#i need to get some grown up viewing in this week before my nephews get to town for their school holidays

[pynkhues]

Hi, I’m watching Never Let Him Go on Hulu and was wondering if you’d seen it?

Its about an American gay man who lived in Australia and was determined by the police to have committed suicide but his brother believes it’s a murder.

If you have I’d love to get your thoughts on how they presented the struggle between the American and Australian culture. And just any thoughts you have.

It can be a difficult watch so I understand if you’re not interested but I always love how you further expand on difficult topics.

Hope you’re having a great day. 🤍

Hi! I actually hadn't even heard of the documentary, but I know the case pretty well - it's a quite an infamous one here, and the fallout of the coroner's inquest was pretty recent so has been in the headlines a lot over the last few years.

It definitely sounds up my alley to watch, and you've made me very curious about the American vs Australian cultural differences which I have a lot of feelings on in general. I've unexpectedly got tomorrow off work, so I'll watch it and let you know what I think.

Thanks for the recommendation! Hope you're having a great day too ❤️

[itsallyscorner]

hey love ❤️ i hope you’re doing good and healthy but i was wondering if you could do a little mix!reader after she gave birth to tom and her’s child. maybe when the girls meet their niece or nephew

💌

The World’s Greatest Aunties

Pairing: Tom Holland x fem!reader, Little Mix x fem!reader

Summary: The girls finally get to meet Baby Holland for the first time.

Warnings: none, spelling errors?

A/n: Hey darling! Thank you so much for the request, I’m so sorry that it took so long. I took a small break from writing Tom fics and writing in general because I needed to recharge the author part of my brain😭😂 I was lacking motivation to write but I’m back now! Thank you again for the request and I hope you like it!💞

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

(Pinterest)

✧───── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *. ☽.* :★. ─────✧

Five pairs of eyes peered over the bassinet, a twinkle of admiration in each one. The house was quiet except for the low hums of the music that played softly in the living room. Occasionally, they would hear the light clicks and taps of Tessa’s nails against the floors. The five of them were quiet, letting out a little coo here and there when the tiny bundle in the bassinet fidgeted.

“I can’t believe you actually made a baby.” Leigh-Anne whispered, cautiously steadying her voice at a quieter tone. You all nodded, agreeing to her comment.

You glance at Tom, who was stood beside you, “We weren’t even planning on having a baby. Someone’s pull-out game was just very weak.”

Tom’s mouth gaped at your statement, a false offended look on his features. “Well, you weren’t complaining while it was happening.”

“Did you really think I’d be in the right headspace to realize how bad your pull-out game was after being railed to the bed?” You quizzed him, standing up straight and placing your hands on your hips.

Jesy’s eyes shifted between you and Tom, “Are you two really talking about how irresponsible you guys are at sex in front of the baby you both made—because of irresponsible sex?”

“But isn’t she the cutest outcome of irresponsible sex?” Perrie cooed, leaning closer to the opening of the bassinet. Tom smirks at you before slinging his arm around your shoulder, “We made a beautiful baby, didn’t we?”

“Don’t flatter yourself Thomas, I’m sure Amelia’s 90 percent (Y/n) and 10 percent you.” Jesy comments, earning her some chuckles from the rest of you except for Tom. Though they’ve know each other for years, and he’s proved himself worthy of you, that still didn’t stop Jesy from giving him a hard time. Of course, all the petty arguments were all in good fun. He’s been slowly growing on her anyway.

“Well she’s definitely got (y/n)’s lips.” Leigh-Anne observed, admiring the sweet baby from above. You leaned your head on Tom’s shoulder as you watched Amelia scrunch her tiny nose.

“But her nose, without a doubt, is Tom’s.” You point out, watching your baby snuggle into her blanket.

“Honestly, you know how some babies are just not cute when they’re first born?” Jade began, voice remaining in a whisper. A few sounds of agreement were heard amongst you all. “Amelia’s probably one of the most cutest newborns I’ve ever seen, and she’s only a few weeks old.”

Tom’s lips morph into a soft smile as he leans back down towards Amelia, “She’s gorgeous isn’t she?” His large hand creeping closer to his daughter to brush his fingers along her chubby cheeks. Though the contact of his cold digits made her jolt, causing a sob to bubble out her small body. Tom gasped, turning around to give you an apologetic look. Before the girls arrived, you had put Amelia down for a nap so she wouldn’t be fussy once the girls were over. You were planning on waiting till she woke up to properly introduce her to the girls, but things don’t always go as planned, do they?

“Oh no!” Perrie cried, moving out the way so Tom can gather Amelia into his arms. Tom held her against his chest, shushing her and slightly bouncing his body to ease her wailing.

“I’m so sorry, sunshine. Daddy didn’t mean to wake you.” He apologized, genuinely feeling bad for waking her up from her nap. He whispered comforting words into her ear, not phased by the fact that she couldn’t even understand him yet. He pressed kisses on the crown of Amelia’s head, trying to calm her down.

“Look at that, she even got your vocals too.” Jesy hummed, smiling at the crying baby against Tom’s chest. You laughed, stretching your hands out towards Tom. Just by the gesture, he knew what you meant. The two of you have only been parents for almost a month now and every single day it seemed like you were both picking up new habits—specifically parental ones. It was like the start of your relationship again, you were leaning new things about each other, but this time as parents.

“Aww, c’mere darling, momma’s got you.” You cooed as Tom helped you place her against your chest. Her tiny head was snuggled into the crook of your neck, the warmth coming from your skin soothing her. You had a hand under her bum while the other was rubbing circles onto her back. Slowly, her cries softened until they were replaced by her cute baby gurgles.

“Are you crying?” Perrie asked. You turned around to see who the question was directed to. Only to find Jesy wiping her eyes and fanning them with her hands. She shook her head trying to brush off Perrie’s question.

“Babe,” you called out to her, “Why are you crying?”

You body gently swayed side to side, trying to entertain Amelia. You all looked at Jesy, an amused yet concerned expression on all your faces. When she felt like her tears weren’t about to spill from her eyes, she tilted her head to look at you again.

“I’m just—you’re an actual mother. Like look at you, you’re so grown up.” She sniffed, eyes watering up again. Jesy and the rest of the girls were just a few years older than you. Being the youngest of the group, they’ve always been protective of you and viewed you as their younger sister. They watched you grow up into an amazing woman, watched you fall in love with Tom, and now here you were—as a mother. The sight was quite emotional.

“Aw Jess.” You walk closer to her, using one of your arms to embrace her. Jesy chokes on her laugh, “No! Don’t hug me, you’re gonna make me cry even more.”

You ignore her protests and continue to wrap your arm around her neck. Jesy allows the hug to happen, wrapping both her arms around your waist.

“It’s okay, I cried a few times too.” Tom tells her comfortingly, handing her a tissue from over your shoulder. She takes it, thanking him quietly, and dabbing her eyes. You hear some more sniffles around the room. Breaking your hug with Jesy, you look around to see Perrie, Jade, and Leigh-Anne with glossy eyes.

“Guys...” You sigh.

“It just sunk in that you’re a mum now. Like you need to take care of another human being and help them become a person and all that.” Jade summed up, blinking away tears. Tom took it upon himself to wordlessly pass around tissues to the four women in the room.

Leigh-Anne came up behind you to move your hair over your shoulders, “You’re gonna teach her so many lessons about life. You’re gonna be the first person she’ll always look up to and her first best friend—I’m so excited for you.”

“I have life lessons too, ya know.” Tom interjected, slightly raising his hand. Jesy glances at him and scoffs, “You have the body of a twelve year old and you cry in movies for a living. What could you possibly learn from that?”

“I don’t cry in all my movies.” He defended himself.

You move your head to look at Tom, “Darling, you’ve literally cried in four out of the five Marvel movies you’ve been in. That speaks volumes.”

Jade’s eyes shifted between Jesy and Tom, “I thought we were having a sentimental moment, how did we go from that to hating on Tom.”

“Because, he’s Tom.”

Tom crossed his arms, squinting at you all, “You know, I thought having Amelia would make you guys like me more—but no, I just can’t catch a break from you lot.”

A joyful sound emitted from Amelia, catching everyone’s attention. The girls cooed and awed at the new member of their little family.

“Oh hello precious!” Perrie squealed leaning down beside you so she can see Amelia’s face. Your baby’s eyes were wide as she stared at the faces crowding above her.

“D’you guys wanna hold her?” The girls eagerly nod, bodies filling with excitement. You handed Amelia to Jesy, showing her how to properly hold your newborn baby. With her new niece’s head resting against her shoulder, she feels her heart swell with joy.

“Oh my, she’s lovely.” She whispered softly, her hand cradling Amelia’s head. She ducks her head to get a closer look at her face, chuckling when she sees the combination of you and Tom on Amelia’s features. Jesy catches a whiff of the newborn baby smell radiating off of her—you know, that light weight baby powder-ish smell?

“And she smells so good!” Jesy announced enthusiastically. Perrie frowns, “I wanna smell the baby.”

“Too bad, you can’t.” Jade teases, poking fun at Perrie’s inability to smell. Jesy passes Amelia to Perrie, who makes grabby hands at her before wrapping her arms around Amelia’s tiny form.

“I’m so sorry for exposing you to the media.” She tells the baby, a chorus of laughter following her apology. Perrie gently pokes Amelia’s cheeks with her finger, “Your cheeks! I just want to squish ‘em and smother you with kisses!”

“I think you’ve had enough time with the baby, my turn!” Leigh-Anne jokes, holding her hands out for Amelia. Perrie carefully hands her to Leigh-Anne, who instantly melts once she holds Amelia against her.

“I want one now.” She whines.

“Ask Andre, I’m sure he’ll give you one in no time.” You wink at her, gesturing to the ring on her left hand. You honestly wouldn’t be surprised if she became pregnant anytime soon. Leigh-Anne took her time holding Amelia, basking in the cloud of baby fever she was currently experiencing. Your daughter was then passed onto Jade, who was thrilled to show her niece all the gifts she had bought her.

You all watched as Jade ventured towards the couch, kindly asking Tom to fetch the large bag that was at your entrance alongside the piles of packages from your family and friends. Ever since you and Tom brought Amelia home, there has been a never ending amount of gifts being delivered to your home. The items ranged from clothes, toys, to diapers, and baby bottles. Your house was practically filled to the brim with baby supplies.

Jade settles on the couch; adjusting Amelia so she can cradle her with her arm and using her free hand to pull out gifts from the bag. You and the rest of the girls sit around her, while Tom looked over the couch behind you.

“You guys really didn’t have to get us anything, just being here and letting us share this moment with you is enough for me.” You expressed, Tom agreeing with you. Jade simply brushed you off, “Oh hush up, let us spoil Amelia. She’s going to be the sixth member of our band, so we need to make sure she’s got the best clothes to look like her mummy and aunties.”

Jade proceeds to pull out a bunch of Disney themed items out from the bag. “Oh you’re gonna love this, I found a bunch off onesies that were princess themed—look!” Jade held up the hanger of multiple Disney onesies for your daughter. “Look Amelia, there’s one for every princess!” You couldn’t help but let out a laugh when Jade began to show every item she bought for Amelia.

Your and Tom’s jaws dropped when she pulled out a Minnie Mouse headband made for babies.

“That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, lemme see.” Tom held his hand out towards Jade who handed him the headband. You watched adoringly as Tom inspected the headband, looking at it with fascination. He caught your stare and proudly held up the head band, “Baby, we’ve gotta take her to Disney.”

“Oh, we definitely are, don’t worry.” You assure him, making him proudly fist the air. Without any of you noticing, Jesy slipped out the room to get the gift bag she left out at the entrance.

“I’ve got something too!” She sang entering the living room. She sat back on the couch, Jade passing Amelia to her once she was comfortable.

“Alright, ya ready precious?” Jesy asked Amelia, who grabbed at the bag with her hands. Jesy took her hands in hers and helped Amelia ‘take out’ the tissue paper from the bag.

“Since I know your parents are two of the biggest Harry Potter nerds, I decided to get you this because I know they’ll flip.” She explained before pulling out a baby Hogwarts costume.

“Jesy!” You gasped, leaning in to get a closer look at the clothes.

“They have Harry Potter merch for babies?” Tom exclaimed, rushing to stand behind Jesy’s part of the couch. He began to ramble, asking her where she bought the clothes and if there were more.

Jesy held her hand out to stop Tom from talking, “Wait, wait—WAIT, Jesus Thomas, you’re more excited for these clothes than your daughter.”

Tom shrugged, “Well she can’t express any feelings yet, so I’ll do it.”

“Here.” She passed the costume to him making him cheer. “The costume came with another thing actually.” Jesy took out a baby Hogwarts robe, making you gasp again.

“It comes with the robes too?” You asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, it was an entire set!” Jesy proudly answered. Tom ran his hand along the robe, touching the soft fabric. He let out a squeal, “I love it!”

“Tom darling, the clothes are for Amelia, not you.” Perrie teasingly reminded him. Tom brushes off her comment, “(Y/n), we could all dress up as Hogwarts students for Halloween! We could match costumes!” Tom was practically buzzing with excitement, not allowing you to give him a response.

“Thank you Jesy, it’s nice to know that you have a soft spot for me.” He bumped his fist against her shoulder, which she glared at.

“I don’t have a soft spot for you, twit.”

“Yes you do, you knew I liked Harry Potter.” He held up the Hogwarts costume, “And you got Amelia a baby Hogwarts costume. You went out of your way to give us this gift. It’s enough proof, Jes.”

“I got it for (Y/n).” Jesy argued.

Tom crossed his arms, “Just admit that you like me.”

“No, you’re a menace.” You all watched the exchange between the two. A goofy grin was on his face as he spread his arms out, “I’m gonna hug you now.” Before Jesy can respond, Tom had wrapped his arms around Jesy. She groaned, squirming in his grip.

“Thank you Jesy!” He sang, taking the piss out of annoying her. She smacked his arm, “I get it. Now get off, I’m holding your child!”

Tom lets go with a smile on his face.

“She likes me.” He mouthed to you, motioning to Jesy. You shook your head at him, chuckling.

The girls continued to give Amelia their gifts. Perrie got her a bunch of classic children’s books and some toys. Leigh-Anne had given you a diaper bag and a “mommy and me” set of clothes. You were instantly obsessed with the matching sets, now you and your baby girl can have matching outfits. The night was full of the girls passing Amelia around and playing with her. She hadn’t cried for a single second, happy with the attention she was getting and constantly being held. There was no doubt that she would sleep soundly tonight, much to your and Tom’s content.

You watched as the girls circled around Amelia in the living room. Perrie was currently holding her, talking about how she couldn’t wait to spoil her with all the cutest baby clothes and toys. You overheard them talking about all the things they wanted to teach her; like how to sing. A smile had crept its way onto your lips without you noticing. Suddenly a pair of arms wrap around your waist.

Tom presses a kiss onto your shoulder and rests his chin on it, “You know she’s the luckiest baby in the world? And I’m not just saying that because she’s our child, but she’s really lucky. We’re very lucky.”

“We are, aren’t we?” You hum, leaning your weight against his chest, something he happily welcomes.

“She’s got two amazing parents. That’s us.” He squeezes you and continues his list, “She has grandparents who already love her, a bunch of protective uncles, and the world’s greatest aunties in her corner.” He finished, gesturing to the women in the living room. Yeah, you guys were lucky.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

🏷Tags ↴

*if there is a cross through your username, tumblr won’t let me tag you:(*

Little Mix!Reader tags

↪︎ @waxingmoonwrites @slutforsebstan @starslazyandcosy @xkonpinkx @dummiesshort @gypsystuf @kielemarie @wroetospidey @thatgirlangelb @have-aheart @adayasgeorgia @xeniarocks @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @agustdowney @itssmadelyn @imthebadguyyy @tomsirishgirlx @roseke @kaylans-imagines @bi-lmg @holsj2411

Tom Holland tags

↪︎ @lovableparker @aprettyfleur @sunwardsss @dummiesshort @thotforcriminalminds @cuddlykoala101 @itstaskeen @whoslili @white-wolf1940 @tomsirishgirlx @roseke @kaylans-imagines @spideyspeaches @slutforsebstan

General tags

↪︎ @quxxnxfhxll @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @thegirlwiththediary @agustdowney @bi-lmg @rqmanoff @sesamepancakes @stardustofreading @dracoswhore007 @amourtentiaa @alyssathesoftie

[forever-rogue]

In Name Only - Part 5

A/N: Hello, my sunshines! Here is the re-write of the original part 5. Hopefully it’s as good as the original, and if it’s your first time reading this, I hope you enjoy!

Pairing: Oberyn Martell x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 6k

Warnings: language, period typical sexism and misogyny

IN NAME ONLY SERIES MASTERLIST

MASTERLIST

»»————-　♡　————-««

Oberyn groaned as he sat up, rubbing away the bits of sleep that were still clinging on from his tired eyes. It was before first light and his rooms were shrouded in darkness, but he knew he needed to get up in order to prepare for his journey. He needed to leave soon in order to make it out of Sunspear before day broke in order to make the long trek that would consist of several long days. 

He hadn’t slept much the evening before, his head swimming with a mixture of different thoughts, but more anything else, he had been all consumed by you. After he had kissed you, he wasn’t sure he had made the right decision, or if he had possibly ruined everything that was building between the two of you. But when you had kissed him, unsure and hesitant at first, but then melted into his touch, he realized that maybe you had wanted this too. You had looked back at him with the absolute sweetest eyes and took it everything in his power not to grab you and pull you back into his rooms then and there.

But no. This wasn’t going to be like that. This wasn’t going to be anything like that. If you wanted this, as he was beginning to think he might as well, he needed to know for sure. He wanted everything to be crystal clear, and at no point would he want to take advantage of you.

He stood up, letting his feet hit the floor with a dull thud, finding himself reluctant to leave again. Something was calling to him, encouraging him to stay, but he knew he couldn’t. There was a job to be done and he needed to do it before addressing whatever was going on within his heart and his mind. Oberyn’s gait was heavy, a sharp contrast to how light his tread normally was, as he crossed the room to his wardrobe and lazily pulled out some clothes to wear. His morning routine was simple, but today it felt overwhelming, most likely because he was unenthusiastic to leave and would rather have stayed. Stayed and spent the time with you.

But a knock came at his door and told him that everyone was waiting on him to come down so they could all leave. Grumbling his acquiescence, he grabbed the few things he planned on taking before exiting his chambers and leaving his bag in front of his door. When he stepped into the hallway, straightening his tunic with a yawn, his tired gaze fell on your door. He slowly walked over, resting his large hand on the wooden door as he debated whether or not to come in. His curiosity got the better of him and he opened the heavy door, slowly, as to not make a sound and disturb your sleep.

Once there was enough of a gap for him, he slipped inside and walked over to your bed. You were bundled up in your blankets, only your head poking out of them, a peaceful, serene expression on your face. A smile crossed his own face as he leaned down, unable to stop himself, and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. A small sound escaped your lips and he worried for a moment that he had woken you, but your eyes remained closed, and you shifted slightly as your hand appeared moved to rest on top of the blankets. He looked at it closely, finding it hard to fight a smile when he saw the wedding band on your finger, the one that matched his.

“I’ll see you soon, sweet girl,” he whispered, gently touching your face, before straightening back up and slowly retreating out of the room and closing your door again. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he grew even more hesitant to leave. This pull, this strange sensation that was washing over and drawing him towards you was getting even stronger. With one last longing look at your door, he started walking down the stairs and out of the palace. He really hoped that this wouldn’t take a whole week and it would be an easy there and back job.

»»————-　♡　————-««

The journey to Yronwood was an interesting one; it required travel from his home through many different parts of Dorne, all varied and different in cultures and customs. One thing that seemed to be ever present however was the warm, welcoming feeling that was ever present wherever he went. People stopped what they were doing, coming out of their homes and shops to see their prince and greet him. Oberyn was beloved by his people and he loved them in turn. 

Many stopped for even a mere glimpse of the handsome prince, waving and shouting well wishes at him. Wishes of good fortune, health, and a long and happy marriage. He had no doubt many had been eager to see a glimpse of his new bride, but that would all come in time. For now, he was happy to keep you safe and at home, while he handled whatever troubles were brewing in Yronwood. 

The various states of Dorne were something to behold; each boasted a different look and atmosphere and yet it was all harmonic and came together beautifully. Despite having traveled the world, this would always be his favorite place to be - his home. He hoped one that day you would consider it yours too. But that was another thought for another day, when he had time to show you more. Now he needed to focus on weeding out the problem, although he was sure he had an inkling of what was going on.

As soon as Yronwood came into view, an odd sensation settled in his stomach. It was still beautiful, in its own way, but a sharp contrast to the rest of the region. Instead of the vibrancy and openness of many Dornish holds and cities, Yronwood more closely resembled the Northern parts of Westeros. A slight shudder ran down his spine at the thought. While people, namely women, retained the same liberties here as they did throughout Dorne, the reality was vastly different. No one said anything, but it was...a known fact. And as it turned out, every once in a while Doran or Oberyn had to remind them of that little detail. 

“Uncle!” Oberyn was pulled back into attention from the sound of the young man’s voice. He turned and saw his nephew, Quentyn running towards him, flanking by a few others from the castle. He was grinning from ear to ear as he stopped in front of Oberyn’s horse and took the reins while Oberyn slid off.

“My boy,” he wasted no time in wrapping his arms around his nephew, clutching him tightly to his chest. The young boy was almost the spitting image of Oberyn at his; tan and lithe, with a mop of dark curls and soft eyes, and a smile that matched his own. He’d always had a soft spot for his nephew, the only boy that was ever-present in his life; in some ways regarded him as a son rather than a nephew. He pressed a kiss to the top of head, “I’ve missed you. Look at you, you’re practically a man grown.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” Quentyn grinned at him; he looked up this father, naturally, but there was no denying that Oberyn was his hero. They’d always shared a special bond, “I am glad to see you again. And what of your new wife? Are you hiding her away?”

“You will meet her soon enough,” Oberyn promised, “she’s remaining in Sunspear for the time being until I can show her more of Dorne. I figured that would be best for now, and that her first introduction to Dorne should not be with Yronwood. She’ll quite like you - and you’ll like her. She’s very kind.”

“I should be glad to meet her as well,” he grinned as the men started heading towards the castle, “perhaps I can come back home soon for a visit - or better yet, for good. I know Papa thinks I should remain here but I’d like to be home with everyone else…”

“I know,” Oberyn offered his shoulder a firm squeeze, “but for now you must remain here. It’s only for a few more years; I know it seems harsh, but your fostering is almost complete. Besides - you are a Martell. You must not bow to them, you must keep them in line too. What are your words, Quentyn?”

“Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.”

“Exactly,” Oberyn grinned, “never let them take that from you. Have they been treating you well?”

“Yes,” he said as they headed into the dreary keep, “the arms master and maester are kind and knowledgeable. It’s mainly the Yronwoods themselves, Uncle. They’re…”

“Oberyn Martell!” the booming voice was commanding and Oberyn turned on his heel to find its owner.

“Anders Yronwood,” he acknowledged with a slight bow of his head. Anders Yronwood was a tall, portly man with a scarred visage and a receding hairline. He’d seen many battles throughout his lifetime, which left him hardened in looks and personality. Oberyn had always felt there was something off about him, but he never had quite even evidence of anything to prove his claims. Instead he made sure his visits were not too infrequent. The man extended his hand and Oberyn shook it, refusing to be the first to break eye contact, “a pleasure as always. I hope things have been well.”

“Well enough to cause me to wonder why you’ve made your presence known,” he laughed, a loud boisterous thing that caused Oberyn’s skin to crawl, “shouldn’t you be enjoying the company of your new bride?”

“My nephew here informed me that there were some rumors going around,” Oberyn’s hands went to his hips as he made sure to display his trusty dagger, “merchants not getting paid enough and taxes being raised and levied against the poor. All rumors of course, but I just decided to come and make sure everything is in order. There won’t be a problem, will there?”

“Of course not, your highness,” the man’s face pulled into a worried expression for a moment before he laughed and clapped Oberyn on the back, “I’ll have chambers readied for you and your men at once but for now, we’ll get a drink and celebrate the famed Dornish Prince. Now, tell me more about this Northern whore of yours. I know they’re not good for much-”

“I would choose your next words wisely, my lord,” Oberyn’s expression shifted to one of calculated anger as he raised his eyebrows, “I will not hear you refer to my wife as such again.”

“It’s a joke!” Oberyn knew it was anything but a joke, “you know how warm and giving our women are here. The ones from the North just lie there and expect you to do all the work. But I guess it doesn’t matter, does it, as long as you can find release and they can produce a few heirs.”

“I would cease to speak if I were you,” Oberyn stopped dead in tracks as he was almost trembling with anger. Such foul, vile words from a man who called himself fair and just. He was anything but, “I’m not sure if you’re aware that women are people as well? Equal, if not better, no matter where they’re from. They do not exist solely for our pleasure or for the purpose of bearing heirs. Have you forgotten that?”

“I’m just saying,” he held his hands up in mock surrender as Oberyn glared daggers at him, “my second wife was Northern - wasn’t good for much, but managed to give me some sons. Other than that it was-”

“Listen here and listen well,” Oberyn grabbed the lapels of his robe and pulled him close. For once, Anders Yronwood appeared nervous, “you will learn to treat women, and everyone else with some decency and respect, regardless of their station. My nephew will be watching you closely - everything he sees and hears, so do I. Don’t forget where your loyalties lie - House Martell. One word and you will find yourself without a name, a title, or anything you deem so important. I am your Prince, as Quentyn. Remember that.”

His mouth pulled into a thin, tight line as he nodded in silence. He knew better than to tread on the Red Viper; even he wasn’t that foolish. Oberyn let him go before shoving him out of the way; he could feel the eyes of everyone in the hall on him, “of course, your highness.”

“Good,” he stated simply, motioning for Quentyn and a few of his men to follow, “I’ll see you around.”

»»————-　♡　————-««

The next few days were spent with Oberyn traveling throughout the region, along with some of his most trusted advisors and Quentyn. He'd always tried to instill in him the importance of being there for his people, and taking care of them. Much to his relief, Quentyn had no arguments following in his Uncle's footsteps. 

As it turned out, rumors that the Yronwoods were participating in salacious activities turned out to just be rumors. It didn't mean however, that the people were happy with their rule. Oberyn would make it a point to bring up the peoples' apprehensions; he knew he had to deal with what was going on within the castle walls first and foremost. He noticed more and more that things were off as the days had passed and they had left him with an uneasy feeling. 

More than anything, he'd gotten to the conclusion that he was missing you. It had started off as a slow, underlying feeling, but with more and more time passing, he understood what it was. He still had so much to learn about you, and vice versa, but gods, he already missed your smile and that kind hearted spirit you openly displayed. He couldn't wait to be back in Sunspear.

On this particular evening, the prince had retired to his temporary chambers early, leaving the grand hall before the sun had even set. He was feeling restless and growing listless the longer his stay in Yronwood grew. He'd gone for a walk earlier that day, and spoken with some townspeople, but that had only taken up so much of his time. 

A heavy sigh passed his lips as he stoked the fire in the corner to provide some light and warmth. It was almost laughable; this was the only part of his kingdom that wasn't light and airy.  This was cold and dreary and the lack of light and life made his heart heavy. But it was no matter, he reminded himself, he would be home soon enough.

He settled into the small, uncomfortable and uninviting bed and grabbed his book. If nothing else he'd have something to occupy his mind. 

And for a while, it worked. At first his thoughts had kept drifting back to you and Sunspear. He wondered what you were up to, if you'd had full, happy days. He couldn't imagine you shut away and hidden like he currently was. Maybe you liked to read too - maybe at night he could read to you or you to him. Still so many mysteries that would need answers. He hoped one day that he would get them all.

As he allowed himself to concentrate on his book, a quiet, almost timid knock came at his door. Raising a brow, he decided against answering it, thinking that perhaps it wasn't intended for him after all. But then it came again, but less timid this time, followed by a quiet, "y-your highness?"

A look of confusion crossed his features as he got up from the bed and made his way to the door. He opened it with slight hesitation as he spied a young girl on the other side. She wore a thick, dark robe and a nervous expression as she met his eyes. He stepped to the side as he let her in and cast a glance down the hall.

"What is your name?" he asked, shutting the door as she looked at him with wide doe eyes, "how can I help you?"

"I don't have a name," she answered softly, "and it doesn't matter. I am a gift...from Lord Anders for your pleasure. Whatever you like, My Prince, I will do to you or for you."

"Why would he send you?" Oberyn ran a hand over tired face as he internally groaned. He knew exactly what Yronwood was up to. He shook his head to himself, "did he force you? Threaten you if you didn't come?"

"O-of course not, my prince," her face faltered for a moment as she reached up and ran her hands over his broad chest. She looked young, so young, and despite her assertion that she wanted to be there. He had a feeling that while she might not have been averse to him, she was nervous, "it is an honor and privilege to pleasure the famous Prince of Dorne." 

He sucked in a breath as she pushed his robe off of his shoulders. He couldn't  feel the inner turmoil within him start to rear up. While he wasn’t normally one to pass up such an offer, he couldn’t in good conscience have the young woman. She clearly wasn’t up to this on her own merits and he would never take advantage of another; Oberyn would be in his grave before he did that. He took a step back and shook his head. He wasn’t going to do this anymore; he was, in some odd sense, already committed to you. You’d never even told him that you wanted more than a friendly relationship, but he couldn’t help his mind from wandering back to you. 

“Please do not feel obligated to do anything of the sort,” he insisted, swallowing the lump in his throat. She pushed the woolen robe from her shoulders and let it fall into a small heap on the cold stone. Oberyn couldn’t help but look her over, immediately surprised by the fact that she was bare underneath. He knew it didn’t matter what he did with her, technically, since you’d both agreed that either of you could do whatever you wanted with whomever. She took a step closed and put a delicate hand on his cheek. 

“Please,” she insisted with an odd glint in her eyes. Part of him was conflicted but before knew what was happening, something came over him and his hands found her hips as he pushed her towards the bed. She easily complied and laid on her back as Oberyn loomed over. His hands were on her sides as he bent down and kissed with a deep hunger. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close to her, nervously kissing him back.

Before it could go too far, to the point of no return, Oberyn caught himself and looked down at her. That’s when it hit him - she wasn't you. He stopped immediately and moved off the bed, shaking his head furiously. The young girl was so startled by his sudden actions that a flush of warmth crossed her features as she worried she had committed some wrong.

"My Prince," she stammered nervously, grabbing the blanket and covered herself up, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do anything wrong. I-I…"

"No," he held up his hand and picked up the discarded robe, gently handing it back to her, "you've done nothing wrong. I'm afraid the fault is on me."

“Is everything alright?” she made quick work of dressing herself before offering him a timid smile, “I can...send someone else, if I did not please you…”

“No,” he insisted as he gently brushed back her hair, helping her tie the robe, “I won’t take advantage of this situation...besides that, it appears my heart seems to lie with my wife at this time.”

“Your wife,” she smiled slightly at the thought, “she must be very lucky to call you her husband. You’re a good man, my Prince. Much better than the pigs around here-”

As soon as her last words left her lips, a look of surprise crossed her features. Clearly, she hadn’t meant to voice her thoughts out loud. 

“I believe I am the lucky one,” did you feel the same? He hoped you did, “tell me one thing. Did Anders Yronwood threaten you if you did not come here? What did he say?”

“He…” she looked at him, searching his eyes to make sure it was safe to confide in him. He answered with a small nod and encouraged her to go on, “he has several women he favors...women that are not his wife. He considers it a gift to share them with visitors. If we do not...if we do not do as we are told...we can be punished.”

“Punished?” his brows shot straight up.

“I’ve seen it a few times,” she whispered, “they’ll get beaten until they are left a mess. I-I can’t go back, please, don’t let me go back. Not tonight. He’ll hurt me too if he thinks I've displeased you or we haven't done anything."

"Its alright," Oberyn promised her, his blood already boiling with anger. He was glad he came - apparently his little message to Yronwood hadn't quite gotten through to him. Oberyn would make sure that he received it. He must have been extremely stupid or brash in order to think he could get away with sending his gift in such a manner, "go to your chambers, and remain there. I'll make sure you're safe - now and always. If anything ever happens again you or anyone in this castle, you are to let my nephew Quentyn know. He'll get word to me and I'll be here to help however I can. You mustn't be afraid, you've got me as a friend now."

"I don't know how I could ever thank you," her eyes were closed with tears as she couldn't help but her arms around him. He hugged her tightly and offered her a few more well wishes before opening the door to her, "you really are as they say. A good, kind, and just Prince. And handsome at that. Thank you again. I hope our paths again, and that I can meet your wife, preferably under better circumstances."

"As do I," he agreed, "until our paths cross again."

He watched her go, making sure she was safe and out of sight before closing the door and locking it behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed and let out a long, wary sigh. He couldn't help himself from wondering what it would be like to kiss you in such a manner. Would you be receptive? Would you be eager and happy? Or perhaps you wanted to keep him at bay. Whatever life decided to throw at you both, he supposed he would discover your true desires soon enough.

For now, he had more pressing matters to attend. He was going to make sure Anders Yronwood knew exactly who he was dealing with. He grabbed the book he had been reading and tossed it onto the table before sliding back into bed and pulling the covers up and bundling up.

