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starlitangels · 2 years

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Small Gifts, Small Family

If you celebrate Christmas, like me, Merry Christmas! If not, Happy Holidays and Happy Season! Here’s a little Christmas thing with Freelancer, Gavin, and Lasko! (2.3k words) (It’s still Christmas in my timezone so I’m posting it)

—

I drummed my fingers on my dining table, listening to the phone ring. I heard it click. “Hey. What’s wrong?” Lasko asked.

“Who said anything’s wrong?” I replied.

“You never call. You text.”

“Didn’t realize you paid that much attention to my usual communication methods.” I cleared my throat. “Okay. You know how Hux and Damien went home for the holidays?”

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over for Christmas dinner with me and Gavin. Just ‘cause—well—neither you nor me are going home and I definitely don’t want to spend the holiday with my folks—and last year at this time there was so much happening in my life that the very idea of having a Christmas dinner seemed ridiculous—but this year everything has settled a little bit more—and with the Games coming up in only a few days I’m really stressed and trying not to be—and I know your relationship with your family is kinda strained too—and I didn’t want you to be alone for Christmas either, even if you don’t celebrate it—and—”

“Freelancer, breathe,” Lasko interrupted. “As-as ironic as that sounds c-coming from me.” He chuckled slightly. “And, I-I’d love to come over for dinner. Would you like me to-to-to bring anything?”

I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see it. “Nah. I got everything I need to make dinner for three people. It won’t be anything fancy, but it’ll be good food and good company. Even if I can’t stop Gavin from making innuendos or teasing. But I have a little gift for you. Hux and Damien get theirs when they come back for next semester, but I can give you yours at dinner.”

“Oh. That’s sweet. You-you didn’t have—have to get me anything. I-I-I mean—”

“Lasko. I wanted to. And it’s small. No big deal.”

“Well, uh, I guess, if-if—if you insist. I mean, I totally have something for you too—and it’s not like I’ve had it since October or anything—I just wasn’t planning on making an occasion out of it.”

I laughed. “It’s not an occasion. It’s just dinner. So, I’ll see you tonight?”

“Yeah. Yeah. See you tonight.”

—

Knock-knock! Knuckles echoed off the front door of my apartment. I slipped out of the kitchen and rushed to get it. “Lasko!” I greeted with a smile as I flung open the door. He jolted slightly before chuckling nervously. “How was the drive over here?”

“Not bad. There’s-there’s barely any traffic. Everyone’s already where they want to be, I guess.”

I hummed and beckoned him. “Come on. Come inside. You’re letting the heat out.” He came in, letting me give him a somewhat distant hug so I didn’t get any of the flour on my apron on his clothes. “Wanna come hang out in the kitchen? Gavin’s not here yet.”

“I thought he lived with you.”

I pursed my lips as I shut and locked the front door and made my way back to the kitchen. Lasko toed out of his shoes, threw his jacket on my couch where my friends always threw their jackets, and followed after me. “Eh. Kinda sorta. He spends most nights here to the point where it’s usually easier to tell people we live together, but occasionally he does go back home. To the magic plane, y’know.” I turned the stand mixer back on. “He doesn’t like going home much, but he makes occasional visits.”

Gavin and I had invited Caelum to dinner too, but he’d turned it down, wishing he could join us, but he’d decided to go keep an eye on one of his other charges—Asher, whoever that was—who was going to his partner’s unempowered family’s for the night and had apparently been really nervous about it. We’d known Caelum couldn’t be seen by Lasko, but we hadn’t wanted Caelum to feel left out if we hadn’t at least tried to invite him.

“O-okay. When-when do you... do you think he’ll get here?”

I shrugged, turning the stand mixer off. “He’ll choose his moment,” I said. “It’s Gavin. Knowing him, it’ll be just in time to make a joke.” I pulled the bowl out from under the mixer and hauled it over to the cookie sheet on another part of the counter. “Want to dish these out?” I asked, holding out the tiny ice cream scoop that I used to portion out cookie dough.

“Y-yeah. Sure.” He took the scoop from me and leaned over the bowl to look in. I heard him swear under his breath. “Let me wash my hands first. They smell like my car’s steering wheel and they’re a little sweaty.”

I moved away from the sink so he’d have room and dodged around behind him to the oven. “Sure thing,” I said. I knelt and turned on the oven light, peering in. “Sweet. It’s almost done. It looks great.”

“What’d you make?” Lasko asked.

I smiled, looking over my shoulder at him. “Homemade pizza,” I said. “I’ve been making it, like, once a week since I moved here. Cheaper than ordering it and less greasy. I’m actually making two. The other one is right here.” I waved vaguely to the second one sitting on the stove on top of the oven, wrapped in aluminum foil to protect it from the flour that always seemed to fly when I made cookies.

Lasko left the ice cream scoop with the cookie dough and joined me in crouching next to the oven door. “That does look really good,” he admitted.

I smiled. “Thanks.” I popped back up to a standing position, holding out a hand to help Lasko to his feet. “Let’s get those cookies portioned out.”

A rift ripped open, Gavin appearing in my kitchen. “Evening, deviant,” he greeted with that lazy smile of his. His eyes slid from me to Lasko. “Ah, and your guest has already arrived. Evening Lasko.” The sly smirk that spread over his face was one of delicious delight.

Lasko gave a shaky wave. “H-hi,” he replied. His face was already turning red.

“Gavin, play nice tonight,” I said quietly.

The oven timer started buzzing loudly. The sound jolted me. I usually set a timer on my phone. The oven timer’s drone reminded me too much of home. The oven at my parents’ house. But I’d needed my phone timer for the other pizza.

“Fantastic!” I said.

Lasko, seeming a little desperate to get out of the kitchen, grabbed the oven glove from where it was sitting on the counter next to the stove and pulled the pizza out. “I’m gonna set this down on the dining table,” he said, scurrying out of the kitchen.

Gavin chuckled the second the door shut behind Lasko. “Do I have to play nice? He’s so easy to fluster. It’s so funny.”

“Just for tonight. It’s Christmas.” I brushed my fingers down the side of his face.

He rolled his eyes. “Fiiiiine,” he complained. “But you’re making it up to me later—”

“Ten times over,” I finished.

He smirked. “I was going to say twice over, but I’ll take the offer.”

I laughed and put the second pizza in the oven with careful psychokinesis so that I wouldn’t accidentally burn my wrist on the side of the oven again. “Glad to hear it,” I said.

Gavin wrapped his arms around me from behind as I set a cook timer on my phone and kissed the back of my head. “Shall we go dig in to the first pizza while waiting for this one to cook?”

“Sure.”

—

“Okay, presents!” I said, returning to the dining room after putting the dirty dishes in the sink.

I reached under the dining table and pulled the small pouches out from where I’d hidden them in the grooves of the wood. I passed one to Gavin and the other to Lasko. “Merry Christmas, guys.”

“Thank you, deviant.”

“Ye-yeah! Thank you!”

“Open them!”

Gavin slid open his pouch quickly, Lasko took his time. The bracelet that fell into Gavin’s hand was held deftly. A black leather cuff, studded with alternating metal half-domes and small white gems. He gave me a look and then flipped the cuff inside out. Where the message I’d carved into the leather caught the incandescent lights.

You mean so much more to me than you’ll ever know. You are so much more. I love you, Gavin. Merry Christmas—Your Deviant

He gave me a smirk. “Sap,” he said, leaning over and kissing me.

Lasko swore breathlessly from the other side of the table. “These are beautiful! What are they made of?”

I looked past Gavin to see Lasko holding the small dice set in his hand. “Lab-grown rubies,” I replied. “Hux had to help me form a couple of them. I did the D-four, the D-six, and the D-eight, but Hux had to help me with the more complicated shapes.” I scratched the back of my head. “He also had to combine some of the smaller rubies into sizes big enough to make dice out of... but he wasn’t going to be here so he said I could just give them to you.”

“They’re incredible. Usually gemstone dice are made of only semi-precious stones because they’re easier to cut and-and-and shape. I’ve never seen any made of actual precious gems before—and these are so beautifully cut—and-and-and the numbering is so crisp and readable even though the dice are so small—these are absolutely amazing I can’t believe you’d do this for me—”

“Lasko, breathe,” Gavin and I said at the same time.

Lasko took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. I’m breathing. I, uh, have something for you two too.” He pulled two small wrapped packages out of his jeans pockets. He passed one wrapped in purple to me and one in magenta to Gavin. “You can—you can go ahead and open them. If-if you want.”

I wasted no time in tearing the wrapping paper open.

A small, clear plastic box with a dice set sat in my hand, the gaps between the dice were filled with fabric so they wouldn’t clatter around and give away what was inside. The dice were a swirled mix of white, red, and green. Christmas-y, yeah, but also the colors I closely associated with Lasko, Damien, and Huxley.

“You-you know that I really don’t mind lending you my dice whenever we play. I really like lending you mine, actually. But I-I-I thought that—that you also might like to have a set to call your own. And, maybe like me, a, uh, a set to start your own collection.” He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “I-I-I know you might not necessarily want as many as I have, but if you were—if you were ever going to start your own collection, I-I wanted to—to be the person to start that for you.”

I got up from the table, ran around it, and threw my arms around Lasko’s neck. “Thank you!” I exclaimed. “They’re beautiful! I love them.”

“Oh. Well. I... I’m glad you like them.”

“Lasko,” Gavin said. I turned to see him holding a black, somewhat bean-shaped plastic capsule. “How did you know I needed new headphones?”

“Well-well I-I... uh, uh, a few weeks ago, when we were over here playing Clue with Damien and Hux after the semester ended I-I-I heard you say in the other room that your-your headphones were starting to sound really bad and-and I-I thought I’d get some new ones for the holidays. I-I know—I know de-demons don’t celebrate Christmas but I figured that—that it’d be better to give them to you for-for Christmas so it wouldn’t—I don’t know—wouldn’t seem weird if I just—just gave you headphones out of the blue for no reason. I-I just thought—”

“Breathe, Lasko,” I put in.

Lasko took another deep breath. He gave me a somewhat apologetic smile.

Gavin gave Lasko a serious look. “Thank you, Lasko. That was very thoughtful of you.”

Lasko chuckled nervously again.

“And,” Gavin added slowly. “I have some gifts for the two of you too.” He flicked his wrists, and a small package appeared in each hand. He extended one to each of us. “Open up.”

I opened the wrapping paper to find a small box. Cardboard, but I recognized it as the kind that usually held jewelry.

Slowly, I pulled off the lid.

“I don’t recommend wearing it in any unempowered portion of Dahlia, by the way,” Gavin said.

A cut piece of quartz dangling off a leather cord sat on a small bed of fluff. The quartz swirled with tendrils of light. A tag hung off the cord. Dearest Little Voyeur, I’ll never have the words to properly express how much I love you. Have the merriest of Christmases. All my love, always, ~Gavin

My eyes teared up as I met Gavin’s gaze. He gave me a lopsided smirk.

I grabbed him around the shoulders in a hug and kissed his neck where my face was buried in it. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

He rested his hand on the back of my head in my hair. “I meant every word.”

I pulled back enough to look at him and Lasko—noting Lasko’s gift had contained similar glowing quartz, but two smaller ones on earrings. Lasko was already pulling his usual silver studs out to put them in as I let Gavin latch the necklace around my neck.

“Thank you both for being here tonight. I know none of us have great relationships with our families or our kin, but I want you to know that you guys have become my family. You two, Hux, Damien—” I glanced at Gavin. And Caelum, I added to him telepathically. The corner of his mouth quirked. “—you’ve all been there for me. And I appreciate it and love you all. When Hux and Damien get back we can have another one of these, but for now, I just wanted you to know that even if our family is little and broken, it’s still good. Still ours.”

“Cheers,” Lasko said.

“Well said, Freelancer,” Gavin added, giving me another kiss on the cheek.

I smiled between the two of them. “Merry Christmas.”

#Redacted ASMR #Redacted Lasko #Redacted Gavin #Gavin #Lasko #fic #gender neutral reader #Starlit Fic

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baronessblixen · 2 years

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Ficmas Day 21 ~ wrapping paper (from this list)

Season 9 AU, Mulder never left. Wc: 861. Tagging @today-in-fic

The Best Christmas Gift

“Will, buddy, do you have any idea what I should get your mommy for Christmas?” Mulder asks his son, who’s sitting next to him on the floor, babbling about and having way more fun than his father wrapping Christmas presents.

“Ba-ba-ba!” His son emphasizes his words by slapping his tiny hands on the carpet.

“That’s a good idea,” Mulder says, nodding at the baby, who squeals with glee. Making Will laugh is everything he never knew he wanted – or needed. Right from the beginning, he wondered if he could do this. When Scully asked him to be the other half in the equation, his first instinct was to say no. Only Scully’s hopeful tears made him reconsider at the last moment. Oh, what he would have missed had he said no.

But it hasn’t been easy. Returning from the dead – a story he can’t wait to tell Will once he’s old enough – was hard enough. Finding out he was going to be a father only complicated it. But he couldn’t stay away. Neither from Scully nor from the large bump she carried with her. Their child. He fell in love with the unborn miracle, talking its ear off while Scully dozed on his couch, stroking her stomach and making up for lost time.

Now their baby is here and will be celebrating his first Christmas in a couple of days. Funny how life works sometimes. Sitting on the floor with his son, wrapping presents for various family members and friends does not even come close to how he imagined things to be. Yet, here he is and he wouldn’t want it any other way.

But this is his last week of unemployment. Come January, he will return to work after months of being a stay-at-home dad. He and Scully will alternate their days, both of them at Quantico teaching the young folks how it’s done. As much as he’s looking forward to this new chapter of his life, he will miss spending so much time with William.

“You know,” he says, finishing up another present and writing the name Linda on it without even knowing who that is. “I do have an idea what to get her. Can you keep a secret?”

“Gah!”

“Thought so. What would you say if…” he leans closer to his son, tickling his stomach and making him giggle. “If we made things official, hm? Do you think your mommy would say yes if I asked her to marry me?”

“Ohh-uh.” William stuffs his fist into his mouth. A clear sign he’d rather eat lunch than listen to his dad drone on about his love life.

“Right, right. I’m gonna mash us some food. That sound better?”

“Da-da-da-da.”

He picks William up and is surprised to not only be holding a baby but a large sheet of wrapping paper that’s sticking to the boy’s behind.

“Huh. Were you sitting on this all this time? Let me take it off you.” As soon as he tries, William’s face contorts into a dramatic grimace, quivering bottom lip and all. His chubby fingers reach for the paper and Mulder gives it back, knowing he won’t be able to use it anymore anyway.

“Just promise me not to eat it,” he says.

He puts William, who’s holding on tight to his sheet of wrapping paper, in his chair and prepares the boy’s lunch, consisting of mashed potatoes and carrots. He’s almost done mashing the food when he hears a key in the door.

“Pa-pa-pa-pa!” William says excitedly, kicking his little feet. He knows exactly what that sound means: his mommy is home.

“Hey honey.” Mulder greets her with a quick kiss and a soft smile. “How was your last day of work for the year?”

“Good. I’m not sure who was happier when it was over, me or the students. How was everything here? Mulder, why does our son have wrapping paper on his head?” They both look at the boy who’s giving them a gummy grin, the sheet of wrapping paper no longer in his hands but on his head.

“Well,” Mulder says, “we were discussing gift ideas and I think Will has decided that he’s the gift this year.”

“He is,” Scully says with a chuckle, picking up the wiggling baby, kissing his temple and holding him close. Mulder watches them, so full of love for these two people that his throat constricts with emotions, making words impossible.

“You’re the sweetest and most beautiful gift I could have ever asked for,” Scully says and William coos at her, smiling his biggest smile. “I love you, Will.”

“What about me?” Mulder asks playfully, hugging Scully from behind and making funny faces at William who is so amused that he spews spit bubbles.

“Love you, too.” Scully leans against him. “But I don’t see any wrapping paper on you so how do I know you’re a gift for me?”

“Don’t give me any ideas, Scully,” he says with a kiss to the crown of her hair.

“Hmm, all I’m saying is that I wouldn’t mind unwrapping you on Christmas.”

Maybe finding a gift for Scully will be easier than he thought.

#ficmas2021 #i really needed something fluffy #msr #xf fanfic #my writing #my fic

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jerzwriter · 3 years

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Delaying the Inevitable - Chapter 22A - To Make You Feel My Love

Book: Open Heart 3 (Post Series)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x MC, Tobias Carrick x MC

Rating: Chapter: Teen

Summary: Extended Series WIP – Love Triangle. In this chapter: Casey looks for the perfect gift for Tobias, and presents Ethan with his… Vivian counsels her son… The Edenbrook Holiday party is underway and Casey encounters an old love, and maybe a new?

Category: Extended Series (WIP)

Warnings: Language (I’m sure at some point… it’s me)

A/N: Hey. Chapter 22 became a monstrosity in size. So I’m breaking it up. This one leaves off… in a way… but don’t hate me. I’m releasing 22 Part 2 tonight after midnight EST. I’m not torturing you that much.

A/N 2: Ethan stans. Tobias stans were patient. See if you can do the same. 😊

A/N 3: I’m leaving these two things as a permanent note: This is a love triangle – that means Casey loves more than one person. I’ve made that clear from the start. Casey won’t make her choice until the final chapter. So no, it’s not a foregone conclusion. I’ve made that clear for a while. And while Team Ethan, and Team Tobias, and Team God I’m Torn exist out there, there is only one that matters to me and that is Team Casey.

A/N 4: I hope those who are not happy with the current arc stick around, but I can’t force you. 😊See you tomorrow, folks.

CHARACTERS BELONG TO PIXELBERRY STUDIOS

If you wish to be added or removed from tags, please let me know. Comments and reblogs always appreciated. 😊

“Hey, Mom, what’s up?”

“What’s up? What’s up are those gorgeous photos I saw on Pictagram this morning! I’m not up 20 minutes and I have already received calls from two of my friends in DC as well as your Auntie Sherrie inquiring about them. Now, what exactly am I supposed to tell them, Tobias?”

“Oh, I don’t know? My son and his friend put up a beautiful tree in their condo last night, they put on some silly Santa hats and took some pictures. Isn’t that hard?”

“Hmmm… except Casey isn’t exactly a friend now, is she? And don’t think that doesn’t come across in those pictures! Besides, last I checked I thought you lived in your condo. Now you want me to say that it is “their” condo. Not that I have any problem with that.”

“Of course, you don’t,” he laughed.

“How is Casey’s present coming along, dear? Was Hector able to help you with the restoration?”

“Yes! He is a magician! It’s almost done and the photos he sent… man, I put them next to the one Casey’s dad gave me from when she was a child and, you would hardly notice the difference.”

“Oh! I am so happy to hear that! Hector is a genius! If anyone could do it, it is him! It’s so important to have the perfect gift for Casey, son. Not only for you but for me as well.”

“It’s important to you?” he chuckled.

“Don’t play with me son. You know I will not rest until that lovely young woman is my daughter-in-law. She is a treasure. I am already losing patience with you for not sealing this deal. I thought I raised you better.”

“You raised me just fine, Ma,” he laughed, “and trust me, Casey, thinks very highly of you, too.”

“I know. We text all the time. If things don’t work out between the two of you two, I may adopt her and cut you loose.”

“Wow. I’m hurt.”

“Oh, you know I kid. But since I am keeping you around, this begs another question. What does the man who has everything, you, want for Christmas this year?”

“I honestly don’t need anything Ma…”

“Apparently your listening comprehension skills have not improved since childhood. I didn’t ask what you needed, I asked what you wanted. You are impossible to buy for! And it’s not just me asking, your beautiful girlfriend wants to know too!”

“My girlfriend, huh,” he shook his head laughing.

“Why are you laughing, son?”

“Well, because leave it to you to find the one thing that I don’t have after all.”

____________________

“I have no idea what to get him, Si. I mean, the man has everything.”

“He doesn’t have you.”

“Sienna!”

“Sorry, it just seems so obvious.”

“Can you focus on the task at hand?”

“Well, you enjoy cooking together… or rather, you enjoy watching him cook. How about something for the kitchen?”

“No, it’s so… impersonal. Plus, he already has so much. I’m at a loss. Maybe Vivian will be able to get some answers out of him for me.”

“You and Vivian have gotten close?”

“Oh, she is amazing! Witty, sharp, takes no crap, but she’s got this beautiful soul, a heart of gold. I wish she lived closer to here.”

“Hmmm. Sounds to me like the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Well, I don’t think she had the scoundrel phase Tobias went through,” Casey laughed, “she was none too pleased to hear of some of his exploits during those times.”

“You outed him!”

“A girl has to have some fun.”

Casey’s face fell as she took on a more serious tone. “You know, I was unpacking a box I had left in the back of my closet the other day and… I came across a gift I had purchased for Ethan late in the summer, I put it away in hopes of giving it to him for Christmas. With everything,” she waved her hand dismissively, “I had forgotten about it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Case. That must have been difficult.”

