#but I remember each morning I would get a big bowl sized glass

[n1et]

I made myself hot chocolate from scratch today. It was really nice; reminded me a bit of my trips with my godfather.

[xxbangchansidedishxx]

Chan X Felix- Tiny Surprise

Tw: size kink, degrading, masturbation, fairies, piss.

Felix flew through the forest, his glass like wings fluttering through the soft summer breeze and his silver blonde hair shimmering as the sun bounced off it. A soft giggle like wind chimes left his lips as he raced the butterfly back to his home. Felix’s place in this world was to heal and protect, from animals to plants a single sprinkle of his magical dust could repair any damage done to them.

He was well known amongst the butterflies and other various species in the forest. His bubbly fun personality made them all feel at peace so it wasn’t unusual for him to play with them and race home.

The two glided through the air before coming to a stop with a sudden ‘thud’.

That’s strange… I never remember there being a tree here. Felix thought to himself before looking up and being greeted by a man.

The small fairy felt panic rise in his chest. He saw his butterfly friend stuck in the material of the mans bag, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t risk being seen by the human.

He rushed to hide amongst the petals of a red rose, peeking out ever so slightly to watch the situation unfold as he hoped for the best.

“Aw hello there. Poor little thing.”

The human spoke, gently helping the butterfly free.

A small smile appeared on his lips as the bug fluttered away.

Felix let out a breath that he didn’t know he was even holding. He knew how relentless humans could be when it came to species smaller than them and he was just glad that this human didn’t hurt his friend.

Felix scanned the tall man with his eyes. He had soft orange hair and a handsome kind looking face. He wore a simple black tank top showing off the muscles in his arms and a pair of skinny jeans.

The fairy had to admit that this human was rather beautiful. It had been years since he last saw a human in this part of the forest. His head began to wonder.

What is he doing here? Will he be a threat to my home? What if he sees a fairy? I wonder how it would feel to run my fingers through his pretty hair.

He shook his head trying to forget the thought.

He knew he could never mingle with a human. It was deadly right?

Before he got himself into any more trouble he flew the short distance to his mushroom home before plopping down onto his buttercup sofa and sighing.

He couldn’t get the image of the human out of his head. He seemed different from others he had crossed paths with. Most would have just swatted the butterfly away but this man helped the creature. He closed his eyes letting his head paint an image of how the man looked again. Beautiful. His defined arm muscles. Veins bulging out. He had to be strong Felix thought to himself. If his arms are so pretty and veiny I wonder what his cock looks like? It’s got to be huge. Felix was probably no bigger than his hand but he wondered what it would feel like to be filled up with his big cock.

He had never felt this horny before and it was over a human that he barely even saw for five minutes. He let out a soft whimper as he began to palm at his hard cock with a tiny hand. He tugged at the material of his trousers pulling them down along with his red lace panties letting his cock spring free. He didn’t have the patience to tease himself today. He just needed to cum. He grabbed his length and began to fuck into his hand, his hips rolling back and fourth at just the right pace. Soft moans left his parted lips as he felt his high approach. Images of the human doing the same flashed through his head as he felt his entire body shake with orgasm and ribbons of white release from his cock. He panted , catching his breath feeling tired from his orgasm. He felt his eyes get heavy as he drifted into a sleep wondering what the fuck he had just done.

-The Next Day-

Like every other morning the fairy boy was awoken by the soft sunrise spilling through his windows. He tiredly fluttered over to his mirror to fix his appearance. Stepping out of his stained panties from the previous night and replacing them with a new pair. He wore blue skinny jeans and a black slightly cropped top that showed off his toned abdomen. Looking in the mirror he inspected his face, smiling cutely at his freckles and quickly applying some lipgloss before fixing his hair and heading out the door. Every morning he looked in the close by bushes for berries to make his breakfast. He’s surprised when he sees the handsome man again. He was stood by the bush that Felix goes to, carefully picking the sweet fruits and placing them in a bowl.

‘Wow this human really is weird.’ Felix thought to himself . He has never heard of humans picking berries this early in the morning especially not this deep in the forest. He wanted desperately to know more. It wouldn’t hurt him to follow him right? He wouldn’t go too far. He would just follow him to the entrance of the forest.

He continued to watch the orange haired man from a shorter distance this time. He made sure he was still hidden but this time he could see his features better. On his face there were little freckles scattered around. No where near as many as Felix had but still equally charming.

When the human had finished collecting berries he began to walk along the path home. Not knowing of the little fairy that was following.

A small gasp left Felix’s lips when they arrived at a cottage not far from his own home.

Wow the human lives in the forest?

Maybe…. Maybe it couldn’t hurt to go inside. He wouldn’t stay long he would just study the man a little more.

He followed him through the door taking in the room around him.

It was decorated beautifully. Shades of cream and wood brown made the house feel warm.

He fluttered over to the open kitchen landing on a countertop filled with fresh fruits and he hid behind an apple, peaking out at the man who was looking around his kitchen.

Without any warning the man brought a large hand to grab the apple making the little fairy freeze in terror.

“Oh…um hello.”

The man seemed confused seeing the tiny figure on his counter but he spoke softly.

Felix opened his mouth but he couldn’t reply. Was he going to hurt him?

“Hey hey, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. It’s okay I won’t hurt you. What’s your name?”

“I’m Felix.” He spoke timidly.

The large man flashed a bright smile at the fairy, offering a finger for him to shake with his tiny hand.

“Well it’s nice to meet you Felix, I’m Chan. How did you get in my house tho?”

Felix blushed red at the question. How was he going to explain that he had been following him ever since he saw him yesterday? He hung his head in shame.

“I- I followed you home. I didn’t mean to! I just haven’t seen a human around here so I was curious- I promise I’m not weird or anything.”

He rushed to justify his actions making Chan chuckle.

“It’s okay it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Wow, I never expected to see a pretty fairy in my house today.”

Felix’s heart skipped… ‘pretty’? He thought he was pretty.

“Well I never expected to see a handsome human picking berries from MY bush this morning.”

He playfully teased the man, flying up so that they were face to face.

“So that was your bush huh? No wonder the berries taste so sweet.”

He smirked shooting the freckled fairy a wink making his heart swoon.

Felix stuttered trying to think of a witty response but his brain had shut off completely.

“Anyway Felix. I have to head out again but I’ll be back soon. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. It would be fun to get to know you.”

He walked towards the door giving a small wave as he left.

What the fuck…

Felix was actually in his home… he spoke to him… and they were…friends?

It was too much for the little fairy to process. He needed to rest.

He fluttered around the house searching for Chan’s bedroom so he could lay down.

When he reached the room he was surprised by the size of the bed. It was truly huge.

The pillows smelt like him . Sweet with slight musk.

He drifted slowly into a peaceful sleep.

~

“Mmh please r-right there.” Felix moaned out when he felt Chan’s fingers hit just the right spot.

He incoherently blabbered as each thrust made him come more and more undone.

“You like that hm? Little pretty fairy likes my fingers inside him?”

Lust dripped from the humans voice making Felix blush.

“F fuck I love it so much.”

~

Chan stood in the doorway shocked, watching the scene in front of him. The tiny fairy was lay on his bed slowly palming at his length in his sleep.

Soft whimpers left his lips and his wings twitched with pleasure.

He could feel his trousers begin to get uncomfortably tight and he bit down hard on his lip to control himself.

He should leave. He knew he should but he was drawn to the fairy.

“Ch Chan your cock mmh.”

Felix moaned out in his sleep, his grinding getting faster.

When Chan heard his name he couldn’t take it anymore.

He walked over to the bed carefully sitting down and he lightly shook the Fairy with a gentle finger.

His eyes fluttered open and when he saw the human his face burned red as he recalled the events of his dream.

“You aren’t exactly a quiet sleeper.” The orange haired man chuckled.

“I uh … what do you mean by that?” Felix panicked. This couldn’t get any worse right?

“I never knew a pretty little fairy like you would be so slutty.”

Chan smirked as he began to lightly trace the patterns on Felix’s wings, making little desperate whines leave his parted lips.

“You like that hm? Does it feel good when I touch your wings like this?”

He Changed the direction of his fingers making the fairy gasp.

“P please Chan.”

Felix didn’t even know what he was begging for at this point. He just needed more.

“Use your words darling. What is it you want?”

“Fuck I need your cock please channie.”

Any embarrassment Felix felt was now long gone. All that clouded his mind was lust.

The two stripped them self’s from clothing and Felix looked in awe at the size of Chan’s cock.

It was huge … even bigger than Felix’s entire body. The tip was tinted pink and pre cum was smeared around the slit while pretty veins decorated it.

He brought a hand to slowly run along one of the veins making the human let out a shaky breath. It was almost pathetic how tiny Felix looked next to his cock alone.

“You are so big Channie.” His eyes glowed with want and his mouth salivated at the thought of the pleasure it could give him.

“Hands and knees darling. Let me prep you.”

The fairy did as he was told. He spread his cheeks apart giving Chan a clear view of his little pink hole.

He felt a slick finger rub against it. Teasing him and making him wet.

“So tiny. How is my cock going to fit in here hm? Have you had anything in here before?”

The question made Felix burn up.

“J just my fingers.”

A Yelp left his lips as he felt the finger enter him. Fuck the way it filled him up made him feel as if he was in heaven. He pressed back trying to feel it deeper inside him.

“Someone’s eager. Such a slutty little fairy. All mine to play with.”

He moved his finger faster making the fairy scream out .

“Ch chan I fuck if you keep doing that I’m g gonna cum.”

“Tsk I suppose we better get you on my cock then. I’m not going to miss the opportunity to fill that pretty little hole with my cum.”

The words made Felix shudder. He fluttered over to the mans cock and lined it up with his stretched hole before sinking down, a loud whimper leaving his lips as he felt the head buried inside him.

That’s all he could fit in his tiny little hole.

Chan’s fingers grasped carefully onto the fairy’s hips as he rocked into him.

“F fuck it feels so good. S so big.”

Felix blabbered as he lost himself in the pleasure.

“You look so pretty bouncing on my cock like this darling. So fucked out and pretty. I bet you wish you could fit more inside that slutty little body of yours.”

Felix couldn’t even take in the words being spoken to him. He was too focused on the feeling of Chan twitching inside him. He felt a warm feeling in his stomach and he clenched around the humans cock.

“Going to cum already? How pathetic that my cock makes you come undone so quickly. It’s okay, let go for me my little fairy.”

With those words Felix felt his body begin to spasm and his tiny cock release strings of white. But it wasn’t over yet.

Chan continued to fuck into him, chasing his own high. The feeling was making Felix go crazy. His body shook with overstimulation and he felt like he was going to cum again.

A strangled cry left his lips as his cock released more liquid but this time it wasn’t a milky white. When he realised what he was done he burned with embarrassment.

“Did my little fairy piss himself hm ? Couldn’t hold it until I was done with you.”

Chan began to rock into Felix even harder. He felt his stomach knot up and a low groan left his lips as he released into the fairy.

After catching their breath the human pulled out, admiring the mess he had made of the fairy.

“You look so pretty like that. My cum leaking out of your pretty hole and down your little thighs. Covered in your own piss. Such a slutty little mess.”

Felix whimpered at the words.

“Fuck that was amazing.”

He was almost in disbelief how good it felt.

It was like a flip switched and Chan was back in full caring mode.

He placed a gentle kiss onto the fairy’s cheek.

“I’m glad you felt good darling. How about I clean you up hm? We can watch a movie after too if you’d like? I’d love to get to know you more.”

Felix’s lips curved up into a little smile.

“That sounds great channie!”

Perhaps humans weren’t so bad after all.

In fact Maybe Felix was in love with one.

[dreamwritesimagines]

Caught In The Fire 1 - The Funeral [Mobster! Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback to the preview my loves! Please don’t forget to tell me what you think of this chapter, kisses! 

Summary: Funeral of a mob boss is not the best place to reconnect.

Word Count: 2601

Warnings: Violence, death, funerals, crime, explicit language. This is an AU, friendly reminder that I don’t condone any of the actions depicted on this story and please read with care. 

 Ever since you were a child, you had always found it strange that one’s family could determine their fates. Granted there were people who could break that cycle and choose what they wanted to do with their lives, but nearly no one around you had been that lucky, including you.

When your father had moved here decades ago, he had used up to his last penny to buy a pub and turned it into a bakery, and only after buying it he had realized that it wasn’t some kind of luck that it had been so cheap. The problem was the location and as he had been informed by two men who dropped by the next day after the opening, the bakery was built on the neutral ground, right in the middle of these gang territories. Each family ruled a different part of the city, and the neutral ground was off limits, so whenever the gangs needed to make sure that they wouldn’t get shot or ambushed, they would meet up there.

Pub served a better purpose, but even they had to admit, a bakery looked much less suspicious.

At first you didn’t even know. You were just a child after all, and your father had made sure to usher you back to the kitchen or to the backyard whenever certain people showed up, and you had never protested because as far as you were concerned when you were six years old, all grown-ups did was talk about boring things and glare at each other. But one of those days when you were sitting on the stairs at the back of the bakery, trailing the spoon in the bowl full of cake batter you had stolen from the kitchen, a boy with bright blue eyes and dark hair walked to the backyard.

“What are you eating?”

You looked up from the bowl, making him stifle a laugh at the sight of the cake batter all over your face and you looked behind you to check your father was nowhere to be seen, then held up the bowl,

“Do you want some?”

“What’s that?”

“Peach cake batter,” you said, “Daddy says it makes you sick if you eat too much but it’s delicious.”

He frowned, “Cake doesn’t make you sick.”

“It does if it’s unbaked. It gives you—“ you thought for a moment, trying to remember what it was called. “It gives you salmons you see.”

“Salmon is a fish.”

“Yeah,” you nodded, “Exactly. It – it makes fish in your stomach, so they make you sick.”

He didn’t look like he believed you, but didn’t say anything as he took the spoon you offered him and dug it into the batter before taking it into his mouth.

“Daddy says customers aren’t supposed to be here.” You said and he shrugged his shoulders.

“My dad is making a deal in there, and I got bored waiting in the car with his men,” he mumbled before he gave you the spoon back “Will you tell them I’m here?”

You smiled at him brightly and shook your head,

“No.” you said, and offered him your hand because you were sure that was what you were supposed to do when you met someone new, “I’m Y/N.”

“James Buchanan Barnes,” he shook your hand and you scrunched up your face.

“That’s a lot.”

He grinned at you, “You can call me Bucky,” he said, “Everyone else does.”

“Miss?” you were pulled out of your thoughts when the woman waiting at the door motioned at you, “Arms up please.”

Right. Of course.

Everyone had to be checked for weapons when they walked into the Barnes household, especially in times like these. You held up the tray so that she could pat you down and once she was sure you weren’t carrying any weapons, she took a look under the foil to see what was in it and let you pass. You tried not to get distracted by the huge house, that familiar pang shooting into your heart at how different it was from your small apartment, but you shook your head and walked into the living room to put the tray next to other food before pulling the aluminum foil off to ball it in your hands. The house was packed with so many people, all there to pay their respects for the deceased mob boss or get on his son Bucky’s good side, since he was about to take over the family business.  

Or to make sure their alliances continued. 

But the one thing you knew about everyone in this room? They were not to be crossed.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Steve Rogers sitting beside Rebecca Barnes, Bucky’s sister who was uncharacteristically silent as she stared into space. She muttered something to Steve and he nodded, heaving a sigh and squeezing her hand as if to assure her everything was going to be alright. Tony Stark was by the corner of the room with James Rhodes, speaking in hushed whispers and Natasha Romanoff looked to be in a serious discussion with Sam Wilson as they walked past you.

“I get what you’re saying but it doesn’t change anything in terms of business, Bucky knows that.”

“Doesn’t it? I’ve never had to be checked for weapons at the door until now.”

“It’s a funeral, Nat.” Sam said, “You know it as much as I do that not everyone is here to give their condolences. You’ve seen Winnifred.”

“She just lost her husband, and she’s not the person I’ll do business with, her son is.” Natasha said, “Did you talk to Bucky after the meeting?”

“You know what he’s like.”

You could feel your heart skipping a beat but you scolded yourself in your head, it definitely wasn’t the time for this. You looked around for a trashcan, but of course there was none so you turned around in hopes of finding one outside the huge living room, but crashed into a hard body. He grabbed at your shoulders to help you regain your balance and your eyes snapped up to see who it was, ready to apologize but the words got caught in your throat.

He looked as handsome as you had last seen him. You could feel your heart beating in your ears and his blue eyes searched your face, slowly withdrawing his hand.

“Bucky.” You swallowed thickly, “Hi.”

He stared at you for a couple of seconds, then shook his head as if trying to snap out of his thoughts and motioned at the table.

“Are those black cupcakes?”

Right.

Yeah, that wasn’t the best idea.

“I just,” you cleared your throat, “I figured I couldn’t bring his favorite cake, because cake is for…happier times so I figured, cupcakes—but it’s a funeral so that’s why they’re black.” You let out a breath, closing your eyes for a moment, “I’m being nonsense. I’m sorry for your loss.”

He shifted his weight as if he didn’t want to think about it which was expected because this was probably the hundredth time he was hearing this. You strained your mind to come up with something to say, but before you could find anything he reached out to grab one of the cupcakes to take a bite and nodded at the door.

“Follow me.”

Okay, what was happening?

You didn’t get to ask him as he walked upstairs with you following him closely and he entered one of the rooms in the huge hall. You looked around as you stepped in after him, it looked like some sort of an office with a big mahogany desk, a library and a comfortable couch. The room alone was probably half the size of your whole apartment but you tried to pull yourself together.

“It’s so loud in the living room, impossible to get anything done.” he leaned back to the table, “How’s your dad?”

“He has some health issues.” You said, making him raise his brows “Nothing serious, it’s just…he can’t really stand for so long, and he’s getting older, you know? I took over the bakery a while ago so that he could rest and all.”

He gawked at you, “You did?”

“Yeah.”

“Why did no one tell me?”

“I don’t know,” you confessed, “It’s no big deal, really. He sends his condolences by the way.”

He nodded slowly and you bit inside your cheek to stop yourself from laughing at the sight of the new yet intimidating mob boss holding a cupcake.

“I wanted to tell you,” he cleared his throat, “Even if my father is dead, the deal still stands between him and your dad. Nobody touches the bakery, it’s the neutral ground so you don’t need to worry—“

“Bucky, I’m not here for that.” You interrupted him and he looked almost taken aback.

“What?”

“I’m not here to ask for something or talk about deals, I’m here to pay my respects. Your father was always nice to me and I will miss him, that’s the least I could do.”

He blinked a couple of times in confusion and something told you this was the first time he was hearing something like that without a request following it.

“Oh.” He turned his head to grab the glass of whiskey on the desk which made you think he had been closing deals left and right since the morning at the same office and it probably wasn’t his first glass of the day.

“Would you want some?”

“No thank you.” You said as you watched him down it in one gulp and you shifted your weight, nibbling on your lip.

“Let me guess,” you said softly, “Business doesn’t wait for funerals to end, huh?”

He lowered his gaze, his rings tapping against the glass as he heaved a shaky sigh.

“It really doesn’t.” he murmured but something in his voice was so barely held together that your body moved before you could realize what you were doing. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug and it was only when his body froze against yours that you realized what you had just done. You were just about to pull back and apologize when you felt his arms sneaking around your body, holding you tight and if you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought he had pressed his nose into your hair to inhale deeply.

“Do you need anything?” you asked when you pulled back and a small smile graced his lips for the first time.

“No,” he murmured, “Thanks peaches.”

Ah.

That nickname again.

You had almost forgotten about it.

“How’s your uh…” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “How’s your fiancé?”

Your smile faded slightly as it dawned on you, “My-? Oh right, you don’t know. We broke up a couple of months ago.”

His head shot up, “What?”

“Yeah.” You shrugged your shoulders, “He sort of- well, not sort of, he cheated on me, so….”

He frowned. “You should’ve told me.”

“Why?”

“I would’ve sent someone around.”

A small laughter escaped from your lips and you shook your head.

“Bucky, you can’t get a guy beaten up because he cheated on me.”

“Sounds like he deserved it though.”

“No way.” you said, “It’s fine. How about you? Do you…?” you trailed off, and it wasn’t fair that your heart skipped a beat while waiting for an answer, not at all.

“Do I have a fiancée?” Bucky finished the question for you and chuckled, “No.”

“It doesn’t have to be a fiancée.” You said, “You know… a significant other.”

He tilted his head, that amused smile playing on his lips and you scrunched up your face.

“You know what, I’m prying. Just ignore me okay? It’s not a good thing to talk about at a funeral—“

“Peaches, I’ve been listening to people talk about money, deals, or their memories about my father the whole day. Trust me, this…slice of normalcy feels better than you could ever imagine.”

You looked up at into his bloodshot eyes, something in your stomach twisting painfully before you licked at your lips.

“Alright,” you said, “Normalcy then?”

“Yes please.”

“I came up with a new cupcake the other day,” you said, “I mean I’m sure I didn’t come up with it, but I tried it by myself and it’s pretty good, you know?”

“Will it give me salmons?” he asked and you shot him a look, trying to hide your surprise that he still remembered that.

“No.” you said, “It’s a bourbon cupcake, all those moms on Pinterest will worship me.”

He blinked a couple of times and held up the half-eaten cupcake,

“There’s a cupcake out there that can make me drunk and I’m eating a non-alcoholic one on my father’s funeral?” he deadpanned “When did you become so cruel?”

Your jaw dropped and you bit down a smile.

“You should be careful,” you said, “I know a guy who can send people around if someone is mean to me.”

He grinned and held up his hands, mocking surrender.

“I know a threat when I hear one,” he said and someone cleared their throat by the door, making you look over your shoulder to see Steve leaning against the doorframe.

“Sorry for interrupting,” he said, “Sam needs to talk to you Buck.”

“Right now?” Bucky stole a look at you and you waved a hand in the air,

“It’s okay, I gotta get Em from school anyway, I should go.”

Bucky pulled his brows together,

“Your sister goes to school now?” he asked, “Wasn’t she a toddler like yesterday?”

“She’s in first grade now Bucky.”

“Jesus Christ I’m getting old.” He muttered to himself, making Steve chuckle.

“You’ve just realized that?” he asked and you smiled at Bucky.

“Take care, okay?”

“You too. Thanks for…being here.” His eyes searched yours, “Send your dad my regards.”

“Will do.” You said and nodded at Steve before walking out of the room, your cheeks still burning.

All the way to Emma’s school, you couldn’t ignore the way your heart was slamming against your chest, and you bit at your lip, trying to focus on something else, anything else. You took a deep breath, and turned your head when the door to passenger seat opened and Emma got in the car.

“Hi!” she smiled at you brightly and put her seatbelt on, “I have no homework today!”

You let out a small laugh, “Is that right?” you asked and she nodded.

“Can we go and see the aquarium? Please? Please please please? They say there’s a whale there, a huge one!”

“Okay, okay…” you raised your brows, “Breathe, and yes we can go see the aquarium.”

“Then after aquarium can we have a tea party?”

“You might have to wait for that, kiddo.” You winked at her, “I need to drop by the bakery.”

“Wait, then I can come to the bakery too,” she said, “I can help, you said you would let me help if I got a star.”

“Did you get a star?”

“I will!” she insisted, making you smile at her fondly and you hmmed.

“You can help me yes, but you can’t eat what we’re making, okay? Not this time, I’ll give you a cookie instead.”

She pursed her lips, frowning. “Why not?”

You started the car, your stomach making a pleasant flip before you turned the steering wheel.

“Because Em,” you muttered, “We’re making grown up cupcakes for a friend.”

Chapter 2

Taglist: @rhabakoli  @theskytraveler @alwaysadreamingoptimist @danyka-fendyr  @a-seeker-of-imagination @readingsubtitles @threeeyesslitthroat @alytavzla @sfyri @silverkitten547 @finnickfoxes @lostinmydream-world  @sadlittlefairygirl @celestialhayi @superwolfchild-fan @endaglivet  @onebatch--twobatch @justnerdystuffs​ @demigoddesofchimichangagod  @iblogabout-stuff @addictedtofictionalcharacters  @syrenak @emmalbg @bookloverfilmoholic @god-of-dramatic-death-scenes @raspberrydreamclouds @wellfucksorrymum @meganlpie​ @dogshemp​ @actuallyazriel​ @captain-spandex​ @chibi-liz05​ @thebadasssass​ @lettersofwrittencollective​ @buckys-other-punk​ @a-seeker-of-imagination​ @valhallaas​ @anatomyofaclumsymum​ @efferuse​ @you-are-my-sunshine-90 @usernamesarebitches​ @readsalot73​ @bellamys​ @crazyandanonymous4u @elliee1497​ @bluebird214​ @we-are-all-wild-things​ @yennewolf @whovianayesha​ @calumisdaddyaf​ @awkwardspontaneity​ @mrsenos08​ @some-person-somewhere @thyunnamed​ @an-awkward-human-1​ @supercarricat​ @rhaelrence @aworldwideapart​ @lovelynerdytraveler​ @jooordanharrrop​ @jbarnesss​ @starfish-angel @paramorefold​ @thedaisydeer​ @pizza-eater-i-ate-the-pizza​ @mariaenchanted @merelrose​ @pinkisokay​ @lady-of-lies​ @mahleeyuh​ @dezzylou24​

[forasecondtherewedwon]

Hex Life

Fandom: WandaVision Pairing: Darcy Lewis/Jimmy Woo Rating: E Chapters: 10/10 Word Count: 34k

Summary: Guest starring Agent James E. Woo as himself and introducing Dr. Darcy Lewis as Mrs. Darcy Woo!

Or: Darcy and Jimmy are sent into the Hex to retrieve Captain Monica Rambeau. Finding out Westview has cast them as a married couple is only the first of the surprises that await them.

read ch. 1 one / 2 two / 3 three / 4 four / 5 five 6 six / 7 seven / 8 eight / 9 nine / 10 ten

this fic is now complete!

Jimmy’s going to be a dad. He was going to be a dad in a black-and-white sitcom world and now he’s going to be a dad in a world on the regular spectrum, so the colours really aren’t as big a deal as his impending fatherhood. Possible fatherhood. As much as he’s always secretly wanted his own little Jimmy Woo Jr., he didn’t know if it would be in the cards for him—pun obviously intended—and the last thing he wants to do is influence Darcy either way, especially since he’s only known her a couple days and doesn’t have a clue if a baby was really part of her life plan.

It can’t just be rose-coloured glasses making him see his wife warming to the idea though; when she continues down the hall ahead of Jimmy and Monica, he spots her careful cradling of the baby bump. He can barely stand not touching her. The instinct to shelter others has always been one of his strongest and now he feels it intensely. He longs to protect Darcy, to hold Darcy, to love— Well. Jimmy clears his throat at the very thought and Monica gives him a suspicious side-eyed glance.

“Dry throat,” he lies, tapping his neck in a probably highly unconvincing gesture.

“Uh huh.”

Yeah, she doesn’t sound convinced.

He’s rescued by a burst of sound from the bedroom and dashes ahead of Monica in case Darcy’s in trouble. When he bangs the bedroom door fully open, she’s fine. She’s laughing. He sighs and looks where she points. The queen-sized mattress they shared has changed back to a pair of narrower beds.

“Seriously,” Jimmy says flatly.

“Well, the big bed worked its magic,” Darcy concedes. She pats her rounded stomach. “Mission accomplished.”

“Aw jeeze.”

Ignoring his distress, she sits on the end of the closest bed.

“What I like is that they’re magically made. I didn’t end up having to change the sheets. This is really the next step in home technology.”

“Honey, don’t encourage the magical forces that control our home décor,” he pleads, beckoning until Darcy rises and takes his outstretched hand.

“Better than getting on their bad side. In the AI uprising, you wanna make sure you’re friends with the robots.”

This is an outrageous statement coming from a credible scientist, so Jimmy squints down at her for a minute before saying, “Thanks, house,” aloud, just in case appeasing the Hex now saves him from being closed into a room with no door later, if the walls rearrange to form the ’70s model of their current home.

“You did the smart thing,” Darcy assures him.

As they leave the room, she keeps hold of his hand. He shoots adoring glances at her.

“Hey, Monica,” she says, calling to their guest, who seems to have gone to investigate the walk-in closet. “Accommodations aren’t going to be a problem. I can give you some pajamas too because I think I own at least a dozen pairs, as I’m sure you’ve already discovered…”

But when they look in the closet it’s… not a closet.

“Or maybe the Hex destroyed all my pajamas and I should take back my overtures of friendship,” Darcy corrects.

“Welcome to your nursery,” Monica says. “I’m guessing from the look on Jimmy’s face that this is new.”

It’s spartan, but there’s no doubt in Jimmy’s mind that the room is now intended to be exactly what Monica said. There’s a crib in pieces on the carpet and a rocking chair in the corner. Though he can’t remember this room having even one window, there are now two. The blinds are drawn against the night and curtains patterned with stars and streaking comets hang from a rod mounted above the window. Automatically, he pulls Darcy into his side. He feels her rest her head on his shoulder.

“Man, the Hex is really giving us the hard sell,” she comments.

Just like that, he’s guiding her around by her upper arms and propelling her from the room. He glances over his shoulder to see Monica following with an amused smile. At his nod, she pulls the door shut.

“Ignore it,” Jimmy tells Darcy. “Don’t let that room influence you.”

“Oh, like that’s easy.” She rolls her eyes.

“I know it’s hard not to picture reading Jimmy Junior to sleep in his crib, or watching him learn to roll himself over on the carpet, or cuddling him in your arms in the rocking chair as the morning light—”

“Jimmy Junior?” Darcy asks, interrupting Jimmy’s rapidly solidifying daydream.

“You know what? I’m starving,” Monica announces, putting a hand on each of their shoulders to head off the awkward pause. “How about you two show me some hospitality? I’ve had a long day of being mind-controlled.”

“How ’bout some comfort food?” he asks. “I make a mean bowl of chili.”

“Sounds great.”

So, Jimmy cooks for them. His attention is unequally divided between the simmering pot, Monica leaning against the counter next to him as she recounts the scene at the meeting when Wanda went to take his call, and Darcy sifting pickily through the contents of their fridge. He glances over after putting the lid on the pot to let the chili finish cooking and sees his wife contemplatively holding an egg like it’s Yorick’s skull. Ok, well, he’s just going to leave her to her thoughts.

He sets bowls of chili for himself and Monica on the dining room table. Darcy, justifiably finnicky, takes longer to decide what she’ll be able to stomach, reflexively rubbing the baby bump as she plunders their kitchen. Finally, she comes to sit down. She’s brought a spoon. That’s it. Jimmy’s going to ask, but Darcy just scoots her chair close to his and takes intermittent mouthfuls of his serving while the conversation continues on. He sighs in unannoyed exasperation and alternates dips of his spoon with hers.

It’s just another weird routine they’ve settled into, and like everything else, it didn’t take long.

“You two didn’t know each other before this assignment, right?” Monica checks, motioning between Darcy and Jimmy with a slice of buttered toast.

“No, why?” Darcy asks, dropping a chunk of tomato from her spoon onto his. (Apparently, she doesn’t like tomatoes.)

Monica smiles and says, “No reason.”

She seems ready to accept them as they are, whatever they are. She goes back over the events of this afternoon for Darcy’s benefit—who was zoned out staring at an egg at the time—then the three of them turn to talk of tomorrow. What does Monica feel she needs to try before she’s willing to concede and leave the Hex with them? What can she try? How can Jimmy and Darcy assist her? They talk themselves in a circle of possibilities, limitations, and Monica’s unswerving negative answer to suggestions of her leaving the Hex without getting through to Wanda. Eventually, they decide that the best plan may be no plan, since they’re up against Westview’s ever-shifting magical properties.

“We’ll get up in the morning and see what the world looks like,” Monica says.

Jimmy’s going to reply when the Captain’s expression alters.

“Are you remembering?” Darcy asks her astutely. Monica stares at her. “I don’t want to pry, I’ve just seen that look on a lot of people’s faces lately. People who came back.”

“This isn’t dissimilar,” Monica admits. “When I get anywhere near Wanda or the other characters with speaking parts and start to lose control to… Geraldine—” Jimmy thinks the look on her face is both disgusted and deeply hurt. “—I do get this feeling like the world is going on without me. Only I’m there. I’m right there. I haven’t made up my mind yet if it’s worse than being gone entirely then coming back to find nothing’s the same.”

“Yeah,” Darcy says, soft, sympathetic.

“I don’t know what else the members of this community have been through, but I know I don’t want them to have to keep going through this too. I can’t imagine how tight Wanda’s grip is on the people who were here when she started this. Not sure I’m qualified to be the one to tell her how to let go of her grief and move on.”

Monica blinks quickly and gives a forced smile.

“That was good chili, Jimmy.”

He nods in thanks because he can’t find the right words to say.

They’re all carrying something and Jimmy thinks about that as the three of them clean up, then splinter off to get ready for bed, tired for different and shared reasons. (He changes into his pajamas in the nursery—they found their clothing in a new, regular-sized closet in the bedroom—while Monica and Darcy take the bathrooms.) The Captain’s carrying her recent bereavement and the unignorable sense of responsibility she feels to help Wanda and the Westviewers, possibly precisely because she isn’t ready to confront her own loss. Darcy’s doing some literal carrying with the baby bump her pajama top is buttoned over when she steps out of the en suite bathroom to let Jimmy in to brush his teeth. She’s an astrophysicist who, while studying a television diversion from reality, was brought rudely back to earth by circumstances as real as they come.

What Jimmy’s carrying is actually carrying him: his hope. It’s a good thing to have in his line of work, but a tough thing to keep when the world’s been through what it has. A baby is the least likely and most longed-for thing he would’ve confessed to wanting if someone asked him what was missing from his life.

