#happy birthday to one of the greats and here's to an amazing year ahead

[mobius-m-mobius]

Happy Birthday John Simm ♡ July 10, 1970

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Not Ready Part 1/12

Part 2 and Part 3 are out on my Patreon for FREE!

This story is so beautiful, hopefully you'll think so too! 🥹

Readers sister dies in a tragic car accident, leaving reader and her boyfriend Ruben in the urgent custody of her niece and nephew. Readers life is suddenly flipped upside-down since having children hadn't been the plan for her and Ruben's life together. At least not now when his football career was reaching great new heights.

Enjoy! 💞

You could really get used to this life, because who else has an amazing girl boss who let's you off work in the honor of your birthday?

Well you did.

Instead of spending the last hours of the day sorting out paperwork, you were rushing off to see you your boyfriend who had surprise for you in the park.

"Oh my god, is he going to purpose?"

"I have no idea." You squealed, cellphone pressed to your ear. Your best friend Laleh was on the other end, helping you speculate why Ruben specifically wanted to spend the afternoon with you in the park.

"Do you think he had anything to do with you getting off work so early?"

"I really don't know. I would be surprised of he did."

"Yes, me too. If he did, what the hell was he thinking, leaving me to finish all this work by myself?"

You laughed. "I'm so sorry Laleh. I really owe you."

"Damn straight you do. Just make sure to send me a picture of the ring, okay?"

"I promise. Love you. Bye."

You hung up the phone and practically ran the last distance towards the park. Your heart pounded in your chest as you sighted it ahead. What if this was it? What if after three years together, Ruben, was finally ready to tie the knott. Lord knows that you were. Ruben was simply the man of your dreams.

"Y/N."

You spotted his tall figure amongst the trees. He stood with his hands in his pockets, hair stirring gently in the wind. The way your heart fluttered when you saw him could only mean one thing, no?

"Ruben, what is all this?"

He suprised you with a full on picknick. A blanket was laid out on the grass below. Beside it was a basket containing fruit, red wine and a fine collection of cheese.

"Happy birthday baby!" Ruben welcomed you to sit down.

"I can't believe you. Isn't today your rest day?"

Ruben lay down on the blanket, leaning forward to kiss you. "I can rest right here." He smiled.

You were perplexed. The amount of love you had for your boyfriend was simply too hard to grasp. He had gone so out of his way just for you. It made you giggle, how he cut you a slice of cheese with such caution, wanting it to be just the right amount to put on your cracker.

"Here you go."

"Well, thank you." You bowed with courtesy.

Ruben put down the cheese knife and licked the tip of his fingers. He licked them clean since his diet as a professional football player didn't allow him to have any dairy. Wine was also off limits. It was all just for you to enjoy.

"So..." He said, clasping his hands together as he rested on his side. "How does it feel to be twenty-five?"

"Old." You murmured through a mouth full of cheese and crackers.

"Old?" He frowned. "But I'm twenty-seven."

"Exactly my point. Twenty-seven is so old and now I'm getting closer to that age."

"Right." He snorted.

"Don't get me wrong baby. You look amazing for your age, but that's because you work out. I on the other hand...."

"If it's your fitness that you're worried about you can always come with me to the gym."

"Nah, I'm good." You chugged down the last of your cracker, dusting of the crumbs that had fallen into your lap. Ruben looked to you with admiration, the sun irritating his eyes.

"Did you know that my mom had my sister at twenty-one."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and me at twenty-seven."

"Interesting."

"Yeah and now my sister is trying to get pregnant again at thirty-one as if the two children she has isn't enough work already."

"How are they?"

"Emmy and Vale?"

"Yeah?"

"Oh, well they're great, I guess. Emmy has just started her forth year in primary school and Vale lost his first tooth the other day."

"Really?"

"Yeah. His dad forgot to slip him the money from the tooth fairy though. My sister totally freaked out."

"Tooth fairy?" Ruben tilted his head.

"Yes, the tooth fairy. Didn't you grow up with the concept of a wealthy winged midget sneaking into your bedroom at night, collecting all your teeth?"

"Erm...no. No, I didn't. " Ruben looked horried.

"Hmm.....I thought the culture in Portugal wasn't too different from the rest of the countries in Europe."

"It isn't." Ruben sat up. "But I guess my family wasn't into that kind of stuff."

"What stuff?"

"I dunno, make believe stuff. Fairytales etc."

"Oh."

"Yeah, my dad was the worst. When I first lost my tooth he made me stand in front of the bathroom mirror and pull the tooth out myself."

"Really? That's horrible."

"I still remember being hunched over the bathroom sink with blood pouring out of my mouth while hearing my dad flush my tooth down the toilet."

"Ruben, that's—"

"My dad for you." He smiled. It was obvioulsy a fond memory to him. A traumatic one to you.

"I just can't imagine myself raising children right now." You said, falling back onto the picknick blanket, a sense of peace washing over you. It was such a lovely afternoon. "If anything I'm still a child myself."

"How about a dog?"

You had gone to shut your eyes, but quickly reopened them. Ruben was standing up, hovering over you with a cardboard box in his hands.

You brought yourself to sit up. "Ruben, what is—"

Something shook the box. Followed by a low squeal. A frail attempt of a bark.

"Ruben....you did not."

His smile broadened. "I did." He lowered the box for you to see what lay within, and looking up at you with the most precious eyes was a brown sausage dog, less than four weeks old.

"Oh my god." You quickly reached for it and brought the puppy into your lap. "Ruben I can't believe you did this!"

"Happy birthday!"

You looked up at him, feeling how the dog nibbled at your fingertips. "What made you even want to do this?" It was such a commitment to get a dog. Ruben had never expressed the desire to get one before, although, you knew that he was good with them, seeing as his family had own several back home in Portugal.

"I guess I just thought it was time." He shrugged.

"Time for what?" You cried. Yes, actual tears were welling up in your eyes. Even more so when Ruben joined you on the blanket, petting the fluffy creature in your lap. He then looked to you with such a gentle gaze. "For us to start a family." He said.

"Oh, Ruben." You kissed him, apologizing for your wet cheeks. Ruben didn't mind, however, wiping them away with a stroke of his thumb. "I love you Y/N. I always will."

"I love you too."

It was the best birthday of your life, filled with wet kisses and a puppy. Hopefully it was the beginning of forever with Ruben. It's all you ever wanted

Part 2 and Part 3 are out on my Patreon for FREE!

[effloradox]

what would you do, if you only knew (that i can see you)

thomas thorne x ghost hunter+fem!reader (set during season 2 episode 1)

synopsis: being able to see ghosts for most of your life almost seemed to force you into being a ghost-hunter of sorts (not that your boss is actually good at his job), it’s only on a trip to button house and a reunion with an old friend from your student days that your ability actually comes into use after a run in with a particularly dashing ghost

a/n: this is massively inspired by the song i can see you by taylor swift, the plot just came into my head after listening to it and here we are, it was meant to fulfil one of the requests i’ve been sent but it went so far from the prompt that i decided to make it a separate fic and do another fic for the prompt

-

If you’re being honest with yourself, you’re not sure how you ended up in the ghost hunting business. It’s not something you even thought was a real job when you were a kid, it seemed like something you'd see people doing in the cartoons you watched. It was only after a close call when you were a teenager that almost killed you that you realised that you could see ghosts.

It made living in London quite difficult, the sheer amount of people who’s spirit hadn’t moved on was difficult to deal with but you managed to set yourself up with the so-called Ghostmaster General and it gave you a steady stream of work going round the country with him seeing if the buildings were actually haunted or not. You’d never explicitly said you could see ghosts to your employer but you could express enough knowledge that he kept choosing you to go on the trips. When photos of a grey lady surfaced on Facebook and Twitter from a mansion in Hemel Hempstead your boss had called on you immediately to join him on the trip.

Button House didn’t seem to be any different than the countless other manor houses you’d seen over the past few years. It's in a worse state of repairs than you're used to but aside from that it seems like every other fake haunted house you've visited. You’d left your boss to sort out whether you were being allowed inside the house, not wanting to drag the many bags of equipment to the front gates if you were going to have to just bring them back to the van. It’s only when he gives you the go-ahead to go and start setting equipment up inside that you grab a few bags and make your way towards the entrance.

It's with a jolt of surprise that you realise you recognise one of the owners of the house. You’d been friends with Alison at university until the two of you had both finished your degrees and parted ways, keeping in touch only to wish each other a happy birthday or similar milestones.

“Alison, hey!” The woman looked your way at her name, and her face bloomed into a confused smile when her eyes fell on you.

“Hey! Oh my god!” She pulled you into a hug as soon as you were within arms reach and you did your best to reciprocate without hitting her with the equipment bag slung over your shoulder.

“This is your house?”

“Yeah, well it was my great-step-aunt’s house and I inherited it when she died.”

“That’s amazing! Much easier than trying to get lucky with London real estate.”

“So how did you end up doing this?” Alison gestures vaguely to the bag pulled across your shoulder. It’s all you can do to shrug your shoulders lightly, trying to look as blasé as possible as you readjust the strap before it starts to slip down.

“It pays the bills.”

You couldn’t help but notice how nervous Alison was about the whole situation she’d found herself in but you chalked it up to nerves about having so many strangers in her home and didn’t think to push it. She’s kind enough to give you directions up to one of the rooms near the attic that your boss has assigned for the thermal camera currently resting against your shoulder. You agree to a cup of tea and a catch up before making your way to the room.

Everything was going normally with the equipment setup until you suddenly heard a voice shouting down a corridor. It immediately pulled your attention from the camera you were setting up, your eyes trained on the closed door to the room you're in waiting to hear footsteps approaching. When silence lay steady, your focus returned back to the camera.

It takes a great deal of self-control to try not to flinch when a figure suddenly comes through the closed door. You try not to let your eyes flicker away from the camera but can’t help but quickly scan the figure. It’s not the grey ghost you saw in the pictures, the man is dressed like a scout for some reason and the only abnormal thing about him is the arrow sticking out of his neck. You can’t help but wince slightly at that, what a terrible way to go. The ghost is talking to himself apparently in a thick northern accent or that’s what you assumed until another ghost steps through the door.

It takes everything within you to not stare at this ghost. He’s clearly from a few hundred years ago based on his attire but he might be the most beautiful man you’re ever laid eyes on. He was mid-sentence when he walked through the door saying something about finding the others but his voice trailed off when he looked in your direction.

“But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and you are the sun.” The way his voice carries the words is nothing short of reverent and you can practically feel the embarrassment rushing through your body. It's not the first time a ghost has found you attractive but normally they're plague victims or half-mad, they don't normally look as though they've just stepped away from a recreation of Pride and Prejudice.

“Thomas! It's not polite to stare.” The scout almost looks apologetic which is quite sweet given that there’s no way he can know that you can see him but his words have done nothing to deter Button House’s version of Mr Darcy.

“And yet we hang the most beautiful paintings ever created in galleries so that the masses may gaze upon their beauty. Would you deny me a similar experience Pat?”

As nice as it is to have someone speak about you like that, you’re aware that it’s going to be very difficult to get through the night if you have a ghost following you and all but swooning over you. Part of you wonders if you could try and feign being sick but also you know how one-track minded your boss will be about this house and there’s no way he’ll be willing to leave to drive you into the nearest town to get a train back to London.

You hear the familiar sounds of the camera as it’s finally finished setting up facing the door and, as you expected, shows no sign of any heat signatures. You decide to leave your other bag in the room for now, choosing instead to go and find Alison. The two ghosts are mid-debate as to whether it’s polite to stare at someone who doesn’t know they’re being stared at as you walk over to the door.

It’s with slightly shaking hands that you twist the handle on the door, opening it as calmly as possible as you try to remember your way out of the house. You can hear the ghosts talking in the room and the voices don’t seem to be getting any further away but the only cohesive thought in your mind is that you have to track down Alison and ask her what she knows about the house.

“Hey, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost.” Alison laughs nervously at her joke but it does nothing to relax you.

