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miscelunaaa · 3 years

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masterlist | miscelunaaa

Please read my disclaimer post before reading and/or interacting. Minors, do not interact. Please respect both my boundaries and the boundaries of others so that we can keep this a safe space.

∞ As always, be sure to read the notes that come with each work or chapter before reading it, and always read the warnings!!

∞ I no longer have a permanent tag list. The best way to get notified when I post something is to subscribe to my work on AO3.

k e y

[s] smut

[f] fluff

[a] angst

[c] crack/chaos

[wip] work in progress

n a m j o o n

∞ booty jorts [ s, oneshot ] 2.3k

Namjoon looses a bet and his punishment turns out to be more stimulating than you expect. established relationship pwp.

∞ cuffing szn [ c, s, mini series ] 21.3k

complete! All Namjoon wants is some peace and quiet after a long, shitty day at work. Thanks to a party upstairs and Jungkook’s sticky fingers, he’s stuck with you instead. this namjoon is tooooo hot. strangers to lovers. ft. a soft-bodied/plus-sized reader. personal favorite.

∞ driving me @&#%! [ c, a, f, wip, drabble series ] 3k+

member x member, posting only on ao3. Namjoon has to learn how to drive. Yoongi’s teaching the driver’s ed class he enrolls in. Namjoon may or may not have asked him out when they were in high school. Yoongi may or may not have rejected him. What the hell are they supposed to do now? Pretend they don’t know each other? modern au. aged-up hyungline, high school-aged maknae line. chaos.

∞ flat sprite and saltine crackers [ f, oneshot ] 2.1k

Being a parent on a normal day is a challenge. When you add a sudden stomach bug to the mix, you and your husband have to play in master mode. parenthood au. personal favorite.

∞ in the midst of the earth [ a, oneshot ] 5.7k

After your grandfather is hospitalized following a massive stroke, Namjoon watches you pick up the pieces and try to hold them together all by yourself. a meditation on grief and suffering.

∞ sacrificial [ a, s, series ] 74k

complete! posted only on ao3. There's a beast out in the woods and your village decides to offer you up as a virgin sacrifice to make him go away. Good thing the beast is actually kind of a nice guy, if not a little awkward because he's spent so much time alone. Maybe this is for the better; you never really liked the other villagers anyway. strangers to lovers. historical fantasy au. slow burn. often referred to as lorge namjoon fic or white whale no.2 in passing.

∞ shell-ter [ c, s, oneshot ] 7k

part of the series animals in predicaments. While walking on the beach and avoiding your responsibilities, you stumble upon a line of hermit crabs waiting to exchange shells. It should be an exciting moment for you, but instead there’s this random naked guy yelling at you to leave his friends alone. Why can’t a stroll on the beach ever just be a stroll on the beach? strangers to lovers ft. hermit crab hybrid!namjoon and a soft-bodied reader. personal favorite.

∞ the sins of other hearts [ a, s, short series ] 12.8k

complete! posted only on ao3. Months have passed since your father died, leaving you to care for your little household and its dwindling resources. In a final bid for security for your family, you decide to make your way to the palace for the bride parade that the king has called for his son. What awaits you when you get there will be a test of your fortitude in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. a fairy tale retelling ft. a cursed namjoon, ambiguously placed historical setting, and an accidentally soft-bodied reader.

∞ things left unsaid [ a, s, oneshot ] 1.4k

After hearing of a near miss you had while riding on the trails, Namjoon returns home to see you’ve escaped mostly unscathed. Your hearts are another matter. strained established relationship. historical au.

∞ also featured in: spin cycle

s e o k j i n

∞ feathers [ f, drabble ] 1k

It’s time to say goodbye to one of your favorite parts of your partner. established relationship au ft. a soft bodied-reader.

∞ flurious [ drabble ] 3k

it's fine, you're not mad at your best friend at all! in fact!! you're so fine that you're going to work off some steam just to prove how fine you are!! meet cute. college au. based on real events.

∞ love, lust, and life mushrooms [ s, c, oneshot ] 7k

Jin has had a very specific fantasy for a long time, and he’s decided that he wants to make it a reality. Will your relationship be strong enough for the strain this puts on it? Or will the two of you come out of it stronger than ever? established relationship au.

∞ strawberry whine [ f, drabble ] 1.1k

You can’t stand strawberries, but your fiancé has taken you to his uncle’s strawberry farm to see if he can change your mind. ft. the life mushroom couple.

∞ also featured in: give yourself a try and shell-ter

y o o n g i

∞ desperate [ c, s, f, drabble ] .9k

member x member, posted only on ao3. Jungkook is very done with Yoongi’s shit and takes matters into his own hands. Brought to you by Calvin Klein. Written for a dear, enabling friend.

∞ driving me @&#%! [ c, a, f, wip, drabble series ] 3k+

∞ give yourself a try [ a, s, twoshot ] 24.6k

complete! You’ve got an enormous crush on Yoongi, the machine tech, and, if Jimin is to be believed, the feeling is mutual. A broken espresso machine and a snow storm are all it takes to bring everything crashing down around you. released as a two shot ft. a plus-sized reader. personal favorite.

∞ sodium vapor [ a, oneshot ] 2.1k

Yoongi doesn’t have much going for him, but you don’t need much to grow attached. It’s a pity, then, that you loose each other as quickly as you were found. missed connection. personal favorite.

∞ troparion for a summer’s evening [ a, drabble ] .5k

You wake to find yourself alone in bed when there should be someone next to you. features no use of gendered pronouns. personal favorite.

h o s e o k

∞ domesticated fluff [ f, a, oneshot ] 1.7k

He’s the person you’ve always wanted. He’s your sunshine. You just want him to be happy. After an admittedly rough start, will you be able to bring Hoseok all of the joy he brings you? non-romantic adopted dog au.

∞ quiet time [ f, drabble ] 0.45k

You haven’t had a quiet morning alone to read in a long while, and that’s why it seems suspicious. a dad!tan drabble using no gendered pronouns.

∞ whispers in the dark [ a, f, oneshot ] 1.4k

Hoseok just doesn’t have it in him to make you even more miserable right now, so he tries something a little different. sleep paralysis demon hobi ft. a gender neutral reader. personal favorite.

j i m i n

∞ untitled wind sprite jimin fic [ a, s, wip ] likely 10k+

outlined. currently avoiding alskjfdhgfjhgf. this one’s going to fucking hurt; as such I've been avoiding it even though this might be one of my favorite story ideas ever. I'm very serious about writing this at some point but i just have to get in a particular headspace for it. it deserves the utmost care. probable warnings include fae trickery, second chances, and a near death experience. little mermaid au if you squint. may end up being a minion fic instead of reader insert. *shrug*

∞ also featured in: give yourself a try

t a e h y u n g

∞ engorged [ f, c, drabble ] 0.83k

You and Taehyung get along better than you could have ever imagined, but all bets are off when you have a disagreement about a “friend” who makes a surprise visit. On his face. established relationship au.

∞ no shade in the shadow of the cross [ a, oneshot ] 5.8k

After his life in the city falls apart, Taehyung moves into his late grandmother’s home so he can heal and forget. When a little boy appears on his back doorstep, everything changes. supernatural/fantasy horror. heavy angst. read the warnings. personal favorite.

∞ also featured in: cuffing szn

j u n g k o o k

∞ desperate [ c, s, f, drabble ] .9k

member x member, posted only on ao3. Jungkook is very done with Yoongi’s shit and takes matters into his own hands. Brought to you by Calvin Klein. Written for a dear, enabling friend.

∞ spin cycle [ f, s, drabble series ] 12.5k

complete! This random guy has started doing laundry at your favorite laundromat each week (at the same time as you, no less!) and to be honest, it’s going to be a problem. You’re just not sure how yet. strangers to lovers. idiots to lovers. really slow burn.

∞ three minutes [ f, drabble ] 0.9k

You can’t stand the thought of Jungkook feeling alone while he’s sick, so you take matters into your own hands. non-romantic/platonic drabble ft. a gender neutral reader. personal favorite.

∞ also featured in: give yourself a try and cuffing szn

m i s c ;

∞ the deluge, a fic depicting an unnamed bts member x reader. personal fave.

∞ my favorite reads for the year, 2022

∞ kinktober 2022 over on AO3, October 2022

∞ Ask My Muse Masterlist, March 2022

∞ Fic Title Prompt Game, April 2022

∞ “soft-bodied” reader-insert characters and inclusivity, an essay

∞ misc asks mlist

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©miscelunaaa 2021-2023. My work is only found on this blog and under my ao3 pseud. Do not, under any circumstances, copy or repost my work. Thank you.

last updated: 11.10.2023

#miscelunaaa #masterlist #bts fanfic

449 notes · View notes

remcycl333 · 3 years

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guys i stg i’ve been manifesting soooo much and so fast lately and it’s only been 2022 for two weeks!!! so here is the list of things i’ve manifested so far in 2022🤍

-i told my friends how i wanted to get sweetener by ariana grande on vinyl sooo bad but they barely ever repress it and i always miss it when they do and then i went on the vinyl releases subreddit a few hours later and someone posted a restock and i got to buy it!!

-i literally posted on here that i should manifest my drivers license and within a week i got a car + someone offered to take me to get my permit (yes at 21 years old ok) and also i finally took action and finished my online drivers ed course😌 (literally all i did was make that post and i didn’t think about it again)

-i was sooo hungry and i was complaining to my friends and i was like wouldn’t it be nice if they texted me “look outside” and there was food and a few hours later i got that exact text and there was an amazon package of snacks on my doorstep

-manifested getting my financial aid for school + getting a fat refund 🤑

-literally thought to myself that i prob wouldn’t get my refund until at least january 18th when the semester starts but then after listening to a self-concept tape overnight i woke up to my refund in my bank account😌

-passed a class last semester that i should’ve failed bc i didn’t even do half the work (🤪). i count this as this year bc ive putting off checking my grades until like two days ago lol. and i’ve been affirming that i passed all my classes :)

-i was convinced i accidentally threw away my birth certificate (lol) a few months ago when i moved but i just affirmed once that i found it and my dad told me he had it the next day even tho i’m like 100% positive i did not give it back to him lol

-also manifested myself remembering things multiple times this is something i love manifesting it’s so fun

-sometimes my cat scream meows in the middle of the night (ok he does it every night🙄) and i manifest him falling asleep on my desk chair and shutting up :)

+there’s more but i’m blanking cuz it’s 4am as i’m typing this hehe

but i’d like to add pretty much all of these things i’d either think about wanting it once and i’d get it or id affirm for a few times and literally still think negatively about it and still get it. sooo self concept guys. so important. it’s how i got everything on this list :)

#success stories #law of assumption #manifesting #manifestation

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theunaestheticstudyblr · 2 years

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Sometimes making small changes have a BIG impact on your success and mindset. This is something I had to work HARD to realize and make happen for me. And these small changes take time to actually manifest change. But my life now compared to how it was two years ago? It was worth every act of discipline, every tear, every earlier morning. Two years ago I was extremely depressed, focused on my weight, failing classes constantly, just in a terrible spot. And then I started making changes because I didn't want to be like that anymore. And these changes don't cure things, but they can help change your mindset a little. A big driver in my depression was my anxiety and OCD, so helping those helped that as well. I still have depression, anxiety, OCD, all of that, but I can manage it now better than ever and I'm getting better each week. I've been passing my classes now. I got myself out of bad situations and cut ties to people who weren't good for me.

