheeks and hug him tightly. She hadn’t seen him since they all attended the funeral of their grandmother. As a longtime family friend in the area, it was an easy transition for the family to absorb Nelia in the fold. “Oh, my sweet child. Look at you, how you’ve grown. My love.” She ushered him inside to embrace John as well, but paused a little in surprise when she saw Derek. “Nelia, this is my friend Derek.” Stiles said, looking almost proud to bring home such a fine friend to his step-grandmother. Almost as if he was proving to everyone that he wasn’t a complete social pariah, that he had people who liked him enough to come all the way out to Michigan with him. Nelia looked surprised at the man before her, but to her credit recovered quickly, holding a hand out for him to shake. “So nice to meet you, Derek. Please, come in.” For all of Stiles’ warning of an accent, it really wasn’t that bad. Clearly not her first language, but perfectly understandable. Though Derek had taught himself Polish when you are very rich you have a fair bit of time on your hands, he knew that he could only tell Stiles that he could speak it once, and he was saving that card for later. Unless Nelia was struggling on something, he’d keep his fluency to himself. She pulled him in with a hand on his shoulder as well, closing the door to the cold.

The house was warm and alive, a strong furnace and people comfortable staying there. Derek was able to pick up on more than the others and could hear a side conversation between two men.

“Your other grandson and John are here.” An adult man, a husky voice, probably a smoker, speaking quietly in a distant room. There were footsteps coming towards the Stilinskis and Derek at the door, but the voice stayed put. Whoever was talking wasn’t moving a muscle to meet them.

“Good! Good. I want to see them. It’s been too long.” The responding voice was hoarse, stilted slightly, and far older. It almost reminded Derek of Vito Corleone, a man assured of his position as patriarch.Who wouldn’t have his opinion questioned.

"It’s a disgrace.”

"I have tolerated the insult of your war against them long enough. Silence.” An authoritative end to a conversation, before a creak of wheels coming toward them.

Stiles was going through family, stiff handshakes with the assorted uncles, trying to communicate through grip and direct eye contact that he knew precisely what they said about him and his dad, and that given the opportunity, he’d fight them. He then had to give hugs of varying sincerity with the cousins. The ones he knew from his childhood he could embrace with genuine emotion, the ones he’d never met was more of an uncomfortable formality, performed for the sake of appearances. Once finished, he saw his grandfather for the first time in years. It was a lance through his heart to see the once tall man reduced to a withered shadow in a wheelchair. “Hi Dziadek.” He said, bending down to put an arm around him.

“Oh, Mischief.” The older man put shaking hands around Stiles’ face. “You look so much like Claudia.”

Stiles nodded sadly as his grandfather patted his face and let him return to full height again. Mentions of his mother didn’t hurt as much as they used to, but he didn’t remember her face as much as the others did, it seemed. When he looked in the mirror, he didn’t see a ghost looking out like the others could.

Derek was awkwardly explaining who he was to some people there who also seemed confused, when the cousin he saw Nelia talking to earlier took his arm. “Derek, we were under the impression when Stiles said he was bringing a friend that you’d be a girlfriend.” She finally explained outright.

Derek blinked a few times and was grateful for all the years of keeping a straight face under pressure to now not give any sign of a reaction. He put his thoughts into a response after a moment’s recovery. “That does explain why Nelia was confused. I’m just a friend who didn’t have plans for Christmas and Stiles offered. If it’s a problem at all I could absolutely stay some-“

“Oh, no, staying here is fine.” The girl saved him from talking. “I’m Nika, by the way.” She fixed him with an odd look that he’d seen sometimes in Stiles, a sort of curious, searching look that a raptor might give while wondering if something was prey or a toy. “Just that originally, when you were a girlfriend, you’d have been staying in my room and Stiles was with my brother. But that’s clearly not going to be a thing. So you and my brother will be switching, so you’re with Stiles and my brother’s with me. He had to go move his stuff. You and Stiles should come up and see the room, I think we have some things to discuss.”

She was tossing around so many red flags in Derek’s head she could be a one person color guard. He didn’t know what the hell she was, but there was something very very very wrong with this whole situation. He might not have an intuitive evil detector like Stiles’ spidey sense, but he had a healthy dose of paranoia, and it was telling him that there was all kinds of trouble about to occur. Maybe she was going to ritually sacrifice them up there. Maybe this was the Polish Get Out. Wyjść. It was a little catchy.

The adults had started passing around drinks and returned to their original conversations, and Nika made some excuse about room arrangements and putting luggage up to drag Stiles away from the grandparents glad to be reunited with their prodigal grandson.

Stiles peeled away from them and caught the  Am I Going To Be Flayed Alive look in Derek’s big green stupidly pretty eyes and almost laughed. “Relax, Ice Man, you’re fine.” He clapped him on the shoulder as they went outside to get the suitcases from the car. “It’s Nika. She’s my absolute fave cousin, and if something happened to her or she meant any kind of ill will, I’d know. Trust me. She’s fine.”

Nika lead them upstairs to a small room with a full size bed, dark blue walls, no decorations but a nightstand and rug. Hadn’t been lived in for months, given the dead air in the room. “So, Stiles. How about you tell me when your spark woke, and why you brought a werewolf all the way over here.”

