#he eventually told willow after they started dating

[lollytea]

My headcanon for bi Hunter is he is very much leaning towards girls but he knows he's bi because back when he was reading Rulers Reach a few months ago, there happened to be one character written by Luz that King approved of because he was edgy and cool enough (although King did cut out all of his pointless romance bullshit) so he managed to survive the final draft. It was a recycled version of this guy.

Anyway everytime he appeared in a chapter Hunter was like "ok. OK. hm. HM. OK!!!!!" He was very normal about it.

The only person he's told about this is Luz during one of their bi-weekly "laying on the kitchen floor at 3am talking about stupid shit" sessions. And Luz, who has grown out of her fixation with edgelord YA love interests just asks "Really? Really?" And Hunter is immediately spluttering like "j-just just just hear me out he's actually-shut up shut up stop smiling right now Luz I said shut up jUST HEAR ME OUT!!!!!"

[sunrise-imagines]

Can I get some childhood friends to lovers hcs for Finn? Like the reader grew up with him and now they're dating as adults? Gender neutral or male reader also please :3

Of course!! I love this idea so much. Hope you enjoy!

TW: Light angst, lots of pining, hurt and comfort

Adult Finn x Reader Childhood Friends to Lovers

• Being the only two humans in Ooo, it was only a matter of time before you met each other at the ages of 12.

• Similarly to Finn, you had been found as a baby by a couple from the Candy Kingdom, and they raised you as their own with the help of Princess Bubblegum, her and Marceline becoming sort of older sister figures to you.

• One day, while visiting the castle, Ice King burst in from the wall in an another attempt to kidnap Princess Bubblegum, snow blowing everywhere as you looked up in fear.

• But then, out of nowhere, a boy with a bear hat and a magic dog burst in, beating the crap out of Ice King who fled back to his castle.

• When he turned to look at you, you both became shocked. Neither of you had any weird mutations or odd features, and he certainly wasn’t made of candy. He was human. You were the same.

• And from that day forward, you and Finn became inseparable friends, with you sometimes joining him and Jake on their many adventures.

• You watched as he grew up, fell in and out of love, found an entire island of other humans, met both his biological Mom and (deadbeat) Dad, lost his arm, and eventually prevented a war/world ending event. You sat with him as Fern lay dying, and went with him to plant the seed that would eventually sprout a new willow tree.

• Sometime after the end of Adventure Time, Finn and Huntress Wizard amicably broke up, deciding their relationship worked best as good friends/occasional work partners.

• Having developed a longtime crush on him, you had hoped that now was your chance, but your nervousness and not wanting to ruin your friendship got the better of you so you continued to admire him in secret.

• That was until Jake passed away, and Finn’s personality reverted back to when you were kids and the only thing that mattered was fighting monsters and adventuring.

• You grew concerned as he started to go on more and more dangerous missions, often times for no reason other than the thrill of it, and time after time he’d come back with even worse wounds. But you were always there to patch him up, no matter how bad it got.

• But today was different. After Simon had opened up to him and expressed his depression and how he felt out of place in this world now that he lost his magic, Finn had the bright idea that a life-threatening adventure was what he needed to cure his sadness.

• This of course went terrible for Simon, but Finn thought it was great, and when he came back afterwards with a giant slash on his back and told you about it, that was it.

• You went off on him, telling him that while you know he’s still grieving, almost getting himself killed all the time isn’t the answer. You were tired of seeing him get hurt, and in your righteous anger, you finally admitted that you were in love with him. Tears flowed down your cheeks as you softly admitted that you’d loved him since you were kids, and seeing him act like this after all of his past growth was hurting you.

• Finn’s eyes grew wide, he had no idea that you had felt that way about him. And even more, that you reciprocated the feelings he’d had since you were 18. But with everything going on, adventuring and eventually Jake’s death, he felt like he never had time to pursue a relationship you.

• So he pulls you into a hug, stroking your hair as you continue to cry into his shoulder. He apologizes for making you worry, saying that he didn’t know why he acted the way he did, he just needed a distraction from the pain of losing his brother. But in doing that, he had forgotten he still had you.

• He puts his hand on your chin, directing you to look at him. He smiles down at you, wiping away your tears with his thumb as he confesses that he felt the exact same way.

• Your tears change from ones of sadness to joy, and you feel the urge to kiss him. Luckily he has the same idea, and gently pulls you towards his lips and kisses you sweetly.

• Eventually you both pull away, and in that moment, everything feels like it’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.

• After you officially start dating, he stops going out on adventures as much, instead opting to spend more time with you and Jake’s kids.

• Of course, adventuring is still a part of him, but he focuses more on helping people than fighting and killing things, and of course he brings you along for the ride. Finally, after so many years waiting, the two of you are together.

[xjulixred45x]

Its me or the collector/hunter would be such a mama's boy if they had one?

OMG THEY WOULD REAAAAAALY BE!!!

Hunter so SO needs someone who really cares about and loves him just the way he is, maybe a head of the Emperor's coven(or Even maybe Darius S/o??) or some older scout than the one who insists on treating him like a child (WHAT HE IS) and at first he doesn't have a clue or idea of how to act on this (thanks Belos) but eventually he becomes less rigid and rude and more a bit embarrassed but he doesn't avoid it.

Hunter would melt if a person he considers a mother figure gave him words of affirmation and told him how much he is worth, HOW GOOD HE IS and that she is PROUD of him. bby would start crying right there.

He would definitely be very protective of this mother figure, I don't think he would prevent her from going on missions or do her work, but he makes sure that they go together and he always goes in front of her, he will always defend her if things get ugly, he even received hits from her. He acts like it's nothing or that he's not being a favorite at all, but everyone knows it.

(If he calls her mama/mom/mother or whatever he BEGGS THE TITAN to swallow him and spit him out into the boiling sea. But maybe he'll talk to her about Willow for dating advice).

The Collector (or Collie) would definitely be another mama's boy, only obviously more extreme due to his almost god-like powers, but he could definitely use someone to guide him firmly but gently to learn mortality and family love well after the history. something like his own Eda.

Seeing it that way, perhaps this maternal figure could be 1- or one of the archivists who stayed with him in his days on earth (being more like brothers) or an older person very interested in the mythology of the titan and others ( maybe even part of the tribe that hunted them and that worshiped the collector, but on a much healthier spectrum obviously).

In any case, when this person is not only willing to listen to the collector's rants but even play with him as much as possible, without wanting to get rid of him and giving him mature and motherly love, he is surprised, yes, but he likes it! and wants more! so he even calms down a little with physical affection from this maternal figure.

Imagine if this mother figure sang for him to sleep🥹I think it would give Collie such a hit of dopamine that he couldn't sleep without her after that, at least for the first few months.

He doesn't like it very much when she scolds him for having been rude or careless, not only because he is a somewhat spoiled child with no sense of consequences, but because he doesn't like to think that his mother hates him :( if he thinks about it too much he will ugly cry.

although he definitely apologizes afterwards and gives a lot of hugs (please give him hugs).

Overall, GIVE THESE TWO LOVE. THEY DESERVE IT.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

S/O and skeleton are secretly dating but haven't told Skeleton's brother yet. Until one day, S/O comes to Skeleton's house and says that they forgot their underwear and give them to him, right in front of his brother. Reaction of their brother?

Undertale Sans - He does the dramatic slow turn towards Papyrus, completely in shock. You're dating someone and you don't even tell your big brother? Oh shame on you. Shame on your cow. You're getting a hundred years of teasing as a punishment. Papyrus refuses to meet his eyes. He KNOWS what will happen the second he will.

Undertale Papyrus - Today is Papyrus' day. Well, every day is Papyrus day but this particular day is the day of his absolute triumph over the tyranny of Sans' terrible jokes and puns as the universe had finally given him the power to retaliate by making Sans blush to hell with a single stare. He is going to abuse that power and flush Sans for weeks, not leaving him one second of peace anymore. Papyrus knows and he wants Sans to know he knows by any means possible.

Underswap Sans - He's in shock, he thinks. He suspected his brother was in love because Honey was not exactly hiding it, but this? This is a thing no big brother wants to know. Honey is devastated and won't stop apologizing but Blue is frozen. He thinks he hasn't blinked in the last hour, just staring at his brother in disbelief. What.

Underswap Papyrus - He's not that shocked actually. Blue is a charmer and he had a few partners already, some weirder than others. He just assumes it's another weird one lol. No big deal. He still tells his brother he will make sure he doesn't lose his underwear again by writing his name on them just to see Blue brutally flush. Little revenge, you know.

Underfell Sans - Red stares in disbelief, as his brother smooches his human. That's absolutely disgusting. He can't stop staring at the bag with the underwear. Disgusting, really. He has to snap his attention back at his brother as he starts to chuckle. Red gives him a dark stare. "WHAT IS IT BROTHER? JEALOUS MY BIG BONE IS MORE EFFICIENT THAN YOURS? DON'T BE, YOU'LL BE AS TALENTED AS I AM. ... EVENTUALLY." Red gasps, offended. Now he's not disgusted, he's mad!

Underfell Papyrus - He opens the door and screams "FINALLY MY BROTHER IS NOT A VIRGIN ANYMORE" before Red jumps on his back and starts to beat him up to make him shut up. Edge can't stop laughing hysterically at his misery, not feeling remorse for even one second. That's revenge for his endless teasing the first time he dated someone.

Horrortale Sans - .... He closes his eyes and begs his brain to forget what he just witnessed. Ironically, that's one of the few things he can't unsee. Like, never. Every time he sees his brother, he sees his underwear. This is a nightmare. Why does the universe hate him so much? Willow is wondering why his brother is looking at him in complete silence like a rabbit stuck in the lights of a car. It's going to happen a lot in the next few days.

Horrortale Papyrus - He says nothing when it happens, but is quick to escape the house. He runs to Toriel's house and tells her everything lol. He needs someone to fangirl with and Toriel has always been good for that. When Oak and his human get out of the house, he can only stare, confused, as Willow and Toriel are more or less hiding behind the bushes despite being ridiculously tall, spying on him.

Swapfell Sans - He rolls his eyes at Rus, annoyed. It's not the first time it has happened and it certainly won't be the last. He has pity for this new human who will have their heart broken eventually like the twenty or so before.

Swapfell Papyrus - Rus chokes on what he was drinking, then slowly turns to his brother, who is bright purple. Nox is very secretive about his relationships and he for sure didn't expect that to occur. Rus is never letting him hear the end of this after that accident. Nox knows his peace is over forever.

Fellswap Gold Sans - He lost his inferior jaw, quite literally. Coffee is embarrassed, but actually not that shy anymore. WHAT?! What the hell happened? He has the best spying tools on the continent and he didn't see his brother was in a relationship. How blind he is? He's questioning all his skills right now. Also what the hell, his brother is in a relationship! That's terrible!

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - Coffee says nothing, trying to not let the thoughts win. But they won anyway and he suddenly screams "wait, does that mean you didn't wear underwear when you got home? how did you not notice????" before blushing furiously when Wine looks his way and teleporting out of panic into his room to hide in his wardrobe in shame lol.

