#i will not lie if i could only celebrate my birthday once every 4 years i would be evil too

[akihikosanada]

first time i can say this since finishing naruto almost two years ago and the only time i'll be able to say this until 2028 HAPPY BIRTHDAY KABUTO ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[a-bucket-of-trash]

Damaged and Forgoten – Kelvin x Female Reader – Part 5/5

Part 4

Tags: smut and fluffff

That unexpected romance between you, between surviving and killing enemies, had happened without warning, but it was something that kept you hopeful for the future. Though with each passing day, it was getting harder for Kelvin to tell you the truth, and by the time another two weeks of kissing and cuddling had passed, part of him had given in to the idea of telling you. He couldn't, he just couldn't, he didn't want to lose that, even though his conscience killed him at night. He, at least, had promised himself not to go beyond that, not to do anything carnal with you, not like that.

You were feeling a little weird that morning, though you weren't sure what. You gave a couple of loud sneezes and rubbed between your eyes, while your head ached slightly. You opened your eyes, paying attention, memories appearing out of nowhere, somewhat mixed up, but finally there. You celebrated quietly inside the shelter, remembering things like your favorite song, your age, your phone number, what had happened on your last birthday, things from just before that failed mission. You stood still though, remembering something that made you frown.

You quickly left, seeing Kelvin setting some wooden poles aside. You approached him, seeing his smile, which you returned, to touch his cheek and slap him. Gentle enough not to hurt him, but firm enough for him to understand that you was serious.

He widened his eyes, perplexed, seeing your unpleasant expression. He paled slightly, saying a soft but clear “Fuck”. He saw you point to the shelter, as if you were ordering a dog to come home once and for all, and he hurried to obey, head down, sensing what was happening.

You sat down, writing a "Liar", crossing your arms, watching him sit next to you, shyly. "We are not a couple" you wrote again.

“You remember things, I'm hapy” He wrote, honestly happy inside, feeling you slap his arm firmly. "I'm sorry" he hastened to write.

"Scoundrel" You put on an angry face "That was disloyal."

"I'm sorry" He repeated "Was a joke", "I was going to say, but you kised me".

"You could have said it later" You denied.

"You kised me" He hurried "Why?", "I thought you didn't feel anything"

You just arched your shoulders, trying to avoid the question, hiding the embarrassment behind a serious face.

"You never acept a date with me" Kelvin wrote again "Why?"

"For that? You busy with others” You snorted “New woman every 5 days”

"They weren't dates" He looked at you tenderly "Date has love" "That was just sex"

"Is the same." You rolled your eyes.

"No, I just want date you" He hesitated a bit "You know me" "How many times have you heard me say I love you?" "Only you"

Kelvin touched his chest, made a heart with his hands and pointed at you, mouthing “I love you”, and repeating that over and over again, looking deep into your eyes. You sighed, denying.

"Be honest" He wrote to you "We survived by miracle" "We don't know what will happen" "We don't have time to lie"

You read it, thinking, knowing it was true. You two hadn't died because you had an angel on your butt, and to pretend that you could have a second miracle if you both got out alive, was waiting too long for an uncertain future.

You huffed and grumbled, typing “Jealous,” averting your eyes.

He looked at you, confused "From who?"

"Of your lovers" You kept not looking at him.

“I asked you dates tons of times” He got even more confused “For years”

“I wanted to be the only one, not one more” You frown.

“You were always the one” He softly denied “And I needed lovers” “You make me horny 24/7”

You said a scandalous and verbal "Kelvin!", blushing, angry, that, although he did not listen, he did read it on your lips and made him laugh in that precious way that you loved so much.

"I promise no more lovers" You read, almost without wanting to look at him "Only if you say yes" "You want be my girlfriend?"

You hated it. You hated that he always asked you that. You hated that you loved him enough to hate him for sleeping with random womens, even though it was obvious after you denying every time. You had no right to demand anything of him. Because you had always loved him, although you did not remember why you had refused the first time. You only remembered that, since that time, he flirted with you whenever he could, asked you out, you said no, and as a result, he would spend an hour with any free lady who was available to “chill out”. You hated that, you hated that he slept with a woman after flirting with you, you got mad and so jealous, that feeling came back to your brain every time he asked you for a date. And the cycle was repeated, over and over again, the resentment had grown in you, each time.

Kelvin was understanding a little about that, he understood that you were somewhat hurt, he understood that professing his love for you lost its meaning when you saw him go hand in hand with another lady, even though it was only to relax what you caused him.

His hands cupped your face so you could see him once and for all, so you could read the "I'm sorry" and the "I love you" on his lips, so you could see the seriousness in his eyes.

You stood still, looking at his brown eyes, as determined and serious as you had rarely seen in your life, thinking, recognizing that you had almost lost the man you loved, that he was still deaf, that having him in front of you was a miracle.

He watched your succulent mouth move, your lips draw an "I love you", while his heart bounced in his chest and his cheeks flushed as if he were an embarrassed teenager. He had waited years for that, and that was a real confession, you weren't amnesiac, at least not totally.

You weren't in a situation to pretend much more, so you hugged his waist, kissing him, listening to him murmur a “Fuck yes”, his lips searching for your mouth, his fingers caressing your face and hair as if you were the treasure of his life. That was what he wanted, for years, that was all Kelvin had needed.

You guys stood around frantically kissing and loving each other like a couple of hormonal boys, unaware that a rescue helicopter was approaching the island.

[itgirlification]

supermodel (2) | jjk

your story with jungkook never seems to end, yet you’re still worried about how it’s gonna end.

pairing: ex-bf!jk x thick!reader

warnings: TOXIC (i cannot stress this enough shit is hella toxic), yn is kinda (very) dumb, jungkook is an actual asshole, borderline mental abuse, infidelity, more insecuritiiiies, mentions/hints of sex, etc.

part one part three

There you were in his arms again, with only your panties and his shirt on.

At this point, you couldn’t even explain yourself. You were guilty, but you know what they say; love hurts.

With his arms wrapped around you and you clinging to him like that, you couldn’t care less about what was gonna happen next. You knew you were probably gonna have a mental breakdown when you go back to the dorms but for now, you were okay.

After he came over that night, he contacted you again. He said he didn’t want this to be serious, he wanted it to be a solely sexual relationship.

“You know, you’re the first girl I’ve been with, who seems to like getting hurt and degraded”, he sighs against your hair. “Sometimes I feel like you can’t get enough of it.”

You stayed silent. What were you supposed to do anyway? Tell him he’s right and stay like this for a while or react defensively and start an endless argument? You chose the first one.

“You’re the only woman that’d let me do all this stuff and still love me. Maybe that’s why I came back to you.”

Holding back the tears, you cling closer to his larger body, as if you were using him as some kind of shield. He thought you were an easy target and forgiving. What else would a man want from a woman he was only interested in fucking, a side piece? Even if she’s in love with him, she was gonna ignore that just to spend as much time with him as possible.

“It’s not like you actually came back.”, you responded, keeping your voice as stable as you could. “We’re just fucking.”

Jungkook sighed deeply, most likely noticing your petty undertone. “Don’t be like that. We aren’t fucking right now.”

You weren’t sure what point exactly he was trying to prove, you agreed to be his side chick. Did he think you didn’t know what a side chick was supposed to do? Because you did know, you just secretly thought you guys were meant to be, you weren’t just some side piece.

Looking around the motel room, your stomach began feeling weird. He wasn’t usually cheap, but you guessed he thought a side chick didn’t deserve a better environment than a cheap motel room rent for a night.

“Because we literally just did.”, you calmly said. You weren’t trying to piss him off.

But Jungkook wasn’t having it. Out of nowhere, he shoved you aside and put his hands over his face, noticeably frustrated.

“What happened?”, you weren't sure if asking that was the best option.

Jungkook turns his body to you. “What happened?? You keep on fucking me up and being a bitch about all this and you ask me what happened?”

He was so furious, his eyes were dark and his face was screwed up. You were now both standing, his tall figure towering over yours.

You saw his hand forming a fist and it would’ve been a lie if you said you weren’t terrified. He hasn’t touched you once throughout your relationship, but you never know.

“I didn’t even say anything. Maybe you’re just a little too sensitive.”, you were pouring salt on a wound at this point, but you didn’t want to be weak and let him talk to you like that.

“Me, sensitive?”, his tone was dangerously serene, as he leaned closer to your face. “If I wasn’t here with you, you'd probably still be crying over me. And you know where I’d be? Laying in bed with the beautiful model I have the privilege to call my girlfriend. Yn, I don’t need you. Don’t get bold with me, ‘cause we both know who’s gonna be heartbroken in the end.”

You couldn’t look him in the eyes, what did you get yourself into again? This wasn’t Jungkook’s fault, this wasn’t anybody’s fault but yours. You should’ve never opened up, you should’ve never said yes to being his side piece, you should’ve never been his girlfriend, to begin with. You stayed silent, but your loud sniffs and your uneven breathing said more than you could at the moment.

“I’m leaving.”, he announced coldly before throwing his black leather jacket over his broad shoulders, leaving you half-naked, crying on the poor-quality motel bed you just had sex on. When he got out of the motel room, you looked outside of the small window, watching him leave in the car he drove you here with.

Now, you had no other option than to call Jane to pick you up since your dorm was a half an hour walk away from the motel and you didn’t have the energy to walk for even a minute.

You weren’t sure if you had the energy for all the questions Jane was gonna ask you when she sees your mascara smeared face and your messy hair. Not to mention the motel. You weren’t a motel type of girl and she knew that.

Still, you called her and she answered almost immediately. “Yn? What happened? I thought you were gonna sleepover at your parents’?”

Sleepover at your parents’ house? You had almost forgotten the bad lie you told Jane just to have sex with Jungkook in this cheap-ass motel. And to think you were convinced you two were gonna stay the whole night.

“Uh”, you quickly coughed to cover up the voice cracks you got from crying. “Yeah, it’s a long story, please pick me up. I’ll text you the address.”

About 10 minutes later, Jane arrived and looked at you like you were out of your mind when you got into the car. “Yn, what the fuck? I was so worried about you. And this isn’t your parents’ house, this is a fucking motel. Did you meet a guy? Did he do something to you? Should I call the cops?”

“No, no, no, oh my god, please don’t”, you knew she was gonna ask a lot of questions. “I lied to you. So what actually happened was me and Jungkook reconnected an-“

She rolled her eyes. “Of course it was Jungkook. So I’m guessing he left you here?”

You hesitantly nodded.

“So when were you gonna tell me you ‘reconnected’ with him? When did you even ‘reconnect’ with him?”, she mockingly asked you. You weren’t blaming her for being pissed off, you’d have been too in this situation.

“A month ago? I think..”, you muttered.

“Hm”, Jane nodded, sighing at your naivety. “And when did he even break up with his model chick?”

You awkwardly looked away and Jane was hoping it wasn’t because of what she thought.

“He didn’t break up with her??”, Jane was beyond frustrated. “So.. you’re like his side chick now? Are we gonna stoop that low for men, yn?”

Jane always wanted the best for you and you knew she knew what was the best for you too, you were just too foolish. And too in love with a man you can’t force into loving you again.

“I know but please can we not talk about this right now? I just don’t feel like it.”, you asked, looking down on your fingers, ashamed of yourself.

“Alright, I’m sorry, babe.”, Jane hugged your side quickly, before starting the engine and heading back to the dorm. “You know I just want what’s best for you.”

You nodded, looking out of the window with your head full.

_

“Bella just texted me and said her birthday party will be 90s themed? Can’t she be a little more specific?”, Jane barged into the room, looking down on her phone in disbelief.

Bella was a person you two met at college in one of your shared classes. She was a sweetheart, but she was a little spoiled too. The only reason why she got into the college was that her rich daddy bribed them, but you couldn’t be mad, your parents would’ve done the same if they had the money.

She was extremely extroverted, a people person. She probably never had a boring day in her life with all the parties she threw whenever her dad and his 20 something-year-old girlfriend were on vacation or business trips. She even had some celebrity friends and would just casually post selfies with them on her Instagram story like it was a normal thing to do. She was basically living the dream, clueless about what real life for others really was about.

Jane had a love-hate relationship with Bella ever since they met. She thought Bella was a nice girl, but it was ‘unbearable’ to have a conversation with her because she was too self-centered to talk about anything else than herself.

You shrugged. “Just wear something Aaliyah would’ve worn.”

“Hm. Fair enough. It’s really not all that deep, actually.”, She said. “So what are you gonna wear?”

“I don’t even know if I’m going, Bella’s parties are boring.”, you answered honestly.

You really weren’t sure if you’d go. You did feel like seeing people and having a little fun but it wasn’t like you ever had fun at any of Bella’s parties. One time, a guy puked all over a new dress you bought just for the party, and another time, you were forced to drink 4 beer bottles. You hated beer.

“Why not? It’s gonna be fun and you’re coming.”, she decided for you, making you playfully roll your eyes. “And wear that black latex dress, I haven’t seen it on you in forever.”

To say that Jane was a fashionista would be an understatement. She was too invested in fashion to be bothered with anything else.

“Alright, but only if we don’t stay for long.”, you tried to compromise with her.

She nodded. “We gotta buy her presents though. Is there even anything she doesn’t have?”

You sighed, annoyed. “C’mon, there’s gonna be at least 200 people at that party, it’s not like she’ll notice if we just don’t get her anything. Besides, she’s rich as fuck.”

Jane snickered at your comment. “Girl, you must not know her, she checks every damn person and probably throws them out if they don’t buy her a Chanel bag or something. Bitch is a little crazy.”

It was amusing because you both knew that was exaggerated. Bella wasn't that serious about gifts. But let’s just say, for the money that her dad had, she was a little too greedy.

But you were too bothered with your own life than to worry about other's.

_

As soon as you arrived at Bella’s mansion, two security guards were standing in front of the door. They let you in as you showed them your invitations. It was a little bit extra, but that’s just how Bella was.

The first thing you noticed when you entered the house was the smell of sweat and weed. Already? You weren’t really surprised though.

Bella was standing there, wearing a skintight red dress that, ironically, didn’t really fit her own party’s theme. But she did look absolutely beautiful greeting her guests with the biggest smile on her glowing face. She had her strawberry blonde hair down in elegant beach curls and there were some cute butterfly clips placed in them.

You could recognize that it was her birthday from miles away. She was basically shining.

“Oh my god, Jane, Yn!! I’m so happy to see you guys!”, an overly keen Bella came, hugging you both with strength. “Oh, I see you got me something, girls you know you shouldn’t have!”

She tried hiding her smile at the bags in your hands, freeing the two of you from them immediately.

“It’s your birthday, Bella. We can’t just come here without any gifts, girl.”, Jane smiled. “Happy birthday.”

You looked to your side, admiring Jane’s acting skills. “Happy birthday, Bella! I can’t believe you’re 23 now.”

“I know right, if you were a year younger, you’d be as old as your dad’s girlfriend.”, Jane joked around, making Bella hysterically laugh.

“C’mon, almost everybody’s here already”, Bella excitedly pushed you towards the living room.

The room’s stench was even more unbearable than the one at the entrance, leaving you covering your nose for a second leaving out an ‘oof’.

The 90s trap music was heard extremely loudly through the whole house and there were people dancing and grinding. There were some couples that sat on one of the many couches, acting like they were in their own little world. It wasn’t very pleasant to watch, but you just chose to ignore it. The stench was something you couldn’t ignore though.

You were already bored out of your mind.

A few minutes of pure boredom and dry conversations passed then the music stopped playing and you could hear Bella’s voice calling for everybody’s attention. “I’m gonna open the presents now, so everybody come here and Daphne, please bring the gifts here so I can open them.”

Daphne was Bella’s personal maid. She never really talked, but she did everything she needed to. She brought all the bags to Bella one by one and you could’ve sworn she was trying not to cry out of happiness.

“Oh my god, Jackson”, She cried out as she pulled a pair of Saint Laurent shoes out of a box. “These are so beautiful. You even got the right size. Thank you so mu-“

“Bella, I’m so sorry we’re late, we had to run some errands”, a soft-spoken voice interrupted, making everybody in the room turn her way, just to see the charming model with none other than Jeon Jungkook by her side. Wow.

As soon as you turned your head to see who it was, you turned back around, looking at Jane to make sure she saw what you saw. You sent her a questioning, almost panicking look just for her to shrug.

“Yuki! It’s fine, girl. Come here, I’m opening my presents right now.”, The birthday girl exclaimed, making Yuki immediately hand her her gift.

Jungkook was just walking behind his girlfriend, making no type of noise whatsoever and you prayed he wouldn’t see you.

They sat down at an angle where you couldn’t help but look at them though and you were sure he looked at you for a split second as well. They looked beautiful together.

Bella just continued opening gifts and thanking everybody dearly, but you weren’t paying attention to that. You just zoned out for most of it. Those were a lot of gifts she got.

You couldn’t help but steal another glance at your ex-boyfriend and the girl besides him.

She looked even cuter in real life. Her cheeks had a natural blush to them and her hair was long and healthy. She was thin and her skin tone was warm and even.

You’ve always been insecure about your hyperpigmentation, but she didn’t seem to have any problems with how she looked. She was near damn perfect. Perfect wasn’t real, but if it was, it’d be her.

Jungkook probably never had a problem introducing her to his parents or his friends. You always felt like he had difficulties with that while he was dating you. He just wasn’t confrontational enough to tell you he was ashamed to have you as his girlfriend.

You seemed to be stuck in your place while everybody else was either dancing or making conversation.

Jane was sitting next to you, talking to a girl with blond box braids about a new movie that recently came out. You heard what they were saying, but it sounded like a foreign language to you since you weren’t focused.

“Yn? Are you okay?”, Jane whispered in your ear, hugging your shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know they were invited.”

You shook your head. “It’s fine, Jane. It’s not your fault, I just kind of wanna go home.”

She looked at you apologetically. “Can’t we stay for a little while? I promise it won’t take long, I’m just actually having fun here.”

You had to admit you were being selfish, not just in that moment, but whenever it came to Jungkook. You’ve dragged Jane through all of your shit and never really thought about how she must feel like.

Nodding in response to her. “I’m gonna get myself something to drink.”

You finally stood up from your place, looking around unsure, feeling like you’re taking up so much space wherever you go, even when you were doing absolutely nothing.

You wore the latex dress, but only because Jane insisted and made sure you knew you looked good. She convinced you for maybe a second, but all those insecurities were coming back. You tried sucking in your stomach the whole night, but it just wasn’t enough.

You were asking yourself all kinds of questions. If your arms looked too fat and if your cellulite was visible, if your hip-dips were as noticeable to others as they were to you. You felt like everybody was looking and they were judging really hard.

All you wanted was to fade into oblivion.

You were feeling his eyes on your back and god, you wanted to look too but you fought the urge, just continued walking to the bathroom. You weren’t in the mood to drink after all.

Your gut feeling was telling you he was following, but you ignored it.

