#i feel like the price doubled since i bought them two years ago like. not even exagerating.......

[minivirgo]

dropped one single earbud into my downstairs neighbours backyard 😭😭😭 and we couldnt find it . buying a single one of these earbuds on ebay with shipping is like 40$ ........

[neoyi]

Last-minute panics to do a task is real; it's a constant habit of mine and something you should, on a general note, never, ever, ever, EVER do.

I am, of course, talking about buying up any of the 3DS games I wanted before the eshop closes (as of this writing, tomorrow.) So the last two or so weeks have been a mad dash as I tried to fill my l'il handheld with whatever game that piques my interest. I can only hope I'll enjoy them!

So in fashionable alphabetical order, they are... under the "Keep Reading."

Attack of the Friday Monster! A Tokyo Tale: Just the sound of exploring everyday mundane life in a small-time quiet, rural Japanese town was enough to draw me in. The Kaiju battles that happens every Friday was just incidental.

BoxBoxBoy/Bye-Bye Box Boy: I already owned the first one and though I never finished it, I didn't feel particularly guilty about it. The whole series is one of those pick-up-and-play-for-a-few-minutes kind of puzzlers, so it'll still be there waiting for me whenever I feel the urge to return to its monochromatic world. I'm just relieved I don't love Box Boy that much to invest in the far-too-expensive Japanese exclusive amiibo.

Bravely Default: "You gotta play Bravely Default!" "If you like Final Fantasy, play Bravely Default!" "Hey! When are you gonna play Bravely Default?" "Are you gonna get Bravely Default?" "YOU GOTTA PLAY BRAVELY DEFAULT!" Jesus Christ, alright already! I got goddang Bravely Default! I swear, this had better be the JRPG equivalent of ambrosia. (Exaggerated joking aside, I do love JRPGs and am always on the lookout for any intriguing potentials from its massive library.)\

Crashmo: I mean, I already got Pushmo. I did pick up Stretchmo, but I'm not going to waste more money buying the packs that come with it. These are enough and like the Box Boy series, they're games that'll do on a whim.

Dillon's Rolling Western: Honestly, I don't care about tower defense games and even though this is one of the rare, new Nintendo IP (well, "new", this game came out a decade ago, which says a lot about Nintendo's reliance on tried-and-true franchises nowadays), I don't particular find the artwork or setting (I can take or leave westerns) appealing. I guess I'm getting it since it's a digital-only game and I'm not confident I'll see any of these ported or remastered to newer consoles anytime soon. Who knows, maybe I'll dig it. I'm also kind of kicking myself, because when I purchased Dillon, I thought I got the first game. What I accidentally bought was its sequel (The Last Ranger), and me being a stickler to try and play the very first game whenever possible, double dipped to get Game 1. So I guess I have two Dillon games. I guess. :/

Dragon Quest VIII: I have no excuse for this one. I have literally played the PS2 demo before it first came out almost twenty damn years ago, impressed as hell, and dead set on buying a copy when it came out. Then I got lazy. Then they announced the 3DS version and I was dead set on getting that. Then I got lazy. And now, both physical copies of the game went soaring up in price. Only now have I finally moved my ass and fulfilled a promise to my nineteen-year-old self to get this goddamn game. I've only played the DQ Builders series, so this will be my first mainstream DQ game... unless I get to DQ11 first, which I got for my Switch a while back. In any case, I couldn't pass up on entry number 8, the one that people cite as "one of the best in the series." Which... well, I can't compare since I'm both Dragon and Questless, but I am looking forward to a fun role-playing experience.

Ever Oasis: My criteria for getting most of these games were, "Will it be difficult to buy on ebay that it's just better to get the cheaper digital version because no one has heard about this hidden gem?" Hence Ever Oasis.

Fantasy Life: Ditto this, too. I've been told Fantasy Life and the one before, Ever Oasis, are JRPGs with farm/town management and I'm moth to a flame for both genres, but even more so when combined.

Kid Icarus: Uprising: Generally, I try to play at least one major Nintendo franchise unless I reaaaaaaaally don't care for its aesthetic or genre (Yeah, I'm good, F-Zero.) The bar is admittedly low for Kid Icarus since prior to the 3DS game, the series only had two games from nearly thirty years ago and I just do not have the time or patience nowadays to play a lot of 80s-era games. I'm fine if my only Kid Icarus exposure is the new version that comes with a hat.

Picross 3D Round 2/Pokemon Picross: My other criteria is to find the digital-only 3DS exclusive that may or may not ever come out in other consoles, such as the Picross series. I didn't buy all of them because there's like twenty dang versions. I picked up Pokemon Picross because it's free and Picross 3D because it looks neat and different from the 98% 2D versions out there. I fucking love Picross.

Pocket Card Jockey: I wasn't going to get this game because it supposedly came out for phones, but I couldn't find the damn thing in my android's store. So I just got it on the 3DS. I like Solitaire. And it was seven dollars. *shrugs*

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology: It's a JRPG that uses time travel as its gameplay gimmick, 'nuff said. I should play Chrono Trigger again.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix: I've never played a Rhythm Heaven game before, but I've been told if I didn't buy at least one, Rhythm Heaven will personally come into my apartment and break my kneecaps.

Rhythm Thief: The Emperor's Treasure: I've heard the game has some issues, but it's a Lovable Rogue thief wearing a sharp as fuck suit wrapped up in a theater's kid rhythm game. It was a thousand times designed for me and my aesthetic.

Rusty's Real Deal Baseball: Honestly, I think I just want it for the novelty than anything else. I'm aware this game will be totally useless come the 27th, but I don't wanna buy its micro-transcation-before-micro-transcation-were-a-thing mini-games, so I guess it'll remain forever in my 3DS as the little oddball that it is. I'm alright with that.

Yo-Kai Watch: Boy, I'm gonna really regret it if I only bought the first game in the series, end up liking it so much, and then crying because the physical copies of its sequels are currently forty billion dollars on ebay. I got to admit, this carries some serious Dubbed-By-4kids energy, which either means it's gonna be annoying or charmingly cheesy. But also, I kind of bought it because the game's art style got me nostalgic for 90s-era anime. It certainly looks fun for that alone.

I also got Demos for Chibi-Robo: Photo Finder (just to experience at least one Chibi-Robo game), The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes (I've been told you can play by yourself, it's just not recommended, and since I'm a single-player kinda gal, I might as well test out the demo and see how clunky the solo session supposedly is), Bravely Second (sure, why not), and Puzzles and Dragons: Super Mario Bros Edition (suuuuure, why not?)

There are other 3DS games I'd love to get, but those are going to be physical hunts later down the line. Some I know will still be easy to nab (The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds), others probably shovelware that I can find in a bargain bin (Doctor Lautrec and the Forbidden Knights), and others ebay is selling at a higher price than normal, but I still might want (Warioware Gold), etc etc.

Regardless, I feel like I picked out a nice selection of games that will tide me over whenever I get the chance to play them. I guess it was, ultimately, a happy hunt for me. Buy physicals whenever you can. Don't be like me, who has to resort to digital-only for these games because I waited till the last damn minute.

...WiiU? What about the WiiU?

[lastchancevillagegreen]

Tuesday, 7 February 2023:

What’s Going On Marvin Gaye (Tamla) (this reissue came out in 2021, original album was released in 1971)

This reissue has been on my radar since I saw it at Walmart last year.  It was a double album there and I gave it a cursory glance, never checking the price.  When Walmart ran their Black Friday sale and all their albums were marked down to $15 (everything: double albums, boxed sets, new releases, everything) I had big plans to get several things.  But then so did everyone else and Walmart was seemingly stripped clean of everything save Taylor Swift, Adele and the store’s endless crap soundtrack releases in a matter of a morning.  Then next time I finally saw the double album version of What’s Going On was just a couple of weeks ago and the asking price was somewhere around $45.  With tax it would have exceeded $50 and I’m not paying $50 for any album at the moment (not even Luke Haines and Peter Buck’s excellent All The Kids Super Bummed Out), so I opted out of buying the double. 

Yesterday was shopping day at Target and I scoped out the albums, of course.  They had a single version of What’s Going On which I knew my brother had just bought a couple weeks ago.  I decided to not get my own copy becuase I had other albums I would rather chase.  I have the 2001 two CD deluxe edition celebrating the 30th anniversary, that would have to suffice me.  But when I bought two 16 pound plastic contains of cat litter I got a five dollar gift card. 

This morning after the gym I dashed home for a shower and saw a new grocery list on the kitchen counter.  I made a mental note to collect all those damn plastic bags and take them in to Target to recycle.  While there, I figured I might as well cash in that gift card and buy this album which was nagging at me.  And here it sits. 

Above you find the album cover, the gatefold and the back of the album.  This is a repressing from 2021 celebrating the 50th anniversary.  Can 2001 really have been that long ago?!  This version is pressed on green vinyl which you can see below in two different shots. 

That bright light might just be Marvin’s manifestation or it might be the sun.  Either way this looks more bluish green in these photos when it seems to me to look like shamrock green in reality.  This album also comes with a poster and wow, is this poster big.  You can see a glimpse of the album cover in the bottom left hand side to allow you to see how big it is.  Yes, it is essentially four albums covers big, but that doesn’t do the poster justice.  It feels immense.  And how’s this: I always knew poor Marvin was standing in the rain on the back cover but how did I never realize he is also in the rain on the album cover.  I swear I don’t think I realized that until I saw this immense poster (surely I knew he was covered in rain, after all I remember when this came out so I’ve been seeing this cover for half a decade now).  Check out the poster below.

Then you can find a close up of the hype sticker that I always, always believe is a Coca-Cola ad, I think the microphone ribbing are the bottles and the red is the red circle of Coke’s logo. (So Rolling Stone has bumped this up to the Number One spot?  So many critical changes on everything.  I wonder if Jeanne Dielman ever listens to this while she chops up veggies and johns? 

I close out the entry with the labels from both sides of the album.  Looks like someone got sloppy with my copy and glooped green coloring on the label.  Oops. 

Digital photography is a seriously poor substitute for real life color.  It rarely resembles what you see.  The camera gets tricked by the surrounding colors, in this case the shamrock green and it drains the life out of the yellow and brown Tamla label rendering it the yellow color to that of spoiled meat.  I once upon a time was a photographer who shot pretty much only black and white and when digital photography became huge, Kodak and everywhere else opted to kill real film.  I ended my photography because I despise virtually every thing digital.  Looking at these labels and comparing them to the photo of the green vinyl reveals how inconsistent digital photography is.

[coochiequeens]

Men fight while women and children go hungry 

In the late afternoons in Kabul, a familiar ritual takes place as Afghans head to bakeries to buy fresh flat loaves for dinner. 

But since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan last August, another ritual has emerged: Women in blue burqas settle in front of the city's upscale bakeries, silently waiting for charitable passersby to purchase bread for them.

They include Khadija, a mother of nine young daughters. Every day, she walks with swollen feet and blackened toenails to this bakery from the distant hilltop slum where she has lived all her life. Then she waits in her tattered burqa, endlessly stitched and mended. 

"My daughters cry from hunger," says Khadija, who like other women interviewed, requests only her first name be used for the shame she feels begging. She guesses her age at about 30. 

The sight of the women reflects how sharply the country's economy has unraveled, and how its people's resilience has been depleted by multiple crises. They have been battered by conflict, pandemic closures, three droughts and an earthquake over the past five years.

After the Taliban came to power, Western governments cut off the aid that propped up the Afghan government. Washington froze Afghanistan's central bank assets. The banking system largely seized up, preventing traders from easily importing or exporting goods. The number of Afghans needing food aid roughly doubled to 20 million people, about half the population. These are people who have gone into unsustainable debt or have sold off assets like land and homes, their kidneys and in the most extreme cases, their children to purchase food. In one remote province, the U.N. found some 20,000 Afghans who were starving in famine-like conditions. Officials say it has only been wide-scale food aid that has prevented more from the same fate.

Yet even for humanitarian workers who were anticipating a crisis after the Taliban takeover, the speed at which Afghans descended into extreme hunger was still surprising, says Hsiao-Wei Lee, deputy director for the World Food Program in Afghanistan. "It really comes from the fact that there is a lot of reliance on the international community's presence here and on just the general economy," Lee says. "The people of Afghanistan really need continued support." 

But the international community hasn't stepped up enough, experts say. The U.N.'s appeal for this year — $4.4 billion — is only one-third funded. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is diverting resources and has caused food prices to rise.

When Khadija arrives, there's already a crowd of women waiting for bread in front of the bakery, and so the women have spilled over onto the pavement across the road. The women flock to upscale bakeries in Kabul's city center because their customers are more likely to buy them bread: one or two large flat loaves can be bought for the equivalent of 2 cents. Some pull out tattered clothes to mend while they wait. 

Khadija says she often walks back home in the twilight empty-handed. On those evenings, she says, "I knock on the neighbors' doors to ask for spare food. I ask the Taliban at the checkpoints if they have dry bread," she says. 

Fahima, 23, began begging for bread after the Taliban's policies made her family destitute. When the Taliban banned girls' secondary education, her mother lost her job as a cleaner at a girls' school. Her father was killed years ago. 

Now, Fahima says, her life involves walking for hours from her hilltop slum, waiting outside a bakery and walking home with sore legs. It's hard, painful and boring. "I tell myself, 'What will we eat if I don't do this?'" Fahima says. "My mother is too old to walk this far. My sisters are too ashamed to beg." 

It is not just the bakeries where signs of hunger are apparent.

In Kabul's Indira Gandhi hospital, the children's malnutrition ward has tripled to three rooms, with seven to nine children in each. In one room, Leila sat on the sticky floor with her 8-month-old boy, Ali Mohammad. Like the other children here on a recent day, her son had a small head, big eyes, a wrinkled face and stick-like arms and legs. 

Leila said she did not know her age, explaining she could not read or write. "Maybe I'm 20, 30 or 40," she shrugged. But there was a date she could remember: two months ago, she says, when her breast milk dried up.

Her family had no money for infant formula. She said they had always been poor. Her husband, a day laborer in the southern province of Uruzgan, had fallen ill and hadn't been able to work for months. So she gave Ali Mohammad tea instead, and soon, "he was shriveling up," she says. "It is the poverty that is killing him."

Leila said her neighbors could not offer any help. They urged her to go to the hospital instead, where she would be given free food for the baby. Once she leaves the hospital, she will have no means to improve Ali Mohammad's diet. Although she fears her baby will die, "he will drink tea again."

A spokesman for the Taliban's ministry of public health, Dr. Javeid Hazheeri, says the Taliban did not expect so many Afghans would be malnourished when they seized power. The U.S. Congress alone appropriated about $138 billionsince 2002 on reconstruction in the country. Experts say, however, that not enough international aid funded the kinds of development that address hunger, such as improved access to water and nutrition education for women.

Hazheeri lists the ways the ministry is trying to help, including operating more than 2,300 malnutrition clinics. But he says it's not enough, given the scale of the problem. 

He says ultimately, to curb malnutrition, the Taliban government needs the economy to function, which would mean halting Western sanctions: Afghan central bank assets should be released. Afghan banks should be able to conduct cross-border trade. But those are political decisions, which would require the international community to recognize, in some way, the Taliban government. That proposition is complicated by the group's violations of human rights, including denying girls the right to attend secondary school, and issuing rules to enforce the veil in public.

While most of those in need of food after the takeover were already poor, the economic crisis has sucked in Afghanistan's middle class as well. At a food distribution center run by the World Food Program, Taliban gunmen try keep order as a crowd waits outside. Inside, women register for a month's worth of flour, cooking oil and beans. 

They include a 57-year-old woman with a shiny handbag and tidy shoes, also named Khadija — a common name in Afghanistan. Her family used to live off the pension her husband received as a retired school teacher. 

After the Taliban came to power the pension stopped. One son dropped out of college because the family could no longer afford tuition. She supports another son because his salary as a teacher was cut dramatically after the takeover. She sold her apartment to keep them all going, but that money is running out. "I have never opened my hands to ask for charity in my life," she says. "It felt so hard to ask." 

Outside, men with wheelbarrows wait in a row, hoping those receiving food aid will need help to cart it away. They get a 2-cent tip for the work. 

One of the men, Mohammad Hussein, guesses he's about 60 years old. He's tied a piece of cloth around his waist to keep his pants up. "We carry other people's food but we are hungry," he says. "Nobody gives us food." Other men surround us and echo him: "Nobody gives us food. Help us." 

They're unlikely to get help. Lee, from the World Food Program, says they don't have the money to expand their aid program. She says they're trying to plan for the winter, when even more Afghans are expected to go hungry.

[unloved-cadillac]

My Sweetheart.(A Levi x Reader Oneshot)

I found this writing prompt on Pinterest but you can find writing.prompt.s on Instagram.

𝖶𝗈𝗋𝖽𝗌: 2.5𝗄

It’s been years since high school. You left everything behind in Sina and moved to London to pursue your art career and it took off. But now after your art had all been successfully sold and some displayed in art museums, you decided to move back home to teach art at Sina College.

You didn’t come back empty handed. Hange, your close friend who you met in London, landed a job here as well. So, making things easier you offered to share an apartment with her and she agreed.

“So, are you going to hang up your art like how you did in London?” Hange asks and you shake your head. “Nah. I’m not so narcissistic.” You say and place a box on the floor. “Narcissistic? Your art is beautiful and deserves to be displayed!” She shouts and you laugh. “Thanks for the compliment, Han. But after the gallery did so good back there and everything got sold, I have to make some more.” You explain and walk into the kitchen with Hange following close behind. “Yeah. I wonder who bought all of those paintings. They paid double the price, isn’t it?” She asks and you nod. “I wish I could’ve met them. Whoever they are to thank them. They technically saved me from going bankrupt.” You joke. ”Oh! That reminds me. Can you run down to the store and get some snacks? I’m starving here!” Hange holds her stomach in mock hunger. “Ugh. Now I need to change. I was going to the store anyway, but I need to run down to the bank to withdraw some cash.” You say and head to your room to put on some reasonable clothes and grab your bag on the way out.

Luckily, your apartment was set in a very convenient location from the mall, small stores and banks. It really was a jackpot apartment. Walking into the bank, you stand in the cue and wait. Playing on your phone and listening to music, you see the line started to move. When you came up to the counter, you remove your earphones and look at the girl behind the glass. “Hi there. I came to make a withdrawal.” You say and take out your bank details and card. “How much do you-..” “EVERYONE HANDS UP! DON’T MOVE!” You hear and turn around to see men with black masks on with guns in their hands, aiming it around. Oh great. I’m going to die, you think and look at the people. One of them moved past you and you carefully moved your hands up. On their right arms, they had white and blue wings patched into it. Some sort of gang? Another masked man, caught your eye and you could see his eyes widen and started to panic. “Yo! Roll out.” He says, still looking at you. “What?! Why?! We didn’t even get the money!” One says and looks at his leader. “That’s her. We can’t do this while she’s here. Don’t aim at her. MOVE OUT!” The leader says and runs away while others look at you, while lowering their guns. They turned around and headed out of the bank, leaving everyone in shock and looking at you. You exhale a breath you didn’t even know you were holding and hold your chest. “Who are you?” Someone asks you. You look at them, still in shock. “Just an ordinary person.” You say, breathing heavily. “Well, you just saved our lives and the bank from getting robbed.” They say and you furrow your eyebrows. What the hell?

~~~~~

“So they just left?! Just like that?!?” Hange yells out and grabs your shoulders. “Yeah. It was so weird.” She hugs you, squeezing you a bit. “I’m so glad that your okay!” She says and you pat her back. “Yeah. I’m fine. But I still don’t know what to think.” You say and sip your whiskey. You think of the situation and those patches. “Hange.” You call her and she hums. “They had this symbol. A white wing overlapping a blue one. Any idea?” You ask and she taps her chin before going to her laptop. You leave her to do her thing as you hear the clicking of keys. “Come here. And check this out.” Hange says and you walk to her, sitting on the arm of the sofa. You look at her laptop screen. “This symbol is the Wings of Freedom. It’s a symbol of the crime syndicate called “Titan’s of Death”. Ugh, scary.” Hange says and you scroll down. Members were over one thousand and they were everywhere but most were situated here in Sina. “It says here people who don’t pose a threat to the Titans are on a No Harm list. The list isn’t revealed to protect the identity of them but it’s said to have only a few names. Y/n! What if your name was on there?!” Hange shouts and you scoff. “Why would my name be there? I’ve never heard of these people before.” You say and cross your arms. Hange scrolls further and comes across the leader of the group. You had left the sofa to go get your whiskey from the counter when Hange spoke up. “Do you know a “Levi Ackerman”?” You stop dead in your tracks and look at her. Levi? No it can’t be. “Do you have a picture of him?” You ask and she nods her head motioning to the laptop. You walk slowly to her and look at the laptop. There he was. Levi. The boy who had your heart all these years. Your high school sweetheart. “Levi.” You whisper and touch his picture. He kept the undercut. His face had lost his little baby fat he had when he was younger and became chiseled. He looked so handsome. You smile a bright smile while blushing furiously. “Y/n! Who is he to you?! He’s making you blush and it’s just his picture!” You look up to her, still smiling brightly. “He’s an...while I can’t say ex. But we dated back in high school. We ended things because I had to move ASAP to London and he couldn’t come with me. But, God I loved him. It broke the both of us when we had to leave.” You recall the memory.

It was sad. That was the only time you had seen Levi cry and just thinking about his face like that made you ache. “Why didn’t you two keep in touch?” Hange asks and looks back at his photo. “We tried. But life had other plans for us. His social media disappeared and numbers changed. Mine did too and once I lost his number I couldn’t find him again.” You explain, while staring at his photo. “Maybe it’s because he became the leader of this place and couldn’t risk having his number everywhere.” Hange reasons with you and you agree. “Yeah. Seems about right.” You sniffle and wake up while holding your cheeks. All of the memories that you had with him came flooding back in and all of the love you had for him clouded your mind and heart. You turn to Hange and smile. “Where is the Titan of Death’s headquarters?” You ask and Hange looks through the page. “Oh. It’s right here. Downtown though. Oof. Dangerous. Wait. Don’t tell me..” “Yes, Hange. I’m going to see him.”

Later that night, you logged into your old iCloud account, the one you had in highschool. It was filled with old pictures of your friends from back there and...Levi. You two went out for two years. Although it may seem a short time to others, to the both of you, it felt like eternity. You chuckle at all the funny pictures you took with him. One where he stayed over for the first time, while he slept, you drew all over his face. There was another one where you both were sharing a coke with two straws. You had yours in your mouth and looked at the camera while Levi had his in his mouth and looked at you. That was a good day. You go back to your browser and look at the opened tab with Levi’s picture. For a 25 year old, he didn’t look a day over 21. The Ackerman gene, huh? You smile at what he will think seeing you after all these years. You were very confident in seeing him again. After transferring some photos to your current phone, you go to bed but only slept two hours later since you were so excited. So you drifted into a dreamless sleep after thinking about Levi.

