#meg talked like this for years and will shriek if you call her out on it

[megumishousewife]

yunho with a chubby girl just sounds right

A/N: Me tryna distract yall from Megs x Chubby Youtuber Part 2. It will be here I PROMISE, but for now enjoy this lil Yunho smut...And there's the smut warning too👍🏽 Also momma hwa being some what of a cock block

Ever since you started college, you decided that you wanted to explore new horizons and meet new people. With your first year of college almost under your belt, you manage to make a pretty big friend group and get out your comfort zone. As a plus size girl, these things tend to be harder to do, but your friends encourage you along the way. It's the end of the year and everyone in your group wanted to hang out after finals and before everyone headed off to their own homes for the next three months.

Your friend group along with your 8 guy friends decided there's no better place to go than the beach and stay at a hotel for the weekend there. Upon arriving to the hotel, everyone began to move all their luggage to their respective rooms. After that, everyone began to get dressed for the beach. You were kind of nervous about wearing a bikini in front of the boys but the ever so supportive San was already boasting the girls up.

"And don't forget ladies, YOUR BODIES ARE BEAUTIFUL! WEARING THAT TWO PIECE GODDAMIT!!"

Seonghwa just groans as he places his oversized hat on his head, "San, hush...you sound like a perv"

San just looked at his friend in shock but Yunho came up to you with a smile on his face

"I bet you'll look as beautiful as ever YN," Yunho said.

You blushed lightly, "Oh Yunho, thank you but I might just decide to wear a shirt and some short."

Yunho looked at you slightly taken a back, "Hm, if that's fine with you. I bet you'll look amazing in a two piece though."

You watched as Yunho walked back to his room and that's when your best friend shrieked behind you.

"GIRL?!? YUNHO JUST CALLED YOU BEAUTIFUL AND YOU WANNA WEAR A BASIC OUTFIT TO THE BEACH?! GET IT TOGETHER, Y/N!"

She dragged you into yalls shared room and got you in a (your favorite color) two piece. She examined you a little but and fixed your hair in a cute style.

She smiled at you, "I'm finna get you a man whether you like it or not."

The girls arrived to the beach later than the boys and they were obviously doing their own thing. Seonghwa was by the shore, fighting the wind, Mingi and Jongho were arguing about beach volleyball, Woo and San were renting a few surf boards while Hongjoong was asleep in between Yunho and Yeosang. Yunho did a double take when he saw you, almost snapping his neck. He lower his glasses to see you.

Yeosang was already on his case

though, "Calm down Casanova- You've been plotting on this girl all year. Play it cool."

Seonghwa walked over and joined Yeosang, "As much as I want to agree with you Yeosang, she's about to see why we call him a golden retriever."

"Yunho, just-"

Before Yeosang could finish what he was saying Yunho was already happily making his way to Y/N. Yunho came up to her confidently but seemed to be a little distracted by your boobs.

"H-hey, wanna play beach volleyball with the boys? We can split the girls and the boys so there's an even portion of us."

Yunho literally wanted to vomit because why did he sound like a little boy trying to talk to the girl he likes? This isn't like him at all. However, you didn't pay any mind to this at all.

"Sure," you smiled.

Mingi and Jongho was already gathering everyone to divide the team, 4 girls and 4 boys on one team. Team one consisted of Yeosang, Wooyoung, Jongho and San while group two was Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yunho and Mingi. You and your best friend went with team Jongho and Yunho almost went to your side of the net but Seonghwa pulled him back.

Seonghwa said, "Stop following her like a lost puppy."

The match started and it was intense to the T. San was your team's main spiker while Yunho and Mingi acted as blockers on the other team. This was slightly challenging because of how nerve racking it was to get the ball over the net for San. But finally, the score was 24-24 for the last point of the last match. Both teams had each won a set, but this determined who was the declared winner. And what was on the line here: Ice cream...the loser buys ice cream for the winning team. Mingi serves for this team and it goes over the net to your side. The ball came in hard but Jongho was able to quickly shag the ball from it hitting the ground, you ended up popping the ball up high enough to get it at spiking level, and San did his approach and-

SMACK-

Little did you know, Yunho was watching you the entire time of the play. Just looking at your body and how the fat just adds an extra jiggle to what you did. He was even turned on by the way your breast pushed together to hit the ball and-

The ball ended up hitting Yunho square in the face. You rushed over and asked Yunho if he was okay and all he saw was just an angel that was supposed to be taking him to heaven. Luckly, Jongho dumped a bucket of water to take him out of LaLa Land. Yunho jolted up.

"I'm fine, Y/N! Let me treat you to ice cream."

You nodded as Seonghwa gasped.

Seonghwa said, "THAT BITCH IS SO EXCITED TO SPEND MONEY!"

Hongjoong side eyed his best friend, "This makes me question how much you ACTUALLY spent here."

Yunho ended up walking behind you to the ice cream stand, watching the way your hip swayed and jiggled from behind. Yunho tried to compress his thoughts about how good backshots would be with you as he gripped your love handles to force your hips harder on his-

"Yunho, your ice cream is melting, " you said to him, leading him out of his thoughts.

He excuses himself and begins to eat and talk to you more. As yall walked the shoreline together, you two heard a shout from the other end where all your friends are. It was Wooyoung."

"IT'S ABOUT TO RAIN! EVERYONE TAKE COVER SOMEWHERE!"

Yunho grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you into a nearby cabana just as the thunder started booming outside. The area was known to have random rainshowers but you could have sworn you checked the forecast earlier. Other than that, the feeling of being in a cabana with Yunho seemed a bit claustrophobic. Not because of him but because of the tension in the air. Yunho found the change of beach clothes that you guys brought. He hands you your bag.

"I can turn around while you change because I know you don't want to lay down on the daybed and you're wet," Yunho said.

You thanked him and he began to light the candles in the corner of the cabana. It's actually bigger and fancier thar he expected. Seonghwa picked this beach so he expected it to have some high quality service to it but a cabana that could go for a one bedroom house wasn't it.

"I'm finished Yunho! You can change now."

He turned his back and saw you in a tank top and basketball shorts. A TANK TOP WITH NO BRA?!? Yunho almost passed out but he just silently nodded and changed his shorts. The two of you laid in the bed with each other and Yunho felt nervous being so close to you. He had that feeling that he was about to throw up. Being close enough to you that he could feel your body heat and smell your scent almost made him want to explore your body. You interrupted his thoughts once again.

"You've been staring at me all day," you said with smirk.

Yunho flipped towards you to try and explain himself but his eyes ended up dropping to your cleavage anyways. Knowing this, you decided for the first time to be bold with a guy you liked.

"If you want me, come fuck me," you said.

Yunho didn't even try to question what you were saying, he instantly went to licking your neck while massaging your boobs. He wedges himself in between your thighs, grinding his bulge against your clit, causing you to moan. He went to kissing you while getting the two of you undressed until he had you completely unclothed. You blushed as you tried to cover yourself but Yunho lifted your arms above your head with one hand.

"Lemme see that body, pretty girl," he said as he made his way to sucking your nipple.

While he was sucking on your left breast, one of his hands managed to snake its way to your pussy. Yunho massaged you clit and fingered you, eating your moans as if it was just encouraging him to go harder. He stopped sucking on your tits and went down to your entrance.

"Yunho, I can't take it anymore," you whined as you pushed his head away from you.

He laughed, "Just give me one and we'll be done. Let me take care of you."

Yunho began sucking on your clit while fingering you. You moaned his name like a mantra, closing your thick thighs around his head. The way he ate you out was like he was having his last meal. Like a thirsty dog. He grinded his dick onto the daybed while giving you what you want. He looked into your eyes and saw that you were about to reach your peak, making his fingers thrust deeper and harder into you. You pulled his hair while letting out a loud cry and you gushed all over Yunho's face. Your body started shaking as Yunho licked up the mess he left behind. He didn't even notice that he had cummed himself. He kissed you softly on your forehead and grabbed a blanket to put over you. The two of you laid in each other's embrace while listening to the soft pitter patter of rain hitting the cabana.

"YUNHO WHAT THE FUCK?!?"

You and Yunho were woken up by Seonghwa and his oversized beach hat. He stood in the door way the cabana with the most disappointed look on his face.

"Both of you, get dressed. I will talk to you two in 5 minutes."

He shut the door behind him and all you and Yunho could do is laugh at how he acts like he's a mom.

"Yunho, I hope you don't think I was nothing but a hook up because I genuinely like you," you said as you looked down at your feet.

Yunho just smiled at you, "After this, I'm not going anywhere. You had me hooked the first day I met you. I just hate how you're constantly talking about how you look. To me, you're the most beautiful woman to walk this earth."

You kissed Yunho and the two of you got dressed and got scolded by Seonghwa. San and Woo just looked at Yunho and saw the him staring at you the whole time.

San and Woo's convo

San: My boy is a turned simp

Woo: What do you expect? He was practically foaming at the mouth when he first met Y/N

San: If they did something in that cabana...she probably saw why we call him a dog

The two of them gave Yunho a thumbs up from a distance, but he wasn't even paying attention to them. He was too busy following behind his pretty girlfriend.

[americasass91]

Healing Ransom

Hello beautiful people!! This will be my first (I’m sure of many) submissions for @drabblewithfrannybarnes​ amazing Autumn Challenge! Fall is my favorite time of the year! It’s got beautiful colors! Pumpkin everything! And Halloween? You just can’t beat it! I hope you enjoy this little story. It stars our one and only Mean Sweater Murder Daddy, Ransom!

Verbal Prompts:

“Please don’t be sad for me.”

“Shove it, satan.”

Location/activity prompts:

Walking through a park with leaves

Jumping in/raking leaves

Words: 3.8k

Rating: Explicit(of course it is😋)

Warnings: smut, Ransom being his usual dickish self, slight angst, death of minor character, funerals, sadness, language

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You had only been asleep for about an hour and a half when you were abruptly woken up by a cell phone vibrating loudly.

You open one eye and look towards the nightstand your phone is on. It’s silent. That means it’s his phone.

You smack your fuck buddy on the back of the head. “Ow, Y/N what the actual fuck?”

You turn over and pull the covers higher up on your naked body. “Your phone’s ringing asshole.”

He mumbles something under his breath you don’t quite catch as he reaches for his phone. “It’s Linda. Ugh she’s probably drunk again and calling to tell me how worthless I am. Fuck her.”

He throws the phone down on the bed and gets comfortable. “And why are you still here? You know how I feel about you spending the night.”

You raise your hand and flip him off. “You’re the one that fucked me into submission. I can’t help it that I fell asleep right after. Don’t worry, your highness, I’ll be out of your hair first thing in the morning.”

He’s about to reply when his phone starts vibrating right against your ass. You shriek and sit up and grab the phone.

Before Ransom even comprehends that you have it, you answer.

“Hello, Linda. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Y/N. Can I talk to Ransom please.” She sounds like she’s on the verge of tears.

You hand the phone to Ransom who looks at you incredulously. “Just take it. She sounds upset.”

He just rolls his eyes and snatches the phone from you. “Mother, why in the fuck are you calling me at 3 in the morning?”

You’re not entirely sure what she’s saying but Ransom went from being annoyed to showing no emotion on his face.

“When?...Who found him?...Okay..well, thanks for letting me know.” He hangs up and throws the phone back onto the nightstand.

He’s silent for a few minutes. He looks over at your questioning stare.

“My father died. Heart attack. His maid found him. Guess he’d been there for awhile.”

You immediately go to pull him into a hug. “Oh, Ransom. I’m so sorry.”

He pushes you away. “Please don’t be sad for me. He was a piece of shit who smoked like a chimney and never took care of himself. It was just a matter of time before something liked this happened.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. “But he was your dad, Ransom. It’s okay to be sad about it.” You reach out and place a hand on his shoulder.

He grabs your hand and yanks you onto his lap. “I’m not sad. I don’t actually feel anything. It’s not like we had any kind of a relationship. Now how about since we’re both awake we go for round 5?”

You just roll your eyes and let him take your body to euphoria once more.

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That following Saturday you wake up to the sight of beautiful changing leaves. God you love Fall. It was the best time of the year in your opinion. Pumpkin everything? Yes please! Halloween? Oh, fuck yeah! Your favorite holiday.

You decide you can’t let this beauty go to waste. You throw back the covers and quickly dress in some leggings and a burgundy sweater you’re pretty sure belongs to Ransom.

You can’t help but admire all the beautiful Fall colors as you begin your walk. You don’t even need music right now. You feel so at peace during this particular morning. All the beautiful colors. The slight chill in the air. The smell of cider someone is selling from a cart up the way. You’re definitely going to have to get some of that.

You spot a pile of leaves on your way to the cart and you have the strongest urge to run and jump in them. You stop walking and look around. You’re alone. Fuck it.

You take off and giggle like a little girl again as you launch yourself at the pile of leaves. You lose yourself in them. Forgetting everything for a moment and just enjoying the freeing feeling. You’re enjoying it so much you almost miss your phone vibrating in your pocket.

You sit up and fish it out to see who’s interrupting your childlike moment. Ransom. You roll your eyes. The only time he calls you is when he wants sex. You’re just going to have to tell him you’re too busy at the moment.

You answer and put the phone to your ear as you lay back amongst the leaves. “Ransom, I cannot come over for some fuckery right now. I’m in my happy place.”

“Y/N. Hey. That’s not why I’m calling. Linda just called to let me know the funeral is tomorrow. I was wondering if you’d go with me?”

He doesn’t sound like himself. Sad almost. “Sure, Ran. Of course I’ll be there. Just let me know what time.”

“Visitation is from 2-4. The funeral starts right after. Then of course we’ll go bury him. Sorry your whole day will be full. I know how much you love your weekends.”

You shake your head and wave your hand in the air as if he can see it. “Ransom, don’t worry about that. This is more important. And besides, Monday is Columbus Day so I have an extra day off.”

“So that means you’ll be able to spend the night with me tomorrow night?”

You feel butterflies in your stomach. He’s never asked you to spend the night.

“Well, sure if that’s what you want.”

“Thanks, I’ll need to fuck all of my frustrations out from being around my family all day.”

Ah, there’s the ulterior motive. You feel your heart sink a little. “Yeah, sure. How about I’ll just come to your place tomorrow around 1 and we can head over to the funeral together?”

“Sure, sure. Look I have to go. I have to try to get this chapter written today. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, of course. Good luck with the chapter.”

“Oh and Y/N? Have fun playing in the leaves.”

With that he hangs up. You look around to make sure he’s nowhere around. How did he know you were in a pile of leaves?

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You head into the funeral with Ransom at around 1:45. Despite everything you can’t help but notice he looks handsome in his dark blue suit.

“God I hate funerals.” He says as he gazes around the room. He spots Linda.

“Well, who likes them?” You ask him as she approaches.

She throws her arms around Ransom’s neck. He reluctantly returns the hug.

“Oh, Ransom! I just can’t believe he’s gone.”

Ransom just rolls his eyes as he looks at you. He mouths ‘Help me’

You put your hand on Linda’s back. “Oh, Linda. I’m so sorry he’s gone.”

She lets go of Ransom and turns towards you. “Thank you dear. Even though he wasn’t my husband anymore I still loved him. A part of me always will.”

You glance over at Ransom who’s trying to avoid Walt that just walked in. You can’t help but know how she feels about loving someone like that. You love Ransom no matter what the 2 of you are. You think you always will.

You nod your head. “Of course you will. He was a big part of your life. And he’s Ransom's dad. He’ll always have a special place in your heart.”

She pulls you in for a hug. When she pulls back she cups your cheek. “I’m well aware that you’re too good for my son. But please don’t leave him. He can’t do any better than you.”

With that she heads over to greet more people filing in. You stand there shocked at her words. Linda has never been unpleasant towards you but that was the nicest damn thing she’s ever said to you.

You spot Ransom leaning against the opposite wall as far away from the other people as he can get.

You head over and stop in front of him with your arms crossed. “Ransom, aren’t you supposed to be talking to your family? Letting people give their condolences.”

“Fuck these people, Y/N. None of them gave a shit about Richard. I bet half of the women in this room fucked him at one point.”

You look around wide eyed to see if anyone was paying attention to you. Luckily they weren’t. “Jesus, Ransom be quiet! This is a funeral. And unlike you, some people are here to grieve!”

“Whatever, Y/N! You’re such a bitch. You didn’t like him either! You always called him a creep! So don’t stand there and act live you give a shit that he’s dead!”

Your mouth drops open. God he’s such an asshole! “You know what, fuck you Ransom! I do give a shit! Just because I thought he was a creep doesn’t mean I wanted him to die! I understand you’re grieving right now but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like shit. Maybe you should find somebody else to fuck out your frustrations on!”

By now the whole room is looking at you 2. You didn’t mean to be so loud but god dammit did he piss you off.

“You know what, Y/N? Maybe I will! Fuck off!”

He pushes away from the wall and stomps towards the door. “SHOVE IT, SATAN!” You can’t help but yell after him. You then take a look around the room and see everyone staring at you. “Sorry about that.” You quickly leave the room and head towards the kitchen area. You hear footsteps behind you. You turn around and see Meg following you.

“Y/N? Are you okay? God he is such a piece of shit.” She pulls you in for a hug,

You return it gratefully. “Thanks but I’m just worried about Linda. She’s already upset and I am certainly not making things any easier.”

She scoffs as she pulls away from you. “Oh, please! She was chuckling when you called him satan. Said it was an accurate name for him.”

You smile at her feeling relieved. “That’s good then. How are you holding up?”

She returns your smile. “I’m okay. Uncle Richard and I didn’t have a close relationship but I’ll still miss our debates we had.”

You nod in understanding. “I guess I should go find satan.”

Before you have a chance to leave the kitchen, Ransom comes in. He comes over and pulls you in for a hug. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I just don’t want to be here and I’m sick of these people pretending to grieve when I know they don’t care and I took my anger out on you. You were nice enough to be here with me today, you don’t deserve how I treated you.”

Your heart skips a beat. He never apologizes for anything. You pull away from the hug and cup his cheek. “It’s okay. Apology accepted. You get a free pass today. Now how about we head back in?”

He grabs your wrist and places a kiss on your palm. “Okay, will you stay by me?”

You pull him in for a quick peck. “Of course, I’m not going anywhere.”

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The funeral was tastefully done. Ransom refused to ride over in the limo with the rest of the family. He said he wanted to drive over with you.

You pull into the cemetery and get out of the car. You look around for the gravesite. You don’t see one. “Ran, where’s the gravesite?”

Ransom just chuckles and points at the hill. “On the top of the hill. He wanted to be buried in the most expensive spot.”

You look down at your black pumps and then over at the slightly muddy hill. Well this should be fun.

Ransom sees your hesitation. “There’s a brick pathway. Your shoes are safe.”

You sigh in relief. Thank god. You follow the crowd that has now gathered toward the path. Ransom follows in step beside you. He grabs your hand and laces your fingers together. You feel those stupid butterflies in your stomach again.

You can’t help but admire the beautiful fall foliage. It puts a smile on your face despite the sad day.

Ransom rolls his eyes playfully at you. “You and your Fall.”

“It’s beautiful, Ransom! How can you not love it?”

You’re too busy looking at all the leaves to notice him staring at you. “Yeah, it is beautiful.”

You reach the gravesite and stand with Ransom near the front. He still hasn’t let go of your hand. If anything he’s holding onto it tighter.

You can’t help but let some tears fall as the minister says some more beautiful words. You chance a glance at Ransom and you see him wipe a single tear from his face. That makes you give his hand a reaffirming squeeze.