“I need to speak to you.”

“Okay?”

“Outside.” Alison must see something in your expression that worries her because she allows you to take her by the arm and gently leads you to the front door. It's only when the front door is closed behind you and you can't see anyone dead or alive around that you find your anxiety easing. When you stop moving, you make sure to have your back to the front door, if only to put yourself at ease.

“Are you okay?” You’re about to speak when a voice cuts through the silence.

“Alison! You must reveal the name of this fair maiden at once! Her beauty outshines the sun in a way I never believed possible up until this very moment.” You have to give credit to Alison, she's very good at hiding the flinch when a voice suddenly appears from through the front door. It's only from a lifetime of doing something similar that you catch it, and you watch her eyes darting to something behind you before looking back towards you.

“Sorry, did you say something?” To give Alison credit, her voice only wavers slightly after the interruption. Maybe it’s unfair of you but when you speak, you make sure to do so in a quieter tone than you would normally. You have to be sure that she can see and hear him before you say anything and if you can make it harder for her to hear you under the loud gushing of the ghost then you’ll do what you can.

“I think there’s something upstairs.” You try to pay close attention to any reactions that Alison has to your comment but it’s very difficult once the ghost appears by your side. Up close he really is gorgeous. It’s almost a shame he’s dead because if you saw him in public you’d want his number in a heartbeat. It’s very hard to not let your eye wander in his direction, especially when he’s so close to you. He hasn’t stopped talking since he appeared through the door and whilst you’re more than used to a chatty ghost, you can see that Alison is getting more and more distracted by him.

“Alison! I must insist you express how ardently I admire this fair lady immediately or I shall never give you a moment of peace!” The threat, however serious he is about it, seems to be the final breaking point for your friend, whose face shoots in his direction.

“Thomas, stop talking for one second!” Even the ghost seems surprised by her outburst, staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. She catches her mistake in an instant, staring at you with an almost mortified expression as she waits for your reaction.

“I’m guessing you have more than two ghosts here then?”

“What?” Alison’s voice is tentative, like she’s waiting for you to either laugh in her face or run away screaming. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”

“I can see them too.”

“What?!” You don’t blame Alison for being surprised, it’s not something you ever told her during your time as students, not even when you had both had a bit too much to drink and your secrets spilled easily. You’d learned early into your time seeing ghosts that telling people the truth was a quick way to alienate yourself from friends and peers alike. It was much easier to lie and say you were just an anxious person by nature who startled easily than to explain that you flinched every time you saw a particularly gruesome looking ghost.

“Sorry for not telling you. Pat seems really nice.”

“Oh my god.” A beat passes as the news sinks in, and then another wave of acceptance seems to reach Alison and with it comes another shout. “Oh my god! You can hear him?” She points in Thomas’ direction and the ghost in question has the good grace to look somewhat mortified by the idea you’ve spent the past thirty minutes listening to him regale you with compliments that he thought you couldn’t hear.

“I can.” For a ghost that’s just spent the better part of an hour showering you with compliments, he suddenly seems unable to string a sentence together. It’s easy to put him out of his misery though. “You’re very handsome by the way. I’m very flattered.” His face goes red at the compliment and, for the first time since he appeared in front of you, he seems genuinely speechless. Alison seems to be in a similar state.

“Does your boss know?”

“Absolutely not! I didn’t want to spend most of my adult life being ridiculed for something no one would ever believe to be true. Have you told anyone?”

“Mike knows. Kind of hard not to tell him with so many of them.” Mike is quickly making his way into your good books with everything you hear about him and you make a mental note to buy him a nice bottle of wine for being such a supportive husband.

“How many have you got?”

“Too many.” You let out a soft noise of consideration before turning to the still shocked ghost standing beside you.

“Would you introduce me to your friends?” Thomas seems to snap out of his shock at your request, bowing slightly and extending a hand in your direction. It’s a sweet gesture even though both of you know you can’t physically take his hand.

“It would be my pleasure.”

“I’ll uh, catch up with you later?”

“You might want to worry about the twenty-something ghost hunters running amok in your house first.” Alison pales slightly at the reminder of what situation has brought the three of you to where you currently are.

“Oh god. I need to go and find Mike.” Your friend is quick to dash back inside her house, leaving the door open for you and Thomas to follow her. Manly you, since he could just phase through the door again.

“Shall we Lady-uh…” It’s only in that moment that you realise Alison never actually told Thomas your name and you’re quick to correct that.

“(Y/N).” You supply.

“Lady (Y/N).”

“We shall.” Thomas walks towards the house first, waiting just beyond the door for you to follow him. Your only thought as you walk through the door is that you hope you don’t run into your boss for the next thirty minutes or so otherwise you might have some explaining to do.

[allllium]

Hi, Love! ❤️ It’s me again and I came here for Remus and his crazy people 🤪

As I have a birthday (age-should-not-be-named) maybe you could write something about celebrating the reader’s birthday?)

Speaking about the reader, she feels sad about the upcoming age (just because of the number, if you know what I mean) and she is a little bit harsh about it. So her boyfriend (Remus) decided to make a little cozy party with all close friends 😌 so they have fun 🥳

It may be a 18 celebration or they can be older, it’s up to you and your incredable imagination ❤️ I love your writing, so you’re free to everything you want 😉 especially your brilliant jokes 👌🏻

Sorry for bothering you 🥹 I just feel a little bit lonely at my day… my own marauder’s company lost in the time…

Birthday

~ I'm so sorry this took so long to get to, the writers block is real bad rn 😭 and also I apologize in advance but it ended up a little different than the request, if you want me to rewrite it closer to the ask I would be happy to, but either way I really hope you like and happy late birthday, I hope you had a wonderful time <3

~ WC:1,888 [Hurt/Comfort, Fluff]

~ Reader celebrates a birthday

“Good morning Angel!” You recognize your boyfriend's voice even as you dig your face further in the pillow to tune it out. “Happy birthday!”

“Let me sleep.” Of course Remus doesn't listen to your plea, opting for dragging you out of bed himself. “No no no.”

“Yes yes yes. C'mon love we've got to celebrate!” When you turn to face him, he looks genuinely excited to celebrate with you.

“Okay let's go.” You give him the best smile you can muster, not wanting to disrupt his excitement.

“Okay great!” He immediately grabs your wrist to drag you out of his dorm.

“Rem, wait, I need to get dressed first.” You laugh.

“I think you look fine like that.”

“I’m wearing pajamas and my hair is a mess.”

“Exactly my type.” You shake your head at him and turn to pull some clothes you've left in his dorm.

“Celebrating can wait a minute.” Or forever you think silently. It's not that you hate your birthday, you would rather just not have it. Why celebrate another year passing by that you'll never get back? Why celebrate another year closing to dying?

“Fine but only one minute, I'm counting.”

“Why are you in such a hurry?” You ask him once you're dressed.

“Because I love you, I want to show you how happy I am that you were born.” His words make you grin, he always knows how to make you feel better especially when he doesn't know he needs to. But why celebrate getting closer to the end of the time you have with him?

“You're a sweet talker Mr. Lupin.” You pull him down for a soft kiss before allowing him to pull you off to whatever he has planned.

“Okay, first hour picnic breakfast.” He tells you happily. Wait what?

“I'm sorry, did you just say the first hour? Did you plan this hour by hour?”

“Of course I did, my angel deserves nothing but the best.” You stop walking for a split second. Why does he care about this so much? It's not a miracle, or an unusual thing. It's just a birthday. All it means is that you're getting older, losing more time.

Remus notices your stillness, “C'mon, love, we have a full day ahead of us.”

“Alright on to hour Three.” Remus announces as you both clean up your picnic blanket.

“Well what's next?�� You ask, a little reluctantly. Spending alone time with Remus is always amazing but you're a little worried about adding more people into the mix. Your anxiety about it has been low for now but you know it's gonna get worse.

“Next is my present for you.”

“Rem this is enough, you've already planned a whole day for me.”

“No it's not, I got you the perfect gift.”

“You are the perfect gift.”

“As flattering as that is, wrong.” He pulls up off the ground, and gives you a quick kiss. “Move it.”

“Woah being mean to me on my birthday.” You joke.

“You'll be fine, angel.” His smile makes the butterflies in your stomach erupt. Maybe a birthday isn't so bad if you have him with you.

“Hmm I want my present.”

“Then hurry up and we can go get it.”

“It's not my fault. You're so tall you walk a million miles an hour.”

“And it's not my fault you're so small you walk at a snail's pace.” You throw a hand over your heart dramatically

“How dare you, this is bullying.”

“No it's not, it's a fact. We're almost there anyway.”

“Where is there?”

“It's in my dorm.”

“No it's not, I looked.”

“And I hid it because I knew you'd do that.”

You sigh dramatically, “I would never.” You defend.

“You just admitted it!” He accuses.

“I did not! Let's go! Faster!”

“Oh so now I don't walk fast enough, make up your mind.”

“I will not. I shall continue to be indecisive.” He lets out a throaty chuckle at your statement.

“Oh you shall?” He questions, still laughing.

“Don't make fun of me, I'm being fancy.”

“You are a lot of things but fancy isn't one of them.”

“Hey, what does that mean!” You smack him lightly on his chest.

After a walk way longer than it should be, you finally reach his dorm and sit on the bed expectantly.

“Where's my present?” You immediately demand.

“Woah not even a please.” He jokes and stands in front of you.

“Well someone got my hopes up, this better be good Lupin.” He grins at you and orders you to close your eyes.

“This is too good of a hiding spot to give up.” He tells you.

After quite a few moments of shuffling happening behind you and quite a few “oh fucks” as your clumsy boyfriend unsurprisingly bumps into a couple things, a small box is placed gentle in your awaiting hands.

Your eyes fly open the second you feel the strange-feeling material in the palm of your hand. The first you notice is that the box is heart shaped with an engraving on the top, saying “My angel”

“Remus, this is amazing.” Without even opening it you already know this is the best gift you've ever received.

“You haven't even opened it yet, dove.” He sits on the bed beside you, putting his arm around your waist.

“Doesn't matter, I love it.”

“Open it, angel.”

Following his advice you open the heart-shaped box and immediately fall in love with him even more. In the box sits a simple charm bracelet, already adorned with three charms. All right next to each other is an angel charm, a heart charm, and a moon charm, all in that order.

“Do you like it?”

“Rem, I love it. This is the best thing ever.”

“I highly doubt that but I'm glad you love it.”

“Why did you do a moon and not a wolf for you?” You ask him, trying to distract yourself from the rush of emotions running through you.

“Well I was gonna but it looked very dog-like and Sirius said he was honored to be included.” He lets out a deep sigh of disapproval.

You can't help the laugh that bursts out, “Oh of course he did. Thank you Remus, really.”

“Well I would love anything you give me but this is incredible.”

“I couldn't give you anything but the best for this special day.” Special indeed.

“Welcome to hour five.” Remus declares while you enter the kitchens. After spending hour 3 and 4 in Remus’s dorm gushing over your new bracelet, and demanding his help in putting it on, he rushed you on to the event of hours 5 to 7. You are very curious as to why he pulled three hours out for this event.

He pulls you into the kitchens and you see the counters covered in enough ingredients to make a hundred cakes.

“What's this?”

“Well I wanted to make you a cake but realized I don't know how to make a cake without magic.” He looks down a little ashamed to be asking you to help make your own birthday cake.

“I believe this was a very smart choice, I wouldn't want you to burn down Hogwarts.” You grin at him.

“I'm sorry, I know I should've asked someone else first.”

“I'm glad you didn't, I like baking.” Despite the growing feeling in your stomach, his smile makes you smile.

After 3 hours of baking, 2 failed cakes, and 1 kitchen covered in cake ingredients that didn't seem to make it into the bowl, you and Remus have successfully acquired a birthday cake. It's not the prettiest and probably not the best tasting, but it's something you have created together and that's more than enough for you.