When it’s acknowledged through awkward glances that, yes, Monica’s taking one of the beds and Jimmy and Darcy will share the other, he climbs under the covers his wife holds open for him. She rolls away from him to lie on her side and he gets comfortable on his back. The Hex has definitely eased up on what it wants for their romantic development because this is the first time he’s been in bed with Darcy and not felt himself caving to the need to have sex with her. Oh, the desire to touch her is as powerful as ever, but the kind of touching he craves is as tender as the flesh of that peach he brought her earlier in the day.

But he doesn’t want to crowd her. Figuratively or literally. Between finding Monica and calling Wanda, making love to Darcy all afternoon and being presented with her pregnant belly in the evening, it’s been a dog’s breakfast of a day. The mission abruptly became just the second most daunting thing he needs to pull off. Now, he’s driven by the impulse to be near Darcy. She doesn’t know it, but she’s drawing him in like gravity and he can only cross his fingers for a soft landing.

Jimmy almost jumps when she reaches for him in the dark, hand feeling behind her until it finds his. She drags his arm over her and he flips onto his side to make it easier. Though Darcy lets him go when his arm’s around her, he doesn’t know where to rest his hand. Tentatively, he places it over her belly and she wriggles back into him. Heart bursting, he holds her more securely to his body, smooths his hand over the bump, and soon falls asleep.

—

The floor wakes him up. He’s just fallen out of bed.

Disoriented, Jimmy sits up in a tangle of comforter and squints at his bed companion in the morning light. They must’ve repositioned while they slept, but that alone wasn’t what forced him to and over the edge—he can see the shape of Darcy’s belly beneath the sheet. It’s noticeably larger than it was yesterday.

He’s still trying to come to terms with that when she sleepily grasps the comforter and yanks it back over her body. Jimmy chuckles and rises into a stretch. Monica’s bed is empty and neatly made, so she must be up already. Before entering the Hex, his internal clock was strict too. Since, he bends to the needs of his subconscious, which seems happiest when it’s allowed to sleep in, particularly if Darcy’s warming the sheets next to him. This is only their third day in Westview and the second time waking up here, but it feels wonderfully routine. As satisfying as completing his consistently-timed morning run or pouring exactly the right amount of milk into his cereal.

Although he’d like to let Darcy sleep, it’s weird now because he’s staring. Anyway, they need to tighten up their operations even further today if they’re going to get out of here soon. Monica requires either success or closure with Wanda, so Jimmy’s determined to help with that. And if Darcy’s pregnancy takes another leap forward, well… that’s another time crunch to consider.

She’s lying on her side, facing him, belly in the space where he fell asleep. Gently, he brushes hair out of her face and strokes lightly up and down her arm.

Darcy gives him a murmured “Hi” with her eyes still shut.

“You gonna get up?”

“Inaminute,” she promises, words running together.

“Alright.”

Jimmy hovers for a second, then darts down to kiss her forehead. She pats his shoulder clumsily in response.

He might as well have had his own eyes shut, blind to everything but Darcy, because it takes opening his wardrobe to realize Monica was correct—everything’s changed again. WandaVision has embraced the ’70s. The shirts and suits he was pretty comfortable with have been traded out. Those items still exist, but now they’re aggressively patterned. There are flared pant legs. There is so much corduroy. Out of the row of shoes tucked into the bottom on his side of the closet, half have platform heels.

“Oh god,” Jimmy groans softly, sifting through for something that won’t feel too much like a cheesy costume.

He ends up with jeans—his only pair of pants without a pattern—and a striped shirt with wide lapels. The Hex’s makeover of his closet has him so beaten down that he doesn’t even pick out a jacket. He doesn’t have the heart for business casual. At the sight of a long-sleeved jumpsuit, Jimmy closes the closet door securely. They have to get out of here. This will be the thing that breaks him.

Slouching into the bathroom, he drops his selections on the counter and takes a shower. As he washes his hair, his fingers slow their scrubbing. Is his hair… longer? He finishes quickly and steps out to find the mirror fogged with steam. He wipes it clean with his forearm, examining his reflection. This place isn’t through with him yet: the Hex has given him a mustache.

Jimmy screams.

“Fine!” Darcy shouts back to his wordless noise of dismay. “I’m up! God, you could’ve just set an alarm and OH MY GOD, HAVE YOU SEEN THE SIZE OF THIS BABY BUMP?!”

He sighs on behalf of himself and his wife, slicks his too-long wet hair back with a comb, then starts in on shaving off the mustache. It immediately grows back.

“Come on,” he complains, cursing the Hex. “Why’d you give me a razor then?!”

Luckily, his annoyance fades the minute he sees Darcy. She’s swearing up a storm about needing to pee and her head looking too small for her body because the Hex has straightened her hair, but he takes all of her restless irritation in with a dazed smile on his face. Adjusting her glasses—now almost circular, with rounded off corners—she catches sight of his new look and erupts into laughter. Whatever the Hex does to mess with their appearance, at least they’re each other’s best medicine to combat it.

“I don’t want to be insensitive,” Monica starts when they walk into the kitchen hand in hand, “but are you significantly more pregnant than you were yesterday?”

Jimmy watches Darcy nod and slips away from her to throw some more bread in the toaster from the bag Monica’s left out on the counter for them.

“You’d think it’s just this big, shapeless dress,” Darcy says, “but no.” She pulls the fabric taut over her stomach to show the size of her belly more accurately. “I don’t want to say it, but the size of this thing makes me think the Hex is leaving me room to grow.”

“And if that dress is only for today…” Monica says.

“Jeepers,” Jimmy concludes.

They eat together in their reconfigured living room. It’s not until Monica’s kicked back in one of their low chairs, ankle propped on her opposite knee, that Jimmy notices her patterned pants.

“Those aren’t from Darcy’s closet are they?”

“No. I’m assuming they’re my clothes from yesterday with the matter recycled for a new decade. Believe me, this outfit wouldn’t have been my choice if I had anything else to pick from.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure. I had a whole closet and still ended up with this,” Jimmy says, motioning to himself.

“My retro Secret Agent Man,” Darcy states admiringly, leaning her head over to bump against his shoulder. Ok, he thinks, smiling at her, I can be alright with this for her.

When Monica rises to turn on the television, Jimmy realizes this is the first time they’ve had one in the house. He remembers seeing a set in the Vision residence when he and Darcy were watching an episode on the S.W.O.R.D. base, but he didn’t notice the lack once they got here. Probably because that first night was taken up with flirting, and then yesterday was split between scouring the downtown for Monica and holing up in the bedroom with Darcy. Watching the screen buzz to life now is like witnessing something truly futuristic and spectacular.

“Well, whaddaya know,” he says as the opening sequence of WandaVision begins.

“You think the TVs in here play anything else?” Darcy wonders aloud.

“Maybe not,” Monica says distractedly as they all turn their attention to Wanda and Vision’s adorable antics—the ice cream, the tandem bicycle. “It’s a pretty big coincidence that this show started right when I turned it on.”

“I can see an even bigger coincidence.”

There’s no need to guess what Darcy means. Wanda’s baby bump is obvious in nearly every shot of the introduction, particularly emphasized when she and Vision dance together, his hand on her belly. It’s all maternity clothes and Vision reading pregnancy books and while it’s wholesome, it’s also chilling.

“We’re doing the same plot,” Jimmy says.

“It’s like we’re… their understudies,” Darcy agrees, shrinking back into the cushions.

“Maybe Wanda figured, if you two wanted to be in the show so bad, she’d put you in the show,” Monica theorizes. “Her show. Exactly the way she’s living it.”

“So she’s teaching us a lesson? On what? Abstinence?”

“Could be a misguided attempt to gain your sympathy.”

“Or it really is all about control,” Jimmy suggests, cynical after the reveal that the pregnancy that’s upended his entire life isn’t really theirs. It’s not original. They’re following a Newlywed Couple template.

“Hey,” Darcy says, grabbing his arm, “this wasn’t all Wanda. She might’ve set the scene and, yeah, maybe we were more the goatherd puppets than we were Fraulein Maria and Captain von Trapp, but we did this.” She pulls his hand to her belly. “Wanda doesn’t decide what we do next.”

“What I suggest you not do next is consult Dr. Misogyny over here,” Monica says, gesturing at the television.

The doctor is condescending to Wanda and Vision about the facts of life during a checkup (in their living room?). He lowers himself even further in Jimmy’s regard when he refers to expectant mothers as “little ladies” and implies that the changes in their own bodies are beyond their understanding.

“What a quack,” he decides. “We’re not going to see that guy.” He’s startled to recall his promise to Darcy the previous evening, about options, his intention not to make up her own mind for her. Lowering his voice, he tilts his head close to hers. “I mean, we’ll do whatever you want. Including…”

Jimmy trails off and casts his eyes down. He still means it, wants Darcy on board with this 100% or not at all, but the whole thing’s been a roller coaster and he’s not great at pretending not to feel anything. With his wife so much further into her pregnancy today, it’s obvious that this baby will be born and they’ll need to decide who’s raising it. He thinks the two of them together could rear a pretty incredible kid, but if she wants out, is he prepared to be a single parent? The other option besides her, him, or both of them raising the baby is adoption. They’d need to leave the Hex before taking those steps (it’s not like he’s going to encourage Darcy to hand the baby over to a mind-controlled Westviewer), and just thinking about it, with everything he already feels for the baby, makes him certain that he’d rather rearrange his entire life than pass on this chance at a family. However unorthodox their beginnings.

“Don’t worry,” Darcy says calmly, pulling him from his spiral. “That guy will never get the chance to compare my uterus to a vegetable garden.”

“Fruit,” Monica corrects without looking away from the television.

“Right. Fruit. He’ll have no say about any of it. And he definitely won’t get the opportunity to be patronizing as fuck while he tries to give us the sex talk.” She looks Jimmy right in the eye and says, “I won’t let the asshole doctor-man say a word about your banana.”

Chuckling, he looks back to the screen. The doctor has departed and Vision’s currently baffled over Wanda’s newly expanded stomach. Uh oh. He jerks his head around to check and, yep, Darcy’s baby bump appears to be keeping up with the sitcom star’s.

“You two stay here,” Monica instructs, on her feet when Jimmy glances over.

“Where are you going?” he asks.

“To Wanda’s. If things continue at this rate, she could give birth in this episode. That’s going to make her even more protective of her family and her space and I’ll have an even harder time getting near her.”

“Are you sure you want to interrupt?”

They both glance at the television for a moment to observe Wanda and Vision debating baby names in the nursery. There’s nothing distressing about the scene—in fact, the couple looks as much at ease as Jimmy’s seen them on the show—but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t change, and quickly, if Monica inserted herself. He just isn’t sure how that would go and he doesn’t like any plan where he can’t foresee all the possible outcomes.

“Guess I just have a feeling,” Monica says, looking unsettled.

“Well,” Darcy pipes up, “in the world of science, having a feeling is forming a theory, and in this place… I think having a feeling you should do something might be Wanda giving you your cue.”

“You’re not beyond her control,” Jimmy tells Monica, “just farther away from it. What if Darcy’s right?”

“If Wanda wants me there, I’m not going to resist,” she replies firmly. “She’s the key and we need her cooperation.”

“Good luck,” Darcy bids her.

With a nod to them both, Monica strides across the living room and opens the front door.

“Speaking of keys,” Jimmy recalls, but the door shuts before he can offer to let her borrow their car to get to Wanda’s.

Maybe the Captain has a different plan. Maybe she’s just bending to Wanda’s influence. Whichever it is, he can’t go after her. Monica was right—he has to stay here with Darcy today, especially because her belly seems larger when he looks again. He glances at her face with a question on his and she nods.

“And I felt a kick,” she says.

“Really? Could I…? Do you think I could…?”

Darcy rolls her eyes at his reticence and guides both his hands to the bump. When he feels something nudge his palm, Jimmy tears up.

“That’s our baby,” Darcy confirms.

“Feels like they have my softball windup,” he murmurs.

“Or my pre-coffee restlessness.”

“Our baby,” Jimmy repeats, staring into her eyes—finally blue for the first time in days, give or take a decade.

They’re having a marvelous family moment until the power goes out. Lights, TV, the hum of the fridge in the kitchen, everything. Seconds later, it all comes back.

“That was strange.”

“I wondered what Wanda’s magic was doing to the power grid,” Darcy says. “I’m still curious about the finer points of what happens when electricity meets power generated by an Infinity Stone. Really, I’d expect Wanda to have this kinda thing under control, but I guess if she’s— Ugh!”

Her pained noise has Jimmy cupping her face, pushing back her hair, trying to figure out what happened.

“She’s distracted,” she says.

“By what?”

“Labour.”

“What? No.”

Sure enough, when Darcy stands (with Jimmy leaping to his feet to support her) and stretches her back, her bump looks big enough to contain a baby that’s almost ready to be born. Ready to be born?! Jimmy thinks. In our house? With no doctor? Just because the one on TV rubbed him the wrong way doesn’t mean he’s prepared to write off every doctor, nurse, and midwife in Westview. He would very much like to place responsibility for this delivery in the hands of a medical professional, not his own!

Even as the TV’s flickering back to life, he helps Darcy away from it. That just shows how serious things are. He knows how quickly she became invested in the sitcom when they reviewed the ’50s episode at the base.

After some frantic thought, he’s thinking the bathtub is going to have to do. People do that right? With home births? Although he attempts to guide Darcy in that direction, she doesn’t even want to sit down on the edge, let alone climb in. No, she wants to pace, and as she paces, she rubs at her lower back, wincing.

“We could look at the nursery,” he proposes. “Might take your mind off it.”

Jimmy knows it could be a weak suggestion, an insult to imply that anything could take Darcy’s mind off whatever discomfort she’s currently feeling, but the Hex, with its radioactive walls, smiles down on them for once. With his arm around her to take some of her weight, they hobble into the baby’s room and it’s… perfect.

The walls are dark blue near the ceiling, almost black, fading to periwinkle halfway down the wall. The lower portion transitions from blue to pale yellow, then a blazing orange right before the baseboard.

“It’s a sunrise,” he comprehends.

“Yeah,” Darcy says softly.

Though he feels like he got slightly ripped off by not being allowed a chance to do any of the decorating, he does admire the Hex’s choices. At last, his wife’s been represented in this space, in this house, and it’s beautiful. There’s a shelf full of space-themed board books, a plastic jumble of play versions of scientific tools like telescopes. A dangling mobile of the planets. After easing his wife into the rocking chair, Jimmy holds up a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars.

“Should I put these up?”

She smiles.

“I would be all over that shit if I could, but I trust you to do a good job.”

“Oh no. Do you want me to do real constellations?”

“The baby’s not gonna know the difference. Make it look however you want.”

She rocks, assuring him something about the motion is helping her manage the intensifying pain of her contractions, and Jimmy finds a small stepping stool to help him reach the ceiling. The sway of the chair in the corner of his eye, the morning light through the curtains, and the sound of Darcy breathing are things he already knows he’ll never forget.

Before he’s stuck all the stars in the pack to the ceiling’s white paint, she calls him down from the stool.

“I need to walk again.”

Darcy says it with grit and Jimmy doesn’t argue, even when walking appears to put her in even more distress; she groans and pushes her free hand against the wall as they stroll out of the nursery and down the hallway.

“Let’s check in with Wanda,” Jimmy says helplessly.

This is who he is now: a husband in over his head, desperate to gain tips about delivering a baby from a TV sitcom. An overwhelmed real estate agent. A man with a mustache.

They return to the living room and the TV playing WandaVision in time for Monica’s entrance. Based on her free use of ’70s slang and the general discord between the Captain Rambeau Jimmy’s been getting to know and the woman on the screen, he knows they’re looking at Geraldine. Wanda’s back in control of her character alright, and Jimmy wants to know who it’s helping. The scene’s centered around some joke about Wanda attempting to hide her pregnancy, which is no good for him. He needs a step-by-step guide, not a magic-resistant stork!

“There better not be a fucking bird in here,” Darcy gripes, alternately crouching and standing as every position fails to make her comfortable. “If I see a fucking, goddamn, sonofabitch, motherfucking—”

“I know, sweetie, I know,” Jimmy assures her, rubbing circles between her shoulder blades with the flat of his hand.

“The betrayal,” she mutters when Wanda elects to lie down behind a couch.

It completely blocks their view. If this were a regular show, Jimmy would understand that. Sitcom viewers would definitely appreciate a little TV magic over graphic, up-close-and-personal birth footage, but here at the Woo residence, one FBI agent and his astrophysicist wife really just want the truth! If Monica had agency, he’s sure she’d shove the couch aside to help them out, but with Geraldine at the helm, he’s confronting the fact that he and Darcy are on their own.

“Let’s go, Darcy,” he says, steering her towards the bathroom. “We don’t need her.”

“Are you sure?”

He’s never heard Darcy sound so uncertain and knows he’ll have to bluff his way through this. When the Avengers aren’t around, the regular people must step up. Reminding himself of that has gotten Jimmy through more than one tough day on the job and he tells himself it’ll get them both through this.

“Of course.”

In the bathroom, Darcy kicks out of her underwear and uses Jimmy as a crutch to climb into the tub. Her face is scrunched up severely and her hands are braced against the walls of the bathtub, so he tries to watch and understand what she needs. When all the tension in her face and body burst out in a shout, he grabs her hand. Her fingers curl around his palm in a death grip.

“How about some nice warm water? Water, Darcy?”

She nods rapidly, eyes clenched shut, and he turns on the facet, then quickly reaches behind her to plug the drain. The stream wets his sleeve and, when he withdraws his arm, hits her hair around the level of her shoulders and begins to soak the back of her dress. Between contractions, Darcy sighs in what sounds like relief.

“That feels good,” she acknowledges.

“Good,” is all Jimmy can say back. He kisses her face and squeezes her hand in his. “Good.”

He’s back to scrambling for a solution soon enough when the warm flow of water down her back stops being enough to soothe her. He helps her out of her sodden dress, tossing it behind him to splat on the tile floor.

“What do you need?” he asks wildly, leaning over the tub.

“Earplugs,” Darcy tells him before emitting a scream shrill enough to probably be heard by their neighbour’s dog, Dipper, down the street.

Jimmy doesn’t think, he just does. Snatching a towel off the rail, bracing his wife’s foot against his shoulder as her leg spasms, reaching into the water to collect their baby when the Hex (he assumes) does them the favour of letting one long push be sufficient to expel him. Him. Jimmy and Darcy’s son.

He’s beaming through the happy tears, delicately wiping at the wailing baby with the towel and passing him into Darcy’s outstretched arms as she shakes with astonished laughter, hair wet, head resting back against the jut of the faucet.

“That wasn’t so hard,” he jokes.

Darcy sits up, sending a splash of water over the side of the bathtub to slap the floor, and he knows the Hex is interfering again to make her capable of anything besides exhaustion after what she just accomplished. She twists sideways in the tub until she’s closer to Jimmy. He wraps an arm around her wet shoulders and peers down at the face of their boy, already drowsy after exercising his tiny lungs. Jimmy can feel Darcy studying his face.

“Jimmy Woo Junior?” she asks.

And he knows the rest is going to be gravy.

—

Inside the Hex, the magic of television is real. They didn’t need to fake Darcy’s pregnancy with a cushion to make her belly, round and taut as a beach ball, disappear entirely only minutes after giving birth. They didn’t need a set of twins or triplets playing Jimmy Woo Jr. to swap in a quiet baby for one that starts to cry. There’s no trick lighting or fudged angles, just Darcy sitting on the couch (in dry, non-maternity clothes) catching their amazingly calm, less than an hour-old son up on the details of his origin story—Darcy’s wording.

It’s shaping up to be a nice, if highly unusual, family day in, until the tension starts to mount on-screen. Probably something Jimmy could’ve caught sooner if he weren’t spending 50 seconds out of every minute stroking the baby’s teeny-weeny hands while he hopes Jimmy Jr. retains zero memory of his dad’s mustache. When he hears Monica mention Wanda’s brother by name, he’s fully alert to the episode and knows he has to act. That close to Wanda, Monica’s control should be fully suppressed beneath the character of Geraldine. If she’s breaking through to ask Wanda person questions, questions that are almost definitely going to provoke an emotional response, Monica must be fighting like crazy to surface. Jimmy decides that’s his signal to get over there and help bring this thing to a satisfying conclusion so they can all leave the Hex.

“You’re not going to Wanda’s without me,” Darcy informs him, planted in front of the door when Jimmy returns from grabbing his keys.

“Darcy, you can’t. The baby. I’d stay with him and let you go, but I’ve never heard you mention particular skill in hand-to-hand combat and I can’t guarantee things won’t turn violent.”

She snorts.

“Liar. I could be the world’s biggest hand-to-hand badass and you’d still be trying to protect me right now.”

He stares at her and Darcy stubbornly lifts her chin as she holds his eyes.

“Ok,” Jimmy concedes, “yes, I would.”

“Please don’t leave us here,” she says, cheek pressed to the baby’s. No, no, no, he can already feel himself wanting to surrender, to have them with him. Darcy kisses their son’s face, then holds his hand to gesture while she pitches her voice higher, pretending to speak for Jimmy Jr. “I want to meet Auntie Monica.”

He gives her a look and reaches past her to open the door. Instead of trying to exit around his family, he waves Darcy through ahead of him. (She looks down at the baby in her arms and goes “Yaaaay! Isn’t Daddy a soft touch?”)

“You didn’t persuade me,” he says, leading them to the car and holding the door for Darcy while she climbs into the back seat with the baby. “This is strategic.”

“Is the strategy common sense? I feel like you should’ve gone with that from the beginning. Bringing a scientist to a magic fight is good thinking, for, like, balance and shit.”

Jimmy backs down the driveway as gently as he can. Their car’s been modernized (well, for the latest decade) and while it now has seatbelts, it wasn’t equipped with a car seat for their son. He’s going to have to drive with the utmost care.

“Hopefully, there won’t be a fight,” he reminds Darcy, “but if there is, you won’t be anywhere near it. You and Jimmy Junior are staying in the car. Alright?”

When he darts his gaze to the rear-view mirror, he sees his wife looking out her window, making a show of not listening to him. Jimmy sighs.

Without thinking, he navigates back to the street where they dropped Monica off yesterday. Wanda’s house is just down from Dottie’s; he remembers the number from watching WandaVision. Jimmy draws up to the curb and parks. He glances back at Darcy, but she’s still ignoring him.

“I’ll try to be right back,” he tells her anyway, eyes dropping longingly to the serene face of his sleeping son. He’s heard that about babies and car rides.

Jogging up the driveway, he does a doubletake of a ragged slash in the wall between Wanda’s property and her neighbour’s. There’s not exactly anything wrong with a damaged cinderblock or an amateur handyman job, but the crevice in the stone stands out in a world so aggressively styled and manicured.

Wishing for the reassurance of his gun at his hip in case things go south (it’s the first time he’s even thought about the gun since the night he and Darcy arrived), Jimmy enters the Vision residence without knocking.

Orienting himself to what he was just watching on TV in a house less than a mile from here, he walks across the entryway, attracting the attention of both Wanda and Monica. They’re standing across from each other in the living room. Raising his hands to show he intends no harm, Jimmy sweeps his eyes over the scene in assessment, like he has a hundred times before. Monica’s expression is alarmed under superficial friendliness—the look of someone trying to placate an attacker. With her aggressive, forward-leaning posture and the way she’s positioned herself between Monica and the cribs (he’s surprised to see more than one, but he did miss some of the episode while he was delivering his son in their bathtub), Wanda fits that role.

“Wanda,” he says, taking a step towards the seating area, “you don’t want to hurt her.”

“Are you working with her?” Wanda demands. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

“James Woo. I’m not here to hurt you. Neither is Geraldine.”

“You don’t want to hurt me? Then why do you come asking questions? Saying things—” He can see her chin wobble from here as she teeters on the edge of tears. “—about Pietro. You didn’t know my brother.”

Her statement is directed at Monica, but Jimmy tries to bring her focus back to him. Of himself and the Captain, he’s the one with an exit at his back, whereas Monica’s hemmed in by a large bookcase.

“I didn’t know your brother,” Jimmy agrees. “I do know about him, but we don’t need to talk about that. I don’t want to upset you, Wanda, I just want you to let me leave with Geraldine.”

“Oh, I’ll let you leave,” Wanda says, cocking her head as she raises her hands. This motion conveys the opposite meaning to Jimmy’s—she does intend them harm.

He’s contemplating what’ll happen if he tries to rush her when Darcy charges through the front door he left open.

“Don’t!” Jimmy gasps, making a grab for her, but his body is tense with caution and Darcy has the momentum to dodge him, stepping down the level into the living room.

“Look,” Darcy demands of Wanda, whose expression is torn as she chooses between facing Monica and this new intruder.

Jimmy’s mentally composing and rejecting ideas of how to proceed when their unwelcoming host lowers her hands. She’s looking where Darcy directed her to, at the baby in Darcy’s arms.

“He was born less than an hour ago, and I only found out I was pregnant yesterday, but that doesn’t matter. I know it’s the same for you, the circumstances and the… yeah, whatever. You know about the Big Bang, right?” she continues, jumping to the next thought.

“Yes,” Wanda says carefully.

Jimmy’s terrified to move closer and set Wanda on the offensive again. He glances at Monica, who seems to be thinking the same thing, frozen in place.

“From nothing to so much, in an instant,” Darcy’s saying in her condensed history of the universe. “Science is supposed to be full of all these rules. Like, every scientist dude important enough to remember had some law or formula or method that we map everything on top of when we’re pretending we understand all this. Being in science isn’t a goal I’ve had for a long time—I mean, I probably wouldn’t be in it now if the world hadn’t more or less ended—and if all I ever heard about the workings of the universe was rules, I would’ve stayed away. Who likes rules, right? Who wants to be told that things are the way they are because something outside of your control says so? My point is…”

She takes a deep breath, then another one, shifting until she’s blocking Wanda’s expression from Jimmy’s view.

“Sorry, I just gave birth, you know how it is,” Darcy says when she goes on. Jimmy’s stricken with exasperation, adoration, fear, and pride. “My point is that I love science because, while science is laws and rules and equations, science is also standing outside at night and staring up at the dark. There are explanations for every light that’s up there and why, even when you’re away from big cities and the sky seems so black and close, you don’t fall up into it, although it kinda feels like you could. Science can tell me why, and it still feels like magic when I look at the stars. And we’ve all been traveling out here in space together, getting made and unmade and made again because the right ingredients needed to create something as precious as a planet, or a baby, or the clay that’ll make the bricks that’ll make the house never disappear. Suns explode, asteroids collide and get chipped away… things can separate down to their smallest part, life can…”

“End?” Wanda asks.

Jimmy’s stunned to hear the word come out choked. Cautiously, he leans to get a glimpse of Wanda’s face. It’s covered in tears. Darcy’s nodding.

“But everything’s valuable. All matter gets reused.” Jimmy wants to grab her and pull her to safety when she takes a step closer to Wanda. “I get it if you’re sad and you’re not ready to talk about it. I’m not gonna say it’s ok, because I’ve heard Monica’s testimonial on exactly how much it sucks to have you in her head, but I do think you should let us leave now so you have a few friends out there when you inevitably need people on your side.”

“You can go,” Wanda agrees, swiping at her nose. “I won’t hurt your baby.”

“You’re not going to hurt my friend either,” Darcy says, beckoning for Monica to cross the room behind her. “Or my husband.”

“No,” Wanda says.

Monica reaches Jimmy and they wait for Darcy in the entryway.

“I bet all that control feel really good,” Darcy theorizes. “Taking it into your own hands. But I think you know that focusing on the beautiful, magical stuff doesn’t mean the rules no longer exist. Maybe you can find a way to accept them both.”

“It’s time for you to leave,” Wanda says, firmer now.

“Not looking for a life coach, got it.”

She joins Jimmy and Monica, bouncing the baby lightly in her arms. Wanda ushers them out of the house ahead of her. Jimmy glances back to see her close the door after herself with a twist and red glow of her hands.

“What about waiting in the car?” he mutters to Darcy as they stride down the lawn.

His self-proclaimed wife stares at him.

“I’m not the kind of person who waits in the car. Would the kind of person who waits in the car give a speech like that?”

Jimmy’s at an honest-to-goodness loss for words.

She gets into the car willingly enough now, Jimmy in the passenger’s seat while Monica slides behind the wheel.

“Wanda’s told me how to stand, how to move, how to walk since I got in here,” Monica says, turning the key in the ignition. “I’m driving myself out.”

“It’ll part for you when you get there,” Wanda calls to them from the lawn. “The barrier. I suggest you do not attempt to enter again.”

“I think we’ve all had our fill,” Jimmy informs her cheerfully through his rolled-down window.

She doesn’t respond to this, so Monica executes a three-point turn and takes them back up the street the way they came. From there, they turn out of the subdivision, but Jimmy snags a last look at Wanda through the back window. There’s a light breeze blowing her dress and hair and she looks like she could be anyone. A suburban mom of twins? Why not. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever see her again in person, but he has plans to catch her show.

“Wanda’s changed the roads,” Monica says as she drives. For his son’s sake, Jimmy’s grateful that she isn’t speeding, though he wouldn’t blame her for trying to get out of here as quickly as possible. “None of them lead out of town.”

“Literal tourist trap. Brilliant,” Darcy declares from the back seat. Jimmy reaches an arm back blindly and feels her close her hand around his.

“But,” Monica adds, “I remember Ellis Avenue being the closest cross street to the edge of town. We find that, then drive over the grass. Things may get a little bumpy.”

“We’ll survive.”

Jimmy twists around to look at Darcy. He nods. They will. They’ll survive.

They cross Ellis and take the car off-road. The barrier remains invisible, but…

“I can feel it,” Darcy says.

“Like we did the day we came in,” Jimmy recalls.

“It still wants us out,” Monica interprets. He sees her staring uneasily ahead. “Was I naïve to think I could change anything by coming in here?”

“No, Captain. It was brave.”

“Didn’t work though. We aren’t leaving with Wanda.”

“It could work,” Darcy says. “We left her with a few things to think about. We’ll watch WandaVision and see.”

“That’ll be strange after being a part of it.”

“You think so?” Jimmy wonders. He takes a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine, playing with Darcy’s fingers laced through his. “I think it’s returning to regular life that’s going to feel strange. Out there, it’s easy to see all this as a TV show, but everything in here is real.”

“We’ll make Hayward understand that.”

“I’m bringing back some compelling evidence,” Darcy says, followed by kissy sounds directed at Jimmy Jr.

The air just a couple of car lengths ahead of them abruptly glows red as Wanda reveals the wall of the Hex. Jimmy and Monica exchange a look, but she doesn’t slow down. They pass through without resistance. All of a sudden, it’s night. Monica lets out a relieved sigh.

The S.W.O.R.D. base is looming, exterior lights ablaze, but Jimmy looks backwards, checking that Darcy and the baby are alright.

“Same as you left us,” she says, pulling back the blanket to show him the face of his son.

He gives her a slightly melancholic smile.

“Not quite, Dr. Lewis.”

“I’ll have a lot of work to do,” Darcy notes thoughtfully, “but time for you and me to go on dates will be on my list of demands.”

“You have a list of demands?” Monica asks, laughter in her voice.

“After being forced into the Hex, where I could’ve lost my life? Fuck yes, I have a list.”

“What else are you asking for?”

“The coffee I requested on day one and a desk in a better spot so there’s room next to it for the crib that will also be on my list.”

Monica laughs aloud now.

“Is this a benefits negotiation or a baby shower registry?”

“Let’s get back to the part where we’re going on dates,” Jimmy says. “How’s that going to work?”

“Jimmy, darlin’,” Darcy begins, “will you go out with me?”

He leans to look around his seat at her.

“Darcy, we were married. We have a baby. Don’t you think we can—”

“Answer the question, Agent Woo.”

“Of course I’ll go out with you,” he says.

“And that’s how it works. Easy-peasy.”

She gives his hand a squeeze before releasing it to hold Jimmy Jr. more securely as Monica pulls up to a building and brakes. Already, S.W.O.R.D. agents are rushing out to meet them, but Jimmy drops back against his seat and smiles to himself.

“‘Easy-peasy.’”

[wannabe-fic-writer]

All Over Again - Chapter 8

Summary: What was lost can be found. 

Warning: 18+ Smut, Language, Violence. 

Here’s another holiday chapter. Happy New Years to all! Enjoy!

Ch. 7

* * * * * *

You tap your fingers against the side table, eyes on the tv but not actually paying attention to what’s playing. 

Due to the carpeted hotel floor, you don’t hear her approaching, which gives her the perfect opportunity to take you in. Green eyes roll over your seated form, a simple yet classy outfit on your body, tones of silver and black coloring it. 

Her stare broken when her gaze lands on your face and she finds you already looking back at her. 

Through a smile, you tell her,“ Miss Luthor you are breathtaking.”

You push yourself up off the couch and round it to stand in front of her. A gentle hand raises, your thumb running over the pink tint of her cheeks.“ Ready?” You ask softly. 

With a nod from her you both turn to leave. Only for Lena to shake her head and tug on your hand. She drops your hand, leaving a frowning you at the door of her room, and then returning a minute later. 

“I’ve noticed you aren’t a fan of coats. While that’s fine in NC, it’s currently snowing and I’d hate for you to be sick if you aren’t already.” She teases even though she’s serious. 

Over the past few days, she’s seen the way you leave without even considering grabbing a jacket, as if it isn’t winter in New York.

Smiling sheepishly, you mutter a thanks, and shrug into the coat she’d offered. You don’t dismiss how it fits your overall style perfectly and it’s your size. Then again, you aren’t surprised, Lena pays a great attention to detail.

“Now we’re ready.” As you’re leaving out Lena can’t help but smile at the slightly embarrassed look on your face, nor can she help leaning up to press a kiss to your warm cheek. 