Stiles choked on either air or an immediate response, either way he sounded like an ostrich getting throttled. Derek wasn’t making out much better mentally, but he only raised his eyebrows.

Nika smiled as she sat on the bed. “Come on, Stiles, where’d you think you got the gift from? Aunt Claudia never used her talents much, but she was one of us.” She picked up the candle on the nightstand and blew on the wick, a flame lighting to fill the room with some warmth. “I’ve never met a werewolf before, but you were sensing shit like Legolas out there, Derek, it wasn’t too subtle, and a set of ears and or nose like that, out of Beacon Hills aka Werewolf Wonderland?”

“More like nightmareland.” Stiles snorted. “So, holy shit, like five revelations at once and I wanna come back to like….all of them, but…uh….how many of ‘em know, downstairs?!” He asked, shocking Derek by asking an actually relevant, useful question.

“The three brothers know their mother and their sister were “”””out there”””” and that you’re insane and I’m a lost cause. Dziadek knew that Babcia was a superstitious woman and that the wild comes through sometimes. Oh, sorry Derek, Dziadek and Babcia are grandfather and grandmother respectively.” Nika explained. “Babcia did small things, mostly stuff with herbs and intent, like thumping a car engine and telling it to run, or aggressively sweeping bad energy out of the house, or putting bundles above doorways to keep evil intent out. Even the mistletoe around the house was hers.” She set the candle back onto the nightstand, the fire flickering with the movement. “Werewolves are very family oriented, in general, it’s unusual to break away from the family to join another entirely alien one for a holiday like Christmas. I’m just curious.”

“He’s way too nice and let his pack totally forget about him.” Stiles wasn’t remotely afraid of being as bitter about it as Derek tried to deny that he felt.

Nika digested the statement for a moment and gave them a vague smile. “Maybe not all of them.” She got up and left the room as if that would give her the last word. Clearly, she didn’t recall from her childhood who Stiles was, as he followed her as quickly as his gazelle legs could with an indignant “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?”

*~*

Stiles had been so wrapped up in realizing that there was a whole family history of witchery that he’d completely missed out on the fact that Derek and him were actually now supposed to share a bed until it was one in the morning and he finally arrived in the room. To find Derek sitting on his suitcase reading. “Hey, thought you came up here a while ago.”

“I did, but…” Derek half winced and locked his tablet. “We only got the one bed, and..”

“Bro, you used to live in the burned-out husk of your family’s old house I am not about to buy that you’re such a snob that you can’t share a bed for a few nights.” Stiles yanked his shirt off and tossed it in the vague direction of his suitcase. “It’s just a few nights and I even have sleep pants if you wanna go all no homo on me.”

“What? No, n- that’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean.” The belt careened through the air in an ark as Stiles continued the process.

Derek was going to have to talk quickly if he wanted to get out anything. “I can’t sleep next to people.”

“What? Why?” Stiles paused, button of his jeans undone.

Derek was looking at a particularly fascinating piece of lint on the ground. “Just never works out right. I didn’t want to just disappear on you, so I was waiting for you to get back before I went to find a hotel or crash on the couch.”

“No, why. I wanna know why.”

Derek contemplated crawling out of the window to escape Stiles’ eyes, which even in the low light of the room burned into his skull. “I just can’t, alright?”

“Nope. Not alright. Fess up.”

“I’m a sleep cuddler.” Derek said it so quickly and refused to look up no matter what Stiles did.

Stiles was quiet for a few odd moments while he had a face odyssey. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Derek could feel the blush on his face and was actively willing it to go away forever. “Ever since I was a kid, if there’s someone next to me I always end up wrapped around ‘em. It’s not conscious, it just happens. So.”

“Jesus tittyfuckin’ Christ, Derek I thought it was something serious. I’m not gonna die if you give me a lil hug. Don’t be so dramatic.” Stiles finally flung his jeans off and crawled under the covers, the little tone of his phone plugging in to charge playing as he settled in. “G’night, Der.” He mumbled sleepily.

Derek had no choice. If Stiles told anyone about this, they’d never find his body. Whose body would go missing was up for debate.

*~*

Derek was a filthy liar when he tried to say it didn’t work out, and he knew it. He slept better than he had in months that night. When he awoke, Stiles was playing some mobile game, and Derek was spooning him pretty hardcore, legs tangled and an arm over his stomach. He moved away the instant he came to consciousness again. “Sorry.” He mumbled, only the ghosts of vowels in the slurred word.

“Hell, if it was a problem I’d have crawled out, but uh, you don’t get too much sleep and seeing as you knocked out for a solid nine hours there, I thought it best to let you wake up on your own.” Stiles was all nonchalance, but Derek could hear something like omission from his words. It’s not that he was wrong, it was just adjacent to the truth.

“Who told you I don’t sleep?”

“The fact that you text me back about Edda translations at three in the morning on Tuesday nights tells me that you’re not sleeping much. Now c’mon, we missed the breakfast train but if we make puppy eyes at Nelia enough she’ll probably cave and feed us. Or smack us lightly and call us lazy. One of the two.”

*~*

“Stiles, your friend is so handsome, how does he not have a girlfriend?” Nelia asked, perfectly comfortable to talk all kinds of terrible things as Derek was helping fold pierogi with Nika and Stiles. “He’d make a fine husband. He should find a good wife.”

