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ratralsis · 7 months ago

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I will always love Dragon Warrior 3

Dragon Quest III has a new HD-2D remake. I don't love the HD-2D style, if I'm being honest. 2D sprites on a 3D background never look right to me. They looked bad all the way back when I played Xenogears over twenty years ago.

In fact, I googled it: Xenogears came out on PS1 in 1998, so it was actually over twenty-six years ago. Pretty old fuckin' game, Xenogears.

Anyway.

I'm a big Dragon Quest fan. In 2018, I went to a Java One conference in San Francisco for work where I met a developer who worked for Square Enix. He'd just given a presentation discussing their use of Oracle technologies in some Final Fantasy mobile game or another that I'm sure has shut down by now. I approached him and his interpreter afterward to tell him that, because of the company I work for, security is our #1 priority when it comes to our data. How does Square Enix ensure that their databases are secure? Do they do automated testing? That kind of thing.

I got a pretty vague answer, but I wasn't unsatisfied with it. I shook the man's hand and told him, "実は、ドラクエのほうが好きだけど、" and he and his interpreter both laughed.

I'd just told him, "The truth is, I prefer Dragon Quest games, though," using the Japanese abbreviation "Dora Kue" instead of "Doragon Kuesuto." That way, he'd know I was actually a fan. Because I am, and that was a true statement. That's the kind of weird shit you learn when you spend time living in Japan. You can also learn it from the internet, of course. Maybe you just did, from me, earlier in this paragraph. I would be alright with that. Learning things on the internet is fun and easy and cool.

The first Dragon Quest came out in the US when I was very young, though it was called Dragon Warrior, of course. I was too young to be any good at it, because I lacked patience or a mind that could understand how to strategize even in a game where there was only one playable character. My dad played it, though, and I watched him. He played on weekends, because he didn't have time during the week. He named his character "Punky," as in "Punky Brewster," because he thought that was funny. It took us (that is, him) weeks to finish the game, but we (that is, he) eventually did.

I remember being terrified at the final boss battle. The Dragon Lord, the ultimate villain of the game, offers you half the world if you join him, and a Yes/No prompt actually appears.

Now, earlier in the game, you rescue the princess from a green dragon, and she asks you to take her back to the castle. You get a Yes/No prompt there, too, and if you say "No," she says "But thou must!"

"But thou must!" has become a cliche in the world of gaming for this reason.

So my dad assumed that the same thing would happen if you agreed to take half the world from the Dragon Lord. Thing is, it doesn't. Instead, he kills you, and the game ends. Decades later, that ending was used as the basis for the Dragon Quest Builders games, but, as a kid, it terrified me. Keep in mind that the game came out in August of 1989 in the US. Thirty-five years ago. I was five years old then. I might have been six by the time my dad played it, but come the fuck on, that's still pretty young.

We never played Dragon Warrior 2. We never had it. It wasn't until I was a teenager, and NES emulation was possible, that I played it. I never finished it, though, to be honest.

Dragon Warrior 3, though. That came out in 1992. I was eight. I already had an SNES, and Final Fantasy 2. But even at eight years old, Final Fantasy 2 was too much for me. I played it, but I didn't get very far. I literally couldn't find the entrance to one of the game's early dungeons. I won't say which one, because it's kind of embarrassing. It wasn't until I went back to it a couple of years later, at age 10, that I pushed through and finished the game.

I remember very clearly that I was in fifth grade, aged 10, because there was a snow day and I was all dressed to go to school when we found out about it and I went back to the TV to play Final Fantasy 2 instead. I was in the underground, going to the dwarven fortress.

Anyway. I didn't beat the first Final Fantasy game, on NES, until much later, too. I just wasn't good at RPGs when I was that young.

But in 1992, Dragon Warrior 3 was right up my alley. It's a simple game. It's a stupidly simple game. It has a plot that goes so far beyond simple that it's just plain stupid.

You start off at home, sleeping in your full armor, with sword and shield in hand, when your mother wakes you. She explains that it's your sixteenth birthday, and the first time that you'll go to the castle.

You go to the castle, and the king tells you that he's heard about your dad, who died, and how you're going to go die, too.

"It is said that the father Ortega met his end when he fell into a volcano's crater at the end of a battle." "We do hereby accept your petition to follow in the footsteps of your brave father."

He further tells you to get allies at the "eatery," hands you some money, and sends you on your way to kill Baramos, the archfiend, whose name most people don't know, and who is, somehow, going to conquer the world, I guess. And so, off you go. You can recruit three random dipshits from the "eatery," if you want, and you go save the world.

That's the plot.

There are a couple of twists once you kill Baramos. It turns out that there was a bigger Archfiend, Zoma, but he doesn't exist in this world. You have to find a big hole to jump into and find the world of darkness where Zoma lives, and then, once you're there, you find and kill him, too.

That's the end.

At eight years old, though, I loved it. The game came with an incredible manual that contained a walkthrough all the way to the ending, and a giant poster that showed illustrations for every single piece of equipment. I used to spend hours as a kid dreaming of how cool it would be when I finally had the best equipment for all my characters. I would try to find, looking over the poster, what all the best equipment even was. For example, the Zombie Slasher was the best sword for a Sage, as far as I could tell. Better swords existed, but Sages couldn't use them. And the Iron Mask was the best helmet for the hero. And the Magic Bikini was a surprisingly good piece of armor despite clearly being a joke armor.

You can find the poster at https://www.woodus.com/den/games/dw3nes/posters.php if you want. It's fucking excellent. My personal favorite is the Giant Shears, a weapon only Soldiers could equip, because of the utter (dare I say, sheer?) absurdity of imagining a character coming at an enemy with big scissors. Good luck finding the Giant Shears in the later re-releases! Someone realized how fucking stupid they were, I guess!

As a child, I struggled a lot with the game. I took a long, long time to get anywhere. I would grind and level up for hours. I tried a few different character classes, but I decided to take the advice from the manual and used a Soldier, a Pilgrim, and a Wizard as my main party.

The Soldier was Adan. The Wizard was named Matthias. Those were their default names. I named the Pilgrim Joel, after someone I knew from school. It was an all-male party, so I never got to use the Sword of Illusions or the Magic Bikini on my main party.

The hero? Oh, he was named for myself. I hated seeing the first four letters of my name, which is longer than four letters, in the battle menu. Matthias simply became "Matt," but Adan and Joel were untouched.

Adan leveled up faster than the hero did, which made me feel like he was the strongest in the party, and so he stood in the front for most of the game. It wasn't until much later, when I started swapping out characters to level up others, that the hero caught up. But when I first went to the town where you have to send a character solo through a dungeon, I sent Adan. That was a bad idea, it turned out. Adan, as a soldier, couldn't cast any kind of healing spells, so he just couldn't last long enough to make it through that dungeon. The hero could. The hero's meant to. You're meant to send the hero through there. I wound up sending the hero through it enough times to get him to the same level as Adan. I wound up going back later to do it again.

There's a point early on when the king of Romaly insists that you take his crown and become king. You can't refuse him. You have to do it. You have to track him down once you're the king and demand that he take his crown back, which he will, because it's an order from the king, that is, you.

You can go back and become king again later if you want. There's no point. You can't leave town when you're the king. You can't even access your inventory when you're the king. There are little joke responses to every menu option when you're the king that say you have no need to check your inventory or your status because you're the king.

But I was a little kid, and I thought it was funny as hell to go back and tell the king I wanted to borrow his crown and walk around being the king every so often. The only thing I could find that was of any use was that there's one NPC who will tell you that you can use certain weapons in battle to cast spells for free. He won't tell you that normally. Only when you're the king.

I remember visiting the home of a friend of mine and bringing Dragon Warrior III over. I don't remember how old I was then, but I met that friend in sixth grade, so it has to have been when I was, at the youngest, eleven years old. I'd been playing the game off and on for three years by then. I'd probably made it to the end of the game, but I'm sure I hadn't beaten it yet.

We killed an entire afternoon at the monster arena in Romaly, gambling on monster fights. It was fun. We probably lost more than we won, but I didn't mind. It was trivial to reset when we lost too much, and save when we won.

About a third of the way through the game, you unlock the ability to change the classes of anybody other than the hero. There aren't a ton of advantages to doing this in the original game.

Okay, let me break it down. There's the hero, but only one character, your starting character, can be the hero. The hero can't change classes, and nobody else can start as or become a hero. So let's not consider the hero any more when discussing class changes. In the original, there were six character classes you could pick from at the eatery when recruiting random dipshits:

The soldier: High HP, very strong, levels fast. The best at fighting. People often say that the soldier has the disadvantage of being expensive to equip, but that's stupid. Invaluable. You should have one.

The fighter: You'd think the fighter would have some kind of advantage over the soldier, but not really. People often say that the fighter's big advantage is that you don't have to spend so much money equipping them, but that's stupid. Later versions of the game included many more weapons and armor for the fighter that would close the gap between them and the soldier, but in the original, the Iron Claw was the best thing you could give the fighter to use as a weapon.

The merchant: Complete garbage. Can't cast magic, and isn't as strong as a soldier or a fighter.

The pilgrim: one of two classes who can cast magic. Casts healing spells and some buffs/debuffs. Can eventually revive dead characters. Invaluable. You should have one.

The wizard: the other class who can cast magic. Casts attack spells and some buffs/debuffs. Can eventually cast the "open" spell, rendering all keys meaningless, and the "day/night" spell, allowing you to make it nighttime whenever you want instead of having to fuck around walking outside. Invaluable. You should have one.

Goof-off: a joke character. Weakest in every way. Sometimes spends turns doing nothing. No value whatsoever. I mean it. None. Nobody can change to a goof-off, not even someone who used to be a goof-off and who leveled up and changed classes. You should never use a goof-off.

There comes a point later in the game when you need to bring a merchant to a place called New Town and abandon them there forever. They permanently leave the party. They never come back. That's the only use for a merchant as far as I am concerned. Some people will tell you that merchants are actually quite strong in the early game, and thus you should use one until you reach the temple where you can change their class into something else. I am telling you not to do this. I am telling you that there are exactly three good reasons to change a character's class.

One: you have an extremely high-level wizard or pilgrim who has learned every spell, and now you want to make them into a soldier. This will let them keep all of their spells, even though they will be terrible at casting them. See, changing your class cuts all your stats in half, so the new soldier's MP will only be half of what it was, and their spellcasting stats will be, too. They'll be bad at it.

Two: you have an extremely high-level wizard or pilgrim who has learned every spell, and now you want to make them into the spellcasting class they weren't. That is, you want your wizard to become a pilgrim, or you want your pilgrim to become a wizard. This will allow them to learn spells from both classes, and their spellcasting stats and MP won't be utter shit.

Three: you have a pilgrim or a wizard of any level and you want to use the one and only special book that exists in the game to turn them into a sage. The sage is a class that nobody can ever start as. They can learn every wizard and every pilgrim spell, and they can equip more weapons and armor than either wizards or pilgrims. They are the best class in the game. Choose wisely. My suggestion is that you turn your pilgrim into a sage.

Some people will tell you that there is a fourth good reason. Let me explain something to you. They were wrong.

They will tell you that you can level a goof-off to 20, the minimum to change classes, and then, when you go to change your goof-off's class, the option will be there to change them to a sage. This allows you to have as many sages as you want. This is stupid. Don't do this.

Here's the thing. Goof-offs don't gain MP when they level up, but they do gain intelligence, the stat which determines MP gain. See, when you level up in Dragon Warrior 3, the game looks at your character's level and determines, based on their class and their level, what their stats "should" be. If their stats are already above that level, they only gain one or zero points. So your level 20 goof-off becomes a level 1 sage, but has the intelligence of a level 10 goof-off. Until they surpass that point, your new sage won't gain intelligence.

But that means they also won't gain MP! Characters ONLY gain MP when they gain intelligence in Dragon Warrior 3! So your sage will NEVER have as much MP as they would have had if they'd started their life as a pilgrim or a wizard. They'll be a shitty sage.

You might think, well, it's better to be a shitty sage than no sage at all! And to that I say, FUUUUUUUUUUUCK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU

As a kid, I never knew that goof-offs could become sages. Nobody tells you that in the game. You're just supposed to figure it out, or read a guide online, which I eventually did, many years later. I thought goof-offs were just fun little dudes. I created one and named her Goofus, because I thought that was funny.

I leveled Goofus to something like level 40. Because she was the only female character I regularly used, she got all the female-only equipment I found: the Sword of Illusions, the Magic Bikini. That kind of thing. I loved Goofus! She was great! Especially once she put on that bikini, because it actually changed her character sprite to make it look like she was suddenly a sexy bikini babe!

Sexy!

As a high schooler, I got access to the GameBoy Color remake via emulation. That was basically a crime, but hey, let's pretend it wasn't.

The GBC remake included a lot of new features. Among them, the merchant and goof-off classes got new spells that only they can use, and the new thief class was added. This means that, if you want a character who can cast every spell, you can't just use a sage.

There's only one thing you can do. You have to become a goof-off, then a sage, and also a merchant and a thief on top of that. Obviously, this is the right and good thing to do. It's the only smart thing. Doing anything else is simply dumb as hell, and you shouldn't do it. Also, all your characters should be female. There are female-only equipment items, but there no male-oonly equipment items. Your hero should be female, and so should all your party members.

They should end as thieves. Thieves increase the chances of items dropping from enemies, including the stat-boosting seeds, which means that you can, with a little patience, have a team of four level 99 characters, all of them with maxed-out stats, three of them thieves who can use every single ability in the game.

This is the only smart thing to do. This is what I did. Twice. Once on the GameBoy Color ROM I had as a high-schooler, and again as an adult on my Android phone when playing the mobile release.

Doing that makes the final bosses, even the postgame superbosses who didn't exist in the original game, pretty easy to beat. That's really what it's all about.

Some people might say, hey, that sounds very boring. You don't need to do that. You could beat the game with a merchant and a goof-off in your party if you want. You could beat the game solo if you want. But that's not the smart thing to do. The smart thing is to max yourself out.

I haven't played the HD-2D remake yet. I'll get my copy tomorrow. I wanted to wait until it was out for a few days before I ordered a copy. I honestly kind of wanted to wait even longer, until it was cheaper, because I don't have a lot of money right now. But I love this game.

I've loved it many times over the years. I credit it with my lifelong love of RPGs, and, honestly, a big part of my love of fantasy in general. Final Fantasy, the original game on NES, included warp cubes and robots and a fucking War Mech who could attack you with an ability called "NUKE." It was fantasy, but only on the surface. It eventually became sci-fi. But Dragon Quest never did. It stayed fantasy from start to finish.

You rummage around in a horse field in Dragon Warrior III to find the material you need to sell to a merchant so that he'll forge the Sword of Kings for you. It's the strongest sword in the game. Only the hero can use it. It didn't exist already. You have to make it exist. And then you go and you kill the strongest bad guy with it, and that saves the world.

There's a twist, at the end, that I didn't see coming as a kid. Maybe you know about it. Maybe the fact that Dragon Quest 3's remake is coming out before Dragon Quest 1 and 2, due to the fact that Dragon Quest 3 takes place first chronologically, gives you a pretty big fucking hint. As a kid, though, I didn't know that. I thought that it was really cool that I could go around gathering, and creating, my own legend as the strongest fucking guy around, even if I also had three other guys with me.

As an adult, I wonder what happened to those other three guys. I guess they didn't get to be legends. They just died in obscurity. So it goes.

But tomorrow, I'll play the game again. I'll name my female hero Nester, because Nester can be a girl's name, too, and because I made a promise 30 years ago to always name the main character of any offline game I play "Nester."

I will never explain this beyond what I just said.

My other three characters will be a Monster Wrangler, a Priest, and a Thief, because that's the best party I can think of. I could potentially make a Wizard instead of a Priest. Wizards can do more damage, but Priests can heal more damage. When I can change character classes, I'll make the Priest/Wizard into a Sage.

Eventually, they'll all become Gadabouts, and Merchants, too, to get all the abilities in the game. That's the goal. That's the only smart thing I can do. I'll have to find out if they all need to become Monster Wranglers, and decide if I want to have all of them end as Thieves or if I want one of them to end as a Monster Wrangler while the other two end as Thieves.

There's only one smart thing to do, and I'll find it, and I'll do it.

The game itself? Dumb as hell. I love it. I'll always love it. I have a sad feeling that I might play it again in another twenty or thirty years, when I'm an even older man, or retired.

The idea of sitting down at seventy years old and starting up the newest version of Dragon Quest III and naming my hero "Nester" honestly sounds kind of nice. I hope it happens.

I don't think anything I've said here would convince anybody in the world to play this game, but I wanted to explain myself when I had this rare opportunity.

#ratralsis writing #ratralsis plays #rpdq3

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broadwayandnetflix · 4 years ago

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Snickers Iced Coffee - Bo Burnham x Reader

Warnings: Language

Theme: FLUFFFFF

Request: how abt a fic where the reader is a barista & bo stays late at the coffeehouse while she closes bc he’s avoiding the weather (but is also using it as an excuse to chat her up)

Word Count: 1.7k

A/N: shy BO y’all. I am so sorry for the hiatus. sm shit has been going down and I’m currently in college. but more fics are coming soon. and thanks for requesting @likesthemoon

You eyed him from behind the counter with an amused expression upon your lips. His taller figure definitely making him stand out amongst everyone else.

“You do know we close in five minutes right?” you quip, your lips breaking into a slight grin.

His blue eyes widened at the prospect of being called on. It seems that he had been staring up at the chalkboard menu for quite some time now.

Besides, it wasn’t like rocket science; you worked in a small hideaway cafe in the city. The menu was simple, complete with your standard espresso drinks and teas, except for seasonal beverages.

Yet by the way he was going at it, it appeared as if mocha or caramel were life-altering decisions.

He’s lucky he’s cute, or you would be ready to kick him out the minute you neared close.

He was somewhat a regular in your shop, awkward but charming. Plus, he was tall, and Jenna, your coworker, knew how you liked taller men.

“Oh, I was just thinking about what to order.” he said, clearing his throat.

You cocked your head to the side, and he knew that you could see right through him. His eyes darting to the side, and you exhaled.

“Would you like some help?” you hum, checking your watch.

Three minutes till closing.

His blue eyes crinkled slightly as he shifted his weight to the side. It was apparent that he was anxious, of what you didn’t know.

“Oh, why not? What do you recommend?” he asked.

When it came to the world of Java, you weren’t technically an expert. However, with long event-less shifts came boredom, and thus produced experimental drinks. From the likes of Pinterest, but you’d never let anyone know that.