It’s not a long walk from her hotel to the restaurant. You thought it’d be nice to take in everything tonight as opposed to driving by all of it. 

New Years Eve always gives an exciting and contagious air to NYC and it would be a shame to miss that, especially since Lena isn’t here often. 

When she notices the big group of people heading down the sidewalk, she uses that as an excuse to press closer to you. Her arm loops around yours, other hand lacing with your fingers. You smile down at her, a feeling of pride growing inside you at the thought of making her feel safe. And you make sure she sticks close even when they’re long passed, until you’re at your destination that is.

Confirming your reservation with the host, you wait for him to pull it up and then guide you both back to a table. Admittedly you’re noticed by a few people, some who recognize you as an Avenger and others who know Lena. You both ignore the looks, though it isn’t hard when the only people you care about in this moment are each other. 

Luckily your waiter arrives quickly, giving you water and taking your drink orders. 

The sound of loud cheers and noise makers grab your attention. A group of people then walk by the window, just like the ones you’d passed, there are gold and silver hats on their heads, the number of the new year decoratively placed on each. Their laughter and conversation loud as they pass by.

Your eyes moving away at the soft touch on your fingers. E/c lifts to green and you smile.

“Sorry,” you’re quick to say. Shaking your head and giving all your attention back to the woman across from you.

Lena’s smile matches yours as she says,“ it’s okay. I imagine it’s hard not to be at least a little distracted.” She glances out the window as well, taking in everyone outside and all their festive spirits. 

Still looking at her, you remember when Lena told you she’d be staying for the week you couldn’t have been more thrilled. Especially seeing as the news came on the back of Bruce’s and Natasha’s engagement, which you have yet to decide how you feel about. Honestly you hadn’t had a chance to think about it really. Instead, you’d been soaking up every second you could with Lena. 

Over the last seven days, outside of you handling Avengers business and her handling L-Corp business, you’d been on a total of four dates. Taking her to your favorite coffee shop, to the restaurants she wanted to try and the ones you loved, and the ice skating rink the city seasonally sets up at the park not too far from the compound. 

Which all brought you to now, your fifth date, on New Years Eve. Lena would be leaving early in the morning but you’re choosing not to think of that until necessary. 

“Where do you go?” 

Pulled from your thoughts, you look to the CEO with a sheepish smile,“ sorry.”

She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as she watches you, her smile still in place.“ You don’t have to apologize. I just wonder what’s on your mind sometimes. You space out a lot.”

“I- well, I was thinking about you,” you absentmindedly twiddle with her fingers, her eyes glancing down at the action as you continue to look at her,“ I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend the last few days.” 

Lena saves the comment that instantly pops in her head. It’s far too soon in your relationship to be making suggestive comments. She chooses, instead, to say,“ me either. I’ve loved getting to know you, like this.”

Your eyebrow quirks, a little smirk tugging on your lips,“ like this? How is this exactly?”

The blush that rushes up Lena’s cheeks is incredibly cute. But it doesn’t stop her from replying,“ romantically. This side of you is-”

“Unbelievably charming?” You wiggle your eyebrows playfully making Lena giggle. You’re sure that sound alone could save your life.

“Not what I was going to say but true. As much as I love all of you, your new found romanticism is one of my favorite parts. While I knew you were sweet before, admittedly, you’ve taken it to another level-”

Lena’s statement continues but you’re stuck on those five little words: I love all of you.

Did she mean that? Or was it just a random choice of words?

Do you love her? 

Honestly, you’re falling. There’s no way you could act as if you weren’t, if you did that’d just be denial. 

Since the beginning it’s been something about Lena that drew you in, each passing second with her led you to the realization that it’s not just one thing. Everything about her left you speechless and completely taken. 

Is it far fetched to think that you both love each other? The romantic aspect of the relationship may be new but you’ve known her for months now. 

When you pull yourself from your thoughts this time Lena is already looking at you, her lip settled between her teeth. 

“Did you mean to say you love me or am I reading into that?” You blurt, no longer wanting to be the type to push things aside or avoid them.

Lena’s mouth opens and snaps shut quickly. Green eyes take you in: your soft e/c eyes full of uncertainty and a love you hadn’t verbalized, fingers of one hand still absentmindedly playing with hers as the other picks at a napkin, all the while the tablecloth moves just a bit as your leg bounces. 

Her shoulders relax as she understands why you asked, then she smiles,“ I meant it. Truthfully I’ve felt it for some time now.”

“I love you too.”

She jokingly asks,“ was it at first sight?”

“Nope.” Her loud laugh, at your quick and honest response, grabs a few people’s attention. You couldn’t care less. Not when Lena looks so incredibly happy.“ I’m just saying. I found you very interesting and very beautiful. But there was far too much going on with me to even consider loving someone at the time.”

“Did it have to do with whatever your relationship was with Miss Romanoff?”

Of course Lena hadn’t missed the awkward stares between you and the ex-assassin during the proposal. 

Chuckling quietly, you nod,“ I had yet to let go of hurt feelings. But we’ve talked and I’ve learned to move on.”

A look flashes through Lena’s eyes. One you recognize almost instantly, as it’s how you looked at her when you first saw the way she and James interacted with each other. She looks away, the bread plate in front of her suddenly more interesting than anything else. 

“This isn’t-” she cuts herself off to think, settling on asking,“ I’m not some rebound am I?”

“God no.” You give the hand you’re still holding a gentle squeeze, leaning down just a bit to catch the CEO’s eyes, then offering the most sweet and reassuring little smile you can,“ I would never do that to you, or anyone for that matter. I know this is still new but it’s real.”

“Yeah?” 

Maintaining eye contact, you raise her hand to your lips and press a gentle kiss to her knuckles,“ I’m very serious. You are not a rebound, in any way.”

Finally, you get her to smile again, and it’s like a breath of fresh air. 

The smile stays in place over dinner as well. Stories are traded between you two about the team, her friends, and your family. Lena learns, from the bit that you mention, that your mother wasn’t really around. Why? You have no idea and you never talked to your father about it. It’s now one of those things you wish you’d done before he was gone. 

After dinner, as opposed to having dessert at the restaurant, you decide to make something for Lena back at her hotel. So you make a quick stop at a little grocery store and get back before it’s too late. 

With the Time Square ball drop on the tv, and both of you in some more comfortable clothing, you set to making the dessert. 

Lena rests against the counter, arms crossed as she watches you and sips from a glass of wine. 

“I must say, I’m surprised you didn’t want to be down there yourself.” She speaks of the ball drop.

You shake your head,“ no. We would’ve needed to be down there incredibly early and even then it would’ve been chaotic. And most importantly, I’d rather be spending this time with you.” A slight smirk forms at her blush.“ Taste?” 

She nods, ignoring the spoon in the bowl, and instead swiping her finger through the mix. E/c follows the way her lips wrap around her chocolate covered finger, hollowing in the slightest as she sucks the sweet mix off. 

At this point you’re openly staring, the emotions her actions stirred inside you clear in your eyes. The thought to mask it crosses your mind but it’s flittered away just as her tongue runs across her bottom lip. 

Clearing your throat, you force your gaze away from her. With you looking at the bowl, you miss the way Lena smirks at you. 

She saw the look in your eyes, quite honestly it did something to her. Something that made her shift just to get a bit of friction between her legs. One look from you and she was ready to risk it all.

Then again one little action from her and you were ready to do the same. 

However you both manage to control yourselves. Your distraction coming in the form of making the dessert and Lena’s coming in a phone call from Kara. 

Lena’s blonde friend is obviously at least a little intoxicated. Her excited voice sounds loud through the tiny speaker and you chuckle. 

“She’s wasted.” You mention to Lena who immediately nods, moving to your side and holding the phone between your ears.“ Heyyy Kara.”

The woman gasps,“ Y/N!!” A small chuckle comes from you at the woman’s excitement.“ I miss you! When are you coming back to NC?”

A grimace covers your face,“ I’m not sure KD, might be a minute, but I am going to come back.”

“You better,” her pause makes you and Lena frown, but it doesn't last long,“ since you and Lena are dating now.” She giggles. 

The look that passes between you and Lena is pure amusement. Plus the slight blush on Lena’s cheeks. 

Using the last few minutes it takes you to finish up the dessert, Lena talks to her best friend, making a promise to something before hanging up.

“All done?” The brunette asks, pocketing her phone and facing you fully.

With a sprinkle of powdered sugar and the decorative placement of strawberries, you tell her yes. Chocolate lava cakes in hand, you go with Lena into the living room. 

“I’ve only made these a handful of times so, if it’s not as good as my cheesecake, I’m blaming it on that.” 

Lena laughs softly at your words,“ I’m sure it’s incredible.” She accepts the spoon from you and settles on the edge of the couch. 

For a number of reasons, you watch her take the first bite, and your heart legitimately skips a beat at the low moan she gives. She had to know what all her little actions have been doing to you tonight, right?

“5 minutes.” She speaks, pulling you from the trance she’d pulled you in. 

“Okay, one second,” you hop up, doing a short jog back to the kitchen to grab the single bottle of champagne you’d bought.“ Can’t possibly bring in the New Year with anything else.” 

“Agreed.” 

In no time at all, you have the bottle of champagne open, pouring the bubbly alcohol in two glasses, and handing one to Lena. 

Suddenly you pause after sitting and the CEO notices. Her eyes take in the look in your eyes. 

“Hey,” her hand rests just above your knee,“ what is it?” 

Your eyelashes flutter as you blink a couple times, gaze finally focusing on Lena. Truthfully you’d been a little up in the clouds. Holiday’s always make you think of your father. It’s not like New Years was some huge deal to him either, but just having spent it with him every year for most of your life is enough. 

“I was just thinking about my dad. Something about the holiday’s makes me miss him more than usual.” 

She nods along,“ did you have any special traditions for New Years?” 

“Not really,” you shrug,“ mainly, we would make one resolution with each other. It was our way of making sure we went through with it.”

Lena’s eyebrows raise expectantly, a little smile appearing,“ let’s do that then. Share your resolution with me and I’ll share mine.”

From the look on her face you know she’s one hundred percent serious about it. And quite frankly you’re more than happy to be doing that again. 

“Okay, um,” it takes you a moment to think of something,“ my resolution is to get the power core working smoothly and help at least one village or tiny town.”

As if she wasn’t already taken with you, your words remind her of how incredibly generous you are, and she falls further. 

“Mine is to travel, for fun. I haven’t been on an actual vacation in years.” She admits and for just a moment you can almost see the stress she’s under. 

In that moment you decide that if you can find the time to take Lena on a vacation, you just might. 

Your conversation leads you right up to the last 30 seconds of the year. Through the tv and the walls, you can hear the loud counting down of other people. The ball inches closer and closer to the bottom with each second. 

With the final second of the year: Happy New Year is shouted loudly, the ball finishes its descent, cheers and noisemakers sound through the streets of New York. All while you lean over and press a lingering kiss to Lena’s soft pink lips. 

The feeling of her lips pressed to yours and her hand cupping the side of your neck makes warmth spread over you entirely. That coupled with the obvious love passed through the kiss, you couldn’t imagine a better way to bring in the New Year, nor anyone you would rather be with.

* * * * * *

Taglist: @username23345 @depressed-bi-bitch @fayhar @trikruismybitch @marvel-wlw @aznblossom​ @chicken-wang09​ @bitchtits15 @coxmicbabygirl​ @blackluthxr @starlingelliot

[fallingappleshurt]

Swept Away Sheets

YES I KNOW ITS NOVEMBER 22 BUT I WANTED TO DO A HALLOWEEN STORY AND FORGOT

Yeah here it is, I spazzed about this in the fd au server awhile ago and this isn’t that good but like- I’m already late

Wilbur is 13, Tech, 12, Tommy is 10? I don’t know

This AU was created by antarctic bay!! Anxiety is brrrrring so not tagging sorry 

Anyways hope you enjoy!

“And you’re sure you remember the route you’re taking,” Phil asked, grabbing his key off the counter, “I want you guys to be safe, even though you are running around at night without adult supervision.”

“Phil we’ll be fine,” Wilbur insisted as Techno poked at his vampire fangs and Tommy thrashed around, the sheet draped over top of him flapping wildly.

“I don’t wanna be a ghost!”

“That’s on you, you didn’t pick something else before tonight, ran out of time to get a different costume.” Phil said, rolling his eyes.

“The sheet of shame,” Techno teased, pushing Tommy lightly.

“No!”

Wilbur grinned, “Tommy’s in the shame sheet!”

“No!”

Wilbur cackled, “It fits, I’d say you deserve it-”

“No I don’t you guys are just mean!”

“Alright, it’s almost 6:00, I’m going to be late and they guys at the store are already freaking out. You guys need to get to the neighborhood. Call me if anything goes wrong or you need help,” He pointed at Wilbur’s flip phone, “I mean it.”

“We’ll be fine Phil,” Techno said, “There will be other kids out,”

They walked out of their apartment towards a nearby neighborhood, it was a better bet then trying to do it in their apartment building.

The bones on Wilburs skeleton costume started to glow as the sun dipped below the trees. They had merged with a group of other kids, there was another ghost, a witch, a dog, an angel, and someone dressed as a lollipop. They traveled down the street together, the kid dressed as a witch urging them to go faster.

The houses were decorated with fake cobwebs and plastic skeletons, a few people just left a bowl of candy on their porch with a sign; ‘Please take one!’

They all took more then one, Tommy took three.

They had been trick or treating for over an hour as Techno followed Wilbur up to a creepy house with fake gravestones in the front. Wincing slightly as one of the other kids laughed loudly,Techno was growing tired of being around other people.

They knocked on the door and the women who answered cooed over everyone’s costumes and gave them candy. As they were walking back down the driveway something shifted behind a car.

A bloodied Freddie Krueger leapt out at the group, slashing at them with long rusty claws. Techno jumped back and tripped over someone else's feet as the other kids screamed and scattered in different directions, a few of them sprinting down the street.

The masked man cackled as Techno got to his feet, heart pounding, he was indifferent about horror in general but he did not like to be jumpscared.

Wilbur ran up next to him, threw a stick at the masked man, grabbed Techno’s arm and pulled him away.

“What the hell was that?” Techno asked as Wilbur looked frantically up and down the street.

“Hang on, I lost Tommy-”

“You what!” Techno whipped to the side, hoping it was a joke.

“He was right next to me- right next to me! I looked away for a second and now he’s gone!”

“Phil’s gonna kill us!”

“I know I know now help me find him!”

Techno scanned the surroundings, trying to spot Tommy’s dusty sheet but coming up short. “I don’t see him,”

Wilbur swore, “We gotta find him, right now-”

“No shit!”

They rushed up and down the winding neighborhood streets, houses and people started to blur together as Techno searched for a little kid with a sheet over his head. At first he had been more annoyed then worried, mentally grumbling about how Tommy shouldn’t have wandered off but after ten minutes of running around, calling for him, it started to shift more into panic.

What if he had gotten kidnapped or hurt? What if he was really hurt and laying by the side of the road? He could have lost his sheet and then Wilbur and Techno might have missed him-

His thoughts were cut off when he heard;

“Wilbur! Techno! Look!”

Techno skidded to a halt, sneakers sliding against the asphalt, he looked over to see Tommy running up to them, pillowcase crackling and bouncing.

“I found like three houses that give out full size candy bars!”

“Where were you?” Wilbur yelped, throwing his hands out, “Tommy what the fuck!”

“What?”

“Wilbur and I have been looking for you for like 20 minutes!” Techno said, anxiety and adrenaline starting to wear off.

“Oh yeah I saw you guys,” Tommy said nonchalantly.

“You-what, you- you saw us? And didn’t approach us until now?” Wilbur snapped, “Why!”

“Cause you guys were being mean earlier, I am not wearing a shame sheet!”

Techno slapped his forehead, dragging his hand down his face, smudging his glasses in the process.

“I’m going to kill you, you little shit!” Wilbur lunged at Tommy. Techno made no move to stop him.

“I’ll tell Phil you lost me while we were trick or treating!” Tommy shrieked, jumping back.

Techno grabbed the back of Wilbur’s shirt, pulling him back. Wilbur sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. “Okay, I won’t kill you, yet, but you gotta promise not to tell Ph-”

“I’m still gonna tell Phil,” Tommy said, even though his face was covered, Techno could see the shit-eating grin on his face.

“No, you can’t tell Phil, or I’ll tell him that you ran away and didn’t even try to get back to us.” Techno said, “It’s our word against yours.”

“I’ll cry,” Tommy said smugly. He knew Phil would side with him if he cried about being scared and then had his older brothers yell at him.

“Fuck.” Techno turned to Wilbur, looking for some kind of help. Wilbur sighed, “What if we give you picks of our candy when we get home?”

“Half of each,” Tommy stated.

“No! You can’t even eat that much candy!” Wilbur shot back.

“I think I’m being pretty fair,”

“You’re not-”

“Tommy what if you got a 1/3 of each of ours?” Techno cut in, biting his tongue as Tommy considered it. A literal two minutes later Tommy nodded.

“Okay!”

Techno sighed in relief as Wilbur checked the time on his flip phone.

“We still have like 20 minutes before Trick-or-treating ends, we could hit more houses on the way home.”

“Oh! Come with me and I’ll show you the houses with the big candy bars!” Tommy grabbed at Wilbur's sleeve, pulling him down the street, Techno followed, anxiety gone now that they found their brother and ensured that he wasn’t going to snitch, everything was fine.

Then they got home.

Phil was waiting for them, Techno guessed the crisis at the store had been fixed, he was sitting on the couch looking tired.

“Did you guys have fun?” He asked as they pushed open the door. Techno nodded, nudging his shoes off.

“Yeah!” Tommy said, “But Wilbur and Techno lost me halfway-”

Techno whipped around and jumped at Tommy before he could finish his sentence. He pinned him to the floor as Wilbur jammed his hand over his mouth.

“Wait, they what?” Phil asked, sitting up from the couch, going to untangle his brothers. Normally he didn’t bother because it was a semi-normal occurrence but this was different.

“What the hell,” Techno hissed under his breath as Wilbur, unconvincingly, said, “Nothing! He didn’t say anything, he’s just- just really hyped up on candy! That’s all!”

“Uh huh,” Phil walked over, shoved Wilbur away and hooking an arm around Techno’s chest, pulling him off of Tommy.

“Oh you’re strong,” Techno said under his breath as Phil grabbed Tommy and pulled him up.

“They what?” He asked.

“Wilbur and Techno lost me while we were Trick-or-Treating,” Tommy stated simply, ignoring the daggers his older brothers were glaring at him.

Phil turned to Wilbur and Techno, “You lost him?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, well, it was a complicated situation-” Techno started,

“There was a guy with a mask and another kid and-” Wilbur butted in until they were both talking over each other, both dancing around the point.

“You lost your brother?” Phil reiterated slowly.

“Uh, yeah,” Techno looked away nervously, Wilbur scratched the back of his neck nervously.

Phil took a deep breath, putting his face in his hand, “I’m too tired for this, I’ll deal with this in the morning, I’m taking a shower,” He walked down the hall then looked back at them, “But consider yourselves on notice.” Then he disappeared into the bathroom.

The moment the door closed they both pounced back on Tommy, words jumbling together as Tommy laughed.

“You said we had a deal!”

“Why did you tell Phil!”

“I’m gonna kill you you little gremlin, come here!”

They wrestled, Tommy v.s Wilbur and Techno, they pushed and pulled at each other, pulling at clothes and hair before collapsing back on the tile, gasping.

They sat in silence when Tommy asked, “Do I still get 1/3 of your guys’s candy?”

“No!”

[youre-fired-s-seaborn]

So you guys are never going to guess what I just did.

I might possibly be writing a tww fic (FOR REAL THIS TIME I PROMISE) and I just finished the first little snippet so I thought I’d share that with y’all!

It’s going to be several chapters, each one from the POV of a different senior staff member, basically just a random collection of scenes where everyone Works Out their Issues. Official summary= The senior staff + Donna think about the past, how far they’ve come, heartbreak, hard times, sleep deprivation, and what family means to them over a ginormous bowl of popcorn.

(Part backstory headcanons, part character study, part found family, part random other shit?? I have no clue where this came from tbh. Anyway enjoy this rambly dumpster fire) (the popcorn is figurative)

Part one is Sam, and I’m sure none of you are surprised 😋 Enjoy!!!!

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

When Samuel Norman Seaborn was a kid, ‘I want to be a lawyer when I grow up’ was one thought that didn’t cross his mind, not even once. Which is saying something, because little Sam had a lot of thoughts. He had opinions about everything, even things he didn’t understand (especially those) and he had ideas, big ideas that everyone said were going to change the world one day, and he had an imagination the size of the Chrysler building and not enough room in his head for all the stories he wanted to tell. Everyone liked Sam. He was easy to like. At least, until he got a little older and suddenly his imagination was distracting instead of endearing and his ideas were silly instead of helpful and the big books he liked to read were taking time away from more important things. It didn’t make sense to him, because he had always thought they were the most important things in the world, but one day when one too many teachers had commented on it and one too many other children had teased him for it, he sat himself down at his desk and told himself he wouldn’t be like that anymore. Sam decided he wouldn’t be the dreamy one with his head in the clouds anymore. He would be focused, and dedicated, the model student and son.

So somewhere in middle school, Sam Seaborn changed from the cheerful, somewhat dazed and forgetful child he had been into the most intensely focused little academic his teachers had ever seen. Focusing was usually...hard, for Sam. At least, focusing on the right thing. His mind wanted to go in so many different directions and think about so many different things, and none of them were what he should have been focusing on. But he found that if he worked really hard and forced himself to think about one specific thing, then he could usually achieve it. Homework and such wasn’t exactly what he was passionate about, but it was what his parents wanted, and what everyone else around him seemed to want, so he did his best.

He worked hard through high school and when he graduated, he got accepted to Princeton. Sam loved Princeton. He loved everything about it. He started working hard because he liked it, and not because he thought other people wanted him to. He worked towards his law degree, and he got it.

(He never did stop writing, though. It was like a disease. No matter where he was or what he should have been doing, he could never make himself not write.)

There was a bit of a gray area after that, and more than one bad decision, but then he got the job at Gage-Whitney. And Gage-Whitney was...well. He was good at it. It paid well. He kept working his way up the ladder until he made partner, and wasn’t that everyone’s dream? Shouldn’t he love his job? Maybe he should have. He didn’t.

Then there was Lisa, and he couldn’t decide if she had been a mistake or not. He had liked her an awful lot; even loved her. She had been quite fond of him too. It had been real. Once. He remembered nice dinners and radiant smiles and the joy of having a partner who was as smart as you.

God, what happened to us? He’d think sometimes, but it was stupid, because he knew exactly what had happened to them. Sam had quit his job and gone running off to New Hampshire with Joshua Lyman. He’d tried to build a presidential campaign from scratch, then actually managed to accomplish it, which was somehow even worse for their relationship because then he was zipping all over the country without a minute to spare and he told himself he called whenever he could but it wasn’t enough and he knew it. Whenever they did get to see each other, there was a...distance, that there never had been before. Eventually Lisa would say something passive aggressive about how apparently Josh Lyman meant more to him than she did, and Sam would get defensive and mutter something about how he never complained when she always went off to fancy bars with her fancy friends every other night, and she would bark out an incredulous laugh because of course he would find a way to insult her friends when he was the one who had left her in the dust, because wasn’t that just the kind of person he was!

It hurt even more because they cared, they both cared. A lot. But in the end, it didn’t matter, because Sam chose the campaign and she chose to stay and there was nothing they could say to change each other’s minds. Her eyes had gotten big and wet and angry, and he had been numb, staring out at nothing. That was the night she gave him back the ring.

But he tried not to think about it too much now. It was a sure-fire way to ruin his day. Or week, more likely.

“Did you know that supposedly the shortest telegram correspondence in history was between Victor Hugo and his literary agent?” he asked. He was sitting at one of the desks in the bullpen, hunched over some files that he really didn’t want to read. It was one of those days, where there was a lot to do but a lot of time to do it, so you ended up doing anything but what you were supposed to do. One of those days that felt lazy and slow when it shouldn’t have been.

Josh was leaning against an office door frame across from him. “Really.”

“Yeah.” he flipped through some of the papers absently. “To ask how the book sales were doing he just sent a question mark. The guy sent back an exclamation point. And all I’m saying is if Victor Hugo himself could restrain his verbosity like that, then just maybe the guys writing these files could-” he paused as Josh wandered over, resting his forehead against the back of Sam’s head and wrapping an arm around him from behind. “What?” Sam asked.

“Nothing.” Josh chuckled. “You’re just a huge dork.”

“Oh.” He rolled his eyes. “Just part of my charm, I guess.”

“In that case, you are extremely charming.”

“Ha ha.” Sam looked over as Josh slid into the desk chair next to him. “Hey, did CJ say how the briefing went? I was on the Hill all morning.”

Josh shrugged. “It was fine. They were all just asking about whether Jancowitz was going to sink the healthcare bill with his insistence on antagonizing what’s-his-name at the DOD.”

“Ah. Should we send someone to smooth that over?”

“Yeah, you can put Ainsley on it. I’m not too worried.” A problem for another day, then. Josh leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk in front of him. “It’s supposed to keep snowing all night.”

“They said that the last two times it snowed.”

“I think they’re right this time!” Josh protested, tapping the side of his head. “It’s my flawless intuition as an outdoorsman.”

Sam laughed. “At this rate, we could put you on the Weather Channel. You’d be just as accurate as all of those guys.”

“Mmm. With their track record, I could be their boss by next Tuesday.” He squinted at something for a minute before hopping up. “Well, I should probably go work on my thing before Leo has an aneurysm. I’ll come see you later about the environment?”

“Yeah, see you.” He sighed, staring down at the papers while Josh went back to his office. After a minute, he just shook his head and stood up, gathering them in his hands and retreating into his own office. Sam unceremoniously dumped the files onto a shelf, settling into his desk chair. They could be read another day.

Straightening his glasses, he popped open his laptop on the desk in front of him. He tried typing out some remarks for the President’s conference next week, but didn’t get very far. He wandered over to his email, and replied to a few people who had asked him questions.

I should write my dad, he thought absently. It had been a while since his last email. The thing was, thinking about his father in any capacity was Sure-fire Way To Ruin His Week Number Two.

It was...complicated. Sam had never had the best relationship with either of his parents to begin with. They had always been busy, and now he was always busy, and he supposed that it was possible he had lost far too many important things in his life due to people being busy. It didn’t even sound like a good excuse.

His mother was a brilliant, industrious woman who had grown up poor and worked so hard to get their little family off the ground that there was little else left of her now. At least, that was how he’d always felt. She’d always been so caught up in working to secure his future, and seemed to not have time for him in the meantime. Oh, she had tried, but she was always on a phone call or an extra shift and so it had usually just been him and his dad at the house when he was little.

It made his blood boil to think about it too long. Sam had never been close with his mother, but she had worked so hard and given up so much to keep them afloat. And this was how his father had repaid her? By...by...he couldn’t even put it into words. Learning about his father’s mistress had shook him to his core, and hadn’t stopped shaking it since.

Family had never been a very comforting concept to Sam, and after that particular revelation, even the romanticized ideal of it had come crumbling down around him. Family wasn’t supposed to be built on lies and absence and forced smiles. It was supposed to be solid and warm and loving, not shaky and volatile and brimming with hurt.

He could feel his heart clenching with anger and bitterness and grief over what-could-have-beens, and Sam hated being that person. Instead, he stared at the blank white void of the email draft in front of him, forcing himself to breathe deep. What are the others doing right now? he asked himself, his mind latching onto a distraction. Josh was probably working himself up over the environment issue- that, or getting lovingly screamed at by Leo. CJ had just finished a briefing, and was probably high-fiving Carol or bickering with Danny. Toby was most likely scribbling notes for the energy conference, half of which would be crumpled up in the wastebasket by now. Or on fire. Sam smiled to himself, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Hey,” came a cheery voice, and Sam looked up to find Donna in the doorway with a file tucked under her arm. “Any important government business going on in here?”

“Absolutely not,” he assured her, leaning back in his chair. “You need me for something?”

“Nothing pressing,” she replied with a shrug, brushing forward and hopping on top of his desk like she always did. “Toby and Josh are in CJ’s office watching the game if you want to join. ”

“Don’t they have work to do?” he mumbled petulantly.

“I really wouldn’t know,” Donna said with exaggerated innocence. She smirked at him. “But you look so sad and lonely in here, the least I could do was extend the invitation.”

“Hush, you,” Sam lamented, stretching absently. He looked down at his laptop and tapped his fingers on the desk. “I really should be working.”

“So should everyone else,” Donna pointed out. She slid off the desk and crossed her arms, giving him a look. “Sam? Hey, are you feeling okay? You look a little…”

Sam frowned, looking down at himself. “Disheveled?” he suggested, noting his wrinkled shirt and crooked tie.

“Ah,” she said with a nod. “That’s the word I was looking for. But, hey, are you really alright?” She leaned down to rub his shoulder. “You seem gloomy.”

“Yeah,” he replied, sighing. “Just a long day, I guess.”

Donna raised her eyebrows. “And do you know what the perfect antidote for a long day is?”

“Watching the game with Josh and Toby and CJ?” he guessed.

“Exactly!” Donna smiled, bonking him on the head with her file. “See you in five?”

Sam looked back at his email, thinking. If he mustered up the sheer willpower to write to his dad, he would have no idea what to say. And it wasn’t like his relatives in California were truly family, anyway. Not if all he associated with them were pain and disappointment. Maybe he could leave this email for later. Maybe he could watch football with his friends and chuckle at Toby and Josh shouting at the TV and rib CJ when she didn’t understand anything that was happening and forget about all of it, for a little while.

“Yeah,” Sam said, closing the lid to his computer. “Yeah, I’m coming.”

[werezmastarbucks]

xenia

honeymoon masterlist

word count: 2851

warnings: mentions of parental abuse

music: damsel in distress by neck deep, beautiful stranger by halsey

You did shots that night.

Xenia has been one of the stops on your ridiculously meticulous search through Ohio. One mention that one of Kai’s grandmothers might be buried here somewhere, and that she was a siphoner, too, which is a rare, and you stopped in Xenia, digging up every inch of the earth.

In fact, at some point, as you lived on in this weird world, systematic search has grown into a kind of manic entertainment.

You took everything to extremes. Searching for the grave, that might have answers and magical solutions, you basically unearthed the whole cemetery, because Kai said that maybe somebody wanted to hide his nana’s body, because she was a shameful accident, being a siphoner and all that. And that random guess got stuck in your heads, turning you into paranoid diggers. Really, you were just keeping yourselves busy. Doing the things you would never normally do in your usual life. Why would you walk around a town, digging the ground randomly, and putting so much effort in it? After a couple of days of incredible stamina fueled work, Xenia looked like it’s been ravaged by gigantic moles. Then Parker remembered. She has never been to Xenia, she lived, and died in Cincinnati.

And that’s why you were doing shots.

You invented a reverse never have I ever game which was called nobody has ever. The point was to think of all the things other people never did for you, and the luckier one had to drink, but obviously, pretty soon the game turned dark.

You found this nice house on the Creek Green Street that overlooked an old alley with a post office that must have been about sevety years old. You wondered how it survived the tornado.

The kitchen was big, and the table, square and made of very thick, nice looking wood, consumed the soft golden lights of the evening. Although your shoulders were hurting you almost to the point of whining, since no matter how many days you dug, your body wouldn’t get stronger, you made a salad. Kai cooked up a myriad of snacks, and they were all piling up on the table in a colorful, tasty mess. It felt like you were both drunk from work and the absurdity of your chore even before you opened up the bottle.

“Nobody has ever”, he said, narrowing his eyes, “hit me in the throat with a tennis ball”.

You shook your head slowly. The shots rested on the table. You were leaning against the table, one foot under you, and listened to music and your joints singing the mournful song of pain. Kai was rubbing his chin musingly. Days in Xenia were very warm - unlike in all other towns. That was amazing to you. Without the people, and the hurry, you could concentrate on the world itself and actually found every location had its own smell, temperature, color. Once you got out, you’d never be the same.

“Nobody has ever cut my hair while I was sleeping”.

Kai nodded responsibly and downed his shot. You raised your brows.

“Oh, I was way too agitated, and never liked scissors near my face. Mom always cut my hair while I was asleep. I was ugly when I was little. One more reason”, he shrugged, “to be hating on lil Malachai”.

You hummed.

“Nobody has ever said they loved me”, he continued, gravely.

Air got stuck in your throat.

You swayed in your place.

“Come on. Not ever?”

“Nah”.

You took your shot and thought, who actually said that to you, except your mother. People usually said it in a friendly way. You couldn’t count how many times Elena said she loved you, and it didn’t mean much at the end of the day.

“Not even in a casual way, like, oh my god, you like Metallica, too? I love you!”

Kai chuckled.

“I don’t like Metallica”.

“Jesus. Okay. You wanna go hardcore. Nobody has ever chose me over everything and everybody else”, you offered.

Kai smirked and took his shot, and then reached for the bottle again.

“How? How come? And they never said they love you? Who?”

“I have learnt to manipulate people into choosing me over everything else. That’s how I keep sane, ha”, he noted. You frowned.

“Who was it?”

He looked at you with surprise.

“You. You chose me over everything else in your life when you decided to spend an eternity here with me. That was pretty nice of you. Cheers”, and he drunk again, forgetting he had already done his shot. You could feel the blood flowing to your face.

“I did it because I thought Damon would stop. I didn’t expect him to send me here”.

Kai shrugged, as if saying, it wasn’t really his problem Damon was a piece of shit.

“And why did you mainpulate me into it?”

Bold of him to assume he had manipulated you into liking him, but his way of thinking is different.

