#getting all my thoughts out there before the new ch7 drop takes us out with a steel pipe

[llondonfog]

let's make no mistake about it, i genuinely find lilia one of the most fascinating characters in twst— a 700 yr old fae who spent centuries as the most revered general of briar valley, confidant to the royal family, did an about-turn to fatherhood immediately upon finding an abandoned baby and now romps around a school campus with said son and the heir apparent to the draconia family pretending to be 680 years younger than he actually is???? fucking insane.

we know absolutely nothing about his own personal life; no immediate family to speak of (besides his adopted son), and we can safely assume they're no longer among the living. we have no idea what his own childhood was like, but i think we can extrapolate by the way that he initially raised silver that it wasn't conventional. were tensions always so high between fae and humans, did lilia simply grow up in a time where war was a common occurrence, that to serve in the briar valley army was the obvious path to take? we can only gather bits and pieces about his previous lifestyle from his card lines, and it would seem that his life prior to silver was a harsh one, with little to no time for personal amusement or exploration of interests.

and one doesn't just become a renown general fitting for the history books by simply leading an army for so many years— it's clear that he was so very good at it. did he too share the fae consensus that humans were not to be trusted, and if so, at what point did that begin to change? was it truly raising silver that altered his perspective? and more to that point, can we assume that he was truly looking for the boy as his new card title suggests? and if so, why? was it for silver's unique magic, did he really come from royalty, was he considered a threat to the draconias? does any of this have to do with the disappearance of malleus' parents so many centuries prior??

i'm so torn between the idea of lilia being instructed to find and raise silver for some greater purpose and over time, realizing how much he's grown to care and love the child, versus the idea of somehow this little baby being enough to give the fierce general pause, to take him in as his own. i also wonder if lilia even proclaimed himself as silver's father to begin with, or if that's simply a title silver gave him on his own and only then did the ramifications of what he meant to the boy truly sink in. it must have been such a shock, the realization that a human could look up at him with such pure love and think of him as a father— for what does he know of rearing a child, and a human one at that? lilia himself even admits this at countless points, and the more we learn of silver's childhood, the more clear it becomes that while the mutual affection is truly there, the understanding of how to properly care for another being of any kind is clearly lacking.

which is understandable when we think of lilia's past experiences— he was simply a guardian, a 'bodyguard' to an extent to malleus, and someone who intervened to provide the kind of life lessons and guidance that an absent father figure could no longer give. but he did not raise the prince, nor was he responsible for caring for him daily. if what we know so far is to be believed, there was little to no time of lilia's role as a general to his departure and caring for silver. for once in his life, he gets to taste the unfettered freedom of no longer shouldering the weight of a nation's protection, and to be frank, goes a little mad with it. it makes sense why he was cavorting around the world while leaving silver at home, he simply never got to enjoy these freedoms before and perhaps selfishly took advantage of that fact while neglecting the ramifications of leaving a child to care for itself (especially one with a narcoleptic condition).

(and even now he kind of seeks that familiar comfort of warfare— we see him gaming as a kind of warlord with idia, which makes sense that he was unable to fully part with that portion of his identity if it truly made up his entire persona for nearly 600 years.)

anyways all this to say that i have no doubt that lilia truly cares for silver. but i think there's something to be said for fae emotional differences, and that he massively underestimates or doesn't know how to acknowledge that silver loves him before even himself. that the things he does to his family (re halloween, his departure party) are ignorantly cruel at best. at the same time, how could you blame him? as a general and being accustomed to loss of life, what is the use of a long, drawn out goodbye? and to have spent the majority of his life in such a mindset, it's understandable, even if reprehensible, to apply this logic to silver, malleus, and sebek. on the flip side, how utterly fascinating how lilia seems to be fooling himself with these forced and abrupt goodbyes— he admits it himself that he fears becoming weak before his family, that vulnerability so at odds with the kind of power and strength he wielded for years.

i have absolutely no idea what the next part of ch7 will bring us, but i really cannot wait to explore more of lilia in his general years, at the height of his glory. and i really do hope that we get the truth of what we all know— his happiest dream, his sweetest memory, being that of when he found silver at last. how fitting would that be, especially for silver who had wept miserably to malleus about his failures to lilia as his son. how fitting to know that lilia does not see him in that way, that his happiest moment that he would choose to relive and dream is the one where he gathers up silver in his arms, and inevitably sets in motion his course to become his father.

[exhaslo]

Corruption Ch10

(Villain!Miguel x F!Hero!Reader)

Ch1, Ch2, Ch3, Ch4, Ch5, Ch6, Ch7, Ch8, Ch9

Warning: Minors DNI, mentions of sex, violence, blood, murder, twisted thoughts, experimentation, language, wannabe fluff, established friendship/relationship?

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

Two Months, Twenty-Four Days until D-Day

If hearts could float above your head, they would. You felt like you were living in a fairy tale now that you and Miguel were officially dating...in secret. Whether or not everyone knew was of no matter or importance to you. As long as you knew that you melted that stone cold heart of his, you were happy.

Humming lowly as you waited for the elevator to arrive, you couldn't help but imagine what kind of day it will be. Maybe it was your clouded mind, but you were sure Miguel was behaving. He wasn't calling for you any cruel experiments. Perhaps he had changed.

Or you were so blind from love that you didn't notice.

"Hold the elevator!" Aaron yelled out.

You gasped softly, using your foot to hold the doors open. You needed to snap out of your day dreams and focus. Nearly dropping both yours and Miguel's coffee, you bit your lower lip in a panic. Miguel was not a happy camper without his morning cup of joe.

"Thanks, (Y/N). Still dressing like it's negative degrees?" Aaron said with a light chuckle, "Your office is like a sauna now."

"Haha, yea...I still don't know what came over me. Never reacted this way to the cold before."

"Think that cruel boss of ours experimented on you with knowing?" Aaron grumbled lowly. You felt your heart sink,

"He wouldn't," You tried to plead Miguel's case, "While yes....Alchemax isn't the...best company to work for, but to experiment on his own workers?"

You. To experiment on you? Miguel wouldn't...unless he ever found out your secret identity.

"You know about the Rapture...right?" Aaron whispered lowly. You felt your shoulders wink,

"Sadly...I do..."

"The apple never falls to far from the tree."

Just like that, you felt yourself return to reality. As much as you loved Miguel, you had to remember that your goal was to take Alchemax down. You needed to bring Miguel's father to justice first. Miguel still had a chance. He could still be saved!

"Anyway, are you free this Friday night?" Aaron asked as the elevator approached his floor.

"Me? Um, not sure yet, why?"

"Because I want to-"

The elevator stopped and doors began to open. Minding his words, Aaron stopped talking since it was too dangerous. Every time he tried anything, Miguel would just appear out of nowhere. Not seeing anyone by the open door, Aaron stepped out,

"I want to take you out on a d-"

"Aaron, there is an emergency system failure in bookkeeping. You're needed urgently." Lyla appeared from your watch. You were taken by surprise.

"Of course," Aaron muttered under his breathe, "Perhaps another time then. Later (Y/N)."

"Bye, best of luck." You chirped.

Once the doors closed again, you focused on your watch. Lyla was smiling as she appeared before you in a cute new holographic attire.

"I love the look. Did Miguel finally give you more freedom to dress yourself?" You chuckled, adoring the AI. Lyla appeared beside your shoulder,

"Girl, it was a workout! I begged! I pleaded! Do you know what I had to do to get this?"

"Um....A well contrasted plan for world domination?" You teased as you arrived on Miguel's floor.

"Ha! That would be too easy. I sent Miguel all of your pictures from you trying on different underwear~"

"What?! Lyla!!" You cried out, chasing after the AI, "T-That's my personal data! Y-You know you can't do that!"

"I jest." Was all Lyla said before disappearing before Miguel's door.

Oh, if you could only strangle Lyla just once. That AI sure knew how to bring tears to your eyes for the most embarrassing things. She was connected to your phone, so you had to be careful of what pictures you took now. So erasing all of your new sexy panties was going to be painful.

As you entered Miguel's office, you felt a shiver run down your spine. Something felt ominous, but it was nothing dangerous to you. Approaching your frightening and cruel boyfriend, you smiled as you handed him his large coffee.

"Perfect timing. There are new specimens that arrived in the Museum of Science today. We are to go so I may have my pick of the lot."

"Ew," You responded immediately as Miguel took his drink, "I just know there is a Spider involved."

"Perchance," Miguel hid his smirk as he glanced at you, "It's cute how much you hate Spiders. Do you despise that Spiderwoman too?"

You held your small coffee, taking small sips every now and then as you tried to avoid his gaze.

"She's a person, so no. Spiders are just...eek." You whimpered.

What a hypocrite. Here you were, hating Spiders with all your being, yet you had some Spider DNA in you. It was easy to say that you still hated them despite enjoying some of the perks of being part Spider. How funny.

"Shall we go?" Miguel asked, changing out of his lab coat and into a more appropriate suit.

You could feel your heart race as you watched Miguel change. Oh how handsome he was. Finishing your coffee, you hurried to Miguel's side and quickly fixed his tie. His hand rested against your cheek, giving you that affection you crave.

"Let's go."

---------

Miguel kept his sinister smirk upon his face as he had you wrapped around his little finger. Lately he felt calm. Everything was going his way. He had you behaving perfectly; your DNA was about to be cracked; and the company was sky-rocking.

Plus, Miguel was doing well by giving himself a name in the city. The underground Kingpin as the rumors spread. People started to fear him after the display he made with Doc Ock.

"Um, Miguel?" You called out.

Miguel glanced at you beside him. You were tapping away on your work tablet, focused on an article. Leaning against you, Miguel recognized the article about rising crime. It was thanks to him that there was so much chaos in the city.

"They're saying...that Spiderwoman isn't doing a good job...just ignoring the people and only stopping the villains....What do you think about that?" Your voice was low. How cute.

"That you shouldn't concern yourself with the small minds of others," He scoffed and threw his arm over your shoulders, "They wish for a constant savior. What good is a hero if they spend all their time on every little thing?"

"Well...."

"A hero is meant for a bigger purpose. Whom else will take on those so-called villains? Our pathetic public eye?"

"Miguel...You know that your father owns them..." You whispered. Miguel silenced you with a kiss,

"And so do I. Spiderwoman just needs to focus on her own morals and ideals. She should not be wasting her abilities on meaningless fighting. Soon enough...those villains will fall."

"Mhm,"

Miguel's smirk returned as you leaned against him. You were so easily to manipulate. So easy to twist and bend. Pulling you onto his lap, Miguel held your waist as he watched you settle. His hands trailed up your sides, feeling your body tremble to his touch.

"Just as how you should think, (Y/N)." Miguel whispered, biting your lower lip, "Think only about what you want."

What you crave.

"Don't be...mean," You whispered, melting into his kisses.

"What do you want?"

To be tainted?

"Y-You,"

"Then just listen to everything I say,"

Be mine.

Miguel hummed lowly as you gave yourself to him. How easily his hands roamed your perfect body. The future of humans. You were going to be nothing but Miguel's precious experiment. His precious wife.

His little hero.

---------

"Must you walk so slow?" Miguel chuckled, waiting for you.

Your cheeks were flustered as you hurried behind Miguel. You wouldn't have been so slow if he didn't mess up your attire. Miguel was very handsy with you. It was like he was always checking your body for anything strange.

"I said to stop bullying me!" You huffed, standing beside Miguel as you entered the muesum.

"Now, now. You weren't complaining."

Unable to deny Miguel's cruelty, you quietly followed. Treating this trip like business as usual, you took notes of everything Miguel did or said. He loved reviewing your notes, just in case someone said something he wanted to review.

After a few hours, you started to get bored. Miguel might find everything here fascinating, you didn't. You could feel your eye lids start to drop as Miguel examined the new creatures. This was the part you hated.

You knew these animals and bugs were going to be used for experiments. It was a nice break, but Miguel would never stop his endeavor for human gene splicing.

This made you recall Aaron's words. What did you have to do to take down Alchemax and help Miguel? Right as you started to brain storm, you felt your spider senses tingle.

"HAHA! Did you truly believe that you could keep me hostage here?!" Rhino screamed as he broke down a nearby wall.

"This puny brained idiot." Miguel hissed. You on the other hand glanced around, wondering where to change, "Let's go." Miguel grabbed your hand, walking towards another room.

"But-Rhino-" You panicked, watching the villain make a mess.

"Is not worth our time. We came here for a reason," Miguel scolded, gripping your wrist. You felt torn,

"Maybe...someone should call Spiderwoman?" You suggested, wanting to help.

As the two of you made a turn, Miguel pinned you against the wall. His face was close to yours, making your heart race.

"As much as I would love to ask Spiderwoman more questions, this is beneath her. These fiends are nothing compared to her perfect genes," Miguel whispered, his intense stare burning into yours, "Remember what I said in the car?"

"Do whatever you say?" You whispered obediently. Miguel rewarded you with a kiss,

"Good girl,"

Oh, you were folding again. Why did Miguel have to make you feel like this? You loved it when he had a hold on you. It was easier to listen to him.

--------

Miguel resisted a chuckle as you gave him a desperate look. Your eyes full of lust as you nearly begged for another kiss. How easy you were to please. Deciding to reward you again, Miguel licked your lips and gave you a deep kiss.

"Now," Miguel broke the kiss, watching you take a moment to catch your breathe, "What were we doing again?"

"Getting...new specimens." You whispered. Miguel smirked,

"Good girl,"

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Next Chapter

(Still on small hiatus, Final Fantasy is AMAZING!!!!)

@tojishugetiddies @miguelsfavwife @foulsharkheart @club-danger-zone @ivkygirly @jollystrawberrycycle @amber-content @weirdothatwritess @smartyren @mangoslushcrush @nyxzoldyck6 @migueloharastruelove @chaoticlovingdreamer @sukioyakio @killjoy-nightshadow @heyohalie @the-pan-liquid @bokutosprettylittlebimbo @kpopscoups17130000 @pochapo @killerwendigo @barbiecrocs @miss-galaxy-turtle @oscarissac2099 @lazy-idate @lauraolar14 @migueloharacumslut @straw-berry-ghoul @daisy-artfield @sukunash0e @undf-stuff @iamperson12280 @nightingale1011 @reader-1290 @mcmiracles @keepghostly @marlyharper @jadeloverxd

[space-helen]

Back To Vegas - Chapter 4

Words: 1948

Pairing: Nick Stokes x reader

A/N: Case is unfolding now!! I promise there’ll be more Nick and Reader moments in the next chapter

CH1     CH2      CH3     CH4    CH5   CH6   CH7   CH8

______________________

“Y/N?” You looked up from the evidence gathered at Hallie’s house that was out on the table.

“Greg?”

“New DB just came in. Want to join me?” he questioned stepping into the room. 

You looked at Grissom opposite you and he gestured towards Greg “Go. I’ll be ok with this. Catherine will be back in a second anyway.”

You stood and began to leave, Greg leading the way. “You wanna drive?”

“Uhh I think you should. I still don’t know Vegas that well.”

The man laughed “You’ll get to know it soon enough. I’m surprised Nick hasn’t taken you on a tour yet.” 

You got into the car with the man “Well we haven’t exactly had the time yet.”

“I was going to ask Nick if he wanted to come hiking soon and you’re more than welcome to join to.” The man started the engine.

“I’ll ask him later. Thank you”

“My pleasure. So Y/N tell me what sort of stuff are you into?”

The entire car ride was spent talking about your hobbies and getting to know the man, allowing him to talk about the history of Vegas and his friendship with Nick.

“I’m sorry I didn’t make too much of an effort to get to know you. Or come and see you and Nick. I was actually kind of nervous. I knew you were a big part of his life and I didn’t want to scare you away or something.”

“Don’t apologise or worry about it. It would have been nice to get to know you sooner, don't get me wrong. But you and Nick were always calling each other so I feel like I know you anyway.”

“Same to you. He spoke about you a lot, you know. Still does.”

You rolled your eyes “As much as I love the man can we move away from the relationship talk? I feel like I’ve been grilled and questioned by everyone about it.”

“Alright. No relationship talk.” The man pulled into the drive of a house. The police presence around the house was instantly noticeable.

“High profile?” 

The man shrugged “I don’t think so.”

The two of you got out of the vehicle and grabbed your kits, quickly moving towards the house.

“Why so many officers?” you questioned an older looking man by the front door.

“The body is fresh. Found by his kid. He was a professor and writer. The kid said he saw a woman leaving.”

You thanked the man and entered the house, Greg right behind you. The two of you saw a teenager in the corridor with a detective “Hi.” you greeted them.

“Sanders and?” the detective enquired.

“Y/L/N” you replied and stretched out your hand. 

He shook it “Wentz” The man turned to the teenager “This is Steff Nichols, Mr Nichols, the vic’s, son.” He turned to the man “Tell them what you saw.”

Steff fidgeted “I came home from tutoring early and shouted for my Dad. I knew he was in, he never leaves on a Thursday night. He has to be home to watch his favourite show. I didn’t hear a response so I looked for him and came to his room and found him on his bed grasping at his chest. I went to run for my bag and cell phone and saw that someone was running down our drive I didn’t chase her I called nine one one and went to try help him.” he was visibly upset.

“Don’t feel bad you did the right thing.” you re-assured “Have you given Detective Wentz a description of what she looked like?”

He nodded “The best I could.”

“Did you touch anything in the room?” Greg asked from beside you.

“No. My focus was on Dad and… he was gone by the time help got here.”

“Did they touch anything?” Greg asked.

“Nothing. Just the father” Wentz replied.

The two of you nodded. “Stay with the detective alright?” Greg told the kid as the two of you continued down the corridor to the room his father lay.

The room was large and the man lay on the floor next to his bed, far from the door. You took a picture as soon as you entered the room. You slowly approached the body and took more as Greg fell into step with you.

Something caught Gregs eye as he approached the opposite nightstand. “Y/N look” he pointed at a vial on the nightstand as he began to rush out of the room “I’ll ask if they left anything.”

You took a picture of the vial before placing your kit down and picking up the vial. Greg was back with you within seconds “They didn’t even take anything out of their packs. Anything they did was over by the body.”

You read the label and passed it to Greg who now had an open evidence bag. “Potassium.” He sealed the bag and read it through the plastic. 

“These cases are more intertwined than we thought.”

“Is it ok if I call Nick? He said that his vic looked like they OD’d but maybe it was something connected to this? Can you call David to check for puncture marks on Hallie?”

He nodded “You call Nick.” Greg brought his phone out of his pocket and walked to the otherside of the room to make his call. Slipping out your phone you quickly called Nick.

“Everything ok?” Nick’s voice was curious

“Yeah.” you pushed some stray hairs back “I’m with Greg with the new DB. We found a vial of potassium here. I know you said your case looked like a general overdose in a motel but be sure to check for Potassium in her bloodstream. We’ll explain more later.”

“Sure, sure. Ours vic had a pretty big concoction of drugs in her stream. We initially thought she was a long time user but she wasn’t at all. I’ll check again for potassium.”

“Thanks Nicky. I’m just finishing this scene and we’ll be back to properly fill you in”

“No problem Darlin’. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“See you in a bit. Love you.”

“I love you too.” 

With that you hung up the call and turned back around, Greg stood on the other side of the room with a smirk on his face and arms crossed around his chest. “Love you Nicky.” he teased.

You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face “What? Are you jealous Greggo?”

“Don’t you dare.” he laughed “Let’s get back to the scene shall we?”

You composed yourself “Sure.”

The two of you collected the evidence efficiently and effectively and were soon walking back to the car. Bringing out your phone you checked your messages “Nick says there was potassium in his vic.”

“Right. David said he found puncture marks in Hallie too. This calls for a proper meeting.” Greg slid into the driver’s seat and brought out his phone. He began to frantically tap the screen before locking it and putting it away.

Just as he put it down your phone vibrated and you pulled it out.

“It’s only me.”

You read the text on the screen calling for a team meeting upon your return. 

“I’ll drop the evidence off ready to be properly processed then make my way over to the meeting.” you pulled your seatbelt across as he pulled away from the scene.

“Did Nick tell you about that time he left evidence in his car and-”

“Yeah.” you laughed “He gets pretty embarrassed about it.”

“I would too. It was a rough day.”

“When he told me the story I instantly got second hand embarrassment and it lives in my head rent free now. I’ll never leave evidence in a car.”

The journey was quick and you both leaped out the car. Greg chucked you his keys before rushing inside. You grabbed all of the evidence from the trunk and locked up before following Gregs footsteps inside. 

You quickly dropped off the evidence and hurried to the breakout room. Greg was straight ahead of you at the back centre of the room as you entered. Slipping inside you stood by the door next to Sara.

“I’ve called you here because it looks like all of our cases are linked. Each of them are all linked with a potassium overdose or elevated levels in their stream. Y/N and I just got back from a scene where an older man, a professor and writer was found having a heart attack by his son and he saw a woman fleeing the scene but stayed to help his dad.”

Greg paused and looked around the room before continuing. “We need to find the link between these cases. We’ll all be working together from now on. I want the teams to review all evidence from now on. Finish whatever you were doing and come join Y/N and I with your evidence.”

The group split up and you were soon falling into step with Greg. You spread the evidence out across the table and began to upload the crime scene photos before joining Greg back at the table.

Nick was the first to join you. He placed a box of evidence down on the table and stood beside you. Sara and Grissom were quick on his heels with more boxes. Nick’s hand settled on the small of your back as he leaned forward and used his free hand to sift through some evidence.

Sara got to work looking through all of the crime scene photos and Catherine was soon coming into the room with armfull’s of paperwork.

The team worked effortlessly together. Looking through evidence and moving around the room smoothly, lending knowledge effectively and researching as appropriate.

You pulled out the picture strip found on Hallie and looked over the faces with her in the booth. “This face is familiar.” you showed Greg next to you.

He took the strip from your hands “That’s Shana. The first vic. The teacher.” He held up the strip to the room “We’ve found out first link. Find out how they know each other.”

Catherine took the strip from Greg “On it.”

People began to leave the room, finding new clues and going to research them Greg had to excuse himself to take a call but he was soon returning.

“Sara, Y/N.”

“Yep.”

“New Dead body for you both. Could be connected.”

The two of you were soon leaving. “I never thought something like this would be my first case in Vegas.” you admitted to Sara.

“Vegas is different.” Sara laughed “It’s thrown us all straight into the deep end.”

“You can say that again.” 

The scene was a small nicely furnished home. It wasn’t high end but not low end either. The surrounding houses were full of families. The victim was Tessa Spencer, a woman in her 30s found dead in her living room by her brother. Sara and you processed the scene swiftly.

“Do you have any idea who could have done this? Did she have any enemies?” Sara questioned Tessa’s brother, Julian.

“A lot of people liked her. She was a really good person.”

“I know but you really need to think for us. Is there anyone who would want to see her hurt?”

He sighed. “I know she had a disagreement with our cousin last week. She mentioned it over the phone. The two have never really got on. She’s definitely spiralled over the years.”

“Would you say your cousin is capable of murder?”

“Yeah. Most definitely. They were on trial a couple of years ago”

“Who?”

“Hannah West”

Sara’s head snapped to Julian “I beg your pardon.”

Next Chapter

Tag List: (open)

CSI:

Nick Stokes: @wanniiieeee​  @pumpkinfriend

[wandsandwheezes]

Fake It | Weasley Twins | CH7

one // two // three // four // five // six

Warnings | 2.6k // 18+ SMUT, mature themes, fake relationships, secret relationships, love, sex, drama, angst, fluff, unforgivable curses, cheating. 

Summary // Fred Weasley has been set up to publicly date Y/N, London’s best Quidditch Seeker in order to drum up some publicity. Y/N however has a different ginger man on her mind; George Weasley.

A/N // one word. Endgame.

Fred began to notice small things, like how George would look at you when you entered a room, eyes filled with love and adoration or how you'd both be smiling like idiots after every conversation. He noticed more and more of all the small things you tried to hide. He picked at every lingering touch or held stare because he knew, he knew you loved each other, that much was now blindingly obvious.

Fred wouldn't even dare look at you, the feeling made him sick, even just a simple text was too much for him to handle. You tried to approach him multiple times, you and George were both ready to tell him about the relationship the two of you had - Ready to start a public life together, but any time you had him alone, he panicked and ran from the conversation he knew was coming. 

His late nights with Cherry became more and more frequent, ending up with each other most nights, whether it was his bed or hers, she'd always manage to tempt him to let her be at his own free will. He swore he wouldn't tell Cherry about the two of you - there had to be a good reason why you and George had to be sneaking around. He loved his brother, with his whole heart, knowing that it wouldn't be that he was hiding the relationship with you just to hurt or spite him. 

There was one day that sent him over the edge, hearing giggles from the balcony he stepped out of his office to see you two hardly two inches apart, feeling that same pit of sadness sink to his stomach again. He found himself calling a number he shouldn't like clockwork. A dirty, rotten habit he couldn’t shake, begging her to let him come over. 

It wasn't long before Cherry arrived at his office door, pulled in for a feverish kiss. He didn't even have the time to get his clothes off, his cock lulled free from open trousers, while Cherry's perfect mouth bobbed on him. He was gently coaxing her head down onto him. It didn't take much but before he knew it he was close, ready to shoot his load down her throat. He groaned, the information slipping out as his high washed over him. "She's fucking George."

"Who is, Freddie?" she was looking up at him through her lashes, begging to be fucked, and he wanted to give in so badly, but now he'd realised what he'd done. He'd gone and told her a secret that wasn't his to tell. "Y/N, Y/N is fucking George."

"Christ, I knew it! That little whore." She stood up, pushing back so that she sat on his desk, legs spread for him to get a good view of her clothed cunt, fingers coming down to rub at her clit. He grabbed her hand aggressively, pulling it away from her heat, pushing a response through gritted teeth. "Don't call her that."

"Don't tell me you've fallen in love with that slut? Pathetic" She was belittling him at this point, but he wouldn't stand for that, immediately standing up so that his hand was at her throat, shocking her with a stern and forceful grip. "DON'T CALL HER THAT!" 

She smiled, her hand covering Fred's to make it squeeze tighter around her throat. Suddenly he felt the anger wash away, as if by magic, he felt in a trance and he wanted to give in to the girl in front of him. "If you love her so much, we can ruin it Freddie."

He looked at her puzzled, her hand coming down to stroke at Fred's cock, the other hand pushing her underwear to the side and wrapping her legs around his hips, lining him up so that he could push into her. "What do you mean, doll?" 

"Don't you want to just ruin her relationship, she can be all yours Freddie you can have her if you just help me." Her hand was in his hair, smoothing it down soothingly as he fucked her gently, this wasn't their usual routine, but something in Fred was too focused on the words she was saying, as opposed to how good his fuck was. He contemplated it, having you all to himself, feeling compelled to say yes the minute he locked eyes with Cherry again 

"I love you, Fred, you just have to trust me, you do trust me, don't you?" She had leant forward, whispering in his ear as she pressed gentle kisses against the lobe, moaning through every word at how deep he was stretching her out, her hips rolling to meet his as she chased her high. "Yes, Doll, I do."

She came around him not long after, pulling his lips into a desperate kiss, as her hand still threaded through the tufts of hair at the back of his head. 

// 

The shop had been closed for over an hour when you walked in through the doors, only visiting as the delivery girl dropping off the night's food for the boys as they pulled the monthly all nighter to try and brainstorm some new products. You noticed George on his own as you slipped into the back room, an empty chair next to him. "Where's Freddie?" 

George immediately went to grab the carrier bag you placed on the table, pulling out the tupperware box, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he breathed in the smell of the Chinese food "You, my darling, are heaven sent. Fred's just in the toilet."

You pushed yourself up onto the table next to George, pulling up the pad of paper to have a read over his notes, grabbing a prawn cracker from the bag as soon as he opened it up, popping some of it into your mouth. His hand rested gently on your thigh, giving it a little squeeze of appreciation. 

"Anything catch your eye?" he smiled up at you, as you grabbed the pen, making a couple of adjustments to the page of notes before handing them back for him to read. His eyes scanned over the small changes, his grin widening. "What would I do without you, eh?" 

You checked your watch, you could do with getting to practice a little early today with the big match this weekend, sure that your coach would appreciate the enthusiasm. "I'll call you after practice, Georgie. If you're still here I'll swing by to lend a hand."

You pressed a kiss to his forehead, hand smoothing down the hair at the back of his head before you hopped down from the table. Making your way out of the back room, only bumping into Fred as you turn your head back to look at the door. He grabbed a hold of you instinctively, causing you to laugh, but a smile didn't follow from him, at least not one that reached his eyes. He felt sick. "Hope you enjoy the food, Freddie, I'll see you later." 

Chery sat in her own apartment, a cauldron bubbling away as she intricately mixed the potion in front of her. Cherry, as a student, was a very skilled potions maker, one of the best that Snape had seen, only a few years older than Fred. She pulled the hair from her bag, praying that the one found in her car was the one she needed. She added the single strand in, stirring until the potion was ready. Cherry was quick in loading it into a flask, tossing it into her bag before she was out of the apartment with a flash and a pop. 

She was down an alley, not far from the twin's shop, when she pulled the flask out, giving it a small swirl before flipping the cap open, sipping at the liquid that tasted faintly of Goblin piss, but she didn't care. 

The boys had moved to their own offices, George was filling out paperwork, ready for the next day of work, making sure that there was enough of everything that the shop needed to run before doing the order forms. Fred was in his office however, still brainstorming. Trying to think up new ideas. The doorknob turned, causing him to look up and see the girl he craved sneaking into his office. "Y/N what are you doing here?"

Cherry smiled, it had worked, she looked like you, she was you. Walking with a sway in her hips towards the gentle boy, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pulled him in for a passionate kiss, he found himself kissing back. The thought of you and George melting away when her lips, that felt like your lips were on his once more. 

"Oh, Freddie, I've been so desperate for you since we kissed." Her lips moved to press kisses down his jaw, her hand reaching down to palm his cock that went hard under her touch. "Fuck me Fred. I want your big cock stretching me out."

"But Y/N what about Geor-" She shushed him, finger pressing to his lips, as she smirked mischievously. "Don't you want to, Fred? You could let him hear how good you fuck me."

Her words sent Fred over the edge, grabbing at her hips, pulling her down to straddle him as they desperately kissed, tongues dancing against each other as she removed as much clothing as she could. When she was completely naked, she reached down to let his cock free. What Fred didn’t know is that Cherry had placed him under the Imperius Curse long ago and in this moment, while she used the word she did, she had him under her full control. Sane Fred would have never given in this easy, fucked a girl so quickly that he knew wasn’t his, no matter how much he loved or craved her. Under the curse all of his protests were unheard, unspoken. He was just there physically for the ride. 

Fred died and went to heaven the minute he felt your walls stretching over him, taking him fully to the hilt as she sat down on him. When Cherry began to bounce, the moans that spilled from her lips were downright sinful, letting the full power of them echo as she amped up the volume, moans and hums all that Fred could focus on. 

George heard the faint moans reverberate through the shop as his door hung open. He rolled his eyes, trust Fred to call a girl to the shop like this. He thought nothing of it until the moans grew louder, moans that he recognised all too well. The moans of his princess. He found himself storming to the door, it lay open, seeing his Girl's ass bouncing and taking cock, hair dangling down her back. "Yes Freddie, just like that baby."

All rage boiled over inside of George. His heart shattering into a million pieces. That was his girl, the girl he loved, the girl he wanted to marry, fucking his brother without a care in the world, without even a consideration for his feelings. He was broken, enraged at the sight he couldn't shake from his head. He was storming home, pissed and hot with fury. 

He feels the vibration of the phone in his pocket, he sees your name and a picture of you he took flashing up on the screen, he answers. 

"You really are a fucking slut." He heard her gasp at the other end, choosing to ignore the bustle of people he could hear down the phone. 

"George, what the hell have I done?" You queried, mumbling a goodbye to someone the other end, It was Fred, no doubt, he thought. "Don't play dumb, Princess, I saw you and Fred just now."

"Me and Fre- Baby I just finished practice and I was calling to see if you could come and get me, like I said I would." You were confused at this point, pulling out your wand ready to apperate to his place. 

"You're unbelievable, I can't believe you would do this to me when I love you so much." You heard his voice crack, you knew it wasn't just some sick joke. The audible sound of heartbreak echoing down the phone. 

"Whatever this is Georgie, I'm coming home and we can talk about this, you have no idea how confused I am." He rolled his eyes at how easily you could lie to him, after all, you had been lying to the public for so long.

You turn up at his house, throwing your bag down before heading up the stairs to find him sitting on the bed. He wastes no time, having your body pinned against the wall in seconds. Your hair was in braids, not like how he saw you earlier, but he let the detail slide. "How long have you been sleeping with him?" 

"Fucking Hell, George I don’

t know what you're talking about honestly, I don't." you sighed, hanging your head as you saw a tear slip down his cheek. "I've been at practice all night, I even kissed you goodbye."

"Don't lie to me." he sighed, your hand going up to cup his cheek but he pulled away from your touch, the action causing a tightening in your chest. You couldn't lose him, not over something you didn't do.

"George, baby I promise, I love you. Forever, remember?" He shook his head, pushing away from the wall, seeing you there in front of him broke his heart, you stood so innocently, begging to be held and comforted. He loved you, with all his stupid heart could give you. He wanted to marry you, his princess. But he couldn't deny what he saw. Not when it sounded like you and looked like you. The facts were hard to deny, but he saw you broken, in front of him and maybe he just needed time, needed to confront Fred. But he couldn't rest easy if what he saw was true. 

"Get out." His voice was hardly above a whisper. He couldn't even choke out the words because he didn't want you to go, he wanted to hold you and kiss your tears away as the spilled down your cheeks. He was in love but feeling his heart shatter over and over as the image replayed in his head was too much to handle. You went to protest. 

"Get the FUCK OUT," he sighed, the last words coming out as a yell as he rubbed his eyes with his palm of his hand. "Please, I just need time."

You left. Unsure of where to go as you felt your heart break with every step towards your apartment. The lonely shell of a home. You had taken a detour past a small park, stepping into the area that would usually be filled with children’s laughter in the daytime, but in the dark night it was the perfect place to wallow as you pushed yourself forwards and backwards with your feet, feeling the tears fall and spill from your eyes. You wrote a hundred messages, tapping out the words before deleting them, you knew that nothing could console him. You and George had fought before but it was never anything as big or rash as this. 

<< George, just know I love you. x

<< I love you with my whole fucking heart. x

<< I'll love you forever, never forget that. x

>> Forever. xx

You knew that deep down, what you had wasn't lost, and that he wanted to be there with you, he just needed time. And you needed to talk to Fred.

/// TO BE CONTINUED ///

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[wiypt-writes]

Riding On

CH7- Home, Sweet Home

Summary: Frank and Fliss find their perfect family home, but there’s something bothering Mary.

Warnings: Bad Language words. Discussions about suicide. A little bit of angst.

Pairing: Frank Adler x Fliss Gallagher

A/N: This is a bit of an emotionally charged filler chapter…and we move time on a little through to June in the middle. And photos of the Adler house are included at the bottom so you can visualise what I used for inspiration.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Riding On Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 6

You’re giving it another try, staring at the deep blue sky, and you say to the driver just drive, coz you never felt so alive.