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Ransom wasn’t lying when he said he was going to fuck out his frustrations on you. He took you right against the wall as soon as you walked into his house. Then again on the island in the kitchen. And again on the stairs. (You’re sure to have bruises from that escapade). Finally finishing in his bed. You passed out almost right after the last one.

You woke up around 2 am with the urge to pee. You look over and see Ransom’s side of the bed empty. He must be downstairs rehydrating after all that fucking. You decide to quickly pee and then head down to find him.

He’s not in the kitchen like you thought. You’re about to go check his study to see if he’s up writing when you see a light on in the living room. You head in and see him sitting on the couch. His back is to you so he hasn’t realized you’re in the room yet. There’s something sitting on his coffee table. You move forward quietly trying not to disturb him in case he wants to be alone.

When you get close enough you see that it’s a framed picture of him and his dad. Ransom can’t be older than 16. They have their arms around each other’s shoulders. His prized Beemer is in the background with a big red bow on top.

That’s when you hear the sniffling. You quickly round the couch and see that Ransom is clutching a pillow and sobbing into it. You take a seat next to him. You put a comforting hand on his back and rub it up and down in a soothing manner.

He looks up at you, tears covering his cheeks. “You know I think this is the only picture I have of me and my dad. I think he was happier than me that day. He was so proud to pass his car down to me.”

You just smile sadly and pull him in for a hug. He throws the pillow away and pulls you into his lap so that you’re straddling him. You gently wipe away his tears with your thumbs. “I can’t believe he’s gone. I never even knew him, Y/N. And now I’m never gonna get the chance to.” He buries his face into the crook of your neck and tightens his arms around your waist. He starts sobbing again.

You rub one hand up and down his back and run your other through his hair. “Shhh, Ransom. I know you’re hurting. I’m so sorry you lost him.”

“I fucking hate this, Y/N! I hate feeling like this. So helpless. And he fucking died alone. That’s gonna be me. I don’t want to die alone.” He looks up at you so innocently. So heartbroken.

You grab his face with both hands. “Hugh Ransom Drysdale, you’re not going to die alone. If you’re that afraid of it then change your ways.”

He lowers his eyes towards his hands that are resting on your hips. “I just hate feeling this way. I didn’t even know him. Why am I so fucking sad?” He looks back up at you.

“Because you didn’t know him and you’re regretting that. It’s too late to do anything about it now. Unfortunately you’re just going to have to deal with it and grieve. Doesn’t mean you can’t change your other relationships though. So you don’t feel like this ever again.”

He grabs the back of your neck and pulls you in just enough until your lips are touching. “It hurts so much, Y/N. Please help me forget. Even for just a little bit. I don’t want to feel like this anymore.” He pulls you in for a fierce kiss, enough to take your breath away.

After you gain back some control you push against his chest. “Ransom, I don’t think this is the best way-”

“Please,Y/N? Please take the pain away.”

Your heart breaks. You look him in the eye and nod your head. He pulls you back in for another heated kiss. If this was the only way you could take away his pain, even if temporary, you’ll give it to him.

You put your hands in his hair and give it a tug making him groan. One of his hands moves to your ass, making you grind against his growing erection. The other remains on the back of your neck, not letting you break the kiss. He needs you close right now.

He pulls back from the kiss. “Need you, baby. Please.”

You quickly stand up to remove your pajama shorts and panties while he lowers his sweats just enough to free himself. You straddle him again and stroke his length up and down a few times, smearing his pre-cum all over. You guide him to your entrance and sink down on him. “Fuck, Ransom. Always feels so good.”

You give yourself a few minutes to adjust once your hips are flush against his. He settles his hands on your waist while yours rest on his shoulders. You lean in for a kiss before you start moving up and down on him. Moving at the hard and fast pace you know he always prefers.

“Wait, baby, slow down.” He grips your hips to stop your movements. You look at him confused. He always likes it hard and fast. He tightens his hold on your hips and starts grinding you on him. “Just need to feel you, Y/N. Can we slow down?”

Your heart flutters. “Of course.” You take over and start grinding against him. Keeping a slow rhythm. You throw your head back and moan. God he feels amazing. You can feel every part of him like this. Usually he’s going so fast you don’t get to appreciate the feeling of him dragging along your walls like this. This isn’t about reaching orgasm. This is intimacy. This is about feelings.

He buries his face into the crook of your neck. “You feel so good, baby. You take me so well. Like you were made for me. Made to fit me. My beautiful Y/N.”

You can feel tears well up in your eyes. You know this might not feel the same for him but it’s making you fall even more in love with him than what you already were.

You're not going to last long. Not only are your emotions getting the best of you but your clit is rubbing deliciously against his pelvis. He can feel you fluttering on his cock.

He pulls back and looks at you. “Gonna come for me pretty girl? I can feel you. You’re squeezing me so good. Let go, Y/N. I’m right behind you.”

You fall apart at his words. His name is a whisper on your lips. He buries his face back into the crook of your neck as he meets his end with a groan. Filling you up with everything he has.

You both stay like that for a minute. Just holding each other like you were afraid the other would disappear. He pulls back and looks at you again. He tucks a piece of hair behind your ear and smiles softly at you. “I love you, Y/N. God I love you so fucking much.”

You feel tears fall down your face. “I love you too, Ransom. Always have and always will. I won’t let you die alone.”

He pulls you in for another kiss. “No more of this fuck buddy stuff. I’m in this for real. For the long haul. I can’t feel like this ever again. I can live with how I feel about my dad. But you? I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try.”

“We’re talking about a relationship here Ransom. The exact thing you always said you didn’t want. What if it doesn’t work out? What if you change your mind?”

“It will work out, I’ll make sure it does. I won’t be changing my mind. You’re it for me.  But if for some reason you decide I’m not what you want, then at least I can say I tried. I’m willing to regret you for the rest of my life.”

You melt at his words. This is all you’ve ever wanted. For him to love you. Why the fuck were you questioning it?

You lean back in for another kiss. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

You lean in for another kiss. “Okay. But I’m exhausted. Can you take me to bed now?”

He chuckles and stands you both up. “Come on, pretty girl. Let’s get you to bed.”

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

You wake up the next morning with the biggest smile on your face. Not only did Ransom confess his love for you last night but it was the most beautiful Fall day outside. You wondered if you could convince him to go for a walk with you.

The smell of coffee hits your nose and you quickly throw back the covers to head downstairs. As you turn to head into the kitchen you find Ransom. He’s dialing a number on his phone. His back is to you.

Curious, you stay behind for a minute to see who he’s calling.

“Hello, Mom? Hi. How are you?...Good….Yeah she’s here, she’s upstairs sleeping. I know, I’m not gonna let her go. Hey listen I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch with me today, just us?”

You can’t help the big smile that spreads across your face. Maybe Ransom was changing after all.

All Cevans characters taglist: @stargazingfangirl18​

[southernfriedsims-blog]

If Minnie Brannon had a simoleon for every time someone asked her about her hair, she’d have more money than the Landgraabs, and the Landgraabs had a LOT of money. “My hair is green!?”, she would squeak with a panicked expression, sometimes even reaching up to examine the strands as if she was in disbelief.  

This response usually induced an eye roll and put an end to the conversation.

The truth was simple: one day she decided to prank her mother by dying her hair. Classic teen moment, right? It got her grounded for a month and, as punishment, she’d been told by her parents to live with it for a year. Minnie had been living with it for 10 years now to prove a point. No one tells Minnie Brannon what to do. No one.

No one except the law of physics, that is. She stepped back from the sulphuric cloud of yellow-green smoke that roiled from the overflowing beaker on the synthesizer machine. Between gasps for air and the shriek of the fire alarm, she managed to notice her phone buzzing in her lab coat.

“Yell-oh” she managed to cough out, batting wildly at the smoke. Her co-worker, Salim Benali, was running towards her with the fire extinguisher now. The banshee, Minnie’s pet name for the fire alarm, finally stopped. Minnie turned and walked out of the lab and into the corridor with her phone to her ear, leaving Salim to clean up the aftermath of her Tuesday morning shift.

“Did you blow something up again?”

Minnie swatted at the air again a few times and tilted her phone to look down at the caller ID on the screen. It was Meg.

“Listen, this is my job, okay?” Minnie sputtered. There was a cackle on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, right. You know the guys at the station downtown literally have a code for you now? It’s like code green-disaster or something along those lines. I can’t remember but it’s something to do with you being incompetent.”

Minnie watched Salim bolt out into the corridor across from her and begin to hack uncontrollably, the chartreuse colored fog swirling fluidly behind him in a way that was almost cinematic.

“I’m honored. What do you want?” Minnie gave Salim a thumbs-up. He didn’t see her because he was covered in foam.

“Your mom came to the diner for breakfast. Have you two not been talking?” Minnie felt her limbs stiffen but before she could speak Meg continued.

“She had to come over to this side of town to go to the doctor. She said you two haven’t spoken since last Christmas?” Minnie shifted her weight to her other leg and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Meg, I love you, I really do. But if you don’t start minding your own business, I-“

            “I didn’t bring you up! She was asking about my brother and how my classes are going and I said something about needing to get some of my furniture from my grandma’s and it just….kind of led to me telling her that you’re here now.” Meghan’s voice trailed off.

“Minnie, you there?” Minnie realized she had gone silent for too long and cleared her throat.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude about it. I just- I didn’t want her to know I was back.” She heard dishes clatter on Meghan’s end of the line.

“I’m sorry, sis. I really am and I didn’t mean to create a fuss, I promise. But what was I supposed to do?” Before Minnie could answer, another dish shattered. “Seriously!?” Meghan yelled away from the phone to someone behind her. “Lenny that’s coming out of your check.!” A man muttered an expletive in the background and Meghan spoke again, “Listen, I gotta go. Call me later, k?” The call dropped and Minnie stood there in the corridor staring at Salim who had finally managed to catch his breath. He glared at her and motioned to the extinguisher and himself, both covered in foam and very calmly stated to Minnie, “You suck.” 

[cristalconnors]

TOP 20 SONGS OF 2020

20. “BELOW THE CLAVICLE”- EARTHEATER

“The meaning hasn’t come up yet. It’s still under the surface below the clavicle.”

It isn’t just Alexandra Drewchin’s ear splitting soprano when she hits that impossibly high B, practically shrieking out the “cle” syllable of clavicle, though that’s undoubtedly when I first knew that Eartheater’s avant folk was for me- it’s also the cinematic, lush strings, both bowed and plucked (is that acoustic guitar or harp? I genuinely can’t tell), deepening and complicating the sonic texture of Drewchin’s study of parsing through emotions you aren’t ready to make sense of yet. 

19. “PUSSY TALK”- CITY GIRLS, FT. DOJA CAT

“This pussy so ghetto, this pussy speak ebonics”

“WAP”’s funnier, classless Irish twin, though it’s important to note “Pussy Talk” came first. Yung Miami and JT enlist Doja Cat to expound on everything their pussies deserve and will absolutely settle for nothing less than. And why should they when they’re spitting out verses this inspiredly hilarious with such confidence and flow? 

18. “LICK IN HEAVEN”- JESSY LANZA

“Once I’m spinning, I can’t stop spinning...”

Jessy Lanza is talking about losing your cool, letting your emotions get the best of you and lashing out instead of letting cooler heads prevail, but when that earworm of a chorus hits- “once I’m spinning, I can’t stop spinning” - I can’t stop spinning. I’m that woman on the single art, a wine mom lost in the delirium of the dance floor and in Lanza’s hypnotic, fragmented rhythms.  

17. “GASLIGHTER”- THE CHICKS

“Boy, you know exactly what you did on my boat!”

“Gaslighter” finds Natalie Ames and her Chicks at their most simultaneously ruthless and ebullient, ripping Ames’s ex-husband Adrian Pasdar a new asshole and ratcheting up the righteous anger of “Goodbye Earl” tenfold, channeling it into a glorious wall of sound in what might be their most rousing, emotionally resonant chorus in their storied career. 

16. “HANNAH SUN”- LOMELDA

“Hannah do no harm...”

While “Hannah Sun” begins as an exquisitely observed rumination on grappling with long-distance, pining for someone who’s a continent away, it gradually becomes clear that Hannah Read blames herself for putting the distance between her and the subject of her longing, and that the distance isn’t strictly literal. Skittering synths (or is that distorted flute?) complicate and enrich the texture of the song, allowing it to build organically and stunningly towards a heartbreaking plea to herself- “Hannah, do no harm.”

15. “FIRE”- WAXAHATCHEE

“And when I turn back around will you drain me back out? Will you let me believe that I broke through?”

When I’d drive back and forth between Dallas and Austin over and over again when I was in college, I’d often get off I-35 past Waco and take the back roads through towns I’d never heard of, the sun setting spectacularly behind the titular hills of Hill Country that were beginning to roll out in earnest. I think about that a lot when listening to “Fire,” a song dripping in rural Americana that was, unsurprisingly, inspired by a road trip. We’ve probably all been Katie Crutchfield as she crossed the bridge into West Memphis- alone in the car, awed by the simple beauty of the American countryside, making speeches to ourselves about our past mistakes and figuring out a way forward. 

14. “3AM”- HAIM

“On the screen and in my jeans, just make me feel good.”

On an album full of genre departures and decidedly darker themes than we’ve typically heard from Haim in their near decade of syncopated bubblegum pop rock, “3AM” stands out not only as their most effective stab at pastiche, slipping into the trappings of contemporary R&B with shocking ease and gusto, but also as their most unabashedly fun track in their entire oeuvre. “I think you can hear the amount of joy and laughs we had making this song” Alana Haim tells Apple Music, and you absolutely can.

13. “QADIR”- NICK HAKIM

“We’re sinking down a hole without thinking about our loved ones who might be shrinking...”

I often wonder if I’m putting enough effort into maintaining my relationships with friends I don’t see regularly, who live several time zones away, living their own lives while I live mine. When the thought of sustaining simple correspondence becomes overwhelming, it’s easy for months to go by before you realize you haven’t spoken to one of your closest friends. “QADIR” plays less like a eulogy for a friend gone too soon (though of course it is that) than a plea to the listener to put in the work. It’s worth it. You never know when it’ll be too late.

12. “LEVITATING”- DUA LIPA

“Glitter in the sky, glitter in our eyes shining just the way we are.”

Just a few bars of that delightfully bouncy, extra-terrestrial beat is enough to launch me into space. It’s so refreshing to hear a song that remembers that pop is supposed to be joyful and is best when it’s a bit silly. When discussing this track with Apple Music, Dua Lipa cites Austin Powers as inspiration, elaborating that “if I do a video for this, Mike Meyers has to be in it.” Can’t you just see them together, performing a farcical pas de deux of seduction like the spiritual successor to “Beautiful Stranger?”

11. “RIQUIQUI”- ARCA

“Love in the face of fear! Fear in the face of God!”

Arca’s made a career of harnessing chaos and somehow making sense of it. On an album that finds her embracing more traditional, accessible song structures, “Riquiqui” is a reminder that even when working within an AB structure, she’s still breaking rules left and right and having a blast doing it. She’s also never sounded so ferociously empowered in either her femininity or in her Venezuelan identity, rattling off local colloquialisms with affection and verve without a second thought as to who’s going to understand it. 

10. “FANTASY”- AGAINST ALL LOGIC

“I think about you all the time...”

Or, the musical embodiment of this gif:

When Nicolas Jaar’s tormented synths and crunching beats give way to Beyoncé’s unmistakable alto, it is indeed quite the shock. But should it be? Even if 2017-2019 finds him ditching the dancefloor in favor of more severe, unforgiving soundscapes, his already varied career has shown us nothing’s off limits to him. So why not reinvent Beyoncé’s iconic “Baby Boy” into an industrial, vaguely sinister certified bop that arguably surpasses the original?

9. “PEOPLE, I’VE BEEN SAD”- CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS

“If you disappear, then I’m disappearing, too.”

“People, I’ve been sad” plays out with the vulnerability and intimacy of a tumblr text post you put out in the middle of the night, only to hastily delete later when it gets no notes. It forgoes flowery language in favor of just getting to the point. “I’ve been sad.” Héloïse Adelaïde Letissier blows up this deceptively simple sentiment with richly layered textures and a big screen gloss not to offer any remedies but instead to offer solidarity. We’re all in this hell together.

8. “DESCRIBE”- PERFUME GENIUS

“Can you just find him for me?”

Mike Hadreas has never sounded so hopeless. Utilizing harsh, rattling guitar that would make Kevin Shields swoon, he conveys the experience of being so estranged from happiness and joy that you need to rely on others to describe the sensation to you. But how, when exploring darker textures than he ever has before, does he make despondency sound so divine? 

7. “4 AMERICAN DOLLARS”- U.S. GIRLS

“No matter how much you get to have, you will still die and that’s the only thing.”

Meg Remy picks up where she left off on “4 American Dollars,” reviving the subversive pastiche she mastered on In a Poem Unlimited, this time harnessing the power of funk to dismantle the fallacies we’re taught about the virtues of capitalism. Heavy stuff, but Remy makes it less didactic than joyous, ensuring the listener will be singing “I don’t believe in pennies and nickels and dimes and dollars and pesos and pounds and rupees and yen and rubles” until they start to wonder if maybe they shouldn’t, either. 

6. “STUPID LOVE”- LADY GAGA

“I freak out, I freak out, I freak out, I freak out!”

Due to a healthy spirit of contrarianism mixed with a touch of internalized homophobia and genuine bafflement at her universal appeal and praise, I was a proud Lady Gaga hater for as long as she’d been a cultural entity. I just didn’t get her at all and loved that about myself. Annoying, I know. 2020 was the year I was finally ready to let that all go. Just before the world fell apart in March, I was out at Flaming Saddles (RIP) with friends the night this song came out and by the sixteenth time it played, I understood why it was inducing such hysteria. This was a cultural shift. After a frustrating near-decade of Gaga subverting expectations so thoroughly that she was actively working against her strengths and sabotaging her cultural ubiquity in the process, coupled with the most frightening era of political upheaval in our lifetimes, she was finally ready to save us and be Lady Gaga again. Booming synth, drag sensibilities, absurd thematic conceits- all was right in the world. For the first time in a long time, people had something to be hopeful about, and as I danced that night, I felt that hope, too. 

5. “SHELLFISH MADEMOISELLE”- RÓISÍN MURPHY

“How dare you sentence me to a lifetime without dancing?”

As soon as that bass starts (the funkiest bassline in the history of music?) it’s like Róisín Murphy’s snake charming oboe, coaxing even the most stalwart curmudgeon onto the dancefloor and keeping them there, dancing frantically and involuntarily like the citizens of Strasbourg in 1518, trying their best to keep up with Murphy who isn’t even breaking a sweat, commanding the masses with a sultry remove, beckoning you closer, pulling you inexorably deeper into the mass of gyrating bodies and whispering in your ear “come and have a dance with yer mum.”

4. “PARTY 4 U”- CHARLI XCX

“I only threw this party for you...”

As PC Music / Bubblegum Bass / whatever you want to call it enters its second decade, Charli XCX proves not only that there’s still new textures to explore within it, but also that no one can exploit its artifice to get down to emotional truths like she can. How can she make something this slick sound so vulnerable? “I only threw this party for you” she croons over and over again over glorious syncopated synths that build exquisitely, reaching their climax only to immediately fall away, until it’s just her and her trusty autotune, pleading with the subject of the song to just come to the damn party. But they won’t, of course. They never do, do they?