Until you were about to close the bathroom door and you saw black timberlands stepping between the door and the doorframe to stop you from closing it.

You sighed, opening the door, resulting in him getting in the bathroom with you.

“Why are you avoiding me?”, the handsome man facing you asked, brown eyes looking deep inside of yours.

“How can I avoid you when you didn’t even try talking to me?”, you asked back, looking away immediately.

You hated how your relationship was just a cycle of him hurting you and coming back, acting like he hadn’t done anything wrong. And he was so good at it too.

He chuckled darkly, letting his eyes glide down your body for a second just to look back into your eyes. “You know exactly what I mean, yn. Don’t play dumb.”

You did know what he meant.

“And? It’s not like I have anything to say to you.”

Jungkook came closer to you, softly wrapping one arm around your waist, whispering in your ear. “You don’t?”

You couldn’t believe how shameless he was, being so close to you while his girlfriend was a few meters away, outside of this door, probably thinking he’s getting her a drink or something. You wondered if he did the same thing to you when you were dating.

“Jungkook, stop. Your girlfriend is here.”, you tried to convince yourself you didn’t want it. “How can you even do this?”

“It’s nothing we haven’t done before, princess.”, He kissed your earlobe. “You can’t possibly think it’s okay when she’s not around, but not okay when she is. It’s the same thing.”

You knew he was right, besides, you were just as guilty as he was. You were messing around with a taken guy and the worst part was, you knew he was taken and you still did it.

“I know, but I wanna end whatever this is”, you hesitated to say. “It’s unhealthy and you already have a girlfriend, why don’t you go and kiss her, why me?”

You were avoiding this conversation ever since this started. Sometimes it’s hard talking about things you don’t actually want to hear about.

“What do you mean?”, Jungkook feigned confusion, but you knew better than to believe him. “It’s easier said than done, yn. We have a history together, you know that.”

“I do, but that’s all we are. History. And we should both get over it.”, you responded.

“But what if I don’t want to?”, it was more of a statement than a question, really. “What if I told you, you’re special to me?”

You were gonna have a meltdown if he continued with this. Why was he so fucking complicated? You knew he didn’t love you so what was it?

“But I’m not. The only reason why you come back is because you think I’m easy material. It’s because you were my first everything and it’s because you know exactly how much you mean to me.”, you cry out, tears coming up to ruin your makeup again. You wished you wouldn’t cry as much as you did. “You know I’ll always let you in, no matter what. I know I’m at fault too here and I’m not blaming you, but please for god’s sake, don’t make it worse on me.”

You looked in the mirror, almost not recognizing yourself. You felt detached from reality, but not in a good way at all.

Jungkook scoffed, looking down at you. “I know I shouldn’t have tried talking to you. It’s like you can’t even appreciate anybody showing you affection. I’m trying to prove to you, that you aren’t nothing to me and that’s the response that I get. Not everybody’s against you, yn, you’re just too insecure to notice. That’s why you haven’t ever had anybody showing you interest. It’s because you lack confidence and think the world revolves around you. But I did show you interest. In the past and now. But look at you. You haven’t changed at all, still the little yn who compares herself to other girls and thrives off of male attention, because you can’t believe that somebody could love you just for you when there’s skinnier, prettier girls walking around. So what if there are skinnier, prettier girls around? That’s reality, yn.”

You didn’t know what exactly you expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. Looking at him with big, teary eyes, is that really what he thought of you? Of course, it was. Because it was the truth. The cold, hard truth. Not sugarcoated. He knew you better than you wanted him to.

Without a single word leaving your dry lips, you open the door and run out, ignoring him calling your name and the weird stares people were giving you. You needed to find Jane.

Once you found her joking around with a bunch of random people, you go up to her. You most likely looked like you came out of a horror movie.

“Yn? What the fuck happened?”, she lightly took your face in her warm hands and caressed your cheek worriedly.

“Pl- please, can we just go home?”, you whimpered, thankful that everybody was respectful enough to turn around and focus on their stuff instead of ogling at you.

“Sure, sure. Come here”, she took you in her arms and walked you out of the mansion, not caring to say goodbye to anybody.

_

people who wanted to get tagged in pt. 2:

@1-in-abillion @sarcasmflowsinmyveins @chieftoadturkeynickel @madygswich @kb-bangtanenthusiast

thank you for the support love yall!! 💗

a/n: so i know most of yall probably wanted a happy ending but first of all this probably isn’t the ending:) and i wanted to portray it as realistically as possible. It’s really hard to get out of a toxic relationship especially when you’re so in love with them but i’ll see what i can do to make yn happy cuz girly’s going thru it. Btw this wasn’t proofread so there’s probably so many mistakes and i thought this was very underwhelming but i hope you guys like it thank you!

[wandaswifeyforlifey]

Flufftober Day 4: Sparklers and Fireworks

Prompt: Sparklers and Fireworks

Ship: Carol Danvers x Reader

A/n: you basically take the place of Maria Rambeau. Sorry, this is a bit of an odd one but I'm happy with the ending so read on!

Summary: it was 1988 and you and Carol were celebrating Monica's birthday together. It wasn’t unusual for you and Carol to be together overnight because you had been best friends for a few years and gradually had gotten closer and closer. One day, will you be more than that?

Finally, the night the sky would light up all across America. Although, you, Carol and Monica were not doing it for the same reasons the rest of them were; you were celebrating Monica’s birthday. She was turning 9 today and Carol was like an aunt to Monica and every moment you had of them together made you smile, even just thinking about it.

Carol came over at about 5 pm when you and Monica had just begun setting up for the little evening with all three of you.

“Goooooood afternoon, Vietnam!” Carol shouted in a sing-song voice as she entered the house.

“Hey Carol,” you laughed as you walked up to her and gave her a hug. You pulled away as you heard little pitter-patter footsteps from behind you.

“Auntie Carol!” squeals Monica. She gets lifted up and spun around by Carol.

“Hey you little rascal,” she answers with a smirk appearing on her lips. You loved that smirk that rose to the surface every now and then.

“Well then, we should get started with the decorating! I know Monica has been wanting to do it all day,” you said quickly before you got caught staring at Carol.

The decorating didn’t take too long luckily because you were being especially wary of her bedtime. It seemed that whenever Carol was with the two of you, you seemed to lose track of time and only realise it had gotten far too late when you saw Monica drifting off in the corner. But it was always like that with Carol, sometimes you’d only realise it was like 4 am when you felt exhausted.

Then it came to the cooking. This was always your favourite part of celebrating Monica’s birthday because it always got so messy and the outcome was almost always in shambles. You always tried to make Monica’s birthdays like the ones you wished for as a kid. With big banners, tons of balloons and a big cake, almost all of which you missed out on.

At 7, you had dinner, sang happy birthday and went outside to set off the fireworks Carol brought. They were some of the most beautiful fireworks you’d ever seen. They were white, yellow, red, green, purple, blue, almost every colour you could think of.

“This-this is incredible.” you barely say.

“Thank you, Auntie Carol! This is the best birthday!” Monica giggles.

“Ah, it’s no problem. I can only have the best for my favourite girls,” she mumbles, heat rising in her cheeks.

Once the fireworks had finished it had just gone 9 pm and was time for the little one to go to sleep.

“Thank you, mom. I love you,” she whispered sleepily.

“Love you too darling,” you respond and kiss her on the forehead.

You return to the yard and see that Carol had set up 2 deck chairs for you to lie in.

“Well hello again,” Carol says before you’ve even taken a seat.

“Hey, Caz. Thank you again for all you’ve done for Monica, I think this night really mattered to her. You’re a role model for her.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re the best mom she could have asked for! Helping out a bit was the least I could do considering what you’ve done for me in the past.”

That was another thing you loved about her: she was always humble despite being confident in herself. No matter what she did she was selfless and stood her ground and it was truly admirable.

“I’m so unbelievably lucky to have you in my life.”

Carol turned to you but you continued to stare at the sky. She couldn’t believe that she’d fallen in love with such a perfect person.

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Charlie’s 6✩ Inspiration: Midsummer’s Gilt [仲夏鎏金] Date Translation (END 4: Listen)

“Why do you have your eyes closed again? Sleepy? Go ahead and take a nap then. Remember to dream of me.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Charlie’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *6✩ Inspirations have 6 Endings!! *Charlie’s tag will be #For Night, For Paradox

✥ Choice: Listen [倾听] ❖ASMR

What should I do? How should we spend the rest of the time?

⊹ Ask him if there's anything he wants to do ⊹

Thinking about it now, I still feel like it'll be better if I let Charlie decide what he wants to do instead of following my plan.

MC: Hey, let me ask you something. Do you have anywhere you want to go? Or… anything you want to do?

Charlie: Oh? You're prepared to fulfil a wish of mine for me?

MC: I guess so? I mean, heaven is big, earth is big, and the birthday star’s is the biggest.

MC: Oh. Anything but marriage!!

Charlie: You’re setting restrictions on my only birthday wish in a year? How cruel of you.

MC: Not like I can help it. Who told you to be the most vicious queen of all time, hm?

Charlie helplessly shakes his head, lowering his eyes in thought before looking back up at me.

Charlie: What I want to do today is very simple.

MC: ...Which is?

I don’t know if I was just imagining it, but I suddenly felt like I just saw a sliver of mischief flash across his eyes.

Charlie: Come with me.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

I followed him back to the farmhouse and out into the yard. Charlie immediately settled himself on the deck chair.

I watched him suspiciously, not understanding him at all.

Charlie: Come here. Let’s lie down together for a while.

MC: This is the one thing you want to do the most today…?

Charlie: That's right.

Charlie: I’ve been dragged and pushed around for the entire day. I just want to have a good moment’s rest with my fiancée.

The deck chair wasn’t exactly small, but it’d be a slight squeeze to fit two people on it.

I was dubious about it for a while.

Charlie: Hmm, looks like being the birthday boy doesn’t help at all, huh.

He sighed, watching me. I stood rooted to my spot. It was rare enough that I got to look down at him, but the look he was giving me was a little like a kicked puppy...

Never mind. Heaven is big, earth is big, and the birthday star’s is the biggest.

Mentally reciting the phrase again, I closed my eyes and laid down next to him.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Charlie: And here I thought that you wouldn't agree to it.

Charlie: Why are you closing your eyes for? Am I that ugly?

Charlie: A handsome face is right beside you, and you're not even going to admire it?

Charlie: Are you really not going to look at me?

Charlie: Not bad. You "woke" in a timely manner. If you hadn't done so, then I'd have…

Charlie: What CAN I do? Have you never heard of the fairytale called "Sleeping Beauty"?

Charlie: You moved over to give me more space? How rare of you to be so considerate towards me.

Charlie: What? You get mad when I speak and feel uncomfy when I don't.

Charlie: *Sighs*...Never mind, my dear fiancée can only be coddled by me after all.

Charlie: What do you want me to talk about? My mood?

Charlie: Much better than I thought it'd be.

Charlie: Are you uncomfortable?

Charlie: Then come over here a little more…

Charlie: I know I said "a little", but you've only moved just a mere millimetre, haven't you?

Charlie: Any further and you'll-

Charlie: Alright, stop moving.

Charlie: Move any more and I'll just have to fall off with you in tow.

Charlie: I won't move, but you can't go making me loosen my grip on you either.

Charlie: Why do you have your eyes closed again? Sleepy?

Charlie: Go ahead and take a nap then. Remember to dream of me.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

After dinner, the night gradually grew darker.

Having changed into my pyjamas, I was just about to close the windows when I suddenly heard a commotion coming from outside.

It sounded like a lot of people were gathered in one place, chattering along with the joyful cries of children.

MC: What’s going on!?

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Curious, I crossed the yard and walked out of the back door. I was immediately dumbfounded the instant I opened the door.

The originally empty plain had somehow accommodated a helicopter from somewhere. Charlie was standing by the helicopter’s door with his head bowed as he adjusted his shirt collar.

There were many villagers from around the area beside him. The old, the young, the boys, the girls; some of them taking photos, some of them discussing within their midst.

Little Boy: Big bro, do you really mean what you said earlier?

Charlie: But of course; I never lie.

Little Girl: Wow! I’m gonna get dad to bring me to a good spot right now!

Little Boy: Wait a minute, me too!

A couple of kids fussed about wanting to get to higher ground, to which Charlie only smiled at. The sides of his mouth curled upwards as he let out a soft snort, an inconcealable look of pride on his face.

Suddenly, I can’t help but have a very bad feeling about this new turn of events. I subconsciously turned to flee.

Charlie: I haven’t even gone looking for you yet, and here you are.

Charlie: Looks like we truly have an affinity with each other.

A big hand lands on my shoulder, making me unwittingly turn around only to face his triumphant expression.

MC: And what are you trying to pull again? What’s with this helicopter here?

Charlie: I’m going to take you for a spin.

MC: ……

MC: I’m going to bed. Good night.

I turned to leave again, but the same hand landed on my shoulder once more, this time backed with an irrefutable strength as he dragged me up into the helicopter.

Ten minutes later.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Chuf, chuf, chuf.

The sound of the helicopter’s propeller reverberated in my ears. I’d eventually given up struggling against him; and now, I sat next to him blankly, decked in pyjamas and slippers.

Charlie: Why so quiet? Are you scared of heights?

MC: Har, har, very funny. Just think of it as me being sleepy.

Charlie: Then, you’d do well to wake up; because what’s coming up next is something worth remembering for a lifetime.

MC: …What?

Charlie: I did give my birthday some serious thought.

Charlie: While it’s true that I don’t like attending birthday banquets, it is not in line with my personality to spend my birthday in such a low-key, simplistic, manner.

MC: ……

Charlie: Plus, my fiancée worked so hard to prepare so many surprises for me. So, I have to give her a gift in return, won’t you say?

He’d only just said that when a loud bang sounded from outside the window.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━���━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

I saw fireworks blooming behind him, suddenly lighting up the night sky, as well as the hand that Charlie had started to reach out towards me.

My eyes widened in surprise. I’d totally forgotten that reactions were a thing. And that was how Charlie had pulled me over to admire the scenery outside the window together.

And that was how the gorgeous fireworks bloomed seemingly near, yet far. It was almost as if one could simply reach out and touch them.

The boundless night sky was skin to a long and endless river, while the fireworks resembled the starry sky, reflected on the surface of the river. We were seated atop a small boat, free to move and traverse this galaxy as we so wished.

I couldn’t help but raise my hand, pressing it against the glass window and fixing my eyes firmly to the fireworks blooming outside.

Charlie: What? So moved that you could cry?

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Charlie’s voice snapped me out of my reverie. I glanced at the handkerchief that held out before me and turned away with a huff.

MC: Thanks, but I’m not that easily moved.

MC: And these fireworks… It’s really beautiful, but please don’t do such overly exaggerated things in the future.

Charlie: So you’re already contemplating how to celebrate my future birthdays?

MC: I’m not…

My eyes dilated in rage, yet the flicker of flames died out the moment I raised my head.

Reflected within those twin violet orbs of his were the flashing lights of the fireworks… and two little reflections of me.

MC: Let’s leave the stuff next year… to next year.

Charlie: Don’t worry, you can have it every year.

The fireworks outside the window continued. Looking at the magnificent splendour outside, I suddenly remembered that I didn’t exactly wish him a “happy birthday” yet.

MC: Charlie.

Charlie: Hm?

MC: Happy birthday.

Charlie: Thank you.

This might actually be the first time that he has ever seriously thanked me for anything before.

My heart squeezed, immediately starting to race soon after. There was no longer any way to hide it.

MC: And there’s something else I want to tell you…

MC: Actually, I wouldn’t have known that it was your birthday today if you didn’t mistakenly think that I was making “longevity noodles”.

MC: I only agreed to go on a trip with you because I didn’t want to owe you any favours.

MC: And… I only decided to come here to this rural countryside to spite you because I knew that you’d be uncomfortable with it.

MC: And I didn’t prepare anything in advance as your birthday gift either…

I paused, not knowing how to continue. However, it was Charlie who carried on with the conversation, much to my surprise.

Charlie: So?

MC: So… Aren’t you angry?

MC: I clearly lied to you, in a way.

Charlie: My fiancée has been pondering hard and busying about like a busy bee today to celebrate my birthday.

Charlie: I don’t think there’s anything to be mad about.

I was stunned. For a moment, I didn’t quite know how to reply to him. All I registered was the soft thud of my heart as it skipped a beat.

MC: …I really don’t understand you sometimes.

Charlie: Then, I suppose you’ll have to put in more effort to understand me. After all, I can already understand you like the back of my hand.

Charlie: You can just tell me if you need help. I’ll get someone to collate my information and send it to you in a file.

MC: No need!

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

I softly snorted, turning around to continue admiring the fireworks outside the window.

Even though I knew clearer than anyone else, deep down in my heart, that fireworks were nought but merely a fleeting moment of brilliance…

I still can’t help but hope…

To hope that everything would be etched into stone, preserved forever and evermore.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

✥ Choose another Ending:

END 1 | Choice: Do Nothing [都不做]  

END 2 + 3 | Choice: Approach [亲近] ⊹Touch⊹

END 4 | Choice: Listen [倾听] ❖ASMR

END 5 + 6 | Choice: Heart-throb [心动] ✩Light & Night★

❖☆————— ⊹ For Night, For Paradox⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: Prologue

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS Born To Die Vol.1 Tsukinami Carla [Track 3]

Original title: 宴の始まり

Source: Diabolik Lovers Born To Die Vol.1 Tsukinami Carla [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Toshiyuki Morikawa

Translator’s note: All you Carla stans are going to love this track because it’s a full 14 minutes of cute fluff. I am by no means a Carla fan, but I did find the scene where the MC feeds him (and then he returns the favor) to be really cute. The little ‘aahn’ with that deep voice of his actually caught me of guard, haha. 

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 3: The Beginning of the Banquet

“Yes...I appreciate your birthday wishes. (1) Cheers.”

*Cling*

Carla takes a sip of his drink.

“Sandwiches, soup and various appetizers. (2) You have put together a rather luxurious meal. Mm...”

He takes a bite.

*Cling*

“Delicious. You have seasoned them to my liking.”

You smile.

“Exactly. Us Founders do not need food to survive, but your cooking strangely enough triggers my appetite. This is the first time I have enjoyed something other than cured dry ham this much.”

You feel flattered.

“However, it is not enough to please me just yet. You put so much effort into this feast, so I want you to feed me directly.”

You seem surprised.

“What seems to be the matter? Do not tell me that after everything, you cannot complete such a simple task? You want to celebrate my birthday today, no? In that case, fulfilling my wish only seems fit. ...Are you appalled because it sounds childish? However, even I want to be spoilt every now and then. You don’t mind, do you?”

You pick up the fork.

*Cling*

“Hmph. You have finally made up your resolve it seems? In that case...Aahn.”

You feed him.

“...Mmh. Mm...It’s good.”

*Rustle*

“Let me do it next. You should feel grateful.”

*Cling*

“Come on. Open your mouth. ‘Aahn’.”

