#just picturing a drunk arthur crying made my day

[azures-bazar]

FACT - When he gets drunk, Arthur might get scared of heights (he isn't scared of anything).

And since I LOVE making memes (sorry)

(yes, John is already dead by making fun of Arthur)

[geekwritersworld]

Where’s my love?

Pairing: Arthur Shelby x OC(Joey)

warnings: angst, mentions of a dead body

summary:(as stated below in the request)

 Request: Ok sweet I have a plot for an oc X canon where my oc is paired with one of the peaky Blinders characters Arthur I guess. My oc is a maid so say they've been having an affair for quite some time and it gets angsty realizing he's married she decided to leave or fake her death since I picture angst😅. She's alot older now and realized she made a mistake and goes back to him. And they reunite after some time she realizes that she loves him.

A/n: I think I made Linda out to be bitchier than she is....yikes

Thank you so much for requesting @abitofloveaintweird​, so sorry that this kind of short.

As always, feedback is welcome, it really helps us writers. Thank you for reading ❤ 

"because you have a wife, Arthur" Joey hissed.

"right, and what's your bloody point?" Arthur held her shoulders. His hands felt warm on her bare shoulders. Her dress hung off of her shoulders untied.

"my point is, it's not right for me to sleep with a man who's married" she didn't look at him, she couldn't" and it's not right for you to sleep with another woman when you're married”

"and I'm not sure it's right for Linda to be married, yet here I fookin' am" Arthur snorted.

"you don't bloody get it" she rolled her eyes, standing up to fix her dress and get back to work. But she knew in her heart that she wouldn't be here the next morning.

Arthur didn’t pay any mind, assuming she’d be there the next day as usual. But he didn’t hear her slipping out that night. 

She’d known better than to just up and leave. So she made a short detour to the waters before she finally slipped away quietly.

When he awoke the next morning with Linda next to him, Arthur was already irritated and wanted nothing more than to hold his beloved Joey in his arms. But that would have to wait till Linda left.

5 years later and Arthur still thought of her. The feeling of her skin under the soft caress of his calloused fingers. The glimmer in her eyes when she looked at him.

Arthur Shelby remembered that wretched morning from 5 years ago like it was yesterday. He’d noticed something was wrong when it was Bertha who placed his breakfast before him and not Joey. 

But he hadn’t too much time to think over it since Tommy had called him for some business dealing and that's where Arthur had been the entire day. 

When he returned in the dead of night, it was strange that Joey wasn’t there to see him. She always was.

Her absence had started to become more apparent. He’d questioned Linda the following morning, but the self-absorbed woman didn't even know Joey by name.

When the coppers showed up at his door a week later, informing Arthur and Linda that their maid, whom Arthur had asked the cops of Birmingham to keep a lookout for since she’d gone missing, had been found; Arthur didn’t let himself feel joyous because the look on the copper's face was enough to tell him it wasn’t good.

Joey thought she’d figured it out in London. Working in a club that paid exceedingly well, she kept to herself.

Nobody really ever bothered her, except the occasional drunk men.

When she wasn’t at the club working, Joey would be home. She preferred the warmth and safety of the small house she could afford rather than the uncertainty that floated within the streets.

It’d be a lie had she said she didn't occasionally think of Arthur. If occasionally meant all the time.

She thought of him all day. Having worked as a maid prior to her job as a barmaid, she’d learned to skillfully multitask. 

She thought of Arthur as she served the drinks, she thought of him whilst wiping down tables and she thought of him when she was home. Everything reminded her of him.

Joey missed his loud laughter and his quips. She missed the feeling of his hands around her shoulders, the warmth of his body against hers. His fingers lingering on her palms.

She often wondered whether Arthur had been affected in the slightest by her alleged death. Had he wept for her? Did he mourn or did he carry on unaffected?

The one person she tried not to think about too much was Linda. Despite the years that passed, there was an ever sense of guilt that lingered in her heart.

 Joey didn’t regret Arthur, but that she fell for him and acted on her feelings when he was already married. Why couldn’t it have been before he married Linda?

Often, Joey laid awake imagining herself returning to small heath. To Arthur. She’d imagine Arthurs face, which she imagined was joyous. She pictured being close to him, holding him. she imagined Arthurs fingers soothing her dark brown hair back as the two of them swayed back and forth in his dim-lit room.

She missed him. The way he spoke to her, the smile she’d receive in return when she helped him with something, the laughter that was infectious and never failed to bring a smile to her lips. She missed the calming words he’d whisper to her in the early hours of the morning when Linda had left the house.

Arthur never stopped thinking of her. Linda wasn’t half the woman Joey was.

She wasn’t half as kind nor thoughtful, she didn’t care for anyone besides herself. 

Arthur and Linda knew the only thing holding their marriage together was the conversation they were avoiding. They knew that their marriage would be over the moment they spoke of it. But as long Linda stayed out Arthur’s way and Arthur out of Linda’s, neither were getting any closer to sorting out their marriage.

It became increasingly difficult to focus on anything for Arthur. Tommy and the rest of the Shelby’s noticed. 

The usually easy-to-read Arthur had now become someone they didn’t quite understand. 

But Aunt Pol and Tommy were the first to realize that the change in Arthurs behavior was connected to his maid’s death 5 years ago.

“I know your grieving, but you can’t fucking let it interfere with your handling the fucking business Arthur!" Tommy was an exceptional bookkeeper, he handled numbers well, his memory was exceptional, but even he lost count over the number of times he snapped at Arthur about the same thing in 5 years.

Arthurs temper got more out of hand each day, without Joey. And it started to affect the business, he'd punch without reason, shoot and blind anyone he wanted. He didn't think he had anything to lose.

Sometimes he tried to pretend Linda was Joey. Just to get through the night. He pretended it was Joey’s fingers laced within his. Her breath on his neck, and her head on his heart.

But even he never truly believed those pretenses.

It didn't take long for Linda to realize her husband had feelings for Joey. She wasn't sure if she was hurt or not. She only ever married Arthur for security. For the roof over her head, he had promised.

In January shortly after Tommy wed Grace, Arthur stumbled through the streets of small heath. It was in the early hours of the morning, a time when only the workers would wake.

He had one reason for being awake at that hour. That cold, misty, and foggy morning marked 5 years since Joey’s death. Since the last time, he saw her.

Arthur sat under the bridge, the one at the edge of small heath. The one where they found her clothes. Her belongings; shoes, purse, coat but not her body. They never did find her body. 

The police declared the water to be far too cold to send copper's searching for her body, at best they'd have to wait for her body to float to the surface. 5 years later, and it still never did.

And once again, they assumed it was the large overgrown weeds and shrubbery at the very bottom of the river, where her body had been entangled and stuck. Hence never resurfacing.

Arthur remembered screaming at the cops to find her body, but because Joey had no known family nobody ever insisted on her being found or the river being searched. And she remained at the bottom of the river.

 As far as anyone cared to know.

So he sat there, his feet hanging over the edge. His face red, as he sat on the banks of the river, the bridge overhead.

The river flowed making noises while crashing against the rocks, the birds chirping in a distance, and the rustling of a few leaves in a distance. He heard leaves breaking, as the wind grew stronger.

He didn’t realize how long he’d sat there staring at the water till he noticed his surroundings darkening. 

Rubbing his hand over his face with a sigh, Arthur got up with a grunt, stumbling for a second before walking back towards his now empty home.

Linda surely must have left by then, she’d told him she was leaving and would be gone by sundown.

Arthur didn’t have a reaction to Linda telling him she was leaving him. He didn’t care. He didn’t love her. She meant nothing to him.

By the time Arthur had reached his door, the sky had darkened completely. But time was of no essence to Arthur. Not when he didn't have anything else to lose.

But before Arthur could open his door and walk in, the leaves rustled a little behind him. He heard the swift movement of someone's feet on the ground behind him. 

So he did what he knew best.

He pulled out his gun and turned around, finger on the trigger, ready to shoot whoever was behind him.

But the gun clattered to the ground, the noise resonating in Arthurs's ears, like the sound of her voice greeting him.

“Why the fuck are you playing with my head? It’s already fucked up there” He sounded like a madman. He felt like one.

“What?” he expected her to chuckle, the way she did for five years, in his head. The way she taunted him as a figment of his imagination he couldn't get away from.

“I FOOKIN KNOW I DIDN’T BLOODY SAVE YOU” his face red, his eye streaming with tears. 

She’d only ever seen him this broken once. 

“Arthur I’m here” 

“No you're bloody not, you're in me head” he stumbled and sat down on the front stairs. His head hurting from how hard he was crying.

“No, No, Arthur,  Arthur I'm truly here” He felt her slide her hand around his shoulders.  

Her ocean-blue eyes searched his features. Not sure what she was looking for.

“What the fuck?” Arthur seemed to realize now. That Joey was there. Next to him. Not taunting him in his head from across the divide. She was in front of him. Holding him. She was alive.

“Where the fook have you been? You were fookin dead?”That's when it sunk in completely and Arthur realized that she'd faked her death "Why would you lie about being dead?!"

Arthur was angry. He was angry and heartbroken.

“Because I had to,” she said softly.

She managed to get him inside. She couldn’t help but feel curious as to why Linda wasn’t home. But she needed to focus on Arthur first.

“I left because I thought that I’d made a mistake. I thought getting away from here, I could have started a new life. One where I didn't wreck someone's marriage” She tried explaining, but now that she explained it to the man she’d run from, suddenly she didn't think her reasons made sense.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“because I knew you wouldn’t let me go”

“You didn’t wreck my marriage, you wrecked me” His hands were shaking now.

 The tears she’d tried to hold back were now flowing down her cheeks.

“Five years, Five fookin’ years I thought you was dead” his voice shaking, Arthur slowly looked up at her. She looked just as breathtaking as she did all those years ago.

There was the silence that lingered, eventually, Arthur stood up, his chair scraping the ground. Walking to Joey’s side of the table, he hugged her. He held her tight as though he were afraid that if he didn’t hold her tight enough, she’d turn out to be a figment of his imagination.

And Arthur knew he couldn’t ever take that. It ruined him the first time, losing her. And it would kill him if he ever lost her again.

So he held her, shaking.

"where's Li-"

"She left. Hopefully never coming back" Arthur didn't have a care in the world for anyone else at that point. The woman he truly loved was in his arms, he couldn't find it in himself to be outraged any further, afraid that he might lose her again.

 He had a hundred questions for, but they'd have to wait for later. He just wanted to remain in her arms, through the night. Holding her, running his hand through her hair, rubbing soothing circles on her palms, kissing her forehead, watching her fall asleep. It's all he wanted.

“I realized I made a stupid mistake Arthur. I'm sorry. I truly am” She mumbled against his chest.

“Why’d you come back?”

“For you”

[mariamermaid]

The witches wrath (1/3)

Tommy Shelby X fem witch reader

Summary: You meet Thomas when you were just a little girl travelling as a gypsy…

Words: 2.3k

Warnings: swearing, drinking, smoking

A/N: This doesn´t follow the plot of the show really

Halloween Masterlist

 You´ve met Thomas Shelby when you we´re eight- he was ten at the time- when his parents took him, Arthur and Baby John to the first Gypsy party ever. You stayed out of town from Birmingham with your trailers, back then you were a large group of gypsies, almost 50 people. People back then weren´t too bothered by you, not like today. Of course, from time to time there were some numbskulls who bore hatred towards the gypsies, but things were different back then.

They used to shout my name, now they whisper it.

He remembered the exact moment he saw you for the very first time like it was yesterday. He and Arthur had his first beer- he chuckled thinking back when today only whisky made him feel that way- and he sat by the fire. The cold night didn´t seem to bother any of the people, women danced in short skirts with tinkling jewelry and when his eyes glided through the crowd, he spotted you. You stood across him and he saw you through the flames- how ironic he thought. He saw you in flames for the first and for the last time…

You grinned at him devilish, waking a sense of adventures inside him like only you could do. He immediately followed you and watched you running through the rows of trailers. Then you disappeared, but he caught sight of a single candle shining from a trailer. Carefully he took the few stairs and then opened the door. A wave of heat hit him and he remembered the smoke from the build-in ovens rising above the small colony of gypsies. He remembered you sitting at the table, watching every move he made precisely, your hands softly grabbing the crystal ball, which mysteriously glowed purple.

“Do you want me to read your future?” He was unsure what to say, nervously he nodded and sat down across from you. You wore a headband with jewelry that hung over your forehead. Even back then there was smudged eye makeup that made your eyes shine in the dark.

“I see great fortune in your future, Thomas Shelby.” He opened his mouth, wanting to ask you about his name, but then kept quiet. Chills ran over his skin. “But it´ll be hard to get there, a long way is ahead of you. Don´t forget to seek your family in difficult times, they will always stand behind you supporting.”

 For a long time, you two were inseparably, constantly hanging around each other. His family, especially his brothers were first unsure about you, but they quickly learned to mess with you. Even Aida found a liking in you, since you often braided her hair.  His father loved you. He loved the wild spirit gypsies had, just like you. He loved it because when he, Tommy and you took the horses out for a run, you didn´t need a side saddle. And when the horse went faster and faster, you stretched out your arms, embracing the wind. Smelling the scent after rain had fallen. Closing your eyes and feeling sincere freedom. They admired that about you, Tommy and his father. “Get a hold of her, Tommy, ey? You gotta keep a girl like her!” He often told his son and Tommy would dutifully nod. Tommy admired your sense for adventures, he couldn´t even remember how often you had gotten him in trouble. But he remembered that every damn time, you had found a way out. Every single time. He still didn´t know how you had talked him in to stealing a horse, or when a new mayor was elected you had exchanged the pig with a dead dog. On his birthday the school was unexpectedly cancelled. You had dressed Aida´s cat in doll´s cloth when little John didn´t stop crying. You had wandered with him for two days straight to find a crystal for his mother´s birthday present. His dad had taught you how to shoot and while you were a natural, Tommy needed a lot of practice. But not once you laughed about him. Not when you came to his house and Arthur had stolen his clothes. Not when he cried because an older boy had punched him. You punched back, because you always had his back. You were partners in crime.

But then the gypsies left town and so did you. It broke his father´s heart to see his son like this. Tommy didn´t eat for days. And every night you laid awake in your bed, wondering about young Thomas Shelby. Praying that one day you could go back to him. And you did, but the circumstances weren´t as you expected them.

In a blood moon night, men had overrun the colony, they killed almost all men and they had taken the women, often raping them. You had to run away, knowing that if you looked back, there would be nothing left but ashes. And so, you returned to Birmingham. As a broken young woman with no qualification for a job. All your hope laid on Thomas Shelby…

 Your hands were shaking when your finger finally grabbed the bell to ring. It sounded off key, emptier and not how you remembered. A young boy opened the door, first tears formed in your eyes. “John.” You sighed. The young boy didn´t recognize you. “Yes?” He asked boldly. You chuckled. “Is Tommy here?” He nodded unsure and you followed him into the house. The smell of smoke laid thick in the air. You followed John to the kitchen and there sat they all. At the end of the table Tommy´s father, to his left Arthur, Thomas on his right. A young man with an angular face and piercing blue eyes. Aida sat on Arthur´s side and Polly ran around the kitchen. His father was just explaining something to him, when he realized a new person entering the room. Aida´s and Arthur´s fight also broke off and all of them suddenly stared at you. You had changed a lot over the years. You still had long hair, but it was now hidden under a scarf. Your face was denoted by a scar just above your eyes. It was also the eyes Tommy recognized. You had grown to a beautiful young woman and the minute his father saw you, his hope for Tommy to marry you, came back. But there was no smile on your red lips. “Y/n?” He asked confused. You couldn´t hide the pain behind your eyes. “Hello Thomas.” He still could read you. He knew you didn´t want them to see you cry. Immediately he jumped off his chair and a hand laid on your back while he pushed you in his room. You broke down in tears and he sat down next to you, his arms embracing you. He had missed you; it was undeniable. But over the years he had gotten used to it, used to being without you. But now you were back and he felt a missing piece coming back. “What happened?” He asked quietly. “They´re all gone.” You sobbed while inhaling his scent so deeply, hoping you would forget the horrifying pictures in your head. “We were close to the border to Scotland when more people started to riot against us. One night, men came and the killed our men and they took the women.” He pulled away, his hands grabbing your face.  A sudden wave hit his body, his stomach had this tightening feeling, that he couldn´t quite get a grip on. “Did they hurt you?” You shook your head. “I was able to flee.” He nodded and embraced you again. “I don´t know what to do. I have nothing left.” You then finally admitted after a long break of silence. “You have me.”

 He was right, he still had your back and you were endlessly thankful. Within a few months you were able to open a shop with healing herbs and medicine. And with the help of the Peaky Blinders, people more and more accepted you. You often helped rather poor workers who couldn´t afford a real doctor. And the shop filled you with hope. Hope for a new beginning.

It must have been three months after you moved to Birmingham, you just closed the shop for today. The night was already settling in, giving you cold shivers. You locked the door and packed the key away. When turning a man suddenly appeared. Surprised you recognized Tommy. “Geez Tommy! You scared me to death!” He chuckled lowly, a cigarette hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth. You could see the smoke in the soft shine of a lantern evaporating in the night sky. You smelled the bitter scent of whisky, he had been drinking. “What is it, Tom?” You asked while starting to walk. Your small flat was twenty minutes away from the shop and the walks often helped you clear your mind. And since you had moved there was one particular thing that was very often on your mind. Thomas Shelby himself. Of course, you had realized the man he had become and you admired him. He was brave, courageous and smart, sometimes bold but always reading the situations right. But not only his traits, but physical as well. His strong jawline, his bewitching blue eyes, his full lips. You both had grown up and you cursed at yourself every time your thoughts slipped. He was your best friend. “Can I walk you home?” You laughed. “I don´t know, can you?” You grinned when he hearing his drunken accent. He loved your laugh. It was one of the few things that still seemed carefree about you. You tucked your arm into his and together you walked to your flat. For more than half of the time you were silent. It drove you crazy not knowing what exactly was on his mind. Drunk Tommy was fairly new for you. He was unpredictable, especially when he had too much. But you liked his rebellious side, you found it remarkable attractive. You were only a few minutes from your home away when he finally spoke up. “Y/n?” “Hm?” You hummed in response, acting like you hadn´t waited the past minutes for him to speak up about what he wanted. “You know dad always hoped that we´d marry.” You huffed. “I know.” “Do you know I hoped so as well?” You stopped, looking up to his steel blue eyes. “What do you mean, Thomas?” And then, without a warning he leaned down and pressed his lips sloppily on yours. He wished he hadn´t been that drunk, that the first kiss wouldn´t be so messy. You pulled back, the action took you by surprise and stumbled a few steps back. He could´ve slapped himself. Good job, you fucked it up! “I´m sorry Y/n, I don´t know what has gotten into me.” You tried to calm down your breathing and after a few second you were able to look back into his eyes. “Maybe you should sleep off the whisky.” You suggested and he chuckled sadly. “You´re right.” He was hurt and for once, he couldn´t show it to you. You had pulled back, you didn´t want him. And the worst part? He was relieved! He hated when he drifted off in the middle of a meeting just because he suddenly thought about you. He hated it because he was afraid. Damn right, Thomas Shelby was afraid. Afraid to lose his best friend.

He turned to leave, but suddenly you grabbed his arm. “Maybe… Maybe you shouldn´t go back on your own. You´re not in the best condition.” You admitted and smiled at him devilishly. Oh, how he had missed that smile. And then you pressed your lips against his. First, he didn´t respond, but when finally realizing that you were actually kissing him back, his hands cupped your face and pulled you closer. He literally pulled you off your feet and carried you to your flat. (You still don´t know how he did that.) But when arriving at the front door of your house he already pushed you against the doorframe, his kisses getting more passionate and less sloppy. While his kisses even travelled down your neck you fiddled the key into the keyhole and opened the door. You walked up the stairs, there was no light in the house. Under you lived an elderly woman who went to bed early. She seemed nice but if you were honest, you didn´t talk much with her. One hand laid on the railing while the other hand pulled Tommy up behind you. He didn´t know the house like you did, but he trusted you and followed you through the dark. When you finally entered your flat and you turned on a small candle, he could finally see your face again.

“Do you know how often I had thought about kissing you?” He admitted and you watched the flame reflect in his orbs. “Why didn´t you do it?” He swallowed and pushed a strand of your hair, his finger travelling down the side of your face to your neck. “I was afraid”, he admitted. You smiled softly, grabbing his face with both of your hands. “Thomas Shelby, whatever happens, I will always be there for you, no matter what. I promise.”

 “I´ll come back, I promise.” Thomas nodded, his head leaning against yours. Tears had dried against your cheek, it didn´t help anymore. War had settled between humanity and desire for power and men were called to fight. “Tommy, we gotta go”, his father stepped to the two of you. To his right Arthur, fear and pain in his eyes. Neither of them wanted to go. “Bring him back to me, will you?” You asked and he nodded, his eyes travelling to the ground. Tommy´s hands were still grabbing your waist, but you felt the cold when he left your starving touch. A last time, he pressed his lips on yours. “I love you, Y/N.” A sob escaped your lips again. “And I love you, Thomas Shelby and if you don´t come back, I´ll come and get you myself.”

[byorder-fanfic]

Finn’s Lost Loves

Summary: Finn’s lost more than anyone else knew because of the war, and every stupid thing his family have done afterwards to keep themselves in charge.

Word count: 2019

Warnings: Mentions war and blood, talks about eating disorder, self harm and self-esteem, and homophobia (only a little bit, period accurate), a lot of toxic masculinity 

Author’s note: This is a lot of angst with little bits of fluff and a sad ending. Sorry. It’s basically an overview of Finn’s character, backstory and his relationships with the family that we’ve never gotten to see! It’s based off a piece of prose in my drafts, so if you guys like this, I might post that as well. Hope you enjoy, and please comment, I love hearing your opinions and any constructive criticism you might have xx

Finn loved books. Once upon a time, he really did. He loved the way Tommy did the voices, and Arthur made those wild motions with his hands, and John could always make him laugh as he told him about that thing that happened in the pub last week. He loved how Ada and Polly would tuck him up in bed, place a kiss on his temple and read the letters from the boys. Then they came back, and he didn’t need to read letters. Or books. Or anything really. Soon, he didn’t even go to school. He just wanted to be with his brothers. Now they tell him to piss off more than they beg him to stay. Tommy and Polly scold him for not being able to read off the betting boards, and John makes everyone else laugh when he holds a big volume under Finn’s nose, so that everyone knew that Finn was still illiterate. Finn hates books.

