#imagine his mom calling him eugene in front of his friends and hes like MOM wtff | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

waitimcomingtoo · 4 years

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Oh Brother

Pairing: Peter Parker x Flash’s sister!reader

Requested by @forlaughingoutl0ud : Peter has a crush on you, despite how much your brother torments him

Masterlist

Flash was known to torment Peter.

You, being Flash’s sister, were known to defend Peter from your brothers antics.

“Morning, Penis Parker.” Flash came up to Peter at his locker. “What did you have for breakfast this morning? Food stamps?”

Before Peter could respond, you appeared behind Flash and grabbed his ear.

“Ow! Ow ow ow ow!” He whined as you pulled him by the ear, dragging him away from Peter. Peter watched you with a smile as you dragged your brother away.

“Let’s go.” You sighed. “If you’re late to homeroom, Mrs. Weiss is gonna send a note home. Again.”

It was an every day occurrence.

“Nice shoes, Parker.” Flash snorted. “Dumpster diving is so amazing these days, isn’t it?”

“Oh my God, you’re so funny.” You whipped around in your seat and narrowed your eyes at your brother. “Tell us another one. Please?”

He liked it to keep it consistent.

“Can anyone tell me what this number is?” Your teacher asked as she wrote the digits of Pi, 3.14, on the board.

“It’s Parker’s annual income.” Flash called out, earning a few laughs.

“Why is it that no one ever wants to hear you speak and yet you’re always talking?” You piped up in Peters defense. The class “ooed” at your comeback and Peter smiled shyly to himself.

“Whatever.” Flash scoffed. “You look fat today.”

“I’m sorry, Peter.” You directed your attention to Peter. “He’s a little cranky this morning.”

“It’s okay.” He smiled sheepishly. You smiled back and shot him a wink before turning around in your seat.

And that was when Peter realized he was whipped for you.

“Can anyone tell me what an impulse is?” The teacher asked the class one day. “Yes, Flash?”

“It’s something you really want to do and have no control over.” Flash answered. “Like when I give Peter a wedgie during gym class, I did it on an impulse. That means I can’t be held responsible.”

“No.” The teacher signed. “Can anyone else tell me what it is? Yes, Peter?”

“A change in momentum.” Peter said, just a little smugly. “Ft equals mv minus mu.”

“Thank you, Peter.” The teacher smiled. “That’s right.”

“I was technically also right.” Flash spoke up. “You didn’t specify what context it was in.”

“This is a physics class.” You laughed. “That’s your context.”

“Whatever. You don’t have to defend him just because he has a giant crush on you.” Flash shot back and the class reacted accordingly. It was common knowledge that Peter had feelings for you and Flash liked to use that to his advantage.

“What? No I don’t.” Peter stammered. “That would be stupid.”

“Why would it be stupid?” You looked at him curiously, sending a flush across his face.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Can we get back to the lesson, please?” Your teacher asked through a tight smile. “You three can sort this out in your free time.”

“Lucky for us, Peter never has anything but free time.” Flash taunted. “Being poor really opens up your schedule.”

“Leave him alone, Eugene.” You snapped. “This is why mom doesn’t love you.”

“She does too!” Flash took the bait. “You’re the adopted one.”

“I know.” You shrugged smugly. “Our parents chose me. You were just an unfortunate accident.”

“My existence is not unfortunate.” He stated.

“Aren’t you a Gemini?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” He said.

I’m a Gemini too I’m so sorry

“Then yeah, it is.” You scrunched your nose. The class stopped laughed at Peter and directed their attention to Flash. Peter looked at you in amazement and you winked at him.

“Thompsons.” The teacher interrupted. “I want you out of this class. Both of you. Now.”

You glared at your brother angrily as you grabbed your bag and headed towards the door.

“This is all your fault.” He growled at you as he opened the door.

“Oh, please.” Your argument was muffled as you made your way down the hallway.

Peter’s leg bounced in anticipation as he waited for the bell to ring, springing out of his seat as soon as it did. He immediately went to your locker, where you were busy putting your books away. Peter took a deep breath before he approached you, nervously making the first move.

“Hey.” He spoke up, making you turn your head in his direction. You shot him a smile that heated his entire face up.

“Hey, Peter.” You greeted. “Did I miss anything fun in physics?”

“Not really.” He shrugged. “Unless you like learning about momentum.”

“You know what, Peter? I can’t say I do.” You chuckled as you took a notebook out of your locker.

“Thanks for sticking up for me before. I’m sorry you got kicked out of class.”

“Don’t be sorry.” You shook your head and shut your locker. “It was totally worth it to put Flash in his place. Plus, I’m totally gonna dip his toothbrush in the toilet later. Walk with me.”

He began to walk with you out of school and in the direction of the residential buildings.

“Do siblings do that?” He wondered. “I’m an only child.”

“Are you? You’re so lucky.” You sighed. “Do you know how many times I’ve fallen into the toilet because he left the seat up?”

“Yeah, thats never happened to me.” He laughed gently. “I take it you guys don’t get along.”

“It’s weird with siblings.” You shrugged. “One minute we hate each other, the next minute we’re talking about the stupid games we used to play on long car rides. There’s no way to describe it.”

“I can’t imagine living with him. It’s hard enough to spend 8 hours a day with him. No offense.” He added quickly.

“None taken.” You smiled at him. “It’s not fun to live with him. The amount of times I’ve walked into the bathroom after him and choked on his body spray is unacceptable. I think he’s trying to kill me.”

“I would be very upset if he did that.” Peter said softly.

“Did what?”

“Killed you.” He looked at you and held your gaze for a moment. You smiled shyly at each other before looking straight ahead.

“What did you mean before when you said it would be stupid to have a crush on me?” You wondered out loud.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Peter rubbed the back of his neck. “Flash has just been bullying me since first grade. It would be stupid if the girl I decided to pine after was his sister.”

“I don’t think that would be stupid.” You shrugged as you snuck a glance at him. Peter blinked in surprise as he made eye contact with you. You both stopped, standing alone in an alleyway now.

“You…you don’t?” He looked at you shyly.

“Not at all.” You shook your head slowly as you took a step closer to him. Peter looked at his shoes for a moment as he gathered some courage, just enough to do what he’d been meaning to do for years now.

“Would you wanna go out sometime then?” He blurted. “Like, on a date?”

“I’d love to.” You smiled. “You still have my number from that group project right?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, still swimming from the fact your said yes.

“Then you should text me.”

“I will.” He promised.

“Good. I have to walk back to school before Flash notices I’m gone. I’ll be waiting for that text.” You winked at him and he let out a flustered laugh. You took this as an opportunity to lean forward and press a kiss to his cheek, feeling his skin heat up beneath your lips. You pulled away and squeezed his hand before leaving him alone in the alley.

Yeah, he was definitely whipped.

“Penis Parker.” Flash slammed an open hand against the lockers next to Peter the following day. “Do you want to tell me why I kept seeing your name on my sister phone last night? Why were you texting her? Are you trying to colonize my families bloodline or something? No white men allowed.”

“What? And no.” Peters face heated up at the accusation. “We’re just friends.”

“You don’t have friends.” Flash snapped.

“Yes he does.” You appeared behind your brother and pushed him lightly. “That’ll be all, thank you.”

Flash narrowed his eyes at you before returning his attention to Peter.

“If you go near my sister again, I’m gonna turn your innie belly button into an outie.” Flash whispered.

“How?” Peter asked with genuine curiosity.

“You don’t want to find out.” He said through gritted teeth before storming away.

“He’s so annoying.” You rolled your eyes and leaned against Peters locker. “You look cute today.”

“Thanks.” Peter chuckled shyly as he looked down at his outfit. “I, um, I have a dilemma.”

“Is this about our date?” You worried.

“It’s just, your family is rich and my family is just me and my aunt. I know Flash makes a lot of jokes about me being poor, but they’re not really jokes.” He explained sheepishly. “I don’t think I can give you the kind of magical date you deserve.”

“Peter, I don’t need a fancy date. I just want to be with you.” You assured him as you stroked his cheek. “Why don’t you bring your favorite snack and I’ll bring my favorite drink and we can lay on top of your building and stargaze?”

“That sounds kinda perfect.” He admitted with a sly smile.

“Does tonight work?” You asked hopefully.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I’ll text you my address.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in Physics.” You squeezed his hand before walking away.

You walked into your living room that night, all dressed up for your date. You stopped in front of a mirror to check your makeup, accidentally catches Flash’s eye.

“You look nice.” Flash said as his eyes flicked from you to his phone. “But you know, prostitution is still illegal in New York. It’s a damn shame, though. Sex work is still work.”

“You know, every once in a while, something intelligent comes out of your mouth. Gives me goosebumps every time.” You teased him as you applied your lipgloss.

“Wait, where are you going?” He put his phone down. “It’s a Wednesday night.”

“I’m going to a friends building to look at the stars.” You told him most of the truth.

“Are you walking there?”

“Yeah.” You shrugged. “It’s not that far.”

“Let me drive you. You have your mace on you, right?” He asked from the kitchen as he grabbed his keys.

“Always.”

“Okay.” He reappeared with his keys. “Let’s go.”

You kept light conversation as you drove to Peters apartment building, careful not to reveal who you were meeting. Flash parked out front and looked at the building in disdain.

“Your friend lives here?” He grimaced. “Is she poor?”

“Shut up. Those jokes aren’t nice.” You shoved him lightly. “Thanks for driving me.”

“It’s okay.” He nodded. “Text me when I should pick you up.”

“I will. Get home safe.” You told him as you got out of the car.

“Whatever. Don’t get pregnant.” He pointed at you. “I mean it.”

“Drive away.” You rolled your eyes as you shut the car door. You walked into the lobby and found the elevator, letting out a nervous breath as you got in. You were standing in from of Peters door in no time, anxiously waiting for him to open it.

Finally, he did.

“Are you ready to stargaze?” You asked as you held up a jug of apple juice.

“Are you ready to eat this entire box of goldfish?” Peter responded as he held up a carton of goldfish.

“You know it.” You laughed and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go.”

An hour later, you were lying on your backs in opposite directions with your heads pressed together, staring up at the stars.

“I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than a night sky.” You sighed in content.

“I know something.” Peter looked at you, though you were upside down from his perspective.

“If you say me, I’m going kick you in the throat.” You laughed as you looked at him.

“Why?” He laughed as well.

“I don’t know.” You covered your face with your hands. “I’m not good with compliments. I don’t know how to respond.”

Peter turned his head so he was looking at you, eyes trailing over your side profile.

“I think you’re beautiful.” He told you, loving the way it made your draw drop. You rolled onto your side and looked at him before rolled on top. You rested your arms on either side of his face, admiring his face in the starlight, even if it was upside down. Your eyes flickered from his lips to his eyes and before he knew it, you were kissing him. He tilted his chin up so he could kiss you back, finding the position a little awkward as your nose bumped his chin. You both giggled into the kiss before continuing, only breaking away when you needed air. You flipped back on your back and let out a happy sigh, covering your face with your hand to hide your smile.

“That’s one way to respond.” Peter joked, breaking the silence. You laughed and rolled onto your side, him doing the same.

“I really like you.” You admitted, scrunching your nose at how weird it felt to say out loud.

“I really like you too.” Peter told you before leaning in for another kiss.

And that was the beginning of your relationship. You both knew Flash could not find out that you were dating, at least not yet. You had to cave and tell him you and Peter were friends around your second month of dating after he caught him in your room, but you didn’t tell him the full extent of your relationship. You disguised dates as casual hangouts, to which Flash heavily objected. He made his disliking for your “friendship” with Peter known.

“Ugh. You two.” Flash grumbled when he came into the kitchen to find you and Peter making cookies. You gave Peter a pointed look that told him to ignore your brother as Flash got food out of the pantry.

“Cracker.” He looked at Peter with a box of snacks in his hands.

“No thank you.” Peter said politely.

“I wasn’t offering. I was insulting.” Flash blew him a kiss before putting a cracker in his mouth. Peter looked at you for help and you gave him a sympathetic smile.

“How are you two friends?” He wondered. “You’re the worst people on the planet.”

“I beg to differ.” Peter began. “I think-“

“The beg.” Flash snapped before winking at Peter.

“We’re friends because we have similar interest.” You shrugged as you stirred the ingredients. “For example, we’re both very interested in you leaving the room.”

“Whatever. I was just making sure Parker doesn’t steal anything.” Flash shot daggers at Peter as he got a drink from the refrigerator. You and Peter stood in silence until you were sure Flash was gone, sighing in relief when he disappeared.

“Do you think he knows?” You whispered to Peter out of the corner of your mouth.

“He doesn’t suspect a thing.” Peter shook his head before pulling you into a kiss.

This was how it continued for month. You posed as friends and dated in secret, never letting your brother know the truth.

“Guess who?” You felt hands cover your eyes from behind. You immediately recognized Peters voice and turned around in his arms.

“What are you doing here?” You looked at him with wide eyes. “Flash could walk in at any minute.”

“I wanted to surprise you.” He smiled. “Happy three month anniversary, princess.”

“Happy anniversary, lover.” You smiled back at him before pulling him into a long kiss. For once, you didn’t care if your brother walked in. All you cared about was Peter.

“I have something for you.” Peter smirked once he pulled away.

“What? You didn’t have to get me anything.” You told him.

“Course I did.” He shrugged as he took a small box out of his pocket. “It’s okay if you didn’t get me anything.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t get you anything.” You winked at him before disappearing into your closet. You returned with a large carton of Goldfish with a bright red bow on it.

“Goldfish!” He lit up. “You remembered.”

“Of course I did, lover. How could I forget the taste of your goldfish breath the first time I kissed you?” You teased him as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“Well you must’ve like it since you’ve come back for more everyday since.” He shot back before kissing you. “Open yours.”

You took the box from him and opened it up, finding a hand maid needed bracelet with a moon decal that looked like Peter had carved himself.

“The moon?” You looked up at him with a curious smile.

“It’s a waxing crescent. That’s what the moon looked like the night you kissed me. I have a matching one, see?” He held up his wrist to show you his bracelet. You stated at it for a moment before your eyes went back to his gift.

“Peter.” You mumbled without taking your eyes away from the bracelet.

“Do you like it?” He bit his lip as he waited for your reaction. You looked up at him with a grin before throwing your arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly.

“I love it.” You said into his ear. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m so glad you like it.” He smiled at you for a moment before getting serious. As he was looking at you, he realized he had never trusted someone more. Something came over him that made him want to give you every thing he had, including his deepest secret.

“I have to tell you something. No, I, I want to tell you something.” He corrected. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while, actually. Um, this is so hard to say, wow.”

“It’s okay, Peter.” You put your hand in his face when you saw how flustered his was getting. “I love you too.”

Peter’s face drained of color at your confession as that was not at all what he was about to say.

“What?” He squeaked.

“I love you too.” You repeated, not understanding his confusion.

“That’s…that’s not what I was gonna say.” He blurted and your face fell.

“Oh.” You withdrew your arms from around his neck, feeling embarrassment and disappointment all at once. Peter realized his mistake and tried to pull you back.

“No, no.” Peter said quickly. “I was gonna tell you I’m Spider-Man.”

“What?” You nearly screamed.

“But I love you too! I love you so much.” He took your face in his hands and kissed you repeatedly.

“You’re Spider-Man?” You pushed him away long enough to ask.

“Yes. But more importantly, we’re in love!” He kissed you again. “Happy three months.”

“Happy three months.” You giggled between kisses.

You stood with Peter outside of school a few months later as you waited for Flash to come out.

“This is my least favorite part of the day.” Peter pouted as he rubbed your hand with his thumb.

“Why?” You tilted your head.

“I don’t get to see you anymore.” He looked at you with a shy smile. You smiled back at his cuteness and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Marching band ends at 4 right? How about I come over after that? We can do anything you want.” You suggested as you played with the collar of his shirt.

“Anything I want?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. I’m feeling generous.” You shrugged. You were about to lean in to kiss him when you noticed your brother in the distance.

“Oh no.” You sighed and stepped back from Peter. “Don’t turn around.”

“Hey Penis Parker.” Flash jumped behind Peter and smacked his butt before looking at you. “Sup bitch.”

“Hi Flash.” You smiled tightly at him.

“What are you losers taking about?” He asked. “How you’re never gonna lose your virginities?”

You and Peter exchanged a knowing look and he turned his head to snort.

“We’re talking about how grabbing peoples butts without their permission is sexual harassment.” You spoke up to cover Peters laugh.

“Oh, really? That’s cool.” He smacked Peters butt again. “Are you ready to go? My car is on and she’s ready to purr.”

“God, I hate you.” You sighed. “I’ll see you later, Peter.”

“See you later. Bye.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to your lips, entirely forgetting that Flash was there. Your eyes widened as Peter was about to walk away, but Flash held his hand up to stop him.

“Hold up.” He looked at Peter. “What was that?”

Peter furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and looked at you, only realizing his mistake when he noticed your messed up lipstick. He let out a small gasp before looking at Flash, who was shaking with anger.

“Um…physical affection?” Peter said weakly. You slammed your palm against your forehead and let out a sigh.

“Thanks for the run down, Penis Parker.” Flash snapped. “You’re dating my sister?”

“Yeah, Flash.” You put a hand on Peters shoulder. “Peter and I are dating.”

“Excuse me a minute.” He held up and finger before bending down as if he was going to puke. “BLEH.”

You rolled your eyes as your brother continued to make puking sounds.

“I cannot stand this man.” You grumbled. Flash stopped for a moment and stood up, looking eerily composed.

“Y/n, could you give Peter and I a minute to ourselves, please?” He said through a tight smile.

“Um, are you gonna kill him?” You scratched your ear as you looked between your fearfully boyfriend and your suspiciously calm brother.

“I haven’t decided yet.” Flash said, never breaking his smile.

“Don’t go.” Peter looked at you in fear.

“You’ll be okay.” You decided. “I’ll be right over there.”

Flash waited until you walked away until he started interrogating Peter.

“How long had this been going on?” Flash started out.

“Seven months.” Peter told him.

“Is it serious?”

“I love her.” Peter smiled shyly.

“Gross.” Flash gagged. “Does she love you back?”

“Yes.” Peter nodded. “She tells me everyday.”

“So every time I drove into the slums of New York to drop her off at the cardboard box you call an apartment building, I was dropping her off at your place? I was hand delivering my sister to you?” Flash realized.

“Yes.” Peter repeated. “Are you mad?”

“You know what”,Flash let out a breath, “I’m okay.”

“You are?” Peters jaw dropped a little. He had been expecting a beating, or at least a wedgie.

“Yeah.” Flash put his hand on Peters shoulder and rubbed it. “She couldn’t be in better hands, Spiderman.”

He had whispered the last part, making all the blood drain from Peters face.

“How did you-“

“I eavesdrop on people constantly.” Flash cut him off. “I can’t stop. My therapist says it’s because I didn’t get enough attention as a kid, but what does that bitch know? I overheard her husband on the phone telling her that their kid bit somebody again. Again! I never did that. The moon bracelet was a nice touch, by the way. She really likes it.”

“You just told me way too much about you.” Peter blinked a few times as he processed what he just heard.

“Now we’re even.” Flash smirked and shot him a wink.

“Are you gonna tell anyone?” He asked nervously.

“Course not. I would do anything for Spider-Man.” Flash stated firmly. “That secret is safe with me. I am, however, gonna tell everyone that you and her are dating.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s super embarrassing for her. Later, Parker.” He held out his hands for Peter to shake, pulling him in when their hands touched.

“Swing me around the city in your arms and I won’t kill you for dating my sister.” He whispered in Peters ear. Peter looked at him in fear as he walked away. You immediately ran up to Peter once your brother was gone and put a hand on his arm.

“What happened?” You asked. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Peter told you. “I think I have a date with your brother.”

“You - huh?” You asked for clarification but Peter just shook his head.

“I don’t know.” He sighed in defeat. “I’ll text you after band practice.”

“Yeah I’ll-“ You were cut off by Flash honking his horn and calling your name.

“I’ll text you later.” You grumbled and shot a look at Flash.

“Okay.” Peter kissed you before you began to walk away. “I love you.”

“I love you.” You called over your shoulder as you made your way to Flash’s car. Upon hearing this, Flash just had to chime in.

“I love you too Penis Parker!”

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carolina-bleus · 4 years

Photo

~Something You Read: From Rick to Michonne~

“I cannot believe he actually logged into class this morning from his bed! I think he’d just woken up like five minutes before. He could barely hold his eyes open and had bed hair and everything. Who even does that?” Michonne scoffed.

Rick chuckled. “That sounds exactly like something Shane would do.”

“Mr. Horvath even had to tell him to put on a shirt...which got a lot of grumbling from some of the girls.”

“You included?”

Rick outright laughed at the look of disgust Michonne shot him through his phone’s screen.

“Richard Sutton Grimes, I am offended! You know I have better taste than that. No offense to Shane, but it would have to be the end of the world and we’d have to be the last hope for continuation of the human race before I’d even consider him anything other than a smug nuisance.”

“Ouch! So I’ll take that as a no.”

“Take that as a hell no!”

“Michonne Colette Richardson with the potty mouth! I’m gonna tell your mama and daddy.”

“What’s the worst that could happen? I get grounded and confined to the house and not allowed to go out with my friends? Too late, Miss Rona already beat them to that,” Michonne replied glumly.

“Yeah, it sucks. I can’t believe this is how we’re spending our senior year of high school. I thought everything would be back to normal by now.”

“I don’t even know what normal is anymore. I certainly hope this isn’t our new normal...going to school online, not being able to hang out and only seeing each other “face to face” through a screen in class or during phone calls.”

“I never thought I’d say this...and if you tell my mama, I’ll deny it...but I actually miss school. Not the work,” Rick quickly added. “I miss interacting with everybody, even Eugene and his mullet.”

“Really, Rick? Of all the classmates you could name, you pick Eugene...and his mullet...and not me?”

“You know you’re not just my classmate. You’re my best friend, Michonne. Of course I miss you.”

More than you even know, Rick thought.

“I miss you, too. The two of us haven’t been in the same space in what feels like forever and I’m over it. We don’t even get to go the mountains for Christmas this year,” Michonne lamented.

The Grimes and Richardson families were extremely close. The teens’ parents grew up together in King County and had been close long before Rick and Michonne were born. The families had been planning to spend Christmas break in a vacation home rented out for the holidays. But, now instead of a big Christmas celebration in the mountains, the families were doing as they had for Thanksgiving and keeping their celebrations small and confined to immediate family. Gift giving was even different this year.

The families decided to keep it simple and follow a modified version of the five-gift rule. Each household pulled the name of someone from the other household. The gift recipient told the gift giver what category they wanted their gift to represent. Luckily, Rick and Michonne pulled each other’s names. But even if they hadn’t, they would have managed to get a gift for each other a gift anyway. Michonne wanted “something you read” and Rick asked for “something you want.” Michonne’s gift was already wrapped and ready on Rick’s nightstand.

The canceled vacation and altered holiday routines were just another reminder of how different things were this year. Rick and Michonne had been inseparable since they were babies. They’d seen each other just about every day before pandemic brought their in-person interactions to a halt. The physical separation was something neither teen had really gotten used to even after so many months.

Michonne sighed. “You think it will be like this when we get older if everything does go back to normal and we can get on with our lives?”

“What do you mean?” Rick asked.

“We’re about to go off to college in some form or another and start the next phase of our lives. Do you think this is what it will be like...never seeing each other except through calls or whenever there is a holiday?”

“You think we’re going to grow apart?” Rick asked with a tilt of his head.

Michonne shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope not. But I never thought I’d live through a pandemic either. Life’s funny that way.”

“I know you want to explore the world and go to all these exciting places during and after college. But what about later? Do you think you’ll come back home? To your family?”

To me?

Rick had been in love with his best friend for as long as he could remember. He’d never quite found the words to tell her. He thought maybe he’d ask her to prom and do it then but prom most likely wasn’t going to happen this year. Rick worried if he’d even get the chance to hug Michonne again before they went off to different colleges next fall.

“You mean come back home to live?”

Rick nodded. “Yeah.”

“Is that what you’re going to do...come back home after college?”

“That’s been the plan.”

“Have you ever thought about living somewhere else?”

“Not really...but I guess I would for the right reason.”

And the right person.

“What reason would that be?”

You.

Rick shrugged. “I guess I’ll know when I know.”

Michonne looked away briefly before clearing her throat. “Oh...well, we don’t have to worry about that for a little while longer, anyway. Soon it will be Christmas break. And then it will be New Year’s Eve and we can put this hellish year behind us and start looking forward to the future...wherever that takes us.”

“Michonne, I---

A knock sounded on Rick’s door. It opened and his mom stood in the doorway.

“Honey, I know it’s distance learning but you still need to get some rest for tomorrow. Michonne, you do as well,” Mrs. Grimes added, knowing without question who Rick was talking to this late.

“Yes ma’am,” the teens replied in unison.

“Alright. Goodnight you two. Love you both.”

“Goodnight, Mama.”

“Goodnight, Auntie Suzanne.”

Once his mother closed the door behind her, Rick turned back to the screen.

“Rick, what were you about to say before?”

“Oh...umm...just that I hope you like the Christmas gift I got you.”

“You always pick out the best gifts, so I’m not worried. Well, I guess we better head to bed. Talk to you in the morning before classes?”

“Of course. Goodnight, Michonne.”

“Goodnight, Rick.”

The best friends ended their call and Rick slouched down with a sigh. He had been about to confess his feelings to Michonne right then and there. Her conversation about them growing apart scared him. He didn’t want to lose her.

But what if telling her how I feel pushes her away?

Needing to get his feelings off his chest somehow, Rick tore a piece of paper from his notebook, grabbed a pen and began to write.

