#if only she knew

[flowers-in-the-basement]

( this is dedicated to @according2thelore I love your fics more than life itself) (outsider pov weecest)

the boys at the corner booth seem hungry. They're different ages, one of them older- maybe 20, one of them probably around 15, looking young in a starved kind of way.

they're loud in a quiet way, bickering about nothing at all then falling silent for minutes, just traded glances and expressions.

They seem like good friends, ones had since childhood, cradle to grave, grave to whatever else. She had a friend like that once. Lisa. They carried eachother but Lisa didnt make it past 17. Barely out of the cradle, into the grave.

they order more food than she expected- all cheap but filling. Two home fries, two orders of toast, one burger. No drinks. The older one jumps when she approaches, eyes locked onto her.

He has a black eye. It doesn't marr his beautiful face, too model-pretty for that. But it does make her worried. She offers him ice and he declines.

He flirts with her a little, half-commited. The younger one glares at him the entire time.

Later she catches them kissing in their booth. So the young one can't be that young, or maybe the old one isn't that old. They're a cute couple. She "accidentally" gives them more food than they ordered, pays them back by comping their entire bill. The look the older one shoots her- so much gratefulness and thanks- almost makes her cry.

They seem like good kids.

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

Chunky Velez Being a metaphor for his relationship with Nancy

[saturn-sunshines]

watching more of the terror with my mom. Got to this scene

and she just yelled out “gay!”

[this-blog-needs-a-new-name]

Ava be like “you jealous”

Also Ava “it’s an Irish cream coffee”

[moonsnightowl]

[im-not-a-joke]

So I’m forcing my friend to watch gomens w me and we finished s1 today. She thought it was crazy that I was sobbing my eyes out during the Ritz date,,,, I’m so excited for her to feel my pain

[aragarna]

If I were a man, I would do something, and it wouldn't be writing a letter! - Guy Williams as Diego de la Vega and Sandy Livingston as Rosarita Cortez (Zorro, 1957, 1x20)

[sinsiriuslyemo]

Chapter Fourteen: Amortentia

Sirius and Penny seemed to have fallen into a routine without even trying to, having breakfast together each morning before Penny would go to work and Sirius would busy himself in her study. It had only taken a couple of days after they had placed the order for the ingredients to arrive by owl, which had intrigued Penny immensely. She had asked so many more questions, some of which he’d had trouble coming up with an answer. If she were a witch, he would expect her to be an author or historian of some kind, writing the books that would be studied in wizarding schools all over the world. Then again, if she were a witch, she likely would have very little interest in a wizard like him. Apart from being an escaped felon, he had always been a bit of a prat despite the war having reigned them all in from their schoolboy days. While he gallivanted throughout Britain, picking fights with Death Eaters and all but asking for danger, she would be playing it smart, hiding in plain sight while noting all the major happenings for a future history book.

She might not even know his name. Or perhaps she would, but his reputation would no doubt precede him.

Waiting for the ashwinder egg to dissolve, Sirius peeled a rose stem and gently placed the shavings into his brew before he cut each of the petals into quarters and stirred anticlockwise. From the corner of his eye, Penny walked past him, glancing into the kitchen where he was working.

“I still can’t believe owls know exactly where to go even without an address,” she said, going to the coffee table to set down her thick binder. He recognized it as the one that held her dissertation. “How do you guys even train them to do that?”

He smiled to himself; her curiosity was intoxicating, a bit like James’ was back when they were students. It made Sirius want to indulge her every whim just to watch her inquisitiveness take hold of her.

“There are trainers who do it for a living. They normally keep an owlery where they raise and train Owlets until they’re grown enough to either be sold to a wizard or sent to an owl post,” Sirius replied.

“And all they need is a name?”

“That’s right.”

She hummed thoughtfully, slowly taking a few steps toward him. “Do you really think a love potion is gonna work?”

“Trust me,” Sirius replied, adding the rose petals one quarter at a time until the brew was a pale magenta.

If his calculations were correct, he should be able to infuse the solution he was currently brewing into a hefty piece of chocolate that would lure Wormtail out of the castle, and to the Shrieking Shack. But he needed to get the brew perfect before he added the scents from Peter’s amortentia.