[sleepingdeath-light]

pregnant s/o hcs ; hunter

requested by ; anonymous (30/04/23)

fandom(s) ; the owl house

fandom masterlist(s) ; main | hunter-only

character(s) ; hunter wittebane

outline ; “hcs for hunter x pregnant! reader 👀 id place them at about 27 years both they have their lives planned and it just happened! + The gangs reactions”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

now neither of you had necessarily planned for this to happen — like, at all

yes you’d had the conversation about kids when you first started dating because you wanted to make sure you were on the same page

because being young didn’t mean that you weren’t dating to stay together

so you both knew that you wanted a kid, eventually, and you were both at a point in your lives where it was stable for the first time ever

you’d just moved in to your first family home, one on the titan’s stomach so you had a wonderful garden

hunter was making excellent money as a palisman carver and you’d even started growing your own palistrum saplings in a little nursery at home

magic was just starting to stabilise after the whole belos situation

and you’d settled well into your job as a teacher at eda’s wild magic university

it was the perfect time and it… well

it just happened

you’d started feeling a bit unwell and your cycle was late and you were starting to feel a little bit bloated and hunter was worrying himself sick

so you went off to a checkup at the new hospital, perfectly calm and sure nothing would happen

and then you got the news

you were like actually really pregnant

neither of you knew how to react, staying silent and frozen for a few beats, before you finally realised what had just happened

and you just started grinning and celebrating and hunter picked you up and spun you around in a circle as you giggled and repeated the news

you were going to be parents

you were going to have a baby

like for real

and you couldn’t wait

you’re given a few potions to take for your nausea and your doctor insists you stop by for regular appointments since your pregnancy is a very new phenomenon — hunter being a grimwalker, and all

and that was when the next chapter of your lives together officially began

you gathered everyone at your home under the guise of a housewarming party to deliver the news and everyone was thrilled for you

king made a joke about being your ‘practise baby’

luz and amity were crying and amity was just barely holding back her girlfriend from tackling you

willow was grinning broadly as she pulled you both into a hug and said she was so insanely happy for you

(as well as touching your stomach and very sternly telling your baby to behave and stop making you ill)

gus used his illusions to pull together a whole celebration out of thin air and said how excited he was to be an uncle

eda slapped hunter on the back and told him he’d done good

lilith was trying to hold back her tears as she gave you both a hug and congratulated you

camilla kissed you on the cheek and gave hunter a kiss and said something about how all of her babies growing up

(she said something similar at luz and amity’s wedding a few years ago)

and darius and eberwolf were just sticking with hunter and joking with him about finally tying you down — darius tried to hide how teary-eyed he was behind a remark about finally getting to be a grandparent

which made hunter cry

but yeah you all made a day of it and you couldn’t ask for a better support system of aunts and uncles and grandparents for you baby to have in their life

even if willow and eda were getting really into the idea of teaching them to play grudgby and flyer derby…

as your pregnancy progressed your sickness gradually went away and hunter started to make a point of sitting down and talking to your bump every night

like you’ll be laying in bed, comfy as can be, and he’ll sit down beside you and just place his hand over your bump as he talks in this loving voice to your baby

he talks about his day, how he grew up, and how he’s changed

he tells them to behave and stop giving you heartburn and kicking your bladder

he promises that he’ll never make them feel unloved or unwanted — that they’ll never doubt themselves for even a second of their life

and you cry and tell him he’s gonna be the best dad

and he says that he knows he will because he’s got you by his side

and you spend the rest of your pregnancy prepping the nursery and clothes and crying over how small baby shoes are and being more in love with your boyfriend than ever

you can’t wait to start a family with him — and by the size of your bump you won’t have to wait much longer

[scarletsaphire]

Dash, Star, and Paulina all take a nice walk through the park, before the girls abandon him. It's a good thing Danny Fenton is there to keep him company!

--

Fic 6 for @phicphight! This prompt fill is for @nat-space-obsessed, and is also the spirtual successor to Cheerleader Lock In, but is also perfectly functional as a standalone fic. Prompts used are listed at the bottom!

It was a nice day for a walk in the park. That's what Star had said when she'd invited Dash out. She was right; it was a beautiful day for a walk. The sun was out to warm his skin but not enough to burn, the wind was just strong enough to be cooling and comforting, and to rattle the leaves, and the birdsong was on point. He couldn't think of a better way to spend it then with his two best girl friends, Paulina and Star.

If only he actually was spending time with them.

They'd made it to a scenic picnic table, in the shade of a tall willow tree and overlooking the lake, the kind of table that was rarely ever actually available. Dash had barely sat down before Paulina was looking at her phone and announcing that they had "important girl business to take care of" and that he needed to sit right there until they came back.

Dash picked at the flaking wood of the table. It was bullshit; the day was perfect, and here he was, waiting for the two girls to figure out undisclosed girl talk. It was probably something to do with their period. Dumb crustacean cycle. Mother nature was a bitch for making girls go through that kind of thing. It should've been him, and his fellow men who had to deal with that shit; he was fairly certain he could handle it. Besides, his mother had told him it made girls more tolerant to pain, and that would help him on the field.

Dash had managed to peel off a solid three inches of the table, and all in one piece too, when he felt the bench shift underneath him. He looked up, hoping to see that Paulina and Star had made it back. Instead, he was met with Daniel Fenton sitting across from him. He was beautiful; the sun was shining down on him in just the sort of way that made his hair look like it was floating in the wind and gave him a halo, his smile was small and slight but so charming, and the freckles across his nose spread in such an intricate pattern, unlike anything Dash had seen before.

"Um... do I have something on my face?"

Dash shook himself out of his stupor. He wasn't surprised that he'd ended up staring; he normally did, when it came to Danny. He'd just never gotten caught doing it. "Uh. No. Sorry. I was just um. Looking at the pond?" Nailed it.

Danny laughed, and Dash had to put effort into not staring again. "Right. So, um. What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, Star and Paulina asked me out," Dash replied. He immediately started backtracking. "Not as like, a date! Just as friends. To enjoy the weather."

"It is really nice out, yeah," Danny agreed. "I guess you're waiting for them?"

Dash nodded. "Yeah, they had some stuff to take care of. I'm sure they'll be coming back. Eventually."

"I know how those two are. Always up to something."

"Yeah. If you want to, you can join me? Until they come back? Or after too, I don't think they'd like. Kick you out or anything, since you're their friends too and all."

"I can stay for a little while," Danny said with a full, proper smile, and Dash could feel his heart skip a beat in his chest.

There was a beat of silence, and then two, and Dash could feel the awkwardness filling the air. He spoke to try and break it, but Danny had the same idea.

"So, what are you-"

"I saw you at-"

They both stopped at the same time too, before laughing together. "You go first," Danny said.

"You sure?" At Danny's nod, Dash continued. "I was just wondering what you were doing out here?"

"Oh! Just. Going for a walk," Danny said, and Dash was almost able to convince himself that he was blushing. It was probably just a trick of the light though.

"It is a nice day," Dash said. "What were you going to say?"

"Oh, I was just going to say that I saw you during the game last week. You were incredible, as always."

Now it was Dash's turn to blush, and this one was definitely real. "Thank you," he said. "You did amazing too. I don't get how you can be thrown around like that and not vomit all over everyone else. I'd be spewing chunks everywhere in a heart beat." Yeah, real smooth, Baxter. Talk about vomiting. That'll get him to like you.

"It's not that hard, really," Danny said. "You get used to being in the air after a while, and I've had a lot of practice."

"I thought Paulina recruited you because you were already so good at stuff like that?"

There was a brief pause. "Uh, well, yeah, she did, but that was mostly cause I'm flexible and know how to do flips and stuff. Not because I was comfortable in the air. That came after."

"That makes sense," Dash nodded again. "Cause I was gonna say, I don't think most people get a lot of experience in the air without, you know, doing something in the air."

Danny laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, you're right."

This time, the awkward silence fully descended upon them.

Dash glanced around the park, but there was no sign of Paulina and Star anywhere. "Where did those two girls go?" he mumbled.

Clearly, he wasn't quiet enough. "See, about that," Danny said. "This might have been a set up?"

Dash blinked in surprise. Mostly because he had no idea what Danny could mean by that. "What?"

"Well, the cheerleader lock in was yesterday, and they said that you have a crush on me, which I'm not saying you do or don't! That's just what they said, and then they kind of read that I have a crush on you, which, once again, am neither confirming or denying, but after that they said that you would never like. Actually ask me out? Because you were scared of crossing a boundary, which I get and super appreciate, cause if I didn't like you back that would've been super weird and awkward, but they also knew I wouldn't ever ask you out, and they were right, so they put together this scheme to get us alone together? And so I guess I'm asking you out now? But only if you want, to, I'm not going to force you or anything, and also if they were lying than please let me know, because I wouldn't put it past them, and-"

"Danny." Dash put his hand on Danny's, effectively interrupting the other boy's rambles. "Do you want to go get ice cream?"

Danny's smile was bright enough to blind, and Dash couldn't help but return it, even while his cheeks burned red hot. "Yeah."

Dash did not let go of Danny's hand, even as they stood from the table and started walking towards the park's exits.

Those girls could come back to an empty picnic table, for all he cared. Dash had found a better way to spend the day.

--

Natt- Is there something on my face?

[wwenhlimagines]

Stuck In The Middle - Part 8

Hook x Y/N x Ricky Starks

Part 7

A few days go by, and the pictures have stopped popping up, but the rumors are still flying. How will Y/N move on from this debacle?

Ruby and Willow tried their best to distract me from the pictures and rumors swirling around online during our girl's day, but every time I checked the time on my phone, I got wucked back in. Eventually, Ruby and I switched phones, and the 3 of us were able to relax and somewhat forget the outside world.

Ruby and I switched phones back when I left for the airport, but not before she got rid of any notifications she deemed as unnecessary. I had a few texts from family members, and that was about it. By then, the pictures weren't popping up every second on Instagram and Twitter, so I was able to scroll through and catch up with whatever I missed fairly well. I flew back home and got settled in at my house before starting my weekly chores.

Later that night, I was playing a game on my phone when I got a text notification. It was Ricky, so I hesitated but eventually clicked on it.

Hey, just checking in on you. Wanted to make sure you made it home safe.

I smiled to myself before replying to him

Yep, just doing laundry and cleaning up for now. Thanks for checking!

I go back to my game for a bit before a hear the notification again.

Great! I have been thinking about your publicity issue, and I think if we go out in a group next week, it could help negate those rumors flying about.

I hummed to myself as I thought about it.

Who all would go and where?

You, me, Hook, Garcia, Skye, Ruby, Dante, Darius, Willow, etc. Whoever you want to invite. We could go out to a bar or dinner, depending on how we are feeling.

I shrug before looking into the places around the arena and hotel we are booked for next week.

I found a nice Italian restaurant a couple blocks from our hotel and a club a few blocks in the other direction. We can figure it out next week. Thanks for thinking of me, Ricky!

I go back to playing my games until I get ready for bed and fall asleep after cleaning all day.

Ricky's POV

I groan as I read Y/N's last text to me. I know she doesn't want to date anyone right now, but I can't help but let my feelings develop for her. I know this is going to be a tricky task as I am going to want to sit next to her and talk to her, but so will Hook.

I see Garcia's face pop up on my screen, and I answer his FaceTime.

"Hey Ricky, what's up, man? You look a little down."

I groan and rub my hand over my face. "Daniel, I think I'm actually falling for her."

Garcia snickers a bit. "You say that every time you meet a new woman. What makes her different from the others?"

"I can't explain it. I just want to do anything to make her happy."

Garcia stares at me for a few seconds before sighing. "Damn, Ricky might actually be falling in love. Never thought I would see the day."

"Oh fuck off Daniel... you know I'm bound to settle down sooner or later, but she makes me want to settle down now."

Garcia's eyes grow wide at my confession. "You barely even know her, Ricky. You sat together on a plane and had a couple of run-ins at work. She could be psychotic for all we know!"

I rolled my eyes and told him about my idea of a group hangout next week.

"Well, you better not get too close, or else the rumors might start up about the two of you next!"

I smirked at him through the phone screen before replying, "Same better go for Hook, though. If she said she doesn't want to date anyone, then he needs to back off as well. Let her make her own decisions."

Daniel smirks watching me get all riled up about this before we change the subject and stay on FaceTime for about an hour talking about our upcoming matches and whatnot.

Y/N's POV - Monday

Over the past few days, I have spoken to Ruby, Willow, and Skye about the group outing idea, and they all agreed to join. We decided it might be fun to go to the zoo in the morning since we will be in San Diego. Then we will get ready at our hotels and go out for dinner or whatever the boys want to do. Ruby and I are rooming together this trip, and we are both heading to the airport soon. I finish up packing before locking up my house and heading to the airport.

The flights to San Diego were decent, but unfortunately, my luggage seems to have e gotten lost. I groan as I watch the carousel stop signaling all of the bags that have been dispersed. I hear a light chuckle behind me and slowly turn around to see a man in a black hoodie eating chips.

"Hook, this isn't funny. I don't have my luggage, that means no clothes, no toiletries, no chargers!"

He hides his smirk behind the chip bag before eating another one and nodding towards me. "That's why I stick with a carry-on."

I roll my eyes at him, "I have too much shit for a carry-on. You probably have a couple of outfits, ring gear, chips, and a few toiletries. I have extra shoes, makeup, hair products, and jewelry, too."

He shakes his head slightly, "You don't need makeup. The Glam Squad can get you camera-ready, but you don't need it off camera at all. Also, I have hair products as well. How else do you expect me to create this masterpiece?"

I reach up and ruffle his hair, making him squirm away. "Well, if you are going to be that way, I guess I will let someone else who lost their luggage borrow my extra hoodie."

I reach back up to help him fix his hair as I see bright green hair out of the corner of my eye. "Ruby, thank goodness you are here! They lost my luggage, so I have nothing now."

Ruby skeptically looked between Hook and I before shaking her head. "It's happened to me a couple of times. Let's go to the store and get you some necessities."

I nod and turn to leave before realizing I haven't invited Hook to Thursdays activities. "Hey Hook, if you aren't busy on Thursday, a few of us are going to the zoo in the morning and then going out that evening. You are more than welcome to join us!"

He nods as he thinks about it. "Sounds like it could be fun. So it will be you two and who else?"

"Well, right now, it is us, Willow, and Skye, but we are going to invite Ricky, Garcia, and Eddie as well. You can bring the lads if you would like!"

I can see his jaw clench when I mention Ricky, but he quickly redirects himself and smiles as he pulls out his phone. "I'll text them now and ask. See you ladies later!"

We walk in opposite directions as Ruby and I go towards the Uber station. "Well, well, well. Not looking for a relationship, huh?"

