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g1rld1ary · 29 days

Note

omg hiiiiii! just saw your requests opened, so excited! i was hoping you could write something for lockwood with the enemies to lovers trope. anything you feel like with that is awesome! and ofc if you don’t want to feel free to not write it 🩷🩷

-mel

what once was ; anthony lockwood x reader

➻ synopsis: you and lockwood hated each other, you had since you were just starting out as agents. when your team is made to work with his on a big case, deeper feelings might just get revealed

➻ word count: 10K (exactly, what are the chances?)

➻ warnings: swearing, mentions of kissing, angst maybe?, injuries

➻ thank u so much for this request lovely!!!! i am SO sorry this took almost a month, but it's the longest fic I've ever posted here so hopefully that makes up for it a little?? if this isn't what u had in mind pls let me know and I'd be happy to write something different! ik it might not be exactly enemies to lovers but I hateee when the dynamic has no respect or reason to be lovers. anyway thank u for the request lolol!!!! xxxxx

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You thought you were a good person. You dedicated your life to fighting ghosts, you helped old ladies cross the street, you recycled when you could. That was enough to be considered a good person, right? You were almost totally convinced, except for the all the vile things you had to say about Anthony Lockwood.

He was, with no exaggeration, the bane of your existence. You had known him all your life, but hadn’t been friends with him since you were both twelve, just beginner agents. And yet, despite all of this hatred burning up within you, it seemed like the universe wouldn’t give you a moment of peace.

You understood running into his company every once in a while — agency events, maybe the occasional case, but lately it seemed like it was every week you had to face Lockwood’s nauseating grin and infuriating attempts at being charming. Whether it was your respective teams being sent on overlapping missions, picking up more supplies or just trying to pick up a coffee after a draining night, you had started to see Lockwood everywhere.

When you saw him again whilst you were picking up some doughnuts for your team you couldn’t help yourself snapping at him.

“God, are you obsessed with me or something, Anthony?” You barely spared him a glance as you finished the transaction with the cashier, quietly thanking him as you left. Lockwood did the same, practically throwing down his cash to catch up to you.

“You wish I was obsessed with you! I am just as unhappy as you are, trust me.”

“So what, you chased after me just say something we both already knew? Or do you have something you’d like to say, an apology perhaps?” You chanced a look in his eyes. Hurt flashed through them, and you felt a sick sense of satisfaction.

“I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He cried, almost dropping his own box of pastries when he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. You didn’t try to hide the rolling of your eyes.

“Whatever,” You huffed, before being struck with an idea. “By the way, did you hear that I’m now a team leader? That makes me the youngest in at least ten years — maybe ever. Pretty good for someone not fit to be an agent, don’t you think?” You feigned an interest in his opinion. His face dropped for a moment, then contorted to become almost polite.

“That was never—” You interrupted him with another sigh.

“Anthony, I really don’t care to listen to you discredit my achievements anymore.” You left him on the side of the street, marching back to your dorm at Fittes. You didn’t need to hear him tear you down and ruin your self-confidence more than he already had — not that you would ever tell him that. Lockwood was similarly disgruntled. Every interaction between you two turned into a fight regardless of what he said; he just couldn’t win.

You had a week of blissful distance from Lockwood and Co before you ran into them, quite unfortunately. You and your team had been assigned to an apartment that allegedly housed a few Type Ones, nothing serious but the residents had complained of hearing noises at odd hours. You held a bit of doubt — living in the dorms had forced you to become accustomed to the most bizarre noises at night, and those were most definitely not ghosts. Plus, adults tended to be paranoid; the noise could be anything from rodents to their little children being awake in the early hours of the morning.

Still, you had a job to complete, so you trudged your small team up to the apartment in question, ready for a quick job and to be cozy in bed before midnight. When Lockwood and Co were standing outside the apartment next to your appointed one, your face dropped into a scowl.

“What are you doing here?” You snapped, talking directly to Lockwood. He hesitated for a moment before turning to face you, brilliant smile shining.

“Lovely to see you again too, sweetheart, we’re actually here on a job? Nice of you to come as our clean-up crew, but that really won’t be necessary. Run along now.” You had to hand it to him, Lockwood had perfected his condescending tone. You were going to respond when the girl behind him began to talk.

“Hey, I recognise you! You’re—” Lockwood cut her off quickly.

“Alright, Luce, I think it’s time we go inside, don’t you?” He was shepherding the girl through the apartment door before you could process what was happening. George, to his credit, looked highly amused at the whole thing. You always liked George, even when he was at Fittes, and seeing him was usually the only upside to your interactions with Lockwood and Co.

“Who’s the girl?” You asked, nodding your head to where she and Lockwood had disappeared to.

“Lucy Carlyle,” He answered, “She’s a Listener — still learning the ropes.”

“And she knows me how?” George just smiled, and you could tell he was keeping secrets.

“I’m sure you’ll find out one day.” He began to follow the rest of his coworkers and you pouted.

“I hate when you side with him!” You called after him, before composing yourself and directing your own team to start the night. They just went along with it, used to your behaviour, and set up your equipment for the mission.

It was not going well. You could all feel a supernatural presence, but no ghosts and no signs of what you’d thought might’ve been the source. Plus, all you could hear was the apartment next door — their stompy footsteps, their laughter over the tea you knew they always had, and one of them wouldn’t stop knocking on the fucking wall.

It was supremely childish, and you would put all of your bets on it being Lockwood trying to throw you off your game. Unfortunately, it was working. And your bad mood was spreading to your teammates. The mission was certainly not going well, all four of you picking fights and throwing digs at each other as you searched uselessly for what could possible be the source, all with no confirmed supernatural presence.

Just as you were about to say something really cruel to your favourite member of your team, the words died in your throat. The temperature rose a few degrees, and you could practically see all your negative thoughts floating away. By the looks of it, your teammates all felt it too. When the freezing shock of the change wore off, you all resigned to embarrassment, realising exactly what had just happened.

This was only furthered when Lockwood waltzed into the apartment, cocky grin practically blinding you.

“Guess that another successful mission for Lockwood and Co now includes saving the careers of egotistical Fittes agents too now,” He crowed, and you rolled your eyes so hard you thought they might disconnect from your face.

“Clearly,” You tried to keep your tone level, “The source wasn’t in this apartment, so we couldn’t have found it regardless of if you were here.”

“Plus they were just Type Ones. You didn’t save any lives, Lockwood,” Your best friend, Sarah, piped up and you smirked.

“Maybe not in the physical sense,” He conceded, “But I definitely saved the career of the ‘youngest ever team leader’ — don’t think you would’ve kept the position for very long if you couldn’t fight a simple Type One.” You turned red in humiliation. How dare Lockwood act so high and mighty, like you owed him the career you fought so hard for? You wanted to express all the seething fury that burned your tongue, but the only thing that came out was a vicious declaration.

“I hate you, Anthony Lockwood.” Lockwood at least had the decency to look somewhat hurt. Although you’d been arguing for years with the insults only getting meaner as you both grew up and developed more precise vocabularies, neither of you had ever vocalised any hatred before. It cut deeper than Lockwood thought it would. You didn’t wait to observe the intricacies of his reaction, storming out of the apartment, making sure your kit bag hit him heavily as you passed.

“Well,” Lockwood broke the awkward silence that fell over the apartment, “I think we’re all done for the night. Let’s go.” Lockwood and Co began packing up their kit bags and gear, Lucy sweeping some leftover magnesium dust under an armchair. Lockwood paused in the doorway, looking back to Sarah with a curious softness.

“Make sure she’s alright, yeah?” Sarah nodded, swallowing a curious look. With a final nod he was gone, leaving the rest of your team to wonder what had just happened to shift the dynamic.

Back in your dorm at Fittes, you were still fired up. Pissed off by Lockwood’s ego, his audacity, you had practically already paced a hole in the floor upon your short return from dinner. All of these years and he still didn’t believe you were a capable agent, let alone team leader! You may not have really hated him; it was hard to truly hate someone who you shared so much history with, but you were glad you said it. Glad you hurt him, even a little. Maybe then he’d know how you felt.

He had — probably unwittingly — saved you arse though. It was one of your very first missions and unfortunately Lockwood was right; a team leader who couldn’t defeat a simple Type One, or realise that their case was a goose chase in the wrong apartment, wouldn’t last. So although he was the one who had told you you couldn’t be an agent in the first place, you probably owed your current position to him, which only mad you more mad. It was an endless cycle of being angry at Anthony Lockwood.

When Sarah came in to sit on your bed, you still weren’t done, taking the opportunity to verbalise your stream of thought.

“He is simply the worst person in the whole world and has no respect for me! I mean, he wouldn’t have helped at all if it didn’t serve his own inflated ego ,” You said, throwing your hands in the air in anguish. Sarah simply watched, barely concealing her amusement.

“Ok, but have you considered maybe he just argues back because you hate him? I mean, where did it start?” You huffed, vaulting yourself back onto your mattress.

“When we were twelve years old, he told me I couldn’t be an agent. I said ‘fuck you’ and have worked my bloody arse off to be one despite it, and to become the youngest team leader at Fittes, and yet every time I see him he still tries to sabotage my career or make me look stupid! God, he drives me up the wall!”

“So you’ve said all these horrid things because he didn’t believe in you?” She laughed a little, eliciting a deep frown from you.

“You don’t get it,” You said, tone solemn, “He was my best friend. He was supposed to believe in me even when everyone else said it was dumb.” The dampened mood brought a premature end to your conversation, Sarah leaving you to your thoughts and feelings as you dwelled on the past in a way you would usually forbid yourself from.

You pulled a framed photo out from behind your stack of books on the shelf. You and Lockwood as children, smiling brightly on a day at the beach, a spade in your hand and a bucket in his, your free ones intertwined as kids often do. You didn’t know why you’d kept it after all these years, looking at any photo of Lockwood typically made you mad, but you felt a bit guilty discarding the keepsake, especially the handmade frame his parents had given you one birthday before they passed. Plus, the memory untouched was one of your favourites — one of the last of your carefree days in childhood when you and Lockwood were best friends and both your families were whole. You held it softly for a moment, indulging yourself in being swept away by memories before deciding enough was enough and returning to the present, distracting yourself with a novel you’d picked up.

You were given a few weeks to cool down, blissfully free from any trace of Lockwood. You thought he must’ve been aware of the heightened tension between you recently, since you’d seen Lucy shopping around Arif’s and ran into George whilst getting your usual Friday night takeaway.

Hearing your name being called from around the corner of an aisle you turned quickly, reflexes on edge. Seeing it was just the redhead you relaxed, making yourself smile.

“Oh, hi, Lucy. How are you?” You made polite conversation, continuing on with your shopping. She replied cordially, a vague awkward air between you that you were both trying your best to overcome.

“We’re all really sorry about the case the other day, by the way. We didn’t mean to take it over or jeopardise your job or anything.”

“It’s nothing,” You assured, “I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best of me, every agent knows that.”

“Yeah, but if Lockwood hadn’t—”

“Lucy,” You interrupted, “You don’t need to condemn Lockwood, or defend him. We both know where we stand with each other and that’s ok. I hope that doesn’t stop us from being friends either; you’re sweet.” Lucy managed a smile, revealing a pretty sparkle in her eye.

“I’d like to be friends too. Maybe we just won’t tell him,” She giggled, and you nodded gravely.

“Sounds like a plan.” You left Arif’s with a bag full of groceries and plan for coffee sometime.

George was less forgiving than Lucy. As you bickered over who got the last can of Coke in the restaurant’s little fridge, he imparted some of his very much unwanted advice.

“You should apologise. I think you crossed a line,” He said and you rolled your eyes.

“He questioned my right to even be where I am — I think I have the right to be pissed at him.”

“He didn’t mean it,” George said quickly. Almost too quickly.

“How would you know?” You narrowed your eyes. George recoiled — he’d been caught.

“You know,” He trailed off, “Lockwood’s not like that. You should know that better than anyone.” You huffed again, fed up.

“I knew,” You corrected, “He’s shown me exactly how he feels about me now. And I am absolutely fine with that. I’m taking the Coke.” You ended the conversation abruptly, snatching the can out of George’s grip.

“But Lockwood doesn’t like any of the other flavours!” He called after you. You exaggerated a laugh, not looking back as you opened the restaurant door quickly.

“I know!” You yelled over your shoulder. George watched you leave, calculating look in his eyes. You said you hated Lockwood, he didn’t doubt you believed it, too. But he knew that most people didn’t remember which fizzy drinks their enemies liked.

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Thankfully, you got just the distraction you needed. Your team had been given one of the most exciting cases on the Fittes roster. One of those old boutique hotels with funnily named rooms and a long, terrible history that had you buried in fascinating research. You couldn’t believe your team had been given the assignment, it was a sign that you were really beginning to be respected as a team leader in the agency. So, you couldn’t screw it up.

You and your team had been practically camped out in the Fittes archives, researching as much as you possibly could about the old hotel. There were a smattering of unfortunate deaths across the years — some darker than others, but you were confident it was nothing you couldn’t handle. The owners hadn’t specified exactly what supernatural experiences they had seen around the hotel, just that it was clear there were several presences around and they wanted them all gone to reopen the hotel as soon as possible. This did admittedly make you a little apprehensive — you didn’t actually have a solid idea of how many ghosts you’d be dealing with, and it was anyone’s guess how many of them would be Type Twos.

Finally, you were confident you and your team had done as much research as you could, and you were prepared for anything. And so you packed your kit bags, took the train ride and rocked up to the hotel mid afternoon, confidence overflowing. By nightfall you’d been on a tour of the grounds, set up your base and had started brewing some tea to get you all in the zone. You took a glance out the front window, seeing movement in one of the windows of the house next door. It was owned by the people who ran the hotel and they intended to open it as a second venue, but delegated the job to some smaller agency since the stakes for it weren’t as high.

It was all going well for a while. You had a plan to go room by room, making each ghost free before finishing in the majorly haunted kitchen. You were inclined to believe there’d be a cluster of Type Twos there since it was set alight years ago, and the accident had been swept under the rug in favour of saving the business.

The entryway was easy; a few Type Ones that practically led you their sources, clearly just wanting to finally be laid to rest. There was one nasty Limbless that gave you all a fright, but your researcher, Ben, was always miles ahead of the rest of you and knew exactly who the ghost was and therefore how to put him to rest. You told him you owed him a beer later and moved on, crossing a single room off the floor plan and shifting into the library, which was not so easy.

You started to think things were not as great as you originally anticipated when you turned to face the mass of Type Ones. Not the end of the world, a little bloody annoying though. Sarah seemed to agree, kicking the leg of a couch in frustration. The four of you figured your way out of it, though significantly depleted of supplies.

You returned to your home base to recoup, physically and mentally battered.

“What’s the plan?” Sarah asked, chugging down mouthfuls from her water bottle. You bit the inside of your cheek as you thought hard, tapping your fingers insistently on the old wooden table.

“Alright, I think we’ve got enough for one more safely. Kyan, you go outside and get the rest of our equipment whilst we hit the second bedroom.”

“If we’re right then there should only be the one ghost there, right? The strangled woman?” You nodded in response to Ben, mentally drawing your plan.

“And if you’re wrong?” Kyan asked.

“We won’t be,” You affirmed, tapping twice on the table to get you all moving.

Kyan left the building to go fetch the spare supplies and the remaining three of you ventured into the second bedroom. Everything was as it should be; lower temperature, creeping feelings of unease and miasma. You’d put together your chain circle and were feeling good about the Type Two woman you were facing, well, as good as you could in those circumstances.

That was, until it wasn’t just one Type Two. Despite the research and preparation you’d undertaken, there was definitely more than one Type Two enraged by your presence in the room at that moment. There was the woman, an angry apparition of some sort — you didn’t have the time to exactly figure out which subtype she fell into when a man also appeared. Shit. He wasted no time showing you he was aggressive too, and your heart sunk into your toes.

Doing some quick mental calculations, you announced the new plan — to get out. As team leader, you refused to be responsible for an injury or something worse because you wouldn’t back down when you knew you didn’t have enough defences left.

“Soon as it’s safe, get the fuck out of here,” You said, feeling to make sure they were still both in the circle with you as you stood with backs inward. “Use your defences as liberally as you feel you need to — we’re all getting out of here tonight.”

“What about the sources?” Sarah asked nervously, “We’ve only got one or two so far.”

“Who cares? Most agencies get one or two a mission and we’re in a giant bloody hotel. We’ve got more nights to get this done. We can’t get it done if you lot go off and die, can we?” Ben shrugged.

“S’pose not. Let’s go.” With that the three of you made a run for it, bolting out the bedroom door and into the corridor.

“Oh fuck!” You yelled, dodging out the way of another phantom headed your way. Evidently your previous endeavours had attracted the attention of some of the other ghosts inhabiting the hotel, none looking all that happy.

Your swear words didn’t falter as you continued the escape, ducking and jumping and making an utter fool of yourself to ensure you all made it out alive. You’d been covered by Sarah a few minutes ago with one of her magnesium flares, and so returned the favour without hesitation, only faltering slightly when you realised it was your last. You tried not to worry about it too much, you were nearing the laundry where there was a back door you could get to.