 April 2019

“Hey honey, you ok?” Frank juggled his phone, pinning it between his ear and his shoulder as he leaned over his computer in the office, scanning the database on the screen for a filter part they needed to order. 

“No, I mean yes! I’ve just heard some awesome news!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, so you remember the guy that bought the house that backs onto the yard when Old Man River died…” “That wasn’t his name.” Frank chuckled “It was Mr Morris.”

“He called himself River, it was funny and suited him. Anyway, that’s not the point. You know the guy who bought it…guess what I found out before?”

Frank stopped what he was doing and straightened up. He didn’t like that dick, one bit. When Mr Morris had died at the start of the year, Fliss had been quite upset about the news as the old man had been very friendly to her, often popping in for a cup of tea a few afternoons a week for some company. Mr Morris’ son had sold the house without them even knowing it had gone on the market, which was a shame as it would have been perfect for them given the location. The guy who had bought it, Frank didn’t even know his name, nor did he care because he was a dick and a pervert to boot. The way he looked at Fliss made Frank want to punch his face in.

“What’s Douchey Mc Douchebag done now?”

“You’re so childish.” she scoffed “Anyway, I was only commenting to Joanne last night that we haven’t seen him for like a month and she went home and mentioned it to her dad who works with some other guy in the property development business and the long and short of it is he’s gone bankrupt Frank!”

Frank laughed loudly “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, babe!”

“I know right!” Fliss voice was gathering pace and pitch, the way it always did when she was excited. “So literally about half hour after she’s told me this, someone turns up and there’s a For Sale sign outside, the house is on the market!”

Ok now he was interested. Frank could picture the look of excitement on her face as she spoke to him and he felt the smile cross his face “No shit?”

“Yeah, I’ll send you the website to look at the photos but…oh God, it would be perfect! Some of it is really nice, some of it needs decorating but…”

“Ok, well, why don’t you call the realtor? Arrange a viewing” he said “Hopefully you won’t puke halfway round this one.”

“Ok, first off that wasn’t my fault. Bean objected to the smell. Who the fuck cooks eggs the day they know they have someone coming to view their house?” her indignant tone made Frank chuckle “And second off…”she paused “I already did. He said he can meet us at half 12.”

“Half 12? As in lunch time? Today?” Frank frowned.

“I know I just really don’t want to miss out on this one Frank, and you said you were gonna come up here for lunch and-”

“Ok, ok.” Frank sighed “I’ll shuffle some stuff around, work a little later tonight and take an extra half hour.”

“I love you.” she replied and he could hear the smile in her voice.

“Good job I love you too.” he said back gruffly “Because you’re a pain in my ass.”

He bid her goodbye and just as he was looking at the rota to make sure there were enough staff in to cope if he took a longer lunch, his phone beeped. He clicked through to the link Fliss had sent him and had a scan through the photos. To be fair the house didn’t look in too bad condition. It was deceptive from the outside, looked like a small farmhouse but they knew thanks to the extension Douchebag had put on the back it now formed an L shape and from the look of it, was pretty spacious. The kitchen was new, the main bathroom was new so the big work looked like it had been mostly done. The décor in some of the rooms was really old fashioned, especially the hallway you and the front reception room, but that was all cosmetic. What really grabbed him was the price. It was up for just over 320 thousand, which was a fucking steal considering the size, location, the garden and the garage/outhouse it came with.

“You ok Frank?”

He looked up and smiled as Alan, his boss walked in to the office. “Yeah, sorry, Fliss has found a house and managed to book a viewing for lunch time. Fucking 7th one in 2 weeks.”

Alan snorted “Keeping you on your toes I see?”

“Well I gotta say, this one’s looking pretty good. It’s the house that backs onto our Yard out in Pinellas Park.” Frank explained “It was sold not even 6 months ago to a developer and he’s apparently gone bankrupt so put it back on the market.”

“Huh.” Alan smiled “Sounds like it was meant to be. Take it you’re going then?”

“Yeah, Charlie and Gary are in all afternoon. I thought I could take an extra half hour, work it back tonight or…”

“Frank, when was the last time you actually took a full hour for your lunch and didn’t cut it short by 10 or 15?” Alan looked at him.

Frank hesitated “Yeah, but that’s-”

“No buts.” Alan shook his head. “Do what you gotta do.”

“Thanks Alan.” Frank smiled, “I appreciate it.”

Alan waved away his gratitude before he dropped into the chair on the opposite side of Frank’s small desk and gestured for Frank to sit down.

“I wanted to talk to you in person, before the news gets out. I’m looking at retiring Frank, fully this time.”

“That’s good news, for you I mean.” Frank smiled, taking his seat. “You must be happy?”

“Kinda bitter sweet.” He shrugged “But I hit 70 this year and bout time I let it all go. Bill’s already chomping at the bit to book damned fishing trips so...it’ll be nice to step back. But I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Shoot.”

“My son, James is going to be taking over, that won’t come as any surprise to you as you’ve seen him knocking around a bit and he likes you.”

“Good to know I’m not going to be out on my ass.” Frank smiled, breathing out a little.

“No, not a chance. I wouldn’t allow it.” Alan said “I’ll still be the owner, just stepping back from major decision making and day to day running. Anyway, the point is Frank, James needs a deputy. He is young and a little inexperienced. I’ve seen how quickly over the last year you’ve picked up rotas, staffing issues, dealt with the stock takes, haggled with the supply chain…I wondered if you’d consider it.”

Frank blinked “You wanna make me deputy manager?”

“In a word, yes. And I know you got your hands full at the moment and they’ll be even more full when that boy of yours arrives but the changes won’t come into effect until the end of the year so we got plenty of time to work out the details.”

“Wow, I err…” Frank shook his head “I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t need an answer now.” Alan said, “Take some time to consider it. Talk it over with Fliss.”

“I will, I’ll give it some thought.”

“Ok, well, that’s all I dropped in for.” Alan said, standing up, groaning a little “Did you just hear my damned knees click?”

Frank laughed and shook his head “No, but to be honest mine click too so I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Getting old sucks.” Alan said, shaking his head “I tell ya, the minute I can’t enjoy the simple things in life, put a bullet in my head.”

Frank snorted as Alan shot him a wink and left him to his thoughts.

******* Frank glanced down at the wooden boards beneath his feet in the entrance hall. They were solid old wood, oak he thought, and with a clean and polish would look stunning. He looked up and saw Fliss talking animatedly to the realtor, a young man called David as he nodded and gestured to his left. Fliss opened the door and looked at Frank who followed her into the first reception room. It smelt musty, and there was an old sofa and threadbare carpet in the room but it was light and had a nice, airey feeling to it thanks to the large windows at the front of the house.

“New carpet and a bit of paint…” Frank mused nodding, “Be good as new.”

She nodded eagerly, her eyes shining a she looked around and nodded at the fire place “Really, in Florida?”

“It gets cold, as you know.” he teased “Besides, we just fill it with some of your million candles or whatever…”

She nudged him and they turned around, David watching them.

“So, you’re obviously in the older part of the house that hasn’t really been touched apart from upstairs.” he explained, “But if you follow me I’ll show you the extension which is all new and, well, to be honest, I think it’s stunning.”

The three of them moved back into the hall and through a door at the end which led into a huge open plan kitchen and living area. The kitchen was gorgeous. Sleek white units, modern appliances, marble tops, a huge breakfast bar. Douchebag had clearly spent a fortune doing this up. The floor was a light grey and white laminate which David pointed out was heavy wearing.  To the left of the kitchen area was a huge space where Frank could clearly picture their sofas and TV, and then just off that was a door which led into another smaller reception room, freshly painted and carpeted.  He was just pondering how they could turn that into a play room when Fliss gave a gasp and nudged Frank pointing to the large bay window at the back which had been converted into a seating nook of sorts. They made their way over and saw that the view extended right over their garden highlighting a small pool area which was surrounded by a low set of railings with a gate that were all painted a glossy black. The pool itself was sparklingly clean and clearly brand new.

“Oh wow… “ Fliss mumbled, looking at the sand stone tiles that surrounded the area and the rest of the garden.

“Yeah the rear garden loops in an L round the house” David said. “There’s a larger fence around this area to keep it private and separate from the land at the front that runs flush to the yard area.”

Frank’s hands dropping to her hips as he nodded to the right “Could extend that little patio area for a table and chairs, maybe build a brick BBQ. Couple of sun-loungers for that bit at the back of the pool.”

She nodded eagerly before they headed back into the hallway they’d entered into where the realtor showed them the little room that was to the right as you came in the door which held a number of shelves and coat hooks and a toilet and sink basin. They then headed up stairs to find 4 bedrooms. The master extended down the entire side of the house overlooking the main yard area of Sandybrook. It needed some work, the plaster and paint was peeling away in some areas, but Frank wasn’t worried at that. It was an easy job. What he was pleased to see was that the rest of it was in good condition. There was a brand new en-suite attached to it, housing a toilet, a huge shower and his and hers sinks. The room also had built in wardrobes and huge ceiling to floor bi-folding doors which opened up onto a small balcony. Douchebag had clearly been focussing on the big jobs first before he got into the cosmetics, which Frank had to give him credit for.

The main bathroom was in between the wall of their en-suite and the next bedroom, both situated at the back of the house over the extension and overlooking the fields belonging to the yard. The plaster was fresh in that bedroom but hadn’t been painted, again, not an issue, because Frank knew a certain little miss would be no doubt picking a colour as soon a she spotted this room.

“Bet Mary chooses this one.” Frank said, voicing his thoughts and Fliss nodded, smiling

“I would if the Master didn’t have that en-suite.” she grinned “Look at that view!”

“Yeah, who’d have thought you could work from home in the equestrian business” he chuckled as they then headed to the next bedroom on the opposite side of the landing. This was also rather large, but like the main part of the master bedroom, was clearly one of the original two bedrooms the house had and it needed some updating.

The 4th bedroom was a smaller one up a narrow set of stairs hidden by door in the hallway. It opened up into an attic room which tucked into the roof of the house.

The realtor then led them back down and the out to the outbuildings. There was a huge garage with a half- finished apartment of sorts above it that had been used as storage but could be easily a guest suite if they so wanted,  and then the thing Frank had really loved was the workshop off the side of the garage, accessed by a small door. It was musty and full of crap but was somewhere for him to store all his tools and work on any side projects he decided to pick up.

All in all Frank was finding it pretty damned hard to pick faults in the place.

As they headed back to the main house and Frank asked David politely to give them a moment to look around alone and he nodded eagerly before Frank and Fliss headed back into the house.

“I’m getting good vibes Sailor.” Fliss said as she turned round, looking at the kitchen, once more heading over to the bay window seat, “really good vibes.” she spun back to him and he smiled at the look on her face. “I mean, ok, a few rooms need decorating and there’s some finishing off bits to do all over but it’s nothing that dad can’t help with and I’m sure-“

At that she stopped dead, and gave a little gasp as her hand flew to her bump.

“You ok?” Frank stepped forward.

“Yeah he’s…” she swallowed “Bean’s kicking, Frankie! Quick!”

He reached out with his hand and she took it, pressing it to the side of her bump. After a second or two he felt something wriggle a little under his palm and he looked at Fliss, his face cracking into an open mouthed smile as he felt his son move for the first time.

“Lissy…” he swallowed his eyes misting over. “That’s…oh my God!”

“You should feel it from my POV!” Fliss smiled her own eyes glassy too.

Frank didn’t want to take his hand away. Instead, he kept moving his palm, tracking their baby’s movements when eventually they stopped.

“I think that means BB likes the house.” Fliss looked at him.

Frank scoffed, shaking his head. “BB’s Momma likes the house.”

“Doesn’t his Daddy?” she asked, her hands sliding round his neck.

“Yeah, his Daddy does.” he replied honestly in a low voice as he looked around the large room. “In fact, I like it a lot.”

“You think Mary will?”

“Are you kidding?” Frank snorted “Soon as she sees that view and that pool, she’ll be packing to move in straight away.”

“Suppose there’s only one way to find out.” Fliss smiled.

So they did. They brought Mary back the next day after school. She had squealed at the window seat, yelled about the pool and as she had shot upstairs and headed into the bedroom Frank had predicted she would like, given a jump for joy as she realised from the upstairs she had a view over the tall picket fencing that shielded the private area of the garden.

“I can see Monty!” she gleefully pointed out before turning to Frank and looking at him then to Fliss, her hands on her hips “If you don’t buy this house you’re a pair of dumbasses.”

The same sentiment was echoed by Bill when he turned up fifteen minutes or so later and walked around with Frank whilst Fliss and Mary headed to feed the horses. He did exactly the same thing he had done when they had looked at the apartment, pointed out what they needed to do, how long it should take them to do, rough estimates of cost. Plus, he also reminded Frank they were in a great position. They could buy the place and then give his months’ notice on the apartment meaning they could stay where they were until it was finished.

So that was it. Decision made. The next morning they went in with a cheeky offer, some twenty thou below the asking price which was rejected instantly. Then they upped their offer by five…then an additional three to total eight, with the fact that they were cash buyers and not in a chain a huge bargaining chip.

It was later that evening, just after they had finished dinner when the realtor called back.

“Evening Mr Adler, ok so…I have spoken to the vendor. He says if you can up your offer by another two thousand then you’ve got a deal.” David spoke. At that, Frank let out a huge grin, as he looked out of the kitchen window at Mary and Fliss who were outside the apartment, both sat on a chair round the table. He and Fliss had both agreed they were prepared to go to the full asking price, in their mind it was worth it, but they were about to seal the deal here for ten thousand less.

 “Ok, two thousand more.” Frank said, keeping his voice level “But the property comes off the market as we don’t want anyone else spotting it and offering him more before we exchange contracts.” he repeated word for word what Greg had instructed him to do when he had asked him to handle the conveyancing earlier that morning.

“Ok, so the offer on the table is Three-ten on the proviso he grants exclusivity…” David repeated. “Ok, leave it with me.”

Frank finished loading the dishwasher, and had just grabbed himself a beer when David called back not even five minutes later.

“Congratulations Mr Adler, you have a deal.”

He thanked him, and grinning ear to ear headed outside, jumping down the steps onto the lawn.

“What you looking so pleased about?” Fliss looked up at him suspiciously.

“David called… we’ve settled on three-ten plus exclusivity” he smiled

“What, you mean…” Fliss’ mouth fell open and Frank nodded.

“Yup, subject to contracts, the place is ours!”

Mary gave a loud cheer as Fliss jumped up and leapt at him as he smiled, wrapping her in his arms, swinging her up slightly.

“I can’t believe it…” she whispered. “Our own home!”

“I know” he beamed, setting her down as he gave her a quick peck. “I’ll call Greg in the morning. When I talked to him about it he said that with no loans involved it shouldn’t take too long. We could be looking a having the keys in a month.” His hands dropped to her hips, palms resting either side of where his son was growing “So plenty of time to do his nursery.”

Fliss grinned and using the arms that were round his neck pulled his face down to hers and pressed a fierce kiss to his mouth. “God I love you.” she mumbled.

“Love you too.” he grinned, kissing her again, ignoring Mary’s fake puking noises in the background.

*****

June 2019

“Mr Adler?"

Frank stopped as he had been striding over the yard to collect Mary and turned to see Mrs McCarthy, her teacher walking towards him.

"Hi." He smiled, removing his sunglasses so he could look her in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry to bother you"

"No bother at all." He assured her "is everything OK?"

Mrs McCarthy glanced over to where Mary was stood talking to her friend, Rosie, and turned back to him

"Yes...nothing too drastic but I wanted to make you aware about a little incident in class this afternoon"

Frank looked at her, blinking "incident?"

"Maybe that's the wrong word." The older, blonde woman said "Look, as you know next week it's the end of year Gala, the fundraiser and we invite the parents to join us for activities.”

Frank nodded, wishing the woman would get to the damned point. He was hot, dirty and bothered after an afternoon of helping the team on a particularly awkward repair and wanted nothing more than to stand under a cold shower for an hour and flop down outside with a beer.

"Well, one of the girls asked Mary if she was bringing her mom and if they were making anything for the bake sale and Mary rather bluntly told the girl her mother was dead and then clammed up. She didn't speak a word for the rest of the afternoon."

Frank felt his chest tighten as he looked over at Mary who was now giggling with Rosie and sighed

"She didn't do anything wrong" Mrs McCarthy pressed "I was just a little worried."

"Thanks for letting me know, I'll talk to her later, make sure she's okay." Frank assured her.

The woman nodded and headed back across the yard as Frank gave a sharp whistle and slid his aviators back onto his face. Mary looked up and said goodbye to Rosie and came wandering over as Frank waved to Rosie's mom who tossed a hand in greeting in response.

"I'm not Thor" She fixed Frank with a stare.

"I know but I couldn't be bothered walking over." He replied honestly as they climbed into the truck

"You have a good day?"

"It was OK." She shrugged. Frank eyed her for a second before she pulled the car away from the kerb and set off down the road.

"What's for dinner?" Mary asked.

"Steak, baked potatoes and salad." He replies "Fliss' choice."

"Are you grilling?" Mary asked.

"Yup." He nodded

"Cool." Mary nodded "Can I go in the pool before?"

"Got any homework?" Frank countered with another question as he looked at her. Mary shook her head

“End of year next week and Uni didn't give me any summer work."

"Then yeah, of course you can.”

Frank didn't raise the so called incident, deciding to let her chill out a little bit at home first and digest how she felt. After 20 minutes or so of general chat Frank pulled up their driveway and stopped the truck next to Fliss' truck. As they hopped out Mary glanced across the garden over the smaller part of the fence where she could just see Fliss walking across the yard.

"Please can I go see Monty?" She looked at Frank and he nodded.

"I'll watch you." He agreed. With a grin she sprinted over the lawn, climbed over the fence and dropped over onto the other side. Thor gave a bark and Fliss turned round and smiled at her, before she waved at Frank. He waved back before he headed down the side of the house, through the gate in the larger fence before he unlocked the back door and stepped inside the cool air conditioned kitchen, kicking off his shoes and heading straight to the fridge for a beer. Draining half in one he stood, looking around and smiling. They’d finally unpacked the last box yesterday evening and Fliss was still in the process of moving things around their new home, positioning them where she wanted them.

True to Greg’s word, they’d had the keys to the house 4 and a half weeks after making the offer, and 2 weeks post that once the bedrooms and hall had been decorated with a lot of help from Bill, Verity and Roberta (who had been happy for them yet still cried her eyes out when they’d left the park, despite the fact they had assured her they would still come visit and she could also come stay with them too) they’d moved in. The only thing left to do was the reception room (which could wait, it was easy to just shut the door and pretend it didn’t exist) and Bean’s nursery, which he, Fliss and Mary had decided to do together as a project. Mary and Fliss had spent nights pouring over Pinterest for ideas and they’d finally settled on a scheme. Frank had picked up all the plastering supplies and the paint, the furniture was on order and should be arriving at any time that week now he thought about it…so hopefully that weekend they could get cracking. That might cheer Mary up now he thought about it.

Taking his beer with him, he picked up his boots and took them to the cloakroom/bathroom by the stairs. He trudged up the steps, shaking his head at Fred who was led at the top, his paws hanging over the edge of the step as he eyed Frank.

"You're gonna cause a fucking accident." He looked at the ginger cat who merely swished his tail in response. Frank headed into their bedroom, stripping off as he went, walking straight into the en-suite, turning on the shower, setting his beer down on the edge of the sink unit. He stepped in and under the stream of cool water, closing the screen behind him, his mind still on Mary and how he was going to bring up what her teacher has said. With a groan he opened the door, reached out of the cubicle for his beer, took another gulp before he set about washing the grime of the day away.

***** "Have you finished grooming him?" Fliss asked, standing in the doorway to Monty's stable. Mary glanced over from where she had been brushing through his white tail and nodded.

"Wanna take him to the paddock?" Fliss smiled. "Cap and Bronson are waiting for their little pal."

"Sure." Mary shrugged and Fliss frowned a little at her demeanour. She was quiet, which was unlike her when she was round the horses. She was normally full of excitement.

"You OK?" She asked and Mary nodded.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem quiet, that's all."

"No, I'm good." She shrugged, before she tossed her brush into the little grooming box she had, closing the lid and passing it to Fliss. Fliss placed the box into the larger wooden one outside the stable before Mary put Monty's halter on and led him out of his stall. Fliss allowed them to walk ahead, her hand on her bump as she followed them out of the yard and down the little path to the gate that led to the paddocks. They reached the one were Monty was going and undoing the gate, Mary led him in. The white pony stood patiently for her to take his halter off before he stuck his nose into the crook of her neck and shoulder. Fliss smiled as Mary gently stroked his neck and then to her utter horror she saw Mary’s shoulders begin to shake as the girl started to cry.

"Hey, Mary..." she soothed, stepping forward as the small girl turned to her, wrapping her arms around her as best she could, pressing her face into her bump "Oh baby what's wrong?"

Mary didn’t reply, instead she continued to sob and Fliss felt powerless to do anything other than wrap her arms around her, one hand resting on her head, the other between her shoulders.

“Something happened at School…” Mary whispered and Fliss gently tipped her head up to look at her. “Someone said something and…”

“Ok, how about we go back to the office and you can tell me all about it ok?”

Mary nodded, sniffing as her sobs died down. Fliss held out her hand and Mary took it and together they headed back down to the yard. Joanne looked at Mary who was hiccupping slightly with her sobs and frowned but Fliss shook her head.

“Can you feed the top barn for me and then you can go.” she said to Jo who nodded. “I’ll lock up.” “Sure, see you tomorrow. Bye Mary.” she smiled. Mary looked at her and gave a small wave before Fliss led her into the office. She grabbed them both an apple juice from the fridge and then Mary sat on the chair at the end of the desk, wiping her eyes with a tissue that Fliss handed her from the box.

“You ready to talk?”

Mary nodded, and then she stood up and walked over to Fliss who made room for her to clamber up onto her lap. It was a bit awkward but after a little shifting around they found a way she could sit unobstructed by Boston Bean and Mary lay her head against Fliss’ shoulder.

“It was about the gala.” she sniffed “One of them asked me if my mom was coming and…”

“Oh sweetie.” Fliss sighed, rubbing her back. “I get that must have been hard.”

Mary shrugged “I told them she was dead.” she said matter of factly “I get that and I never knew my mom so I don’t miss her as a person…but then I started to think about why she died and I don’t understand.” “Understand what?”

“Why?” Mary looked at her. “Why would she do what she did when she had me? Why did she want to leave me behind?”

Fliss took a deep breath and cradled the girl as best she could, trying to think of a way to explain to which Mary could relate, and then it came to her, she could use her own experience here. There was no getting around the fact this was going to be a heave conversation, but Mary was a smart kid and deserved to be treated as such.

With another deep inhale, Fliss looked down at her, kissing her head before she opened rather bluntly "You know I tried to kill myself."

"You did?" Mary pulled back to look up at her "Why?"

"Because I saw it as my only way out." Fliss gently smoothing Mary’s hair back. "I was stuck in an awful situation. My ex-husband hurt me physically and mentally and I gave up. I wanted out."

Mary remained silent and looked at her.

"For someone to get to that point...they have to have hit rock bottom. Like there is nowhere to go. It's not their fault. And it doesn't mean they don't love the people they leave behind just that they're desperate to escape whatever pain they feel, be it in their head or their body or both."

"But I still don't understand." Mary shook her head.

"And you may never, not fully." Fliss sighed gently "And as horrible as it is that's something you are gonna have to live with but you have to remember that your mom was sick. And for whatever reason she saw this as her only escape. It wasn't Evelyn's fault, it wasn't Frank's fault and it certainly wasn't yours."

"But if she loved me like Frank says she did..."

"You think I don't love my mum and dad? Or Steve? Charlie, Joel?"

Mary blinked before she lay her head back against Fliss' shoulder. "Of course you do.”

"But I was still gonna leave them behind. I was desperate. And you wanna know the real stupid thing?"

"What?"

"When I got better I still went back to John. I went back to a real toxic environment and a man that abused me. Because I felt like it was what I deserved. And even though I left him way before I met you and Frank, it wasn't until me and Frank started dating that I really understood I wasn't to blame. I always thought I did something to make him hurt me but I didn't. Being with Frank, the way he treats me and loves me made me see that it was him with the problem, not me.”

"But that's different" Mary glanced up

"The trigger was, yes." Fliss nodded "But your mom, like me, was in a position so helpless, so unbelievably sad that she thought she was to blame and that the world, including you, would be better off without her even though she was so wrong."

**** Once showered and dried, Frank dressed in a pair of shorts and clean T-shirt before he headed back downstairs. There was no sign of Fliss or Mary but as he strode out into the garden he heard a car heading down the drive by the side of the house from the yard and correctly assumed it was Joanne leaving for the day. He opened the gate and just saw the tail of her car turn onto the main road as he headed into the garage for the charcoal to light the BBQ.

Once that was done, leaving the flames to die down he headed out across the lawn, vaulting over the small fence onto the yard. He headed round the barn and frowned as he couldn't see anyone. After a quick look round he spotted the door to Fliss' office was closed. He went to open it but stopped as he could hear the sound of voices. It was Mary and Fliss but he could tell from the pitch and stutters in Mary's that she was upset. He paused, hand hovering over the handle as he heard Fliss speaking to her softly. "Stack, you are so loved. Frank loves you, I love you, Nanny V, Poppa Bill, Uncle Steeby, Roberta, Evelyn...Thor, Fred and Monty..." she paused "You're such a special little girl and I know I'm not your mom but, well, I feel like I am."

"You do?"

"I'd do anything to keep you safe and happy. And so would Frank"

They both fell silent and Frank swallowed, the lump in his throat almost choking him.

"Don't ever feel like we don't" Fliss continued "and if I have to bake 200 fucking cookies for your Gala next week to prove it then I will."

Mary giggles "You know Bean can hear you swearing."

"Well I won't tell Frank if you don't"

"Do you think Frank feels like my dad?" Mary asked a moment later and at that point Frank really wanted to walk away. He couldn't listen to this, he didn't want to listen to this...but something kept him rooted to the spot.

"I know he does." Fliss replied.

"But he doesn't like it when people say it. I know that, I heard him talking to you. Bill’s not your real dad but you still say he is…."

“That’s slightly different sweetheart.” Fliss sighed "My real dad left my mom before I was born, so when he died. I didn’t even know him and I don’t care that I didn’t either. But your mom was Frank's sister. He wants to make sure you remember her, understand who she was. He could have easily just pretended to be your dad all this time, you would never have known any different but he didn't. Because he loves you and your mom too much. He's too honest and it’s important to him that you understand. But that doesn't mean he doesn't love you like he is your dad, or that you can't love him like he is."

Frank turned away from the door, looking up at the sky and taking a deep shuddering breath. Fuck, this was hard to hear. He knew Mary had been upset before but the thought that it ran this deep was killing me. Wiping at his face, his hands then dropped to his hips and he looked down at his sneakers before he turned to the door, reaching for the handle but once more pausing as he couldn’t face interrupting them, not whilst they were in the middle of a moment.

“I suppose that makes sense.” Mary continued  “And I do love him like he is. And I love you like you’re my mom too.”

“Well that’s all that matters.” Fliss replied “It may be unconventional but we’re a family, and that’s the main thing huh?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Lissy.” Mary spoke.

“You’re welcome Stack” Fliss’s voice was soft and there was a pause as Frank could picture the pair of them hugging.

“Hey, did you now I’m going to be doing all the money stuff for the bake stall?” Mary’s voice was suddenly up beat as she switched topic “Because I’m good at maths they said I could be in charge of payments and handing people their change and stuff.”

“Nice work kiddo.” Fliss smiled, “Tell you what, we’ll put Nanny V on the case, her baking is way better than mine. We can get her over one night next week whilst Pops is helping Frank with the plastering in the nursery.”

Ok, that was it, safe to enter without interrupting anything. Frank gave a little knock and then opened the door, fixing a smile on his face.

“Hope I haven’t interrupted any girl talk” he smiled and Mary jumped up and ran to him, giving him a hug. He looked at Fliss who wiped her eyes.

“Ok?” he mouthed at her and she nodded back, her lips moving silently as she replied.

“Tell you later.”

“BBQ is lit.” Frank said, looking down at Mary “You still wanna play in the pool?”

She nodded and grinned. “Yeah.”

“Sounds like a great idea.” Fliss grinned “Let’s lock up and head home…oh wait, we don’t need to head home because…” “We’re already there!” Mary grinned, and then she spun round to see Fred peering round the door. “Hey, look who came to visit!” “Bout time he earned his keep.” Frank grumbled “Go catch some mice.”

Fred stalked past him into the office, looked around, before he sauntered back out, clearly not interested.

“He’s a lover not a killer Frank.” Mary grinned, as Frank watched the cat walk off into the evening sun.

The three of them locked up before they headed back to the house and Mary shot upstairs to get changed.

“So, how much did you hear?” Fliss turned to Frank as he pulled a beer from the fridge along with a bottle of water, sliding it over to her.

“Enough.” he sighed “Her teacher collared me before. Said that one of the kids had asked about her mom in class and she’d gotten upset.”

“She asked me why Diane did what she did.” Fliss sighed, “Why she left her behind if she loved her so much.”

Frank swallowed. “What did you say?”

“I explained about why I tried to kill myself.” Fliss shrugged “Told her about the desperation I felt…but that didn’t mean that I didn’t love my family just that I saw it as my only way out. I know it was heavy and maybe not really the right thing to do but...”

She was cut off as Frank stepped forward, taking her face in his hands as he kissed her, hard. It took her a moment to catch up but once she did she melted into him, her mouth opening to grant him access as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip.

“Thank you.” He said gently as he pulled away, his hands still cupping her face.

“What for?” Fliss asked, reaching up to gently wrap her fingers around his wrists.

“For loving her as much as you do.” he shrugged. “For loving us both as much as you do.”

“Oh, Sailor.” Fliss’ eyes brimmed with tears “How could I not?”

***** Frank didn’t sleep particularly well that night. Mary’s conversation with Fliss was running through his brain and every time he drifted off he would wake about an hour or so later, fresh worries and concerns running through his mind. In the end, at just before 5 am he gave up and climbed out of bed. He grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of sweats and putting them on he headed downstairs. He flipped on the TV in the hope the early morning new would distract him, but it didn’t.

It was clear to him that Mary was struggling with where she was going to fit in the family dynamic. He hadn’t really worried much up to that point, being convinced by Fliss that if they kept her involved with stuff to do with Bean she would be ok but this went much deeper than the fact they were expecting a baby.

He’d be lying if he said the thought of him claiming to be Mary’s Father had never entered his mind. It would have been a lot easier but out of loyalty and love to Diane he had wanted to make sure she knew about her mother, and understood the truth because in the end, a lie would always come round to bite you on the ass. It wasn’t that he had a problem with people assuming he was Mary’s father but…

God what a fucking mess.

“Hey…” a soft voice drew him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Fliss stood in the doorway, his T-shirt she was wearing now hardly covered the top of her thighs thanks to her Bean bump.

“Sorry beautiful, did I wake you?” he asked.

“No.” she shook her head, dropping down next to him. “I got up to pee and you were gone.”

“Couldn’t sleep.” he shrugged.

“What’s wrong handsome?”  she lay her head on his shoulder and he took a deep breath.

“Just thinking about Mary that’s all.” he shrugged. “She’s always asked questions about Diane but not like that.”

“She’s getting older Frank.” Fliss said, her hand reaching out for his as she began to play with his fingers “She’s bound to start thinking about things differently. She was ok last night after she talked to me, and then later you when you tucked her in. She doesn’t keep her feelings bottled up, and that’s good. It’s a testament to you that she feels like she can talk to us about things.”

“I know.” Frank looked down at her, kissing her head “I guess I just worry Lissy, worry about how she’s gonna feel when Bean is here and he’s calling us mom and dad and she doesn’t.”

“Frank.” Fliss sighed as she sat up straight. “Mary knows we love her. And what she calls us doesn’t change a damned thing. You’re worrying unduly now. We can’t do anything about that other than-“

“Yes, yes we could.” Frank looked at her. Fliss took a deep breath as his eyes locked onto hers, instantly understanding.

“I thought you said you’d never even consider adopting her?”

“I never thought I would.” he shrugged. “But it’s been playing on my mind after what mother said and then after last night…” “Why? What did Evelyn say?” Fliss asked.

“When she was here last, she told me that Diane’s memory wouldn’t suddenly fade if Mary called me dad…” he licked his lips “It was almost like she was giving me permission to do it…you know? Not that I need it or really give a shit what she thinks.” he paused, taking a deep breath “If I’m totally honest Diane isn’t the only reason I said I didn’t want to. I just never thought of myself as being dad material. I was such a screw up until I met you and I thought that by staying as her Uncle, it would give her that distance, you know?”

“Not dad material?” Fliss looked at him, shaking her head “Oh Frank, you idiot. You’ve done an amazing job with her…and you will do with Bean too.”

He smiled at her, sniffing slightly as she continued.

“But there is one person who’s opinion counts most here.” Fliss said gently “And that’s Mary. If you’re serious then you should ask her if it’s what she wants. Because after 9 years of calling you Frank…”

“I know.” Frank agreed, “And I agree, completely. It would have to be her decision. But at least if I ask her if she would like us to then-“

“Us?” Fliss looked at him, blinking. “You mean you want me to?”

“Of course I do.” Frank nodded, before he frowned slightly “But if that isn’t what you want, I understand. It’s a big-“ Fliss cut him off by pressing a kiss to his lips “Of course I do Frank. I love Mary like she is my own anyway so…” Frank beamed at her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head. “So, we’re agreed. We ask her?”

Fliss nodded and pulled back, her hand resting on his cheek. “We ask her.”

Chapter 8

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Riding On Ch7: Home, Sweet Home!

Summary: Frank and Fliss find their perfect family home, but there’s something bothering Mary.

Warnings: Bad Language words. Discussions about suicide. A little bit of angst.

Pairing: Frank Adler x Fliss Gallagher

A/N: This is a bit of an emotionally charged filler chapter…and we move time on a little through to June in the middle. And photos of the Adler house are included so you can visualise what I used for inspiration! Chapter Song: Kill For A Dream by Beady Eye

Series Masterlist //  WIYPT Masterlist

You’re giving it another try, staring at the deep blue sky, and you say to the driver just drive, coz you never felt so alive.

April 2019

“Hey honey, you ok?” Frank juggled his phone, pinning it between his ear and his shoulder as he leaned over his computer in the office, scanning the database on the screen for a filter part they needed to order.

“No, I mean yes! I’ve just heard some awesome news!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, so you remember the guy that bought the house that backs onto the yard when Old Man River died…” “That wasn’t his name.” Frank chuckled “It was Mr Morris.”

“He called himself River, it was funny and suited him. Anyway, that’s not the point. You know the guy who bought it…guess what I found out before?”

Frank stopped what he was doing and straightened up. He didn’t like that dick, one bit. When Mr Morris had died at the start of the year, Fliss had been quite upset about the news as the old man had been very friendly to her, often popping in for a cup of tea a few afternoons a week for some company. Mr Morris’ son had sold the house without them even knowing it had gone on the market, which was a shame as it would have been perfect for them given the location. The guy who had bought it, Frank didn’t even know his name, nor did he care because he was a douchebag and a pervert to boot. The way he looked at Fliss made Frank want to punch his face in.