I look at her confused before she continues. "You are lucky there were no fans to take pictures of you intimately fixing his hair."

I try to smack her jokingly, but she jogs ahead and jumps the Uber. This will definitely be an interesting trip.

Tags: @thesupreme316 @gethooked @730hook @baybay-boom @hookedonhook @louisianalady @hooks-martin @imswitchbabemox @plentyoffandoms @legit9thlunaticwarrior @hookswifeeyy @hookhausen @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @lghockey @thenerdybaker523

[penitentdruid]

MODERN VERSE

Name: Áedán Spiorad Gealach || Aedan O’Ruaidh

Date of Birth: 31st October

Gender: Male

Orientation: Bisexual

Species: Human

FC: Jamie Dornan

BIOGRAPHY

Aedan was adopted by his aunt and her husband, growing up in a large family on a farm in Torr. Willow adored him. But Corann was cruel and abusive. He put too much pressure on Aedan to be like his other sons. 

When Aedan was twelve, he took the blame for his uncle's death. It had been an accident while on a camping trip. But Corann called it murder and tried to have Aedan arrested. When the court decided it was just an accident, Corann sent Aedan to care.

Aedan didn't get on well with the other kids at the care home. His quietness made him easy to blame when things went wrong. But Aedan tried to keep his head down. 

He was sixteen when he started volunteering at a dog home. He met Dunne while there when he bought his Staffordshire Bull Terrier in to get checked. Dunne invited Aedan to hang out with some friends. 

After that, Aedan would spend every afternoon with Dunne and his gang of rough friends after volunteering. He knew he was a joke to them but was happy to have friends. He didn't recognise that he had grown into an attractive young man. Or that some people enjoyed the company of a calmer, caring influence.

He eventually started dating Dunne, who would happily 'fix' Aedan's issues. It made him feel safe for the first time since his uncle's death. But it was at the cost of his real safety. Aedan didn't realise that Dunne and his friends were a gang of criminals. 

When Aedan showed interest in attending university, Dunne undermined him and tried to stop him in every way he knew how. Aedan only managed to escape the relationship with another gang member's help. An ex-army doctor in his forties-fifties, Dedrek was the oldest member of the gang and the only one who understood that Aedan had a future. 

With Dedrek's help, Aedan attended university in Belfast to study architecture. He dated a few people here and there and made friends. But nothing that really lasted. Eventually, he rescued a puppy called Branwyn and hid him in his dorm room. That was all the company he needed until Dunne found him. They immediately got back together. 

When Aedan graduated, he moved in with Dunne and joined his father's business. He hoped to regain his family through hard work and resilience. But nothing he did ever pleased Corann. He was constantly told he wasn't a good fit for the high-pressure workplace. 

When Aedan quit the position, he and Dunne had an explosive falling out. Aedan fled Northern Ireland altogether with Branwyn. He couldn't bear to be around the assholes who flooded his life. And he had recently learned Dedrek now lived in Edinburgh. So Aedan moved there. 

With Dedrek's help, Aedan bought a run-down Scottish manor to try his hand at restoration. He lives in the crumbling carcass, restoring it between caring for the animals he's adopted and publishing photobooks on architecture through Dedrek's company. 

STATS

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Curly, Copper

Height: 5'10

Occupation: Bandit (Captive)

Birthplace: Torr, Northern Ireland

Residence: Scotland

Mother: Willow O’Ruaidh (Ó Conaill)

Father: Corann O’Ruaidh

Birth Mother: Fia Ó Conaill*

Birth Father: Conobar Spiorad Gealach

Positive Traits: Helpful, Kind, Nurturing

Flaws: Pushover, Grumpy, Shy

Other: 

[simsgalaxy]

Explanation of the save file

I understand it is confusing even with the introductions so this is a summary in just one post. No pictures and kinda long so be warned.

This all starts in 2014 when I made a family for the base game. That same family lasted until Get to Work when I moved one of the kids to Parkshore with three other roomates. Two of them were twins, a doctor and an artist. The artist fell in love with the roomate and they married creating the Morh Family. Zaiden opened an Art Gallery tha made a tons of money every day and his wife became the Chief of Police.

They adopted a son, Sebastian and later had a girl named Katerina. Sebastian had twins as a teenager after getting his high school girlfriend Kiera pregnant. The relationship didn't work out and the kids ended up moving to the Morh household after the breakup. His father was too busy with his life so his parents moslty took care of raising them. He worked in the bussiness career for a while before realizing being a social media star was more his vibe after City Living came out.

He started spending more time in the city where he met Shannah and after many hookups got her pregnant too. She didn't tell him and he found out after visitng her randomly to check up on her. He decided to do better this time and moved in to the apartment to raise his new son Kian. Three was already a crowd so the twins were left behind with their grandparents. That's how the Xu-Mei houselhold was created.

Meanwhile Katerina, who was into music, decided to become a musician and during a show in Oasis Springs met her future husband Josh who later told her he was a secret agent. They married and moved to Oasis Springs to start their family. They had Katiana first. Those are the begginings of the Simblr house.

It was around this time that the Morh founders decided to have another kid together, only this time they got two, twins Nika & Lina.

The twins aged up to teens and moved in with their father who had earned enough money to buy a bigger apartment in Uptown. Levi was into fitness and decided to become a soccer player as a young adult. His sister Aline was more into creating stories and she started as a writer.

Levi moved to an apartment of his own with his high school sweetheart Bria and his best friend since childhood Nathan.

Aline kept living with her father and his family while she dated Akira and even moved him in after their wedding. She got pregnant with a girl who she later named Alexa but found out shortly after the birth that Akira had gotten his roomate Miko pregnant too around the same time. She broke up with him and decided to move to Forgotten Hollow with a roomate. A guy named Adriel who was also into the spernatural atmosphere of the town.

The Morh twins aged up around the same time Katerina had her own, Juliana and Liliana. And Levi and Bria had their own daughter Brianna so Nathan had to move in with his brother. And that's how the Kim house started.

Aline started investigating the secrets of her town and she met Vladislaus who revealed the secret. She asked to be turned and he obliged. However, he refused to turn Adriel too and she promised she would after learning how. That's how the Straud household was created.

Nika got engaged to her high school sweetheart Diego, after Wedding Stories, who was the son of a family involved in the criminal world. They started planning their wedding but Nika was too focused on her work to devote enough time. Those are the begginings of the Barrueco household.

The Simblrs moved to Willow Creek and after the twins became teens, around the time of the High School Years expansion came out. Katiana graduated early from high school and started her college career. Liliana became a simfluencer and a cheerleader, and started dating Liam. Juliana joined the computer team and started streamming.

I created multiple save files of this one to focus on each individual family but eventually gave up and decided to merge them again so the timeline is a bit screwed.

In one version:

Liliana started dating Liam and then married him after aging up. She moved to Del Sol Valley and started her family. Her sister moved to college with her boyfriend and her parents died. She had twins and the girl, Olivia, became the founcer of the sour challenge.

Olivia moved to an aparment and started working on her goals while her parents kept having children. I kept the family and moved them in to the save file after Liliana aged up and cheated the realtionships to fit. And that's the Beckett family.

Currently:

The Becketts live behind the Simblr residence in Willow Creek and are struggling to pay their bills and mantain the perfect family picture. Olivia will move in to her grandmother's house.

As for Lina, I managed to find her a husband only for him to die after getting engaged and trying for baby because he was a vampire and we went to Tartosa to plan the events. He stood in the sun for too long. She had a daughter named Leah Zaine in that universe but in this version none of those events have happened. She's running out of time now that she's and adult so the characters have changed. Her future husband is now a family friend and they will have a daughter together. Soon-to-be Holmes.

[phoenixyfriend]

When Obi-Wan gets to AotC, there's also about two dozen Anakin clones on-site. They're all girls because... IDK Anakin is trans. They have a hive mind and are developmentally a few years younger than Anakin himself.

It's incredibly unsettling to Obi-Wan.

It's almost definitely a "fuck with Anakin's already fragile mental health" ploy by Palpatine, along with a "what if Jedi Black Widows, for me, a Sith Lord. Wouldn't that be neat? That would be neat."

Anakin is torn between "this freaks me out" and "GANG OF BABY SISTERS LET'S GOOOOOOO."

(I just finished reading Like Real People Do by glimmerglanger, so this is definitely inspired by that and the obligatory 'lay back in bed and daydream variations on plot points of that fic you just really enjoyed,' and also a little by Same Heart, Same Blood by loosingletters.)

They're physically like 14-16 on average, and Anakin's vibrating out of his skin with a million conflicting emotions, but when he tells Padme she's just like "oh, you have a handmaiden gang!"

I told this to @willowcrowned and she suggested:

Once Anakin decides to repress the part of him that’s weirded out and just regard them as baby sisters he gets. A little strange about it The first time one of them dies he may or may not slaughter every person he can [in response to Padme's comment] Anakin starts worrying that he needs to get them cool matching outfits

I also chatted about it with @firebirdeternal and they said:

Gang of Unsettling Smol Siblings is exactly the Karma that Anakin deserves

Do you think the Clones have a kind of Collective Name that they use at first that eventually just kind of morphs into a new last name? Skysisters or something? Like Palpatine was trying to be clever and name them like the Nightsisters.

I initially went with "functionally one person" hive-mind but I'm torn.

I think maybe they're BASICALLY one person on Kamino but drift into Separate Consciousness once they're far enough apart physically that their minds don't blend from proximity anymore.

Then they start Dating (like half of them are dating Fett clones because they grew up with these dudes, it's like childhood friends romance), and Anakin loses his mind about Protecting Them and They're Too Young.

Padme: You're nineteen and we just got married, they can date. Anakin: THEY'RE EIGHT. Padme: And the Fett clones are ten and dying for us in the field. Get them rights before you panic about their love lives.

Firebird:

it could be worse, one of them could imprint on Obi-Wan. "Anakin I promise I won't yell at you for the next five stupid things you do if you can figure out a way to stop this baby from having a crush on me" (I like the idea of Obi-wan bargaining not with "I won't be mad at you ever" because they Both Know That's Not True, and instead haggling with specific allowances. Like he's handing out Stupidity Coupons)

Please imagine Mace and Obi-Wan's personal responses to the idea of suddenly having to deal with not one, not two, but OVER TWENTY SKYWALKERS.

Plo is delighted to take one off their hands.

So is Yoda.

Willow:

Mace is like. okay suicide isn’t the Jedi way but on the other hand. i physically cannot deal with this Yoda: a skywalker, you say? one who is tall enough to reach the top shelf, you say? such a skywalker, bring me

Anakin would be given at least one because fuck you, suffer with us, but he's still a padawan so Ugh, fine, no.

I want to say one stays on Coruscant to hang out with the Guard, and ends up half-adopted by Padme. She keeps dressing up the Aniclone left with her in handmaiden outfits and sending selfies to Anakin.

"Hanging out with the little SiL!"

Anakin has so many issues about WHEN his genetic material was acquired.

And there's some confusion from the Fett clones about how much of a hive mind is normal for Jedi. They are confused that the answer is basically none, and "this is WHY nobody clones a Jedi"

ONE OF THEM STEALS BOBA FROM THE ARENA ON GEONOSIS.

Firebird:

"I have followed in our progenitor's footsteps and acquired a sibling." holds up a struggling Boba "He bites."

Willow:

Ooooo okay so if they have a sort of hive mind then they probably don’t have names other than their designations on Kamino right BUT When they SEPARATE The one that picks Boba up on Geonosis gets a name specifically for that. Okay what if the one Padmé picks up gets some variant on ‘pretty’ because she’s always being dressed up BELLE Maybe Yoda’s Ani has a name that means thief? Because obviously Yoda is using Anakin to steal sweets

So, to make the timeline work...

I don't think anyone would give Anakin one of his sisters until after he's knighted at least.

So obviously when they're doing initial placements none of the sisters go to him or Obi-Wan.

Once he's knighted, of course they're already all placed with someone, and Anakin instead gets Ahsoka. He loves Ahsoka. She is also a little sister. He said so.

At some point afterwards, one of the sisters is left without a place because the Master that was in charge of her died in the field battle.

That sister then gets placed with Obi-Wan, because he's already mostly-successfully raised one Skywalker, so he can do it again.

Anakin gets to hang out with her basically all the time.

Ahsoka is very very jealous of this girl stealing Anakin's attention.

Anakin is oblivious to the rivalry.

He asks Barriss to look after them while he's discussing Adult War Things with Luminara and Obi-Wan, and Barriss gets an eye into This Mess, which is quickly colored by Ahsoka growing a puppy crush on the lovely Miss Offee herself.

Firebird:

Ahsoka: Ah yes, my nemesis. Anisister: Ah yes, my new older sister whom I want to impress so bad.