“Besides, this isn’t quite a love potion per se. It has most of the same ingredients, but once I add fresh mint, watermelon and bathe it in the summer sun, it should act more as an attraction potion,” he said.

“What’s the difference?”

Tilting his head thoughtfully, Sirius answered, “Well, for one, it should only work on Peter instead of the first person to stumble upon it. And two, it won’t make him fall in love, just draw him out to where I want him.”

“Well, that’s good,” she replied. “Especially considering that you’ll be at a school.”

“Mhm,” Sirius hummed, the majority of his attention was on crushing Moonstone into a fine dust.

“Wow,” Penny whispered as she stepped closer to him. “That’s so beautiful. What is that?”

“Moonstone,” he answered. “Some people call it the wishing stone.”

“Wishing stone?”

“It has conjuration properties.”

A smile formed on her lips. “Can you really wish on it?”

Snorting softly to himself, he shook his head and measured just enough Moonstone to activate the potion he was brewing. Carefully, he opened the pot he was using in place of a cauldron and dropped the shimmering powder into the pot. As the misty, lavender smoke began to rise from the boiling brew, Penny leaned forward to have a look at what was in the pot. Had he anticipated that she would do so, he would have warned her to be careful of inhaling the smoke. While she wouldn’t be completely under the influence of the potion just from a whiff, she would undoubtedly be pulled under the seduction of its scent, and likely cause her inhibitions to be lowered, at least for a few moments.

Her eyes drifted shut in a slow blink and she stumbled back as he quickly clapped the lid back onto the pot.

“Oh wow,” she exhaled.

“Yeah, sorry, I should’ve warned you, it —”

His words died when he turned toward her only to find that she’d all but closed the space between them in a single step. Her hands slid over his chest as she looked up at him through her lashes, her eyes at half mast. Sirius froze in place, his breathing deep and slow as his hands subconsciously went to her waist. The smell of maplewood and peaches overwhelmed him, pulling him under a different sort of spell and making something primal stir in the pit of his stomach. A rush of air left his parted lips as her nose grazed against his, her face tilting up to inch her lips closer.

With every ounce of strength he could gather inside him, he gently pushed her away, one hand coming to cup her face.

“Penny,” he mumbled, his forehead leaning against hers. Fighting the urge to taste her lips, Sirius swallowed thickly, his heart pounding in his ears so loud that he swore she could hear it as well.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, somewhat breathlessly.

“That’s alright.”

“God, I’m so sorry,” she repeated, a bit louder as one hand came up to cover her face. She took a step back from him, her other hand coming up to join the first, leaving two icy spots on his chest that shocked him enough to pull him out of her spell.

“It’s alright, it was just the potion,” he reasoned, though whether he was reassuring her or himself, he couldn’t say. “You must’ve inhaled some of the smoke. It should fade after a moment.”

“That’s… really strong,” she said as her hands lowered, fingers lingering against her lips. “How are you going to keep other people from inhaling it and wanting to make out with you.”

Sirius bobbed one shoulder as the corner of his lips curled up, his hands gently pulling away from her. “I still haven’t added the scents that will draw him out and, then I’ll need to add a bit of him into it.”

“How are you gonna do that?”

“I don’t know yet,” he answered. “Haven’t exactly thought that far.” Sighing heavily, he began to brainstorm out loud. “He’ll likely be staying in the dorms with his wizard, so I’ll have to sneak into the castle.”

“Is there anything I can do to help? Like, oh! Could I pretend to be, like, an inspector? Or maybe a new teacher, looking for a job? Oh! Or, or, I could say I’m looking for an intern for an expedition!”

Sirius couldn’t help the smirk that formed on his lips. “As much as I could use your help, it’s far too risky, even for me.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that although I am more than willing to take some risks… I could never forgive myself if anything ever happened to you, including having your memory altered,” he answered.

“Nothing’s gonna happen,” she replied. “I mean, I was able to go into that owl place —”

“That was different,” Sirius replied.

“How?”

“Albus Dumbledore wasn’t at the owlery,” he said.

“What?”

Sirius snorted softly. “He’s the most powerful wizard alive, and all he would need is to have one look at you to know you aren’t a witch.”