Stiles gawked for a second, and had no clue how to respond. This would in no way stop him from doing so anyway. “He’s had a difficult time for a while, he’s helping his family right now, college, supporting them.” Stiles’ Polish was pretty rusty, he hadn’t been practicing much in the last several years.

“He has children?”

“No. Not exactly. More friends that he kind of brought inside because no one was helping them right.”

“Hmm. Nika, he’s handsome, isn’t he?”

Nika did not want to get dragged into this conversation. “Very, but it isn’t nice to talk about people in front of them.”

Nelia went to check on the uncles as they were all apparently having a slight discussion with John on the front lawn and was fully prepared to drag each of them back in by their ear and give them a firm education on the meaning of Christmas. This of course left the cousins and Derek all alone in the kitchen, the others of the family dispersed for their individual amusements.

“So, Stiles, are you…..and Derek….?”

Stiles blinked, sealing the dough around the potato and onion. “Are we what”

“Boyfriends.” She said it like it wasn’t kind of a bombshell of a word to utter.

“Nooo.” Flour and bits of dough scattered as he waved his hands to emphasize how NO that was. Absolutely not. Had she even seen Derek? He was so out of his league it physically and emotionally pained him. “ No. We’re just friends. Truly.”

“Okay, okay, I was just wondering. I wasn’t going to tell anyone.”

“I’m not gay.”

“I didn’t ask if you were.”

“You were asking a little bit.”

“But I wasn’t.”

“Derek’s also not gay”

“I wasn’t asking!”

“But he does have terrible….choice in women. Every time he gets a girlfriend she tries to kill us.”

That was enough of that. Derek had developed some thick skin about the litany of traumas he’d incurred and would give Stiles a little leave to talk shit about Jennifer, but that was taking it a little more casually than he’d like. “That’s a little mean, Stiles.” He said in perfect Polish.

Stiles turned so many colors that there was a risk he might burst a blood vessel. He fled before anyone could grab hold of him and make him accountable for his actions. Nika at least muttered an apology before scurrying off.

Derek wondered if his deep-seated need to be dramatic may contrasting with his desire to not be such a colossal dick to people he actually liked.

*~*

Stiles successfully avoided Derek by busying himself with everything possible for the rest of the day, but of course, after the day, must come the night, and thus the sleep. In the same bed. With the guy he brutally insulted and exposed just hours ago. Fuck.

Maybe if Derek was already asleep he could just curl up in the closet and evaporate entirely before anyone noticed he existed. Fuck. Why did this have to happen. Why did he have to open his big stupid mouth and say the stupidest thing that he’d ever uttered in his life.

He didn’t see light coming from under the door as he went, but knew that Derek would wake up if the doorknob made even the slightest sound. He rubbed his hands enough to warm the bony fingers and waved his hand slowly around the doorframe, collecting the sound from that space before snatching it all. Just long enough to open it silently.

When he saw Derek sitting up in bed with just the candle on the nightstand and his tablet in hand, Stiles had half a thought to make a run for it. But Derek had already looked up with a raised eyebrow. There was no escaping.

“How’d you do that that quietly?” Derek asked, not addressing the parade of elephants doing the merengue in the room.

“I, uh, didn’t want to wake you up. So I just took the sound away from it.” Stiles answered, stepping inside and looking pointedly away from anywhere near the bed.

Derek locked his tablet and set it aside. “That’s pretty impressive.” Was all he said in reply, but it was gushing praise given who it was coming from.

Stiles couldn’t stand it anymore. “Derek I am so sorry I said that, I never should have even thought it, I just-“ his words were running on top of each other and he felt like King Trashbag of the proud nation of Shitfriendia.

“Relax.”

Stiles hated being told to relax by anyone, but he had to be very nice to Derek for the rest of their concurrent lives and there was something so calm about the way Derek said it that made it less insulting. He hazarded a glance up, but Derek wasn’t wearing a shirt and even in the low light of the room he could see chest hair and he had to look away immediately or he might die.

“You have a family member who understands you on a level none of the rest of us do. She’s becoming a fast friend and you’re very comfortable with her. It wasn’t the nicest thing to say,” and it was pretty damn private, but Derek was trying to make Stiles feel better so he wouldn’t bring it up, “but I know you didn’t mean to hurt me by it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” This was probably the most adult conversation that either of them had ever engaged in, it was frankly shocking. Derek had called Boyd to help process his emotions and figure out what to say in a way that was a little more level headed than he might have done on his own.

Stiles nodded, knowing that Derek wouldn’t appreciate further self-flagellation from him and that he just would have to accept being a terrible person for the rest of his life. When he crawled into bed, he lied awake, staring at the wall across from his face and mulled it over and over. He could hear Derek’s breathing settle as he fell asleep, and an hour later a couple wiggles and there was a nose pressing against his neck and a hand over his stomach. Stiles sighed at the warm heat against him, and finally could fall asleep.

*~*

Nelia checked the codfish in the oven, monitoring the temperature carefully. “Still not ready. Mieczyslaw, could you help set the table, please?” She asked, setting some rolled napkins and a handful of forks onto the table.

It was Christmas Eve, and the whole family was sitting down soon for Wigilia, the main feast. Usually eaten before going to Midnight Mass, beginning at around eleven and finishing at midnight proper. Despite its importance, the grandparents had not gone since the grandfather had been confined to his wheelchair and their local church loved its beautiful stone steps so much. As a religious building that was remarkably old, it was exempt from the ADA act requiring public buildings to be wheelchair accessible.