Dear Michonne,

You’ve been my best friend since before we could talk and I hope you remain so even after I tell you what’s in my heart. Michonne, I love you...I’m in love with you. Whew! It feels good to FINALLY say that. I’ve loved you since...well, honestly, I can’t think of a time when I didn’t love you in some way. Every moment that’s meant something in my life has had you in it...holding my hand when I was scared on our very first day of school, when you helped me study for and win the spelling bee in third grade, when we took down the school bully, Phillip, on the playground in fifth grade, being each other’s first kiss in sixth grade and each other’s date for our first high school dance, sitting and crying with me when my grandpa died from the virus, stressing about applying to college early decision and celebrating together when we both got into our dream schools. The serious moments, the fun moments and everything in between...you’ve been there. And somewhere along the way, my love for you grew beyond friendship.

I can be my whole self with you because you bring out the best of who I am and you inspire me to want to be even better. You’re the one person I can tell anything and everything to without hesitation. You’re the only person I want to tell everything to. So, you’re probably wondering why I never told you how I feel. Well, I haven’t told you for the same reason your question about us drifting apart scared me...I don’t want to lose you. I can’t imagine...I don’t want to imagine...us not being in each other’s lives. I didn’t want to risk pushing you away or making you feel weird. I still don’t want that. But this year has taught me more than ever that life is short, time is precious and you have to let the people in your lives always know how you truly feel about them while you can.

Whatever you feel for me, please know that your happiness and our friendship are the most important things to me. And I want us to always remain friends, and in each other’s lives, whether or not we ever become a couple. I know we’ll be walking different paths for the next few years, but I hope those paths always lead us back to each other.

This is my first love confession I’ve ever written so I’m not really sure how to end it. I guess, thank you for reading it.

Love always,

Rick

P.S.- If you don’t feel the same way, you don’t have to say anything. We can just pretend this never happened.

Finished, Rick neatly folded the paper in half, wrote Michonne’s name on the front, and placed it on his nightstand beside Michonne’s gift.

Now the question remains if I’ll ever give it to her.

*****

Before Rick knew it, there was only one more week until school let out for the holiday break. He’d decided to have a change of scenery and attended school in his dad’s study today. Returning to his room, Rick plopped down on his bed and reached for his phone that he’d left on the nightstand. To his horror, the phone was there, but Michonne’s gift...and more importantly, Michonne’s note...were both gone.

“MAMA!”

“What?! Why are you yelling?”

“Mama, where’s Michonne’s gift?”

“Your Aunt Sheila and I did our socially distanced gift exchange this afternoon. I dropped their gifts off on their porch and ours were waiting there in a box. I already put them under the tree.”

“So you got Michonne’s gift from me off of my table?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to the piece of paper that was there as well?”

“Well, it had Michonne’s name on it, so I put it in a nice envelope...since you neglected to do so...and added it to her present.”

“Oh, Mama, you didn’t,” Rick groaned.

“Yes, I did. It was beside Michonne’s gift. It had her name on it. It was meant for her right?”

“Yes, ma’am. It was.”

“So why are you looking like I just destroyed your world?”

Because you may just accidentally have.

“Uh...it’s nothing,” Rick hedged. “I uh...I just wanted to exchange gifts in person.”

Mrs. Grimes nodded sympathetically.

“I know sweetie. We all wanted to do that this year, but we have to take the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe.”

Unfortunately, my heart might have just become collateral damage.

The morning after he wrote it, Rick had decided not to give Michonne the letter. He still felt the same way, but he just couldn’t run the risk of his confession altering their friendship in a negative way. However, now all he could do was wait and hope Michonne didn’t take an early peek at her gifts like she used to do when they were kids.

Rick looked at the date on his phone...December 10...fifteen days until Michonne opened the letter. He smiled wistfully at his lock screen. It was picture of him and Michonne that she forced him to take on the last day they saw each other before their world got turned on its head. They were lounging in the hammock in his family’s backyard just talking about their hopes for senior year and beyond. It had been a perfect afternoon. He’d almost told her how he felt then but backed out at the last minute. Now the decision to tell had been taken out of his hands.

Man, I hope I didn’t make the biggest mistake of my life.

*****

As the days to Christmas dwindled down, Rick didn’t notice a change in Michonne or their interactions. They still spoke every morning and every night and she acted the same as always. Rick didn’t know if that meant she hadn’t yet read the letter or that she had and was just not saying anything because didn’t have any romantic feelings for him.

Rick had tried to bribe Michonne’s younger brother, Noah, to find and destroy the letter. But that ended in utter failure. Noah couldn’t find the letter and he got yelled at by Michonne for snooping around her room. But Noah was true to his word (and the fifty dollars Rick sent to his cash app) and never implicated Rick in the plot.

~Christmas Eve~

Rick’s nerves were shot.

One more day until I know if I need to ask to go live with Granny Grimes down in Florida to finish out senior year.

Rick hadn’t spoken to Michonne at all today, which was a rarity.

Maybe she’s avoiding me.

Rick trudged glumly down the stairs so lost in thought that the sudden ringing of the doorbell scared him.

“Did y’all order food?” Rick called out to his family.

“No! It might be a package though,” his father yelled back.

Assuming the delivery person left the package on the porch, Rick pulled open the door without hesitation. He nearly fell over when he saw who was waiting.

“Michonne?! What are you doing here?” Rick started to push open the storm door, but caught himself. “Wait, a second.”

Rick grabbed his mask off the hallway table and put it on before stepping outside. The teens stood on opposite ends of the porch.

Michonne offered a small wave. “Hey, Rick. I came over because I wanted to see you.”

“Why? It must be important if you came in person.”

Oh, man. Is she going to break my heart in person?

“I promise to explain. But, first, I need you to answer some questions.”

“Questions? Why?”

“You’ll see.” Michonne pulled out her phone and unlocked it. “Okay, have you experienced any of the following recently...fever, cough, or headaches?”

“No.”

“Good. Fatigue...muscle or body aches...loss of taste or smell?”

“No.”

“Sore throat...nausea...diarrhea?”

“Michonne!”

“Rick, just answer the question.”

“No.”

“Has anyone in your family experienced those symptoms recently?”

Rick shook his head. “No.”

“Where have you been in the past fourteen days?”

“I’ve been home.” Stressing out over a letter.

“You haven’t gone anywhere outside? Not even to the grocery store?”

“Other than the porch or backyard, I’ve been in the house.”

“Good. I’ve haven’t gone anywhere for the past fourteen days either. I’ve been in the house and avoiding anyone who doesn’t live in my house...basically a self-imposed quarantine.”

“Why?”

“So I could do this.”

Michonne removed her mask and walked over to Rick. She reached up and removed his mask, smiling at the question in his eyes before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on his lips. After a moment of shocked delay, Rick quickly responded by wrapping his arms around Michonne and deepening the kiss.

Needing a breath and a moment to process it all, the couple slowly broke off their kiss and stared at each other with twin smiles on their faces.

“I take it you read the letter?” Rick asked.

Michonne nodded. “Exactly fourteen days ago.”

“You read it the first night?! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’ve never had anyone confess their love for me before...at least not outside of a daydream. I needed time some time to deal.”

“And do you feel the same way?”

“Rick, I quarantined for fourteen days just so I could kiss you. What do you think that means?”

“Maybe I just want to hear you say it.”

Michonne rolled her eyes but couldn’t keep the smile off of her face.

“I love you, too, Rick.”

“Romantically?”

“Yeah.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as I can remember.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Michonne shrugged. “It’s the same reason you didn’t. I was scared and I didn’t want to lose you in case you didn’t feel the same way.”

“But we both feel the same way. So...we’re a couple?”

“Almost. There is something you have to say first.”

“What?” Then it dawned on Rick and he flushed, suddenly shy. “I wrote it in the letter.”

“Maybe I just want to hear you say it.”

Rick chuckled at his words being thrown back at him, before he turned serious.

“I love you, Michonne.”

Michonne’s face lit up with a smile that took Rick’s breath away.

“Now, we’re a couple,” she declared.

Rick took Michonne’s hand and led her over to the porch swing. The couple drew close under the blanket Rick’s mom kept there for the chilly winter nights.

“Guess I won’t have to open any gifts tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” Michonne questioned.

“Christmas came early. I have everything I want now.”

Michonne smiled and pulled Rick into a hug. When they separated, a sudden question occurred to Rick.

“Hey, did you open my actual gift I got you to read?” Rick asked.

“Not yet, I was waiting until tomorrow. I only opened the letter because I thought it was a card. I’m glad I didn’t wait though because that letter was truly the best thing I’ve read in my entire life.”

Rick blushed happily at Michonne’s words.

“Well, maybe you’ll read something even better one day.”

“Like what?”

“Our wedding vows.”

Michonne’s eyes widened before she smiled sweetly, “Yeah, maybe one day.”

The couple shared another kiss before they cuddled against each other and slowly rocked in the swing, enjoying the Christmas lights shining across the neighborhood.

@richonnefics

#richonne5 #richonne #because teenage Rick and Michonne would be adorable #forgive any typos...I'm tired lol

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collecting-stories · 4 years

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Tara - ep. 11 - Georgia

Summary: The reader’s birthday is right around the corner. Tara shares a secret with Daryl that only she knows.

A/N: Someone recently asked about me posting pictures that inspired Georgia so I thought I would share the pinterest board I use for it. (I’ll add more as the series moves along. If you wanna see anything specific like outfit inspo let me know lol).

Georgia Masterlist | The Walking Dead Masterlist

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

“My baby! Look at her.” You cheered, standing in the parking lot of Dale’s autobody as Daryl drove the Jeep up and parked beside you. He had told you to come by after work to collect the Jeep at the shop, thinking it’d be better that way then you showing up at his house. “Thank you.”

“Just doing my job.” He shrugged, handing the keys over to you. “Another tussle with the cat?” He asked, catching sight of the cut on your cheek. Without thinking he reached up and brushed his hand across the cut and you flinched a little.

You smiled though, when you met his eyes, “yeah, can’t resist ‘em.”

“Thought maybe ya were getting into it at the diner, heard ya got arrested,” he teased.

“I wasn’t arrested! Who told you I was arrested?”

“Calm yerself down. Michonne said she picked ya up Friday night with Maggie Greene.” He replied. Michonne had given him an earful about it on Saturday morning when she’d seen him in the parking lot of the gas station.

“I was at Shane’s party, there was a fight.” You replied, “but I wasn’t arrested.” You wondered if Michonne told Daryl that she called you his girlfriend and whether or not that bothered him. If he corrected her everytime or if he didn’t say one way or another. “Anyway, I went cause Aiden told me he’d tell my mom we’ve been hanging out if I didn’t. I didn’t want you to get in trouble,” you admitted.

With both of the boys only in holding over night to ‘cool off’ as the sheriff called it, you were sure that Aiden had convinced his mom to tell yours about all the time you were spending with Daryl. You’d spent all last night laying in bed freaking out over the thought of Daryl getting in trouble because you were stupid enough to not just go talk to Deanna in the moment.

“Don’t worry ‘bout me, ya shouldn’t be spending time hanging around me anyway.” He mused, leaning against the side of your jeep. “Don’t matter anyway, going hunting for a few days...sure they’ll forget about whatever gossip they got running out their mouths by then.”

“When are you going?”

“Leavin’ in the morning why?” He asked.

“How long you gonna be gone?”

“Why?” Daryl asked again, “ya want me ta print ya an itinerary or something?”

“No. I’m just asking.” You frowned, hoping it looked like a glare but positive it looked much more like a pout. The thought of Daryl leaving, even for a weekend, was all kinds of awful. It was already going to be weird not going to his house three times a week to watch him work on the car and you were afraid that he would stop wanting you around now that the car was fixed. Going hunting felt like the final thing before he told you to stop bothering him for good. “You still gonna teach me car stuff when you come back?”

“Told ya I would.” He said. When Tiny called his name from the back of the shop, Daryl stood up, wiping imaginary dirt off his hands. “I gotta get back ta work, ya stay outta prison til I’m back, ya hear.”

“I wasn’t arrested!” You stressed,

“Course ya weren’t.” He hesitated for a moment, hands in the pockets of his coveralls as he stood there, waiting to say whatever was on his mind. “I’ll only be a few days, I see ya after. Teach ya how to drive.”

“I know how to drive!” You laughed, “you told me I was good driver.”

“When was that?”

“Daryl!”

He grinned, brushing his hair back with his hand before shaking it out. “I’ll be seeing ya alright?”

“I’ll see you when you get back.” You nodded, finally opening the door to your jeep as Daryl headed back into the auto shop to help Tiny. You waved to Axel as you peeled out, not headed far though, you had a shift at the diner to get back to.

You hadn’t mentioned it to Daryl then though you had been planning to. It was your birthday soon. About two weeks and you’d be eighteen. It wouldn’t matter what Deanna told your mom or what Aiden said and maybe, Michonne’s teasing wouldn’t have to be just teasing. It was all wishful thinking though. There was still the unavoidable possibility that he didn’t like you at all and that when you told him how you felt he wouldn’t reciprocate. Maggie told you that you were crazy to even think that way, Daryl was obviously into you, according to her.

You’d spent enough time with him though, you knew he wouldn’t come around easy. But that was okay, you were pretty willing to stick it out even if all you ever got was a glimpse of a smile.

The diner was packed when you got there, almost unusually so for a Thursday night but you recognized the two girls sitting at the counter the moment you walked through the front door. You waved while you ducked in the back to drop your things and clock in, fixing the apron around your dress and coming back out the double doors behind the counter.

“What are you guys doing here?” You asked, stopping in front of Maggie and Tara before you waited on anyone else.

Maggie only came by the diner if she was driving you home and lately she hadn’t. Tara came even more infrequently so you knew they had to want something if they were sitting there, especially at the beginning of your shift.

“Wanted to get dinner, saw you across the street with your boyfriend.” Tara teased.

“Shut up.”

“You tell him that you’re gonna be eighteen soon.” She questioned. “You guys can-”

“Tara! Shut up!” You smacked the back of her hand with the pad of paper in your hand, “my God.”

“We came over because we were talking party ideas and wanted to know what you wanted for your birthday?” Maggie cut in, bringing the conversation back to something more appropriate for a diner full of families.

“After the other night...no party. Just us, Glenn...maybe Eugene? No one else, please.” You laughed.

“You know what would be more fun than a party?” Lori commented, stopping behind you.

You twisted around, looking at your co-worker, “waiting on tables?” You replied. She was always on your case, it was no surprise that she would’ve been ease-dropping on the conversation.

“Especially since you aren’t being paid to stand here chitchatting with your friends.” She retorted.

“I’m going, I’m going,” you muttered, “discuss without me...no party.” You insisted, walking around the counter to go wait on the tables in your section.

Tara spun in her stool, watching you chat up tables of families. “Watch her, I’ll be right back.” She instructed, hopping off the stool. Maggie was about to ask where she was headed but Tara was already across the diner, the bell on the door clattering behind her as she left. Through the picture windows Maggie could see her cut across the street to the garage. You would kill them if you found out, surely.

Tara walked up the small parking lot to the garage. She’d been there once to drop you off but had never been inside. She’d only seen Daryl a handful of times and only talked to him once. Not exactly the basis for inviting him to come to a birthday dinner for you that she couldn’t even imagine him agreeing too.

“Can I help you?” T-Dog called, spying the girl walking into the open garage a little less confident now that she was through the door.

“Is Daryl here?”

“D! You got a visitor.” T-Dog shouted, looking back at Tara skeptically before walking off to go back to work.

Daryl appeared on the other side of a four-door sedan, eyes narrowing when he realized the visitor was not you. Tara smiled a little too apprehensively, walking over to him and waving. “Hey, I’m Tara...I’m friends with-”

“Yeah, I recognize ya,” Daryl replied, leaning against the car. “What’re ya doing here?”

“Well...you might not know but she’s turning eighteen in two weeks and we were planning on having a party for her, nothing special but...” Tara shrugged, “I wanted to invite you.”

“I’m busy.”

“In two weeks? I didn’t even tell you the date.” She pointed out.

“Yeah and? She didn’t tell me herself, ain’t something she wants me ta know.” He replied. It seemed logical enough for him. You hadn’t mentioned your birthday to him at all. Maybe the party was a surprise but you hadn’t even brought up the exact date so why would you want him at a party with your friends?

“I think she’s probably just nervous, you know?” Tara tried to argue. Considering how much you talked about Daryl on a daily basis she wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t mention anything to him out of sheer anxiety. You were eighteen...the implications were there.

“What for?”

“Well,” Tara paused, was he joking? “She’s eighteen...you guys could like...date.”

Daryl brought his hand up, chewing at the tip of his thumb, cheeks going red at the word. He’d thought about it. Hell, he thought about it all the time. At Thanksgiving, in the parking lot on Christmas Eve, at the stupid winter fest, in his truck while you were driving to Woodbury, anytime he looked over at you while he was working on the car. What he wouldn’t give to have that, to kiss you whenever he wanted, to be close to you, but that kind of happiness wasn’t in the cards for him.

You were a fluke, a weird accident that happened in his timeline and once the universe righted itself you would be fixing your eye on someone who was better for you. Someone who would live up to all the standards that people in King County had.

“I got work.” He finally said, looking back down at the car in front of him.

“Okay. Just, think about it?” Tara requested. “She really likes you and, I know my opinion is whatever but, she deserves some happiness.” Tara turned, leaving the shop to get back to Maggie, hoping you didn’t notice her absence too much.

“What’d ya mean?” Daryl called after her.

Tara paused, looking back at him, “don’t tell her I told you...no one knows.” She stressed, “things aren’t exactly...her parents aren’t what everyone thinks.”

As she headed back to the diner Daryl exhaled, kicking the tire of the sedan as that feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. The same feeling he’d pushed away earlier when he saw the scratch on your cheek. The one he’d ignored just after Christmas when you told him you tousled with a cat at the Greene’s. It was that feeling, nagging, coupled with the smallest hint of something familiar behind your eyes.

He knew the feeling. He lived it. But you shouldn’t have to.

Taglist: @hopesxxhigh @coffeebooksandfandom @jodiereedus22 @tehfabbooty @thecaptainsgingersnap @of-storms-and-sadness @twdeadfanfic @alwaysadreamingoptimist @mainokutan @sabertooth-potato @solllaris @bucky-barnes-babies @ly--canthrope @daryldixonandfrogs @jaycc7983 @easnuppa @imaginecrushes @tonystarkismyboy @watchmeaspire @harpersmariano @guccicloudz @sapphire-angel @buzzybhee @alexbealee @elodieyung @its-evita-here

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alienoresimagines · 4 years

Text

Heart Meet Break | Eugene Sledge x Gender Neutral!Reader

Requested by Anonymous : Hi could you please write number 1 prompt list imagines “We’re not just friends and you fucking know it" with Eugene Sledge?

A/N : Here we are after 9 weeks without posting and more than one year after receiving this request!😂😅 Hope y’all didn’t forget about me 🤣 and that you are all safe for this holidays season To be honest I had written this in october but I’m posting it just now because.. well I have no idea but it’s here now ;) (actually I do and it’s because @inglourious-imagines kicked my a**) I started so many times and I’m not completely pleased with how it turned out but I hope you’ll enjoy! Also a big thank you to @punkgeekchic for beta reading, hope you’re doing okay darling see you in January!💙💙Title from Heart Meet Break de Liam Payne, also stream his songs please!😘

Taglist : @murphyism @mavysnavy @speirs-sexy-ass @order-of-river-phoenix @inglourious-imagines @liebegott @tvserie-s-world @stressedinadress @warrior-healer

Posted : 23/12/2020

Masterlist Taglist Prompts

-----

You could feel the beginning of a headache building behind your eyelids, and the welcomed pain in your feet after hours of passing on your bedroom's floor in a circle. Bringing a hand to your face to pinch the bridge of your nose and let out a long sigh, you let yourself fall onto your bed with a quiet flop. As soon as your back hit the soft sheet, the urge to go back to your feet and do something came back in a rush. A distraction would save your floor.

"[Y/N]! Could you take out the trash, please, dear?" Her sudden call startled you, too lost in your thoughts but you were quick to answer, knowing already there was only one good answer.

"I'm coming, mom!" You shouted back, putting on your shoes in a slow pace. A distraction was your floor's savior but definitely not your heart's or mind's. You could only pray you'd meet your neighbor while walking through the yard.

The stairs were cracking under your steps, as you still didn't know if you should feel nervous or hopeful. The twist in your stomach was a mix of both, the sweat on your palms said it all.

Always so thoughtful, your mother had put the trash bag just next to the front door, ready to be taken out.

"Ah, [Y/N], while you're out, could you bring this to the Sledges? Mary has been kind enough to share her pie with us, the least I can do is bake her one too." Your mother appeared at the door between the entrance and the kitchen with what you guessed was a plate wrapped in a clean cloth.

The years passing didn't do her past beauty's justice but her eyes hadn't changed, nor did the way she looked at your father.

"Sure, I'll go to the library after, do you know if Father needs anything?" You smiled, taking the package from her wrinkled hands carefully as she smiled at you, shaking her head in denial.

With the black trash bag in one hand and the white cloth covering the quite heavy pie, you went out, but not before kissing your mother's cheek.

The warm air of this beginning of autumn was like the wind of freedom after having spent the day in your bedroom like a lion in a cage. You were about to take a deep breath when you remembered the trash bag in your hand. Right. No matter how good and sweet your mother's pie was and smelled, your nose still felt attacked by the trash. When you finally had put the black bag where it belonged you started to walk out of your parents' property, heading to the house next door. His house. All the feelings and thoughts you had forgotten came back, overwhelming you and making your legs shake.

"Deacon! Deacon, where are you going?" Either your lucky star was laughing at you or pitying you. You'll decide tonight, hidden under your sheets with all your dreams and hopes.

Just a few seconds later, a small dog went panting at your legs, presenting his head for ruffles. You chuckled and kneeled down to his level, giving him what he craved for.

"Good boy aren't ya, Deacon?" Cooing, you couldn help the warmth that spreaded through your chest, and refused to acknowledge the man with the bicycle approaching you.

"[Y/N]! I didn't think I'd found you here." His tone was nervous and unsure as if he would've rather stayed silent. In some ways, you would've wished too.

"Fortunate we're neighbors, huh?" You heard him gulp and, with all the strength you could muster, you found in yourself all the treason, sadness, anger, uncertainty, confusion and hurt to finally face Eugene. Getting up, you looked at the sweet boy from next door in the eyes, searching for his thoughts.

"You've been avoiding me." He flinched. Your tone was harsher and colder than you intended, making you feel a pang of guilt but you didn't let it show. Instead, you crossed your arms on your chest, to protect yourself from things you didn't know.

"I- Hurting you was never my intention, it was actually what I wanted to avoid the most. But it'd seem I only hurt you more, I'm sorry, [Y/N]. " He was sincere, you could see it and it was harder to stay bitter about it. Your pride and feelings have been wounded, that much was a fact, but deep inside, you knew you simply couldn't be mad at sweet, loving boy Eugene. Heart and legal things.

"Can we be friends and not strangers again?" If you were in the right state of mind, you probably would've answered something witty and watch him laugh at you but you had enough of your games. The said and the unsaid, the little gestures and the avoidance.

"We're not just friends and you fucking know it, Gene. We've always been more and if you don't want anything to do with it, it's okay. But don't you dare act as if we don't know each other and the next day as if we were best friends. We're more than that, you are more than that to me." And I hope I'm more than that to you too. From the sad and wounded look on Eugene's face, your unspoken thoughts must've been obvious. Like a fish out of water, he opened then closed his mouth, furrowing his eyebrows as he fumbled over his words. Finally, he spoke a meteors shower over your fragile world, crushing and burning it down.

"I enlisted. I'm leaving tomorrow." Whatever was left from your previous anger died in your throat and your heart started beating faster and faster in your chest.

"What? When? What about your condition?" You blurted out, not believing what Eugene just said. He smiled thinly at you, like he didn't know if he should let you see just how happy and proud he was to finally be able to enlist.

"I went to the marines office two weeks ago; as soon as I knew it was gone." Tears started to well in your eyes, your entire body to shake uncontrollably.

"Oh. That's... that's good. You must be relieved." You forced yourself to add just a bit of happiness in your tone for him, for you knew just how important it was to him, no matter how much your heart was breaking. Eugene gave a small nod, his fingers playing with the handlebars of his bike. At your feet, Deacon was sitting still, his tongue out and his head going from you to Eugene, and from Eugene to you, as if he was understanding far more than he was letting you know.

"I'll do my part." There it was. The pride, excitement of a young man going straight into a wolf's open mouth. What felt like hours was in fact just a few minutes, not even 5 but your mind was replaying it like a movie in a theater. At that moment, it hit you like a truck. Two weeks. The last time you've both been yourself together also was two weeks ago. You swallowed back the knot in your throat and prayed your voice wouldn't shake as much as your hands were, hidden behind your back in an awkward formal position.

"When were you going to tell me?" His silence said everything you needed to know as he shifted uncomfortably, his head down in shame and sorrow. He looked at you again through his eyelashes, apologies and guilt in his eyes but you couldn't take it anymore. Eugene was too kind for his own sake, wouldn't hurt a fly and by wanting not to hurt you ended up harming you in one of the most twisted ways. It hurt because you couldn't be mad at him, that his intentions were good and genuine. You took a deep breath and made a step ahead, one hand clenching on Eugene's white shirt, looking at him in the eyes. If yours were narrowed and dark, his were widened and looking everywhere but at your face.

"You better not die, you hear me? You come back, in one piece and we'll sort it out. At all costs, you come back!" You almost shouted to his face, not caring if the whole street had gone out to see you. Eugene's gentle hands came over yours, squeezing it lightly. In your wounded pride and building fear, you refused to face him and see his reaction, knowing perfectly you'd find compassion, and sweet understanding.

Forcing the once forgotten home-made pie wrapped in a white clean cloth onto Eugene's chest, you've waited to see his hand cover it before you turned around, fighting the urge to rub your eyes so the moisture in them would go.

"For your mother. From mine." You whispered between two heavy breaths, nails digging into your palms painfully.

