#for real I could like ramble about my dream wedding for hours

[bg3fan]

How to bake your way to a smith's heart

"You´re staring again"

Emma´s voice near your ear startles you, turning around you see her smug grin "I can´t blame you, he does look like a snack tho" she teases again.

You give her a little smack on her shoulder while your cheeks burn up.

"Stop it, I was only wondering when he would take a break, I mean it seems like he is there 24 hours."

Emma chuckles, "and here I thought you were dreaming about your wedding night with him" you take a little flour and throw it in her face which leaves you giggling now.

However you weren´t expecting her to throw some back, but luckily for you the next customer arrived or else she would have bathed you in it.

With a quick wipe of your face you continue to kneed the dough infront of the window while she serves the customer.

After shaping the dough into little animals, which are getting popular by the little kids, you see Emma approaching you with a basket.

"Today is your turn to run around the city," you say with a raised eyebrow.

"It´s not an earrand, I was thinking perhaphs you could bring the break to him since you´re so worried about him" she again teases you with this as she fills the basket with little sweet pasteries and a bottle of handmade lemonade.

You wipe your hands on your apron, unsure of her idea "i dont know, maybe he won´t welcome me if I dont purchase anything" you sigh while she puts the basket into your hands "maybe he likes to be alone?"

Emma shakes her head. "Listen, and listen good." she continues as soon as you nod "Nobody and I mean nobody can turn down these delicious pastries, especially if they are for free. Even if he doesn´t like the sweets, then he will definitely enjoy the lemonade." she speaks with encouragement.

"Also he´ll have to meet you again because you will leave the basket with him, alright?" she squeezes your side before turning you around and practically shoving you out of the little bakery."Now off, you go, my little dove," and slams the door behind you close.

You tell yourself that it´s ok, you´re only being frendly as a neighbor but you can´t help the way your hands sweating and your face burning up.

You only need to cross this street and the stairs above and you're right there then.

Midway the staircase, you think about turning around and leaving before you can embarrass yourself.

"Can I help you?" and the idea of leaving is being shoved aside as you see him slowly approaching you.

In fact, every thought is being shoved aside because of the way he looks so much better up close than from your window. The little skin he shows covered in sweat while his forarms exposed makes your knees weak.

He raises his eyebrows curiously, and you realize that you´ve been staring up at him for quite some time now. Hurriedly, you go up the remaining stairs.

"I´m sorry to interupt your work but I´ve brought you some sweets and fresh lemonade" you stammer out while holding the basket up to him, "It´s just I´ve kind of noticed that you rarely take any breaks so I thought I could help you out somehow"

Mentally you´re slapping yourself. Now you seem like a stalker but to your surprise, his face lights up in a warm and friendly smile.

"Oh my, thank you so much! You didn´t have to do that. Unfortunately, I haven´t had time to take a break today, but now I´ll definitely take one."

He takes the basket from you, and behind him, you can see his tail wagging happily, which causes you to blush even more.

"I hope it´s to your tasting if not I could bring you something else we have a lot of different things," you ramble without a real thought in mind "I just guessed you´re more of the sweet person than salty but if that´s not the case I could bring you something else." and again, you slap yourself mentaly, why do you need to repeat something you´ve already said?

He seems to notice your inner turmoil as he lets a small chuckle out. "Don´t worry, I indeed am more of a sweets person." He reasurses you and takes a bite out of a pastry, and his tails wags some more in excitement.

"These are amazing! And the lemonade is perfect for a hot day like today. " He smiles at you again, but he seems like he forgot something.

"Oh! I´m so sorry, I haven´t intruduced myself properly." He extends his hand for you to shake "My name is Dammon, what´s yours?"

You take his hand, and you can´t help but feel how much rougher and firmer his hand is compared to yours. "I´m [Name]" you bashfully answer.

"It´s a pleasure to meet you, [Name]" and you could pass out by the way he says your name, but he unfortunately lets go of your hand. "I´ll definitely be stopping by for a few treats whenever I´m not smithing."

He puts your basket on a table nearby as he grabs the hammer again. "Thank you again. These really are delicious. Now I must get back to work, but perhaps we can talk some more later?"

You immediately nod and hurriedly apologize "yes, yes, of course again, I´m so sorry for interuppting your work" and before he can even open his mouth, you are already turning around to leave as fast as you can.

As you pass by the front desk of your bakery, Emma is quick to follow you, and you can´t help but pace around the storage room to calm down. "Tell me everything," she demands. And with some deep breaths, you tell her how the meeting went.

"So not only does he look, but he's also a grateful and respectful person? Also, you're closing the bakery today, " she nudges your side as she wiggles with her eyebrows.

🍰

I couldn't hold myself back. I needed some more dammon content, and I thought this idea was too cute to not write for. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :)

[bibedi-babedi-buu]

I updated my UGW from 55 kg to 50 kg. This is because after some thinking I realised that the last time I was sort of satisfied with my body was about 15 years ago when I weighed that much. And yeah, maybe fantasising about having the same kind of body as I did when I was 15 years old is not the smartest thing to do, but weighing 50 kg again is not an unattainable dream – I just need to work hard for it!

Now, there’s no healthy way to reach that weight by the time of our wedding, and for once I’m not planning on doing this the unhealthy way. According to my calculations, if I stay on track I should weigh around 59 kg by the time I’ll be walking down the aisle, and that’s okay. When I last weighed 59 kg (~7 years ago) I only disliked my body, I didn’t loathe it like I do now. I can deal with being in my wedding dress and disliking what I see in the mirror – at least it’s better than puking in my mouth because of what I see.

Okay, so here’s the plan. Starting on 1 September (the day I go back to work) I’ll be following a very low calorie diet (consuming 800 kcal a day) for 12 weeks, which is the maximum amount of time one should follow such a diet. In that time I hope to lose 12 kg. After those 12 weeks I’ll up my daily intake to 1 200 kcal, with the goal of losing half a kilo a week. That means I should reach my UGW by Christmas next year. And really, is there a better gift I could give to myself?

As for exercise, here’s what I’ll do. For the first 12 weeks, while doing VLCD, my only two goals are completing an hour-long yoga session once a week and taking at least 10 000 steps each day. On work days, the latter shouldn’t be a problem as I generally reach that step count just by working, and if not, all I need to do is get off the bus a couple of stops early on my way home. On days off it means I need to put in some real effort as I have a terrible habit of not leaving our flat at all on those days. But that’s going to change now, I swear.

After I’ve finished with VLCD and upped my daily intake to 1 200 kcal, it’s time to start exercising for real. This means jogging three times a week following some kind of a Couch to 5k programme – I haven’t chosen one yet. Once I’ve completed the programme and can jog for half an hour, I’ll 1. find a 5k to 10k plan with the goal of being able to jog for an hour and 2. start kettlebell workouts at home three times a week.

Though I have no followers and therefore can’t bore anyone with my ramblings, I feel like it’s time to stop now. If someone happened to find my blog and read this post, please wish me luck – and I hope you’re doing well.

Updates to follow starting on 1 September!

[reluctant-mandalore]

valentine’s day asks! #23 what’s your dream wedding like?, #34 valentine’s decorations: yay or nay?, and #42 do you prefer gazing wistfully out the window or lying dramatically over the sofa?

#23 what’s your dream wedding like?

dsfhdsbfs I’ve actually thought about this a lot, but tbh as long as both my spouse and me were happy I think it would be the best wedding ever. Buuuut what I dream about....

It would be small with just our closest relatives and friends. I’m not religious so I would prefer not marrying in a church, but if my spouse wanted to I would def compromise with them in some way. Ideally I’d like to marry outside or even in like a castle (they’re cool!!) Flowers would be black roses and sunflowers!! (and odd combo I know but I actually like both of them together). I’ve even thought of my dress. It would be black!! And I would want like a ‘princess’ looking one or something flowy and I would have a long af veil. 

That’s just the basics of what I’ve thought about, but if I was to list everything we’d be here all day lol. 

o wait my spouse would of course be din djarin 

#34 valentine’s decorations: yay or nay?

Hmmm it depends tbh. Usually a nay, but in like video games I always get excited for the valentine theme items??? So real life nay, but fictional yay! 

#42 do you prefer gazing wistfully out the window or lying dramatically over the sofa?

O def dramatically over the sofa lol It’s just such a me thing I think

Valentine's Day Asks!

[worldserasingandcreatinginmymind]

Unfaithful | Final Chapter

Series Summary: After dreaming of your perfect wedding since you were a little girl the big day is almost here. But after meeting the priest you start to question your relationship.

Pairing: Hot Priest x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2718

Warnings: all the angst with a side order of fluff, FINAL CHAPTER

A/N: this is it, the series finale. I really hope you guys enjoyed the series and that this ending does it justice. Thank you for the lovely comments on previous chapters, I love you guys! Also, spelling and grammar is not my strongest skill so please be kind :)

Part Five | Masterlist

- - - - -

“We need to talk”

“I think you said enough yesterday” I say dismissively as I stand up.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of that.”

“But you did!” 

“I know this is no excuse but I was really drunk”

“You're right, that isn’t an excuse. What you said to me really hurt”

“I know and I am so so sorry. I think I thought that if I could make you hate me then it would be easier for me to not love you.”

I pause, trying to make sense of what he’s just said. 

“That’s stupid”

“I realise that now, but at the time my alcohol infused brain thought it was genius.” He says and I can't help but be slightly amused “Look Y/N, I need you to know I didn’t mean any of what I said yesterday. And I really hope you don't hate me, though I don't blame you if you do”

“I don’t hate you” I take his hands in mine and look deep in his eyes “I could never hate you, you mean too much to me now. I couldn’t have got through the past few weeks without you, so you're not getting rid of me that easy”

I give him a gentle but sincere smile and he lets out a sigh of relief. 

“It didn’t work anyway” he says and I respond with a confused look “My genius plan failed… I still love you” 

Before I can say anything else Eva appears at the door.

“There you are!” She calls and I quickly release the priest’s hands as I turn to look at her. She looks from me, to the priest and back to me “everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine. This is the priest who’s doing the wedding.” 

“Oh uh, actually… I’m not anymore” he says, suddenly awkward again. 

“Can you give us a minute?” I say to Eva and she nods before disappearing back inside the house. I turn my attention back to the worried looking priest “What do you mean?” 

“I can’t be there today” 

“Are you serious? We need you!” 

“I know it’s unprofessional to pull out this late but so is kissing the bride behind the groom’s back, so…” he lets out a small nervous chuckle “I’ve arranged cover already. Father Crilly. He’s a good priest, he’ll make sure it all runs smooth”

“You're a good priest! You can make sure it runs smooth!”

“I can’t” he says, looking down at his feet

“Of course you can”

“No I can’t!” He snaps, looking back up at me. I notice tears starting to form in his eyes. “I can’t because I want it to go wrong. I want there to be a reason for this wedding not to happen, for you not to marry him… instead of me” 

My breath catches in my throat as I look at him, not knowing how to respond.

“Father…” I almost whisper “I- I don't know what to say”

“You don't have to say anything”

“You know how much mean to me-”

“Please don’t” he interrupts but I carry on 

“-but I can’t leave Daniel. I’m sorry”

“I can’t pretend to understand why you would marry a man who treats you the way he has, but if you love him even half as much as I love you… then I respect your decision. I’m not going to get in your way.” 

He turns to leave but I grab his arm gently stopping him. 

“Are you gonna be alright?” I ask and he gives me a small nod

“It’ll pass” 

I watch as he walks out my driveway and disappears down the road, taking deep steadying breaths before putting a smile on my face and heading inside to get ready. 

After all, today is to be the happiest day of my life. Right? 

— — — — 

So far the rest of the day has run smooth. I explained to Eva and the rest of the bridesmaids that the priest had to pull out last minute, making up some excuse about a family emergency, but that he’d arranged cover so there was nothing to stress about. Eva, as my substitute maid of honour, took on the job of alerting Daniel to the last minute change so there would be no confusion when he turned up at the church and found Father Crilly waiting for him. 

A few hours later I descended the stairs in my beautiful white dress to the sound of the girls showering me with compliments and my aunt Lynda sniffling into a hankie. 

“You look like a princess” she says, pulling me into a slightly too tight hug. 

It wasn’t long till the cars arrived and we were on our way. The bridesmaids pilled into one while me and Aunt Lynda got into the other. Lynda rambled on about something but I couldn't really hear her. Too busy staring silently out of the window. The closer we get to the church, the more I can feel the panic rising in my chest. 

“Y/N? Are you okay?” She asks as she squeezes my hand gently, pulling my mind back into the car.

“Yeah, of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” I reply as convincingly as possible. 

“It’s okay to be nervous. Hell, I was more nervous the second time than I was for my first”

“I didn’t know you were married before uncle Steve?” 

“Yeah! It was long before you were born. We were school sweethearts. Like you and Daniel, only less in love. We thought we were in love but looking back now I realise we were too young to really know what that meant. Your dad tried to warn me. Said Troy and I were better off as friends, but we didn’t listen. He was great for relationship advice was your dad, bit of a self proclaimed love expert.” She pauses, going watery eyed again “I’m sorry he’s not here”

“Me too” 

“I’m sure wherever he is, he’ll be watching over you today. Your mother too. They’d both be so proud” she squeezes my hand again and smiles tearfully. 

“Don't make me cry. If I ruin my makeup Eva will kill me” I laugh, wiping under my eyes.

“I know, I’m sorry.” She says, handing me a tissue “no more crying, this is a happy day!”

— — — — 

By the time we arrived at the church the bridesmaids were waiting outside with the photographer and the new priest. The photographer camera flashed at me as Lynda helped me out of the car and lead me to the church. Looking up at those wooden doors, I was glad I had Lynda to cling onto. My legs felt like jelly. 

Father Crilly introduced himself to me before heading inside the church. The bridesmaids, Lynda and I waited outside until we heard the music start, signalling the beginning of the ceremony. The bridesmaids began their walk up the aisle and before long the music changed again to the bridal chorus.

“Here we go” 

We walk into the church, stopping just inside the doors. I glance up to the front of the church to see Daniel looking back at me, a smile spread across his face. A smile I can’t make myself return. Instead I keep my eyes down, focusing on the floor as we walk up aisle. I can feel every set of eyes on me, but I keep mine fixed on my feet that carry me closer and closer to my future. 

We reach the top and Lynda gives me a kiss on the cheek before going to join the bridesmaids on the front row. Daniel takes my hand in his, whispering “you look amazing” into my ear as Father Crilly begins the ceremony. 

His opening speech goes by in a blur. I try to listen to every word he’s saying, to keep myself planted in the real world but my mind is spinning and my heart is pounding. I can’t stop thinking about what Lynda said in the car. What if Daniel and I aren’t in love? We just think we are because we’ve been together so long. We’re just used to being with each other. 

I also can’t get the priest out of my head. Worrying about him. Wondering what he’s doing now, whether he’s thinking about me. I replay our last conversation in my head. 

‘I still love you’ 

‘I want there to be a reason for this wedding not to happen, for you not to marry him… instead of me’ 

I try to push his words from my mind, focusing instead on his final ones. 

‘It’ll pass’

But what if it doesn’t. 

“If any person present knows of any lawful reason why this marriage can’t take place they should speak now or forever hold their peace” Father Crilly pauses. 

A tense silence fills the room. 

I look out across the crowd of friends and family sitting silently in their seats, a small part of me hoping the priest will burst through the doors dramatically declaring his love for me as he sweeps me away to live happily ever after. 

I shake the fantasy from my mind and turn my attention back to the man I’m actually about to marry. Daniel is also looking out at the church crowd. He looks nervous. I give his hand a gentle squeeze and he looks at me.

“Are you okay?” I whisper and he nods, but I can tell he’s not. As he looks away from me again my mind starts to spiral, panic rising in my chest. I can’t do this. 

‘It’ll pass’

 I think I’m making a mistake. 

‘It’ll pass’

These feelings are too intense to ignore.

‘It’ll pass’

These feelings of love. Not for Daniel. For the priest. I don't want them to pass. 

“I object” I say quietly, staring down at my hand enclosed within Daniel’s. I can feel his gaze on my face as a wave of gasps and shocked murmuring works its way through the church. 

“What?” He says, a nervous laugh escapes his lips but the smile fades as my sad eyes lock onto his.

“I object” 

“To- to your own wedding…?” Father Crilly asks, voice full of confusion.

“I can’t do it. I can’t start a marriage with a lie.”

“Y/N? What are you talking about?” Daniel asks, gripping my hands tightly in his own, afraid to let go. 

“When you marry someone, there shouldn’t be any secrets. You have to be able to confess anything, trust them with everything… I need to be honest with you.” I pause, building up the courage to say what I need to say next. “Daniel I-”

“I cheated on you” he blurts out, earning another gasp from the crowd

“…what?” 

“I’ve been having an affair…” Daniel repeats “Tiff and I… we, uh-”

“Tiffany? My best friend Tiffany?” I ask and he nods “How long?”

“Maybe we should continue this somewhere else” Father Crilly tries to move us but I ignore him.

“How long Daniel? How long have you been sleeping with my best friend behind my back?”

“A few months I think”

“You think? What, you don't even remember?” I bring my hands up to my head, rubbing circles on my temples as I turn my back on Daniel and take deep breaths. 

“Y/N, please listen to me. I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you-” he puts his hands on my shoulders but I shrug him off.

“You say that a lot for someone who has repeatedly hurt me. Emotionally…” I turn back to face him “physically. And every time I make excuses for you, brush off the insults, hide the bruises because I thought I was in love with you. But I’m not. I don't love you. I haven’t loved you for a long time. I was just too scared to leave you. But I'm not scared anymore”

“I really think we should talk this through somewhere private” Father Crilly tries again but I shake my head. 

“I’m done.” I take Daniel’s hand and look him straight in the eye “Thank you for finally setting me free” 

I remove my engagement ring and place it in his hand before turning and walking back down the aisle to exit the church. Daniel runs after me, stopping me once we’re outside. 

“Y/N! Please just let me explain-”

“Did you ever stop to think how I would feel?” I spin around, taking him by surprise “When you were with her, did you consider me at all?” I pause, giving him the chance to respond but he doesn’t “See that’s the difference between you and me. All I ever do, all I’ve ever done, is think about you and how you’d react. A few days ago I kissed someone-”

“What?! Who?!” He yells, anger creeping onto his face

“Don't you dare get angry with me after what you’ve done!” I respond and he takes a deep breath “I could’ve done more. I had the opportunity to sleep with him. But I didn’t. Because I kept thinking about you, about how you would feel. And what you would do to me if you ever found out”

“I love you”

“No you don’t. If you did you wouldn’t have slept with my best friend. You don't love me, and that’s fine. I don't love you either, cause if I truly did then I wouldn’t have kissed the priest. I think we both just convinced ourselves we were in love because everyone else thought we were this fairytale love story. But maybe we were better off as friends.”

“Maybe” he says quietly, deep in thought “I’m really sorry, about everything. I treated you…terribly” 

Hearing a sincere, genuine apology from him, I finally feel at peace with it all. 

“It doesn’t matter now” I say, giving him a small smile “do you love Tiffany?”

He thinks for a moment before gently nodding his head. 

“I think so, yeah”

“You should tell her” I say, gesturing behind him as Tiffany comes running towards us. 

“Eva texted me.” She says breathlessly “Y/N, I am so sorry I should have-” 

I cut her off by pulling her into a hug.

“It’s okay” I say, releasing her and she looks at me in shock as I hand her my bridal bouquet “I hope you two are happy together. Really I mean that” 

I turn and walk away. 

“Where are you going?” Tiff calls after me.

“To get my happy ending” 

— — — — 

“Y/N?!” 

The priest looks at me confused as he answers his front door. 

“What are you doing here?” He asks.

“You lied to me” I say deadpan “you said Father Crilly would make sure it all ran smooth. But it didn’t. Something went very very wrong during the ceremony.”