He quickly fell into a deep, restless slumber. He tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, all of his thoughts drifting back to you. He wondered if you could feel it, all his warm and tender thoughts all the way back home in Sunspear. It was a comforting thought to know that you were both looking at the same moon and falling asleep under the same stars. It made the world seem that much smaller. It almost felt like you were there with him, at his side where he wished you were.

The thought alone of seeing you again, that sweet smile and lovely face, was enough to finally get him off to sleep. 

»»————-　♡　————-««

If Anders Yronwood was a gruesome and horrible overlord, his son Cletus was his mirror in every worse and still worse. It was a small solace that Cletus was not the heir to Yronwood, but rather that fell to his sister, Gwyneth. Oberyn had only met her on a few occasions, but he knew she was miles above the rest of her family. It was fortunate that Dorne did not follow the traditional customs of the rest of the Seven Kingdoms and only allowed male heirs. 

The Great Hall was bustling and loaded with rowdy people, causing an uneasy feeling to well up in Oberyn's stomach. It might have seemed lively, but once he looked closer, he could see that the only people having any semblance of a good time were the men of the keep. 

He rolled his eyes to himself as he grabbed a quiet seat at the end of the hall, attempting to keep hidden in the shadows. But it was no use - it continually proved to be a challenge when tried to pretend he was not the Prince when he was so easily recognizable. 

"Oberyn Martell," he was starting to hate the sound of his own name as Cletus took a seat next to him. He grimaced slightly as he turned to face the sudden interruption, "a pleasure as always."

"Cletus," he acknowledged, attempting to cut off the situation as quickly as he could. Cletus looked around and quickly flagged down one of the servants, waving her over obnoxiously as a nervous, vacant expression crossed her gestures.

"Go and get the biggest and best plates of food for myself and the Prince," he commanded as she refused to meet his eyes and nodded in understanding, "now."

"Are you always like this with people, Cletus?" 

"Only with people that deserve it," he leaned back in his chair and shrugged, clearly disinterested, "she's a kitchen wench. There's really not much to it."

"She's a person," a frown graced his features as he shook his head internally, "all people deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. What if she'd spoken to you in such a manner?"

"She wouldn't dare. I am her Lord-

"And yet still just a person," Oberyn snapped, "one who can be made to bend the knee with a single word from me."

Cletus remained silent as he stared anywhere but Oberyn's face. The silence was awkward and tense, easily cut with the dullest of knives. The Princes' fingers danced around the hilt of his dagger but he managed to stay his hand. One wrong move and it would cause an uproar. If it wouldn't have been such a risky move, he was half tempted to eradicate the problem then and there.

"Here you are my Lord, my Prince," the young woman had made a nervous return as she put two full plates of food in front of the men. They were overflowing with food that looked dry and sad and bland. There was so much flavor and spice available, yet this looked anything but. Oberyn thanked her gently while Cletus remained silent, "if there's nothing else, I'll attend to my other duties."

Before she could make her escape, Cletus grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to his level. She yelped in surprise as she tried to pull out of his clutches on instinct, "I'll see you in my chambers this evening. Don't be late like the last time or I'll have to punish you again. You don't want that, do you?"

"N-no, my Lord," she stammered nervously as he let go of her and she stumbled backwards from his tight grip. Oberyn's rage flared up when he spotted what appeared to be fading bruises along her shoulders and neck, "I will be there and on time.”

“Good,” he dismissed with a wave of his hand while Oberyn pushed his plate away. His already meager appetite had all but diminished. Cletus took a large bite, ignorantly unaware of the wrath that he had just brought upon himself, “you have to teach them...they’re not good for much else.”

“You’ve laid your hands on her,” it wasn’t so much a question as it was a direct statement. Cletus nodded lightly but kept shoving his mouth full of food, “you require her to warm your bed as well? How many others are there?”

“Maybe a dozen or so,” he shrugged, “we like to rotate through them. The one you were sent last night was one of the newest. A special treat.”

Unable to control himself any longer, Oberyn quickly pulled his dagger out and stabbed into the table between the two men, right near Cletus’ left hand. His mouth hung open at the action as he nervously looked at his Prince. 

“If I ever hear again of you touching any man, woman, or child in this castle, or anywhere, it will be the last time you do anything. You will not harm them, or require them to sleep with you,” he spat out as he grabbed his collar and pulled him close, “you will treat everybody, regardless of their position or station in life with respect. This is the Dornish way - the only way. I will have eyes on you and your family and your entire family. Do you understand me, boy?”

“You wouldn’t dare-”

“Oh,” Oberyn’s lips curled up in a devilish smile, “I would. Do you really want to find out what I will do? They call me the Red Viper for a reason - but I’m not afraid to resort to calling in the Boltons to flay you alive. My word is law around here and it’s time you and your filthy father learned to respect it.”

“You have no power,” he hissed nervously, casting a glance at the dagger that could have easily ended his life. The Great Hall had grown silent as all eyes were trained on the two men, “your brother rules.”

“Aye,” Oberyn nodded, “but it just so happens I rule too. I am the Prince of Dorne, boy, and Doran’s most trusted advisor. But again, if you want to take your chances…”

“Let me go,” he insisted in panic. 

“Remember where your loyalties lie,” Oberyn’s voice was quiet and dangerously low as he leaned in so only Cletus could hear him, “House Martell. We are your power - you will do as well say or your entire family can go off to the North...maybe even the wall. This is Dorne, and you will respect our way of life. A name and a title doesn’t keep you safe; not here. I will personally come and dole out justice if I need to. My nephew will be watching closely - one wrong move and I will hear it. You even think about touching as much as a hair on his head, you will have not just my wrath to fear, but all of Dorne’s. If I ever hear of anything like this again, you will rue the day. Do I make myself absolutely clear?"

"Yes," he whispered quietly as Oberyn grabbed his dagger and held it to the man's throat. Be pressed just enough to make an ident into his skin but not hard enough to draw blood, "crystal clear, your highness."

"Good," he insisted before pulling away and shoving Cletus away. Oberyn sighed  heavily as he got up and started to storm away. Before he left the Hall, he turned around and held up his arms. Every eye in the house was still on him, "and let this be a lesson and warning to everyone here. If I so much hear a whisper or breath of anything happening that goes against the laws set forth by House Martell, you will face our justice. Here in Dorne everyone is equal and will be treated with respect and dignity. If you have a problem with that, feel free to leave or you will personally face my blade."

There was small murmuring of acknowledgement as Oberyn left the hall, standing tall and proud. As much as he hated flaunting rule or power over anyone, sometimes he knew it needed to be done; equality for all was something he was extremely passionate about. They were lucky in some ways, to have him as their Prince. While he could be firm and violent, he was tame compared to some of the other Lords and rulers throughout the Kingdoms. He might have been the Red Viper, deadly and dangerous, but he was also fair and just as long as no one tread on him.

As soon as he reached an empty spot in the hall, he leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh, hiding his tired face in his hands. He’d seen more than enough and was ready to be gone from this foul place. All he could think about was making it back home to Sunspear, back home to you. 

“Uncle!” Quentyn ran up to him, barely able to contain the little smirk on his face, “is everything okay? I heard the last bit of your little speech.”

“This place is dreadful,” he sighed as Quentyn nodded in agreement, “of all the places your father had to choose to sequester you, it had to be here. I understand his reasoning, and yet the idea still makes me ill. We’ll have you home soon, I promise. For now, I want you to be our eyes and ears here. I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you think you can handle it?”

“Of course,” he grinned and nodded eagerly, “I’m always excited to help however I can.”

“Good boy,” he pulled him into a tight hug before kissing the top of his head, “you make us all very proud.”

“My Prince,” one of Oberyn’s men found him, a concerned look on his face, “Anders Yronwood has heard of your little outburst and he’s not happy…”

“I don’t care,” Oberyn insisted, “if he has a problem with our rules, he can leave. My word is law. Now, let us pack up and be rid of this horrid place. I want to get home and back to my wife."

"I can have everyone ready to leave within a few hours," Oberyn gave him a thankful squeeze on his shoulder, "and we'll get you back home to Sunspear as quickly as possible, your highness."

"I am forever in your debt," the idea of you waiting at home for him was enough to cast a warm feeling all over his body. He was more than ready to see you again - to kiss you again - everything. If nothing else, his time in Yronwood had been enough to give him a sense of clarity and peace. He really did want to try with you, he wanted to see you. The revelation was enough to send him in a tale spin.

"Aye," he grinned at his Prince, "we'll get you back to her post haste. Besides, the Lady made us swear to bring you back home safely. She's eager to have you back, no doubt."

"I am eager to be back with her as well," Oberyn's grin threatened to break his face in half, "and back with some decent company. Until later then."

"Unbowed, unbent, unbroken."

"Unbowed, unbent, unbroken." 

[marmolady]

New Horizons

Main Pairings: Estela x (f)MC, Graleister

Summary: Endless Ending. Liv and Reggie are starting school in San Trobida. Notes at the end!

Word Count: 9695

Chronology: After 'Growing Pains', before 'How the time escapes me...'

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, @greengroove @mauvecatfic​

Thanks for reading!

San Trobida, July 2035

“Hey, Auntie Grace!”

Reggie looked up from his book at the sound of his cousin’s voice, and hastily placed aside his shiny new copy of ‘A Guide to San Trobidan History’ so he could rush out into the hallway.

Grace was already wrapping Liv in a hug. “Hello, sweetheart.” She kissed the side of her niece’s head, before her eyes wandered down to a bloodied knee. “Did you have a mishap on your bike on the way here?”

“Yeah… I clipped the kerb and crashed,” Liv said, offering her aunt a better view of her wound. As she heard Reggie’s footsteps, she looked up to meet his eye and smiled.

“Youch!” Reggie offered sympathetically as he came close enough to peer over Liv’s grazed knee.

Liv shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”

Grace, though, was more concerned. “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fell?”

“No, just scraped my knee. It does actually sting a bit.”

“Hmm. Well, I think we’d better put some anti-septic that knee just to be safe.”

The new house was a mess. Boxes and misplaced furniture filled every room, and the twins-- six years old-- had been making forts with the packing boxes that had been emptied so far. The family had been in the house for just over a day, and some good progress had already been made. There had been a lot that had been left behind. Neither Aleister nor Grace put too much value on material possessions, so most of what had come with them and the children to their new home in San Trobida had been essential furniture, and the mountains of photo albums and memorabilia from a life with the kids.

Grace sat Liv down on a wooden ottoman, and, after a little bit of rummaging, found the first aid kit.

“Okay, this might hurt just a little,” she said gently, and she carefully dabbed Liv’s graze.

Liv yelped, “Fuck!”, causing Reggie to gasp, looking to his mother for a reaction, and Erin and Immy to burst out giggling from inside their box-fort.

Grace raised an eyebrow, but her warm smile didn’t shift. “It stings that much?”

“Yeah…,” Liv said, flushing a little. “Sorry about the language.”

“I’m sure I didn’t hear a thing.”

There was the usual bustling around as Aleister got the girls into their shoes; Immy and Erin had decided that swapping one shoe with one another was the peak of humour, but eventually, their father managed to get them each into a left and a right-- even if they didn’t match. Six-and-a-half-year-old sisters, Reggie had come to realise, made just about everything more of a headache than necessary.

Eventually, though, they were on their way. His mom and dad, walking beside the twins as they pootled along on their bicycles, had the address, but Reggie rode ahead with Liv, taking her lead as she zig-zagged through the streets of Valle Brava. Having only set foot on San Trobidan soil as a new resident some twenty-four hours ago, everything aspect of his environment set his senses alight. This wasn’t like being back in America. Perhaps it was the tropical climate, but he was reminded much more of La Huerta-- of home. Liv certainly seemed right at home here. She and her mothers had settled a few weeks before, and Liv had been coming here pretty much all her life. There were just a few blocks between their respective houses, and the wide cycle paths along the bitumen roads made for an easy journey. This, Reggie had been told, was a newly developed area; much had been re-built since the war he knew his Tia Estela had been involved in. The cycle paths ended as they came nearer to Liv’s place, a little way out of the main township. The foliage on either side of the road became thicker, and there was less street noise, more birdsong.

“Beat you!” Liv announced as she planted her feet into the ground, forcing her bicycle to a stop.

Reggie grumbled, pulling up beside his cousin in front of a humble bungalow-style house with outer walls a vibrant azure blue against yellow accents. The sound of a dog barking-- unmistakably Liv’s Robin, was further confirmation they’d arrived. “You didn’t beat me, Livia. I was following you. I didn’t even know where we were going.”

“Jeez, dude. No one likes a sore loser….”

“I am not a--!”

The door swung open.

“Reggie!” Taylor wasted no time in sweeping her nephew into a hug. “It’s so good to see you! I can’t believe you still have the energy for cycling over here-- didn’t you move house, like, yesterday?”

Reggie laughed. “Hi, Auntie Taylor!” There was something about seeing a familiar face in this new environment that made the pieces seem to click into place. Family made it home. “I’m a little bit tired but mostly just excited. I did sleep in today, so I guess I won’t crash until later.” His sisters on the other hand… there was no way they’d last the evening without overtiredness rearing its ugly head.

“I’m guessing your mom and dad are on their way with the girls?”

“Yeah,” said Liv, “but they’re pretty slow. I don’t have to wait to give Reggie the grand tour, do I?”

“Knock yourself out, kid. Hang on, Liv? Walk your bike through the house, please.”

“I was gonna!”

Reggie could only smirk. Like hell you were….

“Aaaand,” Liv finished off with a flourish, “this is my room!” She opened the door to a good-sized bedroom. It seemed to Reggie that what floor-space wasn’t taken up by the bed was piled up with boxes.

“I mean, I can’t say the mess wasn’t a clue.”

Liv gave her cousin a look as she flopped into her bed. “Hey-- moving house is hard. You’ll see soon enough. You get started all excited, but once you start living your life, you kinda get… stuck. Mama Taylor says we’re going to just blitz it all next weekend, and throw ourselves a pizza party as a reward.”

Reggie got up onto the bed and crossed his legs. “Do you like it here?”

“I love it here! I always liked coming here when I was little, so I guess it doesn’t feel like something completely different. I reckon my tio abuelo is over the moon that we’re here for good; it’s like I’ve got a grandparent now.” Liv’s cheeks flushed pink, and she glanced away.

Understanding, Reggie nodded. Together, they’d grown up in a family that didn’t take the traditional shape. There were some things that simply couldn’t be explained to other friends; like why Reggie’s grandma could help him with his homework, but could never come in for grandparents’ day, and why Liv had a whole side of the family with no grandparents at all-- not even dead ones.

“And,” Liv continued, “people don’t really look at my Mama Estela funny. I noticed that years ago. I guess ‘cause of the war, people don’t look twice at someone who’s maybe a little bit banged-up. I got so sick of it back in America. Every time we met someone new, they’d put on that ‘God, what happened?’ face. Maybe Mom doesn’t want to explain the whole ‘revolutionary in a civil war’ thing to every random person who can’t mind their own business. Some people have scars-- big freaking deal. It’s better here.”

“Yeah, that would be a nice change. The amount of times I’ve seen you and Auntie Taylor look at a nosy idiot like you want to deck ‘em--”

Liv burst out laughing. “True, that.”

The sound of excited barking rang out from the backyard. It seemed pretty likely to Reggie that his parents and sisters had just arrived. When he and Liv arrived in the backyard, Erin had already joined Estela at the barbecue, desperate to be involved, while Immy was passionately talking to Nicolas about goodness-knows-what. Reggie made a mental note to rescue him in a few minutes; that kid could be intense, and the poor old guy had come out here for a relaxing lunch with his niece.

Nicely, but firmly, Reggie nudged the wriggling, writhing form of Robin the dog to the side so he could join his mother and Auntie Taylor at the large alfresco table under the porch. And Robin returned to his favoured position at the feet of the barbecue-- Erin was just a kid, surely, she’d drop something….

“Do you need a hand with the salads?” Reggie asked as he greeted his mother with a hug. He’d been seeking a lot of those. With so much changing, familial comfort meant a lot, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

Perhaps more than anything, though, he was grateful to have Liv by his side. It was the way it had always been; from their toddler days on La Huerta, through elementary school, to their adventures in home-schooling. Some things might change-- some things might change immeasurably-- but he always had his cousin.

___________________________

La Huerta, 2028

Liv yelled out as she splashed down into the shallow surf. “Reggie!”

“I got her, Xiraana!” Reggie cried, and soon he was joined by a young Vaanti girl, who helped restrain their victim.

“No, no!” Liv squealed as she struggled. Vaanti kids, she’d long ago realised, were strong. “You’ll never take me alive!”

“Five-- four--- three….” Xiraana counted down, not letting Liv out of her grasp.

“Two-- one!” Reggie finished triumphantly, and he let his cousin fall unceremoniously back into the water. “The klaawyi ate all the meat off your bones. You’re one of us now!”

Liv pouted, but admitted defeat. It wasn’t the worst thing that could happen; she was pretty good on Team Klaawyi anyway. Or, she would have been… had she not seen the figure of her favourite uncle descending onto the beach from the great tree of Elyys’tel.

“Tio Diegoooooo! Hiiiii!” Liv ran across the sand, almost tripping in her desperation to reach him.

“Hey, Livia!” Reggie cried out, indignant at being suddenly abandoned. “You’re meant to help us catch them!”

But Diego had crouched down to wrap Liv in a hug, and Reggie might as well be talking to a pile of rocks for all that was being absorbed.

“Tio, they got me! Reggie and Xiraana got me, and now I’m a klaawyi!”

“You?” Diego laughed. “You’re no klaawyi-- I’ve never seen a klaawyi that was ticklish!”

“Wha--?” Oh no. Once again, Liv was shrieking with mirth, this time dodging the tickling hands of her tio.

Still standing in the shallows, Reggie stomped his foot, which achieved little but splashing himself in the face. The game went on without them; games of Klaawyi Chase didn’t stop for anyone. The usual fun on the beaches outside Elyys’tel would go on like this every day… whether Reggie and Liv were there to join in or not. And Reggie didn’t want to miss out now.

“Come on, Livia!”

She just shook her head, not letting her adoring gaze up at Diego slip for so much as a heartbeat. “Nah,” she said. “I’m done.”

Torn, knowing that whichever direction he ran in, he’d lose out on precious time with friends, Reggie admitted defeat and rushed back to Liv’s side on the shore. He looked back over his shoulder and waved goodbye-- for what he’d been told would likely be a long, long time. Engrossed in their game, his friends gave just the most fleeting of farewells before continuing to race through the small waves that lapped the beach.

Liv, in contrast, had eyes only for her tio. She clasped his hand tightly; if she held on tight enough, perhaps he’d have no choice but to come with her to wherever her mothers were taking her in the big aeroplane.

Where exactly she was going, Liv didn’t quite understand. It was away from La Huerta, but they weren’t going back to live with Tio Nicolas, they were going… someplace else. Someplace with no Tio Diego and Varyyn, where all the other kids would be boring shades of pink and brown rather than blue and green, and where no one knew about the yeti-bear, or the magic crystal alien that made her mom, or about The Story of the Year the World Stopped.

“I want you to come, Tio Diego…,” Liv softly beseeched.

Diego’s eyes grew misty, her earnest words having tipped him over the edge after what had been a long period of emotional build-up. Goodbyes were never easy, and Liv’s family was his family. He squeezed her little hand gently.

“I’ll visit you, Livi-- I promise. Cross my heart. And your mommies will bring you over to visit us here too; you are going to learn so many new games at school that you can teach Xiraana and the other kids.”

“But I’ll miss you…”

Having rejoined Liv, Reggie peered up at Diego’s teary face with concern. “Diego, you’re making your glasses all foggy.”

“Ha. I know, I know!” Diego wiped his eyes. “You might have a point there, Reggie; I want to spend this last night with you guys actually being able to see you!”

Liv giggled and wrapped her arms around her uncle’s legs, only to be peeled off and hoisted into the air. “We can still have fun until bedtime, can’t we? Will you tell us a story?”

On the ground, Reggie danced around, his arms waving. Diego-time was the best story-time.

In the arms of her tio, her playmate since she was a baby bouncing on his knee, Liv was a mess of emotions; of fear and excitement, of merriment that competed with the looming sorrow. It was more than her little self had a clue what to do with. She was only five.

Sensing his cousin’s turmoil, Reggie reached up a hand and took hold of Liv’s, hanging down by Diego’s side. “Don’t worry, Livia! If you worry, you won’t enjoy story-time.”

Liv stuck out her bottom lip. That little nerd-face could be pretty smart sometimes. Tomorrow night, there would be no goodnight story from Tio Diego, but tomorrow night was not now-- now, everything was as it should be. Her wavering grin returned, and to her delight, it brought matching smiles to the faces of her companions.

“Do you think Varyyn, and my mommies, and Auntie Grace and Uncle Alli, and Auntie Grace’s tummy babies want to listen to the story too?”

“Yeah,” Diego said, letting Liv back down to the ground, where she immediately found another hug in Reggie’s arms, “I think everyone would really like that.”

_____________________________

San Trobida, August 2035

“I don’t get it,” Liv said thoughtfully, as the car rolled right on past the turn for her Auntie Grace and Uncle Al’s place. “It’s right on the way; wouldn’t it have been easier for us to pick up Reggie?”

“Hon,” Taylor replied, “I think Reggie wanted his mom and dad to take him to orientation. They’ll probably be better at helping with his jitters than we would be.”

“I guess.” Liv looked out the window, watching the surrounding vegetation thicken once more as the car followed the road up out of the valley. “Orientation Day shouldn’t be too bad, right? Just, like, meeting our teachers, learning where stuff is, that kinda thing?” And you’ll have to try and make friends. That would be a laugh.

By the time they pulled up at the Las Selvas Secondary School, however, Liv fully understood her cousin’s nerves, and realised that was probably why she’d been so disappointed that he didn’t share a car with her. Through every big change in their young lives, his presence had been a reassuring constant.

“Uggghh,” she groaned. “Can I change my mind? Home-schooling was all right; more of that, please.”

Estela leaned from the front seat and gave Liv’s knee a squeeze. “You know, I don’t think he’d ever say it, but I’m pretty sure Reggie would be really scared if he had to walk into this without you. Besides, you were so excited about starting here; you owe it to yourself to at least giving it a shot.”

Again, Liv groaned, this time even louder. “It’s so annoying when you’re right.”

“Story of my life,” Taylor laughed, while Estela smirked.

When they pulled up at the school, Reggie was already waiting, standing beside the car-park while his parents fussed over him.

“You have your phone?” Grace quizzed, checking for the fourth time since they’d set off.

“I told you, yes!” Reggie replied, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket to wave around for good measure. “I’ll send you a message when I’m ready to be picked up, I promise.”

“In that case, you just have a wonderful time, darling.” She wrapped him in a hug-- already Reggie was easily as tall as her. “Go well, and have fun.”

Liv rushed over, all smiles. Her own nerves were a whole lot less bothersome when she had the distraction of friendly faces.

There were a few more rounds of hugs exchanged-- and then, suddenly, Liv and Reggie were on their own.

“You wanna head over? Looks like people are already crowding around-- it’s probably gonna start soon.”

Reggie’s expression brightened, as if he’d been just waiting for a little push for his confidence to surge back forth. “Well, it will hardly be an auspicious start here if we miss the principal’s address. Get a move on, Livia!”

The morning passed relatively quickly. Liv placed herself next to Reggie at all times-- they’d been put in the same Grade Seven home room as requested, making him one of the eldest in the class, and her one of the youngest. The whole set-up wasn’t entirely different to the school they were accustomed to, other than the bilingual approach. They were given a small pile of boring paperwork, and outlines of what to expect in their new classes; as English was their first language, they’d be taking ‘Spanish as a Second Language’, and Liv was also excited about ‘Nature Studies’, a subject she’d never been offered in America.

As far as Liv was concerned, the most traumatic part of the session was being expected to stand up in front of a room of strangers and give a short spiel about themselves. The perfect opportunity to officially balls-up any chance they might have of making new friends, or at least that was how she saw it. She mumbled down into her chest; something about enjoying hiking and gymnastics, something about liking Batman, and animals, and then she hurriedly sat right back down with flaming cheeks. Reggie, she observed, handled the brief foray into public speaking with rather more poise. Even though he was shy-- perhaps even more than she was-- he seemed able to go into ‘school presentation’ mode, and breeze through. When he sat back down, though, his hands were shaking-- but that was for the eyes of his trusted friend only.

When the lunch break came along, Liv was ravenous; a new and challenging social situation could do that to a person. While Reggie sloped off to the bathrooms, she tested out the school canteen, emerging a little while later with a hot empanada. It wasn’t quite as good as her Mama Estela’s, but it was definitely a step up from what was on offer at her old school. Maybe she could get used to this place….

Liv watched this new world go by all around her as she ate, cross-legged beneath the tree she’d told her cousin to meet her by. Kids moved in their little circles, talking loudly, laughing. Most of them coming into Grade Seven had come from the local primary school, and many knew each-other. Liv and Reggie would be starting out on the outside… and that was daunting. She could not be more grateful that she wasn’t taking this on alone.

Or… at least, she shouldn’t be. The lunchtime queue moved on, the gaggles of kids spread out, and still Reggie hadn’t returned.

Damn, constipated on your first day. Sucks to be you, Reggie.

Tentatively, Liv approached the boys’ bathroom and, having ascertained that no one was watching, slipped in. Her footsteps were unheard, drowned out by the loud, frantic breathing of young Reggie, slumped over the sink. Alarmed, Liv rushed over. Tears were spilling down his cheeks.

“Reggie… it’s okay,” she said gently. A little unsure, she reached out a hand to rub his back, and to her surprise, he didn’t flinch away. Slowly, he seemed to regain control of himself.

“Liv…,” Reggie panted. “You know you’re not meant to be in here; this is the guys’ room.”

“Hey! Like it’s my fault you didn’t take your anxiety attack into the unisex bathroom. That’s on you.” Hmph. Ungrateful, much?

Reggie scowled, and dragged his cousin out of the toilet block by her arm. He slumped down by the wall, and scooched over to encourage her to join him.

“You’re a pain in the arse.” He was still shaking.

“It’s been said, yeah.” Liv huddled a little closer. “You don’t need to worry, okay? You’re not going to have any trouble making friends. Did you see they’ve got a chess club, and a photography club as well? At least that’ll get you talking to people.”

“That’s,” Reggie said quietly, “not exactly what I’m worried about.” When Liv looked at him expectantly, he continued. “When I was in a room with all those kids, my head just went back to being at our old school… and what happened. I know this place is meant to be progressive and all that, but that doesn’t mean that everyone’s okay. What if I think I’ve made friends with someone, and they find out about Erin, and they make it a big thing, and then some arsehole finds out….”

“Man, you’re really spiraling,” Liv observed, not especially helpfully. She wasn’t exactly surprised by what was troubling her cousin; getting into a fight in defense of his young transgender sister had completely unseated Reggie from the comfortable life he’d had at the last school. It had changed everything.

“You would too, if she was your sister!”

“Probably. But I think you should at least give people a go. It sounds like they’re really strict on any kind of bullying against minorities. Swinging back hard in the opposite direction after that fascist dictatorship.”

“Those are some awfully big words for you to be throwing around there, Livia; watch you don’t hurt yourself….”

“Hey! I know my stuff!” Liv demanded. “Do you think my tio abuelo would have it any other way? But anyway, I’m right. All the people who didn’t fit in before have come to this part of the country. Probably a lot of the kids have parents who saw really horrible things in the war; they wouldn’t want to send them somewhere that was bad like before. My Mama ‘Stel gave the principal the grilling of her life, and I bet she hasn’t been the only one. People are gonna want to make sure their kids are being looked after.”

A smile quirked on Reggie’s face as he imagined his aunt on a school tour. “I bet Tia Estela left Principal Sanchez quivering under the desk.”

“Yeah… after what happened in the last school, there’s no way they’d let us go anywhere unless they were sure it was a place that treated people right.”

Reggie knew that much. But his parents, and even his fierce aunt, could not shield himself, his sisters and his cousin, from everything. He contemplated silently, grateful for the patient companionship.

“I guess,” he said at last, “if no one gave anyone else a chance to be anything but the worst, then we’d be pretty lonely.”

“Yup. We should at least give it a shot. And if it all goes in the crapper, I’ll sic my moms on the fools that mess with us. And the freaking yeti.”

Reggie couldn’t help but roll his eyes. That had always been Liv’s answer to everything. “Livia, I hate to break it to you, but if you go around threatening people with yetis, everyone’s gonna think you’ve got a screw loose. Except me; I know you’ve got a screw loose.”

“So damn rude,” Liv growled. “Anyway, you really should eat something. It probably won’t help you feeling crap and light-headed if you’ve got an empty stomach. They’ve got arepas!”

“...I could eat an arepa,” Reggie admitted. There was only so much a young boy of thirteen could control; he couldn’t wave a magic wand and guarantee that his little sister would never be hurt by cruel, ignorant words, but he could look after himself, so that he was the best him he could be-- and the best brother.

_____________________________

USA, 2028

“You did a great job, sweetheart,” Taylor said kindly as Reggie delicately placed his knife and fork atop his small plastic plate, signaling that he’d finished. Immediately afterwards, the little boy’s small hand had dropped to his side to get a reassuring touch of his teddy’s scruffy fur. “It was nice of Big Bear to join us for dinner. Does he like lasagna as much as you do?”

Reggie yawned widely as he nodded to his aunt. He hadn’t known it was possible for a kid to be so full of yawns, but living with newborn twins had shown him just how big a tired feeling could be. “Big Bear likes to watch from the floor.”

“That’s nice of him to let you have the whole plate for yourself. We’re gonna have plenty to bring over to your mommy and daddy for them to eat tomorrow.”

Lasagna had been Reggie’s choice. This whole sleepover was to be all about him; giving him a welcome break from the stresses of being a new big brother to two babies at once. He’d been on many, many sleepovers at Tia Estela and Auntie Taylor’s place before, but this time felt different. Reggie knew that at home, his parents were busy with their other children… and in his sensitive state, it took no time at all for him to miss them.

Twins, Reggie had come to realise, were very hard work. They cried a lot… and his mommy cried a lot, and his daddy cried a lot, and he cried a lot. All crying and no sleeping was not a whole lot of fun. Reggie wanted so badly to get away from the babies, but at the same time he longed to be with his parents. However much fun it was to take a break at his aunts’ place, the worry in him just wouldn’t go away.

Side-by-side, he and Liv changed into their pyjamas. Five-year-old Liv, true to form, nattered away to him the whole time. Babies, of course, were the subject of choice.

“My moms say we’re probably not gonna get another baby. Maybe ‘cos you have two I can borrow one if I get lonely. Do you have one that you like best?”

Reggie shrugged.

“Maybe next time your mom and dad will have three. You could have all these babies like a baby army, and if someone’s ever mean to you, you will have like a hundred poopy diapers you can throw at them. No one likes poop.”

“I don’t want lots more babies,” Reggie said softly. I want no more.

“If you don’t like babies, you can come and live with us forever!” Liv suggested brightly, oblivious the the wobble of her cousin’s bottom lip.

When Estela popped her head around the corner to check on the kids, Reggie was in tears and Liv looked totally bewildered.

“Mommy, Reggie’s crying…,” she pointed out, rather unnecessarily, for her mother had already scooped the little boy into a cuddle.

“It’s okay, mijo,” Estela soothed as she gently rocked her nephew in her arms. “It’s okay to cry. This has been really hard. You know what? You have been such a good boy for Mommy and Daddy.”

Liv, not quite sure what to do, but nothing if not well-meaning, draped herself over Reggie and patted him on the back. “There, there. It’s okay.”

Estela took Reggie into the lounge room for some cheer-up time, and Liv took Big Bear. Taylor quickly joined them, and pulled Reggie into her lap for a cuddle.

“Are you feeling a bit sad, sweetpea?”

Reggie nodded. “Uh-huh. I liked it better how things were before. Everything’s different.”

Taylor gently rubbed the little boy’s arms. “Change can be really tough. It’s like you’ve got to figure out how life works all over again!”

“Yeah, it’s not nice.”

“So, it’s okay to have a good cry. We will give you as many hugs and cuddles as you need.”

“Reggie,” Liv piped up, “do you wanna play a game? That could make you feel happy?”

Reggie sniffed and nodded again. Pleased-- she had this cheering-up business down-- Liv plonked herself in Estela’s lap and leaned forward to her cousin.

“Do you wanna play… ‘Klaawyi Chase’?”

Estela intervened quickly. “Maybe something with a little less running around. It’s nearly bedtime, Livi.”

“Okay. Ummmm…. ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’?”

“Livita.”

Well, you’re no fun. Liv gave a soft huff and pondered. By her best guess, ‘Hide and Seek’ would be a ‘no’ too… especially as last time she’d hid, no one managed to find her for a full hour.

“How about,” Taylor suggested, “we have a game of ‘Fortunately-Unfortunately’?”

“I wanna play that one!” Reggie said enthusiastically. “Can I start? Fortunately, we all had ice cream for dessert.”

Liv bounced in her mother’s lap. “Unfortunately, the ice cream was smelly-feet flavour!”