~~~~~

Waking up a bit earlier than usual, you pick out a good outfit and smile. You couldn’t stop smiling because that’s the effect this boy had on you. He made you feel so happy and safe and loved, which made you think about what would have happened if you didn’t break up. If he moved with you to London. Both of you would probably be married by now. But snapping out of that thought and jumping the gun, you head out of your room to see Hange watching TV. You stand in front of it and show off your outfit. “What do you think? Too much?” You ask and Hange squeals. “Oh, Y/n! It’s perfect. I still can’t believe your ex is a mafia boss.” She says and you laugh. “Me neither. But I have to see him again. I never knew how much I missed him until I saw his picture. Now send me the directions and I’ll see you later, Han.” You say and wink at her. “Stay safe. Take pepper spray please.” She says and you show off your can. Heading to your car, your phone dings with Hange’s tone. You see she sent the directions and you skip to your car. Levi.

Driving with the GPS on, you head into downtown Sina. You had never been here and you remember Levi saying all those years ago that you should never head there alone. Well, too late now baby. A lot of people walked around openly with their guns in their hands or holsters. You weren’t afraid. If you were in Levi’s ‘No Harm’ list, you were sorted. You have arrived at your destination. You hear your GPS say and you look at the big ass gate. It was black with a whole lotta cameras and whole lotta guards. Rolling down your window, you look at the camera and at the guards. One of them walked to you. “What business do you have at the Ackerman mansion?” He asks and you clear your throat. “H-hello there. I’m Y/n L/n. Levi is…” You get cut off by the man shouting. “She’s good. Let her in!” He turns back to you and smiles. You smile back and thank him. You drive to the house and park next to another car. Hopping out, a tall man waits for you. You walk up the stairs and the man greets you. “Hello, Ms L/n. I’m Mike Zecharius. The Boss would see you shortly. He’s in a meeting right now, so please, head inside to the main lounge while you wait.” He explains and you smile. “Nice to meet you, Mike. Thank you.” You say and walk into the house and wow. Was this place huge. It was a combination of white, black and grey. But mostly white. So Levi. You walk into, what you hoped was, the main langue and looked around. The walls had paintings and you furrow your eyebrows. Making your way around the big room, you realized: these were your paintings. Most of your work was proudly displayed here. Oh. Levi. It was you. You think and bit your lip to suppress a giggle. The one that caught your eye was the one that was in the middle of the wall. It was one of the first ones you painted which you had gifted Levi for his birthday. It was painted on black paper while you used only white paint. It was two albino peacocks by a lake, one had their head on the others with the words, “ ‘We Loved With a Love That Was More Than Love.’- Edgar Allen Poe.” You smile at the memory and the message that was written behind it. “Happy birthday & Merry Christmas, Levi” you start to say while running your hand on the frame, “My days have been so much happier since you entered my life. Thank you. It’s you, because..” “Because no one else makes sense.” You heard a voice complete the message and you turn around to see him. Standing there, with his full black suit and his hair in the same style from all those years ago. You smile so much and you could feel tears form but quickly wipe them away. “Levi..” you whisper and he smiles back to you. “Y/n.” He says and walk to you. You’re so overwhelmed by happiness that you just hide your face in your hands. You felt him right in front of you and you look up from your hands to be met with the sight of his chest. God, he smells so good. You feel his hand on your cheek and you look up at his face. He looked so much better in person. “Hello, sweetheart.” He says and you smile. “I-, oh my gosh. Levi. It’s you. It’s really you.” You say and move your hands around his neck and hug him. You tuck your face in his neck and smile. “It’s me.” He simply says and hugs you tighter.

You pull away from him, but still in his embrace and sigh. “What happened? I lost all contact with you.” You say and he moves a stray hair behind your ear. “It’s such a long story, Y/n.” Levi says. “How about you tell me over dinner?” You say and he raises his eyebrow and smirks. “Dinner? I can make that happen. Tonight? 8?” He asks and you nod. “Wait. Yesterday, at the bank..” you start to say and he smiles softly. “When I became the leader here, I was given the option of a ‘No Harm’ list. Your name was the first one I wrote down.” He says softly and you smile. “Oh, Levi.” You smile and look at him. As you were about to say something again, both of you were interrupted. “Boss, sorry to disturb. But there’s an urgent call for you.” One of his men say and he scoffs. “Tch. Alright. I’ll be there just now. Tell them to wait.” He says and looks back at you. “I’m sorry. But dinner..” “I’ll see you at 8.” You say and start to walk away but stop suddenly and bite your lip. You turn back and walk up to him and kiss his cheek. “Call me, okay?” You say and place a card into his pocket. Levi nods and watches you walk away while grazing his finger along his cheek. He could still feel your warm lips on them. He takes out the card and looks at it.

Y/n L/n Arts.

xxx-xxx-xxxx

Xoxo

He smiles softly and puts it in his inside pocket. Levi never wanted a day to go faster than right now. He had to let you go 7 years ago and he’s not going to make that mistake again.

———————————————————————

“I live for Mafia Levi.”

🖤🤍Thanks for reading🤍🖤

-Caddy.

[jaeminscoffee]

Happy Birthday, Love

Pairings - Jung Jaehyun x reader

Genre - Pure fluff.

Warnings- None, But this is extreemmeellyyyy long.

Summary - Jaehyun loves spending his time and money for you every single day, guess how he'd be like on your birthday?

This oneshot was requested! ♡

Autumn.

The absolutely perfect weather to either stay in and cuddle up, or go out with your significant other.

You were so glad that your birthday falls in autumn, it's the perfect season, not too hot, not too cold, and not too lonely with Jaehyun beside you.

The minute you opened your eyes that morning, you saw Jaehyun, your boyfriend of over 2 years, leaning over your side with a tray full of English breakfast, all perfectly set, looking absolutely tempting.

"Happiest birthday, sleeping beauty" he said, an enthusiastic tone, as hearts basically flooded out of his gaze. He leaned forward, placing the tray full of food on the side table, sitting beside you and placing a soft kiss on your cheek.

"Oh my god thank you so much!" you tried sounding nearly as excited as he is, but your voice came off groggy as you'd just woken up.

“When did you even prepare all of this?” you question, rubbing the sleep from your eyes as you sit up straight on the bed, head against the headboard.

“I made sure not to snooze my alarm this time” Jaehyun let out a chuckle, standing up, tilting his head slightly towards the bedside table pointing at the dish.” Freshen up and have your breakfast, babe. I’ll need to head out now’ He said, a frown forming his feature as you mirror his expression.

“Work?” he nods slowly, you let out a sigh.”I wanted to spend my birthday with you thougghh” you drag your words, reaching forward, holding his forearm is a tight grasp. 

Jaehyun beams a smile at you, pulling you towards him using his other hand, keeping you closed in a tight embrace. “I’ll try coming back as fast as i can, i’m sorry” He dug his face into the nape of your neck, the feeling ticklish on your skin so you squirm. Pulling away, you know it isn’t the best idea to hold your boyfriend back from doing his job, but you really didn’t want to spend the day alone, and so you give him your best puppy eyes.

Jaehyun notices the way you were looking at him, cooing at you, squishing your cheeks between his palm. “They said it’s important”, He gave you one tight comforting squeeze, a kiss on the forehead and pulled away from your hold.

You whine but let him walk away nevertheless, not like you could do anything anyways,and he said it’s important. You watch Jaehyun, walk towards the closet, get a hoodie, pull it over his head and walk towards the bedroom, turning back waving one last time, walking out once you did the same.

After hearing the front door close, you fall back onto the mattress, reaching for your phone which was beside your pillow, turning it on to check for any notification. No, you weren’t all about wanting everyone to wish you, but you weren’t one to not want Anyone to wish you either.

So seeing only 2 of your girlfriends send you a dog meme and wish you, both made your day and made you grumpy.

Great, No Jaehyun, No friends, No nothing

You get out of bed, as the food your boyfriend made turned cold long ago, making your way towards the bathroom to get your day started, You open the drawer to take out your skin care products, where you see a black box, with a golden ribbon tied around it in a graceful bow, with a tiny red heart shaped tag tied to it,

You reach out for the box, examining it and then placing it down, removing the tag, reading whatever’s written on it.

‘Saw you ran out of most of your skin care products, got you the ones you always wanted, hope you like it 💕’

Your heart did a 360′ turn as you place the tag down, taking the box in your hand once again, carefully undoing the bow placing it on the basin counter, you open the box to see it filled with a bunch of papers, which you take out, discarding it in the trashcan. You find the box divided into two, filled with a bunch of the best products.

One side, they were the products from cosrx, one that you really wanted to get, but thought would be a waste of money because of it’s ridiculously high price. The other side contained products from Klairs, also ones that you wanted.

The smallest observation he made of you running out of your products, and keeping a mental note of your favorite products made you feel all warm inside.

You carefully arrange the products in the drawer, going out of the bathroom to place the tag in your bedside drawer, going back into the washroom to carry on with your morning routine.

-

After a long refreshing shower, you walk towards your closet to chose your clothes, when you find a bag at the very back, you don’t remember placing anything there, you’d swore you cleaned the closet not a week ago.

You walk towards it, taking the bag out from the secluded area of your closet, going back into the room to see what’s inside the bag.

You see ‘From Jaehyun, chosen by Taeyong and Johnny’ writing at the front of the bag. Not another present you sigh, chuckling to yourself.

You open the bag, to see a note inside it. ‘I better see you wearing this when i’m back home’

You remove yet another black box, this time, seeing the words Saint Laurent embedded into the cover of the box in beautiful silver. You keep in mind to scold Jaehyun later for buying such expensive stuff. But for now, you open the box, to see a really beautiful Yves Saint Laurent fall piece inside. Gawking at the simple yet pretty piet mondrian design, you walk towards the dresser, immediately discarding your towel, putting on the dress Jaehyun brought for you.

As conceited as it sounds, the piece looked absolutely dashing on you, you even did a double twirl in front of the mirror, totally loving Jaehyun’s.. well Taeyong and Johnny’s choice.

You sit in front of your dresser, opening the drawer to take out your make up products to doll yourself up matching the clothing that you wore. You felt like banging your head on the table as you were greeted with a white box inside of the drawing.

Another one of those tags you see, this time in pastel pink. 

‘Best of all deserves the best of products’

You smile at nothing in particular, taking the note back to where the other 2 tags were kept, placing the third one neatly on top of the other two.

You open the box once you sat back down on the dresser, finding Urban decay’s spectrum eyeshadow palette, E.L.F blush palette, Anastasia’s Beverly Hills contour cream kit, and a set of MAC impassioned lipstick.

You felt overwhelmed with all the gift’s you’d found in just your room,now scared to leave the room.

Nevertheless, you used all the products he’d bought for you and did your make up, standing up once you’re satisfied with the look, grabbing the tray and making your way out of the room to heat it up and eat it.

-

Feeling bored, sitting there all dolled up, with nothing but the same movies repeating on the television, You decide to head out to the mall until late, knowing for a fact that Jaehyun had the spare keys with him so he wouldn’t be locked out. You check your phone once again, to see no notifications. You let out a sigh, making your way back into the closet, taking out a white cropped denim jacket to match the clothing, walking back out once you were happy with your outfit.

You go to the front of your house, after getting the sling bag Jaehyun had gifted you last week, to choose a shoes to match the outfit. You go weak in the knees, when you find another cover, Jimmy Choo written in Gold on the white packet, you already knew what you’d be opening. 

‘Johnny said this would look stunning with that dress, but i said you’d look good in any shoe or clothing piece ;)’

The note read this time, you’re basically radiating positive energy now all dressed up with things your boyfriend got you without having you get to know about a single thing. The fourth note found it’s way to the other three. You take out the shoe bag, opening up to a romy 60 pumps, which had a golden designing towards the tip, it was such a show stealer as you stared at it, mouth wide opened.

After the moment of admiration, you slip it on, not even bothering to see the final look. You walk out of the house, with a bright smile on your face.

Maybe the day wouldn’t be as bad as you’d thought it would be.

-

The day passed by quick, you did not forget to thank your boyfriend for all the gifts he’d gotten you through text, for you to not get any reply back. The other members of his group hadn’t contacted you since morning either, weird from them as they’d been the ones to spam you for your last 2 birthdays.

You make your way towards the elevator, rummaging through your purse to get the keys out.

Reaching your floor you make your way towards the end of the corridor, where your house was situated at.

Your shared house wasn’t anything too fancy, it was extremely spacious, a little too spacious for only the two of you in the house, but Jaehyun's excuse for getting a big house was ‘The boys are for sure going to turn our apartment into their second house’ and so you couldn’t do anything but comply.

You turn the doorknob clockwise, opening the door wide open, humming soft tunes to yourself, closing the door behind you. Walking in a little further into the house to turn the light switch on.

You turn back around to remove your shoes, only to let out a loud scream as all eight of the boys, jumped out of literally nowhere scaring the life out of you.

“Happy Birthday Y/n!!!!” they scream out loud, opening champagne bottles on either sides of the room stood Johnny and Taeil, Popping open the confetti birthday poppers stood Mark, Haechan and Jungwoo, Yuta and Taeyong stood beside both Johnny and Taeil with a bunch of boxes, Doyoung stood in the middle of them all holding two large heart shaped helium balloons.

You started tearing up just a bit, overwhelmed as each of them discard things they held onto the floor or onto the table that was decorated with a bunch of food items, making their way towards you, taking turns in hugging you and wishing you the best of wishes you could’ve gotten on your birthday.

“Yo YO why are you cryinngg?” Mark asked, pulling you in for a second hug.

“Listen, princess we really wanted to wish you the first thing today morning, but two weeks prior today, Jaehyun came threatening us” Doyoung started.

“Oh god yes i remember him saying something along the lines like ‘Spoil the surprise i’ll make you write your names with your nose blood’ boy was that scary” Jungwoo added.

“Jaehyun basically kidnapped Taeyong and i to come help pick presents for you, i see my fashion choice is still the best” Johnny stated, playfully checking you out with a smirk on his face.

“Thank you so much” you say between your crying state, laughing as the boys continued whining about how Jaehyun bullied them over your birthday for 2 weeks jokingly.

“You see those boxes Taeyong and I were holding? Those are all from Jaehyun, ours is still in the backseat of our cars” Yuta huffs out, shaking his head at the amount of money he spent on one of your birthdays.

“Here comes Mr.Lover Boy!!” You hear Haechan scream, cutting you off even before you could speak, as you look back to see Taeil and Haechan holding a huge banner with a bunch of words, standing by the entrance of your apartment.

You start reading it, to be stopped and asked to start over again, but louder.

“Dear Y/n, the one who makes my busy days go so much slower, a lot more calmer and definitely a little better, Happiest birthday, my love. Waking up to your peaceful face, clears all bad thoughts from my head, you looking absolutely ethereal in the most minimal things you do makes me smile a lot brighter, Your tiny complains when i leave you melts me completely, your smile sweeps me of my feet. The one thing i want to tell you, You were, are and will forever be the reason of my happiness.-” The boys all hooted, whistling even, when both Haechan and Taeil lowered the banner, to Jaehyun standing there with the biggest smile on his face, a cake in his hand.

“I love you, Y/n” he said the moment he was fully on display “ And i wouldn’t want to imagine a life without you” he handed the cake to Jungwoo who stood beside you.

Pulling you in, wiping the continuously flowing tears from your cheeks as the boys kept cheering. He pulled you in for a long loving kiss, the cheers getting louder with every passing second, Pulling away once the both of you ran out of breath.

Jaehyun held you close, looking at you while holding the entire galaxy in his eyes, the smile revealing his dimples.

“Happy Birthday, Love”

[descendantofthesparrow]

Interlude - Rewrite POYW - Harry Hook x reader - Part 8 - apartment hunting and application delivery

=

-five months later (June 2019)-

Harry looked up from the paper that showed the address of the apartment and whistled, it was bigger than he thought it was going to be.

The apartment he had selected to view was near the ocean but still close enough to Auradon city and the forest Evie was looking at for her starter castle so they, the vks, could still hang out at a moment's notice/ break in to bother their friends.

The apartment was also less of an apartment complex and just a house that was listed as an apartment, Ben had suggested it to him after Harry had mentioned looking for places to live after graduating with (y/n).

“Harry Hook I presume?” Harry looked over his shoulder to see a well-dressed middle-aged man, taking off his sunglasses and holding out his hand towards Harry, a smile on his lips “I’m Dabier Warren, a pleasure to meet you” Harry turned and gripped his hand firmly, holding down the nervous feeling in his gut.

“Aye, that would be meh” Harry nodded, pulling back his hand as Dabier nodded and pulled back, pulling out a file and opening it, looking over the house quickly.

“So you’re interested in renting? Buying?” Harry shrugged and looked back down at the paper which detailed the apartment/house. “I’m lookin’ fer a place for my girlfriend an’ I ta live after we graduate, and renting or buying depends on the cost I guess…I thought it was just fer rent though?” Dabier nodded and walked over to the plant bed at the front of the house, kneeling down and unlocking a small green box.

“It was going to be originally, but the owners decided that if someone was willing to buy it, they would go for it. Let's get started then, I assume you have looked over the prices?” Harry nodded, following Dabier as he took the house key out of the green box and walked up to the front door, unlocking it and letting Harry step inside. “All right then, so the house has 1,500 square feet, and has a kitchen, breakfast nook, living room, two bedrooms, a master bedroom, and a normal bedroom, one and a half bathrooms” Harry raised his brow at that but kept quiet “You’ve seen the front yard and it has a balcony out back to see the ocean view and an open backyard.”

Dabier led Harry into the living room just to the left of the main hallway, Harry let out a low whistle, the living room was just as big as his old apartment back on the isle. He walked down the steps into the living room and walked over to the double doors that faced the ocean.

Dabier walked over to him and unlocked the doors, stepping outside and showing Harry the backyard, the grass was green and soft just off a small porch that was shaded with the master bedroom balcony.

Dabier and Harry walked back inside and Dabier then showed him the kitchen, it wasn’t a large kitchen, but it was still decent, in the corner to the left of the doorway was a little breakfast nook and to the right was the rest of the kitchen, against the wall was a black marble counter with white painted cabinets handing over it, a silver metal sink, a dishwasher, a white fridge, and stovetop oven.

Harry nodded as Dabier explained the room and its appliances, then followed the retailer out of the room as Dabier led him to the first bathroom, which held just a sink, toilet, and shower. It was nice, but clearly just a guest bathroom.

So far, Harry liked the house, an ocean view, a good-sized kitchen for just two people-the kitchen was bigger than his isle kitchen so he had no complaints there-and as Dabier led Harry to the master bedroom, Harry almost tossed his paycheck at him.