"I will impress her by being Stoic and Competent" "Oh my god she must think she's so much better than me what a bitch"

Anakin is oblivious to most things to be fair Anakin: Laser focused precision fighting machine who can read the tiniest body movements and predict your moves seconds in advance, who also cannot understand even the most basic social nuance. I was originally writing this as to Dunk on Anakin but then I made myself sad, because none of those things are really his fault.

So you know that post about like, Sasuke and Brooding, specifically in the context of "Brooding" as it's used to refer to Nesting Chickens? Grouchy and protective and sitting on a tennis ball trying to hatch it because they're just. "These are my Babies." Anakin Broods. Baby sisters. Must protecc. "I'm actually fine and extremely deadly in combat." "MUST PROTECT."

Bad Guy: [catches Ahsoka in a Trap] Aniclone: Must rescue sister! Aniclone: [fights, is not winning fight, gets ouched] Ahsoka tearing her way out of Trap: I lived bitch. Also: stay the fuck away from her. [murders so hard]

Ahsoka catches the Protective Older Sib feels by the traditional method: "Hey, only I'm allowed to be mean to them."

Willow:

Oh Anakin has no clue what’s going on. He walks in on Ahsoka glaring at the Ani and is like!!! Little sisters!!! Bonding!!! When Ahsoka was about three seconds away from tossing her out of the airlock. Ahsoka mistakenly assumes that Barriss has a crush on the Ani, and gets even MORE jealous.

Obi-Wan is like oh god. I can’t take care of an Anakin going through puberty again. He’s great with periods and other stuff because he read about a billion books. He is TERRIBLE with everything else, as he was the first time.

Barriss is like???? YOU'RE BOTH CHILDREN, PLEASE CALM DOWN, I HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN DATING ANYONE, LET ALONE SOMEONE YOUR AGE.

IDK how old Obi-Wan's Aniclone is, probably physically the same age as Ahsoka?

Per @atagotiak on discord:

Also something something, similarities btw Anakin and Obi-Wan where like. "Am I a parent? That seems uncomfortable, I'm too young to be a dad to a kid this age, I mean I'm cool with being a mentor/caretaker but..."

Obi-Wan can't even sidestep parenthood this time.

"Is Anakin basically your dad?" "Uhhhhhh" [Muffled discussion] "So Obi-Wan is your dad." "Okay!" "WAIT NO I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS"

Ahsoka: She's stealing my brother, that BITCH. Obi-Wan's Aniclone: new sister new sister new sister gotta make a good impression

Firebird:

I feel like the Sister Squad would make very effective interstellar espionage agents Even like, kind of by accident. They just get encouraged to branch out in their interests and figure out what they want to do with their lives and end up all over the dang place, and since they're all pretty dang competent they tend to gravitate towards Important Positions wherever they end up. Except for one sister who just retires to raise Space Sheep.

I like that in this AU Palpatine is just like "I will create an army of Loyal Murderers who will obey my every whim and also be a big psychological lever on my Other Pet Murderer," and then they all just Baby Duckling imprint on the first Jedi to be nice to them instead and he has to just be like "Wait no not like that."

AND one of them Steals Boba

I want Obi-Wan's Aniclone to start dating Fives. All the sisters judge her for it, because he's a Goof. A very competent, ARC Trooper goof! But a goof.

Not as goofy as Anakin, though.

Firebird:

Who expects a clone of Anakin Skywalker to not make questionable lifelong romantic choices impulsively?

[lifeofkaze]

In the Balance

Chapter 5: You’ll Never Walk Alone

Read the previous chapter here or find all the chapters of this series (and some more) here.

A/N: David Willows belongs to @that-scouse-wizard. It took me over a year to write this (and get it ready to be published, it's been sitting in my drafts for a long while), but finally here we are 💛

There wasn't much Lizzie didn't like about summer. As soon as the temperatures were rising, there was nothing she loved more than spending her whole day outside, soaking up the sunshine and the smell of freshly mown grass. 

If asked, Lizzie would have said that the summer after her sixth year at Hogwarts had been her favourite one to date. She and Orion had spent the better part of their time off travelling the United Kingdom without a set aim or destination. They had just returned from a whistle-stop trip to the Channel Isles; Lizzie would have liked to stay there for a little longer, but Orion needed to be in Montrose in time for the season preparation, and so their trip had eventually come to its inevitable end. 

Knowing that she would have to spend her last year at Hogwarts without him dampened her spirits, but Lizzie was determined not to dwell on that. For now, she had much more important matters to think about: this weekend, the Premier League was finally starting again. 

One the first matchday of the season, Lizzie woke at the crack of dawn. She reached for the tickets she'd laid on her bedside table and looked at them with a broad grin. Her friend David Willows had gotten her the tickets for her birthday last year. Liverpool would be facing Manchester United, and Lizzie still couldn't quite believe she was lucky enough to be able to go. 

Next to her, Orion was still fast asleep, so Lizzie got out of bed as quietly as she could. Mouse, Lizzie's big grey cat, who had been sleeping nestled against her stomach, wasn't as considerate; she stretched copiously and climbed over Orion's shoulder to lie on his other side. With the warmth of Lizzie's body gone and Mouse contentedly digging her claws into his back, Orion stirred and slowly sat up. Not even fully awake yet, he reached behind him to scratch the happily purring cat behind her ears.

"You're awake early," he mumbled, stifling a yawn as he glanced out of the window. "Greeting the day with a balanced mind is commendable, but you really could have waited until the sun was up."

"I don't have time to wait," Lizzie said with a muffled voice. She was kneeling in front of her chest of drawers and methodically digging through it. "I need to prepare myself. Get in the proper mood."

"Before sunrise?"

"It's never too early to get into the LFC mood." 

Lizzie drew out two bright red Liverpool jerseys, eyed them critically and tossed them over her shoulder before diving into her extensive collection again. Having found the shirt she had been looking for, she flung it over her shoulder and headed to the bathroom, humming an upbeat melody under her breath. 

When she came back washed and dressed in the new season's kit, Orion was leaning against the headboard of her bed with Mouse curled up in his lap. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing calmly. The only indication that he hadn't fallen asleep again were his fingers, which were lazily moving over Mouse's back. Upon hearing her enter the room, Orion glanced her way. 

"Have I ever told you that I like you in red?" he said with a slightly lopsided smirk. 

His smile changed into a laugh when he saw that Lizzie was blushing. He reached out to pull her towards him for a kiss, but she moved away and tossed him one of her brother's old jerseys instead. 

"Stop flirting and get dressed." 

She didn't have a mind for banter this morning, but it didn't stop her from watching a little wistfully as Orion's bronzed skin vanished beneath the bright red fabric of his shirt anyway. Once he was looking like a proper Liverpool fan, Orion got up and took Lizzie in his arms. This time, she was all too happy to let him kiss her.

"Happy now?" he mumbled, pressing another short kiss to the tip of her nose.

"Perfectly happy," Lizzie giggled, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "How could I not be? It's matchday, after all." 

Over the course of the day, Lizzie's excitement steadily grew, eventually turning into a nervous kind of tension. Time was ticking by painfully slow, and she glanced at the clock more than once until it was finally time to leave.

Lizzie's mother Helen - an ardent Liverpool fan herself - sighed wistfully as she handed Lizzie the box with the Floo powder. "I can't believe my little girl is going to Anfield."

"I've been to Anfield before, Mum."

"Yes, but never without me," Helen sighed again and put her arms around her daughter. "And what a match it is! I really wish I could come."

She let go of Lizzie and turned to Orion. "You take care of her, you hear me? After what happened at Hillsborough last year…" Helen Jameson shuddered; the mass panic during the match between Liverpool and Nottingham had been a tragic landmark in the history of modern English football and was still present in the minds of football fans all across the country. "Just don't let her get into trouble, will you?"

"Orion wouldn't even know the difference between the Reds and the Red Devil's if they spelt it out for him," Lizzie cut in, pointing at her slightly bewildered-looking boyfriend. "See? If any, I'll be taking care of him."

"Knowing you, someone should probably be taking care of them," Lizzie's father Michael muttered. Lizzie grinned and hugged him as well. 

She took a handful of the glittering Floo powder and threw it into the fireplace, where it turned the flames a vivid emerald green. With a held breath and a familiar surge of adrenaline, Lizzie called out David's address and stepped into the fire.

***

Upon arriving at the Willows' place in Liverpool, Lizzie immediately flung her arms around a broadly grinning David. Noticing the unimpressed look his girlfriend Merula Snyde was giving her, Lizzie cleared her throat and quickly took a step away from her friend.

The four of them took the bus into the city, and with every stop, the excitement bubbling in Lizzie's stomach grew. When they changed lines at Beaumont Street, the occasional glimpse of red could already be spotted here and there; upon arriving at Anfield Road, the red had spread to everything in sight. 

They followed the seemingly endless stream of people from the bus stop to Arkles Lane, from where the home fans would enter the stadium. Most people were excited and singing on their way, but a handful was already heavy on the drinks; they were arguing loudly with each other and Lizzie and her friends gave them as wide a berth as possible.

Lizzie had been to Anfield several times before, but when she passed beneath the famous Shankly Gates, above which the club motto was written in gleaming golden letters, a shiver ran down her spine. She and David shared an excited grin while Orion looked around himself in wonder. 

The only one seemingly unfazed by everything was Merula. It wasn't until they walked out into The Kop - the famous stand of the most ardent Liverpool fans rising behind the southwestern goal - that even her scepticism was blown away. 

The green pitch was lying at their feet, the stark white lines bright on the immaculate green lawn. The ranks were already brimming with people clad in red and white. The air was heavy with anticipation, and the low rumble of more than fifty thousand voices sounded through the stadium. Lizzie breathed in deeply as she let her eyes wander over the crowd. 

This was Anfield.

They found their section, and Lizzie soaked in the atmosphere of the busy ranks. Just before the beginning of the match, a collective hush went through the crowd as the tune of Liverpool's famous hymn began to play. Lizzie and David joined in with the rest of the stadium, their red-and-white scarves raised high above their heads. When the song was over, and the players were taking their positions on the field, Orion leaned her way.

"You were right when you said that this was an impressive sight. So many voices joined as one are creating a magic of their own."

"Whatever you say, Captain," Lizzie chuckled. She nudged him into the side and nodded at the pitch. "But the real magic is about to start down there."

The referee blew his whistle, and the match began. It soon became clear that the face-off against the rival from Manchester was just as passionate as Lizzie had hoped it would be. The fans on both sides were spurring their teams on, singing and shouting at the top of their lungs. Lizzie and David were celebrating and suffering with them, their full attention focused on the game. 

When it was halftime, Lizzie took a deep breath and finally allowed herself to relax. She turned to Orion - for the first time in the last forty-five minutes, she suddenly realised.

"How do you like it so far?" she asked, not without a touch of bad conscience. Over the excitement of the match, she had somehow completely forgotten about him.

"It's an inspiring display of sportsmanship," Orion said. "When the ball changes possession, there is this short moment in which all players move as one, like grass blowing in the wind. The shift from offence to defence, from defence to offence - it is a moment of perfect unity." 

"It is," Lizzie agreed, glad that he didn't seem upset with her lack of attention towards him.

The smile on Orion's face turned into a puzzled expression. "There are some things still eluding me, however."

"What would that be?"

Orion pondered her question for a moment. "Tell me about offside again," he said eventually, and Lizzie sighed. Of course it was offside - it was always offside.

Much to her relief, Orion had no trouble following her explanations; his many years of playing Quidditch had given him a good understanding of how team sports were designed to work. Lizzie risked a furtive glance at Merula and David, who seemed to be having a similar discussion; despite David's best efforts, however, Merula looked somewhat confused.  

At the beginning of the second half, Manchester United started back into the game with force. They scored two goals in quick succession, turning the match into a bitter fight for the upper hand. The closer the game was drawing to its end, the more agitated Lizzie became. When there was less than a minute left to play, Liverpool claimed the ball and sent their strikers forward in a last desperate attempt to score. Lizzie leaned forward, gripping David's arm as the stadium held its breath.

A mere second before the end of the match was signalled, the ball shot past Manchester's keeper into the upper left corner. Anfield erupted in an explosion of cheers, the fans singing loudly as Liverpool's hymn was struck up again. 

Lizzie threw her arms around David with a scream before she turned to Orion, pressing a passionate kiss to his lips. The ecstatic atmosphere had gripped him as well, and he joined in as they sang along with the rest of the celebrating fans. Lizzie happily leaned against his side, unable to stop smiling. 

Liverpool FC might have been her first love, but she wouldn't exchange it for her current one for anything in the world. 

***

To celebrate the spectacular last-minute win, David took his friends to one of his favourite pubs before they returned to his family's place, where they celebrated some more.

When Lizzie and Orion arrived back at the Jamesons' house, it was already late. Lizzie felt shattered, but she was too strung up to go to sleep just yet, so she and Orion got changed and headed out a second time. 

