#it would have made a really great stuff pack with matching furniture and a couple hairstyles

[puppycheesecake]

Well, damn... I actually kind of like the grunge kit. 💀

[asimpforarmin]

What Dog the AoT Characters Would Have 💛

Character(s): Armin Arlert, Sasha Braus, Jean Kirstein, Connie Springer, Bertholdt Hoover, & Annie Leonhardt

Genre: Light-hearted, modern!au

Warnings: Mentions of animal neglect/abuse, some dog breeds commonly perceived as scary, cursing

A/n: I usually include Mikasa in my headcanons, but I just forgot until last minute that she existed ;-; so, sorry for not including her. If someone requests it, I’ll add her to the list.

💛 Armin

His parents got him a beagle puppy for one of his birthdays and he got so attached to it. He was so grateful that he had a dog and absolutely treasures him.

Named him Buddy because he’s his little sidekick and is always fun to play with and snuggle up to.

Buddy almost never shuts up though. A bird flies past the window? He starts barking. A truck goes by? Goes bonkers. He sees himself in the mirror? Shooketh.

Whenever Buddy starts going crazy, Armin picks him up, takes him away from whatever’s bothering him and scratches behind his ears. That makes Buddy practically melt into Armin’s arms and it’s so adorable. 💕

Buddy is very protective over Armin, or as protective as a dog his size could be. He always barks at the doorbell and is very wary of strangers.

If you walk into Armin’s house and Buddy has never seen you before, Armin will be sitting in a chair holding a dog who’s glaring into your soul.

You and Armin will try to have a normal conversation while Buddy is snarling and growling at you with Armin just patting his head and making an expression that says he deals with this all the time.

After a couple visits, Buddy is still tense around you but unwinds once you start playing with him.

Whenever Armin’s studying or working, Buddy will jump up into his lap and snuggle with him.

Sometimes when Armin falls asleep at his desk, he’ll have his arms on the table and Buddy in his lap.

When he’s in the car, Buddy tries to bite cars through the window. He just growls and bangs the glass with his teeth before Armin stops him from chipping a tooth.

Just how Buddy is protective of Armin, Armin’s protective of Buddy.

If someone talks shit about his dog, he’ll get sad about it. Buddy doesn’t deserve to be treated like that, he never hurt anyone.

Buddy can’t be taken to the park because he just agitates other dogs. He never gets along with them and never lets his guard down.

Buddy’s also one of those dogs who gets really dramatic. One time he was laying on the couch with his ball and it rolled off so he just started howling.

It’s also really hard to trim his nails without him growling, even though he’d never bite anyone.

Once Buddy has calmed down around someone, he’s fun to just hang around.

Armin likes to sit on the couch reading with Buddy on his lap or beside him. He’s great to study with or have around.

💛 Sasha

Adopts a 5-year-old blue greyhound from her local shelter.

She’d been volunteering there for a while when the greyhound came in and just couldn’t resist.

With greyhounds being bred to hunt and Sasha coming from a family who has a hunting background, it seemed like a match made in heaven.

She bought her and gave her a bright pink collar with a little dog bone tag with her name etched in it.

Since greyhounds’ necks are so long, she gives her a big knitted scarf to wear in the winter to keep her all nice and cozy.

Was torn between naming her Snickerdoodle or Candy because they’re both cute names and are both foods, but ended up naming her Pumpkin because she couldn’t decide and Pumpkin’s a really cute name as well.

Sasha loves playing fetch with her and it’s so fun because Pumpkin can run really fast, really far.

Pumpkin almost never barks unless she’s having fun or there’s someone at the door.

Sasha’s bed is lofted by a couple feet for storage and Pumpkin has no problem getting on and off her bed.

The first time Pumpkin saw Sasha’s bed, she didn’t know what to do so just sat there looking up at Sasha. It took a couple minutes for her to realize Sasha patting the bed meant she could jump onto it.

Sasha allows her dog on any of the furniture so there’s short hairs all over the couch no matter what.

Pumpkin’s really kind and gentle around kids so Sasha can basically take her anywhere. She’s super well behaved but sometimes scares people because she jumps in excitement.

Sasha also shares her food with her dog all the time. Always packs extra whenever she goes somewhere so she can give some to Pumpkin.

If you moved in with Sasha, Pumpkin would take to you right away.

She would literally be so sweet and always make you happy all the time. 😭💕

Plays tug of war and fetch a lot with you.

If you’re working/eating at a desk, she’ll lean her head on your leg until you pet her or give her food, or both.

Overall, Pumpkin is so sweet and adorable. She will always cheer you up when you need it and always has enough energy to play.

💛 Jean

Adopted a pitbull who is now 6, but was brought into a fighting ring when he was 4.

He knew it would be a challenge to help an abused dog but wanted to give him a good home.

When he first saw him, he was covered in scars and missing part of his ear.

He named him Kane. He’s a beautiful deep reddish-brown color with a white belly.

From the first moment they met, there was a connection. Kane warmed up to Jean quite quickly for a dog who’s been through so much.

Jean took him home and slowly introduced him to lifestyle changes, like going for walks or taking baths.

He introduces him to other dogs too. Kane showed a little hostility in the beginning, but once he realized they weren’t threats he was fine being around them.

Jean pays top dollar for him. Any issue he has, he takes him to the vet and gets it fixed up. He also gets the best food for him because that’s what he deserves.

Kane loves going for car rides. Sometimes Jean will get in the car with him, no destination in mind, and just drive.

Jean rolls the window down and Kane pokes his head outside. His mouth opens and because of the wind going into it, he showers the window behind him in slobber.

Kane absolutely loves swimming. He’s quite good at it, but Jean still takes a lot of safety precautions, such as a life jacket or shallow water because pitbulls are known to be somewhat bad swimmers.

Every summer, Jean takes out a kiddie pool and lets Kane splash around in it.

He also really likes to turn on the hose or sprinkler and aim it at Kane. He jumps up to bite the water and they both have a great time.

It can be a problem though because when Jean’s trying to fill the pool up, Kane keeps batting the hose with his paw or trying to eat the water and Jean has to get him to relax.

Other than his little quirks, Kane’s a relatively chill dog. He’s alright with being dressed up in costumes or having to wear a cone.

Every halloween, Jean gets both of them a matching costume and they sit on the porch to give kids candy.

Jean also lets the kids pet Kane because over time, he gets very welcoming of people and other dogs he doesn’t know.

Long story short, Kane’s not the dog you want to protect your house, if someone broke in, he’d just start wagging his tail and not be able to tell what’s going on.

💛 Connie

Saw how cool Jean’s dog is and also wanted a badass and cool breed.

He ended up adopting a doberman pinscher.

Like Jean’s dog, she looks strong and intimidating.

Unlike Jean’s dog, she acts the complete opposite of how she looks.

She’s often quite jittery or seems scared. Whenever someone even remotely raises their voice, her ears go down and she lowers her head.

You and Connie often have to give her tons of pets and appreciation after shouting, whether it’s good or bad shouting.

She’s also a total cuddlebug. She loves to be on Connie’s lap 24/7 and sleeps right next to him, watching over him.

Because of her timid personality, Connie named her Lily. It’s a sweet and innocent sounding name. Even though he sought her out to be a “cool” dog, she’s super sweet and didn’t want to name her something that conflicted with who she really was.

One thing about Lily is she loves running. Connie likes to skateboard alongside her as she pulls him along. It’s not much effort for her because Connie’s lightweight and uses his feet a lot. Plus, the area they live is pretty flat, so they often do.

Lily has a hard time understanding what is and isn’t a toy. One time she nearly chewed off one of the sofa legs. Next time Connie sat on it, it snapped and then he figured out Lily was behind it.

After that, he trained her to know everything he puts in her basket is a toy, but everything else isn’t. Then, she used the basket as a toy.

She goes through toys lightning quick.

Every time you or Connie give her a new stuffed animal, it takes approximately .2 seconds for it to be torn to shreds.

Connie loves to take her to PetSmart and let her pick out toys in-store.

If she chooses a toy that means Connie won’t need to guess what she likes and what she doesn’t.

One time she chose one of those scented rope toys, but once Connie took the packaging off, she started acting weirdly.

Once he gave it to her, she started barking at it and whacking it with her paw.

Connie was super confused so he threw it and she chased after it like normal, but once she got close to it she started acting scared of it and barking.

It’s been like that ever since now so they just don’t play with that toy.

Lily doesn’t bark that often. She usually only barks from excitement or when she meets someone new.

She also doesn’t have the zoomies that much so she’s a really relaxed dog to hang with.

💛 Bertholdt

Bertholdt saw his neighbors packing their stuff in a van one day and leaving but saw they left their samoyed leashed up outside.

He wanted to hold out hope that they were just going out somewhere for a bit so waited the rest of the night but found the dog still chained up the next morning in the rain.

He was never close to his neighbors and didn’t want any confrontation so he went up and knocked on the door, checking if anyone was home.

No surprise, they weren’t so he cautiously made his way over to the dog.

It was so happy to see someone and started licking his hand right away.

He unchained the dog and led it into his house where he gave it a nice warm bath and some food.

While bathing her, he took off her collar, with the neighbor’s number and address engraved in it along with her name, Mavis.

While Mavis was eating he called the number he found on her tag. He explained that the dog looked like it was left there on purpose so he took it in until they got home. They just said they didn’t want her anymore and hung up, which broke Bertholdt’s heart.

So he took her to the vet, got some pet things because he hasn’t owned a pet previously and she became a big part of his life.

She clings to him everywhere and won’t ever leave his side. Almost never barks and is super good on a leash.

Bertholdt takes her to the dog park a lot, Mavis is very social and has made a lot of friends there.

Mavis has quite the habit of rolling around in the mud or dirt though so Bertholdt has to give her a bath quite often.

Bertholdt absolutely cannot contain the dog hair. There is so much of it and it’s everywhere, went through like 3 lint rollers in the first week.

He spoils her rotten. Whenever he goes shopping he gets her new treats and toys because he swore to do right by her when her old owners didn’t.

If you were brought into the equation, Mavis would love you unconditionally. She’ll be there to give you high-fives and cuddle with you.

She is the softest thing on the planet so the cuddles are amazing. If you and Bertholdt sleep together, she’ll plop herself right in between the both of you so she could get attention until you fall asleep.

Whenever she needs something but isn’t up, she licks your face until you give her what she wants.

Even though she can get quite hot in the summer, she always wants to cuddle and loves to do it, whether it’s with you or Bertholdt.

💛 Annie (normally I don’t write for her but I couldn’t get this scenario out of my head)

Hitch gave her a chihuahua for her birthday even though she never remotely hinted at wanting a dog.

She didn’t want to return it though and oddly liked it, even though she never asked for him.

Just calls him “Dog” for a bit since she doesn’t know what to name him.

He’s a tan deer head dog so Annie gives him the name “Biscuit” after a couple weeks.

It’s super generic but she doesn’t think he needs any fancy name and he looks like a biscuit so 🤷🏻‍♀️

She has one of the backpacks with a compartment to fit a dog.

She likes to put Biscuit in there and take him out when she goes out.

When Annie takes him out, Biscuit is usually pretty chill, aside from giving a couple glares to random people.

Sometimes he even falls asleep in her backpack.

Whenever someone pisses Annie off, Biscuit senses it. Annie isn’t usually one to get into a full-blow fight and be loud, so Biscuit is her volume. Whenever she starts going off, he starts growling and barking.

And when she does get loud, both of them are yelling and screaming so that often deters the other person.

When she first got Biscuit, Annie didn’t really pay that much attention to him. She’d be on the couch and whenever he came up to her with a ball or toy, she’d throw it.

Then as she started to get used to him, she started to like him more.

Nowadays, she sometimes chases him around the house with a smile on her face and it’s so adorable, especially because she doesn’t smile all too often.

Biscuit is relatively calm, even for a chihuahua. He can often be seen on the couch on his back with his tongue out laying in the sun.

Speaking of being on the couch, originally Annie wanted to keep him off all furniture but soon realized he simply wouldn’t stay off and she didn’t want to bother to train him not to.

Now, they share almost everything. She sleeps with him next to her, they relax on the couch together, and sometimes she even brings him up on one of the kitchen chairs and they share food together.

Biscuit hates her alarm clock with a passion. If Annie doesn’t wake up from the alarm, she wakes up from the high pitched barks of her dog wanting her to turn it off.

Once the two are close, they are bonded for life and can be seen everywhere together.

[poetrusicperry]

the poets go to ikea for the first time !!!

sooo this morning i made a list of things i have to take back to college with me and i always pack my stuff in these big, blue ikea bags which got me thinking about what the poets would be like in ikea bc i genuinely cannot do anything anymore without thinking about how the poets would do it HAHA. so here we are lol– i hope you guys like this !!(:

neil: something tells me that neil would really enjoy ikea. there are so many tiny little relics and fun decorations to browse as well as models/displays that are so nicely put together. just the right kinds of things to appease neil’s hidden juvenile wants (since he never got to experience a real childhood with his parents treating him like an adult since he was like 8). for example: all of the neat little stuffed animals and children’s bedroom sets that have all sorts of fun colors, etc. neil would appreciate the whole aesthetic of the store as well, liking how well-organized and modern it is inside. would definitely hide behind pieces of furniture in the displays to scare todd. also he is in charge of pushing the cart (that charlie is proudly sitting in bc he doesn’t want to “walk around everywhere”).

todd: like neil, todd appreciates the feel of the place bc he’s always had a bit of an interest in interior design, but is a little bit overwhelmed with just how big it is both outside and inside. desperately wants a djungelskog bear (which neil buys for him, bc of all the things neil struggles with, saying “no” to todd is certainly the biggest one). genuinely freaks out every single time neil scares him, even if he should see it coming after the second or third time. trails behind the group, (as he seemingly always does), taking special note of certain things he’d like to have in his own house one day (’:

knox: upon being invited, he seemed hesitant bc it’s just a furniture store, big whoop (”will there be girls there at least?”), but once they got there he was incredibly thrilled that there was a cafeteria and insisted that they go there both before shopping and after shopping (”look at how big the store is, don’t you think we’ll be hungry again by the time we’re done?”). definitely would rather be doing something else, but is just happy to be spending time around his pals (:

charlie: as previously stated, king of the cart. refuses to get out and walk because it’s “a big store and he’s tired.” neil doesn't mind pushing him, though. fully embraces the semi-chaotic feel of ikea during the weekend (so many people, which is not good for todd, but charlie full-on thrives). he would also insist on actually buying a few pieces of new furniture for his and cameron’s room (completely oblivious to the fact that he will actually need to assemble the pieces himself until they get down to the warehouse), even though it would most definitely be confiscated by mr. hager (”they’ll only confiscate it if they find it,” charlie says, to which cameron replies, “i’m pretty sure a full size vanity and bureau would be pretty easy to scope out, dumbass.” then they both flip each other off). he is definitely the reason knox decided to come after charlie begged him for at least ten minutes (”c’mon, knoxious, it’ll be fun! even if there aren’t girls there, you’ll still have me to look at (;”). offers to buy neil a couple of the stuffed animals he’s been eyeing bc he just wants to see his best friend happy. has to go back up and around the store to take note of numbers of the furniture he actually wants bc he didn’t understand how it worked (”all that time in the cart, wasted” and ”they should really have like an instruction manual before entering the store??”). and enlists meek’s help trying to find the right boxes of parts because “he’s smart like that”. still stays squished in the cart even when he puts all the boxes in it

meeks: just along for the ride, honestly. he just likes spending time with his buddies, but isn’t hesitant about going out and doing things like knox (“i’ll try anything once!”). gets into a pillow fight with pitts in one of the displays, garnering the attention of an ikea employee who sternly asks them to “act their age” and to “fix all the things they made fall on the ground”. the most adventurous eater at the cafeteria; tries the swedish meatballs and really likes them (”we have to come back here just to eat these again, guys”). rates each display on a scale of 1-10 and gives reasons for why he likes things and why he doesn’t (mostly in a joking way).

pitts: bumps his head on some of the hanging arrow signs that direct you into the next section of the store, sighs after every time. buys matching stuffed animals with meeks (’: is the designated driver, and never asks for gas money from his friends bc like knox and meeks, he just likes hanging out (but they give him gas money anyway !!). asks neil for a turn pushing the cart, which neil agrees to. when in control of the cart, bumps it into things, much to charlie’s displeasure (”wouldn’t peg you as a horrible cart driver since you’re the only one with your license, but alas, i was wrong”). feels v bad for getting in trouble w meeks about the pillow fighting and makes sure to fix any messed up things in any of the displays following the incident. also unsure of how much space is in the car for charlie’s boxes, leading him to argue against the purchase of any items.

cameron: also didn’t get the allure of a furniture store, but tagged along because he wanted to get off campus (and really does care about making time and hanging out with his friends, though he’d never admit that). pickiest when it came to the food court/cafeteria (”i just don’t want to try it, why do i need a reason ??”). actually considered buying a new desk organizer, but refused when charlie said it would look great on their new vanity (”charlie, they’ll confiscate that, too. how many times do i have to explain it ??”). unlike meeks, seriously rates each display on a scale of 1-10 talking about how some of the colors just don’t go, and it hurts his eyes to look at it. lowkey got lost for a bit and freaked out bc he couldn’t find anyone, but caught up with todd finally when they were exiting the kitchenette section. this caused him to ask what todd was doing all the way back behind the group, leading to a small, but nice conversation they had (”just making some notes about things i like for later on” todd had said. “that’s really cool, todd,” cameron smiled back at him, unknowing that todd was most certainly picking out things that not only he would like, but neil, too). finally caved and helped charlie build the new furniture when they got back because as much as he couldn't stand charlie sometimes, it made for an incredibly interesting bonding session. 

anyway, that’s all. i feel like the poets out in public and not on campus just harness a complete chaos anywhere they go HAHA. idk if this sucked or not, but it was super fun to write hehe. happy sunday i don’t want to go to work tomorrow, but such is the life of someone who has rent and bills to pay in the coming months, sigh

[pixie-in-trebleland]

Just Another Manic Monday

“Chaser, I don’t think that’s how the hinges work on a door.” Jackie stood off to the side of their kitchen table as he watched his husband fumble with the building plans that were covering its surface.

Chase rolled his eyes and straightened his ball cap on his head. “Listen, Jacks, we managed to build the whole fucking building. I don’t know why the fuck this, of all things, is giving me as hard of a time as it is. I mean, seriously, how fucking hard is it to just anchor in the bolt?!”

“Well, maybe having it hooked onto the door might be a great place to start?”

“I didn’t want to put it on the door in case it didn’t latch properly! The guy down at the shop said this would do the trick!”

“Do...you still have the packaging for it?” Jackie asked. He reached for his silver thermos on the counter behind him, smiling a little as he noticed the packed boxes tucked semi-neatly against the cupboards.

Chase sighed and searched for a moment before grabbing the cut plastic package that was once the home of the hinge. It was only a matter of seconds after reading the package’s label that Jackie started to laugh.

“Chase, this isn’t for a standard door.” he explained.

“What?” Chase narrowed his eyes as he grabbed the package back from Jackie, reading it carefully. He couldn’t help the groan that escaped his lips before he threw the package down to the floor.

“How did you not see it was for one of those cat doors?”

“How the fuck am I supposed to know that those bloody doors have a whole separate hinge to them?!” Chase brought his hands to his face at an attempt to hide the shame.

“Well…” Jackie chuckled and took a sip from his thermos.

“Well what?”

“The hinge is way smaller, mon realta.” Jackie picked up the door part in his hand, eyeing in closely. “I don’t think this little piece is strong enough to hold a normal sized door in any way, shape, or form. Maybe the doorknob, if it needed a hinge at all, but...not the door itself.”

Chase slumped in his chair and rested his head against the paper-covered desk, exhausted. It had almost been a full year and six months that they had been working on their new place, and the finishing touches were all that was left. After the honeymoon that had been long overdue, the newlyweds had taken a long, painful look at their apartment and realized that it wasn’t enough for their ever-growing family. With funds set aside for their future endeavours together, the two decided that they were going to build their own place, their way.

Between the cafe’s traffic and the house being built, it was the understatement of the century to say that both Chase and Jackie were tired.

“Listen,” Jackie smiled as he walked towards his husband. He placed one of his hands on Chase’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “We get the truck in an hour, and everything is packed. A hinge is nothing to worry about.”

Chase sighed, leaning into his husband’s touch for a moment. “I wanted everything to be perfect.”

“Who’s to say it isn’t?”

“The hinge. The doors aren’t on yet on any of the rooms. I mean, the front door is on tightly, and the backdoor to with that weird fucking lock you chose for both of the doors, but the doors to the bedrooms and stuff aren’t on.”

“How many doors is that, exactly?”

Chase paused for a moment and closed his eyes in an attempt to count. “There are two for our bedroom, one for Critter’s room, One for Ari’s, another for Ryder’s, and the one for the guest bedroom on the main floor. So...six?”

“Coincidentally an even number?” Jackie teased. Feeling strange towering over his husband for once, he sat down next to him and opted to bounce a leg instead.

“Listen,” Chase chuckled. “I know Jack is a part of this now and he’s opted to stay with his cabin and Ricky Roo Ra, but the extra room will be handy. We can actually have the other kiddos come and visit, or ta mère and sister, or Skye...anyone. We will actually have the space, Jacks!”

Jackie couldn’t help but smile as he watched his husband talk. Chase’s dark brown eyes were alight as he spoke about his plans, his dreams, his motions getting more and more lively as he spoke.

“I really...really hoped it was going to be perfect.” Chase’s voice softened as he spoke. “I haven’t taken Critter yet to see it. I just...man, I really want this to go smoothly.”

“Hey,” Jackie took Chase’s hand gently, the papers rustling beneath their now intertwined hands. “It’s perfect the way it is. The little details that you made sure are in there? I’m sure she’s gonna love it. I’m sure we are gonna love it. Our nesting spot, yeah?”

Chase smiled and squeezed Jackie’s hand gently. “Yeah. Our...our nesting spot.”

------------

With the final boxes in the back of the truck, and the bikes and other necessities they decided to keep from the storage space in their apartment complex, Jackie, Chase, and Critter loaded themselves up into the car and moving truck. The cityscape quickly changed to the lush, autumn hues of trees as they drove into the woods. Critter, in total surprise, was glued to the window in the car with Jackie.

“We’re moving out here?!” she tried to keep her excitement contained as she felt her tail wagging gently behind her.

Jackie chuckled and took a quick glance at his kiddo through the rearview mirror. “He really didn’t take you out here to see?”

“Nope.”

“Well, he’s...pretty excited.”

“That’s not how he looked on our way out.” Critter chuffed, getting comfortable once more in her seat. She gave Ducky and Lucky a couple rubs before she turned her gaze back to outside the window.

“There’s been a few hiccups, kiddo, but I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

They drove the rest of the drive in silence, the radio blasting some kind of energetic music. Jackie didn’t know what it was, but he knew it was coming off a playlist that Chase, or Jack, had more than likely made during one of their blaze sessions. It wasn’t long before they pulled into a stone driveway that was connected to a house that would have stood out in the city like a sore thumb.

“We’re here, I guess!” Jackie beamed as he turned the key in the ignition and swung the door to the car open, dodging as his kiddo whizzed by him.

“This is our house.” Critter screamed as she stood in front of the large home with the wrap-around porch. With ash-toned panelling and dark accents along the outside the home, it almost resembled the cottages that would be seen on postcards. To the left of the home, a large tire swing swung gently in the breeze, the moving truck parked near the large shed to the right of the home.

Chase was already working his way through the contents of the truck, moving box after box down the metal ramp with sharp thuds from his work boots. He smiled as he saw his family. Wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, he made his way over to his daughter.

“So?” he panted and dusted off his ripped jeans. “What do you think?”

Jackie bounced over and jumped onto the ramp of the truck, getting to work. He’d been idle for too long anyway, but he couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. This was their home, now. “It’s amazing, Chaser.”

“Not you!” Chase snorted. “We built this together. I’m asking the kiddo.”

Critter, to say the least, was in awe of the home in front of her. Her tail wagged violently and she swung on her heels, trying to get the excitement out. “This is ours, dad?”

“All ours.” Chase smiled, “Took us sixteen months, give or take, and some heavy duty planning, but...yes. The Brody-Byrnes Burrow. Do you wanna see inside or...are you just going to pitch a tent out here? Cause I think the camping gear is...very, very buried in the moving truck.”

Critter rolled her eyes and gently punched her dad before she leaped up the three stairs, onto the porch, and through the open front door.

Most of the furniture had already been moved in days prior to the rest of the truck being packed, but it still warmed her heart to see just how large and cozy the home was on the inside. With earthy, neutral tones, and furniture that both of her fathers had picked, the living room was set up with two, chocolate brown couches that hugged the edges of the beige rug on the floor. A TV was anchored to the wall, the walls themselves of the hallway and the living room a cape cod blue to compliment the brown tones. The stairway leading to the upstairs was closer to the back of the house, with the kitchen and backdoor also in that direction.

“You should head upstairs while we grab some boxes, kid.” Chase beamed. “Your room is the second door on the left. First door on the same side is the loo!”

“‘Kay, Dad!” Critter smiled as she made her way up the stairs. She called out behind her as she continued upwards, “I’ll be down to help, too. Don’t think that I’m letting you and Dad Two do all the lifting.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, kid.” Chase chuckled and stepped outside towards the truck, grabbing the boxes he had already moved.

Critter, in an attempt to not break anything in excitement, paced herself as she moved towards the room Chase said for her to go to. She couldn’t help but notice that none of the bedrooms were missing doors, but she decided to pocket the question for later. When she reached the room, she froze in place at the sight in front of her.

The room, to say the least, was simple in design, but spoke volumes to her. With soft blue walls and sheer, white curtains blowing gently from the breeze outside, the room was quite large for its location in the home. A Queen sized bed was tucked in the corner near the window, the crisp, white footboard of the bed meeting with the edge of the windowsill. A matching white desk was adjacent to the door, with paint splotches strategically splotted across the surface and legs. It had been a summer project that she and her dads had done as a way to cure summer boredom, but she couldn’t help but smile at the small, blue handprint that was slapped on the side. Critter giggled, remembering Ryder running to place his paint-covered hand on the desk as a gift to his sister.

She stepped inside the room and was overwhelmed by emotion at the sight of a small, silver and gold locket sitting on the desk. Overwhelmed enough, that she hadn’t noticed Jackie standing behind her with a few of her boxes.

“You found our gift, huh?” he asked quietly, a relaxed expression on his face.

“Huh?” she picked up the locket gently, opening it to see a small, black and white photo of her and her two dads on their latest camping trip.

“We wanted you to have something special.” Jackie explained, “It was supposed to be here for your birthday, but as always, there were complications with the order that Chaser did. He said they were the wrong colours or something.”

Tears began to escape Critter’s eyes and she held the locket close to her chest. “Thank you.”

Jackie placed the boxes to the side of the door, and in one fell swoop, pulled his daughter in for a hug. “We got you, yeah?”

She nodded against his shoulder, the warmth filling the room. They both were so full of love as she pulled away.

“We should...probably help Dad out.” She smiled, “Don’t want him getting himself into trouble.”

Jackie couldn’t help but laugh. “He’ll more than likely get stuck between boxes or something.”

As if on cue, Chase could be heard from outside, his voice echoing from the inside of the truck.

“I’m...going to take a guess he got stuck.” Jackie sighed and made his way towards the stairs. Critter was right behind him, giggling.

They were home at last. The Brody-Byrnes Burrow did, after all, have a nice ring to it.

The End.

[artificialqueens]

Pretty in Pearls, Chapter 2 (Jankie) - Plastiquedoll

read on ao3 💄| previous chapters 

A/N: hi!  here’s a little update introducing part of the ensemble and the dynamics of this story! I don’t know how to write text messages in this format so this is the most you’ll get from me ✌️ so I hope you enjoy it & thanks for reading it <3

-2-

Jackie’s little tips and advice had made Jan’s life so much easier in so many ways she didn’t even hesitate when she stood up in front of the vending machine and pressed the Snicker’s number. After submitting her papers on time –she gained the favor of the head secretary by complimenting her necklace-, she arrived at class five minutes earlier and got to pick her seat, she met a few of her classmates -including a girl that matched her energy called Rock but they couldn’t get to talk much after the professor started the lesson- it was like things were starting to fall into place for her.

Except for one thing…

She heard laughter around the corner and she recognized it right away. When she peeked into it, she found Nathan talking to the same girl he was flirting with during lunch –the girl he had been talking about, for sure- she was even prettier up close with her short skirt and mascara on.

Her heart shrunk but this wasn’t the first time something like that happened. She wondered sometimes how many times a heart could be broken by the same person; people sometimes said that wounds and scars helped to create thicker skin -and maybe- that was the case for her. Even though, it always hurt like the first time.

They walked away together and Jan was left alone, unnoticed. She cleaned her teary eyes with the back of her palm and put a big smile on her face before getting into the copy room.

Jackie was finishing some big pile of copies for a boy and a girl was waiting in line with some papers in her hand. Maybe Jan would bother her, she seemed to have a lot of work to do. She was about to turn around when the brunette spotted her.

“Jan, hey.” Jackie’s face lit up the moment she saw the other girl.

“Hi!” She moved closer to the counter. “I just wanted to drop by to give you this.” Jan slid the candy bar over the surface.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have… I was joking.”

“It’s the least I can do, you’ve done a lot for me today and I really appreciate that.”

Jackie’s heart swelled.

“You can stay if you want to hang out, I’ll be done in a couple of minutes.” She handed the pile of copies to the boy and accepted the bill he gave her. She gestured to the other girl to move forward.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to bug you.”

“You would keep me company and trust me, sometimes it’s needed.” She looked at the girl in front of her. “Simple, double?”

She shyly replied double and in less than three minutes, Jackie had her copies done.

“Have a nice day.” She then turned to Jan. “See, now it’s empty again and in other circumstances, I’d be on my phone so you’re the one making me a favor.”

“Okay.” Jan sounded relieved.

“You can come behind the counter it’s not like I have a vault full of cash or something, college students are broke.”

Jan seemed to be thrilled she could cross that limit, at least Jackie had chairs on that side of the room. The younger took a seat and since the chairs were tall she could let her feet hanging and swing them back and forward. In the meantime, Jackie unwrapped the chocolate bar and took a bite before browsing through one of her textbooks. Jan pulled out her map and some guides to access the virtual classroom as well, she needed to set it up from her phone.

Jackie peeped over. “Are you in the dorms?”

“Ah, yes! I moved in two days ago during the weekend. I’m still kind of lost there but…” She was about to say something else when someone walked into the copy room.

“Hey there, ladies…”

Jan was astonished because that woman was stunning with her braided hair, crop top, and tight jeans. She walked confidently toward the counter and pulled Jackie for a quick hug.

“Long time no see, Miss Cox. How was your break?”

“Hi Jaida, visiting the family, you know. By the way, you look so good.”

“I feel good.” She smiled at Jan. “And who do we have here? Hello, I’m Jaida.” She extended her hand.

Taking Heidi’s previous reaction into consideration, Jan shook it gentler. “Hi, I’m Jan. I don’t work here I’m just new.” She clarified.

“Oh, I see… freshman. There’s nothing to be afraid of we were all there before.” She smiled and held Jan’s hand for a moment giving her reassurance.

“Thank you.” Jan could cry any minute now and it would be the third time in the day.

“Now, some of us are having dinner at that new Thai place outside campus, are you in?” She looked at Jackie and then at Jan. “You can come too, of course.”

“Sure, I’ll be done in an hour and a half. Can I meet you there?” She turned to Jan.

“I really want to but I need to go to my dorm and settle down for a minute. I haven’t finished adjusting and I don’t even know my roommate yet.”

“Oh, you have one of the doubles.”

The younger nodded. “I’m at C dorms.”

“Wait, that’s where Nicky, Jaida’s girlfriend is, isn’t it?”

The other girl nodded. “I can text her if you want, she can show you around the installations.” She pulled out her phone. “Wait, I’ll call her, she hasn’t heard my lovely voice all day long…”

Jan chuckled.

Jaida pressed one number on speed dial.

“Babe…” She put the phone in her ear. “what do you mean who is it? Who do you think it is?” Her tone was playful. “Yeah, I’ll see you there after I’m done here. Did you have a nice day?… Oh, that’s great. Good for you. Listen, Jackie has a new friend here and she’s a freshman who happens to be in the same dorm you are, do you think you could help this little lost lamb?”

The younger pouted and Jackie just giggled.

“That’s perfect, I’ll tell her. You’re the best, babe. Love you.” She made some kiss noises and then hung up.

Jackie looked like she wanted to mock her but one glance from Jaida kept her from doing it.

“Nicky says she’s there right now, her dorm is C-10, next to the hallway. If you get lost look for a platinum blonde girl, gorgeous as hell, thick French accent…”

“Jaida is into foreign experiences.” Jackie explained and Jan had to hold her laughter.

“Listen you, Canadian bitch…” She threatened. “I’m trying to be nice here, don’t ruin it.”

“Jaida is in the same dorms as me, G dorms.” The brunette told her.

“You guys have singles?” She asked in disbelief, both girls nodded. “I wish I had a single.”

“Freshmen never get singles; part of the adaptation process or something like that. But don’t worry, having a roommate during your first year is a fruitful experience.” Jaida pointed out.

“Most of my classmates already met their roommates but there was a last-minute reassignment so I don’t know if I’ll meet mine today or tomorrow, next week…” Jan pouted again.

“On the bright side, you can experience having a single for another day.” Jackie patted her back.

“I have to go but I’ll see you later and I hope I see you around.” Jaida said at both girls after checking the time on her phone. “It was nice to meet you, Jan. Miss Cox…”

“Thank you so much.”

“See you in a bit.”

And with that, they were left alone again.

“I should go too.” Jan packed her things. “Jackie, I can’t stop telling you how much thankful I am… you’re awesome and I’ve known you for like a day but I already consider you my friend… Back in high school, I didn’t have many girlfriends so it is a big deal for me and now I’m oversharing I should probably shut up.”

Jackie chuckled. “It’s okay… I consider you a friend too.”

“Oh! I almost forgot, I don’t have your phone number…” She handed her phone with her hands like an offer. “Would it be okay if I text you and stuff?”

Jackie couldn’t handle this girl.

“Yeah, absolutely.” She typed her number and saved it as Jackie C. “C is for Cox or copy room, your pick.”

“That’s right, what’s with the girls calling you Miss Cox?”

“It’s an inside joke, they always make fun of me for being uptight… it was that or the alternative being «Anal girl».”

Jan almost choked and coughed a couple of times to hide it.

“You know, for being neat and organized.” Jackie was grinning.

“Right.” She covered her mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“I guess it’d have that reaction.” She laughed.

Jan was as red as a tomato.

“I better leave before I embarrass myself more…” She laughed nervously.

“See you later, Jan.”

“You most certainly will.” She said before leaving the copy room.

Jackie took a deep breath; she was screwed.

Jan returned to the building where her room was and dropped by Jaida’s girlfriend’s room before going back to her own. She knocked on the door on dorm C-10 as she remembered Jaida had said.