3. “WAP”- CARDI B, FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION

“I want you to touch that lil’ dangly thing that swing in the back of my throat!”

Sometimes you just immediately know you’re living through a significant cultural moment. No, not COVID. I’m talking about the experience of hearing Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s instant classic “WAP” for the first time, a titanic meeting of the minds that finds both of them at the apex of their cultural influence and at their most undeniable. Can the argument be made that these two aren’t the two best rappers in the game right now? How could you hear this inspiredly filthy sex positive juggernaut, where Cardi and Megan are trading the sickest verses of their careers, and not think these two deserve the world? 

2. “KEROSENE!”- YVES TUMOR

“I can be your baby in real life, sugar. I can live in your dreams.”

If the 2010′s were all about the pop-ification of all music, trading in live instrumentation in favor of polished synths, 2020 forcefully announced the return of the electric guitar when Yves Tumor and Diana Gordon’s back and forth lustfully submissive declarations of desire suddenly gave way to that nasty guitar rip lifted from Uriah Heep’s “Weep in Silence” to announce yet another cultural shift in a year chock full of them- rock and roll was, indeed, here to stay. 

1. “I WANT YOU TO LOVE ME”- FIONA APPLE

“I move with the trees in the breeze, I know that time is elastic.”

We live and we learn. Years spent soul searching and on self-discovery shape us into better, smarter people, progressively knowing and understanding ourselves and the world around us more and more clearly, but Fiona Apple knows that none of that can quell the ferocious desire to be loved by someone. By anyone. By you, whoever that is. We can know that time is elastic and that when we’re gone all our particles will disband and disperse and then we’ll be back in the pulse, and we can know that none of this stuff actually matters, but still- we want, we want, we want. 

[cherienymphe]

Can’t Be Bought (Ransom Drysdale x Reader)

{This is my very first dark fic, so let me know what you think. I have @sherrybaby14 and @darkficsyouneveraskedfor to thank for giving me the courage to finally join this side of tumblr.}

~

Part II

WARNINGS: NON-CON! {IF THIS OFFENDS YOU PLEASE DNI! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED}

Summary: You’ve gotten a job at the infamous Thrombey mansion with the help of your best friend Marta. It isn’t perfect, but it pays well. Your only true complaint takes the form of one Ransom Drysdale who seems to have had a problem with you from day one.

~

You forced a smile, collecting the empty champagne glasses as Walt and Morris laughed at the joke they’d made at your expense. Joni grimaced in response, shooting you an apologetic look as you turned away and decided to make yourself useful in the kitchen. You set the tray down with a sigh, forcing your shoulders down, reminding yourself that a job was a job, and you had been paid good money.

You didn’t wait on anyone. Not since your last job years ago that you had gotten during senior of high school in order to have a little pocket change. Since then, you had gone to college and had been studying your butt off for the past three years. Unfortunately, circumstances that you had still yet to fully comprehend, had forced you to look for a source of income, and that was how your best friend proposed the idea of working for Mr. Harlan Thrombey himself every once in a while.

The Thrombeys were known for their wealth, and when your best friend had first started working for the patriarch, you had been nervous…rightfully so. While Harlan was as sweet as could be, the rest of his tribe left much to be desired. They were the kind of privileged and bigoted beings that you prided yourself on steering clear of for most of your life. Even Joni, while meaning well, still had her moments where you wondered how a woman her age couldn’t grasp something so basic a 4th grader could understand. Meg was perhaps the only redeemable one of the bunch.

Nevertheless, you were taken on as a part time employee, helping out at whatever weekly shindig the family decided to host. It was tiring at best, but with the money you pocketed, there really wasn’t much room for complaint. Really…there was only one true problem with the job.

Marta, your best friend and nurse for the wealthy novelist himself, was in the home somewhere having to deal with unnecessary demands and racist jokes from her employers just as you were. Her main concern however was always Harlan, and you never envied that position more than you did now as you heard a newcomer enter the home, his arrival welcomed by a chorus of groans and protests.

You swallowed, shoulders tensing for just a moment before you forced the negative feelings down. As delightful as the family was, there was only one person who could warrant that kind of reception.

“(Y/N)…I was worried that you wouldn’t be here tonight. What a disappointment that would have been…”

You looked up, dark eyes connecting with those of the devil himself.

Ransom Drysdale.

Ransom was Harlan’s grandson, tall and muscular and dark-haired, the epitome of handsome some would say. Hell on earth, others might add.

“Hugh,” you greeted evenly.

He preferred “the help” call him Hugh.

“(Y/N),” he replied just as evenly with that familiar smirk ghosting along his pink lips.

He stepped through the doorway of the kitchen, and you looked away, continuing your task of filling up some more glasses. The drunker the family became, the rowdier they got, and keeping the alcohol flowing was always the best thing for you.

“All of the festivities are out there, you know.”

He was closer now, not close enough to touch you, but close enough to make you uncomfortable. Truthfully, Ransom had always made you uncomfortable. You weren’t exactly sure when it started. You’d always known of him, of his antics, his personality, and reputation. Before you had even met him, you didn’t like him. He was the embodiment of everything you both hated and feared, and that made you uncomfortable, but it was for reasons even Marta could understand.

However, the first time you’d stepped foot into the eerie mansion all those months ago, nervous yet eager to finally earn your keep, Ransom himself was the first member of the family that you had encountered. He had stepped into the foyer, in the process of saying something to the housekeeper Fran, something incredibly snarky and offensive, no doubt, when he’d stopped short. It seemed that he had taken a few seconds to even notice you standing beside her, quiet and wide-eyed as you glanced around.

You never did forget that look.

He had snapped his mouth shut, tilting his head to the side in the most threatening way as his blue eyes studied you. If at all possible, you would have sworn that his eyes had clouded over, growing darker as the corner of his lip pulled upwards into a crooked smile. You had unconsciously inched closer to Fran, forcing a straight face as you fought to not look away.

“…and who is this?”

It was such a simple question. Hell, after everyone else had arrived, they’d all asked the very same question too, but not like Ransom had. They had simply wanted to know who you were and your purpose, visibly excited at the prospect of more help around the house, but Ransom… Ransom seemed to be most interested in your name. He was interested in your secrets, your weaknesses, what lay beneath your shirt. Ransom was interested in power over you.

“I believe I’m talking to you,” Ransom continued when you didn’t respond to his remark, pulling you from your reverie.

There was a boisterous laugh just as the sound of something breaking reached your ears. You swallowed an exasperated sigh before glancing up at him, quickly looking away as you found his intense eyes on you as he leaned on the counter.

“I’m working, Hugh,” was all you said.

You found it best to keep your responses to the trust find baby short and sweet. He was always trying to engage you in conversation, and while you knew that giving him as little attention as possible only kept the remarks coming, you believed it was better than entertaining his nonsense. There was no telling what the handsome man could talk you into.

“Surely you can talk and work at the same time. They don’t teach you that at school?”

You simply glanced at him again before grabbing the tray and making your way around him. Your shoulder brushed along his chest as you exited the kitchen, the smell of his cologne threatening to cling to your hair and skin, as if trying to suffocate you just like Ransom was.

Your appearance was met with cheers and eager hands as you brought more expensive champagne to the guests. The empty glasses in their possessions were swapped for full ones, and you bent down in order to safely collect the dirty dishes onto your tray.

“(Y/N), we’ve made a bit of a mess over here…,” Linda said, gesturing to the floor beside the couch she was sitting on “…we’d hate for someone to get cut on all this glass. Morris just can’t seem to hold his liquor.”

You forced another smile.

“Of course, I’ll be right out to get that after I put these in the kitchen,” you sweetly replied.

“You’re a saint,” Joni added just as Morris began to protest his wife’s statement about him.

The kitchen was empty when you entered, and you sighed in relief. It took no time for you to swap the tray of glasses for a broom and dustpan as you made your way back to the lively room. You weaved through the drunk guests, approaching the pile of broken glass when you were not so gently pushed. With a shriek you fell to the floor, the glass shards crunching beneath your hands and knees.

“What the hell, Ransom,” you heard Meg scream.

It wasn’t long before everyone else was tearing into your apparent assailant. You threw yourself back onto your butt as you frowned at your bleeding hands and knees. You had opted for an appropriate skirt tonight, pairing it with what you thought was a thick pair of tights, but the ripped fabric and your bleeding knees begged to differ.

“It was an accident,” Ransom finally threw back at the angry mob, but something inside of you knew better than that.

You hissed as you flexed your hands, unsure how to push yourself onto your feet without getting blood on anything. You didn’t have time to dwell on that as an unfamiliar pair of hands gripped your shoulders from behind, helping you up.

“Are you alright?” Ransom asked, lips brushing against your ear as his broad chest pressed into your back.

You flinched away from him, and you could have sworn you heard a soft chuckle escape his lips just before Meg practically shoved him away from you.

“Step away, you’ve done enough,” she snapped.

“I know they’re filling your head with man hating propaganda down in those libtard college courses, but it truly was an accident,” Ransom replied, hands raised in an innocent manner.

“Like anyone believes that,” Joni sneered as Meg guided you towards the bathroom, throwing a glare over her shoulder at the blue-eyed bastard.

Your knees stung as you walked through the house, and you couldn’t hold in the groan as you sat on the toilet seat, the skin on your knees stretching out. Meg was focused as she looked under the sink cabinets for a first aid kit, and the huff she let out told you that she hadn’t found one. She briefly placed her hand on the top of your head.

“I’ll be right back,” she said before hurriedly exiting the bathroom.

The response to Ransom’s assault wasn’t surprising. They hated him, sure, but the family also doted on you, that much was true, and sometimes you wondered if they saw you as something akin to a pet. A token poor person they could use as a charity case to make themselves feel better. You shook your head. Marta and Meg were really close, probably the only one in the family that she genuinely liked outside of Harlan. Meg wasn’t like that.

You heard footsteps approaching the bathroom, and looked up with a small smile, only for it to fall at the sight of a tall figure stepping in the doorway. You swallowed as you gazed up at Ransom, his presence making you nervous.

“Where’s Meg?”

You eyed him before answering.

“She went to go find a first aid kit,” you responded, eyes accusatory.

If he noticed your venomous gaze, he didn’t comment on it, only nodding as he took in your bloody knees and hands.

“Are you alright?”

Your frown deepened, and he chuckled before leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I really didn’t mean to push you-.”

“I don’t believe you,” you harshly interrupted. “You aren’t a nice person, Hugh. I don’t think you ever have been. I don’t know if you just don’t like me or you feel slighted by me or maybe you just think I’m fun to mess with, but I feel like you’ve had it out for me from the very first moment I stepped into this house.”

You briefly looked away from him, taking a deep breath.

“I’m not leaving. If that’s what you’re aiming for you might as well give it up now, because I need the money, and truthfully speaking, you are the only person who’s truly a pain in my ass here. You’re not as scary as you’d like to think, so just save your energy,” you spat.

His jaw ticked as he stared you down, eyes narrowed, and you heard the sound of approaching footsteps. You leaned back, glowering up at him as he stepped away. He slunk away just as Meg approached, and she stared after him in confusion.

“Are you okay? What did he want?” she demanded, clutching the first aid kit to her chest.

“Just apologizing,” you mumbled the lie.

Meg pursed her lips, a frown on her face before shaking her head and kneeling down before you.

“First things first, let’s get these tights off…”

 ~

You sat on the couch, head leaning back as you closed your eyes. There really wasn’t much you could do after Meg had cleaned you up and wrapped bandages around the offending areas. Marta and Fran were more than happy to step in and take over as you sat the rest of the evening out. You mainly sat with Meg, refusing anytime someone tried to coerce you into having a drink.

It wasn’t long before everyone began to retire, some piling into their expensive cars and leaving while others chose to sleep the fancy drinks off, opting to save the drive home for in the morning. Ransom was one of the last to slither away, eyes hardly leaving you for the rest of the night.

Normally, you would have left ages ago, but Marta insisted on driving you home. Your hands were injured, yes, but you were sure you were more than capable of driving yourself home. However, Marta wouldn’t hear anything of it, and eventually wore you down. That was how you found yourself waiting for her to finish up with Harlan as midnight approached.

You fought back a yawn, body worn out from your busy day. You honestly could have been home a while ago, but you knew that Marta would worry, and you figured there was no harm in humoring her. You did your best not to get impatient and fidgety. After all, you knew that caring for Harlan was a whole other job, but the pain killers Meg gave you were starting to wear off, and your hands and knees were beginning to ache again.

You glanced up as footsteps approached the living room, sharply inhaling at the sight of none other than Ransom. You had been under the impression that he’d left ages ago.

“You’re still here?” he chuckled, pulling on his signature brown coat.

You cleared your throat before answering.

“I’m waiting on Marta.”

He scoffed, and you watched as he glanced over his shoulder at the stairs before shaking his head.

“Marta never knows what kind of night she’s in for with the old man. Sometimes she leaves about this time, and sometimes she’s not pulling out of here till almost 2 in the morning,” he responded, approaching you.

You frowned at that, glancing at the stairs.

“Come on. I’ll give you a ride home,” he offered.

You blanched, eyes widening as you looked at him.

“Don’t be ridiculous! My house is nowhere near where you live. You’d be going out of the way… I have no problem waiting for Marta,” you refused.

“(Y/N)-.”

“Really, it’s fine.”

He glanced at his watch before raising an eyebrow at you, that haughty smirk taking residence on his lips.

“It’s getting late. Don’t you have class tomorrow?”

You grimaced. He was right. Tomorrow was Monday. You shifted on the couch as he knelt down before you, one dark strand escaping and brushing along his forehead.

“I know you don’t believe me, but I really didn’t mean to bump into you. The least I can do is make sure you get home. I know your knees must be killing you,” he said.

You frowned, wincing as a sharp ache traveled through your left knee, as if to prove his point. You looked away with a sigh before reluctantly nodding. He was right. It was late and you were in pain. Ransom may have been the world’s biggest ass, but you weren’t that prideful to suffer instead of letting him take you home. With his help, you stood.

“Let me text Marta…,” you trailed off, realizing that that’d be kind of difficult with the bandages.

“Don’t worry, I got it,” he said, pulling his own phone out with one hand while he helped you out of the door with the other.

Getting to the car was a rather slow and painful process, but you sighed in relief when you finally sagged into the passenger seat of the fancy vehicle. You leaned your head back against the headrest as the car purred to life, relaxing as the vibrations traveled through your frame.

The car ride was silent, but not uncomfortable. You were on the verge of dozing off anyway, and maybe Ransom knew that and that’s why he didn’t talk to you. You hoped Marta didn’t worry too much, and mentally reminded yourself to text her when you got home. You weren’t exactly sure when you’d fallen asleep, nor for how long, but it couldn’t have been no more than 15, maybe 20 minutes.

When you peeled your eyes open, it didn’t feel like you’d been sleeping for a long time, and you could feel the car slowing down. You frowned in confusion, blinking the sleep out of your eyes as you sat up. You couldn’t have gotten to your house that quickly, and as you glanced out of the window, you confirmed that you were right. Ransom pulled the car off into the grass on a long stretch of road, and your confusion grew as he turned it off.

“What’s going on?” you whispered as you turned to look at him.

Was he low on gas? That’d be so on brand for him. Your confused thoughts were a jumbled mess as he pocketed his keys.

“Hugh, what’s going on? Do I need to call triple A or…?”

He chuckled, reaching over you to open his glove compartment.

“You’re always calling me ‘Hugh’. Hugh, Hugh,” he complained, attempting to mimic your voice.

You scoffed, a confused and humorless chuckle escaping as you watched him pull a bottle of brandy out, and you rolled your eyes.

“You’ve said on numerous occasions that you want ‘the help’ to call you Hugh, so…”

You watched as he leaned back in his seat, opening the bottle and taking a sip as he raised his eyebrows with a nod.

“You’re right,” he agreed, almost regrettably. “I just…I just don’t think it will sound right. You know?”

You huffed, irritation growing as you glanced around.

“What are you talking about? What’s going on-?”

“Do you want some?” he offered, interrupting you.

“No! I want to go home, and you shouldn’t be drinking,” you admonished.

He took another sip, shifting to get comfortable as he stared through the windshield. You swallowed, your nerves standing on end as you watched him. You were so confused.

“You’re so sweet, (Y/N)…so much sweeter than Marta or Fran,” he scoffed her name. “It’s why I was so shocked at your outburst, tonight.”

“…what?”

He turned to look at you, blue eyes almost glowing in the darkness. They were so expressive and focused entirely on your frozen frame.

“Even more so when you admitted that you think I’m trying to get rid of you. As if I would ever let you get away from me,” he hummed.

Your nervousness grew, throat incredibly thick all of a sudden as you stared at him, wide-eyed.

“Hugh-.”

“Call me Ransom,” he said, cutting you off with both his words and his lips.

You gasped as he leaned over, pressing his fingers into the back of your neck as he pulled you into a kiss. He wasted no time and pressed his tongue between your lips. You didn’t respond, simply staring at him as he kissed you, trying to process what was happening. It was only when his other hand dropped the brandy to make its way under your sweater did you finally react.

You yanked yourself away from him as best as you could, slapping him with no hesitation. Your chest heaved as you frantically pressed your back into the passenger door. He clenched his jaw as he stared at you before reaching up to touch his cheek.

“What the hell are you doing?” you exclaimed, a very real fear making its way into your system now.

“You can’t be that dumb,” was his only response, and he gave you a look as if you were exactly that.

You blinked at him, hand sliding along the door as you watched his every move.

“You walk around the house looking like that with those big innocent eyes, pretending like any of the men in my family wouldn’t risk it for a night with you,” he continued.

You opened and closed your mouth in shock.

“What-?”

“…but you’re mine, and they know that. They see the way I look at you, the way I talk to you, treat you.”

“I’m not-!”

“You were from the first moment I saw you. I was always going to have you. That was a given. It was only a matter of when and where,” he said it so matter-of-factly that it scared you.

He reached over and undid your seatbelt. You grabbed at his hands as he reached for your waist.

“You walk around like you’re too good for me. Is that what it is, (Y/N)? You think you’re too good for me? A Thrombey?”

You shoved against him, so hard that his back hit the driver’s door, and you hissed as your hands protested the action. You didn’t know if he was trying to scare you or…or if he was serious. Ransom was a lot of things, a lot of vile things, but he wasn’t…he wouldn’t…

His jaw ticked as he glared at you, and you saw one of his hands clench into a fist, the other sliding into his coat pocket.

“How much?” he finally asked, sounding almost exasperated.

You narrowed your eyes.

“Excuse me?”

He looked up at you from beneath his lashes.

“How much is it going to take, hmm? I know you need money. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be caught dead working for the Thrombeys, am I right?”

Anger rose within you as he pulled out his wallet, and you finally put two and two together.

“Fuck you, Ransom,” you snarled.

He smirked, eyes twinkling with something you were scared to name as he gazed at you.

“You think you can throw some money at me, and I’ll just open my legs for you?”

“Ten grand.”

“I don’t want your money you…asshole,” you spat, opening the door.

You hit at him, screaming as he grabbed your arm to pull you back into the car.

“Let go of me-!”

You cut yourself off with a gasp as he successfully pulled you back into the vehicle. In no time, he was over you, slamming the door closed and twisting his fingers in your hair. You let out a noise of protest, reaching up to push against his face when his other hand wrapped around your throat. Your eyes widened and you dug your nails into his arm, but he simply ignored you.