They wandered through the sleeping town of Lyme Regis, following the soft sound of the sea. They took the steps leading down to the rocky beach and continued their way along the shore. The cool breeze was blowing away her tiredness, and Lizzie snuggled deeper into Orion's arm around her shoulders.

They followed the shoreline without a particular aim, simply enjoying each other's company. The smaller the lights of the town were growing in their backs, the more the exhilaration of the day was giving way to a sinking feeling in Lizzie's stomach. 

Both of them were aware that these precious moments with just the two of them would be the last ones for a while. The thought was making Lizzie sad; she wished they could stay on this beach - at this exact moment, where everything was easy - and not have to think about the rocky road lying ahead of them. 

"A Sickle for your thoughts, Chaser?"

Lizzie stopped and leaned her head against Orion's chest, her arms coming around his waist beneath his jacket.

"I hate that everything's changing," she said quietly. "I'm so excited for you, I really am, but I can't imagine going back to school without you. The team won't be the same without its captain."

"The old has made way for the new. The team has new captains now, and both are more than capable of walking in the footsteps l left behind. Given some time, I'm convinced they will succeed in leaving a mark themselves." He pulled her closer and rested his cheek against her hair. 

"There is no saying what the future will hold, only that change is inevitable." He nodded towards the night sky, illuminated by the silver glow of the moon. "Think about how many changes the moon must have seen throughout its aeons of life. And yet it never falters; it rises and falls every night because that is the nature of things. Even when the moon is hidden, it is there, in all its glory, like it has been and always will be."

He pressed a kiss to her hair, and Lizzie closed her eyes, trying not to think about anything but here and now. 

"I will be with you at Hogwarts, and you will be with me in Montrose. Just like the moon is never truly gone from the sky, neither of us will ever be without the other," he said gently, resting his forehead against hers. "We are part of one another, you and I, and no distance in the world will be able to change that."

Lizzie brought her hand to his cheek and let it linger there before she gently kissed him. 

"You're right," she whispered, kissing him once more. "No matter where life takes us - as long as I am here, you'll never walk alone."

[ratsoh-writes]

SO is able to control probability at their will. What is the probability that they win the lotery? 1 in 13,983,816, but with their powers is 13,983,816 in 13,983,816. What is the probability that the icream shop is giving away free icecream out of nowhere, for SO, everytime they want. What is the probability that the prices of the market drop in half? 100% if SO says it. Main 10

Lemme smoosh these two together

Sans: that’s too OP. No one should have that much power. When sans finds out he actually becomes rather weary of SO and will slowly start pulling away from them

Papyrus: while that’s cool and all, doesn’t SO get bored of life? They can just get whatever they want so here’s the struggle? The battle!! Papyrus isn’t sure how to voice his concerns about it with SO

Star: so… you’re saying you could make it likely that he’ll bake the perfect cake without blowing up honeys kitchen..? You two try it and somehow the kitchen still gets ruined. Neither of you know what went wrong

Honey: like, he registers that you have godlike powers, but he doesn’t really get it until you use it one day to make him super likely to not be allergic to cats. He’s grateful but somehow uncomfortable the same way sans is. Honey starts pulling away as well

Red: f*ck that. Red breaks up with SO because he just can’t deal with not knowing if anything is earned or just probable

Edge: he’s uncomfortable as well partly because that’s a lot of power for one person, but also because he feels like there isn’t really a piece for him in SOs life anymore. They clearly don’t need him for anything, so why keep him around?

Mal: it interests him because well, you know free stuff! Depending on how much SO let’s mal get away with, he’ll play with their powers for about a week, then grow bored. It’s back to their normal relationship

Cash: let’s be real here, he just used it for pranks. It’s suddenly 99% likely that it will rain but only on this one dude. Cash doesn’t care to try and convince SO to make life easier for him

Oak: … can they fix willows back?

Willow: oh stars would that be safe for oak. Maybe just give him a day of perfect memory?

Wine: that’s actually why he first started courting SO, but he wound up liking them for themself eventually too. Wine asks surprised when SO tells him their “secret”. They’ll never know he already knew before. Despite being curious, he never really asks them to use their powers for him

Coffee: he knows because the second he first started making real friends with SO, wine told him everything. Before he started crushing, coffee reluctantly admitted he already knew about their powers. Coffee and SO enjoy a comfy relationship but never use their probability powers. Coffee never asks because he doesn’t think he can handle the temptation

Butch: he would never date someone with those powers because he doesn’t feel like he could defend himself or his family if it ever went wrong.

Boss: he likes that SO can do this because that means he doesn’t have to worry over them as much. But there’s always that nagging little bit of mistrust that keeps him from getting too close

Ace: like wine, he intentionally got close to SO first because of their powers but later came to truly care for them afterwards. But unlike wine, ace will ask favors from SO. Maybe making a few people a little loose lipped for the day…

Slim: it honestly doesn’t matter to him what his SO can do. If slim trusts them and they treat him and his family good, he’s happy.

Snipe: like butch, he could never date this SO. In fact, he’d avoid them at all costs after dining out

Bruiser: his only thought is how useful this would be when it comes to being chased. Your only limit is your imagination!

[thefanficmonster]

Beyond The Darkness

Corpse Husband x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: Angst, Relationship Struggles, Self-doubt, Insecurities, Swearing

Genre: Angst with Fluff Ending, RPF (Real Person Fic)

Summary: Y/N finally expresses their worries, reluctance and suspicions regarding their relationship with Corpse who is more than surprised to be hearing such confession, thinking their relationship couldn’t be more perfect. Well, perfect on the surface.

Requested by @cinnamonbun332  Hi darling! I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to complete and post your request, but here it finally is! You asked for some heartbreaking and then heart-healing and I hope I delivered properly. Please enjoy! Love, Vy ❤

I didn’t choose to be insecure, I never wanted to be so anxious and self-conscious. No one can blame that on me for it’s something I’d get rid of within the blink of an eye if it were that easy. I didn’t choose to fall in love with Corpse either, it just happened. I was taken by storm by the feelings he awoke in me. It was terrifying and made me become a whole different person around him. I was torn between wanting him by my side at all times and never wanting to see him again for the purpose of those feelings dying down. That being said, I can’t be blamed for that either.

However, I can be blamed for one thing: accepting his offer for a date. I didn’t have to. I probably shouldn’t have accepted it just as much as he shouldn’t have brought it up. But, alas, I couldn’t help myself. That storm of emotions, that stirring lava within the volcano I was at the time was dying to seep out to the surface so it wouldn’t burn me from the inside out. Him asking me out on a date was practically the vessel for me to finally have a chance at expressing myself and how I feel and that’s something I’ve never been able to do properly or openly. 

But with Corpse it has always been so easy.

Or...it was so easy.

It was easy until I started overthinking everything. Every interaction between us, between him and his friends. Between our two separate worlds.

I now have a hard time seeing us as a union, like we’re living together on the same planet of understanding and companionship. No, we’re more alike two planets in orbits near one another that are close but not close enough. Never destined to touch. Where I once saw light, I now see nothing. Almost as if I flipped the switch to my happiness myself. I wouldn’t be surprised if I did, it wouldn’t be my first time. I have a way of always finding a way to kill my happiness, put an end to my bliss. The key to doing so is what I already mentioned: overthinking, underestimating, undermining, over-worrying. In short: allowing my mind to torture me.

Sadly, it’s also forcing me to torture others.

At the moment, I’m spending day four back into my apartment, having come back with the excuse that I needed to get some piping fixed in the kitchen and needed to watch over the plumbers as they worked. I think Corpse bought that only halfway but if he didn’t believe me, he didn’t show it and I’m grateful for it. Or at least I think I am. Obviously, there was a part of me which screamed ‘See, he doesn’t care!’ at me when all he said in response to my announcement was ‘Oh, ok’. Of course, I didn’t pay that voice much mind then, but it’s starting to creep back in now and I really don’t know what to distract myself with to avoid hearing it. It’s not like I can internally deafen myself to stop it from eating away at me slowly but intently and with a scary determination that even I myself don’t have. Sadly, the pessimistic side of me does.

Truth be told, I wasn’t planning on staying home alone for four days straight, thinking I wouldn’t be able to make it that long without Corpse, thinking my loneliness would kill me. But, now that I am indeed alone, for some reason, I don’t feel really lonely, if at all. It’s refreshing and new, like a new but old perspective. Basically one I’ve missed for quite some time now without knowing that I did. Who knew going back to my empty apartment would be the cure to my messy head. Well, not a direct cure, but I have managed to map out at least a small portion of what’s going on up there, mend some of the damage I’ve done to myself.

Why do you always do that?

There’s that voice again, and some audacity it has! I’m not doing anything to myself! That voice is!

Saying that in court would easily land you in a mental facility, you know.

Fucking touché.

I think the reason why this is happening to me at the moment is because it’s been exactly four days since I last contacted Corpse. Or since he last contacted me. See what I’m going for here? See how toxic my mindset can be? Yeah, even I can hardly believe it sometimes. Like, how can something so dark be part of me - someone who used to be so cheerful and bubbly growing up. My nickname used to be ‘sunflower’ for a reason, but I might as well be a wilted willow now.

And who do you have to blame for that?

Will you fucking shut it!!!

As I’m in the midst of yet another self-argument, I near the doorbell ring, scaring me to the point I almost fall off my desk chair. I only then become aware of the blank MS Word document staring back at me. Throwing myself into work hasn’t been able to help me today. Instead of it distracting me from my struggles, it’s the other way around and I can’t fucking stand it.

Just like I’m beginning not to be able to stand myself. How Corpse and my friends do it, I have no idea. Well, they have it easy I guess, they don’t have to hear all the shit that happens in this beehive on my shoulders.

I lazily saunter over to open the door, not even thinking about looking through the peephole prior to turning the doorknob and swinging it open. That’s a mistake, considering that the mess I am is now face to face with Corpse. Let’s be honest, I’m past the point of stressing over how I look in front of him, we’ve been dating for almost a year now after all. However, this look on me right now is beyond disturbing. One that would leave him questioning if I need help or if I’m doing alright. The answer to both of those questions is no, by the way. Yes, to both.

“Corpse?“ I croak out, fighting my way out of the cloud of confusion surrounding me.

“Y/N?“ He replies, mimicking me though his confusion isn’t as much confusion as it is concern. Gotta say - rightfully so.

I shake my head as if awakening from a fever dream, basically hitting the ground head-first, “Um...yeah, uh, come in!” I finally manage to say, forcing my feet to step aside to allow him inside.

He nods and takes a step beyond the doorstep, cautious as though I’ve rigged the place with traps. I mean, ok, I’m weird, but not that weird. I’m not a complete psycho. At least not yet. Give me a few more months by myself. Or weeks. 

“I haven’t been here in so long...“ he mumbles, sounding almost as if he’s talking to himself. Before I could say anything, he wanders off into the kitchen, “Where are the plumbers?“

“What plumbers?“ I blurt out, unable to contain the widening of my eyes when I realize what I’ve said.

You. Fucking. Idiot!!!

“The ones you came here to monitor...?“ His answer sounds more like a question as well, both of us just staring at each other as we await what idiocy will leave my brain and come out of my mouth next.

The silence lasts for a few seconds before he breaks it by speaking up again, “There are no plumbers, are there?”

“No, not today! I mean- not right now.“ I resist the urge to smack my forehead with the palm of my hand in embarrassment. “They’ll come back...later! They were here up until an hour ago.“

Real smooth, Y/N. This is why you never play Among Us

Corpse looks around, even taking a peek over my shoulder before making a mock-confused expression as he shrugs his shoulders, “Your kitchen looks pretty tidy for being a place of such complex fixes happening.“

I let out a hysterical gust of laughter, squeezing my thumb so hard I might rip it off my hand, “Yeah, you know me, I like my living space tidy.”

He nods slowly, “Yeah, I know you. I know you’re not.“

The air gets caught in my throat when he eyes meet mine when he says that. I feel redness creeping up my neck, spreading across my cheeks and climbing up to my forehead and ears.

Oh you’d so be ejected right now

“Y/N, what’s really going on here? Why have you been avoiding me? Did I do something wrong? If so, please just tell me. This silent treatment and avoiding is killing me. If I didn’t come here I would’ve gone insane. You would’ve found my walls with writings on them...“ He stops talking abruptly, letting out a soundless sigh as though his soul left his body, his gaze softening with sadness, “That is, of course, if you were even planning to come back. Ever...“

“Of course I was!“ I exclaim, feeling my chest tighten at the hurt I see in his eyes, “I just...I needed time. I still do.“

“Time away from what?“ He asks, desperate to hear the answer no matter how much it could hurt him.

I honestly don’t know what to tell him. I have no idea what I’m running from. I don’t even know if I’m running, hiding, contemplating, I have no idea what I’m doing. Is he the problem? Am I? Are we the problem? Our relationship as a whole?