Before Eugene could fully apprehend what was happening and get out of the trance he was in, you were already in front of your house, looking at the floor.

"[Y/N], wait, [Y/N]!" You didn't look back, even though you ached to. But in a few hours he wouldn't even be in town anymore so what was the point? You just felt numb and empty, as if floating over your own body. Closing the door behind you, you walked up the stairs in silence and came into your room, your legs giving up on you as soon as the door closed.

You weren't sure how long you stood there, knees up to your chest, arms surrounding them and head buried in the safe spot it made. Your throat was still tight, making it hard to breathe.

Perhaps, it all would've been better if you hadn't spoken to him.

Silence would've been preserved, fragile but there. Now all you could hear were those words said with so much pride and relief over and over again.

I enlisted.

All you could hear was the sound of your heart breaking.

#the pacific fanfic #the pacific imagine #the pacific x reader #eugene sledge imagine #eugene sledge x reader #my writing

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sonicgetsrawed · 4 years

Text

Can’t Sleep, Won’t Sleep

I’ve given up on the cheese names y’all! Here’s a fluffy? Varianxhugo oneshot! Enjoy!

Varian couldn’t sleep. There wasn’t anything wrong, per say. He knew when something was wrong, he’d stay up all night tossing and turning, refusing to fall asleep because he knew he’d have nightmares about any of the various unfortunate events that had happened in his young life. No, this wasn’t like those times, this was something different. It was almost a sinking feeling, that strange place between joy and fear, the calm before the storm. Tomorrow they would start their journey for the last totem and from there it would be over. They’d go their separate ways, possibly to never see each other again. It was an odd bittersweet that gnawed at his insides and prevented him from sleeping. So he gave up the notion, dragging himself from his tent and perching on a log. He settled his journal on his lap, the journal much like Rapunzel had, she had given it to him before he left. He didn’t use it for anything but his alchemy notes, the odd doodle in the corner, but tonight he needed something to clear his head. He flipped to a blank page, almost at the end of the journal, it seemed that too was ending.

He sighed, gripping his pencil tightly as he brought it to the paper. He didn’t think after that, just let the pencil flow as it so chose. The end result was messy, sketch lines all to evident in the work, but he was satisfied with it nonetheless. He flipped the page fully intending to start another drawing when footsteps sounded behind him. He didn’t need to look to know it was Hugo, still he waited for the other to speak before acknowledging him.

“I can hear you moping all the way from my tent.” Hugo nudged him. Instead of moving over Varian opted to sink onto the grass, Hugo settling behind him.

“I’m not moping, just thinking.” Varian responded, snuggling further into Hugo’s touch as the other wrapped his arms around him.

“Well, you’re thinking pretty loudly.”

Varian just hummed in response, turning his eyes to the stars. “What will you do, when this is all over?”

He felt Hugo stiffen behind him, hold tightening ever so slightly around him. Hugo let out a puff of air, the sensation sending shivers down his spine. “Don’t know. Haven’t really thought about it.”

Varian turned in his grip, blue eyes searching Hugo’s green ones. “Liar.”

“Fine. I’ve thought about it, but it’s not pretty.” Hugo admitted, rolling his eyes.

Varian leaned back against him, closing his eyes. “Tell me anyways?”

Hugo sighed, placing a kiss on top of his head. “I think Nuru would return to her kingdom. Probably become the wisest queen they ever had. I think about Yong, he would return to his home as well. He would open a fireworks stand, the little pyromaniac.”

Varian laughed interlacing his fingers with his boyfriend’s. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Wait for it.” Hugo placed another kiss to his head, this one softer somehow, sadder. “I think about you. You’d return to Corona, mom in hand. You’d be happy. Your family whole again. You’d spend the weekends at the castle with that other princess friend of yours. The rest of the time at your home with your crazy family. Ruddiger would have all the apples he could possibly imagine.”

“Ruddiger thanks you for that.” Varian chuckled.

Hugo laughed a bit himself, the action sounding forced. “You’d have everything you ever wanted. You wouldn’t need me. I think about myself. Left behind, forgotten, nowhere to go, no place to call home. No real family.”

Varian felt the steady drip of tears falling into his hair. He turned in his seat, cupping Hugo’s face as best he could given their current position, thumb wiping away the stray tears. “Do you want to know what I think?”

“Not really, no.” Hugo answered one a way that would have been much more defiant if it wasn’t for the sniffle that followed.

Varian just shook his head, it was just like him to put up a wall despite that he was literally falling apart in front of him. “I think you’re right about Nuru and Yong. But you’re wrong about the rest. I think I’d return to Corona with you and my mom. My dad would give you a hard time, but you’d grow on him. Same with Aunt Adira and Uncle Hector, probably Eugene too. Rapunzel and Lance would love you right away. So will mom, I think. Ruddiger will have a normal amount of apples.”

“I’d sneak him a few.”

Varian yawned, turning around and placing his head on Hugo’s thigh like a pillow. “I know you will. We’ll spend holidays with Nuru, picking up Yong on the way. Maybe we’ll even see Cass. We’ll spend the days at the castle, always returning home in time for dinner. We can swim in the lake in the summers and skate on it in the winters. We’ll be a family. You’ll always have a home with me. I’m not letting you go so easily. You’re stuck with me.”

Varian closed his eyes, placing a kiss on the other’s knee. He didn’t see Hugo’s smile, or when he picked up the discarded journal. Instead he focused on the way Hugo’s arms wrapped around him, how his touch felt like electricity in the best way, and how he melted every time he kissed him. And it was with those thoughts that Varian fell asleep.

Hugo, however, stayed awake. His fingers tracing the drawing in the journal. It was a big group portrait, some people he recognized, some he didn’t. But what really caught his attention was that him and Varian were in the middle of it all. The picture Varian placing a kiss on picture Hugo’s cheek. He smiled softly, placing the journal on the ground and pulling Varian closer to him. He knew the other was already asleep, it didn’t matter to him, he still placed a soft kiss to his cheek.

“I love you, Varian.” He whispered, knowing the words fell on deaf ears. Maybe one day he’d be brave enough to actually say them to the other, but for now this would suffice.

He knew he wouldn’t go to sleep. He didn’t know what the future held, so he needed to stay in this moment as long as possible. He refused to sleep, he wouldn’t let the time pass so quickly. So he stayed awake, focusing on the way Varian felt against him, memorizing each freckle on his face, as if it was the last time he’d get to do this. And it was with those thoughts Hugo stayed awake.

#tangled the series #varian #hugo #varian/hugo #varian and the seven kingdoms #fluff?#do I know how to write fluff?

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glacecakes · 4 years

Text

Alchemy Lullaby (14/?)

Of all the changes that came with living in the castle, becoming a father was not one he anticipated. When Eugene encounters a small child suffering like he did, he gives them the opportunity to grow up the way he never did… helping them both heal. (AU where Varian is 4 and gets adopted by Eugene)

Quirin and Ulla's story. Varian comes home.

Read the rest on AO3

This one is a bit short (weird how 2.5k words is short for this fic) but eh I like how it is now! And that's all that matters! Big thanks to @aj-reblogs and @finnoky for help on this one! And to all of you, the reaction to the last chapter was. amazing. Truly a blast.

Quirin grunted as his feet dug into the earth. These bandits weren’t very tough, but there were far too many of them. Clearly these ruffians all belonged to a gang or crime syndicate.

“Leave me be, boys, and I won’t leave you all to the wolves,” Quirin tried to reason with them, but they were beyond it. They just wanted his armor, his sword, and his graphtyc. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to give any of it.

A weaselly man snickered from where Quirin had knocked him into a tree. “If only you’d just let us rob you, this wouldn’t be so hard!” He called. Six men surrounded Quirin on all sides. He gripped his sword tighter, ready for the first strike.

It never came.

Instead, a smoke cloud enveloped them all. The bandits coughed and hacked, while Quirin just blinked in confusion. If that had come from the bandits, they clearly weren’t ready for it.

From out of the smoke a figure jumped into the fray. She wore a teal dress with capped sleeves, and a dirty apron covered in years of experiments. Hair that should’ve been tied back hung loosely around her face, framing it nicely.

“Scram!” She screeched, the voice of a vulture in the body of a demon. “All of you! Git, leave him alone! Or these bombs will be more than just smoke!” To Quirin’s shock, her threat worked. The weaselly man paled at her appearance and scrambled upright.

“Go go go!” He barked, and the bandits all made a hasty retreat. How odd, were they afraid of this woman? She barely even reached his chest and yet she made her enemies tremble. Either they had met her before, or heard stories of her. Regardless, he was now very intrigued.

She turned to him, her hair nearly hitting him in the face. “You’re welcome.”

“I was fine,” he said dumbly. Her pout told him that was the wrong answer. “But… thank you.” Like a puppy she perked back up. “Quirin,” he held out a hand. She took it readily.

“Ulla.”

“Momma…?” Varian whimpered, backing up to a tree. He hadn’t seen her since that fateful day. The day he lost one family and gained a new one, a better one.

“Hello, moondrop,” She cooed, stepping forward until he couldn’t escape. Her face was neutral and displayed no emotion, yet her words were flowery and soft. “Did you miss me?”

In all honestly… not really. He missed her warmth, her rare smile, sure, but he didn’t miss the experiments, or the scoldings, or the quiet. But he knew she was not to be angered. A wrong answer meant disappointment. “Mhm.” He managed, and her eyes glinted hungrily. He used to think that look was love, but he knows better now. It was nothing like Eugene or Rapunzel.

The hunger intensified. “Good, good. Come along now, it’s time to go home.” Varian shook his head, much to her annoyance. “Come on now, Varian. Don’t be difficult. Surely that... thief taught you better than that?” She huffed at his silence. “I guess we’re back to square one, then. No matter. Your father will surely help set you straight.”

At her words Varian froze. What did she mean by father? First she called Eugene a thief and now he’s his dad? In fact, he was so confused he didn’t register being scooped up. It was only when he saw the castle getting smaller did he realize what was happening.

“No!!” He cried, squirming violently. A small black spike punctured the earth near Ulla’s feet, just large enough for Varian to grab on to. He used it to try and pull free from her grip, but to no avail. Instead it was a tug of war, mother and son; one trying to hold on, the other wanting to be let go.

“So you can control them.” Oh no, she was mad. Mad meant more experiments, mad meant going to bed hungry and cold.

“No, I can’t!” He insisted.

“Don’t lie to me, the proof is in front of me! I am the greatest scientific mind in Corona!” She grunted and yanked Varian so hard he lost his grip on his rock. He whimpered at the loss. “Your father will meet us at home, and we’re getting this over with, once and for all.” Her voice darkened so much on the last line Varian could’ve mistaken her for one of the Stabbingtons.

“Daddy won’t like it,” Varian mumbles. “He doesn’t like when I talk about you, you know.”

“Not that thief, Varian, don’t be stupid. Your father, the man who created you.” Honestly, the nerve of that thief! Telling Varian he was his father when the real father was ten times the man he’d ever be.

“Noooo!” Varian screeched, his tone rattling Ulla’s eardrums. She’d always hated his tantrums; no, that’s not it. She’s always hated kids his age in general. Nonetheless, she continued the march home. No matter how hard Varian squirmed, no matter how many black rocks followed them, she would not falter. Not when she was so painfully close.

The fire roared defeaningly between them, yet the silence felt louder.

Quirin stared into its embers, mind whirring. He’d gone so long without a friend, anyone to talk to, that it was awkward now. The last companion he’d had… gosh, it must’ve been back when he, Hector, and Adira still lived in the Dark Kingdom. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came; his vocal chords froze everytime he looked up and saw her face framed by firelight.

“So…” Ulla spoke up, and Quirin startled. “You’re an awfully long way from home, aren’t you?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “How do you know-” she pointed to his cape where his brotherhood pin remained steadfast. Ah. Of course.

“Are you… familiar with it?” He asked. At her confusion Quirin continued. “The Dark Kingdom.”

“Bits and bobs. Legends, mostly.” She grabbed a stick and started poking the fire. When the stick caught, she didn’t even flinch, just pulling it out like a torch. “I heard the unbreakable rocks originate from your land.”

“They do.”

“Hm.” Ulla tossed the stick back into the fire when its flames licked her hand. “I’ve been studying them since my last partner retired.” Her eyes, though teal, turned orange as she stared into the flames. She looked almost ethereal, unflinching as she gazed into destruction.

Was it just Quirin, or was that fire burning hotter than normal? Was she hot? He was hot.

“Imagine if we could harness them… the structures we could build… the lives we could change.”

Quirin frowned, snapping out of his stupor. “No. The moonstone is far too dangerous in the wrong hands.”

“What’s the moonstone?”

Ah, shit.

Quirin’s face burned a bright red. Ulla’s smirk only caused his face to burn brighter. She had caught him, gotten him to say just what she was looking for: the source of the rocks. Not only that, now she knew they were controllable.

“If you think I’m going to tell a stranger about the artifact I’ve spent my life guarding, you’re solely mistaken,” He admonished, and Ulla laughed. Her eyelids lowered, giving her a sultry look. Along with her smirk, she took his breath away.

“Is that a challenge?” She asked. Quirin smiled.

Varian screamed the whole way home. He screamed down the path, into town, into their (her) house. It irritated Ulla to no end; no one was coming to help him! Old Corona emptied out when the rocks became too numerous! It’s his own damn fault it got this bad. His subconcious anger at her was no doubt the cause of Old Corona’s destruction, and now it would prevent anyone from coming to steal him away. The rocks followed them, large and imposing, and threatened to stab her if it wasn’t for her grip on him.

“Would you knock it off?” She hissed, dropping him onto the floor of their house. After Quirin left, she’d fished out all her old notes and experiments, ready to start anew. A fresh wind of inspiration had blown through, leaving chemicals and equations in its wake.

She wasted no time, changing him out of his sailor suit and back into his old clothes. They had hung loose off him when he stayed with her, and now they were bordering on too short. What was one a long sleeved shirt now ended at his forearm, and his pants looked more like capris. “Oh please, you don’t want to get your nice clothes ruined, do you?” That argument shut Varian up, though he still pouted. But when he looked away, she threw the clothes into the fire. Bronze buttons glinted as they melted, dripping onto firewood.

She measured his height, his weight (now much closer to the growth chart than before), how bright his hair glowed when a rock sprouted. Now that he was here, they didn’t stop. The spikes that impaled their house only grew in size, stretching towards the moon he got his powers from.

After an hour or two, the front door swung open. Varian perked up, expecting a savior. Imagine his shock when it was Quirin who came through the door. A man who he’d spent loads of time around, who he’d trusted in the castle. He’d never been close to the man, but he was always kind, and ruffled his hair whenever he passed. And now here he was, working with his captor.

“Varian,” Ulla smirked. “This is your father, Quirin. You’re to address him as such.”

“No.”

Quirin raised an eyebrow, concern marring his features. “Ulla, he’s known me by name for long enough, it’s really fine-”

“No it’s not!” She snapped. “You’re his father, not that castle upstart!”

“His name is Eugene!” Varian protested. “He’s my daddy, and you’re not my mommy! Mommies are supposed to love their kids!” His mind flashed back to Rapunzel: her hugs, her songs, their art projects…

“I’m just like you, I had a mom who wasn’t very nice,” She’d told him. “It’s ok to love them, but they’re not your real mom. Your real mom loves you back.”

“Do you miss her?” He’d asked.

She had hissed between her teeth. “Sometimes. But then I think about what I’d want to say to her if she was right here, and none of it is nice.” Varian giggled at that. “What’s the one thing you’d want to say to your momma if she was here?”

“I HATE YOU!”

His cheek burned red.

Ulla heaved for breath, her hand still raised in the air. Varian was stunned, falling back in shock. Then, with quivering eyes, and hiccupping breath, Varian raced upstairs. His old bedroom door closed with a slam.

Ulla glared down at the floor, then turned to the remaining man. “We start first thing tomorrow morning.” With a huff, she stomped off to her lab and shut that door tight. He heard the bolts lock behind her.

Quirin had a feeling this would happen. He didn’t expect Varian to see him as a father, not yet, and maybe not ever. But he couldn’t deny that he wanted Varian to be his son. He’d always felt fond of the boy, and felt pangs of jealousy whenever Eugene had walked by with the boy in tow. Now he knew why: his subconscious must have known they were kin.

He might not have been there before, but he wanted to be there now. There was no way he was going to kill his son in order to destroy the moonstone. Hence he was willing to work will Ulla in order to set it free.

He just had to make sure he got it first.

“Take me to the moonstone,” She’d whisper in the dead of night.

“No,” Quirin would respond, turning over in his pad. “Not yet.”

“If not harness it, we could destroy it,” She’d say as they walked down a dirt path.

“Many have tried before, what makes you any different?” He’d counter. She would roll her eyes as if that was an absurd question. “Us. You and me. We’re different.” She would say. “With my intellect and your history, we’d surely find a solution.”

“When you do, then I’ll take you.” She would pout and stomp ahead, and he would laugh so hard his sides ached.

“The decay incantation may work on the stone.” She’d suggest, sitting upside down on the bed of their hotel room. Quirin would raise an eyebrow, interested in the suggestion.

“Doesn’t the incantation require the stone to work?” He’d finally say. She would snicker, as he was correct.

“This is why we make a great team.” She’d say, and he’d agree.

“Take me to your home. Let me be a part of your family.” She would say, tangled up in the sheets with him. Her eyes were warm, not embers, but still smoldering.

He’d let her head rest on his chest, hair tickling his neck. “Ok,” He’d relent, and deep down he’d know it was a battle he’d been doomed to lose since the start.

She’d kiss him, and he would truly think he could trust her.

He couldn’t.

Ulla had repurposed Varian’s room months ago, it was all storage. Farm tools and once abandoned chemicals lined the shelves, slowly being moved back into the lab.

Varian huddled into one corner of his bed. Quirin had been kind enough to tidy up enough for him to have his own space, and he promised it was temporary. "We'll clean out your room when the moonstone is destroyed," He whispered as he tucked Varian in. The boy didn't want Quirin to tuck him in, but he was too scared to complain. "We can finally be a family, I promise." A family? Yea right. Family was waiting for him in the castle. The knight ruffled Varian’s hair, just like he’d always done in the castle, and blew out the candle light.

Varian didn't want this family. He wanted Eugene and Rapunzel... his daddy and mommy.

"L-look to the stars..." He whispered in the dead of night. "My-my darling baby boy..." He wasn't nearly as good at singing as Rapunzel was; she said he could learn if he wanted. "Life is-is strange and... vast..." Each word was accompanied by a sob or hiccup as tears rolled down pudgy cheeks. Cheeks that would no doubt thin again.

"Full of wonders... and joys... face each-each day, w-with eyes cl-clear and true...." He gripped the blanket, longing for Ruddiger. "Unafraid... of the unknown.... B-because.... because...!" He couldn't finish.

Tiny, chest wracking sobs echoed throughout the house.

#varian #tangled #tts varian #tts #tangled the series #eugene fitzherbert #tts eugene #team awesome

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mirkwoodshewolf · 4 years

Text

My sweet buttercup; Eugene Sledge x reader

*Author’s note*

Hey guys well this only took me a couple days to write this little genius but now I’ve got it done and ready for you all to enjoy. Now I really wanted to try something different with this Eugene fic, I really wanted to DIVE right and get to the heart and root of the blossoming relationship b/t Eugene and the reader in this fic. So more n the lines of what they were like as kids together, early teen years, basically a Pre-WW2 fic mostly before the ending.

Warnings: Fluff, bit of angst, family disownment, mentions of PTSD, forbidden love.

But I hope you all enjoy this fic so much and until next time ;)

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@ixchel-9275

@simonedk

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@dancingcoolcat

@queensdivas

@geek-and-proud

@queendeakyy

@kairosfreddie

___________________________________________________________

*June 14th, 1928*

It was a warm summer day in Mobile, Alabama. In the center of town stood a farmer’s market shop run by Sheldon (L/n). Sheldon (L/n) was once part of the 1st Marine division back during the Great War. After the war he settled back home in Mobile to run himself a farm where he was known for growing the brightest, freshest, most delectable apples in the whole state of Alabama.

Why if you asked people where the stores got their apples from, nine times out of ten they would tell you they came from (L/n) farm. Sheldon while having his shell shock moments from the war, still managed to have the American dream.

He married his high school sweetheart Marianne Lewis and they lived a good life together and had a beautiful baby girl they named (y/n) (l/n).

Sadly though, when little (y/n) was just a year old, her mom died of breast cancer. Sheldon was devastated but he tried to keep trudging on by being both hard working man, and loving father to his little girl.

Walking through the town was Dr. Edward Sledge, his wife Mary Frank and their two sons, Edward Jr. Sledge and Eugene Sledge. Eugene was five years old, going on six come the fall.

His bright auburn hair bounced off the summer sun and as they came right towards Sheldon’s shop, Edward stopped his family in their tracks.

“Maybe we best find another way around.” Suggested Edward warily.

“Edward, it was five years ago, can’t you learn to let it go?” Mary Frank told her husband.

“I have, but Sheldon on the other hand…..that man’s as stubborn as an ox.” It was then Sheldon came out with some crates of food ready to be shipped off to the stores.

As soon as he saw Dr. Sledge, a gruesome scowl came across the farmer’s face.

“Just what do you think you are doing here Sledge?!”

“Now Sheldon calm down, we were only passing by.”

“If you think I’m gonna do any type of business with you, think again! After what you had done…..”

“Sheldon there was nothing my husband could do to help Marianne.”

“Mary Frank you keep out of this.” Her husband warned her cautiously.

“You best listen to him Mary Anne. This is no concern of yours. Now get yourselves as well as those little monsters of yours away from my shop!” he spat down at the ground in disgust before slamming the door of his shop closed.

“Why does Mr. (L/n) hate us so badly mama?” asked Edward Jr.

“Oh never you mind that Edward. It’s just grown up business.” Mary Frank assured her eldest son.

“Come along boys, we’re gonna head back towards the barbershop and go through the back alley there to get to the fair.” The two boys groaned.

“But that’ll take longer!” whined Edward Jr.

“Why do we have to go back!?” groaned Eugene.

“Now boys don’t argue with your father. Now come along, or else we can just head right back home and forget about the fair till next year.” Their mother scolded them. That immediately got them to stop whining and soon they turned back around and went the long way to the fair.

They barely got a block away from Sheldon’s market shop when Eugene heard someone calling out to them. It was a faint psst sound so he stopped right by a flower cart and soon peaking out from it was a young girl around his age.

She had curly (h/c) hair and bright (e/c) eyes that sparkled like the stars at night. Eugene knew this girl very well, it was his best friend (well secret best friend) (Y/n) (l/n).

Yep. Even though Sheldon has repeatedly drilled into his daughter’s mind to never, ever, ever under any circumstances go anywhere near the Sledge family. But due to the fact that the two kids were in the same class as one another, they just—clicked immediately.

Her, Eugene, and Sydney Phillips were like the three Musketeers. But Eugene and (y/n) well—they had a special bond with each other. They were just like peas and carrots. Different in every way but somehow they managed to click with each other.

“Eugene, over here!” he smiled before turning to see his parents and older brother who hadn’t noticed he wasn’t with them anymore. He smiled and ran up to (y/n) who had a basket filled with wildflowers in them.

“Hey (y/n). Mrs. Mulley said you were sick last week and that’s why you weren’t at Sunday school, what did you have?”

“Just a bad tummy ache. But I’m all better and I’ll be back in Sunday school tomorrow.”

“That’s good. What did you find?” he said gesturing to her basket. Sometimes, if they could manage it, Eugene and (y/n) could be seen going out to the fields picking wild flowers together. They would even have contests to see who could pick the most flowers in a certain amount of time.

“Mostly pink and blue flowers. But check this out,” she then held up a yellow buttercup flower.

“That’s a buttercup flower. My mama sometimes grows those in our garden.” Eugene said.

“Buttercup huh? I like it, it suits it.”

“You know my mama says that if you hold a buttercup under your chin, it’ll make it glow. I tried it once but it didn’t work.” (y/n) looked at it with curiosity before putting it under her chin.

“Does it work for me?” and well and behold, her chin was glowing right over the buttercup flower.

Even at the tender age of five, Eugen B. Sledge always knew he held more than a friendship feeling for (Y/n). Whenever she’d laugh, his heart would beat faster and it felt like he was being tickled by a billion butterflies in his tummy.

His face would go red every time they would pick wild flowers together, and his heart ached every time she had to mention that her daddy didn’t want her talking to him.

“It sure does buttercup.” He said softly.

“Did you just call me a—”

“(Y/N)! Oh now where is that girl at? (Y/n)!” her father’s voice soon called out from the market. He whistled for her like she were a dog and that’s when she turned to Eugene and whispered.

“I gotta go, see you at church Eugene, bye!” she quickly ran off with her flower basket towards her daddy. As Eugene watched her father kneel down in front of her giving her a soft but firm lecture about running off, Eugene couldn’t help but feel those butterflies again.

��Eugene! Eugene!?” at the sound of his brother’s voice, he snapped out of his daze and quickly ran off before Mr. (L/n) could take notice of a Sledge boy staring at the two of them.

*September 17th, 1938*

It was a hard time in America. For five years now, the whole country was under a Great Depression. Every American was affected and of course that didn’t exclude the Sledge’s or the (L/n)’s. Without enough payment for the extra help, it was all up to Sheldon and (Y/n) to work the farm.

And in order to help bring extra money and food on the table, the Sledge siblings both got jobs helping their dad out with his physician at home job.

Right now Sydney and Eugene were walking along the outskirts of Mobile. Along for the ride was Eugene’s new little pup, Deacon. He had gotten Deacon as a ‘job well done’ gift from his dad. A client of his had a dog that recently had a litter of pups but times were tough and if they didn’t get the pups adopted soon they’d be taken to the shelter.

So Edward being the kind hearted gentleman that he was known for, got the dog and decided the pup would be a good gift for his son Eugene, as a token for being such a big help through these uncertain times.