Finn loved Church. He didn’t need Polly to drag him by the heels as he sobbed under the Virgin Mary’s stare like his brothers when he hopped, skipped and a jumped all his way down the road. He always sat by Isaiah, the two boys out-screaming each other in the hymns and seeing who Polly would scold first. He wore the crucifix everyday, and treated his rosary with all the sacred carefulness a six year old could manage. He loved the psalms and Jeremiah’s voice ringing through the streets and the way everyone was always together (even Charlie) on Sunday. Then he had to light candles, praying for his brothers’ safety that was only answered with their damnation as they dragged back blood and French mud into Watery Lane. Now he cries through the paper thin pages of a Bible and his only prayers are that the boys never see his tears. What did he have to cry about after all? He was never a soldier, but he should learn to be a man. Finn hates Church.

Finn loved healing. Ada dragged him along to her nursing classes and soon his only reason to come to Church was to learn how to tie bandages and fix up cuts and bruises. No one noticed his long absences- they either assumed he went to school still, or they were far too busy with the race tracks to care for the whereabouts of their youngest brother. But then he'd slipped up, and he'd never seen his brothers laugh so hard when he proudly told Polly he was going to be a nurse one day. Even his aunt and sister, usually the ones on his side, had to purse their lips together as Arthur roared out: "Hear that, Tom? We got ourselves a Nurse Shelby here! Want a dress and hat to go with it?" He told them all to fuck off and stamped out, but he didn't understand what he said that was so funny. When he asked Isaiah, who had just turned fourteen and starting to see Finn less and less, he just said that being a nurse was a woman's job. He didn't like being laughed at for being a girl, but he didn't know why. He still hoarded textbooks about anatomy and the like under his bed, tracing over the detailed pictures with his skeleton finger as he wished. And wished. And wished. And almost prayed that he could read the little ink words. When he found Arthur with another red line on his neck, he offered him some medicine to cure his big brother's blues, thinking just a bit of Tokyo would keep his brother here with him. No one asked why Finn was sad. Oh well, at least he could protect his brothers now. Finn hates healing. Finn loved food. Always the big eater in the Shelby household, he managed to always have a full stomach despite the poverty that reigned. He was a stickler for sweets, though, and as soon as he mastered the art of sneaking rings and wallets from unsuspecting strangers, he soon graduated to thieving lollipops and boiled sweets and even some toffees that he proudly deposited into his aunt's hand with a toothy grin. But the boys would look into his empty plate and his skinny frame and tell him he'd better watch out, soon he might actually have a shape under those bulky clothes. They always laughed, and he felt himself completely embarrassed at the dinner table. He dumped more sugar than milk into his tea and stole chips when they went to the seaside. He'd always offer to share, wanting to provide for them for once, but they'd tell him he was the one who needed it. He sees his ribs and the little vertebrae of his spine and wonders why can't he just be strong like his brothers. Even though he despises it, he picks up boxing to fill out his form. Maybe training with Isaiah was an extra benefit, but the older boy had long since talked to Finn on the regular, and made a point to laugh at him when he fell onto the floor. So, Finn graduated from second helpings of lunch and too-sweet tea to the sour delights of whiskey and cigarettes. Just like his brothers. Finn hates food. Finn loves his family. He loves Polly, the mother he never had, and will never feel like he does enough to repay her for his entire childhood. Then Michael came back, and soon there wasn't any chore lists on the downstairs table for someone to read out for him, or little check ups throughout the day as she makes sure he's okay. That was when he realised exactly why Polly raised him in her empty arms. He loves Arthur: his eldest brother, who used to lift him up on his shoulders and teach him to draw. Finn still has faded old pictures of galloping stallions (signed in block letters: A.W.S) slipped between the filled out pages of the sketchbooks he hides in his wardrobe. Then Arthur came back, with what everyone calls Flanders Blues, but no one explains, and Finn feels like he's losing his brother everyday when he comes back smelling like a brewery with blood on his fists. Finn loves Tommy. A father figure to him, the kind of man he wants to be when he grows up. But then Greta died and Tommy went to war, and the man who took him horse riding every weekend was gone, and this Tommy was colder. Finn loves John as the best friend he's ever had, always laughing together, giving sometimes useful advice and finding days to just spend time with each other. Despite John's bazillion kids, widowerhood, and then his new wife, he's always had time to spare for his little brother. John was the one who told him what bisexual was when he found Finn sobbing in his room, he was the one that took him to the doctor when he passed out from malnutrition, and he's the one that made him swear to never use razor blades on himself again. Finn loves Ada. He sees why Freddie calls her an angel, and used to love it when she pretended to take Finn to the library when in fact they were both slipping away to a Communist meeting, which would usually end up in Ada and Freddie slipping away and leaving Finn in the trusted supervision of leftist radicals that he happily chatted away to. Ada always took care of him, making sure he was never involved in the business (on either side) and telling him that being a soldier is a life sentence, not an honour. He lives because Ada keeps him safe and sane. Then Ada leaves. Finn hates the Shelby name that everyone screams at him like a condemnation, that invites slurs and hatred that only he gets because he doesn't look like a proper Shelby man. Finn hates his family. Finn loved Isaiah. A childhood crush that brought butterflies to his stomach and blushes to his freckled face. He sketched the boy's face so many times, he knew it by memory. They held hands when they were chased down the streets, laughing and sprinting as their spoils stayed securely in their pockets. But Isaiah was older than him. Soon after adolescence hit the Jesus boy and Peaky Blinders offered him a role, without the constant of Church, the two greatest of friends became almost strangers to one another. But Finn still loved him. He never told anyone, of course. He knew he wasn't a real homosexual, because he most certainly did enjoy holding hands and kissing the cheeks of girls his age (poor boy was flustered to ever do more!) but his heart still belonged to the preacher's boy. With more faithful women in the family than ever before, Finn knew he would be crucified if he ever told anyone. John was the only one who knew, and that was based on the fact he paid more attention to his brother than anyone else combined. He said he should just go for it, but Finn knew Isaiah couldn't be like him. And even if Jeremiah was always the kindest man that Finn ever met, he still didn't trust that the cross on his neck wouldn't shame him or laugh at him for the fact he was completely enamoured with his son. Then Finn got drunk, and when he woke up, his entire family knew exactly how he felt and Isaiah wouldn't look at him in the eye. He ran away to the stables, crying on Uncle Charlie's shoulder who told it would be alright. He made sure to keep an eye on Finn ever since, keeping an eye on his wrists and fists. The incident was soon forgot by everyone but him. Finn couldn't find it in him to hate Isaiah, but he knew he didn't love him any more. Finn has never loved Michael. He thought he could, at first, when he saw the tweed suit and a face more innocent than his. But then Tommy promoted him almost on the spot, and Finn had never at once felt so much rage bubble inside him. Everything he has done for his brothers, every passion he sacrificed, every humiliation he shouldered, just so they could see him as an equal. But no, there are only three Shelby brothers as far as anyone else is concerned, and Finn carries on as errand boy. He ignores all Ada's good advice, and swear that he will make his brothers proud of him one day. So, he puts on the thorn crown of a Peaky cap and wears the waistcoat and wool coat of his brother's likeness, and parades about Small Heath like he actually was apart of the makeshift royal family. Then Finn found Michael and Isaiah kissing in the alleyway. Even though Finn had made a point to announce that his brothers had started giving him more work, Isaiah still fucked off to the pub with Michael every night, devoting his time and attention to only him, and Finn couldn't understand why. Now he did. If Finn had been violent like Arthur, he certainly wouldn't have thought twice about taking the cup on his curls and cutting the smirk off of his cousin. He had stolen his brothers' respect, his surrogate mother's attention, his place in the business, the affections of the one boy Finn had ever loved. He had stolen Finn's everything, and Finn hated him. They both froze and stuttered. Excuses about just being friends, just experimenting, but he saw the way they held each others shaking hands just as he and Isaiah used to hold onto each other as they raced through the streets. "I'm glad you're together." He shocked them both with a forced smile. "You both deserve to be happy." The two were kinder to him after that, almost back to the old friendship he had missed, and Finn knew he didn't hate Michael. Or Isaiah. Or any of his family, really. No, Finn hated himself.

[oneweekoneband]

shouldn’t gay taylor swift fans be given access to the original homophobic version of "picture to burn”? and other post-evermore reflection questions.

Did yesterday last twice as long as a regular day? Does anyone else feel like pulled taffy today or is that the four red wine spritzers I made myself with Sutter Home mini bottles of cab and cherry flavored seltzer? How long has it been since Taylor Swift has been to an Olive Garden? Is the part in “willow” where she’s like “You know that my train could take you home / anywhere else is hollow” about pegging? Does Taylor Swift understand even a basic sketch of the events of The Great Gatsby, a novel commonly assigned in school to teenaged children? Is Taylor implying on “marjorie” that her grandmother is a ghost? Is it weird of me to think it is nice that Taylor believes her grandmother is a ghost? Do I believe my grandmother is a ghost? Is it weird of me to think it is nice to wonder if maybe she might be? Is “gold rush” obviously for the Kaylors, or am I just being prejudiced against men’s theoretical right to be good looking? Last night I peeled myself up from a circle at the foot of the bed and poured hot sauce into canned minestrone soup when I realized it was already hours past dark. After it warmed on the stove I ate on our cramped front porch at the little painted table that is dirty all the time from just the air, I guess, even if you wipe it down twice a day, so when I see it I think of my lungs covered in dust too. But last night it was cool outside and I wanted to get as much air inside of me as possible, dirty or not, before the time came to crack southward at the waist, fall hard, with all my weight, down to my knees, and supplicate myself most disgracefully at the feet of the Lord’s most terrible daughter. The new Taylor Swift album became available at nine pm pacific time. Will there ever be salvation?

Has Taylor Swift ever met up with high school friends in a bar over the holidays and wanted to cry a little the entire time, feeling a battle in her own body between the parts inclined to slide back into the shape of an old self to fit and the hardened parts that can’t? I don’t really think so! But with “’tis the season” she has written a song about fucking your ex while home for Christmas anyway, and it slaps. It is always a wonderful treat when this anthropomorphized Tiffany platinum tennis bracelet sits herself down and writes up a pretty little fiction about the small and ugly things that normal human people do. This is what makes “All Too Well”—a perfect piece of autofiction about her fake boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal—so good, though if you say that in certain company the reaction is like you’ve shot a dog. When Taylor spins me some shit like this, like about parking out by the Methodist to meet up in those strange, stretchy days at the very end of December for theoretically casual sex that you’ll think about sadly on the plane when you go, I accept it like a pomegranate seed plopped on my tongue by Hades himself and I thank her. If I wanted to know who you were hanging with while I was gone, I would have asked you!!!!!!!!

Why doesn’t Taylor just call this a bunch of b sides that didn’t fit right on folklore? That’s what it is. And why deny that? They’re largely very good b sides. I love “dorothea”. Do you love “dorothea”?  Are you still the same soul I met under the bleachers???? If Taylor really is going to release a third part of this moody forest saga come March, will the government show some real leadership for once and declare a purge so that we the people might rise up and bring this despot to the justice she so richly deserves? Why is Taylor Swift the Patricia Clarkson in Sharp Objects to our sweating and shaking Amy Adams? Why do our mouths loll open helplessly to accept her poison spoon when proffered? Mama, please... Do you think, strictly within the cinematic universe of “no body, no crime (feat. Haim)”, wherein Olive Garden regular Taylor Swift avenges canonically murdered Haim sister Este by killing her husband and (my favorite bit) implicitly framing the mistress, that after all that is squared away she and alive Haim sister Danielle bang it out? Why did the lilting piano ballad, “champagne problems”, about refusing a marriage proposal from a college boyfriend make me cry this morning on my pathetic little walk around the neighborhood? Was I thinking of the night I was 22 when I said no and no and no then yes to a drunk boy asking me with flashlight eyes to give him a nonsense forever promise, which I did because I knew in the morning we’d have forgotten, or would pretend to? Is it because I know that night so well, can still feel and smell and see, though I never mentioned it to anyone, everything about the few hours in the dark where I fought sleep because it felt nice pretending I was someone I knew I couldn’t be? Or was it just because on Twitter someone made a video setting the song to clips of Sersh & Timmy frolicking together wearing the same vest in Little Women? Is “coney island (feat. The National)” the first duet between Taylor and a man that isn’t an atrocity and an attack or is that purely my Matt Berninger derangement disorder speaking? Is “coney island (feat. The National)” degrading my nervous system like a wasting disease even as we speak? Did I close my fist around something delicate???? Did I shatter you??????? Will my own horrible hand ever come out of the Arthur meme clenched fist into which it furiously curled when I first listened to the, yes, fine, extremely lovely “coney island (feat. The National)”??????? It’s been almost a full day and typing like this isn’t very efficient.

Is “cowboy like me” my dual reward for fighting with so many annoying guys in my “The Cowboy in the American Imagination” class lo those many years ago and, plus, for always believing that country Taylor would never die for good? Did Taylor Swift watch Brokeback Mountain for the first time this year? Would Taylor Swift like me to email her a pdf of the Annie Proulx story? Does Taylor Swift want to buy me the too expensive D.S. & Durga “Cowboy Grass” perfume I’ve been coveting for years? Is all cowboy content inherently queer? Just kidding—that one isn’t a question. Now that Taylor is once more in the business of recreational yeehawing shouldn’t she, as a gesture of goodwill, make the forbidden original homophobic version of “Picture to Burn” available exclusively to those gay fans who wish to have it? (i.e. the elite gay fans with a sense of history and place.) Does she not owe us that much? Isn’t that really the only respectful thing to do? Is it not the very, very least this monster could do?

[talicat713]

It’s Always Been Molly

John Shelby x OC

Part Six

*GIF NOT MINE CREDIT TO: @imaginesparadise *

A/N:  Hi all. So this is a look into Molly’s past. This was a hard chapter to write. I am fortunate to never have been abused, but I know some people on here and maybe you reading this now may have been. I am sorry if this offends you in any way. It was never my intention. If you are being abused, please reach out to someone for help! There are hotlines for everything nowadays. I hope everyone is staying safe out there. Much Love 💜

WARNINGS: language, angst, mentions and depictions of abuse, death, murder, cover up of murder, mentions of pregnancy, heartbreak, IF I MISSED ANYTHING ELSE I’M SORRY!

READ PARTS 1-5 HERE

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Taglist: @haphazardhufflepuff   @pijoendios  @rebel-without-cause-x @lotsoflovefromlea  @theunderlier   @envysorrows   @healthygirlsdoitbetter  @account71453   @blindedbypeaky   @xshinytrashcanx   @wednesdayqueen-18   @chaotichurricaneoffandoms   @jrdpdlcki @lettersshapes   @rosesandrap  @jenni-jones00  

**If you would like to be added to the taglist please let me know**

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John and Molly have spent many more nights together in his old bedroom. The two agreed that for now it would be best to keep it between themselves. But they both seemed to be in better moods around each other and would talk more. That did not go unnoticed by the family. They made it their mission to find out what was going on but neither of the two cracked.

John and Molly were now laid together in bed after another round of passionate love making. This time, unlike the first and many other times, John let Molly finish the tidying.

“John”, Molly said in a soft tone.

“Yes, my love”, he replied.

“I want to talk about the days leading up to when I left. I think it’s time”, she said calmly.

To say John was shocked was an understatement. She hadn’t brought the past up since the day she watched his children. “Okay love”, he replied, matching her tone.

Molly then sighed reliving her memories.

The first five years of Molly’s life were wonderful. She lived in the same house on Watery Lane with her mother and grandmother. Her mother gave birth to her in that house. Molly's father was never in the picture. She sometimes thought maybe her mother didn’t know who her father was, but it never bothered her. She had fond memories of spending most of her time grandmother.

But everything changed when her mother brought Richard to live with them. She remembers her grandmother saying Richard had always been around and that she didn’t like him. Molly didn’t like him either. He always took her mother away from her. He was always drunk and screaming at the top of his lungs.

When her grandmother died, things really changed. Molly had no one to protect her from Richard, so that’s when she started hanging around the Shelby’s more. Arthur Sr. used to watch out for her by orders of his wife. Mrs. Shelby was always worried about what Richard was capable of. She worried when her friend would show up to lunches with bruises and burns on her skin, and she worried more about the innocent little girl, so she let Molly spend most nights with them.

When Molly’s mother got pregnant, Molly knew she was going to have to do everything in her power to protect her and her future sibling. But something changed in Richard when her mother announced the pregnancy. He stopped drinking, stopped hitting, he started to be nice. It was almost as if he was excited to be having a baby. Molly thought that maybe she would finally have a normal loving family.

But boy was she wrong.

A few days after Jacob was born, Richard got arrested. Molly never knew why. All she knew was that he was going to be gone for a while, and he was.

Richard didn’t come back for seven years. For seven years she and her mother never spoke of him. All those old wounds had finally healed. They were very happy being a little family of three again.

She will never forget the day he came back. It had been a few weeks after baby Finn was born. Molly and Jacob would go over to Polly's during the days while their mother worked. That particular day, Polly had sent Molly down to the Shelby’s with a basket for her sister and the baby. She stayed for a little while to look at the baby. But when she was ready to leave, she saw him. Richard was standing outside their house waiting for someone to get home. Molly had instantly shut the Shelby’s front door and ran back into the house crying. She had run so fast, she ran right into Arthur and Tommy. They both tried to clam the thirteen-year-old girl but had no luck. She sat there for hours and just cried. John tried to comfort her the best he could. Eventually, he had gotten out of her that Richard was back, and she spilled every bad thing he had ever done to her. It was at the moment John vowed to always protect her.

Letting Richard back into the house was the worst thing her mother ever did. The once almost happy man he was seven years before had vanished. He became even more of a drunk. The abuse got worse as time went on. Molly protected Jacob and her mother tried so hard to protect her. Until the day she couldn’t.

Richard had been angry about something for days, which lead to screaming and fighting. Her mother had begged Polly to take Jacob for a few days just until Richard had calmed down. She tried to get Molly to go stay with her too, but Molly fought back because she didn’t want to leave her alone.

Richard had come home from work and as soon as he walked through the door, he had started picking up things, throwing and breaking them. And then he walked out the door down to a bar and didn’t come home for hours.

Molly and her mother were in bed when the door slammed open and things started to break again. Her mother told her to stay in bed and not to make a sound. Her mother then went down the stairs to try to calm him down. Molly heard them shouting at each other for a while and then loud footsteps ascending the stairs. They were still shouting and Molly could hear her mother's voice outside her door.

“She isn’t here Richard. She’s at the Shelby’s. She’s fifteen! She’s allowed to stay at her friends,” she heard her mother cry.

Then Molly heard a huge bang against the wall and more yelling. Then heard something being thrown down the stairs, and the yelling stopped until Richard managed to open her bedroom door to give her the hardest beating she ever received.

After what felt like hours, Richard had finally left again. Molly then went down the stairs to unfortunately find her mother bleeding from the head and not moving. “Mum? Mum, please wake up! Please,” she screamed. When nothing changed, she ran outside and started banging on the Shelby’s door.

Polly answered the door, she was shocked at the state the poor girl was in. Polly reaches out to hold the poor girl who was sobbing,” Molly sweetheart what happened?”

Molly looked up at her,“My mum Pol,” she swallowed,” I think he killed her.”

Polly then yelled for Arthur, Tommy, John and Ada to come down. She brought Molly into the house and sat her on the sofa. Once the boys came down, their eyes went wide at the state of the girl. John instantly sat by her and pulled her into him as she sobbed.

“Arthur, come with me over to her house. Tommy, have a Blinder go find Richard then come back to her house. Ada, please keep the little ones upstairs. John, keep her here. I’m sure the police will want to speak with her,” Polly said as she gave orders.

Molly’s mother's death was then ruled an accident, and both Jacob and Molly were forced to live with him. Molly was convinced he paid off a police officer, but never had any proof. Polly ordered the Peaky Blinders to keep a close eye on Richard and even closer ones on Molly and Jacob.

Molly was never the same after that. She hardly left the house, but when she did, she made sure to be home before Richard returned. She had distanced herself from all of her friends, and most forgot eventually about her. She barely talked to anyone who wasn’t her brother or a Shelby.

Molly and John had been courting for two years around this time and both loved each other so much. John went over to check on her every day and sit with her. Some days she wouldn’t even let him come into the house. Polly was convinced Richard was manipulating her. John didn’t know what to believe. All he knew was the girl he fell in love with was pushing him away.

Unfortunately, John fell into the teenage boy temptations and slept with someone else. When he visited Molly, she could smell someone else’s perfume on him. When she confronted him, he lied and said it was Adas. In the back of her mind she knew he was cheating, but didn’t want to admit it.

What John and the rest of the Shelby’s never knew was, Richard actually was manipulating Molly, telling her John didn’t really love her and the Shelby’s didn’t really care about her. Richard was also using Molly as his personal punching bag. She was allowing it, so he wouldn’t hurt Jacob. Of course, she never told anyone. She wouldn’t let John into see her when the bruises were fresh.

One day she decided she was going to stand up for herself, and had planned everything out. She knew it would be a cool night, so most of the neighborhood would have their windows open. She sent Jacob to one of his friends who didn’t live on the lane. She decided not to tell anyone her plan and hoped the Shelby’s had their windows open.

Molly decided not to do the little things Richard like to have done every day, hoping it would provoke him. So when he stumbled in drunk that night, he instantly got angry.

“I thought I told you to have this fucking place clean by the time I got home every day,” he yelled getting in her face.

“I wasn’t feeling well, so I rested most of the day,” she replied with no emotion.

It was then Richard started throwing things while yelling profanity’s. Molly then got scared. As she ran upstairs to her room, Richard lunged for her making her fall and hit her head. He then grabbed and threw her against the wall, “You are worthless. No one will ever love you. No one will even miss you when I’m done with you.”

Molly was now crying,”Fuck you!,” then kneed him in this private area and made a run up the stairs to her room. She had hoped he’d give up, but he broke down the door.

“You're going to look so pretty flying down the stairs like your mother did,” he said as he dragged her out of the room into the hallway.

Molly then heard the police sirens down the street. She silently thanked whatever neighbor called them. She then used all her strength to push him down the stairs. She waited a second to see if he would get up and when he didn’t, she ran outside scream,” Help! Help he’s trying to kill me! John! Polly! Arthur! Tommy! Help!”

