#meaning replies and the starters i owe will have to wait until tomorrow !

[swtsours]

besties  guess  who’s  turning  23  today  🙈💗

[carry-the-sky]

Kastle + 2 for the touch writing prompts 💕

based on the prompt: a touch with relief

also on ao3

shout out to @onebatch2batch and @ninzied 💕

.

She’s late.

Frank’s eyes dart to his phone. Screen’s dark, same as it was when he glanced at it a minute ago. No missed calls, no texts. He swigs his coffee, more to swallow down the muted panic in his throat than anything else.

“Fresh cup for your friend, honey?”

Frank looks up. The waitress—Jo, her name tag reads—is nodding at the mug of coffee he ordered for Karen when he got here.

His eyes linger on it a moment before he shakes his head. “I’m good, ma’am. She’s, uh—she’s on her way.”

Frank must look as keyed-up as he feels, because Jo offers him a gentle smile. “You got it,” she says. “Just holler when she gets here, okay?”

Then she’s walking off. Probably assumes he got stood up by a date, and hell—he almost wishes that’s what this was. At least he could shrug that off, carry on with his day instead of sitting across from an empty booth, chest slowly going tight with dread.

Frank pushes back from the table, forces himself to breathe. Maybe something came up at work—a deadline got pushed up or a source backed out last-minute and Ellison’s got her holed up at the office doing damage control—

His hand twitches for his phone. They’ve been meeting for lunch pretty regularly for the past month or so, but Karen always shoots him a text the day before to confirm. He scans her last message in their thread—Tomorrow still good? Same place as last week?—and something in his chest twinges. Maybe it’s an occupational hazard, or maybe it’s just her way of making sure he won’t bail—either way, Frank can’t blame her. He’s far from atoning for the way he left things that day at the hospital. It’s a small miracle she let him back into her life at all.

Frank’s eyes flick to the time at the top of the screen. It’s going on twenty past the hour. Hell with it—maybe he’s being paranoid, but his gut says something’s off. He hits the call button next to her name.

It goes straight to voicemail.

His pulse stutters. It doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t mean—

He tries her again.

Hi, you’ve reached Karen Page. Please leave your name and number and I’ll get back—

Shit. Frank swipes over to his contacts, scrolls until he finds the number for the Bulletin’s front desk.

“New York Bulletin,” a cheerful voice answers on the second ring. “How may I direct your call?”

“Is Karen Page in?” he asks, straining to keep his voice steady.

He knows what the answer will be, but it still lands like a gut-punch when the receptionist tells him that Ms. Page is currently out of the office. His hand is shaking when he hangs up.

Jo is making the rounds again, and Frank doesn’t miss the sympathetic glance she shoots in his direction. He takes a deep breath through his nose, slow and steady to counter the hammer of his heart. He needs to focus, think.

Hanging around her office is a non-starter—he’s let his beard grow out, but his face has been plastered across the front page enough times that the damn receptionist would probably recognize him now. He could try Karen’s place on the off chance she ran home—

Frank’s fingers twitch against his phone. He should get up, move, do something other than sit here with this familiar tension cranking up his sternum. One thought spins on a turntable in his head—something’s wrong. Something’s wrong. He let his guard down, let himself breathe for one goddamn second, and now—if something happened to her—

The world narrows, tilts like a kaleidoscope. He needs air.

He’s dimly aware of standing, tossing a few bills on the table before he’s out the door. The street is thick with noise—people laying on their horns, distant sirens, someone shouting. He focuses on each individual sound, anchors his breath to the steady thrum of the city around him.

He’s not sure how long he stands there—a few minutes, maybe. Long enough for his vision to stop swimming, for the pounding in his ears to subside. Long enough to register his phone, buzzing in his hand.

Her number’s flashing across the screen.

Frank fumbles to answer, almost dropping his phone in the process. “Karen, hey—”

“Frank,” she replies, and relief floods his veins at the sound of her voice. “I’m so sorry—my phone decided to automatically update right as I was leaving for lunch, and then when you didn’t show—I was getting worried.”

He frowns, trying to process her words. “Where—where are you?”

“Sal’s. Why, didn’t you—” she pauses. “Wait, did you go to Cinco’s?”

Frank turns her text from last night over in his head. Same place as last week. They definitely grabbed lunch at Cinco’s—he’d ordered extra steak fries with his burger, just to let her swipe a few from his plate—but, shit, that’s right—they’d swung by a new place afterwards for dessert, some local café that had just opened.

We should try this place for lunch sometime, Karen had said in between bites of her raspberry scone. Frank remembers the dusting of sugar across her upper lip, remembers the small heart attack it gave him when she’d licked it clean.

“Think there might’ve been a misunderstanding,” he tells her now, cheeks warm. Karen just laughs in response as it all clicks together, and Frank lets the sound wash over him, the warmth of it dissolving the tension in his chest. She’s laughing. She’s okay.

“Lesson learned,” she says. “Be more specific. And make sure the phone isn’t going to update.”

“Wouldn’t be a problem if you had one like mine.”

“Not a chance. There’s old-fashioned, and then there’s prehistoric.” There’s a beat of silence, and he knows she’s smiling on the other end of the line. “Listen, I have to head back early today, but are you free for lunch tomorrow? I owe you some fries from Cinco’s, at the very least.”

“Works for me,” Frank says. “Sure you don’t wanna write that down, just to be safe? That’s C-I-N—”

“Shut up, Frank.”

It’s his turn to grin. “Tomorrow, then.”

“Tomorrow,” she echoes.

He stays on the line until she hangs up, weightless with relief even as his blood still hums with adrenaline. It was just a miscommunication—but when his eyes squeeze shut, he’s right back in that hotel watching Lewis drag her into the elevator, praying to whoever the fuck was listening that she’d still be breathing when he got to her.

He knew, even then, what it would mean to lose her. Lose her without her ever knowing—

Make it mean something.

About damn time he did.

.

Karen’s waiting for him when he gets there the next day, sitting in the same booth he was. Her eyes snap to him as he pushes through the front door, and then she’s standing, and somehow before he’s fully aware it’s happening, he’s pulling her close, burying his face in the slope of her neck, breathing her in.

She’s warm. Her arms cinch around his shoulders, drawing him in even closer, and he smells something floral, soft and clean when her hair brushes his cheek. They stay like that a moment, holding onto each other—then she gently pulls back, and the loss of contact aches like a bruise. As he slides into the booth across from her, it’s all he can do to keep from reaching for her again.

Jo comes by with coffee, gives Frank a wink that could be seen from outer space as she slides Karen a mug. When he ducks a glance at Karen, she’s pressing her lips together like she’s trying not to smile.

“How long were you sitting here yesterday?” she asks.

Frank grips his own mug tightly to keep his fingers from shaking. “Not long. Felt like—longer than it was.”

He tries to keep his voice light, but he never did have a very good poker face. And they don’t do that. They don’t lie to each other.

When he looks again, Karen’s face has softened. She reaches across the table, rests a hand against his forearm. “Frank—”

He recognizes her tone of voice, knows she’s about to apologize for something that’s not her fault. After all his bullshit, everything he’s put her through—she’s still the one telling him she’s sorry. She’s still all heart. The ache in his chest digs its roots in, blooms until he can hardly breathe.

“Hey.” He tilts his head to catch her gaze, holds it. “I’m good. Yeah? Might chuck your phone in the Hudson first chance I get, but—”

He’s hoping the jab will pull a smile from her, and it almost does. Her mouth crinkles at the corners. “Still,” she says. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

He just looks at her—eyes bright and blue and open, and shit, he’s gonna kick himself for the rest of his life for taking his sweet time telling her exactly what she means to him. He slowly turns his arm until his hand grazes her wrist, her palm, and then he’s threading his fingers through hers.

“I’m always gonna worry, Karen. I know you can handle yourself, that’s not what—” he cuts off as she gives his hand a gentle squeeze, swallows thickly before saying— “You’re the most important person in my life. You’re everything. I’m never gonna not worry.”

Now she’s smiling, mouth curved like a moon as she looks down at his hand in hers. “You mean that, Frank?”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get off my ass about it, but—this thing, Karen, you and me—if you’re in, I’m in. I’m all in.”

He’s not sure it’s happening until it’s happening—one second Karen’s leaning across the booth, the next her lips are on his.

He barely has time to process the softness of her mouth, the warmth of her hand cupping his jaw, before she’s sitting back, looking as stunned as he feels.

“I take it back,” he says, a little hoarse. “What I said about your phone. Damn thing should update every day.”

Karen just laughs, and they both lean in again.

[unfinishedjulyrainarchive]

♡ I am a bit bumped I didn't get as much done as I had planned on my day off and tomorrow I'll have a 10h shift due to being understaffed ( fortunately not a longterm thing, just tomorrow ). I owe a starter, ask replies and ofc replies but at least I managed to put all new muses on my muse page ( HERE ). Thank you for your patience, I really want to answer everything and I got so many amazing things from all of you but my brain just won't cooperate. But this way, I have something to post or respond to every time I can be online so the joy's being stretched a little. <3 I think until the weekend I REALLY should hold back from reblogging memes. And probably after, lol. But again, thank you for engaging in threads etc. and sending me things, everything is highly appreciated. Or even just liking stuff. I try to talk myself into looking at the brighter side and be more positive, ignore the negative thoughts in the back of my mind so actually still having things in my inbox or seeing your responses and such does help. But I do apologize for the long wait, I mean I could write sth. up now, I just fear it'll turn out to be garbage and I don't want to present garbage to you. Unless you want crack, I can give you crack. You know what I mean lmao

[440mxs-wife]

You Say It’s Your Birthday

March 13th, Your birthday. When you turned the page for the calendar, you noticed that your birthday was going to fall on a Friday. Oh, great, you thought. Friday the 13th. Let's hope that it's smooth sailing and that the day doesn't live up to its "bad luck" reputation.

The morning of your birthday, you noticed that the bunker was unusually quiet. You looked around for a note, or some sign as to where the guys went, but didn't find anything. Probably went out on a hunt, you thought. Hope everything's okay.

You stumbled into the kitchen for some coffee. You could tell some had been made, because the aroma was still in the air. You went over to the coffee maker to pour yourself a cup, but noticed that there was none left in the pot. You replaced the empty pot and put your mug back in the cupboard.

Oh well, I guess I can do without coffee for one morning, you thought. I'll have some cereal. You opened the fridge only to find that you were out of milk. You closed the fridge door and sat down at the breakfast table. Usually, there is a loaf of bread or a bagel, but not this morning.

You closed your eyes and pinched the bridge of your nose. No coffee, no milk for cereal, can't even make toast. This was shaping up to be one fine birthday morning, you thought sarcastically. With a deep sigh, you pulled out a notebook and started to make a list of the supplies everyone would need for the next week or so.

After taking a quick shower, you got dressed and looked for your wallet. It had to be a quick one because there wasn't enough hot water for any longer of a shower. You found your wallet on your nightstand along with your car keys. You picked up your notebook with the list and headed to the garage, making sure to lock the door behind you.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Just after you left, Sam, Dean, Castiel and Jack all came back from an easy case, a simple salt-and-burn. The boys were trying to take Jack on some easy cases, since he had lost his powers. Cas was backup in case something went wrong.

The guys called out for you, but there was no answer. "That's weird," Dean said. "Wonder where she could be? I'll try her cell," he suggested. When he heard it ringing from inside your bedroom, he went on high alert. "She's supposed to have that with her at all times, what the hell is going on?" he snapped.

"Dean, calm down, maybe she just forgot to put it in her pocket. The fact that it's here doesn't automatically mean that something went wrong," Sam remarked.

"Yeah? It could mean that Crowley somehow got in here and whisked her away, or she took off in her car and got into an accident. She could've gotten herself locked in one of these rooms, it could mean any number of things!" Dean shouted.

"Perhaps we should just calmly wait for her here. Sam's right, there could be a perfectly simple and non-life-threatening explanation. I do not detect her presence here in the bunker, so we'll have to wait until she returns home," Cas replied.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

About an hour later, you pulled back into the garage. Baby was parked in her usual spot, so you knew the boys were home, hopefully safe and sound. You grabbed some of the grocery bags, figuring you or someone else could go back for the rest. You threw open the door and as you got to the bottom of the spiral staircase, you felt four pairs of eyes on you. "What?" you asked warily as you looked to each of the men.

Dean made a beeline for the stairs and yanked the grocery bags from your hands. "So this is where you've been? Couldn't bother to leave us a note? And I thought we agreed for you to have your damn cell phone on you at all times!! You had me-us worried sick that something had happened to you! I can't believe how irresponsible you are!" he ranted.

"I'm--" you started.

"Save it. For the time being, you're on house arrest. That way we know where you are. You can stay behind and do research because you're not coming along on hunts. Guys, go get the rest of the groceries, I'll take these to the kitchen to be put away," Dean finished.

Head down, you followed Dean to the kitchen to start putting away the groceries. You started taking items out of the bags, separating them between fridge, freezer and pantry items. Sam, Cas and Jack brought in the rest of the bags, and you did the same with the other items. Soon everything was put away where it belonged. Peanut butter in the pantry, fruit in the basket and beer in the fridge.

After putting away the groceries, you sat down at the breakfast table and put your head in your hands. You hadn't meant to worry anyone, in fact you figured you'd be home before they were anyway.  One more way that today is fulfilling the Friday the 13th prophecy, you thought. Dean was so angry, and it was the first time that the brunt of it had been directed at you. He was right though, you should've left a note, made sure you had your phone on you before you left. As a hunter, you always had to be on your guard.

You went to the library to do some reading, hoping it would take your mind off of what a rotten birthday it's been so far. You picked up your book from where you left it on the table and settled into a corner of the couch, because your favorite chair was taken. You opened the book but for some reason, you kept staring straight ahead, not reading a word.

"What's the matter with you?" Dean muttered.

You slammed your book closed and glared at Dean. "I don't really feel like telling you, Dean. So drop it," you retorted.

Dean looked up from his project, trying to read your facial expression. "Well, you're in a mood. What is it, that time of the month?" he asked. You heard audible gasps from Sam, Cas and Jack, who all knew Dean had crossed a line.

"Let's see. I woke up to an empty bunker, because you all had left. I didn't find any note either, come to think of it, but I figured you were on a hunt. I remember thinking that I hoped everything was okay," you answered. "There was no coffee left in the pot, no milk left in the fridge for me to have cereal, no bread or bagels for toast. Not enough hot water for a decent length shower. Then I do the unthinkable and go on a supply run," you continued.

"Now wait a minute--" he interrupted.

"I'm not finished. Only I forgot to leave a note or take my cell phone with me, which caused great unrest in the house of Winchester. As a result, I get put on 'lockdown' without an opportunity to defend myself, which is what I'm doing right now. Spare me the lecture, Dean. Friday the 13th is bad luck enough as it is. If you're going to yell at me, though, please wait until tomorrow when it's not my birthday anymore!" you concluded. You rose from your place on the couch and went to your room, tears threatening.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Wait, today's her birthday? Why didn't she say anything?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, but it's still her birthday, we should do something for her," Jack suggested. "She does so much for us every day, the least we could do is help her to celebrate her birthday."

"I agree with Jack," Cas replied. "What can we do, what are her favorite things?"

"We can run into town and get some Chinese food. That's usually her go-to when she's feeling upset," Sam offered.

"Her favorite rock group is Queen, and I know there were a couple of T-shirts she was looking at last week when we were out," Jack mentioned.

"She loves to read, so maybe she would like a gift card from the bookstore?" Cas suggested.

Sam, Jack and Cas all looked at Dean, because he had yet to chime in. "I suppose I owe her an apology, for starters. I'll run into town and pick up the stuff you guys mentioned, then add something from me," he remarked.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A couple of hours later, you carefully opened your door to see if anyone was around. You didn't hear much noise, so you figured they'd all gone out again. You put on your robe, then gathered up your towel and clothes. You wandered down the halls to the room where you'd found the large and inviting bathtub while exploring one day.

As the water ran nice and warm, you added a peach blossom bath bomb to it and watched it fizz. Once the tub was filled at the proper level, you carefully lowered yourself into the water. You leaned back and closed your eyes in relaxation, letting the day's earlier memories drain away from you.

After no less than twenty minutes had gone by, you were sufficiently relaxed, so you got out of the tub. You dried off your body, then pulled on undergarments, your pajama pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. You went to your room to hang up your robe and towel, then put on your slippers.

You decided to try reading again, now that you were more relaxed, and you thought it may help you fall asleep. You became concerned when all the lights were off, so you called out to Sam, Dean, Cas and Jack.

All of a sudden, you hear, "SURPRISE!!" and all of the house lights came back up, with the boys standing around a table. Sitting on the table was a birthday cake with lit candles, and brightly colored gift bags. Tears sprang to your eyes when you realized the effort they had put into helping you celebrate your birthday. Especially given how it had gone up to that point.

"Guys, thank you. I'm sorry about earlier. I should've---" you started.

"Never mind that for now, time to celebrate your birthday!" Sam exclaimed. "You should probably blow out the candles, since they're dripping wax on the birthday cake," he grinned.

"Make a wish," Dean said softly. You closed your eyes, thought of a wish, then you blew out all the candles in one breath. Everyone cheered and suggested you open your gifts.

The first gift you opened was a big red bag from Sam, and inside was Chinese food from your favorite restaurant in town. "Aww, thank you, Sam! These guys make the best egg rolls, you have to try some!" you exclaimed as you passed around the container with the egg rolls in them.

The next gift bag was blue, and was from Jack. You reached in and pulled out the two Queen T-shirts you'd had your eye on since last week. "These are perfect, Jack! Just the ones I've been looking at," you remarked.

Cas leaned over and grabbed an envelope from the table and handed it to you. You looked at him in surprise and tore it open. Inside the birthday card was a gift card to the bookstore in town. "I know how much you like to read, but you won't find anything current on these shelves. I thought you could use it to find something new," Cas explained. "Thank you, Cas. I'm sure I can put this to good use," you replied.

Since you had opened all of your gifts, you suggested breaking into the Chinese food and then cutting the cake. As Sam started opening the trademark white cardboard boxes, Dean went to the kitchen and brought out some plates. He seemed to be taking extra effort not to make eye contact with you. He must still be upset with me, you thought, as you tried to concentrate on enjoying the celebration.

After dinner, you all decided to watch one of your favorite movies, The Princess Bride. During the movie, one by one everyone started to get sleepy. Sam, Jack and Cas each gave you a kiss on top of your head as they left or went to their rooms.

You tried to make it to the end of the movie, but after the fire swamp scene, you also gave in and decided to go to bed. Dean was relaxing in the library with his tumbler of whiskey when you softly wished him good night.

A little while later, you awoke from a horrible nightmare. A demon had captured you all, but it killed each of the boys one by one, while it forced you to watch. You sat straight up in bed, breathing heavily, trying to get your bearings. You reached for the glass of water you kept on your nightstand and drank its contents. You tried to get back to sleep, but each time you closed your eyes, you were taken back into the same scenario. After laying there for about fifteen minutes not sleeping, you got out of bed and wandered into the library.

To your surprise, Dean was still there, nursing his glass of whiskey. He glanced up to see who it was, and relaxed a bit when he saw it was you. "Can't sleep?" he asked.

You nodded. "Nightmare," was all you said.

"Want to talk about it?" he inquired.

"Not really, not now anyway," you replied, shaking your head.

Dean tilted his head back and drank the remainder of his whiskey in one gulp. You took a step closer to him and put your hand on his shoulder. He looked at your hand then at you, trying to tell what you were thinking.

"Listen, Dean, I'm sorry about before. You're right, I should've left a note, or at least made sure I had my phone with me. It was stupid and careless, and it won't happen again," you said, walking back towards your room.

Dean caught your hand and stopped you. "Nah, I'm the one who should be apologizing, I overreacted. When I called out for you and you weren't here, I....got worried that something terrible had happened to you. I panicked, and then when you showed up, all that just kind of exploded in me.

“I was so relieved to see you, but instead of seeing my relief, you saw my anger for making me worry. I am sorry for that, and for not realizing it was your birthday," he finished. "I didn't even get you anything."

"You didn't have to get me anything, Dean. I'm not into getting stuff. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the gifts, but all I really ever want is to not be forgotten. For someone to say, 'hey, you're somebody special, and I'm glad you were born today'," you explained.

Dean thought for a moment, then a grin spread slowly across his face. "I have an idea. Get your shoes on and grab your coat," he said.

"What? Why?" you asked.

"No questions, just go get your shoes and your coat on and meet me in the Impala," he grinned then winked at you.

A few minutes later, you slid into the passenger seat of the Impala. Dean backed out of the bunker garage, then headed down the highway. You cast a sidelong glance at him, trying to figure out what he's up to, but he kept his eyes on the road, a mischievous grin on his face.

Seeing his destination, he pulled the Impala over onto a small side road with a clearing. Dean got out of the car and rushed over to the passenger side to open the door for you. He held out his hand to assist you. You placed your hand in his, feeling the strength and safety you knew it and the man himself offered. "Thank you, Dean," you blushed. "What are we doing here?" you asked.

"Look up," he replied softly. You leaned against the Impala, then did as he asked. You couldn't help but be awestruck by the seemingly limitless number of stars present in the moonlit sky. "It's breathtaking," you whispered. "I've never seen so many stars. I wish I knew what some of the constellations were, other than the Big Dipper," you remarked.

Dean came over to where you were standing. He placed his hands on your shoulders, turning you so he was behind you. "I happen to know a thing or two about astronomy, I'll show you. Pointing to his left, he said, "See that bright dot over there?" You nodded. "Well, that's not a star, that's the planet Venus. The clouds on Venus trap the sun's rays, making it glow."

"Tell me more," you prodded.

He rubbed your shoulders a bit before moving his hands a little lower to your sides. You started to feel slightly warm, like you may no longer need the jacket you brought with you. Dean pointed to his right and upward. "That's Cassiopeia, a very vain and naughty Greek queen. There's Orion, the Greek hunter, trying to hold up his pants with his belt," he grinned.

You giggled at his joke. "There's sure a lot of stars up there, how do you know so much about them?" you asked.

"Truth?" he responded, to which you nodded. "Well, if you're ever lost, you can navigate by the stars. And maybe....to impress women," he added sheepishly.

You turned to face Dean, his hands still on your sides. "I'd say it worked on this woman," you replied softly, reaching with your hand to cup his face.

Dean searched your face as if he were truly seeing it for the first time. "You sure look pretty, especially in the moonlight. I don't know how I didn't see it before," he marveled. He pulled you closer, then leaned in to capture your lips with his. You were amazed at how tender his kiss was, compared with his tough side that he shows the rest of the world.

Your mouths moved fluidly with each other, tasting and exploring with your tongues. Dean's hands left your sides to roam freely up and down your back. Your hands had gone from stroking his cheek to running through his hair. When you paid particular attention to the ones at the base of his neck, he groaned in appreciation. "Woman, you're going to be the death of me, you know that?" he growled.

"But what a glorious way to go, hmm?" you teased, causing him to grin against your mouth.

"By the way....Happy Birthday, sweetheart," Dean replied softly.

"Thank you, Dean. For the stars and for making my birthday wish come true," you said.

[mimi-cee-hq]

To Stand on the Court Again (Part 1 of 2)

[Masterlist]

[Part 1] | [Part 2]

Here’s a reader-insert Yamaguchi-centric story that was modified from my side story. (I wrote this before I knew that reader-inserts were a thing.) I hope there are Yamaguchi fans who’d actually enjoy this.

Reader is female and knowledgeable about volleyball.

Summary:

The next school year rolls around and Yamaguchi is disappointed that he’s not a starting player. When he feels like there isn’t much more he could do, the girl in front of him tells him, “I think you can be a starter, and I don’t mean that lightly.” Then she backs it up with her actions. A volleyball story about Yamaguchi’s second year with a heart-warming ending.

Words: 1,554

Spring had come and gone, but not a lot had changed for Yamaguchi. The third years had graduated and the team had taken in some first years. But with the changes that took place around him, he felt the same. During the last practice game, it became clear that he was the only one in his year that had yet to improve. Sure he had his one weapon, his jump float serve, but lately it felt like a burden instead. His float was the thing that gave him the opportunity to stand on the court with his teammates, but he wanted more. He wanted to be a starting player again. He remembered the games he had played in junior high and missed them. He had been able to hit and block for his team and longed for the feeling of playing on the court again for an entire game. But Coach Ukai had defaulted the starting positions to the current third years in addition to last year’s starters.

Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima, Tanaka, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Nishinoya. They were the starting players for the current year. There was no room for him. He wasn’t surprised when the coach showed them the starting line up for the practice game. But he had held his breath anyway in hopes of seeing his name there.

It didn’t help that during their practices, Coach Ukai had to prioritize coaching the new team. They didn’t have Sawamura, Azumane and Sugawara to rely on anymore. Their new team felt lacking and the coach needed to figure out how to get them prepared for the next preliminaries. Yamaguchi understood that their coach had enough to worry about, but he was sad that it left players like him feeling orphaned. Fortunately, the coach understood what it was like to be a bench warmer. He would have liked to have an assistant coach to help with the other players, but it would take some time to find one suitable for their team.

Yamaguchi looked up to see Yachi dragging one of her friends to their practice. She looked a little flustered as Yachi chatted with the coach. Yamaguchi recognized her from his class but couldn’t remember her name.

Afterwards, the coach did some defensive training with the team. At the far side of the net, he stood on a table to spike the balls to the team. Tsukishima and Kageyama stood right in front of the coach on the opposite side of the net to block the ball. Kinoshita was off to the front left to get any spikes or tips that landed in his area. Nishinoya stood in the back left to get those strong cross-court spikes. Tanaka stood in the far in the back to get any long balls that would hit the top of the block and Ennoshita covered the straight. Hinata waited on the sidelines until the coach told them to swap the front and back row players.

With the coach instructing these players on their positioning, Yamaguchi, Narita and the first years stood by to watch. Yamaguchi grew frustrated. He didn’t want to observe them. He wanted to play. He could even be practising other skills right now. But the coach did a surprising thing afterwards. He asked his female classmate to come stand on the box and to spike in his place. The coach observed her hitting skills and smiled in satisfaction. “That was great, Y/n.” said Ukai. “Could you come back tomorrow to help with practice?”