Hour 8, aka the final hour Remus has planned, is making you freak out. Despite preparing all day for this, the pit in your stomach has continued brewing and now feels too much to handle. As long as it's just you and Remus, alone, it doesn't feel like much of a birthday. Even with the cake and present, and Remus telling you happy birthday every two seconds, as if you'll forget, it feels natural. Not celebratory. Now, however, more people are getting involved.

You shouldn't be feeling this way. All of your closest friends getting together in the common room to celebrate your birthday should be exciting, not scary. Well it's not exactly scary, more of a feeling you can't seem to place.

You and Remus part ways for the first time of the day so you can get ready in your dorm. Once you're ready, you begin to head for the common room, hand freezing on the doorknob. Without thinking, you back up, taking a sitting place on the bed. You can feel the tears forming in your eyes for reasons you still can't understand.

As you sit there trying to cover your strange emotions, Remus comes into your dorm. Without saying a word he sits on the bed and gives you a hug.

“I'm sorry.” You tell him, knowing the effort he put into this perfect day.

“Whatever for love? This is your day, feel however you must.” He gives you a kiss on the forehead and slowly pulls away from the hug.

“I don't understand why I feel like this, it's just an age.” You try to explain. Luckily your amazing boyfriend knows you way too well.

“Because it's scary,” he begins to explain, far better than you did, “and it's new. I mean no one wants to get older but you gotta think of the upside.”

“And what would that be?”

“Well we get a little older, we leave school, we get married and get a ton of plants we'll never be able to keep alive.” He seems to have put a lot of thought into your future together. “Even though it feels like we're saying goodbye to a part of your life, we're also beginning a new part. One that we can form yo be whatever we want.”

“How do you always know just what to say?”

“I speak from my heart, most of it is nonsense.”

“Maybe but it always works. I love you.”

He smiles at you for the thousandth time today but it still gives you that funny feeling in your chest. “I love you too, angel. Ready to go celebrate?”

“Yeah I think so, thank you.”

“Anytime, love.”

And so you celebrate. A small party with all your friends and everyone you love. But for some reason you no longer have that pit in your stomach. You no longer feel the tears building as you blow out the candles on your perfectly imperfect cake. You no longer feel as if growing older is a curse you can't get out of.

You head back into Remus's dorm for bed. You can't help but keep your eyes stuck on the bracelet dangling off your wrist as you do your nightly routine. As you cuddle in bed next to Remus, you no longer want the day to be done with. Instead, wanting it to last forever as you talk and laugh with him. You no longer worry about the past and instead focus on the future. Now understanding there's still so much more you have to look forward to.

~ This is actually so relatable to me due to my anxiety, I was actually late to my last birthday party for this exact reason 😭 I hope everyone reading this knows that birthdays are a reason to celebrate, you have so much to look forward to as you age and I'm very glad you were born <3

[johnsbleu]

Hold My Hand: John Wick x Reader Chapter 174

warnings: none hmh masterlist

How the hell is she one? How in the world is Ronan Charlotte a year old? It seems like not so long ago, you were finding out you were even pregnant. And yet, here she is, a whole year old. Time truly flies by, doesn't it?

It's amazing how much can change in just one year. She’s grown and developed so much. She's learned to crawl, walk, and talk--some of her favorite words being ‘dada’, “mama’, ‘boo’ for Bleu, ‘toes’ for toast; her favorite breakfast, and saying ‘uh oh’ when someone drops something. Watching her grow and learn has been such a joy for everyone around her, especially you and John. It's hard to believe that just twelve months ago, she was still in your belly. But now, she's a happy and healthy little girl with a whole world of possibilities ahead of her.

Not only is this a milestone for her, but it is for you and John as well. You’ve made it through your first year of parenthood! It’s been one hell of a ride, but it’s been so fun, and what’s made it even better is knowing you have him by your side through all the ups and downs and bumps along the way. He’s been a great partner and father. You really couldn’t ask for a better person by your side. Hopefully he feels the same way.

You remember the anxiety you felt the day you were going to tell him that you were pregnant. You remember how nervous and excited you were, and you remember how happy John was when he finally found the ornament and read it. It was one of the happiest days of your lives when you told him, then 9 months later, on September fifth--on her mom and dad’s anniversary--Ronan decided to join this world and it made the day all the sweeter.

“That is still so fucking wild,” Tess says, and you look over at her as you continue putting decorations together, “How the hell did you plan that?”

“Plan what?”

Tess furrows her brow when she looks at you, “Ronan being born on your anniversary. What kind of black magic was that?”

You start to laugh, “Pure luck.”

“Fate,” John chimes in, and you smile as you look at him while Tess playfully gags despite the fact that she probably thinks it’s cute. He wraps his arm around your waist and kisses your cheek, “Definitely fate. Something bigger had a hand in this.”

“Or I just had really good timing. Maybe I seduced you on purpose that day knowing that if I got pregnant we would have a baby nine months later on our anniversary. Maybe I’m secretly a huge mastermind.” you say, and John starts to laugh, “Do not laugh! Maybe it’s true!”

John shakes his head, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about you these past three years, it’s that you’re very smart. Very, very smart, but even I don’t think you could have planned this.”

“Yeah, no, to be honest, it would have been so much work, and I just don’t think I would have had the patience,” you laugh, and he kisses your cheek, “But nonetheless, it is pretty wild.”

Tess smiles as she looks at the two of you, “How was your trip? I’ve barely had time to talk with you today.”

When you got home last night, you just got Ronan and immediately went home to spend time with her before she needed to go to bed. She was so excited to see you and John that she just couldn’t get herself calmed down enough to even go to bed. She eventually fell asleep halfway through eating a banana, which was pretty cute. You and John were laughing over how cute she was that you were both in tears.

Today has been spent decorating and getting ready for her birthday party, so you haven’t had much time to really talk with Tess.

“It was really good,” John says, and you smile at him. “Definitely a much needed trip.”

Tess grins when you look at her, “You had sex on every surface, didn’t you?”

“We had so much sex,” you laugh, and John puts his head down, his cheeks turning red. You love embarassing him.“One day we did nothing but have sex. It was amazing. It reminded me of when we first met. I don’t think I even put on clothes that day.”

“You did for about an hour before you ripped them off again,” John says, smiling at you, “It was the best day.”

You playfully roll your eyes, “It was a great day. But like John said, it was a much needed trip. It was so nice to just be the two of us. I definitely don’t want to wait that long before we have another trip. Maybe our next one we can bring the whole family.”

John steals a carrot from the veggie tray Tess is making, “We wanted to go to Switzerland for our babymoon, but you were very pregnant. I think it’d be fun to go there with the family. It’s beautiful there. We should think about going next spring or even this winter.”

“Ooh, that sounds fun to me!” you say, leaning up to kiss him. “Anyway, yeah, the trip was perfect. It was so nice to just be with John and not having any distractions. I hate to admit it but I missed having John to myself.”

“I missed having you to myself too,” John admits, which makes you feel better.

“Look, I know I tease you two a lot,” Tess says, and you both look at her, “But honestly, you two are so cute. You gross me out with how lovey-dovey you can be, but you’re cute.”

You start to laugh, “Oh come on, Tess, let the walls down.”

“Fine!” she huffs before she looks at you with tears in her eyes, “I think you two are so perfect for each other and I’m really happy that you found each other. John is perfect for you, and you’re perfect for him! You’re doing a great job raising your daughter together, and as your big sister, I’m so happy for you, but most of all, I’m so proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished these past few years. You have two successful bookshops, you have a bookbinding business that does really well, John teaches classes that are super popular, and not once have you two ever really struggled relationship wise--okay, before you give me that look!” she says when you cock up your brow, “I know you’ve had fights--all couples do! But you know what I mean! You two have never even entertained the thought of breaking up or anything. You have such a great relationship and that is so important for Ro to see. She’s so lucky to have you and John as her parents, and I love you two, okay? God!”

You and John both start to laugh, and Tess gives you a very unimpressed look.

“Why did you say that so aggressively?” John laughs as he walks over to hug Tess, “We love you too.”

You smile, “I love sensitive Tess so much. You should let her out more often.”

Tess is in full tears now, “You two are just so cute, and I’m so in love with Jimmy.”

“We know,” you say, and she pouts, “He’s in love with you too.”

“What does being in love with Jimmy have to do with us?” John asks, and you look at Tess.

She wipes her tears off her face, “Well, because I’m in love and so is Goose, and that’s good.”

“It is very good,” you say, then you rub her shoulder, “Maybe you should go lay down for a few minutes.”

“Yeah, maybe. Oh, and one more thing!” she says aggressively, which makes you and John laugh. “I would love to go to Switzerland, so it’s a yes from me but do I have to pay for it?”

John laughs before shaking his head, “No, it’d be all paid for by us.”

“Well, now I’m gonna cry because that’s really sweet of you! John, you’re the sweetest.” she sniffles as she shuffles off to the living  room, and you widen your eyes and look at John.

John laughs quietly, “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, you know…” you roll your eyes playfully, “Sometimes people are just a little sensitive. Sometimes people are so happy that they cry.”

“Yeah, you sobbed for 15 minutes when you saw a picture of me from when I was little,” he says, and you jut your bottom lip out. “A picture that you had seen many times. I just came into the kitchen to find you with your head on the counter while you cried.”

“You were so cute!” you cup his face and squish his cheeks, “Your dorky little smile was so fucking adorable, and I see so much of Ronan in it. Her nose, her eyes, her little grin, she’s your twin!”

John smiles proudly, “She’s pretty cute.”

“She is,” you wrap your arms around his waist, “So in love with my brown eyed Virgo babies. And by the way, when that happened, I was pregnant. So, you know, I had an excuse. My emotions were everywhere.”

John nods, “Yeah, you were pregnant.”

You widen your eyes and look up at John just as he looks at you, then you walk into the living room to find Tess laying on the couch scrolling through her phone.

“Are you pregnant?”

Tess doesn’t even look at you, she just bursts out laughing, “Fuck no!”

“You sure?”

“Yes,” she sits up on her elbow and looks at you, “Positive.”

You squint your eyes at her and wait for her to crack, but she just stares back. You tilt your head and do a ‘I’m watching you’ motion with your hand, and Tess just laughs.

“Have fun,” she says as you walk back to the kitchen, “I’m not pregnant though.”

John smiles, “You think she’s pregnant?”

“No, I just like to tease her.”

“Hey,” John whispers softly when you start to walk away. He reaches for your hand and pulls you back to him, “Happy anniversary, by the way.”

You tilt your head back and kiss him, “Happy anniversary.”

“Three years, peach.” he says, and you hug him tight, “I’m so glad that we were able to get away and celebrate, but I still want to take a moment to appreciate today, not just because it’s Bug’s birthday. It’s the best day of my life for many reasons.”

“I love you so much.”

John leans into your palm when you cup his face, “Today wouldn’t possible without you.”

“It wouldn’t be without you either.” you say as he smiles, “I don’t get all the credit here.”

“Well, you deserve 50% of it.” he smiles, and you let out a small laugh, “Maybe even more.”

You shake your head, “50% sounds good to me!”

__

The party is pretty much in full swing. Aurelio and his family arrived a little late, but that’s okay. You know what life with a baby is like, so you’re sure life with two kids is even harder. The backyard is full of family and friends, and even staff from the shops. It’s nice that everyone is showing up for your baby girl, who is currently playing in the sprinkler with all the other kids. Thankfully it’s a warm day today.

Ronan will be needing a change of clothes, so after making sure someone has their eye on her and the rest of the kids, you head inside to get some dry clothes for her. Last you saw, John was getting the grill ready, so you’re not surprised when you find the house empty. You head upstairs to Ronan’s room and smile to yourself when you hear laughter coming from the open windows.

“Okay,” you exhale as you walk over to her clothes.

You pick an outfit for her to wear today since it’s her birthday but since she’ll be having cake, she probably shouldn’t wear it right now. You’ll wait to change her after she has her cake. Or maybe you should change her beforehand, get some cute pictures, then let her have cake. You’re not entirely sure, so you stand there for a few minutes staring at her closet.