As the two boys walked over the tall hill, they soon came upon the (L/n) farm. Sydney and Eugene were both shocked to see just how much the Depression had affected the farm.

The soil that they remember being a rich stretch of fresh soil was now dried up and cracking. Weeds were growing up in almost every spot imaginable. Without the extra help, it was almost impossible to keep the weeds in check.

And of course there was hardly anymore livestock anymore. Save for the horse, 2 cows, and the chickens. All the other animals the (L/n)’s once had, had to be sold off in order to get the money they needed to survive.

“Man, I heard (y/n) was struggling but—never did I think it was this badly.” Sydney said with a solemn shake of his head.

“No wonder why she said she had to quit school and be with her dad.”

“Are you sure it ain’t for another reason why you miss her?” teased Sydney. At that moment (y/n) had came out of the chicken coop with a bunch of eggs in a crate and the two of them watched her enter back into her family home.

“You wish you were right Sid.”

“Oh I know I’m right. I’m always right when it comes to you two. Don’t think I didn’t know about the time in 3rd grade when you offered to do her side of the book report when she broke her leg and had to stay at the hospital.”

“I was being polite and didn’t want her getting held back.” As the two of them bickered back and forth, the 10 month old pup had raced down the hill catching scent of the chickens and crept towards the chicken coop.

Deacon slowly stalked towards the door before entering inside of it. The young pup stared at the chickens before one of them caught sight of the unfamiliar creature that stood in their coop.

The pup then let out a series of barks which sent the chickens running mad with fear. From up on the hill, Eugene looked down to see Deacon was gone and from the barks that came down below, he immediately put two and two together.

“DEACON NO STOP!”

“Eugene wait you can’t go down there!” Sydney raced after him.

At that moment, Deacon came out of the coop chasing after the flock of chickens who were racing around frantically trying to escape this wolf-like creature.

(Y/n) immediately peeked out from her bedroom window and was shocked to see what was going on. The chickens being chased by the dog, the dog being chased by Eugene, and Gene being chased by Sid.

“Oh hey (y/n).” Sid stopped by her bedroom window.

“Sid what in the samhell is going on out here!?”

“Funny you should ask, but uhh—mind helping us out?” she quickly got on her shoes and crawled out of her window before running beside Sydney to try and round up the chickens.

Running around like—well chickens with no heads, Eugene, (Y/n) and Sydney all tried to calm the situation down before he father would return home.

“WHAT’S GOING ON OUT THERE!?!?” at hearing that thunderous voice. (Y/n) stopped running as she held a chicken in her arms and froze in fear.

“You guys need to get out of here, now!” she urged Eugene and Sydney on. Eugene who had finally gotten hold of Deacon turned towards (Y/n) but before he could say a word, a gunshot was heard and the shot landed just a few inches away from his foot.

“C’mon Eugene lets go!” Sydney pleaded and soon the two men took off running for the hills. The backdoor slammed open and there stood Sheldon with his shotgun in hand and his jaw dropped at the sight before him.

All the chickens out of their coop, now finally calm, the chicken coop now lay there in rubble (when (y/n) and Gene tried to wrangle Deacon and a few chickens that had gotten back into the coop, the sudden jostling and heavy weight of both humans trying to calm the situation down, forced the coop to collapse under their weight).

“What-gup—what happened here!? (Y/n) (m/n) (l/n). You were supposed to be gathering the chicken eggs!!”

“I know daddy.”

“Then why the hell are they out and about!? How did the coop get destroyed!? JUST WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING GIRL!?!?”

From up on the hill, Eugene’s heart broke at hearing (y/n) getting yelled at by her own father. She had nothing to do with this. So getting the courage, he held Deacon once more and walked down the hill back towards the farm.

“Eugene, Gene don’t you dare! He’ll kill you if you go over there. Eugene!” Sydney hissed out quietly but Gene refused to listen to his best friend.

“I—” (Y/n) began to respond till Eugene’s voice called out.

“She didn’t do it sir.” The two of them turned around. Gripping his gun tighter, Sheldon stood in front of his daughter and said lowly.

“What was that boy?”

“The chicken coop. And the reason why the chickens got out. It was my fault. (Y/n) had nothing to do with it. You see my dog—”

“Great, the Sledge’s have a dog. One more thing to worry about.” Sheldon muttered angrily to himself.

“Please Mr. (L/n), don’t blame (y/n) for this. She was doing her job just like you told her to do. If anyone’s the blame, it’s me. And I’ll do anything to make it up to you.” Hearing Eugene confess, it made (y/n)’s heart flutter and place her hand over her heart.

“Oh you can be damned well sure you will boy. As much as I hate to say this. You’ll be helping me out for the rest of the Harvest season, as well as repairing the chicken coop! And you young lady, come with me.”

He dragged his daughter back to the house as he whispered harshly to her.

“Throughout the time he’s here repairing and helping out, I don’t want you anywhere near him. No daughter of mine is gonna be seen with a Sledge.” As her father continue to rant out his hatred towards the Sledges, (Y/n) turned back towards Eugene and softly smiled at him and mouthed out a thank you.

Eugene smiled softly and seeing her smile it was like cupid’s arrow had struck him as he made goo-goo eyes at her. Even as Sydney snapped his fingers in Gene’s face to get him to snap out of it, Gene was stuck under the love spell he was on.

As agreed; Eugene worked with his father helping him run the at home physician and on his breaks, he’d ride his bike over to (Y/n)’s place to repair the chicken coop, as well as pull out the weeds.

Of course that didn’t stop Eugene and (Y/n) from sneaking puppy love eyes at each other as the two teens were put to work. Throughout the harvest season, it only allowed Eugene and (Y/n) to grow closer than they ever were before.

*June 14th, 1941*

Eugene and (Y/n). Never has there been a couple more meant for each other. Sid always referred to them as childhood sweethearts, and now for these past several years, they’ve really seemed to just hit it off. And with him being the only real person who knew of their ‘more than friendship’ relationship, he kept that to himself.

Of course Eugene’s parents never turned (y/n) away. From the early days when they were kids, they welcomed her with open arms. What they didn’t know was their blossoming relationship. Neither of their parents knew of their courting with each other, and they wanted to keep it that way for just a little while longer.

The two of them were at their favorite hillside where they once picked wildflowers when they were kids. Splayed out along a blanket cuddled close together watching the summer sunset. Eugene lying on his back with (y/n) lying her head against his chest, their hands intertwined with each other’s and their thumbs stroking the back of each other’s hands.

“Happy Anniversary my love.”

“What do you mean Gene?” she looked up at him.

“You heard me, happy 131, 456 hour anniversary.” Eugene said with a small grin as he picked up a buttercup flower and tucked it behind her ear.

“What? That’s way longer than when we first met.”

“I know. But it’s the anniversary of the day I first called you my buttercup.” He said as he cupped her face. Inside (y/n) felt warm and fuzzy remembering that day by the flower cart when Eugene had called her buttercup after finding out one glow underneath her chin. “But it’s fine if you forgot and didn’t get me anything.” Teased Eugene as he sat up trying to hide a grin. She rolled her eyes at Eugene’s teasing.

“Actually I did.” She crawled towards a log and pulled out a guitar case. Eugene’s eyes widened and as she opened the case up he said.

“Oh darlin you shouldn’t have but uhh—I don’t really know how to play.”

“Quiet you.” she teased back as she took the guitar (which was actually hers) and she began playing a soft tune. After letting the soft tune play for a bit she opened her mouth and began to sing.

As she sang; she began to remember all the times she and Eugene had together. From sharing secret letters/drawings with each other (with Deacon being the messenger dog), nature walks together, or secretly waving at each other from her father’s shop.

Their times doing out to the soda shops every Saturday night to go dancing. Always dancing together

We're far apart in every way

But you're the best part of my day

And sure as I breathe the air

I know we are the perfect pair

On a prickly path that goes on for miles

But it's worth it just to see you smile

And I cannot be pulled apart

From the hold you have on my heart

And even if the world tells us it's wrong

You're in my head like a catchy song

“I’ve always loved hearing you sing.” Sighed Eugene lovingly.

“The song’s not too gushy is it? Be honest now.”

“It’s everything but gushy, please sing more for me.” He said as he laid his head close to her thigh. (Y/n) continued to sing while Eugene just stared at her with loving eyes.

More memories came to both of them from their nature walks through any type of weather whenever they had free time. The stargazing’s they’ve done, and even one time when (Y/n) was struggling with the farm one spring that she ended up working till nightfall.

When morning came that morning, she found herself being covered with Eugene’s jacket and just a couple feet away from her, laid an exhausted Gene. He had actually came by and done the rest of the work for her so that she could get some sleep. As he slept, she had sat down beside Eugene and stroked through his auburn hair.

The seasons change and leaves may fall

But I'll be with you through them all

And rain or shine, you'll always be mine

On a prickly path that goes on for miles

You're the only one who makes it all worthwhile

And you should not blame me, too

If I can't help fallin' in love with you...

At the last verse, the two of them went red. While they have called each other their love or life, and while they were technically courting, neither of them has actually those three binding words. (Y/n) covered her mouth with her hand and looked down shyly as her face went red.

“Well that’s unfair. I was gonna tell you that first.”

“Yeah right.”

“I’m serious, I was gonna pull you up,” he stood up and helped her stand up. “Cover your eyes,” he covered her eyes. “Lead you over here.” He then guided her as he kept his hands over her eyes towards the wooded area of the fields. “And say surprise!” he uncovered her eyes and (Y/n) saw the sweetest thing she would ever see.

There along the willow tree they used to climb when they were kids, was a heart engraved at the center of the trunk and written in that heart were their initials. E.B.S + (F/I). (M/I). (L/I). She walked up towards their willow tree and placed her hand over the engravement.

“And then you’d say ‘Oh Genie. It’s—it’s so beautiful. I love it’.” He said imitating her Southern bell voice. “And then I’d say, ‘well, not as much as I love you’.”

“Guess I’m glad I beat you to it then.” She teased as she playfully bumped into him.

“I can accept that.” He said with a proud grin as he wrapped his arms around her waist while she wrapped her around his neck before the two of them finally kissed each other.

It was the kind of kiss that wasn’t deeply passionate that you couldn’t breathe. It was the kind of kiss that just felt like you found your missing half. Gene and (Y/n) were meant to be together and right as they kissed, it felt like it was right.

They were right for each other. And they began to dream of their bright future together. But of course no happiness lasts forever.

After returning from the fields later that evening, she came home to see her home filled to the rim with boxes. She asked her father what was going on and that’s when her father told her the grim truth.

They were moving to North Dakota.

Her father explained to her that the property here was just too dry to farm at anymore. Ever since the Depression decade the land hasn’t been the same. So he hired a contractor to tear the family home and the farm down, he had sold off the rest of the animals, and in two days they were gonna get a fresh start in a new land, with new people, and most important for him it would get them away from the Sledges.

(Y/n) was devastated. Two days and she’d never get to see Sydney Phillips, or Eugene ever again.

When she broke the news to Eugene the next day at the Willow tree, Eugene couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He held onto his weeping girl waiting for her to calm down before he finally spoke to her.

“But you’re practically an adult now (y/n). He can’t control you anymore.”

“What do you want me to say Eugene? I love you, I really do but—he’s the only family I got. And I—I have to stay with my family. I’m sorry!” with that she took off crying, heartbroken and alone.

Eugene looked towards the carving that he had done with his father’s old doctoring knife he used in the Great war. He placed his finger’s over (y/n)’s initials and knew what he had to do, but he knew he didn’t have much time so immediately he got on his bike and pedaled off as fast as he could into town.

By nightfall as (y/n) was solemnly packing up her stuff, Eugene came knocking at her window and he told her to come with him. He made up a story that Deacon wasn’t feeling to good and he needed his ‘mama’. Knowing how much she loved that dog, Eugene and her rode off on his bike.

They soon arrived at the church garden, which was an odd place that Eugene would bring Deacon at, but when she saw the candles all lit up and a beautiful flower archway standing near the back entrance of the church.

Wide eyed in awe, (Y/n) couldn’t believe what she was seeing. When she felt Eugene take her hand he got down on one knee and said to her.

“I don’t ever want to be apart from you. I don’t know what’ll happen in the future but—all I know is now. And I know that I love you so much that I’d marry you today. If you’ll have me that is?” tears of happiness filled her eyes as she said to Eugene.

“I’d like that too.” Eugene smiled and stood up as he embraced his fiancée and spun her around, the two of them cheering and laughing with glee.

After settling down, the two of them walked arm-in-arm with each other towards the pastor (who was actually their own Sunday school teacher who had since went up the ranks and was now one of the head pastor of their church). With Sydney Phillips as their witness and Eugene’s best man, the ceremony began.

The two young teens shared their vows together before the house of God and proclaimed their loyalty and love to each other.

“Then by the name of our Holy Father and in the eyes of the law; I now pronounce you—”

“Pastor Jacob! Pastor Jacob! Please can you help us our son is—Eugene? (Y/n)?” coming behind Sydney were Eugene’s parents.

“What is going on here?” asked Eugene’s father.

“(Y/n)!? Where are you girl you’re supposed to be packing!” soon coming up behind (y/n) from the bushes was her father. As soon as he saw his daughter with the Sledge’s he sneered out, “What are you two doing?” As both families came closer to see just what was going on, that’s when Eugene spoke up as he wrapped his arm around his future wife.

“Mother, father, Mr. (L/n). (Y/n) and I are getting married.”

“What!?” all three parents shouted in shock.

“That’s right. And we’ll officially be married as soon as Pastor Jacob says…..” (y/n) said firmly as she looked back at the pastor.

“Oh right, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” He stepped aside as he closed his Bible.

“Mrs. (Y/n) Sledge, has a nice ring to it don’t you think?” Eugene said as he cupped his wife’s face.

“Indeed.” The two of them kissed each other finally sealing the deal.

“What are you talking about married!? You both are too young to be married!” Mary Frank scolded as she came between them and pushed Eugene aside.

“Finally something we can agree on.” Sheldon spoke as he now stood beside his daughter. “(Y/n) (m/n) (l/n) you listen to me and you listen good, girl. We’re moving and that’s final. And you have got to stick with your family! So enough of this foolish teenage fantasy and come home!” he grabbed her wrist and began to drag her away.

Finally having enough of her father’s grudge against the Sledges, she broke free of his grip and proclaimed.

“No daddy!”

“No?” her father asked as if he had been punched in the face.

“The Sledges are my family now too. In the eyes of God and the law as Pastor Jacob has said.” Eugene brushed past his mother and stood beside his wife to give her backup.

“You can’t be serious. Are you really choosing to be family with the ones responsible for your mother’s death over your own flesh and blood?!”

“Are you making me choose?” she spoke with a trembled lip as tears filled her eyes.

Her father stood there in shock and everyone around them grew tense. Could a father really force his daughter to choose who she sides with?

“Yes. I am.” Her father demanded. Finally hearing that answer broke (y/n)’s heart but she stood her ground as she spoke in a broken voice.

“Then yeah. I guess I am.” Her father’s face showed absolutely betrayal before his eyes grew red and he snapped at her.

“Then I guess I have no daughter anymore.” Without another word he stormed away from the church.

Heartbroken by her father’s words, (y/n) wept out a river of tears. Eugene held his new wife close to him trying to comfort her, meanwhile Dr. Sledge walked up to the young newlyweds and placed a comforting hand to his new daughter in law’s shoulder. She looked up at the old physician and he told her.

“You’ve always been like family to us (Y/n). You’ve always had love here with us. Right Mary Frank?” after witnessing what she had seen, she couldn’t deny the fact that ever since they were kids, her son and this young girl were just destined to be together.

“Even though I don’t condone you both being married so young while you’re still in school Eugene, there’s—I cannot stop the bond that it is you both share with each other.” Hearing those words coming from her new mother and father, it repaired some of the damage that (y/n)’s heart had taken.

“Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Sledge.” She thanked them.

“Oh sweet pea, call me mama.” Mary Frank said as she came up and cupped (y/n)’s face.

“And whenever you feel like it, you can call me dad.” Dr. Sledge said with a warm smile. (Y/n) never felt so grateful to the Sledges, she continued to weep as she now hugged her new parents and they warmly embraced her back. Welcoming her to the family officially.

*August 29th, 1945 1st Person POV*

I lot has happened in the past few years. Six months after Eugene and I got married, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and America was officially in the war with the Axis Powers.

Eugene wanted to enlist so badly but dad said that his heart murmur prevented him from enlisting, they knew with that he would never get it. So he always begged his father for frequent checkups every day until one day it was gone. That was the day my life changed forever.

I begged and pleaded with Genie to not go but he kept saying he had to do this. He’d feel like a failure if he were stuck doing bond trades or collecting scrap metal, while so many men including our dear friend Sid are fighting out in the front lines.

At that point I knew I couldn’t argue with him anymore and so he enlisted. Of course the night before he left, we made sure to make that night extra special because we both didn’t know if this would be the last time we’d see each other. We memorized each other’s kiss, scent, and touch (and I knew Eugene was trying much harder than I was since I knew he’d suffer the worse).

I went back to school, got my high school diploma and I’m currently now working as a teacher’s work assistant as well as a part-time librarian at the local library. I had remained with mom and dad taking care of house as well as Deacon (God rest his little soul) just trying to distract myself from missing Eugene.

It was (for once this past few weeks) a cool Summer’s day. I was tending to the garden outside planting a few roses, daffodils and of course buttercup flowers but I didn’t expect to suddenly get jumped by two little body masses.

Soon enough I was in the dirt and two 3 year old kids were piled on top of me. One was a little boy who looked so much like his daddy when I first met him, except he had my hair and eye color, and the other was a girl with the same curly hair I once had as a kid and her daddy’s auburn hair and brown eyes but the rest were my looks.

“We gotcha mommy now say you surrender!” my son proclaimed as he held up his toy gun at me, while my daughter had a couple of sticks, pretending they were a bow and arrow.

“I surrender, you both got me.” I held my arms up in surrender. They cheered as they got off of me but that’s when I tackled them both to the ground and began tickling them both.

The two of them laughed as they tried to escape my clutches but soon our moment was interrupted by one of the servants, Octavia.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Sledge?” I stopped playing with the kids and the look on her face was—unreadable.

“What is it Octavia?”

“Just come inside (y/n) dear, there’s—someone who you need to see.” Oh god please don’t tell me. Not when the war was finally over do I get the news.

“Mommy, what is it?” asked my son.

“Gene, you and your sister stay with Octavia okay?” I told him as I stood up and brushed the dirt off my dress as best as I could.

Slowly I walked through the back entrance towards the dining room where I knew mom was at stacking the dishes. I almost didn’t even want to turn the corner to see an officer in uniform telling us now that Eugene was dead. Finally I worked up the courage to turn the corner and there my heart stopped.

Standing right there by his mother and father in full Marine uniform, was my Genie.

He slowly walked towards me and I him until we finally met in the middle. For years I’ve dreamed of this day to come that—now it feels like it is a dream. He raised his hand to my face and the moment I felt his touch, I knew this couldn’t be a dream.

“You—you’re as beautiful as the day I left buttercup.” At that moment, the tears poured down my face as I felt myself collapsing against him. Eugene kept me steady as his head rested against mine and he rocked me back and forth.

“You’re back! You came back…..” I wept into his uniform.

“I told you I would.” He whispered to me.

“Mama?” Eugene and I separated from each other to see Octavia bringing in the kids. “Why are you crying?” asked my baby girl. When I looked up at Eugene, his eyes were wide and his body fell tense.

“Genie, I—I didn’t want to share this with you through letter. But—I’d like you to meet two very special people of mine. Kids come here.” Shyly they walked from Octavia up to me and Eugene as we now knelt down to their height.

Our kids soon came up and our daughter hid behind my back while our son fiddled with the ends of my dress as he curled himself around my arm.

“Eugene, these are our kids. The oldest of the twins is our son, Eugene B. Sledge Jr. and our baby girl, Daphne Eliza Sledge. Kids—this……is your daddy. He’s come home to us.” My son looked up at me hesitantly and I nodded to him telling him it was okay to go see him.

Little Gene walked up to his daddy and just stared up at him in both awe but a hint of fear.

“Little Gene, suits him. Guess you managed to convince Sid to not let us name our first boy after him.” Eugene teased at me as he gently ruffled his son’s hair. Knowing that this strange man in uniform wasn’t going to hurt him, little Gene smiled and immediately embraced his daddy.

Eugene embraced his son and kissed the top of his head and it just made my heart soar at seeing both my boys finally meeting each other and already loving each other. After giving his son some of his love, he looked behind me to our baby girl who was still shyly trying to hide from him.

“It’s okay sweetie bell. He won’t hurt you.” I assured her. Slowly but surely, she came out till she stood by my arm and clung onto it just like her brother.

“My, my, my. You—you look exactly like your mother when I first met her. Guess now I’ve got two buttercups.”

“How did you know my name?” Eugene looked at me confused so I explained to him.

“She likes to be called buttercup. Says it sounds more prettier than her real name.”

“Well whatever name you prefer darling, it sounds beautiful. Just like your mother, and just like you.” he gently booped his daughter’s button nose which made her giggle and finally loosen up around her daddy. Before long she too cuddled into her daddy’s chest and he gave her the same love and affection he gave his son.

Seeing him hold our two kids just—finally felt right. I always knew Gene would be a natural dad, and even now after being through such hell for the past 3 years, he can finally have some peace knowing his family has now grown.

The rest of the day it was just the four of us bonding and getting to know each other.

Of course I knew life wouldn’t be the same as it was before. For example the nightmares. Every night Eugene would suffer terrible and horrifying nightmares. Some nights I ended up staying awake all night just to make sure he didn’t suffer alone.

There wasn’t much I could do except to just assure him that he wasn’t there anymore and that he was home. Sometimes the kids would ask him why they would hear their daddy scream and cry but I told them to not ask him such questions yet.

After Eugene had returned with his dad from the dove hunting, I could see from the tearstains on his face and the slight red in his eyes that it didn’t go so well and that he had suffered flashbacks (I still remember when—well my old father still suffered from them night after night).

So Eugene and I, along with the kids decided to head out to Genie and is old favorite spot out in the fields. He and I were lying on our backs cuddled close to each other while the kids went off to pick wildflowers.

“How long till you found out about them?” he asked me. I looked up at him before turning towards our kids.

“A couple weeks after you left for bootcamp. I just felt so sick till dad checked me out and that’s when it was confirmed that I was pregnant. I would’ve mentioned it but—something like that can’t be said through letters.”

“They’re beautiful though. Just like you.” he said as I felt his nose bury itself into my neck.

“And you.”

“Mama! Daddy!” soon our kids came running up to us and Buttercup held up a buttercup flower. “Look what I found!”

“Yes sweetheart, you found the flower you’re named after. Did you know of a legend that goes with this flower?” she shook her head no. I took hold of the buttercup and told her, “If you hold a buttercup under your chin, it’ll make it glow. See how it works on me?” both my children looked at me in pure awe.

“Let me try! Let me try!” Little Gene called out as he reached out to take the flower. He took it and held it under his chin asking repeatedly if it was working. When Buttercup shook her head, Little Gene pouted, god he really was just like his daddy.

“No worries little Gene. It never worked on me either when I was your age, see?” his daddy said as he held the flower under his chin.

“Can I try it next daddy?” asked Buttercup. Gene nodded and held the flower under his daughter’s chin and low and behold, it worked on her. He smiled as he shook his head softly scoffing.

“Does it work?” she asked him.

“It sure does Buttercup. Apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, huh (n/n)?” I smiled as he picked up his daughter and began kissing her all over her cheek making her giggle.

“Mommy can you sing for us?” asked little Gene as he crawled his way into my lap.

“What would you like me to sing?”

“The catchy song!” The kids both proclaimed. I smiled and said.

“Okay. But you both know I don’t have the guitar with me to play it.”

“Please mommy!” they both gave me the puppy dog eyes they inherited from their father.

“I swear Eugene this trick came from you.”

“Uhh excuse me? You’ve done the puppy dog eye trick on me way longer than I have. Don’t you put this on just me.” Eugene said trying to point the blame on me. I scoffed that’s when Little Gene said.

“Mommy sing for us now!”

“Now, now Little Gene, that’s not the way to get something from your mother or from anyone. If you want something you ask politely.” Eugene gently scolded his son. Little Gene nodded and apologized to me. I told him it was fine and that’s when I began singing the song that I had made for Eugene what felt like an eternity ago, which now became the kids’ favorite song.

Eugene set our baby girl down and laid his head across my lap while I stroked through his auburn hair as well as down his face. And every time my fingers came close to his lips, he would pucker them out and give each of my fingers or the back of my hand a kiss. The kids all lay down close to us with my boy laying his head near my knee while our baby girl cuddled herself tight against her daddy’s side, like a little kitten.

After I finished the song, Eugene and I thought it best to head back home and put these kids down for their nap. I grabbed our son while Eugene held our baby girl, both our kids clung onto us once they knew we had hold of them. Eugene and I looked at each other before leaning in and giving each other a soft kiss before heading back to the house.

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kingreywrites · 4 years

Text

Blood Duty

Words count: 2792

Eugene Appreciation Week Day Two: Found family

Summary: Horace always yearned for a life he knew he couldn't have. All he has is a dead kingdom, a bleak future and his imagination.

Read it on ao3

@fishskiin

Everyday, Horace woke up early. At some point, he had wished to sleep more so his days would go faster, but he had soon realised that he hated the lethargy even more than the boredom, so he stopped doing it. Since then, Horace woke up early, the grey and gloomy sky he could barely see from his window his only companion.

Then, he got ready to face a new day. He took a long and unneeded time to style his hair and check the state of his skin, before making sure that his clothes were presentable - just in case someone decided to visit for the first time since his birth. Unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibilities, so Horace always made sure to look his best.