“I don’t need time from anything, Corpse. I just...I need some time with myself. With my own thoughts. I’m really torn, have been for quite some time now. I don’t know what I’m doing or what I’m supposed to do. I don’t know if I’m doing is the right thing. I don’t know if we are the right thing. I-...“ I buffer for a second, feeling the words start getting more and more tripped up as they climb up my throat. Eventually, they end up getting caught in an invisible net which doesn’t allow them to make it to my mouth, let alone leave it. Now at a loss for words, I let out a sigh of defeat, feeling my eyes welling up with tears, “I don’t know anything, damn it! I’m a mess. Why do you tolerate me? I’m no good to myself let alone to someone else!“

I don’t know where this outburst came from, but I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t relieving. I feel like a popped balloon, letting out what’s been straining me from the inside for a long time now. Lord knows how Corpse took it, I can’t bring myself to look up at him, but all I know is that I finally did something I can officially deem right.

Suddenly, I feel the familiar touch of Corpse’s hands on my shoulders, pulling my chest flush against his, his arms wrapping around me, enveloping me in a tight embrace. His lips plans a kiss a the top of my head before he rests his chin there, holding me tightly.

“Why haven’t you told me any of this?“ He whispers, his voice emotional to the point of almost making me regret saying all that.

Almost...

“I didn’t want to worry you.“ I let out a half-hearted chuckle, “And I didn’t want you finding out what kind of nut-job you’re dating.“

He scoffs, “Even if you were a nut-job, Y/N - which, by the way, you’re not - I wouldn’t mind. I’m a nut-job for you. Utterly and completely crazy for you, babe. I’m always here for you, always there for you to talk to me, tell me all that’s going on in that busy head of yours. All you have to do is talk, and all I’ll do is listen.”

I sniff briefly, “Now you’re making me regret not saying it earlier.”

“Then I’m doing the right thing.“ He mutters, his tone suggesting I take the wheel of the conversation and say all I’ve been keeping within me until now.

“You see, I tend to enjoy certain things a lot. Get attached to people super quickly and easily. And then, after a certain period of time, I find myself rethinking and overthinking everything about that thing or person to the point I’m not even sure I like it - or them - anymore. At least not to the same degree as previously. I slowly start become unsure of everything around me, even my own thoughts and feelings. It’s almost like where I used to see light, there’s now darkness. Worst part is, I’m the one who put that light out for myself. I always do it to myself and then hate myself for it. It’s a vicious cycle that I can’t escape - killing my joy and blaming and despising myself for it.“ I sigh, nuzzling my face into his chest, “I just wish this curse avoided our relationship. You’re too good to me, I love you too much to lose you, Corpse.“

I feel his arms tighten their hold on me even more, pulling me even closer despite it not being possible. “Y/N, you can’t lose me. Not over that, not over anything. We all have our demons, you just gotta remember to hold onto me tighter than those demons are holding onto you. You gotta let me help you when you realize you can’t help yourself.” He gently pulls away from me, his hands now coming up to cup my cheeks as he gazes into my eyes, “You gotta learn to see beyond the darkness you surround yourself with. Beyond the darkness, that’s where I’m waiting for you. I’m always gonna be there. I’m a very patient guy, you know.”

I can’t help but laugh, suddenly feeling the bubbly giggles escaping from my chest, pressed out of me by the massive wave of relief that’s washed over my sore insides. Sore from the holding back and now even more so from letting go. But damn does it feel good.

“Looks like I don’t need a plumber but an electrician to fix this light I keep turning off.“ I say, pushing up on my toes to only barely touch my forehead to his. Luckily, he sees what I’m trying to do, so he leans down. “I need him to make it un-turn-off-able.“

Corpse smiles, humming approvingly, “I can help you with that. Starting with...“ and with that he tilts his head, his lips colliding with mine.

I gotta say: damn have I missed this feeling.

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[ronsonlywhore]

Draco Malfoy and Exist For Love by Aurora

❛ 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. ❜ draco malfoy x reader

summary: you lay your head on his shoulder, and in that exact moment draco feels like he lives for nothing else except you. like he exists for nothing else except love.

pairing: draco malfoy x fem!reader

warnings: mentions of murder and poisoning, drinking

a/n: oh to slow dance to this song with a lover at 3 am...any volunteers? / this songfic was written for my mini 200 follower celebration!

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

in draco’s eyes, you were heavenly; the true definition of an angel gifted to earth from the gods above and, like all gifts, he cherished and treasured you like his life depended on it.

loving you was like flying: exhilarating and always leaving him breathless. draco had never felt like this before; his heart knew that he couldn’t. to him, love was something he could admire, something he could long for, but never something he could have for himself. it just wasn’t in a malfoy’s nature to openly devote yourself to someone the way he wanted to devote himself to you.

and he loathed his own name for it.

☾ ⋆*·ﾟ:⋆*·ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:·ﾟ .: ⋆*·ﾟ: .⋆

your touch was electrifying.

your hands had only grazed his for a moment while passing him an empty cauldron, your fingers there then gone, but those few seconds were enough to have draco floating on a cloud for the rest of the day.

he would never be able to explain the way you made him feel.

☾ ⋆*·ﾟ:⋆*·ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:·ﾟ .: ⋆*·ﾟ: .⋆

draco felt like he was going to be sick.

“are you okay, malfoy? you look a little pale,” you ask worriedly as draco considers making a run for it. next to you, your friend giggles and murmurs, “malfoy’s always pale, (y/n).”

draco hears a yelp of pain from your friend, you having elbowed her harshly in the ribs. he finally gets the courage to look you directly in the eyes, the same eyes he dreams about, the same eyes that put the entire galaxy to shame.

you’re looking expectantly at him, your friend poorly trying to hold in her laughter. the fact that she’s probably silently judging him sparked something in draco. what was he cowering from? he was a malfoy, and besides, the worst thing you could do was say no.

“iwaswonderingifyoueverwantedtostudyinthelibrarywithmesometime?” draco mumbles. his throat feels dry and he can feel his heart beating in the pits of his stomach; he’s having a hard time swallowing. tongue-tied...that’s another thing he can add to the list of things you cause him to be. not that he keeps one, or anything.

you tilt your head to the side, exposing your neck to the red-orange glow of the sun. draco can’t help but let his eyes trail down your throat and over your collarbone, desperately trying to imagine what it would feel like to ghost his lips over your smooth skin, or breath in your sweet scent, the scent he’s smelled so many times before in his amortentia potion…

“malfoy? malfoy?”

draco breaks out of his trance, cheeks blazing as you say, “i’m sorry, er, i didn’t catch what you said about the library.”

“oh,” draco falters out. if he wanted to chicken out and never attempt to speak to you again, now would be the time to do it. no, he thinks. he promised himself he would go through with this.

he takes a deep breath and tries again, slower this time, “i just...i was wondering if you ever wanted to study with me in the library?”

“oh, are you looking for a tutor?”

your friend finally bursts out laughing, holding her charms book close to her chest in doing so. you ask her what she finds so funny, and she answers, “don’t you see, (y/n)? he’s asking you out.”

you look back to draco, eyebrows raised. “asking me on a date? to the library?”

draco quickly backs away, thinking about how horrible this idea was. why did he ever believe he had a chance with you, the living embodiment of pure bliss?

“never mind. it’s stupid, i know,” he mutters dejectedly as he walks off, planning to find a deep hole he can crawl into and never emerge from again.

he feels a hand on his shoulder and turns around, his eyes meeting yours once more; the same eyes that carry the universe all at once, the same eyes that the sun envies with all her might.

draco can hardly believe the words that come out of your mouth next.

“no! no, i think that sounds quite nice, actually,” you say as you pull back your hand. his skin burns at your touch, and aches when it’s gone.

“you do?” draco asks, surprised and not taking notice of your friend rolling her eyes behind you.

you nod and smile, continuing, “how about this thursday after lessons?

all draco does is nod, not finding the right words to say.

“great! it’s a date, then.” you walk back towards your friend, saying cheerfully, “see you around, draco.”

draco. you had said his name.

mesmerized: another thing he can add to the list. but he definitely doesn’t keep one, or anything.

☾ ⋆*·ﾟ:⋆*·ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:·ﾟ .: ⋆*·ﾟ: .⋆

“remember when you asked me out?”

draco groans and throws a balled-up piece of parchment towards you. “please, don’t remind me.”

you laugh and try to dodge the flying paper as draco goes back to his essay, his quill scratching against the sheet. you sigh, resting your chin on your hand; draco fights the urge to look up and get hopelessly lost in the mere presence of you.

“you came up to me and said...what was it again?” you say as you scoot closer to him. he feels your lips brush over his cheek, your warm breath fanning his face.

draco turns to face you just as you lean in, but before you can give him a proper kiss, he playfully pushes your face away gently.

“i will never forgive you for assuming that i needed a tutor,” he sniffs dramatically.

you pounce on him, right there in the middle of the library, and draco doesn’t care if everyone is staring or whispering; he lets you pepper kisses all over his neck, anyways.

“i thought i would be forgiven by now,” you whisper into his ear as you prop your chin on his shoulder, your nose brushing against his jaw.

“your apology is still being considered,” draco breathes out before catching your mouth in an amorous kiss.

your kisses always took the air out of his lungs. or maybe that was his body telling him he needed to breathe, and stat.

you and draco eventually go back to your studying, but draco’s far from focused now. you have invaded his mind, taken over his thoughts, so that now all he can see and feel is you: a peaceful oblivion he wants to emerge himself in for eternity.

draco thinks back to a year ago, when he was just contented with your eyes lingering a second too long on him, pleased at just being able to sit next to you in potions. now, he has you; not just your persistent stares or your polite smile. you.

☾ ⋆*·ﾟ:⋆*·ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:·ﾟ .: ⋆*·ﾟ: .⋆

draco swallows back a bit of bile as he loosens his tie harshly, his fingers getting caught in the intricate knot doing so. his footsteps echo in the empty corridor, and he wipes beads of sweat from his forehead, cursing himself for forgetting to meet you at the lake. now you’ll definitely know something’s up.

he walks through the great hall doors, the soft breeze doing nothing to calm his tension. he had only passed by the hospital wing, had only gotten a glimpse of weasley lying on the bed, unconscious and senseless, but that was enough to set his nerves on a frenzy. he did that. he poisoned weasley, even if it wasn’t directly, even if he didn’t mean to.

he had also cursed katie bell with that wretched necklace. a vexed pendant that wasn’t even meant for her, a bottle of venomous bottle of mead that wasn’t meant to be drank by anyone except him: professor dumbledore.

as draco trudges down to the lake, he finally comprehends how real all of this suddenly feels. he can’t kill dumbledore; he can’t kill anyone. he could barely bring himself to imperio bell, could barely handle gifting that bottle to slughorn. how could he ever be capable of murdering someone and watching them fall dead in front of him?

he tries to compose himself as he nears your silhouette sitting at the edge of the lake, your knees brought up to your chest, your arms wrapped tightly around your legs. draco comes to a stop behind you, berating you in his head for being this careless.

“what have i told you about sitting around like this, (y/n)?” draco asks as he plops down next to you, hoping you didn’t hear that small tremble in his voice. you jump as you turn to him, glaring as you say, “you’re late. and it’s not like death eaters are just going to sneak into hogwarts in the middle of the night and take over. hogwarts is the safest place on earth.”

draco’s stomach churns when he realizes that’s exactly what will happen in approximately a week from now, thanks to him fixing that bloody cabinet. remember, you’re doing this for your parents, draco thinks. for her.

“the stars are shining brightly tonight, are they not?” draco hears you whisper as you take his hand and start tracing patterns on his palm.

“i suppose,” he answers, his mind still on his impossible task.

“my mother used to say the stars shone for me,” you say, choosing to outline different constellations on his hand.

draco smiles slightly and turns to look at you. “that’s because they do.”

you lay your head on his shoulder, and in that exact moment draco feels like he exists for nothing else except you. nothing else except love.

☾ ⋆*·ﾟ:⋆*·ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:·ﾟ .: ⋆*·ﾟ: .⋆

“father used to say love was nothing but an illusion, something that could fill your heart up but leave it miserably empty.”

“love is anything but, draco...it can be so many things and nothing all at once.”

draco’s back itches from the tree bark scratching at his back, but he stays in the same position and sips from the bottle of firewhiskey, anyways. it was his idea, after all.

he stares at you watching the whomping willow sway in the distance, your hand loosely grasping your own bottle. you had only taken a few gulps of the alcohol, but you looked drowsy and dazed already, the liquor quickly taking effect.

draco doesn’t know if it’s the quiet buzz resonating through his body that makes him do it, but he still asks, “please do tell of all the things love can be, (y/n).”

“long answer or short one?”

“both.”

you sigh contentedly as he watches you bring the bottle to your lips, observing the way your throat moves while swallowing the whiskey. you breathe in deep, then start, “love is like stumbling through life all alone, just passing through the motions, and then that one person walks into your life and suddenly you feel like you’re living, you’re alive…and i’ve heard it’s a very wonderful feeling.”

you pause, take another swig, and continue, “love is like being torn apart the minute you were only born, but that one person is the only one that makes you feel whole and complete...your other half, you could say.”

it finally clicks in draco’s head that you are his ‘one person.’