Now, this wasn’t no Starbucks, but you had to admit you came up with some pretty cool concoctions.

Would this man like said concoctions, you doubted it. However, it would get him a beverage, and you could shut down the cash register for the day.

“Do you like Snickers?” you said after some time.

“Like the candy?” he replied, curiosity in his brow.

“Yes, like the candy.” you deadpanned; he blushed.

“Um yeah, snickers are good.” he said quietly.

“Good, now hot or iced?” you asked as he picked an iced beverage.

Perfect, he was going to be the recipient of your snickers iced coffee. It was pretty simple actually, iced coffee complete with mocha, caramel, and hazelnut syrups. Topped off with a dash of cream, you went to work behind the espresso machine.

You stirred the coffee carefully to incorporate the syrups together, pressed a lid on top, and slid it his way.

He gave you a sheepish grin before giving it a sip.

“Holy shit that’s good.” he exclaimed before looking down at you, with a look you couldn’t quite decipher.

“I know right. I came up with it the other day, or I attempted to make it the other day. It gets boring after awhile when the rush is over.” you admitted while you typed his order into the register.

He took that as notice to pull out his wallet and slipped you a twenty. Which was entirely out of the anticipated price range of the coffee.

You kinda gaped, eyes widening at the gesture, as he gave you a nervous smile. It was definitely a bold move giving you roughly a fifteen-dollar tip for a five-dollar coffee.

“Thank-thank you.” you said, not taking your eyes off of him, obviously shocked.

“Would you wanna go out some time?” he juts out, blue eyes staring intently at you.

You clamped your mouth shut and swallowed. Now you most definitely weren’t expecting this. I mean, would you want to go out with him?

Of course.

The man was practically a nervous wreck while he asked you out. Not so much suave as he had probably hoped.

“You don’t have to- I mean. I don’t know I just think you are so pretty, and I-“the man’s words sloppy and disorganized.

You could see the sweat accumulating upon his forehead, and in a way, it was cute, endearing almost. The fact that this absolute unit of a man was so scared to ask you out.

“When?” you smirked as you opened the cash drawer to start counting for the day.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the way his whole face lit up. You pretended to pay no mind as you counted your sales for the day.

“Oh, I didn’t think I was gonna get this far.” he chuckles to himself sheepishly.

He stretches a hand out as if to shake yours. You look at him, trying not to pay attention as to how nicely yours fits into his grip.

Smiling sweetly while he introduces himself as Robert, but for you to call him Bo. You do the same, and his eyes sparkle upon hearing your name.

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N.” he noted softly, almost as if he’d lose your name.

You slid the remaining bills back into their respective places during close. Eyeing the final price with a satisfied nod, and looked back to see how awful clean-up was gonna be for the day.

Not too shabby.

It almost took you a second to realize that Bo was still there and watching you. And then it hit you; the man doesn’t have your number. Or you don’t have his.

“Shit my bad.” you curse as you quickly write your number down on a stray post it.

“Thank you.” Bo breathes, but you’re already absentmindedly beginning to shut down everything.

“I’ll text you. How about tomorrow?” you suggest aloud.

“Oh god, that’s perfect actually. I swear I’m gonna leave the store. It’s just-.”

You lookup. It’s practically pouring outside, which you could only imagine was gonna be a pain to deal with later. As well as probably why he has been so hesitant to leave. Besides, you wouldn’t want the man to get soaked. Everything clicks into place, and you meet Bo’s eyes once more.

“Wanna help me close?”

“Oh, are you sure? I’m not entirely trained in barista stuff.” Bo replies.

“Oh please, you’ll be fine. Plus I wouldn’t mind getting to know you more.” you jest.

You could see a hesitant glimmer in his eyes before he gives in and joins you behind the counter. His taller statue dwarfing the station, which makes you chuckle as you edge around him.

“Good, now let’s begin.”

#broadwayandnetflix #2021 #bo burnham x reader #bo burhnam #bo burnham x you #make happy #what #words words words #inside #fluff #fanfiction request #fanfiction

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skywalker-is-a-nerd-pass-it-on · 4 years ago

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I gotchu bro 😎 @venator-signum

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Jedi Youngling adventures with the Corries.

Fox's fingers fly across the audibly clacking keys like a most complicated piano piece as a knock on his office door doesn't even interrupt him.

"Enter," he calls gruffly, slowing down just a bit to lift one hand to take a sip from his kaff.

A trooper, Tax, opens his door. There is a... child under his left hand, gripping their shoulder. Fox stares

"Commander," Tax greets, and Fox's eyes narrow at the undertone of glee in his voice. The child winced at the voice that, to anyone who wasn't a Corrie Vod, sounded like a criminal sentence already. "Toner found this one wandering in the vents."

"Mmhmm," Fox hums, flicking his gaze up and down the fidgeting kid. They look like they want to say something but are far too nervous to make anything worse. He sighs, "Sit down, kid."

Tax lets go of the 9-10? year-old natborn as they shuffle, head bowed, to the chair in front of his desk. It's not the comfiest thing in the world but hey, you can't complain about dumpster diving. At least its clean.

"I think," Tax continues with excitement (which sounds like malice to any other), "They're a Jedi Youngling, Boss."

Fox blinks, taking a second look at the child who twitches nervously, glancing at Tax in fear of being found out.

"Kid," Fox says lowly, voice rough from barely any use today, "Have you run from the Temple?"

The iktotchi Youngling's shoulders hike higher, fiddling with their fingers as their lekku wriggle in betrayal.

"No?"

Fox raises a single brow, glancing sharply at Tax's amused form, waiting a minute before the kid finally caves under his gaze.

"We're- we're on a trip to the museum of arts in the- the, uh-"

"The Triutuu district?" Tax helps out. The youngling nods rapidly.

Fox's mind pings as his memory jogs.

"Being escorted by Java squad?"

Tax nods once and Fox scowls. Those di'kute let a kid slip under their noses - TP for a week and extra training.

"Yeah," the iktotchi kid perks up more excitedly, "Yeah, it's Bear clan, with Master Yaro. It was so boring, so Tou dared me to sneak away! I got past Goro-"

Goro. Incendiary trooper, Fox's mind supplies.

"- and made it all the way out! I hid in the shadows and made it past all the holo security cams!" The youngling sits up, gesturing excitedly about how they hid past all the cams by lifting their dark travelling cloak like a hood. "I didn't know where to go after that, because I would have been caught if I went back home, so I uh... spotted a Guard and followed Toner into the barracks and made it in through the vents!"

Tax's shoulders shake lightly in hidden laughter and Fox sighs again.

"That was very dangerous, kid," Fox admonishes seriously, looking them in the eye. The child's excitement droops pathetically but Fox doesn't let it stop him. "You could have gotten seriously hurt in the streets, and no one would have been able to find you. Do you understand me? There are a trillion beings on Coruscant, and you could have gotten lost or hurt."

The youngling slumps but nods with a down turned expression.

"What's your name, kid?" Fox asks gently.

"Yuni, sir," the iktotchi says quietly, fiddling with their fingers and looking down at their feet.

"Well done, Yuni," Fox reassures softly, and they perk up in confusion, "When you got lost, you did the right thing, and looked for a Guard. You can always, always trust a Guard to help you, and we're always around. You snuck into the CG HQ - not everyone can say they've managed such a feat -" yeah, cus we usually kill them in the security breach. "- so that was impressive work, kid. You're gonna stay here with me and tell me exactly how you did it - you can explain your genius for the record, it'll be important to us. You can help us like we help you."

Yuni blinks at him hopefully and Fox allows himself to smile.

"Here," he pulls out flimsi and the pack of crayons (from the dumpsters, obviously - it's not his fault that stores throw away perfectly good stock!) "You can even do it in rainbow."

Yuni grins shyly as Fox hands them the flimsi and colours and Tax tucks their chair in closer to the desk. They smooth out the paper onto the table and get to work, excitement spilling out in their colourful explanation.

Fox instructs Tax in Tigaan and the trooper salutes, saying bye to Yuni with a high-five before leaving the office to deal Fox's wrathful will unto Java squad.

Fox continues his reports on the side as he listens with attentive nods and hums to the adorable Jet'ika hard at work.

#star wars #swtcw #star wars the clone wars #commander fox #jedi younglings #clone troopers #writing #ask #corrie guard #coruscant guard #soft fox ok he's really good with kids

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convexicalcrow · 2 years ago

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Have I got enough crop fields yet? Probably not lol. It is all food for the farmer who decided to live in my tower as a source of emeralds.

Which I can then use to level up the other friends who live in this little shack. Toolsmith, two weaponsmiths, armourer, and a leatherworker. Also I finally fixed the build, it looked a right mess bc I kept having to patch up holes and ofc I don't have silk touch yet so. Stone is a Pain rn. Also excuse the grass staircase, golems like spawning up on the roof and I have been too lazy to spawn-proof that yet lmao.

Behold! The world's slowest iron farm! bc if villagers are gonna keep spawning golems, I might as well farm them. I will need some more wandering traders to come by though, I have lost two leads into the lava so far rip.

Got the idea for this from when Cub instigated something similar at ConCorp to deal with excess golems, though his worked a lot better than mine lol.

I do think I will need a proper iron farm at some point when I feel brave enough to build one and switch the world to easy, but that's a job for later.

Also! Villager breeder! Made from memories of watching Stress build hers on-stream last year. It works! :D Just don't ask me how I'm getting the villagers OUT of the pit they're currently in. XD I decided that's a job for future me to deal with lmao. Still, feeling pretty good that it worked, bc it's the first one I've ever built. :D

Also I feel *slightly* bad for putting this under the barn, but it had the space I needed. I will have to decorate this properly later as well, it's not going to be this ugly forever. XD

Also this is what I built on top of the hill. I had thought about a lighthouse or tower or something, but I went with this instead. It's a temple for Hekate, based on the one I visit in meditation. It's not a traditional design for that reason, bc I wanted the one I know, not one I don't know. It sits on a cliff edge like this overlooking a large bay of water surrounded by forest. So it fits really nicely here.

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do with this world, and what I want to build, and thinking about Scar's advice for themes that give you things to build. So if there's a Hekate temple here, and that's the vibe I'm going for, well, that gives me ideas for other infrastructure I want to build, and how to work with the block palette I've picked.

I kinda want to riff off what Cub did at ConCorp, and have like, specific buildings for specific villager jobs. So there'll be a library for librarians, market stalls, a proper blacksmith for the tool/weapon/armourers etc, that kind of thing. And I want them scattered around the land that I've cleared, I don't want them all packed in together. I want them to be free to wander and sleep and do their jobs, but still be safe inside their buildings.

And then I want to build a larger temple for Hekate in the centre of town, based off a Cathedral-like temple I've seen in meditation before, though it won't be a gigantic mega-build. It will probably be something I do much further down the track though.

Also! I have a zombie spawner I want to turn into an xp farm, and maybe it won't be the best one ever, it would still be nice to have a better source of xp than villager trading.

So yeah, I have like, ideas in mind for where this world is going to go. I want to make this a more long-term world, and slowly chip away at these projects as I work my way through the early game and get myself established. I'm really enjoying this world, and getting to know java minecraft better, since I spend so much time watching people play java. I'm always surprised at how much I've picked up just through osmosis. So yeah. Having a lot of fun with this world and I'm excited to sink more time into it and keep building it up. :D

#minecraft builds #java solo world #survival builds #villager breeder #the world's slowest iron farm #temples and shrines #future plans #villa hekatea

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mmvalentine · 4 years ago

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The Pianist pt 8 | Jurdan

Modern AU. Part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 part 7 part 9

Jude got home in the early hours of the morning and fell straight into bed.

It had been a whirlwind trip of meet and greets, recording demos, being passed from arm to arm and singing until her throat hurt. Bryern had paid for her accommodation, but the flights were more than she had expected, and she ended up having to buy new clothes while she was there. Especially since she was supposed to meet important people and look the part. Jude just hoped it had all been worth it.

Bryern had gotten her to sing for a number of producers, and they were so positive about her that Bryern made her his official project and dragged her around LA introducing her to everyone he knew. She barely slept, he told her not to eat while they were networking, and the alcohol they kept shoving into her hands made her head spin.

Of course, she had not anticipated being away for so long and had to make profuse apologies to all her workplaces. Java Island stood by their 'making of a celebrity' plan, but both the pub and the diner let her go. Jude had no idea how she was going to keep her apartment, but there was no point backing out now.

The truth was, Jude didn't mind this. Didn't mind any of it, not the sleepless nights or the being 'on' all the time or the being fawned over by strangers. In some ways it was tiring but in other ways it was exhilarating, and the more Jude tasted this life the hungrier she was for it. And although she knew she couldn't run on adrenaline forever, she thought she could very well do this life, if only she was let in.

So the weeks went by, and by the time she went home she had agreed for Bryern to officially be her agent, recorded five songs, and had three producers in negotiation with Bryern about a possible record deal down the track. He was optimistic, and she was exhausted.

Jude woke in her own bed hours later, and although the last few weeks were exciting, it was very good to be home and back to real life. Now she just had to pick up the pieces and hope the adventure had not cost her too much.

Jude groaned, dragged herself into the shower, and then took stock of the damage.

She was a week in rental arrears.

She had lost two of three jobs.

She now owed Cardan a grand total of $1, 436.

Jude flicked through the stack of letters by the door, adding her latest power bill to the growing tally of expenses.

And there in the pile was a card that had her name in curling cursive.

Jude Duarte, you are cordially invited to the fall showcase for the Juilliard school of music.

Jude stared at the invitation for some time, before realising that the date was today and the start time was in twenty minutes.

She threw on the black dress that was hanging over a chair nearby, bundled her hair up with a clip, and shoved her feet into a pair of shoes she had bought in LA. After everything Cardan had done for her, there was no way she could miss his showcase.

It took Jude an agonisingly long time to find the right hall, and by the time she got there the concert had already started. Jude slipped in the back of what was a small but plush theatre, with red seats and wood paneling that she supposed was good for acoustics.

There were twenty-odd musicians that all seemed to be more and more Nicasias and Lockes, and although they were all beautiful and talented, Jude itched to fast-foward the night until Cardan played.

Cardan. How odd that the first time she was seeing him after three weeks, he wouldn't even know she was there.

An hour and a half later, he was being announced. The darling of his cohort, Cardan was the closing act, and the man in the suit was telling the audience this was something Cardan had written himself. Jude shuffled in her seat, and leaned forward in rapt anticipation as he sat down at the piano stool and moved his neck as if getting comfortable. In her peripheral vision, Jude noticed others in the same posture as her.

It was not so much that Jude had forgotten Cardan's reputation. It was more that she had been so bent on hating him for so long that his being 'talented' just added to her irritation. He always seemed to get special treatment because of it and there was nothing she despised more.

Then she had been focusing on her own musical career, and was just now thinking that she couldn't even remember what his playing sounded like. Wasn't sure if she had ever actually just listened to him, or heard something he had written himself.

And then Cardan started to play.

Jude wasn't sure what she was expecting. Something technical, something impressively fast and vaguely furious. Something like the racket that kept her up all hours of the night.

But that wasn't what Cardan had written.

Cardan played soft, and languid, and sweet. She found herself leaning her chin on her hands against the back of the seat in front of her, and wondering if this is what Cardan's soul really looked like or if this was just some kind of clever trick he knew.

The audience was so silent, and design of the hall was so well made that the piano may as well have been right by Jude's side. She wondered where this song had come from, and how she had never, never heard anything like this coming from the upstairs apartment.

And then the sound changed and it was somehow familiar, like the had known this song her whole life.

Jude sat up, and her eyes went wide in the dark concert hall.

She did know this song. This was her mother's lullaby.

///////

Cardan had been allocated two invitations like everyone else. His parents had already announced they were coming so he sent one off to them because he knew they would manage to get their names on the list regardless. And then he turned the other one around in his hands for a good fifteen minutes before sliding it under Jude's door along with the handful of other white envelopes.

Jude had been gone for weeks and he didn't expect her to be back in time. Didn't expect she would come even if she was back- but then again, who else was he going to give it to?

Cardan had always planned to play his own composition on the night, although writing it was harder than expected due to the hasty return of his insomnia. In the end, what else could he write but Jude's song? The memory of it taunted him day and night, crystal clear in his head but out of reach for his ears.

So he played it, over and over trying to recreate the effect that Jude's voice had on him. And while it didn't help him sleep, it did morph over time into the only song he could manage while so sleep-deprived he was seeing things.

Which brought him to today. In the concert hall, with his parents and teachers in the front row, and the people who used to be his friends sitting somewhere to the lift and sniggering to themselves. Cardan didn't care. He just played, and to him it sounded like Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude.

This was not what had been expected of him today, and he knew that. It was not the usual style of his compositions, not what usually got him such high praise from the heads of department. But Cardan quite liked this song.

When he finished, the audience was silent. Then he stood and bowed, and realised that people were crying, and only then did they start to applaud, and even stand to their feet. Cardan grimaced, never being fully comfortable with this sort of thing, and nodded again before making his way off stage. The Head of Music was back on stage and speaking about... something, Cardan wasn't really paying attention, and he could see Nicasia and the others waving to him like they might try to talk to him. And then there were his parents, whispering to each other while watching the speech.

But Cardan didn't want to see any of them. Really just wanted to slip out of the hall before they had a chance to catch him, before faculty members or student journalists or anyone else cornered him and made him talk. So he snuck through the curtains, through a side door and up the side of the hall in the deep shadows while the Head of Music droned on. All the way to the back of the hall, because even though he had not looked out into the audience for long, he had stood there long enough to make out the important faces.

And the hall was small enough that he could see who was sitting in the back row.

It was small enough that he could see Jude.

****

As you can see I have no idea how anything actually works at Juilliard, I just started using it for the prestige of the name and then derailed into my own universe sorry if anyone actually has been there and knows how bullshit this all is 😂

JURDAN MASTERLIST

TAGLIST: @asteria-of-mars @swankii-art-teacher @loosingdreams @feysand-loml @cityofbookish @story-scribbler @thebonecarver @realbookloverproblems

#jurdan #jurdan fic #TFOTA #mine

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qqueenofhades · 4 years ago

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It's so good to have you back! I actually went and got myself a tumblr account in the meantime, so now I can properly follow you instead of just lurking anonymously 😄 Don't have an actual prompt for you, although I saw that you've been watching shadow and bone, and I'd certainly love to read anything you write about those guys if you happen to feel like it 😇 In any case, welcome back, and it's great to hear that things are looking up for you ❤

Haha, thanks! Since you didn’t specify a prompt, and because people seem very excited about this Helnik modern AU that is, to nobody’s surprise, becoming a full-length fic, I will give you an excerpt from chapter one for Important Reasons.