“What’s Douchey Mc Douchebag done now?”

“You’re so childish.” she scoffed “Anyway, I was only commenting to Joanne last night that we haven’t seen him for like a month and she went home and mentioned it to her dad who works with some other guy in the property development business and the long and short of it is he’s gone bankrupt Frank!”

Frank laughed loudly “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, babe!”

“I know right!” Fliss voice was gathering pace and pitch, the way it always did when she was excited. “So literally about half hour after she’s told me this, someone turns up and there’s a For Sale sign outside, the house is on the market!”

Ok now he was interested. Frank could picture the look of excitement on her face as she spoke to him and he felt the smile cross his face “No shit?”

“Yeah, I’ll send you the website to look at the photos but…oh God, it would be perfect! Some of it is really nice, some of it needs decorating but…” “Ok, well, why don’t you call the realtor? Arrange a viewing” he said “Hopefully you won’t puke halfway round this one.” “Ok, first off that wasn’t my fault. Bean objected to the smell. Who the fuck cooks eggs the day they know they have someone coming to view their house?” her indignant tone made Frank chuckle “And second off…”she paused “I already did. He said he can meet us at half 12.”

“Half 12? As in lunch time? Today?” Frank frowned.

“I know I just really don’t want to miss out on this one Frank, and you said you were gonna come up here for lunch and-”

“Ok, ok.” Frank sighed “I’ll shuffle some stuff around, work a little later tonight and take an extra half hour.”

“I love you.” she replied and he could hear the smile in her voice.

“Good job I love you too.” he said back gruffly “Because you’re a pain in my ass.”

He bid her goodbye and just as he was looking at the rota to make sure there were enough staff in to cope if he took a longer lunch, his phone beeped. He clicked through to the link Fliss had sent him and had a scan through the photos. To be fair the house didn’t look in too bad condition. It was deceptive from the outside, looked like a small farmhouse but they knew thanks to the extension Douchebag had put on the back it now formed an L shape and from the look of it, was pretty spacious. The kitchen was new, the main bathroom was new so the big work looked like it had been mostly done. The décor in some of the rooms was really old fashioned, especially the hallway you and the front reception room, but that was all cosmetic. What really grabbed him was the price. It was up for just over 320 thousand, which was a fucking steal considering the size, location, the garden and the garge/outhouse it came with.

“You ok Frank?”

He looked up and smiled as Alan, his boss walked in to the office. “Yeah, sorry, Fliss has found a house and managed to book a viewing for lunch time. Fucking 7th one in 2 weeks.”

Alan snorted “Keeping you on your toes I see?”

“Well I gotta say, this one’s looking pretty good. It’s the house that backs onto our Yard out in Pinellas Park.” Frank explained “It was sold not even 6 months ago to a developer and he’s apparently gone bankrupt so put it back on the market.”

“Huh.” Alan smiled “Sounds like it was meant to be. Take it you’re going then?”

“Yeah, Charlie and Gary are in all afternoon. I thought I could take an extra half hour, work it back tonight or…” “Frank, when was the last time you actually took a full hour for your lunch and didn’t cut it short by 10 or 15?” Alan looked at him.

Frank hesitated “Yeah, but that’s-”

“No buts.” Alan shook his head. “Do what you gotta do.”

“Thanks Alan.” Frank smiled, “I appreciate it.”

Alan waved away his gratitude before he dropped into the chair on the opposite side of Frank’s small desk and gestured for Frank to sit down.

“I wanted to talk to you in person.” Alan said, “Before the news gets out. I’m looking at retiring Frank, fully this time.”

“That’s good news, for you I mean.” Frank smiled, taking his seat. “You must be happy?”

“Kinda bitter sweet.” he shrugged “But I hit 70 this year and bout time I let it all go. Bill’s already chomping at the bit to book damned fishing trips so...it’ll be nice to step back. But I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Shoot.”

“My son, James is going to be taking over, that won’t come as any surprise to you as you’ve seen him knocking around a bit and he likes you.”

“Good to know I’m not going to be out on my ass.” Frank smiled, breathing out a little.

“No, not a chance. I wouldn’t allow it.” Alan said “I’ll still be the owner, just stepping back from major decision making and day to day running. Anyway, the point is Frank, James needs a deputy. He is young and a little inexperienced. I’ve seen how quickly over the last year you’ve picked up rotas, staffing issues, dealt with the stock takes, haggled with the supply chain…I wondered if you’d consider it.”

Frank blinked “You wanna make me deputy manager?”

“In a word, yes. And I know you got your hands full at the moment and they’ll be even more full when that boy of yours arrives but the changes won’t come into effect until the end of the year so we got plenty of time to work out the details.”

“Wow, I err…” Frank shook his head “I don’t know what to say.” “I don’t need an answer now.” Alan said, “Take some time to consider it. Talk it over with Fliss.”

“I will, I’ll give it some thought.” “Ok, well, that’s all I dropped in for.” Alan said, standing up, groaning a little “Did you just hear my damned knees click?”

Frank laughed and shook his head “No, but to be honest mine click too so I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Getting old sucks.” Alan said, shaking his head “I tell ya, the minute I can’t enjoy the simple things in life, put a bullet in my head.”

Frank snorted as Alan shot him a wink and left him to his thoughts.

******* Frank glanced down at the wooden boards beneath his feet in the entrance hall. They were solid old wood, oak he thought, and with a clean and polish would look stunning. He looked up and saw Fliss talking animatedly to the realtor, a young man called David as he nodded and gestured to his left. Fliss opened the door and looked at Frank who followed her into the first reception room. It smelt musty, and there was an old sofa and threadbare carpet in the room but it was light and had a nice, airey feeling to it thanks to the large windows at the front of the house.

“New carpet and a bit of paint…” Frank mused nodding, “Be good as new.”

She nodded eagerly, her eyes shining a she looked around and nodded at the fire place “Really, in Florida?”

“It gets cold, as you know.” he teased “Besides, we just fill it with some of your million candles or whatever…”

She nudged him and they turned around, David watching them.

“So, you’re obviously in the older part of the house that hasn’t really been touched apart from upstairs.” he explained, “But if you follow me I’ll show you the extension which is all new and, well, to be honest, I think it’s stunning.”

The three of them moved back into the hall and through a door at the end which led into a huge open plan kitchen and living area. The kitchen was gorgeous. Sleek white units, modern appliances, marble tops, a huge breakfast bar. Douchebag had clearly spent a fortune doing this up. The floor was a light grey and white laminate which David pointed out was heavy wearing.  To the left of the kitchen area was a huge space where Frank could clearly picture their sofas and TV, and then just off that was a door which led into another smaller reception room, freshly painted and carpeted.  He was just pondering how they could turn that into a play room when Fliss gave a gasp and nudged Frank pointing to the large bay window at the back which had been converted into a seating nook of sorts. They made their way over and saw that the view extended right over their garden highlighting a small pool area which was surrounded by a low set of railings with a gate that were all painted a glossy black. The pool itself was sparklingly clean and clearly brand new.

“Oh wow… “ Fliss mumbled, looking at the sand stone tiles that surrounded the area and the rest of the garden.

“Yeah the rear garden loops in an L round the house” David said. “There’s a larger fence around this area to keep it private and separate from the land at the front that runs flush to the yard area.”

Frank’s hands dropping to her hips as he nodded to the right “Could extend that little patio area for a table and chairs, maybe build a brick BBQ. Couple of sun-loungers for that bit at the back of the pool.”

She nodded eagerly before they headed back into the hallway they’d entered into where the realtor showed them the little room that was to the right as you came in the door which held a number of shelves and coat hooks and a toilet and sink basin. They then headed up stairs to find 4 bedrooms. The master extended down the entire side of the house overlooking the main yard area of Sandybrook. It needed some work, the plaster and paint was peeling away in some areas, but Frank wasn’t worried at that. It was an easy job. What he was pleased to see was that the rest of it was in good condition. There was a brand new en-suite attached to it, housing a toilet, a huge shower and his and hers sinks. The room also had built in wardrobes and huge ceiling to floor bi-folding doors which opened up onto a small balcony. Douchebag had clearly been focussing on the big jobs first before he got into the cosmetics, which Frank had to give him credit for.

The main bathroom was in between the wall of their en-suite and the next bedroom, both situated at the back of the house over the extension and overlooking the fields belonging to the yard. The plaster was fresh in that bedroom but hadn’t been painted, again, not an issue, because Frank knew a certain little miss would be no doubt picking a colour as soon a she spotted this room.

“Bet Mary chooses this one.” Frank said, voicing his thoughts and Fliss nodded, smiling

“I would if the Master didn’t have that en-suite.” she grinned “Look at that view!”

“Yeah, who’d have thought you could work from home in the equestrian business” he chuckled as they then headed to the next bedroom on the opposite side of the landing. This was also rather large, but like the main part of the master bedroom, was clearly one of the original two bedrooms the house had and it needed some updating.

The 4th bedroom was a smaller one up a narrow set of stairs hidden by door in the hallway. It opened up into an attic room which tucked into the roof of the house.

The realtor then led them back down and the out to the outbuildings. There was a huge garage with a half- finished apartment of sorts above it that had been used as storage but could be easily a guest suite if they so wanted,  and then the thing Frank had really loved was the workshop off the side of the garage, accessed by a small door. It was musty and full of crap but was somewhere for him to store all his tools and work on any side projects he decided to pick up.

All in all Frank was finding it pretty damned hard to pick faults in the place.

As they headed back to the main house and Frank asked David politely to give them a moment to look around alone and he nodded eagerly before Frank and Fliss headed back into the house.

“I’m getting good vibes Sailor.” Fliss said as she turned round, looking at the kitchen, once more heading over to the bay window seat, “really good vibes.” she spun back to him and he smiled at the look on her face. “I mean, ok, a few rooms need decorating and there’s some finishing off bits to do all over but it’s nothing that dad can’t help with and I’m sure-“

At that she stopped dead, and gave a little gasp as her hand flew to her bump.

“You ok?” Frank stepped forward.

“Yeah he’s…” she swallowed “Bean’s kicking, Frankie! Quick!”

He reached out with his hand and she took it, pressing it to the side of her bump. After a second or two he felt something wriggle a little under his palm and he looked at Fliss, his face cracking into an open mouthed smile as he felt his son move for the first time.

“Lissy…” he swallowed his eyes misting over. “That’s…oh my God!”

“You should feel it from my POV!” Fliss smiled her own eyes glassy too.

Frank didn’t want to take his hand away. Instead, he kept moving his palm, tracking their baby’s movements when eventually they stopped.

“I think that means BB likes the house.” Fliss looked at him.

Frank scoffed, shaking his head. “BB’s Momma likes the house.”

“Doesn’t his Daddy?” she asked, her hands sliding round his neck.

“Yeah, his Daddy does.” he replied honestly in a low voice as he looked around the large room. “In fact, I like it a lot.”

“You think Mary will?”

“Are you kidding?” Frank snorted “Soon as she sees that view and that pool, she’ll be packing to move in straight away.”

“Suppose there’s only one way to find out.” Fliss smiled.

So they did. They brought Mary back the next day after school. She had squealed at the window seat, yelled about the pool and as she had shot upstairs and headed into the bedroom Frank had predicted she would like, given a jump for joy as she realised from the upstairs she had a view over the tall picket fencing that shielded the private area of the garden.

“I can see Monty!” she gleefully pointed out before turning to Frank and looking at him then to Fliss, her hands on her hips “If you don’t buy this house you’re a pair of dumbasses.”

The same sentiment was echoed by Bill when he turned up fifteen minutes or so later and walked around with Frank whilst Fliss and Mary headed to feed the horses. He did exactly the same thing he had done when they had looked at the apartment, pointed out what they needed to do, how long it should take them to do, rough estimates of cost. Plus, he also reminded Frank they were in a great position. They could buy the place and then give his months’ notice on the apartment meaning they could stay where they were until it was finished.

So that was it. Decision made. The next morning they went in with a cheeky offer, some twenty thou below the asking price which was rejected instantly. Then they upped their offer by five…then an additional three to total eight, with the fact that they were cash buyers and not in a chain a huge bargaining chip.

It was later that evening, just after they had finished dinner when the realtor called back.

“Evening Mr Adler, ok so…I have spoken to the vendor. He says if you can up your offer by another two thousand then you’ve got a deal.” David spoke. At that, Frank let out a huge grin, as he looked out of the kitchen window at Mary and Fliss who were outside the apartment, both sat on a chair round the table. He and Fliss had both agreed they were prepared to go to the full asking price, in their mind it was worth it, but they were about to seal the deal here for ten thousand less.

“Ok, two thousand more.” Frank said, keeping his voice level “But the property comes off the market as we don’t want anyone else spotting it and offering him more before we exchange contracts.” he repeated word for word what Greg had instructed him to do when he had asked him to handle the conveyancing earlier that morning.

“Ok, so the offer on the table is Three-ten on the proviso he grants exclusivity…” David repeated. “Ok, leave it with me.”

Frank finished loading the dishwasher, and had just grabbed himself a beer when David called back not even five minutes later.

“Congratulations Mr Adler, you have a deal.”

He thanked him, and grinning ear to ear headed outside, jumping down the steps onto the lawn.

“What you looking so pleased about?” Fliss looked up at him suspiciously.

“David called… we’ve settled on three-ten plus exclusivity” he smiled

“What, you mean…” Fliss’ mouth fell open and Frank nodded.

“Yup, subject to contracts, the place is ours!”

Mary gave a loud cheer as Fliss jumped up and leapt at him as he smiled, wrapping her in his arms, swinging her up slightly.

“I can’t believe it…” she whispered. “Our own home!”

“I know” he beamed, setting her down as he gave her a quick peck. “I’ll call Greg in the morning. When I talked to him about it he said that with no loans involved it shouldn’t take too long. We could be looking a having the keys in a month.” His hands dropped to her hips, palms resting either side of where his son was growing “So plenty of time to do his nursery.” Fliss grinned and using the arms that were round his neck pulled his face down to hers and pressed a fierce kiss to his mouth. “God I love you.” she mumbled. “Love you too.” he grinned, kissing her again, ignoring Mary’s fake puking noises in the background.

*******

******

June 2019

“Mr Adler?"

Frank stopped as he had been striding over the yard to collect Mary and turned to see Mrs McCarthy, her teacher walking towards him.

"Hi." He smiled, removing his sunglasses so he could look her in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry to bother you"

"No bother at all." He assured her "is everything OK?"

Mrs McCarthy glanced over to where Mary was stood talking to her friend, Rosie, and turned back to him

"Yes...nothing too drastic but I wanted to make you aware about a little incident in class this afternoon"

Frank looked at her, blinking "incident?"

"Maybe that's the wrong word." The older, blonde woman said "Look, as you know next week it's the end of year Gala, the fundraiser and we invite the parents to join us for activities.”

Frank nodded, wishing the woman would get to the damned point. He was hot, dirty and bothered after an afternoon of helping the team on a particularly awkward repair and wanted nothing more than to stand under a cold shower for an hour and flop down outside with a beer.

"Well, one of the girls asked Mary if she was bringing her mom and if they were making anything for the bake sale and Mary rather bluntly told the girl her mother was dead and then clammed up. She didn't speak a word for the rest of the afternoon."

Frank felt his chest tighten as he looked over at Mary who was now giggling with Rosie and sighed

"She didn't do anything wrong" Mrs McCarthy pressed "I was just a little worried."

"OK...thanks for letting me know, I'll make sure she's ok." Frank assured her.

The woman nodded and headed back across the yard as Frank gave a sharp whistle and slid his aviators back onto his face. Mary looked up and said goodbye to Rosie and came wandering over as Frank waved to Rosie's mom who tossed a hand in greeting in response.

"I'm not Thor" she said, fixing Frank with a stare.

"I know but I couldn't be bothered walking over." He said honestly as they climbed into the truck

"You have a good day?"

"It was OK." She shrugged. Frank eyed her for a second before she pulled the car away from the kerb and set off down the road.

"What's for dinner." Mary asked.

"Steak, baked potatoes and salad." He replies "Fliss' choice."

"Are you grilling?" Mary asked.

"Yup." He nodded

"Cool." Mary nodded "Can I go in the pool before?"

"Got any homework?" Frank countered with another question as he looked at her. Mary shook her head

“End of year next week and Uni didn't give me any summer work."

"Then yeah, of course you can.”

Frank didn't raise the so called incident, deciding to let her chill out a little bit at home first and digest how she felt. After 20 minutes or so of general chat Frank pulled up their driveway and stopped the truck next to Fliss' truck. As they hopped out Mary glanced across the garden over the smaller part of the fence where she could just see Fliss walking across the yard.

"Please can I go see Monty?" She looked at Frank and he nodded.

"I'll watch you." He agreed. With a grin she sprinted over the lawn, climbed over the fence and dropped over onto the other side. Thor gave a bark and Fliss turned round and smiled at her, before she waved at Frank. He waved back before he headed down the side of the house, through the gate in the larger fence before he unlocked the back door and stepped inside the cool air conditioned kitchen, kicking off his shoes and heading straight to the fridge for a beer. Draining half in one he stood, looking around and smiling. They’d finally unpacked the last box yesterday evening and Fliss was still in the process of moving things around their new home, positioning them where she wanted them.

True to Greg’s word, they’d had the keys to the house 4 and a half weeks after making the offer, and 2 weeks post that once the bedrooms and hall had been decorated with a lot of help from Bill, Verity and Roberta (who had been happy for them yet still cried her eyes out when they’d left the park, despite the fact they had assured her they would still come visit and she could also come stay with them too) they’d moved in. The only thing left to do was the reception room (which could wait, it was easy to just shut the door and pretend it didn’t exist) and Bean’s nursery, which he, Fliss and Mary had decided to do together as a project. Mary and Fliss had spent nights pouring over Pinterest for ideas and they’d finally settled on a scheme. Frank had picked up all the plastering supplies and the paint, the furniture was on order and should be arriving at any time that week now he thought about it…so hopefully that weekend they could get cracking. That might cheer Mary up now he thought about it.

Taking his beer with him, he picked up his boots and took them to the cloakroom/bathroom by the stairs. He trudged up the steps, shaking his head at Fred who was led at the top, his paws hanging over the edge of the step as he eyed Frank.

"You're gonna cause a fucking accident." He looked at the ginger cat who merely swished his tail in response. Frank headed into their bedroom, stripping off as he went, walking straight into the en-suite, turning on the shower, setting his beer down on the edge of the sink unit. He stepped in and under the stream of cool water, closing the screen behind him, his mind still on Mary and how he was going to bring up what her teacher has said. With a groan he opened the door, reached out of the cubicle for his beer, took another gulp before he set about washing the grime of the day away.

***** "Have you finished grooming him?" Fliss asked, standing in the doorway to Monty's stable. Mary glanced over from where she had been brushing through his white tail and nodded.

"Wanna take him to the paddock?" Fliss smiled. "Cap and Bronson are waiting for their little pal."

"Sure." Mary shrugged and Fliss frowned a little at her demeanour. She was quiet, which was unlike her when she was round the horses. She was normally full of excitement.

"You OK?" She asked and Mary nodded.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem quiet, that's all."

"No, I'm good." She shrugged, before she tossed her brush into the little grooming box she had, closing the lid and passing it to Fliss. Fliss placed the box into the larger wooden one outside the stable before Mary put Monty's halter on and led him out of his stall. Fliss allowed them to walk ahead, her hand on her bump as she followed them out of the yard and down the little path to the gate that led to the paddocks. They reached the one were Monty was going and undoing the gate, Mary led him in. The white pony stood patiently for her to take his halter off before he stuck his nose into the crook of her neck and shoulder. Fliss smiled as Mary gently stroked his neck and then to her utter horror she saw Mary’s shoulders begin to shake as the girl started to cry.

"Hey, Mary..." she soothed, stepping forward as the small girl turned to her, wrapping her arms around her as best she could, pressing her face into her bump "Oh baby what's wrong?"

Mary didn’t reply, instead she continued to sob and Fliss felt powerless to do anything other than wrap her arms around her, one hand resting on her head, the other between her shoulders.

“Something happened at School…” Mary whispered and Fliss gently tipped her head up to look at her. “Someone said something and…”

“Ok, how about we go back to the office and you can tell me all about it ok?”

Mary nodded, sniffing as her sobs died down. Fliss held out her hand and Mary took it and together they headed back down to the yard. Joanne looked at Mary who was hiccupping slightly with her sobs and frowned but Fliss shook her head.

“Can you feed the top barn for me and then you can go.” she said to Jo who nodded. “I’ll lock up.” “Sure, see you tomorrow. Bye Mary.” she smiled. Mary looked at her and gave a small wave before Fliss led her into the office. She grabbed them both an apple juice from the fridge and then Mary sat on the chair at the end of the desk, wiping her eyes with a tissue that Fliss handed her from the box.

“You ready to talk?”

Mary nodded, and then she stood up and walked over to Fliss who made room for her to clamber up onto her lap. It was a bit awkward but after a little shifting around they found a way she could sit unobstructed by Boston Bean and Mary lay her head against Fliss’ shoulder.

“It was about the gala.” she said gently “One of them asked me if my mom was coming and…”

“Oh sweetie.” Fliss sighed, rubbing her back. “I get that must have been hard.”

Mary shrugged “I told them she was dead.” she said matter of factly “I get that and I never knew my mom so I don’t miss her as a person…but then I started to think about why she died and I don’t understand.” “Understand what?”

“Why?” Mary looked at her. “Why would she do what she did when she had me? Why did she want to leave me behind?”

Fliss took a deep breath and cradled the girl as best she could, trying to think of a way to explain to which Mary could relate, and then it came to her, she could use her own experience here. There was no getting around the fact this was going to be a heave conversation, but Mary was a smart kid and deserved to be treated as such.

With another deep inhale, Fliss looked down at her, kissing her head before she opened rather bluntly "You know I tried to kill myself."

"You did?" Mary pulled back to look up at her "Why?"

"Because I saw it as my only way out." Fliss said gently, smoothing her hair back. "I was stuck in an awful situation. My ex-husband hurt me physically and mentally and I gave up. I wanted out."

Mary remained silent and looked at her.

"For someone to get to that point...they have to have hit rock bottom. Like there is nowhere to go. It's not their fault. And it doesn't mean they don't love the people they leave behind just that they're desperate to escape whatever pain they feel, be it in their head or their body or both."

"But I still don't understand." Mary shook her head.

"And you may never, not fully." Fliss said gently "And as horrible as it is that's something you are gonna have to live with but you have to remember that your mom was sick. And for whatever reason she saw this as her only escape. It wasn't Evelyn's fault, it wasn't Frank's fault and it certainly wasn't yours."

"But if she loved me like Frank says she did..."

"You think I don't love my mum? Or Bill? Or Steve?"

Mary blinked before she lay her head back against Fliss' shoulder. "Yeah"

"But I was still gonna leave them behind." Fliss sighed "I was desperate. And you wanna know the real stupid thing?"

"What?"

"When I got better I still went back. I went back to a real toxic environment and a man that abused me. Because I felt like it was what I deserved. And even though I left him way before I met you and Frank, it wasn't until me and Frank started dating that I really understood I wasn't to blame. I always thought I did something to make him hurt me but I didn't. Being with Frank, the way he treats me and loves me made me see that it was him with the problem, not me.”

"But that's different" Mary glanced up

"The trigger was, yes." Fliss nodded "But your mom, like me, was in a position so helpless, so unbelievably sad that she thought she was to blame and that the world, including you, would be better off without her even though she was so wrong."

**** Once showered and dried, Frank dressed in a pair of shorts and clean T-shirt before he headed back downstairs. There was no sign of Fliss or Mary but as he strode out into the garden he heard a car heading down the drive by the side of the house from the yard and correctly assumed it was Joanne leaving for the day. He opened the gate and just saw the tail of her car turn onto the main road as he headed into the garage for the charcoal to light the BBQ.

Once that was done, leaving the flames to die down he headed out across the lawn, vaulting over the small fence onto the yard. He headed round the barn and frowned as he couldn't see anyone. After a quick look round he spotted the door to Fliss' office was closed. He went to open it but stopped as he could hear the sound of voices. It was Mary and Fliss but he could tell from the pitch and stutters in Mary's that she was upset. He paused, hand hovering over the handle as he heard Fliss speaking to her softly. "Stack, you are so loved. Frank loves you, I love you, Nanny V, Poppa Bill, Uncle Steeby, Roberta, Evelyn...Thor, Fred and Monty..." she paused "You're such a special little girl and I know I'm not your mom but...I feel like I am."

"You do?"

"I'd do anything to keep you safe and happy. And so would Frank"

They both fell silent and Frank swallowed, the lump in his throat almost choking him.

"Don't ever feel like we don't" Fliss continued "and if I have to bake 200 fucking cookies for your Gala next week to prove it then I will."

Mary giggles "You know Bean can hear you swearing."

"Well I won't tell Frank if you don't"

"Do you think Frank feels like my dad?" Mary asked a moment later and at that point Frank really wanted to walk away. He couldn't listen to this, he didn't want to listen to this...but something kept him rooted to the spot.

"I know he does." Fliss replied.

"But he doesn't like it when people say it. I know that, I heard him talking to you. Bill’s not your real dad but you still say he is…."

“That’s slightly different sweetheart.” Fliss sighed "My real dad left my mom before I was born, so when he died…I didn’t even know him and I don’t care that I didn’t either. But your mom was Frank's sister. He wants to make sure you remember her, understand who she was. He could have easily just pretended to be your dad all this time, you would never have known any different but he didn't. Because he loves you and your mom too much. He's too honest and it’s important to him that you understand. But that doesn't mean he doesn't love you like he is your dad, or that you can't love him like he is."

Frank turned away from the door, looking up at the sky and taking a deep shuddering breath. Fuck, this was hard to hear. He knew Mary had been upset before but the thought that it ran this deep was killing me. Wiping at his face, his hands then dropped to his hips and he looked down at his sneakers before he turned to the door, reaching for the handle but once more pausing as he couldn’t face interrupting them, not whilst they were in the middle of a moment.

“I suppose that makes sense.” Mary continued  “And I do love him like he is. And I love you like you’re my mom too.”

“Well that’s all that matters.” Fliss replied “It may be unconventional but we’re a family, and that’s the main thing huh?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Lissy.” Mary spoke.

“You’re welcome Stack” Lissy’s voice was soft and there was a pause as Frank could picture the pair of them hugging.

“Hey, did you now I’m going to be doing all the money stuff for the bake stall?” Mary’s voice was suddenly up beat as she switched topic “Because I’m good at maths they said I could be in charge of payments and handing people their change and stuff.”

“Nice work kiddo.” Fliss smiled, “Tell you what, we’ll put Nanny V on the case, her baking is way better than mine. We can get her over one night next week whilst Pops is helping Frank with the plastering in the nursery.”

Ok, that was it, safe to enter without interrupting anything. Frank gave a little knock and then opened the door, fixing a smile on his face.

“Hope I haven’t interrupted any girl talk” he smiled and Mary jumped up and ran to him, giving him a hug. He looked at Fliss who wiped her eyes.

“Ok?” he mouthed at her and she nodded back, her lips moving silently as she replied.

“Tell you later.”

“BBQ is lit.” Frank said, looking down at Mary “You still wanna play in the pool?”

She nodded and grinned. “Yeah.”

“Sounds like a great idea.” Fliss grinned “Let’s lock up and head home…oh wait, we don’t need to head home because…” “We’re already there!” Mary grinned, and then she spun round to see Fred peering round the door. “Hey, look who came to visit!” “Bout time he earned his keep.” Frank grumbled “Go catch some mice.”

Fred stalked past him into the office, looked around, before he sauntered back out, clearly not interested.

“He’s a lover not a killer Frank.” Mary grinned, as Frank watched the cat walk off into the evening sun.

The three of them locked up before they headed back to the house and Mary shot upstairs to get changed.

“So, how much did you hear?” Fliss turned to Frank as he pulled a beer from the fridge along with a bottle of water, sliding it over to her.

“Enough.” he sighed “Her teacher collared me before. Said that one of the kids had asked about her mom in class and she’d gotten upset.”

“She asked me why Diane did what she did.” Fliss sighed, “Why she left her behind if she loved her so much.”

Frank swallowed. “What did you say?”

“I explained about why I tried to kill myself.” Fliss shrugged “Told her about the desperation I felt…but that didn’t mean that I didn’t love my family just that I saw it as my only way out. I know it was heavy and maybe not really the right thing to do but...”

She was cut off as Frank stepped forward, taking her face in his hands as he kissed her, hard. It took her a moment to catch up but once she did she melted into him, her mouth opening to grant him access as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip.

“Thank you.” he said gently as he pulled away, his hands still cupping her face.

“What for?” Fliss asked, reaching up to gently wrap her fingers around his wrists.

“For loving her as much as you do.” he said simply “for loving us both as much as you do.”

“Oh Sailor.” Fliss’ eyes brimmed with tears “How could I not?”

***** Frank didn’t sleep particularly well that night. Mary’s conversation with Fliss was running through his brain and every time he drifted off he would wake about an hour or so later, fresh worries and concerns running through his mind. In the end, at just before 5 am he gave up and climbed out of bed. He grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of sweats and putting them on he headed downstairs. He flipped on the TV in the hope the early morning new would distract him, but it didn’t.

It was clear to him that Mary was struggling with where she was going to fit in the family dynamic. He hadn’t really worried much up to that point, being convinced by Fliss that if they kept her involved with stuff to do with Bean she would be ok but this went much deeper than the fact they were expecting a baby.

He’d be lying if he said the thought of him claiming to be Mary’s Father had never entered his mind. It would have been a lot easier but out of loyalty and love to Diane he had wanted to make sure she knew about her mother, and understood the truth because in the end, a lie would always come round to bite you on the ass. It wasn’t that he had a problem with people assuming he was Mary’s father but…

God what a fucking mess.

“Hey…” a soft voice drew him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Fliss stood in the doorway, his T-shirt she was wearing now hardly covered the top of her thighs thanks to her Bean bump.

“Sorry beautiful, did I wake you?” he asked.

“No.” she shook her head, dropping down next to him. “I got up to pee and you were gone.”

“Couldn’t sleep.” he shrugged.

“What’s wrong handsome?”  she lay her head on his shoulder and he took a deep breath.

“Just thinking about Mary that’s all.” he shrugged. “She’s always asked questions about Diane but not like that.”

“She’s getting older Frank.” Fliss said, her hand reaching out for his as she began to play with his fingers “She’s bound to start thinking about things differently. She was ok last night after she talked to me, and then later you when you tucked her in. She doesn’t keep her feelings bottled up, and that’s good. It’s a testament to you that she feels like she can talk to us about things.”

“I know.” Frank looked down at her, kissing her head “I guess I just worry Lissy, worry about how she’s gonna feel when Bean is here and he’s calling us mom and dad and she doesn’t.”

“Frank.” Fliss sighed as she sat up straight. “Mary knows we love her. And what she calls us doesn’t change a damned thing. You’re worrying unduly now. We can’t do anything about that other than-“

“Yes, yes we could.” Frank looked at her. Fliss took a deep breath as his eyes locked onto hers, instantly understanding.

“I thought you said you’d never even consider adopting her?”

“I never thought I would.” he shrugged. “But it’s been playing on my mind after what mother said and then after last night…” “Why? What did Evelyn say?” Fliss asked.

“When she was here last, she told me that Diane’s memory wouldn’t suddenly fade if Mary called me dad…” he licked his lips “It was almost like she was giving me permission to do it…you know? Not that I need it or really give a shit what she thinks.” he paused, taking a deep breath “If I’m totally honest Diane isn’t the only reason I said I didn’t want to. I just never thought of myself as being dad material. I was such a screw up until I met you and I thought that by staying as her Uncle, it would give her that distance, you know?”

“Not dad material?” Fliss looked at him, shaking her head “Oh Frank, you idiot. You’ve done an amazing job with her…and you will do with Bean too.”

He smiled at her, sniffing slightly as she continued.

“But there is one person who’s opinion counts most here.” Fliss said gently “And that’s Mary. If you’re serious then you should ask her if it’s what she wants. Because after 9 years of calling you Frank…”

“I know.” Frank agreed, “And I agree, completely. It would have to be her decision. But at least if I ask her if she would like us to then-“

“Us?” Fliss looked at him, blinking. “You mean you want me to?”

“Of course I do.” Frank nodded, before he frowned slightly “But if that isn’t what you want, I understand. It’s a big-“ Fliss cut him off by pressing a kiss to his lips “Of course I do Frank. I love Mary like she is my own anyway so…” Frank beamed at her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head. “So, we’re agreed. We ask her?”

Fliss nodded and pulled back, her hand resting on his cheek. “We ask her.”

[lastbluetardis]

Chemical Reaction (18/22)

Summary: Though their chemistry class is now over, the chemistry between James and Rose is just getting started. Together, they navigate the highs of new love and the lows of coping with past trauma to forge deep and unbreakable bonds of love and commitment. Part 2 in the Catalysis series. Tagging @doctorroseprompts

This chapter: ~6900 words, teen

If you like my stories, consider leaving me a tip? I know these are trying times, but if you are able, I would really appreciate it xoxo. And as always, comments and reblogs are very much appreciated as well.

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Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 | Ch13 | Ch14 | Ch15 | Ch16 | Ch17 | Ch18 | Ch19 | Ch20 | Ch21 | epilogue

James was shaking. It was like he hadn’t eaten in too long and his blood sugar dropped too low and his body started rebelling against him until he gave it nourishment.

Only this was worse. Much, much worse. He was dizzy and nauseated and crippled with grief.

How had the night gone so wrong? They’d been having fun at the Phillies game, hadn’t they? They’d been laughing and lighthearted, and were so exhausted that they’d been a few minutes away from collapsing into bed together.

Then he’d gone and snooped through Rose’s mail. He should have ignored the letter. He should have asked her what it was, and asked why Jimmy had contacted her.

Would she have told the truth?

He hated that he had to ask that question, and he hated even more that he didn’t have a definitive answer.

His body moved on autopilot down the many flights of stairs of Rose’s building, not entirely aware of his surroundings. It was a miracle he didn’t trip down the steps and break his neck, considering he couldn’t quite feel his feet. He couldn’t feel much of anything apart from the heavy, aching pressure in his chest and the acid roiling in his gut.

James slipped into his dark car, which was still warm from the drive to her flat. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be with Rose, holding Rose, snuggling Rose in bed as they drifted to sleep.

Instead, here he was. About to drive home. Alone.

A break. Rose wanted a break. Because he had been such an insensitive arsehole.

But so was she.

Every insecurity he’d shared with Rose, every heartbreaking moment of the aftermath of his parents’ death… had Rose not wanted to hear about any of them? He felt stupid—so stupid—for baring so much of his soul to her without realizing she wasn’t reciprocating. How had he ever thought the nuggets of information she’d dropped for him constituted reciprocity? She had put in the bare minimum of emotional effort, giving him just enough that their communication felt like a two-way street. Did she know what she was doing? Had this been her plan all along? Get him comfortable and familiar with her so he would fall utterly in love with her? So he would have sex with her? Was that all she had been after this whole time? Had she taken advantage of his inexperience and banked on him not realizing she wasn’t putting in as much effort as he was? 