But this all started by making me make my bed every morning. That was the first small step. Just pull the covers back up to the pillows. I don't even make it look nice. Just covered. Get up, brush my teeth, then make the bed.

One thing I started doing was writing a sentence or two a day about that day. Make a to-do list for the week and then every day just write something. Now I keep a journal and I have fun with it! When I first started, it was awful and sometimes reading the things I used to write breaks my heart. But I also saw my gradual growth and change as well as my days started getting better and my thoughts were getting better as well.

For every bad thing I'd say about myself, I'd say something neutral or even positive. For example, if I looked in the mirror and say I'm fat, I'd have to find something I'm neutral or positive about and omg this was EXTREMELY hard for me. Because usually what follows a neutral comment like "I have long hair" would be a negative comment about it and you sit there and fight with yourself. But just yesterday I went shopping and I thought I looked AMAZING. The fights with yourself and the tears and frustration are 100% worth that feeling of finally actually seeing yourself and being like damn look at that hotty.

Eating at least 2 meals a day with snacks in between was a major game changer. I eat breakfast now every day and usually a late lunch and have snacks. And as someone who is recovering from an ED, it feels like a lot of food, but my body needs it. If a child were hungry, I would give them a snack. So why not myself? And by eating more, I have become more stable mentally and happier. I still don't eat as much as I should which is apparent by my major mood swings, but i am doing so much better and my life has improved significantly since. Honestly, making sure I eat at least 2 meals a day has probably made the largest impact for me all across the board. I study better, I maintain relationships better, I sleep better, etc.

Moving every day helps me so much too. My depression gets bad when I stay inside for long periods of time so going out for a walk every day or to the beach or something has helped me more than I'd like to admit. I know this is so stereotypical. Get up and stretch. Get sun. But it helped me so much. Sometimes the walk is just to my mailbox. Sometimes it's a 6 mile walk on the beach. I never push myself though. I'm not going to force myself to spend precious energy on a long, hot walk. And I don't go for runs or bike rides or anything like that because I don't enjoy them. So don't force yourself to do things that you don't like and don't overexert yourself. That's counterproductive tbh.

And on a monthly basis, I buy myself flowers and make a bouquet, deep clean the house, get photos printed, and go out for dessert. You have to give yourself little treats! Treats are very important and give you something to be excited and work for!

#study blog #student #student life #productivity #school advice #university advice #long reads #long post #life advice #advice

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mirkwoodshewolf · 4 years

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Nightmare paradise; Doctor Strange x daughter reader

*Author’s note*

Now I know this may not be my best work but I have been DYING to make a Doctor Strange daughter fic since like FOREVER!! A lone solo without any real relationship patterns in tact (mostly Peter Parker WHICH I DON’T DISAGREE WITH AT ALL. I’m just saying I hardly see any other fics that just revolve SOLELY on Stephen strange and a daughter reader. THAT’S IT.) So in the end THIS is what ended up being born.

Also I LEAVE FACVE CASTING OF NIGHTMARE UP TO YOU GUYS!! I personally imagined Troy Baker’s voice for Nightmare but you guys can picture WHOMEVER you wish to be the character for Nightmare. Also this fic is LOOSELY based off of WandaVision but DON’T WORRY NO SPOILERS OF THE SERIES IS GIVEN. I just took a plot point from the series and had it work for the Doctor Strange universe. Enjoy my first Maevel fic in FOREVER dearies :)

Warnings: Swearing, the BLIP mentioned and described, Thanos mentioned (yeah he’s a warning), some battle sequences, blood (if you’re squeamish).

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@ixchel-9275

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@queen-paladin

@soy-guey

____________________________________________________________

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock blaring off. I groaned and reached out to try and shut it off but no matter how many times I was slamming my hand on my desk, my alarm was still blaring. Finally I got out from under my covers and unplugged my clock and saw just how bright it was outside. I let out a groan and collapsed back to my pillows.

“Why do I have to be woken up so early?” I groaned tiredly before heaving myself upward and out of my bed. I walked towards my jointed bathroom and took my morning shower. After that I got changed and went downstairs to eat my breakfast.

I lifted my hand and soon a pop-tart came into my hand and I unwrapped the tinfoil and took out one of the two pop-tarts.

“It somehow amuses me to see you use your mystic arts to bring you your breakfast when you could just get it yourself.” That deep familiar baritone voice spoke out to me.

“Coming from the guy who just last month used his powers to wash his car when he was teaching me the form of astral projection.” I sassed back at him.

“That was for the purpose of multitasking.”

“That’s not a real thing.”

“What are you talking about of course it is.”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“Is not.”

“Is too times infinity times infinity there I win!” I chuckled and teasingly poked my tongue out at him.

“When did you get sassier than me, dad?”

“More like you inherited your sass from me. But no one can out sass me.” He said as he playfully booped my nose.

“Yeah but never forget dad,” I then took his arm and kicked his leg in before tossing him over my shoulder to finally pin him down. “I’m the more clever fighter out of the two of us.” He hummed questioningly.

“You sure about that?” suddenly I was levitated in the air and constricted in a familiar red velvet cloth. I looked down to see the cloak of levitation had my arms pinned to my sides and was levitating me just a few inches off the ground.

“You cheat!”

“The Sorcerer Supreme never cheats.”

“But my father does.”

“You know you better choose your next sentence very carefully.” My dad threatened with that growl-like tone to his voice, but the twinkle of mischief and playful smirk on his face told me that this wasn’t a real threat.

“Or what? Parlor magician.” Next thing I knew the cloak of levitation had lifted part of it’s material up and it started messing up my hair. Not only getting it tangled up but making sure it gave my hair a static charge to it.

I exclaimed as I pleaded it to stop before it was too late, but soon enough my hair resembled a porcupine with it’s quills standing up. My dad laughed as the cloak finally released me and I fixed my hair.

“Very funny dad.”

“Oh I think it’s very funny.” He said through his deep baritone chuckle. I tried to adjust my hair but some strands still remained on end. “Here, let me help.” He then licked his fingers and I exclaimed.

“Eww gross you know I hate that!”

“Well it’s either this or we wet your hair again and you don’t have time to argue because you’re already 10 minutes late for class.”

“WHAT!?” I looked at the grandfather clock and saw that it was already 7:50am. “Shit!”

“Ah-ah-ah-ah language!” my dad scolded me. I growled lowly and said.

“Okay fine just fix it hurry!” he soon made my hairbrush appear and he gently re-brushed my hair to it’s normal way. Any crazy strand that was out of place, my dad would lick his fingers and tame it down by stroking it down to the rest of my hair.

“There you go, back to your normal gorgeous hair.” I then quickly opened up a portal to my school but before I left the cloak once again grabbed my arm preventing me from leaving.

“What now?”

“You know the rules, come on. No matter how old you get you never leave the house without giving your old man a kiss.” I looked up at him then stood up on my tip toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m going to be late.”

“You’re always late.” The cloak finally freed me and I hopped through the portal and gave one last wave to my dad before closing the portal back up. As the last warning bell rang, I quickly raced through the back entrance of the school and raced to my first class.

The day went on as normal. First block Advance Science, second block, PE, followed by half of third block being English and then lunch at 12:15pm and that’s where I was right now. We had about a half hour for lunch before continuing the second half of 3rd block since that’s how second lunches go.

See my school has this strange set up based on whatever class you have for your 3rd block depends on your lunch schedule. If you had an elective class (choir, drama, band, orchestra, art), a foreign language, or science class you had 1st lunch at around 10:30am (so that means you eat lunch before you would go to your 3rd block class).

Second lunches (like me) follow under English and Math have the first half dedicated to class, then lunch then we continue our class. And then 3rd lunches are for the people who eat lunch after their 3rd block classes, they’d eat then go straight to their last class of the day (history, PE/driver’s ED, health, home economics).

I was sitting with some of my friends when I heard a voice call out to me.

“Hey (Y/n)!” I turned and saw my group of friends. I walked over to our table and that’s when one of my friends Courtney said.

“Yo (n/n) what be up?”

“Nothing much, just trying to get by in Mr. Gordon’s class.”

“I still can’t believe you somehow managed to pass his class when a friend of mine is struggling so bad. And he’s never done bad in the advance classes.” Said another friend of mine, Bobi said.

“I think it comes from having a neurosurgeon as a father. Well former neurosurgeon.” I said recalling the accident. Of course I never told my friends that my dad eventually became a superhero that could bend time and reality to his will all thanks to his training he did with the former Sorceress Supreme.

“Well no worries (n/n), I’m sure your dad will get back on his feet soon.” My friend Jay said.

“Yeah, he is a strong man.”

“Then how come he got bleeped away like the rest of the world did?” said Kira. I looked up at my ginger haired friend in shock.

“What did you just say?”

“I said then how come when my dad gets the shit knocked out of him, he just bitches about it?” I looked at her confused for a second and that’s when Kelsey answered.

“Just be thankful your dad at least tries to work. All my dad does is drinks and sleep.” I patted her shoulder comfortingly as I continued eating my pizza.

When school was over, my friends and I went down to the bowling alley since it was Friday. We reserved our usual lanes and got into our teams. I was up next to bowl for my team, I took hold of my red bowl, lined myself up and took a deep breath in then exhaled out.

‘(Y/n)! (Y/n)!’ my dad’s voice soon screamed in my head. His tone sounded urgent and—worried? What was going on?

“Yo (Y/n) you alright?” Mikaela came up to me placing her hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah. Yeah sorry.” She gave me a comforting squeeze on my shoulder.

“It’s okay, just make the shot otherwise we’ll lose and you are our best striker.” She went back to her seat and took a sip of her diet coke. My team was cheering me on, I took another deep breath but just as I took my run and let the ball go, my head suddenly felt like it was splitting open.

The ball went straight down the gutter and I was soon met with all these flashes. I saw my dad, Tony Stark, Peter Parker, and these—other people including myself on what looked like a deserted wasteland of rubble.

There was this giant purple being that we were all fighting, a flash of green and then I saw my dad turn to dust. When my vision came back I could hear my team groaning and my other friends who had their team cheering.

“WHAT THE FUCK (Y/N)!!!” Danielle exclaimed.

“Gurl you never. Miss. A. shot!” Mikaela snapped at me.

“What the fuck was that (Y/n)?!” Jay yelled.

