#did this on a whim and spent the last 6 hours on it. enjoy

[surreal-duck]

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rival chocolate

[bokubonk]

when we meet again

warnings: mentions of death, blood, zombie apocalypse au, angst

characters: Tendou, y/n

date: 1/27/21

word count: 1.3k+

notes: lol i came up with this at the dentist and i wrote it on a whim so it might not be that great anyway enjoy ;)

don’t forget to read part 2

5 months, 8 days, and 6 hours.

That’s how long it took for your world to fall apart. A mere blink of an eye for some people’s lifetimes yet here you were holding Tendou in your arms like you weren’t seconds away from taking your last breath.

It had been six months since it started. It almost seemed amusing when you thought about it. A zombie apocalypse was only something you ever saw in movies. It was something you talked about at sleepovers, planning out elaborate scenarios on what you would do if an apocalypse were to one day take place. But you never for one second thought your musings would one day come true.

You never considered how harsh it would be having to struggle for survival and not knowing who you could trust. When the news came you thought it was all a joke and your parents would soon be back from grocery shopping. But after two days, you were still waiting in an empty house. 

From what you saw on the t.v. before all forms of communication were cut off, the government knew about the zombies months before the infected began multiplying. Their efforts to prevent the spread were pointless due to how fast the virus spread compared to the time needed to do research and create a cure. 

Hope no longer had any meaning and everyday was spent with only one goal in mind: survival.

You spent the first month alone. It was terrifying at first but you slowly got used to it, it was the only thing you could do if you wanted to survive after all. Those who didn’t adapt died and you refused to be just another number in the growing statistic.

That was when you met Tendou. You were hiding from a group of zombies that were chasing after you and you decided to hide in a run-down store. It wasn’t the best of options considering you would be cornered if they chose to follow you but at this point you were running on your last bit of energy. You no longer had any strength left and you would rather take a chance and hide than continue running and risk passing out. 

You held your breath, your heart pumping out of your chest as you silently prayed they couldn’t sense you. At this point, you were still unsure of how zombies targeted humans but you weren’t about to take a chance and you used what you knew from watching movies to guide your actions.

Sweat beaded on your brow as you watched them pass by, the stench of their rotting flesh making you flinch. Once they were out of sight you heaved a sigh and your shoulders sagged. You leaned against the wall, your eyes scanning the room in search for anything you could take with you.

A hand tapped on your shoulder and you whirled around, your heart rate jumping once again. A gasp lodged itself in your throat before a finger was pressed to your lips and you made eye contact with a wide-eyed boy. His red hair was startling and his features were pale, making him seem ghostly but you could tell he was human. 

“Quiet, now,” he whispered, “We wouldn’t want any of them to hear now, would we?”

His skin was cold against your lips but you couldn’t help the relief that coursed through your veins that there was a living, breathing human in front of you.

“The name’s Tendou,” he grinned as he removed his hand from your lips and extended it for you to shake. 

“y/n,” you replied, placing your hand in his. His grip was firm and comforting. You almost didn’t want to let go. It had been so long since you had been this close to someone else much less had a conversation with anyone.

It wasn’t like you hadn’t seen anyone since the apocalypse started. There were times when you came across groups of people but you never felt comfortable enough to join any of them, wary of their motives.

“Pleasure to meet you, y/n,” he replied, his hand still hadn’t left yours and you allowed yourself to think that maybe you were as much of a comfort to him as he was to you. “I wish I had met you under better circumstances, but I suppose now is better than never.”

The two of you settled into your friendship well, growing closer as the days passed by. Soon, the friendship turned into something more and the nights you spent sleeping side by side were spent with you sleeping in his arms. 

You had lost so many people but as terrible as it sounded you were grateful that their deaths led you to him. Tendou. The shining boy who always cared about you above himself. The boy who made sure you were never hungrier than he was. The one who told you to look away whenever a scene got a little more gruesome than he expected. The one who stuck by you despite the odds and now became the boy you loved.

So why did it come to this?

You pressed his cold hands to your lips, sending him a small smile of assurance. But his glassy eyes were staring at the sky, now more blue than ever without all of the pollution. He let out a sigh before gasping in pain once again and looking down at the bloodied bite mark on his thigh.

It had been two weeks since he got bitten and you both knew time was running out. The wound began swelling a few days ago after and you both knew what was coming. Tendou tried smiling through it at first, not wanting you to worry but as the days passed you could tell he was beginning to forget his memories. His eye bags only grew darker with every minute and his eyes no longer held the same light they used to. You could barely remember the songs he used to sing and the weight of the gun in your waistband only reminded you of what little time was left but despite all the time that passed, it hadn’t really sunk in it. You hadn’t accepted the fact that he was slowly fading.

He was in your arms but he was no longer the same Tendou you grew to adore.

“So this is how it all ends?” you murmured, brushing the matted hair away from Tendou’s forehead. He was laying his head in your lap, shaky breaths leaving his lips. 

“I guess so,” he muttered weakly, letting out a quiet groan.

“What do you think happens when you die?” you asked, threading your fingers between his.

“Not sure,” he shrugged, “But maybe someday I’ll find my way back to you.”

“Yeah?” you laughed. Out of all the answers he could’ve said, you never expected him to say such a cheesy line. “I hope you do.”

Somewhere along the way your laughter had faded and it wasn’t until Tendou’s cold fingers brushed against your cheeks did you realize you were crying. 

“It’ll be okay,” Tendou reassured. There was nothing but confidence in his tone and you couldn’t help but believe him. 

You nodded, wiping away your tears and giving him a shaky smile. 

‘For just one night,’ you promised yourself. Just one night would you allow yourself to pretend like everything was normal and you were just two teens in love, staying up to name the clouds and watch the stars.

You curled into his side, pressing your face to his chest. You listened to his heartbeat and the rise and fall as he breathed, closing your eyes and imprinting him into your memory.

You woke up a few hours before dawn, the gun now clutched in your hands. Life no longer breathed air into Tendou and you guiltily sucked in oxygen, willing your hands not to shake.

In and out. In and out. 

“Until we meet again,” you murmured, pulling the trigger.

Perhaps one day the sun would shine down on them and they could smile and know this happiness wouldn’t end.

[fundielicious-simblr]

Harvestfest

(Adalynn’s POV)

(Ignore the fact that some people are missing, in spite of having a detailed pose planned out I forgot to add some people and it was too late to go and add them, at the point I’d spent 4 days trying to get almost 50 people to pose and was at the end of my rope 😂)

Happy Harvestfest! It felt so good to gather with all my family as we focus on being together, being grateful, and sharing in the blessings the Lord has showered on all of us. With so many of us now married and having to split holidays between our family and our in-laws, we all sat down and decided that the holiday that would bring us all together at the big house in Newcrest would be Harvestfest, meaning that we’re left to be with our other family at Winterfest. This year there were 46 people to fill up my parent’s house, which just goes to show how much the Lord has blessed us in the past 12 years, before I got married there would only be the 15 of us around the table digging in to the 2 turkeys that us Zoe and I would wake up at 4am to pick fresh from the farm, sharing in the sides that Macie would prepare for the evening, and laughing and singing together. One thing I’m very grateful for are all the children that are running around again, growing up it would be Charles, Parker, and Ashton that entertained us all with their shenanigans, but once they grew up and grew out of it then we all missed the sounds of having children around the house. Now there are 22 children that run around and call my parents ‘grandma and grandpa’. 

(Updates on the family are under the cut!)

Allan (55) and Casandra (52) Collins

My parents are thriving in this season of life they’re in! This year they’ve completed 34 years of marriage, what a testimony! Dad is still the pastor at Newcrest Baptist, the Lord has blessed the church abundantly allowing for dad to hire on additional pastors, which gives him the chance to speak at various conferences whilst not having to worry about his congregation in Newcrest being left stranded. Mum has been finishing up school with Ashton, the last kid in the Collins Homeschool, can you believe it? She’s managed to successfully homeschool 13 children from Kindergarten all the way to the end of highschool, which is no easy feat considering how different we all are. At Ashtons graduation party we’re planning on honouring her for all that she did to homeschool us and how she did and continues to pour into all of us. Since Ashton is basically self sufficient with schooling, mum has a lot more time to travel around and visit her grandbabies, since Barrett and Kyleigh’s kids are the closest to us she’s always having them over at the big house or going over for a few hours a day to continue to pour into the lives of her grandchildren. She also gets invited to speak at different ladies’ meetings in the wider area, as well as joining our dad on speaking engagements, either accompanying him to speak at different churches or speaking with him at loads of different marriage conferences. It’s such a blessing to see my parents be so richly rewarded for their dedication to the Lord!

The Leonard Family - Mason (34), Adalynn (33), Noah (10), Luke (8), Aaron (7), Paul (6), Joshua (4), Caleb & Jonah (1)

We’re excited to be expecting baby number 8! As time passes and I’m blessed with more children, I’ve realised I have a very consistent pattern of getting pregnant when the youngest child is almost 2 years old. Well, since the twins 2nd birthday is coming up I decided on a whim to take a pregnancy test and it was positive! As usual we’re not finding out the gender until the baby is born, but with the current numbers I’ve got I’m going to guess that this baby is a boy. The boys are excited to have another sibling on the way, but while we wait for the new baby to join us I’ve got the boys focusing on their school work. The oldest four boys are steadily progressing in their work and are loving school, they also love working on gaining their scout badges before the end of the year so they can progress onto the next level. Another exciting thing in our house is the nativity play that our church is putting on this Winterfest, the boys are in the children’s choir meaning that all our music practice has turned into Winterfest practice. Mason’s sister Molly is getting married soon as well, so the family has been gearing up to host people at her wedding in the next few months.

The Collins Family - Barrett (31), Kyleigh (29), Chloe, Allan Jr & Benjamin (8), Rose & Violet (6), Daisy (6), Marigold (5), Olivia (3), Preston (1)

Barrett & Kyleigh are also expecting a baby, this baby joining the family will be baby number 10 with the gender being a surprise! They live in Newcrest so they’ve got the advantage of being by the big house and seeing my parents all the time, as well as all my siblings who still live at home. Kyleigh and I are in the same boat are up to our ears in school books, but when you add in the fact she’s got 2 extra kids than I do, it’s amazing how calm she is about it! You’d never know she’s actively homeschooling 7 children whilst also running after two toddlers, she makes it look so easy! With everything happening in their house they’ve got plans for even more disruption, an old family friend that owns a construction company has offered to add an extension to their house purely to be a blessing to them! They currently live in a 3 bedroom house and the current plan is to add a second floor to the house to give them more room to grow, and with them adding a new baby every year I can tell there is going to be a lot of growing for their family to do.

The Moreno Family - Francisco (33), Zoe (29), and Javier Jr (2)

Francisco and Zoe are also expecting, and when we were all together they shared that they were having a baby girl! They’re not sharing the name they’ve picked out now, so we’re all waiting for baby girl to make her appearance so we can hear the no doubt beautiful name they’ve picked out. Little JJ is growing in leaps and bounds, it’s so hard being far away from family, which makes us cherish these times that we get to be all together even more. In other news, they’ve officially moved out of Oasis Springs and are excited to be starting out this new season of life as they get settled in Windenburg. They’ll be stationed there for the next 2 or maybe even 3 years, meaning that Zoe gets a few years living close to our sister Amira as well as our cousin Brittany. 

The Wright Family - Shane (26), Maggie (25), Arlo & Iris (1)

Shane and Maggie are enjoying their new season of life with the twins growing into toddlers and enjoying the learning curve that comes with having not one, but two toddlers running all over the place. Shane continues to work at the design agency, and now that the twins are slightly older Maggie has started going back to doing more freelance photography jobs, and is hoping to start back at the office full time soon. Their current plans for the winter include a family skiing vacation at Mt Komorebi along with Reece and Stacie and their in-laws for Winterfest. 

The Collins Family - Reece and Stacie (24), Liam (3), Hazel (1)

Reece and Stacie are also enjoying life with their family of 4 after the addition of little Hazel. Liam is starting kindergarten which is keeping Stacie busy with them as they start an official homeschooling programme, with the addition of Hazel’s basic toddler care as she attempts to be like her big brother. As well as starting school, the mother’s at their church have created a play group to help the kids socialise with each other since most of the families homeschool their children, so Liam is making new friends at church too. Their plans for winter include a ski holiday in Mt.Komorebi with Maggie, Shane, and their in-laws as well as with Stacie’s mother and sister.

The Collins Family - Beckett (23) and Mandy (21)

Beckett and Mandy made the journey home from Selvadorada in time for Harvestfest with the entire family. There’s not pregnancy news on the horizon for these two, but their lives are full of blessings in other forms; They’re in the process of fundraising to continue to build a church in Selvadorada, they hope to be able to educate the Salvadoradian population on the ways of the Lord with this new church. Currently Beckett pastors at an old church building, with Mandy helping teach english and Bible at the local school, she also sometimes helps the local midwives with deliveries and aftercare for postpartum mothers. While they’re in Newcrest they’ll be travelling to various churches in the local and wider area to help fundraise, as well as catch up on all their shopping whilst they’re still here, they’ll also head over to Oasis Springs to see Mandy’s family before they leave. Over the winter they’ll be hosting Macie, Celeste, Annette, as well as other youths from Newcrest Baptist as they head over to Selvadorada on a missions trip! 

The Eichelburg Family - Thomas (23) and Amira (22)

Amira is also expecting! The couple announced their pregnancy to the family when they arrived at the big house, she’s currently in her second trimester and currently doesn’t know the gender of the baby. In Windenburg she helps with the children’s church programmes or volunteers at a local charity shop in her spare time whilst Thomas is at work, now with the pregnancy she’s got other things to keep her busy. She’s planning to have her baby shower in her third trimester, so that should happen sometime in the next month or so, it’ll definitely be easier for her with Zoe moving close to her now. Their winter plans include planning the baby shower, escaping on a quick babymoon, and preparing to welcome their new addition before the new year! 

The Roberts Family - Felix (25), Priscilla (20), and Andrew (1)

Priscilla and Felix are enjoying this new season of life with little Andrew, he’s definitely put Priscilla through her paces as she learns how to deal with a toddler that’s her own child and not a child she can give back to their parents at the end of the day. Felix is working at his father’s offices as an Attorney, so is kept busy during the day before coming home to Priscilla and Andrew in the evening. Whilst Priscilla is loving time with Andrew, she can’t deny that she’s definitely praying to get pregnant soon! Their winter plans include helping campaign for the local conservative candidate in the local primary elections, as well as Priscilla helping coordinate their church’s winter show.

Charles (19) and Lorilee Mitchell (18)

These two are engaged! Charles proposed to Lorilee just before Harvestfest, hence the now allowed hand holding. The family is so excited to have another boy get married, with the couple planning a winter wedding in the bride’s hometown of Windenburg. Charles finished up with his pilot’s license soon before he proposed and he’s started working with the missions centre attached to Newcrest Baptist to help with their ministry efforts. He’s saved up enough to buy a small house a few miles away from my parents, so the couple will have a house to move into after their wedding.

Macie (31), Annette (21), Parker (18), Ashton (16)

There are the current singles at home, Macie is still living at home but is making herself useful to those around her in an effort to be a blessing and to pour herself into others to glorify the Lord. When she’s home in Newcrest she helps Ashton with difficult work and cares for the garden, visits her local nieces and nephews, serves at church, and bakes goodies to gift different members of our church family with. When she’s not home she’s travelling to see her many siblings and nieces/nephews scattered around everywhere, she also leads programmes at various christian retreats for young ladies and older single ladies as well. This winter she’s travelling with others to Selvadorada on a missions trip and will stay with Beckett and Mandy, as well as helping to prepare for Charles and Lorilee’s wedding.

Annette is primarily works as a babysitter/mother’s helper for the different women at church, as well as helping babysit her nieces and nephews or even her cousin’s children. When she’s not doing that she’s travelling to women’s retreats with Macie to help run the programmes or work in the kitchen.

Parker has graduated highschool and has started working for a construction company that is owned by a member of Newcrest Baptist, he’s starting out as an apprentice and hopes to learn enough to make this a full time career.

Ashton is the youngest and is currently the last Collins child being homeschooled by Casandra, she’s working through her final year and is on track to graduate early in the spring. The family is planning a graduation party to celebrate the youngest child finishing school, and the official retirement of our mother as our teacher!

The four pregnancies

The four pregnant women got together for a picture, it’s such a blessing to be pregnant at the same time as my sisters and my sister-in-love! Between Zoe, Kyleigh, and I we’ve got a combination of 17 children, and we’re adding 4 more since we’re all having singletons. Once all these children are born my parents will have a total of 26 grandchildren, what a blessing!

(AN) I just want to say thank you to everyone who left their condolences after I shared that we lost a friend, her funeral was last week and some friends were able to fly back to the states and see her laid to rest with full military honours. This is such a great community and I love being a part of it, thanks to everyone for being so great 💛

[daydream-believin]

The Never-Ending Roadtrip (there’s nothing wrong with Ohio)

Summary: Reader joins Douxie in the quest for Nari’s safety. He’ll need company won’t he? - (Part 5) ohio hijinks. national forests, a b ‘n b.   next- (part 6)  start here -> (part 1)

Warnings: swearing, meat eating, idk gambling kinda?

Word Count: 6620

A/N: AAAAAHHH i gotta stop writing shit at 3am. it’s showing. also i cant believe i reworked their entire planned trip route for this. ajhqhdsjhfljh i have no excuses for any of this

Douxie was uncharacteristically quiet during the trip through the first bit of Indiana. Y/n hung over the railing feeling awkward. The treetops below flew past her in a blur. Y/n kinda felt bad, like maybe she had broken him. Did she nudge a little too hard? She had thought, if anything, her flirting would get him flirting too. Hell, Doux flirted with everyone. It was just part of his charismatic persona he’d built over the years. And he had been so strange this week, but especially strange during the time they’d spent on the road. Every time Y/n had thought she’d figured something out with him, he’d surprise her.

Douxie was still processing what had happened earlier that day. He may have been going mad finally, immortals do tend to do that, but he was starting to think Y/n had feelings for him too. Which was something he had to be imagining, and yet she kept making it really hard to dismiss. Maybe it was just that their trip to St. Louis had felt pretty damn close to a date. His gaze lingered over her form, looking out at the scenery, covered in his jacket, a little piece of him to always cling to her skin, mingling their scents. His eyes snapped back to the sky in front of him as he narrowly dodged a telephone wire tower.

They had decided on taking one last pit stop before settling for the night. They were making their way up to Cleveland, which was a little unnecessarily high north into Ohio, but since Y/n was the one holding the map so to speak, she got to shift their course, almost to her whim even. Douxie was happy with anything as long as they kept moving. There was something she wanted to see in Cleveland. It’s not like Douxie wouldn’t enjoy it too, though. In fact, if her memory served her correctly, Douxie might enjoy the trip more than her. Back to that last pit stop. Hoosier National Forest. Somewhere nice and nature-y for Nari, and as a bonus, nice and forested for magic boat hiding. It would be a good opportunity to stretch out their legs.

Speaking of stretching, Y/n stretched out her arms to the expanse below, her fingers spread with the wind whistling between them, and she let out a soft groan. She was just trying to make her shoulders less stiff, she had been holding onto that railing tightly for quite a while now, but Douxie did not like that action one bit. He locked his staff in place at the helm, giving him just enough time to loop his arm around her midsection and pull her back into the center of the ship. He was able to return quick enough to stop them from hitting the top of a particularly tall evergreen. Y/n was still confused as to what just happened.

“Why don’t you take a seat now, Love.”

She did as she was told, less confused now, yet disgruntled at the fact the Doux had just scooped her away like she was a tiny kitten he was keeping from jumping off the couch.

Hoosier National Forest was magnificent. Well, Y/n thought all forests were wonders, but this one was still great, promise. There were tall trees and big rocks and waterfalls. What more does a national forest need. She managed to convince Douxie that they should go for a hike. Just a little trail, only half an hour, scouts honour. They had flown most of the way, and a brisk walk was what they all needed. It would be good for Nari, after all. Archie took a hard pass, in favor of yet another nap in the sun.

There was a waterfall nearby. A small one, but a waterfall nonetheless. Y/n had pulled up the map of the forest on her phone. Thank the stars for living in a cyberpunk dystopia. She led the way on the trail, until Nari told her that she could feel the waterfall and they could get there faster if they stepped off the path and made their own way. A bad idea, really, don’t do this. Y/n was all for it, to Douxie’s dismay. He had hoped she’d be more sensible, but no, now they were climbing down a steep rocky hill with a literal spirit guide. Nari led them through more twists and bigger rocks to climb over. Douxie tried his best to keep up with Y/n, to keep a hand on her, but she and Nari were moving too fast. At least he could still see them. If Y/n ate the dirt he’d just have to patch her up, he supposed.

Once they made it to the waterfall site, coming out of some brush, they took a moment to rest. Apparently, they were supposed to relax and enjoy feeling the waterfall’s aura or something but Douxie was too preoccupied on assessing the damage from the trek. After he voiced his concern, Y/n boasted that she made it here with only a few scratches and only one cut. Completely normal Dewdrop. Douxie was going to make her take the actual path back. He was probably ruining the waterfall’s calming energy.

After patching up Y/n with bandages and alcohol from the pack on his back, Douxie took a moment to actually take in the water feature. It had carved itself through the rocks it came forth from. It wasn’t powerful when it began, but capable of cutting through solid sediment now. Thousands of years, spent in the same rock formation, and yet none of the water flowing was water that had been there before. Constantly moving, and going nowhere. Neatly polished stones as it’s only reward. Doux was starting to get uncomfortable thinking about this insentient piece of nature now.

They weren’t planning on stopping again until the next national forest, Wayne, so they picked up a bite to eat from a camp store on their way out. Not exactly a restaurant, their meal consisted mostly of beef jerky, almonds, and some dried fruit. Eh, good enough. It was easy to eat on the fly. Pun intended. And it reminded Douxie a little of the dried winter foods he used to eat back in the day. A good meal indeed.

` ` `

The sun had set hours ago. Douxie was keen on spending another night flying until morning but Y/n and Nari looked like wilted flowers. Nari a little more literally. They were slumped over on each other, barely keeping their eyes open. Y/n’s eyelids fluttered. He supposed they could spend yet another night actually getting a decent amount of sleep, in a comfortable bed, and not the deck of a magic flying boat or whatever. They were still in Wayne National Forest but he could see lights up ahead. Not many, but enough that it was probably another tiny town.

Douxie steered the boat to the outskirts of the town. Not much going on, but they were in the middle of nowhere yet again after all. He called over to Y/n, who gave a jolt at the sound of her name, waking her up enough to give him her attention. He watched as she looked around, gaining her bearings. The town itself was nothing they hadn’t come across dozens of times before. Despite the inky blackness from the thin moon, and the remoteness of location, the town had a homey vibe to it. A relief, after yesterday. This town had either already started decorating for Christmas despite it being September, or never took down their decorations from last year. The lights in the trees made up for the absence of the moon, glistening off the orange leaves. This town still had a drive-in movie theater, and it was showing Roman Holiday, for some reason. It looked like more than half the town’s population was parked in that drive-in. It was almost like this little place was stuck in time.

Y/n pointed over to a gingerbread house. The hanging sign swung in the wind, reading Avalon Bed and Breakfast, painted in fancy blue cursive letters. There was an illustration of a floating island under the script. Douxie wasn’t exactly feeling good about that name, they had had enough of spending the night in someone’s final resting place last night. Sure, it looked harmless enough, but most Venus wizardtraps did. There was a wrap-around porch, illuminated by the warm light spilling from the windows, and a woman sat in one of the rocking chairs, telling a story to a couple of children, sitting on the ground around her feet. Y/n’s pupils were really big, locked onto the scene. Avalon B ‘n B it is then. If all goes well, they leave this place in the morn with a magic buzz, not entombed. Or it could just be a regular inn with a sacred namesake. It was always hard to tell with these things.

Douxie hid the boat in the nearby forest and they set off for the B ‘n B on foot. There was a chill in the air. Y/n put her hood up to shield from the wind to their backs. She threaded the fingers of the hand not attached to Nari through his. Douxie’s hands were too sweaty for her to keep doing this to him. Hopefully she wouldn’t stop. Archie jumped up on his shoulders, ready to hide if need be by shape shifting into something much smaller and less noticeable than a cat. Y/n googled the inn as they walked. They were listed as pet friendly, however their website revealed that this policy only extended to cats. Luckily for them, Archie was cat-passing. No need to become a rat that stayed in Douxie’s cap.

As they stepped inside the large wooden door, they were bathed in an orange light. There was a deep scarlet rug under their feet. The atrium they stepped into had a bench with too many colorful cushions stacked on it, an antique mirror that was probably silver-backed behind that, and a counter blocking the way for you to step into the rest of the house, with a few keys hanging behind it. The old man behind the counter stood as they entered, grinning.

“Welcome to Avalon! Name’s Robert. Why, what a beautiful family you have here.” He leaned over the counter to speak to the veggie lady. “And what’s your name, Little Miss?”

“I am Nari of the Eternal Forest.”

Y/n laughed, in an effort to be convincing, “Oh, she’s going through a wee fairy phase, it’s our fault, we took her to a renn faire last month.”

“Oh, how adorable. Could I get a name for your reservation Ma’am?”

“Casperan.”

“Perfect. And we have both a room with a single queen, and a room with a queen and a twin. We also have a room with two twins available, but I’m sure that wouldn’t serve you folks well.”

“We’ll take the single, our little one still isn’t very brave when it comes to sleeping in new places.” It was cheaper.

“Alrighty, here you go. We ask you to pay the bill up front if that’s okay with ya’ll,” Douxie came forward to hand the man his card, which he promptly accepted with a flourish, “And don’t worry about your feline, he should be fine as long as he can get along with our resident kitty cat, Sammy.”

“No worries, it should all be fine, Archie here is very friendly,” Y/n gave Robert her biggest smile. She shot Archie a look when the man turned away. He better get along with Sammy if he knew what was good for him. Speak of the devil, a little gray cat one could only assume was Sammy came trotting over and sniffed the feet of these new people in his domain. Douxie put a none too happy Archie down to greet the new friend and told him to play nice. Sammy sniffed Archie, hesitated for a moment, but then rubbed his cheek on Arch’s shoulder. Douxie let out the breath he was holding. Archie kept his tail from flicking and chirruped to the gray cat.

After passing by an archway that led into the dining area, where several old ladies were playing bridge, Robert led them up the stairs and through an unevenly rugged hallway to their room, near the end. “Now take your time settling in, but do join us downstairs soon, you’ll miss all the fun.”

After promising to show back up in a jiffy, they took in the room after he left. There bed was covered in four different green quilts, or that were as many as were visible. The windows were covered in thick green drapes. They came in and laid down their packs. The wallpaper was covered in green vines. There was some fancy loveseat, also green. Nari loved the amount of green. There was an oil painted portrait of a cat on the wall, and below it, a large vintage radio that looked like it might as well had been new. Y/n turned it on. ‘Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered’ was playing. Ooh, she loved this song.

She grabbed Douxie’s hands and pulled him to the center of the room. “C’mon, dance with me Dewdrop.” With a hand extended for him to take, her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. Well, there was no way Douxie was saying no to that face. Y/n pulled him into her embrace the second he tentatively put his hand in hers. It was a sweet, slow love song, so they began to dance sweet, slow, and loving. Nari had made herself comfortable on the loveseat with Archie, who was pretending to be busy cleaning himself to give them one less pair of eyes watching them. Nari grabbed a book off the doily covered coffee table titled ‘Poisonous Herbs and How To Use Them’ that had caught her eye.

As they swayed, Douxie leant down to Y/n’s ear, “Why are we sharing a bed once again, Love?”

“You saw those people downstairs, if they knew we weren’t married they wouldn’t have given us accommodation, you want to go look for a new inn at ten o’ clock?” Douxie nodded, “and I figured we shared a bed last night and that was fine so why not tonight too? Oh stars, did I make you uncomfortable last night?” Douxie could hear the panic surging in her voice.

“No, no not at all, Love. Well, a perhaps wee bit,” Y/n pulled slightly away from him, which he quickly countered, “But in a good way. I- liked it.”