“Livi!” Taylor exclaimed, rolling her eyes. Why was everything smelly-feet with that kid? “Okay, then-- fortunately, Robin Dog likes smelly-feet, so he ate all the ice cream for us.”

“Oh!” Liv cried. “I’ve got a really good one!” Hehe, Robin with smelly-feet farts….

“Unfortunately,” said Estela. “It was Mama Estela’s turn, and Miss Livita just had to wait.”

Liv turned and poked her tongue out at her mom, making Reggie giggle. He snuggled in against his Auntie Taylor’s chest, his mind far away from worries about his new role as big brother to a pair of very needy twins.

“Fortunately,” he said, smiling, “Furball was visiting, and he made us some new ice cream with no yucky flavours in it.”

“Unfortunately….”

_________________________

San Trobida, September 2035

It was the last weekend before school started, and a lazy warm day at the Montoya house. Estela was up a tree, hammering boards into what would soon be a playhouse for the kids. She’d already finished up a two-storey-high climbing wall on the other side of the yard, which, at Liv’s request, would eventually be connected to the new tree-house by a zipline. Then, there’d be a slide, and monkey bars, and a tyre swing, and a fire pole. Basically, Estela had made it her mission to put together the best backyard playground on the Costa Libertad. Taylor, meanwhile, had been busying herself with a vegetable garden, with the help of a fascinated Erin and her parents, who turned out to be quite clever when it came to soil chemistry.

Liv had been up and down her new climbing wall like a yo-yo, leaving her dog, Robin, running rings around the base and all but tripping Reggie up as he tentatively took his first steps towards ascending.

“Are you coming?”

“I’m trying! Your dog’s getting in the way.”

Eventually, Reggie managed to clamber his way up, with a little help from Liv who hauled him over the top.

“See; piece of cake.”

Reggie couldn’t quite agree, and now that he was up twenty feet, he was already dreading his descent back to solid ground. Keen to distract himself from the dizzying height, he passed Liv the rope that he’d carried slung across his shoulders.

“What do you want me to do with it?” she demanded. “You’re meant to drop one end back down….”

“I’m not going near the edge!”

“Fine. Immy! You down there still?”

On the ground, and trying to wrestle a squeaky toy giraffe from Robin’s mouth, Immy craned her neck up.

“Yeah-- but you’re lucky I am, Reggie was so slow.”

“Careful. I was careful. You should bloody well try it sometime.”

Immy rolled her eyes dramatically, but nonetheless took the rope end that Liv had lowered to her, and ran it over to Estela so the distance could be measured.

“There we go,” Liv said, after having marked the rope at the edge of the platform. “Done. Reggie, if you’re just going to look down, you might as well be on the ground. Come on-- check out the view!”

Begrudgingly, Reggie sat up properly and looked around.

“Woah.” Maybe he could see the appeal of being up so high, even if he was immensely grateful for the safety rails around the platform. “You really can see everything up here.”

“Isn’t it cool?” Liv beamed as she pointed her cousin towards the paddock behind the yard. “You wanted to see our horse? Right in there at the side of the sheltery-shed thing….”

“Oh, wow! Okay, fine, I believe you now. I guess she was just hiding earlier.”

“That’s Miel. She’s like, older than dirt; Mama Estela used to ride her when she was a teenager.”

“And she’s still alive?”

“Just about. I think she’s uh… nearly thirty? Pretty ancient. Mom found out she was all on her own after her friend died, and she bought her so she could retire here with us. She’s kind of a bitey asshole. Uh, the horse-- not Mom.” Liv quickly amended, glancing to the in-progress tree-house. “So, we’re keeping her, and if she wants to make friends with the new horses we’re getting, she can, otherwise at least she can, like, neigh rude horse words at them from over the fence.”

Reggie snorted. Weirdo.

“I’m super excited. I know Mama ‘Stel was kind of nervous about us moving over here because of how things were when she was a kid-- but it actually… feels nice. I love our new house. I love cranky Miel. I love that we’re gonna get chickens, and maybe a new friend for Robin. Even the school seems pretty good.”

Swallowing his fear, Reggie joined Liv at the railing, dangling his legs over the side of the platform.

“Yeah, I think I like it here, too. Mom and Dad seem really happy; Dad says he can make more of a good difference in the world here than in America. So, I guess that’s got to be good. Did I tell you we’re going to put a pool in?”

“You might have mentioned it. When you’ve been whining about the heat, for the hundredth time.”

“It’s so humid!”

Liv giggled. It was like being back in the tropics of La Huerta, and to her, that felt right. Granted, it might have been nicer if they could just pop on over into a neighbouring alpine region that was inexplicably right next to the hot, sticky jungle, but she really loved it.

“Well,” Reggie said, “it’s going to be great. And it should be done by the time Quinn and Michelle come to visit.”

“Do we even know whose house they’re staying at yet?”

“It should be my place.” Reggie puffed out his chest, as if to emphasise the rightness of his point. “You’re definitely getting Jake and Sean and Mikey. You can’t take all the visitors. And besides… we’ll have a pool.”

That was hard to argue with. “It’s up to the adults anyway,” Liv conceded. In the end, it didn’t matter; she was going to make the most of having her La Huerta family around even if it meant camping out in Reggie’s back yard. “But, I will be a much better San Trobida tour guide than you. I’m still showing you around.”

Reggie hmphed, and Liv laughed.

“Come on, Reggie,” she said, dropping gracefully down the side of the wall and taking up hand-holds. “I’m getting hungry.”

It was at that point that Reggie made the sobering discovery that going down, was rather more intimidating than going up a sheer vertical surface.

“Um, Liv…,” he said quietly. “I, uh, don’t think I can do that.”

“Oh!” Liv responded. “Sorry, I forgot you’re new to this. Maybe you should’ve started smaller. But don’t worry, I’ll get you down….”

“Okay…,” he murmured, clearly not remotely convinced.

“Mom!” Liv hollered, all but making her poor cousin topple over the edge in surprise. “Reggie’s stuck!”

Reggie felt heat rise in his cheeks as his sisters, hanging out on the grass below the wall at the worst possible time, burst out laughing. Like they could even get up this high to begin with.

Up in the tree-house, Estela looked up and wiped off the paint from her hands. Rescuing kids from scrapes had pretty much become her specialty at this point; twelve years with Liv had seen to that. “I’m coming,” she called back.

“I’m not exactly stuck,” Reggie muttered defensively, as his Tia Estela easily scaled the climbing wall to join him and Liv, who’d already rejoined him to offer moral support. “If I really wanted to, I could climb down; I just feel I should practice climbing up a few more times before I try that.”

“You’ll get there,” Estela said kindly. As far as she was concerned, the fact that her nephew had a realistic view of his own capabilities was only a good thing. “I’ll have that zipline going in no time anyway, so you’ll have no hurry to work it out.”

With his aunt’s back offered to him, Reggie took the cue and wrapped his long arms around her neck, and his legs around her middle. Getting rescued by one of the team of protective grown-ups? Basically, the story of both his and Liv’s lives.

“Hang on, Regito,” Estela laughed.

____________________________

La Huerta, 2034

The frigid wind howled against the cabin door, and it took all of Liv and Reggie’s combined might to wrestle it closed. Both kids were panting heavily-- and shaking like leaves-- as they nervously stepped away.

“Thank god this little hut was here, really,” Liv heaved. “I dunno about you, but I’d rather be stranded in a snowstorm with walls around me.”

Reggie said nothing, and just shivered, wrapping his arms around his own torso. He’d wrapped up-- as if his parents would let him go wandering into the colder pockets of the island without a heap of layers-- but the snow had wet his gloves through, and a chill was now spreading through his body.

“Hey,” Liv said, “we should… we should get a fire going. You look like you’re halfway turned into a popsicle right now.”

As his cousin busied herself at the fireplace-- thank goodness there was some firewood left-- Reggie fiddled with his emergency phone. His heart sank. No signal. His mom and dad were going to be so worried when he and Liv never came home….

“Uh, Liv… I think the storm’s screwed up the reception here. It won’t let me phone Mom and Dad.”

Liv looked up, and for the first time, she looked truly fearful, her usual intrepid spirit extinguished in a flash. “They’re really gonna panic,” she said softly. She shuddered. If their parents came out looking for them, it meant walking out into a blizzard, and all the danger that came with it. If she could just tell her mothers that she was safe, that she and Reggie had shelter… they could wait out the storm. Anything could happen, anything….

“Are you okay, Livia?” Reggie asked, and he handed her a heavy blanket as he sat down cross-legged in front of her feebly burning fire. “You look kind of spaced-out.”

“Hng?”

“They’ll find us; it’ll be okay.”

“I don’t want them to come and find us,” Liv snapped. “I want them to stay where it’s safe. They could get hurt or, or worse because we were stupid enough not to turn around when the weather changed.” She placed a stick too roughly, and her firewood tower collapsed, extinguishing the flame. “For fuck’s sake!”

Reggie, wisely, stayed quiet, letting his cousin fix up the mess and get a new fire started without interference. He watched her with concern as her eyes welled. “Livia…?”

She huddled close to him, but for a long while, didn’t speak.

“Reggie,” she murmured at last, “something really horrible happened a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t want to talk about it with you, ‘cause… ‘cause I didn’t even want to think about it…. It just made me feel too bad. But, uh.... I was… I was playing in the sea with Mama Estela. Just like we always do. We were just goofing off. Then, um, I got all tangled up in those freaking weeds. They grabbed me and held me under.”

“That must have been so scary….”

“Of course, Mom got me out of there. B-but there was a sea-snake in there. It bit her. It happened so fast… I hardly even saw what happened, but she suddenly just... could hardly even get out of the water. I somehow managed to haul her up out the water, but she was all limp and… and I gave her the anti-venom, and she just started having some kind of fit.. Like her body was jerking around, and her mouth was all frothy.” She gasped through a sob. “Then she… she stopped breathing, completely.” Liv shuddered as the memory filled her mind, vivid as if it were yesterday. She could feel Reggie’s wide, horrified eyes upon her. “I screamed. I screamed for help. Mama Taylor was up the beach, she couldn’t hear me. S-so I did CPR. My hands were shaking so-- so bad. And all I could think was ‘I’m gonna screw this up. I’m gonna screw this up and my mom’s gonna die’.” Her voice cracked and she sputtered through hot tears that she wiped away with her arm. Before she knew it, Reggie had his arms around her and was holding her tight. “I don’t know how long it was,” she said. “It felt like forever, but it was probably only a few minutes. Then she started breathing and I just… I cried, and cried, and cried.”

Reggie gently rubbed Liv’s back, and it soothed her.

“I, uh, I guess I always thought Mama Estela was invincible. To me, she always was. There was nothing I couldn't do either, because she would always be there to protect me. It was so close, Reggie… it looked like she was gone.”

“I… didn’t know it was as bad as that. My dad told me she’d been bitten but…,” Reggie mumbled. “You must have been so scared. Have you… have you talked to your moms about it much?”

Liv sniffed, and wiped her face again. “Yeah. You know what my Mama Taylor is like; we’ve talked it through lots, I’ve told them how I’m feeling. But I haven’t… like… had a big cry since it happened.” Until now. Now, she just couldn’t seem to stop the tears from coming. Reggie didn’t seem to mind; he just sat with her, and rubbed her back, and told her it was okay.

After what seemed like an age, her tears slowed.

“It is going to be okay, you know?” Reggie said gently. “Obviously, they’re going to come out looking for us, but they’re smart. They’ll be prepared; just like your Mama Estela was with the anti-venom.”

“Yeah…,” Liv said, her voice small. You could be as prepared as you wanted, but sometimes the world managed to stay one step ahead. The storm outside was wild and furious, battering on the roof and walls… and it was frightening. Liv could only snuggle under her cousin’s arm, and trust that whatever search and rescue party was out there would come through.

The two kids huddled together beneath their blanket, speaking little, but making their mutual support known without words. Just the squeeze of a hand through the most blood-curdling howls of the wind, and the simple offer of presence.

Somehow, the creak of the door shoved open cut through the dull roar.

“Oh, thank goodness!”

“Dad!” Reggie leapt forward and flung his arms around his father, his face lighting up further when Grace followed in behind. “Mom!”

Grace put her shaking hands to her son’s face, gently sweeping hair from his eyes. “Darling, are you all right?” Then she pulled Liv into a fierce hug, and in a moment Aleister had his arms around all three of them. “We were so worried!”

Liv whimpered against Grace’s shoulder. “Are my moms out in the storm?” She knew the answer already.

“Yes, honey. They’re out searching for you. Don’t you stress, okay? We’ve got a flare to set off so they’ll know we found you here-- and Varyyn and Diego too.”

“Woah,” Liv murmured, “you got a whole search party out.”

There was a buzzing, and the flickering of blue light, then Iris materialised.

Reggie beamed. “Hey, Grandma! So, a ‘whole search party’ is pretty much correct.”

“I will say, being able to scan for nearby lifeforms is quite handy in situations like these.”

So, find my moms and Tio Diego. Liv hugged tighter to her Auntie Grace, with no words pleading for help.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Grace said gently, stroking Liv’s face, while Aleister saw to setting off the flare. “It’s going to be just fine. We’re not far from Elyys’tel; we all fanned out from there, so no one is going to be too deep into the mountains.”

That… actually made sense. It was enough, just enough to keep Liv a step above panic-mode. She headed back to the fireplace, but as her backside hit the floor, a guttural roar rocked the cabin, and she leapt back to her feet.

“What the--?”

“You two stay back!” Aleister ordered, his voice shaking. Why, oh why, did the children want to go gallivanting out in the frozen wilderness when there was a perfectly serviceable tropical paradise right outside their front door? He was going to be old before his time at this rate….

Grace, though, was already hauling open the door, to reveal the hulking figure of the Mountain Guardian.

A growl rumbling in her throat, Arktos loomed in the doorway, looking down at Grace with a questioning gaze.

“Hello…?” she said cautiously. The gigantic bear-like creature was generally reasonably friendly…. “Did we… did we disturb you with the flare?”

Arktos grumbled, her furry ears flicking with curiosity.

“Our friends are out there in the storm,” Grace continued, certain that the yeti would understand; her past experiences had only supported the fact that this creature was incredibly intelligent-- and benevolent. “The flare was to bring them to this cabin.”

With a soft huff, Arktos shuffled backwards, and all of a sudden, it seemed as though she was surrounded by a force-field… a bubble that the wind and blinding snow couldn’t penetrate.

Understanding, Grace turned to Iris. “I think we’re going hiking again-- with a little extra help this time. Al, you’ll stay and watch the kids?”

“I--I--” Aleister stuttered. “Well, of course. Stay close to the… the bear thing.” Scrambling a little, he pulled off his outer layer and offered it to her. “I won’t have you catching hypothermia.”

And Grace stepped into the snow, Iris hovering behind her, and found shelter in the yeti’s protective shield. She looked up at the beast, now rearing up onto colossal hind legs to scout for signs of nearby human activity. “Thank you, Arktos. I guess… I guess, you choose the direction, and we’ll start the search.”

The unusual trio headed out into the storm, and within moments, they were invisible for the wind thick with snow. Aleister, a look of dumbfoundment upon his face, closed the door, and again, the cabin was quiet.

“Damn. Auntie Grace is a fricking badass,” Liv breathed, face alight in awe.

Aleister, recovering from his wife’s shock exit quickly-- he’d seen her steely courage in action enough times to just about take it in his stride, nodded. “Indeed.” He brushed the last flakes of snow from his coat, and looked around the room. “Well, I don’t suppose the wait will pass any faster with us standing around here. Reggie, did we leave any board-games here last time?”

“Uh, looks like we’ve got ‘Scrabble’?”

Well, Liv thought, I don’t have a hope in hell against these people. Should’ve left ‘Twister’ here….

Reggie sat himself down in front of the crackling fire and started unpacking the box. “Hey, Livia-- team up with me?”

He was clearly still a little worried about her. If there was an opportunity to thrash her at something, Mr Pedantic-Always-Right would take it without fail. Or so Liv had believed.

She plonked down cross-legged beside him. “Yeah? Yeah, all right.”

The two kids exchanged a high five, and Liv couldn’t help but grin. You are going down, Uncle Al.

___________________________

San Trobida, September 2035

As the car pulled up the neatly paved pathway to Aleister and Grace’s house, Liv excitedly rolled down the window.

“Reginaaaaald!!!” she hollered.

“How,” Aleister wondered aloud, “can such a small person-- and the offspring of Estela and Diego of all people-- sound so eerily like a bloody foghorn?”

A beaming Reggie followed his father out the front door. He exchanged hugs with both his parents-- and his two little sisters-- and then rushed to join his cousin on the back seat.

“Are you ready to go, mijo?” Estela checked in, suppressing a laugh as Taylor all but did a contortion act to give her nephew a hug from the front seat.

He had Liv, didn’t he? So, basically, he was ready for anything.

The short drive to the school saw the return of those pesky jitters, and Reggie knew from the way his cousin jiggled her leg the whole way there that he was definitely not alone in that. The school ground, filled only with kids their own age when they’d been there for orientation, was swarming with adolescents of all sizes-- and just about all of them were bigger than Reggie and Liv.

With an awkward hug and a kiss to her mothers in the front of the car, Liv bit the bullet and, bulging backpack in hand, stepped out into a brave new world. There was only one thing for it; Reggie would just have to take the plunge. He swung his backpack over his shoulder, and followed after his cousin.

“Welp,” said Liv, “here goes nothing!”

Reggie gave a nervous laugh and playfully bashed Liv with his backpack, putting a reassuringly silly grin on her face.

We’ve got this.

_______________________

NOTES

Little Xiraana is @mauvecatfic's baby. Check out her stories; you won't regret it!

If you read 'A Ride to Remember', you might remember Miel. She's the very same horse.

Aaaaand, the incident Liv is recounting during the snowstorm is the one you can read from Estela's perspective in 'Teething Problems: Part Two'.

[akampana]

16 cutoria but in a vampire/werewolf au?

ANON LOOK WHAT YOU DID ITS 6716 WORDS LONG/lh

16 “I didn’t want to tell you like this, but I have no choice.” Werewolf AU Cú Chulainn x Arturia Pendragon

________

“You’ve stalled for too long, brat.”

The she-wolf dropped into the clearing without a sound, her experienced paws padding across the forest floor as lightly as the beating of butterfly wings. Scáthach was a creature of grace, even as a large canine. Her hunts were nothing short of elegant either, carried out quiet enough such as not to disturb the night. It was no wonder at all that she was once the Alpha of the pack.

The new Alpha was not so. Though the runs he was tasked to lead were mostly just as productive, he was rough and arrogant, hunting larger prey while scorning rabbits and smaller faunus. While the pups enjoyed being handed larger game whenever he came to the den, his chosen prey’s strangled cries always alerted nearby animals to go running. In winter, such conduct put the whole pack in danger of going hungry.

Despite that, it was only Scáthach who ever told him off, for there was no one else quite as strong as the large grey beast that was bestowed the honor of being their leader.

“You know what snow does to the rival packs, Cú,” hummed the wiser wolf as she circled the hubristic pup. She was never in favor of putting him in the lead just yet, but she had served her purpose, teaching him all that she knew. She didn’t doubt he had the prowess. He just lacked the responsibility.

“They have been seen closing in on our territory, now that prey runs scarce. You’ve been lucky, bringing in as much elk as you have thus far. But how will you maintain that while defending the territory, hm? Pull a miracle and find some loose sheep like you did last winter?”

Her pup-turned-leader snorted, shaking his snout as he stalked away. “This another attempt at getting me a mate, old hag?”

The she-wolf bared her teeth at the new alpha, batting his snout with her paw. “A mate shows power and longevity, you know this. Fionn may not have been the best father to you, but he brought you brothers and he brought you safety.”

“I ain’t taking Medb,” Cú snarled back, his fur standing on end at the thought. “So shove it. I’m heading out. Tell Ferdíad I can’t make it to game night.”

Without another word, the alpha wolf bounded off into the trees faster than the human eye could follow. He leapt past hills, his paws crunching snow beneath him, careless of the little prey that scuttled about. They were done with today’s hunt. Even Ferdíad's litter could go to sleep completely satisfied.

The wolf dodged through the thick vegetation mile after mile, until the paths he marked out for the younger wolves were no longer in sight. Although he doubted the den mother would approve of him going so far out into their territory alone, he was the alpha now. His decisions would no longer be questioned.

Finally, he came to a cave: an old abandoned bear den, that lesser beings avoided though its owner no longer lived there. His sharp ruby eyes darted to his surroundings, making sure he wasn’t followed. Then, he entered the den, as he had done several times before, and came out the cave’s other end.

Only Diarmuid knew about his hideout, and he’d like to keep it that way. As long as the beta kept this little secret within the pack territory, Cú could keep her safe.

The large canine made his way past a few evergreen trees ‘til the humble farm came into view. Sure enough, there she was in the middle of the fenced off enclosure, sitting amongst her sheep while the lambs fed on the last of the grass.

Here was Scáthach’s little “miracle”: a shepherd that had seen Cú’s starving figure at the edge of her farm last winter and purposely left her fence gate open. To this day, Cú still did not know why she did it, but her generosity got his entire pack through the harsh season.

In return, he’d secretly kept foxes and wild wolves off her farm, making sure the lesser beings knew better than to encroach on his personal territory.

At least, that’s what he did as a wolf.

Cú returned to his little cave, snarling as his fur receded into his skin. The alpha curled onto the ground, biting his own paw to stifle his groans as the bones within him shrank and contorted into a lesser form. His snout receded into a straight nose, his fangs into passably human sharp teeth. Without his night vision, Cú reached blindly for the small duffel bag tucked into a small hollow and pulled out an artificial coat and a pair of trousers.

What snuck out of the enclosure was no longer a grey apex predator, but a tall, muscled man with flowing dark hair: an ordinary hunter, no more special than the ones that frequented the northern town.

The bell chimed as he walked through the entrance, signalling the blonde shop owner of his arrival. Cú tried not to smile too widely as Arturia Pendragon popped her head through the staff door, but he knew that was a futile effort.

“Hey, shortie.”

“Good evening, Cú,” replied the woman, snorting at his favorite nickname for her as he hung his coat on the rack. “I have your usual ready...though I still cannot understand why you prefer coming here rather than the supermarket. You know Arthur takes our supply every Monday. He's down there with Arash the rest of the week. Isn’t that a little closer to home?”

Right. She still thought he lived in town. It was easier than saying he lived across the woods in a village even more secluded then hers which would be impossible to get to from here without a two hour drive unless you were a wolf that could cross the forest terrain in a fraction of time, so he didn’t correct her.

The Irishman shrugged and sank into the rug before the fireplace. “Mutton’s better fresh. 'Sides, the grocers don't stock your pies. Ya really should sell 'em, Arturia, I'm tellin' ya.”

The woman scoffed, lightly nudging her friend to the side with her foot. As he scooched over, she set down a food tray between them: one with two glasses of whiskey and two slices of pie.

"Flatterer," she accused, handing the bigger slice to Cú anyway. He wolfed it down in seconds.

The first time he showed up at her door went much the same way, just a lot more awkward.

It was the day after his wolf came home with her sheep. He'd already knocked on her door to thank her before realizing how stupid that idea was. What was he meant to say?

Hey, uh, thanks for letting me hunt your sheep to feed my pack. My best friend's wife just popped a litter of hungry babies, hehe gotta feed them young am I right? Oh, by the way, I'm the wolf from yesterday, nice to meet you—Yep. No. not gonna work. This was a terrible idea. Stupid, really. He was stupid. Why did he even come here again?

Then she swung open the door, freezing the man in place with his mouth half open.

"Can I help you?" She asked, but before he could even reply, he was greeted by snow. Everywhere. All at once. Down his spine and into his underwear.

Now, he wasn't as susceptible to the cold as the common human, but she did not know that. Before he could even get a word out, he was sitting in front of the fire to dry while she ran to get him something warm to drink.

A change into Arthur's clothes and some hot coffee later, he was being served pie at the dining table to make up for his unexpected snow shower.

"Again, I sincerely apologize for that. My brother and I haven't had the chance to fix the porch roof. We just moved to this old farm last month,” rambled the short Welsh woman as she handed him a hot towel.

After some hesitation and observation on the stranger’s way of dress, she asked, “Did...did you come here for lamb?"

Little did she know, she'd just handed Cú the perfect excuse. Plus, he now knew exactly how to show his gratitude.

"If I fix up yer roof would ya give me a discount?"

Over the next week, Cú would come to the Pendragon residence to make repairs. It wasn’t just the roof that needed patching up.

It turns out she and her brother were alone in the world, cheated out of their inheritance and everything else they owned by their older sister. All that was left to them was this old farm and cottage, which neither had visited since they were kids. Their half-sibling even threw in three truckloads of animals as a joke, since she had all the riches in the world to spend and a special budget for humiliating the two green-eyed blondes.

Still, the twins were educated. Brilliant, even. And though they were clumsy when it came to most household repairs, their experience tending equine stables for their late father translated rather well to animal husbandry. In a month, they had made enough to pay the bills and get them a secondhand laptop and working Wi-fi. The next month saw Arturia getting her own computer.

Half a year down the line, Cú was sure that the Pendragon siblings would move out, but here they stayed, still maintaining their humble farm though it was no longer their only form of income. Neither of them needed the burden of moving back to London, with its ridiculously high cost of living and impossible rent rates. They’d grown fond of the land they actually owned and its peace.

That suited Cú just fine, because he had grown fond of Arturia.

Cú still visited, even after all the repairs had finished. His nephews were always hungry, and while the mutton did not satisfy the little pups’ bloodlust as much as wild game, it made up for the deficit while the children were in human form. But even Arthur knew his bi-monthly purchases were just an excuse.

He was there for the coffees, for the brief moments his fingers would brush hers. He was there for the whiskey, the cheap bottles they shared before the fireplace while she told him everything she could about the city. He was there to make fun of her posh way of speaking, to pull the ribbon from her hair, to bring her fruits and berries and furs and let her read him books.

He was there for her.

Scáthach’s training only increased in intensity as the months passed, and between his day job and being the new alpha, Cú had little time left for himself. But what he could spare, he spent with his favorite person, even if it was just watching her tend her sheep from a distance while he kept foxes out of her territory.

Cú tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, happy to see she didn’t even flinch, but plagued by the thought of his wolf. He was the pack alpha now, and that meant a shitload of other responsibilities that would keep him from her for as long as he held that title.

“That’s all yer charging me, shortie? Nah, can’t be,” Cú resisted, pushing a few more bills across the table. “That’s way too cheap, even if yer sweet on me.”

Pink-faced, Arturia slid the packed meats back across the counter, reached behind her, and procured a carefully wrapped circular dish which she placed in a bag.

“Take it,” she insisted, hooking the bag onto his fingers. “We’ve been ridiculously lucky to not get any wolves and foxes considering how much higher into the mountains we live compared to the rest of the town. There is more than enough left for Arthur and I.”

Cú peeked into the extra bag, catching a glimpse of a familiar crust. God, she was far too kind. He’d reject the offer, but he’d always wanted to bring some shepherd’s pie back to the pack. This was his chance.

“Ya sure?”

“Absolutely,” she confirmed, holding open the front door as Cú made his exit. “This is the least I could do for you, Cú. You have helped make us feel home in this far-off place. I would even say that you are family but—”

“Go out with me,” the werewolf interrupted, shoving all his reservations into his internal dumpster. He didn’t know how yet, but he was gonna make this work. “Come on, I know ya like me, shortie.”

Tiptoeing, Arturia snaked a hand into his hair and pulled him down to her level, planting a small kiss on his cheekbone.

“It is...a little more than ‘like’, I believe,” the woman admitted bashfully, trying to mask her embarrassment by awkwardly sneaking back behind the door. “...Eight tomorrow?”

Cú bit his lip, glad to hear confirmation on what he already knew. She loved him back. She loved him back. God, he better not be looking like a child just handed some candy.

“Nah, this morning weekend. This weekend morning. The morning of this weekend,” he fumbled, rewarded with a short chuckle from her end. “I wanna have a whole day with ya for once, shortie. I’ll make it worth yer time.”

There was a spring in his step as the alpha bounded across the forest that night, carrying the bags carefully with the handles between his teeth.

If only he weren’t so distracted. Then he’d have noticed the salivating spy that watched him leave the abandoned bear den with a fresh pack of meat.

Snow fell heavily across the landscape on Tuesday evening, covering the last of autumn’s colors in a blanket of pure white. After dinner time was always idle for Cú, so he spent it sharing Arturia’s gift with the kids and spinning his phone in his fingers.

Instinct told him a storm was coming, and though it would probably have passed by Saturday, Cú wondered if he should try and reschedule his anticipated date. He wasn’t too worried about Arturia, since Arthur said he’d be coming back up to the cottage tonight, so at least she wouldn’t be alone all through it. Plus, the twins really did have a lot of food in stock. In comparison, he and his pack were the ones less prepared.

His sharp ears perked up as a familiar presence entered the grounds. The alpha’s brow knitted, as the slight smell of blood entered the air, but if the little ones weren’t alarmed, it must not have been such a serious wound.

Diarmuid stepped into the kitchen, still pulling on a wool jacket and shaking the snow off of his dark hair.

“Evening, Alpha,” the handsome man said softly, taking notice of the pie that sat in front of the pups.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, just call me Cú. Yer no less my little bro now than ya were before, Diar,” he corrected, sliding a plate his way. “Try that.”

The amber-eyed man approached the meal like a cat did water: hesitantly and suspiciously. Thankfully, as soon as he had a taste he had about the same reaction as Ferdiad’s kids did. Which was...basically nearly crying tears of joy.

“Where did you say you got this?” Diarmuid asked, snatching up another helping as Cú smirked. He’d not give the answer up that easily.

The alpha’s red eyes landed on his brother’s shoulder, finding a clumsy bandage just sticking out the collar. At once, he herded the beta into a different room, far enough from the pups that they couldn’t hear.

“The hell happened to ya?” Cú demanded, pulling the shirt collar to the side to better gauge the severity of the wound.

“It’s a warning, Sétanta” Scáthach answered for her son, entering the log cabin from the back door. “The rival packs were closing in on the border. I doubt their side of the mountain is as scarce as they make it out to be and yet they have the gall to encroach on ours.”

“Our territory’s guarded. That’s why we moved Fergus, ain’t it? To cover all bases. Den in the center with the pups, Me and Diar in the North, and dad in the South. Fergus’s gang to the west, and we got the town in the east and all wolves know not to mess with the towns,” Cú shot back, unconcerned.

Red eyes much alike to Cú’s observed him with kind care, seeing the wolf pup and alpha both. The new leader was strong, but he was arrogant. In a way, he was a perfect successor, for she knew he could kill her should the need arise. However, too loose he was with laws; too untethered by the rules that kept their kind safe.

“It would be a show of strength to take a mate. To let all know that our new Alpha has his right hand—”

Cú waved his arms dismissively. “The hands I do have are more than enough to drive them off. Ya know that. Now, are we stocking up for the pups or what? The storm ain’t gonna delay, I can smell it.”

22:24 Read

Cú paced the main den like a dog kept in an enclosure for far too long, tossing his half-charged phone while he awaited her message.

Four days. It had been four days since the blizzard started, piling snow on top of snow day after day as if it was trying to beat some arctic record. The log cabin’s ground floor was completely sealed in. They’d been on generator for the last four hours, listening to the weatherman on the radio as he promised for the third time that tonight the storm would finally pass.

Diarmuid was curling up with his nephews, keeping them warm in wolf form as they slept. Cú thanked every god he knew that they went on a hunt before the blizzard hit, else the kids went hungry. He and Diarmuid hadn’t planned to stay at their brother’s but the weather hardly gave them a choice. Their cottage was a lot further off.

22:24 Read

Cracks appeared on the glass as Cú glared into his mobile’s screen, hoping for some sort of change. But no. There sat the same exchange from an hour ago, the same bloody text just very loudly broadcasting to him the worst news of today.

One of our generators broke down. I need to move the power to the barn.

For real? Are you okay, shortie?

Arturia?

Hey, ya can’t just leave me hangin like that.

Arturia?

22:24 Read

“Sétanta, would you just put the bloody phone down?!” Ferdiad screeched, snatching the device right out of the alpha’s hands. “I said we were gonna talk, how the hell are we supposed to talk when yer not even givin’ me the bloody time of day!”

The low growl that escaped through the alpha’s bared teeth shook the cabin like an earthquake.

“What,” Cú barked, grabbing his precious device back while his brother stood his ground. “If this is just another lecture about how Scáthach was right, I should have just fucked with Medb and get it over with, I ain’t hearing another fucking word.”

22:24 Read

“No, you piece of—” Ferdiad inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring with frustration. The older man grabbed his brother by the shoulders, shaking him like a rattle. “Cú. Listen to me.”

As Diarmuid shushed them both, Ferdiad pointed outside, to where nothing could be seen but heavy white ice.

“Do you seriously think Scáthach wants you to mate that pink-haired priss? ‘Course not. She just needs ya to set down roots,” the delta wolf explained, looking over the alpha’s shoulder to his three sons. “You are the strongest of us, Cú, but nothing ties ya to this territory. For all the outsiders know you could be planning to move and make your own pack.”

The younger of them grimaced as Diarmuid nodded from his perch with the pups.