“Because I like you. I wanted you to stick with me. You’re the only person who doesn’t make me feel like a burden”, he replied with a lot of importance. He was a little tipsy.

You sighed heavily.

“Nobody has ever buried me under the ground in a drain pipe”, he ogled.

“Mm-hmm”.

He grinned as you drank.

“By the way, after that, when I made a scene (because I was sixteen) about Damon not killing the love of his life over me, Katherine called me a delusional teenager. God I hate that bitch”.

“Katherine Pierce never infuriated me because I never met her”, he put it.

“It’s not your turn”, but you drank anyway, “Nobody has ever called me an abomination”.

He saluted you with his shot.

“Nobody has ever made me his door boy”.

Shot.

“Nobody has ever took away my natural right of being the leader of my coven”.

Shot.

Your right shoulder stang you with annoying pain, and you glanced at the clock. Midnight would come in a couple of minutes. You always started drinking just before midnight because the change of the day brought you back to sobriety, and you could go on and drink the same amount again without feeling bad in the morning.

As the midnight struck, you suddenly found yourself sitting so close to Kai your foreheads were touching.

You both straightened up and looked at the time. He stretched his neck.

“Were we drunk-confessing our mutual respect for each other?” you asked.

“Think so”, he pulled a bowl of salad to himself and started eating, without forgetting to fill the shots again.

“Happy birthday”.

You clincked your tiny glasses together, and the game went on.

“Nobody has ever cooked for me”, he said.

You downed your shot thinking about how fabulous it is, to have your own chef who is also in love with you.

At the same second, you wondered if he has ever thought about poisoning you, just for the sake of it.

“I have hard time believing it. You’ve made it to twenty-two, which meant your parents cooked for you”.

“We had lots of kids in the house. We always had to eat all together”, Kai shook his head, “if you were late to the table, you had to starve. Besides, I started cooking for myself pretty early”.

“Okay. Nobody has ever locked me up in the basement”.

He was so good at this game, taking his losing drinks like a champ, like a very diligent student. As his adam’s apple went down, you gasped.

“Oh, wait. Spit it out! Spit it out. I recalled. I’ve been locked up in basements plenty of times, it was just... more like... a dungeon”.

“In the Salvatore house?” he asked, displeased.

“Yeah. And once, in the Lockwood mansion. Damon was raging then. We got stuck and...”

“Whatever”.

You licked your lips and shut up, seeing the familiar irritated spark in his eyes. Kai hated Damon at this point; for sending him away; for being not his type of person; but most importantly, for the fact you still lingered on the memories of him.

Gradually, you started running out of ideas, drunk again, and it was barely past one in the morning.

Kai at least was constantly eating, while you just drank, so you now had a hard time focusing on one thing, your thoughts drifting apart like ripples on the water. You looked at his white wrists, his knees hopping lightly as he bounced to the music, and tried to think of something.

“Nobody has ever... ever...��� you puffed. Kai smiled. “Ever stood over me at night, watching me sleep”.

“Yes, I have”.

You didn’t get it at first.

“What?”

“I have”, he repeated.

“Oh, you mean... of course, I mean, back in the outer world”.

He nodded, like it was just a tiny misunderstanding about the size of a cheesburger he’s ordering.

“Oh, yeah, yeah. I was in your house at night before we got here”.

“What?!” you snapped.

All your body moved you towards him to slap him on the head, but out of instinct, the unkillable, fundamental instinct that kicked in when he was around, you took his head, let your palms slide down to his neck, as you hugged him.

“Kai, why would you do that?”

“I don’t know, I just wanted to see what you look like when you’re not around me”, he said simply. You could feel his mouth moving against your hair close to your ear. “What you look like when you stare at yourself in the mirror. What you do when nobody’s watching”.

You shut your eyes with embarrassment, your brain trying to recall all the things you did alone back in your house one hundred years ago.

“Oh god...”

“What you smell like when you’re just out of shower. You know, stuff like that”.

“God, this is so embarrassing”.

He laughed out with amusement.

You pulled away and took his head, covering his ears with your plams. His face swayed in front of you a little, as you muttered,

“You have to promise me something, Parker”.

“Okay”, he said carefully.

He could’ve said, of course! because you knew him. You knew how he pretends to be this enthusiastic person. Who is only serving you. But he was real right then, at that moment, looking you in your drunk eye, really considering what you’re about to ask. He could’ve said of course! and not mean it. But he said okay, ruffling up like a ferret, and you loved him at that moment.

“Once we get out, don’t stalk other girls”.

His face moved with laughter he contained inside.

“Why would I do that?”

You thought of that wretched universe full of good-looking girls, and all their different shapes and colors, the way they smell and how gracious they are, and felt scared of losing him for the first time.

“They’re all so pretty, and I... just don’t. Do whatever you can to...”

“You don’t think you’re pretty?” he asked in his are you dumb tone. “You’re a solid eight”.

You have lived enough to feel all kinds of wonders when intoxicated. You’ve sang, blacked out, stumbled, yelled, fought and slept when drunk, and now the very logical reaction followed, which you have also experienced many times.

You started sobbing.

“Eight”, you put your hand to your face, cradling yourself, and consoling yourself immediately.

Kai’s face went almost pale with shock. Then he started giggling uncontrollably, reaching his arms for you.

“I’m joking! Hey, I’m joking”.

He couldn’t start laughing.

“What are you upset about? I’m just fooling with you”.

“I’ve always been an eight!” you cried out, suddenly.

“For your information, eight is fantastic!”

“Katherine has always been a ten”, you finished solemnly, drowning in the pleasure of digging into your deepest wells of insecurity.

Kai froze.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking about Damon right now. I swear to fuck, I’ll break your neck”.

You tilted your head miserably, letting the tears stream down your face in a dramatic fashion.

“Aaaahhh”.

“Y/N...”

“Damon has made me think that I’m a fool for ever thinking somebody can be into me”, you said quietly. You could feel his hand on the base of your neck. As your hot tears dripped down, heating the perfume on your skin, his grab tightened lightly. He didn’t know how to hold tenderly, it was always half-clutching with Kai. With time, you came to realize it was so reassuring you felt the safest when his hands were around your throat. Whether it was playful or menacing depended on his mood.

“Let me rain on your self-pitying parade”, he murmured, “okay? My parents made me think I didn’t deserve to breathe even. Pretty natural, don’t you think? Everyone has their right to have air in their lungs”.

You looked at him. Kai was being serious. You wiped your cheek with the back of your hand, and his face softened a little.

“But my dad decided I wasn’t worth even that”.

“What are you saying?”

“Once I was sitting in the bath, when I was about five. That was the time you start getting your magic and learn how to control it. That was the time the whole coven found out I don’t have it. That Jo is useless, too, because I’m a siphoner. So one night, when I was in the bath”, he repeated, like he was trying to hypnotize you, “he came in, and...” he looked away, blinking several times. “I remember, he was wearing this dark green shirt. Green is the color of the coven. He held my head under water”.

There was a short break between two songs, and when the next one came in, blasting sounds, you shivered uncomfortably.

“He decided he’d spare himself and everybody else the headache. That’s why I don’t like water much and barely ever go near it. And now you taught me how to swim”.

“How did you survive?” you whispered.

“My mom barged in and pulled him away. I don’t know how she knew. Maybe it was her motherly instinct. She used to have that one for me long time ago”.

The tears welled up on you, pressure pushing on the sides of your skull. You took him, kissing his face, kissing his mouth, as Kai leaned in, quiet, and just let you dote on him. You held him tight, trying to kiss the memories out, begging him to forget.

“I’m okay. Hey, I’m fine. It was a long time ago, and he’s dead. And I’m alive. And I have you”.

You were so drunk, falling apart at the seams like a badly sewn jacket, that he had to hold you so that you didn’t fall off the chair. Hangover was guaranteed.

“Let’s just go... let’s go to bed”, you whispered, your face against his. “You can do whatever you want”.

Kai smiled. His eyes glinted in a familiar way. This kitchen, the house, it all grew on you. The way he held you, you didn’t even know if your feet touched the floor.

“Whatever I want?” he asked.

“Whatever you want”, you echoed.

He put your body onto the couch, and you could feel he moves your limbs a little, and then the weight of his body was next to you.

Fifteen minutes later, you pulled the covers down, and turned towards the light, and saw the TV shining through the blackness of the room.

Kai was watching Lethal Weapon on VHS and cuddling against you.

You inhaled, feeling he room spinning. The light stang your eyes, so you rolled back away and pressed your face into him, into the darkness.

The next time you woke up it was already dark.

You moved a little just to know where you are, and indicated his arms around you. Comfort settled down immediately, but the insane temperatures of his dozing body was too much, so you tried to kick the cover down to your feet. Kai lifted one of his arms unwillingly. It was still deep dark outside the window, and the old post office must have been standing there in complete fright.

“How many parts have you watched?”

“Three”, he said sleepily. You considered whether you were thirsty enough to try and go to the kitchen. Decided it wasn’t worth it. Your face felt a bit swollen with tears, but you felt comfortably tired. You wouldn’t leave this couch even if somebody lit it on fire.

“It’s not true, by the way”, he said.

“Huh?”

“My dad never tried to drown me”.

You rolled your eyes without opening them up.

“Wha...”

“I made it up, I was just trying to make you feel better”.

“You moron. You unbelievable moron, you...”

“You really have to stop calling me names, it hurts”.

“Douchebag. Why... Kai, you told me you weren’t a liar”.

He did something resembling a shrug. You felt his knee between yours, and slid your arm onto his back.

“You made me a liar. You’re changing me”, he mumbled, “I’m changing here with you. I can feel it”.

[baelonthebrave]

Dean turned forty-two on a Sunday, and all he really wanted was for Cas to kiss him.

[Ao3] ~3k

The thought was ringing in his head, clear as a bell, as he sat up in bed sometime after six in the morning.

The angel was a warm, solid lump on the other side of his - their - bed, his face pressed firmly into the pillow to ward away the first signs of daytime. Dean smiled to himself, at the way Cas’s brow furrowed in sleep, desperately clinging on to oblivion. When he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Cas’s temple, the crease in his brow smoothed out like ripples on a lake.

Dean left Cas sleeping - he would only be another half hour or so - and trailed off to the kitchen in his slippers and dressing gown, warding against the late January chill in the air. The sounds of hushed voices and clink of cutlery and mugs guided him through the dim morning light and the fogginess he felt before his first coffee. Like he’d expected, Jack and Sam were already at the kitchen table, Jack with a bowl piled high with the kind of cereal that made him jittery, and Sam with a cup of black coffee and a serene expression. Dean mumbled a good morning, smiling but politely ignoring the cards and presents stacked in a small, neat pile in the middle of the table until they were explicitly given to him, and made a beeline for the coffee pot.

He could tell it was his birthday just by the fact that Sam had likely been up since five but had still kept the coffee piping hot, ready for Dean.

“Morning!” came his brother’s chirpy morning voice. “Happy birthday, Dean.”

Dean turned around from the coffee pot to say a thanks, and only managed an oof as his little - hah - brother enveloped him in a hug. For someone of Sam’s size, it bewildered Dean that he could sneak up on anyone. Or maybe Dean was just getting unobservant in his old age. “Thanks, Sam,” he said, giving him a pat on the back. Even now, after nearly four decades, the smell of his brother’s clothes still reminded him of a long-gone family home in Lawrence, but that thought didn’t raise any more sadness in him now than a faint and settled pang. He called it progress and clung a little harder to his brother’s flannel.

When they broke apart, Jack was practically bouncing on his seat. “You gotta open my present first,” he insisted, his mouth half full of chewed cereal and little marshmallows that glowed like nuclear waste.

Sam smiled, stepping back from Dean, “Jack, remember, you gotta-“

“Oh!” Jack said, lurching out of his seat less like a God and more like a hyperactive three-year-old. He was both, Dean guessed, but definitely favoured one. Jack was about half Sam’s body mass, but he hit Dean at such a speed that he still forced a grunt out of his chest. “Happy birthday!”

The feeling that flooded Dean’s ribcage was like a torrent of molasses, warm and heavy. He wrapped his arms around Jack’s back, even let himself rest his chin against Jack’s head. “Thanks, kiddo.”

Sam wrinkled his nose over Jack’s head in a way that read as a faint apology for letting Jack get at the toddler rocket fuel before dawn, but Dean didn’t much care. Jack had kinda been like this for a few days anyway, and the glitter that had been appearing everywhere in the bunker and was now covering an envelope on the table was enough of a hint as to why.

Jack was still bouncing on his toes, and Dean laid a steadying hand on his shoulder. “Before I open presents, we gotta wait for-“

“I’m awake,” came a gruff voice behind them, in a tone that could only be described as regretful. It did nothing to slow the lurch that Dean’s heart gave, and when he spun around, he saw a smile mirroring his own spreading on Cas’s lips. “Happy birthday,” Cas said.

He had a card and wrapped present in hand, but he still stood awkwardly, a country mile away from their little three-person cluster by the coffee pot. And it made Dean’s heart pang. Part of it was just Cas - an eternity of angel mannerisms couldn’t be scrubbed out by a mere decade on Earth - but part of it was....

This was dumb. They were dumb. He crossed the space between them and wrapped his boyfriend, his angel, his life partner up in his arms and pressed a sloppy kiss to the peak of his cheekbone. “Thanks, baby,” he said, as solid arms wound around his lower back.

It was Sam who masterminded breakfast, dicing up little bowls of strawberries and blueberries between flipping pancakes on the stove top. Cas manned the coffee pot for Sam and Dean, steeped himself a mug of tea, and fetched Jack a glass of orange juice with a straw in it, because he worried about the acidity wearing down Jack’s tooth enamel. That left Dean at the kitchen table, supervised by Jack, as he worked through his little pile of cards and presents.

From Sam and Eileen, there was a beautiful photo album, bound in smooth black leather. It was half-filled already, with rare pictures of Sam and Dean as children, Jack on his first birthday, Dean and Eileen posing for a picture, leaning against the trunk of the Impala with beer bottles in hand after a successful hunt, amongst others. And one that looked too candid for him to have known it was happening, his hand slipped into Cas’s, and Cas smiling at him with that stupid look that never failed to make Dean’s heart thud like a mistimed bass drum. The rest of the pages were left empty, an open invitation from Sam and Eileen to keep filling it with new memories. “This is beautiful, Sammy,” he croaked, and did his best to meet his brother’s eye.

Sam smiled, didn’t call him out on his emotional constipation, and said “Eileen will be over later, I think she’s got another treat for you.”

Dean was thrilled to hear it, but didn’t have the chance to respond, because now Jack was pressing a ridiculously glittery envelope into his hands. He knew he’d be washing the stuff out of Jack’s clothes for a month, but the gleeful look in the kid’s eye was enough to make Dean bite down his complaint, and he tried very hard not to grin like an idiot as he opened the envelope.

The card was indeed full of glitter and hand cut heart-shaped confetti, but it was the shaky writing on the front that made his breath catch. With each letter spelled out in a different coloured marker, Jack had written “Happy birthday Dad” on the front, and then there was the present Cas had brought. The joint, accompanying gift from Cas and Jack was enough to set his bottom lip wobbling – a blue coffee mug with #1 Dad on the front in big, yellow letters.

“C’mere,” Dean grunted, and pulled Jack tight against his chest, furiously blinking away the moisture gathering at the corners of his eyes. There was thick emotion in his chest churning and gargling like a carburettor clogged with gravel, and he mumbled, “Love you,” into the boy’s as-yet unbrushed hair. Jack let out a happy sigh and leaned into him heavier.

Cas and Sam were both looking a little glossy eyed by the time the pair pulled apart, which Sam artfully covered with a loud clearing of his throat and the lighting of the candle on top of Dean’s pancake stack.

 The most tone-deaf chorus he’d ever heard of “Happy birthday” followed, which was a given, as he was the only one who could actually carry a tune, but he refused to sink to the level of douchiness of joining in on his own birthday song. Then, they were digging into their pancakes, talking about their plans for the day, and just soaking in the early morning serenity.

Before long, Cas and Jack were hugging the brothers goodbye and promising to be back by five to help ready Dean’s birthday supper. He would’ve liked to have them for the whole day, but there would be plenty time for that once heaven was - well, heaven again – and truthfully, he was just grateful he got the morning with them.

Once Jack and Sam were ready to go about their respective days, they stepped away from Cas and Dean, leaving them just kind of looking at each other. Dean was normally like a shot fired from a pistol to cross the distance between them, take Cas into his arms, kiss him silly, but he couldn’t nudge that first thought that had ricocheted around his head when he’d woken up this morning.

Cas was looking at him. Standing at a distance. Hands hanging at his sides. “Have a good day, Dean,” he said, in a soft voice that made Dean’s chest ache.

Two months. Two whole months since they’d bust out of the Empty, saved the world together and held each other, aching, and crying and kissing fervently in the aftershocks.

Twelve years spent falling in love, two months spent being in love, and Cas was still just standing there. Like a dick.

With a barely concealed huff, Dean crossed the chasm between them and kissed him, gently cradling a strong and stubbled jaw in both his hands. “You too, baby.”

When Cas and Jack were gone, he belatedly realised he’d forgotten to open Cas’s card after feeling like he’d been sideswiped by a freight train after Jack’s.

It was a simple, handsome card. Navy with gold lettering.

To Dean,

Happy birthday.

I love you.

from Cas

He held it to his chest. 

—

Turns out Eileen’s idea of a birthday treat was the hunter’s equivalent of a game of whack-a-mole. When she’d driven him and Sam out to a horse ranch an hour down the highway and explained, Dean had started laughing and pulled his (hopefully, future, one-day) sister-in-law into a bear hug.

The ranch was infested with little goblin-like creatures that Eileen had affectionately termed “gnomes”. It was by no means the kind of world-ending threat they were used to, but the “gnomes” had been popping up out of the ground and spooking horses, even landing a few bites, which had led to more than one infected wound and thrown rider. “I thought it warranted the Winchester-Leahy treatment,” Eileen said and signed to Dean, who was bouncing on his toes like a kid in a candy store.

When Eileen turned back to her car, Dean said behind her, “Hey, your names sound pretty good together, huh, Sammy?”

Sam’s only response was to glower.

That only served to put Dean in a better mood, though, and soon they were all wreaking havoc on the overgrown field, trying whatever their best instincts and experience said oughta work.

The little gremlins were fast, ducking and diving into burrows quicker than Dean could get a good swing at them, and popping up behind him to grab at his ankles. “Little bastards!” He growled as one sunk its teeth into his ankle.

The gnome blew a raspberry at him and uncannily parroted back “Bastard!” It was then that he finally connected a hit but was quick to find out that an iron crowbar was about as much use on the little shits as, well, a crowbar.

“Hey!” He yelled to his compatriots, waving an arm over his head. Sam and Eileen both stopped to look, wearing twin expressions of wild bemusement, and really, he wished he had a camera on him. “Iron sucks!” He said, signing it large and waving his useless crowbar.

Eileen nodded, but Sam seemed to have an idea as he watched one of the slimy little creatures wiggle its ass at him tauntingly. A familiar spark lit up behind his eyes and he pulled a smallish burlap sack of rock salt out of his coat pocket.

No faster than Sam could throw a handful of salt like cast dye, the gnome exploded with a yelp, splattering Sam with green-yellow goo. “Gross!” he yelped.

Dean felt childish laughter bubble up out of his chest at that, disbelieving, as Sam shook his hands free of gunk and wiped it off his face. “Oh my god, they’re like slugs!” Dean said with a sharp cackle.

“This is fucking gross,” was the only response from a churlish Sam, as both Dean and Eileen laughed at him.

“Dean!” Eileen called, and then there was a small bag of rock salt arcing through the air towards him, which he caught neatly.

Then they were off to the races, with Dean and Eileen automatically falling into a pattern of systematically herding the little bastards and then working with Sam to do the exploding. The yellow-green goo stunk to high heavens, and made Dean’s eyes water, but they were having so much fun he barely even noticed, too busy hooting, hollering, and laughing as Sam got prissy about his new jacket getting stained with the monster equivalent of snot.

When they were down to the last few, they had to chase them down manually, amongst the litany of profanities the creatures were picking up from them and hurling back. Dean had his last gnome cornered between himself and a fence post when he heard a warning shout from Sam.

A second too late.

The rock to the back of his knee was such a shock that it buckled his leg, and he thumped into the soft dirt. There was a particularly large and menacing gnome glowering at him from its burrow, reaching for another stone, and Dean was scrabbling for his rock salt before he ended up with a concussion on his birthday-

But then the air crackled with static, and there was a whooshing wing beat, as the gnome was - smited? Smote? - from existence, splattering Dean in the foul-smelling goo from top to toe.

He looked up at the angel - his angel - clad in his signature trench-coat and frown. And he fell back into the dirt in fits of laughter.

“Dean,” Cas said in lieu of greeting, looking vaguely troubled at the monster snot covering his dress shoes and trousers.

“Thanks, Cas,” Dean said with a wheeze, and reached out a hand to signal Cas to help him. He felt himself being yanked to his feet like he weighed nothing and was still quieting the waves of laughter racking his stomach when he saw the way Cas was looking at him.

The soft glow in his features, the amusement, the adoration. “What exactly are you idiots doing?”

Dean flashed him his most charming smile – the devil-may-care one – and said, in a very low and serious voice, “Saving the world.”

Cas held onto his fingers, reticent to let go, and he just stood there, and looked at Dean with the softest smile on his face.

“I thought you said you’d be back at five?” Dean finally asked, breaking the beat of charged silence.

“I, uh,” Cas looked away with pink rising at his cheeks, instead watching as Eileen and Sam picked their way back across the field to each other, still wild-eyed and laughing. “I forgot to show Jack how to set the clock you gave us in our office, so I believe it shows the wrong time.”

The image of a God and a seraph running the reconstruction of heaven from a cosy little office but being unable to set a ten-dollar clock from Target to Central Standard Time was enough to set Dean off chuckling again. Don’t ever change, he thought faintly, as he watched his own amusement reflected back in Cas’s extraordinary eyes.

Cas was still holding his hand. And his eyes were so soft, and so blue.

It caught Dean’s breath in his throat, and something bubbled up.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean said. His stomach gave a jolt, but he had to ask before he lost his nerve. He squeezed Cas’s hand, to give himself courage more than anything. “How come you never kiss me?”

Cas looked dumbfounded for a second, his eyes darting to Dean’s lips, and by God if this wasn’t the wrong time and the wrong place, Dean thought, as a rock settled in the pit of his stomach. The dim winter sun above them was still warm enough to make the monster snot on both of them stink that little more, and Cas’s jaw was slack and flapping a little as he searched for the right words.

Dean suddenly felt stupid and awful for bringing it up.

Except- he didn’t, not really.

Because every kiss, every touch, every everything, had to come from Dean. And he wasn’t sick of it – he could never be sick of anything that let him touch Cas, be with Cas – but he would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt sometimes.

Like on the morning of his forty-second birthday, and the man who had admitted to being crazy, stupid, “loved the whole world for you” in love with him two months ago had stood six feet away and just looked.

Like he was just looking now.

“I- it doesn’t matter,” Dean said, his eyes falling, his heart falling. “Sorry, I don’t want to ruin the day.”

The sound that came out of Cas came from his chest, and could only be described as a grunt, pure frustration.

And then suddenly, there was a hand on his face and a thumb on his upper lip, swiping away disgusting, sickly, stinking goo from the curve of his cupid’s bow.

And then there were lips.

Hot and chapped.

Crushing against his.

Some ridiculous keening sound was forced from Dean’s chest, and he threw his spare arm around Cas’s neck with abandon, his other still clasping Cas’s fingers firmly in his. Cas’s weather-worn lips against his soft ones felt a little sore, and he was going to buy him a chapstick, and their respective tea- and coffee-breath was mingling together in a noxious mix, but it was perfect. Perfect in the way that Cas was pulling him against his broad chest, reeling him in and holding him tight and saying I will never let you go.

And Dean would never let Cas let him go, he thought, and nipped at his bottom lip.

“When I told you,” Cas was saying as he pulled back, into the bare couple of inches between their lips, “that my happiness was just in being, in the act of loving you, I never dreamed I could have you.

“Most days, I still don’t believe that I get to have you.”

Thump went Dean’s heart, and it was his turn to reel Cas in and press crushing kisses to Cas’s lips, blood roaring in his ears and battering against his ribcage. “I’ll teach you,” he mumbled into Cas’s hairline, temple, nose, jaw, anywhere he could land a blistering kiss. I’ll teach you to believe it.

They both sucked in ragged breaths in the cool, crisp air of late January.

A light frost bit at the ground, and curling clouds of white emanated from their lips.

“I’ll teach you. I’m yours.”

[crazy4dragons]

All-Nighter

Hiccup and Astrid spend the night together for the first time. Like Heaven AU. They’re 13 here and have been friends for just a few months! Friendship fluff, plus some Hiccup being a total Mama’s boy.

“Are you sure it’s okay with your mom if you sleep over?” Valka asked as she laid a plate full of barbecue chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes in front of Astrid. “I don’t want her worrying about you.”

“It’s okay,” replied Astrid, hugging her towel around her. With school out for the summer, she and Hiccup had planned an all-nighter. “I just have to be home by noon tomorrow for beach volleyball.”

“Are you cold, dear?” Valka frowned as she noticed Astrid shiver. “Hiccup has plenty of sweatshirts if you’d like one. You two probably wear about the same size.”

“I’ll be okay,” said Astrid. “Where is Hiccup, by the way?”

“He wanted to shower before he ate. He said he’s done swimming for tonight.”

Astrid bit into a chicken wing. “These are good. Did you make them, Mrs. Haddock?”

“Call me Valka. And no, Stoick actually made them. I’ve never been much of a cook.”

“Yeah, me neither. My mom tries to teach me, but I’m no good,” laughed Astrid.

Valka sat across from Astrid. “Let me give you some advice, dear. Marry a man who’s good in the kitchen and you’ll be set for life.”

Astrid laughed. “I’ll try.”

Smiling, Valka dug into her own plate of food. “By the way, I want to thank you for reaching out to Hiccup when we first moved here. He’s a very sweet boy, but he’s always had such a hard time making friends. You don’t know how happy he was when he came home and told me you invited him to the Zipplebacks concert.”

“Well, I’m lucky to have him as a friend,” Astrid said.

Just then, Stoick appeared on the patio. “I got the iced tea if any of yer want any,” he announced, holding up a tall pitcher of homemade iced tea.

“I’ll have some, love,” Valka responded.

“Could I have some, too?” asked Astrid.

“Of course, lass.” Stoick poured both Valka and Astrid a glass before sitting down beside his wife.

“I was just telling Astrid how much we appreciate her reaching out to Hiccup. She’s been a great friend to him since we moved here.”

“Speaking of Hiccup.” Stoick gestured to the back door, where Hiccup emerged.

“Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. Hey, Astrid.” Hiccup took his place at the table. “Can I have some corn? And a couple pieces of chicken?”

“No broccoli?” questioned Valka.

Hiccup wrinkled his nose. “No, thank you.”

“Iced tea?” Stoick offered.

“Yes, please.”

The rest of the meal passed quickly as the little group talked and laughed together. After asking to be excused, Hiccup and Astrid hurried inside and up to Hiccup’s bedroom.

“Can I use your shower?” asked Astrid, digging through her backpack to find her hairbrush and clean clothes.

“Yeah, go for it. I’ll start looking through Netflix for a good movie to watch.” Hiccup settled onto his bed and grabbed the TV remote.

Astrid vanished into the bathroom, reappearing twenty minutes later in a pair of cozy pajamas. “Mind if I sit with you?”

“Of course not.” Hiccup patted the empty space beside him. “Come on up.” After she climbed onto his mattress, he said, “But if we decide to give up on the all-nighter tonight, which we probably should if you have a volleyball game tomorrow, you can sleep in the guest room if you want. Or you can stay here. The choice is all yours.”

“I’ll probably stay.” She pulled the covers to her chin and settled against a fluffy pillow. “I’ve always thought it would be fun share a room with someone.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Did you find anything to watch?” asked Astrid, nodding towards the TV.

“Yeah. I thought we could watch Thor.”

“It figures you’d pick something that relates to Norse mythology.”

“You can pick the next one,” Hiccup promised. “We have plenty of time. It’s only nine o’ clock.”

“Deal.”

“Also, my dad bought microwave popcorn. If you want some, I can go make it before I start the movie.”

“Popcorn sounds good.” Astrid slipped out from beneath the covers. “I’ll come with you.”

“Okay.” Hiccup led Astrid to the kitchen, where they popped two bags of popcorn and poured it into a big bowl. “We have M&Ms, too. I’ll bring them with us because we might want some after the popcorn.”

“I could go for M&Ms.” Astrid grabbed the popcorn while Hiccup found the candy. “By the way, I hung my swimsuit in your bathroom to dry,” she said as they walked back upstairs. “I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course. Just don’t forget to take it home with you tomorrow.”

“I’ll try not to, but if I do, I have a couple more in my closet.” She settled atop the mattress.  “You know, I wanted to get a bikini to add to my collection this summer, but my mom said I’m too young even though literally every other girl our age is wearing them.”

“I can’t relate,” laughed Hiccup, climbing back onto his bed after Astrid.

“It’s just frustrating because I’m embarrassed enough to be the only girl on my volleyball team who doesn’t wear a bra yet. If I had a bikini, I could at least pretend I have boobs.” She paused. “Sorry, this is probably weird for you.”

“No,” shrugged Hiccup. “I get what you’re saying. I was the shortest boy in our grade this year. I’ve always been. My mom says I’ll catch up to everyone else eventually, but I’m tired of it. I mean, even you’re taller than me.”

“Only by an inch or two,” said Astrid. “But both your parents are tall, so you’re probably gonna end up tall, too. You might just be a late bloomer like I clearly am.”

“I hope so. I’ve always been small and skinny, though. My dad calls me a talking fishbone. I wish I was bigger like him. He’s 6’9” and almost 400 pounds. And here I am at five feet tall and barely 110 pounds.”

“I’m 5’2”, so you’ll catch up to me soon.” Astrid grabbed a handful of popcorn. “But anyway, are you gonna start the movie or what?”

“I forgot about the movie for a second,” said Hiccup, pressing the play button on the remote. “There we go. Do you want the light off or on?”

“Off would be good.”

Hiccup reached over to turn out his bedside lamp before reaching into the popcorn bowl and focusing on the TV.

…

Astrid’s eyes opened as a bright ray of sun shone through the curtains, signaling that it was morning. For a moment, she was surprised to find herself pressed against a warm body. However, as she fully awakened, she came to realize that the warm body was Hiccup, and remembered that they’d had a sleepover.

“Hey, Astrid.” Hiccup twisted around. “I tried to give you space last night, but I suppose you like to cuddle.” He let out a soft laugh.

Blushing, Astrid noticed that her arm was draped across Hiccup’s middle and quickly withdrew it. Judging by their current position, she guessed that she’d been lying with her head against his shoulder and her torso pressed into his back while she slept. “I’m sorry.” She slid back to her side of the bed.

“Don’t be sorry. It was kind of nice.” Hiccup paused. “Don’t go spreading this around, but I’m kind of a big Mama’s boy and I used to cuddle with my mom every night before bed. I only stopped a few years ago, so it was good to…” He trailed off. “With you,” he quickly added.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a Mama’s boy,” said a new voice.

Hiccup and Astrid looked up to see Valka in the doorway.

“Oh, hey, Mom,” greeted Hiccup.

“Good morning, loves. It’s just past ten-thirty, so I thought I’d check in to see if you were awake. How did the two of you sleep?” She pressed a kiss against Hiccup’s forehead.

“Fine,” replied Hiccup, hugging Valka.

“Great,” said Astrid with a yawn.

“Still sleepy, dear?”

Astrid nodded and buried herself in the covers.

“Well, there’s breakfast downstairs if either of you want any. And Astrid, sweetheart, don’t forget your volleyball game.”

“Can Hiccup come?” Astrid asked.

“Can I?” echoed Hiccup.

“I’m going to have to say no,” answered Valka. “You have a lot of chores you still need to finish. Your room needs to be vacuumed, the rafts in the pool needs to be put away, your bathroom needs to be cleaned, and you have to work on getting through your summer reading list.”

“Can’t I do all that tomorrow?”

“No, love. You’ve already procrastinated.”

Hiccup groaned.

“Maybe you can go to Astrid’s next game, but right now I need you to stay on top of your chores. Alright?”

“Fine,” he sighed.

“Thank you, dear. I’ll see you in the kitchen when you’re ready to eat.” Giving Hiccup one more kiss, Valka left the room.

Hiccup relaxed against the pillows for a few minutes before sliding off the bed. “Okay, Astrid, I’m gonna go grab breakfast. Are you coming?”

No response.

“Astrid?”

Still no response.

Hiccup peeked beneath the covers to find Astrid sound asleep. He considered waking her, but she looked too peaceful to disturb. Her lips were ever-so-slightly curved into a smile, her hands clutched a fluffy pillow, and her chest rose and fell with each soft breath she took. Clearly she needed the extra rest, and clearly she was comfortable snuggled amongst his bedding.

Sighing, Hiccup reached over and tugged the covers back up to her nose. He then set an alarm on his phone so she wouldn’t miss her game and headed towards the door. But as soon as he had his hand on the knob, he glanced over at Astrid one last time. She made his oversized bed look so cozy, so inviting, that he slowly turned around. Biting his lip, he climbed in next to her, cautiously rested his chin on her shoulder, and closed his eyes.

Breakfast could wait.

[suphoshi]

TEMPERED GLASS | Park Chanyeol x female reader

Genre:  Angst, some fluff

Warnings: possible triggers for anyone with anxiety/panic disorders, a few bad words... can’t really think of anything else

Word count: 6,594

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast.