“What, is he half goblin or something?”

Sirius could ‘t help the barking laughter that burst out of him. “No, but he’s incredibly powerful, and I suspect rather skilled at Legilimency.”

“What’s that?”

“He can read your mind,” he replied.

“Whoa, really?” she asked, the twinkle of fascination coming back to her eyes. “Can you do that?”

“Not exactly, but… in a way,” Sirius answered, lowering the temperature to a simmer. “I have a dog’s nose. Though in my case, I can’t so much smell thoughts as I can feelings. Intentions, things like that. It’s how I knew you meant me no harm when I first woke up here. That, and I can smell magic.”

“You can smell magic?”

“Mhm.”

“What does it smell like?” she asked.

He thought about his answer for a moment, absently licking his lips. “Sweet mostly, but also a bit salty… like an ocean breeze at sunset. And a hint of spice that hits you like crackles of lightning.”

“What do I smell like?” she asked with a smile.

A burst of goosebumps appeared on his arms as he looked back at her. “Fresh cut timber. Light rain, with a sweet undertone.”

Her smile widened, clearly satisfied with his answer. “Good to know I smell awesome.”

“Oh, you smell…” Delicious. Divine. Intoxicating. He could say none of those words. There was a pull in his hips as he allowed himself to get lost in the thought of her scent, his eyelids falling slightly as a shiver ran over his arms. Clearing his throat, he pushed the thoughts away and forced a smile at her. “Awesome, yes.”

Blinking at him, she bit her bottom lip. “I should start getting ready for my shift tonight.”

Sirius frowned, turning his attention back to cleaning up what was on the counter as she walked down the hallway and into her bedroom. Her working the night shift meant that he was on his own for supper. She had only worked one other night shift since he had been staying with her, but still, he preferred when she worked during the day. At least then, they could eat together and watch another film.

His tongue came out to lick over his bottom lip, eyes closing as he remembered how close they’d just been to kissing. His skin erupted in goosebumps as a hum buzzed in his throat and a tug in his belly brought a shiver down his spine. He had to reign himself in, especially since he would be leaving in just over a week’s time.

When she came back into the sitting room, she was wearing a long, flowy pale blue dress that hung down to her mid calves. Her hair was swept back into a ponytail and there was a soft red hue on her lips. Subconsciously, his tongue came out again, this time to glide over his top lip as a curiosity of what she would taste like gnawed at the back of his mind.

“There’s some ham and cheese in the fridge, and I think a couple cans of tuna in the pantry for when you get hungry.”

“I miss you when you work nights.” He tried to make it sound as casual as he possibly could, looking away from her.

Still, he could hear the smile in her voice when she answered, “I miss you too. I really like watching movies with you.”

“So do I,” he said, a smile coming to his own face as he placed a hand on the lid before looking back at her. “I have to put this into a flask.”

“Yeah, okay.”

He arched a brow when she didn’t move an inch. “That means I’m going to open it again.”

“Oh, right,” Penny replied, taking another step back from him and the pot. “Sorry.”

“Quite alright,” he said, pulling open the lid and ignoring the urges stirring inside him when the smoke wafted beneath his nose.

“You know, you should think about testing it before trying to use it on Peter,” she said as he transfigured the burlap that the ingredients had been delivered in into a glass vial with a stopper.

Sirius arched a brow, turning his head to look at her over his shoulder, unable to suppress a smirk.

“I’m just saying, it’s not a bad idea to be absolutely certain it works,” she said with a bob of her shoulders, apparently trying to seem indifferent.

He carefully poured the solution into the vial, putting the stopper on and setting it to the side. He waved his wand over the pot, cleaning it in an instant before he looked back at her. “Perhaps. Suppose I could use the opportunity to workshop how I’ll be able to actually use it and not be caught.”

Penny smiled in what seemed to be self-satisfaction. “Exactly.”

“But offering yourself up as a test subject isn’t the wisest either. You were affected just from the smell —”

“You won’t take advantage of that,” she replied softly, shaking her head. “I trust you.”

Sirius nodded as though to agree, even when he knew how difficult it would be to not give in to her advances. It was a miracle he was able to resist her the first time.