His shoulders shook as he wept into his hands, those ugly, nasty thoughts eating away at his mind until he couldn’t think of anything else. He didn’t want to believe that about Rose. These last four months with her had been nothing short of bliss. He’d never connected with anyone as much as he had with Rose. He was desperate to believe that what they’d had was real. It had to be real. It hurt too much for it all to have been nothing.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting in the dark before his tears stopped enough for him to turn his car on. The engine growled to life, and the time 12:03 flashed blue in his eyes. Had it only been twenty minutes since he had first pulled up to Rose’s flat? How had twenty minutes completely destroyed the last seven months of their friendship and relationship?

His vision blurred again with fresh tears, but he impatiently rubbed them away to put his car in gear and drive off down the deserted street.

It probably should have bothered him that he didn’t remember driving. Anything could have happened. He could have run every single stop light, could have hit anything or anyone. But he was suddenly home, pulling into his dark driveway sometime later. His house was equally dark. He hadn’t left any lights on because he hadn’t expected to come back here tonight.

The house was dead silent. Not even his cats could deign to greet him. He toed off his shoes by the front door then plopped his keys and wallet into the dish on the cabinet beside it.

“Pip?” he croaked, voice raspy from all the tears he’d shed. “Merry? Gollum?”

There was a tiny chirp from the living room—Pippin and Merry were curled together on the sofa. James frowned. They usually slept in his bed, even on the nights he didn’t come home. He stepped over to them and gave them each a few chin scritches, but they were too drowsy to do much other than purr lightly.

“Where’s Gollum, eh?” he asked them, glancing around the living room. The Siamese wasn’t in the cat tree, or anywhere in sight. After the night he’d had, it would be his luck if Gollum had crawled off somewhere and died.

Whatever. He would look for him in the morning. James wanted nothing more than to strip down to his pants, fall into bed, and not wake up for a few days.

However, those plans were instantly scrapped when he stepped into his bedroom and was greeted with the pungent, acrid odor of ammonia. A huge, reeking damp spot sat in the middle of his bed.

“God-fucking-dammit!” he shouted, kicking his bed frame. 

He cried out and hopped on one foot as his toes burned in agony. His anger surged. Anger at himself, for jumping to conclusions and making too many accusations; anger at Rose, for keeping all of her secrets; anger at Jimmy, for everything he’d done to Rose; anger at his cat, for weeing on his bed when all he wanted to do was sleep and not wake up for a very long time.

James sank onto the edge of his bed—far away from the urine stain—his tears starting up again in earnest. He wanted Rose, and he hated that he wanted her. She had broken his heart more thoroughly than anyone ever had before, yet he still loved her. God, did he love her. 

Was that wrong of him though? Was it unhealthy that he wanted her, wanted to make up with her, after everything they’d said that night? Could they even make up from something like this?

He hoped they could. He hoped they could find some sort of middle ground. What that middle ground looked like, he didn’t know; his brain was too foggy with exhaustion and grief to think about possible resolutions and compromises they could make.

Something vibrated against his thigh. Sniffling and wiping his sleeve across his running nose, James fished his mobile out of his pocket. A new message from Rose.

Did you make it home okay?

He wanted to reply, “What do you care?” but curbed the impulse. That wasn’t fair. If she’d had to drive home at midnight after the argument they’d just had, he would want to know she was safe.

“Yeah,” is all he sent.

Okay. Glad to hear it. Sleep well James.

“Fat fucking chance,” he muttered to his phone, and instead typed out, “Yeah. You too.”

He set his phone face-down on the mattress beside him and rubbed his fingers into his eyes. A throbbing headache was beginning behind his brow. He would love nothing more than to sleep soundly and dreamlessly, but knew that his brain wouldn’t shut down enough for him to get any restful sleep.

Besides, it’s not like his bed was in any sort of state to be slept in.

With a groan, James pushed himself to his feet and tucked his phone into his pocket. He ripped off all the layers of his bedding, cursing when he saw they were soaked down to the mattress cover. Had Gollum held his bladder all goddamn day so he could piss right through everything?

He carried the stinking pile of sheets and blankets to his laundry room and settled in for a long night of washing. He stuffed the duvet into his washer—glad this home used to belong to a single mother of three who had invested in a giant washing machine, and left it behind when she’d moved out—and dumped in two detergent pods before programming a long, hot wash cycle. He then took the rest of his blankets to his kitchen sink.

The sight of two days’ worth of dirty dishes made him want to throw them all against a wall—broken dishes didn’t need to be cleaned. However, the mess of broken dishes would be more taxing. Sucking in a deep breath, he blew it out noisily as he dropped his sheets onto the floor and loaded everything into the dishwasher.

When the sink was empty, he grabbed his blankets and gave them all an individual rinse to hopefully keep the cat urine stain from setting.

It took nearly two dryer cycles for his duvet to be completely dry, and then another two loads of laundry before the rest of his blankets and sheets were clean. To his relief, all traces of cat urine odor were gone.

It was the dead of night by the time he made his bed; if he fell asleep right now, he would get at least four hours in before he would have to get up for classes. Was it worth it to try to sleep? He was keyed up from his middle of the night laundry session and his brain was still too loud. Maybe he should give up on the notion of sleep and try to take a nap after classes. Though would it even be productive if he attended classes?

James flopped onto his back on the fresh duvet, breathing in the scent of clean laundry. He would have to revoke the cats’ bedroom privileges until they—Gollum—proved they could be trusted not to wee on everything.

He sat bolt upright. He hadn’t thought to check the guest bedroom. Grumbling to himself and crossing his fingers, he jogged down the hall, and cursed vehemently under his breath when he smelled cat urine.

What the hell? Should’ve left the stupid arsehole to drown.

Well. He was already awake. In for a penny, and all. Stripping that bed as well, he began the same laundry routine. While that duvet was in the wash, James indulged in a quick shower. The sweat and grime of the previous day coupled with crying his eyes out intermittently for the past few hours made him feel filthy. 

The shower didn’t relax him as much as he’d hoped, not when the evidence of Rose was all around him. He hadn’t realized how completely she had insinuated herself into his home, into his life. Her shampoo, conditioner, and body wash sat right beside his, her bottles of pink and yellow keeping company with his blue and red ones.

Firmly ignoring her products, James rushed through his shower, lathering his hair and body in record time. But when he went to his pajama drawer, he was yet again reminded of Rose when he saw a set of her pjs in the drawer too. He couldn’t help but touch them, feeling the soft fabric beneath his fingertips as his brain reminded him of all the times he’d pushed her top off before they made love.

His stomach ached with longing. Hurriedly shutting the drawer, James instead moved to grab a pair of boxer-briefs. Rose’s knickers sat in a small pile in that drawer too. Growling in frustration, he grabbed a pair of pants at random and slipped them on before bending to root through his t-shirt drawer. Unsurprisingly, he found several of Rose’s shirts mixed in with his.

How had he not realized how much of Rose existed in his house? How had he not realized that her light and beauty shone through his home, and that she had made it her home too?

Because I loved it. 

And he had. He had loved living with Rose, and had been counting down the days when she would officially move out of her flat and into his house.

His tears nearly started up again when he realized that he may never share a home with Rose if they couldn’t find a way to work through all that had been said. No more sleepy mornings spent giggling and kissing in bed. No more impromptu dance parties in the kitchen just because they felt like being silly. No more late-night chats that sometimes carried them into the wee hours of the mornings. No more exploring every beautiful inch of her body and losing himself in her love and pleasure.

He didn’t particularly care about the prospect of no more sex. Brilliant though it was, he found himself more devastated by the loss of Rose’s friendship than the loss of her body. He had fallen in love with her, and the thought of her not being in his life anymore was agonizing. They’d known each other for seven months, and she had somehow become a constant in his life, an unmovable force that he’d been confident would never be gone.

The unknown was killing him. The uncertainty of whether he and Rose would be able to make up. If they did manage to reconcile, to forgive and heal, would their relationship look the same as it did before?

A distant chime from down the hall told him the wash cycle was finished. Sniffling, James pulled on a soft, worn t-shirt and padded down the hall to continue his laundry. When the duvet was in the dryer and the sheets were in the washer, James started searching for Gollum. As irritated as he was with his cat, he was also concerned; apart from the first week James had brought Gollum home, the feline had never had litter box issues.

Drifting from room to room, James finally found Gollum in the basement—which also doubled as an office space—lying on the desk chair.

“What’s gotten into you, you little menace?” he asked, crouching beside the cat. Gollum didn’t react, making James’s heart lurch. “Gollum?”

He reached out and rested his hand on the cat’s side. Gollum let out a noise between a chirp and a growl.

“Thought you were dead for a minute. What on Earth is your problem, buddy? Are you not feeling well? Is the litter box not clean enough for you? Are you trying to make my shitty day even more shitty?” James sighed, and stroked the top of Gollum’s head. “I’ll call the vet when they open. In the meantime, try not to wee on anything else, yeah?”

Gollum huffed out a breath, then closed his eyes again, drifting off to sleep.

The rest of the night passed listlessly for James. When he wasn’t switching over laundry, he worked on cleaning his house from top to bottom. Anything to keep his mind busy and away from Rose, because otherwise all he could think about was the way he’d raised his voice and talked over her, the way he’d suggested she wasn’t as invested in their relationship as he was, the way she’d sobbed and hugged herself and flinched away from him. And all of that was something he definitely didn’t want to think about.

The sky was beginning to lighten in the distant horizon by the time he’d finished. His house was immaculate. There was not a scrap of unclean fabric anywhere, what with him moving on to washing his clothes and the various towels and blankets strewn around his home.

His eyes burned with exhaustion, and he thought he might be able to get some sleep. He preemptively filled his cats’ food dishes so that they wouldn’t barge into his room in an hour to demand breakfast, then he went into his bedroom and crawled beneath his sheets. Before settling in to try to sleep, he shot off a series of short emails to his various professors, letting them know he wouldn’t be in class that day, and he would arrange with some of his classmates to get their notes. That task finished, James silenced his phone and set it on the nightstand, then tugged his sheets up to his ears.

He hadn’t realized that his bed had begun to smell like Rose until he was surrounded by the scent of laundry detergent rather than her subtle floral aroma. With an intensity that stole his breath away, he was aware of how much he missed Rose. Missing her hurt almost as much as their fight did, because despite everything that had happened, he remained desperately in love with her. He knew that he would do just about anything to try to make things right with Rose, if she would let him. He hoped she would.

That train of thought kept him from getting much sleep. His mind kept replaying their argument over and over again, and it kept coming up with new rebuttals and explanations he wished he could have said instead of losing his temper.

It was ten o’clock by the time James gave up on the idea of getting any more rest. He felt worse now than he had when he’d collapsed into bed four hours ago. Bleary-eyed, James stumbled to the kitchen to begin a pot of coffee. While it brewed, he went to check on Gollum. His food dish beneath his cat tree was full, and the cat himself had barely moved from his position on the office chair.

“All right, bud. Vet time,” James murmured, stroking Gollum’s forehead and cheeks.

He went back upstairs for his phone, and placed a call to the veterinarian’s office. There were no available in-person appointments, but they told James he could drop the cat off with them and they would take some blood and urine samples from Gollum throughout the course of the day. 

James didn’t feel particularly good about dropping his sick cat off and leaving him alone, but the alternative was waiting a few days for an open appointment. He thanked the vet tech and said he would be by with his cat within the hour.

With a sigh, James pulled on some clothes, poured coffee into a travel thermos, and managed to get Gollum into his carrier with minimal fuss. Gollum loathed being in a car carrier, and often yowled and growled for the entire duration until he was set free again; the fact that he remained utterly silent and unmoving was testament to the fact he felt poorly.

The drive to the vet’s clinic was unremarkable, as was the transfer of his cat into their care. He confirmed his contact information, and thanked them for being able to take Gollum so quickly.

Since he was already out and about, James stopped by a nearby Walmart for his monthly supply run. He hadn’t thought to bring a list along on what he had assumed would be a quick stop at the vet’s, so he tried his best to remember everything he needed.

He was about to head to the front registers when a display of vibrant colors caught his eye. Paint swatches.

Hmm. Been meaning to repaint my bedroom.

Pulling his shopping cart to the side, James grabbed a booklet and began leafing through for some palette ideas. Currently, his walls were boring off-white, which hadn’t really bothered him before. He always assumed he would eventually get around to repainting, but after nearly two years of living there, everything was the same as when he’d moved in.

No time like the present.

He spent the next half hour poring over paint colors and mentally mapping the colors onto his bedroom walls. He frequently found himself wondering whether Rose would like a certain color, before he shut down that train of thought; it always came back, though. For the past several months, Rose was never more than half a thought away. Despite their current situation, that was a hard habit to break.

In the end, he decided on an eggshell-finish steel blue color that could have passed for gray. A nice, cool, neutral shade (and, despite his best efforts, he was sure Rose would like it too). He added a soft white for his ceiling and a sharp white glossy paint to his order to touch up the trim and crown molding. With his new paint cans in tow, he moved to the next aisle for paint rollers and brushes, protective cloth canvas, tape, a paint tray, and any other painting accoutrements he could find.

On his way home, he stopped by a fast-food drive-thru for a burger and an order of fries. His cholesterol was probably not pleased with him, considering he’d eaten a cheesesteak and fries for dinner the night before, but he ultimately decided to hell with his cholesterol. 

It was noontime when he finished his lunch, and he hopped right in with his painting project. It took him an hour to move all of his furniture to the middle of the room, and to unhang the various decorations on his walls. Not sure how long the painting would take, James shifted his entire dresser into his spare bedroom, where he figured he would sleep for the next night or two until the project was finished.

The soothing, repetitive movements of painting were cathartic, which is more than James could have hoped for. It took a fair amount of concentration, especially to make sure he didn’t drip paint where it didn’t belong. He enjoyed cutting in the corners and edges of his walls using one of the small brushes he’d bought, but he didn’t like using the broad paint roller to cover large areas. That was an easy and mindless task, which meant his brain could go back to Rose. And that was definitely not where he wanted his brain to go.

How much longer would his memory replay their fight for him? How long would it take before he stopped thinking about everything he could have and should have said differently? And how long was this break of theirs going to last?

Several times, he had been tempted to take photographs of his bedroom and send them to Rose. A tiny little olive branch, maybe. But no, that was stupid. That would look like he didn’t care about or didn’t want to address their fight.

He still took photos, though, wanting a before and after comparison for his own memories.

He was about to move on to the last wall of his bedroom when the vet called with an update on Gollum. When his phone had rung, his heart had jumped into his throat; he hadn’t been sure whether he was hoping or dreading to see Rose’s name. The crushing disappointment he felt gave him his answer. It took everything he had to not dismiss the call and instead phone Rose, desperate to speak with her and start mending whatever broke between them.

However, he had a duty to his cat, and so he accepted the vet’s call. Gollum, it turned out, had a rather severe urinary tract infection. The vet wanted to keep him overnight to start him on an aggressive antibacterial regimen, and to give him intravenous fluids because the cat was dangerously dehydrated.

The guilt nearly overwhelmed James. He hadn’t realized Gollum hadn’t been drinking or acting any differently; if the cat hadn’t wee’d on the beds, James wouldn’t have known anything was wrong. The vet tech, seeming to sense his distress, assured him that UTIs could frequently get overlooked, but that Gollum should make a full recovery.

“We anticipate you’ll be able to pick him up in a day or two.”

“Great, thanks,” James breathed. “Really. Thanks so much.”

The call reminded him it was time to feed his other cats. He had shut them away into the basement to keep them from wandering into his bedroom while he painted. As he walked down the hall, he could hear Pippin crying and scratching at the door.

“Sorry, sorry,” he called through the door. “One minute, boys. One minute, then I’ll bring down your dindin.”

He grabbed the two empty food dishes in the kitchen, filled them with kibble, grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge, and opened the basement door. Pippin bolted upstairs and sprinted directly to where his bowl usually sat. He froze when he saw it wasn’t there, and James couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“Right here, bud,” James said, shaking the bowl. “C’mon. You’re dining in the basement tonight, and tomorrow. Until I’ve finished painting. I absolutely do not trust you to not brush up against the wet walls, and I don’t fancy washing paint off of you.”

James continued talking to his cats as he carefully walked down the steps, wary of Pippin and Merry who both were winding around his ankles. Wouldn’t that just be the perfect ending to the past twenty-four hours? His relationship with Rose had crashed and burned, then he went and broke his neck falling down the stairs.

Once the cats were happily eating their dinner, James returned to his bedroom and worked on finishing what he could. He worked diligently until nightfall, pleased with his progress and with how well the color looked. However, he was growing to realize that the warm brown wood of his dresser, nightstand, and bookcases didn’t match with the cooler tones of the room.

Well, he’d been planning to upgrade his furniture anyway from the inexpensive mishmash of pieces he’d found at second-hand shops. Figuring he was done for the night, James set up a rotating fan to help with air circulation then went into his bathroom for a shower. Paint flecks spattered his face, hair, and arms; it took quite a bit of vigorous scrubbing before he was satisfied he’d washed it all off.

Once he was clean, dried, and dressed in pajamas, he exited his bedroom and closed the door behind himself so that he could release his cats from their basement prison. Not particularly hungry but figuring he ought to eat, he cut up an apple and scooped a dollop of peanut butter onto a plate, then took it and his laptop to his couch. Aching and exhausted, James simply sat on his sofa with his head tilted back and his eyes shut.

He nearly dozed off until Pippin clumsily jumped into his lap, nearly upending James’s snack. 

“Shoo,” James grumbled, moving his cat to the sofa cushion beside him.

Pippin huffed, then walked in a circle half a dozen times before plopping right next to James’s thigh. Absently stroking his cat, James munched on his pitiful dinner and opened up his laptop to IKEA’s website.

He spent the next hour browsing new bedroom furniture. With the light, cool-toned walls, he thought dark furniture would pop rather nicely. He fell utterly in love with a curved, corner-unit bookcase, and with a long chest of drawers that could fit enough clothes for two people. He favorited both of those pieces of furniture as he wondered what to do with his current furniture. Some of it could be repurposed to other rooms in his house, but others, like his bed frame—if he decided to upgrade that as well—would have to be sold or donated.

The ring of his doorbell interrupted his mental reconfiguration of his home. He leapt to his feet and jogged to his front door, cautiously peering into the peephole to see who was visiting him so late at night. A tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed man had his face pressed close to the door, as though he could look through the opposite end of the peephole.

James threw open the door. “Jack? What the hell are you doing here?”

The other man scanned his eyes up and down James’s body, taking in the pajamas and his damp, messy hair. A salacious grin crossed Jack’s face.

“Oops, I didn’t interrupt anything important, did I?”

It took James a few seconds to realize what Jack meant. Then he wondered why Jack would think he and Rose had been in the middle of having sex. Eventually he remembered that nobody else was aware that he and Rose were in the middle of an argument. Which made him remember that he and Rose were in the middle of an argument. His mood soured, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“What do you want, Jack?”

Jack simply stared at him for a beat before saying, “It’s Thursday.”

James’s stomach sank. Thursday… pub quiz night… shit.

“We didn’t see you at Molly’s, and none of us had heard from you. I thought maybe you were busy with Rose, caught up in all sorts of delicious debauchery that I would love to hear about. But you don’t exactly seem to be in a state of post-coital bliss, so…”

“What do you want, Jack?” James repeated, gritting his teeth. His sleepless night had finally caught up with him, and he was suddenly exhausted. His body felt leaden and his head began to ache. The last thing he wanted to do was stand in his doorway and have this conversation with his friend/ex-boyfriend.

Jack scrutinized him so intently that James had to fight the urge to slam the door in Jack’s face.

“What’s up with you?” 

“None of your bloody business,” James snapped. “Look, it’s late. Sorry I missed trivia night. I’ll be there next week. But if you wouldn’t mind…”

In a move James was not anticipating, Jack stepped forward and into James, startling him into backing up a step. Before he knew it, they were inside his house, and Jack had shut the door behind him.

“What the hell Jack?” James exploded. “I’m not in the bloody mood for this. Get out.”

“Spill. What’s happened?” Jack asked. Before James could shout at him again, he turned his head down the hall, sniffing. “Are you getting your house repainted?”

“Jack!” James followed uselessly as Jack strode down the hall to his closed bedroom door.

The other man threw open the door and flicked on the lights, revealing the messy, freshly-painted bedroom.

“Yes, I’m repainting my bedroom. Congratulations on your deductive reasoning skills. Will you please leave now?”

“Is there a reason you’ve started repainting your room on a random Thursday? That sounds like more of a weekend project.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I was out shopping and saw paint swatches and had the urge to repaint my bedroom. So here we are.”

“Why were you out shopping and looking at paint swatches in the middle of a school day? Play hooky, did you? You know, whenever I blow off classes for the day, it’s usually because I’m having sex. Was Rose too busy? Or have you worn her out already?”

James’s cheeks burned, even as his chest crumpled in on itself. He had done his best to not think about Rose all afternoon, yet here was Jack, bringing her up every other sentence.

“Well, at least I can finally say I got you in the bedroom,” Jack said lightly, digging his elbow into James’s ribs.

James managed a weak, half-hearted snort. “Not quite how you expected it though, is it?”

“Admittedly, we were both a lot more naked,” Jack lamented. “I’ll let you save the nakedness for Rose. Speaking of, what does she think of your sudden home makeover?”

James’s stomach hollowed out, and he surprised himself by confessing, “Dunno. Haven’t told her.”

Jack went silent for the first time all night. James could feel his friend’s eyes on him, but he steadfastly inspected his walls, looking for any imperfections he would have to pay close attention to when he applied the second coat.

“James, what happened?”

Jack’s voice was so soft and so knowing that the backs of James’s eyes prickled. Damn. He thought he was done crying. James sighed and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes.

“I think… I think Rose and I might be breaking up soon,” he said, his voice hoarse.

Jack simply blinked at him, his face expressionless. “Right. We’re gonna get some alcohol, then you are going to explain everything to me. Why do you think you and Rose are breaking up? You two are the epitome of soulmates, if such a thing exists.”

James snorted, remembering every hurtful thing he and Rose had said last night. “Not anymore, we’re not.”

Jack clapped him lightly on the back, before he encircled his arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “Let’s go sit down.”

Keeping his arm where it was, Jack guided James to the kitchen and plopped him into the chair that Rose usually sat in. James didn’t bother moving, and instead watched his friend go to the fridge and pull out a partially-drunk bottle of wine. He and Rose had opened that bottle last weekend. They’d snuggled on the sofa together and made a drinking game out of watching a cooking show together. Half way through the bottle, they’d gotten pleasantly tipsy and had stopped paying attention to the television in favor of making out.

Jack found the cabinet that contained the wine glasses and pulled down two of them. He sat at the table opposite of James, filled the glasses, and pushed one towards him. James gulped down half of it in one go.

“Okay. Tell me everything,” Jack said, topping off James’s wine glass.

The words poured out of him, from every heartbreaking thing Rose had told him, to everything he had said in return. Jack’s face remained impassive as James spoke, never once interrupting, even though James wasn’t sure he managed to capture all of the details as clearly as he would have preferred.

“I’ve ruined everything,” James concluded, polishing off the liquid in his glass before refilling it.

“No, you haven’t,” Jack said gently. “You buggered it up a little bit. But so did Rose. You brought up some valid points, James. You deserve to be in a relationship with someone who is honest and forthcoming. It isn’t a good balance for one person to constantly be sharing while the other remains a closed book. However, it’s not healthy to expect the same level of reciprocity from Rose as what you bring to the table. Especially when you haven’t been upfront with Rose about your expectations. And where you did bugger things up was with shooting yourself down so hard. Especially as a way to excuse what you’ve said, or assumptions you’ve made.”

“But… I genuinely feel like I’m at a complete and utter loss all the time,” James defended, ringing his fingertip around his wine glass. “It’s like… it’s like people innately know how to do this, this romance thing, and I’m bumbling along like an idiot.”

“Were you insecure in your friendship with Rose? Before you began dating? Did you feel any of this last semester?”

James paused, considering. He’d always had some butterflies when he spent time with Rose last semester, but for the most part, he’d simply enjoyed being in her presence. That hadn’t changed at all, despite their new relationship status. She had remained his best friend, the person he always wanted to be around, and the person he wanted to share every piece of his life with.

“No,” he whispered, pressing his fingertips into his eyes.

“Soooo… what’s the difference between being Rose’s friend versus being her boyfriend? I mean, I assume by now that you’re having sex? Apart from that, it’s not like anything really changed. Is the sex bad or something? Do you not like it?”

James felt his cheeks heating as his stomach twisted. Being intimate with Rose was one of the most special things he’d ever shared with someone. Not only did it feel brilliant, better than he ever thought physical pleasure could be, but it was equally as emotionally satisfying. Being vulnerable with Rose hadn’t been terrifying or overwhelming, but rather comforting. There had been nobody he trusted more than Rose.

“No,” he croaked. “No, it’s been… it’s been incredible. Everything with her has been incredible.”

“Has Rose given any indication that she has been dissatisfied with you in any way? Not even with the sex, but just…” Jack waved his hands around in the air. “…in general?”

You’re everything I never thought I deserved to have.

Hot tears burned in his eyes then dripped down his cheeks. Every kiss she’d given him, every squeeze of her hand in his, every sleepy smile that spread across her face when she woke up and saw him… It all raced through his head, a testament to their love.

What have I done?

He pressed his palms into his eyes

“No,” he answered, his voice raw.

Jack sighed. “Oh, James.”

“I know!” He plonked his forehead down onto the table and curled his arms around his head, tugging on his hair until it hurt. “I fucked up, Jack.”

James heard the scraping of chair legs on the floor, then a warm body was pressed tightly into his own. Jack wrapped his arm around James’s shoulders, leaning into him in a sideways hug.

“Much like having sex,” Jack began, “having an argument takes more than one person. Most times, anyway. If either situation is being done by only one person, chances are they’re a wanker.”

James let out a weak laugh, even as his eyes and throat burned with more tears.

“Rose said some very hurtful things,” Jack said, rubbing his hand soothingly up and down James’s arm. “She needs to apologize and address those. But you accused her of some pretty terrible things, too. From what you’ve said, Rose’s relationship with this Jimmy guy was toxic, if not abusive. It’s insulting for you to suggest she would want to go back into a relationship like that.”

James’s stomach ached. He had known for months that Rose’s relationship with Jimmy had been unhealthy, and that her heart had been badly broken. That should have been enough for him. Did he really need to know every single detail of her heartbreak?

No, he decided. No, he didn’t. However, he would have liked to have known that Jimmy had reached out to her. At the very least, James wanted to know why Rose hadn’t wanted to tell him Jimmy had contacted her.

“I don’t know how to fix this,” he admitted.

“At least you know you want to fix it,” Jack said, giving James a squeeze. “That’s a good start. It means you’ve determined that what you have with Rose is worth fighting for. But you need to take a long, hard look at what you want from this relationship, and more importantly, what you want from Rose. And you need to be receptive to what she wants from you and your relationship. And you need to work on your own insecurities and stop projecting them onto Rose. That’s a shitty thing to do, James. You have the insecurities, so it’s your job to work through them. Stop making excuses for yourself, and stop projecting them onto Rose.”

“Not sugar coating this at all, are you?” James muttered, though he knew Jack’s advice was sound.

“Nope. I’ve let you mope for a half hour, but now you need to start making things right. And remember. You can only change yourself—you can’t change Rose. So decide what you’re willing to put up with, because she might never be as open as you want her to be. But also set some boundaries for yourself. A relationship is give and take, and lots of compromise. You can’t keep giving and giving and giving, or else you’re not going to have anything left.”

James cocked his head to the side and peeked up at Jack. “Do you have a degree in relationship counseling that I don’t know about?”

Jack laughed, and took his arm away from James’s shoulders to instead ruffle his hair. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“But how do I start a conversation with Rose to tell her I want to fix things?” James asked.

Jack pursed his lips and tapped his finger to his chin in mock thought. “Have you considered anything like “Hi Rose, I really want to make up and then make out”?”

James snorted. “I’ll think of something else. Oh, and I might have some furniture coming tomorrow or Saturday. Wanna help me move stuff?”

Jack winked. “You know, I think I’m busy. Why don’t you see if Rose is free?”

“Subtle,” James drawled. He then sighed. “Thanks for stopping by, Jack.”

“See, aren’t you glad I wasn’t put off by your less-than-warm welcome? If you want to practice your apology skills, I’ll take one.”

“Okay, I think it’s time we said goodbye,” James said, dragging his weary body up from the chair. He collected their empty wine glasses and set them in the sink.

“A piece of advice, don’t try that one with Rose. Maybe try a kiss or two. I’ll take one of those, if you’re offering.”

James rolled his eyes and lightly shoved his friend out of the kitchen. They’d only made it a few steps when the doorbell rang.

“Bit late for a social call, isn’t it?” Jack asked, frowning at James.

James gestured up and down the length of Jack’s body. “You can talk, showing up here at nine o’clock.”

“Touché. Late-night furniture delivery?”

“I haven’t ordered anything yet. Besides, no one would deliver this late.”

Shrugging, James stepped ahead of his friend to yank open the front door. His breath left him in a sharp, little whoosh when he beheld the person standing in the yellow glow of the porch light, cradling a small, plastic container to her stomach.

“Rose.”

[chiaki-translation]

Spring Troupe 7th Play: Magician’s Pure Love Translation Ch7-8

Ah, it’s getting there. I really want to see what Chikage will say to Masumi, but that has to wait for another chapter apparently. For now, enjoy chapter 7 and 8~

Ch1-2 / / Ch3-4 / / Ch5-6 / / Ch7-8 / / Ch9-10 / / Epilogue

Disclaimer:

A3! is owned by Liber Entertainment

EDIT: I’m sorry for the translation fail! After translating chapter 10 and understanding the whole story of the play, I realized that I’ve been interpreting their practice dialogues wrong here! Fixed it now, but my bad...

Director:

*phone call*

Eh!! Really!?

Kasumi:

Yeah, the special paperback issue was well received, so it became a talk to make a WEB issue for “Spotlight”.

We would like to do an interview to promote Spring Troupe 7th performance as well, are you okay with this?

Director:

Yeah! Of course!

Kasumi:

Everytime a new performance is out, I would like you to support me with updating the WEB issues accordingly.

Director:

Woah, thank you so much!

Kasumi:

Actually, I really want to do the interview with everyone in Spring Troupe but…

Since it’s this kind of article, I’ll let you talk with the lead and co-lead beforehand.

A bit of talks about the training procedure and the contents of the story, I would also like to shoot some gravures, what do you think?

Director:

Sounds fine! I’m looking forward to work with you!

--Yeah. Yeah! Then, excuse me!

<Shifts to Lesson Room>

Director:

Masumi-kun, Chikage-san, can I talk to you for a moment?

Masumi:

What is it?

Chikage:

Anything going on?

Director:

I received a call from Kasumi-san, this time, he wanted to do a special article about Spring Troupe 7th performance on the WEB version of “Spotlight”.

He was requesting for an interview and gravure photoshoot.

Masumi:

Understood.

Chikage:

I don’t mind.

Director:

Then, let’s go to Nadeshiko Publishing together next week!

(Masumi-kun is looking at me properly when talking this time.

I thought it would be a good idea to talk with him privately, but maybe I should just leave him alone after all.)

<Short Time Skip>

Chikage:

Sigh, you’re an excellent disciple you know.

I think you would be able to surpass Mirage.

Masumi:

That can’t be. She is-- Her very existence is art itself.

Chikage:

You’re so deep into your first love.

Masumi:

--You, you’re wrong! It’s just that, she’s the magician I admired since I was small and she’s what I aim to become--

Chikage:

Right right. It’s too blinding for an old man like me, you’re going to crush my eyes.

Director:

(Yeah, Masumi-kun and Chikage-san’s conversation feels good.

The next one will be the final scene. Mirage shatters into pieces and the climax will reveal everything…)

Itaru:

Thank you. For loving Mirage.

Masumi:

…

Director:

(Masumi-kun…?

It’s supposed to be a scene where Kiel cries after hearing Kigutsudou’s words…)

Itaru:

…Kiel-kun?

Masumi:

--

…Sorry. Let’s do it one more time.

Itaru:

Thank you. For loving Mirage.

Masumi:

--

Director:

(Masumi-kun, as I thought he’s stuck.)

--It’s about time, so let’s stop the practice here for today.

Masumi:

…

Itaru:

Otsukare.

Sakuya:

Good work today!

Director:

Masumi-kun, for the scene earlier--

Masumi:

--Sorry, I have something to do for university.

Director:

Ah…

(Before practice started, he was looking at me normally.

As I thought, maybe something’s going on…)

Chikage:

…

<Shifts to Lounge>

Chikage:

…

Sigh, you’re an excellent disciple you know.

I think you would be able to surpass Mirage.

Hisoka:

…

Chikage:

…What is it.

Hisoka:

…You’re practising properly. I’m impressed.

Chikage:

What’s that even.

Hisoka:

…You’re the co-lead right? How’s the situation right now?

Chikage:

Well, I have gained experiences from the last few performances, the practice is going well too.

The role this time was written for me so it’s considerably easier, I think I can say that there’s no problem right now, but…

Something seems to be wrong with Masumi.

Hisoka:

Masumi?

Chikage:

Outside of the performance and practice, he’s been pretty worrying with his moods going up and down, it’s starting to affect practice too.

Hisoka:

…He’s the lead after all, isn’t it going to be fine if Chikage just consult with him.

Chikage:

Nah, most probably, it’s related to Director-san.

It’s hard for me to step in.

Hisoka:

…Why?

Chikage:

Such pure love that Masumi has for Director-san, I just can’t put my words into it.

Hisoka:

???

Chikage:

That’s why, for me, things like romance or love is--

Hisoka:

Chikage, you have it too right, the feelings of love.

When you’re protecting your family for example, I think even now, looking at you being worried about Masumi is a form of love.

Chikage:

--

Hisoka:

Chikage… You’ve changed.

Chikage:

That’s pretty annoying to hear it from you.

…But if I find the opportunity to talk to him, I’ll try.

Hisoka:

…The consultation fee. The limited edition marshmallow from that famous chocolatier.

Chikage:

Don’t get carried away.

<Shifts to Publishing Office>

Kasumi:

Alright, then we’re done over here!

Director:

Thank you so much!

Kasumi:

Ah, I’m looking forward to the issue this time…!

Sakuya-kun seems to have a pretty interesting role!

Director:

Fufu. We look forward to see you in the theatre.

Kasumi:

Then, how’s the schedule for the supervision and publication--

Director:

Ah, yeah--

Masumi:

…

Chikage:

Masumi, we should get out of here first.

Masumi:

…Hinamori Kasumi.

Kasumi:

?

Masumi:

I want to ask you something.

Kasumi:

Eh? What, what? I’ll listen to anything you have.

Masumi:

--

Director:

?

(What is it I wonder, Masumi-kun seemed to be interested in something…

Is it maybe something that I can’t listen to.)

--Then, I’ll be taking my leave first.

Chikage:

…Director-san, I’ll stay here for a bit.

Director:

Please do so.