Y/n eyes got big as she scanned his nervous face. A weak smile spread across her flushed face. “I liked it too- oh,” Doux spun her around to the music. She giggled, but soon locked onto his eyes. There were so many things in them that she couldn’t name. Despite the chaos behind them, looking into them made her feel safe, his hazel eyes always did. A brilliant hazel, a little brown, a little gold, haloed in green. Warm colors, the palette of her fondest dreams. Ella Fitzgerald’s sweet voice still sung, Y/n couldn’t tell if the melody was lasting forever or if time had just slowed in each other’s embraces. His gentle touch on the small of her back, the warmth beneath his palm, was going to linger long after they parted.

She leaned closer, resting her head on his shoulder. Y/n could smell a mixture of cheap soap from the motel, the sweat of his skin, and the pine needles from their hike. His hair tickled her face. She could hear him take every breath. It was enamoring. Bewitched indeed, Ella. Y/n was so lost swaying in Douxie’s embrace that she almost didn’t catch what was being sung.

Y/n lifted her head back up. “Wow, I don’t remember the lyrics to this song being so dirty.”

Douxie laughed. “That’s because most versions are not. They cut it off before it gets too far, but this is the full version.”

“And people were listening to this in the fifties?” Y/n asked incredulously.

“Oh, Love, you’d be surprised.”

It took some convincing to get Nari to put down the book so they could go downstairs. She was engrossed in a page about bloodroot, and wasn’t happy about having to stop. Douxie wasn’t sure about how he felt about Nari getting into said literature, and was annoyed that Y/n was slightly encouraging it. Y/n knew all about this kind of stuff, sure, but he trusted Y/n not to suddenly turn on him when the whim found her. Bleeding balroths. Before now, Douxie hadn’t realized that he didn’t quite trust Nari. That was probably bad. Sure, Merlin trusted her, and that should be enough for his apprentice Hisirdoux. But Doux had trusted a lot of people over the years, even some endorsed by Merlin, before his slumber. It was a dangerous game, that trust. The scar on his hand served a permanent reminder, the thread tied onto his pinky, a promise to never forget.

Douxie felt bold, and laced his fingers through Y/n’s this time as they headed down the stairs. Archie took his perch on Douxie’s shoulders, it would give him an excuse not to have to interact with the inn cat. They were met cordially at the bottom of the stairs by the innkeeper’s wife, Sherry. She had been on her way from the kitchen to the dining with a platter of cookies. She beckoned the group to follow her, she’d lead them to where the action was at. Said action was laughing people sitting at the dining room table playing cards, with drinks ranging from a posh teacup to an Oktoberfest beer mug littering the table, children stealing sweets from the platters on the buffet cabinet in the midst of their game of hide and seek, and a new mother rocking her infant by the fire, a quilt draped over her lap.

“Hey folks, the Casperans have joined us finally.” They received a cheery greeting by all in the room.

Y/n didn’t like the idea of Nari joining the children in their hiding game, since Nari was not someone who should be left out of sight, so she suggested the veggie lady go ask the woman in the corner of the table who was knitting if she’d show Nari how. That kept the forest child busy all night. Easily explained to the adults by her being a strange little one, a shy child. Besides Robert there was only one other man in the gathering, so they seemed pleased by Douxie’s arrival. They tried to get him out of his shell and bond over beer, fishing stories, and how much they loved their wives. Douxie was trying his best to fit in with the merry men. As Y/n sat, the blue haired lady next to her offered her hand to shake and asked her name. “Y/n Casperan, pleased to meet you too, Ma’am.” Douxie bit the inside of his cheek, it was all he could do to keep his soul from leaving his body. Archie teased Doux with his eyebrows, which made it worse.

Much to Archie’s dismay, Doux got his revenge by putting him down on the ground and telling him to go play nice. Besides, it would be weird if Doux just left him there on his shoulder all night. Disgruntled, Archie took a perch up on the back of one of the old plush couches nearby. He kept an eye on Nari, since Douxie and Y/n were distracted. He had hoped he could stay anti-social from up there, but no, Sammy saw him from wherever the old cat was in the house and joined him. The gray cat snuggled next to Archie, loafing. It’s not that Arch didn’t like cuddles, he just didn’t want them from this random Russian blue from Ohio. Sammy began to purr; Archie could feel it against his own chest. Sighing, he accepted his fate, but didn’t hold back from flicking his tail in contempt.

The gathering dealt Douxie and Y/n in for the next round. Apparently, Y/n was a card shark, not something Doux was expecting. Y/n’s secret is that she’d oftentimes sneak off from her aunt’s fancy parties to go gamble with the snooty rich men who never thought a little girl in a poufy pink dress could clean ‘em out. They were often too embarrassed to tell the tale so she never got caught. He watched her lovingly as she bluffed and bantered with the other women. Y/n glanced over to him from across the table, catching his gaze. Her own gaze softened at the sight of his adoring expression towards her. She looked back down at her cards and promptly ended the hand. The dealer started passing around cards again, but Y/n refused hers.

“Oh, I sure would love to play another round, but I need to go have a conversation with my husband outside for a moment.” She shot a glance to Douxie and he understood. He stood up from the table and pulled her chair out for her as he did.

“Of course, Love.”

Douxie followed Y/n out to the porch. The soft orange light streaming from the window illuminated her back as she grabbed his hand to lead him towards a more private spot. Now no longer within the sight of the party, she leaned back against the porch rail, facing Doux. The expression he bore was a slightly questioning one, slightly eager. Y/n gulped, here goes nothing.

“So!”

Douxie cocked a brow, “So?”

“I know. And You know. And you didn’t know that I knew but I know, and I don’t know if you know but I’ve made it pretty clear so I’m hoping that you do know.”

Douxie’s eyes flittered back and forth as he tried to make sense of that babble. “Er- Love, could you say that in proper English for me? I think I know what you’re saying, but I- I need you to say it,” He looked away, pushing his hair back with his hands.

“I- Love You,” She lost her courage for a moment, taking a deep breath and not daring to look into his eyes, “This is so irresponsible, I know. But I, Y/n L/n, love you, Hisirdoux Casperan. And- and I have for quite some time now.” She waited a beat with no response. She still refused to look up from the floor as she asked, pleading, “Do you, return my feelings, or- or-“

“Yes.” He cut her off. She hadn’t noticed him getting so close to her. “I, Hisirdoux Casperan, love you, Y/n L/n.” Her heart skipped a beat as he chuckled, “I have for quite some time now.”

Y/n let out the breath she was holding in a dreamy sigh, “Okay.”

“Okay.” Doux brought his hand up to move a stray strand of hair away from her face, and he let it linger against her skin. Y/n placed her hand over his, and drew him closer. Her eyelids slowly closed as she reached her hands up to his hair, pulling him in for a sweet kiss. Douxie couldn’t believe this was finally happening. His eyelids snapped shut and he deepened it with fervor in an effort to show her just how much he wanted this, in case she had any hesitation left. He surely was going to wake up any moment now, alone on the smelly old couch of the bookstore with his songbook on his face. She pulled away from him way sooner than he was happy about. With their foreheads still together, he took in her flushed face. Looking up into his eyes, her voice rasped, “I- I’d- I’d like to apologize.” Douxie’s brows furrowed. His head was a little fuzzy, but he’d not know where she was going with this even if he hadn’t just kissed the love of his life. “I- I’ve been so weary, and for nothing. And-and I’ve probably wasted all this time we could have been happy an-”

He cut her off with another kiss. This time he’d make sure it lasted a good, long time. Although a bit sloppy at first, they eventually found their rhythm together. Their lips slid across each other in sync. Y/n tightened her arms around his neck as she pulled him even closer, clinging for dear life. As they eventually surfaced for breath, the hot ragged breathing visibly mingled in the chilly autumn air. He pressed his forehead back into hers, nuzzling, “I believe it was worth the wait, Darling.”

They could have spent all the time in the world in that moment, if not for the sudden crash coming from the dining area. “Oh fuzzbuckets, Nari.” Doux mumbled under his breath as he grabbed Y/n’s hand to go check out the startling noise. Once back in view of the window, they could see it was a false alarm, as Sherry had dropped a metal platter and was cleaning it up. Nari was still attentively watching the knitting woman, and Archie seemed to be getting cozy with the inn cat. Ooh Archie, you Casanova. Douxie breathed a sigh of relief. Y/n tugged at his hand,

“C’mon Dewdrop, let’s rejoin the merry making.” Douxie obliged.

And the merry making lasted until just before midnight. Surprising, considering the company they were in. They didn’t even stay until the others retired for the night, Douxie wanted to get an early start on the day and also really didn’t want to have to hear another one of Bill’s fishing stories and act like he knew anything about fishing. He complained as soon as the door closed behind them. Archie argued that he had had it worse, which Doux scoffed at. They bickered back and forth, making Y/n smile. She never knew family arguments could actually make her heart fonder. Strange. So this is what genuine love brings.

After brushing their teeth, such a mundane thing that Douxie loved doing with Y/n, they settled in to bed for the night. The autumn chill might have come, but it still way too warm for the fifteen blankets the bed had been covered in. They removed the extra and set them neatly on a pile in the loveseat. Or Y/n at least made sure the extra quilts were neatly folded, Douxie had just thrown them off and let them bunch up. Nari got under the covers, like she’d seen humans often do before, but decided it was not a sensation for her. It felt strangling, to have something weighing down at her. She joined Archie where he lay at the foot of the bed and curled up. Archie was not in the mood for more cuddles, and Nari appeared to sense that, and stayed a little ways from the dragon-cat while still trying her best to be close to him.

Y/n nestled in, with the blanket pulled up on her ear, looking cozy as ever. Douxie’s heart skipped a beat. This was still so surreal. This entire day had been surreal. There was no way this wasn’t all one big dream. Maybe he did get eaten at the Missouri motel. Perhaps something was draining his life force but giving him a pleasant dream to pacify his dwindling mind. Y/n noticed him, still standing there at the side of the bed in a trance, and reached for his hand to drag him in. He fell flush against the mattress, and as he picked himself back up, she could see his cheeks were flushed as well. Y/n giggled at the sight of him.

“Get in, just mind Arch and Nari.”

Douxie carefully got under the covers without disturbing the two at the foot of the bed, laying on his side to face Y/n. For a beat they stilled, looking into each other’s eyes and watching each other breathe, miles apart despite being so close, until Y/n stretched an arm out to place it on his shoulder, an invitation. Doux got the memo and closed the gap of sheets between them, and Y/n snuggled into his chest. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her. This was sleep time and he was supposed to be settling down and relaxing but now his heart was beating fast as if he were running. Surely Y/n could feel it, hear it even, with her ears against his heart itself. He hair smelled lovely, like dirt but right as it first starts raining. Gently smiling to himself, he tightened their embrace.

“You know, I wanted to do this last night too. So, so badly.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“Bold words of someone who literally just apologized for wasting our time with her weariness.”

y/n pretended to scoff, but failed to contain her snickers, “Oh, sod off. I am asleep now, and I cannot hear you.”

Douxie woke up to a face full of dark fur. Not an unusual thing for him to wake up to, just not what he was expecting for this particular morning. At some point in the night Archie had climbed up and nestled into the space between his face and Y/n’s. Impertinent, but endearing. Douxie supposed he’d be waking up like this for many mornings to come. This magic moment would become normal, a fact of his life that he got to enjoy. Just him, Arch, and Y/n. His tiny little family. What a lovely thought. What a lovely future.

Breakfast was at seven. That was the best part of staying in a bed and breakfast, Douxie reckoned. The fragrance of the goetta frying was heavenly after not having eaten anything but beef jerky and nuts since yesterday afternoon. The innkeeper’s wife had also made biscuits that she was serving with apple butter and her signature chocolate gravy, which neither Douxie nor Y/n were brave enough to try. The apple butter was just fine, after all. Nari didn’t care for the goetta, or many meats at all, Douxie was starting to realize, instead opting to glop way too much apple butter on a biscuit that she made into a sandwich. The fruit sauce dripped out when she bit into it, which only made the other guests dote on her, telling her how she was just so cute.

Y/n was wearing that new outfit, that Ash Dispersal Pattern shirt. It looked good on her. He hoped he wasn’t being possessive here, but it really made him feel good to see her in it. They would wash their other clothes in New Jersey. Hopefully they’d make it to the garden state and the troll settlement by nightfall, but by the way things were going, Douxie could only do that, hope. They’d make their way through Pennsylvania and maybe tuck through Maryland and Delaware to avoid Philly. The new Trollmarket was under a bridge of a small town in the thick of New Jersey. They’d make it there, that was the plan.

They bid their goodbyes to the people at the bed and breakfast, and headed off to Cleveland around eight. It was an uneventful trip, unremarkable and not even worthy of being described. Although one aspect of it that Douxie enjoyed was that Y/n stayed away from the edge, choosing to hang on his arm instead of the railing. A win-win if he had ever known one. Archie made some sarcastic gagging noises at their pda, but Doux ignored him. He had been waiting way too damn long for this to not embrace his beloved on his own fucking flying ship. Arch could tease him all he wanted. This casual affection he was now allowed to show somehow was worth it. The fact that he could now just touch Y/n? And she would not only not flinch from his touch, but would even touch back? It was priceless to his heart, marrow to his old bones, chicken soup for his soul.

As they drew nearer, Douxie found out that the reason Y/n had directed them to the metropolitan area around Cleveland, pretty high up into Ohio, was that she had wanted to make a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Douxie knew he shouldn’t have expected anything less. He sure knew how to pick ‘em. He could get on board with this, a little trip down memory lane might be nice. There was a reason he’d never been. A lot of his old friends who’ve earned their places in this building had passed on. Yet, it might be nice to see their faces once again.

They once again hid the boat in a wooded area and took a bus into town. It wasn’t a problem finding a close stop, since their destination was a popular tourist destination. They wandered the halls, Douxie told Y/n and Nari about some of the people from bands that he had known. Y/n listened intently. Nari really liked all the pictures and memorabilia. She understood that this was some sort of memorial, and she was making sure that she was being respectful as Hisirdoux told her about it all. She didn’t quite understand why there were tributes to some still living humans, but did not question the humans’ rituals. Perhaps they were going to die soon. All mortals will.

There was a little station with a sundry of instruments, there for people to try out. Everything was most likely out of tune, being floor instruments touched by thousands of hands. That didn’t stop Y/n from grabbing an acoustic guitar to show Nari, plucking at it’s strings effortlessly. It was a silly little ditty, meant to entertain the veggie lady, but still impressive. Wait.

“Since when have you been able to play?”

“Ah, I dunno, Dewdrop. High school, I guess? I can’t really remember when, but my friend Roxy showed me a few chords and then I was obsessed for months.”

“What, I- I gave you lessons just last month. You were terrible.”

“Hisirdoux Casperan we both know that was just an excuse for you to hold me and touch my hands as you positioned my fingers.”

Douxie’s face was red. She was right, of course, but he hadn’t thought he had been so obvious about it. He watched her fingers drift across the neck as she started playing a softer tune. It was a song he recognized. Y/n seemed to get lost in what she was doing, mumbling the words here and there. At one point she started actually singing. Softly, under her breath, but it was audible nonetheless. Either she had forgotten he was there or she was finally getting comfortable enough around him to let him hear the beautiful voice. He hoped it was the latter. Nevertheless, whichever it was, it was like a siren song to Douxie’s ears.

“Why don’t you ever sing?”

Y/n stopped suddenly. She looked up from the stings, her eyes wide. “What?”

“You’re always humming as you do things, but you only ever actually sing when you think no one’s around. Why’s that, Love?”

While he wouldn’t recommend she try out for a singing competition reality show any time soon, her voice was hypnotic to him. Soothed his soul. Not that silky as was traditionally praised, but somehow felt like home, like a less smooth polished fabric, like a well-loved linen. The cadence of her voice was the best sound he had ever heard even. He had only been lucky enough to hear her fully sing a few blessed times, yet he knew that he could listen to her sing forever. Addicting.

“I – well it’s quite embarrassing isn’t it? To sing in front of people. I’m no starlet.”

Okay, now Douxie was ready to punch the lights out of anyone who made her think she should hide the angel voice of hers. Embarrassing. Who the fuck had the nerve. “Hmm. I think that’s bullshit, Love.” Y/n looked taken aback, and morphed into an expression of confusion. Douxie decided this wasn’t a time to be subtle. He cupped her face in his hand, drawing her in to make eye contact. “Let me make this clear, My Darling. Everything I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth has been nothing but angelic. I would never want you to feel shame about expressing yourself, even if I didn’t think your voice was my favourite sound on the planet.”

Tears welled in Y/n’s eyes. She hadn’t expected him to say anything like that. She was so cautious to keep him from hearing her before, but he liked her singing? It was hard for her to fathom. The first time he had caught her crooning to herself while unboxing a new shipment of bestsellers in the bookstore had been mortifying. She had never wanted to relive that, but maybe she wouldn’t have to. She loved singing. Her father had liked to call her his little songbird. She had hidden away that part of herself like a chest of out of fashion clothes in a dusty attic. If someone like Douxie, her beloved, thought so kindly of her though, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to open up the chest and try on a few dresses.

“I- You’re serious? You really think that?”

Douxie held her gaze. “Absolutely.” He tipped her face up towards his to punctuate his point with a kiss.

They continued to wander through the rooms and exhibits of the museum. Douxie stopped to look at a portrait of someone he particularly missed, an old friend he had many good times with. He’d miss the geezer. He really was a great musician. He had taught Douxie a lot of tricks, and Doux wouldn’t be able to play the electric guitar half as well without his friend. He had a different kind of magic.

He was caught in his reverie when Y/n popped in from another room, urging him to come see something. Her excitement was something Doux would never stop enjoying, so he let her grab his hand so he would follow her. Douxie didn’t know what he was expecting her to show him, definitely not this. He was staring face to face with his own poster, circa 1960. They were experimenting with a new style, the rock of the day that was becoming increasingly popular. He remembered it fondly. It was a new age. The drummer in the photo, he was mortal, and while he could have been alive today, sadly he was taken, just ten years after joining the band. Seeing his smiling face filled Doux with peace. So many memories, he was glad he got to make them. And there would be more memories to come, he’d make sure of it. No order of ancient terrors breathing down his neck was gonna stop him from doing what he loved.

He was so lost in thought they he almost missed what this meant. He was in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. How did he not know he was in the fucking hall of fame. They didn’t even tell him. Well, he supposed this version of him no longer legally existed, so that made sense. Still. It was fantastic news. He was pretty proud. Some sweet validation that he always craved. Y/n had brought him here, she’d been here before, she knew. She was showing him off, to no one in particular, but the thought made him grin. Ash Dispersal Pattern in the hall of fame. Heh. He’d have to tell the others; in fact he would announce this to the group chat as soon as he had some free time. Zoe would get a kick out of him not knowing. Y/n tugged on his arm.

“Aren’t you cool, Mr. Rockstar.”

[shakespeareanwannabe]

Drowning

Santiago Pope Garcia x F!OC/Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia x Rebecca Cooke

Summary: Santiago follows through with his escape plan, only to find that his freedom comes with a heavy price.

Warnings: Drinking/Alcohol Consumption, Swearing, Benny being Benny, references to war time injuries, references to Anxiety if you squint, ghosting, nightmares, crying

A/N: Hey y’all. Sorry it’s been a while. Some stuff came up, but I was inspired to write this chapter anyway! Here’s chapter 6. Please enjoy!

**********

Santiago Garcia was one of the best of the best. One of the top ranked soldiers in the US Military. Delta Force, Special Operations…his team was the one you called when things got bad. And things often got bad.

Tom ‘Redfly’ Davis oversaw the team. Laser focused in the field and a brilliant tactician who always seemed to be able to get his team out of tight spots, Redfly saw Delta Force through multiple missions, as well as two tours of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia was his right-hand man, his second in command. Where Redfly focused on the minor details, Pope was able to see the big picture. Combined, their abilities to plan and execute earned them the respect and admiration of their team.

William ‘Ironhead’ Miller was third in command. His cool head and philosophical manner ensured cohesion in the group of macho men. While the team was busy fighting the enemy, Will was busy making sure there was no fighting amongst the team.

Francisco ‘Catfish’ Morales was the pilot. The most intelligent of the bunch, he was often overlooked when it came to lauding praises, even if Pope would always claim that it was because of Frankie’s skillful maneuvering and calculating nature that they made it back in one piece.

Benjamin ‘Benny’ Miller was the youngest of the team, the most hotheaded, and the most emotionally vulnerable. Added to the team after their original fifth member was killed in action, Ironhead automatically took it upon himself to protect his baby brother, while the rest of the team protected Ironhead.

Together, they were the most successful, most ruthless, most cunning team to ever wear the United States flag on their shoulder. Ironhead, Catfish, and Benny trusted their fearless leaders to see them through any mission, no matter how bleak. Where they led, the team followed, no questions asked. Well, on the battlefield, that is…

“You fucking what!?!” Frankie exclaimed angrily while Benny and Will stared at him in astonishment.

Santi felt himself shrink. While he knew that his plan of action wasn’t the best, he didn’t know what else to do.

“I can’t drag her into all my bullshit, ‘Fish,” Santi sighed, dragging a hand down his face before chugging from his nearly-empty beer bottle.

“So, you thought that ghosting her was the best thing to do?” Benny exclaimed, leaning around his brother to get a good view of his former lieutenant. “Are you fucking stupid, Pope?”

“Ay, watch it, kid!” Santi grumbled. “You’ve seen her! She’s fucking perfect. I’m not ruining her. No way, man.” Santi chose to ignore Frankie’s mumbling in their shared mother tongue and cast his fishing line out into the lake once more.

It had been two weeks since the wedding, 13 days since the last time he saw Rebecca, and it was killing him, even if he knew it was for the best. So, when Will had offered up his fishing cabin in the woods for a boys weekend, he had jumped at the chance to get out of that big empty house, away from the clinic that he was slinking around under Charlie’s hateful glare, and far enough away from Bex’s building that he wasn’t tempted to just get up and drive there and beg for her forgiveness. It would be good for him. Clear his head. Get her out of his system, even if he was waking up every morning hard as a rock with thoughts of her smile and her softness and her heart at the forefront of his mind.

“Well, that fucking explains why Charlie went from crying over your speech at the wedding to asking me if I’d be okay burying your body in the backyard,” Frankie finally spoke in English.

Santi winced. After a week of actively ignoring his phone whenever it lit up with Rebecca’s name and smiling face, he supposed that Bex had asked Charlie what was up. And, since Charlie knew him well enough to know what nothing was actively wrong, he’d spent the last several of his physio appointments having to shield himself from his friend’s icy glare.

“What are you doing, man?” Will sat back with a sigh. “She’s the best you’re ever gonna get. You know that right?”

Santi clenched his fist around his fishing rod. “You think I don’t know that? She’s fucking perfect! Sweet and kind and unselfish and loving and sexy as all fuck! Who wouldn’t want that?”

“So, you’re either really fucking stupid or really fucking scared…” Benny muttered, leaning back to fetch another beer.

Santi felt something inside him burst. He was doing what was best for her, even if nobody in his life seemed to agree.

“Fuck this.” He threw his fishing rod to the ground and stood up. “I don’t have to deal with this shit. I’m going home.”

Frankie slowly stood up next to him with a few crackles and pops of his joints. “I drove you, dipshit. And you drank an entire six pack on your own. I’ll take you home.”

Frankie ambled over to give his goodbyes to Will and Benny while Santi stood with his arms crossed, staring out into the distance. He had thought Frankie and Will would understand. Frankie, who had to fight tooth and nail to keep the woman he loved after getting his license suspended. And Will, whose fiancée had left him six weeks before the wedding day, claiming the war had changed him and that he wasn’t the same man she fell in love with. Benny, who had loved more people than he could count, had never experienced that kind of love and loss before, and Santi hoped he never did. Everyone around them got sucked into their bullshit, and he wouldn’t let that happen to the most wonderful woman he had ever met.

“Hey,” Santi startled when a warm, gentle hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to meet Will’s warm gaze and placating smile. “We just want you to be happy, man.”

Santi sighed and nodded slowly. “Yeah, Will…I know, but—”

“But nothing, man,” Will interrupted gently, pulling him into a one-armed hug. “She makes you happier than I’ve ever seen you, Santi. Don’t lose that, or you’ll spend your life regretting it.”

Santi watched him walk away as Frankie came up beside him and started ushering him towards the truck.

**********

The two-hour drive home was longer than expected due to traffic on the highway, but the length was exasperated by the silence that was dragging out between the two men. Unlike the drive, the silence was atypical. Santi, who had grown accustomed to Frankie’s quiet calmness, usually filled the silence with stories to get Frankie talking or laughing. Now, the tension between the two was palpable, and Santi wasn’t about to try to break it when he had so much on his mind.

After almost three hours in the car together, Frankie pulled into Santi’s driveway and killed the engine.

Santi sighed, both in sadness and relief, and went to open the door. “Thanks,” he mumbled, hand resting on the handle and the door partially open.

“Listen, man…” Santi turned slightly to see Frankie had removed his cap and was rubbing at his forehead. “If she doesn’t make you happy, that’s fine. No point in making yourself miserable trying to drag out a relationship that just ain’t gonna work. But if that’s why you’re doing this, or if you’re doing it because of some bullshit protector instinct, then why are you so miserable? If she makes you happy but you’re worried about infecting her with your shit, then protect her from that by staying close and working hard.”

“I…” Santi swallowed. “I don’t want to hurt her, man.” He got out of the truck and stood next to the open door. “I won’t hurt her.”

Frankie fixed him with a glare, and Santi saw a flash of the old Frankie for a moment. “And what exactly are you doing right now, cabrón?”

Santi let the door swing closed as Frankie peeled out of his driveway and down the road.

**********

It took another week for Santiago to get his act together. The day Frankie dropped him off, he spent in his backyard, grilling and listening to music. If things were normal, it would be the day the whole gang got together at Frankie’s for food and fun and laughs, but things weren’t normal, so he settled in for some solo grilled chicken and some alone time. He woke up with nightmares around midnight, and when he woke up again around 2 a.m., he moved into the living room and resigned himself to crappy early morning TV until the sun came up.

The next day, on a whim, he started drafting a proposal for a private security company. He still had enough money from selling his weapons collection in Colombia to put together a decent business proposal, and it was better than sitting on his ass drinking all day, so he put his famed planning skills to work. Got Your Six Security would provide state of the art security systems as well as armed guards for those who desired them. The fees would be reasonable, they would cater to both private homes and public settings, and, best of all, they would only employ military or former military personnel. Luckily, Santi had kept in contact with a couple of the surveillance techs from his time overseas, and he knew that a small crew of them had been working on a state-of-the-art closed circuit security system and were looking to market it to high end customers. They had already agreed to work with him, he only needed to get a business plan and a small loan to get it up and running.

The day after that, he had a meeting with the bank, who had met his proposal with enthusiasm. (It helped that it was a company employing veterans, run by a veteran, who already had some capital to put up upfront.) All they asked was that he find his first customer before they signed off on the loan.

So, the following Monday, he straightened his suit and tie and headed into the last place he wanted to be: the art museum where Rebecca worked. It was the only business that had availability as soon as possible, they were willing to pay top dollar, and they seemed fairly desperate.

He met with two of the higher ups of the museum, Douchebag Derek’s mom and the owner of the building, and soon found out why they were so desperate.

“One of our paintings got stolen two nights ago,” Derek’s mom sighed. “We don’t know how, or why, but somebody got in, stole one of the Blair’s, and walked out with it. Our security guard claims that he didn’t hear anything, but the police are looking into it.”

“The point is,” Mr. Carlisle butted in. “We need something more high-tech than a retiree aged security guard. We need something that can send an alarm to the police if someone does get in, but also a few highly trained guards to watch the museum at night, in case someone does get in and the police are too slow. It seems to me that a military grade security system and some highly trained former soldiers are the perfect thing to protect the priceless works of art we house here at this institution.”

“Was anyone in the building when the painting was stolen?” The words escaped his mouth before he could even think. “I mean, besides the security guard.”

“No, thank god,” Mr. Carlisle replied. “Jerry, the security guard, says he saw out the last employee in the building before locking the door.”

“I’m just happy that nobody got hurt,” Derek’s mom simpered, and Santi caught a glimpse of her son’s douchebaggery in her voice.

“We’d be happy to help,” Santi smiled once he regained control of his voice, his shoulders relaxing at the news that Jerry had been alone in the building. “We’ll just need 50% of the cost of the alarm system up front before installation, then we can discuss how many guards you want on premises during the day and at night. Once we’ve got a number, we can go through the applicants together and we can find the ones who best suit your needs.”