The master bedroom was about half the size of the living room, with double doors leading to the balcony with the prime ocean view, the bed at the moment was in the middle of the room just under the window, and the master bathroom was to the left of the doorway.

Harry nodded at the bathroom, it had white tiles with an overhead showerhead and a good-sized bathtub, the sink had wood-painted cabinets with a porcelain sink and black facet.

Harry and Dabier made one more walk around the house and soon they were both back outside, Harry staring at the house with his arms crossed, tapping his foot erratically as he thought about his options.

He had been to two other apartments, though they were more actual apartments compared to the house he had just seen. The first two were not suggested by Ben, they were much closer to the city and honestly a bit too small for even just Harry.

“So what do you think?” Dabier locked the house key back up and stepped in front of Harry, nodding back towards the house “You gonna go for it?”

“Aye, I think I will” Harry muttered, taking back out the file and looking over the prices of both the rent and the newly written price of the mortgage if Harry bought the house.

Dabier smiled and nodded, handing Harry the rental application along with telling him how to make an offer on the house to buy it if Harry wanted to.

Harry looked over the price the owners had stated and smirked, thanks to Evie hiring him as a model almost two years ago, he had plenty of money to buy it.

He made his offer.

-

You sat in Ben's office, going through the last few drafts of the application form with Evie and Ben, it was all so close, it was only just more than a month away from now.

Soon there would be more vks in Auradon and then many more to come. “Okay,” Ben sighed, crossing out a few lines on the applications and leaning back in his chair “I don’t want the application to be more than one page, so here's my final draft offer” he showed you and Evie his final draft selection.

The page had the boxes for the vk to fill out their information, with a large block of lines for the essay to be written, something you all thought was unnecessary, since “safety away from parents/the isle” was good enough on its own, but once again the council was a bitch so Ben had to deal with it. Ben flipped over the paper and showed the top of the back, where the parent/guardian would sign their permission for the vk to leave the isle if they were underage. (originally it was going to be parental permission but Mal made a point to say that some kids didn’t have parents to claim them, so it was switched to guardian)

“Well I think that’s good” you sighed, tossing your pile of drafts to the side and gesturing to Ben's “short sweet, easy to understand. Let's go with that one” Evie nodded in agreement, dropping her pen and rubbing her face, yawning a bit.

“Agreed, I’m so done with all this for now” Ben laughed a bit at Evie and set down the draft, grabbing a stamp and hitting it on the top of the page, now marked with bold red letters that read ‘approved’

“Well, that’s it….we’re done” Ben sighed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his face “the application has been selected, the shelter is finished, the cps has been established. All that’s left to do is print, send, pick up, and choose.”

You and Evie cheered, slumping in your seats as sleep clawed at your mind and eyes. Ben let out a tired ‘woo’ before hitting his head against the headrest of his chair, taking a deep breath and blowing a raspberry as he exhaled.

You perked up slightly as someone knocked on Ben's door, Ben telling them to come in. You smiled as Harry stepped through the now open door and walked towards you, leaning on the armrest and smiling down at you “Hello darlin’ yeh done yet?” you hummed and nodded, giving a tired ‘yeee’ as Harry lifted you into his arms, one arm under your knees and the other cradling your back and cupping your shoulder. “Long day eh? Night yeh two” Ben and Evie waved Harry off and bid the two of you goodnight as Harry walked out of Ben’s office, closing the door with his foot as he did. “Come on darlin, let's get yeh ta bed” Harry mumbled, smiling as you lifted your head and buried it into his neck, arms wrapping around it a moment later.

Harry carefully opened your dorm room door and pushed it open with his foot, stepping inside and kicking it closed. He walked over to your bed and set you down, walking over to your dresser as you sat up and took off your boots and socks.

He pulled open the third drawer and pulled out one of his shirts you had stolen a good year back, then kneeling and pulling open the bottom drawer, taking out the black sweatpants that were also his that you had stolen a while ago. He smiled, half of your wardrobe was his, and it filled his head and heart with a fuzzy feeling knowing you liked wearing his clothes.

He stood and turned, tossing the shirt and pants at you, covering his eyes with his hand as he saw you start to take off your shirt and bra. “Harry” you chuckled, tossing the shirt into the hamper as you chucked your bra onto the ‘not dirty but worn’ chair in the corner of your room “It's not like you haven’t seen them before”

Harry bit his lip, still keeping his hands over his eyes. The two of you had...experimented with sex around your 18th birthday after you told him about your interest in at least trying it out, now Harry hadn’t been a virgin for years (something which still pissed you off to this day, I mean he lost it when he was fucking 9. It wasn’t fair to him) but it was the first time he had reciprocated those type of feelings back towards the person showing interest.

And even almost a year after your first time together, Harry still got flustered around the idea and image of you being undressed. “I-I dinne know if yeh were okay with meh lookin’” Harry mumbled, his tense arm relaxing a bit as you laughed softly and chucked your pants at him gently, the clothing landing at his feet.

“Harry, you can look, I don’t mind” you shook your head with a smile as Harry peeked through his fingers, his cheeks and ears red as he looked at you. You smiled again and shoved on his shirt, pulling on the sweatpants a moment later and standing, walking over to Harry and wrapping your arms around his waist “This is why I said yes”

Harry dropped his hand and rose his brow in confusion, wondering what you meant “Said yes ta wha’?” Harry asked, curling his arms around you and tilting his head. You tilted your head up and kissed Harry’s Adam’s apple, giggling as he swallowed harshly in reaction.

“This is why I said yes to you asking if I would be open to the idea of marrying you” you held in your laughter as Harry’s face lit up, curling in on himself in slight embarrassment. “you respect me, and my boundaries, even if I never stated them, you listen to me, and you take care of me. You are genuinely the only person I could ever see myself marrying and I love you so much” you let out a short laugh as Harry moved his face into your neck to hide, his arms wrapping tighter around you “whenever you ask me, don’t doubt I will say yes because I will”

Harry mumbled something into your neck, pulling away slightly as you hummed in confusion “I love yeh too” Harry muttered, closing his eyes as you pulled away from him and pressed your lips to his, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him into you.

You pulled away a moment later and pressed another kiss to his jaw, patting his chest and nodding towards the door “it’s late, go get some sleep” Harry glanced towards the door, then to you, then towards your bed, and nodded, kissing the top of your head and walking out of your room, leaving you alone.

You yawned and turned off your desk light, turning on the fairy lights hanging around your room, illuminating it in a soft yellow glow. You slipped into bed, hugging the shark plush Harry had bought you for your birthday two years ago.

A few minutes later, as you began to drift to sleep, your door opened again, then closed and was locked, quiet footsteps walking toward you. Harry pulled the sheets back and slipped in behind you, curling his arms around you and pulling you into his chest, molding you into the curve of his body.

“g’night Harry” you mumbled, Harry’s warmth lulling you to sleep as Harry buried his face in your hair.

“g’night meh love” he mumbled back, the two of you drifting off to sleep after the long day you both had.

-one week later-

You slowed your bike to a stop, Harry and Carlos doing the same as Jay pulled up with the car filled with application boxes into the old garage near the wharf, the tunnel leading to Uma’s ship echoing with the sound of the crew and isle residents going about their day.

“Welp” Carlos took off his helmet, ruffing his curly hair as he looked around the not as musty-smelling garage as he dismounted his bike “We’re here… let's get those applications to their spots.” You and Harry nodded, taking off your helmets and dismounting your bikes, throwing the keys and helmets into the limo and helping Jay and Gil get the six large boxes filled with papers out of the trunk, carrying them out of the old garage and first heading to the main square (which was now called Mal’s court) where the first drop off location was.

As you passed through the alleyways that lead to the main square, many kids and teens, along with some adults, stared at you, almost disbelieving as they read the side of the box.

-VK DAY APPLICATIONS-

You held down a smile as two children whispered to each other and pointed at the box, a whole group trailing after the five of you as you finally made it to the drop-off point. Kimmy, one of Harriet's crew members, stood exactly where the point was, nodding as Gil stepped up to her and handed her one of the boxes he held. She took it and spun on her heel, heading off to the spot the crew had chosen to make the pick-up location for the isle residents to get their applications and turn them back in when they finished. The group of kids dodged through your legs and bodies as they raced after Kimmy to grab an application.

You let out a soft sigh of relief, glad that the kids on the isle did seem to be interested in going to Auradon, for some reason you had feared they wouldn’t go for it, but it seemed it was all for naught, some teens and young adults following the kids to also grab an application.

You and Harry split off from Gil, Jay, and Carlos, the boys going to drop off the boxes at the schools while you and Harry went to the wharf, one box would be dropped off at Harriet's old ship, the scarlet maiden, and the other at the main area of the docks just off the market.

You and Xiaohui shared a nod as you walked up the gangplank to the ship, handing off the box “A set of guards will be back on the first of July to collect the applications, and then they’ll come back every Monday to collect any that didn’t get turned in the first round.” Xiaohui nodded at your explanation, turning and handing the box to Devin who took it and disappeared below deck.

“Sounds good” Xiaohui hummed, crossing her arms and tilting her head at you and Harry “how long do you think it'll be before the first round gets picked?”

“We’re looking at early August, probably the 2nd at best” Harry answered for you, shifting the box in his arms again. “We’re announcing VK day after graduation, jus’ lotta stuff righ’ now” Xiaohui nodded, taking a step back and nodding towards the rest of the wharf.

“Well, get going, there's a lot of kids who’ve been waiting for today on Its own, don’t wanna make ‘em wait longer” you and Harry nodded, walking off the ship and walking to the main area of the docks to drop off Harry’s box.

“Hard to believe we graduate this month” you muttered, smiling as Harry laughed and shook his head.

“Aye, and three years ago I thought I would never even leave the isle, now look at meh, i’m graduating from Auradon prep, i’m a model, I’ve got an amazing girlfriend, and meh dad will never bother meh again” he smiled at you, his eyes bright “I never thought this would happen but I’m glad It did, I’m glad I met yeh” Harry chuckled as you bit your lip and turned your chin into your chest, feeling your face heat up at Harry's ‘flirting’

Before Harry would say anything more, you arrived at the main area of the docks, pirate teens and kids alike staring wide-eyed as Harry set the box on the table where another one of Harriet's crew stood, his arms crossed as he watched Harry move back to your side.

“Pick up for Applications start July 1st, and continue every Monday after that” the male nodded, brushing back his dark red hair and opening the box, beginning to take out the papers and set them in stacks on the table, vks already going up to take the papers.

You waved at the small, who seemed probably no older than 5 years old, girl who stared starry-eyed at you and Harry, her purple and brown hat slipping over her face as she watched you and Harry walk away back towards the limo to wait for the boys to be finished.

About an hour later, as you and Harry sat against your bikes waiting for the boys, they finally returned,  Carlos having a wide grin on his face “what did you do?” you asked, rising your brow as Carlos laughed loudly.

“I flipped off my mom~” Carlos sang, grabbing his helmet from the limo and putting it on, grabbing his keys and climbing onto his bike as you and Harry burst into laughter “I've never seen her that mad! And I tripped her when she tried to hit me”

“Good boy!” Harry cackled, patting Carlos’ helmet as he passed by him to grab both of your helmets and keys. “Proud of yeh”

“Same!” Jay called, climbing into the driver's seat as Gil hopped into the passenger's side. “She ran off screaming after she landed in mud!”

Harry snorted beneath his helmet and revved his bike, waiting for Jay to pull out of the garage before he, Carlos, and you followed after them, speeding through the barrier back towards Auradon.

‘Mission success, only a month and a half till vk day’ you thought, speeding off the bridge and taking the road back towards the dorms to meet up with Harry's sisters for some ‘family bonding’ as CJ called it.  You all knew she just meant attempting to ‘murder’ you all with paintballs when you went paintballing with the Hook and Smee siblings.

-

Ben stared down at his class ring, twisting it between his fingers as he remembered when Mal gave it back to him after they agreed to break up until they were both ready again. He sighed, leaning on his hand and staring off at nothing, even three years after they had broken up, his chest still filled with a fuzzy feeling and butterflies when he looked at her, the intense want to just grab her face and kiss her senseless when she scrunched her nose or stuck her tongue out at him.

But he didn’t want to do anything until he knew they were both ready, last time she had love spelled him for the wand, and after he had unknowingly broken it at the lake, then he had falsely thought Mal had spelled him because she liked him, and from then their relationship was built on lies and spells, Mal not telling him about her original intentions until after their break up.

He knew he loved her, but he also knew that unless they truly started over their relationship wouldn’t be good for either of them. This time they would have to take it slow, with no lies, no expectations of intense change, proper communication, no secrets (though Ben did realize that there were things that he nor Mal were obligated to tell each other if they didn’t want to) and just…being better to each other than they were before.

Ben perked up as someone knocked on his dorm office door and stood, walking over and opening it, surprised to see Mal standing there, rubbing her arm and staring at the floor, her cheeks and ears bright red “Mal?” Ben rasped, glancing at the clock, it was almost curfew “What is it? Is something wrong?” she shook her head, peering up at him.

“No, um…can I come in? I-I want to ask you something” Ben tilted his head and nodded, letting her into the room and closing the door, watching as Mal started to pace around the room, messing with her fingers and muttering to herself.

“Mal, is something wrong?” Ben asked again, a more stern tone to his voice as Mal looked at him with wide eyes.

“No!” she shook her head widely, her plum hair fanning around her, reliving Ben a bit as she took a deep breath and shook her head again “No, nothing’s wrong... it's just…I-you-me” Mal huffed and ruffled her hair, biting her lip and looking to her feet “I've never-shit-fuck” Mal buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath. She took them away and looked ben right in the eye “can we start over?”

Ben blinked in surprise; out of everything he hadn’t expected that. “St-start over how?” Ben asked, wanting to make sure he knew exactly what Mal was referring to, he didn’t want to assume she wanted to date again.

“Can we start over with” she gestured between the two of them “Us? Like…us together? I-I want to try again, for real this time, no magic, no fake feelings, no lies. Just…us”

Ben couldn’t help the smile growing on his face as he felt his cheeks heat up, he took a step towards Mal and grabbed her hands, pressing a kiss to her knuckles as she squeaked “I would like to try again, with us, and this time, we’ll take it slow” Mal interrupted, her eyes sparkling.

“and communicate properly!” Ben laughed and nodded, bringing her hands down between them and holding them tightly.

“no lies”

“no magic”

“no false feelings” Ben finished, squeezing Mal's hands and grinning “we’ll do it right this time, okay? No moving forward unless we both know we're comfortable, no overstepping boundaries, no changing ourselves or trying to force change in the other.”

“Unless it's toxic!” Mal interrupted again, giving a shy grin to Ben as he laughed “yeah, there are definitely some things about me that I still have to fix, but I promise, I’ll actually work on them, and not just ignore it. Please call me out when I hurt your feelings, please call me out when I fuck up, I want us to work, I love you Ben, and I really want to be with you” Ben bit his lip as the butterflies in his gut flew everywhere, his head fuzzy with love.

“I love you too Mal, and I want to be with you too” Mal beamed and wrapped her arms around Ben's waist, pulling him into a hug. Ben wrapped his arms around her shoulder and squeezed her tightly, resting his head on hers.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Ben whispered, laughing a bit as Mal stubbornly nodded against his chest.

“yes, I even got confirmation from Lia that I was ready to start being in a relationship again, with you, and as long as I continue to better myself, I’ll be good…pun intended” Ben snorted and shook his head. He pulled back and kissed Mal’s forehead, smiling as he pulled back further and saw her eyes closed, a smile on her face.

“Alright, then let's do this. Mal-“ Mal reached up and covered his mouth, laughing as he gave her a look of confusion.

“Let me do it this time” Ben rolled his eyes and smiled against Mal's palm. “Ben?” he hummed against her palm, laughing as she pulled it off and smacked his chest “Will you be my boyfriend?”

“hmmmm” Ben took a step back tapping his chin and looking up at the ceiling “let me think~”

“Ben!!” Mal whined, crossing her arms, an amused smile on her lips. Ben laughed and cupped her face, pecking her lips quickly and enjoying the red spreading across her cheeks and ears.

“Yes”

-

Evie squealed and slammed into Mal as she returned to their shared dorm room that night, picking Mal up with surprising strength and spinning her around “E-Evie!!” Mal yelped, her arms trapped at her side and her head spinning as Evie danced about their room “I’m gonna be sick!”

Evie snorted at Mal's dramatics and dropped her on Mal's bed, flopping next to her and leaning on her hands, waiting for Mal to get ahold of herself again before bombarding her with questions.

“Sooo~ how’d you do it? Did he say yes? Did you kiss?!”

Mal pouted at her friend and hit her with a pillow, to which Evie grabbed and chucked it across the room, the pillow hitting against the glass of lizard Maleficent’s terrarium, the purple, and black lizard hissing and hiding away in its new castle that was modeled after her old one.

“Spill!”

“Okay okay! So yesterday I realized I still really really liked Ben and I wanted to be with him…”

-the camera pans away from the girls, zooming out of the dorm room and panning to the isle, where the barrier shimmers under the moonlight-

-end of part 8-

Part 8~ Harry found an apartment/house for yall to be in, the applications got sent and are ready to be filled out, and Bal is officially back together~ (and hopefully I can write them in a way that’s actually healthy than * gestures to D2/3* whatever that was) hope yall liked this part! two more to go and then the little oneshot showing (y/n) and Harrys relationship development and then its only Finale!!!!!!!!!!! Part 9 next week!!! also if any of you caught that reference i made to a fellow descendants creator you get a cookie. 

permtaglist

@queer-cosette @sephiralorange @lunanight2012

@daughter-of-the-stars11 @musicarose @random-thoughts-003​

@remembered-license​ @rintheemolion​ @verboetoperee​

@imtryingthisout​ @thecaptainsgingersnap​ @jatp-rules-my-life​ 

oh! also @darkprinceofdarkness​ i know you like Bal so you might like this part (i know you’ve already kinda read this part since i asked you for your opinion on discord but...yep heh) 

[bold-writing]

The One With Whiskey Eyes || 9 || Precious Porcelain, Cracked and Broken

Warnings: Violence, Swearing, Threats.

Words: 3600+

Previous || Next

~9~

Iris and Barry emailed back and forth a few more times over Sunday, usually short and sweet since he was at work and Iris didn’t want to distract him from his job. Luke had surprised her with an email later in the day, saying that he’d bugged Barry into giving him her email address with a wink emoji at the end of the sentence. She’d just shaken her head with a smile as she pulled out some food for a simple dinner.

 She had started her Monday with a positive outlook, having gotten much better sleeps the past couple of nights and therefore back on her game when she stepped into work. Emailing Barry and Luke had been one of the first things that she had done in the morning, somehow feeling right at home with the new addition to her routine.

 The first couple of hours had gone smoothly, and Iris had been relieved to be back in her element with something to do with her time. Her coworkers were especially happy to have her back, thinking that she was going to go back to her usual routine of taking any and all hours that she could get her hands on; instead, she’d called the owner that morning and had discussed getting her schedule changed to allow for more free time on weekends and maybe evenings.

They had happily agreed, since she hadn’t taken voluntary time off since she had started there.

Her day was going smooth and by the book, Iris able to get lost in her thoughts as she priced and scanned the new books they had gotten in while manning the counter. Her coworkers were among the shelves, stocking up the empty spaces and cleaning up the messes that customers left behind.

 Unfortunately, that good day didn’t last long.

 “Miss, I can’t take this book,” Iris denied as she pushed the worn novel back across the counter. “Not only do you not have your receipt, we do not even sell that here.” They hadn’t gone through the painstaking process of transferring all of their files to computer for nothing, Iris was able to search for any book title and know whether they sold it or not.

 “I lost the receipt, sorry! But I bought this book here, just last week!”

 “Well it’s in terrible condition for having been bought a week ago,” Iris answered, motioning to the heavily cracked spine, bent front page and stains along the bottom corner. “We have strict rules here; you must return the book, with your receipt, within fourteen days of purchase.” Iris motioned to the taped up sign that was located just over Iris’s right shoulder, stating the rules that Iris had just said.

 “I would like to talk to your manager,” the woman finally demanded with a deep scowl. She was several inches taller than Iris on flat ground, and she was now wearing four inch heels that made her absolutely tower over the younger woman.

 “Hi,” Iris smiled back, remaining firmly rooted in place as she gave a small wave—almost, but not quiet, mockingly.

 The woman’s face morphed into a livid frown before she snatched the book from the counter and turned on heel so fast that Iris was surprised she hadn’t spun right off her heels. She watched the woman leave, allowing Iris the satisfaction of once more having been able to pull the ‘I am the manager’ card. Iris glanced over to the coworker that was stocking just a few feet away from her, hiding a grin as she tucked more books on the shelf.

 “You enjoy that too much,” she called over to Iris, amusement colour her features.

 “The look on their face is the only thing that makes being the manager worth it,” Iris answered as she resumed her work of unboxing, pricing and scanning the books to put everything in the system. “Makes you glad we put everything on a computer system a couple years ago?” she offered, getting a laugh from the younger woman as she nodded eagerly.