(Even Chikage-san, I’m pretty sure he feels that something’s wrong with Masumi-kun these days.

This change was unthinkable considering Chikage-san when he first joined the troupe. I’m glad I can depend on Chikage-san now.)

Then, Kasumi-san, excuse me.

Kasumi:

Yeah, good work today.

Masumi:

…

Kasumi:

Is it something that’s hard to say in front of Director.

Masumi:

I want to listen to your view about love.

Kasumi:

Eh!

Chikage:

Oi, you shouldn’t just drop the bomb like that…

Kasumi:

You want to have a love talk with this uncle over here!?

Chikage:

--

Kasumi:

If you want to have a love talk, this cramped office is not the place, let’s go to a café to talk!

We can continue over there!

Chikage:

How about your work?

Kasumi:

It’s fine, it’s fine!

Woah, I’m happy! It’s been a while since I have a love talk with someone else!

<End of Chapter 7>

Kasumi:

--So, the fact that Masumi-kun’s requesting to share love stories, maybe you’re in love with someone?

Masumi:

I’m always in love with the Director.

Kasumi:

Eh!? Director you mean, Yukio’s daughter!?

Are you serious!?

Masumi:

Since I saw her doing the street act for the theatre, I only have my eyes for her.

The reason I entered the troupe, the reason I started acting, everything was because she’s there.

Kasumi:

Woah… I see, I see, amazing! You have the will of steel!

Masumi:

I want her to look at me, long for me, and for that sake, I’ve been doing my best at every performance.

Kasumi:

I see, I see. Since it’s for the sake of someone you like, you’ll do your best on whatever comes to you! I know that feeling!

Masumi:

…But, recently, I’m quite lost.

If, by chance that she ended up marrying another man…

She won’t be looking at me anymore…. And I really don’t know what to do then…

I don’t think I can even continue with acting.

Kasumi:

It’s because that you like her that you’re that worried!! I understand!!

Chikage:

(The tension here is amazing.)

Masumi:

I don’t want to imagine that kind of future… No matter what happened, I will continue to love her with all my heart in this lifetime.

But, if that future really comes…

What should I do with my feeling, with all the love that are meant for her, I really can’t imagine it.

I hate myself who are shaken, who are not able to see her eye to eye now. Whatever love is, I don’t understand it anymore.

Kasumi:

You have been thinking a lot even though you don’t understand it!! I understand!!

Chikage:

(Do you understand or do you not understand…)

Masumi:

Last time, Sakuya was telling me about how he admire your family.

That’s why, I want to know what you think about love after getting married.

I’m pretty sure you know more about love than me.

Kasumi:

Oh, me!? That’s… I’m getting a little embarrassed here.

The story of my love and marriage huh… It’s a bit long if you want to hear about it.

This is a story after I left MANKAI company.

I was thinking that I want to support the theatre troupe in my own way, and through the help of a friend, I entered a publishing company.

That is, Nadeshiko Publishing.

I was assigned to a theatre related magazine due to my enthusiasm, even thought I was still inexperienced.

But I didn’t know a lot of stuffs about publications despite my age.

That me back then, it was the editor-in-chief, my wife, who patiently helped me along the way.

Even though she’s younger than me, she has more experience as an editor, more than anything else though… I really liked her handwriting.

I was told a lot of tough things, but when I passed her my work for the editing-check, I ended up liking her patient and neat remarks written in all red.

I liked my work in publication, I was happy that she was there with me too, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with her.

Everything was like a dream, following my personality, I really thought that it was my one and only fated love in this lifetime.

To be honest, I’ve had a lot of times when I was depressed due to the work that I wasn’t used to, but I wanted to be acknowledged by her so I did my best and push through.

I chose this new life, I was feeling guilty for leaving the troupe too, the reason I was able to continue with work was because she was there…

Some people might think that it’s an impure motive, but for me, she’s a really important support system for my heart.

I was able to overcome my weakness and for me who has given up on theatre, she became a light in this new life of mine.

That’s why, I told her my feeling, we got married, and the moment our daughters were born, it was the happiest time of my life.

Kasumi:

My story might be a bit different from Masumi-kun. but because of our love for that one person our lives have changed.

Masumi:

…Yeah.

Kasumi:

When my daughters were born, it was hard to take care of 3 babies at the same time, but I was really happy.

But then… I found out that my wife has been carrying an illness.

Masumi:

--

Kasumi:

Worse is, what happened afterwards.

She passed away, leaving behind her beloved daughters and me on our own.

Masumi:

…

Kasumi:

It was so sudden and I was so desperate, to the point that I’m thinking of dying myself, but her words ended up stopping me.

I am alone right now but, I have to raise our daughters, nurture them with two people’s worth of love.

That is, her final wish after all…

It can be difficult to balance work and childcare alone, but if it’s for the sake of her and our daughters, I will always have the power to do my best.

When I thought about the love I’ve felt towards her in this lifetime, I felt the same as the time when I started working as a publisher and I feel that I’ll be able to do my best on whatever comes to me.

Masumi:

… I get it.

… Do you feel lonely for not being able to see your wife?

Kasumi:

Hmm…

I cried my life’s worth that time, even now, there are times that I can’t help but to feel lonely.

To the one person that I love from the bottom of my heart, no matter how much I say “I love you”, it’s sad to think that I’ll never receive an answer anymore…

I don’t usually have such time though, since the days I spend with my daughters are fun.

Despite that, there’s only one person I love with all my heart and I will continue to love her for the rest of my life.

When you find that person in your life, I’m sure your heart will be filled.

I can’t see her anymore, but my love for her will never disappear.

Masumi:

So you’re also a master of love…

Kasumi:

Eh! It’s weird for you to call me a master of love!

I’m just a love otaku… I mean, I love all those romance dramas, shoujo mangas, and the likes…

Chikage:

You ‘also’?

Masumi:

Itaru’s also a master of love.

Chikage:

Pfft…

Kasumi:

…Ah! It’s already this late.

Sorry, I have a meeting after this.

The two of you can take your time here.

Chikage:

Sorry to trouble you.

Kasumi:

Don’t mind it.

You don’t need to worry about the cost too.

Chikage:

Sorry… Thanks for the treat.

Masumi:

…Thank you.

Kasumi:

You’re welcome!

See you!

Chikage:

…

Masumi:

…

Chikage:

So Kasumi-san’s wife has passed away.

Masumi:

I didn’t know…

Should I have not asked?

Chikage:

How is it… I think he enjoyed the conversation though.

Masumi:

Sorry to make you hang around so long.

Let’s go back.

Chikage:

We still have time, why don’t we talk a bit more.

Masumi:

?

Chikage:

I’ve been telling lies here and there so I’m not sure if you can believe me but…

I’ve also, lost a very important person to me before.

<End of Chapter 8>

[hazbinextgeneration]

Into The Casino Ch7

"What the hell are YOU doing here?" The voice was enough to make Amalfia jump and Cyber take a quick defensive stance just in case one of the few known enimies came for them, but Lou on the other hand kept the devious smile on his face. A chuckle escaped his chest, with a turn of his head, he turned that smile around to the mysterious owner of the voice. His brow rose. "Ah! Well if it isn't dear old Charles." His body fully turned to the intruder now. "What a nice surprise!" "Save it for someone who cares you dried up leaf!" A growl escaped the new comer. His white face contorting in a frown, a finger pointing at the plant demon. "What do you think you're doing here?" "Same thing you are I presume. Strictly business related."

The new demon looked rather....dead to be honest. He was literally made of bones and what looked like ghostly ectoplasm? She didn't know but Cyber relaxed back out of instinct at seeing them so maybe they weren't a danger? To them at least, she didn't know about her, but the way Lou was looking down at the smaller demon amuzed and how displeased the other one looked to see him there definitely meant they at least knew of one another. This new demon wasn't alone though. Behind him was another muscular looking demon holding..shopping bags(?) and giving a tired but interested look at them all. So does that mean they were there picking up stuff as well? The one with the skull scoffed and rolled his one good eye. Strange. What happened to the other one? "Did your ego grow so big you needed a new suit to accommodate it? Or has your hat grown too small for your fat head?" Lou mrerly chuckled. "Neither. I just happen to be picking up a few new...items for a new employee." His red eyes cut over to the demon behind him. "And you happen to be shopping for Rita I presume. Tell me. Did she enjoy make up her mind on my business offer yet?" The skeleton ignored what he had said and tilted his head around to stare behind him. Amalfia flinched at the sudden staring and he made a huffing sound before looking back up at him. "So. You got a new toy, huh?" His eyes slightly narrowed but he didn't say anything to that. The skeleton thing took this as some kind of yes to his question and shook his head, "I shouldn't have expected less from you. I wonder how long THIS one will last you-" "Babe?" The demon behind the skeletal one gave a small smile. "As much as I like to watch you stand your own, I don't think the boss lady would appreciate us being late yknow?" He held up one of the many bags on his arms as to make his point when the skeleton looked over his shoulder. "C'mon. You know how she gets? Let's go somewhere else, kay?" There was a pause before the demon looked back over to the still smiling plant and again to the ladies behind him. Raising his brow at the pony looking girl, but seemed to back off for the most part. What was with all this trouble stirring up around them? Another look to Lou and seeing his just idly staring at his claws gave her an almost uneasy feeling about this whole thing. "Aren't you ever going to get tired of the same old tricks?" No response from him other than a side glance and the curl of his lip as the two demons left with a small wave of his talons. A turn of his heel, he turned face to face the two women still behind him and smiled that grin of his. "Ladies. Might we continue our little trip? Wouldn't want to get side tracked again now would we?" A couple steps and he was already next to her wrapping an arm around her shoulders and turning her towards the opposite side from the way the new demons went. "Now, why don't we see about those new arrangements? Nothing too flashy now. This is my money we're spending." "W-WHo were they?," she asked meekly. He waved a hand. "Oh. No one important. Just a few weaklings that work for Rita?" She gave a confused look to which he chuckled at. "Rita is what I guess I could call one of my business rivals. She runs a business downtown and employs those two. Why I haven't the faintest clue." "C'mon Boss." Cyber rolled her eyes. "They aren't that bad." "I agree. They're worse." The two shared a chuckle so obviously this was some inside joke between the two she didn't know about. "But! They aren't important to talk about right now." His red eyes looked at her with some unknown authority and she lowered her head. "Right now I want to you showing interest in work." There wasn't much else of a given choice for her afterwards about that strange run in. Not that she would really wanted to think about it anymore, she was basically treated like a doll with how much Lou nitpicked the few outfits she did get. Purple apparently best contrasted with her eyes and a few flower prints were tossed in for whatever reason. She guessed it must've been his logo or something. Either way he seemed to enjoy seeing her in them for whatever reason. But that aside, things were still going to get a little more scary. She could feel it in the way those red eyes flashed at her and how he seemed to be thinking all the time. She's seen that look time and time again. Hoping this time it wouldn't be what she thought it would be- But since when it anything fair in hell? It was time he had a nice heart to heart chat with his new employee. After all, all of this wasn't free. Compensation for his generosity would be needed and soon. It's already been at most three days. And you know what they say. Time is money, and this would be worth a lot more money soon if he played it right. Cyber seemed to be noticing his exact thoughts as she gave him a knowing glance every so while with helping the pony, and maybe she herself thought something was up because those purple eyes would turn to him with slight fear in her eyes every so often. It was cute to watch. But nothing too bad would happen as long as things went accordingly, which things usually did when he was the one planning behind it. OH! Midnight's research kept relaying over and over in his mind. "Beings of purity. Their horns held similar power to angelic essence known to vanquish evil if harnessed." Oh the power that has yet to be tapped into! The things he could do with a single drop of it! Souls just being consumed by his very being. Everyone begging for mercy, crushing those who defy him under his feet, the sweet sent of roses was nothing compared to the sweet thoughts of expanding his empire. ....He could possibly become one of the elite easily. Those useless angel weapons and black market holy water would be nothing compared to his perfectly molded weapon! ...But of course. He might be getting ahead of himself. First he had to build up the weapon and actually see what he had to work with. He couldn't rush anything right now. An empire wasn't built in a day. ..But it wouldn't hurt to give it a nudge. On the car ride back it was mostly silent. The dark light from the tinted windows overshadowed most of the two's face making their eyes eerily seem to glow red and blue, she silently decided to ignore this trait as she didn't need any more fuel to the fire of fright- "You've been awfully silent, Pet." She flinched and glanced up at him. Red eyes smiling at her from the darkness. The way she looked at him was satisfying. "You look as if something's on your mind, My dear.~ Don't you like our little trip?" "Y-Yes Sir. B-But I-...Nevermind." "No. I want to hear what you have to say." She looked up skeptically but the look he gave when he tilted his head still made her keep her mouth shut. HE hummed and rose a brow. "You know it's rude to not answer the one who just bought you a whole new onsomble. Tell me. Was there something wrong with them?" "....It's not free is it?" His smile widened. "Pet. Nothing down here is.~"

all characters except Amalfia belongs to @palettepainter

[ronninoir]

Can I Steal You for a Second? CH7

Summary: Adrien is forced to participate in a new dating show, but becomes more excited when Ladybug says she’ll participate as her civilian self.

AKA: AU where Adrien doesn’t know Marinette, the superheroes are 22 and Gabriel is mean and ruthless but not Hawkmoth.

Read on AO3

Chapter 7

Marinette woke up with a newfound determination. The kiss last night with Chat was magical and if she was going to get the opportunity to do that again, then she was going to have to fight like hell for Adrien. Today they would get their first date card and know who was going on the first group date tomorrow. Marinette hoped beyond hope that she would go. She didn’t care who she was stuck with, but she needed to see Adrien again.

A knock came at the door and one of the “mansion moms” poked her head into the room. “Rise and shine ladies! Chris Harrison will be here in an hour with the first date card!” Then off to the next room she went. Mathilde was already rummaging through her stuff and throwing things like her hairbrush and various clothing items onto the bed. She gathered up all of her stuff and ran out of the room before Marinette could even say “Good Morning.”

She glanced over at Tikki, who gave her a slight shrug of her shoulders before darting into her cookie bag. Marinette got up, changed and was prepping all of her stuff to head into the bathroom when her door opened. She looked up expecting Mathilde, but instead was greeted by a cameraman. She gave a slight yell and instinctively covered herself, even though she was fully clothed. The man gave a slight chuckle, “Morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?” She blanched at him as he laughed his way out of the room.

Tikki flew up to Marinette. She had never looked so angry before. “Oh, I should chase after that man and give him a piece of my mind!”

At that, Marinette laughed. “I’d appreciate the thought, but a cameraman discovering that Ladybug is in the mansion sounds even worse than getting degrading comments.”

Tikki deflated at that and landed in Marinette’s outstretched hands. “Oh, but it would have been so much more fun.”

 “Sorry Tik. Thanks for the support though. I really appreciate it.” She nuzzled Tikki up to her cheek and Tikki gave her a small hug.

The door began to open again, which caused Tikki to dash back into Marinette’s suitcase. This time, though, it was Mathilde. “You better hurry,” she told Marinette as she entered. “Girls from other bathrooms are starting to raid the upstairs ones because they are larger. If you want your time in their you need to hurry.”

 Marinette thanked her and headed out the door.

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

The morning was a blur of curling irons, straighteners and various forms of make-up. Everyone wanted to look their best for the first group date card. The rushing around and primping didn’t make sense to Marinette. They were just going to get the date card. No one was actually going on a date with Adrien today.

Exactly an hour after Marinette woke-up, the girls were all gathered in the couch area right near the front door. They weren’t strategically placed this time, so Marinette stuck herself in between Hanna and Lucie. They heard a knock at the door, which caused all of the girls to jump. One of the crew members went an opened it and in walked Chris Harrison. The sight of him caused butterflies to go off in Marinette’s stomach, especially once she noticed the folded card in his hand.

“Good morning ladies.” He said as he entered with a smile. “How was your first night at the mansion?” All of the girls chorused back a, “Good,” before he moved on. “Great. It seems like you all got settled in just fine. I won’t hold out on you any longer as you all look very excited for this.” He waves the date card around and all of the girls cheer. Marinette can’t help but join in.

“The first date card of the season is here. I’m stressed for you.” All of the girls giggle, and Marinette can’t help but appreciate how good he is at this. He puts them all in one room, makes them feel comfortable and finds a way to make even presenting a card with names on it entertaining. “Hopefully, I’ll see you all at the next Rose Ceremony.” He then places the date card on the coffee table and walks out of the room.

Gabrielle is the first one to the card and she picks it up and walks to the front of the group where Chris was just standing. She beams at the girls in front of her and begins reading the names off in a clear, loud voice.

“Hanna.” Marinette immediately turns towards her friend and squeezes her shoulder. Hanna’s jaw has dropped and she turns towards Marinette and smiles.

“Valentine,” Marinette recognizes her as the girl who did backflips the first night. She later learned that she is a professional gymnast from the south of France. She squeals a little and hugs the girl next to her.

“Pauline,” This one girl Marinette doesn’t recognize, but Hanna leans over and tells her that she’s one of the girls from Sweden.

“Zoe,” At the mention of her name, Zoe reaches over and grabs Gabrielle’s hand. Gabrielle pauses a moment to smile at her friend before continuing to read.

“Juliette,” Hanna leans over and squeezes her friend, clearly excited that they are going on this date together. Marinette feels a pang of jealousy and starts to cross her fingers, hoping that her name gets called too.

 “Camille,” A plain looking girl across the circle let’s out a sigh and relaxes back onto the couch.

“Gabrielle,” Gabrielle says, flipping her hair over her shoulder and smiling out at the group.

“Alice,” Marinette’s hands are shaking now as Alice gives a little “Woohoo!” and smiles at the group.

“Marinette,” she lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and allows Hanna to pummel her in a hug. She gets to go on a date with Adrien!

Gabrielle pauses before reading, “Smile bright, Adrien.”

At that the girls squeal and begin trying to decipher the clue. One girl yells out, “I bet you guys are going to do some modeling!” While another said, “Oh, I hope you get to meet someone famous!” Marinette didn’t care about any of it. She was going on a date with Adrien and it was going to be perfect no matter what they did.

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

Monday went by so slowly. At least the girls talked to Marinette today. Or at least, Hanna and Juliette talked with her. They actually never left her side. They were all chatting about what they were going to wear, what they were going to do, what they were going to say. It seemed the date was the only thing anyone in the house could talk about.

Right before Marinette got ready for bed that night, Sarah gathered all of the girls going on the date the next day. “All right ladies!” Sarah and Jade were very enthusiastic about everything. That made the feel of the house seem less scary, but it also freaked Marinette out a little. “Tomorrow, you will get picked up for your date at around 9am so make sure you are ready by the front door by then. I was also told to tell you to wear something cute, but something you aren’t afraid to change out of.” And on that note, she bid them goodnight and walked away.

“What do you think she means by that?” Hanna leaned over to whisper to her and Juliette.

“Truthfully, it probably just means that they all want us to wear something similar, like an outfit to go with the date. It’s probably nothing serious.” Marinette responded, setting Juliette and Hanna into giggles.

“Well whatever it is, I hope it’s a blast and that I get to spend some time with Adrien!” Hanna squealed and Juliette and Marinette broke into more laughter. She bid the girls goodnight and headed upstairs to her room. Mathilde wasn’t in the room (that girl was NEVER in the room!) and so Marinette used this time to catch Tikki up on what had been happening. They both agreed that Tikki would go with her tomorrow, and Tikki even helped Marinette pick out her outfit for tomorrow. It was a simple shirt and jean combo that she paired with a black leather jacket that had enough room for Tikki to hide in.

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store!” Tikki squealed before flying off to her make-shift bed in Marinette’s suitcase.

“Me too, Tikki. Me too.” Marinette whispered as she turned off her light and settled in for another night of sleep.

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

Marinette woke up to screaming. Her first thought was an akuma and she was vaulting over the bed and running into the hallway to see for herself before she was even fully awake. She had slid down the banister of the stairs, knowing that Tikki was hot on her tail, before she realized that it wasn’t scared screaming, but rather mad screaming. Apparently, two of the girls going on the date today decided to wear almost the exact same outfit. Once they discovered it, they ended up in a screaming match about who would change. Marinette caught Tikki’s eye as she hid in the ceiling and rolled her eyes as she walked back up the stairs.

“It’s always a good morning when there isn’t an akuma!” Tikki said cheerfully as she watched Marinette gather her toiletries and her make-up. “Even though two girls screaming at each other is not what I would call a nice wake-up call.”

“At least I’m awake now,” Marinette said with a sigh. Within 15 minutes Marinette was ready to leave and had traveled downstairs to eat breakfast before they left to go on the date. There, she found Hanna and Juliette, excitedly chatting over their eggs.

Hanna squealed once she saw Marinette. “Good morning!”

“Good morning,” Marinette said through a laugh. “I take it you’re more of a morning person?”

Hanna laughed, “Of course! At home we have to wake up bright and early in order to tend to the animals. I’m not used to getting my eggs out of a fridge!” Hanna’s enthusiasm was at least balanced out by Juliette’s calm. She, like Marinette, was stifling a yawn and sipping on a steaming hot cup of coffee.

 “My parents are morning people, since they have to wake up early and get things ready for the bakery, but I guess I never inherited that gene.” Marinette made herself some coffee and began frying an egg for her breakfast. Their number slowly began to grow as all of the other girls going on the group date came and grabbed something to eat. It was easy to tell that Pauline and Alice were the two who had fought this morning about their outfits, as they were deliberately not making eye contact with each other.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that made all of the girls jump. Marinette, Hanna, and Juliette went to go answer it and quickly called back to the others that it was their ride. It was a black van that had no windows and was very plain looking on the inside. It had about 12 seats, not including the one in the front next to the driver, which were separated by a thin wall. The driver could communicate to them through a speaker, but they couldn’t talk to him. No one took that seat though as the driver ushered them into the back. Marinette ended up next to Hanna and Gabrielle, who it seemed had forgiven Marinette for her interaction the first day in the mansion.

The girls all chatted excitedly (except for Pauline and Alice) as they were driven to their destination. No one could tell where they were going, which slightly unsettled Marinette. Tikki was comfortably inside her pocket, but the idea of being blind in the city was still kind of scary, even with the god accompanying her.

When the van stopped and the door was opened, Marinette was one of the very first to get out. They were on the side of the road near a bunch of shopping buildings and it took Marinette about 30 seconds to realize that they were on the Champs-Élysées. She let out a sigh and listened to the driver as he gave them instructions.

“Once I drive away, you guys are going to walk down this street and round the left corner. Once you do, you’ll see Adrien and a crew waiting for you. Adrien will explain everything else.” The girls giggled excitedly. The driver cleared his throat and all of the girls turned back to look at him. “I don’t think this actually needs to be said, but I’ve been instructed to tell you to act excited when you see Adrien. It may even do you some good to run towards him.” The group turned and began chatting as he gave them a nod and got back into his van.

As soon as the van was away from the sidewalk, the group set off towards their destination and Adrien. Once they turned the corner, everyone broke into a run. Because of her position in the back of the group, Marinette didn’t see Adrien until they were practically on top of him. Camille got to him first and gave him a hug, and he was kind enough to circle around and give everyone one in turn. When he got to Marinette, her heart skipped a beat and she held her breath, wondering if he would recognize her from the touch. When he pulled away he gave her a smile and then moved on to Hanna who was behind her.

After Adrien had acknowledged all of the girls, he turned to face the group with his back towards the storefront. Marinette noticed that it was a Gabriel storefront and wondered if his father’s company played a role in today’s date.

“I have a very exciting date planned for all of you today,” Adrien starts with a grin that rivals one of his as Chat Noir. “Let’s go on inside and see what’s hanging.” The girls giggled at his pun, though Marinette found it extremely terrible. She forced a half-hearted laugh as they stepped into the store.

Marinette hasn’t ever actually been inside of a Gabriel store before, but it’s exactly how she imagined it to be. The store was split into two different sections: men’s and women’s. The clothes themselves were enough to make Marinette drool. She could have admired the designs for hours if given the chance. She was caught up in admiring a blouse that was cut in a very unique way when a giggling Hanna elbowed her in the side. She looked over and saw that most of the girls couldn’t tear their eyes away from the men’s section. Everywhere they looked, were pictures of Adrien. He seemed to have modeled every male outfit in the store and his face was everywhere.

The real Adrien cleared his throat and continued to lead the girls further into the store. Once they pushed passed all of the clothing racks, they found three judges waiting for them. The sight of one blonde haired, blue eyed girl made Marinette’s stomach drop. The shrill “ADRIKINS!” didn’t help much at all, either.

“Who is that?” Juliette whispered to Hanna and Marinette.

While Hanna just shrugged, Marinette answered with an eye-roll. “Chloe Bourgeois. She went to school with me and is the Mayor of Paris’s daughter. She’s hated me for as long as I can remember.”

“Oh no!” Hanna gasped. “Do you think that will affect the date?”

Marinette just shrugged as they turned towards the front, where Adrien was detaching Chloe from his arm. Marinette heard him whisper, “We’ll talk later Chloe,” before he turned to the girls and addressed them. “As you can see, ladies, I have brought in some special guests to help me with our date today. Allow me to introduce to you my personal friend, daughter of the Mayor of Paris and socialite, Chloe Bourgeois.” The girls responded with a polite smattering of applause, and Chloe waved like she was on a parade float to the crowd.

“Our next guest is known as the ‘Queen of Fashion’ and she is the director of the fashion magazine Style Queen, Audrey Bourgeois.” During her applause, Hanna leaned over, “Chloe’s mom?” to which Marinette gave a nod. Marinette had some interesting history with Audrey that lead to her not being a big fan of Marinette’s. This date was going downhill quickly.

“And finally, our last guest judge and someone who spends their days designing all of the clothes you see in this store. Here representing the Gabriel brand, Victor Arsenau.” Victor, who was a dark-haired tall man in his late 20s/early 30s, gave the group of girls a once over and nodded to Adrien.

“Today, not only will you be shopping the cutest clothes, shoes and accessories, but you’re actually going to be taking a walk in my shoes and model in a Gabriel fashion show!” All of the girls squealed in excitement, and even Marinette couldn’t help but join in a little. “You’re really going to have to let your personality shine through because you are going to be competing. Our judges are going to be judging on style, technique, and most importantly personality.”

Victor stepped forward and addressed the girls. “The winner today is going to be able to keep their outfits that they wear.” Another excited chatter rippled through the group as he continued. “You have one hour until the fashion show starts. Pick a daytime outfit and an evening wear and then go and get ready for the show.”

Adrien beamed as he said, “All right ladies. On your mark, get set, go!” The group scattered as everyone dove into the clothes. The store was well stocked with clothes that would work well on Marinette. The hardest part of this would be narrowing down exactly what she wanted to show off. Well, that and avoiding Chloe.

 She dodged Chloe the first time by ducking into a dressing room with a couple of pieces she was leaning towards for her daytime outfit. The second time, she volunteered to interview with the producers about her reactions to the date so far. The third time, she wasn’t as lucky.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Chloe said, drawing out the syllables in her name.

“Hi, Chloe,” Marinette sighed as she continued to flip through the clothes. They had about 15 minutes before they had to be getting changed for the fashion show and Marinette was having problems with her evening outfit.

“I knew your love life was sad, but I didn’t think it was reality TV show sad.” Chloe taunted while examining her nails. When she made eye contact with Marinette her eyes were full of fire and Marinette knew this wasn’t going to end well.

“What do you want Chloe?” Marinette asked, allowing some of the annoyance she was feeling to leak through into the question.

“Oh, nothing.” Chloe replied with a not-so-innocent grin. “I just wanted to remind you that I’m here, and that I have power over your life today. So, you better be nice.” Chloe’s wagging finger came very close to Marinette’s face.

The noise that came out of Marinette would have rivaled one of Chat’s growls. “Chloe, I will not let this petty high school ‘rivalry’ or whatever you want to call it ruin my date today with Adrien.” Marinette’s grip on the dress she had picked up tightened so much so, she was worried she would break the hanger.

“Now, now, Marinette. That’s not the way to talk to one of the judges. And besides, you don’t stand a chance with Adrien. Just like you don’t stand a chance of pulling off that dress.” She gave a taunting laugh as she gestured to the dress Marinette was clutching. “Well, anyway. I have to be off doing, you know, important things for the fashion show.” She turned and gave Marinette a look full of hatred. “I guess I’ll see you out there.” With a flip of her hair, Chloe turned on her heel and stalked off towards the runway.

Marinette was so mad, she didn’t even realize that the producers were moving all of the girls backstage to get ready. She didn’t even have time to put the dress she had been holding back. Marinette wasn’t the only one who was fuming.

“I can’t believe she would ruin this for you because of old history!” Tikki was shaking she was so upset. “Why can’t she be more like you and let the past stay in the past?”

“I don’t know Tikki.” Marinette sighed. She stepped backstage and was instructed to put her outfits on the rack. As she was hanging all of her items up, she let out a gasp, “Oh no!”

“You’re right. I can totally rock this runway.”

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

Adrien had been dreading this date. The date itself was going to be a lot of fun, especially since he wasn’t the one doing the modeling. It was really having to spend part of his day with Chloe. She didn’t take him having to do the show very well (it actually led to him being thrown out of her room followed by various vegetables from a tray being thrown at him as he left) and he was kind of grateful for the excuse not to see her for a couple of months. Thankfully, they prepped him for her presence today so he had enough time to not act surprised when he saw her.

From their first encounter she’s been a problem. She latched herself onto him and called him ‘Adrikins’ and was snuggled up really close to him. He could only imagine what the girls were thinking right now. He was going to have to explain that Chloe is just a childhood friend and nothing more. As if that’s not enough, he also caught her harassing some of the girls while they were picking their outfits. Adrien could only imagine what she was going to say about them as they walked down the runway. 

The judges were already sat out in the audience as well as almost 50 people, who were just there to see the fashions and the girls. Adrien was on a different side of stage than the girls (he always seemed to be separated from them) as he waited to be announced to the crowd. After that, though, he would just sit and be a spectator.

The music started to pick up and Adrien could hear the audience cheering for the announcer as he walked onto the stage.

“Hello everybody and welcome to this special Gabriel fashion show!” Cue more cheers from the audience. “Tonight, Adrien and his lovely ladies will be strutting down this runway showing off some of the best of the Gabriel line. The ladies will be sporting two outfits, a daytime wear and an evening wear. The judges are going to decide the best two and they will go head-to-head and the winner will win exclusive outfits from Gabriel!” At this the audience went wild and Adrien could even hear the excitement of the girls from the other side.

“Are you ready to see the Bachelor?!” Adrien knew his cue was coming and he tried not to let the screams distract him. “Give it up for Adrien Agreste!”

Adrien stepped out from the side curtain onto the runway. The lights, the sounds, the feel of it all was so familiar, but once he got to the end of the runway, he was able to go and sit with the judges. Their chairs were on the same level as the runway, which made it easy for Adrien. But, his Chat Noir bad luck must have been strong today, because the seat they saved him was right next to Chloe.

He sat down waving and reminded himself that he needed to keep a smile, since a camera would be on him all of the time. Once he was seated, Chloe leaned over and whispered, “Ready to see all of your exes walk down the runway?”

 Adrien kept his smile and spoke through his teeth, “I’m currently dating all of them, which makes them all my girlfriends.”

“Not for long,” she sing-songed before turning back towards the runway. Before Adrien could ask her what she meant by that (or what she was planning), they called the first girl’s name.

“Please welcome to the runway, Zoe!”

The girls took turns coming out and in Adrien’s opinion they all looked amazing. They worked the runway really well. Adrien had no trouble finding nice things to say about them. Chloe on the other hand...

 “Look at that top. That color does not go well with her complexion and the style makes her boobs look small.” “Does she even know how to walk properly in heels? She looks like she’s about to twist an ankle.” All Adrien could do was rush out more compliments, especially if the girl was close enough to hear what she had been saying.

“Chloe....” Adrien chastised under his breath.

“What, Adrikins? I’m just speaking the truth.” Chloe’s voice was innocent, but Adrien knew better than to believe that. He had seen Chloe use that voice on multiple people and get away with lots of stupid things when they were younger.

“Well speak ‘the truth’ quieter.” Adrien whispered back. At least Audrey was being professional about this whole thing. Adrien didn’t know if he could handle two Bourgeois ladies tearing down his new girlfriends.

“Last for our daytime wear is Marinette!”

Chloe looked almost devilish as Marinette walked down the catwalk. Adrien had trouble keeping his eyes off of her as she walked closer to him. She was wearing some high-waisted jean shorts with a sparkly black sash pulled through the belt loops. The sash was too long, which made sense considering how petit Marinette is, so a section of it hung down and accented the curve of her legs. The shirt was more modest than what some of the other girls had been sporting. It was a striking red, off the shoulder top that had quarter-length sleeves that stopped right below her elbow. It accented her curves and made everything else pop. The crowd had hushed as they took in her outfit and once she shot Adrien a wink, the girls around him let out a scream.

Beside him, Chloe was silent. Adrien peeled his eyes off of Marinette and turned towards her. As he did, Chloe began to stand out of her seat and she looked as though she was going to kill. Thankful for his cat-like reflexes, he grabbed Chloe’s arm and pulled her back down. He didn’t loosen his grip until Marinette was safely off of the runway.

 “Ow, Adrien let go you’re hurting me,” Chloe whined.

Adrien did as she asked and leaned in close. “If you touch any of those girls, I will personally see to it that you won’t be able to text, blog, post on social media, or even make a phone call for a month.”

Chloe gasped and her hand went up to cover her mouth as if she was in a movie, “You wouldn’t.”

“Don’t test me and don’t touch the girls.” Adrien hoped that the sneer on his face couldn’t be seen by a camera, but he couldn’t fake a smile at the moment as his blood was boiling. Comments are one thing, physically getting involved is a whole other problem Adrien wasn’t going to allow.

 Soon after the girls were coming back out in their evening wear. Most of them wore beautiful dresses that looked like something they would wear to one of the show’s cocktail parties. Hanna, sweet innocent thing, came out in the comfiest pair of pajamas Adrien had ever seen. He wasn’t even aware that his Father’s company sold pajamas, but here was the proof, right in front of him. Gabrielle wore pajamas too, but she took a little different take on hers. She was wearing a silky robe and as she got to the edge of the catwalk, she dropped the robe to her shoulders and showcased a black lingerie set. She looked amazing, but Chloe had some choice words to say about that particular outfit.

Last up on the runway was Marinette. Adrien gave Chloe a quick glance, trying to read her expression and see if she was going to try something. Adrien saw a look of disbelief cross her face as he heard Chloe mutter a “She didn’t.” He looked up and saw Marinette start down the catwalk in a shimmering gown. She was literally sparkling as she walked, her dress a shiny champagne color. The dress had spaghetti straps and a VERY low-cut neckline that was accented well by a simple necklace. It flowed out at the waist and had a high slit in the leg that was only noticeable when she walked. When she hit the end of the catwalk, Adrien noticed that the back of the dress was nonexistent, and he wondered how in the world she got it to stay up. Everyone was entranced by the look and the crowd cheered loudly for her as she exited.

 Once Marinette was off, they put on some casual music and told everyone the judges were going to confer then announce the top two. Adrien wasn’t invited to that conversation but he did manage to whisper a “Be fair,” to Chloe as she walked away.