It was after they dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s and Santi had received a firm handshake from Mr. Carlisle that it happened.

He was exiting Mr. Carlisle’s office, still facing the occupants of the room as he thanked them for their patronage, when he turned and bumped into something hard but soft and comforting and, even worse, familiar.

“Oof!”

A chill ran down his spine at the sound, the same sound she had made when he spanked her ass that morning.

“Shit, I’m…I’m, uh, I’m sorry.” Rebecca stilled in her crouched position, one hand on one of the loose sheets of paper he had knocked out of her arms. “Uh…here, let me help.”

He started to lower to the ground, wincing at his knees crackling, when she snatched up the paper he was reaching for and stood up. “Don’t bother.”

Already crouching, he let his head hang. He didn’t know how he expected their first encounter to go, but it certainly wasn’t that.

**********

A flash…a painful scream…his legs caught in quicksand…red pooling on the pristine white marble floors…the dull thud of her body dropping…the faceless thief escaping into the edges of his vision…cradling her lifeless body…

Santiago sat bolt up in bed, his heart racing and his chest heaving, his curls drooping onto his forehead with accumulated sweat.

Three nights of the same dream. Three nights of not being able to save her from the art thief. Three nights of sitting in bed, trembling while staring at her picture on his phone, his thumb hovering over the ‘Call’ button but always unable to take that final step.

First, she had bewitched him. Now, she was haunting him. One short, angry interaction was enough to bring her to the forefront of his mind (not that she was ever far from there), and now he couldn’t sleep.

Maybe Frankie was right. Doing the right thing shouldn’t make him this miserable. His heart shouldn’t ache when he thinks of her, he shouldn’t be so depressed when he sees couples together, and he really shouldn’t be dreaming about her death and waking up in tears.

He didn’t think. About any of it. Instead, he acted on instinct, throwing on a pair of threadbare sweatpants and a white vest and collecting his wallet and keys before hopping into his truck and driving the path he knew by heart.

**********

Bang Bang Bang!

Rebecca’s first instinct was to shout at whoever was knocking on her door at three a.m. to fuck off or she would call the cops. Her second instinct was to grab the baseball bat in her front closet and scare the intruder off herself.

She blamed the pint of Cherry Garcia (flavor chosen ironically, of course) and the three glasses of red wine she had drank before falling asleep on the couch for her poor decision-making skills as she stumbled off the couch and grabbed the bat.

“What the fu—”

“Holy shi—”

Santiago ducked away from the door, hands out in front of him as if to calm a wild animal.

“Bex! It’s me, Jesus Christ!”

She huffed. “Yeah, and? After the shit you’ve pulled, being met with a bat is the least of your concerns.” She rubbed her eyes. “What the hell do you want, Santiago?”

He winced at the full name. “C…Can we talk?”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, bat hanging loosely between her fingers. “You’ve had three weeks to talk to me, asshole. What the fuck could you possibly have to say to me?”

Santi turned to look down the hall, wincing and apologizing as one of her neighbours shot him a dirty look. “Can we talk inside? Please? If you don’t like what I have to say, you can kick me out or call the cops. I really wouldn’t blame you. Just…please?”

Rebecca rolled her eyes, poking her head out. “Sorry, Mr. Chen. Tell Cindy that it’s the asshole boyfriend come to grovel.”

The man nodded knowingly and retreated into his apartment.

“I deserve that,” he mumbled, looking at her pleadingly.

Rebecca considered him for a moment. “You look like shit.”

“And I feel even worse. Baby, I…”

Rebecca cut him off. “If you seriously want to do this right now, I’m gonna need more wine.”

She turned her back on him and retreated into the apartment, leaving the door wide open. Santiago followed her after a beat, making sure the door was locked tight behind him.

“Baby, I—”

Bex held up a finger, pouring herself a large glass of red wine and sitting as far away from him as possible, draping a grey throw blanket over her lap before fixing him with a glare.

He met her eyes and felt himself deflate. “Fuck,” he groaned, raking his fingers through his hair. “I had it all planned out, every word I was going to say to you, and now I’m lookin’ at you and it’s all…” He made an exploding motion with his hands. “Poof. Gone.”

Rebecca burrowed further into her blanket. “Well, try. Because from where I’m sitting, you’re the one who needs to do the talking here. I’ve done my talking. On the half-dozen voicemails I left on your phone, in the dozens of texts I sent you, and in the email I wrote because I was panicking at the thought that you had gotten into some terrible accident and that was why you weren’t responding anymore. Because that is the only reason I could think of that you would suddenly stop talking to me.”

“I know. I know, you’re absolutely right. I fucked up in a major way, and I am so sorry. I know I messed up, but I need you to know that I never meant to hurt you.” Rebecca scoffed. “I’m serious, honey. In my own backwards as fuck way, I thought I was protecting you.”

“From what?” she asked angrily.

Santi felt something snap inside of him. “From me! From this forty-year-old fuck up sitting in front of you! Because I’m not a good man! Because I was shooting people and detonating bombs when you were still in grade school! Because I’ve killed people, good people…innocent people. Because my life is a mile-wide shit stain, and you don’t deserve to deal with that. Because…” Santi took a raggedy breath. “Because when I look at you, I see everything good about the world. And I know I’ve got blood and death on my hands, and I couldn’t live with myself if I let any of that effect you in any way.”

“Don’t you think that’s my choice?” she countered in a cold voice. “Don’t you think I should get to decide who deserves to be in my life? I might be a hell of a lot younger than you, Santiago, but my life hasn’t been all rainbows and unicorns. I know my worth. I know who belongs in my life. Not my narcissistic mother, who used my accident for sympathy from whoever she could get it from. Not my best friend from high school, who managed to turn everything into a fucking competition and only got bitchy when she ‘lost’. Not Douchebag Derek or fucking College Boyfriend Ben. And like it or not, I chose you. You with the bad knees and the greying hair and the blood and shit on your hands. God help me, but I chose you.” She chugged the rest of her wine, placing the glass harshly down on the coffee table.

“I know, sweetheart. God, you’re so fucking amazing, you know that?” he blinked back tears in his eyes. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t get emotional, that he would lay the facts out for her, but just being in her presence screamed safety to him and he could feel everything he had pushed down rising to the surface. “Y…you’re the best thing that ever happened to me, okay? And I know that’s a shitty, corny line, but it’s the truth. When I met you…I was in a bad place. My life had been one shit storm after another, and I thought coming home would fix that. Being around Frankie and Charlie, getting to bond with Mateo, having a home of my own for the first time…I was doing better. And then you crashed into my life, and all of a sudden everything felt good again. Like…the sun was shining on me but all of a sudden I could actually feel it and, for the first time, I wasn’t afraid of getting burned. You turned my whole plan upside down, and I was actually okay with it.” He chuckled, swiping at his cheeks as the first few tears started to fall. “I thought I could live in your orbit and just circle around you, not hurting you or effecting you in any way. But then…” he smiled softly. “Christ, that morning…Fuck, I realized that I was in so deep. Way deeper than I ever thought I would get. I was honestly, genuinely happy for the first time in years, and it was all because of you. And you were smiling at me all soft, and I realized something. I realized that living with you, spending the rest of my life with you, was something I could easily do and desperately wanted. And that scared the shit out of me. Because guys like me don’t get the happy ending. The credits start to roll just as we start dealing with the aftermath of whatever shitshow we just lived through, so that the audience doesn’t have to watch everything fall apart again. I…I couldn’t put you through that. Not when you’ve already got all your own stuff to deal with. Adding my own just felt selfish. And I know that’s a cop out, but it’s the truth. I honest to god just wanted to protect you.”

Rebecca’s gaze softened as her voice enveloped him. “So, why now? Why come to me now, if you’re so set on protecting me?”

He met her gaze. “The break in. At the museum. I-if you had been there, if you had gotten hurt…I don’t think I would’ve been able to handle it. That, plus some of Frankie’s patented wise wisdom, woke me up to what an idiot I’ve been. If I want to protect you, I’ve got to do it by being with you, and god baby, that’s all I want. And I know I fucked up. I basically did the same jackass thing that your college boyfriend did, only ten times worse because I promised I wouldn’t. I know I don’t deserve you, but I swear to god, baby, if you let me back into your life, I will work with you. I won’t keep anything from you, and I’ll always be honest with you, and when I try to protect you, I’ll do it by standing by your side and letting you know that I’m here. Even…” he gulped painfully. “Even if it’s just as a friend.”

Rebecca considered him carefully as Santi waited on bated breath. Finally, she spoke. “You really hurt me, Santi.”

He nodded, clenching his eyes shut. “I know. I know, baby, and I am so, so sorry.”

“Everything I was scared of, happened. I let you in, and you made me fall in love with you, then you left. You fucked me then fucked off. And you didn’t even have the decency to tell me why. I agonized for weeks over what I could have possibly done wrong.”

“No, baby,” he took a chance and shifted to sit next to her, gently cradling her hand in his. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. This is all on me, okay?”

She played with his fingers, rough and callused from his time handling firearms. “It is,” she nodded. “It is all on you…but when I ran into you at the museum, I felt like I could breathe for the first time in weeks. I wanted to be angry at you, but I just felt sad because…because I wanted you to do some stupid, corny, romcom level bullshit like fall to your knees and beg for my forgiveness or sweep me up into your arms and say that you would never let me go again.”

Santiago cupped her cheek, carefully brushing away the stray tear meandering over her cheekbone. “What are you saying?” he asked, trying desperately to keep the hope from his voice.

She sighed. “It means…that I’m too tired to deal with this right now.” She stood, not releasing his hand. “C’mon. You can sleep here tonight, and we can figure this out in the morning.”

He stood hesitantly. “Are you sure? I can sleep here on the couch?” He eyed the leather distastefully. “Or I can go sleep in my truck. I…I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

She was already shaking her head. “No, then I’ll just feel guilty. That couch is not comfortable and your truck with play hell with your neck. You can stay in my bed. Just…don’t worry about it.”

She padded silently into her room, tugging him behind her. Swiftly, she tugged down the meticulously straightened sheets and slid into her side of the bed, Santiago following after a short pause.

He laid there for what felt like hours, staring up at the ceiling, thanking god that he was there with the woman he loved and praying for a chance to make things right.

For the first time in forever, his prayers seemed to be answered quickly.

“I can hear you thinking,” Rebecca mumbled as she rolled over and placed her head on his chest. “Stop thinking, Santi. We can figure out everything in the morning.”

He carefully wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair, eyes drifting closed to send him into the deepest sleep he’d had in a month.

**********

He awoke the same way he’d fallen asleep, wrapped around Rebecca like he was afraid that, should he let go even an inch, she’d disappear.

He pulled back a fraction of an inch to gaze at her peaceful face before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

She released a soft, sleepy mewl before her eyes blinked open.

She smiled softly at him. “Hey…”

The words poured out of him before he could even think. “Move in with me.”

She crinkled her brow. “What?”

He caught her hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing her palm. “I love you. And I want to prove to you that I’m in this for the long haul. You’re it for me, Rebecca. So, move in with me.”

Her sleepy eyes took him in for a moment, and Santi’s breath caught in his chest. But before he could backtrack or explain further, he felt his heart stop.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

**********

Tags list (open): @darksideofclarke, @writefightandflightclub, @rae-rae-patcha, @himbopoes, @sophoclese, @phoenixhalliwell, @buckstaposition, @who-talks-first, @hkmultifandom, @youhavereachedtheendofpie

[avauntus]

Ooof... HI blog mutuals! How are you? 

Back around January 5th, I had a cloud of commitments drift over my calendar at work, and I thought: :This will be a busy week.: Two months later... well, it’s a break period soon, and I will probably sleep through half of it. 

I have been getting a few drabs of writing done, but it’s pretty fragmentary. I made progress on the mc:tna WIP! *jazz hands*

I also spent a lot of time the past month or so on the couch watching TV, because I didn’t have bandwidth for anything else. I want to do a quick impressions post, in case anyone is curious about these programs, too!

Below, thoughts on:

Alice in Borderland (Japan; Netflix)

His Dark Materials (British; HBO Max)

Raya and the Last Dragon (US; Disney+)

Vincenzo (Korea; Netflix)

WandaVision (US; Disney+)

Alice in Borderland (Netflix - 8 episodes, ends on a -minor- cliffhanger)

This one really grabbed me by the throat, but in a way that is entirely about style and setting. Characters in this drama don’t have a long shelf life, and like Battle Royale, it is extremely bloody. Also like Battle Royale, how much enjoyment you get out of it depends on your tolerance for watching people group up and then be shocked when the strangers they’ve decided to trust (inevitably) gruesomely betray them. If you enjoyed the style of Cube, Hunger Games, The Game, or Matrix Reloaded, and can stand (or like me, fast forward through) the gore, you might enjoy this.

Random impressions:

I know why Arisu is the main character, but brass tacks: if he didn’t have plot armor, he wouldn’t be. Usagi, Kuina, Karube, or Chishiya the entire way.

Almost the second I turned it off, a full-formed plot bunny of how Chishiya and Kuina met jumped in to my head, so maybe that will get written someday. Because they’re the best (regrettable murder-duo tendencies aside).

Either the borderland is a simulation, or they’re all stuck in someone’s psychotic break-- there’s too much that doesn’t add up for it to be anything else (although the “aliens!” theory is fun).

His Dark Materials (HBOMax - 2 seasons (15 eps), 3rd season in production)

I really wanted to like this more than I did... If you’ve read the books, and enjoyed them, it is a beautifully filmed version of that, but the show sells the grand drama of a War for Free Will much too short. Like, my favorite things in two seasons were Lee Scoresby (Lin Manuel Miranda, surprising the hell out of me), the City of Citagazze (what?), Mrs. Coulter (...what?!), and Lord Boreal. 

Lyra, Pan, Will, the Golden Compass itself, the angels, the Spectres, the Magisterium -- ehhhh. They were fine. But not more than that. And some of the things I outright loved in the books were terrible here. Whoever cast Lord Asriel, the witches and Jopari/John Perry did...not do their best work, imo. I’ll probably watch season 3, but it won’t be a “must watch” for me.

Raya and the Last Dragon (Disney+ - animated film, ~2 hours)

I shelled out US $30 to see this opening weekend, and I’m not sorry about that choice. Reviewers are saying the story is a bit “generic” and...I guess? I think it depends on what you were expecting. But for me, this movie hit all my buttons - actual characterization for its female leads; humor; enemies to lovers friends; big epic conclusion to its story; found family; basically an RPG sourcebook lite approach to introducing the world; magic with consistent rules and NOT overpowered; BIG ol’ plothole at the end if someone wanted to write for it...

 There has been another criticism leveled, in that Raya tries to take a “pan SE Asia” approach with its setting that really, really bothers some viewers. I tried to keep an eye out for it when I watched, and quickly realized I don’t know enough about artistic influences from that area of the world to be able to tell. So it didn’t bother me, but in that I might be part of the problem. I will say that the setting seemed to be a little too “flavor-y” in its regions if it was supposed to be one country originally. But I mean, this was also a film with a giant rolling armadillo--  wasn’t thinking about it very hard.

Vincenzo (Netflix - airing now, new eps Sat & Sun in the US)

Ahaha, where to START?  I started watching this on a whim eating dinner one night, and it’s maybe my new favorite show. Netflix labels this a “dark comedy,” and yeah, I guess? I also sent my friend a text when I started binging this midweek that went, roughly:

“Ooh, now we’re staging an Italian mini-Epcot to stop the demolition gang, and GLITTER CANONS!! Also we’re ripping off The Great Gatsby.”

...and that’s the vibe, really. 

This is the rare drama where I feel confident saying: Watch the first episode. If you like it, you’ll like the rest (so far- ep. 6 just aired). I am a BIG fan.

WandaVision (Disney+ - 9 episodes)

Ohhhh, man. This was so much better than I expected, and the second trailer (above, if YouTube lets you see it where you are) gave me high hopes. It’s probably better if you have a vague idea who Wanda and Vision are, but you know I don’t know that you would really need that?

It’s about nostalgia, love, grief, and the stories we tell ourselves-- the ones that are self-serving, and the stories we think serve us, and don’t. It actually lets Wanda lead in her own narrative, for once, but doesn’t undercut what she’s had to go through to get there. Like a Korean drama, the first few episodes are going to seem underwhelming if you’re there for “big P” plot-- but give it room. 

Wanda facing down the beekeeper at the end of episode 2 gave me chills like very little has on TV for a while. Elizabeth Olsen packs a lot into that 2 seconds:

And Kathryn Hahn as Agnes is delightful. She’s totally on the up-and-up, of course-

Secondary shout-out to DR. Darcy Lewis, low-key saving the day and snarking her way through it. So happy to see her again, too.

I’ve watched the whole series now (last episode twice; cried both times) -- and I think this is going to be one of my favorite things of 2021.

[marrys-dream-world]

I’m captivated by you (like a firework show)

AO3 Link 

Summary: It wasn't like Adrien was excited to go out with his friends for his one dream activity in the middle of a lonely summer break, no, not at all. Of course he wasn't upset when his father took back his permission for him to go, what gave you that idea? But being alone in his room during the most antecipated holiday of the summer hadn't been on his plans, he could admit to that. Fortunately for him, he not only had friends, but one very good one.

Notes:  I watched the fireworks scene from Kaguya-sama; Love is War and thought of Adrien. I was going to use this plot bunny for Ladrien month, but it's such an Adrinette one, I couldn't help it (and I already have too many prompst I'm working on for that moth). This is mostly self-indulgent angst/fluff. The title is from Taylor Swift's Sparks Fly (which is a Ladrien song, but the title fit this fic so much).

“Your father denied your request, Adrien.”

He wasn't surprised at Nathalie’s words, exactly, but he couldn’t stop the familiar pit of disappointment from settling in his stomach. Perhaps he had been too hopeful, spending so much time picking up a nice outfit to break out from his routine, trying to style his hair a bit differently (and inevitably giving up when it made him look a touch too much like Chat Noir) and texting Nino nonstop between his breaks from practicing piano. It seemed like everytime he got too excited by something, the universe got ready to cut him down again.

“But he had already said yes.” Adrien responded, his voice soft as to not break. “I told my friends that I would meet them there.”

“He changed his mind.” Nathalie said, like it was that simple. And it was to her, wasn’t it? Just another message she was delivering from his father, like it wasn’t breaking his heart. “There’ll be too many people there and your bodyguard could lose sight of you. It’s too dangerous.”

“But — “ He tried again, but stopped when his eyes met Nathalie’s bemused stare. “I understand, Nathalie. Thank you for telling me.”

As she left silently, he closed his bedroom’s door and dropped down on his bed. It was weird to be so careless about the outfit he cared so much about before, he thought as Plagg came out of his hiding place in his pocket, speaking words that weren’t registering in his mind. He felt like his head was underwater and that he could only faintly make out that there were words being said and touches given on his head, but it was like he wasn’t really feeling it. It was dumb, right? Being upset by something so common. How many times had his father denied him the right to go out with his friends or made him cancel plans last minute because of a sudden whim? It wasn’t any different this time. 

Except… it was. When Adrien was younger, he loved to watch the fireworks in the summer. There was one holiday, particularly, that had an impressive firework display that he absolutely adored. He begged his parents to watch it more closely, but his mother had taken him into her arms and explained that it was much too dangerous for a boy as small as him and set up a picnic in the gardens so him, her and his father watched it all. Together. It still ached, a little, that he wouldn’t be able to do it with her this year and that his father certainly wouldn’t join him, but that would all be okay because he had friends to watch it with, for once.

He hadn’t seen them since the beginning of summer break. Whereas all his classmates were incredibly excited about the summer, he couldn’t help but dread it. It just meant numerous beach-themed photoshoots and being unable to meet with his friends everyday. So he watched as they all made plans to go out in groups, pairs, host slumber parties and have picnics that he wasn’t allowed to go to. He missed his friend’s trip to the beach, their party at the Couffaine’s and make-shift Mecha Strike III tourney at the Dupain-Chengs in favor of extra chinese lessons and work. So imagine his surprise when he was allowed, after begging his father during the one dinner they had together in weeks, to go with his friends to a festival in the park near Marinette’s to watch the fireworks with his friends. But of course, it just looked like his father had a “temporary lapse in judgment”.

“Just go, Adrien.” Plagg said, his miraculous wielder finally making out what he was saying. “It’s not like he’ll notice.”

“You know I can’t, Plagg.” He said. “Nathalie will probably think I’ll try to sneak to go, anyways, after she found the room empty some days ago.”

All because of an akuma, of course, but it’s not like he can say that. That must have been one of the reasons he got his permission revoked. Joy.  He grasped his phone and opened the messaging app, already receiving texts from Nino asking him if he was on the way, since he had gone to pick up Alya and they would all be meeting Marinette there. He started at the screen for a moment, willing his fingers to stop trembling. It was alright, it was just an outing, his friends were already used to him cancelling last minute…

               #1 ladybugs fans (and marinette the chat noir fangirl)

[6:45 PM]

Adrien: Sorry, guys, I won’t be able to make it. 

Nino: dude what

Nino: didn’t ur dad let u come already

Adrien: Yes, but he changed his mind, said it’s too dangerous, so I won’t be going anymore.

Alya: what a bummer, Adrien, i’m sorry.

Nino: want us to break u out?

Adrien: No, I don’t want to upset him, everyone, but thanks for the offer. Hope you enjoy the fireworks.

…. so why wasn’t the lump in his throat going away? 

He stayed on his bed, watching his phone screen, willing for something to distract him. But all that appeared the “Marinette is typing…” only for it to disappear and reappear, no new message coming. Marinette did that, she was always a bit careful with her texts. It was a little adorable and never failed to bring warmth to his chest, no matter how upset he was. Adrien only noticed that time actually passed when he noticed the fireworks starting from his window, far away from his house.

[7:15 pm]

Adrien: I wish I was there with you guys. 

When he noticed how much the screen was blurring, tears were already spilling down his cheek. He laid the phone screen-down on his chest and sobbed, Plagg curled up against his neck and comforting him more than he could ever know. It was just another disappointment down the line, but it hurt so much more. He spent so much time telling himself that this summer would be worth it if he could at least do this with his friends, just one thing. Why couldn’t he do that? It wasn’t fair at all. He just wanted… He just wanted a lot of things he couldn't get. The phone in his hand lighted up, signaling another text.

[7:25 pm]

Marinette: I wish you were here, too.

He just missed his friends so much. He wanted, just for once...

“Looks like Pigtails wants you to go.” Plagg said, casually reading over his shoulder and with a tone that Adrien couldn't quite place, between nonchalant and smirking. “You should take her up to that.”

“Should I?” And it was a bad idea, Nathalie would probably show up at any moment, but…

“There’s still time.”

“... Plagg, claws out.”

[7:27 pm]

Adrien: I’m on my way. 

What could they do anyway? Lock him up in his room? Forbid him from seeing his friends? Nothing that wasn't happening to him already. So let Nathalie come to the empty room, alert his father and have the Gorilla look for him. Let them come embarrass him by forcing him back home from the park. As long as he could get this one moment with his friends, it would be worth it. So he ran through the rooftops, the lights from the fireworks coloring everything around him. He wanted to make it worth it, watch the display with his friends, watch Alya take videos for the 15th blog she created this year, listen to the playlist Nino made for the moment, listen to Marinette talk about her latest design.

He dropped from the rooftops, going in an alley to destransform before running in the direction of the park. His face was blotchy and his eyes were puffy, hair a little messy from lying on the bed and clothes all rumpled. It would have bothered him a few hours ago, but now he couldn’t care less. He ran to the park entrance, it was so close. 

I just want to be with my friends and watch the fireworks, just this once…

So it was inevitable that as soon as he got there, it was over.

It was alright. It was fine. Just minutes ago he didn’t expect to see his friends for the night the whole summer, but the festival was still going on. He would still see them and talk to them and eat with them. Who cared if he didn’t see the fireworks? It wasn’t why he was here. At least, not the only reason. If his friends watched the show and liked it, then it was enough for him. Then why was he shaking? It didn’t make sense at all.

“Kid…” Plagg whispered to him from his jacket pocket.

“I just…” Adrien started, voice cracking a little. “I just wanted to watch the fireworks with my friends…”

“Then we’ll see them.” He heard a voice say, before a hand grabbed his wrist and started to drag him away. Adrien tried to resist out of reflex, even though the person was surprisingly strong, before recognizing them. 

“Marinette?” He said as he let himself get pulled away from the entrance. “What do you mean? How did you find me?”

“Y-you said that you were on your way.” Marinette said, keeping a fast pace. Her face was incredibly red, but she only tightened her hold on his wrist. “So I-I knew you were probably at the entrance’s park. I mean park’s entrance.”

“What do you mean about watching the show, though? It 's over.” 

“A-Adrien…” She said as looked over her shoulder to him. Whatever she saw hardened her gaze, making her look more determined, like a woman on a mission. “Trust me on this, okay?

As she finished speaking, he caught sight of Nino and Alya leaning against a cab.

“Dude!” Nino exclaimed, smiling wide. “Escape from the cage?”

“Something like that.”

“Okay, okay, you two can talk in the car.” Alya said, her teasing scolding given away by her smile. “Everyone get in.”

Adrien didn’t question it, watching Alya get into the passenger's seat. He took the right window seat, while Marinette claimed the middle and Nino sat besides her. He watched as Alya leaned in to the drivers, giving him directions and shortcuts to an address he recognized. 

“We are going to the Le Grand Paris? Why?” Adrien asked.

“You know how everyone sets off their fireworks for today at the same time?” Alya asked, tapping away frantically at her phone.

“Yes?”

“Well, Chloe decided that her fireworks display was just going to be the best in town and made her father start it 20 minutes later than usual, so there would be no competition fro which one to watch.” She continued, taking her eyes away from her phone to look at him. “She talked about it for a week straight before summer break.”

“So if it was delayed 20 minutes…” He said, heart beating faster. Did he dare hope?

“It will go till eight.” Nino completed. “We’re going to show you some fireworks, dude.”

“If we get there in time.” Marinette said, looking straight ahead. Her face was already flushed, probably from running so much, and he could feel her warmth from where their arms touched.

“If we get there in time.” Nino repeated, but he was still smiling too wide. 

“Y-you guys did it for me?” Adrien said, eyes watering. He was going to be really dehydrated after this night, huh. “I don’t even know what to say…”

“A thank you would be nice.” Nino teased, before bumping shoulders with Marinette. “But you should say especially to this dudette here, she’s the one that came up with the whole plan.”

“Marinette…?” Adrien whispered, watching as her face slowly changed between shades of red.

“I-I just… You were so excited for it.” She said, like it was a confession, barely looking at him. “I li-like the show too, but you were just… static to do it. H-how could could I watch it without you there? When you sa-said you were coming over and it was ending I…”

“She spent the whole show on her phone, texting you and then planning this.” Alya completed, when it seemed like Marinette wasn’t. “ So say ‘thank you, Marinette.’”

But how could he, when words wouldn’t be enough to express what he’s feeling?

“I hope we can make it.” Nino said as the car went through a tunnel, the only thing separating them from a close up on the fireworks show by the Le Grand Paris. 

“We will.” Marinette answered, her eyes glinting. She spoke like she wouldn’t accept anything less. “I know we will.”

The whole car was tense as they finally reached the end of the tunnel, looking out of the windows to the right side of the car. As soon as they came out of there, the dark sky lit up with the first colorful firework, followed by dozens of others. Adrien knew they were the main attraction, the reason why they came from so far across the city, why Marinette made this convoluted plan and that it was all for him. He was aware of all that, but he was so, so sorry that he wasn’t looking at them at all. How could he? All he could see was… that face. 

She was leaning over him to watch the show, face almost pressed on the glass in childlike wonder. Her hair was loose today, he noted almost absentmindedly, framing her face adorably and being the perfect dark canvas for the lights to play in. Her mouth wasn't smiling, glossy lips slightly opening as she stared at the display in awe, rosy cheeks glowing in the dark. But what captured him were her eyes, the most amazing blue he had ever seen, shining so much it overshadowed the show in front of them.