As you stand there and look at all of Ronan’s clothes, you feel your eyes beginning to burn with tears. They roll down your cheeks when you blink, and you reach out and hold an outfit Ronan wore a few months ago that can no longer fit in.

She’s growing up.

The thought has been on your mind all day, so it’s certainly not new, but…your baby is growing up. She’s not going to be a baby anymore. The thought might not be a new one but it completely breaks you down into tears.

**

Since I got the grill started and some food done, I look around in search of Y/N. I want to make sure that her and Ronan get something to eat. Y/N has been running around all morning trying to make sure everything is perfect for the party today, so I want to make sure that she’s getting food in her. I don’t need her getting dizzy or too hungry. I already know she’s stressed out.

“Hey,” I lightly touch Bev’s shoulder, “Have you seen Y/N?”

She shakes her head, “No, I haven’t, honey.”

I nod and look around the yard. I smile when I see Ronan giggling as she plays in the sprinkler with Finn, and I watch them for a few moments before heading into the house. It’s quiet in here, so I assume she must be either in the bathroom or I’ve missed her outside somehow. I check the bathroom downstairs before I head up to our room. Empty.

“Peach?” I call out, listening to the quiet house. I furrow my brow when I hear a sniffle, and I walk down to Ronan’s room, finding Y/N looking out the window. I walk up behind her, “Hey, food is getting done.”

“Okay,” she says quietly. I lean forward and see a tear roll down her cheek, and I quickly wipe it away, “Baby, are you okay? Hey, look at me. Are you okay?”

She nods, “Yeah.”

I turn her around slowly and look into her bloodshot eyes. She has makeup running down her cheeks too, and she’s clinging to an outfit that Ronan probably hasn’t fit into for at least 3 months. The stress and worry I was feeling melts away, and I feel my entire body soften when I realize why she’s upset.

“I know,” I nod, rubbing her arms as she cries harder, “I don’t want her to grow up either.”

“Why is she doing this to us?” she asks, laughing through her tears.

I smile, “Because she’s going to be the bravest, smartest, kindest, and most beautiful girl in the world, just like her mom. She’s going to do great things and the world deserves to know Ronan Charlotte Wick.”

“I feel like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital and sat on the couch, stressing about everything we were about to go through.” she says, and I nod. “I remember us sitting there stressing out about how to just feed her and when to feed her.”

I start to laugh, “I remember stressing out about my first night alone with her. I watched Finn alone before but he wasn’t a newborn baby. Ronan was, and I was beyond stressed out. Now it’s a breeze. I love when you’re able to go out and have a nice time and I get to spend it with her. It’s nice. I love building my relationship with her, and everything is just second nature. I don’t question myself. I don’t text or call you every ten minutes asking you if it’s okay if I sit on the couch and hold her instead of laying her in her little DockATot. And a year ago, I wouldn’t have had a fucking clue what a DockATot is. I would have thought it was like…I don’t know, some weird gadget.”

Y/N closes her eyes as she laughs, “It does sound like a weird gadget.”

“It’s a freaking bed. It’s a little lounger for your baby. That’s crazy! And the nose thing that you use to suck out boogers?” I say, and she immediately scrunches up her face, “Yeah, it’s gross, for sure. But I didn’t know that shit a year ago. A year ago, I knew one thing, and that was that I loved that little girl with my entire heart the moment she took her first breath--well, I knew the moment you told me that you were pregnant, but when I held her in my arms, all of the fears that I had went away. I knew in my heart everything was going to be okay because I had you.”

I shouldn’t have said that because it just makes her cry again. But it’s true.

“I had you to help me. I had you by my side. I knew that parenthood wasn’t something to be scared of because you were by my side holding my hand,” I say, reaching for her hand, “I can’t thank you enough for how much happiness you’ve given me since you came into my life three years ago. I am so beyond grateful for you. You are the love of my life.”

Yeah, shouldn’t have said that either. She’s fully crying now with Ronan’s dress pressed to her mouth. She’s fucking precious.

“I love you,” she says, sniffling as she looks up at me, “I am so happy that you’re her dad.”

“Me too.” I laugh, nodding my head, “I’m happy you’re her mom; she has the best role model.”

Y/N juts her bottom lip out, “I can’t believe she’s one. I just want her to be a tiny baby forever.”

Wiping the tear off her cheek, I cup her face, “You know what I’ve learned this past year?”

“What?”

I smile, “No matter how old she gets, she’s always going to be our baby. Whether she’s six months old, six years old, or 36. She will be our baby. We get the privilege of watching her grow up and learn things that we taught her--us, her parents! How lucky is that? I watch you teach her things, then I watch her use that knowledge. Isn’t that amazing?”

“Yeah,” she laughs, sniffling again, “It is, and I see you teach her things too. It’s the best.”

“I know it’s hard watching her grow up, and if I’m honest, I wish we could slow down time. I don’t want this to ever end.” I say, getting misty-eyed, “I absolutely love my life with you two. It’s perfect and it’s far more than I deserve.”

She shakes her head, “You deserve everything, John. You deserve all of this.”

I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight to my chest as we both stand there, sniffling quietly. I press a kiss to the top of her head and lean back to look at her, and she wipes away the tears on her cheek.

“I think part of my issue is, yes, I’m sad she’s growing up, but she’s also getting closer to being a teenager and I’m not ready for that.” she says, and I furrow my brow. She sighs loudly and takes a few steps away before walking back over to me, “My mom and I didn’t always have the best relationship. Mom and daughters can have…complicated relationships. I want to try my best to avoid that.”

“What do you mean?”

Sighing again, she looks at me, “From 13-15 years old, I wasn’t very nice to my mom. I flew off the handle over little things. I was a young girl going through a ton of changes and I, unfortunately, took it out on my mom. I don’t want that for me and Ronan. I want us to always be close. I want to be her mom, but I also want to be her friend. I want her to want to talk to me about things that are bothering her. I bottled up everything and didn’t tell my mom. I struggled silently with so much stuff--what I was going through was nothing compared to Tess, so I just stayed quiet.”

“You can’t compare pain, sweetheart. If something hurts, it hurts. What you were feeling was just as important as what Tess was feeling.” I say, and she nods.

“And I know that now. Tess actually was the one who told me that, and of course mom was so upset when she found out because it’s true, my feelings were just as important.” she says, laughing quietly, “But I’m so scared that Ronan’s going to hate me when she’s a teenager. I don’t want to ever overstep or feel like I’m projecting onto her either. I don’t want her to feel like I’m expecting too much from her. I want us to have a good relationship forever.”

I nod sympathetically, then I rest my hands on her shoulders, “I get it. Ronan is always going to love you; you’re her mom! She’s going to love you forever. But listen to me…there is no use in worrying about things that might or might not happen twelve years from now. There’s no use. You don’t deserve to be sad or stressed out about it.”

“Twelve years really puts it into perspective.” she says, and I smile at her. “You’re right. I should be enjoying this milestone. It’s not a sad day; it’s just bittersweet.”

“I’m not saying you’re not allowed to be sad because trust me, I’m sad. Our baby girl is growing up! She’s already a year old and I hate that.” I say as we both tear up, “She’s getting older and it’s such a bittersweet thing but we’re so lucky to be able to watch her grow and learn. We’re so lucky that we have the most perfect angel of a daughter.”

Y/N laughs, “She really is an angel, isn’t she?”

I gesture to the open window, “Listen to her laughing out there.”

We both go silent and listen as Ronan squeals happily in the sprinkler with all of the other kids. I look back at Y/N and hold her gaze, and she smiles softly at me before leaning up to give me a kiss.

“I love you,” she says, and I pull her closer, “Thank you for making me feel better.”

“I am always going to be here to make you feel better,” I say as she leans against my chest, “Let’s go see our baby girl now.”

Y/N looks up at me, and I put my finger up and take her hand. I bring her into our room, then to our bathroom, all while she looks beyond confused. I lift her onto the counter and get a few of her make-up wipes, then I gently wipe away the makeup staining her cheeks. I look into her eyes and furrow my brow when I see her tearing up again.

“Are you okay?”

“This is the sweetest thing you’ve ever done,” she whispers, and I let out a confused laugh. She gestures to me wiping her makeup off, “This. This is so romantic. It’s tender. It shows me how much you care about me.”

I cup her face, “I care so deeply about you.”

“I know,” she smiles, “I care deeply about you too. God, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

I start to laugh when she tears up and throws her hands up in a playful manner since she’s crying again. I tuck her hair behind her ear and kiss her cheek before hugging her tight. She exhales and looks at me, and I wipe her face off again.

“I’m done crying now.” she says, hopping off the counter and grabbing her makeup bag. “Lemme just fix my makeup quick.”

I watch her as she carefully puts mascara on her lashes--waterproof, she told me--then I smile at her and take her hand before heading back downstairs. The closer we get to the back patio, the louder Ronan’s giggle is, and I smile down at Y/N and see her laughing quietly.

The moment the door opens and we step out, Ronan turns her attention to us and comes running over, screaming for one person in particular who deserves all the love right now.

“Momma!” Ronan screams, running over to Y/N, who kneels down and opens her arms.

“Hi, baby.” she hugs her tight and closes her eyes, “Goodness, I love you so much.”

My heart swells with pride and joy at the sight of my little family. My wife. My daughter. Both so precious, and all mine.

__

“Hey,” I pull Y/N aside and smile, “Think it’s time?”

“I think so.” she nods, then she takes my hand and together we sneak into the house.

I let go of her hand to open the basement door, then I gesture for her to go first and follow behind. I smile when I hear the little meows coming from downstairs, and Y/N gasps and rushes over to the kitten.

“Oh, goodness,” she laughs when she sees the cat covered in wet food, “You’re a bit of a mess, aren’t you?”

I smile, “He’s gonna fit in just fine here.”

“True,” she laughs as she walks to the bathroom to clean him off. “Do you have a box?”

I found a cardboard box and wrapped it up with colorful paper and put a huge bow on it, and some holes for air of course.

“Yeah, I got this one,” I bring it over to the couch and put Baby Cat’s blanket inside, then I smile when Y/N comes out of the bathroom with him as she dries him off. “Can’t wait for her to finally get him so we can stop calling him Baby Cat.”

“Maybe she’ll like that name.”

I grimace, “I hope not.”

“Hey! It look a lot of brain power for me to come up with that,” she jokes, and I playfully swat her knee. She carefully places the kitten into the box and closes it up, then she picks it up and hands it to me. “Here.”

I take the box and carefully go upstairs with it, glancing back to make sure Y/N is following. She holds open the patio door and smiles, looking around for Ronan.

“Ro,” she calls out and waves her over, “We got you a present.”

The poor kitten is going to be passed around to everyone, so hopefully he’s a patient little guy.

Y/N sits down and pats the spot next to her, then she looks at me and pats the spot on her other side. I sit down with the box and smile when I hear a tiny meow coming from it.

“We have another present for you,” she says, and Ronan looks up at her, “But you have to gentle, okay?”

I can tell the family is confused. We didn’t tell them about the little souvenir we brought home from The Bahamas.

Ronan nods her head as Y/N puts her in her lap. She gives me the okay to open the box, and I carefully take the lid off and move it over so Ronan can look in. She lets out a gasp and makes the ‘O’ shape with her mouth as she stares at Y/N with her brown eyes.

“What is that?” I ask, and Ronan leans over again to look. “Is that a kitten?”

“Kitty,” Ronan says, pointing at it, “Momma.”

Y/N laughs, “I see! Isn’t he cute?”

Ronan reaches in with absolutely no hesitation and pets the kitten. When he licks her fingers, she giggles loudly, causing all the other kids to come over and see what’s going on. For the kitten being so tiny, he sure loves all the attention and isn’t at all scared, which will be great because Ronan is like a tornado. We’ll teach her to be gentle with him though.

“This is our new kitten,” Y/N says, and Ronan looks up at her, “What should we name him?”