Not even two minutes later, a girl with wavy blonde hair and icy blue eyes opened the door. Nicky, as Jan assumed, was as stunning as her girlfriend. She was wearing a sleeveless turtleneck white crop top, skinny blue jeans with earrings that spelled «CHA» and «NEL», and stilettos. Jan had never seen someone with a makeup as impeccable as hers and for a moment she forgot she was supposed to say something.

Nicky raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, right! Hello neighbor, I’m Jan… Jaida spoke to you on the phone…”

“Jan.” She snapped her fingers. “Jackie’s friend.”

Her accent was very charming.

“I guess… yeah, that’s me.” She smiled, still kind of nervous.

“I was waiting for you, give me just a second, I need to finish my makeup.”

Wasn’t her makeup already perfect?

“You can come in if you please, you can sit on the bed meanwhile.”

“O-Okay, sure…”

Nicky’s room was nice -all dormitories had the same basic white melamine furniture consisting of a bed, a small desk and a set of drawers and doubles had two of each- but she had decorated the walls with framed magazine covers and polaroids of places in France; the bed was covered with a cream blanket that looked and felt expensive, the desk had a cute picture of Jaida and Nicky smiling at each other, there were makeup products scattered around and a laptop in a corner. She had a full-length mirror with which she kept retouching details of her highlighter.

However, Jan was more invested on the other side of the room which had bright colorful blankets and plushies on the bed, a blanket with a mandala painted hanging on the wall, a smiley face rug, a lava lamp on the desk, and the article she found more intriguing: a One Direction poster.

Nicky didn’t hear any noise so when she turned around and saw Jan staring at the colorful side of the room she explained to her. “My roommate.”

“I see…”

“Actually, she’s a freshman too, you should meet her later.”

“That would be fun.” Jan moved her feet unconsciously.

“So, how did you meet Jackie?” Nicky asked adding some gloss for the final touch.

“I literally met her today at the copy room. She helped me with a form and she’s been nothing but nice to me since then.”

Nicky hummed. “Ah…”

“Uhm… how long have you and Jaida been dating?” She asked trying to continue the small talk.

Nicky beamed at the mention of her girlfriend. “Our first anniversary is in a month.”

“Aw, congratulations. I met Jaida for like ten minutes but she spoke very dearly about you.”

“She may as well…” Nicky looked at Jan through the mirror reflection. “What about you? Are you dating someone?”

Jan blushed. “No… not right now… I’m single.” She said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find someone sooner than you think.”

Jan didn’t want to say that she already had someone in mind but the circumstances weren’t ideal for that…

“Alright, I’m ready. Shall we?” Nicky opened the door and Jan jumped out of the bed.

On their way through the hallways, Jan learned that Nicky was a fashion design sophomore, that she had moved from France five years ago with her family, and that she was very much in love with her girlfriend.

Nicky was also an excellent guide. She explained to Jan everything she needed to know about the dorms way better than the instructor in the morning. She showed her the laundry room –always bring the exact number of coins because that bitch swallows all the money and never gives change-, the communal lounge –we come here sometimes to binge-watch movies or TV shows, last year we spent thirteen hours watching Love Island- and finally the shared bathroom which Jan already knew but it was part of the tour –I don’t care what they say, always wear flip flops in the showers, trust me.

It was almost the time they had set for the dinner and Nicky was supposed to pick up Jaida and Jackie from their dorm.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” She asked when they were in front of Nicky’s room. Jan had already told her she wasn’t going but the blonde still inquired in case she had changed her mind.

Jan nodded. “I haven’t been in my room in all day and… as much as I’d love to go with you guys, I just need a moment to let everything sink and absorb this like a sponge.”

Nicky smiled at her. “Alright, but next time, you must come with us.”

Jan was happy, people would invite you once out of courtesy but twice was a sign they had a really good impression of her and it was mostly thanks to Jackie.

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.”

“Great. I’ll see you around, ma voisine.”

“I don’t know what you’ve just said but it sounded fancy so I’ll take it. Wait, let me see if I remember how to say it… Au revoir.”

“Ah, very good. Bye, Jan.”

“Bye… have fun!”

The first thing she noticed was that the door of her room was open. That could mean either she was getting robbed, evicted, or…

She peeped over the door frame, there were some boxes stacked in the middle but the opposite half of the room that didn’t belong to her was now personalized.

The bed on the left side had pink blankets, pillows, heart-shaped fur cushions, and a matching white fur rug next to it; the white desk was full of textbooks, makeup, and perfumes meanwhile the drawers seemed to be full with clothes now. A black and white picture of Barbra Streisand was hung above the bed, a Marilyn Monroe poster on one of the walls, and a star-shaped mirror with lightbulbs now enlightened the place.

Jan felt for a moment that she had been teleported to a different dimension –Barbie dollhouse, perhaps- because in comparison to her pretty standard side with striped white and blue sheets, organizers, and barely decorated walls, the other behalf looked like a Broadway dressing room. She regretted not buying those yellow Christmas lights she had told her mom were too much.

“Can I help you?” Someone made her turn around.

It was a girl with pastel pink hair, pretty green eyes and long lashes, lip gloss, a pink Juicy Couture tracksuit, slippers, and a box on her hands.

“I live here…” Jan attempted to say, still stunned by the presence of the other girl.

“Oh! So you’re Janice.”

“Yeah, I’m Jan, in the flesh…”

“I’m Rose, I’m your roommate… actually, I go by Rosé because I like to annoy people when they have to write the checkmark… and it also sounds elegant as fuck.”

“Nice.” She smiled. “Did you just get in?”

“Kind of, I guess the people from administration told you the rooms were being reassigned and everything with the dropouts and final counts. I was originally in the B dorms and then that changed but… I’m here now.”

“Oh my God, it must have been a burden to move from there to here…”

“Nah, it’s fine. My former roommate was a bitch so I’m glad I don’t have to share with her anymore. It’s a win for me.”

“I hope so… I’m not a bitch, I suppose…”

“You seem nice, we’ll get along.” She winked. “I’m sorry for the mess, by the way, I thought I was going to be done by now but I still have all these boxes sitting around.”

“Oh please, don’t. I’m sure it’s been stressful to move from there to here in a day.”

“You see, you’re already better than my last roommate.”

Jan smiled. “Let me help you with those.”

“Ah, please, don’t worry about it, there are just a few empty boxes I should take out.”

“I insist.” Jan didn’t wait for a response, she started picking boxes and putting them inside bigger boxes.

“Wait, let me change my shoes then.”

Once they were done collecting the boxes, Jan walked with Rosé downstairs, outside the building where the dumpsters and recycling bins were. On their way there, they started talking about where they were from, their families…

“…and then we moved from Houston again and now I’m here.”

“That’s so cool. So you’re the oldest of the three?”

“Shh, don’t say it aloud. But yes, I’m a big sister.”

“Aw, it sounds like you’re so close with your siblings… I only have one older brother but we don’t get along since we were kids. We barely interact during the holidays and birthdays.”

“That’s sad. I can’t imagine not having a good relationship with my siblings.”

“Yeah, we were like really competitive when we were younger and I was resentful because he always had it easier than me. I had to work twice harder to achieve the same things, you know?”

“Well, now you’re here on your own and you don’t need to compete with him to prove anything to anyone. You can be yourself.”

“Yeah, it’s a relief, I’m not going to lie.” She dropped the last box inside the recycling bin. “That’s it. We’re done here.”

“Hey, I have an idea. There’s a place nearby that sells the best pizza you’ll ever taste around campus. What do you say if we get one and go back to the lounge upstairs to know each other better since we’re stuck together?”

“Sounds perfect, yeah.”

Maybe her day had started a little off but it had been going uphill since the moment she met Jackie. Speaking of which, she should’ve texted her or something to thank her again.

“Wait, I’m just going to text a friend if you don’t mind and then we can get on our way.”

“Go ahead.”

She unlocked her phone and typed a quick message for Jackie C.

To Jackie C.: Hi Jackie, this is Jan! I just wanted to thank you again for being so kind to me since the very first moment we’ve met. I really appreciate it and I hope we can continue being friends this year! Anyway, I just met my roommate and we’re getting pizza for dinner, yay! :D

After pressing send, she followed Rosé’s lead.

They talked some more on their way to the pizza place, Rosé was a theatre major –clearly- and a sophomore like Nicky, she also sang –Jan would discover later on that Rosé liked to sing everything and even made some songs that sounded like jingles- and danced; she promised Jan she would show her some steps someday. Then they changed the subject to Jan’s day and she told the pink-haired girl everything about the chaotic mess that had been her morning, her schedules, professors, classmates…

It was very easy to talk with Rosé, they clicked right away and maybe it was because she was an older sister to her siblings but she made Jan feel like she had gained a sister on her roommate –even when it was soon to say it.

They ordered a pizza with extra cheese, walked back to the dorms with the smoky box and sat on one of the sofas of the lounge rooms –there just a couple more girls watching TV or doing homework so they had the place for themselves basically-, finally, Jan decided to open up and talk about her impossible crush on her best friend. Rosé listened carefully to each word.

“God, I wish we had some wine here… but tomorrow’s school day or whatever. Please, continue.”

“That’s it…? I haven’t done anything and I don’t think it’s worth the risk.”

“What?!” There was cheese on the corner of her mouth but she wiped it quickly. “Are you joking? What’s stopping you from chasing the guy of your dreams?”

“The fact that he doesn’t see me at all… he’s always with some other girl who’s prettier than me.”

“Baby, what are you saying right now? You’re gorgeous.” Rosé held her hands firmly. “Jan, I’m not saying this because you’re my roommate but you’re a lovely person and if he doesn’t want to be with you it’s his lost… one hundred percent.”

“Thank you.” Jan sobbed. “Are all the girls here this nice?”

“My former roommate certainly doesn’t fall in the category.” They chuckled.

“It’s only… I’m never around girls this much and you and Jackie and…”

“Jackie? Who’s Jackie?”

“Oh, Jackie is a friend… she said it’s okay if I call her a friend. In any case, she’s the girl that works in the copy room and she helped me right away with my papers and had lunch with me when I was upset about Nathan… she’s really great.”

“Wait, I might know her from the copy room. I don’t mean to contradict you but she always gave me «don’t come too close or I’ll kill you» vibes, but maybe it’s just me.”

“No… it can’t be, maybe you’re mistaking her for someone else.”

Jackie ignored everyone’s inquisitive stares and pretended to read the menu.

Jaida, Nicky, and Heidi were waiting for her to say something meanwhile Widow had no clue what was going on.

After the waiter took their order, the menu-shield she had was gone and her friends were still eager to know what was on her mind.

“What?” She finally broke the silence.

“So this girl Jan… she’s a real sweetheart.” Nicky casually commented while drumming with her long acrylic nails on the table.

“She is… She’s also very straight so don’t even try it.”

They all protested and grumbled.

“Wait, who’s Jan?” Widow finally dared to ask.

“To my knowledge,” Heidi began. “She’s a freshman from New Jersey that plays baseball.”

“And Jackie looks at her as if she had hung the stairs in the sky.” Jaida pointed out, exposing the brunette.

“Oop-” Heidi eloquently added.

“That’s not true.” She objected. “Don’t believe a word from what they say, Widow. The girl was lost and I helped her out, that’s it. She also happens to be friendly so we had lunch together.”

“Didn’t you gain a reputation for being this severe resting-bitch-face girl from the copy room?”

“Yeah, because otherwise, freshmen stick to you like ants to honey. Look at Heidi, I was nice to her once last year and now she’s here permanently.”

“Hey!” The girl complained.

“But you let her be behind the counter,” Jaida called out. “you don’t let anyone do that.”

“You don’t even let us do that.” Nicky continued.

“You can walk across the counter?” A very confused Heidi asked. “Is that allowed?”

Widow who didn’t say anything observed how everything went down while sipping her drink, amused.

“Listen, all of you, Jan is straight, repeat it and memorize it. She’s in love with some baseball player named Nathan she met when she was ten and she probably has already picked a wedding dress and the name for their children so I don’t see the point of this… suggestive… conversation.”

They remained silent, just at that moment their food arrived.

Jackie was starving but before she could taste the first bite, her phone vibrated inside her purse.

It was from an unknown number but it was the text message she had been waiting for.

From Unknown Number: Hi Jackie, this is Jan! I just wanted to thank you again for being so kind to me since the very first moment we’ve met. I really appreciate it and I hope we can continue being friends this year! Anyway, I just met my roommate and we’re getting pizza for dinner, yay! :D

Oh, thank goodness her roommate was nice.

As soon as she read her name, a smile grew on her face and didn’t go unnoticed.

“Is that her?” Widow asked Heidi who was sitting next to Jackie.

Heidi tried to snoop over her phone and carefully nodded in affirmation.

Jackie glared at them.

“She’s just saying thank you.”

“I’m not concerned about the content of the message, it’s the reaction you had to it.” Jaida looked at her friend in the eye. “Jackie, you’re one of my closest friends, I just don’t want you to get hurt for liking a straight girl.”

“You don’t need to worry about it; I’m not going to catch feelings for her.”

Her friend squinted. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah.”

“How did you save her name?”

“Excuse me?”

“On your phone. Is it Jan or is it Jan plus some cutesy emoji?”

“What’s that have to do with anything?”

“It has everything to do.”

The brunette rolled her eyes “I just saved it as Jan. Like I have you all listed. Happy? Can we eat? I’m hungry.”

“Okay…” Jaida cut the slack. “I’ll take it.”

“You had me saved as «Heidi freshman» for over a year.”

“And now you’re «Heidi sophomore».”

To Jan 🐻: I’m glad I was helpful today and it’s so great to hear your roommate is actually nice. Know you can text me whenever you want or come to hang out with me to the copy room :)

[jj-lynn21]

it’s Roman and reader 3rd anniversary coming up and reader wants to do something really romantic like go dancing. If course he’s against this, but comes around to the idea. So there having a good time, dancing to slow songs and that’s when Roman decides he wants to propose.

I am not big on marriage myself so that is why I was thinking Roman and Princess would just love and trust the other not to stray even without a piece of paper. But maybe a situation as you described just feels a certain way to Roman and he thinks just maybe they should get married. This is about two years from now since it is the third anniversary of when they moved into together. They have a kid. Roman is a bit more mature. Peter and Letha are already married in this Alternate reality. They have six pups/kids.

Roman and Princess: The Third Anniversary

You are gathering up toys in the playroom Roman built for the children last year. The huge, elegant dining room with full bar was cut in half by a new wall with a door between both rooms. This cut his bar in half, but there was still enough room for the oak table and chairs for 20. Tiny Furniture for children and a few comfy spots for adults were added. A bathroom just for children was put in the playroom. Cherry wood toy chests and shelves were filled with every toy a child could possibly want.

Roman still bought more when his little one expressed interest in anything. His angel got everything just like you did. There was plenty of room for Peter and Letha’s “hounds from Hell” as Roman and Peter called his kids lovingly. This was a safe area for the children to play.  

Roman came home at his usual time. Not a minute late tonight. He brought dinner from your favorite restaurant like he told you he would on the phone earlier. He checks on the little one sound asleep before changing into sweatpants and a tank.  

“How’s my Princess tonight?” He kisses your lips softly before moving down your jaw line to the sweet spot on your neck. Then moves back to nibble your ear. “Did you get to eat today or drink something vital?” He noticed you were pale.  

“I didn’t get the chance really.” You moaned slightly. “But we played all day. I read a little to relax when the little boss napped.” You turned to put your arms around him. “I cleaned up the playroom.”  

“You never have to do that Princess.” Roman wrapped around you putting your head to his chest. “We have people for that. You have been taking care of the little one all day. How about you let me baby you for a while?” He swayed. 

He led you to the table of takeout food. “It all looks delicious.” You sat down as Roman was pouring you a large wine glass of the good red stuff. You take a few sips and your color starts to come back.”I should have had some of this hour ago.”

“You need to take care of you a little more, Princess.” Roman sipped his drink. “I will come home at lunch from now on to take a turn playing so you can eat and drink something.”

“You don’t have to do that Roman.” Your eyes farrowed not wanting to change up the baby’s routine or bother Roman.  

“I think I need to because I never get to see our child.” He took a large bite of rare steak. “And I think you could use a little midday break. I could do that, or we get a Nanny.”

“No Roman.” You pouted. “I don’t want someone else raising our child.”

“Then it is settled.” Roman sipped his drink. “I come home at lunch.”  

You ate slowly. Drank all he poured you and he poured you more. “Do you know what Saturday is, Roman?”

He teases you. “Um Grocery day? Perhaps a birthday for someone?”

Your lips purse. Brows knit together. “No, you should know it is our...”

“anniversary.” He says the same time you do.

Roman chuckles. “I was just teasing you. Of course, I remember Princess. What would you like to do?”

“Dancing.” You suggested. “Can we go dancing? A night or a few hours at least for just you and me? Damn that sounds awful for a Mother to say. So selfish.”

“You are not selfish, Princess.” Roman assured you.” He thought about your proposal for a moment. “I was waiting for you to be ready. I’m not sure about the dancing part but I will find a nice place to take you for the evening. Peter and Letha can watch our little one. The kids love playing together.”

You sighed a little disappointed but put on a smile for Roman. Wherever he took you would be fabulous. “They do have the most experience with kids and the kids do love spending time together. Just keep your mind open to the thought of dancing?”

“I will think about it.” You both finish dinner. Then head to the bedroom for some quiet sex so you don’t wake the young one.  

On the morning of your anniversary, you woke seeing your toddler and Roman Reading a a story book quietly. Roman smiles when he sees you looking. “Happy Anniversary. I’ll get your coffee.” He took the little one on his hip. They brought you back breakfast in bed with your coffee.

The little one crawled beside you. “I made toast.”

“Is that so?” You took a bite of toast first. “Good job.”

Roman sat on the other side of the child already in his suit sipping his coffee. “I have to go into work for just a few hours before I give you your big surprise. He winked getting up. “You two have a great day.”

After breakfast you took your two-year-old with their book down to the playroom. You put on a warm robe to read and play. The maid cleaned up the remains of breakfast, cleaned the rest of the bedroom and worked her way downstairs. She never touched the playroom until Roman, Princess and their little one were in bed for the night.   The fruit bowl was full on the kitchen counter when you and your toddler ventured to the kitchen for lunch. After lunch you put your hyper two-year-old down for a nap. This is when you finally got to shower.

Roman calls you as you are putting on some light daytime makeup. You picked up right away. “How is your day going sweetheart?”

“It is going good.” You have the phone on speaker as you continue your routine. “How is yours going?”

“I will be home soon to swoop you away.” He had his last client for the day on hold on purpose as he talked to you. “Wear my favorite dress. The longer more sophisticated one. Peter, Letha and their pack should be there shortly.”

“I’ll be ready.” You brighten your look a little and bring out the crimson lip stain that stays on no matter how much Roman kisses you. “Well, I don’t think anyone is ever really ready for that many kids to visit but I am ready for you.”

“You better be.” He was grinning wide.  

His words. His tone. It gave you chills. The kind of chills you felt to your core. Roman’s seductive low voice was good for that. You finished getting ready just as the child woke toddling into your room as you slipped on your dress.

“Momma, pretty.”

You smiled at the child. “Thank you, baby. Are you ready to play with your cousins? They should be here soon.”

“Ya ya ya.” The young one spun around happily.  

The doorbell rang and the child dragged you down the stairs as the maid was announcing Peter and his pack. Letha and Peter hugged you as the little ones ran into the playroom to destroy it.  

“Go keep an eye on them.” Letha patted Peter’s shoulder. Peter did as she told him. “You don’t worry about a thing. Peter and I can handle one more. We have a system. “

Roman came in the door with a single rose to present to you. He had changed from the suit he left in to a sleek all black suit. A black satin dress shirt with matching tie under his jacket.  “Happy Anniversary, Baby Girl.” He kissed your cheek. “Hey, Letha. Thanks for coming over.”

“No problem.” Letha smiled. “You two have a nice time. Excuse me. I should make sure they ain’t all climbing Peter all at once.”  

She disappeared into the playroom. Laughter could be heard as Peter chased the children around the room. This put your mind at ease before you left with your love.

“Where are we going tonight?”  

“You will just have to wait to see.”  

He drove a little way out of town. He pulled into Club Class. The sign was golden light. White lights lined the walkway. Two muscular men stood at the entrance.  

“This is very exclusive.”  Roman escorted you. “Godfrey.” He told the guardians of the door. They nodded opening the door for you to enter.

You were a little surprised to see couples dance to a live Orquestra. Only five other couples. Two more sitting at what seemed to be sold gold tables with chairs to match.  

The Maitre'd took you to your table. “Your Armand de Brignac Brut Rose Champagne will be out shortly. Then your 4-course prefix meal will start.” He leaves you and Roman.  

“Oh, Roman.” You reached for his hand. “This is perfect.”

“Not yet, but it will.” Roman said slyly.  

Caviar and crackers came out with you champagne. You nibbled a little and sipped a glass of perfectly chilled champagne. A chilled caprese salad came out next. When you were finished with that course Roman surprised you by standing and offering you his hand.

“shall we dance?” He bowed to you.

You rose taking him up on his offer. He glided you across the floor like a pro. You were pleasantly surprised. He spun you out and back into him. It made your head spin. “I thought you couldn’t dance?”

“I never said that.” He smiled. “I said I didn’t like to dance. Olivia made me take lessons when I was in grade school. It was extremely embarrassing and felt very wrong. It feels right with you.” He murmurs as he looked into your eyes with love. He was satisfied that he had given you what you really wanted tonight.

You ate the next two courses as he fawned over you. He told you how lucky he was to have you. How beauty you truly were. Everything you always liked to hear come from his mouth. The more he looked into your eyes and saw sincere love the more an urge came over him. The urge to finally proposes. He knew right then he would not wait much longer before he made you legally his.  

[bazypitchandsimonsnow]

Being Simon

Chapter 1: The Past

Chapter 1/2 (All chapters)

Rating: T

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Word Count:  8493

Summary:  Simon's type of therapy is...unusual to say the least. He has the incredible chance to go back in time to fix what he regrets. However, things get more complicated when Simon meets someone very interesting in the past.

Read on AO3

AN: Ahahahaha I did it!!! I finished a fic! That's a big achievement for me nowadays tbh. This has taken forever because stupid fucking health, but I did it! Of course I'm not 100% good with it but I'm still proud. Being Erica is one of my fave shows ever and is severely underrated imo. Then I saw this post and was like "oh damn that would be great for snowbaz." Now like three-four months late, here we are! Big thank you to @carryonmylovelies​ as always. She has been a big support for me through this writing slump. I couldn't be more grateful for her <3

World basics: time travel therapy is a thing, no further explanation given, and going back in time to fix past regrets teaches patients how to live better in the present. Patients take over their past selves' bodies for a bit. Patients can return from the past either suddenly or by stepping through doors. So just imagine Simon doing that. Saying much more is spoilers. 

I’m gonna post chapter 1 today, then chapter 2 sometime within the next week. Hopefully y'all like it!

———————————————

You know that guy who’s got it all? A perfect job, a perfect partner, wonderful family, a life that people are secretly jealous of? You know that guy, everyone knows that guy. Unfortunately, I am not that guy.

My name is Simon Snow, and I’m a fuck up. But I’m getting better.

“Mr. Snow, Mr. Snow!” Cassidy shouts, waving her hand, “I know the answer!”

“Cass,” I say, “what did we say about inside voices?”

She pouts and crosses her arms. “Keep the volume down for all those around.”

“Exactly. Now, try again.” Cassidy raises her arm with no added sound effects. I point my chalk at her. “Cassidy, what’s the answer?”

She puts her hand down, grinning wide. “It’s 42.”

I hold my hand out to her. “Nice job, Cassy, right on the money.”

She gives me a big high five. The feeling of accomplishment surges through me. God, I love this job. My old customer service work made me feel dead inside. Day in, day out, same old fucking garbage from garbage customers. It was just never something I wanted to do. Now I get to see a little girl smile, and I helped her smile. Yeah, little self centred, but I’ll take it.

“Patrick,” I say, “can you tell me how we can find 8 times 4?”

Patrick nods and starts rattling off the technique he’s come up with. It’s a bit odd and round about but all his. That’s what I love about kids, the strange and unique things their little minds come up with. It’s why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place, before I lost my way.

The bell rings and everyone's on their feet immediately. “Alright everyone,” I shout over the clamour, “make sure to finish chapter three for tonight. And get your worksheets done! We’re going to go over them with a fine toothed comb. Have a good weekend, kids.”

“Bye, Mr. Snow,” they all parrot back. I wave them off, then start on my laptop. Being a teacher means having a lot of paperwork. (Or Google Doc work, I guess.) Everything is in mismatched folders and I have to scour them for my lesson plan draft. Unfortunately, I’m still not great at organization, but I’m working on it. I’m working on a lot in my life.

My phone rings. I look up from my screen, and notice there’s no sunlight from the windows. Holy shit, how long have I been sitting here? I quickly grab my phone. “Hello?”

“Simon!” Todd shouts. “Where the fuck are you?”

“Oh, uh, hi Todd.” Fuck, what did I do this time? “I-I’m still at work...”

He scoffs. “Of course you are. Shit, Simon, I’ve been sitting at Casper’s for an hour!”

My heart drops. I look down at my watch. It’s 6:34. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, love, I just totally lost track of time-”

“Yeah, I guessed that. I should expect that of you now.”

Well, that stings. A lot. I’ve felt like a screw up my whole life, so much so even my parents didn’t want me. Like they had some prophetic vision that their kid would be a no good moron. Therapy has started to rid me of those thoughts, but they still creep up every once in a while. Like now.

“I’m sorry, darling, I’m really sorry. We can go to my place, have take away-”

“No, Simon,” he sighs. “I just...I picked the day, the time, and the restaurant. All you had to do was bloody show up, and you couldn’t even do that. I mean...do you even care, Simon?”

A horrible, familiar pain goes through my heart. I can still hear Agatha’s voice all these years later. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. My thoughts get all muddled up, mixing up old fears and trauma with today.

“I do care, Todd, I really do. I just- I didn’t- I was- We can-”

“Please stop..” He sighs again. I can almost see him rubbing his pretty black eyebrows together. “Don’t stress stutter, it’s alright. Enjoy your work and takeaway.”

“Uh, could we reschedule?”

“No, we can’t.”

I gulp. I hate that I know what’s coming. “Are...are you too busy?”

“No, I’m just...I’m done. I can’t do this anymore, Simon. Hope you do well. I mean that.”

I slump in my chair. “Okay. You too. Bye, Todd.”

“Goodbye, Simon.”

He hangs up, but I keep the phone by my ear. My body feels too heavy to move and get out of this fucking chair. Once again, I screwed up my relationship. And the fact that it’s too familiar is even worse. This is what, the third partner I’ve lost in the last year? An abysmal track record. Before that I had been alone since uni, yeah, but I think it was better than feeling like this.

Slowly, I pack up all my stuff. Everything is quiet, like the world is in mourning for my latest lost relationship. Self centered as fuck but a nice thought. I sling my book bag over my shoulder and walk towards the door. It’s not even a shock when I don’t enter the foyer, but step through and end up in Dr. Margaret’s stony yet brightly lit office instead, complete with torches and pristine furniture. It’s like some medieval version of an IKEA showroom. Dr. Margaret is sitting in her chair with a book in hand, obviously waiting for me. Just another day with a super powered therapist who has her office in a pocket dimension outside of our reality. (That’s my theory anyway).

I speed walk forward and flop down face first on her white couch. “Hi to you too, Simon,” she says. I groan into the cushions. “Good day, huh?” I groan louder. “Tell me what happened or get off my couch.”

I move my face to the side, glaring at Dr. Margaret. She just keeps looking at me blankly from her large leather chair. Dr. Margaret has little time for my whining, something I usually appreciate. “Todd broke up with me.”

“You poor baby.”

I narrow my eyes even more. “Aren’t therapists supposed to be all sympathetic and shit?”

She scoffs. “Sympathetic when you’re not being pathetic.”

“My boyfriend just broke up with me, I’m allowed to be a bit pathetic.” I rub my very strained forehead. “I always get dumped.”

“Mhm.” Dr. Margaret picks up the notepad, the one I filled with my regrets the first day we met. It’s embarrassingly long, but a lot are crossed off too. “Tell me about ‘breakup with Agatha.’”

I groan, head falling back against the couch. “God, that’s one I’ve been waiting for.”

“Stop groaning and tell me.”

“Okay, okay, gimme a sec.” I sit up and put my elbows on my knees, rubbing my temple. Headache is coming. Though I’ve started to actually pay attention to my health and take care of myself now (thanks to Dr. Margaret), the headaches still happen sometimes. Especially when I think about this.

“It was 2003,” I sigh. “Agatha and I had been together for six years. Just before third year finals, Agatha broke up with me. I got really pissed at her. Turned into a huge screaming match. She said I didn’t care, and I called her an arsehole that never loved me.” I run a hand through my hair. Old stress habit. “I’ll never forget the look on her face. She was so unbelievably hurt. I knew it was wrong the moment after I said it, but I was too angry and proud to apologize. Agatha walked out. And that was the last time I ever saw her.” The words piece my heart like a knife. I feel like I'm about to shatter into pieces “We avoided each other all through finals. Right after graduation, Agatha moved to California for her masters. She wouldn’t take my calls, then she changed her number. So I gave up. Haven’t talked to her in twelve years. No idea where she is now and what she’s doing.”

Dr. Margaret nods thoughtfully, placing the notebook down. “What would you do differently? Try to fix things? Stay together?”

I shake my head vigorously. “No, god no. We weren’t good as a couple. But Agatha was one of my closest friends way before she was my girlfriend. I just, I want the breakup to not be so awful. That way we can stay friends. I want to keep her in my life. If I wasn’t such an arse, she would be.”

“Sounds reasonable. Let’s see if you can do it.”

A familiar chill hits me. At first it was terrifying but now I expect it. “Alright.”

Dr. Margaret nods, and the world spins.

———————————————

“You’re not hearing me, Simon!” Agatha screams. “I’m trying to tell you that it’s over!”

I stumble, blinking at Agatha and trying to focus on what’s around me. Dirty walls, Lady Gaga posters, a shitty desk I picked up off the curb. Yeah, this is definitely my uni apartment. And this is definitely Agatha screaming at me, trying to break things off and I’ve just been yelling. She’s so mad but I can’t help but smile. God, I’ve missed her.

“What are you smiling about?! Are you listening to me?!” She groans and shakes her head. “We’re done, Si. I can’t do this anymore. Goodbye.”

She turns around to leave and my pulse skyrockets. No no, not again. “Ags, wait! I-I am listening. Please, don’t leave!”

Agatha freezes, hand on the knob. She glares at me over her shoulder. “What?”

“I-I’m sorry for yelling, that was awful. Can we just sit down and talk this out? Please?”

She looks me over, probably trying to figure out if I’m being sincere. I know I am, but as far as she's concerned I was screaming my bloody lungs out a minute ago. Must be weird for her. Thankfully, she lets go of the knob. “Fine.”

I sigh in utter relief. I sit down on my shitty mattress (pretty sure I got this off the curb too) and Agatha follows. She’s tense, arms crossed. I fiddle with my fingers. The nail beds are all chewed up, hangnails surrounded by dark dried blood. Glad I broke that habit, but right now I sort of wish I still did it. It made me feel better.

“Are you going to say something?” Agatha asks, voice biting.

“Yeah, yeah, just, uh...” I rub the back of my neck. Words are getting fucked up again.

“You’re not going to change my mind, Simon. We’re through.”

“I know, Ags, I know. I don’t want us to stay together.”

Her eyebrows furrow. It’s really cute. I miss when she did that. “You don’t?”

“No, no, we’re not good as a couple. We don’t work well.”

“Oh.” Her arms fall into her lap. “Okay. Yeah, I think the same.”

“Awesome.” I turn towards her with a big grin. “But, uh, could we still be friends though? You’ve always been one of my best friends, Agatha. I-I don’t want to lose you after this.”

Agatha rubs her lips together, But slowly, she nods. “Okay, yeah.”

A huge weight lifts off my shoulders. I grin so wide it hurts. “That’s great! That’s so great. I-I just, I don’t want to lose you just cause our relationship didn’t work out.”

She looks even more confused, and I’m not sure why. “What do you mean ‘didn’t work out?’”

“Well, I-I mean, y’know, we just don’t work as a couple. We haven’t been happy for awhile because things have kind of...fizzled out, right?”

Suddenly, that infuriated expression comes back. She groans and stands up. “I can’t believe you, Si! You really haven’t been listening to anything I’ve said, have you?!”

I stand up too. “No, no, I have! You want to break up, and I get why, we’re not happy together. We’re not a good couple-”

“Because of you!” she screams. I stumble back slightly from the force of her words.  “You fucked up!”

A horrible, upset, disgusted feeling takes over my whole body. Like my very soul is sicking up. I step towards her, reaching out. “Ags, I don’t know what you mean. H-How did I ruin things? Tell me what I did wrong!”

She shakes her head and backs away. “I’ve told you a hundred times, Si. If you don’t know by now, I don’t think you ever will.”

Agatha starts to stomp away. I chase after her. “Agatha! Ags, please, don’t-”

She slams the door so hard all my knick knacks rattle. I’m left in silence, except for the thoughts rattling around in my head. Fuck, what did I say? What did I do? I can’t think of anything I’ve done horrible enough to warrant such a response from Agatha. I pull at my hair and gnaw at my nail beds. I mean, this me already does it, so where’s the harm? Fuck, I don’t know what I did. I can’t remember!

Penny. I gotta go find Penny. She always has the answers. She’ll remember why I fucked up. I rush out the door and swing my way down the shitty stairs, careful to avoid the usual vomit puddles. I’m speed walking across the lawn towards Pen’s TA building when I spot familiar frizzy white hair.

“That was fast,” Dr. Margaret says, looking down at her book with a Starbucks drink in hand. She’s dressed in a horribly ugly orange tank top and boho skirt. Perfect for 2003. She needs to blend in with the time period, or at least that’s what she says. I think she just likes to dress up. “Saw her storm out. Looked really mad.”

“What the fuck was the point of this?!” I yell. I’m so angry, I can’t help it. My temper is something I need to work on but I really don’t care right now. “I still cocked things up with Agatha, so she still hates me, and all I’ve learned is that I apparently did something horrible that I don’t even remember because it’s been twelve bloody years!”

She takes a long drink from her large Starbucks cup. “Hm. Quite difficult. What’re you going to do?”

“Find Penny, I guess, She’ll know, right?”

Dr. Margaret shrugs. “Don’t know. You have a phone. Call her.”

Oh, right, phones are a thing. I dig around in my cargo shorts (god, I can’t believe, I used to wear these things) and pull out my old Nokia slide phone. I sneer at the thing. It was my first and shittiest cell phone. I thought I was so cool because my mobile slid out. I was such a prat.

I go to my contacts, and Penny is one of five. That makes me a little sad. I always liked people, but I was always bad at making real friends. I’ve gotten better now but past me barely had anyone. I click her number, and she picks up after two rings.

“Hey, Simon, what’s up?” she asks.

“Um, not much,” I respond automatically. Dr. Margaret glares at me. Right, I don’t need to push down my problems and pretend everything is okay. Penny’s my friend, she’ll want to help. “Actually, there’s a lot. Aggie and I just broke up.”