 “I don’t know how you stay so calm when you have people like that,” Jessica, the younger girl who had been there for nearly five years, added on as she finished with the box that Iris had given to her and moved over to collect the other one that Iris had priced for her.

 “It helps that I go into a situation like that knowing they’ll ask for…well, me.” Jessica snorted at Iris’s explanation before the two women returned to their work. Iris pulled her long braid over her shoulder in nervous habit, her eyes double checking the computer screen to make sure that the correct number of copies had been entered before she opened a new page for the next box.

 She was wearing a pair of thin black compression gloves, keeping her hands warm and protecting them from being cut up or dried out by the boxes and books, while also hiding her mark from prying eyes. Those that she worked with had gotten so accustomed to her wearing the gloves; they didn’t usually bring them up anymore. However, now and then they would make bets about whether or not it was a soulmark, and what it might say that would make her hide it.

 The next box that Iris opened was a hardcover sketchbook, one of their best-selling sketchbooks; which made her smile as Barry popped into her mind.

 She had barely tagged one book when the bell over the door signalled that someone else had entered the store. Having heard the same thing every day since she worked there, Iris didn’t even look up from the counter this time. “Welcome to Pages of the World; if you need any help just let me know!” she called from her place behind the counter while sticking another price-tag on the sketchbook.

 “Yea, you can fucking help me, brat!”

 Iris flinched while looking up from her work, the booming yell of a man charging up to the counter making her want to tuck tail and run. Women she could deal with, they always came off as less terrifying to her than men did after all these years. Even Jessica flinched behind the display she was setting up, looking between Iris and the irate man wearily.

 “Excuse me?” Iris stuttered out in surprise, unable to supress the fear that had her leaning back. There was still a counter between the two of them, but Iris couldn’t find the assurance in it.

 “You turned my wife away just because of a receipt? What the hell kinda customer service skills do you have to honestly be a manager?” Oh course it had to be the husband. Somehow, Iris figured that the couple had planned this. They would try to get a free fifteen dollars for a used book that was not from this store; if the wife’s sob story about losing the receipt didn’t work, the husband would come in and try to scare her into doing the non-existent return.

 “Ones that do not concede to liars,” Iris snapped back with more bravado than she actually felt. “The rules are clear, and I do not appreciate your immaturity with the situation; I am a grown woman, there is no need to call me a brat, sir.”

 “Clearly there is! You’re supposed to please your customers, you think I’ll ever come back here?”

 “The best thing about being the manager here is that the owner has assured me that I can refuse service to anyone that I want. I assure you, sir, I do not want you or your wife to ever come back.” Iris’s tone stayed level and calm the entire time she was speaking, not once raising to the point that it could be considered yelling.

 Beneath the counter, Iris subtly slipped off the metal bracelet that she wore around her wrist with the keys she needed for the different locks within the store. When unclipped, it was four inches of metal that held four full sized keys on the end of it. She was not opposed to swinging it at the man’s face if he tried anything.

 His face was red by the time she finished speaking, his jaw locked tight as he fixed a glare on Iris that she was sure was supposed to scare her into relenting. “Now, I will have to ask that you leave this store before I am forced to call the authorities and have you escorted out.”

 Standing behind the display, Jessica was watching the entire thing with wide eyes and a jaw close to dropping. Her manager, tiny little five foot Iris that was about one hundred pounds soaking wet, was holding her ground against a six foot tall man that looked like he could throw her with one hand. Her voice had wavered in the beginning, but then she had successfully collected herself and was able to keep her composure.

 “You go ahead and call them, but I am getting my refund!” the man roared, reaching toward the buttons on the register to Iris’s right—which was rather stupid, since none of them would open the register unless Iris actually unlocked it first.

 Similar to what she had done with Luke in the grocery store, Iris reached out and swung her chain of keys down onto the back of his hand, the man hadn’t even been able to hit a single button before he was recoiling in shock at the sharp pain that accompanied her attack. “This will be your final warning,” she almost growled out, her free hand poised over the phone.

 Majority of the employees here were woman, so the police were on speed-dial just in case ‘911’ would take too long.

 “You fucking cun-”

 He never got the chance to finish what he was saying before he was suddenly slammed down onto the counter, drawing a startled yelp from both Iris and Jessica as the women leapt backward from the sudden action. A pale hand was holding the wanna-be robber by the back of his neck, pressing his face into the polished counter with considerable force, the other hand keeping the man’s arm tight behind his back in a very uncomfortable looking angle.

 “That is not how you speak to a lady, and it’s especially not how you speak to mine.”

 Iris damn near choked on air when she heard the familiar voice, this time with a more average American accent, and looked up the pale arms that had the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, a sweatshirt left unzipped to expose an average undershirt and a necklace of some kind dipping down beneath the fabric. She stopped breathing entirely when her familiar handwriting was brought to the forefront of her attention. It was in her cursive, so she couldn’t read it from here, but there were many scattered along his forearms and another that shown at his left pectoral.

 “What the fuck, man, get off!” the man snarled, though he was still useless to fight against the newest soulmate for Iris to meet. Had it not been for the lack of accent, she would almost think that it could have been Luke, but that would have been pushing it.

 “You don’t talk to people like that, ya hear me?” he demanded while pushing the man’s face down against the counter with more force, getting an uncomfortable groan in response. “Huh?” he pressed again when no verbal response came.

 “Alright!”

 Nodding in satisfaction, her nameless soulmate hauled the man up from the desk and turned to face him with a hard glare. “You ever come back here and you’ll be dealing with me.” Iris had to strain to hear, but the threat was as clear as day. Then he shoved the man to the side, in the direction of the door he’d come through minutes before, and watched to make sure he left without touching any of the meticulously arranged displays.

 Only when he’d ran passed the store windows and disappeared from view did his bark blue eyes turn toward Iris, who had remained silently shocked from the moment he’d first slammed her would-be robber down on the desk. “You alright, doll? He didn’t hurt ya?”

 Iris opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. She couldn’t even think of forming words as the world suddenly went blurry around her and she could feel the heat in her cheeks as her blood fled from her already pale complexion.

 Without a word, she suddenly turned and sat on the nearby desk chair that she used while doing paperwork, the sound of rushing footsteps alerting her to someone behind the desk before Jessica’s terrified face came into view. “Iris!” she called, apparently not for the first time, and reached for the older woman’s face to feel her strikingly cold cheeks.

 Another hand against her shoulder, much larger and holding more weight behind it, drew Iris to look to her right with limp neck muscles barely keeping her head up. Barry? No, not Barry. Not Luke.

 Who?

 “It’s alright, doll, you just take your time,” he assured gently, his tone having changed drastically from when he’d first starting speaking to the other man. Even when he’d addressed Iris, he’d sounded more confident and sure, almost proud of Iris’s defense. Swallowing around a suddenly dry mouth, Iris tipped her head back in an attempt to let some cool air get to her face. She knew that to another it would feel cold with lack of blood, but she felt like she was blushing red as a tomato with how hot her cheeks were.

 Suddenly, cool air was blowing against her face gently as Iris took a moment to think through her breaths and bask in the refreshing feeling.

 “Iris? You need me to call someone?” a new voice called timidly. It was Sarah, a twenty-one year old woman who had worked for them since she was eighteen. She’d latched onto Iris immediately, since both women were naturally quiet and usually shied away from loud, extraverted situations.

 “No,” Iris breathed out softly, beginning to feel better from sitting down a moment. “Thank you, Sarah. I’ll be okay. Do you mind taking over here for a moment, though?” Opening her eyes and looking over to her young coworker, Iris was relieved to see her nodding eagerly and stepping around the counter to take Iris’s spot. “I just need some air. Come get me if you need the keys, alright?” Jessica stopped fanning her with the booklet she’d picked up, stepping back to give Iris room.

 “Take your time, okay? We’re perfectly fine on our own for a few minutes.”

 Reluctantly agreeing, Iris turned away from the other two and reached out for her new soulmate’s hand to draw him after her, toward the front entrance. The large windows had benches in front of them for the people walking by to sit, so she immediately went for one of those.

 Her soulmate followed her willingly, sitting down next to her as Iris settled down on the sun-warmed bench. “You alright, darling?” he asked quietly, keeping his tone gentle as he looked at Iris’s pale, pinched expression.

 “I’m sorry you had to see that,” she mumbled tiredly, belatedly thinking that she probably should have thought of something better to say to him for first words.

 “I’d rather I know what you’re going through than to be somewhere else and left to worry,” he answered easily, reaching out to pull her closer across the small bench. It left her pressed in against his side tightly, the warmth of his body helping her to relax somewhat. “That stuff happen often?”

 “No,” she assured immediately, shaking her head before she let it tip to the side and rest her temple against his shoulder. “People don’t usually get so…worked up. When I mention the cops they usually take off running.”

 “That guy was an asshole,” he grumbled angrily with a dark expression blanketing his features. It was not an expression she was accustomed to seeing; both Luke and Barry were more upbeat, they didn’t outwardly glare or glower. “You sure you’re alright?”

 Her mouth and throat still felt abnormally dry and her heart was racing a bit faster than usual, but she could tell that there was blood returning to her face and her hands weren’t trembling like before. “I’ll be okay. I haven’t had that happen in a long time; just got overwhelmed for a minute.” He nodded in something akin to understanding, reaching up to sooth her hair gently with a gentle, assuring touch. “So, it’d be nice to have a name for my savior?”

 He laughed under his breath at her timid tease, nodding in agreement. “That’s true. I’m BT, doll, and I’m damn glad I ignored Barry and came to see you today.”

 Iris’s answering smile was shy and she couldn’t help but to silently agree with his words. “I’m glad, too. It scares me to think what might have happened if you hadn’t intervened.” Lowering her eyes, unable to keep looking into the deep blue—they were darker than Luke’s and Barry’s, she hadn’t thought that was possible. Instead, she looked down to where his forearms were left bare from his rolled up sleeves. Her familiar scrawl was looking back at her, especially one mark that was apparently long enough that it wrapped around his wrist three times.

 A shorter one on the outside of his forearm was familiar to her; Wow, hello. Her words to Luke made her snort in amusement, reaching forward to trace the black cursive that stood out against BT’s pale skin. “It’s so strange to see my writing on someone else,” she mumbled to herself, aware that he could hear her.

 BT leaned away from her suddenly, then proceeded to pull up the side of his sweater and shirt that he was wearing to expose the left side of his torso. I’m sorry you had to see that was written across his side, starting at the base of his ribs and trailing down along to the hem of his pants.

 Her lips parted in surprise as she looked at the dark words, repressing the urge to reach out and touch them. Barry and Luke hadn’t outwardly tried to hide their skin or marks from her, but they had worn warmer clothes when she’d met them and therefore had masked any of their marks. BT was the first to wear something that exposed his marks willingly, feeling as though he had nothing to hide.

 And to go even further, he had gone ahead and pulled up his shirt to show her the words that she had just spoken to him. She was left trying to not look at the cut of his hip that proved something she’d already assumed—he was incredibly fit.

 “I…can’t show you where mine is,” she admitted softly, her cheeks warming with a blush as she remembered where BT’s mark was—curving along her left ribs, following the natural curve that was beneath her left breast.

 “Now ya got me curious,” BT teased gently, not wanting to push her too far when she was still clearly shaken from what had happened. His smile softened as he straightened his shirt and shuffled her closer to him again, returning her to her place pressed against his side. “I don’t wanna leave ya here alone; feels wrong after that.”

 He motioned with his thumb in the direction that the guy had run off, probably hopping into a car that his wife was still waiting in. “I’m not alone,” Iris argued tiredly. “There’s three other people working today, and it’s just a simple bookstore. Things like that never really happen. I do get the odd person who tries to trick us by bringing in some used book for a return, but that guy was…determined.”

 “Is it all girls in there? Because no offense to you all defending yourselves, but I doubt anyone’s gunna be intimidated by four short girls trying not to let him rob the place.”

 “We have David in as well,” she assured. “He’s closing today, because I opened the store.”

 BT seemed to relax slightly as he nodded in understanding, a thoughtful look on his face as he pondered for a moment. “When do you get off? I’ll come get ya!”

 Iris wanted to stop him, to deny him from interrupting his schedule for her, but she already knew that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “I finish at four today; come here around quarter after?”

 “You got it, doll.” BT leant forward suddenly to smack a kiss against the side of her head in assurance. “I’ve gotta get going, though. Barry’s already gunna be pissed if he finds out that I came here…well, more like when he finds out. Barry knows freaking everything.”

 Iris stood up with BT, already feeling a thousand times better after she’d had some time to get fresh air. “Thanks for your help, BT. I’m definitely glad you came here when you did.” BT grinned broadly before he reached out to snatch her up, pulling her against him abruptly in a near bone-crushing hug. She was jarred for a moment before she returned his embrace and hugged him back, revelling in the warmth that he emitted. “I’ll see you after four.”

 She backed away from him reluctantly, smiling shyly as she trailed her hand along the covered mark on his left side. BT smirked back, knowing what she was doing, as he nodded his affirmative. “Sure thing, doll. I’ll be waiting out here for you, a’right?”

 “Deal.”

Previous || Next

[echo-three-one]

Run run run....

Table of Contents

Previous Chapter : Going Dark - Part 1

Chapter 23 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

Going Dark - Part 2

John "Soap" MacTavish

London, United Kingdom

Soap never knew that the bloody guy would pull that trick off his sleeve. He's been sick of the same ringing he first experienced when they went out with Francine.

So he did what he could and quickly got up to his feet as soon as he saw Alex attempt to halt the hostage on his tracks. That bastard's going to pay for stomping on Alex like that.

With comms down once again, he had to act fast, stomping down the stairs, never leaving sight of the runner. He could sense someone following him and assumed it's any of Roach, Price or Jack. And it looked like Ghost caught wind of what happened too.

"Oi! Let's flank him!" Soap roared across the empty streets as Ghost and Roach split ways and ran toward their target.

They're not kidding when they said the Shadow Company is at par with the 141, the guy ran like a horse which Soap never expected from his build. He could see Ghost and Roach sprinting from his sides, one wrong turn and he's done for, but he still had one last trick. 

He raced to the emergency stairs as his heavy feet clanged against the metal. Soap followed, optimizing the steps on edges to gain on him. Going up the rooftops was his biggest mistake.

"Bollocks, he's still running!" he announced as he felt his ears crackling. 

"Well…. st….by…. do….airs.." His earpiece crackled through the static. It's recovering but they're already far off MacMillan's truck where their line connected.

He leaped. Soap almost stopped in his tracks as the runner courageously leapt across the huge gap and rolled on to the next building. He braced himself and continued dashing across the roof and did a mighty leap, his arms circled like he was swimming and he carefully placed his feet to perform a proper land and rolled.

That's going to hurt as soon as the adrenaline fades, but he quickly got up and made use of his remaining burst of energy. 

The runner stopped in his tracks as soon as Roach emerged from the opposite fire escape, raising a pistol pointed straight at him as he raised his hand in surrender.

"Nowhere to run now." Roach said, cautiously walking near him. He's aware that his phone is still inside his pocket and that they had no idea when it'll go off again.

He didn't talk, but he looked panicked. He was sweating all over and his face was beyond recognizable. It looked like he's out of options.

"Tell us Where Shepherd is…" Gary pointed the loaded gun on his head, the desperation in Gary's eyes were obvious.

"There's an abandoned plane graveyard near Afghanistan…" he whimpered. His voice was shaky enough to warrant the truth.

"What's he doing there?" Soap added.

"He's trading the blueprints for the I.P. Address… Please that's all I know" he begged and they quickly left the place, walking back to MacMillan's car.

"You got something?" Ghost asked as soon as Roach's feet landed on the dark alley.

"A place. In Afghanistan." Roach answered.

"And he also had the I.P. Address.." Soap added.

"But that's impossible… didn't Samantha already forget about it?" Ghost asked but there was a quiet pause. Their brains almost looked like working together.

"Holy Crap." Roach finally broke the silence.

And from that moment they realized the other reason behind Samantha's memory returning. One way or another, her memories were once again toyed with.

~

"So how was it?" Price asked the team that ran off to chase the runner.

"We got an address. An abandoned plane yard in Afghanistan." Roach replied. Soap turned to Alex as he sat at the back of the jeep tending to his wound. 

"You okay mate?" he asked walking close to his ally, who was wincing in pain.

"The guy's boots are heavy." He chuckled and so did Soap.

"Listen, Alex. We heard that Shepherd has the I P. address, did Samantha tell you anything about remembering it?" Soap asked as the whole team fell silent and turned to the two.

"Not really. What's bothered me is that she remembers everything except after when Shepherd explained his plans to her… Could it be that…" Alex trailed.

"She remembered because they undid their operation on her…" Jack continued. The whole group stood in silence. 

Price's phone rang and delivered them with more bad news. It looked like while chasing the runner, Shepherd had caught wind of their activity and had some of London police scour the nearby streets for them.

"Da, It's time to go, my comrades." Nikolai announced as soon as Price relayed the message. Their ride home was compromised.

"Where to?" He asked.

"I know a place." Soap said.

TRAIN STATION

It looked like Soap's hunch was right. None of the people onboard to Scotland mind about the faces of the fugitives flashed on the news recently. 

Their day packs had reserved clothes and they opted to change to something more civilian. Soap could smell the fabric conditioner France used to wash his newly bought clothes and couldn't help but miss her. If they weren't on a rush, Soap could've topped up for international calls.

"How long is this trip? 7 hours?" Price asked a civilian with surprised expressions.

"Wow. It's like a plane ride, but I'm still in the same country!" Jack cackled at the idea. He does have a different sense of humor. Just as Alex described him.

The rest of the team took this time to rest, they sat on the emptiest part of the train, away from the people that might recognize them and report their presence.

"I've contacted Samantha. It looks like they're having a small problem over there." Alex said.

"Someone saw one of us fugitives and tried to get inside the house to claim his bounty. At first they just talked him off but he's persistent now. So they decided to fly to our location and regroup there. And Soap, where exactly are we going?" Alex asked. Soap took a careful look around his team and felt nervous about his decision.

"Our old house. In Scotland. It's far off civilization. I think no one would look for us there." he muttered, gaining a nod from Price and Jack. Soap sighed in relief as soon as they thought of it as a good idea. Roach actually felt excited despite having to go there by train for seven hours. He immediately made that decision a few minutes ago without anyone's approval, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Hey, you three… Thanks for chasing that runner while we were out. Go catch some sleep. We'll watch over this train. It's going to be a long trip." Price nudged and Jack nodded. Soap gave a pair of earbuds to Price, the old man immediately looked at him with question.

"What's this? A hearing aid?" Price asked.

"Our runner wore that so it might be the reason he wasn't affected by his own blast." He muttered before crossing his arms.

"Thanks, mate. I'll let someone have a look at this." Price nodded and Jack immediately inserted with a suggestion.

"I know someone near Glasgow. A close friend of mine." 

"That's great. He's closer." Price agreed and Soap slowly drifted himself asleep, trying to rest his tired legs all while also trying not to worry about Francine.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

The never shifting scenery of the road home sent John MacTavish into a little nostalgia trip. The sound of trains screeching across the station reminded him of so many things from the past.  The road they're walking along now was the same road he's walked on everyday of his life, and now after a lot of years, he can't believe he's back.

"I don't see anything nearby,  are you sure we're not lost Soap?" Roach asked.

"We aren't. The house is just obstructed by the trees. They've grown taller since I last left." he replied enthusiastically. He looked obviously excited to see his home.

As soon as they reached the short curve, a huge cream-painted house greeted them from the distance. He could hear Alex and Roach's collective oohs and aahs every step they took closer.

"When you said old, I was really expecting it to be abandoned." Roach mused.

"It is, actually. My parents are off… somewhere else." he replied leading the way inside the house. The pool was already dirty and most weeds already outgrew the fences.

Soap pushed the huge wooden double door open and was greeted by the same visage of their entrance way back when he was a kid. Same pictures hung on the walls of his adventures as a kid up to the recent photo of his graduation. His mom was always proud of him no matter what, but he couldn't forget the way she looked at him once he chose to enlist to the riskiest job ever.

The rest of the team helped themselves to discovering the inside of the house, looking at photos, sitting on the couches and grabbing a glass of water. Soap quickly gave them a tour of the house and that they're free to pick a guest room of their choice. It was appropriate that they'd feel comfortable after a tough day.

"Nice place you got here, comrade. Why'd you give this all up for a life that's always hanging on the ledge?" Nikolai asked, tapping his shoulder. 

"I don't even know." he muttered and Nikolai chuckled, making his way to the living room. The team was quick to adapt to the place. Roach and Ghost already chose their rooms and he assumed they already attempted to recover while the three older men gathered around the television and watched the news. Alex was by the telephone, probably contacting Samantha. He wanted to check on France himself, so he planned to go to his room and make a call.