She smiled sadly. “It was sad. It made me think about the way I thought the holidays would be this year. I thought I’d be with Ethan, we’d be sharing his apartment,” she looked to Sienna who gave her a knowing look, “I thought we’d be engaged. My life… it seemed so mapped out, so certain… yet, look how it turned out.”

“So, how does that all make you feel? Are you doing OK with it?”

“It just seems surreal. Unsettling. I’ve learned in more than one way that life can turn on a dime and, it makes me scared, Si. I know that nothing in life is certain, not even life itself. Yet, on the other hand, being aware of how fleeting life, love, everything can be… I appreciate the things I have so much more. My health, my career, my family, my amazing friends… I know I’m so blessed, even though… everything doesn’t work out as planned sometimes.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing amazing. You’re doing what you’re supposed to do a few months back I would have never thought you’d be so festive and embracing the holiday spirit, and here you are! That says something about you, Casey!”

“Yeah, it says sometimes a therapist and knowing when to go on Wellbutrin is a good idea,” Casey laughed.

“Well, yeah! That is part of it! Getting the help you need, whatever that help is.”

“Well, you’ve been a big part of that help, Sienna.” She gave her friend a side-hug as they walked on. “I couldn’t ask for a better friend.”

“Well, you give as good as you get there! And as your friend, it’s my job to get you back on track. What are you going to get for Tobias? I’m assuming a boudoir photoshoot would be out of the question…”

“Sienna!!!!” Casey said hitting her arm, as the two women continued their shopping.

____________________

The morning of the Edenbrook Holiday Party was always a special day. Many departments held informal luncheons, festive music played in the halls, and it seemed that every person entering the building, visitors, and staff alike, brought a tray of cookies to share. If co-workers exchanged gifts, this was the day they did it. Because of the awkwardness within the diagnostic team right now, they decided to skip their annual grab bag. Casey was the one who implemented the tradition, so seeing it go saddened her. But she had learned that life was about adjustment, the only constant was change. She refused to concentrate on the negative when there was so much good surrounding her.

She was the late person on the team’s calendar that day, so she would not be going to the party with her friends. Sienna and Tobias both offered to stay behind so they could accompany her there, but she insisted they head off to the pre-party festivities at Donahue’s, she’d catch up with them back at the hospital later. She smiled because that also meant she would likely have the chance to watch them in an inebriated state while she was still decidedly sober, always good for blackmail material later on!

With all the activity, the day passed by quickly. Casey returned to the team’s office to gather her belongings before she left. She took out a large shopping bag she brought from home. Based on prior years, she knew she’d be heading back with a small haul of trinkets from patients and staff, and she was prepared. But her heart skipped a beat when she opened it up. Ethan’s gift lay at the bottom of the bag, and she was still unsure about what to do with it. She considered leaving it on his desk anonymously, but it seemed cowardly. He would undoubtedly know it was from her and it could send the wrong message in different ways. She picked the box up, mindlessly caressing the shiny gift wrap as she contemplated what to do. Suddenly, a deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Casey?”

“Ethan,” she jumped. “I didn’t’ think you were still here.”

“Well, I am. I’m sorry to startle you. I thought you’d be long gone to get ready for the party tonight.”

“Well, I’m on the late tonight. You know that.”

He shrugged. “I should have told you to go. I’m sorry. You can head out if you like. I’ll take care of anything you need to do. I’m not going to the party so it’s not a big deal to me.”

“Oh, you’re not going?”

He looked at her from under his glasses with a sad smile. “I’m not feeling particularly festive this year.”

Casey looked down at her hands and swallowed, “Well, I… I hope that changes for you in the future.”

She began to put the gift back into her bag but suddenly veered course.

“Ethan,” she said abruptly, “do you have a moment?”

“For you? Always.”

Though said with sincerity, he instantly knew his word choice was poor. Casey’s face, which had shown slight signs of warmth just moments before, turned bitter. For you? Always. He knew he had no right to use those words with her, not after how horribly he had treated her. He considered apologizing but that might only make things worse. To his great relief, the intensity of her gaze quickly reverted to what it had been before.

“This is a little bit awkward,” she said as she sat in front of his desk. “I bought this for you earlier this year. I planned on giving it to you on Christmas, but….”

“Casey, you don’t have to…”

“I wasn’t sure what to do when I found it, but I think you should have it. So, here.”

She abruptly handed the gift to him as she stood to leave. “I hope you like it.”

“Casey, wait. Would you please stay while I open it?”

She let out a small breath and bit the inside of her lips.

“Sure. But just for a couple of minutes. I still have to go home and get ready.”

“I promise not to keep you.”

She slumped back into her chair, immediately questioning her decision. The doors that were shut between the two of them were shut for good reason. She didn’t want to open them, at least not now. She didn’t know if it was the holidays that made her soft, or perhaps the look of sad desperation on Ethan’s face. He didn’t deserve her empathy, not after all that had transpired, but it wasn’t about who Ethan was or what he had done, it was about who she was. And she was not one to walk away from someone in need, even if it were to her own detriment. She immediately made a mental note to share with her therapist later this week. But now, she sat with a pensive look on her face as Ethan gingerly tore at the elegant wrapping.

A look of genuine shock passed over him as his jaw fell slack. For a split second, she saw something she hadn’t seen in his face in a long time, not since before Louise began showing signs of regression, he appeared… joyful.

“Casey!” he gasped, “Casey, is this….”

“It’s the performance of La Traviata you attended at Teatro La Fenice. I know you had always been looking for it, so I….”

“How… how did you find this? I had searched for a copy for years before I finally gave up.”

“Well, you know me. I don’t give up when I want something badly enough.”

Ethan’s eyes fixed on her; she was right. When she wanted something, she fought relentlessly to get it. The only reason they had a past worth remembering was because of her. She was the one who was brave, he was the one who pushed away and ran. He was the one who hurt her, but in the end, he hurt himself most of all. Now, she was moving on, and he was lost in the reality of the destruction caused by his own hand. He was finally aware, yet still afraid to take the next step to bring him to a better future. How the tides had turned, she came to Edenbrook hoping to be like him, and now, he wished more than anything that he had been like her.

“You are right. You don’t. Thank you, Casey… this means so much to me. I think I’ll listen to it tonight and, I’ll always treasure this.”

He stared down at the box, shutting his eyes tight to prevent tears from falling. A sadness gripped his chest and claimed his voice as his mind went to Casey’s ring, locked away in a box in his closet. It was almost as beautiful as she was. When he had imagined this year’s holiday party, he saw the two of them, finally open, out together with the ring on her hand for the whole world to see. She was his, he was hers and they were meant to be. But now, it sat in a box of memories that were never to be realized, it would never see the light of day and there was only one person to blame.

Breathing felt like too great of a task and Casey noticed his distress. Part of her wanted to escape. After all, he had put her through, he had no right to expect her to be supportive. You don’t get to break someone and ask them to comfort you for what you did. Yet, she could not pull herself away. So, she remained in her chair, even as a tempest of emotions began to stir inside her.

He decided to speak through his quivering voice.

“I had bought something for you too. I have it back at home, but… it’s no longer appropriate. But, I feel like I should have something to give you…”

Casey lowered her eyes. She knew exactly what gift he was referring to. The memory of the day she and Sienna accidentally came across the ring flooded her mind.

“Oh my God, Si, is this what I think it is?”

Sienna clasped her mouth and gasped, “I mean, it really can’t be anything else…”

“Oh my God, Si, I didn’t do this! It was on the shelf, and when I pulled the notebook off it hit me on the head, and then it fell to the floor, and I swear to God I was not snooping!”

Sienna just stared with her hands over her nose and mouth.

“Sienna, say something, what should I do. I mean, I had no idea, and now I feel so bad…but, Jesus does he has good taste or what?”

“Good taste?!? Casey, that’s a 3-carat diamond with side stones, that’s not good taste, that’s a fucking masterpiece. OH MY GOD CASEY, he’s going to propose!”

Sure, she thought bitterly, he was going to propose. How does one go from wanting to marry her to putting her out with no place to go, when she had done nothing wrong? When all she did was love him. The excuse of “he’s damaged” was no more than enabling, she could see that now. He had damaged her, more than once, and it had lasting effects, but she knew she had no right to take it out on others. Why did she stay? This was too painful. She needed to leave, but she wanted to do it gracefully.

“Ethan, it’s not necessary. Please, don’t get me anything. But….” She trailed off.

“But?”

“Do you understand that all I ever really wanted was for you to be happy?” she asked, her emotion evident in her voice. “Even if it was to my own detriment. Before we were together, while we were together… even now… after everything. You deserve to be free of ghosts that haunt you. You deserve to put the pain in the past and to truly live. And you could if you weren’t so goddamned stubborn. You may not see it yourself right now, but you’re a good person Ethan; but, by not fixing things, you’re doing things that are very, very wrong. You know the path to make things right for you, you know what to do. If you want to give me a gift, fix yourself, Ethan. One day, allow me to look at you and see something other than pain.”

His lack of response spoke more than any answer ever could and the discomfort in the room became to be more than Casey could bear. She wanted out. She wanted to go back to her new life, where this sort of worry didn’t shroud every day. She was allowed to feel for him, she realized, but that did not mean she needed to be absorbed by it. She fought too hard to be where she was today. It was time to leave.

“Well. I really should be going. I’m already going to be arriving late tonight, and….”

“Yes, of course. Thank you again, Casey. For getting this for me, for not just throwing in the trash after all that has happened…. I will treasure it always.”

“I’m glad you like it,” she smiled sadly. “Goodbye, Ethan.”

She turned and she was gone. Once again, he watched as she walked out a door, needing to get away from him. He sat back in his chair staring in wonderment at her gift; he truly had no idea how she found this…but she was right… that’s who she was. She didn’t give up. He closed his eyes desperately wanting the release that tears would bring, but no matter how he tried, they would not come.

____________________

She stalled and took a final look at her reflection in the glass doors before she entered the hospital lobby. Her long blonde hair was pulled to the side, creating a cascade of loose blonde curls that skimmed down past her shoulders. Her make-up was perfectly applied, her matte lips just a shade lighter than the deep burgundy gown that hugged her every curve. She took a deep breath, suddenly nervous. Was the plunging sweetheart neckline too much for a work event? Jackie and Sienna assured her it was fine and if they said so, well, if Sienna said so, it had to be true, right? She considered paging a friend so she wouldn’t have to walk in alone, and she wasn’t sure why she felt that way. Or perhaps she did, after all, she had turned denial into an art form. A few moments passed and the frigid December temperatures helped push her to finally step inside.

_____

“So, my friend, you think we can set up a little boy’s night out soon?” Bryce asked Tobias seated at the bar. “I’ve barely seen you since you got married.”

Tobias gave him the side-eye.

“You know damn well I’m not coupled, much less married. You also know our schedules have not meshed. You’re always welcome at my place, you never need an invite. In fact, given how much pleasure it gives me taking you down a peg or two, you’d actually be doing me a favor.”

“Well, Casey did suggest the idea of a weekly game night…. That may be just what the doctor ordered. Speaking of doctors, here come my favorite former residents.”

“Yeah, unlike you, meathead,” Jackie grinned.

“Hey, I’m quickly catching up!”

Sienna was spinning around in wonderment. Her mouth was agape as she took in the atrium twinkling lights and dangling icicles everywhere, it was a virtual winter wonderland.

“Hey, Si, you OK, you look like you’re in another world?”

“Yes, it’s just… wow, Edenbrook really outdid themselves this year! I don’t think I could even make it look this good!”

“Well, that’s highly doubtful, Sienna. You would likely have all this plus life-sized gingerbread castles scattered throughout,” Tobias chuckled.

“Delicious gingerbread castles… that she would prohibit us from eating until the event was over,” Raf laughed.

“Of course!” she smirked. “They’d be part of the décor! But it’s hard to imagine this place looking more magical.”

Bryce turned his head toward the entrance just as Casey made her entrance. He could tell that she was attempting to be inconspicuous, but that was an impossibility.

“Holy shit,” he said, slapping Tobias’s shoulder. “I thought it was impossible for the room to be any more beautiful, and, just like that, it is.” He turned to his friend with a shit-eating grin, “Don’t you agree, Tobias?”

Tobias hoped he didn't really expect an answer. How could he possibly speak when his breath was taken away.

“And there is so much mistletoe around here,” Bryce winked. “I think

“Oh, it’s definitely possible to miss it!" Jackie laughed. "I am meandering around it right now to avoid having to kiss you, Lahela.”

Bryce flashed his bright smile and placed a kiss on Jackie’s cheek before she had a chance to protest. “There! Now, all of your dreams have come true. It's a holiday miracle!”

“ICK!” Jackie exclaimed, wiping her cheek. “More like The Nightmare Before Christmas!”

“Hey, T. You can look in another direction, you know,” Bryce teased.

“Tobias, what gives? You have a thing for Casey?” Raf asked.

“Always quick on the uptake, aren’t you,” Jackie said with a roll of her eyes. “Hey, Casey! Over here.”

Tobias averted his gaze. He may have been a lovesick fool, but he wasn't about to let her catch him looking that way.

Bryce shook his head in amusement. Tobias. His good friend T. The man with the worst pick-up lines, but it didn't matter. Delivered with cocky confidence and his seductive smile, they worked every time. Yet when it came to Casey, he was rendered to being a speechless seventh-grade boy with a crush on the prettiest girl in the class. His friend had it bad, and it wasn’t showing any signs of changing.

“Hey, guys!” Casey said hugging each one. “This place looks incredible tonight!”

“It sure does,” Raf replied. “Would you like a drink? We’re all a few steps ahead of you?”

“Sure," Casey grinned. "Come on, I’ll walk you to the bar.”

Bryce, Sienna, and Jackie all turned and glared at Tobias. Jackie & Sienna’s arms folded blatantly in front of their chests.

“What?!?” He asked with annoyance.

“If you don’t do something tonight, I will lose any and all respect for you. Now, granted, I never had much to begin with, but you’re in danger of going into the negatives, my friend," Bryce jeered.

“I mean, maybe not in front of the whole place,” Sienna cautioned, “We are still at a work event, but there are plenty of little alcoves you can veer off into, and we're willing to cover for you.”

“Mmmm,” Bryce quickly swallowed his drink, “or you can always remember something you need to discuss with her back in the office.”

“And we all know what happens in offices during holiday parties,” Jackie said as Bryce gave her a high five.

“I’m surrounded by freaking comedians,” Tobias grumbled before gulping his drink.

“Except, no one is laughing,” Jackie smirked.

“Well, as much fun as this is, I’m going to go talk to the new x-ray tech. He's too cute to be sitting all alone. Watch and learn, T!”

“I’m going to see some of my co-workers in peds too," Sienna announced. "I'll be back in a bit, and there will be dancing!”

“That leaves you and me, T!” Jackie smiled.

“Jackie, you have no idea how much that frightens me.”

“I don't know why you and Lahela are both so scared of me! But I like it. Someone has to keep the two of you in line.”

“Hey, well, I don’t mind helping with that!” Casey smiled as she slid into a barstool next to them.

“Well, this is my lucky night!" Tobias declared. "Flanked by the two most beautiful women here. I don’t know what you did to deserve this.”

“Apparently, not a damn thing because it's short-lived. I see Harper motioning for me and Casey to come over,” Jackie said.

“How do you know that doesn’t include me?” Tobias asked.

“Because she told me she wants to introduce me and Casey to the woman she’s speaking to. She is the director for the American Women’s Medical Association. Unless you’re interested in joining?”

“Nah, I’m good here with my beer,” he laughed.

People were still arriving, and the DJ’s assistant was making her way around, asking attendees if they’d like to make any requests.

“Hey,” she smiled flirtatiously as she eyed Tobias, “anyone special you’d like to make a dedication to tonight?”

“No," he answered cordially. "But thank you.”

“Hmm… so you don't have a special someone here," she grinned. "I’m delighted to hear that. But, if you should change your mind, you know where to find me."

She walked off with a wink, and Tobias shook his head and returned to his beer, his eyes fixed on Casey across the room. She was smiling, her hair flipping back as she laughed. She was just magnificent. There was no way he was getting over her, but there was no way he would ever try to make it more. He tapped his fingers against the bar and jumped out of his seat. He hadn’t realized that Jackie and Casey had moved across the room, not far from the DJ booth where he was heading.

“Hey,” he said tapping the DJ’s assistant on the shoulder.

“Hey!” She grinned.

“I uhm. I changed my mind. I'd like to dedicate a song to someone.”

“Oh,” she said, as her smile faded. “What’ll it be.”

He stood in contemplation as if the fate of the world depended on his choice.

“To Make You Feel My Love, Adele’s version,” he smiled confidently.

“Oh, that’s far too deep for the dedication to be for me. Damn it!" she teased.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he chuckled.

“So, who is the lucky person we should send this out to?”

He hesitated, not able to answer.

"Or I could just say who it's from, and let the lucky girl or guy guess?”

“You know what... just say this is going out to someone special, from someone who's still not able to admit it.”

“Well, don’t let that go on forever,” she advised. “Life’s too short to miss out on a good thing, no matter where it takes you. But I’ll do my part to nudge you in that direction.”

“Thanks.”

When he turned and walked away, he was oblivious to Casey and Jackie, standing just feet away. A look of panic on Casey's face.

“Holy fucking shit, Case!!! You know that's for you!! Where is Sienna? I have to tell her.”

“No, Jackie, you will do no such thing! We… we don’t even know if he meant me.”

Jackie looked at Casey with disgust. “Do I need to call the reality police for you? It's you, dumbass. And totally better go snag him for a dance when that comes on… or I swear, I will kick you…”

“Hi, Naveen! I’ve been looking for you!” Casey beamed as she raised her eyebrow at Jackie. She had her out.

_____

Jackie marched off to find her friends and found Bryce, Sienna, and Raf sitting at a table next to the dance floor.

“Bryce, what are you doing here?” she asks, “Did you crash and burn that quickly?”

“He got back with his ex,” he shrugged. "Easy come, easy go."

“Likely story!" She spat. "Anyway, we have a mission if we choose to accept it, and I’m telling you, you all choose to accept it.”

“Jackie! Slow down, you’re frantic! What’s going on?” Raf asked.

“Tobias just dedicated a song to Casey! Not only song, a freaking disgustingly romantic song!”

Sienna covered her mouth and gasped and Raf’s jaw dropped.

“I guess we should get you up to speed, Raf." Bryce started. "Tobias is madly in love with Casey. And Casey has it bad for him, but they’re too goddamn stupid to do anything about it. So Jackie's just delivered some pretty big news."

“Well... yes and no,” Jackie faltered.

“It can never be easy, can it?” Bryce said, throwing his hands in the air.

“Nope, it can’t. So, he dedicated a song but didn't mention her by name. It's going to go out to “someone special” from “someone who isn’t ready to say yet” or some shit like that.”

Bryce shook his head, displeased.

“When all this is all out, I am so kicking his ass just for coming up with that shit.”

“I’ll help you!” Jackie agreed. “But for now, let’s at least get those morons to dance to the song together.”

“How do we do that?” Raf asked.

“Well, Casey knows.”

“WHAT?!” Sienna gasped. “How does she know.”

“Because we accidentally overheard him talking to the DJ! But of course, our brilliant but dense friend isn’t convinced he didn't mean it for her."

“Who the fuck does she think it is for?!?!” Bryce yelled.

“Shhhhh!,” Sienna chided, "Your drawing attention this way. What song did he pick, Jackie?"

“To Make You Feel My Love.”

Sienna covered her mouth as her eyes began to water.

“Oh my God! I think I'm going to cry!”

“Sienna, so help me God if you do….”

“Oh, stop, Jackie," Raf interrupted. "It is really romantic.”

“Thank you, Raf.”

“CAN WE SKIP TO THE SUBJECT!!!!” Jackie yelled.

Bryce was still shaking his head. “How does she not see it's for her?"

“She realizes,” Sienna replied. "But she's probably afraid."

“None of this matters!" Jackie insisted. "We just have to get them to dance to it and let nature take its course. So, what's our game plan.”

“I can shame Tobias when the time comes,” Bryce offered.

“And I can coax Casey,” Sienna chimed.

“I can watch them to make sure neither tries to leave the room,” Raf added.

“I can do that, too," Jackie nodded. "I'm also happy to threaten them if need be…”

“That may be too direct. OK, set up a group text for the four of us; we are so don't this. Operation Let’s End This Shit Already is underway!” Bryce grinned.

____________________

Upstairs Ethan had yet to leave his office. After Casey left, he sat thinking for a good, long time. Her parting words hit hard. The best gift would be healing himself. For three years he denied her everything: confirmation, legitimacy, truth. He didn’t give her what she so fully deserved, his time, his attention, his undying love. It took her nearly dying for him to even begin to make those strides and, when he finally surrendered, he wanted to give her the world. But looking back, the only thing he should have given her is what she asked for tonight, healing himself. By not doing that, everything they had was built like a house of cards it was only a matter of time before the wind came and knocked it all down.