“Oh Si, I’m so sorry. How’re you feeling?”

“Not too bad. I guess it was inevitable. I’m more confused than anything. Ags said I ruined it by doing something, but I’m not sure what I did. Do you have any idea what she meant?”

“Uh...I really don’t know. She hasn’t told me anything. She doesn’t usually tell me things anyway.”

I sigh and rub my face. “Yeah, true. I’ll figure it out. Thanks, Pen.”

“Welcome, Simon. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” I hang up and shove my phone back in my massive pocket. Dr. Margaret is back to reading. “Well, that was no help.”

“Too bad. Maybe going to the source would be better.”

I frown in utter confusion. “You want me to go talk to Agatha again?”

“She knows what’s wrong. You don’t. Ask her.”

I put my hands on my hips. “You’re never this direct. What’s going on?”

She flicks her eyes to me, smiling slyly. “Don’t trust me, Simon?”

“No! I just know you always have something else going on. Nothing in therapy is ever easy or simple.”

“Know that. Taught you that.” She snaps the book closed. “Do what you think is best, Simon. Then live with choices.”

She stands up, book tucked into her hippie purse, and walks down the lawn. I huff, blowing a piece of stray hair out of my face. “You know I hate when you say that! It’s just pointing out the obvious! That’s lazy therapy!”

Dr. Margaret, the woman who has changed my life in so many ways, makes the “whatever” W sign at me. I chuckle and shake my head. Okay, well, this is probably some weird test (again), but Dr. Margaret has a point. Best to be direct. Maybe Agatha will have cooled down by the time I get there. I should do something nice. Bring her flowers, yeah, that’s a good idea. I look down at my cargo shorts, baggy Eminem shirt, and filthy knock off converse. Definitely need to change too.

I rush back to my apartment. It’s dingy and gross, but there’s a weird nostalgia to it. I should’ve put up more posters. (Why can’t that be a regret? That would be so much easier.) My dresser is bursting at the seams as usual. I throw my t-shirts around looking for something passable, but everything is dirty, tacky, smells like weed, or all of the above.

“Christ, how did I live like this?” I grumble, as if I wasn’t pretty much still living like this a year ago. (Minus the weed. Kicked that after uni, thankfully.)

Eventually I find a plain brown shirt and a pair of jeans with only one tomato sauce stain. Alright, I’m passable now at least. That’ll get Agatha’s attention just because it’s so out of character for who I am in this time. I open the old pickle jar where I keep all my change and scrounge together about 20 quid. Should be enough for flowers, especially before the 2008 crash. The exchange rate is the only thing I miss about the past, honestly.

“Alright,” I mutter to myself, slinging my bookbag over my shoulder, “decent clothes, okay hair, pocket change, bag to hold flowers. Let’s do this.”

I walk out my front door feeling confident, hopefully not too much. Can’t get a big head. Need to focus on Agatha.

“Simon, mate.” I turn around to see Rhys wheeling out of his flat. “What’s up? Heard a lot of shouting earlier, you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m cool, man. Agatha and I broke up and things got messy.”

He inhales sharply between his teeth. “Yikes. Sorry to hear that. Can’t believe she dumped you for that snotty prep.”

I stand ramrod straight, then spin around on my heels to face him properly. “What snotty prep?”

“Oh you didn’t know?”

“Didn’t know what?!”

Rhys raises his hands in surrender. “Whoa, take it easy, man.”

Shit. Reel in your temper, Simon, don’t explode. “Sorry, sorry, mate. Just, what are you talking about with this prep?”

“Yeah, this preppy pretty boy Agatha sits next to in our romantic literature and creative writing classes. They’ve always got their heads together. I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t my business, but then you said you two broke up, so...”

“So you thought she told me, got it.” I rub my temples. Headache is coming back. “Do you know who he is?”

Rhys scratches the side of his head. “Yeah, think so. Tall, dark-ish skin, grey eyes, posh accent, even more posh clothes. Name starts with a T. Terrence, Terry, Tyler-” He snaps his fingers and points at me. “Ty! That’s it!”

My face scrunches up. “Ty? Ty what?”

“Dunno. Just Ty, I guess. Like Madonna. Dude thinks he’s better than fucking everyone just because he’s rich or something.”

My blood boils to a fever pitch. So Agatha broke up with me for someone prettier and richer. She said it was my fault because she didn’t want to hurt my feelings. Mission failed, because I am fucking gutted.

“Thanks for telling me, mate,” I say, holding out my fist to him. He bumps his own against mine. “Really appreciate it.”

“Sure thing, mate. Come have a beer with us to commiserate?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, but you may have to remind me later. Brain like sieve.”

“Gotchu. See ya.”

“See ya.”

Rhys rolls down the hall towards Gareth’s. Right, it’s their weekly beer and footie night. I would hang out with them sometimes. I miss that. I should call them when I’m back in 2015. Right now though, I have a mission.

———————————————

Finding Ty will be pretty easy. I know when Agatha and Rhys’ creative writing class is, which is in a couple of minutes. (Rhys skipped a lot of class. Luckily he was a genius so he graduated at the top of our year. And Agatha never went to class when she was upset, so I know I won’t see her.) I run over to the building I know it’s in, a massive hall made from dingy grey stone and filled with caffeine addicted twenty somethings. Then I sit by a tree, waiting to see someone like Rhys described. Oh and when I find him I’ll- Well, I’ll do something. Not sure yet but it’ll be something!

Droves of zombified uni students pass me by. None of them look posh and preppy enough to be like this Ty dude. He sounds like such a twat. What the fuck does Agatha see in him? (Or did see in him, I guess. Time travel is weird.) Maybe Agatha is still with him. Maybe they went to California together. She talked about me going with her for a bit, but I was scared to leave England. I don’t regret staying, but I do regret the crushed look on her face.

The guy passes by me. He looks ridiculous, wearing oxfords, black slacks, and a goddamn tweed jacket with leather patches on the sleeves. It’s the preppiest posh shit I’ve ever seen. I can see his hands, curled around his textbook, and his slicked back hair. Dark-ish skin and ear length black hair. I’m on my feet in an instant.

“Hey!” I shout. He doesn’t move. “Hey, Ty! I’m talking to you!”

He finally turns around, and my heart stops for a second. Holy shit. This guy is beautiful. Like, super model on the cover of a high end fashion magazine gorgeous. He’s got cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass and his eyes aren’t just grey, they’re green and blue mixed together. Like deep ocean water. And right now they’re staring at me like I’ve lost my goddamn mind.

“Yes?” he says. His voice is smooth, strong, really pretty. “You called my name?”

I shake off my small gay panic (technically pansexual panic) and my anger returns. I glare hard at him. “Yeah, I did. My name is Simon Snow, Agatha’s boyfriend.”

His confusion quickly switches to stone faced boredom. “Oh you’re the boyfriend. Well, the ex-boyfriend now, according to the text Agatha sent me.” He tilts his head to the side, ocean eyes scanning me over. “I thought you’d be taller.”

My body feels like it’s on fire. This guy may be hot but he’s a total prick. How could Agatha dump me for him?! “Who do you think you are, huh? Flirting with someone’s girlfriend? That’s fucking low, you pathetic shit!”

He scoffs, putting on hand on his hip. “Very well spoken. If you’re done with your little alpha male display, I have a class to get to.”

Ty turns away. I’m ready to explode. I haven’t felt this angry in years but this guy is getting so under my skin. I grab his shoulder and force him to look at me.

“You don’t get to walk away, dick!” I roar. “Do you think you’re better than me?! Well you’re not!”

“I’m not the one shouting at a random stranger on the quad.”

“I’m shouting because you stole my girlfriend!”

“I didn’t steal her, you sexist shit,” he hisses. “She’s my  friend. Are you the kind of arse to not allow his girlfriend to have friends?”

“No! And I’m not sexist! I just don’t like someone flirting with the girl I was with when I was with her, especially when you’re all...posh and shit!”

Ty scoffs again and leans forward. “Well, at least I don’t wear dirty jeans out in public. I have more self respect than that.”

My entire body explodes in a way it hasn’t in ages. My vision goes completely fucking red. I shove Ty, hard. Way harder than I mean to. He stumbles backwards, dropping his books on the grass. He looks at me in utter shock.

“What the fuck?!” Ty shouts. He then shoves my shoulders, and I stumble five steps back. Holy shit, he’s strong. 

“Fuck you!” I shout back. I charge forward with all my might. Ty blocks me but that doesn’t stop me. I claw and push and pull at him, no clue what I’m doing at all. I’m just so angry and pushing it all at him. He pushes back just as hard. Neither of us will give an inch. We scrabble like a pair of cats. I can’t think, I just feel. I'm so angry and sad and worthless because...because....

Because I’m losing my friend again. And I don’t know what to do.

My hits get weaker and weaker. All the energy dribbles out like a melting ice cream in July. As I slow down, Ty stops pushing back. My arms fall down at my sides. His hands rest awkwardly on my shoulders.

“Uh,” he says, “are you alright?”

“No,” I choke out. Tears fill my eyes and cloud my vision. “No, I’m not.”

I break down, crying with heavy, ugly sobs. Everything is just collapsing in and around me. I really am losing Agatha all over again. It hurts even more this time. I’ve never fallen apart this badly on a regret. But everything from the past and present, losing all my partners in the past year then Agatha again, is just hitting me in one terrible mental blow.

“Oh shit,” he says. “Um...” I feel his hand move off my shoulder and slowly pat my head. “There, there?”

I snort like one of the kids I teach. I pull back, wiping the still flowing tears under my eye. “Seriously? That’s the best you can do?”

Though it’s a bit hard to tell, I think Ty’s face flushes. He crosses his arms defiantly. “Well, what the fuck are you supposed to do when a stranger attacks you then breaks down crying?”

I shrug. “Dunno, really. This is new for me too.”

Ty rubs the back of his neck, shuffling his polished oxfords in the dirt. I’m still sniffling like a child. “You want to go somewhere private? Where no one can see you?”

My eyes catch a couple of people glancing and outright staring at us. Or just at me. I nod vigorously. “Yeah, that would be good.”

Ty collects up the books I knocked out of his hands. He jerks his head to the side, and I follow behind him. Tears are still streaming down my face. They won’t stop no matter how hard I try. Ty leads us through a secluded area, past large trees and bushes, until we reach a completely hidden, beautiful ravine. Holy shit. Was this always here? I went to this uni for three years and I have no memory of this place. Either I’m super oblivious or getting old. (Probably both.)

We go past a couple more bushes until we come upon a ramshackle rainbow coloured bench against some trees. It looks handmade by some stoned out art major. The mess of cigarette and joint butts on the ground only reinforces that theory. Ty sits on one end of the bench. I take the other, but we’re still pretty close. It’s not very big. We sit in silence for a bit, save for my continued sniffling. Something bumps my arm. I look down to see Ty’s long fingered hand holding out a cigarette pack.

“Want one?” he asks.

“Smoking is bad for you,” I say automatically.

“Like you’re one to talk. You reek of marijuana”

“Fuck, really?” I sniff my shirt collar and get a whiff of weed. I groan, letting my head fall back against the tree. “Dammit. Thought this one was clean.”

“Unfortunately not.” He shakes the box. “You want one or no?”

I sigh and pluck a stick out of the box. Ty takes one as well, then pulls out a pristine silver Zippo lighter. He lights us both with one flame. I watch the paper crinkle and shrivel away into ash. I’m a bit nervous. Technically, I haven’t smoked anything in over a decade. Hopefully I can depend on past me’s muscle memory. 

Ty takes a long, deep draft and breathes out a long puff of smoke. I try to mimic him. My lungs burn with the heat of twin suns. I wheeze out, thumping my chest. Ty throws his head back laughing,  hair touching his neck.

“You must be a shitty stoner,” he chuckles.

“Yeah,” I cough, “never been great at inhaling.”

“Bring it into your mouth, then your lungs. Don’t do it all once.”

I nod, even though I kind of knew that. Just been awhile. I smoked a few joints but I preferred my old bong. But I try again, doing what Ty said. This time I only cough a little instead of wheezing like the world’s most pathetic dragon.

“There you go,” Ty drawls. He’s definitely mocking me a little.

“Fuck off.”

“Christ, what bug crawled up your arse?”

I glare at him, and his face is completely unaffected. “The bug that Agatha broke up with me for you.”

He scoffs, flicking cigarette ash on the ground. “Your  ex- girlfriend did not break up with you to be with me. We’re only friends. I’d never date her.”

“That’s mean, Agatha is amazing.”

Ty rolls his eyes dramatically. “It has nothing to do with Agatha. She’s wonderful. I just don’t like women.”

My eyes grow wider than saucer plates “You’re gay?”

He cocks an eyebrow. How did he get so good at that? Does he practice in the mirror? “You have a problem with that, Snow?”

“No, no, of course not. Just didn’t realise...”

“It’s not like I’m hiding it.” He gestures to his perfectly pressed button down, spotless navy slacks, and polished Oxfords. Okay, he has a point, most straight men don’t take such meticulous care of their clothes. 2003 closeted me had the excuse of being heteronormative as fuck, but 2015 pansexual me needs to work on his gaydar.

“I, uh, didn’t want to assume...” Usually a safe answer in my experience.

“How noble.” Ty takes a long drag. I still hate cigarettes, but the way his lips fit around the smoke plume is kind of attractive. “Agatha knows I’m gay. I told her after she almost kissed me.”

“What?!” I throw down the cigarette and shoot to my feet. The fire in my gut is back, along with the sense of utter worthlessness. I fucked up so badly, made Agatha so miserable, that she nearly kissed a gay bloke. I feel so awful and confused and I don’t know what I'm supposed to do, I’m just mad.

He rolls his eyes,  again. “Sit down, alpha male, I said ‘almost.’ I’m not even sure she realised what she was doing, we were both completely pissed. She leaned forward slightly and I blurted out that I was gay. Then she promptly burst into tears.”

My heart feels like someone has reached inside and twisted every vein. My arms relax at my sides. “She...she was crying?”

“Yes, quite heavily.” He taps the cig with one long, graceful finger. (Does he play piano? He should.) “She said she was sorry, then blubbered for an hour about how conflicted she felt about wanting to break up with you.”

The impact of those words send me back down onto the bench. My whole body feels heavier than lead. “She felt conflicted?”

“Of course she did.”

“I-I thought this was easy for her. That our relationship was already going downhill, then I did something so bad she decided to end it. And then I thought it was because she found you, someone better than me.”

Ty scoffs. “My god, she was right, you are completely oblivious.”

I scowl at him. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said. You’re so blind to what you’ve been doing.”

“What’ve I been doing?!”

“You’ve been a terrible boyfriend!” he yells. “You’re forgetful, you miss things, you don’t pay attention to Agatha, and most of all you take her for granted!” He sighs, rolling the half finished cig between his fingers. “Ags says you don’t mean to do it, you’re just oblivious, but she’s still hurt. There isn’t one bad thing you did, Snow. You’ve been hurting her for awhile.”

Every word is slap to the face. My body literally aches with all the guilt I feel. Ty is right. I was an awful,  awful boyfriend. Every missed date, every burnt meal, every stupid thing I’ve ever said, they all rush into me. Fucking hell. How could I have not seen it? I always had reasons, and they were always small things. But I guess a lot of small things pile up.

“Fuck,” I choke out. Tears make little wet spots on the dirt floor. I don’t know when I started crying again. God, I’m a mess.

“Please don’t cry,” Ty says, sounding almost sympathetic. “I only have so many cigarettes.”

That makes a laugh surprisingly fly out of my mouth. Yet I’m still picking at my nails, flicking away bits of my cuticle like I want to get rid of my pain. I’m nervously babbling before I even realise it. “My brain’s always filled with...stuff. Keeping my scholarship, keeping my job, working towards my future. E-Everything’s always been about my future, what I’ll do eventually, even with Agatha. She was supposed to be my happy ending after all the shit I’ve been through.”

“She’s a person,” he mutters, “not your goal.”

“I know that!” I rub away more tears. “Well, I’m learning. I dunno. I-I had a shitty childhood, okay? So I’m always waiting for things to get better. And I thought if I did well at school and found a nice girl, things would just fall into place. Turns out shit is more complicated than that.”

I laugh to try to break the tension, but Ty stays silent. I cautiously flick my eyes over to him. He’s still holding his cigarette. It’s burnt down to the filter. His face is stone again, yet I can see the slight tremor in his fingers. It’s miniscule but it’s there. I don’t think he’s okay, but I barely know this guy, I’m scared to ask.

“I don’t know how to fix things with Agatha,” I sigh. “I’m bad at talking, bad at relationships, sometimes bad at friendships. It’s not like I want her back. I...I just want her in life. She’s amazing. I don’t- I can’t lose her again.”

“Again?” he says. My face goes bright red and my breath hitches. Fuck. Stupid time travel, screwing things up.

“Y-Yeah, we’ve had fights before, stopped talking for a while. I know this feeling, I hate it. I want her to be in my life and be happy and I don’t know how to do that!”

“Tell her that.”

I face him, blinking in confusion. “What?”

Ty sighs and flicks the butt onto the ground, crushing it beneath the toe of his utterly perfect oxford. “Tell her that. Say you’re scared and clueless but you want to still be friends, so you want to figure out how to do that. Be honest. What else are you going to do?”

My mouth flaps up and down. Fuck. It’s so damn obvious yet it never came to mind. I thought I needed something big and smart so Agatha would understand. But... “All I need to do is be honest with her.”

“Exactly.”

I smile for the first time since I got here. “Wow, can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

“You do seem to be a bit thick.” His slight smirk and teasing lilt save me from getting angry. I scoff and shake my head.

“Yeah, well, you seem like a bit of a prick.” He scoffs too, but he’s still smiling.

We sit there in silence for a little. All I can hear is birds chirping and students in the distance. I feel calm. So calm I don’t want to get up for a while. I just want to catch my breath. Ty slowly tilts his head back over the bench.

“I haven’t sat down in awhile,” he says quietly, almost as if to himself, but too loud for me not to hear. “I’m always at class or studying. I don’t sit down and just...sit.”

“Well you haven’t really been only sitting,” I chuckle. “You’ve been helping me.”

“Would it be sad that this has actually been the most relaxing time I’ve had in months?”

“Uh, yeah, and a bit concerning.”

Ty laughs a little louder this time. His smile seems a bit more genuine, but his pretty eyes are a bit sad. It may just be his face. It looks like it’s designed for pouting. “I’m a political science and English double major getting ready for law school. My whole life is stress.”

I chuckle sadly. “Sounds like a nightmare.”

“It is. A nightmare I chose...” He spins the cigarette pack between two fingers. I know he’s just fiddling but it looks so damn cool when he does it.

“Doesn’t seem like you’re happy about that choice.”

His eyes shift over to me without moving his head. “Since when do you know anything about my feelings?”

I shrug, crossing my arms. “I usually know what sadness looks like.”

Ty sighs. He rubs his temple slowly with his elegant ring finger. (What is with my finger fetish today?) “Ever since I was little, it was expected that I follow in the family tradition. Get perfect grades, go to a good university, go to an even better law school, become a lawyer, then finally take over the family practice. It’s what my mother did. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Doesn’t matter what I want,” he scoffs.

I tilt my head towards him, but not too close to scare him away. “Well, if you could do what you want, what would you do?”

“I told you, it doesn’t mat-”

“Then pretend it does matter. What would you do for the rest of your life?”

Ty sinks further into the bench. It makes his stupid tweed jacket bunch up slightly, and he almost looks like a normal young adult. “Honestly, I just want to read books forever.”

I giggle quietly, and Ty glares at me with a now obvious flush in his cheeks. “Fuck off,” he snarls.

“I’m not laughing at you!” He doesn’t look convinced. “It’s just, when I first saw you, I never expected you to be a total bookworm. You seem too posh for that.” Ty snorts, keeping his arms crossed. He won’t meet my eyes. I lean closer, and he doesn’t back away. “Reading books forever sounds hellish to me, but it sounds like heaven for you. It’s a great idea. Why not do it?”

Ty’s glare somehow gets even more intense. His eyes are just slivers of beautiful grey. “Because I’m a responsible person, unlike you.”

The words hit me right in the gut. I scowl deeply at him. “That is beyond not okay. You don’t know me, you don’t know my life. So you don’t get to spew shit like that just because you’re pissed off. Got it?”

Honestly, I’m surprised how clear and articulate I’m being. A year with Dr. Margaret has made it a lot easier for me to stand up for myself in a meaningful way, not just with growls and punching. But still, it’s hard, and I did this so easily. I’ve really made progress.

Ty scowls back, but I don’t back down. I’ve always been good at standing my ground, thankfully. Slowly, Ty’s face falls and gets less angry. In fact, he looks a bit regretful. We slowly move apart again. He takes a few deep breaths before he finally speaks again.

“You’re right,” he says, “I’m sorry.”

“Good, apology accepted.” I lean my cheek onto my fist. “Seems both of us are having trouble with our futures.”

“Mine is secure.”

“But not happy.”

He rubs his lips together, like he’s chewing his words. “That doesn’t matter.”

“Why not? Why not do what you want instead?”

“Because I’ve already applied to law school!”

“Okay.” I put my back to the bench again, staring up at the sky through the trees. “Well, I’m nearly done with my maths and am about to start my teaching degrees. Then I've got a private school job lined up, but who knows? Maybe I’ll hate the job and quit and work at shitty customer service jobs for years until I decide to get my shit together and find an actually good teaching gig at a school I like.”

Ty’s dark brows furrow together. “That is extremely specific.”

I shrug, hoping my smirk doesn't say too much. “I don’t know, just a possibility.”

“Alright,” he snorts. “My life will be fine, it won’t go off the rails.”

He looks so sure and resolute. I don’t think I’m going to change his mind, and I don’t think it’s my job to. I can’t save everyone, something Dr. Margaret taught me. Plus I just met this guy. No matter how pretty he is, I don’t know him. (Wish I did.) Hopefully he can figure out his own shit.

“Okay. Your life, you can figure it all out.” I put my hands behind my head, leaning back, staring at the sky.

“Your life is going to be fine,” Ty says. “Agatha says that despite what you think, you’re smart. And I’m partial to agree. You have trouble with relationships, but who doesn’t? You’ve still got a good head on your shoulders. You’ll figure everything out too.”

I can feel my face turns bright red, and from the smirk on Ty’s face he can see it. I rub the back of my neck, trying to use my arm to hide my blush. “Y’know, I get why Agatha liked you. You’re weirdly nice and, well, really hot.”

Now it’s Ty’s turn to have his eyes go wide. He looks very cute. “Wow, you’re pretty forward for a straight guy.”

“Whoever said I was straight?” I smirk at him with one eyebrow raised. I hope I look confident and sexy and not just fucking weird.

“Oh.” His voice is almost a squeak. “I’m sorry I assumed.”

“S’alright, common mistake.” I look down at my stupid Nokia. “Wow, you’re beyond late for your class.”

Ty scoffs. “And who’s fault is that?”

“Okay, yeah, guilty as charged. You should probably get to it though. Need good grades for law school and all.”

“Yes, good point.” He stands up, and I follow, hands in my pockets. I both hate and love that Ty is a little taller than me. “But...it was nice to talk to you, Snow.”

“Feeling’s mutual, Ty. So, uh, see you around.”

I grin brightly, then turn around before I say something really stupid. I usually do in front of pretty people. Plus I need to see Agatha. That’s why I’m here, back in 2003. I’m not supposed to be chasing after a pretty guy who went to my uni ages ago. Even if he is like,  really pretty.

“Simon.” His voice makes me stop in my tracks and turn back.

“Yeah?”

Ty steps forward and holds out a scrap of lined paper. “Since you’re newly single, and now I know you’re not straight, give me a call sometime? If you’re up to it, that is.”

My brain completely short circuits. Blows a fuse. Maybe every fuse. I just stare at Ty with my mouth hanging open for a bit too long. Ty starts to look genuinely concerned. But thankfully the synapses start firing again and I shake it off.

“Um, y-yeah,” I say. “Yeah, I would like that.” I take the paper. “Uh, thank you.”

“You’re most welcome. I hope to see you around as well.”

I watch as he walks away, and I’m mesmerised by the way his hips swing. Fuck, he is so hot. And he likes  me. I honestly have no clue why but I’m not going to question it. I have to make sure to call him before I go back to 2020. But right now I have to find Agatha, so I carefully put the paper in the smallest pocket of my bag, then dash off towards Aggie’s dorm.

———————————————

I knock on the door softly, and there’s no answer at first. “Aggie?” I say. “I came here to say I’m sorry. I won’t yell, I promise.”

Still silence at first. I nearly leave, but then the sound of soft footsteps comes from under the door. The doorknob slowly turns and my pulse increases every second. Agatha is wearing her purple Watford lacrosse sweater, a pair of my trackies that I left behind last week, and blonde hair piled up in a bun. Her eyes are puffy and her cheeks are red. My stomach drops at the sight.

“What are you sorry for?” she asks, voice low and flat. She sounds more tired than angry. For some reason that hurts even more.

I take a deep breath. “I’m sorry for how I treated you, Ags. Our relationship didn’t fall apart for no reason. I didn’t pay attention to what you wanted and took you for granted. I was a terrible boyfriend. And I’m really, really sorry.” I start nervously pulling at my hair. “I-I’m not saying we should get back together. We weren’t happy, and you deserve someone who will put you first. But I still want to be your friend. You’re one of my first and best friends. I’m not sure how to do that, considering I was such an shit boyfriend, but can we figure it out? Together?”

Agatha rubs her lips together, taking slow deep breaths. Her fingers tap against the door one by one. I don’t know if I’m going to throw up or run or both. All are possible. But then Agatha nods slowly.

“Okay,” she sighs.

“Okay?”

“Let’s try to be friends again. I don’t want to lose you either.”

I grin ear to ear. “Okay, awesome, that’s great. I’m so glad you want to as well. I do love you, Ags, and I’m sorry I hurt you so much.”

“Apology accepted, Si, so you don’t need to do it anymore. Let’s just move forward, alright?”

“Alright, yeah, I’d like that.” I rub my neck and nervously gnaw at my lip. “Um, could I hug you? As a friend?”

She smiles softly. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her smile. Not just because I’m from the future, but I can’t remember the last time she smiled back when we were together. I hope I can make her smile more now.

“Yeah,” she says, “that would be nice.”

We both step forward and throw our arms around each other. I haven’t hugged Agatha in a long time either. Sure, we snogged and had sex, (though not very often honestly), but this is so much better. There’s no pressure or nerves. It feels normal. The most normal I’ve ever felt with her.

As we slowly part, we’re still smiling. “You,” Agatha pokes my chest, “need to study for your exam on Monday.”

I chuckle and nod, being silently thankful  I’m not doing that exam again. Once was more than enough. “Yeah, I know. This felt more important though. You’re more important.”

She blinks in confusion. I can’t blame her. Past me was always too focused on my work so that I could reach the happy ending I always wanted. Future me is figuring out that there is no happy ending. There’s just life, and I have to make it what I want, not just wait for happiness to fall into my lap. I haven’t got it down pat but I’m getting there. That’s more than good enough.

“Well, I’m definitely glad to hear that,” Agatha says. “Call me tomorrow. We’ll go get brunch, okay?”

I nod enthusiastically. “Sounds great.” The voice in the back of my head reminds me about the small fact of time travel, and that when I go back to 2015, past me is only going to remember bits and pieces of this day. “But, uh, studying may fry my brain. So could you maybe call instead? And I’ll call next time?”

Agatha sighs with exasperation, but she’s still smiling. “Alright, that’s a valid excuse.” She presses a small kiss to my cheek. It’s completely platonic, and it feels great. “See you later, Simon.”

“Yeah, definitely.” I hug her tight one more time before I go. She gives me a kind wave before closing her door. I’m grinning like a mad man as I walk down the hell. I did it, I saved my friendship with Agatha. I’m so damn happy. Plus I met Ty.

Oh right. I reach into my bookbag, feeling around for my notebook. My hand curls over the rings of the spine as I push open the stairwell door. And I instantly fall face first onto the dirty public school floor.

“Mr, Snow!” Ms. Petty, the nicest janitor in the entire school, possibly in the whole world, rushes to me. “Are you alright?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah,” I say. “I’m fine. Just clumsy.”

“Here, let me help.”

I take her hand and she hoists me to my feet. I still feel a bit dizzy, a small side effect of time travel I know all too well now. Ms. Petty keeps a hand on my back until I regain my bearings. “Alright, I’m good.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll be alright.”

“Okay, dearie.” She pats my shoulder. “Go get some rest, get your mind off work.”

“Right, yeah, work...”

Ebb gives me one last comforting pat and goes back to sweeping the hallway floor. I wave at her as I leave, hoping she doesn’t see the distress in my face. 

Fuck.

———————————————

AN: Chapter 2 will be posted within the next week, i.e whenever I'm well enough to edit it lol. See you all next time!

[danetobelieve]

It’s Party Time || Megan, Todd and Winston

When: before Megan Ariana got her name back. Who: @letsbenditlikebennett, @itsyaboytodd​ & @danetobelieve​ Where: an undisclosed college frat party Summary: Winston takes Megan (aka Ariana) to a frat party that Todd is playing at, everyone has a good wholesome time. Warnings: N/A

Nodding along to the beat, Todd pressed his fingers to the headphones around his ears, his other hand working the turntable. He could feel the beat pulsing through his shoes, the thrum of the party people getting more and more pumped with every song he dropped. It was fucking awesome. This was the shit he lived for. Sure, it was just a party for one of his old frat brothers, a party thrown because the local college students were bored and restless. But, it was still fun, just like all his other sets were fun. As the song began to end, he worked the soundboard, letting the mix come to an end to some cheers from the people who had gathered in the backyard where a dancefloor had been set up. “Alright, DJ DAYZE is stepping off for the night-- up next, RedStormz.” He said into the mic before setting about disconnecting his things and getting it all stowed away.

 Once he was all packed up, Todd pulled his sweat soaked shirt over his head and grabbed a couple of beers from the cooler outside before he wandered off to find Winston and the friend they’d brought with them. Catching sight of Winston, he grinned and hurried over. “Winston! Bud, I feel like it’s been fucking years since I’ve seen you!” Todd grinned cracking open a beer and taking a drink before looking at the small girl next to them. “You’re Winston’s friend…. Uhhhh, sorry, I’m totally blanking on your name. I’m Todd, aka,” He pointed at the bucket hat on his head and the logo emblazoned on it, “DJ DAYZE!”

If there was something Megan could always count on, it was Winston doing the most to try and cheer her up. With the amount of stress she was currently under, they had the right idea when they invited her to join them at a party. After all, they could both use a little bit of fun in their lives. As per usual, she had texted Blanche a picture of her outfit to make sure it matched. Apparently, she looked cute and so did Winston. While Winston’s friend had been DJing, the pair had grabbed some drinks and Ariana all but insisted they made their way to the dancefloor. As always, she was filled with energy and the booming of the bass compelled her feet to move. She’d been thoroughly enjoying the experience and was only slightly bummed a new DJ was taking over. Still, it meant she could meet another one of Winston’s friends. She waved as Todd approached and laughed. He was blanking on her name which was fitting because so was she right now. “You’re all good, dude. I’m Megan. I don’t have an AKA, but if you call me any variation of short, I will have to kick your ass.” 

It had been quite the month already. Winston hadn’t loved watching Blanche and Rio get love potioned, but that was done and now it was time for Winston to blow off a little steam. Ariana clearly needed it too, although they hadn’t been able to work out why she couldn’t remember her name. They were convinced it was fae related but these things took time to work out and for now she seemed like she needed the time off of the real world to just focus on how everything was working in her head. “Todd! Buddy it’s been literally forever.” They pulled their sweaty DJ friend into a tight hug and swallowed some of their own drink. They weren’t too drunk … yet. There was still time. But they were trying to keep on their best behaviour just in case they needed to step up to the proverbial plate. “Please no ass kickings tonight, let’s just all get a drink and have a good time.” Todd was a good DJ, apparently so was RedStormz. The bass thrummed and the room heaved to the beat of the music. Winston couldn’t help grinning. “Do we need more drinks? I can do drinks for everyone?” 

Face all smiles, Todd gave Winston a few good natured slaps on the back as he hugged them. It was so good to be hanging with one of their best buds! He hadn’t seen Ricky around town at all and with most of his old brothers having moved out of White Crest. They were all headed down their new career paths at “investment firms” and “law offices” and “medical school.” Meanwhile, Todd was still here, still DJing, still hoping for his big break. But, it’d come! Lots of people thought his music was great! Like the girl he’d met at that party, she thought his music was amazing! Oh-- he’d have to tell Winston all about this chick he’d been talking to. She was so cool.  “Nice to meetya, Megan. And hey, no ass-kickings needed. I’m a lover not a fighter. Gotta keep all this,” He gestured to his face, “Fresh for the ladies.” With a laugh, he held up his own beer. “I’m all good, thanks though.” Looking at Megan, he cast an easy going grin, “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. You going to UMaine in the fall?” He asked. 

Already, this was turning out to be exactly what she needed. Between the upbeat music filling the space around them and being around good people, Megan was already letting go of some of the worries that had been plaguing her. “No worries, I was only joking about the ass-kicking,” she responded with a laugh. At the mention of more drinks, she perked up. The drinks they had started with had already left her face feeling a little flushed, but she was feeling more relaxed than she had in weeks. “That sounds like a great idea, Win. I’m good with anything citrus-y.” Even though they were standing and chatting, she was swaying a bit to the music. It was a little bit loud given her sensitive hearing, but her hearing had the added bonus of still being able to hear what else was going on around her. If she paid attention, that was. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh yeah, wouldn’t want to ruin all of that, Ladies Man” She gestured to his face with a smirk present on her own. She nodded along with the mention of school, “Oh! So like, kind of? The trade school is attached to campus, but I’ll be doing a carpentry program there. What about you?” 

Winston grabbed everyone more drinks as Ariana AKA Megan discussed their various studying prospects. They weren’t really sure that they had the heart to tell Megan that Todd wasn’t technically a student anymore, he would be able to explain that on his own. It wasn’t that Winston was worried about Todd, it was more that Winston was worried for Todd. They knew that everyone had to work out their own way and how things worked for them individually, but Winston wasn’t sure what Todd was going to do if the DJ thing didn’t work out. “She’s really good too,” Winston replied, “like a DJ equivalent of a carpenter, whilst you’re realising bop after bop, Ari- I mean Megan is releasing various intricately carved pieces of furniture.” 

With an enthusiastic nod of his head, Todd smiled as he listened to Winston and Megan explain what she was going to be doing. Carpentry, making furniture and stuff like that. “That’s pretty dope, dude! You gonna be out here making like… the Mona Lisa of dressers or something? That’s lit!” At her question, he took a long drink from his can of Coors and shrugged. “I graduated two years ago, did a degree in music production.” He said and gestured to his packed up gear that was chilling off to the side while Redstormz did their thing. “I’m just kicking it here in White Crest til I get my big break-- if you liked my set, you should def check out my SoundCloud.” Todd said eagerly, pointing again to his bucket hat. “It’s just my name, there are a bunch of tracks I didn’t play tonight on there.” Todd gave a thumbs up. Never hurt to plug his music, but it did feel a little weird trying to market his stuff. He wasn’t good at the whole “selling yourself” side of music. He just wanted to make some jams that people liked, and fuel parties around the world. Or at least, around the state.