You take a bite.

“Fufufu...Watching you eat the food I’m feeding you like that, makes you resemble a little baby bird pecking away at its meal. How is it? Is it good?”

You nod.

“Do not lie. Judging by the looks of it, you barely even tasted it, did you? There is no way you could deceive me. As your punishment, I shall continue feeding you until you have gotten a proper taste. Thanks to you, there is plenty of food to go around. Brace yourself.”

*TIMESKIP*

*Rustle*

“This might be the first time I have enjoyed a meal until I felt full. The cake was sublime as well. As to be expected, only the wife of the King of the Founders would be able to satisfy me to such a degree.”

You suddenly yawn. 

“What is the matter, yawning like that? Are you tired?”

You feel embarrassed, apologizing. 

“No need to apologize. You have been up and about all day after all. I assume you are exhausted. However, there is nothing wrong with being sleepy. We can simply spend the night here after all.”

You seem hesitant.

“Of course it is fine. For one, I anticipated this. I had the Familiars prepare a room so it could be used immediately. Furthermore...”

*Rustle*

“Today is my birthday. Is it not only obvious I want to spend it alone with you until the very end?”

You tell Carla you feel the same.

“I see. You feel the same, do you? In that case, let us get ready for bed soon.”

You agree and head off towards the bathroom.

*TIMESKIP*

You enter the bathroom.

*Thud*

“You are finally here. How was the bath water’s temperature?”

You tell him it was perfect.

“I see. I’m glad you were able to warm up. Even though the Familiars had been managing it, I would have not been surprised if it suddenly broke down. More importantly, join me.”

You walk over to the bed, noting there is only one.

“Yes, the bed I am currently seated on is indeed the only one available in this room. Is there a problem with that? We are lovers. It should only be obvious we share a bedroom. Well then, stop worrying about unnecessary things and come here. Take a seat next to me.”

You nod, sitting down next to him.

*Rustle*

“Your hair is still damp. It feels different to the touch than usual. However, I do not dislike your hair. It is soft and beautiful, and I love the feeling of tangling my fingers between the locks.”

Your cheeks flush red.

“...My hair is beautiful as well, you say? It is the first time someone has told me that.”

You tell Carla you’d love to comb his hair. 

“I do not understand why you would suddenly express your wish to brush my hair, but I shall give you permission. Be my guest. However, I ask you do it carefully. I am granting you special permission, but do not forget that these are the locks of a King.”

You nod, picking up the brush.

*Rustle rustle*

You start combing his hair.

“...Hmph. ...Aah. It feels more pleasant than I expected. Just keep on going like that.”

You note he has great hair.

“...It’s smooth? I do not understand why that would make you feel envious, but I shall take your word for it. However...”

You tilt your head.

“When I suck your blood, there are times I find it annoying. Given its length, it ends up getting in my face after all. Well then, you have done enough. Let us get ready to sleep soon.”

You nod, putting down the comb.

*Thud*

*Rustle rustle*

“Speaking of which, I have yet to thank you. I felt happy today. I was surprised when you first brought up the idea of celebrating my birthday. However, after seeing you prepare everything and actually celebrating, I have changed my mind. That there is simply nothing more precious in this world, than seeing the person you love work so hard for your sake. I did not even consider that one’s birthday could be such a wonderful thing.”

You seem happy, excited to celebrate again the following year. 

“You are being rather hasty, no? You are already talking about my birthday next year?”

You nod.

“Fufufu...You were that happy? Even though I’m the one being congratulated. That side is very typical of you. ...This is my way of thanking you for today.”

*Smooch*

“You like kisses, do you not? All I did was place a soft peck against your forehead, yet you have turned red all over.”

You admit liking his kisses. 

“Heh. You are rather honest to admit it so easily. Did the same woman who stubborn refused to give in to the pleasure earlier, have a change of heart once she entered the sheets? In that case, I have to reward you for being honest with me. I shall fulfill your wishes in return for entertaining me today. I shall kiss you wherever you want.”

You ask for a kiss on the lips.

“Hm.. Just as I thought, the lips, huh?”

*Rustle*

“Of course, I am aware. Whenever I kiss you here, you always writhe your body in bliss after all. Go ahead and feel my lips to your heart’s content. Mmh...”

*Smooch*

“Hah...”

*Rustle*

“Your eyes have teared up, as if they are melting. Is a kiss not enough for you?”

You nod.

“In that case, you know what to do, no?”

You beg for his fangs.

“Very well. I sucked blood from your collarbone earlier after all. This time...I’ll suck from here.”

Carla bites you.

*Sluuuurp*

“...How’s that? When I suck from your ear, my voice and breathe echoes into it, no? As if I am directly assaulting the inside of your head...”

*Sluuuurp*

“...Hah. Your blood is sweet and rich per usual. In the past even just having to taste it was painful, but now I have become completely obsessed with its fine taste. It has definitely been worth cleansing you.”

*Rustle*

“I shall suck from your shoulder next. I shall indulge in your blood, while you get to savor the taste of my fangs.”

He bites you once more.

*Sluuuurp*

“...Hm? Your blood has become even sweeter. Are you that excited?”

You beg for more.

“Yes. No need to ask. I shall pierce them even deeper, sucking your blood. Furthermore...”

*Rustle*

“I told you, no? That I would fulfill your wish.”

You smile.

“You seem rather merry. I suppose you were eagerly awaiting this? In that case, I shall satisfy you from head to toe. Go ahead and drown in these fangs, entrusting your everything to me. I shall love you, as much as you’d like. Haahn...”

*Sluuuurp*

“Mm...”

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) He literally says ‘your words of congratulation’, but since we know the CD is about his birthday, I made my translation a little more specific.

(2) It took me forever to figure out what Carla was saying here because he uses the French term ‘hors d'oeuvre’ which are a selection of hot and cold appetizers. 

[twstarchives]

Star Send-Off Garments・Voice Lines

● Event: Wish Upon A Star (August 28 - Sept 14, 2020) ● Exclusive Cards: Deuce, Ortho, Idia, Trey

Ortho’s outfit is called “Stargazer Gear,” instead of “Star Send-Off Garments” like the others.

Trey Clover - R

Unlock Card “I feel tense wearing the Star Send-Off garments. I suppose this is the ‘weight’ a traditional costume carries.”

Groovy “Nothing’s wrong with having a realistic wish.”

Home Setting “They’re so fluttery... These clothes don’t feel that secure.”

Home Transitions “I once used my allowance to buy my little brother a ticket to a magift game so he could live out his wish of seeing one live.”

“You think this school has too many traditional events? Haha, don’t say that. This school has been around for a very long time, so it makes sense.”

“Next, you do a... there. I can’t get lazy with practicing. I haven’t danced in front of an audience since elementary school.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “A Stargazer, huh? Since they picked me to be one, I guess... I just have to do it.”

Home Taps “I never thought I’d get picked to be a Stargazer. The Headmaster said it’s based off astrology, but... is there really no other reason?”

“It’s really hard using an oven in the hot weather. I wish all the desserts for our tea parties could be ice cream...”

“They say the puppet boy’s nose would grow every time he told a lie. You’d be in trouble if you had that kind of curse on you, wouldn’t you?”

“Ortho is so honest and loveable. But then there comes a time where he’ll switch into trying to fire his laser beam...”

“Are you looking at my tassels? They’re supposed to look like shooting stars if you do the Star Send-Off dance correctly.”

Idia Shroud - SR

Unlock Card “Right, and now we’ll officially get to be the laughing stocks of the whole school. Good job everyone.”

Groovy “Wishing upon a star, huh...? I don’t believe my dream would come true anyway.”

Home Setting “This looks like something a loud person would wear... This is torture.”

Home Transitions “My wish is to vanish from this event along with the stardust... I’m kidding; I’m going. I swear I’m really doing it!”

“I’ve made wishes on stars with Ortho before, for things like having all the candy I want, or playing games as much as I want. How innocent this humble otaku was back then!”

“Sir Trey is so calm and mature. Well, sure he looks like that, but I dunno what he’s thinking deep down.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “I’m a... Stargazer...? Nonononono! Absolutely not, please!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Could you take my place for me? I'm sure even someone of your caliber could handle banging a drum! ...Huh? ...Are you mad?”

Home Taps “There’s no way a wooden puppet could turn into a real human. Miracles only happen in fairy-tales for plot convenience.”

“S-Stop looking so curiously at me... I mean, I know these stick out compared to my usual clothes, but still.”

“Look at this traditional costume. It’s got all kinds of stars all over it! You can see how people in the old days were drawn so badly to space.”

“So, collecting Wishing Stars... Having to talk to everyone has been an impossible mission from the start. I’m tired.”

“Hey, you know... If you have enough time to keep annoying me, maybe you should be a Stargazer in my place.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Hah? You want to post a picture of me looking like this on Magicam? It’ll just be sad without anyone reacting to it, so forget it.”

Ortho Shroud - SR

Unlock Card “I am calculating the optimal route for increasing the possibility of our wishes coming true.”

Groovy “Above the clouds, at the ends of the universe... I can fly anywhere at all!”

Home Setting “Now initiating preparations to break through the atmosphere.”

Home Transitions “You know, Big Brother and I used to count stars together in the past! Should I tell you how many stars there are?”

“I heard the puppet who came to life went on a big adventure that led him all the way to a whale’s stomach. I wish I had an attachment that would let me go underwater~”

“The number of trials you do is important when analyzing data. Deuce Spade told me it’s important to always think about your wishes too!”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Part change complete. I will now begin to operate from my attachment designed for breaking through the atmosphere, the Stargazer Gear.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “I wonder what everyone wished for… Would your wish be to go back to your original world?”

Home Taps “The Stargazer Gear was created with powerful heat-resistant material, so I’m able to get past the atmosphere without damaging my body.”

“It’s too bad Big Brother didn’t have one of the dancing roles. He’s always yelling and dancing around his room while looking at his tablet!”

“In the past, the alignment of the stars was considered very significant. Is that kind of like what they call horoscopes nowadays?”

“This gear is decorated with lots of stars! It looks just like everyone’s Star Send-Off garments, doesn’t it?”

“Request approved. Now launching a beam to obliterate space debris. 5... 4... 3... Hehe, just kidding!”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I might even be able to take you to the ends of the night sky! Don’t be shy! Ah... But it might be too dangerous for living people.”

Deuce Spade - SSR

Unlock Card “Wish upon a star... And trust that your dream will someday come true.”

“I’m going to try my hardest at every event we have. ‘Cause I’m striving to be an honors student!”

Groovy “Since I was given the important role of being a Stargazer, I have to take the responsibility to carry this out!”

Home Setting “Shah! I’m gonna make the Star Send-Off a success!”

Home Transitions “The puppet boy got himself into a horrible mess when he tried skipping school. Maybe you should tell this folk tale to Grim.”

“The Star Send-Off garments aren’t embarrassing to me, but I have one problem with them. The ends... are so easy to step on. It’s dangerous.”

“I keep stumbling over my feet when I practice the dance! And here I thought I had good reflexes...”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Have you been collecting Wishing Stars over there? Come let me know if you ever run into trouble.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “My dreams for the future... I’m definitely going to make them come true someday. So when that happens, come celebrate with me!”

Home Taps “Shroud’s vocabulary is full of words I’ve never heard before. Are they all technical PC terms?”

“I used to make wishes with my mom when I was in elementary school. This brings me back.”

“I heard my birthday is the luckiest day of the year this year. That’s why they gave me fancier accessories than my seniors.”

“All stars look the same to me, so I’m bad at astrology... What? ‘I’m also bad at all my other subjects’? Kgh...”

“Don’t come near me! ...When I was practicing my dance just now, I accidentally hit Clover and knocked him over...”

Home Tap (Groovy) “It's just childish to think that working hard is something to be ashamed of. If anyone tries to make fun of you for it, don’t listen to them.”

Duo Magic Deuce: Let’s actually start going now, Shroud! Idia: You don’t have to tell me, Deuce. I was already planning on it!

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

EZEKIEL ‘EZ’ REYES x READER ⨟ PROMPT

Anon #1 asked: Wait! You are taking requests!!! Can I please get 46 and 51 with Ez please! I can imagine them at a party or something and he pulls her up with a cute af grin, being all cuddly and sweet!!!

Anon #2 asked: Ezzzzzz with 87 and maybe he whimpers “fuck...” when you do it 👀👀

Anon #3 asked: I’m so sorry, this is the last I swear. 72 and 67 from the prompt list with the youngest Reyes tysm ily!!!!

Anon #4 asked: FUCK, the thought of Ezekiel Reyes telling me I’m a good girl 🥵🥵 I’m wet . I have the biggest praise kink, pls baby, tell me I’m doing so well ! Do you think you could do a little sum for me please 🥵🥺🥺🥺

Prompts:

46. “I wanna dance with you”

51. “You kill me every time you smile”.

72. “Club doesn’t go first”.

67. “You and me, forever”.

87. “Put on my kutte”.

WARNINGS: NSFW, SMUT

Word count: 2.3k

Thanks to my lovely beta reader @chibsytelford ✨

Author comments: I hope you all enjoy. Gif credits: @xxrouxx

Tag list: @starrynite7114 ​ @chibsytelford ​ @dazzledamazon ​ @mara-mpou ​ @sammskellington ​ @gemini0410 ​ @1-800-imagines ​ @briana-mishell24 ​@sassymox @whyisgmora @aquamento @sadeyesgf @viviansafizada @samcrobae @jade770 @witchy-wish @rebel-without-cause-x @xx--day-dreamer--xx @spiced-reads @tita127 @ifoundmyhappythought @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat @angelxshiba @destynelseclipsa @sheeshgivemeabreak ✨ (if you wanna be tagged, send me a message!)

“EZ it's okay, don' worry. I understand it”.

“I'm truly sorry, (Y/N). I swear to God”.

“Ezekiel. It's okay. Club goes first”.

“I promise we'll celebrate your birthday as soon as I'm back. I promise. I swear”.

“Hey, boy scout! We're leaving! Stop bitchin'”.

“Yeah! Give me a second!” He replies. “I have to leave you… I'm sorry”.

“Go, EZ. Call me when you're back”.

“I will”.

You can't lie. You're a little upset because he's not going to be in your birthday for first time in seven years. You met him at the jail in Stockton, when you were finishing your studies, working as an auxiliary nurse. You're best friends since then, and it's an special occasion. But at least, you have your other friends to celebrate with.

When they cover your eyes, inside the car, with a bandanna you know it's going to be a crazy night. You don't know anything about your birthday party, and you don't want to think about what they have been able to prepare. You just wait in silence to the car to stop. And when it does and Monique helps you to go out of it, you hear some murmurs claiming for silence. She guides you with both hands on your shoulders, until you're in the middle of the dark.

“Ok, wait! Don't take it off yet!” She says, listening how her steps go away from you. “Ok! NOW!”

You break in laugh, pulling down the bandanna, until you notice where you are.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

The whole crew is in the front yard of the clubhouse, reunited with your friends from work and your housemates. Your eyes are filling with tears, watching EZ running towards you to lift you up on his arms. You hug him tightly, wrapping his waist with your legs.

“Fuck, you're so dumb! I thought you weren't gonna believe me”.

He's laughing, infecting you, while he covers your face with a lot of kisses all around.

“Happy birthday, enfermera”.

“You fucking idiot!” You say pouting and hitting one of his shoulders, when your feet are back on the ground.

“Eh! Don' need to be this aggressive, just because it's your birthday!”

“I hate you…”

“Hey, club doesn't go first”. He whispers right in your ear, holding you tightly. “Do you remember what I said once, ah?”

“You and me, forever”.

“That's right. And now… let's enjoy the night”.

So you do. There are a lot of meat that Felipe brought, latin music flooding the crowded yard, beers going from one side to another, your friends dancing with the Mayans. Bishop has ask you for a dance. That man is like your father since you put a foot in his club, and he's pretty good with salsa. But when the song changes to another more sensual, the president pushes you into EZ. He's sitting next to Angel and Gilly, watching you the whole time with that charming smile he's always wearing when you're together.

Your hips moving to the beat, letting yourself go without worries, with sensual and delicate moves. You know how much the skirt of your dress is provoking him, because of the obvious romantic and sexual tension between both since ever, always keeping a secure distance to not fuck up your friendship. But you have had more tequila than you can afford. He reclines on the chair, enjoying the show, while his brothers speak oblivious to the situation. Licking his lips, EZ chuckles supporting the beer over a thigh rubbing his chin while you come closer.

“I want you to dance with me”. You say offering a hand that he doesn't doubt to grab.

Leaving away his drink, EZ lets you guide him to the middle of the makeshift dance floor. His chest stuck on your back, moving your waist to the rhythm of the song, and your arms raised up, back to his nape. His breathing colliding against your neck, following every move so close you can hear his heartbeat. His scent filling your lungs, his lips caressing your skin. You don't even know which song is playing, because dancing with him is in the only thing you're focusing on.

Closing your eyes, you feel his hands going down slowly by your sides to reach the folds of the skirt, raising it some inches, dragging gently his fingers above your skin bristling it.

“Fuck… Stop playing with ma' mind”. He begs you leaving a soft kiss on your neck.

You just laugh tangling your hands with his, turning to face him, too close of his lips. Almost touching them.

“No”.

“I hate you”. He mutters placing his hands on your lower back, smirking so naturally that makes your legs tremble a little.

“You kill me every time you smile”.

“Really…? Then, erase it from my face”. He challenges you with a too sensual hoarsely tone.

You kiss him. No doubts doing it. His lips tastes so good, that almost dizzy you. You can feel the same necessity he has to happen, as you have. Many years enduring it. And it's finally happening. Your fingers caressing the back of his head slowly, contrary to how your mouth works against his. Your tongue finding the other so desperate you don't mind the shortness of air. You know that everybody is looking at you sideways, not wanting to interrupt the moment, and you don't even care.

“Fuck… now I have two birthday presents to give you”. EZ chuckles, touching his nose with yours in a dearly gesture.

“And what are you waitin' for, Ezekiel?”

The Mayan twists his head, biting his tongue with a naughty smile drawn on his lips. He has that look on his face he could use after killing someone and before adopting a puppy from the dog kennel. Now it also means he's going to show you how much he desires you. Holding your hand, he guides you to the clubhouse, under some claps and whistles from the guys. Of course they felt the tension, since ever, and they also are like five years old. Bad combination. They stop making noise when you cross the hall, right to the dorms.

You know pretty well that room. It isn't the first time you sleep there, after a long day at the hospital, a nap on a day off… Always with EZ. He closes the door when you two are already inside, pushing you with his body to the bed and his hands cupping your face in. He's on top of you, one of his legs among yours, on of yours between his rubbing the erection under his jeans. His tongue fighting yours desperate, while his calloused hands go below the white dress, dragging them on your thighs making you moan low. His fingers reach the waistband of your panties stretching it slightly, biting his lips with your attentive orbs over his.

“Joder, joder, joder…” He curses in spanish. “Fuck… stop me… Please, stop me”.