“Ehhh thanks (y/n). Now you guys have to pay for the meal.” Courtney said as she snapped her fingers in victory.

And I don’t know how or why it happened but suddenly I was back holding the ball in my hands, staring down the pins and my team was cheering for me. How did I get back here? Why was I back here? I felt myself step forward a few times and release the ball and soon I got a perfect strike.

My team cheered as the pins were cleared and a new set was placed down in front of me.

“Alright (n/n)! One more strike and we win!” my ball soon came back onto the ramp and I picked it up, stepped forward and released the ball and low and behold another strike! My team cheered while the other team groaned in defeat.

“Oh yasss Queen!” Chris exclaimed.

“Alright Courtney, pay up you’re buying the pizza now!”

“Damn you (y/n).” Courtney sneered at me as she took out her wallet and left the payment for all our pizzas and a tip for our waiter.

After that it was already getting dark outside and when I looked at my watch I had seen that it was now 10:30pm.

“Well guys I gotta get going.” I told them.

“Yeah I promised my mom that we’d go shopping for my sister’s wedding next month.” Mikaela said.

“Yeah and I gotta get up and ready for work by 8am. See yah guys.” Courtney said and soon all my friends and I went our separate ways. I went into an alleyway to open up a portal to get me back home when I heard a sudden crash behind me.

“Hello?” I cried out. Nothing but silence replied back to me. “Who-who’s there?” another crash was heard just head of me but I didn’t see anything.

The quick fluttering sounds of a cape or cloak whisked past behind me and when I quickly turned around I thought I could see the cloak of levitation, but it was so dark and so fast I couldn’t tell for sure.

I quickly made my portal and jumped through it and immediately closed it before finally starting to hyperventilate. My knees turned to jelly as I collapsed to the ground trying to control my breathing.

“(Y/n)? What’s wrong sweetheart are you okay?” I looked up and saw my dad kneeling down beside me.

“I—I’m fine.”

“No. You’re not. Come on let’s get you up to your room and settled in your bed.” He picked me up, holding me like how he always used to hold me when I was little and carried me back to my room.

I was now in my sleep pants and an old nightshirt. My dad made a tall glass of milk appear by my bedside and he said as he brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

“Now, you wanna talk about why I found you hyperventilating at the bottom of the stairs?” I took a sip of my milk and said.

“It’s just…..I don’t know. Something weird happened today.”

“Like what?”

“Well there was something that Kira said to me. She—” but for some reason what I was about to say slipped my mind.

“She was going to say what?”

“She……she said……I-I can’t remember. I had it but now it’s….it’s gone.”

“Okay, what else happened? I know it couldn’t be just because of what she said.”

“Yeah, yeah then there was this sense of……déjà vu. Like when I was bowling I……” but again like before, when I was about to speak about—the thing it slipped my mind once again. At this point my dad was looking at me like I was mad. “I…..I can’t remember the déjà vu thing either. Daddy, am……am I going mad?” he pressed his hand against my forehead.

“I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers.” He said gravely. “But I’ll tell you a little secret. All the best people are.” He said with a grin. I looked at him with my bitch face which made him chuckle.

“Must you always quote Alice in Wonderland to me?”

“It’s your favorite movie and book of all time. You remember how you’d always beg me to read it to you as a little girl?”

“One look with my puppy dog eyes and you succumbed every time.” He pressed his forehead against mine as his nose gently rubbed against mine as he chuckled that deep baritone chuckle of his. The type that always made me feel safe.

“How about this, tomorrow we just take a day for ourselves. Just the two of us. We don’t even need to leave the house.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

“Great, love you sweetheart.” He leaned in and kissed my temple before leaving my room and shutting the door behind him. I downed the rest of the milk and suddenly felt sleepy. I collapsed onto my pillow and like a lightbulb I fell right asleep.

But throughout the night I kept tossing and turning as I was hearing not only my dad’s voice but Wong’s voice too. They were both frantic with worry as they kept calling out to me.

When I opened my eyes I found myself back at that wasteland and I saw myself fighting against the giant purple alien. I was holding the sacred sword of Vishanti. I saw myself leap into the air and swing the sword downward but the alien caught it with his bare hands. The two of us struggled with our strengths until he grabbed me by my white tunic and threw me like a ragdoll.

My dad soon came in with the bolts of balthakk which broke apart the ground around the purple giant but his gauntlet glowed a bright purple and shit a blast towards my dad. But my dad summoned a portion of the mirror dimension and used it as a shield to protect himself before sending it towards the giant.

While the giant was distracted I then suddenly came flying over my dad and sent the Crimson bands of Cyttorak to bind him while my dad multiplied himself using the images of Ikkon. He surrounded himself around the purple giant and each image created their own binding bands which shot down towards the giant purple creep.

But he used the gauntlet again and soon my dad’s image went back to just himself and my hold on him was also severed. He used the gauntlet to bring my dad closer to him but I couldn’t hear what he was telling my dad.

What I did see was him taking the eye of Agamotto and crush it into his palm before throwing my dad aside knocking him out. I then heard myself scream out towards me dad and saw the rage in my own eyes.

I saw myself let out a battle cry as I leapt into action. This time using hand to hand combat using the sword as well as creating my own shields to block his attacks. Wow I was a rageful monster with whoever this guy was. But—why is this so familiar to me? I know this couldn’t be just a dream, it’s like—a memory? A vision maybe?

All I know was that I saw myself getting weaker with each kick and punch I tried to throw. That was until I saw myself getting stabbed in my side. The purple giant then said.

“I respect you young witch. But now you’re starting to become a nuisance.” I then watched as he took out the sword from my side and I saw myself collapse onto the ground bleeding heavily.

I found myself gasping as I woke up and looked around to see myself still in my bedroom. I turned to the clock and saw that it was 1:45am. I quickly raced downstairs, in the total pitch black of my house not knowing what I was doing.

“And just where do you think you’re going little miss?” my dad’s voice soon said. He turned around in a chair as he turned on the light beside him.

“I-I was only…….”

“You weren’t planning on sneaking out were you? You know my rule. No venturing out after midnight.”

“No dad I-I-I wasn’t.” he stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder. However I felt his nail sink onto my skin piercing through my shirt painfully. I bit my bottom lip trying to keep in a scream or even a sound of pain.

“You know how it makes me feel whenever you disobey your father. You wouldn’t want to make father angry, do you?”

“N-no.” I whimpered out.

“That’s my girl.” Suddenly my dad was shot with a bolt of balthakk. I ducked down holding my shoulder and saw a small amount of blood actually on my fingertips.

“She’s not your girl, she’s mine!” I turned around and saw Wong and my dad?! Wait what was going on here? Why were there two of them? My dad was in his full Sorcerer Supreme outfit as the cloak of levitation had him hovering over a few inches off the ground.

My dad who had been shot across the room growled out as he stood back up.

“Impossible. You were gone! I’d seen it for myself!” he hissed. My other dad smirked and said.

“14,000,605 possibilities I had seen and only one victory. That possibility has already come to pass. Now I’ll only tell you this once,” he clapped his fists together and soon his shields came over his hands and he warned my dad. “Let. My daughter go less you face the wrath of the Master of the Mystic Arts.”

“(Y/n) you need to come with us now before it’s too late.” Wong told me.

“I—I don’t understand……how?”

“Sweetheart listen to me, I’m your real father. Just come stand behind Wong and I and we’ll get you out of here.”

“Don’t listen to him (Y/n). I’m your real father. Who would know what your favorite lullaby was?”

“(Y/n) I know he may seem like me but he’s not. It’s Nightmare. He’s kept you trapped in the Dream Dimension for 3 years.”

What? Then suddenly behind me a giant green and black blast of magic shot up in the air. As my dad’s body soon began to morph into another male’s body, wearing a familiar green and black attire, his hair growing wild and madded like a lion’s mane, his nails growing sharper and blacker like claws, his teeth turning to fangs and his eyes. Those once warm blueish-green eyes that once held warmth now turned a frightening and haunting yellow with a black pupil at its center.

Suddenly it all came back to me. When Thanos had snapped half of the population away, it gave Nightmare the advantage and power boast he needed to try and escape the Dream dimension and enter our own.

So three years ago I along with some other Sorcerers (those that were left) went to the Dream Dimension to stop him from invading Earth. But due to everyone’s fear and guilt of losing their loved ones and what the world had come to, Nightmare was almost too powerful to stop. He had killed one sorcerer who was still in her training and another one he had driven mad with fear.

In order to spare the others as well as the rest of the Earth, I volunteered myself as penance. I told Nightmare that he could have me if he spared everyone on Earth. He agreed and sent the rest of the sorcerers I had brought with me back to Earth leaving me under his control. I guess he had me relive a normal life with my dad where it was mainly us, no Thanos, no other Avengers, just me and him.

A haunting laughter was heard as Nightmare spoke with his true voice.

“Right you are Doctor. However you’re only partially correct this time around.” He walked right up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders gripping them once again. “Your daughter came to me by her own freewill.”

“That’s a lie! My daughter would never surrender herself to the likes of you!” Nightmare turned to me and disappeared into black smoke before reappearing behind me.

“Do you want to tell him? Or shall I?” he said as I felt one of his claw-like nails nick across my neck. I hissed in pain and felt a small amount of blood dripping down. His finger brushed across the cut and I could see him lick the blood off his finger from my peripheral vision.

“I’m sorry dad.”

“(Y/n)…….why?” before I could say anything Nightmare simply shushed me which in turn silenced me. I tried to speak but not even a peep came out of me. Nightmare had taken my voice.

“Seems she had more common sense than you did. The daughter of the Sorcerer Supreme is a precious treasure to uphold.” I felt him stroke down my hair, the very same way my dad would always do it to me.

“This is your last warning Nightmare, let her go or else.”

“Or else what? In case you hadn’t noticed I’m the one in control here. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been before. And you’re in my dimension which gives me the homefield advantage!”

“Yeah, but there’s one thing you still haven’t let go of. Your constant need to brag.” My dad said with a grin. Nightmare looked at my father confused which gave me the chance to free myself from his grip and I binded him with the Crimson bands of Cyttorak. Wong soon joined in and pushed a wall from the mirror dimension right towards Nightmare sending him out of the room.

My dad raced up towards me and the two of us embraced each other. I felt his left hand press against my temple while his right touched the base of my throat. I felt this warmth come over me and I said to him.

“I’m sorry dad.”

“Apologize later. Right now let’s get you out of here. You’ve been in here long enough.” He took my hand and we quickly made a run for it.

The normal streets of New York melted away and I finally saw the Dream dimension for what it really was. A dark black shadow surrounded the sky with haunting eyes staring at you and fanged mouths snarling or taunting you with your worst fears and guilt. Doors were also scattered everywhere, each one leading to somewhere you didn’t want to be or even get lost in.

And at the bottom of the trail we ran along at, an endless, empty abyss. One trip or a slip, then it’s a never ending fall throughout the Dream dimension. Wong let out a few shield platforms for us to hop across.