The closer you got to your escape the fewer visible apparitions there were. That was a good thing, your chances of ghost touch reducing greatly. However, that didn’t mean you weren’t still being hunted. A poltergeist had found you somewhere along the way, and the stream of things being thrown at you hadn’t ended yet. You’d vaguely felt something heavy hitting the back of your head and shoulders, but the adrenaline pumping through your veins was withholding the pain for the moment.

You’d crossed the threshold into the laundry, the back door within your sights. Maybe you got complacent, believing the end was nearer than you thought. Maybe it was just awful timing. However, as your feet hit the tiles of the room, you were being swept off your feet by the washing machine sliding into you, crushing you between it and the wall. You cried out unintentionally, feeling a sickening crack inside your chest. Your teammates turned back, door wide open and safety in sight.

“Don’t you dare come back for me,” You croaked, the wind pushed out of you. “Or I swear to God I’ll come and haunt you.” Ben took the threat and ran, ducking out the door into the fresh air of the night. Sarah hesitated, turning back to lock eyes with you, regret painted across her features. With a final threat she left too, leaving you to try and push the machine away from you in order to make your own escape. However, in an unfortunate series of events, the adrenaline started to wear off after your chase and you felt the sharp pain running along your skull, a thick drop of blood making its way down from a strand of hair into your left eye. Plus, you were pretty sure the machine had broken one of your wrists as any pressure you put onto it trying to move the machine set your nerves on fire, leaving you just your legs to try and make an escape. Turns out it’s harder than it looks to push a stupidly heavy washing machine away from you with your legs when you’re incapacitated on the floor.

Seeing your best friend the strangled woman approaching you sighed, trying to resign yourself to your fate. There was no way you were making it out without a miracle, and you were never the lucky kind. As she spotted you, you sealed your eyes tightly closed, unwilling to watch your own demise. It never came. When you chanced one eye open all you saw was sparks, the unmistakeable smell of a magnesium flare filling the room. You didn’t know what to feel. Relieved, of course, pissed off that your team had disrespected your wishes and endangered themselves, faint from the adrenaline and blood loss. Mostly faint, you decided, as you lay your head back against the tile, a sleep sounding like the nicest thing in the world suddenly.

You must have passed out for a minute or two as when you opened your eyes again you were in the air, distant voices yelling over the explosions and lights, but you felt a million miles away. You cuddled yourself into the body of whoever was carrying you — they were warm and your body felt ice cold. Everywhere you looked appeared blurry (and slightly pink, presumably from the blood in your eye), so you granted yourself some mercy and simply closed them. You thought you heard a mumbled “Hold on for me,” But you couldn’t be sure, everything was ringing in your head and the weight of staying awake was heavy on your foggy brain.

The next time you woke up was about half an hour later, or so you guessed. The sky was fractionally lighter than you remembered seeing, inching towards dawn, and you were laid down on dewey wet grass. The cool of it was nice on your skin, though you knew it would do major damage to your hair. Not that that was your greatest concern at the moment. You pushed yourself up on your elbows slowly, looking around at the scene that was coming into focus. Your team were on one side of you, looking exhausted but mostly physically fine. Straight ahead of you was Barnes, not looking as disappointed as you thought he would after a failed case. To your left was Lockwood and Co. Why were Lockwood and Co here? Why was Lockwood looking at you so intently, and why did he look like he was worried about you?

Only the first of your questions was answered. Evidently Lockwood and Co were the ‘small agency’ the hotel owners had given a chance for the smaller house on the edge of the property. They heard the commotion your team had made and Sarah’s screaming outside the kitchen door and came to save the day — of course. You were about to put up the protest that you didn’t need saving but it died in your throat when you saw the serious looks of everyone around you. Clearly this wasn’t the time for any of your bullshit.

“Clearly this case is bigger than your team can achieve,” Barnes said, and the fire was reignited within you. He must have been able to see what you were going to say and cut you off, “But I’m not taking you off the case.”

“Thank you,” You said quickly, tension in your shoulders releasing slightly.

“Lockwood and Co will work with you until the hotel is ghost free.”

“What?” You and Lockwood cried in unison, and you felt his eyes fall back on you. You refused to meet his gaze.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sir—” You started, being cut off by Lockwood.

“We don’t work well together—”

“I happen to know you both need this case, or do you not care about the future of your jobs?” Barnes raised an eyebrow in the intimidating way only he could pull off. He had you there. Failing in a case, especially one that resulted in a near death experience would certainly jeopardise your trajectory at Fittes, and, unbeknownst to you, Lockwood and Co were pretty desperate for some good representation, unable to receive the praise deserved from the Combe Carey Hall case. You looked at Lockwood to find him already searching your face. After a moment of silent arguing between the two of you, you turned back to face Barnes, exaggerated smiles on both your faces.

“We’ll do it.” You smiled sweetly. A few more formalities sent Barnes and the other DEPRAC officer off, and only the two teams were left standing around, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of all the kit bags.

“So what do we do now?” Sarah asked, a thought very similar to the ones bouncing around your head at the moment.

“Breakfast?” George suggested, and you didn’t think you’d ever seen your team agree to something so enthusiastically. The group of you all headed back to the train station, but Lockwood didn’t let you continue in the line to get your ticket. Instead he pulled you away from the crowd, seeming to have already told Lucy what was happening, judging from her cheerful wave goodbye.

You glared at him, yanking your arm away then groaning at the pain.

“What are we doing, Lockwood?” You asked with an exaggerated huff.

“We’re going to the hospital,” He said, unbothered by your protests. “And don’t say you’re fine because it’s clear you’re injured. I’d say a broken wrist, concussion and maybe a cracked rib, but we can let the doctors tell us I’m wrong, I’d be happy for them to tell you otherwise.” That shut you up, not least because you knew he was probably right. You’d been given a shot of adrenaline and a few painkillers by the DEPRAC officer who accompanied Barnes over, but you probably did need actual medical attention.

It was a very awkward cab ride to the local hospital. You and Lockwood were so used to arguing by now that silence felt like the only other viable option. You couldn’t make small talk, what would you even talk about? The only thing you knew about his life was his childhood, and you sure as hell weren’t gonna talk about that. The tension was palpable in the backseat, and when the cab driver wished you good luck for the hospital visit, you figured he didn’t just mean because of your injuries. You did force yourself to thank Lockwood when he paid for the ride though, even if it was just for the sake of the day moving on faster.

At least the waiting room created its own noise; beeping and chattering and footsteps filling the silence between you two. You struggled with the form in front of you, inconveniently having your dominant hand be out of working order. You painfully etched out your information over an embarrassing amount of time before Lockwood huffed loudly and snatched the clipboard from your lap.

“Fuck’s sake,” He muttered, pulling his own pen from his suit pocket, beginning to scribble down the answers for you. You just relaxed, your tired, drug-addled brain being allowed to rest for a moment. It wasn’t until he asked about your health insurance that you fully realised he was answering the questions by memory and forced your eyes to focus on the paper. Sure enough he’d gotten it all right, birthday and middle name included. You glanced up at him curiously, but it seemed like this was the moment he refused to make eye contact. You only had to inform him of things that had changed since you’d fallen out, neither of you verbalising that fact.

Things didn’t change when you were called into the doctor’s office either. The mix of pain, medicine and sleep deprivation led you to embrace the exam table and bordered on falling asleep as Lockwood talked for you. He’d gotten the rundown of the actual events from Sarah and his brief moments when he saved you, and explained the night as you got an x-ray for your hand. Plus, as you were waiting for the cast (it was, in fact, broken), he explained your previous medical history — the knee you dislocated when you were nine and the broken pinky finger from the year after. You only had to participate to explain the injuries you’d acquired during your career as an agent; the ones from after you and Lockwood stopped being friends.

The whole trip was extremely bizarre and slightly unnerving, and you were glad to get on the train on the way back.

“You were wrong about one thing,” You said, pulling out your walkman from your kit bag.

“And what’s that?” Lockwood asked, and you got the impression he was bracing to be yelled at again — you felt almost bad.

“No cracked rib for me.” You grinned, beginning to laugh uncharacteristically. You didn’t know why, it really wasn’t that funny, but Lockwood followed suit soon after. The two of you laughed borderline hysterically, much too energetic for that hour of the morning when everyone else was still heading to work. It only tapered off when your poor ribs couldn’t take it anymore (not broken but aggressively bruised), and the two of you fell back into silence. You had your music and Lockwood had a magazine you suspected he’d stolen from the A+E waiting room.

The only other time you spoke during the trip was when you summoned the courage to utter a somewhat genuine “Thank you.”

“What?”

“Thanks. For not letting me die. And stuff.”

“Oh. You’re welcome,” Lockwood shot you a smile, the glowing kind you rarely got to see anymore.

As you got back to London and closer to Portland Row where your team was waiting, the air seemed to get thicker between the two of you once again. Maybe it was the proximity to the things that had torn you apart or the sense that you had predefined roles to play, but the carefree air between you had dissipated, leaving only the familiar tension that had been building over the last four years.

You followed Lockwood inside, trying to hide the out of body experience you were having returning to his family home after so many years. It had changed a little, of course, but still felt overwhelmingly the same, which both scared and comforted you. All the freaky foreign ghost hunting objects still littered the shelves, and you took the liberty of admiring them once again, remembering the stories Lockwood’s parents would tell about them and the adventures they’d had when collecting them. In your periphery you saw Lockwood hurriedly grab something off the wall by the stairs, shoving it in a drawer, but you really had no interest, choosing instead to reacquaint yourself with the house. The glimpse you got up the stairs showed a myriad of framed pictures of Lockwood and you scoffed — of course his ego would be on full display within his own home.

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

It was surprisingly easy to get into the groove of working with Lockwood and Co. Obviously you already liked George and Lucy, but your team seemed to work unexpectedly well with theirs. You and Lockwood stayed out of each other’s ways, the few times you were left to work together resulting in another stupid argument. The first time when you thought he was calling you dumb, the second over something minuscule; who’d let the tea brew too long so it tasted shit. And then who had to subsequently get up and make the next pot. Despite both of you honestly trying to be professional and get on with the job, it was agreed by everyone that it was simply easiest to keep the two of you apart as much as possible.

However, when the hotel owners wanted the leaders of both teams to meet up for updates on the case, you couldn’t get out of it. The day wasn’t looking good. You’d shown up to Portland Row so you could get a cab together — the meeting being dinner in central London, and had already argued with him over his choice of socks. In your defence, the powder blue socks matching your dress did make it look like you were a high school couple trying to match at a formal! However, George had rolled his eyes and pushed the two of you back out and towards the waiting cab, effectively ending that argument. You’d also teased Lockwood for bringing his rapier to a business dinner, but that was neither here nor there.

You’d held it together for most of the dinner, both of you putting on your best fronts and using your most formal tones to convince the elder couple that you were confident about the case. You found yourself kicking his shins to stop Lockwood from making promises you couldn’t keep regarding the case, and he got you back with condescending remarks, correcting you when he disagreed with how you presented the case. Altogether though you thought you were pretty subtle, and the two of you were presenting a model image of your respective companies.

However, when you shot Lockwood one of your saccharine smiles under the pretence of friendliness — he’d just undermined your authority again and stolen the best piece of dessert that you were going for, as if he didn’t torture you enough — you were shocked to hear the woman across from you laugh.

“It’s so wonderful to see you two bicker like an old married couple,” She giggled, and both you and Lockwood’s jaws dropped. “I mean, it just seems so dismal to be dating in these times, but you two give me hope that the future generations will still be able find love despite the Problem.”

“And clearly you’re both sensible kids, which is very important for a lasting relationship. Working for two different agencies would surely diffuse tensions around all those dangerous missions and such you agents partake in — except for this one, of course,” Her husband chimed in, jolly glint in his eyes.

“Yes, yes, but it’s important to remember to be kids as much as you can. But you two playing footsies all night has proved that you’ve got that covered too. Silliness is just as crucial as being sensible, it’s how a marriage stays fun. We would know, we’ve had fifty odd years of it!”

You didn’t know how to react, and by the looks of it, Lockwood didn’t know either with his signature smile frozen on his face. First of all, you were not playing footsies with Anthony Lockwood — the bruise forming under his trouser leg was testament to that. Second of all, you had no idea how the woman could get your dynamic so incredibly wrong. Aside from all of Lockwood’s double edged comments and cocky corrections of basically anything you said, the two of you had hardly addressed each other directly all night, you might as well have been strangers!

The dinner wrapped up very soon after. The couple had taken a liking to you both and so trusted your teams to handle the case as you saw fit, only making you promise to take a romantic weekend getaway (or honeymoon! As the woman had remarked optimistically) to the hotel once it was completely ghost-free and renovated. For once you were glad that Lockwood was unable to ever shut up as he took the lead, seeming to believe that corroborating their assumption was the best choice in your situation. You weren’t sure you were entirely comfortable with lying to this sweet old couple, but you couldn’t deny that Lockwood was a better talker than you, and would probably handle the situation with more delicacy.

That was how you ended up being led out of the restaurant with Lockwood’s hand on the small of your back. You wondered if he’d ever done this before, and you didn’t know if you meant for a real or pretend relationship. You both said your goodbyes to the couple, flattered by the abundance of compliments they paid you — both personally and professionally, assuring you they were overjoyed to have your teams work the case. Just before they stepped into the cab the woman took you aside.

“Hold onto a boy who looks at you like that,” She said, “You might fight, but when he’s this in awe of you, you’ll find a way to make it work.” You didn’t know how to respond to that and so simply nodded, offering a weak smile as she slid into the back seat of the taxi.

That left you and Lockwood alone. You just looked at each other for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.

“Do you mind if we walk home? I really fancy some air right now.” Lockwood easily agreed, looking rather flustered himself, and off the two of you went into the night.

Neither of you spoke for a while, but you could tell he wanted to. Lockwood always chewed his lip when he was holding something back, he had since he was a child. You sighed and asked him, knowing it was the only way to make the habit go away.

“Nothing,” He said, “Just weird. Don’t you think?”

“Nah,” You lied, “Old people just say things like that all the time. They don’t care to know the full picture.”

“Which is?”

“We hate each other.” Hurt flashed through his eyes, but it didn’t make you feel as good as it did the first time you’d said it.

“I don’t hate you,” He said quietly, almost a whisper.

“What?”

“I don’t hate you. We don’t get along anymore, but I don’t hate you. I hope you know that.” You faltered for a second. Had his use of ‘anymore’ been intentional to create a stabbing feeling in your gut?

“Oh. I guess I don’t really hate you either, if we’re getting sappy about it.” You tried to diffuse the tension growing between you, not wanting it to evolve into a discussion about what estranged you in the first place. Lockwood refused to apologise and you refused to forget, resulting in the bitter stalemate you’d been locked in for the past few years.

Your distraction came with a glance over Lockwood’s shoulder, and the wisp of a phantom coming into view. Lockwood was trying to continue the conversation about your developing relationship, but stopped when he noticed you frozen beside him. Turning slowly he swore when he saw the ghost, going straight for his rapier.

“Put your hand into my coat pocket,” He said, effectively drawing you from your freeze.

“Excuse me?” You whisper-yelled, not in the mood for him to try and lighten the mood with whatever dumb joke he was trying to make.

“Just trust me, I have flares in the inside pocket, just reach in and grab them to defend yourself whilst I keep an eye on them.” Them? You wondered until you looked around, seeing other ghosts start to emerge from the shadows, attracted by the scene you were obviously creating. You wasted no more time, ignoring the intimacy of reaching into Lockwood’s jacket, grabbing yourself a flare for each hand. With you accounted for, Lockwood told you the plan, he’d fight a path back to Portland Row and you’d cover the both of you with the flares, since you weren’t good for very much else with a broken wrist and no rapier.

It was hardly the most intense situation you or Lockwood had been in, but as the primary fighter in the situation, Lockwood was still putting up a good show of skill. Despite yourself you were entranced, admiring the graceful way he moved with the rapier, so in tune with it you’d think it was connected to his arm. As much as you hated Lockwood — well, you’d just established you didn’t actually hate him. As much as you thought he was egotistical and irritating, you had to admit that you really admired him as an agent. Lockwood was undeniably talented with a rapier — it was the fencing competition that got him started in this business in the first place — but to watch him in action was really something special. If you didn’t know better you’d think it was easy for him, he fought with the same ease and elegance he might drink a cup of tea.

You were so caught up in watching him that you hardly noticed when you arrived in front of 35 Portland Row, both luckily un-ghost touched. You were also alerted to the proximity you’d found yourself in. You’d stayed close obviously, not wanting to be left to the ghosts, but when Lockwood had turned to make sure you were still with him safely inside the iron fence, you found yourself only inches apart.

At this distance you were alerted to just how much he’d changed since you were kids. He was taller, obviously, your chin tilted up to make eye contact. He’d lost the baby fat that used to fill out his cheeks, leaving his face defined and bordering on gaunt — you figured he wasn’t taking very good care of himself, judging on the dark circles that seemed by now permanent. Plus something had changed in his eyes. He didn’t look carefree anymore, something dark and tortured lay behind the charming smiles. It wasn’t hard to guess what it was, and you figured you probably had something identical. However, the small scar on his jawline from when you accidentally flung a plastic toy into his face was still there which drew a small smile from you. Something within you urged to run your finger along it, and you felt your fingers twitch before you realised how inappropriate it was. That instinct didn’t feel so bad though when you caught Lockwood’s gaze shift down to your lips. Only momentarily, but you saw it. And worse? The fact that you didn’t mind. After all of these years and the fighting and terrible words shared, here you were maybe about to kiss Anthony Lockwood. You would be disgusted with yourself if you didn’t have so many other feelings fighting their way to the top.