He couldn’t leave the building because he knew she’d be coming back. The desire just to be near was insatiable. He knew she didn’t want it and he knew if he wanted so much as friendship from her it would be best for him to lay back right now. That bit of interaction today was a step in the right direction, it was more than he deserved. He shouldn’t overstep.

Yet, he walked to the closet and slipped on the suit jacket and fresh tie he kept there, just in case there was an emergent board meeting or unexpected VIP visitor. I just want to be near her. I won’t talk to her. He changed his shoes. I won’t engage at all. Slipped on the fresh jacket. I’ll linger on the sides. I just want to see her. He promised himself, yet even as he did, he knew it was a lie.

He stood in a corridor, watching from a distance. The party was now filled with revelers, so it was next to impossible to spot her. He moved inside and lingered around the perimeter, honestly, not too far from where he would normally be found during an event like this. Well, at least until there was Casey. He found a dark, quiet spot near the staff entrance. It offered him a good vantage point where he could watch unobstructed. But he still never caught sight of her.

This is ridiculous. I need to go home.

Then, there she was. Across the room speaking with Naveen and Dr. Tanaka. She was a vision. Talking to Naveen and Dr. Tanaka, afforded him the easiest possible way for him to walk over and segue into the conversation. But he knew he shouldn’t. He knew she’d probably scurry away. He found his left leg glued to the floor, and the right wanting to run to her. He didn’t know which one would when the tap came to his shoulder.

“Hi,” Harper said handing him a glass of scotch. “I never see you at one of these things without one in your hand. I figured you haven’t made your way to the bar because you’re over here acting like a creepy stalker. So, I thought I’d lend a friend a hand.”

He was caught. “Thank you,” he smiled.

“Now,” she said tugging his arm, “let’s go find a table. Because you need a talking to, and as a friend who loves you, I am not taking no for an answer.”

She commandeered a small cocktail table in a secluded corner.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m attending the hospital’s holiday party, why are you acting like it’s such an anomaly.”

“Because you’re not attending it, you’re lurking. You were quite clear that you weren’t coming this evening. Yet, here you are, standing at the staff entrance hell bend on… on… on…”

Ethan had completely tuned her out. She turned and followed his gaze. Of course, there she was.

“Ethan,” Harper said snapping her fingers in front of his face.

“What?”

“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”

“Of course, I did! You said… you said… you… OK, I never heard a word you said.”

“What are you doing, Ethan? You know damn well this is not healthy.”

“It’s not…” he stopped, snorting, he shook his head.

Harper turned around once again. Tobias had joined Casey & Naveen, and even Harper could see the change in Casey’s demeanor after he arrived. She softened, her eyes were aglow, and her smile was brighter, it was impossible to miss. Harper had seen it before, it was the way Casey used to be when she was around Ethan.

“Ethan, I hate to say this to you, but you have to let go. I can’t tell you to fight for her because, I can’t lie, what you did to her was too cruel. I know she is being very admirable and trying to establish a good working relationship with you, but you honestly have no right to push for more. That is something that only she can decide to do if she ever wants to.”

“You think I don’t know that? Why do you think I’m lurking in corners, or even sitting here with you? I just to get a glimpse of her,” he sighed deeply. “Then, what do I see, her beaming next to Tobias. You’re one hundred percent right, Harper. This isn’t healthy and if I saw anyone else doing this, I’d be the first to tell them.”

“Well,” she said smiling, “there you go. In some places they would say that you just took the first step, Ethan, I’m proud of you.”

“Tobias told me he’s in love with her.”

Harper's eyes widened and she put down her drink.

“Really? I’m shocked he was so candid!”

“You knew?”

“I have eyes.”

“Then your eyes must also tell you that it appears she returns his feelings.”

Harper turned again. Though they stood at least a foot away from one another, there was no denying the aura that surrounded them.

Harper reached across the table and tenderly touched Ethan’s hand.

“Do you still love her?”

“No,” he lied.

She saw right through him but knew better than to challenge him right now.

“Then move on. She appears to be doing that. You told me that’s what you wanted. And, for what it’s worth, try to take solace that it is with Tobias. You know he’s a good man; he’d treat her well, I don’t think he’d hurt her, and I know you don’t want to see her hurt anymore.”

“I’m sure some people would have said the same things about me,” he smirked.

“Valid point.”

“Thank you.”

“Hey, I told you, I will always be honest. I know we’ve all told you that you should talk to a therapist, I’m not going to foolishly waste my breath on it anymore, but you know it’s true. I just hope you come around to see it.”

He looked down into his drink, not saying a word.

“Why don’t you go home, Ethan. If you want, I’ll even get out of here with you, grab a cup of coffee, if it will help.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I should get going, alone. This wasn’t a good idea.”

She smiled warmly, “I’m always a phone call away.”

Ethan stood up and began to make his way across the crowded room. His plan was to head directly to the exit, until he saw Casey standing at the bar waiting for a drink, alone. His head told his feet not to change their trajectory, to head to the door as planned; but his foolish heart was in control.

She would have been here on my arm tonight. There is no question of that. She would have my ring on her hand. She was my Casey. What the hell did I do!

He was no more than three feet away from her when she turned with a drink in hand and a bright smile on her face. That smile fell the moment she saw him approaching her. He knew he should walk away. He didn’t.

“Ethan? Oh. I thought you said you weren’t coming tonight?”

“I had a change of heart.”

“That’s good,” she said taking a gulp of her drink. “I, uhm… you should get out, you know… it’s good for you.”

“Well,” he chuckled ruefully, “the jury is out on that. But I’m giving it a shot.”

She smiled politely, as her eyes darted around the room. Someone had to be around, there was someone she could say she had to talk to.

“Casey, you look absolutely beautiful tonight. Honestly, you’re just radiant.”

He could see the discomfort on her face grow into vexation.

“Ethan… you… I…” she stopped herself after stumbling on her words. She started again, she didn’t want to be harsh, but she needed to be clear. “Thank you, but I really don’t think that is appropriate for you to tell me that right now. You have to understand….”

“I know. I’m sorry. I am out of line. But there was no way I could leave here tonight without telling you and, now that I have, I’ll take my leave. Please, go. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night.”

She eyed him uncomfortably, then walked off without a word. He stood and watched as she walked away, and he realized, that was now his role to play. He felt a hand tug on his jacket.

“Hey, you look like you could use a friend,” Floria smiled gently up at him.

“What I could use is a stiff drink… or ten.”

“Well, there is a bar right there,” she pointed.

“Yeah, well, I think if I stay here, that ten could easily become twenty, so I’m going to check out.”

“We could walk over to Donahue’s. I’m sure it will be empty with everyone here and, honestly, I think you may be better drinking with a friend tonight. What do you say?”

“With a friend?”

“Yes, with a friend. So, would you like some company?”

“Sure. Why not,” he smiled, and they walked together toward the door just as Casey shot a look back over her shoulder.

“HEY!”

“Ahhh,” Casey jumped. “Jackie! What the hell are you doing, trying to give me a heart attack.”

“Well, if you’re going to have one, this is the place to do it. But you’re looking too damn fine for that, so come on, why don’t you get out on the dance floor with me girl, I haven’t seen you all night.”

“You know what,” she said placing her empty drink on a table, that sounds delightful! Let’s go!”

“That’s what I’m talking about!”

Sienna and Bryce watched them from the bar.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Sienna grinned.

“Hell yeah! RAF! Get your ass over here, it’s time for this crew to get the party started.”

Tobias returned from the men’s room and saw the five of them cutting up the dance floor. He smiled seeing them all so happy, but, of course, his eyes stayed on Casey. She was beaming, she threw her head back laughing, the exact same way she did the very first time that he realized that he loved her. She was living with him, he worked with her and, still, on some days, it was hard to believe she was real. He decided to head to the bar, where he sat and watched them, careful not to make eye contact. Yeah, he was part of the crew, but they were all the OG’s, and he felt they deserved some time alone. Eventually, Bryce took a seat next to him, while Raf and the women continued laughing on the floor.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the DJ’s voice came blaring through the speakers, “we have our final dedication of the night and, oooh, it’s a heartfelt one for sure!”

Casey looked like a dear in the headlights as she locked eyes with Jackie.

“It appears someone has a secret admirer… this is being sent out to someone very special, from a guy who is just not ready to tell you yet… oh, come on man! It’s the holidays! This place is full of mistletoe! Take it from me, never give up a day you can be missing out on love. And I am not just saying that because I’m available for weddings by the way!”

The crowd rumbled with soft laughter as Jackie took Casey’s hand.

“Please, Casey. Go dance with him.”

She looked over to Tobias at the bar, he and Bryce had their backs to her.

Bryce tilted his head, “You can’t tell me that wasn’t you.”

“I don’t have to tell you anything.”

“Go ask her to dance. You went this far, take that step.”

Tobias turned around and saw her as Jackie pleaded with her on the dance floor.

“Nah, man. I don’t think…”

“Wow, and this guy picked a beauty,” the DJ finished, “someone has some real feelings going on, to that special person, here is Adele’s ‘To Make You Feel My Love’.”

The first chords of the began to play and the remaining couples began to flock to the floor, all except the one the song was intended for.

“When the rain is blowing in your face And the whole world is on your case I could offer you a warm embrace To make you feel my love”

“Casey, please,” Jackie begged, still holding her hand, “please, you know it’s for you! I know what you feel for him! Go ask him.”

“When the evening shadows and the stars appear And there is no one there to dry your tears I could hold you for a million years To make you feel my love”

Bryce shook Tobias’s shoulder.

“Bro, you’ve been in love with her forever. This is not going to go away. Don’t miss this moment, T… go!”

“I know you haven't made your mind up yet But I would never do you wrong”

“OK, if you don’t ask him, then I am. And do you really want to watch me dancing with your man…”

“He’s not my man…”

“He could be!”

“I've known it from the moment that we met No doubt in my mind where you belong”

“If you don’t ask her, I am….”

“Bryce, I just….”

“Tobias,” Jackie interrupted, as she shot Bryce a look, “would you dance with me?”

”I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue I'd go crawling down the avenue”

Bryce saw Casey pushing her way through the crowd.

“Excuse me,” he said running off in her direction.

Jackie turned to Tobias, “You know I won’t take no for an answer. Better to just give in.”

“Fine, he sighed,”

“No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do To make you feel my love”

“You’re dancing with me!” Bryce said grabbing Casey’s hand at the edge of the dance floor.

“What, I…”

“I said you’re dancing with me, come on!”

Jackie’s eyes met Bryce’s and implored him to move closer. He spun Casey around to face him just feet away.

“The storms are raging on the rolling sea And on the highway of regret”

Jackie and Bryce maneuvered so Casey and Tobias would be forced to see each other. After a couple failed attempts, their eyes locked. Bryce felt Casey’s breath hitch. Jackie noticed the split second when Tobias stopped moving. Case smiled, softly, nervously in his direction and Tobias’s eyes said all he could not bring himself to say.

“Though winds of change are throwing wild and free You ain't seen nothing like me yet”

“Go cut in. Please, Tobias,” Jackie whispered.

“Casey, you’re too smart not to see it. Go to him.”

“Jackie, I…”

“Bryce, I…”

“I could make you happy, make your dreams come true Nothing that I wouldn't do Go to the ends of the Earth for you To make you feel my love To make you feel my love”

“… I can’t.”

Tobias lowered his head and quickly made his way off the floor. Jackie’s shoulders dropped in defeat.

Casey turned to walk away, but Bryce grabbed her arm.

“No. You’re coming with me,” he said leading her to a side door.

“Bryce, what are you doing!” Casey demanded as the cold December air assaulted them.

“Casey, what are you doing? I can’t keep quiet anymore. I’ve been watching him for seven months now….”

“Seven months? What… what are you talking about?”

“Tobias! Casey, you’re brilliant! You’re a freaking diagnostician, you have to see it. He is crazy about you, don’t you see?”

“I… I…”

“Do you feel the same way about him? Because it’s time. It’s time to make it clear that you do, or it’s time to make it clear that you don’t. You can’t leave him on pause like this forever Casey.”

“What... what… Bryce, you said seven months. What are you talking about? Seven months ago I was with Ethan, and Tobias, he was all hung up on some woman that didn’t… that she….she didn’t….”

She covered her mouth and gasped.

“Yes, he was madly in love with someone.”

“Bryce? Bryce, no! She…she… wasn’t me? Was she?”

He let out a deep sigh, taking her hand in his.

“Casey, I feel like I’m betraying him right now. But you’re both my friends, and this has gone on too long. You share a home; I don’t want to see this implode… so… yes. Yes, Casey. It’s you. He is so in love with you, I have never seen anything like it.”

She stood in stunned silence as tears began to fill her eyes.

“Casey. Say something.”

“Why, why didn’t he ever tell me?”

“Well, for one thing, you were happily involved with someone else. Someone he’s friends with. He would have never interfered….”

“But we were so close, and we’d go places and… we talked about her….”

“He never wanted to lose your friendship, Casey. Even after you and Ethan were apart. He never wanted to take advantage, and he’s petrified of losing you. He didn’t want to fall for you, but he did. We can’t help these things. But he has the right to be happy to Casey and pining after you forever isn’t going to let him achieve that. The two of you, you need to get some resolution here. Do you have feelings for him?”

“Yes,” she whispered, “I do.”

“Then tell him!” Bryce said frustrated, “I know you keep thinking it’s impossible that he feels that way about you, well, that barrier is gone. I’m telling you what he feels for you. So, for heaven’s sake Casey, what’s so hard! Why can’t you tell him?”

“Because I love him, Bryce!” She cried, “I love him. If I had to count on one hand the people in this world who mean the absolute most to me, he’d be on it. I never want to hurt him, and I never want to be hurt by him,” she began to sob. “Bryce, he means too much to me.”

Casey was shivering as she attempted to wipe away her tears. Bryce pulled her into a hug, rubbing her arms to warm them.

“Casey, come here. Come here. Come on, no tears.”

He took his jacket off and placed it around her shoulders.

“Casey,” he said as she stared at her feet.

He lifted her chin. “Casey, look at me.”

“Casey, no day is promised to any of us. And, in the end, the only thing we will regret is the chances we didn’t take. Sure, there are no guarantees, it could not work out. We didn’t work out but look at us here now. Have some faith that if it doesn’t work, you’d still be OK. But… Casey…. you’re so busy focusing on what will happen if it doesn’t work… but just imagine, what happens if it does?”

Casey looked at Bryce and nodded, emotion overwhelming her.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go ask him to dance,” she said handing him back his jacket. “I’m going to ask him to dance.”

“Atta girl! Now go quick, the party is almost over!”

“I am,” she said jogging off in her high heels.

Bryce sighed as he leaned back against the brick wall.

“If these two make it and I am not the best man, I’ll freaking kill them both,” he laughed out loud.

Casey entered the atrium and scanned the crowd for Tobias. People were leaving, but it was still very full. She didn’t see him, and her frustration was mounting. The DJ would be leaving soon, and she knew herself well enough to know that if she didn’t take this chance now, she would lose her nerve. She had to find him. After several more minutes passed, she saw him. He was by himself, leaning back on two legs of a chair in a back corner. He looked defeated. She nervously brushed off the front of her gown before approaching him. He leaned upright and smiled timidly as she neared.

“Hey, I’ve been looking for you. Where have you been?”

“I just stepped outside for some fresh air. Then I decided I needed some quiet, so I crashed here. No biggie.”

“I saw you dancing with Jackie before.”

“Yeah. I saw you dancing with Bryce,” he grinned. “I mean, she asked me, and she’s pretty persistent. You don’t… you don’t mind, do you?”

“Oh, God, no! Of course not, it’s just….”

“Just?”

“I had kind of hoped that I’d get a chance to dance with you tonight as well. Do I need to be equally as persistent?”

“No, not you, Casey. All you have to do is ask, and I believe you just did.”

“I did,” she said, biting her bottom lip.

He rose to his feet and extended his hand, “Then, may I have this dance?”

“Yes, you can.”

She took his hand and followed him to the now much smaller crowd on the dance floor, a slow ballad was winding down. They turned to each other with almost petrified grins on their faces. She threw her arms around his neck and momentarily stared down at his chest. His hands found their way to her lower back, oh, how he wanted to brush that soft velvet, but there was no way that was happening. Casey looked back up and smiled at him as they began to softly sway to the music. No words were spoken and then, the song reached its end.

“And that’s it for this evening Edenbrook family. I hope you all had a wonderful night! Now, there are taxis outside for those who need them, and you be safe getting home. Happy Holidays!”

“Are you freaking kidding me!” Casey exclaimed jumping back from Tobias. “UGH. That’s what I get,” she said shaking her head.

“Hey, Case, it’s ok, we can,” he stopped as a loud noise came from his pocket. “Ah, shit!” He pulled out his phone, “Jesus!”

“What is it?”

“Mr. Cortez he’s out of surgery but there were complications. They want me to come up right away.”

“No! Not now!! Do you want me to come?”

His face grimaced in frustration as he shook his head.

“No. No, hon, this one could be an all-nighter. Why don’t you get a car home?”

Casey lowered her eyes almost crying.

“I guess. Are you sure? I don’t mind waiting up for you, if…”

He brushed her cheek. “Just go home and get some sleep, Casey. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, T,” she smiled as she let out a soft breath.

“Good night, Casey. I really better go.”

“I know, I know… go ahead.”

Casey watched Tobias as he jogged down the hall. What, she wondered, do we do now?

Permatags: @adiehardfan @barbean @binny1985 @bluebelle08

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#choices fanfic #delaying the inveitable #ethan ramsey #tobias carrick #ethan ramsey x mc #tobias carrick x mc #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #fics of the week #choices open heart #open heart fan fic #love triangle #friends to lovers

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fruitcoops · 3 years

Note

Hey I was wondering if you could do mix prompts 3, for coops! Like Harry saying his first words infront of everyone and it being like “loops” or “Remus” or something cute like that. Just everyone being jealous.

This prompt is so cute, I love it! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!

Prompt 3: “You’d be a great dad”

Sirius buzzed with excitement as he and Remus drove the short distance to the Potters’ house—it had been three full days since he last saw Harry and the wait was killing him. Babies were terribly fragile and usually made him anxious, but there was something about cradling his tiny godson in his arms that calmed him through and through.

James and Lily’s holiday lights twinkled as they walked up the front steps, careful of the snow-covered concrete and shivering in the cold; a small sticker reading ‘baby inside—please knock gently! :)” in Lily’s swooping cursive decorated the doorbell. Moments after Remus’ knock, the door swung open.

“Hey, you two!” James grinned at them and bounced Harry on his hip as he moved aside. “You’re just in time, Lily made cocoa.”

“Oh, hell yeah,” Remus said, ducking into the warm house and toeing his shoes of.

James narrowed his eyes and smacked him on the shoulder. “Language, Loops, my kid’s first word is not going to be cursing me out.”

“With you as his father, it might be,” Sirius snorted as he joined them. “Hey, J.”

“Long time, no see, man.” Their side-hug was a little awkward with the baby, but Sirius sank into it just the same.

“It’s been six hours since practice,” Lily laughed from the doorway, poking her head out of the kitchen. “How do you two survive apart?”

“They don’t,” Remus said wryly as he hung his scarf. “Can we see Pots? What do you think Pots and Lily are up to tonight? Will Harry still be awake?”

“I don’t sound like that!” Sirius complained, making a face at him. Harry burbled and reached for him. “Bonjour, mon petit chou. Have you been good for your parents?”

Lily cocked an eyebrow and handed Remus a steaming mug of cocoa. “He threw up on me an hour ago.”

“Aw, pauvre bébé.” Harry turned his huge green eyes on Sirius, reaching for a clump of his hair with a toothless smile. “I know, my hair is so messy from my hat—ope, okay, that’s a strong grip you’ve got.”

“Ope,” James mimicked. “You’re spending too much time with Loops.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He shifted Harry to his other hip. “So, when can he have a sleepover with us?”

Lily gave him a disbelieving look. “He’s less than a year old.”

“…and? He sleeps through the night.”

“You want responsibility over a child?”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “He’s my godson, we can handle it. Right, honey?” Remus took a long sip of hot chocolate in lieu of a response. “I thought you liked kids!”

“I love kids, but that doesn’t mean I want a whole infant in our house,” Remus laughed. “We can barely take care of Hattie. Where would we even put him?”

“If you get proper stuff and both agree, you can have him for one night,” James said as they walked into the living room.

“One evening,” Lily corrected. “If that goes well, you can have him for the night when he’s a little older.”

Sirius adjusted the baby so he was perched on his lap, bouncing up and down in his reindeer footie pajamas. “Your mom and dad are so mean to me,” he sighed, tapping Harry on the nose. “Yes, they are!”

The answering string of nonsense baby babble warmed a place deep in Sirius’ heart and Remus leaned his head on his shoulder. “Hey, buddy,” he said with a bright smile. Harry giggled happily. “Yeah, hi. Are you having fun?”

“You’re getting so big! God, you’re cute.”