“Come on! The door we came through won’t be in the same spot for long.” He was the first to hop onto the first platform but then just before dad and I could even take the first leap, a python suddenly shot out from the floor and took hold of my calf.

“(Y/n)!” my dad exclaimed. I was being dragged towards the edge of the trail. I tried my best to scratch myself back towards my dad but the python continued to drag me towards the edge till I was finally dangling over the abyss.

My dad summoned the sword of Vishanti and threw it straight into the python’s eye which forced it to let me go as it recoiled back in pain before disappearing into a puff of black smoke. Dad quickly brought me back onto solid ground and we both saw my leg was heavily bleeding.

“Never did I think I could hate snakes even more than I usually do.” I groaned out a joke.

“Just be thankful he didn’t conjure up a venomous one. Try to stop the bleeding.” The cloak of levitation came off my dad’s shoulders and wrapped itself around my leg, tightening itself up to stop the bleeding.

“You and Wong need to get out of here. You guys can come back with help.”

“I’m not gonna leave you here again that’s not happening!”

“Dad I can’t walk! And without the cloak you can’t fly.”

“We’ll think of something.”

‘I’m afraid there won’t be any time for you three, or should I say you two.’ That’s when we noticed that Wong had suddenly gone missing.

“Wong? Wong!” my dad called out.

‘Face it Strange, you’re in my dimension now. And thanks to your daughter’s powers I’ve grown more powerful than ever before!’ My dad picked me up bridal style and proceeded to run.

Somehow we managed to find somewhere to hide. One of many doors that simply looked like a dark cave. My dad sat me down and that’s when the cloak unwrapped itself from my leg and my dad began to heal my leg as quickly as he could.

“Dad…..if—if we don’t make it out of here…..”

“We’re gonna make it out.”

“Dad please I—I need to say this, after five long years please just let me speak my mind.” He looked at me worriedly but gave me a nod. “If we don’t make it out of here alive, I—just want you to know that…..I’m proud to call you my father. I know we had a—rocky start especially when I became a teenager but—after the accident I thought I had lost you forever. And then when—Thanos blipped you away. I’d come so close to losing you again without telling you how I’ve felt about you. I love you daddy. I really, really do love you.” He pressed his hand against my cheek and said.

“I love you too (Y/n). I love you so, so much. I know I haven’t been Dad of the year to you, but……I thought it was because I wasn’t ready to be a dad. I thought I would screw up and have you end up broken. But I am proud to call you my daughter, my little white witch.” I smiled at him sadly.

‘How sentimental.’ Nightmare’s voice echoed through the darkness. My dad pulled me close to his chest, his arms wrapped around me protectively, same thing with the cloak as it felt the red velvet material wrap it’s two edges around me.

“So what now Nightmare? Now that I’ve broken free of your spell you going to kill me?” I heard his haunting chuckle as he said.

“No of course not. He is.” Suddenly my dad was struck with one of Nightmare’s controlling spells. It hit him right in his eyes and I saw the black and green magic aura surround my dad, trying to manipulate him.

“No! Dad! Dad no please fight it!” I pleaded as my dad was groaning and writhing on the floor. He held his hands to his head as he exclaimed in pain. “Daddy no please, you’re stronger than him. You’re clever than him, you’re Doctor Stephen Strange!”

“Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but daddy’s no longer home.” Nightmare soon appeared as the cave light up by a single firepit just a few feet away from us. Nightmare stood on top of a ledge of sorts and that’s when I heard the snarl of an animal next to me.

When I looked down that’s when I saw my dad had now shifted into a Nightmare. Teeth like a wolf’s bared at me, gleaming like the full moon, his eyes now a haunting gold like a tiger’s eye but his pupils were slitted like a snake’s, claws like meat hooks, a whip-like tail that almost looked like a dragon’s tail and bat wings soon sprouted from his back as he stared me down snarling.

I backed up before hobbling away from him but my dad charged after me. That’s when the cloak of levitation came to protect me as it wrapped itself around my father’s face trying to smother him.

“You know maybe I should’ve made you deal with this the past three years. Your biggest fear is your beloved father turned against you.” I fell to the ground due to my injury and backed away up against the rocky wall. All the while I watched in horror as my dad actually began ripping the cloak apart before staring directly as me once again.

“Release him at once Nightmare! This wasn’t a part of our deal!” I snapped as I looked up to where he was standing above me.

“Contracts can be edited sweetheart. So long as I bind you to my will it doesn’t matter what you see. Unless by my word that I release you from your contract, you are stuck here for eternity.” I heard a snarl and when I looked forward, my dad was just inches away from my face.

His canine teeth gleaming right at me as he kept licking his fangs. He truly was a monster now, there was not a single trace of my dad anymore in this beast.

“No daddy.” He stalked closer and closer inch by inch till I could feel his hot breath panting right in my face.

“Sweet dreams love.” Nightmare gave me one last taunt using my dad’s real voice.

Then quicker than lightning the beast that was once my father actually lunged for my neck and I felt his canines pierce my skin and I let out a blood curdling scream.

“Blech! Blood, blood, blood! And—death!” I said as my dad released my neck grinning at my over dramatic death scene. I then collapsed to the ground and played dead with my tongue out and everything.

“Alright now you’re just milking it.” My dad spoke with a slightly more gravel to his normal voice (kinda reminded me of Smaug from the Hobbit films). “Besides, I think we’ve got him. Thank you Nightmare you’ve been a great costar.” Dad said as he helped me stand up.

“What?” oh the confusion on Nightmare’s face was priceless.

“Oh did you think you actually affected me with your Nightmare magic? Well spells can be contained by other spells, and your attack is trapped in the mirror dimension.”

“And I’ve been working on some other forms of magic like shapeshifting thanks to some Norse spell books.” I explained to him gesturing to my dad.

“My girl is a clever one. Cheeky at times too.” Dad said as he ruffled my hair. Nightmare growled and said to me.

“But you forget one thing, you’re still under my control (Y/n) Strange. So says my law.”

“Yeah about that.” I then pulled out a small tape recorder from my pocket, rewind it and played the part that I needed and soon Nightmare’s voice said.

‘I release you from your contract.’

“Now by your own law, I am no longer tied to the Dream Dimension, or your control.” Nightmare’s face dropped from pride to utter defeat.

“No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no!”

“Oh yes. It’s called a hustle bitch. Mic drop!” Soon a portal came behind dad and I and we both jumped through it sending us back to the New York Sanctum. The last thing we heard was Nightmare’s defeated tantrums.

Wong immediately closed the portal behind us and I dropped the spell from my dad turning him back to his normal self.

“You know he’ll try to return.” Wong told us.

“Yeah and now it seems I’m a bigger threat to him than you are dad.” I said.

“Well no matter what happens, we’ll be there to make sure he doesn’t try to return to Earth. Whatever it takes.”

Later that night as I was browsing through my phone, a knock was heard at my door.

“It’s open.” My dad soon came in and he said.

“How are you feeling?”

“After finally getting some real food in my system, and finally getting to use the Internet again. I’d say I’m doing better.”

“You know you didn’t have to be the one to do it. Wong was willing to hold Nightmare off.”

“I know, but the Time stone did show you that I needed to be the one to do it. Plus a poor, helpless, defenseless little girl willing to sacrifice herself for her friends. Nightmare could never resist such a scenario.”

“But to be tortured by him for three years? I’m surprised your psyche hasn’t been damaged.” He said as he sat down beside me.

“Well truthfully it wasn’t any different than what we’re doing right now. I was basically living a normal life with you, still using our powers but it was all before Thanos ever came into the picture. It almost felt like a sitcom at times.”

“Interesting.” Dad pondered.

“In all seriousness though dad, I’m fine. Mentally and physically. Well most of me anyways.” I said raising my newly bandaged leg. “But that’ll heal in the next few days thanks to Wong’s herbal remedies.”

“Well it’s getting late, so your head goes right there.” He said pointing to my pillow.

“Nah think I’ll just stay up all night. I mean I have been asleep technically for 3 years.”

“Fine, but don’t come whining to me when I come in here at first light for your morning training.”

“Please dad. You hate mornings even more than I do. Even when you were a neurosurgeon you hated your morning shifts.” He chuckled and gave me a kiss on top of my head.

“You really are my daughter.”

“And damn proud of it.”

“Goodnight (Y/n).”

“Night dad. Glad to have you back.” He winked at me before leaving my room. I laid back against my pillow and sighed heavily continuing to go through the web and looking at my old social media accounts that I hadn’t used in awhile and seeing just what some of my old friends were up to. “You may have created the perfect paradise for me Nightmare, but I wouldn’t trade my reality for anything else.” I spoke out loud knowing that Nightmare could be potentially listening in.

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aliasimagines · 4 years

Text

operation fools in love//luke patterson

requested by a lovely anon

word count: 3333(!!!)

a/n: i still don’t know how to write endings

The corridor was noisy with loud chatter, quietly whispered gossip and the sound of rushing students' shoes hitting against the floor.

You hummed 'edge of great' as you started fishing out the books you need for class from your locker. It has been stuck in your head since yesterday evening when the guys played it for you and Flynn at band practice.

You were about to close your locker when he poofed next to you.

“Hi, y/n!”

“AAHHH” you screamed, earning a few side looks from passing by students.

“Ahh, I accidentally kicked my locker, haha…”you started explaining yourself before turning back to your open locker. You sent a glare in Luke’s way.

“What did Julie and I say to you? Do not teleport randomly to us at school!”

He chuckled.

“Yeah, rules, rules, I don’t care. I just wanted to drop in and say hi!” he smiled at you with his signature Luke smile.

“Well, you did. That’s all? I kinda need to go to class.” you spot Julie in the corner of your eyes as you walk over to her locker. You quickly wave at her and soon after she comes over so you can talk to Luke without looking crazy.

Luke mumbles something under his breath and goes to scratch the back of his head.

“No! Uhm..Hi Jules… So y/n I also kinda wanted to ask if you would come to our gig tonight? You know, we are playing not far from that food place you like? "

You smiled, appreciating that he remembered your favorite food place.

"Well,erm.. I guess? I want to but I might have dance practice, so I am not sure." you say, wishing you'd know for sure but you won't find out till the end of your classes.

Luke's lips formed an 'o' before his gaze fell down on his shoes.

"Oh well.. I-okay. Bye?" he says in an unsure tone before disappearing, leaving you to face Julie.

"Well, wasn't that adorable?" she asks with a smug grin.

"What? What are you talkin' bout Jules?" you ask honestly confused. She laughs and puts her hand on your shoulder.

"Sweetheart, you two are just oblivious to each other!"

"I don't… What?"

"You like him. He likes you. It's not that confusing. Really it is obvious."

"Shhh, quiet!" you shh-ed her, quickly making sure if Luke was 100 percent gone. "I.. I don't like him."