The front door opening was enough to make you both jump apart, you rushing towards it to get as far from Lockwood as possible.

“Hey Lucy!” You called, practically floating up the front steps you were going so fast.

“Uh, hey, guys. We thought we heard you outside so I got sent to check. Had to make sure you weren’t secretly making out or something,” She joked and you forced out a laugh, far too loud to be real.

“As if! Come on, I’m dying for some tea.” You slid past her, rushing straight to the kitchen for a minute to think.

Lucy watched you go suspiciously, before turning to Lockwood.

“What did you do?” She interrogated, all her scary Lucy-ness coming out.

“I don’t know,” Lockwood replied earnestly, still somewhat dazed himself. Lucy gave him one last look up and down before returning inside, leaving Lockwood to fix his smile on before rejoining the two teams.

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

The week leading up to your team’s next attempt at the hotel was extremely weird. You and Lockwood hadn’t spoken about what had happened (or almost happened) out in the front garden, but you had had a long talk about your behaviour lately. Over a few cups of tea in the kitchen whilst the rest of your teams were working down in the basement, you managed to both admit you were being dickheads. There was no mention of the underlying factors of your resentment, but you both agreed for the sake of your jobs you would try and be friends, or at least civil. No more bickering, no more picking apart small comments, no more rolling eyes.

It worked for a bit, which was really complicating your emotions. On the one hand, Lockwood was lovely, like he’d always been, and it was kind of nice to be able to talk and joke with him again after so many years, although you both carefully avoided the topic of your personal lives. On the other hand, it made you sad to pretend that everything was fine when you knew what you did. He didn’t think you could be an agent; Lockwood didn’t think you were good enough. And you could both pretend all you liked to be friends, but as long as that was what he thought about you it could never be real. So, while you’d both stopped your rivalry on the surface and gotten on with the case, there was a tension bubbling behind your smiles that both of you could see whenever you locked eyes.

It all came to a head when you started discussing your action plan for the hotel. All seven of you were standing in the basement of Portland Row, staring at a blown up floor plan of the place, little figurines representing each of you. It didn’t take you long to realise that you weren’t being represented.

“Where am I?” You asked, an uneasy silence falling over the room.

“You’re not coming.” Lockwood took the fall, even though it had been a unanimous decision whilst you were on an Arif’s run one afternoon.

“Excuse me?” You couldn’t help the biting tone in your words, fury you’d worked hard to conceal bubbling back up to the surface.

“Your wrist—” Sarah tried to reason, but something in you had unlocked and you were not backing down this time.

“You and I know full well if this was a Fittes case I would still be out in the field, broken wrist be damned,” You spat, and you could practically see the gears turning in Lockwood and Lucy’s heads.

“They make you go into the field injured?” Lucy asked, but you weren’t focused on answering her — George nodded for you.

“So who’s barred me from being in the field, on what I might remind you, was my case first.” There were a few moments of silence where no one wanted to be the subject of your anger, but with a resigned sigh, Lockwood accepted the blame.

“It was my idea.” You couldn’t help the frustrated groan that came out of your mouth.

“God, this is so typical! You’ve never thought I was good enough, and now what? Sabotaging my cases? My career? Because you don’t believe in me,” Your voice broke on the last sentence, and you could feel the tears heavy behind your eyes, threatening to fall. You spat a final “Fuck you,” before running up the basement stairs, up to where you knew the bathroom would be for some privacy.

You realised when you were at the top of the stairs that in your time working with Lockwood and Co you hadn’t actually used their bathroom, and didn’t remember which of the closed doors it was. Choosing one blindly you shut yourself inside, finally letting the tears that blurred your vision roll down your cheeks.

You sobbed heavily, indulging all the terrible feelings you’d been concealing for far too long. When the tears weren’t so frequent the setting around you came back into focus, and you noticed with a start you definitely weren’t in the bathroom. The view from the window told you it was Lockwood’s late parent’s bedroom, but the used furniture and messy bed said someone was still living there. Your stomach dropped as you stood, wiping the tears from your eyes. Looking around you were sure this was Lockwood’s room, the suit jacket on the desk chair a dead giveaway. However, a picture frame on his nightstand attracted your attention the most. It was the same one you had in your dorm at Fittes, the one gifted to you by Lockwood’s parents for your birthday. Both of you grinning widely and carelessly joyful. It had been so long since you’d felt like that, even longer since you’d felt it around Lockwood. The thought made your heart ache a bit. His parents would be so disappointed in the two of you. That made you start crying a little again, picking up the photo to examine it closer.

“It’s been there since you left,” A voice from behind you said. “I couldn’t bring myself to put it away.” You hadn’t noticed Lockwood come in and you didn’t know how long he’d been standing there. You put the photo down with a start, turning away to wipe your face dry again.

“Go away, Lockwood. Just give me a minute and I’ll be back downstairs. I overreacted but I need to get over it, okay?” You snapped, praying your face wasn’t still red and splotchy (it was).

“No,” He said, and you turned to face him curiously. “Look, this has gone on long enough and we need to fix things.” You crossed your arms petulantly, a silent challenge for him to fix the damage you believed to be all his. “You said downstairs that I thought you couldn’t be an agent. Why?”

“Don’t you remember when I told you I wanted to be an agent like you?” You scoffed, “You all but laughed in my face! You said I couldn’t do it, that I’d be injured or killed and I couldn’t handle it. I’ve thought about that every case since, you killed my self esteem for years. I thought that if no one else, my best friend should have believed in me. But here I am, youngest team leader at Fittes with the highest successful case rate for my division. All in spite of you.” Lockwood stared at you, and you could practically see his neurons firing and making connections at a million miles an hour.

“That’s not what I said.” You could barely contain your bitter laugh.

“Does it matter? You didn’t believe in me, that’s what’s important.”

“No,” He said, “Because that’s not what I meant at all. I did believe in you — I do. I always have.” You scoffed again as he stumbled over his words. A little grovelling now couldn’t make up for all the years of anxiety and insecurity he’d caused.

“I mean it! If I didn’t believe in you, then what’s all this?” He led you to one of his dresser drawers. Opening it there were a stack of papers and you picked a few of them up, flipping through them. Every single one was about you. Photos from your childhood together, newspaper clippings of your successes throughout the years, the magazine article you interviewed for talking about women in power in the ghost hunting field. Lockwood had saved every piece of media about you, the ragged edges showing he’d ripped them out just to keep them. You remained silent, astonished by this new revelation. You looked up at him, and Lockwood could have cried at the look in your eyes.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t be an agent,” He explained, “Or that’s not what I meant. I meant that you shouldn’t, or more clearly, I was saying don’t. Asking. Don’t you remember? My parents were dead, my sister had just died. You were all I had left, and I didn’t want you to jump head first into the most dangerous job in the world. I wanted to protect you.” It was Lockwood’s turn for his voice to break and tears to arise, and you suddenly felt supremely stupid.

“Oh,” Was all you could say. After all of these years; the insults thrown and dirty looks exchanged, all your anger came from a misunderstanding? Not only that, a misunderstanding that twisted such an earnest declaration of care into something so awful.

“But you did it, and you weren’t just any agent,” He laughed slightly despite his emotions, “You were the best bloody agent Fittes has ever seen and all I could do was watch from the shadows and be proud of you silently. Why do you think Lucy knew who you were already? There were pictures of you all over the house before I made them take them all down when I knew we were working together. I didn’t want to scare you off.”

“But all the arguing…” You trailed off, still unable to completely process this information.

“Just because I love you doesn’t mean you don’t drive me up the wall, especially when you were being — or I believed you were — deliberately obtuse to my efforts to explain myself. But now I see we were just on totally different wavelengths.” You were really struggling, there was a lot of new information being revealed at such a rapid pace that was completely changing your perspective on your whole adolescence.

“You love me?” Lockwood did laugh this time, loudly and with the same charm he usually had.

“Yes, you idiot. I have since we were kids.”

Oh. Oh. You suddenly felt like an idiot. All of this time you thought that Lockwood believed you were weak, not good enough, not worthy of your successes, when in fact it was the complete opposite. And then you thought about how you felt about Lockwood. How his believed lack of faith in you affected you so much because you cared so deeply about what he thought of you. How you could never bring yourself to look away when he was fighting because he was so completely in his element. How nice it had been to be able to joke around with him during your research. Oh God. You thought you simply respected him and his skills as an agent, but evidently the truth had been just out of reach your whole life.

“Anthony?” He was already looking at you, eyes searching deep into your soul. “I think I might love you too.” Neither of you could help the kiddish smiles making their way on your faces, and he wrapped his arms around you tightly before you knew what was happening. It felt nice to be held by him again, the last time would have been after his sister died. These were much better circumstances.

When you both came down the stairs later, no one mentioned your intertwined hands. You all had a lovely dinner at Portland Row, warmth and laughter filling the space and making you feel at home like you used to when you were a kid.

It wasn’t until you were on your way back to the Fittes dorms that Sarah leaned over to you, mischievous grin on her face.

“Tell me you were making out up there, please,” She giggled, and you shoved her away lightheartedly.

“Shut up,” You laughed, “Besides, it wasn’t making out.”

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winterwhisperz-blog · 10 months

Text

ALR

I’ve already exhausted the ears of anyone who listens to me with rambles of Touchstarved—and I fear if I bring it up again to them I’ll be taken to the gallows

So I’m taking my ranting to the actual fandom and in hopes I’ll be quiet after I actually type out my thoughts <33

Buckle up I’ve got a lot to say

First tho: these rambles do have some spoilers for The Arcana and Last Legacy and of course— the demo for Touchstarved so bE WARNED

Ahem ahem

Ramble number 1 🤺

First off- IM JUST SO GENERALLY HYPED FOR THE FULL STORY

Like I love romance and all— BUT THE ACTUAL PLOT??

It’s just so intriguing to me

I’m so excited to see what the full on plot is going to be—

Like take The Arcana and Last Legacy for example

Us, as MC, are a magician’s apprentice with years of lost memories, tasked with the responsibility of solving the dead count’s death. Doing so in the timeframe of a masquerade that the Devil arcana crashes, presenting his idea of merging realms—with him as ruler.

Then in Last Legacy

We’re a human from earth that gets transported to a recovering magical world that was only a game back home. Come to find out an old evil is slowly resurfacing—

LIKE BOTH ARE SO COOL

So what is the full story of Touchstarved gonna be? ?

I’m assuming it’s a longer game than the previously mentioned, so I just- GAHHHHH

I can’t wait

I also wonder how much of a center piece Touchstarved MC is gonna be

Like what is gonna be our role? Why are we important to the overall plot of the entire game?

We already know why we’re important to our own story—duh. UHH lemme articulate this-

Like MC’s story is clear in the demo, we’re cursed with hands that corrupts whoever we touch—and we’ve come to the dangerous city of Eridia to find a cure. But I can’t WAIT to find out how that ties in with everything else.

Like how does our curse connect us to the LIs? To Eridia? To everything?

How much of a role does MC really play?

Like in Arcana, we aren’t just the one given the job of solving a murder, but we’re also the one with powers that can rival the Devil’s. We’re the Fool Tarot card—the start of the journey.

And in Last Legacy we’re not just the human from earth brought into an unfamiliar world, but also the human that wields a relic that once belonged to the LI’s ‘dead’ friend/captain. (A relic that is later vital in saving the world)

So I’m just— I’m so excited to see why Touchstarved MC is connected to everything. What decisions we’ll be able to make, and why those decisions will lead to either a happy or horrific ending.

I already love these writers—and I love the characters, and I already love the glimpses we have of the start of the plot.

Like the vibe and plot of the story is what really got me INTO touchstarved. (That and the characters are uhhh rlly pretty 👉👈 AND THE ANIMATED INTRO WAS IMMACULATE)

I’m just so hyped to see what the story is—and how the routes are going to end. Will it truly be happy? Will we actually end it by saving whatever evil is corrupting the world? Or will it be a bittersweet end, where it’s only happy because MC and whatever LI they picked—survived and get to be together?

Like we’ll probably solve things- but I just wonder how bittersweet and still tragic the writers will make it—like what if to gain one character’s salvation, we have to doom another? I think I read somewhere where the Devs said our choice of LI will result in consequences for another— AND I THINK THATS JUST SO

Muah muah

My heart will utterly break

Anyway—I’m just really excited for Touchstarved plot—can’t wait, mentally pained that it’s going to be like waiting for my sailor husband to return from sea. but I have faith it’ll be worth it- especially with how much love has already been put into it.

ALR

NOW UNTO RAMBLE 2

Ramble 2 😙

SO SO SO, now unto the romance hype

I’m vry excited for what the romance is gonna be like. Like, I’ve played a few of these games before. Mainly Arcana, Last Legacy, Mystic Messenger, etc.

And usually the romance starts pretty quick, (mainly due to these games being a bit shorter.)

But I wonder how fast or slow the romances are going to be in Touchstarved. Like, Mc is already pretty quickly attracted to the main cast(valid) but I wonder if some routes are going to be quicker than others?

And what are the CONFESSIONS going to be like?

I wonder if some routes will be slower or quicker than others?

Like my personal guesses for the quickest to slowest romance kinda goes like this: Leander, Ais, Kuras, Mhin, Vere

Okie Okie lemme explain my reasonings (I just like to ramble)

Leander feels like the type of character (if he’s not actually just using Mc) that clings, then obsesses over people he likes. And I can picture his romance starting pretty quick— I think the slower bit will be tied to actually getting him to be vulnerable—

Ais is already canon to get attached. So I can see his romance being a bit quicker.

It’s not like I think Kuras’ romance will be quick, but I do think it’ll be possibly quicker than Mhin’s. (Mainly for the scene where he keeps a hold on you when you trip. Especially if you pick ‘Can you step out?’ At the start.)

I am very curious how he’s gonna be in love though- it’s oddly hard for me to picture

Now Mhin—i can picture theirs being slower because they don’t just not want YOU to get hurt, but THEY don’t want to get hurt either.

And now Vere—I can see the physical parts of the romance being able to happen pretty quickly—but for Vere to actually like—develop sincere feelings? That’ll definitely take longer.

I can’t wait for it to happen tho

I also can’t wait for ✨feelings✨ to make drama. Like, what will the Senobium do when/if they find out Vere has like—genuinely fallen for someone 🧍🏻‍♀️ will they use us as leverage?

Will Kuras’ feelings for us make salvation harder to get?

IDKDBDBDNDND I JUST LIKE DRAMA

Alr Alr Alr- I’ll stop there.

HOPEFULLY, this will help me be quiet— because bro i’ve been thinking of Touchstarved nonstop for ages now 😭 my friends can’t take it anymore

Anyway, if you read all that, thank u <3 I hope you enjoyed my nonsensical ramblings.

I hope you have a vry good day, wear ur favorite shirt, smell a rose, and see a butterfly !!

#touchstarved #touchstarved demo #touchstarved game #ramblings #the arcana game #last legacy

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vintagepresley · 1 year

Text

68′ Comeback Special.... Part 8 (After the special)

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Reader

Word Count: 10,276 words

Warning: 18+ SMUTSMUTSMUT Tons of fluff, talks of pregnancy, mention of sleeping pills, shower sex (elvis uses the shower head to play with your clit), fingering, handjob, rough sex, rough choking, cursing, dirty talk, praise, a bit of a mommy kink sprinkled in for elvis, typical elvis stuff.

Author’s Notes: IT’S FINALLY HERE. Sorry, it took a bit longer than usual for me to write this one, I had serious writer’s block like mid way into the story, lol. But this one got lot of interesting things going on especially for what’s to come in the last two chapters. But we’ve got a good amount of fluff and smut in this one! Prepare yourselves for the ending, it’ll probably make you tear up, I know I got a little emotional writing it. Anyway, I hope you guys love it! Spelling errors possible!!!

For my darling, I love you, and I always will…

The silence still looming over the two of you after you finally revealed your secret to Elvis, you were trying to get a read on his face he looked a bit stunned. “Um, I’m sorry, what did ya say?” he said needing just to hear it one more time just to make sure he heard you correctly. “I’m pregnant…” you muttered once again. You watched as he quickly put out his cigar and sat up in the bed rather quickly. “W-When? H-H… D-Did you just find this out today???” he said fumbling over his words. You shook your head slowly as you sat up now as well. “No… I’ve known for a few weeks now.” You said softly. “Weeks?? Baby, we’ve been talkin’ on the phone every day. Why didn’t ‘cha say somethin’?” he asked. “You had a lot of things happening already, I didn’t want to add more to it.” You uttered. You could see from the boyish grin on his face that he was so happy and excited already, but somehow you didn’t feel the same. You felt unsure of the whole thing.