Y/n looked over at Yachi with hesitation, but Yachi nodded excitedly back at her. “Sure,” Y/n replied with a smile.

The coach later explained to the team that they recruited Y/n to be a sort of temporary junior assistant coach and that she would be able to help with certain practice drills. The team was fairly excited to learn about the new addition to their team. She smirked and commented on how Yachi never told her how rowdy their team was.

A few days later, the coach had split the team into two groups, the starters and non-starters. Yamaguchi felt his stomach tighten in a knot. The non-starters were going to practice some of the drills in a separate gym. The coach told them that he wanted them to improve because he saw potential in them and wanted Karasuno to be a strong team for years to come. That seemed to inspire the new first years, but Yamaguchi didn’t want to wait for his third year to become a starter.

The coach had given instructions to Y/n on what drills he wanted the non-starters to work on in the other gym. They started off with practising their serves, so Yamaguchi practised his jump float serve like usual. Y/n came up to him later and asked about it. They got into a conversation about how he had approached Shimada and practised outside of the school. He explained that he had wanted a fighting chance to be on the court, and that he had gotten it as their pinch server, but he wanted to be a starter. Y/n seemed to understand his sentiment.

Back in class, Yamaguchi realized that Y/n actually sat in front of him but never really noticed. It seemed like she didn’t realize it either. One day she asked him, “Are you serious about being a starter?”

Yamaguchi nodded. “I want to, but I’m a middle blocker. Tsukishima and Hinata are essential for our team and Narita is there as back-up if anything happens to them.” Yamaguchi felt stuck. He didn’t know what else to work on other than improving the success rate of his floating serves.

“I think you can be a starter,” commented Y/n, “and I don’t mean that lightly.” She started listing out the different approaches he could take. He could try to go for the right wing spiker position. She explained that since most aces are left wing spikers, most blocks will occur on their right side of the court. “Kageyama’s blocks are great when he’s in the front row because of his height,” she continued, “but Ennoshita’s blocks are a bit short. Maybe he could be a left wing spiker instead. He seemed more comfortable there.” She assumed that Yamaguchi was good at blocking since he was a middle blocker and probably had a lot of practice blocking in junior high. “You’re pretty tall too,” she commented as she examined his stature. “I wonder if you’re the third tallest on the team. No wait, Narita is pretty tall too. Maybe the fourth then?”

The two of them also discussed the possibility of Yamaguchi being a left wing spiker. He could improve on his spiking form which would make his spikes more powerful. “You already have a good and stable jumping form from practising your jump floats,” she mentioned. “You can use that as a foundation for your spikes.”

While Y/n continued giving him further guidance, a warm feeling started to fill up inside of Yamaguchi. The discouragement that he felt had disappeared. Her words had allowed him to see the opportunities in front of him.

“Your receives suck though,” she added with a grin. “You’ll need to improve on that if you want to be a wing spiker. You weren’t able to get the dig when the opponents attacked off of your servers. Hmm… the libero could technically swap with a wing spiker, but with your team, middle blockers need it more,” she laughed.

“Wait, how did you know my digs were bad during games?” Yamaguchi asked.

“I asked Yachi for the video footage of your games,” she replied. “I also asked for information on everyone’s position. Apparently, Tsukishima had given her a list already,” she mentioned with a smirk.

Yamaguchi was amazed at how serious she was with helping him and the other players. Her position was only temporary as well. “Anyway, for a short term goal, I think you need to prioritize on your receives, at least, if you want to be able to serve as long as possible during games. Your long term goal could be to improve your spikes.”

Yamaguchi started to feel a little overwhelmed by the wealth of information that Y/n had for him, but he was encouraged. Other than his floats, nobody really saw any potential in him. Even then, he had to believe in himself before anyone else believed in him. But this was the first time someone really thought he could do it and confirmed it with their actions.

“I don’t think you’ll have a problem with this,” said Y/n. “You took the time and initiative to work on your float serves. You just need to work on your other skills in the same way. When you do get better, the coach will naturally notice.”

Yamaguchi gave Y/n a soft smile. “Thanks Y/n. I owe you a lot. I really appreciate this.”

“You’re welcome,” replied Y/n. She looked back at the diagrams she drew during their discussion. The smile she had on her face disappeared. If Yamaguchi didn’t know any better, she actually looked kind of sad. He wanted to ask her about it but he decided not to pry.

[Part 1] | [Part 2]

[Masterlist]

[iwantthedean]

A New Fall

Graphic courtesy of @atc74.

Part Three: Granny Smith. Tart and crisp. 

Summary: Jensen spends more time around town. Y/N makes an effort to keep the farm in the family name.  Pairing: None … yet. Word Count: 2198 Warnings: Set post-Season 15, which I know makes a lot of people sad to think about. Square Filled: This entire series will fill my proposal square for BTZ Bingo.

A/N: Thank you for the continued support! I am loving writing this series :)

Masterlist

You spent the weekend more or less not speaking to anyone, just baking away your frustration. Jensen’s deceit hung heavy in your mind and sent you through a maze of emotions: sadness, disappointment, anger. Sad because someone was actually going to make an offer on the farm -- one you probably wouldn’t be able to match, let alone beat. Disappointment because, at your age, you thought you were past being played by guys. Finally, anger because the man had swooped in, handsome and charming, but turned out to be a complete fake.

By Monday morning, the anger part of all of that had more or less taken over. You slammed a coffee cup down from the cupboard in the teacher’s lounge. You poured your coffee, then slammed the pot back down onto the burner. Everything was getting slammed around, and you were mumbling under your breath about the jerk who had come to your farm only to steal it away from you.

“Jerk? More like an ass,” you grumbled, turning to leave as you sipped your coffee; you gasped when you saw your friend Taylor standing there, arms crossed over her chest and brow raised.

“Rough weekend, Y/N?” she asked.

You sighed and cleared your throat. “Yeah, a little. You getting coffee?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I’ve got to go set up for my morning lesson. Meet me in my classroom?”

“Deal.”

You made way for your classroom, and Taylor was only a few minutes behind. She took a seat at the horseshoe-shaped table you used to work with student groups, and you took a seat in your chair across from her while you stapled activity packets.

“I have to sell the farm, for starters.”

“What? You’re kidding!” Taylor exclaimed.

You nodded. “Yeah. The money’s just -- it’s not a good situation. Anyway, after our half-day, I was going to do some work around the place, and this handsome stranger pulls up. Tall, sandy brown hair, green eyes. A little older than me, probably. Anyway, he tells me he’s just visiting and wanted to check out the farm. So we went apple picking and went to the pumpkin patch. We had all these flirty moments and cute looks --” You paused to groan at your own stupidity. “-- and then I went inside to get him a bag for the apples he picked, and Mr. Kemp pulls up in the driveway because this ass was there to see the farm to potentially buy it!”

“And he didn’t tell you? What is that about?” Taylor frowned. “We could figure out where he’s staying, get into his room, and … I don’t know. Do something … horrible.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “You know, T, I bet if I give you enough time, you could maybe finish that plan.”

“Shut up,” she said, laughing along with you. “Look, don’t let him get to you, okay? The more important thing, it seems to me, is how you’re going to keep the farm. Let’s focus on that. Have you talked to the bank?”

“Yes. Mr. Kemp helped me get all the paperwork I need, and I take it all to the bank tomorrow after school. I won’t get a decision right away, which means I’ll be anxious as all get out until they give me an answer.”

Taylor nodded. “What did your dad say?”

You licked your lips and sighed, stacking the finished packets in front of you. “I haven’t called him yet. I will when I have more concrete information.”

“Maybe he could help …” She trailed off when you shook your head before the sentence was even done. Noting the first bell was going to ring soon, she put a hand on your arm. “Just keep your chin up, okay? Everything’s going to work out. I know it.”

You gave her the ghost of a grateful smile. “Thanks, Taylor. Go ahead, get to class. I’ll talk to you at lunch.”

“I’ll try to have a plan to get back at Mr. Handsome by then,” she teased, winking at you as she left the classroom.

* * * * *

For the third day in a row, Jensen was visiting The Farmer’s Stand. Just as planned, he had stopped there after leaving the orchard and purchased a jar of applesauce. He went back the next day for apple butter and a package of cookies that hadn’t been on the shelf the day before, as well as a loaf of homemade bread. Today, he was here for another jar of applesauce.

There was only one on the shelf, so he snatched it up before anyone else could. He perused through the market, also selecting a loaf of pumpkin bread marked from Y/N’s farm. At the register, Ms. Kitty rung up his items with a kind smile.

“Are we going to be seeing you every day, Jensen?” she asked. He appreciated that she remembered his name, though he would venture a guess that she remembered just about everybody who came through the market.

He chuckled. “Keep selling all this yummy stuff and I probably will. You know, food at the hotel is pretty good, but is there anywhere else you’d recommend in town?”

She nodded earnestly. “Midge’s Cafe, over on Ninth. Today’s beef stew day, actually -- comes with mashed potatoes and a freshly-baked roll. Their pie is great too, but I think you’ve got plenty of sweets here.”

“That I do,” Jensen agreed. “How much do I owe you?”

Ms. Kitty gave him a total. “Have you visited the apple orchard yet?”

Why did that question feel like a trick? “I have, yes. Met Y/N while I was there.”

The older woman sighed. “Such a shame she’s got to sell the place. This town was two-bit until their family came in and planted the orchard. They were plenty well off, but they started the pumpkin patch so the kids could have somewhere in town to go on field trips -- not because they had any need.”

Jensen took the bag of things he had purchased from her. “She said she’s the fourth generation to own the place.”

“She wasn’t lying. I’m sure you would have guessed, but I went to school with her grandfather, and my kids went to school with her father. Let me tell you -- that whole family is as sweet as Y/N. Every single one of them. Honest, hard-working, kind. When my son took over this place after my husband passed away, he wanted to stop doing business with them, for whatever reason.” She waved her hand, not worried at all about the particulars of that situation, it seemed. “Anyway, I wouldn’t allow it. You just don’t do that to good people, and Stephen doesn’t understand that. Whoever takes over the place, we’ll see if they want to continue to do business with us, I suppose.”

“They’d be crazy not to,” Jensen offered. “Thanks for everything, Ms. Kitty. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She smiled and waved goodbye. Jensen enjoyed visiting with her, but today, he was happy to get out of there. Hearing about Y/N’s family and how much they meant to the town only made him feel worse about potentially buying the place. Nevermind that he couldn’t get the glare Y/N had given him out of his mind -- a look he well-deserved.

As he drove over to the diner, he passed the elementary school. He smiled a little as he watched the kids play while he waited at the red light. This town was idyllic, a simple respite from the hustle and bustle of the last fifteen years of his life. His smile faded some when he spotted Y/N supervising the playground. She was zipping up the jacket of a little boy who was grinning wide while she talked to him. Once his jacket was zipped, the little boy hugged her leg before running off to join his friends again.

The driver behind him honked his horn; Jensen snapped his attention back to traffic. The light was green, so he proceeded through the intersection toward the cafe.

* * * * *

You honestly weren’t expecting an answer from the bank until the following week, so when you saw a missed call from them after school ended on Thursday, you heart immediately began to race. The message from the bank manager was asking you to come in and see her, so you went straight there once the parking lot cleared out.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” she smiled, motioning to the chair across from her. Please, have a seat.”

Sitting. That was good, right? That meant you’d be there for a while, potentially. Going over loan documents and signing papers, maybe? Oh for Heaven’s sake, Y/N. Just sit down.

“I’ve gone over all of the documents you brought over, and I spoke with Bartholomew Kemp -- he spoke very highly on your behalf.”

“He’s a very good friend to our family.”

She set her elbows on the desk. “Unfortunately, Y/N, you simply don’t have the financial background we like to see in our loan candidates. I even tried for a smaller amount, the minimum of what you would need to keep the farm for a while longer, buy you some time -- but it was a no-go.”

You forced yourself not to cry in the bank office. “But … I don’t understand. We’ve been banking with you all for years. My first auto loan was through this bank. My father kept my college fund here. My grandfather --”

The bank manager held up a hand. “Let me stop you there. Your family has history in this town, I’m well aware. And, if this was fifty or sixty years ago, maybe that would hold. It just doesn’t work like that anymore.”

“I understand,” you replied quietly. “Thank you, for the update. I’ll -- okay. Thank you.”

You took a deep breath, put your jacket back on, and shouldered your bag. In the car, you told yourself it was okay to cry, but you couldn’t even force the tears. You were just … numb. If you couldn’t get a bank loan, you didn’t know what else you would do, or could do.

“Guess it’s time to call Dad,” you sighed. As soon as you got home, you dialed the number and settled on the front porch swing to break the news to him.

* * * * *

Jensen sighed and hung up the phone. Bartholomew Kemp had just called to let him know that the owner of the farm was taking offers, and if he would like to place one, he just needed to email it over to Bartholomew. He wasn’t the only one making an offer, so if he was going to throw his hat in the ring, he needed to do it soon.

His lawyer sent over the written offer; Jensen printed it in the hotel’s business center, and walked it into Bartholomew’s office himself.

“I know you said to email it, but I wasn’t doing much anyway,” Jensen explained, letting go of a nervous chuckle. “So, is -- is Y/N pretty upset?”

Bartholomew looked up, brow raised. “Uh, yes, I suppose she is. Rightfully so.”

Jensen nodded and thanked the other man for his time. He left the office and sat in the car for several minutes, contemplating his next move.

The front office staff at the elementary school was kind enough to tell him how to find Y/N’s classroom, and informed him she was on her lunch break. No doubt the modest bouquet of Autumn flowers piqued the secretary’s interest, but he just made his way out of the office and down the hallway.

She was sitting at a table in the room with another teacher, and her eyes grew wide when she spotted him just inside the doorway of her classroom.

“Um, hi. What are you doing here?” The greeting and phrase fell out of her mouth in a panic as she stood. “Oh, um, this is Taylor. She teaches here, too. And she’s my friend. Taylor, this is Jensen Ackles. He -- yeah. This is Jensen.”

“Nice to meet you,” Taylor greeted, giving him the kind of tight smile that told him Taylor knew about his omission of the truth when he first met Y/N.

He cleared this throat. “This all seemed like a better idea in my head, honestly, but since I’m here … um, I am trying to learn from my mistakes and I thought I would come here, offer you the flowers to apologize for not telling you the entire truth when we first met and also to … let you know that I made an offer to Mr. Kemp today.”

Her surprised expression transformed to the anger he had expected. She took the flowers from him and set them on the table. “Well, thanks for the head’s up, I guess.”

“Yeah, I thought you should probably know, in case I’m around the farm again, so it doesn’t take you by surprise.”

“Great.”

Y/N sat back down and resumed her lunch. Taylor kept her back to Jensen. The silence was uncomfortable. He stumbled around his words for a few more tries, then exited the room. He sarcastically and silently congratulated himself for such a smooth interaction.

* * * * * * * * * *

The Whole Shebang: @illisea @ashleymalfoy @busybee612 @mrswhozeewhatsis @sherlock44 @ravenesque @feelmyroarrrr @atc74  @theplaidshirtmadness  @blacktithe7 @moonlessnight14 @kitchenwitchsuperwhovian @smoothdogsgirl  @melbrandes  @xtina2191 @spnbaby-67 @emoryhemsworth @goldenolaf25 @gabriels-trix @applesugar88 @rainflowermoon @deansgirl215 @thisismysecrethappyplace @calaofnoldor @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @sleepylunarwolf @chances-and-miracles

Jack Attack: @tiffanycaruso @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk

Two for the Money: @jayankles @akshi8278 @jensensjaredsandmishaslover @supernatural-jackles @adoptdontshoppets

A New Fall: @marilynnlew @backseat-of-deans-67chevy @traceyaudette @ellen-reincarnated1967 @maddiepants @littlewhiterose @tftumblin @monkeymcpoopoo @pinknerdpanda @thatgirl1456 @deangirl7695 @foxyjwls007 @woodworthti666

[daddiesdrarryy]

Dinner for Two - Drarry

Summary: “I don’t believe in fate or destiny or whatever you said that’s going to happen to me today, Luna, and have you or Ginny seen Pansy?”

“We haven’t seen her since morning, but Draco, the Wrackspurts told me-…” Luna replied

“I’m at the restaurant now, I’ll call you later, don’t worry, I’ll call you, promise, bye Luna”

Draco doesn't believe in fate, but not until Pansy bailed on him and he met Potter again did he actually believe in it now.

Word count: 6821

Read here on ao3

A gift for @drarry-dreams uwu

____________________________

“I don’t believe in fate or destiny or whatever you said that’s going to happen to me today, Luna, and have you or Ginny seen Pansy?” Draco talked to his phone while running under the heavy rain, luckily he has got his charm on

 “We haven’t seen her since morning, but Draco, the Wrackspurts told me-…” Luna replied

 “I’m at the restaurant now, I’ll call you later, don’t worry, I’ll call you, promise, bye Luna” He reassured her, he would call her later, but not right now, because he was late

  “Hi, is my table ready?” Draco rushed in the restaurant as soon as he arrived there, his long hair was disheveled even though it was braided carefully, Luna did it, but he didn’t rush here because of the rain, he ran here because he was late to dinner with Pansy, it was their annual dinner every month to gossip about their lives, he didn’t remember how or when it started but he only knew that they still do it until now, this month Draco had found a new restaurant nearby, it took them ages to book a spot here, it got popular so quickly, the restaurant was famous for its steak and wine, and of course Draco has to have a taste of that

 “What’s your name, sir?” The small blonde girl asked him

 “It’s under the name Draco, Draco Malfoy” He said and watched the receptionist look for his name

 “Ah yes, it’s here, table for two”

 “Yes, that’s me” Draco smiled brightly and was about to step in but the receptionist stopped him

 “I’m sorry, we can’t let you sit down if your date isn’t here” The girl said and Draco gaped at her

 “What do you mean? I mean she will be here soon, and she’s not my date”

 “We’ll take you to your table once your date is here” The girl added “Our restaurant is very crowded so we can’t let you in if���…”

 “Yeah, I know, if my stupid date hasn’t arrived yet” He rolled his eyes, fine, Pansy could be considered as his date anyway, he couldn’t care less, he turned around, looking for his stupid friend, Pansy always liked to make an entrance, but they agreed they would be here at 8, now it was half past 8 and Draco hasn’t seen her yet, the cow.

      *

      “So my friend has to be here or else I won’t get in the restaurant at all?” He approached the receptionist again after five minutes, Pansy still hasn’t arrived and he was getting hungry, he hasn’t eaten all day so he could try the steak here and hell he was hungry he could eat a dragon, not that he would, but he could

 “Yes, sir, she has to be here”

 “Oh, come on, what difference does it make if you get a seat for me now or when my date gets here?”

 “Because we never have one person sitting at a table for two, sir, so when your date is here, I can find you a table” The girl explained and Draco groaned, walking away to the bar outside

 “Okay so I only need one person” Draco pulled his phone out as soon as it buzzed, Pansy was calling him

 “Pansy you cow” He snapped into his phone once he answered

 “I am so so so sorry” Pansy said “But look, I met Granger at the library today”

 “Granger? Wait, you were at the library?” He gasped “So you ditched me, your best friend, to go on a date with the one you had a crush on since Hogwarts?”

 “I’m sorry, but we bumped into each other and we talked and she agreed to go on a date with me in a few minutes, she’s like this hot lesbian nerd, Draco. Do you know how rare that is?”

 “Of course I know, I’m the hot gay nerd, Pansy” He snapped “So what now? I’ve been waiting months to eat in this restaurant”

 “I’m sorry, can I take a rain check? We can do it next time! Please? I’m so sorry, you can call Blaise or Theo” Pansy pleaded through the phone

 Draco groaned, walked through the crowd “You owe me, Pansy. And why the hell is this place so crowded?” He muttered and crashed into someone on his way through

 “Sorry sorry” He said and looked at the person he hit “Potter”

 “Potter? As in Harry Potter?” Pansy squeaked through the phone

 “Malfoy” Potter’s face was as shocked as Draco’s, both of them stood there staring at each other “What are you doing here?”

 “Pansy, I’ll have to call you back” He said and ended the call, he shoved the phone back in his pocket “What are you doing here?” Draco asked back and realised that the opportunity was representing itself in front of Draco’s eyes, his stomach growling at the thought of him finally getting to eat the steaks here “Potter, are you alone?”

 “I guess, but it’s because I’m focusing on my job and—…”

 “Shut up and hold my hand” Draco said and immediately intertwined their hands together without even thinking, he dragged Potter to the maitre d’s table and smiled

 “Hi, my date is here, can I have my table now?”

 “Yes, sir” The girl gaped a bit and led the both of them to their table

 “Malfoy”

 “Shush” He snapped and dragged Potter to their table, once they were seated there, Draco sighed out in relief

 “Er, Malfoy—…”

 “Oh, right, don’t worry, this is my treat” Draco offered “It’s for being my date”

 “Date?” Potter’s eyes widened a bit

 “Well, Pansy bailed on me to go with your friend, so it’s partly your fault too”

 “What?” Potter asked “Wait, Parkinson went with Hermione?”

 “Yeah, on a date, probably right now, and I’ve been waiting for ages to eat in this restaurant” He went on “And I will not let Pansy ruins my spot here, so, can you stay throughout the meal with me, Potter?” He pleaded with his puppy eyes

 “Er…I guess”

 “Oh god, thank you, and I know we haven’t been on the best term over the years but well, this could be a start, you know” Draco paused as soon as the waiter arrived

 “Welcome to Éclairage, my name is Jacob and I’ll be your server tonight. Are you ready to order, sir?”

 “Yes, thank you” He smiled gently and skimmed through the menu “For starter, I’d like some tomato soup, and for the main course, I’d like to try your restaurant’s famous steak, for dessert I think I’m going with the chocolate lava cake” He finally stopped and realised he just sounded like a hungry whale, ordering without considering the person in front of him, he chuckled a bit “Oh Potter, where are my manners? I’m so sorry, please, order something too”

 “Just the usual, Jacob” Potter said gently to the waiter

 “And can I get you two something to drink, sir?”

 “A bottle of Chateau Margaux 1787, and that’ll be all, thank you Jacob” Potter said and Draco’s mouth went slack, that was one of the most expensive red wine ever, he only served that to his friends on special occasion, but Potter…the pretentious git

 “Yes, Mr. Potter” The waiter nodded “I’ll be right back with your drinks” Then he walked away

 “Right, I should have known”

 “What?”

 “Famous Harry Potter” Draco smirked “Anywhere you go, people recognise you”

 “Well, it’s probably because—…”

 “And you must have gone here a lot right? Seems so” Draco crossed his arms over his chest and smiled “I’m having dinner with the big, mighty Harry Potter, I bet there’ll be an article tomorrow”

 “There will, but I don’t read the Daily Prophet anymore” Potter ran his hand through his messy hair and Draco’s breath caught, he coughed and continued

 “So, how’s the Auror life treating you, Potter?”

 “I actually quit being an Auror a year ago”

 “What? Really?” Draco leaned forward as he was shocked, he was in total shocked, Potter would actually quit being an Auror?

 “Yeah, being an Auror is quite…dangerous”

 “That’s weird coming from your mouth” Draco snorted

 “But how about you, what are you doing? I know Ron and Blaise are a couple now but Ron rarely tells me about anything except for how good of a kisser Blaise is” Potter laughed, showing his white teeth

 “You cannot imagine how many time Pansy and I had to shut Blaise up from talking about Ron too much, we basically banned him from saying Ron’s name in our house now” Draco ranted “And oh, I’m…the owner of a bookshop, it’s open for two years now”

 “That’s…amazing, you’ve always been a nerd” Potter replied

 “Sod off Potter” He snorted “What can I say, after being a Healer and seeing you too much at St. Mungo, I had to quit” He shrugged and crossed his legs

      *

       “Oh my god I’m so full” Draco took the last few bites of his steak and took a sip from his wine glass, no wonder the restaurant was famous for it, the food and the wine were bloody divine, they have been talking about their Eighth year, after the war, and normal stuff about their friends, Draco felt like it was mostly him talking, Potter was rather quiet today and he just looked at Draco eating, which was weird

 “You like it?”

 “I love it, Potter, I love it so much I could marry it” Draco moaned while chewing on the last piece of steak “God it’s so good” He kept complimenting the food and Potter chuckled “What?”

 “Nothing, you just look…quite adorable” Potter answered and Draco felt himself getting flustered by the git’s words

 “What? Shut up”

 “It’s true” Potter laughed again “You’ve always look adorable while eating, if I remember correctly”

 “You watched me?” Draco gasped, how the hell did the prat knew how Draco looked while eating?

 “Well, we did spend six years watching each other across the hall” Potter looked at him, his eyes seemed like they were hiding something…something Draco couldn’t figure out, he only knew that when those green eyes looked at him, it also stared into his soul, waking up the things he wanted to hide most…his long lost feelings for the bloody war hero

 “I-I did not spend my years watching you eat, Potter” He tried to protest but it was just failing, he knew exactly how Potter eat his food, how he was protective of his food if anyone takes some from him, how he loves treacle tarts, and how he always eats food separately, never smashed together, it was weird, Draco has always wanted to ask him why, but no time for that

 “Really? Because I remember clearly everyday when I was eating my favourite dessert, pumpkin pie, I always see you looking at me and then looked away”

 “That’s not true, your favourite dessert is treacle tart” Draco protested and immediately realised what he did as soon as Potter smiled brightly again at him

 “So it’s true”

 “Whatever, Potter, at least I did not have a crush on you or whatsoever”

 “I never mention anything about you crushing on me” Potter grinned again, and Draco felt his cheeks heating up “Did you?”

 “I—…shut up” He took another sip of wine and looked away

 “Want to play truth or dare?” Potter suddenly asked

 “Why? We’re in a restaurant”

 “For fun” Potter shrugged “Unless you’re too afraid to do it”

 “Don’t underestimate me, Potter, try me”

 “Alright, truth or dare?”

 “Truth” Draco proudly replied

 “What do you think of me?”