“Thanks,” Megan said cheerfully as Winston handed her a drink. She had to respect Todd really going after his music dreams. It wasn’t the easiest field to make it in, but she knew it was important to pursue something fulfilling. As much was why she opted for trade school over university. “I appreciate nature motifs a lot, so more like the Bob Ross of carpentry. Keep the whole happy little trees vibe,” she responded with a smile as she took a sip of her drink. “That’s totally cool that you’re in the music game for the long haul. Hope that big break comes soon. I’ll definitely be listening to your SoundCloud. I’m always looking for good stuff to add to my running playlists.” 

Grinning, Winston nodded, “No problem.” Everything that had gone on recently was getting to Winston, so they needed to blow off some steam and to Todd’s credit they always went to the best parties with him. He seemed to have a knack for it. So Winston was hoping that this would be a night to remember and in a good way. “It’s actually really good, I listen to a lot of Todd’s stuff at work, really good for like getting in the right headspace I guess.” Winston wasn’t lying either. Todd wasn’t bad at this by any stretch of the imagination. “I don’t run, because, asthma, but I imagine they’d be pretty good for that.” They turned and looked at Todd, pushing their glasses up their nose from where they’d slipped down. “You playing any more venues soon?”   

“Happy little trees, I dig it, I dig it.” Todd laughed and nodded at Megan. That was pretty dope though. The most he’d ever done was make the stickers and logos for his merch, and that was pretty basic stuff. A small rush of pride washed over him at Winston’s words. He had no idea that Winston listened to his stuff that consistently, but it felt good to hear that other people appreciated his stuff. Especially someone like Winston, who always seemed super on top of their stuff. “Yeah! My stuff is all about pumping people up. High energy, high intensity. A couple of my bros who work at the gym love listening to it, I’m really hoping they can convince their boss to let them play a song or two.” He said. Nodding sympathetically at Winston’s condition, Todd made a slight grimacing face. “That sucks, dude. But hey, like, as long as you’ve got your inhaler, you’re in the clear most days, right?” At the question, Todd balked and rubbed the back of his head. “Uh, not yet. Just playing at Friction, usual gig. But! The Todd Man’s had some luck in other departments.” He said, practically bouncing up and down on his heels. “I met this awesome chick. She’s so cool, dude, she totally supports my music career!”

Megan nodded along as Winston spoke and noted she’d definitely need to download his songs off soundcloud. Supporting a friend was always nice, but a good playlist could really help her zone out during a run. Lately, zoning out seemed to be more and more necessary. She threw back another swig of her drink before responding, “Between Winston’s rec and how much I enjoyed that set, I’m pretty sure my running playlist is about to get even more dope.” She shrugged slightly and added, “Running isn’t for everyone. I’ve just got too much energy for my own good like 90% of the time.” Todd had a good energy about him. He was very upbeat and seemed to be a genuinely good dude. She considered any friend of Winston’s a friend to her, even Rio, though right now she’d very much like to smack Rio. Nope, tonight was supposed to be a good night. No thinking about Rio. “Pumping people up, that’s pretty awesome of you. I like that. Right up my alley.” Megan noticed the slight change in demeanor, but for once, decided not to point it out. The alcohol was definitely starting to have its effect as she nodded along. With a wide grin, she assured, “Well, I’ll definitely be hitting up any future sets you do. I’ll be the one rallying everyone to the dancefloor.” At the mention of meeting an awesome woman, she smiled. While her own love life was an actual disaster, it was refreshing to hear someone was having luck out there. “A dope chick? Good for you, man. My luck in that department is not a lot so do dish.” 

Ariana had a way of making everything sound better, happy little trees being just a single example of it. “Oh dude, that would be some dope exposure.” Winston was thrilled that things were apparently going so well for Todd. They felt kind of guilty that they had neglected their ‘normal’ friend. But when you’re constantly trying not to die because of supernatural bullshit, when you’re constantly trying to work to stop White Crest from imploding and everything else that had happened in the past few months. From witches to vampires to zombies to werewolves. Well remembering to pay your friends who have no idea about any of it attention is always difficult. It’s difficult to prioritise them in the same way and Winston felt like Todd was owed better then that. But they could always make up for that, right? “Oh yeah, I’ve always got my inhaler with me,” Winston replied patting their jacket pocket where it was indeed kept. “Oh hell yeah dude, I’m so pleased that you’ve got a girl who’s interested in the T-man. She obviously got good taste, especially if she supports the music!!”  Winston’s mind flashed to Rio and to their brief engagement to Blanche. Not their favourite memory ever but they pushed it away. “You comfortable telling us more about this woman of mystery or are you keeping it on the D.L for now?” 

This Megan chick was cool. Like, super cool! How’d Winston meet someone this dope? Not that Todd didn’t think Winston was cool in their own way-- they were so fricking baller with their coding stuff and explaining math to him back in their tutoring days. But, Megan seemed athletic, more of a people person, which was a different kinda cool from Winston. “Yeah! You’ll definitely have to let me know how you like it.” He said with an enthusiastic grin and a wave of the hang loose gesture at her. At Winston’s wholehearted support, Todd’s face almost hurt he was smiling so much. But, he waved their words away. “We’re trying to like keep it chill right now, just because like, she’s kind of a cougar? So like… we’re just on the DL. But, damn, she’s so cool. Like, seriously, she’s amazing.” At Megan’s words, he offered a sympathetic nod before tilting his head back to chug his beer. “That sucks, dude. I get what that’s like though. Dating is hard. Like, sometimes people are just too busy for it, ya know?” He chattered as he took another sip of beer. “One time, there was this super hot chick I chatted up at a bar. And like, we went back to my place and I totally thought we were gonna hook up. But, when we got inside, she was like “oh no, I’ve gotta go!” and had to leave to take care of some stuff.” Todd shrugged. “So, like, I feel you bro. Seriously.” 

It was comforting for Megan to know that Winston always had their inhaler on hand. Given they were pretty damn responsible so it made sense. She and Winston both eagerly listened along as Todd told them about the dope new chick he started seeing. While the cougar thing was a little odd to Ariana, especially given how young and full of energy Todd seemed to be, it was awesome he had someone who was supporting his passion for music. Dating wasn’t necessarily her arena just yet, but she knew it was important to have someone who supported who you were and your dreams. There was something almost familiar in the way Todd spoke, but as she took another sip of her drink, she gave up on trying to place it. “That’s awesome, dude. She sounds hella cool and supportive. I hope you two continue being happy together,” she responded with a wide grin. She shrugged at the brief focus on her own love life. “Yeah, I’m not too worried about it. I’ll eventually find someone that’s right for me.” It was hard to shake the feeling that she already had but he was in grave danger. The thought was enough to make her finish off her drink. “Damn, that’s a buzzkill, but sounds like you found someone better anyway,” she added with a loopy grin. 

Winston wasn’t sure that any women older then the age of 25 years old would particularly like being called a cougar, they also seriously questioned whether Todd being with a cougar was a smart idea. But in this they had to trust their friend. Even if his judgement hadn’t been entirely perfect in the past. “Oh that is  ….” Winston tried to think of the right word, failing that they went with the easiest, “really cool. I’m super happy for you. Dating is always kinda shitty if you’re not with the right person, I’m glad it’s going so well.” Winston wondered if this super cool chick would’ve bounced so quickly if they’d gone back to her place, Todd’s place was incredibly … frat. “It’s a harsh world out there, you’ve got to protect your heart.” Literally apparently. Metaphorically too. It was, well White Crest seemed to be getting more and more complicated by the day. Winston was starting to really struggle to keep up with it all. “And, you know that there’s no rush right, sometimes spending time on your own helps you realise what you really want from something or someone or whatever,” Winston was sure that being single for 24 years must have done some good for them. Though they weren’t entirely certain what that was.

Grin still plastered on his face, Todd could barely contain how pleased he was. Winston was in their corner on this, which was like, one of the big seals of approval in Todd’s book. He really wanted to introduce her to his friends one day, but she’d been really like, insistent that they keep things chill and under the radar. And he could totally do that! But, still, he wanted to make sure his buds knew. And that included Megan now! She was a super dope chick, with her cool furniture Bob Ross gig lined up. “Thanks, forreal!” He beamed, though the expression faltered slightly at Winston’s words. Spending time on his own? Nah… No, he didn’t dig that. Like, outside of when he was working on his new tracks, being on his own-- that wasn’t something he wanted. He wanted to be where the people were, putting his fingers on the pulse of what was going on around him. Draining the last of his beer, Todd flattened the empty can against his head before chucking it into the overflowing trash can nearby with a cry of, “Kobe!” Looking at Megan, he offered two thumbs up, “You’ve got time, dude. Like Winston said, nothing wrong with being on your own for a little, ya know?” He said before tilting his head at Winson, “What about you, how’s things been going for you?”

Tonight had turned out to be exactly what Megan had needed. Between the loud music, her friends, and the fuzzy feeling the alcohol left her with, all of her stress seemed far away from her now. It was nice to hear that Todd’s love life seemed to be treating him well. She hoped the same was true for Winston and Rio now that the love potion was no longer a thing. With Ace in the back of her mind, she refused to truly contemplate her own love life. “You got the harsh part right on that one,” she said with a laugh. “Everyone has their own timeline though,” she added with a shrug. Her own timeline was a little behind most, but she spent so much time moving around it had been hard to form close bonds. Things were different now. She still wanted someone who could accept her fully-- wolf and all. Anything else seemed not worth it. As Todd threw his beer into a trash can and yelled out Kobe. She followed up with her own drink, “This bitch empty. YEET!” Her empty cup was now on top of the trash can and she turned to Winston so she could listen as they answered Todd’s question. She was curious for the answer as well. She hadn’t been over the house as much since she’d been mad at Rio. 

Whatever happened in their life, Winston had to admit that they would be grateful to have Rio in it for just as long as he stayed in their life. The potential loss of Rio was not something that they wanted to discuss, but it wasn’t a thought that they relished. “Uh, yeah, i’ve got a boyfriend right now, my friend, well I guess boyfriend Rio, or Orion, I don’t know if he introduces himself to everyone as Rio but…” Winston couldn’t help but smile, Rio was the best, “he’s great, he really makes me feel … I don’t know, what I assume that you’re meant to feel when you’re in a relationship but yeah he’s special to me.” Winston grinned at Megan or Ariana or whatever they were calling her. “I guess I’m just really lucky.” 

[myhockeyworld87]

Nervous Regrets - Tyler Seguin - Part 13

Word Count: 3089

POV: Reader

Warnings: Smut, NSFW, Oral, sex, cursing

Notes: Finally the smut you’ve been waiting for, or at least I have...haha! Hope you enjoy! As always love your feedback. Peace, Love and Hugs!

It was exactly day twelve that you finally woke up pain free, no headache, no soreness, absolutely nothing; you felt like a million dollars. The only problem was, there was no one to celebrate with except the dogs. Tyler was away on a road trip; which wouldn’t see him home for another five days. He had not been happy about leaving you alone for eight days, and had tried to con you into going to stay with your parents; or have them come up to stay with you. In the end he relented, since your friends would be here on and off the whole time; which they were. However, since it was seven o’clock in the morning and most of them were getting ready for work; you were left on your own.

 So, instead you got up and went about your day, feeding the dogs and making yourself breakfast. It was the same routine you’d done the last three days without Tyler. Usually, you’d head over to the couch and binge watch television; but it was slowly driving you insane. It wasn’t like you could even start to pack up the house for the move which would take place in a few days; since Tyler had already hired a company to do that.  Maybe you needed some retail therapy, but you still weren’t cleared to drive. Hopefully that would change tomorrow, after you saw your doctor for a checkup. Wandering into the office you sat down at the hardwood desk, realizing it didn’t match your new home at all; it hadn’t been what you originally wanted to shop for, but it was a start.

Over the next couple hours, you combed website after website purchasing some new furniture and fixtures for the home you’d be moving into shortly; one thing in particular caught your attention though, cribs. There were so many to choose from. There were small round ones, ones that converted to a toddler bed later, white ones, hardwood ones, the list went on and on. You really needed to start buying stuff for your little one. It was a shame that you weren’t feeling well, when Tyler’s family was here; for you knew they were all dying to go baby shopping. They would all be back in Dallas shortly, so you’d just have to make up for it then.

 You really hadn’t made any decisions about which room would be the baby’s in the new house; so furniture buying was out of the picture for today. Besides, you kind of thought Tyler might want to help with that. So, instead you started shopping for small items you knew you were going to need; all gender neutral of course. In no time, you had the online cart filled with pacifiers, swaddling blankets and cute little onesies; that’s when you heard your phone ring.

 “Hey Ty, How’s your morning?”

 “Morning? Babe it’s one o’clock in the afternoon. Are you feeling worse or something? Or have you been sleeping all morning?” You could hear the concern in his voice.

 Time must have really gotten away from you, had you really spent the last four hours or more on the computer? “Actually, I feel fantastic. It’s the first time I literally haven’t had any pain at all, anywhere; not even a headache.”

 “Oh, so you must have been watching our favorite show without me then, that you lost track of time.”

 The two of you had decided to re-watch all of the Game of Thrones episodes before the final season came out; you swore to him before he left that you wouldn’t watch any without him. “No, I’m not watching G of T. I was doing some online shopping.”

 You could hear him groan through the phone, yet still he chuckled when he spoke; “I’m surprised the credit card company hasn’t called to tell me I’m over my limit.”

 “Oh stop, I didn’t even use your card. I have my own money you know.”

 “I’m just teasing you. You know I don’t care if you use the credit card; that’s why I got one in your name too.” It was in your purse, and you never used it. He had originally given it to you when you moved in the first time; and had offered it back, now that you were together again. Even back then, you’d only used it sparingly; it just didn’t feel right.

 “I know you don’t care; but you also know how I feel about it.”

 He sighed heavily; it was an issue the two of you always had. “(Y/N) I wish you would just use it, but I’m willing not to argue about it; for now.” Well at least your headache wasn’t going to come back. “So, tell me what are you buying that has you losing all track of time.”

 “Well it started with a desk for the new house, which lead to a new chair, and then I saw the most gorgeous bedding set for our bed, so I had to buy that. Then right before you called, I was just about to get some stuff for the baby.”

 “Woah, that’s a lot of stuff. What did you buy for the baby? Nothing important, I hope.” There was disappointment in his voice, and you immediately felt guilty.

 “No, it was just some small things, bottles and stuff like that. I looked at cribs and stuff, but wanted to wait for you. Maybe when you come home, we can go shopping together and look at things.”

 His voice perked up, as he said; “Yeah, I’d really like that. Though I should confess I bought the baby something as well.”

 “Really, what?”

 This was unexpected, and had definitely piqued your curiosity. “Nothing major, just this cute little stuffed animal I saw.”

 “Awww I can’t wait to see it. I really miss you.”

 It was Tyler’s turn to sound surprised, “really?”

 “Of course, I’m so bored here.” While that was true, you also missed the way his skin smelled when he came out of the shower; grown accustom to him holding you at night and the soft sweet little kisses he gave during the day. Those thoughts of him now, made you long for his touch. Though his voice pulled you out of your daydreams.

 “Oh, so you only miss me because you’re bored huh? It’s what every boyfriend wants to hear.”

 You let a flirtatious tone take over your voice. “Well, I might miss you for other reasons.”

 “Mmmm, such as.”

 “Well…I miss the way your lips feel on mine when you kiss me.” His breathing hitched up, and so you continued; “And the way your body feels when it’s pressed up against me at night. Your leg wrapped over mine.”

 “Yeah….anything else you miss.” You knew he was getting turned on; the fact that it was doing the same to you only made you keep going.

 “I miss the way your hands roam over my body, and how they caress my breasts.” Leaning back in the chair you abandoned the computer; giving your full attention to thoughts of Tyler. “I miss running my hands down your chest, until I can feel the hard length of your cock in my hand.” A moan escaped his lips, and you knew he was touching himself. “I miss sliding my hand up and down your shaft.”

 “Fuck, (Y/N) I miss you so damn much.”

 “I want you so bad Ty. I need to feel you inside me.”

 He must have had you on speaker, because you heard a knock in the distance. “Go away…sorry babe, I didn’t mean you. I meant whoever is at the door. Keep going.” The knock came back again. “Fuck” There was mumbling in the background. “I’ll be there in a minute. Babe, I gotta go, team meeting or some bullshit. I’m so sorry.”

 Chuckling, you said back, “No need to be sorry, we can pick this up when you’re home and I can show you instead of telling you.”

 “Stop, you’re not helping,” to which you only laughed more. “I’ll call you after the game. I love you.”

 “Love you too.” Hanging up the phone you realized these next 5 days were going to be longer than you originally thought.

 However, it ended up not being so bad. On Friday, you were cleared by the doctor to resume normal activities; though it was a bit awkward asking if sex could be included in those daily actions. Weeks ago, when the doctor first brought it up, you hadn’t foreseen you and Tyler progressing that far in your relationship. Now you couldn’t think about anything but that. So when the doctor said he saw no problem with you resuming sexual activity; you couldn’t wait until Tyler got home.

 Saturday, your friends came over and you all had a girl’s night; minus the alcohol for you of course. It was great to just laugh, talk and hang out with them. Sunday you took the dogs for a nice long walk, which had you feeling completely amazing; so, you took them over to your apartment and packed the rest of your things. Admittedly, you might have overdone it; as you were a bit sluggish on Monday. While you had good intentions of heading back to work; you decided to take the extra week they had given you off, and simply work from home. It actually gave you a chance to get caught up on things without any interruptions.

 You were just finishing up a conference call with your boss, when Tyler came home the next day; Gerry and Marshall running out to greet him. Ever your faithful sidekick these days, Cash stayed with you in the office. “(Y/N), babe, where you at?”

 “I’m in the office, just finishing up an email.” He was leaning against the doorframe when you finally looked up from the computer; dressed in a dark charcoal gray suit, with a black shirt unbuttoned at the neck. His hair perfectly slicked back taming the riot of curls on his head; he looked like he just stepped out of a GQ magazine. A small smile played across his lips. “There’s my girl. God, I missed you.”

 Before you knew what was happening, you were out of the chair and in his arms; legs wrapping around him as he lifted you up. “I missed you more.” Your lips crushed down on his, in a searing kiss that stole your breath away. You gave yourself over to him, letting his tongue wander inside your mouth before yours joined in. Sliding your hands up, you let them roam through his perfectly combed hair. It was as if you couldn’t get enough of him. For the last two weeks, you’d either laid beside his half naked body or talked to him on the phone; as you fantasized about this moment. It had been entirely too long since the two of you had been like this, and now that he was here in the flesh with you; you saw no reason to deny yourselves any longer. You broke your mouth free from his, breathing harshly; “take me to bed Ty. I need you.”

 It was all you had to say, the next minute you knew, his lips were back on yours; as he carried you back to the bedroom. He shut the door behind you, locking both the dogs and the world outside. Gently he laid you down on the mattress, his body coming on top of yours. Reaching up you slid the expensive suit coat, off his shoulders. His mouth rained kisses down your neck, as his calloused hands reached the hem of your shirt to glide it up your body, and remove it. He looked down at you then, soft brown eyes burrowing into yours. “Are you ok to do this?”

 Your hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, as you answered; “yes, the doctor said its fine.” You could see his eyes searching, he was hesitant to go further; thinking he would hurt you or the baby. “Ty, I’m fine. I’ll tell you if something doesn’t feel right.” He seemed to accept that answer, for he replaced your hands and threw his shirt off with ease. Snaking your hands around his neck, you brought his mouth to yours kissing him feverishly. His hand wandered down to your breast, where his thumb brushed against your nipple; a soft moan escaped your lips. His mouth replaced his fingers as he sucked the tight peak through the thin fabric of your bra; wetness pooled in your pussy with every lap of his tongue. “Mmmm…Ty…that feels so good.” Shifting, he went and gave your other breast the same attention. The moment his mouth touched you, your hips bucked up against him.

 He rolled your bodies so you were on top of him, his hands skimming along your side; as you reached down and undid his belt. “God, baby you are so beautiful.” You leaned down and captured his lips again, while he unfastened your bra; the garment drooping off your shoulders. Slowly he pushed you up, so he could worship your breasts; flicking his tongue over your nipple. You grinded your hips against his thigh seeking some sort of friction to the tension that was building within you. Running your hands down from his chest, you moved toward the flap of his pants, wanting to feel his hard length in your palm. He sucked in a harsh breath when you cupped his balls through his boxers, feeling his cock harden even more.

 He flipped you on your back, before you could do anything more. Kissing his way down your body, his hands slowly pushed at your leggings to remove them; you lifted your hips to assist him. His mouth paused when he was at your tummy; a small baby bump had formed in the few days he’d been gone. He reverently placed a kiss there, then looked up into your eyes. “When did this happen?”

 Suddenly you were self-conscious. “A few days ago.” You tried to pull him back up to you; but he couldn’t be budged.

 He kissed your belly again, then began to caress it. “Damn (Y/N) this is so sexy. I have never wanted you more than I do right now.” You released a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. He continued to worship you with his mouth, kissing your pussy through your panties; as he slid them slowly off your body. You moaned, the sound echoing through the bedroom. His finger slid between your folds, “Fuck, you’re so wet babe.”

 His thumb found your clit, you practically jumped off the bed from the sensation. “Ty!” The next thing you knew, his mouth was on your hot little nub; flicking it with his tongue. You arched your back, seeking more. Hands threading his hair, you tugged him closer to your core. He slid a single finger inside you, making a come here motion with it. Your head thrashed against the bed, it was too much and he’d barely touched you. You could feel the orgasm building inside you; legs starting to shake as it built. Your body felt on fire, and with one hard suck on your clit from Tyler; the orgasm hit with full force. “Tyler” you screamed out as waves of pleasure washed over you. He held your hips down with his free hand, as his finger pumped in and out of you; milking the orgasm from your body.

 He raised his head, “You ok baby?”

 You smiled, “Mmmm, yes.” He kissed the inside of your thigh, nipping lightly at the skin there; as he made his way back up your body. He discarded his pants and boxers in the process, so that both of you were naked. You raked your nails along his back, and he hissed out his pleasure. He kissed you, and you could taste your essence on his lips. Cock in his hand, he ran it along your length; coating it with your wetness. Placing it at your entrance, he stilled; not moving, as he ravished your mouth with his. With one swift thrust, he was fully engulfed in you.

 Your body shivered, and he looked down with questioning eyes. Lifting your hips, you urged him to move, yet it wasn’t the verbal confirmation he wanted. “Please Ty, I need….”

 “What do you need baby?” A small smirk crossed his lips.

 “You….Ty…I need you.” Only then did he start to move inside you. Slowly, thrusting in and out of your pussy; as the two of you built a rhythm. Your hips moving up to meet each of his thrusts. He bent down capturing a hard nipple in his mouth, and you groaned in pleasure. You wrapped a leg around his waist, changing the angle and letting him push deeper inside you.

 “Fuck (Y/N) I can’t last much longer.” You reached between your bodies and found your clit, stroking it in a way that had you on edge in minutes. He started to tense, his thrusts becoming faster and shorter. You applied a little more pressure to your clit, sending your body over the edge as the orgasm hit. Your pussy contracting around his cock. With one last hard thrust he pushed deep inside you and came. Both of you screaming out the other’s name. He collapsed on top of you, and immediately you tighten your arms around him, not wanting to move. Ty tried to roll over, but you wouldn’t let him. “I’m gonna crush you.”

 “I like to feel you on top of me.” He kissed your forehead, then your lips; sliding his hands underneath you, so he could roll you with ease now. “Not fair, you protested.” So he rolled you both on your sides.

 “Better?” you nodded. “Are you ok? I didn’t hurt you did I?”

 You giggled, “No Ty, you didn’t hurt me. I feel amazing.”

 “Mmmm me too.” He reached down and brought the covers around both of you. “Sleep.”

 “It’s the middle of the afternoon?”

 “Mmmm I know. And I’ve just thoroughly made love to you, I think we both need a nap. Then we’ll go for round two.”

 Snuggling into his chest, you said, “Round two huh? I think I like that idea.” His hand lightly skated up and down your back; and in no time you found your eyes getting heavy as you relaxed into his embrace. It was as if all the pieces of your life were finally back together.

[the-shadow-of-atlantis]

Truth in Blood (Part 4)

Summary: Not wanting to focus on what happened Annabella decides to keep herself busy.

Tagging: @lizartgurl @thespacebuns @melyaliz @coffee-randomness @speedypan @gobydana

A/N Special thanks to @thespacebuns and @coffee-randomness for helping me with this chapter

Read Earlier Parts Here

Sunlight poured into the room making Annabella groan as it hit her in the face. Rubbing her eyes she shifted in the bed turning her back from the direction the light was coming in from and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket. Her eyes slowly opened feeling heavy from crying, the numbness hadn’t gone away making her want to just lay in bed. It had been a long time since she felt like this, her face fell as she remembered the days the followed Jason’s funeral. Shaking her head she forced herself to get up.

Get your stuff organized first, she thought. Nodding to herself she got off the bed and grabbed her bag. There was one dresser in the room and Annabella organized her clothes, she had enough for three nights and wondered if she would be allowed to stay that long.

“Oh great.” Annabella muttered to herself as she dug through her bag.

Out of everything she could have forgotten how did she forget to pack her brush?? She looked up and caught her reflection in the mirror and saw her hair looking like a lion's mane. She glared at her self a bit before sighing well looks like she was just going to have to buy herself a new one. Along with a charger because apparently she forgot that too.

Great. She paused as she noticed something in her bag that she definitely did not pack, reaching in she grabbed the small wooden box that made her leave her home in the first place and glared at it. What the hell was this doing in here? Then she wondered if it was somehow like those type of magic items that you could never lose once it was bonded to you. Great that was going to be annoying.

Annabella felt her stomach growl and slightly jumped. How long had she been asleep? Better question, how long had it been since she ate? She tossed the box back in her bag and organized the last of her stuff then turned to walk out the door but noticed a small slip of paper on the ground.

Annabella,

There was a league emergency, I did not want to wake you. You are free to do what you wish, if you have to leave there is a spare key in a small drawer in the kitchen.

Kaldur

Annabella stared at the note for a bit feeling slightly jealous at his penmanship, she put it on top of the dresser and walked out. She looked around the small house on her way to the kitchen, she had only been here once which was during Kaldur housewarming party. It really hadn’t changed much, the pale blue walls were pretty bare, the living room had one couch and a recliner, a small coffee table, a small flat screen tv hung from the wall with a small media stand underneath it filled with little knick knacks that upon closer inspection Annabella realized they were the little stuff she would bring back from her trips.

She looked at the mantel over the fireplace and saw it had some picture frames, she smiled as she remembered some of them. A group picture of the team from their first year. A picture of Kaldur with his surface grandparents during Christmas wearing matching sweaters. Another group picture of Kaldur with his friends from Atlantis that had come to the beach of Happy Harbor one day, that water volleyball game had been very intense. One picture Annabella never realized he had was one of her helping the little sea turtles go back into the ocean Kaldur was standing next to her in the picture smiling in the direction of the ocean. She sighed as she thought how simple life had been just a few years ago, turning away she finally went into the kitchen.

The fridge was also a bit bare, a small carton of eggs, a couple jugs of water, some butter and bread. The sight was a bit sad. However when she checked the pantry Annabella almost cringed and the amount of canned food and fruits quickly checking the freezer she found it was also stacked with microwavable meals. Suddenly Annabella began to wonder just how long Kaldur tended to stay in his own house or better yet how often he visited it.

After checking to make sure the eggs and bread were good she made herself a small breakfast and inspected the furniture. There was just a small layer of dust. Taking a deep breath she looked around munching on her toast. The little Alfred in her head seemed to be screaming at her to help and Annabella had to admit she was tempted.

“Well… he did say I could do anything.” She mumbled to herself.

Nodding she scarfed down the rest of her food quickly washed the plate and went up to her assigned room to change. She did her best to comb her hair with her fingers and knotted it together to keep it out of her face. She found the spare house key and attached it to her car keys. She got into her car and drove off.

It had taken her moment to realize where she was people more than likely didn’t recognize her. So shopping was pretty fun, until the cart started getting full and she began wondering how much she was going to have to pay for it all. She only kept so much in cash because even though she could defend herself she also made it a point to not carry too much to draw attention. Biting her lip she decided to take a gamble on using one of her cards after all Kaldur wasn’t the only one from the team who lived in Happy Harbor she could possibly be staying with, she also hoped her father had the decency not to track her but that was a stretch. Making a mental note to take a page from Question and open up several accounts that couldn’t be linked to her she paid for the groceries and headed back to the house.

When she came back she was a bit glad that Kaldur had apparently still hadn’t come home yet. She was wondering how she was going to explain the giant haul of groceries and cleaning products. She had to make several trips from her car to the kitchen. Once everything was organized she got to work on cooking. She had all four stove tops occupied and had the TV blaring music as she bobbed her head mixing the food together. Soon the entire fridge was now stacked with containers of home cooked meals that Kaldur could easily heat. Good, now onto the cleaning.

Luckily the house was small, also like she noticed earlier the only thing the house really needed was dusting. She figured she was the first one to use the guest bathroom since the shower did look fairly clean still she figured it couldn’t hurt to disinfect it. The guest room she stayed in was easy since there was basically only two pieces of furniture it made her wonder how Kaldurs room looked like but she resisted the urge to go in. Besides she figured it would more than likely look like his old one from the cave, bedsheets so tight you could bounce quarters and drawers with his clothes color coordinated. When she moved into the living room she smiled as she cleaned the media center remembering the times she had gifted some of the small knick knacks.

Then a thought slowly dawned on her as she polished a small stone pyramid, she remembered some of these from his room in the cave, but if that was the case were these salvaged from the wreckage? No they couldn’t be they still looked like new, except for the dust, but then did that mean he take them with him when he went undercover? Or did he put them somewhere for safe keeping? She tried to remember if she ever went into his room after it was discovered he left to ‘join’ his father but no memory came to mind. Then another thought came to her, is that why she came all the way here to see him? Because he’s been through something similar? Being lied to about a dangerous parent. She shook her head trying not to focus on it too much on it.

“Just keep going.” She muttered to herself. “You’re almost done.”

“Well that was fun.” She mumbled when she finally finished and plopped herself on the sofa as she adjusted herself and frowned when she felt something poking her side.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys.

“What the?” She mumbled as she looked at the keychain.

A piece of it had come off and was exposing what seemed to be an end of a flash drive. Annabella sat up looking at it, she knew Question always kept this keychain on. She never realized it would have doubled as a flash drive then again he was full of surprises. Was this flash drive for her? If not what was on it? But then again her dad did say Vic wanted to leave the car to her. And she knew there was a laptop in there.

Getting up she went outside and rummaged through her car finally finding the hidden laptop. She went into her room and turned the laptop on. She looked over the laptop which was basically wiped clean of any files though it had some cool features, it reminded her of a smaller batcomputer possibly even better. She fidgeted with the flash drive finally caving and inserted it. She clicked on the little file when it popped up and saw that it was filled.

“Geez what the hell?” Annabella muttered as she scrolled through the list.

Well just click on the first one and see what happens, she thought as she clicked on it and a video popped up. She blinked when she saw Vics face staring at her, his real face, his brown eyes tired, his red hair thinning. Slowly she pressed play.

“Well like every cliche way videos like this start I’m going to go with if you’re watching this them I’m guessing the cancer has finally kicked my ass and its your birthday. You’re dad must’ve given you the car that’s good hope you’re still enjoying it, you always did like that car.” Vic smiled and Annabella stared at the video in shock.

“It must be your 17th birthday, which means you must’ve found out the truth about who you are. Trust me I’ve tried telling you many times but something seemed to keep hold me back, remember our deal no secrets between us. I figured your dad must’ve done something from making others tell you, so I gathered what I could on your mother, figured they would tell you about her but not everything. For now in this video I’ll tell you the basics, after that you can look through the files yourself.” Vic paused and coughed.

“Sorry about that, this shits getting worse. Anyway, your mother, I know you know she use to be an actress, that she stopped working after time and went dark till she showed up when you were 7 and tried to kidnap you. I’m guessing you know about your magic now and how it works. Well after you were born your mother tried her best to get her magic back. She joined cults made deals with some unpleasant people anything she could to get a small taste of her magic back. She managed to achieve her goal but it never seemed to last long. Eventually she began betraying those who helped her.” Victor paused and sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

“Your mother is dangerous Annabella, she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants, and with her options being so limited I think you might be her next target when you discover your magic. You’ll need to prepare and as upset as you are you need to speak with your grandmother she can guide you, help you. I’m sorry I’m not there to help you myself I wish I could have told you all of this in person. No more secrets Annabella it's time for you to learn the truth, to learn everything, no matter how bad those things are.” Vic smiled sadly at the camera suddenly there was a knock and Annabella looked up confused till she realized it was coming from the laptop.

“Q you in here? Are you feeling okay for training.” Annabella’s voice came from the screen.

“Come in Shadow.” Vic called out and the screen went black.

Annabella blinked as she stared at the blank screen trying to process what her dead mentor left behind for her. Seriously what was up with all these hidden gifts being left behind by the dead??? She shook her head and closed the video the little arrow hovered over the next file and Annabella bit her lip nervously, then she clicked it.

She wasn’t sure how long she spent looking through all the files. So much stuff that her mother did, the horror, the betrayal, so much death and destruction. And for what? Just so she could use her magic again? There was a knock at the door and Annabella jumped.

“Annabella? Are you in here?” Kaldurs voice came through.

“Um yeah.” Annabella rubbed her eyes and closed the laptop. She got up and opened the door. “I was just checking my emails.”

“I am sorry I was gone for so long the emergency took much longer to handle than it should have. I was not sure if you have had dinner yet and was wondering if you’d like to join me.” Kaldur paused as he studied her and she slowly felt worry begin creeping off of him and wrapping around her. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Annabella rubbed her eyes. “Sorry, I’ve been staring at the computer for a long time. I’ll um I’ll be down in a bit.”

Kaldur seemed uncertain but slowly nodded his head and walked away. Annabella closed the door and sighed her head swarmed with the information dump it just received. She rubbed her temples as she tried to calm herself. When she looked up she noticed her bag and frowned. She was pretty sure the box inside was mocking her, but then again, Vic did say she was going to need to talk to her grandmother again. Feeling her stomach growl she sighed. Later, she decided, first she was going to have food… and then explain to Kaldur why his fridge was suddenly full of Tupperware.

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[jessi-novel-idea]

The Family Business: Chapter Three - Cardboard Jungle

Description: Jax Teller’s sister makes an unexpected return, will she be able to settle back into the life or will it all be too much?