“love is selflessness, and loyalty, and euphoria. love is fearlessness, and spirit, and earnestness. love is the center of everything but also the center of nothing; we revolve around it but it also revolves around us.” you sigh, this time catching your breath.

draco can’t keep it from you anymore, not after what you told him everything that love could be, what love should be, what love will be.

“is love not keeping secrets?” he murmurs.

“yes, i suppose love is honesty, as well,” you answer back.

he responds to that by pulling back his sleeve and revealing his dark mark in its full, horrid glory. your eyes widen as you scramble back from him, your grasp on the bottle slipping and rolling away in the grass; draco’s heart drops as he realizes you’re scared of not only the mark embellished into his skin, but of him as well by default.

“what did you do?” you whisper, horrified.

“the dark lord was threatening my family...he was threatening to kill you, i had to!” draco’s voice breaks just a little bit; he prays to the gods that you’ll believe him, hopes you’ll see his reasons.

you don’t.

draco’s father was right; love can fill your heart, but only for a little while before leaving it miserably empty..

☾ ⋆*·ﾟ:⋆*·ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:·ﾟ .: ⋆*·ﾟ: .⋆

draco’s mother is calling him over, and everyone turns to look at him with judging stares or pitiful expressions. even the dark lord is looking expectantly at him.

harry potter is dead. now everyone will have to choose their sides.

across the destroyed courtyard he can see his father glaring at him. he really doesn’t want to walk over there, doesn’t want to declare his loyalty to them, but what can he do? he has no one to live for on this side, no one to live for him.

he takes a deep breath and starts maneuvering the crowd, walking towards his parents. it feels more like walking into death’s open arms.

“draco.”

he stops, coming to a complete halt. he hasn’t heard his name being spoken in that soft tone in a while. he turns around and you’re there, reaching for him, and he can’t focus on anything except you. you say his name again, and it feels like white horses gliding over the waves or a rushing ocean in his veins.

“love is sacrifice, too,” you whisper.

draco doesn’t walk to his parents. he chooses to stay with you instead.

you, the one person who makes him feel alive and whole. you, the one person he exists for.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

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[ivysimagines]

Hey, love. 💞 I hope you’re having a WONDERFUL day! Can I request a Blurb w/ JJ x Fem! Reader? The Reader is John B’s younger sister, and it’s the Hot Tub Scene? JJ and the Reader planned on being married in the future. JJ fantasized buying her a gargantuan engagement ring, but the pair acknowledged they wouldn’t be able to afford it. However, alongside the Hot Tub, Generators, and Delivery, he bought her an engagement ring too? Angst w/ Fluff, please? Thank you! 💞

of course I can! sorry it took me a bit to get to this. I’ve had bad allergies n haven’t been in the mood to write. anyways, the scenario isn’t exactly the way it is in the episode but i made it pretty similar.

pairing: JJ Maybank x Fem! Reader

request: above.

warning: mentions of abuse, cussing, angst w/ fluff, and underage drinking.

-

Title: Catch

-

(thoughts are in italics and bold!)

I sit in the backseat of Pope’s truck listening to trees rustling and the tires driving over the old rocky pavement.

They seriously need to get this road redone.

“Guys, this has gotta be done before my scholarship interview in the morning” Pope says.

I roll my eyes.

Will he ever shut up about that?

Like, he’s smart as fuck.

You’ll get a scholarship somewhere.

“Oh my god, Pope” i say, making it clear i’m annoyed.

“What, Y/N?”

“Guys, no fighting” kiara adds while reaching for her seatbelt buckle.

Okay mom.

Pope parks his truck near some trees.

We all unbuckle our seatbelts quickly and hop out.

Pope and Kie are talking about the plan to get the gold.

I hate that John B gets into this shit.

This is exactly how our dad died.

He can’t die or I’ll have no one.

I walk to the back of the truck and slip my phone into my back pocket.

I lean against the truck while Pope and Kie talk.

I shoo away some nats.

“Damn nats” I say as I kill one.

I hear Kie laugh a little.

Suddenly a shit ton of lights come on around us.

We hear a whirring sound.

“What the hell?” Pope says.

I look over to them and back at the lights.

“Who the hell is that?” kie adds.

We all begin walking towards the center of all the lights hoping to find whoever the fuck did this.

I walk behind them and we hear a cork pop.

I cross my arms and nearly trip over a stick.

We stop and I see it’s my boyfriend, JJ Maybank.

“What did you do JJ?” Pope asks him clearly concerned.

JJ smiles a little, “i’ve got a jet going straight in my butt right now.”

“Y’all should get in immediately, you hear me?”

He grabs three glasses and pours the champagne.

I can tell he’s avoiding looking at me.

“Salud!” he says as he raises the champagne.

“How much did this cost?” Pope asks.

I look back and forth between Pope and JJ.

“Uh. well, with the generator, the petrol, and oh, hey, express delivery...uh, i’d say pretty much all of it”

“All of it?”

“Yeah, all of it”

He looks over at me and then back at Pope.

“You spent all of the money in one day?”

“Yeah, burned a hole right through my pocket. But I mean like, come on guys, like, look at this! Finest in jet-based massage therapy, at least that’s what they told me.”

I stare at JJ with a look of disappointment.

JJ looks over to me.

“Babe, what?” JJ asks.

“Can’t a man have a little luxury in his life! C’mon, all this scrimpin’ and scrapin’..i mean like...guys, we- y’know you only live once, right?” JJ says.

I look at Pope and Kie.

“Like, y/n couldn’t you use some fun in your life? You’ve been all down and shit since your-” he stops himself before finishing his sentence.

Asshole.

“Alright, enough of this emotional shit. Get in the cat’s ass. Come on.” he adds.

“In the what?” Kie asks.

“...in the cat’s ass. That’s what i named her” JJ says while looking off to the side.

It’s quiet for a maximum of 3 seconds.

“Oh, hey, yo, i almost forgot-”

JJ reaches forward and flips a switch and it turns on some disco ball.

“Yeah, that’s right, i know. Disco mode, baby” he says.

“Are you kidding me?!” Pope says in an agitated tone.

“You could’ve paid for restitution!” Pope yells.

“Or literally given it to any charity!” Kie adds.

“Or added it to a fucking fund to get the hell out of here!” i yell.

JJ looks right at me.

“Or bought supplies to get the rest of the damn gold out of the well!” (pope)

JJ turns away and rubs his face.

“Okay, well, you know what?” JJ yells.

He stands up revealing purple and red marks on his stomach.

All these different thoughts began racing through my mind and I could feel my heartbeat speeding up.

Oh my god.

He said things were getting better at home.

...i’m gonna kill that motherfucker.

How can he do that shit to his own fucking kid?

Maybe it’s a good thing my mom dipped and my dad’s dead.

“I didn’t do that!” JJ yells.

“I got a hot tub! For my friends- you know what? No, screw friends. I got a hot tub for my family!”

I look at him and tears start forming.

He looks over to me.

“And, I got something especially for you” he says as he reaches into his swim trunks pocket.

I look at him and he pulls out something small.

“Catch” (JJ)

I open my hands and catch a ring in my hand.

I take a look at it.

It’s not just any ring.

It’s a gargantuan engagement ring.

Holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit

I look up at him.

“JJ…”

It’s silent for a few seconds.

I walk over to the hot tub and step on the ladder.

I get inside with him as he rants about ‘everything being fine’.

I pull him into a tight hug.

He starts crying into me.

“I love you” i whisper into his ear.

I rub his back.

It’s quiet as we hug.

Kie and Pope get in with us and we all hug JJ.

“I just wanna do the right thing and I thought-” he says.

“We know, we know. It’s okay, love” i say.

After a few minutes JJ calms down and Pope and Kie leave us.

*now sitting on the edge of the hot tub talking to JJ*

I mess with the ring in my fingers.

“JJ...I don't need some fancy ring” i say.

“I know, but I wanted such an..important ring to be nice”

I look over at him.

“So, this is an engagement ring?”

He smiles at me and nods.

“I know we’re still teenagers and...obviously you can’t exactly get parental consent. Plus, John B would totally kill me if we got married this young. But, we can still be engaged.” he says.

I smile at him and look back down.

“You know, you haven’t asked me”

He sighs and laughs softly.

He takes the ring from out of my hand and looks at me.

“Alright, Y/N Routledge, will you make me literally the happiest man in the world and marry me in a few years?”

I smile at him and bite my lip a little.

“Definitely, one thousand percent”

He smiles and grabs my left hand softly.

He slips the ring onto my ring finger and then places his hand on my face.

We kiss a couple times before I pull away.

I look at the ring on my finger.

Holy shit.

I’m like...engaged now.

What the fuck?

I contain my excitement and just smile.

“So, we could get married when we turn 18...or whenever using our share of the 400 mil and then get the fuck out of here. Away from the obx, away from the pogue bullshit, just...everything” he says.

I stare at him for a few seconds.

“Okay, as long as we can get a dog”

He smiles and nods.

“Named willow?”

“Of course, whatever you want” he says.

I smile at him and we kiss again.

We continue our night together and eventually head to my house.

-

Hope you enjoy!

Once again, request whatever you would like.

I will also be experimenting with thing like ‘dating ___ would include…’ (i love those types of things lmao)

I might start writing a lot for atypical since i’ve gone back into my atypical phase (13rw as well but idk if ima write for that series or not).

Thanks for readinggg!

Upload schedule:

Monday @ 10 am (EST)

Wednesday @ 3 pm (EST)

Friday @ 8 pm (EST)

There may be random uploads here and there.

If you request something I will upload it on one of those days.

BYEEE <33

[angeli-marco-writes]

Tom Felton - Risk

A/N - Despite writing this 8 months ago, it hasn’t been uploaded anywhere. I forgot about it until a few days ago, redrafted it, and here we go. With the (not so) recent blow up of Draco-tok and Tom’s increased following, I thought it would be a good time to upload as well, and it has a summer feel to escape the disgracefully bitter winter here in Britain. I do not own the song lyrics used. I do not know Tom, nor do I claim to; this is a work of fiction and entirely my own. 

Warnings - cursing, legal alcohol consumption, mutual pining, 3.4k words of fluff and angst. Nothing further.

Summary - After your break up, one that pained you to the bone, you try to escape and you find yourself taking that one risk you always thought you should, travelling. A simple day out, and the one person you don’t want to see is the one person who can help you with your car troubles. Could he help with your heart troubles too, over a reminiscent dinner perhaps?

RISK, that’s what this is. You’re taking a risk for once in your life, living a new experience and stepping outside of your comfort zone. That's what you’re supposed to do to get over a particularly brutal break up, isn’t it? So here you are, finding yourself again, exploring places you’ve always wanted to go. Current destination: Cape Town, South Africa. A haven.

You came here on a whim. Looking up some cheap prices from when you were in Barcelona, and surprisingly, you got a good direct flight and hotel deal for more than a reasonable price. 

Before your break up, you’d never have dreamt of this. You were content with your life of luxury in LA with your boyfriend after dating for a while, but with his insane work schedule and travelling, you just couldn’t reasonably keep up with the relationship. You felt neglected, work and Willow always coming above you, and you couldn’t just be solely financially reliable on him, even if he was a millionaire. So after a long few days of gruelling arguments, you packed your bags and did what he told you to do.

“Live your life the way you couldn’t do with me holding you back.”

He was sorry, so sorry, heartbroken. I can still see his face when he let me go. Too darling to forget or stay mad at. You’ve just got to find the part of yourself that stayed with him, and maybe you’ll find it half way across the globe in between gorgeous beaches and scenic mountains while staying in a luxurious five star hotel.

Your days have been filled with hiking and swimming, spa days and sunbathing, fancy meals and getting drunk under the stars. But even though you’re living the dream, you haven’t quite found yourself yet. Maybe you will with your sightseeing plans for later on.

This afternoon, after you’ve spent the morning hiking, you’re ready for a calm afternoon back at your hotel, a leisurely swim in the pool to cool down and maybe some sunning on the adjoining beach.

You make your way back to the car you hired, a beat up jeep, but it’s a pleasure to drive around the mountains. But as you walk back there, you see someone. No, it can’t be him. It was just someone with the same hairstyle as him. Wearing the same shirt that he used to wear all the time. And wearing the same glasses. It has to be a coincidence, he can’t be here, it’s just your mind playing tricks. 

Part of you even wants him to be here, but the correct part of your brain knows that your longing thought us nothing more than wantonly cohorted, made up from missing him and being away from the last place you could call home. So without another thought, you open the door to the car and climb into the driver's seat. You’re suddenly conscious of the way you’re dressed: canvas shorts with a sun top and billowy button down, but even if it is more of a practical outfit, you still look damn good in it, so calm yourself down.