 “Dare” Draco flushed and switched the option

 “Okay, I dare you to say what you think of me” Potter gave him a big grin

 “You git, you tricked me” Draco frowned

 “Come on, it’s an easy one” Potter nagged him

 “Fine, I guess…you’re okay, you’re an idiot most of the time, but other times, you’re okay” He pouted “Is it my turn now?”

 “Sure, go ahead”

 “Truth or dare?”

 “Dare”

 “Ah, should have expected that from a Gryffindor” Draco chuckled and looked at Potter up and down, he was wearing a dark blue suit, it was possibly tailored and he looked dashing in it as well, wait…Potter? And dashing? No way, Draco shook the thought off instantly “Hmm, I dare you to…kiss the hottest person here” He looked around “Do you need me to find one for you? Look, that waitress there is quite hot”

 “I don’t think I swing that way anymore” Potter gave him a devilish smile and Draco’s lower part was awakened. Now? Seriously? He slapped himself mentally for getting excited by what Potter said that fast

 “You’re…oh my god” Draco said and looked around the restaurant one more time, he shrugged when he couldn’t find anyone hot for Potter to make out with “Too bad, there’s no man here as hot as me, as far as I can tell”

 “So you’re saying I should kiss you?”

 “What? No! Nonsense” Draco blushed again and reached for the wine bottle to pour himself more wine, avoiding Potter’s eyes at the same time

 “I’m a Gryffindor, you know, I won’t back out from a dare” Potter told him

 “Wait, I could find someone hotter for you” Draco searched frantically for anyone, anyone that might look hotter than him, but unfortunately, it was just a lot of old men and men that were not as attractive as Draco, and the blonde wasn’t even exaggerating

 “It’s no use, you’re the hottest here” Potter shrugged and the waiter arrived with their desserts, which Draco sighed out in relief, finally something for him to distract Potter from

 “Ooh desserts, it looks so good” Draco said and started eating, he could feel Potter’s eyes on him, the firm gaze roaming over his body, but he wouldn’t look up at the git, he couldn’t even if he wanted to, the intense gaze was burning him

 “Eat, Potter, stop staring at me” He cleared his throat and heard Potter chuckled, then he could see Potter started eating his chocolate mousse from the corner of his eyes.

 “God this piece of cake is so good” He moaned softly as he ate the marvellous cake. How could anyone make food this good? He could stay in this restaurant forever

 “You’ve always has a sweet tooth” Potter continued eating

 “What? How—…”

 “Your mother used to send you sweets all the time” This time Draco finally looked up at Potter once again, their eyes locked and the first thing Draco noticed was that Potter has chocolate on the corner of his mouth

 “Potter” He called and pointed to his own lips “You have…”

 “What? Do I have chocolate on my lips?” Potter said and stuck his tongue out to lick it but it just made the chocolate sauce went everywhere on the corner of his mouth

 “No, it’s…” He tried to demonstrate for Potter again but the git still couldn’t take it, Draco huffed and extended his arm across the table “Are you playing dumb or are you actually dumb, Potter?” He used his thumb to wipe the chocolate off but his movement stopped as soon as he felt Potter’s eyes on him again, he stared at the prat and his mouth opened slightly, he couldn’t breath all of a sudden. When did Potter look so charming? But it wasn’t like he was never charming, Potter did have his charms. Pansy had forced the blonde to admit that in Eighth Year, when Potter took off his wet shirt when a few Second Year students hit him with a water balloon on a hot day, Draco had drooled so much Pansy had to Accio a mop to clean it, not literally of course but she always exaggerated the story every time she mentioned it again just to tease Draco. Draco shook off the memory as he realised what was going on, his thumb was on Potter’s lips now and he has never seen Potter this close ever since the day he was brought back to the Manor during the war, he remembered that day clearly, of course he knew that was Potter, he just didn’t…want the git to die.

 “You look cute when you’re thinking” The voice brought him back to reality once again and he stuttered

 “W-what? I wasn’t…it’s just…shut up” He was about to retreat his hand when Potter caught him by the wrist, he jolted at the touch, Potter’s skin felt so hot. Was the git having a fever or was Draco imagining it all? Probably the second he reckoned

 “Is it over yet?”

 “What? Oh…yeah, the chocolate is all clear now” He blushed and got back on his chair, he cleared his throat and sipped on his wine “Well, I guess this is it” He wiped his mouth with the napkin and called Jacob, the waiter to prepare to pay for the meal

 “Can I have the check, please?” He asked nicely and the waiter nodded, giving him the bill

 “Just put it on my tab, Jacob” Potter said and the waiter nodded

 “Woah woah woah” He intervened and stared at Potter with wide eyes “Potter, I told you I’ll pay for this meal”

 “Yeah, I know, but—…”

 “And I will pay for this meal” He insisted “Don’t pity me, Potter, I still have money”

 “It’s not about money, Draco” Potter chuckled and the blonde didn’t know how to react, the fact that Potter just called him by his first name, and not his last, which was surprising, because that has never happened before, and Draco was shocked, he was in utter shock

 “Did you just…”

 “Call you Draco?” Potter smiled at him “I think it’s time we put the past behind us, right? Let me pay for the bill, I’m—…”

 “I don’t care that you’re the big and mighty Harry Potter, Potter” He snapped at the man in front of him “I made a promise and I will keep it, now Jacob, take my money” He looked at the confused waiter and nodded “I will pay”

 “Jacob, I’ll pay, go back to the kitchen” Potter told the waiter and he nodded, walking away

 “Potter!” He turned back and glared at the pretentious git in front of him “I can too pay for the meal”

 “Draco, listen—…”

 “No, I will not listen to you, Potter, you’ve been weird all night with the flirting and the looking and the staring and the chocolate and the stupid hair of yours” He babbled “You shut your sexy lips”

 “My what lips?” Potter began chuckling

 “Your…your silly lips, you and-and your silly lips” Draco tried to fix it but it was no use, Potter was hugging his stomach and laughing like ana idiot he was

 “Potter, stop laughing at me” He ordered and Potter finally stopped

 “Draco, are you sure I’m the only one flirting here?”

 “What? Preposterous” He protested “How could you—I would never, I—…you shut up and let me pay the bloody bill”

 “Draco—…”

 “Mr. Potter, Mrs. Tampleton is here and she wants to meet you” One of the waitress approached their table and cut Potter’s words off

 “Oh, alright, wait for me” Potter told Draco and stood up to walk to the table near the window, where a couple of old people were sitting at, Potter was laughing at an old woman in a fancy purple dress that Draco assumed was Mrs. Tampleton, next to her was an old man that was possibly her husband, Draco stared at how bright Potter’s smile was, he could light up the whole room, hell, even the whole street, Draco has always been swooned over by the bloody smile, he has to admit so. He couldn’t help thinking that this dinner with Potter could be a start of something new, probably a friendship, it was the only thing Draco wanted from Potter from the beginning, from the moment he saw him. From the boy who wore a baggy shirt that was too big for him, to a war hero at a young age, to a charming man in a suit now, and Draco’s heart was beating faster each second, because Potter was walking back to their table now, and he kept smiling at the blonde

 “Mrs. Tampleton? I haven’t seen her since my father’s party when I was seven, she still looks the same” He asked once Potter sat down again

 “Yeah, she wants to meet the owner of the restaurant” Potter shrugged and Draco nodded

 Wait a minute, what?

 “What?” He looked up at Potter, who was grinning at him “Wait…”

 “I can’t believe you didn’t know that” Potter chuckled and sipped on his wine

 “How the hell am I supposed to know that you are the owner of this restaurant?”

 “Well, I kept trying to tell you, but you cut me off every time” The git shrugged and Draco gasped

 “That’s why you pay for the bill, and that’s why the waiter and the receptionist know you”

 “Yeah” Potter nodded

 “Oh my god” Draco gasped again “Éclairage! It’s French for ‘lighting’, oh my god”

 “Yeah, Luna thought of the name” Potter replied “When I quit being an Auror, I started cooking, and I got good at it, then one day Ron said I should open a restaurant while he was eating my steak” Potter smiled, and Draco saw Potter’s small dimple on his left cheek, he blushed “Then I did…open a restaurant, I just didn’t want to reveal my name to many people, Mrs. Tampleton was my first one to eat here, she loved it so much that she has been my special guest ever since” Potter added “I’m surprised you didn’t realise earlier, I thought Blaise would mention it”

 “Yeah I also force him not to tell anything about you when he’s at my house” Draco sighed “I can’t believe you’re the bloody owner”

 “But it’s a good thing” Potter suggested “You can eat here anytime now”

 “Potter, we’re not even friends”

 “We aren’t?”

 “Well…I don’t know”

 “What are we?” Potter’s eyes twinkled “Arch enemies? School rivals? Boyfriends? Acquaintances?”

 “What’s that in the middle?” Draco almost choked on his own spit when he heard those words coming out of Potter’s mouth

 “School rivals?” Potter smiled from ear to ear, Draco glared at him and stood up

 “Well, it’s quite late, I have to go” He pushed the chair back and faked a cough, trying his best to get out of the embarrassing situation

 “Wait, I’ll walk with you” Potter called and Draco stood frozen on his spot, mumbling a curse word

 “Fine, but do try to keep up, Potter” He said and heard Potter snorted

 “I’m now taller than you, you know” He walked side by side with Potter and realised the hard truth, Potter did get taller, he was probably five or six inches taller than Draco now, the bloody prat, Draco murmured in his head. When they reached the door, Potter graciously opened it for Draco and the blonde’s cheeks went pink

 “What a gentleman, Potter” He said sarcastically to hide his sheepishness, as they walked outside, Draco noticed the rain had stopped, but the road was still wet “The Apparition point is just right down the corner, you don’t have to walk with me”

 “You know what Ron told me when he became a couple with Blaise?”

 “No, what?” He asked curiously, Potter didn’t even answer his question

 “He told me to always seize the moment, or else it’ll disappear right away, he’s suddenly wiser than Hermione when he got together with Blaise, they’re truly a good couple” Potter walked along with him closely, his hands in his pocket, Draco walked on Potter’s left, because Draco’s good side of the face was the right side, it wasn’t like his left face was ugly, it just wasn’t better than the right. The street lights were shining above them, the sound of water dropping from the trees down to the grown, and the light from the Muggle vehicle on the road, Draco suddenly felt cozy next to Potter as they walked on the sidewalk

 “Well, that’s really wise of him to say” Draco absentmindedly ran his hand through his long braided hair and accidentally picked out a flower, he chuckled “Damn, I told Luna she mustn’t put any flower in my hair”

 “I think you look beautiful”

 “I…I didn’t ask you to say it”

 “I know, I just feel like saying it” Potter shrugged, smiling like a devil he was, Draco felt his cheeks warm again so he tried to walk farther than the prat and-

 “Draco!” He heard Potter yelling and next he heard a loud beeping sound from a car horn, and the next thing he knew, he was spun around and pulled flushed against the firm chest of the particular Gryffindor prat, then he heard the sound of water splashing, and he closed his eyes, afraid that he would get wet, but surprisingly, he was dry.

 Oh.

 “Potter” He whispered and Potter loosened his embrace on Draco a bit, he looked up at the prat and couldn’t speak a thing, because they were being so close again. Did Potter actually use himself as a shield to protect Draco so he wouldn’t get wet? Why did he have to be such a bloody hero every time?

 “I saw the puddle and the car, so…” Potter looked down at him and for the first time ever, he saw Potter blushed. And hell he was falling for the prat again. How many times have Draco became angry because Potter arrived at St. Mungo injured? How many times have Draco secretly wish he could get over the face that made him have wet dreams almost every day when they were in Eighth Year? How many times have Draco felt like crying because Potter went out to kill fight the Dark Lord over and over again? How many times have Draco’s heart skipped a beat when Potter smiled? It wasn’t time for him to feel shy, it wasn’t time for him to put his pride and ego at the front, it was rather time for him to do what he should have done many years ago but he just didn’t have the guts to.

 “Potter, ask me truth or dare” He said, their bodies still flushed against each other, a few strands of hair fell down to Draco’s face

 “Truth or dare?” Potter asked softly, green eyes stared into his

 “Truth, ask me what I want to do now” He replied, determination in his words

 “What do you want to do now?”

 “I want you to finish the dare I gave you earlier” He finished and took a shaky breath

 “Draco”

 “Just shut up and kiss me” Draco pulled Potter’s collar and smashed their lips together, and fuck it felt divine, his body shivering from the sensation, from Potter’s tongue on his bottom lip, and when he opened his mouth, he could taste what Potter had eaten earlier, he could feel the light shining on both of them even though he closed his eyes, he could hear the sounds of cars driving by, but above all, he could felt Potter’s arms around his torso, hugging him, embracing him, his hands on Potter’s collar loosened and he wrapped his arms around Potter’s body, the git’s back was completely wet from the earlier accident, but he couldn’t care less. Draco let out a gasp when Potter grabbed his arse, fuck, those hands would feel amazing when Potter fingers him. The prat cupped Draco’s face and deepened the kiss, but just as they were about to take it to another level and fuck right on this street, Draco heard another car horn

 “Merlin’s fuck” He yelped and jumped away, breaking the kiss off when another car had passed by and splashed water on both of them again, this time it got on Draco’s arms that were on Potter’s back. He locked eyes with the Gryffindor for the million times throughout the night and smirked, knowing that he had just felt Potter’s hard on from his trousers while they were kissing and knew that they were both just excited about this, and god he wanted to feel that inside him right away, he grabbed Potter’s wrists and led him to the Apparition point

 “Pansy’s out tonight, probably shagging your best friend Granger right now, so she won’t be back until morning” He suggested “So…want to have another dessert at my flat?”

 “Only if the dessert is you” Potter pulled the blonde flushed against his broad chest and Draco laughed

 “You idiot, it was already emphasised” And with that, they Apparated away with a loud pop.

       *

       “Your house looks so nice” Potter said as he walked in Draco’s house with him

 “The light is on…weird” Draco mumbled and yelled when he saw two figures on the couch

 “Oh my god Pansy!” His voice went high and Pansy jolted, breaking off her kiss with Granger

 “Draco! Why are you here?”

 “Why are you here?” Draco snapped back at his friend

 “Harry” Granger pushed her hair behind her ear and pushed her skirt down to where they belong since Pansy’s hand was under there just a few seconds ago, her face redder than Ron’s hair

 “Mione” Harry said, his cheeks flushed, it must be weird for him to see his best friend like this, not Draco, Draco was used to it

 “Well this is awkward” Pansy said and Hermione nudged her, Pansy stood up and pulled Draco to the kitchen counter

 “I want the house for tonight” Pansy said

 “No way! I want it” Draco snapped

 “I got here first”

 “Well you can do it at Granger’s house”

 “And you can do it at Potter’s” Pansy argued with him and Draco sighed, fine, he could do it anywhere, as long as it was with Potter

 “Fine! You owe me two times now” He glared at her and walked to Harry’s spot

 “Harry”

 “Yeah?”

 “Can we go to your house...? Pansy and…she wants to…”

 “Do it with my best mate here” Harry chuckled and nodded, extending his hand “Side Along?”

 “Okay” He said and intertwined their hands together

 “Bye” Pansy said along with Granger, Draco nodded and waved them goodbye before he Apparate away with Harry again

       *

       “So…er, do you want anything to drink?” Harry said as soon as they were in his living room, Draco nodded, suddenly it felt too awkward, he felt shy, why did he feel shy?

 “Wine is good” He said and Harry turned around to open his kitchen cabinet, pulling out two wine glasses, but before he poured the wine out, he took off his jacket, and Draco felt butterflies in his stomach, how could a man just take off what he wears and looked so hot doing it? Draco turned around, looking around the house, he hasn’t been in the Grimmauld Place since he was a kid, being back here just brought him memories, and not good ones, Aunt Walburga was kind of a bitch, Draco shrugged off his long jacket and draped it over the couch

 “Harry” He jolted when a pair of arms snaked around his torso and he was being pulled back

 “You’re so beautiful” Harry mumbled into his ear and pressed a kiss on Draco’s cheek, the blonde leaned back to get more friction, but he was spun around, he grabbed Harry’s biceps as a reflex and couldn’t react when Harry kissed him, and oh he missed it, he felt like he could be kissed by Harry forever and ever and ever…and ever. The kiss became frantic as the both of them began unbuttoning each other’s clothes, Harry’s hands trailed down to grab Draco’s arse and the blonde gasp, breaking off the kiss because Harry was squeezing his bottom like a bouncy ball

 “Harry” He moaned and heard a low growl that wasn’t his, Draco let out a loud yelp when he was pushed onto the couch “Ow! You brute”

 “Oh god, I’m sorry, are you okay?” Harry suddenly became so caring and soft, he touched Draco’s head and kept rubbing it gently, it didn’t hurt that much but Harry was definitely making it all better anyway

 “You’re a dork” He chuckled “I’m fine, I was just being dramatic”

 “Are you really okay?” Harry asked again and Draco pulled him close

 “Now listen to me very carefully, Harry James Potter, I have been waiting to be fucked by you for a decade now, I’m not getting any younger” Draco leaned up and mumbled into Harry’s ear “We’re not getting any younger”

 “Fuck” was all Harry said, soon Draco was attacked by the git’s kiss again, this time it was hotter. Harry quickly pulled the last piece of Draco’s clothes off and stopped for a moment

 “What are you waiting for?” Draco stared up at Harry but the git stayed still, his eyes roaming all over the blonde’s body

 “I’m just…watching the masterpiece, fuck you’re beautiful” Harry smiled and bent down to kiss him again, their body flushed, but Draco pushed him back again

 “Why do you still have your trousers on?” He arched an eyebrow and pointed to the bulge on Harry’s jeans “Come on, take it off” Draco felt like they were talking too much and the fucking part still hasn’t come yet, was this even foreplay?

 “Holy—…Potter” Draco gaped when Harry took off his boxer, Harry Potter was hung, he smirked proudly “I knew it”

 “You knew?”

 “I have a talent for it” Draco shrugged and pulled Harry by the neck down, their kiss was less frantic and more chaste now, Harry broke the kiss off and began kissing Draco’s jawline, and the kisses were trailed down lower, to Draco’s neck, to his pulse point, to his collarbone and to his sensitive nipples, Draco moaned when Harry licked and sucked on it. Even though the Gryffindor was teasing Draco’s upper body, he could still feel Harry’s hand slithering down and was circling his now lubed entrance. When did that happen exactly? He couldn’t remember, because Draco couldn’t even think right now, not when Harry had pushed another finger in and scissoring Draco

 “Wait woah hey” Draco frowned when Harry suddenly pulled his fingers out “Why are y—…”

 “Get on your hands and knees” Harry ordered, his eyes filled with lust, and Draco found himself yearning for more, the domination, the power that Harry has, Draco wanted it, so he obeyed, the blonde turned and got on his knees, he put his elbows down on the arm of the couch, knowing perfectly what Harry was going to do next

 “I know you’re going to say I’m beautiful again so just do what you want now, Potter” He rolled his eyes when he felt Harry was about to speak

 “I was actually going to say your arse are beautiful” Harry chuckled and grabbed his globes, spreading them apart, Draco felt Harry ghosting his breath over his hole, then something wet breached through his entrance and Draco arched his back, he leaned forward and moaned loudly

 “Holy fuck, Harry” He gripped on the arm of the couch for his life, because Harry’s tongue was doing something so sinful to Draco, so so so sinful. Harry kept rimming him, his hands pried Draco’s arse apart, going in deeper, the blonde whined, asking for more

 “Oh god, Harry” Draco cried out when two fingers were pushed in, Harry kissed Draco’s back and trailed the kisses up to his neck, while his fingers were still inside Draco

 “I’ll take good care of you” Harry kissed the spot behind Draco’s ears and pulled his fingers out. Draco almost forgot how big Harry was until he felt the head began pushing inside

 “Oh wow, oh holy w-woah” Draco leaned forward as Harry pushed in, Merlin it was huge, he dropped his head and moaned, Harry wrapped an arm around his torso and pulled him flushed against his chest, also pulling him from falling off the couch, Draco felt warm at the action

 “Faster god damn it Harry!” He urged the man and Harry obeyed, slamming in with forceful thrusts, earning loud moans from Draco’s mouth, he was pretty sure the couch was moving and shaking from it. Harry ran his hand through Draco’s long hair and pulled back a bit, causing Draco to whine and opened his mouth, Harry took the chance and kissed the blonde, plunging his tongue deep inside as he thrusted into Draco at the same time. Draco has never felt so aroused before, his skin was burning from the sensation, sweats were forming on his forehead. Draco moaned when Harry tweaked the blonde’s sensitive nipple, making him break the kiss off

 “Harry oh god please please please” He wailed, his knees have gone weak, every thrust Harry made, he could feel it deep in him, he could feel everything, Harry’s cock hitting at his prostate constantly, then he felt another hand that wasn’t his, trailing down to his untouched prick, Harry started stroking him and that was all it took to get Draco to come like he has never before. The blonde cried out, shooting everywhere on the couch, Draco’s hole twitched and that made Harry came too, his body jerking above Draco, he shuddered and came inside the blonde. Draco’s elbow went down and he collapsed on the arm of the couch, Harry still above him.

 “Fuck, that was…”

 “Shut up, Potter” He replied

 “What about Harry?”

 “You caught me at my weakest moment” He lied and heard the git chuckled, bending down to kiss Draco on his cheek

 “Want to move to the bedroom?”

 “I’m tired, carry me” He said and gasped when Harry pulled out, he suddenly felt empty inside “Harry!”

 “You told me to carry you” Harry rolled the blonde around, carrying him up in bridal style, Draco wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck to secure himself, feeling unable to hide his smile, he carried Draco up the stairs and they did it quietly, Draco spent the whole time staring at his face. Harry didn’t change much, he just got…more mature, his eyes were still as green as ever, his smile was still bright, his lips was still so…kissable, his jawline was so sharp that Draco’s fingers were touching it unconsciously, his finger trailed from Harry’s ear, down to his sharp jaw, and down to the veins on his neck, Harry turned his head and looked down at Draco

 “If I’m not wrong, I’d say you’re smitten with me, Malfoy”

 “You wish, Potter” Draco snorted, but his hand kept touching Harry’s face, he was just simply…godlike, beautiful, and touching it now made Draco feel like he was blessed, they locked eyes like that until…

 “Ow! Potter!” He yelped loudly when his head hit the wall to Harry’s bedroom door

 “Oh god I’m so sorry” Harry laughed “I was…distracted by your face” He added and put Draco down on the bed gently, the git sat down on the side of the bed and rubbed Draco’s head “Does it hurt?”

 “Yes it bloody hurts, Potter” He frowned

 “Do you want me to kiss the pain away?” Harry suggested while chuckling

 “I’m not five, Potter” He pouted

 “Are you sure?” Harry smiled and bent down, planting a soft kiss on the sore spot on Draco’s head, the blonde bit his lips to stop himself from smiling “One more?”

 “Sod off, Potter” He said and Harry bent down to kiss the blonde’s head again

 “One more?” Harry asked and Draco finally looked at him, the git was grinning like a real prat, but Draco kind of like it, made him felt like a kid all over again

 “Five more and I’ll forgive you” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, Harry sniggered but still bent down to give Draco a kiss on his head, then a kiss on his forehead, then he lowered down to plant two kiss on either side of Draco’s cheeks, then he cupped the blonde’s face and gave him one last kiss on his lips

 “You’re such a sap” He mumbled when they broke off the kiss

 “You made me this way, don’t you want to pay for what you did?”

 “What do you want?”

 “How about…a trillion kisses from you?” Harry’s eyes gleamed and Draco let out a laugh

 “Greedy, aren’t you?” Draco asked, pulling Harry down to connect their lips once again as an answer, because he’d want to give a trillion kisses to Harry too, the git was an excellent kisser anyway, it almost seemed that what Luna had said about fate was true, and for once he believed in it.

     The End.

[injiminsheart]

Acquisition of a Daffodil: Ch 3: Park, The Affiliator

Genre: Fluff | Angst (light) | Humor | Smut | Dark  | Hybrid

Rating: General | Teen | Mature

Pairing: Park Jimin x Reader (?)

Fandom: BTS ARMY

Fiction Notes: BTS canon AU/ Slight future fic/ AU for personal life

Warnings: May give you some feels! :D

“She left like an hour ago,” Secretary Kim was telling Ji Hyun.

“She left? How come I didn’t realize that she left?”

“Because she didn’t feel well and told me to inform you but I forgot since I was helping a guest.”

“Oh, no worries. I’ll see her tomorrow then,” Ji Hyun waved at Ms Kim and went to go look for his brother.

“Hyung?” he looks around, but Jimin was nowhere to be seen, “Where did Hyung go? What is up with everyone today?”

Ji Hyun walked off to look for his brother.

***

Y/n was getting wasted on her vodka collection when she heard a doorbell. That’s weird. She only has a few friends here and they were busy with their work so couldn’t make it to her party. Who could it be?

She wobbled over slowly to the door to look at the peep hole. All she say was shoulders but they looked pretty masculine. What’s the worst that could happen? After a quick thought in her impaired judgement, she opens the door and her eyes widen.

“Jimin?” she laughs, “what the hell are you doing here?”

“I came to see if you were okay.”

“See if I was okay? Wow! The great Park Jimin not only remembers me but also cares about if I’m okay!” Y/n hiccups. She giggles as she loses her balance and Jimin catches her quickly. He closes the door behind him and helps Y/n to the couch. She reeks of alcohol and the smell along with the two empty bottles of vodka attest to her drunken behavior.

“You know,” Y/n straightens up, “I was so happy when Ji Hyun didn’t put your name on the guest list, but you just had to be there.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve asked.”

Y/n stares at him for a few seconds until her hiccup kicks in and she giggles again, “You haven’t changed at all.”

Y/n runs her hand lightly on his face and her alcohol pinked cheeks turn a ruby shade as bites her lip. She kisses his cheek and Jimin looks surprised. She moves back to kiss his cheek down to his neck until a certain fabric offends her and she decides to take care of it.

***

Y/n wakes up with a killer headache and her bed is way warmer than usual. She regrets drinking for her fucked up low self-esteem issues. She groaned as she moved around in her bed.

“Uhhhhh. . .why did I have to drink so much last night? My head.”