Warnings: language, not really anything too bad (just a little fluff)

Word Count: 2,723

I woke to the obnoxious sound of my alarm and I all I really wanted to do was throw it at the wall and go back to sleep. 6:00am came too damn early. As I rolled out of bed I stretch and began to get ready for my first full day at work. I really hope today isn't just going to be intern shit, I have had too many years of that. It was inevitable though having to start at the bottom and work your way up, but a woman in Charming surrounded by the men in the DA's office was going to be a long journey to the top. I guess you can say I am a competitive person (not surprising given my family tree). In the Teller family you have to be competitive to stay alive, honestly it is just my mother's influence coming out in me, which is truly unfortunate.

As I pulled into the parking lot at work and gathered my bags, I took a deep breath and headed into the courthouse.

When I got inside the guard standing at the metal detector handed me a name badge as I walked through. He was a tall guy, about 6 foot and muscular, with bright blue eyes. "Have a good first day Ms. Teller."

"Thank you, Mr. Miller" I responded taking my name badge and reading his.

"Call me Danny!" He said with a smile

"Well Danny, I'm Jenna, have a great day" I smiled back at him.

As I continued my journey through the courthouse to my office I started getting nervous. What if they don't like me? What if I mess up? Maybe I'm not ready for this? By the time I fought all those thoughts I had reached the door and turned the handle and entered and was immediately greeted by Wes.

"Good morning Miss. Teller, ready to start?"

"I think so..." I said following him to a desk and trying to sound as confident as possible, I am assuming it was mine giving the fact it is in the corner next to the storage room where they filled all old cases.

"Here is you work space, the first thing I want you to work on is familiarizing yourself with the cases this department has had in the last month and any open cases we are working on, that way you can see the work we do here in the Charming DA's office and the way we like to handle our cases and clients. Any questions?"

"Not that I can think of." I responded thinking of how fun this was going to be, while trying not to roll my eyes at him.

The first hour or so went by fast because I began moving the boxes around in the storage room and tried to get it all organized. Just when I got started pulling cases from second box when I heard my phone vibrate on my desk. Looking down at my phone I noticed I had a text from I number I didn’t recognize.

XXX-XXX-XXXX: Hey Jen its Op, this is my new burner. I was wondering if we could talk about last night?

Me: I am at work right now Op, but we can talk later if you want to meet after I get off?

Op: Of course…are we still going to storage and furniture shopping?

Me: Yep, if you are still up for it

Op: I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to spend the afternoon with you. How is your first full day anyway?

Me: Boring, I am stuck reading old files. Same shit I did in while I was in school.

Op: I'm sorry love, but I will let you get back to work… I will see you at 5.

Love? That's a new one even for Opie I am usually sweetheart or darlin’.

The rest of the day drug on, they had a welcome lunch with the judges and attorneys in the building to let me meet all of them, which was painfully awkward considering a couple of them knew me and my family for our not so law-abiding ways. No one asked questions though so that was a plus, I don’t like explaining the family business to people in the justice system.

As I walked out to meet Opie in the parking lot I was surrounded by the other people from my office, but I still said a goodbye to Danny and told him to have a goodnight and he returned the statement. I was the only one to acknowledge his presence though, typical. Some people experience a little bit of success and look down upon people who are different.  

As soon as I walked outside I saw Opie leaning against his bike in the fire lane. He had his cut on and his beanie, his usual look, but I would never complain, because damn he could pull off that look. He smiled at me as I turned to say goodbye to my co-workers, all of which were staring at him like he was the worst person in the world. So damn judgmental, but they probably only see the cut and they don't understand it. Definitely going to be questions about this tomorrow, questions I plan on dodging, because it isn’t really any of their business.

I was greeted by a big hug and an Opie Winston classic smile. "Hey, you ready to go?"

"Yes, very ready." I replied

"Hop on!" He said patting the seat behind him

"I can't ride in this skirt and these heels, I need to change. Plus, I thought you were going to bring your truck? We can go to my hotel and get my stuff, change and drop my car off and head to get your truck, what do you think?"

"I got caught up at TM and didn't have time to run home to get it. But, that sounds good to me, I follow you to your hotel to make sure you are okay."

All I could do is flash him a smile and turned toward my car so he couldn’t see the blush that appear just by his simple statement to make sure I was okay.

I walked across the lot to my car, put my bags in the backseat and climbed in bringing the engine to life. As I drove to the hotel I couldn't help but let my mind race to what I thought Opie would say about last night. A part of me wanted him to be happy about it and the other part was telling me I am crazy and I need to think about Donna and his kids in this situation. I couldn’t be selfish.

When I pulled into the hotel parking lot Opie sped up to park before me and was getting off his bike and he walked over and opened my door, such a gentleman. We were silent as he followed me up to my room. He finally broke the silence once we got in the room and he shut the door.

"Wow, this is a nice place."

"Yeah, it has served my purpose, but I can't wait to be in my own place tonight." I said walking over to my bag down. I walked over to the dresser and pulled out some clothes to change into. Opie had taken a seat at the end of the bed watching me intently.

I walked over to the bathroom to change. I was so glad to get out of these business clothes.

Opie's POV:

I don't think Jenna knows that I can see her right now in the mirror across from the bathroom, and I know I should say something but I love this view. When she slides her skirt down and steps out of it she is left in a matching lace bra and thong set and DAMN she is still smoking hot. When she bends over again to slide the yoga pants on I realize there is an awkward tightness beginning in my jeans.

Shit…OMG… what am I doing, I am a married man and I love Donna. But this is Jenna it is different, no its not, yes, it is I have loved her since I was 15…I continue this debate until I hear her say something, but I didn't know what she said.

"I'm sorry, what’d you say," I say back in her direction, trying to distract myself.

"You said you wanted to talk about last night? What's on your mind?" She asked coming around the corner. Even though she is just in casual clothes I find myself admiring how the clothes hug her curves.

"Oh...umm yeah I'm sorry about the…umm…kiss" I finally stuttered out.

"Sorry? There is nothing to be sorry about, if anything I should apologize to you" she said giving me a quizzical look.

"I just feel so comfortable with you, I can tell you anything and when you gave me that money and I didn't know how to thank you so I kissed you," I admitted

"I feel comfortable with you too. That thank you was certainly enough," she said giving me a smirk.

"Ready to go drop your car off at your apartment?" I asked assuming she was given she had packed up everything.

"Yeah" she said reaching for her bags, but I beat her to it and grabbed her bags as I followed her down to the lobby.

Jenna's POV:

Once we got to my apartment building, Opie carried my bags up and jokingly picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder and carried me back down to his bike.

"Put me down," I yelled, hitting him lightly on the back.

"Yes, your majesty," he said like a smartass as he put me down. I just playfully nudged him slightly.

I hopped on the back of his bike and hugged tight to him as we drove off to his house to get his truck.

When we pulled in the driveway, Donna was walking outside, she must have heard the bike roar as we made the turn onto his street.

"Hey Donna, how are you?" I asked stepping off the bike.

"Pretty good, glad to see you, you look great," she said hugging me.

"Thanks, where are the kiddos?" I said looking around

"With some friends from school."

"Cool, would you mind if I borrowed Op for a little bit to help me move some boxes into my apartment?"

"That's fine with me," she said kissing Opie on the cheek "Oh and Jenna.... Thank you for the money, it means a lot."

"You are welcome, it’s nothing, just let me know how I can help y'all. You guys are family" I said climbing into the truck with Op. We waved to Donna as we backed out of the driveway.

"Jax is at TM we can go pick him up now." Opie said staring out the windshield.

"Okay, I will give him a call to see if he still wants to go."

"I am sure he will, he needs a break from your mom she is driving him crazy about what to get you for your house and what to get for Abel’s nursery" he said laughing.

"My mom does have a way with driving people crazy,” I said with a laugh “But in all honesty, kitchen stuff would be nice, because I literally have nothing."

"Ok, I will inform Gemma."  He said with a smirk.

The rest of the ride to TM was quiet, but that was fine I was enjoying just being in his company.

We picked up Jax and headed to the storage unit. When we got there and opened the door, we saw the stacks of boxes and other junk mom had kept through the years.

Jax grabbed what he needed for Abel and I grabbed the few boxes of stuff I had from before I left. When I had put my last box in the back of Op's truck, Jax came over with a box with our dad's name on it. It appeared to be old pictures and old Harley manuals, nothing I am interested in. Jax however loved it.

We left the storage unit and headed to the furniture store where I quickly found a living room and bedroom set that I loved and bought. I think Jax and Opie were mad that I picked the pieces I did…they kept complaining that I bought the heaviest furniture in the store.

By the time we had finished unloading everything it was 8 o'clock and I bought them dinner at the diner on the corner to thank them. When we finished eating and walked back outside I saw Tara pull up to the curb to get Jax. Didn't know they were getting close again.  

"She is taking me to see Abel," he said after looking my way, where I am sure I had quite the facial expression.

I said goodbye to Jax as he drove off with her, wow I still really hate her. After all these years you would have thought I would have gotten over her breaking Jax’s heart, but I guess not. If we are being honest I will probably never get over that.  

Opie walked me back to my apartment and I asked him to come up. When we got back into the apartment he walked over and started assembling my bed.

"Hey, you don't have to do that. I am fully capable." I said waving the screwdriver he needed at him.

"Oh, I know you are, but I don't want to leave you yet," he admitted looking up at me, but not making eye contact. I know I turned red because I got butterflies in my stomach at the thought of him wanting to spend more time with me. All I could do was smile and go back to unpacking some boxes.

Another hour went by and Op had the bed put together and put on the sheets and comforter, so sweet. That is when he walked over and grabbed my face and kissed me again. I was stunned.  

"What was that for?" I questioned, completely shocked

"It was a goodnight kiss, you deserve it and you look so beautiful and I have been wanting to do that since I saw you walk out of the courthouse earlier."

"Thanks for all your help today, I really appreciate it." I blushed not being able to look him in the eye.

"No problem, I would do anything for you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know" walking over to my bed and sitting down. That was an odd question. Of course I know he would do anything for me.  

"Well good. I better go though Donna will have my ass if I am too late getting home. I will talk to you tomorrow. Have a great day at work Jen." he said walking over and giving me another kiss on the forehead

"You to Op, be careful going home."

"Always am, love.” He said with a wink.

I closed the door behind him and changed into my pjs and got ready for bed. When I got settled into bed my phone notified me that I had a message.

Op:I made it home; I had a great time today.

Me:Me too, thanks for all your help.

Op: No problem, sweet dreams :)

Me: Night Opie :)

I typed, "Love you" in a new message to him but quickly deleted it. What was I doing, I can't do that to Donna or his kids. We always want what we can’t have, at least that is what they say.

Well this is the first night in my apartment…all alone, before Opie left he made sure I had a gun in the top drawer of my side table and that my bed faced the door. Things that I would have done anyway considering my upbringing. I am honestly surprised that Jax and him didn't make the prospect come guard the door, until we all got use to me being here on my own. But, I am a big girl I can do this, even though I am a little jumpy anytime I hear a noise.  

I checked my alarm one more time before laying my phone on my side table, rolling over and drifting off to sleep.

[awfully-sadistic]

Week 1: Oct 3rd

The Adventures of Dottie and Dodger A series of linear prompt one-shots.

By now, I know this has gotten too ambitious. But I’m stubborn and I want to see my dreams realized.

“Are you guys almost done?” Dot called out over her shoulder in the middle of shutting her suitcase. It was the ungodly hour of seven in the morning and due to Stephen Strange, and Stephen Strange only, she found herself up at the ass crack of dawn so they could hit the road. Whitecrest wasn’t far from Ashbourne as she had told Doctor Strange yesterday; it was a three-hour drive to Whitecrest if traffic was good and a two hour drive back.

She took another look around the space to see if she was missing anything. The office space was looking more and more like home. Dot figured that was a good thing considering she might be spending more time at work than home, it should feel comfortable enough to be a second one.

After Stephen’s visit yesterday, Dot went through the office space and all of its furniture to see if they could find a nice armchair for him in case he visited again. She didn’t know why but a good armchair just seemed to suit him. She managed to find one that passed her inspection and set up a nice little seating area near a wide window with a nice view out towards the city. She had Dodger push over a couch, a coffee table, and threw a nice rug on the ground to finish off the area. She hated open spaces so the office was beginning to reflect that.

Past the receptionist area was the main assembly of cubicles and desks. They still didn’t need that many but it didn’t make the room look empty so it stayed. The breakroom consisted of a room with a functional kitchen that hooked the corner as soon as you entered the main office space, which Dot has been fond of calling The Pen just like in a police station. She had no idea what else to call it and she wasn’t going to refer to it as “the big space with all the desks” so The Pen it stayed. Surrounding The Pen were varying office rooms. If The Pen was a square, the office rooms starting from the breakroom corralled it in. There was a hallway in the back that led into a storage room and a men’s and women’s bathroom.

Tucked in the corner behind the Receptionist area was the spot with the seating area she hoped to one day serve tea or coffee like a fancy person to Doctor Strange.

Or any other guest, she supposed. She knew fuck all of what to do with the other rooms but it’d come to her and Dodger when the time came. There was still a huge ass room across from where she stored her clothes she didn’t know what to do with, either. Maybe she could convert a couple of rooms into sleeping spaces if they were going to pull all-nighters but the thought of having to drag beds into the office just worn her out.

It was a good thing Dodger could carry shit the size of an elephant.

“We’re finished!” Armand called from beyond The Pen. He came out of Dot’s closet space wearing what looked like one of her outfits. He even had a little suitcase in his hand. Dot did a double take before laughing.

Armand was wearing what looked like one of her sundresses with a matching sunhat. She hasn’t worn that outfit in ages and it was only for an afternoon Derby she and Dodger had been undercover for as the jockeys claimed their stables were being haunted. The case required the both of them to infiltrate an exclusive club and they had to look the part. Dot didn’t own anything stuffy nor appropriate enough to match the Derby’s dress code so she went out and bought a floral-printed, faded yellow sundress and a big, floppy bowknot sunhat with sandals. It was partly a joke, when was Dot ever going to wear something like this out and about normally?

Apparently Armand didn’t have to wonder the circumstances. He stopped in front of Dot and when he beamed, it seemed to radiate like sunshine. He seemed proud as he declared, “Look, I dressed up as you.”

His waif-like appearance and androgynous features made it uncertain whether Armand had masculine features whatsoever as Dot studied him. It was harder to tell since he wore his hair long and it looked as soft as silk and flowed just as easily. His limbs were long and delicate looking but his hands were masculine. But his broad shoulders and narrow hips also hinted that he wasn’t entirely feminine after all. The sundress was a little short on him and that was expected since he was taller than Dot. He didn’t seem to mind, though.

“You really did,” Dot smiled as her giggles died down. “you look great, honey. Do you like the dress?”

“It’s really nice. And when I twirl, it tickles my legs.” he said, doing just that. Dot had to laugh again then gestured at the suitcase. She had an idea but she wanted to ask anyway since Armand didn’t really have a wardrobe to call his own.

“What’s in there?”

“I hope you don’t mind but I borrowed another outfit.”

Dot could feel her smile widening. She was possessive as hell especially over her clothes but she found that she didn’t mind one bit that Armand wanted to wear any of her stuff. In fact, she felt proud and a sensation that was like watching a child trying on their mommy’s clothes.

“That’s absolutely okay. If you want to borrow anything else, feel free. I’ll bring more stuff from my closet so you always have new stuff to rotate.”

Armand’s smile brightened just as Dot’s, the two already knowing they were going to make a thing out of sharing Dot’s wardrobe.

“Why are you two looking at each other like that?” Dodger asked, interrupting their moment. He had finally finished packing. Since his wardrobe was at home, he was tasked with packing the equipment they might need to help them with their case.

“Just wondering when you were going to get your slowpoke butt in gear,” Dot teased. “Are you ready?”

Dodger nodded lifting up the two items he had in his hand; they were hard-case briefcases specially made to carry their equipment so it wouldn’t get damaged when they traveled. Dot nodded in approval as soon as she noted them and gestured with her head, grabbing her own suitcase.

“Let’s head out, loves.”

Armand gently took Dot’s suitcase from her hand as she turned to lock the office doors as soon as they were outside. When she turned to take it back, she saw that Armand was already helping Dodger put everything in the trunk of their “company” car; a Hummer H3 the color of royal purple with black accents Dot affectionately calls Leviathan. She smiled at the scene before tacking up their “OUT OF THE OFFICE” sign on the door just in case they get another prospective client. It was a simple form telling anyone that they’d be back later in the evening and if they wanted, they could leave their name and number and someone would get to them as soon as they returned.

The trip to Whitecrest was as expected; traffic was condensed in the city as people were on their way to work. The further out they got, it became sparse and Dot was allowed to drive as far as her foot can go down on the gas. Dodger eased her back to a reasonable speed before she would slowly start to overtake cars again and eventually he gave up.

Armand paid special attention to the scenery and Dot had to wonder if it was the first time he was seeing any of this stuff. He seemed entranced by everything he was witnessing unable to tear his gaze away from the window. He asked questions about nearly everything and Dot was glad Dodger had someone to impress with his wealth of knowledge because she sure as fuck didn’t know half the time. Dodger spouted off information about the trees they were seeing as the concrete of a bigger city with its skyscrapers bled into trees just as tall. It was wilderness now and despite it crawling towards ten in the morning, the trees casted shade that made it seem like late in the afternoon. Once Armand’s questions died down, the silence was replaced with Dot’s music; her iPod the DJ of choice whenever they made long trips.

When they finally arrived to Whitecrest, they knew it instantly.

“Why the fuck is there water everywhere?” Dot asked, glad that her H3 was an off-road vehicle. She knew Whitecrest was categorized as “different” since the Great War but she didn’t expect there to be this much of a difference from a three-hour trip out of town. The entire area was a marshland and she had no idea. Trees were now overhead and plenty casting the region in a perpetual state of gloom. Dot had to turn her headlights on in order to see in front of her. Apparently Whitecrest was a valley made up of rivers and ponds bordered by three sides of mountain. Dot had hoped that the road she was on was taking them to the town. It didn’t seem like the town even had the sense to pave it; she was driving on a dirt path now and it seemed like the only path she could take, the H3 rolling and bumping along as it ate up old waterlogged trunks that had fallen in the road.

Dodger had taken out his laptop and flipped it open. From the corner of her eye, she could see that he had changed his wallpaper to Dot and Armand standing in front of their new office building, posing as if it were a grand opening. So that was why he wanted to take a picture. Dot smiled before asking, “What are you doing, Dodge?”

“Looking up information about Whitecrest. In all the excitement from the Doctor’s visit, I forget to do it.”

Dot perked an eyebrow. Dodger never forgot to do anything related to accumulating new facts. Doctor Strange must have made a very good impression on him. She remained quiet and focused on steering the Hummer through the marshland while listening to Dodger’s fingers fly across the keys like its own musical orchestra. It had always impressed her that Dodger had designed their database filled to the brim with sprawling information from everything to articles to mundane tidbits from around the world and he was always filling it with something new he learned; information was literally quite at their fingertips aligned with as much as Dodger knew. Dot wagered it must be a lot. She had only skimmed the database herself able to find what she was looking for with just a simple phrase input through the search engine. Much like an iceberg, she knew there was more below the surface but she wasn’t that ambitious enough to make full use of the database. Not when Dodger did it himself.

Besides, it seemed complicated. Maybe sophisticated was a better word. She was afraid of touching something wrong and breaking the entire system. Dodger had reassured her many times that she could never break it, but for the most part, she entrusted him to do the fact checking. It made sense to her considering before they were partnered, he was doing the paperwork for the Agency.

It occurred to her that he must have learned a lot about their data system in order to create his own for their company. Yeah, sophisticated seemed the right word. Dodger’s system was a lot more sophisticated than the Agency’s. She wondered when they were going to realize the loss they took when Dodger went with her. Not that he’d want to go back.

Or like she’d give him back.

“The database states that Whitecrest was once a harbor city but has been flooded since the Great War.”

“D.I.D. has information about Whitecrest? When did you do this?”

“D.I.D.?”

“Uh, Dodger’s Information Database,” Dot laughed.

“I like it,” Dodger said before continuing, “Anyway, D.I.D. does have information on Whitecrest. I upgraded the system with a feature that implements the accumulation of articles around the internet by typing in a keyword. Pooled with the knowledge I had input from everything I have known and remembered as I’ve read it, it pulls every known article or piece of information based on the two worlds to structure the best article of information we might need to know if we’re going to be working on a case in an unknown area.”

Dot remained quiet for a moment, head turning over what she just took in. “So, it’s like Googling something.”

“Yes. But instead of pages of sites you have to wade through to get to the information you want, the algorithm I’ve developed pulls pertinent information from sites all over into a comprehensible guidebook. It’s sort of like a Wikipedia page but without the banner that’s asking you to donate every three months.”

“Is it reliable?”

“Naturally.” Dodger boasted. “The AI I’ve developed factchecks over everything, it’s 99% accurate. It’s what decides is pertinent to share and what’s useless information.”

“…You’ve developed an AI?”

“It’s not that hard. Especially after reverse engineering the Glass—”

“I’m not going to get into that right now. I don’t know this, I never will. I don’t even want to be a witness,” Dot shot before asking, “So it’s like a wiki page without room for human error is how I’m understanding this. That’s aside from the fact that’s where our records go from the cases we take from this point forward, right?”

Dodger made an affirmative hum, adding, “The beauty of it is that we add personal experiences to the areas we’ve been. Especially if we need to bring back a record of it as pristine as we’ve lived it. That’s why our reports of events are going to be important and it gets bolstered with the video we always take on our jobs. We won’t ever recall anything wrong though, with our memory combined, it’s already nearly impossible. It’s to reassure our clients, more or less.”

“The Agency’s never had anything like this.” Dot said with a sense of amazement.

“They never will.”

There was a moment of appreciative silence as both mull over the conversation. Dot’s head was still reeling with the improved search function, it was about the only thing she used on D.I.D.. She couldn’t believe Dodger felt the need to upgrade it, now she was going to feel like she was going to break that, too.

The silence was broken when Armand spoke up. “I’ll admit. I have no idea what you two are talking about.”

Dot laughed. “Sorry, hon. It’s alright. Just computer stuff. Dodger’s still teaching you how to use one, right? Especially since you’re going to be our receptionist?”

“Ah!” Armand sounded cheerful, “yes, he’s been teaching me. The both of them! The man in the computer is really helpful.”

Dodger turned to explain as Dot gave him a puzzled look, “My attendant director is going to be his assistant so he’ll have an easier time. You know, the AI I was telling you about.”

“Your fucking—” Dot still couldn’t wrap her head around it. “Attendant director?”

“He helps me with stuff.” Dodger said. “Think of him as the head butler of D.I.D.”

Dot laughed before she got excited, “Oh! Oh! DAD. Call him D.A.D. Dodger’s Attendant Director.”

“You’re pretty good at that,” Dodger chuckled in appreciation. “right on the nose with acronyms. D.A.D. it is.”

“Well, if I couldn’t hack it as an agent at the Agency or a Private Investigator, I would have had a lucrative job as a writer. It was my dream, you know.” Dot divulged. She missed the surprised look Dodger gave her before he turned to his laptop to write something down.

After he was done, he picked up on the line he had been reading before. “As I was saying about Whitecrest, the former successful harbor town was just one of the many causalities of the Great War. A Glassing attempt was made on the city which contributes to its change today.”

“What’s Glassing?” Armand asked from the backseat.

“Glassing is a term attributed to the terrain change caused by the Dovirs. It wasn’t enough that the Alien fleet was trying to annihilate us or use us in their war, but they were trying to alter the terrain by bombarding it with their alien weaponry. It’s unclear what they used or what procedures consists of Glassing as it took place primarily in orbit. As you can imagine, Human and Supernatural settlements alike had no way of defending against such a devastating attack.”

“That’s so terrible. So many people must have died…” Armand sounded sad and Dot had a hard time trying to focus on the road. She wanted to tell Dodger to switch to something lighter but she needed to know this too.

“It’s alright, love. As you can see, Whitecrest is still here.” She held off on adding the sarcastic remark about as much as it could be, half-sunken in the sea. She couldn’t help but point out something tragic as the realization came to her. “Glassing happened all over, right? I never knew Whitecrest was one of the places that had been targeted. We were so close. It could have been Ashbourne.”

“Rest assured, this took place hundred and hundreds of years ago,” Dodger said, looking at Armand and then at Dot. “Whitecrest came out of it as many other settlements that were dire victims of Glassing.”

Dot noticed he didn’t mention the ones who didn’t. But then again, he didn’t need to as the air hung heavy with the unsaid. Dot cleared her throat and asked Dodger to continue with the history of Whitecrest. He did.

“Since then, the harbor has experienced strange phenomena with the ocean.” Dodger paused as he added his own input. “Which isn’t unusual now. Since the introduction of Glassing to our planet, it’s changed the shift of the oceans. Nowadays, we experience quite the odd assortment of weather on seas. Weather patterns are more extreme and just a few years ago, the Agency were able to prove the existence of Sea Monsters. Apparently, they were woken up by the Great War and haven’t went back to bed since.”

“Apparently the Dovirs have never heard of the expression of letting sleeping dogs lie,” Dot said dryly.

“I thought they were Sea Monsters.” Armand said, sounding confused.

Dot laughed, “It’s a saying, sweetheart. It means to leave things as they are.”

Armand then asked, “Why did it take the Agency so long to verify the existence of Sea Monsters?”

“Good question,” Dot smiled. “I’ll answer this one, Dodge. You see, Armand, Jr. The sea is a huge and vast place. Our planet is mostly made up of water. Long ago, I think the verified percentage was 71%. Now, it’s 77%. It rose a little but that little is a lot. It’s unclear what exactly changed but a lot suspect Glassing and that tear that connects us with 616 did a lot to shift our world. With our planet being mostly water, that gives these Sea Monsters a lot of room to hide. Not just to hide but live; the ocean is incredibly deep. It’s like a whole other world under there. I guess, one day, like the rest of the Supernaturals, the Sea Monsters decided they didn’t just want to hunt in their own territory but make the entire sea theirs, too. Last I remember, the Agency wasn’t even sure how many species of Sea Monster there were and how big they can get. One day, I think that’s going to bite us in the ass.”

“That’s… so terrifying.” Armand said, eyes round and complexion looking a lot pale than normal. Dot thought it was adorable; not scaring him but that fact that Armand gets scared even though he could phase through bodily harm. She nodded in agreement.

“It’s a fascinating subject.” Dot admitted. “The ocean is so amazing.”

It was around this time Dodger figured there wasn’t any more information they’d need about the town since they were so close to it anyway. They could see the top of a building with a roof that looked built with clay shingles. There was a slight tower that pushed past the cacophony of trees but didn’t look like it’d stay that way for long. Give or take a few more years and that too would be covered one day. Dot pulled the H3 on a patch of dry land; she wasn’t about to step out into the mud.

From what she could see, the town wasn’t very large at all. It seemed to be all condensed in a town square, flooded to the ankle with water that was coming in from the sea. She made a face as she opened her door. “I hope to god we’re not stuck wading around in water all day…”

“It looks that way,” Dodger answered, opening his.

The area they parked was a safe haven of dry spots. Out in the open, they could see that there were few safe havens but trees mostly took up the space. Old houses and establishments were flooded as far as the eye can see but that didn’t seem to bother anybody in town. It was still morning so they didn’t see a lot of people out and about, but who they could see were either inside or sitting in rowboats that littered the square.

“Are people living in some of those rowboats?” Dot whispered, not wanting to make a bad impression. She learned quickly that you can say what you want to say out loud but if you start insulting anyone, it gets hard to get information out of them. For the most part, she made snide comments to Dodger and that seemed to satisfy her enough without compromising anything.

“It seems so.” Dodger said with a stoic mask slipped into place. Dot was amazed how he could look like he passed no judgement on anyone. But she could feel the cautious energy on him. He turned to Armand, mentioning, “You might want to change your shoes, lass.”

Armand took a sweeping look around after coming around from Dot’s side. His face fell. “Oh yeah. I don’t want to walk on that.” then he asked, “What if I hover?”

“That’d be suspicious.” Dodger answered. “We don’t want to spook anyone immediately.”

“Sorry, love. I’d feel better if you wore something to cover your feet, too.” Dot knew it was silly to fret about a ghost feeling cold or getting its feet wet but Armand didn’t fall in the umbrella of indifference now. She felt responsible for him and wanted to make sure he was taken care of.

The trio went to the back of the truck and started to unload. Dodger gathered the equipment with the spare suitcases they were going to check into the inn. He carried it like it was nothing. That was okay with Dot because it gave her the time to suit Armand with some boots; she kept a spare on hand in the back, somewhere, and while Armand was seated on the trunk bed, she changed his shoes for him.

“Did you want to keep your dress on?” she asked, wondering if it was a good call. There was no telling what this case might entail. Armand seemed to have the same thought.

“I should change, huh?”

“That’s fine. You can just wear a pair of leggings underneath,” Dot smiled. “I have those in spare, too.”

That seemed to light Armand up and it was decided. He had to take his boots off again but once he slipped into a pair of Dot’s leggings, boots on, the look was complete. Sort of. Given all the shade, the place was especially chilly in the October air. She knew Armand could not feel the cold, corporeal or not, yet she still didn’t like that he looked cold. She tied a scarf around his neck and placed one of her light jackets over his shoulder. It was a little tight around the shoulders and sleeves, but otherwise, fit him well enough. He didn’t complain about it, either. In fact, he looked downright thrilled to be wearing more of Dot’s clothes.

“There, now you’re good.”

Armand surprised her by doing the same. “So you don’t get cold, unlike me.” he grabbed another light jacket and placed it around Dot’s shoulders, too, making sure to zip it up the front. Sometimes with him being so naïve, he caught her by surprise by being aware of things like this, too.

She smiled, a touch shy, and nodded. “Good, we’re both ready.”

“And Dodger?” Armand asked, turning to see for himself.

“I’m always dressed for cold weather,” he mentioned. True enough, he was already in a coat and actually wore some gloves. But Dot wasn’t surprised.

“He gets cold easily,” she explained.

Whitecrest looked incredibly soaked. Deeper within the town square, the ground could not be seen unless it were raised. Dirty sea water was kicked up by Dot, Dodger’s, and Armand’s trekking footsteps, the trio careful not to trip over anything unseen. Once or twice, Dot could make out small fishies swimming by and she couldn’t pick between an expression of surprise or disgust. Why did they insist on staying like this? It looked like they were keeping most of the water at bay by sandbags but wouldn’t it be easier to pack up and leave?

“I guess there’s a reason why no one mentions that Whitecrest is half sinking into the ocean,” Dot muttered, lifting her right knee and shaking her foot out. “I hate the feel of my socks getting wet. I swear, if I step on a frog out here, we’re leaving.”

“What are you going to tell Doctor Strange?” Dodger asked while lifting his own knees with every step he took. He had the sneaking suspicion that they were sinking along with the town.

Dot didn’t answer mainly because she couldn’t entertain the thought of letting down Stephen whatsoever. Instead, she muttered, “Shush.” And continued to lead the way towards the biggest building she thought was important. She had hoped it was the inn so they can drop their stuff off in what was hopefully a second story room.

Somebody coughed turning Dot’s attention to the right. There was a grizzled looking man about in his forties slumped against a wall of sandbags. He puttered in place for a while, his actions looking sluggish and uncoordinated. Clearly the man has had one too many but Dot couldn’t blame him if he lived around here.

“I’m going to ask him for directions,” Dot said, nodding her head towards the old man.

Dodger made a noise of protest. “He could be the town drunk for all we know.”

“That’s better than nothing which is all I’m seeing.” Dot indicated around. There wasn’t anybody else to ask. Dodger didn’t protest any further but he did take Dot’s back and stuck close. Armand seemed to have the same idea, flanking Dot’s other side. Dodger might have his hands full if the town drunk seemed violent.

“Sir?” Dot asked, leaning forward and tilting her head towards the man’s movements. As soon as he realized Dot was in front of him, he gave a start, muttering a muffled cry of an old man clutching his chest.

“Gave me a fright,” he replied with a tone like an old grandpa. Part of his speech was muffled by the striped yellow and brown scarf he had wrapped around his neck that partly covered his mouth. His wool coat was tattered and Dot wasn’t sure if his gloves were meant to be fingerless. “Are ya new here in town?” he asked, sizing the trio up.

“Yeah, we’re doing a favor for someone. But we want to check in at the inn first. Can you tell us where that is?”

The man extended a hand which pointed across the street. It was a two-story building with a blue shingled roof and an entrance way that didn’t even bother with a doorway. Dodger made a noise at the back of his throat that indicated he wasn’t happy with the look but he didn’t say anything else. Dot didn’t blame him.

“Thanks,” she smiled. She was about to usher the group towards the inn but had a thought, turning back around. “And do you know where we can find somebody named Fitzsimmons?”

“The name’s First-Mate Fitzsimmons.” He drawled.

“Excuse me?” Dot asked, leaning in as if she mistaken.

“First-Mate Fitzsimmons and ya found ‘im.” He said with a hiccup. Dot drew back at once as soon as the gnarly scent wafted in her nose. She resisted the heavy urge to curse and shame this guy before she felt Armand draw her back, guiding her by the shoulders to his side.

“Can I ask what ya want wi’ me?” he asked, having no indication with how close he brushed with death. Dot swallowed her disgust and launched into work mode.

“Like I said, we’re doing a favor for someone. As far as we were told, we were supposed to seek out this Fitzsimmons. And then I guess from there, we help…” Dot knew she fell flat at the end there. She didn’t know what else to say and she didn’t want to waste words with a man who was probably too drunk to comprehend what she was saying.

The man suddenly wailed and it looked like he was about to go off in a fit. “That’s me! I’m tellin’ ya that’s me!”

“That wasn’t the issue here,” Dot said through nearly clenched teeth. She took in a deep breath, safely away from the drunkard. “Can you tell us why we were directed to you? Were you the one who made the request to Doctor Stephen Strange? If you’re confused about why we’re here instead, I can reassure you we were entrusted this task by him personally.”

The man settled down, slumping against the sandbag wall and Dot thought he might have passed out on his feet. His head was ducked and his eyes were close and Dot wasn’t tempted to really check.

“I hope Doctor Strange didn’t get a bogus request.” Dodger murmured.

Armand was still adamant on keeping Dot at his side. But he was intently watching with curious eyes. Dot could bet this was a strange scene. But there was no one else on the street and this old bum seemed to be the client of their client. Poor Stephen. Well, poor them, now. She was about to nod off at the group to recollect at the inn when the old man started talking again. At first, she thought she was mistaken because the sound came as a low rumble that caught her attention just as she was about to suggest leaving. When she faced Fitzsimmons again, his head was still bowed but he was definitely speaking now.

“I was once First-Mate on the Ocean Spray. One of the most magnificent ships ya’d ever lay eyes on, proud of our vessel we were. We were part of the trading fleet of Whitecrest’s boomin’ business. The Doomed Fleet. Didn’t think we’d hit out last voyage, sunk out at sea while on duty. I was the sole survivor.” He moaned, lifting his head. His eyes were watery and Dot could tell there was real emotion behind them without having to read him. The sensation of sadness hit her like waves next and she wondered if the Ocean Spray was met with similar ones. She could feel a lump settle in her throat and she cleared it, trying to get a line on her own emotions. Grounding herself was a good way not to get swept up in the emotions of others but sometimes, people’s emotions got strong. Thankfully, because Fitzsimmons was drunk, his memory had to be cloudy enough to prevent him from recalling the memories in vividness.