Police came running down the street and Polly and the boys came running out of the house. “Oh my god, Molly! ,” Polly cried as she made her way toward her. She wrapped the girl hug and shushed her while she cried, promising it would be okay. Polly then handed the girl to John while she spoke with the police.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Molly. I should have seen the signs,” he cried.

John looked up and saw Polly, walking over to them, “Take her upstairs to bed. The police are bringing him out now. They will be back in the morning to get her statement.”

John then picked her up and carried her into the house up to his room. She had fallen asleep right away. John just laid next to her, watching her. She had almost died that night and John didn’t know what he would have done if she would have.

When Molly woke up the next morning, John wasn’t in bed with her. She could faintly hear the family downstairs having a whisper argument, so they wouldn’t wake her. It sounded like it was getting heated, so she decided to go down to see what was going on. And that was when Molly’s world came crumbling down around her.

“What’s going on? ,” she asked, walking into the kitchen. It was then all eyes were on her. Everyone was scared to say something. Molly just looked back at everyone waiting for an answer, “Well?”

It was then she smelled that familiar perfume. And stood behind John was Martha, one of her best friends. Molly then made her way over to him,” John why is she here?” John wouldn’t dare look her in the eyes, he was just staring at Martha.

Molly followed his gaze and gasped,” No! You didn’t!” she cried.

Martha was standing next to them with a very visible bump in her belly.

Molly then slapped John across the face and ran for the door. “Molly wait! Let me explain,” John yelled after her. The rest of the family stood with their heads hung low. The all felt bad for Molly and were upset with John for doing something like that to a person who was like family to them.

Once Molly was out the door, John was close behind,” Molly please let me explain.”

“Explain what, John? Huh? I’m pretty sure that bump in Martha’s middle explains everything. I can’t believe you lied to me! I don’t ever want to see your face again John Shelby. We are done,” Molly cried in the middle of the street. She then ran into her house and slammed the door. She didn’t care about what had happened there the night before. Molly was done with Small Heath. She packed what little she had and was running away.

Molly left that night, almost without anyone knowing. “Molly, where are you going?” The voice was Tommy Shelby.

“I bought a one way ticket out of here Tommy. London is the destination. Richard will be released in a few days. Please for the love of god keep him away from my brother. Promise me Tommy, promise me you’ll keep him safe. Hire someone to take care of him. Tell him I love him and I’m sorry. Don’t tell anyone where I’m going please. Promise me Tommy. You're the only one I can trust right now.”

Tommy sighed, grabbing her hand, “I promise. Call me when you get settled, so I know where to reach you if I need too.”

With a nod, Molly pulled him into a hug and whispered, “Thank you.”

And just like that she was gone.

Molly looked up at John, “I know I never let you explain back then and I’m sorry for that. Losing my mother sent me into a terrible headspace, then manipulation and abuse from Richard made everything worse. I pushed you into her arms. I blamed you for breaking my heart for so long, but I realize now that I was at fault as well.”

Molly then sat up straddling him, “I’m sorry and I forgive you. The past can now stay in the past,” she then lent down to tuck her head until his chin and hug him.

“I can’t wait to see what our future brings us,” Molly said with a smile.

John kissed her head and hummed. This is what he’s waited eight years for. The girl that he let slip away, to be back in his arms for good.

(posted 07/25/2020)

[kian-bera]

Merlin was exhausted from work. Trying to keep up with the hustle and bustle of customers at Christmas was exhausting. He loved to help people find the magic of books though, they were all he had left of the world he once knew. The world when Camelot and all of Avalon still existed. The world, where Arthur was still alive. There was a knock at the door and Merlin just sighed before getting up. He opened the door and saw Leon standing there with Christmas Eve dinner, just like every year.

"Happy Christmas." Leon said sadly as he leaned against the door post.

"Happy Christmas Leon. Come in." The two men walked to the kitchen table and sat down, the only light came from the street lights and a few lights that lit Merlin's small tree in the corner. "Do you ever think this will end?"

"I do not know Merlin. Maybe one day, somehow we will see Avalon rise again, we will see Arthur and Gwen and all of our friends once more gathered at the round table. Or we will be here for another 1500 years wishing and hoping that we can find a way to end this stupid immortality thing and finally just die of old age."

Merlin just nodded and dug his food out of the fast food bag in front of him. The two sat in silence as they ate, the only sound was that of the cars and the late city life down below. Leon and Merlin eventually made their way to the couch and curled up together to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" as they have always done since the movie came out. Leon put a blanket over Merlin once he finally fell asleep halfway through the movie. When they woke up, the news was on about two men who had been arrested early that morning. Leon nudged Merlin awake.

"Merlin, my eyes could be deceiving me, but is that Arthur and Gwaine?" Leon asked, shaking his head. The news reporter popped up on the screen.

"Good morning London. This morning, these two men were caught soaking wet and screaming for the mythical wizard Merlin. One keeps claiming he is the King of Camelot himself Arthur, while the other insisting he is Sir Gwaine of the infamous round table. If anyone can come and get them, the officers who arrested them would be grateful." The camera cut to a picture of Gwaine and Arthur sitting in a holding cell still in armour. Their swords and Arthur's cape had been taken and the armour might have been taken, but it looks like they put up a fight.

Merlin and Leon jumped up and threw on a pair of matching Christmas sweaters Leon had gotten them years ago as a joke gift. Merlin quickly grabbed his keys and ran to his car. After all these years of having one, he still did not completely understand how all the mechanics worked even though he had a drivers license. He preferred his bike, but he would need more than one seat.

When they got to the police station, Merlin and Leon walked up to the information desk and inquired about Arthur and Gwaine. Leon told the officer that the two had been drunk at a dress up Christmas party and had gotten drunk. They had wandered off and no one could find them. Leon paid the bail while Merlin waited for Arthur and Gwaine to come up. Once they were there, the men were given back their chainmail and swords before Merlin tackled Arthur.

"Where are we, and why won't these knights listen to me?" Arthur questioned, a bit annoyed.

"Arthur, I will answer all your questions later, okay? We need to get you back to my flat and out of the armour."

"You are right Merlin, it really does need polishing doesn't it?"

"Yes, now come on." Merlin dragged Arthur and Gwaine to his car where Leon was waiting for them. Merlin helped them into the car and just sat there in the passenger seat, mixed emotions swimming through his brain. When they got back to Merlin's flat, Merlin and Leon took them inside.

"Do you have any spare clothes?" Leon asked Merlin.

"Why would I want to wear Merlin's clothes?" Arthur asked plopping down on the couch.

"Because you need to fit in." Merlin told him going to his closet in his bedroom. Gwaine followed him to the bedroom.

"What is all of this new stuff? Like what was that carriage that we were just in?" Gwaine questioned watching Merlin throwing clothes into his bed.

"I will attempt to explain everything to you and Arthur. Please go back to the living room with them." Merlin shooed Gwaine out of the room. Once Gwaine was out, Merlin shut the door before running over to his pillow and screaming into the soft fabric. Afterwards he sat up, and grabbed a shirt and a pair of sweatpants someone had given him, that were big on himself. He came out and told Arthur to change into them in the bathroom while he found something to wear for Gwaine. The issue was Gwaine was taller than he was, so he wanted to find something that would be long enough to cover his legs.

"MERLIN COME HELP ME PLEASE!" Arthur yelled from the bathroom. Merlin just laughed as Arthur tried to get his head through the turtle neck shirt he had given to Arthur. "Don't just stand there, help me." Merlin just shook his head and went over to help Arthur with the shirt.

"Arthur what do you remember?" Merlin asked, pulling the neck of the shirt over Arthur's head.

"I was stabbed by Mordred. You have magic. I died with you holding me in your arms. What happened after Camelot lost their King Merlin? How did Guivere fair? Did she remarry? Was their an heir to the throne? Who all survived? Did my knights make it home? I mean Gwain was with me when we came from the lake, so I suppose he died."

"Arthur calm down one question at a time okay? You will overload yourself. Camelot mourned for you Arthur. The people, they loved you. Every year on the eve of when you died there was a vigil. Guivere was out of it for a while, royal advisors kinda took over making decisions. Once she came around, she was a wonderful queen. She did you proud, Arthur." Merlin took a step back and smiled.

"What about the rest of my questions?"

"Those should be answered by the man in the living room with Gwaine."

"Wait there was someone else here?" Arthur questioned heading for the door.

"Yes, I wasn't driving the car with magic. Right you don't know what a car is or how it works. Right."

Leon and Gwaine sat at the table laughing. Gwaine had found the basket of apples Merlin kept in the kitchen to snack on when he was writing. His laptop sat on a small table with a bunch of sticky notes around it on the wall.

"By the way Merlin, when I saved your busts at the tavern, that was an act of heroism, I mean who else would take on those bullies." Gwaine said smiling. He took the Apple core and tossed it into the trash can.

"Good morning Arthur." Leon said, smiling. Arthur gasped and ran over to Leon. "I've missed you. Merlin has been teaching me poetry you know."

"How dare he teach you poetry, that's my thing." Arthur gave a small laugh. "Merlin said I should ask you about what happened to Gwen after I died. Does Merlin not know?"

"He does, but it was a rocky time for him. About three years after your death, I...Gwen and I got married and I became the new King of Camelot. We had two sons. The oldest we named Arthur in honor of Camelot's once and future king. The younger of the two we had several years later, we named him Elyan after Gwen's brother. They grew up to be strong knights and princes, and long after Gwen passed away, I stepped down as King and let Arthur and his wife Elizabeth take over as King and Queen. They ruled Camelot with honor and dignity until they died and then their son Emeyrus took over as King. So the line went down for another 250 years. Then one harsh winter, a famine took over Camelot and all of Avalon. All the kingdoms fell to the Saxons and Avalon was lost forever. All that's left is the pillar in the lake, Merlin and myself."

"If there is one more question I may ask? What happened after the battle?" Arthur asked tears in his eyes. Leon knee what he meant by everyone.

"Only myself and Percival survived." Arthur just nodded. "I'm not sure if Gwaine remembers but he was tortured to death by Morgana."

"So, Merlin got mad at you for taking Gwen's hand in marriage?"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS LEON! ARTHUR WAS OUR FRIEND!"

"Merlin calm down please..." Leon went to lay a hand on his shoulder, but Merlin pulled away, tears streaming down his eyes. He wanted to run far away, where no one knew who he was, or what had happened. "Merlin please, I know you are still upset about Arthur. We all are, but we have to move forward for the sake of Camelot."

"For the sake of Camelot." Merin echoed. "Camelot this and Camelot that, everything is done for the sake of Camelot." Merlin shook his head and ran off to the stables. He had a bag packed and a horse ready to leave. He hopped up and took off into the forest. He went to the one place he felt safe. He rode to the lake.

When Merlin arrived, he left his horse in the tree line and went down to the edge of the lake. The water was lapping against the shore harshly as a storm was blowing in from the north. Merlin did not care though. He did not want to hear the wedding bells.

"Hi Arthur, so Leon and Gwen are getting married today. I want to be happy for them, I really do, but at the same time, I want you to be home. I want you to come home like they said you would. I want to believe more than anything that you will rise from the lake. It hurts without you Arthur, as annoying as you could be dollaphead, I never realized how much I needed you." Merlin heard a snap and turned around. Percival came down to the water and sat beside Merlin. "I thought you would be a Leon and Gwen's wedding."

"I was going too, but then I saw you ride off and crying. I figured you'd be here talking to Arthur. It's what you do when you're upset."

"Thank you Perse. I guess I just hoped that Arthur would return."

"We all do." Percival told  Merlin, hugging him close.

"Yeah he wouldn't talk to me for weeks, but he finally came around and accepted our marriage. I think he was just hoping you would come back and fix everything."

"Thank you Leon, for everything." Arthur told him.

"Of course Arthur, while I may have become the king, you were and still are my king and I am proud to serve by your side." There was a bright flash of light from outside the flat and people started screaming. The four ran to the window and glanced down. There she was, Morgana in the flesh standing on the ground with Aithusa by her side. Morgana glanced up at the boys and smirked. She began to chant and Merlin told everyone to get away from the windows. The window shattered, and Merlin took most of the damage as he was still right in front.

"MERLIN!" Leon ran over and checked for damage. Merlin was bleeding but he had curled up that most of the glass didn't hit anything major.

"COME OUT HERE COWARDS OR SHALL THIS NEW CITY AND KINGDOM FALL TOO!" Morgana shouted from the ground. Arthur ran over to the window, glancing down at her.

"You will never win Morgana, now go back from whatever corner of the death that you came from."

"Never, I lost my chance once, I will not lose this battle again." Morgana hopped on Aithusa and rode off into the distance. Arthur just stood there glancing at the people below who were confused and scared.

"Hey Leon...er King?" Merlin asked, trying to figure out how to address the new ruler.

"Just Leon is fine Merlin. You are an old friend and such formality is not needed."

"Okay Just Leon." Merin cracked a small smile and laughed.

"Is that a smile I see?" Queen asked, walking over to the men.

"Maybe....." Merlin replied. Leon hugged him close. "We have missed this Merlin."

"Well dollaphead I should get to work then. What will it be, polishing armour, scrubbing the floors. Have I mentioned polishing armour." Merlin gave the first true smile he had given in three years. Gwen laughed and hugged Merlin as well.

"Armour sounds good, but we have a trip to go on first." Leon told him. Leon took him down the hall and to the great hall.

"The stables are that way Leon." Merlin said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"I know they are, but this trip is within the castle walls." When they got to the room, Leon had Merlin close his eyes and led him across the room. "Now open." Merin opened his eyes to see a red curtain.

"Wow Just Leon, that's impressive." Leon scoffed and nudged Merlin.

"Let then open the curtain first." The curtains opened and there stood a bronze statue of Arthur and Merlin. They stood side by side, swords drawn. Merlin hugged Leon and sobbed into his chest. "Shhh it's okay Merlin, I knew you would want something to honor Arthur and I thought that having you two together would be even better. You two were always together no matter what."

"Thank you Leon. For everything. I'm glad you became the king." Merlin took a step back and wiped his eyes.

Arthur returned to where Leon was helping Gwaine pick glass out of Merlin's side. Arthur sat beside them and tried to help. Every time they pulled out a piece, Merlin flinched. Arthur eventually had to pull away because he started to tear up. They had only been reunited for less than a day and Merlin was already hurt trying to save him.

"Is there anything I can do? Like get some water?" Arthur asked, pacing the floor.

"Uh yeah, the cups are in the cabinet. Sink water is fine." Leon told Arthur pointing to the kitchen. Arthur went over and found a cup.

"Where did you say the pump was?" Arthur asked.

"Oh see the sink?"

"Yes."

"Pull that silver lever gently." Arthur nodded and put the cup under the spout and pulled the level.

"Wow it doesn't stop after a few seconds. You don't have to pump the water."

"No you don't, it's quite nice." Arthur brought the cup of water back and went back to playing with the sink. "Arthur dont run too much water, we have a high water bill as it is."

"Water bill? Like you have to pay to have this running water?" Arthur asked.

"Yes you do." Leon told him helping Merlin, who was now awake, to the table.

"I never did ask. What year is it?" Arthur questioned finding other things in the kitchen to play with.

"It's 2020." Merlin replied weakly.

"But that means...It's been 1500 years." Gwaine said sitting down.

"Yeah." Leon and Merlin replied in unison.

"Hey Leon calm down, it will be alright. Gwen is a strong woman. She will be fine." Merlin told Leon trying to  calm him down. After a few hours, Leon was finally allowed inside Gwen's bedroom. She was asleep, but her lady In waiting was holding a newborn baby boy. She handed Leon his son and smiled.

"He is perfectly healthy Sire, no problems at all. And Gwen is fine, she is just tired and needs some rest." She explained to the king.

"Oh yes of course, can I?"

"Go ahead sire." Leon held his newborn son close to his chest and smiled at the small child wrapped in a wool blanket. He walked to his chambers while Merlin ran ahead and opened the door. Leon sat on his bed while Merlin stood there awkwardly.

"Merlin why don't you take the rest of the day off. You were up with me early this morning and have been there for me all day. It is the least I can do after all you've done."

"Are you sure Leon?"

"Yes I'm sure now shoo, flee, go enjoy yourself. I'll have a guard find you if I need you." Leon smiled at him and waved him out.

"Thank you Leon." Merlin smiled and walked out the door. He knew that Leon had told him to go, but he sat right outside the door and fell asleep.

"So, what kind of story are you writing?" Gwaine asked Merlin trying to get him to talk.

"A story about Camelot. The true story, not what legend has told. Oh Arthur pulled this fancy sword name Excalibur from a stone and now he's this king of this amazing kingdom. Like sorry, but he was already king when he pulled Excalibur from the sword. That was just reassurance that he was the true king of Camelot since he had lost faith."

"You are telling the truth." Arthur replied, smiling.

"I'm telling our story." Merlin told him, smiling back as he tried to sit up in his chair. "Now enough dilly saddling. Morgana is back, what are we going to do?"

[mxpseudonym]

Forfeit Your Good Sense

Pairing: Arthur x fem!reader

Summary:  Tommy influences Arthur to leave you.

Length: 1730 words (allegedly)

Warnings: There’s some swearing, mentions of heartbreak but not detrimental

A/N: Really on an Arthur train. I’m about Tommy, but when it comes to Arthur I’m very “fuck you, Tommy”… ya know? 

It had been nearly a year since Arthur Shelby just about shattered your heart. Or was it Tommy who’d actually done it?  

You’d met Arthur in London right before you’d all but decided to move back to the country with your Aunt Lisa. The city was wild and new, but you didn’t know if it could offer you the full life you wanted. It only took a few dates with the Peaky Blinder to realize you weren’t planning on leaving any time soon. You didn’t know if it was the nights where Arthur traded Peaky work for taking you to the pictures, or when he asked you to move in with him or the gifts that you let him shower you with. You didn’t know what your crime was that led Tommy to plant the seed in the impressionable mind of his older brother. All it took was suggesting that you didn’t actually love the eldest Shelby to set Arthur’s mind ablaze with paranoia.  

“It’s the money she wants,” Arthur muttered, drunk in the Garrison.  

“Well, you’ve got plenty of it. Why not?” Tommy’s plan went accordingly. He didn’t know you well, but most women in London were there for the money and the booze anyway. How far off could he have been? The moment Arthur left you, you’d be on to the next one. Arthur was just a ticket to you, and you’d gone for a ride.  

That didn’t happen, of course.

You’d just excitedly told Arthur about your day with your sister over dinner when he told you he was leaving you.  

“For the weekend?” You’d asked, so surprised you couldn’t understand. He could’ve stopped it then, but Arthur couldn’t help as the bitter words fell from his lips, tasting terrible and wrong. He couldn’t even hear them. He heard your pleas to just talk about it, he saw your damp cheeks, and as he walked away, he felt the cracking in his own heart.  

The next day you gathered only the things that had memories from before you met Arthur and were on your way. Your Aunt Lisa happily took you in. The first few weeks were the hardest. It was nearly every day that Aunt Lisa gently reminded you that there was nothing wrong with you. Just because he ended things, didn’t mean you were the problem. The next few months were just the pain of a broken heart. Housework reminded you of Arthur, teasing you about not being domestic. As sweet as you were, your cooking smoked up he kitchen, and after cutting yourself with a kitchen knife one too many times, the housemaid became a godsend. But you wouldn’t think about that. Instead, you ran errands. Learning new skills came a bit later.  

You’d learned that coming home to evidence of you everywhere apparently broke Arthur’s heart, and he was in bad shape. That’s what Arthur’s Aunt Polly told you anyway as you found yourself sitting awkwardly sitting at a table in Birmingham while Arthur’s Aunt Polly poured you tea. She was telling you all sorts of things while you waited for the boys. It was a strange occurrence that brought you to Birmingham, where you’d only been a few times before.  

“Sure you don’t want something stronger?” Polly chuckled, and you nodded with a soft smile.  

“Yeah, have to lay off the drinking lately. Got a bit much,” you managed a weak laugh into your mug before taking a sip. The door opened and in walked the Shelby boys.  

“Y/n, you look good.” John nodded as he sat. You skipped the pleasantries.

“I don’t want to take a lot of your time, I just wanted to let you know there was an Italian man at the market yesterday asking me a lot of questions about you all. I didn’t give him any information, but it was quite strange.” You went on to give them details of what he looked like, who he was with, and what you were asked. “I wrote it all down.”  

“Thank you, y/n.” Tommy took the paper you sat on the table and pulled out a cigarette. “How have you been? We haven’t seen you around much.” You finally looked up, realizing you hadn’t made eye contact the entire time.

“I’m alright. Certainly can’t complain, who’d listen?” You shrugged with a weak smile as you stood. “Well, that’s all.”  

“Why don’t you sit and have a drink?” Arthur spoke, and you finally took him in proper. His blue eyes and shaggy hair. He still had that cologne you got him too.

“No, thank you.” You called out in gratitude to Polly before heading out into the night. You should have known it wouldn’t have been that easy. The cottage was closer to London than Birmingham, so you decided to stay the night and catch the train in the morning. Leaving the inn for a bit of port to go with dinner alerted Blinders on every corner. You’d only taken your shoes off when there was a knock at the door. As much as you hoped it was the owner asking you to turn down the gramophone in the corner, you knew it wasn’t. You let Arthur in, his hat in his hands.  

“Eating dinner?” He motioned to the small spread you had on the table.  

“Yeah, my aunt is really proud of me finally cooking, so she made me bring something to eat.” You wrapped your arms around yourself. Arthur smiled to himself and sat.  

“You cooked.” It wasn’t much of a question, but you confirmed it anyway. Despite trying not to, you had wanted Arthur to get around to tasting your food. You suffocated the idea of finally being able to cook for him, yet here you were, telling him to sit and try some.  

“Please, and don’t hold back.” You offered him the simple meal of lamb with sauce and potatoes.  

“Fuckin’ hell, y/n. Can’t believe it.” He groaned and cursed and nearly finished all of it. You couldn’t help but beam at his delight.  

“I’m so glad you like it,” you said, taking in his blue eyes. His hand found yours. He leaned closer to you, and your breath hitched.  

“You look lovely, y/n,” he told you. “That dress is beautiful.” You looked down at your dress and played with the hem.  