His heart was beating so loudly, he couldn’t even hear the sound of the fireworks. Could everyone in the car tell? Could they see he couldn’t take his eyes away from Marinette for even a second, that he didn’t want to do it for the rest of his life? Feeling warm around her wasn’t something new, it was expected by this point. But this familiar sensation wasn’t something he could brush aside at the moment like he often did, it wasn’t something he could ignore. It was all-consuming and amazing and— oh. Oh. That made sense. Of course that’s how he felt about Marinette, how could it be anything else?

And for the 20 minutes of the fireworks display, he didn’t take his eyes away from her even once. 

“Did you like?” Marinette asked him, after, mouth now smiling and cheeks still rosy.

“No.” Adrien admitted. “I loved it.”

[no6secretsanta]

I Can’t Erase You

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! To @akuthecactus, my Secret Santa giftee! With a request for angst and drama, I came up with this lovely 4k piece of work. I really hope you enjoy! I had to crank out my old angst playlist for this one. It broke me out of my writer’s block, that’s for sure. Enjoy!

~ @whims-of-insane-fandoms

I CAN’T ERASE YOU

Shion couldn’t help going to sleep and dreaming of Nezumi. He also found he didn’t mind.

It was the only way he could see Nezumi.

In his dreams, he could forget reality and instead dream beautiful things. He could be reliving the time he spent with Nezumi in his house in West Block. He could be dreaming about the two of them living in Shion’s new house between West Block and No. 6, where the walls once stood. He could be dreaming of Nezumi’s beautiful voice singing to him as they watch the stars together. He could be dreaming of the two of them dancing together. He could be dreaming of what could have been if Nezumi had stayed.

Of course, it was all a dream.

Eventually, he woke up and had to face the cold, harsh reality.

Shion curled up in bed, still feeling the lingering warmth of Nezumi – no, the heated blanket that fell off the bed – and wishing for a brief moment that he could stay in his dreams. The alarm in his bedside reminded him that, regardless of his feelings, time went on. His hurt and longing couldn’t be erased but continuing with life helped ease it.

~~ERASE~~

Nezumi was gone.

Nezumi had left him following the collapse of the walls of No. 6 almost four years ago. He had left him alone with the baby, one of Inukashi’s dog and Hamlet. The rest was a haze until his mother found him and the two of them had cried in each other’s arms. Again, that had been almost four years ago.

In all the years following the collapse of the walls and restoration of the government, Shion had not heard from Nezumi. He received no letters, no calls and there were no signs of Nezumi. Not even all the contacts Inukashi and Rikigia had had spotted Nezumi. If it hadn’t been for the empty house he returned to that was filled with books, it would have been as if Nezumi had never existed.

In the first couple of months, Shion lived in denial. He couldn’t believe that Nezumi was gone. No, he refused to believe he was gone. He would find himself going back to that small house filled with books, waiting for hours for Nezumi to come back and coming up with excuses on why he hadn’t come back. 

He’s probably haggling in the market.

Maybe he was asked to do another play.

Inukashi probably picked a fight with him.

He made up numerous excuses, everything to forget that Nezumi had left and he might not come back any time soon. Still, he would rather act delusional by pretending he was coming soon. It made the pain less strong.

Inukashi would eventually drag him out by asking for his help with their dogs or asking for help with the baby. They always had a sad expression whenever he asked if they knew when Nezumi was coming back. There were days where they went along with his delusion and said that Nezumi was coming back to the house in a few hours. Other days, they would scream at him that Nezumi was not coming back and to pull yourself together, dammit!

After that breakdown, Shion’s visits to Nezumi’s home became less frequent.

~~ERASE~~

“Good morning, Shion!” 

Shion kissed his mom in the cheek as he entered his mother’s shop and he paid for one of her pastries. She didn’t like that he paid her for her own cooking – “Shion, I would cook for you for free.” – but he thought it was the least he could do for her. She smiled and Shion hid his face from her before she could figure out that he’d had another dream about Nezumi. He didn’t want to worry her. He had already done a lot to worry his mom. 

“Morning, Mom.” Shion said between bites of the bread she had made that morning.

“Inukashi called,” She said, putting some pastries on display, “They said that there was a new litter of puppies that were born last night, and they would like you to come down to see them.”

Shion nodded, “After breakfast, I’ll go. I can’t believe that the due date was off by one day this time.”

Karan turned to look at him, “You’re skipping work today or starting later?”

“Later,” Shion answered, finishing his bread, “It’s not like the canvas is going anywhere while I go visit the pups.”

“Alright, make sure to not stay too long there. Inukashi gets too huffy when you’re around the dogs too much.”

Shion laughed, “They’re jealous that the dogs might like me more.”

His mom laughed again before glancing at the calendar. Shion could already feel her sadness and worry as she turned to look at him. Nothing needed to be said for him to understand the look in her face as she looked at him. He didn’t want to worry her and, yet, the date had done just that.

“Shion-.”

“I’m fine, Mom.”

“Today makes it four years.” 

“I know.”

His mom sighed, “I don’t want you to be alone, especially not today.”

Shion went to hug his mother, who just ran her hands through his hair in the way he was used to. No matter how much time passed, today always hurt and his mom could always tell. Even if he said nothing, she always knew he was hurting. She knew him so much and he wished that he could alleviate his mom’s pain.

“I’ll stay as long as I can with Inukashi and the pups. After, I’ll spend time with little Shion and then I’ll go back home and paint a bit. I’ll call, Mom, okay?”

His mom nodded, brushing stray hair from his face, “I’m here, okay?”

“I know, Mom. Thank you.”

~~ERASE~~

Shion would have frequent nightmares of that day following his time spent denying what had happened. He could vividly remember scenes he never wanted to remember. He would dream of Nezumi being shot, of Nezumi dragging him away from Safu, of losing Safu, of his vision going dark, of Nezumi leaving him behind. . . 

He’d wake waking up to find his mom holding him and trying to reassure him. In her arms, Shion had felt safe enough to tell her about the pain he felt. There was a hole in his heart that would not stop hurting because of that day. Not only did he lose his best friend, but, shortly after, the person he loved so much left him behind.

His mom was so kind during those nightmare-filled months. She would ask him to help out with the shop when he could, and she would try to stay awake all night with him if he was too scared to chase the nightmares away. He felt bad for making her go through so much, but she would just kiss his forehead and tell him she would do anything for him.

During that time where he was plagued with nightmares, he would wonder what would have happened if he has asked Nezumi to not leave him. If he had begged, would Nezumi have hesitated to leave? If he had begged, would Nezumi have flicked his forehead before saying that he was just playing with him? 

What could have happened if I had asked to Nezumi stay with me?

Why didn’t he stay?

Why did he leave?

Was it my fault?

Did Nezumi leave because of me?

The thoughts of why and what if ate at him. He couldn’t stare at his reflection because he had been so certain that Nezumi had left because of his fault. It was why Nezumi never tried to message him. It was why Nezumi hadn’t come back. It was all his fault. Nezumi was gone because he had done something wrong. It had to be. 

The epiphany drove him half mad with guilt and sorrow. On the anniversary of Nezumi’s departure, he ended up destroying his room. He had first started by breaking the mirror that reflected his own face, a face he hated. He had been so disgusted with his face that the rest of his furniture followed, anything to distract him. Before he knew it, it looked as if a storm had blown into his room and he just fell to his knees, uncaring of the glass shards that clung to his body.

It was how his mom had found him. 

She had gently held him in her arms as he screamed and cried about how it was his fault that Nezumi had left him and had not come back. That, so long as he was around, Nezumi would never come back. She said nothing throughout it all. 

When he had stopped being overwhelmed by his own emotions, his mom spoke. She helped him understand that Nezumi leaving was not his fault. Nezumi had left of his own accord because he wanted to see a world beyond the city of No. 6 that had caused him so much pain.

“Nezumi will come back one day. He loves you, Shion. He loves you so he will come back to you.”

It made Shion think of the promise Nezumi had made to him to return to him. If he had promised such a thing, then that meant that he was going to come back, right? It was a fleeting thought, one that Shion held like a lifeline. His mom rocked him to sleep in her arms as he repeated her words like a mantra.

Nezumi will come back one day because he loves me.

That one day became less likely to happen as days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. 

~~ERASE~~

“So, he comes at last!” Inukashi grinned, hair tied up in a high ponytail as they often did while they were doing hard work with the dogs. They were currently rubbing the fur of one of their dogs while the new mother fed her pups. 

Shion smiled back at them, looking at the litter, “Six? My, she had a large litter this year, didn’t she? She’s going to be tired for a while, I can tell. At least the pups are going to have a lot of brothers and sisters to play with. Can I keep one this time?”

“No way.” Inukashi said, rolling their eyes, “The kids stay here.”

Shion pretended to whine, “Come on, I’ve been wanting a dog for a while now. Don’t rob me of my dreams to have a pet dog.”

“Keep dreaming, hopeless artist.” Inukashi replied, face caught in a pout, “The only thing you can do is name them, if you want. Just don’t get too attached since you’re not keeping any of them. Got it?”

“Yes, I got it!” Shion said.

As he watched the pups eat and planned their names, he felt Inukashi tap their shoulder. He looked up to see Inukashi looking fidgety. That was new. He was confused before he remembered what day it was again. He sighed. Not Inukashi too.

“Say, Shion-.”

“I’m fine.” Shion sighed again before pointing at one of the pups, “That one has a bunch of spots on their fur, it’s almost like they have stars. Maybe Romeo or Juliet because they’re star-crossed lovers?”

“Are you really fine or are you just saying that?” 

Shion turned to look up at Inukashi, “I’m fine. Really.”

Inukashi stared at him, still looking a bit awkward. They weren’t good with offering comfort. It was obvious with the way they acted with baby Shion all those years ago. It was sweet of them to think he needed comfort, nevertheless. It did make him love his friend more than he already did.

“Listen, when that bastard comes back, you bet that I am punching him right in that smug face!” Inukashi said, cracking their knuckles, “Might punch him once or twice after that. Maybe four times, after the years he’s been gone. What do you think?”

“I think that you’re getting soft.” Shion teased.

Inukashi turned red, looking away. They were so nice but Shion didn’t want to worry them too. He already worried his mom enough. He didn’t need to do the same to Inukashi. Did everyone see him vulnerable still, to the point that Nezumi’s name was avoided whenever they wanted to mention him? 

The nightmares had vanished, and he had stopped crying so much from the dreams and painful memories. All that chased him were his dreams but those never hurt him. He was fine. Really.

“I’m just. . . I heard from your mom about what happened to you during these days. That bastard did it and he’s not here to do something about. I thought I. . . You know you can stay here with the dogs, right? I won’t pitch a fit or anything.”

“I’m fine, Inukashi, it’s been four years. I’m better. I have a lot of work that I need to do. Time doesn’t stop just because today is the day Nezumi left or anything,” Shion lowered his voice, looking up at the beautiful sky, “Besides, I’m ready to just let go of that pain now.”

“Huh?”

Shion shook his head, “Let’s just focus on the pups, okay? What do you think? Romeo or Juliet for that spotted puppy?”

Inukashi made a face before finally saying, “Neither, I’m not naming them after some characters from an old book.”

“Aw, come on!” 

~~ERASE~~

Shion occupied himself working with his mom in the bakery, helping Inukashi with their dogs and even taking care of baby Shion. He eventually worked enough to get his own house, and, with a heavy heart, he left his mom’s home. His house, once located where the walls used to stand, soon became filled with memories. Pictures of his friends and family adorned the walls and reminded him of the beauty the world offered.

It was this reminder and the pictures that made him remember that he didn’t have a single picture of Nezumi. The thought had terrified him, especially when time went by so fast. He became scared of one day forgetting. He was scared that he could cease to remember that face. At least he had pictures of Safu to remember her by. He had nothing like that for Nezumi.

Shion decided to take up painting to help.

He started with crude images, ones that Inukashi would laugh about and Rikigia would chastise them about. His mom would offer support for his hobby by finding him art supplies and plenty of white canvases. It would take months of practice for him to get good and he knew when he was good when Inukashi finally praised his art. 

Rikigia sold the paintings he had done as practice and, pretty quickly, people started asking for more. His mom supposed that people longed for art to help them get over all the hurt that they had gone through. Shion understood the sentiment, and he started working as a full-time painter. He painted No. 6, West Block, people, the foliage, the animals, and the sky. 

His most famous work became a painting of Safu adorned by white lilies, dancing in the sky. The painting had been created to remember his best friend, to offer a tribute to the girl he had known most of his life. It had helped him move on from her death and find some kind of peace. People loved his work and hailed him as the greatest artist of their time. It was incredibly flattering, to say the least.

When he finally felt like he was ready, Shion began painting Nezumi.

He began with the distinctive hair and face shape before painting his eyes. In his dreams, instead of nightmares, he dreamed of being together with his mom, Inukashi, baby Shion, Rikigia, Safu and Nezumi. What he dreamt motivated to continue the painting, to dream of a reality where Safu had lived and Nezumi had stayed by his side. He painted the eyes and made a silent wish to the canvas on the second anniversary of that day.

Before I finish this painting, Nezumi will come back home.

Requests came flooding in, so he put the painting on hold. People wanted their portraits draws or portraits of loved ones they had lost two years ago. Shion obliged. If painting had helped him with Safu’s death and helped him cope with Nezumi’s departure, then he could help others do the same. 

Before he knew it, the third anniversary of that day came. 

Instead of making him be hurt, it made Shion feel angry.

He had waited.

He almost trashed his studio as he kicked his furniture and yelled angrily. He cursed at Nezumi because he kept waiting and still nothing. He kept waiting! He was angry at Nezumi because he said he would come back. Why wasn’t he back?!

“Don’t come back then, you idiot!” He had screamed at the incomplete painting of Nezumi, “I don’t care if you don’t come back! Get out of my head and let me move on!”

The painting didn’t say anything as he screamed at it. It was just a painting. All it could do was stand propped where he had placed it. The incomplete eyes of Nezumi that seemed to pierce his soul made him feel worse than he did.  

The next day, Shion hid the painting of the attic. He covered it in a white blanket and never went up to the attic to see it again. He was done chasing after a memory, crying over a memory.

Waiting for someone who was never coming back. . . it was a useless thing to do.

Only the dreams were able to comfort him.

~~ERASE~~

Shion walked down familiar roads, hoping Inukashi would not follow because they were worried about him. He didn’t like that his mom and Inukashi looked at him with such worried faces because of what today was. 

He couldn’t be weighed down by thoughts of Nezumi anymore if he was going to continue going through the day. He didn’t have that luxury during the day, during reality. Besides, he couldn’t be crying or whining like a child anymore. He was an adult. He shouldn’t be crying at this point.

Crying would not make Nezumi come back.

Shion stopped in front of Nezumi’s house, taking a deep breath before entering. The house looked like he remembered it. Well, almost. He was sure that there was a bag that hadn’t been there before thrown on the ground. He dismissed it because it was probably Inukashi’s. 

He entered, walking past the bookshelves. For a brief moment, he thought he saw someone, but he ignored it as he grabbed the copy of Macbeth that was misplaced. He put it back where it belonged before looking around the house. The familiar longing and hurt threatened to bubble out and explode. 

“Nezumi. . . I have faced reality.”

Nezumi was never coming back. 

Shion was ready to let go of the foolish thought that he was coming back. 

“I’m tired of waiting,” Shion said, heading to the exit, “I can’t believe in reunion anymore. I’m sorry, but I’m ready to forget you now. Forget that you were here, forget the time we spent together, forget that I love you. I can’t go on if I can’t erase you.”  

Four years without any word from the one he loved. Four years wishing and hoping for his return. Four years filled with tears and screams that he couldn’t get back. He was done. Even if it hurt, he was going to stop believing in Nezumi. The Nezumi that lived in his dreams only existed there. The real Nezumi. . . was nothing but a memory. 

“Goodbye, Nezumi,” He said, beginning to close the door to leave the house, “Just stay in my memories and dreams. That’s the only way you can exist now.”

The sound of books falling made him pause as he closed the door. Long enough for him to hear a very familiar voice.

“Shion!”

I’m dreaming.

The door was flung open, making him almost fall. Someone grabbed his hand with desperation and Shion’s traitorous heart began to race. His eyes widened as, before his eyes, Nezumi was standing right in front of him.

“Nezumi. . .?”

The hair was longer, but it was still Nezumi’s. His beautiful gray eyes, although filled with so much emotion he couldn’t immediately place, were the same eyes from his dreams and memories. He was slightly taller, and he was dressed in different clothes – except for that scarf, that oh so familiar scarf – but he was undeniably Nezumi.

“It is you!” Nezumi cried out, looking relieved, his grip on his hand tightening, “I was half-asleep when I heard someone come in but hearing your voice, I knew it had to be you. I didn’t know how I was going to find you this time, but you came to me. I-.”

“I’ve cracked.” Shion half-laughed, “Haunting my dreams isn’t enough anymore. Now I’m seeing him in reality. Why?”

“Shion, it’s me.” Nezumi said, slightly shaking his shoulders, “I’m real.”

“No, you’re not.” Shion said, trying to get away from the cruel illusion his disillusioned heart had created, “Nezumi isn’t coming back to me. Nezumi’s gone.”

Nezumi had left him four years ago. Nezumi had never come back to him. Nezumi, despite loving him, left him and never came back. That was the truth, wasn’t it?

“Shion, snap out of it dammit!” Nezumi shouted, eyebrows knitted as he frowned, “Don’t make me punch you in the face for me to prove it! Why are you acting like this?” 

“Why? Why? Why is this so unfair?” Shion asked, feeling a single tear roll down his cheeks, “Why did you come back into my life when I just finally decided to let you go?”

The cruel devil’s face looked hurt before pulling him toward him, enveloping him in a hug. The warmth – not a blanket’s warmth, his warmth – made the tears fall faster. Nezumi’s fingers threaded through Shion’s hair and the touch was too real. 

“I’m sorry, Shion,” Nezumi whispered with so much tenderness that it felt like a dream, “I made you wait a very long time, didn’t I?” 

“I hate you,” Shion sobbed, even if he didn’t mean it, “I kept waiting for you. Like some idiot, I waited for you and you never came. Why now?”

“You don’t hate me,” Nezumi said, holding Shion closer, “I was held up, but I managed to come back. I didn’t lie that I would come back to you. I’m sorry that I made you wait so long that it’s hurt you like this. Shion, I’m sorry.”

Shion sobbed, weakly pounding his fists against Nezumi’s chest. Nezumi made no move to stop him and Shion felt he deserved it. All the pain from before that he had hidden in his heart just flooded out. Despite it all, Nezumi did nothing but hold him.

At one point, Shion couldn’t feel the strength to continue hitting Nezumi. Nezumi put a finger under Shion’s chin and just offered him a small smile. Shion’s lower lip wobbled but he couldn’t muster any tears anymore.

“Look at you,” Nezumi said, wiping away the tear tracks in Shion’s face, “I’ve really hurt you, haven’t I? No apology can take away all those years of pain. I know that. Still. . . I’m glad that you waited and you still. . . and you still love me, even after what I did to you.”

Nezumi kissed Shion’s forehead and Shion wrapped his arms around Nezumi’s neck, burying his face in the other’s neck. Nezumi held him tighter, as if he could somehow erase the distance between the two of them. Shion’s heart ached but Nezumi was here. He was holding him, apologizing to him, kissing him. Nezumi was real and he was so warm.

“Nezumi. . . welcome back. . .”

Nezumi quietly led him to the bed and they laid down together. Nezumi cradled Shion’s head as he gave him soft kisses. For every day he missed, Nezumi said with a smirk as he got Shion to muster a smile. Nezumi softly told him about how he spent his years, but the words seemed to blend for Shion in that moment. 

Nezumi’s voice, the voice that haunted his dreams, now soothed the wounds in his heart. He didn’t care too much about what Nezumi was saying. All he cared about was that he could hear Nezumi because Nezumi was here, here after four years of Shion having to use the dreams as a way to see and hear the one he loved.

“Are you listening?”

“Mmhmm,” Shion lied, smiling weakly as Nezumi huffed. 

“Whatever, I guess I can tell you about the beach later, then.”

Shion curled closer to Nezumi, hearing his heartbeat, and feeling the rise and fall of his chest, “Just tell me about the stars you saw. I like hearing about the stars.” 

When Nezumi began to sing for him as he gently ran his hands through his hair, Shion was scared to fall asleep. If he fell asleep, he was scared that he’d wake up in the empty house and he had imagined this after all. He couldn’t take it if it happened. He wouldn’t be able to handle that hurt if it happened.

“Sleep,” Nezumi reassured him, “and when you wake up, I’ll still be here. I’m not going anywhere.”

When Shion woke up hours later and Nezumi’s smiling face greeted him, it finally hit him that everything was real. 

“I love you, Nezumi. After everything, it’s still you.”

“I never stopped loving you, Shion. I won’t let you forget that.”

It took four years but Nezumi fulfilled his promise.

[omg-imagine]

⊱ Amor Vincit Omnia ⊰

Summary: It’s been five years since you last saw John Wick, a man you have loved and lost. One night, he shows up at your doorstep after being labeled excommunicado, and asks for your help. You knew the risks of getting involved but sometimes history can’t be easily forgotten.

Pairing: John Wick x Reader (f)

Words: 6k

Warnings: angst, alcohol, language, violence, slight NSFW, death

A/N: This is the longest one-shot I’ve ever written but I couldn’t help myself. I started this on a whim a few weeks ago, and I’m excited to finally share it with you all! Also, this is my first time writing for John Wick so please be gentle lol.

This is set during Parabellum but the timeline is a bit screwy here. Let’s just say, John couldn’t leave for Casablanca until the following morning and that’s why he goes to you. I hope you enjoy!

John Wick: excommunicado in effect 6:00 pm EST.

You stared at the message displayed on your phone in disbelief. “What the hell did you get yourself into, John?”

Turning off the screen, you stashed your cell back into your pocket. The rain outside grew heavier with each passing second, and you knew somewhere out there, John was running for his life.

Had it been for someone else, you would have easily taken up the $14 million open contract. Despite recent years, you were known to be as cunning and ruthless as the Baba Yaga himself.

Well, of course you were. John Wick was your mentor when the Russians forced you into this line of work. You used to be attached to the hip until you were able to carry out assignments by yourself.

However, during the time you had spent with John, you developed feelings for him but never said a word. For the longest time, you kept it a secret, and it was a secret you were willing to take to the grave.

But when John revealed that he wanted to get out, it gave you hope.

Could you and John have a future without any more bloodshed? Is it possible for two merciless assassins to have a normal life?

People like you didn’t deserve a happy ending, but you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t imagined what it would be like to have one.

But then he brought up Helen, and your world immediately came crashing down. John did whatever it took to have that normal life you’ve imagined— you’ve yearned— but shared it with Helen instead of you.

The day he completed his impossible task was the last time you saw each other. Sure, you’ve received his occasional letters and had even gotten his wedding invitation, but you decided not to give him the time of day.

The pain of heartbreak was unimaginable, almost unbearable. So, you coped the best way you could with work. If you weren’t fulfilling a contract, you were at home drinking as much booze as you can before passing out.

It was in no way how a person should live, but who was there to tell you no?

The sound of thunder brought you back to reality. You didn’t want to admit it, but even after all those years, you still loved John.

For what he’s been through, he deserved that happy ending you had always wanted to have.

You just wished that you were a part of it, too.

-x-

A half an hour later, a sudden pounding on your door interrupted your evening of self-pity. Ignoring it at first, you heard a familiar voice calling out your name. You were not expecting anyone, and no one else knew about this house.

Well, no one except for…

You approached the front door as the knocking became incessant. Behind the frosted glass, you could see the tall man’s figure standing outside.

Bending down, you reached for the .9mm hidden underneath a console in case of emergencies. Once you unlocked its safety, you then took a deep breath in and out before reaching for the doorknob.

The front door swung open, and immediately you held your handgun up. As John stepped out of the shadows, his face was illuminated by the porch lights.

You realized that this was the first time you’ve seen each other in over five years. You instantly knew why John chose to come to you despite being labeled excommunicado.

“You shouldn’t be here, John,” you warned as you aimed your gun directly at his head. One wrong move and you would kill him.

But could you?

“I—I need,” John couldn’t finish his sentence as a surge of pain overwhelmed him. “Damn it, I need your help.”

You noticed that he was bleeding profusely from his side, and he was barely able to keep himself up on his feet.

“Please…”

Your heart was torn. On one half, the cruel assassin in you wanted to end John’s life. You weren’t indebted to him, and he had caused you the greatest pain you could ever imagine.

If you killed John, you would be regarded as a legend for taking down the Boogeyman with one clean shot in the head. They would respect you, fear you just like they did for him.

This could be your revenge.

But the other half was the part who loved, the one who barely got to see the surface because you’ve spent most of your life keeping it down.

This part of your conscience reminded you of the love you had for John, even after he left for a chance at happiness.

It’s not his fault he fell for Helen and married her. You were too much of a coward to show how you truly felt. You lost your opportunity, and you’ve blamed yourself ever since.

You weighed your options. You knew what helping John would cost, and he knew what could happen to you if he overstays his welcome.

But you understood the severity of his situation at the moment, and it was your love for John slowly creeping itself back up again that caused you to sympathize with him.

You couldn’t let him die.

With a heavy sigh, you lowered your weapon and stepped out into the rain to help him inside. John has one arm slung behind your shoulders as you tried to balance him without aggravating his wound.

After setting him on the couch, you then told him to take off his shirt while you retrieved your first aid kit from the bathroom.

Returning to John who groaned in agony, you handed him an unopened bottle of Jack Daniel’s and quickly went to work.

The cut was deep but treatable. You twisted the cap of the hydrogen peroxide off and then looked up at John.

“This is going to sting,” you warned, and he gave you a short huff.

“I’ve gone through worse,” he replied, taking a swig of the whiskey into his mouth.

“We both have,” you agreed, not noticing how John kept his eyes on you until he spoke again.

“Helen died,” John said, and you paused.

He gestured for you to resume, and you continued. You cleaned up the cut and began preparing him for stitches. “I didn’t— John, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. He recounted to you what has happened over the last several weeks, seemingly as a way to distract him from the sensation of you piercing a needle through his skin.

You listened to the pain he failed to mask in his voice. John’s happy ending was cut short, and the past he left behind came back to haunt him. You felt sorry for him, unsure of what to say.

But you knew he wasn’t asking for your pity. He was here because after Helen, you were the only one he had left to trust.

After stitching John’s wound closed and bandaging him up, you checked the time and saw that it was well-past six. You dropped the roll of gauze in your hand and took a step back.

The hunt had officially begun, and every assassin in the city was on the move.

Slowly, John stood up from the couch and placed a hand on your shoulder.

“You’ll be okay. No one followed me here, and I’m still sure no one knows about this place,” John assured as his touch brought you a little bit of comfort. You smiled sadly at him and handed him painkillers. “Hey, thank you.”

“Yeah, it’s no problem,” you responded with downcast eyes. “That’s what we used to do, right? Patch each other up after a job?”

“Just like old times,” John added almost nostalgically as you blinked the tears you didn’t know you had. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you swiftly denied. “It’s nothing. But what about you? What’s your plan?”

John only sighed. “Morocco. I’m going to find the Elder who can get me out of this mess. There’s a boat leaving at six in the morning, and I wanted to ask…”

“For a car?” You finished his sentence, and he nodded. “I’ll drive you. Until then, get some rest.”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “They might not know about me coming to you or this place, but I’m not waiting here until they find out.”

You watched as he staggered a couple of steps away, his fingers buttoning his shirt back on before reaching for his tie and blazer lying on the back of the couch.

He was in no condition to venture out while it’s storming outside, and he’s only one hit away from getting incapacitated. John needed to rest, even just for a few short hours.

As far as anyone else knew, this house didn’t exist. You had purchased this quaint little home of yours under an alias and kept it off the radar. It was well-secluded and far away from nosy neighbors and major roads. No one other than yourself and John has ever stepped foot inside.

“Listen to me,” you pleaded with him. “You came here for my help. So, let me do just that.”

You reached a hand up to rest on the side of his face. The scruff of his beard tickled the bare skin of your palm.

For the first time in five years, you were staring deep into his brown eyes. You saw the grief, the sadness, and the anger in them. You saw the man hurting from what was one tragedy after another.

Helen, Daisy, Marcus, his car, his house, his status, his freedom.

He’s lost everything and everyone.

Well, not everyone. John thought he had lost you the second he turned away, but despite your hatred for him leaving, you could never leave his side.