“Here, drink this and take an aspirin.” a male voice says and Y/n soars up in her bed.

“Ji Hyun!?” Y/n all but yells at him, “what are you doing here?”

“I came to check up on you last night because Secretary Kim told me you weren’t feeling well and you wouldn’t. . .ummm. . .how should I put this. . .”

“What did you do?” Y/n interrupts him as she pulls her comforter towards her chest.

“I didn’t do anything,” Ji Hyun laughs, “it was all you.”

“OMG! But I was drunk, you could’ve--no, you should’ve refused!”

“You wouldn’t let me!”

“Oh Lord, I don’t remember. What did I do?”

“Well for starters, you were definitely making out with neck and trying to get me out of my suit and that wasn’t even the weird part.”

“I did something stupid, didn’t I?” Y/n hid her head in shame.

“Something like that,” Ji Hyun scoffs and extends the aspirin towards Y/n, “here, you’ll feel better.”

“After all that embarrassing stuff, I’m not sure I want to feel better at the moment.”

“Oh chill. It’s not like we slept together. I mean we did but that’s besides the point.”

“We slept together as in like slept slept or slept slept,” she stares out awkwardly from her comforter.

“There’s a difference?” Ji Hyun teases her.

“You know what I meant.”

“I really don’t, so please elaborate.”

“Seriously?” Y/n asks before downing the aspirin pill and the full glass of water.

He laughs and takes the glass from her, “I guess both. While you were seriously trying to sleep sleep with me, you fell asleep while kissing my neck and trying--very badly, might I add--to undress me. You eventually passed out on my lap with my collar in your hands. I carried you to bed and you wouldn’t let go so I had to sleep sleep with you here.”

“Oh my god,” Y/n turns pink with embarrassment, “I’m so sorry I put you through that.”

“It was my pleasure.”

“I’m sure. I owe you one.”

“How about brunch today?”

“Sure. Why not?” Y/n says getting out of her bed, “Let me shower.”

“What?” She replies back when Ji Hyun just stares.

“Nothing.”

“Seriously? You’ve seen me in my Spongebob night shorts and tank, drunk off my ass tryna make out with your neck and you still have a problem talking to me? You seemed quite well teasing me a few minutes ago.”

Ji Hyun laughs and sits on the bed, “it really isn’t anything. I was just thinking that I kinda took you as a satin night gown type of a girl. Never thought you would have Spongebob night shorts.”

“Satin is for special occasions,” Y/n winks and Ji Hyun giggles at her, “now let me take a shower so that we can go.”

“Well I have to change as well. Maybe we can meet each other in a bit.”

“Sounds good. Did you drive here?”

“No. My driver dropped me off.”

“Then just chill around here and we can drop by your house and then go to brunch.”

“Aight. I’ll watch some TV in the living room.”

“Aight,” smiles Y/n.

“By the way,” turns back Ji Hyun.

“Hmm?”

“Did you already know Jimin Hyung?”

“Why would you ask me that? Did he look like he knew me?” awkwardly laughs Y/n.

“No, but you kept calling me by Hyung’s name yesterday and then you asked if I remembered you--well--you asked Jimin hyung if he knew you because you thought I was him.”

“You must be mistaken. How and why would I know your brother? Isn’t he like a kpop star? I’ve heard a lot about him,” Y/n says walking into her closet.

Ji Hyun looks at her walking away but decides to put the whole Jimin hyung fiasco behind him. Maybe Y/n was Hyung’s fan and was too embarrassed to admit that she was fangirling. He shoves his hands in his pockets and laughs to himself.

“Let’s see if I can find some Spongebob on TV today. I feel like watching some Spongebob all of a sudden.”

****

They were in front of Ji Hyun’s house. Y/n was wearing her hair in loose curls with a floral pencil brunch dress and thin strappy pastel pink heels. She had ditched her favorite bag for a small clutch.

“I’ll wait out here.”

“Now don’t be like that. Mom will kill me if she finds out I have such bad manners that I made a woman--especially my business partner--wait outside for me.”

“You’re mom and dad are probably home and it’ll just be awkward.”

“I’m an adult. They don’t interfere. Come on,” he says holding out his hand for Y/n. She hesitantly takes his hand and steps out of the car.

“I like your house already and I haven’t even stepped inside yet.”

“My mom will like you too. She loves anyone who loves her house.”

Y/n laughs nervously and greets the lady that opens the door.

“Is mom home, Ahjumma?”

“Yes. Madam just went to her study. Let me call her for you.”

“No need,” He smiles at the ahjumma “just take care of my guest please.”

“Of course, Sir,” the Ahjumma replies before heading to the kitchen.

“Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll be a few minutes.”

“Take your time,” Y/n says taking a seat.

Ji Hyun rushes towards the stairs to get to his room and Y/n looks around. The Ahjumma walks back with tea for Y/n, “I’ve informed madam. She’s on her way here.”

“Oh, thank you. You really didn’t have to,” Y/n smiles at the Ahjumma.

“Of course she had to,” says a voice behind her, “you’re our guest and my son’s boss now.”

“I prefer to think of him as my partner. How have you been Mrs Park?” Y/n says getting up and shaking the older woman’s hand. The woman shook her hand back and Y/n sits down with her legs crossed.

“So what brings you in today? If I knew you’d be here today I would’ve prepared some brunch today.”

“Actually I’m waiting for Ji Hyun. We’re heading to brunch. It’s our first sunday after the acquisition. Thought we should get to know each other better to continue working seamlessly in the future.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. It’s better and easier to work with people you know well.”

“Well said, Mom,” Ji Hyun says suddenly behind Y/n. He looked dashing as always in his fitted blue suit.

“Oh hi, Aduel. How are you? I didn’t even see you come in last night. Your dad and I lost track of time after you and Jimin left.”

Y/n heart skipped a beat listening to Jimin’s name. She sent out a small prayer to God to not run into him here today.

“Yeah, about that.Where ever did Hyung go?”

“He got a call from his Manager. Apparently he had an event to get to this weekend so he left.”

“I was going to introduce him to Y/n properly. Oh well,” He pouted, “I guess next time.”

“I think we should get going now,” Y/n glanced at her watch, “we’re getting late for our reservation.”

“It was nice to see you again, Mrs Park,” Y/n stood up and shook the woman’s hand again.

“See you tonight, Mom,’ Ji Hyun says kissing his mom’s cheek. And as they start to walk towards the entrance, Y/n sends a small thanks to whoever was listening for not letting her run into the one and only Park Jimin.”

***

“This was great,” Y/n said as they reached Ji Hyun’s house, “we should do this again sometime.”

“How about next Sunday?”

“I’ve been with you the entire day, Ji Hyun. I’m afraid activities like this so soon will cause us the business,” laughed Y/n.

“We should do brunch every sunday. If you don’t want to spend the entire day.”

“Brunch sounds good.”

“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow morning then?”

“Actually, you’ll prolly see me in the afternoon. I have some clients to meet in the morning so I’ll try and come in the afternoon.”

“Or you can just take the day off,” smirked Ji Hyun.

“Uh huh. So that you can go home early?”

“Thought I should give it a try,” he winked.

“Nice try but I actually have an early morning tomorrow, so good night,” Y/n waved her goodbye and got back in her car.

Jimin stared at the retreating car as it went out the gate whilst talking on the phone in the balcony.

“Hello? You still there?” said a girl’s voice from the other end of the line.

“I’ll call you back, Babe,” He said hanging up his phone.

“Oh, Hyung!” yelled Ji Hyun as he looked up to the balcony, “You’re here! You should’ve told me you would be home. I wanted you to meet Y/n again.”

“I just got home, Ji Hyun-ah. Maybe next time. I’ll let you know.”

“Wait for me, then. I’m coming upstairs. We gotta have a game’s night like old times!” exclaimed Ji Hyun.

Jimin just chuckled and said, “aight. Come up and I’ll kick some ass.”

Jimin saw Ji Hyun rush inside and then he looked at the street that Y/n’s car had disappeared off to. Why now? Why after so many years? Why Ji Hyun? This isn’t fair.

***

[thiswomanshouldbewriting]

Holding on and Letting Go

This is my @rumbellebigbang fic, and damn was it hard to write. I never would have made it without my amazing beta @galactic-pirates and my partner @desperatemurph who made this awesome gifset. 

I am posting the whole story on tumblr but you can also find it here on Ao3.

Summary: On a night like any other, Belle French comes home tired from work, and wants nothing more than a good night of rest. Someone, however, shows up at her door: it's Gideon, the son she gave up for adoption thirteen years before. Shocked but also overjoyed, Belle hopes to finally get a place in her estranged son's life. His adoptive father, however, is incredibly protective of him; will she manage to convince Mr Gold that she's not a threat, just a mother that had to make a terrible choice?

Belle kicked her shoes off as she entered her apartment, unceremoniously dropping her purse to the floor next to them. Being tidy was a problem for tomorrow Belle; right now, even the thought of having to change into her pajamas felt like too much work.

She was contemplating whether it would be really awful to sleep in the clothes she’d worn at work when the doorbell rang. She couldn’t think of anyone she knew who could be looking for her at this late hour, and her mind immediately provided her with a number of scenarios involving serial killers. Through the peephole she saw a nervous-looking boy on the other side of the door. He didn’t exactly look threatening, so she resolved to open the door, but she was ready to close it at the first sign of danger.

“Who are you?” she asked, looking at the boy more closely and trying to remember if she had seen him before. He did look oddly familiar now that she thought of it. 

“Are you Belle French?” he asked instead of answering. 

“I asked you first, but I’ll let this slide because it’s written on the doorbell anyway. Yes, I am Belle French,” she answered, eyeing him curiously. 

“My name is Gideon Gold. I’m your son,” he said simply, flashing her a little smile.

His words seemed to take forever to register in Belle’s brain, as all the memories that she had tried to suppress for over a decade came back with a vengeance, hitting her with the force of a truck. 

“No. No you can’t be,” she contested weakly, but she very well knew he could.

“Didn’t you give a baby up for adoption on February 12th thirteen years ago?” Gideon asked her, clearly knowing what her answer would be. 

Belle just couldn’t find the strength to say yes. Instead, she took a step back and motioned Gideon to follow her inside. 

“I need a cup of coffee, do you want something?” she said as a starter, busying herself at the kitchen counter so that she could keep her back turned to him; she couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes.

“Could I get something to eat instead? I didn’t finish my dinner and walked a long way to come here,” he asked, and out of the corner of her eye Belle could see that he had already claimed her armchair as his, looking so at home in her house that it hurt. She opened the fridge, looking for something to make a sandwich with. 

“Why are you here at two in the morning? Where are your parents?” she asked, trying to bring her mind back to the present and away from dangerous could-have-beens. She just hoped Gideon didn’t notice the slight tremble in her voice. 

“I found out you lived here months ago. I just never had the courage to come here until now. Bad timing, I know, but I simply felt like it today,” he said, then quickly added: “Did you read all the books in that bookcase? Some of them are my favorites!”

“Look, I don’t know what you think of me, but I’m not an idiot. Either you tell me what’s going on or I call the cops,” Belle said, suddenly finding the courage to turn around and stare him down. 

“If you do, I’ll tell them you kidnapped me,” Gideon replied without missing a beat.

“And they’ll believe you because I’m your birthmother. You’re clever, I’ll give you that,” Belle said, feeling a foolish surge of pride for the kid that she couldn’t and shouldn’t consider her son. “I still need to know what happened though. Unless you plan on escaping abroad, your parents will find you sooner rather than later, and I’ll be in trouble anyway. As you can see, I have very little to lose, so you’d better start talking.”

“Ok, fine,” Gideon groaned eventually. “I argued with my mom’s boyfriend because his idea of ‘bonding time’ is badmouthing my father all the time. My adoptive mother got mad and kicked me out of the house mid-dinner, so I walked over here and waited for you to get back.”

“She kicked you out of the house for that?” Belle asked, trying to control the anger in her voice. She knew she was hardly in a position to judge when she had kicked Gideon out of her entire life, but at least she had known her son would be taken care of. Kicking him out with only the clothes on his back was downright cruel.

“Yes, well, it’s not like she enjoys having me around that much. I’m pretty sure I’m mostly an annoyance to her,” Gideon said bitterly. 

“I’m sure that’s not true. She adopted you, she wanted you, and I’m sure she still does. Maybe she doesn’t always make the right choices, but I’m sure she loves you,” Belle said, laying the plate with sandwiches next to Gideon and taking one of his hands in hers. It had been so long since she’d last held him, and all she wanted to do was to cry, but she had to be strong for him, at least this time around. She owed him that much. 

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew her,” Gideon muttered, not looking Belle in the eyes. “But thanks anyway.” He grabbed one of the sandwiches then, and silence fell over them as he ate. 

“So, you mentioned your father. Why didn’t you call him?” Belle asked after a while.

“I didn’t have my phone,” Gideon answered with a shrug.

“And you couldn’t have borrowed someone else’s? I’m sure many people would have been ready to help a lost boy. Or maybe you could have stayed at a friend’s house. Why come here of all places?” Belle inquired. She didn’t want him to feel under interrogation, but she needed to know what was going on. 

“Look, I didn’t want to go to my father or to a friend’s house. I just wanted to come here, okay?” Gideon bit back, hurt creeping in his voice. 

Belle sighed, taking a long moment to evaluate her next action.

“Gideon, I don’t want you to think that I’m unhappy you’re here. I’m confused and shocked and sorry for what I put you through, but I’m happy I finally get to see you again,” she started off, trying once again to keep her voice level as she treaded such dangerous ground. “But I can’t truly enjoy this moment if I know your parents are worried sick about you. I know this feels a lot easier to you, but spending time with me will only make things more complicated when your parents eventually find you. How do you think they’ll feel when they find out you came to me?”

Gideon looked away from her, the pout on his face making him look even younger. 

“I don’t care. My adoptive mother doesn’t really care about me, why shouldn’t I at least have you?” he grumbled.

Belle sighed. Gideon was hurting, and he had turned to her with all the spite and desperation that only a teen could have. He needed affection, but he also wanted to punish his mother, maybe to make her jealous. Maybe Belle was only the means to that end, and deep down she really didn’t know how that thought made her feel. Being all but used by her son and then forgotten would be hell - which she totally deserved - but a sincere affection might be even worse. Would his parents even allow her back in her son’s life, or would she have to let him go a second time? And if they tried to bond but Gideon found her sorely lacking, would her heart be strong enough to handle that rejection?

“Of course you can have me,” Belle said, her treacherous heart singing at the prospect. “But please, please call your family before I truly get arrested for kidnapping. Maybe you could call one of your grandparents? Mine were always ready to forgive me for anything, and they’d talk my parents into forgiving me as well. Here, you can use my phone,”

Gideon pondered her words for a few seconds, taking her phone in his hands.

“Maybe… maybe I could call my brother. He won’t tell dad where I am if I ask him not to. I can have him tell mom and dad that I’m fine, so they won’t worry. Can I… can I spend the night here if I do this?” Gideon asked, his big hazel eyes shining with hope.

Belle knew that it was nearly impossible that his parents would be happy not knowing where he was spending the night, but how could she refuse Gideon when he so clearly needed to feel that an adult was on his side? 

“Okay, but put the phone on speaker, I want to make sure you are not just pretending to call. I’m truly risking prison here,” Belle warned him. 

Gideon had barely started dialing the number when the doorbell rang. 

“Are you waiting for someone?” he asked, even though he had the feeling he knew exactly who was pounding on the door like crazy. 

“Miss French, I have already called the police,” a man hollered from outside. “Open this door now or I swear I’ll have it brought down. And if you have hurt even a single hair on Gideon’s head I promise you’ll regret having ever been born!”

Belle felt the sudden, irrational instinct to run away, the same visceral fear she’d felt when labor began and she realized there was no escaping the pain. She forced herself to step towards the door on legs that felt like lead, wondering if Gideon’s father would give her time to explain herself or if he’d have her taken to jail straight away. 

Surprisingly, he didn’t do either of those things. The moment she opened the door, he sprinted past her as if she didn’t even exist, running to his son and wrapping him in a bone-crushing hug. Belle looked away from them, and found herself facing two other men, one of whom was a policeman. 

“Don’t worry about Officer Graham. I couldn’t convince my father to come here without the police, but as long as Gideon is fine - and I’m sure he is - we won’t press charges or anything,” the younger man said, offering his hand for her to shake. “I’m Neal, by the way, Gideon’s brother.”

He was smiling at her, albeit a little awkwardly, and that made her feel a bit better. 

“He just showed up at my door, I swear I didn’t contact him first. I was about to make him call you. I’m truly sorry for this mess, you must have been worried sick,” she apologized, focusing on Neal because she still couldn’t find the courage to look at Gideon’s father. Judging from the rage in his voice as he knocked on her door, she had the feeling he was far less chill about this than his son. 

“I have no doubt about it. Gideon had told me he was looking for you, so when he went missing I knew exactly where to look,” Neal explained. 

“Couldn’t you have kept your mouth shut? I was fine, and I would have let you know!” Gideon complained, slipping away from his father’s arms. 

“No, you shut up. You made dad completely freak out. We had to ask Dove to drive us here because dad was so nervous that he couldn’t even keep the steering wheel straight. What were you even thinking?”

There was a flash of guilt in Gideon’s eyes, but whatever he was about to say was cut short when his father stepped between him and Neal.

“We clearly have a lot to discuss, but we’ll have plenty of time for that when we get back home. I’m sure Miss French has better things to do than listen to our family drama, and we’ve already bothered her enough,” Gold said.

He barely deigned her a glance but, when he did, Belle wished he hadn’t. He stared at her as if she were a speck of dirt on his polished shoes, his gaze filled with hostility like she had seldom known, a mixture of hatred and disgust she only remembered seeing in her father’s eyes.

“It’s no matter, really. I just wanted to help Gideon,” she said somewhat awkwardly.

“Well, clearly your help isn’t needed anymore,” Gold said, his voice cutting as steel. “We’ll be on our way now.”

Neal flashed her an apologetic smile as they exited the apartment, and Gideon lingered for a quick surprise hug. Belle could feel Gold’s eyes burning into her as she tentatively wrapped her arms around her son, but she was ready to fight his rage for Gideon. He didn’t say anything though, and soon enough she was shutting the door behind them. After the turmoil of the past half-hour, her home felt eerily quiet now. She started pacing around, tidying up the place to give herself something to do and restrain from thinking about how much it had hurt to watch Gideon walk away. Sleeping would have helped her, but even though she was exhausted her brain was fully awake. When, over an hour later, she got into her bed, she kept tossing and turning as memories and nightmares blurred together in a constant cycle of dozing off and waking up with tears in her eyes. 

Her sleep was too light and restless to keep her from hearing her phone buzzing in the early hours of the morning. The lack of sleep was making her feel light-headed, so it took her a few seconds to focus on the words contained in the message, which was from a number she didn’t recognize. 

‘We just got home. Dad was mad af and spent the entire trip scolding me, but he has calmed down now, and I’m not even grounded! He’s incredibly pissed at mom though, and now they’re fighting on the phone. Thank you for today, I hope you don’t mind I got your number when I took your phone. Love, Gideon.’

If she had been less sleepy, Belle would have taken some time to consider the implications of every possible answer she could send him. Instead, with her heart hammering in her chest, she quickly wrote the words that she felt were the truest. 

‘I’m glad you’re okay, and I don’t mind about the number at all. I’m always here if you need me. Love, Belle.’

She laid back on her bed, clutching her phone to her chest, giddy and heartbroken all at once. It was only when her alarm went off two hours later that she realized that, after Gideon’s message, she had finally managed to sleep. 

Throughout the following days, Gideon kept messaging her with alarming regularity. He told her about how his day had been and asked about hers, he complained about how silly his brother became whenever a certain Emma was involved, and showered her with his thoughts about pretty much every fantasy saga he had been able to put his hands on. Belle liked to think that his love for books came from her, and the thought warmed her from the inside. His messages, however, worried her just as much as they rejoiced her. She truly wanted to be close to Gideon, yet she worried that she was only making things worse for him, teaching him to keep secrets from his parents and undermining their authority in her selfish desire to fix her past failings.

After a few days of furious debating with herself, she eventually resolved to ask for a friend’s help. There were very few people who knew she had given her son up for adoption, and she had cut them all out of her life, for good reason. This meant that if she wanted someone’s advice, she’d need to come clean about her past first. 

Ariel had a daughter of her own, so she was the only one of her friends who could speak from experience, but that also meant that she would truly understand the gravity of what Belle had done. By talking to her, Belle could jeopardize the life she had built for herself; if Ariel recoiled from her, if she called her a monster and told all their friends just what kind of woman she was, Belle really wouldn’t be able to blame her, but she’d also need to move again, just like she’d done as soon as she’d finished high school. Her own guilt was heavy enough to bear; she couldn’t live with other people’s judgment as well.

They met that afternoon, and Belle’s voice trembled as she started telling her story, but her friend proved more than worthy of her trust. Ariel let Belle talk without interrupting, and if there was a flicker of shock or horror in her eyes she did her best to hide it. When the tale was finally over, and Belle felt like she’d just run a marathon, the first thing Ariel did was hug her. 

“I’m so sorry. You deserved better, both you and your son,” she said, holding her so tightly that it almost hurt. It was exactly what Belle had needed, and she had to take a few deep breaths to keep from sobbing in relief. 

“I gave him up for that, to offer him something better, but now I’m not sure of what that is anymore,” she admitted. 

Ariel pulled back, but kept a strong hold of her hands, a reminder that she was not going to leave her. “I will be honest with you, Belle: if I were Gideon’s adoptive mother, I’d want to know that you’re in contact with him. The more you drag this on secretly, the more suspicious your behavior looks.”

“And what if his parents forbid him to talk to me again?”

“It’s a possibility, I can’t deny that, but Gideon cares about you and he has already shown just how determined he is to have a relationship with you again. You can’t expect his parents to be happy that he’s looking for another parent, but as wary or unhappy as they might be, they should let you see him for Gideon’s sake. Your son made the first step, Belle, but now it’s up to you to make sure that you go about this the right way.”

As much as it scared Belle to admit it, Ariel was right. Somehow, she had to work up the courage to speak to Gideon’s parents, starting with his father. She was pretty sure the man hated her, yet he was the one Gideon was closer to. Besides, she was still mad at his mother for kicking him out of the house, and she wasn’t sure she could hold a whole conversation with her without bringing that up. Gideon wasn’t all that happy when she mentioned her intentions to him, because he too was afraid that his father would try to put an end to their newfound relationship. He even went so far as to call her for the first time, but Belle, just like she’d done on the night he’d come looking for her, gradually managed to convince him, and soon enough she had Gold’s phone number registered. All she had to do now was find the courage to actually call him. She stared at her phone screen for what felt like hours, and eventually chickened out by telling herself that it was too late to call him anyway, and that he’d probably be pissed if she called him now. 

She stalled as long as she could the following morning, but way too soon she was ready to start the day and make that phonecall. Holding her breath, she pressed the ‘call’ button and waited. It took Gold a while to pick up, so much that she had been about to hang up when he finally did. 

“Ah, good morning, is this Mr Gold?” she stammered, her throat feeling as dry as sandpaper. 

“Yes. Who am I talking to?”

“I know this might be surprising, but I’m Belle French and I’m…” she started, only to be harshly cut off.

“I know exactly who you are, and this is why I suggest you hang up right now and delete this number, unless you want to find yourself in serious trouble,” he hissed at her. The rage and disgust in his voice made her want to cry, but Belle knew that, with Gideon’s happiness at stake, she couldn’t afford to have a breakdown. 

“Gideon and I have been messaging ever since he came looking for me,” she said quickly, before Gold could decide to hang up himself. “He took my number when I told him to call you. I wanted you to know.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a while. Right when Belle was starting to think he might have hung up on her after all, Gold’s ice-cold voice reached her ears again. 

“And you’ve called so I can make it stop? You’ve realized teens are still as much work as newborns, but that it’s so much harder to shut the door in their face when they’re old enough to realize it?”

His assumptions were so absurdly wrong that, for a moment, Belle couldn’t find the words to reply. “No, no, how can you think I… you got it all wrong,” she explained hastily, horrified by the image Gold clearly had of her. “I don’t want you to put an end to this, I would never ask you to. I’m actually calling for the opposite reason; I want this to go on, but I don’t want to do this behind your back. I don’t want Gideon to lie to you. I know you have every reason to be wary of me, but I really want nothing more than to make Gideon happy, and I hope I can prove that to you.”

“I believe this is something we should discuss in person. I can drive to Boston and be there early in the afternoon,” he said, and Belle didn’t know if she should be happy that he wasn’t flat-out telling her no, or worried that he hadn’t said yes. 

“I’m afraid I’ll be at work then. Could we do next Monday instead? And I could be the one to drive over, I don’t want to inconvenience you more than necessary.”

“No, I’m driving over to you,” he insisted, his tone admitting no protest. “I’ll be there on Monday in the early afternoon. I’d be glad if you didn’t tell Gideon about this meeting before Monday, I’d rather not have him worrying about what we might or might not tell each other.”

His voice, that had been cold and distant throughout the whole exchange, seemed to warm up a little as he mentioned Gideon, and that gave Belle hope. He truly loved her… well, his son, so why should he keep Gideon from his birthmother if that connection was important to him? 

That thought kept her company throughout the following days, helping ease her nervousness at the upcoming meeting, but by Monday morning she was a nervous wreck nonetheless. She woke up unbelievably early, and started making rounds of her apartment - which she had spent the entire week cleaning and tidying up - to make sure that everything was truly spotless. Still with plenty of time to spare before Gold’s arrival, she took extra care in her outfit and make up; she only had this one shot at impressing him, and everything had to be perfect. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the doorbell finally rang. She took a deep breath, trying and failing to calm herself, then opened the door. 

Gold gave her a cold nod, then strolled in as if he owned the place. Judging from his tailored suit and from what Gideon had told her, he could probably afford to. During their first meeting she had been so nervous that she had somehow failed to notice he used a cane, but even that couldn’t make him look any less intimidating.

“Would you…” she started off awkwardly, then paused to clear her throat. “Would you like something to drink?” she tried again, her voice sounding a little more confident this time.