“I ain’t going nowhere,” the new alpha emphasized, shrugging out of his brother’s touch.

“Well they don’t know that! What if this whole time, the only reason they haven’t advanced is cause we’ve been keeping close watch on our borders, hm? Hell, you and Diar have basically been here the entire fucking week, they probably think you’ve bloody moved on. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they took advantage of this stupid storm to move into our territory, now that you’re not guarding the north!” Ferdiad argued, baring his fangs at his superior.

22:24 Read.

Cú’s heart stopped, the poor phone in his hands near crunching in his grip. No. The Pendragons didn’t live too far from the town. It was fine. She was fine. Just snowed in.

No werewolf was crazy enough to go near town in their canine form, not even the rival packs. There was too much risk of being found out. Simply no way.

Unless...

22:24 Read.

Unless they didn’t have any food in store. Unless they were looking for some easy pickings. Maybe a couple of sheep that wouldn’t be missed, stolen from a farm just a little out of range of the nearby village.

A farm with a single, vulnerable caretaker, forced to share a heater with her flock.

22:24 Read.

Cú frantically pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear, shushing Ferdiad before the delta could return to making his arguments. Three rings later and the line cut. He tried again, heart dropping like deadweight when it gave the same result.

His footsteps became panicked as he walked round in circles, scrolling upward to a contact that was here only for emergencies.

“Arthur,” Cú said through the phone, hearing the familiar voice of his blonde friend coming through the line. “‘S Arturia there with ya?”

Suddenly a quiet bang resounded throughout the room. A gunshot, deafened by distance and snow. Any false sense of security Cú still had shattered with the sound.

“The hell?” Ferdiad exclaimed, rushing towards his children to comfort them. “There can’t be any humans crazy enough to hunt in that storm.”

The alpha was no longer around to hear him.

Arturia never held any hate for her half-sister. Not even when she banned her and her twin to Ireland with nothing left to their name. Despite everything, Arturia thought her punishment was not too cruel, for she still had Arthur. She still had a degree under her belt, and in a way, Morgan had cast her far away from a destiny she didn’t even want to fulfil. Arthur never wanted to take over the mining company and neither did she.

The first few weeks were difficult, but they learned to live on their own. They made a humble world for themselves that wasn’t tied to their prestigious last name. It was simple. But it was good.

She’d admit it got a little lonely with just the two of them around, but...then there was Cú. Cú, who helped them fix up the house, who came bringing drinks or food they could all share by the fire. Cú, who helped them get set up at the market, who got them their regular buyers and still made himself a frequent customer. Cú, who made up excuses just to see her, who scorned the couch to lie down on her lap while she read.

The cabin was always a little warmer when he was around. It was home when he was around.

She should have asked him out sooner.

The wolves came crashing through the windows, raining thick glass all over her flock. There were seven of them. All massive beasts with fur of brown and grey, glowing eyes and bared fangs. In their view, she may as well have been just another sheep, helpless in the face of the predator.

The air was a cacophony of distressed bleating, panicked hooves and growls as the sheep tried their best to escape their fate. Amidst it were her own hoarse screams as a brown beast sank its fangs into her arms, her frantic kicks to its belly doing nothing to throw the large beast off. Desperate green eyes searched the floor for her gun, which sat useless under her first attacker, a chestnut wolf that had ignored smaller prey and gone straight for her.

Her own blood dripped down onto her cheeks as the wolf above her crushed her limbs between its teeth. Arturia’s eyes prickled with tears as fresh cries escaped her lips, grieving not from the pain but for all she was going to lose. So soon, she had to say goodbye to her new life, her brother, to any chance she ever had at a happy ending.

The woman felt her predator’s claw stomp onto her throat, stifling her screams as its teeth dug into her shoulder. Salt fell freely from her eyes as the beast tore through the muscle. Was this how she was going to die? Cold and alone amongst the carcasses of her flock? Was this how Arthur would find her when the blizzard did subside, torn to pieces and left scattered all over the barn floor?

Arturia shut her eyes, unwilling to let her last sight be that of her killer. Instead, she thought of Arthur, hoping someone would be there for him through it all. She thought of Cú, she thought of the lovely blue dress she was supposed to wear when she finally went out with him. She’d been waiting for the day to finally wear it. She knew he loved the color blue.

As her lungs began to burn for air, her final thought was a prayer to a God she didn’t know she still believed in. If she were to die today, then let it be the last pain her two favorite boys would ever experience—

Suddenly, frigid oxygen entered her lungs as her attacker was tackled off of her, leaving Arturia hacking and coughing as she gasped for breath. She sat up dizzily, gripping her injured shoulder with bleeding arms as she tried to get her bearings.

The pack had abandoned the few sheep that were left, hounding instead the new arrival: a wolf easily larger than her from head to tail, with grey fur that glistened in the little light. Its glowing red eyes seemed aflame with rage as it sank its teeth into her attacker’s throat and snapped its neck like a toothpick, showering all the surrounding dogs with their leader’s blood. Even then, the grey wolf did not stop, jumping at the next canine and carrying out its execution.

The woman limped to the exit as fast as she could, bracing herself against the biting cold as she made her way back to the cabin. Behind her, the barking continued as wolf fought against wolf, the red-eyed one beating off the remaining four while the frightened sheep ran wild with fear.

Arturia slammed the cabin door closed behind her, bolting every lock there was with frostbitten fingers before sneaking a glance back into the barn through the window. There was barely anything to make out amidst the pouring snow and the painful throbbing in her head, but all she knew was that somehow...the newcomer was winning.

She didn’t know what kind of divine intervention must have occurred for that wolf to come save her, but...all it did was buy her a little time. Even if she was safe from predators in the cabin, the freezing cold would take her before morning. Maybe she could start a fire, but she’d lost so much blood, she could barely even stand.

After much struggle to ignite the tinder, the injured woman slumped onto the rug before the fireplace, taking comfort in the hearth’s warmth as the blizzard raged on outside.

A loud crash brought her attention behind her, to where stood the red eyed wolf, blood staining the grey fur on his shoulder. Two emotions gripped her heart at the same time: fear and recognition. As the beast stalked its way toward her, she finally understood why he looked so familiar.

It was the young wolf from last year, the one who sat right outside her fence, neither coming in to attack her flock, nor fleeing at the sight of her. She’d always wondered what became of him after he ran off with a couple of her sheep. He had a lot more weight on him compared to back then, enough that she knew it was hopeless to try fighting him off. If he’d somehow defeated the entire pack in the barn, an injured human like herself didn’t stand a chance.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” she croaked, her shattered vocal chords barely able to keep up. “Please just make it quick.”

Almost as if he could understand her, the wolf whimpered and flattened his ears against his head, lowering himself as he approached.

For the second time that night, Arturia shut her eyes as the wolf caged her broken, shivering figure to the floor. She stiffened, anticipating another bite as he brought his head closer.

Then she felt a warm tongue lick her cheek.

Arturia’s eyes snapped open in surprise, locking with increasingly familiar ruby irises. The wolf lay its head on her chest, gently resting on top of her as it whimpered. Suddenly, it began to whine, jerking back and forth as its body contorted itself into a different shape. One that was smaller, one that hadn’t a silver coat of fur, one that no longer crushed her underneath its weight.

Soon it wasn’t a wolf at all that Arturia held in her arms, but a man. Large hands that she recognized traveled up to her cheeks, his thumbs stroking away her tears. Her heart warred with itself, overtaken by pain, relief, fear, security. But all of that could wait.

Cú leaned forward til he was kissing her, molding his mouth into hers til he had her lips memorized.

“Cú,” Arturia whispered, when they separated to breathe, her injured arms wearily looping around his neck. “You’re…”

“Sorry,” The man shushed her with another deep kiss, enveloping her shivering figure into his embrace. “I didn’t wanna tell you like this, but I have no choice. I’m—”

“The wolf from last winter,” she interrupted, her mind struggling to put together the pieces. “The…wolf who came to save me. You were here with me this whole tim—mmh”

The man’s fingers snaked behind her head, supporting her as tasted her mouth once more.

“Ya saved me first.”

There was a desperation in the way that he moved, the way he touched her cold skin. He didn’t want it to be like this. He wished their first kiss would have been somewhere warm. He wanted to take her out to the lake, hold her hand…not drag her into his world of hunt-or-be-hunted.

Cú pressed his lips to her neck, regretting the multitude of wounds she sustained there. If only he were here earlier. If only he were faster. This would never have happened if wasn’t so damn careless.

The werewolf pulled down her scarf and jacket, exposing the deep wounds the rival pack leader had left at the junction of her shoulder and all over her arms.

They bit her.

Cú pursed his lips, placing a few more kisses to her temple. He hoped it would be enough. He hoped she would understand his feelings for her. He hoped she would forgive him.

“Let’s get ya patched up, shortie, okay?”

Cú borrowed some of Arthur’s clothes for the second time, leaving her momentarily to redirect the power back to the cottage instead of the barn. There were nothing but carcasses to warm over there now. After that, he no longer left her side, nursing her wounds the best that he could and keeping her close to share his body heat.

“You’re gonna turn,” Cú said seriously, hugging the one person he loved more than anything to his chest. Werewolf saliva was powerful, and so their kind never endeavored to sink their teeth into humans unless they were sure to kill the target or intentionally make them part of their pack.

“How soon?” Arturia answered back, turning to look up at her saviour. All the fear in her eyes had disappeared, replaced with melancholy and trust. Of course she was upset. Creatures of his world had just gone and stolen her new life away.

“The next full moon,” Cú answered regretfully, “Tomorrow night.”

Cú brushed her bangs out of her face, letting his ruby eyes clash with her emeralds. “Ya scared?”

The man didn’t even know why he was asking. But what were you supposed to say to someone who was just dragged into a hidden world she knew nothing about? How was he supposed to tell her she’d be riddled with bloodlust for the rest of her life, that she’d crave the hunt, that she’d yearn for the night? How was he supposed to tell her she had to give up the one family she had left to keep him away from the life of a hunter?

“Should I be?” Arturia answered, deceptively calm. No doubt, she was thinking of the heavy price she had to pay for surviving.

Cú knew Scáthach was coming. He could feel it. As soon as this bloody storm let up, the she-wolf would put her nose to the air, track him down to this cottage, and put down the rival pack’s unintentional new member before she even had the chance to morph.

Not if he could help it.

“Ya said l was like family to you, Arturia, did ya mean it?” he asked, his heart racing like crazy. His favorite person nodded into his chest, fiddling with his fingers and palm.

“Then...d’ya wanna be that to me, forever though?” he stuttered out, suddenly losing all manner of confidence.

Arturia got up to face him. “How do you mean?”

“Damn yer really gonna let me get into the specifics, huh? Right,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head despite himself. “Look, for us, there’s just one. One mate, for the rest of our lives. You just feel this...bond with them, ya know? Strong enough ya can’t bear to be without them. If ya let me, I want you to be that for me."

"Cú, are you asking me to wed you?" she asked back, confusion settling in the crease between her brows. "But we haven't even gone out yet—"

"Ya were gonna marry me eventually," he shot back, flicking the hair outta her face. "I'm quite the husband material, dontcha think? I bring ya food, I eat your pie—my family likes them by the way—I'm handsome as fuck, not ta mention, charming, what’s the harm in speeding things up a lil’?"

The werewolf grinned at her, trying to cover up how bloody nervous he actually felt.

“And also my pack won’t kill ya. Cause you know, technically ya belong to the rival pack, because they’re the ones that bit ya. But also yer all that’s left in that pack, after tonight and…” he paused, cupping her face with his hands, “I'll still court you, 'Turia. I want to. I'll give ya a good life. Swear.”

Arturia’s lips quirked upward for a second, knowing how crazy adamant Cú could be with following promises.

"Alright,” she confirmed, accepting his kiss. “I just...I worry about Arthur."

"So you finally show up, hm? Disappear for a while, why don't you? Doesn't matter whether or not the rival pack comes to—"

Scáthach inhaled, sniffing her grey wolf pup as she circled him. Something had changed about her son, she could feel it.

"There is no rival pack," Cú answered, grinning like a madman. “Only two new additions to ours.”

"What?"

“Last winter, it stormed just like this, didn’t it? No game, not even the smallest of hares. We were considering crossing over to the other side of the mountain, yeah?” Cú asked back, eagerly goading out the she-wolf’s response. Scáthach stared at him intensely, her red eyes glowing in the light of the full moon.

“You came back with sheep—”

The grey wolf nodded its head in a near-human fashion.”They were gifts. From them.”

Cú yipped, calling for the two concealed wolves to come into the den.

One was large and long, with fur as black as the bark of trees. He came out of the woods like a moving shadow, paws of coal shuffling through the snow. Even Scáthach, who was a midnight color herself, thought she was looking straight into a beautiful void.

The second wolf was smaller. She had a pelt of pure shining white, purer even than fresh snowfall. If not for the black nose that nuzzled into their alpha as she came close, she would be completely missable in their landscape of ice.Though of shorter stature, she strode like a king. Scáthach hadn’t a doubt that if this newcomer were born a wolf, she’d be an alpha herself without question.

The two newcomers stared at the she-wolf with matching emerald eyes, each set of orbs sparkling with the colors of the aurora. Siblings. Strong ones. But any wolf could tell these two were not born with beast’s blood like the rest of them, their footsteps were too unnatural. Too clumsy. They were made beasts, and by their scent it had been the doing of the rival pack.

As her son pressed his snout to the white wolf’s nose, several things finally clicked into place. Cú had gone and done what she’d been pestering him to do for the last few months and had eliminated the pack that had been encroaching on their territory in one fell swoop.

Cú had chosen his mate: a human convert who’d inherited their rivals’ land the day she was bitten. A human who they just so happened to owe a great debt for getting them through last year’s winter.

As Cú’s beastly eyes stared her down, Scáthach had to admit... her bratty pup finally had her at a total loss. She couldn’t be mad about anything, couldn’t even nitpick at the tiny size of his chosen queen or her tar-coat brother. Gosh, Fionn was gonna get a lotta kicks outta this.

“Names,” the she-wolf demanded, circling the twins while Cú gave her a shit-eating grin. Then, she turned, looking back just once to signal for them to follow.

Side by side, the new wolves and the alpha made their way into the central den. Arthur was immediately swarmed by Cú’s brothers. Arturia, by Ferdiad’s pups.

Later, when all had settled back into human skin and a fresh change of clothes, Cú looked about his pack. Fergus and Medb had come to visit, with all sorts of food in tow. Diarmuid excitedly showed Arthur around the wolf den while Fionn and Scathach kept to their own corner. Ferdiad and his litter sat right in front of the brick oven, eagerly awaiting the shepherd’s pie the twins had prepared.

The alpha leaned down, resting his cheek atop Arturia’s blonde head.

“We never did get to go on that date,” she whispered lightheartedly, leaning her head onto his chest. “I even had a dress prepared.”

“Mmmmm that so?” Cú shot back, grinning, “I just think since we are “mated” we really ought to get to mating if ya know what I—”

Arturia’s palm snapped onto his lips before he could complete the thought. Suddenly, they were wrestling each other to the floor, the older wolf chuckling like a madman all the while.

“Kidding—ooofghmhm--kidding, Arturia, I’m kidding, jeez,” he managed to get out, placating his blushing mate as he grabbed onto her hands. The Welsh woman panted, from her seat atop him, her green eyes looking everywhere else but into his red orbs.

“Eight tomorrow?” Arturia asked, though she knew full well Cú was coming home with her that day.

Not even caring about the teasing whoops resounding through the wolf den, Cú pulled his mate down for another hug.

“Yeah. I’d like that, shortie.”

[oceanivoxjoquainx]

i also love samquin thanks to you 🥺 i gasped when i saw danny ramirez fine self with facial hair. it was just *chef's kiss*, you know? 🤤 elevated the whole look. i want to know your headcanons about sam seeing joaquin with facial hair for the first time. maybe they're meeting up after a long time. what's his reaction? does the hair tickle him when they embrace? 😄

I am soooooo so glad you asked about this anon! I have many an idea 🤭 Also glad you love samquín now because of me! I love when other folks fall in love with them like i have!

With that everyone get ready forrrrr

Samquín Headcanons ☀️🌈: The Beard

Sam had decided that it was best for his mental health and his and his families safety if he left the military, quit the Avengers, and left the name of The Falcon behind three years ago. He did it once before when he lost Riley, and he figured it was time to do it again. He and Joaquín argued about it the last time they spoke and it ended in Sam flying away before trashing the wings. Little did he know Joaquín was following him and salvaged them.

Sam did his best to stay far away from anything avengers or super solider or world threatening and focused on supporting and helping his family down in Lousiana. He finally had the peace he always wanted and the safety he had wanted to give to his sister and nephews.

He was able to reestablish himself in the community and continue the work his father started all thos years ago. He went back to his job as a social worker and made sure everyone in his neighborhood was fed every week, slowly expanding his outreach every month until everyone knew that if you were hungry you could just go to the Wilson house and you were taken care of. It was the life he was used to and at that moment what he wanted.

Until some old enemies showed up right on his door step.

He fought until the end but there was only so much a man three years out of practice could do. He could only buy his family enough time to get far away and he determinedly got up every time he was knocked down.

He was down on the ground, about to succumb to his injuries, vision blurry through sweat, blood, and tears, until he saw a figure fly down and begin incapacitating the hostiles one by one. The person had a familiar build with a long mullet but was wearing a green and yellow suit, outfitted with a pair of what looked like bronze wings.....

Sam was in disbelief as he studied the persons fighting patterns and the wings attached to his back. The wingspan, the missiles, and even the stabilizers were all known to Sam. Those were HIS wings!

Soon enough all the fighting stopped and the only person left was the person who had Sam's wings. Sam was barely conscious as the person ran over to him and checked out his body, pressing down and studying for wounds and bruises, before picking him up bridal style and tucking his head into his own neck. The man's beard tickling his jawline was the last thing he remembered before slipping away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam woke up to sounds of rhythmic beeping over his head. His eyes opened very slowly to focus on the white, sterile ceiling above him. His body ached in a soreness he hadn't felt in years but he still felt high enough to not feel it too much.

He looked to his left and saw a heart monitor and a IV drip hanging near his head and into his arm, confirming that he was indeed inside a hospital. Rolling his head over to his right he saw a chair next to the bed with but unexpectedly it wasn't empty.

The man reclining with his eyes closed had a massive mullet paired with the most sexiest anchor beard Sam had ever seen. His first reaction was to immediately reach out and touch it.

His feeble attempts at moving his arms seemed to stir the other man from his rest and his eyes opened, locking onto Sam's where they immediately identified themselves to him.

"Joa...Joaquin?" Sam's voice was cracked and croaky and didn't sound like him. Sam tried to cover his mouth only to find his arm still felt like putty.

Joaquín leaned forward and took Sams hand into his own and rubbed his face against it. "Yeah, it's me. Be quiet though, you're still on the mend." Joaquíns voice was breaking itself as he rubbed his face and beard in Sam's hand. At points Sam's fingers would close around a certain section and they'd stay like that for a while before Joaquín began moving again.

"Where the hell did all this come from huh?" Sam asked. He was amazed at how different Joaquín looked with some extra hair on his face. It was a good different. A sexy different. He wasn't sure if it was the drugs or the fact that the man he left behind three years ago was now sitting on at his bedside but he was definitely feeling a 'flip me over and ravage my hole' different.

"Heh thanks, I'll definitely be keeping that in mind." Joaquín answered, his face heating up and a red blush creeping up his neck and onto his face. "It's just something that happened and I liked it so I kept it."

Sam didn't mean for him to hear the last part but it didn't matter in the long run. It was like falling back into old habits.

Sam attempted to sit up in order to properly look at Joaquín before coughing and giving up. The room began spinning and he felt his eyes closing again. With a groan he closed them. He felt Joaquín return his hand to his waist and then rest his own head in his lap, his beard tickling his stomach as he fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three weeks had passed since Sam was allowed to be taken home and Joaquín stayed with him the entire time taking care of him and everything he needed.

Sam couldn't remember the last time someone had taken care of him. He was always taking care of other people. Joaquín would get water, cook meals, help him to the tub, even wash his back. It was... nice.

He still had his family in hiding while he stayed at the house to make sure no one else came for him but he made sure Joaquín let Sarah know he was alive and okay when he able to fully sit up in the hospital.

Sam usually kept the same routine each day and as it was sunset he hobbled his way onto the back patio and sat down in the porch swing. The rocking movements always soothed his troubled mind as a child and they did so again now. He and Joaquín still didn't really discuss anything about their last and first day in three years together and he wasn't sure how to bring it up.

He knew he was wrong for leaving as he did with no contact for three years, he just didn't know if he should bring it up since everything seemed okay for now. There was always a hint of tension in the air when the house was dark and quiet and Joaquín had put Sam in his bed, lingering in the door frame as if to say something before just saying Goodnight and leaving. But other than that everything seemed... okay.

As if summoned by Sam himself, the back door opened and Joaquín stepped out onto the back patio and scanned the area before noticing Sam and coming to sit next to him. He had brought a blanket out with him and threw it over the two of them before resting his head on Sam's chest. The hair from his beard piercing Sam's shirt and tickling his chest. It was a routine the two fell into some days ago, none of them moving to break it any time soon.

"Knew I'd find you out here. The sunsets down here are always so beautiful."

"Yeah that's why pops built the house facing east. Best view in all of America he'd say."

The two sat together in silence watching the sun fall ever so slowly past the horizon. Tension was slowly building up again and Sam had no clue what it was from.

He had to say something.

Anything really.

He couldn't go on without saying something.

So he did.

"Jo... Joaquín... I was an ass back then. I shouldn't had left you behind to fend for yourself and I should've called, texted, sent a dam email, something. But I was worried about myself, my sister, my nephew's, I didn't think for a second that I was leaving my other family member behind and alone. And for that I'm so sorry."

"It's... well no it's not okay. It hurt me that you didn't consider me family. We were all but married back then. You were my life. I thought I was at least an important part of yours.... but you left and then trashed your wings and dissapeared. Figured I'd never see you again." Joaquín sighed. He sat up and brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly.

Sam didn't know what to do. He had caused this. He did what was best for him and his family but completely left Joaquín behind and in the cold. He did miss him. He just thought he'd be safer without him around but turns out Joaquín was the one saving his ass anyways.

"The wings?" Sam asked.

"Oh i found em right where you left em. Picked em up, took em home, studied em, reverse engineered my own pair. Yours are still sitting in my workshop. I kept it just in case you... ya know... ever came back..." At this point his head was turned away from Sam.

Sam couldn't see the tears but he could hear Joaquín sniffling and wiping his face.

"Hey...." Sam whispered as he wrapped his arm around Joaquín's back, "From what I saw.... you were awesome, perfect even. I shouldn't have left you. You're my family too..." He began poking Joaquín's side.

"Come onnnn Jojo. Look at me. Please?"

Joaquín replied with a grunt and shuffled his head further into his arms.

"Jojooooo," Sam reached under his face and tilted his head up to face him. His eyes where shining with tears and his face was streaked with tear lines. His lips were visibly trembling and his beard had grown noticeably longer. Sam held his chin in his hands and ran them over his beard repetitively in a soothing motion that lead to Joaquín leaning back into Sam.

"I promise I'll never leave you behind again. The past three years were great but these three weeks with you were the best of my life. I hate that it took getting my ass handed to me for me to realize that but my life with you in it is infinitely better." Sam lamented.

Joaquín finally spoke again, "I've loved spending this time with you too, but it still hurt. It's gonna take time for me but I want you in life too." He rested his forehead against Sams and sighed, "I can't stay here with you for much longer. I have unfinished business to take care of but after that's done I'll come back."

"I'm coming with you." Sam replied determinedly, "Wherever you go I'm going too."

"No... no. You still need to heal and you're still needed here. I'll be okay! I took in the mantle of The Falcon and I'm doing what I have to. Can we just enjoy what we have for now until it's time?"

Sam scanned his face and saw he was serious and decided to let it go. He had no place to make demands of Joaquín and he wanted to give him as much length as he needed.

"Yeah... yeah okay..."

"Cool." Joaquín perked up and kissed Sam in his forehead, his beard ticking his face before resting his head back on Sam's face, wrapping his arms around Sam's waist, and continuing to watch the sunset.

Sam broke the silence again, "I just have to ask though..."

"Hm?"

"Where did this beard come from?" Sam asked stifling a laugh.

"Aw shut up!" Joaquín pushed at Sam's stomach and laughed which in turn caused Sam to laugh. "It just grew out while I was going through it and I liked it so I've been working with it okay!"

Sam chuckled at Joaquín's exasperation and slight embarrassment before saying, "I love it. It looks good on you. In fact its kind of sexy."

Sam felt Joaquín's body stiffen on top of him amd heard his breath hitch. There was obviously some attraction to each other and an innate closeness the two had, but they never discussed what exactly they were to each other. Not everything needed a label of course but they just never talked about it. They always glided into these situations.

"Heh. Thanks."

Sam looked down at Joaquín's head and stroked his hair and carried his hands over the other man's shoulder and down his side repetitively. He heard Joaquín sigh before hearing the rhythmic sounds of his sleep. He didn't know what was running through the other man's mind but he knew that this moment was perfect and if he could, he'd stay like this forever.

He thought his life for the past 3 years was what he wanted but turns out this was exactly what he was missing.

[soyeahitsmiddleearth]

Prize *smut*

Fili x Reader

I'd love to see a smutty Fili/hobbit!reader!

Falling in love was something 100% not on the agenda when you followed your brother Bilbo out on a crazy journey to help some dwarves and a wizard reclaim some mountain hundreds of miles away. 

Literally, the only reason you decided to follow along in the first place is because Mr. Gandalf, who you recognized right away during your morning smoke with your brother, said that your extensive knowledge of plants and greenery would serve to be very useful to both the cook and the healer. You didn't know what he meant by that at the time, but you were flattered that he knew of your skills nonetheless. 

Anyways, you went on that long ass journey and became really close with the shorter, still taller than you though, blond-nephew of your employer Thorin Oakenshield. He didn't speak to you right away but you caught his gaze more often then he'd like to admit, and so, having grown tired of his stares and lack of action, you walked up to him one evening and began a conversation.

After you approached him that night, you two became easy friends. Though, you're embarrassed to admit, that you actually thought he was Kili and his brother was Fili for the first week. 

When you called him Kili while the two of you were riding together and he looked at you absolutely baffled, you were mortified to realize that you had mixed them up and nobody bothered to correct you. 

Not even Bilbo! That damn traitor. 

He only laughed it off, and occasionally he'll tease you about it when you're speaking. Like when you call his name, the right one, and he'll say, "Don't you mean Kili?", and positively confuse the hell out of you. You didn't fall for it again after the 3rd time, though.

You don't know exactly what point you began to fall in love with him, maybe around the time at Mirkwood when he protected you so valiantly and declared that he wouldn't let those nasty spiders touch you (of course, he couldn't fulfill that declaration, but it's the thought that counts), and how he refused to be separated from you when the elves literally kidnapped you all and you were worried sick about your brother. It's also possible that you could've fallen for him that one cold night when he gave you his blanket and offered up his spot by the fire so you could keep warm. 

Okay, exactly what point you fell in love doesn't actually matter. 

What really matters is that you fell in love with him, he kissed you, and now he's declared that he loves you  too  and wants to court you. 

That's that. 

And then when the journey came to an end and Thorin went nuts over his stone, Fili stated that his uncle won't bother you as long as he's around(luckily Thorin was very fond of your brother, so you didn't need to worry much). 

There was a battle over treasure (shocking), the three Durin's almost met their maker, and now you're helping to prepare Bilbo for his journey back. When you told him you wouldn't be going back he wasn't surprised, but he was rather dejected and promised over and over than he'd write you often and come to visit whenever chance allows it. 

You stayed by Fili for the majority of his recovery process, and when he finally opened his eyes on that 7th day of unconsciousness (his wounds were the worst by far, so it took longer for him to wake) you were so happy you actually cried. 

"F-Fili!" You had whisper yelled at the time, tears streaming down your cheeks as you grabbed onto his hand and leaned over him since you were kneeling on his bed. 

When those pretty blue eyes of his opened halfway and he looked at you, a small smile came to his face and he mumbled despite the tender moment, "Don't you mean Kili?"

Any other time you would've smacked his arm, but you just laughed and kissed his forehead tenderly. 

He spent another week or so on bedrest, and you were determined to keep him company no matter what. 

Another month passes by before he's fully recovered, and as much as he encouraged you to jump his bones and as much as you wanted to, you abstained and insisted he needs more time to recover. 

---

You were walking around a training grounds area in search of Fili, not really knowing where anything is yet since you spent the majority of your time in Fili's room and the healer's room when you were watching over him. 

Not to mention these halls are huge, and you're but a small hobbit girl attempting to find her way around. 

The distinct sound of blades clanging together reaches your ears, and while you don't see the people causing the noise, you know exactly who it is. 

You turn a corner and see Fili and his brother caught in an intense practice battle, both sweating heavily with trembling arms and twitching muscles. You can tell that they've been at it for a while, and despite your slight displeasure at seeing him working himself so hard, you get it. He was on bed rest for weeks and wasn't permitted to do anything by himself, so now that he's in a better condition he has to spend some of that extra energy. 

Also... as embarrassing as it is, he's pretty damn hot like this. 

You've always been aware of how wonderful Fili is at fighting, and of just how strong he is, but seeing it in a controlled and safe environment is simply a sight to behold.

Seconds of observing tells you all you need to know about this fight, including who the winner is going to be.

Kili is an excellent fighter, but his skill pales in comparison to his brothers, especially where hand-to-hand and sword combat is concerned. He's spent the majority of his time defending and blocking against Fili's attacks, for the blond dwarf leaves no moment of rest or second to breathe. 

When Kili blocks Fili just goes at him with another blow, thus leaving Kili with barely moments to defend himself. 

Something about the way Fili looks in this state makes your insides churn and heart flutter, and you feel weak in the knees when you catch a glimpse of his eyes. While his magnificent baby blues may look soft and tender in a normal setting, here you see nothing other than pure confidence and a powerful, burning desire to completely  destroy  his opponent. Yes, they're brothers, but the power dynamic between the two of them is quite clear. 

When he pushes Kili back he doesn't go for him right away as he had before, rather he stalks around his younger brother much like a predator sizing up its prey. It sends positively wonderful tingles down your spine and causes goosebumps to erupt on your skin.

Gosh, the way he looks at this very moment is enough to make you swoon and sigh, but you remain composed and watch the rest of this fight unfold. 

"Come on now, Kili, surely you've got more than that." His voice is taunting and smug, and it seems to frustrate Kili.

The jeer from Fili only seems to increase Kili's determination and fuels him to go on the offensive this time. When Kili does manage to get in a good swipe and forces Fili to jump back, his intense gaze turns into something that promises nothing good. He goes at Kili again full force and manages to knock him down, pointing his sword at his throat with a triumphant smirk on his face. 

Damn, why can't he put you in your place like that? 

You surprise yourself with this line of thinking and attempt to shake it away quickly, continuing to watch them to see how this victory is handled. 

Kili drops his sword and puts his hands up in a surrender motion, sighing in frustration. "You win, you win." He grumbles none too happily, getting back to his feet when Fili lowers his sword. 

Since they're no longer distracted, you step further into the room and clear your throat. 

When Fili sees you, a bright smile spreads across his face, "Y/N! How long have you been there?" He asks in a pleased voice, striding towards you with his arms open to embrace you. 

You jump up and wrap your arms around his neck, hugging him tightly while he spins the two of you around a couple of times. 

When he stops you get a view of Kili, who is cringing over exaggeratedly and acting like he's totally grossed out. 

Fili, still holding onto you, turns to say something to Kili before his eyes narrow at said brothers dramatic distaste for your affection, "Do I need to beat you in another challenge?" 

The brown-haired brother only rolls his eyes and starts to head towards the exit of the room, "Shut up you foul winner. If this were a bow fight you'd stand no chance." He then leaves before Fili can retort. 

Quiet giggles leave you at the theatric exit and slightly clever one-liner that Kili makes, only Fili doesn't seem to find it very funny. 

"Are you  laughing ?" He asks exasperatedly, putting you back down on your feet with his hands on your shoulders. 

You reach up to cover your mouth with your hands to stifle the tittering, but it doesn't prove to work too well because you only burst into another fit of giggles. 

The blond dwarf glares down at you, though not too seriously, and drops his hands from your shoulders. "It wasn't even that funny..." He huffs. 

Eventually, your laughs quiet down and you look behind him at the discarded weapons they left behind. "Shouldn't you clean that up?" 

"Probably." Oh great, one-word answers. 

You tap your foot a few times then walk over and begin to pick things up in your small arms, carrying them over to the weapons rack as you return them to their previous places. "You should be more careful, you know. You could reopen that wound on your chest." You scold lightly, straightening an ax that was turned awkwardly. 

"I'm fine." His voice comes from directly behind you, and not having heard him walk over to you, you jump and drop one of the daggers resting in your arms. 

He grabs it before it can stab your poor hobbity foot and gives you a smug expression much like the one he gave his brother, "See? My reflexes are as sharp as ever, love." 

You only huff much like he had earlier and put the last of the weapons up, not replying. 

"Do I need to prove it to you?" He asks suddenly. 