“Till the end, Jardani,” you spoke softly, using his birth name, which he hasn’t heard for the longest time. “I promised that I’d fight alongside you, and I’m not about to break that tonight.”

John silently leaned into your touch as you held him close, his left hand coming up to lay on top of your right.

Guilt began to set in when your eyes caught the glint of the silver wedding band on his finger, reminding you that he was a grieving widower.

You lowered the hand that was touching him and stepped back.

“You could have left, you know,” John added. “Do what I did. Settle down, live in the suburbs, enjoy the peace.”

You chuckled mirthlessly. “I would have, but after the great John Wick retired, there was no way in hell they were going to let me go, too.”

“You could have tried.”

Sighing, you then gave him a shrug. “Yeah, I could have. But at that point, I chose familiarity over a normal, picturesque life.”

“What about now? Would you change it?”

“I don’t think so,” you spoke honestly. “Violence has always been my normal. It’s all I’ve ever known. You can’t run away from this life.”

John looked at you with a sad gaze in his eyes. “Do you resent me for leaving?”

His voice cut like a knife, and you were afraid to glance up from the hardwood floors. The question came unexpectedly, and you were unsure of how to respond.

You felt him tilt your head up with his gentle hands, and you couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“It’s complicated.”

“Enlighten me,” he replied. “I’ve heard you got tougher, angrier. You kill as if you were deceived and betrayed.”

You had no way out of this. You could lie, but he would instantly know even before you can finish your sentence. You could push him away and lock yourself in your room until morning, but you wanted to come clean.

How he would react, you couldn’t tell, and that’s what you’re scared of even if there was no point in being afraid now.

It was your chance to get some type of closure from John because after tomorrow, who knew whether or not you’d see each other again.

“Do you still love your wife?” You asked, taking John by surprise.

He studied you for a good moment or two, unable to read the expression you tried to hide. “Yes.”

“Then, you don’t need to know,” you said as you took another step back, creating more distance between you two. “You’re welcome to sleep in the guest bedroom. The bathroom has fresh towels in there already, and you can toss your clothes in the dryer if you want. We’ll leave at five. Goodnight.”

You didn’t wait to hear from him. You hurriedly went to your bedroom and shut the door closed behind you.

-x-

You tossed and turned in bed, hoping for sleep which never seemed to come easily at nights. Nightmares often plagued you, and you were afraid that if you did fall asleep now, you would see the frightening image of John dead.

It worried you that the most dangerous people in the world were all out to get him. He was fortunate that he had found shelter for the night, but at the cost of you getting involved.

A flash of lightning illuminated your dark and dismal room, followed by the roar of thunder. Sitting up in bed, you decided to head to the kitchen and get yourself a glass of water. Perhaps that would calm you down as the storm raged outside.

Padding softly to the cabinets, you grabbed a cup, and just when you were about to pour cold water from the dispenser, you turned around and reached for the bottle of bourbon on the counter. 

The liquor burned as it went down your throat, but three glasses later, you still felt nothing.

Deciding against a fourth glass, you then noticed the light seeping from underneath the door to the guest bedroom. You weren’t surprised that John was still awake. If you were in his situation, you would be too weary to rest, knowing that at any time, someone could kill you.

Walking back to your bedroom, you paused just before passing John’s room. As you internally debated on checking up on him, you heard him call out for you from inside.

Without a second thought, you pushed the door open, revealing John who sat on the edge of the bed, clad only in his boxer shorts and a clean white tee he must have found in the closet that was luckily his size. 

In his hands was a leather-bound book, only familiar to you and John.

“Can’t believe you still have this,” John stated as he flipped through the pages of the old book, which remained in a remarkable condition.

“Well, it’s the book we used when you taught me how to bind. I guess I kept it for sentimental reasons, like most things in this house,” you answered as you stepped further into the room.

John glanced at you and smiled.

“I miss seeing that,” you pointed out. “Your smile. It’s a rare thing to see coming from you.”

“You should have seen me at my wedding then,” he recalled fondly, though it unknowingly caused your heart to feel heavy.

You stayed quiet for a minute, and you were just about to go when John’s hand circled your wrist and pulled you to sit beside him. He rested his palm on your bare knee, and you saw that he had removed his ring for the evening.

“I’m sorry for not writing back. I had a lot of things going on at the time if you could imagine.”

“Like what?”

You placed a hand on top of John’s and squeezed. His eyes, though the length of hair slightly shielded them, bore into yours, softly pleading for you to let down your walls just like he did with you.

“John, I—” you tried, but the words wouldn’t come out.

It was the alcohol, you reasoned. You blamed the bourbon for clouding your judgment and allowing you to lose your self-control.

Because one second, you and John held each other’s gaze. Then the next, you turned your body slightly towards him and placed both of your hands on the sides of his face. His focus shifted down to your lips and then back up to your eyes. 

You realized that you were wrong, and you were very much sober for this.

John didn’t move, nor did he speak. So, you took it as a sign to go ahead. The moment your lips connected, it was as if you’d forgotten the heartache from throughout the years.

The kiss turned heavier, more frantic, and neither one of you dared to stop. Your fingers gripped John’s hair, pulling him closer.

This— being with John— made you feel alive again.

John broke the kiss when your hand traveled south to the waistband of his boxers. “We can’t do this.”

But his face said otherwise. You’ve known him for years, and you could tell the want in his eyes. John needed this just as much as you did. You both burned with deep desire, desperate to experience pleasure rather than pain.

“Please,” you muttered through his skin, your lips trailing up and down his neck. “Tell me to stop, and I will.”

John didn’t say a word. He let your hands explore every inch of his skin as he kissed you fervently. A whine escaped your throat, and you managed to straddle his lap before grasping the edge of his shirt and removing it from his body.

His chest was littered with scars, both old and new. Without warning, John flipped you over and laid you on your back, pushing up the thin material of your top until it was gone, leaving you completely bare to him.

Fingers dipped inside your shorts, teasing you agonizingly as your body squirmed underneath him. It had been too long since another man has ever touched you, and John’s gentle caresses lit your skin up like fire.

You gasped for air when John softly bit the insides of your thighs. Your fingers tugged at his long hair, directing his head to where you needed it the most.

After pushing you over the edge with his hands and his tongue, not once but twice, John was ready to take you. You leaned up and kissed him, tasting yourself on his lips as he inches closer to your core. You felt his hardness press up against you, and you looked up to his eyes once again.

“Are you sure that this is what you want?”

He was a man of very few words. Conveying his answer with a single nod, you understood that he craved to feel something good, too. John then rested his forehead against yours, pushing himself into you slowly with such ease.

John was the perfect lover, and you committed to memory everything about the moment— the way he tasted, how he felt inside of you, and the beauty that was simply him. His body was much in tune with yours as he helped you reach your peak.

But when it was all over, you immediately felt the guilt from earlier. Despite the blissful look on yours and John’s faces, you wondered if you had done the right thing. You thought you had taken advantage of a grieving man.

“You’re overthinking,” John said out loud when he finally caught his breath.

You sighed deeply, watching him as he stared up at the ceiling. “This was a mistake.”

John then turned on his side, facing you. Reaching up, you brushed a few strands of his hair away from his eyes before placing your hand on his chest. He grasped it into his, bringing it up to his lips and kissing each knuckle with care. “Why would you say that?”

“I was selfish,” you admitted. “I slept with you not only because I wanted to feel something, but also because I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

He raised his brow in confusion as you continued. “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, so I have to get this off my chest now.”

“What is it?”

“I loved you, John. God, I still do. It hurt me so much that you were in love with someone, but it wasn’t right for me to stand in between you and your happiness.”

John opened his mouth to speak, but you didn’t let him.

“I was angry at you. I wanted to hate you, and I thought I did. The truth is, I was angry at myself. I didn’t say anything to you for years, so how should you have known? And now that you’re back here with me...” you trailed off.

You shed a tear, but John wiped it away using the edge of his thumb. He’s seen you vulnerable before, but never like this. “(Y/N)...”

“I’m not expecting you to feel the same way. You loved Helen and got out of the life for her. You lived the dream, even if it wasn’t forever. I just regret missing my chance to tell you all those years ago.”

John’s arms wrapped around you, and he pulled you flushed against his body. He laid a kiss on your forehead as you buried your face into the crook of his neck.

“I did love you,” he admitted, his voice rumbling through his chest. “But with what we do, love would have been too dangerous. People could have used it against us, and I wanted to keep you safe. We would have been each other’s weakness.”

“You don’t have to lie, John,” you scoffed, pushing yourself away from his embrace. “Just tell me that you saw a future with Helen and not with me.”

Before you could get out of bed, John held you in place by holding you back by your wrist. “Is that what you want me to say?”

You bit your lip, refusing to see his face. “Of course not.”

“Good,” he uttered as he coaxed you back into bed. “Because that’s not true.”

“Then why? You loved me, but you didn’t do anything about it.”

John sat up and kissed your shoulder blade which calmed you down. “Neither did you.”

You sighed in defeat, absorbing everything that has been said.

“Our lives made it difficult for us to be together. It just wasn’t the right time for us.”

You slowly moved your head slightly to the left, and you were met with his unwavering eyes. “When would the right time be?”

John released a sigh. “I don’t know.”

As your mind tried to wrap around his explanation, you laid back down on the mattress with John returning to your side. He held you in arms as you listened to the steady beating of his heart.

“I don’t regret what we have done,” he remarked. “I wanted this just as much as you did, okay?”

“Okay,” you whispered as your eyes grew heavy.

John could sense your exhaustion. “I’ll be here when you wake up, I promise.”

You trusted him, and eventually, you drifted off to sleep. Later on, you dreamed of John saying goodbye. You didn’t know why or for how long, and you didn’t want to let go.

But something in your heart told you that everything would be fine, and when he did leave, you strangely felt at peace.

Perhaps this was the closure you needed.

You didn’t know what to make of your dream, and you were afraid of what it could mean. You didn’t want to lose John again, but sooner or later, it would happen.

But for tonight, you were his, and that was enough.

-x-

When you and John woke up entangled in bed the following morning, neither of you said a word. Instead, both of your lips found each other yet again. Somehow, this kiss felt different than the ones you shared last night. It was still as passionate as before, but it seemed to have a different meaning behind it.

Why does it feel like a goodbye?

You pulled away before things could go any further. You didn’t want John to miss his boat, and the two of you needed to get ready for what might happen today. 

After one last kiss, you got out of bed and picked up your discarded sleepwear from the cold ground. Meanwhile, John reached over the nightstand and grabbed his ring.

You watched as he held it in his palm for a second before closing his fist around it. John glanced up at you and gave you a forlorn look. You then flashed him a sad smile before retreating to your room to shower.

When you returned to the living room, John was already dressed in his dark suit. Sauntering over to him, you then handed him a revolver to use as protection for wherever he was heading.

“This belonged to you,” you had said. “I’m also giving you guns from my stash that you can take.”

“Thanks.”

His hand came up to accept the revolver, and suddenly, your heart clenched. John’s wedding ring was back on his finger where it belonged.

The ride to the port took almost 45 minutes. At nearly every light, John took note of the cars in front and behind you. So far, nothing stood out, and the coast was clear. You continued to drive just a little bit above the speed limit as you too surveyed your surroundings.

“Turn down here,” you followed John’s direction, and from a distance, you could see the water. “Park by that building, and I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

And that would be it. John would be gone, and you would return to your sense of normality. The road taking you behind the harbor soon ended, and you found yourself putting the car on park before shutting off the engine.

He only had fifteen minutes until he needed to get on, and for some reason, you were grateful that he hasn’t gotten out of the vehicle yet.

“I could go with you,” you suggested as your eyes scanned his features. “I could help.”

“You need to run,” John countered, much to your disappointment. “I am grateful for your help, but the High Table will make an example out of you if they find out what you did.”

“I told you, I’m as good as dead already,” you brushed his warning off.

You knew damn well what the consequences were. There was no way you were safe staying in New York or any other place for that matter. You would have to live on with a constant target on your back, and that was one thing you didn’t want.

“I’d rather die beside you than alone. Please, John. Let me help.”

The silence after was deafening until the sound of gunfire erupted, and the glass windows of your car shattered.

An ambush.

John quickly reached over to the back seat and opened the gun case, pulling out the assault rifle you had packed for him. Meanwhile, you got your gun locked and loaded, glancing up at John and waiting for his cue.

“On three,” John spoke, and after three, you two pushed the car doors open and headed towards a large shipping container for cover.

You couldn’t see the assailants, but bullets hailed as you made your way over to safety. Something grazed the side of your arm, but John just pushed you along until you were able to shield yourselves.

“I’m good,” you assured John as he tried to count how many men were trailing behind. You saw the expression on his face, and it wasn’t good. “We’re screwed, aren’t we?”

“You could say that,” he answered, his mind trying to devise a plan. John only had ten minutes left until the ship leaves, with or without him.

“John,” you whispered his name with so much love and tenderness, it worried him. “It’s over.”

“No, not for us,” John trembled.

“Not for us,” you repeated his words before correcting them. “Not for you.”

John was confused by your statement. “What do you mean?”

You smiled sadly. You love John too much, and you were willing to do anything for him.

Even if it meant losing your life.

“You and I both know how much I hate this life. How much I hate the monster they made me turn out to be. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life running away because I helped you escape. I’ll buy you time while you get on that ship.”

“(Y/N), I’m not letting you do this,” his hand came to grasp you by your wrist, hoping that you would rethink this deadly idea of yours. “It won’t end well.”

“When does it ever?” You retorted as another bullet flew past. “Death is inevitable. You and I both know that. I want to die knowing that I protected you. Even after everything, you’re still the most important person to me.”

“Don’t,” he pleaded. “We can figure a way to get out of this alive.”

“There’s not much time,” you told him. “You have to live on. Live on for Helen, your love.”

You didn’t want to waste another second, and as John seemed to accept your fateful decision, you had run behind another shipping container, all the while shooting at least four men dead.

The distraction worked, and it gave John the chance to climb up a nearby ladder and escape.

At least six others were waiting for you to make a move. As you reload your weapon, you heard a heavy set of footsteps making its way around the container. You pulled out your knife from your boot, but before you could attack, a shot was fired.

The man sneaking up on you from behind was instantly killed, his body dropping onto the ground with a thud. You then looked up from where the bullet came from and saw John covering you from above.

“Get up here, (Y/N),” he shouted as he fired at another person. “I’m not leaving you behind. Not again.”

John did the best he could, killing those who he had a clear shot of while you sprinted towards another ladder.

As you climbed up, you were hit from behind, but the bulletproof vest you had underneath your clothes saved you. It hurt like hell, and you held onto the ladder with a tight grip before John appeared to pull you the rest of the way up.

Staying low, you and John swiftly navigated through the port and found the boat set to leave for Morocco in less than a minute.

“Jardani,” a man with a thick accented greeted as you approached the ramp leading to the ship’s entrance. “I didn’t know you would bring company.”

“She’s coming with me,” John informed him as you waited for the shooters to show up.

The man shook his head and chuckled lowly. “No can do, Mr. Wick. The Director has arranged a safe passage to Casablanca for you only. Either you board alone, or I go. If you decide to shoot me, let’s just say there will be consequences when you arrive in Morocco.”

The captain eyed you sternly before returning to the vessel. The ship’s blow horn sounded, yet John’s footing remained still.

You turned to him, hearing shouting and running nearby. “They’re coming, John. I can hold them up for a bit, but you have to go. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

“I’m not going to leave you,” he said, and you noticed him clutching tightly onto your hand. “I can’t lose you, too.”

You shut your eyes for a moment and leaned up to him, pressing a soft kiss on his cheek. John tilted his head down and kissed the top of your head, breathing in your scent for what could be the last time.

“I love you, John. Everything’s going to be okay.”

And with that, you darted down the wooden docks and ran into the hitmen. From the corner of your eye, you saw the ship beginning to move forward, and you breathed out a sigh in relief.

“I knew you would help him out. You two were oddly close,” One of them sneered, pointing a gun at you. You recognized him— he was a regular at the Continental. “I’ll make you an offer. Didn’t you hear the bounty was increased? $15 million! I’ll split the money if you help me.”

You pulled your gun out and aimed it at his head. You weren’t intimidated by the other armed assassins around you, ready to kill.

“So, tell me, sweetheart. Where is John Wick headed to?”

“He’ll be back,” you replied with a smirk. “And Baba Yaga will come after you when he does.”

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t give him up that easily,” the hitman snickered, wholly unimpressed by your answer. “It’s unfortunate that John won’t be around to see this.”

The trigger was pulled, and the gun fired. The bullet pierced your body, and for a split second, you felt a searing pain in your abdomen. You fell to the ground in an instant, surrounded by a pool of your blood as the world became darker and colder.

Your eyes eventually fluttered shut, and the last thing you thought of was John.

In an instant, the warm memories flooded you. All the pain disappeared and was replaced with something much more beautiful.

You didn’t get a happy ending, but you found the next closest thing there is.

Peace.

-x-

A single gunshot echoed from the harbor, and John knew very well what it meant. Defeatedly, he slid down to the floor, his back resting against the wall of the ship as the New York skyline slowly grew farther and farther away.

He knew how much you would risk to help him from the moment he knocked on your door. Regretfully, John shouldn’t have dragged you into this. You didn’t deserve to die.

Not for him.

You paid the ultimate price because you loved him, even after all those years. You had thought you hated him for abandoning you, for not reciprocating the feelings you had for him, and for living the life you wanted to share with him.

But despite the hatred you wanted to have towards him, you continued to love John.

And you couldn’t bear to see him die.

John held the revolver you had given him before you left that morning. It was a colt python, and he recognized it as the very same one he gifted to you on the first birthday you spent with him.

I guess I kept it for sentimental reasons, like most things in this house...

You had only fired the gun once, and it was during a situation where it saved his life. He could never forget the moment he realized that he could depend on you with his life, which was a rarity in this world.

There was something etched onto the grip that caught his attention. He recognized the Latin inscription as one of your favorite sayings.

Amor Vincit Omnia

“Love conquers all,” John translated, and it was true.

You believed in it, so it had to be true.

His mind then drifted off to the previous night. You were right— you two were hurt and craved to feel anything other than pain.

And it was only after did he realized the suffering you had gone through. The light in your eyes had sizzled out, and you had become the shell of the person he once knew. You had spent all these years hoping that somehow he would love you back.

And he did. He meant what he said that night.

John loved you. You were the only part of his past that he couldn’t let go. But he also loved Helen.

He wished circumstances were different, but they just couldn’t be.

Because if there’s one thing John believed in, it would be that people can’t change the past.

No matter how hard anyone tried.

The least John could do now was to make sure that your death was not in vain. You told him to keep fighting to live on the memory of his love, and he made a vow to honor your final request.

He would live on for Helen.

But most importantly, for you.

[mamahanu]

fanfic tag game

I was tagged by @dragonnan. Thanks, friend! I love these!

Questions:

Ao3 Name: HanukoYoukai

Fandoms: ~long inhale~ Well... I’ve been writing for a while. A long while. So... I’m just gonna follow dragonnan’s example. Bear with me. 

Currently writing fic for (that are posted/going to be posted):

Final Fantasy

MCU

Captain America

Spider-Man

Deadpool

Avatar: the Last Airbender

Currently finished and recently posted (yes... there are WIPs for these fandoms, and yes, I’m still working on them):

Dragon Prince

Merlin

Wrote fics years ago (and I may still revisit the fandom):

Glee (on FFN)

Harry Potter

Wrote 1 or 2 fics but won’t write more:

Diabolo

Weiss Kreuz

Fruits Basket (deleted... it was bad. I’m not sorry it’s gone)

Wolf’s Rain (see above)

Haven’t published any fics yet but have (or had) ideas ~cracks knuckles~:

Doctor Who 

The Legend of Zelda

How to Train Your Dragon

FireFly

Split/Glass (crossover idea... it’s outlined...)

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

The Flash

DC

All up and coming plans are subject to change depending on my whims as a creator. ;-)

Number of fics: I’m only going to count the fics that are currently posted between Ao3 and FFN. 

Spider-Man/MCU/Captain America/Deadpool: 16 (this includes the crossover with Final Fantasy)

Dragon Prince: 1

Merlin: 4

Harry Potter: 1

Glee: 2

Diabolo: 2

Weiss Kreuz: 1

Total: 27

1. Fic you spent the most time on: Omertà hands down. Wow that fic... I mean, just posting it took 10 months. And I started writing it way before I posted the first chapter so, I think I spent about a year and some change on it. 

2. Fic you spent the least time on: So This is Christmas. I was a pinch hitter for an Irondad Secret Santa. I got this one written in a few hours due to the deadline. 

3. Longest Fic: Again, Omertà. The final word count on this bad boy is 154,668. 30 chapters. It was supposed to be 10 chapters and about 50,000 words. That did NOT happen. 

4. Shortest Fic:  I Like Oatmeal. The word count is 652 and it is easily the shortest thing I’ve ever written so far. This was just a fun little crack fic that broke me into the Merlin fandom. 

5. Most hits: In all honesty, this is a very difficult one to answer because as far as I can tell, FFN does not record hits very well. My two highest fics for Ao3 are  Omertà with 8008 to date, and You are in Control, I Disappear with 5450 to date (but it’s porn, so surprise, surprise.) On FFN, the fic with the highest hits (if I did my month-by-month math right) is The Trouble with Gossip (using the Ao3 link) with 6102 hits to date .

6. Most kudos:  Omertà again. Really, y’all should read it. It’s pretty good. ;-)

7. Most comment threads/ reviews: Want to guess? You got it! It’s Omertà! You all are so smart. :-)

8. Fave Fic you wrote: What? These are my babies. These are my blood, sweat, and tears. You want me to pick a favorite? You’re crazy. 

...

No, seriously, that’s a really hard question. I love them all and for very different reasons. So I’ll pick one that I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ll say Bear the Burden of Responsibility, which was the fic that broke me into the MCU/Spider-Man fandom (I’d been reading for forever, but this was the first one I wrote). It also was my intro to Irondad and Spiderson, which has been SO fun to write, and the community has been fantastic to be part of, in my opinion. 

9. Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: Hmm. Well, I’m already expanding on it, just slowly. I have a series called Take My Heart With You which is kind of an alternate reality/alternate universe series for Merlin. It mainly focuses on the gap between seasons 3 and 4, and events in season 4, but there is a relationship between Merlin and Percival that I’m playing around with. I also am touching on the friendship Merlin has with Gwen, so there may be elements from previous seasons added soon. I actually really enjoy that one, but I’ve lacked inspiration for it, so I haven’t been writing much in this universe lately. 

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning: How about both?

Love Runs Deeper than Blood

***SPOILERS! FOR MY READERS WHO WANT TO WAIT UNTIL I POST, SCROLL UNTIL YOU SEE THE NEXT BOLD TEXT!***

“Tarkik.”

“No.”

“Koko.”

“Hmm, maybe.”

“Nanouk?”

Kyra laughed, bouncing the baby boy on her knee. “You have great love for that name,” she said, grinning. Bato shrugged, wiggling his fingers at the boy and making him giggle.

When he brought the child to Kyra, she broke down in tears before immediately thanking the Great Spirits. She fell in love with his soft hair and golden eyes, and she held him like she could never let him go. Bato understood. He was like that with the boy the whole journey back.

“It’s a good, strong, water tribe name,” Bato defended, grinning. “What about Toklo? For your father?”

“My brother was named for my father already,” Kyra replied. “Maybe Tonraq?”

Bato made a face. “No,” he replied, shaking his head.

“Why not?”

“When I went Ice Dodging, the boy manning the main sail was named Tonraq. He’s the reason I have a scar on my boat,” Bato said, darkly. Kyra laughed.

“Well, there’s always Soomool,” she offered. Bato shrugged. They had been going over names for two days now. Even Kya and Hakoda offered input, with baby Sokka in tow. The new boy was fascinated with the chief’s son. Bato hoped they would become good friends. Kyra handed the boy to him and he lifted him up so their noses could touch. The boy went a little cross-eyed, making Bato laugh.

“You know what his eyes remind me of?” he asked Kyra.

“The sun?” she asked, grinning.

Bato shook his head. “No. Well, yes, I suppose. But they look like the sky during a storm, when lightning strikes.”

“You mean when the sky turns to gold for a moment?” Kyra asked, thoughtfully. Bato nodded. Kyra hummed in thought.

“What about Kallik?”

*** OKAY ALL CLEAR***

Story Idea - Spider-Man Villain/Anti-Hero AU:

Plot: What if Peter stopped the convenience store thief instead of letting him run away? Uncle Ben is still alive, and that major guilt he felt that acted as a catalyst for him to become Spider-Man and look out for the little guy isn’t there anymore. Instead Spidey is a wrestler, then a “hero” who asks for donations to his paypal, and then a mercenary. All his bad guys are now neutral contacts, and he frequently teams up with DP, Moon Knight, and Black Cat (among others), working for cold, hard cash. He drives Iron Man crazy, he baffles Captain America, and Black Widow has a soft spot for him (because she gets that double life). 

It’ll be fun when I get to writing it. I’ve got some semblance of an outline. ;-)

Tagged: I’ll tag @silentsaebyeok, @reachingforaspark, @blondsak, @jro616 and @kitcat992, as well as anyone else who wants to play. And if I tagged you and you don’t, no pressure! <3

[takingcourage]

The Girl Next Door

Pairing: Jaime x MC

Word Count: 3,550

Summary: Jaime gives Arden a tour of some renovations he’s made around his house, and they decide it’s time for a change in their relationship.

Note: I’ve had a draft of this story in the works since before A Prickly Diversion, so I’m super excited to finally share it with you all. It came out much cheesier than I intended, but I’m rolling with it. : ) 

This also fulfills the last two soft-prompt requests that I received from @krishu213 (reunion hug and family). If all goes according to plan, my other requested fics should be finished by the end of month. 

"Attention, passengers. We will now begin our descent into Northbridge International Airport. It's a cool fifty-seven degrees in the city and the local time is 6:43. We hope you've enjoyed--"

"Never thought I'd be so happy to be back in Northbridge," Ellen declared over the pilot's announcement. 

Arden pulled a pack of gum from her carry on and offered a stick to her business partner. "I'm always happy to be back."

Truth be told, she was especially glad to arrive on this particular evening. A series of flight delays had meant missing her lunch plans with Jaime and having to wait another full day before seeing Jinx and Opie. They'd only been apart for a week, but the time away had really started to wear her down.

Ellen rolled her eyes and folded the piece of gum into her mouth. "Of course you do. You'd happily live in the middle of the Sahara if it meant Jaime Lewis was there."

Arden wanted to argue, but the other woman wasn’t exactly wrong. Jaime had always been somewhat indispensable to her happiness, but over the past several months, he'd started feeling downright essential to her life. With a momentary flash of shame, she remembered the long sigh she'd given earlier in the day when their cancelled flight had meant eating yet another airport meal -- a meal without the boyfriend she'd been missing since they’d kissed goodbye at the terminal. 

It had been a long day -- the end to an incredibly long trip. From a business perspective, their venture had been incredibly successful. They'd secured all of the investments and partners that they'd been looking for, receiving little more than outright support for the groundwork they'd laid so far. The Ellen and Arden Show was scheduled to begin live tapings in Northbridge in just a few short weeks. 

Arden had been on cloud nine since they'd left their first meeting, except in the quiet moments when she remembered life outside of work. More and more, it was that half of life that seemed to matter most.

"I'm dropping you off at his house, right?" Ellen continued, breaking the silence. 

"That would be great. He can't pick me up from the airport, but he did promise to have dinner waiting for me." Arden straightened her back in a vain attempt to stretch out the kinks it had fallen into during their travels. 

Covering a yawn, Ellen consulted the view from her window. "You've got a real winner with that one."

"Which is exactly why I'm happy to be back in Northbridge," she responded lightly, predicting the other woman’s response even before it came. 

“Have I ever told you how cringey you are? Because you’re going to make me question my choice to take you on as my partner.” 

“That cringey-ness is part of why this city loves me. And we both know you’re not really regretting anything. We make a great team.” 

Ellen rubbed her forehead wearily as the wheels hit tarmac. 

_____

Arden had stayed in a lot of different places over the past week, but none of them had produced the same effect upon arrival as Jaime’s house. Her pulse shifted tempos when they finally made it to his driveway, her whole body light with the knowledge that this time, she was taking her suitcase somewhere familiar. The relief of not having to spend another night in a hotel was second only to the relief of not having to spend another night alone. 