“C’mere, you, I need my baby snuggles.” Remus carefully took him and gave Sirius a kiss on the cheek as compensation.

“Do you have any plans for this weekend?” James asked, curling up next to Lily on the opposite couch. “We were thinking of going to the holiday market to see the lights.”

Sirius glanced at his fiancé, who was entirely absorbed in tickling the baby across his legs. “The holiday market would be a good idea, actually. Re, do we still need to pick up gifts for your parents?”

“Hmm?”

“Christmas presents for your folks.”

“Oh, yeah,” Remus looked back to James and Lily, who were watching them with fond smiles. “The holiday market sounds fun! There’s a bookstore down there that I’ve been wanting to check out.”

James shook his head. “You and your books. One of these days, Loops—”

“Loops!” The room went dead silent. Even the crackling logs in the fireplace seemed to quiet down as they all turned to look at Harry. “Loops!” he shrieked again, making grabby hands for Remus’ face. “Loops, Loops, Loops.”

“Did he just…?” James sounded like he was about to faint. “Remus, did he just say your name?”

Remus opened and closed his mouth a couple times, but no sound came out. Lily set her mug on the end table with a soft thud. “He’s never talked before. Are we sure that’s what he said?”

“It sounded like it to me.” Sirius leaned closer. “Hey, Harry, can you say ‘Loops’?”

“Loops!” Clear as day.

“Holy shit,” Remus whispered. James didn’t even correct him on his language. “He knows my name.”

“But—but aren’t babies supposed to know their parents first?” Lily twisted the end of her braid. “Did we screw up our kid?”

James sighed heavily. “Our baby likes Remus more than he likes us. Of course he does. Jesus.”

“I’m his godfather,” Sirius protested, poking Harry’s belly gently. “Hey. Baby. I’m your godfather.”

“Loops!”

Remus gave him a sly smile. “Looks like someone got dethroned.”

“You can’t dethrone a godfather!” he sputtered. “Pots, he can’t do that, can he?”

“I think he just did,” James said, resigned. “Doesn’t matter that I’m his actual father. Lils, is there more cocoa in the kitchen?”

She groaned as she stood. “I grew that baby for nine months and then pushed him out of my womb after eleven hours of labor, and he knows how to say ‘Loops’ before my name. I’m getting whiskey to go along with it.”

“Traitor.” Sirius frowned down at Harry as Lily and James left the room, but the baby just smiled at him and kicked his little feet. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“He really is,” Remus said, cuddling into his side.

“As much as I’d like it if he knew my name, it’s pretty awesome that he knows yours.”

Remus laughed. “I’m pretty sure he just knows the word, not what it means.”

“Really?” Sirius raised one eyebrow and took the baby back, turning him so they were face to face. “Okay, Harry, where’s Loops? Do you know where Loops is?”

Harry wriggled around and reached out for Remus, who lit up with joy. Sirius’ heart swelled about eight sizes. “Good job, buddy!” Remus took his hands and shook them around. “Yay!”

“You’re adorable.”

“Me or the kid?”

“Both.” Sirius kissed his forehead. “You’d be a great dad.”

“So would you.” Remus leaned up for a proper kiss that was only slightly ruined by Harry smacking him on the cheek. “Ouch. Am I not allowed to kiss your godfather anymore?”

“Shit.”

They gasped at the same time. “Oh, no.” Remus eyes went wide with horror. “Oh, Lily’s going to kill me.”

“We can’t tell them,” Sirius said instantly, checking the hallway in case the other two were lurking.

“Sirius, she is going to kill me.”

“Not if she thinks it was James. Or herself.”

“We’re threatening their marriage because I accidentally taught their baby to swear?”

“Perhaps.”

“I love you so much.” Remus turned back to Harry and his face became solemn. “You are not allowed to say that word until we leave, young man.”

“Loops!”

“Good job.”

Sirius settled the baby into Remus’ lap and stood, craning his neck to see into the kitchen. “Hey, guys, I think we’re going to head out soon. Hattie’s had a tummy ache since this morning and I’m a little worried about her.”

Lily frowned as she took a sip of whiskey-cocoa. “Aw, I’m sorry. Give her lots of kisses from us, okay?”

“Drive safe!” James called from out of sight. “Thanks again for stealing our child’s first word.”

“You can blame my fiancé for that one.” He gave Remus a thumbs-up as he set the baby in his playpen. They had never put on their winter clothes faster; Sirius was pretty sure his shoes were on the wrong feet, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Bye, love you!”

“Love you t—” The door cut off the last of James’ words as they all but sprinted down the walkway, skidding on the icy sidewalk and tumbling into the car. There was a moment of silence, and then they both burst out laughing.

“Oh, my God, I taught Harry how to swear,” Remus wheezed, leaning his head back against the headrest. “And then we just ditched.”

“We’re the worst godparents ever.” Sirius thumped his forehead against the steering wheel and turned the key in the ignition. “They will never forgive us if they find out.”

“Definitely not.”

They barely reached the end of the block before Remus’ phone rang. He declined the call immediately, stuffing it into his coat pocket. Not even two seconds later, Sirius’ ringtone for James blared in the silence of the car. Slowly and deliberately, he turned it on silent and shoved it in the console. Later. They would deal with this later.

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duckymcdoorknob · 3 years

Text

Katsuki Bakugo General Headcannons

🚨Slight TW for “ED”s

Resident panicked person calmer.

Will have people knock on his door between 4 PM and 4 AM with teary eyes or heavily breathing.

Invites them inside for TV, decompression time and a snack.

100% has a snack stash with like chips ahoy and goldfish for nights like these

His most frequent visitors are Izuku, Eijirou and Denki.

Insomniac

This poor baby can’t sleep for the life of him.

Won’t use melatonin bc he knows Sero is addicted to the stuff.

1000/10 times you’ll find him either in the common area watching a baking show, in the kitchen making something he saw on said baking show, or in his room mindlessly scrolling through his social media

Somehow always fresh as a fuckin’ daisy and completely alert.

Has secret Pinterest boards

I mean let’s be real. He probably googled “All Might Cool Moments” in his youth.

Ain’t no way he doesn’t have hero costume ideas pinned

Definitely doesn’t have a board of just nouns for hero names

Not religious but refers to any deity as “fucker”

“Hey fucker, it’s me, Katsuki.”

“Deku was being a brat today so if you could smite him that’d be cool”

“Amen or whatever I’m supposed to end this with.”

Literally cares so deeply for people because he lacked affirmation in his youth

He heard one time Mina wasn’t eating because she didn’t like how she looked.

Dad mode snapped on AfuckinSAP

Sat her down when everyone went to bed and made her some scrambled eggs and some bland oats,

“We’re not fuckin’ leaving till you finish this. Understand me, Pinky?”

Then calmly explains to her how dangerous her situation could be.

“Just because you’re built like an hourglass doesn’t mean you’re overweight. You‘re just curvy.”

You bet your ass Mina never even considered the thought again.

I like to think that him and Iida have an unspoken “friendship”? Alliance maybe?

Checks in on class rep to make sure he ‘doesn’t have a pole up his ass today’

The latter happens too. Iida makes sure he’s ‘following the rules to the best of his ability’

Rather sweet.

They both take the secret to the fuckin’ grave though.

He’s not big on PDA but he is the cuddliest mf when his friends need it.

One time he heard Denki crying in his dorm room, so he went inside and sat with him.

This is his favorite way to hold his friends: Basically he sits behind them and puts them between his legs. Then he rests his chin on their head and just engulfs them in his arms.

“W-what’you doin’?”

“I’m holding you. What do you think I’m doing idiot?”

Absolute god among men at first person shooters.

“COME ON BAKUGO! HOW THE HELL DO YOU KEEP WINNING?”

“Cause I’m awesome shitty hair.”

Huge whore for Steven Universe

Has seen every episode of both of the serieses

Yes even Future

He really likes the movie.

He likes it even more when Kirishima watches it with him because he does a really stupid voice for Spinel.

Kind of like Gurgi from Black Cauldron

On the off chance he’s sleepy, he can’t sleep without a fan on.

Obsessively febreezes his dorm.

Favorite thing in the world is fuzzy socks.

Genuinely almost died when Kirishima got him some for Christmas.

“You always wear fluffy socks. Then I saw one day that you got a stain on a pair, sooo I got you another packs.”

“Tch. Yeah alright thanks shitty hair.”

*cue internal death*

IS LITERALLY THE BEST AT GIFT GIVING.

He just always knows what to get people.

He got Denki a board game and the poor baby burst into tears.

Is unfortunately a meme lord

Speaking of Christmas, this motherfucker is the resident gift wrapper

His creases are impeccable and the lines are just so straight

Literally looks like Santa’s workshop type presents.

Ochaco is SOO jealous of him

That’s all folks.

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #bakugo #bakugou katsuki #Katsuki #katsuki bakugō #Katsuki bakugo #mha Bakugo #mha katsuki #bakugo headcanons #bakugo hcs

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mariniacipher · 3 years

Text

Gone In Sparks And Light

My gift for the @sanderssidesgiftxchange - this was written for @genderqueer-turtle. I really hope you had a merry Christmas and that you will enjoy this gift!

Summary: Looking at an artefact he's stolen from the archaeology lab, Remus finds a way to travel back in time, to a place where he might belong- to the people who could be meant for him.

WC: 3,830

Ships: Remus/Virgil/Logan, ment. Roman/Janus

Warnings: mentions of resurrecting dead animals

ao3

Remus leaned over the examining table and fiddled with his microscope to examine the shard of periwinkle glass. There had been runes carved into them, and the archaeology lab was being so possessive over it. Something about him destroying the delicate work. As if he’d ever be so careless with something so delightfully strange!

He scoffed and let his scalpel run over the glass without leaving even the hint of a mark. “No, I wouldn’t,” he muttered, looking back through the lens of the microscope. He’d stolen it after hearing about the commotion they’d all made- he just had to take a look at it!

Remus startled as he finally recognized the marks on the glass. Fiddled with the microscope’s lens. Examined the piece of glass again. Cursed.

His scalpel traced over the last rune in a sequence of antiquated letters and numbers and signs that could’ve come from his own lab, if it wasn’t for the fact that whoever had carved this had gone even farther in the convergence of spatial displacement with interplanar conjuring than he ever did. And he’d already revolutionized the field with his out of the box ideas.

His hands started shaking where they still traced over a small mark in the glass. A small mistake had been made there that set the equation off, a single line missing to turn it into the very formula he’d dedicated his life to discovering after he got his doctorate.

And now he was just one line away from finishing it, thanks to whoever it was that had carved the periwinkle glass. A laugh escaped him, hysterical and hopeful and disbelieving, shaking his body and- the noise of this scalpel scratching the glass was almost inaudible, but to Remus’ ears it sounded deafening.

He’d perfected the formula, he realized a moment later. He’d perfected it! He’d finished his life’s work at 27, all thanks to that mysterious soul, that mysterious carver of periwinkle glass whose body must’ve left a trace of DNA on this glass. Who had to be replicable and revivable. They had to be!

Remus was ready to take apart the glass and grind it into molecular pieces to enlarge and search through, looking for any trace of DNA he could give the necromancy department and bring them back to life, or get the spectral summoning folks on the case- anything!

This person, this carver-of-periwinkle-glass, they were the only one who could be his match, in a field filled with industrious dimwits and lazy, narrow-minded geniuses. And this shard of glass could lead him to a person with whom he could share his lab. A person who was actually his match, who knew what they were doing just like he did.

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment and murmuring the formula to himself, recognizing the inherent rhythm in it- a spell’s melody. Wrapping his arms around himself, he rocked back in his chair, almost hearing the symphony of magic meeting its capturing, of strings weeping and rejoicing.

Without noticing, he raised his left hand in the air, as if conducting the magical energy with the scalpel he still held. The tight bracelet around his wrist started to glow, indicating magic to be near him. Remus didn’t notice that though, too focused on repeating the discovery- their shared discovery! After so many years of solitary work, he’d found a worthy partner, perhaps even a potential friend. No matter that time and space had tried to separate them.

He couldn’t imagine what their life had been like, what they had lived like- if they’d been just as lonely, just as severed from the world around them- if they’d wished for a companion just as much as he did.

His wish, his desire, sent the magic innate to him outward, and the formula gave it a direction. They twisted together and converged to create a beautiful braid of light and sparks, green and dark blue and purple combining with silver thread to hold it all together. It circled in the air, being woven into a circular tapestry that flickered between aether and reality. The silver sparks reflected the light like mirrors, before showing- everything.

Worlds and universes and planes he’d never imagine before and some he had, so different and bright Remus’ breath stopped as he saw it.

But he kept repeating the formula, kept thinking of how its creator must’ve lived, and he saw how the silver mirrors showing the growing portal’s destination shifted, narrowing down their focus: First to only showing images of their plane, then to running back in time, then to finally showing him a small village from hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago. Remus could almost see himself there, could almost taste the air and feel the breeze and hear the rain that was pattering down from the sky.

And just as his yearning reached its zenith, the silver sparks started to migrate into the centre of the circular tapestry, moulding and growing it. The portal turned into a single image of the small village, each raindrop glittering silver, framed by a braid of blue, green and purple that bled together at the edges. Remus stopped for a moment to admire it, the breath stolen from his lungs.

Then he took a running start and jumped through it.

Virgil rightened the wool cape over their shoulders and fidgeted with the broad scarf they’d wrapped around their shoulders and head. They were still drenched to the bone, the rain not giving them any hint of reprieve. The wool weighed heavily, damp and disgusting against their skin. Why did the market have to be so far away? They’d left their village when dawn had still been streaking the night sky with pink and purple stripes, to find the parts that Logan claimed he needed.

Now, hours later, they were weighed down with a heavy bag filled with scrap metal, it was almost dusk and they were more than ready to let their husband hang up the woollen layers they were wearing and detangle their hair to braid it out of their face with warm, calloused hands afterwards. Their tired muscles ached for Logan’s familiar touch, to kiss and hold-

Why was Roman outside?

The rain and the darkness would usually drive him inside, to work on his costumes or his lines, and besides that Roman had been glued to Janus’ side ever since they confessed. And the snake was nothing if not consistent in their distaste for anything that went against their hedonistic desires. Virgil would know, they loved to watch them pout as they were dragged out of their comfort zone by Roman, pretending not to enjoy it, just like Roman pretended to dislike it when Janus forced him to take a break. If it didn’t devolve into them making out half the time, they would’ve even called the couple cute.

But Roman seemed to be alone out here, and in what had to be a new costume- it was a stark white robe that shone against the drab houses the storm had turned their village into. It went down to their shins, with a similar white shirt underneath, and Virgil cursed under his breath. Light fabric was expensive, and if his friend had gotten in over his head for his creative vision again-

“Hey, whatcha watchin’ for, hot stuff? You wanna get a piece of this?” The person- not Roman, not at all Roman- grinned, so wide it looked almost painful, shaking his hips in a way that was probably supposed to be suggestive but just let Virgil worry about his thin figure. There was a weird tension in his frame that Virgil couldn’t name.

They frowned, hauling their bag higher up their arm to cross them before their chest. “I’ve never seen you here before, are you passing through?” The white robe wasn’t protecting him from the rain at all and Virgil hoped he had friends in town to take him in.

But the man shook his head. “Yeah, you could say that…,” he paused, before perking up with sudden enthusiasm. “Would you happen to know any scientists?”

Virgil mouthed the strange word to himself before shaking their head. “No, I’ve never heard of that- what language even is that? I never… you’re not part of a cult, right?” They changed their grip around their bag again, this time to have a sharp piece of metal in arm’s reach.

“No! I just- wait, let me think how you’d call it… maybe I should have studied history a bit, before- well, too late now.” The stranger hummed to himself. “I’m looking for a person who’s researching magic! Trying to understand and tame it, all that!”

Virgil sighed. Of course, the maybe-cultist would look for someone of Logan’s profession; they ignored the curiosity the stranger had piqued within themself. “Then come along.” They led the way up their village’s main street and discarded the potential weapon in their bag. “My husband and I’s house is on the edge of town, and I don’t want you to freeze to death because the others think you’re possessed or something.”

The stranger followed him, an obvious bounce in his step. “Does that happen often? I heard about possession, but never managed to get it right! I called on so many serial killers, you wouldn’t believe- the whole ritual is so disgusting, imagine how it’d look if it actually worked!” The smile on his face was positively gleeful. “Everything I read sounds positively horrid, absolutely gruesome and-” Virgil bit back a grin at the other’s open excitement. It’d been a while since they’d let themself be so excited about the more macabre side of magic.

“Oh, you should’ve seen the reception at our wedding. I had gotten a bunch of emus and charmed them to come alive again, to carry some drinks. You should’ve seen the faces of the guests, man, it was great. And they were way better at serving the drinks than the chickens Logan wanted-” Virgil cleared their throat, suddenly growing aware of what they’d said. “Just so you know,” they added, grumbling, shoulders hitching up.

Remus’ grin didn’t soften, but they perked up, finding the other to mirror his own interest in the dirty parts of magic and science. He leaned forward as he caught up to them with an expectant smile. “I do know now,” they said, “but you didn’t mention what spell you used at all! How am I supposed to reanimate my own flock of emus? Let alone my own flock of geese!” The scientist cackled at the idea of unleashing a flock of geese onto the archaeology department. It would be glorious and he had to get back to the present to do it at least once!

Virgil snorted, imagining their own friends’ reaction if they had to cope with a pack of wild geese. “I think you’d be run out of town for that one,” they muttered, but they were unable to hide their smile, small as it might’ve been.

“Oh, like that hasn’t happened before! Do you know I’ve been banned from a different mall on each of my birthdays since I turned 13?” Remus bounced on his feet, rubbing his hands together as if he were a supervillain about to explain his devious plan, just to do something with them.

“I’m Remus,” he added, a moment later, “and I’m pretty sure you’ve no idea what a mall is.”

Virgil shook their head, but they were smiling. “Nah, but like, they can’t be that good, if they’d throw you out.”

Remus froze, turning distinctly pink. “Okay. If you say so.” It wasn’t like he didn’t know what flirting was; in the monster romance books he secretly read there was a lot of flirting! He just. Hadn’t really ever been on the receiving end of it. But… looking at the stranger and their smile, their eyes shimmering with mirth, he’d really like to learn.

Virgil cleared their throat, blushing too. The darkness thankfully did its best to hide it. “I’m Virgil,” they said and hoped they could convince Remus to stay a while. “And my husband’s name is Logan- you’ll love him, he’s great. As long as he’s not forcing me into a storm for his experiments, at least.” They chuckled, more fond than bitter.

Remus nodded eagerly at the reminder of what had brought him here. “You mind telling me about those?” He leaned forward, “I’d love to hear about it.”

Virgil laughed, “don’t tell me you’re another one of those logicians- I’ve already got enough with Logan and his attempts to anger the spirits.”

Remus sputtered. “I don’t want to anger them! Just… get to the bottom of them. Are you honestly telling me that you’re happy with just accepting the ways they work? Just like that?”

“No, I just- c’mon, we’re almost home, talk to Logan about your attempt to get struck by lightning.” But their smile belied the disinterest of Virgil’s words. Just what they needed, really, another person to anger the ones above and below.

The two of them had arrived at the top of the hill the village stood on and could look below: the cliff coast, steep and jagged, the grey sea crashing against it, with a small cottage standing at its edge. The thatched roof was dark with rain and the garden around it seemed to be filled with herbs and flowers, some of which Remus had only seen in archaeological texts.

The scientist ran forward as he spotted those, gasping as he cradled the bloom of a dark blue lily that had supposedly been used to dye clothes with its blooms and season potions with the dried leaves. Remus was almost cackling with glee as he imagined what the people at the archaeological department would say if they heard about missing out on this.

He turned around from where he’d crouched down on the ground to face Virgil, not paying attention to the house. “What’re these?”

“My mother always called them gunny’s blossoms,” came the reply from behind him, and Remus could see Virgil roll their eyes before turning around and standing up to face the other man- Virgil’s husband, most likely.

The man was short- shorter than Remus and definitely shorter than his spouse, wearing a too-big woollen coat that probably belonged to Virgil, under which Remus could spot embroidered robes. He could’ve sworn he recognized some of them from either his textbooks or the designs still so popular in churches and temples, but they were covered up by the man’s crossed arms. “And what should I call you?”

“Remus!” he introduced himself with a bow, exaggerated and clumsy, but he carried it with confidence. “I cannot say how happy I am to meet you- is it right that you are working with making magic make sense? Your spouse mentioned, but- I’ve got to be sure.”

Logan looked over at Virgil, face creased with confusion. His spouse merely shrugged. “I am working on capturing the powers that be into clear, replicable form, yes. Are you in the field as well?”

Remus laughed at the question. “In the field, yes- pioneered a good deal, back in-'' he looked around himself as if fearing to be struck by lightning when speaking his breaking of the laws of time and space aloud. “Can I come in? I’d love to talk to you- you both.” He rocked back and forth on his heels; this was the furthest he’d come in making new frien- acquaintances, right now, he reminded himself, even though it hurt- and he was weirdly jittery. Nerves firing and pores excreting sweat. He would’ve been delighted at the grossness had it been any other time.