You watched as Elvis shot up from the bed and went to grab his robe, wrapping himself in it and he came back pacing back and forth excitedly and going on about how happy his dad was going to be. Then he sat back down next to you, his whole body was fidgeting and shaking. “Oh, man.. This is… J-Just wait till I tell the guys!” He said happily. He got up once again pacing and he was honestly making you a bit anxious because he was all over the place. Your heart was breaking though because he was so excited and for some reason you just couldn’t feel the same. “Elvis.” you said softly, but he continued to ramble happily. “Elvis!” you shouted out to him, snapping him out of it. “Yeah, baby?” he said with a smile. “Can you please sit down; you’re making me nervous. “Oh, yeah, I guess I got overexcited.” He smiled, sitting back down on the bed next to you. You grabbed a hold of his hands, staring at him with a small smile.

“I love how excited and happy you are, honey. I do, but we need to talk about this. I-I don’t know if I’m ready for this.” You say, watching that happy boyish smile of his slowly disappear, the sight of it breaking your heart more. He nodded slowly. “I-I-I understand, honey. I mean, did you want to get rid of it? He said with a hint of sadness in his voice. You let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know. I just don’t know what to do. I think I just need a little time to think about it. But I just wanted to tell you.” You say. “Whatever you decide I’ll be here to support you. I-I can maybe ask Dr. Nick if he knows any doctors we can speak with if you choose to get rid of it.” He nodded as he spoke softly. “Thank you, honey. I just need a few days to think about this.” You say, leaning over toward him and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

He returned your kiss with a small smile, he wouldn’t say this out loud to you, but he was hoping that you’d decide to keep the baby. But he was going to support you no matter what. He knew that there would be some judgement with the two of you not being married, but he didn’t care. This was everything he’s been wanting. But he wasn’t going to let himself get too excited until he knew what you decided on, but as much as he tried to hide it, he was a little upset about the fact you’d even consider getting rid of it.

You tried to change the subject now because the sadness on his face was making you feel so bad for not being just as excited. You curled up next to him, pulling the blankets over you and pressing a kiss to his cheek as you cuddled into his side, he smiled a bit as he looked down at you. “When time are your shows tomorrow?” you asked quietly. “I’ve got a dinner and a midnight show tomorrow.” He responded, wrapping his arms around you as he leaned back against the headboard of the bed. “Maybe we can spend some time together in the morning?” you said, smiling up at him. He nodded, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead. “What did ya have in mind, darlin’?” he said softly. “Just something simple, we can have breakfast together, maybe watch a little tv.” You smiled, you honestly didn’t care what you did, you just wanted to be with him.

He smiled with a nod. “That sounds nice, we can order up a ton of things for breakfast.” He said with a soft chuckle. You smiled at his words and then you watched him reach over into his bedside table, taking out some sleeping pills and you raised eyebrow at him. “We should get to sleep then.” He said softly. “Elvis, you don’t need to take those.” You said looking up at him. “Aw, hell, don’t start with that, baby. You know how bad my insomnia can be. These help me.” He said, shaking a couple pills out into his hand and offering you one. You shook your head at his offer. He shrugged, closing the bottle, and shoving it back in the bedside table, he got up from the bed and grabbed the cup that sat on his bedside table walked into the bathroom, popping the pills into his mouth, turning the bathroom sink and filling the cup up and drinking some of the water, swallowing the pills down. You let out a soft sigh, knowing that he wouldn’t be awake for much longer and you wanted to spend a little more time talking to him, because you knew he’d probably wake up late tomorrow and your time together would be cut short.

He got back into bed with you, setting the cup down, climbing underneath the blankets as he laid down and you scooted back over to him, lying beside him, wrapping your arm around his abdomen, and resting your head against his chest, staring up at him, you felt his arm drape around you. “Will you be up before noon, Elvis?” you asked. “Mhm…” he mumbled out, you were already losing him to his slumber as his pills slowly took effect. “You promise?” you muttered softly. “P-Promise, baby..” he mumbled softly, brushing his hand lightly over your arm, closing his eyes. As you laid there against him you started to hear him snore, you traced your fingers lightly over his chest as you listened to him sleep, draping your leg over his as you cuddled against him, you laid awake for a few hours just thinking about what you were going to do about the pregnancy, the excitement on Elvis’ face that replayed in your mind after you told him, which made you smile to yourself. You let out a soft sigh and knew if you kept thinking about this, you’d get no sleep, so you shook off the feelings and you carefully reached over to his bedside table, deciding to take one of his sleeping pills, reaching over for his water and taking a sip, swallowing your pill down, resting comfortably against him again, eventually dozing off.

The morning had come quick and you had woken up still laying in Elvis’ arms who was still knocked out cold, you lifted your head a bit and leaned up to press a gentle kiss to his cheek as he snored away, you carefully slipped yourself out of his arms, a chill coming over your naked body from the coldness of the room, you slipped into the bathroom grabbing a robe and slipping it on and tying it closed, you came back into the bedroom that was a complete mess after yesterday’s dramatics, you picked up Elvis’ watch that sat on the bedside table, checking the time and seeing that it was 10:30am. You glanced down at Elvis, hoping he would wake up soon so you could spend some time together. But you decide to order breakfast for the both of you since you were quite hungry and craving an assortment of things. You quietly walked out of the bedroom into the main part of the suite, grabbing the phone and calling down for room service, once someone answered you ordered Elvis some bacon and eggs with side of potatoes and a pot of coffee. Then for yourself you ordered some chocolate chip pancakes with eggs, a side fruit and some orange juice. You couldn’t decide on just getting one thing and your appetite was slowly changing. Once they said the food would be up shortly, you thanked them and hung up.

You walked back into the bedroom and climbing into bed with Elvis, gently shaking him to wake up. “Elvis.. Elvis, honey…” you said softly. He let out soft groan turning over in his sleep, you continued to try to wake him up, it was always a process to get him up in the mornings. You eventually gave up and decided to wait until he got himself up. You climbed off the bed and headed back into the main suite, shutting the bedroom door. You decided to call Jerry and Sandy’s room, hoping to speak with Sandy and updating her on the whole pregnancy debacle. The line shrilled for a few moments until you heard the line click and Sandy’s voice on the other end. “Hello?” “Sandy! Just the person I was trying to reach.” You said softly with a laugh. “Hi, y/n! I’ve been meaning to call you, I’m sorry for telling Jerry.” She says. “It’s alright, if there’s anyone other than Elvis, I’d want to know it’s you and Jerry. Speaking of… I finally told him last night.” You say quietly. “Oh my gosh, how did it go?” she says curiously. “Pretty much how I expected, he was excited. But I had to tell him that I wasn’t sure if I wanted this yet. He didn’t take that too well, but he understands. So, he’s leaving it up to me to decide on what to do. Y’know keeping it or… the other option.” You mumbled.

“Have you decided on what to do?” she asks. “I-I don’t know. Part of me wants to keep it especially with seeing how happy he was, but the other part of me is like are you really ready for that kind of responsibility and the changes that’ll come.” You say letting out a soft sigh. You suddenly hear a bit of commotion coming the bedroom, assuming Elvis was getting up. “I’ve gotta go. I think Elvis is awake, I’ll talk to you later.” You whispered over the phone. “Talk to you later.” She said and you both hung up the phone. You made your way into the bedroom to see Elvis was out of bed, but you could hear him in the bathroom, so you waited for him to come out and once he did, he was smiling at you. “I wasn’t expecting you to be awake yet, honey.” You said softly, walking over to him and wrapping your arms around him, hugging his waist. You stared up at him with a grin. He smiled, wrapping an arm around you, and pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I promised ya I’d be up before noon, didn’t I?” he said playfully. You nodded with a smile. “I ordered us some breakfast.” You say, pulling away from him, but holding onto his hand. “Thank goodness, I’m starvin’.” He said with a grin.

You tugged at him gently, leading him into the main part of his suite and you let go of his hand, walking over to the record player, looking through some of his records, he walked up behind you, and you felt his arms wrapping around your waist, one of his hands gently rubbing over your stomach, you quickly turned around his arms, you didn’t want him getting attached the life inside of you until you made your decision, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders with a smile. “Can you pick something for us to listen to? You asked him sweetly. He leaned down pressed a soft kiss to your lips. “Of course, baby. I have a song I want you to listen to, I’ve been thinking about including it in my shows.” He nodded with a smile. “Really? I’d love to hear it! What’s it called?” you grinned up at him. “Just Pretend.” He smiled. “Hm.. Sounds interesting.” You giggled. You heard a knock at the door, kissed his cheek and pulled away, knowing it was probably the food, as you were answering the door, he was finding the demo he had recorded of the song, you thanked the bellhop and then started wheeling the tray over to the dining room table and began to set the table for you both.

Elvis had put the record on, and you heard the softness of his voice ringing out through the speakers, it sounded beautiful, it brought a smile to your face, you always loved when he sang ballads, he just had the voice for them. Once you finished setting the table you turned to face him, and he was already walking in your direction. “Whatdaya think, honey? Be honest with me.” he said as he sat down at the table, you poured him a cup of coffee and you sat down next to him, smiling. “I love it, Elvis. Your voice sounds incredible, but then again it always does. The lyrics and the melody are amazing. It’s perfect for your voice. It’s a really beautiful song.” You say with a smile. “You think so?” he says with a grin. You nodded with a smile. “You should add it to the show.” You say, as you cover pancakes in syrup. “Maybe.” He says, taking a sip of his coffee and took a few bites of his food. He glanced over at the stack of chocolate chip pancakes on your plate. “Can I try some?” he said with smile. “Elvis, you’re allergic to chocolate, aren’t you?.” You say with a soft laugh. “I get a little puffy, it’s fine. Just a few bites.” He says. You rolled your eyes at him, cutting a few pieces off for him and then feeding them to him, he chewed happily giving you a wink.

You giggled softly, it was moments like this with him that you enjoyed, there was something so sweet, and innocent about it. The side of him only you got see in private, the side you absolutely adored. He was like a little spoiled baby sometimes wanting to be taken care of and pampered, but sometimes it was something so simple like you feeding him. He grinned and started eating his own food now, you happily ate your pancakes. He was sipping his coffee and staring over at you he cleared his throat quietly. “So, the baby… I think we should talk about it.” he says. You looked over at him, shaking your head. “Elvis, please... I don’t want to talk about that right now.” You say softly. “P-Part of me hopes you keep it, honey.” He says quietly. You let out a soft sigh at his words, setting down your fork and now you weren’t even looking at him. “And if I decided to get rid of it? Will you hate me? Resent me?” you blurted out, peering up at him.

“What? Baby, of course not.” He said as he reached over to take your hand in his, intertwining your fingers together. “Look at me, little…” he said softly. You slowly raised your head up and now you were staring into his blue eyes. “Nothing, I mean nothing... Could ever make me feel that way toward you, baby. I will respect anything you decide. But can I ask something?” he says. You nod your head slowly, listening to him intently. “What is it that has you unsure or afraid?” he asks curiously.

You let out a sharp exhale. “Everything. Things will change if I have this baby. I fear things between us will change. Seeing how well your show went last night and you doing more and probably going on tour, how’s that all going to work?” you say softly. “Don’t be silly, little one. Nothin’ is going to change between us, and you shouldn’t worry about all that. You’d both be well taken care of even if I am away for a bit.” He says bringing your hand up to his lips, pressing small kisses to it. “Elvis… I’m not worried about you taking care of us. I know you will. I’m just worried about you not finding me attractive anymore.” You said with a small pout. He furrowed his brow a bit at your words, shaking his head, patted his lap and gestured for you to come to him. “C’mere, little girl.” He said softly. You slowly got up from your chair and you walked over to him, sitting down on his lap and settling yourself there, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, you stared at him with the same small pout. He slipped an arm around your waist and then brought his other hand up to your face, resting his index finger beneath your chin. “I am always going to find you attractive, hell… I can’t keep my hands off ya and that’s not going to change if you have a baby.” He said softly, learning up to press a loving kiss to your lips. “You’re beautiful. You’ll always be beautiful. My sweet girl.” He mumbled, pressing another kiss to your lips.

Your pout turned into a smile, and you could feel yourself blushing at his words, returning each of his loving kisses. “You mean that, Elvis?” you purred softly against his lips. “Mhm..” he mumbled, capturing your lips in another kiss and then you felt him lifting you into his arms as he jumped up out of his chair, you let out a soft squeal, clinging to him tighter. “Elvis!” you giggled. He grinned walking you over to the couch and gently laying you down, you bit down on your bottom lip as you watched him walk over to the record player to put on a record by The Ink Spots and you smiled to yourself, while some of the music he chose was rather old, it was quite romantic. He walked back over the couch with a grin, and he climbed on top of you, the weight of his body against your own only furthered your desire for him more, you brought your hands up to his face, your fingertips lightly caressing his cheeks as your eyes studied every part of his face, your eyes meeting and gazing into one another’s as the music played softly in the background. It all felt like something out of a movie. You didn’t think it was possible to love someone as much as you loved him. How could I possibly get rid of this baby? There’s no way… He’d be such a wonderful father…Before your mind could even continue to drift off further, Elvis’ lips were against yours, kissing you passionately, your hands moved to rest on his shoulders, as you kissed him back a soft sound escaping you as you kissed, your legs moving to wrap around his waist.

His soft lips trailing down your chin and down to your neck, the feeling of his soft kisses against your skin causing a slight shiver to run throughout your body, you watched as he slowly opened your robe, revealing your breasts and he slowly kissed down to them, you let out a gasp when you felt his lips kiss over them and gazed lightly over your nipples, his lips were giving your breasts extra attention that it caused a soft whimper to escape you, you didn’t want him to stop. You wanted him to kiss every single part of your body with those beautiful soft lips, and without even realizing it the words, “More…More…” escaped your lips in a whisper. The more he opened your robe the further he kissed down your body. Suddenly you were interrupted by a knock on the door, but Elvis completely ignored it, continuing to tease your body with his kisses, so you also ignored it. But then the knock happened again, it just happened to be Joe and his knock was louder this time as he heard the music coming from inside. “EP. The Colonel wants to see you.” Joe shouted. You both let out an annoyed groan, knowing that he was going to have to answer it. “I’ll make him go away, baby.” He mumbled, pecking your lips softly before he got up off the couch, fixing his robe.

You let out a soft sigh, as he went to answer the door you sat up, closing your robe and fixing your hair, staring over in his direction as he and Joe conversated among themselves about something you couldn’t make out and once he had gotten rid of him and closed the door, he turned around and letting out a sigh as he shook his head. “Something the matter, honey?” you asked. “The Colonel just wants to see me in his office is all.” He says. You got up from the couch and walked over to him, taking his hands into yours and you pouted playfully. “Right now?” you say softly. He nodded and a small “Mhm.” Escaping him and he leaned down pressing several kisses to your lips. “But I’m not done playing with you, little one.” He mumbled and started walking to the bedroom, guiding you with him and you let out a soft giggle as you followed and he led you into the bathroom with him, starting the shower for the two of you.

Elvis had turned his attention to you, pulling you close to him by the front of your robe and ever so slowly untying it, you stared up at him as you bit down on your bottom lip, his hands pushing the fabric of the robe down your shoulders until it slipped off your frame and into a puddle on the floor, you stood completely naked in front of him, something that still made you super shy because of the way he always looked at you, like he was looking at you for the first time, every time. He stepped closer to you, his hands running along every curve of your body, his lips pressing gently against your cheek. You inhaled sharply from his gentle touching and kisses, he pulled back and took his robe off and it falling to the ground beside your own. “C’mon..” he said softly, grabbing a hold of your hand and leading you into the steaming shower, the warmth of the water raining down onto your bodies, soaking your hair. You felt Elvis grab your waist and he turned you around your back facing him, now he was pressing his body up against yours, you could feel his cock growing hard against your ass, and you let out a soft noise.

He had one arm wrapped around your waist and then with his other hand he ran it gently over your breasts, pressing small kisses to the back of your neck and down your shoulder blade, you leaned into him, wanting to just melt right into his arms. He grabbed the bar of soap and began to run it over your body slowly, causing suds to form on your body, you watched his hand move over every inch of your body with the soap, he was being so delicate, gentle and a bit of a tease, you watched as his hand moved between your thighs, you chewed at the inside of your cheek, feeling his hand so close to the heat between your legs, so desperate for his touch as you always were. You felt his hand move away and he was putting the soap down and now he was reaching up for the shower head that was removable, a playful grin on his lips as he brought it down between your legs, the pressure from the water hitting against your thigh made your body jolt slightly and then he parted your legs a bit further, changing the setting on the shower head as he aimed it directly onto your clit, your body shivered instantly at the sensation, squirming in his arms as a soft whimper escaped you.

His lips were hovering against your skin, sucking gently at the nape of your neck, the pressure of the water against your clit causing such friction and a sensation you had never felt before, you were moaning softly, your toes curling against the bathtub floor, your right hand reaching back to grab his cock, wrapping your hand around it and slowly pumping it in your hand, he let out a soft groan against your neck. He reached over and switched the water temperature to cold, the sudden change sent your body quivering all over and wanting to close your legs around the shower head, but he wouldn’t allow it, he propped your leg up, having your foot resting against the brim of the bathtub, your moans only growing louder, your head tilting back against his chest, your eyes rolling back as your hand continued to pump his cock at a swift and steady pace. Elvis kissed up to your ear slowly a smirk on his lips. “I want you to finger yourself for me, little one...” he mumbled between his groans.