It is not proud. It does not dishonor others.

It is not self-seeking.

It is not easily angered.

It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.

It always protects. Always trusts. Always hopes. Always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Love never fails. It doesn’t. It can’t. How could it fail? You have Chanyeol. You have him, so you have everything. So why are you empty? His body in the same bed as you, but where was his soul? Your tears filling the shower, answer-less prayers to feel his touch. Did he smile? Did he ever smile, or was it a dream? No, if anything it was a nightmare. He said he loved you. He did. Didn’t he? He said it before, you can remember his voice, down on one knee. Love never fails.

Right?

The voice in your head is too loud, and you just want Chanyeol to kiss you

-

Chanyeol used to be your favorite Sunday morning. Light streaming through the window, arm draped over your waist, soft snores in your ear. It was the best sound you had ever heard because it came from the person you loved the most on earth. You’d run your hands through his thick, messy hair and wake him up with kisses on his cheek. His dimples would sink in with a smile and eventually he’d pounce on you, kissing you everywhere but your lips. He tickled your soul in so many ways, made a home out of his heart just for you.

“I love you.”

You missed those days, where your biggest worry was making dinner, hoping he would like it despite the fact that you couldn’t cook for anything.

Now you worried about everything.

‘Will he come home tonight?’, ‘Is he working?’, ‘Has he eaten?’, ‘Who is he talking to?’, ‘Why doesn’t he smile anymore?’

The endless stream of questions barraged your thoughts from the second you woke up in the morning to the second you closed your eyes at night. It was maddening.

At first, he just got home late, always pushed it off as being busy, telling you he missed you. Always kissing you goodnight. Then the busy days turned to busy weeks. Then to busy months. You couldn’t remember the last time he even said goodnight, let alone kissed you.

You could feel your soul splitting day by day, a piece of you missing in every moment that went by where he didn’t speak to you. It felt like a punishment, the deafening silence he thrust upon you, but you didn’t know what you did to deserve it. Didn’t know when your Chanyeol became something that was no longer yours.

“I’m working late this week.” He said quietly, interrupting the ever-constant thoughts racing through your mind. You sat cross legged on the bed, picking at the chipped nail polish on your toes, looking up to find him pulling a hoodie over his head.

“Oh?” It’s all you could form over the sinking feeling in your heart, chest deflating at the thought of another night alone. It wasn’t any better than him being there, backs facing each other while you slept, no words, no warmth, but still. At least he was there.

He simply hummed in response before pulling a beanie over his head and grabbing his phone. He didn’t even spare you a glance, let alone a goodbye before walking out of the room. He used to lay in bed with you before work, holding you tight to his chest, milking every second he could before he had to leave. He’d tell you over and over how much he loved you, how he wished he could stay home forever.

The cold you felt around you now when you heard the front door open and close now was almost numbing. Almost.

You walked into the bathroom and somehow found the will to turn the shower on. The hot water was scalding, but that was okay because at least it took your thoughts away from spending another night alone. You stood under he steaming stream until you felt too dizzy to stand, then you sat until the water turned cold, tears mixing with the drops that pooled down your cheeks, fear gripping you like a knife when there was nothing left to distract you from the thoughts in your head.

‘Is my marriage over?’, ‘Does he hate me?’, ‘Will he leave?’

You pressed your hands over your ears and pulled your knees to your chest, sobs wracking through you like a freight train. Your throat grew hoarse while you sat there, crying to an empty house that didn’t used to feel so empty, body shaking until you felt hollow inside, your heart a rattling sack that pushed blood through barren vessels.

Chanyeol was supposed to love you forever.

“I got you a surprise, don’t look.”

You closed your eyes as if you could relive the memory again. Held out your hand in the shower like you did years ago when he asked for it. You could almost feel him placing the ring on your left hand and opened your eyes to see where it laid now, recalled every moment of that night like it was your favorite movie.

“You are the only person who can handle me. At my best and my worst. You love me like I love you. And I want to love you forever.”

You smiled at the diamond that you’d never taken off, the thought of his words alone causing a shiver to run down your spine. It broke your heart. You covered your mouth and bit back the next wave of tears that begged to take over, the ring suddenly feeling too heavy, too meaningless. ‘How can I make him love me again?’

“Marry me?”

His smile. Down on one knee in front of you, eyes glowing, heart racing. You couldn’t recall the last time you saw him smile like that.

Chanyeol was supposed to love you forever. The thought that he didn’t anymore broke something so deep inside that you wished to feel empty. Wished you could float down the drain with all of the water that trickled around you and never come back up, a single drop of water lost in an ocean full of wonders, a place where you could hide from reality, hide from the devastation that was your life.

Instead, you pulled yourself off of the shower floor, turned the water off, and stood in front of the mirror. You went through the motions of brushing your teeth, combing your hair. You touched your cheeks and pushed your lips up into a smile that immediately fell when you moved your hands away. ‘You can be happy this way’, ‘you can love him even if he doesn’t love you’.

You should have put clothes on and gone grocery shopping. Cleaned the house. Done the laundry. Read a book. You stared at your broken reflection in the mirror and wondered how easy it would have been to break the glass, something to match how you felt inside. Something to make you feel a little less alone.

No, you couldn’t find the strength to do anything but crawl into bed naked, will yourself to sleep, and dream of Chanyeol’s smile.

-

Mornings were pretty dull when Chanyeol stayed at the studio. Sure, you barely spoke anymore, but at least when he was home you would drink coffee together. Even if it was in silence, you preferred it to staring at the empty space in front of you.

You pulled out your phone as you poured yourself a bowl of cereal and texted him.

To; Chanyeol [ 08:45 ];

Are you coming home tonight? I was going to make tacos for dinner!

You smiled as you pressed send, remembering an old forgotten Tuesday tradition. Taco Tuesdays with Chanyeol used to consist of watching a movie and seeing who could eat the most before the end (winner got a back rub). It was the first time in so long that you got giddy about seeing him. The idea of curling up beside him on the couch while he put on some scary movie that he had already seen a billion times, but wanted to watch one more because he thought it was funny to see you afraid – it made your heart swell three sizes. You would sit on the edge of the couch gripping his leg, free hand plastered over your eyes even though they were cracked just enough for you to see every single stupid moment.

“I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. Why is she so stupid?! Why is she going in there?”

Chanyeol would laugh while you whined, hold you when you screamed. Sometimes, when the movie was quiet, he would grip your sides to scare you and you would turn around and hit him. He’d grab your hands and pull your lips to his, kiss your dramatic tears away.

“You’re such a baby.”

His deep voice resonating through your chest pressed against his. You’d pout your lip and he’d kiss you again.

“I love you.”

Your phone buzzed against the table and just like that, the fog of a happy memory was replaced by the all familiar cloud of disappointment.

Chanyeol [ 08:56 ];

Still have a lot to work on with the album. Probably won’t come home until tomorrow. Sorry

You slumped over the table and took three deep breaths, told yourself it would be okay, repeated it over and over like a mantra, as if you could speak it into reality. You told yourself that Chanyeol was just busy and it wasn’t you. Sometimes people can have space and still be okay and just because you didn’t see him every day, or kiss him every night, or touch him anymore, that didn’t mean you weren’t still his favorite person like you used to be.

‘Were you ever his favorite person?’

It was hard to breathe over the sobs that clawed up your throat, hand gripping your phone like you could get through to Chanyeol with that action alone. You wanted to shake him back to reality, show him what he was doing to you, but couldn’t he already see? Couldn’t he tell what he was doing?

You couldn’t control that anguish that gripped you as you sat up and stuffed a spoon full of Rice Krispies into your mouth, closing your eyes while you prayed away the sadness. Each bite you swallowed choked the tears back down, but blood still rushed through your ears with turmoil and betrayal like it never had. When you stared down at the milk that remained, all you could think of was the pieces of your heart that laid scattered around the too big house you were in, so many that you didn’t know how to put it back together again. You felt shattered. Damaged.

You’d never felt so lonely.

-

The next morning started like this – Chanyeol texted you an apology with no context.

Chanyeol [ 07:33 ];

I’m sorry

It was instant, the ache that settled in your bones and you immediately tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail. Hands shaking as thoughts raked through your mind, anxiousness taking hold of your nerves and twisting them around like play-dough. You sat up on the edge of the bed and stared at the carpet, wondering what he would apologize for.

‘For not coming home?’, ‘For everything else?’

You shook your head and stood up, almost walking away to go to the bathroom when the text messages started flooding in. Your phone buzzed wildly on your pillow and even though the coward in you wanted to turn away, you couldn’t help but reach back for it instead. It was your sister, your friends. Your mom.

-Chanyeol broke up with you?

-Why is Chanyeol with another girl?

-What is going on with you and Chanyeol?

-Have you seen this article?

You were clicking on it with blind anger and fear, fingers shaking as you scrolled through picture after picture of Chanyeol with a girl you had never met. In his car, outside of his studio, her kissing his cheek, her hand on his arm while he smiled at her, something genuine that you hadn’t seen in so long. For a second, you forgot to be angry, simply happy to see that he could actually smile and it wasn’t just something you made up in your head.

But then the rage hit. Jealousy thrashed in your chest; how could he smile at her but not you? You stared at the girl’s hand on his arm and wished more than anything you could snatch it away, wanted to burn away her touch with your own, as if anyone could touch him like you did. Instead you dialed Chanyeol’s number again.

No answer.

You threw your phone at the wall and ran into the bathroom, bent over with your head between your knees to try and calm the panic you felt yourself surging inside. The world felt like it was turning upside down. Like you were being burned out of the life you built with Chanyeol, as if he had the right to leave when he was the one who said you meant everything.

“I want to love you forever”

You dropped into a squat and covered your face with your hands, so tired of crying, though the tears just wouldn’t stop coming.

‘How could he do that?’, ‘How could he lie?’, ‘How could he tell you he loved you and then lie?’

You screamed into the empty room and slammed your hands down on the floor, falling to your knees with more sobs then you could handle.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair… You pounded your fists into the linoleum as if you could smash the anger through the floor, bury it in the earth and leave it there forever. Your forehead pressed onto the cold surface beneath your hands and you begged for it all to go away. You just wanted everything to stop, you just wanted to breathe like you did when Chanyeol used to hug you.

An hour passed and you walked back to the bedroom, grabbing your phone off the floor (screen surprisingly unbroken). There were no missed calls. Only more text messages from people who were more concerned about your relationship than they were about your mental health.

You waited the entire day for some kind of follow-up to his apology. An explanation. Absolutely fucking anything. You waited for hours, sat at the kitchen table, hands balled into fists so tight that your nails dug small crescents into your palms. Eventually you moved to the living room, vacuumed to keep busy, mopped the floor, washed the dishes.

You were scrubbing the kitchen counter when he walked through the door. You threw the washcloth down and walked to him, ready to bring your fury down on him like a storm, but the second you saw his face, all of your anger disappeared.

The dark circles housed under his eyes had grown more prominent in the two days since you’d seen him. His hair was a mess, coffee stains on his shirt, looking smaller than he ever had. Defeated.

“Yeol?” You mumbled, standing up straight. His eyes met yours for barely a second, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, before walking to the fridge. He pulled out left-overs from a few nights before and threw them in the microwave before walking into the bedroom. You followed after him despite the voice in your head telling you to leave him alone, like he left you.

He peeled his shirt off and sat on the edge of the bed, eyes drooping like he was going to fall asleep right there.

You walked towards him and pressed your hand to his cheek. When he nuzzled into it and closed his eyes, your heart broke. You grabbed his hand and pulled him to stand up in front of you. It wasn’t sexual in the slightest, the way you pulled off his belt and unzipped his pants, pulling them down so he was left in his boxers. You guided him to the bathroom and turned on the shower, standing with his hand in yours beside you while you tested the temperature, only adjusting it slightly before turning back around.

He looked so tired and innocent, you couldn’t help but press a kiss to his cheek before you pulled down his boxers and ushered him under the water. You helped him wash from head to toe, ignoring the way you got completely soaked in the process and solely focused on making sure he was clean. Once you were finished, you pulled him out and dried him off, lead him back to the bedroom. You pulled a fresh t-shirt over his head and helped him step into a new pair of boxers before walking him back to the kitchen, sitting him down and making him eat the leftovers he heated.

You completely forgot about the pictures. The apology.

‘Tomorrow, it can wait until tomorrow’

He ate his food in silence and you had to nudge him three times to wake him up, but eventually, he finished everything. You walked him to bed, laid him down, pulled the covers up over him and ran your fingers through his hair, pressing a kiss to his forehead, then walked out to the kitchen to clean up.

It was only then that the ache settled in your chest. He was right there, one room away, and you missed him so much that it took your breath away. You wanted to cry again, scream, but instead you got in the shower, washed away the sadness and climbed into bed beside him.

You wanted to watch him sleep forever. Wanted to reach out and touch him, wrap your arms around him, kiss him, but you didn’t. You didn’t know how to do those things anymore without worrying. Wondering what the next day would bring.

You were just about to roll over when he reached out and wrapped his arms around your waist. You froze, scared he was asleep and that you would wake him up if you moved. It was the first time he had held you in months, you didn’t want to ruin that, even if it was unintentional.

“I love you.”

You thought it was your imagination, his words often echoing through your mind from past memories, but no. That was real. You looked at him with glassy eyes, wondering if he said it in his sleep, but then his eyes opened to meet yours.

“I love you.” He repeated. You bit your lip to keep from crying, but he kissed you despite that, then crushed you into his chest. Your hands gripped his shirt, holding onto him for dear life, as if he would disappear any second. You had to keep him there, had to fight for him, had to keep the Chanyeol who loved you because it was the only thing that made sense.

Sleep found you only minutes later, and you didn’t have to dream of his arms. Instead you dreamt of his voice.

-

You woke up the next morning to Chanyeol pulling his arms away from you.

Well- ripping them away, flustered and cursing, moving around the room too quick for your tired eyes to keep up with.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” You asked, sitting up and rubbing at your face.

“I’m late.” He snapped, yanking on a sweatshirt and pulling a pair of sweats on.

You sighed and sat up on your knees. “It’s okay, you can afford to be late one day, I’m sure.”

It was like the air was sucked out of the room with that one sentence, and he stood up straight, looking at you with such ferocity that you wanted to melt into the bed beneath you.

“You don’t have a fucking clue what I can and can’t afford right now!” He shot out, and your breath hitched at the harshness of his words.

Sure, you barely had real conversations anymore and you didn’t really kiss or smile with eachother, but Chanyeol was never mean to you. And he never yelled, not at you.

You wrung your fingers and swallowed the lump in your throat.

“Well, just… Calm down. Freaking out isn’t going to help.” You said softly and he rolled his eyes.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He was grabbing his phone off of the nightstand and pulling a hat onto his head when your fears from the day before flooded into your soul again.

‘Who was she?’, ‘Why is he so mad?’

“Are you cheating on me?” You asked quietly and his head snapped towards you, eyes narrowing.

“What?”

Your blood was boiling. Skin itching with irritation. After how you took care of him the night before, despite all of the stories you heard, he was going to treat you like that?

“I said, are you cheating on me?” Your words were stronger that time, firm.

You didn’t expect the empty laugh that left his lips, the eye roll. The obvious annoyance.

“You’re so fucking stupid.” He mumbled, walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

The rage rolled through you in waves. Fire burned through your chest. Your arms moved on autopilot, picking up the wedding picture on the night stand beside you and throwing it at the door he had just left through, a frustrated cry coming out like a strangled scream as the glass shattered on the floor. You half expected him to come back to make sure you were okay but heard the unmistakable opening and closing of the front door and felt exactly like the glass that lay splintered on the bedroom floor.

It took you hours to piece yourself together enough to climb out of bed. Hours to stop crying. The life you were trapped in was so exhausting, and you were tired of pretending you could fix it. Tired of letting Chanyeol ruin you. The constant resentment he tossed around when you had done nothing wrong, the never-ending insecurities he let run through you like a stampede.

You were sick of trying to make him love you again.

“Marry me?”

You were sick of trying to force the memories of your love back into him, trying to make him remember that you were his everything once when he was still yours.

‘Were you ever his everything?’

The thought made you nauseous. It felt like your heart no longer belonged to you, tethered in Chanyeol’s palm by a leash that only he had control of. You just wanted to feel free again.

You stepped over the pile of glass and walked out to the front door, pulling your shoes on. You called your sister and told her you needed her, and she’s your sister, so she picked you up fifteen minutes later, let you sob for thirsty minutes total before driving to a nearby restaurant and parking the car, turning towards you with too much sincerity and pity in her eyes. You hated it.

“You need a drink.”

-

Chanyeol was never one to outright complain about you being drunk, but if he was honest with himself, he hated it. You were obnoxiously loud and touchy, whining about anything and everything, talking faster than he could keep up with about things that made no sense. It was annoying. And he really didn’t have time for it. At all.

It was a really big week, the album was so close to finished, but it wasn’t perfect. He needed it to be perfect, the group couldn’t afford to disappoint anyone. They were all working so hard, practicing every day, writing until their fingers bled, fighting with the company for direction. It was too important.

Still. You were his wife. When your sister called – “she needs you” – he couldn’t say no. Even after you had both fought that morning, and he wasn’t particularly happy to see you, he got into his car and said he would be there in thirty.

He watched from across the street, you sitting on the curb outside of the bar with your sister’s arm draped around your shoulders. She brushed your hair out of your face and you smiled at her like she was actual sunshine. He rolled his eyes and pulled his seat belt off despite the butterflies he got in his stomach and waited for a break in traffic before jogging across the street.

“Hey,” He said, signaling his presence and both you and your sister looked up.

“Sorry.” Your sister mumbled, and you looked at her with your eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t ever be sorry, not ever to anyone. We don’t have to be sorry, never.” You said wrapping your arms around her head and hugging her to your chest. She laughed and patted your back, peeling your arms away. Chanyeol’s hands wrapped around yours and pulled you to your feet, your hands resting on his chest to steady yourself. He sighed as he grabbed your waist, holding you upright.

“Do you need a ride home?” He asked your sister and she shook her head.

“I’ll get a taxi. You guys go.”

He couldn’t help the annoyance that overtook him when he realized she stuck you with him on purpose. She gave Chanyeol an annoyed smirk, peering up at him through narrowed eyes.

“Don’t make my sister cry again.” She whispered for only him to hear and he nodded in reply. Your sister tended to be a pretty scary person, so he didn’t want to cross her. She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving him alone with you.

When he looked down, you were staring up at him with the dopiest smile on your face. You pinched his cheeks and he sighed. He was so cute. He wrapped his hands around your wrists and dragged you across the street to his car, helping you into the front seat. He reached across you to buckle your seat belt, ignoring the way you touched him, pressed kisses to his neck. He abruptly pulled away and you stared at him dejectedly. When he shut your door, you turned on the radio and adjusted your seat back, staring out the window.

‘He rejected me?’, ‘How do you reject your wife?’

You felt so stupid. Getting drunk on a Wednesday, so drunk in fact, that your own sister couldn’t stand to be with you. No one could stand you, not ever, and that thought broke your heart.

Chanyeol noticed nothing of it. In fact, he relished in the silence, completely not expecting it to the usual tirade you went on after drinking. He wanted to make it all the way home, just like that, hoping to avoid an argument at all costs. He preferred when you both didn’t speak because at least it was quiet. He like the quiet.

When he pulled into the driveway, a satisfied smile found his cheeks. He thought you must have been asleep, but when he moved to turn the car off and unbuckle his seat belt, he noticed your hand covering your eyes, unmistakable tears trailing down your chin while you sniffled silently, chest stuttering with sobs he had been deaf to.

He reached over to grab your hand, but you pulled it away, yanked off your seat belt and climbed out of the car before he could even touch you. You stumbled inside and threw your shoes off in the entry way, Chanyeol one step behind.

“Y/n-” he started, but you whipped around and pressed your finger to his lips while you shushed him, tears still falling freely.

“Don’t talk to me.” You said, eyes bleeding the anger you felt, stumbling back towards your bedroom without another word.

Chanyeol was speechless. For the first time in your entire relationship. He stared after you in the entry way, unsure of what to think.

You loved talking when you were drunk, yet the only words you said to him were ‘don’t talk to me’. Is that why he missed your voice all of a sudden? Why he craved to hear you speak again?

You were one step into the room when you remembered your fatal mistake, but it was too late. You never cleaned up the glass from that morning and multiple shards jabbed their way into your heel, eliciting a scream from you.

“Ow!” You stumbled back, tears immediately falling as you pulled your foot up. Chanyeol was there in seconds, immediately assessing the situation and lifting you into his arms. He carried you to the kitchen and sat you up on the counter, crouching down to look at your foot.

“Let me see it.” He said, fingers moving up to touch one of the smaller pieces that jutted out.

“Don’t touch it, please!” You yelled through a sob, pushing his hands away.

“Babe, I have to touch it, there’s glass in there, it could get infected.” He said softly, still looking at your foot and prodding at it, only causing more pain. You gripped his shoulder and shook your head vehemently.

“No, no, no, please. It’s okay, it’s okay, it won’t get infected, it’ll be okay!” You wiped the tears from your eyes in an attempt to prove to him it was no major wound, but you knew it wouldn’t work, the dramatics already displayed.

He looked up at you, serious. “So, if it gets infected and you die, what should I do then? You want me to just be alone?”

He stood up and walked towards the cabinet that housed the expired first aid kit you bought 2 years before when you moved in.

“It’s not like you’d care.” You mumbled, wiping at your eyes again with the back for your wrist. He looked up at you, confused, and chuckled half-heartedly, dismissing your comment with a roll of his eyes.

“I wouldn’t care?” He repeated, turning back towards you and going through the small kit.

You shook your head ‘no’ and he saw it out of the corner of his eye, still determined to find the tools he needed. “You don’t love me anymore, so you would be okay.”

That time he chuckled for real, caught off guard by your statement. “I don’t love you? What are you talking about?”

He turned back, tweezers in hand, and grabbed your ankle, but you barely noticed. He looked up when he realized you weren’t making a scene like he expected, watched your eyebrows furrow together while you wrung your fingers together, anxiousness and worry on full display. The sight of you broke something inside of him. The genuine tears that rolled down your cheeks.

“You don’t tell me you love me anymore. You don’t kiss me.” A small sob broke from your throat and his heart skipped a beat. “You called me stupid this morning, after I took care of you last night. And you don’t even feel sorry. And I had a right to be angry, I have a right to be pissed at you!”

He sighed and closed his eyes, unable to look at you like that anymore. He started picking out the pieces of glass one by one, listening to the soft sobs that escaped you, each one a blow to his chest he had never felt before.

“I don’t even know what I did, Yeol. I feel like I’m nothing to you anymore. That’s how I feel.”

He wanted you to shut up. To stop saying such useless, unimaginable things.

“And you’re seeing another girl! I can’t believe you were smiling with her; you never smile at me anymore!” You couldn’t stop now, ready to get everything you wanted out on the table.

He was wrapping your foot with gauze, annoyance reaching a boiling point as you flailed your arms around dramatically, pointing at him and yelling.

“If you want to leave me, then you should just do it. Okay? But don’t embarrass me by sneaking around with another girl. I’ll be fine, I am a strong woman, I don’t nee-“

Chanyeol cut you off, hands wrapped under your knees and pulling you to the edge of the counter, his lips against yours shutting you up effectively. It was so unexpected, the words he stole from you as if they were his own, claiming every bit of oxygen in your lungs with is tongue against yours, his hands on your thighs, skin against skin. You missed his touch more than anything. Your arms wrapped around his neck, letting him take every piece of you he wanted, teeth skimming against your lower lip, his cinnamon breath taking over all of your senses. You wanted to drown in him, all those tears swirling down the drain now nonexistent, the will to fight for him renewing inside of you.

You whimpered into the kiss and he smiled, wrapping your legs around his waist, and pulling you up off the counter. His lips never left yours as he moved back towards the bedroom, a constant you weren’t sure you could lose again, but you pulled away, looking back.

“Watch out for the-”

“Glass.” He breathed out, catching your lips again as he stepped over the pile in front of the door.

Every bit of you wanted him, mind finally silent from worry, heart content as he laid you back on the bed and climbed on top of you. He pulled his shirt off and kissed your neck, that space below your ear that he knew was so sensitive for you. The peppered kisses he trailed from your neck to your lips brought you home, for the first time in so long. Chanyeol was Sunday mornings again, his hands sliding up your shirt, your body melting with his like you were made for him. You bled for him, cried for him, the oxygen that carried through your veins was only his.

He pulled away for the first time in what felt like hours, eyes meeting yours with so much passion that you wanted to fall into him. You wanted to fall into his arms and let him hold you forever, this boy who had every piece of your soul.

“I love you.” You whispered.

Tears filled your eyes and he swallowed hard, eyes frenzied and confused.

“I need you.”

His words were whispered and rushed and not what you were expecting, but you gave him everything. You gave him every piece of the already fractured glass heart that you had left and let him build a castle for himself, a kingdom you weren’t sure he was ready to let you in. Let him ruin you from head to toe, mold you like you imagined Alexandros of Antioch molded the Venus de Milo, in the image he wanted, everything he needed. You wanted to be his everything again. You had to be.

-

The next morning, you woke up with your naked legs tangled with Chanyeol’s, his arm draped over your waist, head nuzzled into your hair. You felt so complete again, unlike the hollow shell you usually felt like, one who held the place of his wife. You felt wanted. You felt remade.

Time ticked by too quickly, the fear of him leaving for work nearly suffocating. So, you listened to him breathe. Distracted yourself with the soft snores that flowed from him like your favorite melody. Drowned out your never ceasing thoughts with the smell of his shampoo so close. You memorized the way his fingers felt against your skin, both soft and rough at the same time, so hard working and full of love.

The sound of his phone buzzing broke everything. You pretended to sleep when Chanyeol got up, turning back to grab his phone from the nightstand. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but birds chirped outside of the window. You wondered what it would be like to be one of them. He sat up on the side of the bed and answered the call.

You listened to him talk, listened to him whisper words of apology to someone that you didn’t know. Listened to him lie about where he was and wondered why he should have to lie. You were his wife. He should be lying to you, not the other woman.

“Mina, it’s nothing, really. I’m in the car, I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Wait for me.”

Every piece of life was sucked out of you at the sound of her name.

Mina.

A name to the face who was stealing your husband. A name to the face of the woman who made him smile.

‘Wait for me.’

‘Did he ever smile at you like that?’

He sighed and stayed still for a few moments. You felt him look back towards you once. Twice.

‘Please don’t go’, ‘Please don’t go’, ‘Please don’t go’

Your eyes filled with tears, begging him to hear your heart, begging him to pull you back into his chest and not get out of the bed.

When he moved to push himself up, you rolled over and grabbed his hand.

His eyes down on you, so empty. How had things gotten here?

“Please don’t go.” You whispered.

His eyebrows scrunched together and he sighed, rubbing his face with his free hand.

“I’ll be back tonight.” He mumbled, and it felt like a shot to the heart. “I promise.”

You didn’t let go of his wrist. “Please.” Couldn’t let go. It felt like the end, and it was too real. It was all too real.

He looked at you and sighed, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead. “I promise.”

He muttered the words one more time before pulling his hand from yours and getting dressed.

It felt like you were watching a movie. A life flashing before you that you didn’t know. A man you had never seen. He walked out without a goodbye and you didn’t break. Tempered glass doesn’t do that. It shatters in spiderwebs, no ragged edges to fall apart, just broken pieces locked together that can’t be put back together again. A damaged piece of hardware no one could fix, not even Chanyeol.

The birds outside were chirping and again, you wondered what it must be like to fly away.

-

Chanyeol came home that night to the house dark. Every piece of you was missing; your clothes, your notebooks, the stupid clock you bought the year before that was in the shape of a cat that he hated more than anything.

He tried calling you over and over, but you never answered. Your sister refused to tell him anything - “I told you to stop making her cry.”

Your ring sat on his pillow; a note written beneath it that he couldn’t find the courage to read.

“I love you.” You whispered to him at some grocery store years before. He laughed and looked around.

“Why now?” He questioned and you rolled your eyes, shoulders shrugging.

“Not just now. Forever.”

The smile on your face, something he loved more than anything. He knew right then that he would die for you.

“Forever.” He repeated.

The house was empty, no longer a home since you were gone. Cold. Dark. Hell.

You were gone.

-

A/N: Guys!!!! My third fic!!! Let a girl know what ya think, I’m honestly really proud of this one and really really hope I can hear from you all about it ~~ SO SO SO much love, any feedback is appreciated!!!

P.S. i’ve got a part 2 kickin for this one :):):):):):)

[talkfastromance4]

A Year in the Making--Posy’s book (Luke&Lily universe)

Copyright talkfastromance4 © All works is intellectual property of the author. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction or any part or all contents in any form is prohibited. You may not, without written expression and consent from the author, distribute works amongst other social media platforms

Word count: 3.3k

Warnings: mentions of casual drinking

a/n: Here it is! I had so much fun writing about our latest addition to the Luke&Lily universe with baby Posy. Thank you all so much for loving this family as much as I do, they hold a special place in my heart. I appreciate your feedback and thoughts very much :)

donate to my ko-fi here :)

Masterlist

Luke&Lily Masterlist

Enjoy! :)

• • • •

It’s the day of Posy’s first birthday (even though the actual day is in two days on Tuesday) the birthday girl is currently down for her midmorning nap and you’re looking through her baby book. You’ve been very reminiscent the past couple days leading up to your baby girl’s birthday and couldn’t think of a better way to walk down memory lane by pulling out her pale pink book with gold bunnies on the cover.

The first page listed her name, birth date, size, weight and time of her birth followed by an inked hand and footprint. Her hospital bracelet is taped along the bottom as well. On the next page are pictures of your growing bump that sprouted into your precious little Posy.

You still remember the day you discovered you were pregnant. You were at work and it was only midday, you’d had a migraine all morning then while you were organizing papers you turned quickly to your trash can and got sick. With a sigh, you thought you’d feel better, but the nausea still lingered.

As you walked to the breakroom to get a fresh glass of cold water, stomach still rolling, you stopped in your tracks. This was how your pregnancy with Lily started, intense migraines, throwing up and just thinking of it, your breasts felt especially tender. After taking a drink of your water you decided to get a few pregnancy tests on your way home from work. Luke would be picking Lily up from preschool, so you’d have plenty of time to stop at the pharmacy and take the tests.

Several hours later, you were staring at two blue lines on three pregnancy sticks. You were filled with elation and pure joy that there was a new life forming that was one-part you and one-part Luke. You hadn’t been trying or even discussed having a baby, but you felt right and knew Luke would be equally as happy.

You turn the page, flipping through the first twelve months of Posy’s milestones.

One month:

-Whenever there’s music playing, Posy constantly moves her head from side to side as if she’s dancing along to the beat. She sleeps fairly well throughout the night

-She loves staring at the fans and zeroes in on our faces when mama and dada are talking to her. Starting to recognize Lily’s voice who loves to sing to her throughout the day

-Dada loves staring at his girl, he enjoys laying Posy on his chest, tapping his fingers up and down Posy’s back. That’s when she sleeps the best

There’s a photo of Posy resting on Luke’s bare chest, her little lips pursed and her hand in a tiny fist. You remember this day when you took the photo; Posy wouldn’t stop crying until Luke took her from your arms after coming in from a quick jog. Feeling the warmth of his chest made her instantly relax and pair it with his singing voice, she calmed down in moments and fell right to sleep.

Two months:

-Posy is very wiggly! Starts wiggling when one of us enters her room in the morning or after a nap

-She always smiles when Lily talks/sings to her

-Dada loves playing peek-a-boo with Posy even though she doesn’t understand it all too well. She gives him a gummy smile whenever he kisses her fists

-Posy Mae is such a smiley girl when mama has some one on one time with her, it’s our little secret when mama sings to her

The best way to get her down for a nap is by rocking her in her chair and singing softly in her ear. That’s when you spend your time with her and sing a song your own mother sang to you when you were younger. Luke was the singer in the family but for Posy and Lily? You have no problem singing for them because they won’t judge your voice.

One day while you were doing just that, and Luke caught you. He was walking by to get a snack for Lily when he heard you quietly singing in Posy’s room. When he peeked around the corner he saw Posy snuggled into your arms, you with your eyes closed and singing a very calming lullaby to her. He’s only heard you sing a handful of times and each time you stopped in embarrassment but now he listened with such attention and love in his heart.

Three months:

-Posy is a very giggly girl! First time she giggled was when dada was talking to her in a very thick Australian accent. Uncle Ashton is prone to making her giggle as well by pretending to eat her toes

-When upset, Posy loves to be comforted by both mama and dada.

-Posy loves tummy time and can lift her head up all by herself! Lily and Petunia enjoy doing tummy time with her as well and plays with her musical toys. Her own babble has started, and Lily loves to talk with her, telling her stories

Four months:

-Uncle Ashton was over and while Posy was sitting in his lap she reached for a chip he had in his hand before he could snag it back she popped it in her mouth. She made a face at the salty flavor and Ashton laughed which caused her to giggle with him. Loves Uncle Ash and that’s the first time he’s made her laugh

-While on tummy time, Posy rolled over onto her back to grab Petunia’s paw. Lily witnessed it and shouted at us “Mama! Dada! Look at Po!”

The photo you have is of Lily and Posy snuggled up on the fluffy blanket in the living room. Posy is smiling wide at the camera, and Posy’s hair is getting longer and curlier, her dimple more prominent. Her personality was really starting to show at this time. She’s grabbing more things and loves playing with Luke’s phone or his necklaces.

She’s still such a cuddle bug with Luke, always snuggling with him when he gets home from the studio and that’s how her nickname of love bug.