But Logan nodded, his curiosity seeming piqued as he exchanged a look with his spouse. There was a new light in his eyes and even though this was the first time Remus saw it, he wanted to keep it there for as long as possible. Judging by the softness that gentled Virgil’s expression, he wasn’t the only one.

“Of course,” Logan finally said, turning back to the door. “You’re free to pick some gunny’s blossoms if you’d like. We have more than enough.”

Remus made a high-pitched noise at the back of his throat, grabbing a handful of them and holding them to his nose. It coloured his face blue and Virgil snorted, not as derisive as they’d wanted to.

“It tingles!” Remus rubbed at the pollen and colour on his face.

“Yeah, that’ll be the rash you’re about to get,” Virgil smiled, as though they weren’t already reaching for one of the vials attached to their belt. “Lo, do you-”

“Yes.” Logan already stood next to them with a rag, wetting it with the tincture Virgil had brewed for their husband less than a week before. They both led Remus inside with ease and the scientist would’ve looked around himself if he hadn’t been so focused on the couple now sitting him down on a chair that had to be freed of fabric- “Virgil, you said you’d clear another chair- and what if someone sat here? The magic you embroidered into this would be completely corrupted!”

“Well, you didn’t notice until now, did you?” Virgil shook their head, “I’ll bet you didn’t eat lunch either. Besides, my magic isn’t so fragile-”

“-It is nonetheless worthy of protection!”

Virgil grumbled in reply to that, but Remus could swear there was a redness to their cheeks that couldn’t be attributed to the cold outside. They crossed the room, folding the piece of fabric as they went.

Remus tried to catch a look at what was painted onto it- were those runes pre-roman?- but Logan stepped into his line of sight, holding the same rag as before, but now it was covered with some kind of liquid. It was kind of sizzling the wool but didn’t seem to burn it.

“Do not worry, Virgil’s version is only so bubbly because it is more fitted to human skin- I’d know, I’ve got it on me at least twice a week.” Logan smiled, fond and soft and so close. Remus watched him, for the first time in his life completely stunned, as the other man gently wiped off the colour from the flowers. He didn’t even notice how his grip on those still in his hands slackened until a few hit the floor. But the wood was already so stained- from potion accidents, runic accidents and cooking gone wrong- that it didn’t make a real difference.

“You, ah-” Remus caught his breath, looking Logan straight in the eyes. They were light brown- a mundane colour, but, for the first time, it reminded Remus of amber, of acorns in the summer, of wilderness in a seemingly calm form. But only seemingly, as the house around him proved. “What’re you working on?”

Logan’s smile grew at that, his eyes shining. “Oh, it’s fascinating- I’m trying my hand at abstraction! You might’ve heard of some magicians in the cities doing it, and I’ll admit their research gave me the base idea, but, looking at their works I’d noticed how contained they all were by only using the written word-”

“-as they should,” Virgil interrupted, but it bore no heat and only caused Logan to continue, louder and decidedly looking away from his spouse.

“BUT by applying some runes and numbers to it I started to get much further ahead- I’m just trying some thought experiments now.”

Remus nodded. “Yes! Are you by any chance working on travelling spells? Because I found some, in-” he rocked back and forth in his chair, fiddling with the flowers’ stems in his hands- “some glass with inscriptions of it, and it led me here when I wished for its creator- I’m from the future, y’see, and I,” he smiled, looking around the house again. Looking at the work desk covered in glass and gems and fragile tools, the corner covered in heaps of fabrics, and thread and needles alongside paints and brushes. Looking at an easel leaning against the construction of glass and metal that looked like a telescope, the tapestries hanging from some walls with painted and embroidered runes, words and old spells. He could spy into another room that was filled with vials and kettles, a chemist’s lab from a long time ago, and he wondered if Virgil’s paints were magic in themselves.

“You?” Logan asked as Remus was captured by the house around him, curious in a gentle way. Remus melted at it, leaning into the hand still cradling his head, despite the blue from the flowers already being gone.

“I’m from the future,” he replied, and something crashed in the background as Virgil turned around quicker than light.

“You’re what?” Their eyes were wide with wonder and they stalked over to them as fast as their legs would take them.

“You have to tell us everything- you said you were working on abstracting magic too?” Logan started flapping his hands as he thought, and the obvious stim made Remus rock again, elated to find the other man was like him. “Oh, would you work alongside me? I’ve been simply stuck at trying to find a way to define a natural element and-”

“-oh, the Gregorian Dilemma? I solved that just a few weeks ago, but you, you figured out how to travel through time and space- you have to explain your process!”

“How do you- I was just about to finish my fine-tuned carving of it-”

Remus nodded- “on periwinkle glass?”

“Yes, how did you-”

“- I found it! It’s what led me here in the first place.”

Logan laughed, stunned and delighted and Remus joined him easily.

Virgil snorted fondly at the display. “But, Lo, you didn’t hear the most important thing yet- he never summoned a thing- they lost it, apparently, in the future. I have to show you how we do it, you would love it-”

“-Yes!” Logan exclaimed. “And you’d get to use-”

“- The new tapestry of luminous elation? I’d thought so too-”

“- “what, like the spirit,” Remus interrupted, and the spouses easily slid into explaining and inviting, just as Remus started explaining and accepting. The three of them didn’t even notice how the time went by until the food Logan had prepared before started boiling over, and they all hurried to the kitchen to clean up the mess and Remus ate slightly-burnt stew with them like it was normal, the three of them making space on the dinner table.

Remus put away the periwinkle glass, enlarged thanks to the cloth it’d been placed on, the formula he’d see through a microscope just hours before now easily legible. It was a magic he had never heard of before, and as he asked Virgil explained, interrupted by additions by Logan and Remus alike but always listened to.

And Remus found himself fitting right in.

#sanders side #dukexiety #analogical #intrulogical #anadukexiety

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ridiculously-over-obsessed · 3 years

Text

Mistletoe and Pining

@hrmdream Ho Ho Ho, it is I your Secret Santa! The Barden elves and I have been hard at work in the workshop to bring you your Christmas gift and we’re very excited for you to read it! Have the best holiday period, and I hope you enjoy your present!

Mistletoe and Pining

Rating: G

Words: 6.6k

Pairings: Bechloe

Summary: When Chloe panics and tells her mother that she's dating Beca so that she doesn't set her up on yet another disastrous Christmas date, both women have to try and navigate the holiday whilst harbouring their own feelings.

Read on AO3!

Chloe paced the floor of the studio apartment, running her hand through her hair, biting her lip. Why had she done this? This was perhaps the single most stupid thing she had ever done. There was no way Beca would agree to this. Oh god. What the hell was she going to do?

“Yo, dude, I got the groceries we needed on the way home!” Beca called as she let herself into the apartment, “Although they were out of that yoghurt you like-” She stopped as she saw the look on Chloe’s face, brow furrowing in concern, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Chloe forced a smile, trying to adopt her normally breezy demeanor as she looked at Beca.

“Nice try Beale.” Beca raised an eyebrow, “How long have we know each other now? I know when there’s something wrong.” Beca went and set the bags of groceries on the table before turning back to Chloe, “C’mon. What is it?”

“I- I told mom we were dating so she wouldn’t invite someone over for Christmas dinner to set me up and now she’s insisting I bring you for Christmas…” Chloe knew there was no point dancing around the issue. Better to rip the band aid off now.

Beca’s jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered, shaking her head a little as she tried to keep the idea of dating Chloe out of it. Now wasn’t the time for that, “You… told her we were dating?” The brunette asked slowly, an amused smirk on her face.

“It’s not funny!” Chloe exclaimed as she saw the look on her friend’s face, “I panicked okay? She always picks the most boring people to set me up with, and I just didn’t want another Christmas of awkward flirting and trying to let them down easily…”

Beca could see that Chloe was starting to spiral a little, and she reached out and put her hands on her shoulders, “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. Of course you’d pretend to be dating me, I’m delightful!” She grinned as Chloe giggled a little, shaking her head.

“You don’t have to come, I know you were gonna go and see your dad, and Atlanta is way warmer than Portland at this time of year.” Chloe smiled reassuringly, “I can make an excuse for you.”

“Are you kidding? A chance to see where Chloe Beale grew up? I’m there!” Beca was still grinning, her mind racing with possibilities, but the one that stuck out most was that this was probably her only chance to date Chloe. Even if it was all pretend.

“Beca, you don’t have to change your Christmas plans just for me.” Chloe shook her head. It’s not that she didn’t want Beca to come for Christmas, it’s just that something felt… wrong about lying that Beca was her girlfriend, especially when she wanted it to be the truth.

“I know. But otherwise it’s dad and the step-monster trying to turn us into some perfect sitcom family, and that feels more painful than this.” Beca let her hands drop from Chloe’s shoulders as she started to unpack the groceries she’d brought home.

“Are you sure?” Chloe asked, heart beating a little faster as she thought about the prospect of having Beca there on Christmas morning.

“Certain.” Beca flashed her a grin, “So when do we leave for Portland?”

“Day after tomorrow.” Chloe smiled. Maybe Christmas wouldn’t be so bad after all.

-----

AUBREY: YOU’RE DOING WHAT????

CHLOE: It’s fine Bree, it’ll be fun!

AUBREY: Fun??? Fun??? You’re taking Beca, a woman I once saw eat spaghetti with her hands, to meet your family, who use more knives and forks than even my parents do, and you’re lying to them that the two of you are dating WHILE hiding the fact that you have a raging toner for Beca. You’re right that does sound fun!

CHLOE: It’ll be fine.

AUBREY: Who are you convincing here Chloe, me or you?

AUBREY: Honestly you’d have been better off saying you were dating me, at least I know how to mingle with that crowd!

CHLOE: Oh, so you’d have left your pregnant girlfriend to come spend Christmas pretending to date me?

AUBREY: I typed yes but Stacie smacked my arm…

AUBREY: Just be careful Chloe… I don’t want you getting hurt

CHLOE: I know. It’s gonna be fine, Beca knows it’s not real, it’s just to get my parents off my back

AUBREY: Is it?

CHLOE: Yes.

So now Chloe was lying to her parents and to Aubrey. Brilliant. Chloe set her phone down as she carried on with her packing. Beca was finishing up her shift at the record label, and Amy had already left to spend Christmas with her mom in Australia. She sighed as her phone pinged again, picking it up to see another message from Aubrey.

AUBREY: Does Beca know who your parents are?

Chloe didn’t reply to that. Aubrey knew the answer. None of the Bellas knew that Chloe’s parents owned the biggest digital processing unit company in Oregon, a family business that, once her brother took over, had four generations of Beale men running it. Her family were basically royalty in Portland, but Chloe had never told anyone, except Aubrey of course, but that was only because she’d come to stay with them over the summer their freshman year at Barden.

Chloe had always been determined to be her own woman, and her family had respected that for the most part. Given that she was the youngest of her three siblings, her father had paid relatively little attention to her compared to the others and had opted instead to just throw money at her. It wasn’t that he didn’t love her, Chloe never doubted that for a moment, it was just that he focused on her older brothers more, the heir apparent and the doctor. She didn’t mind, not really, but as she got older, she found herself never wanting to have to rely on her parents for anything, including money. Although they had insisted on paying her tuition fees for every year she was at Barden, and Chloe was never going to argue against not having a student loan.

She was worried that once Beca found out about her trust fund and the money that her family had, she’d be mad at Chloe for not getting them a nicer place to live in New York, or for not getting her a nicer birthday present. Three people in a studio apartment was difficult at the best of times and knowing that Chloe could have changed that might make Beca mad, especially as it would have meant that she had got her own bed. The redhead sighed again as she sunk onto the end of the bed, head in her hands. Why had she made this all so complicated?

-----

It was Christmas Eve and Chloe was pacing again, this time outside the airport in Portland. Beca watched her with a mildly bemused look on her face, but inside her heart was pounding. She hated Chloe being stressed out, the redhead usually the more optimistic of the two of them but watching her like this you’d think the world was ending.

“Dude, it’s gonna be okay. It’s just three days, and then we’ll be back in New York.” Beca tried to reassure Chloe.

“Yeah…” Chloe mumbled, pausing her pacing as she looked at Beca. Their eyes met, and Chloe felt that connection that she had felt ever since their eyes had first met at the activities fair all those years ago. The connection that convinced her, on occasion, that Beca might feel the same way about her, but she was too much of a coward to do anything about it.

Chloe opened her mouth, intending to tell Beca about her parents whilst they waited, but at that moment a town car pulled up, the brunette’s jaw dropping not for the first time that Christmas period.

“Um…” Beca started, “Is that… is that for us?” She frowned slightly.

Chloe could feel her cheeks blush as an older man got out of the driver’s seat, dressed in a suit, a warm smile on his face.

“Miss Beale, I’m so glad you came for Christmas. May I help you with your bags?” He had a light English accent, every bit the stereotype.

Beca stood with her mouth agape as Chloe returned the warm smile, picking up her bag herself.

“Me too Arthur. I’ve got them, thank you though. Arthur this is Beca Mitchell, Beca this is Arthur Wallace he works for my family.” Chloe introduced them to each other with a grin. As bad as she felt about not telling Beca about her family before now, she was enjoying the lock of shock on her face.

“It’s nice to meet you Miss Mitchell.” Arthur nodded politely in Beca’s direction as the brunette just stood there, gob smacked, “Miss Beale perhaps I am overstepping a little here, but surely you should tell your friends about your family’s business before you bring them here?”

Chloe giggled a little as she loaded her bag and then Beca’s into the trunk of the car. She turned to Beca who was still trying to figure out what was going on.

“Dude…” Beca started, finally finding her words again as she looked to Chloe, “Are you loaded?!”

“My dad is Portland’s leading data processing unit producer. It’s a family business, he does really well from it.” Chloe shrugged, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.

“Woah...” Beca managed to squeak as Arthur opened the rear door for Chloe and Beca to get in.

Chloe thanked him, Beca nodding as she clambered in next to the redhead, still trying to figure out just what was going on. She was thankful that the dividing window between them and Arthur was up when they got in the back of the town, swallowing hard as she turned to Chloe.

“Exactly how posh are your folks?” She asked nervously.

Chloe smiled softly, taking Beca’s hand in hers to give it a reassuring squeeze. It was a familiar action that seemed far more intimate than ‘just friends’ but that fact seemed to pass both of them by.

“They’re gonna love you Beca. And they’re not that posh, it’s going to be fine.” Chloe could see the gears in Beca’s brain working overtime as she tried to take in all this information, “I’m sorry, I should’ve told you about my family before we came.”

“Why didn’t you?” Beca asked, a soft frown on her face. She thought Chloe trusted her with everything.

“I didn’t want you to be mad…” Chloe’s voice was barely more than a whisper, “I didn’t want you to think I was hiding money from you or something, because I’m not. My family has money, but I don’t use it unless I have to. Sure there’s my trust fund, but I don’t touch that, I’m saving it for the future.”

Chloe was starting to ramble the way she always did when she was nervous and it caused a smile to form on Beca’s lips in spite of everything, “Chloe.” She interrupted, “It’s okay. I’m not mad, why would I be? It’s your money and your family, whatever you need to do with it, it’s your business.”

Chloe just smiled gratefully, not taking her hand from Beca’s as the car headed for her parent’s house. Deep down, she supposed she knew that Beca would understand, complicated family wasn’t exactly a new concept to the short brunette.

“So how are we doing this?” Beca asked, “Do you just want me to follow your lead with it?”

“Yeah. It shouldn’t involve anything too intimate so don’t worry about that.” Chloe was conscious of Beca’s issues with people in her personal space, so she was trying to accommodate for that, “And my parents are insisting we sleep in different rooms, despite the fact that I’m nearly thirty. But it’ll be fine, it’s been a while since I had a bed that I didn’t share with a starfish!”

Chloe giggled at the look of mock outrage on Beca’s face as the brunette raised an eyebrow, “Well at least I won’t have to wrestle someone for the blankets anymore!”

Chloe just rolled her eyes, already feeling more at ease than she had when the plane had landed. It wasn’t long before they pulled onto her family’s estate, Beca’s eyes widening as she looked out of the window.

“You guys have a whole forest?! That’s so cool!” Beca’s eyes were wide with excitement as she watched the winding road take them up to the Beale’s house.

“It’s not a forest…” Chloe laughed, “It’s just a few trees. In a group. Okay so maybe it is a forest…” She conceded with a thoughtful frown.

“Whoa…” Beca exclaimed as they pulled up in front of the house.

House might be the understatement of the century. It was easily twice the size of any house Beca had ever lived in, more akin to a mansion or a small castle to the short brunette. Waiting on the front steps of the house were two people, red hair like flames against the white walls, older than Chloe or Beca, but as the car pulled to a stop in front of them, Beca could see the family resemblance and knew they had to be Chloe’s parents. She put her hand on the handle of the car door to open it but was stopped as Chloe placed her hand quickly on top of hers.

“It’s dumb, but you have to wait for Arthur to open it.” She smiled softly, “First impressions and all that.”

“Oh.” Beca pulled her hand away from the handle, turning to look at Chloe again, “Sorry. They’re gonna hate me aren’t they?”

“No…” Chloe took her hand in hers and gave it a tight squeeze, “No they’re not. They’re gonna love you.” She smiled warmly, ‘Just like I do.’ Chloe added silently in her head.

Beca bit her lip as she looked down at herself, at the flannel shirt and pants that she had travelled in, and suddenly feeling like she was incredibly under dressed. She wished she could believe her, but her heart was pounding a mile a minute.

“It’s going to be fine Beca.” Chloe reassured her as she saw Arthur’s shadow fall upon the door, “Just take my lead.”

Chloe stepped out of the car first, Beca’s hand in hers as she let Arthur shut the door behind them, warm smile on her face as she led the brunette to meet her parents. Beca was trying hard not to think about the fact that she felt so out of place here, or that her hand in Chloe’s felt like the most normal thing in the world, but honestly what else was there to focus on? None of this was a situation that Beca was used to.

“Hey mom.” Chloe grinned as the older women quickly and easily wrapped her in her arms, Chloe’s hand dropping from Beca’s as she hugged her back, “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas sweetie, I’m glad you came!” Chloe’s mum hugged her tightly, her daughter the spitting image of her mother and definitely every bit the hugger she was, “We’re so happy you could make it, we really missed you.”

Chloe pulled back from the hug with a wide grin, turning to her dad and giving his hand a firm shake, “Hi dad.”

“Hi Chloe. Merry Christmas.” His smile was wide and warm, and his eyes had the same twinkle that Chloe’s always had, “Are you going to introduce us to your guest?”

“Of course!” Chloe grinned, taking Beca’s hand again, the brunette shuffling her feet awkwardly, “Mom, dad, this is Beca Mitchell, my girlfriend.” The word girlfriend rolled off her tongue with surprising ease, her heart leaping a little even though it was a bald-faced lie.

“Hi.” Beca forced a smile, anxiety making her chest pound as Chloe’s mom pulled her into a hug, “It’s really nice to meet you both.”

“It’s really nice to meet you too! Chloe’s told us so much about you, it wasn’t that much of a surprise when Chloe told us that you two were dating.” Chloe’s mom grinned broadly as her daughter blushed furiously, Beca’s grin genuine when she pulled back and looked at Chloe.

“Really?” Beca asked, mischief written in every line of her face as she looked at Chloe. She turned to Chloe’s dad, shaking his hand as it was offered to her, “It’s nice to meet you sir.”

Beca hadn’t meant to call him ‘sir’ but her brain was in overdrive as she tried desperately to adjust to the unusual situation she found herself in. It seemed to be the right call though as a smile of approval crossed his lips, returning the firm handshake. Beca mentally thanked god for her experience with meeting new clients at the label as the experience seemed to be paying off.

“It’s nice to meet you too Beca. Our daughter speaks very highly of you. Arthur, bring their bags up to their rooms please.” Chloe’s father’s tone was warm but still commanding as the older man nodded.

“Of course, sir.” Arthur smiled as he went to get the bags from the trunk.

“Dad, Beca and I can manage our bags.” Chloe frowned a little at her father as she moved to go and help.

“Chloe, whilst you are here you get the same luxuries as everyone else. And I’m sure your friend would like to experience them as well.” The look from Chloe’s father was a little condescending and Beca bristled slightly but said nothing, not wanting to cause a scene.

Chloe opened her mouth to argue but seeing the look on her father’s face she new it was futile. Instead, she followed him and her mother inside, her hand slipping into Beca’s once more. It took all of Beca’s self-control not to let her mouth hang open again as the short brunette stepped inside, the interior of the house looking like something out of a fairytale. The large staircase in the hallway (if you could call the cavernous room they were in a hallway) had green and gold tinsel twisted around the banisters, and a huge tree stood pride of place next to it. It was the biggest Christmas tree Beca had ever seen, dwarfing her as she gazed up at the gold and silver decorations in wonder, feeling a little like a child again.