Once he got out of the bathroom, he checked each and every room of the castle, making sure that it was tidy and spiderweb-less - which, considering the numerous nook and crannies of the place, was a two-hours occupation at least. By that point, it was 9:30am, so Horace made his way to the main hall, and went to talk to his father.

Well, the portrait of his father.

Horace had always found this portrait somewhat terrifying. Edmund held a sword in his right hand, and a bear head in the other, as if he just killed it and was showcasing his power. Horace didn't like this idea, though, didn't like to think that his father would kill an innocent animal for nothing other than symbolism, so he would rather think that it was, in fact, a costume that he liked to put on when he protected the kingdom. The worst thing about this portrait was the eyes - they were dark and tortured, piercing through Horace's very soul if he ever dared tell a lie. So he never did. Each morning, at 9:35, Horace stood in front of his father's painting, looking up to it as he made what he thought to be a pretty good report about the state of things. It didn't change much from one day to another, so some informations could be repeated, but Horace hoped the man appreciated it.

After that, it was time for his favourite part of the day: going to see his mom. Well, her portrait too, but it was different, because she was different. Her smile was warm and honest, her eyes loving, with crinkles on their corners as if she had spent her whole life laughing. Horace had never lied down under the sun, because the sun never made its way to the Dark Kingdom, but he always thought that the feeling he had talking to her was probably close to that. He didn't know her name - she wasn't mentioned in the history books the way Edmund was, because these books didn't go further than his father's teenage years - but that didn't matter, because to him, she was "mom".

He could share everything with her. His fears, his hopes, the cool new thing that happened, the sadness, the loneliness, the- the- the dreams, sometimes. She could see when he hid something even to himself, and she would smile knowingly at him until he fessed up to it so, when he was sure they were alone, he once admitted that he'd like to leave, one day. Not that he didn't like this, didn't like his duty and his heritage but… One day, maybe. The kingdom came first, the duty given by his blood came first, but Horace could come second, at some point.

Then it was time to eat. His food tasted like ashes but it was better than nothing.

The afternoon was devoted to the library - his favourite room after the one that held his mother's portrait. Despite the numbers of books in it, Horace had already read and reread it all. Even the ones that made him sad - which he didn't like much, because he was already sad enough, but boredom was worse than sadness, so he read them too. Horace especially loved the Tales of Flynnigan Rider. For as long as he remembered being able to read, he remembered loving this story and trying to reenact it all on his own, which was difficult when you were alone.

Thankfully, Lance was here. He appeared one day, when Horace was eight, and helped him relieve Flynnigan's adventures to the fullest. Lance didn't need to eat, or sleep, only appearing when Horace needed him, but he was the best friend one could ask for. He was funny, and he liked Horace so they always had a lot of fun together. They grew up together, Lance always getting them in trouble with Horace's father, but it was always in good fun. Sometimes, Horace daydreamed about leaving together to be go on real adventures, but he couldn't do this to his parents or the kingdom. He had a duty to protect what was left of his ancestors' legacy, and Horace wouldn't be the weak link.

Lance wasn't there today when Horace got to the library.

Rapunzel was.

"Sunshine!" Horace grinned brightly.

"Flynn, I was waiting for you!" She laughed and threw herself at him in a tight hug.

Horace had met Rapunzel as Flynn in one of his solo imaginary adventure. He had found the tower she was kept in by luck, when he was trying to hide the crown he stole, and, since she always dreamt of leaving to see the floating lanterns, he helped her. He often re-imagined the circumstances of their pact, but Rapunzel quite liked the one when she hit him with a frying pan and blackmailed him into helping, so that's the version he went with. He had told her his real name, but Rapunzel never called him that - she always prefered Flynn, and he couldn't fault her for that. Flynn was free and brave, Horace… Horace was stuck in a castle, enacting a destiny he didn't want like a pathetic actor in an empty theater.

Rapunzel was a lot less here than Lance, because she loved to be outside. After all, she had spent eighteen years stuck in a tower, so she wasn't going to get stuck again in a castle, even to keep Horace company. However, she visited often, with always a new adventure to tell Horace. She had tried to convince him to leave, but he couldn't do it - couldn't imagine disappointing his family.

Her arms were light around his shoulders and, when his hands went around her waist, it was like there was nothing at all, but Horace felt warm all the same. He wasn't hugged often. Her short brown hair tickled his nose.

"How have you been?" He asked when she let him go, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice.

"Oh, you'll never guess what happened to me!"

Rapunzel threw herself in a tantalising tale about her outdoors adventures, perching herself on the window's flange as Horace settled on a nearby chair. She was swinging her legs happily, her green eyes full of excitement and glee, and Horace had never been so in love. She was so beautiful, so wonderful, so Rapunzel in every way, and he loved her. He loved her laugh, her hands, her unbrushed hair and sneeze, because it all made her her, and she was perfect.

And Horace was a hopeless sap. She had told him once, because, like everyone in his life, it seemed like she could read his thoughts.

"You can't love me," was her honest and sad reaction, "you can't love what's not here."

Horace hadn't understood what she meant by that, but he hadn't pushed - he was already embarrassed enough.

"... and then, the turtle opened its shell to show that the butterfly was safe in it!"

"That's so cool," Horace breathed, since he had always dreamt of seeing a turtle's house open. They were never any pictures in the book, or much descriptions really, so his imagination ran wild with the scenarios. He was glad Rapunzel got to see them.

Speaking of the devil, she had stopped talking and was looking at him pensively, a hand going to her chin.

"When are you leaving, Flynn?" she asked suddenly, startling him.

"Uh- well, one day, I guess."

"When is one day? Tomorrow? In a year? In a decade?" As she got more worked up, she jumped from her sit and got closer to his face, her arms going wild with the gestures.

"When- when I'm sure the kingdom is safe," Horace settled on, uncomfortable.

"Safe from what? Nobody ever come here."

"Well, one day someone might, and I'd need to be here." Horace nodded firmly at his own words, the script rehearsed since he was able to talk.

"And what needs you to be kept safe? What is so precious here?" Behind the genuine curiosity, Horace could see some deal of frustration inside Rapunzel's grimaces.

He froze up at the question, before shifting uneasily. He had never told her about his purpose here, and he knew she already knew what it was. But she wanted him to say it and, surely, she would want to see it too. He didn't like going to see the moonstone. It was the only thing in this castle that wasn't dead and grey, but it was death all the same. It was cold and draining, a danger for humanity, and it was Horace's duty to keep it safe from the world, and the world safe from it.

Instead of saying that, though, he played Rapunzel's game. He took her arm, even if it felt like a gust of wind in his hand, and led her down the corridors.

"This," he announced, "this is what I'm here."

In front of them was the immense statues of his ancestors, looking down on him with their empty eyes of stone. They were guarding the door to the moonstone, but Horace didn't even need to show Rapunzel that - what mattered to him was the kingdom, and what his family sacrificed for it. Horace had a duty that was bigger than his dreams of another life, where he was free to go on adventures with Lance and Rapunzel and every friends he ever made in his head (because, surely, they were waiting out there for him).

"And why is that a good reason to be here?" Rapunzel pressed anyway, as if she didn't know exactly what he meant.

"I'm carrying my family's legacy."

"Family? How are they your family?"

At that, Horace sputtered, looking affronted at Rapunzel's smiling face. He wasn't mad at her, because he knew what she was trying to do, but that was still the first time she had crossed this kind of line. Usually, when he talked about his family, she changed the subject.

"I- Well, I can show you the family tree," he laughed uneasily, a hand going to his neck.

Rapunzel didn't relent. "Is that enough to make a family?"

Horace bit his lips, his mind flashing back to the years he spent alone inside these walls, knowing he was trapped here as effectively as if there was no door. He was in a prison of his own making, its walls made of duty and cold-eyed pictures of ancestors, and he knew exactly what he was doing to himself. He remembered the years waking up alone, eating alone, sleeping alone, crying alone, until he started talking to the paintings and the characters in his books. Until, one day, he managed to make Lance appear beside him, because if he hadn't, he's not sure he'd have wanted to wake up that day. Was blood enough to make a family, when it was the only thing he had of them?

"It's enough to make a legacy," he whispered in the end.

Rapunzel's face was illuminated by the blue light of the moonstone but Horace didn't know when they got here. The ghosts of his lineage felt heavier here than they did when he could see their tall figures, the energy the moonstone constantly emitted the best reminder of his duty there was. Maybe that was why he didn't like this room.

"When will you see, Eugene?" Rapunzel smiled, her hand going to his cheek.

Eugene. The name meant nothing, and everything at the same time, but Horace couldn't put his finger on it. His body reacted when his mind came up blank, a warm feeling bumbling up in his chest.

"I…"

"Eugene," she repeated firmly, and he shivered, "your family isn't here."

But it was, he wanted to scream, because why else would he be here? Who else could be his family? Horace was the son of Edmund and his unnamed mother the paintings; he was the descendant of Lanrar the one-eyed statue and nephew of Gadmila the noseless; he was the heir of Belund the half-erased illustration from the old book in the dusty corner in the library. Horace was a being created from stones and absence, bound to the ground by an ageless duty, made alive by a sunless moon that kept him cold to his very heart. There was no family for Horace.

"But there is for Eugene," Rapunzel whispered, her thumb warming the grave that was his skin even as he knew that it was not here.

Horace was friend with ghosts of his own imagination. Eugene… The walls shivered, or maybe that was just Horace. He felt like the world was crumbling on itself, his infinite loneliness cracking under pressure, revealing a treasure he wasn't sure he could be brave enough to take. What was wrong with being alone forever in an empty kingdom?

Eugene…

He tried to take Rapunzel's hands in his but his fingers went through. She was still smiling, but he could see right through her, the moonstone shining exactly where her heart should be.

"Come on Eugene, your family is waiting for you," she said, and she was shining too, a golden hue seeping through her fingers and going to his chest, soothing the pain away as she made his memories come back.

He remembered now - Eugene had a family of his own making.

With a full-body jolt, Eugene came back to himself and let go of the heavy orb he was holding in his palms. His body was tense and trembling as he watched the dull grey ball rolling away from him, his mind flashing back to the events that led him here - the weird wedding gift addressed to Rapunzel, the orb that he was too curious not to touch and then… He remembered this other life as if he'd lived through it, remembered the loneliness and the imagined voices to fill it, remembered going crazy and refusing to leave but- that was not him. That was Horace and he wasn't…

"Eugene?" Rapunzel called worriedly, but it sounded from a million miles away. "Are you alright?" Her hand, warm and heavy and real went to his shoulder.

Though, what really shook him awake was seeing Angry and Catalina going to pick up the orb.

"Don't," he yelled sharply, surprising everyone with his outburst - and, thankfully, stopping the girls mid-movement. "Don't touch that," he added tiredly once every faces was turned toward him.

And there were a lot of faces - the girls and Lance, for one, but also Varian who was looking curiously at the orb, Stan and Pete who were looking curiously at their Captain, Pascal who was chirping on Rapunzel's head while said Rapunzel was frowning at him, worried.

"You okay buddy?" Lance asked, and, going by their bemused expressions, whatever happened may have seemed to be years but must only have took a handful of seconds.

"I-" Eugene stuttered, remembering a world where there were all figments of his imagination - a world where his only family was made of memories and obligations, where everything was dark but not only because of the sky, where Eugene never knew how much he needed them. He surveyed the room and watched all the familiar faces he loved being worried about him, about his well being, and he realised that some were missing too, that there were more people who loved him that just weren't here at the moment. Eugene knew he was lucky, but it hadn't felt as sharp in quite some time.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he breathed out finally, because, even if he wasn't exactly fine, even if there still was a weird magical orb trapping people in their worst nightmare rolling on the floor right now that had been sent to his wife, even if he'd need to hug his dad and ask for his mom's name the next time he saw him, well… Even with all that, he was okay.

He had his family with him, after all.

#Eugene Appreciation Week #or the weirdest take I could have on found family lol #I wanted it to be a weird room in the house of yesterdays tomorrow #then I remembered the timeline ahah #anyway I hope you liked it!!#Eugene Fitzherbert #Tangled

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eddiesasspbrak · 5 years

Text

When I’m With You Ch.1

Eddie can't stand the barista at his favorite coffee shop. Richie has fallen in love with the man he sees twice a week. Stan is dating someone but won't let his friends meet them. Ben is in love with Beverly, but is so afraid of scaring her away he's not moving forward. Chaotic friends navigating college together.

Read on AO3

Ch.2

6k+ words

“Please.” Ben begged, gripping his friend’s shoulders from behind as he followed him into the classroom.

“No.” Eddie slapped his hands away and sat in his preferred seat.

“But she’s so pretty and perfect and I want to go out with her.”

“Then you ask her out.”

“I can’t. What if she says no?”

“She can still say no if I ask her for you.” Eddie pointed out, unzipping his bag and pulling out his notebook and a pen.

“If she says no to you, I won’t die of embarrassment.” Ben plopped down into his seat beside Eddie, frowning.

Eddie rolled his eyes and opened his notebook to a fresh, clean page. Ben, one of his best friends, wanted to ask out a girl they met on campus. He fell in love with her at first sight and had been trying to work up the courage to ask her out for months. Every time he saw her, he turned into a babbling mess and lost his nerve. Eddie made the mistake of letting him know that she was in one of his classes and now he was determined to get Eddie’s help asking her out.

“What if I just invite her to hang out with us and conveniently get a call and leave you two alone?” Eddie suggested, taking pity on his sulking friend.

Ben perked up and thought that over. “That could work. Do you think she’ll say yes?”

“We have class today. I’ll ask her when I see her.”

Ben leaned over and placed his head on Eddie’s shoulder, a big grin on his face. His arms snaked around Eddie’s middle and he hugged him tight. Eddie sighed, but patted his arm and dropped his cheek to the top of Ben’s head.

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” Ben said.

“You bet your ass you will.” Eddie responded.

They separated as the professor stood from the front desk and began speaking. Ben was positively beaming for the entire class and Eddie swore he saw him scribbling her name in his notebook instead of taking notes. Honestly, he was jealous of his friend. He’d finally come out when he’d come to college, except to his mom, and hadn’t had much luck in the relationship department. He did make out with an average looking guy at a party, but it hadn’t been great, and he spent the next two weeks ignoring his texts. Why he even gave the guy his number he’ll never know. Blame it on desperation and alcohol.

Eddie would forever kick himself for signing up for an early class this semester. Ben was always perky in the morning, up early to go for a jog before the sun was even up. Eddie, on the other hand, was not a morning person. If Ben didn’t call him, he would never get up in time for class. He was lucky to stay awake until the end of class. He said goodbye to Ben and immediately made his way across campus and into town where a little coffee shop waited.

Eddie had begun frequenting this shop after his early class for a caffeinated pick me up. It was close to the building his class was located in and by the time he got there the line wasn’t too awfully long. It gave Eddie plenty of time to drink his coffee and relax before he had to head off to his next class. There were big, squishy chairs all over the café that Eddie really liked. He’d almost fallen asleep in them countless times, but he couldn’t resist. Most of the other patrons were always on their way somewhere else so early in the morning so it was mostly empty and quiet too and the music was never played too loud over the speakers. It was Eddie’s favorite place and almost perfect.

As he entered the shop and joined the queue, he groaned inwardly at the person behind the counter. Yes, this place was almost perfect, except for the man who seemed to work this shift every day that Eddie had class. He was very friendly, smiled at every customer. More accurately, he was smiling at whatever stupid joke he’d just made about their order or their name. He had no filter and it annoyed Eddie endlessly. He was the definition of a man child. He recognized Eddie every time and already knew what he was going to order. A medium coffee, black.

Eddie dreaded having to interact with him again. It’s like he had an ongoing bet with himself, whether he could make Eddie laugh and piss him off first. It was usually the latter. The most annoying thing he did, in Eddie’s opinion, was the way he wrote his name on his cup. The very first time he’d simply made the mistake of spelling his name like ‘Eddy’. Whatever, that was fine. It didn’t bother him. Ever since then, though, it seemed like he tried to mess up his name in new and unusual ways. How does one misspell the name Edward? Some notable names he’d written down in the past were: Eugene, Edwin, Elliot, Eduardo, Emmett, Eli, and Eileen. However, when he would call out the name for the order he always said ‘Eddie’, so he knew exactly what he was doing, and it was infuriating.

Despite how annoying he was, he was also extremely efficient at his job combined with the guy making the drinks. The line moved quickly and there wasn’t a long wait for your drink to be delivered, even the complicated ones. Which meant that Eddie only had to stand at the counter for a short amount of time. As long as the cashier was willing to leave him alone. Which was extremely unlikely. When it was Eddie’s turn in line, he was met with a wide, crooked grin.

“Good morning, Eddie. It’s Thursday.” The man said.

“Yes. It is.” Eddie responded, hoping he wouldn’t continue. “I’ll have-.”

“Medium coffee. Black. Right?”

Eddie nodded, already holding the cash in his hand for the other to take. The guy punched a few buttons on the screen before looking back at Eddie, ignoring the money in his hand.

“You’re late today. I was beginning to wonder if you skipped class today.” He said, leaning his hip against the counter.

Eddie looked back to see there was no one in line behind him and he sighed. He’d made the mistake on his first trip to the coffee shop of telling this man that he had taken on an early Tuesday, Thursday class in passing. He regretted giving him any personal information about him as he absorbed it like a dry sponge.

“Class ran a little long. Here, my money.” Eddie held his hand a little higher, in his line of sight.

“I was sure you had stood me up for our weekly date.” He winked, still ignoring the money.

“I just come here to get coffee.”

“Oh, Eddie, we both know that it’s not the coffee that keeps you coming back here. You come here to ogle me while I make your coffee. It’s my wit and wiles that have you drawn to this little coffee shop twice a week.” He was very dramatic as he spoke, putting his hand to his forehead and leaning across the counter. “I’m beginning to think there is no morning class that has you making the trip here. You can deny it all you want, my dear but I know what your ulterior motives are.” He placed one finger beneath Eddie’s chin and tilted his head up a bit.

Eddie’s face turned bright red as he leaned away and swatted his hand away. This was typical and Eddie honestly couldn’t tell if he was supposed to be flirting with him or if he just liked the way Eddie reacted. For instance, at the moment Eddie was flustered and unable to keep his cool any longer.

“Can you please stop and just take my fucking money.” He grumbled, holding the money out again.

He grinned exceptionally wide and took the money, very slowly counting it out and putting it in the register. “There’s no need to use such language, my dear. I know you can’t stand to be around me for too long lest you leap over this counter and do indecent things.”

Eddie positively fumed as he waited for him to fiddle with the register as if he was getting change. He knew exactly how much he had to pay so he always had exact change. It was all just for show to keep him standing there that much longer. While he waited, trying to calm himself, he dropped two dollars in the tip jar, he may hate the guy, but he wasn’t an asshole. Unable to calm himself completely, he tapped his foot impatiently while waiting for his receipt. He really didn’t need it, but it was like a compulsion to keep every receipt he received. He finally handed over his receipt and turned to the other guy behind the counter.

“I’ll make this one, Mikey.”

The other guy, Mike, looked over to see Eddie before smiling and shaking his head. So, it wasn’t just in his imagination. Even his coworker could tell that this guy just enjoyed annoying Eddie as long as he possibly could.

Eddie carefully folded his receipt in half and tucked it in his pocket as he walked to the end of the counter to wait for his coffee. He watched as the guy took a cup and scribbled something on it with marker. Eddie could already feel the annoyance for whatever name he was given today. The ever-present grin on his face didn’t help as he poured the coffee into the cup and put a lid and cardboard sleeve onto it.

“Coffee for Eddie.” He said, holding the cup high in the air, too high for Eddie to reach.

Eddie just stared up, refusing to jump to try and get the cup from him. He was too tired for this shit and he hoped the daggers he was mentally sending to the other showed on his face. He smiled down at him, and waited, expectantly.

“Can I just have my coffee?” Eddie asked.

“Oh, of course. I need a thank you first though.”

Eddie sighed loudly and a bit more dramatically than necessary to show how over this routine he was. “Thank you.” He grumbled.

“Thank you…what?” He asked.

“Thank you, Richie.” Eddie said through clenched teeth.

Finally, the cup was lowered to his hands and he snatched it away carefully, storming away from the counter and to the farther chair from the counter that was currently available. He looked down at the cup and just above the cardboard sleeve the name “Estiban” was written. Mike came to stand beside Richie, slapping a hand down on his shoulder.

“Why do you do that to him?” He asked with a smile.

“He’s cute. I like the faces he makes when he’s mad.” Richie shrugged.

“You know he hates you, right?”

“Nah. I’m going to marry that man one day.”

Mike laughed as the bell above the door chimed and they went back to their stations to wait for the next order. Richie could clearly see Eddie sitting in the large chair, sipping his coffee and looking like he might fall asleep. As he took the next customer’s order and entered it on the screen, he stole glances over at the tired boy. Richie couldn’t help smiling as he fought to keep his eyes open while taking another sip from his cup, his face scrunching up in disgust from the taste. It was like this every time, he hated the coffee, but he kept coming back and ordering it and drinking every last drop. Richie was smitten.

When Eddie arrived at his afternoon class, Bev was already there, her bag in the seat beside her to save it for him. As he approached, she moved her bag and smiled at him. She was annoyingly beautiful, and Eddie understood why Ben was so in love with her. If he liked girls, he’d probably be in love with her too. He greeted her and took his seat, immediately putting his head down on his arms, staring up at her sideways.

“I’m exhausted.” He said, followed by a yawn.

“Aren’t you always?”

“Yes.”

She grinned at him and pulled her phone from her pocket. She was really into fashion design and would often show him what pieces she was working on or had finished. She opened her camera roll and slid her phone across the table to him. He lifted his head and looked down at the pictures of a dress hung from a hanger, only one sleeve attached.

“I can’t decide if I like it with sleeves or not.” She explained. “The original sketch had sleeves, but then I really liked the way it was looking and once I attached one sleeve, I just wasn’t sure anymore.”

Eddie covered half the picture with his hand before switching and doing the same to the other side. He liked that she asked his opinion, especially seeing as she made fun of his fashion sense relentlessly. It showed that she trusted his opinion and he liked knowing that. He really enjoyed their friendship and silently hoped that if she dated Ben and they broke up, it wouldn’t somehow impact their relationship. He’d really hate to lose her.

“I like it without the sleeve.” He finally said after looking at each side several times.

“Right? Ok, it’s decided. Thanks.” She leaned over and put her arm around him in a half hug, kissing his cheek.

He rubbed at his cheek with his sleeve, knowing there was bound to be a red lipstick mark left behind. Now seemed like a good time to ask her to hang out and he honestly worried he’d forget if he didn’t ask her soon. He just had to be casual about it. “So, hey, what are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Mmmm, I was going to get drinks with a friend.” She said, taking her phone back and sliding it back into her pocket.

“Ben and I are doing the same. We should meet up, go together.”

“Yea, that sounds good.” She smiled brightly. “I could use a buffer anyway. My friend can be a bit…much.”

“Oh, joy. Please bring them.” Eddie was sarcastic and it made Bev snort out a laugh.

“He’s really not that bad. He just gets very mouthy when he drinks. More than usual anyway.”

“Well, luckily I’ll have a few drinks in me too.”

Eddie pulled his phone out and sent a quick text to Ben. ‘Talked to Bev. She’s down. Tomorrow night. Bringing a friend though.’ A second later Ben responded with a smiley face. Eddie already knew that Ben wouldn’t worry about the addition of a fourth person. He knew that Eddie would be able to distract the friend and he tried not to let that bother him. After all, it was mostly his idea to begin with so he couldn’t be too upset at the idea of being left with Bev’s friend.

There were few things Eddie enjoyed more than anything else. He enjoyed cleaning, organization, spending time with his friends. But the thing he enjoyed most was sitting in his quiet apartment, completely alone, enjoying the rest of his free afternoon. He’d picked up lunch on the way home and sat at his kitchen counter to eat it, scrolling through social media on his phone. After he cleaned up his lunch dishes, he moved to the living room to do some reading for class. This time of day on a Thursday most everyone was out so he couldn’t even hear his neighbors through the walls. It was utter bliss, until.

Eddie jolted when he heard the music and groaned dramatically as he flopped back on his couch. Every so often, one of his neighbors down the hall chose to listen to their music at an obnoxiously loud volume. And every time, Eddie silently hated them. It wasn’t even good music half the time, and even when it was, he didn’t want to hear it thumping through the walls and into his apartment. He stood and went to his bedroom, retrieving his earplugs from his bedside table.

He pressed them into his ears as he made his way back to the couch. They blocked out most of the noise, but he could steal hear it and feel the thump, thump, thump in his chest from the beat. There was no way he was going to finish his reading now or take a much needed nap. The buzz from the coffee he’d had a few hours earlier was long gone and he wasn’t willing to go back for another. One interaction with Richie a day was enough for him. He really ought to buy a coffee pot for his apartment. At least one of the little pod ones that made one cup at a time. He would save money and wouldn’t have to ever go to that coffee shop again. His life would be Richie free and he’d have coffee in class instead of after. He pulled out his phone to make a note to himself to price coffee machines when he saw he missed a text from Bev.

Bev: Hey, do you know what bar you’re going to yet?

Eddie: We haven’t really discussed it. Some place local, I guess. Maybe near campus

Bev: Have you heard of My Mom’s Bar? It’s down on Engle.

Eddie: I’ve heard of it, never been there though

Bev: It’s one of my favorites. Doesn’t get to crazy even on Fridays. You down?

Eddie: I’ll talk to Ben, but it should be fine

He switched from the conversation with Bev to the one with Ben and typed a quick message to him.

Eddie: Bev wants to go to My Mom’s Bar. Is that ok with you?

Ben: Your mom owns a bar?

Eddie: What? No. That’s the name of the place.

Ben: oooooh. Yea that’s fine. I’ll go anywhere as long as Bev is there.

Eddie: Even a gay bar?