His other hand fumbled with something along the side of the seat, and before you knew it, the seat was falling backwards, taking you and Ransom with it. Fear began to settle in your gut as he had you completely pinned beneath him, now, his grip becoming tighter.

He’d never been this close to you before, ever. His hard chest was firmly pressed against yours, so much so that you could feel his heartbeat, and the calm rhythm you felt there brought tears to your eyes. You felt like your heart was going to jump out of your chest. You shifted, trying to kick him off or something when you felt it. You froze, eyes widening at the feel of a hard length pressing into the side of your thigh. You closed your eyes, trying to convince yourself that this wasn’t happening.

“Hey,” he shook you, forcing your eyes open.

You trembled as he leaned down, nose brushing against yours as he kissed you. You cringed away from him despite the softness of his lips, wanting to be anywhere else.

“I am going to have you. That is what’s going to happen tonight…”

“No,” you managed to gasp, protesting as you attempted to shake your head.

“Yes,” Ransom replied as he nodded his head with an amused smirk on his face. “I am, and you can either lie back and enjoy it, or I’ll just hold you down and make you. It’s your choice.”

You let out a sob, and he let go of your neck. You coughed as he pulled away, and you looked around for anything to get you out of this.

“(Y/N).”

You glanced at him, fresh tears springing forth as he removed his jacket, the fitted sweater almost laughing at you as it showcased his arms, arms that could hold you down with ease. There was no hope for you. These thoughts plagued you as your eyes landed on the bottle of brandy on the driver’s side floor. Ransom followed your gaze before reaching over and grabbing it.

He held it up to you with raised eyebrows, and you hesitantly nodded. You reached for it, but he snatched it back out of your grasp, opting to open it himself before bringing it to your lips. You choked at first, never having been a fan of hard liquor, but it eventually slid down your throat with ease. He sat up a bit, bringing his hand to your hair to tilt your head back.

“Good girl. Whatever makes this easier,” he said, pulling it away.

You were tempted down the whole thing, preferring to just pass out and let him be done with it. The alcohol barely had time to settle hotly in your chest before he was pushing you back, pressing open mouth kisses to your neck.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for this?” he whispered against your skin.

You squeezed your eyes shut, wincing when he reached down to twist the fabric of your underwear in his hand, yanking and breaking them with a loud pop. His lips found yours again, and you opened your mouth to him, the brandy making your head swim and your body buzz.

He ground against you, and you couldn’t stop a quiet hiss from escaping as the bulge in his pants rubbed against your naked core. You gripped his arms, you weren’t sure why, maybe to ground yourself. Everything was happening so fast, and your fogged brain couldn’t keep up. One of his hands caught on the neck of your shirt, and he ripped it open, drawing a protest out of you.

“Ransom,” you gasped.

“I’ll buy you a new one,” he mumbled into your mouth.

Your bra fared the same fate, and your nipples hardened from the cold atmosphere. You shivered, and Ransom pressed against you more, his huge frame shielding you from the cold. He bent his head to take one firm bud into his mouth, and you sharply inhaled. He gave the other one his attention, one of his hands sliding down. To your surprise, he slid one long finger inside of you with ease, and you clenched around him. When had you become so wet?

He hummed, adding a second finger as he flicked his wrist, curling them inside of you over and over again. He pulled a moan from you, and you moved your hand to cover your mouth, closing your eyes as you fought against the heat that was stirring within your gut. His other hand grabbed yours, pulling it away from your mouth just as you came, small gasps and whimpers escaping that he was all too eager to swallow.

Your pussy clenched again as he withdrew from you, and you blinked as you came down, realizing that your vision was spinning a bit, now. Everything was blurring together as you collapsed against the seat, head feeling incredibly heavy all of a sudden. You barely protested as he slipped your skirt down your legs, his sweater following soon after.

You may have been drunk, but you still remembered that you didn’t want this, and a part of you hoped that you could speak to something in him to make him stop.

“Ransom…please,” you mumbled.

He ignored you, too busy releasing himself from the confines of his pants. You dared not look, recalling the feel of it against your thigh, and you knew if you looked then he really would have to hold you down.

“Ransom,” you pleaded, and suddenly he was on you again, a hand on your throat.

“What did I say, hmm?”

His voice was soft, soothing even, but his eyes told a different story, and you started to cry.

“Come on, (Y/N)… You were doing so well,” he said in that patronizing tone that always annoyed you.

You turned your head away and gasped as he began to push his way inside of you. You weren’t a virgin, hadn’t been for a while, but you definitely weren’t the most experienced either. What he lacked in length, if he lacked anything at all, he made up for in girth. Your hands flew to his shoulders, digging into his skin with a vengeance as you stretched around him.

He hissed, and satisfaction bloomed in your chest, but it was quickly squashed when he grabbed your hands, one at a time, and pinned them down. His nose brushed along your collarbone as he bottomed out, and you fought to catch your breath. He pressed his face into the crook of your neck and inhaled, a shudder wracking his frame just before pulling back and snapping his hips against yours.

A strangled moan left your lips, and you tried to move your hands, but his grip was firm.

“I’m going to fuck you in every room of that house,” he groaned, thrusting inside of you.

You trembled beneath him, your mind and body at war. You rejected his words, attempting to remove yourself from the situation, but every time he treated, you clenched even more, as if your body was not only trying to prevent him from leaving, but trying to keep you aware. He eventually let go of one of your hands, and you clawed at the dewy window as your back dragged along the seat.

He tangled his hand in your hair, and you winced at the slight pain there, panting when he grazed his teeth along the skin of your neck.

“You want that? You want me to pin you down and let my family hear who you belong to?”

You shook your head, causing Ransom to chuckle.

“I think you do. I think you like what I do to you. You’re shaking your head, but the way you’re gripping my cock, right now says differently.”

“Ransom,” you gasped when his thrusts became harsher, the sound of skin slapping against skin filling the car.

“You can beg all you want, but I own you, (Y/N),” he hissed against your lips. “It’s your word against mine, and I can get the best lawyers in town.”

You swallowed, tears building behind your eyes again as he finally let go of your other hand and gripped your neck. There was a thin layer of sweat on his chest, arms bulging and chest heaving from the effort it took to work his hips against yours.

“You even think of leaving, and I’ll just find you. I’ll tell my grandfather that you were fucking your employers, and you’ll be out of a job, no one will ever hire you,” he threatened.

“No,” you whimpered, at both his words and the coil that was tightening within you.

“Mm, and I’ll still have you as much as I want. Whatever you try, I’m going to have you, so make this easy on yourself, (Y/N),” he purred as you clenched around him. “Enjoy it.”

Broken moans escaped you, now and you dug your hands into his back.

“You know how many girls would kill to be where you are? Huh? I’m fucking you, and hundreds of girls would do anything to be beneath me, and here you are crying about it,” he sneered, pounding into you now.

You tried to keep it at bay, tried to stop it, but you came, tumbling over the edge with a choked sob that almost sounded like a moan. Ransom looked down to where you were connected and cursed.

“Shit,” he hissed, not taking his off of where he was rutting into you. “You’re fucking tight. Milk me, come on my cock. That’s it.”

You felt like it lasted forever as he talked you through it, and soon after you felt a warmth inside of you as he slammed into you one final time. You heaved, fighting to catch your breath and make sense of things as the brown liquor still coursed through you. When Ransom pulled out of you, you shuddered, even more so when the cold finally hit you. You were barely coherent as he maneuvered you, drunk and fucked out and on the cusp of sleep.

It barely registered that you were suddenly wearing a large sweater that wreaked of a cologne you’d smelled on numerous occasions, legs and core sticky from his cum. You heard him right himself, no doubt tucking himself into his pants. You could feel his eyes on you, and you barely peeled yours open to gaze at him as he situated himself and turned the car back on. He looked proud, smug even as he pulled back onto the road.

One of his hands came to rest on the inside of your thigh, digging his fingers into your flesh as he chuckled.

“I can’t wait to do this more often.”

That was the last thing you heard before sleep consumed you.

[lovelylaurie]

Chronology - Part 3

Growing Up Laurie x (March) Reader Words: 3524 Request: @psychshawnjuleshanluke​ A series where each part follows reader and Laurie’s relationship over time. Part 1 | 2 | 3

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     Winter, long awaited, wasted no time in cloaking the world under a shroud of chill and ice. The boughs of sturdy oaks hung heavy under the weight of snow. The forests and fields, once so full of adventure, were now treacherous, impassable landscapes. But you were not without consolation. Books offered a welcome escape, and you frequently visited Mr. Laurence to borrow more. And Laurie was making good on his promise to write letters. The first came barely a week after he had left, and every one since was an incredible boost to your spirits. You responded to each and every one, no matter how short or inconsequential. And thus your lengthy correspondence grew to be an immense comfort and joy. 

      You sat, now, in the living room of your house. The fire crackled and sputtered happily, providing some heat to combat the cold winter night outside. Laurie’s most recent letter was tucked into a book beside you.

Dearest (y/n),       How could you think I would spend Christmas anywhere but home? I may have some friendly acquaintances here, but I would never miss an opportunity to see you for their sake, and I still need to fulfill my promise to return at every chance I get. “The companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain,” as Victor Frankenstein says. You would love it here, (y/n), there are so many libraries and bookstores and places to explore that I wish you were here with me to see them. And you will be. Soon, I hope, if you can come in the Spring as promised. But in the meantime, I have so many wonderful things to tell you next week. I will see you soon. Farewell and forever yours, Laurie

      Around you sat your sisters, as Meg had come to visit, talking and chatting, and musing on what name she would choose for the baby, because she was now pregnant and we did not yet know that it would be twins. Though humbled by domestic life, Meg was as starry-eyed as ever about Mr. Brooke, “I’m just so excited for my first Christmas with John. And with a baby by next summer! Everything’s happened so fast, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she beamed blissfully. “I can’t wait for the ice skating and snowball fights and all the fun we’ll have,” said Jo. Beth, who was leaning against her, simply smiled. “I’m looking forward to drawing the snow, it’ll be great practice,” proclaimed Amy  “What about you, (y/n)?” asked Jo, who was now looking at you expectantly. “Laurie,” you confessed. “We’ll have great fun, I can’t wait until he gets here.” “You and Laurie have grown very close…” Meg said, sounding awfully self-assured. “We’ve always been. He’s my closest friend and companion.” “Partner in crime, more like,” she interjected. You pretended not to hear her, “I loathe this separation.” Amy smiled playfully and teased, “Is that really all it is?” “Huh?” Jo leaned over to hit her, “No, Amy, don’t! Meg’s already gone off-” “I’m still here, Jo.” “-and I couldn’t bear to have any more of us drawn away,” she protested hotly. Everyone turned to look at you. “Well, I don’t really see what you’re all getting at. We’ve always been this way, Laurie and I.”   “How do you feel about him, (y/n)?” Meg asked softly. Jo tried to reach over and hit her, too, but she was brushed off. You were beginning to feel quite oblivious, not clued into something that seemed so obvious to everyone else. But then, through all the compiled worry, the longing, aching for his presence, it dawned on you. The rush you feel when he looks at you, when he smiles, the flutter in your chest when he laughs, the flush of your cheeks when he grabs your hand. And when he kissed you… It seemed so obvious now, so clear, you were astonished that you hadn’t realized it before. Love. “Oh...” Meg looked pleased, “And she’s realized.” “Meg,” Jo whined, glaring at her sister, “how could you?” Their bickering faded as waves of realization washed over you and everything fell into place. In the midst of this cacophony, Beth leaned over, quietly and tenderly, and whispered to you with excitement twinkling in her eye, “You love him?” “Yes,” you breathed, with a smile forming at the corner of your lips.

      The following morning, you were seated at the table, slowly picking through your breakfast with marked disinterest. Now more than ever you couldn’t wait for Laurie to arrive. Though holly and tinsel hung from everywhere, and Beth began to play Christmas carols throughout the day, it didn’t feel like the festivities could really start until he was here. But you had no idea when- Jo jumped up suddenly, “The Laurence’s carriage! It’s outside!” You sprang to your feet and ran to look. There it was, coming down the path. And in the window, you could just barely see, was Laurie. “It’s Laurie!” you shrieked as you threw on boots and a coat as fast as you could. Then you flew out of the house and down the path, barely stopping to close the door or notice the snow soaking the hem of your dress and toes of your socks. It didn’t matter. For him, it didn’t matter. “Laurie!” you called as the carriage came to a stop, “LAURIE!” The door burst open and he jumped out with a huge smile spread across his face. You engulfed him in an enormous hug, “Theodore Laurence, what took you so long?” His arms wrapped around you and his face nuzzled into your hair as you leaned your head on his shoulder, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Then his voice dropped and he held you tighter, “I have missed you so much, (y/n).” You remained in each other’s embrace until Mr. Laurence stepped out of the carriage as well, at which point you both pulled away and a blush crept onto your face. Laurie insisted that you get inside, after seeing that you had only a thin coat on, and no scarf, hat, or gloves. When you got to the house, he was embraced again by Jo and Marmee and everyone else.       His return was as sweet as his departure was bitter. Your whole life suddenly seemed a little brighter, and you were surprised to find yourself not remotely worried about his leaving once again in only a few weeks. His presence now was so precious, so wonderful, it overshadowed all those concerns. One afternoon, to get away from the prying eyes of your sisters, you had suggested a walk, on a path well-trodden over the years that started close to your house, looped through the forest, and then doubled back on itself. It was comforting and calming to be alone with Laurie, surrounded by the sparkling snow and featureless white of a winter sky. The conversation was jovial and friendly, flitting between Laurie’s life at University and yours back home. “Out of all of us, I believe Meg has changed the most,” Laurie posited. “She’s the only one to have really changed at all.” He paused a while before continuing, “Do you ever think about the future, (y/n)?” There was a sudden change and drop in his tone that frightened you and ignited a feeling of disquietude deep in your mind. He sounded incredibly trepidatious, and you wondered, uneasily, at the cause. “I rather enjoy the here and now,” you responded shakily.   “But we have so much to consider.” It was unlike Laurie to be this, so serious and deliberate. What was he hinting at? What was he trying to say? He had long held a special place in your heart, one you had recently put a name to. Meg’s future, marrying for love, was one you were just beginning to see for yourself. With Laurie. Possibly. But his hesitancy approaching this same subject was unsettling, and you began to think that he didn’t have the same plans. “I just want to enjoy a walk with you, Laurie, and not have to think about things that make me worried.” He was silent, and a nagging thought began to worm its way into your mind. Perhaps college had changed him during the past few months. Perhaps it had made him more realistic about his obligations and prospects. He couldn’t marry you.       The crisp sound of snowy footfalls ceased as Laurie came to a stop beside you. Turning to face him, now a few steps ahead, you saw the way he seemed to lean ever so slightly more on one foot than the other. His hands were stuck in the pockets of his coat, unbuttoned despite the cold. “Can’t we talk, (y/n)?” He was somber, pleading, and incredibly tense. “Why?” it came out almost as a whisper, as a plea for him to stop and allow you to ignore it for a little while longer. “Why?” he repeated, “You know why.” Laurie’s face always had a special look when tense. His eyebrows didn’t knot, he didn’t frown, his expression suspended by a stoic serenity. He gazed at you, with eyes half-lidded, conveying an intense depth of emotion that pulled at the pit of your stomach. You shook your head. “No. No, Laurie, you’re being mean.” Something in him broke. “I know I’m not fit for high society. I’m not like Amy, I was never supposed to marry rich. And- and I just- you can’t, so-” you could only speak in fragments as your thoughts devolved. He took more steps towards you, “But (y/n), It’s always been us, it’s always been you and me.” “What?” He held out his arms, “You’re my whole future, you always have been. That’s why I’m doing this. Everything, all of it, is for you.” Whatever had broken in him fell apart as his voice cracked, “And I realize I’m not this great man, but… I figured you’d have me, (y/n).” That took your breath. “Oh, Laurie, of course-” you stumbled towards him and he pulled you in a longing embrace. In his arms, the full weight of your admission crashed down on you. He is your future, just as you are his. You thought he couldn’t have you, and he thought you wouldn’t, and the very idea of that sickened you. Because losing Laurie would be losing a part of your life, your soul. He felt so warm, so real, as he held you close. “I love you,” you whispered. A smile, a twinge of glee, played behind his eyes and at the corners of his lips. He held your cheek in his hand, “I have loved you ever since I’ve known you, (y/n).”       Then he leaned down, catching your lips in a needful and tender kiss. You felt like you were about to explode, about to burst with emotion and passion. Whatever doubts, whatever fears and worries you had floated away as you melted into him. It was perfect.