“Miss French, we both know I’m not here for a drink or for small talk. I’m here to know what you want, and I don’t like wasting my time,” he replied drily.

Under his scrutiny, Belle felt nearly paralyzed, but she pushed that feeling down, focusing solely on the thought of Gideon and drawing strength from that. She straightened her back and stared at Gold with all the determination she was capable of.

“I want a place in Gideon’s life, as long as he wants me to have it. I gave up my parental rights fourteen years ago and I know that there’s no changing that, that I’m not legally his parent anymore, but he came looking for me, and I want to be able to be as close to him as a friend would. I want to be able to call him and message him and just be by his side if he needs me. Please give me this chance.”

She had rehearsed this request a billion times in her mind, and all things considered she was satisfied with the result; her voice had sounded polite but firm, and she had made her intentions pretty clear while also reassuring Gold that she wasn’t trying to replace him or his ex-wife. She was expecting to see some kind of reaction in him, a sign of acceptance or denial, but his expression remained stressfully blank as he pondered her words. He was looking at her strangely, as if he were trying to see through her.

“So I’m guessing there’s no amount of money that could persuade you to disappear again?” he asked eventually.

For a moment, Belle was so shocked that she believed she’d misheard. He couldn’t be trying to do this, not really.

“I’m sorry?” was all she managed to say, part of her nervousness disappearing in the face of her mounting disdain. 

“You see, you wouldn’t be the first to try this trick. Birthparents reappear, they play nice for a while, and when the adoptive parents start feeling threatened by their presence they ask for a nice check in exchange for their absence. Or maybe you just realized that you’d be better off financially if you tagged along with my family, and are willing to put up with Gideon for that. If that’s the case, I’d rather pay you now than let Gideon get attached and then suffer when you reveal yourself for who you truly are. Name a sum, and we’ll have a deal,” he explained, his eyes still fixed on her, careful to catch her reaction. He really shouldn’t have bothered; even a blind man would have noticed the shock and horror in her expression. 

“I’m not that kind of person. I don’t care who you are or how big of a sum you can give me. The life I have I built it myself, with no help, and I certainly don’t need yours now. I want what I couldn’t have thirteen years ago: I want my son.”

Belle was almost surprised by the resolution in her voice, but she barely had time to revel in her newfound determination, because Gold’s scowl suddenly deepened. 

“That’s where you’re wrong. He’s not your son, not anymore, as even you have pointed out,” he hissed, looking so threatening that Belle was tempted to take a step back. “He’s mine, and so far you’ve given precious little reason for me to let you anywhere near him again. You say you have good intentions, but your actions say the contrary. You’re the one who tossed him away and never looked back. You’re the one that’s causing him to lie and run away, all things he had never done before. Maybe you don’t want money, and maybe you think you want to be a mother, but how do I know you won’t just play the part of the cool parent for a while and disappear the moment things get rough? You’ve done it before, after all, and I won’t let Gideon be hurt again.” 

At some point during his rant, something inside of Belle snapped. His accusations, so wrong yet so similar to the voices she heard in her nightmares, brought out feelings she had barely known were simmering inside of her. When thinking of what she’d done, she was used to shame and guilt, but this time all she felt was rage. Rage at life, at how stupid she’d been, and more than anything at all those people who - just like Gold - thought they knew everything, when they understood nothing.

“How dare you?” she asked him, taking one step forward so that they were almost face to face. “How dare you make assumptions about me when you know nothing. You don’t know what it was like. You don’t know how hard it was for me. You have no idea of what it is like to hold your son, that you love more than anything, and then hand him over to a stranger because you can’t take care of him. You don’t know. Years ago I let other people force me to walk out of his life, but this time is different. If you want to keep me away from Gideon you’ll have to step over my dead body, because this time I’m fighting tooth and nail for him.”

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so furious and so alive. Her words, her indignation felt so right, and she was frustrated by how unaffected Gold was by the whole thing. She felt as though she could incinerate him with a single look, and yet here he stood, impassable to the storm raging inside of her. She hated it. 

“So, you’re not going to say anything?” she prompted him, needing an answer, ready to fight. 

“Well, I’m not going to give you visitation rights or schedule for Gideon to come over here,” he started off, gesturing at her to let him continue when she tried to protest. “But at the same time Gideon is old enough to decide whether he wants to hear from you or not. As long as he’s okay with it, you two can keep in touch in whatever way he wishes. If he wants to meet you, however, I want to be informed, and if I decide I’d rather be present for the encounter you won’t object. And God help you if I ever find out you’re causing Gideon to lie or run away again. You only get one chance at this, Miss French, and I’m not a forgiving man. If you blow this, if you cause Gideon any harm, I’ll tear you and your life apart piece by piece.”

Belle was so relieved that she thought she might faint. The weight that had been pressing on her chest since she was sixteen had suddenly been lifted; at long last, she could be with her son. 

“Thank you, thank you so much. I promise you won’t regret this,” she vowed, barely restraining herself from hugging him; she had a feeling he wouldn’t appreciate that. “What about his mother? I’ll need her approval as well, do you think she’ll be okay with this?”

Gold looked surprised for a moment, as if he hadn’t been expecting Milah to be involved, then shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about Milah, I’ll talk to her. If I were you, I’d keep out of her line of sight as much as possible; she doesn’t like competition, and she will see you as a rival for Gideon’s affection. She’ll have to accept this situation for Gideon’s sake, but that does not mean she’ll like it, and she could turn quite nasty on you,” Gold warned her. He seemed to be looking at her differently now, still distant but much less wary, and definitely no longer angry or disgusted. The fact that he was even going out of his way to help her deal with his ex-wife felt nearly surreal. 

“Do you really think she’ll be that upset? The last thing I want is to bring conflict into Gideon’s life.” 

“As you might have noticed, there’s conflict between Gideon and Milah already. Strangely enough, your presence might just be the thing Milah needs to realize she needs to fix things between them,” Gold reassured her. “I still suggest you limit your phonecalls to Gideon when he’s at her place though. He would normally be staying with her here in Boston now that it’s summer, but after everything that happened Milah and I agreed it would be better if he moved back to Storybrooke a bit sooner than anticipated. He’ll be with her every other weekend for the duration of the school year, plus the occasional holiday.”

Belle took mental notes of all of that, thanking him again. She still couldn’t believe all of this was truly happening. 

“Now that we’ve reached an agreement on your situation with Gideon, I have to ask you if there’s any chance of his father showing up as well,” Gold asked after a beat of silence, and the question sounded so absurd to Belle’s ears that she couldn’t help but let out a humorless laugh.

“Believe me, I’d be the most surprised if he did. The only time we ever spoke of my pregnancy he suggested I terminate it. I’m not even sure he knows I gave Gideon up for adoption, and I haven’t seen him in over a decade. The chances of him finding Gideon are abysmal, and the chances of him caring about him are even below that. I wouldn’t worry about the father if I were you.”

The heartbreak Gary had caused her had faded through the years, but the sheer disgust at the person he was had only increased. Now, as a grown woman, she fully understood just how vile he had been, how slyly he had taken advantage of her, and she pitied her younger self for ever falling for him. 

“Looks like there is someone out there who deserved my anger after all. I’m sorry I thought that was you,” Gold said, something dangerous flickering inside his eyes. He was angry, but not at her, and it was a nice change. She remembered the threat he had made, how he’d destroy her and her life if she ever hurt Gideon, and in that moment she knew that’s exactly what he would do to Gary if she ever gave him his name. For a second, she was tempted to do just that, but there was too much at stake to indulge in vengeance. Messing with Gary could lead him to Gideon, and that was the last thing she wanted; for her son’s sake, her past had to stay in the past. 

“I’ll be going then. Everything is settled and I have a long drive ahead of me,” Gold said, moving towards the door. 

“Can I offer you anything? A cup of tea maybe, or I could make you a sandwich for the trip,” she offered again. She owed him more than she’d ever be able to say, but a sandwich was as good a place to start as any. 

“There’s really no need. Goodbye, Miss French.”

The door closed behind him, and Belle stared at it for a few seconds, still struggling to believe the past half-hour hadn’t been a dream. He had said yes. She felt like laughing and crying at the same time, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do either. Suddenly, she realized she had to tell Gideon about this. He had been so worried and ready to fight his dad on this, but there would be no need, and she was so happy she could give him good news. She grabbed her phone and, for the first time, called her son’s number. Today started their second chance. 

________________________________________________________________________________

By the time October rolled around, Belle was the happiest person in the world. After her encounter with Gold, things with Gideon had gone wonderfully, and her treasured collection of photos of him was growing rapidly. One of her favorites, that she had printed and framed, was the one she’d taken the first time she’d gone to Storybrooke, on Gideon’s first day of high school. It had been the first milestone of his life she’d been present for, and it had been hard to hide her tears as he hugged her before entering school. Another photo she kept in her wallet at all times, and just looking at it could brighten even the worst day.

She’d felt ill at ease in Storybrooke at first. In a quiet little town like that, a normal visitor was bound to be noticed, but being Gideon’s birthmother had put her directly at the center of the town’s gossip for a while. Gideon had been key to overcoming that; he’d been so obviously overjoyed at having her there, and so proud to be seen with her, that for the first time she’d forgotten to think of other people’s judgment. It didn’t always work, of course, but she liked to think she was getting better at it. 

One of the first things Gideon had shown her in Storybrooke was the library: it was closed, unfortunately, but the ladder that went to the clocktower on top of it was still usable, and Belle found herself loving the view of the town from up there just as much as Gideon did.

“The mayor shut the library down years ago, but I’ll have it reopened. I’ll be the librarian and have all kind of initiatives: reading groups, writing groups, Harry Potter themed events, everything. I’ll make this part of the library too: this place was made to be a reading nook. Everybody is going to love it.” he had told her, gesturing vaguely around him as if he could already see the finished work.  

“I feel like you’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t you?”

“Ever since I read Matilda as a kid. I even have a notebook on which I write every idea for this place. I don’t usually talk about this to people. I want to keep it a secret from dad, because he knows the mayor and I’m sure he could get the place reopened in a matter of minutes, but I want to do it myself.” he had said, still bubbling with enthusiasm. Then his expression had turned uncertain “Do you think it’s silly?”

“No, not at all. I always wanted to be a librarian as well,” Belle had said, stepping away from the window. “It’s nice to see you want the same.”

“Then why aren’t you one? Is it… is it because you got pregnant with me?” he had asked hesitantly.

Gideon had never asked her why she’d given him up, and she had never been brave enough to bring the matter up. Still, she could feel the need to know simmering inside of him, and every time he asked her something about her past she could feel the biggest, most dreaded question drawing a bit closer.  

“No, absolutely not,” she had answered truthfully. “I started working right after high school, but I went to university afterwards. I’m not a librarian simply because it’s hard to find a librarian position, especially one that is decently paid. It’s a good thing that you’ve already found the perfect place to work at, isn’t it?”

Bringing Gideon’s attention back to his dream had distracted him and lightened the atmosphere, and for that day she hadn’t had to deal with any more hard questions. The idea of telling him about her past scared her more than it should have. Gideon had known she’d given him up for adoption, and yet he came looking for her, so he clearly had made some sort of peace with that. Yet the idea of telling him about his father - or hers, for that matter - felt so wrong. She didn’t want him to know how evil some people could be, and she wanted even less to admit how she’d let people like them defeat her, cornering her to the point where she had to give up the most precious thing in her life. She was ashamed to admit to her son that she’d let other people tear them apart. 

Gradually, the colorful autumn leaves were replaced by the first flurries of snow, and as Christmas drew closer Belle learned with a little disappointment that she wouldn’t see Gideon for Christmas, as she’d secretly hoped. 

“I’m staying with my mom… well, my other mom. Even if I’m supposed to spend half the holidays with her, she generally lets me go back to dad’s place if I want, but this year she insisted we spend some time together. Sorry,” Gideon explained on the phone.

Belle was glad he couldn’t see her face, so she didn’t have to hide her sadness. Rationally, she knew it was only a good thing if Gideon spent more time with Milah and mended the complicated relationship he had with her, but a little part of her couldn’t help but feel jealous. Given that she wouldn’t be spending her Christmas with Gideon, she accepted to switch shifts with Tiana at the restaurant and work on Christmas day. The day was every bit as chaotic as they expected, and Belle was so busy that she almost didn’t notice the group that had just sat at a nearby table.

Neal spotted her the same moment she saw him. His eyes grew wide in surprise, then he  abruptly turned around and stared at the woman in front of him with such rage that Belle was surprised Milah didn’t catch fire on the spot. She either didn’t notice his death glare or didn’t care about it, because she kept chatting with the man beside her as if nothing had happened. Beside Neal, still oblivious to everything, sat Gideon.

Belle scurried away from the table, thankful that it was not her responsibility but Cecelia’s, but still painfully aware that she wouldn’t be able to hide her presence from them for long. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t mind Gideon being there; she worked at a fancy restaurant like any other, and she would be glad to just be able to say hi in between serving tables. The problem was Milah. Even if Belle could have given her the benefit of the doubt, Neal’s stare accused her; Milah hadn’t just casually stumbled upon the same restaurant Belle worked at, she had planned this, but to what purpose Belle couldn’t tell. She doubted, however, that Milah’s intentions were entirely innocent. 

Belle tried to carry on as if nothing was happening, but not even five minutes had gone by before she heard Gideon exclaim: “Mom?”

“Yes, dear, what do you want?” Milah answered, sporting a sickeningly sweet smile. 

For a moment, Belle thought Gideon was about to make a scene. For a moment, so did Gideon. He realized, however, that there would be no point in doing so: if Milah was doing this on purpose, as he strongly suspected, calling her out on it would just give her a chance to attack Belle directly. If this was a mere coincidence, or if Milah knew his birthmother worked here but didn’t know her face, making a scene would only point her in the right direction. So he bit back the angry remark that had been on the tip of his tongue, and tried to carry on as if nothing were happening. 

It was hands down the worst Christmas any of them could remember, except for Milah and her boyfriend - Keith, if Belle remembered his name right - who seemed to be having the time of their lives. They tried to call Belle to their table more than once, dissipating once and for all any doubts on the coincidence of the whole thing. Belle thanked all of her lucky stars that Cecelia was always quick to intervene, because Milah seemed to be determined to make things as complicated and uncomfortable as possible: she changed her order several times and found literally every excuse to complain, which was just the cherry on top of the already busy Christmas lunch. By the time the four of them finally left the restaurant, Belle didn’t know whether to feel relieved or angry. Gold had warned her that Milah wasn’t the nicest person around, but purposefully ruining her son’s Christmas just to spite his birthmother was simply too much. 

That day set a distinct change in the family dynamics. After a long discussion with Gold - who once again wanted to deal with Milah on his own - they decided to confront Milah together. The meeting was one of the most unpleasant experiences Belle had ever had. Milah had a particular talent for getting under her skin, alternating between shouting and whispering viciously as she brought up all the things that hurt Belle the most: how she had abandoned Gideon, how she wasn’t his real mother, how she wasn’t worthy of him. It took all of Belle’s willpower to keep herself together, but what really shocked her was how easily Milah could hurt Gold as well. Despite his attempts, he couldn’t quite hide his flinch whenever his former wife spat hateful words at him, and even if his remarks were just as cutting as hers, they lacked that particular, unsettling cruelty. 

Milah eventually had to cave in when Gold threatened to bring this to a judge and let them decide whether or not Milah still deserved to see Gideon after what she’d done. She gave Belle the more insincere apology she could muster, and promised she’d never again do something like that. Belle found it very hard to believe her, and even though this technically counted as a win on hers and Gold’s part, Milah’s words had taken such a toll on them that she just couldn’t shake the feeling of having been defeated.

“Do you have to head back home straight away? I think we could both use a warm drink right now,” Belle suggested, pointing at a coffee shop nearby. 

Gold glanced back at his parked car, clearly weighing the options. 

“Okay,” he said eventually, surprising her. 

The place was crowded, as was to be expected on such a cold day, but luckily they found a free table in one corner and ordered two teas.

“I’ll never understand how you don’t freeze to death dressed like that,” Gold said as she took off her coat, revealing clothes that he would have seen more fit for spring. Late spring. 

“Well, I’ll never understand how you’re not sweating to death when dressed like that. You remind me of a girl I once shared an apartment with; we were constantly arguing over the heating, and eventually she moved out.”

“It’s a good thing we don’t live together then,” he joked, immediately regretting it. What if she took it as an insult? Luckily, Belle giggled. 

“It is. We’d come to hate each other within a week.”

He was surprised by how much the thought of not being friends with Belle anymore hurt him. He’d started out hating her, being scared of her, and yet after talking to her just a handful of times his feelings had completely changed. Belle had a way of making him feel at ease that very few people possessed, and the fact that he was smiling so shortly after meeting Milah was proof of that.

“I’m sorry. For all the things Milah said to you, I mean. She really shouldn’t have done that;” he said, feeling the need to make up for his ex-wife’s behavior. 

“Yes, she was… harsh. Is she always like this, or did I strike a nerve?”

What she’d really wanted to ask was ‘Is she always like this with you?’, because Belle couldn’t truly believe that her presence could make someone turn so viciously against their former husband. That question, however, would have been too direct and would have looked like prying. 

“You didn’t do anything, at least not intentionally. I think you’re dealing with Gideon wonderfully, but she refuses to see past her wounded ego. She was always extremely… fierce, but I think I bring out the worst in her. I’m sorry you had to witness that.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. You did nothing to deserve such treatment: she is in the wrong.”

He smiled a bit sadly at her, like he appreciated her words but didn’t truly believe them. Their teas arrived in that moment, distracting them for a moment and giving Belle a chance to change the subject. 

“You know, this is incredibly awkward to admit, but I’ve just realized I don’t know your first name. Maybe Gideon told me at first and then I forgot, I’m not sure, but he only calls you ‘dad’ and everyone else calls you ‘Mr. Gold’ and so it… it kind of slipped my mind.”

Under literally any other circumstance she would have died rather than admit this, but it was the only thing that had come to her mind that could distract him from his former wife. 

“No apologies needed. I don’t really like my name, so I try to have it as little known as possible,” he explained. 

“Could I maybe shorten it, or use a nickname? I feel strange calling you by surname.”

Milah had called him ‘Rum’, would he be offended if she used it?

“I’m not going to be weirded out if you keep calling me by surname, but if you prefer to use my name I guess ‘Rumple’ will do. Just don’t use it too much when we’re in Storybrooke and other people can hear us: I have a fearsome reputation to maintain.”

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow at that, and he smirked over the rim of his teacup. 

“What, you don’t believe me?”

“I have a hard time imagining a town that keeps being scared of you after seeing how loving you are with your kids. I saw you trying to hold back your tears when Gideon started high school,” she remarked, taking a sip of her own tea. 

“You’ll be surprised by how much people refuse to see once they’ve formed their opinion on someone. I’m not saying I’m lenient with late payments, but I’m not nearly as ruthless as I once was, yet my reputation stays unchanged. Still, I don’t want to endanger it more than necessary.”

“Fine, I’ll only use it in case of emergency, I promise,” she conceded in mock seriousness. 

Her smile seemed to warm him more than the tea had, and there was a beat of silence as Gold mused over his next words. 

“You know, I was thinking… Gideon’s birthday is coming in less than two months and your birthday is only two days later, so I was wondering if you’d like to come to Storybrooke for those days, and maybe stay a little longer than usual, so that you and Gideon can celebrate together. I know he’d love that, but I haven’t told him anything yet so that he doesn’t get his hopes up in case you can’t come…” he felt incredibly stupid asking her this, and he couldn’t quite tell why. He just wasn’t sure of who she was to him anymore, and how he should act around her. Were they co-parents? Acquaintances? Or were they becoming friends? 

“I’d love to,” she replied, making him momentarily forget about his doubts. “I’ll have to make sure I can take those days off from work, but I don’t think there will be any problems.”

“Good. Do you want me to tell Gideon or do you want it to be a surprise?”

“No, tell him, it’s nice to have something to look forward to.”

She surely would be counting the hours until then.

“Thank you,” she added after a moment. “Really, thank you so much for everything you’ve done and you’re still doing for Gideon and me. You had every reason to be wary of me, but you listened to me and gave me a chance, and I’ll never be able to repay you for that.”

“You being there for Gideon and making him happy is payment enough,” he said immediately. “The only people you have to thank are Gideon and yourself: him because he’s the one who gave you a second chance, and you because you didn’t waste it. I merely supervised at first.”

Belle smiled gratefully at him, and their conversation flowed freely after that. Nearly an hour later, when Gold finally made it back to his car, the thought of Milah and her cruel words couldn’t have been more distant from their minds. 

**********

The sky was thankfully clear when Belle drove into Storybrooke on the 9th of February, but there was snow piled up at the side of the streets, and the promise of more to come in the following days. She’d be staying in Storybrooke for a whole week, and she was beside herself with excitement. If fourteen years prior somebody had told her where she’d be now, she wouldn’t have believed it. She made a quick stop at Granny’s B&B to leave her suitcase and take a shower, then walked to Gold’s house. She had to be extra careful, because there were thin patches of ice on the sidewalk and she risked slipping more than once.

Gideon had been staring anxiously out of the window ever since Belle had texted to say that she was at the B&B. When he saw her, he screamed “SHE’S HERE” at the top of his lungs, and all but flung himself out of the house to go hug her. 

“Don’t run!” Gold warned him as he hastened to follow him. “There’s ice on the ground…”

He had barely finished talking when he felt his good leg slip out from under him. All of his weight went on the bad one, already in pain from the cold, and a moment later he was falling hard on his backside, every bone in his body screaming in pain.

Belle and Gideon rushed to his side, their eyes wide with fear, talking over each other in their haste to ask him if he was okay. 

“I’ve been better,” he replied gruffly. He reached for his cane, grimacing at the sight of his bruised hand, but when he tried to get back on his feet pain shot through his right leg, making him lose his balance again. It was only thanks to Gideon and Belle supporting him that he avoided a second fall. Sitting again on the cold ground was far from pleasant, but it was all he could do for now. He pulled the right leg of his pants up, and took a look at his prosthesis. The stupid thing seemed to be fine, but the point where his knee connected with it hurt like hell. It wasn’t unusual for it to hurt, but not to this level.

“Gid, could you go grab my crutches? I don’t think I can manage it with the cane,” he had to admit. He wanted to get back inside as soon as possible, both to change clothes and to avoid being seen like this by any passers-by, but he’d never liked using the crutches. He was especially bugged by the idea of letting Belle see him like this, hurt and unable to even stand on his feet. She was smiling worriedly at him, clearly trying not to stare at his prosthesis, and he appreciated her effort. The silence between them stretched awkwardly, and he was wondering if he should try to say something when his son reappeared.

“I called Whale. He’s at the hospital now, but his shift is about to end and he said he’ll be here in half an hour,” Gideon said, handing him the crutches. 

Gold nodded, too focused on keeping his balance to speak. His bedroom was on the first floor, but there was no way he could manage the stairs now, so he settled himself in one of the guest bedrooms downstairs. Gideon brought him a change of clothes, while Belle made tea for everyone, and later insisted on disinfecting the cuts on his hands. 

“I told you I can do it on my own,” he protested again as she took one of his hands in hers. 

“I know, but it will be much easier and quicker if I do it,” she said, stubbornly refusing to let go of his hand even as the sting of the disinfectant made him squirm. “I know it hurts, but if you move it’s going to take even longer to finish.”

“Sorry. I’m just… not used to having someone do things for me,” he admitted after a moment, carefully weighing his words.

“Oh, I know the feeling, believe me. Do you want me to leave you alone? I just wanted to help, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything,” she made to move, but he gestured at her to stay.

“I’ll get used to it,” he said as an explanation. It was technically rude to say it that way, but Belle took it for the ‘thank you’ it actually was and smiled at him. 

“We’ll both have to. As I said, I’m used to being alone too.”

“Thank you,” he said as she finished bandaging his hand. “For this, for your patience, for everything. You just got here and you have to take care of me. I really didn’t want your vacation to start like this.”

“Well, that’s one of the perks of getting used to having other people around: you don’t have to deal with problems alone anymore. I’m here to stay, and not only on the good days,” she concluded with a smile. 

When she said it like this, it sounded almost easy. He was still processing her words when Gideon announced Whale’s arrival, relieving him of the embarrassment to come up with a reply that was at least one tenth as significative as Belle’s words had been. 

All in all, Whale told him he’d been lucky. He hadn’t broken any bones nor suffered any serious damage, but his knee was inflamed and Whale recommended not to wear his prosthesis for the next few days if he didn’t want to make things worse. In Gold’s opinion, that was far from being lucky, but he seemed to be the only one in the house to think so. After Whale left, he found himself in a heated discussion with Belle and Gideon on whether or not he should hire someone to help him through the following days. 

“I’m perfect capable of taking care of myself without help, case closed,” he snapped.

“I know, but what if you fall again? We have lots of things planned for the next few days, and there’s still snow outside. You can’t lock yourself up in the house, and I can’t pick you up if you’re too hurt to do it yourself. I’m just worried, that’s all,” his son replied stubbornly, his expression so similar to Belle’s that Gold nearly felt like laughing, despite how nervous he was. 

“Rumple, I’m sure you know your limits, and I’m not trying to impose anything on you, but Gideon has a point, and I don’t want you to risk anything just because you want to do everything on your own,” Belle said, clearly trying to keep the discussion form escalating. 

“Then trust me when I say I’m perfectly capable of managing my life without a stranger following me around and taking care of me as if I were a kid,” he replied drily.

“Well, if having a stranger around is the problem, we could ask Belle to stay here and help you,” Gideon suggested then. 

“WHAT?” the exclamation of surprise came from both of them at the same time, and if they’d been a little less shocked they would have probably found that fact very funny. 

“I just thought… we’ll be with Belle most of the time anyway, so why not? You two already know each other, so I think you wouldn’t be as snappy with her as you’d be with a stranger, and she would probably be less strict than a real nurse, so you wouldn’t feel like you’re being babysat. I thought it could be a nice compromise,” Gideon explained, staring at his father as if daring him to contradict him. 

“Belle came here to spend time with you, not to be my nurse,” Gold replied patiently. “You can’t expect people to change their plans because it suits you.”