"The New York attack stopped." Price discussed with Nikolai and Jack, the three began speculating about a lot of things. Soap would love to join in the conversation but he decided to update on Francine first.

His room looked the same as when he left, the same shade of blue wallpaper, the same color sheets that were changed weekly and the same things on top of his bedside drawer.

Dialing her number, which he subconsciously memorized, he immediately placed the receiver on his ear and anxiously waited for her to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" her voice sounded different over the phone, but it still sent shivers across his spine as soon as he heard it.

"Hey. It's me." he replied.

"Angelo?" she asked, her voice almost sounded like she's fighting herself not to laugh.

"It's John." 

"I know, silly. Who would mistake you for anyone else with that accent." she retorted.

"Do ya like it?" he teased, making sure he emphasized his Scottish accent well.

"Why'd you call?" She changed the topic. She wasn't budging on his teasing, but he knew she's already blushing on the other side of the line.

"Did Price give you the landing coordinates?" he asked.

"Yeah. Maxine looked it up on the map. It looks like a shady house in the middle of nowhere. Who are you?" she joked.

"Great. I'll see you here. I-" he hesitated. He wanted to tell her how much he misses her. But even with his oozing confidence, he felt like chickening out this time.

"Yeah. We're on our way. Take care out there John." She said and dropped the call. Soap sighed and plopped himself on his bed, deeply sighing at his actions. This girl was making him crazy… and the funny thing is he's all fine with it.

Next Chapter : Going Dark - Part 3

Notification Squad my Beloved

@smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio @beemybee @whimsywispsblog @ricinbach

[bumbershots]

Mistletoe & Wine

A/N: Hello this is my collaboration for @goldenbluesuit very well put together Christmas song fic challenge. It’s my first time participating and my first time posting my writing here as well (I’m sort of new, I have no friends) so, I’m kind of nervous and English is not my first language (sorry for any mistakes) thanks to my boyfriend for being a Brit so he could help me with the “slang” and for reading this about fifteen times and listened to Mistletoe and Wine by Cliff Richard throughout the entire week with me lol. Thanks for  taking the time to read this :) If you want to befriend a twenty six year old Aries, or just send me an ask click here.

Word count: 2.8k

Summary: Harry meets a woman that is not here to stay, he will need to decide if that will keep him from making the most of the very few days they have together or dread the imminent separation.

It was raining when her flight landed in London. The kind of rain that doesn't pour heavily, instead it settles over the city for days. And although she can't afford to take a cab, she steps out of the airport just to stare at the endless grey of the sky and wrap herself in her coat because of how cold it was. After a few more minutes she goes back inside to find the way to get out of there on the tube, she knew it to be possible after all the research she's been doing since the age of twelve on the internet.

Soon enough, the man she approached to ask for help, confirms that a train is leaving in a few minutes and she can easily get off at Hammersmith, he even helps her buy the ticket and recommends to get an oyster card if she is going to use London's Underground often. But she doesn't know, she relishes in the element of surprise that is surrounding her life for the next 3 weeks. It excites her to an unfamiliar degree to see people come and go into the carriage, it almost makes her miss her stop, but she manages to get off just in time, her hands clutching the heavy suitcase that contains all her nicest and warmest clothes. She follows the crowd up the stairs and out of the station, the busy street revealed before her is straight out of those books she restlessly studied at school, people wearing trench coats and long scarfs hurry in hopes to avoid the rain and then a red double-decker bus passes by. The cherry on top.

The spontaneous decision to spend Christmas in England instead of her home country was made months ago, on the night of her birthday, although her closest friends would say that she's been dreaming of it since she read Harry Potter. No one gave her a hard time for it, in fact, almost all her friends and family members went to the airport to wish her a safe trip. Her grandmother was cheeky enough to slip a twenty pound note when hugging her goodbye.

Every day of the first week went by in a blur, visiting museums, galleries and walking around the city, getting soaked in its beauty and the endless rain. By the beginning of the second week, a bit tired of the scarce options from the hotel's breakfast, she ventured out, burying half of her face in the scarf she bought the day before at Primark, her feet guiding her almost out of instinct to the little cafe at the end of Hercules road. The place is warm and the menu seems to have it all for a very fair price. After a couple of minutes the Full English wins, she iterates the order to the woman behind the counter and adds a cup of tea handing over the money.

"Get a seat love, I'll bring it over." The elder lady says making the girl smile and thank her before scampering across the room to sit by the window at the four seat table tucked in the corner.

It doesn't take long for her food to arrive and for her to dig in, feeling kind of full almost at the end, she slows down then, a trick her father passed down on her. Let it settle in for a few minutes before going back at it. Works every time. She gets lost on the daily life happening before her eyes, the people walking by, some in a rush maybe to get to work, others in a rush to get to the shops early and buy presents. She could easily tell the difference between one and other. The elderly couple walking to the market, slower than anybody else, arms linked and without a care in the world. A girl around her age doing "the walk of shame" elicited a smirk on her lips. Good for her.

"Do you mind if I take a seat?" She almost missed the question by the stranger standing there. "There's no empty seats elsewhere I'm afraid, I won't bother you." He was right, in the span of thirty minutes the place was full to the brim with families, the three seats at her table the only ones free so, she nodded and even managed to smile in a friendly way. Unfortunately for her, the green eyed stranger did the same, a sweet dimple on his left cheek more prominent than on the right one and she had to eat a spoonful of beans in an attempt to hide her blush.

Two weeks in the country, almost two weeks, and the best looking man on it decides to show up on a greasy spoon cafe when she's eating what's left of her sausages and beans. His food is delivered by the same lady from earlier, of course it is something that looks healthy. The sudden need to fly away from the place pops in her head, it's not a bad one, he doesn't even know her name. She wants to know his. She remembers how he said he wouldn't bother her, it's almost disappointing, she wants to be bothered.

The situation seems to be straight out of a rom-com, she is cutting the banger in little pieces, as if the formula to spark conversation with the mystery guy keeping her company is hidden in them. But after five minutes she sighs quietly, knowing that her own shyness won't let her even glance at him again. She will have to do her best to remember him and observe from the corner of her eye until the last piece of minced pork is consumed by her. And maybe she will gush about how gorgeous he was with her friends once she is back home, describing his shiny emerald eyes for them, sharing a sigh when she recalls how dreamy his accent was and squeal upon the memory of his raspy voice.

Ten minutes later her last bite is chewed and swallowed, the cup is empty as well. She's about to grab her coat draped on the back of her chair. "I'm going to have to break my non-disturbing you promise but... um, that's a sick cardigan." His voice doesn't sound confident as before, he even clears his throat, but his eyes never leave hers.

"Thanks, my grandma knitted it for me." She forgets about her coat and straightens out a bit for him to appreciate the colourful patchwork and extends her left arm to show the over-sized sleeve. Her companion hums in approval. "She hates it."

"What?" His green eyes widening in disbelief and she just shrugs.

"As soon as I put it on she went on and on about how horrible it was, the wrong proportions and how it all seemed better off in her mind." They share a giggle and don't notice that their empty plates have been taken away and the place is no longer swamped by people. "But I like it, I like it a lot, does a good job keeping me warm." And makes her look lovely, he thinks but doesn't say.

Instead he licks his lips before speaking again. "I'm Harry." He offers his left hand and she quickly eyes the cross tattoo.

"I'm a tourist." She says before adding her real name, earning a deep chuckle from him before letting go of his hand.

The set of circumstances in which she met Harry is dreamy for sure, but something about him made the set of affairs so real. When he asked about the places where she'd been the scoff afterwards and the roll of his eyes made her ask what was wrong about them. But he didn't answer, with a shake of his head and a deep sigh he asked for her phone number. The promise to show her the real London lingered in the air as they parted ways outside of the corner cafe.

Her heart raced at the very sight of him outside Borough Market the following morning. "Morning love, alright?" he greeted her before hugging her tight and quick. It was so genuine it made her wonder if she really just met him the day before. "Do you like doughnuts?"

"Who doesn't?" she says with that grin he worries will wait for him in his dreams.

"Wisest words ever spoken." Harry's arm is wrapped around her shoulders, guiding her on their quest inside the huge market.

The early morning is spent too soon, Harry guides her to talk to the stall owners, they are so passionate about their produce, most of them willing when possible to give them a sample. The highlight is the stop at Bread Ahead, they buy more doughnuts than what she thinks they need. They eat them all while sharing a Monmouth coffee. Harry shares with her stories about almost every stall they passed by. "I'm not a fan of red meat, and oysters." She keeps record of it, basking in his lovely anecdotes that seemed to summon the sun from it's hiding place. "We're granted a sunny day in winter!" He celebrates and it's impossible not to join him. "Let's go to Richmond Park."

Of course she nods in agreement and follows him down the street where he parked his car before she gets in the passenger seat. The stranger danger alarm, should've gone off in her head. But there was something about him, like he was holding her in place. As she heard Harry speak about his job, it started to make more sense in her head. Harry was a lot like this country, foreign, new, exciting and hers for the next few days. He made that clear when they parted ways at the end of the day.

"Come home with me for Christmas." Harry asked her on what would be the beginning of her last week in London, while having a picnic on Primrose Hill.

"With your family?" Her eyebrows were shot up when he nodded, fighting back that deadly smirk of his. "All your relatives will be there?" He nods again and she scoffs completely agitated. "Don't be daft Harry!" She voices out her feelings borrowing an expression of his.

He laughs and it's impossible for her not to join him, her face growing hotter by the second. "I don't want to go without you, and mum will love to have you there," that's what she fears.

"I don't know Harry, might be weird." He disagrees right away.

"It's close to Liverpool, we could spend a day or two over there." The past week he's been trying to learn as many things from her as possible and if he chooses his words carefully he can convince her. "Pay a visit to Anfield, The Cavern." His fake nonchalant attitude makes her roll her eyes, "Strawberry Fields is there too, you know?" She agrees and he kisses the back of her hand to mask the proud grin on his face.

In the past, she was always careful not to let a partner know how deeply she cared about them. The thought of being vulnerable made her lose her mind, thinking it was a sign of weakness. But seeing Harry drive through the English countryside, singing at the top of his lungs to Mistletoe and Wine by Cliff Richard and smiling just for her. It made her want to tell him, but not even all the words in every single language ever spoken by humanity could be enough to give him an idea of how much she cares for him.

There hasn't been a proper kiss between them, it puzzled her at first. Because his gaze seemed to be constantly directed to her lips. But then there was all the touching, holding hands, tucking her to his side when walking, his tender touch before hugging her goodbye. And the way he was always running his hands through her hair.

"She's a friend," he introduces her to his mum Anne and sister Gemma, after saying her name, chewing on the word like it's that mint gum he carries in his purse everywhere he goes. "Was a bloody tourist when I first met her but now... she's a proper Londoner." She doubts it, but she agrees on them being friends and she likes it, a lot.

They help Anne and Gemma to set the table and the finishing touches for dinner. Only three more family members show up and she chastises Harry for making her believe that all of his offspring was going to attend. That's how they usually spend Christmas Eve back home, she explains.

It saddens him, the thought of her going back to her home country in five days time. All the way across the Atlantic, six hours behind him. It's almost unfair.

"Tell me more about it," Harry's curiosity is genuine, thinking that he would love to know more about her traditions. Perhaps even be lucky enough to share them someday.

"We don't have these," she regrets taking a tube of brightly coloured paper. "We have piñatas though." She adds proudly and Harry's jaw hangs open in surprise.

"No fucking way!" He is immediately told off by his mum as they all take a seat at the table. "I thought that was only allowed for birthdays."

"There's no rules for that!" She takes the Christmas cracker out again and Harry takes it from the other end. "So, I just pull it?" He nods and it makes a noise revealing the present.

"You get the crown." Harry unfolds it before helping her fix it atop her head. "And the little toy, what is it?oh... I get the joke!" His family groans, his sister hiding her face in hands, but all she sees is the glint in Harry's eye before he reads. "Who's Rudolph's favourite pop star?"

"I don't know," she's the only one that was going to ask him. And she really wanted to know.

"Beyon-sleigh!" Harry watches in delight how the girl before him snorts at the silly and not so funny joke.

"That was awful." She confessed.

"Agree, next year we'll make our own. Riddles only." His mum adds and Harry protests right away but is shushed by Gemma's voice reading out loud the riddle from her cracker.

Next year, she will probably be spending the day with her numerous family, she thinks. Harry will be here again, telling awful jokes, pulling away Christmas crackers. Perhaps he will bring another person with him. She tries to push the poisonous thoughts down with a big gulp of wine. Only succeeding when Harry's left hand rests on her knee, his thumb rubbing circles on her skin exposed by her ripped jeans while he listens to his sister talk about her podcast. It marvels her how he is there, for everybody.

After dinner they play family games and Harry makes a fake tantrum after his cousin Chloe claims his companion for her team.

"She's mine!" He argues, his long arms embracing her easily. She ends up joining the other team, but the quick kiss she bravely gave to his neck before he let her go, confirmed the words he spoke.

There is a three step process Harry follows to know he's fallen in love. If he finds himself talking about them with every living soul, if he does something they like just because it makes him miss them less and finally if he takes them home to meet his mum. He knows that for the past few days, there was no other topic to discuss with him than the girl sitting beside him in the sofa. He's been drinking tea every morning, just because it reminds him of her. He watches her talk to his mother about how much they like Rod Stewart and knows that he's in too deep.

It should bother him, because she will leave. And all these moments spent, will be just distant memories for him to torture himself over and over again. He wants to feel the angst of knowing that maybe she will forget him, maybe she has a partner back home. He gives up on trying to feel miserable, agreeing with that song from earlier. It is a time to rejoice in the good that we see, a time for living and believing.

Right now all he sees is her, he sighs before tucking her by his side, her brown doe eyes meeting his briefly before sneaking an arm around his waist. She continues to chat with Anne and Gemma even after the rest of the guests leave, still holding onto him. Harry can see the fondness radiating from his mother and sister for the girl in his arms. He sees trust, and he smiles thinking of a new beginning.

What a beautiful sight.

[moral-turpitudes]

Unfinished Business: Part 1

Trigger Warnings: Angst, Swearing, Slight mentions of past Abuse, Drugs.

Characters: Thomas Shelby x Reader

+ random character/group I made up (Romboldi & The Black Hats)

Word Count: 3,084 omfg I really did the most but I just kinda ran with it.

Summary: Y/N’s current occupation requires her to encounter Thomas Shelby, a man she thought was in her past for good, but as fate would have it, she has to face him once again, because no one can forget a Shelby. 

Requested by: @msbzowy​

Summary of request: “...Thomas lost any contact with the reader and one time while on a business deal he meets her because they’re both involved in the business. They would be fighting a lot but eventually something happens between them and the old feelings come back? You can make it sweet or steamy. No specific deal in mind, just like the general idea! Thank you in advance!” 

A/N: This was requested as a oneshot but I had so many great ideas for it based off this awesome request, so I figured I’d turn it into a 2 or 3 part fic possibly. Let me know if that’s something you’d want to read. :)

Part 1 | Part 2

Y/n walked down the wooden staircase after receiving a phone call, one hand gliding down the rail, and the other holding her suitcase. Her nerves consuming her as she ran down the hall and out the door of her house in New York. The spring air filling her lungs as she quickly walked to the edge of the street, attempting to hail a cab. As she waved her hand out, she smiled as she saw one stop and handed him some cash for his efforts. She wasn’t much for pointless conversation, especially now. She was on her way to one of the biggest meetings of her career, a career she had found herself in only 2 years prior. It was a job most people wouldn’t want, but it paid well, and since she fled Small Heath, she needed the income and the protection. 

Small Heath was a series of bittersweet memories. Seeing her friends at the tailor shops, walking down the dark cobblestone streets, and becoming particularly close to a man named Thomas Shelby. After the war, he got heavily involved in the business, dealing with rival gangs, going after commissioners, committing arson, murder, dealing with bets at the tracks, and breaking hearts most of all. In the matter of heartbreaks, y/n was his first true victim. 

As the cab rolled down the city streets, she glanced out the window, remembering all that she left behind. 

Tensions in the blinders were running high at the time of her departure from the company, back when they had a business meeting with a rival group, the Black Hats from New York. The blinders wanted to transport weapons and ammo for a cheaper price because of recent financial troubles, but they weren’t having it and the Black Hats declined, but not without blowing up one of Tommy’s supply areas. This smuggling shit was risky business to say the least, as these were being smuggled along with drugs.....snow to be exact. The little blue bottles were like gold, taking away the pain of the day while giving you the energy to go on to the next, sucking you in like a rip-tide at sea until you were consumed by the need for more. She had been all too familiarized with it because Tommy struck a deal with a huge supply of it before she left. He didn’t use it often, but Arthur was a different story.

It came as a shock to her, as she had been dating Tommy for a year before everything came crashing down. She was confronted by him at a family meeting saying that she needed to leave, that she had no place there despite her skills. She was a great shot and was helpful on many occasions, but to have her there would pose a risk they weren’t willing to take after they bombed him. So, in true Tommy fashion, he gave her some money, bought her a boarding pass, and sent her on her way to New York to start a new life, his cold eyes staring as he watched her board the ship, emotionless.

This only fueled her need to get back at him, to show him what he had lost, while also proving to herself that she didn’t need him as much as he needed her. She could make a name for herself, even if that meant working for the enemy. 

Pulling up to the brick building, she realized she was now in the belly of the beast, the Black Hats home-turf. She was never seen with the Shelby’s when they visited him in Small Heath, as she was always doing secretary work at Tommy’s place, or perched high on rooftops, aiming at the men below who had came to charlies yard for their meetings. She was always out of sight regarding those men, but now here she was, working for them. She came to them seeking any position, lying about where she came from, supplying them with her forged papers, and even hiding her accent. For as big as this gang was, they weren’t the brightest, as they accepted her in with little apprehension. 

She earned a good living for herself though, quickly becoming their main contract killer. She would travel the country and take out the people on their hit list, and in return they’d provide her with housing and a guard that would check in every so often. 

As she walked in through the heavy double doors, she nodded to one of the guards who let her through into the leader, Mr. Romboldi’s office. He smiled as she came in, fiddling with his golden ring around his finger. 

“Ah there she is...little miss Quick Shot. Nice of you to join us.” He said using her nickname she’d earned among her peers. She could hit a target from various angles and distances without much help and came to like the name she made for herself. Y/n soon nodded and stood at attention like the others, ready for the days orders.

“We have some unfinished business in Small Heath, as I’m sure you’re all aware. It’s been a while since we’ve been overseas, and we’re going to send someone tomorrow to discuss our deal once more as they’ve had recent success in a certain business venture that I’m sure we’d appreciate here.” He said with a serious look in his eyes.

“What venture?” One of the men asked.

“Gin. Buying stocks in it, selling bottles, transporting cross-country, we Americans love our gin and Mr. Shelby has a new supply. He tried to low-ball us last time with the ammo, the guns, and the snow, but I’m going to send him an offer he can’t refuse this time.” He said smirking.

“What offer is that?” Y/n asked, putting on her fake accent.

“You.” He said looking at her. Y/n’s heart sank, as she looked at him and nodded. She never wanted to see him again after he booted her out like she meant nothing to him, even if it was to save-face for him and the company and for her safety. 

“You’re going to get him to supply us the gin and get him to pay us full price for our efforts with this am I clear?” He asked.

“Yes sir.” y/n said. 

“If you fail, we’ll be meeting again under very different circumstances.” He said, an evil smile playing at his lips.

She’s known him long enough to know that he meant he’d kill her or Tommy, and as much as she hated the man who broke her heart, she still loved him at the same time, and she couldn’t let him or his family die over a silly business deal.

As soon as she was dismissed, she grabbed her suitcase and headed off to the boating docks, buying a ticket and boarding the ship. She knew her boss didn’t care when she left, as long as she got there sometime that week. And besides, she was too anxious to wait around for tomorrow, knowing this was time sensitive. 

After the grueling ride aboard the ship, she went into London after going through the necessary checks. She used her alias and made her best impression, and then went on to Small Heath as assigned. When she got out of the car, she smirked as her red heels hit the black soil covered streets. Walking by a shop, she saw a women’s tailor and decided to stop in, buying a well made pant suit. It fit well and was a nice gray color with pinstripe detailing. Looking around further, she decided on a gold pocket watch, and nice hat to match, and then went on her way after buying it all. 

Walking down the street, she saw the Garrison, causing all the memories she had with Tommy and the rest of the blinders to start coming back. They were like brothers to her and despite her bitterness, she still loved them, as they were not particularly happy in seeing her go, as that was solely Tommy’s decision. 

Y/n shook the thoughts from her head, and waited outside the shop, leaning her back against the coal-black wall. While lighting a cigarette and taking a drag from it, she looked off into the distance seeing a man in a peaked cap riding a dark horse, much different than the white one she saw two years ago. As he pulled up near Shelby Company Ltd. He stopped in his tracks as y/n took another drag of her cigarette, looking at her pocket watch.  