It was unnecessary, you couldn't even fool yourself and especially not Julie.

"Y/N, come on girl, I know you do. And he does like you too! I mean I am writing songs with him, do you know how many lovesick lyrics he has written lately? It is making me sick." she laughed.

"Well, he might have written them about someone else. Maybe you? You two have amazing chemistry."

Julie sighed and grabbed both of your shoulders so she could look at you.

"Y/N, honey. Believe me when I say he is head over heels for you. Why else would he want you to be at our gig so much?”

„Luke is literally so passionate about music? Of course he wants to share it with me, cause he wants to share it with everyone.”

„Ahg, girl you need glasses cuz you can't see shit. Look, if prove he likes you too will you believe me?”

„Sure. I mean you can’t prove something that is not true but, sure go ahead, ’prove it’.”

Julie rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond but luckily for you the bell rang.

“See you later, alligator!” and with that you were off to class, leaving Julie alone to work on her master plan.

She knew she had to pull this off because the mutual pinning was unbearable but she also knew she couldn't do it alone. She'll need all the help she can get and that includes Flynn and the rest of her ghost band.

You changed into your leggings and sweatshirt before heading into the gym where the dance practice took place. You were quite bumped. Don't get me wrong dancing is everything to you but.. You really did want to see the guys perform.

You and the other kids were warming up, waiting for your teacher to start showing the choreography. But neither of you expected what she did next. Much to your surprise Reggie and Alex appeared next to her and started messing with her water bottle before you could even open your mouth.

For a moment no one acknowledged what was going on. Some were too busy chatting and warming up and Ms Janett was too busy with her phone. The two ghosts seemed to have noticed that and after exchanging a knowing smirk they grabbed the phone out of your teachers hands. She perked up, a mixture of anger and confusion on her face. And then… she saw her own phone floating in tin air.

“Stop!!” you whisper shouted in the boys direction but they only gave you a smirk before Reggie started searching for the music player application. Alex pointed over Reggie’s shoulder.

“Uuu, play that one.”

And as soon as the Lady Gaga song started playing Ms Janett let out a scream causing everyone to look up. You saw the boys dancing with the phone and the pompoms in their hand (although you have no idea where Alex got those pompoms) but everyone else just saw those items moving by themselves.

“GHOOOST!!! Everybody RUUUUUUN!”

Some people followed the teacher, some stayed behind to take a closer look only to be scared away by a flying pompom.

“What the heck are you two doing?” you turned to them,being rather angry, once you were the only living person in the gym. Seriously, what were they thinking?

“We cleared your afternooon! You can come to our concert!” Reggie exclaimed and put down the phone.

“Do you think I would go after this fiasco you just pulled??” you were definitely angry now.

“Oh come on, if not for us then for Julie..and for Luke.”

You snapped your head in Alex's direction at the mention of Luke’s name.

“What do...No. Don’t try to divert the topic. What you did was incredebly stupid! What if.. What if someone connects the dots and figures out that Julie’s hologram band is actually a ghost band? There will be scientist and ghost busters and-”

“Shh, Y/N jeez, calm down. it will be okay. We’ll see you at the show.”

And they poofed away. They simply left you alone with your thoughts. You need to come up with some kind of explanation for the dance class but right now you need to go home and change. The boys were right, even if they kinda (really) caused a mess here you still like them and don’t want to miss seeing them live ((Winky face)).

Meanwhile you were sorting through your dresses and outfit options. Julie and the band arrived at the venue for rehearsal.

Usually it was Luke who hyped Julie up before shows but right now the roles were switched because Luke looked like a kicked puppy ever since he learned you wouldn’t be able to make it to their gig. Of course Julie knew you will be here, as she was the one to send the boys to scare away your teacher. It was all part of her little plan.

Like mentioned Luke wrote half a dozen songs, all centered around his feelings for you. He stated to Jules that he will definitely not play them for you because there is just no way you like him back, but now Luke thinks you won’t be there so Julie is on the next step of her genius plan. Convince Luke to play one of his love songs.

“Luke, Lukey-poo, my man.” she started getting more and more cringy. “I thought we could close with Hero and Heroine? I know you said you don’t want to play it but it is such a great song, you definitely shouldn’t let it be just another forgotten song that stays on a piece of paper. Plus it is perfect for closing, think about it!”

“Julie...I-I told you I don’t wanna play it.”

“You told me you don’t wanna play it in front of Y/N, which would be the whole point of writing love songs to her but that's besides the point right now. Pleeassee?”

Luke took a deep breath and looked at his ghost mates for...What for? Support? Advice? He is not sure. He does want to play the song, pour out his emotions through the song but the question is..should he? He knows you can’t be here which both makes him wanna play the song and not at the same time.

“I agree with Julie, dude.” Alex said, shrugging his shoulder like he knew of nothing. Reggie nodded along.

“Okay..If you all think I w-”

Julie stood up and clapped her hands together.

“Cool! It is settled. I’ll need to make a phone call, brb.”

“Barbeque?” asked Reggie confused. Which made Alex laugh.

“Brb actually means be right back. Willie told me.” the blond made his way over to Luke and gently punched his shoulder. “Really Luke, that song is great. And I know you think there is no way Y/N would like you back but I am sure if she could hear it-”

“I’m a ghost, Alex! I can’t just confess to her, how are we gonna date? We can’t even touch.”

“That is totally not the reason. You are afraid she would decline your affection, I get it, but believe me I have seen her look at you. That longing in her eyes when I mention your name. She likes you.”

Luke rolled his eyes.

“Not that it matters, she won't hear the song and that is my final say in this.”

As soon as Julie stepped out of the small, cigarette smelling backroom she dialed your number. You picked up after two rings.

“Hi, Jules.”

“Hi girl, I heard what the boys did, I am so, so sorry. You know they are idiots.”she said trying real hard not to laugh but she reminded herself of her plan and pulled on her poker face.”But..Are you coming to the show? Flynn could pick you up; she is about to get going.”

“Yeah I’ll come, tell the boys I will call my teacher and say it was a prank so they can thank me for saving their ghostbutts.”

Julie giggled and started playing with her hair.She walked up and down the small corridor that led to the stage from the backroom.

“I will, I better get back and warm up but you should call Flynn so she won’t leave without you.”

Of course Flynn wouldn’t leave without you. She was waiting in her car two blocks from your home waiting for your phone car.

She didn’t have to wait long, you called her and she pretended to not expect it. Flynn kinda became your and Julie’s driver ever since she got her driver's license last month.

By the time the two of you got to the venue the opening was playing their last song and the place was already packed with dancing teenagers. Flynn dragged you to the bar and asked for a cola for herself and a (favourite drink) for you.

The two of you hung back and sipped your drinks until Julie appeared on the stage. Then you took Flynn by the hand and started pulling her toward the stage. Only she held you back.

"Hey, what's up? Don't we wanna go and watch them from closer?"

"Oh, well, uhm...I'd rather hang back. The crowd kind of makes me anxious right now." Flynn said. You lifted an eyebrow at her. Flynn being anxious? In a crowd?? That did not convince you. But you didn’t argue.

"Do you need to step outside a little or…"

"Nah, it's good, let's just stay here in the back."

So you did. You sang and danced along to the songs you both knew so well. You tried your best not to stare at Luke too much but let’s be honest you failed miserably. Flynn occasionally wiggled her eyebrows at you when she caught you ‘drooling over him’ as she put it.

After they finished playing Stand Tall you expected them to bow and ‘disappear’ but much to your surprise Julie grabbed the mic and brought it to her lips.

“Hello, hello, helloo! Do y’all wanna hear one more song?” the audience erupted into a loud cheer. It was so heartwarming to watch. Julie doing what she was born to do, playing music and enchanting the crowd. Flynn seemed to have the same thought because she looked at her with such pride. You pulled her into a big hug and the two of you waited for the crowd to quiet down so Jules could go on.

“Allright, allright. Now this song will be a bit different but...I will let Luke here tell it.”

You just became more and more surprised when Luke stepped closer to the mic and spoke into it, looking kinda...nervous?

“Ohm..Hello everyone! So uh..This song is dedicated to a special someone, the songs called-”

“What’s the special someone’s name?” your eyes travelled to Reggie who asked the question with a huge grin. Luke turned to look at the bassist. If looks could kill Reggie would be double dead. But before Luke could give a voice to his disapproval towards Reggie’s question Julie spoke up.

“Yeah! What’s the name?” she turned towards the crowd and started chanting. “What’s the name?”

Soon Reggie and Alex joined with smiles painted on their faces along with the audience. You were so freaking confused. You looked at Flynn for some explanation but how would she know about it.

“OKAY, okay, stop!” Luke yelled before laughing a little. “All right I will tell you guys but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone?”

All of a sudden you felt sick and wanted to get out of here. You were so not in the mood to hear Luke declare his love for someone.

“This song is dedicated to..To Y/N. Unfortunately she wouldn't be here today but..she is an amazing person. Hope you all like the song.”

He...He couldn’t be talking about you, could he?

He started strumming his guitar and soon Reggie joined in with the bass and Alex with the drums. Jullie clapped her hands together and kept sending encouraging looks for the boy.

“It's too late baby, there's no turning around, I've got my hands in my pocket and my head in a cloud, this is how I do, when I think about you,I never thought that you could break me apart,I keep a sinister smile and a hole of my heart” he sang into the mic, his voice filling in the whole club “You want to get inside, then you can to get in line but not this time”

“'Cause you caught me off guard, now I'm running and screaming!” Julie joined in for the line“I feel like a hero and you're my heroine.”

“I won't try to philosophize, I'll just take a deep breath and I'll look in your eyes, this is how I feel and it's so so real I got a closet filled up to the brim with the ghosts of my past and the skeletons, and I don't know why, you'd even try but I won't lie” Luke sang and you finally realised what was going in. He wrote this song. For you. You looked over to Flynn who nodded towards the stage and mouthed ‘go’.

I feel like a hero and you are my heroine. Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?

You started making your way towards the stage, slipped through the cracks between dancing people and singing fans. The further you got the harder it was to get through but you heard Luke’s voice and you kept going.

And I feel a weakness coming on, never felt so good to be so wrong. Had my heart on lock down and then you turned me around

And I’m feeling like a new born child..

You finally break through a few screaming girls and see him.

“-Every time I get a chance to see you smile. It’s not complicated, I’m so jaded.” Luke sings and looks at the audience and- He spots you. Looking up at him with eyes wide open and admiration on your face. His voice cracks because of the sudden surprise of your presence but you smile at him and that is all he needs to continue.

“And you caught me off guard...Now I’m running and screaming”

He sang the song with such passion that even if you weren’t before now you were absolutely sure this wasn’t just a simple crush.

When they finished you didn’t waste a lot of time, you ran backstage, quickly waving your vip ticket. You almost run into Julie on your way to the door of the backroom.

“Who- Y/N!”