Starting the car is easier said than done, because as soon as you slot the key in and turn it, the engine vibrates for a few seconds and lets out a low grumble, and then it dies. Internally you curse yourself, and you hit the steering wheel a few times to release some steam. This was always Tom’s area of expertise, you never had to deal with car mechanics, but instead of making it a big deal, you give it a go again, only for the engine to crash again.

Footsteps sound outside the car on the gravel and sand, and then a head appears at your rolled down window, followed by a voice you never thought you’d hear again.

“Need some help, Miss?”

You turn your head so quickly that you feel something pull. No no no, he cannot be here on your get away trip. 

He smiles at you lopsidedly until realisation dawns on his face. In that moment, his cheeks fall and his red eyes droop. He is definitely high, but high tom is the best tom, all slow and cuddly.

“W-what are you doing here, Y/N?” he asks incredulously, his enunciated British tone raspy and soothing all at once, grounding you.

“Vacation. Um, you?” 

You fumble over your words, scrutinised under the piercing blue of his eyes behind his glasses.

“Filming.” he says.

Even after you split up, you’d never expected it to get this awkward if you ever met again. You’re definitely not over him yet, you can tell by the way butterflies flitter inside your stomach just at the sight of his day-old stubble and the tufts of sun kissed hair that poke out from his cap.

“That’s, um, nice,” you respond and offer him a shy smile, “Would you mind, um?”

He nods and moves around to the hood of the car. You watch as he turns his cap around and rolls up his sleeves, revealing his gorgeously tanned and toned forearms. You lose yourself and all inhibitions as he works to find out the problem, his seamless movements and his cute thinking face that crinkles his forehead and scrunches his nose. How he’s always so willing to help in any circumstance and the undying love that he revels in day after day, it’s like basking in eternal joy whenever you’re around Tom because not a single moment is dull. You can’t help but remember the way it felt when he kissed you, the fire that his touch left in its wake, the gentle way he held you through countless nights.

“Sorted, sweet pea.” he says, leaning against your car door with his head against the window frame. 

Your heart skips a beat at the nickname. “No one’s called me that since you.” 

The words are out before you can stop them, your sad smile unmoving from your face despite being filled with longing, and it just so happens to match his expression exactly.

“I have to film this afternoon, but how about I take you out for dinner? We can just, I don’t know, catch up? It can’t be a coincidence that we’ve bumped into each other.”

You don’t even have to think before the answer is spilling from your lips rather enthusiastically, a definite yes with a vigorous nod. He chuckles, slipping his hand through the window to clasp yours.

“I still have your number, so I’ll text you a time and place, yeah sweet pea? I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,” you murmur, “bye tom.”

You watch as he walks away before starting the car, your thoughts the whole way back to the hotel filled with nothing but Tom and thoughts for the night. Dinner with your ex really is a risk, but maybe, just maybe if he reciprocated your lingering feelings, it’ll pay off.

No matter how much you want to spend the afternoon carelessly swimming and enjoying yourself, taking in the views all around you and revelling in the South African sunlight, you simply can’t. Every moment you close your eyes, Tom’s smile illuminates your thoughts and fills your body with a prickling longing. It’s a bitter feeling that scares you, unnerving you and forcing you to lose all hope for the night ahead. Your phone buzzes on your way to the spa, thinking maybe a hot stone massage will clear your mind, but you quit when you see what he’s written. You haven’t deleted his number from your phone either.

PAPI ♡ : What hotel are you at? I’ll grab you for dinner at 7. Dress fancy, preferably in that nice black dress I love, but you look perfect in everything. T x

That black dress. The same one you haven’t worn since your last night out before the break up. Maybe you will wear it, maybe you won’t. You tap out a reply, signing with a smiley face and no kisses no matter how much you want to press that x like there’s a gravitational pull, but it just doesn’t feel right in the circumstances. 

PAPI ♡ : I’ll be there, sweet pea. T x

That might be Tom’s worst habit of them all. Constantly signing his texts with ‘T’ when you obviously know that it’s him. It used to gnaw at you, especially when he’d send particularly needy texts, multiple in a row, and sign them all the same way, but often, it was rather cute. He always was crap with technology. 

All the memories come flying back at a terrifying pace, the different texts calling to you from your phone, begging for you to relive the good old days. No, you can’t. You won’t give in to such an insane impulse. It’s bad enough that you agreed to go to dinner with your ex, you can’t let anything cloud your mind to make you more malleable for the night. So to resist temptation, you throw your belongings down on a sun lounger and grasp a cocktail over a nearby bar, downing it briefly before diving head first and breaking the surface of the water. Maybe a swim will distract you until you have to get ready.

Tom spent his whole afternoon messing up lines. Not for a minute could he focus. His lunchtime beer ended up being drunk faster than he’d wanted to, and he hardly ate a thing, for his stomach was filled with butterflies. Whenever anything was said in the script or on set that linked his mind back to you, he went hazy for a solid minute. Every time he’d try to pull himself together, and would fail, remembering how your hands felt when you tied his hair back or undressed him. 

Eventually, it was too much.

“CUT!” the director screamed an hour early. “Stop, just stop. Go home, sleep, come back tomorrow. We haven’t got a single decent shot in hours, Felton.”

Tom gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down beneath a feathering of stubble that had made its way down there. Faintly, he nodded and ran a trembling hand through his hair before pulling a cap on. He rolled his sleeves up briefly, wandered to his dressing room, and fell into a chair, his thoughts whirring around his head too fast for him to form a sensical sentence. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about you? So, he grabbed his belongings and ran to his car, driving to his hotel to play his sorrows away while awaiting your date.

Once coming in from the pool, you spend a few hours prepping yourself, primping and dressing for the date. You want to look good for Tom, but also for yourself. You always dressed up to feel good about yourself and it was just a bonus that Tom worshipped you, even more when he knew you’d made an extra effort. Curling your hair, dabbing on lipstick, even buckling the straps on your sandals fills your stomach with butterflies and gives you goose bumps all over your skin, already prickling with the blush you received from looking in the mirror. It’s time.

Your walk out to the front of the hotel feels foreign, your ankles wobbling in the heels you decided on, and even as the humid air hits you, you feel a little exposed and chilled. However, any anxiety dissipates when you see Tom walking towards you, a dopey and ever loving smirk on his sun kissed face, crisp chinos with loafers and a billowy button down, loose around the neck. The evening breeze blows the short sleeves up and gives you a peek at the curls of ink that hug his arm in the shape of a dog, the same as how you see the contrast on his ankle between the dark palm trees and his white skin.

You don’t realise you’ve been standing still and tearing apart his every exquisite feature until he’s an inch away from you and his fingers have slipped around your own, holding your hand loosely and keeping you close.

“Hi.” he says, his mouth pulling to a grin.

“Hi.” you return, pacing your fingers with his own more intricately to distract yourself from how crimson your cheeks are.

“Come on,” he picks up his pace back to where he’s parked, “I’ve got a surprise.”

He plays show tunes the whole journey, silly show tunes that put a smile on your face and ones you can’t help but sing along to. He keeps his calloused palm on your knee, brushing some hair behind your ears or sneaking a kiss on your cheeks whenever possible, but the journey isn’t long enough for anything major, nor long enough for you to take apart every piece of hospitality he’s offered you so far. It’s just dinner with an ex, right? Yeah, that is until he pulls up outside a five-star luxury restaurant, complete with a mini ballroom floor and a stage where stands a woman in an evening gown, warbling out in a different language.

“We’re around the back, I have connections.”

His smile is as luminous as the twinkling lights that he’s had arranged in the trees on the back terrace of the restaurant. One table sits with a bottle of wine balanced precariously atop, a single rose in a fluted vase, two wine glasses and sets of cutlery, and with the sun setting and the fairy lights, it’s perfectly ambient. You want to speak, but you can’t find the words. Maybe, if he pulled out all the stops this way, he feels the same as you do.

He pulls your chair out before sitting down himself, pours your glass of rose wine first, and even orders your favourite meal. The amount of times you’ve ordered that very same thing though, it must be ingrained in his mind. Neither of you say a word except for meek thank you’s, and tension fills the air, not ceasing until the waiter delivers a bread platter.

“Oh,” Tom says to the waiter, a little startled, “do you have any crackers? She doesn’t eat bread before meals, or, well, at all.”

The waiter nods and scurries away, but you’re left with a burning blush on your cheeks, anxiously tucking your hair behind your ears.

“You remembered,” you chuckle softly, feeling a little giddy even though its one of your more stupid habits.

“Of course I did, I remember everything about you.”

He reaches over the table and leaves his palm open. You give it a moment of thought before wrapping your fingers around his own, tracing the lines and sun spots. He’s so familiar yet so different, your time apart somehow meeting your shared experiences, the cons outweighing the pros, something causing a barrier.

You engage in small talk while you eat, simple conversations of how you’ve been and what you’ve been up to, only very few anecdotes shared from your past relationship. It feels so natural between the two of you, just the sight of his wispy dark blonde curls is still enough to make your heart flutter, but both of you are holding something back. Nothing changes until you’re half-way through your second bottle of wine, liquid courage making you buzz.

“Do you miss me?” you ask, holding nothing back, taking just one more risk before you close off the Tom chapter of your life for good. “Do you miss us? The way we were? Who we were with each other?”

He doesn’t say a word, only looks at you with heavy blue eyes, pleading.

“Do you miss the way I used to kiss you good morning? The way you’d kiss me goodnight? The good times we had, even the bad. Do you not miss me at all?”

He swallows thickly and takes a heavy swig of wine. He signals to a waiter who clears your dishes, and then he leans on his bare forearms over the table, both of his hands holding yours as he stares into your soul, those mystical ocean eyes boring into your pained soul.

“I miss it all,” he says in his hoarse tone, “I miss you and our life more than you can imagine. If it was up to me, I’d never have let you go, but I couldn’t keep you tied down. So before you leave forever, can we have one nice night and pretend like we aren’t completely fucking broken?”

You see tears in his eyes, threatening to fall down his cheeks at any given moment. You hold his hands tighter, letting your soft fingers dance up his arms, anything to feel the warmth of his skin against you once more.

“I wish I hadn’t left.” you whisper, Hoping that the sound is blown away with the wind, or disguised by the melodious singing from just inside the restaurant, but no. He hears your words as clear as day.

“Then don’t go. Don’t leave me again. Come back and we’ll make it better, I won’t work, we don’t need to, and you can live out all of your goals too. It’s high time that you come back where you belong, by my side. Don’t leave again, Sweet pea. Please.”

You’ve never heard him sound so desperate. He clings to you, kisses your hands, and when you’re too dumbfounded to respond, he gently pulls you up and brings you upright to a flat area of the terrace.

A sweet and familiar melody flows with the wind and the bird song, softly filling your ears from the restaurant, seeping into your own little circle with Tom. He cradles his forearm around your waist, his hand splayed on the small of your back. His other cups the palm of your hand gracefully as you rest your head on his cloth covered shoulder. He still smells the same, that same mix of smoke and beer and firewood as always, the musk of his aftershave lingering on the expanse of his neck, a faint sweat from the sun clinging to his freckles.

As soon as the lyrics start, you bury your head further into Tom’s neck, chest to chest, keeping him close.

‘Come on skinny love just last a year,

Pour a little salt we were never here,’

“Come home with me and let's pretend you never left.” Tom suggests, swaying in time with the music, your body moving in time with his even if you aren’t particularly responsive to what he’s saying. “It’ll be better now. We can make it better.”

You hum against his neck noncommittal, the vibrations sending warmth through his chest. His hands roam your body, the snug fitting of his favourite dress hugging your body all too familiar to him. It’s muscle memory to trace the contours of your body beneath the black poplin, the gaps of lace giving him a peek to your dappled skin, and the slightly lower neckline still driving him crazy. His chinos hold his legs and give the silhouette of his muscles, tensing as he dances meek waltz steps, his body naturally leading the way for yours to follow, his shirt blowing open more as you hold him closer. His warmth is what you need, his body, his heart, all of him.

“I want to come back, we’ll make it work,” you whisper, toppling between your heels in what somehow resembles a slow dance to the music still coursing through your veins and making you alive.

‘In the morning I'll be with you

But it will be a different kind

'Cause I'll be holding all the tickets

And you'll be owning all the fines’

“Let's take the risk, sweet pea.”

His voice is no more than a hoarse whisper, illuminating your mind in places that you forgot, his words making your heart flutter. This is it, you love him and you have to go back with him.

‘Come on skinny love…’

“Maybe, “ you start, “Just maybe, this isn’t skinny love anymore.”

Reaching up on your tiptoes and cupping the back of his neck, gently tugging the hair at the nape, you bring his lips down to yours, finally meeting in a kiss, one that’s been months coming. He brings his palms up to your cheeks, holding and caressing while your eyes are squeezed shut, focussing on the deepening massage of his lips against yours. It’s so welcoming, so warming, so homely. This was definitely a risk worth taking.