They still held the meal, though Nelia and the older Mieczyslaw went to bed and the others of the family were encouraged to go and say their prayers for them. The young children were kept at home with the grandparents to watch them and make sure no one got out of their bed to try and catch Santa Claus.

Stiles was carrying various accoutrements from the fridge and counters to the table, and counted the place settings. Exactly enough for everyone, though this alerted him. “Wait, Nelia, we’re missing one. The spot for the wanderer.”

In many other cultures, an empty place setting at a family meal might be in remembrance of someone who had passed, or who could not be present at the table due to extenuating circumstances. It meant that something was missing, and some wanted to honor that with a missing place for them at the table. However, in Polish tradition at Wigilia, there is an empty place setting for an unexpected guest, or wanderer. A wędrowiec.

Nelia gave Stiles a meaningful look, one that he couldn’t decipher. He was so used to these kinds of looks being paired with massive eyebrows and kaleidoscope green eyes that trying to do it for other people was more difficult. “Think on it.” She said, slicing challah bread into a basket and wrapping the napkin over it to keep them warm.

Stiles puzzled and puzzled til his puzzler was sore, then it dawned on him. He wondered why it hadn’t before. “Derek.”

Nelia chuckled as she started slicing a loaf of challah bread. “Such a smart boy you are, Mieczyslaw.” Bringing a friend who had nowhere else to go so soon beforehand was certainly an unexpected traveler, though she didn’t know that Derek had been a wanderer for much longer than just that winter.

*~*

As John wasn’t Catholic, Stiles hadn’t even been Confirmed, and Derek didn’t want to go without Stiles, they all hung back while the others went off to the Midnight Mass. Since they knew that with kiddos younger than eight, Christmas begins absurdly early for everyone, they went to bed after seeing everyone off for the church about 20 minutes from the house.

Stiles lied awake, waiting for Derek to properly fall asleep so he’d get that heavy warm weight against him, that even though it’d only been a few nights, he found it hard to fall asleep without that. He loved the excuse they both got for it, this unconscious habit, but he hoped, he wished that Derek wasn’t regretting that he woke up with an armful of Stiles.

But he didn’t. He lay there for a few hours before getting out of bed and leaving the room. Stiles thought he was going to the bathroom or something, but after ten whole awful minutes of not having Derek next to him, he had to investigate. Checking his phone, the screen said 11:57PM. The whole gang of adults would be out at Mass for a while yet, the service had barely just started and apparently the priest loved his speechifying when the whole congregation was actually there for once during the year as his captive audience.

Stiles crept downstairs looking for his friend, finding Derek in the kitchen, watching a mug rotate in the microwave. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

Derek glanced up. He’d heard Stiles coming down, but he didn’t really see the need to react beforehand. It’s not like his mom had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar or anything. “Kind of. And I wanted to set out some of the things I got for the kids who don’t have as much money as the others. Went out when you were trying to avoid me with their parents to make sure none of the kids felt left out.”

“Santa’s Lil Helper, huh?”

Derek pondered it. “A little. And it’s a Hale tradition. Or more, it’s a Derek Hale tradition, since I’m pretty much the one who spearheaded it.”

“What did your family used to do for Christmas?” They were speaking in hushed tones so as not to wake anyone up, but in the warm light of the kitchen Christmas lights, and the soft look of Derek in a beat-up tee and plaid sweatpants, he felt sentimental enough to ask.

“Christmas was always a little funny in the Hale house.” Derek admitted, stopping the microwave a moment before the chime would go off. “We didn’t do Santa Claus.”

“Did you do Santa Claws?” Stiles mimed some claws and fangs, knowing he’d earn an eyeroll at best.

Derek did not disappoint. “No, just a couple presents from Mom and Dad, and aunts and uncles would be later. They didn’t want us getting spoiled or thinking Santa loved us more because he gave us all kinds of stuff. But we didn’t open anything until at least noon.”

“Parents liked their sleep?” Stiles definitely remembered a firm ALL PRESENTS WILL BE REPLACED WITH CHORES AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS IF THIS DOOR IS OPENED BEFORE 8:00 AM rule on Christmas morning. Of course, Stiles was jumping on his bed with excitement at five in the morning, anyway.

Derek shook his head, and his phone started vibrating in his pocket. Stiles squinted, who would be calling Derek at midnight? Moreover, why was Derek actually taking the call??

He stepped outside onto the porch, little snow drifts from their actual white Christmas shuffling aside for him with his mug. Stiles saw the bag of Lindt truffles and a little chocolate powder dust on the counter- that sonuvabitch made HIS secret recipe. Wait. WHAT.

Derek stepped back in a few minutes later with half a smile on his face.

“Who was that?” Stiles had to ask.

“Cora.”

“What’d she want?”

Derek looked mildly embarrassed. “As of,” he looked at his watch, which read 12:08AM “…five minutes ago, I’m thirty years old.”

Stiles’ jaw dropped just a bit as his mind whirled. “It’s your birthday!?” he hissed, needing to aggressively shout but not able to wake the kids.

Derek almost winced. “Yeah.”