“What happened?” He looks genuinely concerned

“Well a few things. The bride objected, and then the groom confessed to cheating with the former maid of honour. Then the bride confessed to kissing the former priest and they both confessed to not loving each other.”

He stands looking at me for a few moments, taking it all in. 

“Wow” he finally says “so not smooth then?”

“No” I burst out laughing and the priest joins in before turning serious again. 

“Are you okay?” He asks, searching my face.

“Yeah” I say after a moment, “more than okay, I’m great. I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders”

“That’s good”

There’s a comfortable silence before I speak again. 

“You know, during the ceremony I kept hearing you in my head. Saying ‘It’ll pass’. And I realised something”

“What?”

“I don't ever want this feeling to pass. This feeling I get when I think of you, when I’m with you.” I pause to take a breath “I love you” 

“I love you too Y/N”

I smile. 

“So what happens now?”

He takes a step toward me, closing the gap as he brings his hands up to my face and crashes his lips to mine.

— — — — 

I started this story by saying every girl dreams of her perfect wedding day. 

Well mine ended up being far from perfect. 

But as I lay here wrapped in the priest’s arms, for the first time in a long time I’m happy. I’m free. 

And I’m in love. 

[1plus1kiyoomi]

Chapter 6: Fight or Flght Response

[prev] [next]

[masterlist]

——————————————————————————

warnings: mentions of sex and pretty much a toxic relationship

Morning comes and Kuroo wakes up with a headache. Eyes still closed, he taps on the other side of the bed, his hands looking for your body. “Love?” He groans. “Love, can you bring me some medication? My head hurts.”

Kuroo falls asleep once again and then wakes up an hour later. He sits up, his head ringing. “(Y/N)? Love?” He leaves the bed and doesn’t feel any presence of you in the house. “Oh, it’s 9AM. She must be at work already.”

Well, Kuroo’s not wrong. You are at your office but you aren’t working. You’re weeping at your table because you can’t seem to get rid of Kuroo’s words to his friends.

“So (Y/N) and I are trying to work our marriage out for a year, and she’s taking it way too seriously. While I can’t even look at her face! She messages me all the time about where I am, what I’m doing and all of that. She begs me to go on dates and nags at me if I miss it. I want to tell her off sometimes, but she’s a really good fuck. Like she’s amazing in bed and she lets me have it anytime so yeah. I guess it’s worth to stay.”

It keeps repeating in your head like a broken track. And your tears run down your cheeks and you know it won’t stop for a while. You stand from your desk and move to the little bedroom that is in your office. You lay on the bed and bury your face on the pillow.

The moment you heard his words come of his lips last night, you wanted to slap him hard, beat him up, tear his hair off his head, but you couldn’t. You were glued on the wooden floor of Kenma’s house, not able to believe Kuroo could say that. Your heart shattered into pieces that couldn’t be even counted.

But still, you went home with him. Even slept with him.

If your friends, especially Iwaizumi, find out about this, they’ll definitely tell you to leave him. No excuses. And you don’t want to leave Kuroo.

“Where did I go wrong? Is it because I’m ugly?” You take your phone out and open the camera app. “Very ugly right now. This is why he doesn’t want me to post anything about our relationship.”

Someone knocks on your office door so you wipe your tears quickly and open the Netflix app so you can pretend that you’ve been watching a sad movie this whole time.

“(Y/N)? The flowers are here,” Terushima says as he enters your office. “Why are you crying?”

Speaking of Terushima, he and Kuroo have become friends after their fight. When Kuroo picks you up sometimes and Terushima’s also there, you always find the two talking about hair. The blonde even goes to your place sometimes so he can style Kuroo’s hair. It’s their form of bonding so you really don’t have a say about it.

“This drama is just so sad,” you lie, showing him the screen of your phone that is playing a random sad movie.

“I didn’t know you were the type to cry cause of movies,” the blonde chuckles. “Anyways, fix yourself. Because we will be decorating a big function room starting this afternoon.”

“I almost forgot. The client wanted all real flowers right?” You sigh and sit up from your bed. ‘No time for crying. You’re a busy woman.’

“Yeah, so we have to make sure that the flowers will not wither tomorrow,” Terushima confirms.

You brush your issue with Kuroo under the rag and focus on your work instead.

Evening comes quickly and it’s finally time for your team to set up at the function hall. You had to wait until late evening to start since there was an event beforehand. The bestman of the wedding, Yuta, joined your team as the supervisor.

While you are setting up on the stage, you can feel your workmates throwing weird looks at you. “What?” You raise an eyebrow at them and one of your colleagues walks up to you.

“The best man has been staring at you ever since we got her,” she whispers with a teasing smirk. You roll your eyes at her and brush it off.

It’s always like this. At every event, your colleagues ships you with every best man or groomsman that shows interest towards you. They don’t know you’re actually married and think you’re single so they tease you. In hopes that you finally get to plan your own wedding. Sadly, you already are married and no wedding will take place.

You take a glance at the said man and he is staring at you, but not in a creepy way. As soon as you make eye contact, he smiles at you. You swear your heart skips a beat but at the same time you will never admit that it did.

“Miss (L/N)?” Yuta calls you out of nowhere. Surprised by his sudden presence, you fall on the ladder you are on and land on top of him.

‘What in the drama is this?!’

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!” You push yourself off of the man quickly and bow repeatedly.

“It’s alright! It’s my fault for surprising you.” Yuta stands up as well and when your eyes meet, you burst into laughter. “You’re much prettier up close.”

“So you’re the straightforward type, huh?” You let out a chuckle and he smirks at you. “I thought you’d be a shy one since you have been just staring until now.”

“Well, since you think I’m the straightforward type, let me ask you. Are you single?” Yuta smiles at you shyly this time and you feel your cheeks burn hot.

‘You’re married, (Y/N)! Don’t even think about flirting back.’ You mentally scold yourself and look away from the man beside you. “Find out yourself.”

The glamorous wedding finally ends and it was one of the best weddings you have every coordinated. The couple is so in love with each other and they are surrounded by supportive family and friends. The guests were very uplifting and fun in general. You even made friends with some of the guests and have gotten closer to Yuta.

“Thank you for planning our wedding. This is such a dream come true!” The bride thanks you with a bow. You bow back and say your thanks as well. “And Yuta’s a good boy.” The bride winks at you before she and groom leaves.

“(Y/N)!” Speaking of the devil.

“Yuta!” You wave at him. He runs towards you and pants when he’s finally in front with you. “Can I help you with something?”

“Do you have a drive home?” He asks you so you shake your head no. You’re just being honest. “Can I drive you to your place?”

“My place is just a 10-minute walk from here, so it’s okay,” you reply. You check the time and it’s already past midnight. “I have to go now. It’s really late. Bye!”

“I’ll walk with you!” Yuta offers. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Okay, then. Whatever makes you sleep at night,” you joke and he just laughs.

The two of you walk home and Yuta shares random stories about his childhood. You like it. You like how he is open to you without you trying. You like how he’s initiating first. You like how gentle he is when he is talking to you. You like how he softly calls your name. You like how he’s not hiding that he’s interested in you. But you hate how you want Kuroo to be like that towards you. You hate how you’re still thinking about him.

Kuroo’s words come crashing into your mind again and you badly want to take Yuta’s hand and ask him to bring you home. But your mind is also telling you to come home quickly to Kuroo, even if you know he won’t be waiting for you.

“I’m here!” You say as you arrive in front of your condominium building. “Thank you for walking me.”

“No problem.” Yuta scratches the back of his neck. A change of demeanor happens, and Yuta becomes shy. “Can I get your number? I want to tak-”

“(Y/N)!”

Your world freezes as you hear Kuroo’s voice. It’s 1AM. Why the hell is he outside your building as well? You turn your head see him glaring at you with his arms crossed.

‘What do I do? Kuroo might misunderstand! And I can’t tell Yuta that Kuroo is my husband because he wants to keep our relationship a secret. Oh my gosh! What to do?’

You’re panicking. Your whole system is. You can feel your fingers tremble. Kuroo is walking towards the two of you and is already so close but you still don’t know what to do and say. The particles in your container are bouncing on the walls of your space rapidly because of pressure, and it’s making your mind go blank. Your fight or flight response is not functioning well.

Kuroo has been waiting for you at your building’s lobby since 10PM. He was waiting for your message about him picking you up at the hotel, but clearly you forgot about that. He thought you forgot because of fatigue but clearly that’s not the case.

Especially now that a man he has never seen before walked you back to your place.

“Who’s this?” Yuta and Kuroo ask in unison. Yuta glares at Kuroo, not liking how provocative the guy looks. Your husband raises an eyebrow at Yuta, his feline-like eyes glaring back at the unfamiliar guy.

“Kuroo, this is my friend Yuta,” you start to introduce but they aren’t even listening to you. They’re in this staring contest you don’t know about.

“And Yuta, this is Kuroo, my brother.”

——————————————————————————

Facts:

Your reactions when you are nervous are driven by the production of hormones and equip us to fight or escape from situations that are dangerous or threatening. This is known as the fight or flight response.

Nervousness can cause stuttering and rambling.

Anxiety may be partly genetic.

People who are anxious are quicker to pick up on changes in facial expressions than those who are but they are less accurate. Thus, it causes misunderstandings.

Taglist: @postsfromthe6 @elianetsantana @chaelysian @kiyobbie @lilxstan @moonlightaangel @oh-hey-its-a-simp @kellesvt @lifeisnotdiajoubu @starry-magicshop @stantalentstanunderratedgroups @mint-mai @torilovestowrite @faithmoonxd @agaashesmilktea @birdiewolf @yeibuub @maitenight @ashhhh26 @kageyamasgirl @tnu-ree @avatarkyoshithewarrior @kurokawa-aida @dabisdominion @chanayah @sevenseoul @marissaraeblr @amlnadya @weebintheinternet @shizukusimp @madmelle @soullesstaco @merrdlp @kouholic @kiyoomi-channie @kageyuh @kaachanultra @sabzhabib @134340-cm @toripersonalacc​ @itsimjaebeomsforehead @todobruhski  @graykageyama @coconut-dreamz @rienin @dawnsbaby @kagebunshiin  @heavenini @d-efend

[hes-a-rainbow]

Simply Meant To Be (Part One)

A/N: I’ve always loved soulmate AU’s so I wrote a little something based on my interpretation. I’ll only continue this if it gets good feedback so remember to like and share!

word count: 2k warnings: small mention of panic attacks. 

Soulmates weren’t a new concept. Many people argued soulmates were as old as the universe itself. But that didn’t stop the tiny twinge of jealousy that twisted in Rue’s stomach as she opened up yet another wedding invitation. She stared back at the smiling couple, one of her friends from high school that had met their soulmate a few years back in college. Another photo zoomed in on their ring fingers. Their first initials scarred on both of their fingers indicating their eternal bond. 

She flipped over the invitation to fill out the rsvp and dinner selection she would be having in a few months time. She also marked an ‘X’ next to ‘not bringing a guest’. She sighed as the tiny ‘X’ seemingly mocked her loneliness.

It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in soulmates, they were a fact of life since the beginning of civilization. It was merely the loneliness she felt seeing everyone meeting their soulmate while she still remained alone. Her best friend, Madison, who had met her soulmate back in kindergarten and she was now six months pregnant with their second child. 

There was no real science to when, where, or how you would meet your soulmate, it was just supposed to happen. Fate would eventually intertwine the lives of two people who were simply meant to be. Rue was now nearing 26. She had been in love before, as many before her, but the looming fact that her significant others’ soulmate could show up at any time kept her from anything long term. 

There was always that terrible thought in the back of her head; the one she had since she was young and still kept her up at night. Growing up, the concept of soulmates were taught in schools. Children mocked each other on the school yard that they would be forever ‘unmarked’, a term coined for those who were destined to be alone. It was a rare phenomenon but it still happened nonetheless.

She took a look at her left hand adorned with rings except for on her ring finger. She remembers spending hours as a child staring and hoping the initial of her true love would show up. But all these years later, it remained as bare as the day she was born. She never thought of herself as a pessimist and she knew she was still young (her parents hadn’t met until they were in their mid thirties) but it still hurt as she watched from the sidelines as seemingly everyone else was matched up.

The loud ringing of her cell phone snapped her out of her thoughts. Her friend and close confidante, Caroline, was calling. She swiped her finger across her phone and cleared her throat, “What’s up?”

“Well hello to you too!” Caroline’s voice roared back to her. She hit the volume button down lower as she knew Caroline was a loud talker. “I’m on my way to Rory’s. My guitar string broke this morning and Talia got called in for a late shift. Do you wanna stop by with me and then get take out for dinner?” Caroline’s soulmate, Talia, was a highly wanted chef in Hell’s Kitchen who worked nights at one of the most prestigious restaurants in the entire city. 

She stared at the digital clock on her oven that indicated it was only 5:30. “Sure, I just got home so just let me change and I’ll meet you at Rory’s.” She tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder and wandered over to her bedroom to pull out a pair of jeans.

“No need. I’m walking up your stairs as we speak.” Like clockwork, she heard the sound of Caroline’s knuckles knocking at her front door. 

“Jesus Caroline, and what if I had said no?” She walked over to the door, unzipping her work pants. Caroline’s bright smile and bleached blonde hair greeted her. “You can’t say no to me!” Caroline looked down at her friends’ outfit. “Cute but can I recommend something less librarian?” Caroline placed her guitar case by the door as Rue rolled her eyes but held the door open. She sauntered back over to her dresser to continue changing out of her work clothes. Caroline sat on her bed and basically held an entire conversation by herself as Rue simply replied with oh, uh huh, and that’s crazy.

.

.

Winter had come to the city fast, blanketing the city in a slick frost every morning. The two women walked side by side, bundled up in hats and scarves as they walked the two blocks from Rue’s apartment to Rory’s, an old music shop that also happened to be run by Rory, Rue’s upstairs neighbor and close friend. 

“And I know she’ll be upset if I spend so much money but she’s been talking about this knife set for months now.” Caroline rambled on about what she would be getting Talia for their upcoming anniversary. They weren’t married yet, or even engaged for that matter, but they had been together for nearly five years now and didn’t see the need to rush anything.

“I mean it is your five year. She can’t be too upset that you would want to splurge a little bit. But that’s also basically your whole paycheck. You’d basically be leaving it up to her to pick up that entire month’s rent.” Rue’s faded leather boots slapped the pavement as she hid her face further into the scarf wrapped around her neck, trying to warm up her freezing nose. It was almost completely dark out now which meant there was no sun to help ease off the cold.

“And what about that song you were working on? No amount of money spent could give Talia anything that personal and from the heart.” Caroline was an aspiring musician who worked full time as a coffee shop manager and played open mics on the weekends. Caroline hummed in response, her confidence slipping. “I’m just not sure if I like how it turned out…” She let her voice trail off and stared ahead as if in deep thought. 

“She’d love it no matter what. Anyone would.” Rue knocked her shoulder into her friends’. “I mean isn’t that like everybody’s dream? To have a song written about them?” 

“Yeah, I guess.” They both stopped at the old music store with the big ‘open’ sign in neon lights adorning the window.

“Ah fuck it’s cold out there.” Caroline announced as the warmth from the stores’ heater hit them. Rue untangled her scarf to hang loosely at her side. A loud bell indicated their arrival and they saw Rory’s head perk up from behind the register. 

“How much for an hour, ladies?” He called over to them and was met with not one, but two middle fingers from them both. Rory was only a few years older than them but had become especially close with Caroline because of their love of music. Rue worked as a receptionist at a law firm but worked a few shifts at the shop here and there when Rory needed extra help.

Caroline walked over to the counter and plopped her heavy guitar case on it. “String broke again.” She popped open the buckles on the side, lifting it up to reveal the old acoustic guitar she had been gifted as a teenager. The shine of the guitar had been long lost and was now replaced with a few dings and scratches but Caroline loved it no less than the day she got it.

“Damn Caroline. Really have to start being more careful with her.” Rory took the guitar out of it’s velvet bed by the neck and examined the broken string that hung lamely at the side. “This is the second time this month. What could you possibly be playing?”

“I’m trying to learn some flamenco techniques and it’s not going as well as I planned…” Rue wandered over to the wall that hung the electric guitars, zoning out the banter coming from her two friends.

She always admired the instrument but had absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. She loved how Rory kept all the guitars miraculously clean, there were never any fingerprints or smudges on them and she swear he went over every spot with a toothbrush to make sure. She reached for an acoustic guitar that was hanging lower than the more expensive ones.

“You break it, you buy it!” Rory called over to her as he always did. She huffed in response and propped her knee up on a low shelf that held a variety of guitar straps. She didn’t know how to play nor did she know any songs but she loved the sounds the strings made when plucked. She would find herself mesmerized when she watched Caroline play the guitar so effortlessly. Rue even thought back to when she was a child and took a few piano lessons here and there but could never get the hang of it.

As she stood under the guitars and heard Caroline and Rory bickering about which string would be the best replacement (of course his recommendation was also the most expensive brand he sold), the bell by the front door rung to indicate a new customer. Rue didn’t bother looking over as she played some random notes in an attempt to put something together but only to be met by a terrible ‘plunk’. She decided to put the guitar back before embarrassing herself even further in front of her very talented friends.

She was about to place the head of the guitar back on the hook it hung from when she felt an intense pain in her chest. The hand not holding the guitar went right to the center of her chest as a warmth ran over her body. Her ears started to ring and she teetered in her place before placing the guitar down on the floor, not wanting to damage it if she fell.

“Rue?” She heard her name coming from behind her but her eyes filled with stars. She opened and closed them as the pain in her chest increased, causing her to fall to the floor on her knees. She could hear frantic chatter coming from the counter but her only focus was calming her breathing. She had suffered from panic attacks before but the intense pain in her chest was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She heard footsteps running towards her as she released a groan from deep in her throat.

“Rue! What’s going on? Are you okay?” Caroline slumped to the floor next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. Rue’s vision was blurry and she blinked fast as her eyes started to water. A bang and a deep groan went through the store somewhere behind her. “Holy shit!” A stranger's voice yelled, “Harry, man, are you alright?” 

Suddenly, the pain Rue felt in her chest shot down her left arm. She felt as if she were dying. It was as if her skin was being cut from the inside out while also spontaneously being burned. “Rue! Rue!” She could hear Caroline calling her name but it came through as muffled though her ringing ears. She looked up to see a group of men standing by the counter. Rory was speaking frantically on his cell phone and she could see two men crowded around another who sat in the same position on the floor as she did. The brunette on the floor looked up and their eyes met. The overwhelming pain stopped suddenly as she stared at him. Pictures flashed in her mind of her and this man, someone who was a stranger to her but also oddly familiar. She saw his smile and heard her own laugh. She saw tears stream down his face and her own fingers wiping them away. 

What is this? She thought in her head. 

You know what this is. Her conscious replied.

Caroline’s face came back to her line of sight, “Hey Rue, look at me. It’s okay. You’re gonna be fine.” She held Rue’s face in her hands. Rue’s hands came up to clasp her friends’ wrist, her breathing rapid as her heart beat finally started to slow back to a normal pace. Her left hand still stung. More specifically, her left ring finger.

She pulled away from her friend quickly to examine the new mark that now adorned her skin. 

“Holy shit.” Rue rubbed at the mark with her other hand to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. But with every swipe, the letter remained. “Holy shit!” Rue heard Caroline agree as she looked down at Rue’s hand, but Caroline’s voice was filled with less fear and more glee than Rue’s.

There, on her left ring finger, still swollen and red was the letter H.

.

A/N: This is just an idea I have that I may or may not continue based on the feedback. I know Harry was literally just a mention in this part but I would obviously include him much more going forward. Let me know if you’re interested in what happens next and please like and share!

.

Part Two

[got-to-love-a-badboy]

Special guest

Previous chapter ^^^

Jack Grealish x Female reader

Chapter 3 - unexpected

Today was the day of the wedding, Ellie and Jessica were getting ready in their hotel room, Jamie was with Kalvin and the rest of the groomsmen in another.