Nina boots up the secured OS, opens Tor, and navigates to a secured messaging site, accessed via a one-time key that will deactivate when used (another one of Jesper’s inventions) and randomly generate a new encryption code that she has to access elsewhere. The Crows have gotten very good at not putting all their eggs in one basket, but when you run a successful grey-hat hacktivist collective that has made a specialty out of pissing off powerful people (including in this very country), it’s a necessary fact of life. There are five of them: Nina herself, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, and the boss, Kaz Brekker. It took a long time for them to reveal real names; for the first few years, they communicated only under pseudonyms. Nina is “Heartrender.” Inej is “Wraith.” Jesper is “Sharpshooter,” and Wylan is “Runaway.” As for Kaz, their mysterious, mercurial man-in-charge who was teaching himself C#, Java, and VBScript at twelve, running Nazi-doxxing ops with Anonymous and Bellingcat at sixteen, and establishing himself as the head of his own feared gang of cyber-criminals at eighteen, he’s “Dirtyhands” or sometimes simply “The Bastard.” The epithet is apt. You don’t survive in this life by making friends or trusting your enemies, and Kaz has a knack for not doing either. Not that Nina’s about to complain. God knows, especially now, she could use a little ruthlessness.

She signs onto the Crows’ dedicated chat channel and sends an innocuous-looking phrase about bad weather which actually means, “I am in deep shit and need to talk to someone right now.” Then she waits, staring at the screen, wondering how long it’ll take to be answered. Kaz and Inej are currently based in Amsterdam, an hour behind, which isn’t too bad. They’re probably awake, not least since neither of them keep a remotely standard schedule, but there are any number of other things they could be doing, most of which are flagrantly illegal. But it’s only ten minutes or so until Nina’s notifications ping, and a message pops up:

Wraith: I’ll call you. Give me a couple min.

Heartrender: Primary phone got snatched. Use burner.

Wraith: Oh shit. Nvm. Calling now.

With that, it’s no more than a few seconds until Nina’s burner phone starts buzzing, she fumbles a little as she grabs it, and tucks it under her ear. “Inej?”

“Nina?” Her best friend sounds understandably worried. “Are you all right? What’s going on?”

“I – ” Nina’s relatively sure that the FSB doesn’t have a fix on this crappy throwaway phone, since she changes the SIM card every month, gets a new number, and otherwise does her best to make sure they don’t, but deeply ingrained habits are not easily shaken. She shoots a glance at the door, making sure her parents aren’t listening. Finally, having been assured that this call is as free of outside interference as can ever be assured in the modern world, she says, “I got busted last night. Big time. They meant business.” There’s a quaver in her voice. She chokes it down.

“Oh Nina, no. Did they hurt you?”

“No, but they – like I said, they were not screwing around. They openly threatened to send me to IK-2 if I kept doing my stuff, and – I’m not giving up. You know I’m not. But it might… it might be time to get out of Russia for a while.”

“Where are you now? Are you safe?”

“At my parents’ house. My backup gear is here. But there’s no way I can work here. They don’t know the half of it, and if they did, they would hit the roof. I don’t have anywhere else I can think of, and…” Nina trails off. “Is there any way I can come to Amsterdam with you?”

“I don’t know.” Inej is clearly thinking hard. “The Crows aren’t exactly a registered company that can offer you a work visa. Kaz is Dutch, obviously, but he could probably only sponsor you for permanent settlement if he married you, and I doubt you want that – ”

“I doubt you want it either – ”

“I have right to remain, at least until Brexit goes through,” Inej says, evidently deciding to power right on past that comment and pretend she didn’t hear it. She and Kaz might be living together, and obviously devoted to each other, but they’re still not yet at the “actual relationship” stage of things, and for all Nina knows, they might never be. “Unless – wait.”

“What?”

“I was joking about Kaz marrying you,” Inej says slowly. “But what if it’s not such a bad idea?”

“What? No. I am not marrying Kaz!”

“Not him,” Inej says. “Someone else. Someone with a non-Russian passport who could theoretically get you out of there. It would be hard, and we’d have to do some work to make the relationship look real, but Jesper could help with whatever we needed forged. Have we ever mentioned Matthias Helvar to you?”

“Matthias who?”

“I’ll take that as a no. He’s another one of Kaz’s… contacts. Norwegian. We helped him get out of jail a year ago, and he owes us a big favor. He’s also stupidly honorable, unattached, and probably pathologically unable to resist helping a lady in distress.” To Nina’s horror or her hope, Inej sounds like she is actually considering this. “If he married you, he might – ”

“If he what? He was in jail?” Nina is aghast. “So he’s a criminal?”

“You know,” Inej says, bone-dry. “We’re all criminals.”

“Yes, but if he was in jail, that means he got caught, and that means he’s a stupid criminal. I could marry a criminal, but I draw the line at a stupid criminal.”

“He wasn’t – it was complicated.” Inej’s tone portends a very long story they definitely do not have time to get into. “Anyway, Kaz helped get him out, and he lives in Oslo now. You could do a lot worse than Norwegian spousal citizenship.”

“This is insane,” Nina says weakly. “Is he ugly? He must be ugly.”

“Really.” Despite the gravity of the situation, Inej is definitely trying not to laugh. “That’s your objection? For the record, no. He’s not ugly. He’s just your type.”

“Oh. Oh, like that’s any better. He can’t possibly be my type. Inej – ”

“Look,” Inej interrupts. “Do you want to get arrested or not?”

“No,” Nina says meekly. “No, I really don’t.”

“So should I ask him?”

This is nuts. This is nuts this is nuts this is nuts this is nuts. Especially since Nina genuinely is starting to play the idea around in her head. Just for a moment. That’s all.

“Maybe,” she says, after a very long pause. “But I am not necessarily agreeing to this.”

“Of course not.” Inej sounds annoyingly smug. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

#fic prompts #helnik #modern au #mykingdomcomeundone #ask

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berrynarrybanana · 4 years ago

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deck the halls pt. 4

A/N: I’m sorry this took so long, but some crazy stuff has been going on in my life and with work, so I’ve been all over this place! But here is part four finally. I think I should have two or three more parts to post before this is over. Please enjoy and let me know what you think :)

Word Count: 8.2k

Warnings: Mentions of smut, dying, the usual, alcohol, etc.

November 14 Holly’s POV

“I guess paradise isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, huh?”

Holland twirled around, but the sound of the ice cracking under her feet made her her freeze in her place, causing her to stand as still as a statue so she wouldn’t fall through. Jack Frost’s voice was too close, almost like he was whispering in her ear. He was nowhere to be seen as she stood on the ice, terrified of the outcome. Harry wasn’t in the clearing this time, he wasn’t there to remind her that this was just a dream. Her cheeks were burning cold from her tears and the icy wind.

She sniffled, wiping under her frozen nose with the sleeve of her coat.

“Your soulmate is bitter, isn’t he?” Jack’s voice caused her to close her eyes, holding in a fresh wave of tears brought on by fear. “He doesn’t love you like you love him, does he Holland? He’s not capable of such emotion. He’s a broken boy-”

“Stop talking about him.” Holland cried out, lifting her hands to her face. “Please, Jack, just stop this.”

“I can’t.” His hands clamped down on her shoulders as the ice started to crack under her feet. “I need to be in control, Holland. I have to do it for my father.”

“Your father?”

Holland’s breath was gone from her lungs in seconds, replaced with ice cold water.

She closed her eyes, letting her body sink into the water.

Fighting was painful, but giving into fate brought her peace.

As she sunk lower in the frozen water, green eyes were all she could see.

❄️❄️❄️❄️

Harry’s POV

Harry pulled his door shut, sliding his key into the lock as he held his breath.

He felt his shoulder tense up at the sound of a door opening behind him, a new wave of tears welling up in his already swollen eyes. He turned the lock, hiking his leather bag up on his shoulder as he turned around. He expected to see Holland standing in her doorway, wearing some ridiculous set of Christmas themed pajamas with a Santa filled mug of hot chocolate in her hands.

Instead, he was met with the Christmas wreath she made. It was adorned with little trinkets she picked up around town, London landmarks were nestled into the bed of green that matched the shade of her sparkling eyes. Harry inhaled sharply, lifting his hand up to wipe at the tears under his eyes before he turned on his heel and stormed down the hallway, still ashamed of his childish actions.

It had been a few hours since he fucked up, since he’d pushed her away to protect himself (and her) from the war raging in his mind. He wanted to tell her everything going through his head, but he just couldn’t. The words he wanted to say were pushed into his chest while he lashed out at the one person he adored the most in this world. He knew that he’d never have the courage to tell her exactly how he felt about Christmas, and why he hated it.

Harry could see that she was already carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, even if she hid it behind a smile and Christmas cheer. She was busy trying to find her way in a strange new world while also trying to fight for her life. He didn’t want to add his problems to the long list of things she was already dealing with. He hadn’t really thought about it, but Holland was stuck figuring out the Jack Frost situation all on her own. And though there were things that he didn’t understand about her world, he still wanted to be here for her.

But right now, he was making things worse for her.

He was always making things worse.

As he stepped onto the lift, he felt a new wave of tears cascading down his cheeks. His knees were weak, wobbling like sliced cranberry jelly with each floor the lift descended. When the doors opened, he all but sprinted through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk. He gasped, taking in the crisp, fresh air as he wiped at his cheeks. People stared at him as he stood there, trying to pull himself together, but he couldn’t care less about their judgemental glances or their bitter frowns. He was hurting, and for once in his life, he wasn’t trying to hide it from anyone.

As he walked down the sidewalk, he tried to focus on the sounds of the city bustling around him to distract his negative thoughts. He was done wallowing in his own sadness, moping around in attempts to avoid his problems rather than solve them. He desperately wanted to make things right between himself and Holland so they could move forward together. He wasn’t afraid to admit that maybe they both needed help to get through this thing with Frost.

But before he could make things right with Holland, he had a few things to take care of.

☕️☕️☕️☕️

Sarah’s POV

Sarah flipped to the next page of Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares with eager fingers.

Her heart was racing in her chest as she read over the words in the cheesy novel that Holland picked up for her just a few days ago. They both agreed to read the book before meeting up to chat about it. It was a cute little book club with only two people, but Sarah loved it. She loved Holland just as much, and she even considered her to be her best friend.

Since Holland showed up in Java Java, things in Sarah’s life started to improve. She was practicing more self care after stressful shifts at the cafe, and she’d even started to meditate before bed. Her relationship with her Mother was improving, slowly but surely, and they even had plans to meet for tea in just two days time.

But most importantly, without Holland, there would be no Sarah and Mitch.

Sarah felt her heart swell as her eyes drifted from the page.

Holland gave Sarah the final push she needed to finally ask Mitch out on a date. It was something that she never thought she’d get the guts to do, but thanks to Holland, she went into Paradise Records with a peppermint mocha and a confident disposition. Mitch almost seemed stunned by Sarah’s gall, but by the end of her long winded speech about her feelings, he was smiling up at her like she hung the bloody moon in the sky.

Without Holland, that would have never happened.

Sarah picked up reading where she left off, her eyes drifting over the page.

Just as she made it to the end of a paragraph, the bell above the cafe door rang out.

She sighed, stuffing an old receipt between the pages before she looked towards the door with an obnoxiously fake smile. It fell the second she laid eyes on Harry Styles walking towards her counter. Sarah rolled her lips in, taking a deep breath in attempts to compose herself. She feared that if she didn’t compose herself, Harry would end up with a Christmas stirrer in his ear.

“Sorry sir, but we’re allowed to refuse service to dickheads that break people’s hearts.” Sarah plastered on her fake smile, reaching for her book as Harry stopped in front of her. “Goodbye.”

“I know I’ve been a dickhead, Sarah.” Harry’s voice cracked as he lifted his hand to scratch at his jaw nervously. “But I’m trying to do the right thing.”

“You’ve been a dickhead for a lot longer than you realize.” She let out a heavy sigh. “And we’ve all put up with it because we know that you’re still hurting, Harry, but Holland didn’t deserve to be pushed away and shouted at because you’re scared of your feelings.”

“I know that.” He said softly, his red-rimmed eyes glazing over. “But I’m trying to be better for her. She’s made me realize a lot of things since she’s shown up in my life, but the number one thing that she’s made me realize is that I stopped living when my parents died.”

Sarah didn’t know what to say to that.

It was true, but it made her heart ache hearing it aloud.

She loved Harry like a brother, and she just wanted him to be happy.

“We just want you to be happy, Harry.” Sarah said softly. “We don’t expect some wild, overnight transformation, but we do want to see you smile from time to time.”

“I smile.” He let out a wet chuckle, reaching up to wipe at a few stray tears. “I just wanted to say that I’m really sorry for pushing you out, Sarah. I know you’ve tried to cheer me up over the years, especially around the holidays, and I just want you to know that I see that. I appreciate you as a person, and I’m so lucky to have you as a friend.”

Sarah felt a burning sensation behind her eyes, and seconds later her vision went blurry.

“Thank you.” She said softly. “I just want you to be okay, H. I need my friend to be okay, and I need you to realize that you’re not alone. I’m here for you, always.”

“I see that now.” Harry wiped at his cheeks. “I love you, Sarah Jones.”

“And I love you, Harry Styles.” She chuckled, shaking her head before she leaned across the counter with her arms out. “Give me a hug.”

🍵🍵🍵🍵 Mitch’s POV

As Mitch dipped the small satchel of green tea into his steaming water, he thought about Sarah’s shampoo. If he remembered correctly, it was green tea and jasmine. He cracked a smile at the thought of her hair tickling his nose as they curled up on the couch. She left his flat about three hours ago for her shift at Java Java and he was already aching to have her in his arms again. Sarah Jones was the love of his life, and he was not afraid to admit it anymore.

The day that she stormed into the shop with a peppermint mocha in her hand and a wild look in her eyes, he knew that she was the one. He sat behind the counter on his stool with his guitar in his lap as she spewed out every single feeling she had about him. He smiled at her while she ranted, practically slamming the peppermint mocha down so that she could talk with her hands.

He loved that about her.

He loved everything about her.

As he twirled the tea bag around his finger, a knock sounded at his door.

Sarah was still at work, and Niall was at the record shop... so who could be knocking at his door.

He walked towards the bright yellow door tentatively, not bothering to peek through the peephole before opening it up. He felt his eyebrows lift dramatically at the sight of a distraught Harry standing there with his hands stuffed in his pockets and blotchy red cheeks. Mitch almost didn’t know what to say to Harry as he stood on the other side of the threshold. He had never seen the man before him cry, not even when he was at his lowest point in life.

Mitch moved aside, holding his arm out without a word.

Harry walked in, sniffling as Mitch shut the door.

“You okay?” Mitch asked. “Can I make you some tea?”

“I don’t need tea, but thank you.” Harry made his way to the thrifted couch that Mitch bought with Niall a few years ago. “You’re with Sarah?”

“Um, yeah.” Mitch crossed his arms over his chest as he walked towards the couch. “Is that why you’re crying?”

“No, I’m crying because I’m a shit friend and a huge fucking prick.” Harry let out a wet chuckle, leaning back into the couch as Mitch watched him. “I don’t pay attention to anything but myself, do I?”

“Not really, no.” Mitch sat down next to him. “But...that’s just you.”

“But it isn’t.” Harry raked his fingers through his hair, gripping at the roots as he dropped his elbows to his knees. “I’m not this guy, Mitch. I can’t be this kind of guy. Holland has joked about it before, but she’s right....I’m literally Scrooge.”

“Harry-”

“You never told me that you were serious about making music.” Harry lifted his head, slapping his palms against his thighs. “But I never fucking asked you about that. I never ask about any of your lives because I just assume that you’re all happy, all the time.”

“Not always.” Mitch sighed. “Harry, don’t beat yourself up about it, okay? The last three years have been really hard on you, and you can’t expect to be who you were before.”

“I don’t know who I am at all.” Harry whispered. “But I know I’m nowhere near the man I want to be.”

“First step is admitting you have a problem.” Mitch cracked a smile, causing Harry to bark out a watery laugh. “I’m glad that you’re doing... whatever this is.”

“I’m so fucking sorry if I’ve ever hurt you.” Harry said. “You always listen to every problem that I have, but I never ask about the shit you’re going through. I’m sorry for being such a self centered prick, and I promise that things are going to change going forward. I’m here for you, Mitch.”

“That means a lot.” Mitch squeezed Harry’s shoulder before patting it. “I’m really proud of you, and I’m so happy that you’re finding yourself.”

“It’s all because of Holland.” Harry rolled his eyes fondly, wiping under his eyes. “I owe her so much.”

“Right now, I hear you owe her an apology.” Mitch pulled his hand back, trying not to snort out a laugh as Harry groaned. “Have you seen her?”

“Not since this morning.” Harry blew out a breath. “I went to Java Java, hoping that she would be there, but I spent the last two hours crying to Sarah instead.”

“She received a very interesting phone call from Holland after your fight.” Mitch said. “I hope you’ve got something big planned for her.”

“I do.” Harry smiled, rubbing his palms together. “But I have a few more stops to make first.”

🎶🎶🎶🎶

Niall’s POV

Niall’s day was pure shit.

From the moment he opened his eyes, he knew that his entire day would be thrown off due to the absence of Gemma in his bed. It was unusual for them to spend nights apart at this point in their relationship, and Niall didn’t like sleeping without her and Noah under the same roof. He considered them both to be his little family, and he wanted to protect them always.

But Gemma insisted that he go back to his own flat for the night when Noah started acting fussier than usual. Niall insisted that he could handle it alongside her, as a team, but Gemma merely told him that she would call him later. He never received a call from her, and he spent his entire night tossing in turning in bed waiting to hear from her.

Being proud and stubborn was a well known, Styles family trait, and Niall hated it so much at times. He already had Harry pushing him away. He didn’t need to add Gemma to the list of people he was losing. He loved her, and he loved Noah with all of his heart. Being away from them hurt just as much as being away from his family back home in Ireland.

Despite a restless night’s sleep, Niall still had to open up Paradise Records.