Yes, you think that could break your friendship, but it's the fear talking. Not reality.

“EZ, I want you. Since ever”. You sentence, leaning up to catch out his breath by kissing him, too hungry for his lips.

He doesn't need anything else to put down your panties, until finding the floor. His right hand ventures among your thighs and the heat that emanates from there, growling in your neck when he reaches your center.

“Shit, baby…” He sighs sliding a finger inside you, making you gasp low right on his ear. “Should be illegal be this wet…”

“And it's your fault”. You quickly highlight, biting his lobe.

EZ wants to enjoy it, to make it slowly for you. But he has wait for too long. Digging his finger among your folds, rough and deep, he rubs his hardness against your knee anxious for feeling some friction. And you're not going to keep containing yourself, using your natural tone of voice to moan, not caring a fuck if the crew and your friends hear you. You want to show him how bad you need him. A second finger gets curled inside you, exploring your wetness masterfully, while his mouth devours yours with the taste of tequila driving you crazy.

But he needs more. So you do.

Much to your regret, after some seconds, he pulls them away to take off your dress above your head, showing him your bare breasts. Ezekiel is fascinated, having you naked when he's fully dressed, under his mercy and his desires.

“You're so fuckin' beautiful, baby”. He growls before catching one of your nipples with his teeth, stretching it up some inches before sucking it gently.

You're squirming below his caresses, spreading your legs to accommodate him between them. Now you can feel how hard he is, thrusting you with the fabric of his jeans rubbing your clit so delicious you could cum like that. Your hands takes off the kutte leaving it by a side of the mattress, taking the advantage of doing the same with his shirt. Ezekiel is so hot, you can't deny that fact, starting to lose control. His long fingers undone his belt and his jeans, undressing himself as fast as you need it.

“Put on my kutte, baby. I wanna see you wearing it and riding me”. He whispers against your lips, biting them dearly, watching him sideways jerking himself off.

You don't say anything sitting up on the bed to do it. And you have to recognize that looks good on you. Eze rest his back against the wall, after throwing away the pillow to get comfortable, looking you while he continues stroking his cock. You can see the veins in his arms marking the toasted skin, licking your lips, being one of your weak points in life. His hands and his arms. Crawling on top of his lap, he plays with his glans among your folds, showing you the smile that makes you feel more wet.

“Fuck, baby… Look at you”. He soughs, while the tip of your tongue tours up his chin and mouth. “Take it all, my Mayan. It's all yours”.

That sounds so good, drowning your legs down, digging his dick inside you.

“Shit, Ezekiel! You're so big…”

“Do you like it, ah?”

“Yes… baby. Yes…”

“Ride that big cock, cariño. C'mon… Ride me”. He begs you, kissing your neck with short ones licking your skin.

Your hips start to bounce his hardness, discovering you can go deeper as much as you spread your legs. His hands nailed on your waist with both thumbs pressing your abdomen, keeping your eyes with his and parted lips. His erection hits your soul every time you jump by a frenetic and constant dance of pleasure, feeling his teeth biting your collarbone and his tongue drawing some bruises above it.

“Shit… just like that, mi vida… justamente así. Such a good girl...”

Ez's voice lost in what you make him feel is everything for you, claiming for more, begging for your warm pussy welcoming him delighted. He creates a road of bites, starting under your chin, sucking it slowly until he reaches your mouth. His tongue explores it finding yours in a filthy and dirty kiss, slapping your ass without expecting, thrice with part of his strength. Arching your anatomy and leaning your head back softly you let your heavy moans flood the dorm, before he turns you over the bed. With Ezekiel on top of you, he grabs your thighs to open your legs as much as you can handle it.

“You wan'me deeper, cariño?”

“And faster… Fuckin' kill me, Ez”.

“Can you keep your legs opened for me, baby girl, ah?”

“Yeah… I promise, daddy”. You nod, getting desperate because he's moving his body to slow.

One of his big callous hands grabs tightly your throat, surrounding your back with the free one. And he does it. He goes deeper. Deliciously deep, with his abdomen hitting your wetted folds once and again, harder than the last. You're almost out of air crying out his name and some spanish curses every time he pounds you, maintaining your gaze burning in lust and pleasure. He wants to kiss you more than anything in the world, but he also wants to see your face and all the gestures your draw in it unconsciously, because of his cock thrusting your g-spot.

Biting his lower lip, Ez nails his knees on the mattress without pulling his dick out of you, but raising your trembling legs to his shoulders before lie down on top of you again. This position is new for you, but after the first push you know it's going to be one of your favorites.

“Wan'me to make you cum, mi amor?”

“Please, daddy, please…”

He chuckles giving you a smooth kiss, tangling your hands on his forearms. The rhythm becomes speedy and intensive, feeling the tickles in your low belly as you start to cry out rolling your eyes in white, when the orgasm wraps your body under his grip. He keeps going with every pound, seeing how red is part of his chest and neck because of the effort, starting to growl when he finds your lips again in a needy kiss begging you to hold for him just a few more seconds. You could wait for EZ all your life.

“Can I… cum inside you?” He asks you as well as he can, somewhat exhausted, close to the edge.

“Fuck… to bring another Reyes?”

He can't help but break into laughs, stopping his moves, as you do. The laughters floods the room for a second, imagining how bad could be for the world, but how good could be for you two. Of course, you've never talked about it. But, having a family together? You're in. And Ez is totally in too.

“Let's set the world on fire, mi vida”. He chuckles, lowering your legs to his waist to pound you again.

His body digging into your legs with somekind of fury, pinching your ass in the meantime of his cock punches your pussy without nonstop. He was so close, he can't even expect his warm jizz completely filling you with a hoarse and throaty moan, drilling your ears.

“Shit, baby…”

He falls deadbeat on your chest, whilst your fingers caressing the back of his neck, getting a little wet because of the sweat your bodies are wrapped in. Slowly pulling himself out, inside of your legs, he kisses a little tired your lips.

There's no hall of shame when you come back to the crowded yard, after having a short shower together, sitting on EZ's chair by you on his lap. Angel brings you a beer with pursed lips in a smile, not needing to use any words to make you know how proud he feels of you finally being his sister-in-law. He cheers your drink with his, before sitting again on his own chair. Resting your left temple on Ezekiel's shoulder, you have a sip of yours getting comfy against his body. His hand touring your thighs gently, joining the talk between his friends like if nothing happened seconds ago, taking pleasure of having you so, so close.

And you can't help, seeing him smile, but grabbing his chin with two fingers to lean him down so you can kiss him again. You feel like an addict, and by the way he has to drag his hand on your skin, he is too.

“I'm… assuming you wanna be my girl”. He mutters caressing your nose with the tip of his.

“Well, I need a Reyes to handle with a baby one”.

He chuckles shaking his head and closing both eyes for a while.

“Would you… really like it? The idea of having a baby with an ex-con, part of a motorbike cl—?”

“The idea of having a family with my intelligent, handsome, and super interesting bestfriend? Yes, Ezekiel. I would love it”.

“You forgot to say ‘best chef in the world’”.

“And best lover”.

“My ego es happy right now”.

“Good, that's one of my missions”.

“Te amo”. He whispers, hearing a loud ‘aw’ coming from Bishop, Tranq and Taza. The oldest with the most childish minds of all.

You laugh loud curling your legs above your boyfriend, hugging you tightly and filling your face with kisses.

[unhinged-summer-fun]

wip-date

yeah whatever portmanteaus make me feel something other than manic depression

i know i've been pretty gogogo on mesh network (a lie, but one i tell myself so it's true) but I do want to make some headway into my other WIPs. so here's where i'm at.

Top Priority

mesh network - almost finished with ch3, should be up today. i've got most of the story fleshed out in outline form (skeletoned out?) and i've been thinking of this AU for two years straight so it's coming pretty naturally to me.

30 for 300 follower celebration - there's only 4 of 30 slots taken so far. but i'm gonna get on those soon. still gotta make a masterlist for it. [adds to todoist]

belated af birthday fic for lellow - it's over 6.7k right now, but the latter half is super montagey and i'm trying to ramp myself up into being a story glider again. feel like a terrible friend, it's been four months.

Middling Priority

TBAD - chapter 7 is started (like around 3k rn) but I'm still feeling kind of directionless with the series as a whole. paranoid evil depression brain says i bit off more than I could chew. may do a reread once birthday fic is done to ~rekindle the love~

triptych - I have all of four paragraphs written for chapter 8. the end of the previous chapter kind of fucked up the initial timeline i'd had for this act of the story. i think i'm seeing a bit of a pattern with me avoiding writing smut lol.

art of second place - outline made, ch9 not started. it's a bit faster paced/covers a lot more time than previous chapters, so it's kind of outside of my current writing style. this chapter ends with the beloathed Plot returning. could be the reason for the block.

slut djarin - kinda lost in the weeds for ch7. there's two huge monologues in it, one of which will have a lot of hilarious wild smut, there's an orgy planned, and then a lot of plot happens which isn't really the point of the fic. thinking of starting from scratch and doing it kind of how i did the first three chapters (writing while watching, pausing to get lines correct, tedious but keeps me in the moment)

(other account) tusken din - whoo boy. where this current book (2 of 4) is sitting at, it's at over 26k and we aren't even like officially halfway through the season itself. this one's supposed to be a romance but it's really more of a solid coming of age tale. may pull back and revise from on high, or i might just try powering through to the very end. the document is very long and very intimidating.

collab with katee - still in outline mode, we're both very busy with very amazing and indulgent stories so i get it, but I wanna put some kind of oomph toward it. perhaps this weekend if i'm not too worn out.

Low Priority/On Hold

flicker 2 - max is on a business trip from his usual job of being my muse. also i don't really wanna write anxiety that's not mesh network

flicker 3 - this has three words in the outline: "the collaring one" and again (see above) smut issues

mando!reader/civilian!din - issues with din's role. considering just leaning into the absurdity of it and making him go full y/n and be a medicmechanicbabysitterpilot who's never held a gun. i think playing with that game would be fun.

bobadinnec wingfic - premise mostly written, still a lot of emotional heavy lifting to hammer out.

catboy javi g - officially delegated to Things To Handle After 4/22

whiskey/psychic!ofc - i love you joey and i think of you every time i paint my nails blue i just cannot concentrate on this many things

slow burn din/reader - at this point it's just a twinkle in my eye but i think it has potential, if i can dedicate enough time/effort to it. at this point in my life, i cannot.

daddy frank castle - it's more of a personal character study of him rather than something i'd want to share. it's rough and messy and doesn't really have a reason for existing. if you'd like to see it anyway please let me know.

Misc Housekeeping

moreno tentacles - this one's 4k and ready to go but i have a blood pact with katee that is as yet unfulfilled so i shall respect my blood brother and hang onto this.

that's all! please submit more 30 for 300 drabble ideas!

[iknowyouthinkimbulletproof]

The Scar- Calum Hood

A/N: another 5sos fic! Calum hood x y/n. Y/n’s gender is female for this fic, it just made it easier to write, my apologies to anyone it might upset, but you can always request. Feel free to correct any mistakes! there will be a part two!

WARNINGS: this fic does contain multiple mentions of an abusive family, read at your own risk.

Not my gif!

plot: y/n and Calum meet for the first time!

2430 words

-

When y/n was still a child she had always dreamed of becoming a celebrity, like every other kid. unlike the other children though, it seemed impossible to her. To y/n, she sounded horrible, not to mention the looks. y/n had always thought this way because there was never one person to tell her otherwise. It's not like anyone knew what she was struggling with to be fair. Years of practice and motivation from her parents, the only time they encouraged y/n, lead to y/n being the perfect actor in front of others. No one would notice the damage done to y/n because the walls built around her took a team of three to build and would most likely take an even bigger team to deconstruct. Or at least that's what she thought. Apparently all y/n needed was a wrecking ball.

Day after day y/n would wake early to sit in front of her mirror with a brush. She normally wasn’t the type to hate anything, other than her parents, because nothing could compare to the years of trauma her parents had stocked her up on. So when y/n said she hated her foundation brushes, she meant it.

Makeup used to be one of her favorite things, she used it as a pastime. When she was a young teen, she spent most of her time in her room trying as many looks as possible. It wasn’t like her to believe that you could only have one aesthetic, she would change her look up as many times as she wanted. Going from “emo” looks one day to “kawaii” looks the next. It only made sense that she would do the same with her makeup as well. Her parents didn’t seem to mind the looks. Whatever would cover up the bruises they gifted her seemed to be helping them in some twisted way. One day it all fell apart though. Everything her parents had built was destroyed. 

The process left y/n with a humongous scar on her face. The scar started right above her right eyebrow. If it had ended below the eyebrow, it would have just seemed like she wanted an eyebrow slit, she might have even been able to cover it easily with a brow pencil. If it had ended there, but it didn’t. It ended right above her jaw bone. It wasn’t straight either. Most scars can go away with time, but hers was too deep. It would never go away. It showed her and the world her past. She hated it. 

So, as much as she hated the foundation brushes she used every morning, she continued to use them. That hideous scar needed to be covered up. Especially with all the attention she was getting. Once news came out that two well liked members of y/n’s small hometown abused their child, people were furious. Many tried helping y/n. One of the teachers at school had convinced her to try out for the drama club. She received the leading role in Annie for the school’s play. News spread fast in the town and soon people had begun to call colleges and agencies to come watch her performance, all of which y/n had no clue they were doing.  One specific agency had agreed to work with her for free until she got off the ground. She almost rejected the opportunity. That was until her foster mother had informed her that her parents weren’t going to spend as much time in jail as they had hoped. Taking the opportunity had forced y/n to continue high school in Los Angeles. She was also set up with a new foster home. Throughout all of this, the scar was hidden. She didn’t want her chance to leave to be taken away. 

Years later and no one she surrounded herself with knew of her past, or even seen her scar. Not even the makeup artists she’s worked with. She always showed up a foundation on and since it was a perfect match to her color, the makeup artists let it slide and just continued to transform her into her characters.

y/n had in fact gotten off the ground, it was now a daily thing for her to be recognized. She even met some celebrities she grew up with.

There was one day though, soon after her 23rd birthday, that y/n had not put on foundation. She felt that she wouldn’t be recognizable without it, so she wanted to try it. She had woken up later than usual then dressed herself in shorts and a tee. She went on a run and low and behold, no one recognized her. She ended up at her usual cafe. Just like every morning, she walked up the cashier and ordered her usual. The cashier, Linda, a nice old lady, who had worked there every morning tried not to stare.  It was a weird experience for both of them. Linda could have sworn that y/n looked familiar, but she shrugged it off. y/n was holding back an expression of surprise, she thought that out of everyone Linda would have noticed her. Once she received her coffee, she went to leave. That is when she ran into her wrecking ball, not that she knew it. y/n had spilt her coffee all over the strange man she knew as Calum. She didn’t know much about Calum, she only knew his name from the few times she had heard his name being called for his coffee. She also knew that Cal was well aware of who she was, with makeup that is.

“Im so sorry!” y/n exclaimed. She might’ve still been in shock from the events that had happened so far into the day, but there was no way she could have missed the look she received from the man. It wasn’t one of disgust, but more of one of surprise. The look he had however, didn’t match hers. He wasn’t in surprise from the coffee he had spilt on him, but rather the girl in front of him. 

“It’s fine really.” Calum stated as kindly as possible. There was no way he could ever even think of being rude to a lady so beautiful. 

“It’s really not, I can pay for the shirt and for whatever you were gonna order.” she offers in a hurried tone even if she wasn’t in a rush. This is because she thought he was trying not to give her pity. 

“No need, I actually feel as if I should buy you another one-” he offers, “- it was my fault anyways, i'm so clumsy i’ve been in this situation before.” he lied. y/n was well aware of the lie. Most of the time she was here before him and left after him, she had not seen it happen. An argument be that he’s done it before she moved into the neighborhood, but that also wasn’t true because y/n had witnessed him and Roy struggling to carry a couch into their home while on her run. She had actually had a conversation with Roy and she probably could have become good friends with him if she had tried. 

“It's fine really” the words coming out of her mouth this time. Before they could interact anymore though, Linda had appeared to usher them both out of the way to clean the mess that was made. She had begun to lecture Calum, one of her favorite clients, on making a mess when y/n slipped out of the Cafe. she stuck her head back in though to apologize to one last time to both of them before running off. 

She had made it home and took a shower when there was a knock at the door. Realizing that her scar was uncovered, she tried to cower. 

“Y/n, it’s Roy! I...um brought cookies to celebrate your new movie! Oh and a friend.” That was the last thing she had expected to hear through her door. She knew the friend had to be Calum, she also knew she would have to explain herself to the men. Finally getting the courage, she opened the door. Before you could say anything Calum had begun to talk. 

“Hey, it’s you again. What are you doing here?” he asked. Suddenly feeling shy y/n lowered her head. 

“Are you ok?” Calum pressed. Looking up again she can see both the boys now wearing concerned faces.

“Y/n?” Roy questioned. Gulping, y/n decided to just rip the bandage off.

“Yep, that's me. Nice to see you Roy.” slightly shaking she opens the door wider as if to invite them in. Roy understood what she meant and walked in, his expression now gone and replaced with his original smile, Calum on the other hand still wore his as he followed his friend in. She led the men into her living room.

“Sorry for the mess.” she states. Calum and Roy looked around to see what she was talking about. Cal’s brows frowning more. There was no mess. To them anyways, to y/n her only thought was that her parents would murder her for having friends over without vacuuming and tidying every corner of the house. They sat down and y/n left to go get them drinks. While in the kitchen she could hear them whispering about her. Wiping any look of sadness from her face, she picked up the drinks and headed back into the living room. Handing them their drinks, she places coasters onto the table for them. They have a light conversation, them being Roy and y/n. Cal was too busy staring at her. He was confused, how could he have not realized. How come he didn’t know that the beauty of both women was actually the beauty of one. Finally giving into the stares y/n sighs.

“I know you’re probably confused about the...um you know-” she says, gesturing to her face, “i just didn’t want anyone to find out about it yet. There’s not really any good memories that came with it. You understand right?” 

“Of course!” Roy claims, nodding his head then nudging his friend, who also nodded but not nearly as harsh as Roy had done. 

“We won’t say anything if that's what you’re asking” Calum states, he could see that them agreeing with her hadn’t reassured her enough. She smiles gently at him as Roy agrees again.  The conversation had now been a lot more free. All three of them were involved now. The conversation drifted to her movie and their music at points. y/n felt bad as she had genuinely gotten a liking to them, Calum in particular. She wanted to talk to them again, but her past was coming to haunt her, she couldn’t. The cookies were amazing, store bought, but amazing. They trio all slowly coming quiet, they had spent hours together chatting. It was now 4 in the afternoon. It seemed as neither man wanted to leave. It had been a while since they had made a new friend. Calum excused himself to the bathroom, leaving y/n and Roy. she tried her best to hint that it may be time for them to leave without seeming rude. Roy helped her bring the cups and trash into the kitchen. He watched as she cleaned each cup multiple times. To him it must have seemed as if she were nervous because she was being watched. To her though, each mug needed to be perfectly spotless or something bad would happen. It was rooted into her mind. If you dug deep enough into it, you would see y/n’s memories of being yelled at and having dishes and pots thrown at her for not having the house perfectly cleaned. Calum, finally out of the bathroom, joined Roy. together they watched the woman dry her hands before turning towards them. Before she could get a word out, Roy suggested that they should get going. Cal’s eyes couldn’t have missed her smile quickly dropping before resuming back to its original place. y/n nods before leading the kind men back to her front door. Roy leaning slightly to give her a hug and saying a quick bye, she responded as she knew how. 