The music was playing and the Prosecco was flowing whilst Jessica did Ellie's hair.

She decided on simple beach waves as her dress was quite vibrant, she chose a short red polka dot dress with a ruffle and tail at the side accompanied by some simple nude sandals with clear heels.

Before long Ellie's hair was done and she began on her makeup, she always took a lot of time and effort on her make up, wanting it to be perfect, she began with her foundation, adding just a little colour to her face as she had a beautiful natural tan, next she focused on her brows, these needed to be perfect, she had natural eyebrows but she liked to add a little more colour, finally she finished with some Smokey eyes, adding a lots of bronze tones and finishing off with her eye liner and lashes.

Liked by @Jessyshaw132. @Jackgrealish and 250 others.

@elllowe25 - wedding ready ❤️ 🍷

@jessyshaw132 - sexy mama!

@jamiee3 - scrub up well smelly.

@elllowe25 - ah thanks Lamie 😂

@jackgrealish - hey, ❤️

@elllowe25 - hey you...😍

@jessyshaw132- WTF!!!^^^

Ellie was outside the wedding venue having a full blown panic attack, "this is what Kalvin meant, 'il show him' he meant me!! And now he's commented and I just replied like I'm not a shy nervous wreck and he's going to speak to me and il fall flat on my face and choke and..." she rambled on but Jessica had heard enough, "no stop now!, you are Ellie fucking Lowe ok, your a hot piece of ass and Jack will be punching above his weight even talking to you!, just go in and enjoy your day, drink wine and dance with your stunning bestie, and if he comes and talks to you BREATHE!! He may be Jack Grealish but he is just a boy at the end of the day, you got this babe! Now come on your driving me insane, I need Prosecco", and with that Jessica dragged Ellie into the venue, which was a modern hall with lots of huge windows letting in natural light, everything was painted white with beautiful marble floors, it was just perfect.

Ellie and Jessica sat near the back of the room during the ceremony, Ellie chose the seats so she could see Jack from a distance but hopefully he couldn't see her, needless to say her plan failed and he saw her straight away from the front of the room, sending her a cheeky wink, she thought her heart would explode.

After the ceremony they made their way into the grand hall for the reception where they had an amazing sit down meal, again Jack and Ellie were sharing secret glances every few minutes, before long everybody began roaming the room, going to the open bar, dancing and socialising with other guests.

Ellie and Jessica took this chance to take the standard 100 selfies to find the best one before Jessica uploaded it.

Like by Jamiee3, Ellowe25 and 340 others.

@Jessyshaw132 - selfie with the bestie who I bet ditches my in the next hour 😂🥰

@Ellowe25 - Jess!! 🤦🏻‍♀️ god it's a good job I love you

@Jackgrealish less than an hour

@Jamiee3 - at least you won't be alone Jess, your boyfriend is here incase you forgot 👋

@ellowe25- 😂😂😂

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"No he didn't!!" Jessica shouts as she shows Ellie Jack's reply to her Instagram post, Ellie's eyes shoot open wide, "what do I do!", she was really beginning to panic now, "just go to the bar get a drink and breathe! You keep forgetting to breathe!, It's fine, he is just a guy!, a hot one but a guy", Ellie nodded at her friends answer, she supposed she was right.

Ellie headed to the bar and ordered a vodka and cranberry juice and waited patiently for the bar tender to make it, "so here you are", she knew that accent anywhere, she took a deep breath before turning around to see a very handsome Jack Grealish looking at her, he looked her up and down licking his lips before smiling at her, suddenly she felt a bit calmer, "in the flesh" she said as she looked him up and down in return, the two of them just looked at each other for a moment until the bar tender passed Ellie her drink, "thank you" she told him as she grabbed her drink.

Ellie turned back to jack who was now leaning against the bar, "you look amazing Ellie", he told her, Ellie bit her lip trying to hide her excitement, "thank you, you too", Ellie had a thought, she just had to know if what she heard Kalvin say was what she though, "how did you find me, like this morning on Instagram?", Jack smiled at her curiosity, "our mutual friend Kalvin", Ellie shook her head, "I knew it! That little snake", which caused the pair laughed.

Jack leaned forward and brushed her hair from her face, "This wasn't random babe, he would always talk to me about Ashleigh and their relationship when we was together at the Euros, and I always say to him that I wished I had a relationship like that, I told him my type and what I liked, he always told me, 'you will find her man, she will come when you least expect it', and not to be too forward but, she has, I stopped going on dates about 4 month ago, I just got bored of the lack of connection and n physical attraction, I knew they only wanted me for the fame, then last week I was texting Kal and he said someone was coming to the wedding who sounded like my dream woman, a friend of his cousin who was know for been beautiful, funny, cheeky and down to earth, had her own independent way in life, and here you are, when I least expected it at one of my best friends weddings.", Ellie stood with her mouth open for what felt like forever until she came too, "wow, that was something else Grealish", Jack laughed at her, Ellie looked over to her table and couldn't see Jessica anywhere, "she's dancing with her partner I assume?", jack said pointing over to the dance floor, there she was dancing with Jamie.

Ellie turned back to Jack who's hand was out, "will you join me?", he asked, Ellie thought for a second before taking his hand, "I'd love to", Jack entwined their fingers together as he lead her to the dancefloor, Ellie looked down at their hands that fit just perfectly in each other's, she smiled from ear to ear, this couldn't be real! Surely!.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

[aweecrush]

Prologue

Tuesday, October 16th 2007

“Jesus, I can’t believe you’re actually in the fucking plane - took you long enough! If I had known it took a wedding to get your arse back home, I would have had a couple by now, for God’s sake .”

“Michelle, you promised you wouldn’t start! ” Clare’s reproachful voice rose.

“Aye, first, I didn’t promise shit, and second, I told you, she’s not chickening out so chill out - right Erin?”

Despite the culpability and shame pricking at her skin, her heart warmed at their traditional bickering she wished she’d hear more often. At their voices. And, most of all, at knowing that in a few hours, she’d get to hear them for real.

Feck, she’d missed these eejits.

“Well, I’m not actually in the plane yet, we’re waiting to board. And then I still have that stupid long flight, and then the stupid long wait at stupid London, so don’t wait up - but yes, I’m definitely on my way,” she promised, earning herself an earful of high pitched cackles and happy swears.

Her heart welled up.

“So, how is the bride doing? She wasn’t home when I called earlier, and all Mammy could talk about was how the caterer was driving her crazy and how aunt Sarah almost set her own hair on fire trying a new hairdo she’d like to nail for the ceremony.”

Michelle snorted. “ Yeah, hilarious so it was. You should have seen your dad’s face, mental. ”

“It was terrifying,” Clare corrected, apparently still shaken.

Then, perked up. “Orla’s going to look so cute though - I can’t wait for you to see the dress!” Erin tried to ignore the sting of not having been there for such an important moment.

“We’re still trying to convince her out of drawing anything on it, but I’m not sure we’ll win this one, to be honest. Also, we’ve got everything almost ready to go for the bachelorette party, although I do need you to help me stop Michelle from bringing the tons of drugs she wants to, because - ”

“For feck’s sake Clare, Orla would love it! The girl is tying the knot, she deserves to get properly shit faced.”

“She said she wanted something small!”

“She said she would have liked to have a little something with just the five of us the night before. She never said anything about the actual bachelorette party being small - or fucking boring for that matter!”

“Just the five of us?”

The words spilled out before she could stop them, stupid that she was. At the other end of the line, the girls went uncharastically silent, and Erin cursed herself.

Feck.

“I mean, that’s grand. It’s cool, I thought it was just going to be one big night for the bachelorette party before the big day, but - I mean, that’s even better! Grand - cool.”

Christ on a bike, that was pathetic. She was.

“Yeah...The thing is, Orla wanted a wee night with just us Derry girls the night before the bachelorette party, hanging at the bar and stuff you know, because - Well, just because.” Poor Clare was rambling now, in a typical panicked Clare kind of way. “And we thought - Well, then we thought about it, and it turns out it’s not going to work, just timing-wise and stuff, so - “

“So the point is we dropped it.”

“Right. Yep.”

Again, silence, only betrayed by the hammering in her chest that she hoped her friends wouldn’t hear over her cellphone.

“Oh okay, well - that’s a shame.” Her casual slash over the top fake disappointment tone did nothing to help convince anyone, of course, herself included. She winced.

She promised herself it wasn’t going to be like this, though. She wasn’t going to ruin this for anyone - not a chance.

For God’s sake, catch yourself on Erin.

Pushing all dangerous thoughts aside, Erin took a deep breath. “In any case, I’m sure it’ll all be fine - really fine.”

There were another few seconds of silence, and she could just picture the worried look they were sharing - probably very similar to the one they had that particular, fateful day. To the one they had again when she told them she was moving away. Then -

“You bet it’ll be fine - feck, it will be absolutely brilliant is what it is! Wait til you see my dress, Erin - my tits look amazing in it.”

*

As it turned out, running all over the city for work for the past ten days and dangerously flirting with the limits of sleep deprivation did have a perk: her whole, eight hours flight, Erin slept like a log.

(Truth was, she could have done without the look of contempt and the ‘Miss? You have drool on your face’ from that stupid flight attendant who woke her up when they landed, but still - all in all, it went well.)

The wait at Stansted airport, however, was pure hell.

Because of the jitters, mostly.

Growing up, despite how much she loved to complain about them, Erin had never actually considered living away from her family. Well, not that far, at least - she’d always known she would leave Derry after high school, which they did, and it was glorious. War or not, she had a pretty nice life as a child and then a teenager, but those college years and the first ones that had followed - they were the best of her life.

Still, it was only Belfast at the time, and Belfast was a two hours drive from home. Erin knew that at some point, she wanted to go out in the world, maybe live abroad for a while, but this - New-York, all on her own, away for so long? She hadn’t planned that. Didn’t, really - it all went so fast, in the end.

It was a good thing too, because if she had stopped and thought about it for too long, she wasn’t sure she would have gone through with it.

(Then again, what else could she have done?)

Despite her dreams, and her need for independence, and her eagerness to see the world, Erin had never thought that she’d leave her family for that far, for that long. Orla had come to see her once, thank goodness, but Jesus -

On the last picture her Ma had sent her, Anna had grown so much, she almost looked like a wee woman. She’d forgotten the exact colour of that lipstick aunt Sarah wore all the time, she couldn’t remember each wrinkle on Granda’s beautiful face like she used to, and sometimes, she was afraid she was forgetting her Da’s smell and what her Ma’s voice sounded like in real life. She’d missed them so much, it hurt (a lot, often).

She just couldn’t wait any longer to get back to that crazy bunch, and those last, endless few hours? Torture so it was.

She was half considering starting to work on her next article to pass the time when across from her, Erin spotted a young couple bickering, their luggages next to their seats. She was a beautiful thing, red hair tied in a messy bun, and his brown curls fell above his forehead, all messed up.

She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could make out their accents. He looked like he was trying to make her smile, leaning over so he could kiss her, and she was doing everything she could not to laugh, weakly trying to escape his arms around hers, her pretense wavering with every second.

They were probably in their early twenties, just out of uni or something. They looked happy.

Her chest tightened, and suddenly, Erin felt the urge to cry.

Well, that was quick.

Shite. Shite shite shite.

It was okay, though - it was all fine. She knew herself by now - she was emotional as heck most days of the year (crazy, her Ma would say), but the day of her returning back home, with accumulated fatigue and an Atlantic crossing flight in her feet? Of course she'd get misty eyed at the first occasion. At anything, this just happened to be what, because they were very cute and - it was a coincidence, nothing more.

It was nothing.

The girl laughed, though, giving him a small slap over the head before she let him nuzzle his face in the crook of her neck. She brushed his forehead with her lips, a soft smile on them, and kept talking.

It was difficult, then, not to think about another time, another long wait, at the Bali airport this time. It was difficult, not to think about another English fella with wild, brown curls.

It was impossible, really, not to think about him.

Memories of a perfect trip came flooding back, of burnt skin and drunken smiles, of blue waters and green eyes. The tickles of the sun, the softness of his fingers over her exposed neck, her naked arms. Sweaty bodies pressed together during hot nights, slow breathes, so many new sights discovered, fingers intertwined.

Sometimes, the memory of his face hidden against her neck was so vivid, she could almost feel it. Just like she did now.

Her breath caught.

Sweet suffering Jesus.

Experience had taught her that she had to stop now - needed to, really, before her mind wandered to anything more. To everything else, every little thing that could, and would, make her heart ache even more than it already did.

(That’s another thing she’d found out: as it happened, the expression “heartbreak” wasn’t, in fact, an overly dramatic turn of words. Quite accurately descriptive it was, actually.

She often wondered when hers would stop feeling like it had been ripped into a million little pieces, but she was starting to lose faith that it ever would.)

Of course, she should have seen it coming, she knew that. She had, in fact. True to herself, she’d tried to ignore it, but she knew full well that with her coming back home, it would come back.

This painful, sneaky way every little thing seemed to remind her of before - of a life that felt so far away now.

Over the months, the many months since she’d been gone, she’d gotten it almost under control. Everyday life brought its distractions, particularly in a city like New-York: running between brunches and dinners, partying with her cool American friends, writing for a newspaper in the Big Apple, it was easy, forgetting what you wanted to, if only for so long. She was becoming a real life city girl, a full time one, and that was exactly what her busy brain - her treacherous heart - needed.

With time, every sight, every sound, every smell no longer reminded her of home - the place, the person. With time, she’d moved on.

Yes, sometimes - often - she’d wavered, but that was normal: having been close to someone meant that they lived with you forever, she couldn’t help that. At some point, it would just die down enough that she’d just be able to call it the past without her insides hurting.

(She thought it would, with Matt. Maybe not with the others before him, they were just passing through - but with him, she thought it would. She couldn’t really explain how it all made the permanent weight on her chest even heavier instead, somehow.)

But it hadn’t died down yet, and even though it was normal and okay and to be expected, six weeks ago, Erin had booked her tickets, and six weeks ago, she had lost the grip over the carefully built barriers she’d made sure to rise in the meantime for - well, self-preservation, really.

It started small. The song that had played this one special night, resonating through Starbucks as she waited for her drink. That sweatshirt her colleague bought one day that reminded her of another one. That scarf in the store that looked so much like Doctor Who’s.

But then...Then, it was every day, every damn day, just like the beginning - even worse, if she was being honest. Up until yesterday, when she boarded that damn plane.

Up until now, in this stupid airport where she didn’t want to cry.

Arms tightened around her own chest, Erin willed herself not to, even though it was becoming evident that there was no ignoring the memories and the aching now. Even though, just like she feared, it was becoming perfectly clear that there was no escaping anymore, no pretending that she wasn’t the worst person in this Goddamn country, that the worst hadn’t happened.

Even though she could feel the fear mixed with longing and excitement and dread and a million other emotions that had painfully, permanently taken residence in her stomach now that she was home.

(That had taken roots there ever since the day she left, so it did.)

Shite.

Sitting back up, Erin shook herself. No, no, no, no - she could do this.

She’d grown, she’d prepared herself. She’d even planned what to say if...She was ready. Responsable, mature, and ready. And she won’t have to face this alone.

In a few hours, she was going to see the people who raised her. In a couple of days, wee Orla was getting married. She’d come up with excuses after excuses not to come home, even for Christmas - babbling something about being overloaded with work even though it made her heart ache to know she’ll be alone for the holidays for the first time in her life. Even though she knew full well her Ma didn’t buy a single word, very aware of the real reason she was staying away. She didn’t say a single word, though, and Erin was grateful.

No more, though.

For months and months, Erin had found reasons to stay away for the exact reasons that were chipping away at her heart more and more by the second, but now her baby cousin was getting married, and she’d see her family, and they’ll hold her close, and she’ll find a way to bury all the stuff that was so, so much more difficult to ignore now that she was coming home.

Maybe - maybe it will be difficult, but they’ll be here to help her through it. She’ll be there for her family, and they’ll be here for her.

Fighting the urge to reach out for the folded photograph in her wallet (the one that brought so much comfort and so much else she’d rather avoid at the same time, the one she clinged to but pretended she didn’t), Erin just breathed, and moved to change seats.

Everything would be fine, in the end. It will be grand.

*

Except her family didn’t come.

No one did.

It was eight thirty in the morning, and, her cellphone penibly stuck between her ear and shoulder as she struggled to zip her jacket to protect herself from the freezing cold, Erin tried to swallow her disappointment.

“Aye I’m sorry love, it looks like you’re going to have to get a cab,” her Ma announced before yelling something at her Granda in the distance.

Erin couldn’t help but notice the fact that she didn’t seem that sorry, not at all in fact. “Your Da was going to come get you, but there’s a problem of some kind where the reception is, and he had to take Orla.”

Erin nodded, even though her Ma couldn’t see her. “Yeah, sure. I’ll just - ”

“We’ll give you the money back for the cab when you arrive. Alright, I gotta go love, we’re checking the hair accessories for the big day - see you in a bit.” And with that, she hung up.

Well.

Here went her big welcome home, eh.

Again, it was nothing, though, she reasoned. She was a grown up now, of course she understood that something had come up, and that this all delayed their big reunion from only an hour, tops. So really, there was no reason to get upset.

None.

She wished she wasn’t getting upset.

From what she told her, Clare would be putting together gift bags now, and there was absolutely no doubt that Michelle was still snoring. Pocketing her cell as best as she could, Erin bit the inside of her cheek and started looking for the only plan B she had left, ignoring the burning in her eyes. It really was nothing - she’ll be fine.

It didn’t matter that she took forever to get a cab, for some reason, or that her luggage fell over her foot when they tried to put it in the truck, or that her handbag crashed on the floor and spilled everywhere.

Erin did know she tended to be over dramatic - and yes, maybe borderline crazy, Ma wasn't completely wrong - but she was more mature now, so instead of getting riled up, instead of being crushed by the fact that her family didn’t seem to have missed her as much as she did them, and that the land she grew up on was sending her sign after sign that she wasn’t welcomed back, Erin breathed.

Instead of being violently overwhelmed by memories at every corner of the place she’d grown up in, the place where they met and it all began, she did - she tried to breathe, slowly, carefully, squeezing her scarf in her hand a little too tight.

(That was another thing about your close ones not coming to get you at the airport after you left your country to run away: there wasn’t much to distract you from the memories you were running away from.)

She wouldn’t cry. She was just tired, and being stupid, and she wasn’t coming home with puffy red eyes - no way.

They passed the mall they all used to hang out at, and her throat tightened so much, it felt like the air had left the inside of the car. She saw the movie theater he was always so eager to bring her to in the distance, and a familiar pang of missing shot through her chest. Her heart twisted that particular way when they drove by the hiding spot of their early days, but even though she wondered how she was still holding her tears, she did.

After what felt like an eternity, the car finally pulled up her street, and Erin hadn’t shed one silly tear. She’d done it. She could do it.

By the time she pushed their small barrier and started for the couple of stairs, all Erin wanted was to collapse into bed and black out. Orla and Da wouldn’t be home, Ana would probably still be asleep, and given the day and time, Grandda would have gone for his walk. She’d give a big hug to Ma and Aunt Sarah, pretext a headache, and go lie down.

As she struggled to get her bags through the door while keeping the damn thing open, Erin shouted, cursing herself at how strangled her voice sounded. “I’m home!”

Finally managing to get everything and herself inside, she collapsed on the wall behind her, only now taking in the wallpaper, the coat hangers, the shoes by the entry.

Damn - she was home.

The emotion was so striking, she didn’t quite have the time to stop the tears from welling up in her yes, taken by surprise.

She moved before it all became too much and shrugged off her coat, feeling her insides warm at the familiar surroundings, and yet her heart ache at not having the usual voices that went with it, the faces that she wanted so much to see. She shouted again, but there was still no response.