He was running on no sleep, no caffeine, and no hope for his relationship with Gemma. He was lucky that the shop seemed to be slow today. Niall wasn’t usually one to snap at people, but he had his moments. He was currently grumbling at the rickety old cash register that refused to shut after a purchase. He’d told Harry time and time again that they needed a newer one, but Harry liked the vintage vibe that the old register gave off.

Niall slammed the drawer with a series of curses spoken in a language he rarely used. He let out a shaky sigh when it finally settled flush with the register, his chin wobbling and his eyes filling with tears. He hated the uncertainty lingering in the air, and he knew that he needed to confront Gemma about it. The only problem was, he didn’t want to lose her after.

“What did Ricky ever do to you?”

Niall snapped his head up with his brows pulled down.

“What are you doing here?” Niall brushed the back of his hand under his nose as Harry shifted awkwardly. “Shouldn’t you be with your new girlfriend?”

“No.” Harry cleared his throat, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. “We got into a fight this morning, and I was a proper idiot.”

“What’s new there?” Niall scoffed, shaking his head. “What do you want, Harry?”

“Are you alright?” Harry asked, moving closer to the counter.

“No, I’m not.” Niall said. “But I don’t want to waste my breath talking to you about it, Harry. I’m done fighting so hard with you two. I’m not getting anywhere, and it’s clear that I’m not wanted-”

“Woah, hold on.” Harry said. “What are you on about, Niall? I love having you around, and I’m happy that you’re with Gemma. I know that...I might have teased at the beginning, but I told Gemma that I was happy for you both.”

“Well, it might have been nice to hear it from you.” Niall snapped. “And it might be nice if your sister would stop pushing me away every time something goes wrong. I’m not some daft kid, Harry. I know how to take care of them both, but she won’t let me.”

“Niall, I don’t want to step into the middle of something, but I promise you that Gemma is trying with you.” Harry’s face fell. “They do need you Niall. You’re the zen in her chaotic world, and it would kill her if you left.”

“I’m not leaving, she’s pushing me out.” Niall whispered, his voice cracking. “Noah was having a full blown tantrum last night and she just told me to go. I know that I’m not his father, but I love that boy more than I love anything in this world. It kills me to see him like that, and it kills me to see her so out of sorts.”

“She’s a proud woman, Niall.” Harry inhaled sharply, biting at his bottom lip. “She’s been doing this on her own for a while, and it’s hard to let people into that little bubble that you create to protect your heart. I know it isn’t fair, but she’s trying harder than I’ve ever tried.”

Niall looked at his best mate, watching the rims of his green eyes turn red. The first few tears fell as Harry’s chin wobbled, and he ducked his head down with a soft sniffle as Niall stood on the other side of the counter, bewildered by the actions of the usually austere man.

“Mate?” Niall said.

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a shit friend to you Niall.” Harry cried out. “I’ve been so unfair to you for so long, and you deserve so much more than me as your friend.”

Niall felt a new wave of tears blurring his vision as he watched Harry’s shoulders shake. He moved from behind the counter, wrapping Harry in a tight hug as he sobbed into his shoulder. It was strange, but Niall hugged him tighter, brushing his palm over Harry’s back as his frame shook violently. Niall felt a few tears fall from his own eyes and onto Harry’s coat as they stood there together. He wasn’t sure what to do with Harry when he was like this, but he figured holding him seemed to be enough by the way Harry clung to his shirt.

“I’m sorry.” Harry croaked out, lifting his head up to wipe at his messy face. “I’m sorry for all of it Niall. I’m sorry for pushing you away, and I’m sorry for making you feel like you weren’t welcome in our family. If anyone is a part of our little family, it’s you.”

“Harry-”

“And I can’t promise that things are going to go back to normal right away, but I swear that I’m going to try harder.” Harry hiccuped. “We’ll have family dinner, and we’ll go on holiday together when we can. I swear that I want to be better for you all, because you’ve been keeping me afloat for so long and you deserve more from me.”

“Harry, just take a deep breath.” Niall said. “It’s going to be fine.”

“I can’t lose all of you.” Harry sniffled. “I need you in my life, I know that now.”

“You won’t lose us.” Niall said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You promise?” Harry asked, taking in a shaky breath as Niall nodded.

“Yeah, I promise on me Mum.” He said. “I love you, mate. I think of you as a brother, you know that.”

“I think of you that way to.” Harry cracked a tiny smile. “Do you forgive me?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Niall sighed. “You’ve been a little grumpy, but no one expected you to be the same person you were before they died. You’ve just been trying to find out how to live in a world without them, and I’ve never been upset with you for that.”

“Thank you.” Harry nodded before glancing around the shop. “Slow day?”

“Dreadful.” Niall groaned. “I’ve cleaned the whole fucking store-”

“Lock up and go.” Harry said. “We’re just wasting electricity.”

“Are you sure?” Niall asked, his brows lifting up.

“Positive.” Harry chuckled. “Go find Gemma, and tell her that I said she needs to stop being so thick headed. She’s lucky to have someone like you around.”

“Thanks, mate.” Niall patted Harry’s arm. “Where’s Holland at?”

“I don’t know, but I’m about to head back home.” Harry said. “I figured making her a nice dinner and sitting her down for a proper talk is in order, so I’ve got a few errands to run first.”

“She still hasn’t tried pizza.” Niall pointed out. “Maybe make her one of those homemade ones that you used to do when we lived over in Camden.”

“I can’t believe you remembered that.” Harry laughed, the sound almost sending Niall into cardiac arrest. “We had good times in that flat.”

“Yeah, we did.” Niall smiled. “But I have a feeling better times are ahead.”

“Me too.”

⛸⛸⛸⛸

Holland’s POV

Holland couldn’t help but remember the words Harry told her the night they met.

“Just do me a favor, and don’t go near any lakes.”

Technically, this wasn’t a lake.

She let her skates glide over the ice, as she glided along the man made ice rink that was in the middle of Holland Park.

In the North Pole, she used to skate every single morning. She never went to the lake after her dreams started, but she did go to the rink her father had installed in the town square. There was always a crowd, and there was no danger of her sinking into an icy current at the rink. She missed skating, and part of her wished that she could bring Harry here. She couldn’t imagine him wobbling around in ice skates, cursing every time he almost fell to the ground.

He would be a little sour about it, but she would love to see him at least try it out for her sake. She tried not to think about him after their fight, but it seemed that she just couldn’t keep her mind from wandering off to thoughts of him. He was everywhere from the bitter cold wind to the scent of gingerbread in the air. She even saw a baby that almost looked like Noah, which led to her thinking about Harry lifting the toddler in the air, causing him to squeal out his uncle’s name between fits of laughter.

She missed him.

“Miss?”

A voice pulled her from her thoughts, causing her to stop on her skates before she turned her head. An older gentleman stood at the edge of the rink with a broom, his coat tight around his broad shoulders. She looked around the rink, her heart sinking in her chest when she realized that she was all alone. There was no one else around the rink either.

“Yes?” She asked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“We’re closing.” He said. “I need to sweep the rink.”

Holland let out a breath of relief, nodding her head.

“I’m so sorry.” She skated closer to the edge of the rink, making her way towards the exit. “I hope I haven’t held you up.”

“It’s quite alright.” The man walked out further onto the ice, his broom sweeping over the rink. “I don’t have anyone to go home to, so what does it matter?”

“You don’t even have pets?” She asked, holding onto the railing as she stepped down carefully. “I suggest getting a pet, they’re wonderful company.”

“I’m allergic.”

His annoyed mumbling reminded her of Harry.

“Thank you for letting me stay a little longer, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.” She smiled back at the man. “Merry Christmas.”

“Same to you.” He went about his sweeping, ignoring Holland as she sat on a bench just around the edge of the skating rink.

She stripped the borrowed skates from her feet, dropping them in the return bin after zipping her winter boots up. She adjusted her beanie on her head, reaching for her bag before she started walking. With every step she took away from the ice rink, the darker it became. She didn’t realize that she had stayed so late, and an anxious feeling settled in her chest.

The dark always scared her.

Holland tried not to let it get the better of her, crossing her arms over her chest before she picked up her pace. She followed the path lined with trees, keeping her eyes down to avoid seeing shadows in the dark. It would only cause her to panic more, and she would end up freaking herself out over something that probably wasn’t even there.

As she continued to walk down the pathway, she realized that she was going in a different direction than when she started. She looked up, her eyes squinting as she tried to make out the large blob in the corner of the park. When she realized that it was in fact a small pond, her blood ran cold in her veins. She was stuck in her place, frozen with fear.

“I should have listened.” She whispered aloud, aware that no one was there to listen. “I’m sorry, Harry.”

Her heart started to beat faster in her chest as she turned around, ready to dart off in another direction. She was stopped, however, by a solid body pressing into hers. Holland let out a scream, falling backwards onto her ass as the body loomed over her. She couldn’t see a face, but she could tell that it was a man by the broad build of his shoulders.

“You shouldn’t be here.” The man hissed out, reaching down to pull Holland up by her coat. “It’s dangerous to be in the park after sundown, don’t you know that?”

“I didn’t know.” She whimpered, clenching her eyes shut. “I’m lost.”

“Anyone could see that, you daft girl.” He growled, pulling her closer. “Do you want to get mugged?”

“Not really.” She slowly opened her eyes, looking at the man in front of her. “I just don’t know how to get out of this park.”

“I’ll walk you out.” He grumbled, his voice husky and gruff. “Bloody naive little brat.”

He released her coat, turning on his heel before he started to move swiftly.

Holland could hardly keep up with him, but she did her best.

She tried not to pay attention to the groups of people loitering in the field, staring at her as she walked by with the stranger. She didn’t remember seeing any of them on her walk towards the back half of the park, but then again, she wasn’t really looking. As the man started walking her past more familiar territory, Holland felt her shoulders start to relax ever so slightly.

When they approached the gate at the front, the man turned around.

“Don’t ever stay in the park after the sun goes down again, do you hear me?” He snapped. “It's a surefire way to get yourself into a lot of trouble, and you don’t look like the type of girl who’s ever been in trouble before.”

“Thank you.” she said softly. “I promise to pay more attention next time.”

“Good.” He turned on his heel, strutting away without another word.

Holland pushed through the gate, walking down the sidewalk as quickly as her feet would carry her. She made a few turns, her eyes catching sight of a few buildings that looked slightly familiar, but as she approached them, she suddenly felt lost again. The golden arches of the Mcdonald’s restaurant were familiar, but the outside of the building didn’t look the same.

She growled out in frustration, turning around in a circle in attempts to find anything else that looked familiar to her. When she noticed a few key details missing from the area she was standing in, she decided to just push through and keep walking. It was better than standing still in the ice cold wind of the winter night.

But as she continued down the sidewalk, she realized that she was most definitely lost.

❄️❄️❄️❄️

Harry’s POV

When Harry finished up setting the dinner date he’d prepared for himself and Holland, he wiped his hands on his trousers before opening the door to his flat. He still had that hollow feeling in his chest that he got when she was far away, but he decided to knock on her door anyways. Maybe their weird connection was just a little off today. He stood there for a few minutes, occasionally knocking before he dropped his hand to the doorknob. It was a shot in the dark, but he had to try.

When the doorknob turned, he groaned as he pushed the door open.

Of course, she would leave her door unlocked.

He took note of the Christmas lights strung out on the rails of her balcony and the fake fireplace crackling on her television screen, but he didn’t see Holland. Her kitchen and living area lights were off, and the hallway was just as dark. He took careful steps, walking down it as panic started to rise in his chest. If she wasn’t home, where on earth could she be.

He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, clicking on Sarah’s contact as he peeked into Holland’s empty bedroom.

“Did your plan not go well?” Sarah answered.

“She’s not at home.” He said. “She’s not in her flat, Sarah.”

“Okay, so maybe she’s still cooling off?” she asked. “Call her.”

“She doesn’t have a phone.” He cursed under his breath, storming through her apartment back to his own. “Fuck, she’s probably lost, Sarah.”

“Take a deep breath.” Sarah’s voice switched from amused to serious. “This is Holland we’re talking about. If she’s lost, it’s probably in a Christmas store.”

“No, she never stays out this late.” Harry grabbed a coat and his keys, slamming his flat door shut before he turned the key in the lock. “She’s afraid of the dark.”

“Harry, just breathe.”

“I can’t, Sarah.” He cried out, the panic clear in his voice. “I have to find her. I can’t lose her like I lost them, I can’t.”

He hung up the phone stuffing it into his pocket before he jabbed the down button for the lift.

He struggled to get his coat on in the lift, his jaw tense as he tried to think of all the places she could be. Java Java was closed, Harrods was closing soon, and Paradise Records closed earlier when he told Niall to go home. He didn’t know of any other stores she might venture into, but he had to try to think like her if he was going to find her.

When he stepped onto the sidewalk outside of their building, he inhaled sharply.

The scent of berry and clove was feint, but he had no doubt in his mind that it would guide him towards Holland. He turned to the right, taking a few steps as the scent grew stronger. The warm feeling in his chest was back, and his heart was beating faster as he all but jogged down the sidewalk in search of his soulmate. He took a left turn at the end of the street, but when he did, her scent was gone. He turned around, taking the right instead. He followed that sidewalk to the end, letting out a frustrated growl as he pushed his fingers through his hair.

“Where the hell are you at, Holland?” He mumbled under his breath, breathing deeply as he let his eyes close. “C’mon baby, where are you?”

He could see her in his mind, walking past the Mcdonald’s just a few blocks away.

Harry’s feet moved quicker than they ever had, pounding against the pavement until he turned the corner where the Mcdonald’s was. He stopped when he saw her walking with her head down, his hands flying out to her biceps as she walked right into his chest. He held her tight, keeping her from falling over as his body became unsteady.

“Fuck!” He wrapped her tightly, planting his heels down. “You scared me half to death, Holland.”

“Harry?” She gasped out, tilting her head back to look up at him. “It’s you.”

“Yeah, it’s me.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek, watching her face as her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry for hurting you, baby. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that, and I swear that I’ll never do something like that again.”

“I just want to help.” She whispered. “Let me take some of the weight off of your shoulders, Harry. You don’t have to carry it alone.”

He sniffled, nodding softly before he pulled her into a crushing hug.

“Let’s go home.” He whispered. “I made us dinner.”

“Did you?” She asked, her voice raising an octave in excitement.

“Yeah, I did.” He let out a wet chuckle, wiping under his own teary eyes as he pulled back. “I made us pizza.”

Holland tossed her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.

“Finally!”

🍕🍕🍕🍕

Holland’s POV

Harry pushed the door to his flat open, holding Holland’s hand tightly in his own.

She smiled at his back, trying to hold back the laugh building up in her throat. He’d refused to let her hand go the entire walk home, and he even threatened to carry her on his back if she didn’t cooperate with him. He was being stern, and pouty the entire time, but Holland found it cute. It wasn’t at all like the closed off version of Harry she saw earlier that morning.

As she walked through the door, the scent of gingerbread and vanilla greeted her sense. Harry shut the door behind her, giving her a sheepish smile as her brows lifted up. In the center of his kitchen counter was a candle, the flame still lit up as the warm smell filled his home.

“You’re burning a candle.” She said softly, pulling at her scarf as Harry locked the door. “You hate candles.”

“I do.” He said. “But you like them.”

“I love them.” She smiled over her shoulder at him. “Why are you burning that for me?”

“It’s a small detail in my very complex plan to apologize to you.” He cleared his throat, stripping his coat off as his cheeks turned red. “I was a dick to you this morning, and you didn’t deserve that.”

“You’re right, I didn’t.” She turned back, handing him her scarf before she started working on the buttons of her coat. He hung it up on the coat rack, his face solemn like a puppy who had just been scolded. “And I do understand why you did it, but that doesn’t make it okay.”

“It’s really hard for me to open up.” He reached for her coat next, hanging it up next to his own before he held his arms out. Holland walked into them happily, snuggling into his soft green sweater as he sighed. “I’ve spent three years keeping every emotion, every serious thought, every fear in my own head. I don’t tell people, because I’m afraid of being vulnerable with someone I could lose in the blink of an eye.”

“Harry,” Holland tilted her head back, looking at him with a frown. “People are going to come in and out of your life, that’s inevitable.”

“But if I don’t get attached, then it won’t hurt so bad when they go.” He shrugged. “That’s why I tried pushing you away today. I know I could possibly lose you forever, and we’re already so close to each other. Losing you even now would nearly kill me, and I hardly know you.”

“I know.” She said. “But wouldn’t you rather spend the time that we have left together falling in love? I don’t want my time on earth to be meaningless, Harry. I want to be proud of what I’ve left behind when I go-”

“Stop talking about dying.” He whimpered, clenching his eyes shut. “I can’t take it.”

“It might happen.” She said. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to take Jack Frost down on my own. My magic is too weak, and I can’t do it without-”

She paused, taking a deep breath before she pulled away from Harry.

“Without what?” Harry’s eyes searched her face.

“Don’t worry about it.” She said. “I’m working on it.”

“You’re being a hypocrite.” He scoffed, wiping at his cheeks in frustration. “You’re not exactly...you say that you like to be honest, but I know that you’re not telling me everything.”

“Because I know you’re not ready to hear all of it.” She crossed her arms over her chest, staring back at him as his jaw tensed. “What?”

“You’re just as bad as me, you know that?” He said. “If we’re gonna spend our time falling in love, and not fighting, then we need to lay it all out on the table. No more secrets.”

Holland bit her lower lip, inhaling sharply through her nose.

“I don’t think you’re ready.” She said. “I don’t think you’ll even believe me.”

“I know when you’re telling the truth.” He rolled his eyes at her. “I can feel it when you lie, remember?”

“That’s fair.” She mumbled, looking up towards the ceiling as she sucked in a sharp breath. “I don’t want you to be mad at me for it though.”

Harry’s body nearly deflated as he looked at her face.

“Baby, I am so sorry for earlier.” He moved closer, grabbing her hands. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that, and I know better now. I swear that I won’t be upset with you for whatever it is you have to share.”

“You’re gonna be a little upset.” She held up a hand, nearly pinching her fingers together as Harry chuckled. “But it’s only fair for me to be honest with you if I expect the same in return.”

“Okay.” He squeezed her fingers. “Let me get the pizza reheated, and then we can talk about the entire thing.”

“Do you have any alcohol?” Holland cleared her throat, leaning against the counter sheepishly as Harry’s brows shot up. “I think we might need it.”

“Noted.” He said, clearing his throat. “I’ll see what I’ve got.”