“I mean, it’s not like I would mind, I just… I’m not sure I’d know what to do, or if you’d even be comfortable with having me around all the time,” Belle interjected.

Gold turned to look at her, even more surprised than he’d been by Gideon’s words: he’d been so sure that she wouldn’t accept that he’d completely forgot to ask her what she thought of it. In a way, he’d made the same mistake Gideon had. 

“I… I don’t want to bother you,” he repeated somewhat weakly.

“Well, you also said you don’t even need that much help. I’d be happy to help you if it makes Gideon feel safer, but I won’t insist if you don’t want me around all the time.”

“Fine,” he conceded at last. “I’d much rather have you around than a stranger.”

“She can take the spare bedroom upstairs!” Gideon exclaimed, beside himself with excitement. “This is going to be an awesome week!”

“No one has ever been so happy about me getting hurt,” Gold chuckled after sending Gideon to prepare Belle’s room.  

“Can you imagine his outrage if I had been the one to get hurt and you hadn’t agreed to let me stay here right away? I can almost see it.”

“We should suggest he joins a theatre group or something, he does have a penchant for drama.”

Belle agreed, and they traded silly quips for a little while before Belle went back to collect her bags from Granny’s. As she settled into her room, she couldn’t help but think that Gideon was right: this was going to be one awesome week. 

**********

As expected, more snow fell during the following three days, and that forced Gideon to change plans for his birthday. He had been planning to spend most of the day out with his two best friends and celebrate at dinner with Belle, Gold and Neal (who had arrived from Boston the day after Belle), but the prohibitive weather forced him to spend the day indoors, with his friends just barely managing to get to his house without freezing their noses off. Neal seemed to find it hilarious that one of Gideon’s friends was also named Neal, and spent the entire day making jokes about that. Everyone seemed to find it funny, except maybe Gideon, who seemed strangely tense at times. Robin and Neal ended up staying for dinner as well, so that they were all together when Gideon finally got to open his presents. Everyone’s gift seemed to be just perfect for him, and Belle felt her nervousness rise as she handed him hers. She had gotten to know him so much during the past few months, but she knew she still had so much to learn. What if her present was the only one he didn’t like?

“I wonder what it could possibly be,” Gideon joked as he started unwrapping what was clearly a book. “Her Handsome Hero? I’ve never heard of this one!”

He seemed happy enough about it, and Belle breathed a sigh of relief. 

“It’s a retelling of a fairytale I used to love as a kid. I thought that since you like fantasy you might like it,” she explained. 

“Thanks, I’m sure I’ll love it.”

She’d wondered if she was considering her own tastes rather than Gideon’s in buying the present, but she had wanted her first gift to him to be something meaningful and, all things considered, she was happy with her choice. Gideon and his friends played video games for a little while more before it was time for Robin and Neal to go. Belle drove them to their respective homes, and even if Storybrooke was small it took her a long time to get back home, because it had started snowing again and she had to proceed almost ridiculously slowly. 

The first thing she noticed as she stepped inside, still shivering a bit from the cold, was a stream of muffled curses coming from the kitchen. A clear idea of what was happening immediately formed in her mind, and she strode towards the noise, not knowing if she should be more worried or angry. 

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she whispered angrily at Gold, not wanting Gideon to hear them. 

“What does it look like?” he bit back, but there was a hint of guilt in his eyes. He’d put his prosthesis back on, and was in the process of tidying up the kitchen. Everything about his demeanor screamed that he was in pain, yet he stood stubbornly to face her, trying to hide the way he had to lean on the sink. 

“I could have done this! It’s what I’m here for!” she reminded him. 

“No, you’re here to spend time with your son. You don’t have to waste your time being my caretaker.”

“For God’s sake, I thought we’d already talked about this!” Belle burst out, walking towards the crutches he’d abandoned in the corner. “Take that thing off before Gideon hears us and go to bed.”

“No.”

She was on the verge of screaming, but then she noticed something in his expression, something that went beyond simple stubbornness.

“Rumple, what’s wrong?” she asked, closing the distance between them, her voice turning softer. “You seemed to be doing fine, and now you do this. Did something happen? Did I do something?”

He looked around, as if searching for an excuse to avoid the conversation. 

“It’s not easy to explain,” he muttered eventually. 

“Well, I have time and patience, so try as much as you want,” she replied sitting down on a chair, and gesturing at him to do the same. He limped towards the table and let out a sigh of relief as he sat down heavily in front of her. 

“Just for the record, where are Neal and Gideon? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable by having you open up when your kids could walk in at any moment.”

“I told Neal to go upstairs and make sure Gideon doesn’t stay up all night reading. Not that it works, but they generally start talking and end up falling asleep in the same bed at some time past two am. Their faces tomorrow morning are going to be hilarious.”

No matter how upset Gold was, talking about his children always lightened his mood, and once again that sight made Belle smile. 

“Good. So, can you tell me now what’s going on?” Belle tried again, laying one hand over Gold’s in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. 

“I just… I don’t see how it’s fair that you should do all the work when you’re the guest. I should do better,” he said, not quite looking at her.

“But you’re hurt!”

“And that’s my fault! I should have been more careful, and you shouldn’t have to pay for my mistake,” he insisted, and Belle suddenly had the feeling that he wasn’t really talking to her. Of course, he was saying those words to her, but this wasn’t the first time he’d said them, and she wasn’t the one who made him feel like this. 

“Does it have something to do with Milah?” she asked, and it shocked him so much that he actually looked at her for the first time since the discussion started. 

“What?”

“Did she make you feel like your disability was your fault?” she insisted, and from the way he looked at her, she had truly gotten to the heart of the problem. 

“She never called me disabled” he murmured after a while. “Useless cripple was the most common expression. Or something along the lines.”

“That’s horrible.”

She’d heard Milah say something about his leg and his illness during their discussion after Christmas, but without context it had been just one amongst the many insults she’d thrown at him.

“She… she didn’t like it when I got sick. She was pregnant with Neal when I was diagnosed with bone cancer. With a baby on the way she couldn’t deal with my sickness as well, especially when it lead to the amputation I tried my best to help her as much as I could, but there wasn’t much I could do at first, and the sickness caused by the chemo didn’t help. I thought I could fix things once I had healed, but then we found out that the treatment had left me sterile. I think that was the real end of her feelings for me, even though it took me a lot longer to realize it.”

“What happened after that?” Belle asked softly. She didn’t want to pry, but she could feel he needed to talk about this.

“Once I was sure my cancer wasn’t coming back, I talked Milah into adopting. My inability to have any more children had upset both of us, and I was sure that adopting was the solution. We could be happy again, Neal would have a much wanted sibling, and a kid would get a loving home. I thought it was a win-win scenario.”

He’d been so enamored with the idea of having another child that he’d projected that wish onto his wife. Now he realized that Milah had been upset mostly because she saw his sterility as another failing on his part, not because she was desperate to have more kids. 

“And I suppose that’s when Gideon came into your lives,” Belle prompted him, trying and failing not to imagine a younger Gold holding a newborn Gideon. It was an image that hurt her in more ways than she could count. 

“Yes. I loved him from the moment I saw him. After all I had been through, I was finally back to health and with not one, but two little kids to spoil rotten. Being with them was like heaven.”

He paused for a moment, fidgeting as he looked for the right words and the courage to carry on with the story. 

“Milah, however, wasn’t as happy as I’d hoped. She’d never been overly maternal with Neal, but I never had any doubt that she loved him. With Gideon, however, I started to wonder. I mean, I think she loved him, that she still does, but… she just can’t see him as equal to Neal.”

He’d whispered the last words so quietly that, despite being so close, Belle had to lean towards him to understand them.

“I think he knows. I don’t know when he started to realize it, but he’s a clever kid, he was bound to notice it someday.” 

Belle was biting her lower lip, not sure what to say. She was angry at Milah, but was she in any position to judge her? 

“Despite all of this, I couldn’t bring myself to end things with her. We were almost completely avoiding each other by that point, and I’m pretty sure she had more than one affair through the years, but I didn’t want to upset my children with a divorce. I thought I’d just hold on until they were old enough to deal with it, but Milah beat me to it. Four years ago I woke up and she was simply gone. She left a note saying that she was leaving, but she didn’t leave an address, and she wouldn’t answer my calls. After a day or two she texted Neal to tell him she was sorry and that she would soon file for divorce and a custody agreement, and only when her lawyer contacted me I found out she was in Boston with her most recent lover.”

“Listen,” Belle said once his tale was over. “I can only imagine how much all of this must have hurt, how much it still hurts. All I know is that I’m not her. I’m not going to walk away when you’re sick, or if you make a mistake, or you fail to meet some stupid standard. I’m with you, and not just because you’re Gideon’s father, but because we’re friends.” 

For a moment, she’d been on the verge of saying ‘family’, but she didn’t think either of them was ready for that. ‘Friends’ was a much safer option. 

“No matter what happens, I’m not going away,” she reassured him again. 

“No one,” he said, taking a shaky breath, “No one has ever said that to me. Least of all my wife.”

He looked on the verge of tears, and it came so naturally to Belle to wrap her arms around him, offering the comfort he so clearly needed. He all but sank into her hug, breathing heavily against her shoulder, clearly fighting back tears. They stood like that for a while, with one of her hands gently petting his hair, calming him, and despite their closeness and the silence the situation didn’t grow awkward. When he eventually pulled back, he looked more in control of himself. He opened his mouth to talk, but Belle stopped him before he could utter a single word.

“If you’re going to apologize, please don’t.”

He closed his mouth then, looking both annoyed and amused by how well she could read him. 

“Just take the prosthesis off and go to bed. I can bring you your painkillers if you want.”

“Yes, I think I’m going to need them,” he conceded, reaching for the crutches. 

Having to use the crutches didn’t stop him from doing most things, but it significantly slowed him down, so several minutes passed before he was finally ready to get into bed. He was waiting for his painkillers to kick in when he heard Belle leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs.

“Goodnight,” he said as she passed his door.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be still awake. Did I make too much noise?” she asked, still on the other side of the closed door. 

“No, I just can’t sleep right now.” There was no need to tell her he was in fact in pain. 

“May I come in?” she asked, surprising him. 

“Yes, of course. Is everything okay?” he said as she stepped inside. 

“Yes, I just… I wanted to talk to you about something, but if it’s too late we can wait until tomorrow. It’s nothing urgent.”

“As I said, I’m not sleepy. We have time to talk right now,” he said, gesturing at her to come closer. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking just a tad nervous. 

“Did you notice something strange about Gideon today?” 

The question immediately sent his brain into panic mode, but he couldn’t recall anything that had caught his attention.

“No, he seemed like his usual self,” he replied carefully. 

“Maybe he was. I just thought he looked a bit tense, so I kept an eye on him, and… I think he might have a crush,” she concluded. 

“On Robin?” It was something he really hadn’t seen coming, but it was hardly something worth worrying over. 

“On Neal.” 

There was a beat of silence after Belle’s reply, and she worried her lower lip with her teeth as she waited to see Gold’s reaction. She didn’t think he was the kind of man who would be upset by the idea of having a gay son, but one could never be sure. Right as she was about to ask him to speak, for God’s sake, he did something that completely shocked her:  he laughed. 

“What?” she asked once his laughter died down, not sure of what exactly was going on.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that… life apparently has a strange sense of humor.”

“I’m still not following you.”

“You’re right,” he sighed, gathering up his courage, “Apparently tonight is a night of confessions, and please know that I can count on my fingers the number of people who know what I’m about to say to you. I’m bisexual.”

Of all the things Belle had been expecting, this wasn’t one of them. 

“The day I told my father this, he dropped me at my aunts’ house and never came back. I mean, it’s not like he was fond of me before: Rumplestiltskin is not a name you give to a kid you love, after all, but after that even keeping a roof over my head became too much. It wasn’t easy for me to accept my sexuality after that.” He looked up at her then, his eyes full of both pain and love. “I’m just glad I can give my son the support I never had.”

For the second time that night, Belle could do nothing but hug him. He’d been through so much, and despite what he wanted people to believe, he had stayed a kind man through it all. She held onto him tight, never wanting to let go. 

“You’re the best father I could have hoped for, for Gideon,” she said as she reluctantly pulled back. She wanted to say so much more, that he meant so much more to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Instead she got up from the bed, wished him goodnight, and scurried back to her room.

She closed the door, leaning heavily against it, and cursed herself and her furiously beating heart. She had caught feelings for her son’s father. Under normal circumstances, that would have been the normal thing, but this… this was a mess. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time. She wanted to cry because this was never going to work, and she wanted to laugh because it had been so long since she’d felt like this, since she’d trusted and respected and cared for someone so much. She got into bed, but couldn’t sleep for a long time. She kept thinking about Gold’s eyes, This week was either going to be the best of her life, or it was going to be the death of her.

**********

Two days later it was Belle’s turn to celebrate. She usually didn’t do much on her birthday, and getting to spend the day with her son and his family was already more than she’d ever expected, but Gideon went out of his way to celebrate for her. Someone (she suspected Gold, under Gideon’s direction) had hung streamers in the living room during the night, and during breakfast she learned that they’d made a reservation in Storybrooke’s nicest restaurant for lunch. The thing Gideon was clearly waiting for the most, however, was the moment when they got back home, when he deemed it was finally time to give her her present. 

“I won’t ask if you like it because I know you will!” He exclaimed proudly as he handed her a box. She opened it, and she was surprised to find a stack of papers. She was confused at first, but as she focused on what was written on those papers her confusion turned to shock. 

“It says here that I’m… the new Storybrooke librarian? What?” she asked, thinking it must be some kind of prank. 

“I told you my dad could have it reopened whenever he wanted! Now you can have the job of your dreams and move to Storybrooke, and we can be together whenever we want!” Gideon exclaimed, still oblivious to her growing discomfort. 

“Gid, listen,” she started off, not really knowing how to put it nicely. “This is incredible and thoughtful and it was kind of you to do this… but you should have asked me first.”

“You didn’t ask her?” Gold exclaimed, turning to stare at his son. “You told me you knew she was okay with this!”

“Well, she said she wanted to be a librarian! And I couldn’t directly ask her without ruining the surprise!” Gideon replied angrily, not understanding why he was being scolded for his great present.

“Then you shouldn’t have done this!” his father insisted. “You could have given her any other present, and then you could have talked about the library first. You shouldn’t have assumed she’d be okay with this.”

“Why are you two angry? I just wanted all of us to be together! Don’t you want to spend more time with me?” he asked Belle, looking at her with angry tears in his eyes. It was the first time she saw him angry at her, and it made her stomach churn. Still, she needed him to understand why she was just as upset as him. 

“Of course I do, Gid, but you can’t make decisions for me. Or for anyone else, for that matter. What you’re asking me to do is a really big change, and that’s not something I want to do without thinking about it first,” Belle tried to explain, but she could see that Gideon wasn’t truly listening to her reasons.

“You’re a liar! You just don’t want to see me!” he screamed, then ran upstairs.

“I’ll talk to him,” Neal said as he ran after his bother, leaving Belle and Gold alone with the weight of what had just happened. It was the first time Belle had argued with her son, and while she knew it was bound to happen sooner or later she still felt sick. 

“I’d like to say that it’s something you get used to, but it’s not true. It always hurts when they’re angry at you,” Gold told her honestly, sitting beside her on the couch. “I’m really sorry. I wouldn’t have let him go through with it had I known.”

“I’m sorry too. I know I probably overreacted. I mean, there’s nothing truly keeping me in Boston. Yes, I have friends there, but Gideon is more important right now, and I did always want to be a librarian. I just… I don’t react well when I feel people are trying to make decisions for me.” She’d had enough of that for a lifetime. 

“We all have our weak spots. Yours is being forced into things, Gideon’s is not feeling that he’s important to the people he cares about. Neal is really good at calming him down, though, I’m sure you two will be on good terms again before dinner,” he reassured her, and he was right. By the time she’d made and drank some tea, Neal had come downstairs to tell her she could go talk to Gideon if she wanted. 

It was easy to apologize to her son, but it was much harder to explain why she had reacted the way she had. At long last, she had to tell him something about his biological father and her own, and how they had both forced or tried to force her into a life she didn’t want. It was a painful tale for both of them, but they hugged at the end, and Gideon apologized as well. He called her ‘mom’ then, and it was at that moment she truly started crying. Despite the tears and the fight, that was the best birthday she’d ever had. 

Now that she didn’t feel like she was being pressured into things, she had to admit that the possibility of becoming Storybrooke’s librarian was amazing. She still wanted to think it over once she was back in Boston and not so emotional, but she doubted she’d find many reasons not to accept the offer. Surprisingly, her birthday had yet more emotions in store for her: the morning after, in fact, Gold gave her another gift, one that from the shape she initially mistook as a book. 

“I wanted to give it to you yesterday, but then I thought you already had enough to deal with in one day,” he said as she started unwrapping the paper. He had been right in his consideration, because the moment she realized what it was a sob tore itself from her throat. 

It was a photo album, and it was filled with pictures of Gideon, at all ages. From when he was just a newborn, so small that he was barely visible under his baby blanket, to his happy toothless smile when he was seven, to the last birthday he’d celebrated without her. It was all the life she hadn’t been there for, and that Gold was now sharing with her. 

“I picked the nicest, but there are more if you want. I just couldn’t fit them all in one album,” he explained as she turned the pages in awe. 

“I have one more,” she said, her voice hoarse with unshed tears. “From before this summer, I mean. When I was in the hospital I… I asked a nurse to take a picture of me with him before handing him over to social services. He was just minutes old. I… I can give you a copy if you want.”

She looked so fragile yet so strong, with her eyes full of tears as she offered to share with him a photo taken in such a painful moment, and he wanted to kiss her so badly that for a moment he had the impression that her gaze was lingering on his lips, as if she wanted to kiss him too. It was nonsense, of course, but it was such a tempting thought that he was relieved when she hugged him, because it hid her beautiful face from his view, giving him a moment to collect himself. If she really moved to Storybrooke, she was going to be the death of him. 

**********

Belle officially moved to the apartment above Storybrooke’s library at the end of March, and spent the entire month of April preparing for the library’s reopening, with Gideon helping her as often as he could, until one day she had to remind him that he was supposed to spend at least some of his afternoons studying if he ever wanted to become a librarian himself. He officially started dating Neal in May, and soon enough their lives settled into a new, pleasant rhythm that Belle could hardly believe was real. When one day Neal announced that he was coming over to dinner with Emma - Storybrooke’s deputy sheriff - it was like yet another piece of their family had finally found its place. 

“They’ve been in love since high school,” Gideon told Belle as they set the table, waiting for his brother and the woman Belle supposed would finally be presented as his girlfriend. “They broke up when school ended and he moved to Boston, but they were never truly over each other. At least Neal wasn’t. I’m so glad they’re finally together again because he’s insufferable when he’s lovesick. The first time they argued he wrote her a song and he kept practicing it for days and it was terrible.”

With Storybrooke being so small, Belle had met Emma several times already, and it didn’t take her long after her arrival to notice that both she and Neal were behaving strangely. She didn’t want to ruin dinner by asking, but her curiosity was soon satisfied when, before taking even the first bite, Neal said he had an announcement to make.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting married already!” Gideon joked, but Neal hardly smiled, which was incredibly unlike him. 

“Well, we are kinda speeding things up,” Emma admitted.

“Oh my God,” Gold whispered, putting two and two together and realizing what Neal was about to say. 

“What I’m trying to say is… dad, I’m pregnant,” Neal said, and it took him a moment to realize what he’d said in his agitation. “I mean, she is pregnant, of course. And no, this was not planned, and we’re not even actually dating, and I still have art school to finish, but we’re keeping it.”

Gold recovered surprisingly well from the shock, but spent the rest of the evening torn between feeling giddy at the idea of becoming a grandpa and wanting to strangle his son for being so incautious. It was a very awkward family dinner overall, and Belle really wasn’t sad when it was over. Despite her best attempts, the talk about babies and unexpected pregnancies had reawakened all sorts of bad memories for her, and had made her feel under the spotlight, a glaring bad example that everyone was too kind to point out. When Gold insisted on driving her back home, she felt a moment of pure panic and briefly wondered if he was going to blame her for being a bad influence on Neal. It was an absurd thought, of course, but she couldn’t help herself.

“How are you feeling?” he asked her instead as soon as they were in the car. 

“I’m fine,” she lied. “Why?”

“Because I saw you fidgeting at dinner, and I know what it means. No one is making comparisons between you and Emma, believe me.”

“But they’re keeping the baby while I…” she started off, but Gold immediately interrupted her. 

“You were seventeen, they’re twenty one. I doubt you were out of high school, while Emma has a full-time job and Neal a part-time one. It’s not the same,” he insisted. 

“I wanted to keep him. I wanted to be his mother and be there for his first steps, his first words, his first everything. I let him go and he found you and I’m glad, but I still let him go not knowing what would become of him,” she sobbed. No matter how much time passed, or however many days she spent with her son or how much she thought she’d healed, having abandoned him was a wound that would never stop bleeding. 

“Hey, hey, It’s alright, I’m here,” he whispered against her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. Only in that moment she realized that the car was no longer moving. “It wasn’t your fault. You told me so yourself. You wanted him, but were forced to let him go. It wasn’t your fault.”

“You don’t know… you weren’t there… I should have been stronger,” she hiccuped. Her sin was too big to be simply excused away. 

“Then why don’t you tell me? Tell me what happened and I’ll honestly tell you if it was your fault,” he suggested.

“I… I need some tea first. Are we at my place yet? I can make some and then I can tell you,” she said, sniffling. 

“Yes, lead the way,” he said as he got out of the car.

In the end, he was the one to make the tea because her hands were trembling and he didn’t deem it safe to let her handle boiling water. Once they were both sitting on the couch with a warm cup in their hands, she started talking.

“My mother got sick when I was 13. Breast cancer. She was still so young that she didn’t think she needed regular check ups, and when she found out it was too late. We tried everything we could, but she died just two years later.”

The worst part hadn’t just been her dying. It had been watching her fade day after day, her condition always worsening despite all the treatment she was getting. She wasn’t sure when exactly Belle had realized her mother wasn’t going to make it, but waking up every day with that knowledge had completely crushed both her and her dad. 

“My father didn’t know how to deal with it. The worse my mother got, the worse he started to behave. Not in front of her, never in front of her, but when she was at the hospital and we were home alone he ignored me, or was straight out mean sometimes. He started drinking, and when I lost her, I lost him too. It was like he didn’t care about anything anymore, not even me. I think he hated everything that reminded him of her, including me. One day I got back home and found him putting all of our stuff in boxes. He told me we were moving to the States. I barely had the time to say goodbye to my friends before he dragged me an ocean away.”

Gold listened, dumbfounded. He could barely imagine the kind of trauma and pain she’d gone though at that time. 

“When we got to Augusta I stuck out like a sore thumb. I moved into a new high school halfway through the school year, so I was the only one struggling to adapt to a new place, and I was too lost in my grief to go out of my way and make friends. I was alone most of the time. There was one boy, though, who never stopped trying to get a date out of me. I turned him down at first, because I felt too sad to date anyone, but eventually I told myself I had to move on, and gave him a chance. Soon enough he was the only one I talked to, the only person in my life beside my dad. When he started pressuring me into having unprotected sex, I was too afraid he’d dump me to tell him no. I didn’t want to be alone again. I knew it was risky, but I didn’t fully realize it until my period skipped. I panicked and told him, and he dumped me, saying he wasn’t even sure it was his kid after all. I don’t think he believed that, I think he just wanted to hurt me. A couple of days later, the whole school knew I was pregnant. He had told everyone about it, while adding a bunch of lies to the mix, all to humiliate me.”

People had stared and pointed at her, at the weird outsider who got herself knocked up, calling her stupid and a slut. Every time she didn’t think things could get any worse, they immediately did.

“I think my father was the only one who didn’t know. I tried to keep it hidden from him for as long as I could, because I was afraid he’d make me have an abortion, and I didn’t want to. I thought that if I could just hold on until the baby had grown enough, he wouldn’t be able to force me to get rid of it.”

“What happened when he found out?” he asked, fearing her answer. 

“He lost his mind. He screamed and shouted and for the first time I was even worried he’d hit me. He told me I was a disgrace, that he was ashamed to have me as a daughter, and that since it was too late to get rid of it I’d have to give my child up for adoption if I wanted to keep living under his roof,” Belle said, her lower lip trembling with the effort of holding back the tears. 

“I didn’t know where to go. I had no friends, no other family members in town that could help me, and I wasn’t even out of high school yet. If he’d kicked me out of the house… I would have been homeless, without a job and with a newborn. What hope did I have? How long would it take before social services took Gideon from me? I knew that the younger the kid, the higher the chances of it being adopted, so I decided… I decided that giving him up straight away would be better. It would give him a better chance of finding a home, and it would spare me the pain of having him taken away when he was older. I never… I never would have wanted to…” she couldn’t continue anymore, her voice broken by sobs, and suddenly Gold’s arms were once again around her. 

“You were barely more than a child. You were alone and you were so brave. It wasn’t your fault,” he said as he held her, repeating it over and over again. She pulled back to look up at him, her eyes red and swollen from crying, and the tenderness she saw in his eyes made her heart ache. Gold had given her something she’d long forgotten. He’d  given her a family, something to care for and that cared for her in return. He’d given her a home and a sense of belonging, and maybe it was because she was already too emotional from crying so much, but she couldn’t hold back any longer: she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. He froze, and Belle felt her panic rise. She’d screwed everything up.

“Belle… what are you doing?” he asked, taking her face in his hands as he pulled back ever so slightly.

“I love you. I know it’s crazy and I know it only complicates things, but I do. I have for months. I know you probably don’t feel the same way, but I had to tell you.”

Gold was silent for what felt like an eternity, staring at her as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

“Then,” he said eventually. “Kiss me again.”

Without waiting for her shocked brain to process his words, he closed the distance between them, pressing his mouth against hers in a kiss that was nothing like their first. It was loving and passionate and made her toes curl. When they finally broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. 

“I love you too.”