“Goodbye.” It was a simple statement really, but she was taught to never try to stay in touch with people outside of necessity. Though she did give him another kind smile, one that shows her teeth in just the slightest way. Now facing Cal who, unlike his friend, was staring at the floor. Roy, waiting for him at the gate, tries his hardest not to watch their interaction. From his point of view, he can see them talking before y/n goes completely still. y/n was in shock, she had never been in this situation before. She didn’t know how to respond. Cal had asked for her number. She didn’t have anyone who wasn’t work related on her phone, should she let herself add a contact for Cal? She didn’t know the answer, she stayed still, evening out her breathing while she felt two different sets of eyes on her. Still as stiff as humanly possible, she smiles and hands her, now open, phone to Calum. He grins so softly that y/n missed it, he handed her his unlocked phone as well. He creates a contact in her phone with all his information before snapping a quick photo of himself. He listed himself as “cute neighbor”, which is quite bold seeing as he had no idea if y/n liked him, and pressed save. On Calum’s phone, y’n had simply only typed her phone number and listed herself as “y/n”. Before she could press save, Calum handed her phone back to her, she looked at the contact and her lips lifted. She turned off her phone and put it in her pocket. She looked back to Calum’s phone and changed her name to “scar girl” before saving the contact and passing the phone back to him. Unfortunately for her, Calum didn’t look at the contact and just shut off the phone. Which might have been better if she thought about it. She didn’t want to see Calum’s reaction to the name, she just hoped it was positive. As they looked into each others eyes, a blush formed onto their cheeks. y/n whispered a silent goodbye before walking back into her home and softly closing the door. 

[mynanapost]

Who am I? Who I am was a question I kept asking myself all my life. I figured lately that I am a transported tree, plant, land, and home that is always gravitized to Palestine. I am a citizen of the world and my passport is a threat to all the bordered states I visit or stay in. I am recognized for many things that I am not; and, I am labeled for many things that I disapprove and do not recognize. I am a star that is always censored and tracked by foreign militaries and intelligences. I am a unique reminder of the failure of the zionist progress towards the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

In this article, I am aiming to take you on a speed tour consisting of no more than 1200 words about the resistance mechanisms of a second generation displaced person living in Gaza and is originally from Yafa.

Fighting like a Palestinian is as tough to us as you might see on your headline news. Substantially different though, I promise. Hello, I am Wasim, I am Palestinian (I fight) and I want to make this world a better place. And I fight. The fear of being hated and judged as a Palestinian is as bad as your fear of missing out (FOMO). Our FOMO is usually one of three things, first, the fear of missing out on a strike of bombs in your neighborhood. We usually fear not being there to calm and assure our family that we are home and that they could at least not worry about us. Second, the fear of missing out a chance to buy groceries on a ceasefire. Third, not being awake or home to use the four to eight hours of electricity we get per day. This includes cooking, charging phones and laptops, using WiFi, heating water, and doing laundry.

We as Palestinians do not resist or fight through machinery. In fact, our machinery compared to others in the region might be the least effective. Hence, we use our words, education, knowledge to fight and resist. I will be resisting and fighting in this article as you tour with me.

My grandfather was forced out of his home by Zionists. And I resist. I resist and fight through presenting a negated history. Yafa, a beautiful place and also an occupied city in Palestine, is where my grandfather lived. He assured us to have hope. We fight, resist, and FIGHT trying to explain that we have the right to return home. He adds that one day he will take us all back home, may his soul rest in peace. My home in Yafa might now be a dancing club or even better a dating bar. Who knows but it is there in Yafa. He, my grandfather, would always say that if I would bring him a granddaughter, I shall name her Yafa. He would always say that she will be beautiful just like the city.

Visualizing my beloved Gaza is easy. North and East, we have IDF blockage isolating us from the rest of Palestine. West, we only have three miles of the lovely Mediterranean Sea where fishermen struggle for their livelihood and pray to get back home safe every day. And south, we have Egypt’s borders. Gaza is a piece of land that is guarded by the most powerful powers in the region. Well, it is not really guarded for our precious souls, but from them.

I survived three brutal aggressions on Gaza before celebrating my 17th birthday. We fought and resisted during and after each of these aggressions. We learnt how to fight by picking up the rubble and turning it into something to build with. We had nothing but rubble and a 4 digit number stating the number of deaths. We have constructed the roads of our seaport in Gaza with the rubble of destroyed buildings. We have also managed to turn the ash of coal and wood into building bricks that are used in construction buildings now with great demand. We as Palestinians fight our way through every aspect of our day through education, art, history, theatre, innovation and many more. We resist our ethnic cleansing by surviving, and then, by reproducing. We fight, everyday, endlessly.

To make it easier for everyone to visualize, I will use recently used concepts on world news to explain a long living experience. Curfew, as a concept, has been a huge highlight of our lives for as far as I can remember. Similar rules are imposed in the curfews set like the ones we all had during the pandemic. You can only leave when having an extreme reason to do so, however, you are assured that you will not be safe if you decide to leave, even if leaving means saving your life or the life of a loved one by going to the hospital.

The curfews were always there to remind us that we are occupied. Our usually failed ceasefires were similar to the end of pandemic related lockdowns. We try to secure food, for God knows when the next time we might have the option of leaving the house. However, unlike social distancing post-lockdowns, we hug and kiss our beloved ones knowing that it might be the last time we do so. The next digit number by one of us.

We live with post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSDs) as if they were our closest friend. These PTSDs are censored to the sound of planes, the sound of screaming, the sound of explosion and anything similar. They also adapt as part of our human nature as they develop to assure us, when being abroad, that the planes flying above us are not the same ones that were once attacking us. The PTSD is also quite conscious during New Years and other big celebrations when we do not realize that the fireworks are noises of happiness. It is exactly how we used to lie to assure our younger siblings that they will be safe. (+18) Their shock realizing the sorrow might be as bad as when children of western side of the world discover that Santa Clause is not real. (+18)

I believe most people living abroad during the Pandemic have gone through a slightly similar experience of the Palestinian’s daily struggle. Not being able to go back and feeling unwelcome in their home because there might not be space. And not being able to go anywhere else because you will always be a suspect holder. Yes, we are always suspects; accused of having a terroristic mentality. Unfortunately, we could never disprove their false accusations with a certified document saying that we are negative to their biased misconceptions. I would wait for a week and pay the 90$ for this certification. When you are a Palestinian holding dual citizenships, life changes; as I hear from my brother and witness my friends not having to stress a lot before entering any check point. Being respected and accounted for human rights are things they encounter after traveling with their other citizenship.

You could always be concise and go straight to the point. Why don't we stop fighting or why don't we just accept the peace talks. Well, lately we have been accepting of almost anything, but people would still see us as terrorists. Nonetheless, there is nothing concise about this struggle besides the daily headline news mentioning the number of dead and injured due to a “conflict”. I would have to explain all the intersections and the cross-borders and their history to be able to go through the complexity of my beloved Palestine.

In remembrance of Murid Barghouti, “Palestinians have a unique story that's similar to none of the stories of others, but one at the same time because what is shared is huge: the sense of loss, exile, being displaced, being oppressed, being voiceless, being of a negated history and geography”. - may his soul rest in peace.

[louiseleblancdiggory]

Once Upon a December

Chapter 4: Things My Heart Still Needs to Know

A/N: So instead on doing this only from Rowan and Aelin’s POV I decided to add a little bit of Lysandra so we know whats happening on the other side of the continent! This was so fun especially because I love a little mystery and a certain character we learn more about here. If I forgot to tag you please tell me. Enjoy!

Masterlist 

Chapter 3 // Chapter 5

“Who are you?” Lysandra breathed, completely shocked. The man in front of her eyed her curiously, as if he too wanted to know who she was.

Lysandra usually was careful not to call attention to herself, had learned that with Yrene who had been here longer than she had, but she couldn’t help with this man. Whoever he was, he had to be related to Lin somehow.

“Who’s asking?” His voice was deep, a mix of accents making the words sound like a song. The accent from Eyllwe and… Terrasen?

“I— You—“ Lysandra was, for the first time in her life, completely speechless. Growing up in a poor orphanage in Adarlan, Lysandra always knew what to do or say to get out of a situation. Always had something on the tip of her tongue, usually a lie. But right now all she could do was stare at the turquoise and gold eyes that belonged to her best friend.

And to this man, apparently.

“I usually do leave women speechless, don’t worry.” He joked, a small smile on his lips. When she didn’t laugh, didn’t stop staring at him, the smile dropped and his eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Who are you?” She repeated, eyes wide.

“Aed!” Yrene said, coming from the kitchen. She didn’t realize the staring match Lysandra was having with the man. “It’s been a year since you came by!”

“Hello, Yrene.” His eyes softened, and he smiled at the barmaid. “Who’s this?”

“Oh! This is Lys, she’s new. Has been with us for eleven months now.” Yrene said, patting Lysandra’s shoulders before starting to retreat into the kitchen. “I’m on kitchen duty right now, but Lys can get whatever you want.”

“Hello, Lys.” His voice held humor, and Lysandra slowly came out of her stupor enough to narrow his eyes at him. The necklace around her neck was becoming heavier and heavier.

“Who are you?” She said a third time, her voice harder now.

He leaned in, whispering as if to tell her a secret. “Aedion Ahsryver, milady.” He winked at her.

Ashryver. Ashryver. Where had she heard…. Ahsryver.

No.

“As in royal Ashryver?” Her voice came out slowly and calmly, but her mind was racing.

“As in ex royal Ashryver, yes.” He joked, but his voice held some bitterness.

Lysandra stared at Aedion for a few seconds before turning around. She walked until her hand was on the doorknob to the back door. She opened it gently, closing it behind her with nothing more than a click. She breathed in the air, not even caring that it smelled like piss and trash. She needed oxygen, needed to clear her thoughts. With extremely steady hands, she grabbed her necklace.

Lysandra had always joked that it was unfair that Lin had such beautiful necklace— a series of overlapping circles forming the shape of an eye with a blue stone in the middle— and she had none. So on her seventeenth birthday Lin had taken her to the fair and bought her a cheap locket. The real present was when Lin took her to one of the few photographic stations in Erilea, taking a picture of the two of them and putting inside the locket.

“It’s out family heirloom now. The first one.” Lin had said, a smile on her lips. “Because we are sisters. Maybe not by blood, but you are my family, Lys.”

Now, as Lysandra opened her locket and looked at the picture inside, she didn’t see Lin.

No, she saw the man inside. She saw the fallen royal of a kingdom neighbor to the one she had grown up. She saw the defining traits, the eyes, the mouth, nose and jaw.

Lysandra stared at the locket and didn’t see Lin Sirota.

She saw Aelin Ashryver Galathynius.

Lysandra vomited, barely hearing the approaching footsteps.

——————————————————

Lin was finally alone.

It had been five days since they got in the train and started their way to Banjali. They were currently in the middle of gods-know-where, and Lin had spent most of her day with Gav and Vaughan studying the royal family tree.

And exchanging scornful looks with Rowan, but that was besides the point. The man apparently had decided that he hated her guts with all his might, and Lin wasn’t all that sad about having someone to throw her anger at.

Around four, everyone decided to go to their own cabins and relax before dinner. They had been eating dinner in the privacy of their cabins for the past days, not wanting to draw too much attention. Today would be the first night they would go to the dining room.

Connall and Vaughan had been the first to leave. Gavriel and Lorcan were sharing one of the cabins, Fenrys and Rowan were in the other one and, as requested, she had her own. For forty minutes now she was sitting in silence, Fleetfoot asleep on the floor. The only sound was her fingers playing with the pendant on her necklace.

Aelin had asked if Gav had any books she could read. Most had been geography books, and although she didn’t hate geography, reading a whole book about it sounded brutal. Thankfully, he also had some history ones. With the excuse of keeping her studies, Lin grabbed one about the old royals.

The book was interesting, but Lin was so tired that she was dozing off when a knock came from the door. She sighed, having an instinct of who was knocking in such impolite manner.

“You can’t stay away, can you, Mr. Whitethorn?” She said as she opened the door, and there, as expected, was Rowan.

He had a frown on his face, but the sneer wasn’t there so Lin considered him in a good mood. Maybe he had taken a nap and calmed down, like those old cranky men usually did.

She took a step aside, letting him get into her cabin. As much as she had said she didn’t want to be disturbed by any of them whenever they weren’t practicing, Lin had to admit that she was infinitely curious to know what had brought Rowan here. She went back to her seat and plopped down, grabbing the book again. From the corner of her eye she could see him sitting down, giving the cabin a look that left clear all his discontent and how uncomfortable he was.

That was enough to make her smile a little.

“Look, Lin…” He forced out, as if the words physically hurt him. “I think we started off on the wrong foot.”

Oh, this was going to be fun.

“I do, too.” She said, her voice solemn.

“Ok.” He breathed.

“And I appreciate your apology.”

And just like that, the forced calm was gone. “Apology? Who said anything about an apology? I was just—“

“Mr. Whitethorn, don’t say anything else.” She raised her eyes from the book and looked straight at him. “It will only upset me.”

“Are you fucking serious right now?” He asked and Lin almost laughed at the incredulity on his face. “What about you apologize?”

“And what in Hella’s realm would I apologize for?” She dropped the book, her temper rising.

“Would you believe if I told you I made the same question to myself seconds ago?” He mocked, crossing his arms.

Oh.

She crossed her arms too, raising her chin. “You mean to tell me that you haven’t been awfully rude for the past days and—“

“And you have been such a charm, isn’t that right?” He interrupted her.

“And,” she continued as if he hadn’t said a word. “You want me to believe that it wasn’t Gavriel who told you to come here and set things straight?”

The moment his jaw clenched, Lin had her answer. Gav was the peace keeper and he would undoubtedly tell Rowan to stop bothering her at some point. She had to admit that she was surprised it had taken only a week.

“I was trying to be nice.” Rowan said, through clenched teeth.

“It didn’t work.” She replied with a sweet smile. “Actually—“

“Do you ever shut up?”

“You want me to be quiet?” Her jaw dropped. He was in her cabin taking up her time and he had the audacity to tell her to shut up.

“It is my greatest wish.” He slumped on his seat, and Lin wanted to jump on him and strangle his pretty neck.

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!” She said louder, turning her head to the window. She knew she should kick him out, but her temper still hadn’t calmed down and she was itching to continue their sparring. She tried to soothe her nerves. She breathed in and out, watched the Oakwald trees passing by, tried to count to ten. Maybe if she tried to be civilized she would be able to kick him out faster and without further damage. “Will you miss it?”

“You talking? Hardly.”

And there was her temper rising again. “I meant Orynth, asshole.”

“Why the hell would I miss that piss poor city?” He sounded genuinely confused, and she turned her eyes back to him to see his brows furrowed.

“It was your home.” She said simply.

“It was a place where I lived. End of story.”

“That’s sad.” The words left her mouth before she could consider them, and Rowan’s gaze held so much wrath she had the mind of apologizing. “Sorry, it’s just that living most of your life without a home sounds shit. No wonder you’re like that.”

She knew it was the wrong thing to say the moment his face hardened.

“What’s up with you and homes, huh? Did you have a home, Lin? Did you have nice Yulemas mornings and happy Beltane celebrations? Did you have a beautiful house to go back every night?” His voice was dripping with venom, and that time it actually hurt. He knew she was an orphan, knew she had lived her whole life in an Adarlanian orphanage. And although he was an idiot, he wasn’t dumb. Rowan knew exactly how living in a poor orphanage in Adarlan as an immigrant and a Sirota meant.

He was just trying to hurt her by saying she never had a home either.

And it worked.

“I don’t know, to be honest.” She wanted to hurt him. Wanted to make him feel like the scum of the earth. “Because I have no memories before the age of eight so I wouldn’t know if I ever had a home. I wouldn’t know if I had happy Yulemas mornings or Beltane celebrations, and a house to call home, Rowan. As for later, the orphanage was as shit as you can most likely imagine but I did have family there, so yes, I had a home. It was shabby, shit and depressing but I would give anything to go back to it the way it was a year ago.”

She got up, and his eyes trailed her but he didn’t get up.

“Don’t try to make me be as pathetic as you, Whitethorn. You and I had the same shit, the difference is that I’m not a prick for no fucking reason.” She walked to the door, and even though she knew that this was her cabin and that he should be the one leaving, she couldn’t stay here. “Talk about my home like that again and I will fucking gut you while you sleep.”

“Lin…” He started, but she slammed the door after her, walking down the corridor.

She was fuming. She wanted to go back there and tear Rowan to shreds, but also wanted to walk until she had calmed down every single nerve in her body. Since murdering Rowan wouldn’t make her companions too happy, she opted for the latter.

How dare he speak of her life as he knew anything.

How dare him come to her only to try to hurt her.

How dare he—

Her racing thoughts were interrupted the moment a massive body hit her. She grabbed onto one of the windowsills, trying not to fall, and looked up. The man was almost as tall as Rowan or Lorcan, his brown hair was tied in a bun and deep blue eyes looked at her with so much scorn that he could probably give Rowan a run for his money.

“Watch where you’re going.” His voice was raspy and it send a shiver down her spine. He looked her up and down, giving Lin a disgusting smile before walking away. “Or maybe I’ll have to watch you.”

Lin had survived ten years dealing with shit, with people trying to hurt her everyday. She knew how to fight and definitely knew how to kill someone if the occasion asked for it. She could protect herself.

But in that moment all she wanted was to go to the boys. She didn’t want to ever see that man again, much less be alone with him in a corridor for the rest of her life. Maybe she’d convince Lorcan to kick the man out of the train. While it was moving. It sounded like the type of thing Salvaterre would enjoy.

“He barks more than he bites.” A feminine voice came from behind her, and Lin’s soul left her body as she yelped.

Lin turned around to see Lyria standing there, arms crossed and a small smile on her face. Lin would have snapped at her, but she knew that if it had been anyone else yelping how she had seconds ago, she would have wanted to laugh too.

“Who’s the brute?” Lin gestured to the retreating form that had hit her seconds ago.

“Cairn.” Lyria scrunched her nose in disgust. When she turned to Lin again, her face softened. “I take you were talking to Rowan.”

“Do I look this mad?” She replied, but a small smile also played on her lips.