Ben: As long as she doesn’t fall for another girl or a bi dude while we’re there. That could happen anywhere though

Eddie: True

He let Bev know that they were fine with her pick and they made arrangements to meet there around ten. He gave the information to Ben, planned to meet up at Eddie’s place beforehand. The idea of going out the following night and socializing was already so tiring. He liked spending time with his friends, but this wasn’t a regular social call. He’d have to interact with someone he didn’t know, orchestrate a plan and an excuse for him and the stranger to leave them alone. He really felt like he needed that nap now and silently cursed the inconsiderate neighbor with the clearly broken headphones.

Eddie spent most of his Friday at home alone, working on homework and finally finishing the reading he needed to do for class. If he was going to spend the evening in a crowded bar, interacting with strangers, then he wasn’t going to have a single second of human interaction the rest of the day. Eddie valued his alone time and he wasn’t going to feel bad about it.

It was now evening. He’d eaten a light dinner, knowing well that Ben would order bar food and how he was incapable of ignoring it when he’d been drinking. Still, he wasn’t willing to drink on an empty stomach. He prided himself on the fact that he had never once had a hangover or puked from drinking and he wasn’t about to start now.

Ben arrived at his door while he was still trying to decide if his outfit was fine for going out with friends. It was cold out, the winter months only half over, so he chose one of his favorite sweaters that was just slightly too big for him. He chose jeans, which he wouldn’t usually pair with this sweater, but he figured it was appropriate for a casual night out. Especially since he didn’t expect to be there too long. He and Ben had worked out a signal for when he was ready for Eddie to leave them. He hoped it wouldn’t take too long for him to work up the courage.

When Eddie opened the door a few minutes after buzzing him in through the downstairs door, Ben was bouncing on the balls of his feet with nervous energy. The smile on his face looked slightly panicked and Eddie couldn’t help but laugh. Ben’s smile fell away and he immediately looked down at himself.

“Is it my outfit? Is it stupid?” Ben asked.

“Your outfit is fine. I was laughing at how crazy you look.” Eddie giggled, stepping aside for Ben to enter.

“I look crazy? Should I cancel? What if Bev thinks I’m crazy?”

“You just need to calm down. You’ve hung out with her before. She likes you.”

“Does she though?” He placed his hands on Eddie’s shoulders and shook him slightly. “Is this all a big mistake?”

“Jesus…maybe you should do a shot or six before she gets to the bar.” Eddie shook Ben loose so he could go to the couch to slip his shoes on. “If you get too nervous then I’ll just stay. I won’t leave until you give me the signal.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise. Please chill.”

Eddie grabbed his jacket and his keys and double checked that he had his phone before ushering Ben back out the door and toward the elevator. Ben’s nerves didn’t settle on the way out to the waiting uber Eddie had ordered, and he babbled on and on about Bev to their poor driver. When they arrived at the bar, Eddie practically had to pull him from the backseat of the car and mentally made a note to give their driver a glowing review.

As they showed their IDs at the door, Eddie hoped that Ben’s nervousness wouldn’t be considered suspicious as neither one looked their age. Somehow, they got in without issue and Eddie did a scan of the place. It wasn’t huge. The floor plan was open, the bar against the wall to the left of the door and tabled scattered across the room. They didn’t see Bev yet and Eddie wasn’t sure if that was good for Ben’s nerves or absolutely terrible.

“Let’s get a table while there’s still some open.” Eddie said, grabbing Ben’s arm and steering him to a table near the wall.

They sat, Eddie’s back to the door and Ben across from him. Which maybe wasn’t the best seating arrangement as Ben’s eyes were fixed to the door. Part of Eddie knew that things would get easier when Beverly arrived. She had a way of breaking Ben out of his shell. Any idiot could see they were made for each other and, while Eddie really didn’t want to be there, he was happy to help them get one step closer to being together.

“Should we order drinks now? Or do we wait?” Ben asked, quickly glancing at Eddie before looking back to the door.

“We’re not losing our table. Just wait until they get here.” Eddie was already so tired.

“Should I offer to pay for her? What if…she…” Ben’s voice trailed off as a light flush flooded his cheeks with color.

Eddie was sure that meant Bev had arrived and he lightly kicked him under the table. “Be cool. You’re drooling.”

“Hey boys.” Bev said as she approached.

Ben stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor as it was pushed back with the movement. Eddie winced at the sound and gave him a look that said, ‘what the fuck?’. He always did this, acting like he needed to stand as soon as she entered the room like some dude in a Jane Austen novel.

“Hello, Beverly. You look nice.” Ben said, the words tumbling from his mouth.

“Thank you, Benjamin.” She grinned. “Hey Eddie.” She patted him on the shoulder and moved to sit beside Ben.

Eddie looked over his shoulder and saw no fourth person coming to join them. Maybe this would be easier than he thought. He looked back to them in time to see Ben nearly miss his chair when he went to sit down. Luckily, Bev was looking down at her phone and didn’t notice. Eddie stifled the laugh that nearly broke free, trying to save his friend any embarrassment.

“I thought you were bringing a friend.” Eddie said, bringing Bev’s attention back to the table.

“I did. He’s outside talking to the dude checking IDs. When we were walking to the door, he pulled a fake mustache from his pocket and intentionally gave the guy a really shitty fake ID. It had a picture of some guy like twice our age, bald, with a mustache. I left him there while he tried to prove it was a joke and that his actual ID was real.” She rolled her eyes, but she was grinning from ear to ear.

“What if he doesn’t make it in?” Ben asked.

“His loss. I told him to stop pulling shit like this.” She shrugged, before nodding toward the door. “There he is.”

Eddie turned to look, and his stomach dropped to the floor. He quickly turned back to the table and tried to make himself invisible. He’d been worried about having to hang out with this stranger, dreading what an awful night it would be. He just never considered how awful it truly could be. The last person he wanted to see had just strode into the bar, tucking a fake mustache back into his pocket.

“How’d you manage to convince him, Richie?” Bev asked, leaning back in her seat.

“I asked him if he really thought I’d be stupid enough to use a fake ID that looked that bad. He said yes but let me in anyway.” He responded, putting his hands on the back of the only empty seat beside Eddie.

“Idiot.” Bev laughed. “Well, introductions are necessary, I guess. This is Ben, and this is Eddie.”

Eddie gave up trying to make himself disappear when Bev said his name. He looked up into the glasses covered eyes of none other than Richie, the barista from the café. The man who made his Tuesday and Thursday coffee runs so detestable. The grin on his face was hard to ignore and Eddie wished he’d gotten a drink before they arrived.

“Holy shit, Eddie.” Richie said, finally sitting in the chair. “I’ve never seen you out in the wild like this.”

“You two know each other?” Bev asked, looking between the two.

“Eds here comes into the shop twice a week to grace me with his presence.”

“Don’t call me that.” Eddie said, leaning against the wall and hoping he could somehow fuse through it.

Richie, thankfully, turned to look at Ben instead. “So, this is Ben? He’s hot.”

Ben smiled as the color on his cheeks grew darker. “Oh, I, um…you…you too?” He said, visible flustered.

“Don’t embarrass him Richie.” Bev scolded with a smile. “As punishment, you will be fetching the first round.”

“Yes milady.” Richie said as he stood and swooped down into a dramatic bow.

“I can help carry drinks.” Ben chimed in, standing quickly.

Eddie hated himself. Hated that he cared so dearly for his friend and his desire to fall in love. Hated the words that were about to come out of his mouth. “Stay. I’ll help.” He put his hand out to Ben, urging him to sit as he stood.

Richie seemed surprised as they walked side by side to the bar. Eddie tried not to look at him, really not wanting to interact with him. This was, of course, a good chance to let him know of the plan. Hopefully, Richie wasn’t interested in Beverly. If he was, he could potentially ruin the night for Ben and then he’d have to hate him even more than he did before.

“You’re not going to cheat on me, are you?” Richie asked, just as Eddie was about to open his mouth.

“What?” He narrowed his eyes at the other.

“Their menu says they offer coffee.” Richie pointed up at the chalkboard menu above the bar. “I know it will be hard to resist but drinking another man’s coffee does constitute cheating in my books.”

“Oh my God.” Eddie sighed. “I think I need something a little stronger if I’m going to survive a night out with you and your jokes.” He shot back.

Richie grinned and chuckled. “So, I should get you drunk to make you like me. Good to know.”

Eddie was going to say something along the lines of ‘no amount of alcohol will make me like you’ when the bartender came over to take their order. They opened a joint tab and ordered a round of beer, a light beer for Eddie. Each grabbed two bottles and carried them back to the table where Bev was telling Ben a story.

“So, he jumped from the roof of the fake building swinging the wooden sword down like it was a guitar he was going to smash and when it hit the stage it broke. The top part flew across the room and hit Jared in the arm. He stumbled back trying to get away from it and fell right off the stage and now he’s in a cast.” She was saying.

Eddie handed a beer to Ben and reclaimed his seat. “What are you talking about?” He asked.

“I was telling Ben the reason we aren’t allowed to use wooden swords in class anymore. They’re all rubber now and for a while we had to use long balloons until the rubber ones came in.”

“In my defense, I didn’t think the sword would break.” Richie said as he sat.

“Maybe so, but your actions still caused poor Jared to break his ankle.” Bev said, taking a swig of her beer.

“You go to the same school?” Eddie asked, looking at Richie. He’d never seen him on campus, never saw him with Bev. She’d never even mentioned him before as a friend.

“Theater major.” He said.

“Why is that not surprising.”

“I can’t tell if that was an insult or not.” Bev laughed.

Eddie shrugged. Their conversation continued this way for a while, discussions of school and classes and how each of them met. Beverly hadn’t known that Eddie and Ben had actually grown up together in a small rural town. Ben was visibly embarrassed when Eddie pulled out his phone and found some old pictures of them from middle school. Bev and Richie loved the photos though and teased them for how dorky they looked.

“So, wait, you actually carried a fanny pack?” Richie was laughing.

The drinks had been flowing for a while by this point and each of them was more than a little tipsy. As predicted, Ben had suggested ordering some bar food for the table. Beverly had been more than willing to order food, going to the bar and grabbing a menu. Half empty plates of wings, pretzel sticks with beer cheese, mozzarella sticks and fries sat between them.

“Why is that funny, asshole?” Eddie asked, pointing at him with the top of his bottle.

“No, it’s uh…” Richie laughed again. “I’m sure you were very fashionable.”

“It wasn’t about fashion. It was about function. I kept my inhaler in there.”

“Isn’t that what pockets are for?”

“I need another drink. Ben?” Bev said, standing.

Ben nodded and stood, following after Bev. Eddie reached over and grabbed another fry from the plate, washing it down with a mouthful of beer. He knew that Richie was watching him, but he tried to ignore it. They’d been bickering all night and he wanted just a second of peace and silence. Of course, Richie wasn’t about to comply with his wishes.

“Tell me something.” He said with a smile.

“Ok, you’re not funny.” Eddie said, making himself laugh in his buzzed state.

“No. Tell me why you always order black coffee when you seem to hate it.”

“I don’t hate it.”

“You look like you want to die whenever you take a sip.”

Eddie had never realized that Richie watched him while he sat in the café and drank his coffee. It made him feel slightly embarrassed and a little uncomfortable. He knew the guy liked to tease him and test out stupid jokes on him, but he didn’t know that he paid so much attention to him.

“My friend Stanley says you just have to get used to drinking black coffee and eventually you’ll love it.” He explained.

Richie laughed. “Why would you do that to yourself?”

“It’s better than loading it down with a bunch of cream and sugar and flavored syrup. It’s empty calories.”

“Ok, so you don’t want added calories in your coffee, you drink light beer, but I just watched you help the rest of us devour a bunch of fried foods. Explain.”

“It’s not like I’m counting calories or anything. I just don’t think it’s smart to drink your calories. If you drink sugary crap all day then you’ll gain weight and spike your blood sugar. It’s not good for you.”

“So, then what do you drink?”

“Water, mostly. Sometimes I indulge in a soda with my meal if I’m so inclined.”

“Oh my God. You’re like an old man.”

“Fuck you. I just care about my body.” Eddie said, downing the last of his beer. He looked to the bar to see if Bev and Ben were headed back with another round yet, but he couldn’t see them. “Where did they go?”

Richie looked back and scanned the bar only to come up empty. “Must have left.”

“What the hell. Why wouldn’t he tell me he was leaving?”

“It wasn’t his choice. Bev had this plan from the start to ditch us so she could spend some time alone with him.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Eddie now realized that he never did get the chance to tell Richie about their plan. “Ben was supposed to give me a signal to leave them alone here. I can’t believe you didn’t warn me.”

“You didn’t warn me about your plan. What were you going to do with me?”

“I don’t know. I figured I’d just go home.”

Richie raised his eyebrows and grinned. “So, you were planning to take me home?

“Oh, fuck off. You know what I meant.” Eddie stood and grabbed his jacket. “Well, if they’re gone, I’m leaving too.”

Eddie slipped his jacket on, not catching the way Richie’s smile finally fell away and was replaced with a frown. He stood as well and followed Eddie to the bar. They closed out their tab and split the cost, though Eddie planned to get at least half of that back from Ben for ditching him without warning. He resisted the urge to pull his phone out and text him to let him know he sucked, but he was with Bev and that’s what he wanted. Why did he have to be such a supportive friend?

Without saying goodbye, Eddie turned to leave but Richie was close on his heels. They walked out into the night and Eddie realized he hadn’t even bothered to order an uber. He pulled his phone out and opened the app, only to realize that Richie was staring down at him expectantly.

“What?” He asked, glancing at him before turning his attention back to his phone.

“Before you head home do you want to get some…ice cream?” He asked.

Eddie finally looked at him. “It’s like thirty degrees out here. There’s snow on the ground. And you want ice cream?”

Richie shrugged. “Yes?”

“Yea, I’ll pass.”

“Ok, it doesn’t have to be ice cream. There’s a 24-hour diner close by with really good pie.”

“I think I’d rather go home and sleep.”

“I’ll treat.”

Eddie’s fingers paused on his screen. He really didn’t want to spend any more time with this man, but he knew of the diner he was talking about and their pie was amazing. It was the offer to pay for him that really had him considering saying yes. He was going to respond when Richie’s phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket and frowned down at the screen.

“Shit. I um…I have to go somewhere but…rain check on the pie?” He asked, giving him a sheepish smile.

Eddie couldn’t help thinking he looked disappointed. “Yea. Maybe.”

Richie said goodbye with that same look for disappointment still on his face as he rushed off down the street. Eddie was lucky enough to get an uber that was already close by. As soon as he got home, he collapsed on his couch and sent a text to Ben.

Eddie: You left me alone with Richie. You owe me. Big

He didn’t expect to hear from him until tomorrow with a full report of what happened with Beverly. Eddie was happy for his friend. He could tell that Bev liked him too and he wanted them to be together. Wanted them both to be happy. He just couldn’t help but feel jealous. He wanted to like someone, to have someone like him back. Longed for companionship and love. He fell asleep on the couch remembering the look Richie had given him when he left and wondering where he had to rush off to.

#It #it (2017)#it (2019)#reddie #benverly #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #ben hanscom #beverly marsh #Ro writes

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ultraclops · 4 years

Text

Semi-Live Blogging: Finale Time!

With reaction images this time!

Adoradad

TRAINING EXERCIIISE

Adorabat's practicing her screaming! Bet that's gonna come in handy later.

"Fneh!" Wow what an introduction Eugene

His design is like? Really cool?? He looks practically nothing like Adorabat tho. And why does he have a spade on his stomach instead of a heart??

Badgerclops drew him with a giant ass mustache lol.

Adorabat takes banjo lessons? More importantly, Eugene thought she was at a banjo lesson FOR 8 MONTHS?!

"She scares me" lol

Adorabat ran away from home? Why?

"I thought you were a ward of the state!" Remember when everyone thought Adorabat was an orphan? Yea.

"I thought you were my conscience!" Badgerclops...you've lived with Adorabat for a year...went to her school...AND YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS A PIECE OF YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS?!

...why did Badgerclops use Adorabat as monster bait...

I expected to hate Eugene but he's actually really cute and interesting?? Aside from the fact he thinks Mao Mao & Badgerclops are criminals. Love to see him again sometime!

Wow her dad has a whole badass mansion!! Why doesn't she just stay there...

Oh...her mom died...that's why he's so protective of her and was so upset when she left. Also her mom looks amazing & I wanna see a flashback episode with her. For some reason I can imagine her sounding like a deeper version of Scoops?

Aww Adorabat's room is super cool! Also Eugene cracking the door for her asfgjkl

"Do you think that monsters attacking the city are gonna - wait, does that have peanut butter in it? " (Cuts to MM & BC eating ice cream while crying) That's a perfectly rational reaction to losing your adoptive daughter

"I can keep it together!" (Cut to Mao Mao trying and failing to shovel ice cream in his mouth with his helmet on) NSADGEDHAMADH

Wait a second. Mao's eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. ISN'T CHOCOLATE TOXIC TO CATS?!

"But you said I was part of the team!!" "Then you're...off the team."

Adorabat crying while showing Eugene the picture OUCH MY HEART...

"I used to go exploring in those caves with Mom all the time..." I'm guessing those are the caves from the promo?

"She wasn't afraid of anything!" " Well Adorabat definitely takes after her mother...

"And then one day, Sonara didn't come back with you." Ooh her name's Sonara!! Pretty!! I can't tell if they chose it cuz it sounds like Sonar or because it means "pleasant sounding"

Glad to see Adorabat's still a die-hard metal fan, even with Eugene

Oof Mao isn't taking this well at ALL if he's pretending Adorabat's molt is her...

OOH SHIT ADORABAT RAN OFF TO THE CAVES - wait a minute no she didn't. OH NO EUGENE WENT TO THE CAVES

Ooh there's Sonara's looking glass, bet that's gonna be important

Yay Adorabat saved her dad!

Damn Adorabat must be super traumatized after basically watching her mother die. No wonder she tried to murder Boba-Chan!

Oh the only way to stop the monster is by screaming!

(Mao Mao hears Adorabat scream) "ADORABAT?!" ADOPTIVE DAD POWERS ACTIVATE

Ooh her mother's figure appears over her when she says she's not afraid of anyone...maybe her spirit's inside of her or something?

REVENGE TIME BAYBEY

HOLY SHIT ADORABAT FUCKING MURDERED THAT THING

Eugene & Adorabat both apologized to each other I...

"You can't just leave without the most fearless member of the group!" YAAY ADORABAT'S BACK (Also how are we gonna explain to Eugene Adorabat's scared of the dark?)

"I'll mess 'em up real good! So good, their mommies and daddies won't be able to recognize them when I'm done..." Daaammmnnn...

"She scares me :)"

I wonder...is Sonara really dead? Or are they gonna pull a Kipo & have her still be alive but in a different form?

Badge-A-Fire explosion

Uhh...where is Badgerclops? And why is Mao Mao on the top bunk?!

Of course Badgerclops is petty enough to install a fake monster alarm on his laptop to wake Mao Mao and Adorabat up.

"This is a super-serious work meeting, as you can see by the fact that I haven't provided any snacks!" No snacks?! This must be a serious issue!! /s

"As you know, I am a creative genius. Sometimes there's so much natural creative genius that my brain overloads, and I enter a heightened state that I call 'Ultra Focus'..." Oh so basically like hyperfixation?

"...where I break into a creative sprint, inventing super-advanced technology at supernatural speeds, unparalleled by anyone in the entire field of science." Okay maybe only a LITTLE bit like hyperfixation...wait a second, IS THAT WHY BADGERCLOPS IS SO TIRED ALL THE TIME?!

Uhh did he get his arm stuck in the front door? HE TOOK THE AEROCYCLE?!

"...I forget everything the next morning." Remember my headcanon that Badgerclops represses his memories? Yea...

"Which is why it's not my fault and I don't think I should be criticized :D" TBH I screamed with laughter at this scene solely because of the expression he made

...HE GAVE THE SKY PIRATES THE GEM CELL?! I mean he clearly wasn't thinking right when he did it BUT STILL?!

"Oh hey, I told you I'd use that weird elevator thing!" Dude you LITERALLY used it in Ultraclops. What are you talking about.

"If the Sky Pirates had the Gem Cell, they would've used it already!" That is a fair point ngl.

Umm...did Badgerclops give Adorabat a BOMB?!

Tbh if my friend woke me up in the middle of the night with weird-looking eyes and handed me a timer while saying something about an explosion I would DEFINITELY not go back to sleep afterwards...

I'm sorry, IS THE WHOLE VALLEY GONNA BLOW UP?! WHAT THE HELL DID HE MAKE?!

Mao wiping Badgerclops' tears I'm

A paper towel dispenser? Well that's not that bad - IS THAT A GIANT PAIR OF PANTS?!

Ooh it's not a shock collar it's a translator!! That makes a bit more sense... "I HAVE NO REMORSE OR CONCEPT OF EMPATHY!" ...if the monster doesn't have remorse or empathy how does it know what those words mean...

Badgerclops keeps telling Mao Mao & Adorabat not to criticize him...hmm...I wonder who criticized his inventions that made him that way...*cough* HIS MOM *cough*

"Are all your inventions this weird?!" "YOU'RE WEIRD!!"

IM SORRY DID BADGERCLOPS BUILD A DANCING MACHINE INTO MAO MAO'S BONES?! HIS BONES?! AND HE MADE ADORABAT A SECOND MEGAPEG?!

What in the absolute hell is going on dgaadhdagdadga

Okay but when Badgerclops clutched his head and started shaking when Mao Mao asked why he made those things...I FELT THAT IN MY HEART I FELT THAT IN MY SOUL

Ngl this scene really hit home for me cuz that's how I act when I have a breakdown...

The timer went off but nothing blew up - WAIT, IS THAT A REPLICA OF MECHA HOSSORAFFASNAKEARANG?!

"Initializing Totally Humane Knockout Procedure." (Proceeds to slam the Sheriff's Dept. into the ground) ajdajdgdad

Ooh...ohh they're on some sort of water park...ride...thing??

"And if I didn't want us to get out, then I made sure we couldn't...with super-strong shoe things." But there isn't any on Adorabat, can't she just squeeze herself out?

Ooh I'm getting Pirates of the Caribbean vibes

There's the Gem Cell, it must be powering the ride! Also the robotic arm slaps Mao's hand the same way Mao slaps Badgerclops' hand in Flyaway skkkk

"My amazing creativity is finally gonna destroy us all..." "Hey, at least we'll be destroyed together!" Fair point, fair point

The shoosh returneth

"I always loved inventing." So he was an inventor ever since he was little? Daww.

YOUNG BC IS SO ADORABLE!! He has a lil medical patch instead of an eyepatch which is def more accurate to real life...but what's the vest for? Protection in case he falls? A pressure stim?

That figure's def his mom since they rejected his ideas & he mentions she was mean to him. Also the theory that his mom's a villain seems a bit stronger since they straight-up hand him a tool kid + a set of blueprints with no regard to his safety...

"Also there was a bunch of other kids at school and some other people throughout my life who mocked me relentlessly." THEN WHY'D YOU TELL ADORABAT YOU COULDN'T RELATE TO HER WHEN SHE SAID NO ONE WANTED TO BE HER FRIEND?! (Also I noticed literally all the kids are other badgers, so I'm assuming Badgerclops grew up sheltered like Mao Mao did.)

So the Ultra Focus is basically a really weird coping mechanism to deal with all the abuse and bullying he went through? Holy fuckkk

"They only made fun of you because they were jealous. Happened to me my whole life!" Umm...

"Even the dance chip I surgically implanted in your brain?" Excuse me the dance chip that you WHAT

"I love you-" HE SAID IT 💗💓💗💓

"I'm finally around people who love and understand me..."

Wait did the cannon misfire? DID IT BLOW A HOLE IN THE GROUND?!

OH HE ACTUALLY DID CREATE AN ANIMATRONIC BAND?! I THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE!!

"Take it away, Boss Hosstritch!" (Distorted garbling)

Oof Mao caught all the water

"We hope you all enjoyed being Badgerclops' friend." 💞💕💞💕

Not that anyone cares but I noticed there's a picture of some of the Sweetypies on the monitors, meaning 1. Badgerclops tested it out using them first, or 2. Badgerclops just likes those Sweetypies for whatever reason. Tho that makes me wonder why he'd choose Pinky of all people...

THE SKY PIRATES WERE INSIDE THE ANIMATRONICS THE WHOLE TIME?! THE MAN BEHIND THE SLAUGHTE

Zing Your Heart Out

Why are they giving out rotten sushi??

"HOW DARE YOU LAUGH AT ME EATING SOMETHING GROSSLY?!"

Ooh god Chester's gonna be super freaking annoying in this episode, I can feel it.

"What's blue and smells like red paint? Blue paint!" BAYBEY

Jesus what a prick. GET HIM MAO MAO

Ngl that background's really pretty...

Oooh no the Ruby Pure Heart's being weird again. Ooh no.

FUCK YEA ROAST HIM BABY - Did Adorabat's eyes turn purple because the Ruby Pure Heart gave her powers?

Oh so the siren in Badgerclops' robo-arm is a backup monster alarm?

More Sky Pirates - and the Pure Heart's being weird again...

"I'd tell you but despite your height it'd go right over your HEAD!" Asdfgghjjk

"For someone with two brains, you're not very BRIGHT!" EVEN BETTER

Kevin said he was raising money for a school trip, then for a trip to the hospital...which one is he raising money for?!

"SILENCE PANCAKE, LEST YE BE BUTTERED"

OOH NO SHE ATTACKED MAO AND BC

"IT FEELS LIKE THE WEIGHT OF ONE THOUSAND PLANETS!!"

"One second, I'm getting mad, and the next thing you know-" Is she freaking possessed??

Wait, is the Pure Heart TALKING to Adorabat?! How?!

Cluckins you don't ask people what's wrong with their eyeballs...even if there is something wrong with their eyeballs

"I CAN'T FEEL MY SELF-RESPECT!!"