You raised an eyebrow at his words, tilting your head to look at him with your usual innocent look. He placed his hand over yours, sliding your hand down between your legs. “Do it…” he whispered demandingly. You nodded your head slowly at his demands, you felt him grab two of your fingers and he forced them into you, you squirmed in his arms, letting out a louder moan. The intensity of the water against your clit and your fingers inside of you made everything even more pleasurable, all the while you were still pumping his cock in your hand, hearing his groans vibrating against your skin. You started to finger yourself using slow movements and you watched as he switched the temperature of the water back to hot, you let out a small squeal the sudden change of temperature only made you more sensitive to his little game, but the feeling was completely euphoric and erotic in the way that he was able to make your body feel this way. You began to pump your fingers a bit steadier inside your pussy, you could feel just how wet he had made you become, your eyes were rolling back as you felt him change up the setting on the shower head, this time the water was hitting your clit in a more intense way, he started moving the shower head up and down, letting the pressure of the water tease your clit, you didn’t know much longer you’d be able to take of this. You knew if he kept this up, you’d be cumming in a matter of minutes.

“E-Elvis… I-I want you inside of me..” you mumbled out breathlessly. It caused a smirk to form on his lips, he shook his head slowly. “Mm.. We don’t have time, little one… But I’m gonna make you cum for me.” He whispered in your ear. You let out a small whimper at his words, your body completely at his mercy begging for him to give you what you want. He reached down to remove your fingers from your pussy and shoved two of his long fingers inside of you, you felt yourself clench around them, you tightened your grip a bit on his cock, stroking him slow and long, feeling him throbbing in your hand, only furthering the sounds that escaped him to grow louder. He was moving the showerhead back and forth against you, the water hitting against your clit in rhythm along with his fingers that were deep inside of you, curling in such a way that they hit the spots that you loved. Your breathing was becoming heavy, the stimulation of the water and his fingers caused so much tension to grow within you that could feel your orgasm building, aching to be released.

You felt his lips against your shoulder, pressing light kisses as he kept up the tempo that he was playing with your body, while your hand continued to stroke and pump his cock at a quicker pace, the noises escaping the both of you only growing louder as you both approached your orgasms, you felt your body tense up, your toes curling against the tub, your free hand reaching up to claw at the shower curtain as you mumbled out the words, “Fuck, Elvis...” between each moan, your legs trembling as you felt yourself finally let go and cum all over his fingers. Elvis’ groans muffled against your skin, and you suddenly felt the warmth of his cum squirting out against your ass and he let out a soft, “Mm..” against your ear, dropping the showerhead and slowly pulling his fingers out of you, a quiet whimper escaping your lips at the feeling and you leaned against him as you tried to compose yourself, you felt his arms wrapping around your waist and you tilted your head up to look back at him, reaching you’re a hand up to place on the back of his head, lightly running your fingers through his hair.

He leaned down to press a soft kiss to your lips with a smirk and then he turned you around to face him, you stared up at him with a big smile, tracing your hand gently against his abdomen. “Well… That was different...” you said softly with a giggle. He grinned and nodded his head slowly. “Mhm…” he said teasingly. You bit down on your bottom lip a sly smirk on your face, and you bent down to put the showerhead where it belongs. “After your shows tonight, maybe I’ll reward you.” You say, reaching down to graze your hand over his cock. “Mm.. I’ll be thinking about that all day now…” he muttered, smirking. “I hope the very thought of it gets you hard on stage.” You cooed, licking your lips. “Fuck… You’re such a tease, baby.” He growled. “Mhm.. Well, you better hurry up for your meeting with the Colonel!” You say with a smirk, kissing his cheek softly before stepping out of the shower, grabbing a towel, and wrapping it tightly around your body, walking back into the bedroom and proceeding to search for an outfit to wear.

Once you found an outfit you were satisfied with you sat at the vanity to do your makeup as usual and not doing too much or too little, once you finished you got up and removed your towel and began to get dressed, you decided on a dark brown mini skirt giving it some flair by adding a chain tassel belt and then you paired the skirt with a green tank top, tucking it into the skirt. As for jewelry you added an arm cuff to your right arm and simple necklace to match and some of earrings, as you were finishing up you hear Elvis finishing up with his shower and moments later, he comes out in his robe and you smile at him, giving him a twirl. “What do you think of my outfit for tonight, honey?” you say happily. He chuckles softly as he gives your outfit a glance. “You look like a hippie.” He says with a smirk, shaking his head. “You don’t like it?” you say with a playful pout. He walks over to you, wrapping an arm around your waist, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I like it, baby.” He said with a grin, kissing your forehead once again before pulling away and getting dressed. You smiled at his words, sitting down on the bed, leaning back on your elbows as you watched him get ready. “What do you plan on doing until tonight, baby?” he asked giving you a glance with a smile as he continued to get dressed. “Besides waiting around all day until I see you tonight?” you laughed softly. “Don’t get cute.” He said rolling his eyes playfully.

You laughed softly and then you shrugged. “I don’t know, why?” you asked curiously. “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come down to rehearsals, it’d be nice to have you there.” He smiled as he went over to the mirror at the vanity to start fixing his hair. “Yes, I’d love to!” you beamed, staring at him as he fixed his hair in the mirror, your eyes slowly looking over his outfit, he looked handsome but that wasn’t surprising wearing a long-sleeved blue striped shirt with most of it unbuttoned revealing his chest, with a pair of black pants and one of his flashy big belts to go along with it. You loved watching him get ready, he always had sort of a routine, there was no doubt that he was very humble, but there was always a bit of vanity in him, especially when it came to his appearance. You smiled as you watched him grab your eyeliner, you climbed off the bed and walked over to him. “Sit down, baby.” You say softly, taking the eyeliner from his hands, he raised an eyebrow at your words, a small smile on his lips as he sat down in the chair. “What are you doing?” he asked as you climbed into his lap. “I want to help you with your eyeliner.” You say with a smile, holding his face still with your other hand as you slowly and carefully began to do his eye makeup for him.

He wrapped his arms around your waist as he sat still for you. You smiled at him as you continued to do his eyeliner. Once you were done you put down the eyeliner and then grabbed the mascara and began to put a bit on his lashes the way he liked, gently caressing his face with your other hand. “You’re so beautiful.” You mumbled softly. He laughed not knowing how to respond to that, you knew he wouldn’t be able to take what you said seriously, but it was true. He had a face like no other, every curve, every line was just perfect. Simply Beautiful. Once you were done you climbed off his lap and standing back to look at your work and then you leaned down, cupping his face in your hands and then kissing his lips softly. “All done.” You mumbled against them. He turned to look in the mirror, checking himself out as he smiled. “It looks good... Hell, better than when I do it.” He said with a soft chuckle.

You smiled at his words, reaching over to fix the collar of his shirt as you smoothed it out a bit, staring up at him and catching a glimpse of his cute smile. “Will you be going to rehearsals after you meet with the Colonel?” you asked. He nodded, slipping an arm around your waist. “I’ll have one of the guys come up and get ya, honey. I’m really excited for you to come and introduce you to everyone.” He smiled. “I can’t wait to see my handsome man at work.” You said with a giggle, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. He chuckled at your words, returning your kiss. "I better go before the Colonel comes down here lookin’ for me.” He said rolling his eyes. “Yeah, we don’t need that…” you laughed as you watched Elvis grab a pair of his glasses, slipping them on and then he grabbed your hand leading you back out of the bedroom with him to walk him to the door. “Whatever this meeting is it shouldn’t be long. So, someone should be up soon to get ya, darlin’.” He said, opening the door to the suite, and you saw Joe and Sonny standing out in the hall waiting for him. You nodded at his words, leaning up to place a quick kiss to his cheek and you watched as he left with the two men, shutting the door.

You let out a soft happy sigh, you were so excited to see Elvis rehearse because it would be a first for you to see him truly in his element of creating the beautiful music he sings. You walked back over to the table where your breakfast still sat, and you picked over the food a bit as you ate some of it. You glanced down at your stomach, giving this whole baby thing another thought. Elvis made all your insecurities go away and part of you was starting to consider motherhood even though that still scared you, because what did you know about being a mother. You were still a baby yourself, that’s how Elvis treated you and made you feel, and you knew that the thought that was running through your head right now sounded ridiculous, but you didn’t want to share Elvis with anyone, not even with a baby. You were his baby. It was such childish way of thinking, it’s just how you felt. But you couldn’t stop picturing the excited expression on his face last night from news and how cute he was being that he literally couldn’t sit still. Maybe having a baby won’t be the worst thing to happen... This was going to be one of the hardest decisions of your life, but a decision had to be made soon before it became too late to get rid of it, but you shook off the thoughts not wanting to think about that right now and you started cleaning up, that was always a good distraction for you.

Meanwhile Elvis was in the Colonel’s office where they were discussing what was to come next and possible touring dates, unfortunately not overseas like Elvis wanted, but an American tour, he also gets news that the international hotel and the Colonel had drawn up a contract with Elvis playing at the hotel for a month out of year for the next 5 years, Elvis didn’t really like that because this wasn’t supposed to be a permanent thing, but he wasn’t one to argue when it came to the Colonel and business because he always ensured him that it’s good money and that it would not come to any cost to them. Elvis hesitantly agreed only because the promise of a tour. Even though it wasn’t everything he had wanted he was excited nonetheless because he just wanted to perform and do the thing, he loved the most and he figured he’d be doing that, might as well enjoy it. He couldn’t wait to tell you the news, once he left the Colonel’s office, he asked Joe to go back to his suite and bring you down to where he was rehearsing, he and Sonny headed down as Joe went to get you.

You had the suite a bit tidy now even trying to clean up the mess you and Elvis had made in the bedroom, doing your best to make it a bit easier on housekeeping. You heard a knock at the door, and you stopped what you were doing and went to answer it, smiling when you see its Joe. “Hey, Y/N, Elvis is wants me to bring you down now.” He said with a smile. “Okay, did his meeting the Colonel go well?” you asked as you grabbed your purse and headed out of the suite with him. “Well, he didn’t come out yelling. So, that was a good sign.” He laughed. You let out a soft chuckle. “That is a good sign, so he’ll be in good spirits.” You smiled as you both stepped onto the elevator and Joe pushed the button to the floor you were going to. “How’s Joanie doing? I didn’t get a chance to see her last night.” You say trying to make small talk. “She’s good. You’ll probably get a chance to see her tonight after the first show.” He nodded with a smile. You smiled and as soon as the elevator doors opened you both headed out and you followed behind Joe, you could hear the faint sounds of music playing and Elvis’ voice harmonizing along which brought a big smile to your face as you got more excited.

As you both approached the door to the rehearsal room, Joe opened the door for you and you walked inside everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing, you stood there fidgeting with your hands nervously and Elvis turned around and smiled widely when he saw you, he came waltzing over to you happily as if he didn’t just see you like an hour ago, which you thought was cute, he pulled you into his arms, hugging you tight. You returned his loving hug, inhaling his scent as you nuzzled your face into his chest a bit before he pulled away. “I’m so happy you’re here, I also have some news to share. But we’ll talk about that later, little.” He said. “Oh? I hope it’s good news!” you beamed. “It is, honey. C’mon, I wanna introduce ya to everyone.” He said, grabbing a hold of your hand and you couldn’t help but laugh, sometimes it felt like he was showing you off more than really introducing you to people. He led you over to everyone and made introductions with all of them, it felt like a whole new world with him in this element. Once he finished introducing you to everyone it felt like your head was spinning.

You watched as he went and grabbed you a chair, setting it off to the side so you could have the best view of everything, especially him. “Sit here, honey. N-Now I’ll want your honest opinion on some of these songs.” He said. You sat down, smiling up at him as you nodded. “I promise to give my honest opinion.” You laughed softly, knowing not to be too honest you did that once before and his anger got the better of him. You knew how things worked with Elvis, he wanted you to be honest but not to the point of embarrassing him or making him think you know better than him when it came to music. You watched him walk back to his seat and you were so excited that you could hardly sit still, you knew what a perfectionist he was especially when he’d play his demos for you and he’d still find something wrong even though it sounded perfect. So you weren’t sure what to expect from the rehearsal.

But the first song they began to play was Words by The Bee Gees, a song that was rather slow, but the way Elvis sang it gave it a faster tempo, and it was more upbeat. You were always amazed at how he was able to make songs sound so different that you completely forget what the original song even sounded like. You couldn’t stop smiling just watching him doing what he did best, what made him happy. It was fascinating to see how well of an ear he had for music the littlest mistake he could hear. It wasn’t all work and seriousness, they all made jokes and horsed around, especially with Elvis changing the lyrics to the songs and making them dirty. He then went into singing ‘Mary in the Morning’ and changing the name from Mary to Y/N, he was grinning over at you with that cheeky look of his as he sang directly to you, you couldn’t help but get shy and flustered. All the while thinking how sweet he was and the amount of love that you felt for him, he truly was the love of your life. No one else could make you feel the way he made you feel... Like a little girl and a woman all at the same time.

The rehearsals went on for another hour so until it was time for him and everyone to get ready for the first show, he came over to you with a wide smile. “What did you think?” he asked, placing a hand on your waist. “It was amazing, Elvis. Truly. I love seeing you do the thing you love. The songs are beautiful.” You smiled up at him. You swear you caught him almost blushing from your words, he leaned down to press a kiss to your lips. “Thank you, baby. I’ll see you at the show, don’t you go leaving in the middle of it again.” He said jokingly. “I won’t.” you said with a smile, watching him leave with everyone else and then Jerry came over to escort you out and he took to where some of the other guys were with some of the wives as everyone waited until it was time to go in and get your seats. Sandy had spotted you when she had entered the room, kissed Jerry, and then made her way to you, plopping down on the couch beside you, grinning ear to ear.

“Soooo, any other news on the B-A-B-Y.” she whispered, it always made you laugh at how nosy Sandy could be sometimes and how she was always wanting to know the happenings of everything, but you enjoyed that about her. You glanced around not really wanting the others to hear. “No, I mean, we talked about it again because he insisted, he reassured me of some things I was worried about. So, I don’t know... I might keep it. I just know it’d break his heart if I didn’t. He didn’t say that, but I just know it would.” you said with a shrug, Sandy seemed like she was over the moon about the possibility of you keeping it. “I call dibs on being the godmother if you do. Wow, Elvis as a father... That’s hard to picture.” She whispered and you both laughed. “You’d definitely be a godmother. Yeah, he’d be a good father, though. It’d be just as spoiled as he is.” You laughed.

Jerry came over to you now and gestured for you to come with him because it was time for all of you to go in and Elvis had you sitting in the same booth as his father and Dee, so he’d be able to see you in the crowd. You all got up and you followed behind Jerry to your seat, thanking him. You watched as he showroom quickly began to fill and it seemed it was more packed than it was on the first night, which didn’t seem possible because yesterday was pure madness with the roaring and screaming of the crowd and it only got crazier tonight, with the women now trying to climb up onto the stage trying to steal a kiss from Elvis, you didn’t let your jealously get the better of you this time, because you knew he was only doing his job and feeding them this version of Elvis Presley. You made it through both shows surprisingly not tired at all with a small intermission in between the two, he was amazing as always, putting on the show of a lifetime and strutting around on stage with such confidence and breaking out into karate moves in between songs. He was a bit looser tonight and not as nervous, cracking jobs and making the crowd laugh.

The entire time you were watching him you just couldn’t get over the fact that he belonged to you, that you were the woman that got to be by his side, share a bed with and live with him. That you knew him better than all these other women thought they knew him. You were the luckiest girl in the world who was pregnant with his child who would be the luckiest kid in the world to have him as a father. Jerry had come to get you once the second show was ending and you assumed he was going to be bringing you backstage to Elvis, but that wasn’t the case. “Elvis wants me to bring you up to the suite, he said he’d be up shortly.” He said with a smile, you nodded, getting up and following Jerry to the elevator as you two made your way up to the suite. Before you went inside, you hugged Jerry and thanked him and then turned to walk inside of the suite, kicking off your shoes and dropping your purse and you walked over to the couch throwing yourself onto it and you laid there patiently waiting for the man of the hour.

Moments had passed and you heard the door opening, you propped yourself on your elbows, seeing Elvis walk through that door, still in his jumpsuit that hugged his body in a way that you loved, and he was still a bit sweaty. He came waltzing over to you with a smirk. “I see your already in a good position to give me my reward you promised.” He said with a chuckle. You rolled your eyes at him, shaking your head. “Is sex always on your mind, Elvis?” you laughed. He chuckled at your words as he sat down on the edge of the couch beside you, combing his fingers through your hair as you stared up at him. “No, not always, but if you’re layin’ like this in that short skirt, it’s hard not to think about it. Plus, after a show I’m always a little revved up, honey.” He said with a smirk, leaning down to kiss your lips. “Speaking of what did you think of the show?” he asked curiously. You returned his kiss with a smile. “It was wonderful. I could tell you weren’t so nervous this time.” you said, reaching up to brush strands of his messy hair out of his face. “Thank you, baby, that means a lot.” He smiled, kissing your lips again and now he was getting up onto the couch and hovering above you and you placed your hand against his chest to stop him, not surprised that he was trying to jump your bones already after probably thinking about fucking you the entire time he was performing.