“Oh, thank you. I just learned how to hem-”  

“You made this?” His eyebrows shot up, and you nodded.

“Mmhm, it took a while for me to learn the sewing machine. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pricked my fingers.”

“Can only imagine. Burned yourself enough makin’ toast.” He chuckled, and you couldn’t help but join in. You’d missed that laugh.  

“Thank you, Arthur.” You felt the heat rise to your face. “A-and I hope you’re staying safe.”

“Never,” he said, and you shared a laugh again. He looked down at the table for a moment. You poured wine into cups for you both while contemplating asking it. The one thing that still kept your wounds fresh.  

“Is there something I did wrong? To make you not want me anymore?” You tried to remain level and sound curious, but no one was fooled. “I won’t beg to come back or anything, I just need to know.” Arthur shook his head.  

“I never stopped wanting you, y/n. I was just listening to the wrong people, being a fucking idiot, and three sheets for the wind. Got convinced you weren’t here for me, you were here for the money and the life. Forgot myself and thought they were seein’ somethin’ I wasn’t.” He admitted. He heard how it sounded, so stupid and baseless. Your brow furrowed in confusion and hurt at the revelation. Did his family think so low of you?  

“Thank you,” you said with a nod. It really wasn’t you, and there was nothing you could have done. As in every other way, few people could come out on top against the Shelbys.  

“I miss you, y/n,” Arthur said. The words made you wince. You thought back to the last year and all of the pain.  

“I understand why you believed them because they’re your family. I just, I want you to know that it’s not true. Of course, I was there for you and,” you said quietly, “When you ended things, Arthur, I thought you’d killed me. It hurt so badly. I thought, maybe, that I cared for you too much.” You looked up to see his watery eyes.  

“Would you come back to me?” He asked. You shook your head with a sniffle.  

“You broke my heart. It’s not even back together yet, Arthur.” You felt Arthur quickly wipe them away, still not liking to see you cry.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, please,” he was near begging.

“I can’t do this again.” You stood, and he followed your lead. You didn’t like that you were so willing to listen to him, even when you were still hurt. But truthfully, you’d never stopped thinking about him, and it would be so lovely to be with him again.  

“I won’t put you through something like this. I’ll make it up to you every day.” He cupped your cheeks.  

“Arthur, please, if you don’t mean it,” You pleaded, and he kissed your forehead.  

“Y/n, I’m never leaving you.” He promised.  

“Are you sure?” You needed him to be sure. “Are you sure with your family and the company,”  

“The only thing that would keep me from you is if you don’t want me.” He stopped you. You could only see the man you loved in his eyes.  

“Okay,” you agreed and reached up, pressing your lips against his. You felt yourself being lifted at the feeling. “I’ve missed you so much. There are a million things I want to tell you.”

You would eventually explain to your aunt that you were taking back the man that had hurt you. She’d never fully trust Arthur, and you knew that, but maybe it was for the best. You were so in love you forfeited a piece of good sense to stay with a Shelby man. There would be the next time. Tommy would plant much worse seeds, Arthur would be very sorry for things that couldn’t be forgiven, and you would be left aching, body and soul.  

But in the end, you’d have Arthur.

[ladyboltontoyou]

Arthur Morgan x Reader: Farmer’s Daughter. 2

Warnings: Cursing probably. Smut. 

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x Reader

A/N: HELLO AGAIN. Listened to ‘Home’ by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros while I wrote this lmao.(Okay I listened to it like three times in the span of the three hours it took me to write this) You should all listen to it, gave me young Arthur x reader vibes tbh, it’s super cute and happy. RIGHT OK so I hope you guys like this one as much as you enjoyed the first one, didn’t plan this to be more than a one-shot but more than one person wanted it to be so here I am. Hope the smut didn’t feel too rushed! I was going to do a few time skips but this just felt right to me. Thanks so much for your notes, comments, and reblogs, they mean the world to me.

It had been a week without any sign from Arthur, and on the seventh day you had almost given up hope. But he showed up right when you were about to fall asleep, knocking over a vase on your table when he climbed through the window it sat in front of.

You sat up in bed and pulled the sheets over you, frozen solid in fear for a good ten seconds before your eyes adjusted to the light and you made out Arthur picking up the vase from the floor. 

“You scared the daylights out of me.” You whispered as you calmed down from the near heart attack.

“Your doors were locked, so I uh, knocked on the window. You didn’t wake up and, well, here I am.” He sounded slightly embarrassed, taking his jacket off to put on the floor. “Sorry about that.”

“You don’t need to do that, a little water is okay.” You said as you climbed to the foot of the bed, but his jacket had already soaked up the spilled liquid. 

“Exactly. I’ve got other coats. At least it ain’t leather.” You both laughed a little at that and then you lit your bedside candle. 

“Close the curtains, will you?”

He looked over his shoulder and realized he’d not only left the window open, but he gave a good view to anyone who looked up at the balcony. He quickly did as you asked, closing the window too. “You draw anything while I was gone?” He asked as he walked back over and sat in the chair at your table. 

Another reason he was such a good man, he sat a respectable distance away from you when there was a whole bed he could have taken advantage of. 

Which damn, you wished he would. 

If there was anyone in the world who was sexually frustrated, it was a tie between you and Arthur. You had sex only once in your life, and it wasn’t even good. You had many other opportunities with pretty attractive people, but your family was almost constantly on you so you had no time to sneak away. And for Arthur, well, it’s self explanatory. 

“A few things.” You admitted and crawled back to the head of your bed and pulled out the drawer of your nightstand. Your brand new sketch pad laid in there, your father had bought it for you a few days before since you had already filled up your last one. 

“Really? Well, I’d love to see them.” He hated how vulnerable he felt then. Snuck into some girls room, knowing damn well he was a fool for being there. He fawned over you a little too much for his liking, last time he had butterflies over a girl he was very, very, very young. But that was the last thing on his mind for once. All he cared about now was the farmers daughter in her silk night-dress with the sketch book in her hands. 

You opened to the first page where a simple sketch of a cat waited to be praised. “This is my cat Scully.” 

Arthur got up from his seat and walked over to where you sat on the edge of the bed, squatting down at your knees so he could see properly. “Well, look at that.” He grinned and you handed the book over to him, which he gladly took. “How’d they get that?” He pointed to the right ear which was missing the top half. 

You leaned over to look at what his finger pointed to and sighed. “One day when I was real young, I was playing outside and the neighbor's dog came over, guess he didn’t like how I smelt so he started growling at me. Scully, she saw me crying and came over, kicked its ass then chased it off.” You laughed when you remembered how your parents treated the cat afterward, taking her to the most expensive vet they could find. She was queen of the house from then on out. 

Arthur snorted, his head bobbing slightly as he did so. “That so? She’s braver than any man I’ve ever met.”

You smiled and nodded in agreement. “You can go through them, there's only two more in there.” Your heart sped up in excitement when you remembered the last picture was something you’d done for him, a silhouette of him standing on your balcony overlooking your farm land. 

He turned the page slow as to not wrinkle the expensive paper. When he saw the next one he raised his brows. “Christ, girl. You need to be selling these.” 

The one he was looking at was a more detailed sketch, one you had done the day before. You still needed to do a little more shading on it, but it was mostly done. It was your parents sitting outside at the bench in your garden, they were both laughing and holding wine glasses. Your father had told your mother something funny and she was almost doubled over, one hand in front of her mouth and the other holding the glass outwards so she didn’t spill any on herself. They were surrounded by their roses and jasmine. 

“How do you remember something like this?”

You shrugged with the biggest smile on your face and a blush in your cheeks. “Something like that just sticks.” 

He looked up to you and shook his head before looking back down. “You’ve got me speechless.” He flipped to the next page and completely froze. He didn’t say anything for a minute, which worried you, but then he just let out a huff-like laugh of disbelief. “This me?” He knew it was him but for some reason he felt like he had to ask, just to hear you say it.

“Yes, it’s not weird, is it?” You asked while you chewed on your bottom lip nervously. 

Arthur scoffed and stood up before sitting down on your bed next to you, his eyes on the paper the whole time. “I’ve never seen myself the way you draw me. Even though this is just my damn figure.”His words really hit you. You knew what he meant by it and although you wanted him to explain it himself you knew it was something he wouldn’t go into detail about. He probably didn’t even mean to say it, it was most likely a slip of his tongue. 

After what seemed like several minutes he closed the book and handed it back to you. “No, this is for you.” You opened the book back open and cleanly tore the page out, handing it to the man sitting next to you. 

“I appreciate it. I really do.” He said and walked over to the table, setting it down on top of his satchel. His hand lingered there momentarily, considering taking out his own journal and giving you the paper he had spent days perfecting. Anxiety gnawed at him and he pulled his hand away, turning back to you. “Sorry I didn’t come back earlier, by the way. Got caught up in some business and ended up in Valentine for a while.”

“No, don’t apologize.” You waved him off. “You didn’t even have to come back, we barely even know each other. You got what you came for the first time anyways, you could have taken my hundred dollar drawing and sold it to make yourself a rich man.”

He laughed and sat down at the foot of your bed, making sure to keep a proper distance from you so he wouldn’t scare you off. If only he knew you wanted the complete opposite. “Now, a hundred-dollars isn’t very rich, why do that when I could keep coming back and get more? That would be one hell of a business.”

Where on this cold earth did this man come from? How were you so lucky to know such a good person? Given, you had only seen him two times, but he had still made a name for himself. He had a good sense of humor, he was polite, and goddamn he praised your art like it was god. If there was one sure way to your heart it was through that. And not to mention he was incredibly attractive. Fit as could be, well-groomed yet he had this dangerous look about him that said he could put you down in two seconds flat if you tried him. 

You wished he would.

In an attempt to clear the dirty thoughts that had flood your head you brought up a new subject. “The last time you were here you said my drawing was better than yours, you never answered me when I asked if you drew too.” You said and tried to look casual as you watched him for a reaction. 

He cleared his throat and looked away from your gaze, his eyes landing on everything in the room besides you. “I said that? Of course I would. That sounds like something I’d say.” He laughed to try to chase his anxiety off. “Sure, I do. A little bit.”

“Do you have anything you could show me?” You asked and pulled your legs back up onto the bed, making yourself comfortable as you continued watching him. It was hard not to, every single thing he did was mesmerizing.

He scratched his chin and sighed. “Yeah, I do.” He reluctantly grabbed his satchel from the table and pulled his own journal from it. “They’re not the best, but, well, look for yourself. There’s some writin’ in there too, pay no mind to that.” He handed you the worn leather book and you flipped through it. It was mostly full of wildlife, plants and scenery. 

“These are really good. This wolf looks like a photograph.” You said as you went through the pages. Some of his work was way better than anything you could ever dream of drawing, but he probably thought the same about yours. There were a few small doodles that made your heart melt, like one of a poodle that looked like he drew under sixty seconds. 

You had gotten so wrapped up in looking at the pages you didn’t even notice the way he was looking at you. He looked at you like he was seeing something so magnificent, and if he dared look away he would miss something. The way your eyes scanned over the paper, the way you would smile when you saw something you found his drunk doodles, it made him feel like he was drunk then and there. He had almost forgotten about what he drew you, on the newest page. When your expression changed to something unreadable his heart sped up and he shifted anxiously on the bed.

“This is me?” Your voice was barely a whisper. You couldn’t believe what you were seeing, it was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen. Not because it was you, but because you knew it was the way he saw you. You were wearing that pretty white sundress you had worn the day he first saw you and you had jasmine flowers in your hair. You looked like you were in the middle of walking, your left hand trailing through the tall grass he had drawn you in. You had a small smile on your face and you were looking directly in front of you as if you knew you were being drawn. It looked amazing, so beautiful you couldn’t believe that was actually you. But sure enough it was identical. “I look so pretty.”

Arthur scratched the back of his head, torn between feeling utterly in love with you and feeling disgusted at how sappy and vulnerable he was. “I draw what I see.” 

That was all you needed. You set the book down beside you and threw all your inhibitions out the window, crawling to the foot of the bed to kiss him. You took his face in your hands and pulled him towards you. His trimmed beard felt rough in your hands but you loved every bit of it. His lips felt even better against your own, they were hot and tasted raw as if he had been chewing on them for hours. 

Arthur inhaled sharply through his nose, his eyes wide and his hands raised off his lap in surprise. He wanted to push you off because he knew it was wrong and you’d regret it later. He told himself you had to have been drinking, there was no way any woman like you would kiss someone like him. 

You were the one to end the kiss, but only because you were running out of breath. It seemed he had been too, since when you parted he sucked in a breath. 

“Now why did you do that?” He asked immediately, his voice faultering.

“I don’t know.” You admitted with a shrug and a soft laugh. “I just wanted to. I’m sorry, I should have asked. I just, really… really like you, Arthur. I know we haven’t been in the same room as each other a total of ten hours… but I don’t know. I’ve never felt like this. I don’t know what the normal thing to do is when you like someone like this.”

Arthur shook his head and sighed. “Don’t do that. Please. Don’t.” 

“Give me a reason.” You were still so close you were practically touching, your knees a hair length apart. “Because I don’t see any good reason not to.”

“(Y/N), I’m not a good person. I don’t know if I’ll stay around here long, I don’t normally stay in one place for too long. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, you’re a young beautiful woman. You could have any man, hell, any man or woman you’d ever want.”

“Really? Well, I want you.” 

He sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head again. “Don’t say that.”

“But it’s true, I want you, Arthur. I don’t want anyone else, not right now at least. And right now is all that matters.”

At your words he groaned, hearing the sentence ‘I want you’ coming from your mouth was too much for him. “But-”

You shut him up with another kiss, this one shorter but more heated. “Listen Arthur, I’m a big girl, okay? I won’t be heartbroken if we never see eachother again. I’ll be sad for a while, sure, but like you said. I’ve got my whole life. I’ll get over it.” You smiled and took off his hat, setting it beside him. “You think pretty highly of yourself if you think one night will be the end of me.”

Arthur laughed and finally looked at you. “You’re stubborn. You know that?”

“Of course I do. But now you’ve got me interested, what’s so good about you that you want to protect me from missing?” You questioned with an innocent smile, placing a hand on his knee. 

He grew serious again and the playful smile disappeared. “(Y/N), I don’t think this is such a good idea.” He warned while he still had the mindset to think that deeply. Your hand on his knee wasn’t helping his good intentions. “If your folks-”

“Don’t worry about them. They sleep on the other side of the house with the river right outside their window. The only thing that will wake them is screaming, or the dogs outside. But don’t worry, I can be quiet.” You winked and took his hand in yours, impressed by how huge they seemed compared to you. “Please?” 

There was no way of explaining how you got the idea to start kissing his fingers, it just felt right. Arthur closed his eyes and groaned in the ‘What have I gotten myself into’ type of way. There was no way he could say no to you, not when you were doing… that. “Christ, woman.” He hissed when you pulled him forwards towards the head of the bed. 

He took a quick second to take his boots off and blow out the candle, providing you with a more comfortable sense of safety. There was no way anyone besides the two of you could see what was going on in your room.

He climbed back on the bed and kissed you, one hand on your cheek and one on the bed beside you. Arthur kissed so sensual and deep that you felt like you were kissing someone you had been married to for your entire life. Your heart swelled and all the blood made its way between your legs in a hurry. “Take this off.” You whispered against his mouth as you unbuttoned the front of his shirt. 

He finished the rest of the buttons, sitting up on his knees to pull his arms out of the shirt. Once it was off he hurried back to kissing you like his life depended on it. He loved the feeling so much he totally forgot about the rest of his clothes and only stopped when you placed your toes on his belt buckle and gently pushed him back. 

You smiled when he laughed and shook his head at you. “What? Don’t like taking your time?” He teased and lowered his hands to unbuckle his belt. The imagery mixed with the gentle clink of metal as he took his belt off drove you mad.

“I do once the clothes are off.” You meant to tease him back but you sounded far too serious. He had nothing to say to that so he just finished taking his belt off, laying it with his hat at the foot of the bed. When he leaned forward again you stopped him with your foot on his chest. “Keep going.”

“Maybe you should've been the one warning me.” He breathed and pulled his pants down his hips, standing from the bed to pull them off the rest of the way.  “There’s no way I could have you just once.” 

Good. You thought. You didn’t want him just once either. 

Once he finally got his pants off you felt it was unfair that you were still fully clothed so you reached under your dress and pulled down your panties. He watched as you pulled them off of your raised feet with a look that just screamed sex. “Am I dreamin’?” He asked with a laugh, sliding back onto the bed in front of you. 

“Come here and find out.” You grinned and spread your legs a bit, just enough to notice but not enough for him to see anything exciting.

“Jesus, woman.” His voice was barely a whisper and he leaned back into you, grabbing your waist gently to pull you flat on your back, his hips pressed flush against you. You could feel how hard he was through the thin fabric of his underwear and it drove you fucking crazy. He finally started taking the lead then and he slipped his hand between the two of you, sliding his fingers down your slick folds to your entrance. When he pushed a finger inside of you the both of you gasped, he didn’t expect you to feel so good around him. 

“Oh, fuck.” You muttered and closed your eyes, grabbing onto his biceps. His arm muscles tensed under your touch, mostly his right arm since that was the one with its fingers inside you. 

He kept at that for a while, curling it inside you in sync with the beat of his heart. You came just from that. When he felt you tense up around him mixed with the feeling of hot cum oozing down his hand he lost any patience he had left. He took his hand out from between your legs and kissed you again, using his right hand to take the last article of clothing he had off. When he pressed back down into you the breath hitched in your throat. 

“God.” You moaned and moved your hands from his arms up to tangle into his hair. “I want you so bad, Arthur.” 

As if he couldn’t be in any more of a hurry, you had to go and say that. 

“You have no idea.” He said with a grunt and used a hand to guide the tip of his cock against you. He rubbed it up and down your slit a few times and you let out the filthiest sound he had ever heard. You locked your ankles around his back and pushed him into you, catching him by surprise. 

The feeling of his cock fully inside of you was indescribable. You arched your back and rolled your head back into the pillows. He groaned and grabbed the bottom of your nightgown to pull off of you. You had to help him get it off your shoulders. After it finally came off he sighed, looking down at your body.

“You’re going to be the death of me.” He whispered and leaned back down into you. His thrusts were slow, but only for a few of them. Once he was sure you were ready he let himself go completely. You pulled his head down to yours and kissed him again as his cock drove in and out of you at a quick steady pace. He felt so amazing inside you, the feeling of his cock rubbing against that one special spot gave you your second orgasm. 

Your third came when he rough handled you a little bit for the first time, he had grabbed your thighs roughly and slammed himself inside you about four times. The sheer force of it all knocked the air out of your lungs and left you paralyzed. The fourth time you came he had flipped you onto your stomach. The way he could manhandle you to easily was so hot to you that you swore you fell in love with him then. 

When he pushed his cock back into you at the new angle was when you came, and god, he felt it. He almost came with you but he thankfully had the will to pull out and give himself a few seconds to calm down. Once he had enough time he continued fucking you into your mattress. 

This all went on for what only felt like a few minutes. You had no idea that you’d actually been at it for nearly two hours. You probably would have gone longer if you didn’t decide to sit in his lap, that had been what finished him off. 

When you were on top of him his cock reached deeper inside you than it had ever been before. He was stunned for a second, unable to move as you rode his cock and pulled his head back by his hair. When you sunk your teeth into his neck was when he truly lost it. He came undone in you, grabbing you by your hips and forcing you down further onto his length. 

The noises that came from him sounded so primal it led you to your final orgasm. Thank god you came with him because there was no way he’d be able to go again after that. He’d be surprised if he had the energy to climb down that lattice and onto his horse. 

No one said anything for a good while but that was okay. You couldn’t talk if you tried. You were too busy gasping for breath to form words.

Arthur was the first to speak. “I should probably leave now, I told Dutch I’d only be out a few minutes.” He sighed when he remembered that the older man had told him not to stay out too long since the law was keeping an eye out for them. You had no idea who Dutch was but you nodded anyways. 

“Alright. I should go to sleep anyways, I’ve got to wake up early in the morning to go to town with my mother.” 

Arthur nodded and ran a hand through his sweaty hair, noticing how messy it had become. Before he came over he had made sure it looked nice but now he was sure it looked as if he had no idea what a comb was. 

You watched him pull his clothes back on, almost forgetting his hat and belt. He slipped your picture for him in his journal and safely secured it, sliding it back into his satchel. 

After he gathered his things he gave you one last kiss at the doors, full of more passion than any others you had previously shared. “Could I come see you again sometime?” He asked after you parted with the most adorable smile on his face. 

God. He was right in his warning, there was no way you could get over a smile like that.

“Arthur, you know the answer to that.” 

[badwolf-in-the-impala]

~The Edge of Heaven~

Moodboard credit: Myself, @badwolf-in-the-impala. None of the pictures are mine obviously. Only the editing.

Chapter One || Chapter Two ||

A/N: Sorry I suck and took forever to get this posted. I have one too many fics and not enough brain cells to go around lol...anywho, one minor change that I made, after some more writing/character building for James, is I decided on a different Faceclaim for him, so that has been changed in the Moodboard. I decided that Luke Evans ended up being a better fit than Paul Wesley...cause you know, I’m the worlds most indecisive person. But yeah, I’ll stop rambling now. ENJOY! Let me know if you would like to be added to the TAGLIST ^-^. Sorry if this chapter is kinda shitty.

Word Count: 4,669

Pairings: Thomas Shelby x OC

Face-Claims: Emily Rudd as Aurora - ((Luke Evans as James))

Rating: Mature/18+

General Warnings: Spousal abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, violence general Peaky related things...none of which I romanticize, support, or condone by any means. 

Chapter Warnings: Controlling spouse. Abuse - physical and verbal. General angst. 

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

Several hours after Aurora and James had returned home from the party, Aurora sat alone in their porcelain, claw-foot tub. Knees tucked into her chest as she rested her chin a top them, trying her best to ignore the throbbing of her freshly bruised left cheek, and the split lower her lip. James’ outburst upon their arrival home having been far greater than she anticipated...and while this hadn’t been a first time occurrence; it was the first one in awhile.

The short drive home had been quiet between the two of them. He was drunk and Aurora could tell by his body language that he was upset with her, even despite his calm demeanor on the outside. But his grip on the steering wheel of their car told a different story. His fingers gripping it so tight, that it caused his knuckles to turn a ghostly shade of white. 