“Well….happy birthday!” Shit. Shit shit shit. HE’D KNOWN DEREK FOR EIGHT YEARS AND HE NEVER KNEW THIS WAS HIS BIRTHDAY. Stiles had to go find his King Trashbag of Shitfriendia crown again and sit on his dumpster pile.

“I don’t like people knowing. It’s an awkward day to have a birthday.” Derek sipped his cocoa, clearly uncomfortable.

Stiles didn’t know how to deal with this. “So…is that why you guys didn’t do Christmas until the afternoon?” He felt like he was playing minesweeper, except he didn’t get to see the warning numbers.

“Yeah.” He looked down into the mug, it was easier to talk about things if he didn’t have to watch the face journey of sympathy on people’s faces when he talked about his family. But he missed them on his birthday especially, and he wanted to talk about it. And out of anyone, he wanted to talk to Stiles about it. He knew, at least to some degree, the feeling of empty spaces in your memories. “My mom used to wake me up at 12:03 to tell me happy birthday and bring me in the kitchen. She’d have a present on there that was a birthday present only. From her. She was the alpha, so it was…pretty much impossible to actually ever get her alone. Always busy with the whole pack, worrying about everyone else, worrying about…” He trailed off. Christmas was always such a hectic time for everyone, so much noise and stress and busy rushing everywhere. “So it was nice, to have that little moment with just her.”

Silence fell between them for a few moments. Stiles didn’t know what to do with himself. Then he realized; his present to Derek was bizarrely perfect. “Hold on. Hold right here.” He stole up to his room and came back down with a wrapped present, the tape shoddily put on. He thrust the box out to Derek, looking way too happy with himself. “Happy birthday, big guy.”

Derek looked between Stiles and the box a few times, but took it and quietly unstuck the tape to slide the box out and open it. “You fucking dick.” He laughed as he pulled out a sweater that said “BIRTHDAY BOY” on it, with a hideous looking Jesus. A true ugly Christmas sweater, with a bday twist.

Stiles was grinning like a loon as Derek pulled the sweater on over his tee, that amused glint in Derek’s eyes where Stiles’ idiot sense of humor hit him perfectly. He picked up his mug again, and felt that it’d turned cold. “Can I get a warm-up?”

Stiles could have just poked the mug in Derek’s hands, or even just pointed at it. But Stiles wrapped his hands around it, his hands glowing a little as the liquid heated within, and Derek’s cold hand too.

Derek’s eyebrow quirked slightly. “Thanks.” He took a sip. “Can y’do whipped cream too?”

Stiles stifled a snorted laugh poorly, but didn’t step back away.

Derek set the mug back onto the table and looked at Stiles for another quiet moment, this one much less tense. Without looking up, he broke the silence with “I swear to God if there’s mistletoe up there right n-mmf!”

Stiles had closed the gap to kiss him, his hands holding Derek’s face as he nearly crushed their noses together. They eventually managed to tilt their heads properly so it was less of a frantic smush and more of a proper kiss.

When they finally broke so Stiles could breathe, Derek had a smile on his face, one that didn’t leave in half a second. “So, is there any?”

Stiles was able to stifle that stupid laugh better. “C’mon, lets get those presents out there for them. They’ll be back eventually.”

They put some Christmas movies on the TV as they sorted the presents into neat piles for each family so everyone could sit with their group. They were on the couch, writing out the tags on each one, making sure that the way all the Santas were written exactly the same and all of the names were spelled exactly correct. Stealing kisses every once in a while devolved slowly over the course of one of the Rankin and Bass animated movies to Stiles pressing Derek into the couch, making out like a couple of teenagers with the Christmas spirit in them.

John was trudging downstairs to see if Santa had left any of those shortbread cookies, but heard something odd from the family room. He was about to investigate, but heard something that sounded very distinctly like a Stiles happy noise, and decided to have a coughing fit and remind those two that they were not only not alone in this abode, but that the assorted parents and cousins would be returning soon and unless Stiles wanted to come out to the family in the most aggressive way possible, they better take it upstairs.

Derek managed to blush harder than Stiles did, but both had received the message, and put away the tags and pens before retreating to their room sheepishly. But they knew that John had probably seen this coming, and wasn’t going to judge them for it.

When they crawled into bed, Stiles didn’t have to wait to feel that arm around him, the press of heat against him, safe and warm. Derek kissed the back of his neck, and he could feel the smile against his skin.

Derek heard the family come back from the Midnight Mass downstairs, doing their best to tiptoe through and not wake up anyone.

“Ah ah ah! Mistletoe!” one of the aunts cooed, before a smack of a kiss.

“Who puts mistletoe in the middle of the kitchen.” Grumbled someone who was not getting themselves a Christmas kiss, bah humbug and all that.

The last voice was Nika. “Babcia always said there’s magic in a kitchen.”

[iwroteinapastlife]

Family Time

Newest chapter of my Chlonath Fake Dating AU, Honey I’m Home~

“Oh! Okay, I got it. He’s the son of Mr. Important Businessman and was raised to be cold and lifeless so he could take over the company someday. She’s the owner of Tiny Family Toy Shop, which his father is going to shut down—along with a bunch of other small businesses—so that they can set up their new location. She however is waayyyy more feisty than he expects and not only rallies the people to fight back, but also steals his heart and inspires him to change his father’s business for the better.”