“I gotta go,” she said regretfully, picking up her keys and handbag. “I’ll be home in a few hours.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he answered before he could think better of it.

He relished in the pink hue that colored her cheeks as she walked to the door, giving him a little wave as she stepped through it.

Letting out a breath, Sirius turned back to the vial. He would need to keep it in a cool, dark, dry place overnight before he could infuse it into chocolate, and began to scan his eyes around the kitchen, searching for such a spot. If he decided to test it, he would need an extra day to be sure he could have another batch ready for Wormtail. And it wouldn’t hurt, either, to have a plan for where he would sleep. It seemed almost certain that Dementors would be roaming around Hogsmeade, so that was out. Staying near the castle seemed just as foolish. That left the Shrieking Shack or the Forbidden Forest, the former of which would no doubt be more comfortable for him, assuming there was still a bed in it.

Unless there had been another werewolf pup admitted into Hogwarts, it was unlikely to be in use. He would be safe there, and close to Harry. Or close enough at any rate.

Waiting for Penny to come home was torture if he didn’t occupy himself with some sort of task, but with little left to do with respect to his plan to draw Wormtail out, Sirius decided to make dinner for both of them. She would no doubt be expecting him to fix himself something to eat around the usual time they would have their supper. But he wanted to do something for her, anything to repay her kindness. And so, Sirius found himself looking through her fridge and pantry for something to make.

He’d never been one for cooking — of the four of them, Remus had been the only one who seemed to enjoy it — but he did know one recipe by heart; Shepherd's Pie. He’d learned it thanks to a bet he’d made with James in their seventh year. Luckily he hadn’t forgotten it over the years, though he found himself having to improvise a bit when he realized that Penny didn’t have all the necessary ingredients. In the end, he made it work, and had it in the oven by the time Penny came through the door.

“Hello,” he said, glancing at her over his shoulder as he used the wand to wash the used dishes and wipe down the counters.

“What are you doing?” she asked, setting her bag and keys down. “Not another brew? What happened to the first one?”

“Oh no, I found a perfect place for that first batch I brewed. It needs to sit overnight,” he replied. “I’m just cleaning up. I’ve made supper.”

Penny was silent for a moment before she said, “Oh!” He finished cleaning up his work area and turned to face her as she came to stand in the doorframe of her kitchen, glancing around before she asked, “What’d you make?”

“Shepherd's Pie, although you didn’t have lamb or peas so I instead used ground beef and green beans,” he answered, his brows furrowing as he cast his eyes to one side. “Which I suppose would technically make it a Cottage Pie.”

She beamed. “You cooked for me?”

Blinking as he shifted his eyes back to her, he nodded once. “I did. Let’s just hope I remembered the bake time correctly.”

She chuckled. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, I wanted to,” he answered.

Penny’s smile widened as she gently swallowed. “Do I have time for a shower?”

“Of course,” Sirius answered, gesturing to the oven with his head. “That won’t be ready for at least another few minutes.”

“Perfect,” she replied, looking at him a moment longer before she made her way down the hall.

He couldn’t help but note how domestic it all felt — cooking supper for the two of them so that it would be ready when she got home from working at the library. He never imagined himself settling down with anyone at all, nor did he ever imagine that he would want to. And for a brief moment he allowed himself to imagine a scenario where after the war, he would be proven innocent and set free, and he could spend the rest of his life hoping she would break her no dating rule for him. But it was only a fantasy, and rightly lasted all of a few seconds before reality came crashing down. Even if they won the war, it was much more likely that he would be returned to Azkaban. The Minister would likely take pity only in sparing him from the Kiss. But his pride would never allow for Sirius to go free.

Shaking the thought from his mind, he went about getting some bowls and forks out and bringing them to the coffee table. He got a trivet and placed that on the coffee table as well, beside her binder. He didn’t dare look up when the bathroom door opened, allowing her fresh, sweet scent to drift out. By the time she closed the door to her bedroom, his heart was pounding in his chest as he thought about her wrapped in a towel, water dripping from her still damp hair.