Ronan just shrugs.

“We’ll give it some time,” I say, and Y/N laughs.

“Oh, stop it!” Tess smiles as she leans down to look at the kitten, “When did you guys get him?”

I look at Y/N before looking at Tess, “While we were in The Bahamas. There were cats everywhere and he was outside our cottage one night. We took him inside and I found where he lived. They said we could keep him.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Y/N puts her hand up and laughs, “No, I kept hearing something around like…two in the morning and I was freaked out thinking it was a serial killer. I finally woke John up and he went outside and found him!”

Tess smiles, “He’s so cute.”

Y/N grins, “I keep calling him Baby Cat but John doesn’t like it.”

“Ronan needs to name him,” I say as Ronan looks at me, “What’s his name?”

Ronan looks at him like she’s really thinking it through, then she shrugs again.

I laugh, “We’ll figure out eventually.”

Anything is better than Baby Cat. Okay, I’ll admit, Baby Cat is kind of growing on me, but I won’t dare tell Y/N.

“Toes,” Ronan says, and everyone looks at her, “Toes!”

We all look confused for a moment before Y/N and I lock eyes, immediately figuring it out when she says it again.

“Toast!” Y/N and I both say in unison.

“Is his name Toast?” I ask, and Ronan smiles as she nods proudly. “Toast.”

Ronan continues talking to the kitten, calling him Toast over and over, and I smile when Y/N looks at me. We both start to laugh since of course our daughter would name her kitten Toast. We have a fish named Dada and now a cat named Toast. I can’t wait to see what else she names our future pets.

__

**

The rest of the day went really well. You cried like a baby when Ronan blew out her candles, then you cried again when she tried to feed John a piece of cake, but that time it was from the laughter. She opened her presents and instantly wanted to play with them and share them with the other kids at the party, but of course she was quick to run back to you and John to show you all her special things she got.

As the party started to die down, so did Ronan. She was trying her best to stay awake, but she eventually fell asleep on the couch tucked into John’s arms while you all sat around and talked. The kitten was tucked in there too until you moved him into the guest bedroom for now.

“I admire her strength,” your mom says when you look at her, “She was holding on for dear life, just fighting to keep those eyelids open.”

You laugh as you look at Ronan in John’s arms, who is also asleep. You smile to yourself as you look at those two just sleeping away. John is still holding Ronan but he has his head propped up by his right hand. It’s going to slip soon and he’ll jolt himself awake.

There isn’t anything to clean up since your family and friends were kind enough to help clean up and take home leftover food and cake. You’ve been up since five this morning, so you’re ready to lay down in bed.

You rest your head against your mom’s shoulder and close your eyes, “Sorry for being so shitty when I was a teenager.”

“What?” she laughs, and you look at her.

“When I was a teenager, I was really shitty to you.” you say, shrugging your shoulder, “So, I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

Your mom sits up and furrows her brow, completely bewildered as to why you’re bringing this up. She looks past you at Ronan and nods slowly before looking back at you.

“It was tough, but I didn’t take it personal.” she says, and you nod as you tear up, “All that we went through then was so worth it. The relationship that we have now? It was worth all the screaming, eye rolling, and door slamming.”

You laugh, “I slammed my door once.”

“Damn right it was once. I shut that down right away.” she says as you laugh, then she reaches for your hand, “I was a young girl once too. I knew exactly how it felt to be fifteen once. Admittedly, I should have checked in with you and it’s something that bothered me for a very long time as you grew up, so I apologize for that and I hope you can forgive me for that. I’m so lucky to have such a kind and beautiful daughter who I can call my friend.”

You look down as you cry, then you nod, “Yeah.”

“I know you won’t make my mistake, and I know you’ll always be there for Ronan.”

“You were a single mom, you had a job that was so demanding, you had just adopted another kid.” you say, and she nods, “You had a lot on your plate and I knew that. I always knew. I never thought you didn’t love me or something. I knew you did--I know you do. I’m glad to say you’re my mom. You’re an incredible mom. All my friends wished that you’d adopt them too because everyone loved you, me included! I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

She laughs, “I’m flattered, but you’re quite amazing yourself, sweetheart.”

You start to laugh as you look over at Ronan, then you look back at your mom, “I don’t want her to grow up. She’s my baby.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling,” she says, holding your gaze, then she reaches for your hand, “But look at you, all grown up and with your own daughter now. But no matter what, one thing will never ever change: you will always be my baby.”

Which is exactly what John said about Ronan earlier.

Nodding your head, you look at her as you both tear up, then you lean over to hug her. She holds tight to you and rubs your back, then she kisses your cheek before getting up from the couch. You look over at John as he opens his eyes and stretches out, and you give him a knowing smile because he definitely wasn’t asleep the whole time--come on, no one has that perfect of timing. Not even John Wick.

“Heading out?” John asks, and your mom nods. “I’ll walk you out to your car.”

“Oh, no need.” she smiles, touching his arm when he stands up. “You two go snuggle that little girl.”

You laugh, “It’s only 6 PM. I’m half tempted to wake her up, so she’s not up at 4 in the morning looking to play with her new toys while John and I are still passed out from running on 4 hours of sleep.”

John hugs your mom and looks out the window to wave at Dan, who is talking with Jimmy in the driveway. John looks at you and bounces Ronan a little, and you turn to your mom and hug her, holding on tight.

“I love you and I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become.” she whispers softly, “One day you’ll be hugging Ronan--”

“Nope!” you laugh as you let go of her, “I don’t want to think about her being an adult. Nope, nope, nope.”

John laughs when your mom playfully widens her eyes and grimaces. She leans down to give Ronan a kiss, then she grabs her bag and waves before walking to the door. You turn to John and exhale sharply, looking down at Ronan in his arms.

“I am…so exhausted.”

“I just had a nice nap,” John says, and you cock up your brow. “Okay, so I wasn’t sleeping when you two started talking but I didn’t want to be rude and I also didn’t want to ruin the moment, which was very sweet.”

You walk over to him and pucker your lips for a kiss, “Can we just hang out the rest of the night?”

“Absolutely,” he nods, then he shifts Ronan a little, “But I have to put her down.”

“I think that she should sleep with us tonight,” you say as you move her brown hair out of her face, “I just want to fall asleep with my two favorite people.”

John nods his head in agreement, “I think that sounds like a fantastic plan.”

Since you’ll probably come back downstairs to get something to eat later, you only turn off a few lights. You let Bleu out to use the bathroom and give him some food as well, then you head up to your room. John carefully changes Ronan into some pajamas and out of her fluffy pink dress that is slightly covered in dirt and cake, then he lays her in the center of the bed where she immediately snuggles down.

You change into something more comfortable, then you sit on the bed and look at John as he just stands there a little awkwardly. You furrow your brow and watch as he walks over to the closet, then he digs through it and pulls out a box.

“So, uh…”

“Jonathan!” you quietly scold him, “We already did anniversary gifts.”

He shakes his head, “This isn’t an anniversary gift. It’s something I’ve been working on for a while now, well, for about a year.”

You start to get up but he shakes his head and sits down next to you on the bed. He hands over the box and gestures for you to open it, and you nudge his arm before playfully rolling your eyes. You take the top off the box and reach into the tissue paper, and your fingers wrap around what feels like a book.

Pulling your hand out of the box, you look down at the book and immediately smile, “Our Baby’s First Year.”

John scoots closer and wraps his arm around your waist, “Open it.”

Flipping the book open, you feel tears burning your eyes when you see the very first picture ever taken of Ronan. Her wrinkly little hands and soft skin, just a few moments old. You turn the page and see a photo of Ronan's first smile, captured at just two months old. It's hard to believe how small she was back then, but you can still remember the moment vividly.

As you continue flipping through the pages, you see all of Ronan's milestones--her first steps, her first words, and even her first Christmas. Each moment is captured beautifully. You turn the page again and let out a laugh when you see it’s filled with twelve selfies of John and Ronan--one for every month.  

“Shut up,” you laugh, pointing to the one of her at eight months old where she’s smiling at John, “Look at how much she loves you.”

“Look at how much she loves you.” he says, flipping the page.

You immediately slap your hand over your mouth when you see the pages covered in images of you and Ronan that John has taken every single month, pictures that you didn’t even know he had taken.

“I snuck pictures all the time, I still do,” he says softly, “I had to have Tess help me because I kept getting a notification about my phone storage. She told me that I had too many pictures saved. I couldn’t tell you because…”

You nod when he gestures to the book, “John, remember what I said earlier about wiping off my makeup?”

He laughs, “Yeah. Definitely not even in the top ten sweetest things I’ve done. I didn’t do it to be sweet. I just wanted to help you feel better.”

“It was definitely sweet, but this…” you look down at the book and flip through the pages, “This is beyond sweet. I don’t…I don’t even have words. Thank you so much.”

John presses a kiss to your temple, “You’re very welcome.”

This book is a testament to all of the joy that Ronan has brought into your lives, and you know that it will be treasured for years to come. You’re already planning on putting it on the coffee table and making every single person look at it when they come over, not only because your baby is gorgeous and the most precious thing on the planet, but John took a lot of time to put it together.

Closing the book gently, you place it on the nightstand and lean into John's embrace. All the anxiety you had been feeling earlier about Ronan growing up has passed. It’s been a quick year but a great one. She’s happy and healthy, as are you and John. What more could you ask for?

Well, you know one thing.

You lean back and look at John, a smile growing on your face, “Want a piece of cake?”

“Why did I think you were going to ask if I wanted to have another baby?”

You scoff as you get up from the bed, “Patience, Mr. Wick.”

John smiles when you look back at him, “Okay, okay. You did say that we would start trying when Ronan would start potty training though.”

Turning back around, you lean against the door frame and hold his gaze, both of you smiling like absolute idiots. You smile at him as he turns to face you more, and you cross your arms and laugh a little.

“Well,” you shrug as you glance over at Ronan, then you look back at him, “I guess we only have to wait six more months then.”

Pure joy rips through John as he gets up and rushes over to you, lifting you up as you both laugh. You look over his shoulder and see Ronan still completely zonked out on the bed, and you close your eyes and hold tight to John as he carries you down the kitchen for a much deserved slice of cake.

__

taglist: @lilithlinen @ladyren33 @multifandombliss @ruby-octo @tnu-ree @scream-queen-25 @beingnerdyissupercool @sakurachan-9

[hello-nichya-here]

How do you feel about Monica and Richard's relationship? Do you think he was her soulmate instead of Chandler?

I think they were a pretty great, adorable couple (Richard trying to find a neurosis of his own to make Monica feel better about her OCD lives rent-free in my head), had a lot of things in common, did their best to work through their relationship issues and the actors had fantastic chemistry. Richard was THE perfect guy for Monica in my eyes... until I saw her fall in love with, date, and marry Chandler, her actual soulmate.

Now, I know a lot of people are creeped out not just by their 21 year age gap, and, more importantly, by the fact that Richard knew her since she was a child because was best friend's with her father (they even say they're like brothers, and at least here in Brazil she'd have absolutely grown up calling him UNCLE Richard).

However:

1 - They're not real, so who cares?

2 - I'm a degenerate and I'm into it.

3 - They did spend years without having any contact (to the point that he doesn't even recognize her at first) and it's very clear that Richard only ever started feeling attracted to her when she was an adult - and not in a "He was waiting to get on her pants the very second she turned 18" kind of way, but rather as "She's literally 27-years-old, she's been a fully grown, adult woman for a LONG time."

And even though Friends, like any sitcom, is known for having the characters in very unrealistic situations for the sake comedy, drama or both (and that's a feature, not a bug) the way Richard and Monica's age difference was handled was pretty realistic.

Monica clearly likes that Richard is this suave, cool older man - but unlike with the rich guy she dates after him, it's obvious that she actually does like him for who he is beyond the superficial stuff, and isn't just giving this relationship a shot because she wants to get married and have kids, and needs a guy to achieve that. I felt soooooo sad for Richard when he was feeling like "one of the guys" then Joey and Chandler let slip that they like hanging out with him because their DADS were not as cool, and Monica was super sweet to him after.