[chocojjk-sideblog]

thank you! take the time you want 😘here's my request: when the reader was little she used to be debbie in billy elliot with tom and she had a crush on him but he liked this girl megan (he said in an interview that she was his first kiss lol hope you remember) anyway the reader grew up and she is a singer,actress and dancer only for musical theatre,and one time tom went to see something like les miserables or idk and he saw her and he has this feeling that he knows her so he goes to find her?)

Tom and Harrison were in Los Angeles for the week and since a show was promised to them by their lovely friend, Zendaya, the three were seated in the fifth row of Pantages Theatre. The golden lights illuminated the chamber beautifully as they all relaxed into their vibrant red seats, waiting for the show to start.

As he sat there astounded, Tom couldn’t help but ponder about his early days performing in Billy Elliot. The feeling of nervousness as you remain backstage, waiting for the spotlight. The feeling of ease once you’re on stage - the only thing on your mind is putting on a good show. Finally, the feeling of euphoria as you come in contact with the broad smiles letting you know that the show was a success. He wondered if he would’ve ever gotten a chance to perform in this beautiful theatre if he stayed.

Tom continued to ponder when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by darkness. And then - a spotlight. The show has begun. “Beauty and the Beast.” We all know the story, it starts off with the Beast and it’s beautiful rose. 

The eerie music finally transitioning, y/n appeared on stage in her commoner outfit and has taken the full spotlight. While she focused on hitting her notes correctly and immaculately playing her role, the only thing that the boy in the audience could think about was where he has seen her. He couldn’t quite remember who she was but he was certain that he has seen her face before. Also, her voice, it was  such a sweet but familiar sound to him. Tom continued to rack his brain for information but as much as he tried, the answer he was searching for unsuccessfully came to him.

As the show went on, the more aggravated Tom found himself to be. y/n was now wearing the beautiful yellow gown, making her the brightest star on stage, yet he still had no idea who she was. So captivated by the sight in front of him, she has completely distracted the boy from thinking. Her hair - swaying perfectly to the rhythm of the music. Her eyes - showing every emotion. Her lips - delivering every line with the passion he desired. Tom Holland was definitely flustered.

~

The show has finally ended, everyone joining their hands together as they gave a big round of applause, wide smiles etched on their faces. The light has now focused its attention on the audience, lighting up the once dark room. Then she saw him. The boy she has been pining over for years. She couldn’t help but think her eyes were deceiving her. Making direct eye contact with her, the boy gave her a slight nod while she gave him a small smile in return. A miniscule, yet meaningful moment between the two.

Tom was just about to leave the theatre with his friends, when his blonde headed best friend grabbed him by the arm. “What are you doing bro? Don’t you wanna personally congratulate her on her first broadway show?” Harrison inquired. ‘But who is her’ Tom thought to himself, all while nodding along to Harrison, the identity of the girl capturing his mind.

“C’mon, we’re wasting time, lets go backstage,” Harrison announced, grabbing the clueless boy along with him. 

Tom, still lost in his thoughts, haven’t realized that he was now standing in front of the girl that has occupied his thoughts for the past three hours.

“Hi Tom, it’s nice to see you, I hope you enjoyed the show,” y/n thanked him.

“Uh y-yeah, I-i did, you did a fantastic job uhm - ?” his eyebrows furrowed together as he thinks of what he should call her. Usually he would go for the name, but since he never figured it out, should it be love? Darling? or is that too forward?

y/n, noticing the pause, realized that the boy in front of her has no clue who she was. Clearing her throat, she spoke “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“I know who you are!, I just, uhm, can’t remember your name,” Tom replied, defensively, scratching the back of his head.

“y/n. My name is y/n,” she said with a tight smile, trying to hide how hurt she was by the comment. Once Tom heard her name, everything clicked. She was a Debbie.

“You were a Debbie?!” he pointed out excitedly.

“Yeah, i was a Debbie,” she returned, giving the boy a genuine smile. ‘At least he remembered where he knew me from’, she thought to herself.

“How come i don’t remember your name?” he said to himself, not expecting the girl to hear him.

“Well, you kinda had your full attention on Megan Jossa,” y/n says chuckling. “I don’t blame you though, she was gorgeous,” she added.

Tom gave her a smile, “she was, but uh- i think i just got caught up with the acting,” he explained.  “How come you remember me? It’s not like we were paired up together? Right?” inquired Tom.

“No we weren’t,” she said giggling, “and i know you because well, for starters, youre Spiderman,” Tom chuckled upon hearing this. “-and well, i kinda had the biggest crush on you back then.” y/n confessed as she looked down to her shoes, avoiding his gaze.

Tom couldn’t believe what she said. He wasn’t the type to make the first move, hell, he hasn’t been in a relationship for years and have only ever really had one girlfriend. So the girl’s confession left him shocked in place, not really knowing what to say or do with the information.

y/n quickly realized the awkward tension that settled above the two, rambling, she added “i-i don’t anymore though.”

“Oh,” Tom murmured. The tension at a peak level of awkwardness. “Well, i don’t know anything about you now to have a crush on you, is what I mean” she added quickly. y/n didn’t quite know why she was explaining herself, it’s not like she owed him an explanation. However the the look on the boys face was enough for her to know that she took a jab at his heart.

Tom looked at her finally catching her gaze, “well, why don’t we change that?” hinted Tom, as he shot her one of his million dollar smiles. “Tomorrow night, at 7. You and me. I’ll pick you up?” he said confidently. However on the inside, his newly found confidence was confusing him every second. He just wished that it won’t backfire on his face, i mean, he’s seen this be done in the movies and thought that it was cute. Hopefully, she felt the same way.

“I’d love that,” y/n replied, a small smile plastered on her face.

(( omygod i finally finished this, i had to write this 2x adfjasl;kfjl,, idek if im happy with this…..BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REQUEST I WAS VERY EXCITED TO WRITE IT UNTIL MY DUMBASS ACCIDENTALLY DELETED EVERYTHING LMFAO ))

[sheismental]

“I Just Don’t Like That You Exist.”

Pairing: Robin!Dick Grayson x Superhero! Reader.

well here we go again(:

A/N: There’s a bit of swearing, and your superhero name is Silhouette.

Sentence starter:  “ I don’t hate you.. I just don’t like that you exist.”

“I don’t hate you... I just don’t like that you exist.” 

Robin frowns, looking at me. 

“Good! Because i don’t like that you exist either.” He shoots back and i roll my eyes.

“What are you? Five? Grow the hell up, Robin, not everyone in the Team has to like you!.” I shout, by this time everyone on the Team has grown used to the constant bickering between Robin and I. He just annoyed me, a lot,and i am not a person that you want to annoy. 

“Are you guys seriously fighting already? It’s not even noon yet.” Wally chimes in and i huff in annoyance. 

“Well maybe if he wasn’t such a dick, we wouldn’t be fighting again.” 

Wally chuckles. “Oh you have no idea.” He teaes and i raise an eyebrow at him. Robin rolls his eyes, or so i think, that mask makes it impossible to see his eyes.

“Well maybe y/n, if you weren’t so stuck up, we wouldn’t be fighting again!.” Robin shouts, lifting his hands in the air and then letting them fall limp on his sides. I look at him in disbelief.

“Stuck up? Stuck up?! You are the one that always comes in like you own the freaking show, even though you don’t. You think you are so awesome and irresistible but in reality you’re just a douchebag, and it pisses me off that you are constantly annoying the fuc-.”

“Silhouette stand down.” I hear Kaldur say behind me and i huff, standing up from the couch and glaring at Robin. “You need to cut it off, we are a team, we cannot let our diffe-.”

“There are no differences, Kaldur, she just doesn’t like me.” Robin interrupts, pointing at me. “Let it be.” He says and i leave the room.

“Yeah, Kaldur, just let it be.” I say frowning, walking into my room.

Next Morning, Gotham Academy.

“I heard Mr.McCoy is going to let us write an article for the schools newspaper! Isn’t that great?!.” Mackenzie says excitedly as she jumps and down, i grin and look at her as i open my locker.

“That’s great, M! We could write about-.”

“Shh, Dick is coming!.” She whispers/yells at me as she looks behind me. I roll my eyes, why did my best friend had to have a crush on Dick Grayson? Needless to say, that he wasn’t my favorite, though he was cute and kind of nice. For some reason, i didn’t like him. “Hey Dick!.” She greets as Dick walks by and he smiles at her, i could swear i saw a spark in her eyes.

“Hey M! Hey Y/N...” He greets, his baby blue eyes linger on me before walking away. Mackenzie looks at me with eyes wide open.

“Did you see that?.” She asks stunned and i raise an eyebrow at her.

“See what?.”

“Ohgod you’re so oblivious! He was looking at you very intensely-.”

“He looked at me for two seconds, M, i doubt that counts as ‘Very intensely.”  I reply with a chuckle and she shakes her head.

“Nuhuuu, he likes you - And he is cute!.” She says with her oh so bubbly personality, i roll my eyes once again.

“Let’s just get to class,alright?.”

Evening.

“Red Tornado! No missions for us?.” I hear Wally ask once again. 

“Mission assignments are the Batmans responsibility.” Red Tornado answers and Wally’s shoulders slump, Red Tornado walks away and i sigh.

“Well this is boring...” I comment and Wally nods, walking toward me. I sat crossed leg on the floor of the Mission Room.

“It is, maybe we could play a game or something.” He suggests and I shrug. “Can we play truth or dare?.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Just the two of us?.” I ask confused and he nods, i see a smirk forming on his lips.

“Why not, beautiful?.” He teases and i chuckle, making a slight disgust face.

“Don’t call me that.” I reply jokingly and he raises his hands surrendering. “Sure let’s play.”

“Oookay.” He says, extremely and weirdly happy. “Y/N truth or dare?.”

I tap my chin with my index finger. “Hmm truth.” I reply and he smirks mischeviously, i guess i shouldn’t have picked truth.

“Why do you hate Robin so much?.” He asks, he sits crossed leg in front of me and i can almost see the curiousness on his eyes. I frown slightly, my lip pouting.

“I don’t hate him...” I say slowly and he tilts his head. “I don’t know why he annoys me so much! It’s just like every word he says just bothers me.” I tell him and Wally nods. “And he is always flirting with every girl, and it bothers me be-.”

“Oh! You like him!!.” Wally shouts, wiggling his eyebrows. My eyes go wide and i shake my head repeatedly.

“No i don’t! Just ew.”

“Y/N you sooo like him, that’s why it bothers you that he flirts with other girls! It’s like Artemis and I-.”

“Wait you like Artemis?.” I interrupt and i see how his cheeks blush a little.

“I don’t...” He trails off and i narrow my eyes at him. “Okay! I do, a little bit, but that’s my point! You just like him so much that you hate him.” He explains and i chuckle. 

“That makes absolutely no sense, Wally. But i’m not surprised.” I reply wittly and he rolls his eyes.

“Whatever, if it’s worth anything - He likes you too, in fact, he was kind of upset when you said you didn’t like his existence.” Wally says, and my gaze falls onto my hands. I am a horrible person, how could i tell him that? I mean i didn’t like him - Or i did, but either way i shouldn’t have said that. 

“He likes m-me?.” I repeat his words, slightly stuttering. We both had been assholes to each other since i joined the Team, it just didn’t seem possible. Wally just nods and stands up.

“Just don’t tell him i told you, because i’m sure he will kill me. And i’m very fond of my life.” He replies and stretches his hand out to me, helping me up. I smile softly at him.

“Thanks, Wally.”

“You owe me 32 Big Belly Burgers.” He says jokingly and i huff.

“Yeah, sure.” I reply sarcastically. 

I layon the couch of Mount Justice’s living room while i watch some cheesy chick flick, my legs sprawled on the couch. It was already 9:00pm, and so far pretty boring. I was all alone in Mount Justice, and i enjoy that very much.

“Recognized: Robin, B01.” 

I enjoyed that, i think i jinxed it.

I hear his footsteps behind me, getting closer until i hear him say ‘Oh it’s you.”

I sigh. “Yep, if you are looking for anyone else; They aren’t here.” I reply, my eyes still glued to the tv screen. 

“Wally said he would be here.” He states. I’m going to choke a speedster...

“He lied.” I reply nonchalantly, my eyes dart to Robin and he looks down at his feet.

“Then I should go...”

I see him turn on his heel, and without thinking twice i call out to him, he turns his head to me. “You could stay...”

He looks slightly shocked. “What for? So you can yell at me more?.” He asks, sarcastically.

“Look i’m sorry about that.” I reply, swallowing my pride. Then he turns his whole body to me,and takes a few steps closer.

“Did i actually hear you apologizing?.” He asks, confused and i huff.

“Don’t push it, Robin...” I say in a warning town as i narrow my eyes at him. He stiffles a laugh and sits next to me, lifting my legs up and laying them on his lap. I swallow the lump on my throat as i see the curves of his lips move upward. 

“I think i should apologize too, y/n. I have too been an asshole to you.” He says softly and i nods slowly. “Friends now?.” He asks hopefully, reaching his hand out to me. I take it, and we both shake hands, his gloved hand felt weirdly nice agaisnt my bare one. We stare at each other for a moment, i can’t see his eyes but i know he is thinking what i am thinking.

“Wally told me.” I blurt out, he cocks an eyebrow at me, my hand leaves his’. “He told me you like me...”

His mouth falls agape and i see how his eyes widen. “He-- I--.”

I move my body, sitting criss crossed in front of him. “I like you too.” I whisper, his eyes soften but his mouth is still agape.

“You like me t-too?.” He stumbles upon his words, his messy black hair falling on his forehead, i nod and i smile sheepishly. “Are you kidding me? We have been bickering at each other for the past year and all this time we liked each other?.” He asks playfully and i chuckle, i nudge him playfully. He leans in, and his hand goes up to my cheek, he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. 

“Your hair is so soft...” He mumbles and my breath hitches, i feel how my cheeks warm up - I knew i was getting flustered. “And you look cute when you blush...” He smiles sweetly. “Can i - Can i kiss you?.” He asks slowly, and i can see his cheeks getting blused by the second. 

“You don’t even have to ask.” I whisper and with that, his lips connect with mine - Very tenderly, his hand caresses my cheek as my hand travels to his neck - My hand traces his jaw and cheek. His lips are so soft, i think to myself. I pull away and he raises an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong? What, it didn’t feel good?.” He asks and i bite my bottom lip.

“No, that was good, it’s just...” I trail off, his hand brushes against mine. “We should probably y’know, go out and stuff -- We totally skipped to the kissing part.” I confess and he smiles widely.

“I would love to go out with you.” He says and my stomach flutters. “Let’s go out tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that and the day afte-”

“Okay i get it!.” I say laughing, and he cackles. 

“But can i also kiss you?.” He asks once again, puppy eyed and i roll my eyes playfully. 

“Yea-.” 

“Good because i was going to do it either way.” He says and pecks my lips, and begins to pester my face with small sweet kisses.

“So much for dislking his existence...”

We both turn around to see Wally leaning on the wall, he smiles teasingly. “I’m the greatest matchmaker, and no on can tell me otherwise.” He chants and walks away. I look at Robin and he cackles.

I laugh too. I was definitely glad he exists.

[pixiedurango]

Ursa - A Rogue’s Tale (part 3)

part 1 | part 2 

Part 3: More camp fire conversation, Thorin still trying to recruit a new member to the company

Notes: I used the Dragon Age Inquisition character creator to give Ursa a face,  ANYWAY THIS IS NOT A HOBBIT/DAI CROSSOVER Future events will loosely follow the movie version of the Hobbit, but story sets in a good part before the company meets at Bilbo’s house. Feedback, comments, reblogs and any kind of rambling about this is - like always - highly appreciated. Just drop by and start a convo.

@deepestfirefun @cd1242 @armitageadoration @fullvoidmoon  @xxbyimm @patanghill17 @armitageadoration @sherala007 @shikin83 @sweeticedtea @evyiione @thorincuddlez @thorins-magnificent-ass @mynameisnoneya1991 @maybetomorrowgirl @brieflyhopefulluminary @tomssweetbouquet @niteowlnest @nowiloveandwilllove @abiwim @emrfangirl

 3

The moment stretched into what seemed to be eternity. Of course she would have questions after such an offer. This woman knew nothing about him. Or dwarves in general. Mainly because no one ever had cared to teach her. Probably she was not even eager to learn, considering her own past. Thorin honestly could not blame her for not having reached out to her kin. Or maybe she had and had been rejected. Which would be even worse. Dwarves tend to be stubborn and very close minded about blood lines and having them watered. She was the last one who had any doing in her own heritage but he knew well enough his people would have given her next to no chance to become a part of their community.

Thorin suddenly was very aware that he had never been questioning such behavior before. But no matter what his general opinions were, as much as he never was able to forget treason and betrayal he also could never unsee good deeds. Or - as in her case - sensing the good, honorable spark one carried within. And if nothing, Thorin Oakenshield prouded himself being a hard but reasonable man.   And he still owed her an answer.    

“It's just a thought? A request? Or an offer if you want it to be? To go on an endeavor with me? And some of my... our kin?” Recognizing her sudden reluctance he phrased it all as a question. And really it was nothing more than that. A sudden idea which seemed only logical to him. He was rallying all the dwarves that would follow him on his quest and with what he already knew he would not have plenty of allies to expect. So why not offering her to come along? A scout could be of good use anyway and she offered her services for good coin. Coin would be the least of their problems if anything went as planned. Also, and that was something he came really hard to admit to himself, he kind of was curious about her and he had found already way too many things he could come to like about her. But of course this he would never admit. Instead he caught himself becoming a bit snarky at her. “Or do you have any appointments to hold? Ongoing contracts?” That was mean and he knew it. Well knowing that she practically was on his mercy as long as she was stealing his pouch to buy herself new gear and weapons. Or swiping his for a starter. Thorin almost humbly bowed his head when he realized he had been overstepping his boundaries and her face hardening upon his words.  “My apologies. I did not intend to be rude. Or talk you into something you don't want to do. Just  listen to me and if it's not for you I swear I'll take you to the next village tomorrow and see you equipped before we part ways. If that's what you desire.”

“It's alright. I'll listen. What you have in mind, Master dwarf?” Ursa asked hesitantly, still not ready to agree on anything before she knew more. But beside all her reluctance she felt somewhat calm over his generous offer. She was sure he would stick to no matter how she would decide.

“Thorin. Please. Name's Thorin” Was the first thing he offered. “You know not much about dwarven history, do you?” Was the second thing he added and when she slightly shook her head he quietly sighed but did not stop talking to her. “Let me put it simple then. We... me and my... people... were...” He paused and tried to find a new start. “Our kingdom has been stolen a long time ago. My grandfather was... the last ruling king under the mountain. If you decide to come with me... us... I will tell you more. As much as you wish to learn. But only know this. I... and a mighty group of brave dwarves will go on a quest to reclaim what is ours. Including to reclaim my legacy.  And I'd offer you a place in that company if you want it. There will be a proper dwarven contract so you won't have to go on my word alone.”

She stared at him. All this sounded borderline weird to her. Especially the king thing but he was so serious about everything, she could not discard it as the words of a mad man either. Or laugh at him.

And she had nowhere to go. No one waited for her and actually she had no idea where to turn to and what to do to find herself decent clothing and weapons without stealing them. Still, she needed a few more details before she could give her final agreement.

“You talk of a company. I only see you.”

“I'm right on my way to meet them. To the Shire. Hobbiton to be precise.” At least she had not turned him down flat.

“Interesting place to meet dwarves...” Ursa looked doubtfully as she replied and he shrugged.

“Gandalf the Grey appointed us there. He'll be with us.” This was a dangerous addition to the fact because he had no idea how her views on wizzards were. Thorin realized he held his breath while he waited for her remark on that.

“Gandalf the Grey.” She clicked her tongue in some kind of sarcastic approval. “Important people are your acquaintances, Thorin... what was it? Acornshield?”

Thorin could not help but grin once more about her recklessness even though she had no clue what was going on.

“Oak... Oakenshield. It was an oaken branch.” He realized she probably had no idea what he was talking about and waved his hand dismissively. “I will tell you the story if you want while we're on the road to the Shire.” This was a big offer. Usually Thorin did not talk about the events that had earned him this honorable name under which he was known throughout the land. “If you decide to come... that is. Of course.”

“Can I tell tomorrow?” This was the most she could offer right now. She needed time to think. Even though it seemed not such a bad deal. 

As long as they could agree on a price. But he had spoken about a proper dwarven contract so she assumed there would be payment for her services. And it could be a good opportunity to not having to be on her own for a while and be a part of a company. It seemed like not the baddest of ideas as long as she would be able to keep those disturbingly agile butterflies in check which were moving around in her stomach - It was not that she was hungry but the way his blue eyes were gazing at her and how he looked even more handsome when he gave her one of his rare smiles instead of looking all grumpy and broody.

Thorin made a welcoming gesture, it almost looked like he was offering his hand.   “Come with me to the Shire! Meet the company! You don't have to decide anything until we actually start our journey. My good friend and confidant Balin will set up the contract for you and only if you agree on all our terms you shall bind yourself to the endeavor. How does that sound?”

“Sounds reasonable if nothing else.” She smirked. “And I'm known to be a strict reasonable person.” She could see how he tried to suppress a little grin on that but she continued without letting him know she had recognized and continued. “So... who takes the first watch?”

Thorin nodded towards the darker end of their natural shelter. He was more satisfied with the outcome of this talk than he would ever be ready to admit.

“I will. Go. Find some rest.” Ursa got up and half disappeared in one of the corners to curl up for some sleep while he remained close to the fire, trying to process the events of the day and to decide whether this was his best move to invite her to join – or his worst idea ever.

“You're still afraid, I rob you off butt naked if you go to sleep.” Her voice was carrying her grin from where she rested to him and he couldn't help but chuckle back. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

[nightlynamjoon]

The Stars Between Us. Part 3.

Pairing: BTS Kim Namjoon x Reader

Summary: When ever you get hurt your soulmate feels the same pain, and with y/n being abused by her father what is Namjoon meant to do when he doesn’t know who his soulmate is, all he wants to is to save her.

Genre: Fluff, Angst, soulmate AU

Length:1513 words

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

School eventually came to an end for that day but that did not mean your day was over. You still had to meet with Namjoon for the school project you had been paired up together to complete, it would have been great if the project was on something academic and something you had studied, but here you were having to study each other, you had to learn about each other and in detail to be able to write a poem, it was going to be difficult anyway but throw in your unspeakable family it was going to be even worse.

               You gathered your things and made your way to the front gate while wondering if you were going to be forgotten about by Namjoon after getting a better offer, but you were surprised when you found him with all his friends at the gate waiting. One of his friends noticed you first and shouted for you at the same time pushing Namjoon. He chuckled at his friends antics and motioned for you to come over, and that you did. When you reached them you made a small hello towards them and lowered your head. Namjoon followed that by introducing to each of the boys, some were more energetic than the others.

“So guys this is y/n and y/n this Seokjin, Yoongi, Taehyung, Hoseok, Jimin and Jungkook. Don’t worry if you can’t remember all their names, you’ll get the hang of it.” What he said made you a bit giddy due to the fact he thought that you were going to be around enough to learn their names, this really made you realise that you needed to get out more if you got excited by this. You gave them a small wave and in return you were greeted by a mass amount of hugs by some of them, what surprised you was the fact your body only gave a small tense by the contact, as if it knew you were being touched by people who wanted to bring happiness and not destruction. They eventually let go of you after Namjoon pulled them off you offering you a small smile as if to say ‘sorry-my-friends-are-a-bit-weird-and-like-to-make-friends-by-giving-huge-hugs’ you just gave a small laugh as to say it was okay. You were led away from the boys after saying your goodbyes to them and both of you made your way to the café that Namjoon had talked about. The journey was filled by small talk and your even smaller answers, yet he always tried to get you to talk more. You had never met someone as kind as him before.

“You don’t talk much do you?” He said to you when holding open the door of the café.

“Well that tends to happen when you have nothing to say” You replied.

“I don’t believe that, I bet that you have a lot to say”

“But you wouldn’t know if have a million things or just a sentence because you barely know me”

“Well sometimes all it takes is a sentence to change a person” He walked away towards the till to order, he looked back at you waiting for you to come. You shook you head to rid you of the shock that had overcome you. When you reached him he asked what you wanted to drink and you answered with your favourite drink that you always ordered. You went to grab your purse to get your money you had saved from not having lunch that day to pay for your drink, but when you offered it to Namjoon he shot down your attempts.

“I was the one who suggested today so I will pay” He said to persuade you to allow him to pay for you.

“But I can pay for myself Namjoon, I am fully capable of doing so” You said thrusting you money towards him.

“I never said you weren’t capable of paying, I was just saying that I will pay for it. Think of it this way, if I pay this time, it just means that we will have to come again to make it even when you pay. Sound fair?”

“Okay, You can pay…This time” You put your money back away, you hated owing people, it reminded you that you owed everything to your father, the fact that you had a roof over head and clothes on your shoulders so you felt as though you had to be grateful towards him sometimes despite the things that he does. You had collected your drinks and found a table by one of the windows to sit, you got your notebook out of your bag and wrote on the top of a new page ‘Kim Namjoon’. You both started by asking quite simple questions about each other like favourite colour, or favourite subject; just quite simple questions that was easy to answer and not too heavy; great starter questions really, something you would ask a stranger. Really wasn’t that all he was? A stranger? That was until he got onto the questions about family, that was when things started to go downhill.

“What are your mum and dad like?” He asked comfortably.

“Just my dad” You mumbled in a small voice sadly.

“Sorry?” He asked confused.

“It is just my dad and I now; my mum passed away a while ago now” You said with a louder voice this time, realising if you kept mumbling then you would have to constantly repeat yourself, and you didn’t want to have this conversation twice over.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t know… So what is your dad like?” He asked carefully this time. You hesitated on that one, not quite knowing what you were meant to answer.

“Like a father I guess, what is he meant to be like?” You sighed to yourself realising that he was nothing to what a father was meant to be like, everyone else’s father was caring and loving towards their child and could rarely find a fault in them while your father actively searches for your flaws. You began lying through your teeth. “He loves me and he is always wanting to know how my studies are going and is forever encouraging me to get better I guess”

“Good, and what was your mother like?” He question tentatively as if he didn’t quite know if this was a subject that could be talked about.