“I don’t even want to know what he said.” Lyria sighed, putting her hands inside the pockets of her skirt. “Rowan can be brutal, but he’s a really good person when you get past his defenses.”

Lin was taken aback for a moment. This girl standing in front of her had nothing to do with the one in the platforms. This one seemed nice and warm, still holding a little of love for Rowan. The one in the platform had been cold and distant, wanting nothing more than strangle Rowan.

Lin would probably like the girl a lot if she did strangle her ex boyfriend.

“I thought you didn’t like him.” Lin admitted, and Lyria raised a brow, her warm eyes dancing with humor. “Or me, for that matter. In the platforms earlier you weren’t exactly…”

“Pleasant? Yes, I am sorry for that.” She seemed genuinely sorry, even bowing her head a little. “But appearances matter a lot, Lin, don’t forget that.”

Lin didn’t know what to respond to that, so she only tucked that piece of information in the back of her mind to analyze later.

“Would you like to have tea? Or coffee? With food, of course. Dinner isn’t served until eight and I am starving.” Lyria asked, her voice a little hopeful.

Lin knew the girl worked for the queen, and that should have been enough to make her suspicious. But Lyria seemed ok, nice even. If she was here with men like Cairn, her travel must have been brutal for the last couple of days. Lin didn’t need a new sister, she had Lysandra, but maybe having another woman that she could talk and befriend would be… Wouldn’t be terrible.

Lin’s smile was genuine when she answered Lyria’s question. “I’d love to. I have tired of my companions already, anyways.”

Lyria’s laugh at that had been genuine, too.

———————————————

“You are a women’s charmer. No one is at your level. Unparalleled, honestly.” Fenrys was saying and Rowan wanted to punch his teeth in. “In one week, one week, you managed to piss off Lin so much that now she’s chatting with you ex. It’s a record. Isn’t it a record, Gav?”

Gav snickered, as did the rest of them. Around seven, all six of them had decided go to the lounge to drink something and talk.

All of them had been shocked the moment they saw Lin and Lyria sitting at a table, laughing and talking as if they had been friends for years now.

“Can someone please shut Fenrys up?” Rowan grumbled.

“I have been trying for twenty years now.” Connall sighed, and Vaughan laughed at his husband. “Nothing works, unfortunately.”

“Poison, maybe?” Vaughan helped.

“Don’t kill my brother.” Connall turned to Vaughan.

“Yeah, don’t kill me, dickwad.” Fenrys butted in.

“Fenrys is right, though.” Lorcan said, his usual sarcastic smile on his lips. “What did you do to the girl?”

Rowan could feel his cheeks heating, and he looked at Lin again. He had been horrible.

Absolutely and disgustingly horrible.

Lin could get under his skin so fast that he didn’t even realized how pissed he was until they had started arguing. She was too sarcastic and too smart and the fact that she had taken a dislike in him the same way he had taken one in hers annoyed him endlessly. When arguing earlier, she had poked a sensitive part of his life and in that moment he hated her for it.

Now, he realized that there was no way she even knew it was a sore topic, but at the moment his emotions had been screaming so loudly that he didn’t even consider his next words. And they had been mean and low and he was so deeply ashamed that he didn’t know how he would even talk to her from now on. He should apologize for being purposefully mean, for using the little bit of information he knew about her to make her feel like shit.

Even though they only knew each other for about a week now, Rowan could notice that Lin was a secretive person. Whenever talking about her life, her hobbies or anything that would give them insight on who she was, Lin had been vague and superficial. She didn’t want them actually knowing her, and after today Rowan only had himself to blame.

And now she was chatting with Lyria as if nothing had happened.

The sight was strange. He hadn’t seen Lyria so free and talkative since she went to work for Maeve. After that, she had distanced herself, becoming colder and colder. It had broken Rowan’s heart in the beginning. Although she seemed to not think so, he had loved her. Rowan had loved Lyria in whatever way he knew, in whatever way he could. She had been the love of his adolescence, and she would always be a part of his story even though both of them were so different now.

There were things he hadn’t told her, but not because he didn’t trust her, but because he couldn’t voice them. Lyria had been so bright, so pure and lovely that Rowan couldn’t stand smudging all those qualities with his dirty past. Maybe it had also been his fault that they didn’t work out. He used to think it had been all about her working for the woman he hated, about her distancing herself from him, but he realized that he had been doing that for far longer than she had.

Gosh, he was a piece of shit.

“I’m a piece pf shit.” He said as much.

“Yes, you are!” Fenrys replied happily. Rowan turned to scowl at him, and Fenry’s smile immediately dropped. Not because of Rowan, though.

“Oh, fuck.” Gav muttered.

“Well, well, well… If it’s not dumb, dumber and dumbest.” Fenrys scoffed, staring at the doors to the lounge.

Standing there was Cairn, Cain and Perrington. All of his companions, and Rowan included, were familiarized with the three men. Whenever Lyria went to talk to them again, one had been flanking her back. The three were part of Maeve’s inner circle along with Lyria.

Rowan sometimes wondered how Lyria, who had been so sweet, endured working with those three pieces of shit. They reeked of cruelty and violence. Cain was known for doing Maeve’s hands-on dirty work, and Perrington was the one that did the political dirty work. Cairn was just a fucking sadist and Rowan shivered whenever he wondered what dirty work he was in charge of.

Rowan felt, more than saw, all his brothers tensing up when Cairn approached Lin, putting a hand on her shoulder. Despite Lin’s protests and announcements that she had no interest in befriending any of them, the cadre— as she liked to call them— had taken a certain liking and sense of protectiveness of her. Rowan was sure that Lorcan and Fenrys were about to walk up to Cairn when Lin got up, aggressively brushing the hand on her shoulder off and turning to the man with so much hate in her eyes that Rowan was glad he had never pissed her off to that point.

She mouthed something to him and Lyria bit her lower lip, trying not to smile. Lin, however, gave Cairn an ironic smile, turning back to Lyria. She said something, and the brunette only nodded, a smile on her lips.

When Lin noticed the other two men behind Cairn, her brows furrowed. She looked around until her eyes fell on them, and Fenrys gave her a subtle nod and walked a few steps in her direction. Lin turned back to the three man from Maeve’s inner circle, flipping them off as she walked to Fenrys. She looped her arm in his, and by the tightness on her mouth, she knew that Cain, Cairn and Perrington were still watching her.

“It was stupid to think Maeve would let all of us leave Orynth with just a few questions.” Connall said as his twin brother approached, Lin in his arm. “We should have realized when Lyria was in the platform days ago.”

“But the whole inner circle?” Vaughan asked, giving up his stool for Lin to sit down.

“Erawan is still with her.” Lorcan grunted, his eyes on the three man now sitting with Lyria. Where a laughing girl had been just minutes ago, now was a tense, cold woman.

“They are going to Melisande’s capital. Lyria told me.” Lin said, taking a sip from one of their drinks. By the way Fenrys narrowed his eyes, it was his.

Rowan wanted to bet twenty coppers that Lin knew exactly whose drink she was taking and knew that it would have been better if it was Vaughan’s or Gav’s.

“And why would we believe Lyria?” Lorcan asked, turning his head to her.

She merely shrugged. “I didn’t say we believed. I actually didn’t say anyone believed it.” She said calmly, taking another sip. Rowan didn’t fail to notice that she was ignoring him, refusing to let her gaze fall on him as she looked at the other five. “But I do, if you are wondering.”

“And why is that?”

Another shrug. “She’s nice.”

All of them were shocked, Rowan knew. Lin didn’t seem like the type to make friendships so fast, especially with people that could be a threat to her.

“She works with the new queen.” Vaughan said slowly, as if talking normally would scare Lin back into her shell.

“And so I have been told.” Her bored mask slipped, and a small smile played on her lips.

“She would turn you in if she knew what we were doing.” Fenrys said without Vaughan’s gentleness.

“Would she now?” Lin looked extremely amused by this conversation. “I take you guys know her well, then.”

And for the first time since she sat down, her eyes fell directly upon Rowan.

Part of Rowan wanted to ask what they had talked about, and the other part was too scared to even wonder.

“She tried to recruit us for Maeve’s inner circle a few times.” Lorcan’s voice sounded when Rowan didn’t respond to Lin’s silent inquire.

“Always with one of those pieces of shit with her.” Connall grunted, his eyes burning holes on Cain’s back.

“Every time she went to ask you to join she was with one of them?” Lin asked carefully, something shining on her eyes. Rowan tried to grasp what it was, but it wasn’t working.

Gav nodded, also studying Lin.

“Hum… Appearances matter a lot…” She muttered, but somehow Rowan knew she wasn’t talking to them, only thinking out loud. When she raised her eyes, Rowan finally identified what was gleaming on her turquoise and gold eyes.

Understanding.

Lin had understood something in that moment and after their fight today, Rowan knew she wouldn’t be inclined in sharing. She turned her head to Lyria at the same time Lyria turned to her. They shared a barely perceptible nod.

“What was that?” He finally said, his voice a little harsher then he expected.

Lin merely shrugged again, ignoring the cadre’s eyes on her while she sipped Fenrys’s drink.

If Rowan wanted to know what was going on, he would need to get in Lin’s good side.

And for that he would need to apologize.

He would do it that night, he decided, after dinner.

The moment he decided that, Lin’s eyes snapped to his as if she could hear his thought. The gold ore in her eyes looked molten, burning. The tightness of her mouth, the small crease between her eyebrows and her flaming eyes showed Rowan he would need to apologize a lot.

The girl was wildfire and she wanted nothing more than to burn him alive.

———————————————

Lyria was playing a very, very dangerous game if Lin’s assumptions were correct.      

And maybe because the girl reminded Lin a little bit of Lysandra, a little bit of herself, she couldn’t help but worry about her safety.

The same way she thought Lyria wasn’t all that loyal to Maeve, she had no doubt her three companions were. And they didn’t look like the merciful type, the I-take-prisoners type. No, those men reeked of violence and sadism and Lin could only imagine what would happen if she was right and Lyria was caught doing something she shouldn’t.

The first moment Lin found Lyria’s situation a little bit strange was when they met in the corridor and the girl said something about how appearances were important. And then, during the hours they sat and talked… Lyria didn’t seem like a cruel fanatic, blind by her queen’s wishes. No, she sounded like a lovely twenty year old. She never once sounded angry or bitter, even when talking about Rowan. The girl was extremely open about her emotions and past, and didn’t seem to hold a grudge.

Nothing screamed mean bitch as it had in the platforms days ago.

And then when Connall said that there was always someone else from Maeve’s inner circle with her… Lin could have been wrong, but an insistent voice in the back of her head kept saying that she was right. That there was more she wasn’t seeing.

She kept the rest of the evening quiet. She ate with the cadre, and if they noticed how serious and voiceless she had become, none commented on it. They talked about what they would do in Perranth in a few days. The train would stop there for a few hours, and there were some things they needed to buy before leaving Terrasen. Lin only wished to buy a few books of her liking and maybe clothes that actually fit her size.

She wanted to talk to Lyria before going to her cabin, but Cain, Perrington and Cairn never left her side, and this wasn’t a conversation to have with people listening. So she only bid farewell to the cadre— pointedly ignoring Rowan— and went to her room.

She was still fucking pissed at Whitethorn, even more so that he hadn’t apologized. But she had to admit that she was also ashamed. She wasn’t innocent in all of this, and she had said some things she regretted.

She had half a mind of going to talk to him, maybe settle things. They could live in silence, never talking to one another instead of bickering all the time. That’s what Gav had sent him to do earlier, wasn’t it? But if she went to talk to him right now, not knowing what to say beforehand, the argument would probably escalate even more.

Better to leave it alone than to make it worse.

She took a quick bath, the water running cold a little bit too quickly for her liking. Fortunately it was already hot, so she wasn’t freezing by the time she stepped onto her silky nightgown and started drying her hair. The long golden waves fell down her back, and although Lin knew that shorter hair would be more practical, she couldn’t bring herself to cut it.

Lin eyed the mirror. She knew she was pretty, it had been a fact that brought her a lot of undesirable attention during the past ten years. She supposed most girls liked being beautiful, and she did too, but she also knew that her life would have been easier of she had common features.

Fenrys kept saying that she had the face of a royal. For the first time, Lin considered his words as she analyzed herself in the mirror. Her skin was flawless and creamy, the pimples from her younger years long gone. The only markings were a small scar above her left eyebrow and an even smaller one on her upper lip. Her nose and cheeks were peppered with freckles, a small mole under her right eye and mostly hidden by her lashes. Small straight nose, pinkish full lips and high cheekbones, Lin supposed she could pretend to be a princess.

“Eyes of a queen, though.” Fenrys would say, giving her a wink. She stared at her eyes then, the turquoise bright under the moonlight and the circle of gold looking molten.

Yes, she could pretend to be royalty just fine.

She felt a sharp pain in the back of her mind, and for a moment her vision swayed and she was in another room, a younger girl staring at the mirror. Same eyes, same hair but the features showed a chid no older than nine. The little girl smiled as two figures walked into her room, a brown haired man and a woman that looked so much like her that it could only be her mother. The girl opened her mouth to say something, and Lin let out a moan of pain as the vision disappeared and a headache formed between her brows.

She was breathing hard, her reflection on the mirror showing her red eyes rimmed with silver. She blinked forcefully and a tear slid down her cheek, the headache worsening.

She really though she had left the whole insanity thing behind.

Sighing, Lin went to her small bed, pulling the covers up to her chin even though it was burning hot now.

The pulse in the back of her head came back full force, a little bit different from the headache. The pulse was exactly like the one she had felt that day in the castle, the one she had felt when she first saw Rowan.

Unable to sleep and starting to sweat under the covers, Lin threw them back, grabbed her silky robe and put it on. She didn’t know where she was going, but as she started walking towards the end of the train, the pulse became stronger, quicker. She didn’t know why she kept going, but when she reached the last wagon, voices fluttered from inside.

Lin took a step in, watching five figures standing by the end of the wagon. She narrowed her eyes trying to see something in the darkness as a hand came around her mouth and one around her waist, pulling her inside a hidden alcove.

She was starting to panic, reading to start trying to scream when her back hit her assailant’s chest. A chest she had hit before. Part of her nerves calmed at that, and when the voice she had known for the past few days whispered in her ear, even the pulse inside her head stopped.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Rowan whispered, his voice barely audible to her. She turned her head slightly, staring at his pine green eyes.

He looked furious.

Good, so was she. He scared the hell out of her.

Lin moved her mouth against his hand, and he understood what she wanted. He took his hand from her mouth, but kept the one on her waist as if to hold her in case she decided to do something very, very stupid.

“I can ask you the same!” She said in the same tone he had, but made sure by the look on her face that she wanted to be screaming at him.

“I—“

Rowan was interrupted when the hushed voices became louder, a particular one making both Lin and Rowan tense up.

“Please.” Lyria’s voice pleaded.

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[criminalminds4days]

Family Matters |  Chapter 4: Saying Sorry is a Virtue

Hello my beautiful souls!!

I hope this of you who celebrate Christmas had and amazing time, and those if you who don't had a great Friday!

I had a really chill holiday, and although I was supposed to be home and that didn't happen, I'm still glad I had a good time. I got a watch for Christmas and I'm obsessed!!

Anyway, I also wanted to let you guys know I'll be posting the story on Wattpad, and thanks to @meowiemari I also have a cover. I have attached it below! My wattpad user is @criminalminds4days so feel free to follow and read along!

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. It's one of my favorites. 💙💙

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references, violence and murder references, public embarrassment, and very bad jokes!

Word Count: 3.6k

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tag list: @mcntsee @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @evelyncade @haylaansmi @paulaern @myfandomlife-blog

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(This gif is not mine)

Chapter 4: Saying Sorry is a Virtue

It had been a little over three months since her absolute wrecking of the family retreat. She had managed to get her mom to get past it, and though she had promised to apologize to the rest of her aunts and uncles, she had not gotten around (well, more like she didn't think it was necessary, they probably had already forgotten, and she did actually mean every word she said).

Her team and she had evaded more danger than possible in the last couple of weeks, and she had a feeling today she would not be returning to her bed to sleep. She also had to figure out what she wanted to get Spencer for his birthday. She was so excited to celebrate with him that she wanted to spill her idea of a surprise birthday party to him, but she needed to remain strong. She just hoped he would like it, and that she could find something to give him. She knew him so much better now and had so many things that he would like, but she wanted this gift to be unique, something that reminded him of her. Not that she wanted him thinking about her all the time because that would be weird, but maybe once in a while?

A knock on her door made her get out of her head. She walked to see Tyler Hemingway standing on the other side.

"Can I come in?"

"Why?"

"I just-" He looked at the floor, nervous. "I was just hoping we could talk."

"We can talk right here, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to say I am sorry, for what happened."

"What exactly? That you humiliated me in front of my family, or that your wife called me and my boyfriend liars."

"All of it, I should have known better."

"Yes, you should have." She debated whether to say something else but decided against it. "I honestly don't understand where this is coming from, it was two years ago."

"I know, and I am also sorry it has taken me so long to say anything. I just didn't know how to approach the situation, and what we had was so special, I wish I hadn't ruined it."

She had waited to hear those words for so long that how wrong what she did, didn't occur to her until the damage had been done. Even if her feelings for the man in front of her were not the same as they were two years ago, those words were enough to make her become less hostile towards him. She let Tyler in, forgetting Spencer was waiting for her to pick him up in about twenty minutes.

"Spencer? Why are you late?"

"Because she didn't pick me up like she was supposed to. I assumed she may be running a little late, so I waited and then I called her, but it went straight to voicemail." He responded to Emily.

"That is so not like her, should we be worried?"

"I don't know, but I already am, maybe we should go see if she's home or something."

The elevator doors opened once again as Spencer and Emily were preparing themselves to raid her house in order to find her. She stepped out, a look of immense guilt present as her eyes landed on the brunette. He did not seem upset, more like relieved she was there. Emily dropped her jacket and embraced her, a huge weight lifting off her shoulders after seeing her. When she was released from the woman's hug, she directed her eyes back to him.

"I am so sorry; I was on my way-" before she could explain Aaron Hotchner told them to join the rest of the team at the round table to discuss the next case.

"This one is a bad one," JJ said as she read through the file. "These people are killing families. Not even the children are spared."

"Yeah, and it's only getting worse." Said Penelope as she shared the pictures of the crime scenes. She wished she could concentrate but Spencer kept glancing at her with worry. He knew something wasn't right, but she didn't know how to explain it without sounding like she was digging herself in a bigger hole.

She avoided him on the jet, as she pretended to be asleep and then engaged in a very interesting conversation with JJ about diapers and toddlers. As much as she loved the blonde, she sometimes didn't appreciate learning all these baby facts, it took the wishes to have children away faster than anything else.

She was now in a black SUV, with Spencer in the back seat and Emily driving. She sat in the front seat as they drove towards the hospital. One of the girls had been spared and they were hoping to talk to her about the unsubs.