A loud, steady beep sounded from the oven, and Sirius blinked several times before he went to fetch the finished pie. Grinning to himself as he pulled it out, he silently wished Remus were there to tell him how lovely it looked. Then another thought came to him; with the full moon approaching the following week, where was his friend going to be staying? Sirius doubted very much that Dumbledore still allowed him the use of the Shrieking Shack, and considering the general population's stance on werewolves, he thought it equally unlikely that Remus had a home of his own that he could lock himself inside.

Still, knowing his friend, Remus would no doubt have a plan for where to stash himself for the full, and that somehow made Sirius feel worse. In their sixth year, they had formed a pact to never let Remus suffer another full moon alone again. Of course, the war had seen fit to make sure they wouldn’t be able to keep that vow, starting with Remus being sent off on secret missions, always curiously close to when the full moon was approaching.

“That smells great!” Penny’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, and Sirius smiled at her, picking up the pan.

“Help yourself,” he said, bringing the pan to the coffee table and setting it on the trivet he had set there. “Be careful, I just took it out. It’s hot.”

“Thanks,” she said, pulling out a spatula from the drawer beside the oven and going to join him at the coffee table. She picked up her binder and moved it over to the end table, in front of the telephone.

“Do you have more to do with that?” he asked, gesturing to the binder.

“Oh, I’m defending my dissertation tomorrow,” she answered.

He smiled thankfully when she served him first instead of herself. “Are you nervous?”

“No,” she answered unassuredly, serving herself some of the cottage pie before she went back into the kitchen to grab two glasses of lemonade.

Sirius waited until she came back into the sitting room. “Maybe a little?”

Bobbing her shoulders, Penny sat down beside him. “A little.”

He waited a bit longer, not moving to begin eating just yet.

“Okay, I’m freaking out,” she replied with a sigh as she turned toward him slightly. “I know I shouldn’t be, I mean I know this dissertation forwards and backwards. But what if I mess up? I mean what if they ask me something that I don’t have an answer for?”

“I think you’ll do wonderfully. It’s like you said, you know your own work, forward and backwards —”

“Yeah, but you saw me when I was under pressure, I ramble, I’m insecure, I’m —”

“Brilliant, Penny,” he said. “You’re brilliant. You picked up a big strange dog, by yourself, and brought him home to nurse him back to health. You were the one who gave me the idea to use chocolate to lure Peter out.”

“We still don’t know if it’s gonna work,” she mumbled.

“It will,” he replied. “You thought you wouldn’t be able to go into the owl post and send for that list of ingredients, but you did. You’re going to be great. Don’t overthink it.”

The corner of her lips curled up slightly, but she still looked a bit unsure.

“Would it help if Padfoot went with you?” he asked. “Just for a bit of moral support?”

She smiled at him in earnest then. “You would really come?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, that would be great, actually,” she answered. “Oh!” Her smile suddenly fell away, her eyes widening. “I almost forgot,” she said, turning to rummage in her handbag still on the corner of the sofa. “I stopped by Blockbuster on my way home…” She turned back to him, holding up a tape in a blue and white case. “Return of the Jedi.”

A slow smirk formed on his parted lips. “Oh yes.”

She chuckled and stood, going over to the VCR to put in the tape and turn on the TV.

“I was thinking…”

“Yes?” he asked as she plopped down next to him and started to look for the remote.

“Well, you said you could use some help when you go to…” She paused, her eyes moving up to the ceiling as though trying to find a specific word. “Hogwarts?”

“Yes, Hogwarts,” he answered.

“Okay, so… I know you said it wouldn’t be a good idea to ask your friend, Remus for help —”

“No, it wouldn’t be,” Sirius answered with a shake of his head.

“Yeah, but you forgot one thing,” she said as she paused her search for the remote again to look at him. “You have someone to vouch for you now.”

“Who?”

Her smile vanished from her lips. “Me. I can vouch for you. I can tell him that you’re innocent and that your friend, Peter, is a rat.”

He smiled softly at her. “That’s a sweet gesture, but I don’t think it will work.”

“Why not?”

“Well, for one thing, Remus doesn’t know who you are. Secondly, he’s more likely to believe that I used the Imperius curse or otherwise forced you through magic to contact him on my behalf,” he said.

“It’s worth a try, Sirius. You can’t do this alone,” she replied softly.

“I can’t risk him warning Dumbledore or worse, the Ministry.”