Five months:

Here’s a photo of Calum, Lily and Posy when he babysat for you and Luke so you could have a date night. Posy was worked up the whole time while you and Luke were away. Lily kept trying to help Cal calm her down, but Posy is fussy and throws whatever Lily tried to give her.

“Mama and dada sing to her,” Lily told him with her ears covered.

“What do mama and dada sing to her?” Calum asked while bouncing her in his arms.

“Frozen or million dreams,” Lily told him then ran away to Posy’s room. Calum huffed and continued to walk around the living room with Posy, singing what he remembered of Frozen songs when Lily returned with Posy’s elephant.

“Thanks, Lils,” Calum smiled and handed it to Posy. “Come on bug, please stop crying for Uncle Cal.”

Not long after, you and Luke returned looking glittery-eyed from your date.

“What have you done to our baby?” Luke asked tugging you in by your hand. Upon hearing his voice, Posy lifted her wailing head from Calum’s shoulder and zeroed in on Luke, she reached for him instantly. “C’mere, Posy girl,” he coos taking his daughter from his best friend’s arms. “What’s got you so upset, hm?”

“I hope she wasn’t like this for you all night,” you told Calum while Lily hugged your waist. “You should be in bed little missy.”

“Po hurt my ears, mama,” Lily pouted, and you gave Calum an apologetic look.

“She was—how did you get her to sleep?!” Calum asked dumbfounded when he sees Posy snoozing away on Luke’s shoulder.

“I’m her dad,” Luke smiled kissing the top of her curls.

Six/seven months:

-When Posy girl is excited she starts to scream and babble, usually when Lily does something or they’re playing

-She loves being by Uncle Ash because he always takes her on little “adventures” which is just walking around the backyard of anyone’s house. (photo of them sleeping on his hammock)

-She can sit on her own, puts anything and everything in her reach into her mouth, loves to “dance” on dada’s legs while he holds her up

-Loves playing peek-a-boo with Lily and Ashton

-Tries to imitate dada when he’s singing his head voice around the house and dada always picks her up so they can sing together

At Christmas time she loves playing with the wrapping paper and enjoys the excitement of seeing her whole family in one day. She and Lily wear matching dresses and Lily is a big help in opening her younger sister’s presents.

Eight months:

-Posy crawls like lightning now, gets into everything and we have had to put Petunia’s food bowl up. Dada found Posy playing in it and was just about to shove the food into her mouth when he caught her

-Responds to her name (Posy and Po)

-Uncle Ashton introduced her to his drumsticks and she discovered the game of dropping them on the floor just so he can pick them up and hand them to her

Nine months:

-Posy has learned to wave ‘buh-bye’ to everyone she sees, does it to Lily when dropping her off at Cory’s. Dada taught her that, so he always waves ‘buh-bye’ to her

-Discovered her reflection while looking in mama’s mirror. Posy crawled super-fast to the mirror and smacked the reflection, shrieking in excitement pointing to herself

Ten/eleven months:

-Pulls herself up on her own and dances against the couch while Lily twirls around her when they’re watching Frozen or Moana. When the uncles are over, she stands by each one then motions ‘up’ for them to cuddle her until she gets bored and slips down to move onto the next one. (Still seems to favor Uncle Ash because he “gives the best cuddles”)

-Her curls are getting curlier and a little longer, looks more like her dada every day and loves to walk with his fingers holding onto her hands. Becoming a little daredevil by trying to climb on things

On this page is a collection of photos of Posy and Lily together. They’re snuggling on your bed, dressed in pretty dresses with flowers in their hair from a small photoshoot with Andy and Sarah. Even though Posy is eleven months old, she and Lily are becoming friends and great sisters.

One year

You got to the last page of her book with scrawling letters in the bottom reading “one year old” and a space above it to place a photo when Luke entered your room.

“Hey lovie, people are starting to arrive,” he announces then sits next to you on the bed. “What’re you looking at?”

“Posy’s baby book,” you smile flipping through the pages. “I can’t believe it’s been a year already.”

“I know, I don’t want her to get any bigger,” Luke chuckles perusing through the book himself. “You make the most beautiful babies, you know that? Look at you right from the start when you were showing. I loved your little bump.”

You rest your cheek on his shoulder watching him flip through the pages you’ve already seen again, sighing. He stops on some pages to read what you’ve written down.

“They’re both getting so big,” you mumble sadly.

“And they get more beautiful every day,” he turns his head so he can kiss your forehead, “just like their mama.”

You smile at his compliments, feeling your cheeks warm as you incline your head to kiss his lips.

“Thank you. Is Pose up?”

“I heard her talking to herself when I walked by, figured I’d give her a couple minutes to wake up. We should get her though, Ashton’s arrived.”

“Let’s go get our baby,” you sigh setting her baby book on your bed. Luke pulls you up by your hands, gives you a tender kiss and pulls you from the room.

You hear distant chatter downstairs, Lily’s, Ashton’s and Calum’s combined. When you push open the door Posy is standing in her crib then beams a bright smile to you and Luke.

“Hi Posy girl!” you greet her happily.

“Mum! Daa!” she shrieks, her little arms reaching for you as you pull her from the crib.

“Hi, love bug,” Luke smiles at her and kisses her cheek. “Did you have a good nap?”

She babbles in response while you lay her down on the changing table and Luke gets her little swimsuit that resembles a ladybug. It was a warm day, so you decided to have a pool day in celebration of her first birthday. After slipping on her swim diaper, the two of you get her in her suit and Luke puts sunscreen on her face, arms and legs.

“Are you ready to party, my girl?” Luke lifts her up and tickles her belly then gives her multiple kisses. “Uncle Ash is downstairs waiting for you.” Posy starts wiggling upon hearing her uncle’s name and you and Luke head downstairs.

“There’s the birthday girl!” Calum shouts while Lily is twirling around him holding onto his fingers. She has on her own swimsuit that’s pink with ruffles on the butt.

“Let me have a look at my little one,” Ashton grins stepping forward. He has on a sun hat with strings hanging in front and Posy wriggles out of Luke’s arms into her uncle’s. She starts playing with his strings. “Do you know how old you are today? You’re this many—” he holds up one finger “—that’s small, just like you.”

“Can we go swimming now!” Lily asks tilting her head up at him.

“Yeah we can, the birthday girl is here,” he grins down at her and lets her pull him outside into the back.

Shortly after, Luke’s parent’s and brothers came by and so did Cory and Ella with Michael and Crystal coming in last with Southy and Moose, plenty of gifts in hand for Posy. The pool was filled with laughter and games. You and Luke watched from the patio as Posy floated between all of her uncles and Cory who loved to tickle her.

After dinnertime you all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Posy who then proceeded to smear cake on her face and into her hair. Many photos and videos were taken at the inevitable mess she made, her smile big and wide as she held her cake filled hand out to Luke who came in for a kiss to her cheek. He had some cake on his face in aftermath that you happily kissed off him.

“Just like our wedding day, yeah?” he winks at you giving your butt cheek a squeeze.

You and Luke relax under the umbrella watching your family happily in the pool. Posy and Lily are having a wonderful time and Michael joins the two of you with a beer in his hand.

“Why aren’t you in the pool?” you ask him while playing with Luke’s curls.

“Could ask you two the same question,” he smirks eyeing Luke’s hand on your thigh.

“When everyone’s over we like to sit back and watch our girls have fun,” Luke laughs.

“Are you having fun?” you ask him, he seems a little off to you.

“I always have fun with Lily and Pose, but I just get to watch mostly as well.”

“What—”

“Unca Mike! Look what Moosey had! I saved her,” Lily proclaims suddenly running to him. She climbs onto his lap with a large rock.

“Ah thank you, Lils. She shouldn’t be eating rocks,” he takes it from her then places it on the table. He pokes her cheeks and she giggles then you notice water dripping onto the concrete.

“Lily, you’re getting Uncle Michael wet from your suit,” you lean forward trying to get her off his lap.

“I don’t mind, she’s cooling me off,” Michael smiles and she giggles. She traces the tattoos on his arms, she’s always fascinated by her uncles’ tattoos. “Hey Lils, wouldn’t you like to have a baby brother someday?”

You and Luke exchange a look at this question, what spurred this on?

“Like Roman at school?”

Lily had become quite close with a little boy named Roman at pre-k who had dark curls and bright green eyes. His little brother, Levi, is the same age as Posy.

“Yeah, just like Roman,” he nods.

“Mmm…” Lily taps her chin, eyes squinted up at Michael in thought. This is a habit she’s started doing lately when she thinks. “Okay! I’d like a baby brother!”

Michael turns to you and Luke with a big smile, you glance to Luke whose mouth is open in surprise and at the quick turn of events.

“Why don’t you go by Uncle Cal, sweets,” Luke says pointing to him in the pool. “I think he’s looking for you.”

“Okay!” she gives Michael a quick kiss on the cheek then slips off his lap.

“Mike, what—where did this come from?” Luke splutters.

“I’m sorry, I was only half joking,” he rubs at his eyes. “I love your girls, so much, but Cal and Ash are their favorites. And don’t try to tell me otherwise, I know they love me but not as much as them. I dunno…it would be cool if you had a boy that I could get along with, y’know?”

Your heart sank. You do know Lily and Posy gravitate to Calum and Ashton, but their personalities are very similar, so it was no surprise how well they got along. Has Michael felt like this for a long time?

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” you rub at his shoulder. “They do love you just as much as they love Cal and Ash. You always let them try and play your video games and the love when you play some of your remixes because they get to dance to Uncle Mike’s music.”

Michael smiles at that.

“I know they do; I just get a little jealous sometimes that they don’t come to me all the time.”

“I know what you mean,” Luke says. “When mum’s around it’s like we’re chopped liver. But back to the baby brother thing…we haven’t really discussed that or crossed our minds. At least for me it hasn’t…has it for you, lovie?”

“Uh, no, not really. Posy is only turning one but I…” you look to Lily and Posy. Lily just jumped into Cory’s arms with Cal creeping up on her while Posy is playing a form of pattycake with Ashton in her yellow duckie floatie. “I mean, I’ve always wanted three kids.”

“Honestly, you guys, it was just a joke,” Michael shakes his head. “I’m glad I get to be Lily and Posy’s uncles and watch them grow up.”

The rest of the night lingered on until it was time for Posy and Lily to go to bed. When everyone left you and Luke settled on the couch cuddled together with some movie playing in the background. Michael’s words have been playing in your head the rest of the day and has really got you thinking.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“You really haven’t thought about having another baby?” you ask quietly.

He turns the volume down a little then turns to you, he rests his arm on the back of the couch. His blue eyes search your face before his finger smooths the crease between your brows.

“Of course, I have, just not so soon after Posy, that’s all.”

“Do you want to discuss it now or wait a few years…?”

“We can discuss it now if you want,” he nods, a smile ghosting his lips.

“I mean…” you twist yourself so you’re facing him, you bring your fingers to his necklace that’s peeking out from his tank top. “I wouldn’t mind trying…”

“Oh yeah?” he chuckles as your fingers continue down his chest, his eyes flicker back to yours.

You bite your lip, “yeah.”

“So, we’re officially trying for another baby?” he asks spreading your legs apart.

You fall back against the couch pulling him with you.

“If you want to,” you sigh tugging his tank top up and off.

“Let’s try and try and try…” he whispers inching closer until his lips are on yours.

• • • •

Taglist: @galcalirwin​ @cashtonasff5sos @thecurlsofgod​ @myloverboyash​ @rotten-kandy​ @tea4sykes​ @jannimoeller3​ @loveroflrh​ @iovehemmings​ @cxddlyash​ @princesslrh​ @here-for-the-uproars @katiaw2​ @g-l-pierce​ @fairyintheglass​​ @gosh-im-short​​ @banditocth @dezzym17 @koalacal @lukeisbaby​​ @spicycal​​ @mysticalhood​​ @notinthesameguey​​ @wastedheartcth​​ @atlcalm​​ @itjustkindahappenedreally​​ @calumance​​ @babylon-corgis​​ @thew0rldneedsmcreycghurt​​ @lanternlover2​​ @istaywithmyjonas​​ @calteahood​​ @sarcastically-defensive17​​ @another-lonely-heart​​ @devilatmydoor​​ @frontmanash​​ @philthepegacorn​​ @mantlereid​​ @lukedorkyhemmings​​ @addietagglikesbands​​ @kikixfandoms @sanrioluke​​ @mayve-hems​​ @morguelth @haikucal​​ @thatscooibaby​​ @meghanrose05​​ @idontneedanyone​​ @dinosaursandsocks​​ @cassie-sos​​ @suchalonelysunflower​​ @burstintocolor​​ @zhangyixingxing1​​ @dead-and-golden​​ @mymindwide​​ @everyscarisahealingplace​​ @stardust-galaxies​​ @blackbutterfliescal​​ @redrattlers​​ @lovelybonesetc​​ @karajaynetoday​​

Luke and Lily taglist: @harrysfavslut​

[myforeverforlife]

can’t bring me down.

For @kyung-seokie​! Kyungsoo and 4. "Who gave you that black eye?" + 27. "Oh, fuck off."

Pairing: Kyungsoo x Reader

Word Count: 3,848

Masterlist

You woke to the sound of pans clattering against the stove top. With a groan, you rolled over to grab your phone from the nightstand, squinting at the bright light from the screen.

"Nine in the morning," you mumbled incoherently. "Why is he already awake?" 

Kyungsoo was typically an early bird, making the most of the morning hours even when you complained about getting more rest. You sat up in bed as you realized if Kyungsoo was already awake, that could only mean one thing...

You jumped out of bed, bare feet padding against the floor as you hurried out to the kitchen. Sure enough, your boyfriend stood in front of the stove, a serious look on his face as he mixed something around in a pot. You couldn't help but smile at how handsome he was, even with an imprint of his pillowcase on his cheek. 

Kyungsoo lifted the ladle in his hand to his mouth, blowing on the broth as the steam fogged up his glasses. Carefully, he took tiny sips, nodding approvingly as he set the ladle aside. 

With light steps, you crept over until you were right behind him. You wrapped your arms around his waist, Kyungsoo stiffening in surprise until he realized it was you. He relaxed instantly, looking at you over his shoulder.

"Good morning," he said warmly. 

"Morning, Soo." You leaned in to kiss his cheek, grinning when Kyungsoo moved his face closer to give you easier access. "What are you making?"  

"Seaweed soup. I added some shiitake mushrooms too. Do you want to try some?"

"Is that even a question? Of course I do." 

You let go of your boyfriend, coming to his side as he got another spoonful for you. It was touching to see how he blew on the soup, cooling it down for you. He turned to offer the spoon to you, freezing when he saw you with your mouth open. You held his gaze, raising an eyebrow as you waited.

Kyungsoo just stared back, corners of his lips lifting up as he shook his head. Cupping his hand under the spoon, he slowly brought it closer to spoon the broth into your mouth. 

"Mm!" you exclaimed, quickly swallowing down the broth. "Soo, this is so good." 

"You say that about almost everything I make." Kyungsoo turned back to the stove, turning off the heat and looking for bowls to serve the soup in.

"Because it's true," you sang. "I'll set the table! Is there anything else you want me to grab?"

"There's some side dishes in the fridge that I didn't take out yet. I'll get the rice too." 

Both of you worked together in comfortable silence, the only sounds the occasional clinking of bowls and silverware as the two of you moved around. You gasped with delight when you saw that Kyungsoo had made your favorite purple multi-grain rice. 

"I've been meaning to grab another bag from the store," you mused as you watched him scoop the rice into two small bowls. "Thank you, love." 

"It's nothing. I had some free time before work yesterday." Kyungsoo followed you to the table, setting the final bowls down before taking a seat. 

You eagerly dug into your food, a smile on your face with each bite that you took. Kyungsoo was always a harsh critic when it came to his own cooking, so you made it an effort to let him know whenever you enjoyed what he made — which honestly, was most of the time. 

"Do you have practice today?" you asked. It was a Sunday, but Kyungsoo had been staying at the dojo late for the past month in preparation for his upcoming judo competition this week. Each one was a big deal, but this one even more so — if he won, Kyungsoo would move on to the preliminaries for the province-wide tournament. 

Your boyfriend shook his head, still chewing his food. "Not today. But I'll be staying late after class tomorrow. You don't have to wait for me." 

"But I like going home together. Plus, it gives me a chance to see you in your judogi." 

Kyungsoo glanced up at you before focusing on the food before him, cheeks taking on a subtle flush of pink. "It's just a uniform." 

"It's a uniform on the most handsome judo teacher ever. Oh, and most skilled." 

"Stop." Kyungsoo was hiding behind his food at this point, bowl lifted to his mouth as he drank his soup. 

You chuckled softly to yourself. It was always satisfying to dote on and compliment shy Kyungsoo, especially when his reactions were so amusing. "Soo?" you called out.

"Hm?" 

"I love you."

Kyungsoo smiled that gentle smile of his, eyes filled with a warmth that never grew cold — not when you were nearby. "I love you too." 

You blew a kiss to him, bursting into giggles when he pretended to dodge out of the way. 

"Hurry up and finish your food before it gets cold," Kyungsoo scolded good-naturedly. 

As busy as life got, Kyungsoo never forgot to take care of himself, along with reminding you to look out for your own well-being. Sometimes, you felt bad about how Kyungsoo looked out for you more than you did for yourself. 

Sneaking a glance at him, you noticed how the shadows under his eyes were darker than usual, remembering how tired he always seemed to be after coming home from practicing at the dojo. You made a mental note to bring him dinner tomorrow after work. It was the least you could do for him, especially when he was always supporting you in your own endeavors. 

"You're zoning out," Kyungsoo said. He cast you a concerned look, head tilting slightly to the side. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how much work you've been putting in for this competition. You work so hard all the time, I'm just glad that you get a day to relax like this." 

Underneath the table, Kyungsoo reached out with one slipper-covered foot, gently nudging against your own bare one. "It's nothing that I'm not used to. I'll be fine." 

"Still, I'm always scared that you'll end up overworking yourself and getting hurt at one of your matches."

"Judo's a defensive sport. I'll be okay, Y/N. Really." He reached across the table, smiling when you placed your hand in his. He ran his thumb over the back of your hand, tracing lines over your knuckles. "You don't have to worry about me." 

Rolling your eyes, you squeezed his hand tightly. "Of course I have to worry about you. You're my boyfriend, Soo." 

"I won't let anything happen to me, Y/N."

You pouted at the certainty in his voice. It was one thing to say this, and yet another to live up to it. "Okay, I'm holding you to that." 

A sudden glint of determination came into Kyungsoo's eye, a look you only saw whenever he was competing. "I'll win this one for you, Y/N. I promise." 

Kyungsoo walked steadily along the sidewalk, plastic bags in his hand as he left the store. Normally, he would jump right into practice after he was done teaching for the day, but things were different when some of his juniors offered to stay behind and help. Taeil was always a faithful assistant instructor, and Mark always eager to learn through experience. Kyungsoo was extremely grateful to them for spending these late hours with him at the dojo, and always took the chance to thank them by buying food. 

As he neared the dojo, he noticed a couple of men leaning against the wall by the entrance. They weren't the right sizes to be Taeil and Mark, and Kyungsoo was still too far away to see their faces. He considered taking the long way around and going in through the back entrance when one of the people turned around, staring right at him. With his hands stuffed in his pockets, the stranger lazily began walking over. 

Kyungsoo stopped where he stood, a shiver running down his spine. Whoever these people were, he didn't have a good feeling about them. He was about to turn away when the man called out to him.

"Do Kyungsoo!" 

Hesitating, Kyungsoo gripped the bags in his hand more tightly. "Who are you?"

"Really? The competition's in a few weeks, and you don't know who I am?" 

Kyungsoo frowned in confusion. He hadn't looked up any pictures of his opponent, and honestly wouldn't have known what his name was if Taeil and Mark hadn't read over the competition details to him. And yet, there was really one good guess as to who this could be. "Kim Taejung?" 

The man laughed loudly, looking at the rest of his group. "He asks as if he doesn't know." 

"I really don't know," Kyungsoo replied brusquely. "But you can start by explaining why you're waiting here. The dojo's closed for today." 

"I just wanted to say hello in person, get a look at my opponent before the actual day." 

Kyungsoo's eyes hardened. "Do you do this with all of your opponents? Try to psych them out before the actual competition?" 

The man pulled his hands out of his pockets, lifting his arms as he shrugged. "You've got me there. I just wanted to make sure we're both clear about who's going to be the winner." 

There wasn't much that truly bothered Kyungsoo, but arrogance was at the top of the list — especially when it came to judo. Respect was one of the main tenets of the sport, and he had no patience for those who chose to disrespect others, even their opponents. 

But just as judo had taught Kyungsoo the importance of respect, it also taught him not to waste unnecessary energy. 

"Good luck," he said dismissively as he turned his back on Taejung, ready to walk around to the back entrance. A hand on his shoulder roughly pulled him back, spinning around just in time to see a fist aimed for his face. 

Kyungsoo shut his eyes, gritting his teeth as Taejung's fist collided with his face. He only had time to be grateful that he wasn't wearing his glasses before the pain set in, sharp and blooming over the tender area surrounding his left eye. There was no doubt that he would be left with a bruise.

He could hear shouts in the distance, but couldn't make sense of the words with the sudden pounding in his ears. One of Kyungsoo's hands came up to cup his eye, glaring at Taejung as the other man smirked. 

"It was nice meeting you, Do Kyungsoo." Taejung waved his friends over, all of them dashing off down the street to where they had parked, a few of them sparing glances back at where Kyungsoo stood staring after them. 

He still stood there after they left, wincing at the growing pain and starting to worry about how he would hide this from everyone — especially you. 

Kyungsoo walked into the dojo, eyebrows drawn low over his face as he slipped his shoes off. He could hear the sound of voices talking to each other in the training room, music playing in the background. Taking in a deep breath, he readied himself for the barrage of questions that he knew the others would have for him.

He opened the door, head held low. "I'm back," he said quietly. 

"Soo?" 

His head snapped up at the sound of your voice. "Y/N?" 

As soon as he looked up, you gasped in horror at the red blotches covering the skin around his eye. The actual eye itself was red-rimmed, glossy with moisture.  

You were scrambling up from where you had been seated on the floor, Mark and Taeil following your example. "Soo, did someone punch you in the face?! Taeil, do you guys keep any ice packs here?"  

"I'll go look," Taeil said, hastily rushing over to the storage room. 

"Hyung," Mark spoke up. "What happened?!" 

You came over to Kyungsoo, a hand flying up to cover your mouth as you realized the full extent of his injury. "Who gave you that black eye?!"

"Kim Taejung was waiting outside," Kyungsoo replied. "He just wanted to try and mess with me before the competition." "He hurt you," you said indignantly. "Soo, you need to go to the hospital." 

"It's not that bad." 

You fixed him with an icy glare. "Don't you dare try to pretend like you're not hurt right now. You need to see a doctor for your eye."

Taeil ran back into the room, out of breath as he held the ice pack out to Kyungsoo. "We need to contact the tournament directors."

"No," Kyungsoo disagreed immediately, taking all of you by surprise. "Don't tell them about it, I'll be fine." He lifted the ice pack to his face, hissing as it touched his skin. 

"Do Kyungsoo," you said lowly. "We're seeing a doctor, even if I have to drag you out of here myself." 

Kyungsoo swallowed nervously. Both of you were ridiculously stubborn, but he knew when you meant business. And so, he went along with not even a single complaint as you ushered him into your car, his training gear tossed in the back.

"We'll lock up tonight," Taeil said through the window. Mark stood by his side, his usual cheerful expression replaced with a somber look. 

You nodded, rolling your window down. "Thank you. Make sure you two stay safe too. I'll let you know how he's doing." 

The next half-hour was spent in a clinic, waiting for a doctor to check out Kyungsoo's eye. Even as the two of you waited patiently, Kyungsoo tried to reassure you that his injury looked worse than it actually felt.

But you wouldn't feel better until a doctor told you the results.

After careful inspection, the doctor concluded that there was no significant damage done to the eye. "The redness that you saw earlier in the actual eye was most likely a reaction to the initial force," she explained. "But the skin underneath your eye area is still pretty red, and it'll probably start to turn darker in the coming days. If you start to notice anything different with your vision, go to a hospital right away. Other than that, keep icing the injury, but don't put pressure on it! Take some ibuprofen too if it continues to hurt."

You and Kyungsoo both let out a long exhale in unison, thankful that nothing was too serious. 

"Thank you, doctor," Kyungsoo said. As the doctor nodded and made to leave, Kyungsoo looked to you, noticing the way your lips were pursed in a tight line. He knew without a doubt that you were still upset about what happened. 

Sure enough, you were silent the rest of the way back, only asking him if there was enough ibuprofen at home. Your hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel, expression blank while you drove as if on autopilot. Even taciturn Kyungsoo was starting to grow antsy as the silence dragged on, finally speaking up once the two of you were back home.

"Y/N, talk to me," he pleaded. Kyungsoo placed his hands on your waist, searching your eyes for the troubles lying within.

"I just... what if it had been worse? What if we actually had go to the hospital? Soo, I was so scared when you walked in looking like this," you burst out, all of the pent up emotions finally free. "And you try to play it off like it's nothing, but this was the scariest shit I've ever seen. I can't believe you don't want to report that scumbag for this." 

Kyungsoo pulled you closer, only mere centimeters between the two of you. "I don't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he's already beaten me. If I win, I want to know that I won because of my own skills." 

You scoffed. "You say 'if', like we don't already know you're going to win. Sometimes, you're too modest for your own good." 

"It's okay. Your faith in me balances it all out." Kyungsoo couldn't help but smile as your eyes grew wide with surprise. 

"If you're trying to distract me from being mad, it's not working." Despite your words, you brought a hand up to gingerly brush your fingers over his cheek. "I still don't like the idea of you competing against him." 

"We'll be in a room full of people, he won't be able to do anything without the referees noticing." 

As much as you hated to admit it, he was right. Kyungsoo would be safer during the actual competition than he had been tonight. "Don't mess him up too much," you said. "I want a chance to get my hands on that jerk, too." 

Kyungsoo sighed. "That's not what judo's for, Y/N." 

You recalled all of the times Kyungsoo had talked about how judo was considered a peaceful form of martial arts. "I guess it's a good thing that you're the professional and not me." 

Shaking his head with a smile, Kyungsoo leaned in to kiss you, soft lips moving against yours. Both of you were careful to leave the left side of his face alone, the skin under his eye still colored a bright red. Each brush of his lips only melted away more and more of your worries, grounding you in the here and now. 

In the back of your mind, you knew that everything would be fine. Kyungsoo had come this far, and once he put his mind to something, there was no backing down. 

Even if he didn't win, you would be proud of him nevertheless.

The big day had finally arrived, the air charged with anticipation. 

A few matches were already taking place, judokas each focused on their opponent and blocking out everything else around them. You sat in the stands, hands clasped tightly in your lap as you waited anxiously for Kyungsoo's turn to come. Mark sat beside you, just as nervous.

"Hyung's turn is coming up next," Mark told you, looking at the roster displayed on a screen close by. 

A buzz from your phone had you scrambling to unlock it, a new message from Taeil just coming in: "Headed out there now." 

You were grateful that Taeil had offered to stand in as Kyungsoo's "coach" for this competition, offering him moral support and talking through technique with him as they waited in the locker room. 

The doors at the side of the area opened, Kyungsoo coming out first in his blue judogi followed by Taeil. Your eyes narrowed as you realized who the person following after them was — Kim Taejung. His mouth was curved into a smug grin as he waved at people in the stands. 

"Oh, fuck off," you muttered under your breath, Mark's mouth falling open at your sudden outburst. 

The men walked over to the edge of the tatami mats, Kyungsoo and Taeil talking to each other while Taejung did the same with who you assumed was his own coach. Even from this distance, you could see the dark burgundy splotches around Kyungsoo's eye, the injury looking more terrifying than before.

"This is crazy," Mark spoke up. "I mean, if he wins here, and then wins at the province-wide competitions, and then moves to nationals — " 

"Mark, calm down." You laid a hand on his shoulder. "We're both going to start freaking out at this rate." 

"Match number three," a voice came from the speakers. "Do Kyungsoo and Kim Taejung." 

Both men walked to opposite sides of the mats, bowing before stepping onto the actual mats, and then walking to the center before stopping to bow to each other. As Kyungsoo straightened back up, you were struck by how quickly his expression had changed, his round eyes taking on a steely gaze, brows drawn low as he waited for his opponent to make the first move.

Taejung lunged forward, hands gripping onto the collar of Kyungsoo's judogi as Kyungsoo tried to keep his opponent from knocking him off balance. 

Considering judo was a sport characterized by throws and pinning the other person down, the first half minute consisted of both men circling around each other. A few times, it seemed like Kyungsoo had gained the upper hand, a firm hold on Taejung's judogi only for the other man to slip out of his grasp.  

The jacket of Kyungsoo's judogi was undone by this point, chest exposed as he continued to avoid Taejung's movements and counter with his own. He only had five minutes in total to score one point and win the match, and two minutes had already slipped past. 

You gasped when Kyungsoo managed to hook a foot around Taejung's leg, swiftly turning around and throwing the other man to the ground. The referree awarding him a half-point for managing to bring his opponent down. 

Taejung was livid, glaring at Kyungsoo as they jumped back into the match. His movements seemed more desperate, taking on the offensive as Kyungsoo continued to block his moves. At one point, it seemed like Taejung had the upper hand, holding onto Kyungsoo's judogi and trying to throw him onto his side. Kyungsoo started to fall, but grabbed onto Taejung's sleeves, feet slipping on the mats as he tried to keep his balance. 

"They only have a minute left," Mark said, peeking at the clock. 

You leaned forward in your seat, hands on your knees. "Come on, Soo," you whispered. 

Taejung tried to bring one foot around the back of Kyungsoo's leg, but he wasn't quick enough. Kyungsoo twisted out of the way and both of them stumbled apart, sweaty and out of breath. The referee stopped them for a second before continuing the match, only thirty seconds left. There was a bit of tussling, each of them trying to get the upper hand. 

Suddenly, Taejung's feet slipped against the mat, Kyungsoo quickly taking advantage of this and spinning around, pulling Taejung over his shoulder and throwing him down onto the mat. 

Your hands flew to cover your mouth as Kyungsoo stood up, the referee awarding him another half-point and declaring him the winner of the match. 

"Oh god, he did it," you shrieked, jumping up from your seat. 

Mark got up too, cupping his mouth with his hands and letting out a long yell.  

On the mat, Kyungsoo took a few steps back before bowing, Taejung reluctantly following suit. When he got back up, Kyungsoo turned to the rest of you watching from the stands, eyes searching for your face. A relieved grin appeared on his face once he caught sight of you. He was still charmingly handsome, even with sweat running down his face and the mottled bruise on his skin. 

You sent a bunch of kisses his way, laughing as his cheeks turned red. "I love you," you mouthed.

Kyungsoo waved back, lips moving as he said something. You couldn't hear him, but you knew what it was nevertheless — "I love you, too." 

You couldn't be more proud of him.

A/N: let me just say that watching videos of actual judo matches for reference was personally boring 😅 i’m definitely not a judo expert (or any sort of martial arts in general), and I’m also not a health expert so please keep that in mind if I wrote something incorrectly! I did so much research on belt rankings and competitions, and awarding points and stuff LOL I still can’t believe how short the actual matches are, but I’ve seen people say that 5 minutes seems like forever when you’re the person actually in the match. 

like with every other time I’m looking for names for oc’s, I looked to exo related movies: this time being soo’s “Room No. 7″. Also, funnily enough, I was inspired to go with this plot after seeing that “the karate kid” was up on netflix 😂 and then I remembered soo’s movie “hyung”. even though this isn’t related to the movie, I just wanted to write martial arts soo! I honestly think i’d write a fic for each of the members’ acting roles if I could haha

[forevercaroline]

Forbes chapter 1

This is a spin off of beautiful dirty rich another fic I have. I didn’t expect this first chapter to be so long but it is this is also an au. Tagging @misssophiachase, @caritobear, @crazychicke, @bearolle24, @infernal-panda, @walter-boswell428 , @karinanic, @austennerdita2533

Xxx

The forbes are the cousins of the Salvatore family one of the richest families in the world the mother’s side of the family. Where as they live in New York City the forbes reside in Bel Air California. They live in a beautiful fairy tale like gated estate with views of the Pacific Ocean and downtown Los Angeles.

Lexi Forbes wakes up in her big bedroom with white walls, a purple egg shaped chair in corner that has pillows on it, sun shining through her window above the window seat she has blankets and pillows on. After a shower in her en-suite bathroom she sits down at her vanity table and after she’s finished doing her hair which she has her long blonde hair wavy and flowing down her back and makeup which she keeps simple. She picks out a pair of teal skinny jeans a white tank top and a grey sweater with tan knee high stiletto boots and a white and tan purse. She has matched it with tan sunglasses and her rose gold diamond choker her mom gave her and a couple rings.

As she enters the breakfast room which is smaller then the dinning room. The breakfast room has double doors to go out to the front lawns. The quaint room is yellow, with flowers painted on the walls and fresh flowers in a vase on the table. Her mother designed their many homes.

She kisses her father on the cheek as she sits down next to him, Sabine a member of their staff at the mansion brings her a bowl of raspberries, strawberries and watermelon. “What are you doing today dad?”

Peter Hale Forbes has sharp cheek bones that would cut glass, his short but volumed brown hair is always styled. He always looks incredible and wears a lot of v necks. Today he has on a grey v neck and a pair of fitted jeans. Their wealth comes from his hotel’s but also the Forbes family comes from old money making 19 year old Lexi an heiress. “I’m going to check in on the hotels.”

As Lexi is bringing the last piece of fruit in the bowl a piece of watermelon to her mouth she asks, “Is your friend coming over today?”