Ma and aunt Sarah must have had something to do, then. It was fine, she thought as she pushed the living door open. It was, she’d just grab a glass of water and -

“SURPRISE!”

And just like that, Saturday Night started playing from somewhere, overcoming the shouting and the party whistles that had broken the silence so suddenly, Erin had jumped out, her back hitting doorframe behind her. There was colours and and noise and arms waving in every direction, and Erin vaguely realized that she was covered in confetti that matched the balloons and the hats.

Somehow, she noticed that they all had one: Michelle, up on the sofa, Clare, jumping in place at the other side of the room, Orla and the giant teddy bear she was holding. Anna, her pink one stuck on top of her mass of blond hair. Aunt Sarah and Grandda, both holding hands and arboring the same green one. Her Ma, her Da, tears in their eyes, huge grins on their faces, red and yellow ones falling over.

Her brain had stopped functionning, so she couldn't be sure, but Erin thought that her legs were giving out.

Before they did, though, both her parents closed the distance and hugged her close, whispering things she couldn't quite make sense of just yet. Their voices in her ear, their smell surrounding her, Erin broke her promise to herself, and finally let the tears come flooding as she held them back as close as she could.

She was home.

[caxsthetic]

Completely Lost

Miya Atsumu x F!Reader

There will be a day when happiness could finally come to his life. But it’s just not now.

Pt. 3 < Epilogue

"You know? I think I never want you to be out of my life."

Miya Atsumu remembered well the first time he confessed those words to you. It was in his first year of high school when life was so much easier. That time, you were walking home with him and his twin after their practice. And after days contemplating himself about the right way to make you his, he decided to just go with it.

It was sweet, how he demanded you to be his. How his thumb grazed your lips to ask for permission before crashing it on yours when your orbs glinted with love. Two people with the same feelings, there was nothing that stopped you from being together. His life felt one hundred percent better with you as his lover. You were together for more than a year, and those days were the best moment in his life.

Yet he just had to ruin it.

Blinding by his pride, he insulted you, stomping on your heart while the only thing that you wanted was just to be there for him. He hurt you, spitting unforgivable words in order to make you go away. All because he was ashamed to face you after his loss, and his pride was just too large to the point it caused him to self-destruct.

Then he remembered how his twin told him about his own feelings towards you, the same girl who was now grown up to be a wonderful lady. You were now walking slowly towards his twin, a smile adorned your face as your eyes fixated on the black haired man that he called his brother. You looked so majestic today, with the white dress wrapping perfectly around your figure.

Sweat kept trickling down his face as he practiced for the next tournament. He didn't stop for hours, knowing for sure he would fight against the best setter in the country. He was so grateful to have teammates that were as competitive as him, accompanying him to practice until late at night without once emitted complaint.

"Oi, Tsum-Tsum!" He turned his head to the sideline after giving a toss to one of his teammates, "Your phone is ringing!"

"Who is it?" He screamed out and put his hands on his hips, trying to catch as much oxygen as he could. His teammate, who was the ace of the team, looked at his phone to see the caller ID.

"Oh, it's Miya-san!" The setter blinked, wondering why his twin decided to call him this late at night. Osamu rarely called, it must be something important to make his twin call him, "Should I answer first?"

"Yes, tell him I would be there in a second." Atsumu walked to grab a towel, dabbing his head with it and wrapped it around his neck. He decided to grab a bottle of mineral water before heading towards the ace.

He wondered what might be the news about, it's been months since his twin released his business. Everything was going smoothly for the two of them. And he was happy, to know that the ex-wing spiker was now battling in his real arena. (Even if it took him a whole year to see that.)

"Oh, he's here! And congratulations, Miya-san!" The ace immediately gave the phone to Atsumu who was now raising one of his eyebrows because of the words that he just heard. He sensed something when his twin decided to call him. He thought it was some bad news at first, but hearing the ace congratulate his twin, it must be great news instead — at least, at least for one of them.

"Oi, Samu." There was a smile shaped on his face in an instant every time he talked with the owner of the Onigiri Miya, feeling at home already no matter how far they were apart, "I conclude this is going to be good news, right? Since Bokkun congratulated you and such."

"Yeah, yeah it is." Somehow, Atsumu could know that his twin was smiling so wide on the other line, "Hey, 'Tsumu." He decided to sit on the bench now once his name was called. He didn't know why, but it felt like he needed to prepare his heart.

"Yes, Samu?"

"She said yes."

Atsumu suddenly felt like he was in some kind of illusion, everything felt so unreal, and he couldn't quite process the meaning behind those three words that he just heard from his twin. He knew, he understood very well, but the other side of him just could not accept it.

"W-What do you mean?"

"I-I proposed to her tonight," He could hear a sigh from the other line, and Atsumu didn't know it was either a sigh of relief, or a sigh of guilt. "And she said yes."

The setter almost choked with the information that he just got. Six years has passed since he let you go for his twin. But he couldn't eliminate the sizzling ache inside his heart right now.

And Osamu knew, he knew too well that the setter never moved on from your love, at least not completely. Every time they talked about you, it would always end up with Atsumu almost tearing up. Even though the volleyball player already tried to suppress his feelings, at the end, he failed miserably.

Maybe it's because the bond between twins was indestructible, and somehow ever since you came into their life, Osamu would become more observant when it comes to Atsumu. So if anything, he knew too well that the setter could still get the aching feeling in his heart, even right now as he shared the news.

"O-Oh! That's great news indeed!" Atsumu's voice broke the silence, "I am so happy for the two of you!" It was not really him that was talking, it was his coping mechanism, the side that he put when he tried to hide his broken state, "How was it? Tell me what you did, Samu."

"'Tsumu."

"Did you serenade her? Ah no, that's impossible."

"Atsumu.”

"Oh! I know, you must have cooked the best food for her, right?"

"ATSUMU!"

The setter was taken aback by the outburst, he let out a long sigh when he realised that he was just rambling. He bit his lip, trying to suppress the tears that were already forming on his eyes. Atsumu never cried, at least not about anything else, it only happened when the topic spun around you.

"I am sorry, Tsu-"

"No, don't say that. You didn't do anything wrong." He wiped his cheek with the towel that was wrapped around his neck from before, didn't want anyone else to see him like this, "I-I am really happy for you, for the two of you."

Osamu was speechless, he knew that his twin was genuine. But he couldn't help but sensed the sorrow that was dripping in every word that just blurted out from his twin's lips.

"Thank you, Tsumu." It was always like this, him thanking his twin for letting you go. Osamu may endure the pain for the first five years of loving you, but now, his twin was the one who needed to endure the feelings for you, for god knows how long.

"Meh, it's all your victory, Samu." The setter was now calmed down a little. He couldn't show how much the information hurt him, not in front of someone that he deeply cared for. Tonight was Osamu's night, for getting your hand in marriage, the start of a journey that may last forever.

So it's not his place to be the victim, it's not his place to show the pain, it's not his place to snatch the joy from his twin. The black haired man had done so much for him, and he must do the same. He just needs to endure the pain, one more time.

"Have you set the wedding date?"

He stood up once he saw you and his twin walked gracefully in the middle of the reception venue. Everyone was clapping once they all saw the newlywed couple finally arrived, looking so happy with arms linked to each other.

Atsumu could only gazed at the two, heart beating so fast as he saw how beautiful you look today. You were so breathtaking, a smile never leaves your face due to the fact you have got the love that would last forever, something that had been your dream since teenage years.

No matter how much he had tried to keep his imagination away, it was all falling apart once he saw you. He imagined himself to be the one who put the ring in your finger, to be the one who kissed you every day, to be the one who felt your love until the end of time.

But he let those dreams slip between his fingers, and now you were standing there with someone that he deeply cared for. There was no regret, it was the path that he chose once he knew that his twin felt the same towards you.

He had no regret, because now the two best people in his life would be happy together.

Atsumu was really lost in thought, his gaze could only focus on you. The table that he was on right now consisted of him with his high school volleyball team. They were the people who were there when you still belong to him, and they couldn't help but feel worried for the setter.

There were tears brimming in his eyes as he clapped and laughed over something that the wedding host threw at the audience. But all of his friends knew the only thing that occupied his mind right now. His smile may be so genuine, but it would show a glimpse of pain once in a while.

Atsumu didn't even realise that it was now the time to dance. He stood up, searching for his twin to congratulate him. His eyes scanned the crowd and looked around at the same time to take notes of the decoration and such — Maybe for his own wedding someday but somehow he doubted that — It's not much around here, and he chuckled because he knew too well that his twin didn't want an extravagant venue, the ex-wing spiker just wanted the wedding to be just right.

But in the middle of his quest, he was stopped at the sight of you. You were greeting your friends here and there, your smile didn't falter even after hours since the ceremony. And when you finally looked up and caught his gaze, time seemed to freeze around him.

He thought you would turn your head away immediately, so he didn't expect you to walk towards him instead. There was a faint smile on your face as you walked, and he couldn't help but hold his breath when you finally stood in front of him.

"Atsumu." Your voice was gentle, greeting the now shocked man, "You okay there?" No, I am not. But he was just silent, staring at your gorgeous complexion within close range. You were chuckling at his awkward stance, not even thinking that this man could ever act like this.

"I-I am okay," He cursed himself for even stuttering. But then he heard you laugh, and maybe him being a total idiot in front of you was worth it, "Congratulations, (Y/n)." The song played in the background as the two of you stood there. It was a classic old song, but being sung by someone else. And right now as he stared at you, he couldn't help but wanted to ask you to dance.

He contemplated this, would it be okay for him to even steal the first dance from his twin? He had a gut feeling that Osamu wouldn't mind, but it felt not right. That and the fact of you turning him down was haunting his mind right now.

"Want to dance with me, Atsumu?" He was now standing there dumbfounded as he could not believe the question that was thrown for him. Even after all these years, somehow you still managed to amaze him, "Even though we haven't talked for years, it doesn't mean that I lost my mind-reading ability." He snorted at your joke. It was true though, you knew him like the back of your hand. As if never to be in touch for so long could waive the bond that was once laced perfectly.

"Is that okay?" Atsumu was being considerate over Osamu feelings, and you knew this. So you had to be the one who pulled him to the dance floor, slipping through the inner circle in between dresses and suits, "Samu will kill me."

"Mhm, maybe." You joked and put your hands on top of his shoulders as he timidly put his hand on your hips. "Don't be so stiff, Atsumu!" How could he not? It's been years since the last time he saw you. And now as you were so close to him, his mind racing for the sole fact that he could do things that weren't supposed to happen.

But the song and the atmosphere calmed him down within a second. You were now the only thing that existed in this world; at least that's what he felt right now. You close your eyes and just sway your body slowly, enjoying the song and dance.

At that moment, Atsumu just wanted to cry. It was your perfect wedding idea, to dance with anyone you care about, throwing the bouquet after this, then ending it with a toast. Just that simple.

"Hey, (Y/n)." You looked up, eyes staring at the brown orbs who was now looking at you with the same gaze that he gave you all those years ago.

Shall I stay?

"I am sorry, for that day." You knew what day that he meant, and you smiled at this, "I am sorry for just saying it now. Years, I am such an idiot." He chuckled to hide the pain, so he didn't have to make you worried.

Would it be a sin?

"No matter what happened, I still want to keep you in my life forever." There's a veiled meaning behind those words, "And thanks to Samu, my wish had been granted!"

If I can't help

"So, yeah... I am sorry for what I have done to you," His brown eyes were glossy now, "I hope you will always be with him."

Falling in love with you

"Because now you finally have the love that will last forever." Your pupils dilated a little when he said those words, not believing that he still remembered the words that once came out from your lips.

You couldn't believe it, eyes frantic as you realised the hidden message behind his words. Miya Atsumu was still in love with you, even after all these years, "Atsumu, I-"

"May I have this dance?" Your husband suddenly appeared beside you, and Atsumu could see how your eyes calmed down instantly at the sight of his twin. He then took your hand from his shoulders and gave it to the happiest person in this room.

"She's all yours, Samu." Atsumu winked at you, trying to reassure you that he would be alright, "You were gone so I couldn't help but steal her away for a minute." He teased his twin, making the poor man send him an annoyed glare.

But it changed right when the grey orbs fell to your figure. Osamu's whole demeanour changed as he was now the one who put their hands on your hips. From that action, you immediately wrapped your arms around his neck, closing the gap as you put your head at the crook of his neck.

Atsumu bowed a little and walked away from the couple, searching for a drink to calm his heartbeat. With a glass of champagne on his hand, he walked back to his seat, sipping slowly as his brown eyes were back to the sight of you and his twin, dancing in the middle of the room without a care for this world.

When the realisation finally hit him, he broke down right when his high school friends were back to the seat. His ex-captain handed him a tissue and said nothing. They let him cry, pouring all of his pain that he endured for these past few years since he let you go.

It was painful when the truth seeped into his heart. It was his dream to keep you in his life, but this is not the scenario that he had when he confessed those words to you all of those years ago.

He wanted you to be a Miya, but it was his name that he wanted on the wedding certificate, not his twin. This was not the ending that he wanted, this was not in his mind when he kissed you that night.

But it was the best choice that he ever made in his life.

He straightened his posture, hearing his name as the host called out to him. He didn't realise that it was time to give a toast. After dabbing his eyes to erase any remaining tears, he took a deep breath and strided into the stage, didn't forget to bring a glass of champagne in his hand.

Atsumu looked at his twin who was now having his arm circled around your waist. It was a sight to behold, the sight that he wanted to be unfolded as he made the decision that day he let you go.

You looked so happy, in the arms of someone who you were sure will love you forever. For the people out there, forever may be a long time, but if it was spent with the right person, it would be a bliss until the end of the day.

If he could let you go before, maybe he could let your heart go even though it means you have his heart as you walk into your own journey with his twin. Osamu gave him a reassuring smile, eyes lingered with gratitude as he gazed towards the setter.

If he couldn't love another person except you, then may it be, he was ready. Because for him, watching the two people that he loved the most were happy together was something that he wouldn't trade for anything.

He let out the heavy heart that he felt with a sigh and smiled, embracing the future that would come in his way,

"Hello everyone! May I please have your attention for just a few brief, heartfelt moments as we toast for the lovely bride and groom?"

And that time as he smiled genuinely to the crowd, everything just felt so right.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*     ༶• ┈┈ ⛧ ┈ ♛ ♛ ┈ ⛧ ┈┈ •༶     *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Tagged Lovelies:

@benewol @letmeshouyou @nitricflame @vventure @heccingdead @muffins-puffins @miyulovestowrite @nanashinanashi @vlovers-world @proplayer-kenma @kashika @cuddlyasahi @blacckdiamondposts @muffngw @baby-boy-taichi @of-heroes-and-dreams @for-ests @bobothecircusclown @call-me-prodigy @xjaelee @miyatsunami @ncityluvvs

[pascalpanic]

Vera Vota (Deity!Maxwell Lord x f!Reader)- Prologue: Vera Vota & Chapter One: A Strange Accent

Summary: The god of wishes, known to humans as Maxwell Lord, is looking for entertainment and chaos. It’s been a while since he meddled with the humans, and he crafts the perfect package for a disaster. Choosing the first kind person he sees (reader), he bestows the Dreamstone to the mortal in an attempt to bring some destruction to the world. After all, he believes man is inherently evil. Maxwell will soon learn: is man truly evil, or do the pure of heart exist out there?

WC: 537 (Prologue), 2k (Chapter One)

Warnings: none (Prologue), Maxwell Lord being chaotic and a little forward (Chapter One), separate ratings will apply as new chapters are released

A/N: Well! Here we are! This will be my first series and I can’t wait for everyone to read it. Thank you so much to @poesflygirl, @ilikechocolatemilkh​, and @mandoalorian​ for your help and listening to my endless rambles!

Prologue: Vera Vota (Latin, “wishes come true”)

He was looking for chaos. When wasn’t he? As the gods often did, he turned to humanity for entertainment. It had felt like eons since he had meddled with the humans, creating fool’s gold to mess with them. What could he do? What could throw a wrench into the machine of humankind?

It had to be something of his own devising. He couldn’t use something that some other god had created, nor could he use something made by a human. But it needed power, enough to control all of their world. He couldn’t manipulate a country at a time… no, for maximum effect, he needed to start with just one human. 

The human would have to be trusting, someone at least somewhat good. It would be easier to trick a naive human into cooperation than it would be to find one willing to follow through once they knew of his plan.

Now, what could he do? What could one randomly selected human do to bring a sense of panic across their measly globe? It had to be some kind of weapon. Not the giant bombs that humanity had already created. Nothing destructive in a physical way. Something that would make the humans… wish. He was the god of wishes, after all. 

What if… no, he thought. That wouldn’t work… or would it? 

The random human, they would be given something so powerful to turn them into a superhuman. They would be granted some ultimate power, and he would use their power as his little game. 

He hummed and tapped his fingers on the pyrite throne beneath him, stirring the infant griffin resting on his shoulder. “Hello, my dear,” he murmured. “No need to worry. Just your father thinking,” he told the little thing and stroked its tiny wings. 

He crossed his legs and gazed at the marble ceiling, letting his brain come up with any idea he could. Humans were fools, he knew. But what if…

Using his power, he conjured a token. He wasn’t sure what it would be; he allowed the power to choose something in a perfect shape for it. He smiled as he opened his eyes. Hovering between his hands was a warm orange stone, a little bit of rock at the base. A dream stone, he nodded. He took the object in his hands and brought it to his lips, breathing power into it. 

What power, he wondered, will bring humankind to their knees? What will they be willing to allow in? What did humans… want?

That was the answer, he realized and he breathed the power of the wish into the stone, now faintly glowing inside. No two humans wanted the same thing. The stone could grant wishes. But that wasn’t enough. If the stone could only grant wishes, it would only cause wonderful things. No, the stone had to do something else… like take something in return. His hot breath made the crystal glow brighter, even warming in his hands. 

“Perfect,” he murmured and pressed a kiss to the stone in his hands. The glowing stopped, and the stone returned to its cool temperature of before, matching the ambient air around it. He grinned into the crystal, still holding it to his face. It is time for the chaos to begin.

Chapter 1: A Strange Accent

You aggressively jam the walk button, shoving your hands inside of your sweater again. It’s quite chilly outside, the coldest day of the fall so far, and you want nothing more than to get indoors as soon as possible. You hadn’t expected it to get cold and so you were vastly unprepared as you walked home from work, wrapping the cardigan tighter around your body. You scurry across the street, sighing as you open the door to your favorite coffee shop and are immediately flooded with warmth and the scent of espresso. 

Sighing, you wander towards the counter to place your order, your face forming a frown as you notice there’s someone in line. The shop is usually desolate at this hour, just a short time before they close for the night. People rarely want coffee this late, but you need it tonight. It was a long day at the office, and you had been caught up in editing a manuscript when you looked up and discovered it was dark.

The man is taking a while to order, and you cross your arms as you stand behind him and wait. His voice has an odd lilt to it, and you listen to the tone as he tells the barista what he wants. Your brow furrows in concentration, trying to place his accent. It sounds like his native tongue is some kind of romance language, maybe Spanish or Portuguese. Unintentionally, you lose yourself in the drone of the man’s voice.

You’re jilted from your state of near mesmerization as he turns and makes eye contact with you. Almost gasping, you bite on your lip. He must’ve noticed you staring at him in some reflection, or noticed your eavesdropping, you think, but he cuts your thoughts off in your tracks. “Excuse me, miss. Do you have a dollar bill?” he asks in that enchanting voice, his eyes trained on yours, bulging from the interruption.

Oh, she’s absolutely perfect, Maxwell thinks to himself, a small smile on his face. He’s always loved the humans that are taken aback by him, the humans attracted to him. It strokes his ego, plain and simple.