The pure 'oh shit' on Marion's face when Adorabat turns to her

Half of the people she insulted showed up to her party! Didn't that mean she loved them?!

Oh god not this bitch again - nvm, thanks Adorabat

"Taking over the castle and ruling Pure Heart Valley forever does sound nice..." This is starting to remind me of that one AU where Adorabat turns evil, becomes the ruler of the Sky Pirates, then convinces them to kill Snugglemagne and becomes the queen of Pure Heart...she isn't gonna kill Snugglemagne, is she?

What did Adorabat tell Snugglemagne?! I WANNA KNO

Why is Pinky stealing teeth...reminds me of this

NO BC DON'T EAT THE TEETH

"I...hate myself! Therefore, I'm invincible!" So the trick to not getting your ego destroyed...is to not have an ego. Sounds reasonable.

"Your bug platter, my king?" Genderfluid Adorabat rights

"Mao Mao, your head looks like a CROW!" (Mao Mao caws) IT WAS A LIE HE ISN'T A CAT HE WAS A CROW THIS WHOLE TIME-

"It looks like a half-melted ice cream cone!!" That is...a strange way to describe your own neck...

"Well, I'm...bad (◡‿◡)" Kinda weird that the canonically depressed character can't even cleverly insult himself

...why does Adorabat's skin smell like old cantaloupe

OH SHE IS POSSESSED!!

HOLY SHIT MAO WAS GONNA FUCKING MURDER ADORABAT TO SAVE THE KINGDOM?! THANK GOD HE SAW HER JOKE BOOK, HOLY SHIT

Positivity outweighs negativity!

"WHERE DOES A 800 POUND GORILLA SIT?!" "Where ever it wants!◝(⁰▿⁰)◜" Curse you for making me laugh...

OOH NO THE JOKEBOOK! - Wait nvm Mao remembers Adorabat's jokes!

I think the reason they used that joke is because it represents Mao Mao and Adorabat - Adorabat is blue, and she wants to be like Mao Mao, who wears red. What is BLUE, and smells like (is similar to) RED paint?

YAAAY HE BROKE HER FREE FROM MIND CONTROL!! And did BC get Thanos snapped in the background?

"Thank goodness you're alright! We almost..." Fucking murdered you? Yea

"Might we have our crown and kingdom back, yes?"

"Sorry for being such a monster today." "You're a monster everyday." Is that a joke because she was today's villain, a reference to Sleeper Sofa or foreshadowing?

I hope Mao Mao and Badgerclops decide to investigate what's up with the Heart in Season Two, cause I highly doubt they'll let Adorabat getting fucking possessed go under the radar.

The visual gag of Mao trying to stomp out his ice cream cone like a cigarette is perfect. This is peak comedy everyone else go home

WHOOP CHESTER'S ASS GUYS

Strange Bedfellows

"So, your name is Boss Hosstrich, but you're not actually the boss?" How long did it take him to realize that

JFC Mao & Orangusnake are REALLY hellbent on killing each other huh...at least the deputies and the other Sky Pirates have common sense.

Hahaha nice Dragon Ball Z reference - and they both got crushed by the monster! Lovely.

...did Mao seriously think he died and went to heaven?

So does Orangusnake breathe through Tanner or do they both breathe independently & Coby can feel when Tanner can't?

Dang those skeletons remind me of the Steven Universe Future episode Growing Pains. And why is Lucky inside of Orangusnake? "THAT WAS MY LUNCH, JERK!" Ooh that's why.

"They're full of these tiny, little cracks or, as they're known in the medical field, 'whoopsie-boo-boos'." AGSADGASGADGDASG

Damn their skeletons are just gonna freaking evaporate huh...

"The doctor said I was very brave :D"

Ooh shit the Deputies and the other Sky Pirates met at the same elevator, are they gonna fight - nevermind, they're still calling time.

JESUS CHRIST ARE MAO & ORANGUSNAKE EVER GONNA STOP?!

"You don't have the guts!" "I have a million guts." That is...mildly concerning

"Yeah, I wanted to be a baker, before I realized I liked hurting people so much." Then why doesn't she just like, help Muffins or something?

Tbh I thought Ratarang was holding a gun and I'm glad it was just a weirdly wrapped banana

CONE OF SHAME. CONE OF SHAME. CONE OF SHAME.

"Aww, y'all shouldn't have - this is empty." "Just like my heart when you injure yourself!!" He loves him sm...💓💓

"Why didn't you bring me weapons?!" "Because this is a hospital, and I'm a good boy (◡‿◡ )"

"I really feel like this could be a turning point in their relationship." (Mao and Orangusnake proceed to try and kill each other again) *sigh*

Ngl Mao & Orangusnake constantly repeating themselves is getting super annoying.

That hospital bed beeping is giving me flashbacks to all the times I went to the hospital for seizures...

"You know y'all could live like this, like, all the time if you didn't go around hurting people, right?" "Pssh! Tsk-tsk, boy. You know I gots to hurt people." Uhh you guys should really listen to Badgerclops he knows what tf he's talking about

UUhh, whose egg is that? "MAMA" ASGagddahDh

Of course they had to land in freaking CEMENT to realize that maybe they shouldn't kill each other

Did Mao just deflate like a ballo- oh nvm there he go.

Boneless Mao. Boneless Mao.

And Mao saved Orangusnake!! By...breaking every bone in his body somehow.

"I'm the kind of hero who wants to save you so I can fight you later...at the right time and place." Just gonna file this along with the credit score scene from Perfect Couple in the 'Orangumao' folder.

Is Badgerclops duct taping Mao to the stretcher? I mean, at least he won't move & hurt himself again but geez

Tbh Zing would’ve made a better finale than this ep. At least it had a sequel hook

#semi live blogging #semi-live blogging #//long post #// long post

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theresnosafeharbor4myships · 5 years

Text

the Christmas Caryl I wrote for my Caryl Secret Santa @the-space-between1013 I hope this makes you do a happy dance. :D Merry Christmas!

Looking Up (also on 9L)

The night had turned into an unexpected party, and he blamed Judith.

Michonne, heading to check on those who had perimeter watch before night fell, had asked the girl to rummage through the attic for anything valuable—weapons, old gardening equipment, tools, winter clothes. She’d found a few sundry items: a pair of men’s rain boots, a hacksaw, electrical tape, some rope. And two boxes of Christmas stuff.

That last one seemed completely useless if you asked him, but with Carol’s help, Judith had enthusiastically dragged the large boxes down the attic steps, across the hall, down the flight of stairs to the first floor, and into the living where she unceremoniously pulled every item out, then laid them around her in display.

Daryl had watched surreptitiously from the dining room table where he sat inventorying and cleaning their weapons as Carol, sitting cross-legged in the midst of the holiday paraphernalia, patiently answered every single question Judith threw her way. What’s this do? (A nutcracker.) Where do these go? (A ball of Christmas lights.) Who’s this? (Rudolph statue.) What do you do with this? (Faux mistletoe.) And on and on it went. RJ had come out of his room when he heard the chatter and sat contently in Carol’s lap, playing with a miniature snow globe for several minutes before moving on to the next festive trinket.

“Can we put this stuff up?” Judith had asked excitedly, bouncing on her knees and peering around the room at the adults, her eyes settling on Michonne.

Having just returned home to the festive mess around the room, Michonne had looked at her deadpan but, seeing her enthusiasm, relented, smiling and shaking her head. “Who’s going to help you?”

And that’s how he’d ended up single-handedly stringing Christmas lights around the living room while Carol, Michonne, and the kids decorated the rest of the house.

He heard some commotion behind him, but he kept his focus on hanging the one strand of lights he’d already untangled. Standing on the arm of the couch in his bare feet, he stretched over the expanse of air above the end table to shove a pushpin into the wall and draped the string of lights over it.

Suddenly, music blasted through the air, and he nearly fell from his precarious stance. With one hand against the wall, he shoved himself back upright and stepped down onto the cushion and then the floor as the music—an impossibility—faded to a whisper.

“The he…ck was that?” he asked as his four housemates stood around electronic equipment.

“Eugene made it for me!” Judith enthused. “Now I can hear Christmas music!”

Michonne shrugged at him as Judith bounced up and down in excitement. “Found some music in these boxes, and she has a player.”

He nodded, less than enthusiastic, and plopped down on the couch to start untangling the next string of lights.

“Do you know these songs, Mom?”

“Yeah,” Michonne answered, looking at Carol for confirmation. “Probably most of them.”

Judith turned the music up to hear a man’s voice, low and breathy, sing. She stood listening for a moment before turning it down again and asking, “What’s a blue Christmas?”

Amused at the question, Daryl glanced up from his frustrating task to see Michonne smiling as she began explaining how colors could also describe emotions. His eyes darted to Carol, who’d found a place on the bookshelf for RJ’s snow globe, and his heart clenched.

He didn’t often let his imagination run in domestic circles, but he couldn’t help thinking this was the life she deserved. A warm home with friends and laughter, decorating for the holidays, a soundtrack of festive music, teaching kids about the fun things in life.

Her lightweight white sweater and blue jeans hugged her gently, and the low lamplight filling the room cast an angelic haze around her. He stared unabashedly for a moment, everyone in the room oblivious to him, and his heartbeat kicked up. She looked beautiful, happy. He could count on his fingers the number of times he’d seen her look so carefree.

She must’ve sensed his gaze on her because she suddenly turned her head and looked right at him, a questioning, gentle half-smile gracing her face.

He nodded once and felt his cheeks warming at having gotten caught, then turned back to the wretched ball of Christmas lights in his hand.

“Let’s see what other songs are on here,” Michonne suggested before switching the player to the next song.

A loud pop song, peppy and in soprano, blared from the speakers. “You’re here where you should be/Snow is falling as the carolers sing/It just wasn’t the same, alone on Christmas day.”

Judith started bouncing around. “Come on, RJ,” she called and held out her hands to him.

“Presents, what a beautiful sight/don’t mean a thing if you ain’t holding me tight/You’re all that I need, underneath the tree, tonight,” the woman’s voice rang out as the kids starting twirling around.

“Come on, Daryl!”

He looked up at Judy, stricken, as she motioned for him to join them. He shook his head, holding up a hand to wave her request away.

She took it in stride, bouncing around to face Michonne. “Mom,” Judy entreated, holding her hand out. “Carol?”

Daryl peeked up to see the four of them paired up—Carol and RJ, Michonne and Judith—bounding around, dancing.

“I’m gonna hold you close/Make sure that you know/I was lost before you.”

The lyrics played on, and Daryl couldn’t help watching the merriment in front of him. The kids danced with arms and legs akimbo, bouncing around with pure joy written on their faces. The women too, carefree and having fun, couldn’t restrain their smiles.

“Christmas was cold and grey/Another holiday alone to celebrate/But then one day, everything changed/You’re all I need underneath the tree.”

The music rang around them, the words holding him as captive as Carol did, his eyes never leaving her as she moved freely about, hips swaying, arms leading RJ around, an unadulterated smile gracing her face. She looked stunning, nearly taking his breath away as she floated on her feet.

“I found what I was looking for/A love that’s meant for me/A heart that’s mine completely/Knocked me right off my feet/And this year I will fall/With no worries at all/‘Cause you’re near and everything’s clear/You’re all I need underneath the tree.”

Though she didn’t see him watching her, the lyrics the woman sang made his pulse race. He’d spent so many holidays alone. While other families held parties and exchanged gifts, cooked feasts and lived out traditions, he’d spent most Christmases hiding, sometimes in his room or in a closet, avoiding his old man, or out in the woods away from all other human beings. It’d always felt safer that way…but not anymore.

Here he felt…different. Cared for, safer than he’d ever felt before. Which was saying a lot considering the state of the world.

And much of that was thanks to the angelic woman dancing around with a fatherless little boy. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, wishing with every ounce of his being that she was his, that the lyrics filling his ears and setting the wishes of his heart aflame told the story of the two of them.

“You’re here where you should be/Snow is falling as the carolers sing/It just wasn’t the same alone on Christmas day/Presents, what a beautiful sight/Don’t mean a thing if you ain’t holding me tight/You’re all that I need underneath the tree.”

Though grateful she was here, he couldn’t help wondering what it’d be like to be with her, to hold her tight. She’d already become the best gift he’d ever received—his best friend, confidant, sounding board, secret keeper, shooting-the-shit partner, protector and defender, and all-around favorite person he’d ever met. He wouldn’t mind adding to the list.

It would likely never happen though. They’d always circled each other, her the moon to his planet, her gravitational pull on him creating influential changes and lighting up the darkness. Irrevocably close, orbitally connected, but forever separated. What he wouldn’t give to change that, to venture into something more, explore uncharted territory, close the space between them, a collision of sorts that would irreparably change the forces felt between them.

But how? Knowing him, he’d likely destroy the symbiotic nature they’d settled into and send them into extinction if he tried.

No, it was better to leave things as they existed: safe, close, linked, comfortable. Except in moments like these when the longing he felt for her threatened to devour him from the inside out.

The verse repeated and, realizing he’d likely never get the opportunity to move beyond how close they’d already become, he turned back to his task, suddenly feeling melancholy.

“Again!” RJ demanded when the song ended.

“Let’s see what comes next,” Michonne told him.

Immediately, a woman’s voice started singing. “I don’t want a lot for Christmas/There is just one thing I need.”

“Ohh!” Michonne hollered above the din. “I’m karaoke’ing this one!”

With his elbows on his knees, lights dangling from his fingertips, he stared as Michonne, katana-wielding badass, grabbed a six-inch nutcracker statue, used it as a faux microphone, and belted out each and every lyric to the slow-starting turned rock-n-roll pop song ringing through the rafters.

Daryl couldn’t help huffing out laughs as the music progressed, Michonne twirling Judith around with her free hand, Carol and RJ rocking out with the uptempo’d song.

He also couldn’t help noticing the longing in the lyrics, apparently a common theme on the mixed music track. They did nothing to help the yearning in his heart as he watched the festive scene play out before him as he sat idly on the sidelines, just as he had for most of his life.

Michonne caught his eye a few times and motioned for him to join them, but he shook his head.

“Wooo!” Michonne exclaimed as the song ended, looking pleased with herself. “Who knew we’d ever karaoke again?”

“Your turn, Carol!” Judith exclaimed.

“Yeah, your turn, Carol,” Michonne echoed, handing the ‘microphone’ to her, a pleased smile gracing her face.

Carol looked at each of them in turn, waiting for the next song to start, her eyes lingering on him as a jingle-y pop tune started playing.

“I can’t wait to unwrap you at Christmas/You’re the gift for me/I can’t wait to unwrap you at Christmas/Under the Christmas tree.”

“Is this the Monkees?!” Michonne exclaimed as the music jangled on.

Carol nodded enthusiastically, singing only half of the lyrics with the group. “I can’t wait to unwrap you at Christmas. I don’t know the words.”

Daryl chuckled to himself, his eyes ever tracking the carefree spirits bounce around the room. Michonne and the kids held hands, forming a circle, and went round and round as though they were kids in a schoolyard. Carol sang considerably better than children calling out nursery rhymes, even if she made up half of the song.

“I’ve been waiting all year now, baby/For the snow and you to return/So I’ll hang the mistletoe and stand right here/Cross my fingers, hope I’ll get my wish this year.”

The thought of kissing Carol under the mistletoe, her dreamy eyes peering up at him in the firelight, sashayed through his mind as her voice rang out. His eyes flicked up just in time to see her gaze settle on him, sending his blood pumping hot and hard through his veins.

Though he knew she couldn’t read his warm and wayward thoughts, embarrassment flooded over him. He turned away to check on Michonne and the kids, who were now strategically picking places to hang a few boughs of fake mistletoe.

Damn all this love-dovey Christmas crap, he thought, his mood turning dismal at how easily he’d fallen under the spell of it all. Just untangle these lights—and then yourself from this whole mess.

“I can’t wait to unwrap you at Christmas/You’re the gift for me.”

Without lifting his head from the frustrating task in his hands, he glanced up at Carol still caroling. To find her staring meaningfully at him as more longing words fell from her lips.

“I can’t wait to unwrap you at Christmas/I dream of nothing more.”

His belly flipped, and he dropped his eyes to the knotted lights before him, swallowing hard. He felt his cheeks warm again.

Her eyes fixed on him didn’t mean anything. Couldn’t mean anything.

Could it?

Don’t be stupid, he scolded himself, shame sweeping through him at the notion she sang the lyrics to him instead of into the room. She’d never… She was just messing with him. She always did when she was in a fun and feisty mood.

“I’ve been saving all of my kisses/Just to spend them on your sweet lips/So I’ll decorate the place with light and cheer/Knowing Christmas day you will be standing here.”

He refused to look up, no matter how desperately he longed to watch her sing, see those words fall from her mouth as her eyes landed on him. His heart couldn’t take it. As it was, he could barely work the knots out of the string of lights in his hands; he’d never untangle her from his heart.

The song and Carol continued, but he drifted somewhere else.

And why would he even try? She’d acted as his lifeline for far too many years to undo now. No separation, no time apart, no diverging road had ever kept them from one another. But neither had any led them together, not the way he longed for. And that still confused the hell out of him.

How could he even understand what he felt for her? No one had ever burrowed into his heart the way she had. He’d never let anyone get as close to him as she had. He’d spent a lifetime keeping people away, and all he wanted was to draw her in, as close to him as possible, touch her skin, make her feel all the wild, wonderful, and confusing things he felt when she was near.

Damn it all!

He shook his head, chasing his daydream away. Which didn’t do him much good since she continued singing about kissing under the mistletoe.

He nearly groaned, forcing his mind to focus on the wretched lights in his hand. The kids deserved to have some fun, to see Christmas lights strung up and to decorate the house with Christmas merriment and to hear the upbeat songs that used to drive him mad when played in every store and to dance with Michonne and Carol. And where’d she learn to sway like that anyway? Had she always been able to sing?

He knew what the sound of her crying softly in the middle of the night sounded like, how far she could trek without food and water before collapsing, what she looked like after weeks without shelter, and how brave and self-sacrificing she became when someone she loved faced danger. But he didn’t know her favorite song or how old she’d been when they’d met or what kind of music she’d listened to. He couldn’t begin to guess whether she’d ever lived anywhere other than Georgia before they’d trekked north or how many siblings she’d had, if any, or what her hobbies had been or if she’d ever played sports.

“Aw, hell,” he mumbled to himself, realizing he couldn’t get his one-track mind off of destination Carolville.

Finally, the song ended, and the kids cried out for more.

“Maybe we should help Uncle Daryl with those lights. He seems to be having some problems,” Michonne observed.

Both kids hurtled towards him as the next song started, some bluesy, half-country, rock ballad. He gave the partially untangled end of the light string to Judy as Michonne bounded up to Carol, and they both began singing into the ‘microphone.’

“Take back the holly and mistletoe/Silver bells on strings/If I wrote a letter to Santa Claus/I would ask for just one thing/I don’t need sleigh rides in the snow/don’t need a Christmas that’s blue/Take back the tinsel, stockings, and bows/‘Cause all I want for Christmas is you.”

Holy hell, another one?

He didn’t think he could take another lonesome, aching, pining, desperate song about wanting someone, especially not with Carol singing the lyrics out, calling to his lonely heart with her siren’s song and melodic voice.

After instructing Judy and a less-than-helpful RJ, he glanced up at the apocalypse’s best duo to find both of them singing directly to their audience of three.

“I don’t need expensive things/They don’t matter to me/All that I want can’t be found/Underneath my Christmas tree.”

The confidence, joy, and passion with which they sang out made him want to stop and watch the performance, and he tapped the kids on their shoulders and motioned for them to pay attention.

“You are the angel atop my tree.” Michonne pointed to the kids and sang out to them, enthralled in the song.

“You are my dream come true/Santa can’t bring me what I need/‘Cause all I want for Christmas is you.”

A sax solo played, and Daryl watched as Carol, eyes closed, swayed to the sexy music, a veritable dream come true. He swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving her, and he was glad he was sitting down, the kids in front of him and tangled up Christmas lights dangling all around him or he might have made a fool of himself by vaulting up and across the room, pulling her into his arms, and letting her know how much the song and her voice singing it affected him, Grimes gang hanging around or not.

Suddenly, her eyes opened and found his, just as the lyrics picked up again, and she sang them out, loud and proud.

“You are the angel atop my tree/You are my dream come true/Santa can’t bring me what I need/‘Cause all I want for Christmas is you.”

Somewhere on his periphery, he was aware of the kids dancing again and Michonne singing, but every fiber of him was attuned to Carol as she stared seductively at him, pointing in his direction as she sang. The air around him sizzled and heat flooded the room, as though he stood in front of an open oven door, the warmth of her gaze rolling over his skin like fire.

“I don’t need expensive things/They don’t matter to me/All that I want can’t be found/Underneath the Christmas tree.”

The vocal growl she employed at that last lyric sent his heart pounding hard, and it took everything he had to remain seated, watching her sing to him.

“You are the angel atop my tree/You are my dream come true/Santa can’t bring me what I need/‘Cause all I want for Christmas is you.”

She repeated the last line a few more times, and each line, with every word, his blood pumped hotter. He knew he should look away—he needed to. But with his brain misfiring, his heart pounding like a drum against his rib cage, his palms sweating, every atom of him dialed in to Carol, he couldn’t move.

The song ended—all too soon and not quickly enough for Daryl—and the kids clapped profusely, exuberant and hyper. Michonne took a bow and Carol curtsied, both pleased with their performance.

“Thank you, thank you.” Michonne accepted the applause with a rare smile.

“Again!” RJ demanded again.

“No, I think that’s enough for tonight. Come on, let’s pack up this stuff,” Michonne indicated the smattering of unused decorations still gracing the floor, “and then it’s time for bed.”

The kids protested, arguing with Michonne, as Carol smiled, sultry and pleased with herself, at him before helping the kids and Michonne clean up the room.

Dazed, Daryl dropped his gaze to his task and mechanically finished untangling the strand of lights. Had it really taken him this long to try to get some lights hung up? She’d done that—that little performance—on purpose, and hell if he knew what she was up to.

She didn’t know what she did to him, couldn’t know that her little game of teasing had him wondering how he’d sleep tonight.

It’s a wonder I ever get anything done with Carol hanging around, he thought self-deprecatingly.

“I wanna help Uncle Daryl.”

“No, Uncle Daryl can finish the lights by himself. And when you wake up tomorrow, they’ll all be hung up.” Michonne herded the kids towards the stairs. “At least I think,” she murmured to him as she passed him, giving him a little wink.

Consternation crossed his face, and he glared at her as she bounded up the stairs, leaving Carol to finish shoving the boxes of Christmas stuff into the corner as he draped the lights around the other half of the living room.

He felt her presence as she moved around behind him, aware that they had the entire downstairs to themselves. He almost wished she’d offered to help Michonne with the kids. Or that he had. Instead, he felt desire oozing off of him, filling up the room and threatening to suffocate him, and he wondered if she could feel it too. If she felt even a fraction of the tension between them that clung to him like dust to the Earth. Or was she immune to it?

Daryl hung the end of the light strand and stood in the center of the room to inspect the fruits of their evening of decorating. The end tables and bookshelves, the coffee and dining room tables all held festive trinkets, from snowmen and nutcrackers to a nativity scene and candles. They’d done a good, if excessive, job, and the lights gave the room the final touch it needed.

Carol’s hand settled on his shoulder briefly before sliding down his arm, and every muscle in his body tensed up at the contact. He didn’t know how much more he could take.

“Looks nice.”

He nodded, unable to do much more than breathe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her peer up at him, but he couldn’t face her, not right now. Not with every nerve ending raw and burning for her.

Carol bumped his arm. “The kids will appreciate this. They had so much fun tonight.”

His mouth upturned slightly and he nodded again in agreement. They’d given Judith and RJ a small glimpse of the Christmas happiness and wonder kids today would likely never again experience. He was happy to have helped even a small bit.

“Did you?”

He knew it was a mistake, knew he shouldn’t turn to look at her. Not with her standing so close to him. Close enough to touch, to see the dark flecks in her oceanic eyes, to trace the small smattering of freckles lying across her nose with his gaze, to see the fullness of her soft, smiling lips.

He knew better, but he faced her anyway, her pull on him too powerful to overcome.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his voice sounding softer than it should. If she only knew how much he’d enjoyed it, she’d run for the hills, far away from him, and never think to tease him again.

“Me too.”

Her guileless smile seeped into his heart, flooding it with love and a longing he didn’t know how to fight anymore.

“I noticed.”

Her eyes lit up even more, if that were possible, filled with hope and something else he was afraid to give a name to. “You did…”

He couldn’t tell if it was a question or a statement, and his eyes flicked to her lips again. She’d drawn him in like a moth to a burning flame, roped him in so methodically he was happy to burn himself up just to feel her warmth, to stay by her side.

“I was hoping you would.”

The admission fell from her lips on a near-sigh, the tuft of her breath reaching his lips like a distant kiss and not at all the one he wanted, but damn if it didn’t make him crave her more.

“Yeah?”

She’d reduced him to a simpleton; he couldn’t seem to form words.

“Yeah,” she confirmed, stepping closer to him, filling up his senses, invading his space, making him ache more than she ever had before.

“And you know what else?”

He didn’t, but he couldn’t even tell her that. She’d stolen the air from his lungs, the thoughts from his mind, the words from his lips.

She saved him from having to answer.

“It’s my lucky night.”

At least he thought she had. What the hell was she talking about? “Wha—”

“Look up.”

Her whisper made his knees weak, and he felt his pulse pounding, but he tore his eyes aware from her to peer up. At a bough of mistletoe, hanging merrily down from its perch above them, as though it’d been made for this very moment.

He swallowed hard, knowing what came next. What had to come next. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. God knew he’d fantasized about kissing her nearly every day for a decade, in any number of places, in every situation his mind could come up with. No, he had the desire part down to perfection.