 Adrien was approached by the producers then and went and filmed his individual interviews about the date. They asked him questions about Chloe, but he ignored those questions and eventually they got the hint. By the time he was seated again, the judges were back and the girls were being brought back onto the stage.

“It’s always a hard decision when you are judging these runway shows because all of these ladies were gorgeous in their outfits, right?” The audience cheered and even Adrien gave a little shout for them. “Two of you really stood out to the panel. And those ladies are...” There was a dramatic pause where Adrien was almost as nervous as the girls appeared to be. “Gabrielle,” the audience cheered, “And... Marinette!” Chloe deflated like she didn’t help make this decision. Adrien was going to have to ask Chloe about her apparent dislike for Marinette, as it seemed like something he should know.

“We’re going to give the ladies a couple of minutes to change, and then we will be back for the winning walk.”

Adrien took this chance to turn towards Chloe. “Okay the game’s up. What do you have against Marinette?”

Chloe’s scowl colored her face as her arms crossed in front of her, “Nothing.”

“Oh, nice try, Chlo.” Adrien hoped that using this nickname would lean her more towards being honest with him. “I’ve known you for too long to accept that answer.” He shot her a knowing look and she had trouble meeting his gaze.

 “Look, it’s nothing that concerns you.”

 “Considering that Marinette is my girlfriend, then yes I think it does concern me.”

“She is one of your MANY girlfriends and this started before you met her.” At that, Chloe turned away and refused to talk to him.

Before too long, the music dimmed and the announcer came back on the speakers. “All right ladies and gentlemen, are we ready for the final walk-off?” The crowd gave an excited scream and Adrien sat back in his chair, finally turning away from Chloe.

Marinette and Gabrielle walked out onto the catwalk at the same time in the same dress. This dress was a short one but it looked amazing on both of the girls, even though their body types were very different. It was a black base that had a high neckline with startling white accents. It left their shoulders bare and fell to their knees. It was form-fitting, but the most noticeable part of the dress was the fabric flowing off of it, also a shimmery black. When the girls walked, it billowed out to the side and made the dress seem longer than it was.

The crowd was going wild as these two girls walked. Both were confident and beautiful, and Adrien didn’t know how he could be so lucky to be dating them both.

After a few seconds of discussion, the judges had both girls stand at the beginning of the catwalk. The music shifted to increase the intensity and both girls grabbed hands to support the other and the sight of them being friendly warmed Adrien’s heart. Then the announcer said, “And the winner is... Gabrielle!” 

Marinette grabbed Gabrielle in a hug and then gracefully stepped off to the side as she was brought out the clothes she had worn earlier in Gabriel bags. she waved and seemed very excited, and Adrien walked up to her and gave her a hug.

“Congratulations, Gabrielle!”

 “Thank you, Adrien! This was so much fun!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it! You know...” he leaned in closer so she could hear over the roar, “you should totally wear that dress tonight to the cocktail party. I think you look amazing in it.” Adrien watched as she blushed and he felt a small since of pride knowing he did that.

“You know what, I just may.” She gave him a wicked smile and as he hugged her again, he just happened to notice Marinette off to the side. She was chatting with the other girls, who had swarmed her once she hadn’t been declared the winner. He just happened to catch her eye and she gave him a smile. He smiled back and was happy to see that she was taking the loss well.

Soon it was time for them to leave and get ready for the cocktail party that night. He decided not to delay the inevitable and went to say goodbye to Chloe and the other judges. He thanked Victor and Audrey, who was clearly bored. She brushed him off with a “I only do it for the cameras and publicity.”

Chloe was lingering and Adrien knew that she wanted to talk.

“Hey, I’m sorry I’ve been acting weir—” He began, but she cut him off.

 “Invite me to join the show.” She said definitively.

Adrien blanched. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Invite me to join you on the show. Invite me into the mansion. Give me a chance to date you.” Adrien had never seen Chloe beg for something before, but this was really close.

“Chlo—”

“No, don’t ‘Chlo’ me. Hear me out. I’ve always thought we would do it. Make our relationship more than just of friends. I’ve always imagined us dating for a little while and then having a beautiful engagement and having this outlandish wedding that Daddy would pay for and then we’d have kids and be out in the public eye...” Adrien held up a hand to stop her.

“Chloe, if you really felt like this why didn’t you say something?” He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “Or better yet, why didn’t you apply for the show after you knew I had to do this?”

She ducked her head down and wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I tried,” she replied softly.

 “What?”

“I went through the whole process but they didn’t invite me to the interviews.” Adrien had only seen Chloe cry once: the day that her mother first left for New York. Chloe’s eyes were full of tears and her bottom lip was trembling. She looked so young and hurt, and all Adrien wanted to do was hug her and tell her it would be okay, just like when her mother left. But he couldn’t. Not without giving her false hope, or hurting her even more.

“Chloe. You are my oldest friend and someone I care about a lot. But, this show isn’t just a game for me. My father is very adamant about me doing this show exactly how he wants it done and I think this may be my only chance to find love.” Plus, Ladybug is here and I have to find her.

“Adrien that’s not true. We can make this work. If you talk to you dad—”

“Chloe, you of all people should understand how difficult that can be! I’m sorry that I have to do it like this, but I have to continue on with the show. I can’t—I can’t make any changes.” Adrien felt as though he was choking and he swallowed hard to push down the emotion that was rising in his throat. “I’ll always care for you Chloe, just not in the way you want me to. I have to go get ready for my date with the girls tonight.” At that, he turned and walked away, not daring to glance over his shoulder, knowing that the sight of Chloe crying would hurt more than anything.

~

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~

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[chimswae]

BTS Caretaker CH7

Summary: She may think she has Bangtan Sonyeondan wrapped around her fingers. She may think it is easy to love the members equally without hurting any soul. She may think the boys wont fall head over heels for her. She assumes it is okay to show a little love and affection towards the boys, what if she gets it all wrong? What if it only brings more complication to her already complicated life? Can she survive their charms? Will she be able to resist them? What if they just wont let her go?

- Pairing: BTS x Oc ( Yoongi x OC, Jungkook x OC)

- Genre: Fluff, Slight Angst, Romance, Idol!au

- Word Count: 2,445

- Author Note: Finally update on time! i appreciate your feedback and comment, just drop in my ASK BOX :)

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Chapter 7

It was Monday again. The light from the sun illuminating her room, shrinking all her thoughts and feelings at once. She really did not want to be in the same building as Bangtan Sonyeondan again. Not after the incident that she tried hard to forget. Yet she failed to do so.

Yesterday, her mother came with bad news claiming she had requested a weekend break from the company. She told them the truth about her health condition which started to deteriorate these past weeks minus the part she couldn’t perform the job and made Seul to replace her instead. At least, she informed them about being sick. Therefore, they agreed on letting her mother work daily instead of everyday. The only change made was her work schedule but not the contract termination.

Groaning mentally, Seul wished her mother would request for contract termination instead of the change in the work schedule. Since Bighit seemed pretty lenient and understanding when it came to their staff’s welfare, she’s sure they wouldn’t force a sick old lady to work her ass off. Unless, the individual didn’t ask for it, so they might assume things were alright. Gosh, as expected who could stop her stubborn mother.

Strutting to the main door, Seul put on her black converse with heavy heart. Deep down in her heart, she hoped none of the boys would be home at this time like before. Even worse, if Min Suga was there again to ruin her day. She would not let him for the second time. Actually, Seul was still embarrassed over the kiss, after contemplating so many times, she decided to face the day as if nothing ever happened previously. She planned in her head, if she ever bumped into Min Suga, she would ignore him without uttering anything.

That would be the best thing to do, right? Maybe for now.

Walking along the street, Seul watched how the mother nature switched from sunny to cloudy in the blink of an eyes. She didn’t even realize, she dragged the time a bit due to her reluctances to tend Bangtan’s dorms today. Seul even purposely took the longer route in hope to clear her messy mind. However, upon seeing the change of weather she decided to head straight to the tiger’s den.

The journey took only 10 minutes from where she stopped to daydreaming a while ago. She entered the password to the apartment with sweaty palm. First of all, she was not ready mentally and physically to face any of the members. Her nervousness soared even higher when the main door opened. Inhaling a deep breath, she stealthily entered the den and to her relief Seul was welcomed by the emptiness and shirts scattered on the floor.

“Thank god” she heaved a sigh of relief.

Seeing how messy the place was, the boys might be barely back at home. It hasn’t even a week, and the place was awfully wrecked. She grunted at the thought of cleaning up the three days mess. It would be a long day for Seul.

Without further ado, she went straight to tend her job started with the living room and pile of dishes. She glanced at the amount of takeout boxes on the table, as she bit her lower lips feeling sympathy for them.

“They are not even eating healthily” she murmured while cleaning the leftover.

 ---------------------

“Make it quick Namjoon. We have to be there on time, you don’t want to be late” warned Manager Sejin. Namjoon dashed out of from the vehicle as fast as lightning without even bother to look back.

“I’ll be quick” he hollered as his body disappeared inside the building.

Clumsy Namjoon stumbled in between the journey whilst running for his life to get his stuff. He approached the door to their place and opened the door hastily as soon as he heard the click sound. His nose caught the smell of detergent from the other side, and he tilted his head curiously at the image in front of him. Their place was cleaned and organized in contrary to few hours ago.

“The ahjumma” his round lips broke into a cheeky smile. His head peeked at the kitchen until he saw a glimpse of shadow coming from the room that he shared with Taehyung. Seul heard a rustling sound coming from her back, and her body froze momentarily. She pulled the mask over her nose covering half of her face. Frankly speaking, her heart pounded furiously against her chest as if it might jump out from it by any seconds from now.

Panic. She shouldn’t be panic.

“Ahjumma?” Seul was taken aback by the manly voice. Who was it this time? She held onto the fibre duster tightly while holding her breath. Seul did not know how to react to that question so instead she chose to remain quiet. Judging from his voice, he didn’t sound like Suga.

Namjoon scratched the back of his head, taking few steps towards Seul “Ahjumma right?” he inquired again.

Silence.

Another silence.

It’s killing Namjoon.

“Ahjumma? Are you alright?” Namjoon decided to slide in front of Seul. There he was standing straight while eyeing the person in front of him worriedly. Seul averted her eyes from meeting Namjoon’s curious one, that guy was trying to read her.

Giving in, Seul nodded indicating she was okay. Soon after, she heard a sigh of relief from the guy in front of him. Funny thing, she found the guy has a unique face and very weird accent. His puffy cheeks and dimples were attractive. Then it hit her, this guy in front of her is the leader, Kim Namjoon. To make it worse, he was a real genius and there was no way she could lie to him without being caught.

Let’s just hope, he is only good in his studies and not that genius when it comes to reading others thought. Seul crossed her fingers.

“Wow, I didn’t expect to meet you after so many years ahjumma. Oh, before I forgot, hello I am Rap Monster, but you can call me Namjoon. I am Bangtan’s leader” he bowed out of respect with a wide smile.

It baffled her for a short while to receive such a deep bow from someone like him, considering Namjoon is older than her. Shoot that, he doesn’t know about her. All he knew was the caretaker is an old ahjumma. Nonetheless, Namjoon is a good guy with manners.

The corner of her lips was tugged into a small smile as she returned the politeness by bowing slightly. Her body went numb. Her mind had stopped working. Should she just play along? As long as she had facemask to cover her face, it should be alright.

“You look younger than I expected. You really took a good care of your skin” Namjoon said sheepishly. The older guy was confused by Seul’s action since she hadn’t uttered any words. He wondered if she was feeling ill or she was just shy.

“Oh I really want to say this since forever, I am not sure when will ever meet again. We are very grateful to have you as our caretaker. And it must be hard to clean up the place by your own considering how messy it could be sometimes. We will try to clean when we can, we apologize for putting all the loads on your shoulder” Seul softened at his sincerity. How can a celebrity like him be so down to earth and even apologize for something that is not even his fault?

Namjoon continued with a shy smile “Ahjumma, thank you for the food that you prepared. You fed us well despite all the rough years that we faced when we first debuted. The food really warmth our heart. It was one of the reasons to keep us going until where we are now” Seul brows flinched together seemed affected of his brief but meaningful speech. She swore to god, she really admires Namjoon’s kindness and humble side. It is rare to find someone like him nowadays.

“I really have a lot of things to say but I am running late. I hope we can meet again soon with others. I will try to talk it out with the management team” he clasped his hand together as his eyes glimmered with hope.

Seul eyes met his as she smiled genuinely under his mask but enough for Namjoon to see it through her eyes. Namjoon was caught at the moment until Taehyung’s voice broke the awkwardness between them.

“NAMJOON HYUNG FASTER FASTER!”

Namjoon blinked with a soft sigh “That is the cue, it is nice meeting you ahjumma. Don’t overwork yourself, I will ask the maknaes to clean up the rest. I guess I will get going now. Have a good day” he bid her farewell and stole a last glance at Seul’s small figure.

I wonder why she didn’t talk, and she does look young. It must be my mind. Namjoon walked up to impatient Taehyung who’s leaning his back against the door.

“What took you so long? Manager hyung is nagging us!” Taehyung frowned.

“I am sorry. I met caretaker ahjumma inside so-“ Taehyung squealed got Namjoon bled in his ears as he held back the excited boy back to where he stood.

The younger guy grinned like a fool “Oh my god where? Let me meet her!” he exclaimed excitedly. Namjoon only shook his head stopping the guy before he could crash inside frightening the hell of the caretaker lady in process.

“Tae, we have shows in few hours. We need to go now. I have told her what we felt, so let’s hope we will be able to meet her again soon alright? Now chill dude, let’s go” he shut the door behind him, dragging the latter using a little force.

“Man, how’s the ahjumma? Is she young as what Yoongi hyung claimed?” he pursed his lips in frustration. He continued to pry answers from Namjoon mainly on the ahjumma’s appearance.

 ------------------------

As clock strikes 2 in the morning, they were finally back at their place. Fatigue. Hunger. Mental exhaustion. You named it, it was written clearly on their forehead. Jin was the first one whom dragged his aching body to the kitchen. A smile appeared on his face upon seeing the amount of food on the table.

“The ahjumma is really back I guess” Jin yelled from the kitchen.

“I told you so” Namjoon grumbled with his eyes close, “I saw her, and she looked sick. I told her to take the cleaning slow today” Yoongi’s ears perked up, showcasing his interest. Could it be the young lady or the real caretaker now? He really had no time to think about the girl who caused chaos to his heart.

Jimin sat up “I think it comes out as habit. Cleaning the place and cook something for us. I am hungry” he got up, pulling sleepy Taehyung with him.

“Chimmy, I want to sleep. Leave me alone” he protested with a pout.

“Let’s eat first! The ahjumma prepared this for us, so show your gratitude by eating it” Jimin patted his friend’s back with a slight chuckle. He even forced Taehyung to sit down on one of the seats and as soon as his butt landed on the cold stool, he rested his forehead on the table.

Cheerful Hoseok entered the scene, stood beside Jin helping him to warm the food for them to savour. A pink sticky note on the fridge caught his attention. With a smile, he took the notes “Guys, ahjumma left us a message” Jungkook yawned loudly resting his chin on Jin’s shoulder watching the older guy doing things with the food inside the pan.

“What did she say?” Jin tapped Jungkook’s head with a clean spoon ordering him to get off him instantly. Jungkook pursed his lips, moving backwards and took a seat beside Taehyung.

“Okay I will read it aloud… Dear boys, I want to make it up to you for my absence last Friday. So here is a feast for you guys. But I seem to miscalculate BTS members, therefore there is no food for Min Yoongi. I apologize, I must be getting old already. Eat and rest well..” Hoseok gawked at the last sentences “Is this a prank?”

At the mention of his name Yoongi arose from his seat, charging towards Hoseok, snatching the pink notes from his hand. He scanned the notes diligently ensuring the notes were not a mere tease by Hoseok. His breath hitched “What the fuck?” he cussed lowly.

“Are you kidding me? Hoseok stop joking around” Jin placed the heated food on the table. Even the sleepy Namjoon and Taehyung looked at Yoongi’s direction with so much interest. Now, that was dramatic. Out of all the members why would she pinpoint Yoongi?

“She seemed to be holding grudge against you? Was it due to the last week incident?” Jimin poked his chopstick at the food in front of him, while shoving some inside his mouth.

Yoongi rubbed his temple, digesting this new information again “I am sure she is hiding something. Can’t you believe me? She is the sasaeng fan! The girl that came into our place pretending to be the caretaker ahjumma. Joon, come on you saw her earlier. You could tell if she is old or not!” he scowled.

 Yoongi believed that was the way of Seul to get revenge on him. It never dawned on him that he would hear from Seul again. This thing with Seul was driving him up the wall. Just who on earth is Seul?

“Well…She doesn’t look that old. I can’t tell much since she is wearing a facemask. But, if she really is a sasaeng, why would she clean our place? Seriously hyung. You must have done something to upset her” Namjoon crossed his arms, looking alarmed.

Hoseok rubbed the back of his head “Maybe she is sick of cleaning your messy room” earning a deep glare from the older guy.

“Okay maybe not” Hoseok chickened away and immediately settled down beside Jimin.

His tummy was screaming for food at first now he’s slowly losing his appetite. Yoongi turned to leave others for a long bath, but only to come at halt “Yah, aren’t you going to eat?” said Jin.

“Nevermind. I am full. Go ahead and eat” he ditched the kids behind and headed straight to his room. Because after all there is no food for Min Yoongi. He grinded his teeth together.

Just wait, I will expose you for sure. Yoongi rolled his eyes.

This work belongs to  Chimswae © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

[uhgoodmoni]

Nothing That Lasts Forever

A BTS fanfiction

Trailer - ch1 - ch2 - ch3 - ch4- ch5 - ch6 - ch7 - ch8 - ch9

Ao3 link - Wattpad link - Soundtrack 

Warnings: Major Character Death, Blood, Demons, Fighting, Verbal and Physical Abuse, Mention of marijuana, Death, Cursing, Fire, Unintentional Self-harm, Gore. Yoongi’s injury

Chapter One: Otsukare 

Yoongi’s POV

I glance down at my phone, a new text from Hoba. ‘5 mins away :p’. I don’t bother responding but instead, give Jungkook a slight shove. His shoulder is digging into mine, dozing off on the couch. Drool comes from his lips to the cushion, luckily not my shirt sleeve. He barely lifts his head as I stand up, heading to the table where our things are packed. I roll my eyes looking over him slumped on the couch. I get it, I’m tired too, but he can rest in the car. 

“Hoseok will be here soon, you better not forget anything,” I lecture, and he nods his head. He isn’t listening and I know it. I shake my head, double-checking my bag for my charger.  I don’t want to forget it, even if I won’t be on my phone that often. Hobi’s charger has been lost and there wasn’t time to get a new one so he’ll want to borrow one of ours on the trip. I glance at my phone, at full charge and it will probably stay that way. 

“No no, I won’t,” he mumbles, groggy still. It is gonna be a long drive, so we had woken early, he’ll likely claim the back seat to crash in. I pout, knowing I won’t be able to rest my eyes. It’s better to drive with an extra pair of eyes on the road. I’m glad that Hoseok volunteered to drive in the first place. Jungkook had agreed to drive on the way home so maybe I can nap in the backseat then.

“Your charger?” I ask, grabbing the bag of food and placing it on the counter. Chips, bread, some soda, mostly sweets but Hobi is bringing the cooler with our sandwich makings. 

“Yeah it’s in there,” he mostly whispers. I shrug, won’t be my problem if he hasn’t packed it. He just won’t have a phone, no biggie since we are meant to be on holiday. Slinging the bag over my shoulder I take up my suitcase, heading to the door.

“Come on, why don’t you help me bring some stuff outside so we can just stick it in the trunk and go.” He gives a short hum as I head out. Whatever, I’ll just make him unpack everything when we get to the cabin. The door slams behind me as I walk down to the elevator. It takes me slowly to the lobby, but I head out the back where I know Hobi would be parking. The air is chill against my cheeks as I push myself out the door. The summer is just at its tail end, making the mornings and evenings quite chilly. Looking around for his car I hug my bag tighter. Hopefully, the weather will warm up for our trip. 

His car pulls in, stopping in the spot ahead of me. As he exits the vehicle, the trunk opens up. Stuffed inside is the cooler and his suitcase.

“Hi hi hiii,” He cheers, a huge grin spread across his face. He jogs over to me, taking the bag of food from my hands. “It’s a good day aye?” He hums, walking me back over to the car. 

“Yeah,” I grin, pulling up the suitcase into the trunk beside his, giving it a push to leave room for Jungkook’s. “Hoping for nicer weather.” I nod up to the cloudy sky, a blinding white, but the sun is still hiding.

“When we get there it’ll get warmer,” He assures, dropping the bag in, and pulling me in for a hug. “Where’s Jungkook?” He says, releasing me and shutting the trunk. 

“He probably fell back asleep upstairs,” I sigh as Hoseok leads the way back inside shrugging. 

With a cheeky smirk, he hops inside the elevator, “Can’t lie I almost fell asleep on the road.” And with my silence, he gives a chuckle.

My elbow finds his side, “Hey drink some coffee next time.” I sigh, “Oh, and don’t text and drive either.” I scold, crossing my arms. He makes a pop with his mouth ignoring what I said. “I’m being serious you could get killed,” I mutter as we walk into the hall back towards the room. 

“You’re right, I won't anymore.” He smiles, opening the door for me. I take a step in, Jungkook looming right over me. I bump into his bag just as he is coming out the door. 

“Ohp sorry Yoongi hyungie.” He laughs, eyes slightly swollen, but awake nevertheless, hair draped over his cheeks.

“You left nothing behind right?”

“Nope,” He shakes his head, “stop worrying so we can have fun,” He huffs. He’s lucky I know he’s teasing. 

“So we are ready to get on the road?” Hobi asks, leading the way back to the elevator. “Good Morning Jungkookie.” they squish right into a hug. “Are you excited?” Jungkook hums an answer, stepping in after him.  

“Where is it exactly that we are going anyway?” He questions, and I’m wondering the same thing.

“Gangwon Province, a little cabin that I rented for us in the woods,” He informs us. “I don't know, I just thought it would be nice for us three to get away for a little.” I nod, it is a good opportunity for us, this weekend we have no upcoming filmings or recordings to do. Namjoon is helping Jimin on his own solo album and Taehyung is going to be with his family. Not sure what Jin hyung’s reason for not attending is. 

“Yes yes, I’m glad that collab got pushed back till next week because I really wanted to join you guys,” Jungkook says, taking the first step out of the elevator as it reaches the lobby. 

I bud in, “I think it will make us think back to when we did In the Soop, don’t ya think?”

“Agreed,” Hobi starts, “I brought some canvas…” 

“Hey hey!” Jin calls out, running over from the stairs. He’s still in his RJ pajamas, hair strewn and eyes half-closed. I grin watching him hobble over to us. 

“Jinnie hyung?” Jungkook smiles, turning back to greet him. He must have come to say goodbye and send us off.  Jin squeezes Jungkook tight, muttering goodbyes. 

“You drive safe now.” He tells Hoseok after releasing him from an embrace. “I hope you all have fun together.” I smile, hugging him tightly as well. “Go fishing for me,” He beams at me, grabbing my ears.

“There aren't any fishing spots.” Hobi frowns.

“Sorry to disappoint,” I say, patting his back. 

“That's the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” He scoffs. “Who goes camping and doesn’t fish?” His lip curls up. “Well I only came down here this early to tell you to catch me a fish but I guess I did it for nothing.” 

“Pshhh,” Jungkook rolls his eyes, “Yeah right, you love us and came down to give us all kisses goodbye.” 

“Okay now seriously,” he points at each of us, “be safe, I’m tired and going back to sleep, text us when you get there.”

“Yes, yes, hyung. Don’t worry, got a full tank this morning,” Hobi smiles, giving Jin’s hand a squeeze before he walks away, sending a wave as he heads to the elevator. 

“Too bad he has a meeting on Saturday,” Hobi pouts, as we head out the back door once more. Jungkook squints his eyes as the cool breeze hits him. All of us rushed to get in the car and turn the heat on. I’m not so sure Hoseok is right about it warming up later. 

“Don’t worry,” he says, buckling his seatbelt, me next to him in the passenger like I had figured would happen. “There is full heating and air conditioning at the cabin, so if it stays cold we can just cuddle up indoors.” He turns, facing Jungkook, backing up, and exits the lot.

“That sounds really nice,” Jungkook mutters, leaning his head now covered in his hoodie against the window. I nod with a smile, turning up Hobi’s heat in the car. 

“No matter what I think this will be a healing weekend for us,” I assure, after all, we have been busy filming concepts and the new music video all week. We hadn’t gotten much time to relax but the three of us would at least be able to get some R&R together. Hobi has been especially stressed, he had a pain in his ankle and was trying to not get injured while we learned the new dance. Of course, he was still overexerting himself, but now I’m glad he’ll be able to rest. 

He got on the highway, it will be about an hour drive which isn’t that bad. Maybe another thirty minutes after, to get to our campsite. If it ends up being a bust I suppose we can just go home. 

Hobi had turned on the radio, humming along to what had come on. He’s been looking forward to this since he rented the cabin months ago. If I can help it this will be the best weekend ever.  

It’s been a quiet drive, Jungkook slept the entire ride, but he probably needs the rest. Hobi plays Otsukare as we get off the main road. Playing it from youtube it sounds awful, but I can’t stop myself from laughing. 

“Don’t, don’t.” I plead, shaking my head.

“It’s sope!” He calls, looking to me for a response. I laugh, tossing my eyes to the window. It’s too early for this. I glance at the clock, 9:15 and we haven't eaten breakfast. “We’re sope!” He continues singing.

“Okayyy, let’s go!” I mumble, crossing my arms as Hoseok breaks out into laughter. He continues singing as I hum along, embarrassed. It has been years since I heard this last. It would be fun to perform again with him. Maybe I’ll ask management.

Hoseok makes another turn, the trees taking over both sides of the road. There aren’t any other cars that turned along with us. It isn't a holiday weekend so we’ll likely be the only ones on vacation at this time. Not to mention the weather, it is the same as when we had left earlier. A white cloudy blanket over the whole sky, blocking out the sun but leaving the daylight to light the road. If you look deep into the trees though, there it would be dark. Hopefully, the cabin will be in a clearing so it will be lit up, then there would also be fewer bugs. I smirk, thinking about how Hobi will likely panic once we arrive, upon the amount of bugs. Hopefully, he brought bug spray. I made sure to have mosquito nets so there is that. 

“Pay attention,” He starts again! Hopping up in his chair, still keeping his eyes on the road. I don’t respond so he continues, “Okay, let's smile. It's human relations. There are mountains too” He raises eyebrows to me, turning a dial for the volume.

“There are valleys too,” I sing quietly, licking my lips and reaching for my water. 

“Well, that's just what life is” He grabs my hand, stopping me from reaching for the bottle. “But the earth rotates” He holds my hand back up to my face, making me roll my eyes.

“Your dream will surely come true.”

“You too,” Getting louder.

“Me too,” And louder, producing smiles. 

“Let's do our best, thank you!” We sing together, Hobi turning off onto a dirt road, making the whole car shutter.

“Ayooo, why are you sooo loud,” Jungkook moans, pressing his hands into his eyes. “It’s so early…” 

“Mhmh, not really anymore.” I turn back, patting his leg. “I’m sure we are almost there anyway. Right Hoba?” I flip back up to the front, where he is turning down the volume. Eyes confused, staring off, and slowing the car down to a crawl.

“Right,” He whispers, looking into his mirrors. 

“What's wrong?” Jungkook sits up, looking outside the windows. It’s getting dark under the trees, just the light coming from in between the road shining down on us. It’s deep emerald green, glowing at the treetops from the light attempting to penetrate. At the base of the tall trees though it is hard to see through, getting darker and darker the further you try to look. There aren't any paths on either side and no turn-offs. Is Hoseok lost? I look over to him, but he just stops the car completely. 

“Uh, I thought the turn was around here.” He pouts, pulling up his phone which has the GPS turned on. He sighs, “yeah see.” Flicking the phone in between Jungkook and I. There it is, the turn right in front of us. But there is no road and no sign that there ever has been. 

“The internet connection must be bad out here.” Jungkook bites his inner cheek, sliding down in his seat. “What’s the road called? Or like the company for renting?” 

Hoseok sets his phone in the cup holder, slowly releasing the brake and letting the car continue slowly forward. “It's just like a number marker and then we drive down further to reach a small clearing and hillside where the cabin will be.”

“What number?” I ask, sitting up in my chair. 

“Mhm, 189.” He mutters, mouth screwing up. We sit in silence for a while as he drives down the road. Looking at the clock it is 9:25. 

“It’s been ten minutes,” I announce, and Hobi only shakes his head. He’s getting annoyed. “Maybe we missed it?”

“We are going five miles an hour,” He huffs, squeezing the steering wheel. “Oh well, we could turn back around.” He shrugs, letting out a sigh, but I can tell he is still bothered. Must be stress weighing him down.

“Oh look!” Jungkook’s finger comes in between us, pointing forward to the right. Both our heads turn to look, but I can’t see a damn thing. 

“What where?”

He scoots closer to the center seat. “There there, low to the ground!” He hops up and down, and there it is. A few inches from the ground a small yellow reflective sign marked ‘189’.

“Oh thank goodness.” Hoseok speeds up, reaching the turn-off in no time. 

“Why is there just some random cabin marked ‘189’,” Jungkook complains, sorting through his things. “Where is 1-188” He huffs, making Hobi smile.

“Yeah it is kind of weird,” He responds, taking the turn. It’s a tight road, trees looming overhead and thus enclosing us in the dark. So much so that the car's headlights turn on automatically, the day becoming the evening. Here the road is even bumpier, grass grown in on the path. We all go silent, eyes training over the forest as if there is something in it. But it’s just trees. 

“Hobi where the hell have you booked us?” Jungkook laughs, peering out his window with a huge grin. These kinds of things excite him, exploring and whatnot. 

“You know, this is not what I was expecting. Even I have goosebumps.” Hoseok shivers. His face looks slightly disappointed. He isn’t a fan of spooky things so hopefully, the cabin is much more welcoming than the road to it. 

“It’s okay, you’ve seen the pictures of the cabin and it looked nice you said.” He nods to me, trying to pick up the pace of the car. Another ten minutes later and we are still driving straight down the road. The end not in sight, nor the exit behind us either. Hobi runs a hand through his hair, his whole face dropping into a frown in that familiar disgusted look. The road is so narrow that he won’t be able to turn around, so none of us say anything and he just keeps going. 

“This is really getting weird,” Hobi says, his voice shaky. “I can just back us out if you want.” 

“No, no, no.” I say, “this has to be the right spot.”

“I’m sure we are almost there,” Koo adds. So he does, a sigh of relief from us all as the road begins to widen and trees begin to clear. There is a little picket sign ahead marking that there is a cabin on the left. 

“Finally,” Hobi smiles, pulling around a wide circular clearing, a path to the right, and a short path leading to a small wooden cabin. He pulls around, parking the car in front of where we would be staying. Jungkook is getting giddy in the backseat, opening the door as soon as Hoseok puts us in park. I smile at Hobi who is already seeming a little more relaxed to be at our destination. 

We join Jungkook outside, the air still a bit nipply. Hopefully, neither of them has forgotten to pack warmer clothing. All of us are in hoodies and sweatpants as of right now. Jungkook left his things hopping around the clearing, which at the center is a fire pit and some chairs. The fire will warm us up if we want and would shoo away the bugs. Past that is the path, looking like it would lead up to another clearing and the hills Hobi had mentioned. All around us on the other sides are just trees. Without the clearing, it would be just as dark as the road in. Later tonight we’ll probably be too nervous to go outside to even light the fire. 

“Smores tomorrow?” Jungkook hums, coming back around to the trunk. 

“Let’s get unpacked first and then decide what we are going to do,” I say, taking out my suitcase and the bag of food. Jungkook scoffs, taking his own suitcase along with the cooler. 

“Yeah it’s too cold today, so tomorrow sounds good,” Hobi answers him. “And worst-case scenario we do it on the stove inside.” 

“There’s a stove?” He asks backward, as we head over to the door. 

Hobi gives a little laugh, “It’s a fully functional home. Despite what you would think driving up.” Making me smirk, “Even the door has a key code instead of physical keys.”

“Oh, so it's pretty new.” I nod, as he types in the code making it obvious for us both to see 456782. “Yeah definitely wouldn’t have guessed that.” I look back to the forest, closing in on us as we file in with our things. 

“Wow!” Jungkook’s voice brings me back inside, the lights flickering on in the small living room. 

“Oh yess.” I nod looking around. It’s well furnished, a couch and a tv, blankets, and pillows dotted all around the room. The kitchen to the left, all stainless steel appliances. There’s a hallway to the right, likely leading to the rooms. While it’s freezing, the thermostat is located next to us on the wall. Hobi immediately turns to it, flipping it up as much as he can shivering and exaggerating the cold.

“What a pad.” Jungkook grins, leading the way into the home. The hallway stops at a blank wall and then turns to the right and goes down, four doors, two on each side and a window at the end of the hall. “One floor?”

“One floor,” Hobi answers, turning into one of the rooms. “Oop,” He comes back out, “That's the bathroom,” he announces, heading to the next door across from him. I peer in, a double bed, looking cozy. Hobi turns back to us outside wagging his finger at us. “This one's mine!” Sticking his tongue out. We shrug, moving down to the next rooms. It isn’t fair really since Hobi had likely seen the images online. 

Jungkook took the next room, it was also a double bed, and I curse myself for letting him have it. There is likely a single person bed in the last room and I just knew it. And I was right. I open the door and there it is wrapped in a pink duvet. At least it looked warm and comfy. My room looks the most updated, and their room’s looking dated.

“Aww shit.” I hear Hoseok cry, making me peek my head out into the hall. He doesn’t continue. 

“Hoseok?” I call and it sounds like he had tossed something in the room. 

“I forgot a mosquito net.” He sighs, peering out his own door to see me. I grin, coming well prepared for this. He isn’t even forgetful but it’s always good to have an extra on hand. 

“I got one.” And so I got it for him. While the cabin warms itself we settle into our rooms, helping each other set up our nets. We pack up the fridge and make sure that everything is working properly. The tv doesn’t have any cable signal but there is a DVD player and some random DVD’s in the cabin. At least there will be plenty to do if we can't go outside. 

“I’m so glad we didn’t pull up on some creepy run-down haunted-looking building.” Hobi giggles, taking a seat on the couch. “I got a little nervous there.” He smiles crossing his legs. 

“A little? Pshh.” Jungkook teases, looking around, and finding his reflection in a beautiful gold framed mirror. I join Hobi, pulling out my phone. 

“Aye, none of that.” he makes a click with his tongue, pushing my phone down to my lap. I shake my head, lifting it back up.

“We told Jin that we would text the chat when we got here.” he nods, as I pull up the chat. “Made it safely!” Immediately it returns a failed message. I frown, seeing that there is absolutely not a pinch of service. 

“What’s the wifi?” I turn to Hobi who pulls out his phone as well. 

“Glamping189 is the name, 456782 is the code.” He reads off of a screenshot. But it isn’t there. In fact, there isn’t anything listed under the available networks at all. 