You look back at him with your eyebrows furrowed, "How would you do that?" 

"We can wrestle." 

"Wrestling with you is never fair!" You complain, crossing your arms over your chest, "You always win." 

It seems your complaints only amuse him, "And why do you think that is?" 

"Um, because you're like, one thousand times stronger than I am! I'm just a dainty little hobbit." Yes, wrestling with him just to see that beyond sexy face again would be nice, but you don't much like the thought of being beaten so easily. 

"That is most certainly a lie." He retorts, grabbing your arm and squeezing your bicep, "You've got some muscles. Remember that time you knocked me over with just your elbow?" Yeah, he's definitely trying to sweet talk you right now. 

"Yes I do remember, it was accidental, and I cracked you in the nose so hard you started to bleed." You still feel guilty when you think about it. 

"Come on, it'll be fun." He insists, pulling you up against him by your arm, "I'll even fight with a handicap. I'll keep one hand behind my back." 

Well, that does sound a bit more fair.

You pout at him for a few seconds before caving in. "Fineeee," you groan, dragging out the 'e', "But you're still going to win." 

You let him drag you over to the area covered in softer ground, groaning and whining the whole way. 

Once the two of you are there, he places you in front of him and steps back, opening one arm wide while putting the other behind his back. "Alright, come at me." 

Despite his invitation to attack him, you just kinda stand there for a moment and don't move. Your hope is that you can wait him out, but you have no such luck because he just stands there as still as a statue. 

You kinda just take a few steps forward and jump into him suddenly, trying to push him off balance by throwing all of your weight into it, but it does little in the take-down department. 

He wraps his arm around you and takes a few steps back before using one of his feet to kick one of your legs out from under you. 

Lucky for you, you have big hobbit feet so you're able to regain your footing easily and you jump back away from him. "Maybe you should take back a leg too!" You exclaim, not waiting for him to open his mouth to respond before jumping on him again. 

You realize that you have to be strategic about this, so when you wait until he's focused on replying to you to attack him, it actually works in your favor. 

You wrap your arms tightly around the back of his neck and dig your heels into the ground in an attempt to pull him down. He bends forward slightly and wobbles, but he doesn't fall over like you hoped he would. 

Fili grabs for you with his free hand, but you let go and duck under his arm. 

Since you're smaller you can move much faster, so while he recovers from throwing his weight into grabbing onto your clothes, you jump up on his back and wrap your arms and legs around him. 

This actually serves to work pretty well, because he falls forward and lands face-first on the mats below.

He grunts when he hits the ground, his arms and legs sprawled out in every direction since he didn't have enough time to break his fall before you jumped him. 

You settle your self on his lower back and sit on him like that, knees bent and feet pointing the opposite direction of where you face.

"I got you!" You exclaim exultantly, bouncing on his back a few times from excitement. 

Of course, your victory is short-lived, because he sits up on his hands and knees very suddenly.

Not having expected this, you lose your balance and fall sideways off of him, landing on the ground with a soft 'oof.'

He sits on his knees and reaches for you with the hand he's allowed to use, but you roll away just in time, so he only catches air. 

When you roll off to the side he follows you with his gaze, the playfulness and amusement no longer present as an expression much similar to earlier forms on his face. That same fierce glower that holds no actual malice but still promises problems if you defy him. Only, there's something much more wolfish and ravening than when he was looking at his brother, something that promises a  different  type of problem if you pull that again. 

This time when he lunges at you, you're much too slow in response since you were rather distracted in observing the way he was looking at you, so he hits his mark and grabs onto your wrist and tugs you toward him. 

In a test of brute strength or stamina, he would certainly win every time, but you've got a few things in your favor that he doesn't. One being how lithe you are, and another is your excellent acting. 

As soon as he tugs you forward you cry out a bit more dramatic than necessary and watch as all signs of competitiveness leave his expression. His grip on you goes lax as concern sparkles in his ever lovely blue eyes, but when you smile mischievously he realizes that he's been duped. 

The instant his grip on you relaxes, you wrench your arm away and push him onto his back, landing on top of him with your arms stretched out in front of you, your chest pressed against his, and your knees resting on either side of him. 

You sit up quickly and grab his only usable hand with both of yours and pin it to his chest, smiling brightly, "I got you again!" 

A spark of annoyance flickers on his face when you speak down to him so smugly behind the false chipper attitude, and where he would usually just let you have this one, he instead bucks his hips upwards suddenly and propels your forward. 

You shriek in surprise and jut your elbows out so you don't smash your poor face into the floor, and while his actions didn't completely throw you off, he moved you forward enough that you had to let go of his hand and give him more room to move. 

He wraps his now freed hand around your waist and rolls the both of you over, moving his hand so you don't land on it, then placing it on your chest to keep you pinned to the ground. 

Your legs kick out as you try to stop him from getting on top of you (it's all over the moment he sits on you), but he just swings his leg over you and straddles your hips instead. There is a very telling hardness pressing down onto you, but you elect to ignore that since you're upset he didn't let you win. 

As hard as you try and as much as you squirm around and try to push him off, you know that you can't, so you, ultimately, stop your thrashing and just lay there and look up at him with a pout. "I thought you were gonna let me win..." You whine, pushing on the hand holding you down to signal that you're not planning on moving around anymore. 

"Why would I do that?" He asks, letting both of his hands drop (the one behind his back as well) to the mats by your head. 

"Because... Because I wanted you to?" You try, though you know that is not a sufficient answer. 

He ignores your spotty response and continues to look at you intensely. That fire in his eyes has yet to extinguish, you realize, and when he begins to lean down a bit closer your face flares red. 

"Now for my prize." He growls lowly, smashing his lips against yours before you can say something sassy or argue. 

You all but melt into him, reaching up to bury your hands in his wild golden mane so you can tug him closer by the roots of his hair. 

He wastes no time in claiming your mouth as his own, allowing his hands to wander as they please along the places he can easily reach on your body. 

Every pleased whimper and sigh that leaves you is muffled by his harsh all teeth and tongue lip-lock, but you find that you quite like the way he's absolutely kissing the daylights out of you. 

His large hands run under your tunic and slide upwards towards your chest. He has no issue in removing your bindings, and as soon as they're out of the way he grabs onto your breasts. 

You tug at his hair lightly to indicate that you need to breathe, and he complies right away and moves his head down to mouth along your neck. Shallow but quick pants cause your chest to rise and fall hastily, though your pulse and breathing don't slow at all given his ministrations against your chest and neck. 

The gentle sucking and small licks he leaves along your throat turn into harsher nipping, scraping, and biting, but you don't mind that in the slightest and only tilt your head back further to give him better access to you. 

His hands leave your breasts suddenly, causing you to whine out of displeasure, but you don't have long to dwell on that disappointment because suddenly a very audible ripping sound registers in your mind.

You don't move at first, looking down at your torn tunic with shock before you yank on his hair sharply in an attempt to get him to look at you and notice that you very much did not appreciate that. Your actions don't quite have the effect that you hoped they would, though, because he just groans in a  very  pleased way and continues to attack your neck with affection. 

"Fili!" You scold loudly, pulling on his hair again to make him look at you. 

This time he allows you to pull his head back a bit and looks at you questioningly, "What?" It seems he doesn't quite see the error of his ways. 

"Um, you just destroyed my shirt? And in case you've forgotten, we're in the middle of the training rooms and I can't very well walk around without a tunic." You don't sound nearly as annoyed as you hoped you would, but you keep the cross expression on your face. 

He rolls his eyes at you and sits up, pulling off his own shirt and placing it on the ground next to your head, "You can have that when I'm done." 

Your sour expression doesn't change.

This time he sighs heavily and seems to take you more seriously, "Fine, put it on and I'll take you to my room." 

Postponing your activities isn't the most appealing idea, but you much prefer that to the teasing you'll get if anyone walks in on you. 

You sit up slowly and pick up his shirt, cringing at the dampness of it before pulling it over your head.

As soon as you've put his shirt on he stands up, leaning down only to grab you by the waist and pick you up. After he picks you up, he haphazardly throws you over his shoulder and places his hand around your waist so you don't fall. 

Oh god, you pray that no one stumbles upon the two of you.

You hear him grumbling about 'high-maintenance hobbit women' and 'just wanting to take her right then and there for being so insolent and sneaky'. That last part makes you splutter and smack him on his back lightly. 

"I was not being insolent or sneaky!" You protest.

His response is a sharp slap on your bottom, and when you yelp in a high-pitched voice, he laughs at you.

Suffice to say, you don't speak anymore until he arrives at your rooms. 

The door opens, and as soon as the two of you are through it he closes it with his foot and rushes you toward the bed, dropping you down on the fluffy mattress without a second thought. 

You bounce a few times when he plops you down, but you don't complain this time and just scoot back a bit. "I can't believe you spanked me in the middle of the hallway." You grumble indignantly, glaring up at him. 

Instead of seeing amusement or joy on his face, though, you see a dwarf driven by an insatiable, ravenous hunger that can only be doused by you, apparently. He doesn't even answer your silly scolding like he usually does.

A wolfish smirk spreads across his lips as he climbs onto the bed, the mattress dipping down on either side of you beneath his weight as he leans over you. 

He doesn't hesitate in ripping his shirt off of you and over your head (yeah, he won't ruin his own shirt, but yours is fine for the destroying apparently!), and your bottoms follow quickly after. 

Fili grabs you under your thighs and lifts you up a bit, bringing you to the head of the bed so you can rest back comfortably against the pillows. "You're mine for the rest of the night, love. I hope that doesn't bother you..." He whispers next to your ear, allowing his hands to explore the expanse of your stomach and along your breasts much like earlier.

"Y-You won fair and square." You reply coyly, reaching down to begin tugging at the hem of his tented trousers to pull them down. 

Once you've gotten them past his muscled thighs, you lightly grab his impressive length and squeeze gently, watching as his eyes flicker shut briefly and feeling the way he twitches in your hand. 

Much to your surprise, though, he grabs your wrist and pins it down to the pillows by your head, kissing your lips again, "Amrâlimê*" He growls out with a bit of strain, it seems he didn't really want to stop you after all, "Just let me work."  *my love.

You nod your head once, though you still pout, and just look back up at him with a raised eyebrow.

It seems he takes your expectancy as some sort of challenge, because he releases your hand and rubs his own between your legs to feel you. "Well will you look at that." He whispers smugly, sliding his fingers through your folds easily, "I haven't even done much, amrâlimê...," he pauses as something seems to dawn on him, and when he speaks again, his voice is practically a purr, "Oh, I see what's going on here." 

"W-What do you mean?" You ask breathlessly, shivering at the feeling of finally being touched where you want him most. 

He continues to tease your sex, never putting enough pressure or touching you exactly where you want, and presses his nose into your hair at the side of your head so his lips hover just above your ear. "I think you know." 

Truthfully, you don't know what he's talking about, or at least you think you don't, but you don't show any signs of agreeing or answering him.

"Well, if you really don't know..." He nips at your earlobe lightly, dipping one of his fingers inside of you briefly before pulling it out and continuing to teasingly and too-gently rub you. "Answer me this, my dear hobbit, how long were you watching me fight Kili? How long were you standing there, watching me as I showed him who was in charge?" His words are positively filthy, but for some reason it serves to only excite you further. 

"I-I don't know... A little while?" You say it as more of a question, because truthfully, you don't know how long you were there. You were so entranced by him and the powerful, almost feral wildness and love for challenge that you didn't really keep track of time. All you could focus on was his predatory expression and how much you wanted it trained on you. 

Oh.

A look of realization spreads across your face, and though he can't see it, the change in your body language tells him all he needs to know.

"You know what I think?" He asks lowly, lifting one of your legs up to wrap around his waist as he lines himself up with your awaiting heat.

You shake your head, eyes falling shut and brows furrowing with anticipation. 

He pushes into you slowly, he's always careful at this part knowing that you're still just a tiny thing, and buries one of his hands into your curly head of hair, "I think that you stayed to watch for so long because you wanted me to do the same to you." His voice is more breathy from finally being inside of you, but he continues, "I think you wanted me to challenge you to wrestle just so you could lose and have me like this." 

He's already begun to set a steady pace, one that isn't particularly fast on the way out, but on the way back in he practically slams into you, causing your body to jolt upwards with each thrust. "Y-You wanted me to lose my head, that's the only reason you cheated and pretended I hurt you, just so that I would slam you onto the ground and have my way with you." His words are just as impactful even though his voice breaks a few times, and as embarrassing as it is, he might just be right. 

"I don't know." You reply lamely, scratching at his muscled back at the maddening sensation of his too gentle thrusts. 

When you claim not to know, he slows further and lays his forehead against yours. 

As much as it pains him to hold back so much, he wants to hear it from you, yourself. "Did it excite you to see me put him in his place, love?" He asks huskily, squeezing your hips pretty harshly, "Did you stand there for so long because the mere thought of having me turn my sights onto you under the small chance that I would grab you and make you mine right then and there, was too much to bear?" 

"A-Ah, yes, Fili!" You cry suddenly when his hips snap forward more sharply and his thumb lands on your clit to begin lightly stroking over it, "I wanted you so bad, I-I just didn't realize it!" You admit breathlessly, clawing at his back desperately, "Please, just take me properly, I can't stand the teasing..!" Normally you'd be too proud to plead, but being so close to satisfaction only for it to slip from your grasp each time was beginning to eat at your sanity. 

Your honesty is rewarded with a faster pace and more firm circles being rubbed on your twitching clitorus. This new change makes you cry out as you've finally got what you want, so you tighten your leg around him in hopes of pulling him deeper inside of you. 

"Say my name again, amrâlimê." He groans as he starts to leave kisses along your jawline and cheeks. 

"F-Fili..." You whimper, running one of your hands into his hair.  

"Louder." This time he says it as more of a command, snapping his hips up into yours roughly. You respond to his actions right away by crying out his name louder. 

The floodgates open, and suddenly his teasing steady pace turns into erratic ruts and juts forward that push you up each time. 

The hand he fisted in your hair yanks back, though not too hard, so he can press his face to your neck and leave more evidence of your deeds. 

During a particularly hard thrust, he bites you much harder than before, and the mixture of intense pleasure and stinging pain elicits a loud and rather high pitched gasping moan from you, and that sound alone drives him crazy.

He begins saying things in his dwarfish tongue that you can't understand, though from the breathiness of his voice and the timing in which he says things in Khuzdul, you can tell that it's either praises or more indecent phrases. 

You entangle one of your hands into his hair and tug at it gently, urging him upwards so he can kiss you again. He readily complies and covers your mouth with his own once more, reaching down to grab your leg still laying on the bed and pulling it up to wrap around his waist much like the other one. 

The hair on his chest scratches at your softer skin each time he thrusts into you, and while there's the very real possibility that you could get irritated skin from it, you still find yourself enjoying every sensation he brings you. You can feel each breath and twitch of his muscles as well as each slight squeeze of your thigh and small tug at your hair. Just as you can feel all of him, he can feel all of you. Every hitched breath, gasp, and tremble can be heard and felt clearly, and the way you clench around him and scratch at his firm back sends sharp feelings of pleasure spiking through him.

The cool beads of the braids on his mustache rest against your cheeks and his nose presses into the side of yours as he kisses you, and it provides a nice contrast against your burning skin. 

All of the sensations of him and this mind blowing intimacy begin to build up and fuel a greater flame inside of you, and pretty soon you're toes are curling on the sheets and your hands are tugging more and more at his hair. He can tell from this sudden shift that you're nearly there, so, wanting to help you find release, he moves his hand back down and rubs firm circles against your bundle of nerves in time with each erratic plunge into you. 

He can feel the beginning of his own end start to approach, so he becomes more determined to have you come so you won't feel dissatisfied in any way. 

It seems his ministrations on your sensitive clit are exactly what you need to push you over the edge, because mere seconds later you're crying out and tensing around him as your nails dig into the hard planes of his back. 

Fili breathes in sharply and grips your leg with a bruising force, much harsher than he meant to unfortunately, at the newfound tightness squeezing his manhood. 

The feeling of your climax brings him to his moments later, and since he doesn't have to worry about you becoming over-sensitive just yet, he allows himself to properly ride the both of you through your orgasms, his mouth leaving yours so you can both breathe properly. 

Your legs pull him impossibly closer as he spends himself inside of you and you slowly start to come down from your high. When you start to flinch and move he stops all movement and all but collapses on top of you, his hand leaving your now slightly aching thigh to push some of your hair out of your face. 

He peers down at your sated and tired face with pure adoration in his eyes while he strokes his knuckles lightly down your cheek after moving your curly and now damp hair from your eyes. He leaves another, gentler kiss against your lips as he pulls out of you delicately, frowning slightly as you wince when your legs drop back to the bed. 

His gaze flickers down and he sees the angry indented finger-marks that he unintentionally left on you, and right away he feels a little guilty, even more so when he gets a view of the indents of his teeth on your shoulder. 

You don't notice his regretful expression right away, but when you do see his less than happy countenance you cup one of his cheeks and ask tiredly, "Fili? What's wrong?" 

Those pretty baby blues flicker up to your own eyes once more and he mumbles shamefully, "I've hurt you." 

Your head shakes and your eyebrows knit together in confusion when he says that he hurt you, because you really have no clue what he's talking about. "What? You hurt me? When?" 

"Just now."

He glances back down at your bruised leg again and this time you follow his gaze, and when you see what he's talking about you release a small puff of laughter, "Is that what you're referring to?" You wonder with a smile on your face, running your fingers through his sweaty hair so you can look at his face more clearly. 

He nods.

"What happened to all of that talk about my liking your rough treatment, hm?" Your voice takes on a more teasing tone, though there is still a softness to it since you feel bad that he feels bad about 'hurting' you. "Are you no longer confident in your conclusion, my sweet prince?" 

His eye twitches in annoyance at the nickname, but he doesn't address it and instead shakes his head, "I know I was right, but that will most definitely be sore later on." 

Ever the cocky thing he is. 

"And if I say that I like it anyways?" 

This time he looks at you more in surprise, and for the first time since this day began, you see a hint of red warming his face, "Did you really?" He asks, rather unsure. 

You nod your head, then remove your hands from his hair and wrap them around his middle, closing your eyes as you get more comfortable. "Mmhm... I like everything you do. Now lets go to sleep." 

"Alright, alright." He shifts positions so he's no longer crushing you underneath him, then gathers you up in his arms and pulls you more firmly against him, resting his chin atop your head. "I would be careful about the things you tell me you like though, love. Because then I'll be more inclined to do them..." He mumbles, rubbing his strong hand up your back. 

You giggle softly and press a small kiss against his neck before pressing your hands to his chest, "Isn't that the whole point?" 

"Just remember that you asked for it." He teases, shutting his eyes so he can rest. 

"I will." 

[aelin-queen-of-terrasen]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 | 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤

Rowaelin modern AU ▶ Masterlist

note: hi! thank you for all your comments and likes. hope y'all like this chapter. (also sorry for the bad gifs, I have no idea what I'm doing there!)

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Rowan was pissed, sleep-deprived and severely exhausted. Lorcan had taken his sweet time picking Aelin up and even once he'd arrived, she had thrown tantrums bad enough, it had taken both of them to get her into his damned car. He had gotten little sleep after that, thoughts reverting back to her antics.

He was looking forward to some peace when someone sat down beside him. "Leave me alone, Aelin," he groaned.

An amused snort. "She'll be offended you mistook me for her," Lorcan Salvaterre said.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I've grown used to Aelin hounding me around this time." He should shut up sometime soon. This was Lorcan Salvaterre he was talking to, Lorcan who was as well-built as him, who looked like he had crawled out of some hellscape and was never seen without a scowl on his face. Lorcan could probably punch him for talking like that about Aelin.

"You don't like Aelin?" Lorcan asked.

It was a casual question that shouldn't have bothered him at all. But did he like Aelin? She was bothersome of course but he preferred her company to everyone else here. "I think she is fine," he finally said.

Lorcan nodded, dark eyes scanning his face. He rose from his seat. "Aelin is a nice person. You don't want to hurt her." Rowan didn't mistake the words for anything but a warning to not hurt her. A friend looking out for another. This is what they were. Aelin and her friends - they weren't friends, they were family. The closest thing Rowan had to that was his roommate.

"I don't want anything to do with her," Rowan said. He meant it.

Lorcan shook his head, then turned to leave. Almost as if in afterthought, he added, "Don't tell anyone what I said."

Students were still filing inside the classroom when Lorcan left, presumably to his own classroom. Rowan had his nose buried in the book he was reading but he could identify Aelin from the sight of those light, hurried footsteps, then the loud sigh that escaped her mouth when she plopped down beside him. Rowan turned in his seat.

"Bad day?" she chirped.

He didn't know how she could function after the amount of alcohol she had consumed. "Some idiot got drunk and I had to take care of her. Couldn't sleep," he grunted.

She clicked her tongue. "Inconsiderate. You should teach her some manners."

Rowan rolled his eyes and went back to reading his book. Unable to concentrate because of Aelin watching him, Rowan shut the book, opening his sketchbook instead. He glanced towards the door. Where was Professor Gavriel?

Aelin answered, "He isn't coming, something about recruiting a new quarterback for the football team."

Rowan shifted the sketchbook so it was out of Aelin's point of view. He expected her to peek or ask or interrupt but she watched him again, keen eyes memorizing all the details on his face. Rowan tried not to let the attention bother him as he worked. She was silent long enough that Rowan worried something was wrong.

But she asked, "Rowan, do you like football?" He wished she hadn't spoken.

"I do."

Don't ask don't ask don't ask don't ask don't ask—"Then why aren't you on the football team? You ever tried out?"

He had. Rowan didn't want to tell her that, didn't want to share that secret. Yet, somehow he told her, "I did. They didn't choose me. Not because I wasn't good at it but because the whole team hated me. Gavriel said it would affect the team spirit if he took me in, couldn't take that chance." He didn't want to share this secret about how much it had hurt to be rejected by students he had wanted to befriend. "I was principal's nephew, good at studies, at sports. I had a bad reputation around."

She cocked her head to the side. "Do you still want to join the team?"

"Doesn't matter. We don't always get what we want."

Aelin raised an eyebrow as if to say, you are one drama queen. Answer my question. So he did. "I still like football and this is my last year in school so yes."

"You should have done something about it," she said.

He could have shuddered in relief if only for the fact that there was no pity in her eyes, no sorrow. "I'd rather not spend time with people who ha—"

"You could've tried to make amends. If they believed you bad, did you do something to prove otherwise?" Her question took him off guard.

Had he done anything other than scowl and glare since he had changed schools? Rowan didn't want to go down that road, didn't want to visit that part of his past now. He pushed the thoughts away, buried himself in his silence, prepared to tell Aelin off but she was already on her feet, rushing towards the front of the class, squeals of excitement busting out of her.

She threw her arms around the guy standing near the front.

Dorian Havilliard leaned over to whisper something in her ear and Aelin laughed at him, loud and unrestrained. Everyone was watching but neither of them cared enough about it. Rowan convinced himself that the irritation he felt was only for the fact that they were being so loud, it was distracting him.

Yes, that was the only reasonable explanation that he could think of. With a long drawn-out sigh, Rowan went back to sitting in silence.

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Aelin was ecstatic.

Dorian had accompanied his parents to another continent for a business trip and she had missed him like hell. Her friends had tried their best to keep her entertained but no one could replace the dark haired boy.

When she pulled back, Dorian grinned at her. "Aw, missed me, Ace?"

"You are telling me you didn't miss your best friend?" Aelin smirked.

Dorian nodded, looking around the classroom before he looked at her again. "You are right, I did miss Chaol. Where is he?" He chuckled when she smacked the back of his head.

Then it occured to Aelin that he didn't know she had broken up with him. It had been three months ago, right after Dorian left. She hadn't wanted to tell him over the phone and now that he was in front of her, she wanted to enjoy his return instead of dwelling over that. So Aelin grinned, looping an arm with his and they were walking out of the classroom, one eye out in case Meave was making rounds.

"Mind telling me why Rowan was staring at you?" Dorian asked.

Rowan Whitethorn.

Whom she had left in the classroom without even a word. A blush creeped onto her cheeks even as she tried to summon some swagger, flipping her hair back. "I did not fret over outfits for over an hour in the morning to please my own eyes. Let him stare."

Dorian raised an eyebrow. "Is Rowan the reason you broke up?"

Here she thought she was keeping it a secret. "How'd you know we broke up?" Aelin asked, then realised her mistake.

Her best friend grinned at her. "I didn't. You confirmed it. But seriously, Rowan? The I-don't-ever-smile Rowan?"

"He smiles plenty," she offered, even though she hadn't seen him smile once.

There was no point hiding things from Dorian. Most dismissed him as a nerd who was only interested in books, quiet and reserved but he was charming when he needed to be. And perceptive. If there's anyone she won't be able to keep secrets from, it was him.

She didn't realise where they were going until they halted in front of the library. "You couldn't wait until after school?"

Dorian pointed towards the shelves at the back. "Lorcan and Aedion are here too, they are skipping class. They brought snacks." Aelin didn't need to tell them what would happen if the librarian Phillipa found them sneaking food inside.

Aedion was resting his head on the table when she reached him, Lorcan looking through the shelves for one reference book or another. There was no sign of Lysandra and Aelin remembered something about her joining art classes earlier this week.

"Hey idiots!" Dorian chirped.

Lorcan said without looking, "For your sake, I'll pretend you didn't say that."

Then they were all digging through what her cousin had brought - an assortment of chips and biscuits and candies and chocolates.

Aedion said to Dorian through mouthfuls of food, "I'm surprised you managed to bring her. Aelin hasn't left Rowan's side in two days."

Aelin coughed, kicking her cousin's leg underneath the table. Dorian already suspected something was up and if he hadn't already figured it out, he certainly would now.

But Dorian shrugged. "This isn't news to me. I've been shipping Rowaelin since sophomore year."

Aedion choked on the soft drink he was drinking. "You-Rowaelin-I don't... Sophomore year? Impossible." Impossible indeed. He couldn't have known about that, could he? He couldn't possibly have known about sophomore year.

Dorian smiled innocently. "Aelin has had a crush on him since sophomore year."

"Liar," Aedion blurted out.

Lorcan was silent, munching on his chips and Aelin thanked the gods for it. She could only handle two of them at a time. "How did you know?" she asked.

Dorian chuckled. "You weren't subtle about it. It was written all over your face when he passed by."

Lorcan was still silent as everyone tried to digest the information they had been fed. She had crushed on Rowan on his first day in school, had dismissed it for a temporary thing. It went away after she started dating Chaol.

That was until they'd been paired up for a project and the crush came back in full force. At least she won't have to hide her feelings from her friends now.

Even if Aedion looked like he had swallowed nails. "Rowan isn't good—"

"I took care of that. He'll play nice." Lorcan leaned back in his seat with a lazy, proud smirk on his face.

Aelin's stomach sank at whatever he meant by that but she knew Lorcan, trusted him enough that she didn't ask him about it. She did however add: "He doesn't like me back though so I'd appreciate it if you could keep your teasing to a minimum around him."

"I think he does like you back," Dorian replied. "And I am never wrong."

"You are wrong now."

Aelin hoped with all she had he wasn't.

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[blazerina]

Surprise (Ethan x MC)

Surprise (Ethan x MC)

Word Count: 4,962 (omg that’s a lot)

Author’s Note: Okay so this is my “mature Ethan & Allie AU” where they’re already married and have been together for a little while. It eludes to some of my other Ethan & Allie stories a little bit and sets the scene for another more angsty Ethan & Allie story I plan to write soon.  I had no idea how to end this so I’m sorry if the ending stinks. Hope this brings some joy to you as you read it – thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement regarding my stories.

**This story is dedicated to @noboundariesplease who became my 800th follower a few weeks ago!!**

@parkerattano @justanotherrookie @mrswalkerwritesagain – thanks for being my fandom besties!

A few of you asked to be tagged when I posted this story so here you go:

@unusualvisionsblog @itstaygs @ethandaddyramsey @x-kyne-x @flyawayboo

Some of you liked my message about this story coming soon so I thought I’d tag you too – hope that’s okay: @queencarb @schnitzelbutterfinger @liam-kostas-wife  @keepcreative @lion-ess24 @lifeof-liv @rookieinbflat @imonlyalittledeadinside @desmaranj @havenofearoficecoldbeer

Love and hugs peace to all of you!! xoxo

--

Ding dong.

The echo of the doorbell rang out among the small, empty foyer of the two-story home that Ethan and Allie shared, just outside of Boston.  Allie was in the master bathroom, her hair in large rollers, putting the finishing touches on her makeup; mascara wand in hand.

Waiting a moment to hear if Ethan opened the door, Allie let out a sigh and rested her hand on the edge of the counter in exasperation.

“Ethan? You gonna get that?!” She hollered.

The doorbell rang again at the same moment Allie went back to applying her mascara.

“Ethan!” She yelled again, tightening the belt on her robe.

Ethan’s head popped into view behind her in the mirror. Leaning in from the doorway with the phone glued to his ear, he silently mouthed the words I’m on the phone.

Rolling her eyes, Allie put the mascara down and went quickly to the door.  A delivery man was standing on the doorstep, holding a basket full of cookies, with several colorful balloons attached.

After signing for the package and offering her thanks, Allie went immediately to the kitchen. Ethan was sitting at the table, still on the phone, looking out the window into their backyard.

“For you…” Allie smiled, placing the basket in front of him as he turned around.  

He rolled his eyes and looked for a card.  After reading it quickly, he tossed it aside, rolling his eyes again. Allie could hear the voice on the other end of the phone. This person was clearly frazzled, rambling on and talking at a rapid pace.

“I will not apologize for your lack of planning, Douglas. I have already been waiting two days beyond the deadline I originally gave you…you’re testing my patience and I already don’t have much…”

While Ethan continued on the phone, Allie poured him a glass of iced tea and set it down on the table in front of him, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

Ethan reached for her hand and kissed the back of it silently, looking up at her through his glasses with tired eyes.

Allie smiled and started walking backwards.  Making sure she had Ethan’s attention, she mimed at her wrist, tapping it as if a watch was there.  

“We need to go soon…” she reminded him, quietly.

Ethan nodded and then shooed her out of the room as his conversation increased his frustration.

“And I’m telling you that I will not have a diagnosis until I get those results…”

--

Allie and Ethan had been married almost 16 years now.  Their relationship had weathered many storms at this point, but their connection to one another had never been stronger or deeper. Looking at the pictures in frames throughout their house one could see how their own love and affection for one another had grown. In the pictures from their first days of being together, their eyes sparkled and glistened. Photos from their small and intimate wedding ceremony showed true joy and happiness in their smiles. As the years wore on, they included other family in their pictures, pictures of Jenner alone in a field of wildflowers, and another new puppy, Chief. Nieces and nephews and cousins galore adorned the walls and shelves of their home. In each more recent picture of their life, their eyes were just as sparkling, smiles just as happy, but their faces older and wiser, and maybe a little more tired.

The couple had been through a lot together; it seemed as though from day one they would have more than their fair share of trials and tribulations.  But through it all they managed to come out stronger with more love, devotion and appreciation for one another than either of them thought possible.

Allie was keeping an eye on the time, her stomach a bundle of nerves.  She was working hard to ensure her lipstick looked just right, while also checking every other little detail of her makeup in the mirror.

Tonight need to be as close to perfect as possible.

Downstairs, Ethan furiously ended his call and slammed his phone down on the table with more force than he intended.  He glanced quickly at the ridiculous basket and balloons, muttered a curse word under his breath and checked the time on the wall clock in the kitchen. He quickly realized he was running late and took the stairs two at a time to get changed.

Allie heard him enter their walk-in closet and called out to him.

“All done with that phone call?”

“I am.” Ethan responded, scanning his suit jackets for the one he had in mind.

“I cannot believe you made me go to the door in my robe with my hair in these curlers!” She teased, securing an earring in place.

“You can’t honestly believe that I was going to fall for that…” Ethan scoffed, talking to her through the closet as he began to change.

“Fall for what?” Allie asked, spraying perfume on her wrists and neck.

“Allie…” His tone came across as though he was admonishing her.

“I learned my lesson! I promised you that I would never, ever in the rest of our time together, try to surprise you with anything for your birthday ever again.”

“Well forgive me for being worried that someone dressed as a teddy bear or something equally as cliché and silly, was going to jump out from behind the bushes with a song and some chocolate. You’re very unpredictable, you know.”

“And you love it.” Allie retorted.

A few moments of silence passed between the two of them as Allie made her way to the closet, too. They danced around each other a few times, Ethan reaching here to grab a tie, Allie wandering over to her shoe selection, trying to decide which ones she wanted to wear.

Her eyes scanned the footwear choices before her and she mentally calculated the pros and cons of each, tilting her head in an analytical fashion, her eyes squinting as she thought to herself.

“You still have the curlers in?” Ethan questioned, almost completely dressed now, with the exception of his tie and jacket.

“I told you, I take them out at the very…last…second…” Allie reached for a pair of shoes as Ethan stopped her.

“Wear those instead…” He nodded in the direction of one shelf above the pair Allie was going for.

“Those are old!” She insisted. “You only like these because I was wearing them two years ago on our anniversary when we went to the opera and ate at the one place with the great steak and scotch – I can’t remember the name but you loved it…”

“So what if I did? It was a lovely evening and those shoes bring back good memories.”