“Thanks so much for the ride,” she acknowledged, cracking open the door. “I’ll have those drafts to you first thing tomorrow morning.”

Ellen gave her a peculiarly appraising glance. “No rush. I won’t have a chance to look over them until the afternoon.” 

“Okay. See you Monday?”

“Bright and early.” 

“See you then,” Arden promised, hefting her roller bag out of Ellen’s trunk. She wheeled the suitcase across Jaime’s sidewalk, smile breaking wide when the front door opened before her. 

“Hey!” Jaime greeted, reaching to take the briefcase that was slung across her shoulder. “Sorry I didn’t come out to the car.” I didn’t want to mess anything up. 

Arden’s forehead crinkled in confusion at his thought. “What is there to mess up?” As she uttered the words, she was met with the unmistakable smell of garlic wafting from the kitchen. “Oh, you mean dinner! We wouldn’t want anything to burn.” Again, she added mentally, recalling several of her own foiled kitchen attempts. 

Confusion flashed in his eyes, but he covered it quickly. “Oh, yeah. Burnt lasagna is a definite nope.” Jaime set the briefcase by the door, then he wheeled her suitcase into a nearby corner. “C’mere, Arden.” 

Dropping her purse to the floor, she was in his arms an instant later. She soaked in his warmth, his strength, his smell. Everything she’d been missing for the past week was fulfilled. 

“You okay?”

“I just missed you a lot.” She buried her nose into his shirt, breathing in the scent that had eluded her senses, no matter how hard she’d tried to imagine it. “And it’s good to be home.” 

His grip on her tightened. “Speaking of home, do you want to see the work I’ve done since the last time you came around? I could give you a little tour.” 

She nodded against him, lips curling up at the excitement in his tone. “I’d love to see what you’ve been working on.” 

He hadn’t told her the exact nature of the projects he’d completed, but Jaime wouldn’t be Jaime without some ongoing repair around the house. Even so, it was a little unusual for him to actually finish something significant enough to merit a tour. He’d spent years planning for future renovations, though most of his efforts were channelled into the work he did for others. 

Eager to see what he’d done, but reluctant to let go of him completely, Arden reached for his hand when they drifted apart. Slipping off her shoes, she followed him in past the entryway.

“You might have already guessed, but my first item of business was to get these floors refinished.” They crossed the threshold and Arden stopped short, thin socks sliding across the hardwood. 

“Jaime, they’re gorgeous! I can’t believe it’s the same floor!” She released his fingers so that she could squat down for a closer look. 

With a quiet chuckle, Jaime knelt down beside her. “It is a significant change, isn’t it? I went for a few shades darker than what was here before. It’s classy, but not dark enough to make cleaning it too much of a chore. I don’t think the upkeep will be too bad.” 

Arden’s fingers came to a standstill as she brushed the glossy panels. “Are you planning to hire me as your maid?” 

His cheeks flooded with color when her laughing eyes fell on him. “Of course not! It’s just...an interesting design feature.” 

“Uh-huh,” she replied, unconvinced. There was definitely more going on than Jaime was letting on. Is he asking me to move in with him? 

As they stood, his next thought practically confirmed it. 

It shouldn’t even show pet hair. I know they don’t shed that much, but still... 

Arden felt her heartbeat in her throat as they resumed the tour. If he was asking her to move in, her answer would come quite easily. She’d been wanting to move in together practically since they’d started dating, but Jaime’s good sense had encouraged waiting until they were sure that the relationship was actually going somewhere. Moving was an awful lot of hassle for something that wasn’t permanent. 

This is permanent, she thought, brushing away the strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead. It’s definitely permanent. 

Catching up to him, she locked onto his arm, pressing her cheek against his bicep while they walked into the dining room together. He glanced down at her, concern in his eyes quickly turning to affection when he saw the contentment in her gaze. 

It’s good to have you back, Arden. 

“It’s good to be back. And I hope it’s a long time before I have to leave you again.” 

There was a pause before his reply. “I do too.” Whatever was on his mind, he recovered quickly, and she didn’t press the issue. He gestured toward the gray walls behind his oak dining set. “I’ve taken down the wallpaper in here, but I was hoping to get your input before I put something else up.” 

“You have a much better eye for design than I do,” she countered, surveying the large swath of bare wall. “I don’t want you to end up with something you hate just because I picked it on a whim.” 

“I’ve got it narrowed down to a handful of options.” And your opinion matters a lot to me. 

“Then I’d be happy to take a look at what you’ve got. I’ll even help you hang it up if you decide on new wallpaper.” 

Jaime eyed her dubiously. “I wouldn’t put you through that.” 

“It could be fun,” she countered. “We’d stream some cheesy pop music and get wallpaper paste all over our clothes...”

His brow cocked even further. “Have you ever hung wallpaper?”

“Not even once,” she admitted with mock solemnity. 

“Then I wouldn’t put me through that either.” 

“Oh, stop.” 

She caught another whiff of dinner and sidestepped into the kitchen for a tantalizing glimpse of the lasagna on top of the stove. As she took in the sight of marinara and melted cheese, the airport sandwich she’d eaten so many hours ago felt even more paltry by comparison.  

Jaime noticed the shift in her focus. “It still needs to rest for a little while before we cut into it. While we’re waiting, we can take a look at another project I’ve been working on upstairs.”

Arden turned from the kitchen, taking in her boyfriend’s unsettled expression. Why does he look so nervous? She fell into their normal pattern of banter, hoping that it would relieve the tension she saw etched across his face. “Oh, I see. You’re just trying to get me into your bedroom.”

“Something like that,” he answered with a laugh.

“You’re lucky it happens to be one of my favorite places,” she commented, leading him up the flight of stairs. “But I’m not letting myself get too distracted. Dinner smells amazing and I’m hungry.” 

“I’m sure. Traveling can really take it out of you.” 

“You can say that again.” Arden couldn’t resist a quick smirk as they passed into his room. 

Some of her favorite memories from the past months had taken place between these four walls -- snuggling in the early morning before either of their alarms had sounded, half-forgotten conversations that occurred when one of them wasn’t quite ready to fall asleep... More than anything, it brought to mind the closeness they’d achieved over these past months. Physically, emotionally, spiritually -- there was no one she’d ever known more fully than she knew him.

She scanned the space for changes, stepping into the ensuite when she could see no major difference in the bedroom. Once inside, Arden noticed the sink first: a double vanity where a single basin had stood before. Jaime’s small collection of toiletries had been moved to one corner of the counter, leaving the other side completely empty save for the new hand towel that rested beside the rim. It took longer for her to see the additional set of towel hooks that stuck out from the opposite wall a solid half-foot lower than the existing pair. 

When she looked behind her, Jaime was leaning against the doorway, deep brown eyes fixated on her form. “I was thinking maybe it was time for an upgrade,” he told her quietly. “You’ve been ‘the girl next door’ for a long time.”

Arden’s heart thumped dully, the roar of blood pounding in her ears. “Are you asking me to move in with you?” She wasn’t nervous about asking the question, but her body still hummed in anticipation of his response. Please say yes. 

“Something like that,” he repeated a second time, standing up straight. “Let’s go downstairs. There’s one more thing I wanted to show you.” 

Suspicion dawned as they trod the stairs again. Jaime wasn’t usually one for evasive answers. Deflecting multiple questions meant he was definitely keeping something from her. Remembering his earlier unease, the nature of that something was suddenly incredibly obvious. 

He’s asking me to marry him, she realized with startling clarity. She’d caught his thoughts on marriage too many times for this to be mere coincidence. 

“I was kind of hoping to save this for last,” he told her as they reentered the living room, waving a hand toward a wooden inscription that hung above the mantle: 

The Lewis Family, established 2020

Even with her suspicions, her mouth still fell open at the simple message. There could be little mistaking just what he meant by such a gesture. 

Breath hitching in her throat, Arden turned from the sign to the man standing before her. All of his nerves were gone, replaced by a look of the most tender affection she had ever seen. 

“Arden, I want you to be more than just ‘the girl next door’ or ‘the girl who lives with me.’ I'd really like to call you my wife.” His lips quivered at the pause between words. “I’ve had you in my life for so long that I can hardly even remember who I was before I met you. Over the years, I’ve had the honor of standing by your side as you risked everything for what you believe in, I’ve watched how well you love and care for others, and I’ve benefitted from your thoughtfulness more times than I can count. You’re the funniest, most creative, most insightful person I’ve ever met, and I love you more every single time you cross my mind.”

“But more than all of that, you’re my best friend and the only woman I’ve ever wanted to spend my life with.” He knelt and withdrew the box from his pocket, holding it out to her as he opened the lid. “Marry me?” Jaime asked simply, emotions checking all but the most necessary words. 

Eyes fixed on Jaime, she was conscious only of his question and the stream of tears spilling over her cheeks. She tried to sweep them away, but they continued, unbidden. “Of course I will,” Arden whispered. “I think you knew before you even asked.” 

Confidence fully returned, he flashed her a self-assured smile. “I certainly hoped you would.” 

She’d always expected that getting engaged would be frightening -- that she’d be overcome with fear about what the commitment meant for her future. When she’d imagined permanence with anyone she’d dated before, marriage had seemed like something to bind her and hold her down.

But with Jaime, it wasn’t like that at all. In fact, she wasn’t sure when she’d felt more free or alive. All she wanted was to be gathered up in his arms, kissing the lips that had spoken the two sweetest words she’d ever heard.

Both longing for contact, they kissed soundly before she melted into his embrace, cheek sitting flush against the hammering of his heart. Arden heard the confessions of love he whispered into her hair, but she was too full of joy to recognize their substance. 

They parted, and Jaime swiped at the remaining tears with his thumbs, cradling her face between his hands. “That sign is just a symbol, by the way. You don’t have to take my name. I can take yours or we can use a hyphen, or --”

She shut him up with a kiss, arms winding so tightly around his neck that his body sagged with the weight of her. 

“Jaime, it’s perfect -- whatever we decide. No matter what the paper says, you’ll be a Gale and I’ll be a Lewis. We’ll be a family.”

His eyes brimmed with tears as she stressed the word. “I can’t tell you how much I want that with you.” 

“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life,” she agreed. “Even if it took a while to figure that out.” 

“We should probably put your ring on then.”

Arden could only nod, another fit of giggles accompanying her wordless reply. In the swell of emotions, she’d managed to forget the ring entirely. 

Jaime slid it onto her finger with ease, bracing her hand for inspection even after it was securely in place.

She’d caught him staring at the naked fingers of her left hand too many times in the past weeks for the perfect fit to come as a surprise. What she hadn’t expected, however, was to recognize the emeralds on either side of the central stone.

"They’re from my mom’s bridal set." She could barely get the words out around a second onslaught of tears. 

He looked up from her fingers to meet her gaze, brown eyes misting over. "I've had them since the day your dad found out we were dating. Apparently she gave him pretty clear instructions to pass it on once we’d finally stopped pretending.” 

“It couldn’t be more perfect, Jaime.”

“I love you, future-wife.” He kissed her hand and dropped it to her side. 

“You’re such a dork,” she laughed, tears still dampening her face.

“Hey, cut me some slack. I’ve been waiting a pretty long time to call you that.” 

“Let’s change that soon,” Arden suggested before catching his lips once more. 

_____

“Is this why you couldn’t come pick me up from the airport?” Arden inquired after dinner, thumb caressing the smooth metal band that circled her finger. 

She couldn’t see his face, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine the blush that was probably spreading over his cheeks at the question. He drew close, stubble tickling her cheek as he leaned down to her ear. “There’s no way I could have made it that entire drive without thinking something that would have given it away. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.” 

“You really are a romantic at heart.”

“What can I say, Arden? You bring out that side of me.”

Arden pulled her legs up bedside her, turning on the couch to sit across his thighs. From this position, his silhouette was illuminated by the light of the fire behind him, casting a golden halo across his features. 

His lips curved into the boyish smile that had been doing funny things to her heart for years. In such moments, those striking eyes had never held anything but delight and care for her. But tonight, there was something else woven in -- something that spoke of forever. 

Smiling to herself, she allowed her gaze to fall back to the hands in her lap. As the firelight glinted off the stones of her ring, she sucked in a quiet breath. 

“What is it?” Jaime asked, noting her surprise. 

Her eyes flitted back to his face. “Walking into the studio with this rock on my finger is really going to damage my sex appeal. Not that I have to have sex appeal, but in the world of television, it certainly helps...” she backpedalled, realizing that the entire notion was somewhat ridiculous. 

“I think your sex appeal is just fine.”

“You’ve never given me reason to doubt that at all,” Arden laughed, threading her fingers through his hair. “Let’s just hope you don’t get bored of me after I move in.” 

“It won’t,” he persuaded, his tone growing serious. “After this many years together, I can promise you that’s never going to happen.” 

She nuzzled into his chest and slipped an idle hand beneath his shirt. His muscles tensed as she felt her way around his side. Still, it wasn’t long before he joined the exploration, his own fingers finding the sliver of skin exposed beneath the hem of her shirt. 

Nope, definitely not getting bored of you. And I’m definitely ready to have this all the time. 

His thoughts sent a thrill of heat through her. 

“Although I do have a few other projects to finish before you move in. I want it to be perfect.” 

“It will be,” she assured. “In fact, there’s just one more renovation I’d suggest.” 

His hands paused, as if waiting to add her request to his list. 

Arden’s cheeks throbbed with the force of her smile. “Don’t worry -- it’s nothing too big. I just think we should hang some blinds on this window so you can kiss me in every room of the house.” 

“I’m kissing you anyway,” he told her, hands moving once more to scoop her into his arms. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and carried her weight as he stood. “But I’m taking you upstairs before this goes any further.” 

“You can take me anywhere you like,” she told him, giggling as she recalled Ellen’s earlier comment about the Sahara. 

“Hmm?” His steps slowed as his face angled down to search for the source of her amusement.  

"It’s nothing,” she promised with a kiss to his chin. “Take me upstairs?” 

Jaime was only too happy to comply. 

[leelee10898]

Fast cars & Freedom: Sit next to me (8/?) Part 1

Pairing: Logan x Ellie, Colt x Ellie

Summary: Logan and Ellie talk, the test is taken, and someone spills the beans.... literally.

Rating: Mature... sex.. yep...

A/N: So this will be a 2 parter, just way to much to get out in 1 post... enjoy!! If you would like added to the tag list, let me know.. catch up HERE

Song inspiration:

Ellie sat in her office, it was Wednesday and she still hadn't heard from Logan. “knock knock.” a voice came at her door. “Oh hi Mr mann- Eli.” she looked up to see her boss standing in the doorway. “Have you had any luck getting those statements from Mr Rider?” he walked in sitting in front of her desk.

The statements shit! She internally scolded herself. She had been so caught up in her personal life drama she let her work slip, that ended today. “I am meeting with Logan to get them.” A smile spread across Elias's face “Excellent. Keep up the good work.”

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.  This standoff with Logan ended now. She picked up her phone and rattled off a text.

“I know you are pissed at me, but this is not a personal call. Unless you want to find a new Accountant, we need to meet TODAY.”

A few minutes later her phone vibrated, a response from Logan. “ 1pm. i'll send the address.” a few seconds later another text with an address came through. She looked at the clock. She had about half an hour until the meeting and with traffic and the distance she needed to go now. She switched on her out of office messages and took off to the location Logan sent her.

She pulled up to a large gated house. The gate opened and she drove around front parking. Before she could knock on the door Logan opened it up motioning for her to come in.

“Wow, is this your house?” she marveled at the open floor plan. There wasn't much to it in all honesty.  Some furniture, a large TV. A stocked bar area and some framed car art.

“It's better than a box.” he chuckled. They sat on the couch, Ellie getting right down to the professional side of the business she had to attend. Logan having everything she needed ready.

They sat in an awkward silence before Ellie broke it. “Logan, im sorry. I know you're mad at me.”

“I'm not mad at you Ellie. Well, not anymore. I'm upset. I knew you had feelings for him, I knew it when I caught you two together.”

Ellies mind took her back to the night she knew she was in way to deep.

****

“Were gonna get caught Colt.” Ellie giggled as he pressed his body against hers on the couch.  “Nobody is here, everyone went out on a job. and pop is at a meeting. They'll be gone for hours.” his hand slide up to unbutton her jeans. He lifted himself up pulling the jeans down with him, leaving her in just her bra and panties. His lips came down hard on hers as she completely lost herself in the kiss. Her hands frantically pawing at his fully clothed body. “Less. Of. This.” she pulled on his shirt and breathed out between heated kisses. The sides of his lips tugged up into a sinister smirk, she wanted him as bad as he wanted her.

He pulled his shit over his head, tossing it across the room. She stopped for a minute, running her hands down his hard chest, before he stood pulling every last piece of clothing from his body. Ellie propped herself up on her elbow, her eyes widening at the sight of him, suddenly very aware of what she committed herself to. “See something you like?” she bit her lip nodding. In an instant he was on her again. Peppering playful kisses on her neck, down the valley of her breast. His hand reached around, effortlessly unfastening her bra, tossing it aside. His lips found her pink buds, as he flicked his tongue, capturing one in his mouth, before moving onto the next. He placed feather light kisses down her stomach, settling on her hips. Her heartbeat racing in anticipation as his strong hands grasped her thighs spreading them apart. He lowered his head kissing and sucking the inside of her thighs, “I want to taste you Ellie.” the vibration of his voice sending a pleasant jolt to her core. “Yes.” A low growl escaped him as he settled between her legs.

He flattened his tongue swiping it between her slick folds. He let let out an appreciative moan as his tongue swirled around the bundle of nerves. She sucked in a sharp breath as her head flew back against the cushion. he looked up between his lashes watching her chest rise and fall, faster and faster as her moans became louder and louder.  He slipped a two fingers into her wanting center, slowly pumping them in and out. Her back arching at the welcomed intrusion. Her legs began to shake, he knew she was close, he curled his fingers slightly reaching the perfect spot as she came undone, a slew of curses falling from her lips.

Satisfied he pulled back and grinned at her as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He sat up.  Ellie watching him, though lust blown eyes. She climbed onto his lap, her lips crashing against his in a heated kiss. “I want you colt.” she moaned against his lips. “Mmmm,  lay down Ellie.” she shook her head. “No. I want to be the driver.” she grinded her hips against him. He gripped his stiff length, slowly pumping it as she slowly lowered herself down, gasping out at how he filled her.

She allowed herself to adjust a moment before rocking against him. He threw his head back at the sensation, a deep moan escaping him. He lifted his head,  his lust blown eyes boring into her. “You're my driver forever, remember that. Now drive baby.” He gripped her hips guiding her down onto him faster and faster. She bounced hard against him  as she moaned out. “Fuck, yes. colt.”

The sound of his name falling from her lips drove him wild, he bucked frantically against her. his hand slipping down rubbing tight circles against her aching clit. That was all it took for her to come completely undone. She leaned against his chest, nails digging into his strong shoulders as she screamed his name, forcing his own release.

She laid against his chest for a moment, he tracked lazy circles against her bare skin.  “We should probably get dressed.” she sighed standing up. “A sin if i ever heard one, but you're probably right.” they retrieved their clothes, dressing quickly. Colt pulled her against him “You're incredible Ellie.” She his face down, capturing his lips in a sensual kiss. “Let's go get some food. I'm starving.” Colt grabbed his jacket “Only if I get to drive.” She winked, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him again.

“What the fuck is this?” They heard, pulling apart  quickly. Both turning to see Logan standing there. “Do you have a problem pretty boy?” Colt taunted.

“Yeah. I do.  You're fucking making out with my girl.” Logan snapped, shoving Colt.

Colt coming back bumping his chest. “Last I checked she wasn't anyone's girl.”

“Colt! Logan! Stop this.” Her pleas going unanswered.  Colts smug grin setting Logan off as his fist connected with his jaw. Colt lunged forward tackling logan to the ground as the two rolled around exchanging blows.

“Stop it. Stop it guys. Help.” Ellie screamed, finally toby and ximena came running in, followed by Kaneko. “Stop it at once.” He commanded, his booming voice causing both to freeze instantly. Ellie took off running both scrambling to run after her. She climbed up the ladder onto the roof. How did things get so complicated.

********

“Ellie? Ellie?” Logan called out, pulling her back to the present. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.” she told him about the night of prom, how they were freaked out about the plan and if things went south. How they travelled to vegas on a whim and getting caught up in all the what ifs, they married. She had thought Colt had filed for an annulment after they had a blow up and he left. Only to find out he never did. Logan sat there in silence,  absorbing all of the information.

“Well, I kinda get why you didn't say anything, but. I wish I didn't hear it from Colt.” he sighed.

“I know, im sorry Logan. But as a peace offering, my dad and I are throwing a 4th of July bbq. If you don't have plans we would love for you to come.” Logan smiled as they stood up walking towards the door. “I think I can manage that.” he pulled her in for a hug, she rested her head against his chest, breathing in his scent. “Are we good?” he pulled gently stroked her hair, “were good.”

That Friday the three of them, with Luca walked into the lab. Ellie check in, grabbing clipboards for all to fill out their information. Luca sat in the chair, the smell of the sterile environment making her nervous. “You ok Luca?” Logan lowered his head “I don't like Doctors offices, they give needles.” Her voice a whisper.  “Its ok, you're not going to get a needle.” he gently squeezed her little hand. “You promise?” “I promise. If you want, I will hold your hand if you get scared, ok?” Luca nodded her head, squeezing logans hand.

They waited a few minutes before being ushered into the back. Colt went first, followed by Luca. She hesitated getting in the seat. “Uncle Logie, fan you hold my hand?” Logan smiled at her taking her tiny hand in his large one. She paused a moment turning to Colt. “Colt, can you hold me please?” Ellie swore she felt her heart explode in that moment, as colt sat down in the seat, his arms wrapped around her, Luca leaned back against him while Logan held onto her hand.

The tech informed them the results could take up to 6 weeks as the lab was backed up.

The four of them grabbed dinner and went school shopping with Luca. Colt and Logan refusing to let Ellie pay for a thing.

Ellie spent the next week preparing for the 4th of July cookout. Everyone was coming, she was excited for Luca to meet the old crew. Riya and Darius showed up first. Darius setting up the pack n play in the backyard for Marcus. Frank had been on the grill all morning while Ellie worked on the food inside.  The doorbell rang and Frank came barreling through the house. “I got it. I got it.”

He answered the door and a petite brunette stood there. Frank encouraged the woman inside, walking up to Ellie. Ellie looked at the woman, something about her looked awful familiar. “Ellie, I want you to meet my girlfriend Sally. Sally this is my daughter Ellie.”

“Elliez it is so good to finally meet you.  You're dad talks about you so much.” Ellie giggled “I hope not to much.  It's really nice to meet you Sally.” she continued to stare at the woman, swearing she knew her from somewhere.  “Sally, I don't mean to stare but, Have we met before? I swear you look so familiar.”

“I don't think so hun, not unless you've been to lucky's diner in San Francisco.” Ellie shook her head “Nope, can't say I have. But anyway, come on out. Dads finishing up on the grill, the rest of the guest will be here soon.”

The doorbell rang and in walked Ximena, Toby and Colt. “Colt!” Luca came running into his arms, colt picking her up giving her a hug “Hey squirt.” he sat her down “Grampy got me a pool, come see it.” She grabbed his hand leading him through the house.  “Hey Toby, Hey X.” she noticed toby shifting on both feet. “Go ahead, you can see the pool too.” “thanks ellie.” Ximena shook her head handing her a tray of pretzel salad. “You know he has done nothing but talk about Luca non stop.”

“He has text me and called daily as well.” Ellie watched Luca splash colt, a smile playing on her lips. “How's logan been with it?”

“The same as Colt. She's quite taken with the both of them.” Ximena gave her an understanding squeeze. Logan, Mona and Stacie were the last to arrive. Ellie looked at the two “Did you guys come together?” Logan shook his head. “No, I pulled up and Mona did too, Stacie was walking to the door.”

Logan and colt stayed inside helping frank gather all the food. Ellie sat With Riya on one of the picnic tables. She leaned in close, dropping her voice so only she could hear. “Hey, do you think Darnell could lend me his services, cheap?” Riya looked at her confused “ohh you mean for the custody stuff. I was wondering what you needed a lawyer for.”

“No, I need to file for divorce.” Riya chuckled thinking she was joking,  the serious look on her face told her otherwise. “You're serious? When did you get married? Who did you marry?”

Ellie shushed her “Keep it down. 6 years ago. Colt and i got married in Vegas.” Riyas eyes went wide.

“You Married COLT in vegas?” She shouted, silencing the entire party. “What?” Her dad stood on the deck dropping an entire tin pan of coleslaw. Logan and Colt stood frozen behind him.

Sally came running up “Frank are you ok?” Logans eyes widened, he dropped the tin pan of baked beans onto the deck as well

“Mom?”

Tag: @kennaxval @hopefulmoonobject @crookedslimecreatorpasta @be-still-my-aching-heart @ao719 @speedyoperarascalparty @riseandshinelittleblossom @cocomaxley @bobasheebaby @ownworldresident @cordoniaqueensworld @indiacater @blackcatkita @darley1101

ROD

@daniv2278 @brightpinkpeppercorn @lovehugsandcandy @going-down-downtown @mercyparkcrew @emichelle @annekebbphotography @powdesiree0816 @walkerismychoice @yesivefallenpreytothechoicestrap @zaira-oh-zaira @sweetest-marbear @zaffrenotes @simsvetements @zaffrenotes @professorortegasstudent @akrenich @ifyouseekheart @client-327 @choicelogansbitch @choicesarehard @paisleylovergirl @itskismetbb @itsmarleen @rhischoicesfanfics @distinguishedsaladoperawinner @iplaydrake @coffeebeandragon @jasidu2

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

Queen of Hearts - Chapter 6

Thirty-year-old Rose Tyler’s matchmaking business is doing very well indeed, bringing her clients such as celebrities, athletes, and the now-happily-married son of the mayor.  All of which brings her to her newest client - one whose royal rank is a far cry above her own title as Queen of Hearts.

Ian, King of Gallifrey, calls off his wedding four weeks before the happy day as he realizes he can’t spend another minute of his life with his betrothed.  The catch - he must take a wife before his Coronation, only a month away.  In desperation, his sister and aunt conspire to find him is happy ever after - and it’s going to take a master matchmaker to do it.

-

Based on the Hallmark Movie ‘Royal Matchmaker’.  Chapters will be posted every Sunday.

As always, beta’d by the wonderful @stupidsatsuma​!  @doctorroseprompts

Masterlist  |  AO3

—

Wednesday, April 3rd (continued)

“Right, where are we?” Rose asked brusquely, barreling through the doors into their suite.  Mel stood at the corkboard, and she waved for her to follow as she continued into her bedroom to dress for dinner.

“How was the dedication?”  Mel trailed after her, perching on the bench at the foot of Rose’s bed while she dug through her closet.

Rose started at the back where her nicer dresses were hidden, examining each one as she talked.  “Nice. Not terribly well attended, I was surprised.  It seemed the King spoke off the cuff.  He was very good, engaging, certainly not stuffy or boring.  He certainly seemed comfortable, though that could always be an act.  What have you found?”

“Well, based on our basic background parameters I’ve identified fifty-two potential matches,” her friend said, speaking up so Rose could hear her over the screech of sliding hangers.  “D’you have anything blue?  You wore red last night.”

“Fifty-two?”

“Those are of the ‘proper’ pedigree.  Some level of nobility, age range, and single to my knowledge.”

Rose sighed, stepping back with her hands on her hips, equally frustrated with the job and her wardrobe.  “Right.  Well, it’s a start.  Widen the field to non-nobility but still upper-class – heiresses, humanitarians, but posh.  Amal Clooney, not a gap-year Greenpeace volunteer.”  A hint of blue peeked out from the other end of her closet, where she found a gauzy blouse in a royal shade and a black pencil skirt.  “What do you think of this?”

She held the outfit up to herself, turning to show Mel, who studied her carefully.

“That’ll work!”

-

Saturday, April 6th

After their bumpy start, the next two days flew by.  As Sarah Jane had promised, Rose spent effectively all day every day with the King, seeing him in action and getting a sense of what was required from the Queen.  He slowly loosened up, telling unprompted stories every so often and making her laugh.