Her first mistake upon exiting the car, had been daring to open her mouth in hopes of giving her husband an explanation; and more importantly, to apologize for leaving him while she went gallivanting off around the property with Ada.  “I’m sorry abou’ this evenin’, James...really, I didn’ mean to be away for so long while I was with Ada; it was jus’ so nice to see everyone again I lost track of--” 

The blow that came from his hand striking her across the face was hard enough to knock Aurora off balance, as it caught her off guard mid-apology. Sending her stumbling backwards as she tripped over the bottom of her dress and collided with the walkway beneath her. The gravel biting into the delicate skin of her forearms and knees, causing her to cry out.

“You shut your Goddamn mouth, you useless fucking Whore! Do you have any idea how much of an embarrassment your behavior was too me, tonight?!” James had roared as he stepped over her, raking an agitated hand through short brown locks of hair, sending it into disarray as he began pacing back and forth, like a lion in a cage, as his temper spiraled out of control. Aurora immediately falling silent as she stared at the ground; cradling her injured cheek carefully as the situation escalated. Not trusting herself enough just yet, to try and get back up on her feet.

“Leave it to my fucking wife, to be the one running around, just like old times, throwing herself at any man who’ll fucking pay attention to her like she’s a Goddamn Harlot! You just can’t fucking help yourself, can you?! CAN YOU?!” He scolded.

“I-It wasn’ like that!” Aurora stuttered, trying to defend herself. “If ye’d jus’ let me explain-”

“I know what I fucking saw, Aurora! Are you trying to say that I’m a liar?!” James fumed as he rounded on her, dark eyes clouded with rage;  his voice starting to go hoarse from all the shouting. Aurora shook her head in reply, falling silent as James continued to rebuke her for the behavior she had displayed earlier that evening, and more importantly, for her actions of spending time alone in the presence of another man without his permission.

Eventually, James yanked her up to her feet once he felt his point had been made, before dragging her alongside him by the arm into the house, where he abandoned her in the foyer of their home and locked himself in his study with a bottle of whiskey for the night. But not before delivering one final backhanded slap across her face, the one that left her lower lip swollen and split. Filling her mouth with taste of copper as she forced herself to keep her chin up in an attempt to hold back the tears that threatened to fall, as her husband glared down at her for one more brief moment. His dark eyes filled with such hatred and disgust towards her that it made Aurora wish she could physically disappear.

Thus, how she came to find herself sitting alone in the tub. Door locked and the water turning cold, as she patiently waited for the sounds of his incessant pacing to finally cease so that she could sneak off to bed. Knowing it would be better for her to avoid being caught in her husband's presence a second time that night.

So when the house had finally fallen silent, Aurora climbed out of the tub and toweled herself off; brushing out her dark hair and braiding it, before slipping into her silk nightgown and tiptoeing carefully down to the bedroom that she and her husband rarely shared. Pausing briefly outside the door of James’ study, just to be sure the pacing had actually stopped. Finding only silence coming from within the room as she pressed her ear carefully against the door. 

Aurora allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief as she turned and hurried the rest of the way down the hallway and into the bedroom...Locking the door behind herself and crossed the room, climbing into bed and burrowing deep beneath the blankets, into the feather tick mattress, as she closed her eyes.

Her quiet, brokenhearted sobs falling on deaf ears as she lay there, silently wondering to herself where she had gone so wrong with her life. The tears that fell from emerald eyes, soaking and staining her pillowcase, as she cried herself to sleep.

~

The next morning when she woke, James was nowhere to be found in their home, and the absence of his car meant that he would likely be gone until late evening; if he even came home at all. Leaving Aurora to enjoy a somewhat stress free day, filled mostly with unpacking the last of their belongings and organizing her new home a bit more, once she had completed all the chores that needed doing out in the Stables. All the work falling to her for now, as James had yet to hire any sort of help since the move.

Aurora had been in the midst of cleaning up her dishes from lunch when the phone started to ring, and thinking it could possibly be her husband, she was quick to stop what she was doing and answer it. “Turner residence?” She answered in a cheery tone, despite the solemn expression she wore on her battered face.

“May I speak to Aurora, please.” The woman asked politely.

“This is her?” Aurora replied.

“Aurora! It’s Ada!” The voice greeted excitedly, putting a small smile on Aurora’s face almost instantly.

“Hi, Ada.” She chuckled softly. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?”

“Well,” Ada started. “The boys an’ I are still over at Tommy’s, an’ we got to wonderin’, if maybe you and y’er husband would like to come over? Maybe visit over some tea?” The tone of her voice held an air of hopefulness about it, and by the sounds of the scuffle going on in the background, Aurora was guessing that Ada wasn’t the only one listening in on the conversation.

“I don’ see why not.” Aurora glanced up at the clock, noting it was still early enough that a few hours couldn’t hurt. It’s not like James would be back anytime soon and besides, it’s not like he needed to know anyways if he was going to be an absolute dick about it. “Lemme jus’ tidy up a lil’ first and I’ll be over in say, half an hour?” 

“Sounds lovely!” Ada exclaimed over the collection of hoops and hollers from Arthur and John that could now be heard in the background. “We’ll see you soon!” And on that note, they hung up.

Aurora was quick to dress; changing into black pair of riding breeches, long sleeved teal blouse and a pair of riding boots. She touched up what little makeup she already wore and tidied her hair up a bit. Tying it up into a half ponytail, leaving the underneath bit down and throwing on a light wool duster, before heading back downstairs where she left a note for James, just in case he should return before she did, explaining that she had gone out for a ride and would be back before supper. 

She made sure to leave the note where he would be sure to see it and headed out to the stable to saddle up one of her horses. Settling on a Dapple Grey mare that she hadn’t ridden in a while; the horse more than eager to get out and stretch her legs. Especially after all the weeks of traveling overseas they’d had to endure.

“Settle down, Lady.” Aurora told the animal firmly as she gave her a pat on the neck, calming the beast a bit before Aurora finished doing up the saddles cinch. The horse nickering softly and turning her head to nudge Aurora’s arm, demanding more attention and nearly knocking her over in the process. “Oi, don’ go gettin’ cheeky with me now! I’m movin’ as fast I can, you impatient nag.” The horse gave another snort, turning her head away as Aurora finished up and untied her before leading them both out of the stables. Mounting the animal with ease before steering them down the drive and off towards Thomas’ estate. 

 ~

The ride took a little longer than expected, after Lady had decided to take them on a little detour across the ditch bank and through some willows. The trip resulting in a broken set of reins, a missing stirrup, and one bruised ego on Aurora’s part. Mumbling under her breath at the horse about having to walk the last two miles of the way, as they reached their destination finally. 

“Car troubles?” Thomas’ voice caught her by surprise, making her jump slightly as she turned around to where he was standing near the front door, shoulder propped against a pillar, enjoying a cigarette. A small smirk fixed to his lips after clearly having witnessed her mumbling to herself.

“Nah.” Aurora chuckled softly with a shake of her head as she approached him. “But I can sell ye a horse real cheap, if y’er interested?” She joked; Lady giving an unamused snort as she jerked at the broken rein in her hand, catching Thomas’ attention. 

“Rough trip?” Thomas questioned as he pointed to the damaged tack, flicking away the last of his cigarette, one brow raised curiously, as he approached them.

“That would be puttin’ it mildly.” Aurora sighed as the horse bumped her nose against her lower back, pushing her forward a bit. 

“Sounds like ya could use a drink then, eh?” Thomas chuckled as he waved over a nearby footman. “Take Mrs. Turner’s horse ‘ere over to the stables.” He instructed the older man who took the reins from Aurora. “An’ have the stable lads fix up the busted tack for her, eh?”

“Of course. Right away, Mr. Shelby.” The man nodded as he turned, flashing Aurora a quick smile before leading the horse off to the stables.

“Thank you.” 

“Don’ mention it.” Thomas grinned as he looked down at her, though that grin quickly faulted as he took in the bruising on her cheek, as well as the split that adorned her lower lip. Neither of which had been there the night before. He was just about to ask what had happened when the door flew open to reveal Ada, hands on her hips as she glared at her older brother.

“She’s not jus’ ‘ere for you, ya know!” Ada scolded playfully as she started to usher the pair back inside. “I know ya missed her, but ye have’ta share, Thomas!” Aurora gave a soft laugh, watching as Thomas rolled his eyes at his Ada, who’d gone off rambling about the tea getting cold or some nonsense he could have cared less about, as they were dragged along into the drawing room where everyone else sat waiting.

“Jesus! Wha’ happened to y’er face?!” Ada gasped as she turned around to ask Aurora how she liked her tea, finally slowing down long enough to take notice of the injuries.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Aurora brushed it off with a soft laugh as she took a seat in one of the nearby armchairs. “I must’ve been drunker than I realized las’ night...Fell gettin’ out of the damn car when we got home.” 

“Ye really haven’ changed a fuckin’ bit!” Arthur gave a hearty laugh in response, making it Ada’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Aye, she always was a touch acciden’ prone wa’nt she?” John joked, kicking his feet up on the table as he settled back in his own chair. Wiggling his brows playfully at her, as he rolled around the toothpick between his lips as they curved upwards into that cocky grin of his that Aurora remembered so well.

“Yeah? Well, tha’ never stopped me from pullin’ yer dumb arse outta the fire, more times than I should ‘ave, now did it?” She shot back with a playful glare, John holding up his hands in mock surrender, knowing she wasn’t wrong.

“Still feisty as ever too.” Arthur commented as the group broke into a fit of laughter, seemingly convinced that what happened to her face had been nothing more than a mere accident...All save for Thomas. Who was more than a little skeptical. The worry in that icy blue gaze of his, more than evident as he approached to hand her a glass of whiskey. Aurora purposely avoiding his gaze as she fell into conversation with Ada.

Thomas remained silent for the most part during the conversations between Aurora and the rest of his siblings. Taking in every detail about her life, no matter how small and insignificant she wrote it off to be. These parts of her life were new and exciting to him and he very much wanted to hear more about them, and in great detail...All of them.

“Do you ‘ave horses?” Ada inquired as she poured herself another cup of tea, trying to keep the small talk alive, while also trying to find out as much about Aurora as possible, without getting too terribly personal; not wanting to pry to far. 

“Aye, several.” Aurora nodded as she finished the last of her whiskey. “Most of ‘em stayed behind at our property back in America, but my best few made the journey with us.” She added with a soft smile.

“Wha’ kinda horses?” Arthur asked, curiously.

“Mostly event horses.” Aurora replied. “Dressage, showjumping, tha’ sorta thing. We ‘ave several race horses as well though, tha’ I raised for James back home in Louisville. Some of the best.” 

“Well, we would expect no less from ye.” Arthur teased, patting her shoulder on his way by to grab the whiskey decanter from its place beside the hearth. “Aside from Tom, ye always did ‘ave alot’a sense when it came to the horses.”

“Oh please…” Aurora blushed, her voice growing softer as she glanced away at the compliment. Trying to dismiss it as she added, “I was never tha’ good...Tommy was always the better horseman.”

“I beg to differ.” Thomas chimed in, only furthering the blush that tinted her cheeks crimson; making him grin. “Matter o’fact, I bet ye could still out race me any day.” 

Aurora was about to argue how that had always boiled down to luck, more than anything else, when a young stable lad came rushing in, clutching his cap nervously as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. Turning several shades of white as everyone in the room turned to look at him at the same time.

“Lemme guess,” Aurora piped up before anyone else could. Keeping her tone reassuring as she addressed the young man, having already made an educated guess as to what this was about. “Lady let herself out of her stall, didn’ she?” The young man nodded quickly in reply. 

“We’ve been try’na catch her, Mrs. Turner, r-really...b-but she keeps gettin’ away.” 

“It’s quite alrigh’.” Aurora chuckled as she stood up from her chair, motioning for him to lead the way to wherever that crazy beast of hers was currently running amuck. “Tha’ bloody horse is too smart for her own good sometimes.” They were almost to the front door when she noted that Thomas had joined them, giving him a small smile as they made their way outside. Aurora sighing as they watched two more of the stable hands chasing the Grey mare about the yard as she nickered loudly, tossing her head in what appeared to be amusement as she romped and bucked about.

“Oi!” Aurora shouted, her voice catching the mares attention immediately as Aurora stepped down into the gravel of the driveway, one hand propped on her hip, as she gave the horse a rather disapproving look. “Did ye leave all y’er manners back in America? Bloody fuckin’ horse.” Thomas let out a chuckle as he watched Aurora give a sharp whistle, the mare turning and prancing over to her owner proudly; swishing her tail and catching one of the stable hands in the face as she totted by. 

“I swear, y’er gonna be the bloody death me if ye don’ knock off this nonsense.” Aurora muttered as she clipped the lead that had just been brought to her onto Lady’s halter, before passing her off to the stable lad from earlier. 

“Smart horse ye’ve got.” Thomas stated with a hint of amusement to his tone as he came to stand beside Aurora; watching as the stable hands lead Lady back down to the stables. Aurora shook her head with a soft smile as she glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. 

“Oh, she’s smart alrigh’...” Aurora gave a snort as she crossed her arms. “Bloody horse has cost me more in damages than anythin’ else, an’ she’s barely Four!” 

“Does she race?” Thomas asked out of curiosity as they started walking towards the barn. Aurora shook her head in answer.

“No. At least not tha’ I’ve tried. She was meant to be a Show Horse; a jumper, specifically. But the damn Nag’s got the attention span of a nat.” Aurora replied.

“Aye, no wonder she’s bored…” Thomas teased. A slight smirk tugging at the edges of his mouth as Aurora gave him a playful shove; trying to stave off a smirk of her own as she rolled her eyes. “Really though.” Thomas chuckled. “Ye should bring her out to the track sometime. Let’er run. See how she does? Never know, she might surprise ya.” 

“Maybe…” Aurora sighed. “Need’ta do somethin’ with her, ‘fore James decides to get rid of her.” Thomas frowned at Aurora’s answer, noting the slight change in her demeanor at the comment. So subtle he almost missed it, as it was gone in an instant as she covered it up with a smile and added, “He’s not exactly fond of wastin’ money on my hobbies.” 

“Well, if it ever comes to it, I’d be more than ‘appy to take her off y’er hands for ye.” Thomas offered as they entered into the stables, pausing to give Lady -- who was now tethered in the stable lane -- a scratch behind the ears; the Mare letting out a soft nicker as she leaned into the touch. Aurora gave him a soft smile at the offer.

“Aye, well, she seems to like ye well enough, so I’ll have’ta keep that in mind.” She replied, leaning up against one of the empty stalls as she watched Thomas inspect Lady closely; mentally noting things about the horses build, height, and temperament as he circled her slowly. Giving Lady another pat once he had finished, before walking over to join Aurora.

“She’s still growin’, but no doubt tha’ she’d take right to the track. Especially if she loves to run.” Thomas admitted truthfully as he lit a cigarette, taking a drag before offering it to Aurora, who accepted with a smile before taking a drag of her own, wincing as she was reminded of the cut on her bottom lip. 

“Helluva fall ye must’ve taken, eh?” Thomas frowned, shifting so that he was standing in front of Aurora now. Watching as she averted her gaze, exhaling a trail of smoke from the drag she had taken; cheeks tinting crimson out of embarrassment as she fidgeted with the cigarette between her fingertips. 

“Aye, well, I never was very graceful...” Aurora tried to brush off the question with a laugh, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of crimson as Thomas’ fingers gripped her chin lightly, tilting it up as he inspected the bruise on her cheek. His thumb ghosting along the curve of her lower lip gently, the sensation causing a shiver to run down her spine. 

“Hardly how I remember it…” Thomas stated with a frown, though his expression remained soft as his blue eyes glanced up from studying the split on her lip. Aurora swallowing almost audibly as she glanced up finally, green eyes meeting his. The still burning cigarette she held between her fingers falling briefly forgotten; their gazes saying more in that small window of silence, than words could ever begin to cover; Thomas about to speak, when Aurora startled at the chiming of the stables clock, noting that it was well past Five in the evening as she glanced over her shoulder with a frown. 

“It’s late...I should be gettin’ back.” Aurora said softly, clearing her throat nervously as she took a step back, ashing the cigarette between her finger before taking a final drag and passing it back to Thomas as she stepped around him to re-saddle Lady. Thomas giving a nod as he finished off the smoke, grinding out the last of it with the heel of his shoe before lending her a hand. Bridling the mare while Aurora finished doing up the cinch, before giving her a leg up and leading the pair out of the stables and up to the driveway. Checking thoroughly over the bridle, as well as the stirrup, to insure they had been properly fixed before letting her be on her way. 

“Thank you for havin’ me.” Aurora thanked him, her smile seeming a little too forced as she glanced down. “And do give y’er family my apologies for havin’ to cut my visit short...But, perhaps we can get together again soon.” 

“Of course.” Thomas gave her a nod as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, taking a step back as Aurora urged the horse forward, stopping a few feet away to look over her shoulder as Thomas called after her.

“Rora?” Aurora’s expression softened hearing him use the nickname that she had grown so fond of, when they were children. 

“Don’ be a stranger, eh? Y’er always more than welcome ‘ere.” Aurora’s smile grew a little as she gave him a nod, urging Lady forward again as they exited the driveway. Giving Thomas one final wave before taking off down the road at a Canter...Silently praying that James would not be home yet.

~

Aurora was thankful that James’ car was still absent from the driveway upon her arrival home. Heading straight into the stables where she untacked Lady and returned her to proper stall after giving her a quick grooming, followed by feeding her, as well as the rest of the horses before returning to the house where she started on dinner -- a meal of Mutton, fresh baked bread, and potatoes.  As well as unpacking the last half a dozen or so boxes that she had been working on earlier that day before Ada called.

It was well past Ten in the evening before James returned to their home; Drunk, as Aurora had suspected he would be. He barely spoke a word to her upon his return. Simply ordering her to bring his dinner up to the Study, and in a timely manner, along with a bottle of Irish Whiskey from the cellars. 

Aurora did as instructed, without question, just as she always did. Making sure the meal she had prepared hours before -- a meal that she herself hadn’t even touched -- was re-heated and fixed up to his standards, fetching the bottle of whiskey and a glass, before ascending the stairs to James’ study. Aurora paused briefly in front of the solid oak door that lie closed in front of her, swallowing around the thick, dry lump that had formed  in her throat, before raising her hand and giving three sturdy, sharp knocks -- More sturdy than her trembling hands felt, at least.

“Enter.” Was the only response she received, prompting her to carefully balance the serving tray as she reached down and turned the doorknob carefully, stepping inside. She placed his dinner carefully on the cleared area of his desk, specifically designated for his meals, beside him. The silence that hung between them thick, and very unsettling. It put Aurora on edge, but she managed to maintain her composure as she clasped her hands neatly in front of her. Not daring to move from the spot where she stood, until he had dismissed her from his presence. 

And as if he could sense the nervousness that rolled silently off of Aurora, as she stood silently, just behind his chair; James made a point to draw out the dismissal she so desperately waited for. Praying that if he chose to speak, that he would ask her about anything other than what she had done all day.

“Mutton, again?” James questioned her, not even bothering to look up from ledger laid out before him as he studied it closely. Making notes here and there. Aurora shifted uncomfortably as she cleared her throat, nodding even though James wasn’t looking at her to see it.

“Yes…” She answered softly. “I haven’ been able to do the shoppin’ yet, an’ it’s all we had left--” Aurora stopped abruptly as James raised his hand to silence her rambling before she could continue on anymore.

“Take the car tomorrow morning and do whatever needs to be done.” James stated flatly. “The shopping, see about hiring some help…” He continued, retrieving a key from his pocket and unlocking the second drawer to his right, where he pulled out another set of keys and stood. Slowly, he made his way over to the safe that sat in the corner. The safe that he’d had made special, just before their departure to England. Two turns of the key counter clockwise, one turn clockwise, followed by one full rotation, also clockwise. That released the heavy cast iron cover that shielded the dial of the safe.

Clockwise, 32...Clockwise, 18...Counter Clockwise, 53...Clockwise, 15...Click, and the safe was open.

Pulling out a stack of money he counted out more than enough than would be needed for the shopping and hiring of some staff to help around the property. Tucking the rest of the money safely back in the safe before closing it, spinning the dial, and replacing the heavy cast iron covering. Turning, James crossed the room to tower over Aurora. Her first instinct to avert her gaze to the floor, her heart skipping a beat as his calloused fingers came up to grip her chin, forcing her gaze up to meet his dark brown eyes. A frown gracing his thin lips, as he carefully traced a thumb over the mark on her left cheek; trailing it down across the split that adorned her lip before allowing his hand to fall away entirely.

“Use whatever money is left over to buy something nice for yourself...I have an important meeting tomorrow, I’m not sure what time I’ll be finished. Perhaps you should visit that friend of yours, what was her name? Ada! … Maybe inquire about some work. Leave me her number and I’ll ring you when I’m finished. Understood?” 

Aurora nodded as she took the money he held out for her to take. Tucking it safely inside the pocket of her apron before looking back up at her husband, carefully studying the hard to read expression he wore. 

“You’re dismissed.” He added. Turning back to his desk where he took his seat and returned to looking over the ledger. Leaving Aurora to make her way to the door, trying not to appear too eager to escape the study, when his voice caught her attention again. Aurora turning to acknowledge him as he spoke her name.

“And Aurora? You would do wise to stay away from that Thomas fellow. Am I clear?” 

Aurora’s heart nearly stopped beating entirely as she gave a nod, clearing her throat nervously as James straightened in his chair, arching an eyebrow sternly as he awaited her answer. One that came with a forced smile of sincerity, before she closed the door behind herself.

 “Of course, Love.”

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

As always, let me know if you would like to be tagged for future chapters!

TAGLIST: @jacksonroth @livvtheangel @londoncharlotte88 @theworld-is-ahead @zazasblogxx @readsalot73 @ly--canthrope @harjumus @theskinofmyemotions @sympathyfortheblinderdevil @juuliaa-gooliaa @feyrearcheron44 @shikin83 @laketaj24 @echeveriiia

[thestarrynightgazer]

I love them so much, it hurts.

Just a little fic celebrating this crackship i picked out of nowhere, so here they are. :)

Special thanks to @galfridus1 for being my beta for this fic! Love lots!

☆☆☆☆

Estarossa glanced at his phone with a sigh, face flushed with the idea his mind had given him. However, he simply couldn't sit still without working on the project he had decided was necessary. He stuffed his phone back in his pocket, not bothering to exit the gallery, the picture of a young man with long silver hair and sapphire eyes eventually disappearing from the screen as it went pitch black.