--

      Christmas day dawned quietly as the dim light cast sweeping shadows across the sleepy room. But any semblance of serenity was soon broken as your sisters awoke. First Amy, then Jo, and finally Beth. They rushed at you and pulled you out of bed with shrieks and giggles. Marmee peered in with a kind and maternal smile, “Merry Christmas, girls.” “Merry Christmas!” was the instant reply. Amy and Jo sprinted past her down the stairs as you and Beth shuffled slowly after them. Presents were piled modestly beneath the tree and the table was heaped with plenty of breakfast treats. But as the gifts were doled out and began to be unwrapped, you noticed something was missing… Amy exclaimed fervently, “Laurie’s presents this year are spectacular, what did you get, (y/n)? I’m dying to know.”       He had given Meg some small domestic trinket, a picture frame which she immediately loved. Jo got some new pen nibs, because a recent writing frenzy had bent all of hers, as well as a dapper pocket watch. She had shrieked upon opening the box and now couldn’t stop pulling it out of her pocket every few minutes. Amy got a beautiful and tasteful pair of earrings that sparkled and glittered with her every movement. Beth got a new book of music, full of pieces she had somehow never learned before. It was quite a find. She flipped through the pages, running her fingers slowly across the bars and measures as the music played in her head. But for you… “Nothing.” They stared at you dumbly. “But we’ve agreed to meet later, so I’m sure he’s just waiting until then.” Sensing the tension, Beth proposed trying to play one of her new pieces, which everyone jumped up to hear. You were incredibly grateful. Touching her hand discreetly, you mouthed ‘thank you,’ which she understood and returned with a smile.       You eventually lost track of time listening to Beth work out and piece together phrases and melodies. Laurie had promised to meet you at ten, but it was already five past and there was no sign of him, no figure approaching down the path, no footsteps in the snow outside. So, confused and concerned, you elected to go to the Laurence house yourself. Though the sun was by now shining clear and bright, the morning air was utterly devoid of heat. You would have waited outside, but the biting cold and your growing sense of unease drew you in. A servant showed you to the study, where you began to wait. You gazed off at the window, lost in anxious thought. Five minutes passed. And then ten. And fifteen. Finally, Laurie greeted you with an unexpected kiss on the cheek and a quiet, “Merry Christmas, (y/n).” “Laurie!” you jumped up in surprise and immediately hugged him. Oddly, nothing seemed wrong. He wasn’t distant or unhappy. He clutched you close, perhaps tighter than normal, and you pulled away quickly. “You have some explaining to do. First, no present. Meg gets the picture frame, Jo the pen nibs and watch, Amy the earrings, and Beth the music. Even Marmee gets a matching scarf and glove set, and Hannah got cinnamon and saffron spices. Oh! And you gave Father those books on philosophy. Then there was no sign of you, and I’ve been here waiting, and you’re incredibly late-” you stopped speaking because he was looking at you so intently, so lovingly, his eyes brimming with a passionate, but quiet, intensity. He spoke evenly and softly, “That’s because I’ve been talking with my grandfather. And if you’ll have me, then-” he reached into his pocket, but you hardly noticed because you were so breathlessly, stunningly speechless. What he was telling you, asking you, was everything you had hoped for and everything you could ever want. It wasn’t a pair of earrings or a book, it was a life and a future full of love and happiness. “I have this for you,” he pressed something small into your hand and you had to tear your eyes away from him to look at it. It was a ring, with a gold band, delicately filigreed, and an elegantly small, but still sparkling, diamond set into it. His smile glowed. Your heart practically beat through your chest. You could barely speak but still managed to murmur, “Yes. Yes, Laurie, of course.” He beamed, “You will, you’ll marry me?” “Yes!” you exclaimed, and he kissed you, passionately and fervently. His relief and elation were clear, unquestionable, as he gazed at you after pulling away. You kissed him again, and he kissed back feverishly. It was a heated, exhilarating moment, and you found it nigh impossible to tear your eyes off the brilliant, beautiful boy in front of you.       As you left to tell your family, you found Mr. Laurence outside in the hall. Letting go of Laurie’s hand, you rushed to his grandfather, “Oh, Mr. Laurence, thank you! Thank you so much, I don’t have the words. I- I know Laurie can do so, so much better than me and that this is probably never what you had planned, but I can’t thank you enough.” Your eyes began to water, brimming with excitement and gratitude. “I think you know him as well as I do, Ms. March, if not better. He loves you, and no match could ever be better for him.” Laurie was practically bursting with emotion, a deep and affectionate ardor. You rejoined him and it warmed your heart to see the way he gazed at you. You could scarcely believe that you would get to spend the rest of your life with him. You were so young, so new to the real world. It was probably wiser to wait, until you were a little older, until Laurie graduated. But you couldn’t care less. You felt like running to your house, like running everywhere, anywhere, your limbs felt jittery, electrified. Instead, you walked slowly, with Laurie’s arm draped lovingly around your shoulders and a buoyant spring in his step. Somehow, you didn’t feel remotely cold. And neither did he, apparently, for as you approached the door, he leaned down and said softly, “I’ll wait out here.”       You rushed through the door and burst into the front room excitedly. Meg looked up “(y/n)! You’re back!” Jo ran in from the kitchen, a pastry in hand, “What did you get?” You stumbled over your words, unable to express your complete and utter joy, “I- and Laurie-” you stopped with a dumb grin stuck on your face, glancing from your sisters to your parents and back again. Then Amy burst into a smile almost bigger than yours and shrieked before pointing at your hand and screaming, “A RING!!” commotion erupted and everyone rushed forward to look at it, talking over each other with questions and congratulations. Then finally Marmee found you. “I know I should have asked you first, as Meg did, but I couldn’t. This is just- it’s everything.” “I understand, (y/n), of course,” she smiled warmly and lovingly, pulling you into a comforting hug. As the chaos began to die down, Jo looked at you intently, “Where’s Laurie?” “He’s outside.” Meg gasped, “What, in the cold?!”       They all rushed over and he could barely utter a ‘hello’ before he was pulled inside and everything erupted all over again. But once he could, the first thing Laurie did was turn to your father, “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you, Mr. March, I know I should have.” “You’re practically family, Laurie, this just puts it down on paper.”         You were inseparable for the rest of the day. Laurie was unable to go just a few minutes without holding your hand or putting his arm around you. As twilight approached, early in the evening, you settled on the couch together. You sat sideways in his lap with a book in hand. He wrapped his arms around you and twirled your hair in his fingers, reading lazily over your shoulder. The weight of the day’s events hung heavy on your eyelids and pulled them down. Drifting off every once in a while, you leaned closer and closer to Laurie until your eyes opened and you found yourself resting against his chest. He chuckled as you awoke and mumbled an incoherent “Wha?”  “You fell asleep.”  “Oh,” you replaced your bookmark and set the book down. “Keep me talking, I want to stay awake a little while longer.”  “Alright, then.” He cleared his throat. “How did you enjoy your Christmas present?” “It was perfect.” You gave him a small kiss before continuing, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you anything.” You fidgeted with the fabric of your dress. It had been bugging you slightly, all day, that you had been unable to find or afford anything while he had literally proposed.  “That’s nothing,” he murmured, “you’re all I need.”  You reached out to hold his hand, “That’s sweet, Laurie.” “It’s true.” He tapped your hand with his thumb nervously, “I was worried you might say no.”  “How come?”  “We’re far too young, I’ve barely begun university, I’m being reckless and going too fast, I didn’t consult your parents.” His words didn’t sound entirely his own, as if he had been told them. “Is that what you discussed with your grandfather?” He nodded, and you could see his distinct look of blank, stoic tension begin to build in his now half-lidded eyes.  “I’m not worried,” you assured him softly, leaning your head back down on his chest. He held you closer.  “No?” His tone was incredibly earnest. “Why’s that?” You paused, for a while, to consider exactly how to express the depth of your feelings for him, your complete certainty that everything would be fine.  “Laurie…” He grasped your hand. “You’re a part of me, of my very soul. I don’t think we could be apart if we tried.” He said nothing, allowing a dreamy silence to surround you. So entwined in his arms, you surrendered to the lull of sleep. 

--

Taglist 

@sadhwstudent

[hannah-deserved-better]

The Deep Woods

(Credit to unknown artist on Google for the Drizzt picture)

Summary: Sam, Dean, and their friends are out enjoying the great outdoors. But, as usual for the hunters, their plans for relaxation are foiled when they team up with a group of campers whose numbers are dwindling as something is hunting them in the woods. Together, they must all try to survive a creature, and eventually, they find themselves at an abandoned cabin and forced to survive there as it seems like the laws of reality in this part of the forest aren’t all they seem and creatures who belong to another world seem to be finding their way in.

This is the first chapter of a fic that is a stand-alone ‘lost in the woods’ Supernatural fic which I am turning into a multi-fandom fic. The other fandoms are The Hobbit, Legends of Drizzt, Rurouni Kenshin.

Warnings: blood and gore, graphic violence, horror, survival in the woods, haunted mansion, Jealous Dean

Tropes: Survival in the woods, haunted cabin, enemies to friends to lovers, strangers to lovers, friends lovers

Pairings: Castiel/Hannah/Meg/Sam, Dean/Rowena, Fili/OC, Kili/OC, Kenshin/Kaoru, Sanosuke/Megumi, Drizzt/Ellifain

OCs: Asphodel and Brenna are OCs that I’ve always used back when I wrote for the Hobbit fandom. They are actually original characters from my novel series that I adapted into the Hobbit Verse. I tend to change their backgrounds from story to story but in general, Asphodel is a hobbit, her face claim is Eleanor Tomlinson, and Brenna is a Gnome. The Gnome culture is also an adaption from my novel, they are female dominated people who live in the polar regions and make a living off of whaling, deep-sea fishing, and caribou hunting.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25363057/chapters/61497556

“Who the hell talked me into this!” Dean exclaimed as they hiked through the trail. They were surrounded all around by thick forests, and the smell of pine hung in the air, as did the heat of an August day. 

“It’s good for you, Dean,” Sam called as he led the group of backpack clad hikers. Dean frowned. He was usually the one in charge of things, and he didn’t appreciate his little brother usurping his authority. 

“Not quite the outdoorsy type, are we?” Rowena teased as she trotted alongside the two Winchesters, easily keeping up with the both of them. 

“Look, do you know how many things live in forests?” Dean reminded her. “We’ve hunted lots of them. And whose bright idea was it to go backcountry camping? I mean seriously? We could have at least stayed at a regular campsite. You know, with toilets and food.”

“We brought enough food to last the trip,” Sam reminded his brother as he trekked along, his large backpack secured to his back, and a hiking stick in one hand. “And we have a witch, a demon, and two angels with us and not to mention two seasoned hunters. What could possibly go wrong out here?”

“Damn it, Sammy, you never say ‘what could possibly go wrong’ haven’t you seen pretty much every horror movie in existence?” Dean knew he was being a little overdramatic, but he also knew he had a point. From Wendigos to werewolves, to a plethora of various monsters, they didn’t have a very good track record when it came to being outdoors.

And Dean didn’t miss the way Sam mentioned the other members of their entourage. He groaned internally as he glanced behind him to Castiel trailing behind them, Meg and Hannah on either side of him, chatting softly to one another. 

“Keep up the pace, Fabio!” Dean demanded hotly at them. Castiel glanced up and scowled in response as the three of them started walking a little faster. He doubted Castiel understood the Fabio reference, but ever since Meg and Hannah had returned from the empty, the three of them had been inseparable, and Dean found it just plain annoying.

“Dean, leave Cas alone,” Sam insisted as Dean faced forward again as he walked. “You’ve been acting like a jealous prom date.”

“Am not,” Dean insisted, though his somewhat childish response was a feigned attempt to hide the fact that Sam’s accusation held more than a little truth to it. Dean was jealous. And he’d never admit it to anyone, including himself. Instead, he kept telling himself that Hannah and Meg were up to no good, that just because they’d randomly returned from the dead, shouldn’t mean anything.

Or maybe it was because they’d had Cas to themselves for so very long that Hannah and Meg were unwanted invaders. They’d been living in his bunker with his angel as if Castiel and Sam were both his possessions. It was just supposed to be the three of them. Forever.

“Alright, I think we should-” just as Sam prepared to announce instructions which Dean had hoped would signal a reprieve from this death march they’d been on, a high pitched shriek cut through the sky, causing Dean to nearly jump out of his skin with alarm as he immediately whirled towards the sound, hand instinctively falling to the holster of the gun fastened at his hip. 

“Help, help!” came a frantic voice as a woman suddenly burst from the trees, standing in their path. 

“What is it?” Sam asked as they all stopped and gathered in close. Dean rolled his eyes when he felt Castiel’s presence beside him. 

“My husband, he’s missing! Please!” the frantic woman begged, trembling in fear as she glanced back the way she had come, her blonde hair blowing in the breeze.

“Slow down, dearie,” Rowena said comfortingly, putting a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Now, what are you doing in the woods all by yourself? Don’t you know there are bears?”

“And who knows what else,” Dean muttered to himself. He met Castiel’s gaze, and the angel shot him a scolding scowl. 

“I’m not alone,” the woman stammered. “I’m camping nearby with a bunch of friends. But when I noticed Herb was missing. Oh god, do you think a bear got him?”

“Show us where you’re camping, and maybe we can try and trace your steps,” Sam said calmly. Dean knew Sam was always the type to try to diffuse the tension. Ever an air of calmness. The two of them were quite used to these types of situations, after all. 

The woman took in a deep breath and hesitantly started back for the trees. Sam and Dean slowly fell in line behind her as she led them through the thick, dense forest of towering conifer trees. 

“We were backcountry camping,” the woman began softly. “We go every year. This year, it’s a group of us: me, my husband, our neighbors, and all the kids. Maggie, my youngest, just turned 16, so we all came out here to celebrate. It’s nice to get away from civilization sometimes, you know? Especially with teenagers. We specifically picked a place like this because there are no cell phone towers.”

Dean caught on that the woman was rambling, probably to distract herself from her fears as she kept walking. But he did feel some sympathy for the woman. He was already mentally listing the monsters that could be lurking in the forest. A bear certainly wasn’t on his list; after all, it was never something natural in their line of work.

“So when did you notice your husband was missing?” Dean asked as he walked along, stepping on twigs as the sunlight got dim the further from the path they went. The creepy, foreboding feeling was beginning to settle into Dean’s mind, and he mentally noted that his shotgun was strapped to his backpack, within easy reach, just in case his trusty pistol wasn’t going to cut it. Not to mention, he was always armed with an angel blade, the demon blade, and a whole array of knives, daggers, and other weapons. 

“This morning,” the woman responded. “He must have gotten up sometime in the night to go to the bathroom. His rifle is still here, and he’s been gone all day.”

“Did you mention your name yet, dearie?” Rowena asked as she made it a point to walk beside the woman. 

“Oh, it’s Leslie,” the woman murmured softly. She appeared to be in her forties or fifties, perhaps, dressed in a pair of shorts and a simple cotton shirt. “Oh, we’re right here.”

The trees parted to reveal a small clearing. In the center was a cluster of tents. Dean counted about a dozen figures as they all glanced in their direction. 

“We found some fellow hikers,” Leslie announces as she rejoined the rest of her party who all stood up to face the newcomers. “They haven’t seen Herb at all.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll try to find him,” Sam announced to all of them. Leslie went through and introduced them. So in addition to Leslie and Herb, they had a daughter named Maggie, a son named Evan. Then there were Tom and Shelly with their son Brayden and son Jess, and lastly, where Kate and Randy with their daughter Stephanie, and daughter Kylie. 

They all reminded Dean of typical suburbanites with their brand name camping equipment, trendy outfits, not all of which seemed particularly appropriate for camping and their well-manicured hair. Dean was sure at least one of them drove a Kia sports utility vehicle. The youngest among them were the two 16-year-old teenagers; the other kids were all in their later teens or early twenties. Many of them donned various insignia of colleges they were attending.

It turns out they all attended the same church together, and the adults all worked in the same office. They all couldn’t be more cookie-cutter, apple pie normal if they tried. Definitely not the type that would likely believe that any of Dean’s usual suspects would be responsible for their husband’s disappearance.

Dean couldn’t help but note the irony of it all. Sam had all but assured them that they wouldn’t run into anything unnatural out here in the wilderness, and yet here they were.

[just-horrible-things]

[I lied, apparently I was not done. Here have an epilogue to counter-coercion. Story starts here.]

They sneak in in ones and twos so that Ariadne doesn’t notice. The flimsy curtain round the bed blocks her view, and they are very, very quiet.

So when they yank the curtain back to reveal that the little infirmary room is crowded with people, Ariadne shrieks hoarsely in surprise. For a single, icewater moment, she is certain that Riven lied, that she isn’t done with the training after all, and that the torture is about to start over. Everyone is laughing at her and she is humiliated and terrified.

“Congratulations, Ariadne!” “Well done on surviving!” “Congratulations – now you never have to do that again!” They are crowding round her, jostling and grinning and grabbing her bruised and aching shoulders. Relief is overwhelming. “Can I invite you to the Let’s Murder Interrogator Riven club?” “Don’t you just love working for the Inquisition?” People are laughing, and Ariadne laughs too, weakly, though it is a lot like crying. She can’t deal with all the noise and the movement, they are hurting her but they are grinning and full of praise and she can’t really process. “Hooray, Ariadne’s earned her stripes!” “She’s had plenty of stripes before now.” “Jay, that’s rude.” “What, it’s true!”

Ariadne is hauled up to sitting by harsh, grabbing hands and it hurts, she wants to protest, but she is too stunned. “Counter-coercion sucks balls but you’re through.” “Welcome back to the land of the living.” “Guess what – torture fucking hurts. Aren’t you glad you know that now?” “C’mere, give us a hug.” Jay’s arms wrap round Ariadne and squeeze her tight. “Ow,” she protests weakly, sobbing out another weak laugh. “Welcome to the ranks of the really tough.” Jay passes her directly into Meg’s arms. Another painful squeeze. “Ow!” “Good job, kid,” Meg says quietly into her ear. “Good job.” Meg guides her by the shoulders into another hug. From there, another. Stunned, Ariadne is tipped back and forth where she sits, always supported by one pair of arms or another. The embraces hurt, but not so terribly as what she’s been through. And every one of them has praise for her. Soon she is crying in earnest, clinging weakly to her comrades.

She wants Caleb, but he’s not here. For a moment she is hurt, wondering why he hasn’t come. Then, looking at Jenna’s own yellowing bruises as the older acolyte pulls her in for a hug, she realises. The people here are the ones who’ve been through counter-coercion, like her. Some over the last month, some years and years ago. But they all know exactly what it’s like to be in Ariadne’s position, shaken and wounded and full of helpless hurt and anger.

“Party tonight, yeah?” Jay is grinning. “Probably they won’t let you out, but we can bring the party to you.” “Yeah, Aaron can tell you all about how he nearly bit the Interrogator’s finger off.” Ariadne chokes on a surprised laugh, and starts coughing again. Sympathetic hands are on her shoulders. Jay holds her close as she fights to stop the painful spasms. Warm conversation buzzes around her, not put on hold. Eventually the coughing subsides. “Drowning’s a bitch, huh?” “Yeah,” she croaks. “Guys, I dunno if… m’ready to party…” “Sure you are,” Jay tells her firmly. “We’ll bring the booze. You’ll feel a lot better with some sevi in you, hm? Or amasec? What d’you fancy?” “Oh hell no,” the medic calls from the other side of the room, “You are not filling my patient with sevi.” “Spoilsport,” someone calls back. “Don’t worry,” Jay winks at Ariadne, “I’ll talk her round. Maybe she’d like some sevi too, hmm?” Ariadne can hear his heartbeat – slow and steady and reassuring – where her head rests against his ribcage. Under any other circumstances she’d be embarrassed to be so close, let alone so helpless and floppy.

But despite it all, she finds herself smiling.

[loserholland]

𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝

𝟎𝟎𝟒 ➺ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲

Pairing ➺ Teacher!Tom Holland x Single mom!Reader

Warning ➺  Bold text is the reader’s thoughts, flashbacks, fluff, someone new

Word Count ➺  2,783

Summary ➺  What happens when your five year old tries to set you up with her kindergarten teacher?

A/N ➺ Hey babes! Fun fact about little cupid (that no one may care about) but! Little cupid was originally supposed to be a one-shot, I had it sitting in my drafts for a year and finally inspiration struck and now it’s a mini series! I’m aiming for about ten parts or so.

✿ 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓣𝓪𝓰𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽 ✿ - @loveyathreethousand @taronxfiction @killerqueen-gunpowdergelatine @spideyyypeter @lou-la-lou @babebenhardy @rivervixenbaby @acklesholland @zabdisamor @keepingupwiththehollands @sweet666pea @sspider-parker @jackiehollanderr  @caro0512 @thewinchesterchronicles @cporter003 @kisses-holland @spideysnugget @cryszus @sunflowerharrystyles @peterunderoos

@iloveyou3000morgan @random-things-i-love

*The strike through your name just means I couldn’t tag you, please message me if anything*

❤ 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ❤ @luvborhap @asianravenpuff @agusdoti @meg-holland @silverreading @agirlwithpointlessideas @bonita-juanita

☞  Masterlist  ☜

When your five and a half year old daughter tell’s you “Spare me no details.” should you be concerned or should you be proud of quite the use of vocabulary. 

“Spare you no what?” (Y/N) questioned moved around the kitchen fixing Audrey some breakfast, her parent’s had just dropped her off about ten minutes ago saying Audrey requested to eat breakfast with her mom.

“Details! Did you have a magical kiss under the fireworks?” Audrey sat on the edge of the island swinging her feet back and forth. She doesn’t hold back on questions huh? Audrey does this, thing. It’s like an interrogation, she’ll ask you a question and when you give her answer she’ll have a question for your answer.

“Bub, I don’t kiss and te-” 

The doorbell echoed Audrey looked over at the little monitor that rest in the corner of the kitchen showing camera’s around the house. Her eyes widened in joy reaching for her mother to help her off, “If you won’t tell me I’ll ask Mr.Holland.” (Y/N) looked over at the monitor to see Tom. 

“Audrey Brooklyn!” 

That would be the first time in a long while that’s she’s addressed Audrey by her first and second name, rushing after her to see she had already opened the door.