“Don’t you want to shower first?” you asked. “Why? Do I smell?” he asked with a laugh. “Of course not. But I’m sure you want to unwind.” You said with a smile. “Nah, honey, I’m all turned on from being out there and lookin’ at you the whole night.” He said with a grin. You giggled softly. “Mm, I’m sure.” you smirked, watching him eyeing your skirt. You reached down, tugging it up, revealing your panties that he wasted no time removing and tossing to the floor, he spread your legs wide open, moving in between them, you watched eagerly, biting your bottom lip. He really did look incredibly sexy after a show, you loved the sweat that dripped down his face and his hairy chest, the feeling of it against your skin when you made love, making you just as dirty and messy as he was. You snapped out of your daydreaming of Elvis fucking you, you lifted your shirt up over your head and tossing it to the floor and he smirked at the sight of you not wearing a bra. He reached down to unzip his suit enough to pull his cock out that was already growing hard in his hand.

You reached up wrapping your arms around his shoulders and pulling him down against you, wanting to feel the weight of him on top of you. “Take what’s yours, baby. Fuck your reward.” You mumbled against his ear, letting out a soft whimper against it. “Well, shit, keep talkin’ to me like that, baby.” He said with a smirk, teasing your wet pussy with the head of his cock, slapping it gently against your clit, you let out a soft moan against his ear. “Don’t tease me, Elvis.. I want you deep inside of me.” You mumbled. You could tell your dirty talk was sending him over the edge, because he was forcing his cock inside of you roughly, you cried out against his ear, whimpering softly. “Such a good boy, I want you to fuck me hard..” you cooed in his ear. “Fuck, I love you.” He said between his groans, picking up the pace rather quickly as his hips slammed into your own, forcing every inch of himself inside of you with each thrust he made, you held onto him, gripping the fabric of his jumpsuit as your moans grew louder.

“Y-Yes, baby, just like that…” you moaned out, tilting your head back against the couch as he fucked you with a roughness you never felt before, he grabbed a hold of your hips, holding you down on the couch as he fucked you mercilessly. You brought your hands down to your breasts, cupping them tightly in your hands as you arched your back, moaning out his name loudly and mumbling a few words after repeatedly, “You’re such a good boy...” which you knew he loved hearing, he got off on it. His rings on his hands were piercing your skin the tighter he gripped your waist, leaving bruises behind, his sweat dripping down onto your body, only furthering the pleasure that you felt, he was groaning loudly against your neck, breathing heavily, almost out of breath but he kept up the rough tempo and rhythm within you, it felt like he was destroying you from the inside, you grabbed one of his hands and wrapped it around your throat. “Choke me, Elvis… Don’t you dare hold back..” You whispered. You knew the high he was riding after his shows did things to him and you knew it’d be the perfect time to get him to be as rough as he can be.

He was shocked at your behavior, but he was loving every minute of it, he had to admit you kept things interesting each time you had sex. He never knew what to expect from you. He wrapped his hand around your throat tight and it happened to be the hand with the most rings on it, so the coldness from them sent shivers down your spine and you whimpered from the rough feeling of them and him tightening his grip around your throat, making it hard for you to breath, you gasped softly as your moans slipped out muffled and now you were rocking your hips along with his movements, tangling one of your hands in his hair and tugging at it roughly, the both of you moaning and making all sorts of noises as your bodies collided with one another roughly, your orgasms rapidly approaching, you both reaching that peak of pure bliss. “D-Don’t you let a drop of your cum spill out of me, baby..” your words coming out muffled as his hand was still wrapped tight around your throat.

That completely sent him into a frenzy when he heard those words and he felt his body completely tense up on him, making him lose control as he reached his orgasm, filling you up with his cum that came shooting out of him, your body shook beneath him when you felt him cum and that’s when your body finally gave in and you came all over his cock, holding onto his hand that was around your neck as the two of you road out your orgasms together until you came to a stop, he let go of your throat, pulling himself out of you and collapsing on top of you, his body weight heavy on you, as he laid his head on your chest, breathing so heavy he couldn’t even speak. You combed your fingers through hair delicately, as you tried to catch your breath, giggling to yourself because of how crazy you made him, you glanced down at him, hugging your body and nuzzling his face into your chest. “Goddamn, woman… You are dirty little girl.” He mumbled against you.

You couldn’t help but laugh at his words, shrugging. “It’s your fault, you bring those things out of me.” You grinned. He finally lifted his head up, kissing the small bruises he left behind on your neck and kissing up to your lips, you kissed him back softly. “I love you, Y/N. God do I love ya, baby.” he chuckled. “I love you too, Elvis.” You grinned, kissing his lips once more. “Now I can shower.” He laughed, sitting up and tucking himself back into his suit, but before he could get up, you pulled him back to you. “Wait, I want to tell you something, honey.” You said softly. “Okay, tell me what?” he asked, smiling at you. “I know I said I needed a few days, but I don’t think I do. I’ve decided on keeping the baby…” you say softly. You watched the same excited expression form on his face from last night. “Are you serious, honey?” he asked. “Yes, Elvis, I am.” You smiled at him. “Holy shit, this is actually happening… I-I’m going to be a father.” He said excitedly, you watched as he couldn’t sit still again, beaming with happiness, which only made you even happier. “Well, I guess now’s a good time then.” He said as he walked into the bedroom abruptly, you sat up now with a confused look on your face.

“A good time for what?” you shouted out to him; you could hear him fumbling around in the drawers of his bedside table. “Elvis?” you called out to him, wondering what he was talking about. Then you saw him reappear from the bedroom, his hand behind his back and you were staring at him with an eyebrow raised. “What’s going on? What is this a good time for?” you questioned him. He walked toward you now, standing directly in front of you and then you watched as he dropped down onto one knee, his hand emerging from his back in front of you, a small black box in the palm of his hand, he opened it slowly and you felt your heart drop to your stomach and a lump forming in your throat once you realized what he was doing, the ring was enormous, it had a huge diamond in the middle with smaller ones surrounding it. “E-Elvis…” you say softly, your eyes already welling up with tears. “Wait a minute, baby… Let me just say what I need to say to you.” He said with a smile.

You nodded at his words, trying your best to keep the tears from flowing as he took a hold of your hand, pressing several kisses against it. “I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to you, I love you so much, I think I’ve always loved you from the moment I saw you from that tiny stage at the special. The prettiest little girl in the crowd, starin’ at me with those innocent doe eyes of yours.” He chuckled and that caused you to giggle, he held your hand tight, and you could tell he was nervous because his hand was shaking. “I didn’t think I’d fall this hard, but here we are, gettin’ to know you this past year has been a dream. We fight like hell sometimes and you can be a bit overdramatic, but it only makes me fall for you more. You know me better than anymore, honestly. You listen to me better than anyone, understand me. I truly believe my mother would’ve loved you, I believe she sent you to me.” He says with a big smile, by this point the tears were streaming down your face and you were a crying mess, he reached up to wipe some of your tears away. You watched him take the ring out and set the small box aside and he grabbed your hand again, he stared up at you with his blue eyes that were so soft in this moment, you anxiously waited for him to say those four little words.

“Y/N, baby, will ya marry me?” he asked softly, slowly sliding the ring onto your finger, pressing another kiss to your hand. You couldn’t stop crying now, staring down at the ring at your finger and then back at him, you leaned forward, throwing your arms around him and hugging him tight. “Yes, yes, of course I’ll marry you!” you said, pulling back from him and planting a loving kiss to his lips as you cupped his face in your hands. “I love you so so much, Elvis. That was so beautiful.” You said sniffling softly, trying to stop yourself from crying. “You’re not marrying me just because I’m pregnant, are you?” you asked not wanting to ruin the moment, but you had to know. He laughed, shaking his head. “No, silly girl, I had planned on doing this for some time, just didn’t know when or how. But this moment just felt right, y’know?” he said with smile.

You nodded slowly, staring at the huge ring on your finger as you squealed with excitement. “This ring, Elvis... It’s stunning.” You said, kissing his lips again and he returned your kiss with a grin, pulling you into his arms so when he stood up, he lifted you up with him, wrapping your legs around his torso, and your arms snaked around his shoulders tight as he carried you, you beamed happily, kissing the side of his face repeatedly. “Only the best for my girl. Now lets go shower, little one.” He said, chuckling softly as he whisked you away into the bedroom with him.

“When you are not in love, you’re not alive…” - EP

TAGLIST: @erutluve @idk3453 @elvisgirl35 @godlypresley @lindszeppelin @re3kin @elvisdoll @pennyroyalcreep @kaitaesupremacy @presleyturner @presleybewbie @samfangirls @ilovehobi101 @literally-just-elvis-fics

sorry if I missed anyone!

#elvis presley #elvis x y/n #elvis x reader #elvis smut #elvis fluff #elvis fanfic #68 comeback special #graceland

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persephoneflouwers · 1 year

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Lucky Again

I spent the last few days thinking about this song quite a lot. I haven’t paid much attention to it at first, probably the excitement felt a bit mitigated by the fact we knew the song already, but I’ve been binge listening to the album for a month now and every week it’s a new week obsessing with a different song, so now it’s Lucky Again turn. I haven’t read many analysis or opinions lately, because I’ve been pretty busy, so I’m sorry if this is something someone already wrote about or if it doesn’t really make sense. It does make sense in my head tho, so I’ll hope I can articulate my thoughts well enough to convey the message lol.

I think Lucky Again is a very comforting song, more like self-comforting. It is a love song, but to himself. And since when I started reading at it like this… Lucky Again has been hurting more than any other song in the album. Yeah, I said that about All this time too but yall know what I mean lol. They are very very very personal songs. Louis is so good at writing about himself and being so open to fucking stub your heart with a single word, but sometimes it goes a bit unheard. Not here tho, not here.

Anyway. Let’s start!

You give and give until it's gone away, Just tell yourself you've got another day

Starting with a bang. I usually read deeper than necessary but the incipit feels a bit tough, doesn’t it? He’s saying life can get consuming. It consumes you, your time, your energies, sometimes your feelings. You give and give until everything is gone and you go though your day by inertia, one day after the other.

You've lived that life, you just don't see it yet

Truth been spoken. When you are in your darkest place, it’s hard to appreciate what you have and usually you miss it when it’s gone (oh wait! Maybe you don't know what's lost 'til you find it 🎶)

I see how hard you've worked to be yourself

When I tell you I sobbed the first time this line clicked in my brain. Just imagine Louis saying this to himself… argh! I don’t know how to react. It’s like absolutely amazing he appreciates and values how much he has grown as a person and how many steps forward he has taken and how rough some times were. It’s amazing to see him acknowledging he came out of his own dark places or at least he has tried. I was wondering what Louis meant when he said in some interviews he doesn’t like when people pity him, and I see why. There’s nothing to pity here, it’s just congratulations for how strong and tough he is. Hard work always always pays off.

If you believe that guy is Superman, They're selling tickets at the cinema

The interpretations of this line are potentially endless, but it always hit me for how real it is. It spoke to me like the best way to say ‘it’s bullshit, but you do you’. It’s a recurrent concept in FITF, the disillusionment and the concreteness of reality. He’s not a dreamer in this album, always very optimistic, positive, mature but never not pragmatic. He sounds jealous at some point, like one of those things you say to your partner when they make a comment about somebody else, right? But it’s the way he sets this in a specific direction, he sets the tone with two words: superMAN and cinema. So it feels to me like he is talking about a famous person who usually gets idolised, and by extent fame, popularity in general. I am not a teacher, but I would say this is a rhetoric figure called Synecdoche and I absolutely adore it! So does Louis, by the way. The choice of words is interesting and telling. He’s using believe as something a bit negative here. That’s ironic for an abum called FAITH in the future, isn’t it? But it’s his way apparently. He wants to create a paradox, a contrast and it’s clear since the cover of the album, since it doesn’t strike as a faithful cover to me lmao

Whatever gets you through the darkest night, Just find the light, Out in the madness, hold tight

Now that I’m writing about it, every line in this song feels like a ring of a chain and everyone references the other like it’s 🤯. Sometimes when I listen to songs I imagine how the singer would speak to someone else. For this part, I clearly see future Louis talking to present Louis and that applies to any other timeline, it’s an inception of Louis talking to himself basically. He’s encouraging to keep going no matter what (whatever gets you).

Through the night… isn’t it a-m-a-z-i-n-g how consistent this theme is in Louis songs? He’s been singing Through the dark for months and look at her, coming back in disguise! Self references are hot, but this one gets the cake. Is he by any chance saying «whatever gets you through the night… we will find a way through the dark» etc etc? Love it. 10/10.

'Cause I'm a hard man to lose

This has always felt a bit… weird. Like imagine you go “im hard man to lose” in a song where you are basically saying you are happy you’re together again or something. It feels… arrogant? A bit? And honestly that’s not a ‘songwriter Louis’ move. I just don’t see it. And I know, it’s always about the layers with him, but what if it’s literal this time? What if he is saying “I am not the one gives up, I am not the one losing”? After all, he’s been pretty open here about how hard he worked, he has just said he has to hold tightly.

But I figured it out then made my way back To a life I would choose

He settled it for me in this line. He is not one to lose, that’s how he went back to the life he chose and he says it as proudly as he can because the thing is… it doesn’t matter how crazy it is (the madness and all that) but he would do it again. Despite all the shit, he would do it again. You can take it as a nod to his relationship of course. He changes the line second time with ‘I'm a hard man to find, but you figured it out and I love you for that’, almost pushing for a love story interpretation. But to me it feels more like he is talking about second chances, specifically in his life and work opportunities . The life I would choose part screams career to me and hits you in the face pretty hard if you think of how many obstacles he has been going through since the start of his solo career and even before during the band.

We were lucky once, I could be lucky again

He’s been using only you/I form til here. Now, I know this we can be misleading. It’s very natural to conceive a we as an us, like two people in a relationship or something, but see… that’s very Louis lol. He writes songs like stories and here he’s storytelling. Sometimes it even feels like a plurale maiestatis! I use it an embarrassing amount of time especially for non-formal conversations, and probably this is my bias of interpretation since English is not my first language but it’s curious the way he switches from a We (in past form), to I (possible future form). That’s why I think the we is used only to help with the story he’s writing about, the past he’s recalling while writing the song.

Before the world had got so serious, Before the time it got away from us

Layers againnnnn! Is this about his past maybe in the band or before that? Is this about… I don’t know, the pandemic? The world got pretty serious in 2020 didn’t it? And stunt-wise things haven’t been looking pretty bright since the second half of 2020 so… yeah. But actually I consider this a description of more innocent times. He seems nostalgic of. Still… he doesn’t seem to be willing to go back then again. He misses simple times, but has faith the future would make him feel lucky again.

It got away from us… is so strong. It’s powerful the way he never really blames anyone for the bad or the wrong. It’s just that time goes away. Very Heraclitus of him with the panta rei and all (an usual recurrent theme in Louis songwriting) and very it is what it is too. He’s very coherent in his songs, I love it.

I meet you at the favorite subway stop, We grab some food then meet the lads for one

Storytelling king strikes again. He’s so good in describing moments from the past. Like Saturdays is a song born entirely from past memories, so I really shouldn’t be surprised he does it in Lucky too, but still! Look, lines like this are seriously meant to paint a scenario in your head and he does it so well. Meet, eat and smoke with friends like a Netflix and chill ante litteram. It’s so straightforward. 11/10.

Look back on a time, I was lucky once, I could be lucky again

I love love LOOOVE the way he uses look back on a time, because he really kinda confirms how all he just did was recalling moments from a past life through lyrical narration.

What a gem of a song.

Also special mention to The unfiltered version of Lucky again with the “I’m lucky/I’m in love” whatever the fuck you meant by that, Louis, that was pretty sick and it should have survived the final revisions.

#lucky again supremacy #lucky again lyrics #all of them are just lyrical gems for me #lyrics analysis #fitf lyrics

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gallavichthings · 2 years

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Gallavich Week 2022

Hello, everyone! It’s that time of the year again! Are you all ready for Gallavich Week 2022? I’m so excited for this one! We’re doing things a bit differently this year, as you might have noticed. More details about the prompts as well as full guidelines after the Read More. Quick reminder that all kinds of work are welcome, as long as they are original. Please read the guidelines before posting.

DAYS AND PROMPTS

Day 1 (June 12) - Theme based (choose 1): Celebration (birthdays, anniversaries, festivals, holidays, random celebrations, anything goes) Trials and Tribulations (problems, big or small, it doesn’t matter; may be between them or something they face together) Day 2 (June 13) - Quote based (choose 1 - anything loosely based in one of these quotes goes): “I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.” - Elizabeth Barrett Browning. “I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” - Rita Rudner Day 3 (June 14) - Painting based (choose 1 - again, anything loosely based in one of these paintings is enough; may be the general atmosphere of it, the situation in it or even them actually interacting with it somehow):

Stag at Sharkey’s (George Bellows)

Nighthawks (Edward Hopper)

Day 4 (June 15) - Album based (choose 1 - it can be based in the album atmosphere, Ian and Mickey actually interacting with the album or one of the songs, or based on a piece of lyrics from one of the songs) Rumours (Fleetwood Mac) Born This Way (Lady Gaga) Day 5 (June 16) - Film based (choose 1 - again, feel free to use your imagination and do anything from vaguely inspired by to actual crossover): Love, Actually Fast & Furious Day 6 (June 17) - Based on Gallavich fanwork Here’s your chance to redo one of your old works or to make something inspired by somebody else’s work - just remember to ASK FOR PERMISSION first. If the person says no, if you can’t find the person to ask or if you don’t know who made the original, DON’T DO IT. Also, you have to CREDIT the original when posting. Day 7 (June 18) - Free Day Got a fic or fanart or whatever that you’re making and want to post, but don’t think would fit with the other days? Post it here! It’s also a chance to do whatever you want if none of the other prompts appeal to you. Don’t know what to do? Try the Writing Prompt Generator and the Art Prompt Generator.