You nod and open your purse, rummaging for a bill without a hesitation. You’re a helpful person, this is no different, you tell yourself. You frequently share your spare change with the homeless folks on the streets of D.C. as you walk to work. If a stranger simply asks for a dollar, you oblige. It has nothing to do with how entranced by this man you find yourself. 

As you hand him the bill, you look up and over his torso and face. He’s wearing a large pinstriped suit and a coat on top of it, fitting the fashion of the current year. His skin is a beautiful color, indescribable really. His face has deep lines but they fit him, and his eyes are a lovely chocolate brown. His hair seems to be highlighted; you find that odd, but don’t comment. It works on him, a layer of gold above a similar chocolate brown to his eyes. His eyes meet yours again and he smiles. “Thank you, miss…” he trails off and raises an eyebrow, asking for your name.

You tell him with a nod and he takes your hand in his, kissing the knuckles, his eyes never leaving yours. No ring on the wedding finger, good. “You’re welcome. I mean, it’s a dollar,” you ramble and shrug a little, feeling the butterflies stir in your stomach at his gaze. 

He drops your hand gently and smiles. “Still, very generous. Thank you.” He nods and turns back to the barista, who asks for his name. The man takes a moment, an almost suspicious amount of time, before feigning that he didn’t hear her. “Maxwell,” he says slowly, his voice as sweet and shimmering as the golden color of honey.

It’s a name that fits the man. Plenty of men went by Max. Hell, it’s 1984, that’s one of the most common names, you think to yourself. But Maxwell holds a different tone. It’s elegant, refined. Very much like the man. He pays her and turns to you once more. “Could I have the honor of sitting with such a kind woman while we drink our coffee?” he offers.

Despite your beauty, you’re not very used to flirtation. It makes your heart skip a little bit in your chest to hear the words, especially from such a gorgeous man. You had planned on taking your coffee to go, but his offer makes you weak at the knees. “I’d like that,” you nod and he points to a nearby table, informing you that that’s where he’ll be. You nod and order from the barista, the one you’ve known for a while now, and she gives you an excited little smile. 

After you order, you sit across from Maxwell at the small table. “So, what brings you here this late?” you ask him, genuinely curious.

He shrugs. “Something inside of me told me I needed a cappuccino, I suppose,” he shrugs, eliciting a small giggle from the both of you. God, he’s beautiful, you think to yourself as you look at him. You prop your chin on your palm as you look over at the man, waiting for the real answer. “What about yourself?” he asks.

You look at him with curiosity, surprised he never gave a real reason. “Well,” you chuckle, fidgeting with your hair with your free hand, “I stayed far later than I was supposed to at the office. I’m an editor, and I have this novel I need to finish looking over by tomorrow morning. I was working on it all day, since I forgot about it, but then I looked at the clock and it was 7:30. I need to keep working on it, though, so I figured I’d drop by this place for some espresso.” Normally you’d never babble like this, but something in his behavior compels you to spill everything. “I need to get home and finish it, so I need something to keep me up while I do it.”

Maxwell’s expression droops a little. “Don’t let me keep you,” he says, tilting his head a little. “If you need to get home and work on it, do it.” He presents you the easy out, allowing you to leave right now. You don’t take it, and he smiles a little to himself. You’re the person, he decides then and there.

“No, no. I needed a break. It hurts my head to stare at that tiny writing for too long,” you chuckle and shake your head. “It was perfect timing for me.”

“Me too,” he says, trying to hold the excitement back from his smile. His first try, his first descent to Earth on his little mission, and he finds the perfect mark. The barista calls out your names and you scoot your chair back to move but he holds out a hand. “No, allow me,” he says with a gentlemanly gesture, his hand resting on your shoulder for a moment. 

Maxwell returns with two porcelain mugs on matching white saucers, setting your drink in front of you. Your macchiato steams enticingly and it takes all of your effort to hold back from grabbing the hot drink and downing it, letting the warmth radiate through your core. Instead, you cup the mug with both hands, sighing as it warms your cold fingers. You look over at his drink, a cappuccino. It’s fitting, you think, bringing the coffee close to your face and letting the steam warm your frost-chilled nose. 

The two of you converse for a while. It’s less conversation, you realize after a moment, and more of the two of you discussing your life. You stop once you realize that. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling. Tell me about yourself,” you say and change the topic, sipping the last of your macchiato and setting the empty mug back down on the saucer.

Maxwell sighs and pushes his wavy gold hair from his eyes. “Are you a religious woman?” He asks. 

How abrupt, you think to yourself, and shake your head. “This is about you-”

“It will be, but answer that first.” His response is odd and your throat goes dry. Did you just find yourself extremely attracted to this man only for him to start pitching Scientology to you or something? You shake your head again. “Is that no, you’re non-religious, or no as in you’re an atheist?” he asks. This situation is increasingly odd, and you gather your cardigan around yourself. “Not religious, just don’t have thoughts on that. If you’ll excuse me-” you start to sling your purse across your shoulder but he puts a hand on yours, stopping you, calling your name. 

He looks into your eyes, and you can’t quite read them, but his expression is certainly odd. “Good. I…” he trails off. “I’m a deity,” he admits to you.

You snort a laugh at that. “Okay, and I’m secretly the heir to Atlantis. Thanks for the conversation, Maxwell, but-”

“Watch,” he commands you, and you follow as he brings his fingers to the edge of your mug. Your mind races suddenly; did he spike it? Are you about to get murdered? He traces a finger around the rim and suddenly, the mug is refilled with a steaming macchiato. You blink in confusion. “There’s no way…” you trail off, murmuring, staring at the cup and sitting again. You lift the mug, feeling the heat radiating through the porcelain. You look up at him and he has a small smile. 

“What else do you want me to do to prove it?” He asks. 

You bite your lip and look down. “Tell me my childhood dog’s name.”

He chuckles and leans back in his seat. “I’m not omniscient. I’m the god of wishes, my dear,” he smiles, and you notice there’s a glint of gold shining through the previously solid brown irises in his eyes. “Tell me to do something, and I can do it.”

This is terrifying, you have to admit, but it’s real. It has to be. There’s no other explanation for that. “You just refilled my mug. Make it tea.” 

“You have to wish for it,” he tells you, face clearly showing he’s getting pleasure from showing off his powers to you. “Touch me and wish for it.”

Groaning, you put your hand on top of his. “I wish for you to change this coffee to tea,” you say, fed up with his mood. 

The man nods and the foamy brown contents of the mug become a clear green tea. You swallow hard as you look down at it, in disbelief. “Go on, try it,” he tells you, a smirk on his face. 

“How do I know you didn’t do something to it? That it doesn’t have drugs in it?”

“I give you my word.”

It still scares you, but you lift the mug with shaky hands and sip it. It’s green tea, plain and simple.

“Since you gave me that dollar,” he explains, “I am indebted to you. I have a gift I believe you will want. A gift that will allow you to fulfill your wildest dreams.”

You narrow your eyes. “That doesn’t sound worth a dollar.”

Maxwell chuckles at that. “It’s not the dollar; it’s the fact that you gave it to me so willingly. You are a worthy human of this, what I am going to give you.”

This doesn’t make sense. You shake your head. “No, no thank you. I can’t- no.”

“Yes. This is for you,” he tells you, and out of nowhere, he’s holding an amber-colored crystal. “As a gift of my thanks.” You reluctantly take it from him, admiring it, unsure of what it does, what it is. You open your mouth to speak but he beats you to it. “This is the Dreamstone.”

[rhinotheamazing]

One side, Two lives

Chapter ten

Is he ok?

First Previous Next

Warnings: slight gore, panicked attack, and mention of eating disorder

Where the heck am I?  Virgil thought as he took in his surroundings. He couldn’t see anything except himself, as I he was standing in a pit of nothingness. He tried to to walk around but the blackness seemed to go on forever so he started to panic. Where a I? How do I get out of here? Where are the others?! Are they here two? I have to find them!

           Suddenly the anxious side heard a scream from behind him in the darkness. That sounds like Roman! He thought. He turned around and there stood Roman, on his knees and grasping at his stomach which confused the other side. Why is he grabbing at his stomach? Never mind I need to get his attention.

“Roman!” Virgil shouted to the other, but the prince didn’t acknowledge him, he didn’t even seem to hear him. This in no way helped Virgils anxiety.

“Roman! Princy can you hear me!” He shouted again, but just like before the creative side didn’t seem to even know he was there. Out of no where Virgil heard a dark chuckle.

He turned his gaze away from the prince and towards the noise. The shape of a person had materialized from the darkness, glimmering in a golden light and having what seemed to be a cape dragging behind him. The whatever it was approached Roman’s fallen from, laughing the whole time.

“You see? Your nothing but a weakling, and theres no place for anything like that here.” Virgil watched in terror as the person drew a sword and used it to tilt Roman’s head up to look at him. The side had tears running down his face and blood leaking from his mouth. Why is he crying? Why is he bleeding!? Virgil thought.

He looked back down to the prince’s hand and saw that the normally pure white outfit was now stained in blood, the red liquid was still spreading rapidly. Virgils eyes grew wide with horror. The golden being ‘tsk’ at the downed side and kicked him in the stomach making him cough up blood. No! Stop! You’re going to kill him! That’s what Virgil wanted to say, but as soon as he tried to scream black tendrils wrapped around his mouth and kept him quite.

Never the less the anxious side tried to run forward to stop everything but he couldn’t. He looked down and his feet where somehow stuck to the ground. He tried to pull himself free but it became clear that it was no use. He looked back at the scene in front of him and saw the figure start to raise his sword.

“You really are worthless. You’re just a pathetic excuse for a side, a useless nothing, and you’re especially no hero.” As the thing said that, it swung it sword down.

“ROMAN!”

           Virgil jolted up from his bed, his hand outstretched like he was trying to reach for something. His forehead was covered in sweat and he was sure that if he looked in a mirror his face would be whiter than a ghost’s. He brought his hand to his chest and he found his heart was beating faster than he thought it ever had. Virgil took a deep sigh and tried to calm down, it didn’t work very well. He looked over at his clock and saw that it was around 3 in the morning.

           What the heck was that? Virgil wondered to himself. He couldn’t remember much of his nightmare but he remembered that he was more scared than he had ever been in his life. Just trying to remember what happened made the side start hyperventilating. Ok. I need to calm down or else I might give Thomas a panic attack. Virgil started taking deep breaths and began to calm down as he repeated his 4 ,7, 8 breathing exercise.

           Once he was calmed downed he realized that he probably wasn’t going to be able to go to sleep for a while and flopped back onto his bed in frustration. The one night I actually tried to get more sleep. Just great. The side pulled out his phone from under his pillow and grabbed his headphones from his bed side table. This wasn’t the first time he was woken up by nightmares, but this time had definitely been the worst.

           He put on his headphones and picked up his phone. He went though a few different playlist before he finally settle on just clicking shuffle on My Chemical Romance. He ended up on Mama and smiled. This song was slightly calmer than most of the groups songs. He went to tumbler and started scrolling though it, humming the lyrics as he looked at post. After about an hour of looking at memes and funny videos Virgil found himself starting to dose off, the residents of the nightmare going to the back of his mind.

           When Virgil woke up it was too Patton calling him down for breakfast. He groaned as he got out of bed and change into his usual style. He pulled on his signature jacket as he went out the door even though he knew that it was crazy to wear a jacket on almost any day in Florida. Virgil walked down the long hallway eyeing every corner suspiciously in case Remus decided to just pop up or something. Because of this he wasn’t looking where he was going and ran straight into someone’s back and fell down.

           “Virgil? Are you ok” a familiar voice said. The anxious side looked up and saw that it was non other than Roman who he just happened to run into. The memories of his dream flashed in his mind and he looked at Romans stomach glad to see that there was no kind off blood staining on the t-shirt he was wearing. He shook his head a bit to clear the image of the fallen prince in his mind.

“Yah, I’m fine Princy.” Virgil said. Roman extended his hand to Virgil and pulled him up.

“You need to watch where your going, wouldn’t want you falling down the stairs or something.” Roman said with a chuckle.  The smaller side smiled softly at the sound but pretended to cough into his sleeve when Roman looked back at him.

           “Kiddos! Come get your breakfast before it gets old!” That had snapped Virgil out of his embarrassed fake coughing fit and the two started heading towards the kitchen. When they entered they found Logan at the table reading a comic book? Roman turned to Virgil and raised an eyebrow in question. The anxious side shrugged and went to go sit down at the table. He took a closer look at the cover and saw that it was a horror comic and that only confused him more.

“What are you reading Lo? I don’t think I’ve ever even seen you pick up a comic book before” Virgil asked. Logan finally looked up from his book and he seemed kinda embarrassed.

“Well um, technically it’s a graphic novel and uh Remus asked me to read it over for him.” Logan said while he adjusted his glasses, and if Virgil wasn’t mistaken, he was ever so slightly blushing. As the gears in his head spun the smaller side started to smirk. It definitely seems like this guy has a crush Remus. Although it may not look it, Virgil didn’t actually hate the duke. They in no way got along, and Virgil didn’t trust the creative side as far as he could though him, but he didn’t necessarily hate the gremlin of a man.

           So, with this in mind, the mischievous raccoon in a jacket decided that as long as he was here, he might as well mess with people.

“I didn’t know you and Remus where such good friends.” Roman, who had sat down after getting a plate of food for himself from the kitchen, tried his absolute hardest not to burst out laughing as Logan stuttered and rambled to try and explain himself.

“He simply assisted me in conducting some research the other day and I wanted to return the kind favor.” Once more the prince and emo character shared a look. Virgil decided that was enough teasing for now. You have to spread out the torture to make it effective after all. So instead of continuing to make fun of his friend he decided he should finally grab some breakfast.

“Whatever you say Lo.” The former dark side walked into the kitchen to see Patton serving up a plate that he assumed was for Logan.

Today Patton had made some scrambled eggs, a few links of sausages, and some toast he was currently adding crafters jam to. Patton turned around to face his dark strange son and smiled widely.

“Hey kiddo! I made a plate for you if that’s alright. If theres anything you want to change about it go right ahead!” The fatherly side said in his usual cheerful tone. Unfortunate this kinda made the smaller of the two freak out a bit.

What if I don’t like whats on the plate? I can’t just mess with it Patton already put in the work to make the food and if I put any of it back it will look like I don’t like his cooking which of course into true but what if he thinks that? Luckily his worries were put to rest when he saw his plate had equal proportions of everything just how he liked it. He breathed a sigh of relief and went to go sit back down with the others.

When he got back to table Roman and Logan were arguing about some sort of play but the conversation was now going too fast for Virgil to actually pay attention to it.

“Don’t you dare say Hamilton wasn’t a good musical in my presence!”

“I’m just saying its historically inaccurate! For one thing the Skylar sisters did have an older brother so the part in the musical where Angelica sings about having to bring the family glory is false. Also she was already wed to a man before she met Alexander so she couldn’t marry him if even if she wanted to.” Logan reasoned in his calm yet frustrated ‘everyone-is-being-an-idiot-except-for-me’ tone of voice.

“Of course it isn’t entirely accurate to the real character. In theater you have to add a bit of drama to express the characters feeling in the scene better!” The royal side tried to explain while he waved his arm around in the air, surprisingly not hitting anything or anyone. Luckily before the two could continue Patton walked into the room carrying both his and Logan’s plate.

“Ok kiddos I think thats enough arguing for now, go ahead and eat instead of bickering please.” Patton said in a hopeful voice.  The two sides grumbled a bit to themselves but did start eating . Virgil looked over at Romans plate and saw that he once again had a lot less food on his plate than the rest of them. He had about two mouthfuls of eggs on his plate, one small sausage and half of a jam covered toast.

Doesn’t he need to eat more than the rest off us? I mean he goes adventuring all the time so he probably burns all the calories he gets from the meals Patton makes. Virgil pondered all this while he ate. If he was being honest he didn’t think he had ever seen Roman get seconds unless people insisted on it. Thats kinda concerning, what if he isn’t eating right because off stress? But why would Princy be stressed he’s the living personification of having a dreamy good life. Could something be wrong and we just haven’t noticed it yet?is he ok? Luckily he was broken from his thoughts as someone called his name.

“Virgil? Are you ok? You’ve been so pacing out for a while now, everything alright?” Roman said as he put a comforting hand on the anxious sides shoulder. Virgil gave the royal a small smile and took a deep breath. I’m just overthinking things. Roman’s fine, he would have come to us if he had a problem.

“Yah I’m fine Princy, just got lost in thought that’s all.” The creative side smiled at that and went back to eating his small plate of food.

           After everyone was done with breakfast they all went back to their own rooms, Logan still reading the graphic novel as he walked. Once Virgil got to his room he threw himself onto his extremely messy bed and was about to pull up something to watch on YouTube when he heard a knock on his door.

           What the, I was just with everyone, if they needed to ask me something wouldn’t they have asked me then? The purple side sighed and got up to open the door, only to find the hallway completely empty?

“Um, ok, anyone there?” Virgil said while he stuck his head out the doorway.

“Yup! I’m right here!” A choice shouted from behind him.

“Ahhh!” The smaller side screeched and accidentally slammed the door shut. There now sitting on his bed kicking his feet, was Remus. He wasn’t wearing his usual outfit for videos but instead a ripped up tank to and some black sweatpants.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” The anxious side said in an accusing tone.

“I was bored and decided that I might as well annoy you for a while.” The taller of the two said with a shrug.

Virgil groaned and destroyed any hope of having a peaceful day from his mind.

“Why in the world did you knock? You haven’t had any real manners since we were kids.” The purple clad side said as he sat down on a beanbag that he had in the corner. The duke shrugged.

“It was part of my grand plan to distract you so that I could scare you even better.” The insane side said with a sharp tooth smile. Before Virgil could make a retort the door burst opened. There stood Princy in a t-shirt and shorts, his hair looking slightly disheveled and with a sword in hand. He for some reason also looked a bit bigger than normal but Virgil discarded the thought as the lighting being weird.

           “Virgil! What’s wrong! What do I need to fight!” The red side exclaimed.

“Hey Ro! I just scared emo over here and he screamed like I had ripped out his guts or something.” The duke said as he threw his arm around his brother. Virgil was kinda surprised. Last time he had seen the twins interact Roman was out cold in seconds but now they were talking like they were best friends. Well I guess they are siblings after all. The smallest in the room said.

“Oh, ok then. Virgil do you need any assistance?” Roman asked. The former dark side thought for a minute and figured that he could handle Remus by himself, he had enough experience dealing with his craziness growing up.

“Yah Romano I’ll be fine.” Virgil said with a wave. Roman nodded but not without a sigh at the nick name and walked out.

“Oh but before I go,” the prince turned around and glared and the both of them, “if you two kill each other I will find a way to somehow resurrect you and get you both scolded by Patton.” And with that Roman left with a royal wave. The two remaining sides gave each other a look, Virgil’s one of distrust and Remus’s one of mischief.

“Sooooo,” Remus said as he jumped back onto the bed, “you like my brother huh?”  Virgil’s face turned bright red.

“I-I don’t know what your talking about!” The now highly nervous side shouted.  This only made the duke chortle.

“Chill out, I’m not gonna tell him, it will be a lot more fun that way.” Remus said with a grin. The hoodie wearing side breathed a sigh of relief.

“However you now owe me a favor.” The dark side said. Virgil grumbled to himself but agreed and asked what the favor was. The royal smiled widely.

“You have to help me beat Deceit’s high score in Mario cart.” The anxious side was surprised at first but then smirked.

“Sure, I’m not going to pass up the chance to piss off the snake.” The smaller jumped onto the bed as Remus summoned his switch that was nearly covered in stickers except for the screen.

           After a few rounds of Mario cart Virgil still hadn’t won once and he was getting annoyed, especially since Remus wouldn’t stop saying how he was the ultimate champion of this game. In this round they where nearing the finish line and Virgil was in second place while Remus was in first. He had dodged all of the shells Virgil had thrown at him but he still had one more.