“Maybe for you…” Allie’s eyes grew wide as she remembered the blisters they created on the heels of her feet.

She grabbed them anyway and gave him a sly grin.

“The things we do for love.”

After laying out her dress and shoes, she returned to the bathroom and started taking her hair down. Ethan was now sitting on the end of the bed, putting his shoes on, but stopped to watch her, mesmerized by her beauty.

He could only see her reflection in the mirror from the angle at which the bed was to the entrance of their master-bath, but he still couldn’t stop his own breath from catching in the back of his throat. Not a day passed when he didn’t wake up and consider himself the luckiest man on the planet.

Sure, time had weathered them both in certain ways – physically they both had more wrinkles and gray hair; but emotionally they had grown, developed and matured in their desire for one another and their need to rely on each other through all that life had thrown their way.

Ethan was not looking forward to the dinner they were attending tonight.  Allie was the magnetic one – the woman who could make the cashier at the grocery store feel like she had known her forever. Allie was the one everyone wanted to be friends with and the so-called friends the couple did have, were only tolerant of Ethan. They were really friends with her, and he knew it. She had so much that he didn’t. He was in awe of her and admired her more than she was aware.

Allie’s long reddish-brown hair tinted now with a few streaks of gray, fell from each roller, across her shoulders and down her back. The soft tendrils were exactly the way she hoped they’d be – not too tight but not too loose.  She was actually pleased with the way her look was coming together tonight. She then reminded herself that she needed to hurry.

Ethan finished putting his shoes on and straightened himself up.

“All right, I think this is as good as I’m going to get so I’ll wait downstair—”

“Wait – could you help me with my dress please?” Allie pleaded, exiting the bathroom and stepping into the closet, then emerging again with the dress already on.

She swooped her hair to one side and turned around in front of Ethan, a silent request for him to zip up the garment.

He could smell her perfume. The same perfume she had been waring for years. The scent that would forever and always remind him of her.

Without saying a word, he slowly closed the dress, his rough calloused fingers grazing across her smooth, silky skin. He lightly kissed the exposed side of her neck while running his hands up and down both of her arms. She turned around to face him and smiled.

“Please, darling. Promise me. Promise me tonight is just a dinner, our closest friends, a simple night out and NOT a birthday celebration.” His tone was soft but serious.

“You are really worried about this aren’t you?” Allie arched an eyebrow moving closer to him, her lips almost touching his.

“Allie.” Ethan sighed, eyes closing briefly. “I just don’t like surprises.  My birthday is on a Tuesday which won’t be ‘fun enough’ for you, so I’m just worried you’re trying to plan something and make it amazing. You always have good intentions, but I never react appropriately and then I feel guilty and people are watching…”

She interrupted his stream-of-consciousness speech with her lips on his. It took him a moment to kiss her back, but he quickly melted into her touch on instinct.

“I promise I have not planned a birthday-related surprise for tonight. Relax.”

He let out a shaky breath and nodded.

“Okay then.”

“Now go get in the car, I have to reapply my lipstick already, thanks to you.” She swatted his behind as he walked away and he chuckled to himself, slightly relieved.

--

“This is where we’re eating?” Ethan questioned as valet circled the car and helped Allie out of the vehicle.

“Dr. Ramsey, Dr. Valentine – we’ve been waiting for you. Right this way.” An older woman with gentle eyes and white hair led the couple through the lobby of a very fancy hotel.

Ethan felt like everyone was watching them, but he stayed focused on trying to calm his own nerves. He wanted to trust Allie and not be paranoid about some crazy birthday plan, but he couldn’t help himself.

Allie held his hand and smiled at everyone that passed by.  Her heart was beating fast too.  Ethan could feel the pulse in her wrist as he clutched onto her for dear life.

“Ethan…” She whispered, “Are you okay?”

He didn’t respond, his gaze fixed ahead of him, following the woman to a huge ballroom full of banquet tables. When the doors opened Ethan felt light-headed. Not one seat was empty.

Music was playing and there was a stage set up at the front of the room. The room was beautifully decorated and whoever planned whatever event Ethan found himself attending, obviously spared no expense. People had just begun to eat their plated dinners. It seemed as though a few less people paid attention to him now that he was safely inside the room.

His emotions were a mixture of relief and confusion.  

Allie’s voice coaxed him out of his own thoughts.

“See?! Told ya. Nothing birthday related!” She kept hold of his hand and led him to a table closer to the front, where two seats had clearly been reserved for them.

Naveen and Harper were already at the table along with the chairman of Edenbrook’s Board of Director’s and the President of the hospital.

“I was wondering how late you’d be tonight, Ethan.  The table was taking bets before you walked in with this lovely young woman on your arm. Does Allie know?”

Ethan pulled the chair out for Allie and relaxed a little more, now that he was around familiar faces. He still didn’t quite have any idea what was going on.

“Ha-ha.” Allie chimed in sarcastically, leaning over to Naveen and kissing him on the cheek.

“Lovely to see you all this evening – thank you for coming.” She added.

“No, my dear, thank YOU for making this event possible.” The chairman spoke up, nodding towards Ethan.

“If it weren’t for Dr. Valentine, we’d only see Ramsey here walking the halls of the hospital day and night. He’d have no real life to speak of!” Naveen teased.

As the table made feeble attempts at small talk with one another, people would come up to Ethan every so often and shake his hand or clap him on the back, telling him how good it was to see him here or offering their most sincere congratulations. Ethan tried his best to be polite but was quite frankly starting to get a little annoyed. He was hungry and irritable and already wanted to be left alone.

He always felt so awkward and out of place at these things.  He never knew what to say or precisely how to act. Charming people and making idle conversation with them was not his strong suit. It was entirely out of his comfort zone. And what was worse, tonight, he clearly was already supposed to know what event he was attending or at the very least what was going on, however, he really had no clue.

Obviously there was no way that the Dr. Ethan Ramsey was about to admit to a table full of his medical peers, that he did not know what was happening or exactly what they were gathered together to celebrate tonight. To appear as though he had no answers was the worse possible fate he could imagine.

“Allie…” he whispered sweetly into her ear, placing his hand on her upper thigh, below the table.

“What exactly is going on? Help me out here…”

“Allie! I feel as though it has been forever since I’ve seen you!” Harper gushed, clearly, she had already had a few drinks and was feeling quite conversational.

“It has been!” Allie engaged with her but then quickly responded to Ethan between talking with Harper and the rest of the table.

“You’ll see.” She pecked him quickly on the lips leaving him stunned and puzzled. He could not for the life of him figure out what any of this had to do with him.

Allie knew he’d never ask anyone else at the table what was going on. She had him right where she wanted him. He knew it too and he hated her for it.

As hard as he tried not to get mad, he felt anger rising in his chest. He always struggled when he didn’t feel in control. When two plus two didn’t add up to be four, he had a very difficult time adjusting. Everyone was being nice to him, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Was this some kind of party?

Ethan took a few shallow breaths and pushed through, talking to those around him and grasping for Allie every chance he got, in a respectful and not attention-seeking way. Little touches here and there left her connected to him. She was what kept him grounded and he needed her desperately tonight.

He was continuing to get old. He saw it in the mirror as it reflected his own face every single day. This birthday coming up was just another reminder of how much life had been lived. The depth of the few relationships he had and the stark reminder of what he lacked, always hit him square on, around this time of year. Birthdays were not and never would be his favorite.

Dramatically, he began thinking of how betrayed he felt by Allie. She had duped him once again and led him on. How could she promise him she hadn’t done anything when clearly this whole thing had been executed flawlessly? She was too smart. She knew he wouldn’t blow up on her here, in front of people.  

He then began looking around at the decorations, the food, the stage, this lavish hotel he’d only been in once before, and the dollar signs began adding up in his mind. Now suddenly worried about how much she had spent on this over-the-top soiree, he needed to excuse himself and go get some air.

He slowly released his grasp on Allie’s hand, and sheepishly removed himself from the table.

“Ethan, no. Sit down. You can’t…you can’t leave right now.” Allie smiled as she instructed him, but her tone was serious.

“Alexandra, what in God’s name is going on? This is ridiculous that I cannot even…” Ethan was interrupted by a man on stage and he quickly took his seat, not wanting to make a scene.

Through clenched teeth, he leaned over to Allie once again.

“You promised me.” He hissed, beginning to seethe with anger. He thought after all this time she would know him better than this.

“Is a slideshow of my life going to start playing soon? Clowns and confetti coming through in a second? All these people?! Allie, come on!”

“Hush.” She put a finger to his lips, remaining calm. “Pay attention.”

“…it is with that in mind that we take time tonight to pay honor to a man who really needs no introduction…”

“Is that the Governor of Massachusetts?”  Ethan gawked. “You got the governor…”

“Put these on.” Allie slid his glasses over to him with a smile. “Yes, that’s the governor. Now hush and listen.”

Ethan was totally put out at this point, but put his glasses on and sat back in his chair. He was frustrated. His leg was bobbing up and down unconsciously. He had nervous energy. He wanted to leave. He wanted to get up and run out the door. He mentally noted the exits in the room. How fast could he make it? He was a little sore from his run earlier this morning but with this much adrenaline, surely, he could…

“Leading the nationally renowned diagnostics team at Edenbrook hospital has been the bulk of his responsibility for the last 25 years. Under his leadership, this team has brought great prestige and esteem to Edenbrook, to Boston and to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Not to mention the incredible notoriety and hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue that we have all benefitted from, due to his excellent work.”

Ethan paused, sitting up straighter, starting to put the pieces together.

“His colleagues from across the country have gathered here tonight to celebrate his contributions to the medical field, but tonight I want to celebrate his contributions to our state and to our community. There will be time for more accolades as the evening continues but first, and foremost, let us celebrate him and hear what he has to say.”

Allie squeezed his hand again, beaming with pride.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor, pleasure and privilege to be able to introduce you to our guest of honor tonight. Please join me in congratulating this year’s recipient of the Massachusetts Medical Society Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Ethan Ramsey of Edenbrook Hospital.

The room erupted in applause with some people whooping and hollering. Immediately everyone sprang to their feet, even Ethan. For a moment he wasn’t sure if he had to go on stage or not, but it became clear that there was an award he needed to accept and most likely a speech that would been expected.

Stunned and feeling as though he was floating on air, he quickly made his way up to the stage, hoping no one could see that his hands were shaking a bit. He shook hands with the governor, took his award in both hands and immediately looked out among the crowd.

Ethan tried to scan the faces, wanting to soak in this moment – he was stunned and still unsure if he was really awake.  While he tried to focus on the faces and really see who it was who had come out to support him, his gaze was instantly drawn to one and only one person in the room.

Allie wiped tears away from her eyes quickly, wanting to keep her emotions at bay. The only thing she felt in this moment was immense pride, and maybe a little bit of satisfaction in pulling this over on her beloved.  Standing and still applauding, she looked up at him in awe. Awe that he was hers. Not that his accomplishments and professional achievements weren’t worthy – but the only thing he was to her in that moment was Ethan. Her husband. The love of her life.

“Please.” Ethan cleared his throat as he spoke into the microphone, both his heart and mind racing.

“This is quite enough, please sit.” He instructed a little more forcefully.  

Allie led the group in finding their seats as a hush fell over the crowd, waiting to hear from the man they were all there to honor.

“I know this will come as a shock to most of you who know me well, especially those who work with me on a daily basis…but I’m finding myself speechless at the moment…”

Ethan chuckled as did the rest of the room.  He bit his lip, locking eyes with Allie and shaking his head, grinning and smirking, a combination of the two.

“I had no idea, absolutely no clue that this was happening tonight. I’m blown away by your support and your presence here tonight. I…uh…” He cleared his throat again, then looked back out into the audience.

He found Allie’s eyes, and also his words again.

“I do not take this award lightly and it truly means so much to me. I don’t know that I like the fact that I’m old enough now to be receiving lifetime achievement awards, but I am grateful, really. I love what I do, I’m fortunate to have a wonderful job that keeps me guessing every single day; really great co-workers, at least most of the time…” Again, the audience laughed.

“I get to teach med students in their first years of residency, and then you know, help save people’s lives. It’s actually surreal that this is the life I get to live.”

Ethan took a deep breath, biting his lip and trying to measure out his next statements carefully.

“As great as all of that is, I know that there is absolutely no possible way for me to be standing before you tonight as the person that I am today, without the love, devotion and care of my wife, Allie Valentine. She’s my Rookie.”

He paused, looking down, one hand finding his heart as he became overcome with emotion. He took several seconds to gather himself, he wanted to stay composed.

“I was actually pretty upset with her tonight for dragging me here and not telling me what the hell was going on. Even though all the things that have been written about me and said about me are true, and my accomplishments have garnered our entire team with a lot of recognition and such, I am most proud of being her husband.

Why she chose to settle down with a grumpy old man like me, I’ll never fully understand…but everything I am and everything I have today is completely because of her faith in me and her ability to make me the best possible version of myself.

When we met, I thought I would be the one teaching her everything she needed to know, but in the end, she has taught me more than I ever taught her.”

Allie’s eyes were filled with tears, she could hardly look at him without feeling as though she was going to burst with pride. She blew him a kiss from her seat and wiped away more tears, not daring to let them fall down her cheeks and ruin the makeup she tried so hard to perfect earlier that evening.

“I feel like I’m Rambling Ramsey up here so I’ll wrap this up - I could go on all night telling you about what Mrs. Ramsey means to me, what this award means to me, but I’ll stop here. Thank you again and please, I want to work the room as they say and thank all of you personally so come find me and…really, sincerely, this means so much to me. Thank you.”

Before he knew it, Ethan was swept away for pictures, people swarming around him, talking to him, handing him scotch after scotch, as it was well-known to be his drink of choice. It felt like at least an hour before he made his way back to Allie. She had just finished speaking with the Governor, when Ethan snuck up behind her.

Immediately, she turned and wrapped her arms around him.  

“Happy Birthday, my love!” She whispered in his ear.

“I cannot believe you did this to me…” He said seriously, looking in her eyes. “I hope you know you’re going to get it when we get home.” Ethan teased.

Laughing, Allie picked her glass of Prosecco from the table and raised it towards him in a mock toast as she wiggled her eyebrows and walked towards the open bar.

“Was already planning on it…” She muttered under her breath as she watched him walk away.

“I heard that…” He called out over his shoulder.

--

Throughout the night each one of them independently visited with people, giving them their sincere thanks and letting them know how meaningful it was to share this evening with them. Every few minutes or so Ethan would find Allie or Allie would find Ethan and they’d give each other a quick squeeze of the hand or a kiss on the cheek as they brushed passed each other and moved on to the next well-wisher.

“I don’t know what she sees in you…” Naveen said to Ethan as he took a swig from a beer bottle, nodding towards Allie who was across the room. “She’s perfect.”

“No doubt about it, I’m the lucky one.” Ethan agreed as Allie sauntered over to the two of them.

“This cannot be good.” She laughed, pointing at them both.  “What are you plotting?”

“You’re the schemer.” Naveen chided. “No one could have pulled this off better, my queen.”

Naveen pretended to bow before her with both arms raised above his head while he bent at the waist.

“Oh stop.” Allie waved him off.

“It looks like this crowd is thinning out and if I stay in these shoes much longer my feet will need to be amputated.”

She leaned on Ethan, stifling a yawn.  

“I know a guy who can help with that…” Naveen offered, finishing his drink.

“You really know how to throw a birthday party!” He added, following Ethan and Allie out to the valet line for the cars.

“It wasn’t a birthday party!” Both Ethan and Allie said in unison, Allie’s brow furrowed in mock anger.

Naveen begged for forgiveness and said his goodbyes while the couple waited for their vehicle to be brought around. As they sunk into the vehicle, beyond tired, Allie immediately kicked off her heels and Ethan loosened his tie. He threw his jacket into the backseat along with Allie’s shoes and rolled down the windows a bit for fresh air.

“Before we get going…” Allie put her hand on his as it rested on the gearshift.

“I know I said no more surprises – but you can’t be mad at me because this technically wasn’t a birthday surprise it was a general surprise and I knew that if you knew they were giving you an award you’d come up with some excuse not to go and I just couldn’t live with myself if you didn’t get a chance to hear all these people tell you how amazing you are because I know you’re amazing and I tell you all the time but sometimes you don’t believe me.”

She stopped to take a quick breath.

“So, I hope that tonight you know just how many people agree with me that you’re incredible – so please, please don’t be mad. I don’t want to ride all the way home with you in silence because I pulled one over on you.”

“Whoa. Allie. Calm down.” Ethan reached out to her and held her face in his hand.

“I’m not mad. It was a great surprise and…”

He reached across the console and kissed her hard, passionately, with so much force that his lips burned her skin.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” She whispered.

He laced his hand into hers and held it all the way home, staying the way they had been all the years of their relationship and even in little moments all night long…connected, grateful and in awe that somehow, someway they had found each other and were never ever letting go.

[amydancepants-peralta]

89, 91 or 98 please if you're taking prompts!! i can't decide !!!🥵🕊🕊

Me neither haha!  So ... here’s all three. 😅👶🏻💖

(89: “Mondays are your diaper days”, 91: “Oooh... someone’s got a tummy ache and 98: “I think we should have another.”)

i think our story needs more pages

There’s an unmissable smile of contentment on Jake Peralta’s face as he wipes down the last section of the kitchen bench, softly humming the theme song to Transformers while he rinses the washcloth under the tap.  (The original, of course - the remakes all have their merits but when it comes to theme songs, nothing beats the classic version, and that is the hill he will die on.)  

Not so long ago, a perfect day for him would have undoubtedly involved some sort of high-speed chase (or diffusing a hostage situation … or jumping from an exploding chopper with a knife between his teeth … he’s not fussy when it comes to the details, really) - but after spending the majority of today at their nephew Aaron’s third birthday party, he finds himself completely unable to hide the sheer joy that is thrumming through his veins.

He knows that he could attribute a certain portion of his great mood to the lasting effect of that second slice of ice-cream cake he’d had mere hours ago (or the light-up keyring he won during pass the parcel), but it all really came down all of the sweet moments in-between: standing in the shaded sun, surrounded by family, and watching as his son played with all of his cousins.  

It’s the kind of life that once upon a time would have seemed totally implausible, but now was absolutely his reality, and just the mere thought of a thousand more days like it put Jake on an all-time natural high.  

It has been fifteen months since the birth of their son, a child born of liquid fire that went by the name of Mac.  Fifteen months of diaper changes, screaming fits and mashed food everywhere.  And also; fifteen months of the softest of cuddles, impossibly tiny hands wrapping themselves around his fingers, and the deepest of brown eyes that took in everything imaginable.  He misses sleep (oh, how he misses real, uninterrupted SLEEP), but if that was the tradeoff for having a miniature version of him and Amy taking wobbly steps around their apartment, Jake would do it all again in a nanosecond.  

He had no idea how powerful the sound Dada would be, but the first time he heard it on his son’s lips, he straight-up cried.  And … maybe again when Mama followed shortly after.  Now, Mac’s vocabulary has expanded to five whole words (including Wowo, which both he and Amy are 90% certain stands for Aunty RoRo, and have agreed that it’s best for everyone if Charles just simply doesn’t know), and both parents couldn’t be prouder if they tried. 

There’s been an idea in the back of his mind for a few months now, one that has grown all the more after today’s festivities, and after pouring both he and his wife a half glass of wine each Jake makes his way over to the living room, still unable to wipe the smile off of his face when he takes in the scene in front of him.

Mac lay stretched out on the couch, his tiny duck printed pyjama shirt riding high and exposing his belly button as he rests his head on Amy’s lap.  Fast asleep, his eyes remain closed as Amy’s fingers run gently through his hair, his tiny chest rising and up down in even breaths.  It’s a sight Jake’s seen a hundred times before, but one that he never truly gets enough of, and after quietly placing the wine glasses on a nearby table he reaches out to tug Mac’s shirt a little lower.  

“I think someone’s got a tummy ache,” Amy whispers, mirroring Jake’s responding pout as he settles down on the couch, their sleeping son in between them.  “He only had the smallest taste of the cake .. but I guess when combined with the excitement of the day and all the dancing he did, the poor little guy is just completely wiped.”

(Mac’s ‘dancing’ was really just an unsteady yet adorable bouncing in place, both feet planted to the floor as his arms flail about to whatever music just happens to be playing, and the similarities between that and some of Amy’s dance moves have not gone unnoticed.)

Jake furrows his brow in response, instinctively reaching out to run a soothing hand over his son’s stomach.  “He’s all Mac’d out.”  He’d watched from the rear view mirror on the drive home as the gentle bumps of the road lulled Mac to sleep, his tiny curls squished along the edges of the carseat he was buckled into.  His (at times, endless) energy had been renewed by the time Amy had carried him up the stairs, the sneakers that Uncle Charles had given him making high-pitched squeaks as he’d run with tiny toddler steps around their apartment (the contents of which by now were entirely child-proof) for the rest of the afternoon.  

It was exhausting chasing after a toddler, but also strangely exhilarating, and watching Amy settle onto Mac’s play mat and help him with his building blocks as Jake had began to prepare dinner had just felt so right, it was hard to imagine what their afternoons used to be like pre-child.  

With his fingertip gently tracing the outline of one of the ducks on his son’s pyjama set, Jake watches as Amy uses her free hand to take a sip from her wine glass before speaking.

“I think we should have another.”  

His eyes squeeze shut as soon as he’s blurted it out, twisting his mouth into a wince.  There were a thousand different ways he could have phrased it (and lord knows he’s practised a few versions in the past few weeks), but nooo.  Great work as always, Peralta.

Amy’s head is cocked slightly to the side when he opens his eyes again, and she gestures vaguely at the glass.  “Another wine?  I’ve only just started this one.”

“Oh.  Ahh, no - sorry.  Ugh.  That was my terribly unsubtle way of saying that I’ve been thinking that maybe … we should try and have another baby.”

Raising her eyebrows, Amy’s hand stills amongst their son’s curly hair, and after a (thankfully brief) pause, she replies.  “You do?”

Jake can feel a soft smile begin to grow on his face, and he nods.  “Yeah, I do.”  Lifting his hand so that he can run his fingers ever so lightly along the bridge of Mac’s nose, he gives Amy a half shrug.  “I mean … I’ve watched you with your brothers over the years, and it’s just amazing the kind of bond all of you have.”  Mac’s eyelids begin to flutter, and Jake pulls his hand away before he accidentally wakes him.  “Even when you hate them with a passion, you still love them, and there’s just some things that you intrinsically know about each other without any prompting.  It’s the kind of closeness that can’t ever be replicated, and I would just really love to give Mac that kind of childhood.”

Amy smiles at the thought, giving Jake a tiny nod of encouragement to continue.

“I know that I had Gina a lot of the time, but at some point she would go home to her family, and then it was just me and my mom … and don’t get me wrong, that was great, but there were definitely times when I had wished that I could have had somebody to hang out with.  Especially when my mom started working two jobs and I saw her less and less.  TV and cake did an okay job raising me, but I do sometimes wonder … what if.”

With her nods growing bigger, Amy glances down at Mac.  “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been thinking the same thing.”

Jake’s heart skips a beat, and he leans forward slightly.  As much as he might want to try and expand their family, it all really came to do Amy, and how she felt about it.  He’s never pressured her into anything, and he certainly wasn’t about to start now.  “You have?”

“Yeah.  Been thinking about it a lot, actually.  My family was loud growing up, but it was also kind of great.”

They grin at each other over their son’s sleeping form.  Maybe, this was actually going to happen.  

Mac wriggles in his sleep, his sock-covered feet stretching out slightly and nudging against Jake’s thigh, and Jake lifts them up to rest on his lap as he shuffles a little closer to Amy.  “This morning, when I picked him up out of his crib, he just had the biggest, gummiest smile on his face, and then he hugged me like there was no tomorrow and I just … it’s only the best feeling and … well, you know.”

“I do.  That little Mama! that I heard this morning?  I wish I had recorded it, it sounded so sweet.  He’s just the cutest.”

“Exactly!”  Jake reaches his left hand out, resting it on the portion of Amy’s leg that hasn’t been occupied by their sleeping son.  “And honestly, I just keep getting this image in my head of a mini Amy walking around; with tiny little binders tucked under her arm and the same gorgeous eyes as her mother, learning so quickly whenever her big brother shows her how to do something.  Can’t you see it, Ames?”

Laughing, Amy shakes her head.  “She wouldn’t have binders, Jake” and he nods because obviously a toddler wouldn’t have a binder, but then she continues.  “She’d have a notepad.  Binders are serious business.  You gotta work your way up to them.”

“Right, of course.  My mistake, babe.”

Covering his hand with her own, Amy links slides her fingers in between Jake’s and rests them there.  “It does scare me a little, though.”

Picking up on the sudden softness of his wife’s voice, Jake looks over carefully.  “Having another baby?”

She nods, a tentative smile lifting the edges of her lips for a mere second before falling.  “Yeah.  I mean … it wasn’t exactly easy last time.  What if next time, it’s even harder?  Or it just … doesn’t work?”

Jake’s eyes fall back down to their son, this miniature version of both of them had wished so hard for.  Amy was right - it hadn’t been easy last time, and there honestly weren’t any guarantees that it was going to be any better the second time around.  It’s one of the main reasons why it had taken him so long to talk to her about it.  But as he feels her fingers gently shift against his own, Jake realises the most simplest of truths, and looks back up at his wife.

“I know that this is probably going to go against all of your instincts, but when it comes to this I think we just kind of need to let fate play it’s hand.  We can only try, you know?  If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”  Shifting his weight, he rests his shoulder against hers.  “We’re a family, no matter what.  Whether there’s three of us, or four, or five.  We can get through anything, Ames.  If there is anything the past ten years have taught us, it’s that.”

The side of Amy’s head rests against his, and he feels her nod.  “I love you, Jake Peralta.”

Squeezing their fingers, Jake cranes his neck marginally to the left to leave a kiss against Amy’s hairline.  “I love you too, Ames.”

From below them, Mac rolls onto his side; one hand curling into Amy’s sweater, and both of them seperate slightly to watch him sleep.

Taking another tiny sip from her glass, Amy sighs happily.  “You know … if we do this, we’d really need to look into moving somewhere bigger.”  Her eyes wander over the room, eventually landing on a framed photo of the three of them that had been taken five months ago.  “Maybe even buying something, if we were really careful with our finances.”

Jake’s smile grows impossibly bigger, and briefly he wonders if he’s going to have sore cheeks tomorrow from all of it.  “Honestly?  That sounds kinda amazing.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.  I mean …” Jake pauses, sliding his right hand along the back of his neck in a move that his wife has long since called ‘The Dropping of Peralta’s Guard’, feeling one side of his mouth slide up ever so slightly as he turns his attention back to Amy.  “I love this apartment, and living in the city, but … the only thing I’ve ever really owned is your heart.  And that beat up Mustang I had for a while there, but money-wise that was mainly on loan, so … yeah.  Just you.”  His hands raise quickly, showing his palms in surrender.  “Not that I own you or anything, because that’s ridiculous, I just meant that you totally own mine and that’s - mmff” the rest of his sentence is muffled, the press of Amy’s lips against his stealing the last fragments of thought, and by instinct his arms wrap tightly around her waist, as best as he can with Mac still resting on their laps.    

Amy’s smiling as she pulls away, her hand sliding down his cheek until she’s resting her thumb in the tiny dimple at the bottom that he’d always hated until the love of his life made it a favourite, and honestly, how she makes his heart flutter even after all this time is just pure magic.

“I know what you meant, babe, and I love you for saying it.  You absolutely own my heart … well, you and Mister Mac do, anyway.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”  

Sliding his right hand further up his wife’s back, Jake pulls in her for another kiss.  He would happily share the space with Mac, and any other children that they might end up having, for the rest of his life (and maybe a hundred or so more years after that).  Toying with the ends of her hair as they part, Jake’s shoulders rise in a tiny shrug.  “Honestly, falling in love with you is the best investment I’ve ever made.  But the thought of actually buying a house with you, and turning it into a home that our kids will grow up in?  A backyard filled with toys and swing sets and maybe even a cat or two?  It sounds like the greatest idea ever.”

“And maybe a park nearby, where we can teach our kids to ride a bike?”

“Plus a basketball hoop over the garage door - because their Dad can dunk, and he’s totally going to show them how.  Not to mention a study lined floor to ceiling with bookshelves, all of them filled to the brim.”

Amy’s eyes begin to glisten slightly, and she leans in to rest both of her hands on Jake’s forearm.  “Don’t forget the front porch for us to sit on when we’re older, rocking in our chairs and stealing all of the other kid’s frisbees when they land on our lawn.”

“Of course!  We’re going to be the COOLEST house in the neighbourhood, with the dopest Halloween decorations.  Acting purely as a distraction, naturally, while we carry out whatever version of the heist we’re up to by then.”

Raising her chin slightly, Amy’s eyes turn suddenly serious.  “Your mind is going to be blown when you realise what I already have planned for then, Peralta.”

“Yet another reason to have a second baby!  One on each team!”

One of Amy’s eyebrows raises coyly, and she whispers “That’s what you think” as she leans in for another kiss, shortened by the soft laughter that falls from Jake’s mouth.  

“I really do love you, Ames.  Pre-emptive plotting for my children to heist against me and all.”

She giggles, and Mac lets out a tiny grumble as he begins to wake.  Scooting his butt to the edge of the couch, Jake slides his hand along his son’s back, holding him warm against his chest and tightening his grip as Mac nuzzles into his neck, still half asleep.  “Okay, time to take this party animal to bed.  Say goodnight, mommy!”

Raising herself up until she’s kneeling into the couch cushions, Amy leans in to press a kiss against Mac’s cheek, replicating the action on Jake’s as she pulls away.  “Goodnight, my sweet prince.  And babe, I think a diaper change might be in order.”

Wrinkling his nose, Jake nods.  “Yeah, I agree.”

“Want me to do it?”

“Nah.  Mondays are your diaper days, Sundays are mine.  I’ve got this.  You sit back and relax, and have a look at our schedules for when we can book a babysitter so that we can … practice.”

Resting her weight back down on her heels, Amy sinks her teeth into her lower lip.  “You know I’m a big believer in practice makes perfect, Peralta.”

“Indeed I do, Santiago.”  Lifting up one of Mac’s arms to mimic a tiny wave, Jake heads slowly towards Mac’s bedroom, intent on getting him changed and into bed with minimal disruption.  

(There ends up only being one tiny meltdown, but it’s nothing that a combined goodnight hug from both Mommy and Daddy can’t fix.)

*

In fifteen years time, there will be a house in Brooklyn - just outside the city centre, so close enough for the daily commute - that has contained so much love within its four walls that it has long since seeped into its foundation.

There will be a doorframe near the kitchen, marked with a variety of ascending lines drawn in marker, catalogued by both name and year as they rise.  A myriad of photos and commendations will line the walls (in no particular order, a fact that is made very clear), and the memories of each captured moment will last long after the images have faded.  

It will be their home - the Peralta-Santiago fortress against the rest of the world - and although life will forever throw curve balls their way, if there’s anything their children know for sure it’s that as a family, they’re always going to be there for each other.  No matter what. 

(Also, that Wario cheats.) 

[purplebenjy]

Pre-Cursor || Castaway AU

Benjy hates this  ship, but it certainly beats where he’s coming from. Benjy grew up the second oldest in a family of four brothers-five if you counted him, which many didn’t. His father, as wealthy as he is lecherous, had multiple affairs throughout his life, but only one was unfortunate enough to result in a bastard. Some nonsense about honor had landed him in his father’s manor, but that nonsense only stretched so far. While his half brothers spent their youth growing up in the lap of luxury, Benjy spent his pushed to the side, tucked carefully behind closed doors, only trotted out only when absolutely needed. The servants were told he was a distant nephew, the family was told he was an orphan, the child of old friends. In truth, Benjy was an open secret. His features were unmistakably his father’s, which only resulted in exceedingly extreme cruelty from the woman he was made to call Mother. Even Ezra, his brother only a year younger and undoubtedly the closest thing Benjy had to a friend, soon grew to treat Benjy differently. He ate meals with the rest of the family, but, once the children were dismissed, Benjy went left down the hallway towards the smaller rooms while each of his brothers turned right, going to progressively larger and grander chambers. Still, he didn’t want for much in terms of material things. Just in terms of attention, or love or feeling wanted. 

There were other reasons for his exclusion, he knew that too. Benjy wasn’t an idiot. Far from it actually-he was the best out of all of his brothers at writing, at understanding words on a page, at drawing, the harpsichord. At, as his father liked to helpfully remind him whenever he got the chance, all of the subjects that were only “good for women.” He was smaller than any of them, both in height and size, even thought he was twenty, he resembled a boy of about fourteen or fifteen, with the strength and prowess to match. While his brothers, even the young ones, wooed women at balls and socials, Benjy hung towards the wall, enjoying the way the dancers moved together and trying his hardest not to make it obvious his interest was not in the women. 

It wasn’t natural, the way Benjy couldn’t help himself when he saw beautiful men. It was vile, horrible, and yet, he couldn’t make himself stop. He’d even tried to pray, but, once he was down on his knees, the words did not come to him. They never did. Praying seemed pointless when Benjy had known his fate since he was thirteen. 