“Nice horse Tommy. You’re right on time.” She said relishing in the fact that she could use her normal accent. Her sunglasses and new brimmed hat helped in disguising her face.

“Thank you miss....Who are you?” He asked his eyes burning a hole through her shaded lenses. She smirked and took them and the hat off, revealing her face.

“Y/n...” He said, his eyes growing wide. He immediately took her inside and to his office, shutting the door behind him. 

“What on earth are ya fucking doing here?” He asked.

“That’s not a nice greeting for someone you haven’t seen in two years Tom. But given what happened I didn’t expect anything nice from you anyways. I’m here on business.” She said, walking past him to put her cigarette out. He watched as she walked towards him, her arms folded over her well-fitting suit, standing in front of him.

“What business is that?” He asked. 

“Oh you know, just a little...mafia business back in New York. Nothing too big... except that you’ve pissed off my boss. And now I’m sent here to try to make a deal.” She said making herself at home in one of his leather armchairs. He raised an eyebrow and sat on the edge of his desk near her. 

“What deal? Who are you working for y/n?” He asked.

“The Black Hats. Mr Romboldi to be exact...ring a bell yet? The son of a bitch who took me in after you booted me out without a goodbye? Yeah, him. He still remembers your little low-ball offer for the guns, the ammo, and-” She chuckled as she remembered the drugs. “-the fucking snow.” She said giving him daggers.

He looked down, y/n could see the gears turning in his head.

“I told you to leave and not go anywhere near them y/n. Why the hell are ya working for em aye?” He asked angrily. 

“You and I both know I couldn’t just sit around twiddling my thumbs and making pies for someone I never loved all day. I wasn’t going to be some house wife to some old bastard while I could’ve been out shooting and working a meaningful job. I wasn’t going to let myself rot.” She said, her own voice raising. 

“You didn’t have to choose this life though. You could’ve left this behind like I wanted you to.” He said lighting a cigarette. 

Y/n chuckled. “I remember what you told me one time, when I first started getting involved in Peaky business. You said and I quote, ‘you can change what you do, but you can’t change what you want.’ And you know what Tommy? I wanted this life, I wanted you, I wanted to make a name for myself, I wanted the thrill of this job because I often feel nothing. But I’ve only gotten half of that.” She said getting up, pacing around the room as he watched.

“What did you not get y/n?” He asked too focused on the mafia issue at hand to realize she mentioned him.

“You, you fucking idiot! But you threw me out, no goodbyes, no letters, nothing.” She said, her eyes filling up with tears.

“Y/n...that was two years ago. I was trying to protect you.” He said noticing the tears running down her face. 

“I had a job. I had a life here. I’m not expecting you to ever want me back but god damn it I’d like an apology. Hell, you didn’t protect me from shit.” She said, thinking about some of the things she had to do to get through to some people for her boss. She shuddered at the thought.

He looked hurt, seeing her like that, and despite it being two years since that day, he still loved her all the same, he was just terrible at showing it. He never thought he’d see her again, and in that moment he decided he wasn’t going to let her go again. 

She wiped her eyes as she felt him walk up behind her, she tensed up, not knowing what would happen next. He put his hand on her shoulder lightly, and she turned around to face him, her eyes still bright and hopeful after all that had happened. He loved her, and after she left, he mentally beat himself up over it every day. He turned to snow for a while, along with his opium, but what he truly needed was y/n. Fearing she may be too angry to every take him back, he hesitated as he brushed the tears from her cheek and kissed her. 

Instead of slapping him or walking out, she deepened the kiss, which surprised Tommy, as he pulled her as close has he could, not wanting to let her go. When they parted, lightly gasping for air, he smiled slightly and so did she. 

“I-I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry y/n.” He said stepping back from her.

She looked at him as she processed what happened, she never expected to fall right back into his arms after all she went through, but here she was, being sucked in by his ocean blue eyes once again. 

She straightened her blazer out and pushed a stray hair out of her face. 

“Why did you kiss me Thomas?” Y/n asked taking another cigarette out of her pocket and lighting it. 

Thomas thought for a moment, trying to pick his words less recklessly this time around.

“When I forced you out, I stayed up every night beating myself up. I’ll never get those nights back, but those nights made me realize something y/n.” He said.

“If you’re going to break my heart again just say it already.” She said tapping her heel impatiently. 

“I love you...y/n.” He said looking at her, studying her as she moved anxiously. He loved the way she looked, the way she carried herself, the way she wasn’t afraid to call him out. But he was terrified for the first time in his life that the woman he loved wouldn't return those very words back to him.

She looked down, exhaling a cloud of smoke. “I came here not only because of an order Tom...but because deep down despite my hate for what you did, I knew why you did it. And even though two fucking years have passed, I still haven’t been able to get you out of my head. So, I guess what the fuck I’m trying to say is that I love you too, you bastard.” She said looking up at him a light smile playing at her lips.

He smiled and walked over to her and took her hand in his, kissing it lightly. 

“I promise to never do something so foolish again y/n. I swear on me fucking life...so am I forgiven?” He asked.

She took his words into consideration and nodded, bringing his lips to hers. Breaking away, she walked around the room slowly, remembering all of their fun times in here after-hours. 

“So, about Mr. Romboldi, y/n how serious is this?” He asked.

“Well, he said that you’ll have to pay them full price for their services. He wants your gin. He sent me to persuade you to pay him for distribution and sales in the states......and It’s not easy Tommy, smuggling things.... especially alcohol back to the states........I hate him and his men believe me, but they risk their lives getting that kind of stuff so I think you should consider paying a full price.” She said.

“And if I don’t?” He asked. 

Y/n sighed. “I was also sent here because he knew you couldn’t refuse an offer if it came from a pretty woman. Now, he may have been right on that part, but he doesn’t know that I’ve been working under an alias for him, and he doesn’t know I know you. They think my name is Y/N Anderson, from Virginia. And so if you don’t take this offer, they’re going to find out, and then Mr. Romboldi and his men are gonna waltz in here and kill you, me, and everyone you care about because they’ve already been wronged once, and they don’t like being wronged a second time.” She said sternly, taking another drag from her cigarette.

He sighed and ran his hands over his head, his face growing angry.

“What is it Tommy?” Y/n asked, noticing his behavior. 

“After all this time, I thought maybe I’d be done for a moment y/n. With this whole empire of a business. But I think that moment will never come...before I stupidly forced you away, I had everything. I had this going great, and at night I could sleep. But now, when I do sleep, I dream. And in my dream, someone wants my crown.” He said with a sad look to his eyes. Y/n came over to him and hugged him gently, feeling him relax at her touch.

“Well, I’m here now. And the only way you’re going to get a break and get to keep your crown is if you help me fucking take care of this Thomas.” She said. 

He sighed and took a moment to think.

“Alright...in that case...you’re going to call him from a payphone tomorrow. You’re going to say I accept his offer now that we have the fucking funds to do so, and you’re going to tell him we can meet in a weeks time. We’ll meet in charlies yard again.” He said.

“So we have a deal then?” She asked grinning, still embracing him.

“We have a deal.” He said. 

“So now that I’m here...where shall I stay?” She asked.

“Well, first I’m going to re-introduce you to the family which I’m sure they’ll love. Then, I’ll be taking you to my place.” He said.

“And why is that?” She asked a mischievous smile playing at her lips.

“Because we have some unfinished business.” He said, before pecking her lips and ushering y/n out the door and into the family meeting room.

[serotonin-supply]

So this fanart sketch is inspired by @ayosupremacy 's headcanon about sam wearing dangly earrings- I haven't been able to get it out of my head since! Got carried away and accidentally wrote out a mini ficlet about his journey with piercings, idk I'm deranged!😅 But please enjoy! It's my first time writing stuff like this so any advice/ comments will be greatly appreciated!💕💕

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

The jewels that hold my stories

He had his ears pierced somehow at a party during his senior year of high school. It was chaotic, involving a sewing needle and lots of vodka. His parents didn't mind one bit, albeit they were just as confused as he was. "Crazy school kids." Paul Wilson would chuckle as he heated up a bowl of gumbo to nurse Sam's tender hangover. Sarah took liberties making fun of how lopsided the piercings were. His mother simply laughed as she danced around her husband in their kitchen to the tunes of Creedance Clearwater Revival. Later that evening she handed him a simple pair of gold studs. "I believe these belong to you Sammy." He went to bed that night with stars on his ears.

He was often gifted earrings of many shapes and sizes at school too. The trinkets were almost always accompanied by small pieces of paper containing a phone number-being the school sweetheart brought with it many admirers. He tried as many as he could but his favourites were a pair of daisy studs Sarah bought for him once for prom. He won prom king that night and came home with a plastic crown lopsided on his head and a dazzling smile plastered on his face. He was assured that the daisies were a lucky charm but his family and his community knew Sunny Sammy never needed lucky charms- he was one.

Then the family business took a nosedive following the death of his father. The Wilson siblings grew up too quickly after that. Everyone could tell, Sam didn't wear his studs anymore and Sarah put away her colourful beads she would ask her mother to braid her hair with.

Sam threw himself into pararescue, partly to relieve their piling debt and partly to roam the clouds, hoping to spot his old man there somehow. He wasn't expecting much but he could never in a million years expect the crash landing that was Riley.

They were opposites that worked in harmony. Where Sam was energetic and dynamic, Riley was meek and soft spoken. Though they both roamed the skies, Riley was a grounding force in Sam's life, keeping him from flying too far.

Riley was also observant. He spotted the piercings that remained uninhabited and smuggled small silver studs to keep them from closing up. It was a small gesture, nothing too grand but it had meant the world to Sam- one of the many reasons why he fell for the star freckled man.

Then heaven took his love away from him.

He searches the skies for two souls now.

Eventually time wore parts of the grief away. Thrust in the dangerous world of the Avengers and being on the run reawakened the adrenaline chasing teen Sam shut away years ago. Hero escapades, espionage and tracking down a certain winter soldier thawed his frozen inner child. He began to fall in love with living again.

Experiencing cultures around the world, seeing how they carried stories on their skin made him want to indulge his own for the first time. After adhering to the strict codes of uniformity for so long, reclaiming his self expression felt like a breath of fresh air. He could start with new piercings- it wasn't much but it was a start.

He shocked Nat one evening by asking her to go with him to get his cartilages pierced. That night marked Riley's death and grief settled in his bones much quicker than the evening chill. Normally he would cover it up with jokes and jabs but this vulnerability was new, Nat had never heard Sam stumble over his words.

By means of Widow's wiles and Wilson's charm, they managed to convince a rugged local to keep his shop open a little past closing time. He remembers Nat haggling the owner in broken Lettish- apparently they were being ripped off for double the price. Nonetheless, they walked out of that antique shop, arm in arm, laughing with matching golden cuffs twinkling in the cold Latvian night.

That night was the closest he felt to flying without his wings.

5 years later, Sam finds himself back on Earth after The Blip. He had little recollection of what transpired but the final battle with Thanos' army and the weight of a new legacy gave him different things to worry about.

All he wanted was to see Sarah again, to see little AJ and Cass. Without hesitation, he headed back to Delacroix, overjoyed at seeing the two kids again, although much bigger than when he first held them.

"They saw a picture of Uncle Sam wearing their grandmothers pearl studs and begged me to buy these in case you came back- you gotta admit, even captain america will have a hard time going up against these two." Sarah jokingly teases as she hands him a small pouch.

They were the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He wore those earrings for special occasions, the gold half crescent moon made his skin glow, the little cuts of sapphire danced in the sunlight and the pearls at the end simply looked amazing on him.

They bought it during The Blip Sam realises one evening with a feeling that hit him in the gut. Despite 5 years of hardship his family went through, they still kept a lamp shining in the night for him. They believed that no matter what, Sunshine Sam, their lucky charm would return home.

He cherished each bit of jewellery he came across, storing it away in neat compartments of his little earring box.

They were bits of metal and coloured stone, but to him, each one carried stories and memories he could silently wear on his skin.

[athingthatwantsvirginia]

How Kurt Cobain

PART TWENTY-SEVEN OF THE DO YOU SEE HER FACE? SERIES

Pairing: Jess Mariano x Original Character (Ella Stevens)

Warnings: drinking, anxiety about future, plentiful pop culture references, this is the product of intense writer’s block so who knows its quality honestly 

Word Count: 4.3K

Summary: Ella takes a morning walk through Philly. Then, she takes Jess to Lane’s wedding.

Tangled beneath the sheets, Ella awoke with the sunlight streaming through Jess’s window and into her closed eyes. She squinted as she cleared her throat and shifted to find Jess’s side of the bed empty. Furrowing her brows, she raked a hand through her messy hair and sat up against the green wall, Nietzche’s eyes looking over her almost comically. Still, she found no Jess in the room, though the door was slightly ajar. The smell of coffee drifted in from the kitchen. She worried frantically if she had missed her interview with the Dean.

“Jess?” she called.

After only a moment, he waltzed in with the paper in one hand and a mug in the other. He smirked when he saw the scowl on her face. Yet another thing he could count on never changing. Ella Stevens was not a morning person. “Yeah?”

“What the hell? Why didn’t you wake me?” she demanded, rubbing at her eyes with both hands.

Jess snickered. “Like it’s so easy. I tried. You told me to fuck off.”

“I did not.”

“Oh, but you did. Twice.”

Groaning slightly, she shook her head at herself. “Sorry.”

“No problem. I’m used to the colorful vocabulary by now,” he shrugged, taking a long sip of his black coffee.

She rushed over to her bag, convinced of her tardiness.

“Woah, where’s the fire?” Jess asked.

“What time is it?”

“Relax. It’s only nine. Your interview isn’t until eleven, right?’ he asked, smug smirk ever-present.

Blowing out a small breath, she nodded. “Yeah. Jesus. I thought it was noon.”

“Why?”

“That’s usually how late I sleep when I forget to set an alarm,” she said, running her fingers through her hair again.

He chuckled. “Well, you’ve got a while. I had to get up to let the poet guy in. There’s donuts in the kitchen. Campus is only a few blocks away. I can walk you there later, if you want.”

Biting the inside of her cheek, she tried to fight the smile which threatened to cross her face. “I don’t need an escort, Mariano.”

“Oh, right. I forgot you know exactly how to get there from here,” he said, feigning understanding.

She rolled her eyes. “I brought a map.”

“That’s cute,” he teased.

“Fuck you.”

“It’s not the twentieth century anymore. Just let me walk you, Stevens.”

“Okay, fine,” she conceded, finally letting herself break into a little grin.

.   .   .

Cloudy light shone through the overcast sky in gray tones, but the air was light. Philadelphia was not due for rain. Ella breathed in the city as they strolled down the sidewalk. It was a little grimy, but so alive. The pulse of the noise and the people made her feel excited, inspired. She would have to draw something of it as soon as she got a moment. Jess had his hands shoved in his pockets, stealing occasional glances at Ella. He saw the same wonder in her eyes that he had when she’d come to visit him in New York all those years ago. A pleasant warmth radiated throughout him, and for just a little while he stopped wondering where they stood with each other, what would happen, about the words they still needed to speak.

She fiddled with the thin strap of her watch as she walked along. “Do you like Philly better than New York?”

He perked his head up as she suddenly broke the silence between them. “Oh yeah. Less people. Better art scene.”

“Really?”

“Definitely. And it also helps that my mom doesn’t live here.”

“Ah,” Ella replied knowingly, nodding slightly. “So, you guys haven’t talked much since the wedding, I take it?”

“Every now and again,” he shrugged.

They turned down a road lined with coffee shops and bookstores. Ella could tell it was a backwards way of getting to campus, but expected nothing less of Jess. It made her want to smile. The more she saw of the city, the more she could tell he belonged. Finally, he had a place where he fit.

“She did call me when April showed up, though,” Jess continued casually.

Ella uttered a small laugh. “Yeah. That was...straight outta left field. She’s a good kid, though. Can recite the whole periodic table in like sixty seconds. She kinda reminds me of my brother.”

“Adam?” Jess asked.

Ella nodded, the warm breeze blowing her bangs back from her face. Her hair was in a low bun, and she was dressed in the same clothes as the day before. Most of her wardrobe wasn’t the most professional. And straight-laced clothes, she thought, were an important balance for her visible tattoos.

“How’s he doin’?”

She shrugged, smiling lightly. “He’s good. Almost done with his junior year. He’s applying to all those big schools. MIT is his top choice, I think.”

“Jeez. Another valedictorian in the family?”

“Maybe. He might get a full ride, especially since…” she paused, biting at the inside of her cheek. Looking over at Jess, she saw his curious expression. He seemed more open than he ever had, comfortable in his own skin. When she continued, her tone was firmer, more direct. “Well, my dad left to live with my uncle in Baltimore a few months ago. It’s just Adam and Fiona back in the house. He’ll get lots of financial aid points for having a single step-parent.”

“Oh, that’s…”

“Yeah. But, I think everyone’s better off,” she said, averting her gaze from him. Again, Jess thought he saw her try and grab for a necklace, but instead she reached up to tug gently at one of her small earrings. “Once the baby thing didn’t work out with Fiona, my dad started drinking more and...I think he realized he’d never...losing my mom. He’s never gonna be the same. Adam’s doing well, though. And Fiona’s doing better. It’s better.”

He hummed in acknowledgement, appraising her with a careful eye. “I’m glad, then.”

“Me too.” She cast him a tiny, reassured smile. “Sorry. That’s heavy stuff and it’s not even afternoon.”

“Nothing for you to be sorry over,” he replied.

Rushing over a crowded crosswalk as the seconds blinked off the timer, Jess took her hand to lead her. She wouldn’t be late, but he could tell she was anxious to get where she needed to be. “We’re almost there.”

He thought for a moment about disentangling their fingers, but she gave his hand a squeeze instead. His heart glowed with nostalgia and hope. The noise around them seemed like music. Cherry trees, which dotted campus, were blooming and they stepped over the petals beneath their feet. Hardly thinking, Jess ran a thumb over the smooth skin of the back of her hand. Her smile grew.

They were approaching the brick building which held the dean of the art school’s office. Students whizzed past them with backpacks and frantic looks. A sense of surrealism dawned on Ella. She was going to end up at an Ivy League, after all. Just a little later than she had once hoped she would. The air smelled clean and damp with spring.

“So,” Jess began, coming to a stop a few feet from the walkway which led to the double doors, “after this, you’re all set?”

“Guess so,” she said, slightly breathless with the moment.

He hummed, looking around him. “Y’know, this morning, I was thinking-”

“That’s a bad sign,” Ella interjected.

Jess rolled his eyes. “Age has not helped your stand-up material, Stevens.”

“I disagree,” she said shortly. “Please, continue.”

He sighed heavily, separating their fingers and running a hand over his mouth. “Well, you don’t have a place to live here yet, right?”

“Not yet.”

“I was thinking maybe you’d want to come live with us. Above Truncheon,” he said, spitting out the words as fast as he could.

Ella’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really?”

Jess nodded shyly. “My bed’s big enough. And I don’t have that much stuff; there’s room for you. Chris already loves you. I’m sure Matthew wouldn’t mind either. And your sketches are down in the main room anyway. We could put a price on them and...only if you want to. I know it’s a lot to process, so you don’t need to answer right now or anything.”

Her eyes were calculating as she gathered her thoughts. “Just so I’m clear...you want us to get back together. And you want us to live together in your apartment. With Matthew and Chris. Above Truncheon.”

“Yes,” Jess confirmed, tone growing more confident, though his heart was beating painfully against his ribs.

“Are you sure? I mean...we haven’t seen each other in two years. Maybe time has corrupted me,” she said, voice serious despite her weak joke.

Again, he sighed. “I think we were both pretty corrupted to begin with-”

“How Kurt Cobain of you.”

“And I don’t care how long it’s been. We’ve got a lot to make up for. I feel like I’ve been waiting for you forever. And I’m tired of waiting. I’m ready to try again. Really try, this time. But only if you are. Only if you want this too,” he said.

A familiar nausea rose in his throat, and his hands began to shake. The only other time he’d taken such a leap of faith, it hadn’t gone over well. But everything was different. He was settled, with a steady income. She had graduated, and was finally embracing her dreams. His foolish hope persisted, even still. When he’d woken up next to her again, in a bed which he’d bought himself, and eaten breakfast with her, read morning papers with her, he could think of nothing he wanted more. Communication, he reminded himself. Open and honest communication. Even if he still wanted to roll his eyes at just the thought of Luke’s self-help nonsense.

“And,” he continued, when she hadn’t said a word, was only turning thoughts over in her head silently, “you don’t have to say anything now. I...dammit. I should’ve done this after your interview. I just got caught up after yesterday and this morning. I wasn’t sure if I’d see you later and...I didn’t mean to freak you out. I’m sorry. Really, you don’t have to say anything-”

“Jess,” she interrupted, finally locking eyes with him again. “Just shut up for a second.”