There’s no way I’m letting this rat man beat me again. Suddenly Virgil had an idea and a dark smile formed on his face.

“So Remus,” the purple side said as he lined up the shot, “how did your date with Logan go?”

“What?!” Remus was so surprised that Virgil somehow knew about his sorta kinda date with Logan that he fell off the bed. Meanwhile Virgil threw a green shell at him and finished in first.

“Yes!” The smaller side exclaimed.

           “How in this wide terribly gruesome world did you find out about that?” Remus said from the floor. Virgil shrugged.

“Logan said that you helped him with some research or something while blushing so I figured you actually took him on a date.” The emo said while he leaned back on his pillow. He looked over at Remus who was now sitting on the bean bag looking slightly startled.

“Well I didn’t technically ask him on a date, I just offered to take him and give him a tour of the imagination.” The duke said while he messed with his white streak of hair. “I haven’t actually told him that I like him.” Virgil was surprised that Remus looked actually embarrassed saying this.

“I never thought I would see the day that you were nervous.” Virgil said honestly. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Logan if you aren’t ready to tell him.” Remus gave him an incredulous look and started laughing like a mad man which slightly scared the smaller side. He suddenly stoped and got up.

           “Thanks emo, I got to go or else De is going to get mad at me.” While the dark side walked to the door he messed up the purple wearing side’s hair until it defied gravity. “Wanna help me beat the record tomorrow since that slippery snake has such a freaking high score that we couldn’t beat it today?” The crazy side asked.

“Sure.” Virgil said, surprising even himself.

“Cool! Se yah tomorrow emo.” Remus said as he slammed the door loudly. The anxious side relaxed on his bed with a sigh. Even when just hanging out with the others being social was exhausting for him. He remembered that Thomas had some sort of event for tomorrow but Virgil doubted that he would need him for anything. As he was starting to drift off to sleep for a nap he had one last thought. Isn’t the wedding tomorrow?

Well I hope everyone if ready for some angst to come. Hope you guys have a good next 24 hours, bye!

Tag list:

@lovelivingmydreams

[callumsmitchells]

today and forever (ao3)

Callum’s been planning this day for weeks now. Ever since he saw it in his phone calendar, he’s known that he has to do something special, especially now they’re fiancé’s. He’s got a list on phone, of all the things he could think of doing. A night away in a hotel, a romantic meal at a posh restaurant. But none of it seemed right. Until he opened his wardrobe one day, and saw a suit. It’s one he’s not worn for a long time, but he remembers the first time Ben saw him in it, and remembers how he almost didn’t leave the house that day, because Ben just did not want to let him go. It was then, that he knew what to plan for Valentine’s day. 

Sunlight beams through the curtains, washing over the bedroom in a shade of golden yellow. It’s that sort of sun that makes it seem like it should be gorgeously warm outside, proper t-shirt weather - but it’s cold. The air is freezing and there’s frost all over, glistening in the light. Ben rolls over, trying to cling onto the last remaining remnants of his sleep, hiding his face in his pillow so he doesn’t have to have the light on his face, waking him up, but it’s too late. He’s awake now. He slowly but surely stretches his hand out across the bed, a tingle on his fingertips as it rubs against fabric, the warmth of his bed sheets protecting him from how cold it actually is. He’s searching, looking for one thing and one thing only - Callum.

But Callum’s not there. 

His smell is. And his warmth. It’s something so distinctive, and yet Ben’s the only person who gets to experience this. He can just about make out a faint scent of strawberries from Callum’s shampoo when he nestles his head on Callum’s pillow, and he wants to open his eyes to properly look around, but the unrelenting warmth of Callum’s side of the bed just keeps pulling him in and then he’s resting there without a care in the world, cradling the corner of the sheets in his arms, cocooning himself in. It’s peaceful and warm and the tiredness is still there, even though he really should be up. 

The door opens softly moments later and Callum panics for a few beats as he looks in the direction of where he left Ben not even half an hour ago, until he casts his eye to the side and sees him laying there, his face in Callum’s pillow, a childlike rosiness to his cheeks and if it’s at possible, Callum thinks he falls more in love with Ben just by seeing this. He grins, and puts the tray of food down on his own bedside table, and he rests himself on the edge of the bed, right next to Ben. He doesn’t want to disturb him, because he just looks too precious and at peace, but their teas are going cold and he wants to spend the entire day with Ben. So he gently runs his fingers through Ben’s hair, like he usually does when they’re watching a film alone together, Ben curling up into Callum’s chest, craving the warmth he happily provides. He gently brushes through Ben’s hair, letting it curl around his ear and Ben starts to stir, leaning into Callum’s perfect touch. 

“Morning babe.” Callum grins, and he leans down to press a soft kiss to Ben’s cheek. “Happy Valentine’s.” 

Ben opens one eye first, and he can’t help but smile at his fiancé leaning over the top of him. “You weren’t here.” Ben lets out and yeah, he’s definitely only just woken up, if the deepness and the crack of his voice are anything to go by. “I woke up and you weren’t here.” 

Callum smiles softly and runs his thumb over Ben’s lips. “I went downstairs to make us breakfast.” He admits shyly. “I thought we’d have a relaxing morning with a bit of breakfast in bed.” 

He looks over at the bedside table, and notices the tray of food, and when he looks back at Callum, he notices two more things. “That’s mine.” He notes, pulling on the lapels of the grey dressing gown that covers Callum’s body. Callum chuckles as he looks down, and he’s about to open his mouth to speak when Ben talks once more. “And what are you hiding?” He asks, craning his neck to try and see behind Callum’s back.

Callum lets out a soft chuckle and bites at his bottom lip to try and hide the grin that appears, but it’s in vain, especially with how his cheeks bloom into this stunning pink shade that Ben just loves seeing. “I know we don’t do stuff like this, but I wanted to spoil you.” He sets himself up, and when Ben pushes himself up to sit in the bed, he shows Ben what he’s been hiding. 

It’s a bouquet of flowers, all bright and gorgeous and, mixed with the sunlight that’s still beaming into their bedroom, this feels like a fever dream - but it’s real.

Callum can’t bring himself to look at Ben’s reaction, he’s so nervous. He keeps his eyeline entirely on the flowers in his hands he stumbles over his words to try and get them out. “I, I er had to get roses. It’s the most romantic day of the year, and they’re the most romantic flower. And you got me them when you proposed. I just had to. And then there’s sunflowers which mean deep love, and purity and I know you ain’t exactly pure but I do love ya. Deeply. These are peonies and they’re supposed to symbolise a happy marriage.” 

There’s a pause for a moment, once Callum stops rambling. He still doesn’t want to look at Ben, and because of that, he doesn’t see the tears start to well up in his eyes. 

“Are they what you put in the wedding plans?” Ben asks cheekily, trying to get Callum to look at him. 

He succeeds. Callum nods. “Yeah.” He admits. “We don’t have to have them, if you don’t want. I just thought they’d be nice.” 

“I want them.” Ben confirms, without even having to think. He wants it all, with Callum. “These are beautiful. Thank you gorgeous.” 

Callum blushes even more at that, and as he reaches over to grab the tray of food, he sees Ben half roll across the bed and then stretch his arm out. “Where are you going?” Callum asks.

Ben ignores him for a second and then opens a drawer. “Close your eyes.” He says, and looks back to make sure that Callum does as he’s told. There’s a soft slam of the drawer and then Callum feels Ben moving back to him. “You’re not the only one who can be romantic.” He says, and puts something in Callum’s hands. “You can open them now.” 

It’s a card, with a bright red envelope, red to match the roses. He opens it up with slightly trembling hands and his grin grows wider than he ever thought possible as he reads to my fiancé on the front. He still can’t get over it. That’s what he is now, and one day, they’ll be husbands. He opens the card and reads everything slowly, Ben’s neat handwriting over both the pages, an entire story written out between them, ending with the words ‘yours today and forever, Ben’. 

“I love you.” Callum says, all giddy and grinning and Ben can’t help but pull him down for a kiss, not wanting to go any longer without one. 

Ben grins wildly into the kiss, one hand on Callum’s head and the other pulling onto his - Ben’s - dressing gown. “I love you too. So much. Happy Valentine’s.” 

They kiss some more, and Callum doesn’t want to let go, doesn’t want to pull away, but he has to because he’s more than aware that their breakfast is going stone cold besides them. He pulls away and Ben chases after another kiss for a second or two until he’s settled with a searing peck on red lips. The food finally gets eaten and the cups of tea finally get drained and Ben’s cuddling into Callum’s chest and everything is just like it’s meant to be. 

“Have you got any plans for the day?” Callum asks.

Ben turns his face to look at Callum and he’s so happy. So happy. “This is perfect.” He whispers out, as though speaking any louder will ruin it all. “It’s all I want.”

Callum smiles softly and presses an even softer kiss to Ben’s lips and whilst Ben’s distracted, Callum steals the last slice of toast from the plate. “I’m cooking tonight.” He says, pulling away from the kiss and biting into the jammy slice of toast. “Got this place to ourselves. So dress smart.” And he winks. He actually winks.

It’s later on in the day, much later on as dusk is falling, the entire sky a beautiful navy shade, with twinkles of star light scattering all around. It’s the perfect end to a perfect day. Callum’s been preparing dinner for hours now, and Ben hasn’t even seen him, having been banished from appearing in the kitchen. Instead, Ben’s already sitting at the table, admiring how Callum has set it all up. He’s seemingly stolen Lexi’s fairy light to brighten up the room, flickering lighter and then dimmer slowly. He’s really gone all out, with tiny little candles in the middle of the table, joined with the bouquet of flowers from this morning. Ben smiles to himself softly. He’s never been one to enjoy Valentine’s day and the commercialism of it all but this - this? He’s in love, so of course he loves this just as much as he truly loves Callum. All Ben knows about tonight, is that all he has to do is dress nice. That, he can do. He’s sitting at the table in a tight white shirt, all buttoned up to perfection, and a pair of navy trousers, navy to unintentionally match the sky. He hears Callum’s footsteps, rhythmic tapping as he walks seemingly ever closer. Ben’s got this giddy feeling, like it’s the first time he’s ever going to see Callum. It’s such a surreal feeling, but he can imagine this being the exact feeling he’s going to experience on his wedding day, waiting to see Callum walk down to him, ready to spend the rest of their lives together. The door creaks open and the butterflies in Ben’s stomach just explode ferociously at seeing Callum standing there, in a pale grey suit, and white shirt to match Ben’s. He looks amazing. 

“You like it?” Callum asks, gesturing around the room as he sits down next to Ben.

It might be a big table, but that doesn’t have to mean sitting far apart. They’d both prefer to be right next to each other, as it should be. 

Ben gulps, and he’s captivated by Callum, unable to take his eyes off of him. He hums absentmindedly. “Looks perfect to me.” Ben replies, and they both know he’s not talking about the room that surrounds them.

Callum flushes uncontrollably as he takes his suit off, feeling much more comfortable sitting in just trousers and his shut. Ben watches his every move as if he’s going to be quizzed on it later on. Callum rolls his sleeves up slightly, just to the middle of his forearm and Ben’s practically salivating just watching him do something so menial, so trivial. 

“You look like you’re about to devour me.” Callum chuckles, picking up his fork and twirling it around his fingers teasingly.

Ben scans his eyes from Callum’s fingers to his eyeline, tracking up his arms and across his chest and not forgetting to admire the mark on his neck, half hidden by his collar, that Ben left behind from the morning. He waits to respond, waits until Callum’s got half a mouth full of beer and then - “Maybe I am.” Ben grins. 

“Evil.” Callum lets out a chortle, wiping the corners of his mouth dry. “How about devouring this first.” He says, nodding towards their plates. 

So they eat in peace, talking about plans for their wedding. It still sounds surreal. They talk about having a stag do, and whether they should have a joint one or not, because, by and large, the people that they would invite would want to go to both, plus, it’ll save money in the long run if they just have a joint one. They talk about suits, and if they’d both want matching ones, or if they would just want similar suits. They talk about colour schemes and flowers and seating arrangements and they laugh until they cry at the idea of Stuart and Phil becoming family, and Ben brings up that one time that Callum sang in Phil’s face and it’s just so perfect. An hour or two flies by with them uncontrollably laughing and planning and their plates are empty and they’ve exhausted their alcohol selection. 

Callum’s got his hand over Ben’s on the table, warm and cosy and it just feels all kinds of right. He lifts their hands up, fingers still linking together, slotting in perfectly, and presses a gentle kiss to Ben’s skin. “I’ll be a second.” He whispers out, and he lifts the empty plates up and walks towards the kitchen.

Just as before, Ben can’t seem to take his eyes off of Callum as he walks away. He knows exactly what he’s doing to Ben.

Time ticks by slowly. One second, two seconds, three seconds - and Ben can’t help himself. He can’t physically spend any more time away from Callum. He just can’t. 

He walks quietly, trying to not bring attention to himself, probably for the first time in his life. The kitchen door is open, and he watches Callum for a second, cutting into a chocolate cake. There’s a smile on both their faces, and Ben just can’t help himself as he steps over the threshold and into the kitchen. It takes him approximately four steps before his body is pressing to Callum’s back, his hands all over his waist and he’s leaning up to press hot, searing kisses to Callum’s neck, anywhere he can reach. 

“You’ll ruin the surprise!” Callum tries to sound threatening but he can’t, not with Ben all around him. 

Callum can feel Ben’s lips curl up into a grin against his skin, and he’s so close to just forgetting all about the cake and turning around and letting Ben do whatever he wants to do to him. 

“Don’t care about the surprise.” Ben mutters out, spreading his hands everywhere, eventually deciding to rest them on Callum’s chest, his fingers brushing over the material right where his nipples lay. “I just want you.” 

Fuck it. Callum turns on the balls of his feet within seconds and wraps Ben up in a hug without even having to think about it. He grins into their kiss, hungry and full of want and desire. Ben let out a soft chuckle and he attempts to hold onto Callum even tighter, but it’s in vain, because Callum takes the lead here. He’s holding onto Ben’s waist, huge hands just completely encapsulating his body and he starts to walk, pushing Ben backwards slightly, the top half of his body moving first until his feet start to catch up. Ben has no idea what’s going on, he’s just trusting Callum with every single move he makes. It doesn’t take long for him to realise that his back is against the wall and Callum’s towering above him and he’s so turned on he’s not even certain he’s getting blood flowing to his brain with how light he feels. Callum’s hands are everywhere, unrelenting, and Ben’s seconds away from getting to his knees and taking Callum right here in the kitchen, until his brain kicks into gear and his fingers are fumbling over Callum’s shirt buttons, undoing one, two, three and suddenly half of his chest is being exposed. Callum grins even more and there’s a huff in his throat as he contemplates starting to open Ben’s trousers there and then before deciding against it and he takes a less subtle approach. His hands move from Ben’s waist fluidly to the back pockets of his trousers, his fingers dipping down into them for a moment or two before he squeezes. He listens and he feels and it’s all encompassing and then he’s bending at his knees for a second and lifting Ben up and a giggle stumbles out of Ben’s mouth.

“Where’re we going?” Ben asks, pulling his mouth away from Callum’s, only to put them against his neck and cheek and collarbone - anywhere he can lay a kiss. 

Callum walks with somewhat of an ease, and he’s determined. So determined. “Bed.” He adamants and so that’s that. He manages the stairs, though it’s easier said than done when he’s carrying a fully grown man who’s intent on attacking Callum’s skin, and then they’re in bed, with only a bedside lamp glowing a fluorescent yellow for company. 

They move in time together, as one. It’s everything and more. It’s all gentle touches and soft moans and Callum over Ben and Ben’s wrapping his legs around Callum, never wanting to let go. It’s really the perfect end to the perfect day, and the best thing of all? This is only the start. They have forever to come.

[jonismitchell]

fixing season five of doctor who

or: rectifying issues i have with the way my favourite character, amy pond, was treated, and correcting some weird writing decisions while i’m at it

the eleventh hour: i actually love this one, and i would leave most of it as it stands, but i’d cut the weird travelling-up-her-legs shot from our introduction to adult amy pond. might also kill the kissogram element: have amy be in a halloween costume (commit to the bit) and establish her as flitting between jobs. 

the beast below: i also love this episode. it gets undue flack. (series five is my favourite, what can i say?) i’d cut the ‘basically i rule’ line because it sounds stilted, and i’d let amy respond angrily to the doctor shouting at her near the end. make it a proper argument that ends with the ‘very old and very kind and the very very last’ line! commit to building this relationship from the ground up!

victory of the daleks: pace it faster, add women, do something interesting with the daleks. this isn’t an awful episode it’s just not as good as it has the potential to be. i might cut churchill entirely and have the doctor respond to a child’s cry for help. keep amy’s speech about love to the dalek technology (i am obsessed with this plot beat). have the doctor give her the tardis key at the end rather than demanding it back.

the time of angels / flesh and stone: moffat has a weird habit of sidelining the main companion to deal with a woman he finds more interesting (arguably nancy, definitely true of reinette, sally, and river). so i’d minimize river’s involvement in these episodes and emphasize amy’s. instead of the doctor telling her to shut up, let them work out the problem together. let the doctor reassure her when she says she’s scared. definitely keep the scene where she says ‘doctor, i don’t need you to die for me, do i look that clingy?’ i love that scene. do not let the weeping angels move on screen, ever, it reduces their fear factor. and at the end, have amy be shaken and confused and ask to be taken to rory. don’t have her come onto the doctor, that was stupid and got handled in a very weird way. just... agency for amy is the new name of the show. doctor who?

the vampires of venice: kill the moments where the doctor and rory treat amy like an object, establish rory as someone willing to tell the doctor to fuck off, and have the doctor save the species instead of dooming them. have rory be discomfited by how easily amy has attached herself to the doctor (give rory williams a properly explored inferiority complex 2021). i want him to be so apprehensive of what might happen to amy (she better almost die at least twice) that he stays with the doctor and amy. 

amy’s choice: the only part of this i really dislike is amy being pregnant in the dream world so cut that and replace the humour with the doctor being stunned that ‘amy pond, wild thing/free spirit, would choose to settle down.’ have this be part of the proof for amy’s decision that the leadworth life is not the real world. maybe a line about ‘you chose the best of both worlds: rory and the tardis.’ like... treat that choice as a big moment for her and also a sort of avoidance. (i want to say i actually do like the episode as it stands, i just have some notes.)

the hungry earth / cold blood: i dislike these episodes. here’s how i would fix it: 1) stronger environmental messaging, 2) have madame vastra be the humans’ captive and form a relationship with the doctor, 3) have the doctor be the silurians’ captive and amy/rory have to figure out how to save him, 4) midnight-esque scenarios (by this i mean explore morality) on both sides about whether to kill their prisoner or not, and 5) properly show the conversation about the silurians’ return. but keep the ending for cold blood, i thought that was brilliant. 

vincent and the doctor: this is a perfect doctor who episode. i think that throughout the season i would want to make amy’s struggle with mental illness more evident so this hits even harder, but this is my favourite doctor who episode and i wouldn’t really change anything. 

the lodger: anyone but james corden plays craig. uh that aside i would want the tardis to dematerialize on its own and amy accompanies the doctor on his adventure of trying to be human. it’s cute anyway!

the pandorica opens / the big bang: instead of rory saying that amy is crying because she’s happy (the ‘happy happy mrs rory’ line haunts me) have him ask what’s wrong and acknowledge her concerns. it’s suuuuuch a fucking simple thing to do but it would help a lot. don’t have amy ask the doctor to kiss her at her own wedding. have it be explicit that amy remembered rory back into existence like she remembered the doctor. i don’t hate river here! 

things i wanted to add that i couldn’t figure out where to put: i'd want to flesh out amy and rory’s relationship a bit more. make rory’s inferiority complex in general a big thread in the season alongside amy’s mental illness (which is evident to me but i’d want it to be explicit). have amy cope with her abandonment / commitment issues—the doctor is coming to get her, rory will wait for her; and before either of them can show up? amy pond has got it covered.

establish amy’s interest in history from the get-go (remembering details surrounding world war two that save them, rambling to rory about venice), have her interest in art be a running thread throughout the season (she could look for future paintings in the beast below, bond with sophie over a shared interest in the lodger... literally endless possibility). have it be canon that the reason amy wants to escape so badly is because her aunt is abusive, which also lends power to getting her parents back.

also, because this is my universe and i can do what i want: amy pond is canonically autistic now.

things to pick up for next season: amy’s relationship with her newly remembered family, how waiting for two thousand years affected rory. 

tl;dr: if amy pond is angry and untrusting, then her best moments will come when she is kind. when she has empathy for the star whale, when she convinces a piece of dalek technology that he is human, when she believes in the doctor and rory enough to resurrect them. 

then again: her flaws make her character real! they make this arc interesting to watch! when she goes from waiting all night in her garden for the doctor to being the reason he exists again. it’s all about the power of amy pond’s will.