Penny frowned. “He was your friend. You don’t think he would at least give you a chance to explain if you asked?”

Sirius moved some food around in his bowl, inhaling deeply. “I doubt that very much.”

His instinct told him that Remus would show far more consideration than that for a man who was, in fact, once one of his best friends, but Harry’s life depended on Sirius’ success. It was simply far too great a risk to take when Harry was in danger.

“I think you’re wrong,” Penny said, resuming her search for the remote.

He said nothing as her hand began to wedge between the cushions, including the one he was sitting on. Her body heat hovered over his shoulder, and he swallowed thickly, trying to ignore it. Finally, she found the remote on the other side of him, and reached for it, pressing herself against his shoulder. He turned his head toward her, his eyes subconsciously falling on her lips again.

Perhaps just one kiss would be alright. It wasn’t as though she didn’t already know he would be leaving soon. And her lips just looked so bloody inviting. Slowly closing his eyes, he inched his way closer, his nose grazing hers just before cool air hit his face.

“You should think about it,” she said, quickly sitting straight up again and turning on the movie, their moment over. She began to gather some of the cottage pie on her fork. “It wouldn’t hurt to have someone else on your side who might be able to help.”

Letting out a breath, Sirius turned his eyes to his bowl, taking a deep, silent breath. He couldn’t help but hope that she was right, but he still wasn’t willing to risk it. At least not yet. Maybe after he exposed Peter as still being alive, Remus would be more willing to listen, but not before. Apart from the uncertainty that Moony would even listen to what he had to say, it would just be too much to ask of him.

[bearsbeetsbeskar]

Whenever I’m at my grandmothers we always end up watching the Mandalorian cause my grandma loves grogu, it’s really one of the only shows that she enjoys watching nowadays ❤️

[thedummysdummy]

Gender Reveal

The previous part to this series can be found here: When Memory Fails

Her hand went automatically to her belly, just as it had a million times since she’d learned of the little spark growing inside. She glanced through the window, looking for the familiar black car to arrive with her best friends inside. However, it was still nowhere to be seen and she slumped back onto the couch. 

She’d never really thought she’d look forward to doctor appointments. But each time she sat on that crinkly paper and looked at the strange black and white images on the screen, an excitement grew inside of her. The tiny beating heart made her own flutter as she watched it beat away inside the tiny bean she carried. Every appointment showed her a more and more recognizable human being. 

And today, she’d know if her insistence was correct.

The buzzing of her phone pulled the girl out of her thoughts. Immediately she flicked on the screen and scanned the text message. “We’re almost there. Are you ready to go?” 

Anna’s smiling face reflected in the girl’s happy eyes as she read the text message and replied in the affirmative. The slightly older woman was far more than a coworker; Anna had always been one of the girl’s closest confidants and took on an almost motherly role from the outset of the pregnancy. Between Anna and Goldman, an assistant to their company’s largest investor and close friend, the girl found herself supported at every step. 

Another glance out the window revealed Goldman’s sleek black car had arrived in the lot of her apartment complex. At the same time, her phone buzzed with another message. “We are here! We’ll be up in just a minute!” 

“Oh, don’t worry about coming all the way up here! I can make it to the parking lot by myself, you know.” The girl giggled as she pressed ‘send,’ knowing that nothing she said would deter her friends from coming up for her anyway. Surely enough, a final glance out the window showed the pair hustling across the parking lot in an attempt to reach her before she made it down alone. She indulged them by returning to her couch and waiting for the doorbell to ring. 

Her bounce up to answer the door was slightly slower than usual, the pregnancy sapping some of her energy reserves the further along she got. It opened to reveal the beaming faces of her friends, Anna wrapping her arms securely around the girl’s shoulders in a tight hug. “Hey, you. How are you feeling?” 

“I’m doing fine. A little tired, but that’s normal apparently. I can’t believe we’re over halfway there.” She rubbed the growing bump, quite visible within the last week, and let out a half sigh. “He moves around quite a bit now. It’s really a strange feeling. Takes some getting used to.” She allowed Anna to take her hand and lead her out into the hallway before turning to lock the door. 