🍷🍷🍷🍷

Harry’s POV

“So, Santa is your dad.” He asked Holland, his third glass of Merlot nearly empty in his hand as he stared at Holland. “And Jack Frost is trying to kill the two of us to avenge his Father’s death?”

“Yeah.” Holland nodded, taking another bite of her pizza as Harry stared at her. “You okay?”

Her voice was muffled by dough and sauce, and if Harry wasn’t so shell shocked, he might have thought it was cute. He stared at her as she slowly chewed, keeping her eyes on him as he lifted his glass to his lips. He downed the red liquid before reaching for the bottle. Instead of pouring another round, he tipped the bottle back, gulping the liquid down with ease.

“I saw your dad.” He blurted out, putting the bottle between his crossed legs. “When I was five years old, I saw him putting presents under the Christmas tree. I talked to him, and I promise him that I would never tell another living soul that I saw him.”

“I know.” Holland gave him a soft smile, lowering her slice of pizza to her plate. “He told me about that before I left home.”

“He was really nice.” Harry glanced down at his thighs. “I used to think about him all the time when I was a kid, and I loved Christmas so fucking much because of him.”

Harry could feel Holland tense up, and he knew that she wanted to ask.

“Harry.” She said his name softly, sliding her hand over his knee. “Is he the reason you hate Christmas? Because he asked you not to say anything?”

“No, he’s not.” Harry glanced up at her, taking a deep breath.

It was now or never.

He had to tell her.

“My parents died on Christmas morning in a car crash. They were on their way to the shops for more eggs, because we had this Christmas tradition where we would bake pancakes together, but we were out. They left before Gemma and I woke up, and they never came home.”

Holland stared back at Harry, her eyes glued to his own.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered, moving her plate to the coffee table before taking the bottle of wine from his hands. “Gumdrop, c’mere.”

“You don’t have to-”

“Come here.” She said sternly, holding her arms open as she situated her legs out on the couch.

Harry crawled over to her, settling between her legs as she rested her head on the arm of the couch. He pressed his nose into her neck, willing the burning behind his eyes to go away.

“I can’t even imagine how horrible that must have been for you, Harry.” She brushed her fingers through the tangles of his curls. “To lose your parents in such a horrible way, I can’t even fathom it.”

“Christmas was my favorite holiday until they died.” He croaked out, sliding his arms around Holland’s body. “I just couldn’t stomach the thought of celebrating their deaths, because that’s what Christmas feels like now. It’s an anniversary for the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

He felt the tears escaping from the corners of his eyes, leaking onto his own cheeks, and Holland’s neck. She tightened her grip around his waist, burying her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck with her other hand. He sobbed, his body shaking as he released all of the anger and pain that he kept pent up since their death.

“It’s going to be okay, gumdrop.” Holland pressed a soft kiss to his temple. “I know it sucks, but you're doing so good.”

“I miss them so much, Holland.” He gasped out, clawing at Holland’s body, searching for comfort. “I just want them back.”

“I know.” Holland’s voice cracked, but she was quick to clear her throat. “I wish I could bring them back for you, gumdrop. I wish I could take away all of the pain you have.”

Holland scratched at his scalp as he let out a tsunami of tears.

He was never afraid to cry in front of her.

He knew that she wouldn’t judge him for it.

“I love you so much.” She whispered against his ear, causing his breath to catch in his throat. “I know that isn’t enough to fix this, but I want you to know that I love you. It’s not okay to hold yourself back because you’re afraid of loss. It’s unfair to your heart, and you deserve so much more than that, Harry. You deserve happiness.”

“I don’t want to lose you, too.” He lifted his head up, inhaling shakily as he lifted a hand up to wipe at his tears. “I couldn’t take it, Holland.”

“You could.” She brushed her thumb over his other cheek, a few tears leaking from the corners of her own eyes as she offered him a tiny smile. “You’re so strong, my love.”

“Losing you would kill me.” He felt his throat growing tighter, and his heart squeezing in his chest at the thought.

Holland closed her mouth, inhaling before she closed her eyes.

“What?” He asked, his eyes searching her face. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Um, there’s a lot to explain, but do you remember when you asked me what would help my magic?” Her cheeks were glowing red as she spoke, but Harry knew it wasn’t because of the wine. “Helping our souls bond will make my magic stronger. I could defeat Jack if we did that.”

“How do we do that?” Frantically, he pushed up on his arms, hovering over her so that his hair fell like a curtain around their faces. “Why haven’t we done it already?

“Well, you’ve done it, but I haven’t.” She mumbled as Harry tilted his head in confusion. “Sex.”

Oh.

Fuck.

Harry wouldn’t deny that he’d thought about her like that before.

He though about it often.

“Um, yeah-” He said, his face relaxing and his lips pressing together to hold back a wet chuckle. “Yeah, that’s something I know how to do.”

Holland shifted below him, clearing her throat.

“But we can’t do it, Harry.” She sounded just as broken as he felt. “I won’t.”

“You won’t have sex with me?” Harry frowned. “Earlier you said-”

“I wasn’t thinking straight.” She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “We shouldn’t have even talked about it.”

“Do you mind me asking why you’ve changed your mind?” He asked softly, pressing his body back into hers, his arms wrapping around her. “I respect your decision either way, but I’m just curious. If the bonding of our souls is going to help your magic, why wouldn’t we try it?”

“Because if our souls are bonded, and I die….you go with me.” She sniffled, brushing her hand over the back of his head as he nuzzled his nose into her neck. “And I refuse to let you die because of me.”

“That’s not your choice to make.” He lifted his head again, shaking his head at her with furrowed brows. “You don’t get to make choices for me, just like I don’t get to make them for you. If it’s something that will help us win this fight, then I’m all in.”

He sat up, falling back to his side of the couch as she brushed her palms over her face, clearly upset and frustrated. It was cute, seeing someone with so much patience frustrated. His heart still ached with hers, though.

“I can’t.” She said. “I can’t be the reason you die.”

“You wouldn’t be the reason, Holland.” He sighed, brushing his fingers through his hair. “Jack Frost would be the reason.”

“What about Noah?” She sat up, looking at Harry. “What about Gemma?”

“Holland-”

“Your sister has lost her parents, she doesn’t need to lose her brother too.”

“Don’t.” His jaw tensed as he looked towards the ceiling. “She would tell me to do it, Holland. If she knew what was happening, she would tell me to do whatever it takes.”

“If I die, it’s over!” Holland exclaimed. “You’ll be gone, Harry.”

“I would rather die with you, than live in a world without you.” He let out a frustrated huff, shaking his head. “Is there anything besides fucking that we can do to bond our souls?”

“Not really.” Holland mumbled, looking down to her lap. “It’s when you’re the most vulnerable.”

“You’re not wrong about that.” He mumbled, trying to fight off a smirk. “If I can’t convince you that it’s worth it, would you still have sex with me before Jack Frost tries to murder us?”

Holland reached behind her back before she hit Harry with a throw pillow.

“Baby, I’m kidding!” He groaned out, holding his hands up. “I just wanted you to laugh.”

“You’re such a guy.” She growled out. “I love you, and I’d love to experience that with you, but we just can’t.”

“What was it that you said earlier, about spending the last of your days loving, and not fighting?” He asked. “That’s a nice way to love-”

“I can’t tell if you’re trying to seduce me because you really want to get into my pants, or because you want our souls to bond so that you die with me.” Holland narrowed her eyes at him as he smiled back at her. “Which one is it?”

“A bit of both, if I’m being honest.” He pulled a face, waving his hand in a so-so motion. “Both have their perks.”

“I won’t.” She whispered. “I can’t.”

“I’m giving you permission, but I’m not forcing you.” He said. “I want you to make your magic stronger, and I also want to make you cum a lot before we possibly die. I think it would be unfair to let you die a virgin.”

“You’re horrible.” Holland dropped back against the couch, covering her face with her palms as Harry laughed. “I was promised a beautiful apology, and all I got was a candle and horny soulmate.”

“I’m so sorry, baby.” Harry smirked, kneeling onto the couch before he fell between Holland’s lips with a goofy grin. “Let me kiss it better?”

Holland rolled her eyes, but she let him plant his lips on hers anyways.

“I love you, too.” He whispered, pulling back from her mouth for a second to whisper the words before he stole another kiss. “I always have, and I always will.”

#deck the halls #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #harry fanfic #harry fanfiction

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beclynn-herondale · 4 years ago

Text

In Another Universe: Chapter 2

(tsc and the characters belong to Cassandra Clare)

The next day Clar was laying around on the coach waiting for his mom and Luke to get home, his sister was sitting on the other side, they had a rule she gets a side and Clar gets a side, the stupid sibling things you did

He was still thinking about the girl, Jayce, there was something strange about her and her companions, Simone couldn't see them and it only made him find it more strange, was magic real?

Luke walked in with boxes and brought Clar back to reality

"Hey," Clar said

"Hey, Clar," said Luke

"What are the boxes for?" He asked

"Your mom wants to put some stuff away," he said.

"Can I ask you something?" Clar asked

"Sure, what is it?" Luke said

"If you saw something, someone no one else could see, what would you think?" He asked

"Clar you're am artist like your mother, you know that, it gives you the ability to see the beauty and the horror," Luke answered

And then his mom walked in

"Thank you, Luke, for the help and sorry it took me a bit, had to find a parking space," said Jocelyn, Clar's mother

People said Clar looked like a boy version of his mother, but her shade of red hair was slightly darker than Clar's,they both had the same green eyes, they both had freckles and the same face shape, but his mother was beautiful and he didn't see much of beauty in himself, not that society really let's boys be called beautiful.

His sister was beautiful but in a different way, she had very pale blonde hair, and she had green eyes but they were more of a forest green where Clar's and their mom's was more emerald green, she also had freckles though.

Mom and Luke were talking and Clar got stuck in his head again like he did so often

"Kids," their mother said.

Both Joan and Clar looked up at her, it was moments like these that they resembled each other.

"We're going to Luke's farm for a while."

"oh..." Joan said

"But I paid for art classes," Clar said

"I'll pay you back Clar," she told him

"Mom, no I want to go and besides I can get a job and stay here of you want to go–" he was saying

"Clar, no, it's final," She said. "We're going."

"Jocelyn, just tell the truth," Luke said

Tell them the truth what? Clar had no idea what he was talking about, were they in trouble somehow?

"No, Luke," said Jocelyn. "They are too young."

Joan looked bored with this, though to be fair she got bored with a lot of things.

The doorbell rang and there was Simone and Clar grabbed his bag and went with Simone to Erica's stupid poetry reading.

"I'm going with Simone to Java Jones, don't wait for me," he said more coldly than intended.

——————

Jayce was wondering about that boy she saw, and trying to figure out how he could possibly see them, her and Alec were training but she could do both, she was like that good at two things, good at many things.

"You look like your head is in the clouds today," Alec said

"Just thinking," said Jayce

"Wow, you actually thinking, that's new," Alec teased

"I know I have an incredible brain as well as elegant looks and amazing charm," she said

Alec just rolled her eyes

"You're thinking about that boy aren't you?" Alec said with some venom in her voice.

"How'd you know?" She asked

"Because I agree he's a danger now that he can see us."

"I asked Hodge if I could find him and figure how he can see us and he gave me permission, so I am gonna put gear on and do that," she said

"Do you want me to go with you?" Alec asked

"No, I think it's better if it's just me," Jayce told her parabatai

And she heard a mumbled something from her, not knowing what it was.

——————

Clar was finding the a place to sit, while Simone got them coffee, he needed to get away from his mom or he would say something he would regret.

Clar noticed a guy watching Simone and wondered if he liked her, although girls sometimes looked at Simone like that too.

He ended up asking Clar if Simone had a boyfriend or was seeing anyone, to which Clar said no, it did make him wonder himself now.

"They were all out of the nice cups," said Simone as she returned with their coffee

"Be careful, you're burning yourself," he said

"You'd be surprised Fray, it don't bother me," she said right before she yelped

Clar sighed

"hey, question," he asked.."why don't you have a boyfriend?"

Simone jumped

"What?" she said

"Just wondering, there are people at our school who are interested in you," he teased

"The reason I don't have a boyfriend is—"

Clar had stopped listening, there she was behind them laughing, and walking away.

"Clar?" Simone said. "Are you alright?"

It snapped Clar back to reality

"I'll be right back," he said as he was heading for the door.

When he got to outside, there she was leaning against the wall of the building, and acting like she was better

"Why were you laughing at us!?" Is all Clar could say. "You think you are so much better?"

He didn't know her so why did she make him so angry?

"I was laughing because people confessing their love to someone amuses me," she said

"What?" He said. "I don't know who you are or who you think you are but—"

"But, you're stunningly beautiful," she said with sarcasm and arrogance

She made his cheeks turn red with anger

"Wow you're something aren't you?" Was all he said

"Yes, I am many things," Jayce said

"Why are you following me? I really will call the police," Clar told her.

"And tell them 'oh police officer, you gotta help me, there's this invisible girl following me', hate to tell you but they can't see me," she said.

"I swear to—"

"Careful, don't use such language around a lady like myself," she interrupted

And stared at him with a strange look for a few moments

And said "You aren't a Mundane, but how can you see us?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about but you seem out of your mind."

"Let me see your right hand," she said

Did this girl seriously just ask that?

"Here see," she held out her left hand and there was a tattoo like thing there. "Usually they are on the right hand but I am left handed so mine is on my left," she said.

Clar didn't know why but he held his right hand out to her, and she looked at it

"Nothing," she said. "You are working out to be a conduit puzzle."

Then Clar's phone rang after she said that

"Take that, it's not like i am in a rush or anything," she said with sarcasm

"Hello," she said, it was his mom and all he heard was 'don't come home' and crashing and terrible noises

And then his mom was gone, the phone was hung up, he dropped his phone and it broke

"Are you ok?" Asked Jayce

"I need a phone," said Clar

And saw she had one on her belt and grabbed it, probably not the most proper thing to do but he needed it

"That's not a phone," she said

He pressed at it and noticed she was right but his brain wasn't thinking right and so he ran off towards home, the last thing he heard was her calling after him

"I can help!"

——————

When he got to their home everything was a wreck, and his Mom and Sister were nowhere to be found, he went down to his bedroom towards a noise he heard and stood in horror and shock at what he saw

There was some kind of creature there, talking about blood and crunching bones, Clar felt frozen in place, the thing came at him, he was fighting back, hitting it with what he could find around him, and then he remembered he had the phone thingy that Jayce had, he shoved it in the things mouth, but as he was running he felt pain in his neck and everything went black.

——————

When he woke up his head was aching, and he saw that Jayce was looking at him

"You're awake," she said

"Where am I?" He asked

And looked around, he was outside his apartment

"We need to get out of here," she said

"Why?"

"Those police officers are demons not actually police officers," said Jayce

Clar looked up and saw what she was talking about, and he saw a creature again, he tried to get up, Jayce was helping him up but the moment he got up he felt a rush of pain go through his head, and passed out again.

(sorry I know it's kinda the same scene all over again in the beginning but the next stuff will be different)

Tag list: @khaleesiofalicante @chibi-tsukiko @spotsandclawsthings @replayfootsteps @megs-readstoomuch @bookfast-at-tiffanys @simply-ellas-stuff @magnus-the-maqnificent

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patandpran · 5 years ago

Text

Coffee and Coding

A PangxWave Coffee Shop Au...

Wave was on the hunt for Wifi. That’s all he needed. He was in the middle of an extremely complicated coding assignment when his internet crashed at his apartment. If he didn’t get the assignment done in time, there was no telling what his Professor was going to think of him and he certainly wasn’t going to get the TA position he wanted so badly.

He stopped out of his apartment building and stalked the streets for a ‘free wifi’ sign. The first place he came across was a coffee shop. He wasn’t particularly a Java consumer but he was kind of desperate so he walked inside, his computer bag slung over his shoulder and walked up to the counter. He looked up at the menu and decided to order something completely at random because he had no idea what all of the different drinks were. To Wave, coffee was coffee. There didn’t need to anything fancy about it.

And yet, when he looked down from the menu, he almost dropped his computer bag and his order flew from his mind. The young man standing behind the counter was smiling at him so openly and unabashedly that it made Wave’s breath hitch. No one, especially not a complete stranger, had looked at him this way before. Wave’s eyes fell to the Barista’s name tag, which read: ‘Pang’.

When Wave did not immediately share his order, Pang smirked slightly and muttered, “Do you know what you want? I know our menu can be kind of overwhelming…”

“Uh….” Wave usually prided himself on being articulate but he could not seem to string a coherent sentence together.

“I’m going to be honest with you, I just started working here but, if you trust me, I can just make something and bring it out to you.” Pang suggested gently, noticing that Wave seemed to be indecisive.

Wave nodded slowly and held out phone to pay by ‘tap’ but Pang held out a hand to stop him. Pang explained, “You seem stressed. It’s on me. I’ll just cash it out as one of my practice drinks but, in return, you have to tell me how it is. Deal?”

“Deal.” Wave confirmed, still in a bit of a haze because of Pang’s kindness.

Pang nodded toward the tables in the coffee shop. “Go get set up and I’ll bring the drink to you in a bit. Our wifi password is ‘CoffeeisaGift’”

Wave nodded again and made his way over to a table to set up his computer. How the hell was he going to be able to focus on his work when Pang was so naturally distracting? Wave cursed himself for finding the Barista so interesting.

As much as he knew that he needed to get work done, Wave couldn’t help himself. He kept staring back at Pang who had an adorable look of concentration etched across his face as he worked on Wave’s drink. There was only so much Wave could do about concentration when a cute guy was going out of his way to make a drink especially for him. But, alas, he had work to do so he finally refocused and got to work on his assignment.

“Sorry it took so long. I wanted to practice some foam art.”

Wave looked up from his screen to see Pang hovering behind it, a steaming cup of coffee clutched between his hands. Pang had a nervous look on his face, his brows knotted together, and Wave had the sudden urge to reach up and smooth them out. There was no reason for Pang to be nervous - Wave would gladly drink anything he made.

“No problem. I was able to get a lot of work done.” Wave shared and a grin spread across his lips as Pang set down the mug to the side of his computer. “Thanks again for making me the drink.”

Wave looked down and saw a smiley face floating in foam at the top of the drink. . When he looked up, he saw Pang studying him expectantly. Pang obviously wanted to get Wave’s verdict on the drink and even though Wave was not a coffee connoisseur, he was the king of opinions.

He brought the cup to his mouth and took a small sip, making sure that he didn’t burn his tongue. The taste was sweet but subtle and shockingly the taste of coffee was not too prevalent, which Wave actually preferred. He put the cup down and looked up to Pang, “That is delicious. What’s in it?”