“Chloe! You made it!” A cheerful voice echoed through the hallways as a young man, perhaps two or three years older than Chloe came into view.

Beca was still in a trance looking at the Christmas decorations as Chloe let go of her hand, allowing herself to be swept into her brother’s arms, laughing as he spun, hugging him tightly.

“Hey Ben! Of course I did, wasn’t going to pass up a chance to see my favourite niece was I?” Chloe grinned as he put her down, their matching blue eyes both sparkling with excitement.

“She’s so excited to see you, Jenny took her to do a little bit of last-minute Christmas shopping, they should be back soon.” Ben beamed as he looked over his sister’s shoulder at Beca who was still looking at the decorations in wonder, “Do I get to meet your girlfriend then or…”

“Oh, of course!” Chloe beamed, a soft laugh on her lips as she tapped Beca’s shoulder to pull her out of the trance she seemed to have fallen into, “Becs?”

“Hm? What?” Beca shook her head a little as she came back into the moment, a light blush on her cheeks, “Sorry.” She mumbled with a sheepish grin.

“This is my brother Ben; I think you guys met actually a few years ago? After the ICCA finals in your first year?” Chloe grinned.

“Oh yeah, I didn’t recognise you without all the eye makeup and the earrings!” Ben teased, sporting the same infectious grin his sister always did.

“Yeah, the earrings make security at the airport a nightmare.” Beca shrugged, grinning in spite of herself, “It’s nice to see you again.” Beca couldn’t remember him for the life of her, but in all fairness most of that night was a blur thanks to the adrenaline of winning and the less than legal drinking after their performance.

“There she is my baby sis!” Another male voice made both Beca and Chloe turn their heads as the oldest of the Beale children joined them, grinning broadly as he gave Chloe a tight hug.

“Rob, I missed you!” Chloe grinned, hugging him back just as tight. Once they broke apart, Chloe turned to Beca again, “Beca this Rob my oldest brother, Rob this is Beca.”

“Hi.” Beca grinned as she shook his hand, “It’s great to meet you.”

“Where’s Laura?” Chloe asked, looking around for her sister-in-law.

“Right here!” A woman, about five years older than Beca and Chloe walked into the room, a wide grin on her face, blonde hair tied back into a loose ponytail. Chloe gasped in delight as her eyes fell upon the unmistakable bump of a pregnancy.

“Oh my god, you’re pregnant?” Chloe grinned, going to hug Laura as she laughed.

“Yep! We figured it would be a nice Christmas present for you all if we just didn’t say anything.” Laura giggled, hugging Chloe back.

“This is so exciting! I’m gonna be an aunty again!” Chloe was beaming from ear to ear as Beca watched fondly.

Watching the redhead surrounded by her family, all of them so happy to see each other gave Beca a warm comfort that she hadn’t really experienced before. Being an only child of divorced parents meant that she had never really experienced a Christmas like this. She might be there under false pretenses, but Beca was glad that she had decided to come.

“Laura this is Beca.” Chloe introducing her pulled Beca from her thoughts, “Beca this is Rob’s wife Laura.”

“Hi.” Beca grinned, “Congratulations on your pregnancy!”

“Thanks!” Laura beamed as Rob wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist, “We’ve been waiting a long for this.”

“AUNTY CHLOE!” A loud voice rang through the hall as a small bundle of winter wear barreled its way over to Chloe, the young redhead beaming as she bent down to scoop her in her arms.

“Monkey!” Chloe grinned, spinning her niece in her arms as the young girl giggled gleefully, “Ooo I’ve missed you! You’ve gotten so tall!”

“Mummy says if I keep growing like this, someday I’ll be as tall as Uncle Rob!” The little girl grinned.

“Woah, that’s so tall!” Chloe gasped in amazement as the young girl’s mother joined them, dark hair a little windswept as she set a few shopping bags down, “Hey Jenny, merry Christmas!” Chloe beamed at her other sister-in-law; arms currently wrapped around the young girl.

“Hi Chloe, merry Christmas.” Jenny’s smile was easy as she moved her hair back from her face, “Did you guys have an okay flight?”

“Yeah, it was fine.” Chloe set her niece down and turned to Beca, “You guys haven’t met Beca before right?”

“Hi.” Beca gave an awkward wave as she smiled.

“Hi! I’m Ellie!” The young girl beamed, sticking out her hand as Beca squatted down so they were the same height, shaking her hand.

“Hi Ellie, it’s really nice to meet you.” Beca smiled warmly, the young girl reminding her of her aunt a little.

“You’re aunty Chloe’s girlfriend?” Ellie asked, eyes wide, “But you’re nearly as small as I am!”

Chloe laughed as Beca blushed furiously, Jenny shaking her head, a little mortified with her daughter.

“Ellie, grown ups don’t have to be really tall!” Jenny gently chided her daughter, “I’m sorry, it really is nice to meet you.” She smiled apologetically as she turned to Beca who had stood up, still sporting a smile.

“It’s fine.” Beca shook her head, “If I wasn’t used to short jokes by now there’d be something wrong with me.”

“What’s that saying? All the best things come in small packages?” Chloe grinned, arm easily and naturally slipping around Beca’s waist as she chuckled, the brunette feeling her heart pound, ready to leap out of her chest at how natural this felt for two people that weren’t actually dating.

“Alright, how about you two go and unpack and freshen up, we’re having lunch in an hour.” Chloe’s mother beamed at her children, happy to have a house full of them again.

“Okay.” Chloe grinned, “Which room’s Beca’s?” There was a hint of annoyance in her voice at the idea that (even though they weren’t actually dating – Chloe had to keep reminding herself of that -) her mother didn’t trust her with a partner in her room.

“The one opposite yours.” Chloe’s mother smiled warmly, “I know you’re both grownups, but still you know the rules of this house Chloe. No guys OR girls in your room overnight unless you’re married to them.”

“I know, I know.” Chloe mumbled, taking Beca’s hand and leading her up the stairs.

In the back of her mind she was cursing herself for wrapping an arm around Beca’s waist like she had, it had simply been a spontaneous moment, the redhead caught up in the charade and how easily Beca fit into their family dynamic. Once they were upstairs and had reached the room that Beca would be staying in, Chloe quietly shut the door, turning to Beca with a guilty look on her face.

“I’m sorry. About the arm around your waist thing, I got in the moment and-” Chloe started, the beginnings of a nervous ramble starting to talk form before Beca cut her off.

“It’s fine Chloe.” Beca grinned, giving her a reassuring smile, “You told me to follow your lead, so I am doing.”

“I know… I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable, I know how you feel about people in your personal space.” Chloe gave her a small smile.

“It’s really fine.” Beca reassured, “Besides, when it’s you I don’t really mind…” The words were out of Beca’s mouth before she could stop them and she blushed deeply, red with embarrassment as looked at her feet, at the bed that her bags had carefully been placed on, at anything but Chloe.

“Oh.” Was all the redhead could think to say, “W-well that’s good! Um, the bathroom is the second door on the left as you head back down the hall, if you want to shower or something, and I’m just across the hall. I’m gonna go unpack.” Chloe hurriedly left the room, heart pounding as Beca’s words bounced around her head. She couldn’t have meant them in the way that Chloe had heard them right? That wasn’t what she meant.

‘Cool it Beale. This is all pretend remember?’ She thought as she stepped into her room with a sigh. Maybe asking Beca to do this had been a mistake. Maybe Aubrey was right, this was going to be too painful. But it was too late now.

Beca sank onto the edge of the bed, head in her hands. Why the hell had she said that? How much of a dumbass was she? She had been so swept up in the warmth of Chloe’s family, of the residual feeling that had been caused by the arm around her waist that had placed there without a second thought, that she hadn’t thought before she’d opened her mouth.

“Dammit Mitchell.” She whispered, shaking her head, “Just be cool for once in your life. This is just a temporary thing, a favour you’re doing for a friend.”

‘A friend you’re in love with!’ Her brain unhelpfully responded as Beca groaned softly. Why the hell had she agreed to this? Chloe was her friend, that’s all she was, and here Beca was letting her ridiculous unrequited feelings get the better of her.

-----

Christmas Eve with Chloe’s family was far easier than Beca had thought it would be after what she said in the guest room. The way Beca slotted in the Beale’s family dynamic was effortless, almost as if she were meant to be there all along. It was a weird feeling for Beca, to be waited on rather than helping with the food and serving it, and there had been a couple of awkward exchanges that Chloe had quickly helped her figure her way around, but that aside it had gone off without a hitch.

They had bid the family good night and walked to their rooms, hand in hand as if it were the most normal thing in the world (although that didn’t stop a tingle in Beca’s hand every time she felt Chloe’s hand pressed against it), stopping only as they reached their doors.

“I’m really glad I came Chloe.” Beca said as she turned to her with a smile, “I know that I’m a little awkward with all the posh stuff, but I’m having a great time.” They were stood usually close, even for them, but neither of them seemed to notice.

“I’m glad you’re here too.” Chloe grinned, “Like really glad. Even if it were just to pretend I was dating someone, I’m glad the person I picked was you.” Chloe had imbibed three glasses of mulled wine, and Beca was starting to have flashbacks to the hood night party of her freshman year as the redhead pulled her close, “I’d always pick you Beca.”

“Thanks Chlo…” Beca whispered, a little tipsy herself but having drunk less to make sure that she made a good impression on Chloe’s parents (which seemed ridiculous considering they weren’t actually dating, but nonetheless she preserved with making a good impression).

“G’night Beca. I think Santa’s gonna leave you some really cool presents tonight.” Chloe winked, her face mere inches from Beca as the brunette giggled softly. In a daring move that caught Beca completely off guard, Chloe closed the gap between them, pressing her lips to the brunette’s.

Beca forgot how to breath, how to move, how to do anything but stand there as Chloe kissed her. She knew that Chloe was a little drunk, that this probably didn’t mean anything other than to steer her clear of the mulled wine tomorrow, but god this was Chloe Beale kissing her and it was all she had ever wanted since she’d started college.

Chloe pulled away, smiling warmly as she waved her fingers at Beca and disappeared into her room, sighing happily as she flopped down onto her bed. That was the best Christmas Eve ever. Having Beca here only made everything better, Aubrey had been wrong. Stupid Aubrey, how could anything that had happened hurt her friendship with Beca?

It was 5am when Chloe’s eyes snapped open, her chest clenching as she sat bolt upright with the answer to the question that had been on her mind as she fell asleep rang around her head. She kissed Beca. She kissed Beca. She kissed Beca. Oh god. Scrambling out from the sheets and blankets that she’d tangled herself in, she immediately went to Beca’s room. Sure it was 5am and the brunette would almost definitely be asleep, but everyone else would be up at 7am and this conversation couldn’t wait.

Opening the door to the guest room, a small smile crossed Chloe’s lips as she saw the brunette splayed out across her bed, starfishing, her mouth hanging open a little. Tiptoeing, Chloe walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it, gently shaking Beca’s shoulder.

“Beca? Beca I need to talk to you.” Chloe whispered, her tone soft but urgent.

“Huh, wha… what time is it?” Beca grumbled as she stirred, frowning a little as she rubbed at her eyes.

“Five am. I’m sorry.” Chloe winced a little as Beca groaned, flopping backwards into her pillows dramatically, “It’s just we need to talk about what happened last night.”

Beca’s eyes snapped open, heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t want to have this conversation, didn’t want to hear Chloe call it a mistake. But here they were, and this was a conversation they had to have.

“I uh, I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry. It was the mulled wine, I guess I just got caught in the moment.” Chloe blushed as she rambled a bit. She wanted more than anything to tell Beca that, yes she hadn’t meant to kiss her, but god was it the best thing she’d ever done.

“It’s fine.” Beca forced a smile onto her face as she sat up, “Really. You’ve always been a little handsy when you’re drunk.”

Chloe couldn’t help but giggle a little as Beca teased her even as she felt her heart break inside as Beca blew it off so off handedly. Part of her wanted Beca to tell her it wasn’t nothing, that it was something she had wanted all along, but here was the definitive answer: Beca didn’t feel the same.

Beca thought she saw a flash of disappointment in Chloe’s eyes and took a deep breath. She’d been thinking about this all night, she’d been thinking about how Chloe’s lips felt against hers, how it felt like electric coursing through her every nerve, how she hadn’t kissed her back. Seeing the look of resignation on Chloe’s face made her wonder if the redhead felt the same way. All too quickly the moment was gone, as Chloe got off the edge of the bed.

“Right, I’ll leave you to get some more sleep then.” Chloe smiled breezily, trying to hide her heavy heart as she left Beca alone again.

Beca could’ve cried as she laid back in her bed, hands on her forehead. Why was this so complicated? God, the look on Chloe’s face… it was playing in her mind over and over. Right. That’s it. Beca sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, throwing her hair up into a messy ponytail before quietly tiptoeing down the hall. She frowned as she entered the kitchen, trying to figure out where things were so she could do this properly. A big gesture. That’s what she needed.

“Can I help you Miss Mitchell?” Arthur’s voice made Beca leap three foot in the air, spinning around as she spun round to see him stood at the entrance to the kitchen.

“Jeez dude!” She exclaimed, getting control of her breathing again as she shook her head.

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Arthur had a bemused smile on his face.

“It’s fine. I really could use some help though, I- I’m trying to do a big gesture, but I suck at this sort of thing.” Beca smiled sheepishly.

“For Miss Beale I assume?” Arthur entered the kitchen, taking a couple of mugs out of the cupboard, “To show her you don’t want to play pretend anymore?”

“How did you?” Beca gasped, mortified at the idea that they hadn’t be as convincing as she thought they had.

“The barrier between the passengers and I in the car is not soundproof… it’s a very common mistake.” Arthur smiled again as Beca blushed.

“Ah. Yeah that makes sense…” Beca grinned sheepishly, “Alright, so big gesture, how do I do this?”

“Hot chocolate.” Arthur started, “There are mini marshmallows in the pantry and whipped cream in the fridge.”

Beca quickly rushed to get them as Arthur heated the milk, ready to melt the chocolate into at as she returned. There was a quite pause before Beca asked him the question that was on her mind:

“Why are you helping me?” Beca didn’t look up from her hands as she asked the question, “I know you work for Chloe’s family, but you have no reason to help me…”

“I have known Miss Beale since the day she was born.” Arthur was dedicated to his task as he gave Beca the answer, “She is like a daughter to me. And I have never seen her look at anyone like she looks at you, or anyone look at her in the way you do. I want her to be happy, and I believe you would make her happy.”

Beca sniffed slightly as she grinned at him, “I’m really going to try…” She promised.

-----

Chloe lay back on her bed, frustrated and sad at the way that this had panned out. God she should have listened to Aubrey, because this really hurt. She was sad, and her heart felt heavy, and Beca hadn’t kissed her back. And now? Now she was stuck spending Christmas pretending to be in a relationship with someone who wasn’t in love with her, which would’ve been fine if she wasn’t so desperately, pathetically in love with them.

A light knock at the door paused Chloe’s spiral as the redhead got up, a soft frown on her face before she opened the door. Stood in a Santa hat that she had purloined from god only knew where, a mug of hot chocolate in each hand and a soft smile on her lips stood Beca. Chloe stood there for a moment in shock, not understanding what was happening.

“Here. Take these.” Beca grinned broadly, waiting patiently as the redhead took the mugs from her and set them down on a table, “It’s the proper stuff, hot milk, melted chocolate, cream and marshmallows. Y’know the kind you drink when you’re sad because it reminds you of being a kid at Christmas.”

“How did you-” Chloe started, trying to figure out what had happened in the half an hour since she had left Beca’s room that had got them to this point.

“You told me once. You were drunk, you’d failed your Russian Lit midterm in our senior year, and I asked what I could do to cheer you up, and you said proper hot chocolate with all the trimmings, because it reminded you of the happiest times in your life.” Beca grinned broadly as Chloe just opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

“Beca, what’s-” Chloe was struggling to find her words as she looked at the big grin on Beca’s face, her heart pounding as her brain worked overtime.

“Look up.” Beca said softly, biting her bottom lip a little, nerves making her heart pound right out of her chest.

Chloe looked up, gasping softly as she what was fixed (a little haphazardly admittedly) above her head. A tear slipped down her cheek as she lowered her head again, a soft smile of disbelief on her lips, “Mistletoe…” She whispered.

Beca nodded, saying nothing more as she leaned in, closing the gap between them as she pulled her close, pressing her lips to Chloe’s, one hand on her hip the other on the back of her neck. Chloe closed her eyes as their lips connected and lost herself in the feeling on Beca kissing her like this as the short woman’s tongue slid across her bottom lip, the kiss deepening far quicker than either of them could’ve imagined it would. The redhead wrapped her arms around Beca’s waist and lifted her upwards, the brunette’s feet not touching the floor as she just grinned against Chloe’s lips, taking advantage of the new angle to press her tongue against Chloe’s in a way that made her let out a soft groan.

Eventually, the need to breathe broke them apart, a little breathless as Beca stood in Chloe’s arms both of her arms now draped around Chloe’s neck.

“That’s what I should have done last night.” Beca whispered, forehead resting against Chloe’s as she grinned.

“Yeah, you really should’ve.” Chloe teased gently.

“Merry Christmas Chloe.” Beca grinned as she kissed her again, chaste and soft.

“Merry Christmas Becs.” Chloe mumbled, grinning from ear to ear.

This really was the best Christmas ever.

#merry pitchmas 2020 #bechloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #pitchmas #pitch perfect fanfiction #fake dating au #fanfiction #fanfic #my fic #pp #pitch perfect

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bechloeislegit · 3 years

Text

25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020

Day 14 - Thank you, Santa

Military Coming Home AU: Beca tells Chloe she won't be home for Christmas.

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Sgt. Beca Mitchell was video chatting with her wife, Chloe, on WhatsApp. The conversation was a bit tense after Beca told Chloe she wouldn't be able to make it home for Christmas.

"Chlo, you know I'd be there if I could," Beca said.

"I know," Chloe said softly. "I just miss you so much. You haven't been home for Christmas in over two years."

"I know," Beca said with a sigh.

"And it's not like we're at war right now," Chloe said. "Why can't they let you come home? Your dad and my folks have all said they'd help pay for your trip. They want to see you as badly as I do."

Beca sighed and stared at her wife as Chloe wiped at the tears in her eyes. "Please stop crying. You know I hate to see you cry, especially when it's because of me."

"I'm sorry," Chloe said, sniffling and wiping her face. She forced a smile, and said, "So, Brey and Stacie are having a Christmas Party."

Beca smiled at the sudden change of topic, knowing it was Chloe's way of dealing with her emotions.

"Yeah?" Beca asked. "Are the Bellas going to be there, too?"

"Emily, Jessica, and Fat Amy will be there," Chloe said. "The rest aren't able to make it."

"Sgt. Mitchell?"

"I'm sorry, babe," Beca said. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later. I love you!"

"I love you, too," Chloe said. "Stay safe!"

"Always," Beca said, smiling and blowing Chloe a kiss.

~~ Day 14 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~

"CR and Ashley are coming home for Christmas," Chloe told Beca on their next WhatsApp video call. "Why can the Air Force and Navy send soldiers home for Christmas, but not the Army?"

"It doesn't work like that, babe," Beca said.

"It should," Chloe said. "The Army sucks!"

"I know," Beca said. "But it is what I signed up for, and by virtue of marrying me, so did you."

"I know," Chloe said. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. Sometimes I wish-."

Chloe paused and looked at Beca.

"Sometimes you wish what?" Beca asked, raising her brow. "That you never married me?"

"NO!" Chloe said quickly. "I'd never wish that. I love you, Beca, so, so much. I was going to say sometimes I wish you had never joined the Army."

"But, I did," Beca said. "You knew I was a soldier when we met."

"I know that!" Chloe said. "And I love that you want to serve our country." Chloe's voice broke as she added, "What I don't love, is the families that are left at home not knowing when, or if, they'll see their loved ones again! I have to go."

Chloe ended the call and cried. She didn't bother to even try to curtail her tears. She cried because she missed Beca. She cried because she had yelled at Beca and Beca didn't deserve that.

Chloe knew she owed Beca an apology, so once she calmed down, she initiated another video call with Beca.

"Hey," Beca said, accepting the call.

"Hey," Chloe said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve to be yelled at. I'm just so frustrated at how much I miss you, and can't see you, or hug you, or kiss you. I miss all that."

"I get it, I do," Beca said. "I want to see you in person and hug you and kiss you, too. I'm going to see if I can get permission to take some leave and come home. I know I won't be able to do it for Christmas, but I'll try to make it as soon as possible."

"I'll take it," Chloe said, smiling at Beca. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Beca said. "Things have been quiet here, so I should be able to call you on Christmas. Maybe we can video chat while you're at Stacie and Aubrey's party."

"I'd like that," Chloe said. "I'm sure the girls would love to see and talk to you, too. They are always asking about you."