From where they sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, they could hear the actual Hallmark movie playing on the TV over their shoulder, but neither of them were interested in actually watching it; their guessing game was far more entertaining.

“Alright alright,” Nathaniel nodded in agreement. He sat right behind her, arms and legs parted around her form so she could sit with her back to his chest and her front to the fire, getting absolutely as much warmth as possible. Usually, sitting so close to the fire for so long would have him sweating like hell, but Chloé’s natural cold seemed to keep him in perfect balance. He held each of her frigid hands in his, mindlessly playing with them as he spoke. “So who are the side characters?”

“Well first you’ve got cold business dad of course,” she began. “Then there’s Toy Shop Gal’s male childhood best friend who ‘knows what it’s like’—,” she air quoted, “for the white upper middle class ‘common folk,’ unlike Business Son. He’s been in love with her the whole time and acts like a jealous bitch when she starts getting close to Business Son.”

“Oh, let me guess,” Nathaniel chimed in, “he does something petty to make Business Son look bad, creating The Big Drama.”

“Of course, because the only conflict you can ever have around Christmas is based purely upon misunderstandings.”

“Of course, of course,” he nodded. “Okay, who else?”

“Okay, there’s Toy Shop Gal’s mom and pop who are a thinly veiled representation of Santa and Mrs. Claus, Business Son’s shallow ex-girlfriend who’s trying to convince him to keep to his own kind and just be the heartless business man he was raised to be, and the one—1—,” she held up a single finger to emphasize, “—person of color is Toy Shop Gal’s best friend who really only exists for a couple of conversations in which she teases Toy Shop Gal about her budding affections for Business Son.”

Nathaniel opened his mouth to continue, but before he could, Aunt Edith walked in, followed by her wife, Margaret, and son, Ryan. “Using French to gossip behind our backs again?” she asked as she took a seat on the couch across the room. Margaret sat down next to her while Ryan elected to sit on the floor near their feet.

“Oh, sorry,” Chloé said, switching back to English. She turned to face them and Nathaniel repositioned himself so he could keep cuddling her keep up with his appointed heater duties. “I guess we just naturally slip back into French when we’re alone.”

“Well stop,” Aunt Georgia said as she bustled in from the kitchen carrying two mugs of hot chocolate buried under mountains of marshmallows. “It’s English-speaking family time.” Isabella, Marianne, and Jasmine came in right behind her, each holding platters of various snack foods and their own mugs of hot chocolate. They each sat down on the floor around the coffee table.

“Chloé, share this with Nathaniel,” Aunt Georgia ordered as she handed over one of the hot chocolates. She gave the other one to Ryan.

Chloé plucked a single marshmallow off the top and fed it to him. “That’s all you get.” He laughed while she practically inhaled half the mountain of marshmallows.

Aunt Georgia looked around the living room as she took a seat in her rocking chair. “Where are mom, dad, and Audrey?”

“Right here!” Grandma Renee sauntered into the living room from the hall holding Grandpa Nick’s hand, Audrey following close behind. Audrey sat at the end of the couch next to Margaret, leaving the loveseat next to the tree for her parents. “Gift time?”

“Gift time,” Aunt Georgia confirmed.

Nathaniel leaned forward to steal another marshmallow. “You open gifts on Christmas Eve?”

“Mhmm,” Chloé hummed through her sip of hot chocolate. She offered him the mug, apparently deeming him worthy of such a privilege. “Just one. The rest are for tomorrow morning.”

“Alright Dad,” Edith said. “Start us off.”

“I get Renee!” he immediately said, leaning over and plucking a small wrapped gift from under the tree.

Chloé leaned back to whisper, “Grandpa claims Grandma’s first present every year.” Nathaniel smiled. Once again, Chloé’s grandparents were proving themselves to be the cutest old couple he’d ever heard of.

“And I get Audrey,” Grandma Renee continued. “Ryan, can you grab that terribly wrapped green one over there and give it to Aunt Audrey?” The boy nodded and took up his new station on the floor next to the tree.

“Okay,” Audrey replied, “then I’ll take Georgia.” She pointed for Ryan as he delivered her gift. “That red bag with the sparkly tissue paper.”

“I want Edith,” Aunt Georgia went on. She elected to get up and go find the gift herself instead of making her nephew work for her.

“I’ve got Ryan,” Aunt Edith continued. “You can grab that heavy one you’ve been eyeing all week.”

He nodded and grabbed another gift, holding it out to his cousin. “Marianne.”

“Then I’ll take Margaret,” she said, shuffling over to the tree to find it.

“Hmm,” Margaret thought a moment, “Jasmine. That lumpy blue one.”

“Okay! Love, can you find Chloé’s for me?” Marianne gave her a thumbs up.

Chloé tapped Nathaniel’s arm. “Go grab Izzy and Grandpa’s presents.”

He got up to follow orders, confused. “You’re taking two?”

“Of course, we have to.”

He had just handed Grandpa Nick his present and was about to ask why Chloé was taking two people when a gift suddenly appeared in front of his face. He looked up to see Isabella smiling at him, eyes practically sparkling. “You didn’t honestly think we were going to leave you out, did you?”

He blinked in surprise and tried to process what was happening while his hands automatically accepted the gift. “I-I— Well— Um— Th-thank you.” A fervent blush was rapidly taking to his cheeks, he could feel it. Because no, he most certainly did not expect her family to get him gifts.