His workspace was a mess. Zeldris had constantly complained about how messy it was but he couldn't bring himself to care since he knew exactly where to find what he needed. Containers of different kinds of paint were lying everywhere, some particular brands were on the floor, while some were on tables along with brushes he could no longer count. 

The paintings he had were everywhere as well, some finished ones and things that he would never complete were lined up to the side, while those he liked a lot, or those projects he had for himself were on the wall. His favourite was a painting of him and his brothers, it was difficult to miss since it was the biggest canvas on the wall and the first thing one would see upon entering the room.

He wrinkled his nose, the smell of different paints lingering around the room as he decided to open the window before picking up an empty canvas. for the moment, he ignored how messy all his things were, picking up the materials he needed to start his project.

He shut his eyes, the image of Simon in his mind rather clearer than anticipated. From the shape of his face, the color of his eyes, the direction where the strands of his hair fell as a memory of his laughing flashed before his eyes. He smiled at the memory, Simon had been laughing back then as he shared the pranks Meliodas use to pull off on him and Zeldris, he had looked so beautiful then.

He bit his lower lip, looking at empty canvas, before picking up the brush he needed to start his painting. His hand and the brush danced gracefully over the canvas, staining the once pure white surface with colors as he finally gave it some use. He was far too focused on his work, not even noticing that paint had started to stain his hands, cheeks and nose and even his shirt as he went on.

From the clothes he wore, the color of his skin, to the strands of his hair, he paid close attention to it, wanting nothing but to perfect the image in his head. He always enjoyed painting hairs, although it was what took most of his time, usually spending hours in lighting and shading until he was satisfied. It was his first time painting Simon’s hair, and he loved how it was in a shade of silver with a hint of blue, a color only slightly different from his own.

He didn't notice the time that passed at all, had it been minutes? Hours? Probably hours, but he didn't bother to check. He usually stepped back to look at his progress, going to the bathroom once in a while, sometimes going to the fridge to pick up something to eat.

Before he knew it, he only had to color the eyes before finishing it, usually he painted them first, not understanding why he saved it for last this time.

He picked a paintbrush up again, dipping it over the paint with exactly the same hue as Simon's eyes, painting for the first layer before moving with the lighting and shading. He hoped he'd be able to capture the shine they usually had, he usually did, but the perfectionis within him were starting to give he doubts.

He took a deep breath, taking a step backwards as he looked at the painting, smiling to himself as he saw the results. He might notice some things tomorrow about it and add some finishing touches but he was happy at the result.

He took the phone out of his pocket again, swallowing nervously to see Meliodas' missed calls and one missed call from Zeldris.

At least he was done for today. 

~

"What's the point of coming to a bar when you're not gonna drink?" Simon laughed, wiping few glasses as Estarossa glared at him, sitting by the counter as a glass was left untouched in front of him, the ice melting slowly.

"You know why I won't."

"Yeah, you made an absolute fool of yourself once---"

"Simon." He cut him off, face starting to burn red. He had absolutely no memory of what had happened, all he knew was that he got dragged here once after his classmates found out Meliodas owned this bar, he got too drunk and one of the staff finally contacted his brother about what was going on. Simon took care of him while waiting for Meliodas to pick him up. The following day, Alioli had been nice enough to send him pictures of what he did.

He was absolutely embarrassed, personally going to the bar to apologize to the staff and particularly to Simon for what he did. The taller silverette had laughed of course, telling him he had experienced far more worse.

It didn't sound reassuring, he just wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

He was thankful however, it had been the reason he had met Simon. He had tried to make it up to him though and they eventually became close friends. That's when he realized that things do happen for a reason.

"Estarossa! Stop flirting with the bartender and join us!" Arden laughed from his table, Estarossa blushing before cursing under his breath, not really wanting to drink tonight. With a sigh, he drank what was in the glass in front of him, it mostly tasted like water now.

"I am not held responsible for whatever kind of nonsense you'll see today." 

"Don't worry that much, I'll look after you just like before." He chuckled, the shorter silverette eventually excusing himself. 

Estarossa immediately knew it was a mistake to step in the bar. He was sure he was going to regret having more than a single glass, his tolerance just wasn’t as good as his brothers. 

He groaned, having no memory of the previous night at all as he buried his face in his pillow. His head was aching, and he promised himself for the second time that he would never drink again. He was good at keeping promises, the peer pressure on this one was just annoying.

He didn't want to check his phone…He was sure Alioli or Arden had sent him pictures of his nonsense already.

"Oh, good morning Estarossa!" He lifted his bed off the pillow, hearing Elizabeth as he pushed himself off the mattress. The woman smiled at him, bringing him a glass of water and he immediately knew it was for him.

"You shouldn't have---"

"No, it's fine… you looked pretty awful last night." His face burned red, not really remembering anything at all. He just murmured his thanks, drinking the water that was given to him and feeling like he had been thirsty for ages. 

He really wanted to no longer live in the mansion, Meliodas was married and it felt awkward to be around. However, the blonde had insisted for him to stay after Zeldris started living with Arthur, saying such big house felt lonely with only the two of them.

"Umm… where's Meliodas by the way?" He asked, knowing that his brother probably had picked him up. He should contact Simon soon, to thank him after promising to look after him.

"He hasn’t been home since last night, he went out with his friends, according to Elaine anyway." That made him confused, then who brought him home? No one else could have picked him up but Meliodas. 

"One of the staff members from the bar were nice enough to call a taxi to get you home, it was getting late so I asked him to stay for tonight as well." He had seemingly forgot about his headache as his mind started screaming. His painting, his painting! Simon is here! He'll see his painting! He just knows that it's Simon!

"Where is he?" He asked immediately, his heart beating rapidly at the idea of him seeing the painting. He just can't! He wouldn’t know how to explain it!

"He wanted to wait for you to wake up before he left so I allowed him to look around the mansion for a bit. He's really amazed with your paintings on the walls." With that, Estarossa had threw himself out of bed, running towards his workplace. Elizabeth had called out for him, but he didn't listen, far more worried about Simon finding the painting he had only just finished.

A painting of him…

He could feel his leg freeze as he found himself by the doorstep of his workspace, the color of his face draining as he saw Simon standing right in front of the painting in question. He was just standing in front of the canvas, which he hadn't lifted from his easel stand, his hands gently rested over the painting.

He couldn't hear himself breathe. 

Simon suddenly turned his head, probably after noticing his presence, making him look down to the floor as he bit his lower lip. He didn't know what to say, thoughts that were giving him anxiety started flooding his mind as he gripped on the hem of his shirt.

He didn't know what to say either, unable to make himself look directly at his face.

"I… I'm sorry…" For what? For painting him without permission? For falling in love with him? He had no idea which. He tried not to tremble, trying to figure out what to say next. He didn't even know if he should be genuine or make an excuse. It was driving him insane, he feels like he could cry.

"Es-"

"I ju-just really like you a lot I didn't know how to handle it, I'm sorry." He blurted out of panic, wanting to curse for his tactlessness. There was no excuse for this, he had no other choice.

"I like you a lot, Simon." He forced himself to look up, his face as red as his crimson paint, wanting to see Simon's reaction. He couldn't read him, he looked shocked somehow, suddenly sighing and looking away while scratching his head. He bit his lips again, heart racing as he waited for the response.

"Honestly…" He started off, gaze still elsewhere as if he's thinking of something deeply. "I didn't expect that you'd tell me first before I could." 

He must have been hearing things, his blue eyes going wide, his mouth agape with surprise. The implication of what he just told him just wouldn’t sink it as he stared at Simon in disbelief. 

"I like you too, Es." Yep, he was definitely hearing things. This was the hangover making a fool out of him, nothing more.

"Although I'm quite sure that you told me you love me last night."  Estarossa's face turned crimson, now far scared of what else he did last night.

"What else did I do last night?!" The other silverette was smirking now, leaving him absolutely terrified.

"Well you tried to kis-"

"Simon!"

"And did."

"Oh my god." He was drowning in embarrassment now, face still red as Simon kept laughing at him. He kissed him and he didn’t even remember it, he feels awful. 

But if Estarossa was to choose, this was better… he had expected much worse, all the 'what if's in his head weren't just pleasant as this was an outcome he never expected. 

Somehow, he was happy with this. 

[all-things-skam]

hiii. for the prompt thing, I'd love it if u wrote 11 or 12. idk if it was requested already but,,,.

Please continue to sent requests from this list of prompt!

11. “If we were in a movie, this is where we’d kiss.”

12. “Enough beer for you. You’re drunk.”

Title: I wanted it to be you

Ship: Skam France | Lucas Lallemant and Eliot Demaury (Elu)

It was barely 10pm and Lucas was beyond drunk.

Now that he and the boys had joined Daphné’s foyer, they were forced to come to dumb events like this Valentine’s Day ‘party’ which was beyond boring. At least, on Lucas’s side.

Arthur had found a cute brunette to exchange saliva with and Basil at the buffet table, desperately trying to get Daphné’s attention. Poor Basile, he’ll never get her…

That left Lucas with Yann. The latter had found a way to sneak beer in, making the night more interesting. Until Yann abandoned him for some blonde he intended hooking up, leaving him alone with Chloé. Chloé who was his ‘valentine’ as she called it. Chloé who Lucas didn’t want to dance with although he had told her he would. Chloé who kept getting in between him and Eliott.

Eliott.

Lucas’s lips curved at the thought of the blue eyes brunet with soft, messy hair - he hadn’t touched them yet but, they looked very soft. And he smelled good. So good. He was handsome too. Very handsome. And-

“- Lucas, are you listening to me?”

“Uh?”

Chloé let out a breath, sighing. “I was saying, we should go take pictures in the photo booth.”

Lucas wrinkled his nose but let her pull him to the photo booth. Chloé instructed Lucas to go in first and sat on his lap without even asking just as Bruno Mars’s Just the Way You Are started playing.

The first click went off and Lucas squinted at the bright light, making him see colorful dots afterwards. He sat there as Chloé smiled bright and kissed Lucas’s cheek, leaving a red lipstick mark on his skin.

After the photobooth, Lucas announced he was going to the bathroom. By 'bathroom’, Lucas meant the janitor’s closet who was right next to the boys bathroom, aka where Yann had hidden his backpack - who was filled with beers.

“It’s the sixth time,” Chloé pointed, annoyed. “Can’t it wait?”

“I have a very small bladder…”

Lucas exited the foyer.  He dragged his feet on the floor, trying to waste as much time possible, dreading to return inside. The music was bad - too pop for his taste -, the punch was too fruity and Chloé- Don’t get him started on her.

Honestly, he’d rather spend the night in the janitor’s closet, downing beers by himself than at the foyer with the rest fo the group. Lucas got inside the janitor’s closet, took one beer out of Yann’s backpack and pulled the pin, opening the can. He took one large gulp and was hit with a  need to pee. Lucky for him, it was right next door.

Lucas put his beer on the sink and did his business, humming to some tune. He finished and when to the sink to wash his hands, catching his reflection in the mirror while doing so. His eyes were droopy from the alcohol and he had a lips stain on his right cheek. Lucas smiled sadly to himself. He looked like shit.

He wiped his cheek, smearing the lipstick mark Chloé left there. Why do girls do this? It takes forever to wipe off and, even then, you can still see it. He pulled his eyebrows in frustration, rubbing furiously at his cheek, knocking his beer down in the way.

“Shit.” Lucas put the can back up, frowning at the spilled beer on the counter and dripping down the floor. He lifted his beer up, wiggling it around to check how much there was left in before drinking the remnant of his beer.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

Lucas lifted his eyes, catching Eliott in the mirror’s reflection. He was wearing a button up and a pink bowtie, following perfectly Daphné’s red and pink dress code.

“I’m not hiding.”

“Tell that to your valentine.” Lucas gave him a puzzled look. “Chloé.”

“Oh.”

“Where did you get this?” Eliott asked, nodding at the beer.

Lucas grinned. “It’s a secret.”

Eliott pulled a thick cylinder from behind his ear, raising an eyebrow. “I’ll share my joint with you if you give me one.”

Lucas brought Eliott to his secret stash, taking two beers out and handing one to Eliott, almost tripping on some stray broom.

''Careful,'' Eliott warned, grabbing Lucas's arm to steady him before he could fall. He looked around and noticed all the empty cans on the floor. ''How many did you have?''

He was at his fourth beer...or, was it his fifth? Lucas shrugged. He lost count after Yann left him.

Eliott plucked the beer can from Lucas's hold.

''Hey! Give that back!'' He reached for the beer but Eliott held it higher. Sucks to be short, uh?

''Enough beer for you. You’re drunk.''

''I'm not drunk!'' Lucas protested.

''Is that so? How many fingers am I holding up right now?'' Eliott asked, lifting all five.

Lucas squinted his eyes, concentrating. ''Erm...three? No, four! Ugh, can you stop moving them? I can't count.''

''That's it, you're drunk. I'll take you home.''

.

All the alcohol Lucas had consumed kicked in during the bus ride. His eyes felt heavier and he almost fell asleep with his cheek against the window. How cute.

When they reached their stop, Eliott made Lucas lean on him to prevent him from falling on the sidewalk. With a little of struggle, they made it to Lucas's shared apartment and into his bedroom without any casualties.

Eliott turned on the small lamp on the nightstand and instructed Lucas to sit on the bed and take off his shoes. He did as told, slowly pulling at his laces while Eliott fetched him glass of water, knowing he would need it when he wakes up.

''Can you take off your jeans and jacket too? You'll sleep better without them.''

Lucas pulled at his jeans, trying to take them off and whined when it didn't work. Seeing his struggle, Eliott chuckled and went to his side, helping out of his clothes and placing them neatly on his desk chair, leaving Lucas in his tee shirt and boxers. Free of any constricting items of clothing, Lucas got in bed, sliding under his grey comforter.

Eliott tucked him and a content smile spread on the intoxicated boy, sinking deeper into his soft pillow. ''Can you stay with me for a bit?''

The request took the brunet by surprise but he nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, right by Lucas. ''Yeah. Sure.''

From his position, Lucas had a perfect view of Eliott's face. His bushy, perfectly shaped eyebrow. His warm blue eyes. The slight hump on the bridge of the nose. And, even his five o'clock shadow.

His beauty was unsettling.  

Eliott reached to tuck a piece of hair behind Lucas's ear and Lucas smiled softly, flicking his gaze up to meet Eliott's. ''If we were in a movie, this is where we’d kiss.''

It was the first time Lucas ever flirted or hinted his interest for Eliott and, you know what they say: drunk words are sober thoughts.

Eliott chuckled. ''Sorry to crash your plan: we're not going to kiss.''

''You don't like me?'' Lucas asked, looking as if he was about to cry. Drunk Lucas is very sensitive.

The brunet shook his head, running his hand through Lucas's hair. ''No. No, that's not- I don't kiss drunk people.''

''Will you kiss me in the morning? When I'm not longer drunk?''

''If you still want me to: yes.''

''Okay.'' Lucas closed his eyes, eyelids too heavy to stay open. ''What time is it?'' he asked with a soft yawn, making Eliott smile fondly.

''Almost midnight,'' he replied, checking on his phone.

Lucas scooted back on his mattress, lifted his blanket and patted the empty space. Getting the message, Eliott undressed to his boxers and slide in beside the younger boy after turning off the lamp.

Instantly, Lucas cuddled to his side, small arms finding their way around his middle.

''You know,'' said quietly, nuzzling into Eliott's bare chest. ''I didn't want Chloé to be my valentine tonight. I wanted it to be you.''  

[arthurandhispendragons]

For @quoderospero: You asked for this

Under the cut is my full list of Taylor Swift lyrics that hurt me and make me think of Merthur mostly, but also other characters. Enjoy and feel pain with me!

Also tagging @violetchachkii in case you get bored and ever want to hurt me with gifsets :)

Don’t Blame Me: 

“For you, I would fall from grace, just to touch your face”

Breathe: Honestly, this whole song is just Merlin directly after 5x13

“Now I don’t know what to be without you around”

“I can’t breathe without you, but I have to”

“Never wanted this, never want to see you hurt. Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve.”

“Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fallout”

King of My Heart:

“And all at once you are the one I have been waiting for, king of my heart, body and soul”

Last Kiss: a lot of this doesn’t fit lyrically, but the general feeling is very post 5x13

“Never imagine we’d end like this. Your name, forever the name on my lips”

“The life of the party, you’re showing off again, and I roll my eyes, and you pull me in”

The Story of Us: 

“So many things that I wish you knew. So many walls up I can’t break through”

“I used to know my place was the spot next to you”

If This Was A Movie:

“Six months gone and I’m still reaching, even though I know you’re not there”

“Come back, come back, come back to me like you would, you would, if this was a movie”

“If you’re out there, if you’re somewhere, if you’re moving on. I”ll be waiting for you, wary since you’ve been gone”

“But if this was a movie you’d be here by now”

The Other Side of the Door:

“I said leave, but all I really want is you”

“And don’t you leave, cause I know all I need is on the other side of the door”

“I can’t even look at you, I don’t need you but I do, I do, I do”

Mine:

“You are the best thing that’s ever been mine”

Treacherous:

“Put your lips close to mine, as long as they don’t touch. Out of focus, eye to eye, til the gravity’s too much. And I’ll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands. And I’d be smart to walk away, but you’re quicksand.”

“I can’t decide if it’s a choice, getting swept away. I hear the sound of my own voice, asking you to stay. And all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along. Forever going with the flow, but you’re friction.”

This Love: Actually, fuck this song because it’s gonna make me cry. Literally post 5x13 until Arthur comes back

“Clear blue water, high tide, came and brought you in...current swept you out again, and you were just gone and gone, gone and gone.”

“In silent screams, in wildest dreams, I never dreamed of this.”

“Your smile, my ghost, I fell to my knees”

“These hands had to let it go free and this love came back to me”

Stay Beautiful:

“If you and I are a story that never gets told, if what you are is a daydream I never get to hold, at least you’ll know.”

You Belong With Me:

“Been here all along so why can’t you see you belong with me?”

Sad, Beautiful, Tragic:

“Words, how little they mean, when you’re a little too late”

“In dreams I meet you in warm conversation. And time is taking its sweet time erasing you”

FIfteen: This is Merlin arriving in Camelot

“Count to ten, take it in, this is life before you know who you’re gonna be”

Superman: This song is more Arthur as a character and Arthur/Gwen as a ship

“He’s got his mother’s eyes, his father’s ambition”

State of Grace: 

“And I never saw you coming. And I’ll never be the same”

“These are the hands of fate, you’re my Achilles heel, this is the golden age of something good and right and real”

New Year’s Day:

“Don’t read the last page, but I stay when you’re lost and I’m scared and you’re turning away”

“Hold on to the memories they will hold on to you”

Delicate:

“I pretend you’re mine all the damn time”

Superstar:

“I’m no one special just another wide eyed [boy] who’s desperately in love with you”

“You smile that beautiful smile and all the girls in the front row scream your name”

I Did Something Bad: This whole song is Morgana but here’s the highlight

“If a man talks shit than I owe him nothing. I don’t regret it one bit cause he had it coming.”

I’m Only Me When I’m With You: Once again, basically the whole song

“And sometimes we don’t say a thing, just listen to the crickets sing. Everything I need is right here by my side.”

“And I know everything about you, I don’t wanna live without you”

“Well you drive me crazy half the time, the other half I’m only trying to let you know what is and isn’t true. And I’m only me when I’m with you.”

“When I’m with anybody else, it’s so hard to be myself and only you can tell”

Everything Has Changed:

“Cause all I know is we said hello, and your eyes look like coming home. All I know is a simple thing, everything has changed.”

“Come back and tell me why I’m feeling like I missed you all this time”

“You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours all I know since yesterday is everything has changed”

A Place in This World: Again, Merlin in Episode 1

“I don’t know what I want, so don’t ask me, cause I’m still trying to figure it out. Don’t know what’s down this road, I’m just walking”

Look What You Made Me Do: Whole song is Morgana

“The role you made me play of the fool, no I don’t like you.”

“But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time.”

“Maybe I got mine, but you’ll all get yours.”

Come Back, Be Here:

“And this is when the feeling sinks in, I don’t want to miss you like this. Come back, be here.”

“If I had known what I know now, I never would have played so nonchalant”

“This is falling in love in the cruelest way. This is falling for you when you are worlds away”

“I can’t help but wish you took me with you”

Change:

“But I believe in whatever you do, and I’ll do anything to see it through.”

“It was the night things changed, can you feel it now? The walls that they put up to hold us back fell down”

Holy Ground:

“And right there where we stood was holy ground”

“And sometimes I wonder how you’d think about it now, and I see your face in every crowd”

I Know Places:

“And I know for you, it’s always me”

“And I know for me, it’s always you”

Haunted:

“Come on, come on, don’t leave me like this...something’s gone terribly wrong you’re all I wanted”

Call it What you Want:

“Bridges burn, I never learn, at least I did one thing right”

Gorgeous:

“You should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong”

“You should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk”

Long Live: Strap in folks, this is another one that almost made me cry

“It was the end of a decade, but the start of an age.”

“All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you”

“I was screaming long live all the magic we made”

“One day we will be remembered”

“Long live all the mountains we moved, I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you”

“Can you take a moment-promise me this. That you’ll stand by me forever, but if God forbid fate should step in. And force us into a goodbye-if you have children someday-when they point to the pictures, please tell them my name?”

Innocent:

“Who you are is not what you did”

“You wouldn’t be shattered on the floor now, if only had seen what you know now then”

Today Was a Fairytale 

“You’ve got a smile that takes me to another planet”

“All that I can say is now it’s getting so much clearer. Nothing made sense till the time I saw your face.”

Dress:

“There is an indentation in the shape of you. Made your mark on me a golden tattoo”

“My hands are shaking from holding back from you”

“I don’t want you like a best friend”

“All of this silence and patience, pining and anticipation”

“Even in my worst times you could see the best of me”

Dancing With Our Hands Tied:

“I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us”

“Oh, cause it’s gravity keeping you with me”

“I’d kiss you as the lights went out, swaying as the room burned down”

Fearless:

“And I don’t know how it gets better than this, you take my hand and drag me headfirst, fearless”

Out of the Woods: 

“We were built to fall apart, then fall back together”

Sparks Fly:

“I’m on my guard for the rest of the world but with you, I know it’s no good.”