“Ah well, that’s shit.” I groan, turning to Jungkook who just shakes himself from staring at the mirror. Vain much? “Will you look around for a router?” He nods as I get up to help him search. There isn’t one, we search each and every corner but there isn’t one at all.

[7deadlycinderellas]

The Ghost of the Red Keep, ch7

AO3 Link

Arya spends her seven and tenth name day on the road along the Blackwater Rush.

It shouldn’t have taken them so long to reach the inn that Ned had directed them to just south of Riverrun, but the journey was slow and often complicated. They keep off the main road, avoiding villages if they can, and making camp at night. They couldn’t do anything to call attention to themselves, not when all of the information they can get out of King’s Landing is second hand.

They’re still not entirely sure if what they hear is true.

Arya spends much of the early days of their journey teaching Gendry the best way to stay on his horse. As a city boy, he is not suited to riding long term, and the bouncing in the saddle makes him surly and unpleasant.

Sometimes when it gets bad, Arya dismounts and rides with Mya instead, or sometimes even walks. She insists it’s to spare the poor horse having to carry their combined weight for too long.

Mya’s fun to talk to, so Arya pelts her with questions. She tells the both of them about how she grew up in the Vale, and before she’d been brought to King’s Landing she had led teams of mules up the treacherous rocky roads and paths.

“I do remember our father coming around when I was little, before he was the King,” she tells them, “Mother told me he came even after he lost interest in her. When Jon Arryn came to see me and invited me back to King’s Landing...I guess I just thought maybe I’d gotten lucky and he wanted me around again.”

It makes Arya sad, how little regard Robert had for any of his children.

“You lead mules? That’s pretty amazing,” Arya comments. Mya smiles shyly, petting her steed’s mane. With her short hair and trousers and confidence in the saddle, Arya feels her and Mya are going to be fast friends.

The package that Ned had given her was mostly clothes; smallclothes, a couple spare shirts, her extra breeches, a green wool kirtle she previously only wore when forced and her cloak. It’s only autumn still, but winter is creeping closer and while the Riverlands are far more mild than Winterfell, the snow will still fall.

Strangely enough, Arya finds herself enchanted by the look of the land around her. The trees here have turned, all colors of red and gold, and even the Blackwater Rush is clear and blue this far from the city.

Not that the journey is all pleasant.

Arya manages to sell her gown rather quickly. It’s not for a great sum of money, but enough in case of necessity. Which means that for most of the trip, they sleep outside if it’s dry, and Arya does her best to hunt for their dinner.

Admittedly, after chasing cats, squirells and rabbits are quite easy. Mya, it turns out, knows how to make a simple rope snare, so that works out well enough.

The nights are lonely. They sleep in shifts so there’s someone always keeping watch. When Arya was younger, she’d shared a bed with Sansa, to both of their consternation. Despite this, it had been strange to come to King’s Landing and have a whole bed to herself. Now she doesn’t even know where Sansa is.

Laying in the grass one night, Arya quietly admits,

“I’ve never been away from my family for this long before.”

Gendry starest off into the deep blue of the sky. There’s been a series of increasingly beautiful clear, sunny days, even as the temperature drops.

“I still don’t know how to handle the open space,” Gendry responds slowly, “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up back in that cellar.”

“Being above the stables wasn’t so bad,” Mya comments from the other side of the fire, “Until it was. I never realized how much I needed other people before until I was stuck in that hayloft not having seen a living person in three days.”

Arya will never let them go back there, not either of them.

It’s during one of these unusually clear, beautiful nights that Arya can’t resist the urge to kiss Gendry again. She just wants a little comfort in this uncertain time, and it seems he feels the same.

Gendry’s hands are winding their way through her hair, when suddenly Arya hears from the other side of the fire,

“If you’re gonna do that ‘stead of keepin’ watch, can’t you at least wait til I’m completely asleep?”

They break apart, embarrassed.

Over the next few days, Arya feels Mya watching her.

When she finally can’t take it, and asks her why she’s staring, Mya tells her,

“Just don’t hurt him okay?”

They’re gathering kindling for the fire, and Arya is so surprised by that that she actually drops her bundle.

“Wh-why would you think that I was going to do that?”

Mya’s face is stony, impassive.

“I had a boy back in the Vale. He was a squire. He said he would marry me when he became a knight proper. Then he did, and his parents made him a match with a highborn girl he’d never met, and I had to watch him marry her.”

Arya sits on the ground, holding the bundle of sticks on her lap. Thinking about this makes her insides ache.

“I’m sorry,” she tells Mya first, “That sounds awful. “

She pokes at the ground with a stick.

“That was always the future I thought I would have. And I didn’t want it, I didn’t want any of it. I didn’t like being proper, and I didn’t want to be a pawn for anyone’s game. I still don’t want any of that.”

Mya sits beside her.

“If I was a proper lady, I would have never met Gendry. Proper ladies don’t wander around in cellars chasing cats. And proper ladies don’t carry on entirely clandestine friendships with bastards, even kings bastards.”

“Friendships?” Mya asks with a raise of an eyebrow.

Arya laughs.

“It started like that. The kissing’s new.”

And some days, the kissing helps keep her from slipping down into despair.

Even the unusually beautiful days are marred by fear. Every twig breaking or distance rock falling makes Arya think they’re being chased by the Queen’s men. Or the king’s men, they’re Joffrey’s now, she supposes.

It’s the morning that Arya notices the horses are nervous. They’re just past Harrenhal when Arya quietly tells them,

“There’s something following us, but I don’t think it’s human.”

Mya’s eyes go wild.

“Do you think it’s a bear, or a shadowcat-’

Arya shakes her head softly.

“I don’t think it will hurt us. It’s been following us for a long time, but it hasn’t struck.”

Arya gets her answer two days down the line. She’s extinguishing the fire when there’s a rustling in the nearby bushes causing her to go stiff. Her hand reaches for Needle, when the huge, gray figure walks straight into the clearing as though she feared nothing.

“Nymeria?” Arya whispers breathlessly. The wolf, now the size of a small pony, went straight towards her, knelt, and rested her snout on Arya’s lap.

Arya’s rubbing her hands through Nymeria’s fur, when she realizes Mya and Gendry are both staring at her in horror. Gendry steps towards her, slowly, carefully, but Mya is still frozen.

“This is Nymeria,” she tells Mya, rubbing Nymeria’s ears and making her back paw thump.

Nymeria continues trailing them, not too close. Not close enough to be spotted by anyone else they wander across, not close enough to spook the horses. But at night, she keeps close. Close enough to help keep them warm as the temperature drops. Arya wonders if part of Nymeria think they’re pups.

Father must have let her out, let her leave the Godswood to follow them the night they fled. This is the thought that propels Arya through the next few days.

Then the rain starts.

Camping had been difficult enough as it was, with their minimal supplies, but they had made due, and between the three of them, they could survive, even if barely, off the land.

The rain stops all of this. Now they are cold and wet, instead of just tired and hungry and frightened. The heavy, freezing downpour soaks their clothes and bedding, extinguishes their fires, and sends most of the prey further into the woods. After less than half a day, Mya begins shivering heavily, and Arya wonders if maybe the poison had some lingering effect on her health after all.

They stay at the first inn they come by, the room costing one of their carefully hoarded coins.

The innkeeper pays them no mind and they try to warm up by the fire and eat their stew and bread. It’s been a long time since they’ve had a real proper, hot meal, Arya thought. It would be nice to sleep in a real bed again.

But it also means that they have to listen to the others in the inn. They’ve managed to avoid others, and they don’t know anyone here, what if Joffrey had spies...Arya sips her stew and tries to keep her head down.

Some of the men in the Inn have apparently come from King’s Landing, and they go on and on about the new boy king. Their words aren’t complimentary, even the ones about King Robert. Some say the queen killed the king and then herself, some say the king poisoned the queen and then drank the poison himself. A few insist that the new king obviously did in his own parents, the sadistic little shit. Arya just tries to ignore what they say. They don’t know if any of it is true.

Which becomes harder and harder when one of the men, a travelling merchant apparently, starts talking about the last execution he saw while in King’s Landing.

“One swing, and his head came clean off! Imagine that, one day you’re hand of the king, the next your head’s on a pike!”

Arya stomach upturns itself, her stew spilling itself back into her bowl.

“‘msorry, “ Gendry tells the innkeeper, helping Arya up and throwing an arm around her shoulder to help cover her face. “I think my sister must still be feeling the road. We’ll get out of your hair.”

Arya can’t even summon the energy to object to being called his sister.

The room they’ve been giving is tiny, with a single bed that looks like it’s about to split at the corners. Arya’s proud of herself that she manages to make it to the bed before collapsing into tears.

The featherbed shifts beneath them when Gendry sits beside her, and her head slumps into the crook of his neck as her tears continue to slip free and the hacking sobs force their way from her throat.

Gendry takes her hands in his and squeezes them. He’s been much more openly affectionate with her lately, though he still pulls back and says they shouldn’t sometimes, and right now Arya is incredibly grateful for it.

Part of Arya’s mind tries to convince herself that what that man said could not be true. That Ned had had a plan, he wouldn’t have been executed.

But she remembers how frightened and frantic his face had been the night they left. How tightly he had held her before letting go. He knew this was a risk.

That doesn’t stop the hole from opening up and sucking in what remained of her heart.

Arya’s sobs have slowed when the door opens softly, and Mya steps in to join them.

“‘M so sorry Arya,” she says, sitting on Arya’s other side.

“Your father was a good man,” Gendry assures her, “Most men in his position wouldn’t have given half a shit about us.”

After some time, Arya’s sobs finally cease, though the ache in her chest remains, and she suspects it will never leave.

“Mya,” she says into the silence, “Did those men down in the main room say anything about who’s Hand of the King now?”

There’s a pause, and Mya bites her lip before answering.

“I didn’t recognize them. Somebody named Baelish.”

Arya’s heart stops and her blood freezes. It’s all she can think about for the rest of the night, even crammed into the tiny bed between Gendry and Mya. She never liked Baelish, and had heard others call him duplicitious for years. It made too much sense. Play on the queen’s spitefulness and dissatisfaction, play on the king’s love of drink. Play on the prince’s sense of unfettered entitlement and desire to be unchallenged. All ending with him holding the power.

“I’ll kill him for this,” she whispers, unsure if Gendry’s still awake to hear. If Baelish still lives, he will die by my hand.”

They call him Littlefinger, and he is not a large man. Arya wonders how many jolli nuts she would have to shove down his throat to make him die right there. She wonders if Needle would be enough to cut through his skinny little neck.

Silence, and Arya assumes she was unheard, before Gendry’s voice responds, low and gravely.

“I think the best way you could get revenge would be to survive. Live through this and tell everyone. What your father wanted to do.”

He doesn’t say anything else, and his eyes are still squeezed shut, but he reaches out and pulls her to his chest. Arya breathes in deeply, letting his scent wash over her. Letting the warmth ease her mind, or at least attempt to.

The rain continues, but much more lightly, and so they leave.

In the days following their night at the inn, Arya still occasionally feels attacks of despair. She’s a girl now without a father. When she starts to slump and her breathing starts to stutter, Gendry will lean forwards and hug her tight to himself.

“I remember when my mum died,” he tells her, whispering into her neck, “I felt like I was all alone. I felt that way until my master took me in, and still sometimes after that. I would have probably fallen to that again in that cellar if I hadn’t met you.”

Arya’s heart begins to flutter. It’s been doing that a lot during very inappropriate times.

“You’re not alone though. Your mother and brothers are still alive, back in Winterfell. And you have us now.”

“You may be away from your family now,” Mya interjects from her horse, “The two of us can act as your family until you can get back to them.”

The closer they get to the Riverrun, the more Arya is stuck on this. Should she leave once they find Harwin? Should she try to go home to Winterfell? She misses her mother terribly, and Robb and Bran and Rickon will be there, and maybe Sansa even made it back somehow…

But she can’t leave Gendry and Mya. Father told them to take care of her, and so she has to do the same for them. She won’t be able to leave until she can be sure they’re safe.

That night, she rolls over and lays her hand on Gendry’s chest and her face on his shoulder. She doesn’t really want to leave them at all.

A few days later, Gendry presents her with a bouquet of half crushed wildflowers. Arya’s so shocked, she can’t even say thank you. She never once in her life thought that anyone would give her flowers. That seemed like something from one of Sansa’s stories, but it feels different here, somehow.

Mya sees her wandering aimlessly with them flowers clutched between her fingers and starts laughing.

“What?”

“Gendry asked me the other day what he should do if he had wanted to court you and you was just a regular bastard like us, not a highborn lady in exile.”

Arya looks down at her hands dubiously.

“And you told him to pick me flowers?”

Mya laughs again.

“Told him to give you a gift of some kind. There’s no forge here, so he can’t make you anything, and I don’t think he’s much of a hand at woodworking. He can’t even linger around offering to fix things for you. And he can’t impress you by hunting, you’re better than him anyway.”

Mya glances over to the end of the clearing, where Gendry’s remounted his horse, pointedly not looking in their direction.

“I think he’s worried you don’t like them,” then softer, “I think he wanted to find some way to make you feel better.”

Arya looks back down at the flowers in her hands, suddenly precious, if still silly. She tucks the stems into the end of her braid, and goes to join Gendry on his horse. She climbs in front of him, not saying a word, but lets her braid fall down her back, where she knows he can see it.

Mya can’t stop herself from laughing at them afterwards.

They find Harwin where Ned said they would, in a tavern south of Riverrun. Tavern might be the proper word, but from the number of pretty young women without much excess clothing, the main purpose is fairly clear, even to Arya.  

She barely recognizes him, his hair has begun to thin and he has grown a beard. His eyes light up seeing her, though she puts a finger to her lips to shush him.

She waits outside with the horses, eyes training through the tavern windows for Harwin to follow her.

“I’ll lead you three off tomorrow, it’s only a few days ride from here, and you’ll be safe. It’s an inn run by two sisters named Heddle. Their father’s passed on, and they’re protecting a group of orphaned children there. They could use the extra hands, and they won’t turn you in.”

Orphaned children, Arya sticks on, she still has a mother at least.

“Harwin-” she interrupts, “Is my father really dead?”

Harwin bows his head.

“I’m afraid so, child. I heard the day I reached the Riverlands. Took all I could not to ride back and get revenge myself. But he was my lord, and now I’m on my own. His ghost would come back and smite me if I didn’t keep you safe though.”

Harwin pauses a long time.

“Once we get you there, you must stay. It’s not just your father-”

Arya’s heart sinks again,

“His discoveries have found their way out of the capital. Your brother’s declared war over his execution, and Stannis and Renly will likely soon follow.”

War. This was what Ned was worried about. Joffrey on the throne, a bastard, but no way to prove it, Robert’s brothers at odds.

And Robb...and to think part of Arya had wanted to run straight for Winterfell. War. Would she lose him too?

Arya coughs to interrupt the conversation.

“I should go rescue my companions and tell them the plan.”

Rescue ends up being the appropriate word. When she re-enters the tavern, the little out of the way table Gendry and Mya are sitting has been joined by a girl with thick black curls who’s leaning a little too far over Gendry’s side.

Mya’s sipping her ale politely, but Gendry’s red as a beet and can’t seem to meet the woman’s eye. Arya starts to laugh as she sits down at the spare chair, and lays a possessive hand on Gendry’s wrist.

“Afraid we can’t spare the coin for your services, so you’d be best spending your energy elsewhere.”

The woman nods.

Arya cocks her head as the woman retreats. As soon as she is out of earshot Arya chuckles.

“Oh thank the gods,” Gendry mutters, still red in the face, “I was one inch away from claiming you were my wife and were right outside.”

Arya feels her ears turn pink.

“It’s good you don’t seem interested, she looked like she could have been one of your sisters too.”

“She said her name was Bella,” Mya interjects from the otherside of the table.

“We’ll add Bella to the list then. The lost bastards of House Baratheon.”

The three of them leave in the morning with Harwin riding ahead. The temperature has turned and every day gets colder and colder. Nymeria circles closer to them at night, and the wind turns. Every once and a while they have to ride further into the wood because other riders appear, and they don’t know who they are. They could be Tully men, but the Riverlands are too central. Lannisters could ride north, the kingsmen could have followed them west, and bandits are a problem across all the kingdoms.

Eventually the inn comes into view, a squat building in a clearing. There’s not much activity until they approach, but there is smoke coming from the chimney. When they dismount their horses, a young woman with brown hair and a long face comes through the door.

“Told you we can’t take any more orphans Harwin, we have enough of a time keeping track of this lot.”

After she says that, another girl, maybe Arya’s age, and looking much like she comes out too, flanked by a gaggle of children of many ages.

“One or two might be orphans true,” Harwin starts, “But they need far less looking after.”

The woman- Harwin had told them her name was Jeyne- looks them up and down.

"Are people looking for you?"

Arya nods softly.

"Do they know what you look like?"

The three of them exchange a glance, and Arya shrugs.

"Don't think so."

“What can you lot do for us?”

“I’m a smith,” Gendry speaks. “I can fix anything you might need, even if travelers don’t come by much.”

“And I can hunt,” Arya adds, “Could be useful at keeping the small ones fed.”

“We have two horses with us,” Mya says last, “And I’m good enough at fetching and carrying.”

Arya looks at Jeyne, pleadingly she hopes. Eventually, she sighs.

“Good enough,” she says, lips pressing into a line. “Come on in and get warm, you too Harwin.”

Harwin enters the inn first, the smell of hot stew on the fire enticing them away from the cold.

Arya reaches out to hold Gendry’s hand.

“Winter is coming,” she says, “In winter you shouldn’t say no to a hot meal and a bed.”

[jacksonroseroth]

Waste Love Chapter 6

A/N: I told you it would be up before the end of the year :P Sorry this took me so long, thanks for being patient! <3 I hope you guys like this chapter! Ch7 probably won’t be up until WELL after the new year, I’m aiming for before Feb...We’ll see. ENJOY!

Warnings: Arguments/fighting, swearing, weed usage

Words:4,834

Moodboard by the ever amazing and constant awesome person @badwolf-in-the-impala​, none of the pictures are ours

~

Previous Chapter

~

The next morning, with only Slim aware that something had happened in Colson’s room, everyone got up and got ready for their day off. Slim avoided Jersey as best he could without drawing attention to it. Jersey and Colson managed to miss each other the entire morning, until Jersey popped out of the bathroom as Colson reached for the handle, unaware it was occupied. When the door slid open, Colson stopped and jumped a little, giving a chuckle before he saw Jersey walk out. His smile dropped quickly as she looked up at him. While she was initially startled by him, she quickly realized she didn’t know how to feel or act toward him after the night before.

She was 100% crossed, but her high was stronger than her buzz, so she was able to remember everything from that night. She watched Colson’s face, trying to find how she should react, but when he didn’t miss a beat, it threw her off. He gave her a half-smile and said, “Jesus, Sav. We gotta put a bell on you.”

Jersey stepped out of the bathroom and Colson chuckled again before walking in and shutting the door. She stood there for a moment, a little stunned, chewing her lip trying to figure out how to approach him to talk to him about last night. She didn’t have to wonder long. The boys all gathered either outside the bus or up in front, leaving Jersey and Colson as the last two in the bunks. Jersey went to her bunk and tossed her dirty clothes into a bag, stuffing it back under her bunk, and grabbed a pair of sandals to slip them on. As she did, the bathroom door opened again and she turned.

“Hey. Colson. Wait up.” Jersey said, catching his arm, half using him as balance as she pulled on her other sandal. Colson turned, stopping when he felt her grip his arm. He glanced down at her hand, then over to her, taking her hand and holding her upright. “Thanks. Um...Can I talk to you?”

“About what? What happened?” He asked. The question made Jersey stop for a moment, studying him before she went on to say, “Um, about last night-”

“Oh. Yeah. Well, it didn’t mean anything, right?” Colson asked, with a shrug. Jersey blinked, her face rushing through a series of emotions as she struggled to force a smile and said, “R-Right. I-Yeah, I-I figured, but I wanted to...You know, talk to you to make sure...We...We were drunk…”

“Yeah. And high. We used protection…” He gave another shrug and said, “So, there’s nothing to talk about...Unless you’re worried about Rook?”

Inside, Jersey was screaming. While she had the conversation planned out in her head, what she would say if Colson did take that night to mean something, what her answer would have been in response, nothing was going to that plan. Not while Colson continued to be so nonchalant about it. But she was having the conversation, which is what she wanted in the first place. Taking a breath, she forced a wider smile and nodded, saying, “Yeah. I don’t want him to hear about it and flip out. You know? And it jeopardizes-”

“Hey, hey, hey.” Colson chuckled, holding up his hands for a moment. then touching her arm. “Savie, you don’t have to explain yourself. I get it. Rook would beat my ass if he found out. I’d probably lose a drummer, or I’d lose you as a photographer. Or both.”

A corner of his mouth lifted in a smile and he added, “I won’t tell Rook. Promise.” He held out his pinky to her and chuckled. Jersey couldn’t help but smile and link her pinky with his and said, “Promise.”

He smiled and kissed her cheek before passing her to walk off the bus, leaving Jersey to lean against her bunk, huffing out a soft sigh. She chewed her lip as her thoughts sorted themselves out before she finally pushed herself off and strode off the bus. Jersey knew she had to set it all aside, especially if Colson was going to. So she bounced off the bus and over to Rook, kissing his cheek and making him chuckle as he put his arm around her.

“Damn. You’re not hungover at all.” Rook teased her, giving her side a small squeeze. Jersey giggled and shrugged.

“You seem to forget my mother is Irish,” Jersey said in a sweet voice. The group laughed while Rook mocked her and rolled his eyes, soon smirking and chuckling along as well. Jersey giggled, softly, and glanced around as she scrunched her nose at them, then said, “So, what’s the plan today?”

“We’re gonna check out the venue. Uh, we got a few interviews for radio stations and shit.” Slim said, pulling out his phone to scroll through the schedule. Colson stepped in and added, “We should have some time to grab a bite somewhere and I think we’re going to a club tonight.”

“Hey, where were we gonna stop to get some green?” Rook asked, nudging Baze to nudge Slim.

“Uh, I found some places nearby. We’re gonna stop after the interviews I think.” Slim replied, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“Where’s this first place at, Slim?” Colson asked, turning to him. Slim pointed across the street and Colson smirked and nodded before they crossed the street.

~

The day blew by pretty quickly. Since Jersey wasn’t particularly needed for the interviews and easily moved around the stage while the guys checked out their set up, doing a quick soundcheck, she mainly spent the day hanging back with the guys and smoked steadily throughout the day, taking a few hits here and a few drinks there, as well. She was pleasantly high by the time they got back to the bus to get ready for the night.

Not wanting to be too dressed up, but at least look nice, Jersey wore a pair of black pants and sandals, accompanied by a maroon, puffy-sleeved crop top with a black strapless bra. She gave a little beach wave to her hair before lining her eyes in black, with a little mascara. As she clasped a necklace around her neck and tugged on a bracelet, she stopped, staring at the ring on her right hand and sighed. No one had seemed to mention it all day, but she caught Colson checking to see if she was wearing it more than once that day. She was utterly baffled by this man and his actions. While she knew the meaning of the ring, it was Colson’s meaning behind the gift that she questioned, especially after the last 24 hours. She ultimately decided to leave it, grabbed her clutch and shoved her phone and wallet into it before walking out to the front.

“Hey. Are we taking shots or what? What’s going on?” Jersey teased, bumping Slim’s hip lightly as he mixed a drink. He chuckled and glanced at her before making one for her.

“No shots right now. We’re waiting for, uh, Rook’s in the shower, Baze is outside smoking a cig...I think AJ’s on the phone, and Colson is getting dressed.” Slim said, quickly doing the math and adding a few extra names. Jersey giggled and leaned on the counter next to him and said, “So, we’re waiting on JP and Kells?”

“Glad nothing is changing?” Slim laughed. Jersey chuckled and took a sip of her drink. Both of them went silent, Jersey listening for anyone that could interrupt her conversation. When she decided it was quiet enough, she looked at Slim and said, “Slim, about last night--Don’t fucking cut me off. Everyone is doing that lately and it’s pissing me off.”

Slim snapped his mouth shut when Jersey gave him a fierce look. He gave her a small nod to continue, which she did. “I just…” She paused for a moment and sighed. “What exactly did you...See? Hear?”

“Listen. Jersey, I-I don’t know what’s going on with y’all--You’re one way with Colson...Then weird around Baze like you like him? And then you come out of Colson’s room--I-It’s more to do with Colson than you, babe. If I’m honest.” Slim said. Jersey blinked and tilted her head. At the gesture, Slim froze, suddenly realizing Colson still hadn’t said a damn thing to this girl about his feelings. Nevertheless, Jersey asked, “What do you mean? What’s going on with Colson? About me?”

“Nothing. Nothing, I only know that him and Rook are close. So...You know, I don’t want him to have made it seem like one way to you and then hurt you. I mean, you know Rook’s overprotective when it comes to you. Especially with us.” Slim gave a soft chuckle, trying to play it off. Jersey seemed to buy it but was still a little iffy about it. But she didn’t have time to pry as Baze and AJ climbed back onto the bus. Jersey glanced at them before burying her nose in her drink, turning around to grab a handful of Skittles and munch on them as she passed the boys, going to sit in the booth.

It was another 45 minutes before Rook was finally out, dressed and ready. They all took shots before they headed out and around the corner to the club. Jersey stuck by Rook, at least until they got into the club. Once they made it to their section, Rook and Slim invited some more people over and she began dancing with the girls. Jersey partied hard, mainly dancing and smoking, for a solid 2 hours. After leaving the girls about 2 songs in, she migrated over to Rook and Baze a number of times, dancing with them.

Colson glanced at them as he took another shot. She had made two rounds already, coming back to them after dancing and talking with AJ and Slim. He watched Jersey’s hand link with Baze’s, her other fingers hooking into his waistband, lightly. Baze smirked and moved a little closer with a smirk on his face. Colson finally looked away when he saw Jersey turn in his direction.

As quick as he turned his head, Jersey was still able to catch a glimpse of an annoyed look on his face as he looked away. Seeing it in her altered state flipped a switch and the annoyance that left her that morning now returned. She sighed and pulled away from Baze, stopping by Rook to tell him she needed some air, and as she crossed their section she cast a brief glare at Colson as she passed.

“Hey! Jersey!” Colson called after her. When she didn’t turn, Colson sighed and went after her.

Jersey burst out the front door of the club and gasped, inhaling the cool air and pushing a hand through her hair. She took a few steps then looked around to gather her senses. When she turned and began to walk back to the bus, she heard the doors burst open again and Colson calling her name, but she brushed it off.

“Jersey! Hey!” Colson called, hustling down the street and grabbing her arm, gently. “Jersey, what the fuck? You can’t just leave like that without someone with you!”

“Don’t touch me, Colson.” She said, calmly, pulling her arm away. Colson blinked and stopped in his tracks for a second before catching up with her again.

“Jersey, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Colson asked, following her onto the bus. Jersey turned on him, stumbling a little and said, “You’re the one with the problem, Colson. You said last night was nothing! I’ve seen you watching me all day! Then you get annoyed that I’m dancing with Baze?!”

“You’ve lost your fucking mind. Annoyed?”

“Don’t bullshit me, Colson! I know you! I know what you looked like when you’re annoyed!” She shook her head and said, “That’s not the point! You said last night meant nothing!”

“It. Didn’t! We were drunk! We were high! That’s all!” Colson shouted.

“That’s bullshit! It didn’t feel like it mean nothing!” And you’ve been avoided being near me all day!” Jersey shouted back. “In vino veritas, Colson! You’re more truthful when you’re drunk! Last night wasn’t nothing! You’ve never touched me like that before!”

Colson rushed at her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. His hand flew up to cup her cheek as his lips flew to hers, kissing her deeply. Jersey gasped when he grabbed her but then clung to him as she kissed him back. Colson walked her back until she hit the wall. Bracing both hands on the wall, Colson broke the kiss and stared down at her. Panting softly, Jersey slowly opened her eyes and blinked up at him, confused.

“It didn’t mean anything, Jersey. Just like this doesn’t.” He said, gently. “I love you, but...I-It’s not like that. I’m sorry if I made it seem different. Sometimes...I do stupid shit. I make mistakes...I never wanted to hurt you.”

Jersey bit her lip and inhaled sharply, trying to find her words. When she continued to struggle, Colson furrowed his brows in concern and asked, “Are we going to be okay? I don’t want things to change between us now.”

Jersey sniffled a little, trying not to get so emotional as she said, “Y-Yeah. We-We’ll be fine. We just can’t let that happen again.” Jersey looked up at him and lifted a hand to touch his cheek. Colson caught it and lightly kissed her fingers as he stepped away and dropped her hand.

“Good. Then we’ll be just fine.” He said. He cleared his throat and added, “Uh, I’m gonna go lay down. Um...Let the guys know when they get back for me?”

Colson didn’t wait to see her nod as he turned and headed back to his room. Jersey bit her lip and pushed a hand into her hair as she watched him walk away. A soft whimper escaped her lips and a stray tear trickled down her cheek. She sighed, softly, and sat on the couch, pulling out her phone to call Rosie.

~

Jersey didn’t have long to talk to her friend, at most the call was 45 minutes long. Once she heard familiar voices outside the bus, she quickly ended the call and went to her bunk to hide while her eyes cleared and the tears were wiped away. She was so torn and confused by everything and being drunk and high didn’t help with her emotions. She had the forethought to wipe her make up off before Rook came to check on her, not seeing her in the front but knowing that she had left, he was a little worried.

He was still drunk, so even seeing the closed bunk and as much as he tried and wanted to be a little gentler in case she was asleep, the knock was loud and sloppy as was his call of, “Jers? Babe, you okay? You asleep?”

Jersey sighed and rolled over, sliding the door open. “If I was, I’m not anymore.” She said, slipping out of the bunk. Rook chuckled and slid an arm around her as she leaned against him and sighed. Rook raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “Jers, are you sure you’re okay? Colson took off after you, did he say something? I’ll bust his door down now if he fucking made you cry.”

Jersey gave him a look and said, “Down, boy.” With a giggle, she added, “He didn’t do anything. I think I just got a little too drunk and not high enough.”

Rook sighed and pulled her closer as they walked down the hall and said, “In your feelings again? Shit, girl, you’re gonna drive yourself crazy doing that one day.”

In response, Jersey snorted and said, with a chuckle, “Why do you think I hang out with y’all? I’m already crazy.”

Rook laughed as they walked out to join the guys, who already had more drinks in their hands and passing around joints. Soon after Rook brought Jersey from her bunk, Colson emerged from his room, throwing himself into the commotion and craziness. Thankfully, none of the guys seemed to notice that Colson and Jersey kept their distance from each other the whole night. It was due, in part, to the fact that they still laughed and talked with each other, but they made sure they were apart from one another. The tension only existed between the two of them and neither wanted the rest to catch on and start asking questions. They were in the middle of a tour and Colson had a job to do, so did Jersey. One she wasn't going to risk jeopardizing because of a stupid one nightstand. Whatever the conversation was that needed to happen wasn’t about to happen on this tour. Both Jersey and Colson forced it aside and kept going for the sake of the band.

~

Over the next week and a half, Jersey took her time on her off days with her pictures. She didn’t miss going out with the boys much because the timing worked out so she was able to FaceTime with Rosie until they came back and the bus chugged onto the next location. When they all had a day break in between shows, Jersey was now content with splitting off from the group and exploring the cities they were in, with a bodyguard ever vigilant at her side. While Colson was concerned that she suddenly stopped doing things with them, he didn’t question her not wanting to risk another fight like they had in Zurich, but this time not alone. He made sure to keep in touch with whichever bodyguard went with her to make sure she was okay, if only for his sanity. That and the fact she almost never told Rook where she would be going and Colson needed his drummer in the right headspace.

Jersey got a small reprieve when Rosie showed up in Hamburg for the show, the pair taking the full next day to hang out, explore, and catch up on things. She stayed for the Copenhagen show, even though Jersey worked that night, but they savored every minute afterward before they had to part ways; Rosie heading back home as Jersey and the band headed out on a 12-hour boat ride to Oslo.

~

“What are you doing, Smirky?” Jersey walked up the stairs and found Rook curled up with his phone, smirking at the screen. She had a pretty good idea who, or what, was making him smile like that. Rosie and Rook had mysteriously disappeared for a good hour after the show in Denmark and, while they thought they had a minute alone, Jersey quickly hid herself when she walked onto the bus to fetch her friend and found Rook and Rosie in a passionate embrace. She stayed long enough to make sure it was Rosie, confirming it when she came up for air, then quickly high tailed it off the bus, snickering. “Come on, JP, show me what you and Rosie are talking about.” She teased, reaching for his phone.

“Fuck off!” Rook laughed, locking his phone and shoving it into his pocket.

“Oh, like I won’t go in there.” Jersey giggled. Rook looked at her and smirked. 

“How do you know I was talking to Rosie anyway?” Rook asked. Jersey rolled her eyes and said, “Because she stopped texting me mid-conversation. She doesn’t do that for just anyone.”

Though Rook tried to play it off and act cool, his cheeks tinted pink and his almost giddy smile didn’t waver from his lips. “We’re just talking, Jers, chill.” Rook chuckled, pulling his phone out again to continue texting. Jersey rolled her eyes and said, “Yeah. You can say that about my friends, but when it comes to your friends-”

“What about my friends?” Rook asked, his smirk suddenly wiped off his face. He watched his cousin closely as she glanced at him.

“Nothing. I’m just saying, you make a big deal about how they’d better not touch me.” Jersey said. She gave him a look and added, “Double standard much?”

Rook scoffed and said, “Please. Rosie won’t use me just because we’re on tour and then break my heart...They might.”

Jersey rolled her eyes and sighed, glancing away. She chewed her lip and tried to keep her anxiety from bubbling up as the events of her birthday ran through her mind. After a little too much silence, Rook looked up at her and said, “What? Has one of them done something? Who was it? Baze? Kells? I know it wasn’t AJ.”

“Oh, my God. Rookie. Chill out.” Jersey said, looking at him and chuckling. “No. They didn’t. They’ve been perfect gentlemen.”

“Sav, the minute-” Jersey stood, cutting him off, then said, “JP, calm your dick. If something had happened, don’t you think you’d have heard about it by now?”

Rook eyed her and said, “Yeah, I guess...Jersey, I just don’t want you getting hurt, babe. I don’t want to have to punch out one of my brothers.”

“Then calm your anger about it.” She giggled. She quickly reached over and ruffled his hair, shuffling away as he tried to swat at her. He watched her go back to the stairs and called, “Where are you going?”

“It’s a 12-hour ride, Rook. I’m getting some fucking sleep. This time change is fucking me up.” Jersey said with a giggle. She reached the top of the stairs then stopped, turning back to Rook to call, “When there’s food, come wake me up.”

“No promises!” Rook called back with a laugh, going back to his phone and his smirk returning to his face. Jersey held up her arm to flip him off as she walked back down the stairs and to her bunk.