[ffangirlingsince2001]

End of the Tunnel: XV

Description: It’s almost been a year since Fred Weasley was lost to the Battle of Hogwarts, and for George Weasley it might as well be an eternity. He is lost in the dark, no color to be found. Until suddenly there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Warnings: Fluff

MASTERLIST

***

Seven months later Hannah was staring at herself in the mirror, taking deep, calming breaths as she shook with excitement. Four women were rushing around the room behind her, panic pulling them back and forth as they struggled to get ready in time, but Hannah could only daydream, still wearing nothing but the satin robe Caroline had handed her that morning.

She had been dreaming about this day since George knelt down on one knee, and it would have been here much sooner had the combined forces of Mrs. Weasley and her own mother not demanded the celebration be grand. They had whispered about eloping as they laid in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, but the idea had always vanished at the thought of their mothers’ wrath.

Now the day was finally here.

“Hannah, my god, do you even want to get married?” Sloane cried out when she finally noticed the daydreaming girl. Hannah giggled as she was yanked away from the mirror and to her feet by her maid of honor. They twirled around the room, laughing as they bumped into the edges of furniture. Sloane pulled Caroline into their little dance, and when the two mothers returned, they found a pile of giggling girls rolling among the bedsheets.

“It’s almost one,” Mrs. Weasley gasped, staring at the three girls, including the bride, who were the furthest thing from ready.

“I thought that was what magic was for, waiting until the last minute,” Caroline quipped from the sheets.

“It is, but last time I checked you don’t have any,” Sloane replied, tapping the younger girl’s nose before pulling her towards the wardrobe where their dresses were hanging.

When Hannah was younger, she had wanted nothing more than yellow bridesmaids’ dresses. When her mother took her to the shops, she took great pride in running her fingers over the yellow section of the store, determining exactly what dresses they would wear as they began the wedding procession. Today, that was a dream that would not be coming true. After a great many hours of fighting between what she had dreamed of for years and what present her secretly wanted. Sloane had finally stepped in and chastised her for her loyalty to nostalgia and that was all that was needed for the yellow dresses that refused to be any other color became powder blue. The color Ginny had informed her was Fred’s favorite color.

While her childhood bridesmaid dresses had been forgotten, her dress certainly hadn’t. The skirt was layers and layers of tulle that floated about her legs. The bodice was beaded into patterns of flowers, and the shimmer contrasted the stark white of the skirt. She let Sloane magic diamonds into the curls of her hair until she looked like the fairy queens she had read about in fairytales as a child. As she transformed, she stared out the window to the real fairytale, George.

He was waving his wand across the courtyard, summoning things beneath a silver tent. She craned her neck to see what appeared, but the angle was too harsh to ease her curiosity. So, instead she watched George. He wasn’t in his suit yet, opting instead for his sleep shirt and a pair of plaid pants she had bought him for Christmas. His feet were bare against the morning dew that hadn’t yet evaporated in the July sun. If she had been within earshot, she would have chastised him, worried he was going to catch a cold. Instead, because she wasn’t, she merely watched him, not entirely sure she could believe by the end of the day she would be Mrs. Hannah Weasley.

The last time she had dreamed about getting married had been Year 5 when Donald O’Donoghue had asked to hold her hand during recess. It was the only moment she had deviated from her yellow dress obsession, when he told her his favorite color was lime green; however, after realizing his hands were very sweaty (and viewing the dress options in his choice color) she realized they were not a compatible match. She had had other boyfriends of course, but she never was able to imagine them at the end of the aisle. She hadn’t even been able to imagine George, and now that the day was here, she kept pinching herself. He was so perfect, and so wonderful, and so incomparable that the fact he had chosen her was a miracle in itself.

Suddenly, he looked up and smiled as he caught her smile through the glass. She smiled back, heart still fluttering at the little grin he seemed to save just for her. She waved and tragically caught the others’ attention, who gasped before collectively yanking the curtains closed.

“You can’t let him see you,” her mother scolded, and she rolled her eyes, raising her fingers to peak out once more, disappointed to find he had disappeared from view.

“We’ll be okay,” she whispered, smiling when she caught a butterfly escape the confines of the tent and traipsed through her open window. It landed on the skirt of her dress and somehow, she knew it was all his doing, a small message that the butterflies were real. She felt herself tearing up, laughing softly to herself at the possibility that it might not even be him, but a simple butterfly.

“Oh dear, Hannah, are you alright?” Molly asked, taking her hand as she crouched down beside the teary-eyed girl.

“I just love him, y’know,” she whispered and suddenly Molly was crying along with her. They laughed as they wiped away their tears, muttering nonsense about eyeliner they both knew would be long gone by the end of the ceremony. “I’m glad you’re okay with me,” she whispered, and Molly instantly dried her tears, replacing profound joy with confusion.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because I’m not like you, our children might not, and I’ll never understand everything,” she rambled, tears gathering again, and Molly pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

“Don’t you ever think that. I love you like my own, and it doesn’t matter as long my son is happy, and you make him happy,” she replied and then they were both sobbing quietly amidst the chaos of the morning.

A knock at the door startled them, and they both quickly dried their eyes as Caroline answered the door. A blond boy poked his head in and any worries that were left about the day melted away at the sight of her best friend.

“Can you give us a second?” she asked, and the woman filed out of the room, only Sloane pausing to kiss him hard enough his lips were printed with the lipstick she was wearing. When the door shut, she stood, and they stared at one another in comfortable silence.

“You look beautiful,” he finally said, and she laughed, brushing away a tear that threatened to fall. “I’m not kidding, and I’m glad it’s George. I never thought I’d say it, but if the first person who decided to care about me has to marry anyone, I’m glad it’s him.”

“My, my, when did you get so sappy?” she teased, if only to stop herself from shedding more tears and he rolled his eyes.

“Leave it to you to make fun of me for being heartfelt for once,” he replied with the same deadpan expression he always used in response to her teasing. She rolled her eyes and in two steps she was hugging him. He hugged her back and she smiled; it was all she needed to know that everything was going to be perfect. “Listen, this isn’t totally why I’m here,” he said, pulling out of the hug with a mischievous grin.

“Oh?”

“Yes, I’m the distraction.”

“The distraction?”

“For this,” he said before spinning her around to a freshly apparated George, wearing a suit and a blindfold. She giggled, stepping forward, barely aware of Draco leaving the room as she took George’s hands in her own.

“Hi George,” she whispered, and she could practically feel him shaking with excitement. She reached up to touch the fabric covering his eyes. “I like the blindfold, very kinky.”

“It’s the only way he would distract them,” he replied, “These people and their traditions.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Doesn’t matter of course, I don’t need to see you to know you look beautiful.” She could only blush, sure if she opened her mouth, he would know how choked up she really was. Even with the blindfold he was entirely too handsome. “And it doesn’t matter how pretty your dress is, because by the end of the night of the night I’m going to rip it off you.”

“I think you mean gently unlace it.”

“Are you marrying someone else today?”

“No.”

“Then when have you ever known me to unwrap something gently?” Now she was glad for the blindfold, that way he couldn’t see how brightly she was blushing. The sound of storming up the stairs caught her off guard and she suddenly felt like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“Kiss me.”

“What?”

“I can’t wait any longer, kiss me,” she gasped, panicking as the footsteps got closer. While she wanted to admire the little lopsided grin, he gave her, she took his silence as a moment to kiss him before shoving him back as he apparated back to his part of the house. When the door swung open, she was alone once more, only her guilty smile suggesting he had been there.

George landed in his room and ripped off the blindfold. Ron and Draco looked at him and he grinned. Bloody hell, he was lucky. Just as he had said to her, he didn’t need to see her to know that she was the most radiant thing he had ever seen. He just knew, he could sense it by the way her skin touched his and the way she felt when she kissed him. He adjusted his cufflinks, admiring the newest addition to the clock before making his way outside to the tent he had spent all morning.

It had been a task, convincing Hannah to let him decide the decorations, but once she had agreed it had been a breeze. It was easy pleasing the love of his life, especially when he had the best interrogators working in his favor. Sloane had pressed her for details about everything she wanted and then some, finding out all the creative workings of her mind before passing every bit of knowledge over to him. Now, butterflies that left gold trails drifted around the room and vines of orchids twisted into pillars that held up the tent. The white benches held their friends and family, some (his dad) already crying. He made his way around the room, checking to make sure everyone was seated, too nervous to sit around and wait for the ceremony to begin.

At the front, beside his teary father was an empty seat. He stepped forward, wondering who the seat could be saved for when his heart jolted. Emblazoned in gold across the back was the name that had once haunted him, and then a small table card caught his eye. He lifted it up with shaking fingers and almost began to cry in front of the entire congregation. In Hannah’s terrible handwriting were the words, “Wouldn’t want him to miss it.” He looked up, searching for whoever had placed it there and was only met with a wink from Malfoy. He offered him a grateful smile before placing the card down once more and taking his spot at the altar. He hadn’t chosen a best man, knowing that no one could replace who it should have been and having Malfoy as the other groomsman was the last thing he would have expected, but nothing could have been more perfect. No one had protested when the choice was made, and the confused boy had even been invited to family dinner for the rest of eternity.

Suddenly, the music began, and the crowds stood to watch as Caroline and Sloane made their way down the aisle in powder blue dresses. He lovingly shook his head at his soon to be wife. She never failed to surprise and replacing the yellow she never seemed to stop raving about with powder blue was certainly one for the books.

And then there she was, smiling at him like an angel. His eyes filled with tears to match hers, and he let them slide down his face without shame, because there she was, the beginning of profound joy and the end of the tunnel.

The End

[1plus1kiyoomi]

Chapter 14: Husband

[prev] [next]

[masterlist]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yeah, you should stay here. We have a wedding to plan tomorrow after all.”

“What?” You say in shock, following after Kita who already is in the house.

The house is exactly the same way when you left. The furniture are still where it used to be. Only difference is that, you aren’t around anymore. Your things aren’t there anymore. Everything in the house is only Kita’s things. The house has developed a widower’s feel while you were gone.

Passing by your room, the feeling of familiarity hits you. You stop yourself from crying, not wanting to cause any more trouble to Kita who you woke up at ungodly hour. As you reach the kitchen, the smell of alcohol reaches your nose. ‘Has he been drinking?’

“I can sleep in my old room...” You tell Kita, stopping in your tracks. Rice is already on the couch, sleeping comfortably on his old spot.

“There’s no more bed there now, you know. Did you forget that you made Osamu take all your things?” Kita reminds you as he eyes you while he continues to walk to his room. Not able to form an answer, you follow him.

Kita takes out a shirt and boxer shorts out of his cabinet and gives it you before he flops back down in his bed. You go to his bathroom and change into his clothes. It’s your first time wearing his clothing and the experience makes you forget everything you’ve been through for the past year. You’re going through that ‘i-am-a-grown-woman-but-i-feel-like-teenage-girl’ phase all over again and because of the same person.

After washing your face, you go back to his room. "Is he drunk?” You wonder as you stare at his sleeping figure. The urge to touch him is taking over you so you let it. Your fingers run through his grey hair, then to his shoulder. They stop on his chest to feel his heart beat. “I miss you...”

Shutting your eyes, you feel your heart ache and ease at the same time. You don’t know if Kita was bluffing or if he was serious about what he said, but you were. You meant every word that you said even if it was just a ramble. You were willing to marry him anytime of the day.

Morning comes and Kita wakes up first, his chest feeling heavy. He looks down and sees your head on his chest, your arm draped over his hips. His eyes squint in confusion. “That wasn’t a dream?” Kita puts the back of his hand on your forehead, making sure you are real and not a hallucination. “You’re really back...” A tear escapes his eye as he caresses your hair.

Kita moves to lay down on his side, letting your head settle on his arm. His eyes travel all over your body, taking all your features in. He silently starts crying, thanking all the stars he wished on, and every god he prayed to. He can’t believe you actually came back.

For a year, Kita tried to get a hold of you but you blocked his number. He even went to Tokyo to explain to you but he didn’t know where to find you. He never gave up on you, thus him being single again for another year. He never felt any interest towards anyone. He lived in chastity to prove to you that he really wanted you back and he was sorry.

The exact opposite of what you were doing. But he won’t be affected if he finds out, right?

Not wanting you to see him cry, he tries to leave the bed, but you hold onto him tightly. “I have to make breakfast,” he reasons, but you just press your face close to his chest.

“You can eat me for breakfast,” you joke, eyes still closed. You feel Kita stiffen from your words before he slowly pinches your arm. You jokingly wince before letting out a chuckle. “Five more minutes of cuddling then I’ll let you cook breakfast.”

“Okay...” Kita kisses your forehead, wrapping his arms around your torso. The two of you stay like that in silence, the quiet you’ve been wanting for a long time. It’s safe to say that Kita is your rest, your charging station, and your battery has been drained. You haven’t seen him for one painful year after all.

“Did you mean what you said last night?” You ask Kita, but he doesn’t answer you so you assume that he was really drunk last night. “Never mind...”

“If you’re asking about the wedding, I’m still thinking of how to propose to you,” Kita confesses, causing you to grin. You sit up, your face hovering over his.

Kita takes in your appearance and notices how you look more mature because of your haircut. Aside from your now shorter locks, he realizes that the way you speak is different from before. You have a much softer and calmer way of talking now.

“But I already proposed to you last night,” you tell him, causing him to cock an eyebrow at you. “So let’s just talk about the wedding or something.”

“Why are you so eager to get married?” Kita asks you seriously so you pout in disappointment. You were so excited from his words last night that you even dreamt about your wedding.

“I just don’t want to lose you again,” you answer, lying back on the bed. Kita moves closer to your body, snuggling his face to your chest.

“We will never lose each other ever again. I promise you that.” Kita kisses you before placing his head back on your bust. Your fingers find their way to his hair, running through his grey locks. “But there are things I want to do before getting married because I might never get to do it...”

“Like what?”

“Take risks and enjoy my youth,” Kita responds. “I don’t regret doing everything by the rules, but sometimes I think about how I should have enjoyed at the same time.”

“Isn’t that regretting?” You chuckle, ruffling his hair.

“Is it?” Kita sits up, smiling at you.

You nod. “You know, even if we’re married, we can still do the things you want to do.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are so wrong. 4 months have passed, and Kita and you haven’t spent much time ever you since you started preparing for your wedding. It’s mostly Kita who processes the papers and such, since you are always busy from work. You constantly had to travel from Tokyo to Osaka because of your job. The two of you decided to postpone the wedding ceremony, but still get married in papers.

“Babe, we don’t have to if you don’t want to, but maybe we should try renovating the house?” You suggest as the two of you eat dinner.

“Sure. I don’t mind,” Kita agrees to your request.

Kita always does. He says yes to everything you want to do. Sometimes you ask him about his opinions, but he just agrees with you. He puts your feelings first before his, that there are times you feel bad about it. You’ve talked to him about it and he said that his grandmother had once told him that if he was to marry he should live by these words.

“What’s hers is hers, and what’s yours is hers.”

Kita doesn’t only apply those words in belongings, but also words. He puts you first no matter what. Basically, Kita worships you. It isn’t obsessive as most will think.

What’s stressing you is that, everyone advised you that “marriage is full of ups and downs.” But your marriage with Kita is a straight unbending 180° line. The two of you even haven’t had sex, much to your disappointment. You don’t know if it’s your busy schedule or Kita’s platonic personality that is causing this linear marriage.

“I plan to add more rooms and maybe a second floor? In case we have children,” You say your idea, taking Kita aback from the word children. He chokes on his food, so you tilt your head to the side in worry. “Do you not want children?”

Kita clears his throat before answering you. “I do. But do you?”

“I wouldn’t bring up the topic of children if I don’t,” you reply proudly and he just shakes his head. “What?”

“(Y/N), you cry when I don’t give you attention for 5 minutes. If we have a kid, I will have divided attention. Are you sure?” Kita tells you, so you start thinking about it.

“When have I cried when you didn’t give me attention?” You ask, not believing his words.

Kita deadpans at you. “Last night.”

“But I still want to have children with you!” You whine and Kita shakes his head once again. “Like my Pinterest feed is full of babies. I’m ready to be a mom!”

“I think it’s too early to think and talk about children.”

“It’s not. Please! I want a baby!”

“That’s only a baby fever. We can have one when you’re actually ready to have one.”

“But-”

“I said what I said. Let’s drop the subject,” Kita says sternly so you just pout and obey him. It’s his first time saying no to your words and you feel so hurt. You have gotten used to him babying you that you forgot how scary he could be. Hurt is an understatement of what to feel at the moment. It sounded like he doubted your readiness as a mother. How does he know about your own capabilities?

The dinner continues awkwardly, Rice staring at the two of you from the corner, probably wondering why you two are quiet. Your phone starts ringing so you check who it is and see Kise’s name shining brightly. You gulp, glancing at Kita who is staring at you with eyes asking who’s calling you.

“Kise!” You fake a chuckle, moving to your room. Kita eyes you suspiciously, wondering why you had to go inside the room just to talk to someone. “Why did you call?”

“I had a flight going to Osaka, and then I remembered you’re near Osaka, right? Wanna go out and have some drinks?”  Kise asks. Not having the heart to say no to the pure soul, you say yes. You change into semi casual clothes and then head out of your room.

“Where are you going?” Kita questions, surprised to see you all dressed up.

“A friend from Tokyo invited me to drink. Do you wanna go with us?” You smile at him awkwardly, forgetting that he’s around. You even forgot that you were in the middle of dinner.

“I’ll stay at home,” Kita replies, putting his chopsticks down.

“Can you drive me to our meeting place?” You request and he nods. He takes the car key from the drawer and heads out before you, Rice following behind him.

Kita opens the door for Rice, letting him sit at the backseat. Then, he opens the door for you, hand on the upper doorway so you don’t bump your head. He puts your seatbelt on for you as well, before giving you a soft kiss on top of your head. It’s the little things that make you fall in love with him over and over again.

In the middle of the drive, Kita speaks up. “I’m sorry for being rude to you a while ago. I know you wanted to talk more about it.”

“It’s fine...” you lower your head, not wanting Kita to see the sad look on your face.

“I’m just worried that you won’t get to enjoy like this if you become a mother. You won’t be able to meet your friends often, you wouldn’t be able to travel as much as now. It’ll be hard for you to give all of these just for motherhood. Let’s enjoy ourselves first, then maybe in the future, we can have an addition to our little family,” Kita explains his side to you, his soft voice soothing the pain you felt. He takes your hand and places a kiss on the back of it, his eyes on the road.

“I love you,” is all you can say, because he’s right. You aren’t ready to give up the life you’re living right now.

“I love you more,” Kita replies, intertwining his fingers with yours.

The rest of ride is silent, since Rice is also asleep at the backseat. You arrive in front of the pub which Kise gave you the address of. “Rice and I will go visit Osamu. Just call me when you want to be picked up.”

“Yes, babe. Thank you,” you thank Kita, giving him a peck on his lips. “You’re the best.”