Her grin widened as he handed over her gift. “Open it! I want to know if my guess was right.”

Nathaniel did as he was told as soon as he retook his place sitting behind Chloé. Her free hand naturally settled over his arm as he reached around her to tear open the gift wrap.

He blinked in surprise at the set of pastel acrylic paints in his hands.

“H-How…?” he looked at Chloé but she seemed just as confused as he was.

When the two of them had arrived two days ago, the hoard of gifts under the tree had already been complete—Chloé having sent hers ahead of time. He was absolutely positive that no gifts had been bought and added since then.

He was also absolutely positive that Chloé hadn’t told her family a single thing about him save his name before then.

And yet, somehow, not only had Isabella known to get him art supplies, she’d even gotten him the exact art supplies he had recently depleted.

“So I was right?” she asked giddily.

“Y-Yeah,” he stuttered out, looking up at her. “I just ran out of a lot of my pastel shades. How did you…?”

“We had Ryan internet stalk you.” The boy made a peace sign in confirmation. “After scrolling through your Instagram for a while, I noticed that you seemed to be going through some sort of pastel phase lately and thought you might be needing more.” She sat back against the couch holding her chin high in pride.

“Wow.” He blinked, absolutely bewildered by the lengths this family went to just to get him Christmas gifts. And a little bit scared. “I— Um… Thank you.”

“That reminds me,” Aunt Georgia spoke up, “why aren’t you two in a relationship on any of your social media?”

Nathaniel felt Chloé mildly tense up in his arms, but he didn’t miss a beat. “Publicity.” He absentmindedly stroked his thumb over her shoulder in a soothing gesture.

“Oh yeah, I suppose you’re still the mayor’s daughter, aren’t you?”

“Oh yes!” Grandma Renee chimed, “How is André?”

It was almost imperceptible, but he didn’t miss Chloé’s tiny beat of hesitation before smiling. “He’s good, Grandma. Really good.”

“And the hotel? Business is going well?” Grandpa Nick asked. Nathaniel spared a glance toward Audrey to see her even more disengaged than usual, bored eyes set on the television. Without thinking about it, he hugged Chloé the slightest bit closer.

“Yeah, it is,” she replied.

“Especially since she took over management,” he added with a smile. Her grandparents reflected it.

“Yeah?”

“Well, not to brag,” she said, completely bragging, “but employee and guest satisfaction has hit an all-time high since I stepped in.”

And as if on cue, the second Chloé was beginning to glow, Audrey decided to speak.

“Yes, well, shall we get to gifts?”

Chloé handled herself with grace as the conversation moved on. But Nathaniel didn’t miss the change in her breathing, or the way she took another drink to hide her expression.

He pulled her just a little bit closer—not enough to catch anyone’s attention, but maybe just enough to make sure she knew she was loved.

[lakeblutomski]

so some updates um it's on the mob

i know who it was that's sending some message now it was a blonde male from the basketball and also another was his favorite restaurant an italian place landini brothers the waiter person there who one day i saw had tattoos don't know if that's real but those conspirators and things upset about and the mafia um education popularity

also the other person the georgia roommate parts about that one was someone was i think didn't follow the elephant republican side effects all the all the way to the bottom and backed out and another mentor figures sex thoughts so peoples life purposes and holes in stories or ejaculation

lots of people still trying to keep tabs on me the local alexandrians like someone now trying to off the um person who allegedly is crazy and witness protection program so pimps bookies um my dad and his career so not brando someone else and different people i know i can point out of a crowd their off base bullying (thus always to tyrants va or other personalities that if i thought i'd know who it was)

snitching um scanned 3 magazines um things people weren't familiar with and passionate love affairs teachers lessons um synopsis peoples secrecy missing people the drug business um

the school people so that whole thing sort of lumped as les miserables despite i think a rumor was actual legitamite french had eaten bodily fluids and my citizenship over there um cousin and masturbation secret rooms muslims um

so what's out there um not really offended or well i guess that's not me so moving on um the hbo sopranos and peoples attrition to um secrecy the senator these characters in the plot mario puzo the god father or um still pointlessness it's not real it's as the georgian even said and found out it's a lie

so um misled um old personalities it's the same people it's the same earth coincidentally you don't really um leave the familiarity online predators and plots on the sex schemes um the next door website and being denied service um back to va and things that'll happen as that is dealt with in reality so me um think tomorrow should go okay mostly i'd rather do this then the other stuff due to last times lessons

peoples um education formatted to outrageous cockameeny things like murders prostitutes drug addiction um divorces misled reenlistment

coincidentally another was the oh fbi watchlist actually works for me but it was that oh my entertainment career was destroyed but i am ok sort of um oh all these true things i said that turn out to be completely true so like things i even predict or notice such as i was going to do a here's who the people notifying me are list of them and their motives all of that stuff but then you can't really do much

so there's my i believe jewish roommate from vcu and the intro to someone who had the same name as dexter there's that

there's the person i labeled muslim from maybe isa before the close with sports bets

um there's the thai guitarist who was violent and showed drug systems distribution

there's the artist with the road bike and all of them

there's the new yorkers further about the it was crime syndicates or representatives