Tom looked down to see the Audrey, Tessa began to sniff and lick her causing Audrey to open the door even wider. (Y/N) smiled apologetically at Tom, “Sorry, she’s just being well Audrey. Come in.” Audrey walked away with Tessa to the living room, Tom shut the door behind him and followed (Y/N) to the kitchen.

“You forgot your wallet last night.”

The entire car ride back they’d had been talking about anything and everything, they had stopped by Taco bell for some late night cravings and (Y/N) had covered the meal. She must have forgotten to place it back in her bag.

“One of your craziest college memories.” 

Tom reached for his drink take a long sip to wash down the soft taco he was eating attempting to remember his college days. 

“My best mate Harrison and I made a bet, who ever scored the lowest on our psychology exam would have to streak.” 

(Y/N) stared blankly at Tom, this had got to be a joke. He did not streak, he did not let almost the entire school see his, well you know. Little Tom. She blinked at Tom a few times before bursting into a loud laughter, “No way. I- No!” Tom shrugged taking another bite of his taco.

“I could show you the video if you want.”

Now that’s solid evidence right there, but as of right now she wasn’t so curious about little Tom.

“No, no I believe you.”

(Y/N) took the wallet back giving Tom a warm smile, “Thank you. I must’ve forgotten to put it back in my bag, so sorry you came all this way.” Audrey waltzed into the kitchen with her head held high and Tessa walking beside her.

She walked up to Tom tugging at the hem of his shirt, (Y/N) watched her daughter’s actions carefully. She knew she was about to ask him something she knew she would have to say yes to. Sometimes she thinks Audrey is actually a twenty-five year old in a five year old’s body.

“Would you like to stay for breakfast Mr.Holland? Mom makes the best pancakes.”

Now here that sat eating breakfast, it gave (Y/N) this warm feeling. I guess this is what a family breakfast look’s like on a Saturday morning. Light chattered filled the air, stolen glances and hidden blushes. 

“Mr.Holland?” 

“Yes Audrey?”

Audrey looked between her mom and her teacher, she had two question’s for him. But she didn’t want to bombard him too quickly so she started off with a small question. 

“I turn six next Saturday and I’m having a birthday party here, would you like to come?” She swung her legs back and forth pouting lightly in hops that he’d say yes.

“I’d love to come thank you for the invite Audrey.”

She smiled with glee standing on her chair fist pumping the air, now to ask the question her mother was avoiding to answer for her. (Y/N) could see it in her eyes, she was about to ask her what she had asked about thirty minutes ago. 

“Did you and my mommy kiss?”

Tom choked on his coffee, his hand flew to his chest slapping it lightly as a rough cough passed his lips. (Y/N) glared at her daughter who stood there unfazed awaiting an answer. 

“W-what?” Tom chuckled awkwardly looking at (Y/N) with wide eyes then back at Audrey.

“Did you and my mommy kiss?”

(Y/N) sighed rubbing her temples lightly before mumbling “Yes.” a loud shriek filled the kitchen causing Tessa to stand from where she was resting, Audrey hopped off her chair and began to run around the kitchen.

“I’m a genius!” she shouted leaving Tom and (Y/N) to stare at each other blankly. 

What in the world is happening right now? 

Audrey was dancing with happiness running through her veins, maybe she had found her mom her lobster. 

“You found your lobster!”

Yup, she was spending too much time with Vivian. Vivian was (Y/N) best friend since high school, and well time’s when her grandparent’s were busy she’d spend time with Vivian and Brandon. Brandon was one of Audrey’s father’s close friends, but when he found out what he had done they two stopped talking.

“You’re spending way too much time with Aunty Viv bubs.” 

Audrey stopped in her place shaking her head no, “Nope I think we spend just enough time together.” she was quick and witty with comments. Is she twenty-five or five? 

“Mr.Holland can I bring Tessa out to the backyard?”

Tom gave the five year old a warm smile nodding in approval watching Audrey and Tessa exit to the backyard. (Y/N) sighed collecting their empty plates moving them to the sink, “I’m so sorry about that Tom. Audrey can be... well Audrey.”

He shrugged lightly Audrey is full of surprises, it’s just her question took him by surprise. How and why would a five year old think or even know about kissing? Tom moved to stand beside her picking up the sponge applying some dish soap and taking the dishes she had rinsed off and scrubbed it lightly.

“Tom you do-”

“Let me help you, thank you for the pancakes. Audrey was right, she is full of wonders.” 

(Y/N) sighed her gaze fixed on her daughter who was sitting in the shade with Tessa, she is full of wonders. 

“You don’t have to apologize for Audrey. She’s sweet and means well.”

Audrey looked up waving at to see they were standing next to one another looking in her direction, she waved with a big toothy grin. She just wants her mother to be happy. She also couldn’t help but wonder if her father was also coming to her big sixth birthday. He had missed all her birthday’s, maybe he would come to this one. 

“Fuck.” (Y/N) mumbled staring at the three positive pregnancy sticks.

You’re fucked, you’re more than fucked, you’re dead!

Vivian knocked on (Y/N) bathroom door, the two were in their sophomore year of college. What’s great about going to an instate college or university, you have a dorm and home to go back to. As of the past three weeks (Y/N) had been spending more time at home than in her dorm, she had been feeling sick lately.

Fuck, I’m screwed.

(Y/N) leaned against the bathroom counter allowing herself to slide down until she reached the ground, she had missed her period last week but thought it was just because of all the stress and sickness. 

“(Y/N)” 

I’m scared.

Vivian sighed leaning against the bathroom door, “I’m gonna call Brandon to break through this door.” (Y/N) got up weakly unlocking the door and swinging it open, she instantly wrapped her arms around her best friend sobbing lightly. 

What will my parent’s think?

“(Y/N)?” Tom called bringing her back to reality, she didn’t even realize she had walked Tessa and Tom to the door. “Will the party be here or?” Oh god, she made him repeat himself a few times due to her head not being there.

“Oh! Audrey go grab an invitation for Mr.Holland. Her godparents Vivian and Brandon are the party planners.” 

Audrey grabbed one of the invitations grabbing a Pen to write Mr.Holland on the envelope, she scribbled it quickly then ran back to the front door handing it to him proudly “Here you go!” Tom gladly accepted the envelope smiling at her handwriting. 

“Thank you Miss.Audrey, I’ll see you on Monday. I hope to see you on Monday as well darling.”

The five year old raised her brow in confusion darwhat? She shrugged it off watching Tessa and Tom off. Once her mom closed the door she followed her to the living room standing on one of the couch cushions.

“Momma?” 

(Y/N) hummed in response moving from the kitchen to grab her coffee then back into the living room. 

“I-Is daddy coming? To my birthday party this year?”

She tensed lightly, it’s been a while since Audrey last asked about her father. I wonder if he know’s how old she’ll be this year. I wonder if he ever tried to reach out to her.

“I’m pregnant.”

Please, please Alex. Will you help me?

Alex stared at her blankly, blinking a few times before snorting lightly “Very funny (Y/N). Now what do we really have to talk about? I have a party to plan.” He watched her facial expression tense at every word that left his lips.

Are you fucking kidding me? I’m pregnant and you think it’s joke?

“This isn’t a joke Alex.” 

(Y/N) watched his jaw clench his palm came in contact with the table, causing those who were in the café to jump at the sudden noise. (Y/N) pushed herself back at the sudden action, worry ran through her veins. She watched him leave the café in such anger, a few people stared before going back to what they were doing. 

“Momma?”

She looked over at her daughter blinking a few times, she did it again didn’t she? How was she suppose to tell Audrey? ‘I’m sorry bubs, your father didn’t want me to keep you but I did anyway’ or ‘He’s never tried to contact us bub.’ What are you supposed to tell your five soon to be six year old daughter their dad wasn’t coming?

“I-I don’t know sweetheart.” 

Alex placed the envelope that held twenty-thousand dollars onto the table pushing it towards (Y/N), by this time they had both told their parents and (Y/N) were quite supportive. Along with Alex’s parents yet, he took it on himself to make it seem as if his parent’s didn’t support. 

“Get an abortion, and we can go our separate ways.”

Is he fucking joking? Get an abortion? 

She had wanted to do it before. But after hearing the heartbeat she just couldn’t go through with the abortion/

“I won’t accept your money. I just want you out of my face and life.”

And with that, he left in a heart beat. 

“It’s okay if he doesn’t come again momma. I have you, grandma and grandma, along with Aunty Viv and Uncle Bran. Now I also have Mr.Holland!” 

(Y/N) felt her heartstrings pull at every word that passed Audery’s lips. It kills her when it comes around this time of year, the look on her face in hopes that her father shows. 

There are times when she felt selfish for not letting Alex see her once or tell him what the gender was. She tries to make herself believe that she didn’t see any of him in her. But there were times when she’d stare at Audrey and see little glimpses of Alex.

Is it selfish of me to feel this way? 

Soon enough Audrey’s sassy sixth birthday party rolled around, Vivian decided to hold it at her and Brandon’s house. The theme was unicorns, Audrey picked out every decoration, to food, cake, and goodie bags. I guess you could say she was planning her own birthday party. 

Tom entered the house signing his name in the birthday guest book, there was a balloon arch once you walked into the house it was made to look like a rainbow in the clouds. He continued to walk into the house following the light chatter. 

“Tom!” (Y/N) called waving him down with a warm smile, he felt his heart flutter at how beautiful she looked today. She placed her wine onto the marble counter top giving him a small hug, “Thank you for coming. Audrey is somewh-”

Speaking of the six year old, she came bursting into the kitchen screaming “Mr.Holland!” he kneeled down to be the same height as Audrey hugging her tightly. 

“Happy birthday Miss.Audrey.” 

He pulled away lightly handing her his gift, instead of buying toys he bought her books and crayons to write and draw in. Audrey was never really the type to have barbie dolls, she was more into toys who helped you learn.

“Thank you for coming Mr.Holland!” she took her gift and happily skipped to place in her pile of gifts. 

(Y/N) lifted her wine glass “Stella Rosa?” Stella Rosa was one of her favorite wines, she preferred it over beer or any other liquor. Unless she went out clubbing then she wouldn’t get wine. 

"Artois.”

Oh the other Stella, he was a beer guy.

(Y/N) opened the fridge grabbing him a bottle sliding it across the counter top and into his hands, she didn’t think he’d catch it but prayed he would or else Vivian would kill her. 

"Thank you for coming.” (Y/N) whispered glancing up at Tom for a brief second before looking away. God this is what third graders would do, too shy to look up at their crush. 

Wait what? Did I just admit that I have a crush on Tom?

His hand brushed against her’s, the same warm spark ran through his veins tinting his cheeks red. He took another swing of his beer before responding, I should be thanking you for allowing Audrey to invite me darling.” 

There it was again, Darling. God the way he says it with ease. 

Before (Y/N) could answer her mother entered the kitchen.

“Mr.Holland?” Mrs.(Y/L/N) questioned moving around to give him a hug “How are you? It’s been a while since I’ve picked Audrey up.” Ever since the family fun fair, (Y/N) was the one to pick Audrey up. 

“I’m well Mrs.(Y/L/N) how are you?” 

(Y/N) left Tom and her mother to talk in search for Vivian. She had something, well someone  to take care of, but didn’t say who. Instead she scurried upstair dragging Brandon with her. 

She turned the corner to see Vivian standing in the door way talking to someone outside, “Viv?” (Y/N) questioned walking closer to see who she was talking to. 

“Viv.” she repeated tapping on her shoulder lightly.

Her best friend gasped loudly jumping at the sudden touch. She turned on her heels to see (Y/N) her eyes widened in horror. Vivian turned her gaze to Brandon to see he was still trying to convince the last person on earth she’d want to see to leave.

“(Y/N)!” 

Brandon turned to see (Y/N) standing in the doorway, the way her face just dropped along with the glass of wine she had in her hand. It looked as if she saw a ghost, she stood there in shock. Unable to say a word.

Tom had excused himself when he heard someone shouting (Y/N) name, he could see the pieces of glass near the front of her heels. Making his way over to her allowing her to step back from the glass, “Darling, what’s wrong?” he questioned searching her eyes to see tears blurring her vision. 

(Y/N) looked at Tom then at the person she never wanted to see again. This has to be a dream, of all times he could choose to waltz back into her life why today? Of all days today?

“Momma! Let’s go eat!” Audrey whined marching over to the adults, she stood beside her mom tugging at her dress lightly. Vivian scooped Audrey into her arms. 

She tilted her head in confusion staring at the man who was being held back by her uncle Brandon.

“Aunty Viv, who’s that?” Audrey spoke causing the Stranger to smile pushing pass Brandon to stand a few feet away from the entrance.

“Hey Audrey, I’m Alex.”

Don’t you dare say it, you have no right to say it.

“I’m your dad.”

[i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend]

Stepping Up ~ Bucky x Reader (Part 12/12)

^^^ Literally because how could I not use the gifs in a wedding fic?!?! 

A/N: Hello my lovelies. This is it. The last part of the story (except for the epilogue). Thanks so much for sticking with me on this journey. I’ve really loved this story and I hope you have too. 

Summary: The reception is eventful. and some questions get answered. 

Rating: T 

Warnings: Language, Angst, mentions of cheating, some physical violence (This sounds bad, but I promise it’s all gonna be okay!) Fluff

Word Count: 3225 (it’s a lot) 

Masterlist

You and Bucky spent the first hour on the dance floor with the rest of the wedding party, jumping around to the upbeat music. He had you giggling as he spun you around the dance floor, actively ignoring the genre of the music. Eventually breathless, you sat down with your grandmother and Aunt Meg. Bucky dragged you close resting his arm along the back of your chair.

“You two are so cute together,” Aunt Meg gushed.

“I want to hear more about this,” your grandmother gestured to the two of you. “How long have you been together?”

“It’s a fairly recent development.”

“Although, not if you ask our teammates,” Bucky added slyly and took a sip of his beer.

“Oh really?” Your grandmother asked.

“So what would they say?” Zoe asked in her wheedling voice as she and Ben sat down.

You and Bucky simultaneously tensed and attempted to covertly comfort each other, leading to some silent smiles.

“Bucky?” Your grandmother prompted.

“Well, most of them would probably say that I’m a complete idiot for not asking her out sooner. And that I’ve looked like a lovesick puppy for nearly three years.”

“Well what took you so long then?” Aunt Meg asked, and you knew she’d been dying to ask all week.

“Fear. Plain and simple. I mean she’s my best friend, and I didn’t want to mess that up.”

“So what finally made you ask my darling granddaughter out? Or did you ask him, y/n?”

“I asked her,” Bucky answered quickly, quelling your momentary panic. You hadn’t bothered to flesh out the finer details of your story, considering everything that had happened, so you were relieved when he took the lead. “Steve had been pushing me for months. He swore up and down that y/n liked me back, but I just couldn’t believe him. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she’d say yes when I asked her to go the movies. Of course, she thought we were going as a group so that might have something to do with her answer.”

You smiled as you remembered the evening he was talking about. You’d always hoped that was a date, but he never made a move after that.

“True, but to be fair. The answer was yes either way. Steve had been pushing me too. I actually got close to asking you out a few times, but ultimately chickened out. I wasn’t totally sure if he intended it to be a date, but II was secretly thrilled when it ended up being just the two of us. I had butterflies the whole night.”

You slipped your hand into his underneath the table and he immediately twined your fingers together before lifting your hand to kiss your knuckles.

“So how long before you started dating did you fall for each other?”  

“Gran,” you whined.

“You can answer first if you like, sweetheart,” she challenged and you glanced over at Bucky who was clearly just as interested in your answer as she was.  

“I don’t know when I started falling for him if I’m honest. It was gradual, but I know when I realized I had.”

“Do tell,” Aunt Meg pressed.

“My first solo mission went a lot worse for me than I wanted to admit. Even now. So while I told the truth in my report, I hid my injuries. And ignored the orders to stay in bed. I would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for-”

“Doll, if you call me a meddling super soldier I swear I’m gonna hide your cookie stash when we get home.”

“You wouldn’t dare. And I wasn’t going to.”

He quirked an eyebrow and you huffed.

“Okay fine. Maybe I was, but that’s not important. The point is that I managed to get away with it for a couple of days until he came back. He took one look at me and marched me up to the med bay.”

“Dragged is more like it. You’re too stubborn for your own good sometimes.”

“It’s a family trait,” your grandmother confided. “Go on, darling.”

“I was concerned, being,” you paused for a moment choosing your words carefully, “Not the newbie, per se, but still the inexperienced member on the team, that my getting so hurt was a sign of weakness. I thought it would ruin my chances of staying with the Avengers. And I finally felt at home and I was terrified of losing that. When Bucky insisted on nursing me back to health, I had been prepared for a lecture. And for disappointment,” you admitted glancing at Bucky. You’d never told him any of this. “But instead all I got was comfort and encouragement. He made me feel strong when I was at my weakest. And he made it okay for me to be scared. And that meant everything to me. It still does,” you added with a shy glance at Bucky who seemed stunned by your admission.

All he could do was squeeze your hand.  

“That’s exactly how your grandfather made me feel. And what about you, young man?”

He chuckled at the epithet. Technically he was older than your grandmother, but he didn’t need to point that out.  

“I started falling for y/n the moment I met her. It had been a long time since I felt comfortable being around people so I would make myself scarce. But with y/n, I wanted to be around her as much as I could. Of course that meant being around others as well, because everyone enjoys hanging out with her too. And just by being herself she started to heal me. I was a goner very early on. I was thrilled when she finally moved into the tower because I could spend so much more time with her. Before that I would offer to drop her off at home. Just for a few extra minutes with her and the chance to steal a few more smiles.”

It was your turn to be surprised by his admission. You always thought that he took you home because he was being protective.

“So sweet,” Zoe cooed as she rolled her eyes.  

“Let’s dance, babe,” Ben muttered, glaring at you.

“Good idea.”

“What’s got her panties in a twist?” Your gran asked once they left.

You shrugged. “No idea.”

You had a bad feeling, but you didn’t know why so you pushed it down, relaxing into the feeling of Bucky’s fingertips brushing along your shoulder.

“Anyways… you two are idiots.”

“Gran!”

She shrugged, unfazed by your tone.

“You are, but I’m very glad you’ve smartened up and found each other.”

“Me too.”

  A short time later, while Bucky escorted your Gran to the car after she whispered to you that he was a keeper, you ran inside to freshen up.

Afterwards you stopped in the kitchen to sneak a brownie off one of the dessert trays.

“Mmff. God that is so good,” you moaned quietly as you shut your eyes to fully enjoy the taste.

“I’ve missed those sounds.”

Your eyes snapped open as you glared at Ben. Determined to ignore him, you started to stalk past him only for him to get in your face, blocking your way. Every step you made he mirrored, the only way for you to get around him was to physically move him out of your way. And you knew that was a terrible idea.

“Let me pass,” you told him calmly, drawing on all of your training not to drop him to the ground.

“Come on, y/n. You never even gave me a chance to explain.”

“What was there to explain? Once a cheater always a cheater.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” he scoffed.

“Whatl is that supposed to mean?”  

“It means either you’re lying to your dear old granny or you’ve been banging the tin man since long before we broke up.”

“Don’t call him that,” you hissed. “And neither are true. I never cheated on you. Now get away from me.”

You were fed up and went to brush past him, but he grabbed your wrist hard enough that you yelped as he yanked you back around to face him.  

“Ben, let go of me,” you warned in a clear tone.

“No. Not until you admit that you still want me.”