“This was your doing, wasn’t it?” you smiled at her already knowing the answer. She flashed a toothy grin.

“Well I had a great team behind me but yeah, Operation FiL was my idea.”

“Phil?” you ask back .

“No, no. F i L. Fools in Love. Now go get ‘im tiger!”

You shook your head and entered the backroom. Luke stood with his back facing you but as soon as he saw you in the mirror he spinned around. For a moment you forgot he was a ghost and ran to give him a hug.

“Y/N, no-” he put his hands out so he could catch you, simply out of reflex but he didn’t expect to actually hold you in his arms. You both looked at each other with eyes as wide as a 6 lane highway.

“How can I-”

“Do you care?” you closed the little distance between the two of you and pressed your lips against his. They were just as soft as you imagined oh, so many times before. He kissed back gently, afraid that this is just a dream. But this was definitely too real to be a dream. You unfortunately had to pull back to catch your breath but Luke looked leaned closer to press his forehead against yours.

“The song was so beautiful, I loved it.” you whisper. He just stared at you with a smile.

“If I knew you would kiss me, I would have played it a long time ago.” you giggled and brought your lips together for one more kiss. He let his hands wander this time but so did you. Your fingers ran through his brown hair, this being something you wanted to do for so long. He kept one hand on your waist and placed the other on the side of your face.

Your lips moved so in sync like you’ve been doing this all your lives. You were so drawn to each other, you felt like you couldn’t pull away in that moment even if you tried. Like this invisible magical force just glued the two of you to-

“Okay, that is enough! Get out I need to change!” Julie brusted in causing Luke to jump up and cling to you like Scooby Doo.

“Wow, you are so brave.''you laughed rolling your eyes at. “Come on, let’s leave alone Julie. We’ll meet ya at the car?”

Jules nodded and sent a wink in your way. You walked outside, both of you grinning like idiots.

“So uhm...Does this make us, Us?”

“Yeah. I mean if that’s what you want too.” you look at your shoes and bite your lower lip waiting for his answer.

“There’s nothing I want more.” he said. “Oh well..maybe another kiss wouldn’t be so bad either..”

#luke patterson x reader #luke patterson imagine #luke patterson oneshot #Julie and the phantoms one shot #julie and the phantoms imagine #jatp luke x reader #sunset curve imagine #aliasimagines

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cowboyjen68 · 3 years

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Let’s Talk Driving!

My kid got her permit yesterday. She fought me on it, as did several of my kids. They were nervous, scared, not motivated, didn’t think they were smart enough.. and every excuse in between. At 14 (or 15-16) depending on the state, it seems unimportant. There is plenty of time, no one will teach me, I can’t learn, we don’t even have a car!

Parents even if YOU can’t drive, get your kid to the DMV and get a permit when they are eligible. I put it off for a little over a year, partially because she was fighting me and partially because I didn’t feel she was ready. Finally I just sat with her for several nights and took the study test. Once she passed it 5 times in a row I made the official appointment. She failed 3 times. In Iowa, and most states, you can take the permit test as many times as you need (NO COST) until you get your permit. Some states charge every time, Iowa is free until you pass then it is 6 dollars. Other states range up to 44.00. Check your state’s DOT page.

Parents no help? Okay.. here is what you need. Your birth certificate and your SS card, possible proof of residence and the SIGNATURE of a parent or guardian.(if you are under 18) They do not need to be present. Just a non family member who is over 25. They can sign the form and you bring it with you. IF YOUR parent is refusing to allow you to get your permit you will have to wait until 18 in most states unless you are willing to get a lawyer or get social services involved. STUDY: most states offer a FREE test practice page at the DOT site. DO NOT USE an off brand site, make sure it is the official Dept of Transportation page.

You can ask your school counselor to help. Sometimes parents are unsure of what to do so they won’t help, others can’t drive themselves so they think they can’t help. Some are just unwilling. Some school counselors might be willing to call your parents, set up a meeting and help them to help you. No guarantee but it is worth asking.

IF you are missing your SS card You can contact the SS office and apply for a new one.https://www.ssa.gov/ Use ONLY the official .gov site. There is no cost but it might take some time. If you call them, bring a book because you will be on hold for a while BUT mostly they are helpful people.

If you are missing your birth certificate don’t call the hospital, they can only provide a “keepsake” copy. Call the county courthouse of the city you were born in or your states vital records. Shttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm This link will take you there. There is a cost, get two if you can and give one to a trusted friend or relative, or keep in your safe.

A permit will allow you to contact driving schools or your high school driver’s ed, again, if under 18 you will need your parents permission. There is a cost to both. BUT ask your school counselor for help. Most schools get money to pay for Driver’s Ed for students who can’t pay. Most community colleges get money to subsidize their class as well. They are all about helping community members. EVEN private driving school might offer discounts or scholarships. Contact your local social services agency to see if they have money set aside for driving help.

You can also apply for regular scholarships that pay cash but don’t tell you how to spend it. Smaller companies or funds might offer 200 or 300 dollars that is just a check to you for “unnamed expenses”.

Once you have your permit check with local guidelines OR ask the insurance company of the driver willing to teach you (in most states an unrelated licensed driver over 25 OR a family member licensed driver over 21 can teach you). Our insurance company does not require a permitted driver to have a policy.

Even if you are anxious, afraid or don’t think you are ready, if you can, get your permit. It is the first step and it will feel like an accomplishment. The mere act of succeeding might give you some courage and boost your “drive” to drive.

Please add your personal tips to this, since all states are a bit different.

#drivers permit #driving #license #young adult #teen driver #teen

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crunchity-munchity · 2 years

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Update on my life rn. Its a rlly long vent sorry haha:

Tuesday (the 5th) is when I'm taking the ACTs and it's also (technically) the last day of drivers ed where we're going to be taking our final exams and I litterally don't know what I'm gonna do with myself

Not like the drivers ed part matters anyways cuz im not passing lol (also I have to nake up for the one class I missed on Thursday)

Oh and also I signed up to drive for the first time with the instructor on Sunday (the 3rd) and I'm not ready for it at all so now I'm supposed to be studying for ACTs but all I can worry about rn is driving

And the thing is that I'm supposedly good at driving?? And I know I can drive but I just can't get myself to do it

My anxiety about driving got so bad a couple weeks ago that for a few days I couldn't sit in a moving car and think about driving without getting incredibly anxious. And another problem with this is that I never told anyone about it and I really should have. But it's too late cuz now im signed up to drive for an hour with the instructor (Mind you its required 4 hours of driving and I so far have done 0, wich is why it's a guaranteed fail for me)

I need to be worrying about the ACT and my missing assignments but they're being taken over drivers ed. And the biggest problem is that litterally no one else I talk to understands!!! Like I told one of my best friends that I'm too anxious to drive with the instructor and be litterally just said "lol just don't hit anything its not that hard" like????? How the hell is that supposed to help

Anyways I'm sorry for this being so long I just felt I needed to post some sort of update lol

#crunchy rants #crunchy in drivers ed #im so stressed out

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cosplayingwitch · 3 years

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Just the Beginning

Chapter Four/Five of my "Finding My Way Home" series.

Poe Dameron x Reader

Summary: in this imaginary world, the covid pandemic is over enough for the reader to finish her research, get her degree, and go out celebrating it. After an evening of drinking, the reader flashes back to how the two of you met.

Warnings: drinking and swearing

Prompt: Flashback

(not my photo, found on a google images search)

You’d done it. Your dissertation defense was successful. You could officially start calling yourself “Doctor”. Not that you really wanted to. A simple PhD at the end of your name would do nicely.

You called the only person you knew who would fully understand what this meant to you. The man who’d been by your side since the beginning. Poe Dameron. Your best friend.

“I DID IT!” You shouted into the phone when he answered.

“I KNEW IT! Congrats!” he yelled back at you.

Then a stunned silence hit you. You’d actually finished it. Your ultimate goal- achieved. “What now?”

Apparently you’d said that last part out loud, because Poe almost yelled at you,

“You go out and celebrate is what you do! It’ll be what, five hours for you to get back here? Just in time for the bars and stuff to open! I know you’d never been much for partying, but this is a special occasion.”

Poe already seemed to be planning something, but you didn’t mind. This was a special occasion.

So you headed out, to go see your best friend and probably go dancing and drinking.

Late that night, after drinking way too much and dancing with strangers until the place closed, you sat in your apartment with your best friend. In your drunken state, you asked Poe (who insisted on being the designated driver so you could celebrate as wild as you wanted) if he remembered how you met.

“Of course I do. It’s not every day someone meets their... best friend and hits it off immediately. Like we did.”

He almost slipped. He almost said that it’s not every day someone meets their soulmate. Or the love of their life. Not exactly something he was ready to admit to you.

Even if you both had your suspicions about the other. Neither of you were ready for the (remote) possibility of a rejection and subsequent implosion of your friendship.

A friendship that had begun about a decade earlier.

You had just walked into your first class on your first day of your undergrad. Still in that kind of high school-preppy kind of attitude, you have a whole color coded notebook-binder situation set up, waiting on the start of class. This was the class that cemented your path in life:

Intro to Anthropology.

See, to get into the archaeology classes you had to have this class first. And so here you were.

Poe, however, had a different idea of what the class was. He needed a humanities credit that wasn’t in the history department, so he decided to get it over with early. Intro to Anthropology was listed as a gen ed option, so here he was.

Unlike you, Poe did not show up with color coded systems 10 minutes early. He showed up five minutes late with what can only be described as crayons and printer paper to take notes. And sat directly next to you.

So how the hell did you end up being friends?

The first day of class left you with a lot of questions about him. And while he did eventually get himself more put together throughout the semester (an actual notebook, pens and pencils instead of crayons, etc.), you still had some questions and doubts about this guy. It wasn’t until the week before midterms that anything beyond greetings had gone on between you.

After class, he’d asked if you’d be able to help him study. He had, after all, seen your very organized nature. Luckily he’d caught you in a good mood, so you’d agreed to meet him in the library the next day. But it was under one condition- it was to be absolutely platonic, it would not evolve into a date under any circumstances. Poe agreed.

This study session in the library went wonderfully, both of you felt prepared for the test, and you ended up acing it (Poe, however, never told you the grade he had gotten on that test).

The study group, which really only consisted of the two of you, met for every test that semester. By the end, you both knew you were meant to be friends.

You broke from your flashback and thought- maybe we knew we were meant to be more? But stopped yourself from saying it.

Poe remembered things a little differently. His showing up to class wasn’t crayons and printer paper. It was loose leaf lined paper and a large, ‘my first pencil’, pencil. He’d forgotten he had an early class that morning, so those were the only options at the drugstore up the street (the only place to stop that’s open that early on a Monday and also on his way to class).

So, yeah, his first day was a comical disaster. But he fixed things and showed up to the next class on time and with proper supplies.