my brother and me trying to not have him get into messy things

saw mccusker the other day his i image outrageous career

the west potomac

an example of the true story i see i am at anita's and say that here's what i think this is it's drugs rockstars um transgenders then am reminded there's the coheed and cambria taking back sunday miami tour on a cruise ship

so this one um the big release with the prequelle to the sopranos is ramping up other times things ramp up new school year anniversaries sometimes secretive um election day other changes

so the jewish ghetto and the term is about um hidden societies the amish um oh trafficking births and the city lens on that there's like the yankees or those companies maggiano's is over here

peoples kids going missing um that's some music history is a tangent but um your profession and your passion for fun um love affairs the term was trap lords for getting somehow incriminated

i think a cop family kid both may be going closer towards the std i deemed broken needles so that being hogging sex and then replies to that um other things spokesperson tattoos their lost and getting losed in the crime worlds with the badge as as stated knowing people parents um wills and that trying to agitate and mislead see the story of insurance or the holocaust or others fixed stalking

the doctor maybe mistaken but maybe he is a social worked power on how people will get cornered or dead ends see third eye blind their hit single semi charmed life

ok so different lots of the west potomac's that clothes look affiliation from the veterans affairs off post from fort belvoir and blasting on civilians um a university brand law things followers

the anonymous computer gang one focal point a personality in school others um even unknowns but some if paying attention knowing it like hackers met or which one

mil attempted lifers um benefits arrivals presentation

ok so the drug world a manager teeth missing and pharmacy people the food and drug reps like jansen or dr hines and me getting mostly blessed from them sit here tell what i saw then everythings ironed out and provided for and don't raise the alarms little checkpoints so the term a made man

um who to listen to now there's like shoe box stops on that like don't click that it'll show up and you'll so hearing damage in the neighborhood um the usmc childhood person and all the people branched off from that

ok so the adultery part don't get upset and my parents business so there was other parts tax collectors that's a movie too but people in government so that mentality um sex breaks how that works spirit breaking um different factions arts and education alternatives the record store and others calling but ironies and foolishness

the married so my parents provided for the future um the beneficiary people the school so peoples teaching lesson on that get him pussy you get reward and certificate and people pursuing hiv

um the person from this site that'd be other richmonders um publishers and asians category um inherent vice pynchon defectors

so the cops or which one is it now knowing which local personality the sports gamers with the mortgage clouts those people swinging through um

over here no one showing up to um well there's the cleaners reports so told about a popular middle school person and different branches from that the caverns (rhymes with taverns) and that's like the beatles

tearjerkers from others someone might be gay and eating bodily fluids and lots of people outsourcing schools favors vandalism jumping someone um wild stuff

carrier pigeons the leader the name movie references and um hmm georgian life that like no not near the potomac river something about that as a comfort the reagan airport um the land locked part nebraska others crazy out landish quests

sex tourism here um higher roads and maybe rewards coincidentally

porn changes not interracial and um hanger ons

so getting flattered the sicilian

so the professor his getting me and working together that'd be him and a dwarf (references to books on deciphering and telephone a galaxy) so them typing up a home made gift for me and other things penis guitar um public opinions

grand dad looked mostly okay getting skeletony skeletal um get him out of the keeping place for now heard of hospital for dehydration assume that's actually his two kids who live with him bullying him like head games from their background but so hmm see some of these old timers just keep on going getting the right kick on

so the birchmere club thought haven't been as often little hearing issue but there's a personality there who maybe mistaken i openly we talked about lgbtq that explanation so them um the cool cop who'll show you your way everything high strung think when i was in restaurants pees tips so what's the new music um kingston trio vinyl in my case

showing up for what and the muslims that handled so iraq afghanistan jerusalem like crazy veteran stories more than just a black hat with a caregiver seated going somewhere the turbo

harrisonburg so hearsay um sex addiction drug dealers game zones um vices vices so peoples short cuts a restaurant what common knowledge and directions will tell you as in my case 'cop outs' don't always work also fault finding that now

saw the stones later this like bad ass dangerous turtle thing in head like also british things humor um national geographic a big rollins head the um discipline and some of these song bird stories at dc a nickname was song bird mccain

the blacks vietnam um smokers

people infusing sex with games and other unoffensive details

my blood pressure cuff

calm and relaxed there's some doctors the maybe not retirement circuit so active duties um the reward they got for their effort sex gains and freedoms um then drug scripts the pharmacy that legal and head ache frustration free

so others a painting um american claude monet blonde blue eyes um the other games workshop mcfarlane not as much facebook but um maybe second veteran not generation but va gi bill voc rehabers um each person corner the gays um asian food um high octane and the nfl um each of these then the high traffick time how forgetful

sex

so banned books and others things um words um usages exhale america

ok so thought the real time was sort of not possible though i continued and also it was the other things insurance modesty explaining the guy instead of bill gill um popeye's um over here different map and cool cars um attitude or misleading um

did also thing despite it was very viewed i clicked to see how many two nephew visiting weekly maids

drama going on um the moles in tradoc and apparent back breakers injection knock out drills um phases so new lifes abandoning others um grossness as a weapon unemployment throughout um not annoying transgender um drunkenness inebriated highs um the ivy leaguers and the libraries and effects of purchases

youtube online publishers um companies sites a cafe caffeine um old memories of rare limited edition entertainment

so the story soon movie survey