He grabbed your other wrist, pulling you into his chest. Reacting on instinct, you yanked your arms back out of his grip and twisted away from him throwing a quick elbow to his chest to knock him off balance. He stumbled back into a tray of champagne, sending it to the floor.

“You bitch.”

He tried to bull rush you and you flipped him over your shoulder dropping him to the ground.

Bucky was the first through the door, basically leaping over Ben’s prone form to reach your side having heard the shattering glass. You vaguely registered the rest of your family rushing in, but mostly you were focused on Bucky.

“Did he hurt you, doll?”

“Did he hurt her?” Zoe shrieked from her kneeling position by his head. “He’s on the ground.”

Bucky ignored her, cataloguing every inch of you looking for signs of harm. When he saw the red marks on your wrist, he growled but continued his inspection.

“Y/n, are you okay?” Your mom fretted.

“I’m fine, mom.”

You hid your arms which were starting to bruise behind your back. Bucky’s eyes narrowed as he caught your wince; Ben had also jerked your shoulder pretty hard. He whirled on Ben who had finally hoisted himself to his feet.

“I told you last time, if you touched her again I would end you. Did you really think I was bluffing?”

His voice was calm almost amused, but you could feel the fury rolling off him in waves. You reached out and slotted your fingers through his.

“Bucky, don’t.”

“What the hell is going on?” your dad demanded. “Last time?”

Bucky’s eyes flickered to you, knowing it was your story to tell. Apparently you hesitated too long because Ben decided to open his mouth.

“Yeah. Last time when this asshole broke my nose.”

“You deserved it,” Penny piped up.

“You knew about this?” Aunt Meg asked, and Penny simply shrugged.

“Y/n, what is going on?” your mother asked in a tone that left no room for anything but the truth.

“Ben is my ex-boyfriend.”

“The one who cheated on you?”

“He did what?” Your dad roared, and suddenly you were less concerned about Bucky killing Ben and more concerned about your dad killing him.

“It was a misunderstanding,” Ben argued and you actually laughed out loud.

“How is walking in on you screwing my roommate in my bed a misunderstanding.”

There were a few shocked gasps at your revelation, but not from Penny or Zoe, which you had expected. But you weren’t the only one who noticed.

“Zoe, you knew? And still brought him?”

“I’m sure that’s why she brought him,” you scoffed.

“Oh please. How would I even know that? We met at a bar a few months ago.”

“Really? You’re going to lie about that?”

“Alright, y/n, when do you think we met?”

“In my apartment. Three years ago when you stayed with me and Ben spent the week showing you around.”

“Alright, alright. You got me. I didn’t meet him at the bar, but I did run into him by chance.”

“And you decided he was the one for you,” you sneered.  

“Well we had had such a good time when I stayed at your place,” she smirked and you knew exactly what she was implying.

“I should have known. I’m really glad I convinced Tony to let me incinerate that mattress.”

Bucky chuckled humorlessly beside you, and you could still feel the tension in him.

“It kills you, doesn’t it? That someone chose me over you. I bet it eats at you that you weren’t woman enough for him. You won’t be woman enough for Bucky either.”

“Do not speak for me,” Bucky growled, and Zoe had the good sense to be frightened.

“You’re still jealous of her? Really?” Penny asked. “Aren’t we too old for this?”

“Shut up, princess.”

“I think it’s time for you to go. You’ve accomplished what you came here to do,” Penny announced.

“And what exactly is that?”

“Hurt y/n and make my day all about you.”  

“Nothing has ever been about me. It’s always been about y/n. It’s always been the two of you against me.”

“Because you made it that way,” you reminded her, taking a step back so the two of them could get their stuff and leave. “You made everything into a competition.”

“We just wanted to be friends,” Penny added.

“You were very inviting with your secret codes.”

“This is a waste of time. You’re never going to listen, so leave. And take him with you,” she gestured to Ben who was avoiding your dad’s death glare.  

“Get out,” Dylan ordered when they didn’t move.

Zoe eventually decided to give up.

“Let’s go, Ben.”  

He seemed to consider speaking again, but the withering glare from your father silenced him.

Once they were gone you looked at Penny apologetically as Bucky pulled you against his chest.

“What the hell just happened?” your dad shook his head.

“Twenty odd years of resentment coming to a head,” Penny shrugged, leaning into Dylan.

“More like forty-something,” your mom commented.

“Zoe is just like her mother,” Aunt Meg sighed. “I’m sorry I made you invite her.”

“It’s okay, mom.”

“No, it’s not. This is your wedding and I should have listened to you.”

“It’s fine. You and Aunt Di have worked really hard to keep us all friends. I wanted to help.”

“You aren’t meant to fix our mistakes. Especially not at your wedding. Yes family is important, but the most important people are the ones who you choose to love. And who choose to love you back. Do you understand?”

“Yes, mom.”

“You too, y/n. Do you understand?”

“Yeah. I do,” you promised as you looked up at Bucky who was watching you lovingly. “I really do. But I’m so sorry, Penny and Dylan,” you added.  

“What are you apologizing for?” Dylan asked.  

“For my hand in everything go awry. I tried to keep everything quiet, but he attacked me.”

“Seriously, y/n. I think you should have broken his nose again. I wish I could have done it myself.”

You and Bucky both laughed at that.

“That would have been a sight. But I’m still sorry that your wedding got messed up.”

“Nothing is messed up. We’re married, and the only thing that got destroyed was some champagne glasses. Big deal. The most important bit is safe.”

“What’s that?” Bucky asked.

“Dessert,” you, Penny, and Dylan all responded in unison, and you all laughed, relieving the last of the tension.

“The brownies are really good by the way.”

“Y/n!”

“Couldn’t resist,” you shrugged.

“Okay, come on. Let’s get back out there. We’ve still got a lot of partying to do. Coming, y/n?” she asked when you didn’t move.  

“I’ll be out soon. I just need to settle for a minute.”

Penny nodded in understanding.

“Take your time. We’ll see you out there.”

“I’ll send in one of the catering staff to clean up. So don’t worry about it,” Aunt Meg ordered, guessing your plan to start sweeping.

Everyone filed out, and you were left alone with Bucky.

“Doll, are you okay?”

“More shaken than anything.”

He gently took your wrists in his hand inspecting the darkening bruises.

“I’ve had worse,” you mumbled.

“Not the point. Come here.”

He pulled your arms around his neck and pulled you in for a hug. The feeling of his arms around your waist grounded you, and your heart rate calmed and your breathing slowed.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Not to me. Not to anyone.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He held you for a few more minutes until you pulled back, offering a weak smile.

“We should get back out there.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m good. Promise. Just stay close.”

“Not going anywhere, doll.”

  The remainder of the evening was as wonderful as the rest of the day, and the altercation was soon forgotten.

“I’m so happy for you,” you grinned at Dylan while the two of you danced.

“Thanks, y/n. I’m really glad that you could make it. It wouldn’t have been nearly as special without you. You mean so much to both of us.”

“You mean the world to me. Are you happy with how the day turned out?”

“We could have gotten married in an alley, and I’d be happy. I got to marry my best friend. But, this was beyond what we had even planned. The flood was really a blessing in disguise. But only because we have a great guardian angel.”

“You deserve every bit of happiness. I’m glad I got to be a part of it.”

You smiled up at him as the song ended and you gave him a tight hug.

“So do you. I think I’m going to go find my wife. God, I love the way that sounds.”  

“Me too, husband.” Penny beamed up at Dylan as she slipped her arm around his waist.

The happy couple were immediately lost in each other.  You scanned the room searching for Bucky for only a moment before your eyes landed on him.

He was with some of the groomsmen having a great time and your smile widened. He started to head your way, but you shook your head.

“Make friends,” you mouthed, knowing he already had. He could always use my friends outside of the Tower.  

They even cajoled him into doing the Macarena and cotton eyed joe, which you filmed for the girls. When he couldn’t quite grasp the footwork for the cha cha slide, you hopped in beside him.

After that the DJ called for all the single ladies to gather on the floor, and despite your protests that you were dating Bucky, your mom and aunt encouraged it.

“Technically single meant unwed in the old days,” Bucky added unhelpfully.

“Whose side are you on?” you accused teasingly.

“Yours. Always. It’s just a bit of fun.”

“Does that mean you’ll be trying to pass the garter?”  

“My reflexes are too fast. It’s not fair,” he shrugged.

“I’ll participate if you participate.”

“Fair deal. Better hit the floor, doll. Those ladies look like they could be vicious.

You rolled your eyes but stood anyway, hiding in the background.

You were certain you looked mortified when Penny used all of her years of softball pitching to lob the bouquet over the crowd and into your hands. Bucky offered you a smug grin, but his cockiness was nowhere to be found when Dylan shot the garter pretty much directly in his face. Although it returned when he had to complete the tradition and he slid the garter up your leg.

That was the last of the excitement though, which was fine by you. You spent the rest of the night in Bucky’s arms on the dance floor, only this time instead of spinning you all over the place, he simply held you close as you swayed following the rhythm of his beating heart as your music.

A/n: So there it is everyone. The end of the road. I have an epilogue planned to wrap up but this is the last big piece. And I wanted to wrap  up some loose ends and I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! 

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[ialwayscomewhenyoucall]

Finding Flight

chapter 8/?

(ao3 link in comments)

**

“How do the blueberries look?” Charlie’s sprawled on her back on the counter in the lab, staring at the ceiling.

Kevin doesn’t bother to get up from the strawberry plants he’s potting. “Exactly the same as they did five minutes ago. And five minutes before that. If you don’t believe me, get up and look yourself.”

“It’s not like you’re doing actual work,” Charlie says. “What are you doing with strawberries, anyway? I didn’t put them on the worklist. Greenhouse Six is full of them.”

Kevin rubs the back of his neck, typically forgetting that his hand is covered in soil. “There’s this girl,” he mumbles. “She told me she likes strawberries, used to grow them in her backyard at home. I thought, if I had some in my room…”

Groaning, Charlie says, “Ah. That explains the fancy ceramic pots. Pots shaped like tropical fish, though? I’d expect something more...I don’t know, nerdy, from you. Maybe like Pac-Man, Blinky, Pinky, Winky, and Clyde.” She waves her arms in a semi-dramatic gesture, then goes on absently, “Wish I had a pretty girl to plant strawberries for. Or blueberries…” Seeming to come to herself again, she asks, “How do the blueberries look?”

Kevin taps his fist a few times on the counter, then bursts out, “It’s Inky.” There’s more than a hint of distress in his voice.

Charlie sits halfway up, propping herself on her elbows to look at him. Even from behind he looks upset. “What in the galaxy are you talking about?”

“Pac-Man, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Not Winky.”

Charlie slides back down onto her back. “Nothing like an incorrect retro video game reference to get your hackles up.”

Brushing off his hands, Kevin hops off his stool. He looms over Charlie, looking down at her over crossed arms. “What’s going on with you, Charlie? You’re not doing any work, you keep asking the same questions over and over, and your moods are all over the place. And please don’t tell me this is about the blueberries. You know very well strain beta is going to succeed, you’re a genius. This isn’t about blueberries.”

Charlie throws an arm across her eyes in an unsuccessful attempt to hide. “I’m fine. Nothing to see here.”

Kevin sighs dramatically. “Alright. You give me no choice. Let’s see, I think these blueberries need some--”

Shrieking, Charlie sits up and rolls off the lab counter in one motion, misses her landing and ends up sprawled on the floor. She scrambles to her feet and leaps onto Kevin’s back. “Not my blueberries! I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”

“Get off!” says Kevin, but he’s laughing, and so is Charlie, so everything is okay.

They sit side by side on the bench in front of the blueberries. “Look,” Charlie says, “it’s not me. Not really. I’m just worried about...a friend.”

Kevin snorts. “So we’re talking about Dean, then?”

“I have other friends!” Her defensiveness is barely even halfhearted.

He just looks at her.

Charlie throws up her hands. “Fine, yes, I’m worried about Dean. He acts like he’s all macho tough guy, but really he’s just a big softie. He’s fallen for a guy, pretty hard, and he keeps…” She looks around to make sure the lab is still empty. Telling Kevin a few vague bits is one thing, but spreading gossip all over the station is quite another. Everyone’s still off eating lunch, so she continues. “Well, I haven’t witnessed any of this, but he says he keeps embarrassing himself whenever he talks to the guy. I think he’s probably exaggerating, but Dean’s taking it pretty hard. And now his brother’s going to be here in a few weeks, so he’s got that to worry about too.”

“Wait, Sam? Way out here? He’s not in the Star Voyagers, is he? I thought he was going to med school!”

Charlie grins. “Didn’t I tell you? Sammy graduated, and he’s doing his residency with the Star Voyagers, on the Virginian!”

Kevin shakes his head slowly. “That’s amazing. You and Dean getting reassigned here together, then his brother getting sent here...what’s next?”

“Kevin!” Charlie sounds scandalized. “Never, ever, ask what’s next! You know you just brought something horrible down on us, don’t you?”

“I don’t--I mean, I didn’t--” Kevin sputters.

Charlie giggles, bumping her shoulder into his. “I’m just kidding.” Kevin lets out a breath. Charlie’s  face shits to serious and she says ominously, “Unless something goes wrong. Then it’s totally your fault.” She laughs again. “Your face is funny, Kevin. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person’s expressions change so fast.”

“You are a terrible person, Charlie Bradbury,” Kevin grumbles.

Charlie brightens. “Thanks, Kevin. You always know just what a girl needs to hear.”

“Here’s something you really do need to hear. Go clear your head. You’re doing absolutely no good here.” Charlie opens her mouth to protest, but Kevin covers it with his hand before she can speak. “Don’t argue with me Charlie. I know where your blueberries live.” Her eyes widen; Kevin continues. “Go for a walk. Go down to the Arboretum. You can always check on the plum trees while you’re down there. The gardeners take good care of them, but I know you like to check on our newest babies when you can.” Charlie nods.

“Can I take my hand away now?” Kevin asks.

Charlie nods again.

“And you’re not going to argue?”

Charlie shakes her head.

“Alright.”

When he takes his hand away, Charlie kisses Kevin on the cheek.

“What was that for?” he asks, startled.

“For being a good big brother.”

“I’m two years younger than you, Charlie,” Kevin says, somewhat exasperated.

“Doesn’t matter,” she says, grinning. “You’re still a good big brother.”

*

Castiel squints at the paper in his hands again, trying to decipher the scribbled directions. Honestly, who writes notes on paper anymore? Leave it to Meg. She could have written notes on his tablet, or recorded vocal directions for him, but instead she’d pulled a scrap of paper from her bag and jotted down the words with an old-fashioned fountain pen. He’d obviously looked at her strangely because she’d retorted, “What? I like to write. And perfectly formed letters on a screen are not the same as words that flow from my own hand. I always keep a pen and paper with me.”

Words on paper are all well and good, he decides, except that they are sometimes difficult to read. He’s unsure if he’s supposed to go to Deck 15, Section D4...or Deck 15, Section D9.

At least he’s fairly certain he’s going to Deck 15. He knows he could ask the station’s computer system, or one of the passing people… He looks around at the crowd around him, at how many of the people glance at him with wide, curious eyes, and decides to keep to himself. For now at least.

After another uncomfortable lift ride, the nearly empty corridor of Deck 15 is a relief.

He glares at Meg’s directions again. For someone who likes to write by hand, she’s not very good at it. Looking from the paper in his hand to the sign in front of him, he sighs. If he’s going toward D4 he has to go left. If it’s D9, he should turn right. Of course he’d get there either way, the station is a giant wheel. But “giant” is the key word, and that would be a long walk. He wants to save his energy.

He’s nearly resigned himself to asking a computer interface for help when he finds himself flying through the air--and not in a familiar, freeing sort of way. More in a tumbling, somersaulting, “tuck in my wings so they don’t get damaged” sort of way.

He lands in a heap some distance down the corridor, a jumble of arms and legs and wings, and when his brain clears enough to really notice things, he realizes that not all of the arms and legs are his. There is a foot that clearly belongs to someone else pressed against one of his hands, and the shock of red hair draped across his chest--

“Sorry! Sorry! Oof, ow! I’m gonna feel that tomorrow,” a voice groans from somewhere near his shoulder. Castiel is about to ask her--the owner of the voice is clearly a human female--if she needs help getting up when he feels a sudden crashing nausea in the pit of his stomach. His brain has a moment of clarity--she’s touching my feathers--before it whites out completely.

*

“Cas? Uh, Castiel, are you okay?”

Castiel slowly opens his eyes. He’s on his back in the a corridor, bright interior lights all around. He can feel his wings crumpled underneath him, sore but not broken so far as he can tell. There is a pale face haloed with red hair hovering over him, watching him anxiously. A small part of him had been expecting green eyes and freckles--no one but Dean has ever called him Cas.

“Oh! Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake, you have no idea. I can’t believe I did something so horrible, first not paying attention to where I was going and knocking you over, and then…” She bites her lip, looking away. Castiel can see how bad she feels.

“It’s alright, I’m alright,” Castiel says, struggling to sit up. The young woman, eager to help, takes his hand and eases him to a sitting position. He stretches his wings; the corridor isn’t large, but there is enough room to learn that they are only battered.

“I didn’t mean to touch them!” she blurts out, and one hand reflexively covers her mouth. “I was just trying to get up, I couldn’t see anything!”

“Why don’t we start with your name, since you already seem to know mine, and then I can tell you that I know it was an accident and you are completely forgiven?” He gives her as much of a smile as he can, under the circumstances, still dazed as he is.

“I’m Charlie,” she says. “And I’m really--”

“You don’t have to apologize again, Charlie. I should be the one to apologize to you. I reacted rather badly. I’m guessing it may have startled you when I collapsed?”

Charlie shrugged her shoulders. “A bit. But then I saw, well…” She glances at the floor next to them. Castiel follows her gaze, and what he sees makes him reel again, if only for a fraction of a second.

A pile of black feathers.

“You, ah, pulled them out?” he asks, his voice noticeably higher than usual.

The tears in Charlie’s eyes--had he noticed them there before?--overflow. “My fingers were in your feathers, and you jerked away, and I just…” She covers her face with her hands.

He looks at the feathers more closely.

Ever so gently he pulls Charlie’s hands away from her face. “Charlie,” he says, looking into her eyes. “You did nothing wrong. And those few feathers there, I can live without them. I lose feathers all the time. You should see my quarters.” He smiles at her, a genuine, open smile, and this time she smiles back. “Besides, those are mostly coverts. Only one of them is a flight feather.” He pulls the long silky feather from the pile and places it in her open palm. “You should keep it.”

Her eyes widen. “Yeah?”

“To remember our oh-so-forgettable first meeting,” Castiel deadpans.

Charlie bursts out laughing. “You seem to be learning human humor.”

“I’m trying,” he says, eyes suddenly not meeting hers. “Not many humans actually want to know me. They just want to know ‘The Astorian.’” He looks up again, smiling. “But I’m doing alright. And I’ll be even better if I could actually find what I’m looking for. I’ll tell you what, if you can get me to the Arboretum I’ll prove to you that my wings are just fine.”

Charlie brightens. “That’s actually where I was going. My friend told me I was being a nuisance in the lab so I should go check on the plum trees. In other words, ‘Get out of my hair, Charlie!’” She laughs. “Not really. He’s just looking out for me. That’s what friends are for, right? Come on, it’s this way.”