The entire episode of her parents finding out about them on her dad's birthday was freaking amazing, mainly because the writers took full advantage of literally every opportunity for a good joke. Monica is asked if she'll tell them that night, and replies with "Yeah, for my father's birthday I decided to give him a stroke." Their mother asks if they thanked Richard for the ride, innocently just acting like a mom making sure her kids are being polite to their father's friend, and Ross just says "I'm sure Monica thanked him for the both of us." And, of course, everyone awkwardly singing happy birthday right after they had a falling out.

And that episode was also an exemple of Friends, a show that both fairly and unfairly described as very sexist, actually being pretty ahead of it's time when it comes to pointing out the full on misogyny that people often give themselves permission to engage on the very second a girl dates someone much older.

All of the guys are talking about Richard banging a younger woman (that they don't know is Monica) in a really gross way, with her own father even comparing it to the time he bought a cool, expensive car to deal with his mid-life crisis, and, much to both Richard and Ross's horror, suggesting they trade for a day. Sure, it's painting Richard as at least a bit of a loser for dating a younger woman after a long marriage that ended in divorce, but they're still expecting him to brag about it, seeing it as something cool and worth envying him for, and quite literally treating the "mystery younger woman" as an object instead of a person that genuinely cares about him, and that he cares for as well.

The women at the party aren't any better either, making wild assumptions about how Monica is probably just a stupid slut with nothing to offer, and that maybe she's even ugly and the only reason Richard is into her is because she is "Just young enough that everything is still pointing up." They literally know nothing about her beyond "She's younger than him, met him after he got divorced and started dating him" and are all still acting in such a spiteful way that, hearing one of them talk without any context, people could easily assume something like "Oh, she was with Richard first, and this story about him meeting this younger girl after the divorce is bullshit. He met while he was still married, had an affair, filled for divorce, and now the ex-wife hates this girl"

Even Monica's own mother gets all condescending the second she hears her daughter say the word RELATIONSHIP. It all makes for great television because it's a conflict that is not at all forced, makes you really root for the characters' romance to last, and, again, the writers took ALL the opportunities to make jokes about it.

But more importantly, when it was time to make their age gap be the real why they broke up, they didn't do it by turning Monica into an immature moron that was not good enough for him, or retconning Richard's characterization to make him all condescending, arrogant and assuming he knows better just because he's older - or worse, adding a cheap twist that he actually IS a creep that only liked her because she was an adventure/trophy, would cruelly toss her aside the second he got bored, and that he had secretly been screwing younger girls all the time behind his ex-wife's back. NOPE! None of that.

Instead the writers did the smart thing and acknowledged that both Monica and Richard wanted to get married and have kids... but Richard already did it. He got married, had kids, had grandkids, and then got divorced. If he marries Monica now, even if she turns out to be the love of his life and his absolute soulmate he is simply not gonna do all of that again just for her sake, nor should he, because he is in a different state of life and just wants someone to grow old with. It would not be fair of Monica if she tried to force him to have kids again - and it would not be fair of Richard if he expected her to just skip a whole stage of life that she had been super excited for, all because HE already got to have it, enjoy it, and reach the stage where HE was done with it.

And sure, during the drama when Chandler is pretending he will never be interested in marriage and kids, just to surprise Monica with a proposal, they kind of retcon that a bit by having Richard say he regrets that decision and WANTS to have children with her, but I accept that writing choice because:

1 - Literally no one else could fit that role as Chandler's rivals for that storyline without it feeling completely, and it was one of highlights of the last seasons of Friends, aka part of why I'll defend said seasons forever despite the drop in quality.

2 - Richard doesn't seem to have had a truly serious relationship with anyone after Monica because he's clearly not over her, so the pain of seeing her happy with someone else could easily make him start seeing the absolutely correct, but still very difficult choice he made in the past look like THE biggest mistake of his life. When he hear of him later he is not becoming a dad again, so I'll just choose to headcanon that once he found the right person he realized he dodged a bullet when Monica chose Chandler.

3 - Monica did, in fact, choose Chandler. Over Richard. The guy he had been all insecure about, for good reason because Monica would have clearly married him if it wasn't for the not having kids thing, and they had lingering feelings for each other for a looooong time. Her being given the perfect chance to go back to him, and not doing so, is the best way to show to the audience that no, she's not just settling for Chandler because she couldn't have Richard.

4 - Chandler and Richard's talk in which Richard agrees that he already had his chance and that he needs to step aside now because what he is doing isn't fair, Chandler calls him a good guy, and Richard then brags about AND says he hates that is adorable and very funny.

So there you have it. Richard is not Monica's soulmate, but in an AU in which she never met Chandler, or in which they remained purely platonic forever, Richard would be the ONLY acceptable endgame for her because That. Storyline. Was. So. Fucking. Good.

[timaeusterrored]

(Happy Birthday Vax Florence Eurodyne)

((Well, it’s finally here. A whole year (give or take) of me first playing Cyberpunk. It’s been a wild ride and I’ll be honest, there for a second I didn’t think I’d make it a year. I’ve met so many amazing people, met some not so great ones, and lost some amazing ones as well. But at the end of the day… Vax has survived a year. Happy birthday, sweet boy!))

Kerry had done it on purpose, getting Vax fucked up the night before so he could sleep in. Vax didn’t normally sleep in, and normally he woke up when he felt his partners getting up… and yet he somehow woke up at 10am completely alone without realizing.

The penthouse was silent, but the smell of a nice breakfast greeted him as he came to his senses. He whined and face planted back into the pillow, glaring at where his husband should have been.

Fucker… wait.

What day was it?

Oh fuck him. It was his fucking birthday. Well, his and Vex’s birthday…

He should text her at least today. Maybe they could go- no. Maybe not.

Vax rolled out of bed, stretching as Nibbles and Pluto tried to take him out. The cats meowed at his feet, and Vax realized Jupiter was nowhere to be found. Venus must’ve took him out.

Well this was a little rude. He didn’t expect much from his birthday but some kisses would have been nice. But no one was here. Though a plate of delicious looking pancakes sat on the counter and a full pot of coffee had been made just for him. A little whipped cream heart with cherries added made the fixer smile, and realize he hadn’t been forgotten about today.

As he ate, he realized a note had been left on the coffee pot, in Venus’s handwriting.

‘Come to the place we first shook hands for your next clue <3’

Next clue? What the hell?

Vax thought for a moment, wondering where the hell that could have been. When he and Venus met, his sickness was at its peak and he had been preparing for his meeting with Hanako. He frowned at the memories of that time, of headaches so bad he couldn’t move, the mornings he woke up choking on his own blood…

He shook the thoughts away and looked at the note again, trying to think.

It had been somewhere in the badlands, guess he should go ahead and get ready then.

V had gotten dressed after he finished his food and had started his long drive out to wherever the fuck Venus was dragging him. He found his partners laid out on the back of the Beast, absolutely blasting Lizzy Wizzy’s newest album with Jupiter laying next to him.

The nomad looked up when he heard Vax’s car roll up and Vax smiled. He truly believed he had scored the hottest people in Night City somehow.

When he got out, Venus was standing with a piece of paper in their hand. But when Vax approached, they simply held their hand out for a shake.

“It’s a pleasure doin’ business with ya as always, Eurodyne.”

What? No kisses? No darlin’?

When he looked at the new note is when he realized what was going on. A fucking scavenger hunt.

“No kisses? It is my birthday.” Vax pouted, tugging on Venus’s chrome hand.

“Don’t tempt me! No kisses until later, boss’s orders.” Venus pulled his hands away, and got back into the vehicle, calling for their dog to follow as Vax pondered who the boss of this whole thing was. He thinks he knows.

The next note read: ‘Come lose at cards again, I’ll be waiting -The better J’

Judy.

On the drive over to Judy’s place, Vax had to admit this whole thing was cute and exciting. And obviously a lot of effort was put into it. As he pulled in, Judy was standing outside, messing with the note in her hand with a smile.

“Happy birthday.” She said as if she couldn’t contain herself.

Vax smiled as he held his hand out for the note, honestly excited to see who all was involved.

“Who else is in on this?” V finally asked, just wanting to know.

“Boss’s orders, can’t say.” She shrugged, before heading back inside. She had always been a shitty secret keeper.

‘Come find me at the place we had the most awkward dinner known to man- R’

Vax laughed as he headed back to his car. River.

Kerry and Johnny’s newest song came on the radio as he drove, he couldn’t help but turn it up and wondered where his husbands would be in all of this.

He pulled up to the trailer and found his best friend sitting on the table outside, watching Dorian and Monique play.

“Vax! Happy Birthday!” The kids were immediately on him, giving him hugs and saying they had something for him but it wasn’t done yet.

“Alright you two! He’s on a mission. Happy birthday, V!” Joss said from the door, letting the kids come back in.

“And this is for you now.” River handed him the note, Vax eager to figure out who was next. “Having fun?”

“Dude I’m having a fucking blast. Getting to see my favorite people on my day? Hell yeah.”

“Good, I’m glad. I’ll- uh. Bye.” River quickly walked off, rubbing the back of his neck. Okay so River was a shit secret keeper too. Good to know.

‘The place I hid your man’s asshole ex manager’s couch. -SM’

He was glad to see Mike embracing the Small Michael joke.

He found Mike behind the El Coyote, sitting on a dumpster while he waited.

“Hey dude! Happy birthday!” Mike hopped down and wrapped his friend in a hug. “Was told to keep the meeting quick so here ya go.”

Ahhh, so the boss wanted the meetings to go quick. He obviously had to be somewhere by the end of this.

“Goooooo! You got people to see!”

‘Nice and Cozy in here. Come to bar. -P’

Panam was being straightforward as always. It was late afternoon by this point, each place taking quite a bit to get too and find, as well as his rather slow and late start to the morning. Depending on where he was dragged next, he was starting to worry Kerry and Johnny wouldn’t be on this adventure…

He pulled up to back, once again finding his target outside. Short and sweet.

Panam handed him the note, then leaned back against the wall.

“What? No kiss? It’s my birthday, Pan.” Vax teased, making the nomad roll her eyes.

“Short and sweet. Boss’s orders.”

“Didn’t think you followed orders.”

“He’s really convincing- fuck. Fuck you.” Aha! A pronoun! And now a pissed off Panam. She glared at him as he blew a kiss to her and got back in his car to read the note.

And his heart swelled…

‘Go to the place we knew we were fucked. -J’

He’d know that handwriting anywhere. And the note lead him to the oil field.

Johnny Silverhand was sat in the same place Vax had been all those years ago, looking at what was possibly the note he had carved into the metal.

Vax whistled as he approached, his man looking fine as hell today if he had to say so himself. By now, it was around 4:30pm, and most of Vax’s birthday had been spent driving all around the city and Badlands looking for people. He wasn’t complaining though…

“Took you long enough.” Johnny stood, hands in his pockets as Vax stood directly in front of him.

“Had a long day, very little birthday affection I might add. The fuck is that about?” Vax pulled his husband closer by his collar, making Johnny grin a bit.

“Boss’s orders… never listened to orders anyway.” Johnny gave Vax his first birthday kiss, hands sliding around his waist. Their kisses were always a bit intense trying to become one again.

“Where’s my note?” Vax asked when they finally pulled away, but Johnny shrugged.

“Don’t have one. I do however think you should go get you a Jackie Welles at the bar. You’ve earned it.”

“Where’s Ker, J?” Vax asked finally, no note, no nothing. Not even a text from him all day. He had a feeling he knew where he was but if he went down there and Kerry wasn’t waiting for him, he’d be destroyed.

“Just go get you a drink. He’ll be around later. I swear.” Johnny lightly pushed him towards his car, making Vax frown.

The frown didn’t go away when he didn’t see Kerry’s car at the bar… or anyone’s as a matter of fact. He sighed and wondered if Johnny was his prize in the end. Maybe. He hadn’t completely lost hope.