Still, it was hard to tell what Fitzsimmons wanted and why Stephen Strange had been called out to this small, flooded town for something that didn’t seem important. She couldn’t guess he was called in to deal with drunks now.

“Well, I’m sorry for your loss but I’m not clear what you want.” Dot gingerly put before the moaning interrupted her.

“I canna go on! Not without me drink!”

Dot looked stumped before she realized he was withholding his story in order to get another fix. “The hell?” she asked, not bothering to keep up her polite demeanor; especially if anyone thought she could be used. “What does that have to do with your favor? You called us for help, right?”

Apparently beggars can be choosers as Fitzsimmons seemed to ignore what Dot said, moaning pitifully, “Bring me my mead, lass. It’s in the cellar of the tavern o’er yonder.” He pointed towards the building next to the inn. They followed his gesture discovering that much like the inn, the tavern also lacked a front door and was also flooded before turning their attention to Fitzsimmons again. “It was taken from me, I canna go there an’ retrieve it.”

“There’s a reason for that,” Dodger said dryly.

“It’ll probably calm him down.” Dot sighed. She was weighing the options over in her head and it didn’t seem like they’d get very far if they didn’t fulfill this stupid request. “I don’t see him telling us anything else unless we get him something to drink. Since we’re going to the inn anyway, we might as well stop by the tavern.”

Dodger didn’t argue with that. The trio moved away from Fitzsimmons who was trying to find a good spot to settle against the sandbags. There was no doubt he’d wait there for his drink.

The inn, lacking a door, looked much like the outside in terms of the flooding. Except, brightly lit, you could see the wooden flooring. Right upon entering, there was a long desk and a sleepy looking female clerk reading a newspaper as she sat in a chair. She had faded red hair done in a sloppy pinned up-do and wore clothes that looked too modern that matched with the town’s appearance. She looked to be as old as Fitzsimmons but the stern expression she had on her face made her look older. Whether she was short or the chair, it was hard to tell. Her head barely cleared the counter as Dot walked right up to it. She looked up, lowering her glasses to take a good look at the trio.

“Yes—"

Armand rang the little bell.

The clerk looked annoyed but Dot’s gaze dared her to say something about it. The clerk continued after deciding that it was best not to pick a fight with a mother hen, “Can I help you?” even her tone sounded stern.

“We’d like a room to store our items. Does it cost anything to use a room for a couple of hours?” Dot asked. She surely wasn’t going to let anyone stay the night. She was also apprehensive of the clerk’s answer considering the impression they made on her didn’t seem to be a good one. But she surprised them.

“For a couple of hours? Thirty-five bucks.”

Even so, Dot thought that was still pricy given the condition of the inn. And the town.

“We’ll take it,” Dot briskly said. If the clerk had any questions about them, she didn’t ask. She rang up the order and gave them a single key as soon as Dot paid with the company expenses. Of course, they didn’t take a card but it was a good thing Dot carried cash on her, too.

Dot looked down at the key in her palm. It wasn’t a hotel keycard, but a bona fide brass key. She didn’t think anyone gave out room keys like this anymore. In an automated world, it was something of a shock.

“Rooms are up top.” She indicated with a jerk of her head and went back to her newspaper. It was a painless transaction for the most part.

The rest of the space that consisted of the inn was scattered with a sitting area with couches and chairs and coffee tables that surprisingly looked dry in the middle of a flooded room. Dot still wouldn’t sit in them and she wouldn’t allow Dodger or Armand to either. Beyond the seating area were a set of stairs and that was where they headed, heavy wet footsteps landing on the first solid floor they saw since arriving. The stairs turned into a hallway, lit by candlelight and veering off into many rooms behind closed doors.

The number of their room was numbered on their key.

13.

Dot held it up with a laugh, “Bad omen?”

Dodger breathed out through his nose. “This entire town is a bad omen.”

Dot laughed. “Preach, honey.”

Dot opened the door and though it didn’t make sense was glad to see that it wasn’t flooded. The interior was decorated as any regular motel; two beds, a dresser, bathroom, and a desk. There didn’t seem to be a television or a closet but that was alright. They weren’t going to be needing anything to entertain themselves and they didn’t expect to fully unpack. Dot wanted to do the job and get out. The day was still young and who knew where this was going to lead them? Hopefully not the entire day.

Just in case, she’d have to inquire about extended time if that’s what it took.

Dodger put down the suitcases, “I’ll make a quick run next door and grab the drink.”

Dot nodded, “Alright. It doesn’t take all three of us to do that job. We’ll meet you at ol’ Mr. Drunky-McDrunkface.”

“I thought his name was Fitzsimmons.” Armand inquired with sincerity.

Dot placed a hand on his cheek. “Oh honey.”

“First-Mate Fitzsimmons,” Dodger corrected before he ducked out the door.

Dot shook her head and started to haul their equipment briefcases onto the bed. Opening with a click, the sophisticated equipment looked impressive enough that Dot refrained from touching them. Much like DID, Dot was afraid of touching something and fear that it would break. Dodger worked on these items himself and so often handled them that she’d feel incredibly bad if it fell from her hands. Of course, he always insisted they were durable and tested one by dropping it to the ground.

It succeeded in making her laugh and instilling a bit more confidence in allowing her to handle some of the meters and cameras. There was no telling what they were going to need here, so she left everything as it was. She was just double-checking over the inventory despite knowing Dodger was thorough in everything he did.

Armand sat on the other side of the bed, bringing his leg up and exhibiting a wet boot. “What a strange sensation. It’s really uncomfortable.”

“I know but I’d advise not to change your shoes yet, love.” Dot said. “We still have to go back out and talk to Fitzsimmons unless you’d rather wait in the room for us.”

There was nothing to do and she didn’t want to stick Armand by himself even if she allowed him to play with her laptop. She thought she’d offer in any case. She was relieved when Armand shook his head.

“I want to stay close to you guys.” He smiled.

“And we want you close.” Dot smiled in return. “Now, come on. Let’s go see if Fitzsimmons remembered to stay still.”

Armand waited as Dot locked the door to the room and kept the key in a safe place on her persons. There didn’t seem to be anymore takers at the inn, so she felt everything would be relatively safe. Leading Armand through the waterlogged inn and outside once more, she was pleased to see that Fitzsimmons was still at the same place he had been before.

Dodger met up with them a few moments later, holding a silver flask in his hand. Without a word, he handed it to Fitzsimmons who unscrewed the thing in a hurry and seemed to gulp down whatever was in it. It was like watching a man who had been dying of thirst.

“Ah! That hits the spot!” he belched which earned him a grossed look from Dot and a startled jump from Armand. “Now I can continue on wi’ me tale.”

“Please do,” Dodger said without humor.

Bolstered, Fitzsimmons seemed like a new man as he recounted the tale that couldn’t have gone on without his dumbass drink. “As I were sayin’ before, I’m the sole survivor of the Ocean Spray. About a year ago, there wus a terrible upheaval in the waters that sunk us, wrecked off the coast of Whitecrest. Ah, so close to ‘ome, we were!” he took in a shuddering breath and continued, “The entire thing was disaster. But not too soon after, I be hearin’ things. It’s th’ wind, they say but nay! I know. I know them cries. For you see, among our goods for trade, we were burdened with a great treasure, a terrible treasure, and I suspect it’s the eerie powers that it yields that keeps the souls of me brethren trapped within’ the ships rottin’ remains.”

Now it was beginning to become clear why Stephen had been called. But at the same time, Dot wondered why the task wasn’t just passed onto the Agency if there were simple reports of a haunting. But then again, nothing was ever simple when it came to the Supernatural.

Fitzsimmons continued to moan, “I’m haunted by ‘em, day and night. M’best friend, Soggy, he calls for me.”

Dot had to clamp a hand over her mouth from laughing at the name Soggy. Was it in bad taste to make a joke about how ironic it was to be shipwrecked and have that name? Dot mentally waved the thought from her head and continued to make a straight face. The only indication that gave her thoughts away was the twitch in the corner of her lip. She met Dodger’s gaze and knew that he knew.

Fitzsimmons took them all by surprise as he grabbed Dot by the shoulders and started to shake her, “Please help me! Look for ‘im by the wreckage and… and… just tell ‘im to leave me alone!”

“Whoa, whoa whoa!” Dot exclaimed, trying to pull herself away from Fitzsimmons grip. It surprised her that he was stronger than he looked. She could tell that Dodger and Armand were bristling, kicking into action the instant Fitzsimmons had moved; Dodger gave Fitzsimmons a harsh shove in his chest with just enough strength to take him by surprise but not overpower him. Armand pulled Dot away and pulled her behind him.

“We’ll do this for you,” Dot stated from around Armand. “just calm down. We’re aware of how scary hauntings can be, just calm down.”

Fitzsimmons seemed to be appeased by the agreement, a hand over his sternum which was no doubt bruised thanks to Dodger’s freakish show of strength. He nodded mutely, seemingly submissive now. That shove must have sobered him up some.

“Thank ye, lass.” Fitzsimmons said quietly. Dot didn’t feel bad for him but was pleased to see he had the sense to be grateful for their help. Stepping out from around Armand, she gestured towards the docks. “Is the wreckage that way?”

Fitzsimmons nodded, helping further by pointing out the direction. “Along the coast, ya can’t miss it. It’s run aground. Should be half on the land.”

“Well, that does simplify things.”

The trio break away from Fitzsimmons to head towards the dock. They were surprised to see that it was floating. It wasn’t very comforting to Dot in any case. “I don’t know how they can live here,” she said with a sense of wonder. She couldn’t wrap her head around what could be so great about this place.

“Maybe they just don’t have anywhere to go,” Dodger reasoned.

“That’s ridiculous. The world isn’t confined to this one space.”

“That’s true.”

Instead of chancing the trip along the dock, Dot deemed it safer to go by land. And she didn’t really want to fall into the ocean. In order to walk along the coast, they had to walk out of Whitecrest and circle around. Dot reasoned they should stay close to the border of town because the rest of the area was marshland and she did not want to be stuck out in it. But first, they needed some of their gear. If this was ghost hunting, they needed it.

Heading back to the inn, Dot and Dodger passed equipment back and forth at each other.

“We don’t want anything too heavy.” Dot said, “We just need something to classify the entities so that means the Glasses and meters so we can see if they’re even around.”

Dot gave Dodger a weary gaze as she took spare Glasses from his hand. He had said earlier he reverse engineered them and was able to develop his own AI from what he had learned. There was a reason she had been so adamant on not being a witness to what he was saying. It was rumored that Tony Stark from 616 developed a sophisticated system of his own and much like the entity the government was, fought to acquire said technology. Apparently it wasn’t the first time Stark Tech had been requisitioned. It was a messy battle with the introduction of the 6969 government which was the benefactor of the leftover Dovir technology on the planet. Everyone wanted a piece of Stark’s technology which had utilized Dovir tech in order to create new equipment that aided the production of an upgraded Iron suit. Since the Dovirs had left technology on both worlds, it was more like a custody battle which eventually met a truce in the end. Mr. Stark would develop a blueprint for the governments to use but rumor was that he input a “dumb” AI to replace his sophisticated one: A.R.T.I.I. and he wasn’t budging on releasing specs on upgrading them; he did his part and washed his hands of the rest.

So, the Agency was the first to acquire usage of these A.R.T.I.I. Glasses. Who knew where else they flew to, but Dot’s experience with them had been with the Agency. They were quite useful; an automated system that allowed one to verify whether the entity you were looking at were Human or Supernatural based on previously collected data. That was all they really did, otherwise.

Funnily enough, rumors say that A.R.T.I.I. stands for A Really Tacky Intelligence Inside.

Dot was just worried that if word got out that Dodger was able to upgrade the specs himself, he might be in serious trouble. It was unclear which kind, too. They might arrest him and force him into giving up his own secrets or worse, what if Tony Stark finds out? Dot was tempted to ask for certain about D.A.D. but Dodger had moved on, explaining the camcorder functions to Armand.

“Armand’s going to be our camera guy?” Dot asked with a grin. She was clipping a taser to her thigh. The Agency’s lower level entry Agents didn’t use guns and she implemented the feature feeling guns were too much for her to use. If anything, she’s always felt more at home with a stun baton in her hands. If she needed anything for range, she had her taser gun and that was as close as she was getting. Besides, bullets didn’t harm ghosts. And she didn’t like shooting Supernaturals anyway; tasers did just as much damage overloading ghost energy or stopping a Bigfoot in its tracks based on the voltage. She often found she didn’t have to use these items, though. But Dodger insisted on taking them especially for her safety.

“I had entertained the idea,” Dodger admitted. “I’m giving him the easier ones. I’ll keep the Go Pro for myself.”

“Ah, of course.” Dot laughed. “I don’t even use the Go Pro.”

“You could. I could teach you, too.”

“I’m fine sharing the one Armand’s going to use,” Dot winked. Armand smiled and Dodger shook his head, his own good-natured smile beginning to take form before he got into serious mode. He patiently explained to Armand about the features of the camcorder he was entrusting in his hands. Armand was a fast learner and before Dot realized it, they were ready to hit the shore.

Leaving the inn behind, Dot lead the group to their planned trek out near the town’s border, walking along it and careful not to step into anything that could impede their progress.

Soon, their boots began to hit some solid ground more frequently than wading around in straight water. The coast was in their sight and the horizon of the ocean greeted them, sun shining brightly overhead. Dot had forgotten it was midday. It was like a new world out here. Dot continued to lead the group in silence, everyone concentrating on their footsteps and making sure they didn’t trip over any exposed roots or fallen logs and rocks.

Armand surprised them by breaking the silence with asking, “Do you think it was important that Doctor Strange solve this case?”

Dot and Dodger looked at each other as he was helping her over a large log. Dot had the thought before but now that Armand had said it, it was a good opportunity to reflect on it as a team.

“I’ve had the same thought,” Dodger admitted.

“Me, too.” Dot chirped in. “It’s a case the Agency could solve, no problem, so I wonder why the Agency didn’t get the call but Stephen did.”

“There has to be more beneath the surface,” Dodger said with certainty.

“Perhaps,” Dot said with a thoughtful tone. All it did was tell them to keep their guard up and as the saying goes, nothing is what it seems. Dot caught the sight of a mast poking out the mess of trees that blended in along the coast. “I think I see it.” she announced.

Surely enough, the Ocean Spray was drudged up on the coast. The mast Dot had seen had once held beautiful sails but they looked as ratty as ancient curtains, eating by very large moths. A shadow of its former self, it seemed cast in a constant state of shade. It lent the affect that the place was as dreary as it looked in solitude against a lively vibrant ocean. Waves were brushing up against its faded and forgotten wood, barnacles attached underneath occasionally peeked into view with the receding waters. Stepping closer to the wreckage filled one with a heavy air of apprehension. It looked older than a year old wreck which set off red flags in Dot’s mind. She was about to comment on it when Armand pointed out towards the horizon.

“There are more ships out there,” he said.

Dot and Dodger followed his gaze. The ocean was calm, its waves the only disturbance against the shoreline even as the scenery of several masts peering out of the water marked them like grave markers. Dot had no doubt underneath the waves rested an ominous ship graveyard.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this place,” Dot couldn’t help but utter. “It’s cold. Feels detached.”

Dot was talking about the emotion behind the wreckage. She could feel that there was a heavy air attached but it was hard to explain. Armand must have thought she meant she was physically cold because he took off his jacket and wrapped it around Dot’s shoulders.

“Oh, no, honey.” Dot laughed, shrugging out of it and wrapping it around his again. Looking at his bare arms really did make her look cold and she worried about it even though she knew logically, he couldn’t feel cold. “I meant, the feeling of the place. It’s a sad place. Definitely haunted like Fitzsimmons said.”

Armand frowned, his delicate brows coming together to complete the expression. His hands came up looking for something to do and landing on the collar of Dot’s jacket. He pulled them together as he asked, “Are you going to be okay?”

“They’re not strong emotions,” Dot smiled, touched at Armand’s worrying. Dodger stepped closer, nudging her to get her attention. She looked up, seeing he had his gaze on the ship.

“We might want to search it before it gets too dark.” He said, hinting at a great fear. Dot’s eyes widened in realization and she nodded with newfound resolve.

“Absolutely.”

The best thing to do was to search where they could on the dry land. Dot didn’t even think about going below the surface. The Ocean Spray was laying half on its side which made the top deck pretty accessible and that was where Dot wanted to search.

“We’re supposed to find somebody named Soppy?” Dodger asked.

Dot laughed, “Soggy.” She corrected.

The trio stopped in their tracks as soon as the air changed. It was Dot who turned around and saw that there was a figure standing behind them, further inland. She cleared her throat and Dodger and Armand’s gazes followed.

“I think we found him.”

 “Okay, Armand, record everything from this point forward.” Dodger instructed as they started to walk towards the lone man near the tree line.

Soggy was clearly an apparition. The A.R.T.I.I. system picked up on that much. Not to mention, he was see-through. Faced with ghosts nearly every day for their job, it never got easier seeing one. It was especially jarring when they showed up out of nowhere. Armand was the only exception and even then, he couldn’t really convey what a Ghost was and why they did what they did. Even now as he was recording, Armand didn’t put off the normal appearance of a Ghost.

As they reached him, they could see he looked as weathered and old as Fitzsimmons; he had a long beard and mustache and a wool cap that fit over his head. His straggly hair was grayed and fell over his shoulders like stringy shoelaces. He had the appearance of someone who had lived their entire life on the sea. A rightful ol’ salt dog if Dot had ever saw one. Other than his ghostlike appearance, he didn’t seem threatening. As soon as he was ready, he started to speak.

His voice sounded like he was trapped underwater. But it wasn’t too hard to understand him. If they needed help, A.R.T.I.I. or D.A.D., Dot wasn’t sure at this point, had real-time subtitles scrolling along to guide them.

“Fitzsimmons must have sent ye, hah?”

Dot looked between Dodger and Armand before nodding at the apparition. So, there was some stock to what ol’ Fitzsimmons was saying.

“He told us he’s been hearing the wails of the deceased. Your wails.”

“He should.” Soggy said, thoughtful. Or as much as he could underwater. “The sailors of the Ocean Spray are damned. Damned and cursed to wander the shores in agony.” He sounded irritated, upset. Dot and Dodger exchanged a heavy glance at a certain word but before they can ask him to elaborate, he continued. “Fitzsimmons and his anguish are one in the same as ours. We be tied together; as long as we suffer, ‘ee suffers wi’ us. There canna be no rest for ‘im, not before ye end the sufferin’ of my crewmates.”

Dot swallowed thickly, not liking where this was heading. “…How can we do that?”

Soggy doesn’t answer but instead, disappeared. It left Dot in a stupor before she got irritated herself. “Why do they do that?”

“Because they live a hard life and want to make our lives hard, too?” Dodger suggested. The annoyance was in his tone and Dot laughed at that. “We have no idea how to end the suffering of his crewmates. But I’m not put off to a good purge.” Dodger continued. “Also, Armand, did you happen to get all that?”

Dot shook her head but Armand nodded. Then he asked, “Will the spirits be upset with us?”

“I don’t know how anyone can ever be upset with you,” Dot sighed but answered more seriously. “They’re not upset with us but just upset. They’ve been anchored to this realm for a long time, they’re—” Dot’s eyes widened. “Cursed.”

“I knew you were going to say that.” Dodger sighed, then added, “And it suddenly becomes clear why Stephen Strange was enlisted.”

“That’s…” Dot was at a loss for words. “Not even the Agency messes with Cursed items. I thought there was a special department for that.”

“There was a rumored special department for that.”

Dot worried on her bottom lip, looking lost. Dodger had pretty much taken the same expression, looking pensive and dark. Armand was the only one who didn’t understand.

“What’s wrong?”

Looking up, Dot explained, “Curses are bad news. They’re powerful because it can come to harm anyone indiscriminately. They can be triggered by anything, cast by anyone, and can be absolutely devastating. Curses are classified as unknown power with an even bigger unknown power set and aren’t dealt with in the Agency because they weren’t equipped to handle them. They didn’t even have a place to put Curses even if they could because then, the Curse would be attached to that area. I don’t know if the Agency did have a department that handled Curses but I know they didn’t handle them at all in the main office. If they popped up, they were never heard from again. I thought they got thrown out, something like, tough ass shit. We can’t do anything about it. And that was that. But apparently, I guess they were handed to Stephen or perhaps other Supers that had more knowledge and a way to deal with the Occult than we did.”

“You have to remember that the Agency is a fairly new organization and so is the fragile peace between the Humans and Supernaturals,” Dodger added. Then he sounded thoughtful, “It makes sense, though. A Sorcerer would be equipped to handle Curses especially if he had somewhere to put the items or a way to break them.”

“Are Curses items?” Armand asked.

“Usually. They need the items to be wished upon. Sort of like how Poltergeists need anchors like items or people to draw their power from. How Ghosts are attached to a place or item or a person to exist—basically, I’d say half of Supernatural aspects all revolve around objects. But a more powerful entity or Curse do not need items. That’s how you know shit is fucked. It’s nearly impossible to get rid of them unless you can purge the entity itself—but Curses are different. They aren’t entities. They’re wishes and you can’t purge something without a form.”

“The area becomes a Black Site. Nothing’s able to grow on the land and misfortune follows its inhabitants.” Dodger interjected, turning to Armand to further explain. “It could cause people to commit suicide, hear voices to drive them to do heinous things, or anything else to carry out its will.”

“Curses sound like serious business,” Armand stated, looking out towards the shipwreck. “If these sailors are Cursed, how do you expect to help them?”

Dot took in a deep breath. How indeed? She knew she promised Stephen that they’d accomplish what the Agency couldn’t do. Curses are a big deal but she didn’t want to go back on her word. She couldn’t imagine seeing the disappointed look on Stephen’s face when they have to report that they’ve failed.

She made up her mind.

“First, we’re going to have to find that item.”

Her resolve caused both Armand and Dodger to look at her; Armand even lowered the camera a little, peering out of the side. They were searching her expression. By now, they knew the dangers of Curses as well as Dot knew them herself. But she figured if they were careful, didn’t act like fools, they could come out of this thing on top.

“Alright, I’m in.” Dodger said, earning a grateful look from Dot.

Armand was also nodding along, looking as always, willing to help. He even lifted the camcorder higher as to emphasize his point. “Me, too!” He said, “I’m a Ghost, so I don’t think it should be hard for me to get out of sticky situations.” He paused and looked at Dodger, “Did I use that right?”

“Yes. You’re learning.”

“Ghost or not, we don’t want to put you in any danger, either.” Dot argued. “Just because you can go through objects doesn’t mean you’re entirely invincible. We still don’t know what can and cannot hurt you. This Curse might be even more dangerous to you because you’re …” Dot trailed off, not wanting to bluntly say Armand was dead. He seemed to understand though.

“Then I’ll be careful,” he said with a warm smile on his face.

The group now had the spooky task of searching the wreckage with the fact of ghosts looming over their heads. Dot didn’t want to think about it as Dodger pulled her up after climbing up to the top of the deck. He lifted her with ease and it never failed to surprise Dot when he did; where did he get his freakishly strong strength from? Armand was next and when the three of them took the time to realize where they were, it was time to put their serious faces on.

Dot looked out towards the horizon, the sun still shining brightly overhead. Dodger followed her gaze then met her eyes. “It’s still hours before dusk. We’ll be long gone before then.”

Dot half-smiled, grateful for the reassurance.

“You can stay above while I check further down if it makes you feel better.”

Dot shook her head, “I’m okay. As long as we’re not going in the water, I’ll be fine.”

Armand looked over, wondering what they were talking about. Dot explained.

“I have a fear of dark water. Like I said before, as long as my head is above or I can see the ground in a body of water, I’ll be fine.” Armand nodded, giving her a sympathetic expression.

“I’ll be with you.”

Dot smiled. “Thanks.”

True to Armand’s word, he stayed with her. Dodger took the lower quarters while Dot stayed one floor below the top deck. There were plenty of places to look around on top and Armand stayed by her side throughout the search while making sure to film for their records. The sentiment was doubly sweet as she soon discovered that the sailors were finally making their appearance. Since the only light provided was the sun and the ship barely had any windows or cracks for sunlight to filter through, Dot had to rely on the sweeping beam of her flashlight to help her search. She’s been in spooky and dark rooms before but something about a ghost ship filled her with dread. She wasn’t sure whether it was the knowledge of the Cursed item hanging over her head or expecting something to jump out at her which startled her more.

She and Armand were searching a room that looked like it had once held a navigator’s effects. The space wasn’t as cramped as the other rooms, providing a huge oval table in the middle with a tattered map on top. The furniture was old and dusty but that rang the same for the rest of the room, too. Cobwebs strung from various places like Halloween decorations and she decided the scenery wasn’t much different from a haunted house. The only sounds coming from the room were her own breathing and Armand softly shifting paper around on desks. There was plenty of paper in this room, too.

What first got her was when a stack of sheets fell, the familiar sound of a dozen or so sheets falling one after another slowly at first and then outward, like a fan. She jumped, turning around and meant to shine the light on the source but ended up face to face with an apparition that apparently had been standing behind her the entire time. She couldn’t help it, she squealed and swung her flashlight outwards in an arc that sent the apparition dispersing like smoke.

Armand was at her side in seconds, looking around, “What was that?”

“One of the sailors,” she wheezed, trying to catch her breath and slow her racing heartbeat. Her Glasses were giving her warnings about the activity level in the room. She slid them up to rest on the top of her head. “God, I hate when they do that!”

From then on, it was always out of the corner of her eye because she had learned not to turn around as fast as she had previously. If they weren’t moving objects in a shockingly short jerk or slamming doors from other rooms, they were whispering at her neck and touching her on the leg, on the shoulder, tugging her hair. It was aggravating but never failed to make her jump a little. She was never prepared for the touching. Eventually, Armand was standing at her back and they seemed to stop.

By then, she realized they had searched everything they could below deck. “Hopefully Dodger is having better luck,” she said, leading to the way to the staircase Dodger had taken below. It was darker down here and she was hesitant on going down. How the fuck was Dodger doing this by himself?

“Not quite,” he said as he emerged from underneath. Dot blinked in surprise as Dodger gestured for her to follow him. With apprehension, she and Armand went further below.

Much like above, there were plenty of rooms that was meant to serve as a trading vessel for a full crew. The galley was down here as was the Captain’s quarters and where the sailors slept. When their feet starting sloshing in water, Dot paused.

“Wh-where are you taking us, Dodge?”

“Don’t worry,” he said. Dot was about to remark about how that wasn’t an answer when she noticed he had stopped leading them and was now staring down at the ground. When she followed his gaze, her chest tightened. There was a little square opening that quite obviously had a ladder going down. It was where the water was coming from. There was another level and it was completely submerged.

“I’m willing to bet it leads to the hull and it was probably where they placed the goods.” Dodger explained. But Dot couldn’t tear her gaze away from the murky depths of the sea below. It was almost black and when she shined her light on it, she could have sworn she saw an eye dart away.

“You are NOT going down there,” Dot protested immediately.

Dodger was already taking off his jacket and boots and handing Armand his Glasses. As he was rolling up his sleeves, he said, “Don’t worry, I won’t be more than five minutes. I can hold my breath for fifteen. I won’t drown.”

“That wasn’t what I was worried about! Didn’t you see that eye!?”

Dodger shined his light on the hole and the trio stood in silence. “I don’t see anything.”

“It was there!”

“Are you sure you didn’t hallucinate it? Your fear of dark water, mingled in with the ghosts of the sailors—”

“I did not imagine it!”

Dodger stared at Dot, weighing her answer. She was emotional, yes, but she was also worried about his safety. The look on her face couldn’t lie to him and he had never known her to. “I believe you,” he said. Dot was relieved. “But I have to check.”

“Dodge—no—!”

Dodger had sat on the edge of the opening and slipped in like he was swallowed by the sea. She could see the beam of his flashlight sweep across from in the little opening before his head broke the water and he quite simply said, “I don’t see anything down here. I’ll be back.”

She couldn’t fight with him if he couldn’t hear her as his head went back under. Dot sighed heavily, like an upset mother, ranting to Armand about how he never listened to her. “He thinks he’s so brave! …I mean, he is but being brave doesn’t mean he’s not being stupid!”

“I’m sure he’ll be okay,” Armand tried to reassure her, “If it makes you feel any better, I can go down there with him.”

Dot gripped Armand’s arm, “No! Him going down there is bad enough. You stay here where I know you’re safe.”

And she sat there, gripping Armand’s arm. When five minutes past, she began to panic.

“He said five minutes. He said five minutes, right?”

“Yes,” Armand agreed, patting Dot’s hand. “do you want me—”

“If you say go down there, I’m going to spank you.”

Armand’s eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut.

Six minutes. Dot knew because she was counting.

Seven.

Eight.

She was contemplating on going herself. Dot broke away from Armand and started to take off her own jacket and propped herself against the wall to start taking off her boots, “I’m going in!”

As soon as she popped her boot off, Dodger emerged. He took a deep gasp for breath, shaking his curls free of excess water and brought his arm up to support himself. “I found it.”

“I hope you’ve found Jesus down there, too,” Dot snapped. “That was nearly ten minutes! What happened to ‘Oh, it’ll just be five minutes, Dot!’ It wasn’t five minutes!”

Dodger looked surprised, “It wasn’t five minutes?” Before Dot could reply, he lugged up with some effort what looked like a medium sized lockbox onto the wooden flooring. Water sloshed off the intricately carved top and rolled down the sides and it shut Dot up. The object was no doubt Cursed. She could immediately feel it.

“It must have been this,” Dodger continued. “I could have sworn I set my timer to go off in five—” Just then, his wrist watch started to beep. “—minutes. See, I must have been stuck in some time-altered space.”

“Good work, Dodge…” Dot murmured. Just being in its presence was uncomfortable never mind what Dodger had been insinuating.

Armand said it in words. “There’s a really unsettling feeling about that thing. It’s really dangerous.”

“I tried to open it but it won’t open. I figured it was safer in the lockbox anyway.”

“Why the fuck would you try to open it?”

Dodger paused. “Hm... you’re right. That wasn’t a really good idea. I wonder if it clouded my judgement, too.”

“Come on, let’s get the hell out of here,” Dot sighed. She helped Dodger up and they both took the time to put their clothes back on. Dodger had asked why she had taken her things off but she just gave him a pinch on the cheek. He still had a look of confusion on his face when Dot told him to grab the lockbox and haul ass out of there.

By the time the trio made it back on the shore, the sun was sinking lower. Dot’s eyes widened in realization. “Just how long were we down there?”

“It couldn’t have been for more than an hour,” Dodger said, looking down at his watch. “right?”

Dot didn’t want to admit it but she cast a glance at the box and knew she’d be glad when Stephen came to take it off their hands. If this thing had the ability to mess with their sense of time, who knew what else it could do. Well, besides curse sailors to a horrible afterlife haunting the ship they died in.

“Let’s see if ol’ Soggy is around.”

It sounded like a good suggestion at the time but try as they might, there was just no sign of him. Dot rubbed her head, feeling stumped. “Well, maybe taking this thing out of the ship brought peace to him and the sailors. Let’s see if Fitzsimmons feels any different.”

Armand was turned around, looking back towards the ship catching the two’s attention. The camcorder off and forgotten in his hand.

“What is it, love?”

“I don’t know. It just feels different.”

Dot took a moment to follow Armand’s gaze and understood. The aura surrounding the ship felt lighter. She gave Armand a warm smile, rubbing his back. “Come on, let’s get someplace warm, soon.”

Once more, they made the trek following the town’s border back into the town square. It was unfortunate the town was still submerged. Since Dodger was walking around soaked, supposing it made no difference to him.

“I’m hella surprised Fitzsimmons wasn’t in the place we left him,” Dot said once they got to where they last seen him. His spot was empty, just a lonely looking sandbag wall and no remnants that he had been there before. “but he’d be crazy to stay out here with the sun sinking as fast as it is.”

It was amazing to them how fast night was approaching. Dot was just glad to be out of the vicinity of the ship at this point. She then suggested the tavern, “He might have been allowed to go back in. Let’s see if he’s there and if not, maybe he’s in one of these rowboats.” She joked.

“That, I would not doubt.” Dodger agreed.

The tavern looked to be busy for as busy as it could get with a population of twenty. It was just surprising to Dot that there was a nighttime crowd even in a place like Whitecrest. She had no idea what Dodger experienced but by his expression, he wasn’t surprised. Or impressed.

She went to the first person she saw who happened to be a barkeep and asked, “Do you happen to know if Fitzsimmons is around here somewhere?”

“Fitzsimmons?” The barkeep scrunched his nose, taking on the appearance of a piglet. He looked thoughtful through his confusion as if trying to recall everyone he’s ever met in his life. “There ain’t nobody ‘round ‘ere a-named Fitzsimmons.”

Dot had that same feeling of dread in her stomach and all those little red flags started to appear again. She just knew something weren’t right. But she had to ask. “Are you sure? I mean, he was pretty drunk when we saw him. Must mean he comes in here all the time. Even said he was kicked out—”

“No, ma’am. Ain’t no Fitzsimmons ‘round ‘ere.”

There was something in the barkeep’s tone that convinced Dot that he had been sure. She exchanged glances between Dodger and Armand who looked just as stumped as she did. Dot gestured with her head that they should leave.

On their way out, they were stopped by a man seated near the exit.

“Did ye say Fitzsimmons?”

His gravelly voice caught their attention if not the name. Dot wanted to feel relief but something was telling her not to relax yet. The group quietly sat down at the table, Dodger turning on his Go Pro, determined to catch whatever information they might need to review. But Dot wasn’t focusing on that right now. She was focused on yet another old man.

“That’s right,” she said. “do you know him?”

“I’m a relative.”

Dot’s shoulders relaxed. “Oh, great. Okay, well can you tell him—”

“A relative of the man of a man of a man of a man who married his daughter.”

“…Of course.”

“Legend ‘round these parts speak of ol’ Fitzsimmons who died a long, long time ago. He might ‘ave been a townee at one point, but ya gotta check the registry to see for certain. Considerin’ not a lotta people live ‘round here no mo’, the registry gotta be, say, a hunnred years ol’.”

“That’s… fantastic,” Dot sighed, sinking lower in her seat. “Well, can you tell us the rest of this legend?”

The man nodded, “Course. Around the time of the Great War, Whitecrest was a burstlin’ harbor. It didn’t look anythin’ like it does today. It was more advanced, for one. It weren’t flooded. But one thing remains the same, we relied on trade the same way we do today. S’what gives this town its prosperous roots. Well, the Dovirs changed that. Much liken they changed most parts. With the Glassing attempt, the seas changed. The day it happened, the seas were the worst they ‘ave ever been and ain’t nothin’ been like it since. Unfortunately, lots of our ships ne’er came back that day. The closest anyone e’er seen was the wreck off the coast, the Ocean Spray.”

There was a moment of silence before the man said quietly, “I wouldn’t suggest goin’ out there. Especially this late at night. Place is real spooky-haunted.”

There was irony in that statement but unfortunately none of them were energized enough to appreciate it. But apparently he wasn’t done there.