"So, why were you late this morning?" Emily questioned, "You left Cinderella over there without his carriage."

"Yeah, I know. I am so sorry Spencer."

"It's okay, I just got worried."

"I know, and I am so sorry." She took a deep breath, preparing to explain to them why she had been delayed. "I just got some unexpected company this morning."

"Was it Anna?"

"No, she has been radio silent for these past couple of months, I'm assuming she is building a bulletproof alibi for when she decides to murder me."

"Is there something I should know about?" Emily asked as she stole glances at her.

"Spencer and I went to my family retreat a couple of months ago and when we were there I may or may not have basically told my aunts and uncles to go fuck themselves."

"You explicitly told them to do so." Spencer clarified.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because they all sucked. Emily if you would have been there, you would have done the same." Spencer responded. "But going back to the main topic, who came to your apartment today? Was it your mom?"

"We need to have a conversation about this whole family retreat thing!" The woman behind the steering wheel complained.

"I will tell you all about it tonight." She assured her. "And no, Spence, it wasn't my mom, it was someone a little closer to Anna."

"Her mom?"

"No, Tyler."

There was no response to that, Spencer looked like he didn't know exactly what he was feeling, while Emily seemed like she had returned to watch her favorite show only to find out she missed a whole season, and she had no idea what happened to the storyline she was following.

"Who's Tyler?"

"Anna's husband." She clarified, "he came to apologize for everything, and to say that he didn't think what Anna did was okay."

Reid scoffed, "and you believe him?"

"He seemed very genuine about it."

"Unbelievable."

"I am so lost right now."

"Spencer, are you upset about this?"

"Me? Why should I? It's not like I pretended to be your boyfriend to prevent him from making you feel any worse than he had already, and you ended up right back at where you started."

"Are you implying I slept with him?"

"I never said that."

"Well then what are you saying? Because need I remind you, he is a married man. I would never do something like that." She crossed her arms, becoming defensive of the situation. "He simply wanted to talk, so I listened. It was a conversation, and it's just going to be a dinner. Nothing more."

"Oh, so you're going on a date with him too?"

"It's not a date! Did I not mention he was married?! To another woman!"

"Being with someone else has never stopped him before."

"What is happening right now?" Emily asked, to no one in particular.

"Seriously Spencer?"

"Did I lie?"

"Why are you so worked up about this? It doesn't even concern you."

"I am upset, because even after he told you in front of all your family that he was in love with your cousin and married her, breaking your heart, he says, 'I'm sorry' and suddenly he's back on the top of your priority list." He spits out, his emotions running high.

"This man did what now?" Both looked at Prentiss as if remembering she was there all along.

"I can't believe you just said that! I confided in you."

"And I trusted you."

"It was one day! I forgot to pick you up one day and suddenly I am the worst person on this planet, really?"

"Are you seriously so oblivious to think this is about some stupid ride?"

"Guys,"

"No? Then what is this about? Is this about me making you look bad or something?"

"No, it's about the fact that after all we've been through and the fact that I have done all I can to help you and be there for you I am still less important than Tyler fucking Hemingway."

"Guys,"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Guys,"

"It doesn't even matter anymore, enjoy your dinner." He undid his seat belt. "Why didn't you tell me we were here Emily?"

"I have been trying."

"Let's go then." He said as he exited the SUV marching up to the hospital entrance.

"What is his problem?" She asked Emily, still heated by the discussion.

"Well,-"

Before Prentiss could respond she was cut off. "I mean, yes, this guy broke my heart but that doesn't mean I have to hold a grudge forever, right? I might as well move past it, don't you think?"

"If you ask me-"

"And it was one conversation, and we're going out to dinner to finish it, there is nothing wrong with that. I don't know why he got so worked up about it, do you?"

"Yeah-"

"You know what, screw Spencer, if he wants to be a jerk for no fucking reason, let him do it. I am not going to lose sleep over it, nor am I gonna give him explanations. Who the hell does he think he is?"

"I think-"

"Yeah, you're right Emily, when Reid decides to get his shit together he can talk to me, in the meantime, we need to find out who these unsubs are before they hurt anyone else." She undid her seatbelt and opened the door, Emily still sitting there, trying to figure out what the heck had just happened. "Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah, sure." She followed suit and they both entered the hospital. Spencer was speaking to the girl's nurse as they approached, he didn't make any comments, but he also didn't acknowledge her, nor invite her into the conversation as he did to Emily. He was acting professional and doing his job, but his stance and emotions were very clear by the lack of interactions between them unless it was absolutely necessary.

As soon as Emily entered the room to interview the victim, the silence that engulfed them made her heart tighten. Spencer and she had gone past this already, they were friends, there was never a silent moment between them, and now all of that seemed to vanish in the air, all because of her decision to let Tyler Hemingway apologize.

She chose to ignore the situation until further notice. Emily was right, Spencer was being a dramatic prick and she was just gonna give him the time to realize that he was wrong. So when she got to bed, grateful for a bit of peace knowing one of the killers had been identified and was going to be caught soon, the last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with Emily about the topic this same one had told her to not think about.

"I didn't say to just ignore it. As a matter of fact, I didn't get one sentence out during the whole drive to the hospital."

"That can't be true."

"Oh, but it was. Now I know how Reid felt when Gideon left." She fixed her shirt and continued, "well, regardless, what happened between you and Tyler, and what exactly does Dr. Genius know?"

"Spence knows pretty much everything, it kind of came with the territory." She recounted the story and this time she didn't leave any detail out, well, almost didn't leave any detail out.

Emily learned about Anna and their rivalry, Tyler and him choosing her cousin over her, the only thing she never even brought up was her dad. Only Spencer knew about it and she wanted to keep it that way. She finally landed on the weekend in question and the words she had shared with her cousin. Though that wasn't exactly what Prentiss found worrisome.

"You and Reid kissed?! Like on the lips?!" She screamed.

"Yeah, it was just so they would stop bugging us. It's not even the first time we kissed, so why is it a big deal?"

"Wait, you've kissed him before that day?"

"Yeah, at my cousin's wedding."

"Holy shit! I was not expecting that. My OTP is getting all these moments that will eventually lead to the ship sailing and I didn't even know about them!"

"Have you started talking another language by accident or something? I don't understand anything of what you just said."

"Don't worry about it. On a scale of one to ten, how good of a kisser is he?"

"Eleven." She responded immediately, "but that has nothing to do with this whole situation."

"It definitely does! Now it makes sense, Reid thinks you still have feelings for your ex, and he's jealous. He probably doesn't even know it, and he's probably trying to understand why he is so upset with you. Oh my god, he's jealous!"

"Emily, he's not jealous. Spence and I are not dating, we pretended to be a couple." She explained, thinking the woman hadn't understood her.

"Yeah, I know that, but I also know that any fake dating movie or book has always reached a point where the two main characters become unconsciously aware of their feelings. This is it! THIS IS IT!" She shook her and laughed, then suddenly came to a stop. "Oh my god, I am the best friend. I am definitely the friend that gives some wise advice that makes it click in your brain, let me think," she looked around the room as if inspiration would pop out of the bed. "I got it: get your shit together and marry Spencer." She stood and walked out the door, before fully closing it she spoke again, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk some sense into our little genius. Love you, hope I am invited to the wedding!"

Though after the break in the case they had found themselves relieved and on their way back, the nagging feeling she called Emily Prentiss kept insisting that both doctors were actually in love and that all they needed to do was kiss and become a couple. It was so constant that even when she wasn't around she could hear her echo. Like right then when she was trying to brush her hair and mentally prepare herself for whatever this dinner with Tyler was going to bring. Though she and Spencer had not yelled or continued to argue, there was nothing else left of their friendship, at least that's what it seemed like. It was as if the past months were a dream and they were just back to being coworkers, and that feeling was burning her up inside. She did not realize how important he had become in her life until he wasn't a part of it anymore.

"You look great," Tyler said as she entered the restaurant.

"Thanks, Spence helped me pick out this shirt when we went to the mall a couple of weeks ago. He said blue always looked good on me."

"That's great." The man responded, clearly uncomfortable. "So, I know you had to leave for work the other day, but I was hoping now we could talk more about what happened between us."

"Yes, of course."

She didn't really understand how she had gotten to the point of having an actual conversation with the man sitting across from her, because she had been angry at him for so long, that it never occurred to her as a possibility. He had once again apologized and given her a tale of how he had let his emotions guide him without realizing he could hurt others, and while that didn't excuse his actions, she still accepted his apology, choosing instead to move on from their current limbo. They had quickly changed the conversation, like if two old friends had reconnected after so long. Tyler was a great friend when he wanted to be, he was pleasant company, to say the least.

"And the other day, Spence was trying to learn to play the piano, and I told him there was no way he could learn in a week. So what did he do? He-"

"Stop, just stop!" He interrupted her, and she furrowed her eyebrows confused. "I have been sitting here for an hour listening to you talk about your stupid boyfriend and his IQ of 187." He rubbed his hands through his face and tried to calm down. "Was this the plan all along? You heard me tell you that I wished I hadn't ruined our relationship and decided playing with me was perfect revenge? Accepting dinner only to humiliate me by ignoring me and choosing to talk about that Spencer guy? Is he in on it or something?"

Oh. My. God.

Reid was right, this man was not looking to mend old friendships or start a new chapter, he was looking for a mistress. 

"You, are the worst type of jerk I have ever met. I actually believed you wanted to be friends, to turn the page but all you wanted was to get in my pants." She stood, grabbing her drink and spilling it over him. "I hope I never see you again. Go fuck yourself Tyler." She walked, but before she exited the restaurant she returned and gave him a fake smile, "and also, Thank you for humiliating me in front of my family, you showed me how little you were and that I could do so much better. Say, an FBI agent with an IQ of 187." Once again she turned and this time she didn't even bother looking back.

The drive to her apartment was long, mostly because she didn't drive there, but to Spencer Reid's home. She felt her palms sweat, she hated admitting she was wrong, but she hated not having Spencer around much more than a bruised ego. She knocked on the door and Spencer opened, he looked confused, but as soon as he registered her in he simply raised an eyebrow and changed his confused demeanor to a completely neutral.

"I came to tell you that you were right. He just wanted to get in pants." There was no response, and she fiddled with her hands. "I actually thought he wanted to apologize, and I think part of me just wanted to believe that for the first time I was not being used, that people actually cared about what I felt."

"There are people that care about you, they are just not the wants you wanted to."

"No, they are! I thought I needed the people who wronged me to fix it, to show me that I was worth the trouble when in reality all I needed was for me to understand that I was. And I just needed a reminder that the people that care about me are the ones that should matter the most." A trace of a smile formed on his lips. "I am so sorry about how I acted, and I am sorry I left you here waiting for me. Spencer Reid, you are my best friend and you come before any other jerk out there. I need you to know that this time in which I didn't have you with me was miserable. I missed you so much I spent the whole dinner with Tyler talking about you."

"You did?" He seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, I did. I missed you, and I hope we never fight again, I don't know what I would do without your friendship."

"I missed you too." She bit her lip, and he smiled. "Wanna come in and watch TV?"

"I would love that."

"That's good to hear, I am trying to get Spence here to watch Dance Moms with me but he refuses, maybe if there is two of us, he'll change his mind." A voice inside his apartment spoke. He opened the door to reveal Emily Prentiss wearing Pjs with The Hunger Games symbols on them. "May I say, you look hot. Blue suits you."

"So I've been told."

"Are you sure you can handle being in that close all night though? Maybe Spencer can lend you one of his shirts." She said, winking at them.

"Has she been drinking?"

"It's her third bottle of wine."

"We need to cut her off."

"Yeah, we do." He smiled at her, "She's right though, if you want to borrow something more comfortable let me know."

"Careful Spencer Reid, I might take you up on that."

"Awwww, YOU TWO ARE ADORABLE!" The woman screamed. "Just get married already!"

The pair laughed and made their way to the sofa, she closed the door behind her and sat down, feeling whole for the first time this week. Emily and Spencer were the best friends a girl could ask for, and she couldn't think of a better way to spend the rest of her night than watching trash TV with the two of them as they laughed and joked.

It was home. 

[eberles]

Love, Rafe ♡

Part I - Senior Year 

Rafe Cameron x OC

(gif is not mine, if it’s yours lmk and i’ll give credit)

A/N: Hii everyone! This series is based on one of my favorite movies Love, Rosie, if you haven’t seen it you totally should, but you don’t need to in order to read this! If you have seen the movie, keep in mind that I switched the main characters roles! Also, thank you to @northcarolinanative for reading this first and giving me feedback! Any feedback is always welcome! Be sure to tell me if you want a part 2!

Warnings: mentions of sex, swearing, angst

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“Today is the happiest day of your life...” Rafe started his speech, trying to keep his voice steady trying to hide the fact he had been in the bathroom crying leading up to this moment.

Rafe was currently at his best friend, Zoe James’ wedding. The girl of his dreams. The girl he was in love with. The girl met when he was 6. It all started one day in first grade when recess took an interesting turn. A group of kids were picking on Zoe, this wasn’t the first time, but it sure as hell was going to be the last once Rafe Cameron stepped in. Ever since that day on the playground, the two young kids were joined at the hip. 

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

The day of Rafe’s 18th birthday was the day everything changed for Zoe.

“I’m so embarrassed about last night, I feel so sick just thinking about it.” Rafe spoke, once Zoe entered his bedroom. She went over his house to see how he was doing after the night the two of them had. He didn’t remember much of what happened but he remembered enough of it.

“What do you mean?” Zoe asked nervously afraid that he was referring to the kiss they shared before he passed out at the club where they were celebrating his birthday.

“I had to get stitches, Zoe. We’re not telling anyone about me getting so drunk I cracked my head open.” he spoke sarcastically. She was relieved he wasn’t embarrassed about kissing her, but also disappointed since it seemed as though he didn’t even remember it. Zoe wasn’t going to be the one to remind him of what happened, instead she bottled it up with her true feelings towards him.

Later that day, Zoe and Rafe found themselves at the beach with a few of their school peers. It was nearing the end of senior year and beach parties in Outer Banks were becoming an every weekend thing for their graduating class. The two of them were sitting on a colorful beach towel on the sand around the fire when the prettiest girl in your senior class, Olivia, came up to Rafe and held out her hand for him to take. Olivia asked if they could walk around for a bit and Zoe was shocked, they had never spoken before, but she always knew he had a crush on Olivia. 

“What did she want?” Zoe asked Rafe curiously when he returned to her sitting on their towel.

“She asked me to prom.” he said with a slight smirk. Zoe was astounded, how could she just ask him to prom like that?

“Well what did you say?” she was obviously trying not to sound offended, the two of them went to every school dance together ever since Zoe could remember, and she had not planned on going to senior prom without Rafe.

“I said ‘no’ of course, i’m going with you!” he said it calmly as if it were obvious. Zoe just smiled and let out a short breathe of relief.

The rest of the beach bonfire was a blast for them, but it got kind of weird when the hottest senior guy, Jeremy, went up to Zoe and Rafe and asked her if they could go out sometime. Zoe swooned and gawked at him as he spoke. She stuttered and agreed that they would hangout sometime after tonight. 

“Hey, drool much?” Rafe asked and bumped her shoulder once Jeremy walked away. Ever since Zoe could remember, she knew she had feelings for Rafe and after drunkenly kissing just the night before the feelings were more prominent than ever. She couldn’t deny that Jeremy was hot and if he wanted to see her again? He was going to see her again.

“Uh shut up, Rafe, i’m not drooling! What do I do? I don’t know how to flirt!?” Zoe was stressed and it was obvious, but it made Rafe let out a chuckle.

“Relax. You’re gonna ignore him and let him come to you, play it hard to get, Zo, boys love a good chase.” he used her nickname which always made Zoe blush a little. 

“What if he wants to take me to prom?” she asked, curious to what his response would be. Maybe Rafe didn’t care about going with Zoe at all, now that Olivia has sparked her interest in him. He contemplated his answer for a moment.

“Let him, if it’s important to you, let him.” he spoke casually as if it didn’t matter. As if hearing those words wouldn’t crack Zoe’s heart a little.

“Uh, but then you wouldn’t be going with anyone?” she stressed.

“Zoe, I got asked by the most beautiful girl in school...I think i’ll be fine.” she was disappointed, she knew she literally put the words in his mouth but she were so sure Rafe would just rather go with her. Zoe simply nodded and looked back over at Jeremy who was already smiling at her. Deciding to have a little fun, Zoe winked at Jeremy and he took that as the perfect opportunity to walk over and talk to her again. Rafe rolled his eyes when he saw Jeremy sitting down and he looked away. He sat down next to Zoe on the towel she was sharing with Rafe and took both her hands in his.

“Hi again, Zoe, um I was wondering if you’d want to go to prom with me?” he seemed a little nervous to be asking her, which was confusing considering his social status at school.

“Oh my god! Yes! Of course, I will!” she tried to sound ecstatic and smiled widely as she leaned over to kiss Jeremy’s cheek. If Rafe didn’t care about going to prom together, neither did Zoe.

Throughout the next few weeks until prom Zoe and Jeremy had actually been spending a lot of quality time together. Even though they had gone to the same school and had the same classes for 4 years, her and Jeremy never talked all that much. They guys had a lot of fun over the few weeks, the two of them ended up spending most of their time together and no one was surprised when Jeremy asked her to be his girlfriend. 

Rafe, on the other hand, was a little less than happy and even more unhappy when he found out Zoe lost her virginity to Jeremy after only seeing each other for a few weeks. Hell, it didn’t matter to Rafe how long they were together, it would’ve irritated him no matter what. Zoe was super excited to tell someone though and not just someone but her best friend in the entire world. 

From Zoe: Rafe!! Guess what!!

From Rafe: Zoe!! What!!

From Zoe: Guess who is no longer a virgin? This girl!!

From Rafe: wait what? are you joking?

Zoe couldn’t lie that she was saddened by his response she expected him to be supportive and he was kind of when he realized she wasn’t just fucking with him, but on the inside he was disappointed and definitely jealous of Jeremy. Zoe could tell their was something off with him following the week after that, but she didn’t want to pry so she left it alone.

About a week later, Rafe and Zoe were in her room getting ready for prom. Even though things were a little awkward after what Zoe revealed to Rafe, they were still best friends with an invisible magnetic pole between the two that constantly brought them together. Either that or it was an undying love for each other. 

Prom itself was great. The music was loud and everyone was dancing and having a blast. Rafe and Zoe kept their distance from each other most of the night and tried to spend as much time with their dates. The distance didn’t stop Zoe and Rafe from admiring each other over the shoulders of their dates though.

At one point, Zoe and Jeremy started making out on the dance floor and Rafe couldn’t hide his jealousy even if he wanted to. They were laughing, kissing and dancing and Rafe wished that was him with Zoe. He didn’t understand these feelings. Neither of them did. Even though he was with the hottest girl in school, it didn’t matter to him once he saw Jeremy and Zoe together. Olivia quickly noticed Rafe’s shift in mood and followed his eyes to where he was glaring at Zoe and Jeremy kissing. She knew exactly why Rafe was glaring and she definitely wasn’t going to allow that. 