His mother who wasn’t his mother at all had a cousin with a bunch of single daughters-of course, that side of the family had moved to Australia shortly after Benjy had been born, and the cousin was now a wealthy shipping industry tycoon and eager to marry off the least fashionable daughter to someone with a somewhat notable pedigree-and that’s where Benjy came in. Australia was always some sort of vague threat, something lurking on his horizon, and now, here he was, aboard a charted ship towards the continent he was not expected to return from. His soon to be father in law had secured Benjy a seat-the only passenger seat, really-on one of his ships that was due to return from England. His departure had been brief and only tear filled on Benjy’s side-and that was only when he was alone in his cabin. 

It said something-not anything nice-that the hired hands on the ship were kinder to him than most of his family, but still, Benjy could tell he was largely in the way aboard the vessel. All the men had jobs to do and all Benjy did all day was wander the decks, sketch, and try to take up as little space as he could.

It was too late for one of these such wanderings, but here he was. They’d been at sea for almost two weeks, and Benjy had finally gotten used to walking around and didn’t fall over nearly as much. Nearly being the key word-the ship had hit some rough waves and Benjy had tumbled rather ungracefully through a hole in the main deck that he knew led to where the crew slept. The crash he’d made had been rather loud, but then again, so were most things on the ship. He laid pathetically for a moment at the bottom of the ladder, sore but certain nothing was broken other than his ego, half hoping someone would hear simply because it would mean someone would touch him, but no one came. Benjy lets out a sigh and sits up carefully, dusting off the shoulder’s on his green velvet coat. He moves to climb up the ladder when he hears....giggling?

Benjy freezes as something hot surges through his stomach. Embarrassment at first, because he naturally assumes they’re laughing at him, but once Benjy realizes he’s very alone in this hallway (save for some coils of rope), the heat turns into curiosity with a little bit of something else. It’s that something else, and maybe that evilness that he can’t quash inside him, that leads Benjy down the hall towards the sound. It’s dark in the hallway, but there are lit lanterns flickering with just enough light that Benjy is able to make his way towards what can only be the crew’s cabins without making much noise. 

The door is open, but its dark enough that when Benjy freezes again in the shadows, neither of the men inside seem to notice him-though of course they seem a little too pre-occupied to notice anything. 

“Shall I blow the candle out?” A voice asks, deep in a way Benjy has never heard before. The voice’s owner moves into the light of the candle and Benjy recognizes him immediately-Amos, one of the only sailors who took the time to talk to him. From their brief interactions Benjy knew he had grown up poor somewhere in London and that his Indian parents had given him a “nice English name” in hopes that he could make it somewhere. His beauty was matched only by the kindness in his smile, and Benjy would be lying if he said he hadn’t imagined a similar sort of tryst with the man who was currently pulling his loose white shirt over his head.

“Leave it.” Another voice says, sharper and somehow even more lustful as a pair of strong tanned arms snake around Amos’s bare middle. Benjy has to stop himself from gasping as the other sailor comes into view, kissing the back of Amos’s neck. He was the tall one, with beautiful blonde curls Benjy always found himself staring at. Benjy didn’t even know his name and the other man made no moves to offer anything other than a polite “hello, sir.” and a nod whenever they crossed paths. His scowl was a constant whenever Benjy saw him, but now his mouth makes giggles as Amos hands him a previously unseen amber bottle. 

“I rarely get to see you when I fuck you, it’ll be such a nice treat for me.”

Amos laughs as all the breath in Benjy’s body leaves him.

“Presumptuous of you, Cassiel.”

“Is it?” Cassiel replies, handing Amos back the bottle and crossing around to the front of him to kiss him deeply on the mouth. Benjy tastes blood as he bites down hard on his bottom lip, his heartbeat is thudding in places he’d never felt come to life before. He knows he should leave, that what they’re doing is wrong and Benjy watching makes him wronger still, but his feet might as well be nailed into the boards beneath them. 

“Is it so wrong that I want to see what you look like when you make those lovely little sounds for me?”

“Dammit...” Amos’s sentence breaks off into a gasp as Cassiel slowly kisses down the front of his chest, falling to his knees in a way that makes the act look far more appealing than any prayer Benjy has ever uttered. 

“Are you going to answer my question, love?”

“You’ll be the ruin of me.”

Benjy watches as Cassiel smirks and without further fanfare, pulls down Amos’s trousers. In his profile view, he can’t quite see what’s happening, it’s only when Amos’s hands bury themselves in Cassiel’s blonde curls and a different sort of noise starts to emit from the room does Benjy put two and two together.

He was kissing him....down there. Was that a thing one could do? Surely it was, for it was happening in front of Benjy’s very eyes. It is suddenly too much, too private, too achingly unfamiliar. Benjy finds his feet and his senses, and scurries back down the hallway, his breath hard and his own trousers suddenly too tight. Benjy places two shaking hands on the highest rung he can reach, and, just as he’s about to pull himself back up towards the safety of his familiar and boring cabin, the boat lurches violently. The last thing Benjy remembers before the word goes black is the rung of the ladder breaking under his fingers.

[hamliet]

I can’t believe you’re reading 2ha too now! I started following u way back when you were posting tg and snk meta and it’s so weird in an amazing way how you started posting mdzs meta at the same time I started reading it! I’d like to ask you for your thoughts on 2ha so far? (Maybe on Nangong Si and Ye Wangxi’s relationship?) Thank you :)

Ahhhh hi Anon!!! Thank you for sticking with me through all my fandom phases! And hooray, my first 2ha ask!! My general thoughts on the story are that it is a highly enjoyable story with fantastic, compelling characters and genuine emotional beats, though it also was thematically contradictory. That said, I really enjoyed it, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the live action even if it’s going to be heavily censored! I love it and want to make more content for it.

But onto the meat of your ask: Ye Wangxi and Nangong Si, the ship that tears our hearts out. *art is from the audio drama* So 2ha's cultivation world is, like the worlds in MXTX’s novels, utterly hypocritical, corrupt, and filled with people desperate for a justice that does not exist; it's also much more cynical than MXTX's novels in its view of humanity. Nangong Si's and Ye Wangxi's arcs are wrapped up in this view of the world, in concepts such as corruption and justice and the like, so I'm going to open by talking a bit about this before delving into their arcs, and keep in mind I will have discuss spoilers from the manual translation.  

I don't think there's a better summary of what 2ha thinks about justice than what Xue Zhengyong says in this scene when a horribly abused child is on trial for terrible things the child, now grown, went on to do: 

Fate...

Some people were born rich. 

It's not fair.

When fate had poured injustice on those at the bottom, a mere price adjustment order could take the lives of the loved ones around them.

Where is justice?

They were all living people. How could they not hate him? How could they feel relieved?

Even if this child had missed it, even if he was not his blood kin, even if his fate played with him … Thinking of this, his heart still ached.

...

Xue raised his face and watched the clouds drift by."Okay, now that his sin has been repaid, he should at least repay the debt he owes this world." 

The wind was blowing .Xue Zheng Yong suddenly choked with sobs.

"But this world owes him … Did someone give it back to him... Has anyone returned it to him … " 

What about the crimes done to this person to make them that way? Does punishing this person bring any justice? How do we live in a world that is--perhaps irretrievably--broken? Every character explores this idea, and Ye Wangxi and Nangong Si are no exception. 

Nangong Si and Ye Wangxi are both obvious foils: they're children used by their parents, tools more than people. They also both--but especially Nangong Si--foil Shi Mei and Mo Ran in this, in terms of something horrible happening to their mother, something that scarred them for the rest of their lives. For example, Nangong Si's last words to his mother were: 

"I don't understand, I don't want to understand, I …I …” Nangong Si raised his tearful eyes and cried out to his mother, who was outside the forbidden spell, "I hate you! I don't have a mother like you! "

Mo Ran’s mother died and he had to drag her rotting corpse for two weeks to get to a place where he could bury her; Shi Mei’s mother was brutally eaten alive for her power. From these incidents, all three boys learn that the world is cruel in a distinct flavor that will influence everything they do from then on: Mo Ran learns no one will help him even if he begs for it, leading to him being both extremely clingy and extremely mistrustful; Nangong Si learns fate can be cruel and that he, too, can be cruel; Shi Mei learns that he can’t protect everyone and that his heritage puts him and his loved ones, all his people really, in huge danger--and that people will do evil things for power. Guess what he ends up doing. 

Ye Wangxi is also a Mo Ran foil: adopting a false persona and different role to please the people who took them in and were kind to them. Mo Ran pretends to be Xue Zhengyong and Madame Wang's nephew, when he really isn't; Ye Wangxi pretends to be a man to please the father who adopted her. That father is gray; I mean, technically he's morally repulsive, but he did genuinely care for Ye Wangxi. However, Ye Wangxi's willingness to sacrifice her life is not entirely a positive thing: clearly, Nangong Si will do whatever he has to in order to protect her, even marry Song Qiutong; his sacrifice there, likewise, leads to unhappiness for them both. 

Ye Wangxi and Song Qiutong are definitively foiled, and I'm going to sound as if I'm saying Ye Wangxi=good and Song Qiutong=bad, when, while that may be how the novel frames it, is certainly not what the novel actually says (it's an objective contradiction) nor is it what I interpreted. But they are distinct foils, which is why they are the two characters romantically linked to Nangong Si, representing to him the two paths he could choose to go down. Ye Wangxi will sacrifice herself to protect others, as seen in the sacrifice of her love for Nangong Si and her sacrifice of her identity and willingness to sacrifice her life.  

In contrast, Song Qiutong will throw others under the bus to save herself. For example, when she is accused of cheating on Nangong Si, she does not trust people to defend her and falsely accuses Ye Wangxi of rape--even though Ye Wangxi had previously risked her safety to save Song Qiutong from an auction. Now, I've an issue with how the novel frames Song Qiutong for this: I don't understand why Song Qiutong is condemned when (as far as we and Mo Ran himself know at the time) Mo Ran is himself a rapist and when she was entrapped into the situation (i.e. if many characters hadn't been put in certain situations, they wouldn't have done terrible things), especially given her past (constantly living under the threat of being killed or raped--let's be honest, if she was deemed at fault, do you really think they'd just let a Butterfly Bone Beauty go?) and given story otherwise stating that people shouldn't be faulted for wanting to live. Who has repaid her for the wrongs done for her? 

I digress. Still, the tl;dr is that Song Qiutong's way of surviving involves hurting others. Song Qiutong also directly foils Nangong Si. Nangong Si starts out as... well, also as a very self-centered person who didn’t care that Song Qiutong was about to meet a fate worse than death in the light of the inconvenience Ye Wangxi saving her caused him. Additionally, he takes his frustrations out on those around him:

However, even after his father is revealed to be like, the literal worst, Nangong Si cannot condemn his father. He could easily abandon him: in fact, in this cruel world, it might be perceived as more righteous for him to do so, but he doesn't. He gives his father a chance, and when they need a sacrifice and the most logical one is his mentally de-aged father: Nangong Si faces a choice: does he want to be like Song Qiutong? Or does he want to be like Ye Wangxi? He chooses to be like Ye Wangxi. This is not, however, a solely beautiful choice, because remember 2ha's world sucks and its suckery infects everything. The world itself is wrong, and so righteousness--true righteousness--is utterly impossible. Nangong Si sacrifices his life to save them all, but that leaves Ye Wangxi alone and many characters (and readers) grieving. It also could be read as highlighting, for Mo Ran at least, where he has yet to go: a few chapters earlier he almost sacrificed his reputation to warn everyone, but panicked and did not in the end. Mo Ran, of course, is related to Nangong Si by blood and could have sacrificed himself (I'm not saying he should have; the circumstances suck), so I suppose you could view it as Mo Ran still slowly developing (and his callous treatment of Rong Jiu and then entrapment of Song Qiutong as him slowly learning, but if so I wish it had been called out as a "well, I handled that hypocritically" moment later on). Or maybe that's reaching on my part. *shrugs* Ye Wangxi is a moral character, perhaps the most righteous in the story. She is the only one who stands by Mo Ran when he's put on trial to be tortured, declaring confidently:

Ye Wangxi fed him some warm water.

Mo Ran said in a low voice, "Why …."

"You helped A-Si." Ye Wangxi did not raise her head. "You helped me too."

"... On Mount Flood Dragon, if I was the one to die, Nangong will …" Ye Wangxi's hand paused slightly. She was trembling, but she still said in the end, "Everyone wants to live. I won't blame you just because you want to live."

"..."

"Drink it." She said, .”..you've been helping me and A-Si by risking our lives. Now, even if no one is willing to help you, I will still help you." Her expression was still dull, but it was firm. “I'm here." As she said 'here', she was indeed standing by the side of Mo Ran.

It's fitting, then, that Ye Wangxi's ending contrasts her with Shi Mei. She rescues refugees before the final battle and then travels the world with Nangong Si's wolf, because she will never forget the one she loves, and to presumably act justly and do righteousness, sow kindness into a world, rescue people despite how rescuing Song Qiutong actually endangered both her and Nangong Si. 

Shi Mei wanted to change the world, quite literally rewriting time, but only made it worse in the end. Ye Wangxi's way of change might be slower, might be less fantastical, but it's not going to hurt people in the meantime. (Side note: I wish the novel would have been more optimistic and come up with some kind of justice for the Butterfly Bone Beauty people, but it really doesn't as far as I understood (this may be wrong; the MTL of the last twenty or so chapters are confusing!))

[simonxriley]

Fall Family Fun

Pairing: Alexsandr “Tachanka” Senaviev x Skylar “Phoenix” Jackson 

Summary: Tachanka, Skylar, the kids and some of the family go out to an orchard for some much needed fall family bonding time. 

Words: 4,501

Russian: Kotyonok = kitten. Moya sladost’ = My sweetness. Da = yes. Printessa = Princess

Ao3

The air was crisp, the weather was perfect and Skylar was looking forward to this much needed family trip to Treworgy Family Orchards. It was only an eighteen minute drive from Bangor and she was looking forward to seeing the twins explore the orchard and pick out pumpkins since they were now almost two and much more alert and less scared than they were last year. Last year's pumpkin picking was a mix of fun and a disaster.  

“Did you really go here every year?”

Skylar looked into the rearview mirror seeing Grace sitting in the middle between her younger siblings. “I did, it was a family tradition even before I was born.”

“Cool. Are there any animals?”

“Yes there is.” She laughed. “There’s also a corn maze, and you can pick your own fruits and veggies along with cutting your own flowers.”

“Can we do that? Are we going to do that?”

“Absolutely, I’ll see if anyone can take the twins for a bit so we can pick the flowers in peace.”

“Yay!”

Skylar chuckled and glanced over at Alex who was driving, giving him a small smile. This was their first Halloween back in Maine since the twins were born, last year work was too hectic to find time to fly out so this year they decided to take a few weeks off and spend some time with her family and for her parents to spend more time with their grandkids. And she knows her sisters’ would love to spend time with their nieces and nephews.

Both of them were actually happy with how well the twins were doing in the car, surprisingly not getting restless and instead looking out the window at the colorful trees passing by. Maybe it was a good idea to have Grace sit in the middle, so the twins couldn’t try to fight one another sitting side by side. They never really fought until you placed them next to each other in their carseats. Neither Skylar nor Alex understood why.

It also just felt nice to be back in Maine for a little bit, seeing her family again and catching up, as much as she loved living in England and making a home with Alex she still missed Bangor from time to time.

Another ten minutes passed by and they finally made it to the orchard. Skylar got out of the car and stretched, hearing her shoulders crack in the process then went to go get Konstantin out of his carseat while Alex got Marianna out of hers.

“There’s my handsome lil man.” Konstantin smiled and leaned forward so she could pick him up. “Are you ready to pick a pumpkin?”

He nodded his head and she placed him on her hip as she shut the door, walking over to the other side of the car where Alex and the other two kids were. Just in time to see her parents pull into the parking lot, followed by her sisters Chloe and her husband Jack, unfortunately her other sister Valary and her husband Evan couldn’t make it due to work, but she’ll see them tomorrow. They all waved over at them, minus the twins who were too busy giving each other funny faces and laughing.

“Hi mom and dad!” She walked over to their car, followed by Grace, Alex and Marianna. “It’s nice to be doing this again. It seems like forever ago.”

“It has, the last time you were here you were sixteen and now look at you, married and have a family of your own.” said her dad “And oh Grace I have a present for you!”

“Really?”

Grace walked over to where Carl was on the other side of the car so Skylar nor Alex could see what he was giving her.

“Hi Sarah, it’s nice to see you again!”

“It’s nice to see you again too Alex.” She went in for a hug and couldn’t help but smile. “My how the kids have grown.”

“I know, the last few years have flown by.”

Alex handed Marianna over to Sarah with a smile. Skylar loved watching her parents be grandparents and how much love they gave the kids. She never thought she would have children first, expecting at least Chloe to have one before she did, but the universe had other plans for her and she’s grateful for that.

“Oh my God, look how big they’ve gotten.” said Chloe as she walked over to them, her husband Jack trailing close behind. “Okay you were right, Marianna is a spitting image of her dad.”

“Da, she is!”

Chloe scoffed and went to hug Skylar. “I missed you, I’m glad you could get some time off.”

“I am too, it was much needed anyways.”

Konstantin was looking up at his aunt with his stuffed bunny in his hands, not being too sure of who she was. Skylar looked down to see him in a daze and laughed. “That’s your aunt Konstantin. I know, it’s been a while since you’ve seen her.”

Chloe held out her hands to see if he wanted her to hold him, when he turned away from her, clinging more to his mom she let her hands drop to the side. “It’s okay, I’ll let him warm up to me first.”

“It shouldn’t take long, he is the more shy of the two but he does warm up to people quite quickly.”

“Mom, look what grandpa got me.” Grace jogged over to the other side of the car showing her the brand new skateboard she has. It was the ATM Galaxy Wing one that she’s been dying for since she broke her other one a few months ago. “I love it!”

Skylar and Alex were planning on taking Grace to the nearby sporting goods store for her to buy it but work always got in the way. That she hated, she knew work could potentially get in the way, that was something she was expecting. She wasn’t expecting to be called or for Alex to be called for work almost every time there was a mission. Rainbow is filled with plenty of other operators, why couldn’t Six call them? She was just happy that her dad bought the skateboard for her.

“I knew you would love it! Since Alex and I couldn’t take you ourselves to buy it due to work, we thought we’d surprise you here.” She gave Grace a smile, glancing down at the skateboarding deck that fit her personality well. “At least you’ll have some time to use it before winter gets here.”

“Seriously? Thank you!” She went to hug Skylar, a smile spreading across her face, then she went to go hug Alex and thanked him as well. “Can we put the wheels on when we get home?”

“Of course! Now why don’t you put it in the car and we go pick some pumpkins?”

                                                        xXx

All nine of them were walking through the pumpkin patch looking for the perfect pumpkin. Grace was with her aunt and uncle talking about her skateboarding mishaps that happened over the summer and the twins were with their grandparents not too far up ahead. Skylar and Alex were slowly strolling behind everyone hand-in-hand, taking in the view of the family being together.

“I’m glad we took the time to come out here, the kids seem happy.”

“I am too, and your parents deserve to see them anyways.”

She looked up at him with a small smile, the sun shining perfectly behind him in the pumpkin patch. “Yes they do.” she chuckled. “It’s nice to come back here anyways, brings back a lot of memories.”

“What kind of memories, kotyonok?”

Skylar let go of his hand to link their arms together, pulling herself a tad closer to him. In the distance she could see Grace and Chloe laughing and the twins climbing on a big pumpkin, it made her smile.

“Running down this same pumpkin patch, climbing on the biggest one I could find, like what our children are doing right now. Picking flowers with my mom, apples with my dad. This place holds a lot of good memories.”

Alex chuckled, a smile spreading across his face. “It’s cute picturing a little kotyonok running down these pumpkin patches.”

“I’m sure there’s pictures.” she laughs. “As much as I love the old memories, I’m more excited for the new ones moya sladost’!”

“As am I, kotyonok!”

They walked over to where her parents and the twins were, just watching them in silence as they climbed on a pretty massive pumpkin. Skylar was only waiting for them to ask to bring it home with them, in their limited speaking voices. For nearing two years old they could talk in short sentences, but they did always find a way to make what they wanted understandable. Even if it was by pointing.

“Mama, cunkin!”

“Yeah it is a pumpkin. A big one.”

“Like me.” Marianna gave a big smile and began climbing on it again, making everyone laugh.

“No printsessa, I think the pumpkin is a bit bigger than you.”

“No papa, I bigger.”

Alex laughed at the mad look on Marianna’s face and her arms crossed against her chest. “Okay, da printessa you are bigger than the pumpkin.”

Her demeanor changed and she let her arms fall to her side. “Da, I am.”

Skylar chuckled, turning to him. “Please don’t make her upset, I don’t need her throwing a tantrum.”

“Sorry kotyonok, she’s just so cute when she’s mad.”

“No argument there. It’s a good thing she can’t stay mad long.”

Alex wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, a small chuckle coming from his lips. “That’s true. I’m positive she forgets a few moments later, such an easy life being a toddler.”

“Oh yeah, they get to be carried, they have nap time. No responsibilities, just fun.”

Skylar watched the twins in silence, they were both joined at the hip and never left each other’s side. It’s been that way since the day they were born, they couldn’t even keep them in different cribs because one or both would cry if they were separated. Now their cribs are side by side in their shared room, and when either her or Alex goes to get them in the morning they are always in the same crib together. She would be lying if she didn’t say she loved it.

This was one of the things she was looking forward to once she had kids, doing all the family traditions she did as a kid with hers. And knowing the more the kids grow the more stuff they’ll be able to do in the future.

“I found a pumpkin.”

Skylar and Alex turned towards Grace who was holding a medium sized pumpkin that looked quite perfect. No bumps or bruises, she has a keen eye for things like that.

“That’s a nice looking one.”

“I think so too Alex, I’m going to carve a scary face into it or maybe a cat. I don’t know yet.” She placed the pumpkin into the wheelbarrow nearby and sighed. “Chloe and Jack wanted to know if they could take the twins for ice cream?”

“Yeah I’m fine with that.” She looked up at Alex to see what he thought, and all he did was nod in agreement. “I think it’ll be good for them to spend some time with their aunt and uncle.”

Not a moment later Chloe and Jack came over to them with their pumpkins, placing them into the wheelbarrow. Chloe walked over to Skylar’s side, linking their arms together.

“Grace said you wanted to take the twins for ice cream?”

“If that’s alright with you guys? We could take them for some ice cream while you, Alex and Grace go pick out some flowers.”

“I’m fine with it. Alex?”

“Same. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.”

“Oh yeah, they do love ice cream. Chocolate is their favorite.”

Chloe let go of Skylar’s arm, watching the twins play around the pumpkins. After all that her little sister has gone through she was abundantly happy that she found happiness and a man that truly loves her. Skylar deserved every single ounce of happiness she could get, and she has a beautiful family to show for it.

“I’m proud of you!”

“Huh?” She looked up at her sister, slightly confused. “Why are you proud of me?”

“That you’re a good mother and a good person! Grace wouldn’t have this life right now if you didn’t adopt her. You took her in because you didn’t want to see her go into the foster care system, knowing you and Alex could give her a good and loving home. The twins are sweet and caring, well behaved most of the time. That tells a lot Skylar. After everything you’ve been through, I’m happy about the woman you’ve become!”

Skylar wiped a few tears from her eyes and laughed. “Thanks Chloe, but don’t make me cry.”

“Da, please don’t make my kotyonok cry. I do agree with your sister, I’m proud of the woman you’ve become after the horrors we dealt with. Not that I wasn’t proud of you beforehand, it just shows how strong you are.”

“Okay both of you, I don’t want to cry.” She chuckled as she wiped more tears from her eyes. “Thank you though, both of you!”

They both chuckled and squashed Skylar in a hug, making her laugh. “I love you guys!”

“We love you too!” said Chloe.

They both let her go and she felt quite happy and content, more so than she was when she got there. She just felt happy.

“Hey Grace, do you want to go pick some flowers?”  

“Yes please.”

Skylar nodded and turned her head back to Chloe. “The twins are all yours.”

                                                                  xXx

After they got their vases and clippers they went out into the field of flowers. There were sunflowers, amaranthus, cosmos, bachelor buttons, snapdragons, zinnias, and even eucalyptus and wheat. Skylar already knew what she was going to make. A few sunflowers in the middle with a bunch of cosmos and bachelor buttons surrounding them.

“Are you sure you want to get some flowers, kotyonok? You’re not that good at taking care of plants.”

She gasped. “I may not be good at taking care of plants, but they’re pretty. What do you have against flowers Alexsandr?”

“Nothing.” he laughed. “You’re the one that gets sad when they die.”

“God you’re such a married couple.” said Grace from nearby.

Skylar and Alex looked at each other, both of their mouths going into a thin line. She chuckled and walked over to where Grace was. “That’s because we are a married couple, Grace. You know that.”

“Really? I never knew.” she laughed. “It never crossed my mind that the ring on your left hand was a wedding ring.”

Skylar laughed and shook her head. “Sometimes I think you’re too sarcastic for your own good.”

“I know!”

She chuckled, a smile spreading across her face. “I’ll be in the sunflowers.”

“Okay.”

Skylar walked over to the sunflowers with Alex trailing behind her. He wasn’t much for flower picking but he’ll take anything to spend time with her.

She looked through the sunflowers, trying to spot the perfect one. “When do you want to carve the pumpkins?”

“Whenever you want.”

“I was thinking about tomorrow.” She clipped one of the sunflowers and placed it in the vase. “Grace will want to play around with her skateboard and the pumpkins will last a bit longer.”

“That seems good. The twins will forget about their pumpkins once they’re out of sight anyways.”

“Oh yeah.” She chuckled, clipping another flower. “They’ll forget about the pumpkins but they won’t forget about the chocolate we keep hidden on top of the cupboards after they’ve had enough.”

“That’s because it’s chocolate, kotyonok. Every kid loves chocolate.”

“That’s very true.”

She went back to picking her flowers, moving from the sunflowers over to the bachelor buttons. She loved how pretty they looked, the lighter purple mixed with the darker purple, wishing she could plant some back home. The next were the cosmos. They were a light pink flower with a yellow middle, she used to find them when riding her horse Midnight through her aunt's farm. She always thought they were pretty and would pick some on the way back.

“Oooh those are pretty. I’m done.” said Grace

Skylar glanced over at her as she placed the last two cosmos into the vase, finishing her bouquet. “Thank you! And so are yours, I see you even added a bit of greenery.”

Grace made a beautiful bouquet of most of the flowers, on the rim were a bunch of equalyptus, and filled in the middle was a bunch of snapdragon’s, amaranthus and zinnias. With a touch of bachelor buttons and cosmos for more color.

“Thanks! Yeah I thought the greenery would look nice with it.”

“It does!”

“Kotyonok, can I use those clippers for a second?”

“Yeah.”

She handed him the clippers and they both watched him walk away for a moment, back towards where the bachelor buttons were. He looked over them for a moment until he clipped one, jogging back to them and placed the flower in Skylar’s top knot she was wearing.

She chuckled and smiled up at him, even though she knows it won’t stay in her hair much longer once Marianna sees it. “Thank you, moya sladost’!”

“You’re welcome, kotyonok!”

They began to make their way back to the café where the rest of the family was, Grace occasionally sniffing her flowers with a proud smile on her face. For Skylar she was just happy to have the family together and make memories.

As they walked to the café they could see the twins by the window, eating their ice cream. They walked up, placing the flowers on the table and sat down with a sigh.

Marianna pointed at her mama, ice cream covering her face. “Flower.”

“It is a flower, your papa put it there.”

“Why?”

Skylar shrugged her shoulders and looked over at Alex. “That’s a good question, why did you put a flower in my hair?”

“I just wanted to!”

“Fair point.” she laughs. “Are you guys hungry?”

“I’m starving.” said Grace

“Me too.” She glanced over to her family, seeing that they’ve already eaten. “We’ll be back.”

All three of them got up and headed towards the line of other people trying to get their food. As they stood in line, reading the menu up on the board Skylar glanced over at the pizza’s hoping they had what she wanted on display since she didn’t want to buy a whole pizza just yet.

“Apple bacon barbeque, have you had that? It sounds interesting.” asked Grace

“That’s what I’m getting, it sounds odd but it’s good.” She looked up at Alex who was still looking at the menu. “What are you getting moya sladost’?”

“Probably pepperoni, unless there’s a meat one available?” He glanced over to where the pizza display was. “Okay there is one, I’m getting that.”

The line was pretty long and moving at a snail's pace, that didn’t bother them. It was lunch time after all and walking around a big orchard can make anyone hungry.

After looking at the menu some more Grace turned around to face them. “I know what I’m getting, plain cheese. I can’t wait until I can break in that new skateboard.”

Alex chuckled, a small smile spreading across his face. “I’m sure you are milaya, now try not to break this one.”

“I will. And hey it wasn’t my fault I broke the first one, I wasn’t the one to run over my own skateboard.”

He went quiet for a moment, looking down at the floor, it made both of them laugh. The whole incident was an accident, Konstantin was playing with it in the front yard and decided to push it right at the moment Alex drove into the driveway, running right over it. It did freak him out for a moment until he realized what he ran over.

“Technically it was Konstantin, but he’s a baby and didn’t know better.” said Skylar “To him he was just playing. However, someone should have been watching the road a bit better.”

“Da, kotyonok. To be fair I didn’t see it go in front of the car.”

“I’m aware, you were busy waving at Marianna.”

They finally got to the front and ordered their food, returning to the table with the rest of the family. The twins were still eating away at their ice cream, with some of their own pieces of pizza nearby.

Skylar took a bite of hers, satisfying her growling stomach. “I’m surprised you got them to eat before giving them the ice cream. What’d you bribe them with?”

She chuckled when she saw the blank stairs looking back at her. She knows her children and knows that if there’s ice cream in play they’ll need a lot of bribing to make them eat their normal food beforehand.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Sky, we would never do such a thing.”

“Sure Chloe.” She chuckled. “I know my kids, it takes us a few bribes just for them to eat before dessert is served.”

“She bribed them with buying them a new toy.” said Evan

“Ah.”

Chloe gave Evan a glaring stair, making everyone chuckle. It wouldn’t be the first time Alex had to bribe them with a new toy to make them do something or eat something. For the most part all they have to do is tell them they have to eat their food before they can have dessert, sometimes it might be a toy if it’s important.

“Thanks Evan.”

“Hey it’s alright, wouldn’t be the first time we had to bribe them with a toy. However it was for that one appointment to make sure Konstantin wasn’t deaf and he wasn’t having it. Mostly we just tell them they have to eat their food or they don’t get dessert.”

“You never mentioned that, Sky.” said Sarah.

“There wasn’t much to mention.” She took a bit of her pizza, speaking a moment later. “We all know he’s a bit shyer than his sister and doesn’t talk that much. His doctor thought he might be deaf and wanted to run a few tests.”

Skylar glanced over at Konstantin eating a piece of his pizza, ignoring everything around him at the table. They all knew he could hear because he would look over if someone dropped something or if his name was mentioned. All because he was a little bit underdeveloped than his sister.

“All of that was a load of crap, he could hear us whenever we said his name or he looked over when something was dropped. No matter how much we told them they still wanted to do the tests.” said Alex

She reached over to grab his hand, giving it a small squeeze. “At least the tests weren’t bad, he just needed to sit in a room and look over at the speaker that made a sound. Being alone was the thing that made him cry and freak out. After talking with the doctor I could go in there with him.”

“What did you get him?”

“A horse he could ride in the house.”

She grabbed her phone from the table, searching through her videos until she found what she was looking for, then handed it to her mom. The video shows Konstantin on his horse, powered by him to make it move. The feet of the horse instead of hooves were wheels, making for a fun activity. It was also easy for him to navigate and use even for his young age.

“Awe that’s so cute!” said Chloe

“If only they had them when you were a child.” said her mom as she handed back the phone. “You would’ve loved that.”

“I’m sure I would have!”

                                                                  xXx

A few hours passed and they were now home, with a few hours of daylight to spare so Grace could break in her new skateboard. And while Grace placed the wheels on the new skateboarding deck in the living room, Skylar was in the kitchen putting the apples that they picked into the fruit bowl, minus a few she was going to use to make some apple pie.

She was happy the day went well, the twins never had a tantrum and they got to spend some much needed time with the family.

A tug on her pant leg forced her to look down, seeing Marianna standing beside her. “Apple?”

“You want an apple?”

Marianna nodded her head and let go of her pant leg.

“Okay, I’ll get you an apple.”

Marianna ran back into the living room while she grabbed an apple and a knife. From her peripheral she could see Alex walk into the kitchen and over to her, leaning against the counter. She looked up, giving him a soft smile that he mirrored.

“I think today went rather well.”

“I do too, kotyonok.”

She began to cut the apple, placing it on a plate. “I was thinking we should go costume shopping tomorrow for the kids, it’s already pretty close to Halloween and they need costumes.”

“Okay, what were you thinking for the twins?”

He grabbed the plate with the apples on it for Marianna, waiting for Skylar to throw away the pit and place the knife in the sink before heading back into the living room with everyone else.

“I’m not sure yet. Do you have any ideas?”