The Afterlife was suspiciously quiet. That was the first thing he noted, the second thing he noted was that Claire wasn’t at the bar, and also the there was no one fucking here-

Hands covered his eyes.

Normally he’d tense up but he could smell the cologne and could recognize the hands from a mile away. He smiled.

“Happy birthday.” Kerry whispered before uncovering his eyes.

Friends and family alike had come out of their hiding spot, with none other than his twin sister at the front, Blue standing behind her as if he had been covering her eyes. The twins stared at each other before everyone burst out a loud ass ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’

“Did you have both of us running through the city- did you plan all of this?” Vax turned to finally meet his husband, wearing that blue shirt he loved so much.

“Yes I did and apparently we had some close calls because some of your people overlapped. Now what the fuck is about you thinking I forgot your birthday? I’m an asshole not a fucking monster-“

Vax pulled his husband in for a kiss, one he earned and had been craving all day. Whistles and laughter alike from around them as music began to play.

“How’d I do?” Kerry whispered when they pulled away. It was easy for Kerry to drag them into their own little world.

“Would’ve liked to have a good morning kiss… but other than that I had fun.” Vax teased.

“Then I did my job.”

The rest of the night was filled with talking and drinks, and the twins’ favorite foods. Vax was attached to his partners the rest of the night, okay yeah maybe he was a bit codependent but he loved them! And hadn’t had them all day.

Rogue stated she couldn’t believe Kerry had slipped this by Vax, and honestly Vax himself was surprised. But Kerry knew him like an opened book so he couldn’t be too surprised that his husband knew how to keep secrets… it was Judy they had been worried about.

At some point, Mama Welles had called for cake. Vax was surprised there even was one, but for the first time ever, the Kane Twins got to blow their candles out together.

[dontcxckitup]

//*slides in with a pan of brownies and a bunch of other chocolates for u 💛* HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NOT ONLY ONE OF MY LONGTIME BEST FRIENDS BUT TO MY GRASSY ASS SISTER 🫡 Wishing you nothing but a great year ahead, Caz! May it be filled with lots of sweets, Ralph films, soooo many amazing threads, and more 😌 Also just know that even if I’m slow to reply to things at times I am just so incredibly thankful that we have known one another for how many years now! Here’s to soooo many years more! Sending you nothing but hugs, smooches, and love mi Amiga 🥺💕 LAV YAAAAA ALWAYS!!!! 💛💛💛💛🥰//

@richardxoliverxmayhew

// AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU MY GRASSY ASS SIS!!!!!! 💙💙💙💙 (also sorry for the late reply lol) Love ya to the moon and back!!

[jung-koook]

hi sky!

it’s my birthday + I’m having a much better day than normal, so I wanted to share the joy + say that I hope that you’re doing well!

also, all your gifs and updates make me so happy to see as I’m becoming busier lately and can’t dive into old bangtan content as often as I’d used to. I especially enjoy the countdown/up of jungkook’s time as there are so many old memories I’m remembering because of you! thanks again and have a great day <3 .

stay safe 🫶🏽

omg i'm so sorry for take long to reply you. happy belated birthday!!! I hope you had an amazing birthday! from what you said it really sounds like it was an amazing day. i'm so happy for you!🥹 but I got really all silly here lslkaslka because you had an amazing day and thought of coming here to share it with me? like, you are so precious I feel a huge desire to protect you from all the evil in this world 🥺 I hope you have many amazing days and that you have one of the best years of your life! may you achieve everything you've ever dreamed of, may you have an awesome life ahead. I wish you only the best. ♡

many of the gifs I'm posting were already in my draft for a long time so I might post some with weird colourings, sorry in advance lmao 😅 there are still a lot of gifs that I need to post that are in my draft.

I'll post everything, even the oldest ones

so get ready for some ugly and weird colourings 😅

anyway, I'm always so happy to help. you can come here and ask what video my gifs are from, ok. I hope you have an amazing week and please take care of yourself. stay safe. ♡

[pedropascalsx]

Happy birthday week, @radiowallet!

Posting this early because quite frankly one day isn’t long enough to celebrate the wonder that is you.

I just wanted to take a few moments to wish you a very Happy Birthday for the 17th and thank you for being such a beacon of light in this fandom.

You give out love and support to so many so freely, and expect nothing in return and we are so lucky to have someone with a heart of kind as yours here with us.

On top of your genuine kindness you have the most phenomenal writing talent and you bless us with so many of your stories and I know that so many, myself included, are so grateful to have discovered you and your brilliant mind through your writing.

Thank you so much for everything you do, thank you so much for being here and most of all; thank you for being you.

And now I just want to take a second to share all of your wonderful work.

@radiowallet | @catepagewrites​ | Masterlist | AO3

We love you so much and a few of your friends have kindly sent in some messages to wish you the happiest of birthdays which I have posted underneath this cut.

Most darling Cat,

Your birthday merits celebrations of the highest order, so I hope you take some time this week to honor the wonderful person that you are. Your incredible talents, your brilliant wit, and your observant insights are just a few of the things I’ve come to appreciate about you so, so much. Most of all, I’m so happy to have your friendship. Whether it’s talking ourselves through long, thankless days at work, worldbuilding within our DMs, or sending each other silly TikToks, my days are infinitely better with you in them. Here’s to another trip around the sun—let’s make it a good one!

Happy Birthday!

All my love,

Jess - @jazzelsaur

"Happy birthday to the best Cat of ''em all, you're the greatest friend a clown can ask for, and I hope you have the best day, month and year because nobody deserves it more.  Love CiCi"

CiCi - @astroboots

cat ❤️

happiest of birthdays to you. you truly are one of the brightest lights in my life. thank you for your support and love and kindness and of course your willingness to whore around whenever. I love you

❤️

Kirby - @write-and-buried

“Dearest Cat, Thank you for always being such a warm and supportive presence! You are truly such a bright spot and I am so happy that you were born. Wishing you a year of wonderful things ahead. Happy birthday!! Love, Ren”

Ren - @the-ginger-hedge-witch

Happy birthday, Cat! I am so endlessly proud of you and your talent. Have a lovely day 💚💚💚

Maia - @honestly-shite

Happiest of birthdays, Cat! Your writing has meant a great deal to so many people, myself included. PWC was one of the first stories I really got into when I joined the fandom. It is so inspiring to see someone so dedicated to storytelling and writing characters who are beautifully flawed. I hope that you have a relaxing celebration surrounded by those you love, and know that all of your internet friends wish they could be there as well!

Laura - @lowlights

“Happiest of happy birthdays to one of the most talented writers I’ve gotten the chance to know. Every story, new and old, speaks so clearly to me, and each time I get to dive in I know I’m in for a treat. Thank you for sharing your immense talent and for being a kind, thoughtful person in our fandom! Enjoy your day!”

LJ - @prolix-yuy

Happy birthday to my Catigail! You are not only incredibly talented but a sweet friend and support! I am so glad our paths crossed in this wild fandom! 💚hazel

Hazel - @grogusmom

Happy birthday, Cat! I love you and I love your kind and brilliant mind. Love Penny.

Penny - @whataperfectwasteoftime

“Cat my love, my pumpkin wife!! Your friendship means the literal world to me and I’m so so happy to be one of many people wishing you the very happiest of birthdays. You are an incredible writer and an amazing friend, and I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you very much!! I hope you have the best day!”

Emma - @magpie-to-the-morning

Happy Happy Birthday, Cat!

I've loved following you on your writing journey. You're so talented and I look forward to reading more of your work in 2023. XOXO Charnie

Charnie - @charnelhouse

"Happy birthday Cat! I don’t say this enough but you’re one of the kindest, most talented people I know and you inspire me daily. I’m so happy that we’ve met and I hope you have the best birthday ever! ❤️🍾"

Sil - @psychedelic-ink

Happy Birthday Cat!!! You’re one of my most favorite people here and I feel so honored to be able to call you a friend. You’ve always been immensely supportive and kind towards everyone, and seeing you on my dash every day truly is so lovely. On top of being one of the kindest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, you are undoubtedly one of those most creative and talented as well. Reading your fics is always a pleasure and a masterclass in writing all in one. Thank you so much for sharing your works and your presence with us all. I hope you have a lovely day ❤️

Miranda - @pennyserenade

Tell her a secret admirer in Austin loooooooooves Funny Girl! 💖💜💖

"Happiest of birthdays to you, Cat! I hope it comes with all the love, all the fun, all the joy that you bring to my life and to the many many people here on Tumblr that love you just like I do. You're an incredible friend, a huge inspiration, and if I could I would hire Pedro to hide in cake for you!"

Kelly - @chaoticgeminate

Cat,

I hope you have the most wonderful birthday! I have to tell you that you are amazing. A wonderfully talented addition to our little fandom and it makes me grin every time I see your posts roll across my dash. ❤️❤️❤️

Keri - @absurdthirst

If Cat were a cat she’d be my kind of cat, bright and purring and playful, a nice kind of cat. She’d wake me in the morning with a pat of her paw and sleep in the sunshine along the north wall. But Cat’s not a cat, she’s a wonderful pal, sweet and supportive, full of talent et al. Sometimes she’s sad, and of course that’s okay, we all have our feelings and our very bad days. But mostly she writes like her heart is on fire, tales of heroes and lovers and things poorly wired. I get lost in her moments and wander her tales, I often feel that next to her my writing pales. But how can one hold one art next to another? Cat is unique—writer, author, and mother. The way that her stories can stir up the feels, I make her my queen, to this Cat I kneel. Please all raise a glass to our Cat, birthday queen! The loveliest, kindest, most amusing and brilliant, balanced and giving Cat I’ve ever seen. <3

Adira - @oonajaeadira​ 

Happiest of birthdays Cat! If you asked me, you have no business being so sweet, so kind and so talented all at once. I hope you have the most amazing day and a wonderful Christmas ❤️

Cee - @fuckyeahdindjarin​ 

"Dear wonderful Cat, thankyou for being such a lovely pal and an a+ human. Lots of love, Kitty xx"

Kitty - @yespolkadotkitty​

Cat!! I hope you have the very best of birthdays! Seeing you on my dash never fails to put a smile on my face, and it has been a true honor to watch your writing grow and flourish over the last year and a half that I’ve been following you. Thank you for sharing your work with us, and thank you for being the wonderful person you are💗

Ash - @mandoblowmybackout​

[bf-skz]

24 to 25 days of SKZMAS | December 3rd - Changbin

pairing: Seo Changbin x Reader

genre: second chance

synopsis: By an odd chance Changbin runs into his ex in a shopping mall while doing Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, he is accompanied by his current toxic girlfriend. However, no one can deny the clear sparks between them.

warnings: -

words: 817

3rd day of SKZMAS

December 3rd

The mall is filled to the brim with people. Right after payday, Changbin feels like the whole population of the city has been squeezed inside the shiny shopping center, decorated with every single cheesy Christmas decoration known to men. It’s not like he particularly dislikes the holiday season, but sometimes, all this hustle exhausts him. Especially coming from the office after an 8-hour shift, shuffling from one store to another.

He huffs a little as the next bag is held out in his face.

“I thought you might have a hand for that.” Changbin says with a chuckle, but reaches up to take the bag, adding it to the four other ones in his hold already.

“Sweetie, this is what you have been working out for.” his girlfriend coos sweetly. “Just one last shop and we are done.”

“Whatever you say, love.” Changbin says, giving in as always. What can he say, he is just soft for her like that. His friends at the office often say he should toughen up, otherwise people will just use him… but he cannot help it. “Which one?”

“Pandora, of course.” she giggles. “You could buy me some sparkle to really shine this Christmas. Since you didn't get any for my birthday…” she says with intent to hurt.

“Oh. You are right.” Changbin says, guilt instantly spreading in his chest before he leans in to press a quick kiss on her lips. “Let’s find you something pretty, hm?”

“Smart boy.” she pats his face as she goes ahead, heading straight for the most expensive display without fail. “Ah, I want it all.”