“Have fun.” Kita gives you a proper kiss before he lets you get out of the car. As he sees you safely enter the pub, he drives off to Osamu’s place. Arriving at his house, he notices his former teammate’s cars parked outside. “They’re all really here.”

Kita and Rice get out of the car, then head up to Osamu’s apartment. He presses the door bell and a few seconds later, Atsumu opens the door. “Oh! Kita’s here! Mr. Married is here!” The blonde shouts and the people inside the house cheers. Rice runs inside the house, greeting familiar people with a lick on their faces.

“I thought you couldn’t come, Shinsuke?” Aran asks the former captain. Kita sits beside him on the couch, Rice jumping to sit on his lap.

“(Y/N) went out with a friend so I was able to come here,” Kita explains.

The truth is, the Inarizaki Volleyball Club is holding a reunion. Kita, as the captain, is of course invited. But the day before, he said he couldn’t come because he didn’t want to leave you alone in your house. He also couldn’t bring you along since Atsumu whined about not bringing partners because he doesn’t have one. So he rejected the invitation, but here he is.

“Want a drink?” Omimi asks Kita and the latter shakes his head.

“No. I got to drive,” Kita reasons, petting Rice to sleep.

Two hours later, Kita receives a call from you, so he assumes that you wanted to be picked up. “I have to go. (Y/N)’s calling.”

“Simp,” Atsumu teases him so Kita flicks his forehead before heading out of Osamu’s place and driving to the pub where he dropped you off.

Kita calls you, not seeing you wait for him outside. He has told you a lot of times not to make him wait if you asked to be picked up. “Where are you? I’m already outside.”

“Babe, I called you a while ago because my friend offered to drive me home. He ordered more drinks and food so...” You reply and Kita immediately feels angry from hearing that you’re drinking with a guy, and just the two of you. How the hell is this guy friend of yours supposed to drive you home when you’re both under the influence of alcohol?

“No. Let’s go home. Right now.” Kita says in a demanding voice and he hears you groan from the other line. A couple of minutes later, he sees you walk out of the pub with Kise. Being the friendly and flirty guy he is, Kise does a quick cheek to cheek with you before letting you leave him. It fuels Kita’s irritation even more.

Kita is a jealous man, he admits that and he won’t even hide it.

“Who was that?” Kita asks as soon as you enter the car.

“I told you. A friend from Tokyo,” you answered, annoyance lingering from your tone.

Kita drives back to your house really fast. The ride back home actually scared you a little bit, since Kita wasn’t paying attention to the road signs and stoplights. He is as angry as you are.

As you enter the house, Kita slams the door close, startling you. “I’m gonna ask you again. Who was that?” You roll your eyes and ignore him, annoying Kita even more. “(Y/N), you’re a married woman. You shouldn’t drink like that alone with other guys.”

“And why is that?” You cock an eyebrow at him and he sighs heavily.

“It’s because I feel uncomfortable,” Kita answers you straightforwardly, his response making you scoff.

“You feel uncomfortable because I was with a friend? Is this because of jealousy?” You snap, testing the waters. Kita bites his lower lip, controlling his anger. “You know, just because we’re married, it doesn’t mean that you get to control my life.”

Your words hit Kita like a train traveling at a high speed. While he dedicates his whole life to you, and then there you are, acting as if marriage is just dating. He feels so stupid doing everything for you, and you’re not even giving half the effort.

Ever since you got married, Kita does everything to make life easier for you. He cooks you breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. He doesn’t put up a fight with you because he knows how much stress you get from work. He cancels plans with friends just so he could spend time with you since you barely had free time. He doesn’t even ask for attention from even if he’s dying to take you out on a date, because he knows you prioritize your work instead of him. You wouldn’t even free your schedule for you wedding ceremony.

Of course you don’t notice Kita’s pent up frustration because you think that’s just who he is. But no, he tries so hard to be the best husband to you but you’re not even trying to be a wife to him.

But today is when his patience runs thin. First, you leave him to eat alone in the middle of dinner. Second, you suddenly say you’re leaving and drinking out with a friend. Third, you allow this friend to be touchy and too friendly with you.

“You know what, (Y/N), I don’t think this is jealousy anymore. As a husband, I feel so disrespected, but I don’t think you know that because you don’t see me as one.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Facts:

When asked what marriage means to them, Japanese university students tend to use words like “respect, acceptance” and “caring, help and being there” while American university students tended to use words like “important, essential” and “unconditional."

Ordinary Japanese rarely had their marriages formalized or had any kind of wedding or ceremony. Traditionally, once a man began regularly visiting a woman the were considered married. Later when the man's mother considered herself no longer able to do her household chores by herself she asked her son's "wife" to move in. This occasion was often accompanied by a small party to introduce her to the neighbors.

The Democratic Party of Japan government elected in August 2009 wanted to introduce legislation that allowed married couples to use separate surnames.

[prev] [next]

Taglist:  @vicassa​  @ptv-hades​  @steggy4ever​  @booklover240​ @toripersonalacc​ @mkazuyuh​  @smoltiddygf​ @adrasteiaxandromedaa @leinnah  @a-applepi​ @kellesvt @xxlightsaberxx  @youpieceofwasabi @bandolls @wheelzzzies @apollochjld @sakusa-simp @neomuxuxi @tnu-ree @mindofess @alittlebitofrain @agaashesmilktea​ @aquzairus @ynjimenez @sempiternal-amour @diyosku @dinablossom @atomicpie1115 @lililiynx @onlyshinji @melodiamore @bunnybitesthedust @angrylittleriri @rogueofbullshit @8zmingi @aam1na @yuueisteria @4kaashl  @ohhoneyvee @amberisnotcrazy @kouffee-ink @flavostella02 @mint-mai @iminlovewhaikyuu @alexandriamentos @tsumtsumsamu @izumikunmy @akaashi-todorki​ @nycvalntyne @kixria​​ @yeibuub @todobruhski @koushiwrites @maitenight @nerdynstoned @shinyaluv @iish @mylovelykelsifer @animeandart  @jiichangmins @prefesro​ @jiminscarmex @therealwalmartjesus @shinyaluv @imcravingyou @yoongis-cumsock @iish @laughingismorefun

[twoidiotwriters1]

Déjà Vu (Or are we losing our minds?) VIII -Modern!Shirbert

A/N: I need a group of friends that live near my house so we can all have crisis together -Danny

Words: 2,790

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Chapter Eight: 2nd. Déjà Vu.

'We are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known’

                           —Carson McCullers

"Anne, I’m sorry!” Cole called from the other side of the door, “If I had known that finding out about that asshole’s engagement was going to upset you like this, I would’ve kept my mouth shut…”

“You couldn’t take a guess?” Josie scoffed, leaning against the wall beside him. She continued in a whisper, "She's on her period, and you thought it'd be okay to just drop the bomb?"

Anne opened the door abruptly, almost causing her friend to fall forward into the bathroom. Her face was still red from anger, but there was no sign of tears treatening to come out.

“He’s a monster!” She yelled, making a bee line back to her bedroom. “First tries to make me believe I’m the love of his life and that he’s the man of my dreams, and then cheats– now he’s telling the same tale to one of my classmates he met thanks to me! What the actual fuck?!”

“Anne,” Ruby said tentatively. “I think that you need us to leave you alone...”

“What?” Her eyes widening. “No, no, no, no, please don’t leave, please don’t go, I need you here! I thought I was going to be better in the morning but I had this dream… and the nightmare from real life just continued, Roy and Lauren were inviting me to their wedding and I was so upset! I was plotting to ruin their party, I was… oh, it was so out of control– don't you dare say this is because I'm on my period, Josie!” She glared at the blonde in front of her, who just raised her hands in surrender.

“Then let’s do something,” Cole put one hand on her shoulder, “let’s go downtown, let’s visit Muriel! I bet she’s eager to see us, c’mon Anne, you love visiting her...”

“Maybe we could ask her about her husband?” Anne asked, suddenly hopeful. “Her love story could give me hope.”

“For what?”

“For believing love not is not yet another scam of society,” She sentenced.

“Oh my god,” Josie let out a tired sigh. “Fine, we’ll visit her, but please take a shower first, you stink of anger and drool.”

___________________

There she was again, the same girl. Was it the same girl? Gilbert couldn’t remember her face at all, but both definitely had the same red hair, the same soft-looking skin…

“Gilbert, you’re spilling coffe on the table!” Mary’s yell brought him back instantly.

With a start he lifted the kettle and stopped pouring the liquid onto his cup, it was filled to the brim. He let out a tired sigh and reached out for a napkin.

“Sorry,” He mumbled. “I was thinking…”

“A bit too much,” The woman raised a brow. “What is it this time, a scholarship you’re trying to get? An essay that might’ve been one page too long?”

“A dream,” He said quietly.

“A dream,” Mary shook her head skeptically. “You can't even rest while sleeping, then? I’m glad Winnie’s taking you out for the day, Lord knows you need a distraction...”

Winnie arrived at two o’clock, punctual as usual. She was holding a bouquet of flowers that were meant to be for Dellie, but the little girl was having a nap, so she left them on the kitchen counter.

“Sunflowers,” Gilbert raised his eyebrows. “You’re trying to call us haughty?”

“What?” Winnie tilted her head. “No, I just thought they were pretty– Hold on, that's their meaning? How the hell do you know that?”

“I…” Gilbert smiled faded. “I think I dreamt about it.”

Winnie laughed at this.

“You dreamt about it, so it must be real, right?” She shook her head. “Come on, Gilbert, it’s time to get you out of the house.”

___________________

“Anne, why are you stopping?”

The redhead was standing outside a flower shop, she was glancing at it inquisitively, as if pondering whether to take a quick look or keep walking.

“Anne?” Cole called her softly. “Are you okay?”

“What if I do exactly like in my dream?” She asked absentmindedly. “Is it too petty to buy a bouquet just to say 'fuck you'?”

“Very,” Cole raised a brow. “It’s classy though, I like your style.”

“We can talk about whether you should buy your ex venomous flowers once we’re at Muriel’s,” Josie pulled both of them forward. “Let’s go, she’s waiting for us!”

The woman was delighted to receive her former students, they sat in the small dining room and talked for hours until lunchtime. Anne was in a much lighter mood, and offered to prepare a meal, to which they responded with skeptical looks.

“Don’t worry,” Anne rolled her eyes. “I’ll stay far from the oven. Honestly, you burn something once and everyone acts like you’ve been ten years in jail for arson…”

Ruby, Cole and Josie remained at the table while Muriel and Anne entered the kitchen.

“How’s my best student coping with college?”

“You ask that every time I come to visit,” Anne grinned. “And it’s always the same answer. I’m fine, it has been kind to me, it's nothing I can’t handle.”

“Cole told me something happened,” Muriel leaned against the counter. “He said you wanted to ask me about my husband?”

“Oh,” Anne looked up from the bowl she was rinsing, a blush covering her cheeks. “Yeah, I did say that but you know me, I was… upset. You know I tend to be dramatic–”

“If it makes it easier for you, I’d love to tell you about my Jonah, not many people ask me about him, they think I’ll get upset,” Muriel smiled. “It’s been quite some time now and to be honest, talking about him feels different now, the further the memories are, the sweeter they taste.”

Anne wasn’t sure she understood what Muriel was saying, but it encouraged her enough to ask.

“Was it love at first sight? Did you know it’ll be him?”

“Oh no,” She chuckled. “We got along right away, yes, but we didn’t date until our last year in Uni, when all was a bit quieter. Just then we realized that it was always meant to be that way, us together.”

“Did you had partners before him?” Anne went redder. “I’m sorry, is not my business–”

Muriel laughed.

“Anne calm down, I said that you could ask, didn’t I? We’re friends, it’s fine,” She stayed quiet for a moment. “Hmm… well, I only had one official boyfriend before him when I was in highschool, I dated a few kids and never settled– Now, don’t look at me like that!” She laughed, “I was not a heartbreaker, every single sweetheart left with a smile, I think they knew it wasn’t meant to last. I have the feeling that all humans have the ability to know when a person is meant to be with them.”

“I never felt it,” Anne lowered her gaze, “I mean, Roy was the first man I ever dated, he talked about big plans and a future together… but it didn’t matter how much I liked him, how beautiful he was, I never felt the thrill.”

“Sometimes is not thrill what takes over you,” Muriel replied, “sometimes, it’s a subtle tickling on the tip of your fingers, the anticipation that comes a second before you walk into the rain, when you can feel the breeze on your face and… am I making any sense?”

“Yes,” Anne said breathlessly. “Like knowing what’s coming because it’s right in front of you, yet there's something stopping you from having it and remains there, unreachable until you are ready to walk up to it…”

“Exactly,” The woman smiled. “Love is different for everyone, Anne, and most times is not a fairytale, but we make it work when we are with the right person.”

“I suppose you’re right,” She walked up to the fridge. “I’m an adult, I shouldn’t be daydreaming with princes coming to my rescue- especially since I do not need to be saved from anything, my life is great. It’s silly, I'm a grown up now but still have such a childish spirit.”

“It’s okay to dream,” Muriel said reassuringly. “Real life can be magical if you look at the right things, if you pay enough attention.”

“The little things in life?” She looked over her shoulder as she kept handing ingredients to her former teacher.

“Yes, but also no,” The woman frowned, a little smile playing on her lips. “It’s funny, I hadn’t thought about it in a long time...”

“What thing?”

“A month before Jonah and I got together I was having the weirdest déjà vu’s… whenever I was with him it was like watching a scene I had already lived out in a dream, so strange…”

“I read once that when you dream about someone, in a romantic way, that means that person is also thinking about you!” Anne said with excitement. “Maybe he was dreaming about you too!”

“I never asked him,” Muriel shook her head, “what a shame, if he was indeed dreaming of me, that would’ve been such a romantical tale to tell you, I’m sorry I can’t confirm your lovely story.”

“You can’t deny it either,” Anne winked. “That’s enough for me.”

“All this time I thought I’d dreamt about him simply because I was thinking him too much during the day,” Muriel laughed. “It’s so much better to see it through your eyes! I might need to change my version of the story.”

“I had a dream this morning,” Anne giggled. “I was buying Roy a bunch of flowers to tell him to fuck off,” She laughed louder at Muriel’s expression. “Am I allowed to swear in front of you? It feels so weird… anyway, I was buying flowers and the poor man helping me…” She felt a giddy as soon as she remembered him, “he had to deal with my anger while still being completely helpful, if only real people were as patient as he was when I rambled on about my ex and how much of an asshole he was!”

“I hope you gave him a lot of imaginary money for helping you,” Muriel joked.

“Oh, he wouldn’t take it,” Anne rolled her eyes, a silly smile on her face. “That's my childish self, imagining a flourist man- a very handsome flourist man- just giving away his work to me for free, like some sort of selfless hero,” She chuckled. “Well, not so selfless. I remember him asking me to go back and have lunch with him. I mean, I offered the lunch part, but he was the one who asked me to go back…”

“Looks like the mistery man managed to charmed you. I thought the dream was about your ex but it sounds like you were having a jolly time with the flourist!”

“I was,” Anne shook her head. “I have no self-control, even in my dreams I'm incapable of keeping it in my pants.”

“Anne!” Muriel exclaimed over Anne’s cackles. “You’re right, it does feel strange listening to my former student talk like a sailor.”

“A sailor?” Anne asked, still laughing. “More like a pirate! Ahoy, you dirty animals! Hold the anchors! Let’s go south and kill those ravenous monsters while we steal their gold! Captain Shirley doesn’t have time for this buffoonery!”

“Oh Captain, my Captain!” Muriel replied, following the joke. “If you consider it addecuate, we shall start cooking!”

“Oh,” Anne looked down at the untouched ingredients. “Yeah, we should do that.”

___________________

“...And then I told her we could still be friends, but I wasn’t looking for anything serious,” Winnie shrugged, finishing her drink.

“Did she cry?”

“She understood, I told her since the start. I wasn’t leading her on or anything, but I guess she’d grown fond of me, she did cry a little, yeah.”

“Winifred Rose, you must be a nightmare back in Paris,” Gilbert snorted.

“Well I’m not lying, am I? I tell them exactly what I want since the start and they agree!”

“Probably just because they’re too distracted by your looks to actually listen to what you’re saying,” He teased.

“Well that’s on them,” Winnie raised her brow. “Now really, I know you said you’ve had zero fun, but c’mon, there’s gotta be someone…”

“You mean like a prospect?” Gilbert took a quick sip of his coke while Winnie nodded. “I told you before, I don’t have any.”

“Why?” She tilted her head. “I didn’t raise you to be like this, Blythe.” The man laughed.

Winnie was a year older than him, when he was a freshman in Highschool she had taken him under her wing, she was popular (and wealthy) so Moody and him had a decent time during their adolescent years. That if you didn’t take into account the time his father got sick and died, which had been the majority of three years.

“You want me to be honest?” He let out a sigh. “I guess that if I tried, I could make time to go out and meet new people, if I were that eager to go out and… Have something.”

“But?”

“You’re gonna laugh at me.”

“Of course I will, but that doesn’t mean I’ll think less of you!” Winnie saw his distress and her smile faded a little. “I’ve known you long enough to know that you’re not the type to sleep around with strangers. I thought that you would at least try to meet someone and see how it goes, though. Formal relationships are not that hard to find, you know?”

“I know,” Gilbert shook his head. “Every time I consider it, just when I’m this close to ask you or Moody to set me up with someone you think would be a good fit for me, something just stops me. It’s like I’m stuck in one place, waiting around for a girl to pull me out of where I’m drowning.”

“I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to answer honestly,” When Gilbert gave his agreement, she continued. “What's stopping you? Is it that you’re secretely gay, or is it that you actually met someone, and you don’t want to tell us who she is?”

“I’m not gay, Winnie,” Gilbert rubbed his forehead. “I’m being honest, I feel like I’m on pause. I don’t know, maybe I met my soulmate and I fucked up so now the universe is forcing me to turn around and find my way back, or I could be losing my mind,” He joked. “It certainly feels like I am, lately.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, it’s stupid,” He shrugged, signaling to the waiter so he could bring them the check. “I had this dream two times in a row, or more like I dreamt about this girl two times already…”

“So there is a girl!”

“No! Not really— She’s not… I think I’ve seen her before,” Gilbert frowned, struggling to remember something besides her striking red hair. “Maybe on tv? She might be a minor celebrity… I’m so sure I’ve seen her somewhere in real life, there’s no way I’m dreaming about her with such clarity…”

“Gilbert you’re not making any sense," Winnie raised a brow. “If I’m honest, it does sound like you’re losing your mind.”

Gilbert gave up on trying to explain, he didn’t know what he was trying to say anyway, so what was the point? He hung his head low and kept on rubbing the weariness out of his temples. He felt like crying but didn’t know why; the more he thought about this girl, the more the void got bigger and bigger, like having some kind of treasure handed to him only to watch it disappear just as quickly.

“How about,” Winnie started, “I’ll stop nagging about finding you a date until New Year’s Eve. It’s the Orchard’s anniversary, right?”

“Yeah, the fiftieth,” He said. “Why is it important?”

“I’d like you to have someone on your side by then, the anniversary's on January, I know, but your father would’ve wanted you to build a life outside school and work, if you let me find you a nice girl…”

Gilbert frowned, it wasn’t that easy, and it was low to bring up his father so casually when he was well aware that he hadn’t done the one thing his father had asked him before dying, which was to live a life full of love and adventures. He knew this, but he couldn’t stop now… could he?

Or was he stopping himself because he was, as Bash had kindly put it, crushing on a fantasy? Some sort of dream-mermaid lurking in the back of his mind, ready to eat him up and finish him when least expect it…

“I’ll think about it,” He mumbled awkwardly.

Taglist.

@ninizkd @http-itsrebecca @fuckthisshitimoutyall @just-here-to-escape-from-reality​​ @little-boats-on-a-lake @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual