#he also ate wrapping paper and one year sat all morning on my mother’s lap and she couldn’t unwrap anything

[carterashofficial]

It is our first Christmas without Abbey.

You would think that this would be a quiet, calm Christmas with No Mischief b/c she isn’t here anymore. Please keep in mind that over the 11 years we had her, her favorite Trouble to Get Into during the holidays involved:

-trying to eat the glass ornaments (they looked like a tennis ball?)

-chew on one of Great-Grandma’s duck ornaments (Jewel had already eaten one so we are now down to 4 of the original 6)

-tennis ball under Christmas tree means the whole tree must fall over, thankfully it was caught by the couch

-eat the flocking on the real tree (no more real trees)

-tissue paper is a SNACK

-Ate the tissue paper, found the fuzzy socks for Mom, and was caught burying them in the backyard by mom

-Present smells like Food let’s Eat It (she got partway through the wrapping paper and into the cardboard, pretty sure it was clothes from a grandparent)

-we then had to store all presents atop the china cabinet or put them where she couldn’t easily get them

-the tree skirt was really a blanket in her mind and she chewed it all up (this was LAST YEAR)

-eat legos (almost every year)

-steal whatever stocking was closest to her and RUN (always caught before it became Demolished)

-the “you’re saving this pile of wrapping paper? For me? Oh you don’t want me to have it? I love this game.”

You get the idea. Snicklefritz was a Menace during the holidays and had to have Constant Supervision.

The past 2 years with Teddy Pete, he has been very calm and quiet. Abbey was the Hurricane of Chaos to his No-thoughts-Just-Bellyrubs. Now it’s just the Dingus and without Someone to cause trouble, he’s taken it upon himself. So far Tedboy has:

-Decided the fake tree was a Real Tree and started eating the branches

-the wicker thing to hide the bottom of a Different fake tree was Snack and now there is a Hole in it

-chewed up the new tree skirt

-almost got one of the duck ornaments, ornaments are back in storage

-last year he partially ate my sister’s nutcracker which we didn’t take as a Sign but it clearly was. We couldn’t find one arm.

-tried to eat the fake garland my mother put on the mantle (it has been removed)

-the fake tree on the stairs (with the wicker thing) has been moved to the family room b/c Someone with 1 braincell kept knocking it over when he got The Zoomies

Long story short I’ve decided that when the Holidays start, the dogs just become Troublemakers. Probably has to do with the short days and long nights. Less time to play outside. More shiny or interesting things inside.

[winterscaptain]

the pleasures of the elder.

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader

a/n: the people have spoken, and they all love sean hotchner. this fits after mean it in the joyful future universe, but no context is actually required to enjoy a little bit of sibling rivalry. title comes from jane austen’s quote: “the younger brother must help to pay for the pleasures of the elder.” 

words: 3k warnings: language, alcohol use, sex mention, jealous!aaron, perceptive!sean

summary: when he arrives for an impromptu visit, sean knows his brother too well to give him any moment’s peace - especially when it comes to you. 

masterlist | a joyful future masterlist | requests closed

A man, both very handsome and vaguely familiar, pushes through the glass doors and walks across the bullpen - a visitor's badge pinned proudly to his leather jacket. You try to place him, but come up short. 

You’re alone, for the time being. Almost everyone is off running some kind of last-minute errand around the federal building - making copies, finishing paperwork, or in a meeting (in Hotch’s case). It’s the last dregs of the day, the sun setting over the river. 

The man stops in front of your desk. “Hi. Are you part of the BAU, or am in the wrong place?” His eyes are bright, roaming over your face with a kind of curious, warm, knowing air. 

You smile at him, and before you can answer -

“Sean!” JJ’s fond tone carries across the bullpen, and she arrives with an armful of cases. 

Sean? 

Oh my god. 

Sean Hotchner. 

“Hey, JJ, right?”

She laughs, sounding a little younger than she is. You can’t blame her. Sean is exceedingly handsome in an entirely different direction than his older brother. And if your memory serves correctly, just a year older than you. “Yeah, that’s right. Good to see you.” He offers her a hand, and she shifts her files to take it. His handshake is firm, and lasts just a moment too long. 

You kick back in your chair, almost inviting him to lean against your desk. “Hotch is in a meeting, if you’re looking for him. He should be out in,” you check your watch, “about five minutes.”

Sean turns back to you, his shockingly blue eyes meeting yours. “Thanks.” He smiles at you again, and you’d be lying if you said your heart was doing normal things in your chest. “Sean Hotchner. I’m Aaron’s - sorry, Hotch’s - little brother.”

Those eyes are dangerous. 

Oh, poor Aaron. 

You shake his hand and introduce yourself. “Pleasure’s all mine, I’m sure.” 

Just as you suspected moments ago, he takes the initiative and leans against your desk. JJ hovers nearby, a little smile on her face. You watch as she sends a quick text, and puts her phone back on her belt. 

Gotta tell the girls...

“So,” he starts, brisk and businesslike, “you definitely weren’t here during my last visit. What’s your story?”

“Well, if you must know -“

“I must.” He flashes you another smile, and you can only imagine all the trouble he caused growing up. Or, rather, you can imagine all the trouble he would have caused if his brother wasn’t around to bail him out. Five years ago, you would have been drawn into his pretty eyes and wide smile. Now, you can only see a boyish, overt, almost-inelegant version of the understated warmth you love in Aaron. 

You give him a quick rundown of your history: hometown, alma mater, etc. “- I was an academy grad in 2007, and I’ve been here ever since.”

“Ah, so not a newbie anymore. And you’ve worked with my brother the whole time?” He almost looks impressed. His glance down to your ringless left hand doesn’t escape your notice.

Oh Sean, if only you knew. 

You nod. “Yeah, I’ve worked under Hotch for five years now.” 

And I’ve worked over him for about three months. Also under him, around him, on the couch, in the kitchen, etc.

Shut up. 

C’mon. It’s funny.

A low whistle leaves him as you bite back a smile. “Damn. I’m so sorry. He’s a real hardass.”

You lean in conspiratorially, and you’re almost cheek-to-cheek as he leans down to listen. “You know, that’s what I hear, but -” 

Penelope bursts through the doors and calls your name, carrying an armful of papers that have absolutely nothing to do with the work going on upstairs. Emily is close behind her, an amused grin on her face. 

Sean leans back so you can finally see her. “Yeah?”

“I have these for - Oh, hi Sean!” She says it like she hasn’t already decided her primary objective is to get his attention. 

“Hey!” He looks over at her, one finger up to stop her in her tracks. “Wait, don’t tell me. Garcia, right?”

“Penelope,” JJ supplies helpfully. 

“That’s right. It’s good to see you again.” He offers her his hand, and she takes it. You’re almost certain he winks at her, and she smiles through the blush rising on her cheeks. 

He really is a heartbreaker, huh?

Aaron must have had his work cut out for him.

Derek rounds the corner and immediately rolls his eyes at the scene before him. Sean has his body angled toward you (in your chair, completely open, with your chin in your hand) while he shakes Penelope’s hand. JJ pretends to do work off at her desk behind yours, but she’s completely tuned into the conversation. Emily’s sitting on her own desk off to the side, watching the whole thing with a certain degree of good humor. 

“Sean, good to see you, man.” Derek walks over and takes Penelope under his arm. It’s almost possessive, and you almost laugh. 

Sean releases Penelope’s hand and takes Derek’s. “Hey, Morgan. How’ve you been?”

Their bro-to-bro catch-up fades into the background as you see Hotch appear on the breezeway by his office. You look up at him before pointedly glancing at Sean beside you. He sighs, then calls, “Sean.”

The man in question turns, and a smile breaks out over his face when he sees his brother. There’s something cocky about it, and you don’t miss the way his body language remains keyed into you as he speaks. “That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”

Aaron takes another deep breath and walks down the stairs. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I just come see my big brother at work?”

Aaron’s eyebrow is dubious at best. “What do you need?”

Sean laughs, and it reminds you enough of Aaron’s that it draws a wide smile from you. You find yourself looking fondly up at Sean, seeing more of the resemblance now that they’re beside each other. Aaron’s jaw flexes. You notice. 

Oh, see, now this is fun. 

“I was just in town and figured I’d stop by to see if you were here or out on a case.” Sean glances down at you with another charming smile before looking back at his brother. “I guess I got lucky.” 

He’s just full of those smiles, isn’t he?

JJ jumps in. “We’re actually planning on going out to drinks once we wrap up in a couple of minutes. You’re more than welcome to come.”

While JJ pulls attention elsewhere, you glance up at Hotch and throw him a wink. Hey. Relax. 

His jaw relaxes just a touch, and his lips twitch. As usual, he covers it by crossing his arms over his chest. Don’t be a shit. 

You wet your lips and purse them a little. Nice try. 

He shifts, just a little, raising an eyebrow. You’re really gonna go there?”

Watch this. You toss him a quick smile. “That would be great!” You brush Sean’s sleeve as you unnecessarily reach over him for Penelope. “What do you think, Pen?”

“Oh, we’d love that!” Penelope takes your hand, squeezes it, and looks up at Derek. “Wouldn’t we?”

Derek nods. “We’d love to have you, man. It’ll be good to hear what you’ve been up to in New York.” 

Aaron does his best to suppress his eye roll. You’re lucky he loves you, childish antics and all. 

+++

When you split up into your respective cars, Sean elects to ride with you over his brother. You and Hotch play the role of designated drivers. You’ve fallen into the routine, finding it's much easier to sneak around your coworkers as they get more and more inebriated through the evening. 

Aaron doesn’t look too happy with the ride arrangements, but he lets it slide. Dave and Emily ride with him, while you have Derek, Penelope, and JJ in the car with you and Sean. 

It’s not that he doesn’t trust you. He doesn’t trust Sean. 

Logically, he doesn’t have anything to worry about. He woke up this morning to your patient, adoring eyes and your hands playing with his hair. You ate breakfast together (read: sat in his lap with a bowl of cereal while he read his emails), were (almost) late due to your showering arrangement, and only parted after a (very) good kiss in the driveway. 

Still though, he can’t quite shake the insecurities he always felt with his brother. Thirteen years his junior, Sean always seemed to excel in every social pursuit. Music, girls, friends - he was able to settle into things Aaron always struggled with. It was stupid. Aaron was well into his thirties when Sean was in undergrad, but that prickle of envy never seemed to fade. 

Their mother never put the pressure on Sean the way she did on Aaron, and in some ways it made sense. He was a teenager when their father passed, and Sean was hardly a child. More responsibility, more weight, less credit. 

Aaron might be his mom’s pride and joy, even to this day, but Sean will always be her baby. 

Thus, watching Sean easily weasel his way into one of your smiles wore on almost thirty years of tension. 

“Hey, what’s going on with you?” Emily asks, tapping Hotch’s shoulder with gentle fingers. Upon making contact, she snorts. “Wow, you’re really tense.” 

Hotch shakes his head and shrugs her off. “I’m alright.” 

It’s Dave’s turn to snort. “No you’re not. You’ve been scowling since Sean showed up.”

“He just has that effect on me. Always has.” 

“C’mon, Aaron.” Dave says. Aaron’s grip on the wheel tightens, but he doesn’t say anything. “He’s just a kid.” 

With a flat deadpan, Aaron replies, “He’s thirty.” 

Emily leans forward on the center console, inserting herself into the conversation. “Hotch, you don’t have anything to worry about. Sean doesn’t have anything on you.” She bumps his shoulder with hers. 

He sighs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Emily and Dave share a look and a little smile. 

+++

You hop out of the car, swinging your keys in your hand. Hotch is a couple of spots down from you in the parking lot, and your little groups meet up somewhere in the middle. Falling back, you let Derek and Emily lead the way. When they’re all in front of you, Sean included, you press your shoulder to Aaron’s for just a moment. 

“Are you going to be childish?” he says, quietly. 

You suppress a smile. “You’re fun when you’re jealous.” 

“I’m not jealous.” 

“Alright.” Your hand snags his for just a moment, before you jog forward to catch up to the rest of the group. 

“There you are!” Sean’s voice rings out, and you let him tuck you under his arm. You wrap an arm around Sean’s waist and chance a look back to grin at Aaron. 

Gotcha, babe. 

Aaron rolls his eyes so loudly you can see it from twenty feet away. Ridiculous. 

I love you. 

I know. 

+++

You’ve all managed to secure a table. While not incredibly crowded, there are plenty of people around. You planted yourself next to Aaron, and Sean planted himself next to you. The music is just loud enough to encourage dancing without requiring a shout to communicate. 

Derek downed his first drink and led Penelope on the floor within ten minutes of your arrival. 

The round table is crowded, and your pinkie locked in Aaron’s belt loop goes unnoticed. He stretches his arm out behind you to clap Sean’s shoulder, and his fingers quickly trace across your shoulders as he pulls it back. 

“So what have you been up to, Sean?”

“Oh, you know. This and that.” He pulls from the drink in front of him and you’re almost certain it’s just a Coke. 

Sober? Getting there? 

Remind me to get the skinny on that later. 

10-4.

Aaron chuckles darkly. “You’re gonna have to do better than that.” 

Sean shrugs, and leans back, checking out the dance floor. You pull your pinkie from Aaron and put both of your hands on the table. Emily’s looking a little too watchful tonight, and you’d hate to lose your bet. 

Your money is on making it more than six months without alerting the team you’ve been sleeping together. Aaron, always of little faith, took the alternative. 

“Dance with me?” Sean offers you a hand, and you take it. Before you get too far, you lean across Aaron to take another sip of your drink. When you lose your balance (on purpose), Aaron steadies you with a hand around your waist, making sure you’re settled on your feet before you jet off with Sean. 

“Thanks, Hotch!”

He takes a long pull from his beer - his only drink for the evening. Hotch. Gimme a break. 

“Looks like they’re hitting it off great,” JJ says with a laugh. “That works out. I mean, Sean’s about our age, right?”

Don’t remind me. 

“Yep. Turned thirty last month.” Aaron does his best to not sound too bitter. 

JJ smirks at Emily, who turns to smirk at Dave. They don’t know what they don’t know, but they certainly know enough to keep an eye on Aaron for the rest of the evening. 

“That’s in-flight entertainment, baby.” Emily whispers to JJ. “I can’t wait to tell Will. He’s going to die laughing.” 

JJ lets out a peal of laughter. “Absolutely.”

Out on the floor, you’re having way too much fun, sandwiched between Derek and Sean. You pull Penelope between you and Derek, and loop an arm over Sean’s shoulders. 

“So,” he says, his lips close to your ear and his voice barely audible over the music, “how long have you been sleeping with my brother?”

You freeze for just a moment, but it’s a moment too long to recover. “What?”

“Oh, come on. Question in response to a question? That’s like profiling 101.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sean rolls his eyes. “He’s halfway in love with you, if not completely fucked, in case he’s failed to tell you.” He spins you out, and back in so your back is against his chest. 

“We’ve got that covered, yeah.” You twist in his arms. “You gonna do anything about it?”

He shrugs. “I dunno. I think it’s pretty funny to get him all worked up, though, don’t you think?” Another bright smile crosses his face and his blue eyes seem to glow in the dim light. 

“Oh, Sean. I think we’re going to get along just fine.” You laugh and reach for him again, but a finger appears in your belt loop. Derek pulls you back toward him by the hip. He’s stupid strong, and you can only tumble back into him with another laugh. 

You’re sweaty, sober, and having way too much fun.  

“Careful, kid. I think Hotchner has a crush.” Derek’s playful jab is warm against your ear as you fall in with him, cheek-to-cheek. 

“What can I say?” You ask. “I’m irresistible.” 

Derek throws you under his arm in a spin and you land back at his chest with the wind knocked out of you. “He’s gotta get in line though.”

“Oh?”

“I think his big brother’s gonna give him a run for his money?” 

That’s enough for you. “Gimme a break, Morgan.” With a laugh, you shove at Derek’s chest and leave the floor. Returning to the table, you sidle up to Aaron again. “Hey, Hotch. Having fun?”

He gives you a weak glare out of the corner of his eye and takes a sip of his beer. “A blast.” 

“Couple more hours, if that, then we’ll be home.” You drop your voice, almost whispering into your glass as you take another sip.

Aaron nods. “Can’t come soon enough.” 

The rest of the team gets more and more sloshed as the evening progresses, and you can get away with a lot more. That said, Sean’s eyes are playful, sober, and more than a little amused. 

“What did my brother say to you?” Hotch murmurs, under his breath. The girls went to the bathroom (and to call Spencer a cab home) while Derek and Sean posted up at the bar, itching for an excuse to give some asshole the what-for. 

You bump his shoulder. “Just that you’re half in love with me, if not already completely fucked.” 

He heaves a sigh. “Can’t catch a break.” You link your pinkie through his belt loop again. “He’s right, though.” 

“How’s that?” You look up at him and you know he can see how much you love him. 

“I’m completely fucked.” 

If any of your team members wonder what’s so fucking funny, they don’t ask. It’s just good to see Hotch smiling again. 

+++

At the end of the night, you drop Sean back off at the hotel on your way home. He’s the last in your car, so he can speak his mind with a certain degree of freedom. You idle in front of the building for a moment, just enjoying the silence.

“Hey.” 

You look over at him. “Yeah?”

“You’d make a great in-law. Just wanted you to know that I’m here for it.” He offers you a hand. You shake it and it almost feels like you’re making some kind of gentleman’s agreement. “Take care of him. He needs it.” 

“Oh, don't worry. I know.”

The smile you share is that of a pair of co-conspirators, of siblings, of friends. 

We’ll do just fine, you and I. 

tagging: @arganfics @quillvine @stxrryspencer @agenthotchner @wandaswitxh @hurricanejjareau @fics-ilike @ange-must-die @ughitsbaby @rousethemouse @criminalsmarts  @dr-reid-ismyspiritanimal @shrimpyblog @genevievedarcygranger @ssaic-jareau @good-heavens-chris-evans @davidrossi-ismydad @angelsbabey @gublergirls @writefasttalkevenfaster @venusbarnes @hotchsflower @micaiahmoonheart @ogmilkis @thatreallyis-americas-ass @marvels-agents100 @newtslatte @risenfox @mrs-dr-reid @captain-christopher-pike @joemazzello-imagines @pinkdiamond1016 @sebbybaby0 @lilsiswinchester @pan-pride-12 @hotchlinebling @lee-rin-ah @sunshine-em @word-scribbless @jdougl-love @sageellsworth05 @emmice9 @nohalohoseok @giveusbackourbucky @writerxinthedark @mrshotchnerrossimulder21 @bauslut @yourlovelynewsbian @sparklingkeylimepie @aili28 @kingandrear @reader4027 @spnobsessedmemes @rogers-mouth @dreila03 @forgottenword @aaronhotchnerr @ssa-morgan @hotchnersgoddess @buckybau @phoenixfyre374 @sana-li @tegggeeee @abschaffer2 @ssacandi-ass-prentiss @songbird400 @dontkissthewriter @ellyhotchner @a-dorky-book-keeper @lotties-journey-abroad @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25 @laneygthememequeen @ahopelessromantic @violentvulgarvolatile @andreasworlsboring101 @mooneylupinblack @ssareidbby @violet-amxthyst @bwbatta @roses-and-grasses @lcvischmitt @capricorngf @missdowntonabbey @averyhotchner @mandylove1000 @garcia-reid-lovechild  @cevanswhre @colbyskoalas  @qvid-pro-qvo @joanofarkansass @jeor @spencers-hoodrat 

[shyvioletcat]

this prompt seems made for fireman whitethorn and aelin: “Sitting on the doorstep in the cold, waiting for their S/O to come home from working on christmas day (emergency services?) and hugging them for so long whilst whispering ‘merry christmas’ into their neck and kissing any inch of skin they can reach.” 😭❤️

Here it is! The last one, getting it in on the last day of December with day 5 of the Rowaelin Holiday Celebration. And it’s another baby’s first Christmas thing but I’m not even mad about it. I hope you’ve all had an enjoyable holiday season, considering everything. Thanks for reading guys, sending hugs to everyone. Striking Matches Masterlist

~~~~~

Aelin sat on the swinging bench on the front porch of her home. It was bitingly cold, almost freezing, to try and keep it out she rearranged her fluffy scarf and hugged her mug of hot chocolate tighter. If she were sensible, she would be inside in front of the gas fireplace or even better in bed. But instead she was outside in the cold, waiting for her husband to get home.

Rowan was coming off a night shift and she was waiting for him, too excited and desperate to see him to do anything else. They had been stressing that his roster would have him working for the entirety of Yulemas Day and they were both heartbroken at the prospect. This Yulemas was not just the first in their new home, but it was also their first as a family of three. So when the roster had arrived, showing that his team would be on the night shift during the holidays, Aelin had just about jumped for joy. She had a sneaking suspicion that Lorcan may have had a hand in Yulemas miracle so his present had been particularly good this year as a very heartfelt thank you. Aelin sighed, the cold air biting at her lungs, holding her mug in one hand she reached down for the baby monitor that sat on the bench beside her and held it up to her ear. The only sound she heard was the hum of the feedback, Elspeth was still asleep.

It was then she heard an all too familiar vehicle approaching and Aelin put everything down, her face splitting into an unstoppable grin. Rowan pulled into the driveway and parked his truck, Aelin could see his smile through the window and the shaking of his head. Her knee began to bounce with excitement as Rowan got out of the car and she didn’t let him get much further before she was up and bounding down the steps, throwing herself into her husband’s waiting arms. She felt him breathe her in, his face burying in the scarf around her neck. Then he was kissing her, anywhere her skin was the least bit exposed. That set her giggling as his lips tickled her cheeks, her nose, her earlobe that peeked out beneath her beanie.

“Happy Yulemas,” Aelin whispered into his neck.

Rowan finally pulled back then. “Happy Yulemas, Aelin.” Then he kissed her lips. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing, love.”

Rowan put her down and Aelin shrugged, tucking herself in close as they walked to their front door. “I couldn’t wait to see you.”

“What about Elsie?” Rowan asked, a gentle expression on his face that only appeared when talking about his daughter.

Aelin left the warmth of Rowan’s side to grab the baby monitor and she smiled as she heard soft babbling coming from it. “Looks like she just woke up.”

The two of them bustled inside, shedding layers and hanging them up on the coat rack.

“You go get her,” Aelin said as she unwound her scarf. “I’ll get you a tea.”

Rowa just nodded and headed upstairs while Aelin headed to the kitchen, prepping the tea and the pasties she had bought especially for breakfast today, and some puréed apple for the baby in a fancy little squeezy tube with a spoon on the end. By the time she had put the teabag in Rowan’s mug they two of them arrived in the kitchen. Rowan was whispering to his daughter, her hands on his face, dressed in her festive pyjamas covered in little cartoon reindeer. The sight made Aelin’s chest feel all fuzzy and she walked over.

“Happy Yulemas, my darling,” Aelin said as she kissed Elspeth’s chubby cheeks, earning the mother a smile. “Food or presents first?”

“Food,” Rowan said, depositing Elspeth in her high chair. He pulled it closer to him so he could feed her while he drank his tea and ate as well.

Aelin just watched them together, twin green eyes watching each other. She managed to eat two chocolate croissants by the time the other two were done, and started on a third while Rowan started the clean up. When that was done he picked up Elsie, kissing her cheek like he just couldn’t help it.

“Coming?” He asked wryly when Aelin didn’t move, too busy watching them.

“Yes, yes,” Aelin said, abandoning her croissant. For now.

A large Yulemas tree was set up in the corner of the living room, decorated to perfection and wrapped presents underneath it. Rowan sat on the floor beside it, putting Elsie down to let her roam free. She had nearly perfected crawling at 8 months old, Aelin put it down to her determination to follow her cousin Ruben around. The baby went straight for the tree and found the largest present, which conveniently belonged to her. Aelin sat down next to Rowan and he put his arm around her, kissing her temple before they watched what exactly their daughter was going to do.

Elsie sat on her butt, keeping her hands on the present so it fell in her lap. Her parents laughed as she slapped at it, squealing in delight. Rowan lent forward and ripped the paper a little, giving her a spot to focus on. Elsie took the hint, her little fist clutching at the paper and pulling at it until it started to rip. Aelin lent on Rowan’s shoulder, just watching and thinking. After presents Aelin would send Rowan up to bed for a nap and she would start getting lunch ready. Her parents were coming over, Aedion, Lysandra and Ruben too. Rowan’s big Yulemas present was the surprise of his parents coming as well, sneakily flying in a few days ago. For Elspeth’s first Yulemas they wanted to keep it simple, just spending time with family. Aelin couldn’t imagine it without his parents being there.

But this morning, it was just for them.

Rowan sat forward again, Elspeth making good progress on her present, but he didn’t lean forward to help her. Instead he grabbed a small box from under the tree.

“For you,” he said simply, as he dropped it in her lap.

“Oh, thank you,” Aelin replied, shaking the box.

“You didn’t snoop while I wasn’t here, did you?” Rowan asked, brows high.

“No, of course not,” Aelin said innocently.

Rowan pinched her side, making her yelp. “Why don’t I believe you?”

Aelin just smiled at him before ripping the paper off in one clean swipe. It was a pair of earrings, she could tell by the packaging then she had most definitely checked out last night. She flipped open the lid and choked out a laugh. It was a pair of rose gold hoops, but what had made Aelin laugh was what hung from them. Two little padlocks.

Aelin turned to Rowan, smiling so much her cheeks were starting to hurt. “I love them.”

“I thought you would,” Rowan murmured, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss. “Happy Yulemas, Aelin. Thank you for all of this, this life together.”

Tears were starting to prick Aelin’s eyes as she kissed him again. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. Happy Yulemas, Rowan.”

The moment they were sharing together was broken by musical laughter and excited clapping. Little Elsie had finally got the wrapping off her present, revealing a pack of small animals she was trying to pull from the packaging. Rowan smiled, moving forward to lie on his stomach so that he could help her.

“Let me help you, my little love,” Rowan told his daughter and started to dismantle the packaging. Then he booped her on the nose, making her giggle, “Happy Yulemas.”

Elspeth took that as an invitation to tackle his face and try to kiss him, making Rowan laugh as he tried to wrangle her before she took out an eye. It all made Aelin laugh too, wondering how she had been lucky enough to end up with all this, a husband who loved her and a darling little girl who was the light of their lives. It was a very happy Yulemas indeed.

~~~~~

Officially my last fic of 2020. Of course it was going to be Striking Matches.

Tags: @tangledraysofsunshine // @nalgenewhore // @highqueenofelfhame // @galyxsy // @fucking-winchester-trash // @literary-licorice // @http-itsrebecca // @highladyofthesith // @aelinfire-bringer // @soup-that-is-too-hawt // @sleep-and-books // @3am-reading // @but-she-was-aelin-galathynius // @rowaelinforeverworld // @alifletcher2012 // @westofmoon // @tswaney17 // @mydarlingfireheart // @rowansfirebringer // @chocolate-eating-bitch-queen // @vanilla28 // @fireheart-of-your-dreams // @enquires-state-building // @im-not-rare-im-rarr // @your-high-lady // @mariamuses // @ttakeitbacknoww // @vi0let-femmes // @kindofawalkingpoem // @sleeping-and-books // @armixers-unite // @velarian-trash // @queenofxhearts // @princess-galathynius // @heroesofterrasen // @highladyofstoriesandmusic // @unassumingsodalovesherbooks // @empire-of-wildfire // @brittneym15 // @camerooonchiu // @worldoffae // @mybbyfeyre // @crackedship // @lowhangingtreebranches // @over300books // @yourwhisperingshadows //  @thesirenwashere // @pilesofriles // @chemicha // @keshavomit // @sarahbringsoutmygay13 // @wifeofchrishemsworth // @impossiblescissorspeachpaper // @cat5313 // @judelovescardan // @illyrian-velaris // @flowerspringsea // @whitethorn15 // @whiskeybusiness1776 // @notaddictedtoanything // @thereaderandfangirl // @mynewdreamwasyou // @tintinnabulary // @the-regal-warrior // @searchingforbellarke // @queen-of-wings-and-fire // @court-of-fuck-me-daddy // @officialasianbitch // @burningbookz // @viajandosinalas // @chaoticskyy // @fanfictrash3000 // @blueeyes425 // @starseternalnighttriumphant // @bamchickawowow // @thehuntressofmoon // @giorgia-the-trashpanda // @flora-and-fae // @thereaderandfangirl // @illyrian-bookworm // @meltalgel-ig // @gay-book-nerd // @that-odd-puzzle-piece // @i-love-all-books // @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato // @girl-who-reads-the-books // @hizqueen4life // @the-third-me // @queen-of-glass // @belamoonbeam // @bestmelle // @cursebreaker29 // @b00kworm // @superspiritfestival // @aesthetics-11 // @maastrash // @the-last-apprentice // @charincharge // @aelin-queen-of-terrasen // @scarznstars // @absolute-dissapointment // @thesurielships // @df3ndyr // @trinitybailey2003 // @littleboxofthunder // @ladywitchling // @booknerdproblems // @rowaelin-cressworth // @sevenfreckles-for-sevenloves // @rolltide7 // @scandinavianromantic // @tillyrubes10 // @starwarsslytherin // @minaidss // @paytin77 // @jesstargaryenqueen // @anntheintrovert // @starborn-faerie-queen // @loudphantomdragon // @alyx801 // @amandaswallowtail // @louiseleblancdiggory // @abookishfreak // @woollycat22 // @claralady // @perseusannabeth // @fangirlprincess09 // @maddymelv // @sierrareads // @empress-ofbloodshed // @acciowests // @booksbqueen // @rowanwhitethornisbae // @more-espresso-less-depresso-xx /

[bee-kathony]

let go of your fears and your ghosts | Anthony & Kate

It's the morning of Anthony's 38th birthday, and he wakes with a cold sweat. He never planned on living to be the same age as his father. He reaches over to Kate, and counts his lucky stars that he doesn't have to face this day alone.

Anthony woke up in a cold sweat. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest, and his head was throbbing. Dear God, was this it? Was this how he was to die? He had always dreaded this day.

His 38th birthday.

The age his father had been when he’d died so unexpectedly by a small bee sting.

With a glance over at his wife, he sighed with relief to see that she was still fast asleep. The last thing he needed was to wake Kate with his nightmares. Anthony had never planned to outlive his father, and for years he assumed that come his 38th year, he would fall fatally ill, or perhaps get into a carriage accident. Maybe he would meet his demise just like his father, stung by one of God’s smallest creatures.

This day would be a very long one indeed. Anthony’s hand rested on his chest as he took several deep breaths to calm himself. It had been years since he had truly thought of the day he would die. Every now and then, he would entertain a passing thought, but he could push them away. From the day that Kate entered his life, living became so much easier, and so much fuller.

She had persuaded him to live each day as if it were his last, and to enjoy the present. With his mind off of his bleak future, Anthony had created a life he loved, one that he didn’t wish to leave just yet.

Anthony hadn’t a clue as to the time, but there was a small sliver of moonlight creeping in through the heavy draperies. Once the sun came up, he would have to put on a smile and face the day. Every year on his birthday, Kate and the children ate breakfast on the bed with him, and then he would gather with whatever other Bridgertons were in London that day. He never wanted to make a big deal out of it, in fact, he would be happy to skip the event altogether. It was Kate that wanted to celebrate him. To remind him that growing older was not something to be feared.

Next to him, Kate sighed, before turning on her side to face him. She smiled in her sleep, something Anthony always loved to watch. Kate also talked in her sleep, but usually it was incoherent mumblings.

He stroked her cheek softly, watching her grin grow wider.

If there was one thing he was most proud of in his 38 years of living, it was that he had married Kate Sheffield. The mere thought of existing without her left a whole the size of England in his heart. For Anthony, there was no world without Kate. She had brought him love, and happiness, and best of all, three amazing children.

It was often that Anthony found himself wishing his father were still alive, if only to be there for his youngest siblings and mother. But it was one of his greatest regrets that Kate would never know his father. She would never know the great man he had been, or truly understand why Anthony thought he could never live up to him.

Edmund Bridgerton would have loved Kate. They would have conspired against him, he was sure of it. His mother was an excellent matchmaker, but he was sure that his father would have known Kate was the woman for him with just one look.

As Anthony lied in bed, his nightmare came back to him, the reason for his waking with such a start. It had also been his birthday in his dream, and he had been playing in the garden with the children. A moment later, he heard the worst sound imaginable… the buzzing of a bee. Anthony felt a sharp pain in his chest, and the next thing he knew, he was awake, panting in his bed.

He felt like such a fool to be afraid of a creature he could crush beneath his boot. But that very creature had taken the life of the greatest man he would ever know.

It would be difficult to think of anything else on a day like today. His inevitable demise.

Kate had told him to think of three good things if his mind ever lingered on these thoughts. As he lay next to one of his good things, he took a deep breath and said them out loud quietly.

“Kate,” he breathed in and out, letting his hand rest softly on her head.

“My children,” he took another breath.

“Newton,” Anthony laughed then as he thought of their dog. For the first several years of their marriage, Newton had slept in the bed with them, but once Edmund and Miles were old enough, Newton had grown accustomed to sleeping in the children’s room. Not that Anthony minded, as it gave him and Kate more room for other activities in bed.

“What are you laughing about?” Came a sleepy voice next to him.

“Oh nothing,” Anthony grinned and placed a kiss to her forehead. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Did I hear you call for Newton?” Kate asked, rubbing her hand over her eyes.

He nodded, “I was thinking of three good things.”

Kate sat up in bed, bringing her hand to his cheek. Her fingers rubbed agains the scruff of his beard. As he’d grown older, Anthony had preferred not to shave his face, and he found that Kate rather enjoyed the scratch of his stubble on her smooth skin.

“Oh,” she said softly, her brow creasing as she understood. “You should have woken me earlier, Anthony.”

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her body close to his and laced their fingers together. “I haven’t been awake that long actually,” he sighed. “Just had a bad dream is all.”

“You have nothing to fear,” Kate squeezed his hand. “If you would like to pretend it’s not your birthday… then we can do that.”

“No,” Anthony shook his head, at that moment realizing that wasn’t what he wanted at all. “The children love any excuse to eat cake,” they both laughed. “I don’t want to ignore today, but it shall be a lot easier if I can hold your hand for the whole day.”

Kate brought his hand to her lips. “That can be arranged.”

Anthony gathered Kate closer, feeling his heart slow to a normal pace. The simple act of holding his wife in his arms was the best medicine. Kate calmed him in ways she could never know. Her presence alone had the power to banish his fears and ghosts. Kate was the soothing balm on his weary soul.

“One day,” Kate said softly against his chest, her fingers stroking his collarbone. “You will have grey hair all over that head of yours. You will wake up and find that you need spectacles to read the paper with,” she grinned. “And your joints will ache in the morning as you rise.”

“They already do ache,” Anthony kissed the top of her head. “But that is probably because of the activities that occurred the night before,” he laughed, letting his hand slide down to her waist.

Kate swatted at his chest playfully, squirming as he tickled her.

“One day you will find wrinkles on your face that weren’t there,” her hand moved to trace his nose, his lips, and his brow. “You will sit in a chair with your grandchild on your lap, telling them the story of how we met and fell in love.”

“What a long story that will be,” Anthony chuckled.

“You will be old and grey one day, Anthony Bridgerton,” Kate pressed her lips softly against his. “Then you will think back on your wonderful life and I hope you don’t have any regrets.”

He was silent, contemplating her words. It was hard to picture himself as an old man. Perhaps because he had never seen his father with greying hair of his own. Anthony was sure of one thing, however — he did not want to live without Kate. He knew this was selfish and cruel, but he hoped that when the time came, he would go first. Better yet, he would prefer to die in her arms, at exactly the same moment she left this earth as well. There was no life worth living in a world without Kate Bridgerton.

“You already have a few grey hairs, you old man,” Kate grinned and ran her fingers through his hair.

“I think I saw a new wrinkle on your forehead just the other day,” Anthony quipped.

“Anthony!”

“Just a small one right there,” Anthony kissed her forehead, where no wrinkles had yet formed. His hands slid over her waist, finding a certain spot that sent her into a fit of giggles. He flexed his fingers, tickling her stomach as she kicked her feet out and burst into laughter.

“Anthony, please stop!” Kate tucked into herself, trying to stop his hands from tickling her. He always knew just exactly where to get her.

Hearing Kate laugh was one of the best sounds in the world, but so was the small gasp that left her lips when he slid his hand across her belly and cupped her mound.

“Did you want me to stop now?” He asked, his breath hot in her ear.

Kate clutched his arm, keeping him right where he was.

“As long as you don’t tickle me again,” Kate sighed and moved her hand under the sheets, finding his stomach. Anthony let out a deep moan of his own. “It’s your birthday after all.”

Oh how he loved his wife.

Anthony rubbed his finger along her slit, feeling her part her legs further. She was wet already, and he pressed his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. Lilies and soap.

She arched her back, pressing against his fingers as he stroked her, finally moaning as he pushed one finger inside. Kate’s hand moved over his thigh, until she took his cock in her delicate hand.

“You get thirty-eight kisses today,” Kate kissed his cheek.

He pumped another finger inside of her, and groaned as she began to stroke his shaft. Her fingers were light on him, going from the base to the tip, and then she moved her thumb over the head.

“Kate,” he mumbled against her lips.

She kissed his mouth before sitting up, causing his fingers to slip out of her as she adjusted her position.

“Thirty-six kisses to go,” Kate said coyly. Anthony watched in astonishment as Kate climbed over his body, straddling him with her back facing his front.

His hands had just settled on her hips as her tongue flicked out over the tip of his cock.

“Oh God, Kate,” he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Thirty-five,” she kissed the head, before taking more of him in her mouth. Kate wiggled her bottom, stretching across him. Anthony pulled her closer, angling his head just so and settled in between her thighs.

Kate began to kiss every inch of his cock, then swirled her tongue around it. Her mouth took him in easily, and Anthony found it quite difficult to focus on anything else. But he could feel her heat, and he parted her legs and licked up her center. She arched her back, moaning and the vibrations he felt on his cock made him shiver.

“Twenty more to go,” she mumbled as she began to move her head up and down his length. Anthony wasn’t sure he could last through another twenty kisses, but he wanted to make her come first. He was a gentleman after all.

He doubled his efforts and used two fingers to open her to him, and licked like a cat lapping at milk.

Kate’s movements slowed and he could feel the tension in her body building. Her hand gripped him harder, and with another flick of his tongue, Kate cried out, and he sucked her down.

It was only moments later that Kate took him back into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the tip and uttering words Anthony had only dreamed of her saying.

“Two more,” she pumped his cock faster, and Anthony felt his muscles tighten.

A second later and he came hard, spilling himself into her mouth. Anthony leaned back against the headboard, his hands cradling his wife’s waist. Kate collapsed on him, and after several minutes, found her place at his side, tucked under his arms.

“One more kiss,” she whispered and placed a tender kiss to his cheek. “Happy birthday, my love.”

With his wife by his side, Anthony was sure that he could face this day, and he longed for the future she had imagined, with greying hair and grandchildren to spoil. In the silence of their bliss, Anthony found the courage to say goodbye to his fears and his ghosts.

[svnflowervol666]

Mother’s Day (Harry Styles x fem!Reader)

Word Count: 1.9k

Author’s Note: It’s Mother’s Day in the UK! Hope everyone is having a good one. I got a request about how Harry and bub would treat Y/N on their special day, so here it is! Hope you enjoy. Take care and TPWK.

//

She was dreaming so peacefully. Dreaming of the quaint hut in Tahiti that she’d spent two weeks in during her honeymoon. She could feel the hot, Polynesian sun beating down on her bare back and the cool, refreshing taste of the fresh fruit that was delivered to their suite each morning. Her head was fogged with only images of him. How they’d spent so much time wrapped up in one another during that time that they’d sometimes forget to leave the comfort of their pillowy, plush bed for anything besides another glass of wine or champagne.

She had never been happier during that time in her life. It was just her and her new husband exploring the island and nothing else mattered. There were no goodbyes that needed to be said before leaving for a lengthy tour, no business meetings that ate up hours and hours of their designated alone time, no distractions whatsoever besides how enticing each other’s bodies looked to one another.

Her mind took her to the waterfall that they’d discovered on accident. They had just been wandering around the tropical forest looking at the greenery when they’d stumbled upon the most ethereal cove they had ever seen. No time was wasted, they knew exactly what they needed to do. They stripped stark naked and dove right in, unafraid of whoever might stumble upon their pile of clothes and shoes and suspect them of doing something they shouldn’t. She swears she can feel the water lapping around her as she chased her newlywed husband towards the center of the waterfall. She can feel the way the heavy droplets of water pulsed around her arms as she tested its strength. She can feel the way the water poured down on her face as she–

Wait, no.

What she had thought was a tranquil memory of her honeymoon and the otherworldly waterfall she had swum in was not a dream but more so her two-year-old swatting at her forehead and chin with her tiny, pudgy hands. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by not one, but two identical pairs of emerald green ones.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” Harry sang as he realized she was coming to.

The toddler banged her hands against Y/N’s face in excitement of hearing her father’s voice, to which Y/N quickly grabbed her palms and held them away from her to keep from being smacked around by her child any longer.

“Thank you, lovie,” she mumbled back sleepily.

She quickly reached up and kissed the child that was sat up beside her and let her lips linger in the air just a bit longer so Harry could plant one on her as well before she fell back onto the feathery down of her pillow. Harry had perched himself up on his elbows as he laid on his stomach near Y/N’s chest. He watched as his girls snuggled tightly into each other, Y/N’s arm wrapping protectively around his little bub’s back and resting against her diaper-clad bum. They had really been pushing for potty-training as of late, but it always resulted in too many accidents that they weren’t always so quick to catch.

“Ye’ wanna give mummy her present?” Harry asked the curly-headed baby that was currently rubbing the pendent attached to Y/N’s chest between her chubby fingers.

“Mummy present!” she squealed, quickly jerking her head up from where it was resting in the crook of Y/N’s shoulder.

She hit Y/N’s nose on the way up, but Y/N was used to being borderline bullied by her growing child and chose not to make a scene about it. Harry handed their daughter the gift bag that had been resting on Harry’s nightstand, to which she teetered across the mattress to return back to her mother.

“Here go, mummy!”

Her ability to speak full sentences was far from perfect, but enough to make Harry and Y/N lose their minds at how cute it was each and every time she tried to talk like a grown-up.

“Aww, you got me a gift, bubby?” she asked, eyeing Harry as he smirked behind the toddler’s unkempt mess of hair.

“Well, let’s see it then.”

She removed the stuffing paper from the bag carefully, placing it off to her side so that the curious little girl sitting upright in her fuzzy footie pajamas wouldn’t create a mess later on. When she pulled each item out of the paper bag, she’d played up the dramatics, gasping loudly and acting overly-animated to make the toddler feel appreciated.

“Is this the same color as daddy’s?!” she exclaimed as she pulled out the slim tube of Gucci Beauty lipstick that she remembered telling Harry she wanted after seeing him in it on the cover of Beauty Papers, to which hers and Harry’s daughter blushed and nodded and took all of the credit for despite being a baby with no source of income or knowledge about the consumer market whatsoever.

There was the lipstick, the sweater she’d seen at the shops one day that she gawked at for a bit too long, the serum she’d run out of last week, a replica of the lilac-colored bathrobe of Harry’s that she always stole from him when he wasn’t using. Her gift bag was filled to the brim with tons of little things that were thoughtful and more than enough for Y/N. Harry knew that she’d insist it was too much and that they already were fortunate enough to have everything they’d ever want, but he didn’t want to be the asshole that didn’t get his wife anything for Mother’s Day.

“Thank you soooooo much, love bug,” she hugged her daughter tight after removing all of her gifts from the large bag that laid in her lap.

“Wha’ would ye’ like to do today, special girl?” Harry asked his wife that was sitting upright in bed surrounded by all of her presents.

“Today’s all about you, so you’re the boss!”

“Mummy boss!” cheered the toddler, clapping her hands in excitement.

“Actually, mummy’s always the boss,” Y/N corrected her husband with a narrowing of her eyes, “But I don’t mind what we do as long as I get to spend it with you two.”

Harry smiled and rolled his eyes before patting his daughter’s rounded belly gently as she toyed with the price tag of the sweater he’d gotten Y/N.

“Figured ye’ would say that. Which is why I, your incredibly thoughtful and tentative husband, came up with an entire itinerary for today. First, we have breakfast. The meal consists of your choice. Then, the park up north with all of the flowers and pop up shops. Then, we have lunch at that place we went to for Mother’s Day last year. Figured we could turn that into a little tradition. And then we’re gonna-”

“Wow,” Y/N interjected, knowing damn well he was just gloating at this point, “Seems like you’ve got the day all planned out now. Don’t you?”

“Sure do,” Harry answered as he slipped his hand underneath the covers to pat her bare thigh.

“Now, are ye’ gonna get up so we can get this show on the road and we can show ye’ how much we love ye’?”

“I thought I was the boss?” she asked.

“What if I want us to stay in bed just a little bit longer?”

“Doubt that’s gonna happen, love. Told this one that you might want pancakes for breakfast and it’s all she’s been talkin’ about since seven this morning,” Harry gestured with a nod of his head to the toddler that was now making peace with herself as she played with the rings on Harry’s hand that wasn’t laying on Y/N’s thigh.

“Cakes, papa?” their daughter’s face perked up at the thought of her favorite food.

“I don’t know, bug. Ask mummy if that’s what she wants.”

“I have cakes, mumma?”

Y/N did not want pancakes for breakfast, she knew that for sure. She’d much rather not start the day off with a stomach ache from pouring too much syrup on her plate, but she also knew she could never say no to such a sweet face staring back at her with such hope in her eyes.

She seemed to contemplate for a moment, placing her pointer finger on her chin and looking up at the ceiling as if she might say no just to add to the anticipation in the room.

“Pancakes sound good to me,” she announced with a smile on her face, knowing it would send the toddler into a frenzy.

Before she was able to grasp on to her tiny body, hers and Harry’s daughter slipped off of the California king-sized bed they were all sitting on and ran presumably to the kitchen downstairs, which gave Harry and Y/N some alone time. Sure, they had approximately four minutes before their bub came crashing back up the stairs and demanded to know why they weren’t cooking her breakfast, but it was better than nothing.

Harry scooted over in the bed to lay his body flush against hers. He held onto her by the waist and rested his head on her chest.

“Thank you for my gifts, Harry. They’re lovely.”

She heard him chuckle against her skin before he craned his neck up to look at her.

“What do ye’ mean? Those are from your daughter. I’ve not given ye’ my present yet.”

“What did you get me?” Y/N asked, furrowing her brow down at him.

“That, my love, is a secret that you’ll have to wait until tonight to find out,” Harry tried his best to sound as seductive as he possibly could, but undoubtedly failed miserably which made her chuckle into his chocolate brown waves before kissing them lightly.

“Alright, Mr. Teen Heartthrob. I’ll take your word for it.”

Harry blushed at her backhanded compliment, burrowing deeper into the swells of her breasts and groaning dramatically.

She tried to tug on the ends of his curls in the way that always drove him mad. Sure, their toddler was a ticking time bomb and only God knew when she’d decide to show up in their room again, but her dreams from earlier about her honeymoon had left her feeling quite needy.

When she finally got his attention by kissing him gently but passionately and wrapped her legs around his waist in an attempt to gain even the slightest bit of friction, Harry pulled away.

“Love,” he began, still panting from the kiss, “I know I said you’re the boss today, but there’s a hyperactive toddler downstairs who’s waiting for pancakes and I have a feeling that if we don’t go down there in the next forty-five seconds then she’s gonna have both of our heads.”

Y/N shoved him off of her with a huff and a laugh, knowing good and well that he was right. When she climbed out of the bed to slide her house shoes on her now cold feet, Harry surprised her with a slap across her bum.

“Oi!” she yelled, “What was that about?”

“Nothin’. Just love ye’ is all.”

“Well that’s a pretty fuckin’ weird way of showing it,” she spoke in between giggles.

“Ehh,” Harry dismissed her with a swat of his hand in the air, “I know ye’ love it.”

Sure, she may have been at her happiest when she was on her honeymoon in Tahiti with Harry without a care in the world, but nothing compared to the kind of happiness that she was experiencing now with her perfect little family.

[snelbz]

Lost Time {10}

A/N: A sweet and emotional chapter for you!

Co-written by @tacmc.

FIND PREVIOUS CHAPTERS HERE

SHELBY’S ASK BOX // SHELBY’S MASTERLIST

TARA’S ASK BOX // TARA’S MASTERLIST

Azriel’s eyes slowly opened. With a yawn, he rolled onto his back, completely unaware of how long he’d been out. He flung out his arm to the other side of the bed, but found it empty. The pillow and the sheets on her side of the bed were still disheveled, so he assumed she had just gotten up.

“Elain?” he called, his voice tired and his throat was still dry from his mass alcohol consumption.

No reply came, and when he looked to the bathroom door, it was wide open. He fell back on the pillows, assuming she had just gone out for some ice or a quick phone call.

After running his hands through his wild, messy hair, he took her pillow and brought it close to him, propping it beneath his head. Her scent lingered, like lilies and vanilla, along with the scent of what they’d done.

He remembered every time he had ever made love to Elain, but none of them compared to what they’d done. It was more than sex. It had always been more than sex with her, but this time, it was the reconnection of two souls.

Turning his face into the pillow, he inhaled deeply and he swore that the mingling scents of her and of sex still hanging in their room had him ready to go again, though that was probably thanks to his morning wood, as well. He closed his eyes letting himself doze for a few more minutes, until he realized that her side of the bed wasn’t just empty. It was cold.

He sat up, half expecting to find her sitting at the desk, flipping through his pictures again. Except she wasn’t there.

The empty feeling in his chest was so strong that he wondered if there’d ever been anything in there before. He pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them, the blanket draped across, and hung his head. He blew out a sharp breath.

Fuck. So that was what it felt like.

He looked around the room, not finding a single thing out of place that belonged to her. Even his laptop was sitting in the exact same place he’d left it.

It couldn’t have been a dream, there was no way. There was no cosmic being out there that was that much of an asshole. Azriel dragged his hand down his face and he froze.

He could still still smell her on his fingers. It was no dream.

Without another thought, he was out of bed, reaching for the shirt and sweats that had been discarded at the end of the bed. He had to-.

The lock made a whirring noise as the keycard was used and the door opened. Elain stepped in and found Azriel standing at the end of the bed, very confused and very naked. Her eyes trailed down his body and she kicked her lips before she said, “I went to get lunch.”

He looked down at that moment and found the note scribbled on the scratch pad on the desk. He cleared his throat, “I see that.”

She raised a brow as she kicked the door shut and carried a large paper bag to the little table by the window. “You look frazzled.”

Azriel hesitated, then tugged on his sweatpants as she set out the contents from the paper bag. It smelled delicious. “I just…” He trailed off, and shook his head before coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him and smiled.

“There’s a decent cup of coffee there to erase the crappy hotel coffee you had this morning,” she said, quietly, nodding to a large cup in the middle of the table.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her ear before nibbling at her earlobe.

She giggled, softly, before turning around to look up into his soft, hazel eyes.

“You went to the Tavern,” he said, kissing her nose.

“I did,” she grinned.

“I love the Tavern.”

“I know,” she said, falling into his chest, pressing her lips between his pecs. “You also love their ham and swiss sandwiches, on homemade rye bread, with their homemade chips, which is what I got you.”

Gods, he’d missed her.

Her lips continued to move lower.

He’d really, really missed her.

By the time he got to his sandwich and coffee, he’d had to heat it up in the small microwave on top of the fridge. Elain ate her BLT, his arm lazily wrapped around her as they leaned back against the pillows.

“So,” Elain began, pulling a piece of bacon from between the two pieces of bread and feeding it to him. He detested tomatoes, but had been eyeing the bacon since she unwrapped it. “What have you been doing the past four years?”

He laughed as he mindlessly dragged his finger along her bare shoulder. “You want the full breakdown or the cliff notes version?”

She debated. “Cliff notes.”

Azriel nodded, taking another massive bite of his sandwich before giving his answer. “Taking pictures.”

She stared up at him, waiting for him to elaborate, but he just went back to eating his sandwich. “Okay,” she said, blinking, “when I said to give me the shorter version, I didn’t think it’d be that short.”

He laughed, quietly, before setting his sandwich down on the wrapping and popping a chip into his mouth. “I mean, that’s pretty much all I’ve done. Travel, take pictures…” He shrugged. “Send those pictures into the magazines or websites that hired me to take them, and then I repeat the process.”

“Do you still want to travel?” Elain asked. “When companies ask you to?”

His smile softened. “If you come with me, of course.”

Elain chuckled and nudged him in the ribs before taking another little bite of her BLT - although it was now nearly baconless. “I don’t know, you never were a good travelling companion.”

“That’s not true,” he argued.

She rolled her eyes. “You got carsick when we went up to the mountains and we had to pull over every five minutes for you to puke.”

Azriel’s lips pursed which only made Elain laugh louder. As she laid her head against his shoulder, he said, “I’ve come a long way.”

She patted his knee, her laughing simmering, as she finished off her sandwich.

“What about you? What have you been doing the past four years?” he asked, taking her hand into his. “Aside from taking care of Novan, of course.”

She shrugged. “That’s mostly it. He’s taken up most of my time, but your parents have been the biggest help. Whenever I have to work my shifts, it means he gets a day with his Meme.”

Azriel’s brow furrowed. “Shifts? You have a job?”

She laughed. “Yes, a part time job. I have to pay for things, of course. It’s not like I had a baby daddy that could send me money every week.”

He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her and she stuck out her tongue at him. “I work at the antique shop in the square in the mornings.”

He tilted his head to the side and asked, “What about the flower shop you were going to open?”

She chuckled, but the sound was much sadder than her last laugh and when she rested her head back into the crook of his neck, his arm tightened around her. “Being a single mother doesn’t leave much time for your own dreams.”

An overwhelming sense of guilt crashed into him as he rubbed her arm. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to keep apologizing,” Elain whispered. “I didn’t say it to make you feel bad, but it’s the truth.”

“I do need to keep apologizing,” Azriel said, then looked down at her and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “I want to be a part of his life now, Elain. I want to help, do my part. I want us to be a family.”

Her eyes softened as she let out a long, slow breath.

Azriel hesitated, his hand falling onto his lap. “You do want to tell him that I’m his dad, right?”

It came out more insecure than he’d intended, but a sudden fear settled in the pit of his stomach.

Elain gave him a comforting smile. “Of course, I do. I just...don’t know how.”

He swallowed, roughly, and asked, “Do you want to wait? Until things have settled down from dad dying?”

Elain saw the guttering in Azriel’s eyes and she took his hand in her own, looking down as their fingers intertwined. “Are you okay? From losing him?”

For a moment, Azriel said nothing. He tried to sort his emotions, tried to put everything he felt into a simple sentence. Eventually, he came up with, “No. I should’ve been around, you know? I hadn’t seen him in years, and then he died. There was so much I didn’t get to say to him, so much we didn’t get to do. And now I won’t get the chance.”

Elain nodded, staring at their hands, clasped together. “Novan sure loved him. And Drakon always talked about how Novan reminded him of you.”

Azriel gave her a curious look, because Elain laughed. “We all see it. His little mannerisms, the looks he gives, the light in his eyes when he’s excited about something. You may not have been there for the last few years with Drakon, Azriel, but every time he was around Novan, which was often, he had a little piece of you there with him.”

If Elain saw the silver lining her eyes, she didn’t say anything, just let him process her words. He turned towards the wall, sniffling quietly, and he wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand. When he turned back to her, his eyes were sad, yes, but they were soft. He tugged her down into the pillows, and she didn’t hesitate to lay her head over his heart. They laid like that for a while, neither of them saying anything. Occasionally, she’d brush her lips against his chest or he’d press a soft kiss to the top of her head. Azriel had always needed quiet moments to process his thoughts and one of the things he loved about Elain is that she never felt the need to fill every spare moment with mindless chatter, just for the sake of talking.

When Azriel did finally speak, his words were strong and steady, as he said, “I promise, Elain, I’m going to do whatever it takes to be the father Novan has always dreamed of.” But he paused, and then his voice was shaking when he added, “The father that dad expected me to be.”

She gently rested her palm against his cheek as she breathed, “I know. I believe you. And you’re going to be a damn good dad.”

Azriel nodded, mostly because he didn’t trust himself to speak.

���You should come with me,” she said, running her fingertips along his forearm. “When I pick him up from your mom.”

“Okay,” he said, quietly. “I will.”

She smiled before taking his face into her hands and kissing his mouth, softly, then again and again until her back was pressed down against the blankets and he was lying on top of her, propped on his elbows.

“I don’t want to stop kissing you,” he said, muttered against her lips. “Ever.”

“Then don’t,” she shot back, her hands trailing down his back, to his ass, which is where they remained.

He decided he wouldn’t, not for a little while at least. Though it wasn’t always her mouth he was kissing.

They were lounging in the tub when the questions started. “What was his first word?”

Elain smiled, settling back against his chest, scooting deeper into the water. “Meme, but she’s always been his favorite, so none of us ever had a chance.”

A full smile, full of love for his sweet mother. “What has he been for Halloween?”

“Let’s see.” She licked her lips as she thought and Azriel wanted to turn her and capture them with his own. “He was a spider when he was a baby, a t-rex when he was two, he was a cop with Uncle Cass last year, and so far, it seems we’re on par to be a cop again.”

He laughed, loving the warmth in her eyes when she talked about their son. And on and on his questions went. Some were superficial - has he ever broken a bone, what’s his favorite sport, is he scared of monsters - while others were harder for Elain to answer - what did you tell him when he first asked where I was, does he care for Lucien, how did he handle the death of his Papa.

The mention of Azriel’s dad had his heart feeling heavy again.

“Thank you,” he said, quietly, his mouth by her ear raising goosebumps on her arms.

She turned to look at him, but he was staring ahead. “For what?”

He blinked away the moisture in his eyes, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last time, not by a long shot. “For letting my family be in his life. Even after my poor choices.”

She snorted, which was not the reaction he was expecting. “You act like I would have been able to anyways. Cassian was practically pacing outside of my room when he was in the NICU.”

“In the NICU?” Azriel asked, turning his body to look at her. “Why was he in the NICU?”

“He was born eight weeks early,” she said, quietly. “You’d never know it by looking at him, but he struggled for a few weeks. At first, they weren’t sure if he was going to make it or not. But he did, and he thrived.”

Another reason for Azriel to feel guilty, another thing to add to his list, but Elain was taking her hand into his as he said, “Strong. Just like his mommy.”

Elain looked over her shoulder and smiled, softly. “I guess he should’ve gotten something from me.”

Azriel’s simple smile turned into a wide grin. “He got everything from you, it seems. All but his appearance.”

“Did you know it?” Elain asked. “When you saw him for the first time, did you know he was yours?”

“Yes,” Azriel breathed. “I didn’t admit it to myself...I was confused; but, I knew.”

A soft smile graced Elain’s lips. “I wish you could have seen your face. You looked like you’d seen a ghost.”

He laughed quietly, the sound rumbling in his chest. “So did you.”

“I thought I was,” she quietly admitted. “For a moment, I thought I had to be dreaming, but then Nesta slapped you and I knew I was awake.” She was smiling broadly by the end of her sentence.

He shook his head, his cheeks tinting pink, remembering when he found all eyes on him. “I’m glad she didn’t punch me, cause I think she’d have a hell of a right hook.”

Elain asked, “You forget who her fiancé is.”

He blew out a breath. “How could I? That’s- I never thought that- How did that even happen?”

She laughed. “I don’t know, but it’s like they were at each other’s throats like always and then overnight, they truly found each other and it’s been that way ever since.”

Az nodded and was about to say something when Elain’s phone began to ring from the bedroom.

“Shit, that’s your mom,” she said, recognizing the ringtone.

Azriel was out of the bathtub in seconds, carefully hurrying into the bedroom and answering Elain’s phone. “Hey, mom. Is everything okay?”

The beat of silence told Azriel that Miryam hadn’t been expecting to hear her youngest son’s voice. “Yes, everything is fine. Are...you with Elain?”

He cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Hmmm.”

That one sound had more meaning to it than some speeches. He repeated, “Hmmm?”

She just repeated, “Hmmm.” Az was about to say something when Miryam said, “Would you mind asking Elain what time she was going to pick up Novan? I thought I might take him out for dinner tonight.”

He moved the phone away from his face and turned back to the bathroom, where Elain was getting out of the draining bathtub, toweling off her naked body. He swallowed hard and asked, “Mom wants to take Novan to dinner, what time did you want to get him?”

She wrapped the towel around her breasts and tied her hair up in a loose bun. “Dinner is fine, so around six-thirty or seven.”

He relayed the message. “We can be there about seven.”

“We…” Miryam repeated. “Hmmm.”

“Mom,” Azriel warned.

“I didn’t say anything,” she defended, but he could hear the smile in her voice. “I’ll see you in a bit. I love you.”

“Love you, mom.” He hung you the phone and Elain walked towards him with a dry towel.

She looked at him with an arched brow. “Did she say everything was okay?”

“With Novan? Yes,” Azriel said. “With us, she sounded a little suspicious.”

Elain chuckled. “And what did she think was happening here?”

She wrapped her arms around Azriel’s bare waist, and he was just remembering that he was completely nude. “Probably exactly what’s happening.”

She laughed, quietly, before she looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “We have three hours yet before we need to get Novan. We could go out to dinner, too.”

Azriel grinned. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Maybe,” she said, jabbing him in the chest. “If you’re lucky.”

“And am I lucky?” he asked, quietly, before leaning down to catch her lips with his own.

“I don’t know,” she said, quietly. “Are you?”

“I’m feeling pretty damn lucky,” he whispered. They barely made it out of the room, when all it took was a look from across the room and jeans being zipped were forgotten as their lips found one another’s again. But eventually, Elain managed to finish her makeup and slip on the sun dress she’d grabbed from the house on her food run.

The low whistle from Az as she stepped into the small living area wasn’t complimentary enough. “Gods, you look…”

He stood, stepping towards her and before he could kiss her, she put a hand to his chest. “I’m starving and if you kiss me now, we’ll never leave.”

Azriel arched a brow. “You act like that’s a bad thing.”

“I’m starving,” she repeated. “If I wait any longer to eat, I’m eating you.”

“Doesn’t sound so bad,” he mumbled, and she nudged him in the shoulder as he laughed, and took her hand, and led her out of the room. Considering his truck was still at the bar, which they made a mental note to grab on the way back, Azriel fell into the passenger side of Elain’s car.

The same car she’d always had.

“Alright,” he said, putting on his seatbelt. “Where are you taking me?”

She asked. “You didn’t start any weird celebrity diets or anything, right? You still eat normal food?”

He laughed. “I still eat the same shit I used to.”

“I just had to make sure, because since you look like that and you were in New York,” she said. “I was making sure you weren’t vegan or something suddenly.”

“No, I couldn’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I love bacon too much.”

She laughed and said, “Good, I know just the place.”

Rita’s was a pizzeria that had been in Velaris for as long as anyone could remember. Their pizzas were made from scratch every single time and when they pulled up, Azriel couldn’t help the smile on his face.

They were seated quickly and after ordering their drinks, they sat across from each other in the booth. Azriel was smirking at her and Elain couldn’t take it anymore. “What?”

His smile grew. “You think I forgot.”

The picture of innocence. “Forgot what?”

He took her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “That this is where I took you on our first date.”

Her smile was wide, bright. “I would never accuse you of forgetting.”

Azriel laughed, quietly. “That was a good night.”

“You were a nervous wreck,” she said, shaking her head.

“I was,” he agreed. “And I had a right to be. You were stunning. I had no idea why you said yes to going out with me.”

“Why wouldn’t I have?” Elain grinned. “You were sweet. And my friend.”

“You were so beautiful,” he said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. “Kind, genuine, funny, talented. My dream girl.”

Elain blushed, but she simply asked, “Is that so?”

Azriel nodded. “I tried on five different outfits before I came and picked you up.”

She blinked. “All of your clothes looked the same.”

He laughed. “Exactly, I think it’s been established that I was a nervous wreck. But, how couldn't I be? I was taking Elain Archeron out on a date.”

“And how was she?” Elain asked, intrigued. “This Elain Archeron?”

“Hmmm.” Azriel leaned back in his chair. “Well, she kisses on the first date, I’ll tell you that.”

Elain’s cheeks turned pink as she remembered how he kissed her goodnight on the front porch. She opened her menu and flipped through the pages though nothing she looked at registered. “You know what they say about a girl who kisses on the first date,” she said, finally glancing up at him.

“What’s that?” He asked, opening his own menu, but not even bothering to look down at it.

“She’d been dreaming of kissing you for years, you just finally gave her the opportunity to do so.”

Azriel’s eyes softened and he leaned forward, brushing his lips across her knuckles. “What about on the second first date? Anything she’s been dreaming of for years this time?”

“Only what we’ve already done today,” she replied, quietly, her cheeks reddened. “As for what comes next, you’ll have to finish the date first.”

Azriel was grateful he was sitting because his knees grew weak. He couldn’t imagine anything better than the moments they’d already shared that day,

“This will be our last first date,” he promised, quietly, and Elain’s smile softened. “I promise you that.”

Elain nodded, her fingers tightening around his hand. “You better mean that, Azriel Draeven.”

“I mean it,” he promised. “I swear it.”

She nodded, as her eyes lined with tears, her smile bright. Just as she was about to say something more, the waitress came to take their order. Neither of them had looked at the menu, but they ended up ordering a pizza to share, with pepperoni and ham, the same that they had on their very first date.

They finished their pizza and Azriel paid before they walked out of Rita’s, hand in hand. The evening was comfortable and they had another hour or so before they were supposed to get Donovan, so they walked through the Square. They talked about storefronts that had changed in the past few years and the ones that stayed the same. Azriel was relieved when he saw that the ice cream parlor on the corner still remained and he pulled her in that direction. Elain only shook her head and laughed, as once again, Azriel proved he was Novan’s dad.

Elain carried her small cup, and Azriel attempted to eat his cone with two scoops while the walked but eventually, they stepped off and sat at one of the benches overlooking the park. Az wiped the last bit of chocolate ice cream from his face and pointed at a sign. “Is that the antique shop you work for?” Elain nodded and he asked, “What do you do for them?”

She shrugged. “A little is everything. I appraise what I can, but I leave that to them as often as I can. I answer questions, I check people out. But mostly, I salvaged and re-finish the furniture.”

“Really?” He asked. “That sounds fun.”

She shrugged. “As far as jobs go, I definitely can’t complain.”

“Is any of that furniture in your house?” Azriel asked. Last time he was there, looking at the furniture was the last thing on his mind.

“There’s a table against the wall right when you walk in the front door that I re-finished.” She smiled at Azriel’s impressed look. “The coffee table, too.”

“Nice,” he said, and meant it. “I didn’t know you were into such things.”

She shrugged. “Like I said, it’s a job. But, it’s enjoyable, and pretty relaxing. I’ll be able to do more of it when Novan goes to school next year.”

Azriel smiled and checked his watch. “Speaking of, it’s getting close to seven. We should probably get you over to moms.”

Elain nodded, then kissed him, sweetly. “I had a nice second first date.”

“I did, too.” He pressed his lips to hers again and said, “Why don’t we try to-.”

Elain’s phone rang again, the tone belonging to Miryam ringing out. She fished it from her purse and pressed it to her ear. “Hi, I’m so sorry, we stopped for dinner and time got away from us.”

Azriel watched as Elain’s brow furrowed while she listened to Miryam. And then she blushed, eyes going wide as she glanced up at Azriel and then down at the ground. “Yes, ma’am. Yes, ma’am. We’ll see you tomorrow. Have him call to say goodnight before bed, please. I love you, too.”

Elain pulled the phone from her ear and said, “Your mom is going to keep Novan for the night.”

Azriel’s mouth dried out as he realized that meant he got a full night with her, uninterrupted. Even he surprised himself when he said, “Come have a drink with me.”

Her smile grew. “You’re not still paying for last night?”

Azriel laughed, quietly. “I can handle a drink with you.”

“Fine,” she said, starting to walk again, tugging on his hand. “But I pick the place.”

“Do you even know of a place that sells alcohol?” He asked.

She laughed, and nudged him in the side before she said, “Yes! I drink. Sometimes. I mean, me and my sisters go out, from time to time.”

Azriel watched her, amused. She used to never drink, used to be the designated driver at every event.

“Alright,” Azriel said, unable to stop grinning for even a second. “Lead the way, Lainy.”

At the sound of her old nickname, she looked at him with narrowed eyes, her smile so vulnerable and beautiful that it sent chills down his spine.

She took his hand and led him towards the car, still parked at Rita’s.

[lillifaba]

A Very Merry Lurlinemas Eve

A very late, self-indulgent domestic one shot with the Thropp/Tiggular family I wrote for Lurlinemas! Hope you enjoy and have a Happy New Year!

Art by the beautiful @noether3​ ; Full image here! (Be sure to reblog if you like it!)

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“Yero, did you wrap the presents for Nessa and Boq yet?”

Elphaba hovered over the cradle, gently swinging it back and forth whilst making silly faces and babbling nonsense at the child nestled inside. At just twelve months old, Liir was amused by everything. His big, green eyes glimmered in the light from the fireplace, his mouth in the shape of a small o. He wrapped his tiny fingers around Elphaba’s index and cooed. 

“Yeah! I got them right here-”

He cursed slightly above a whisper when he stumbled into the living room and nearly tripped over his own feet.

“Fiyero!” Elphaba scolded. “Not in front of him! I don’t want his first words to be foul.”

“Sorry,” Fiyero sheepishly chuckled and set the presents under the tree. “It’s not like he can understand what I’m saying. Isn’t that right, little buddy?”

He squatted down and blew raspberries into his soft belly, making him squeal and giggle. Elphaba playfully rolled her eyes, brushing back the short, dark curls that fell over Liir’s forehead. She pinched his chubby cheek and got up to look at the haphazardly wrapped gifts Fiyero placed below the tree. 

“... Please tell me there’s still left over wrapping paper.”

Fiyero looked over his shoulder, still in the midst of a tickle fight with Liir. “Hm? You don’t like the way I wrapped the presents?”

“Yero, I say this with all the love in my heart... it looks like you layered the paper around the box several times and slapped a ribbon atop it.”

He feigned offense. “Fae! How could you? I’m wounded by your horrendible words!” 

“Oh Fiyero…” She sighed defeatedly.

“I’m kidding... Come on, what difference does it make? They’re going to be ripped apart tomorrow— why stress out over how the wrapping paper looks?”

“It shows that we put some thought into their gifts and didn’t wrap them up at the last second.” She stripped away a piece of excess tape stuck to the shiny emerald paper.

“Well, we technically did- but they’ll get over it once they see what they get. I can already hear Glinda screaming for joy when she opens hers.”

Elphaba rearranged the small, pink gift bag that contained the jewelry set for the petite blonde. It was true, they both put a lot of thought into what they planned to gift their loved ones.

“Well… I suppose you’re right,” She smiled up at him. “Thank you for wrapping the presents, Fiyero.”

“You’re welcome,” Fiyero walked over to her, Liir in his arms. “I must be the luckiest man in Oz to have the most patient wife, right Liir?”

Liir babbled nonsense in response. 

“See? He agrees.” Fiyero planted a sweet kiss on her cheek. 

“Of course he does, he has my brains.” She quipped. 

“Oh ha-ha...” 

They took a moment to gaze at the tree. Liir’s eyes twinkled at the dozens of multicolored lights glowing on the branches. His tiny hands reached out to grab an ornament doll made of tin. Elphaba gently pulled his wrist back before he inevitably put it in his mouth.

“Y’know… this’ll be the only time we’ll have for ourselves,” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Tomorrow will be one big day of festivating with the others.”

Elphaba hummed in agreement, stroking his cheek affectionately.

“-Hey, what do you say we celebrate a little early— just the three of us?” He suggested.

Elphaba looked at him, perplexed. “You mean… open our presents right now?” She quirked an eyebrow in doubt. “Shouldn’t we wait for everyone until tomorrow morning as courtesy?”

“No, no- just one present each!” Fiyero assured. “It’s a huge pile, no one’s gonna notice if a box or two is missing. Besides, with all the guests in one room, how will I get to see the absolute look of joy on your face when you open my gift?” He lightly squeezed Liir’s cheek and spoke in an adoring voice, “-and our boy has been good all year round! Well, aside from throwing up all over my dress shirt last week.”

“Oh, he didn’t mean to do that,” Elphaba smooched her son’s temple. “Maybe papa shouldn’t have spun you in the air right after you ate.” 

Fiyero winced at the statement. “Alright, that was on me- but the point is he deserves one early gift tonight!” Speaking in his baby voice, he smiled down at Liir. “You wanna see what Lurline brought you this year?”

Not comprehending any of his words, Liir incoherently blabbered. Fiyero took that as an agreement and plucked something out from the tiniest stocking hanging above the fireplace. He hid it behind his back as he returned, bending his knees to be at eye level with the child.

Fiyero presented a plush doll: a cutesyfied monkey with small wings stitched to his back and a friendly smile. “Look! This is for you!”

Elphaba played up her excitement at the toy, lightly bouncing Liir in her arms and coaxing him to look at it. The young boy looked unfamiliar with it at first, not sure what it was exactly. When his mother didn’t stop his tiny hands from touching it, he grasped it. A slow smile grew on his face, followed by giggles.

“Happy Lurlinemas, Liir.” Fiyero kissed his cheek. 

“Say thank you to papa,” Elphaba encouraged. The infant was far too preoccupied with his new toy to even acknowledge her. “I guess we’ll have to work on expressing gratitutions later…”

“He’ll learn.” Fiyero promised. He beamed brightly and ruffled his messy, raven hair.

“Well, since we’re at it,” Elphaba carefully handed Liir over to him. “I’ve got something I hope you’ll like.”

“Fae, you could give me a pebble as a gift and I’ll love it.” 

She leaned down and reached behind the tree. “That’s quite the reassurement, but I promise I got you something one step above a pebble,”

Wrapped in shiny emerald paper with a gold bow on top, Elphaba handed him a small box. “Happy Lurlinemas.”

Fiyero eagerly took it and lightly shook the box next to his ear. He handed Liir back to her and tore it open, revealing a gold wrist watch with a green dial. There were five, smaller sub-dials inside the watch, each one labeling the time of day for all the provinces in Oz. 

“Elphaba…” Fiyero carefully held the watch in his hand, examining it in pure adoration. “This is... I can’t even begin to describe it-”

“Do you like it? I wasn’t sure if it was something you’d wear daily.”

“Elphaba, I love it! It’s beautiful! Thank you, my dearest.” He placed a peck on her lips. With her help, he secured the watch around his wrist and basked in its glory. “-Speaking of which, I’ve been waiting all year to see your reaction to what I’ve got for you.”

“Is that so?” Elphaba watched him scour through the presents until he said “Aha!” when he found a medium sized box. 

“Here...” Fiyero sat cross legged on the floor. Elphaba followed suit and passed Liir over to sit on his lap, taking the somewhat heavy box in her hands 

“What’s this?” Her brown eyes lit up with curiosity. 

“Open it and see for yourself!” Fiyero grinned. 

A smile grew on Elphaba’s face. She tore away the gold wrapping paper, revealing a wooden box. Confused, she unlocked the latch and opened the lid. When she removed the bright blue fabric on top of her gift, she gasped in disbelief.

They were ruby slippers. Nearly identical to the silver slippers her sister owned. Elphaba had once brought up to Fiyero the time her father gifted Nessa the priceless pair of shoes as a parting gift at Shiz. While she did not care for extravagant shoewear, she remembered how hurt she felt when Frex didn’t give her something as little as a postcard. 

At the time, it felt like a stab to the heart, seeing Nessa look so beautiful and elegant in her new slippers while Elphaba lugged around in worn out boots like a beggar. It was a painful reminder of how low she thought of herself before she found the people she loved the most in life.

Elphaba couldn’t hold back her tears, her fingers hovering over the red jewels. “Yero… I- I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything…  your face speaks a thousand words.”

Elphaba placed the shoes to the side and frantically wrapped her arms around him. Fiyero placed a hand on the small of her back, laughing wholeheartedly at the kisses she planted all over his face.  

Below them, Liir cried out. Elphaba cupped his cheek and placed soft kisses on his tender face as well.

“Oh, I didn’t forget about you.” She spoke sweetly, smothering him in kisses. 

“Happy Lurlinemas to my most beautiful wife and son.” Fiyero said.

“Your only wife and son.” Elphaba teased.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He helped her remove her booties and slipped her shoes on. They were the perfect fit, comfortably tailored to her size. She stared at them in admiration, once more thanking her husband with kisses. 

The pair spent their evening playing with their child, enjoying the sacred time they had together.

                                     ┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Thanks for reading! I’m sorry this is probably not my best work and that it was posted a little late in the season. This was mostly a self-indulgent fluff fic I’ve been meaning to write since I see so little of the Thropp/Tiggular + Liir family dynamic. I’m also technically still a little new to publishing fiyeraba fics that maintain their characters. Bear with me please haha ;; 

Thank you again to Emma for the beautiful art! Show your love by reblogging and commissioning her if you can!

[drabbles-of-writing]

Happy Birthday (pt 2)

This is part of my Four Years AU

AO3

Masterpost 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

It was October thirteenth.

Luz’s first birthday without her mother.

She hadn’t told anyone what today was. She had mentioned it before, during the summer. But Eda and King weren’t known to be the best at remembering something so small from a single conversation.

They were already worried about her, it would only make things worse to remind them.

She saw the worried glances Eda and King gave her. Even Lilith looked concerned. Luz assured them she was fine before she holed up back in the library and, later, her room. Which she had made into makeshift into a study area.

Just because it was her birthday didn’t mean she had to stop trying. Even if it was her quinceañera.

‘Mamá must be worried.’ Her mind murmured.

‘She probably thinks you ran away.’ Added a snicker from the back of her mind. ‘She must think you hate her.’

Luz shook her head and hunched back over her papers. This wasn’t the time to mope and worry. This was the time for research! Even the words ran off the pages and her mind kept wandering.

‘You shouldn’t have gone through that door.’ Her thoughts spoke up again. ‘How bad could a reality check camp be, really? Would you really rather spend an eternity here, where your madre will never know if you're alive or dead?’

“Will you be quiet?” Luz snapped to no one.

‘Look at you,’ Her mind sneered back. ‘Talking to yourself. Maybe you did need that summer camp.’

Luz groaned and thunked her head on her desk, hands collapsing behind her neck. How was she supposed to work under these conditions?

She should’ve asked Gus to research with her. Out of all her friends, he was by far the most willing to spend all-nighters reading and searching for anything human. Any single link to the human realm.

This wasn’t to say Willow and Amity didn’t help her. They did, plenty of times. But it was always Gus she could call at two in the morning and ask to travel with her to some long-forgotten ruin on the slim chance it had even a sentence of human language on its stones. Amity was definitely a close second.

Everyone had tried. Even before the summer was over they had tried. Luz still beat herself up about not searching harder when she didn’t have to worry about her madre thinking she was lost somewhere. Every day that ticked by didn’t seem to bring her any closer to making it home.

The first week when summer vacation was over was horrible. Luz barely got any sleep and practically tore the library apart looking for any book on the human realm. She had crashed on the fifth day and slept all of the sixth. While she slept, her friends had taken up researching for her. Even Eda and King. Well, King tried. He couldn’t read all that well, but Lilith was happy to help.

Luz tried to at least get a few hours of sleep each day now. She still had bags under her eyes and her footsteps still dragged, but at least she wasn’t about to collapse anymore.

‘Mamá would tell you to go to sleep.’

Luz lifted her head and looked towards the window. It had originally been a hole in the wall courtesy of one of her recent adventures, so Eda had turned it into a wonky window instead of bothering to fix it up.

It was dusk. How had time gone by so fast?

Luz dug around in her desk for her glyphs and pulled out her light spell. She tapped the paper and it transformed into a small ball of light. She let it float next to her for a moment, simply watching it.

“She would like this spell.” Luz said to herself. “It doesn’t cost any bills to keep up.”

She almost laughed at her own joke. Almost.

‘Yeah, like she’d be proud of anything you did here.’

Luz sighed and turned back to the pages spread out before her. She stared blankly for a few moments, repeatedly telling herself to focus and failing to do so.

Then her bedroom door slammed open.

“LUZ!” King cried.

Luz yelped and shot backwards, tumbling out of her chair and hitting the wooden floor.

King winced and scurried over to where she lay, giving her a nervous look.

“Eh heh, sorry…”

“King! Don’t scare me like that!” Luz scolded, sitting up and rubbing her head.

“Sorry, but it’s important!” King said, waving his little arms. “Come on, come on!”

“Is something wrong?” Luz worried, standing up as King tugged on her cape.

“Well, no,” King said, still pulling her out of her room. “But it’s still important!”

Luz, more confused than ever, followed King as he finally let go of her cape and scampered down the stairs, practically shaking with excitement.

A part of Luz was expecting some prank he and Hooty had concocted. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for them these days.

Luz wandered down the stairs as King skittered towards the living room. She heard murmuring and frowned, slowing her steps until she was right by the doorway and peeked her head in, one hand resting on the doorframe.

Willow, Gus and Amity were sitting on the floor around the couch. They had pushed a table up in front of it. A cake sat on the table, and Amity was currently trying to stick in a candle shaped like a five next to the one shaped like a one, though was clearly having trouble as the candle was made of something very squirmy and kept shifting into something that looked more like a weird S.

Gus was trying to help contain the candle as Willow looked on with concern, holding a small square lidded box in her lap.

Eda and Lilith were sitting on the couch directing Gus and Amity with little success. As Lilith was also dealing with Hooty continuously bugging her with questions or whatever he ate outside that day.

King had just arrived and was now climbing onto the table, promptly freaking out everyone else who clearly didn’t expect him to be back so soon.

“Guys…?” Luz blinked, taking a step into the room.

Everyone's heads whirled around to her, none of them having expected her to make it downstairs faster than they anticipated.

Hooty, as per usual, was the first to break the silence.

“Hi, Luz!” He greeted. “We made a cake!”

“You didn’t do anything!” Lilith snapped. “All you did was be a lookout. A very lousy one, at that!”

“Hey! I deserve credit for doing something!”

“What...is all this?” Luz asked, deciding it was better to cut in before Lilith and Hooty started arguing again.

“What does it look like, kid?” Eda snorted, snatching the five candle from Amity and sharply sticking it into the cake, making it lopsided and causing clear distress to Amity’s OCD.

“This is what human birthdays look like, right?” Gus worried, sitting upright and putting his hands on the table. “Was there supposed to be streamers? I knew we should’ve gotten streamers,” He grumbled.

“No, no, it’s just…” Luz looked over everyone before her eyes landed on Eda and King, who had hopped onto the couch beside her.

“You...remembered?” She asked quietly.

“Of course we did! The King of Demons never forgets!” King said proudly.

“Yesterday you forgot that you drank your own apple blood and threw a fit because you thought someone else drank it.” Amity deadpanned.

“That was one time!”

“Happy birthday, Luz.” Willow said, gesturing for her to sit down and setting the small box on the table.

Luz slowly walked towards the table, sitting on her knees at the end of the table. Still stunned, she slid the gift closer to her and pulled off the lid.

Inside it was a book. It was dark blue with golden lining along the edges. It’s title in gold cursive read; Glyph Spells & Other Written Magic .

“Thought you could use one of those,” Willow said casually. “Since you’ve got your own students to teach now.”

“We all pitched in for it,” Eda said gleefully.

Amity gave the witch a very pointed glare. One that Eda sighed in response to.

“Alright, we all pitched in to look for it. Little Miss Rich over here paid for it.” She relented, pointing a thumb towards the girl.

“I tasted it!” Hooty added happily. “It tastes like old dust and death.”

Luz carefully lifted the book out of the box. It seemed like well-kept book. Though the frantic scratches among the cover here and there proved that it had likely been quickly cleaned before placed in the box. The pages were yellow and crinkled, and there was the occasional stain or tear. But overall, it wasn’t unreadable.

“Do you…” Amity swallowed. “Like it?”

Luz kept her eyes on the book for a few quiet seconds. She pulled the book close to her chest and lifted her head, trying and failing to fight back the tears welling in her eyes.

“I love it.” She said hoarsely, a wide smile stretched across her face.

Everyone in the room visibly relaxed, shoulders sagging.

“Does this mean we can have cake now?” King asked, impatiently tugging on Eda’s dress. “I’m starving!”

“Nope!” Hooty chirped, his head popped up beside Luz and startled her. “It’s group hug time!”

“Wait, wait, Hooty NO--!”

Hooty was faster than any of them could react and wrapped around them all, pulling them into a tight ball with Luz squished in the middle.

“A little more warning next time?” Gus wheezed from where he was currently being suffocated by the insistent bird tube.

“The cake!” Willow exclaimed.

Everyone craned their necks downwards towards the table.

Sure enough, amongst the struggle to get everyone in a circle, the cake had been knocked off the table and onto the floor, completely smashed against the carpet.

Everyone stared at it for a few moments.

“Floor cake!” King exclaimed. “The best kind of food!”

Nobody knew who laughed first, but it wasn’t long before everyone had smiles on their faces. Now, it didn’t seem to matter how human they made her party.

“Thanks, guys.” Luz said once she’d calmed down. “I...I think I needed this.”

“Any time, Luz.” Eda smiled.

Luz giggled and looked towards the stained windows of the Owl House. She could already hear Lilith and King arguing with Hooty again, probably to put them down, but it was tuned out.

The sky was completely dark now. And though the sky back home looked different than in the Boiling Isles, Luz couldn’t help but wonder if her mom was looking up at the stars, too.

She glanced back to her friends, still not processing any of the arguments or conversations they were having as they tried to free themselves from Hooty.

Yeah, she’d be okay.

Luz smiled and relaxed. Even if her mom didn’t know where she was, Luz could at least rest assured that she’d make it home, eventually. And she’d have real friends helping her out.

‘Keep that light on until I get there, mamá.’ She silently asked.

‘Te veré pronto.’

[themangledsans0508]

Big Gnome

Craig Tucker was in no way oblivious, he could tell when his stuff was going missing. In particular, his sweatshirts he was so fond of. Yes, he did indeed have multiple of the same sweatshirt, his mother insistent on making sure he had extras in the case he lost one, or it tore, or perhaps it was stolen. 

Yes, he was aware that someone was stealing his sweatshirts, in particular, a younger shakey blonde. He gave him one to borrow, and it was returned, and then it disappeared, along with Craig’s spare. 

Tweek basically lived at Craig’s house, spending a lot of his free time there and spent the night most days. Yeah, they did spend quite a lot of time together, but they still hung out with their own friends. Craig would hang out with Clyde, Token, and Jimmy and play some video games or just chill out. Tweek would meet up with Scott or Butters and they would do stuff on their own, whether it be board games or just talking about what was going on.

There was no jealousy, and they trusted each other. Being in a relationship for six years helped too, as everyone knew they were exclusive. 

That being so, Craig was rather convinced that his sweatshirt disappearing was Tweek’s doing. 

He didn’t just forget things, he’d remember if he set his sweatshirt down. He doubted anyone would steal it either, it was just a plain blue sweatshirt.

Unless, of course, they wanted to send a message.

Not to him, but to everyone else. A message that said; “Back off, he’s mine.”

Tweek didn’t need to, he had no competition. To Craig, that twitchy blonde was the universe, someone he was committed to. Tweek could be a murderer, and Craig would still be head over heels for him.

The only problem was, he had no proof it was actually Tweek. 

Craig may have been (and occasionally, still was) a level fourteen thief, but when it came to Tweek, he outranked him. The only man who could steal from Craig Tucker and not get caught was Tweek Tweak. Even the level fifteen thief, Douchebag, had gotten caught trying to sneak past him. Tweek however, could rob Craig blind right in front of him and he wouldn’t notice. Not because Tweek was stealthy, but because he would be distracted by the beautiful man in front of him.

He decided he wanted to find out if his lovely boyfriend was in fact the reason his sweatshirts kept disappearing, and to do that he decided that instead of spending the night at his house, they would be spending it at Tweek’s instead.

 So that being said, he sent a text to tell Tweek he would be spending the night at his house with him. The only reason Tweek was home was because his father wanted him to spend some time at least in the house for “the family aspect of the business.”   

Craig hated Richard for a few reasons. The main one being that he didn’t truly care for Tweek and only used him for his own gain. He once thanked him for dating his son, like he was doing it for Richard or like it was a burden he had to carry.

Thinking about it made his blood boil. He didn’t understand how someone could not care about their kids. He knew it happened, he just didn’t understand why it happened.

Yes, Craig was typically cold to most. Yes, he had been a bully. He was different now though. Maybe not to the outside eye, but to those close to him it was obvious. He was less irritable and cruel, and more patient. It would be difficult to connect these changes to anyone but Tweek. He could, in theory, be maturing. In reality, however, Tweek taught him a lot.

Of all the couples in South Park, they were the pair seemingly guaranteed to last. Soulmates, dare he think. 

He would make it last. He was sixteen, young enough to be told he wasn’t old enough to know what he was feeling, but in his opinion, he was old enough to know what he was feeling.

What he was feeling was love, he decided when he was thirteen. Three years later, the feelings had only intensified, confirming his suspicions. They were like two puzzle pieces; they fit perfectly together. Their bodies, their personalities, just like pencil and paper or the moon and the stars.

What didn’t fit together was his sweatshirts and disappearing.

Which is exactly why he was walking down the street as the sun set, daydreaming away. He arrived on the Tweak’s doorstep and noticed the lights on in the living room. He sighed in annoyance. Richard was probably sitting on the couch, watching the news to see what trends he could hop on board of. He knocked to be polite despite the fact it was no longer necessary, and to his dismay, saw Richard stand from his seat.

“Hello Craig,” Richard said with a smile, “Are you spending the night on this fine evening. Fine, like the freshly ground coffee-”

“Yes I am,” Craig interrupted quickly. He didn’t need to hear him go off about coffee, no matter how many years passed or how many times he said it, his coffee still tasted like shit.

“Alright son, Tweek is upstairs.” He patted him and returned to the couch, watching intently for anything teenagers may be attracted to.

 Craig moved swiftly up the stairs, eager as always to see his boyfriend. He didn’t think he’d ever not be eager to see his boyfriend, not after ten years, not after a thousand years, not after a million. 

He opened the door slowly as to not startle Tweek and saw the blonde sitting at his table and working on a lego set. He was focused, his head snapping from his book to the blocks in his hands. Craig wasn’t sure that he had even heard the door open. He took a few steps towards the blonde and tapped his foot a few times to mimic knocking.

“Hey babe,” Craig said. Tweek carefully placed the lego structure on the table and hurried towards Craig, wrapping his arms around him. 

“My God, man! I thought you were joking when you said you were coming over tonight!”

“Why would I be joking?”

“I don’t know, I just thought you weren’t actually coming!”

“Don’t want me here?” Craig smirked.

“No, no, no! Opposite of that, dick.” Tweek stuck his tongue out playfully. “Whenever I’m here, my parents drive me crazy!”

“I know, honey, I know.” Craig squeezed him and then released his grip. “One day we’ll be out of here, Tweek,” he murmured, running his hand down Tweek’s cheek.

“Someday soon, I hope,” Tweek muttered. Craig kissed Tweek’s forehead and rested his chin atop his head.

“After we graduate, we’ll get a place of our own, baby. I promise.” Tweek placed a kiss on his chin and smiled.

“Did you eat already, Craig? Because I can go grab you something if you want.”

“Yes, Tweek, I already ate. It’s like eight at night now,” he chuckled. “What about you, Tweekers? Did you eat?” Tweek nodded.

“Yeah, I was just gonna finish this set and then go to bed.” Tweek pulled away and sat in front of the unfinished building. Craig followed swiftly and picked him up, seating himself in the chair and placing Tweek on his lap.

“I’ll keep you company,” Craig breathed into his neck. Tweek shuddered but continued his work. 

It took around three hours for Tweek to finally finish his project, no thanks at all to Craig who kept running his hands up and down his body, planting random kisses on him, and squeezing rather vulnerable spots.

Craig completely forgot about why he had even come over to spend the night in the first place. That is, until Tweek asked to be released so he could brush his teeth and shower.

“It’s eleven at night, and you want to take a shower?” Craig asked, “Why not just forget it and go to bed?”

“Because I didn’t take one this morning. I like being clean. It won’t take long dude. You can do what you need to in there first so you don’t have to wait for me.” 

“Yeah, I’ll go first. But I’m still going to wait for you.” Craig took his hand and kissed it before removing his grasp to allow Tweek to get up. 

Craig went to the bathroom, feeling suspense now that it was almost time for his plan to come to full fruition. He gave Tweek a kiss as they passed in the hallway and returned to the bedroom.

He took a moment to really look at the lego creation. It was a city block, with a pet shop, cafe, and living space. Three of Tweek’s favourite things in one creation. He shook his head, he was getting distracted.

Focused on his mission, he opened the closet door and looked inside the small space.

He was surprised, not at the fact that indeed, both of his sweatshirts were in there, but at how many other articles of his clothing were there as well. Shirts in particular, but there were a few pairs of pants hidden around too, most likely however from Craig himself throwing them in a random place. He suspected there was more too, just not as organised as the ones he found. He smiled a little thinking about why Tweek had stolen the clothes in the first place.

Craig moved to the bed, taking his shirt off and tossing it off somewhere off to the side and laid himself on his side of the bed. He listened to the running water in the other room, the soft humming coming for a beautiful angel, and the wind gently blowing against the windows. If he hadn’t been at the end of a mystery he may have fallen asleep.

Tweek kept to his word, soon coming into the bedroom wearing a shirt that hung loosely off his body (perhaps because it belonged to Craig). His hair was drooping downwards and sticking to his face due to the water. Craig reconsidered his opinion that Tweek was an angel. He thought he was a god in disguise now.

“Craig, I thought you would have fallen asleep,” Tweek yawned. He wouldn’t normally be tired, thanks to all the caffeine in his system. With Craig, however, he didn’t feel as stressed or the urge to drink (as much) coffee. His addiction to caffeine was wearing off but in turn, he was picking up a new one.

At least the new one didn’t cost anything and was much more pleasing in his opinion.

“Nah, I told you I would wait for you.” Tweek chuckled quietly.

“You can’t control sleep, dear,” he smiled. Craig smiled back and pushed himself off the bed.

“I can try. Also, that shirt looks familiar for some reason.” Tweek looked down at the white shirt that was now slightly sliding off his shoulder and back to Craig.

“Yeah, I found it on the floor over there. I think someone lost it in here somehow,” Tweek teased. Craig couldn’t keep his smile from growing but shook his head gently. He moved past Tweek and opened the closet. He gestured slightly to the stash of his clothing and crossed his arms.

“You know, I’ve been looking for these,” Craig pointed at his sweatshirts dangling from hangers. “I need at least one of them.”

“Well, I need one too for when I’m trapped in this hell hole,” Tweek huffed, crossing his arms. 

“I need one too so I don’t fucking freeze to death Tweek.” Tweek made a few small sounds and one of his hands moved to pull at his hair. Craig took a few quick steps forward and took his hands to keep them from doing any damage to those golden locks.

“You can’t freeze to death, what would I do?” Tweek twitched slightly and Craig sighed.

“I meant it as an expression, babe. I would never leave you,” Craig said softly.

“You better not, asshole.” Craig laughed.

“Nice to know you love me. Now can I please have one of my sweatshirts? I don’t care about the rest of the stuff you stole.”

“No, you can take it tomorrow when we go to school. It’s time to sleep for fuck’s sake.” Tweek wriggled out of Craig’s grip and went to the bed, laying with his back against the wall. “Well? Are you coming?”

“Of course,” Craig snorted. He slid into the bed across from Tweek so their faces were only inches apart. He looked into those blue eyes that he so often found himself getting lost in and found himself absentmindedly wrapping his arms around Tweek and pulling him closer, earning a squeak from the boy.

Tweek flipped himself so instead of facing the room, he was now facing the wall. He pushed himself so he was flush against Craig and sighed in content. God, he loved cuddling.

There was nothing sexual in their closeness, instead it being love and trust. Tweek would never have his back to someone if they were alone in a room unless it was his partner, and even then they had to have a strong trust. Craig, in turn, would never allow himself to appear soft or even caring for that matter. Simply cold and distant. 

They had something special that almost no other couple in South Park had.

Hey! I already uploaded this onto Wattpad! My username is TheMangledSans0508! Check me out!

[justanoutlawfic]

Semiprecious

Summary: Regina’s life is uprooted when her mom wakes her up early one morning to move her from Brooklyn, NY to Storybrooke, ME. She’s in a strange place, living with relatives she never met, abandoned by the mother she only ever wanted to please. Luckily she has a cute baseball player to distract her.

For OQ Book Week. Based on the novel by D. Anne Love.

Also on AO3

It was summer and the heat caused Regina’s Yankees tee to stick to her body. She had her long, thick curls back in a ponytail and wore sandals that she had stolen from Zelena. Her own stopped fitting a week ago and her converse were uncomfortable this early in the morning. She knew better than to ask Cora for money for new shoes, especially so close to this day. She also knew she better return the shoes before Zelena noticed them missing.

Regina walked up the staircase, then down the long hall to their first floor apartment. She was quiet shutting the door behind her and setting the bag down in the kitchen. Sure enough, the room was empty and the doors to Cora along with Regina and Zelena’s bedrooms were shut. Regina let out a deep breath and grabbed the eggs from the fridge, starting on breakfast.

It didn’t take long for her to hear one of the doors open, followed by it slamming shut. “Shhh,” she shushed her barely older sister. “Don’t wake Mom.”

“Mom had several cocktails for dinner last night. I think we’re fine. Are those my sandals?”

Regina rolled her eyes, not turning to face her. “You don’t need them right now. I had to go to the bodega to get some odds and ends.”

“Stop stealing my stuff.”

“Well mine don’t fit anymore and I’m not going to wear sneakers in this heat.” She flipped the French toast in the pan before turning to face her sister. Zelena’s curls were a tangled mess as usual and she wore a silky white nightgown that was far too mature for an 18 year old.

“You’re 17 and your feet still grow?”

“I don’t think they fit very well in the first place.” She put her hands on her hips. “You have the present, right?”

“Yes, wrapped up nice and pretty.”

Zelena lent Regina a hand with breakfast and for a moment, the latter was reminded of what life was like before their father died. Henry wasn’t Zelena’s biological father, but he had raised her as if she had been. After he died four years ago, things had never been the same. Whether it was between the two sisters or their mother.

By the time the French toast was done, Regina could hear the floorboards in her mother’s room creaking. The door opened, followed by the floorboards in the hall and soon the shower was on. Regina pulled the daisies from the bag on the counter and put them into a vase next to her mother’s plate. Zelena was already eating, ignoring Regina’s request that they wait. Regina had butterflies in her stomach, too nervous to eat.

The bathroom door was pushed open, a cloud of steam and Dior spilling out. Cora emerged into the kitchen moments later. Her damp curls were pulled back into a bun and she wore slacks paired with a nice red blouse. Regina rubbed her damp palms on her shorts.

“Happy birthday, Mother,” she said.

Cora smiled in a way only she could. The kind that didn’t quite reach the eyes and somehow gave Regina a twinge of anxiety at the same time. “Thank you, darling.”

“We made you breakfast,” she gestured to the island. “French toast and poached eggs. Zelena even cut up some fruit.”

“It looks delicious,” Cora said.

Zelena looked up from her near empty plate. “Good morning, Mother. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, dear.” She looked her up and down. “You couldn’t dress for breakfast?”

Zelena rolled her eyes and Regina internally groaned. This was not the way that the day was supposed to go. She didn’t want fighting. She wanted things to go perfectly. She wanted Cora to be happy.

Cora ate a quarter of what Regina cooked and handful of strawberries. Regina ate even less. After the dishes had been washed by the younger girls, the three Mills women went for a walk around the neighborhood and headed to the park. Regina did most of the talking, discussing the upcoming school year and asking Zelena about college plans. She made sure to stress about financial aid and student loans so not to worry her mother. Cora didn’t say much at all, she just smiled at her daughters, nodding her head. Regina thought about the fax she had seen and the ways she could prevent it from coming to fruition.

After their walk, Cora napped and Zelena went to call Chad. Regina got to work on the cake. It was her father’s special recipe. Her parents’ marriage hadn’t been a very happy one but her mother had loved Henry for his cooking. His cakes had been out of this world. Every year on their birthdays, he’d make them one with good dark chocolate. When he got sick, he had only told Regina where his box of recipes were. She kept the tradition alive for the birthdays.

Eventually, Zelena got off the phone and ordered dinner from Cora’s favorite Japanese restaurant. Cora awoke from her nap in a seemingly better mood. She popped the cork on a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass, eating more of her dinner than she had her breakfast. Regina tried not to take offense as she devoured her own tempura.

“Are you having a good birthday, Mother?” Regina asked as she put the candles into the thick chocolate frosting.

The not-smile returned to Cora’s face. “I’ve got my girls here with me. What more could I want?”

Forty one candles circled the cake to represent Cora’s age with one to grow on. Regina lit them and watched as her mother shut her eyes, before blowing them out. They had slices of cake with coffee (well, the girls did, Cora had another glass of wine). If anyone looked in, they’d look like a normal family, not one with a ticking time bomb on them.

“So Mother,” Zelena said. “Regina and I pooled our savings together, and we got you a gift.”

Cora took the last sip of her wine. “Well, let’s see it.”

Zelena left the room and Regina stayed there, taking her mom in. Poised. Put together. Even with the lipstick mark on the glass, she somehow seemed untouched. Regina knew that was how Cora liked her life, even in their tiny Brooklyn apartment. She knew that she wanted more. And she wanted to give that to her, if it was possible.

Cora had been born to two poor farmhands in Maine. She had always planned for bigger and better things. When she was fresh out of college, she was engaged to Leopold Blanchard, a rich older man. Then she made one mistake and ended up pregnant with Zelena. Leopold wasn’t the father. He dumped her and left her for her younger sister. The small town turned on Cora and she fled, heading for New York. It wasn’t long before she found kindhearted Henry. He always said he fell in love with her at first sight. He agreed to marry her so the baby would be protected. Regina came a year and two weeks after Regina was born. Henry’s family had been wealthy but his family ended up losing it all due to some bad investments. Henry hasn’t minded, Cora did. Henry spent the rest of his life trying to make her happy again and when he died he passed on more than just his recipes to Regina.

“Here we go!” Zelena’s high pitched voice interrupted Regina’s thoughts. “Happy birthday, Mother.”

She dropped the present into Cora’s lap before sitting on the arm of Regina’s chair. Cora carefully unwrapped the present, making a pile of the paper to save it for later. She took the top off the box to reveal the contents inside: a gold locket. Regina had seen it at the mall and instantly thought of her mother. Zelena had called it cheap and thought they could do better but they didn’t have much money between them.

Cora blinked at the necklace. Regina reached over and flipped it open. “See, it’s got you, me and Zelena on one side, and then all of us with Daddy on the other…” But Cora still didn’t smile. She just stared at the locket.

“You can return it,” Zelena said, bluntly.

“Zelena!”

“Well, she clearly doesn’t like it.”

Cora places the locket on the table before pushing herself up and walking to her bedroom. The door slammed shut behind her. Regina sat there for a moment before she started to clean up the mess.

“I told you it was a cheap necklace,” Zelena said.

“Shut up, Zelena.”

“We should’ve just gotten her a gift certificate to get her nails done or something.”

“I said shut up!” Regina slammed the cake tin onto the island, causing frosting to go over the counter. “God, Zelena, for once can you just not say what you think?”

Zelena rolled her eyes and walked back to their bedroom. Regina cleaned the kitchen and living room until the only remnant of the birthday party left was the locket on the table. She stared at the family portrait she had painstakingly cut out for the heart. Regina remembered back to when life was that easy. To when her dad could’ve saved this birthday.

She gathered the locket and walked to her mother’s door, slipping it under the crack. All she could hope was for a better tomorrow.

****************************

“Regina! Regina, it’s time to get up.”

Regina rolled over in bed, her eyes narrowing up to see her mother standing there. Cora was wearing one of her work pantsuits, her hair curled.

“Mom?” Regina mumbled. “Mom what are you doing here?” She strained her eyes to look at the alarm clock. “It’s only 4:30 AM.”

“Yes, and we need to hit the road.”

“Hit the what?”

“We’re going on a little trip. Let’s go. Get in the shower.”

Regina sat up, her thick curls sticking to the back of her neck. “Where are we going?”

“Storybrooke.”

“Storybrooke?”

Zelena piped up from the other side of the room. It was dark but the hall light allowed Regina to see her copper curls. “Mom’s gone mad.”

Regina blinked a few times before remembering Storybrooke was where her mom had grown up. She and Zelena had never been, they had never met their aunt or even spoken to her. Now her mom wanted to go there?

“Why?”

Cora scoffed. “Because I said so, that’s why. Now go shower, we leave in a half hour.”

Half asleep, Regina did as her mother asked. She showered and changed into some shorts along with a plain white t shirt. As she stood in the mirror, she thought of having to sit in the car to Maine. She had once asked her father about visiting her aunt there and gotten a maybe. When she looked how long it took to travel, she read upwards of 7 hours.

Regina’s long curls ended up in the wastebasket of her bathroom. She evened her hair out to shoulder length as best she could, but she was sure it wasn’t. Shrugging, she went back into the bathroom, forcing her feet into the converse, Zelena had already claimed the sandals. Cora looked at her and scoffed.

“You cut your hair?”

Regina shrugged. “I’m going to be trapped in a hot car.” She noticed a suitcase on her bed. “How long are we going to be gone?”

“Just pack your essentials.”

Cora left and Regina began throwing in shorts, shirts and some other loose ends. Zelena was doing the same with her own suitcase. The butterflies in Regina’s stomach were tap dancing.

“She’s going to be with him,” Regina said.

“She’ll come back.”

And she wanted to believe that.

**********************************

Cora claimed she was going to Connecticut for work and that she couldn’t keep an eye on the girls from there.

“I’ll come for you as soon as I’m settled.”

Once again, Regina believed her.

She sat in the backseat of the Volvo, listening to Zelena whine how unfair it was to be away from Chad. Regina didn’t mention Daniel. They had been on a few dates and kissed a couple of times, but she knew that it wasn’t going anywhere. She worried more about her friends. She was disappearing without word. Would they even notice or care? Would Mal bother to try and find her?

Regina drifted between sleep and consciousness on the drive, listening to the opera CDs that Cora had in the car. She lost all concept of time and was surprised when she heard Zelena sneer “Storybrooke, really?”

She watched as her mother drove down the main road, passing several shops including a diner and a school. Regina expected her to stop at one of the grand Victorian houses or even one of the smaller suburban ones. Instead, her mother kept driving past the beach and headed towards the farm lands.

“I thought your sister married rich,” Regina said, speaking up for the first time in hours.

Cora smirked. “She did, didn’t last.”

Regina squirmed at her mother’s gloating, despite not even knowing this aunt. Eventually, the car pulled up in front of a small house. Regina stepped out, stretching her legs for the first time in nearly eight hours. The white paint was chipping off. Fresh wood was piled up on the porch. The steps didn’t look safe, leaving one to wonder when they had their last tetanus shot. Zelena got out of the car next and Regina watched as she wrinkled her nose.

“How the hell can Eva live here?”

“I grew up here,” Cora’s voice cut in.

Regina and Zelena looked back at her, almost in shock. The girls knew their mom had been broke but didn’t know Eva still lived in the house. They grabbed the bags from the trunk and headed towards the steps. The ripped screen door opened and a tall woman emerged, with a long tumble of dark curls. She wore a white linen dress, a cream apron over that and thick boots. A smile spread across her face.

“Regina, Zelena,” she said.

“You know us?” Regina asked.

“Your mom sends pictures, of course I do. I’m your aunt Eva. Welcome to Storybrooke.”

Eva’s smile faded when she noticed the suitcases in their hands. She looked behind them to Cora.

“So, sis,” she said, “Exactly how long is this visit?”

“Just until I get settled in Connecticut. Shouldn’t take more than a few weeks.”

“Mhm.” Eva didn’t look convinced. “Well, you girls must be hungry after such a long journey, come on in.”

They entered the house, the screen door slamming behind them. A young girl that looked around Regina’s age and the clone of Eva entered the room. She bounced on her heels, smiling.

“Hey, I’m Mary Margaret,” she said. “You must be Regina and Zelena.”

Regina looked at her equally bewildered sister. A cousin? This was new.

Eva put an arm around her daughter. “Mary Margaret was just helping me with lunch. We made fried chicken.”

“I really should get going,” Cora said.

“But we just got here,” Regina frowned. “It’ll take you awhile to get to Connecticut.”

“I’m leaving my car with an old friend, and I want to catch up with them before my flight.”

She kissed each of them on the top of their heads and Regina lingered in it, wanting to savor every minute. The younger girl stared at her mother, trying to convey every bit with her eyes, stay.

Cora just touched her cheek. “Be good, keep Zelena out of trouble.”

Zelena scoffed at the comment and Regina felt her eyes prick with tears. Cora gave goodbyes to her sister and promised to call soon. She completely ignored her niece, just as she had mentioning her to her daughters.

Soon, Zelena and Regina were left with two strangers.

Zelena spoke first. “I want to lay down.”

“Aren’t you hungry?” Mary Margaret asked.

“No,” Zelena snapped, causing the younger girl to wince. “I just want to lay down.”

Eva gave a soft smile. “How about I show Zelena to where she and Regina will be sleeping? Snow, you can show Regina to the kitchen.”

Mary Margaret nodded and lead Regina past the old grandma furniture and into a bright yellow kitchen. Fried chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes sat out on the table, along with a pitcher of lemonade.

“I like your necklace,” Mary Margaret said to Regina.

Regina covered it out of instinct. “Um, thanks. It’s my birthstone. Garnet. Zelena has one too, opal.”

“That’s cool. So, you’re January? I’m December, which makes my birthstone zircon. I was born in the middle of a huge snow storm which is why Mom calls me Snow…” Mary Margaret trailed off, blushing. “I’m ranting.”

Regina held up her thumb and forefinger. “Just a bit.”

Mary Margaret laughed. “So, you’re from New York?” The two sat at the table and Mary Margaret began putting out food.

Regina nodded. “Yeah, Brooklyn.”

“I’ve always wanted to go to New York City, see a show or something. Mom said when I graduated, maybe then I could meet you guys.”

So she knew about us.

Regina wanted to ask about Leopold. She wanted to ask about Storybrooke. She wanted to ask questions Mary Margaret had no answers to like why her mom hadn’t brought her to Connecticut too.

Before she could ask her anything else, Regina jumped a bit in her seat at the sudden creak of the door off the back of the kitchen. A boy around their age entered, in a tight white t shirt and torn Levi’s. His blonde hair was pushed back, letting his blue eyes shine. Mary Margaret smiles up at him.

“Robin, hey, how’d it go?”

“The back porch railing is all fixed.” It was then that Regina saw the toolbox in his hand. “Where’s Miss Eva? I want to talk about fixing the barn back there?”

“She’s showing one of my cousins around.” Mary Margaret gestured to Regina. “This is the other, Regina.”

Robin looked over at Regina, smiling easy at her. “Regina, eh?” He leaned over, showing his sun kissed arm. “I’m Robin.”

Regina shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.” She tilted her head. “Are you two dating or something?”

Mary Margaret and Robin laughed. “No,” Mary Margaret said. “He’s like a brother.”

“I live in town with my grandmother,” Robin explained. “We tend to trade work around here.”

“Oh.” Regina wasn’t sure why that made her feel better.

“Why don’t you join us for lunch?” Mary Margaret offered. “You know my mom, she made too much food.”

Robin nodded and slid into the seat next to Regina, filling up his plate. The butterflies returned to do their tap dancing.

This would be an interesting afternoon.

[mydearsaddiary]

Neil Season 3 part 5

Trigger warning: +16. This chapter includes mention of drug use and sexual harassment. The topics may be sensitive to some people!

Hey! For those of you who don’t know I am writing a Speakeasy Tonight fanfic about how I imagine Neil Season 3 would look like! The visual novel and original story is on the Lovestruck app! This is chapter 5, here’s a link with all the other chapters: https://mydearsaddiary.tumblr.com/NeilSeason3Fanfic

Little curiosity notes: Hello, everyone! Thanks for reading my fanfic! This chapter is a bit longer so it’ll be divided in two parts! It covers Problems with Vera, the gang has a new enemy, Hazel coming over and the wedding planning is moving forward! Enjoy! Don’t forget that if you have anything to add, you can always contact me! I always respond to messages!

Candy, My Dear Diary (6/2/20)

Chapter 5- All’s fair in love and war (PART 1)

1926

When I told Uncle Charlie I’d take over the Ice Box for him, I had the common sense to know it’d be dangerous, but I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. How could I know?

Regardless, I did my job. I have faced dangers and sometimes I wasn’t sure if I could do it. But if there’s one thing Poppa told me is that you don’t show that. A leader keeps doing whatever he has to do and he never shows insecurity, he never lets doubt grow in those who depend on him. So even though I wasn’t sure if we were going to beat Vera once more, I’ll be darned if I let her win.

That’s what I was thinking about that morning. Neil and me were wrapped up in last night’s sheets, but at some point I had to get moving. Neil now ate more than me and woke up later than me, so he was still sleeping. I didn’t complain, how many sleepless nights and meals he skipped in the years since the war? He had some catching up to do.

I laid on his bare chest, noticing the details on his face. His brows furrowed in his sleep, his slight frown that made him a cynic even when he was unconscious. Part of me wondered what it was he dreamt about.

I got up, leaving him peacefully and putting on my robe. I arranged his clothes that were thrown on the floor last night on the bed and went down to whip up us some breakfast.

Before I did so I went to get the mail, and surprisingly found a letter from Lucille. I assumed Neil gave her my address in case she wanted to reach him somewhere else, but it startled me that it was addressed to a “Miss Granger”.

I sat on the dinner table opening the letter

Dear MC Granger,

I couldn’t help but feel guilty about how we ended things with you. It was an unfortunate turn of events, and I wanted to be sure to let you know my mother heard her share about it from me. I also wanted to notify you and my brother Neil about the birth of my daughter, Cornelia. I wish to visit you both in Chicago and I’d love for Neil to meet his niece. I’d be delighted if you’d allow me to introduce you as her aunt as well. My mother shall come with me if you accept, she’s ready to make amends. Please reply to my letter as soon as you can and let us know when it is a good time to visit you. I am thrilled to have you as a new addition to our family

Hope to see you soon,

Lucille Branford of Boston”

It was sweet of her to have written me after I stormed out of Boston without even saying goodbye. Lucille was so understanding, too much for her own good. I wrote her back immediately, letting her know I was sorry for disappearing and that I’d love to have her in Chicago next week. Hazel would be here these days, so it was better to separate things for now.

I finished breakfast and was about to wake Neil up when he came down the stairs. I smiled at him for a second. His disheveled hair that was usually in pristine shape and his slightly swollen eyes from having just woken up made me warm inside. We were truly domestic now, all that stood in the way were the days until I walked down the aisle

-Morning, my dear fiancé- I put emphasis on that last part

He chuckled looking at me- You’re in a good mood

-Why wouldn’t I be? I’ve got the most handsome man in the world right in front of me

He gave me a sarcastic smile in response , the one you gave to your mother as a kid when she forced you to be photographed, and it made me laugh- Go throw some water on your face, will ya? You’re giving me the heebie-jeebies- I said running my fingers through his hair to fix it up, after a few seconds I got his attention again- Hey, your sister wrote me

-Lucille?-He looked at me now sitting at the table after washing his face- What did she say?

-She wants to come to Chicago, Cornelia is born. I told her she could stay here for a couple of days next week. She’ll bring your mother and I’m sure her husband will come if Cornelia is

He raised an eyebrow-Are you sure you can handle all that right now? Your schedule is full

-Well, she asked and it’s only for a couple of days, next week Uncle Charlie will still be in Columbus so we’ll have extra rooms. Besides… I was hoping you’d stay here those days to help me out too- I looked at him pleadingly- After all, we need to start planning the wedding. I have to go to a boring temperance meeting this morning and I’m pretty sure Vera is gonna make an appearance at that one, so I’ll be plenty stressed after. Buuut… After that we have appointments at different venues for our wedding and I hired a planner, she’ll talk about some of the decorations and the reception

He sighed, obviously overwhelmed at the amount of stuff I had just said- We should’ve just eloped.

-C’mon, we have to make this a wedding to remember! It’s our only one!-I pouted holding his hands

He looked at me for a few seconds, pondering his options- Fine, fine! I can’t fight against those cow eyes. But there’s something else

-What is it?- I said in bewteen my eating and drinking coffee

-You know my family will make sure they’re all here for the wedding, right?

-Well, I imagined so

-This makes our wedding a high society wedding, and they have their own customs. I’m sure my mother is coming to Chicago because if she couldn’t stop it, she wants to have a say in it

-That’ll make my parents happy as a clam. I’ve never been to any high society weddings, only seen them on the newspapers. They always make such a big deal about them

-Yes, exactly-He continued- I’m bringing up my offer to elope again, because a high society wedding means we’ll be on the newspaper. Both in Chicago because it’s where we’ll marry, and in Boston because it’s where my family is from. It’ll say something like “Boston bachelor snatched: Heir of the Dresners marries sweetheart in Chicago” or something as corny as that

-Nice try, I’m still gonna go ahead with my plans

-It’s your funeral

-No, buster, it’s our wedding!-I went around the table, sitting on his lap- And I’m determined to make it the best wedding Chicago has ever seen

He looked up at me smiling- Then I can’t argue. Once you decide something, trying to get you to change your mind is like trying to take food out of a bulldog’s mouth.

-You’re sleeping with this bulldog

-Don’t say that phrase, ever again- He looked at me incredulously and I couldn’t help but laugh as I leaned in to plant a passionate kiss on his lips

-I love you-I whispered into him

-Yeah, I know- He looked at me with a smirk and I poked at his ribs- Ow! I was just- Ow, stop that! Alright, I love you too, MC- He said and I stopped satisfied

-Alright-I kissed him one more time before getting up- I need to get ready and leave for the temperance meeting. Should I come over to your apartment after? It’d be easier if you just picked me up and we went to the venues together from there, you know?

He agreed he’d pick me up and I made my way to the kitchen, putting the dishes in the sink.

Then I don’t know what came over me, but I started thinking of everything that I had to do. Temperance meeting speeches, Ice Box, deal with Vera Peters, Hazel, Uncle Charlie, Wedding planning… It’s like everything became a spiral of disconcerted thoughts inside my head that made me anxious. I felt this sudden dizziness take over my head. Suddenly the smell of the kitchen was bothering me and I felt like I had to sit down. But before I could do anything it was like my body gave up on me and regurgitated everything I had just eaten into that sink and I coughed everything out.

I stayed there for a few seconds trying to recompose myself. First thought in my head was shallow: “I can’t believe I just puked, that’s gross!”. Then I turned the water on washing it away and grabbing a paper towel wiping my lips

-MC?- Neil stood leaned on the doorway, a worried look on his face

-Ugh… You didn’t just watch that, did you?

-No… But I heard it- This time he walked towards me as a filled a cup with water

-Don’t drink all that. Just a sip. You shouldn’t drink or eat much for the next few hours- He started taking care of the dishes himself- Sit down

I did as he told me- I must’ve drank too much yesterday- my eyes itched

-I don’t think that’s it-He washed our plates- You have a habit of working until you can’t handle it anymore. You did it a few months ago when you passed out due to exhaustion- He turned to me once he was done- And you’ve been working and working nonstop and Cleo mentioned you were tired last night. Throwing up is also a sign of overworking… Means your body is overwhelmed, MC- He walked towards me, kneeling down and touching my knees gently- Which means: Take care of yourself. That advice is not only for Charlie, either. If you don’t want me holding you captive again- He joked around- Take it easy.

I sighed and then nodded- Alright, doctor. I’ll take it easy

After I promised Neil I’d watch myself, I dressed up and took a cab to the most stressful event of all: Temperance meetings with Vera. She wasn’t showing up to them in a while but I knew that getting married to Mayor Adler would bring her enough courage to show her face again. And right I was. I sat down in one of the couches as she rose to speak to everyone

Vera still had that charm about her. The same grace in her movements, the same poise in her manners. The finesse present in her clothes and her cakes that made people roll their eyes with pleasure, everything was there to gain the hearts of the temperance people back. She was the same elegance as before. However, her piercing eyes told a different story, one everyone was unaware of but me. Vera Peters lived to rule and to ruin, she had the mind of a dictator. In other circumstances I would’ve admired a strong woman, but strong doesn’t always mean good. In Vera’s case it meant havoc.

-Dear Temperance comrades- She started and I already wanted to throw up again- As you know I have discovered that my former husband was involved in criminal activities and directly entangled with the infamous mob boss O’Sullivan. As reported, they are both in jail now where they should be- In her words I could see the lack of loyalty, the deception, the cruelty. Even so, I used to be as blind to it as everybody else in this room- …And I of course, have divorced Peters. I had no idea of his vices and the crimes he committed- Lies, just lies! I just want to call her out- And have now found a partner that shares my drive in the temperance movement, former Prohibition officer and mayor of Chicago: Richard Adler. I will forever support our cause and we will raise again, together- She looked at me this time, glaring with a wicked smile- Every time someone tries to put us down.

As expected, by the end of the temperance meeting everyone was greeting Vera Peters, now Vera Adler and talking about how sorry they were she had to go through all that and how strong she was. I stayed away from the action or I’d puke again on her face. However, Vera seemed to be one of those people who wanted to have everyone under her spell, and she knew I wasn’t in on it. So she came on walking right towards me with her band of loyal followers

-Miss Granger, I hear congratulations are in order-She spoke in that voice that made me want to eat up lead- You’re engaged to that handsome doctor of yours. It’s such a noble profession- She said teasing me, since she researched Neil’s past and knew of his morphine addiction

-Thanks, Vera- I said in that fake friendly tone- I must congratulate you as well on your marriage to Mayor Adler- I hated the fact I had to go back to being civil with her

She smiled even more, since she knew I wanted her to be everything but the Mayor’s wife. Ditch one Mayor and go to the next one… She’s like a Black Mayor Widow- Oh thanks, dear! Won’t you eat one of my cakes?

-I can’t. I’m sick, shouldn’t eat much. Doctors’ orders-I smiled so no one would notice how much I wanted to slug her in the face if I could

-That’s a shame, dear. I hope I can convince you to tea after this?- She played her move.

That was the last thing I wanted. She was smart, if I refused again with no excuse it’d make me look bad and less respectable. Lucky for me I had a perfect excuse- I’d really love to some other time, Vera. But you got me at a bad time. After this, me and my fiancé have appointments with our wedding planner. See, we have so much to do!- I tried to put on my best upper-crust action- Then we have family from other states coming to visit. It’s a busy time for me

-You should hurry up the wedding if you’re already feeling sick… No respectable lady should be with child out of wedlock- She smiled and her friends all gasped with the gossip

That witch! She knew that wasn’t the case, she just used my indisposition to make me look bad. I almost slapped her face right then and right there, but she looked back at me as if she said “I dare you”, so I breathed profoundly and smile at her again- You should be more careful with misleading gossip, Mrs. Adler. I’m not expecting

-It must be the extra weight then, I’m sorry dear!-She laughed like we were old pals.

As if he had read my thoughts, Neil pulled up to the house- Oh look, my ride is here. Until next time, Vera Adler.

-Oh yes, we’ll see each other very soon-She said before I left

When I got into the car I just threw myself on the seat sighing

-That bad, huh?-Neil asked driving

-I might puke again, all over your car- I said dramatically

-It’ll be a cold day in hell when I let that happen! Roll down your window!

I did as he asked. I wasn’t really going to be sick, but the air felt good on my face-Well, to the church then-I pointed forward

Once we were there I looked around. It was a huge church, taller than everything in Columbus. I bet it could fit everyone we knew there and then some. I walked around in red carpet, tried to imagine myself walking down it and see Neil there, waiting for me at the end

-Don’t like it?-He asked seeing my reaction

-Do you?-I looked at him, my arm tucked in his

-To be honest I’m not good at deciding this stuff. I was just gonna go with whatever you thought was good- He shrugged- As long as it’s you walking up to me, it doesn’t really matter where it happens

I smiled. He could be sweet when he wanted

-But- Neil continued- I know women do imagine this moment more than us and I’m sure you have an idea of what you want. So if it doesn’t feel right, then it’s not the place

-Yes, I guess so. Thanks, Neil

With that I knew that wasn’t it. It’d probably satisfy both of Neil’s family and mine. However, that day wasn’t about them, it was about me and Neil. I just had to go with my instincts.

Along the way there was a chapel that I liked the most. I thought about it for a while and I could imagine everything in it. I could see the car parking in front of it. The stairs that led up to its doors. It was built out of wood, but it was entirely white. It had beautiful pink and salmon roses on the outside. The inside was a caramel color, the seats were brown, in a traditional church fashion. The sides of the seats were decorated with the same roses as the outside. The big windows left everything naturally lit and the red carpet led to the altar, where I could see Neil standing, waiting to take my hand. For convenience, it was big and charming enough so our families wouldn’t be opposed, but not so extravagant that I felt scared by it.

-What do you think?-I asked him

-It seems to be away from all the action of the city. Closer to the residential area, not likely we’ll be hearing any disturbances from the outside. If you like it, then I’m all for it

-Well, that’s ducky, because I think it’s the bee’s knees!

I did want to wait until the cold was mostly over so we settled for a date in early May. About five and a half months from now. Seemed enough time to do everything without worrying everyone about taking too long. Since we had a venue and a date, the rest of the planning would rest on the reception, invitations and dresses, tuxedos and fitting. Seeing it coming along was really exciting

We were driving to La Salle station to pick my little sister Hazel up and I decided to strike up a conversation

-Did you go through this before, you know, the wedding planning… With Lillie?-I looked at him

He seemed pensive for a moment- No, not really. Our families were traditional, they always told me how much of a great girl she was and I went along with it. I met her and she seemed nice enough. Lucille loved her, it’s her best friend, and you see she made Lillie the godmother. Then there’s Alton who never said much about it, but didn’t seem opposed to the idea. I trusted their judgment better than anyone else. When we enlisted in the war I was convinced I wanted to marry her so I proposed. This way when I came back she’d be waiting for me. So I was really in France while they planned everything. They wanted me to marry her as soon as I came back but you knew how in shambles I was. So I convinced them to wait until I was done with Med school… And then I left. So, no… I wasn’t really involved in it

It seemed dark and gloomy. Most things with Neil seemed that way- Do you like being involved in it?

He chuckled- I can’t say party planning is my calling. But… I can’t say I hate it either- He smiled at me in a comforting way

Once we were at the station, my sister waited with a small bag for us, she recognized Neil in the driver’s seat and got in the back of the car- There’s so many people over here- That was the first thing she said

-Well, hello to you too-I answered

-Hey MC, hey doc- Hazel said

-You didn’t bring any of the heroin with you, did you?-Neil asked

-No, it’s just like you said-She replied

-Good, it’ll be harder that way, but you’ll sweat yourself off it- Neil was not one to calm anybody’s nerves or sugarcoat anything- I was thinking of taking her to the infirmary but, I think she’ll be better around someone familiar.

-Of course she can stay at Uncle Charlie’s- I turned around to face her- By the way, Hazel, how is Uncle Charlie?

-Old- She said- And he and Poppa stay the whole night talking and playing poker and when they wake up in the morning, they go into the woods to hunt or fish or whatever. Can’t pull ‘em apart. Even Momma’s been around him. I mean, they all grew up together

It was nice to know he was doing fine- That’s good. I told him he needed a vacation from the store and let me watch over it

-Yea… Hey doc, how does this work? This whole getting off the dynamite thing?

-Simple. In about 24 to 48 hours you’re going to want to die. You’ll sweat, feel pain, won’t be able to control your movements, you’ll probably cry, throw up, it’ll feel like all your bones are being shattered at the same time… Then after that it gets better.

-Sounds perfect- She said sarcastically

-After the initial stress, we’ll send you back to Columbus. I’ve got a contact in Cincinnati who agreed to come up to Columbus, owed me a favor. From there he’ll take it over for us. Just play it out like you’re going out with the man.

-Yea, then my parents will send her to a convent for going out with two fellas at the same time- I added

-Teddy Denby? I dumped him. You were right, he’s a bust

I laughed, not surprised- I was there once too, sister.

And for the next few days the only eventuality that took place was what Neil called detox. The good side was that Neil stayed over at Uncle Charlie’s with the both of us. The bad side was that Hazel did feel like she was going to die like Neil said, and she looked like it too. I never heard her cry so much in my life.

I didn’t mention anything to Neil though, I trusted him enough to know that he knew what he was doing. Not just because he was a doctor, but because he went through something similar.

It had been five days since she had been there with us. I hadn’t gone to the Ice Box much and neither had Neil, but I had to wait until Hazel was home to update myself on hurricane Vera. On that fifth day though, Hazel had stopped crying. It seemed like most of the physical symptoms faded or were almost completely fading away. Neil said something about having to continue the process, but that the worst was over, however the cravings or long-lasting effects would be there, so that’s what the contact, I’m assuming another doctor, from Cincinnati was for.

I was sitting on the bed with her that day when she said- I think I might be carrying a torch for him, MC- She faced me- Will you cancel your wedding?

I laughed. She probably had a little crush but I knew she was pulling my leg- Hands off! I worked hard for it!- I hesitated about saying the next part, but said it anyway- By the way, it’s not unusual for a patient to develop a crush on her doctor. Psychiatrists call it transference!- I imitated Neil’s tone of voice

-I think you’re spending too much time with him

-You noticed we’re getting married, right?-I laughed with her and updated Hazel on the upcoming plans of the marriage from then on.

I gave her a letter to give to Momma for everyone and then a separate one to Uncle Charlie. Before she went home I made her swear she would follow up with the plan and stay clean, watch out for herself and cooperate. Her treatment was long from over but it seemed Neil had started it well.

Once we dropped her off at La Salle station I turned to him- Did you flirt with her?- I asked as a joke

-I am the flirting type- He teased back- Besides, I couldn’t resist her vomiting, diarrhea and the excessive sweating. My type of girl

I laughed, feeling wrong about it a few seconds after- You are one inappropriate son of a gun

-You laughed anyway-He got into the car and I followed him

-Thanks, Neil… For doing that

-I didn’t do much to be honest- He started to drive- Just got her through the initial stages of it. She’s still going to feel everything, just not in the same intensity

-Well, I imagine the beginning is the worst, just take the gratitude, will ya?

He smiled, softly- You’re welcome

After that I decided it was time to go back to the Ice Box. I needed updates on how everything was going, so I scheduled a meeting. Everyone had a few days to work on everything, so it seemed like the right time

-Alright-I said looking at Gerald- How’s everything going at The Broiler?

-We’re being friendly with each other. I can’t rush it but… I gave her the impression I was amazed at her skills and thought she had a good business head and gave tips, so she thinks I’m warming up to the idea- He sighed- And we shared a few drinks, got a date tomorrow- He blushed, obviously hating his role in all this

-Ooo… Excited, Gerry?- Vince teased and O’Fallon turned even more red, I just didn’t know if it was out of embarrassment or anger

-Can it, Vince!-I glared at him, then turned my attention to Gerald again- You’ll just have to keep at it. The sooner she trusts you the sooner we’ll be rid of her

-I know, I just hope it works-He said frustrated with Vince’s comment

-It will. Anyone have anything to add?

Vince started- Oh, those documents you wanted me to find at O’Sullivans warehouse… They’re not there. Nothing there incriminates the Broiler from what I can see

Cliff followed- How do we know if she’s just saying all that and in reality she’s got nothing?

-No- Gerald said- She has documents. Waived them right in front of me, they exist.

-Alright-I said next- Vera invited me for tea and I refused, maybe if I accept next time she’ll take me to her house. I could try snoop around a bit

-Don’t think she’ll let you out of her sight- Cliff said

-Well, I’m going to try anyway. If it doesn’t work we’ll just have to try something else

And so the plan unfolded. Vera Peters did invite me for tea the next time I was at the temperance meeting again. She wanted something for being so insistent, and so did I

When I went into her house though, it wasn’t what I was expecting. A white mansion stood before my eyes, and the biggest living room I had ever seen in shades of green expanded its way in an unquantifiable immensity. Mayor Adler sure had a deep pocket. Her servants set the table and Vera waited, a cup in her hand and her legs crossed. She didn’t get up or greet me, she just kept looking and motioned the cup towards the other seat. I made my way sitting across her. A silence took over for a second as she flipped a page on her magazine. I didn’t take her for a magazine kind of woman, but it seemed like it was on purpose.

After she ignored my presence for a few minutes, I started talking- You invite me for tea, have the table set. Why exactly am I here for, Vera?

-My name is Mrs. Adler, wife to the mayor- She gave herself the title- And you shall refer to me as such

I almost laughed, but I had to hold it in. It seemed like she had called me here to institutionalize fear and respect. I thought at first it was because she wanted me to treat her like the other ladies at the temperance meetings did. But then I realize she didn’t see me that way. It gave me a bit of satisfaction to realize she wanted my respect as a business woman, as a gang leader. She had Gerald’s and now she sat me down, trying to force her way into my head

Vera was danger, alright. I knew I had to play just the same game as her as I did before. The problem is: Was I smarter than her? I urged myself to think, what’s the best thing to do here?

I breathed in and out recomposing myself-Alright, Mrs. Adler. What is it you want?

-I want what I first offered you a month ago, MC-She sipped her tea- I want to have you under my wing, do as I say

-What makes you think I’ll do what you say?

-I don’t know if you’ve heard but I got control of The Broiler recently

-I did hear some rumors you’ve been hanging around there-I crossed my legs sipping my tea- But what makes you think we’re as stupid as everyone in O’Sullivan’s gang?

-On the contrary, you’re smarter. I appreciate a woman with a head for business. However, my husband has documents in his office I handed to him incriminating Charles Granger as a mob boss and your sweet fiancé’s illegal medicine practices, with the addition that he’s still using morphine. Of course I added that myself- If I could I would jump on her right now- The only reason why an arrest warrant hasn’t been issued yet is because I told him not to, but the moment you stop cooperating with me they’ll be wearing stripes.

I glared at her in fury, she had the upper hand for sure, but in me I knew we already had a plan against her. I was confident enough, but I needed Charlie and Neil to be safe. So I remembered all my acting classes from Elliot and Sofia’s classes on deception and I looked at her- Alright,Ve- I stopped for a second- Mrs. Adler- I saw her smile of satisfaction. It’d be good for us if she thought we had nothing on her

-I’ll call you for tea next week again. I have grand ideas for the Ice Box- She smiled- Now I’m done with you for the day. You can find your wait out, right?

I left in a hurry, made a bit of scene too, might convince her I lost. I slipped into the Studebaker and drove away. However, I stopped in the corner. I know I needed to get her out of the house to snoop around. Which is why Officer Gallagher would call her for a meeting with the coppers, since Sofia found out Mayor Adler would be there. After, I knew her plans were dinner with a certain Irish fella.

Soon enough, she was being driven away from the mansion. Knowing my ways inside the big house and having my trusty pins in hand, it wasn’t hard to slip into the house and start going from rooms to rooms as I needed. There were so many, it took me a while to find one interesting locked room. I picked the lock and when I opened I realized it was an office. It was definitely Adler’s.

I looked around and soon there it was. Incriminating documents. Not just about The Broiler, Neil, Uncle Charlie or even the whole Ice Box. But documents about everything and everyone in Chicago and what they had done. Mayor Adler was definitely a worse option than Mayor Peters. Vera wasn’t the only problem, Adler was a maniac. I grabbed what I needed about the Ice Box and hit it in the concealed holster under my leg. Then, I couldn’t stop snooping around to see if there was anything that compromised anyone else I cared about. Looking about documents on The Broiler kind of fell on the side

Adler was bonkers, that was the best word to describe it. I found pictures, pictures of ladies and flappers in compromising situations. Documents signed unwillingly, creepy telegrams about the people he’d controlled and those who he couldn’t so they were dead. Donovan said he’d kill for his family, but that’s too generous for Adler. He’d kill anyone he wanted if it suited him.

I backed away from everything. The energy of that office soon suffocated me. If I didn’t leave I felt like I could be sick again just from all that. I breathed more heavily before leaving the office, locking it again and soon making my way down the stairs. Once I got to the middle of the immense living room the front door suddenly opened to reveal the man itself.

Mayor Adler

____

Link to part 2: https://mydearsaddiary.tumblr.com/post/619859613321494528/chapter-5-alls-fair-in-love-and-war-part

[artisticestheticreads]

“Best Baba Ever”

~So, in honor of Father’s Day, this is a one-shot of M’Baku the BaBa. I rarely see any work on M’Baku as a daddy so here it is.

WARNING: Extreme Fluff and some tear jerkers

PAIRING: M’Baku X Black Plus Size Reader

   It was cooling Summer’s morning when the Great Lord, M’Baku, was in a deep slumber. He lied in the double king sized bed enjoying his well-deserved sleep when the quiet pitter patter across the floorboard eased into his dream. A tug of his finger got his eyes to flutter to a blurred silhouette. Once his vision was back, he grinned a gap tooth smile at his middle child, Amahra; the three-year-old angel that had his wrapped around his finger. Her oversized brown eyes and set of huge afro puffs was perfect to her cocoa skin, like her father’s. “Good mawning, BaBa. Did you sleep well”, she asked as she climbs onto the matress. He brought her to his chest and said “indeed, I did. And you? How did my princess sleep?”

   “Good. Happy baba’s day”, she kissed his cheek and he said “awe, thank you, my dear. She smiled up at him with her little teeth and he did the same like her, eyes shut and all. “Mama is downstaiws. She has a surpwise for you but I am not ‘posed to say anyting”, she said moving as he chuckled. “Ah then I will pretend to be shocked then, yes?” She nodded and ran to the bathroom. “Come, BaBa. You have to get weady” she said running back to grab his hand and making him get out of bed. He sat her on the counter once he started to brush his teeth. “So, I am guessing your oldest brother and youngest are helping as well, yes’ he asked once he spat and started to wash his face. She shook her head while covering a giggle and he slowly put his face to her and started to make gorilla noises making her laugh more. “Siwy, baba” she said still laughing. He picked her up and they made their way down the hall.”

  You were in the kitchen making a huge king’s breakfast with your oldest son who was also six years old. “Monte, is all the pineapple cut,” you asked him as he sat in the chair cutting. “Yes, mama. So, is the bananas, melon, apple and kiwi.” You placed a kiss on his forehead and messily tussled his dreads. “That’s my little lord. Okay, help me set this table to please”, you asked and he happily obliged. He placed four plates, cups, and all silverware as you placed the food on the huge table. Your newborn baby boy, Mustafa, was wrapped in a cloth that Queen Mother gifted you so he can be cuddled into your chest.

   “Ah, my family is all here,” M’Baku said with his little girl’s legs around his waist. You looked at him as your eldest ran up to him with open arms. “Happy BaBa’s Day.” Monte wrapped his arms around his father’s leg and M’Baku chuckled. He picked him and said “thank you, my son”; Monte kissed his cheek and M’Baku did the same. You leaned against the counter watching them all together. It warmed your heart that you were able to give and have the family that you two always dreamt of. He continued to hold the children as he made his way to the table where you stood. “Happy Father’s Day, my Lord,” you said and he replied “thank you, my Lady”, with a kiss to your lips. 

    “What do we have here? Hm, vegan bacon & sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, pancakes and waffles, toast and a nice fruit salad with juice and coffee. Well, what would you all eat”, he asked and heard the kids say “baba, you have to share”; he roared with laughter. He sat the children in their seats as you fed the new baby and yourself. He held your hand as you all ate and after breakfast, you all sat together outside to enjoy the fresh air. The kids played in the green meadow as you two sat with Mustafa watching them. “That was a nice surprise. Thank you, my love.” You two kissed but you said, “that was not the surprise.”

    “It wasn’t”, he asked with a brow rose up. “You giggled and said “children. It’s time.” The kids ran in the house as you watched and they handed him a leather-wrapped item. “Hm, seems heavy,” he said before unwrapping it and once he did, his lips were parted and his heart felt like it was rapidly breathing. It was a piece of mahogany wood with a carving which said “Wuv you, baba. You r de best baba ever. Love Amahra, Monte and Mustafa.” He held it in his lap as he covered his mouth speechless with one tear dropping. You rubbed the back of his neck and looked up to you then to the children who stood in front waiting for his response. “The kids wrote the message on paper and I engraved into the piece,” you said still waiting. “It’s amazing. Thank you, my family” he said through a few more tears. Amahra wiped his tears and sat between you two while Monte sat on his left. “I love you all so much” he placed a kiss on everyone’s head; first with Monte, Amahra, Mustafa and yourself.

    You all spent more time together especially after dinner and before everyone went to bed. He placed Mustafa in his crib in your shared bedroom and looked back at you, sleeping. He hung the new piece to the wall and lied in bed, snuggling up to you. “Best day ever.”

~

I hope you all enjoyed. Please let me know if I would like to see more M’BaBa work done.

𝒯𝒜𝒢𝒢𝐸𝒟 𝐿𝒪𝒱𝐸𝒮

@muse-of-mbaku

@im5ftbutmythroat66

@chaneajoyyy

@melanin-samii

@theunsweetenedtruth

@doux-ciel

@unicornluvin8765

@vikkidc

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@theogbadbitch

[waywardwhump]

Carry On

When she opened her eyes, she saw that the sun had risen.

Soft movement against her chest. Fluffy. Breathing.

The moment Danielle moved, Scourge's eyes opened. He stood, tail tip twitching, but he didn't move from where he sat until she sat up. It took several seconds too long for her to register the noises she was hearing as meows. Uncaring about the pressure against her side or his insistence that she lay back down, she curled in on herself. Her leg hurt worse now, too painful to bend, or else she'd have curled up tighter. More than the pain, though, she was cold. The house was freezing.

Winter already?

Teeth chattering, and thoughtless of Scourge's presence, she pulled herself up and made her way toward the back of the house. All the way back, to crawl under the covers of the bed. Frosty covers, they pressed against her skin and made her feel colder, but she knew if she waited there long enough they'd warm.

Cat followed. Jumped up to rest next to her. Cats were supposed to be independent. Cats don't follow their owners around. This wasn't even her cat.

Wished Rachel was there. Rachel could give her hugs and get her warmer faster.

She'd be there. Eventually. She'd find her. She found her before.

...although...

Inside of a house. How was the doctor going to find her...?

Laying there, it occurred to her that maybe her partner was looking for her, but she just couldn't locate her. That might be why she wasn't there yet. Shit, she should've thought about that before.

This meant she was going to have to move again. Leaving the house wasn't an option. She wouldn't make it one block.

When she stood, she took the blanket with her. Grabbed the pillow and held in in her teeth. Went back into the living room. Dropped her things on the floor. Should drink more water. Should eat. She did both. Glanced over the chicken on the floor. Cat still hadn't eaten. If it didn't eat soon, she was going to have to throw that away and get something fresh out. Went to the kitchen, refilled the water bowl. Refilled her bottles too. Returned to the living room and remembered that Rachel didn't know where she was only after she'd sat down.

Right. That thing. She needed to do that thing.

Cat was against her back.

She pulled out her comic supplies from her backpack, pulled out a paper. On that paper, in big letters, she wrote...

She wrote...

Dr. Evans.

Doctor's name. Dr. Evans.

Doctor wasn't going to see this there though. She had to do something about that. Find tape. Something. Got back up. Wandered the house. Found a nail sticking out of the wall by the sliding glass door, and that would do nicely.

Problem. She couldn't go outside without the cat running away.

She put the cat in the bathroom and closed the door. He meowed in protest. It'd only be a few moments.

Danielle grabbed the blanket from the floor and wrapped it around her shoulders, clinging it close to her chest as she limped toward the front door. It felt like she'd been going at this for a long time. Probably had. Her leg was in agony. Everything was sore. Her palm hurt. Whatever happened to her, it hadn't been nice.

Zombies. Zombies happened.

Out on the porch.

Turned around, set to pushing the nail through the paper and into the outside of the door. Used the palm of her uninjured hand. The door was tough, but she was stronger, and she kept at it until it was good and pushed in.

Looked out at the neighborhood. She still didn't have the gun with her. That was probably bad, there were still monsters out. She could see them, lumbering, not too many now, but enough. One of them noticed she was there. She watched it make its way for her, slowly. Should do something about that.

Danielle leaned back against the door. There was a story they told her, about how a guy had to fight someone bad. Tiny guy. Not at all strong, but he was supposed to fight this giant. It was an unwinnable fight, but the little guy, David, he prayed really really hard, and then he threw a rock, and then the rock killed the giant. The people who told her that story used it to motivate themselves and others to stand up to their obstacles. If God helped him take down a giant then He can help anyone overcome anything.

Bad thing was closer now. It didn't really have red eyes, or wings, or the sharpened edge of a dragon's muzzle.

Oh, but there was another story about David. People didn't dwell on it much. It wasn't so nice of a story.

David did something bad. What was it he did? There was a...wasn't there this bad guy? This...he was one of God's chosen, but he ended up being a tyrant, and people wanted to get rid of him but they were afraid of killing him. Started with S...or, no. No. Because the thing that happened with David, there was a song about it, from the kid's movie with the ogre. There was a lady that David liked, and he like, cheated or something for her. Murdered for her...?

And his punishment for this was to lose his kid.

The story focused on David and his faith, but the thing that always upset Danielle was that the kid wound up being punished for something they didn't do. Everyone always focused on David's reaction, but rarely did they go, 'oh, right. Poor kid.'

Demon was at the porch now. She really needs to move. Sluggish, but she finds the handle, and goes back through the door. Closes it behind her. Hand on her cross, thumb digging into one of the arms as she makes her way back to the bathroom. Lets the cat out.

She's so tired.

Back to the living room, back on the floor. She wraps the blanket around her tightly and rests her head on the pillow. Laying on her side. Cat presses into her back. He was meowing, but quieted once she settled.

The sun was still up the next time she opened her eyes. Significantly lower, but still daylight.

She drank water and she checked the can of chicken.

Half of it was gone. Good. Good thing.

Cat pressed into her side. Meow. Meow. Meow.

"...what do you want?"

Stupid question. She knew what it wanted.

Better question. "Why do you care?"

Her hands are shaking, and her injured one burns, but she picks the cat up and sets it in her lap. Listens to its frantic purring and noted that, although she was pretty fucking sure that it didn't like being held, it was tolerating her loose hug.

"Haven't done anything for you yet but piss you off. Food doesn't count, it's your right. So why do you care?"

Cats fur was matted with blood. Her blood. That had to be irritating.

She pressed her face into its side anyway. Fur was soft against her face, regardless of the filth.

"...I don't know you. You're not my friend."

The words were more breath than voice. Pressure behind her eyes, and she wants to cry. Something raw and painful dragging its claws over her insides, but she's too tired to weep. Felt the cat pull itself from her arms and readjust to lay down closer to her hip before she went back under.

Darkness, when she awoke. Dead of night. Shivering and sweaty, mouth dry. Blindly reached out for her water to fix that.

Strange noises. Probably nothing. Demons were made of shadows, but they're still too big to get through window or door. Queen Lydia's pissed that she can't get inside. Bad guys never win.

The edge of darkness softened, the first rays of sunrise. Just bright enough that she can see the faintest of edges that formed the world around her. Got more water. Opened a can of food and ate, not caring what it was. Canned fruit. Pets the cat in the dark. Went back to sleep.

Entire day went like that. Save for a trip to the sink for more water, most of what she did was rest. The sun sank, then rose, and sank again. Lost track of time, only knew that she'd been in the house for a while. Eventually she went searching for more blankets. Stole one out of the kid's room. Grabbed a couple from a cabinet she found. Piled them up on the living room floor.

Didn't keep her gun too close by, bad idea to have it within arms reach while sleeping, but it was close enough that she could get to it in a semi reasonable amount of time if she needed to.

Woke up early morning. There was a cat with her.

Pretty cat. Long brown fur. Bright yellow eyes.

Her mom had brown hair. She got her blond from her dad, and the light honey brown eyes from her mother.

She pet him, gave him scritches. Listened to him purr.

Her voice was quiet, but it sounded so loud.

"...are you my mom?"

There's no answer. Doesn't have to be, really.

Cat has her mom's brown hair. Cat's also been taking care of her this entire time. That's why he was so concerned about her. She didn't have to do anything, being her mother's daughter was enough.

Strange, though. Her mom was never a cat before.

"Mommy."

Pulling herself halfway out of that pile of blankets, she curled around him as much as she could without hurting her leg. A brief meow of protest when she moved, but only purring and head rubbing after.

"You've been gone years...you aren't supposed to leave."

Her attempt to edge her tone with accusation feel flat when all she managed to do was whine the words. Before she could think of anything else to say, the brush of fur quieted her, and she was asleep again before she could remember to be upset.

[j-j-ehlby-writes]

Meet Me at the Chalet || day five.

Eventual pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Jenessee Borosi)

Word count: ~3.9k

Summary (I suck at these): Jenessee goes on a solo vacation after the release of her first novel. She got a little more than she bargained for when she gets snowed in with her biggest celebrity crush.

Warnings: So much freaking fluff, swearing but blink and you’ll miss it, Tom being Tom

Side note: If you want to read the full short story Jen and Tom act out at the end, you can check it out here!

night one. || day one. || day two. || day three. || day four. || day five. || day six. ||

“Are you feeling any better today?” He asks as I walk into the kitchen the next morning. After actually talking about it with someone it did make my shoulders feel a tad bit lighter. I’ve never told anyone about those feelings. No one knew about my middle of the night breakdowns. Not even my best friend. So to open up to an almost complete stranger felt odd but nice. I also don’t think I would have opened up this much if it wasn’t Tom who was the one listening.

“I do, thanks to you.” I snake my arms around his waist instantly feeling more awake than I did a second ago.  

“Lending a listening ear was all I did, sweetheart. You’re stronger than you think. You just have to have more faith in yourself.” He kissed my cheek before returning to the stove. 

“Whatcha makin’?” I stand next to him and observe.

“Since you’ve had a rough couple of days, I looked up some American comfort food and found a recipe for this egg casserole with sausage and cheese. It looked good so I decided to try it.” I chuckled at his wording.

“In the Mid-west we call it ‘egg bake.’ You can never go wrong with making an egg bake for breakfast. My family and I have it for Easter and Christmas morning.”

“I’ve never tried it, so here’s hoping it turns out alright.” He sent me a hopeful smile with a hint of terror.

I couldn’t believe how thoughtful he’s being. I mean, I’ve heard he can meet someone and by the end of the day they’re best friends, but I never expected him to be like this. So comforting and nurturing. All I can say is his mother raised him absolutely right.

Half an hour later, we were lying on the couch, stuffed.  We ate half of the 9” x 13” pan he made. I don’t know why he didn’t try a smaller pan since it is just the two of us. That usually feeds at least ten people.

“Darling?” He spoke after some time in the silence. “I have to tell you something.” 

I sat up to face him. “Okay.” I took in his sudden nervousness. Whatever he’s about to tell me, he’s obviously apprehensive about but it was also mixed with determination.

“I like you.” He started, nearly sending my heart into a frenzy. Even after what happened the past two days, he says that? “And it’s because of how much I like you and how forthcoming you were with me yesterday that I can’t lie to you anymore.”

I flinched at his words. “You lied? About what?” On all accounts, Tom has been known as a very honest man. To know that he lied to me is surprising.

“My name, for one.”

Then it clicked for me. He was coming clean about who he really is to me. He is willing to give up his anonymity because he wants me to know the real him. My heart swelled at the thought.

Now I have a decision to make. When he tells me, do I tell him I knew all along or do I act shocked to find out that he’s actually this big shot actor and not the lowly theater actor he made me think he was?

He continued, “My name is not Will. Well, my first name isn’t. It is my middle name, William. But my name is actually Tom. Tom Hiddleston.” He paused, looking for some sort of recognition in my features. Thankfully, I kept my expression neutral. “And I’m not just a theater actor. I’ve done some movies that have done well and some that have not. Most people would recognize me as Loki from the Marvel franchise. I’m also currently on a TV show in the UK and am in production for another here in the states.” He paused to let that sink in. “I’m terribly sorry for being dishonest with you. When I met you and you didn’t seem to recognize me, I realized I could have a normal interaction with somebody and not have to worry about having a camera in my face. I know it wasn’t fair to not be completely honest with you, but I’m trying to make up for it by telling you everything now.”

“Wow.” I voiced, his earlier words still repeating in my head. He likes me… He actually told me he likes me; the one who just had a mental breakdown a little under 36 hours ago; someone who he met less than a week ago. Never in a million- no, a BILLION years- did I think that would ever happen. Everyone always dreams they’ll be the one who will catch their favorite actor’s eye. Not once did I think that would happen to me…

“I hope you’re not upset with me, love.” I looked in his eyes and saw how truly terrified he was that I would be mad at him. How could he think I would harbor any negative feelings towards this man with a pure heart of gold?

My hand cupped his cheek. He leaned into my hand, eyes never leaving mine. This man is so pure. He’s too precious for this cruel world and yet, here he is.

“Oh you sweet, sweet man…” I shook my head, smiling at how real my feelings for this guy have become within the last few days. “I’m not upset with you. I don’t think it’s even possible for me to think negatively of you.”

He released a huge sigh of relief, a heart-stopping smile breaking his serious demeanor. He pulled me into his lap, wrapping me up in the kind of bone-crushing hug I’ve always wanted from him. 

Since he’s been so truthful with me, I decided to tell him the truth as well. “As long as you’re not upset with me for knowing who you were the entire time.”

“Beg your pardon?” 

I resumed my original position next to him to face him, placing both hands on his shoulders.  “It hurts, doesn’t it? Being lied to. Being told you’re one thing and then learning it’s all a fiction.” I quoted Loki to show I’ve been a fan of his for a while, but not expressing just how much. “Ragnarok.” I whispered in his ear before standing up and going up to my room.

When I came back down with my writing stuff in hand, he was in the exact same place I left him. “Why did you not say anything before?” He asked still bewildered by this turn of events.

“You wanted anonymity.” I shrugged. “I wasn’t about to take away your one chance at a normal vacation. You work hard. You deserve to relax a little and not have to worry about a camera being shoved in your face.” He shook his head in disbelief at using his words against him. “And besides, I wanted to get to know you as you, the man behind the famous actor.” He still was speechless about my confession. He’s about to get another curve-ball thrown his way... “And while we’re being honest, I’ve been keeping something from you too.”

“Oh?” He finally spoke, curiosity taking over.

I fidget with the pen in my hands, keeping my eyes on it. “You know the book you were reading when I got here? Yeah, that’s mine.”

“Beg your pardon?” He says for the second time during this conversation.

“Yep. I wrote it. I’m J.J. Ehlby.” I finally admit. “It’s my pseudonym. It stands for Jenessee Julia Lynette Borosi. J-J-L-B.”

“So all of that stuff you said about not wanting to be published?” He asks, putting the pieces together in his head.

“Not entirely untrue. That’s exactly how I felt before I got published.”

He chuckled after a brief silence. “I know, darling.”

“Say what?” I blurt.

“I knew. You thought you were sneaky with your reaction to my reading it, but I saw that brief panic set in before you erased it. And then it was a complete giveaway when you pronounced the surname. You said it so flawlessly, I knew it couldn’t have been coincidence. With those two things combined, it wasn’t hard to figure out after that.” He shrugged, that mischievous smile returning to his face.

“Well then…” I plop next to him on the couch. “Now that we have that out of the way, can I please get back to my writing? Last night I was in the middle of a scene before you so rudely tempted me with food.” I stuck my tongue out at him before getting my stuff situated on my lap.

He chuckled at me from his seat. “Of course, love.” 

We were enveloped in silence once more as my story came to life in my head as I wrote. That’s where I get lost most of the time. Picturing everything in my head like it’s a movie is what drives me the most. It’s when I get stuck on how someone would move or if a certain action is even possible that I struggle. And since I’m usually alone while writing, I have no one to test it on.

I glance at the man who has resumed his new favorite position on my lap and immediately I want to ask him. But after everything that was just aired, I don’t know if that would be the best idea right now…

“You look like you’re struggling with something.” He pointed out a little while later when he noticed the sound of my pen on paper stopped.

I answered him with sarcasm, “Well aren’t you observant?” He chuckled again as he sat up. 

“What are you stuck on?” He asked settling into his new position, tossing his arm around the back of the couch and crossing his ankle over his knee.

I let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m having trouble with placement. I want it to feel realistic but I just can’t seem to get it right in my head.”

“Darling, you know I’m an actor. Use me,” He offered. “I’ll help in any way that I can.”

I bit my lip as I thought about the scene I’m thinking of in my head. The characters get extremely close, closer than him and I have gotten. I know he’s used to people being in his personal space, but still. This feels different…

Despite my reservations I know I would kick myself for not taking his help. So within twenty minutes, we had the potential set up in the living room. We found a table and a roller chair we could use for an “office setting.” I sat in the chair, in the position of the narrator of my story. Tom stood about ten feet away where we placed another table to indicate where the doorway to the office would be. I directed him to lean against the table as best as he could. I also reluctantly let him read and study the scene I had so far. 

When he assured me he was ready and didn’t need it for reference anymore, I took it back. On cue, he started, “I see some things never change.”

I turned around in my chair. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged, “I’m in town.”

“No, I mean, what are you doing here of all places? Why are you here, standing at the door of my office at midnight?” It was so strange to have the scene I had in my head, come to life in front of my eyes. This must be how a writer for a TV series or a movie feels when their vision comes to life as well…

He ran his fingers through his hair and fixed his glasses on cue. “Erm,” he hesitated, shifting uncomfortably, “I came to see you.”

“Why?” I blurted. “Why today of all days?”

“Because my divorce was finalized yesterday and the first person I wanted to see as a single man was you.” My heart leaps at his words as if he really meant them and was the character I had in mind.

“Divorce?” I whispered, faking disbelief.

He nods as he continues reading from the copy I made. “Shortly after I left, I told her the truth.” I drop my jaw as the character would. “She knew I was acting a bit off, but she never expected that. I told her that we never did anything… and she forgave me. I was stunned, too. That just shows how amazing she is. She asked me if I thought I could forget about you in order for us to work on our marriage. I told her I would do anything to save our relationship. We went to counseling, we spent time just the two of us without distractions to focus on who we were before we had gotten married and it all seemed to be working…” He trailed off. “But no matter how hard I tried, you were always in the back of my mind.” He met my eyes again. “I couldn’t forget about you. I couldn’t stop wondering what you must be doing, if you had met someone else, if you were thinking about me… I must have started a thousand phone calls just wanting to hear your voice again.” He paused to just stare. “I longed to see your beautiful smile or hear you laugh. I just wanted to see you again to see if I truly still felt the same as I did before or if I was only fooling myself. And so, I came back around a year ago.”

“What?”

“I came back to have lunch with my former and your current boss. When we were passing through, I saw you. You were strutting around the office, touching base with everyone. Laughing even.” He stares at me in awe as if he was truly reliving that moment. “You were even more beautiful than I remembered.” He steps into my “office,” “That was all I needed to know nothing had changed for me. You still took my breath away.” He shakes his head in amazement at the ground. “On my way out, I pulled someone aside. That someone turned out to be your assistant. Naturally, I introduced myself. He didn’t seem to know who I was, so he was more than happy to divulge any and all information about you. He raved about how ‘amazing’ it was to work for you and how you were extremely well-liked but seemed like you were ‘hung up’ on ‘your previous boss,’ thinking you were still in love with him. He didn’t go into detail but…” He chuckles again, “I didn’t need to hear anymore. With even the tiniest glimmer of hope that you still felt the same way I did even after all this time… I returned home and told her I couldn’t do it anymore. My heart was no longer in it and she knew that. Filing for divorce was the easiest decision I’ve made in a long time.” 

“Okay, now come over here.” I whisper, still slightly affected by this situation. I pointed to the spot I imagined and Tom did this, coming to a stop where I said. I turned my chair to face him. “Kneel.” I broke character for two seconds to throw that in there. He did too, cracking up at my reference. “Okay, okay,” I said trying to get us back on track. “But seriously, drop to your knees.” I directed.

He did as I instructed instantly getting back into character. His eyes relayed the exact emotions I wanted the character to have: sadness, regret, longing, relief… I don’t know how he did it so flawlessly, but that just shows how brilliant of an actor he is.

His eyebrows were furrowed creating the creases in his forehead; the type of creases he gets whenever anything caused him any distress. I’d seen them during multiple interviews and pap photos. I wanted to massage them away every time I saw them, as did the character. 

“Okay, now hold still. This is a trouble spot,” I whispered to him as I tried to run over everything in my head. I reached out to do exactly as I pictured. He watched as I did so, the wrinkles disappearing the instant my fingers touched them. His eyes fluttered shut at the contact. He released a shaky breath just like I imagined his character would. My hands were trembling as I imagined the character’s would, not knowing just how much until they came in contact with his skin. I brought my fingers down over his prominent cheekbones. His beard was surprisingly soft to the touch, taking a moment to appreciate it by running the back of my hand down his jaw. His large hand covered mine when it came to his neck, bringing it up to his lips, placing a kiss on my palm. I made a mental note of his action as I didn’t want to break this tender moment.

“The hardest being when I let you walk away from me.” He whispered, locking his eyes on mine, pain and truth written all over them. It nearly knocked me out of my seat. He encompassed everything I expected.

My shoulders slumped in defeat, losing myself in the scene. I slide off the chair as I imagined, falling knee to knee in front of him. He scooped up my hands in his, causing goosebumps to form on my entire body from his touch. He held them, running his thumbs over the backs like I wanted him to. He took a deep breath taking my attention away from our contact. “I love you, darling.” He confessed, making my heart flutter. “I believe I always have. I just didn’t know how much until I’d lost you.”

Maybe this was a bad idea… I thought I could handle doing this with him. I thought I could try and compartmentalize the acting from reality, but with him, it’s nearly impossible. He makes me believe what he’s saying, even though I know in the back of my mind that it’s not true. They’re just words I wanted him to read aloud. Nothing is real about them.

The line I wrote last before getting stuck was “If my heart could fly, it would soar…” and oh how freaking true it is…

“Okay, this is where I got stuck. I don’t know how to get where I want them to go next.” I voiced, needing his input.

“What do you want to happen?” He softly asked as if he were still in character.

“She has been imagining how this moment would play out for six years. To have the man she has been madly in love with for over half a decade finally telling her what she’s only dreamed about him saying for that long… She’s taking it all in.” I release his hands and stand on my knees to be level with the desk. I grab my pen and start writing what I see play out in my head. “She searches his eyes for fallacies, but she obviously doesn’t find any.” I vocalize to him as I write so he can stay in the loop. “She worries that she may have fallen asleep at her desk, but then she looks at their hands. The warmth his hands are giving her is the only tether to the real world she has.” 

“And because she doesn’t say anything, he’s anxious.” Tom joined in. “He sees how she’s stuck in her head, so he has to bring her back to him somehow.”

I take a moment to take his suggestion into consideration. I agree that she shouldn’t say anything at first. She’s lost in the fact that he’s in front of her, confessing his feelings for her when she’s only made up conversations like this in her head.

“If she’s looking at their hands, he could use his hand to bring her eyes back to his. He’s missed her as much as she has him so he’ll want to stare into them as much as he possibly can.” He adds, making perfect sense.

“Good.” I write it out as it plays out in my head over and over again. “As for the dialogue, there doesn’t need to be much. There really isn’t much else to say, except for her finally telling him how she feels.”

“Should we just see where it takes us?” He suggested. I nodded in agreement. I returned to our previous position after finishing. His hands enveloped mine again, the warmth of them heating up my now cold fingers. I watched as if I could see them warming before my eyes. He let go of one of mine and brought it to my face. He used his thumb and forefinger to take my chin and bring my gaze back to his, just like we described. “Darling?” He whispered.

Both of us were brought up to our knees with the feeling of our bodies longing to be closer to the other, driving us to stay close.

“Is this real?” I asked, feeling like I just came out of a daydream. My hands found their way into his long ginger locks. They were just as soft as I imagined them to be. I would have run my fingers through them every day if he would’ve let me…

“God, I hope so.” He breathes out, leaning his forehead against mine. He wrapped his arms around my waist, our hips connecting. Tingles spread throughout my body at the close contact. My heart was beating so loudly, I’m sure he can hear it. 

I froze, knowing what I wanted to happen next with the characters, but I don’t know if I could handle what would happen if we were to do what I was thinking… Oh God do I want to kiss him. I’ve thought about kissing him since the first night. But I didn’t think he would’ve been okay with me doing so. After his confession earlier though, he might be now… However, I can’t let that happen. Because if I were to let myself have what I’ve been dreaming of, I don’t think I’ll want to stop.

So to save us both some awkwardness for the last two days we have here, I pulled away from him. He looked confused as I stood up completely. My knees yelled at me for abusing them more than they’re used to but I ignored the pain. “Okay, I think I can figure it out from here.” I collected my stuff. “Thank you for this. It helped more than you could ever imagine.”

He abruptly stood up as well, clearing his throat. “You’re more than welcome, love. Let me know if you need any more help.”

We both go to our respective rooms for the remainder of the night. As soon as I got back to mine, I kicked myself. I actually walked away from kissing Tom freaking Hiddleston; someone I’ve been dying to know what it would be like for years. I could have had his lips against mine and I made the conscious decision to leave before it could happen. My pre-vacation self would have killed me if she saw who I’ve become.

I wrote down what played out, finding it was exactly right for the situation, but I couldn’t finish it. When I got to the kiss, I couldn’t bring myself to write it. I tried to watch a few of his kiss scenes but that didn’t help at all. None of them can describe what it’s like to kiss him. I want it to be authentic. Had I known that at the time, I might have let it happen for the story… or maybe not. I guess I won’t know.

day six...

Permanent taglist: @elusive-beauty @drakesfiance @im-a-slut-for-an-accent @fantasy-is-my-reality @hiddlephile @naniky

[arisalty]

All My Life I’ve Been so Lonely

(Quick A/N, I would like to say thanks to my beta reader Elbie. This is my first time actually completing a fic for the Sanders Sides fandom but it is also the first time I’ve EVER tried writing angst. So... yeah. Also, it’s a Soulmate AU)

(Also I asked the Powerless discord what names for the dogs with no context except a young Patton named them and received an “Aww” in reactions *cough Moon and Dallas*. If only they knew.)

Pairing: Logicality, platonic Prinxiety, platonic Analogince (kinda???)

AO3

Tw: Major Character Death, Car Accident, Bullying, discriminatory language/slurs

Logan had always left little messages from when he was a child and always received little ones back. When he was younger, little doodles like smiley faces, geometric shapes and simple words like “hello” and “How are you?”. As he grew, they turned into late night conversations, maths workings for the other and secret codes made and lost in memories.

He met Patton when he was 7, their parents working together to set up a surprise meeting for Patton’s birthday.

They were best friends, constantly talking. Patton brought out the boldness behind the quiet mask of shyness Logan constantly had, and Logan influenced Patton by enhancing his curiosity by the occasional ramble about something really cool, like the stars.

They had so much in common, but also so many things different between them. They were a perfect match together, bringing out the best parts of both. It was to be expected, they were soulmates, but not all soulmates start off with such a good connection.

They did everything they could together- birthday parties, vacations, Christmases; they were basically joined at the hip.

Logan wished he could say he couldn't remember anything from the 18th of November, but if there was one thing Patton had drilled into his mind, it was that lies were bad and that lies could destroy the world if someone used them right.

And so once again the memory was dragged up as he sat alone.

The day started out with him rising to find a little message in cyan scrawled on the inside of his wrist; “Good morning, Lo! Meet at the park like usual? :)”

Logan grabbed his blue ballpoint pen and wrote back a quick “Of course, Patton”.

Logan got out of bed, showered, dressed, ate (he had eggs on toast), grabbed his school bag and left for school. He met Patton at the corner of the park like usual and got into registration with plenty of time before school started.

Math was first- they revisited the area of shapes that day- then geography (it was a pop quiz), break, Science and English (then lunch, like usual) before finishing the day with cooking.

Cooking was always a fun lesson, due to their class being, well, children, and cooking such things as pizza and banana bread and kebabs. Powdered sugar often coated most surfaces, which oddly never happened when a member of staff was present, only when their back was turned, and Logan was not even going to get started about the time they were able to use barbecue sauce.

But Logan took an extra club after school- further maths, because-- cmon, it’s not that weird to like maths, is it?

But either way, Logan stayed back an hour after school while Patton got a ride home.

Logan was about halfway through the time there (their current project was about using Excel mathematically) when he received a message on his arm in Patton's mother, Tracy’s handwriting;

𝐿𝑜𝑔𝒶𝓃,

𝒫𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑜𝓃… 𝒫𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑜𝓃’𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑜𝓀𝒶𝓎.

𝐻𝑒’𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑜𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓁 𝒷𝓎 𝒶𝒾𝓇- 𝐼’𝓂 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝓃𝑜𝓌. 𝒜𝓁𝒶𝓃’𝓈 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝓇𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝑜 𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓊𝓅.

𝐼’𝓂 𝓈𝑜𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝒾𝓈𝓇𝓊𝓅𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒸𝓁𝓊𝒷 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝐼 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒. 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝓊𝓈 𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝑜𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓁 𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝑜𝑜𝓃 𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓀 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈.

𝒯𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓎

Logan felt his hand clench on the piece of paper he was holding. Muffled noises of other students, almost mechanical movement as he picked up his bag, with a jumbled and confusing talk with the teacher and rushed down to the office where Alan was already waiting, having signed Logan out already.

The car ride was almost silent except a quiet “What happened?” from Logan.

Alan took a deep breath, eyes trained on the road.

“He had taken Spot and Buddy out for a walk to pass the time before you came home. You know how restless he can get. And apparently, Buddy broke into a run and ran into the road, and Patton followed to pick him back up to move him onto the pavement, and that’s when the car… Well, you’re a smart boy, Logan. You can work it out.”

Silence fell over the car until they reached the hospital.

Once they reached the right area, they found Tracy sat outside, the woman wiping away a stray tear.

“The doctors are with him now. They’ve already found at least 2 broken ribs and a broken leg, but he’s lost a lot of blood.” her voice dropped as she tried to calm a stuttering breath. “They aren’t sure if he’ll be able to make it.”

Logan sat slowly, shock leaving him with no words, and he found that it was probably for the best that he remained without speaking.

His best friend, his soulmate was dying. He should’ve been there. It was his fault. He should’ve been there. Patton wouldn’t have been restless. He could’ve warned Patton. He us shouldn’t have taken the club.

The doctors came out about half an hour later, and one of Logan’s moms had arrived. The talked in hushed voices to Alan, but everyone could see the drop in his face, the sadness dragging the corners of his lips downwards. Logan was curled into a ball on his mother’s lap, not sobbing, but occasionally another tear would silently follow the glistening path of many that preceded it.

As a face fell, as did the hopes and feelings. Everyone seemed to huddle together more, and Logan choked back a sob, only for it to escape quietly from his mouth, the rest of his breath shaky. Tracy was wiping away tears of her own, leaning into Alan who had moved to embrace his wife. Logan’s mom, Cassie, was wrapped around Logan protectively, rocking gently as she stroked Logan's head.

It was from that moment that Logan was drawing himself back into his shell of shyness and fear.

His once dramatic self he had found with Patton almost completely disappeared.

He moved away not much longer; he couldn’t bear the memories that surrounded the town. Everything reminded him of Patton.

Buddy had been put down after he also got hit by the car, but Spot was given to him to look after.

In the new school he was at, Logan didn’t really make any friends, but one group, the more weird ones and the nerds took him in. But he refused to talk about soulmates. And the closest ones never asked.

However, being a quiet nerd with two moms around the age of 14 would never work out well.

“Oh look, it’s the nerd with the fags for moms!” The boys surrounding him laughed along with his friend.

“Leave me alone,” came a quiet reply.

“Oh I’m sorry, I can’t hear you, but I bet your about to burst into tears.”

“Ooooh, do we need to call mommy to kiss your pride better?”

Logan pressed his eyes closed, trying to ignore the discriminatory idiots around him.

“I feel sorry for your soulmate,” another one went on. “I would want to die if I got someone like you.”

Logan clenched his fist, trying to keep his calm.

“I bet he doesn’t even have a soulmate.”

And then Logan snapped.

“What do you know? You haven’t ever... ever had the chance to get close to your soulmate to have him ripped away from you! You’ve not been through the pain I have. You will never care about those around you. You only care for yourselves. You only care to make yourselves better than others. Well, newsflash, you aren’t, and you will never, ever, in the rest of your lives be better than anyone.”

The group were shocked silent briefly as the boy in front of them was known for not ever retaliating to jibes, but then the head of the group, Samuel Matthews, spoke up.

“Him? So not only were you raised by fags, but you are a faggot yourself? Ha!”

The other boys took this as newfound ammunition, crowding around, enclosing him against the fence where he was sat.

“Just… leave me alone.”

“As if, Fa-“

“Finish that insult and I will not hesitate to punch you.” Logan looked up quickly to see that a taller, older kid had dragged Matthews back by the scruff of his clothes.

“Leave the kid alone, you foul creatures!” Roman Hartley stood the the side, arms on his hips as he glared at the bullies.

“You heard him, fuckers. Go!” The taller, lankier kid glared from underneath his bangs.

The bullies stood their ground, until Matthews muttered a quick “c’mon. We aren’t gonna beat this.”

Once the bullies were gone, Virgil went and seated himself next to Logan, holding out a hand.

“Virgil Evans, sorry you had to go through that. They’re real dicks. Oh, and this is my friend, Roman Hartley, but you probably already know that. He has a habit to broadcast himself.”

“Rude.”

Logan was aware that they were a good two years older, and that most of the time, same years stuck together and didn’t mix with lower or higher ones.

“C’mon bud, let’s go get you a snack.”

Virgil slung his arm over Logan’s shoulder, guiding him to stand up and move towards the hall and canteen. Roman cracked a joke, and Logan let himself share a tiny grin with the two.

Yes, Logan still felt broken after 3 years of Patton being gone, but Logan could be fixed, he just needed the right people.

[buckybarnesappreciationsociety]

Jessica Barnes-Jr. CEO

Summary: “Bring Your Kids To Work Day” takes on a new meaning. First, let me set the stage for this hilarious story!

Pairing: CEO Daddy! Bucky Barnes x  Jessica Marie Barnes

OFC: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson

Scott Lang and Peter Parker

Word Count: 1,618

Warnings: Mention of death. Also, MAXIMUM fluff

A/N: A huge “thank you” to the incredible prompt goddess, @shy2shot. My motivation sunk to a new low and I couldn’t see my way out. So, I sent her a message for a daddy Bucky prompt. From her recommendation, this fic came to life.  @rebelicious THANK YOU for helping me. ILY! Thank you for reading and comments are always welcome!!!

“Exquisite Designs,” a commercial architectural firm owned by James Buchanan Barnes and Steven Grant Rogers, longtime friends, boasted some of New York’s wealthiest clients. For over 15 years, the firm built some of the most elegant office buildings dotting the skyline in New York City.

Their number one client, Stark and Wilson Land Developing, is in the process of adding a new wing to the Brain and Cancer Research Center at Mt. Sinai’s Children’s Hospital. This project is special to Bucky. His wife, Lillian, died from a brain aneurysm, caused by cancer 3 years ago, leaving behind an adorable daughter with rich brown hair like Bucky and hypnotic amber eyes identical to Lillian’s.

Now 5 years old, Jessica Marie, whose middle name is the same as her mothers, is the light in her daddy’s life. After his wife’s death, Bucky retreated into depression and couldn’t care for Jess properly. Her grandparents stepped in and assisted him. Steve’s position within the company escalated from COO to CEO. Bucky was kept abreast of all dealings and chimed in when needed.

On Jess’ 4th birthday, she and her daddy hopped on a plane and headed to Maui for some much needed alone time. Bucky brought photos and videos of Lillian, for Jess to watch. She only had flickers of her mommy’s memory. Bucky wanted her mother to be more than a fleeting memory.

Page after page of a photo album held heartwarming memories. As best he could, Bucky explained to Jess where her mommy was.

“Daddy, don’t be sad. Mommy is in Heaven. She can see us, just look up.”

Indulging his daughter, Bucky turned his gaze towards the cloudless sky. “Mommy told me to smile and take care of you.” Wrapping her chubby arms around his neck, for the first time, Bucky openly wept in front of Jess.

“Thank you Jess. I love you so much and Mommy is proud of you too. From now on, I’ll spend more time with you, I promise. We’ll go to the park, eat ice cream and play dress up!”

Jumping from Bucky’s lap, Jess danced around the room singing and clapping. She’d been feeling like he didn’t love her anymore. All the little one needed was a constant in her life: her daddy Bucky.

When they returned home, Bucky held a meeting with all staff members present. He unveiled the plans for “The Lillian Marie Barnes Child Care” center. As you could imagine, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, including Bucky’s. The best part, there’s no cost to the family!!! From 1 to 5 years old, employees could visit the daycare center and have lunch with their son or daughter. Moral soared 500%.

BRILLIANT IDEA

WIth the Howard and Maria Stark Children’s Wing on schedule, Peter Parker, Director of Marketing, pitched an idea to Bucky.

Gathered in the spacious conference room were Bucky, Steve, and Peter. Bucky’s executive assistants Wanda and Natalia. Also, Steve’s executive assistants, Maria and Pietro were in attendance as well.

Peter began the impromptu meeting. “Thanks everyone for coming. An idea, brought to my attention by Pepper, peaked my interest. She suggested the “Bring Your Kid To Work Day.” A chorus of yes, oooo’s and ahh’s echoed around the cherrywood table.

Wanda interjected, “Wow, Peter I love the idea. Jess would be the Jr. CEO and Steve’s son, Malachi as COO.”

Maria Hill cooed, “That’s a wonderful idea, Peter! What do you think?” she asked before looking towards Bucky and Steve.

Bucky nodded, “The kids would get a kick out of being Jr. Executives for a day. How about this Saturday? We’d shut the phone system down for a few hours and route all calls to the answering service.”

“Looks like the Rogers family’s going shopping this evening.” Steve beamed with pride.

Peter’s eyes gleamed. “Yes! The kids will have so much fun.”

Bucky asked Wanda to send out a company-wide email informing everyone about Saturday. The replies were overwhelming.

DRESSED FOR SUCCESS

Jessica ran to her daddy’s arms. “Hi sweetheart. How’s my girl?”

“I’m fine daddy. We had a good day in class. I said my ABC’S and numbers.”

“What? My goodness you’re smart!”  Bucky kissed  her cheek, nose and forehead. “How would you like to come to work with daddy on Saturday? You and the rest of the kids will run the company for the day!! How does that sound?”

Unable to contain her enthusiasm, Jess sang, “♪♫I’m the boss, I’m the boss♫♪”

Bucky reminded Jessica, “It’s important to treat your staff members kindly.”

“Okay daddy, I’ll be good.”

“That’s my big girl. Now, time to go shopping for a power suit, briefcase and shoes.”

TIME FOR WORK

Decked out in her suit with her briefcase and phone, Jessica Marie Barnes, CEO, reported for work. Already in boss mode, she greeted her “staff.” “Good morning everyone,” she said confidently.

Cameras clicked as the kids, dressed in business suits and dresses, laughed along with their parents.

Natasha’s daughter, Sage, donned a navy blue pantsuit, white blouse and blue tie. Malachi Grant sported a gray 3 piece suit, powder blue shirt, and striped tie. Other kids wore dresses or snazzy shirts and pants.

Wanda, Sam and Scott gushed over the kids. “Scottie, Mason and Jason are the cutest.” “Thanks Wanda. Thomas is quite handsome as well.”

Parents and kids alike assembled in the lobby. There were about 15 little ones; ages varied from 3 to 5. How much trouble could they get in right?

Bucky addressed the room. “I must admit, this is the best dressed staff in all of New York. Now kids, there’s cookies, fruit and juice boxes in the small conference room. Jessica, you have the floor.”

“Thank you Mr. Barnes,” Jess said. “Good morning. My name is Jessica Barnes but you can call me Jess. It’s time for our morning meeting. Follow me to the small room.”

Everyone applauded as Jess led her friends in for snacks.

Malachi instructed the “staff” to eat while he and Jessica spoke. “Okay, folks. We have a lot of work to do. There’s a meeting with people who want something built.”

One little lady asked, “Mr. Drant, who?”  Malachi replied, “I dunno let’s make something up.”

BIG MISTAKE

Now, whoever decided to furnish snacks, didn’t take in consideration that pastries, fruit and juice boxes contained copious amounts of SUGAR! 3, 4 and 5 year olds hyped up on sugar makes for serious hijinx.

Jess, Malachi, Mason and Jason wandered away from the others and ended up in one of the copy rooms. Mason, with wide eyed wonder, suggested making copies of their faces. How they turned the machine on is one of life’s biggest mysteries. They took turns copying faces, arms and legs. Jason, however, took it one step further. He sat on the machine and took a picture of his bottom.

Next, a group of 3 year olds snuck into a few offices with sticky hands, pressing on the keyboards. Yep, they made a mess.

Not to be left out, Jessica and the gang visited the employee break room. The refrigerator and lower cabinets were raided, devouring sandwiches, chips, Christmas candy, and cookies leftover from an office meeting.

Smeared on the pristine white walls were tiny chocolate handprints, water and orange juice got spilled onto the floor, and a few kids ate too much and threw up. The room was an absolute MESS.

Mason and Jason tried to clean up the vomit by throwing paper towels over the 2 spots. Needless to say, they used an entire roll! Malachi retrieved a mop from the custodian’s closet and attempted to mop the liquid mess from the floor.

Instead of cleaning it up, he slipped, face first, soiling his new suit. Jessica, completely flustered, plopped on the floor in tears.

Checking the conference room, Bucky was alarmed. No kids in sight. Frantic, everyone split up searching for them.

Wanda, Sam, Scott and a handful of parents landed in the break room. Surveying the damage.

Nat gasped, “What the-?” Bucky shook his head. “This is our fault. Unattended kids equals a recipe for disaster. I’ll call the cleaning company.”

Pictures were taken and sleeping little ones snuggled in their parents arms.

Bucky and Steve stood in awe of their Jr. CEO and COO. “Buck, what a mess. Guess I’ll take Malachi home” “Yep!! Jessica’s reign is over.”

The “Bring Your Kids To Work” disaster was a bit hit, for the children. The time had come to clean up and prepare for Monday morning. Hope was that the computer keyboards are cleaned, along with the delightful “copies.” Someone’s in for a major surprise! Jessica Marie Barnes will remember the day forever. She was the “CEO” of her daddy’s architecture firm. In Heaven, Lillian Marie Barnes was their Guardian Angel.