CREATING AND POSTING GUIDELINES

How do I participate?

You don’t have to subscribe to anything or announce what you’re doing, you just have to post your work on the appropriate day and tag me using @gallavichthings. It’s important that you tag me properly so that I can be sure to see your post and reblog it. For those days with more than one prompt option, please make it clear which one you’ve chosen.

What types of works are accepted?

Any kind of original fan work is accepted, including but not limited to: fanart, fanfiction (no minimum words required), graphics, gifs and gifsets, videos, and fanmixes.

When can I start posting?

I’ll always make one initial post for each day, at 12am GMT (check here to see when that is in your time zone). After that, post away!

Can I still participate even if I don’t have a Tumblr account?

Absolutely! Just submit something here (http://gallavichthings.tumblr.com/submit).

Can I post on Twitter or Instagram?

You can post anywhere you want! On Twitter and IG, we encourage you to use the hashtag #GW2022 and I’ll RT you. You can also mention @gallavichthings if you want. I do not have an IG account though, sorry, but you can post there and send me a link for visibility. That being said, we do encourage you to post here as well, so it can be seen by more people (all gallavichthings reblogs get cross-posted to Twitter automatically anyway).

Can I post something that I’ve already posted before?

No, sorry. The works should have been created specifically for GW. You can, however, create a sequel or a different version of a previous work.

Can I post something that is not in English?

Of course. Just make sure that it is original, or that you have the original author’s permission (and, in that case, link to the original too).

Can I make R-rated works?

Yes, just please give any necessary warnings and tell us the rating at the very beginning of the post. If the post is visual (like a fanart or a gifset), it would be nice for you to also tag it accordingly. It's not mandatory, but if possible put it under a Read More here on Tumblr and under a spoilers mark (so it's not instantly visible) on Twitter. Please remember that Tumblr now has stricter rules regarding that type of content, so if the post is really NSFW I’d suggest hosting it somewhere else and just posting a link to it, maybe along with a safe version of it.

Can I post something that’s AU?

Sure thing! Tag it accordingly though, both for those who want to avoid it and for those who'd like to find it.

Can I post supernatural works, mpreg, or genderbends?

Yes! But if it’s a fic, please include it in the warnings.

Can I post more than one work?

Definitely! The more, the merrier. You can post as many works as you want, on as many days as you want, be it one post per day or ten on the same day. Anything goes!

Can I post on more than one day? Do I have to make something for each day?

Again, the more, the merrier! You can post on only one or all days if you wish!

Can I make one work that fits two or more themes?

Sure thing. I only ask that you post it on the day of the last theme included. For example, if you are posting a work that includes the theme from Day 1 and the theme from Day 4, post it on day 4 (just make sure to tell me that it includes both).

Can I write a multi-chaptered fanfiction?

Yes, and you don’t have to post everything either. When you do, just be sure to include either a masterpost, or the links to the previous chapters in the beginning.

Can I include other characters/pairings in my work?

Yes, as long as Gallavich is still the focus.

What if I can’t finish on time?

The Gallavich fandom is ALWAYS happy to see new fan material, so just post it when you’re done and tag me, ok? The same goes for people who can’t finish a work on the assigned theme day; you can still post it on a different day during GW, just make it clear which day it was made for.

Is there a contest?

No. It was an idea once, but most people didn’t want it, and felt a bit intimidated by it.

#Gallavich #Ian x Mickey #Shameless US #Shameless #Ian Gallagher #Mickey Milkovich #GW2022 #events #mod post

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faeymouse · 1 year

Note

Hey, a fellow Tron fan in 2023?!

I'm glad my favorite childhood franchise is getting some love. Tron Legacy actually got me into programming and computer science as a kid, and all these years late, I'm still programming! Granted, there are a lot less light cycles and disc battles in C++ and Python than I had hoped for...

I know a lot of Tron fans are not extremely happy about the current state of a third movie, but I wanted to ask you: What would a perfect Tron sequel be like in your mind?

What characters from any part of the franchise should make a return, what kinds of new ones would you want introduced, and who would be a good hero/villain?

Assuming the grid ran on early 90s hardware and that a modern PC is thousands of times faster, do you think modern tech like the Internet should be addressed, or should the story take place in a closed-off system?

Would you want the visuals to be like Tron 1, Tron Legacy, a mix of the two, or something entirely unique?

What kinds of new light vehicles or weapons could they introduce?

And finally, should Bit make a return?

I'm sorry that my question has like 20 sub-questions, but anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for all the art and stuff you share. It's nice to look back at Tron and how it changed my life, so thanks!

Hell yes, and hello! I’m glad to have the chance to help give it some love, and to meet all the awesome, dedicated people in this fandom that make it all the more fun to enjoy. I love hearing stories like your’s; it’s such a nice reminder of the impact fandom and media can have on someone.

Thank you for your nice words about my art and stuff. The Tron fandom has been so welcoming and so inspirational, I’ve been having a blast creating stuff for it! Also, I love getting asked questions. Especially lots of questions. Thanks so much for this! I’ll go one by one under a read more:

What would a perfect Tron sequel be like in your mind?

One that incorporates Tron, for one. You can’t have a Tron movie with Tron. They can do whatever else they want, but a sequel can’t be perfect unless Tron’s there. Played by Bruce Boxleitner. He’s like the James Earl Jones of this franchise: he plays the character and no one else.

That being said… would a continuation of Uprising be too much of a cop out? Don’t get me wrong, I’d like a legit expansion like Identity, but I’d also like for the stories we already have to come to their full conclusion. Sure, Uprising is a prequel, but it has just enough unanswered questions that it feels like an open wound.

What characters from any part of the franchise should make a return, what kinds of new ones would you want introduced, and who would be a good hero/villain?

Kinda sorta already answered this one in the previous question, but I can keep the thoughts going! I’ll repeat Tron again because leaving him out would probably be the one thing that could possibly make me dislike Ares enough not to go see it. I’d also love for it to get the Star Wars treatment and bring some of the animated characters to the big screen. Beck? Dyson? Cyrus? Mara? How about just everyone from Uprising? I’d also love to see Yori again, or at least find out definitively what happened to her. OH AND ALAN. And I’d love to see what Sam and Quorra are up to (and if the movie will go for the low-hanging fruit and make a rollercoaster joke). Also, as far as returners go, I’d love to see Flynn again. I know he “died,” but it just won’t feel the same without him. Maybe he’s literally become part of the Grid and comes back as a big MCP-looking face.

That being said, one of the points that got me particularly excited for Ares was the inclusion of a female human main character. The description lists her as:

Eve- Female lead, Asian, 30-40. Human lead of the story. A tech genius, focused and full of Open heart, analytical and observant. One of the worlds best programmers. Reclusive, anti social, the way she connects with Ares isn’t romantic but sympathetic connection. Someone who has an attractiveness

I think the Tron movies are due for a non-Flynn to take the lead, and I think done right Eve could be a fantastic successor. I appreciate that she’s not a teenager or in her 20s, that she’s still described as attractive, and that she’s being set up to not be in a romance with Ares. ALSO UM… CHECK OUT THIS DESCRIPTION FOR ANOTHER CHARACTER:

Athena: Female lead, 30-50. Imposing, cold and officious, driven solely by an innate urge. Open to fulfll any directive she’s given without question, Athena is a member of an elite special forces unit and second in command. When Athena senses her superior has strayed from their assignment, she reports him without hesitation and quickly assumes his leadership role, intent on destroying him and fulfiling the directive at all costs. With incredible power and the inability to fear or doubt, Athena is a nearly unstoppable force, and a tragic figure. This role requires significant physicality, fight skills area plus…

Already shipping Eve and Athena, ngl. You can’t hand me a reclusive genius and a battle-hardened bitch and expect to not immediately want to see them bring out the best in each other. Calling it now, they’re gonna be the power couple of the Tron Ares fandom.

Last but not least, who would make a good hero/villain? Eve sounds like my perfect protagonist, so let her be the hero. As for the villain, it seems like it’s gonna be Dillinger Jr. which means it’ll probably be some form of the MCP, which… mmmmmm. Again, if they do it well I’ll be ecstatic, but it could easily turn into a “Somehow, Palpatine has returned” situation so I’ll tentatively say, sure, Dillinger and the MCP can be good villains, but on god make it interesting and worth it.

I think that instead of addressing the Internet, they should address the possibility of separate Grids being able to communicate and interact with one another. That’s two birds with one stone: it’s a nod to changing times, but it’s also just distant enough to keep it feeling like a different world.

Would you want the visuals to be like Tron 1, Tron Legacy, a mix of the two, or something entirely unique?

Tron Legacy, but I hope they go back to the greyscale skin. Blame that hope entirely on Uprising combining Legacy and 1982 aesthetics perfectly. I want it recreated!

What kinds of new light vehicles or weapons could they introduce?

I’d love to see a car, like the one they have in that one episode of Uprising. Some sort of skateboard-type vehicle might be cool, especially if it can go in the air. Other than that, I’m happy if they just stick with some cool light cycles. You can’t go wrong with them.

As for weapons, I’d love for them to – again – take a clue from Uprising and grab some weapons from there, like the lightstaffs or Dyson’s disk-on-a-string or Tesler’s glowing fists of death. I also wouldn’t say no to cool glowing claws! They could give them to Athena!

And finally, should Bit make a return?

110% definitely. Yes. It should even be revealed that Bit rescued Tron from the Sea of Simulation. They should release Bit plushies. I want animated shorts that are just focused on Bit. I need him to get the BB8 Grogu treatment asap.

#tron ares #tron #impulse-nine #babbles

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softbobamilktae · 2 years

Text

Snowy Cat Café

Pairing: Idol!Jimin x Teacher!OC

Genre: fluff

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: none

Summary: Jimin and Nubia go on a date to the cat café.

Nubia scooped the little cat up off the floor. Jimin had brought her to a cat café today, and she was thrilled. There were cats everywhere, and she loved it. She didn’t often get to just relax because of how much she taught, so this was Heaven for her. She glanced down as a fluffy paw was set against her thigh. A kitten was climbing onto her lap.

“Jimin, look at this one!”

Jimin was standing between all the cats a few feet away from her. He glanced down at the black kitten with white spots that was curled up in her lap now. He smiled.

“He’s pretty.”

“Isn’t he? I should get a cat.”

“You like cats?”

Nubia nodded.

“I like them too,” he laughed. He crossed the room and squatted down in front of her and ran his hands over the kitten’s fur.

“This is really nice. School has been insane lately. Since the school year was ending, I was up working so late every night trying to get everything graded.”

“I’m glad you get a few days off right now.”

“Me too! I was hoping to go hang out with Zelda sometime soon. I haven’t gotten to see her much since Zoro was born.”

“Well, having a baby is a lot of work. I haven’t seen Tae a lot either.”

“I’m sure they love it. Zelda was so excited when she told us all that she was pregnant.”

Jimin smiled as another cat wandered over and sat itself in his lap. “What about you? You want kids?”

Nubia nodded. “Definitely. I love my nieces. I’m sure you know that after meeting Kema and Lateefah, though. I’d love to have kids of my own.” She giggled. “I wish I lived in Egypt still sometimes. Kema is getting so big! She was a newborn when I moved, and she’s seven now! I haven’t gotten to meet either of Omar’s girls yet,” she frowned. “Zahra has said hi to me over video call a few times, but she’s never really met me.”

“You’ll get to meet her when we go in April, right?”

Nubia nodded again. “I can’t wait,” she admitted. “They’re all so adorable. I’d bet they’re even cuter in person.”

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments as they pet the cats.

“Is there anything else you’d like to do today?” Jimin asked.

“I’d love to get some food. Something savory. My kids were bringing me sweets occasionally, and I haven’t had any time to cook or order takeout, so I’ve just been eating whatever I have around my apartment. I want some real food! The only time I’ve eaten anything good recently was the night I cooked dinner for Tae and Zelda.”

“We should cook together sometime. The food you guys made last May was amazing. Maybe we could try something like that again.”

“Yeah. Not now though.”

Jimin laughed. “Of course not. We could go get some bibimbap?”

“Oh my gosh, yes! That sounds amazing.”

“Should we go, then?”

She glanced up at him. “Can we stay with the kittens for a little longer? I have coffee to finish, anyways.”

He chuckled. “Sure. Just don’t give the coffee to the cats, though.”

◇◆◇◆◇

The two of them wandered around town after they’d finished dinner. It was snowing outside, so they had to stay close to each other for warmth.

“I can’t believe we met two years ago already,” Nubia laughed, pulling her scarf over her nose.

“Me neither. It feels like we were in London just yesterday.”

“Doesn’t it? I’ll be meeting my third class of students in about a month. Isn’t that crazy?”

He nodded. “Jungkook’s getting married in the fall. That seems surreal.”

“He’s been dating Astrid as long as I’ve known him, so I’m not too surprised.”

“Well, I met you before I met Astrid.”

“Really?” Nubia asked, shocked.

“Yeah. I met her at Jin and Jasmine’s wedding, which was a month after we had the incident at the restaurant.”

“Wow. Well, I’m flattered.”

The two of them walked on for a bit. The streets of Seoul had less traffic than usual with how heavy the snow was coming down this evening.

“Do you ever get snow in Egypt?”

Nubia scoffed. “No! I was shocked when I woke up at my aunt’s place one morning and the windows were white! It was such an odd experience. I like it, though. It’s pretty. And I’ve gotten used to the cold by now.”

“That’s good. Korea’s not the warmest place out there.”

“It’s certainly warmer than London was most days!”

It wasn’t long before they were walking through a park, and Nubia glanced down at their feet as they left indents in the snow.

“We should take walks like this more often,” she smiled.

“Should we?”

“Yeah. I enjoy being with you. We don’t get to see each other a lot during the school year.”

“Well, maybe that could change.”

She glanced up at him and smiled. “What do you mean?”

He turned to her then and knelt down in front of her. He pulled a ring box out of his pocket and popped it open. “Nubia, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

She grinned from ear to ear. “Yes! I’ll marry you, Jimin.”

He smiled and pulled the ring out of the box, sliding it onto her finger. It was a small emerald nestled onto a silver band.

“It’s stunning, Jimin.”

“You think so? I saw it and thought it was something that would look great on you.”

She grinned and tugged him onto his feet. “I love you, Jimin.” Then she kissed him soundly on his lips.

This is part of the Dad!BTS series that can be found here

A/N: Happy friendshipiversary to wifey @jiminie-and-his-pinky-finger 😚

It would be greatly appreciated if you reblogged the story if you liked it!

Taglist: @jinnie-forthe-winnie @aianloveseven @fly-you-dam-fools @thornedswan @armys-dna @kookstempo

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aliceindaisychains999 · 1 year

Note

OMG just saw your post and got me remembering what I was about to ask. Been busy with school and making fanarts 😓 Okay, this is for both IronPetals and Edelweiß, what will you guys do during Christmas? Any activities you have in mind, perhaps?

(That’s okay! You should be focusing on important things. I’ve been loving your fanart by the way, you always do such a beautiful job💖) First is Edelweiß with Primis Edward.

I didn’t put much thought into holidays. But to my surprise, Madeline also had considered Christmas to be a difficult time of year. We decided from this point onward to make sure our Christmases would always be filled with joy, all to make up for what we’ve endured.

One of our favorite things to do it go to New York City. It’s organized as follows: Visit the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center, then attend Bryant Park’s Christmas Fair, go to the Japanese bookstore that’s nearby and then finish the evening with a nice dinner. I would say my favorite part has to be the park because the atmosphere is so cheerful, there’s an ice skating rink und the lights are spectacular. I also really enjoy sharing a dessert crepe with her.

And then dragging him to Nintendo World!

Oh, goodness. Pardon me, I almost forgot the part when I have to make sure I don’t lose her among the crowd because someone wants to go to Nintendo.

But… Super Mario.

We have Mario at home! You do not need 20 Marios in your room! Silly.💕 As I was saying, we also love decorating the whole house for Christmas, followed by me helping her bake. Half the time, we sneak downstairs by the Christmas tree to enjoy it. There’s something about those colored lights that brighten up the mood. We always end up falling asleep. I…usually fall asleep on her chest. She keeps me warm in the winter. And she also teases I have doctor hands because they’re cold. I can’t stay mad knowing I have a human radiator by my side.

I am looking forward to baking year, she said she’d make little gingerbread teddy bears! How wunderbar to finally have a teddy bear that doesn’t invoke anger in me!

I haven’t made gingerbread before, so I hope it comes out good.

Have faith, mein dear engel. Baking is a science. Und luckily for you, you have a professional to make sure it all goes according to plan.

Aww, thank you honey! Already, I think you’re so much sweeter than the cookies we plan to bake.