“Okay.”

After chewing on her thumb nail for a moment, she blew a breath out through her nose with finality. “Can I get cactuses again? There was no place for them at Lane’s. And, Jesus, you guys have got to organize your living room. I mean, the kitchen and your bedroom are okay. But I have no idea how you guys even find anything. The piles of paperwork on the table are, like, seven feet high.”

A slow grin formed on Jess’s face, and the worry began to clear from his brown eyes. “You can do whatever you want, Stevens.”

“Truer words never spoken,” she agreed earnestly. “You better make room for my fucking records then, too. They’ve been living in my car for way too long.”

Jess chuckled, nodding slightly. His eyes lingered on her lips. “I was thinking about kissing you, just now. Is that okay?”

Ella thought her heart would melt at his words. “Go for it, Mariano.”

Jess brought his hands to her waist and kissed her. For the first time in years. Ella smiled into it, pressed against him. It tasted sugary-sweet, from the donuts they’d eaten. Her fingers tangled into his hair, longer and less greasy than she remembered. But it felt much the same. A tingly joy began in her stomach and then spread throughout her body, new and old and welcome and perfect.

.   .   .

Of all the people not to be at Lane’s wedding, Ella did not expect Luke to miss it. For some reason, he was still out of town for April’s field trip. Not that it was any of her business, but she couldn’t help be slightly irritated at his absence. However, she wasn’t entirely alone. Though Lane and the other people in her life weren’t exactly sold on him, Ella had taken a shot in the dark and invited Jess. At Mrs. Kim’s millionth reference to her loneliness, her lack of a date, Ella had finally let it slip to Lane. She had seen Jess again. They were talking on the phone every single night. She was set to move in with him in a week. And, soon, she was calling him up. Hearing the surprised tone of his voice, his apprehension to come back to town. But, honestly, he’d caved a little quicker than she thought he would. All it had taken was her offering to try Hemingway again. And Kerouac. She knew she was going to absolutely loathe the latter, but it would be worth it.

As the ceremony ended, most of Lane’s family, including her mother, left the gathering in town square. None of them were eager to party with the townies. Kirk revealed the white food truck parked on the street opposite the gazebo to actually be the bar. He was exploring business ownership, and Yummy Bartenders was his most recent endeavor. Lorelai, without Luke and somehow having ended up with Rory’s father, Christopher, as her date, flocked straight to the alcohol. It made Ella snort a laugh, but inside, it made her heart ache. Luke and Lorelai had taken so long to get together. And now, things were headed nowhere good. A hot, dry sunlight shone down on them in yellow tones, and soon the sky would darken. Everyone’s mood had changed as soon as they left the church. Lorelai ripped off the bottom half of Lane’s dress, revealing her calves joyfully. Standing beside Ella, Rory let out a hoot of excitement and rushed over to the new bride. Snickering, Ella took the long pin from her low bun and let her blonde waves loose down her back.

Jess tucked her hair behind her ear gently as they both took a moment to breathe. The church had been stuffy and hot, filled to the brim with people. The air was no cooler, but at least there was a wide open space to mingle in. Grabbing his hand, Ella ventured a glance at Jess. As soon as his rusty Ambassador had rolled into town three hours earlier, she could sense how anxious he was. Maybe just being in Stars Hollow made him uncomfortable, or maybe it gave him too many flashbacks to his own mother’s wedding.

“You okay? I have the key to the diner, if you wanna go. I called Luke earlier and he said we could stay in the apartment. I’ll be up there later,” she said, tone apologetic.

Jess shook his head. “No. I’m fine. Just don’t know where we should sit.”

“Next to Miss Patty?” she asked. The dance teacher had noticed her across the way, and Ella waved back at her.

“She’ll eat me alive,” Jess sighed. “What about with Rory and Lorelai?”

Narrowing her eyes, Ella considered it. Then, she bit the inside of her cheek for a moment. “I don’t know. I haven’t been so close with them recently. And I don’t know if I wanna get in the middle of the happy family back together.”

“Fair enough,” Jess agreed. “Alright. Miss Patty and Babette, then. But I’m counting on your protection.”

Her grin grew wicked. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m your knight in shining polyester.”

.   .   .

Hep Alien was on fire, despite the wasted state of every single band member. Balmy breezes blew and Ella’s flushed skin was finally beginning to cool down. The night was dark and the sky clear. Every so often, her eyes flicked to Rory, Lorelai, and Christopher’s table. Sookie and Jackson had been sitting with them, but they had long since left. Without Ella to babysit the kids, they’d had to hire a new girl. Jackson could barely handle the nerves at a random high-schooler watching his babies. Ella twirled her rings nervously on her fingers, while Patty, Babette, and Maury chain-smoked across the centerpiece floral arrangement. Jess, at her side, had his arm around her shoulder. He stroked her upper arm absently.

He raised an eyebrow and followed her gaze to Rory. “What’s with you?”

“Hm?” she asked, blinking the reverie from her eyes. Facing him again, Ella was struck by how much more mature he looked. Back in Stars Hollow, but as a man with a publishing business and a decently neat bedroom of his own. Despite the uneasiness brewing in her stomach, she also felt pride appear. It didn’t shock her where he ended up. But it still made her feel such joy to see him successful and content.

Jess nodded in the direction of the Gilmores, three tables over. “Did something happen between you guys? Is it why you weren’t a bridesmaid?”

Ella shook her head. “No. I wasn’t a bridesmaid because Mrs. Kim hates me with the fire of a thousand suns. I mean, my outfit alone is probably enough for her to condemn me.”

Giving Ella a once-over, Jess smirked wider. Her camisole dress was black, with small pink flowers embroidered on it. It had thin spaghetti straps and fell above her knees. Of course, there were no heels on her shoes, black leather ballet flats. The ensemble was so very Ella, along with her dark eye makeup. And, it was true, Mrs. Kim was not a fan of anything which could be described as ‘so very Ella.’

“It does give off a certain Beetlejuice vibe,” Jess agreed.

“The best compliment you’ve ever given me,” she said lightly, then turned back to the crowd of wedding-goers. “But...I don’t know. Rory slept with Dean when he was married and then took a year off from Yale and stole a boat.”

“What?” Jess chirped, almost choking on the watery soda he sipped. He’d debated going to the bar, but decided against it. Best not to get drunk in the town where everyone hated you. Especially when your long lost girlfriend didn’t drink anyway.

A certain sadness came to Ella’s smile, shrinking slightly. She tugged at her earring. “Yeah. And she was fighting with Lorelai forever. They weren’t talking. I’m also pretty sure the guy Rory’s dating now is some trust fund kid from Yale with a porsche.”

“Ugh,” Jess grimaced, unable to hold back his distaste.

“We’re just...different. We grew up. Went in different directions. I mean...Lane and Rory are still best friends. I was friendly with her at a bachelorette party last night. But it’s weird now. I can’t...I don’t really know her anymore, I guess.”

Jess nodded.

She shrugged again, deflective. “I still love Lorelai. But I haven’t seen her much lately, since Luke didn’t want her to meet April, which is a whole different beast. Things...changed. But, hey, maybe I changed too.”

“You did,” Jess said. “But not in a bad way.”

She scoffed, gently plucking at the collar of his white button-up. He wore with it black pants, completing their gothic look when they stood together. Ella knew, though, that both of their outfits came cheap and basic. That’s why they had them. Of course, he still refused to wear a tie of any kind. “You too. Still a jackass, though.”

“Glad you see me in such a positive light.”

“But, in an arguing-with-me-about-Kerouac kind of way. Not in a gnome-stealing, running-off-to-California kind of way,” she explained, feeling goosebumps rise on her pale skin where his fingertips still brushed against her arm.

As much as Jess lived in his words, touch had always been such a major form of communication with him. Older and able to judge it more easily, Ella could see it. It calmed him down, made him feel safe. She could understand that. It was what happened when someone grew up in a place where they were often touched in anger.

“Well, the Kerouac defense will never change. He’s a genius,” Jess insisted mockingly.

Ella rolled her eyes, leaning back against him. “You’re impossible.”

“Right back at ya.”

The band began one of their familiar White Stripes covers. Ella couldn’t count how many times she’d heard it over the years, during nightly practice. It was so odd to see Lane in a wedding dress, all grown up. A nostalgic smile ghosted over her lips and she sighed. Neither she nor Jess said a word for a long while, comfortable in each other’s grasp. June crickets and cicadas sung, mixing with the sound of Zach’s vocals. Patty and Babette laughed heartily at something across the table. The air smelled of cigarettes and beer and summer-cut grass. Soon, the song faded away and Zach played the opening chords to something different, something Ella hadn’t heard him play in a long time. “Sweet Thing” by Van Morrison, a cover they’d attempted after Ella moved in, when she’d let Lane hear one of her Jeff Buckley live albums, on which he did his own cover of the song. She broke into a full grin. It was the perfect song for a late-night wedding reception, romantic and long and calm.

Jess seemed to notice her brightening up at the tune, as he sat up and faced her with a mysterious smile. “You wanna dance?”

She snorted a disbelieving chuckle. “Excuse me?”

“Do you wanna dance? I know you like this song.”

Ella raised her eyebrows. “Liking the song is one thing. Subjecting everyone to the horrifying visual of my dance moves is another.”

He rolled his eyes, standing up and extending a hand to her. “So dramatic. It’s a slow song. And we didn’t dance at Liz and TJ’s wedding. Making up for lost time.”

“Fine,” she sighed, taking his hand, and letting him pull her up. “But it’s your funeral.”

“I like to live dangerously,” Jess said, leading her to the dance floor.

“Whatever, James Dean.”

Before they were out of range, Miss Patty blew a stream of bluish smoke in their direction and gave a bark of haughty laughter. “I’d watch out for her, young man. Have you heard about the domino incident of 1992? Ella made the Gazette. Her talents run more towards the musical.”

His smirk grew. “I’ve been warned.”

They passed Lorelai on the way, lingering by the bar and sipping her Manhattan. Tumbler filled with cherries, sugar on the rim. The sight almost made Ella want to chuckle, almost grimace. The drink looked as sweet as cotton candy, but she would expect nothing less of a Gilmore woman. More than half of the sleepovers she’d had with Rory involved a midnight raid of the kitchen. S’mores pop tarts were one of Ella’s personal favorites. Lorelai reached out an arm to stop them, wavering drunkenly on her feet.

“Ugh, I can’t believe Sid Vicious is back,” she slurred to Ella, pointing at Jess angrily.

With Lorelai so close to her face, Ella could smell the tequila on her breath. “I told you before. He’s got more of a Richard Hell vibe, in my opinion.”

Jess blushed, but said nothing. He only tightened his grip on Ella’s hand.

“Your uncle is out of town,” Lorelai continued, facing Jess.

“That he is,” Jess said shortly. Time had passed, but it was clear Lorelai still wasn’t quite over her contempt for him. Though, he could definitely recognize what an asshole he’d been as a teenager.

Lorelai laughed bitterly. “He’s with his daughter. Who Ella’s met and you’ve met and Rory’s met. And I haven’t met!”

Searching her head for a careful response, Ella was utterly relieved when Rory came up from behind her mother.

“Hey, mom, let’s get some coffee for you, why don’t we?” Rory asked, voice bouncy and nervous.

“You got her?” Ella raised her eyebrows at Rory as she took her mother by the shoulders and began steering her away.

“Oh, I guess we’re going over here now,” Lorelai muttered in drunken surprise.

“Yeah, go have fun,” Rory answered with a little wink, disappearing into the crowd with her mother, headed for the table where her father and some steaming coffee sat.

Blowing out a long breath, Jess shook his head. “I take it that she and Luke aren’t seeing eye to eye.”

“Understatement of the year,” Ella scoffed. “No matter where she and Luke are though, I think you’ll always be a portrait of Sid Vicious to her.”

“Not even with the haircut?” he asked as they made it to the edge of the wooden dance floor.

“Not even with the haircut,” she replied with a smug smirk.

With a heavy breath, Ella placed her hands on the back of Jess’s neck as he brought his hands to her waist. She felt glad Hep Alien’s version of the song was nearly ten minutes long; it would have nearly been over after Patty’s warning and Lorelai’s ramblings if not.

“Don’t worry, Elle. Just follow my lead,” Jess said quietly, beginning to sway side to side, taking small steps.

“Shut up, I’m focusing,” she hissed, watching her feet.

He chuckled slightly. “Relax. Just look at me.”

Sighing again, Ella managed to drag her gaze away from her shoes and up to Jess’s big brown eyes.

“Hi,” he whispered, smiling fondly.

“Hi,” she replied, feeling the anxiety in her stomach lessen slightly. “Deja-vu, huh?”

“Maybe a little,” he said, shrugging. “But I’d say things are looking a little sunnier now.”

“Still finding those silver linings.” Ella gave him an affectionate peck on the lips.

Why was she nervous?, she asked herself. She didn’t need to be. Maybe it was the future creeping up on her, or her exit from the only place she had ever lived only a week away. But, as she looked at Jess, she felt her heartbeat slow. And her lips even turned up a touch at the corners. Where she was going, he’d be.

[diary-of-deadweight]

Friendship anniversary.

Pairing: Tenya Iida x reader

Summary: what started out as a idea pitched at 3am turned tradition, Iida is planning something big with the help of Deku and Uraraka.

Iida paced within the comfort of his own room, arms behind his back as he racked his brain of what to get you for friendship anniversary, which was slowly creeping nearer the longer he spent a majority of the free time pacing with no dice. It was a beyond infuriating task as your someone who values the thought put into a gift rather then the price tag; hell he could give you a notebook and you would love it as if you were gifted a car instead. Iida wanted to give you something you’d love even if the price is above the budget you agreed on way back then.

So he visited the local jewellery store at the weekend and saw something he’d think you would absolutely love as it reminded him of your beauty and how much it has blossomed over your years of friendship, not just physically but personality wise too, he bought it and kept it in his desk since then but for Iida one gift wasn’t enough as you always managed to get him two gifts he absolutely loved which is why he was currently pacing in his room.

He was trying to come up with another gift he’d knew you would like.

sad thing was that he didn’t know what to get you as he already bought you the latest movies and the latest manga of your favourite anime; one punchman which was a true tale about a bald hero and his immense strength, speed and agility along side his dream of meeting a strong enough opponent who can toss him around a bit before knocking them around abut himself with a single punch, for your birthday and previous friendship anniversaries that he was left to his own devices this time round.

A knock upon the door pulled him from out of his brainstorming session, striding over to the door to see who was in need of his assistance during this dire time. “Hey Iida.” The class rep was greeted by his dear friends, Izuku and Uraraka, “do you wanna head to the mall with us?” The Brunette asked. “I’m sorry but I’m currrntly facing a task that requires my full attention right now, so I’m gonna have to decline your offer.” Iida informed them before closing the door on them, ready to get back to his scheduled brainstorming only to find his friends sat upon his bed made him do a double take between the door and them in befuddlement that went unnoticed by the two. “What’s troubling you Iida, we are your friends and friends help each other,” Ochaco nodded her head vigorously at Midoriya’s statement, “so we shall tackle this issue together.”

Iida sighed, shaking his head in disbelief at his friends persistence of wanting to aid him and decided that three heads were ultimately better then one and he was in desperate need of an idea so what could go wrong? “It’s mine and (y/n)’s frienship anniversary coming up and I’m struggling to think of another gift to give them.” He day himself on the other side of Midoriya, leaning his back against the cold wall. “So what is the first gift you got them?” Ochaco tilted her head to the side, her bob haircut followed suit with her moment.

“An Swarovski crystal necklace.”

Izuku and Ochaco gasped in surprise, sharing a look before looking back at Iida, “Doesn’t (y/n) hate expensive gifts because a Swarovski Crystal isn’t cheap.”

“I know, I thought that if I tell them that it reminded me of how beautiful and unique our friendship is that they wanted to preserve it forever.” Iida explained, blushing slightly when Uraraka cooed at how cute it all was that the bluenette must’ve thought she misinterpreted it as something albeit romantic but waved it off as accidental. “Why don’t you show them how much they mean to you.” Izuku suggested with a shrug, Iida thought about it and sure enough took interest in the idea, “what do you mean by that Midoriya?”

“I mean that you should create a slide by slide presentation on all the great moments you’ve had together.” The curly emerald haired male expanded upon his idea, “add some videos if you have any.” Ochaco added for the hell of it, already excited to see the finished product that they both free balled ideas that Iida either shot down due to being unrealistic to pull off or liked as it was something that could be easily accomplished.

This went on well into the afternoon and they decided that the plan was ready to go and went down to celebrate with Katsuki’s cooking as they dragged their limbs that felt like they were 100 pounds heavier with each step they took.

Timeskip

When the day finally arrived Iida was practically sweating bullets and his nervousness kicked into overdrive as he couldn’t seem to hold the USB without his hand violently shaking that he decided to place it within the safety in his pocket along side the necklace so he didn’t loose and or drop it anytime soon. He looked up at the clock upon the wall, sapphire gaze setting upon the illumonesent scarlet numbers which flashed repeatedly:

‘8:30am’

It wouldn’t be long until you would wake up and head down to the common room for breakfast and your morning cup of tea/coffee, you were a grumpy little shit without it as many of the class found out first hand. So the tall male setted off out the door and down to the common room like a bolt of lightning and began setting up everything whilst leaving his friends Uraraka and Midoriya to inform the rest of his classmates why most of the common room will be sectioned off into a blanket fort, they insisted in helping him set up to which he declined but appreciated their offer as this day was primarily for you and him specifically after a 3am conversation.

So he was thankful that no one was down in the common room as a majority of them were heavy sleepers and wouldn’t get up until like 10 am whilst people like Katsuki and Kirishima were early worms and would get up the millisecond the sun rose and do some morning training which gave Iida the chance to litter the floor with wisteria petals, whip out a old theatre screen from the closets (I don’t know the fucking name to them ok.) a little projector that he could connect to the computer and did a little test run beofre giving the room a satifying nod just as a ‘ping’ noise came from his phone.

It was a text from Midoriya.

‘Hey Iida are you ready cuz (y/n) is heading towards the staircase right now, Uraraka tried to stall them a little to give you extra time but it failed badly.’

Iida smiled at how kind his friends are to stall time for him, he responded back with.

‘Thank you Midoriya I’m already set up with relatively ease but I appreciate the help.’

After he pocketed his phone a voice from the stair case he knew almost instantly.

“Oh my god...Iida,” he turns around to you with a softened look, “is this all for our special day?” He wordlessly nods, “it’s beautiful.” He watched your wide eyed expression as they wander around the decorated section as if you were walking through the snow covered streets of Musutafu as you came from a *cough* fictional *cough* country where snow is rare; unable to speak which gave Iida mixed emotions as half of him believed it was out of disgust while the other half believed that it was out of shock and amazement at his efforts of making today the best friend’s anniversary in recent memory, something he hope you both remember years from now.

He wandered over to you, resting a hand upon your shoulder that made you jump slightly, you turned to him with an almost unreadable expression, making IIda’s worry increased by a fraction.

“(Y/n), do you like it?”

“Like it? Like it? Iida I love it!” You exploded with joy as you hugged the male as tightly that he swore he couldn’t feel his lower half beofre finally deciding that it was time to show you the gifts so he tapped you on the shoulder to signify for you to release him, which you did as you watched him as he made his way over to the computer, pressing play as a video began playing from the projector that began with some emotional music whilst pictures of you and Iida flashed before your eyes while every once in a while bold lettering would spread saying the sweetest shit like:

‘Under a cherry blossom tree three years ago stood a person I had no idea would later become my best friend. Someone I couldn’t possibly live without or be away from for an extensive period of time without worrying about their well being but I know that they know I only mean well when I do so.

‘But as of this year, 2020, I had troubles trying to think of what to get them as I would spoil them rotten under the radar which’ll most definitely earn me a scolding later today. If it wasn’t for Izuku and Uraraka for giving me this idea during my time of stress, I don’t know what I would’ve done.’

Before another barrage of photos and videos of you both either inside or outside the academy, being either falsely stern at each other and laughing about it seconds after or just pulling funny faces at the camera.

‘So I decided to take their idea and make a presentation on how much (y/n) (l/n)’s frienship means to me so I’m going to summarise it on a sentence before the next section of pictures cuts in.’

You chuckled at this.

‘(Y/n)’s friendship means everything to me and I would never trade it for anything.’

So as the last load of pictures and or videos came to an end one last paragraph showed itself over an uncomfortably zoomed in picture of your face such drew a hysterical laugh from your lips, a sweet release from all the crying you’ve been doing through out it all as nostalgia swept you off your feet and carried you down memeory lane of each individual picture and or video. You truly didn’t know where you’d be without having this sapphire eyed male beside you...you truly didn’t.