Between himself and Sarah Jane she was getting a clear picture of both what the role would require, and the type of woman needed to fill it.

Mel worked tirelessly from their suite, researching potential candidates and lining up tentative interviews.  She managed the proprietary software they’d developed together, taking Rose’s instinct and insight and turning it into quantifiable data to rank the candidates as they narrowed the list.

The first Saturday they were there dawned bright and early, Sarah Jane finding them already at work with steaming mugs of coffee at eight in the morning.

“My goodness,” she said, making Rose and Mel’s heads snap up, “you’ve certainly been busy.”

“Sarah Jane!”  Rose leapt to her feet and hurried to her, nearly tripping on a number of loose pages but managing not to fall.  “Hi!  Did you need something?”

Glancing around the room anxiously, she tried to see it from the other woman’s perspective.  It certainly looked less than impressive, piles upon piles of paper spread over nearly the entire floor, though both she and Mel knew exactly what everything was.

To Sarah Jane, it probably looked like pure chaos.

“Quite the opposite,” the woman smiled.  “You’ve both been working incredibly hard, the Princess and I are both very impressed.  On that note, we have our annual spring festival occurring in town this weekend.”

“I didn’t know,” Rose’s eyes widened, heart plummeting.  Despite a relatively peaceful and argumentative-free two and a half days she was constantly on guard, waiting for the King’s whim to change and send her packing.  Her mind raced, trying to remember if the event had been mentioned; was she supposed to go?  Was he waiting for her?

But the woman’s eyes were kind, and she was smiling.  “I wouldn’t have expected you to, seeing as I never mentioned it.”

“I… don’t understand?”

“I’m giving you the day off,” Sarah Jane laughed.  “I think it would be beneficial for you to go to the festival, truly get a feel for the people without the King or any of the palace staff, just be visitors.  Have fun.  Play games, try the food, enjoy yourselves, take a break.”

“That sounds lovely,” Mel spoke before Rose could, hurrying around to them and pinching Rose’s side viciously, presumably so she’d stay quiet.  “Thank you so much!  How should we get there?”

“Bill will drive you in,” their host explained.  “And, here – consider it a little bonus.”  She handed Rose an envelope, a quick rifle through showing several twenty Euro notes.

“Thank you,” Rose repeated, smiling, at war inside.  One part wanted to stay and work, determined not to let anything keep her from success, while the other, larger part (buoyed by Mel’s enthusiasm for the idea) wanted to cut loose and take a few hours off.  “I’m sure it’s wonderful.”

“I’m taking Luke tomorrow,” Sarah Jane confided, “and His Majesty will be judging a few competitions later in the week, but today’s the first day when everything’s freshest.  Oh, it’s beautiful, and I hope you enjoy!”

Clutching the envelope to her chest, Rose fervently promised herself that they would.

We deserve this.

-

Sarah Jane and Bill’s enthusiastic descriptions didn’t do the festival jealous – it was spectacular.

Sticking together, Rose and Mel went from vendor to vendor, oohing and aahing over the locally- and hand-made items, everything from knitted sweaters and scarves and hats to jams and jellies and wines.

“This is heaven,” Mel sighed, picking through a bag of trail mix for the local berries.  “This whole country.  It’s so beautiful here, and everyone’s so friendly.  Even though this is the capital, it feels just like a cozy English village.  Can you imagine living here?”

“It’s incredible,” Rose agreed through a mouthful of popcorn.  “Look how happy everyone is.”  Not just happy; friendly.  They had already met dozens of locals, all pleased as punch to have visitors and a chance to gush about their homeland.

The main rows of booths lined the street, one on either side, and though they hadn’t ventured from that path yet, Rose knew a second set of booths were set up on the sidewalks behind the main aisles.

A hand-made sign proclaiming Baked Goods This Way! pointed down one of the breaks between booths, and Rose’s sweet tooth insisted she follow it, Mel hot on her heels.  They came out behind the row of tents to see the second, less crowded aisle of booths. Fewer vendors were set up here along the sidewalk, their foot traffic suffering for it.

Most of the buildings were the typically quaint old-fashioned storefronts, two stories with the shop on the ground floor and flats above it.  Nearly every one showed signs of recent activity, indicating that they were open in general, and specifically for the festival.

An elegant old building that had clearly seen better days loomed over the rest of the street, a folding table set up right in front of the door with hand-decorated signs.  Judging by its architecture, it had once been some sort of theater.  Three preteen girls and a woman in her fifties stood behind the table, and the girls all lit up when Rose and Mel stopped in front of them.

“Hello!” the tallest one chirped, “Welcome to the City of Arcadia Children’s Center Bake Sale.  We are selling baked goods to raise money to fix the roof after all the snow this winter. Would you like to buy something sweet?”

Rose’s heart melted at the practiced but heartfelt recitation, and judging by Mel’s aww next to her, she agreed.  “I most certainly would!”  Glancing down at the table she carefully eyed the various treats, which ranged from cupcakes and cookies to candies, everything homemade.  “This all looks so lovely, did you bake all this?”

The girl shook her head, giggling.  “Just those cupcakes,” she pointed to a tray, “and some of the signs.”

Rose and Mel plucked up a cupcake each, Rose’s chocolate with chocolate icing and edible ball-bearings, while Mel’s was, of course, carrot cake, with an adorable iced carrot on top.

“Would you like some hot cocoa as well?” the preteen/sales shark asked innocently, and both women nodded.

“I certainly would, it’s still a bit nippy out!” Mel gave an exaggerated shiver, making the girls giggle.  “Although, you don’t have any carrot juice, do you?”  Rose elbowed her sharply.  “I mean, do you attend the…”

“City of Arcadia Children’s Center,” all three girls chorused.

“Yes,” the leader continued, standing tall.  “Since we were babies.  It’s running low on funds, though, so we want to help."

The woman behind the table nodded, far more serious than her charges.  “We’re all but free of charge, so anyone can send their children, only without donations we can hardly operate.  An expensive childminding service opened last year, and many of the wealthier families hire from there.  It’s good for the young women who get the work, but we’ve been struggling ever since.”

Rose didn’t even have to look at Mel to know she would agree with what she was about to do, and pulled the envelope of their money from Sarah Jane out and thrust it towards the woman without hesitation.  “I don’t think it’s much, but I hope it helps.”

“Oh, thank you!” the woman gushed, not even looking in the envelope before coming around the table and hugging Mel and Rose.  “You’re angels, truly!  I suspect you’re from out of town, but please, feel free to come visit on Tuesday if you’re still here.  I can give you a tour, and you can see how much this will help us.  Really, I insist, just walk right in and ask for ‘Polly’, that’s me.  My husband Ben and I run the Center, he does most of the handiwork about the place. Oh, thank you!”  Polly squeezed them again, drawing laughs from both women and giggles from the girls.

“Best of luck,” Rose said warmly, “it was lovely to meet you.”

They moved on, heading back towards the main thoroughfare again, though Rose couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder.

An idea was brewing.

-

Ian resettled the hat on his head before adjusting his sunglasses, doing his best to remain incognito.  He would officially be attending the Festival later in the week, but ever since he was old enough to sneak out of the palace he’d stolen down on the first day every year, never missing it if he was in the country.

The last thing he wanted, though, was to be recognized.  Whenever possible he went out in disguise, to sit in a pub or take in a performance or game.  He liked to be amongst Gallifreyans, be part of the crowd, see it from their eyes.  He’d figured out very early on that life looked much different from the crowds versus the royal dais.

He preferred the crowd.

Eating directly from the baggie of cookies he’d bought at Polly’s table with a wink and discreet check, he wandered the stalls looking for inspiration for Donna’s forthcoming birthday.  The ‘official’ gift was already set, organized well in advance, but he always tried to do something personal as well, usually finding something at the Festival for her.  She valued Gallifreyan-made as much as he did, believed in supporting their people and the creative arts.

I could get her another case of that wine she liked… he mused, before grimacing.  Wine felt so… impersonal a gift to him, so fleeting.  He always strove for something tangible but practical, something she could use.  What do you get the person who has everything?

He stopped at a stall with handknit scarves on display, and a surreptitious glance at the list on his mobile showed it had been at least five years since the last scarf he’d bought her.  With another adjustment to his hat he began flicking through the options, immediately dismissing almost all of them as not being Donna.

A scarf in emerald on the rack behind the one he was looking at caught his eye, but when he tried to take it down, he found resistance.

“Oi, I’m looking at that one,” an irritated voice sounded from the other side, and after a moment he placed it with a heavy sigh.  Of course she’s here, he rolled his eyes.  If she blows my cover she’s fired.  That was a lie though – he’d thought that a dozen times since so far, and except for that first night, he’d never so much as vaguely hinted at the idea to her.

He continued to gently tug on the garment, partially to annoy her, and she came around the corner eyes blazing.  “Hey!  I had that first, and common court-e-sy…  What?” Rose trailed off, tilting her head, brow furrowed, tongue peeking out of the corner of mouth in concentration as she stared at him.

“Shh,” he muttered, “I don’t want to be recognized.”

“You look fairly suspicious in all black and hiding your features,” she pointed out automatically, before flushing and letting go of the scarf.  “Sorry.”

Ian shook his head, casting furtive eyes around to be sure they were unobserved.  “It’s all right.”

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, voice dropping even lower to add, “Sir?”

“Shopping for my sister’s birthday,” he replied in kind.  “You?”

“Souvenir for my Mum,” matchmaker girl shrugged, shoving her hands into her pockets.  “I’ll find another one, though.”

He wavered; the polite thing to do would be to let her have it, but it was perfect for Donna.  “You can-”

“No,” she shook her head, cutting him off, eyes going wide.  “Sorry.  That’s perfect for her, to go with her hair.  Really.  Besides, Mum would probably prefer this one,” she gestured to one on the same rack as the teal, identical except in fluorescent pink.  Ian fought back a shiver of disgust.

“Thank you,” he smiled, tipping his head down and lowering his sunglasses enough to meet her eye.

They stared awkwardly at each other for a long moment, before Ian nodded decisively.  “I’m just going to pay,” he gestured towards the stall’s vendor, but she stopped him from turning.

“Wait!  I just… why are you sneaking around buying a present?  Couldn’t you send someone to do it?”

“No,” Ian said automatically, before stopping to consider the question.  “I mean yes, I could.  But then it’s not from me.  I prefer to pick something out for her myself – I’ve always done it.”

Rose smiled after a moment.  “That’s really nice,” she said wistfully.

He shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise.  “Thank you.”  After a moment he turned away, and this time she didn’t stop him.

Paying for the scarf in cash and accepting his bag with a nod of thanks, he wandered off to enjoy the rest of the festival, but in the back of his mind, for some inexplicable reason he couldn’t stop thinking about her smile.

Ian Reginald, what is wrong with you?

[blankdblank]

Anaticula Pt 25

Pt 1 - Pt 2 - Pt 3 - Pt 4 - Pt 5 - Pt 6 - Pt 7 - Pt 8 - Pt 9 - Pt 10 - Pt 11 - Pt 12 - Pt 13 - Pt 14 - Pt 15 - Pt 16 - Pt 17 - Pt 18 - Pt 19 - Pt 20 - Pt 21 - Pt 22 - Pt 23 - Pt 24 -

Hogsmeade, the first visit came as always and in full agreement at hearing of a discovered plot through Remus, who had spent another hour being low key interrogated by Andrew. Who continued to question why he had a dog with him, to which he continued to answer Dumbledore had agreed he could bring his dog, who he was prone to fits without due to his last mission leading to his break as an Auror to teach. Through his interrogation Remus had asked for K’s help in inspecting in his rented room in Hogsmeade his files, learning of his plans weeks prior of his inspection of the Wizarding town. Mainly, to your amusement, the Shrieking Shack, a former hotspot the marauders loved to occupy during the week of the full moon, rumored to have been confirmed by more than one source to be true.

Under the cover of darkness you joined Remus through the pathway out of the castle to rush to the Whomping Willow you slid through the opening under it to hurry through the tunnel to set up a series of booby traps. Subtle ones that would no doubt be the work of malevolent spirits. Leaving only a few hints of random vagabonds having dwelled there.

.

In the interim of waiting to see him storming off only to hear the sound of leaves crunching under unseen feet following after the missed Mr Ser and his agitated scowl coated in remnants of varying oozes he was in the process of shaking off.

“Sirius Black murdered Peter Pettigrew!” Andrew barked out to Fudge in pouring himself a drink.

Off in the corner Harry stood open mouthed hearing Madame Rosmerta ask, “Who?”

Andrew, “Little lump of a boy. Always tottering after Black and James Potter.”

Looking between the adults Rosmerta said, “Well why would he be here for Potter of all people?”

Andrew, “Because he isn’t finished yet.”

Rosmerta, “With what?”

Andrew, “Potter is still alive.”

Rosmerta, “He wouldn’t!”

Andrew, “Says who?! That little brat of his?!”

Fudge, “Black turned Lily and James over to You-Know-Who, and to cover his tracks when Harry was taken to safety Black chased down Pettigrew, the only other one who knew about the safe house other than Black.”

Rosmerta, “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Andrew scoffed, “I see you’ve bought into her game too. Winning his trust to serve him up on a platter for daddy. Well I’m not going to let it happen!”

Fudge, “He didn’t just kill Pettigrew, he destroyed him! All that was left, a single finger. Black is a monster and the whole family is a Plague on our kind, the whole lot of them.”

The door opened revealing a messenger arriving for Fudge, who finished his drink and left with a shake of his head at the ooze covered Auror who downed his own drink, a thunk sounded at his planting it on the table to point at Rosmerta, “You tell me if you see him. No telling what that killer could be doing.”

Proudly he strut out of the room just leaving her standing there open mouthed in tears welling in her eyes to whisper in her assumed solitude, “They’re going to kill that poor girl.” Wiping her cheeks she sniffled and smoothed her hands after down the apron tied around her waist, “I’ll be damned if I let that man tear up what’s left of their family. Just wants to bury his own cowardice.” Strolling to the door she added lowly, “Fudge can’t hide from what he did to her forever.”

Warmly a tear streamed down Harry’s cheek and he hurried out of the pub and made straight for you gripping your pinky with his to guide you along tugging the curious Barty and Snape along with you and the twins wondering at why your arm had moved backwards like that. Nearly halfway to the school Harry pulled his cloak off and turned to you all but shouting, “Tell me what happened to my parents!”

Your lips parted and the twins said, “Ser said something to you?”

Harry, “Fudge and that man were saying something about a Pettigrew, and that Sirius killed him to hide that-,” You shook your head with lip quivering in the darkening of your hair at it all streaming back again, “Tell me!”

Locking your eyes to his you said, “There was a prophecy, and Riddle learned in it that there would be a child born around the time you were that could bring about his downfall. They had it narrowed down to you and Neville.” Parting his lips, “So the Potters went into hiding. An old incantation protected by one secret keeper, Peter.” You wiped your cheek feeling Barty’s hand fold around your shoulder through Snape’s sorrowful gaze at your pained expression, “They were barely in their twenties, and Riddle was terrifying. Dad went to try and rally up the team to try and track him down leaving me and Mum in the safe house. But Riddle found Peter, who was terrified. After Mum was gone when she refused to join Riddle he went to find your parents. He killed them, and then his body was torn apart in trying to kill us at the same time.”

Harry inched closer to you, “What happened to Peter?”

“He cut off his own finger and turned and hid, knowing my dad would probably want to kill him for not choosing better.”

Ron, who had snuck after you said, “If he was tortured for the location-,”

You shook your head, “Peter watched him torture my Mum.”

Hermione, “He didn’t do anything? Nothing at all?”

Your eyes shifted to hers at another tear falling, “He was busy holding the muffling charms on the cupboard Mum had hidden me in.”

Harry, “He saved you, but not her?”

“Riddle found out Mum was his cousin. He would have kept coming back if he hadn’t killed her. Peter knew Dad would want him dead, but he knew it would have been worse if he would have let both of us die. My Mum died knowing Peter was keeping me safe.”

Harry barked back at you, “Well then where is he if he’s such a great guy?!”

“He’s with Riddle.” Dropping their jaws at the clenching of Barty and Snape’s, “Riddle’s building his strength. He’s going to return.”

Harry mumbled, “I’m going to kill Pettigrew.”

Hermione spotted the pain in your eyes, “Peter’s your spy, isn’t he?”

You nodded, “Yes. No matter what Ser and Fudge believe now, they won’t be able to believe it forever. Not when the truth comes out.”

Ron, “You said it was between, Neville-, his parents-?!”

“They were tortured in my aunt and uncle’s try to learn where Riddle had gone assuming he might have been captured somehow.”

Harry, “How are you okay with this? Fudge and him are trying to frame your family!”

“Fudge is afraid. Just like he was back then. War unending that comes to an abrupt halt, three young parents killed, he needed someone to blame. Just like when Hagrid got blamed for the first opening of the Chamber of Secrets.”

Ron, “But you’re innocent.”

“He’ll see that, eventually.” Your head tilted to the side, “Now go and enjoy Hogsmeade. I need some tea.” You said turning away to head to the Hog’s Head where Minerva was meeting you.

.

Unhappily Ser stalked back to his room to bathe and change without any luck in discovering anything past the hints of tattered forgotten belongings of random homeless vagabonds. No trace of Sirius at all. More and more he continued to inspect each inch of Hogsmeade without any luck at all only worsening the mood of those controlling the shops there. Dumbledore had allowed him to inspect the grounds at night with his Dementors but outright refused the creatures to enter the school once again darkening the color of the vengeful man’s eyes at the disobedience to his whims.

All through to October he tried and tried to slip inside the school only to be tossed out again by the giant Phoenix taking him as a clear threat to his chosen nest and the student inside. A sinister plan was set and high over the quidditch pitch you among the thousands of students watched as Harry fell from his broom after being surrounded by Dementors having been lured past the allowed borders.

.

“What happened?” Harry asked sitting up inspecting the faces of each of his friends and team around him.

Hermione, “You passed out Harry.”

He shook his head and waved his hand in front of him, “No. I mean the game. Who won the match?”

Hermione, “No one blames you Harry.”

Harry, “Who won?”

Hermione, “The Dementors aren’t supposed to come inside the grounds until sundown.”

Ron, “Terrence caught the snitch, only-,”

Harry, “What is it?”

Oliver brought out his broom wrapped in a Gryffindor banner, “When you fell, it blew into the Whomping Willow.”

Harry, “Ugh..” he cradled the broom asking Remus on the bed beside his between glanced at the dog asleep behind him, “Is there a way to mend it?”

Remus shook his head, “Afraid not. Just have to scrap it.” Harry huffed and plopped backwards onto the bed.

Harry, “What are we doing for practices then?”

Chuckling to yourself you eyed the Twins as they said, “Could always dip into the family spares.”

Harry looked to you as you held up a trio of miniaturized brooms, “Two Nimbus 99’s to choose against a 98.”

Hermione, “Why would he want a 98 over 99’s?”

You chuckled as Oliver answered for you, “99’s are built sturdier to outlast but the 98 is known for steadfast speeds.”

Harry, “I can give the 98 a try.” You nodded and tossed it to him, “Thanks.”

You shook your head, “Not at all. Family stash, can’t have you borrowing from the school supply.”

Remus chuckled passing Harry a piece of chocolate he grinned and raised to nibble on while you all turned your heads hearing the echoes of a distant shouting match of Ser being put in his place.

.

The telling off, though effective to a point it seemed to only to push the point on harder. November reared its chilly head and one after another oddities seemed to stir up each day in the random bursts of truths being spilled. It all seemed innocent until concerned the heads of each house paper began researching and one question kept coming up, ‘Where is the Chamber of Secrets?’ A young girl was seen, unknown to any questioned, passing out small tart samples with questions being asked, though at the jumbled answers for the questions a deep scowl formed on her face before she stormed off.

Small secrets were shared and in the speedy hand outs of the antidotes one reaction seemed to stir up your rise to action. Dean sat blankly staring at the ground holding the empty cup from downing the antidote in Snape’s classroom stirring up the confused Professor’s brow and his chest in a deep inhale uncomfortable with how silent and morose the usually chatty teen usually was. “I am certain whatever was said will be forgotten within a week. The Triplets might be able to assist in a proper diversion.”

Dean sullenly shook his head, “I doubt they would help me now.”

Snape, “What, pray tell, might give you that impression?”

Dean, “Ginny dumped me.” Setting the cup down on the desk Dean stood up and turned to head to the door, “Thank you Professor.” Snape blinked at his back and glanced at Remus, who had found Dean in the hall staring off into the distance in shock.

Remus, “Hmm, I can only imagine this goes well.”

Snape, “One would hope Ginny is the more mild tempered of the bunch.” His answer came with Remus’ head shaking making the stoic Professor stare towards the door with a soft shared, “Hmm.”

..

Up towards the Ravenclaw tower you raced after the note from Draco at Ginny’s collapse onto her bed beginning to weep. Huddled in Draco’s arms the pink faced puffy eyed girl wrapped in his arms sniffling between muddled blubbered attempts in a confession as to what had happened. Behind her you climbed and stretched out joining the snuggling pile as Luna returned from the fireplace downstairs she used to brew up some tea to help calm her friend and roommate down while Cho was currently racing back from the kitchens with a slice of her favorite brownies to help as well. Hermione stumbled through the door saying, “I just heard, got a bit turned around helping the twins plan a diversion so they could hurry off to Honeyduke’s.” She tilted her head eyeing Ginny saying in a hopefully helpful tone, “Dean’s a jerk.”

Ginny scoffed and nuzzled more against Draco’s chest, mumbling, “No he’s not.”

Softly in her next sniffle you asked while stroking her back between Draco’s arms, “What did the tart make him say?”

Sniffling again she sat up forcing you and Draco to do the same, her eyes fell on you in the quivering of her lower lip, “Nothing big. Just that he was glad that I spent part of the summer break in Egypt,” her voice cracked for a moment, “So he and Seamus could stick to their planed trip out to head out to Ireland with Seamus’ family on their annual camping trip.” She sniffled again, “And he broke into the plans he and Seamus made for the next trip to Hogsmeade, all the way up to curfew.”

“Oh,” you softly replied.

Cho broke through the door, “Cake!” grinning between pants moving closer to pass it over to sit on the foot of the bed, “What did I miss?”

Ginny, “I broke up with Dean. He likes me, but doesn’t want to really be with me.”

Cho, “I can’t believe he said that!”

Luna handed Ginny the cup of tea she accepted and sipped from feeling a tiny bit better, “I am certain you have taken in all the facts and variables and chosen wisely. No doubt it is for the best.”

Ginny nodded, “Thank you.” Her eyes lowering to the cup she raised for another sip. An hour you sat listening to all she wished to say, now all far from the topic of Dean until she asked, “What can we do about the truth serums? Dean said he didn’t get a tart, or any treat for that matter, just bumped this girl who passed him his dropped thermos back.”

Tapping your finger nails to your knee your eyes lowered to your chipping nail polish Luna had chosen for you a few weeks prior coated in owl footprints, turning your head to Ginny you said, “nail polish.”

Hermione, “Nail polish?”

“From a book Alastor bought me there are simple charms you can put on items to change colors when an item or food is poisoned.”

Cho, “Brilliant. Then you could just tap a finger in it to see if it’s poisoned.”

Ginny hopped up hurrying to her wardrobe pulling out a medium sized box she carried back to the bed making you giggle, “Well, there was a bit of a mix up few months back on an order form and I got 500 vials of Glitz and Ginger Polish. Good deal too, these shades were being discontinued for their pastel Spring. We could charm them all and, I don’t know, invite everyone all up for a manicure.”

Cho, “That would take time.”

You nodded, “We could split up and head to the common rooms. It’s nearly lunch most should be in their dorms.”

Charming the full box didn’t take long and when the girls had gone to each room to gather up the students there to dig through the choices, boys included, after which the box was carried over to the nearby Gryffindor tower alongside Neville who joined you along the way wondering what you and Hermione were doing with the box.

The thought of escaping the threat of poisoning a vast majority joined the colorful crowd, the rest decided on the clear coats to keep the protection without the trouble of deciding on a color.

Slytherin of course flocked to the supply and chose the boldest ones they flaunted after, topped only by the Puffs in their modifying charm to add shimmering qualities to their choices and designs the bewitched brushes eased across the nails of the students there. All soon joined by those unaware at the news spread from their housemates.

Outside the Great Hall you grinned at Percy when he passed you the full list of students within the school, “The full student body has accepted their shades and designs along with all the Professors, in respectful clear coats of course.” You nodded, “Also Penelope had the idea it could be part of a movement.”

“Movement, like a protest?”

He nodded, “Yes, some sort of response for those falsely persecuted in the war.”

“Nail November.” Making him chuckle and join you to your table, “We should eat.”

He looked over to his sister asking, “How’s Ginny?”

“Better than I guessed she’d be. I think it’ll blow over soon enough.”

Percy stole another glance at her to give her a supportive grin then took the spot by you sandwiching you between him and Cedric halfway through his second sandwich.

…

Morning rolled around and right through breakfast, during which Dumbledore was uncommonly absent your eyes turned to the hallway at an uncommon flash of white and black parting your lips revealing Lucius and Narcissa in the hall. The former turned to head to Dumbledore’s office while Narcissa hurried over to your side, where Draco had sat to ask your opinion on an essay he had written.

A grin eased onto her lips and she came over to you to sit on the bench by you where she raised your hand admiring the orange sherbert color complimenting to the coral shade Draco had chosen. “Lovely choices. Now, I got your letter Draco and I would like to assist you.” Your lips parted as she added, “Your father is going to speak with Dumbledore about the poisonings meanwhile I have contacted a beautician, the best, their full team will be dropping by every other weekend to reapply the polish.”

“Thank you. That’s very generous of you.”

Her eyes moved lovingly to her son in his saying, “What could Dad do? I mean, yelling at Dumbledore won’t do much when Fudge won’t see reason.”

She chuckled replying, “We are trying to work through the Ministry to get him pulled off this. Hopefully it won’t take too much longer. No one is yelling at Dumbledore, simply sharing the news so far and about the team.”

Softly she shared about the things hey had planned for the rest of the month and not so subtly hinted they were available for the holiday break in hopes to be invited to your home to share it with you both. Lucius, before leaving made certain to reassure you both that this matter would be dealt with soon. A final sentiment that you would be kept under their watch was given to be promptly followed by a comment from Lucius on his having picked out a set of family sweaters for the holidays to compliment the ones he had heard from Regulus would compliment yours perfectly at his own wish to be invited again.

.

Hogsmeade a few weeks later came with a grey cloud over it. Half of the usually boisterous pair of Dean and Seamus was unusually glum, and it wasn’t the obvious one. Seamus had felt the blow of his friendship had dealt on the fledgling relationship between his person and their first try in a couple and it was painful for him.

He had tried it all to ease Dean’s glum mood, even to the point of finding Ginny, who promptly killed his try to give Dean another chance. Reminding him that between the three of them he knew that she didn’t belong in a relationship with him and that they would still be friends it would just take time to settle back out of their formerly coupling ways and behavior.

Instead of focusing on the trip she couldn’t make Ginny was elated to get in an extra practice before the upcoming match against the Puff. As the new Chaser alongside Draco after their prior seventh year Chasers had graduated they were both eager to get their own try at the coveted team rivaling yours. But all the excitement died as the sounds of shouts carried from the school luring the teens back again joining the groups of those returning from Hogsmeade.

Up in the Towers you found the gathering Professors and students all staring up at the tattered portrait. Blubbering shouts were heard through the halls for those unable to see that a madman had destroyed her portrait when she refused to grant him entrance. Without any sight of the clear culprit, that same Andrew Ser, for the few courses the older students had were allowed to be held while the other students gathered a night’s worth of things and then followed the orders to head to the Great Hall to be accounted for. All day as the school was searched you remained in that hall that sealed itself to ensure your safety under the watch of the Prefects, Head Boy and Girl.

Sleeplessly you laid there watching the stars cast up on the ceiling wondering just what would happen next. All night softly in his spot by you on watch Percy would keep you company trying to keep you and himself calm and away from letting your mind wander for what was to come.

.

Sunrise found you all painfully climbing up off the floor to roll up the sleeping mats and blankets you set on the designated carts freeing up the space for the tables to appear again fully coated with a breakfast to help ease you back into your second day of freedom until classes resumed in their usual patterns distracting you all. Upon return to the Gryffindor Common room Sir Cadagon had taken up the Fat Lady’s place as the only one willing to do so. It all seemed to calm down and through to the end of November there were no more signs of your designated disturber as what he had intended to gain from the attack.