Tied Together With a Smile: Arthur and Merlin at alternate points in the series

“And you cry, but you don’t tell anyone, that you might not be the golden one”

“I guess it’s true that love was all you wanted, cause you’re giving it away like it’s extra change.”

Cold As You:

“You put up walls and paint them all a shade of gray. And I stood there loving you and wished them all away.”

I Wish You Would

“I wish you knew that, I’d never forget you as long as I live.”

Come in With the Rain: Merlin post 5x13

“I’ll leave my window open cause I’m too tired at night to call your name. Just know I’m right here hoping that you’ll come in with the rain.”

White Horse: post 5x13

“I had so many dreams about you and me, happy endings, now I know.”

Ours: Honestly, the whole song

“If you were here we’d laugh about their vacant stares, but right now, my time is theirs.”

“People throw rocks at things that shine and life makes love look hard”

Red: Another one that hit me like a mack truck

“Loving him is like trying to change your mind once you’re already flying through the free fall”

“Losing him was blue like I’ve never known, missing him was dark gray all alone. Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met. But loving him was red.”

“Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes, tell myself it’s time now, gotta let go, but moving on from him is impossible when I still see it all in my head, burning red.”

Stay, Stay, Stay: The tone of the song is very them

“All those times that you didn’t leave, it’s been occurring to me I’d like to hang out with you for my whole life.”

Enchanted:

“The playful conversation starts, counter all your quick remarks like passing notes in secrecy”

“All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you”

“Please don’t be in love with someone else, please don’t have somebody waiting on you”

--

If you made it through this, you deserve a prize but I hope you enjoyed!

[lytefoot]

Christmas headcanons

Here it is, yet another Potter family Christmas headcanons post!

Christmas Eve is mostly small, Harry and Ginny and later their kids, Ron and Hermione and theirs.

Harry and Hermione go to church together on Christmas Eve. They hold hands and sing and cry. Ginny and Ron sometimes come, but not always. (Arthur’s of the opinion that church on Christmas is for people who don’t go any other time, because Arthur Weasley often channels my grandfather.) The kids come, once they’re old enough not to be miserable sitting through a church service. All the way there, everyone gets to listen to Hermione explain that it isn’t because she believes in anything, it’s just because she likes the singing.

Christmas Day at the Burrow is an Event. Charlie comes home most years. By the time all the grandkids are born, there are at least 25 people in attendance at Christmas dinner.

Molly starts knitting jumpers for next year on Boxing Day. Babies get a blanket, instead.

The year after the war, Harry invited Neville for orphans’ Christmas on Boxing Day. Luna, close enough, you can come. Hermione, you orphaned yourself, that’s brutal, you’re invited, too. All Weasleys banned, no happy families allowed. That lasted until Harry and Neville were drunk and singing sad songs, at which point Hermione and Luna went and got Ron and Ginny, who made for a much more fun party. Thereafter, it became much more of a cool down after Christmas at the Burrow. Neville, and usually Luna, later with Rolf and the twins in tow, continue to turn up for the day, and stay until Epiphany. Neville loves and respects his grandmother, but he loves and respects her so much more from London or Scotland. Luna’s relationship with her father was never quite the same, and she needs to be with family at midwinter.

Boxing Day is for grown-ups; when the kids first come along, they spend Boxing Day with their grandmother, much to her delight: Molly has rather a steep crash, going from 25 people on Christmas to 2 on Boxing Day. Later, Rolf appoints herself child-minder for the day; she recognizes that there’s something going on between the six of them that she’s not part of.

Harry puts in the briefest permissible appearance at the Ministry’s New Years party. The more embroiled he gets with politics, the longer briefest permissible becomes. Ginny comes with him, and viciously defends his personal space, with her elbows if necessary.

Ginny once punched the Minister right in the face at the New Years party. (Long story.) There was a photo in the paper. James wanted to bring the picture to school as part of his “How my family celebrates” project, but was vetoed in time.

The year after the war, Ginny threw a party on Epiphany for Dumbledore’s Army. Ginny threw a lot of parties, that year, because mourning is important, but it’s also important to celebrate the fact that, here and now, we are alive. In later years, the Potters’ Epiphany party became something of a big deal... and almost impossible to get invited to if you weren’t There.

[kaziklubaby]

Micah Bell x F!Reader

Title: A Killer to Die For!

Words: 5.2k

Pairings: Micah Bell x F!Reader

Warnings: (+18) That’s the one with the party and unrealistic scenes, when we rescue Sean and we see things and do some stuff too. And I love making Micah laugh.

Forgive my typos, as always.

Summary: Chapter 5.

[A03]

Yes. He did it. As you mended a shirt, you thought about why he did it, because certainly wasn't because of new found feelings. If he had actual feelings – which of course he had, he was human, wasn't he? – they were buried deep enough so not even his thoughts could touch it. And his feelings were not kind towards you, anyway. Oh, you could imagine why he did it. Territorialism. In some level, he must have thought about you as some kind of property, and a disrespect to you was, indirectly, a disrespect to him, and he had to assert some kind of dominance. Not romantic at all, just pure instinct. That actually made sense to you, and you didn't even flinch. What were you supposed to do? Appear hypocritically offended?

"Oh my, my honor!" – you scorned.

That didn't pass as anything feeling-relatable at all, but gave you a little leverage as well. But for how long? That couldn't continue, because he would sooner or later ask for something in return and you expected that to be a one-time thing. In fact, probably he might be thinking that you would open your legs to him whenever he pleased. And your cunt whined about it. But, what if you could continue doing him? What was the problem, really? Well, you were disappointing Miss Grimshaw, and he was an asshole, that should be pretty serious in your eyes.

"Think about it, you is going against everything you thought was right. Sleeping with a man, and worse, for pleasure! He didn't have any feelings for you, and would never have, merely seeing you like a hole to put his cock in" – you thought to yourself.

Yeah, that was a problem. But you didn't want his feelings. Did you? Of course not.

Should you confront him about it? Or maybe, you could just wait until he tried something, so you wouldn't sound like you were expecting him. Anyway, it could not be under the eyes of the gang, or they would have another reason to think that you should go for a walk, for good this time.

-You know, Miss, I've killed girls as betrayed us, and done it happily – said Miss Grimshaw to Mary-Beth, right next to you. You didn't look, you weren't crazy enough to meddle in that discussion, not when you already had troubles enough. Also, you didn't pity Mary-Beth that much, she was used to reading and writing more than actually doing any workaround, usually, Tilly had to do most of it to cover for her.

-Is reading betrayal in your world, Miss Grimshaw? – said Mary-Beth, and you, for a moment, admired her cold blood.

-Not reading, Miss, idleness. – and Miss Grimshaw paused for a second – Idleness is betrayal, because it means I work so you don't have to! – and Miss Grimshaw was screaming at full lungs – That's not right, is it?

Mary-Beth got up as fast as you ever saw her do before.

-I guess not, Miss – she said, going for the laundry

-You're right not, missy! On!

You kept your eyes low, mending the shirt. You adored that woman, but she could be scary as fuck when she wanted to.

-Y/N, taking long mending those things, ain't you? – Miss Grimshaw said.

-I'll go faster – you said, without lifting your head.

-You better – Miss Grimshaw said, leaving you and Mary-Beth alone.

-Must feel good be the favorite – said Mary-Beth, in her sweet way, but behind it, you could feel her sting.

-I'm not anyone's favorite. – you said, but you wish you were – I just do my work.

-I see you working – Mary-Beth said, and this time her tone was more suggestive than sweet.

You didn't answer that. At first, you were tempted to start a quarrel about it, but, what good would it do? More fights? Better stay quiet and hold your ground, she was just upset about Miss Grimshaw. Although, if the circumstances were different, you would feel inclined to be – just a little bit – devilish with her.

And you smiled.

All people used masks. All of them had flaws and scars, even the kindest one. Mary-Beth, deep down envied Karen and how she was so carefree and strong, and when alone and thinking that no one was hearing, she would touch herself and moan Arthur's name, yet she looked down on you for your marks. Karen would cry herself to sleep late at night, when everybody was already sleeping, like a baby without its bottle. Also, you could see how she looked at other girls at Valentine, frustration and despise. Tilly was by far the more emotionally constant one of them, she had an objective, survive, and she was firm on her will to get through everything, although you could see in her eyes that she had experimented, in some level, the same things that you had too. Molly O'Shea usually cried as Dutch pinned her down and fucked her into oblivion, begged for him as you did to Micah, but still, in her eyes, you were the lowest of the woman. Even dear Miss Grimshaw had her blue days. Sometimes she would wear her old dresses just to see how she looked on them, she would put old jewelry, and pinch her face, trying to discover where the young girl went, and how this girl - the one in the picture - was replaced by an old crone – but she would never cry, not her. Her tears had dried a long time ago.

They all had scars too. The only difference between yours and theirs, was the fact that yours was showing to everybody see at broad daylight.

Even worse was how people usually thought that woman, in general, should be obedient, calm, motherly inclined, sweet, educated, and most of all weak, so men would feel strong near them, as if being a woman meant to be a boost on man's ego and a hole so he could take his pleasure – but woman should be sacred and pure too, because men didn't want to openly assume something that others had tasted before, it seemed like it diminished them under the eyes of other men, but, ironically, they would pour all their desires and perversions on a woman who didn't fit on that specific profile. So, a woman could kill herself as an individual, or, let the world kill her piece by piece. That's why you admired Miss Grimshaw too. She escaped that profile and still was respected by all, strong-willed and brave, she conquered her place in the world.

And then, your mind would be filled with thoughts of Micah. He too had a wrong idea of what a woman should be, although you could see that to him, every woman on Earth was not worthy of his attention, just his cum, he made no distinction. It seemed like he didn't have a good relationship with his mother, after all – if he had a relationship at all.

You had known men that were rejected by their mothers, and they ended up having a bitter view of a woman later in life, because they saw their mother's rejection on other women too. Could that be the reason? You didn't know, for you were no expert, just pointed out things that you had experienced yourself.

Days passed, Hosea didn't pressure you to make yourself scarce for a while, so you stayed, quiet and calm, mending and feeding the chickens, attending to your regular affairs. As for Micah, was but a shadow in a distance. Sometimes he would be close to you near the fire, always silent and pretending you were not there, reading a newspaper or smoking.

And you would not talk to him either. Was he waiting for you to break? Like hell you would.

That was another night like those, where silence filled the space between you. At first, that strange situation had bothered you, even more than when he just couldn't shut up. It took a little while, but now it seemed natural. -What are you looking at? – he said, suddenly.

You looked around, maybe he was saying that to someone else, but there was no one awake. Uncle, who had been talking nonstop about the time when he stole a herd of cows, now was sleeping, cradling his bottle of whiskey as it was a teddy bear.

-What is it that you want, Micah? – you said.

-Huh, it seemed like you wanted something from me – he said, with that confidence that couldn't fool you – You is looking at me with those doe eyes, what is it that you want?

And he laughed. Was he really trying to convince you that it was you who wanted him? Cheap Trick.

-I'm not even looking at you, you dumb fuck – you said.

-Yeah, sure doll, you can tell whatever lie you want to convince yourself, fuck... – he purred – you can even insult me but I see in your eyes what you want. Come here – he said, giving soft slaps on his thigh.

You looked around again.

-You must be drunk, or stupid in the head – you said – Why would I want anything with you? -Looks like you forgot about our little stroll – he got up and came in your direction – What a bad memory you have, Y/N, should I remind you what is like to be with a real man?

Micah sighed deeply and held your throat, not tight enough, just a light touch like a reminder of what could be.

-It's a shame your bruises is fading, they was so beautiful – he purred.

A shiver ran down your body again. -Why don't you keep those cheap words to someone who cares? – you said, slapping his hand away from you – or I will kill you dead.

He laughed more and lifted his hands backing away.

-I'm still waiting for that – he said.

He backed off, but his eyes were like the ones of a hungry animal with nothing to lose. He smirked, victorious, one last time and walked away. Logically, he was a piece of trash, and you knew that dealing with him was going to end badly, but you felt divided between accepting his invitation or denying it.

Your body didn't have any doubts, though.

Could you deal with his rejection? Because he was bound to pull the same shit as before, and leave you alone and stained by him. That's when something crossed your thoughts, something so simple and yet, you would have to be really invested in it to make it work. First of all, life was much like a poker game, tables could turn with a good bluff, and this way you could put him to the test. 

How much he desired you? Enough to risk a little gamble? Your cunt ached for him, but, so you could give in to that desire, you would have to change the terms. You didn't want monogamy nor compromise, even less loyalty.

You just wanted him to admit that he wanted you too.

Your opportunity appeared when they heard about Sean, he was alive and being kept by some lawfolk, Arthur was going to rescue him along with Javier, Charles and your favorite conman, Josiah Trelawny. Something about Josiah made him almost impossible to be hated, and you guessed that it was his way with words and his manners, you just couldn't help but laugh at him whenever he pulled one of his magic tricks, like a kid around a show. He dazzled people, that was his best trick.

Your plan, though, didn't include him, but the probability of success of the mission and what it could mean. Arthur was a skillful gunslinger, Javier a master with his knives, and Charles by himself was strong as a bull. You doubted that mission could go wrong.

Only if Sean was too stupid for his own good.

You saw when Charles' girl gave him a little trinket before he left the camp.

"A Lucky charm" – you heard she say. That smart little witch. Against all magic, what could go wrong? And when they returned with the big-mouthed leprechaun... There was going to be a party.

A party.

Dutch wouldn't miss the chance to make everyone believe he had everything under control, and to show that we were all under his – merciful – wings, for the man liked his speeches way too much, and that was a moment too perfect to be wasted. Even if the guy smelled like bullshit a mile away, you wouldn't say anything. You were having a nice life, after all, didn't have to suck cocks that tasted like piss and old cum for a few cents, and you ate regularly, that was a great improvement in your life. You had to be grateful, at least a little.

And, you were focusing on Micah and his pretentious attitude rather than Dutch's. Micah needed to be taught a lesson.

So, the Irish had returned home safe and sound. More or less. His voice echoed, above a crate, holding a beer and his dignity as both were the same. -... and don't you worry Mr. Pearson, you drunk old shit bag... – he just arrived but was already drunk – It'll be nothing but, uh... the finest game in the pot, now Dead Eye Macguire's back!

You were near Miss Grimshaw, sitting against the table, and looking to the faces around you.

-... and don't worry about nothing Miss Grimshaw, we'll have this camp running like clockwork... I love you bastards... have fun! Have lots of fun!

-We intend to! – said Mary-Beth, laughing.

-Yeah, come on... Let's party! – said Karen, drinking her beer.

And Sean descended from the crate, drinking his beer.

-Even you, you grumpy old bastard, Arthur. – said Sean.

-Uh oh, here comes trouble. – said Karen, but you could tell she wasn't all against his presence. Their sweetness was even more complex than you had foreseen.

They were sweet on each other, but could only admit it when they were drunk, almost like they were ashamed of each other when sober. One more reason for Karen to cry at night?

-I just can't get rid of you, can I? – said Javier, tuning his guitar.

-Mind if I join you fine folks? – Sean said, sitting with them at the round table.

-I suppose – said Karen, looking silly. The way her eyes gleamed looking at him almost made her look younger.

-I owe you one, Arthur Morgan. The drinks are on me! – said Sean.

-They always are, when you ain't buying – said Arthur, walking away to sit by the fire with Hosea and the others.

-You are looking lovely as ever, if I may say so – said Sean, not his first attempt to flirt while drunk.

-Oh stop it – said Karen, smiling shyly

-Imagine riding with him all the way from blackwater to here – said Javier – estúpido.

-So, what now? – said Sean, completely unaware that Javier called him stupid.

-Come on, how about a song? – said Dutch.

The music started. You walked away from that place. Micah wasn't around, almost like happiness made him sick or something.

-You is going to see him, ain't you? – said Miss Grimshaw.

-But not in the way you think I am – you said.

She looked deeply at you.

-You better, girl – she said.

As you walked away from her in the direction of the trees, your whole body trembled slightly, excitement trapped in a bottle too tiny for it. You wanted to do it - play Micah - but, a part of you wanted to flee as you had been doing your whole life – fear weighed in your stomach.

Soon, you found him against a tree, with a bottle of beer. If you didn't know him better, you could say he was peaceful there alone in the woods.

-So, changed your mind? – he said, his smile mocking you.

You scoffed.

-Can’t a girl smoke in peace around here? – you said, using a match to light your cigarette. It was a peaceful night, alright, no wind to even blow a candle.

-Sure, and you came here just to smoke – he said, holding his belt – tryin' to fool me?

-If I'm bothering you, then I will leave you and your nasty personality alone – you said throwing your cigarette on the ground and stepping on it.

-Oh, come on - he purred, all convinced that he called the shots with you - there is room enough for both of us here – he said tapping the tree near him.

You laughed.

-Don't go thinking you is such a big deal Micah, I fucked better with my hands.

-Is that so? – he said.

Micah was patient when he wanted to, he knew how to buy his time and push your buttons, just to strike where it hurts the most. Too experienced to fall easily in any trap. The only way to destabilize him was through his ego.

Lucifer didn't fall for it too?

You gave your back to him and returned to camp. It was more or less like fishing, you threw the bait and now you would wait. Would Micah bite it just by sheer desire to see what you were up to? He was a stubborn man. Would he be stubborn to the point of wait to see you play yourself or stubborn to believe you, and seek to prove you wrong? What would give him more pleasure? Much of your plan was going to carry on based on probability and improvisation. Were you right about Micah Bell, after all?

As you approached the center of the camp, you heard they singing the ring-the-dang-pussy song. You watched in disbelief how grown man liked to sing about cunts like little boys. Uncle had red cheeks and a bottle in hand, making obscene gestures.

Oh, you enjoyed that old man just enough, and that was a whole lot to you. You had to give it to them, it was funny alright. All seemed fine, the gang was happy again, playing and laughing like nothing was wrong. Even Pearson didn't seem so stupid.

That was a good night. Felt nice to have people around you, sometimes... The only thing that seemed strange to this scene was Dutch's music playing in his phonograph. People were actually drinking and talking about pussy and he was listening to some kind of classical song?

Really?

You sat by the table where people usually polished their guns, and tasted your first beer of the night. You couldn't get wasted so soon, not yet anyway. Soon Micah appeared, looking as flustered as possible, walking in that crooked way that only he does, shoulders up, head down facing you. Your heart started pacing, but you maintained your face neutral. He sighed deeply, almost like a threat to you. -So, you fucked better alone alright? I see – he laughed, but was mad enough too.

You shrugged and didn't answer, just took a sip of your bottle.

-I see what you are doing, Y/N, thinking you is smart? I won't fall for that.

-Oh, I'm doing something now? What am I doing Micah?

-Don't pull that on me, thinking you can provoke me. Trying to get me angry?

At this moment, Sean walked by almost falling to the ground but still holding his beer. A true drunken, sure he was. Karen walked behind him too, so drunk that neither one of them seemed to care about you and Micah. They hid behind the girl's wagon.

-Look at that lucky fucker... – Micah said.

-Huh.. – you were indifferent, sipping your beer.

-Hah, don't try to play it cool, Y/N, it doesn't suit you.

-Like you would know that.. – you scoffed him.

Then, you heard Sean laughing, and this time we waited in silence.

-Admit you love me – Sean said in that drunken fool way of his – Admit it and I'll stop annoying you.

-I'll admit nothing – it was Karen who spoke.

-You love me – Sean said.

-I'd rather love a snake!

-Come here – it was Sean's voice, but it faded quickly.

A slap sound, and more laughter. Soon Karen came by running and laughing as Sean stood near the wagon.

-She loves me... – he said, more to him than to us – I'm the happiest man alive.

-That fool wouldn't know what hit him not even if it was a train – Micah said.

-Sure – you said.

-What do you want, Y/N? – he said, at last.

You shrugged again.

-You want to give me something now? – you said.

-You wish. – he said, getting down to your level, his hands over the table. He sighed again – I won't fall for that Y/N. Just letting you know.

-Okay. – you said, as quickly as you could, as if you didn't care for what he did or said.

And he picked a bottle out of the crate over the table, moving his brows - emphasizing what he said - as if he didn't care about you at all. Sean got up and now was standing near the tent, close to us. Drinking his thoughts away, most likely.

-Oh, there she is... the finest lady I know – he said, suddenly.

You looked over your shoulder and saw Karen coming by.

-I hate you, you Irish bastard! – she said. She was all too drunk to care about much at that point.

Micah and you stood there, watching the scene.

-Ah, come here. – he said, going towards her.

You were so tempted to make a bet with Micah, but you feared to ruin the moment.

-You hate me too, I can see 't ‘n your eyesss... – she wasn't talking all the letters, others she pronounced too much.

Sean held her hands in his, caressing them slowly. 

-I love you – he said.

-You only love me when we're drunk – she said divided in laughter and tears.

-Well, you're always awfully superior when you're sober... – he said, his words filled with emotion.

She didn't need much time after that.

-Come on, then... – she said, taking him by the hand and guiding him to the nearest tent while he laughed – I hate you, you know that... I hate you.

You couldn't bear any more, you had to look at him and laugh.

-Shush now doll, let's hear them – Micah said, finding it all terrible funny too.

They were laughing at first.

-It's alright John's tent, isn't it? – said Sean – hasn't seen any action like this since nine months before young Jackie popped out!

-Sean! – Karen said, whining.

-Move over, will ya? – Sean said.

-What are you doing? – Karen said.

Sean was trying to get his pants off, with no success.

- Sorry! – Sean said – Ohoho, there they are, look at them. Magnificent.

-Is he talking about his balls? – you asked Micah, making fun of them, for obvious reasons.

Micah laughed, and it was nice to hear him doing so.

-Like the peaks of the Derryveagh! – said Sean.

-Oh, shut up, you idiot! – said Karen, laughing.

Okay, her breasts.

-Nice compliment, you could use that too – you said.

-I have better ones for you, you nasty thing – he said.

-Come here, you – Sean said inside the tent.

They started moaning and whining. You could imagine, but you didn't want to, expecting to preserve some of your sanity for later.

-Hey, what are you doing? – Karen said, kind of annoyed.

-Anal – you said to Micah, putting your hands over your face and pretending to be surprised.

He laughed hard.

-It's an old trick my Da taught me – Sean said.

-Ugh, no! Don't ever do that again! – Karen said, relaxing again.