“E’ery so often, people like yourself come ‘round and claim they on an errand or whatnot for Fitzsimmons. Somethin’ about wails and cur-sed objects—" he paused, looking over at Dodger as the Cursed lockbox sat on his lap and he seemed to finally take in the soggy appearance. There was another beat of silence before he finally said, “But that’s jes’ a legend, right?”

No one said anything else. Dot stood up and Dodger and Armand followed. They quietly made their way to the inn. Dodger announced he was going to take a shower and no one blamed him. Dot was next but Armand simply changed out of his clothes and laid on the bed next to Dot.

“Do you think this case was a success?” he innocently asked.

Dot tilted her head back, trying to get a better look at him. It was so sweet of him to ask. She was confused and honestly, terrified of what they went through, but she nodded. “I think so. We retrieved an item that was obviously dangerous. Fitzsimmons and Soggy and this weird town, I’m sure we put a lot of their worries to rest. Some might not even realize it.”

Armand looked happy enough with Dot’s answer, content with everything in his little ghost world. They remained in silence for a while, Dot idly playing with Armand’s hair when Dodger returned. He looked renewed and Dot decided she wanted to wash away the day’s endeavors with a hot shower herself.

“Alright, my turn.” She grinned, grabbing her spare clothes.

“Towels are in there,” Dodger commented as she passed and she gave him a peck on the cheek. The door shut and Dodger started to put away the gear. Armand watched in silence before he asked, “Do you think I’m different from these Ghosts? I know it’s been explained that there are all types of Ghosts but Fitzsimmons and Soggy seemed different from the Ghosts in the ship.”

“You are an entire class of your own, Armand.” Dodger said. It might have sounded like an insult but he meant that with all the compliment he could muster. And Armand certainly took it that way. He smiled.

“I think it’s amazing such a little town like this has such a big legend. What do you think? Do you think we caught all the good stuff with the camera? We certainly have proof we spoke to Soggy but… Fitzsimmons is going to be a little harder to prove, huh? It would certainly help Doctor Strange have a better understanding of our story.”

Dodger looked thoughtful before he picked up the camcorder that Armand had been using the entire day. He hooked it up to his laptop and pretty soon, the entire video was playing on the bigger screen. Armand moved closer to also take a look.

It was obvious Dodger had taught Armand proper. As soon as the camera turned on, Armand’s face was in the screen and he was obviously fumbling with it was Dodger could be heard in the background.

“Okay, Armand, record everything from this point forward.”

Then it cut to black. Armand looked shocked.

“I could have sworn I recorded everything.”

Dodger remained silent, watching the black screen before it flickered to life again. They were walking towards the ship. Scenes jumped from when they were being pulled up to searching around in the cabins. Dot’s jump scares were on camera but other than the trio looking shocked or otherwise frightened, there was nothing to show for it.

Dodger made a noise of disapproval and Armand looked guilty thinking it might have been his fault. “Don’t worry,” Dodger reassured. “this might be a common occurrence if a Curse is involved.” He pulled his camera over and repeated the same process of setting it up on his laptop to watch.

It pretty much recorded the same thing and Armand knew that Dodger wouldn’t have made mistakes. It made him feel a lot better knowing the error wasn’t on his end.

“See,” Dodger stated. “It’s alright. If I had to guess, I assume the Cursed objects prevents being catalogued this way. This is interesting. I’ll have to develop a system that’d allow for its capture.” He started mumbling off things to himself Armand couldn’t even fathom and he had no desire to ask.

Instead, he mused aloud, “Whatever happened is in our memories and experiences now. We’ll have to recite everything to the Doctor.”

“Let’s hope he believes us,” Dodger mused. He had taken out a legal pad and began to write down everything he remembered as it happened. Since the memory was so fresh, he had no problem writing down his accounts and then asking about Armand’s and Dot’s since they were separated.

“We’ll present this as a present to Dot,” Dodger suggested. “she hates the paperwork.”

Armand wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not but coming from Dodger, it might as well have been a serious suggestion.

[lavieendonna]

Snapshot || ArtMajor!Ashton AU (Chapter 1)

Summary: A ‘Brushwork’ spinoff where Tillie - VCA’s resident library assistant - has to supervise Ashton - VCA’s holiday troublemaker - and she discovers that a collection of photographs is the biggest inconvenience she could have ever agreed to. Date: 7 Feb 2019 Requested: lol no  Pairing: Ashton x OFC (original female character)  Words: 4.9K Warnings: none! A/N: So this (and two other spin-off stories) have been in the works for... so long. It’s got a long way to go, and it’s still in an experimental phase. I wasn’t going to post this until Brushwork was completely wrapped up but I thought this might motivate me to finally tie the knot in the end of that. So let me know what you think, if you liked it, if you didn’t, if you want more... I could use all the love I can get! Big Love xo 

Ask | Masterlist | ‘Snapshot’ Spotify Playlist | Next Chapter | ‘Snapshot’ News | Brushwork

Chapter 1: Disappointed Soccer Mum 

‘So, are you coming out with us tonight?’ Wren asked, and I could tell that she was teasing me because she was already laughing at the thought of me going with her wherever, just waiting for me to say ‘no’. I rolled my eyes at the older girl, a small crooked smile finding my lips.

‘I’ll give you one guess.’ I laughed at her.

‘Thought so.’ She chuckled back, and I felt like a normal person would have been offended that Wren wasn’t in the least bit surprised that they weren’t going anywhere with her. But this happened every other night and had for nearly four years now, and we were both just used to this whole routine. Wren planned something fun, she offered for me to tag along, I politely declined and made my own entertainment for the night.

‘Well,’ Wren checked the silver watch dangling on her slender wrist before looking back down on me. I was sat at my usual spot in the very back corner booth of the restaurant, my things sprawled across the table. ‘Do you want anything before I clock off?’ I shook my head but smiled gently.  

‘I’m okay.’ I told her quietly. ‘I’ll grab some leftovers before I go upstairs.’

‘You make sure you do.’ Wren gave me a stern look with a matching pointed finger and I just nodded quickly, almost afraid to disobey (even though I knew I would). She had this habit of getting a little mothering toward me about this stuff. Actually, when I thought about it, everybody in the restaurant had the same habit when it came to me.

It made sense, I guess. Harvey owned the restaurant so he was, naturally, the head of this little family situation thing he and his staff had going – I was basically part of the furniture, the way I treated the restaurant like a living room, so I guess I was kind of included in all of that. Not to mention he and Queenie had just become first-time grandparents, so to Queenie I was like her third chance at parenting.

Wren was a little different; like me, she was single and lived alone –  but she was a few years older than me so she was entering that stage in her life where she just wanted to take care of somebody. I was still studying and had a bad habit of neglecting my basic human needs, so naturally I was the prime candidate for her to unleash her inner caretaker.

Wren was also essentially the closest thing I had to a “best friend”, and though she’d never explicitly said the words I knew that she was aware of how I’d ended up living in the flat upstairs. Harvey knew because he was my landlord, and Queenie knew because she was married to Harvey. But I really had this gut-deep feeling that the older couple had told Wren too. I didn’t mind too much; she never mentioned it. She and the bosses just hovered and mothered and asked me why I hadn’t eaten yet.

‘Did I just hear you turn down food?’

Queenie had come marching out of the kitchen, hairnet almost falling off of her head of greying black hair, and what looked like a tomato sauce covered wooden spoon sitting in the front pocket of her stained white apron. Her hands were on her hips, brow furrowed together with pursed lips, and I got the feeling this was what a disappointed soccer mum looked like when she stormed into the living room to find the kids playing ball in the house after she specifically told them not to.

‘Uh, yes?’ I nodded, not meaning for that to come out like a question. ‘I’m not hungry.’ That was clearly the wrong answer, I realised, as Queenie’s disapproving stare turned into one of bewilderment.

‘I haven’t seen you eat all day, Missy.’ The older woman scolded me. ‘It’s eight o’clock! You need to eat, you can’t keep starving yourself!’ I rolled my eyes, all in good faith. This was also a common occurrence.

‘I ate upstairs, I promise.’ I told her with a small, reassuring smile. ‘And anyway, I was just about to go home, right after I finish this email.’ Queenie shook her head at me, hands folding across her chest, hoop earrings hitting her neck with every shake. I could’ve bet everything I owned and then some that she was scolding me in her head. In Spanish. Loudly.

‘At least take some soup home with you.’ She said very pointedly, and before I got a chance to decline she’d taken off into the kitchen again to get the damn soup that, honestly, I probably was going to forget about and let it go off in the back of my fridge.

I chuckled quietly as I turned back to my laptop screen that was glowing bright in the dim mood lighting of the back of the restaurant. The feeling of Queenie making a fuss over me, while it made me kind of uncomfortable (even after all these years), ultimately still felt kind of nice.

The email in question, however, that sat unfinished on my screen, was starting to give me a migraine. I’d been trying to write it for a few days now, but every time I tried it sounded so… whiny. It sounded like a “why me?!” kind of email which, to be fair, was exactly what it was but I knew that there had to be a more professional way to word it.

Hi Leanne, I tried again.

I understand the situation; however, I feel that Carolyn or Stefan would be more suited for the task because…

And this was the part where I got stuck every time. I couldn’t say that Carolyn and Stefan had more experience than I did, because that wasn’t true. And I couldn’t say that I didn’t have time because Leanne was my boss and she’d been conspiring with the school’s Head Office and, you know, it was kind of their job to search me in the database and just knowthat when I wasn’t working in the library or in class that I had literally nothing else to do.

No, the truth was that I just really didn’t want to conduct community service in my library, supervising some delinquent dude who couldn’t sit still over the break. I enjoyed my solitude here, and I liked the quiet and I liked being on my own. I actually got things done when I was working alone, and if I had to babysit all semester then I could kiss all of that goodbye.

Hi Leanne, I tried one more time.

That’s fine. Please have him come to the service desk at the library at 12pm with his paperwork.

Thanks,

                Tillie Daniels

Well. So much for fighting the power. I hit send and prayed to God that I wouldn’t regret it. I mean, I already kind of did, so I guess I was hoping I wouldn’t regret it even more.

After packing up my things and begrudgingly accepting the damn soup that Queenie shoved under my nose in the plastic takeaway container, I waved goodbye and called out my farewells to the rest of the staff on my way through the kitchen before I pushed through the back door that lead into the back courtyard, headed for the metal stairwell just to the left and flush with the building.

When I first moved to Melbourne after getting accepted into VCA, I nearly dropped dead thinking I was going to have to live in the actual restaurant on a stretcher in a pantry somewhere – either that or worse; that Harvey and Queenie were going to kill me in the courtyard and feed my flesh to their customers. But, no, neither of those things happened. Instead I was shown what looked like a fire escape out the back. It still seemed sketchy to me, but against all better judgement I followed the Cook and his Wife up the rickety stairs and, lo and behold, I was pleasantly surprised.

The flat wasn’t overly big, but without the unnecessary clutter of furniture and the like it looked quite spacious for what it was. The two windows in the living area were big and wide and let in so much light I didn’t really know what to do with it all. They took up most of the far wall, and in front of them were a couple of cushion-clad bench seats – very FRIENDSstyle – and the thought of curling up on one of those with a good book and some coffee got me more excited than I’d been in years. The kitchen was on small side, but it had the most gorgeous white faux-marble benchtops I’d ever seen, and the bathroom benches seemed to match too which brought great peace to my inner OCD.

The bedroom was a modest size, although I did have to buy a hundred-dollar IKEA closet for the corner of the room. It did have a tiny ensuite attached to it, though, and the little window inside had a gorgeous view that was, probably, my favourite in the whole house.

It was like there were just layers and layers of mini horizons outside of the small rectangle. There were the tops of the trees that lined the street behind the restaurant, and then behind that I could see the tops of all the buildings and town houses of all the streets that lay behind that. Off in the distance was the silhouette of the Melbourne skyline, and beyond all of that was the rest of the sky that seemed to just stretch on forever.

I locked the deadbolt of the front door as soon as I walked inside, switching on the main lights as I somewhat floated through the flat putting my things away. The soup went straight into the fridge to be forgotten, laptop on the counter in front of the only barstool I owned and my bag hung on the back of my bedroom door. I finished tidying what little mess there was in the flat, and when I felt content, I flicked the kettle on and found a Bluetooth speaker to let some gentle music float around me to fill the space.

The flat didn’t feel empty or anything, it was just a habit of mine that I had formed over the years. My whole life had been surrounded by noise – every home I’d had was noisy whether it was from music or TVs or loud conversations. These days I had the library, which had the gentle buzz of students and teachers, and the restaurant that had the rustle and bustle of staff and customers.

The flat just had me. And having control over the noise that surrounded me made the flat feel like it really belonged to me this time.

By the time the kettle finished boiling I had swapped out my jeans for a pair of warmer sweatpants and some UGGs, making a coffee carefully – despite it being nearly half eight in the evening – and finding my old, weathered copy of Mansfield Park. To say it was my favourite was a slight understatement; the spine was currently being held together with so many layers of invisible tape that it really wasn’t invisible anymore.

As I sat down on the banquette seating in front of the window my phone started to ring. I quickly put my book and drink on the coffee table beside me, pulling my phone out of my pocket to find Queenie’s number and picture lighting up the screen.

‘Queenie?’ I answered without a proper greeting, part of me worried that something was wrong with Harvey. Queenie didn’t usually ring this late, especially since she was just downstairs and I’d just seen her barely half an hour ago. Harvey was a pretty old guy (I suspected, anyway) and he’d not been well the last couple of weeks. I felt like it was pretty fair for me to think that maybe something had happened. ‘You okay?’

‘Hi, yes, everything’s fine.’ Queenie reassured me right away, though I wasn’t a hundred percent convinced. ‘Sorry, Mija, you’re probably already settled for the night.’

‘It’s fine, Queenie, I was just having coffee.’ A small lie, technically, but she didn't need to know that.

‘At this hour?’ The older woman laughed on the other side of the line. ‘Dios Mío, girl, you’ll be up all night.’ I chuckled but rolled my eyes as if Queenie could still see me – though with her Super Spanish Mother Powers I wouldn’t put it past her if she could.

‘Ah, you know me.’ I said simply. ‘You all good? Did you need me to come back?’

‘Nah, nah, stay there.’ She said gently. ‘I just wanted to ask a favour from you for tomorrow morning.’

‘Sure, Queens, what do you need?’ I picked up my coffee and had a quick sip, knowing that sometimes Queenie got carried away on the phone. Knowing my luck my coffee would be cold by the time I finished talking to her.

‘I have to take Harvey for another appointment tomorrow so we won’t be able to come in for the Leone’s delivery in the morning.’ Queenie said and my heart sank as soon as I registered the words because I knew exactly where this was going. ‘I just need you to let the girls in the back when you hear the buzzer, she’ll know what to do.’

‘Girls?’ I made a face. ‘I thought Tony and his son did the deliveries?’

‘Jules said something came up so they’re sending Rocky and Claudia instead.’

‘Huh.’ I gave a quiet sigh. ‘Alright then. What time are they coming?’

‘Probably around seven.’ I could almost hear the grimace in Queenie’s voice as she spoke and I groaned inwardly. ‘I know it’s early – I can ask someone else if it’s too much trouble, Tills.’

‘Nah, don’t stress. I can do it.’ I told Queenie as I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling the migraine begin to make a comeback. ‘I have to be up early anyway.’ Another lie, but I felt like I owed Queenie this much. And regardless of that, even though I didn’t technically work for the restaurant, I was probably one of the better people she could have asked anyway.

‘Ah, gracias, Mija, really.’ Queenie gushed. ‘I owe you, okay? I’ll have Harvey cook you up something nice.’

I tried to decline the offer but, naturally, Queenie was having none of it and pretty much planned the meal there and then. Eventually she let me go and, as expected, my coffee was cold. I sighed again, taking the mug back to the kitchen to tip the rest of the contents down the drain. I wouldn’t be needing it anyway, I had to be up early apparently.

The thought of an early start as well as that stupid supervising shift in the library, the prospect of tomorrow really didn’t seem so great. Switching off the music and shutting the blinds gruffly, I hauled myself to bed and fell face-first into the pillows, almost wishing that I would suffocate before morning came.  

Seven o’clock rolled around quicker than I wanted it to, but my saving grace was that both Claudia and Rocky, the Leone’s delivery boys for the day, looked exactly how I felt. Claudia had this long dark hair that was thrown up into a messy top-knot, Rocky’s shaggy (almost) pixie cut hidden under a maroon beanie. Both of them were in oversized hoodies and tights, which made me feel a hell of a lot better about my UGGs and sweater paws while I helped them unload the van into the restaurant kitchen.  

‘You guys don’t really do this often, do you?’ I asked with a small laugh as I helped Rocky with a particularly heavy box of what I guessed were vegetables while Claudia took a phone call from their father, I deduced based on the fact that she was repeating ‘yes I know,Dad’ many, many times.

Rocky scoffed at my question, trying to disguise it behind another yawn.

‘I could ask the same thing,’ She said with a curt – but friendly – gesture at my feet once the box was set down on one of the steel counters. ‘Are those uniform around here or what?’

I glanced down to the UGGs on my feet and laughed.  

‘Ah, no.’ I admitted. ‘No, I don’t actually work here.’ Rocky’s eyebrows shot up in a silent question. ‘I live in the flat upstairs – Queenie asked me to supervise the delivery.’

Rocky seemed to smirk at the new information, dark eyes crinkling in the corners just a little.

‘What, they don’t trust us?’ She asked me with a tilted head. I rolled my eyes at the girl, Claudia coming back around the corner (though she was still on the phone, and unimpressed by the looks of it).

‘More like they don’t trust the bozo’s in here.’ I grinned and Rocky gave a loud laugh with a slightly impressed nod before we dragged our feet back outside to the van to help Claudia with the rest of the boxes. 3

We all yawned our way through the next hour and we all sat and had coffee while the morning staff prepared for the day and before I knew it, it was almost nine and it was time for them – and me – to go back to work.

*

I could think of a hundred different things that I could have been doing that would have been more productive than just sitting around at the service desk in the library waiting for this Ashton guy to grace me with his presence.

At twelve thirty, when he was officially half an hour late, I’d already sent out overdue emails to half of the students in the entire university and had started stamping the new books that had been delivered earlier in the morning. That was supposed to be his job, and here I was doing it for him. In those thirty minutes, I’d looked at my watch more times than I had all year. I was aggressively unimpressed.

‘I’m looking for, uh… Tillie? Tillie Daniels.’

‘Who’s asking?’

‘Uh, I’m Ashton.’ He said. ‘I was supposed to be here at –’

‘Twelve.’ I finished for him. When I looked up at him, face rock hard and glaring daggers, he was looking down at me over the desk, shifting his weight from foot to foot sheepishly with a small smile twitching on thin lips. ‘You know you’re late, right?’

‘Yeah… I’m sorry about that that.’ He said, smile wavering (though he didn’t look away from my killer scowl, which surprised me since I was usually pretty good at making people uncomfortable with that Angry Librarian Face). ‘I woke up late and had to do a make-up test for one of my classes. Then my roommate was having a bit of a crisis, then I couldn’t find the library –’

‘Did you bring your paperwork?’ I cut him off. I wasn’t interested in his life story, I just wanted to get this over and done with. The sooner he started stamping books, the sooner I could get back to inputting the new books into the system and, more importantly, the sooner my shift would be over and I could ditch this guy.

‘Oh.’ Ashton said dumbly. ‘Yeah.’ He fumbled around in a seemingly empty satchel that hung over his shoulder for a minute or two before he produced two slips of crumpled paper and an envelope. He handed them to me and it took me a couple of moments to actually take them from him, just because I hadn’t quite finished staring.

He was wearing a loose, white muscle shirt and black board shorts, vans on his feet – with no socks, since no guy seemed to feel the need to wear socks anymore – and his blondish hair was slightly wet as it curled around his ears. I cocked an eyebrow, my fingers brushing his as I took his paperwork.

‘Couldn’t find the library?’ I questioned and the guy kind of shrugged. He didn’t seem uncomfortable, but he didn’t elaborate on it either which made me think that he hadn’t thought up a detailed enough story to continue the lie. I just blinked away the thought, trying to flatten the papers on the counter while Ashton stood there, hands in his pockets as he waited for me to read them.

One was pink and was double sided. It was a time sheet, one with a grid that I realised, without even looking at it properly, that I was going to have to sign and stamp every day for the next few months. The other was a letter from the Dean, explaining that Ashton’s presence here was mandatory. There was no way he was getting out of this, and consequently that meant I wasn’t getting out of this either.

‘What’s with this?’ I asked as I turned over the last item in my hands, trying (kind of) to smoothen out the creases while I looked for a label or stamp. But there was nothing on it, it was just an off-white, sealed, blank envelope. It barely even felt like there was anything in it. I stared at Ashton incredulously and, once again, he just shrugged without even looking bothered by it. He pulled out his phone instead and started to scroll or text or whatever, and I suppressed the urge to scream.

Usually I was pretty patient with people and strangers, but for some reason there was something about this Ashton guy that just really irked me. He was standing there, lying about why he was late and wasting my time, and then he had the nerve to mess around on his phone like he wasn’t wasting my time as well as his own.

I took a breath and counted to five in my head, trying not to snap too soon. This was already going to be a long semester – I didn’t want to make it even longer by completely throttling the guy on the first day.

‘Alright, whatever.’ I huffed, stamping the pink slip and handing it back to him gruffly. Ashton shoved his phone back in his pocket and took back the time sheet hurriedly, a flash of annoyance passing through his eyes that made me roll my own.

I took a second to glance around the area where we were to see if there was a free three feet of space for Ashton to work and shuddered inwardly when I realised that the only table that wasn’t currently being used was almost right next to me. I fluttered around for a bit, letting Ashton tap his feet and look around with a glazed over and bored expression while I stood and pushed the trolley of new books a few feet down the long librarian’s desk. I found the other School Stamp and set it down in front of a desk chair, rolling an empty trolley between his chair and mine to create two separate work stations.

‘You can come ‘round over there,’ I finally spoke again, gesturing to the small entrance gap at the opposite end of the desk. ‘You’ll be stamping the new books we got in yesterday.’

‘O-kay.’ He pursed his lips but made his way around anyway, dumping his bag next to the chair before he sat down. ‘That’s it?’

‘That’s it.’ I said shortly, picking up a textbook from the pile and sitting it in front of the blond. ‘Just open the book –’ I opened it. ‘– stamp the inside –’ I stamped. ‘– flip to the back –’ I flipped. ‘– stamp again.’ I stamped again. ‘If it has a jacket, stamp the inside of the jacket too. Stamped books go on the empty trolley; you’re here ‘til two.’

I dropped the newly stamped book onto the empty trolley before I sat myself back down in my own chair, intending to ignore Ashton for the rest of his stay here. But as I stole one last annoyed glance at Ashton, he was grimacing again.

‘Two?’ He asked, though I wasn’t sure it was really aimed at me entirely. Regardless, the whine annoyed me – probably more than it should have, but I really didn’t have time for this today. I was not in the mood.

‘I should make you stay ‘til halftwo, you know.’ I shot, unable to help the acid in my voice. ‘You were late by like thirty minutes.’

‘Yeah, you mentioned that.’ Ashton sighed, taking the first book from his full trolley very begrudgingly. ‘I just thought I’d be doing something a little more… interesting.’

There was no way this was real, like, he was not saying that right now. I’d never met somebody so obnoxious in my life.

‘Maybe you should have thought of that before you pulled whatever stunt landed you in here in the first place.’ I snapped back, and I watched as Ashton recoiled though he was smart enough not to comment.

‘Can I at least listen to some music while I do it?’ He asked with a slightly arched brow, gesturing to the headphones he’d just pulled from his pocket. I gave a small shrug but nodded.

‘Yeah, do whatever.’ I huffed and that was end of it.

With a tense silence falling between us – finally– I was able to turn back to my computer and finish sending out the emails I needed to. Despite how annoyed Ashton had made me, it was surprisingly easy to tune him out. He found a kind of rhythm for his stamping that sort of set the pace for the afternoon. It was a little slow, but it was better than him giving lip and annoying me with actual words. I would take it, I decided, and used the constant thudding to gently guide me into my own rhythm until the sound was nothing but dull background noise.

I’d progressed from emails to homework over the course of time, but when a literary analysis failed to peak my interest I moved on to a piece of writing I was in the middle of brainstorming for the school magazine. I didn’t contribute to the VCA Focus often, but the Autumn Edition was going to be published soon and the Editor in Chief, Rae, actually came to me and asked if I would write something to be featured.

It was an honour, really, I’d never actually been askedto write before. Usually I submitted things on a whim. They were weirdly popular, my pieces. I saw my poems and flash fiction pieces being talked about on the school forums and in classes more often than I thought they would. It was flattering – and exhilarating at the same time since nobody (except for Rae) knew that those pieces belonged to me.

I was never sure why, but it never really appealed to me to have my name out there. Part of it was that whenever I was writing I seemed to just dissociate from my regular self and become somebody else, and I felt like if I ever put my name onto my pieces I would lose that part of me forever. TD wasn’t Tillie Daniels. She was somebody else who didn’t know anything but writing for writing’s sake.  

It wasn’t the cleverest of pseudonyms, but it was enough. There were an infinite number of students in this school with the same initials, so I still felt safe. I felt insured.

This particular piece was starting to do my head in a little bit, though; it felt like I’d been ‘brainstorming’ for days. Rae had said the theme for the Autumn Focus was something along the lines of “longing” and “desire” – but I wasn’t really sure if I was supposed to take that literally or not. Then there was the added problem that I didn’t usuallycorrespond to any particular theme when I wrote. I just wrote whatever came to me in the moment, or whatever felt right, and the Focus usually accepted anything I submitted because there wasn’t usually a set theme in mind. Rae was introducing a new system this year, for some reason, and whether she knew it or not she was messing with my own system (or, you know, lack thereof).  

I was immersing myself into research and definitions, as time went by, and before I knew it, Ashton was tapping me on the shoulder and bringing my attention back to earth.

‘It’s two.’ He said simply and flatly. I just stared blankly, stealing a glance back at the monitor and then back to Ashton who was staring at me almost impatiently from where he stood on the other side of the half-full trolley of books.

‘Okay?’ I twitched my eyes ever-so-slightly, thinking Ashton would have just gotten up and left on his own. But he didn’t, he just kept staring.

‘Can I go?’ He tried again as he made a quick gesture in the direction of the library exit. I gave a nonchalant shrug and nodded.

‘Yes?’ I half-mumbled and Ashton rolled his eyes and left. I huffed, watching him sling his bag back over his shoulder and turn on his heel to wander with that obnoxious walk he had going on. I was still scowling when he turned to call over his shoulder.

‘See you tomorrow, I guess.’ He said, and he already sounded defeated.

‘Whatever.’ I muttered again, but he was already out of earshot, almost moseying out of the doors.

[ Snapshot Masterlist | Next chapter ] 

[sheplaysthegames]

20 Questions for Simmers

1.) Favorite Sims Game

While I have played and loved every version of The Sims, I think my absolute favorite was The Sims 2. It was the one I couldn’t put down! The little details and humor are what really stand out when I look back, and I don’t remember having any real problems with it either since the game itself was pretty solidly developed and bugs tended to be squashed quickly. Overall, I was never bored playing The Sims 2 and I still occasionally boot it up just to reminisce.

2.) Yourself in 3 Traits

Ambitious, dog lover, neat

3.) CC or No CC

I play with a small amount of CC. Everything I download is Maxis-match, and I pull pieces out whenever we get new official content that I can use instead.

4.) Preferred Part of the Game

I really like each part of the game and try to spend my time evenly among them. Lately I’ve been building and messing around in CAS more than actually playing though. Oops!

5.) Favorite Expansion Pack

In The Sims, my favorite EP was Makin’ Magic. I was so young when I played that I thought I was incredibly clever for figuring out the pattern to the spells in the dueling arena so that I’d win every time. And I had a lot of fun creating one of each type of potion and then trying them out on the poor, unsuspecting townies!

In The Sims 2, my favorite EP was Bon Voyage. I spent so much time completing every single vacation memento! Some of them were really hard to figure out too, so finishing the collection was really rewarding to me. All three of the destinations were equally fun to explore with their local dances, gestures, foods, and massages. I could really feel the difference between visiting Takemizu Village, Twikki Island, and Three Lakes.

In The Sims 3, my favorite EP was Ambitions. The firefighter career and the new inventing skill were the real highlights to me. I spent weeks creating a Simbot without cheating, and firefighting was a really exciting change from the standard rabbithole careers. Another neat feature was the ability to sculpt statues of Sims. Never-melting ice sculptures looked great in mansions, and of course stone sculptures made great monuments to ‘famous’ Sims in town.

In The Sims 4, my favorite EP (so far) is Seasons. The weather effects are beautiful, the raincoats and rainboots and umbrellas are adorable, kiddie pools are the greatest item ever created, and temperature is just such a vital addition that it's finally starting to feel like a full game for me! Seasons and weather in general also function differently in each world, which is perfect. I didn’t want snow in Oasis Springs, and Brindleton Bay desperately needed fog and rain to feel complete.

6.) Favorite Game Pack

In The Sims 4, my favorite GP (so far) is Vampires. I never really liked this life state before, but this time around they’re fantastic! The abilities help differentiate each vampire from one another, and I love that they don’t have to ask permission nicely before biting a Sim. The sticker cracks and spider webs are also something I’d been wanting to help make places seem less perfect. Overall, the life state seems so detailed and sets a much higher bar for future life states. I don’t even mind paying for each individually if they’re this well-done.

7.) Favorite Stuff Pack

In The Sims 2, my favorite SP was H&M Fashion. Honestly, I just really loved all the new clothing that kept my Sims from constantly matching each other. And building a clothing store with all the cool retail items that came with it was a lot of fun too!

In The Sims 3, my favorite SP was Town Life. The rabbitholes were more modern and added some variety since most of the others were the same building with slightly different colors. I had a lot of fun remodeling my more modern worlds with them.

In The Sims 4, my favorite SP (so far) is Laundry Day. I’m a sucker for realism elements so adding another menial chore for my Sims makes me happy. The laundry system is surprisingly complex, the furniture filled in a lacking farmhouse style I felt was missing from the game, and stackable machines look perfect in apartments. The clothing and hairstyles were also very well-done and I have to actively try not to overuse them on all my Sims.

8.) Least Favorite Expansion Pack

In The Sims, my least favorite EP was House Party. It felt like the smallest addition we were given, and parties weren’t enough for me to explore more than a handful of times before I got bored. As soon as the next EP came out, I moved on to the new content and I don’t think I ever threw another party again.

In The Sims 2, my least favorite EP was Nightlife. It wasn’t bad at all, it was just the one I used the least. My personal gameplay style at the time was incredibly family-oriented and you just don’t take your kids to clubs. I only ever went to the new Downtown subhood for first dates and a few marriage proposals since the date interactions were pretty cute.

In The Sims 3, my least favorite EP was Showtime. I don’t think I ever really played with anything from it. The ‘optional’ online connection where you would send your Sims to someone else’s game to perform really made me mad since some of the items you paid for were locked away behind it and I had no desire to participate. And the whole in-game news feed and achievement system were horrible and really caused problems. The venues were also super glitchy so even when I did give the new active careers a go, trying to complete a performance was almost impossible. Overall, the whole thing felt like more trouble than it was worth.

In The Sims 4, my least favorite EP (so far) is Get to Work. I think my expectations were just too high going into it. The active careers are okay, but none of them make me actually want to follow my Sims to work past the first few days because they get highly repetitive and there’s no real risk associated with them. The retail system also seems a bit lacking. There are very few retail items to use when building a store, although I do have to mention that the clothing mannequins are pretty cool. And actually running it is too easy since you can just instantly restock the items even if they’re unique things that you’ve made your Sims create.

9.) Least Favorite Game Pack

In The Sims 4, my least favorite GP (so far) is Spa Day. It’s not nearly as immersive as the others. There isn’t much to do outside of getting a massage or doing yoga, and both are kind of boring to do repeatedly over and over. It doesn’t expand on the gameplay nearly enough to be categorized as a GP in my opinion; I’d demote it to SP.

10.) Least Favorite Stuff Pack

In The Sims 2, my least favorite SP was Glamour Life. It added the least versatile stuff. Most of my Sims weren’t swimming in cash, so the items, particularly the clothing, were rarely used since they’d look and feel out of place. 

In The Sims 3, my least favorite SP was Katy Perry’s Sweet Treats. I didn’t even buy it and I have no idea why anyone did. The objects were all horrible and cheesy. There was literally nothing good about it. At all. Ever.

In The Sims 4, my least favorite SP (so far) is My First Pet. No matter how many times they deny it, it’s a massive money grab. The furniture set literally completes what they left incomplete in Cats & Dogs! The clothing is for the most part just recolors of what we already have! And to top it all off, there’s just one new critter. They claim four, but it’s the same thing with a different skin overlay. I am perfectly fine with some items in a pack being dependent on owning previous packs so that they can continue to expand on past content. But to release this immediately after the associated EP and for it to pretty much be the rest of the items that we were missing from said EP...certainly seems like they withheld content just to wring an extra $10 from their players. Especially since it wasn’t even mentioned in their quarterly teaser. Haven’t bought it, and will not until it’s on sale.

11.) Custom or EA / Maxis Sims

EA / Maxis Sims are the best! I adore the premades and their unique, weird stories. My favorite thing to do is make them over and put an interesting spin on their storylines while still keeping them recognizable.

12.) Households or Single Sims

Definitely households. I prefer organized chaos with lots of things going on at once! There just isn’t enough to do when there’s only one Sim.

13.)  Free Will On or Off

Free will is always firmly set to off in my game. I’m a dictator when it comes to my Sims and I make no apologies for that.

14.)  Favorite Life Stage

Toddlers. They’re just so darn cute! The expanded skill building this time around is really cool since they actually learn in discernible stages instead of all at once, and I’m still not over their ability to go up and down stairs all on their own. The little mess-makers also have some of the cutest interactions with other Sims and their environment.

15.)  Favorite Life State

Aliens. The first time I ever had a Sim abducted was in The Sims 2, and it terrified me because I had no idea what was going on and didn’t know if he was ever going to come back. Then he was finally returned and popped out an alien baby! It was just so surprising and ever since I’ve had a particular fondness for extraterrestrials.

16.) Favorite Skill

Cooking is probably my favorite skill to build. Something about getting to see what those difficult dishes look like is just fun to me. Since The Sims 4 actually includes 3 separate skills for cooking, gourmet, and baking skills I’ve been having a blast discovering all the new recipes!

17.) Ever Completed a Legacy

Only once, way back in The Sims 2. It lasted a grand total of 16 generations before I wound up making the move to The Sims 3. I’ve tried numerous times since then, but The Sims 3 was too buggy to play a single file that long and The Sims 4 is still missing a couple of key features that I’d like to have before trying again.

18.) Longest Simming Session

When I had more free time (and was significantly younger), I happily confess to wasting away a full weekend playing The Sims 2. These days I’m lucky to get a couple hours a week here and there. Ah the joys of growing up!