"I miss those crazy nerds," Beca said smiling.

"God, I love that smile," Chloe said, causing Beca to blush.

"Stop it," Beca said.

"I really am sorry for taking my frustration out on you," Chloe said.

"It's forgotten," Beca said. "I should go. I'll talk to you soon. I love you."

"I love you, too," Chloe said. "Stay safe!"

"Always," Beca responded and ended the call.

~~ Day 14 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~

On Christmas Eve, Chloe pulled up WhatsApp and initiated a video chat with Beca.

"Hey, babe," Beca said, answering the call. "Where are you?"

Chloe looked around. "I'm spending tonight at Brey and Stacie's. They didn't want me to be alone on Christmas morning. This way I get to see Bella open her gifts from Santa."

"That's good," Beca said. "What's a good time for us to talk tomorrow?"

"The party is supposed to start at one my time," Chloe said.

"That's good," Beca said. "It's still early enough here that I should be able to talk for a while. Hopefully, I can talk with everyone."

"I'll make sure to keep them to a time limit," Chloe said. "After they're done, I can hide out in my room and we can chat privately."

"Why, Mrs. Mitchell," Beca said, waggling her eyebrows. "Are we going to have one of those kinds of chats?"

Chloe laughed. "Stop, you perv. If I can't have you physically participating, it's not worth it."

"Speak for yourself" Beca laughed. "I love watching you."

"You need to stop," Chloe said. "Or this might turn into one of those calls."

"Would that be so-"

"Chloe?" Aubrey said as she opened the bedroom door. "Lunch is ready."

"Hey, Posen," Beca said from the computer screen. "Impeccable timing as usual."

"Oh, hi, Beca," Aubrey said, looking at Beca. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you two were talking."

"It's okay," Chloe said. "We were just finishing up."

"We were?" Beca asked, pouting.

"Yes, we were," Chloe said and laughed. "We'll continue this tomorrow. Maybe."

"Fine," Beca said. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you, too," Chloe said. "Stay safe!"

"Always," Beca said. "Bye, Aubrey."

"Bye, Beca," Aubrey said.

Chloe ended the call and closed her laptop.

"I really am sorry, Chloe," Aubrey said.

"It's okay, Brey," Chloe said. "I'll get to talk to her tomorrow."

~~ Day 14 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~

On Christmas morning, Chloe was awakened by a very excited four-year-old Bella Conrad.

"Aunt Chloe," Bella yelled as she bounced on Chloe's bed. "Santa came. Get up!"

"I'm up. I'm up," Chloe said, sitting up.

"Mommy said breakfast is ready," Bella said as she slid off the bed and ran toward the door.

Chloe flopped back on the bed, stretching her arms over her head. She ran a hand through her hair and wiped her eyes before sitting up on the side of the bed.

"Aunt Chloe!" Bella yelled from the doorway. "Breakfast is ready!"

"I heard you," Chloe said, standing and slowly made her way to the door.

"Hurry up," Bella said as she grabbed Chloe's hand and led her to the kitchen.

"Good morning, sunshine," Stacie said to Chloe.

"Bite me," Chloe said, as she took a seat at the counter, placing her head on her arms.

"Chloe!" Aubrey admonished. "A c-h-i-l-d is present."

"Presents?" Bella squealed. "Is it time to open presents?"

Stacie laughed. "Not until after we eat."

"Darn it!" Bella said, crossing her arms and pouting.

Chloe laughed.

"Don't encourage her, Chloe," Aubrey said.

"Sorry," Chloe said. "She's just so darned cute when she pouts."

Aubrey set a cup of coffee in front of Chloe as Stacie plated the food.

Breakfast was finally over, much to Bella's delight. Chloe watched Bella open her gifts, with a sad, thoughtful smile on her face.

"You okay, Chlo?" Aubrey asked, looking at Chloe.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I'm just thinking about Beca and what it will be like when we have kids."

"What time is Beca calling today?" Stacie asked.

"I told her the party started at one," Chloe said. "I'm guessing she'll call a little after that."

~~ Day 14 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~

Chloe helped Stacie and Aubrey get everything ready for the party. It was a little before one when the doorbell rang.

"Looks like our first guests are arriving," Stacie said as she and Bella went to the door.

Stacie opened the door and found Santa standing on their porch.

"Santa!" Belle squealed and clapped her hands.

"Ho, ho, ho, Bella!" Santa said.

"Um, Santa?" Stacie said, her brows furrowed. "What brings you here?"

"I have a special delivery," Santa said.

Aubrey and Chloe moved to look over Stacie's shoulder.

"Who is that?" Chloe whispered to Aubrey.

"I have no idea," Aubrey whispered back. "We didn't ask anyone to be Santa."

"Come in, Santa," Bella said, stepping outside to grab Santa's hand.

"Bella!" Stacie yelled, reaching for her daughter.

"No!" Aubrey cried, reaching out as well.

"Why not?" Bella asked, standing outside the door, holding Santa's hand.

"I, uh, I don't know him," Aubrey said, as she stood next to Stacie.

"It's Santa, mama," Bella said (the duh was not said, but heavily implied).

"Come on, Brey," Stacie whispered. "What harm could there be in letting him in? He knows Bella's name so he has to be someone we know."

Aubrey looked at Santa and then at the hopeful look on Bella's face.

"Okay, let him in," Aubrey finally relented.

"Yay!" Bella yelled. "Come on, Santa."

Santa threw his sack over his back and followed Bella into the house. Aubrey kept her eye on him the whole time.

"So, where's this special delivery you have?" Stacie asked.

Santa set his bag down and opened it. He pulled out three wrapped packages and reached into the bag and stood.

"There's supposed to be a fourth gift," Santa said. "The last one must have fallen out in my truck, um, my sleigh. I'll go get it. But first,-."

Santa handed a gift to Bella, Aubrey, and Stacie. "You can open these while I get the last gift."

Santa turned and hurried outside, yelling "I'll be right back" over his shoulder.

Bella sat down and ripped the paper from her gift. Stacie and Aubrey just stood, looking confused as they held their gifts and watched Bella open hers.

"Look, mommy," Bella said, holding up an army shirt with her name on it. "It's just like Aunt Beca's."

Chloe walked over to the two mothers. "I think Santa is Jesse," she whispered.

"Really?" Aubrey asked. "Why would he be doing all this?"

"Maybe Beca put him up to it," Stacie mumbled.

"She didn't say anything to me about it," Chloe said. "But, Bella's gift makes me think she is behind it."

"I wonder what she sent for you," Aubrey said.

Santa was back, carrying a wrapped package, and handed it to Chloe.

"You need to open this last," Santa said.

"Open your gift, Brey," Stacie said, ripping the paper on hers. "So, Chloe can open hers."

Aubrey ripped the paper from hers.

"I got a red cashmere sweater," Stacie said, holding up the sweater for them to see.

"I got a green one," Aubrey said, showing it as well. "They're beautiful."

"Open yours, Chloe," Stacie said.

Chloe ripped the paper and set the box down. She lifted the lid and saw a laptop sitting inside.

"She sent me a laptop?" Choe said. "There's a note on top."

Chloe lifted the note and opened it. "It just says play me."

"So, play it," Aubrey said.

Chloe lifted the laptop out of the box and opened the lid. She held the laptop in front of herself as Stacie and Aubrey stood on each side so they could see. Chloe pressed play and Beca's face popped up on the screen.

"Hey, babe," Beca said through the laptop. "I know you were expecting me to Skype during the party today, but something came up and I won't be able to do that."

"That's it," Chloe said, looking at Aubrey and then at Stacie. "It just stops. I wonder what happened? Why can't she Skype?"

"Because she wanted to do it in person," Santa said.

The three women looked over at him.

"Aunt Beca!" Bella yelled and ran to the door.

"Hey, Bella," Beca said, leaning down and grabbing Bella up in her arms.

"Aunt Beca?" Chloe said and looked toward the door. "Beca!"

Chloe shoved the laptop at Aubrey and ran toward Beca. Beca quickly set Bella down and braced herself to catch Chloe. Chloe launched herself at Beca and smashed their lips together. Beca held her around the waist and spun her around.

"I love you," Chloe said, pulling back from the kiss.

"I love you, too," Beca said, reclaiming Chloe's lips.

"We want a Beca hug, too," Stacie said, causing the couple to break their kiss.

Chloe held onto Beca while Stacie and Aubrey gave her a quick hug.

"Can we go home now?" Chloe asked, staring at Beca.

"Shortstuff!" Fat Amy's voice called from the doorway.

Beca looked over her shoulder to see Fat Amy standing by the door.

"I think that means we're staying," Beca whispered to Chloe before turning back toward Amy.

"Oh, my stars!" Emily squealed as she entered the house. "Beca's home!"

"Beca made it home?!" cried Jessica and Ashley as they entered behind Emily.

CR entered and smiled when she saw Beca. All the friends moved as one toward Beca, and Beca was soon lost in a sea of hugs.

Chloe slipped away from the hug circle and walked over to Santa. She hugged him and whispered, "Thank you, Santa Jesse."

"You're welcome, Chloe."

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A/N: I know I'm a day behind, but I hope to catch up in the next couple of days.

#bechloe fanfiction #beca mitchell #chloe beale #Christmas 2020 #bechloe fic

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leviskokoro · 3 years

Text

Christmas in The Devildom | Home Alone Edition

desc :: Mari tells a tale of what happened during her Christmas during her exchange student program.

word count :: 2247

note/s :: I got this idea about Mari having to defend herself from demons while she’s alone on Christmas. But then I realised... “Hey! This is literally just the premise of Home Alone!” so I decided to write it.

relationship/s :: implied fluffwings | jack x mari / implied greedwings | mammon x mari

art credit :: KEMM01 on Deviantart

edit credit :: me

Holiday season was a lovely time of cheer and giving for most people. Mari gave a sigh of relief, finally done giving her last gift of the day. Yes, seeing the generally happy reactions of the people she cared for brought joy to her weary heart, even if those people didn’t necessarily care for her back. Now it was just time to relax during the NRC Christmas party.

Everyone from every dorm had gathered to the cafeteria to partake in the festivities. Every nook and cranny had been decorated to perfection. But maybe that was pushing things a bit since Mari was the one that had to decorate everything after Crowley pushed the work onto her for the hundredth time she’s lived in Twisted Wonderland at the last minute when he just decided that a Christmas party might help bring students together more. At least she can rest while the first years talked about how they spent their Christmas at home.

“Mari.” The girl looked up to see Epel looking at her with a curious gaze. “What was Christmas like for you when you were in your world?”

“Yeah, we’ve been the ones talking here but you haven’t shared anything the whole time,” Ace spoke up as he bit into some cookies.

“Ah, sorry—”

“Didn’t you live in Hell for a year? What’s Christmas there like?” Deuce asked, placing a finger to his chin in thought.

Mari was silent for a moment, trying to get her thoughts and memories in order.

“Um… it’s kind of a long story. Are you guys alright with that?” She glanced at each of their faces for confirmation.

“You’re an excellent storyteller, Mari. It’d be wonderful to hear it,” Sebek chimed in, placing his food on the table and sitting with them.

She nodded, relieved that they seemed to be alright to tell them.

“So… I was mostly left alone during the holidays—”

“Eh? Left alone?” Ace raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah… We were going to celebrate but the demon brothers and the folks at Purgatory Hall were called to a meeting and had to take care of some business in a farther area in the Devildom. I wasn’t able to come because that place had particularly deadly air for humans…”

“Why do I have to go?! There’s gonna be a whole bunch of Christmas special limited edition figurines for Rurichan and all my favorite idols!” Levi had complained as he stuffed his fifth Rurichan figurine into his luggage.

“I was planning on eating a Christmas feast…” Beel had also whined, rubbing his stomach. In his hands were three gigantic bags filled with snacks and snacks only.

“Is it really okay to leave Mari here?” Asmo asked, who was mostly just clinging onto her body; She’s had to swat his grabby hands from touching her more intimate parts a couple times but cuddles with him were generally still quite lovely. Among them, he had the most packed luggages that was all dedicated to his beauty and fashion.

“Yeah, lesser demons might take this opportunity to sneak into this place and eat Mari.” Satan at least had a reasonable amount of bags. Though, he held one novel in his arm.

She sighed, running her hand through her sift chocolate locks. “Guys, no offense but you were the ones to put me in the most danger here during my exchange program here.”

They all seemed sheepish now. “Uhh—“

“Enough whining. We’re going to be late already,” Lucifer spoke up. “Mari should be fine. No one would be stupid enough to harm her if they knew the consequence will be being charged with treason and being tortured for eternity.”

Mari gave a thumbs up. “Yeah. There’s nothing to worry about.” Her eyes widened, noticing something rather odd.

She looked around. “Where’s Mammon?” She asked.

“He said he had something to do,” Satan answered.

Lucifer turned around and started walking. “We’ll leave him behind. He can catch up,” he spoke. His shoes made light clicking noises against the floor as he left the premises, the rest of the brothers followed him.

“Hey! Wait up!” Mammon yelled as he darted out of his room, carrying a bunch of stuff with him.

“Hey! Are you guys telling stories?” Kalim’s bright voice interrupted her speech. A large grin was plastered on his face.

“Kalim, don’t just barge into conversations like that,” Jamil scolded him. He carried two trays filled with food, one for him and one for Kalim.

“It’s fine! I was getting to the interesting part.”

“Très bien! How wonderful to see you all spending quality time during this festive party! It touches my heart,” Rook’s voice appeared from behind them, causing some of the first years to jump in surprise.

“Your bodyguards left you alone during Christmas? That seems rather irresponsible of them if they knew there was still a chance of you being attacked by demons,” Vil spoke as the two also sat down at the table next to theirs.

She nodded, looking down and biting her lip. “Well… The house did end up being attacked.”

“EH?!” Their eyes were as wide as the plates they were eating from.

“How did you manage to survive?”

“During the last day of school, a bunch of lesser demons had whispered about taking the opportunity to come by and eat my soul after classes. Little did they know, I had overheard their conversation and that gave me some time to prepare…”

Mari rushed around the House of Lamentation, rope and other sorts of equipment that she hastily purchased from Akuzon in her arm. Knowing that this house had a variety of magical items that even she could use despite having a lack of it.

Satan’s room had all sorts of cursed books and Levi’s room had magical merch. If worse comes to worst, she’ll use the grimoire underground. It’s more of a last resort since she knew what happened when Luke was lost and ended up there. Lucifer would’ve killed her if it weren’t for Diavolo.

She stopped in her tracks when she looked into Mammon’s stuff in case he had anything that could be used. Her eyes widened to see a murder of crows in his room.

… What?

One of the crows flew up and landed on her shoulder. “Hey there! You’re Mari, right? We’re Mammon’s familiars! He told us a lot about you. He had us stay here to watch over you.”

“That idiot is so reckless that she’d probably get herself into trouble without me so make sure nothing bad happens to her!” … were his exact words.” A different crow spoke up, imitating his voice and tone with such perfect accuracy that it startled the girl.

A grim pulled at her lips. “Great! A bunch of demons are coming here soon and I’ll be needing your help to defend the place.” She explained her plan to them.

“Wow! You already got this thing planned out,” the first crow commented. “Just give us the order and we’ll do our best!”

Mari nodded, smiling in gratitude for them. She turned around and rushed out the room to start setting everything up.

Using her knowledge of the items in the House of Lamentation, she set up a bunch of traps around the place and sat in the living room, waiting for them to trigger. Near each trap was at least one crow to lure the demons into the traps. In one hand was a controller for one of Levi’s consoles. The other held a specific book that was just titled “Void”.

“Really hope this works…” The girl muttered, her grip around the items tightened.

A cacophony of screams echoed throughout the place and several crows flew to her from different directions, signalling that the traps were successful.

She gave a sigh of relief, happy that they worked. There had been this worry that gnawed at her heart when she thought of the possibility of her ropework being too weak. Fortunately, that seemed to not be the case.

Mari checked the bands she put on their feet. Each crow had a different color so that she would know which traps got triggered.

Red, white, yellow, and green… Ah!

Red was in charge of luring the demon into a tripwire trap where if they triggered it, it’d pull the pin from a makeshift grenade she made out of Ruri-chan’s Extra Devilish Spicy Powder that she got from Levi’s room. Levi described it to be so spicy that it can cause a demon to pass out as soon as it comes into contact with their nose and eyes.

White was in charge of watching the catapult. If the door with the trap gets opened, the demon would get Asmo’s “special rope” launched at them. It would completely immobilise anyone if it makes contact with someone’s skin.

Yellow was the one watching over the gun trap. If the window was opened, it’d pull the trigger on the replica gun she got from Levi’s room. It had been from “I Got Isekai’d To A Fantasy Historical Drama But I Didn’t Expect To Find Out That 7 Generals Would Fall For Me”. The bullets weren’t lethal or anything, but they were the magical sort that could knock out a demon with one bullet.

Last but not least was green, who watched over the back door. She roped up a bunch of cursed books from Satan’s room, careful not to touch them with her bare hands, and hung them over the door. If triggered, it would drop all the books and curse the demon into 5 months of deep slumber. 5 months felt a bit excessive, but it was probably better than being charged of treason and being tortured for eternity.

However, it seemed that the other two crows didn’t return just yet.

Then, rushed footsteps started approaching the living room. She looked up to see the last crows flying and two demons running towards her. The looks on their faces oozed with murderous intent as they neared her.

… Shit, looks like the last two traps either didn’t get triggered or they found a way around them.

But all she did was bite her lip and opened the book with the pages facing them.

The room started shaking as a dark aura covered the book. The demons screamed when they started getting pulled into the pages of the book, scrambling to keep their ground. However this was in vain, as they ended up getting sucked into the book anyway.

And with that, Mari gave a loud sigh of relief, dropping her body onto the couch. She pressed a button on the controller.

Nothing around her really happened upon pressing it. But the other demons that were immobilised were put into Levi’s game. She had to know their identities first, which was surprisingly easy to find on Devilgram. She should be able to let them out later. Hopefully they don’t die in the game. She had set it to easy mode, after all.

“Yay! We did it!” The crows cheered, gathering close to each other and even doing a little dance in the process.

“... And that was the end of that story. After that night, the demon brothers came back and we spent a lovely Christmas together, the Devildom way.” Mari’s story came to a close. She looked at all the students that were immersed in her story.

“You were able to defend yourself against a whole group of demons in a single night?!” Ace’s eyes were wide open. His expression was mirrored by the others.

“Très bien! You’ve displayed such wonderful resourcefulness against opponents who are much stronger than you!” Rook praised her in his own fashion, gazing at her with his amused hunter green irises.

Jamil nodded, placing his hand to his chin in thought. A small smile could be seen on his face if one were to look close enough. “Using what you had around the house to use as traps… How clever,” he mumbled.

“You’d be a great fit for Scarabia!” Kalim grinned.

“You were able to set all those traps in such a short amount of time. With that sort of workspeed, Pomefiore could make use of your efforts,” Vil retorted, crossing his arms.

A new voice spoke up, “Oh, but her cunning wit should be further honed in Octavinelle. I’m sure I’d make better use of her skill.”

Jamil’s expression turned sour at the sight of the dorm leader of Octavinelle.

“Nonsense! She belongs in Diasomnia with the young master!” Sebek’s voice boomed across the cafeteria.

“Oi! Quiet down, you noisy brat,” Leona spoke up from another table beside them. He glared at the first year.

And that was the start of a rather chaotic argument between all the dorms.

Jack and Mari looked at each other with exasperated expressions.

“You wanna get out of here?” She offered.

All he did was scratch the back of his head and nod. “Yeah, it’d be better if we just went somewhere else.”

The two of them got up and sneaked away from the group that was too absorbed in their fight.

Although, Mari couldn’t help the smile creeping on her face as she processed the fact that they had complimented her. At the time, she didn’t think it was all too special. But it felt really nice to receive such validation.

Perhaps they saw her better now. Someone who isn’t weak all because she had no magic.

The thought soothed her.

#twisted wonderland #twst #obey me #obey me! shall we date?#my mc #kokoro writes

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plush-anon · 3 years

Note

You worked at joanns? 😍 dream job

In all fairness, a large part (and I do mean a LARGE part) of why I enjoyed working at Joanns were the managers.

The store manager was a guy named Richard, one of maybe two or three men who worked there total, and this man was practically a saint as far as retail goes.

This was a man who would, with no hesitation, get on the floor to help customers, or hop on the registers to check customers' purchases out, or pop on to the cutting counter to cut fabric. He remembered the names of regulars, would chat and smile while getting shit done, and was the type of guy to speak slowly and softly when we had shitstains explode at us measly peons for not giving them the full cost of an item back in a return (ex $200) when they used a coupon to purchase an item to begin with and only paid a portion of the cost (ex. $150). No joke, this actually happened to me on Black Friday with a man who stood at about 6 foot with a crewcut and a snarl (the military Karen, if you would)

Richard, of course, stood at about 6 foot 5 inches, and reminded me of a ginger grizzly bear in some ways. Very few customers continued to be assholes when they asked to speak to the manager and Richard came over, smiling wide. He encouraged us to chat with the customers while we worked the cutting counter - it was a good way to learn about what they were making, encouraged general conversation and lent itself to a better environment for everyone, worker and customer alike, so we weren't just awkwardly standing in silence the whole time.