Thankfully, Jersey was able to get a bunk to herself and didn’t share it with any of the guys. She made her way through the boat, running into Slim and AJ and talking for a bit, then finally collapsed on her bed with a sigh. She laid there for a moment before she groaned, the sudden reminding thought that she had to clean up her bunk an unwelcome intrusion, then pushed herself up and started packing her things away. Within the first 4 hours, she locked herself in her bunk as she went through the almost 3,000 pictures she had gotten from the previous show in Denmark. Three memory cards and two battery changes, Copenhagen was a hell of a show for her, resulting in a very restless 4 hours where Jersey had to force herself to sit and edit, with a few breaks every now and then. During those breaks, Jersey made a mental account of what clean clothes she had left and what needed to be washed when they reached Finland.

As she finished packing her clothes away, a knock sounded on her door. “Yeah?” She called, not turning until she had zipped up the last bag and the door opened. She smirked when she saw Baze walk in and shut the door with a smirk. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

Jersey turned back to her bags to pile them in the corner before turning to him again. When she did, Baze pulled her closer and kissed her slowly. Jersey giggled into the kiss, slowly sliding her arms around his neck as he slid around her waist. When Baze broke the kiss Jersey asked with a soft giggle, “What was that for?”

“I missed you,” Baze said before kissing her again then traveling down her neck. Jersey giggled and threaded a hand through his long hair.

“I thought we were gonna do our own thing?” Jersey asked softly. As much as Baze missed being with Jersey, she did as well. But the desire to not get caught by anyone, much less Rook, was stronger. Her lips twisted into a smirk as she added, “I’ve seen you with a few girls.”

Baze chuckled and stood straighter to look down at her as he said, “Yeah. But it didn’t go far.”

“Making out?” She teased. “You’re not that slick.”

Baze chuckled and shrugged. “I’ve seen you with a couple guys at the club.” he teased back. “Nothing panned out?”

Jersey rolled her eyes and snorted. “Ya. They were all natives that just wanted the experience of an American girl, as they put it.” She said. They both laughed then Baze kissed her again. Jersey kissed him back, but briefly. She soon pulled away and pushed at him gently as she giggled and said, “Stop it! Someone is gonna catch us and it will be our bad luck it’s Rook.”

“Nah, Rook’s glued to his phone somewhere. He hasn’t stopped texting whoever since we left Denmark.” Baze said. Jersey snickered and said, “It’s because he and Rosie became quite close.”

Baze laughed and said, “Seriously?! Ha! Well, it’s about time that kid settled down.”

“My thoughts,” Jersey said, pulling from his grasp. “But he does have a short attention span and I’d rather wait until after tour to do this?”

Jersey smirked as Baze let out a soft, disappointing groan and his hands slowly trailed along her waist before dropping as she moved away. “I know. I’m just used to finding time to be with you. I have needs you know.” He teased, looking her over with a smirk. Jersey snickered and said, “Needs you should have no problem taking care of yourself until we’re off tour, no?”

“Shit, that only lasts so long, baby.” Baze chuckled, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He nuzzled her neck as he added, “Thank God, this tour is almost over.”

Jersey turned to him and giggled, tugging at his collar to pull him closer for a final, deep kiss. With a soft whimper, Jersey pulled away and said, “Baby, the feeling is mutual. Trust me.”

Baze smirked and chanced another kiss before Jersey giggled and pushed him toward the door. “Go, Baze.” She giggled. Baze snickered and caught her hand, kissing the back of it before he smirked again and slipped out of her room. Jersey bit her lip and sighed as she climbed into her bunk and quickly fell asleep.

~

After what seemed like the rest of the 8-hour ride, Jersey was jolted awake by loud knocking at her door. She gasped and sat up, looking around to gather her bearings before she sighed, laying back down as she called, “Come in.”

The door cracked open and Jersey sat up again after she looked to see who poked in. “Colson. Hey. What’s up?” She asked, rather surprised. He gave her a soft smile and opened the door fully.

“Hey. Sorry, were you sleeping?” He asked. Jersey couldn’t help but yawn as she nodded and said, “I was. What’s up?”

Colson chuckled and said, “Sorry. Uh, there’s food if you’re hungry.”

Jersey sighed, happily, and smiled as she climbed out of her bunk. “Yes. Thank fuck.” She chuckled. She stretched and sighed, glancing out the window before she asked, “How much longer till we dock?”

“Uh--” Colson pulled out his phone, checking the time, then said, “About 7 more hours.”

Jersey groaned and said, “I was only asleep for an hour? Fucking kill me, please.” She whined, softly, before walking out with Colson, both of them heading back up the stairs. “Where’s Rook? He was supposed to get me if there was food...Ass.”

Both Jersey and Colson chuckled before Colson said, “Actually, he sent me down to get you. He said the same thing and asked if I’d find out where you were...He said you weren’t answering your phone.”

Jersey quickly patted herself down before she pulled out her phone and unlocked it. She snickered and said, “Oops. I have it on Do Not Disturb. I forgot-Hey, look! I’ve got missed calls and texts.”

“Gee. I wonder who they’re from?” Colson teased. Jersey chuckled and shoved her phone back into her pocket as they reached the kitchen where the rest of the band and crew sat, eating happily. Jersey smiled and skipped over to Rook’s table, checking in with him before grabbing her own plate. Colson sat with Slim and a few of their crew but didn’t really listen to their conversation. He was in his own thoughts as he watched, what seemed like the table, but his eyes were on Jersey.

Ever since Germany, he waged a war inside himself. He didn’t want to anger Rook by pursuing her, though Rook would probably have his balls once he found out about Cologne, but over the last three weeks he came to a frightening realization; He was, and had been, in love with Jersey since they first started really hanging out together, 3 years ago.

~

Next Chapter

~

Hope you guys liked it. If you want to be added to my taglist for this and/or future MGK/Colson stories, let me know! If you have any comments, feel free!

@badwolf-in-the-impala​​​ @lovemythsworld​​​ @kellsfanficalltogether​​​ @mgkobsessed​​ @sparxx27​ @youbelongeverywhere @delibervtion @cicipenguin91​

[starker-stories]

An Accord (WIS), Chapter 1

I’ll be re-creating my individual chapter posts for An Accord over here on the blog that replaces starkerstories. Until I hit the current chapter, I’ll be posting daily. They’ll have links to both tumblr and AO3 chapter links. I’m sorry if that bothers people who’ve seen this all before in the tag. I’m content to leave all my other fic as AO3 only, but this is my current favorite child, so I’m spoiling it rotten.

This fic is on a weekly update schedule. Hopefully every Friday. More chapters may appear sooner if the writing is going well. Because I have 0 self-control.

For those of you awaiting chapter 10... Have a nice little re-read while the author recovers from losing all his blogs and a short hospital stay. I’m fine now. I’m back to writing. Me and thestarkerisobvious are getting the next book of Messages ready to go for Sunday Feb 23rd. Then it’s back to working on Accord Ch10 for me.

Tumblr Chapter Links: ch1, ch2, ch3, ch4, ch5, ch6, ch7, ch8, ch9, ch10, ch11, ch12, ch13 AO3 Chapter Links: ch1, ch2, ch3, ch4, ch5, ch6, ch7, ch8, ch9, ch10, ch11, ch12, ch13

Because this is for the MCU Kink Bingo, my usual posting format is different for this first chapter.

Title: An Accord Link: AO3 Square Filled: Clothed Sex (begins in ch6) Ship: WinterIronSpider Rating: E Major Tags: Underage Word Count: full fic will be approx. 35k Created for: @mcukinkbingo​​ Fic Summary:  “That’s the thing about forgiveness, Sergeant Barnes,” Peter said, putting a light kiss on Tony’s temple. “It’s given, not earned.”

Additional Tags: Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Polyamory Negotiations, Polyamory, Cheating, Past Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Domestic Nightmare Tony Stark, Reconciliation, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, WinterIronSpider, Happy Ending, Clothed Sex, Domesticity, Peter Parker is legal age in the state of New York, College Student Peter Parker, Takes place about 2 years after Civil War. Closeted Character

Summary:  “You got a spare room up there, Stark? There isn’t room for me, Steve, and his self-righteousness in his bed.”  ——————————————————————————————

Chapter 1:  A Pretty Piece of Tail

“Let FRIDAY answer it,” Peter said muzzily, curling up tighter into Tony’s side. But Tony’s side wasn’t there anymore.

Tony was already half out of the bed. “That’s the penthouse buzzer, babe.”

“I know what it is. Come back to bed.”

“Yeah?” Tony said loudly as he pulled on his dressing gown. “Who is it?” FRIDAY relayed his voice down through the intercom.

“You got a spare room up there, Stark? There isn’t room for me, Steve, and his self-righteousness in his bed.”

“Barnes‽” Tony’s eyes went wide. He tried to stifle a giggle and failed.

“Stark?” Bucky sounded unsure, given the sound he just heard.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s me. Let him up, Fri.”

“No,” Peter said, stumbling out of the bedroom, his sleep pants only half pulled on straight, one hip bone jutting prominently out of the waistband. “No late night Avengers, Tony. I am not pretending to sleep in the guest room again.”

Tony caught Peter around the waist and settled him into his lap on the sofa. “I promised you that would never happen again. It’s not an Avenger, it’s Barnes.”

“What‽” Peter nearly jumped off of Tony’s lap, but Tony held him there.

“Let’s hear him out. This sounds good.”

The elevator disgorged Barnes with his standard Army issue (circa 1945, courtesy of the surplus store, circa 2018) duffel slung over his shoulder. He took in the scene on the sofa and shrugged, dropping his pack.

“So?” Tony asked. “It had to be pretty good to think you’d be more welcome here than there.”

Bucky flung himself into a chair that was at an angle to the sofa. “Might as well try here. Can’t get any colder than over there.”

“I thought you and Captain Rogers were…” Peter started.

“Were.”

“What the hell happened? He damn near killed me in your defense,” Tony said, a little more bitterly than he’d intended.

“Yeah, well, sorry. Information was kinda light on the ground back then and I’d only been me for a little while.”

“Wakanda get rid of the other guy?” Tony asked skeptically.

Bucky nodded. “I wouldn’t have left otherwise. I won’t put anyone in danger,” he said quietly.

“But you and Cap…” Peter tried to ask again.

“Found out that the ‘end of the line’ is the dotted line on which I signed the Accords yesterday afternoon.”

“Where is he, are they, were you, whatever,” Tony said with an eyeroll.

“Not here,” Bucky said. “If you taking me in is reliant on me telling you where they are…”

“Sit your ass back down,” Tony said. “I honestly couldn’t give a fuck where they are. I just want to make sure they’re not anywhere around here thinking about starting shit up again.”

“Sorry,” Bucky said again. “That was all my fault.”

“Yeah, no. You’re a pretty piece of tail…”

Peter leaned back and looked at Tony’s face with shock at both the assessment and the term.

Tony ignored him, well, almost ignored him. A little smirk might’ve crept out. “…and I can see why Steve chased you down, but Steve refused to sign before he knew where you were.”

“The ‘tail’ isn’t pretty enough apparently,” Bucky said. “I thought the reason you guys fell out was over me.”

“Nope. You’re the reason I won’t take him back into the fold.” Tony shrugged. “That’s not it, either. You…” Tony breathed in slowly, deeply, and his eyes closed a moment. Peter’s hand slipped around his shoulder and rubbed small circles at the base of his neck. After a moment, Tony opened his eyes. “You weren’t you. Cap? He has no excuse for lying to me.” He ran his hand over Peter’s thigh, soothing himself with the soft fabric and the solidness of the boy he loved underneath it. “You get to walk through that door and be heard. He doesn’t.”

“Thank you,” Bucky said. “I don’t deserve it.”

“That’s the thing about forgiveness, Sergeant Barnes,” Peter said, putting a light kiss on Tony’s temple. “It’s given, not earned.”

“Listen to the teenager who thinks he’s wiser than the old men in the room,” Tony said, smiling, teasing.

“Yes, listen to the teenager in the room who knows he’s wiser than the old men in the room. God!” Peter rolled his eyes.

Bucky chuckled. “He looks like you when he does that.”

“I do not!”

Tony laughed. “Yes you do. I told you you did. Now we have outside confirmation! So there!”

Peter ducked his head. “You don’t disapprove?”

“Of you and Stark?” Bucky asked. Peter nodded. “First, it’s not my life. I don’t get to approve or disapprove. Second, I’d be a fuckin’ hypocrite if I said anything about a kid getting his first experiences with someone older,” he added with a knowing wink.

“Oh my god! It’s not like that!” Peter said.

“It’s not? Oh. Sorry.” Bucky shrugged. “It was for me and Mrs. Goldstein in 23A. Lasted about three months until she said I was getting ‘clingy’.” He grinned. “Long enough for me to learn what I needed to. But she wasn’t quite as old as he is. And she still had her looks.”

Peter looked worried that Tony might take offense. He seemed to be considering it. But then he laughed. “Oh god, I bet Rogers loves your sense of humor.”

“A long, long time ago he did. Lost that fondness even before he went into the ice,” Bucky said, a little sadly.

“More wisdom from the teenager?” Peter offered. “Like I tell Tony. Going back never works. Only forward.”

“You gave me something to go forward to, baby,” Tony said, squeezing his arm around Peter’s waist. “But the kid’s right. Even if he hadn’t been there, it would’ve been nothing but bad news if I’d chased after Pepper yet again.” He sighed. “Letting go is hard, when someone’s become a habit.”

Bucky nodded. “It’s… I didn’t think it would be the same. It wasn’t even the same when it was. But… he’s,” Bucky sighed, “changed.”

“Look, it’s late. I don’t know where you came in from, but it’s late here and if you’re jetlagged, you need to get on East Coast time.” Tony kissed Peter on the cheek. “Let me get Barnes settled and I’ll be in in a few.”

“Okay Tony.” Peter turned to Bucky. “I’m glad you’re not upset about us.”

“No problem kid.”

“Ugh, another one to call me that,” Peter muttered as he padded off to Tony’s bedroom.

~~~~~

“Thanks for the room, Stark,” Bucky said when Tony showed him to the largest of the guest rooms.

“You’re going to be sharing a roof with me, it’s Tony.”

“Bucky,” he said, reaching out to shake Tony’s hand.

Tony took it. “You grandfathers with your odd rituals,” he laughed.

“Go fuck your child bride, Tony. I’m tired.” Bucky said grinning as he shut the door.

~~~~~

“Who would’ve thought?” Peter asked when Tony slid back under the covers with him.

“That Rogers would be unlivable with?” Tony raised his hand.

“Yeah, but Cap tore everything apart for him!”

“That’s a nice love story, babe, but Rogers tore everything apart for himself. Every single thing he did since…” Tony shook his head and gave a half-shrug. “Ever, has been for no one but himself.” He scoffed. “And he calls me a walking ego. Who’s stuck around to hold together Fury’s boy band with string and bailing wire while Rogers fucks off to god only knows where?” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. It’s too late to fight the aftermath of Cap’s latest disaster. C’mere.” He smiled at Peter and held his arms wide.

~~~~~

“Dear god, pretty, you cook!” Tony said, stumbling out of the bedroom in nothing but boxers, scrubbing at his face. “Don’t touch the coffee!”

Tony ran to close the distance and grabbed the bag of beans out of Bucky’s hand. He ground them and started a pot of drip brewing. That was for Peter. Who no matter how hard Tony tried, was still a philistine when it came to coffee. Then he dug the good stuff out of the cabinet and started making his espresso. “Good coffee’s a little more difficult than boiling grounds with eggshells, pretty.” Peter emerged from the hallway, almost sleepwalking. “Mornin’ beautiful,” Tony said, planting a kiss on the top of Peter’s rumpled curls.

“You didn’t cook,” Peter said to Tony. He sniffed the air, his eyes still mostly unopened, as he sat at the counter.

“That would be me,” Bucky said, putting a plate in front of Peter at the kitchen stool.

“Are you complaining about my culinary expertise?” Tony said, miffed.

“Not at all, Tony. I’m sure you and May will open your own restaurant any day now.

“Shut up and drink your coffee flavored milk syrup.” Tony sat a mug in front of Peter.

Peter opened one eye fully and looked back and forth between the two men. “One to feed me food, one to feed me caffeine… I could grow to like this arrangement,” he said teasingly.

“There isn’t enough coffee in that to count as caffeine,” Tony said as he prepared his second espresso shot of the morning. “Want some?” he asked, taking a second cup of the shelf and putting it under the spout next to his.

“Italian coffee? Yes please.”

Food and drink arranged, the three of them spread out at the counter. Peter on one side of Tony, Bucky on the other.

Peter finished first. He put his plate in the sink. “He cooks, he can stay.”

Tony got up, glared at Peter as he very pointedly put his plate in the dishwasher. “He cooks like that every day, he can’t stay. I have a heart condition. That much bacon will kill me.”

Peter laughed and grabbed another piece. “I have no idea how long spiders live, so I’ll eat all of yours.” He stopped suddenly. “Oh fuck.”

“Spider’s out of the bag now, kid,” Tony said.

“You didn’t hear that, right?” Peter asked, ducking his head.

Bucky got up and added his plate to the sink, earning himself a glare that matched the one Tony gave Peter. “Hear what? That you’re Spider-Man? Been knowing that, kid. All the rogues do.”

“Oh god,” Peter said in a small voice.

“It’s okay, Pete,” Tony said, putting his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “They’re off the reservation, but they’re still Avengers. No one will tell.”

“Tony’s right. Your secret’s safe.”

“I’ve got class until four thirty today. It’s the stupid senior requirement for my early entrant program.”

“I’m sorry, kid. I got you into Columbia early. Got you into 200s in chemistry, but the state of New York requirements, those I couldn’t get you out of.”

“It’s okay, Tony,” Peter said, giving the man a kiss. “I just get bored.”

Tony turned back to the kitchen once the elevator door shut behind Peter. “Does no one know how to wash a dish in this place?”

Bucky plopped on the sofa. “I cooked, someone else cleans.”

Tony flung a dishcloth at his head. Bucky flung it back and Tony loaded the dishwasher. “So, you wanna tell me what happened?” he asked.

Bucky sighed and turned sideways, looking over the back of the sofa into the kitchen. “There’s dissension in the ranks of the rogues. Ever since Vision took up with Wanda. And no, I won’t tell you where they are.”

“Didn’t ask.”

“They’re leaning toward coming in and signing. Natalia too. Barton’s missing and presumed back with his family thanks to Fury. So that left Scott, Sam, Steve, and me. Scott’s taking the government’s deal of house arrest so he can be with his daughter. Steve thought he had me and Sam solidly behind him still. I signed yesterday afternoon with stipulations.”

“What stipulations?” Tony asked, sitting at the other end of the sofa.

“Better than I deserved.”

“What were they?”

“Regular psych evals, check-ins, and clearing by the doctors in Wakanda.”

“And?”

Bucky winced. “A full debrief by Ross.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I said — no.”

“It was part of the agreement I signed,” Bucky explained.

“And, I said, no,” Tony repeated. “If you’re brought in as an Avenger your debrief can be handled by Fury. I can track his secrets. Everett Ross? I can track him, but he’s a fuckin’ weasel. Fury’s an honorable man. Mostly. What’s in that pretty head,” Tony pointed at Bucky, “does not go any farther than Avengers HQ.”

“I signed, Tony.”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t be debriefed, I’m just proposing an amendment as to who should do the debriefing.” He stood and patted Bucky’s metal arm. “And by ‘proposing’, I mean ‘demanding’.” He took out his phone and headed back to his room.

Bucky followed. “I didn’t try to hide when I came here. They’ll come to get me.”

Tony scoffed. “Let them try.”

Bucky looked about to object again.

Tony stopped him. “Do you know what I used to make for a living?” Bucky nodded. “And what opened up about three hundred feet above us?” Another nod. “Do you really think I would park this ass, of which I am inordinately fond, in just another shiny New York skyscraper?” Bucky’s eyes widened. “Let. Them. Try.” Tony smiled as he went to shut his bedroom door. “Go watch a movie or two. This might take awhile.”

[awkwardnessandbaseball]

So, now that we’re here, at the second to last chapter, I thought it might be time to let you know that there will be a companion piece! I’ve written a few key scenes from Killian’s POV to be posted after this story is complete! YAY!!!!!!

Once again, so many thanks to: @cspupstravaganza, @sherlockianwhovian, @lassluna

Tag list: @quirkykayleetam, @squidvisious, @carpedzem, @kmomof4, @revanmeetra87, @capnjay21

AO3 if that’s your jam: Prologue | Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7

I’d Pick You (and Your Little Dog, Too)

A Captain Swan Pupstravaganza Story

Summary: According to everyone in the known universe, Emma Nolan’s dog is supposed to lead her to her soulmate. But she’s not even sure if she wants that. Soulmates are pretty idealistic, don’t you think?

Chapter Six:

Emma isn’t surprised when David walks into the station starry-eyed on a Thursday in the spring. She knows he proposed to Mary Margaret the night before, and Emma knows -- knew before David even bought the ring -- the answer was yes.

There’s never been any question for the two of them. David knew before Mary Margaret even adopted Charming. He knew that the fourth grade teacher at Storybrooke Elementary with the big eyes and the bigger heart was it for him. She made his heart stutter and his mouth run dry before she even said a single word to him.

Emma’s happy for David, truly. She’s long since forgotten her fears about heartbreak when it comes to her brother and his soulmate. She is not, however, excited about what comes out of his mouth after he tells her the news.

“She wants you to be her maid of honor.”

“What?!” Emma winces at the high pitch of her voice. “I’m… I barely… why?”

David smirks at her. It’s the same face he made when he had to spell out the fact that Killian should move in with her. Smug bastard.

“Mary Margaret doesn’t know a lot of people here, you know. And you’re also her brother’s soulmate. And her soulmate’s sister.” He’s started ticking off reasons on his fingers. He raises a fourth finger, opening his mouth, but Emma stops him.

“Okay, okay, fine. I get it. It’s just… maid of honor?” Emma drops her head into her hands. “That means planning stuff like a bridal shower and a bachelorette party, doesn’t it? That’s a lot. I barely know the woman myself, I don’t even--”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about any of that.” David’s smirk morphs into a full-on smile. “We’re getting married in two weeks.”

“What?!” Emma screeches again.

“We don’t want to wait anymore! We just want to… be married.” David’s gone wistful now, surely imagining lots of little Nolan babies running around their little loft apartment.

“How are you planning to put together an entire ceremony in two weeks?” Emma crosses her arms over her chest, eyebrows nearly into her hairline now.

“We’re going to City Hall,” David says with a shrug.

Emma’s still skeptical.

“I don’t know her very well, but Mary Margaret seems the type to want a big wedding, with all of her family, and lots and lots of flowers.”

David rolls his eyes.

“Yes, you’re right. But we just want to be married now. We can have another ceremony later with all of that stuff.”

“So now I have to be Maid of Honor twice?”

“Yes.” David’s firm answer leaves no more room for complaints. This is important to him, clearly. He doesn’t ask Emma for much, and really, this isn’t even an imposition. She loves Mary Margaret, loves her for David especially. She’s just never really had a friend close enough to warrant a bridesmaid conversation, nevermind Maid of Honor.

Besides, most of her friends haven’t even bothered to tie the knot. They’re just… together.

"If it helps," David adds, "Killian's my best man."

“Fine,” Emma agrees with an eyeroll, but there’s a smile on her face, too.

****

For only having two weeks to plan what Emma has begun thinking of as The Wedding of the Century, David and Mary Margaret have done a lovely job. Mary Margaret found a beautiful, if simple, white dress that also came in light blue, so she bought the matching one for Emma to wear. She’s got a small bouquet of silk hydrangeas, the color almost identical to Emma’s dress. There’s a matching flower tucked into David’s tux.

Charming and Rascal wear collars of the same blue, and they’ve somehow finagled flower crowns onto Princess and Procella. It’s all very cute, and it makes Emma just a little bit sick, but also warms her heart just a tad.

And Killian.

Emma had suspected that her boyfriend would clean up nicely. She’d asked him not to shave -- loves his scruff too much -- and he’s listened. His own boutonnière brings out the color in his eyes, making them shine even more brightly than normal. And when they meet Emma’s from across the makeshift aisle at City Hall, they darken just a bit.

He watches her, intently, throughout the entire ceremony. And she watches him watching her. She’s overly self-conscious, but not enough to control her surprisingly emotional reactions. She bites her lip while David says his vows, a mixture of pride and something else she can’t quite name. And when the officiant instructs David and Mary Margaret to kiss for the first time as a couple, a couple of tears fall.

She’ll deny it later, but they’d hired a photographer, so she knows there’s proof.

Damn.

They invite all of their friends to a small reception at Granny’s. She’s cleared out all of the center tables and given them full control of the jukebox. David plays about fifteen slow songs in a row, and normally Emma would be griping, but… it’s so hard to complain about anything when Killian’s holding her with one arm around her waist, his prosthetic hand lingering at the small of her back. She glances towards her brother, who hasn’t stopped staring at his wife since the officiant announced her as such. Killian squeezes her hand, bringing her attention back to his face.

“I wanted to give you something,” he says, looking unsure for the first time all day. “Can we step outside?”

Emma worries for a moment, unsure of what he could possibly have to give her and why he looks so concerned, but she follows him regardless. It’s chilly outside, now that night has fallen, and he drapes his leather jacket around her shoulders.

“Emma, I don’t think it’s any secret that we’re meant to be, right?” He glances at her, still wary, even after all this time, that she’ll deny the fact that they’re soulmates. She nods, unsure where this is going. “It’s just… we never talk about it, and that’s fine. But today, watching David and Mary Margaret get married and take that next step, it sort of got me thinking.” There’s the ear scratch Emma has been waiting for. He reaches into his pocket, and her eyes bug out of her head.

“Killian, I don’t--”

“Calm down, Swan, I’m not proposing.”

The nickname calms her down more than the words. Ever since he’d learned her mother’s maiden name, Swan, he’s taken to referring to her as such, claiming it ‘suits her’ more than Nolan, and that it has more of a ring to it. She doesn’t care why he uses the name, but she does love the way it rolls off his tongue.

Love.

She’s been thinking the word more frequently recently, in relation to Killian. It’s never I love you, but rather that she loves some part of him, some habit of his. She doesn’t love him, not yet.

Does she?

Does he?

“This was my brother’s ring,” he’s saying now, pulling a large ring out of his pocket. It’s on a chain, one that’s clearly well-worn, far from the shiny silver she suspects it once was. “And I’d like you to have it.” He finally meets her eyes.

“Your brother… are you sure?” Emma reaches out hesitantly, touching the worn edges of the ring. It feels heavy, but not in weight.

“Aye, I am. I… I love you, Emma. And this is the best way I can think to express that.”

“I love you, too.”

She does. She’s sure of it as soon as the words leave her lips. Of course, then Killian is kissing her and they’re both laughing because it’s such a simple thing -- just a few words, really -- but it’s as though they’ve been dancing on eggshells without realizing it, and as soon as they admit the truth about their feelings, the floor turns back into concrete and they’ve found their footing again.

She loves Killian Jones, and she’s going to wear his brother’s ring around her neck for the rest of her God damned life if that makes him happy.

A low whine comes from near their feet, where Rascal and Procella would apparently like some attention, please.

“Ah, I almost forgot,” Killian says as he reaches into his pocket again. Instead of another ring, he pulls out a plastic bag with two cookies. One is shaped like a ship, the other a hook. He hands the ship to Procella and the hook to Rascal. Both dogs run to lay together under a table. They share both cookies.

Killian wraps an arm around Emma’s shoulders and they watch their dogs together. It’s strange to Emma, still, that Rascal knew Procella was meant to be a part of their lives even before that beautiful little stray golden retriever chose Killian. The order of events is all sorts of backwards, but it doesn’t matter, not really. Because they’re here now. She reaches up and holds the ring steady against her chest.

******

“Hey, where have you been?” Emma asks Killian a few weeks later. He’s punctual by design, always arriving home between 5:15 and 5:30, but it’s nearly 7.

“Hmm?” He looks up at her, as though he hadn’t expected her to be home. “Oh. Work ran late. Nothing to fret over.” He finishes untying and removing his boots before stepping into the kitchen and kissing her on the cheek.

“I ordered pizza, it’s in the fridge,” she tells him. He’s acting nervous, or secretive, or some other adjective that has a negative connotation when using it to describe your normally open and honest boyfriend.

“Thanks, Swan.” He reaches in and grabs a couple of slices and gets to work wrapping them in foil and heating up the oven.

“What’s wrong with you?” Emma asks.

He finally stops moving, turns to face her.

“What do you mean?” He tries to keep his face even, she can tell, but his jaw twitches and a blush rises from his chest up to his neck. His eyes are staring just past her head, as though he thinks she won't notice.

“You’re keeping something from me, Killian. You never get home late, especially without calling. And now you won’t even look at me.”

Rascal has joined her, sitting just behind her feet and staring at Killian, matching Emma’s intensity. Killian glances between the two of them, tension obvious in the set of his shoulders. Finally, he rolls his eyes.

“You two are impossible. Come on, then.” He reaches over to turn the oven off and then slides his sneakers onto his feet. Emma stays glued to her spot in the kitchen, entirely unsure of what’s happening. “Are you coming or not?”

“Coming where?” Emma asks, but she moves towards the door and pulls her sneakers onto her feet as well.

“Can you just… trust me? Please?” He holds his hand out to her, one eyebrow raised.

She takes it, and he leads her out the door, Rascal and Procella right behind them as they climb into the car.

--

“Why are we here?” Emma asks, slowly extracting herself from the passenger’s seat. They’re at the docks. She comes here sometimes, though not as much in the last year or so, when she needs to think or clear her head. Ever since she’d run away as a kid and ended up here, the water has tended to calm her down when she needs it most.

Killian doesn’t answer right away. He’s watching her face, like he’s memorizing it. It’s nearly dark out, the summer sun setting behind them as they face the open water.

“I came here a lot, when I first moved to Storybrooke,” he says finally. This is news to Emma, although she’s never shared her feelings about the water with anyone but David, so she can’t fault him for keeping this to himself. That said, it still doesn’t explain his strange behavior, or what they’re doing here together right now. “The water calms me down when my mind won’t stop moving. So I came here. The very first time, I saw you.”

This gets Emma’s attention. She’d thought, all this time, that the first time they’d seen each other had been at Granny’s Diner. But apparently that was a lie.

“Oh don’t get all narrow-eyed on me, Swan. I didn’t know it was you. It was dark out, so I couldn’t tell what Rascal looked like, especially from a distance. I only figured it out recently.” He clears his throat, then reaches out for her hand. She offers it to him more out of habit than desire, but she doesn’t take it back either. “I was talking to David--”

Emma groans at that. She hates when David meddles in her life with Killian. David’s a romantic, and he wants Emma to constantly be swept off her feet, but Emma just wants things to continue as they’ve been going.

“Listen, David wanted me to propose here, but I’m not doing that, so give me a little credit here, okay?”

For the first time since Killian came home late, Emma laughs.

“Continue,” she tells him.

“I was talking to David, and he mentioned that you came here a lot after what happened with your parents. That the water seemed to do something for your nerves that he couldn’t, and then that even Rascal couldn’t.” Killian looks at her again, waiting for confirmation. Emma nods. “So that got me thinking, and that’s when I realized I saw you on my very first night in Storybrooke, out here at the docks.”

“You’re a wonderful storyteller, Killian, but I’d love for you to get to the point.” She’s smiling.

“I bought you something,” he tells her as he starts walking, finally. They reach the water and he points to a boat. “It’s just… I wasn’t sure if you’d like it. But it’s large enough to hold the two of us, plus Rascal and Procella.” He’s speaking quickly now, rambling. “I just thought that, instead of this being a sad place for us where we go when we’re feeling lonely, we could… together, I mean, come out here when we both need to get away from everything else.”

“You bought me a boat?” Emma asks quietly.

“Aye, I did.”

“How do you… how did… Dammit, Killian, you know me better than I know myself and it’s driving me insane.” She’s laughing again as she hugs him, arms thrown around his neck.

It’s a fucking boat.

“But why all the secrecy?” She releases him and eyes him skeptically. “This is an incredible surprise. Why would you want to hide it?”

“Ah, I’m renaming her.” Then, the ear scratch Emma loves so much. “I didn’t want you to see her until she was done. I just bought her today. Signed the papers and all.”

The Jewel of the Realm is painted in beautiful, if faded, lettering along the side of the boat.

“What’s wrong with the name it has?” Emma asks, but she knows it doesn’t feel right. It’s so regal and dramatic -- really better suited for people like her brother and Mary Margaret. Killian raises an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, you’re right. So, what’s the new name?”

“I was thinking about The Jolly Roger,” he says with a grin.

She loves it.

“Sounds like a pirate ship.” She bites her lip.

“Oh, I plan to do loads of pillaging and plundering while aboard this ship, my love,” he says with a kiss against her hair. A shudder goes down her spine.

“When do we set sail, Captain?”

“Not yet, I’m afraid. This,” he gestures vaguely around the docks and towards the general direction of the boat, “is why I didn’t want to tell you yet.” He looks down at her, exasperated but also with a sparkle in his eye.

“There’s something else,” she says, pointing at his chest. “There’s more to this that you’re not telling me.” It’s not accusatory. Whatever else he’s hiding isn’t a bad thing, she can tell, but there’s still something there.

“Can you let me have one thing, Swan? My God,” he groans. “It was Liam’s boat. Okay?”

Emma stops smiling.

“Liam? Your brother?”

“Aye. She ended up passing through a few hands, as he didn’t exactly have a living will or anything, but I finally tracked her down. It wasn’t cheap, but I got her here.” His ears are bright red, and he won’t look at her.

“You never talk about Liam, you know,” she says as she takes his hand hand guides it to the ring hanging from her neck. “Not even when you gave me this.”

“It was… it was a long time ago.” He swallows a thick lump in his throat.

“You don’t have to talk about it, Killian.” She reaches up and cups his cheek. “But I’m here if you want to.”

“He… it was a car accident,” Killian looks at her, gauging her reaction, as always. She gasps, realizing not for the first time how alike their lives have been at the most unexpected moments. “Same one I lost my hand in.” He holds up his left hand, as if proving something. Emma grabs it and places it on her own waist. “He’d been talking to me, trying to tell me something, I can’t remember what. I know we were fighting. It all happened so fast. He looked at me and I remember the anger in his eyes, and then someone ran the light and it was over. I woke up in the hospital.” He shrugs, trying to pretend he’s okay.

“Let’s get on the boat,” Emma whispers after a moment of silence.

“What?”

“We don’t have to go anywhere. But it’s yours, right? Have you been on it yet since it got here?”

“I did an inspection, but that’s all,” he admits.

“So let’s get on.”

They climb on, Killian’s footing much surer than Emma’s, but he guides her. Rascal and Procella have no qualms at all, hopping aboard like they’ve been on boats their entire lives. There are two seats, but once Killian settles into one, Emma perches herself in his lap. It wouldn’t be safe if they were out on the water, but they’re still tied to the docks, sitting still as the water laps around them. They all sit in silence, even the dogs.

“I love you, Emma,” Killian whispers into her shoulder.

“I love you, too.” She turns and kisses him. It’s slow at first, and then it’s not.

Emma supposes they’ll have to christen it again once it gets its new name. When she tells Killian what she’s thinking, he growls into her mouth and they don’t leave the boat until after midnight.