What he didn’t have was experience. Or confidence. Or an idea of how he’d ever be able to walk away from her once he knew what her lips felt like beneath his, how she felt pressed against him, how his arms fit around her.

He knew this moment, ripe with the possibility of everything he’d wanted and couldn’t believe was only heartbeats away, waited for him to simply look at her.

“Daryl.”

His name on her breath made him finally, slowly, achingly, fearfully, soaringly, turn his face back towards her.

As he did, she moved into him, her hands grazing his chest as her arms slid up around his neck, and they came together slowly, tentatively, but full of want.

Her touch trailed tendrils of fire across his skin until heat and Carol were all he felt, a seductive combination he could only drown in.

His lips touched hers, soft, supple, sweet, and so intoxicating he felt dizzy, her presence the only thing grounding him. He felt her smile against his lips, and a groan escaped him, which had her pressing in closer, her body flush against his. She rose up on her tip-toes and he cinched his arms around her waist, holding her to him, holding her to keep from falling off the edge of the world.

He heard her hum against him, the vibration of her moan of pleasure both giving him strength to continue and making him weaker than he’d ever been.

He couldn’t care. All he wanted to do was never leave this moment, never stop holding her, never stop trying to show her how much he loved her.

Neither of them heard Michonne come back down the stairs. She stopped when she saw the two of them, happily wrapped up together and fully making out under the mistletoe she’d strategically placed around the room.

She smiled and turned off the living room light, leaving the two of them to explore each other by the soft glow of the Christmas lights. Apparently they weren’t the only things getting lit this year…

A/N: I took some liberty with a few of the songs, as a few were produced and sung in the past few years. Luckily, no one cares because I own nothing except for my ideas. :D The songs, in order, are Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Christmas,’ Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Underneath the Tree,’ Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You,’ The Monkee’s ‘Unwrap You At Christmas,’ and Vince Vance and the Valiants’ ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ (which is not the same song as Mariah Carey’s).

#caryl #christmas caryl #christmas caryl 2019 #carol x daryl #daryl x carol #my writing #personal #looking up

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an-ah-rlt · 5 years

Text

Consequences, chapters 18-20

Chapter synopsis: Post-SotS. After receiving a kind sentence of confinement on the castle grounds, Varian had succumbed to a routine of community service and pretending to seek for a new plan. Five weeks after Rapunzel’s departure, he is appointed an unexpected task—neutralizing an automaton.

TWs: Grief/Mourning, Very minor injury

Previous chapters are available on AO3 and FanFiction.net

18-20. Automaton

Varian woke up to darkness creeping in on him and the insufferable sound of rain impinging on the window. He rolled over and felt Ruddiger move near his thighs. For a moment, the alchemist let himself imagine that he was in his bedroom in Old Corona.

His head felt heavy and dirty in a way, as if its contents were too muddled and inflated for his skull to hold. It must’ve been a side effect to the medication he had been forced to drink for the fourth time this month.

Lying down quickly became aggravating—the duvet, or air, pressed him too firmly against the mattress, so, apparently, there would be no more sleep for Varian. He sat up and laid his stinging eyes on a little stain on the wall across.

The world kept turning. The rain kept falling from the sky. The room looked exactly as the day he was moved there, with the stupid pillow on the floor and the table awkwardly shoved in the middle. The guards changed shifts, Ruddiger sighed in his sleep and first people surely walked on the streets below.

And his dad was still gone.

It had been more than five weeks since Varian’s last attempt to free him.

Drops of rain banged against the glass and rang in the boy’s ears, making him feel on edge. Something about this weather agitated him. It stirred up more difficult thoughts.

A snowy storm, freezing air burning his lungs, adrenaline rushing him through the forest, the river, the caves. Hope, anxiety, triumph, determination. The way back again, the mountains getting more and more treacherous as he ran alone, afraid of what he might find at the end of that race. The day everything turned out to be a lie, the day he had lost his family. That day, Varian knew fear.

He took a deep breath. No.

Wishing he could distract himself with work, as he had learned to do after the storm, the alchemist tried to think about anything else.

His mind wandered without direction, stumbling on useless information all the time. Like this year’s apple harvest dates his dad predicted, or the recipe for Rapunzel’s favorite cake. How easy it had been to deceive her about the flower. How she’d hugged him, looking happy to see him, oblivious to the fact that his heart had been changed forever.

That only made her stupid, he thought. No point in pondering it.

Varian searched for a topic that wouldn’t be uncomfortable, but everything he came up with, and everything in this room, reminded him of something painful.

Even „The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. Volume 1”, laying untouched on the table, annoyed him. He knew that book by heart, its contents only repelling now. How could he have ever idolised this man? And… what did Eugene think of him now?

Thinking about the five unstable heaters in the caverns under Old Corona, he felt a sick longing for a home he couldn’t return to.

The alchemist rested his head on the wall, desperately trying to imagine that he was sitting at his dad’s feet and it was the amber so cold and hard against his back. That place where he had sat for hours on end, it turned into a weird haven. When Varian wasn’t sketching, calculating, building and moving, it was the only place he could stand to be, even when he couldn’t turn around to look anymore. So he rested there, being as close to his dad as he could without making himself sick with the sight.

Now that he was, shamefully, still in New Corona, something happened to him—something that he had prayed for before, but wanted it no longer. The horrid picture of his father encased in amber, previously almost embedded into his eyelids, disappeared.

Varian spat bitterly. Of course when he needed to focus and work, his imagination would constantly distract him with the image. But now that he was stuck in this tiny room, void of anything useful, with nothing to do but wait for an opportunity, suddenly the sight was gone.

And now he missed it.

Ruddiger must’ve woken up at some point in his friend’s dwelling, because he appeared by his side out of the blue. A paw rubbed Varian’s arm when his head dropped, as though it could hide the child-like sobs tearing through him.

It was all pathetic, whimpers and snot running, and there was no point in pretending to Ruddiger. But the alchemist pressed his hands to his face anyway. He felt so terribly bare, and weak, crying like that.

He should focus, figure it all out, fix it.

But he was so spent.

Without his dad, everything seemed cruel and fractured. In a world full of people troubled by Varian, hating him and wanting him gone, Dad wasn’t there to soften the blow anymore.

He mourned—he mourned what he’d had and lost, and what he never had.

The boy no longer cared about the things his father refused to tell him. He didn’t care if he could stand by his side in front of the King, and he didn’t even care if they could talk about Mom. He just wanted the man to be okay.

Everything he held dear, everything he wanted or believed in had been ripped away from him. And to think it had started with Varian’s own compound… there was an idea in the back of his mind, an idea too painful to even begin to articulate. To say it out loud, it would ruin what remained of him.

He hugged his knees, letting out a cracked whimper, wishing he could go back in time and never touch those stupid rocks. Or never shout at his dad, or never be born.

The boy wiped his face and looked at the animal pressed to his side, shaking along with him.

„Do you miss him too?” he whispered brokenly. „Don’t worry. I’m getting him out.”

Ruddiger’s eyes widened for a second and he stretched his paw out, only reaching Varian’s collar.

„No matter what, we won’t give up, okay?”

I will make you proud. Get the answers and set you free.

And then they would move far away, and Varian would be better, he’d help out more and stay away from alchemy. Or he would leave forever if need be.

Don’t you worry. Whatever it might take, I’m finding a way.

The boy sighed when someone loudly pounded on the door. It meant that he was expected to be up and ready for the day in fifteen minutes. If he wasn’t, it would be his problem—the guards would escort him to the washroom and then take him wherever they wanted in his pyjamas.

With a heavy heart, he threw the duvet aside and got up.

„Remember, Ruddiger,” he muttered into a fresh shirt, pulling it over his head. „The more we leave the room, the easier it’s going to be to find a plan.”

It was perplexing that they haven’t come up with one already.

He barely managed to drink a glass of water before a bearded guard came into the room. The man glanced over to the bed, nodding after seeing it made.

„Morning,” his voice sounded indifferent as usual. „You good?”

„Yeah.”

He knew that this guard had no interest in the answer to his question. They didn’t like him—most of them, anyway. It didn’t surprise the alchemist. In fact, he was very much content to have his hatred reciprocated. But nothing infuriated him more than their empty greetings and false concern they were obviously commanded to exhibit.

Anger crackling through him anew, Varian couldn’t help himself. „Like you care.”

The guards had stopped telling him to watch his mouth long ago, so his mean comment was left without an answer. But the hand that soon appeared on his shoulder felt heavy and harsh, fingers digging into his collarbone.

As always, another guard was waiting for them outside. The men seemed to be in a rush, sighing loudly while their prisoner cleaned his teeth with ground sage and washed his face. In a matter of minutes, they were hurrying down the corridor.

„Woah, what’s the rush?” the boy asked, irritated.

The bearded one grunted. „There are problems with one of your… machines.”

Varian’s heart sped up. ‘Your machines’? There was an automaton they wanted him to take care of? Intact and nearby?

„You’ll assist in turning it off,” the guard continued. „Something about it’s, uh… clock-thing.”

Vengeful satisfaction rose along with Varian’s excitement. „Timing cylinder,” he corrected.

This was a blessing. A blessing.

They had to resort to calling for him, because they had no idea how to handle his creation. Beautiful.

He sent Ruddiger an alien-feeling smile. The racoon returned his gaze a bit nervously, scurrying at his side—always at his side.

Varian had expected to be at least a little relieved to leave the castle for the first time in over a month. This hope withered as soon as he realized that the guards were leading him down the steps and into the lively streets of Corona.

He wasn’t prepared to bathe in hate.

There were people everywhere. They cluttered the pavements, whispering and pointing at him, seemingly not caring that it was torture. He couldn’t stand it, their accusing eyes, their lips crooked—the same eyes that looked up at the palace balcony, the lips that smiled at the royal family.

They all hated him, they all knew what he’d done. Most of them had seen, and remained blind to the faults of the rulers they praised.

The alchemist didn’t want to face them. He entered the prison cart almost gratefully, after making sure that Ruddiger got on board before him. There was a third guard present inside.

„Hey,” the man said as soon as the carriage started moving. „I don’t know if you remember… I’m Pete.”

Varian nodded, eyes fixed on his slightly shaking hands. He still felt the weight of the short walk among the crowd. His face and ears felt hot.

It was stupid to feel so shamed. He swore that Corona’s resentment wouldn’t hurt him anymore, and there he was, his confidence shattered by the mere sight of the people he had harmed having no other choice left.

„I remember,” he cracked, just to say something. How could he forget?

Taking it for an invitation to talk, the guard moved a bit closer to him. „So, one of the machines survived the battle,” he informed nonchalantly. „I think it wandered into the forest. We actually only found it two weeks ago, when it appeared in the middle of a village.”

Varian cringed at the sound of Pete’s laugh.

„We took care of it, well, sorta,” the soldier babbled. „But we can’t safely finish the job, or even move the thing without risking a complete mess. I have to admit the situation is a bit funny to me.”

The alchemist didn’t understand what could be so amusing about it. Maybe the man wasn’t aware of how dangerous automatons could be. „Weird that it wandered off on its own,” he thought aloud.

Once again, Varian found himself sinking into his work to calm down, almost enjoying this casual conversation. The idleness of the past weeks had been surprisingly difficult to bear. Sometimes it felt like he wouldn’t breathe easy until he could lift a wrench or hammer a nail.

„Is it?” Pete seemed curious. „I thought they were meant to do that. You know, escape if needed.”

The boy finally looked at his company. „No, no, it must’ve been an error. It’s probably one of my earlier versions.”

„Ah.”

„Do you know what exactly is the problem?” he asked, feeling more and more at ease.

After the storm, left behind by everyone in Corona, Varian had had no one to talk to, no one to tear him away from the amber or tell him what to do now. But he couldn’t wail at his father’s feet forever, so he had done what he knew best—alchemy and engineering. For days and days, he’d tried to defeat the indestructible crystal with compounds, explosives and mechanical instruments. Every spark of hope, every failure and disappointment when another solution had proved to be useless, it had all fed into his rage and feeling of betrayal, when he had already been swimming in grief and loneliness.

„Nah, sorry.”

When he hadn’t been sitting curled up under the monolith, he’d at least had to push those feelings away to focus on the work. His back had hurt, his hands had been going numb and the house had been a mess—but his head had been clear.

Now that he didn’t have anything to investigate, nail down, and modify, he didn’t know what to do with himself. Without a heavy hammer or a precise pipette in hand, he saw no way to escape the ideas he desperately tried to avoid.

There’s work now. Focus on the work.

Varian put his hand on Ruddiger’s back, the raccoon’s presence comforting as ever.

„Why do they want to destroy it? Wouldn’t it be smarter to keep it?”

The answer was careful, as though Pete was scared of offending the boy. „Oh, the Captain said that His Majesty doesn’t want to— to use anything of, um— your creation.”

Varian didn’t care.

„Fair”, he said shrugging. Machines were a comfortable subject.

The carriage came to an abrupt stop, so Ruddiger protectively climbed onto his friend’s shoulders. When the wooden door opened, another familiar face appeared.

Pete’s smile immediately returned to his face and he jumped out of the cart. „How’s it going, Stan?” He patted his fellow on the back in greeting.

The alchemist followed him without being urged, his confidence restored by their short talk about automatons.

It turned out, Pete was right – the scene in front of him did seem a bit ridiculous. Under a large canopy tent, protecting the strange sight from the sun and some of the concerned looks of the village, his automaton stood strong with its head hanging low and its lights off. Something long and shiny, a rod or a sword, was sticking out of its back. There was a ladder set up way too far to actually reach the machine.

Chatting with each other, Stan and Pete handed him back over to the guards who watched him today.

„Bye,” said the latter.

„Bye, it was nice— uh,” Varian caught himself answering out of habit. „To meet you,” he finished slowly, causing two silly grins to appear.

After the other guards led him closer to the tent, a man he knew emerged from the crowd of guards and servants tip-toeing around. It was a local blacksmith, who was knowledgeable in many fields beyond metalwork. Varian had spoken with him a couple of times before. Once, he had made his dad borrow an alchemy textbook from him because he had been too shy to ask the man himself.

„Xavier,” he said out loud.

„Hello, Varian”, a deep voice answered. „Gentlemen.”

One of the guards sighed. „Any progress?”

„I’m afraid not. The Captain says it’s completely secure for now, but they’re still afraid to touch the cylinder. They won’t attempt to move the machine, let alone remove the sword, without ensuring safety,” Xavier explained. „From what I’ve gathered, it’s difficult to inspect it without risking disturbing the timer. All in all, only I am thriving so far, seeing an ancient automaton with my own eyes,” he laughed.

Varian remembered madly respecting the blacksmith, despite his devotion to folklore and what he called magic. Now, the collected, friendly tone felt like condescending, cheap politeness.

He scoffed, and the three men turned his attention to him.

„Right, someone should fill you in,” said the bearded guard, ignoring Varian’s rude behavior. „They managed to take the lid off… of the timing thingy, and a sword got stuck in it, so it blocks it from moving. But when we tried to even shift the sword a little, the damned thing plays like, one note, and turns on for a second. And we don’t wanna fight it here,” he gestured toward the houses nearby. „The Captain won’t take the risk of moving it or using weapons, so we’re… a bit stuck here.”

Oh, you poor idiots. Varian internally rolled his eyes, enjoying his advantage.

„How about a controlled explosion?” he suggested. When he was met with four pairs of questioning eyes, he added, „I mean, you could get ardent spirits, I have some black powder in my lab in Old Corona, and if you have bats in the dungeons I can isolate some saltpetre from…”

„No, we can’t do that,” Xavier spoke over the alchemist, who already started explaining a quite disgusting procedure involving bat guano.

„What? It’s an easy solution, we’ll just add some phosphor—”

„You are not getting anywhere near alchemy.” The guard lost patience. „Do you think the King is stupid?“

The boy smiled. „Why yes, I thought I’d stressed that enough.”

His smirk turned into a wince when the man grabbed his arm with surprising force. „Watch your filthy mouth!” He pulled Varian a bit closer.

Ruddiger’s claws dug into his skin as the animal tried to keep balance.

„Oi, easy now!” Xavier soothed.

The guard released him. „We’re not blowing it up, period,” he told them. „Better start thinking of a mechanical solution.”

Varian swallowed his boiling anger. „As you wish.” He turned to the blacksmith, deeming him skilful enough to perform the necessary tasks. „See that gear on the side of the cylinder?”

Doubting that the guards would let him even approach the table scattered with many precise instruments, he instructed Xavier on how to take out the parts without triggering the clock.

A little crowd, consisting mostly of royal guards, gathered around as the blacksmith carefully worked with Varian’s assistance.

The teenager felt an old satisfying rush, even despite Xavier’s unsure, shaky hands. He gently set Ruddiger down, eyeing the open compartment on the automaton’s back. After a minute or two, he decided that he couldn’t watch Xavier coddle it any longer.

„Oh, for the love of Corona, move over.”

The blacksmith turned around to look at the guards. After a moment of hesitation, one of them said with a voice of authority, „Yeah, let him. Watch him closely.”

Varian took the tools he needed from Xavier’s hands and climbed up the ladder. It was definitely too far from the automaton, making it quite uncomfortable to work on it, but he could manage.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the blade stuck under the cylinder. His face froze in a harsh, angry grimace. Despite the bangs hanging over his eyes, they were focused and strong, locked on the machinery in front of him as his hands began effortlessly moving the fragile instruments.

The alchemist winced at the damage done to the cylinder, which seemed to had become very unstable. He briefly wondered if he had a spare one left at home.

„You’re quite rude,” Xavier pointed out matter-of-factly.

Focused on his work, Varian just answered „Yeah.”

„Why?” came the nonchalant question. „Have I done something to you?” The man’s voice expressed no offense, just playful curiosity.

The boy sent him an unsure glance, deciding to ignore him.

The machine occasionally lit up and moved a bit when the music box rotated an inch. Every time, numerous sharp inhales could be heard, but Varian would just calmly withdraw for a second.

Stretching to reach the automaton and hunched over the timing cylinder, he let old habits take hold of him. The movements of his hands, handling the parts both with confidence and caution, felt like a dance he’d mastered. It was a moment of clarity – working on automatons, no matter the cause, gave Varian a sense of sanity, a purpose, a task to lose himself in. There were no spectators, no Xavier trying to challenge him, no unstable ladder under his feet.

There was only Varian and an automaton, another one, and the vivid memory of pouring the chaos from his chest into the metal compartment.

His rage raising its head, he hypothetically pondered if he could try to use the machine to escape, but it was clearly far too damaged and unpredictable. He doubted he would get far with one broken automaton bent on attacking every moving object in close proximity. If anything, it would get him sent back to the dungeons.

Besides, what could he achieve? Returning home didn’t make any sense right then—after all, Varian was still out of ideas on breaking the amber. He had tried everything his lab supply had to offer.

All he would get was a few more minutes with his dad’s unmoving figure.

He blinked hard, annoyed at himself for getting excited to work, for being stupidly hopeful that it would soothe his pain, for thinking about this pain at all, and for being too nice to Pete. He had gotten too happy too quickly. And he was getting too sad too quickly—no sensation felt right. All of a sudden, he didn’t want to do this anymore, he felt sick of the sight of another useless automaton, another thing he had foolishly placed his hope in, just like alchemy, the kingdom, the flower, the hair…

His hand trembled from anger when he reached out to the open compartment.

Suddenly, the ladder wobbled dangerously under his feet and he instinctively supported himself on the handle of the sword.

And then, all hell broke loose.

All air escaped Varian’s lungs when a huge metal fist hit his stomach, sending him flying across the tent. He yelped as his back collided with a wooden pole before he landed on his feet and immediately doubled over, his insides caught in a spasm, shrinking somehow. His head hurt dully.

„Guards!” someone bellowed.

The clinking of halberds and swords joined the creaking sound of the automaton’s metal joints as the men jumped into action right away, trying to at least stop the machine from running off. Another fresh shot of pain lanced through Varian’s skull at the noise.

Something yanked him up by his collar and a frightened face filled his field of vision.

„What did you do?!” a very young guard screamed at him, pressing him back to the pole.

The alchemist gasped, still struggling for air. „N-nothing! It—”

Before he had the chance to finish, the man moved urgently, revealing the automaton charging straight at them. He pulled Varian along just in time before several tons of metal smashed into the pole, easily breaking it in half.

The tent collapsed. The canopy top completely disappeared from above them in a matter of seconds when the machine entangled itself in it.

Varian’s nose exploded with pain as it collided with the guard’s chestplate. „Restrain him, now!” he was pushed away before he managed to take another look at the man who had probably just saved his life.

Stumbling from the force of the push, the alchemist crashed into another person who quickly twisted his arms behind his back so he couldn’t move them. He struggled against the guard forcefully leading him away from the turmoil.

Weirdly enough, instead of backing up and enjoying the sight, Varian wriggled his arms free and shouted, „Destroy the cylinder!”

The steel giant dashed without direction, its arms raised under the fabric it caught itself into. Royal guards surrounded it, uselessly hitting the metal from a safe distance, desperate to keep the machine in one place.

Someone yelled something about the black rocks, but there were none in sight. Judging by the state of this village, the indestructible spikes had never reached it in the first place.

„The cylinder!” Varian, back in the guard’s strong grip, raised his voice even more. „Stop the clock!”

A girl in a yellow dress, the only servant who hadn’t ran away yet, echoed his words. „Destroy the cylinder! Stop the clock!”

At the sound of her high voice, the automaton turned around, finally tearing the tent off itself. A rain of arrows was sent its way in an attempt to disrupt its charge, but to no avail—seemingly picking the direction at random, the machine rushed to the cluster of frightened villagers standing nearby.

Seeing Coronians in danger, the soldiers attacked more fiercely, bolting after the automaton. The man holding Varian released him so violently that the boy fell to the ground, tearing the skin off his hands.

He hissed, missing his signature black gloves who would’ve protected him if they hadn’t been confiscated for no reason.

A striped tail appeared out of nowhere. „Ruddiger, you okay?” the boy cupped his best friend’s face, quickly checking him over. The raccoon chittered like he wanted to confirm he was fine.

When Varian looked after the guard to see where the man was headed, his heart sank.

There was a ginger little girl sitting crouched on the pavement, covering her eyes with her hands. She curled up on herself while she awaited the onrushing machine.

Without a second thought, the alchemist found himself clumsily getting up and chasing the automaton along with the guards. In the turmoil, nobody paid attention to him anymore as ran side by side with them instead of getting away from them.

Ruddiger bravely bolted after his friend, not willing to stay behind when Varian threw himself into the uproar.

Once a couple of men reached the machine, a few things happened simultaneously.

The little girl whimpered in fear, balling her hands into fists.

The guard named Stan bounced off a hay cart and stuck his sword under the exposed timing cylinder. A horrible creak sent shivers down everyone’s spines as the clock mercilessly kept turning, nearly bending the blade.

That was when Stan’s hand joined his weapon. He cried out, either in pain or from the effort, his biceps tensing as he pried the cylinder until finally dislocating it.

He jumped off the machine, landing perfectly but clutching his wrist. Another guard jumped onto the automaton’s back and grabbed the cylinder, now loose thanks to Varian’s unfinished work and Stan’s strength. The soldier tore the part out, once and for all.

Varian didn’t see the robot’s lights go out as it froze on the spot—his gaze was fixed on the crying girl. He was almost there, he could almost reach the two thick braids enfolding her fear-stricken face.

Suddenly, she disappeared once his foot caught on something and he fell ramrod straight, face-first into the ground. He coughed when grains of sand entered his airways.

Ruddiger got to her first. She let him sniff her and shyly patted him on the head with a little smile. The child then looked at Varian curiously.

„Are you okay?” he asked.

Her eyes widened in fear again and she straightened up, taking a step back.

Varian turned around to check for danger. A sigh of relief escaped his throat when he saw a few men knocking the off automaton to the ground, chanting with triumph.

When he looked back to the girl, he saw fresh tears glistening in her eyes.

„Wha-what’s wrong?”

She stumbled back even further as soon as he spoke again. „Mom!”

What was this kid so afraid of? She seemed fine until he talked to—oh.

Oh.

She recognized his voice.

She must’ve been in the Capital that day, she must’ve heard him speak to Coronians, hatefully laying out the King’s mistakes and threatening them as a diversion.

The realization felt like someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him, absurdly causing a wave of heat to engulf his whole head.

Varian looked at the girl’s tear-stained face. She was so little… and so very afraid. To her, he was nothing more than a terrifying voice in the fog.

„No, hey—” He started getting up, wanting to explain that he won’t hurt her. The child withdrew, picking Ruddiger up, not knowing that it was the raccoon himself lurking in the fog that day, dragged into it all against his will.

Before the alchemist could say anything more, a woman appeared by the girl’s side. Ruddiger jumped back to the ground, allowing them to hug.

Obviously, it was the mother. Only a mother whose child had been hurt could ever look at someone with such a vibrant mixture of disgust and fear. Varian couldn’t bear this gaze. Thankfully, she didn’t utter a word—she took her child and turned around to join the little crowd gathering around Stan.

The boy didn’t realize that he stayed on the ground, still down on one knee, not even noticing Ruddiger’s head pressing to his hip. He felt empty.

Someone approached them. The person was casting a large shadow, with broad shoulders and strong arms.

„Come with me.”

No. Not this guy. Anyone, anyone but him.

Varian stood up, not even attempting to force himself to look at the Captain’s face.

#Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure #Tangled the Series #TTS #RTA #Consequences (RTA Fanfic)#Please share if you enjoyed!#Thank you!

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carylerxsecretsanta · 5 years

Text

Looking Up

Written For: @the-space-between1013

Title: Looking Up Author: @theresnosafeharbor4myships Rating: PG Summary: Judith finds some Christmas stuff and a decorating party and singing ensues. A/N: Happy Christmas and Holidays! I hope your holiday season has been festive and wonderful! I’m praying you enjoy this flangst (fluffy angst)–it’s a lot longer than I anticipated so let’s hope that’s your favorite kind of present. :D