A look of amusement crossed Pang’s face and Wave wondered what could possibly be so funny about what he had said. Pang noticed Wave’s confusion and clarified, “You have a foam moustache. It’s kind of adorable.”

Before he could even process Pang’s words, Pang had grabbed a napkin and was wiping Wave’s upper lip with foam. No one, especially a stranger, had been in Wave’s space like this before but Wave was shocked to find himself completely comfortable with Pang’s presence. When Pang was done, he pulled away the napkin.

“It’s a latte with coconut milk.” Pang explained. “Natural sweetness from the milk and because I wasn’t sure if you were okay with lactose or not, I thought I’d go with an alternative.”

“T-thank you.” Wave managed to get out, sliding his hands around the mug once again. “It really is good, though. How long have you been working here?”

Pang seemed surprised that Wave wanted to continue the conversation and he checked behind him to see if there was any new customers lingering. When he saw none, Pang pulled out the chair and sat across from Wave at the table.

“I’ve been working here for just a few weeks.” Pang explained. “I go to Ritdha University so I live in the area too.”

“I go there too!” Wave expressed with a bit more enthusiasm than he probably should have. “What’s your major?”

“Oh, cool! I’m surprised I haven’t seen you around. Political Science.” Pang answered. “I want to be a lawyer or maybe work in government some day. What about you?”

“Computer science.” Wave responded and took another sip of his drink. “Actually, that’s why I’m here… my Wifi from my apartment went down so I had to come here to complete an assignment on time.”

“Oh, you mean you didn’t just come for the coffee?” Pang teased and leaned over to see what Wave was working on. “What’s the assignment?”

“Coding…” Wave felt his cheeks get hot. “Uh… it’s not that interesting…Geeky stuff.”

“That’s not geeky.” Pang sat back down and respected Wave’s privacy. “I think there’s nothing more intriguing than someone who is openly passionate about what they do, especially when it’s something that most people might not understand.”

Wave felt himself relax significantly because of Pang’s words. Wave tried to recall a time where he had instantly felt so connected to someone and couldn’t think of anything. There was something about Pang’s smile and energy that put Wave at ease.

“Why do you want to be in Politics?” Wave wondered, wanting to divert the conversation away from himself but also wanting to know more about Pang.

Pang got a serious look on his face and chewed his lip for a moment, clearly trying to put his thoughts together before sharing them with Wave. This was a quality that Wave couldn’t help but admire. Pang was really thinking about his response before he shared it.

“I want to help people.” Pang finally answered. “I think that sometimes people don’t have a voice because of certain societal limitations. I want to help people find that voice and help the world become a bit more just and equal.”

Wave was surprised by how mature Pang’s answer was, considering how young he looked. Wave figured they were around the same age. Pang had really thought about it while Wave had chosen technology because he had an affinity for it and had always been told that it would be a lucrative career path. His answer compared to Pang’s seemed juvenile and selfish.

“Wow, we’ve been talking this whole time and I still don’t know you name…” Pang prompted when Wave did not respond right away.

“I’m, uh, Wave.” Wave spat out, having been planning his response and compliment about Pang’s initial answer but felt more comfortable answering Pang’s question anyway.

“I’m Pang.” Pang shared, pointing to his name tag. “But I, uh, guess you already knew that. Anyway, sorry for chatting your ear off, I guess you probably need to get back to work instead of being distracted by an annoying Barista.”

“You’re not annoying.” Wave protested, wanting to make sure that his awkwardness was not coming across as disinterest. “The drink is amazing. Thanks again.”

Pang got up to his feet and smiled at Wave, “Well, I’m glad to hear that I’m not as horrible as I thought I was at making coffee. I should probably get back to work anyway…”

“O-okay.” Wave murmured, slightly disappointed, but he tried to keep his composure neutral.

Pang nodded and made his way back behind the counter and returned to his work tasks. Wave returned to working on his assignment, sipping away at the drink Pang had made him every so often as he got closer and closer to completing it. He was so lost in a world of binary that he did not even notice how dark it was getting outside. When he was finally done, he looked up from the screen and noticed that there no other customers left behind in the coffee shop.

Wave went to take one final sip of his drink and was surprised to find that it had gone cold. He drank it anyway and started to pack his things up, trying to see out of his periphery if Pang was still behind the counter or had already gone off shift. Wave picked up the mug to return it to the counter.

“All done?”

Pang appeared in front of Wave so suddenly that the mug slipped through his fingers in surprise. Thankfully, Pang reacted quickly enough and was able to catch the mug in his hands. Wave winced apologetically as Pang placed the cup on the counter.

“Not so good with your hands, are you?” Pang shared in a suggestive tone and Wave’s eyes grew wide in shock. Pang registered Wave’s reaction and quickly clarified, “I was kidding. Sorry. I shouldn’t be making jokes like that when we’ve only known each other for, like, five minutes.”

Wave’s gaze dropped to the floor to avoid Pang’s but after a quick breath, he looked up again and shared, “No worries. And, yah, I got the assignment done so I can sleep easy tonight… speaking of… are you supposed to be closed already?”

Pang smiled sheepishly and shrugged, “You just looked so focused and I did some extra deep cleaning. I really didn’t mind staying behind a bit later than usual.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Wave muttered, a bit embarrassed that he had received special treatment and likely inconvenienced Pang.

“I know.” Pang confirmed, staring intently at Wave. “But I wanted to.”

“Oh…” Wave, once again, was taken aback by how straightforward Pang was. There was no BS, Pang seemed to the type of person who went for what they wanted, when they wanted. Wave was quite envious of that.

“Sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable.” Pang shared, “There’s just something about you that makes me want to get to know you more. You’re kind of an enigma, like a mystery I want to solve.”

“N-no it’s okay.” Wave assured him and a soft smile played on his lips. “I’m just not used to this kind of attention, especially not from someone like you…”

“Someone like me?” Pang echoed, clearly confused.

Wave considered his words carefully before responding, “Someone so confident, kind, friendly… I usually only get approached by people who want something from me… like, help on an assignment, want me to fix their computer, that kind of thing….You don’t need help with homework, do you?”

Pang chuckled lightly. “No, I think I’m okay. I’m sorry that’s your experience though. It probably makes it hard for you to trust people…”

“Yah…” Wave agreed, shocked by how quickly Pang seemed to be able to figure him out.

“Well, if you’re willing to take a chance on me, I would love to earn your trust.” Pang stated plainly. “Coffee’s great and all, but, would you maybe want to grab a drink with me sometime?”

Wave was at a complete loss of words. Was Pang, the adorable Barista, asking him out? He didn’t want to jump to conclusions too quickly so he tried to play it cool. He managed to get out, “Um, sure.”

Pang pulled a napkin from the dispenser on the counter and scrawled his number on it before passing it to Wave. “No pressure. Call or text me if you’re interested.”

Wave nodded, in a bit of a daze, and Pang guided him to the front door of the coffee shop, obviously needing to do some other last minute duties to close up the coffee shop. Wave walked through the door and turned to face Pang, who was hovering on the threshold, beaming at Wave.

“Thank you for the drink.” Wave murmured, and felt his cheeks grow hot before he blurted out, “I’ll text you later on tonight.”

Pang’s eyes lit up before he nodded, “See you soon, Wave. I look forward to getting to know more about you…”

With that, Pang disappeared back into the shop and locked the door behind him.

Wave, who had been so determined that the universe was against him when his Wifi stopped working that morning now was quite sure that he was meant to stumble upon that coffee shop on that particular day…

The universe might have taken his Wifi but it had given him the gift of Pang.

#pangwave #pang x wave #the gifted graduation #tgg #the gifted #my writing #cass writes

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victoriareyloficlists · 4 years ago

Text

07/01/2021 Additions to Reylo School Environment

These fics have been added to the School list located here.

Look No Further Sequel: Change of Plans by thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily) (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: After making it through Thanksgiving with his family, Rey and Kylo start to wonder if there might be more to this fake dating thing after all.) If I Was A Raindrop (Would You Be My Thunderstorm) by itsnotillegal (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey has the hots for her coworker/friend Ben and decides to finally do something about it and send him a valentines card. While at the shop choosing a card, she bumps into Ben and is too embarrassed to confess the card is for him and lies about the intended recipient. Ben is in love with Rey and gutted the card is not for him!) Insufferable by castles_and_crowns (AO3 2018 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey Niima and Ben Solo are both student ambassadors at their university. This means that, unfortunately for Rey, they often get stuck with each other at various university events. Rey finds Ben Solo to be an insufferable snob until he begins to slowly prove to be otherwise.) Five Days by AttackoftheDarkCurses (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When Rey spends winter break at her friend's apartment, it only takes five days for everything to change.) Get Rekt by Thelittlescrimshaw (AO3 2016 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: He was drunk, they all were, but slinging an arm around her shoulders and declaring Rey his wife was not how she imagined the first party of the semester going.) the water smells like you by shruggyben (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Harry Potter AU, Quick Synopsis: In which Ben Solo, Ravenclaw dumbass, brews the perfect batch of the strongest love potion in the wizarding world, but accidentally feeds it to his one (1) crush. Adorable panic ensues.) Trip to the cinema: How bad can it be? by StaticTeeth (AO3 2016 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: A college AU with Rey, Ben, Poe and Finn. Poe and Finn being Ben and Rey's besties and they set Ben and Rey up together.) Bullet Pound by jeeno2 (AO3 2018 Rated E Complete, 4 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: On a whim, Rey watches a porno her friend recommended. To her surprise, she recognizes one of the actors.) It's A Pretty Good Bad Idea, Me and You by Mugglelover27 (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey had a great date the other night. Unfortunately, that date was with her professor.) Baby Shark by Melusine11 (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire can handle a lot. Fights over who is the leader in line for the day, crying over not getting the right color crayon they want, puke after gym time, but the one thing that consistently raises his blood pressure is one damnable song.) Java Empire And The Rebel Café by fairytalesandfolklore (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: A Reylo Coffeeshop AU. Rey works for the Solo's coffeeshop and finds out their son has gone to work for the competing corporate chain. She tries to get him to reconcile with his parents but a misunderstanding makes him push her away.) Your Half by Celia_and (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 4 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Classmates Rey and Kylo get off on the wrong foot. Too bad they’re partners for the whole semester...) Look No Further by thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily) (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, 9 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey is spending Thanksgiving alone but a late-night Craigslist ad ends up with her agreeing to crash some asshole's family dinner. At the very least, she's curious what kind of people name their son "Kylo Ren" anyway.) Between the Shelves by AttackoftheDarkCurses (AO3 2018 Rated E Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey's head-over-heels for Ben Solo, the new city librarian. Unfortunately, he seems to be completely oblivious to her advances.) Road Rage by AverageEpaulet (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey offers to give her super shy new college classmate Ben a ride home. She seems like such a sweet, wholesome girl, Ben accepts eagerly. A violent redhead cuts her off suddenly in traffic; Wild Rey appears. Ben is shocked at the violence of his arousal.) Dumpster Dive Into My Heart by commandercrouton (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Inspried by a tweet from Reylo Prompts: My art professor told us a story about how he hated all his art and threw it out at a dumpster by his campus and then a little while later he went to a girls dorm (who is now his wife) and she had it hanging on the wall :) The Seeker Compact by konfoz (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Harry Potter AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben used to be the Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team, so he is surprised when Gryffindor's Seeker, Rey, asks for his help a week before the final match up between their two houses.) Sociology of Sexuality by Celia_and (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: After a semester of verbal sparring, the tension between Rey and Kylo boils over.) The Girl on the Train by SighnomoreSolo (AO3 2019 Rated E Complete, 3 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Professor Ben Solo shares a compartment on the commuter train with the same girl, every day. One day, at the end of summer, she surprises him. He definitely doesn't mind.) Where There's Smoke, There's Fire by on_my_toes (AO3 2016 Rated G Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Of course a fire would break out in Rey's apartment building the night of her biochem final — and of course she would end up running out into the sidewalk keyless in her pajamas, right next to the most obnoxious frat party in the world. At least it can't get any more embarrassing than this ... that is, until her TA Ben Solo shows up.) A Chemical Reaction by commandercrouton (AO3 2019 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: In which Rey and Ben have very different meanings on watching Netflix and studying) Morning Glory by lovelydarkanddeep (AO3 2018 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey and Kylo have a one night stand at university after a party, but the morning after does not go as Kylo expects.) Virgins, Valentines & Sex Videos by SavingWhatILove (AO3 2019 Rated E Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey needs to write a paper on Lanford Wilson's "Burn This" play, but has problems with it. She asks Ben, whom she's pining after, for help knowing that he needs help with Math. She doesn't realize what day they set their study date for Valentine's Day. Additionally, when she shows up in his dorm she hears loud sex noises coming from his room. Is Ben having Valentine's Day on his own? How will the study date unfold?)

#reylo #reylo fanfic

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darlingpetao3 · 5 years ago

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One of Those Faces (H.R. Wells x Reader x Harry Wells, Part 1)

Rating: G

Summary: As a barista at Jitters, an accident leads you to meet the charming and energetic H.R. But some time later, he returns as a massive standoffish grump. It’s as if he’s two different people...

A/N: This is a collaboration that the lovely @hwells-ho-train and I started back in the fall. It is the first of many fun things we’ve been concocting together behind the scenes!

Tag List: @fandomdancer @bluesclues-1234

(x)

You’ve grown accustomed to the whirs of the espresso machines. So much so, that every night when you head home from work as a barista at Jitters, it’s odd not to hear the sounds.

Some days are more gruelling than others at the coffee shop, especially when autumn rolls around and there’s a burst of customers. Pumpkin Spice lattes, anyone? Or as they’re called at this time of year, a “Spicy Flash.”

What? It’s not like you name these things.

And of course, you’ll have to deal with customers’ picky and often complicated orders. You feel bad for the newbies when this happens, but you have no problem because you’re a whiz at your job. At some points though, it all feels monotonous.

That is until he started to show up.

‘He’ being HR Wells.

You’d been training a new barista that day, passing on your knowledge of how to brew the perfect cup of coffee when a tall man in a Pork Pie hat threw open the door with gusto and took a deep breath through the nose. Upon exhaling, he shut his eyes and made the impurest noise you’d ever heard (inside of a coffee joint).

“Ahh, that’s the stuff!” His broad smile revealing even, white teeth and a pair of dimples to die for. If that weren’t enough to grab your attention, upon opening his eyes, you saw they were so blue they seemed to glow. You were so lost in those sparkling azure orbs, that the perfect cup of coffee you’d been pouring overflowed and scalded your hand.

“Ouch!”

SMASH.

The coffee cup exploded into shards, and your anxious new barista squeaked in alarm at the mess.

Dammit, way to make a first impression.

The handsome stranger’s blissful look shifted to one of utmost concern as he turned his gaze towards you.

“Whoa there!” he exclaimed while whipping a white cloth out of his back pocket. Wetting it down at the water fountain, he wasted no time in grabbing your injured hand and gently pressing the cool cloth to your injury.

Between your mortification and the pain in your hand, you felt like crying. “Thank you, but I really should get that mess cleaned up.”

He turned those big soulful blue eyes on you. “Oh please, not yet, it’s so rare that I get to play the hero.” He punctuated his statement with a charming grin and you were utterly lost in it all, letting him lead you to an empty table with the comforting pressure of his big warm hand.

“Do you come here often?” you asked him, only understanding how it sounded a little too late. The stranger raised a flirty eyebrow at you.

“Do you come on to all your customers, or am I just tremendously lucky?” he asked you in return.

“I didn’t mean it like that…” You could feel your face grow hotter than the sun (or that coffee you spilled on your hand). The man chuckled.

“To answer your question, no, I’ve only just discovered this magnificent little shop, but I can already tell it’s my favorite place.”

Did you just imagine the little squeeze he gave your hand?

“Can I get you a drink?” you offered. Dammit, I need to stop accidentally using pick-up lines! “A coffee? Latte? You know, because that’s my job and you’re the customer?”

His smile almost blinded you.

“That would be delightful…” he drew out the last syllable before his eyes focused on your name tag. “(Y/N)!”

Your silly little heart fluttered at the way he said it. As though it were the most beautiful name he’d ever heard.

“But first,” he raised a finger in the air before eyeing your hand critically. “Let’s take care of this.”

He tied the damp handkerchief (who carries those anymore?) around your hand. Then he sat back and judged his handiwork for a moment.

“How’s that?”

“Beautiful,” you said dreamily before snapping back to yourself. “I mean- excellent, really great! I can’t thank you enough…?” You left it open-ended since you still didn’t know his name.

He bowed deeply. “HR Wells, at your service, milady.”

Good grief, you really needed to stop grinning like an idiot.

“Well then, HR,” your breath caught a bit at saying his name for the first time, watching as he grinned at you. “Let’s get you that drink.”

——————

It had started out as a day like any other. Night shift left a mess of the cappuccino machine, and you were busily cleaning it down before opening when a movement out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. A tall figure draped in black stood hunched against the early morning winds. You still had five minutes until you officially flipped the sign, but it was just one guy.

Putting on your cheeriest customer service grin, you turned the latch and opened the door. “Good morning! You look miserable out there, let’s get you something warm.”

The man seemed taken aback at your bubbly greeting, but he shuffled in quick enough, muttering a gravelly sounding “thanks” and followed you back to the counter.

It occurred to you that letting this random man in while you were completely alone in the unlit shop was not one of your better ideas. If he robbed you, you’d never be able to identify him in the dark. With that grim thought in mind, you went to the control panel and flipped every light on in the building.

“There, that’s better,” your sudden anxiety made your voice louder than usual. “So, what can I get you-” your question dying on your lips when you finally got a clear look at him in normal light.

It was the man from the other day - the man with the sharp blue eyes who helped you after your accident. HR! He was still as handsome as ever... But why does he seem gruffer? He certainly didn’t look as sweet and joyful as he had last time, more so rough around the edges.

I guess not everyone is a morning person, or else they wouldn’t come here!

“It’s nice to see you!” you chirped with a big smile, hoping that will help his morning mood before you got him his cup of java.

The man frowned at you, but you continued to write it off.

“Thanks?” he said, sounding unsure.

“Not a problem,” you waved away his apology. “Now let’s see, what sort of sweet deliciousness are you in the mood for today?” You inwardly cringed - you might have oversold that. Judging by the wariness distorting his pretty face, you definitely did.