With midterms coming up and his notes a mess, Poe approached you about studying because he considered you to be the most organized person in the class, so he’d have the best chance of passing with your help. And the ‘completely platonic’ clause you insisted upon? Perfectly fine. He was never really been into super organized people- they tended to be control freaks.

But you were different, Poe could tell after your first meeting. So he started calling it your ‘study group’, even though it was only ever the two of you. And you met before every test (Professor Organa gave a lot of tests that semester).

By the end, he knew he would be friends with you for a long time yet.

Maybe eventually more than friends?

Poe snapped out of his flashback to stop himself. The agreement from the beginning was that this was completely platonic, and that’s how it would stay.

Then he heard it. You were coming out of your flashback too. And in your blackout drunk status, you blurted out to Poe that you loved him. And he told you he loved you too.

But she’s drunk, he thought. She doesn’t mean it. She’s drunk.

But you did, in fact, mean it.

You woke up the next day somewhere around noon with the worst possible hangover. Seriously, you thought, this was how you celebrated becoming an accomplished academic? By going out and partying like you were in your undergrad years again?

Poe laughed when you slowly made your way from your room in a bathrobe, slippers, and sunglasses. He’d been up for a couple hours at this point.

Actually, he never really slept. He couldn’t get over your drunken admission.

Constantly, he went back and forth between ‘she meant it, sometimes alcohol makes people admit things they never would when sober’ and ‘she was very, very drunk, it meant nothing’.

So he asked you a simple question.

“Hey, how much do you remember of last night?”

You decide to lie to him. You were so drunk you admitted your love for him. You couldn’t let this jeopardize anything.

“Almost nothing. That had to be one hell of a party, eh?”

But you did have a small gap in your memory- you didn’t remember him reciprocating the feeling.

Disappointed, Poe returned to his self-appointed task of making breakfast. With his limited cooking skills, that meant toaster waffles. Luckily he’d learned how to not burn them when you were still undergrads. That’d been a joke between the two of you for years, but neither of you had mentioned that for years.

“Hey! You better not burn my waffle!”

That’s all it took to send you both into laughing fits, just like old times before major jobs and fancy degrees.

Just two friends goofing around in their apartment.

But it couldn’t last much longer.

You’d be leaving in a couple weeks for your next big adventure, leaving Poe behind in the apartment, with his boring university library job, almost the same one he’d had since you two were master’s students together.

And as much as you didn’t want to leave him without telling him how you felt, you did.

#meras30daywritingchallenge #poe dameron x female reader #i love these idiots #not a happy ending #for now #i promise a happy ending for the series #ive already written it #flashback

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comic-book-jawns · 4 years

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Closure

“Dani? Dani, what’s wrong?”

Jamie cups her cheek. Dani wants to be able to explain, wants to assuage the concern etched all over Jamie’s face. But her mind feels simultaneously like it’s racing and not working at all. All she can do is hyperventilate, which isn’t even her doing, just her body’s automatic response to what she just saw — or more specifically, who she just saw.

She can’t even get a word out, but Jamie seems to understand. She feels Jamie take her hand and squeeze it.

“You’re okay, Dani. You’re with me. Hold on to me, yeah?”

Dani manages to wrap her other hand around Jamie’s upper arm and lean in closer.

“Good, baby. Good job.”

She hears Jamie whisper it as she stares down at the floor, not wanting to see the eyes inevitably turning toward them. It’s pathetic really that she should be a focal point amidst an array of world-renowned paintings, but she gets it. It’s human nature. But that doesn’t make her feel any less uncomfortable.

“You okay to walk?”

Dani jerks her head and then feels Jamie gently pull her along. She keeps her eyes down, trying to focus on Jamie — her warmth, her scent, the callouses on her hand.

When’d they first gotten together, on that fateful night a decade ago now, Jamie had been embarrassed of them, felt the need to apologize.

“I like them.”

Jamie had almost laughed as she’d lain on her back next to Dani, who’d lain on her side facing Jamie, propping her head up with one hand and holding Jamie’s hand on top of the covers with her other.

“Dani - ”

“No, I’m serious. They’re like - ”

“Sandpaper?”

Dani had rolled her eyes.

“They’re like you... They’re... ” She’d sighed. “Grounding.”

In the dark, Dani hadn’t been able to see her blushing, but she’d heard it in her voice.

“Oh.”

*****

“Did ya see her?”

Dani whips her head up. How could Jamie possibly know that? She didn’t even know what... oh, that her.

Jamie had sat her down on the closest stairway she could find. It wasn’t secluded, exactly. But the people passing by aren’t really paying them any mind. And Jamie’s crouched down in front of her, partially blocking her from view and holding her hands.

Dani shakes her head.

“Eddie- ” She sees Jamie’s eyes go wide. “Eddie’s mom. She’s here.”

Jamie opens her mouth but doesn’t seem to know what to say. She nods.

“Okay.” She nods again, processing. “Okay, we’ll leave when ya feel up to it.”

“Jamie... ”

They had a limited amount of time on this vacation in Philadelphia, and today had been specifically designated for the Museum of Art. If they leave now, they won’t be coming back.

“Poppins, what d’ya think I care more about: you or some bloody art?”

Dani laughs, despite herself. It was hard not to when she put it like that. It was hard not to laugh around Jamie, period. And she feels even lighter when she hears Jamie chuckle after a moment.

“Danielle?”

Just like that she feels all of the tension come flooding back to her body. That voice — older, but just as gentle, just as kind. Before she can react further, she feels Jamie squeeze her hands, then watches her stand and turn around.

“She’s okay. Just a little lightheaded. Needs to eat.”

It’s not entirely a lie. They had been planning to take a lunch break sooner than later.

“Oh, here... ”

Dani hears Judy step closer and leans over just enough to see her take something out of her purse. It’s a bag of pretzels, Dani’s favorite childhood snack. It’s coincidental, of course, has to be. But Dani can feel her eyes water ever so slightly. She ducks back behind Jamie as the woman who practically raised her looks back up.

“I know we’re not really supposed to bring food, but — well, everything is just getting so expensive these days.”

She laughs as if she’s making small talk, Dani thinks — as if she’s not trying to feed her former almost daughter-in-law, whom she hasn’t seen since she abruptly disappeared from her life without a word. Dani hears Jamie take the bag.

“Thank you. That’s very kind ah ya.”

“You’re not from around here.”

It’s not said with judgment, Dani notices, more an air of curiosity.

“What gave me away?” Dani smiles as she hears Judy laugh again. Jamie is charming — she, of all people, should know. But she also knows Jamie is fairly shy, especially around strangers. She usually leaves the talking to Dani, but here she is stepping up for her sake. “I’m from England, originally.”

“Oh, how lovely. I am, too, actually.” Dani furrows her eyebrow, unbeknownst to Judy, but Jamie must be wearing a similar expression. “My family, I mean.” She hears Judy chuckle. “I try not to talk about it too much because my husband was Irish.”

“Was?”

The words are out of her mouth before Dani even processes what she’s doing. Jamie turns back to look at her, inadvertently putting her in full view of Judy.

“Danielle?”

She says it more softly this time. Realizing her mistake, Jamie moves in, but Dani puts a hand out. Jamie takes it, helping her up, and she finally comes face-to-face with Judy. Her hair is still brown, clearly dyed; and her face is wrinkled.

But her eyes are unchanged, warm as ever — though Dani had noticed them widen for a moment. But she’s grown accustomed to it. Even people who haven’t know her since childhood don’t expect her to have different colored eyes.

Dani swallows.

“Mr. O’Mara... ”

Judy smiles sadly.

“A few years ago.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Dani hadn’t been as close to him, but he’d always been welcoming. In fact, he’d helped teach her how to drive, readily loaned his car for practice, so she wouldn’t have to wait for the one reserved for her Driver’s Ed class to be free.

Eddie had pushed back, insisting that he was the one who would be driving them around, so what was the point. But Mr. O’Mara had also pushed back, with a laugh. “I will be buying the car, and I want it to remain in one piece, so I think Danielle will be doing the driving.”

Eddie had barely spoken to her for a week after that, so Dani had not been entirely grateful for the support — always worried about keeping Eddie comfortable at her own expense. And she had also been aware that Eddie’s insecurities partially stemmed from his father being hard on him, on all his sons, in a way that he wasn’t on Dani — not that it was an excuse for Eddie’s behavior.

In the end, it was Eddie who drove them around, but Mr. O’Mara had made Dani follow through with the class; and, upon her getting her license, he'd told her she was welcome to drive the car whenever she wanted, even by herself.

Judy’s smile brightened.

“Oh, it’s all right. Thank you, sweetie.”

She goes to reach out, but then hesitates. For a moment, Dani just continues looking at her, taking the moment in, and then she takes a breath and reaches out herself.

And suddenly, it’s as though no time has passed. She’s nine years old again, and Judy is walking her home from ballet class.

Her mother was supposed to pick her up, but she hadn’t showed. Dani had called and an intoxicated Karen had insisted Dani must have told her the wrong day. Crying, Dani had tried to explain that she hadn’t. She’d been attending the weekly class for two months now, and it had always been on Wednesday nights.

Karen had refused to accept that Dani was right or even apologize. She’d told her to walk, which was what Dani usually resorted to. She’d only called because it was raining, and she didn’t have an umbrella or even a jacket. But, out of options, tears still streaming down her face, she’d set off.

Halfway home, hugging herself as she shivered, she’d heard it.

“Danielle?”

She’d looked up to find Judy a little farther down the sidewalk, wearing a jacket and holding an umbrella.

“Hi... Mrs. O’Mara.” She’d said through chattering teeth.

She’d seen her a couple hours ago, having gone home with Eddie after school. She’d offered to drop her off, but Dani had explained that she needed to go home first anyway to get changed and that her mom would be picking her up.

She’d then walked to the rec center from her house, having reminded her mother where she was going when she’d walked out the door. Her mother had responsed with an “uh-huh” that had told Dani she wasn’t really listening, but she’d still held out hope.

Judy had run to her and wrapped her in her jacket, hugging her and rubbing her back and arms to try to warm her up. Then, she’d taken her hand, and they’d set off together. Judy had invited her to come back to her house, but Dani, having not called her to pick her up out of embarrassment, had declined. She’d even told her that she had told her mom the wrong day, that it was her fault.

Dani had been able to tell, even then, that Judy didn’t buy it, but Judy hadn’t pushed back. She’d simply said that if it happened again, she wanted Dani to call her, and she would come get her. Dani had tried to decline, graciously, but Judy had held her ground.

So Dani had promised to do so, smiling shyly, and Judy had offered to at least make her some hot chocolate — Eddie would want it, too, anyway — before walking her to her own home. Dani had agreed. The next week she’d called Judy after her mother was a no-show yet again; and the week after that, Judy had been waiting for her outside when class had let out.