Peter raises an eyebrow how does Lexi know about her he’s been so careful only bringing her around while Lexi was at school or out for a extended amount of time. He looks away from his breakfast of fruit; watermelon, blueberries, peaches and mango’s. “What friend are you referring too?”

Lexi pulls a orange cheetah print bra out of her purse. “The friend this belongs too, I know its not mine. The only other teenage girl here is Greta but since she’s in high school and works for us I doubt she’s helping her mom clean the mansion in cheetah print lingerie, nor any of the staff.”

Peter grabs the bra out of his daughters hand and puts it on the other side of him on the table. “Where did you find this?”

“Outside your suite couldn’t even wait till you got inside the first set of double doors. I didn’t find it Aiden did. He found it the day before we left for New York City and there was no time to bring it up then and when we got back they came with so now is the perfect time. That day I needed to finish packing and Aiden and Ethan came up with me, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and it was that.”

Peter closes his eyes and puts his head in his hands. He knew he had to have this conversation with her eventually but he didn’t think it would be this soon. “I miss your mom everyday, But I have to learn to move on. I have been seeing a women named Alexis she beautiful, eclectic, fun I enjoy her. “

“Dad mom’s been dead for almost five years I miss her too I don’t think mom would be mad at you for moving on. I’m glad you have someone.”

As Lexi gets up Peter adds. “I forgot to mention Alexis is a escort, I don’t pay her for her time it’s not like that. There is actual feeling on both sides.”

Lexi closes her eyes and bites her lip. She knew there was a woman but she never thought there was actual feelings which she knows is wrong of her. She remembers when her grandmother Cece’s new boyfriend who is only 11 years older then her showed up a couple weeks ago and Cece introduced everyone to him that took awhile to get over, some of the grandchildren are still not over it. “I hope to meet her one day.” She leaves a kiss on her dads cheek. “I’m going to school see you later.”

Xxx

Before Lexi can leave she has to go get her two best friends identical twins Aiden and Ethan who live in their guest house but Lexi knows they like to take a morning swim.

So coming into the backyard from the kitchen she goes down the stairs off the Balcony. There is a little sitting area at the top of a slope which has long steps and water cascading in between the two staircases at the bottom of the slope there is a fountain surrounded by statues of the four seasons in their own alcove. To the right there is a bush/pathway to the pool which has a glass bottom. The 75 foot size pool is in the middle with potted trees on the sides. A table off to the side with an umbrella and chairs surrounding it, on the other side of the pool there are lounge chairs. Behind the pool is the pool house/dome.

The pool house/dome is practically another house, Its three floors. Before her mom died they would have pool parties all the time. The pool house lounge level always had drunk happy party people coming in and out of it, teen and adults alike.

The first floor is a living area is simple from the plain white and brown stripes of the wallpaper to the tan furniture. Her mom always said nobody will be looking at the walls when they enter this place. The white French style windows letting in the morning light over the navy blue curved couch underneath it with the red, white and blue striped pillows. The cushions of the couch have been washed so many times the blue has faded.

On the opposite side of the room is a fully stocked circular bar. In the middle of the room there is a tan matching table and chairs that seats eight people. Off to the side there is a door to a kitchen. Opposite the kitchen there is a doorway to a full changing room with lockers, and a floor to ceiling mirror.

When you walk into the living area the smell of popcorn and chlorine fill the air popcorn from the home theater with concession stand upstairs and chlorine from the indoor pool downstairs it never bothers anyone since they are so busy doing other stuff.

Her heels echo through the enclosed spiral staircase as she descends down to the lower level and opens the glass door to come into the indoor pool/jacuzzi room. All the rooms in the lower level have glass doors except for the sauna which has a wooden almost bamboo like door.

Aiden and Ethan are identical they are both lean and muscular and are of medium stature not only do they look alike but they have the same short reddish brown haircut which the sides of their hair are shaved shorter then the top of their hair but only by inches. Ethan is slightly taller then Aiden. They are currently in the indoor pool seeing who can do more laps. They are to occupied in competing with each other that they don’t notice Lexi. The main house and the dome are the only two homes on the estate that have spiral staircases.

Lexi, Aiden and Ethan have been best friends since they were two. Their moms were friends and Lexi’s mom had invited the twins mom over one day and she brought her two year old twins and the three have been inseparable ever since.

“Get out of the pool time for school.”

Both twins say at the same time. “Aww but mom.”

All three laugh. “You know how we all laughed when Aiden found that bra and joked my dad had a hooker.

They nod as Ethan is climb himself up out of the pool and Aiden is floating on his back to the side to get out. “Well turns out not a joke my dads been seeing a hooker named Alexis but not in a sexual payment way. There’s feelings involved. I just don’t know how to feel.”

“Aww honey we’re there for you whatever you need.”

“Yeah hon you can always stay with us in the guest house.”

Lexi smiles at them they can always make her feel better. “Thanks guys.”

Xxx

Beautiful red haired insanely smart and very social 19 year old Lydia Martin is awoken by her phone ringing. As she slides a hand out from underneath the covers and cracks an eye open to read the text from her best friend Allison Argent “Where are you? You didn’t come home last night.”

She notices the time out of the corner of her eye and her eyes widen and she quickly sits up waking the guy in bed next to her.

“Oh my god is that time I have to go.”

Lydia scrambles around his bedroom looking for her clothes from last night. As she is zipping up her ankle booties she leans back and kisses the guy in bed on the lips. “Last night was fun see you later.”

The twenty four year old brunette watches as Lydia hurries out of his apartment.

Xxx

“I had an idea.”

Lexi cuts Aiden off. “Aiden I love you I really do you and Ethan are the brothers I never had but because of your idea’s the police know where we live.”

“True but hear me out.”

Lexi pulls up to a stop sign and looks to Ethan who has the apprehension look on his face too. They both turn to look at Aiden in the backseat of the hot pink lamborghini convertible Lexi got for an eighteenth birthday present before she was driving a black Ferrari. Lexi has a couple different luxury cars and all of them are different colors. “Ok Aiden what is your idea?”

“We throw a party at the end of the year one last bash before summer.”

“Way to go Aiden you finally had a good idea.” Ethan leans back and hits his brother in the leg. Which earns him Aiden sticking his tongue out at his brother and Ethan laughing.

As the stop light turns green Lexi asks. “And where would we be having this party, I doubt there are many abandoned warehouses in Bel Air and our home yes it’s gorgeous but there are not many open area’s for people to party besides the pool.”

Aiden looks up into the rear view mirror and Lexi notices him. “I know what your thinking and I doubt people would drive a little over an hour to Montecito for a party. Even if our home there would be big enough.”

“Its a black light party and the night club would be perfect for it.”

As Lexi is pulling into a her spot behind the Kappa Kappa Gamma house on sorority row at UCLA she tells them. “I’ll ask my dad for the keys no promises he said he’s going to be out today so I might have to steal them. I love that home but it doesn’t get used often which is a shame its very beautiful.”

“All your family homes are beautiful.”

“Why are we at Kappa?”

It’s to early for anyone to be coming in and out of the house. Lexi mainly lives at the Forbes estate but some nights she spends at the sorority house. She loves being a kappa and with her friends but with the good comes the bad. “I left some lip liner here and I was looking for it this morning. See you later in psych.”

Xxx

The Kappa house is styled like an old Tuscany villa. As she is coming down the hallway from the kitchen to the stairs the front door opens and Lydia quietly comes in wearing the clothes she had on yesterday a red floral mock mini dress and black heels

Both girls hear voices calling them. One from the living room and one from the stairs.

Isaac Lahey who is tall with a lean and muscular build and dirty blonde hair that is slightly curly, and large deep set blue eyes. He is sitting in the living room in kappa waiting for his friend Erica Reyes to finish getting ready so they can go to class when Lexi walks past. Isaac has only been in America for six months and since Erica introduced him to Lexi Forbes he has thought she was so beautiful.

“Lexi hi.”

Lexi turns towards the living room and smiles at him, “Isaac are you waiting for Erica? I have to go upstairs anyway I’ll see what’s taking so long.”

Allison Argent and Malia Tate has come down the stairs and noticed Lydia just coming home. “Lydia spill, your still wearing the same clothes from last night.”

“Lydia Martin smartest women in the house is doing the walk of shame I’m so proud of you.”

Lexi puts arm around lydia’s shoulders as Lydia tells her friends. “It’s not a walk of shame and if you must know I maybe seeing someone. That is all the information I’m giving now I have to change I have class in fifteen minutes.”

Lexi opens her door to see her roommate Erica Reyes who is tall, lean and beautiful with light blonde hair and large brown eyes putting on her signature cheetah print pumps. “Isaac is downstairs, is it just me or did he get hotter?”

Erica flips her light blonde hair out from underneath her black leather jacket. ‘It’s just you, maybe you should ask him out?”

Lexi looks at her through the mirror as she puts on her pink lip liner. “Maybe I will.”

Xxx

Later that morning Lexi sits between Aiden and Ethan in psychology. “I’m going to go back to the estate for lunch and see if my dads there and get the keys to the Montecito home.”

Lydia walks past them to her seat with Allison and Malia next to her Aiden leans forward and calls out to them. “Hi Lydia.”

Lydia looks back at them and raises an eyebrow. “The answer is still no.”

Lexi and Ethan laugh. Ever since Aiden met Lydia he has asked her out multiple times and every time she has rejected him. “What is that now 112?”

“No I think it’s closer to 174. We should of kept a tally.”

Aiden glares back at his best friend and twin brother. Erica walks past them and Lexi leans over and whispers in Aiden’s ear. “Since Lydia is never going to say yes, she came into Kappa this morning doing a walk of shame. Rumor has it she is having a fling with one of the campus security guards Jordan Parrish. Maybe ask Erica out you know she’s been a little down since Stiles left for Quantico.”

He raises an eyebrow as he looks at Erica laugh at something Boyd said.

A couple minutes into class the professor has not shown up, “ If the professor doesn’t show up we’re leaving.”

Ethan leans over to his brother. “If he doesn’t show up want to go for coffee.”

Aiden nods and they both look at Lexi.“Someone rushed us out of the house this morning before we could grab anything for breakfast.”

“Not my fault you decided to go for competition rounds this morning instead of your usual fifty.”

As everyone is getting up to leave a handsome guy in tan pants, and a long white sleeve shirt comes in. “I’m your new professor, your last professor has had a mental breakdown so I will be taking over my name is Derek Hale.”

Allison leans over to Lydia. “He’s cute.”

Lydia shrugs her shoulders.

Ethan leans over to Lexi, “He is cute.”

“I think his mom is my business professor. Plus don’t you think your hands full with Jackson and Danny.”

He runs a finger down her nose. “Don’t be jealous.”

She scrunches up her face at him.

Jackson who is sitting next to Danny a couple rows in front of them looks behind him and spots Ethan they share a smile.

Xxx

Lexi pulls her car into the car gallery she notices all her father’s cars are here so he hasn’t left yet. Off of the car gallery is the temperature controlled wine room and an elevator. The elevator takes her up to the bedrooms level of the mansion which is the second floor. Her dad has the biggest bedroom on the floor. On a daily basis only two of the eleven bedrooms get used.

Peter Forbes’ bedroom has two sets of double doors, the first set opens up to a little hallway with a private elevator that almost never gets used, and extra shelving. The second set of doors opens up into the bedroom across from double doors are three sets of double doors to go out to a balcony. The amount of natural light coming into the room makes the black silk sheets shine. Across from the bed is a marble two sided fireplace and tv. On each side of the marble is a black bench.

As Lexi’s perfectly painted purple sparkly nails wrap around the first set of door knobs her phone rings with one hand she reaches in her back pocket and grabs her phone while turning the knob. It’s a text from Isaac. ‘My next class is not for another two hours I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch or coffee.’

‘I’m not on campus right now but will be back soon I’d love to do lunch or coffee. I’ll text you when I get back.’

She is focused on her phone when she opens the second set of doors and walks into her fathers room. “Hey dad. The keys to the-“ Lexi finishes her text and puts her phone back in her pocket. “Oh my god.”

The black silk sheets are all messed up because her father is on top of a brunette very pretty woman who she assumes is Alexis and thrusting into her.

Lexi looks up to the ceiling. “Put some clothes on. I have a simple question, I’ll just wait downstairs.” As she is walking backwards she announces. “Nice to meet you Alexis.”

“Door.” As Peter is rolling off her and pulling the sheet over both of them.

Lexi nods but to late she hits the side with her back. “I’m ok.”

Xxx

Peter scrambles out of his bed and grabs his jeans. He finds his daughter in her room throwing clothes in a bag. “What are doing?”

“I can’t sleep here tonight, I also can’t get the image of you thrusting into that woman out of my head.”

“Her name is Alexis, and when I told you about her this morning you didn’t seem to have any problems and you were nice just now to her.”

Lexi turns back to her father who never did grab a shirt so he’s in fitted blue jeans and nothing else. “I was faking it. I had other things on my mind when you told me. Thankfully my business class is in the morning because there is no way I would of focused on that test after this. I’m tempted to skip my afternoon class I’m so traumatized but I have a coffee date and I drove Ethan and Aiden so I can’t.”

Peter rubs his forehead this family can be so dramatic. The whole family the whole Forbes/Salvatore family is one big rich dramatic family. “This is not how I wanted this to go. Also where are you going to sleep?”

“I’ll sleep at the sorority house or the guest house. What do you mean you never wanted it to go this way. How did you want this to go?”

Peter is leaning against the wall just inside her bedroom with his arms crossed and his toned physic on display. “Eventually I wanted to invite her over and have you two meet. Did you only have morning classes?’

Lexi is still in her big walk in closet where her clothes are sorted into sections of party clothes, tops, pants/skirts/shorts, dresses, sweaters/jackets. The back wall is just one big shoe rack with heels, wedges, boots. All her jewelry is in the glass top island in the middle of the closet. Her belts are hung up on each side of the shoe wall.

“No my next class is not till 1:30 I need the keys to the Montecito home we were thinking of throwing a end of the year beginning of the summer party.”

“We meaning Aiden?”

Lexi nods, “We meaning Aiden had the idea but after telling us Ethan and I thought it was a good idea. A black light party in the night club would be perfect. Think about it live band on the polo field black light party in the nightclub. Plus the home does not get used enough to this party would really show the home some love.”

“I don’t like that this was Aiden’s idea, let’s hope this does not end with the Montecito police being called. The keys are in my office. What is it about Alexis you do not like.”

She turns back to her dad she can’t believe this question she barely knows the woman. “Other then the fact that I hardly know her and then see her getting rammed by my dad. She looks a couple years older then me and our names are similar.”

“She’s twenty six almost twenty seven I didn’t even realize the name thing.”

Lexi picks up her bag and as she is leaving she notes. “Why is this a theme in this family Cece cougar is with Chris who is thirty, you and Alexis who twenty six and a half, and Uncle Sawyer who has had sex with a hooker too.... Maybe the same one.”

Lexi gets halfway down the stairs when Peter calls after her. “We are not done with this get back here.”

The blonde turns around on the white with black and brown fabric spiral staircase. Her father is coming down to meet her. The light is shining on them through the three windows on the side of the stairs and there is a chandelier hanging from the cathedral high ceiling of the white marble grand foyer showering the grand foyer in natural light.

“I’m not a cougar like Cece, Alexis and I there is a relationship there. You know not to bring up Uncle Sawyer. Plus for us to have the same woman he would have to stay in the same place for more then a few days.”

“He’s been in Europe for a while, can you blame him for not wanting to come to America his money was withheld from him and he was in that plane crash. Are you forgetting Alexis is a hooker she sleeps with men for money and makes them feel good about themselves while she does. I do not want you to get hurt when you realize this.”

While the two forbes are on the stairs having this conversation their staff is busing around the estate some are cleaning, some are making food but nobody wants to go into the foyer.

Peter puts a hand on his daughters upper arm it’s just been the two of them for almost five years. No matter how old Lexi is she is always going to care and want to protect her dads feelings. His wife and her mom’s death hit them both hard.

“She’s an escort she is not just playing me. I know what I’m doing.”

Lexi nods. “Why couldn’t you decide to sleep with the sorority house mom Melissa or anyone else.”

Peter laughs “You know us forbes we don’t fall for the boy or girl next door.”

“True Aunt Liz is dating a drug kingpin.”

“That wedding when it happens will be interesting.”

XXX

Erica, Lydia, Allison and Malia are walking Greek row back to the house when they see campus patrol officer Jordan Parrish, young twenty four brunette Parrish. “Good after noon ladies. Miss Martin I found this on the ground and was wondering if it was yours?”

Parrish holds out a gold bracelet that Lydia was wearing last night as she takes it they share a smile. Alison Erica and Malia are watching this and once Parrish walks past them all three girls look at the red head. “Oh my god you and Jordan Parrish.”

“ Scandalous.”

“He’s hot.”

Lydia puts a finger up to her lips “Will you please keep it down.” They are passing Kappa Kappa Theta who tries to compete with Kappa Kappa Gamma. They do not need the president of Theta Hayden Romeo knowing this piece of gossip to use against Lydia and Gamma.

Once they get past Theta Lydia keeping her voice down tells her friends “Yes I’ve been seeing Jordan Parrish. “

All three girls get a text from their house mother Melissa McCall. “House meeting 3’o’clock.”

Kira is in Japanese history when her phone vibrates.

Xxx

Peter runs a hand through his hair before he returns to his bedroom expecting to find Alexis waiting for him in bed but the bed is empty, he glances in his big walk in closet his side is full of clothes his wife’s side is empty. A year after her death Lexi and him mustered up the courage to clean out her side of the closet they sold of the clothes but kept most of it and is now in storage.

He finds Alexis in his big en-suite bathroom she is in his bathtub which is full of bubbles. He bends down next to her. “I’m sorry about that earlier.”

She smiles at him and cups his chin with her hand which is dripping water on the floor. “Usually it’s the wife that walks in this is the first time a daughter has walked in on me.”

“How would you like to meet her?”

Her eyes widen and she drops all flirtation. “Excuse me she just walked in on us and you want the three of us to have a sit down dinner family style.”

Peter lets out a sigh and reaches out to push back a piece of her brunette hair behind her ear. “Of course not but maybe a actual meeting where nobody is caught having sex.”

Alexis puts her hand on her chin on the side of the porcelain tub. “She is not going to accept me. I doubt she will even take me serious I’m an escort who is dating her father.”

Xxx

While driving back to campus Lexi is tapping her finger against the stirring wheel, her phone rings but she’s busy driving so she doesn’t answer. When she gets back to Campus and meets Isaac at one of the coffee carts and after they get their coffee’s they both get French vanilla Frappuccino’s.

They sit down and while Isaac is talking about how he loves California he misses London Lexi is tapping her finger against the cup. “Are you ok?”

His voice pulls her out the trance she was in while he was talking she didn’t mean for it to happen. “Huh... oh yeah just a lot on my mind and Ethan and Aiden have a class I can’t tell them.”

Isaac feels bad for the sad blonde in front of him he likes her and he wishes she would confine in him. “Maybe I can help.”

She smiles at him it’s sweet he is offering to help her. “ Thanks maybe another time I will take a hug if your offering.”

They stand up and Isaac wraps his arms around her and she snuggles her head into his neck and he can feel her breath of relief during their hug.

Xxx

As Peter is walking her to the door something has been bugging him since Lexi mentioned he knows she brought it up tp hurt him but he has to know. “By any chance have you ever been with a tall, attractive I guess, super annoying, egocentric, has nicknames for everyone, blonde shaggy hair, wears leather jackets or button up shirts, probably conned you out of some money guy named Sawyer?”

Alexis stops at the front door and thinks about it everyone before Peter was a one and done. Peter is the first where they come back to each other and she enjoys him. “I don’t think so why do you know a Sawyer?”

Peter smirks as he open the door but she doesn’t see. “No.”

Xxx

House meeting always take place in the living room. There is a very open living layout of the house. There is a fireplace which is not used often since California and two couches with a table between them. There are a few chairs in the room too, two in front of the windows and one on the other side of the room in the corner. Above the fireplace there a photo of everyone in the house in front of the house.Lexi and Erica are always next to each other during house meetings and usually leaning against the pillars on each side of the entrance of the living room. Allison and Lydia are sitting in the chairs in front of the windows and the other girls are filling into the room. When everyone is there house mom Melissa McCall who is a mom to all the young ladies in the house but also a trained nurse and helps out in the hospital part of the school. Her long brown curly hair is dangling over her shoulders as she addresses all the ladies.

“Friday night is movie night and our annual sisters retreat is coming up where do you girls want to go.”

“Vegas.” Malia looks down at Lydia since Malia is sitting on the arm of her chair. “We all know she wants to go to Vegas to gamble.” Lydia nods.

“Mexico.”

Melissa looks over at the two girls sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, “Not twenty one and let’s keep it in America.”

“Aspen.”

“Who knows how to ski or snowboard.”

Half of the girls raise their hands including Lexi, Erica, Allison, Lydia and Malia and her roommate Kira.

Erica leans over to Lexi and whispers. “I remember the last time we went to aspen us, the twins and your parents for winter break. We had so much fun.”

Lexi smiles at the memory then gets sad because that was their last winter with her mom. “We did have a lot of fun. My dad is thinking of selling the place since we haven’t been there in a while.”

“Aspen it is, Now does anyone have any homes in Aspen or are we staying in a hotel?”

Most of the girls look up at Lexi. Some of the girls are jealous that Lexi has so much money and can have anything she wants on the outside looking in her life looks perfect little do they know her life is more dramatic then perfect. Her life may not be as dramatic as her cousins in New York City but she still deals with dramatic moments.

Melissa notices the young ladies look at Lexi. She’s heard their snide comments about Lexi, Melissa is privy to all the gossip in the house. As house mother Melissa is to care for these ladies and she treats them like her children. She also has a son who goes to UCLA Scott when he drops by the house sometimes the younger ladies of the house go crazy and surround him.

“Meeting dismissed. Lexi can I speak with you for a moment.”

Erica and Lexi share a look they both know what Melissa wants to ask her.

Xxx

Peter’s black Shelby 1000 Cobra pulls up outside his hotel and the valet take the keys and park it while he goes in and and makes sure everything is still running smoothly.

Xxx

Aiden and Ethan have been waiting behind Kappa for Lexi for almost fifteen minutes when she comes out. “What was going on in there and why do you have a duffel bag in the backseat?”

“House meeting were going to Aspen and guess where everyone is staying if you guessed our home you are correct.”

Ethan and Aiden share a look of worry as the doors unlock and they get in. Sure they could of got in before the doors were unlocked its a convertible and there is no hood but they are respectful of the Forbes family.

Lexi pulls up to a stoplight on sunset strip and her fingers are tapping on the steering wheel. The light turns green and she does not drive Aiden who is in the backseat looks behind them at a car and before the car can honk he waves his hand for the car to go around them. Ethan leans over and puts a hand on Lexi’s shoulder. “Are you ok hon.”

That touch of familiarity brings her out of her haze, “Huh oh right um.” She goes to put the car in park and Ethan puts a hand over hers. “I don’t know what’s wrong but before we get into an accident or someone flips us off I’m driving.”

Lexi does get to pull the car off to the side so they are not in the road. Ethan gets in the driver seat while Lexi is in the passengers seat and Aiden slides over so he’s behind the passengers seat then behind the driver seat.

Aiden slides his hands on each of the head rest and massages Lexi’s shoulders while she puts her head on the headrest and closes her eyes. Ethan takes a breath and looks in the mirror at his brother and they nod at each other. They live at the forbes estate and Lexi’s calls them the brothers she never had but they never drive the Forbes cars and this is a custom Lamborghini.

Once they are back on the road and headed to Montecito. Aiden asks “What happened to you this afternoon? You were fine when we left psychology.”

Lexi leans forward and runs a hand through her long blonde hair. “I met her when I went home to get the keys.”

“Met her as in....”

“Yes well met is not the right word saw her today.”

Ethan still keeping his eyes on the highway asks. “Saw her, saw her where?”

Lexi turns towards him and raises an eyebrow. Both twins at the same time go. “Ewww.”

“Yeah can’t get it out of my head. Forgot to mention I’m sleeping in the guest house tonight its still to fresh to step on the bedroom floor.”

“Totally get it.”

“So what is she like?”

Lexi looks back at Aiden in the rear view mirror. “Seriously.”

He shrugs and she sighs “Young she’s twenty six and a half brunette hair and has long dangling feather earrings and tattoos I couldn’t see what tattoos I was busy averting my eyes from the image of my dad thrusting into her.”

Xxx

Once they are through the gate and up the long driveway leading to the courtyard of the house. Since they are not going to be here long they just park outside the home not in the garage.

As they enter the octagon shaped grand foyer with natural lighting streaming in from a skylight, glass chandelier hanging down from the ceiling. A pink couch against the wall below a painting opposite the front doors are there are stairs going into the main house. “I love being in a sorority, but with the exception of Erica, Lydia Allison, Malia and Kira everyone thinks I’m made of money and I can just throw money at every situation. News flash people just because I’m rich doesn’t mean I have to spent it on you and stop expecting me too, plus stop expecting me to give up our homes as a place for you to use. Our home in Aspen we might be putting up for sale so we might not have it anymore but everyone just expects me to give up our home to host retreats. So they can brag we have a Forbes in our sorority. I just wished they wanted me as a person and not as Forbes.”

Both Ethan and Aiden put an arm around her shoulders. “We love you as you not because your a Forbes.”

They go through the mansion and where other homes have basements this home has a nightclub, wine tasting room, wellness center, sports bar and movie theater. The nightclub has a dj booth, six area’s for seating including white chairs, sofa and tables. On the far side there are doors to go out to the pool but with the black shades down it darkens the room to make it have more of the club vibe.

While Aiden is looking around the room planning the party in his head Ethan and Lexi flop onto one of the white fluffy love seats. Lexi has her head back and her eyes closed. “You need a massage after the afternoon you’ve had.”

“The masseuse is not here.”

Ethan smiles as he stands and grabs her hands to pull her up. “You go to the wellness center and I’ll call her or him then we’ll leave, it will give you time to get a massage, Aiden enough time to check this area out and I’ll be in the find something to do. Maybe catch a movie.”

“You love living vicariously through my heiress life.”

Ethan goes to open his mouth but Aiden who is at the clear dj booth which when on changes colors answers. “Yeah but don’t lie you love your heiress life.”

Lexi shrugs her shoulders “Your right I do its a hard life but someone has to live it.”

They laugh as Ethan slides his arm through Lexi’s linking their arms by the elbow. “Now my dear you are coming with me and Aiden is calling a masseuse.”

At the end of hallway there is three steps then a door and inside the door is the wellness center. A little waiting room with chairs, and a water jug and a little fridge with cucumbers and lemons to make cucumber and lemon water. There is a little changing room with robes, next to the massage room with two massage tables always ready.

As they are waiting for the masseuse Lexi and Ethan are just sitting on the table’s Lexi has a robe on ready to go when the masseuse gets here.

“By summer I’m going to choose between Jackson and Danny. I know I can not keep stringing them along.”

“I choose Jackson only because yes you and Danny are cute together he’s a hot guy from Nebraska he doesn’t understand the luxury of our lives, I think he’s only seen the guest house but was still surprised by it. Meanwhile Jackson is from Malibu he understands our lifestyles better. Plus while you and Danny are adorable you and Jackson are hot.”

The doorbell echo’s through the empty long halls of the mansion.Lexi slides off the table to get it but Ethan stops her “I’ll get it.”

Ethan opens the door to a cute tall man with light blonde hair, hazel eyes and stubble on his chin and mustache. “Cute you’ll do, let me show you to the massage room.”

When they enter Ethan hops back on the other table while Lexi is laying on her stomach and leans up to look at the masseur.”mmmh.”

While he is getting everything ready Ethan and Lexi are continuing their conversation like there was no interruptions. “So I can either be adorable or hot?”

“What is Aiden’s thought?”

”Jackson.”

The masseur slides his hands down Lexi’s bare back and up her shoulders. “Your shoulders have new stress.”

“Very new.”

“I’m going to text Melissa instead of going to Aspen in march why not come here for the retreat this home has everything.”

The masseur hands move from the knots in her shoulders to her lower back and Ethan agrees. “Good idea, since your selling the Aspen house that home could be gone by march.”

“Considering where it is and how much it is I doubt someone will snatch it up quickly plus its not even on market yet.”

Ethan stands up and bends down to be face to face with her “Have fun I’m going to the theater.”

“This is a beautiful home you have here Miss-“

Lexi even though her head is through the hole on the table she smiles all she can see is his black jeans and black shoes. “Forbes, Lexi Forbes you can just call me Lexi if you want.”

“Oliver.” He moves his hands from her back to her leg and runs them down her legs massaging the tissue.

Lexi loves to get a massage it’s more then just a spa day activity for her, it’s a relaxation thing where her life is so hectic people always around but when she gets a massage it’s just her and the masseur or masseuse.

“You really do have a beautiful home Lexi.”

“Thank you its one of my favorites.”

Oliver has made her flip and has gone back to the shoulders. “Was that your boyfriend that let me in.”

Lexi lets out a little laugh. “No that is one of my best friends his twin is around here somewhere.”

Xxx

After her massage she walks Oliver out, “Hope to see you again.” He nods as he leaves.

After Lexi changes back into a pair of teal skinny jeans a white tank top and a grey sweater with tan knee high stiletto boots and a white and tan purse. She has matched it with tan sunglasses and her rose gold diamond choker her mom gave her and a couple rings. She finds Ethan in the soundproof movie theater. “What movie is this?”

“Couldn’t decide didn’t want to get invested only to be interrupted.”

“Ready to go home?”

Ethan puts an arm around her shoulders as they leave. “I’m driving?”

Lexi smiles she might have just created a Lamborghini monster letting Ethan drive. “I feel great after the massage my mind is clear the shock is wearing off. Oliver really knows his stuff.”

“Ohhh Oliver.”

Lexi shoves him as they enter the night club and find Aiden on one of the couches. “Shut up. Ready to go hon?”

Aiden nods as he joins his twin and best friend. “Coming here really was what was needed today.”

Xxx

Lexi pulls her car into the gallery and they take a golf cart to the guest house. The estate is so big that there are several golf carts around the estate. If they don’t want to walk or are tired they can just get on a golf cart.

Xxx

Jordan Parrish is having trouble putting his key in his door while he has one hand holding Lydia up and she has her legs around his waist and peppering his neck with kisses. After a couple more tries he does get the door open.

Lydia’s lips go from peppering his neck to attacking his lips.

Xxx

Romania:

Six foot shaggy blonde haired Sawyer Forbes he has stubble on his chin and mustache. His innocent face and his smooth talking gets him in and out of so many problems he’s got himself into over the years. He walks into the bar and spots a familiar brunette at the bar and smirks. “We just keep running into each other freckles you going to tell me your name this time.”

The brunette turns around and smirks up at him. “Hello Sawyer your place or mine.”

He downs a shot and smiles down at her. “We went to mine in London so your place here.”

She downs her shot before picking up her coat “Your place last time my place this time if this happens a third where will we go that time?”

“Depends on where we are.”

She flips her hair out from underneath her coat and looks back at him. “It’s Kate.”

He smirks and puts an arm out “Lead the way freckles.”

[insomniac-dot-ink]

The Long Bus Ride

Genre: supernatural horror

Words: 5.6k

Summary: When her late night bus stops in the middle of a rolling fog cloud Frieda starts to worry. Then she starts seeing words being written in the condensation on her window and she truly gets unnerved.

A group of strangers must now try to get through the night as something seems to be outside.

content warning: body horror

---------

The bus was mostly empty that evening. That was typical with rising fares and the fact most people would have tried to be home hours ago. It was too early for the late night party crowd and too late for the normal working crowd.

The bus driver was a big guy named Ted, I knew him by his portly size and baby-smooth clean shaven face. He had youthful thick brown hair grown a little long probably for vanity’s sake and a large pot belly that sagged over the shiny tight black belt around his waist.

He always nodded at me when I got on and always stopped for people when they were running to catch the 431. He wasn’t always on time like the other bus driver-- Nory, but he also honked his horn a little less than him too.

I flashed my bus pass at Ted that evening with our usual nod and a lingering achy bitterness settling in my core. Deirdre’s daughter had come to visit again that afternoon and there was always too much nasty energy in the house on those days. I liked to keep things neat, both personally and professionally. I kept my purse organized into tiny pockets and my clothes sorted in bins by season and I never mentioned anything personal at my job.

Everything had its place, but it was harder to be politely indifferent to the household when they were throwing barbed words at each and asking my opinion. It bothered me to have to be anything other than “day nurse Frieda” to them. It blurred our relationship when they turned to me and said “tell my mother she needs to finalize her will” and so on.

Of course, Deirdre should and did need to finalize her will, but expressing that broke far too many boundaries in a messy way. 

I was ready to be home an hour ago by the time I walked to the bus stop with the sun already carefully nestled behind the city skyline. The purple of a gloomy summer night was heavy across the horizon and I didn’t even both to check my phone watch. I knew my Friday night was almost already over.

My feet ached as I turned to walk down the aisle of the 431 bus headed to Oakland. My chin was sinking toward my chest like a balloon tug insistently downward by a toddler. An older man sat near the front.

He was a skinny, wiry man with a thick mustache and clothes with spots of what I hoped was motor oil on his patterned button-up and workman pants. He wore heavy boots and watched me with small eyes under enormous eyebrows that could have probably watched me as well for the sheer size of them. He had no bags or anything with him and he sat like there was a drill sergeant ready to bark at him if he so much as slouched a little.

No one else sat in the seats near the front designated for the elderly and pregnant. The seats themselves were blue and yellow with party designs on them like you might see at a tacky bowling alley. It was an older bus that hadn’t even been upgraded to “green” standards yet and rumbled like a thunder storm wherever it went.