Both Anna and Goldman nodded, their grins eclipsed only by their seeming nervousness for her well-being. They stood on either side, brushing her shoulders and elbows as they walked, eyes flickering between her and the floor ahead. The girl shook her head slightly, but did nothing to prevent their care. 

Goldman opened the passenger door and offered a hand to support her as she lowered herself into the seat. “Are you alright? Let me get the seat belt for you.” He pulled the clip away from the wall of the car where it hung and handed it to the girl so she wouldn’t need to twist her torso, waited until she had clicked the belt securely, and closed the door with care. Anna had already climbed into the back seat with her phone in hand, tapping away at what was most likely some work-related email. 

“You two are so funny. I’m not made of porcelain, you know. But I really do appreciate your help.” 

Her friends nodded and patted her shoulders as Goldman kicked the engine to life. “Absolutely! Someone has to keep an eye on you. Especially since the father is a scumbag who-” Anna paused, not entirely sure where her anger was leading. “You haven’t managed to remember anything yet, have you?” 

“No…I feel like there’s something locked away that I really, really should remember, but I just can’t seem to break through to it. Maybe it’s just because I’m scared to know what it is? That maybe it’s something better left forgotten.” Her eyes dimmed, her heart telling her a different story than that. If something horrible had happened…wouldn’t there be other signs? Wouldn’t she have a lingering sense of dread, not an empty feeling that something important had been lost? 

Anna reached forward from the back seat and placed a warm hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Hey. Don’t stress yourself out over it, okay? I know I’ve told you a million times, but I’ll say it again. Whatever happened, it wasn’t your fault. Maybe someday down the road, you can submit to one of those DNA ancestry database things and see if there are any clues?” 

“Only if you want to,” Goldman interjected, looking over as the car came to a stop at a red light. “If you think it’s better left the way it is, then that’s completely up to you.” He frowned in that concerned sort of way that he adopted every time the topic came up. The girl smiled and patted the back of his hand. 

“It’s fine, Goldman. Maybe I’ll try it someday. I appreciate you looking out for my well-being, though.” The air in the car felt a little heavy as they continued on their journey and the girl searched for a way to lighten the mood. “So are you really not going to let me know the gender today? That’s so not fair!” 

Anna began to laugh with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Of course not! That would totally ruin our plans for a gender reveal party! And we are going to make sure that you have every single positive experience that any other expecting mom gets along the journey. No matter how you got here, you deserve nothing but happiness.” Goldman nodded along with a soft grunt of agreement. 

“We already have a small list of guests put together. Kiki, Willow, Minor, and Kiro are all coming for sure. Officer Gavin insisted he will be there as long as nothing emergent happens that day, and Professor Lucian said he should be available but won’t know for a few more days. Was there anyone else you wanted us to invite?” 

After a few moments of thought, the girl shook her head. There weren’t really any others in her life who knew of her situation, and the last thing she wanted to do was explain to a room full of her family and friends that she was pregnant for no apparent reason. It had been hard enough with her coworkers and closest friends. While none of them had blamed her or treated her differently, she couldn’t help wondering what they really thought. 

“Fair enough. Have you come up with any girl names you like?” Anna tapped the back of the girl’s head and giggled. “You still don’t know for sure you’re having a boy!” 

“I just can’t get the name ‘Victor’ out of my head. Sometimes it just bounces around in there like an old screensaver. So I’m positive that’s supposed to be his name.” 

Both Anna and Goldman sighed, having been through this conversation way too many times at this point. “Well, can we at least add Victoria for a girl? That’s close enough, right?” Goldman’s eyes flickered over for just a moment to check his friend’s reaction. She shrugged with a thoughtful look on her face. At least she seemed to be considering it!” 