The battle between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuf as usual took place in a blizzard and again was won by the capture of the snitch from Cedric under the nose of Cho, who was distracted by her broom’s twitching from the dropping temperature.

Celebratory cocoa was passed out through the giggled conversation about the foxes seen on the way in and in the move to what you hoped to be a full on snow castle building spree for a shelter for the snow ball battle sure to follow after an explosion sounded in the distance. Through the snow flurries as usual you raced across the field finding Ron and Neville both on their backs, Neville still was propped up on this elbow deflecting a curse away from Ron, who was curled up clutching his bleeding leg.

Skidding to a stop in the slamming of your mental charm of Anaticula Andrew blinked wondering what you had intended as you dropped down by Ron shifting him onto his back to rest his leg on your lap easing your dripping a few drops of Phoenix tears onto the burn and slice in his shin. The burn healed with the cut scabbing over in the arrival of Madame Pomfrey and the other Professors. In a swirl of darkening smoke Andrew shot off into the unknown. Ron was lifted up as the twins who made sure he wasn’t harmed past a painfully bruised rib.

Neville grimaced through saying as he looked over to Dumbledore, “Sir Cadagon is going to need to change the passwords.”

Dumbledore, “Why is that?”

Neville, “I can’t find my note with this weeks passwords on it.”

Dumbledore nodded and turned for the school at Snape’s side while Minerva helped you guide the injured teens to the Hospital Wing. Distant shouts sounded and clearly he warning had come too late as by the arrival of the Professors up to the Common room it was turned upside down as well as all the dorms but nowhere near the level they had assumed he would go to not realizing your charm on him. Alongside Percy and the other prefects you kept the students in your vision in their search of the missing intruder. At the commotion the distant Hippogriffs neared you all wondering at the noise.

A cloud of smoke crashed behind you and a firm hand latched onto your arm jerking you backwards earning an angered squawk in the distance. “You will tell me what curse you laid on me!” The hand holding you was soon torn away at the talon tipped foot came crashing down across Andrew’s face with the second clawing down into his shoulder tearing his shirt in a bloody mess spreading as the talons slashed across his chest and stomach. Heavily onto his back he collapsed screaming in pain as you turned with hands raised locking your eyes on Buckbeak who was still reared up on his back hooves.

Steadily his front feet still dripping in blood curled up as his orange eyes with blown pupils turned from your attacker to you narrowing his pupils, “Beaky, Beaky,” lowering to all fours he lowered his head through Flitwick’s levitating Andrew on the way to the Hospital Wing after putting an apparating block on him. Bloody prints followed you as you guided the still clearly flustered pair of Hippogriffs, “Come on, let’s go get you some ferrets.”

Tenderly you stroked their beaks and cheeks calming them on the pat back to Hagrid’s hut, meeting him halfway to explain that it wasn’t their blood. Worry flashed into his eyes but he covered that and helped you in settling the duo back into their shed habitat with a full supply of ferrets. Warmly they settled into their nests under the blankets you settled over their backs, contently they grinned at you giving off thankful squawks as you both stepped outside into their clearing where you looked up at Hagrid in his sniffling through raising a protective bubble around it so none could burst in and attack them.

Gently you patted Hagrid’s arm, “It’ll be okay Hagrid. It was in defense.”

He nodded, “I know.”

By morning the Dementors had descended, but this time under the guard of Lucius and a band of Aurors, who came to collect Andrew. Under the serious blocks and circle of Dementors a glint of ruby red in the palm of the maimed Wizard caught your eye and. Before you could say anything more of his allied Aurors arrived with an official notice from Fudge to hand over a death notice for the Hippogriff in question. Completely ignoring the attack on two students prior to his gripping you so harshly. A squeeze of the item in his hand and a cloud of red mist surrounded his fist and your lips parted recognizing the combustible gem, rapidly you drew your wand and manifested a lead box around his hand widening his eyes while his mouth fell open in his try to throw it.

Try as he might the gem had latched onto his fingers and a muffled explosion was heard. Heavily the box fell to the ground revealing his shriveled blackened hand stirring a gasp from the Wizard Lucius bound in uncharmable chains covering his entire body. His fire filled blue eyes landed on the Aurors coming to delay his capture, “Kill the beast for all I care this waste of a Wizard is mine.”

Harshly he left the hall dragging Andrew behind him, stealing a supportive pat on your shoulder in leaving. The dark eyed Auror grinned turning to Dumbledore along the wall beside you to say, “We don’t need his permission, beast is already done for.”

Flatly your expression dropped and you moved out into the hall, seeing in the distance a glint of silver through the growing storm and the squawks of the fleeing crows over Hagrid’s calls for the presumably dead creature. Open mouthed you felt Dumbledore’s hand pat your back in calling out, “Percy.” The teen’s stance perked up and he shifted closer to you a few steps, “Kindly escort Miss Black to her dormitory.” After a pause he said, “I believe the second floor entrance should work best due to the blocks on the lower levels.” Your brow inched up, “If you wouldn’t mind, along the way keep an eye open, I seem to have lost my watch. Try as I may I can’t seem to discover when I lost it in retracing my steps.”

You both nodded and glumly you joined Percy into the hall through which you walked quietly until you were asked in latin, “Did you catch those hints I did?”

“Did you tell Dumbledore where we use our turners?” you whispered to him in return.

Percy shook his head, “No, though not hard to guess it would be a safe place to go back.”

“Okay.” Down another turn you eyed the various portraits whispering along your path in your trotting up the first flight of stairs. “You know, I miss my second year.”

Percy chuckled and stole a glance at you saying, “Ah, you’d miss it all. Makes you wonder if each generation had years like ours or just how terribly dull it was for them.” Making you giggle weakly.

Pt 26

[mymakeupaffair]

10 FAVORITE MAKEUP PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR: DRUGSTORE + HIGH-END

In 2017, I came to the realization that I had way too much makeup. This was overwhelming for me because I disliked seeing a majority of my makeup sitting in a drawer and not being used. Some of my followers may have noticed that I’ve taken a long hiatus from my blog (I think January was the last time I was genuinely active). This was in part due to my no-buy attitude. I felt like I couldn’t talk to you guys about makeup if I wasn’t buying anything or trying new products.

Throughout the year, I have been de-cluttering my collection. I’ve disposed of expired products, given makeup to members of my family, and reevaluated the types of makeup I will buy in the future. This year has been full of lessons for me. As I’m taking marketing classes for my degree, I’ve come to realize just how much consumerism has effected my life and how it was unnecessary for me to live with so much stuff that was going to waste.

When I did have to find new makeup or repurchase products that I’d finished, I had to make some cutthroat decisions. I refused to spend the amount of money that I previously did on cosmetics. I love Anastasia Beverly Hills, but NYX has a fantastic brow pomade that works and looks just as great.

Now let’s get into my favorites of the year.

MORPHE X JACLYN HILL BLING BOSS EYESHADOW PALETTE

This palette surprised me. I’m a fan of both Morphe and Jaclyn Hill. I’ve had fantastic experiences with Morphe products, but with recent drama online I was having second thoughts. I was watching so many reviews on Youtube from influencers that didn’t enjoy the Vault collection. I bought this palette months after the craze died down when I saw the Morphe display in Ulta. I bought the palette on a whim because I fell in love with the colors. I was immediately inspired by this palette! I’d spent all of 2018 wearing the same warm toned reds, browns, and orange toned shadows. I was ready for a change and this palette gave me the opportunity to experiment with new colors. The mattes preformed like a dream. I haven’t had one issue with blending these shades. The shimmers are stunning! Absolutely gorgeous! They apply well with a finger or a wet brush. They really pop on my lids. I have created so many different looks with this palette. I love that all the shades compliment each other, but you can mix them in different ways and get a bomb-ass look every time. I’ve really enjoyed this palette and it’s easily become a favorite.

NYX TAME & FRAME TINTED BROW POMADE

Honestly, I was skeptical about this product. I haven’t tried very many NYX products, but the ones I have tried have been hit-and-miss. I didn’t like their translucent powder, their lipsticks can be nice (depending on the formula), and their highlighter was a chunky mess. But, I needed a brow pomade very last minute and I didn’t have many choices. This product was highly rated on all sites (Target, Ulta, Walgreens). I’m so glad that I gave this product a chance because it’s actually a really nice alternative to my favorite Anastasia Beverly Hills pomade. I bought a $2 Morphe brush to use with this product and they work very well together. This pomade doesn’t go on as harshly as the Anastasia one. It’s a much softer product, but you can build it up to get some intensity. As someone who has been using a brow pencil for years, I really appreciated that this product was easy for me to use. The only downside... I had some trouble choosing a color. The boxes don’t have a clear indication of the pomade’s color. The brown shades looked almost identical on the packaging. I was lucky that I picked the right color for me, but I definitely stood in the NYX aisle at Ulta for ten minutes going back-and-forth between shades.

MAYBELLINE DREAM CUSHION FOUNDATION

I bought this product specifically to wear to work. I wanted something that would take minimal effort in the mornings and would give me just enough coverage so that I wouldn’t look so dead to customers. This product was exactly what I was looking for! It was easy to use so I didn’t dread putting on foundation at 6 A.M. I applied the foundation with a beauty sponge from Real Techniques. The finish was great! I have dry skin, so this gave me a pretty glow. This product is marketed as luminous for all skin types, but I would have to disagree. I can sometimes look oily if I wear this foundation for too long. Thankfully, I only work 4 hour shifts so I don’t wear it for long periods of time. In the few instances that I did wear it for more than 4 hours, my skin was textured and overly dewy. I would not recommend this product for people with oily skin. This is a great product for me because it fits my needs and works with my schedule (plus it’s cheap and since I wear it every day to work it’s easy to restock when I need it).

MAYBELLINE FIT ME MATTE+PORELESS TRANSLUCENT POWDER

Again, another product that I love using on days when I want something lowkey. As someone with dry skin, this powder looks great and doesn’t crease. I normally have issues with powder because using a little too much can cause some serious texture and creasing. I have never had this problem when using the Fit Me powder. I use a fluffy brush to apply this powder on my face. This is a nice, solid product and I have no complaints! It looks great, feels great, and it doesn’t have a cheap cosmetic scent. It’s my favorite drugstore powder!

MILANI MAKE IT DEWY SETTING SPRAY (DEWY)

I ran out of my favorite setting spray: Mac Fix+. So I was in the market to try something new (and cheaper). I had seen many beauty influencers use this product on Youtube, so I definitely wanted to try it. I use this product as a setting spray and as an agent to wet shadow on a brush. Sometimes I spritz just a little bit onto a makeup sponge to blend concealer (if my face is extra day one day and I need added moisture). I’ve noticed that my mascara stays on much longer when I use this spray (which is amazing because normally my mascara bleeds). That alone sold me on this product! I also like the fine mist that comes from this bottle.

KAT VON D LOCK-IT SETTING POWDER

If you have dry skin you need this powder! I can bake my contour with this highlight without looking cakey. I put a lot of this powder on my nose where my glasses sit to really set my foundation so that when I take my glasses off for a picture I don’t get that red indentation. This also does a fantastic job of setting my undereye concealer. I love love love this product! As I mentioned before, if I use too much powder on my dry skin my texture becomes really prominent and my foundation will crease. I’ve never had that problem with this foundation!

BURT’S BEES LIP BALM

I’ve never been the girl that uses lip balm. The texture has always bothered me and the fruity flavors weren’t my thing. Honestly, lip balm was something I avoided at all costs. Until I found Burt’s Bees. I am obsessed with the products! This lip balm is so soft. I forget it’s on my lips sometimes and that’s the way I like my lip balm to feel. I use this every time I do my makeup. I put it on my lips while doing the rest of my makeup so that when I put on lipstick my lips will be hydrated.

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS LIP GLOSS IN “METALLIC ROSE”

This is my go-to lip product. My ride or die. If you see me in real life, chances are that I’m wearing this product. It’s so gorgeous. Anastasia Beverly Hills makes amazing lip glosses. They’re shiny without feeling thick and goopy on the lips. They’re extremely comfortable and wearable. I have so many great selfies with this lipstick and the shimmer just pops in the photo. Favorite lip gloss of all time!

COLOURPOP HIGHLIGHTER IN “FLEXITERIAN”

This highlight is what I live for. If I were to customize my own highlighter, this would be it. The tone is perfect! I love champagne highlights. The best thing about this product is that it is buildable. I can swipe this over my cheeks with a brush and then dab over it with a beauty sponge to get a more natural glow-from-within look. Or I can pile on this bitch with my finger, blend it out, and then top it with a Becca highlighter for a blinding highlight. I use this highlighter every day. I cannot live without it!

LOREAL INFALLIBLE PRO-GLOW CONCEALER

I have a hard time finding concealers that I like at the drugstore. This has become a new favorite of mine this year because it looks great on my dry skin. The coverage is nice and I will use it to spot-conceal. It’s helped me cover many blemishes this year. It doesn’t break out my skin, which is another issue that I have with drugstore concealers. If you have sensitive skin then I recommend this concealer!

[kathrynmaslow]

Love Lies 5/15

Summary: Ever since Emma was 13, she knew she had the ability to destroy people if she wanted to, and some days, she really wanted to. After being forced to go to Greenwood Academy following a traumatizing event in her childhood that brought to the surface her ability to manipulate fire, she never thought she would be free of the place. So for nearly 10 years, she lived a solitary existence with the exception of her best friends, but that was all about to change.

Killian Jones had just been sentenced to attend the university campus at Greenwood Academy after an accident at sea caused him to be dishonorably discharged from Her Majesty’s royal Navy and lose his hand. He doesn’t know what to think about these newfound powers and what they spell for the rest of his now not-so-normal life. But a chance encounter one day has the ability to change all of that.

A story about love and redemption between two people that shows, if you have the right person beside you, you can find a light in the darkness.

Rating: M Content Warnings: Mentions of Violence/Death, Brief mention of Childhood Abuse/Sexual Assault, Mild Sexual Content Chapter Notes: Chapter 5 is here folks! This is actually one of my favorite chapters in this entire work so I am excited for you to read it as well!

Check out the amazing art work that my artist @princesse-swan did for both chapter 3 on tumblr. Thanks again as always to my beta @daveyjacobsthepotterhead for taking this work and helping me turn it into something great. You are the literal best.

Read on FF

Catch up on Tumblr: One  Two  Three  Four

Art by @princesse-swan here

Chapter 5 Emma sat down on the edge of the wall surrounding the plant beds at the entrance to campus from the dorms. Unwrapping her grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, she looked out at the rows of dorm buildings lining the main walk onto the academic campus.

The sidewalks were abandoned, with nary a soul on campus to be found. Many of the students went home during the fall break about halfway through the term, and Emma took advantage of some time just to herself that she didn’t have to spend in her room.

While she enjoyed time with her friends while they were on campus, she did enjoy having the campus pretty much to herself during the breaks where everyone who wasn’t high risk got to go home. If she remembered correctly, after Elsa moved into a community in Alaska last summer, there were about 17 other students that had a full run of the campus to themselves.

Losing Elsa as a friend had been hard. She had arrived at the academy after Emma had, and could have been considered her polar opposite in every way. While Emma burned hot, Elsa burned cold, with extensive gifts of ice and snow, she proved quite the challenge for the staff to contain, considering that she could freeze off her suppression gear and not be affected by them at all. She was someone that Emma could relate to, someone who could understand the beast that prowled beneath her skin, and losing that confidant last semester had been something that she truly hadn’t fully bounced back from yet.

Taking a bite out of her sandwich, Emma just sat and watched the leaves fall from the trees.

o.O.o

Killian didn’t know what to think about how quiet the campus had become once fall break had begun.

Yes, he had been told that all the students who weren’t high risk students would be allowed to visit home for the two weeks that classes were on break, but he hadn’t realized how truly empty the campus would feel.

He spent the first two days of the break wandering around campus to see who was around.

A few of the administration members were lingering around with the multitude of security officers watching the campus, but he had only run into a handful of other students.

There was one gentleman named Eric, who had the power to create storms out of thin air. He was a perfectly nice guy, but after living 6 years of his life on a boat, he decided not to trust anyone who could sink a ship on a whim.

Another woman named Cruella had the ability to control people with her voice. How they regulated that power, Killian couldn’t fathom, but it was probably for the best.

On the third day, it seemed as though he was in luck.

While wandering through the abandoned floors of the library, he stumbled upon Emma bent over another drawing book sketching.

Thankfully she didn’t have any headphones over her ears this time, so he didn’t have any chance of ruining her artwork, but he still made the effort to make a bit of noise against the door as he walked in.

Emma looked up at him in shock.

“Killian, what are you doing here?” She asked.

“Wandering through the library, but I don’t suppose that is what you meant by the question.” He stated. He had never mentioned to her that he was a high risk student before and Killian had to imagine that this was a bit of a shock.

“I am so sorry, that completely came out wrong. However, that was what I had meant by the poorly phrased question.” Emma said, tucking her hair behind her ear as she flushed in what Killian presumed was embarrassment.

“It’s fine Swan, truly. I know you didn’t mean anything horrible by the remark.”

“I am a bit curious though, what kind of powers do you have that make you a high risk student?” Emma said, pushing her notebook to the side and leaning towards him.

He caught a glance at the notebook as it turned towards him slightly, and he grasped at the chance to change the subject. He didn’t even like thinking about his powers, so he really didn’t want to talk about them with someone else.

“Emma, this is amazing.”

It was, truly. Drawn out on the page was the image of a woman, long black hair hanging over her shoulders, one bloody hand clutching a dagger to her chest and the other grasping a heart. There was no color to the design yet, but she had shaded in where the blood was likely soaked into the woman’s hair and dress. The entire thing was hauntingly beautiful.

“I know an attempt to distract me when I hear it.” Emma said.

“I wasn’t trying to distract you, I genuinely like your art.” He retorted.

“I also am pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me. And while you do like peeking at my sketches, you were lying that this wasn’t a distraction.” Emma said, looking adorably smug when she said it.

He couldn’t help but smile in response. “Fine,” Killian said, rolling his eyes. “Maybe I was trying to get you off my tale, but I would prefer not to talk about this. It’s not something I am truly comfortable with and, while I do enjoy your company and think of you fondly like a friend, I don’t think this is something I can tell you about.”

Emma stared at him for a long moment before nodding her head.

“I can accept that, there are things about myself, and events that have happened to me that I don’t talk about to anyone else. I can understand needing time to process things that are traumatic before being able to open up to someone else.” She said.

“Since we aren’t talking about anything related to our powers or our past,” She said, pausing to look up at him meaningly. “Why don’t you tell me something that I probably wouldn’t know about you.” She said.

When Emma was smiling at him like that, He couldn’t deny her anything.

“I actually am a bit artistic myself. I do the occasional doodle.” Killian said.

Emma’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really, I wasn’t expecting that.”

“There are a lot of things about me that you wouldn’t expect Swan.” He said, relishing the flush that spread across her face in response to his quirked eyebrow and tongue in cheek.

“Alright Killian, let’s see what you can do.” She said, pulling blank sheets from her book for the both of them and handing him a pencil.

“What do you want me to draw for you Love?” He asked, taking the pencil from her and working to move the paper into the position he wanted it in with his other wrist.

“Whatever inspires you right now.” She said.

He looked up into her bright green eyes and knew exactly what he wanted to draw.

“How long are you going to give me?” Killian asked.

“Let’s say, finish in an hour. Whatever you can finish by that point in time is what you’ve got.” Emma said.

“Challenge Accepted.” He said, turning to his work and beginning his attempt at replicating perfection.

o.O.o

Emma and Killian were spending the afternoon out in the courtyard between the college campus and the lower campus when they heard it.

Killian stopped mid-sentence in his retelling of how his brother got stuck by the back of his shorts in a tree when they were younger and cocked his head.

“Swan, does that sound like crying to you?” He asked.

Emma listened harder, facing further towards the lower campus where Killian was pointing towards. Sure enough, it did sound like someone was crying.

She stood, gesturing for Killian to follow, heading towards the lower campus.

Normally, students on the college campus were not allowed to venture onto the lower campus, but since it was a school break, students were allowed to roam the grounds as they pleased.

They walked past the first handful of buildings before they could finally locate the sound.

Curled into a ball between two of the buildings and crying into his hands was a boy with a mop of brown hair.

The young boy could have been no more than 12, which was incredibly young for someone to come to the academy.

But then again, Emma had arrived around that age as well.

Emma flashed back to one of her first days on the campus, reeling from being separated from her family and forced to move halfway across the country to a place she didn’t know and getting surrounded by people she was unfamiliar with.

She had also spent a few nights crying from the loss. The loss of her brother, the loss of her mother, the loss of the only home she had known.

The loss of her normal life.

She turned to see Killian watching her with a speculative gaze. She only shook her head at him.

Turning back to the little boy, she walked slowly towards him, since he still hadn’t noticed them standing there.

“Hey, are you okay?” She asked, crouching down in front of him.

The boy visibly started, looking up at her in surprise.

“What? Who are you?” He asked.

“My name is Emma, and this is Killian,” She said, gesturing behind her at Killian, who was still standing back from them at a good distance.

She noted that his blunt wrist was tucked behind his back.

“Are you okay?” She asked again.

The boy sniffled, nodding his head in agreement even though a few fat tears still escaped his eyes to fall down his cheeks.

“What’s your name?”

“Henry,” He said, sticking his hand out in greeting.

“Well Henry, it is a pleasure to meet you. When did you start your stay here?” Emma asked. He didn’t seem the type to be a new high risk student since he didn’t have any suppression items on that she could see, but you never know.

“My mom dropped me off this morning.” Henry said, sniffing loudly again, his lower lip quivering.

“Well, it sounds like you could use a friend, would you like to hang out with me and my friend for the rest of the day?” Emma asked.

Nodding his head, he stood up and fell into her extended arms.

He shook a little with quiet cries, and Emma rubbed his back in a soothing manner.

Killian came around in front of her, and placed his hand on the back of Henry’s shoulders and rubbed slow circles as well.

“You know Henry, I remember my first night that I spent away from all my family.” Killian said.

Henry pulled away from her slightly, turning to look at Killian.

“Really, I thought it was the most terrifying thing that could ever happen to me at the time.” Killian admitted. “Would you like to hear about it?”

“Is it a scary story?” Henry asked, standing fully away from Emma.

“Not really, it only seemed like it at the time. Why don’t you come for a walk with Emma and I, we had a lunch sitting out in the courtyard.” Killian stood, extending his gloved hand for Henry to take.

Emma smiled, watching Killian lead Henry towards their impromptu picnic sight, weaving an exaggerated story of a 20 year old man sleeping away from home for the first time, and crying himself to sleep.

Killian winked over his shoulder at her once he got Henry laughing at his story.

With that wink, Emma felt something she was pretty sure would grow into love start blooming under her breast.

o.O.o

Killian was walking around campus outside.

It was pretty close to the time he went to bed, but it was fixing to storm out, lightning streaking across the sky and thunder rolling in across the campus, and it made him restless.

The barrier surrounding the campus kept out all supposed threats against their safety, but unfortunately, couldn't prevent the rain from falling on them.

His thoughts were occupied with thoughts of Henry, that young lad they had found on campus earlier.

Emma had told Killian that he was a bit of an anomaly when he mentioned that his gifts had only just manifested at 25 years, but he didn’t know they could start showing that early.

The young lad hand only just turned 12 a few weeks ago, a fact the young lad had divulged to them while they were splitting ham and cheese sandwiches and cheetos in the middle of campus during the day.

He had something relatively minor as a gift, something that doesn’t require him to stay on campus during school breaks like him and Emma have to.

When they revealed that fact to the lad, it seemed to turn his entire spirit around, from sniffeling and sad to bright and chipper.

Almost a bit too bright, considering the lad started glowing on them.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he was pretty spooked when he heard a voice off to his left.

“Killian?”

He whirled around, and found Emma sitting on a low wall surrounding a garden in the yard.

“Emma, what are you doing out here?” he asked, tucking his hand into his pocket as he made his way over to her.

“I could ask you the same thing.” She said, watching as he came over and sat down next to her.

“Couldn’t sleep, decided to go for a bit of a walk.” He said, shrugging his shoulders a bit.

“Me neither.” Emma said, pulling one of her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around it, resting her chin on her knee.

“Yeah, but I couldn’t sleep because of the storms, I don’t think that was the case for you. What’s vexing you love?”

Emma turned to look at him, but once she noticed him looking at her, she turned her face away.

A flash of lightning across the sky lit up her face for a split second, and Killian could have sworn he saw tear tracks tracing down her cheeks.

It wasn’t until after the rumble of thunder rolled over campus a couple of seconds later that she began to talk.

“I started at the academy here when I was 13, not much older than Henry is. I guess seeing him today brought back some memories of when I first arrived here.”

“I can’t even imagine what that would have been like.” He said, when it became obvious that she wasn’t going to continue. It was so unlike her to open up about anything to him when it came to how she started at the academy, so he was going to have to take it as it came.

“It was lonely.” She said, still not looking at him.

Killian watched a few more bolts of lightning flash across the sky, the air becoming damp and oppressive as the storm continued its advance towards them.

Neither one of them made any move to leave and avoid getting poured on, but Killian wasn’t inclined to leave her alone.

He never could leave her like this.

“I lost everything. Henry gets to keep his family, he gets to go back to his mom, see his dad, and play with his brothers and sister. I got none of that.” She looked over to him, her eyes rimmed in red, and something in Killian’s chest tightened.

She had obviously been out here a while before he had happened upon her.

“My mother disowned me, my father was already long gone, and I haven’t seen my older brother, my best friend and partner in crime, in person in almost ten years. I didn’t get to see him get married and I didn’t get to see the birth of my niece. And it’s not fair.”

Something in her voice cracked when she said “fair”, and Killian wanted desperately to pull her into his arms and give her a hug, but she was so closed off that he didn’t think it would be well received.

At that moment, the heavens decided to open up and the rain came pouring down on the two of them.

Killian looked up at the sky, the rain hitting his face with wet plops that made water run into his eyes and he blinked rapidly to clear them.

Turning to look at Emma, he felt the rain continue to soak into his hair and shirt, and he wondered absently if it would ruin the mechanics in his glove getting them this wet.

Getting a good look at Emma for a second, he had to choke back on a laugh.

“What?” She said, hearing his choked off laugh and turning to face him after looking up at the storm clouds above them as well.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, truly love. But you’re steaming.” Indeed, little wiffs of steam were rising from where the rain was splattering down onto her bare skin.

He pressed his lips together in an effort to keep himself under some measure of control.

But it seemed to be in vain as a large smile broke out on her face, wiping away the lingering sadness in her expression from their conversation.

“Did I never mention that I may run a bit warmer than a normal person?” She said, chuckling a bit as she asked him.

“No, but that might be a useful thing, considering that I am now soaking wet and cold.” Killian laughed.

“Oh no you don’t, that is entirely your own fault.” Emma said, moving away as he leaned towards her, but it wasn’t in fear of him. No, she could tell he was playing with her.

“Come here and warm me up Emma!” He said, lunging after her.

She leapt off of the wall with stunning speed, darting across the yard in a blur of damp blond hair trailing behind her.

And as he chased her around, moving after her and sliding around in the mud enough to cause them both to burst into further hysterics, something warm bloomed up in his chest.

It felt like the first ray of sunshine after a storm, and he wanted to hold onto that feeling as long as he could.

Wrapping his arms around her from behind as they both went sliding through another patch of mud, Killian pulled her close as he tried to keep them both upright.

They were both laughing as he turned her around to look at him, her arms coming around him in turn.

Something in her expression changed, some of the laughter and lightness transitioning into something curious.

His eyebrows pinched together, getting ready to ask her what she was thinking about when Emma pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

It was like that first ray of sun, and when the seas are calm and the sky is blue, and that first bite of fresh summer fruit after a long, cold and dark winter.

Her lips were soft against his, and he pressed back, tightening his arms around her and forming his lips more firmly with hers.

They broke apart with a start when a peel of thunder began right above them.

She gave him a tentative smile, and took his hand. “Come on sailor, let’s get you out of the rain.”

o.O.o

The rain had fried some of the electronics in his glove, and he couldn’t move his fingers the next day, but he wouldn’t have changed that night for anything.