-Oh, okay, okay, here we go... Miss Jones, meet Macguire Junior – Sean was having fun.

-Creepy – you said. Before Micah could say something, Karen was talking again.

-Is that it? – she said, not pleased at all.

This time Micah laughed hard and loud. He couldn't help it, and probably would bring that up to Sean until the end of days.

-You wait, he's a fighter... – Sean trying to save his reputation was a terrible thing to hear – Okay...no, that's not... there... no...

Sean didn't seem very comfortable.

-Guide me in here a bit, will ya? – he said.

-Jesus! – Karen said, irritated.

-That's the ugliest thing I have ever heard. And I heard a lot in my life – Micah said – That woman is a true fighter. Brave Karen.

-Oh yes! – Sean said.

-Finally – you said.

-You're a lovely woman – Sean said, gasping – Oh – his voice trembled a little – yes! Oh yes, that's it!

-Stop pulling that face! – said Karen.

-He's a virgin – you said – must be.

-And you would know that, don't you baby doll? – Micah said.

You shrugged again. Sean was gasping, and Karen was not whining of pleasure. You could almost precise his rhythm by his sounds.

-Yes! – Sean said – Ohoohoh Miss Jones!

-Will you shut up? – said Karen.

-Are you close? – Sean asked.

-Nowhere near! – Karen said, uncomfortable and irritated.

-Oh! – Sean screamed.

-That's a record alright – said Micah.

-Ohh – Sean's voice was trembling – There she blows! Phew... it's like all worries have floated away... Hey, where are you going?

-She must have sobered up already – you said.

-We're done, ain't we? – she said, bored and tired.

-We certainly are, darling. – Sean said, his laugh somewhere between nervousness and tiredness, but nowhere near the fact that she was completely unsatisfied.

When she left the tent, she didn't even look around, so you were not sure if she was completely aware that you and Micah were there. Sean, however, spotted Micah first of all. Sean was a messy mixture of shame and confidence, and soon as he found out that Micah had heard the whole thing, he gave him gis back and made his walk of shame towards his bedroll.

-That was disturbing – you said.

-See? You should be grateful for what I give you – Micah said.

-Yeah, what about you be grateful for what I put up with you? – you said.

-I knew it! You are all sour because I didn't say anything.

-You wish – you got up, stretching yourself – What about you pestering me about it? All I see is you trying to convince me that I want anything with you, why don't you admit that you are a pussy that's afraid to like it too much?

-Oh, you want me to admit? – he said, walking around the table, coming in your direction – You coming too sassy for my taste.

-Your loss – you said.

He sighed deeply again, his nostrils opening like the ones of an angry bull.

-Don't you think I could just take you here, now? You can't stop me.

-And that would be rape. You don't scare me. Besides, what rape would prove? That you can't satisfy a woman so you must take her by force? Thought you had some pride.

He was so close that you could feel his breathing against your skin.

-Okay. You want me to say it? I will say it.

-I don't want you to lie to me. Or else, what's the point – you said.

-Cards on the table doll. Who's holding what.

You looked deep in his blue eyes, blue as the summer sky. He held you close, against him, your breasts crushed against his chest.

-I want you – he said - Is that what you wanted to hear?

-I don't know, keep trying...

-Don't test me baby doll, you wouldn't like it

-Wanna bet? – you whispered.

He held your dark hair in his hand, pushing backwards and making you face him. He was almost two heads taller than you, and you enjoyed how big he was near you. Then he kissed you, his lips were rough against yours, but you molded yourself to him, to his strength. His kiss kept getting deeper, more thirsty and demanding.

At some point, you had to fight to back off a little so you could breathe.

-Satisfying you enough?

-Shut up and kiss me, now! – you said, holding his face, bringing his lips closer to yours.

He smiled, but there was nothing funny about it.

-I will just give you a treat tonight, you have been a very bad girl, you don't deserve...

-Shut up Micah – you said, pushing him against the table – We will fuck!

He wasn't all comfortable with that. Seemed confused, yet interested.

-What's now, gonna use me? – he said.

You didn't say, just pressed him, and started opening his shirt, passing your hands against his chest.

-This way they will see it all – he said, mocking you – Let me help you a little – he held you and walked to the other side of the table, putting your back to his chest – now all they is gonna see is my back.

You looked to the wagon, your heart racing, trying to see if someone was awake. He lifted your skirt.

-No undergarments? – he laughed – You was expecting this, wasn't you?

-One may never know – you said.

He put his cock out, rubbing it. You started to rub yourself against him.

-Oh yes, you was waiting for it all day, waiting for me – he said.

You held his thighs, over his pants.

-Just as much as you. – you said.

-Then, you were waiting big time – and he shoved himself in you.

You screeched, but he quickly held your mouth. You could hear Sean singing near the fire.

-No sound, or you want them to notice us? – he whispered – I will release you, but only if you promise to be a good little slut to me.

You shook your head. He released you and started pounding hard inside you, you could feel him hitting deep, and you bit your lips, so you wouldn't scream. You enjoyed how he stretched you, and made your cunt ache, no mercy, only pleasure. He held you by your neck with one hand, the other holding your hip so you wouldn't break apart not even a few inches from him. But even if he didn't hold you, you still would hammer yourself against him, guessing his movements.

-Ain't you an obedient one, huh? You love some good cock fucking you, don't you? – he whispered.

-Yes – you whispered.

-I said don't make a sound – and he scratched your thigh, ugh – You only answer when I say you can.

You shook your head.

-Huh, your cunt is hungry tonight, what is it that you doing? – he asked, really low – You speak now.

-I learned it a long time ago...

-It's like you're giving me a blow with your cunt – and he gasped.

And he pushed your back, making you bend for him, touching the ground with your hands, then he pounded harder, and you couldn't catch your breath – he was touching every inch inside of you, all the right spots, and the way your cunt ached only increased the sensation, it was too quick and too strong... too much... You cried trying to keep it quiet.

-Already? You just can't have enough, can you?

Micah got down in his knees, pushing your head against the ground now, you two hidden behind the table. He kept pushing you further.

-You fucked better alone, was that it? – he said, and thrust himself inside you with anger – better than this?

And he made you close your legs, making you really tight and difficult.

-Tell me, you fucking cum-hole, better than this?

-No... – you moaned really low, barely breath leaving your mouth.

-You bet – he whispered in your ear.

And he fucked you into another orgasm, just to prove a point. What was the point? That he was good. He came in your thighs. Micah got up, closing his pants and looking around, trying to notice if someone had seen you both. Luckily, the ones that were still awake were too drunk to even notice.

[one-night-story]

I Got a Premonition that Tonight is Getting Strange (Arthur Curry/Aquaman)

Allie walked through the door of her old home town pub that she hadn’t been in since she was way younger than she should’ve been. She looked around at the “fisherman chic” decor that hadn’t changed since she had left. She took a breath and made her way to the bar. The bartender had her back to her, so he didn’t immediately see that she had sat down. Her usual spot felt almost comforting if it weren’t for the sense of whiplash she felt being there. The wood was scored the same from the knives she had scratched into it, the seat felt different from the crease she had carved when she was younger, and the pens and paint marks were still there from when she had finished school projects there. The bartender turned around and looked in awe at Allie.

“Baby sis you’ve gotta be kidding,” The bartender, or more accurately her older brother Mark said with awe.

“What? Thought I wouldn't come?” She asked with a sly smirk. Mark got out from behind the bar and hugged her tight.

“No, it’s just… life’s been so weird since you left.” He said.

“Yeah I heard.” She said with a chuckle. “Sounds like we’ve got a celebrity.” She remarked as she let him go back to his job. Their tiny town of Amnesty Bay had made headlines recently for being the hometown a superhero. She had only heard bits and pieces, but she knew the media called him “Aquaman” and conspiracy theorists thought he was from Atlantis. Amnesty Bay knew his name was Arthur Curry and as far as they knew, human.

“Didn’t you two date?” He asked. Allie felt the blood and warmth rush to her cheeks. She quickly hid it by running her hand through her hair.

“No, the thought didn’t even cross my mind. You know how I am about relationships.” Allie lied as her brother made her a rum and coke. The thought had crossed her mind. Multiple times. Though she never wanted to admit to herself or anyone.

“Yeah, yeah, “if you wanna be my lover, you have to tell me in exact words because I am oblivious.”” He said verbatim from her old mantra when they were in high school. “I am glad you’re back home though. Haven’t seen you in ages baby sis.” He added. Allie rolled her eyes at being called baby sister again. They were only a year apart, but she got the “baby” label.

“Whatever old man, just wish it were for circumstances that didn’t involve you getting married...” She replied. The duo went silent for a moment as Mark rolled her eyes handed her drink over to her.

“You know she’s not that bad once you get to know her.” He replied.

“Well, you guys didn’t really make an effort to come out and introduce her to me.” She stated. Mark conceded and she smirked. She made a gestures in cheers and took a sip of her drink. She found herself not flinching at the taste. Her older brother had remembered she liked more coke in her rum in coke. Truth was she had never gotten drunk because she couldn’t stand the taste of straight alcohol. Didn’t stop her in college and even late high school, but when you grow up in and around a bar, the idea of getting blackout drunk doesn’t really appeal as much. She watched her brother as she took care of the other patrons around the immediate bar. Allie zoned in and out, running her fingers over the carvings in the bar. They were stupid, but they made her smile a little on the inside. A sign that no matter how much she had changed; this place would be here. Hell, this place could probably survive the apocalypse. She wouldn’t put it past the place. When she came zoned back into her present space, or perhaps what had caused her to zone back in, was the sudden appearance of someone who the bar greeted fondly. Someone sat down next to her and initially she didn’t pay them any mind, if they were a problem, Mark would warn her.

“Mark, how’s the evening treating you?” The person asked. She smiled a little at that. His voice was deep and kind, she recognized it, but she didn’t know where from, seeing as he knew her brother’s name was as good as a sign as any that he was a regular.

“Well it improved with your arrival.” Mark joked as he put a beer down. The man laughed, seemingly catching on her brother’s subtle innuendo.

“What would your fiancée think?” He said.

“Ah, for you Arthur, I think she’d understand.” Mark replied. Allie felt her hair stand up. Arthur? Their local celebrity superhero, her for a period of time unadmitted crush (junior year was a dark time, and he gave the best hugs when one is coming out of a bathroom post crying session, not to mention the handful classes they had together and him going out of his way to bond with her when he could). Allie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and was greeted with an arm covered in tattoos and about the size of her head and the guy attached had thick curly hair tied up in a bun and a beard. She looked down at her glass and would’ve downed it, had there been anything in it.

“Big bro, what’s a girl gotta do to get a refill? Turn into a burly super hero?” She joked. Mark rolled her eyes.

“And here I thought I was gonna give you an employee discount.” He said.

“Hey, I’m still on the payroll, I’ll give myself a discount thank you very much.” Allie replied. She felt Arthur’s eyes on her.

“Oh no you will not.” Mark replied as he placed a new drink in front of her. “Arthur, you remember my baby sister Allie.” Mark said causing Allie to have to acknowledge Arthur sitting next to her. She turned slightly in her stool and offered her hand.

“Yeah, I remember you. You nearly tore Mrs. Ball’s head off verbally for a year in World History.” Arthur said with a smile and accepting her hand. Allie felt her cheeks glow red, of course that would be the thing he remembers about her, it’s not like she did much else (though she would forever be proud of the event in question).

“That would be me. Nice to see you again Arthur.” She said. The door opened again, and Allie barely looked over her shoulder to see the woman in the power suit to match it to the pictures Mark had sent.

“Mark, I thought you were supposed to be off work already?” She said, Julia Moore, soon to be Julia Wilson. Allie tried not to grimace too much at her voice. It reminded her of something out of a bad rom com.

“Sorry baby, but my switch hasn’t come yet.”

“Yeah it has.” Allie said. Mark looked to her and she felt Arthur’s gaze on her as well. “Bro, get out from behind the bar and go hang out with your fiancée.” She stated. Mark reluctantly came out from behind the bar, and when the siblings passed each other, they did their secret sibling handshake that Mark had made her make with him when they were 10 and 9 respectively. Allie then proceeded to tie up her hair that wasn’t shaved into a messy bun on the top of her head. Julia looked at the woman now behind the bar.

“Did I hear you address him as “bro”?” She asked. Mark slapped his forehead.

“Julia, this is Allie, she’s my baby sister. Allie, this is Julia in person.” He said. Allie reached her hand across the bar and offered it to her soon to be sister in law. Julia shook it.

“Thank you for doing this for Mark.” She said.

“Hey, it’s my family bar too.” Allie said. Arthur looked at the two of them, trying to make heads or tails of the whole situation. “See you guys at rehearsal yeah?” She said. Mark laughed and waved to her as the two left the bar. Allie promptly got to work, learning everyone’s orders and what round everyone was on. She returned to in front of Arthur who was looking at her with slight confusion. “What?” Allie asked.

“Did he say, “in person”?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah, Julia’s schedule is hectic as hell and I don’t exactly live around here, so they never got around to visiting me before they got engaged. So, I only know about her through photos, text descriptions, and as a voice in the background of FaceTime calls.” She said, listing things off on her fingers. Arthur’s eyebrow raised and he took a swig of his beer.

“And based off of that, what do you think of her?” He asked. Allie furrowed her brow and took care of some customers before returning to the question.

“She’s… alright. I don’t know anything about her other than she works for an ad firm but has enough seniority to work from home, and she wants to be there for whatever kids they have. I don’t like her voice. But other than that, she seems, fine. I find it odd that my brother is marrying outside this town. I figured if he was gonna get married, he would marry someone from here.” Allie said.

“You have a favorite ex?” He asked. Allie laughed.

“Oh yeah, Janet. They dated from sophomore year to the end of the summer senior year. I was convinced for the longest time that she was gonna be on the other end of the aisle walk. Plus! She was the only one of his girlfriends who bothered getting to know me.” Allie said.

“I remember them. I remember when someone told me they had broken up they finished the statement “so clearly love is dead now.”” He said with a hearty chuckle. Allie smiled, that didn’t surprise her. She remembered being teary about it. Especially since she and Janet didn’t stay in contact as much as she would have. “There was a rumor at one point you weren’t gonna come to the wedding.” Arthur said. Allie cleaned some glasses and rolled her eyes.

“God, a girl is bad at RSVPing and suddenly her brother starts town gossip.” Allie said. “I didn’t even consider for a second not coming to my brother’s wedding. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I am very bad at time management and spaced RSVPing until literally 11:56 before the day change where I pinged my brother and said “yes I’m coming. No, I don’t have a plus one.”” She stated. Arthur chuckled and took note of her saying she didn’t have a plus one. “I assume you’re going,” she said.

“Yeah, I’m one of his groomsmen.” He said. Allie raised her eyebrow as she tried to imagine Arthur in a suit. She saw a lot of sad fabric trying to hold it together and at least one button bailing before it was too late. She shook the thought out of her head and took care of some more customers. She poured Arthur another beer and then leaned against the back counter. She watched as he did, surveying the bar and feeling a bit at home. A man in a business suit came in as well as an older woman who was trying to look younger than she was. They came up to the bar but didn’t sit down. Allie furrowed her brow and looked at Arthur, mouthing a “do you know these people?” Arthur shook his head and Allie wandered over to where they were, putting on her best customer service voice.

“Hi, welcome. Can I get something started for you?” She asked.

“Yes hi, are you Allie Wilson?” The older woman asked. Allie furrowed her brow and looked at the couple suspiciously.

“Who’s asking?” She asked.

“I am Mary Moore, I’m Julia’s mother.” She said. Allie allowed her form to ease now that she knew she wasn’t in any immediate danger.

“Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Moore, what can I do for you?” Allie asked with a little less of her customer service voice.

“We wished to talk to you about the wedding.” She said. Allie went back to being confused.

“What do you mean? I know nothing about the wedding.”

“We noticed that you RSVPed without a plus one,”

“Yeah, I don’t really… date.” Allie said. She picked up a glass to clean so she was still being productive.

“Well you are the only one without one, I’m going to ask you to find one.” She stated in a matter of fact tone. Allie’s eyes went wide.

“Excuse me?”

“We look forward to meeting the lucky man.” She said as she and presumably her husband left the bar. Allie had the sudden urge to tear out her own hair. Or strangle someone. She turned to Arthur.

“Did you know about this?” She asked.

“Yeah, Mark mentioned something about it. Julia’s family’s big on balance or something so everyone was asked to bring an opposite gender plus one.” He said. Allie rolled her eyes.

“And he didn’t feel the need to tell me?”

“You RSVPed so late, I don’t think it was high on his priority list. Plus, you’re his sister, I have a feeling that he knew that this would be your reaction.” Arthur defended her brother. She groaned and dropped her head to the bar briefly.

“How the hell am I gonna find a date in two days?” She asked.

“I don’t wanna be too forward,” Arthur started to say.

“If you’re about to propose faking as each other’s plus ones you better have a damn good pitch.” Allie said. Arthur laughed.

“I’m just saying, we kill two birds with one stone,”

“She said everyone had a plus one,”

“Yeah well my plus one is more of “proof of me having one” than an actual plus one.”

“So, you don’t have one, but told them you did?” Allie asked.

“Yeah exactly.” Arthur said. Allie laughed and rolled her eyes.

“Alright Curry, count me in. On one condition:”

“Shoot,”

“We have to let Mark in on it,”

“Fine by me.”

After the bombshell was dropped on them, the rest of the night was quiet and peaceful. Allie closed up shop and Arthur left to go settle some last-minute things. Allie locked up with the key her father made her carry on her at all times and then she proceeded to call Mark. One ring, two rings…

“Hello?” Mark said his tone a little groggy.

“When were you going to tell me about the whole “Everyone must have a plus one?”” Allie demanded. Mark groaned but chuckled a little.

“Mary told you? I wasn’t gonna force it on you baby sister. But apparently Mary is instant the whole wedding will have “bad omens” if the guest list isn’t perfectly balanced.”

“You do realize you are spewing horseshit right now, right?” She asked. Mark laughed on the other end of the line.

“Yeah I know, but Mary’s paying for the whole thing and keeps throwing tantrums every six minutes about tiny details.” He said. “So, who are you gonna call in on such short notice?”

“Arthur.”

“Curry?”

“No, Arthur Dayne, of course Arthur Curry!” Allie snapped.

“He already RSVPed with a plus one,”

“Apparently his was fake so he agreed to take me in a sort of “fake dating” scenario.”

“Think you can pull it off?”

“Oh yeah, it’s not like it’s something I’ve been mentally practicing since I was sixteen or anything.” Allie remarked. She groaned, oh this was gonna kill her. “You so owe me for this brother.” She added.

“Made a note of it baby sister. Get some sleep.” He said. Allie hung up and sighed. She then got into her car and drove back to where she was staying for the weekend.

Two days passed and the wedding was upon them. Allie had shown up in the dress she was forced to wear by the dress code, another proof against “bad omens”, and she found herself stressing out a little. Her brother was getting married. There was something jarring about that. They were only a year apart and were so close before real life got in the way that when he had told her he was going to propose she didn’t believe him. Her brother? The guy who went through three shirts in the morning and couldn’t put his phone on shuffle ever? That guy was getting permanently attached to someone for better or for worse? The concept seemed entirely foreign to her. She was starting to wonder if she was going to have to find her seat (the other thing about this new age wedding, assigned seats) on her own, when Arthur jogged in through the front door. He wore a suit, which was so drastically different from his t-shirt in jeans that Allie felt the urge to brace against something, but still had little hints it was still him. From his hair in a bun, the jade around his neck, and the absurd amounts of rings on his fingers, he was still Arthur Curry. Just in a suit for the day.

“Hey sorry, the groomsmen needed to meet before the wedding.” He said. He pulled her into a hug and suddenly Allie felt like she was sixteen again. “Go with it,” he whispered in her ear. He then pressed a kiss to her temple and for the rest of the conversation, had her pulled into his side.

“Right, I’m gonna go get in my assigned seat because that isn’t bonkers or anything.” Allie said. Arthur chuckled and gave her a squeeze.

“You do that, the real challenge will be the reception.” He said.

“Oh yeah,” Allie muttered. Arthur released her and went back to where the groomsmen were. Allie’s side still felt like the pressure and heat were there. This man was going to ruin her, she could tell.

The ceremony was nice enough. A bit too “new age” and about 20 minutes too long. But by the end of it, in the eyes of the State of Maine, her brother was married. The multiple parties got into their cars and drove to the restaurant they were hosting the reception at. Allie thought about how she had only been a handful of times when she was younger and usually with Mark or their father. It felt odd coming here with so many strangers. It was in this moment Allie realized that her moving away had really isolated her, both from her brother and her hometown. She wasn’t the lead singer in a pop punk band, she didn’t hate the place. But it just seemed small compared to whatever she was going to do with her life. So, she watched the merry making of the wedding. Her brother seemed genuinely happy and for that she couldn’t be happier. Arthur came over to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side.

“I’m happy for him. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” Allie stated.

“I wouldn’t imagine anyone saying that,” Arthur said.

“Mary’s glaring at us like that’s what she wants to say.” Allie remarked. Arthur chuckled and stepped into her line of sight.

“Then don’t think about her,” He said. Allie looked up at him and was greeted with a smile that could put bottled sunshine to shame if that was even a thing. “C’mon, let’s dance.” He said. He took her hand and the duo wandered onto the makeshift dance floor that had a handful of other couples there. Arthur held her and Allie tried her best. But the height difference between them was edging on comical. Arthur chuckled softly at this as they swayed to the soft music. Allie seemed completely content in that moment. But something was nagging in the back of her brain, something that she couldn’t stop thinking about.

“Hey Arthur,” she probed. He looked down at her, “why cook up this fake dating plot?” She asked. He lightly chuckled.

“Your brother was right you are oblivious as sin.” He said. Allie furrowed her brow.

“Wait, you’ve been flirting with me?” She asked.

“Did so for four years. Thanks for noticing.” He joked. Allie let her forehead drop to his chest as he laughed a little.

“Don’t worry, it was an enlightening experience.” He said.

“Why didn’t you just ask me out you idiot?” She asked.

“At the time? Lack of confidence and fear. Now, distance and my side hustle.” He said. Allie rolled her eyes.

“For your reference. I would have and still would say yes.” She stated.

“Then Allie, wanna go out some time?” He asked.

Allie popped up on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. “Sure, count me in fish dude.”