Minutes later they were in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, thumbing through the same magazines they’d been poking at for the last five months. The girl felt a little bit nervous as her name was called and the nurse led her back to the familiar exam room and ultrasound machine. Soon. Soon she would know.

~~~

The five days between the appointment and the reveal party were the slowest the girl had ever experienced. She alternated between being completely positive that she carried a boy, and slightly worried she was having a girl and had nothing prepared. Had she already begun collecting little boy clothes when she was shopping on her own? Definitely. She even had an outfit picked out to bring him home from the hospital: A little panda-themed onesie, hat, and booties. Perhaps a little bow glued to the hat would make it girly enough…

Pink and blue balloons, streamers, confetti, and other decor had been lovingly distributed from one end of the office conference room to the other. A betting pool had been set up in one corner, boy or girl, with a prize basket for those who guessed correctly. Snacks and small sandwiches covered the entire conference table with a tower of cupcakes being the crown in the center. “Don’t touch until reveal time!” announced a card next to the cupcakes. 

All eight guests had arrived early and the gift table on the far end of the room was overflowing with packages. The girl watched each guest arrive and pile their gifts onto the table, feeling just a little overwhelmed by the amount of love being shown by every single person in the room. Minor and Gavin chatted quietly with plates of snacks in hand, while Kiki talked at Kiro and Willow leaned against a wall, listening to Lucian explain some project he was working on. Anna and Goldman were finishing the last few tasks before calling everyone’s attention to begin the party properly. 

Anna placed the final plate of sliced fruit on the table and clapped to turn everyone’s eyes toward the front of the room. The low grumble of conversation faded away and Anna smiled. “Welcome to our dear friend’s gender reveal party! Enjoy yourselves with the snacks and be sure to cast your vote at the betting table. We’ll do the actual reveal in about thirty minutes!” With a wave at the food from Anna, everyone returned to their conversations. 

The girl wandered from group to group, accepting hugs and well-wishes from those she loved. But her eyes kept wandering to that pile of cupcakes, knowing they held the answer she was seeking. The time passed painfully slowly no matter how hard she tried to get sucked into conversation. 

But as time does, the thirty minutes eventually came and went. This time Goldman took charge, standing proudly at the table with his eyes staring everyone down until the room fell quiet. “Alright, it’s time for the real reason we all came tonight! These cupcakes have been filled with either pink or blue frosting. Come on over here and let’s end the anticipation!” He picked up a cupcake and extended it to the girl, who held it in her hand for a moment. She just examined the white-frosted top with pink and blue sprinkles, the confetti cake beneath, and the “boy or girl?” wrapper. 

“Come on, quit stalling!” Kiki shouted, causing the room to erupt in soft laughter. The girl blushed and pulled away the paper on one side of the cupcake. Everyone held their collective breath as she opened her mouth and took a large bite, eyes closed tightly. She chewed and swallowed before opening her eyes, finally brave enough to see the results. 

“It’s a boy!” Minor yelled, pumping his fist in the air. “I knew it! I guess you were right, Boss. See guys? Always trust the boss! She knows what she’s talking about!” 

Everyone again began to laugh and helped themselves to the rest of the cupcakes, the excitement three levels higher than before. Anna made her way over to her friend and gave her a tight squeeze. “Well, Victor it is,” she teased, pulling back slightly to look in the girl’s eyes. “Congratulations, Boss. How about we go open some gifts?” 

The girl nodded and allowed herself to be led to the far side of the room, feeling relief flowing through her entire body. While she still didn’t know why the little boy’s name had to be Victor, some of the anxiety surrounding it managed to evaporate into excitement. Mysteries could wait. Today was the time for celebration.

[arctichotch]

I went to a convention yesterday and bought art prints of Ghost, Jason Voorhees and the Mandalorian.

My mom said, “damn, you really like guys in masks” I’m dying, dead 😭

[deathinfeathers]

[cookieg122]

Aha!! :0 You caught her with the bread again! Aya being an alien, has to eat a lot more than the average human. So!! She is always munching on her favorite snack- bread!! How does she get SO much? I dunno Khalan just makes it happen. My friend @pekoeboo was experimenting with drawing Khalan in a manga style, so I wanted to give it a try as well with the Lil GORL! >w</

[walker-extended-universe]

Also my heart broke when Hagan lied to Kate about why he signed the contract to sell the place

[moonsnightowl]

Just saw this on tiktok and it's probably one of Penny and Sirius movie nights when they get together @sinsiriuslyemo

Or is it if they get together?

I'm stressed about it 🥲

[anna1306]

Grandma, who sat next to me in the bus: reading Bible, looking very strict

Me, reading smut with killer-vampires right next to her: you are lucky you don't see it, grandma