*giggling* Is that mistletoe above you? I think someone is need of some kisses💋💋💋

Gross! Get a room for pete’s sake.

Ja, because it’s not like you’d be all over the Madeline from your timeline, would you? I honestly pity her.

Whatever. Can I talk now?

I’m sorry, Dempsey. I was so excited to finally gush about Maddie. Go right ahead.

As for MY Maddie, Christmas is always a good time. It’s kind of the same thing with a few more extra things to do.

I love putting on National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with her! Man, it’s so funny and still holds up after all these years. I feel like I’m gonna bust a lung every time the squirrel scene happens! Ha ha ha! It just isn’t Christmas without it.

She was also really sweet to share her Advent Calendar with her. I feel bad though… Had to buy a new one after I sort of ate the whole thing. Tank Dempsey doesn’t do well with patience. I did buy a new one and a chocolate Santa as an apology.

It’s not your fault you were excited. Thank you for thinking of me anyways.

Of course I would, sweetheart! But you deserve better than that. Honestly, I can’t think of anything else since I’m too busy focusing on what to get her this year. I want to make sure she’s happy with all the gifts I got her. Sure, Christmas is about the people you love and not getting gifts. But I have to do something! I’ll take on Santa’s job for him! But maybe leave me some eggnog instead of a glass of milk. I’ve been waiting all year!

Oh, and by the way… The mistletoe’s right here Maddie ;) *He is holding one right over his head*

#ironpetals #edelweiß #i’m so sorry it took forever #i think we’re all getting tired

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scenefox2003 · 2 years

Text

Matchmaker 2: The Matchening

Aka Marcy sets up Olivia and Yunan at a Royal ball. It goes as smoothly as you’d expect.

(The first matchmaker fic isn’t required reading to enjoy this one but it would be nice if you read it anyway :3)

Marcy fidgeted in her seat as Lady Olivia added the finishing touches to her hair, a light dusting of pearls and glitter. The tulle skirt of Marcy’s elegant purple party dress bounced up and down as she tried to release her excess energy.

“Could you please sit still, Master Marcy? This’ll only take a few more minutes,” Olivia said, delicately placing a single pearl in a specific place. She was insistent on getting every detail just right. This would be Marcy’s first formal event, after all, and it was her job to help her get ready.

“I’m really sorry, but I just can’t, I mean, this is my first Newtopian ball! I’m so excited, and so nervous… I just can’t control myself, you know?”

Olivia nodded, feeling a little guilty. She was still learning Marcy’s limits and boundaries, and that she’d need to let go of some castle etiquette and norms to keep her happy and comfortable.

“Of course, I shouldn’t have asked that of you. My apologies.”

“It’s okay! I just hope everything goes well. I used to love going to school dances with Anne and Sasha.” Marcy sighed. “I wish they could be here with me.”

Olivia brushed a strand of hair behind Marcy’s ear.

“I know, dear. But don’t worry, as soon as we find them they’ll be the first people we invite to the next one.”

Marcy smiled, then swiveled around in her chair as soon as Olivia let go of her hair.

“Enough about me, what about you?! Are you finally gonna ask General Yunan to dance?!”

Olivia scoffed. She should’ve known this would happen, ever since she let it slip to Marcy that she had feelings for the General she brought it up every chance she got.

“No, Marcy. I’ve told you already, I have to stay professional. This isn’t like one of your fun little dances, every important figure in Newtopia is going to be there. I can’t just go around asking random women out.”

Marcy looked a bit disappointed, but kept her spirits high.

“Whatever you say! I just think you’re missing out on the perfect romantic opportunity. But I’ll respect your boundaries.”

Olivia had a feeling that wasn’t going to be the case, but she didn’t press any further.

“Thank you. Now, we’d better get going. And remember, don’t drink any of the beverages unless I tell you it’s okay.” Marcy had made that mistake before, and Olivia had nearly passed out when she saw the thirteen year old about to drink a cocktail.

“Okeydoke! Now come on Lady Olivia, let’s get ballin’!”

“I still don’t know what that means.”

The ball, as always, was a huge success. The ballroom was so packed with newts that it was hard to walk without stepping on somebody’s tail. Andrias had once told Marcy a story about how one year the ball was so overfilled that four newts had dropped their tails from being stepped on. That made her even more nervous, and she quickly succumbed to her normal party routine of choosing someone to follow around. That someone was Lady Olivia, and though she tolerated it for a bit she eventually encouraged Marcy to go off on her own.

“You know, you don’t have to stay with me this entire time,” Olivia eventually said, after Marcy had sat through a long, boring conversation with some stuffy delegate.

“Oh! I’m sorry,” Marcy quickly apologized, hugging herself. “There’s just a lot of people and noise and I don’t really know what to do with myself. I was never good at parties back home, I sort of just followed Anne and Sasha around. People never liked when I butted in on conversations.”

Olivia smiled reassuringly.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Everyone here loves you, I’m sure they’d love to help include you in one of Newtopia’s most iconic events. Go ahead and mingle!”

“Oh, okay! I’ll um… see you in a little bit?”

“Of course. Don’t forget the thing about the drinks!”

“I won’t!”

Marcy waved goodbye, mustered up some confidence, and headed off. After chatting with several acquaintances and stuffing her face with food that was surprisingly palatable, she noticed a certain pink newt leaning against the back wall, looking around and awkwardly adjusting her bowtie.

Marcy gasped in delight and ran over. “General Yunan!”

Yunan, finally noticing her, smiled and seemed to relax a little.

“Master Marcy! Nice to see you! Enjoying your first Newtopian ball?”

“Yeah! Everyone is so nice, and the food is really good! It’s sort of a lot though.”

Yunan nodded.

“Oh yeah. I hate these things, there’s so many people and I never know who to talk to. The guards I was chatting with ditched me and now I have no clue what to do.”

Suddenly, the wheels started turning in Marcy’s brain, and she knew exactly what she had to do.

“Yeah, hate when that happens! Anyway, it was nice chatting with you bye!”

Marcy quickly scampered off to go cobble together her plan. Yunan was a bit annoyed at first, but realizing she probably meant no harm, just laughed and shook her head.

“That kid is so oblivious.”

Marcy tripped on several tails on her way to meet King Andrias at the front of the room, but she was a badass on a mission and too focused to feel guilty. He was caught up in a funny story with the triple B gang, and Marcy tugged on his coattails to get his attention.

“King Andrias?”

He looked down, then instantly grinned.

“Master Marcy! I was wondering when you’d find me! You look wonderful, Olivia did such a good job!”

Marcy beamed.

“Aww, thanks! Speaking of which, I need your help with something.”

“Of course! What is it?”

Marcy flipped through her journal until she found the right page, then held it up to Andrias.

“When I signal you, can you have the band play this song?”

Andrias put his glasses on and squinted at the notebook.

“You just carry this sheet music around with you at all times?”

Marcy shrugged.

“Ya never know when you might need it.”

“Makes sense. What’s the signal?” Marcy winked at and did the peace sign with her hand. “Gotcha! I’ll keep my eye out.”

“Thanks so much, King Andrias! See you on the other side!”

“Bye Master Marcy!”

It was time to put the final phase of her plan into action. Marcy scanned the ballroom for Olivia, and finally spotted her in a cluster of other fancy looking women. She dashed over, not noticing their glares as she pushed her way to Olivia.

“Lady Olivia! You gotta come with me, I need you to check if I can have this drink!”

Olivia gave the other newts an apologetic look.

“Sorry about that ladies, duty calls! I’ll catch up with you later.”

Marcy eagerly yanked her through the crowds.

“Come on, hurry up!”

“This must be a really good drink,” Olivia chuckled, but Marcy wasn’t pulling her towards the drink table, and when she noticed a certain pink newt standing in a corner it finally clicked. “Wait, Master Marcy, what are you-“

“General Yunan!” Marcy yelled, and Olivia felt all the blood rush to her head as Yunan looked up at them. She grinned when she saw the familiar faces.

“Oh hey again, kiddo! And Liv!”

Olivia tried to pull away from Marcy as gracefully as possible, but she had a surprisingly strong grip.

“Hi General Yunan! Lady Olivia has something to ask you,” Marcy chirped, grinning.

“I do NOT- er, I mean, apologies General, I-“

All the sudden the music playing in the room changed from a casual, classy tune to… Careless Whisper?! Olivia looked horrified at Marcy, who was giving Andrias a big thumbs up from across the room.

“Uuh guys? What’s going on?” Yunan asked, raising an eyebrow. Olivia stiffened and started to sweat, looking at anything except for her. Marcy elbowed her.

“Come on, Lady Olivia! Now’s your chance! Ask her to dance with you!” She whispered loudly over the music, clearly audible.

Yunan blushed, taken aback.

“You want to dance? With me? Right now?”

Olivia felt like she was going to die. Honestly, she would prefer that at this point. But instead she stammered for a bit, trying to figure out what she could possibly say to make this better.

“I’m so sorry about her, just disregard everything and go back to enjoying your night.” She then turned to Marcy. “Hallway. NOW.” She demanded, grabbing Marcy’s wrist and pulling her to the nearest door. Once they were in the hall and out of earshot, Olivia opened the floodgates.

“MARCY WU! THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY UNCALLED FOR! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW EMBARRASSING THAT WAS FOR ME?! AND HER!!! WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING, YOUNG LADY?! CLEARLY YOU MUST KNOW BETTER THAN TO-“

Olivia was cut off as Marcy burst into tears.

“I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry! You’re right, that was horrible, I- I… I’m sorryyyy!”

Olivia felt a little guilty, but she was still furious.

“Your little stunt just humiliated me in front of an ENTIRE BALLROOM,” she began again, but Yunan threw the doors open, apparently having followed them.

“Fuckin crowds-“ Seeing how distraught Marcy was, she grabbed Olivia’s shoulder. “Olivia, stop. Don’t yell at her, it’s okay.”

Olivia turned around, bewildered.

“I-“

She looked at Marcy, who was openly sobbing, and sighed. Yunan rubbed Olivia’s shoulder sympathetically.

“Let’s go out in the garden and get some fresh air, ‘kay?”

Olivia hesitated for a moment, then sighed again.

“Alright.”

The cool night air was admittedly soothing, especially compared to the hot stuffy ballroom. Olivia and Yunan sat down on a marble bench, and Olivia put her head in her hands.

“I am so sorry about that, General. She can get carried away sometimes.”

“It’s really okay, Liv. I wanted an excuse to get out of that boring ass party anyway.” Yunan hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say next. Olivia eventually filled the silence.

“Welp, now you know!” She chuckled awkwardly, starting to sweat. “Once again, I apologize. I never wanted things to be awkward between us.”

“Liv-“

“I can keep things professional, I promise, of course that was my original intention, but-“

“Liv-“

“Really, I’m sorry. This is such a disaster, I hope you don’t think any less of me-“

“Liv.”

Yunan grabbed both of Olivia’s shoulders, and turned her around to face her. She noticed Olivia had tears in her eyes, and gasped softly.

“Woah, hey… don’t-”

Olivia wiped her eyes, now even more embarrassed.

“God, I’m a mess. I’m so sorry-“

Yunan clutched her shoulders tighter and shook her a little, her first instinct always being to choose violence.

“Olivia! Cut that out right now! I- uh…” Yunan bit her lip, hesitating. She was HORRIBLE with feelings. “I… sort of like you too. Like, kinda a lot.”

Olivia’s jaw dropped.

“What.”

Yunan’s entire face turned bright red, and she started anxiously fidgeting with her tail, avoiding eye contact.

“Haha, wow. I really just admitted that, didn’t I? Can I take it back-“

Olivia smirked.

“No, you can’t. Did you just say you like me?” She teased, leaning forward a bit.

“Well, um… SHIT! Yeah.” Yunan covered her face with her hands. “Fuck, I’m bad at this-“

Olivia grabbed Yunan’s wrists and gently pulled her hands away from her face.

“I think you’re doing just fine so far. Besides, you haven’t even asked the question yet.”

Yunan took a second to compose herself. Then she sighed, stood up, took a deep breath, and held out her hand, bowing slightly.”

“May I, General Yunan, scourge of the sand wars, defeater of Ragnar the Wretched, the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the great Newtopian army, have this dance?” She paused for a second. “I mean, we don’t really have any music, but if you listen reeeeeaaaally hard you can sort of hear it from the castle-“

Olivia took her hand and pulled herself up.

“Oh shut up you goof, let’s dance.”

At first the dance was a bit awkward, like two gangly high schoolers at prom, but eventually it became more natural. They twirled their tails around each other and Olivia rested her head on Yunan’s shoulder.

“You know, that suit looks dashing on you.”

Yunan blushed and danced a little faster, not knowing how to release her excess energy.

“Thanks, you look quite lovely yourself, milady.”

“You know, I love it when you call me that. I know it was just an etiquette thing, but-“

“But now it’s a romantic thing,” Yunan said, finishing her sentence.

“Does this mean we’re girlfriends now?” Olivia asked.

“I guess it does.”

They danced in happy silence until the song ended. Even then, they didn’t let go of each other.

“Do you wanna make out?” Yunan asked bluntly. Olivia laughed, letting go of Yunan so she could properly face her.

“You’re ridiculous, I like that in a woman,” Olivia said, then kissed her. They kissed for a long time, and eventually found themselves lying in the grass, looking up at the sky.

“Wow, the stars are beautiful tonight,” Olivia said softly.

“You know what else is beautiful? You,” Yunan said, rolling over to kiss her again. Olivia laughed.

“That’s so corny!”

“I read it in one of Master Marcy’s fan…fictions? I think they’re called?”

Oliva shot up at the mention.

“Oh shit, MARCY! How long have we been out here?!”

Yunan squinted at the clock tower.

“I dunno, I can’t tell time.”

Olivia sighed, smiling a bit at Yunan’s stupidity before frowning again.

“I was so harsh with her, I made her CRY! God, what was I thinking?!”

“It’s okay, Liv. What she did was wrong and she needed to know that.”

“I know, I just… feel bad, I shouldn’t have screamed at her like that. Her heart was in the right place, it always is. She can just be so…”

“Oblivious?”

“Yeah, exactly.” She sighed. “I hate to cut this short, but I need to go check on her.”

“I’ll come with you,” Yunan said, sitting up and taking Olivia’s hand. “Moral support or whatever.”

“Thank you, General.”

The two walked hand and hand into the castle, where the noise in the halls was starting to wind down. A few doors down from Marcy’s room they could already hear her crying, and Andrias trying to console her.

“Yikes, that sounds bad,” Yunan whispered, and Olivia squeezed her hand tighter, nervous. “Oops, sorry. I’m not great moral support.”

“It’s alright, I’m hoping seeing us both will make her feel better.” Olivia gently knocked on the door a few times. “Andrias? Can we come in?”

Andrias reached across the room and opened the door.

“Oh, hello you two.”

“Greetings, sire.”

“Your majesty.”

Yunan and Olivia both bowed, and Andrias rolled his eyes.

“Oh, stop it with the formalities. I know you’re not here for me.” Marcy was sitting on the floor next to him, curled up against his leg. Her face was buried in one of Andrias’s famous giant tissues, but she looked up when Andrias rubbed her back. “See? It doesn’t look like they hate you to me.”

Olivia was immediately crushed with guilt, and was about to apologize, but Marcy did it first.

“I’m so, so sorry you guys,” she squeaked out. “I never should have messed with your relationship like that, especially not in public. You must be so embarrassed, I feel terrible.” She hiccuped, clearly she had crying hard for a long time. Olivia knelt down in front of Marcy. Seeing how guilty she was, any remaining anger immediately dissipated.

“Oh sweetie… it’s alright. I forgive you.”

“And I do too,” Yunan added, sitting down next to Olivia.

“You don’t have to,” Marcy sniffled.

“But we do,” Olivia reassured, rubbing her shoulder. “You apologized and learned from your mistake. That’s all I could ask of you. And I’m so sorry for yelling at you like that, I was angry, but I should’ve expressed it in a better way. I’m not angry anymore, and I most certainly don’t hate you. And Yunan doesn’t either.”

Marcy looked up at them again.

“You don’t?”

“I couldn’t hate you if I tried, kiddo, and I hate a LOT of people,” Yunan said.

Marcy laughed a little, then blew her nose.

“You should hate me. Olivia should quit her job after having to deal with me for so long.”

Olivia held out her arms.

“C’mere.”

Marcy leaned into her embrace, and Olivia squeezed her tight.

“Having you around has made me want to quit less, not more. I enjoy spending time with you, even when you make silly mistakes. You’re not just a job to me.”

Marcy sobbed a few times, and Olivia rubbed her back. Yunan was touched by her girlfriend’s sweetness.

“D’aww, I don’t really like group hugs, but fuck it.” Yunan wrapped her arms around Marcy and Olivia, then curled her tail around them.

“Aw man, being big means I always miss out on the group hugs…” Andrias pouted.

“THIS ISN’T ABOUT YOU ANDRIAS!” Yunan shouted. “Oh, and by the way Marcy… Me and Olivia just kissed like a minute ago, so technically your plan worked.”

#amphibia #marcy amphibia #yulivia #lady olivia #general yunan #king andrias #newt moms #this was supposed to be a lighthearted fic but it turned into hurt/comfort because that is my niche #marcy wu

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