“Black. To go.” He replied shortly and then slowly backed away.

You blinked at his abruptness. Where had your happy-go-lucky Knight in Shining Armor gone? “Ok, yeah, right away.” You turned away, feeling like a total dummy.

You busied yourself in getting his drink, and your mind began to wander to your favorite theory from the past few days - what does HR stand for? Harold Rothchild? Horacio Roberto? It’s been quite fun to make up the names in your head.

When the drink was finished, you popped a lid on it, scribbled on the side, and slid the cup on the table over to the grumpy man. “Here you are! Hope you enjoy it, have a nice day!”

“Thanks.” He turned, muttering, “Horatio Rob-?” and immediately left, which made you feel like your last meeting with him never even happened. It was like he was a whole other person...

#reader insert #hr wells x reader #hr wells imagine #harry wells x reader #harry wells imagine #harrison wells imagine #harrison wells x reader #the flash imagine #the flash fanfiction

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lovewriting-5 · 5 years ago

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Wastelands:

*gif credit goes to @witchesallofthem*

Rules:

11. Breaking Free

Wastelands:

2. Redwood Curtain

Side note: I combined “Rise and Shine” & “Daggers Drawn”

1. Daggers Drawn:

On the train in Beaver Creek, Oregon, we met up with the drifters from the Christmas market. They led us to where they have work. We managed to find a separate tent for me. We reached a clearing not far from the farm and began setting up our gear. Everyone set up their tents in a circle and put a fire pit right in the middle. Some weeks went by, we all got used to how things would work.

It was a typical morning in our new location of Humboldt County, California. The sun was creeping through the trees overhead and filtering in through the mesh window of my tent. I sat up in my sleeping bag and stretched. I folded the top layer of the sleeping bag and put on pants. I unzipped the tent and put my shoes on.

I could smell the aroma of the lake and coffee in the light breeze. It looked like maybe not many people were up or they were off somewhere else. I walked past the fire pit and quickly petted the dog. I walked to the kitchen and could see Hannah, Penny and Ingrid were enjoying cups of coffee. I grabbed a cup and joined them at the folding table.

A few minutes later, Daniel joined us. He said “Good morning” to everyone. Finn joined us a couple minutes later. Before he could take a sip, Daniel asks “Finn, can we do some more knife throwing?” He says “Why not.” Daniel turns to me, “(Y/N), you okay if I go with Finn?” I said “Sure, just be careful.” Reassuringly, Finn says “Hey, no worries. The kid knows what he’s doing.” Daniel asks “Do you want to come with?”

I thought about it for a couple seconds. “Sure.” I tell them. We got up from the table. I placed my cup in the makeshift sink then followed them to the spot where Finn created a bullseye. Finn started off with a few throws to show how easy it was. I roll my eyes with a smirk. He then hands the knife to Daniel. I’ve heard how good Daniel has been getting but I tensed up a little.

Daniel threw the knife and got really close to the bullseye. Finn went to retrieve it while giving him some pointers. It took a couple of tries but he was getting the hang of it. By the fourth throw, he reached a spot on the bullseye. Excitedly, Finn says “How can you be so good at this?” Laughing, he says “I think I got this now!”

Finn says “I’d say you, yeah. Remember, look straight, sharp throw. Boom!” Daniel says “Let me try again!” Finn hands him the knife. He takes it, aims and hits the bullseye. I say “Whoa, way to go Daniel! I remember you said you were getting the hang of it but I didn’t expect that.” Finn says “There you go, sweetheart!”

I ask Finn “How long have you been throwing knives?” He says “My old man taught me when I was about Daniel’s age.” I say “Wow!” Daniel says “So cool!” Finn tells him “Fuck! I’ve never been so good, trust me. You’re killing it!”

Daniel takes the knife and throws it again. It hits the bullseye. I clap, “Woohoo, nice!” Finn says “What the fuck, man! You’re awesome! Come on, once again!” He goes to pull the knife out of the tree. Daniel says “YES! I’m the man!” He takes the knife and hits the bullseye again. Finn says “Holy shit, that was dope!”

I heard the sound of rocks crunching under shoes coming up behind us. I turn around a little and saw that it was Sean. I give him a small smile. He gave me a small smile back. Sean says “What’s up, guys? Morning target practice?” Finn tells him “Six bullseyes. In a row. Kid is a fucking ninja.” He walks over, gives Sean a handshake and a hug. He continues “Hey, we didn’t want to wake your sleepy ass up...” Sean says “Yeah...Thank you for that. You okay Daniel?” Daniel finally noticing, says “Hey.” I tell Sean, “He is getting really good.” Finn adds “Seriously, I’ve never seen anyone throw like that.”

Sarcastically, Sean says “Wow, Finn trained you well. Six...bullseyes, dude?” Daniel tells him “Yeah, I got better...Lucky.” He says “You can’t throw a baseball without hitting me in the nuts.” I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my chuckle. He asks “How did you learn to aim so good?” Proudly, Daniel says “Practice!” Sean says “Yeaaah...right.”

Being the mediator, Finn says “Hey, wow...” as he places a hand on both of their shoulders. Specifically to Sean, he says “What’s up with you two? I shoulda let you know, but - but I’m watching him a like a hawk. Seriously, much respect. He’s like my own blood. Not that I’m as hot or cool as his big bro.”

Finn walks over to the tree and pulls out the knife. He says “Yo Sean! Idea! I wanna see if Daniel inherited the family blade skills...from you.” He holds the knife in front of Sean, “How about a little demo?” Sarcastically, Daniel says “He can’t do it!” I tell him “Come on, let’s give him a chance.” I give Sean a quick wink. Confidently while taking the knife, Sean says “Okay, yeah. I’ll take a shot.”

Sean flips the knife in his hand a couple times. He throws it and hits the target in the arm. Finn gives him some pointers, “Oooh, Sean, hold your right arm more like this...Better alignment, better aim.” Daniel says “Won’t really help...” “Dude, what’s wrong with you?” Sean says, annoyed.

Finn retrieves the knife and hands it to him. He says “Come on sweetie, one more time! I know you can do it.” Sean takes the knife and hits it again. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Daniel has a small smirk. I roll my eyes.

Finn retrieves the knife and hands it to him. Sean gets ready. He throws it. The knife all of a sudden flies past the tree into the bushes. Sean whips around to face Daniel. I gently grab his arm. He says “Oh fuck that!” Mockingly, Daniel says “Ha, missed! See, I rule!”

Finn walks over by the tree and begins searching for the knife, “Sorry, Sean, you’re not a ninja. But you’re still cool. Just ask your brother for help next time.” He finds it and picks it up. While I still have a hand on Sean’s arm, he says “Yeah, what would I do without him.” Daniel says “Hey, don’t look at me, it’s not my fault you can’t throw!”

I remove my hand from his arm. He seems like he calmed down a little. Finn says while wiping the knife off, “Whew, after that workout, I need some more fucking java.” Daniel says while trying to go with him, “Wait, don’t go yet!” Sean stops him.

As he is walking away, Finn does a quarter turn and says “It’s all good, Daniel. We can practice later. Yeah, if it’s cool with...(Y/N) and Big Brother. Love ya, man...” Once Finn was out of view, Daniel asks “What now?”

“Daniel...I can’t believe you cheated.” Sean tells him. He says “What? What do you mean?” Sean says “Come on, don’t play dumb...You’re showing off in front of Finn. You want him to find out?” He says “Finn is cool, he wouldn’t tell anybody!” Before either of them could say anymore, I felt like this was between them. I tell them “This is between the two of you. I’m going to take Finn’s advice and go get ‘some more fucking java.’”

I leave the scene and make my way back to camp. I get back and make a beeline for the kitchen area. I grab a cup and pour myself another cup of coffee. Finn asks me “What was all that about?” I tell him “Oh, you know brother stuff.” The conversation moves to joining the others.

There was all of a sudden a truck horn in the distance. I look over my shoulder and notice Sean and Daniel haven’t come back yet. We make our way to the truck.

Everyone climbs on. A few minutes later, I see the two of them make their way to the truck. I give both of them a small smile. Daniel stops and looks for a place to sit. “Sit here, my man.” Finn says. He climbs up and gives Finn a high five. Finn tells him “I need a bodyguard like you.” Daniel says “Cool, tell Sean to get me a knife.” I think Now what?

Sean steps onto the truck. He pauses then sits on the right side of me. I ask “Everything cool with you two?” He shrugs and says “I’m not sure.”

I see Cassidy jog to the truck. She climbs on and directly to Sean, asks “Mind if I sit here?” He says “Sure!” He scoots a little closer to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cassidy place her arm on his shoulder. She asks “Why so serious?” He says “Uh, nothing! Just, thinking...” She says “Cool...I’m alway worried about my city boy!” I ignore what’s going on and not let it bother me. Big Joe says “Everyone here?! This isn’t a fucking school bus! We’re late!”

#Sean Diaz x reader #Sean Diaz imagines #Life is Strange 2 fanfiction #Sean Diaz #Life is Strange 2 #LiS2 #Life is Strange #LiS #Life is Strange fanfiction #Life is Strange x reader #Life is Strange 2 x reader

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raysofcrosby · 5 years ago

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CHANGE MY MIND – B. JENNER

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺; 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦.” ━ 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧, 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

warning(s): just some slight cursing

word count: 6,336 [obvi didn’t proof-read]

authors note: ok so this is actually the first thing i’ve managed to write since finishing ‘little do you know’ and i’ve had it stuffed down in my phone notes for the last two months. i’ve been really bored and trying to write but ugh, it’s been a slow process– but hopefully this is the beginning of my inspiration to write again! i swear whatever this turns out to be– it’ll be better than this, but here you guys go! here’s some boone jenner for your dash :)

"I'm not going," you huffed, twisting around in your vanity chair and glaring at your best friend. "No fucking way am I going."

"You can't back out, Y/N. You already promised you'd go." Bailee said, sitting up from her lying down position on your bed.

"Yeah, well that was when it was a double date with you and Josh." You closed your eyeshadow palette before misting your face with setting spray. "You know, two people who could ease the conversation flow since, oh I don't know, you're both mutual friends!"

"You're thinking too much into this," she rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, sighing before pushing herself off of the bed. "Have I ever led you astray before?"

"Actually, yes," you put the setting spray down before fully turning to face her with a sarcastic smile on your face. "Let's see, there was that time you convinced me to match with you every day in fifth grade. Tenth grade when you swore up and down that my shirt wasn't see-thru. Let's not forget the entirety of junior high when you told me that highlights and bangs were an amazing idea. And to finish it off, you're the one who introduced me to Dylan."

"Okay one, it didn't take much convincing considering we had most of the same clothes anyway and our moms thought it was cool. Two, it wasn't see-thru until Kyle Schwartz dumped his water on you and at least you were wearing a tank top," she held up a third finger, raising an eyebrow. "Three, are you forgetting my horrible teasing phase with the middle part? And last," she sighed, dropping her hand altogether. "Please...just trust me on this one? I mean, Dylan was great in the beginning, he just turned into an ass as he got older."

"You literally just proved my–"

"One date, that's all this is. I'm not asking you to marry the guy, Y/N. You don't have to be in a committed relationship by the end of the night, just," she sighed, digging her vibrating phone out of her back pocket. "Just give him a chance, okay? And if this does indeed bite you in the ass, then I'll do whatever you want for an entire weekend."

"Whatever I want?" You smiled, standing up from your chair.

"Yes, I'll be at your beck and call."

You grabbed your purse from your bed and hung it over your shoulder, giving her a smile before smoothing out your satin tank top and cardigan. "Do I look okay? I should wear a dress, shouldn't I? The jeans and this," you motioned at your entire outfit. "It's all too casual."

Bailee laughed and grabbed your hands, giving them a light squeeze. "Relax, Y/N. It's cold outside and you're only going to a coffee shop. Your outfit is perfect, the ankle boots are perfect and he'll definitely love the way the jeans accentuate your ass."

You scoffed, dropping her hands before walking by her and heading towards your bedroom door. Just as you walked out into the short hallway of your quaint 2-bedroom apartment, a knock came from the front door. You turned to Bailee and nodded your head towards the door at the end of the hall. "Can you get her? That's Madison."

"Are you kidding? She's the only reason why I came over!"

You rolled your eyes before walking down the hall and over to your front door, opening it and stepping aside. "Hi, Y/N, sorry I'm late." Madison smiled, walking in with her backpack over her shoulder. "Professor Downs wouldn't stop talking."

"Madison, you and I really have different definitions of late," you laughed, closing the door and walking over to the kitchen counter as she set her stuff on the kitchen table. "You're what I consider, painfully early."

"Well, I can't let you be late for your date tonight, can I?" She smiled, coming over to the counter and resting her elbows on in. "So? What's his name? Where are you going?"

"His name is if she doesn't order an Uber in the next 30 seconds, she won't beat traffic and she will be late," Bailee replied, appearing from the hallway. "And they're going to that cute cafe on third."

"Lava Java? I love that place!" Madison clapped, turning back to you. "You have to order one of their vanilla cinnamon rolls– OOH, or one of their chocolate croissants."

"Chocolate? Mommy, can you bring me one, please?"

The three of you turned to see your five-year-old daughter, Riley, standing there at the end of the hall still in her school clothes. You walked by Bailee and Madison and squatted down in front of Riley, smiling at her. "Of course! But if you have to be a good girl for Madison, okay?"

She nodded, a frown on her face as she rubbed the side of her face. You took in her tired appearance, noticing the slight pink on her flushed cheeks. She hadn't been sleeping well the last few nights, often sneaking into your bed around 5 am and taking it over, so maybe her lack of good night's sleep was starting to catch up with her.

"Do you want to help me with my homework, Riles?" Madison smiled, coming up next to you. "We can have some popsicles while we do it too!"

Riley's eyes went wide and she looked at you for permission. "Give me a good luck kiss and that popsicle is yours." You chuckled, opening your arms.

She ran into your arms, tucking her head into the crook of your neck and wrapping her arms around you as tight as she could. You hugged her tightly, always remembering to treasure the moments like this as you cupped the back of her head. She turned her head to you and kissed your cheek, then pulling away. You tucked her dark hair behind her head and smiled, kissing her on the forehead. "I love you munchkin."

"I love you too, Mommy." Riley smiled, turning to Bailee. "You too Auntie Bailee."

"I'll see you later, kiddo." Bailee smiled, turning to you. "And your Uber is here, by the way," she held up her phone, waving it at you before locking the screen. "Have fun tonight."

You laughed as she lead you both out of your apartment door. She wasted no time getting you out of your apartment building and down to the street where your Uber was waiting for you. You couldn't even get out a single word before she practically shoved you into the car and shut the door behind you, waving after you as the car pulled away from the complex.

Your foot was tapping against the floorboard of the car as your hands twiddled in your lap. You couldn't believe you had let Bailee and Josh talk you into doing this, especially since the two of them had bailed. You loved them, you truly did. But right now you wanted to do nothing more than run them over with a Zamboni.

You've known Bailee practically all of your life. The two of you were the only kids in your pre-school group to refuse to take a nap during nap time, resulting in the teacher having to call your parents and pick you up. From that day forward, the two of you were a power duo, best friends, blood sisters– whatever you wanted to call it. The two of you were inseparable and with each other through every stage of life.

She was there when you met Dylan.

You were there when she met Josh.

Two very important stages that marked the beginning for both of you, though many years apart. Just when you thought you were going to suck her down into the black hole that was beginning to be your life, she met Josh and suddenly, life didn't seem so doom and gloom.

Being the protective best friend, you weren't necessarily Josh's number one fan the first time that you met him. Especially when Bailee told you everything that she had learned about him that first night. Your guard immediately went up the moment she mentioned that he was a professional athlete. Everyone knew how that side of the world played out on the relationship spectrum. Those men seemed to have a side piece in every city they traveled to because after all, Men really aren't shit. And just like she had been by your side the moment your life suddenly going down the drain, you would do anything to prevent Bailee from joining you in your personal hell.

Luckily for Bailee though, Josh wasn't like that. God, the kid treated her like a queen from the moment he met her. It's been three years since they started dating, they live in an apartment together and it was everything you could have wished for, for your best friend. Before you knew it, your duo became a trio and Josh was a well-welcomed member. What sold you, besides how he treated Bailee, was how good he was with Riley.

He knew of your past, Bailee had to have told him. Because that first night he came over for movie night that you, Bailee and Riley always had every other weekend, he had pulled you aside and just hugged you. He hugged you and told you that if there was anything you ever needed, no matter what, he was there to help– and that you were one hell of a mom.

Well right now, you needed him to come rescue from this sham of a blind date because you could feel your anxiety begin to have anxiety. The Uber pulled up to the cafe and you took a deep breath, failing to calm yourself. "Thank you, have a good night." You smiled, opening the door and stepping out onto the sidewalk.

You hugged your cardigan tight against your body as you looked up at the lit cafe sign. It felt as if your feet were glued to the ground and you couldn't bring yourself to move. You closed your eyes for only a moment, taking another calming breath before staring up at the sign again. "You can do this, come on..."

You took that first step and though your feet felt heavy, you took another. You hated that you were so nervous about this stupid date, especially since you didn't even know who you were meeting. You had an idea of a few candidates that Josh and Bailee could have set you up with. All being coworkers of Bailee that she often talked up from time to time– none of them even attracting some of your attention.

At least not enough to make you want to go on a date. Your dating game has been nonexistent for 11 years– from the moment you met Dylan. You were broken when he left like he did and it's taken you the last three years just to be able to pick yourself up and be okay again. There was that time last year when you attempted to go out on dates, and sure...some of them went good. But they all had one thing in common: they all ended up with the same result. That was last year though. Obviously, you must be ready to date. After all, Josh and Bailee set this up. Yet, in the back of your mind, you couldn't help but think about just how bad of an idea this could be.

God, you were practically damaged goods at this point.

When you finally made it into the cafe, you made it a point to look around at the customers lounging about. Granted, it wasn't that crowded since it was a Friday night and a cafe wasn't necessarily the first choice for nighttime activity. However, you did notice that there wasn't a man anywhere around you, looking like he might be expecting someone to walk in. Ooh, bright side...maybe he skipped out. Brushing the wishful thinking out of your mind, you walked up to the counter and greeted the worker with a smile.

"Hi, welcome to Lava Java, what can I get you?" She looked like a college student, at least a few years younger than Madison.

"Can I get a vanilla cinnamon roll and a large hot chocolate?" You smiled, pulling your wallet out of your purse. "Oh, and one chocolate croissant to go."