‘(Y/n). Your friendship was and always will be the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced and I hope that even well into adulthood we still uphold this tradition for as long as we can, I never wish to loose the unique relationship we’ve built overtime due to the lack of communication, it’s something I’d be stupid to give up, so I hope you enjoy the next gift that, honestly costed a pretty penny but was most defiantly worth it as it symbols out frienship and how it’s so unique it had to be crystallised. Happy friend anniversary (y/n), here’s to many more’

- Tenya Iida.

Tenya then knelt next to you as he hands you a small box, gesturing you to open it with a nod of his head as he wiped away the tears that had gathered within his eyes over the presentation and the waves of nostalgia that wished over him and how even through the worst of days you both stuck together like gorilla glue.

You opened the beautifully presented box to see this:

“A Swarovski Crystal?!” You exclaimed as you dangled the necklace in front of your blurry eyes as you admired hoe it glistened under the light, “Tenya Iida, you beautiful bastard help me get this on please.” You sniffled as you unclasped the necklace, handing it to Iida who sat himself behind you, shifting hair out of the way as he clasped the necklace as you felt the center price rest upon the middle of your chest as you gazed down at it in awe, wiping away the tears that cascaded down your cheeks like a waterfall as you were riddlers with emotions that you just thought ‘fuck it’ and tackled Tenya into a hug as you cried into him; saying how you didn’t deserve such a friend as loyal as him and thanked him for being born, how blessed you were to have him in your life which made Iida collapse into a heap of tears himself, while unknownst to you, the rest of your class stood on the stair way, smiling at your sweet moment before evacuating the area to give you both some privacy.

Later down the line you and Iida may or may not have gotten married later on in life and would be spending your third anniversary underneath a familiar cherry blossom tree, the same exact one where you first met all those years back.

[larryfanficwriter98]

Chapter Twenty

Harry woke up slowly, his body was curled around Louis' back and he stared at Louis as he slept on. He leaned over and place a gentle on his cheek before he rolled over and grabbed his phone from his pants and called his management as he watched his boyfriend.

"Hey Harry, did you need something?"

"Release the album."

"What now? You've only made one conspicuous tweet about it two days ago. Why-"

"Just release it. It's finalized isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's completely finalized. Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright. We'll release it within the next few hours." Harry ended the call and made to cuddle Louis again, but his stomach alerted him he and Louis had yet to have breakfast, so he kissed his boyfriend then climbed out of bed and pulled out some joggers before he left his room. Harry made a quick breakfast then headed upstairs and set it on Louis' bedside seeing he had moved to lay on his stomach spread out on the bed. Harry knew that Louis would hog the entire bed if ever given the option which was why Harry always went to bed together, so Harry had a spot on the bed to sleep in.

"There better be enough for me on that tray." Louis mumbled eyes still closed

"Obviously. Have I ever made myself food without making for you?" Harry said climbing on the bed on his knees, "want me to feed you?"

"Is there tea?"

"Of course." Louis put his hand up making Harry raise an eyebrow, "don't you want to sit up first?"

"Harold. Tea. Now." Harry looked at his plain navy-blue bed sheets before handing the mug over watching as Louis carefully got on his elbows and took a sip, "you make the best tea."

"That's because I'm not impatient." Harry said as he laid Louis' plate down on the mattress upfront of him, "so since we've established, I'm better at pool than you-"

"Unfair advantages." Louis dismissed quickly, "we'll have a rematch in a public setting next time."

"Probably smart. So, if we eat our lunch breakfast and bathe, we will have time to kill before dinner. Wanna go out?"

"Or we can stay in bed all day."

"Or we can go out. Come on it'll only be for a few hours. I bought us matching outfits."

"That we can wear together when I can walk and since I can't walk might as well lay in bed and make sure I'm sure I can't walk tomorrow as well."

"Fine." Harry said pouting lightly as he kissed Louis' cheek, Louis leaned over and pressed his lips against Harry's before they finished their breakfast and Harry took their plates down to the kitchen.

*****

The next morning Harry woke up slowly in an empty bed, but he could see Louis outside on the balcony with his feet propped up on the railing as he smoked a cigarette.

"Baby." Harry called out watching as Louis turned and grinned at him, "morning." Louis stubbed his cigarette out and came into the bedroom dressed in a pair of tight joggers.

"Good morning handsome." Louis said as he crawled over him and straddled his waist, "so what do you want to do on this fine Sunday?"

"I need to eat and workout then I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Well after you're done, I want to talk to you about something."

"About what?" Harry asked

"After. It doesn't need an answer right away."

"Then tell me now so I can think about it while I work out."

"Okay just know that it doesn't have to be a Yes right away it can be a maybe or a let me think about it or even-"

"The fact that you think I'm capable of saying no to you is adorable." Harry said making Louis blush and roll his eyes as he reached for his laptop, "Oooh I've been wondering what you've been working on. Am I finally seeing it?"

"A little bit of it at least." Louis said, "As you know in about six months Elizabeth is retiring and will be selling the daycare building since none of her kids or grandkids wants it. Well, the building itself is pretty old and needs redone in many places and the plot beside it is going up for sale around the same time. So...what do you think of this." Louis turned the laptop around and Harry eyes widen before he sat up because this clearly needed his full attention.

"This is the daycare." Harry said

"Yes but press play." Louis said moving to sit beside him. Harry pressed play on the 3d sketch video of the current daycare being torn down and as another lot was added to make the yard bigger. The first thing done was a tall white palisade fence around the double yard then a gate that led to a modest car park that had more than enough spots. Then a beautiful white brick one story building was built with a soft blue double door with white panels beside it and picture windows with white paneling to match. Harry was grinning as he watched the camera move inside where the reception was, Harry watched the whole thirty-minute video going room to room and grinning when they entered the nursery area. Then he grinned wider when he saw the exterior was not being worked on some more adding a play area in the yard that once help the current daycare.

"Louis this is amazing. It's – I – I don't know what to say. It's beautiful and it looks amazing and what? Did you just want my opinion?"

"Well yeah, a little, but no not completely. I wanted to ask what your thought was about me quitting my job and going to the bank for a loan and talking to people about this."

"Yes, to quitting your job, yes to talking to people, and absolutely not for the bank. Lou a loan this size will take decades to pay off not to mention interest rates and you may need more later on if there's complications. Baby I have money and if we need a loan later on then yes, but for now, for down payments and lawyers and anything else we may need that I can pay upfront for let me do it. I promise you I won't go over a limit you set me and if we reach that limit, we'll go to a bank together, but Louis I have money. I have savings and I have an excellent credit score and I have millions in my accounts. I have money I haven't even touched yet. This project won't cost as much as you think it will."

"Harry I'm not going to ask you to spend who knows how much on this."

"You're not asking I'm offering."

"No."

Yes."

"No Harry I'm going to the bank and-"

"And be in debt for the rest of your life? Louis I have the means to help so let me help."

"But-"

"End goal is to get married isn't it? What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine. Therefore, my money is practically yours anyway and this Daycare will be half mine so the way I see it I am investing in your future kid's daycare. See? I'm not giving my boyfriend money for his daycare I'm giving my future kids a wonderful daycare that happens to be owned by their parents."

"Your logic is stupid." Louis said though he was grinning as he thought about future kids, their future kids. Which was a scary and fast concept considering it hasn't even been a year together yet.

"My logic is brilliant. You're brilliant. This is layout is brilliant. You are a genius. A beautiful, lovely genius." Harry said as he cupped Louis' face and kissed him, "Beautiful. Lovely. Brilliant. Gorgeous. Genius." Harry emphasized each word with a kiss as he rolled over, so he was straddling Louis' waist still naked from yesterday.

"Pretty sure our positions need to be switched darling." Louis said with a grin as he kissed Harry

"I need to eat so maybe later. For now, you start calling architects and contractors and the city for meetings and steps. Oh, and call your boss and the landowner and-"

"Haz I do know what to do. It's not like I haven't been researching and designing this 3D model in one day it's been months of thinking about it." Louis said watching as Harry pulled on a pair of Louis' joggers that hugged everything on Harry considering they were a size or two too small.

"Right. Have fun. I'm going for my run first then I'll be in the home gym. Come get me if you need me. Most people do not require a payment just for a meeting however if they do my wallet is in my bedside drawer. Have fun." Harry was out of the room before Louis could tell him to put on some briefs at least, Louis grinned laying back in the bed thinking about how much Harry has changed since March. Since their first sexual experience together. Harry was free balling more often than not these days, not that Louis complained mind you. Harry often had to snap his fingers in Louis' face if Harry Jr was more visible than usual which usually ended up in Louis blowing Harry in random spots of the house. Louis was determined to have Harry fuck him on the cuddle chair in the living room right upfront of the picture window one of these days.

Louis rolled out of bed and grabbed his charger, phone, and wallet then headed downstairs to sit at the kitchen counter. He made sure to count the apples and bananas finding out Harry took a banana before his run. Harry didn't eat a big breakfast before his workout despite everyone telling him he should, he instead ate some fruit on the run then worked out then made a large breakfast good enough for Louis to save his appetite for. Despite how hungry he was this morning. It was an hour later when Harry came in sweat dripping down his body and his cut off shirt soaked. Louis was on the phone with the owner of the land beside the daycare listening to them talk about the plans they had for it, but life got in the way and Louis was politely nodding along and letting them know he was listening every few seconds. Honestly, he just wanted the price.

"Honestly, I'd be willing to give it away but not sure how the city would feel about it. Tell you what you said you were building a daycare to replace the other one? I'll do twenty-five hundred. Good?"

"Are you sure? It's a good bit of land and-"

"Trust me I don't want it anymore. You want it's yours for 2.5k."

"Great. Cash?"

"You got that much in cash? Really? Sure, thing let's meet next weekend at the coffee shop around the corner of the daycare."

"Sounds good. Thank you." Louis ended the call and turned to Harry who was leaning against the wall waiting patiently

"Oh, good I can kiss you now." Harry said before he was pressing his lips against Louis', "What was that about?"

"The owner of the land decided to tell me his life story and plans before life got in the way. We're meeting next weekend."

"Sounds good. How much for the land?"

"Twenty-five hundred. I think he's just desperate to get it out of his hands. I have that in my savings, so I don't need you-"

"Your savings is for you to decorate the daycare interior. I'm sure Elizabeth will be more than glad to give you the things she has, but I know you'll want new things as well and I was sort of hoping I could convince you to have a bigger kitchen in the daycare and...hear me out before you reject it right away. This is still your idea and if you don't like it then that's fine."

"What is it?" Louis asked looking at him

"Well, there's a lot of young single moms...a lot of young parents who may not be able to afford much. Make the building two stories and have small flats up there for struggling parents. While I was on my run, I remember some of things you told me about growing up with so many siblings and only one income. Obviously, we can't make the apartments too big, but two or three small bedroom flats is manageable. It'd be strict tenancy only allowing certain people since it's above a daycare, but I think it'd be a good idea. What do you think?" Louis grinned nodding

"Yeah, I'll have to redo my model, but yeah I like the idea. Maybe in the back of the building have a separate car park for tenants. Have their own entrance area too obviously."

"The daycare would be closed off from them except the main entrance, but maybe offer free childcare or something. Only pay rent? I don't know it'd be something to discuss, but I think it would really help some people out."

"I love you." Louis said cupping his face and pulling him into a kiss, "You're so sweet."

"I love you too. Now let me go so I can lift weights that weigh more than you so I can throw you over my shoulder and have my wicked way without later." Louis laughed as he watched Harry head to the home gym before he turned and went back to making calls while he played with a copy of his model.

********

Later that day while Louis finally realized why there had been so many Larry Stylinson related things today. He had stumbled upon a post of videos of him and Harry over the last few months to songs from his 0219 album. Louis grinned and watched every video for every song, the Drag Me Down had photos of Harry and his family, friends, Louis, and others and the History fan made video had pictures of fans and concerts and the XFactor days. The last slide was a collection of snippets turned into a video of fans telling Harry they love him and how thankful they were. It made Louis proud as he looked over at Harry who was making dinner. After only a few seconds Louis made a post. The first picture was of them at the Battle of the Bands, it was grainy and dark, but it was clear they had definitely made out right before the picture and they were red faced as well. The next photo was a picture they took recently of their old script concert tickets laying on the kitchen counter. The third photo was of Louis on his trip with his family with Harry in the background that they discovered they had during their trip at his mother’s. The fourth was of them at the XFactor auditions. The fifth photo was of Louis' first gift box, the sixth being a screenshot of their first facetime together, the seventh was their selfie together at SeaWorld Orlando on Valentine's Day. The eighth was of Louis and Harry kissing in Orlando Airport and the last photo was one taken today inside the home gym. Louis had his arm around Harry's waist and Harry had his hand on Louis' hip. Harry was visibly sweaty his soaked shirt was in the background in the mirror picture, but Louis loved a sweaty Harry. After writing small dates on the photos, he went to the caption and started typing,

When we first met, I wasn't out of the closet, I took your number, but never actually saved it. It was one of my many regrets back then. Then we saw each other again at The Script concert and I tried to explain, but we were both in a hurry to get back, so I never did. Then we were at the same trip during the summer and I still wasn't out to my family so I ignored you as best as I could but somehow you still ended up, I'm the background of one of the photos. We saw each other again at the XFactor auditions, I was out, and I ran into you and I always knew you'd be famous. I got your first autograph, and you got my favorite cardigan. I had to leave before my audition, but I always knew you'd make it. I wasn't there for the beginning of your journey, but I am here for your new adventure down a different path and I could never be more proud to call you mine. I can't wait to be there with you when the world hears what you've been working so hard on and I can't wait for them to see you the way I get to. I hope one day you are able to walk out of this house in any outfit you want without worry. I hope you're the man that breakfast gender roles and stereotypes and puts on your best either it be in a suit and tie or a dress. I love you and I am proud of you and your journey thus far. I know I'll continue being proud of you in years to come.

[purplesurveys]

1070

[found at: --rainboweyes--]

When was the last time you did clay work/pottery? The one time I did pottery was I thinkkkkk during our trip to Vigan? Somewhere up north, anyway. That was around 3 or 4 years ago.

Do you like art, hate it or just not mind it? I love looking at art and can be in museums all day long; but I hate analyzing it and having to read into metaphors or symbolisms. I just appreciate the brush strokes, the colors used...basically the skills and hard work that went into the artwork.

If you had to choose would you prefer dull pain for 12 hours or sharp for 2? Sharp for two, plz. I have had dull headaches all week that have lasted into the night and I absolutely hate it.

Koala or Kangaroo? I like either.

Do you know the words to the national anthem of your country? Of course.

Is your country ruled by a president, prime minister, queen or other? President. Our current one’s an incompetent one, but yeah a president I guess.

Does blue occur in your national flag? Yes. We place the blue section on top when the country’s at peace, and we flip it to the bottom side if we’re otherwise at war - fortunately I’ve never seen the red be put on top throughout my lifetime so far.

Talking of flags. Do you like football/soccer? I’ve personally never seen the appeal of either, but that’s just me.

If yes, do you play and what position? If not, leave blank.

Would you rather be a Model, Famous Scientist, Singer or Chef? I’d like to be a scientist, just not a famous one. Like can I just be lowkey smart? Lmao

Would you rather be a pilot, crime scene investigator or estate agent? Pilot. That would have been so rad. I have a friend who flies nearly every week and his photos always look awesome. Maybe I’ll take lessons one day.

Does making others happy really make you feel happy? It’s my main way of keeping happy.

What color literally doesn't appear in your wardrobe at all? Purple. Never looked good on me. I wanna add orange since I dislike the color as well, but I remember the orange top I have that I never got around to throwing out. I’m pretty sure I also don’t own any brown.

Do you actually read the answers others give to your surveys [I do]? Yes. Sometimes I’ll be gone for several days and there’ll be so many new survey entries that I can’t always read everyone’s answers, but for the most part I do try to take a look at the ones I see.

Did you ever swear at a teacher in school? Why? I’ve sworn at them behind their backs, but that’s it.

Have you ever pricked your finger on Holly or another 'sharp' plant? I’ve definitely been a victim of thorns before.

Speaking of Holly, do you adore Christmas or does it bug you? It makes me lonely for the most part. But I was happy this year because my dad was home, and both sides of my family managed to make get-togethers work while still following protocol.

Have you ever wrote your own short story? I tried writing fanfiction when I first discovered them, but that was when I learned I was unbelievably terrible with fictional work. My career as a budding author did not last any longer than two weeks, lmao.

What about a novel? Or perhaps you started and couldn't finish? Nope. I believe I tried this as well, but I just didn’t have both the creativity and commitment for it.

Either of the above, if this was the case, place short synopsis here: Couples I shipped and that is cringey enough so that is all you need to know.

Do you prefer SciFi/Fantasy/Action/Horror or Rom/Com/RealLife? When it comes to fanfiction still? Or just in general? I like stories that are most likely to happen in real life, so I enjoy dramas the most. Romcoms are also cute and they’re what I turn to whenever I need to de-stress. I do like horror as well but my interest has waned a bit through the years; sci-fi is a hit or miss for me; I don’t hold any interest for either fantasy or action.

What do you have a lot of faith in [note: can be anything]? It’s hard to hold a lot of that these days.

Think of a material thing you want. Name it here (material, made or bought] Right now I want a projector. I keep YouTube videos playing on my phone throughout my shift to serve as background noise, but I wish I had a bigger screen :( I have a blank wall in my room so a projector would be perfect rn.

Would $100/$60 be enough for this item? I can definitely find a projector in that price range on Shopee, lol.

How about $1000/$600? That’s more than enough and can get me a high-end projector at this point.

Would you rather have a big house, a lot of kids or a high flying job? The last one is a priority for me now.

Have you ever been to a creepy/haunted/abandoned place? I’ve been to many places rumored to be haunted, like particular spots in my high school.

What did it look like and what were the circumstances? Idk the so-called haunted areas in my school were all everyday spots, like certain washrooms and the penthouse in the high school building. An outsider probably wouldn’t suspect they were haunted unless someone else told them.

It’s nearing 10:30 PM and it’s pitch-black in my room, so I’d rather not explain the stories behind the ~haunted spots LOL

What's your favorite dip? Depends on what food I’m dipping? There are so many kinds of dips, dude.

Chocolate Cookies or Fudge Brownies? Just chocolate cookies? As in double chocolate, not chocolate chip? I never liked that flavor. I’m going with fudge brownies.

I give you a little baby puppy. What do you name him? It will depend on their personality. Cooper was a smartass from the get-go so we named him after Sheldon Cooper.

Is crime a big problem in your area? Not in my city, fortunately. But my country generally doesn’t have a good rep when it comes to crime. I always hear of unjust killings every week, if not every day.

What's your town/city most well known for? Being on a mountain, a famous biking spot, a famous climbing spot, the view of the metro it gives at night.

Do you know a Jack? What's he like? I don’t think so. No one is coming to mind.

How about a Lisa? What's she like? Our neighbor from my childhood home is a Lisa. I have not seen her since I was like 10, so I have no clue how she’s doing these days.

Are most your friends older, younger or the same age as you? Same age, since most of my friends are the people I went to high school/college with.

Do you subconsciously hang out with those with the same star sign as you or as each other, perhaps due to certain personality traits? Think about it: Astrology makes me cringe.

Name 5 objects that you don't have but would like right now? A 2021 planner, scented candles, Ivy Park merch, a massage pillow, skincare products.

When you have children, would you like twins? Probably not.

Do you know any twins? If so, what are they called? Yeah I was classmates with a pair in an English elective I had in college. We ended up being friends that semester, but we don’t interact much anymore. I’m not giving away their names, but I’m sad that I was never able to tell them apart :/

If you were given the choice to choose your child’s gender, would you? Absolutely yeah, if it were possible. I’d preferably have all girls.

What instrument would you love to learn how to play? The piano.

Does the sound of knocking/tapping startle you? If it comes out as a loud thud, yeah. It’s more likely to irritate me, though.

What's the scariest story/urban legend/creepypasta etc you heard? Skipping this as it’s nearing 10:45 PM and I don’t need any images to come to mind right now lol

Do you miss someone currently? Always.

When was the last time you were in hospital? What for [if comfy saying]? Needed to get a urine and blood test to check my platelet count, because my parents and I thought I had dengue.

When was the last time you went to the dentist? December 2019 when I needed a pesky toothache dealt with ASAP, and when my dentist discovered a decayed tooth that needed to be removed.

Do you get along well with your family doctor/your doctor? We don’t have a family doctor. I only go to the doctor when I’m sick, and we go to different ones every time haha.

What personality trait does nearly everyone in your family seem to have? Everyone hides their emotions, to a point that it’s unhealthy. No one just wants to address the elephant in the room, which is precisely a part of the problem. I’m 100% certain we are all suffering and fighting our own battles quietly.

The survey’s ended. I hope you enjoyed it. :) This was a pleasant one to take :)