“Let’s go get a room for the night.” Olivia whispered in Rafe’s ear to gain his attention back to her. Little did Rafe know that spending the night with Olivia would lead to a series of misfortune’s for him and Zoe.

Part 2

taglist: @maaybanks​ @maybankiara @ssjiara @fav-imagines @jjmaybankx

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Event! 轻云寻隐录: Sariel’s BDAY 2021 Event! Qingyun’s Hidden Records (Chapter 5) [FINAL]

“I will remember this day.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Sariel’s Personal Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Image used with permission from 蓝咕咕 ☆ *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories

The sky had already turned completely dark by the time we reached the actual Lin Isle.

“Lin Isle” was most certainly located up a mountain. The antique-style pavilions and pagodas were built on the mountainous terrain, its lights were akin to a long dragon, coiled around the lake that stood in the middle of it all.

❖☆———————————★❖

Sariel: It'd be better if you don't wander off on your own.

Sariel: There are many Spirits here that do not like outsiders. They'll spare no chance to attack you on sight.

Hearing this, I unconsciously gripped onto his sleeve, sticking closer to him.

MC: Are we going to go look for the little lizard now?

Sariel surveyed the area and shook his head.

Sariel: Rest for tonight. We'll go fetch him tomorrow.

MC: Rest where?

❖☆———————————★❖

Sariel took me to a cold, lone, old mansion. We were seemingly the only ones in it.

Sariel: Rest here. Don't leave unless it's for something of absolute importance.

Having said so, he turned to leave. I darted a hand out to catch his sleeve.

MC: What about you?

Sariel: Scared now?

Faced with my puppy eyes, he gave a helpless sigh.

Sariel: I'll be right next door.

Sariel: Yell for me if anything happens and I'll hear you.

I felt relieved knowing that he was only a wall away.

❖☆———————————★❖

I entered the room and was just about to lie down after washing my face and rinsing my mouth when I suddenly realized that I hadn’t given him the birthday present that was in my bag.

MC: I almost forgot!

I rolled back upright, retrieved the present, opened the door, and stepped out into the courtyard.

❖☆———————————★❖

It was deathly quiet in the courtyard, with only the cold moonlight shining upon the gravel paths. Both the door and the windows of the room Sariel was staying at next door were shut tight with no lights on.

MC: Wonder if he's already asleep…

??: What are you snooping about for?

The sudden voice that came from behind made me jolt up with a violent start, causing the bag in my hand to nearly tumble to the ground.

I warily turned back to see Sariel standing under the shade of the bamboo, the bright moon giving his silvery-white hair an obscure glow.

MC: You scared me half to death…

Sariel: What are you planning on doing, sneaking around in the dead of the night instead of sleeping?

MC: I just remembered that I haven't given you your birthday present yet.

Sariel: Tomorrow will do.

MC: No way! It'll be too late once midnight passes.

I procured a mysterious-looking paper box from my bag, gently opening it before Sariel to reveal its contents.

MC: Ta-da!

However, Sariel wasn’t as surprised as I thought he would be. At first, he froze

What's it to him?

I quickly looked down at the box…

MC: The words are upside down!

In the box was a row of cupcakes that I’d specially piped the epiphyllums on, each with a single word iced alongside it.

They had originally been lined up to form the words “Happy Birthday Sariel, please smile more”, but has now become a jumble that didn’t make sense at all. The long journey with them in tow, in the bag I carried along, must have jumbled their arrangement...

MC: No, this doesn't count. I'll do it again. Let me rearrange it before showing it to you…

However, Sariel softly held my hand down.

Sariel: No need. I can read just fine.

Sariel picked up a cupcake with the word "smile" written on it and took a bite of it, his eyes considerably softening.

MC: How does it taste?

Sariel: Better than the sugar painting.

MC: Can't you just give me a straightforward word of praise?

MC: I tried one after making them. It was especially delicious.

Sariel: So I'm not the first one to be eating this cake?

MC: ……

Sariel: So, she swore up and down to celebrate my birthday and to be the first one to wish me a Happy Birthday.

Sariel: Yet ends up being the one to take the first bite out of my birthday cake?

MC: C’mon! You’ve already advanced a year! No more mulling about old things and let bygones be bygones!

Sariel: You said everything, not me.

MC: Isn't it fine so long as you like it?

Sariel: ……

MC: No saying anything disheartening on birthdays, no complaints about how boring it is, how naggy, or how noisy I am… Not a single word!

Sariel: ……

MC: Right, I have a small gift for you.

I withdrew a formal top hat from the bag, something that I’d spent days working on. Atop the brim of the black satin hat was an epiphyllum, embroidered by layers upon layers of silver threading.

MC: I made it myself. Look, isn't it way better than before?

Sariel took the black formal top hat from me, gently running his fingers along the embroidered epiphyllum as his eyes softened.

Sariel: A little.

MC: Just "a little"?

Sariel: Want me to pick it apart now?

MC: No thanks… How could I ever make you lift a work-related finger on a nice, pleasant, day off?

A quick glance at my watch told me that it was nearly midnight. I quickly cleared my throat and straightened up.

MC: Happy Birthday, Sariel! Midnight’s not over yet, so it’s still your birthday!

Sariel: Don’t get too attached to this date.

Sariel: It means nothing to me.

MC: But the 1st of September is a very special day to me.

Sariel: What's so special about it?

MC: You. That’s why it’s special.

Sariel looked away a little awkwardly. In the darkness, a faint tinge of red seemingly rose up to his cheeks.

MC: What? Do you have something to say about it?

Sariel: ……

However, he never answered; merely staring stubbornly ahead, into the distance. Following his line of sight, I found that there were several blooming epiphyllums planted at a corner of the courtyard.

They appeared to have sensed something, their pristine white petals slowly stretching outwards until the flower had fully bloomed. It was almost like they'd wanted to use every ounce of strength they had to dedicate this beautiful life to the moon tonight.

I turned to look at Sariel, only to find that his eyes had already long since been trained back onto me.

There, too, seemed to be slivers of gentle moonlight wavering in his orbs.

Sariel: (Y/n).

Sariel: I will remember this day.

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Memories⊹ —————★❖

Previous: (Chapter 4)

[suwya]

Till the Stars Had Run Away - Chapter 4

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Summary: Killian Jones was a voyager. Actually, he was many things, or at least he had been - a lieutenant, a brother, a loving boyfriend - until everything had turned upside down and his life had hit an all time low. So, he gave up. Aboard his spaceship he abandoned Arcadia, his planet, navigating the stars and other solar systems in search of... well, he still didn't know what he was searching for, but his rule was "never remain in the same place longer than necessary."

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Rating: M

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Prologue; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

AO3

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A/N: Thank you @thisonesatellite​ for being the best beta I could ever ask for . And thank to all of you who are reading this.

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Chapter 4 . .

But I, being poor, 

have only my dreams; 

I have spread my dreams 

under your feet; 

tread softly because 

you tread on my dreams.

(W. B. Yeats)

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Days passed quietly. Emma and Henry went back to their usual mother-son relationship sooner than Killian had expected and he enjoyed all the domestic moments with them. Especially at night. Not that he didn’t care about the boy, Henry was always a ray of sunshine, and Killian felt he was starting to bond with him deeper than he could have ever imagined. But at night, after Henry had gone to sleep, Emma always spent some time in the main cabin, sitting next to Killian: sometimes just staring silently at the starry sky, other times listening to him explaining all the different constellations they passed through, even though Killian wasn’t sure whether she was interested in his knowledge, or she was too well-mannered to stop his blathering. 

Emma Swan. This beautiful and somehow mysterious woman had invaded his life and had fascinated him since their very first meeting. 

More exactly, she had tormented his nights and thoughts from that moment on. A bittersweet obsession that had accompanied him for years. He had almost convinced himself that he was over her, during his reckless years with his friend Robin. But that wasn't entirely true, and he couldn't lie to himself. She used to appear in his dreams when he least expected and left a hollowing feeling in his soul for the rest of the following days whenever it happened as if he wasn’t entirely complete without her.

The night he had found her again, thanks to Henry, his heart had skipped a beat and he had known he was in trouble. But it was a cross he was willing to bear. It was not only a physical attraction he felt towards her, even though he couldn’t fool himself, she was a very good-looking woman; but he was also determined to discover every single detail of what she was, no matter the effort. From that moment on, he cherished every minute, every second spent with her.

When they finally arrived at their destination, permission to land on the new planet was easily granted. Nevertheless, the day was coming to an end and they decided it was better to sleep inside the ship in the hangar than to find an available place to spend the night. 

The next morning, from one of the lockers in the entrance of the spaceship, Killian retrieved the package that he needed to trade in exchange for the item he had to recover for his client.

It was still early and Killian was surprised to see Henry coming out of his cabin, still wearing pajamas. “Are you already going?” The boy asked him, trying to suppress a yawn.

“Aye, but I will be back soon.” He assured the lad.

Henry threw a glance at the closed door behind him and stepped closed to Killian. “Mom is still in the shower. May I ask you a favor?” He whispered, conspiratorial. 

Killian made a great effort not to linger on the thought of a naked Emma under the shower jet, he breathed deeply and concentrated on the boy in front of him. “Sure, lad.”

“Today is my mom’s birthday.”

“Is it, now?” Killian was both surprised and amused by this piece of information.

“Yes. We have this tradition, my mom and I,” the boy explained. “When it's my birthday she tries to celebrate it with a cake... or something… It's not always a big thing, I remember once we just had a couple of biscuits with frozen spicy cream on them.” After a small pause, he added, “mom doesn't want to make me worry, but I can see she’s in some kind of trouble. I’d like to make a little celebration for her this time. But she won't let me wander around an unknown planet all by myself.”

Killian nodded in understatement. “You want me to purchase something sweet for your mother.” 

“I know you have your job to do, but if it's not much of a problem, could you look for something?” He asked hopefully.

“Not a problem. At all.” 

Henry's grin widened. “Of course mom doesn’t have to know anything about it. And we are going to need a name!” 

“Come again?” Killian couldn’t follow the boy’s thoughts.

Henry extended a hand to shake with the man in front of him “Operation Candlelight is on!” He exclaimed. 

Killian chuckled and retrieved his hand just in time to see Emma appearing from another door, fully dressed for the day.

She was wearing a pair of stretched dark blue jeans and a thin white v-neck blouse with a skinny light brown leather vest over it. Her hair was still damped and Killian had to swallow a groan when his eyes followed a drop of water running down her cleavage. 

“Oh, Henry, you’re already awake.” She said surprised.

“I was just saying to your boy…” Killian came in help to a puzzled Henry, who wasn’t so quick in thinking of a good excuse why he was already out of bed. “I've heard there's a fair in town.” 

He turned to Henry “Maybe you and your mother could have a look while I’m attending my duties.” And then back to Emma “What do you say, Swan?”

The boy looked hesitantly at his mother. 

"I think it's a good idea," she agreed and was rewarded by a big grin on Henry's face.

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~·~·~·~

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.    The trade went smoothly as predicted, which gave Killian enough time to deal with the assignment that Henry had sent him on.

Finding something sweet to celebrate was more difficult than expected, it took him a few rounds through narrow streets and alleys and after asking a few passers-by for information, he finally found something that in his opinion could serve as dessert. But the hardest part was to discern the right thing to buy as Emma's present. Henry hadn’t mentioned anything about a gift, but Killian thought it could be the right excuse to surprise her.

The problem was that he had no clue what she would like. 

Killian tried to think about the time the two of them had spent together. All right, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to linger on the memories of their first encounter. And maybe it wasn’t good either to think about their second one. But since Henry entered his life things had changed. When the boy was in the same room with them, she seemed more relaxed, more condescending, less closed up inside her inner barriers. Killian would say she even seemed happier. 

And the moments shared at night in his cabin had been... well, some had been carefree and others had been intense, very intense. In the short amount of days they’d spent together, Killian had already revealed to Emma too much information about his past, something he had never done before with anyone, not even his best friend Robin. And that was alarming. He knew he had a soft spot for her, but to which extent? 

Bloody Hell, man, you’re so screwed-up! He said to himself. That Lady Swan is going to be the death of you. Killian sighed and passed a hand through his hair as if that simple gesture could be enough to clear up his mind. Swan. He thought and realized that he never asked her why she chose exactly this surname while changing her identity. He assumed that it had to mean something of significance to her. And there it was: the perfect idea for a gift.

When he went back on his spaceship it was already late evening and he found his guests sitting at the table in the entrance playing hologram chess. 

“Who's winning?” He asked, securing the locks of the main gate.

“Henry is a much better player than I am,” Emma admitted.

Killian took a seat next to her and whispered something in her ear. After that Emma studied the board. “Oh. That's an interesting move,” she exclaimed carrying out what Killian had just suggested.

“It's not fair. That's cheating.” Henry complained. 

“Come on, lad, your mother is at an evident disadvantage. Let me give her some advice.” But when Henry made an unsure face, “just this time?” Killian added winking at the boy.

“Ok...but only this once.” Henry surrendered.

Emma looked at them perplexed, sensing that something was brewing between them, but didn't ask for further explanations.

Dinner passed by telling how their days had gone. It was clear that Henry had enjoyed the fair quite a lot, especially some storytelling he’d had the opportunity to attend. “Have you ever been to the NTH-Confederates planets, Killian?”

The NTH-Confederates planets belonged to a very far galaxy and they were shrouded in layers of fabulous legends. Killian had always had problems discerning the truth from the myth, but he knew the large hand of The Industry had touched them somehow, and they had succumbed to it, dark times awaited those planets. “I've heard about them but never had the luck to land over there. From what I know, it's a very different place now than what it was in its glorious days.”

“This man, he told us of so many fantastic creatures he saw!”

“I wouldn't believe every word the storyteller said, kid. They are just stories.” Emma tried to rationalize.

“Yeah. I suppose. But it would be cool if a place like that actually existed.”

“One can always dream about marvelous lands and wish they exist, right? Talking about dreams and wishes…” but Killian didn’t finish his sentence, he stood up from the table and went to rummage in some of the kitchenette lockers. When he turned to face his guests, he was holding a sort of a brown whole cupcake with colorful cream and a single lighted candle on top. He deposited it in front of an astonished Emma with a grin on his face, and he sat down again on his chair. “Sorry, it was the only sweet food I’ve found on this planet.” He said apologetically.

“Killian...?” Emma started to say, but Henry was faster: “It's perfect!” The boy was wearing a matching grin to the man in front of her. 

“How...? What does it mean?” Was the only thing she was able to put into words.

“Well, some fleeting rumor told me that today is some sort of anniversary. Correct me if I’m wrong.” Killian explained. Before she could answer him, he lifted a hand to stop her.  “Before blowing out the candle, don't forget to make a wish!”

She looked up at her son, then at Killian for a brief moment, then she closed her eyes. When she opened them again there was resolution and something Killian identified as hope in them. She blew out and the candle went off.

Cheers and applause rang out. Henry was glowing, hugging his mother fiercely, while Killian smacked his forehead, as if he was suddenly remembering something, and then he retrieved a little package from one of his pockets. He offered it to a puzzled Emma. 

She extricated herself from her son's arms and took the wrapped item Killian was giving to her. “What is this?” She asked cautiously. 

“Customarily, a surprise is part of the fun of gift-giving.” He answered smiling. “Open it.” He urged her. 

Opening the paper wrapping Emma found a small dark swan pendant made of polished meteorite rock.  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered with shiny eyes, close to tears.

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~·~·~·~

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Later that night, Killian was resting on his hammock with his arms behind his head. The door opened and closed and Emma entered his cabin as she had always done the last few nights while they were flying. But tonight was a bit different. He wasn't sitting at the controls, but already lying on his bed.

She approached him with a serious look.

“Everything alright, Swan?” He asked as she stepped closer biting her lower lip.

She seemed to consider the situation for a few seconds before climbing into the hammock and lying next to him: her head on his chest and an arm resting across his torso. “Thank you.” She spoke so quietly that Killian wasn’t even sure he had heard correctly.

He didn’t know how to react, he felt paralyzed. But when it seemed she was feeling comfortable with the proximity, he put his left arm around her back and released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

They spent a few moments like that, neither of them wanted to break the spell of silence. Killian’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Of all the questions he would have liked to make her, to help him solve the puzzle this incredible woman represented, one came out of his mouth without really thinking about it “What happened the day we met? I mean after I left.”

She kept quiet for a few minutes, and he began to believe that she was in no mood to speak, but then she started with a soft voice almost audible: “Just after you left the room, that man, Neal Cassidy, he entered declaring that it was his right to… you know. He just wanted the reward money. I haven’t heard from him since. He’s probably not interested in his son at all. He just used me for his benefits.”

Killian clenched his jaw; if he had that Cassidy guy in front of him right now he would have punched him in the face. “Did he hurt you?” He asked, trying to control his rage.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly an expert in that matter, given that I was raised in strict privacy and all.” She sighed. “I knew I had to relax, but my mind wasn’t on the same path as my good intentions. So I’m not sure it was entirely his fault.”

“Son of a bitch.” Killian couldn't repress a curse. 

“If it makes you feel any better, that wasn’t even the worst day of my life.” She stated. “The night you found me on the shore… I was so furious with you. I went back to the Palace to talk with my lawyers, to see if I could banish you from the planet, or put you in jail, or something like that. But it was late and I didn’t find anyone in their office. What I did find were some papers about me, ready to be signed. You were right. The King and Queen of New-Tolemac wanted full authority on my child, they weren’t interested in me or my future.” 

“I should apologize for the horrible things I said to you that night.”

“Don’t. At least you were the only one who never lied to me.” Her gaze seemed lost in the memory of those days. “I also found a document, an old one. I discovered I was adopted, or rather, I was sold. My real parents gave me away when I was only a few days old. They probably needed some money and they used me, as so many others did.”

After a small pause, she added: “Henry is the only person in my life that cares about me for who I am.”

“I never intended to use you.” Killian assured, but he soon corrected himself: “All right, maybe I did. But that was before meeting you.”

She seemed to ponder her next words. “I know. This is why I told your name to my son when he first asked me about his father.” 

“If there's anything I can do for you…” She had told him the night Henry entered his life. 

But Killian dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “No problem.”

“Thank you for bringing him home.” Her tone was genuinely thankful.

“It was the right thing to do.” And when she didn't reply he felt it was the moment to say goodbye. 

He started stepping back but suddenly stopped and turned around facing her again. “Uh... now that I think about it. There is a thing you could do for me.” He tilted his head arching an inquiring eyebrow. “I have one question,” he said, emphasizing his words lifting one of his fingers, “why does your boy believe that I'm his father?” 

At those words, she lifted her gaze to look straight into his eyes. “I wanted Henry to believe his father was a good man.” Emma had answered, staring at him with sincerity before entering her house and closing the door behind her. 

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