“My mother?” He nodded in response, your eyes had slightly lit up at the fact you could actually talk about your mother, that topic was forbidden in your house, and you smiled properly despite the fact that it had a deeper sadder twinge to it. “She was amazing. She was so beautiful and could do nothing wrong. She seemed to have known about everything and always had an opinion that was worth hearing. She always had her way and had my dad around her little finger. She was just an extraordinary person”

“It sounds like she was a great person”

“She was... Anyway, what about your family?”

You and Namjoon talked for what seemed like forever about a load of small random things, just getting to know each other and finding out a whole lot of things you wouldn’t have known before. You genuinely thought that Namjoon was a great person and he made you feel strangely safe when around him, meaning you were slowly letting your guard down around him, this was the first time in your life you had felt safe enough to do so. It felt as if you were Cinderella at the ball, escaping your life for a little while, but then the clock would strike and you would have to return back; and your version of the clock was a text message, and the only person who had your number was your father. You had forgotten the time. It was already past seven and your father would have gotten back at six and would have been waiting for the what should have been an already prepared dinner. When the message came in you were momentarily shocked, you grabbed the phone and saw what would have been a simple text to the innocent public eye, but you knew it held a deeper meaning. “Get home now.” The colour drained from your face and you stood up quickly making you head spin. You grabbed your bag and quickly made it to the exit, forgetting about Namjoon who you had just left at the café. You had started to walk as fast as you could with your shaking hands and weak legs but a hand on your wrist stopped your movements. Namjoon was standing there staring at you, not failing to notice flinch you gave when he touched you and your hands.

“Are you okay?” He asked. You pulled your wrist from your hand and nodded.

“I-I’m fine, b-but I really need to go right now, I’m sorry , erm I will see you tomorrow in school I guess? Bye Namjoon” You quickly turned and started to run towards your house.

That night was full of pain for both you and Namjoon. While got through it alone, Namjoon had his parents there to help him, rubbing his back soothingly and saying to him softly “we hope you find that poor girl soon and save her”

To wish for happiness is different from achieving it.

[firebunnylover]

Hannah Watches LOSH - Man of Tomorrow

This is my start on what will be a one episode-per-post re-watch and review/analysis of Legion of Superheroes. I am going to go through all the episodes of both seasons, and when I finish the show, I will also go into the comics afterward. I will try to aim for once a week at minimum, but that depends on school. The reviews will be made while I’m watching, with much pausing and commentary being made and screenshots being shown, and a final word at the end on both the episode overall and the characters.

I will also be comparing my view when I first saw the episode vs now. Also please keep in mind I did not start with the first episode when it aired. And these will all have my opinion alone, and if you have any feedback/comments you want to give, go ahead ^^

So, let’s start of with the first episode.

Man of Tomorrow

So we first get the preview of the Legion fighting the Fatal Five before cutting to Clark Kent during his last night in Smallville before going to Metropolis.

Watching this again, it struck me that Clark probably didn’t get the best support from his parents on the super power part.

What do I mean? Ma Kent said “Just please be careful. Remember Clark, your not like the rest of us.” Which he replies with “I know.” Now in the animated show most people are familiar with, the superpowers came into being around high school. But his parents seemed to have handled it rather well, as does Clark in the end, and he is given a device that has a message from his birth parents to give him an explanation. But here that’s not the case. I think it’s more likely that the parents were less ready to deal with superpowers, and god, given Clark didn’t know squat about Krypton as evident in the comics that tied into the show – will go into that eventually, who knows how well Clark was dealing with the powers when they first came up. Probably much worse than in the Superman animated series.

Speaking of parents, noticed that Pa was not in the episode. Where is he? Is he dead in this version? Ho geeze, adds to the stress the poor guy must be under.

And then we get our time bubble trio aka TBT: Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, and Bouncing Boy. I wonder what the decision process was behind them. Which will be discussed in a bit.

Cutting back to the fair, we get more evidence of Clark not dealing the best way with his powers after a Jock taunts him and his physical abilities. He is getting ready to toss the ball, recalls Ma’s words. And god, the facial expressions now have the ability to pick apart my heart now.

Just. Ow.

And then comes the trope-tastic faulty Ferris wheel. I bet Grunkle Stan branched out to this fair.

And then we get back to the TBT. What do you mean food on a stick is not normal?! WHAT DO YOU DO FOR POPCICLES?! COTTON CANDY?! CANDY APPLES?!

Wait, how did he get that food? Was it samples? Or did the trio steal it?

I couldn’t help but snicker at Brainy’s and Saturn Girl’s expression at Bouncing Boy. Imma have to go with “stealing”

Also, what performance would the TBT be part of? I mean, I understand cosplay at a convention, but they look a little off the mark at the fair for me. But I would totally pay money to see that performance.

And it happens.

The beginning of what was one of the many triggers in many for shipping a gay ship.

When I first watched this show, I was in elementary. I was having some curiosity towards gay ships – I was in a very heavy weeabo state, and especially into CLAMP’s manga, which is filled with LGBT characters. I was also going through a bit of a religious phase, and my parents aren’t the most accepting people, especially back then. So I was scared by possibly shipping anything that wasn’t deemed right. I wouldn’t go bashing in public, but I wouldn’t confide with others. I wouldn’t really support the LGBT community until high school.

But now, I can fully appreciate the show and what it tried to do. The storyboards probably have more representation for the LGBT community by far, but still, I will take what I can get with this show… THAT’S A LIE I WANT THOSE STORYBOARDS.

Gotta appreciate the dramatic music that comes with the scene as well.

Look at those two concerned guardians.

Now back to Clark.

Given my earlier talk with him and his powers… THIS BOY MUST HAVE HAD A HEART ATTACK WHEN BOUNCING BOY SPOKE TO HIM. HE WAS CAUGHT. YET HE GOES “EVERYTHING IS FINE HERE,” AND PROCEEDS TO SWOOP IN WHEN THE THING STARTS TO FALL APART. KUDOS TO MY BOY IN HOLDING HIMSELF TOGETHER.

GRUNKLE STAN YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING ON THE STATE OF THAT FERRIS WHEEL.

Saturn Girl, I don’t think now is the time for intros.

Pfft, BB is confused by this as well, to the point where his animation is a wee bit off.

And then he proceeds to walk behind Clark and… what’s the best word for this…

 WHAT A PRECIOUS FACE THAT FOLLOWS THAT SILLY BOING NOISE. AND THE WAY HE SAYS “help?” AFTERWARDS IS SO CUTE. EXPRESSIONS IN THIS EPISODE ARE SO GOOD.

I never realized how big Bouncing Boy could get.

Clark starts to nope out, and Saturn Girl said she did the same thing when she saw Bouncing Boy to do that as well.

And cue more internal panicking for Clark.

So, did Saturn Girl like did the whole fair a mind wipe, or just the guys who were witnesses?

More gayness, both sides.

And Clark has a gay panic.

Which will eventually turn into “I’m not Straight” in the future. I’ve been through that phase my boy.

Saturn Girl looks like a mom here, telling the kids to stop flirting atm.

Oh man, Clark asking them not to tell anyone about the super power thing. What a heart breaker.

“It’s okay. We know all about you.”

Wow, great conversation starter B5, totally not sounding like a stalker.

BRAINY WHY DID YOU CUT OFF BOUNCY?! JEALOUSY?! LOOK AT THESE GOSHDARN EXPRESSIONS.

Good job B5, weirded out your crush.

At least Saturn Girl knows saying “Coming to the future” sounds crazy.

“Clark!”

“Wait!”

Oof. My heart at his voice.

And Cool Mom has to step in.

He looks like a kicked dog at this frame.

Let us appreciate how immediately when Saturn Girl says “Let’s just give him some time,” the episodes is edited so that they show up in the kitchen at his house.

So Saturn Girl has a coffee mug, Bouncing Boy has pie, and nothing for the green child. Oh, and embarrassment for Clark.

Well, okay, B5 kinda looks like an angry kid who’s upset their BF is an hour late to the date.

And the introduction the do at the home seems to be much smoother at the fair. Think they did rehearsals waiting for Clark to get home? Did they switch out constantly? And how far did B5 take his crush with the rehearsals?

But Clark defiantly has a lot of self-doubt at the idea of him being a super hero. He uses his powers for good, but he definitely lacks the confidence that he’s good enough for it. He laughs it off at first, then seems a little angry and scared at how much they knew about his powers. Reminds me now of Yuuri Katsuri. And given how little confidence I have had in the last few years about myself, I can further appreciate him now than what I did back then.

Clark was very tempted in coming at “Come with us and you won’t have to hide them anymore.” It’s like getting a safe place to come out, finally, after years of being told that it’s safer to hide himself. Further more appreciative with time for me.

Wow, B5 looks so demanding here.

(Where did they keep that time bubble tho?? It just appeared out of nowhere?)

I kinda laughed at the part where Ma goes “Take a sweater!” then comes down stairs, confused at what he said. “Future?”

I like the atmosphere of New Metropolis in this show. Good use of complementary colors in this shot.

AND THANK ****ING GOD LOOK AT TRIPLICATE GIRL IN HD HER SKIN IS DARKER

I CRY BLOOD AT THE FACT THAT THE FACT SHE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE MUCH DARKER AND THEN SHE CAME OUT SO PALE IN SD QUALITY THANK GOD FOR HD

Granted the concept art of her gave her darker skin but SHE’S SO BEAUTIFUL WITH DARK SKIN

And here we have Queen Sinnamon Roll and Lighting Trash Baby, who PG proceeds to sass out with an eye roll and reality, and then has Trips back her up. Positive female friendships, that’s an instant gold star.

What a jealous baby, getting phased through and shoved aside. Thinking back to the jock we saw earlier, I find it interesting that Lightning Lad was made to fit that image on the first episode. Interesting move. Perhaps it was to show the character development as we went along?

The girls look so disappointed that the skinny Superman came out instead of some muscular guy. Personally, I prefer the skinny Superman design. Muscular guys just don’t seem as attractive to me as often. Might have something to do with that I find myself attracted to girls more often. But I love all girls, and buff girls are on the list of those I am weak for, so I’m just further confused. Maybe I just need another 10 years to figure this one out.

And when Lightning Lad proceeds to poke fun at B5 and Clark…

Brainy looks like a cat who is planning his demise. I had cats for a little over ten years. I know this look. Brainy is giving him the look that says he will murder him in his sleep. Painfully.

And then Lightning Lad proceeds to be a jerk, doing the last thing Clark needs: degrading him on his powers. After everything I talked about earlier, this hurts me in the hard. Trash Baby will be sent to the garbage pit as required.

We cut to the Superman museum, where Saturn Girl brings Clark to speed what’s going on, explaining who the Fatal Five are.

While watching this episode, I realized how much emotional support and guidance Saturn Girl provided for those in need – particularly B5 and Clark in this one. And she doesn’t seem to need to read their minds to figure out what they are feeling. So really, that is really thought provoking. Maybe she studied psychology or hosts therapy groups. In any case, it makes her far more interesting as a person.

I’m kind of interested to see what the military forces were like in this show’s universe, given that they were deemed not available for help against the Fatal Five. How restricted are they? Is there restrictions based on international laws? And as for the Science Police… well, I’m going to discuss that in a future episode.

Okay so tallying up the other legionnaires who were mentioned when the code red was sent out. Shrinking Violet was undercover, Colossal Boy is on Rawl (did I spell that right?), while Cosmic Boy, the leader, is at the outpost, where it is commented he won’t make it on time. Good god, they were spread thin. Just how much shit is going on elsewhere?! Just leave less than ten people at the HQ where one of the biggest problems will find them. NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL.

So the Fatal Five show up, and at least the police try to do something, but still get their asses kicked. A for effort.

And what does Clark do when confronted with his first Comic Villain fight? At first he seems like he’s running away. Leaving the Legion to get their butts kicked. But instead he’s getting the costume, and tries to fly. He’s taking a step forward to define himself as someone who can help. He’s becoming Superman.

But how did that costume just suddenly adjust to the tinier frame? Krypton Science?

And what about his hair? It changed too! It just popped out that signature curl!

Regarding the fight, there are several things I noticed: Triplicate Girl can be forcibly merged back into one singular being, and all three of her can carry Persuader and PG with the ax. Validus chased Bouncing Boy like a dog, which was kind of funny. Lightning Lad abandons his original opponent during fight to go help his teammates, and manages to resist for a while. And then he gave Superman tips in fighting. Saturn Girl is the first to break out of the control, and uses her powers to free the others. B5 has strong robot muscles (what’s the mechanical equivalent?)

Also, I think I should thank this episode for giving the idea of the ax for a weapon in the SU AU i work with, since she got to hold it several times in the episode.

Now regarding the villains, honestly the only one who I find of any interest is Emerald Empress. She was just so causal to Superman when she sees him in costume, and sounded disappointed at the small number of the people who came to confront her team, which gives her some character. Also, I heard somewhere that she is a lesbian. If anyone has a source that can confirm, I would appreciate it so much, cuz I need more queer ladies in my life.

Post fight, Lighting Lad says he knew Superman could do it, only to get the look from everyone. Karma much?

And we see sad Brainy when he says Superman has to go home.

But then Superman is the one who proposes he stays.

And as one last boot to the episode, Superman steals what Lightning Lad’s spot during flight with Brainy’s help. Continuing Karma on the trash baby.

So final thoughts on the episode overall.

It’s a good start the first season, definitely. But I feel there could be better execution. Like the first bit can get people to think that the fight happened before the Legion went to fetch Superman. Like only some of them managed to get away from the Fatal Five, and realize they need help in rescuing the rest of the Legion. That would be more interesting for a first episode, to me anyway.

Villains could have used more development.

Maybe seeing a bit more of the life back at Smallville would have been nice as well.

And how did that decision for the Time Bubble Trio/TBT go? I know B5 probably demanded to go, justifying he was the one who built the device. And wanted to see Superman first. But why Saturn Girl and Bouncing Boy? Did they draw stick, or was it based on the idea that they are probably the most responsible of the group? TELL ME~

But given what we got, I love it. The members of the legion are fun to watch, and it’s a good take on the younger Superman, and the interpretation I got out of the episode was so much deeper than what I got when I was younger.

And kudos out to the staff in trying to squeeze that gay stuff in.

Characters in this episode:

I really like Superman/Clark’s personality here. I can relate to it now better than how I did when I was younger. And now the experience seems like a parallel to finding a safe place to come out. Gold. Star.

Brainiac 5 was nice to see, crushing on Superman. We discover more of him personality wise later on, but it’s so good to see the gay game getting on this early.

Saturn Girl – god I love how she’s so emotionally aware of others in parts of this episode. This girl is definitely someone I would talk to during a hard time.

Lightning Lad… thank god for later character development. He’s a lovable brat here, but needs that character development stat.

Bouncing Boy is a delight. Such goodness in a person. An early-version of Hunk from Voltron. Good emotional support as well.

Seeing the sass that just oozes from Phantom Girl is a joy. My beautiful daughter.

And Triplicate Girl… THANK GOD YOU ARE NOT AS PALE HERE IN HD AS YOU WERE IN SD. I feel that we could have seen more of her and PG, but I really love how they got along in the HQ before the TBT got back.

The villains. Not much to say other than what I said about Empress earlier and that they needed development overall. Sorry.

Well, that’s all for this episode! Hope this was a good read for you all! lemme know if i should put any under a Read More bar.

[thegraydivide]

DGM Week || Day 7

Walking Out

“If I was going to need all these things when I get to France...why did you leave them in Britain?”

“I’ll have more time to disappear this way.”

Allen Walker, age sixteen, deliberately slowed his huff into a sigh while glaring balefully at Cross Marian, who was as sensitive about his age as stereotype claimed women were. They were an unlikely pair and if anyone asked, they’d call each other uncle and nephew.  The lie was barely tolerable on both sides.  They had...a relationship which wasn’t toxic, but ‘familial’ was not a word either would use to describe it.

Cross pulled into Indira Gandhi International Airport and headed for a drop-off point.  He’d held onto Allen for longer than he’d actually needed (or even wanted) to, but air travel for unaccompanied minors under sixteen was too much a pain to work out.  And there were complications Allen wouldn’t have a clue about until he reached Britain.  He didn’t want to deal with the inevitable explosion once the kid found out about those.

Allen straightened in his seat as Cross guided the rented car to the front doors of the airport.  He began side-eyeing his guardian and waited.

“What?”

“You really are despicable, Teacher,” Allen started.

“I rescued your ass and took care of it, too,” Cross retorted, sounding aggrieved.  “You don’t get to call me things like ‘despicable’.”

“When were you going to tell me I don’t exist on paper?”

Komui Lee stumbled into the living room on route the kitchen.  Habit dictated his attention being drawn to the oversized clock which took up the entirety of one wall.  It was a very unusual clock - one he had built personally after seeing it in a movie.  It still told time properly, but there were extra needles pointing to various words which had nothing to do with time.  Each of those needles was different color.  There was a chart of names which the colors represented for visitors hanging nearby.

A lavender needle represented his little sister and it was currently pointed at the wrought iron icon of a house.

Komui grinned delightedly and with a sudden burst of energy, continued on into the kitchen.  The coffee pot was already filled thanks to its programmable nature (how the universe once functioned without them was an unsolvable mystery) and Komui poured himself a cup to sip on while he pulled out the fixings for a massive breakfast.

Lenalee was limping slightly when she came into the kitchen, looking exhausted.  Komui did not bring it up.  Instead, he slid a large plate filled with every breakfast food item imaginable along with a glass of orange juice in front of her when she sat, leaning over as he did so to give her a warm hug.

“Welcome home, Lenalee.”

Lenalee twisted to hug him in return, her arms nearly tight enough to bruise.  Her ‘trips’ away from home never went well, but things must have gone extraordinarily bad this time. Komui tightened his own hold.

“Good morning, Brother.”

“Were you dropped off?” Komui asked, returning to the oven to shovel his own portions onto a second plate.  “I heard a car last night.”

Lenalee shot him a puzzled looked, but shook her head.  “No, I came home the usual way.”

“Huh...maybe I was dreaming,” he mused.  He moved the various pans to the sink to let them soak while he and his precious sister ate.  He had to have been dreaming.  They had no neighbors - unless one counted the constantly absent Cross Marian as a neighbor.  All the other houses stood empty.  There was no reason to have heard a car going down the street at all.

Unless....

Komui dropped his fork and stood to retrieve his tablet.  Lenalee glanced at him curiously, but continued to eat.  From the tablet, he accessed the security cameras along the street and played the footage from last night, expecting to see nothing.

Instead, he saw a car.

To be accurate, he saw a black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

Komui checked another camera and zoomed in on the license plate.  It matched the number of Cross’ black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.  Meaning he had heard Cross driving down the street.

He pulled up the feed of the front of Cross’ Victorian Gothic mansion and watched the Firebird pull into the drive, pause to wait for the gates to open, and then drive around back where Komui knew a detached garage was hidden from view.

Komui fast-forwards the rest of the night, fully expecting to see the car leave again.  Except it didn’t.  The car never reappeared and the feed caught up to real time.

“Lena.  Be a dear and help me make a few calls,” he said.  “Cross Marian came back last night and miraculously, he’s still home.”

“Why am I here again?” said a sour-faced Japanese young man.  Like Lenalee, he’d just gotten home a few hours ago.  He was holding a katana in crossed arms and sulking. 

“Because we need the backup,” Lenalee said, walking on air well above the heads of her peers thanks to her boots and testing the windows alongside Gwen Flail (who was balancing on the crossguard of her extended chain-whip longsword), which was what Yu Kanda and Suman Dark were doing on the ground level.  Despite the fact Klaud Nyne had agreed to serve as bait, Cross was not answering the front door.  Lenalee had knocked on the windows of Cross’ bedroom and wasn’t responded to either.

“Hey!  I found an unlocked window!” Gwen called, jumping through and reaching back to grab her weapon and deactivate it.

Lenalee skipped through the air and followed her inside, looking down at the two men, “We’ll try to sneak down to let everyone in, go tell Brother and Miss Nyne.“

Suman stared uncertainly after the women as they vanished into the house and then turned his gaze on Kanda. “This guy has a reputation with womanizing, doesn’t he?  Shouldn’t we go with them?”

“Only if you want to be shot,” Kanda replied tersely.  He whistled sharply and two large dogs came bounding to heel.  The grumpy teenager went stalking off to the front door and Suman trailed after him, still uncertain.

Allen wasn’t able to get to Cross’ mansion until very late in the evening.  Even with a GPS, he had gotten lost more than once.  It’d taken some doing on the British politician’s part to wrangle him a license at his age, but that was how big the favor the politician owed Cross.  Allen had liked Graham - they’d bonded over a shared irritation about the man while Allen had waited to get proper legal documents.

He’d been surprised Cross was letting him drive his personal car (which had been parked at the Paris Orly Airport for eight years), rather than forcing him to get a taxi or something.  Granted, Cross had attached to the note to the keys threatening him within an inch of his life if anything happened to the vehicle.

After reaching his destination , Allen stopped by a 24-hour store to do shopping for his most immediate needs.  A more thorough trip would have to be conducted tomorrow - he was exhausted.

Cross’ personal golem, Timcanpy (which Allen may or may not have kidnapped before getting out of the car back in India) woke him up bright and early with an extremely bite on the ear.  Allen didn’t bat him away for it, since he’d asked for the golem to make sure he was awake in spite of the late arrival, but it was a shame Timcanpy didn’t have some alarm feature based on noise.

He hadn’t explored Cross’ mansion much last night beyond locating the kitchen to stuff his groceries into.  He had been planning to do his exercises in the yard, but Timcanpy had led him into an oversized basement (and that explained, probably, why Cross had such a big property) which was set up as a gym.  It was tailored for Cross’ personal regimen clearly and included a gun range on the south end.

Allen eyed the display of various guns and wondered if one of the keys on the key ring he’d gotten from the box Mother had given him went to any of those locks.  Cross had taught him how to shoot.  Innocence for Akuma, the mundane for humans - Allen had never had the tragic problem of accidentally confusing humans for Akuma, but he was alone in that ability.  He should practice, though.

Resolving to figure it out later, Allen ran through his exercises, making a mental list of things he need to alter for himself (a bigger area for tumbling practice, for starters).  The gym turned out to have a shower in it too, which Allen used. 

When he got out, he found Timcanpy had vacated the gym, but didn’t think much of it. He was focusing more and more on his hunger.  He was so hungry he was practically hallucinating the smells of breakfast.  Hopefully, he had time to make everything he’d purchased last night.

He didn’t realize he wasn’t hallucinating until he turned into the dining room and found that Cross’ home had been invaded by half a dozen people and found them eating his food in.  Allen stopped and stared.  They all stopped and stared too.  Both sides were silent.

Timcanpy, he noted, was being held prisoner by a monkey sitting on the shoulder of a blond woman with an impressive set of facial scars.

Allen, dressed in only a pair of sweats, hair damp, with a towel over his bare shoulders to absorb the wet, could not find the words to break the silence.  He pushed his hair out of his face and tried anyways.  “Uhhh....”

“What the fuck is wrong with your face?”

Allen stared at the speaker - Japanese, male, with long hair and two giant dogs laying at his feet.  Allen still felt completely wordless, but he saw the moment everyone in the room spotted the star over his left eye.

Everything then dissolved into chaos.

The Chinese man was tackled by a German man and the Japanese man and a Welsh woman were crossing the room fast as lightning.  There was suddenly a giant monkey looming over him.  Two swords were coming at him and Allen barely managed to activate his arm in time to block the blows, though he wasn’t able to do anything to stop the giant primate from pinning him to the ground.

Allen gasped at the pain, intense and unexpected, but did not scream.  He could not think of a time his arm had ever been injured.  The pain was new and that made it hurt worse.

“Wait, wait, wait!” someone was shouting.  “Is that Innocence?”

Allen was still breathless, but he sensed pressure from a touch near the glass cross in the back of his hand and a woman spoke, “Yes...it is.”

“He has an Akuma star on his head!” another woman declared.

“I’m cursed,” Allen managed to wheeze and deactivated his arm.  “It’s a curse.”

The Chinese man (looking a little ruffled) was allowed to approach, though the German fellow and Chinese woman seemed reluctant to allow it.  The monkey was still pinning him down.  Timcanpy was suddenly in his face, bobbing in a worried manner.

"Who are you?” the Chinese man asked.

“Allen Walker.  I’m Cross Marian’s student.”

The scarred woman made a soft noise of disbelief, “The last time someone suggested Cross take a student, he vanished for three years.”

“He said he was sending a letter of introduction to someone named Komui Lee,” Allen said through gritted teeth, voice rough.

Everyone turned on the Chinese man, who was sipping coffee from a mug.  Allen stared at him too, suspicious.  “...Are you Komui Lee?”

“Brother...,” the Chinese girl muttered.

“I have a call to make!” Komui announced, and...proceeded to flutter out of the room.

The pressure on his torso vanished and Allen found a tiny monkey in his hair and went cross-eyed when the little creature leaned down into his face to chatter at him.  With his human hand, he reached up to give the animal a scratch.

A hand was stuck into his face and when he looked up, he saw the scarred woman offering to help him stand.  He took it, holding his Innocence limb close to his chest.  He was growing increasingly aware he wasn’t wearing anything to conceal the wrinkled red flesh of his Innocence and tried to be discrete in covering at least his shoulder with his towel.

“Sorry,” the Welsh woman said, eyeing the bright white tears on his left arm.  The sword-wielding male made an annoyed sound, but didn’t apologize.

“I’ll go get some medicine from the medical wing at school,” the Lee sister said and left as well.

“I said the fridge looked packed for a parasite-type,” the German man said suddenly.

“So you did,” the scarred woman remarked, holding out her hand to the monkey.

Allen winced a little from the tug on his hair as the monkey transferred perches with a jump.  “And...you all are?”

“Klaud Nyne - I’m one of Cross’ peers,” the scarred woman said.  She pointed to the others.  “Gwen Flail, Yu Kanda, and Suman Dark.  Komui’s little sister who just left is named Lenalee.”

“And you all decided to invade my house because...?”

“We thought you were Cross,” Klaud answered.

And that explained everything.