“Ideas for what?”

“What costume the twins should wear for Halloween.”

Grace placed the screwdriver on the coffee table, finally done with putting the wheels on her skateboard. “Since Konstantin has the horse he should dress up as a cowboy, maybe Woody from Toy Story?”

Skylar sat down on the couch next to her with a sigh. “That is a good idea. Konstantin do you want to be Woody for Halloween?”

He looked up from the car he was playing with and nodded his head. Toy Story was one of his favorite movies, it would only be right for him to dress up as Woody.

“Well we figured out one, what about the other?”

They all went quiet for a moment, thinking up what to dress Marianna as. She was a bit more tricky on picking out a costume for, being much more picky on what she likes. One moment she can like something, and another she hates it. But the one thing she’ll always like are butterflies.

“What about a butterfly, kotyonok?”

“Oh, good idea moya sladost’. She does love butterflies.”

The rest of the night was followed by watching Grace break in her skateboard, followed by watching a few horror movies with some popcorn after the twins went to bed. All in all it was a good day!

[srhlsx]

CHAPTER 12

master | ch. 11 | ch. 13

Some light *light* nsfw

Some days during your elective prep course, the teacher allowed you to leave the classroom to study in an environment you found best. Today was one days and you found yourself deep in the stacks of the Aobajohsai library. It was an expansive space with rows upon rows of books, a maze of hallways, and enough private study rooms for half the student population to each have their own at the same time.

That was where you found yourself, alone, with Iwaizumi.

Your books were open on the table, endless pages of notes scattered across the surface as you tried to figure out just when, or even if, you had learned how to solve a particular equation. You huffed, annoyed, as you flipped over another page in your textbook but came up with no answers.

“Haji?” You said, your volume was low but in the small space it seemed to echo. The boy before you looked up from his own work, eyebrows raised. “Have you done number seven?”

He glanced down to his own work and nodded when he found the answer, “Need help?”

“Ugh, yes.” You groaned, slumping forward slightly in your seat. He laughed and got up, walking around the table to look at what you were working on. 

He leaned over you, arms supporting his weight on either side of your body. His chest pressed slightly into your back, and even through your uniform jacket you could feel the heat radiating off him. You were sure his movements were unintentional, but still...

Your mind seemed to short circuit and suddenly math was the furthest concern you had. He reached out for the pencil in your hand, grasping it and erasing some of the work you had done, pointing out and explaining the mistake you had made but your ears were deaf to the words he was speaking. His breath fanned against your skin and you couldn’t control the shiver that racked your spine and made you flex and straighten your back suddenly.

He noticed the movement, pausing what he was saying and allowing a smirk to cross his lips. He felt you stiffen beneath him. It hadn’t been his intention to get you worked up, the two of you hadn't even mentioned or addressed what had happened weeks ago, but he surely wasn’t going to just pass up the opportunity. You were the only thing that seemed to be on his mind anymore.

Taking a risk, he turned his head and gently buried his face into your neck, pressing a wary kiss against the soft skin testing for a reaction. He got exactly what he had hoped for when you left out a breathy sigh, knowing that while there were no windows in the room there were definitely paper-thin walls and everything could be heard.

You closed your eyes and felt yourself start to let out a needy moan as Iwaizumi trailed a second, third, fourth kiss up your neck, reaching one of his hands up to sweep your hair out of the way as he raked his teeth across a spot that seemed to make all switches in your mind flip. You turned your face towards him and surprised him by capturing his lips with yours. The surprise made him let out the softest yet most sensual sound you’d ever heard from deep in his throat and he reached around to turn your chair so you faced him.

You reached up and grabbed the collar of his shirt, tugged him closer to you, and opened your mouth to kiss him. He easily overpowered you, resting his weight back on his hands on either side of you again, and explored how you tasted at his own free will.

Leaning forward, he shifted a leg to spread yours apart and then lifted it so his knee was pressed under your skirt and right against your underwear. He pressed forward as you moaned, feeling your hips roll slightly to get a little more friction against the pressure you could feel building in your lower stomach. You let out the slightest of whimpers and it spurred something within Iwaizumi, something he’d only ever felt that last time the two of you were in this position but with less clothing between you. He surged forward, sucking at your tongue, ravaging your mouth to savor the taste of you that he craved so badly.

You had begun to lose your breath, gasping heavily when he cradled your face and moved to assault your neck once again, hand tangling and pulling at your hair to open up your neck. At that moment you forgot about everything except the feeling of Iwaizumi Hajime-

Bzz! Bzz!

You gasped and pressed your hands to his chest to push him away. You’d been surprised by the notification on your phone and the pounding of your heart seemed to signal something else within you. Were you scared that someone had caught you? Would that have really been so terrible?

Yes, you thought, it would’ve been awful.

Iwaizumi ran a hand through his already messy hair, fixing his tie as you reached out for your phone and checked the screen. Of all things, it was a message from Oikawa. He was asking if you wanted to get some food before you went to his cousin’s volleyball camp. He had invited you along, stating his little cousin did not believe he had a girlfriend and wanted - no, needed - to prove him wrong even if it was entirely fake.

You responded with a confirmation as you still tried to catch your breath. When you’d locked your phone again, tossing it onto the table with a loud clang, you looked up at Iwaizumi who was staring at you with such intensity you swore you almost wanted to ask him to take you right then and there. If that wasn’t the most whorish thought you’d ever had, you didn’t know what was.

“Um,” You started, unfamiliar with the feeling of embarrassment you had.

“(y/n),” He said, taking in a deep breath as he looked back up at you. His voice didn’t waver and his expression was stern. “I’m not going to be able to stop next time that happens.”

You stayed silent as a thought crossed your mind - next time.

- - - - -

“I’m serious, Tooru.” You turned your phone so the screen was shown to Oikawa. “I’ve never met this girl or even seen her in my life.”

He chuckled after taking a look at the username and avatar picture of the girl who had messaged you over social media. You had posted the picture from when Oikawa and Iwaizumi came to your dance competition, the caption - thankful for my cheering section! - with a few fun emojis for added effect. The amount of likes you got in such a short period of time was alarming, but not as alarming as the messages from one girl in particular you had gotten. They weren’t threatening, per se, but they were obsessive in nature and you had to wonder if the girl needed help.

“That’s why I don’t allow anyone to message me, no matter what.” Oikawa responded, shaking his head.

“Like at all?” You asked, glancing back at the messages before looking up at him nodding his head. “That’s probably a good idea.”

“I’m sorry, (y/n).” He said, the look in his eyes and his tone of voice genuine. “I know this hasn’t exactly been easy on you. Iwa told me about the note a few weeks ago.”

You rolled your eyes and waved him off, tucking your phone away and looping an arm through his. “Like I told Haji,” You said, grinning up at the tall boy next to you. “If I couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have said yes.”

Little did he or Iwaizumi know, there hadn’t been just one note. It had grown over the course of the weeks you’d been in school to almost being a regular occurance. Some of them were from girls who were begging you to break up with Oikawa, some were from boys asking you for the same thing. You read a few of them, finding some humor in the whole situation, others you just threw away without a second glance. The few you took a glance at were sometimes alarming, sometimes malicious in intent, but one thing you could guarantee was that none of them were ever positive. 

You had thought about going to administration and putting in a formal complaint, but you came to believe that would mean they’d upset you - and you weren’t going to let anyone think they’d done that to you. You weren’t going to let the words get to you, but you were starting to understand Oikawa’s views on how utterly bothersome it was.

Oikawa grinned down at you, pulling his arm free and wrapping it around your shoulders instead to pull you in for a sideways hug. “I don’t think I deserve a friend like you,” He mumbled.

“You mean girlfriend, Tooru!” The teasing voice of a young boy came from in front of you. You both looked ahead at the young boy, no older than ten, who was watching the two of you with a snarky grin and a volleyball in his hands. You were walking out of the gym where he had just been practicing at a camp, so the little boy’s face was still flush from laughter and running around.

“Yes, Takeru!” Oikawa said, “I definitely meant girlfriend.”

You rolled your eyes as Oikawa winked at you, laughing until you were cut short by him reaching out a hand to halt your forward movement. You were about to ask him what the fuck he was doing, but stopped yourself when you looked at him. He was gazing forward intensely at a boy who couldn't have been much younger than you, the two were locked in a heated gaze.

You recognized him as the prodigal setter form Karasuno. He was looking at Oikawa, but upon seeing you he started to flush a little bit and his shoulders tensed. You almost wanted to coo at him like a baby, knowing that you made him nervous by just looking at him.

“Tobio!” Oikawa exclaimed, seeming a little alarmed at who he was looking at.

“What are you doing here, Oikawa?” The boy, Tobio, asked. “What about practice?”

“I’m with my nephew and girlfriend,” Oikawa responded smugly. “And we take Mondays off.”

“You take a whole day off?” The boy seemed utterly shocked at the notion, his jaw dropping in surprise. “What a waste!”

“There is a difference, Tobio, between resting and slacking off.” Oikawa spoke sharply. You saw how serious he was not only by his tone, but the glint in his eyes. You reached out and nudged Takeru forward, wanting to avoid this mess altogether. 

You saw that Tobio was wanting to ask a question, but Oikawa childishly turned to follow you. He made a face at Tobio over his shoulder, sticking out his tongue which earned a slap across the head from you. You might not have really been dating him, but you were not going to put up with childish behavior. When Oikawa looked up at you pouting, you motioned for him to give a little attention to the boy bowing before him - literally.

He grumbled under his breath, reaching into his pocket and handing over his phone to you. “What?” You asked bluntly.

“Photographic proof that Tobio bowed before my greatness,” He responded, throwing a peace sign and looking smug as ever.

“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” You shook your head and held his phone out back to him. 

“Fine!” He pouted. “Meanie. Takeru, you take it!”

You ushered Takeru away from the conversation as it had suddenly turned very serious, very quickly. You tossed around the volleyball he had with him, not very skillfully but doing your best as you both waited. After a few minutes, Oikawa joined you, leaving the other boy to stand in an almost trance. You could see the gears turning in his head and you wondered what all was spoken about.

“Augh!” Oikawa cried out as you all walked along. “Why am I the blurry one in all the pictures?”

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

A Piece of You Part 1

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Mentions of Elijah Mikaelson x Reader

Requested By: Anon -  Hey is it possible where you can do Elijah x reader where he cheats on her with Hayley and the reader is heartbroken. Elijah leaves her for Hayley but later regret it after couple years where he sees the reader with a boy spit image of Elijah ( I know vampire can’t produce but let’s say a miracle ) reader tells him she find out she was pregnant with him after she left she named the boy Henrik after their death brother (Hayley is married but still love lijah and is jealous When he brings her back

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Magical pregnancy, talks of past events but that’s about it in this one. There will be more warnings in future parts.

Author’s Note: So this one is gonna be tough for me. Cause let me be honest that I’ve never seen Elijah as the cheating type. So it makes it difficult to write it. But turns out that this one is gonna have multiple parts cause if I don’t do it that way, this is gonna end up being longer than 10k. 

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. ♥  

Y/N’s Y/E/C eyes flickered from the road to the rear view mirror. Her eyes wanting to see the curious features of the little boy who was strapped into the booster seat and looking out the window, taking in his new surrounding. It’s been almost five years since Y/N had been back in this part of the country. If it wasn’t for the current predicament that she was in, she wouldn’t be driving into the very city she swore she wouldn’t be going back to.

But the child in the back seat, that she loved with all her heart, had magic that she had only seen two other people have. Call it the effects of having Mikaelson blood running through his veins, and with a lineage that he had, Y/N needed help. She just hoped that she didn’t have to see the one of the reasons she had left New Orleans in the first place. 

As she drove through the city, her mind was filled with several memories of the past. As she passed by restaurants and stores, there had been some kind of memory tied to it. This city used to be her home. She grew up in the cauldron with the other witches. She knew about the secrets that the city kept from the tourists.

Now, it felt like another world. A place that she longed for but it no longer holds the same feelings that she once had for the place. While most things hadn’t changed in the handful of years, there were parts of it that were unrecognizable.

“Mommy, where are we?” The boy in the backseat asked as he continued to look out the window.

“New Orleans. This is where mommy grew up.” She sighed softly.

“Is this where we are meeting your friend?” He asked as yawn began.

Y/N smiled up at the mirror. “Yeah, baby. This is where we are meeting her. Why not get some sleep? I’ll wake you when we get there.” Not even a few minutes later, he was asleep in his chair.

When Y/N made the decision to come back into this city, she made the decision to stay as far away from the compound as she could while being there. While she there was a perfectly good house that she owned and never had the chance to sell, it was close to the cauldron. With a child like hers, the best place to stay was a hotel where she could keep curious eyes away along with the possibility of any threats out.

Arriving at the hotel, Y/N couldn’t bare the thought of waking up the sleeping form. He seemed so peaceful and had been up the majority of the car ride. Carrying him into their room wasn’t going to be a problem for her at all with his small frame.

Once he was safely laid down on the bed of the hotel room, Y/N collected one of the bags she brought and took it over to the kitchenette. Opening it up, she began pulling out candles and herbs that she felt was needed to place a few protection spells around the place.

It didn’t take long to accomplish the task at hand. Y/N could easily do it in her sleep if needed. Especially here in New Orleans, she wasn’t going to take any chances. She needed this to be a safe place for the both of them if anything happened while in the city.

Grabbing a blank piece of paper next, she quickly jot down a message and placed it in the center of the lit candles on the counter. This was the part that made her anxious. She hadn’t told anyone that she was coming back here, nor did she make any arrangements with the person she was supposed to meet here. She just hoped that things would go easily.

Staring down at the hand written message, she took a deep breath. She hoped the message wouldn’t be read with others present. While she was willing to let this person know she was here in town, it was the others that worried her. She had an almost five year old secret and she wanted to take her time in telling it.

To be honest, a phone call probably would have been easier to calm her nerves. But just like the possibility of someone else reading the letter, she knew in a house filled with vampires, the conversation could easily be heard and that would lead to things she wasn’t ready for.

“This will work.” She said to herself before she waved her hand and the paper that held the message went up in flames.

_________

Y/N opened the hotel door and smile pulled at her lips, seeing Freya on the other side. “Long time no see.”

Freya chuckled as she pulled Y/N into a hug. “I was honestly surprised to get your message.”

Y/N hugged her back. It felt like old times and in that moment, Y/N was reminded of how much she missed a lot of the people here. “Bet it was a bigger surprise to know that I was in the city.”

“Definitely.” She agreed as they pulled away from each other. Y/N stepped back and allowed Freya entry into the room. “I’m just glad after all these years I still knew our secret codes. Though from the sound of things, this isn’t just a visit to see old friends.”

Y/N bit down on her lip as she closed the door behind Freya. “I didn’t know who else to contact, to be honest. You are the only person I knew would understand.”

Freya’s eyebrow raised. “How so? I’m sure there are others that could have helped. You didn’t have to come all this way to New Orleans.”

Sighing, Y/N walked further into the room and sat down on the couch in the room. “Actually I did, because this isn’t a normal witch problem. This is a Mikaelson witch problem.”

Confusion had grown on Freya’s face. For a moment, Freya believed this had something to do with her mother. But before Freya could even ask what Y/N had gotten herself into, the door to the bedroom slowly opened, catching both of their attention.

“Mommy?” The little voice carried into the room and Y/N smiled at the sound of it.

“Right here.” She said as she stood up from the couch and walked over to him. “How did you sleep?” She as she crouched down to his level.

“Good.” He said with a nod. Y/N could still see the sleep on his face as she ran her hand through his dark brown hair.

“I’m glad, that car ride wore you out.” She joked. “but now that you are awake, I have someone I want you to meet, okay?”

“Is it the friend you were talking about?” He asked in excitement.

Y/N chuckled as she nodded. “Yeah. She’s going to help us.” She promised even though she hadn’t exactly asked for her help, nor did Freya say she would.

Standing up right, Y/N grabbed a hold of his hand to walk him the short distance to where Freya was currently standing with her curious look still on her face.

From where Freya stood, she couldn’t see the child. Y/N had blocked her view from seeing him. Freya had been glad that Y/N had moved on and started a family, even if it hadn’t been with her brother. But it made her wonder what she had meant about it being a Mikaelson problem. That was until the little boy came into view.

Y/N watched as Freya’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. She knew that Freya was piecing things together. It wasn’t hard to see, he had inherited almost all of his father’s looks. There were a few things she saw of herself in him, but there was no denying it.

“Freya, this is Henrik.” Y/N said as they came to a stop in front of her. “Henrik this is Freya.”

“Mommy said you can help me with my magic.” There was excitement in Henrik’s voice that brought a smile to both of their faces.

Freya nodded her head the moment she recovered from the shock and knelt down in front of Henrik. “Of course I can. I was just like you when I was little. Your mom came to the right person for this.”

Henrik smiled up at Y/N at Freya’s words. Y/N smiled back at him. “Why don’t you go get your backpack off the table and play with your toys for a bit while we talk?”

“Okay.” He nodded before slipping his hand out of Y/N’s and running towards the table on the opposite side of the room.

“That spell worked?” Freya asked never taking her eyes of the child as she stood up.

Y/N nodded. “Yeah. I found out a few weeks after I left.”

Freya looked at Y/N. “Why didn’t you say anything? I take it Elijah doesn’t know.”

“Would it have changed anything?” She shook her head. “That was the hundredth spell that I tried. He had given up on the idea of it and was only doing it because I wanted to keep trying.” Y/N’s eyes teared up at the memory of what came after. “I wasn’t about to come back to this and have it thrown in my face that I might have slept around with someone else to make this happen.”

“Hey,” Freya said softly as she lifted her hand up to Y/N’s arm, rubbing it slightly.  "It’s okay. I understand.“

Freya had understood. She had helped Y/N with each spell that she had tried. It was something everyone had wanted at one point. If any of the spells worked, there would be a new Mikaelson child. Another niece or nephew for the siblings and a cousin for Hope. But at some point, it seemed like everyone lost interest in it, including Elijah. Freya had seemed to be the only one to encourage Y/N to continue.

“I’m telling you right now though. If anyone took one look at him, they’d see what I saw.” She said as she gave Y/N a smile. “There is no denying that he is Elijah’s son.”

Y/N took a deep breath, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill. “I actually came back a few months after he was born.” She admitted. “I was going to tell everyone, but then I saw them together and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“Well I’m glad you came this time.” Freya said looking over at Henrik. “Even if it is just to help get his powers under control.”

“Thanks, Freya.” She said as she looked over at her son as well. “Just promise me that you wont tell him I’m here or tell him about Henrik.”

“While I promise not to tell him, if you stick around longer than a few days, he’ll eventually know you are here.” It was New Orleans, it would eventually get back to her brother that Y/N was here and it wouldn’t be long after that Elijah comes knocking. “And if anyone else happened to find out about him, it might not be good.”

“I know.” Y/N knew what happened when anyone found out about the weaknesses the Mikaelsons have. Her son would be no exception and even before coming into the city, she knew about the risks and took the precautions she needed. “He’s currently has a protection charm on along with knowing a few spells if he is ever in danger. It’s not much but he knows.”

Freya chuckled at that. While it was a serious matter, she wasn’t surprised. Y/N was  a powerful witch, even though her powers never matched the Mikaelson bloodline, she still had power to back her up. Freya would have been surprised if she hadn’t taught Henrik a few spells.

“Good.” Freya said with a smile. “Is it okay if I speak with him?”

“Yeah,” Y/N nodded her head. “But Freya, he knows nothing about your brother. He hasn’t asked and I want to be the one to tell him when that time comes.”

“Of course.” Freya nodded before walking over to the table and taking a seat opposite of Henrik.

Y/N watched as Freya interacted with Henrik so easily. This was Freya getting to know her nephew. This was giving Freya a chance to catch up on the years that she had missed out while helping him to get a control on his magic. Y/N could only do so much with the small training she could provide. But knowing the story of the Mikaelsons and how the first born always held more power, Y/N needed help.

Seeing the two talk about magic and even the journey over to New Orleans, Y/N knew that things were going to become difficult. Sooner or later she was going to have to tell Elijah. Y/N knew that coming back to the city meant it was going to be sooner than she was ready for.

Always & Forever Tag: @taylordrunkonwhiskey @thewolf-and-thesheep @wayward-dan @neeadinghugs @fafulous @kenmen02 @elizamonet @dora-the-grownup @mschellehitt @xanderling @fandom-princess-forevermore

A Piece of you: @poemfreak306 @xxbeckybeexx-blog

Stag Tag:  @elejah-wonderland @cheers-my-dears-16 @xxsoveriegnsarayaxx

The Originals Tag: @zillahvathek

As always, any bold tag means for one reason or  another I cannot add you to the taglist. If you would like to be added to or taken off, please let me know. ♥

[msjr0119]

12 days of Fictmas

This is my contribution to the 12 days of fictmas hosted by @leelee10898

Day 11 - Rockin Around The Christmas Tree

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Drake and Riley Walker.

Characters are from my series ‘Why me’ and one shot ‘Valtoria Haunting’- all characters belong to Pixelberry except from; Arianna Walker, Jackson Walker Jr and Elsie Smith.

*Some quotes are from my series*

Warnings: Swearing, Driley smut, fluff (what is up with me? I don’t do fluff 🤣)

Writers:

@hopefulmoonobject @allaboutchoices @zaffrenotes @cordoniantrash  @burnsoslow @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @texaskitten30 @janezillow @the-soot-sprite @mskaneko @blackcatkita @darley1101 @thecordoniandiaries @speedyoperarascalparty @ao719 @cocomaxley @annekebbphotography @brightpinkpeppercorn @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria  @theroyalweisme @alj4890  @bbrandy2002 @cordoniansgonewild @god-save-the-keen @debramcg1106 @emichelle

Readers tags:

@dangerouseggseagleartisan

@innerpostmentality

@beardedoafdonutwagon

@desiree-0816  

@addictedtodrakefanfic

@rainbowsinthestorm

‘Why me’ tag list:

Tags: @drakesensworld @ladyangel70 @kingliam2019 @butindeed @bascmve01 @drakewalker04 @pedudley @captain-kingliamsqueen @duchessemersynwalker @insideamirage @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @kozabaji @ibldw-main @kimmiedoo5 @nikkis1983 @fbloveschoices @drakexnadira @yukinagato2012

******

The Walker’s were preparing for the lead up to Christmas at Valtoria. They had decided to celebrate in the cabin that Drake had built behind Riley’s back as a wedding present.

Riley removed the blindfold, looking around bemused. Where were they? They stood in front of a beautiful wooden log cabin, the scenery was breathtaking.

“What do you think?” Drake smirked, he knew she would be shocked, but she was speechless and frozen.

“Is this a second honeymoon? Where are we?”

“This is a permanent honeymoon. We are in Valtoria. This is our home. This is why I’ve been secretive. I organised it with Liam before we left for the honeymoon. Everyone knew- and helped out.” Riley thought about everyone trying to help Drake out without her being suspicious- not quite believing how damn lucky she was having these people in her life.

They had originally wanted to just spend the time leading up to Christmas as a family, however Maxwell was persistent about inviting himself over - “I’m the twins godfather, I’m family” he insisted. Riley felt so very blessed, having great friends surrounding her since she had first come to Cordonia- she was thankful for the health of her children and the happiness surrounding her little family and home. ‘Making memories’ with these people was an important factor, especially after all the trauma she and Drake had been through all those years ago.

The scenery surrounding the cabin was; breathtaking and serene- you could almost taste the freshness of the crisp air. Through the large open glass windows, the view was scenic especially at night time - where the dark moonlit trees of the forest, standing together in silent formations. Smell of wood burning lingering, along with the crackling fire created a warm atmosphere welcoming the Duke and Duchesses guests.

Riley was heavily pregnant with their third child- even though she was feeling lethargic, she was always excited for this holiday as it was her Gran’s favourite. Arianna and Jackson were keeping each other company- whilst Drake and Riley sorted through the decorations to turn the cabin into ‘Santa’s grotto’.

“Riley, I’ve got a surprise for you. It’s a bit sentimental- but I hope that you’ll love it.” Riley turned to her husband- providing him with a perplexed expression. “It’s been eight years since your Gran passed, I know how much you miss her. So I ordered this bauble- it’s got a photo of you and her on our wedding day. The other bauble has a photo of her with the twins.”

“Drake, I love them.” She barely spoke, holding back the tears. “I am so lucky to have such a thoughtful husband. I love you.” Tracing the baubles with her finger, she held them both towards her heart.

“I’m the lucky one Mrs Walker.” Placing the mistletoe above the fireplace on a high shelf, Drake lent in and forced his lips onto his wife’s. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, starting off gentle but soon turned demanding. Riley’s fingers ran through his hair, pulling him closer- his hands protectively holding his heavily pregnant wife. ‘Mistletoe hung where you can see’

‘Ew dad, that’s gross!” Jackson looked mortified, whilst Arianna was the sensible twin.

“Stop kissing! Right now! Uncle Max says that grown ups shouldn’t do that in front of kids.”

“Well Uncle Max is right.” Riley was slightly annoyed that they had been ‘caught in the act’. Thinking back to her saying those exact same words about her parents to her Gran.

“No uncle Max is just jealous.” Drake whispered in her ear. “You and I, will return to this later on!”

*****

Drake had cut a fresh tree from the forest for their Christmas tree this year, upon his return to the cabin- he noticed Riley sat with their child next to the fire reading them a story. Overhearing them, he was in awe of his wife- she was the most loving mom.

“He was so pleased when one day some children came with their parents to choose a fir tree to decorate their living room. The children adored him at first sight.”

“Well I hope that you adore the tree that I chose.”

“Daddy!” Drake dropped the tree to the floor, and picked up his two children- holding them tightly. “Shall we decorate the tree then kids?”

Drake set the tree into the box, a royal blue tree skirt with a snowflake pattern on the ground surrounded the box. A Walker tradition of having an old-fashioned train that moved across the peripheral of the tree skirt, was included. The green natural tree that was over seven feet tall stood dormant-with a golden star that extended towards the ceiling. The twinkling lights surrounding the branches provided a riot of colour along with sentimental ornaments from Rileys childhood, as well as Drakes.

Riley checked on the food that they had prepared- the food smelt like her Grans used to, the memory would always be in her mind. She was determined, to carry on the Smith/Brooks tradition with her own children.

“That smells lovely. Elsie’s recipe?” Drake asked as he walked into the kitchen, hugging his wife from behind.

“Of course!”

“Come and dance with me, not too much though, I don’t want you going into premature labour.” Riley raised her eyebrows at him, knowing he was joking but there was still that possibility that baby walker could make an appearance anytime from now.

“I’m going to play your Grans favourite song, whilst we dance and wait for Maxwell to provide us with his presence.” Drake noticed Riley’s lip curl up, as well as tears forming.

“Alexa play- ‘Rockin around the Christmas tree’ by Brenda Lee.”

Riley thought back to her childhood with her gran in Orlando as a ten year old- the same age that the twins are. They had spent their annual vacation visiting the theme parks and beaches.

“Hmm that smells yummy Gran. What is it?”

“Pumpkin pie sweetie. Do you want to lick the spoon? It’s over by the sink. Don’t tell your mother or father though- it’s our little secret!” Placing her finger over her lips, Riley smirked- her and her Gran had a special bond. A bond that no one would understand.

“Yummy! I wish I could live here with you. I miss you when we go home.”

“That’s why it’s important to make memories. Come and dance with me by the tree.”

“Rockin around the Christmas tree

At the Christmas party hop

Mistletoe hung where you can see

Every couple tries to stop

Rockin' around the Christmas tree

Let the Christmas spirit ring

Later we'll have some pumpkin pie

And we'll do some caroling

Elsie sung to her granddaughter, who’s eyes lit up- Elsie spun her around as she executed a perfect twirl.

“You’re a good singer Gran.”

“Not as good as Brenda Lee. She was not much older than you when she released this song.” Continuing dancing with her granddaughter- she immediately covered her eyes.

“Why are you covering my eyes, I can’t see.”

“Because your mommy and daddy are kissing underneath the mistletoe. You’ll understand when your older Ri.”

“Ew that’s gross! I am never kissing a boy. Can we get back to the dancing?”

“Of course baby girl, then tomorrow we will go and see Mickey Mouse- and I’ll tie your hair up in a big bun or high ponytail to sneak you on all the rides as usual.”

You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear

Voices singing, let's be jolly

Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Rockin' around the Christmas tree

Have a happy holiday

Everyone dancin' merrily

In the new old-fashioned way

Drake whispered in her ear, as they continued dancing- with the twins joining in. Riley was knocked out of her trace, as Maxwell bounded through the door, dressed as in a red suit- his surprise for his nephew and niece.

“Ho ho ho. Merry Christmas!” He shouted over dramatically. Walking over towards their guest, Riley provided him with a soft smile, before attempting to hug him with her bump getting in the way.

“It’s not Christmas yet dipshit!”

“Drake you’re so miserable they should call you Scrooge or Mr Grinch!”

“Max, my husband is very sweet. You just don’t realise.” Referring to the surprises he had given her, he was only a marshmallow with his immediate family- to everyone else he was the sarcastic miserable Duke.

“You’ve got bigger since I last saw you. Maybe you should have come as Santa instead of me?”

“I’m 37 weeks pregnant Max! Don’t mess with a pregnant lady.”

“Sorry your grace, you know I love you- where are the kids?” Riley pointed over to the living room- Maxwell coughed needing to prepare to provide a deep voice.

“Arianna and Jackson Walker, have you both been on my good list this year?”

The two children gave each other that knowing luck- knowing exactly who it was, but decided to sneakily play along in order to receive ‘Santa’s gifts’.

“Yes.” They both said in unison, Jackson wore the infamous Walker smirk, whilst Arianna bit her lower lip and fluttered her eyelashes. Maxwell couldn’t believe the irony of how they both looked and acted like Riley and Drake. Thinking back to him and Bertrand forcing Riley towards Liam during the social season- he was glad that she was stubborn and followed her own heart. Maxwell handed the gifts over, both twins opened up their gifts before laughing at their Uncle still keeping up the Santa act.

“Uncle Maxi!” Arianna and Jackson shouted in unison- both jumping into his arms.

“You knew it was me? Riley they must get their brains from you... please don’t kill me Drake. Kids you’re getting too old to do that now.” Riley held Drake back, and gave him a whiskey. Knowing that would calm the situation down. “It’s Christmas baby, don’t do anything silly. We can all begin to sing and dance when Bertrand, Savannah and Bartie arrive.”

*****

Bertrand, Savannah and Bartie arrived eventually- they all decided to sing carols around the fire- all feeling jolly and in the Christmas spirit.

“Riley, Drake there’s someone at the door.” Savannah looked through the window, but she was too intoxicated that her vision was blurry. “They’ve got greyish hair, probably carol singers.” Riley waddled to the door, opening it there was no sight of any visitors. Closing the door slowly, she heard ‘Rockin around the Christmas tree’ playing again. Assuming that Alexa was just playing it automatically.

“Guys, turn the music off.” She shouted to her guests, not meaning to sound rude- she asked them to do this in case the person came back.

“It is off. There’s no music playing.” They all looked at each other concerned.

“Must be my imagination then Max. I’m sorry.”

“You look tired, why don’t you have a quick kip.”

“I’m fine Drake. I’m just going to prepare the pumpkin pie.” She placed a kiss on his cheek, insisting that he enjoyed his night.

Rockin' around the Christmas tree

Let the Christmas spirit ring

Later we'll have some pumpkin pie

“I love you sweetie. You’re doing a fabulous job, and that smells lovely. I think the men look a bit too hot- whilst I’m here give your old gran some eye candy like I had on your honeymoon.” Riley stood frozen, hearing her Grans presence next to her- before laughing at the memories from her honeymoon.

“Mr and Mrs Walker! Put some bloody clothes on. I’m not getting any younger- you’re both going to send me into an early grave with the shock!”

“Darling calm down. I’m fine. We all came to join you for your last night. Don’t argue the toss either, madam. You’ve both had nearly 3 weeks alone together and we’ve all missed you. I love you baby girl...Drake, keep that top off- us single women need some eye candy!”

“She’s.... she was trying to strip Max then moved onto Liam. They were both mortified. I had to escape before she did it to me.”

“I’m going to ‘rock’ around the Christmas tree for old time’s sake.” Riley scrutinised the living area- overhearing them all say there was a cold draft. Unable to see her Gran, she held onto the table in shock- not only with the words from her Gran.

“Riley are you okay?” Savannah noticed the spillage on the floor, and immediately began to clean it up. Drake came into the kitchen with Maxwell leaving Bertrand babysitting.

“For fuck sake Savannah can’t you handle your drink? I think you should have your wine in one of the children’s cup.”

“I didn’t spill anything Drake! It was Riley she was spooked.” Drake looked at his wife, who looks as if she was under a spell.

“What’s up baby? Are you okay?”

“Elsie’s here. She’s been singing to me, she asked for you all to be topless again. Elsie’s coming....” Drake didn’t believe in ghosts, but believed if Riley’s Gran was here it was because she had witnessed Riley miss her. She was here protecting them all.

“Okay, she just didn’t want to miss out on all the fun, she was always up for fun.”

“I mean this Elsie is on her way. Savannah is cleaning up my waters that broke as Gran Elsie went to dance by the tree.”