And that was their Wednesday night routine for years, through middle school, anyway. Sometimes Eddie would be with her, and she’d take them out for pizza or ice cream. Sometimes it would just be them, and she would take Dani to go get their nails done; or she would just walk her home, and they would talk. And Dani would smile and laugh and relax, in a way she never could around her own mother.

And even with everything that had happened, all the pain that had come later, Dani feels herself slipping back into it now, just a bit, into that comfort that she’d felt in presence for so long. She doesn’t even realize she’s crying until she feels Judy, still smiling, gently brush her cheeks with her free hand, then lower it back to her side.

Dani turns to Jamie, who’s still holding her other hand. Jamie smiles at her, and even looks rather misty-eyed herself, if a bit in shock too. Dani has a question to ask her, but there’s no subtle way to do it. She’s about to ask Judy if she can talk to Jamie alone for a moment, but then she feels Jamie squeeze her hand. Dani raises her eyebrows, then feels Jamie squeeze her hand again.

Dani smiles herself now. She wants to kiss Jamie so badly, but she settles for squeezing her hand back.

“Oh, this is beautiful.”

Dani turns back to her, and her eyes go wide. She hadn’t thought of which hand she was giving Judy when she’d reached out. But it’s too late now — Judy is lifting her hand to examine the Claddagh ring up close. And then her panic is replaced by anger, at herself. She loves Jamie, and how dare she feel uncomfortable about it.

But that wasn’t it. She’d wanted to tell Judy, but not like this. If she’d just -

“It’s Irish, too, you know.”

Well, the name was rather a dead giveaway. But Dani holds her tongue. She knows Judy is just making conversation. Surely, this was awkward for her to. She did almost marry her...

“Who’s the lucky man?”

Dani feels her heart break as she feels Jamie shift her hand in hers so Jamie’s own ring is facing away from Judy’s. But Dani understands. Jamie isn’t ashamed, either. She hasn’t let go. She’s just giving Dani exactly what she wanted — control over the situation.

Dani takes a deep breath and proceeds her original plan.

“Mrs. - uh, Judy.” Dani clears her throat. “Would you want to join us for lunch?”

*****

“So you go by Dani now?”

“What?” Dani has been so preoccupied planning out how she wants to tell her, her comment doesn’t register at first. “Oh, uh, yes.”

Judy smiles.

“I like it.”

Dani feels herself blush slightly, then feels rather pathetic for Judy’s acceptance of her name meaning that much to her, but...

“And I like her.”

She watches Judy glance over toward the bathroom. Jamie had gotten up a few moments ago as part of the plan Dani had come up with, which she’d relayed to Jamie before they’d left the museum, having asked Judy to go on ahead. They would meet her outside in a moment. She just wanted to freshen up in the bathroom.

She had, in fact, done so while explaining to Jamie that she wanted to tell Judy alone, if that was alright. Nodding, Jamie had suggested she come back to the table in two minutes, either way. Dani had nodded and then started crying as Jamie slid off her ring.

“Jamie!” She hadn’t fully realized what she was asking of her. They’d literally just celebrated their 10-year anniversary a few months ago. “I - ”

Jamie had put the ring in her front jean pocket, then looked up and cupped her face.

“S’alright, Dani. Doesn’t change anythin’. We know, yeah?”

Jamie had smiled softly, then leaned up and kissed her forehead.

Dani is smiling now as Judy turns back to her. This would either makes things easier or even more painful, if she immediately changed her mind once Dani told her. Dani takes a deep breath.

“How long have you two been together?”

She should be relieved, but instead Dani feels all the air being sucked out of her lungs. Of all the scenarios she’d played out in her head over the past half hour, none of them had involved Judy figuring it out on her own.

“I - ”

She feels Judy lay a hand on top of both of hers, which she’d been wringing incessantly for the past thirty seconds.

“I’m sorry about before... for assuming.” Judy laughs awkwardly. “It hadn’t even occurred to me, considering you and - ”

There it was. The person neither of them had yet acknowledged. Dani feels herself starting to get lightheaded again.

“I’m sorry! I - I shouldn’t’ve... ” Judy sighs, closes her eyes briefly, then looks down. “This is like Carson all over again." Dani furrows her brow, not sure what Eddie's younger brother has to do with her and Eddie. But before she can ask, Judy looks back up and presses on. "What I’m trying to say is... I love you, Dan-Dani... and I’m very happy for you... Jamie is a very... a very lucky, uh... woman.”

For a moment, Dani says nothing as she feels her eyes watering once more. And then she completely breaks down.

*****

“Can I ask - ” Judy nods encouragingly. “How - how did you, umm - ”

Judy smiles warmly.

“I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you think at her.”

“That so?”

Jamie is back with them now, sitting beside Dani in their corner circular booth. Jamie’s arm is wrapped around her shoulders, and Dani is leaning against her, breathing her in. Sitting even just a few inches away from her before had been torture. Dani turns her head to catch Jamie’s smirk.

“And I noticed the tan line on Jamie’s finger.”

“Ah, fuck me!”

Jamie’s left hand has been resting on top of Dani’s on the table. Her ring is back on, so the line is no longer visible, but instinctively, she starts to lift her hand for a closer look. And then she freezes, blushing. She puts her hand back down and clears her throat.

“Sorry.”

Even with her grey hairs — which Dani finds incredibly attractive, as she’d told Jamie when they’d started coming in and Jamie had grown self-conscious — Jamie looks adorably like a schoolchild who’s just been scolded for using a bad word. Dani can’t help but giggle. Jamie looks back at her and smiles sheepishly, blushing even harder.

“Edmund would be happy for you, too.”

Dani feels herself tense up again. Jamie must too because Dani feels her squeeze her shoulder. But this was why she’d wanted to talk to Judy alone. It wasn’t fair to Jamie.

She knew Jamie didn’t feel that way, would never feel that way, but that only made Dani feel more strongly that it was. She needed to protect Jamie from her own selfless — Jamie, who was already trying to ease her nerves. Knowing Jamie wouldn’t leave now, even if she asked her to, Dani turned back to Judy, sighing.

She could go along with it, pretend. But they were past that now. If this undid everything, so be it.

“I’m not sure that’s true.”

“Honey - ”

“You don’t - ” Dani swallows. “You don’t know everything that happened... that night.”

That stops Judy. A bit wide-eyed, she waits for Dani to elaborate. Dani takes a shaky breath and feels Jamie squeeze her shoulder again.

“I wasn’t his fiancée... when he... at the time of his death.”

She feel Jamie massage her shoulder as she watches Judy, who opens and closes her mouth several times, before landing on a response.

“I see.”

Dani doesn’t elaborate further. Jamie, of course, had helped her come to terms with it years ago, not that she hadn’t her moments here and there — on his birthday or even when she’d see a young boy and a young girl playing together — but she’d still known that Jamie was right: it wasn’t her fault, never had been.

Judy is silent for almost a minute, and Dani feels the time has come. She’d accomplished what she’d set out to do, said all she’d needed to say, right? She’d known it might end like this.

But just as she sits up more, preparing to stand, Judy take her free hand.

“Well, that... that doesn’t change anything... You’ve always been like a daughter to me... Dani. And you always will be.”

For what seems like the millionth time that day, Dani feels tears springing to eyes.

“Thank - ” She chokes on the word and clears her throat as she feels a few tears break free. “Thank you.”

She feels both Judy and Jamie squeeze her hands and then sees Judy look over her shoulder.

“And Jamie, too. Welcome to the family.”

Dani feels Jamie tense up and turns to find her gaping at Judy. Then, Jamie looks at her, and Dani sees the corners of her mouth twitch upward, but she’s still wide-eyed and rather pale.

“I’m sorry if I... I didn’t mean to overstep.”

Dani sees panic now creeping onto Jamie’s face. Dani flips their left hands so that hers is on top and squeezes Jamie’s. Then, she turns back to Judy, smiling as she lifts the same hand to wipe her face.

“You didn’t. Jamie is very grateful.” She feels Jamie nod behind her as she places her hand back on top of hers. “As am I.”

Judy smiles, relaxing. For a few moments, they sit in companionable silence, almost silence. Dani is still sniffling a bit.

“Oh, honey. Here.”

Judy grabs a napkin and reaches over. Dani feels Jamie’s hand slip out from under hers.

“I’m sorry.”

Dani hears Jamie’s voice crack as she takes the napkin, and she turns around in alarm, kicking herself as she sees Jamie’s face crumple. She’d miscalculated, assuming Jamie would cry once when they were alone. Jamie rarely let herself get emotional in public. She slips her hand out of Judy’s, takes the napkin out of Jamie’s and turns around more fully.

“It’s okay, Jay.”

Cupping Jamie’s cheek, she lifts the napkin, but then thinks better of it. This is about making Jamie comfortable, not Judy. She puts it back on the table, cups Jamie’s other cheek and closes her eyes as she leans in until their foreheads are touching.

“It’s okay.”

She hears Jamie’s stifle a whimper and feels Jamie bring her right arm, that had been draped across her shoulders, in closer until Jamie’s hand is rubbing the back of her neck. After a few moments, she hears Jamie starting to breath more evenly, then she feels her pull back.

Dani opens her eyes. Jamie looks better but embarrassed. She can feel the heat as she brushes her thumbs across Jamie’s cheeks to wipe away the remaining tears. But it’s Judy who speaks.

“I’m sorry.”

Dani glances back. Judy looks a bit uncomfortable but more out of concern, it seems.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Dani turns back to Jamie. “My wife doesn’t take compliments well.”

Dani grins as Jamie laughs. It morphs into a cough, and Jamie pulls away, bringing her elbow up to cover her mouth. But when she turns back, letting her arm drop back onto the table, she’s smiling. It’s her crooked smile, and it’s then that Dani decides she can’t wait any longer.

Cupping face again, she kisses her, softly and quickly. Even around someone other than Judy, she wouldn’t really feel comfortable doing more than that, and she knows Jamie wouldn’t either. That’s not their style, and they are still in public.

When she pulls back, she looks Jamie over. She appears to be mostly recovered, and as if reading her mind, Jamie nods, still smiling. Dani smiles back, then turns back to Judy, who, as it turns out, is smiling herself.

Dani feels her smile widen, though she’s not quite sure what to say, what there is left to say. But Judy, apparently, has something in mind.

“Jamie, now that you’re a part of this family, I think I owe you some Dani stories.”

“If that’s all right with Dani.”

Jamie’s arm is back around her shoulders. Dani leans against her once more, squeezes Jamie’s left hand and nods to Judy.

“Has Dani told you about the first grade pageant?”

For a moment even Dani draws a blank, then she feels her cheeks start to burn as she laughs.

“Oh, god.”

“Ya know, I don’t believe she has, Judy.”

Dani hears the smirk in her voice and feels Jamie nestle in closer.

As Judy begins the story of her six-year-old self going completely off book after her class had spent a month learning a choreographed dance, Dani squeezes Jamie’s hand three times. She hears Jamie’s breath catch for a moment, then hears her sigh and feels her squeeze back three times.

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