"Is everything else for here?" She asked, marking your cup. When she saw you nod in reply, she tapped more on her screen before moving to bag your chocolate croissant. "Okay, that'll be $10.75."

You handed over a $20 and grabbed Riley's bagged croissant before being handed your change. "Thank you," you smiled, sliding in the four $1s she gave you, into the tip jar.

"Okay, just go ahead and have a seat somewhere and place this marker on your table. Someone will be there shortly with your order."

You gave her a polite smile before grabbing your sign. You looked around the cafe, wondering just where you should sit. It seemed like there were three options: a few tables off into the back corner of the store, some worn, but comfy-looking couches to the right of that and then just snuggled next to the window, three empty booths. When you looked towards the window, you saw that it had started to rain and immediately you found yourself walking towards the booth.

You always found some sort of comfort in the rain. Maybe it was from all of those times on long car rides where you'd pretend you were in some music video that played on MTV while listening to whatever song was playing on your choice cd in your cd player. Better yet, it was probably from how much you and Bailee idolized Hilary Duff's 'Metamorphosis' album and decided that 'Come Clean' was your guys' theme song. Whatever the reason was, the moment you sat down and looked at the raindrops decorated on the window, you felt an invisible weight lift off of your shoulders and your whole body sink down into the chair.

The bells above the door jingled and your eyes immediately moved away from the window and towards the door, only to see a young mother and her son come in. He looked to be around 10 and like he was fresh from soccer practice– still in his uniform and covered in grass stains. You smiled to yourself, easily being able to picture you and Riley coming into this very café in the same situation– though, figuring out what sport she could possibly be playing four years down the road, was a puzzle in itself.

"Large hot chocolate and a vanilla cinnamon roll?" You looked to your right to see another worker, only this time a teenaged boy, carrying your order.

"That's me," you smiled, adjusting your posture as he placed the order in front of you and took your order number. "Thank you."

He nodded politely before walking back to behind the counter, leaving you alone. You sighed, bringing your wrist up from your lap and checking the time. It's only five minutes past when the two of you were supposed to meet– he was late.

No, no, don't get like that. It's raining, traffic is probably horrible. Stop trying to psych yourself out.

You took a peep at your phone before resting it on the table and then letting your hand drop back into your lap with a sigh. "Bailee so owes me if this guy doesn't show," you mumbled to yourself, picking up your hot chocolate.

"Oh God, I can already see the glare she'd give me if you sent her a text right now." You once again looked towards your right to see an extremely attractive man standing right beside the table. "Please, for the love of God, save me from that crazy woman."

You shouldn't have done it, but you couldn't have held your laugh back if you tried. You let your eyes linger on him longer then you should have. As your eyes traveled up, you took note of just how built he was. He couldn't have been a co-worker of Bailee's, those guys looked like they haven't done a workout in years. But this guy...this guy looked like he knew his way around a gym and most definitely ran 5k's on holiday mornings. He had style too, which was a lot to say for some men. Sure, he was wearing a basic casual outfit: basic dark blue jeans, some white Nikes, a maroon sweater and a black jacket–– but he wore it well...really well. Your eyes continued up to where you could see a chain peeking out from beneath his sweater just as his adam's apple bobbed. You sped up your gaze, taking in his trimmed, scruffy beard, his cocky smirk and blue eyes frozen on you.

Only then did you realize just how long you had been staring at this...extremely attractive stranger, without even doing the polite thing and introducing yourself. "Oh, I–," you cleared your throat, standing up quickly and taking in your difference in height before extending your hand out to him. "I'm Y/N."

"I know," he laughed, shaking your hand and nodding down at the table. "What do you suggest?"

"Oh uh, my ba–" You stumbled over your words, correcting yourself before you could say, 'babysitter.' "My friend suggested a vanilla cinnamon roll or a chocolate croissant and for a drink, I went simple with a hot chocolate."

"Sounds good, I'll be right back," he turned to walk towards the counter before turning back, pointing at your phone. "If you do text her, please tell her I showed up."

You just nodded and watched him walk away before looking down at your phone and plopping back down into his seat. You let out a huff of breath before grabbing your phone and unlocking it, opening your message to Bailee.

'YOU DIDN'T SAY HE WAS THIS HOT. I THINK HE CAUGHT ME STARING. I PROBABLY WAS SECONDS AWAY FROM DROOLING'

'hahaha, i've got you girl ;) now have fun and stay off the phone!'

'but i fully expect the details tonight. text me when you're on your way home and i'll come over!'

"What's the verdict?" You almost jumped out of your chair at the sound of his voice, as your phone dropped into your lap. "Is she planning on castrating me anyway? I'd like to at least have a warning."

He placed his number sign down onto the table before settling down in the seat across from you. "It sounds like you've had a run-in with her alter-ego, huh?" You joked, sliding your phone into your purse that was resting on the windowsill.

He laughed, shaking his head slightly. "Try multiple times. She's quite...terrifying when she gets all riled up, but it brings Josh out of his shell so, I guess it's a good thing."

"Who are you?" You blurted out, widening your eyes before shaking your head. "Sorry, that was aggressive. I mean, I told you my name...though you already knew what it was...and what I looked like." You furrowed your eyebrows and tilted your head to the side. "I thought this was supposed to be a blind date? Oh God, are you like Joe from 'You'?"

He stared at you as you kept rambling on, his eyebrows furrowed just like yours. He dug into his jacket pocket before bringing out an iPhone and typing on the screen before sliding it across the table to you. You looked down to see text messages from Bailee.

'her name is Y/N and she's probably looking all doom and gloom because josh and i dipped.'

"I'm going to kill her," you said, sliding his phone back over to him. "Doom and gloom? Did I look all doom and gloom?"

He put his phone back into his pocket and shrugged his shoulders. "Kind of?"

You sighed, holding onto your drink with both hands before taking a sip. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be all..." you waved your hand aimlessly before taking a sip. "Wait," you pulled the cup back again, "that doesn't explain how you knew what I looked like."

"Would you call me a douchebag if I say it's because you were the first person I saw when I walked in and I thought you were extremely beautiful, so I just took my chances, hoping it was you?"

"Eh, maybe not a douchebag," you said, shrugging your shoulders before smiling at him again. "Cliche is more like it."

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked, leaning onto the table, raising an eyebrow. "Does that mean I've ruined my chances before we've even started the date?"

"Eh," you smiled, breaking off a piece of the vanilla cinnamon roll and nodding your head to the side. "We'll see how this goes."

He ran his tongue alongside the bottom of his teeth before smacking his lips and smiling at you just as his order was brought to the table– almost an exact match to yours. "So, Y/N, I guess I should probably introduce myself if I want to make the best impression on you, huh?" He asked, clearing his throat and holding up his large hot chocolate.

"I guess so...."

"Boone."

"Boone," you smiled, making a mental note of the way his gruff voice sent tingles down your body. "To a great date?"

He tapped his cup against yours and smiled. "To a great date."

❒❒❒❒

"You guys didn't do that, you're lying!" He laughed, leaning back into his seat and crossing his arms across his chest.

"I'm so serious!" You nodded your head, holding your hand in front of your mouth as you laughed. "That's why we don't play odds are anymore. It got us banned from football games for the rest of the year, not to mention a potential case of horrible frostbite."

"I cannot believe you guys streaked at a college football game during half time," he leaned towards the table and smiled, nodding at you. "I've got mad respect now."

"Oh come on, you're telling me that you haven't done anything like that?" He tried to hold back a smile and you pointed at him. "Ah, nope, you have. What did you do?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Initiation my first year in the OHL. It's a team ritual to sneak into the rink late at night after the first practice and have all of the rookies do a few naked laps with nothing but skates and a helmet." He leaned back into his chair once again, taking a bite of his cinnamon roll. "Nothing too major."

Your eyes immediately drop to his chest and when you see him move, you quickly look down at your hot chocolate picking it up and avoiding any kind of eye contact. Nothing would be more embarrassing than having to look him in the eye after you were checking him out.

You weren't sure how long the two of you had been sitting at the table and talking, that's how easy the conversation flowed between you two. Almost off the bat the two of you talked about your friendships with Josh and Bailee, seeing as the two of them were your common connection. When you first discovered that he was Josh's teammate, you felt a little nervous. Sure, maybe dating a professional athlete was Bailee's thing, but not so much yours. Professional athletes often come with some pretty heavy reputations and you were in no way shape or form wanting to even catch a glimpse of said reputation.

But as soon as the two of you got to talking...you found yourself thinking that maybe this couldn't be so bad after all. He was funny, smart and kind...a jackpot in your book. Yet you couldn't help but wonder why he was being put up on a blind date anyway. Surely he couldn't be having a hard time finding a girl to have on his arm. Whereas you, well, this date was your best friend's attempt at getting you out there again and preventing you from closing yourself off for the rest of your life. So what was his reasoning?

"So, tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?" You asked, taking a sip of your hot chocolate once more.

"Well, I already know how you and Bailee are best friends, where you went to college, what you majored in, how you got banned from football games for an entire season..." He leaned onto the table and reached across the table, his hand pausing in front of yours as he raised his eyebrows, asking your permission to touch your face.

You nodded, surprised that you were even capable of doing that since you were frozen as just how close he was even just across the table. How his sandalwood cologne seemingly clouded your senses, as his thumb wiped the corner of your mouth. "And now I know that hot chocolate might just be your favorite drink, considering how you've gotten it all over your mouth. So tell me something that I don't know."

That I have a 5-year-old daughter sitting at home with her babysitter right now.

You wanted to say it. Normally, especially on the few dates that you've been on, it's been the first thing that came out of your mouth. It almost has to be. You're 26 years old and it would be a miracle to find a man who wanted to date you, even after finding out about Riley. But time and time again, you've been met with disappointment. And you can't really blame them, it's hard to find someone who wants to settle down at that age, let alone date someone who already has a first-grader. Boone though...you felt like maybe he was different, that maybe, just maybe if you said the words...he wouldn't run away terrified. At least, you were hoping so.

"Actually yes, I–"

The muffled sound of your ringtone came from your purse and he nodded towards it. "Go ahead, I'll throw away our trash."

You gave him a polite smile as you dug through your purse, pulling out your phone to see Madison's name on the screen. Your heart began to race as your mind immediately thought of all of the worst-case scenarios– that's normally what your life had been like the last five years.

Worst-case scenarios.

"Madison is everything okay?" You asked, watching as Boone walked over to the trashcan, throwing your wrappers away and putting the plates down into the plastic bin beside it.

"Yes, no? I don't know, Y/N," she sighed, sounding stressed. "I just got a call from one of Trevor's teammates and he's on his way to the emergency room. Something about how he took a really nasty hit in practice and I...I really need to go."

You felt your heart drop as you registered the news. Trevor and Madison had been dating since their sophomore year of high school. High school sweethearts who decided to go to the same college and have made it work no matter how stressful he gets from his hockey workouts or her from her school work. It was a perfect relationship, the one that you had lived not too long before.

He was a nice kid too, Trevor. Not to mention that Riley loved him just like she loved Madison. The two of them, whenever they were up to it, often babysat her together and whenever you had to do some work and her schedule allowed it, Madison even took Riley to a game or two of Trevors. The other reason your heart dropped? When you looked at Boone and you realized that you had to cut the date short.

"I'm so so sorry to interrupt your date Y/N, I just–" you could feel her start to get riled up and you shook your head.

"No, no, don't apologize, Madison. I'll be there soon, okay?"

After a million and one thank you's and apologies, you were able to hang up the phone just as Boone reached the table. "Is everything okay?"

You opened your mouth to speak, but couldn't find the right way to say 'I loved this date and talking to you, but I really have to go because my babysitter needs to go see her injured boyfriend.'

Instead, you stood up, almost tripping back into your chair and grabbed your purse. "I really need to get home, something came up," you put your purse over your shoulder and pulled your cardigan tight against you. "I'm sorry, I had a really nice time."

"Well hey, let me drive you home–"

"No!" You said, almost a bit too loud as you looked around the cafe to see no one looking at you. "I just, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you and it's only a few blocks away, I can walk."

"It's not inconveniencing me," he said, grabbing his jacket off of the back of his chair and putting it on before digging his keys out of his pant pockets. "Besides, it seems like you're really in a hurry and my car can get us wherever you need to be, a lot faster than your..." you felt your cheeks warm up as his gaze lingered on your legs longer than normal before he cleared his throat and looked back up at you. "than your legs can get you there."

You thought about resisting his offer again, but you knew he was right. His short drive meant that Madison could get to Trevor a lot quicker than if you were to walk. "I'm so sorry for this, you're probably going out of your way and–"

"You don't need to apologize, Y/N," he said, leading the way down the sidewalk and to a blacked-out jeep wrangler, holding the passenger door open for you. "Besides, this just means I get to spend a little more time with you since you're trying to pull a Cinderella on me."

You were left without an answer as you climbed into his car and he shut the door behind you, walking around. For an NHL player, you had to admit that you thought he'd drive a much fancier car. Sure, Jeep Wranglers had the potential to be fancy as hell, but it was nothing like a Mustang Convertible, a Maserati or hell, even a nice Lamborghini. Another note about him that you had to make in the back of your mind:

Boone Jenner (so far) was nothing like the professional athlete stereotype you had put him in.

When you reached your apartment complex, you tried your hardest to get him to stay in his car and just drop you off outside of the door. But ever the gentleman he seemed to be, he continued to walk you into the building and even up to your apartment door where you tried to say your goodbyes again.

"For the last time, Y/N, my mother raised me right," he smiled, leaning against the wall by your door. "And if she found out that I didn't at least make sure my date got home safely, she might pull a crazy Bailee and castrate me."

You laughed, shaking your head at his comment just as a small silence settled between the two of you. You still had your arms crossed as you looked anywhere in the hallway except for at him. He was radiating confidence and you could only wish that some of that would rub off on you. He leaned off of the wall and stood in front of you, his hands rested in his jean pockets. "So, is this where you leave me your glass slipper?"

"What?"

"Cinderella, remember?" He smiled, raising an eyebrow as your confused expression. “Except, I guess in our case...the glass slipper would be your number.”

Just when you went to reply, the door opened and you saw a frazzled Madison standing there with her backpack tossed over her shoulders. "Okay, I thought that was you I heard, thank you again Y/N for coming so quickly," she looked away from you and at Boone before snapping her head back in your direction and giving you wide eyes. "I'm so so sorry. Oh, also, she's been complaining about not feeling well, so I gave her some medicine and she's sleeping."

"It's okay, Madison. I just hope Trevor is okay," you sighed, as Boone stepped out of the doorway and gave Madison room to walk into the hallway. "Thank you and text me when you get there, okay?"

You maneuvered your way into the doorway of your apartment, standing in the way of any view Boone could have into your small living space. When he turned back from the hallway, you could feel his eyes taking you and your flustered appearance in. You didn't want him to find out this way, not before you could even tell him– so the next best thing was to just get him on his way home before he could.

"Are you okay?" He asks, looking concerned. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, no, that's okay I–"

"Mommy?" The soft, sleepy voice of Riley caused you to turn around. She was standing there, only a few feet behind you in her 'Frozen' pajamas and holding on to her old baby blanket. Even from where you were standing, you could see that she was flushed– the ultimate sign of a sick child. "I don't feel so good..."

Before you or Boone could even get another word out, Riley hunched over and threw up all over herself and the floor. You immediately turned around to face Boone, preparing to explain what was going on...but the moment you looked at his face, you knew that you didn't need to.

The furrowed eyebrows, the widened eyes with slight hints of fear and the tiniest hint of disgust, most likely from the vomit, was written all over his face.

You've seen the look before and it honestly wouldn't be the last time you see it either. So, you did what you normally did and took a few seconds to remind yourself that, hey, it was going to end like this anyway...right?

"Goodnight Boone. Thank you for tonight and walking me home," you turn back to see Riley hugging tightly onto her blanket before she starts to cry, still standing there behind you. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah..." He said, still staring behind you as if he's seen a ghost or even unsure as to what he's looking at. "No problem." And with those three words, he disappeared down the hall.

You closed the door with a sigh before locking it and walking towards the kitchen counter, tossing your purse onto it. "Hi baby," you whispered, walking up to Riley and taking her blanket from her. "Let's go get you rinsed off and in some new pajamas, okay? Then we can camp out in the living room in case you have another accident."

Riley, as sleepy as ever, nodded and sniffled as she held onto your hand and you led her back towards the bathroom. You had her stand outside of the bathroom as you walked into her room and grabbed her some new pajamas before taking her into the bathroom with you before preparing a quick bath. It was something you never thought you'd ever be used to– cleaning up after a sick child. But a lot had changed in the last five years and you had a lot of growing up to do the moment you had Riley.

As you got her into the bath and tossed her dirty pajamas in the sink, you sighed and squatted down beside the tub, filling up a cup so you could get her rinsed off. You felt guilty about feeling so disappointed that your date had to end so abruptly. Trevor was injured and Riley was sick– and here you were, throwing yourself a mini pity party because you met a great guy and everything went to hell.

"Mommy?" Riley mumbled, looking up at you as you brushed the wet hair out of her eyes. "Did you bring me my chocolate?"

You laughed, cupping the left side of her face, happy to see a bit of color coming back to her. She was most definitely your child– sick as a dog and still thinking about sweets. "Yes, I did. It's sitting in the fridge, waiting for your tummy to feel better."

She yawned as you leaned forward and pulled up the drain, letting the water flow out as you picked her up with a dry towel and placed her on the floor. You dried her off and got her in her new pajamas before carrying her back out into the living room and sitting her down onto the couch. Your 'camping' supplies, as she liked to call it, were housed just in the small linen closet. It was really just extra blankets and pillows for whenever Bailee came over for movie night. You grabbed them and walked back into the living room, setting them out in front of the tv before looking up to see Riley passed out on the couch. You picked her up and placed her down onto the blanket, covering her up before walking back to your bedroom to get ready for bed.

You sat down on the edge of your bed and took a deep breath, letting your body fall back as you exhale deeply, staring up at the ceiling. You didn't want to close your eyes because every time you did, all you saw was just how quickly the smile on Boone's face had turned into the disappointment.

You already knew it, a kid was the dealbreaker...just like it was for every other guy. Tonight was the most fun that you'd had in a long, long time. The sad part is that you really thought he could have been different and that maybe he would have loved Riley, just like you and everyone else does.

And the small ache in your chest was just another friendly reminder that maybe you should stop getting your hopes up.

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