19.) Personal Sims Wishlist

There are a few things I’m still really missing for The Sims 4. I’m hoping universities and witches are making a comeback soon as they’re crucial to my planned storylines. Fairies, werewolves, and a beach vacation world would also be wonderful to have but they’re less important to me.

20.) Unpopular Opinion

I don’t miss the open world system from The Sims 3 at all. I’m perfectly happy trading it for every world to be connected. Every save file is a megahood and I find that preferable to a single, completely open world. I also think that it makes the game more stable for everyone, especially lower-end computers. The loading screens are worth it!

[bananashemmo]

When We Collide (Part 44)

Pairing: Assistant!Y/N/CEO!Luke

Rating: NC-17

Masterlist: Here

Summary: He is the definition of high class smart ass, swimming in Dom Pierre Pérignon champagne and has never seen the shadow of poverty. She is underprivileged, lives in a messy dorm room on sale and struggles working as an assistant after being thrown out of college. But how will they collide when Luke makes Y/N pregnant after a drunkenly one night stand

When We Collide on Wattpad

It was only a coincidence you stopped in track once you passed the room down the hallway. The door was never open, it had always been closed but this time it caught your attention.

The smell of paint was obvious, even through a small cold you could sense it.

You leaned your body against the door frame to the room and poked your head inside. You weren’t expecting to see anything but when you noticed Luke standing with a paint brush in his hand your eyes widened.

The radio was playing soft tones of Charlie Puth, filling out the silence and Luke’s small whistles as he either sung along to the lyrics or just hummed the melody.

The whole floor was covered in plastic to make sure stains of paint wouldn’t harm the floor. Not that it was important because you had discussed you wanted a beige carpet to fill in the floor.

It wasn’t a good idea considering it would turn dirty at some point but it was the best if your daughter wanted to play on the floor.

You stood still staring at him not wanting to move. It was a sight you hadn’t seen before and you couldn’t help but being just a bit curious. You hadn’t talked about doing the nursery today but he had just started on his own.

“I thought you had people to do your job all the time.” You couldn’t help yourself. The comment slipped past from your lips.

Luke looked over his shoulder by the sound of your voice and smiled carefully. He stopped in track from painting the wall a very faint rosegold color and looked down at his feet for a second.

“Sometimes it’s more personal to do stuff like this even if it’s hard and takes that special extra time.”

The warm smile he had on his face made the blush creep on your cheeks ever so carefully. It wasn’t something you had expected for him to say but it felt so truthfully right when it came out.

You loosened your arms from having them crossed and walked into the bedroom.

It was slowly turning into something special. Things had been ordered and mostly stood in the living room waiting for the walls to dry. It wasn’t much that Luke needed to finish but he still had to cover some spots that needed one more layer of paint.

Not that you understood any of this. You did not really take part in any of this mainly because you were too out of breath and too out of function to do anything with your size.

You had tried to take down a plate from one of the high cabinets in the kitchen and he had scolded at you for putting two lives at risk.

Not that something bad could happen by standing in a chair but he was being stubborn and did the job himself for you.

You walked over to the small table where a small furniture was placed. It was stuff that was packed in plastic and not in harm of any of the paint that could easily fall down.

“Were these the ones that were sewed specially?” You asked, referring to the snow white curtains that kind of fit with the wall color.

Luke stopped in track and looked over his shoulder to see what you were talking about. He already knew what it was but still made a checkup before answering.

“Yes, I made sure they were handmade so they are extra soft.” He explained and let go of the paint brush to stand next to you.

“Well that’s great considering she’s not going to sleep with it but it’s going to hang in front of the window.” You were only joking but the sarcasm was clear in your voice.

He rolled your eyes by your comments and went back to his work. The conversation had already been there you had kind of scolded at him for buying something that wasn’t even supposed to be that important. But he insisted that it needed to be perfect even if its only purpose was to hang in front of the window.

“You know it makes sure she doesn’t get the sun in her eyes in the morning.” He commented, standing with his back facing you.

“Luke, you know the morning sun starts in your room and not on this side of the apartment, right?” You placed one hand to your hip and couldn’t help but feeling a smile spreading.

He stopped in track once again but didn’t say anything. You could tell by the way he was tensing his shoulders you said something that was indeed correct.

He looked over his shoulder with lips parting but he didn’t really have an argument hidden in his sleep.

“You know what I said,” He shrugged causally and lifted his nose in the air, “They looked pretty and matched the rest so I bought them.”

You looked down at the curtains extra carefully by his words and in the end you couldn’t help but agreeing.

Everything in the room was going to be so perfect.

It wasn’t close to be done but you could picture it perfectly already.

When the paint was finished you would get the chance to hang up fairy lights all around the room. It was something you had seen on Pinterest, something that looked so pretty you couldn’t help but sharing the idea with Luke.

It was great he also had a good sense when it came to decorating. He didn’t need to hire people to do that because he knew just well enough what looked the best.

You were almost having discussions what looked the best because you both wanted it to look simple but also wanted it to have so many different qualities.

The small crib that was bought was actually something that wasn’t supposed to be used at first. She wasn’t going to be sleeping alone the first couple of nights if it came to you.

Reading so many things online you were kind of in doubt of what to do.

Some pregnant women were determined to sleep arm in arm with their children. They wanted to share the same bed as them until they would be old enough to say they wanted to sleep in their own room.

It was something you had been talking about with Luke and you had found a conclusion.

She would be sleeping with you for the first couple of nights but when it was time for a change and you needed space on your own she would get the chance to sleep in her own crib next to your bed.

And when she would be ready to sleep on her own she would get the chance to sleep in her own room, in a bigger crib. You don’t assumed she would be ready already after four months.

But when you looked at the bed that was going to be in her nursery you honestly couldn’t wait until she got the chance to sleep in it.

With white butterflies on the small wooden white racks and ribbons in the same color as the wall you could literally just picture her sleeping here. In the middle of the crib without a pillow because that was a very important rule in the first steps of being a new born.

It had two layers of mattresses but it was only to give the best comfort possible. And with sheets resting in the closet just for her size she wouldn’t ever get the chance to freeze.

If that was even possible. Luke had one of the safest systems in the apartment to make sure the heat was always on.

Sometimes it even too hot.

You looked into the small basket that stood on the table next to the curtains covered in plastic and took a look.

It was small objects that was going to fill in the drawers once you had collected the nightstands and dressers. You had no planned how much you were going to buy but it somehow ended up in being a lot.

It wasn’t just clothes but it was also small baby stuff that was needed. Not to mention how many toys you had bought that she wasn’t evaen old enough to play with before at least two years from now.

“You didn’t even say if you liked this color? You were the one asking me to pick out one in the end.” He suddenly commented and you looked up.

Walking over to the wall you couldn’t help but taking a closer look. You had been standing in the painting shop for god knows how long but in the end you settled with him taking the decision.

It was something that was very modern at the moment, a color that many loved at the moment. You couldn’t help but thinking it was a bit mainstream but to be honest you had fallen just as hard as it like everyone else. 

You moved your hand up to take a better look at the paint, it had covered the before white wall very nicely. 

“Y/N no wait it’s not dry yet-,” Luke’s eyes widened in surprise when he turned around and accidentally made a movement with the paint brush as it left the wall.

You widened your eyes in surprise as well when you felt droplets of paint hitting you square across the face. It wasn’t just your face because when you looked down it was also all over your white shirt. 

“Oh my god.” He commented and raised his hands in surrender, “It wasn’t on purpose the paint brush slipped.” 

You looked up at him almost daring, tempted between doing what you had in mind or not. The way you were looking at him was enough to know what you had on your mind. 

“No, you don’t.” He warned, looking at you with wide eyes but as he moved the paint brush to show seriousness, he accidentally hit you one more time. 

“Oh yes I will.” That was the confirmation to your theory. 

Leaning down to grab another paint brush from the small bucket of paint you ‘accidentally’ made a movement that hit him straight across the face just like you had been through.

“Y/N!” He almost wanted to yell and looked down at his shirt, “You almost hit it!” 

It was like an open invitation and with another wave of paint his eyes widened even more if it was possible. You couldn’t help but trying to hold in a smile because it was pretty amusing. 

“Y/N this is Ralph Lauren!” He pointed down at his baby blue shirt, eyes ready to pop out. 

“Maybe you should have thought of that before starting to paint a room.” You fought back, literally not being able to hold in a laugh because this was too ridiculous. 

The argument seemed to knock him out of the discussion he had started.

He looked at you not sure of what to say because it was in fact a great argument. Not that he owned some clothes that fit for painting a room but he could at least have found something something more worn out. 

And that was how the paint fight started. 

You had no idea if it would ever come to an end but you continued and continued to throw paint at each other. You made sure there was enough to cover the rest of the wall before you continued but it ended up everywhere.

The plastic on the floor looked like a nightmare with all the stains it had gotten, it was luck it was there and wouldn’t damage the actual floor.

You on the other hand looked like someone born to be fully rosegold. Your white shirt barely had any whiteness anymore and Luke’s shirt had turned into something different.

You both looked like such a mess but it was kind of worth everything. 

“What do you say we wash this off and return back the room once the paint is dried?” He suggested and you nodded you head in agreement. 

You definitely needed a shower. 

It was like things had changed a lot, actually it felt like your whole life had changed.

It wasn’t just the fact that Luke had stopped seeing Holly it was everything around you. 

Things were pretty obvious and changing. The second Luke had announced everything it was all just a change. You could feel it by the way you were walking around in the apartment, how you were towards Luke but also how he was towards you.

It was like he was suddenly free to do what he wanted and it felt so good.

You didn’t have to worry about the things in public and neither did you have to answer any of the questions regarding all the paparazzi.

You knew once the truth would come out things would change that way. The phones kept ringing like you couldn’t get any privacy but it was all just worth it because you could avoid it and turn the phone off.

When you walked in public it was a change of course, you had turned into someone else in the media.

Everyone wanted a word from you being said but with Luke’s over protectiveness you could barely do a thing without having someone to watch over your shoulder.

But it was worth everything else.

You didn’t have to look at Holly or hear her voice anymore. It was only if it was related to work but she was so pissed at both you and Luke she didn’t even want to say a nice word to you at all. 

At work she barely wanted to give you a glance. She was sincerely that pissed you almost believed she was a ticking bomb ready to explode.

She definitely had something planned that you didn’t know about. 

The rest of the colleagues almost seemed just as shocked about the fact you were carrying his baby. Some had asked but the rest were pretty respectful and accepted if you didn’t want to talk about it you just wouldn’t.

You couldn’t even imagine how they must have felt to hear the news. You could barely believe it yourself.

And having the conversation over the phone with your family was something out of the ordinary. Trying to explain everything seemed to take forever and you weren’t even going for their acceptance. They just needed to understand what was going on. 

You had been in and out of the phone calling and answering whatever they were asking, the more you were in the news the more they called.

Some understood and some didn’t but that was the path of taking your own decisions. Not everyone would like it. 

But the last couple of days things had fallen more into place. You weren’t as stressed as you had been during the week. You weren’t the one to hear the phone anymore, mainly because you put it on silence just like Luke did. 

It was only if work called that he actually took his phone in his hand. At other moments he just simply sat and did something else to entertain himself. 

Things just really seemed to fall into place.

Reaching the last couple of weeks almost meant that you had to be in the more silent position.

The only thing you did during these days were eating food from the fridge and watching TV. It was only if Luke suggested to take you out for a walk or doing something in the nursery you stood up from wherever you were sitting.

It was both a nice but harsh feeling. You felt like you could explode any second from now and it was kind of annoying but it was also nice not having to do something. 

You did think Luke would add up the service at the house but he didn’t. He simply just used himself more to do stuff and it was nice to see.

For example the nursery. It was going to have such a personal vibe because everything made inside of it was going to be made by you. Some of the furniture he had even pulled together himself. 

It was going to be so great you could already feel it.

After getting into some new clothes and waiting for the paint to dry you went back into the nursery.

“The color did turn out pretty great.” He commented once removing the tape from the end of the floor and down to the next wall.

You hummed and nodded your head in agreement while leaning down to remove the plastic and look at the shiny floor again. 

“It’s going to be so great when the sun streams through.” You mumbled and looked over at the view that was just as amazing as it was from your bedroom.

When the darkness would come it was going to be so awesome. 

You helped him out with removing the rest of the plastic and threw it out of the room. It wasn’t the truth that you did everything on your own because Patrick was there as well to put the rest into the garbage can. 

You looked over at Luke taking the lamp you had bought from the room and moved the small ladder so he was able to stand and reach the ceiling. 

“You know how to do this?” You commented, not wanting to be a tease because you were actually curious. You had no idea if he had any skills when it came to this. 

“Would it surprise you if I could?” He asked and placed a hand to the ceiling to make sure he wouldn’t loose his balance. 

“Honestly, no.” You admitted, and looked up at him, “You were probably taught at that camp you attended as a kid.” 

He rolled his eyes by your words but by the smile he was having you knew it was the truth. What kind of camp was that after all?

“You sure you know how to do this?” You asked once again, but only because of the face expression he was making.

His tongue was resting between his lips, eyes scanning the many wires that were supposed to be connected to the small hole in the ceiling. 

“I’ve got control of everything.” He commented, but his eyes widened when he was so concentrated on the wires the lamp fell out of his hands. 

You looked up at him confused but they widened as the lamp fell down and right into your face. Not in the way where it hurt because the hole in the lamp fit perfectly for your head and suddenly darkness hit you.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry.” He exclaimed, trying to get down from the ladder without falling.

You couldn’t help but laughing inside, your voice echoing inside of the lamp and you moved your hands up to get it away from your head. 

“Are you kidding me?” You asked and looked over at him, “This really isn’t your day.” 

“No, it isn’t.” He admitted and placed his hand to your cheek as an apology.

You looked up at him with a small smile and shook your head in disbelief it was honestly too funny to be true.

Giving it a second chance Luke stood back on the ladder and tried his best. It actually went okay this time and you also made sure to stand at least 2 feet away in case of flying lamps or more paint to come. 

It wasn’t until he was done you walked forward and watched him flick the lights on. 

“You know there was actually something I forgot to tell you.” He suddenly announced when you both lifted the crib into the room. 

“Tell me what?” You asked and looked over your shoulder. 

“There’s this premier coming up for my movie... You know since we’ve finished it the movie and everything its release day is on Friday and I was wondering if you’d like to be... You know... My date?” 

You looked at him a bit surprised, your lips pouting a bit in thought. 

“I know Holly’s going to be there as well and all that since she starring as lead role but I promise none of us has to speak to her. I doubt she even wants to be near us.” 

You looked at him extra careful just to make sure he was actually right and true about what he was saying. When he gave you a small smile you couldn’t help but do the same with a nod. 

“I’d love to, Luke.” 

[maraudeath]

Unexpected

an idea I had where Mary MacDonald isn't dead she decided to live on her own in the woods after the war and when Sirius is in hiding in the fourth book he pays her a visit.

Witherwings was terrible at hiding, he made too much noise and was too curious about his surroundings. It was like he was incapable of sitting still but Sirius hardly minded it as he had the same problem.

It did become an issue when they were in places Muggles could potentially find him though as there was no way to hide him magically. Trusting that Witherwings would be okay, Sirius decided to leave him in a partial cave. It wasn't very deep but it was good enough that he wouldn't be immediately visible.

Besides, Sirius would only be a little ways away and he had a clear view of the cave from where he was going. Of course if he wasn't allowed inside it would be rather difficult but he assumed that they would just need to leave if that happened.

When he first arrived he was sure he got the wrong directions, this could not be where she was. The place was more of a shack than the house that he thought he was looking for.

The entire thing seemed to be covered in moss and the roof looked to be caving in from the weight of the moss on it. The windows were so dirty you couldn't see in them and the parts of the walls that weren't covered in moss were the kind of brown that used to be white.

The only thing that made sense was the door, a bright red that completely reflected the girl that lived there. Or at least the version that he used to know, he had no idea what to expect now.

There was only one way to find out so he lifted the heavy brass knocker on her door and let it slam down. It occurred to him that he probably should have let her know he was coming but it was too late for that.

It took her an entire minute to get to the door and when she did she only opened it a crack so she could see out. One of her warm brown eyes was visible through the space but it was all he could see. She looked him over and looked confused by him, not surprising since he definitely looked different now. 

"Am I gonna have to stay out here forever MacDonald? I'm a wanted man you know," he said finally.

The door was slammed shut only to be whipped open seconds later to allow her to attack Sirius in what could technically be considered a hug. Her brown hair was longer than he'd ever seen it and she was somehow still dressed in the current fashion with a long green robe over top of her outfit. 

"Sirius oh Merlin you scared me!" She said, hugging him tighter. 

He laughed. "I thought about that just a little bit too late, can we go inside though? I wasn't kidding about being a wanted man."

She detached herself from him and smiled the bright smile he was used to associating with her, as though the world was perfect because Mary MacDonald was happy. 

"Come on in," she said, pushing the door open and leading the way dramatically. Inside was much more what he expected of her, it was obviously magically expanded and done up and Sirius began wondering why he doubted her at all. Red was the dominant colour of the place, the furniture and the walls all sporting it, while all of the accent pieces were a gold that made the whole place feel like you weren't in the middle of a forest at the bottom of Britain.

"Cozy," he remarked, looking at the wall that seemed to have red fur wallpaper on it. "A very large contrast to the outside though."

"As if I would live in a real shack," she remarked, walking into the kitchen. "I got the place and fixed it up within a couple days to make it nicer. I change the decorations every couple weeks or so, this is my favourite version though."

The longer he looked the more he realized that she had used the Gryffindor Common Room as her inspiration and a fond ache rested in his chest. 

"It would be," he mused. "Mind if I use your loo?"

She rolled her eyes but nodded. "Upstairs the first on your right."

The stairs were a black metal spiral and they led to an upstairs with more red and gold. Even the bathroom had gold towels against a red wall and a black tile floor. Everything was perfectly done and Sirius couldn't help but be amused by it all.

Once he had cleaned himself up a bit he went back downstairs to find Mary cutting something up. The kitchen followed a similar colour scheme but was also full of interesting plants with things growing off them, some of which Mary was cutting up.

"Try this," she commanded, handing him something blue he had never seen before.

"What is it?" He asked, after he had taken a bite already. It was good, very good actually, but that might have been because he hadn't had real food in ages.

She shrugged. "I'm not really sure but they're quite good."

Sirius nodded, finishing the rest of it and eating the other one she handed him as quickly as the first. He followed as she walked out into the living room, sitting down on the red cloth couch and motioning for him to do the same.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company? Or did you just come for food and the loo?" She asked.

"Mostly just those," he said, earning a punch to his arm. "And of course to see you, I only just found out you became a hobbit in the woods and I was just dying to know what it's like."

"Oh it's fantastic," she gushed. "I haven't seen anyone for about a year and I get to do whatever I want with no interruptions because this place is unplottable and everyone thinks I've gone insane."

"Haven't you though?"

When Remus first told Sirius that the biggest socialite from their Hogwarts experience now lived alone in the woods he had thought that maybe Remus had gone mad. That was one of the biggest reasons for this visit, to see if there was any truth to the situation.

"Not yet I don't think," she answered, leaning her head on the back of the couch. "I just needed some space."

"Thirteen years of it in a forest?" Sirius asked, moving the now empty plate to the coffee table so he could stretch out.

"Has it really been thirteen years?" Mary asked quietly, sounding a lot like the Mary MacDonald that pretended to have it all together for so long.

He nodded. "Just about, the anniversary is coming up soon, hard to believe though."

Long ago Sirius had lost track of what day it was, he sorted it out mostly by feeling and every year around this time he had a horrible ache in his chest that wouldn't loosen. It felt as if someone lodged a stone there and he couldn't get it out, like a stronger feeling of what he had all year anyway.

"That's crazy," Mary mused. "I lose track of days being by myself most of the time."

"I know that feeling," he said.

"Oh that's right, how was Azkaban?" She asked with the air of someone asking another how their recent vacation was.

Sirius laughed, he had missed her bluntness. "It was great except for the fact that they kept trying to suck my soul out."

"Merlin I hate that," she said, making him laugh again.

When he was making his way to her, Sirius had a million questions for Mary but something about actually being here made him forget everything. It was strange, as though they were still at Hogwarts but with a twist. A dark twist that shouldn't have been humerus but completely was only because they'd both been without anything pleasantly odd for so long.

"How did you end up here?" Sirius asked, matching her bluntness. "When I thought about Mary MacDonald I saw penthouse suites in London and a life full of untouchable luxury, this is neither of those things."

Mary sighed, playing with a red fur pillow. "It's quite the story, but to tell it I need something strong so give me a minute."

Sirius had never known anyone who could hold their alcohol like Mary MacDonald so when she came back with a bottle of Firewhiskey for each of them he was not surprised. They took the caps off together and toasted before taking deep sips of it.

The burning sensation reminded Sirius of days in the dorms and on the grounds, of wilder nights and happier memories. That alone was almost enough to make him not drink it, almost but not quite.

"So," Mary began when a quarter of her bottle was done. "1981, also known as Death Year or The Year My Life Fell Apart if I'm feeling particularly bitter, took quite the toll on me. In the matter of a few months I lost Marlene, Dorcas, Lily and James and of course Gid and Fabian. That alone was quite a lot but then you were gone and suddenly Peter was gone and oh look Remus is going into hiding so it's just me. Me, all alone to deal with the grief of losing all of my friends, I won't pretend I wasn't bitter about it."

Sirius remained quiet, drinking more of his bottle as she spoke. In all his years in Azkaban he had barely stopped to think of Mary. She had been engaged to Gideon Prewett and had lost him and all of her best friends in the span of a few months.

It seemed to him as though she needed to get everything out and he was more than happy to listen to her as she spoke, he would take whatever he could get in terms of company.

"And then it was over, everything was just done and that was somehow worse you know? Like at least when You Know Who was alive I had a reason to keep going, to get revenge for everything he took from me but he was gone. So one night I went back to my flat in London and I sat there for a while and without knowing what was happening I went and I stood on the edge of the roof and I couldn't feel anything anymore.

"But then something happened, I saw some trees out over all of the ugly buildings and I stared at them and realized that I wanted to be there. So I packed up all of my stuff and I took a train out of the city and camped in the forests for a while. Then one day I stumbled upon this place and I built it up and I've been living here for about 13 years I guess now."

Sirius watched as she took a big breath and chugged quite a bit more of her alcohol. He got the sense that she hadn't talked this much in a long time and for someone who loved talking that must really have gotten to her.

"Well MacDonald, we always knew you would end up on your feet," he said. "It's a little odd that it involves a place like this but, to each their own I suppose."

She raised her bottle to his as he drank some more, slowly letting it go down so he could feel the burn in his throat. Sometimes he needed to feel things slowly, to really remind himself he was still alive.

"I've gone back to London a couple times since I moved here, mostly just to do some shopping, but the last time I went I ran into Rita Skeeter remember her?" She asked.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "That annoying bird a couple years younger than us that had more gossip than you did? I remember her well."

"Yeah well she spotted me and she began talking to me and the next thing I knew there was a whole expose about me and my 'hermit life' in the Daily Profit!" Sirius laughed at her outrage. "It wasn't all bad I suppose though, it made Remus come visit me."

"He's the one that told me where to find you, honestly I thought he was taking the piss when he said you lived in a forest," Sirius said.

Mary laughed. "I don't blame you, it's not a very Mary MacDonald thing is it? Somewhere in the afterlife Marlene is extremely amused by this and I know it."

Sirius agreed and drank more of his bottle, mostly to have something to do while he waited for Mary to say something else. She was staring at him with a gleam in her eye that he didn't quite like, mostly because he associated that look with some sort of plan.

"You know what?" She asked, not waiting for an answer before continuing. "In my not so humble opinion, we were the hottest people at school."

"Were?" Sirius asked, mock anger filling his voice.

Mary nodded gravely. "Were, Sirius. Well I still am quite hot of course but you've let yourself go."

"Yeah, 12 years in prison can do that to a person."

Mary rolled her eyes. "Come on, you need a shave, a haircut and a shower not necessarily in that order."

He tried to protest but there was no use arguing with Mary once she had her mind set up so ten minutes later he found himself in her shower while she waited outside. She had magicked up some 'manly scented stuff' since she said he couldn't have the same scent as her and was talking away outside the shower door.

When he was finished he had to admit that he did feel better, even if the stuff she got him reminded him of Hogwarts. She was waiting for him with a set of scissors, shavers and an ecstatic look on her face.

"Come and sit," she directed, pushing him into the chair she had placed in front of the mirror. "It's time to return you to your former self."

He was wary of this entire plan of hers but she shoved him down into the chair before he could protest. Besides, she looked so happy to be doing something and he couldn't take that away from her, especially when so much already had been.

His hair, which was almost down past his elbows now, had been bothering him for quite some time. He liked it long but this was ridiculous and as he looked into the mirror, he found himself very grateful that she was fixing it.

"Don't get rid of all of it," he warned. "I'm not looking for baldness here."

She gave him a horrified look through the mirror. "Merlin Sirius how daft do you think I am? I was thinking the length it was in seventh year, I liked that the most I thought it suited you very well."

He gave her his approval and she cut a large portion of his hair off, letting it fall to the floor while she smiled. Already he felt lighter and he was excited for the end result.

"Remus came here after you escaped from Azkaban, I never heard from him after that though not about you at least, what happened? How did you escape anyway and where have you been for a year?" Mary asked while she snipped at his hair.

"You know that we were all Animagus right?" He asked, seeing her nod in the mirror. "Right well I turned into a dog and slipped through the bars of my cell. Then I made my way North until I reached Hogwarts, I hid in caves and stuff until the right time."

It had only been a couple of months since that night at Hogwarts so everything that happened was painfully fresh in his mind. The look Harry gave him when he thought he was the reason James and Lily had died was forever burned into his mind.

"Hogwarts? Why on earth would you go there when you're a wanted man? Did you lose all your brains in Azkaban?" Mary asked, swinging her hands wildly as she spoke.

It became abundantly clear that she hadn't been told anything, since Remus had never come back to visit she wouldn't know. No one but them, Harry and his friends and Dumbledore knew what happened.

Well Snape knew as well but he hardly counted as much as Peter did, as far as Sirius was concerned neither of them deserved to be thought of.

"I had to go back to get Peter, he was the one who sold Lily and James out in the first place and he was there so I had to go back to kill him," he answered easily. "He got away though so there was no proof that I didn't do anything. I had to leave again so I got a hippogriff and I left and I've been on the run since then with only a few people knowing I didn't do anything."

"I knew it wasn't you," Mary said quietly, snipping his hair very carefully. "When they put you in prison I never believed it was you, there was no way and I tried to think of any other possibility and well I guess it makes sense it was Peter. He always did want the glory you and James got."

"Yeah well look how that turned out, James is dead and I'm on the run," Sirius said bitterly.

Mary moved so she was in front of him, holding his chin gently so she could cut the front of his hair. "No one's defending Peter, Sirius. He idolized you guys though and it looked like we were going to lose so of course he went onto the winning side. He wasn't brave, he had the potential to be but he was never actively brave."

Sirius didn't say anything, he knew that she was right but he didn't want to see Peter like that. He wanted to see him as a traitor and that was it, Mary was really good at always seeing the best in people but in this instance he didn't want to hear it.

"What's Harry like?" She asked, examining his front before moving to the back again. "Remus wrote me when he first got to Hogwarts and said it was like watching a miniature James and I almost felt bad for the professors."

Sirius laughed. "He's the spitting image of James except he has Lily's eyes, he also isn't as cocky that's for sure. He's exactly what you'd expect from James and Lily's child, trouble making is in his blood and he owns it well not to mention that he's smart. Not genius but smart, not that he uses it very much since he's always doing something stupidly dangerous."

"Remus said Minnie told him that he fought a mountain troll in first year," Mary said laughing. "The only thing I could think of when I read that was how much James would lose his shit if he heard about that."

"He'd lose it even more if he saw Harry play Quidditch, the kids a beast. I went to one of his matches in my Animagus form and, he plays seeker, the stuff he was doing on his broom I don't think even James could have pulled off until he was in at least fifth year."

"He's that good?" Mary asked. "I guess I'm not really surprised, is he as obsessed as James was though?"

Sirius laughed. "Oh yeah, he fell like 100 feet off of his broom and he was more upset that he lost the match than that he fell."

"Oh Merlin he really is James' son." Mary laughed and put the scissors down. "There, see if you like it."

He stood up and ran his hands threw his hair, shocked when it stopped sooner than he expected. In the mirror, he saw how much better it looked and he stopped for a moment reminded of years earlier when it always looked like this.

If he didn't have a beard and wasn't so sunken in his face he would be exactly as he was in seventh year. Maybe a little bit older, but not enough for it to be extremely noticeable.

"This is a lot better," he said finally, running his hands through it again. "Thanks MacDonald."

She nodded and pulled his hands from it. "Keep doing that and you'll get it all greasy, sit down again and we'll get rid of that awful beard."

He did as he was told and listened to Mary talk about how fast she adapted to her life in the woods as she worked. She told him about Remus' visits and about how she stopped getting the Daily Prophet once they started calling him a murderer and nothing else.

It was odd being with her again, as though nothing had changed and they simply hadn't seen each other for a year or so. Despite the fact that the subject matter of their conversations was heavy and completely strange it felt normal.

Mary was still Mary and, for now at least, he was still Sirius. Not the Sirius Black the Daily Prophet had painted onto everyone's minds but the one that was known back at school and the one that he had longed to be since he left.

When he was clean shaven he was shocked with how sunken his face was, he had lost anything that was youthful in him and he couldn't look for more than a minute. Mary stood beside him, only reaching his chin, and looking at him with curiosity.

"It's not exactly the same," she said. "But if it was I don't think it would be a good thing."

He followed her back downstairs into the living room where she started a fire and was looking through a bunch of records she had. She sprawled them over the floor and he joined her, seeing that all of them were familiar and that all of them belonged to Lily.

"I have something from pretty much everyone," Mary explained. "Lily's records and some of Marls old clothes, Dorcas' old Quidditch robes are up in my room. I also have all of Gid's old jumpers in my closet, they all make the place a little more like home."

They put on each record one at a time and listened to them the whole way through while they talked or ate or just sat in silence for a while. They had gotten through seven albums when they realized how late it was.

Sirius could see the moon through the trees and he realized how tired he was, not just physically but emotionally as well. He was tired of feeling incomplete, he was tired of being angry and he was tired of running. Merlin was he tired of running.

He would give anything to stay with Mary in the woods forever but that wasn't possible, he couldn't put her in danger like that. She didn't need the stress of harbouring a fugitive in her house and besides, now that he knew where to find her he could come and see her whenever he wanted.

"Alright Black, let's go to bed I'm exhausted from all this company," Mary said, standing and holding her hand out for him.

He followed her upstairs and nodded when she pointed him towards the spare room she had set up. He was pleased to find that it followed suit with the rest of the house in terms of colours and when he sat down on the bed he thought he might be in heaven.

A bed wasn't a luxury he could have in over a decade, this was a feeling of bone deep tiredness harnessed up and he found himself almost asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was awakened shortly after though by his door opening.

"MacDonald why do you always insist on ruining my life?" He joked, not bothering to open his eyes.

She laughed. "Will you come to my room? It's a bigger bed and I didn't realize how lonely I was until you got here."

He sighed extremely dramatically before pulling his body off of the bed to follow Mary into her room. She was right, the bed was much larger and he vaguely registered that it was much comfier than the other one when he laid down.

She laid beside him without touching him."Don't get any ideas Black," she warned jokingly.

"You wound me MacDonald, jail made me a gentleman you know," he answered, fighting off sleep.

"I can't believe it took jail to tame Sirius Black," she mumbled, making him laugh.

They went quiet and Sirius felt Mary's breathing even out shortly before he fell asleep.

He didn't wake up until late afternoon the next day, Mary was gone and he could hear her doing something downstairs. As much as he didn't want to, he got up and looked out of her window to see Witherwings still in his cave, his head under his wing as he slept.

If he stood like this he could almost pretend that he was in his house, a house that he bought and that he lived in waiting for his godson to come home from school for the summer. Of course that was a ridiculous fantasy, he never should have promised Harry that he could come live with him.

At this rate he would be lucky to be cleared before he was 50. With a frustrated sigh he teared himself away from the window to look around at Mary's room.

It was the only place in the house that wasn't red and gold coloured but he wasn't surprised. The walls of her room were white but painted on with so many colours you could hardly tell. The floor was hard wood and there were paint splatters everywhere.

When you looked closer, you could see that Mary had painted certain moments at school and out of it. She had always been quite the artist and this was her way of coping with things when she didn't or couldn't use words.

Images from Hogwarts, her childhood and the war hit him from every angle and he felt like he was at a museum for Mary. Suddenly, being in the room was too much for him so he went into the bathroom.

He used her shower and savoured the feeling of the water hitting his body, knowing he wouldn't feel it again for a while. When he got out he saw that Mary had put some clothes on the counter for him.

The pants were unfamiliar to him but the shirt and sweatshirt were so familiar it was as if they were his own. Both of them belonged to James, the shirt being just a black t shirt he had worn so much it had holes and the sweatshirt an old grey hoodie he wore when he went for jogs in the morning.

He put them on as fast as he could and was shocked to find that he fit into them perfectly. James was always the slightest bit leaner than him since he was taller but Sirius had lost so much weight and muscle mass that it didn't seen to matter.

It had been ages since he had seen his best friend but this was as close as he was getting and he was thankful for it. Leaving his other clothes on the floor, he left the bathroom and made his way downstairs to find Mary in the kitchen.

"Goodmorning sunshine," she said brightly.

"It's afternoon, MacDonald," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes and continued cutting things up and stirring whatever she had on the stove. It smelled amazing and usually he would have been starving but his eating schedule had been so messed up that he rarely got hungry anymore.

"When are you heading out?" Mary asked.

He looked outside to find that it was quite dark from the clouds, it looked like a storm. "Probably soon, we'll have to make it somewhere where it isn't storming."

"You can always stay another night you know, I don't mind."

"Nah it's alright, I need to keep moving so there's no chance of them catching my trail."

She looked disappointed but nodded. "I got some stuff together you might need, if you're gonna be on the run it doesn't hurt to be prepared."

By the door she had set out a small pile of things with everything from extra clothes to a sleeping bag that she had charmed to stay warm. She had also put food and an extra blanket for Witherwings there along with a bag that she promised would fit it all in.

"You'll come visit me right?" Mary asked as she hugged him goodbye.

He nodded, holding her tight to him. "I'll come back as much as I can, if you see Remus tell him I'm alright yeah?"

"Of course." She pulled away from him, wiping under her eyes to catch the tears that were falling.

Sirius reached over and wiped her cheeks. "I never thought I'd make Mary MacDonald cry."

She laughed. "Neither did I, take care of yourself Black."

"You too MacDonald."

He walked away, hiking the backpack she had given him higher up and turning around once more to find that she was gone. He didn't visit her a lot, too scared to put her in danger, but he did see her again before he went to Grimmauld Place and she had gone there to see Remus and him a couple of times.

All the time he was on the run he thought of her often, never with worry though. Mary was strong and capable and he knew she would be alright.

Even if he wasn't sure about himself.