In the middle seats was a mother and child. She was a middle-aged black woman with long beaded braids tied back in a ponytail and wore a bright pink shirt and a slouchy pair of comfortable looking jeans. Her daughter looked around 9 or 10 and had her hair pulled back in a tight bun at the top of her head. She wore a hoodie over what looked like leggings and carried a sports bag with her.

The mother was probably picking her up from something like ballet practice. The daughter was leaning on the mom while she absently stroked her head and looked out the window. Something about the easy intimacy of it made me look away quickly.

One seat up and across from the mother and daughter was a gently snoring man. He had a wild beard, knit cap, and fingerless gloves. I could tell by the smell alone that he was homeless and had probably been sleeping on the bus for hours now. However, I had smelled worse and his jacket and jeans weren’t as grungy or disheveled as they could have been.

Two other people sat in the back, but luckily neither of them had claimed the final spot in the corner of the bus near the window. A young woman was one chair ahead of my seat, a short white girl who looked around college age. I wrinkled my nose at her because she was holding a paper cup with what I assumed was coffee and her hands were shaking.

She had on a long skirt with mud splotches at the bottom and a pale blue shirt with a mustard stain on the front. Her long auburn hair was tied back into a ratty knot at the back of her neck. She had on huge glasses dangerously close to the edge of her nose and she was staring out the window with the look of someone trying to count the yellow street lines and failing.

Across from her in the other corner of the bus was a high-school aged looking young man with a huge bag blocking the seat next to him. He was Asian with ink-black hair that he had spiked, and wore all black with dark ripped jeans and a band t-shirt. His ears were covered by silver earrings draped over the lobes like angry criss-crossing Christmas decorations.

He had a tattoo of what appeared to be a wing on his neck and smeared eyeliner around his indifferent gaze. He was wearing small earbuds and listening to something with an audible thrumming base.

I ignored both the messy girl and the punk boy as I took my seat and got out my book for the forty minute ride home. It was another pirate romance story-- which my sister recommended because she assumed she knew my taste. The action scenes were fine, but the actual tension between the main couple was blase at best.

I had to make sure no one sat behind me during my bus rides home though because I didn’t need anyone looking over my shoulder and finding the words “he touched my wet throbbing womanhood.” To say the least, the erotic parts of the novels were not that good either.

It was better than scrolling my phone right then though. I hated work emails more than I hated mud trailed onto the carpet in my house or slow-walkers on the sidewalk.

I peeked out the windows sometimes to get a look at the city as the street lights and building lights and headlights erupted one by one in a pale cascade. We were getting closer to the Oakland Bay bridge and the lights threaded along the beams like spiderwebs of frantic energy all captured and blooming at once. I had an affection for the city despite being trapped there.

I hadn’t actually come to California to be a geriatric nurse again. I already spent ten years working as one in Louisiana when an old college friend had called me up and asked if I wanted to join his startup. It sounded like a fairy tale: join an up and coming tech company and watch as you get boosted past “middle class” into something glamorous and decadent. Kitt knew me and knew I was good with people and offered to let me run the PR department.

Of course, I hadn’t joined for the money or the fact I was that interested in PR. I had been working in a nursing home for almost a decade by then and it had started to wear on me. I liked listening to people, especially people who were made of stories, and the job had originally suited me fine. But there was this… shadow over it all that started to eat at me.

A shadow of loss, of empty words, empty places where a sharp mind used to be, empty reassurances that meant nothing, brief glimpses of grief so intense that it split people in two. That shadow loomed larger and larger the longer I stayed. It chased me as my favorite grandma’s hands started to shake and my favorite patient stopped being able to play piano. I saw it in how some of them stopped meeting my eyes when the months dragged on and their time was coming. I saw in the way they stopped remembering my name or their own.

No. I didn’t want to work as an elderly care nurse any longer.

Of course, I was also 33 and single, and a change sounded good. So I moved all the way across the country, got the smallest apartment I had ever lived in, and dared to be a little bold. I wore brighter colors, spoke out more in meetings, cooked spicier foods, I went on dates with women for the first time.

But all good things come to an end. Most startups don’t make it, no matter how many twitter algorithms you try to “hack.”

I looked out the window and ignored my phone as it buzzed. There were other reasons I didn’t check my phone on the bus as well. Cynthia still wanted to meet now and then-- to see if we could make it work after all. I ignored the buzz.

I was lost to the erotic adventures of a very loud and very incompetent heroine when I heard a soft gasp come from in front of me. I usually had a rule of ignoring everyone else on public transport, but there was something about the sharp surprised sound that made me look up.

We were on the bridge now and it was damp and dark out. I blinked a couple times as I noticed a thick cloud seeming to descend. Fog was all but normal in San Francisco so I decided to go back to reading my book.

A small murmur passed between the daughter and mother in the middle of the bus, “it’s alright…” 

I looked up again and the cloud was quickly eating up the view and making the road ahead look shrouded and strange. Cars around us had already turned on their headlights and I could almost feel the bus slowing down as visibility ahead quickly disappeared.

I wrinkled my brow. I didn’t know much about weather, but we usually only saw fog like this in the mornings. I looked to the other side of the road and noticed that I didn’t see any cars coming toward us.

“Look mom,” I heard a small voice say and the little girl was pointing out toward the ocean. I tried to look out the window and make out the sea too, but only saw that same thick white. It was dense and shapeless around us and the bus was slowing down further.

“Where are the lights?” I snapped my head around and the punk kid had taken his earbuds out. His face was even more stony than before and his eyes were narrowed toward where the bridge would be. 

I set my jaw as I realized I didn’t see any of the glowing yellow lights that should be at least breaking through parts of the fog. Even worse, I checked ahead of us and behind, I had never known the Oakland bridge to ever be empty.

There were no more cars on either side of us.

I gulped. The bus was almost at a standstill.

“Hey!” The messy college girl holding the coffee called up from the back. “What’s going on?”

“Yeah, what’s the meaning of this? We’ve all got places to be.” The working class man stood up at the front.

Ted the driver didn’t turn around and there was something about his figure that sat wrong.

“Where the fuck are the lights?” The punk kid was standing up now and craning his neck to look outside.

“Excuse me, sir, is there a problem?” The mother had dragged her daughter into her lap and the little girl was looking directly out the window at something with the utmost focus.

I shifted uncomfortably in place and watched the scene unfold. Something cold was trailing down my spine. I liked to keep things neat, and this felt like it was about to pick up my wardrobe and dump it outside onto my muddy lawn.

A couple voices kept demanding to know why we had stopped, and the homeless man somehow kept dozing. “Ooh,” the little girl touched the window and suddenly my eyes were drawn back to my own window.

The fog was dense to the point of nothingness, and beyond the fog seemed to be an even thicker night. I furrowed my brow and drew back into myself. Condensation was gathering on the other side of the window-- the type you might see when your warm breath touches glass.

A thin layer of white was spreading across the window and then I saw what the young girl was “oohing” at.

“Everyone, step back from the windows.” I heard myself saying, reasonably, in as a controlled manner as I could.

Little droplets had now formed on the other side of the glass and the white haze was thick and tangible. That’s not why I jumped back though. A perfectly formed fingerprint was pressed into the condensation there. A clear oval that was dragging down, down, down the window and creating one long, straight line.

There was nothing behind that finger. There was no body or hand or anything attached at all. Only the imprint that was meticulously drawing downward.

“What the fuck?!” The punk kid scrambled back from his window as well.

“What’s going on?” The college student said in a panic as more little finger tips pressed against the glass. Hands, but not hands. My heart squeezed in my chest and a flurry of possibilities went through my head: I was in a coma, I was asleep, I was asleep in a coma. I was dead.

I was dead and hell is a bus ride.

“Ah!” I jerked my head around again and saw the old man in heavy work pants standing by the front with his mouth wide and eyes as round as silver dollars. He was staring at the bus driver in the way one stares at their parents declaring a divorce.

“Ted…” I muttered and forced myself forward. I wrapped my hands around the bus poles with each step and the metal was almost freezing at each touch. I stumbled across the long space.

“Mommy, what is it?” The window next to the little ballerina was absolutely covered in those floating strokes carefully applied by invisible fingers. They were drawing spirals and zig-zags and something that I dearly hoped wasn’t a letter of the alphabet.

I made my way past the sleeping homeless man who still managed not to wake and all the way to the front of the bus where the old man was staring at Ted.

“He’s-He’s--” He stuttered at me and fell back against a metal pole next to the door. 

“It’s alright, I’m a nurse.” I took a deep steadying breath. I had seen corpses plenty of times in my life and I knew how to keep myself focused on the tasks in front of me. Ted was slumped over and unmoving.

I reached for his arm first and picked up his limp wrist. I exhaled the second I reached his pulse and felt a faint thrum there. His skin was clammy and far too cold, but he was breathing. “Don’t look at the eyes.” The old man grabbed my shoulder. “Don’t look!”

I was never very good at averting my eyes when facing car crashes or jump scares in horror movies. He had a pulse. I needed to check for head injuries. I glanced at his face. Something was dripping down his cheeks in a steady flow.

I reached and tipped his chin up. I swallowed my scream before it could escape. His eyes were gummed shut with something black and bubbling. It was like tar that held both of his eyelids clamped closed and water was leaking out of the seams.

Droplets beaded down his cheeks and when I let his head fall again it leaked like rain down upon his lap. I stopped myself from heaving at the sight and looked downward. His foot was still on the gas, but we weren’t moving forward.

“Let’s go.” I ushered the old man away from Ted’s body. Something told me we shouldn’t touch it or be too close to it. We retreated back toward the other seats.

“E,” the little girl was tracing a letter in the condensation. Something outside was writing the letter E and then another letter next to it. “N.”

I walked down the center of the bus in a daze and the others looked at me. The disheveled college student stumbled toward us. “Is the driver alright?” I just shook my head and couldn’t find the words to explain that one of us was surely dreaming up a nightmare. 

The punk kid was sitting in the center of the back seats clutching his bag to his chest and his earbuds were back in.

“Little girl.” A voice barked. I turned and suddenly I noticed that the homeless man had sat up and his clear blue eyes were darting around the space frantically. “Don’t touch the windows.” His voice was deep and smoke-beaten. “Again, again, again.” He repeated, “Don’t touch. Again.”

I looked back to the shapes being drawn in the window panes. 

They were impossibly strange, but no sounds came from the drag of their fingers. In fact, I didn’t pick up any noises from the city at all: no honking, no sirens, no hums of life. I groped for the right words to try to make sense of this.

“Little girl!” The homeless man said sharply and he looked toward the closest window. “Don’t.” “Sheryl…” Her mother warned, but the little girl, Sheryl, kept tracing the letters the Things were drawing.

I watched in a trance, “T.” She said softly. “E.” I was watching the tip of her finger move when I caught the first glimpse.

My whole body froze like a jolt of ice pouring down my spine. Just beyond the invisible hand was a face submerged in the fog-- faint and shifting. It was hard to make out, but two black eyes drooped like runny eggs down it’s sunken cheeks and a mouth grotesquely frozen in a scream took shape for just a moment.

I grabbed for the mother, “everyone!” I found the energy to fill my words with urgency, “get away from the windows!” They all looked to me and I mustered every bit of my authority, “NOW!”

Reluctant shuffling followed. “Wait!” Sheryl protested as her mom picked her up and carried her to the center of the bus. “Wait!” She repeated, “it wasn’t finished.”

The fingers outside became more frantic as we retreated into the center of the bus as far away from the windows as we could get. They clawed and dragged and I could make out more and more faces, some with three fingers and some with seven. Faint outlines of the hands and faces morphed and danced just out in the darkness.

They never stood still or seemed to stop shifting and twisting as if unnaturally alive.

A shudder went through the small group as we huddled together like penguins being accosted by the arctic breeze. The punk boy was the last to reach us as he clung to his huge bag and entered the loose circle we created.

The old man was shifty-eyed and looked the most on edge. I kept an eye on him, as well as the homeless man who was hunched over into himself. “Again,” he muttered to himself. “Again.” The moments after we gathered were long and strained before anyone dared to speak and break the ghastly immense silence. “Something was wrong with the driver,” the old man finally announced as he looked to the fingers, “something is wrong here.” “Very wrong.” The college student echoed.

“Duh,” The pink kid said back with his teeth clenched.

“Perhaps it will be over soon.” I added softly, mostly speaking to myself.

“What’s everyone’s names?” I looked up as the homeless man finally broke himself upright again.

“What? Why?” The old man practically growled.

“Everyone here has got to have a name.” The homeless man’s blue eyes were still frantic and traveling faster than I thought they should back and forth across the space. “Got to have a name.”

“How do we know that will--” “Angela.” The mother spoke up. “And this is Sheryl. Have you seen this before?” She looked to him as if he must often see buses descend into hell before.

“I’m Rick.” He said without hesitating, “Angela, Sheryl,” he pointed to the college student as if to pose a question.

“Laura.” She said softly. Her hands were still shaking, but probably for different reasons now.

“Angela, Sheryl, Laura,” Rick almost sang and then prompted the old man to speak.

“I’m Drew.” The old man said hesitantly after a moment.

“And I’m Frieda.” I added as the punk kid spoke as well.

“I’m Jinu.” 

A silence spread and I didnt know what I expected to happen from swapping names with a group of strangers. Sheryl was frowning deeply. She whispered, “We shouldn’t have left where they can see us.”

That made me look back to the people I was stuck with and I opened my mouth to ask Sheryl if she was alright.

Bring

We jumped as one when a sudden and angry sound crackled and shook the space. 

Bring, bring

It was like the sound of an old phone back from the 90s. A classic, angry noise that ate up the whole area with its loud buzzing undertone.

Bring!

I felt my pocket and felt something vibrating there.

“It’s our phones…” Jinu said in a hush.

My phone was ringing. And I knew we were being hailed.

Bring, bring, bring

I felt sick.

Laura was the first to dig out her phone from her bright yellow purse and hold it in her hands.

Bring, bring

The iphone vibrated and almost shook its way out of her hands. It’s screen was completely black and something, something was making it ring. “What’s,” I couldn’t contain the question any longer. “What’s causing this?” No one answered me. Drew took out his phone next, a first generation android it looked like with a cracked screen that was just as black as the last one. Slowly, everyone except for Rick, extracted our phones and watched as they made the same cry together over and over again: bring, bring, bring, bring, bring.

I stared into the shiny black surface of mine. It was perfectly smooth and almost… too dark. A dark I had never seen before and reflected nothing back. It felt like it was eating the light up.

“Maybe,” Laura spoke up. “Maybe we could call the police.”

“It’s a little late for that honey.” Angela said with a forlorn sigh.

“Why are they ringing?” I asked dumbly.

“We shouldn’t answer.” Jinu growled and tossed his phone all the way to the other side of the bus.

Rick nodded, “Do. Not. Answer.” “But…” I frowned deeply. “We can’t stay here.” “We can’t answer either.” Rick said in his same husky, withered tone. Drew nodded and threw his phone away, I followed suit mostly to stop looking at the shiny blackness of the screen. Angela seemed to almost break hers as she chucked it away as well, and Laura was the last one. She gripped it tightly and looked up.

“What do you think those are?” She finally voiced our fears and looked back to the fingers and morphed faces. “Are they… are they what’s calling us?” I shrugged, “does it matter?” I glared, “we can’t risk it. Throw it away.” “What happened to the driver?” Laura whispered and I just shook my head. She threw her phone away.

We all looked at each other carefully, and then we waited.

--------

Time ticked by with an anonymous meaningless face. On some level I think most of us expected to wake up soon, or for the sun to rise or to have God yelled “pranked!” from somewhere up in the sky. At least, that’s what I was waiting for.

The bus was still, just as cold and faceless as before, immobile as it had ever been. Alone in the middle of the bridge and alone in no place at all. I had a switch knife I carried around that I now held in my clenched fists and the world stood still.

Empty, except for the constant, unending sound of the phones: bring, bring, bring. They chorused and buzzed on the other side of the bus as we huddled in the center. It was endless. People did what they could to distract themselves from their impossible voices. 

Jinu put his headphones back in and turned them all the way up. Laura covered her ears with both hands and rocked back and forth in a ball. Rick gazed unseeingly up at the ceiling with a deep frown on his face. Drew was drawing something on his palm as if doing math equations on his skin.

I distracted myself by talking to the mother and daughter. “You want to be a prima ballerina when you grow up?” I asked softly as I watched Sheryl’s small face. Angela was still stroking her daughter’s head and holding her close as the minutes ticked by.

Bring, bring

“I want to dance in The Swan Lake,” she said factually. “I’m not good enough yet, but I will be.” I beamed. “I believe you.”

Bring, bring

“What do you do?” Angela asked and there was something forced about it.

“Nurse.” I said simply. “Though I came here for an app startup of all things.” 

“Oh?”

Bring, bring, bring I wasn’t usually one for idle-chit-chat, but a damp coldness was working its way through my chest. I had already noticed that Laura was shivering fiercely.

“Yeah, we were going to change the world or something he said,” I rolled my eyes, “but it didn’t turn out that way of course.”

“What kind of app was it?” Sheryl was still looking to her window, but she seemed present enough. 

“Oh, a ride sharing one. It was supposed to be a public minded service called ‘Democracy Bus.’ It was meant to help people get to the polls on voting days for free or get to civil rally's or debate parties,” I shook my head. “It never got off the ground.” Angela opened her mouth to respond, but seemed to be drained of some force within her.

Bring, bring

“That settles it.” Drew stood up with a hardened look on his face. “If I run I might make it to the other side of the bridge in a few minutes.” He nodded, “we were more than halfway to the other side by the time we stopped.”

We openly stared at the old man. Jinu took his headphones out, and Laura uncurled herself. Rick kept looking at the ceiling.

Bring, bring, bring

My mouth became a hard line, “We don’t want to let any of those things in here…” I whispered.

Drew dusted himself off, “I only need someone to pull the door open for a second. And beside,” his lips curled up, “we can’t exactly stay here and starve.” My skin prickled and I didn’t mention the fact I hadn’t felt hungry since the moment we stopped. I hadn’t felt thirsty either, or anything at all. Just cold. And damp.

“We’re not going out there.” Angela hissed first. “It’s too much of a risk.” She held her daughter tighter to her.

“Does anyone else have any ideas then?” Drew seethed. We were quiet.

Bring, bring

“Maybe we should answer one.” Laura said again, “just to see what happens.” She cocked her head to the side, “maybe they’ll let us go.”

“That sounds like an even worse idea than his.” Jinu said flatly.

“Don’t. Answer. The. Phones.” Rick finally joined the conversation and haltingly declared.

“Why not?” Drew narrowed his eyes icily, “What do you know?” Rick looked back up to the ceiling and set his jaw. Drew took a menacing step toward him, “What does he know?!”

“Oh,” Sheryl pointed, “Look. They’re trying again... E.” I looked up just in time to see the fingers all in one motion write the letter “E” over and over again on each window. I swallowed thickly. “We should all cover our eyes.” I announced, “We need to wait this out.”

Bring, bring, bring! Drew shook his head. “We just gotta open the door for a moment. I’ll go get help.” Angela looked like she was ready to pounce on him. “I told you! It’s too risky, there’s children aboard.”

“A child who keeps trying to communicate with them!”

The fingers were now writing “N” over and over again on every surface of the windows that there were. “N” She read softly.

“Guys,” I repeated and my voice rose, “I think we should cover our eyes.” “T,” Sheryl muttered and I dove for her first.

“Cover your eyes!” I screeched and slapped a hand over her gaze so that she couldn’t read it anymore.

Bring, bring!

“This is crazy!” Jinu started stumbling backward away from the group.

“Don’t leave us!” I reached for him as well.

“No!” Rick shouted, “I told you not to!”

I turned just on time to see Laura crawling toward her phone. She pressed on the screen with one finger and brought it to her face, “hello?” “E.” Sheryl said as my fingers slipped and the whole world came crashing down around us.

“Get back! Get away from her!” Rick pushed the three of us he could reach toward the back of the bus. Jinu let out a wordless scream and Drew reached for Laura.

“Young lady?” Laura’s face was completely contorted as she stood up. Her mouth opened in a grotesque snarl as her jaw jutted out awkwardly to the side. Her eyes were lifeless and started to leak drips of water down her cheeks.

She moved all at once-- like strings were unevenly tied to her knees. She took one jerky, tin step forward and then another.

“Drew,” I hissed and reached for him. “Get back.” “She’s so young,” he muttered. “She’s so young. Can you hear me?” The water was running down Laura’s cheeks like a faucet now and I couldn’t look away as her eyes sunk into their sockets. The white disappeared first into some unseen blackness. I pulled Drew back with all my physical strength and Laura took another step forward.

Could we fight her? Could we fight these things?

I took my knife out and slashed the air in front of us as she took her unpleasant, rigid steps forward. Her eyes had all but sunken into her head and her hanging mouth was now dripping water that smelled of something like mold and damp earth.

“Stay back,” I hissed and slashed the air again. “I’ll kill you.” To my surprise she turned. She faced one of the windows, the one that Sheryl has been sitting at only hours before back in the sunlight world. She touched the glass tentatively and the fingers repeated their last letter over and over again. Sheryl said a final ringing letter, “R.” ENTER.

I hugged myself and held my breath, bracing for the worst.

The windows did not break open though and the distorted faces did not slither inward. Laura got up onto the seat and started pressing into the window. Her eyes were completely gone and her ears and mouth and eyes were all steadily running over with streams of water.

It was wrong. It was hard to watch as she hands pressed gradually through the glass in an impossible manner.

It was a slow and painful process as she joined the mist. Hands grabbed her and pulled at her, her hair came loose and fell down her shoulders, and one of the people beside me started sobbing.

“It’s taking her…”

Someone started humming, Jinu I think. It was a sad and reluctant song that carried soberingly through the space. He hummed a funeral march just as she was tugged through the window and off into the white expanse with no name.

Our phones stopped ringing all at once and the fog began to lift as if in a dream. The next procession was mechanical and done in complete silence. We picked up our cracked phones and returned to our seats.

I didn’t know what compelled us, but I knew it had to be done. I knew we had to return to our exact same spots.

I took my seat at the back of the bus with my head bowed downward and Jinu sat across from me with his eyes focused on the skyline. Angela and Sheryl sat close and fixed in place. Rick went back to sleep. Drew sat closest to the driver and watched Ted sit up again.

Lights appeared beside us. Sounds of cars and bikers and voices reappeared. Headlights blinked on the other side of the road. Ted started the engine again. And we drove.

The bus rumbled onward through the beautiful dark night and city.

The only sign that we had ever been trapped in some place beyond here was the fact that my face was wet with tears and that there was an empty seat in front of me. I couldn’t remember her name though.

I looked down at my phone and I had 127 missed calls from “UNKNOWN” and a very brief text message from the same number. All it read was “again” and “enter.”

I closed my eyes and figured maybe it was time to move back home.

[imaginesforjohnnydepp]

Architectural Digest (Power Couple extended imagine)

for @karlacce4 @takemepedropascal

Inside Johnny Depp and Y/N Y/L/N’s Stunning $1.9M New Orleans Home! - Article by Rita Joseph, November 2018

A casually dressed Y/N opens the door on a bright and sunny but chilly Friday afternoon. The Golden Globe nominated actress is just as stunning makeup free and in an old college sweatshirt and jeans and her hair pulled back from her face as she is in expensive designer gowns and jewelry; right behind her is her husband Johnny Depp and their dog Jack Sparrow. “Hey, come on in!” Immediately, I’m greeted with warmth and the scent of cinnamon. The entrance is narrow, and there is a wooden table next to the door with a small bowl which hold two sets of car keys, but there are two doorways across from each other: on the left is the sitting room, and on my right is the dining room with its painted blue walls contrasted with white curtains and a chandelier hanging above the table.

We start with the sitting room which holds a lime green couch adding a nice touch of color against the white walls. There is also a gold ceiling lamp and a glass coffee table. “This is our sitting room, but we use it for a little bit of everything, like a storage room or sometimes a guest would want to sleep in here when they visit because it’s so quiet as opposed to upstairs because we still have teenagers, and there’s a lot of banging around in the morning getting ready for school, or we’ll have friends over.” Those friends would include Brad and Angelina (before the divorce), Tim Burton and Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, and Depp’s Hollywood Vampires band mates Joe Perry and Alice Cooper. What great company to keep!

From the sitting room we head into the dining room. “We actually painted the dining room a week after we moved in. All of the walls in the house were white and we thought it was way too much, so we decided to paint it a different color,” Depp said. “The tables and chairs actually belonged to Y/N’s sister and we bought it off her in ‘07 when she moved to another city, and that couch in the other room we bought after Nathan and Noelle’s first birthday.” “It was their favorite thing to play on when they were babies. So hard to believe that was 2004,” Y/L/N reminisced. The blue walls are decorated with a few of Depp’s paintings with a molding of a deer’s head that Y/N got at a flea market.

As we exit out of the dining room, I get a good look at the other side of the wall facing the staircase as we go into the living room. The entire wall is covered in a black and white photo of a jazz band taken at a Mardi Gras parade a few years ago, and there is a nice sized wine cabinet which is the size of a recording booth with only one bottle of wine in it; Johnny has cut back on drinking, but still enjoys a glass of wine every now and then. “I’m not as young as I used to be, and I’m runnin’ around on stage all night so I want to be as healthy as possible when I’m performing and to see the rest of my babies grow up.” The rest of his babies would be Nathan and Noelle, fraternal twins born in 2003. Their oldest kids include 26-year-old Star Wars star John Christopher III, born in 1992, and 22-year-old The Greatest Showman actress Camille.

The living room is gorgeous but simple; an all white leather reclining sectional with built in cup holders surrounds a small wooden coffee table in front of the fireplace which has a flat screen television above it. There’s a chandelier in this room as well, similar to the one in the dining room, and the wooden table behind the sectional breaks up the whiteness of the room. “This is where everyone spends the majority of their time. Morning, noon, night, weekends, we are here, with the older kids when they come over for dinner on Sundays. They’ll come over in the afternoon and stay the whole day.” Even with the oldest kids moved out and with houses of their own, the Depps are still a close knit family with Camille and John Christopher, or Three as he’s called by friends and family, living minutes away. Depp family favorite weekend activity? “Cooking breakfast together and then going to the nearby park or to a flea market or farmers’ market. There’s always something to do do in the city so you’re never bored,” the Dark Shadows actor explained. 

When I asked them why they decided to move away from Hollywood, it was an easy answer. Y/L/N said: “we wanted to give them a normal childhood, and you can’t really have that when there are people taking pictures of you in your school uniform heading into school.” The couple moved to the Big Easy before Johnny began filming the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2002, and speaking of cooking, the kitchen is next, and it is every homeowner’s dream. The white marble kitchen island doubles as a sink with its clear backed chairs and a sleek gold light fixture hanging above. A few feet away is a rectangular table with four shelves.

“This is my favorite room. I’m always cooking, and this is pretty much multipurpose room. We do game nights, eat meals, the twins do homework here.” When I joked about the chandeliers, the two only laughed, with Y/N adding, “you’re gonna be seeing a lot of chandeliers in this house. I loved them as a child and always wanted one. Or thirteen. We actually got each of them at Home Depot or Wayfair, and they look good in every room.” At this point, Jack Sparrow begins barking and runs to the front door (the dog, not Depp who plays the beloved swashbuckler). Noelle and Nathan are home from school and they follow the dog into the kitchen.

They are taken aback as they take in the camera man, as they wash their hands in the sink before reaching for the snacks. “Oh, I thought this was happening tomorrow,” Noelle remarks as she reaches for a bag of trail mix from a cabinet and a bottle of water from the fridge. “You have drivers ed tomorrow,” Y/N instantly in mom mode. “And your uniforms are hanging up in the laundry room.” Johnny and Y/N are athlete parents with Nathan playing on his school football team while Noelle is a cheerleader. After getting an okay from the twins to tour their rooms, we head upstairs after the examining the wall of pictures in the upstairs hallway.

Some pictures that have never been made public: a tired looking Y/N in a hospital bed after giving birth to their children, followed by a procession of school portraits and certificates from school. John Christopher and Camille’s graduation and prom pictures. Family outings at the near by park which featured a heavily pregnant Y/N circa early 2000s. A picture of Depp’s late mother Betty Sue and Y/N’s Aunt Claudia smiling as they played cards. And then there were the family portraits.

One that started with John Christopher as a newborn in 1992, then adding Camille in 1996, followed by the twins in 2003. Black and white photos of grandparents and great-grandparents, photos of Depp and Y/L/N ancestors, and the framed Polaroids of Y/N and Depp in Vegas on their honeymoon, after they eloped in summer 1991 after less than a year of dating, and I had to ask the question that’s still on peoples’ minds years later: why elopement? “We were young and didn’t want to go through the process of planning a wedding. I proposed a day after meeting her aunt and uncle and two days later we were married.” You remember that day like it was yesterday; you and Johnny went on vacation to visit your aunt and uncle so they could meet him for the first time as your boyfriend. They loved him, of course and at that point, you’ve only been dating for four months and it was getting serious to the point where Johnny called you his future wife and mother of his children in interviews (which probably wouldn’t be too distant in the future since your period was late). He proposed the night before you left for L.A. after your aunt and uncle had gone to bed and you immediately said yes.

After settling back home, you two took a road trip to Las Vegas the very next day and twenty seven years later, you’re still very much in love. I asked them why move to New Orleans, to which Depp answered: “Y/N was filming a movie here after Three was born, and when I came to visit her with the baby, I think it was during Mardi Gras, we had an amazing time. The food was just incredible, and the people were amazing, and no one gave a fuck about who we were. Once Camille was born, we kept coming back as much as we could, and we decided we wanted to build a life here.” The first room we enter after reaching the landing is the master bedroom. The walls are painted a nice gray, and, you guessed it, a chandelier. “This is our room, where we rarely get any sleep because we have the kids always running in and out for whatever reason--” 

“And we also climb into bed with them too,” Noelle interjects. “And other times we just do it to annoy them,” Nathan backs up his sister’s statement. The bathroom is gorgeous with a white tiled floor; the shower stall is in a corner next to Y/N’s vanity, and across from it is a jacuzzi tub set next to a window that had a few candles along the edge, and adjacent from the tub is a double sink. “This is our bathroom, and we do more unwinding here than the bedroom. Whenever one of us comes home from filming or press tours or whatever, we’re in the tub, probably falling asleep.” Next we move to Noelle’s room and it’s something out of a Pintrest board

Pretty pastel pinks and fluffy white rugs and throws with a nice swing chair in a corner, which she calls her reading nook. Black and white framed pictures of her mom from her modeling days as a teenager and pictures of friends and family fill in space on her walls. “Every piece of furniture came from either Wayfair or Overstock. They have such great deals on furniture and rugs, and I’m always scrolling through their websites.” Nathan’s room is a typical boy’s room. It’s a cool gray scale vibe with a portion of the wall behind his bed painted black and there are shelves on either side of the bed filled with books, picture frames and sports trophies. “Dad and I repainted this wall almost a month ago. The sun shines so bright in the mornings and it’s always a pain, and I love when a room is cold and dark.” 

He admits to sleeping with the fan on at night, even in the winter. There’s a sleek desk in the corner that holds a laptop and a stack of books, and next to it, against the wall, is a decent sized book shelf. Nathan likes to read, a trait that he and the rest of his siblings picked up from their parents. He and Noelle are having a competition to see who could read the most books by the end of the year. The next room is a low ceilinged guest room which is where Depp’s mother Betty Sue lived her last days. 

“This used to be Grandma Betty’s room. Jack comes in here all the time, and we’d find him just laying on the bed,” Nathan says, touching a portrait of his grandmother. The next room is pretty much a music studio, as there’s a drum kit, bass guitars, electric guitars, and a keyboard. The walls are covered with the kids’ school art projects over the years. The room is frequented by Depp’s band the Hollywood Vampires whenever they blow into town, where they write and record new music, and Noelle receives guitar lessons from her father and Cooper. The last room we reach is a game room/homemade home movie theater.

There’s a nice flat screen on the wall and plastic storage bins containing video games, game controllers, and DVDs; Noelle used the room to host a sleepover a few weeks ago, and Nathan and his friends used it to launch water balloons at the neighborhood boys during the summer, which he realizes he makes a mistake in admitting this in front of his parents. Finally we come to the last part of the tour, the backyard which holds a patio and a swimming pool. “I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but we were using the pool up until a week ago. During the spring and summer months, we’ll invite the neighbors over for barbecues or they’ll invite us.” It’s November, and Thanksgiving is a week away. The entire Depp family plans on spending the holiday at the Kentucky ranch Johnny bought for his mother with his siblings. Before we leave, Y/N offers me and the camera man Justin a snack of green tea and cinnamon rolls ushering us politely out of the door so they could have dinner and get ready for Nathan’s game.

The video is now up on architecturaldigest.com and on our YouTube channel.

The video is uploaded on YouTube to great reviews; the viewers love how down to earth and humble you are and that you didn’t spend a ton of money on furniture and other unnecessary miscellaneous items in the house while others wish they had a room like Noelle’s when they were teenagers. The comments range from: i’m a simple person. i see johnny depp’s name and i click on it-user26. i love how they live in a normal looking house in a normal neighborhood. i’m so glad they raised their kids outside of hollywood because john christopher and camille are the most humble nepo kids in the industry and always acknowledge their privilege. can’t say the same for others.- user89. When is Noelle gonna start her modeling career?- user85. i love how close they all are and that they live so close together to where they can get together on the weekends.- user63

dying at the looks johnny and y/n gave nathan when he said he and his friends threw water balloons out the window.- user14. when tf did the twins get so big??? why wasn’t i warned???- user 78. why do noelle and nathan get to look like they just stepped out of a j crew catalog after a day at school but i look like i got beat within an inch of my life by 4th period? - user52