The assistant store manager (aka his second in command - we had two other assistant managers, but she wielded more power than both of them) was Farrah, and she was basically Cool Wine Aunt, but with weed. She was open about smoking it (but not in a pressure-the-underlings kind of way, but more of a 'yeah, it calms me down' kind of way) but never on the clock, and was just really chill in general. She was also a 'jump on the registers' type of manager, and on occasion would take the closing staff out to get a drink from the texmex place next to us in the shopping center, and cover one for each of us - particularly during the Holiday Clusterfuck of October, November, and December (their Frozen Kahlua Mudlslide was my alcoholic drink of choice - they also had these spicy chicken strips that were amazing with it, but I digress).

Both of them were amazing people who would support and back us up without hesitation (if they weren't dealing with corporate or stock trucks coming in), and both routinely worked 15 to 20 hours UNPAID overtime during the Holiday Clusterfuck so that we the underlings could get more hours without Corporate jumping up our ass about going over budget.

They were also refreshingly upfront in our monthly meetings about profits and meeting them, as well as why company policy was the way it was, and how to work within the boundaries so we got more hours. One of my favorite moments was when they said the fabric sales essentially covered their own cost (production and delivery); the rest of the cheap crap in the store was what covered our paycheck and electricity, so hawk it as much as you can if you want extra in the bank (paraphrasing here, but that's not that far off what they actually said tbh).

With some Karen-y exceptions, the customers were honestly pretty chill. There were two women from a nearby church who bought well over 200 yards of cut fleece to make no-sew fleece blankets for children and the poor in December (it took forever to do, but they were so cheerful about it and told some funny anecdotes in between, kept the counter clear as soon as they were cut, etc. Took them three carts to haul everything to the register XD).

There was the slew of quilters making everything from baby blankets to anniversary gifts to quilts for their grandkids attending the local university that they could wear to football games in the colder weather, while still showing team pride. They always bought quarters and eighths and the end of the bolt for half price, digging thru our remnants bin for something they might have missed they could get for half price. They always talked about what they were working on, and spoke in great detail on their kids or cousins or niblings or grandkids. I saw so many pictures on phones, in wallets, and they loved them to absolute pieces.

There were cosplayers making their first costume to comicon, halloween goers trying their hand at making their own outfits, and a few furries making custom suits for order or just updating their own personal outfit. There were the usual school and church Christmas plays that needed costumes, and folks making custom table runners and place settings for family holiday meals.

One notable young man bought out 30+ yards of our 65" inch wide bolt felt for JEWELRY projects he was making as a part of his business and as a part of his art program (you can major in art with a concentration in jewelry making, and he was using it for that). He didn't leave a card, but the pictures he showed us were STUNNING.

We had a few elderly mothers come in with their daughters, to pick out fabrics so they could make their own wedding dresses, or quinceanera outfits, or veils; they showed us the patterns they had, or the pictures they were basing the designs off of, and all of them were STUNNING. (One came back in with the finished dress in the bag, this intricately beaded poofy dress that had to have taken days, hot pink and shiny).

We had local restaurant owners pop in for re-upholstery projects and curtains and vinyl; same with teachers and deck dads and furniture restoration workers that would gush about the design, what they had planned. Some would bicker with their spouses on the pattern, but it felt good-natured on the whole.

We had some elderly men come in to peer over our sewing machines - "How much it run for? My wife's birthday is coming up and her old machine's about done, and I want to surprise her. She had a Singer, but she hates the electronic screens on some of these newer ones, they hurt her eyes." - and moms coming in to sew some custom bed sheets for their kids - "My son really likes the new My Little Pony show, but he's a little shy about it. Do you think the blue's okay? Only he like yellow more, but they don't have any back there and he doesn't MIND blue really but - Actually scratch that, how wide is the fabric? My pattern says it needs to be at LEAST 22 inches wide, does it say on the box?" - and people coming up with some WILD craft ideas that were always a delight to hear them gush about - "So this MAY seem crazy, but I can turn these plastic pumpkin trick-or-treat pails into SNOWMEN heads with felt like this. We fill them with treats for the kids since we don't have a fireplace and they like it fine, but someone said I should sell these on Etsy and people really like them! But I've run out of pumpkins, and you have NO idea how happy I am that you guys still have some left."

The group we had to work with was also pretty crafty; a few were chronic call-outs, some a bit lazy, some perpetually done-with-this-nonsense, but we were mostly on the same page on shift, and all of us were crafty as heck. The employee discount was a blessing AND a curse, lemme tell you.

Stock was the best part, for me. Hours before the store opened at 9 AM, we would rip open the boxes and stuff everything onto the shelves, organizing anything the closing shift missed the night before along the way, updating new stickers or shuffling pegs over for new product arrangement, etc. We could listen to music or podcasts as we worked, and I ended up impressing some of them bc of how fast I tore through everything some mornings (the music definitely helped out there).

I was actually about to be promoted to assistant manager after 6 months, but then I got my job with the university, and they had federal health benefits AND dental, so... yeah, no contest there. Richard actually laughed when I told him I'd been hired at the university and was giving my two week notice, since it meant he didn't have to do the slew of paperwork that accompanied new assistant manager hires. He congratulated me on the job, especially the health benefits - he said that was a perk worth leaving any job here for. I nearly cried with relief that he wasn't mad.

He and Farrah chipped in and got me a small music box that plays Man of La Mancha's Dream the Impossible Dream on my last day. It still sits on my desk at work.

It was honestly my favorite retail job out of the bunch I've suffered through. Surprising at first, since I initially received a rejection email bare HOURS after my interview with Farrah, but about a month later (as I trawled endlessly through interview after interview, desperate for anything those first few months ), I got a call back from them asking if I was still interested (which I was, bc hey a job!). They remembered me specifically bc I had missed my bus to the interview, called ahead to let them know I would be late, then walked the whole way there in the rain to get there. (It was only about a mile and a half away, so not a terrible journey, but flooding is an issue in our flat-ass city; I looked like a drenched afghan hound holding a useless umbrella, so enjoy that imagery).

They were particularly impressed by the calling-ahead part.

Unfortunately, both of them ended up moving on to different paths over the year after I left - apparently they had been friends with benefits (? I say hesitantly, since I ran into one of my coworkers at an art show later on and she spilled the beans there - she was a bit flighty in nature though, and got caught up in gossip a LOT, so who knows. Lovely brocade custom projects though), and his ex girlfriend had called corporate on them and got both fired.

I think Farrah came back some time later, but the damage was done after that - the new manager came in and operated SOLELY to corporate policy. A LOT went to pieces in terms of store cleanliness, order, and general camaraderie after that - the new fabric counter folks look and sound dead inside, and barely interact with customers (not even a 'whatcha making' in passing, which is kind of sad - the stories I got helped to pass the time, and kept me from using up all of my Set Conversation Phrases for customers that actually WOULD leave us standing in silence). Corporate also stopped some of the smaller store policies that made our job easier and gave the customers a little something extra (the 'end-of-the-bolt' discount - if, after the customer orders say, 2 yards of fabric on the bolt, and there's say, a half yard "remnant" left on the bolt, we can sell them the remnant for half-price. A LOT of quilters LOVED this, and we did too, since it saved us from filling out the remnant tag and printing a sticker later on).

Just goes to show how important good management is in a business; especially when it can kick a store previously part of the top 50 stores in the NATION (while being a medium store at that - smaller place, NOT Hobby Lobby size like the Large stores) to something much less pleasant. I could be rose-goggling the situation thought - retail is still retail, no matter how nice some aspects are - but it still sticks with me as to how good he experience was even taking into account that it WAS minimum wage retail.

Food for thought, lads, food for thought.

#plush gets personal #joanns #joann fabrics #employment #retail hell #or well #not so much hell for this one #retail... purgatory? yeah that'll work

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plasticnightmaredoll · 3 years

Photo

Ok, so I had to do this after reading @justasimplesinner ‘s absolutely adorable and precious h/cs for Arkham Knight Riddler meeting his s/o’s family for the first time. I mean, AK!Eddie being happy? Having some sort of family? It hits me right in the feels 😭

But I was inspired to write something similar for Telltale Riddler and his s/o but with a twist. I mean, it’s already going to be quite different considering how Telltale Riddler is, but I’m taking things a little further and getting a bit personal. Since I self-ship with him, I figured, why not turn these h/cs into self-insert ones?

Basically, Telltale Riddler meeting my family for the first time on Christmas.

The h/cs will reflect what the reality of my family is like but I won’t get, like, too personal. Y’all don’t need to know everything.

Pre-headcanons warnings to be fair:

There is a little but of smut at the end. Nothing explicit but it’s a little bit spicy.

These are self-insert headcanons, not reader-insert ones

This is an age-gap pairing since I’m 33 years old and Telltale Riddler is 60 years old.

Anyway, let’s head on into these h/cs for Telltale Riddler meeting my folks for the first time (and that seems awkward as hell to write but hey, I’m fictosexual so....🤷‍♀️)

There is a little bit of smut at the end. Nothing explicit but it’s definitely a little spicy.

It’s the first Christmas spent with Eddie since becoming a couple, and it’s also kind of an awkward time because family, you know? And, well, my parents don’t know I’m dating anyone...let alone THE Riddler.

It’s going to be a challenge getting them to accept me dating someone nearly twice my age (I’m 33 and Edward’s 60, but damn, did he age like fine wine or what?) But revealing that it’s the goddamn Riddler?

So, yeah, I’m freaking out but I also realize that I have to tell them eventually because it’s only fair, for one, and keeping it a secret for a long time would just make things worse if -- or more realistically, when -- my parents found out on their own.

Plus, I’m not ashamed or afraid to date Edward. He treats me much differently than he treats most other people, and I want my parents to know that, yeah, he’s Riddler, a criminal mastermind but honestly, he treats me better than any guy has and I’m actually happy.

Edward isn’t nervous but he’s concerned because he doesn’t want to complicate things between my parents and me, doesn’t want to bring unnecessary drama and angst into my life. He can handle people disliking him -- hating him -- but he doesn’t want the only person he’s ever truly cared for to have a damaged relationship with her family because of him.

But we discuss it and decide it’s better to just go ahead and do it. Rip off the band aid and get the pain out of the way as fast as possible, so to speak. Whatever happens, happens, and hopefully it’s nothing (too) upsetting.

I call my parents and tell them I’m coming to visit for Christmas, and I reveal -- while my hands are shaking and my heart is pounding from the anxiety consuming me -- that I want to bring my boyfriend.

Oh, I have a boyfriend? For how long? How did we meet? What’s he like? What’s his name? Why the wait to tell them about him?

I know it wouldn’t go over well to just show up at my parents home hanging off of the goddamn Riddler’s arm, like, “Oh, hey, my boyfriend is a criminal genius, don’t ya know?”

So, I approach telling them over the phone the truth slowly, cautiously. I say his name is Edward and we met kind of by accident and we’ve been dating for a good portion of the year. It’s my first Christmas with him, actually.

Wait, it’s been that long and I never told my them?! What the hell?!

Needless to say, they are baffled and also concerned about this news.

I explain the awkward but less, uh, shocking news that he is an older man, and I was worried they’d be upset about that. They ask how old Edward is and I hesitate, wondering if I should lie and say he’s, like, in his early 50s because he could easily pass for that age. Hell, even I thought he was in his early 50s (or even very late 40s) when I first met him.

However, honesty is the best policy, and this is not even the “bad” news yet.

I say that he just turned 60 years old this year in a calm, cool, casual tone, like I’m talking about the weather and not revealing to my parents that I’m dating a guy who is my dad’s age.

There is silence and I internally panic because if they’re angered or appalled by this, they’re not going to handle finding out who Edward is well at all.

They are surprised, a little worried for my wellbeing because they think Edward’s some perverted Sugar Daddy to me. They don’t say it like that but it’s heavily implied.

I explain that’s not the case at all, that he’s actually very sweet towards me.

My folks decide to go along with this bit of news because hey, I’m 33 years old. I’m an adult. I can date an older man if I want.

Then comes the “fun” part, which is revealing to them what Edward does for a living.

I laugh nervously, and Edward, who has been patiently sitting beside me on the couch, realizes what I’m about to tell my parents. He watches me closely, hoping this doesn’t turn into a disaster for my sake.

“Yeah, so, Edward, yeah...Edward is...well, he’s, um...Well, he’s, he’s a genius. Like a tech genius, great with electrical engineering, computers. And uh, his job, his profession, his, um, career? Yeah, that’s...well, he’s...”

I take a deep breath and prepare for the worst.

“He’s The Riddler, one of Gotham’s...elite....masterminds.”

The silence on the other end of the phone is so terrifying that I feel like I’m going to faint from how anxious I am. Edward places a hand on my knee as a means of comfort, still wanting to give me some space to breathe and calm down.

My parents aren’t...thrilled, to say the least. I’m dating a fucking criminal mastermind?! I’m dating RIDDLER? THE RIDDLER? What the goddamn fresh hell is this?!

I start crying because I’m so stressed about this, and Edward moves closer so he can put his arm around me. He feels bad, he really does, and it shows in his troubled expression, but there’s not much he can do. It’s not like we can take this back and say, “Oh, hey, just kidding!” No, this was the truth and now we were dealing with the consequences.

I manage to get my parents to calm down long enough so I can get a word in. I get up off the couch and walk to another room to speak to them alone.

I tell them I know it’s not the most pleasant news to hear, and I know it seems awful, but it’s the first time I have been with a man and he’s treated me well. Like, really well. It’s not just the nice gifts or expensive dinners. Edward does genuinely care about me. I don’t feel like a “booty call,” he doesn’t ignore me, he doesn’t threaten me, he’s never abused me and never will. He’s not the same person with me as he is with some other people. I wouldn’t be dating him otherwise.

It takes some more convincing, but once I get it through to my parents that yes, I’m actually happy and yes, I’m safe and yes, Edward is a very doting boyfriend, they decide to meet him at Christmas. I know they will still have concerns and may be a bit cold to Edward at first, but I hope they would see what I see.

The day arrives and I’m a nervous wreck. Edward is worried for me. He assures me that everything will be ok, and I want to believe but I’m still scared.

Deep down, he thinks maybe dating me is a bad idea -- not because he doesn’t love me but because he feels like he could damage my relationship with my parents. However, he doesn’t bring this up as he doesn’t want me to be even more upset than I already am.

Edward had brought with him some gifts for my parents and my grandma (she was staying with them, too). He brought the most most beautiful bouquet of flowers and a necklace for my grandma, a very lovely diamond bracelet for my mom, and a high-quality (aka expensive) watch for my dad.

I had to dress to impress and by that, dress in things Edward had given me to give my parents more visual proof that he was taking care of me. But I was careful not to overdo it. I didn’t want my parents to think I was his piece of...eye candy.

When we arrive, my parents greet us at the door, giving me a much warmer welcome than they give to Edward. They’re not rude to him, but they look uneasy, even a little irritated.

Edward, being the charming bastard he is, keeps his calm and showcases his gentlemanly side. It’s genuine because he IS quite the gentleman as I have learned, but I don’t know if it will be enough to convince my parents to accept him.

They appreciate the gifts, seem a little caught off guard by the pricey but very lovely things Edward bought them. They also notice I’m wearing a dress that cost a pretty penny and jewelry just as extravagant. But none of it’s gaudy.

Basically, I don’t look like Riddler’s trophy girlfriend.

Edward is courteous and charming, which seems to help my mom relax a bit. My dad still looks rather tense, though.

My grandma, being 90 and having frequent issues with memory, doesn’t remember who Edward actually is. My parents told her but she had forgotten and it was probably for the best.

My grandma is impressed with Edward, finds him to be a proper, handsome gentleman type. She also was very grateful for the gifts he brought her.

Edward is very patient with my grandma, which I know isn’t easy due to her memory problems. But he is very relaxed, behaving pretty much like he does around me.

We all have dinner and chat, and the tension in the air lightens. My parents even laugh at a few humorous comments from Edward. He thanks my parents for allowing him to visit and for the wonderful dinner, and offers to help my parents clean up.

Good. This gives my parents time alone with Edward which, as nerve-wracking as it is for me, is something that needs to happen. They need a one-on-one with my boyfriend...and hopefully it didn’t turn into a mess.

I stay with my grandma and act like everything’s fine as I anxiously wait to find out what my parents will ultimately think of Edward.

They are upfront with him once they’re alone with him, asking him if he’s putting up some kind of act or if this is all really him. They also ask if he genuinely cares for me or if he’s just using me because I’m “young and pretty.” They don’t hide their feelings, my parents, and they are concerned for my safety and happiness above all else. They NEED to know that Edward is good to me despite being Riddler. They can’t tell me who to be with but it would put their mind at ease if they were assured I was in good hands.

Edward is honest with them. He isn’t putting on a front. He is gentlemanly by nature with people he likes and respects, and he’s a bit old-fashioned in some ways anyway due to his age. He doesn’t fake his feelings for anyone, and while he does want my parents to accept him as my boyfriend, he knows it’s not an easy choice. He also tells them they have every right to reject him, and he won’t hold a grudge towards them about it if they do.

If anything, he’s earned scorn more than kindness due to how he’s lived his life, and that’s fair. He accepts that.

But then he explains that no, I am not eye candy for him. He’s not a play boy looking for a “good time.” He’s serious about me and feels things towards me he’s never felt--never expected to feel. I’m the one thing in his dark and violent life that is bright and soothing, even though he’s done nothing in his life to deserve such a sweet and caring partner.

He tells them that I’m always protected and cared for, and he has made arrangements to ensure I’m still protected and cared for if -- or more realistically, when something happens to him.

Being Riddler’s girlfriend has its perks. No one messes with me, that’s for sure, because they know I’m important to him, and they know what he is willing to do to keep me safe.

As scary as that is to hear, my parents find some relief in that. Yes, Edward is The Riddler, a criminal mastermind who strikes fear into many. However, he takes care of what is precious to him -- and not much is precious to him. Actually, nothing is save for me. I bring him a lot of joy and much-needed peace, and he’d give his life to protect me.

I deserve to be happy, he tells my parents, because I am a good person unlike him, and he works hard to make sure I know I’m loved and cared for, that I’m good enough and that he has no intentions of leaving me or cheating on me for someone else.

Edward also assures my parents that, should they need anything, he can provide. Of course, he won’t force his help on them but he won’t ever turn them away either. He looks out for those that mean a lot to me, who are close to me, regardless of who they are and how they feel about him. That is a promise he makes to my parents, too.

He also comments on how they have been taking care of my grandma pretty much on their own for a couple years now, and he knows from what he has observed and from things I’ve told him that it is a very exhausting duty. It’s an admirable one, though, for sure, and he respects my parents for being good people.

He sees where I get my kind nature, he tells them.

He says that he can pay for live-in help for them, like a live-in nurse, someone who can help take care of my grandma and let my parents have a break every now and again. Also, should she need anything that isn’t covered by her insurance, he will cover the costs.

Same goes for my parents, who aren’t the healthiest people in their old age (Edward has the regenerative properties of the LOTUS virus on his side -- they don’t). He doesn’t tell them that obviously, that they’re unhealthy, but he says should they need any expenses covered for treatments, medication, etc., he can provide.

Because he is THAT serious about me.

My parents are, to say the least, much more confident in my relationship with Edward now that they’ve talked with him one on one. They give him their blessing, so to speak, to be my boyfriend, and appreciate his generosity. They do ask for help with live-in aid for my grandma, and Edward says pick who they want and he’ll pay whatever insurance won’t cover.

I am beyond relieved that my parents have decided to accept Edward, and am so grateful to him for offering his help to them...because they need it and deserve it.

He tells me it’s no trouble at all, that whatever makes me happy makes him happy, and he’s more than willing to aid those that are important to me.

Edward and I stay over Christmas Eve so we can spend more time with my family on Christmas Day. We get the guest room which has a small bed, so we’re “forced” to get close.

Of course, I can’t resist tempting him even now, and he doesn’t turn me down. I do warn him that we have to be careful because, hey, my folks are here in this house and I’m not the quietest lover.

“Oh, don’t worry,” he tells me with a smirk. “I came prepared for any eventuality.”

Needless to say, I need to be gagged because Edward makes sure I have a Merry Fucking Christmas -- literally -- and also makes sure I know how much he both loves and desires me.

We decide to leave out the whole Dom/Sub aspect of our relationship in regards to my parents.

We also don’t tell them about how I call Edward, “Daddy” almost any other time 👀👀👀👀💦💦💦💦💦💦

My mom also refuses to believe he’s 60 years old because he’s so good-looking 😄

#telltale riddler #edward nigma #the riddler #riddler #self-insert #self-shipping #riddler headcanons #edward nygma #slightly nsft

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