“You have one hell of a taste.” Changbin grins at her, following her to look through the bracelets, one shinier than the other. Thankfully, he can provide a comfortable lifestyle for himself and his girlfriend, but he likes to have a limit to his spendings. Not today, though. Today, he is spoiling his baby. That’s what the holidays are all about, isn’t it?

“Hello there dears, how can I help you?” you step to them and you are immediately taken aback as your eyes meet Changbin’s. “Changbin?” you whisper with an unsure, surprised smile.

“Oh, oh my gosh, hi!” Changbin says with a widening grin, realizing who he is talking to in a second. “It’s been ages! How have you been?”

“I've been great!” you grin at the boy, no, man, who is as gorgeous as ever. “How are you? What have you been up to? You are stunning!”

“Oh, you're one to talk.” Changbin says. Woah, his heart leaping at your words. “I'm doing great, I'm-” he says but he's cut short by a small, but insistent cough behind him. “We, are actually just doing some Christmas shopping.” he says sheepishly, gesturing at his girlfriend. “Honey, this is- well.”

“A shop assistant that you are flirting with to get a discount.” his girlfriend says sharply, raising a brow. “Hi, we are here for a ring for me.”

“Oh…” you conclude with a small smile. Of course Changbin moved on, it's been years but does he actually… “Congratulations on your engagement.”

“Thank you.” Changbin says, and something uncomfortable sits on his chest. They are not exactly engaged yet… but he is not going to humiliate his girlfriend like that. “And, uhm, you work here now! That's great, I hope everything worked out the way you planned.” he says softly. He cannot help it; even though you broke up almost two years ago, he finds he still cares deeply about you. All those months don’t just pass without a trace.

“Yeah…” you say, biting down on your lower lip. “You know how things are… but I’m so happy to see that you are doing fine! You look amazing as always! You still work out, don’t you?” you ask with a chuckle before shaking your head. “I’m sorry. Let’s look for a ring.” 

Changbin watches you go ahead, and he doesn't realize the stupid smile tugging at his lips until he locks eyes with his girlfriend.

“What's up?”

“Who the fuck was that?” 

“Oh, we used to date.” Changbin says with a simple shrug. “Last year of college. We broke up a few months before I met you.” he says, watching her with a frown. “Why?”

“It seems like they aren’t over you.” his girlfriend rolls her eyes. “They were ridiculously desperate.”

“I don't think they were.” Changbin says, lowering his voice and hoping she will also do the same. The last thing he wants is you overhearing this conversation. “But even if they haven't moved on, that's on them. I have, and I am dating you now, okay? Nothing to worry about.” Changbin says, pressing a kiss on her cheek.

“Yeah, only their eyes almost fell out of their socket.” she huffs, pushing him away. “Just buy me something and go. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

to be continued...

[fugamalefica]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY❤️❤️❤️

I hope you’re having a great day, and that this year ahead will be the best year possible, full of successes and happiness!

You’re one of the best people here on Tumblr, honestly - I am so happy to call you a friend

THANK YOU!

I had an AMAZING day and getting this from you has only made it better. It means a great deal, from one of the best people on Tumblr herself ❤️

[foxymoxynoona]

6 months is a long time! Where did you study? Japan is a popular trip from here. I’m thinking I should go sometime this year, too. I have a some vacation I can use, but we have to use them during term test weeks. Funny enough one of the times is in April! So I might go in April or July. Are your kids excited about going to Japan? I imagine it’s not easy traveling with kids haha but I’m noticing that sometimes kids are easier to rally if they’re happy and curious.

I think my favorite thing about Seoul is that it feels less like one city and more like a dozen cities laying right next to each other. There are endless things to explore bc each neighborhood is its own place. They’re similar ofc but they are unique in their own way. My least favorite thing tho is how far my neighborhood is from the really interesting parts of the city. It’s super easy to get everywhere but it’s gonna take me an hour. So I can only go places on the weekends. I have to be careful not to overdo it tho! These past two weekends I chilled bc my birthday, some social events, and Seollal are coming up back to back. I really have never been so social in my life! Did I tell you about the queer book club I’m in?

Oh and before I forget, I need to tell you how much I’m looking forward to To Kill a King. It’s such a fascinating story. Meadow is a favorite of mine so I always like your more complicated worlds. I’m working on a novel atm with a complex world, so I’d love any advice! —🐮 anon

I was living in the Netherlands although I traveled around Europe a lot. It was AMAZING, definitely one of the best periods of my life.

My kids are soooo excited about Japan, they've been asking to go for years. I'm hoping what you say is true, that they'll be troopers about the travel. It won't be from lack of excitement though, I just know 24 hours of travel and sitting on a plane is rough, especially for a 5 year old 😵‍💫 Hopefully it won't be unbearable though and this will free us up for more trips. They want to go to the Bahamas next (for sharks, they're both super into sharks) and Greenland... I'm thinking yes to Bahamas and no to Greenland haha.

You didn't tell me about the queer book club!! That sounds like so much funnnn. All of your descriptions of Seoul sound great. I wish I could remember more detail about the time I spent there and where I was but I was in a tour of Asia for work and it was all such a whirlwind so I've had to mostly just live vicariously through my research and now you 😊 So many exciting things coming up!! Feel free to drop aaaaany mundane experiences here, I volunteer to be the diary! haha

And thank you for your excitement about TKAK haha. I'm inching along on the next chapter. It has a lot of scenes that need careful choreography... but I did some cheating writing ahead this last week too and I'm so excited for future scenes so that'll help me push through the harder chapters!

[deus-ex-mona]

If You Don’t Give Me Some Treats, I’ll Fanservice You: Epilogue

happy birthday to tojo sara! ...and happy halloween, i guess?

previous part (chapter 7)

Yujiro: Hey, guys. Check out the online articles.

Minami: Eh? What are they about?

Minami: …Whoa, it’s amazing!

On a later day—

mona found herself co-starring with LIPxLIP and Minami on another music programme, and they had begun to converse about the Halloween live they had performed at.

Aizo: “Fans Rejoice at the Idol mona’s Godly Response”, “The Burning Friendship Among Fellow Idols”... they say.

Aizo: What the heck? They keep going on and on about no one but mona.

Yujiro: It kinda ticks me off that they call the thing between us “friendship”.

mona: That’s my line.

mona: (It’d be misleading… to call it “friendship”. But…)

mona: I’m really grateful… for your help that day.

mona: I’d been really stressing out about what I was going to do if I couldn’t make it in time.

Aizo: We didn’t do it for you or anything, stupid.

Yujiro: Exactly. We didn’t do it for you, mona. We did it for the fans. Don’t misunderstand, okay?

mona: …

mona: (They’re saying way too much, just like they always do!)

mona: In any case! I owe you one for this! I’ll pay you back in any way you wish!

mona: I don’t wanna be indebted to you!

Aizo: Hmm, you wanna do something for us? Isn’t it a hundred years too early for that?

Yujiro: Nah, make it ten thousand years.

mona: (Geez!)

mona: You too, Minami! I owe you one, so I’ll repay you as soon as possible!

Minami: Aah, me too?

Minami: I had a blast singing a song that wasn’t on my setlist, so all’s good with me.

Minami: But in the end, the outcome of our candy collection showdown was pretty vague! I guess I really don’t like competitions after all.

Aizo: Aah, speaking of that, you’re the one who managed to collect more sweets. Right, Minami?

Minami: It’s only because mona decided to play that trick at the end.

Yujiro: How did the on-site filming go, though? We weren’t able to watch your livestream at all.

Minami: Hmm, the filming, huh…

Minami: I spoke to kids and elderly people way more often than I was expecting—.

Minami: If, “If you don’t give me some treats, I’ll play a trick on you”!

Old Lady: Well, well, is that so? What should I give you, then?

Minami: “If you don’t give me some treats, I’ll play a…”

Old Man: Here you go! Freshly made taiyaki, straight from that store over there! It’s really good!

Minami: “If you…”

Child: Wow! You’re a celeb! Gimme some sweets! Please?!

Minami: Ah… You want some sweets? Sure, go ahead and pick out anything you’d like.

Child: Thanks!

Minami: (It’s just stuff that was given to me, but… the kid’s happy about it, so it’s fine, right…?)

Minami: Everyone was so warm and friendly to me, even if they didn’t know who I was. It was a really nice experience.

Yujiro: Is that so?

Aizo: Ah, there’s an article about you too, Minami.

Yujiro: …Hmm? You helped an elderly lady carry her stuff? The article says that you helped her to cross the street too.

Minami: Yeah, that happened too.

Minami: But that old lady was really nice to me. She even gave me tons of sweets at the end too, you know?

Minami: Wow! Is it really okay for me to get so many?!

Old Lady: It’s fine, it’s fine. Take it as my thanks for being so kind to me today.

Old Lady: It reassures me to know that there are still kindhearted youngsters out there, just like you.

Minami: I think that it was a really great programme that allowed us to get closer to the people around us. Wanna try it next year, LIPxLIP?

Yujiro: Well, I’ll do it if we have to, I guess.

Aizo: I’ll think about it.

Minami: I-I see.

mona: (Somehow… At one point, I’d been a little worried about how things would go. But this Halloween unexpectedly ended up being better than I thought it would be, I guess?)

mona: Ah! Speaking of that, the staff allowed me to bring the sweets I was given home.

mona: I brought some of them with me today. Wanna have some?

Aizo: Oh, sure.

Yujiro: Did you bring any sweet ones?

The four of them had an exciting tea party for just a little while. During that short moment, mona had been able to forget that those guys were her rivals… or something—.

[ginnsbaker]

So much to say and so little time (I’m at work😭). First of all, you’re a criminally underrated writer! I read a lot of (reader) stories and in my personal opinion I do think you’re the best writer I’ve come across currently. The endlessly beautifully described writing you provide that somehow keeps me engrossed all throughout and wanting more. I’m trying to get back into writing and you’re definitely someone I strive to write like, inspiring I guess you could say because what the fuck how did you paint us this lovely idea inside your head with just words? Excuse me? I think I’m I love you? Stop it?

It’d be a major plot twist if I’m wrong but I definitely think the endgame is Wanda, I wish it was Yelena but after that last chapter it’s painfully evident that she deserves someone who’s all in, Kate’s hot so that’s a win. You had me dropping my damn jaw more than once, I spent this entire day catching up on your work. The fact that my birthday is this week also really made the most recent update amazing, an early birthday gift. I tried convincing myself to save it until the day of but I couldn’t help myself.

HOPE YOU HAVE THE BEST FUCKING DAY AND I think you’re really cool :D

Thank you for coming here to say all of that and for reading ILGOSS :) This is the longest fic I've ever worked on, so I'll take all the comments I can get to see if it's any good.

Believe it or not, I stopped writing 10 years ago. It's the worst writer's block I've ever had. Bly Manor's story gripped me and I thought about writing a fic, but I couldn't get the words out. Couldn't even write a sentence. And then just one day, I started writing one line per day until I finished a whole page. And then kept at if until I was able to write 1k words. And even then, I never published that Wanda x Reader fic because i thought it sucked.

And then the idea for In Flames and ILGOSS came along and I just kept writing everyday. Started with 300 words a day, and now I can manage at least 1k a day.

I'm telling you all of this so that it can help you get back to writing. It's a rewarding hobby and I'm sure you have many wonderful stories to tell in that beautiful head of yours. And I hope you share it with us someday.

And oh my god, happy birthday! May all your wishes come true! I've mentioned somewhere in my post from weeks ago that Chapter 13 should be obvious about who is endgame. I will never say it outright but it is what it is.

Have a great week ahead and an awesome birthday! Cheers!

[babyiamperfectforyou]

A very happy birthday to one of our best friends here. It has only been a few months but you've become so close to our hearts. Sending you so much love and happiness on your day, have a blast, girl😘❤️ Lysm❤️❤️❤️

Wishing you a great day and an amazing year ahead 💓😘 @a-strange-familiar