She helps him to his feet and they walk down the corridor, Castiel a comfortable half step behind and to the side to make room for his wings. When Charlie turns towards a door panel and speaks an entry code Castiel tilts his head in puzzlement. They are in Section C7. “I guess I couldn’t read the directions at all. This isn’t D4 or D9.”

“Oh, the main entrance--for visitors and anyone who just wants to enjoy the park--is D9, whoever gave you directions was right about that. But there’s access all around Deck 15. The Arboretum is huge, it fills the whole center of the station. This is just the closest entrance to the plum grove.”

The door opens and Charlie, grinning, gestures Castiel through the entryway. He steps through into… He gasps, turns to look at Charlie’s bright smile, then turns back, speechless. It’s another world.

He’s been on space stations before. And they all have places to grow things: greenhouses, biodomes, hydroponics. Most of them are even set up for public access, because everyone likes to have a breath of fresh air, a glimpse of home, every now and again. But this. This is unlike anything he’s ever experienced.

There’s the unprecedented vastness, for one thing. He has very good eyes, and he cannot see the ceiling from here. Or maybe he can, but it’s so cleverly designed that it doesn’t look like a ceiling. Also, it looks and feels like there is a sun overhead. How does that work? He automatically unfurls his wings and turns them toward the warmth. He hears Charlie’s soft intake of breath but he concentrates on the perfection of sun-on-feathers.

And then there is the land itself. Not flat like most created spaces, this has rolling hills, a valley with a stream running through it, gentle plains. In the distance Castiel even sees what looks like a rocky cliff. There are orchards of every imaginable fruit, fields of grain, flower gardens. There are even--and he can hardly believe this, but his eyes and ears don’t lie--there are even birds and bees and small mammals. This is a living, breathing ecosystem, as close to perfect as Castiel has ever seen in deep space.

Without warning he bends his knees, flexes his wings, and leaps into the air. The force of his wingbeat presses the grass flat and whips Charlie’s hair around her face, but he barely notices. He hears her shriek of joy, then her barely perceptible shout, “I’m just gonna go check the plums, then!” before he’s too high to hear--or care, really--anymore.

***

A GIANT thank you to @bend-me-shape-me for talking me through my anxiety about a few bits and being the all-around best cheerleader ever. *blows kisses across the ocean*

**

tagging @unlikelyteller ..if anyone else would like to be on the taglist (especially since I’m actually working on this again, hahaha) please let me know!! :)

[avenger-concerto]

Operation Knight Song (RFSS2018)

Heya @invaderpig I’m your Secret Santa for 2018. I want to extend my deepest apologies for posting this so late. The Holidays got hectic as hell for me back in December along with other priorities coupled with post-Holiday slump. I managed to finish this ficlet though. I had a blast working on this one. I’ve never done Doug x Frey in any fan RF4 work so I hope I captured their dynamic finely.

Wishing you a late Happy Holidays and a Happy new Year! Once more, I would like to thank @runefactorysecretsanta for hosting this event. This is my third time in a row participating and I love how it brings the RF community together. 

Title: Operation Knight Song

Genre(s): Slice of life, romance, fluff, comedy, some drama

Pairings / ships: Doug x Frey and Margaret / Meg x Forte

Rating: T (13 and up) - mild profanity, some innuendos / suggestive jokes but nothing extreme.

Summary: During the Night of Holies in Selphia, Doug and Frey help Forte confess to the love of her life in a group outing.

Word count: 3813 words.

It was the snowy and star-lit evening of Winter the 24th in the independent town of Selphia. More specifically, it was the eve which preceded Christmas day: the Night of Holies.

Usually, it was tradition for the natives of Norad and by extension Selphia to celebrate the evening in peaceful solace and tranquility. In addition, it was known as a night perfect for romantic rendezvous and evening dates. It was all the more true for the Night of Holies this particular year.

Within the grand halls of Selphia Castle, the princess and her first man hurriedly prepared for what the former codenamed as “Operation Knight Song”.

“Doug, we’re going to be late. C’mon you’re taking too long! They might have arrived at the plaza already…”

“Hold on, dear. Ngh, this jacket’s too huge! I have no idea what size Volkanon picked out but it’s taking me longer than usual to…”

“Ok, less complaining, more moving or we’re gonna be late. We don’t want to keep them waiting, right?”

“Wait dear, I’m finished!!”

In a frenzied but enthusiastic rush, Princess Frey’s husband: Doug, descended from the 2nd floor of their living area with a pair of black pants, brown snowboots and a crimson colored jacket. Despite his previous complaints, it turns out the jacket was just about the right size as shown through his satisfied grin.

“Well, how do I look?” the red-head dwarf asked between gasping breaths.

“You look fantastic!” Frey chirped with a smiled as she clapped her hands together. “What do you think of mine now? Dolce and Clorica helped pick this out for me the other day. We had it custom tailored and ordered from Norad’s capital.”

Doug took another look at his wife’s snow-friendly attire which consisted of a beautiful black coat accompanied by an emerald coloured Wooly fur snow cap with both pieces complimented by an illustrious snow white scarf. For the evening, Frey had also undid her twin-tails, letting her long and beautiful emerald hair down.

“Stunning, I dunno what else to say.” Doug widened his eyes while his lips formed what could easily be described as a dreamy yet flustered smile.

“Hoooooh? Flirting this early on in the Night of Holies?” Frey snickered as she motion towards her husband, clinging onto his arm playfully. “I guess you are desperate for a spot within Santa’s Naughty List.”

“Gahhh, cut it out!” Doug yelped, his objections contradicting his now reddened cheeks. “N-not that I mind but not this early either, h-haha…”

“This blockhead,” Frey whimsically thought, “Wonder how we’re gonna have kids at this rate?”

Doug spoke, “So uh, what about Ventuswill?”

“She’s fast asleep.” she informed her husband, “I had Clorica and Vishnal prepare her a cup of hot milk and a serving of pancakes. Venti wanted to go to bed early so she wouldn’t wake up late and miss the Christmas festivities.”

“Alright! Now that’s all settled…Let’s head out then, shall we?” Doug smiled coolly, extending his hand out.

Frey giggled slightly as she took her husband by the hand. “Of course. As the high princess of Selphia, Operation Knight Song will not fail!”

For the sake of some yuletide context in this given Night of Holies and by extension “Operation Knight Song”, it is commonly well known in Selphia that there were two individuals who helped push the princess together with the hotheaded dwarf shopkeep of the general store. The honour went to none other than Margaret or by her nickname: Meg, the gentle elf musician of Porcoline’s Kitchen and Forte, the dashing and valiant head knight of the town.

Meg acted as a wingwoman of sorts to her close friend Frey and it was Forte who was always there to convince Doug to get his act together when it mattered the most. They’ve both remained strong family friends to Selphia’s royal couple ever since.

Of course, there is much more to this story and Frey herself knew it very well. Throughout this all Meg and Forte remained close friends. Relegating the overall feeling to “friendship” was a massive underestimation, so to speak. In reality…

“Forte, Meg! We’re here!” Frey excitingly called out as she and her husband approached the two figures waiting outside on the snowy centre of Selphia plaza.

“Good evening you two!” Margaret waved her hand and approached the couple, giving Frey an affectionate hug afterwards. “Ohmigosh, you both look so adorable!”

“Awwwww, thank you!” Frey squeed in delight. “You’re looking stylish too Meg. Same goes to you, Forte!”

“N-no, I’m not in need for any compliment whatsoever…” the blonde and tall knight mumbled. “I just put on a new cape that Kiel bought me. If anything, Meg looks so much better.”

Margaret wore her usual outfit but this time adorned with an azure mantle cloak, a kind of fashion that was common in the Nation of Elves as well as a checkered scarf which Forte had given her as a birthday present earlier in the year.

Forte had her usual armour equipped with additional protection from the winter evening including the aforementioned new cape which her younger brother had given her as a present. Outing or not, a knight had to remain prepared for anything. Whether it would be against monsters, immediate threats…or confessing to the love of her life.

“Great, then we’re all gearing to go.” Frey raised her fist into the air. “Onward to the observatory!”

“Hey, be careful or you’re going to trip!” Doug called out as his energetic spouse went on ahead. “Honestly, some things never change…”

“You seem rather excited yourself.” Forte commented with a half-smile on her face. “Not as enthusiastic as Frey but still.”

“Yeah, yeah yeah…So, you’re ready for this?” the dwarf gazed at the knight whose cheeks became flushed with pink not soon after. “I mean, you can do it any other time of the year but if you want to leave a lasting impression, it’s now or never.”

“Um, I know that!” Forte answered with a determined voice.

“What do you know exactly, Forte?” Meg curiously tapped her on the shoulders, resulting in a brief but alarmed shriek.

“M-MEG?! UHHH NOTHING!! WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Just about how we should enjoy the Night of Holies b-because it only comes once a year. Yeah, it’s like that.”

“Well, best we get a move on. The snow might stop at any moment and I want to bask in this blissful scenery as much as possible. I saw Frey rush past your house already.” Meg stated while pointing to the western-most exit of the plaza.

“R-right…” Forte nodded as she followed Margaret down the steps leading to the town’s western residential district.

Doug was left alone in his thoughts for the time being. “Man, I know Frey wants to thank them for everything they’ve done for both of us but…this is something out of a romcom novel that Granny Blossom keeps inside her old shelves.”

Frey’s eccentrically named plan, “Operation Knight Song” had one and only one singular goal: successfully get Forte to ask Meg out. This wasn’t anything platonic or familial either.

Another piece of information that was common to most of the town’s inner circle was that Forte being madly in love for Selphia’s star musician, Margaret.

As a knight, romance or intimacy was not within her scope of immediate prioritization. Those never crossed her mind as much as it did for the other girls in town especially during their seasonal sleep over gatherings.

Yet Margaret came into Forte’s life and ever since then her existence alone did just about everything to question the knight’s supposed heterosexuality.

There are numerous reasons as to how the elven musician had stolen the knight’s heart but even then she couldn’t list all of them properly without breaking down into an awkward, stuttering and anxious mess. Meg was resourceful, hardworking, beautiful, compassionate, charismatic, somewhat of a dorky odd-ball, both shared some latent fear of phantoms (Pico was the prime exception) and Forte’s mental list could go on and on.

Forte was content simply just remaining close friends with the musician but as the months and years went by it became clear that she couldn’t deny her own feelings any further.

It started out with simpler things such as her regular compliments towards Meg becoming more frequent in nature. It was followed with other small instances such as their hands brushing against each other by accident on several occasions or noticing the aromatic scent of her hair on a more regular basis. Afterwards, it all escalated to much greater physical contact such as sitting awkwardly as Meg fell asleep next to her on the bench during one late afternoon after work.

It reached an apex when the musician casually kiss the knight on the cheek during her birthday. All Frey and Doug could recall was that Forte was reduced to a stuttering, flustered mess that same day.

A few weeks later, the knight confided with the royal couple that she could no longer deny the feelings she’s harboured for Meg and declared her resolved intention to confess.

Needless to say, Frey 100% supported the proposition alongside her husband, even if the latter wasn’t too enthusiastic about lowkey stalking their Night of Holies date in the guise of a group outing.

Doug sighed and hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. Even if he wanted to, it was too late to turn back now.

Within the top floor of the windmill observatory’s interior, Doug had finally caught up as his wife handed out the hot beverages and snacks she had prepared for them all prior to leaving.

“I brought along some hot cocoa and choco cookies.” Frey pulled out four heated thermos containers and a plate of chocolate chip-cookies from her picnic basket. “I have a few bottles of Prelude to Love in here too that I brewed up during these past few days if you’d like some later tonight Meg.”

“That would be lovely, thanks!” Meg cheerfully replied.

“Doug and I are gonna go head down now.” Frey announced suddenly, “Oops, you see…uhhh…turns out I forgot a few extra cloaks and blankets, incase for when it gets colder tonight…Y-yeah.”

“Wait, we just got up here!” Doug stuttered in an alarmed fashion. “Also, I brought us some blankets and cloaks in my bag…AGH.”

Frey interrupted her husband’s objections by playfully pinching him on his bottom. He played along as a result. “Uhhh, I mean yeah. I totally forgot them. H-haha, oops.”

“We’ll be right back in a jiffy, ok? I left the hot drinks and cookies near the benches next to the outer entry. Help yourselves!” Frey playfully declared as she and Doug descended down the stairs.

Forte sighed. She knew very well that the entire thing was a copout ruse to make sure she and Meg were alone. She appreciated the sentiment but wished as well that the couple didn’t have to sacrifice a part of their romantic evening to help her confess the feelings she’s held for so long towards the beautiful elven musician who stood nearby.

“Ahem. Ummm, mind if we step outside? I want to take a good look at view right now.” Forte somewhat nervously proposed.

“Hmm? Sure thing. The snowy evening view probably goes great with the hot cocoa.”

“So easily. What about your fear of heights, Meg?”

Meg giggled lightly and responded, “Why would I be worried about that? Especially when I have you by my side?”

Forte couldn’t help but melt internally and smile at the sentiment. She extended her arm out towards Meg, offering her hand. “Well then, shall we?”

“Wowwww!!” Meg gasped in delight. As they walked into the exterior viewing balcony of the observatory, the sight of a tranquil snowy evening glittered with the night sky’s stars awaited them both. “I’ve been to this observatory countless of times but the view’s always amazing…”

“And to think you were afraid of coming here, let alone of setting foot into the observatory’s top floor because of your fear of heights…” Forte teased slightly and continued. “…I’m glad you’re enjoying the view these days.”

“Uh huh…” Meg nodded enthusiastically while she opened up her drink. Taking a light sip, she sighed happily. “Ahhh, this is heaven. I’m not big of a chocolate lover as much as Dolce but this alongside he winter evening is pure utter bliss…”

“Indeed,” Forte agreed, taking small sips of her hot cocoa while her gaze was transfixed between both the view and at Meg herself. “This reminds me of my childhood…Our parents always used to make us hot cocoa on winter evenings. My mother was practically a master at the craft and it was one of the many things that warmed our father up after his snowy evening patrols…”

“Forte…”

“They’re both gone now. However, what isn’t are the memories they left behind for Kiel and I. For that reason…I want to keep living on, protecting those I hold dear and…well, continue to make even happier memories with the people I care for.” Forte uttered the last part out with a faint blush.

“Awwwww, that’s so sweet…” Margaret softly said, hugging the knight from the side. The surprise was almost enough to let her drop the hot cocoa she had been handling finely.

“EEEEEK!! M-meg…please.” Forte staggered, “I could have spilled something hot on either of us… be more careful…”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” she laughed gingerly, breaking the hug. “I really am happy though…to be here. Happy to be with you all…that’s all.”

“Hmmm? Is something the matter?”

“Well, just that…When I first came to Selphia, truth to be told: I was afraid. Porcoline had recently taken me under his wing at the time…I knew nobody in town. I wasn’t sure if I could open my heart up so easily. Especially somewhere so far away from home…Then I met you, Lumie, Venti, Dylas, Arthur, Frey and everyone…I fell in love with this town soon afterwards. It’s far from my birthplace but…Selphia’s my home. I wouldn’t have it any other way and…I’m just so thankful to be here with you all.”

“Meg…”

Meg sighed trying to shake away what was a bittersweet smile on her lips just moments ago, “…Sorry, I got over sentimental again. Winter evenings like this remind me of my homeland a bit, I couldn’t help it. Anyways, why don’t I play us a song?”

Now was the time, Forte realized.

“Uhhh Meg…look…I…there’s something I need to…uh, well…”

“Huh? You want me to play a Christmas song? Ok, I’ll think…Silent Night or Jingle Bells…I want to see how it works on my harp…”

“No, that’s not it, I wanted to say that…um…”

“Wait, neither of those songs? Well, I’ll just play us Joy to the World and…”

Forte bit her lip in frustration. Her thoughts raced insanely as her heartbeat rose sharply. “Forte, it’s now or never.”

“I got it! I’ll go play us Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, that was a classic my old teacher taught me…”

“Meg, please listen to me: I love you.”

“...Huh?”

As the knight uttered those very words from her lips, it’s almost as if time itself had stopped in its tracks that winter-clad evening. Meg’s expression went from that of her usually cheerful eccentric one to that of pure speechlessness.

“I don’t mean as a friend or as a sister. Meg…look, I love you as a woman. Romantically. You’re caring, knowledgable, talented, compassionate, empowering, warm and just pleasant to be around everyday. My chest has been racing as of lately just being next to you…I don’t know what else to say…”

“Forte…is this true?” Meg blinked while a tint of red began slowly surfacing from her own cheeks.

“Yes, it’s all true. I was scared prior to this…We’re both girls and I have no idea how your culture does it…hell, I’m not even sure how my parents would react if they could see this but I don’t care! As a knight of Ventuswill and all of Selphia, I’m not going to hold my feelings back in front of the woman I love, damn it!”

Once more, Forte was met with a silent and blank response from the musician. Fearing it amounted to nothing but a potential awkward rejection, she steeled herself for what was next. She walked into this knowing that heartbreak might be a viable outcome but she would rather have professed her feelings than hold her silence forever.

“I’m sorry…who was I kidding. Just pretend I said nothing, please…Regardless, I want us to remain friends and…”

“You idiot…” Meg gritted her teeth, glaring with tears in her eyes.

Forte wasn’t given much room to react as Meg tightly embraced her as if it would be their last.

“M-meg…?!”

“Honestly…you blockhead…” she sniffled, keeping her arms wrapped around the knight tightly. “Took you long enough…! I’m so happy…I’m so glad you feel the same way…”

“Feel the same way…y-you…you mean…?”

“Yes…but…I’m afraid too. Not because we’re both girls. I don’t care about that at all…it’s because I’m an elf. You’re human.”

“What if you are an elf? I care nothing about that. I know there are places in Norad that ostracize your people but I’m not…”

“It’s not that!” Meg cried out as she continued to cling onto Forte. She blinked through her tears and continued, “It’s much more complicated. You know that elves live longer than humans do. What if you go before me…? You’re a knight…You’ve already pledged your life to the sword. Your line of work makes it so that you’re ready for death at any given moment. If you die before me and I have to live out the remainder of my existence in this world without you…I…”

“Meg…” Forte whispered, “You’re not wrong. I’ve devoted my life to the path of the sword. The sword is nothing more than an extension to my real devotion: those who I care for. You included most of all. You’re right…maybe I could fall in battle or I might succumb to illness, who knows what the future has in store but…I’d rather face those dangers while protecting and loving you…”

“Forte…”

“I know we have to go slow of course…I-if you say yes, that is!” Forte stammered but regained her verbal composure right after. “Going moderately is the key but my feelings for you are genuine…Meg…I want to be your knight and dedicate my sword to you. B-by that…I want to be your girlfriend. W-well…?”

It wasn’t too long after that the musician’s anxious tears were immediately replaced with tearful giggles as she broke her embrace. “Honestly, do all knights have to confess like this? I don’t even want to know what the marriage proposal would be like…!”

“H-hey, I was being serious…”

“I know, Forte. I know very well…Therefore, my answer is: I accept!” Meg spoke out the last part with a cheerful grin as she wiped the last of her tears away.

“Huh?! Meg, are you sure about this?”

“More sure than I’ve ever been in my entire life. Not going to lie: I’m still anxious…I have no idea what awaits us but…with my brave and dashing girlfriend by my side, I have nothing to fear.”

“Meg…ugh…I…” Forte attempted to choke back a sob as tears welled up her own eyes. She stepped forward and gave her beloved a firm embrace. She sobbed softly between sniffles and hiccups, “Ngh…I’m so happy…I was afraid that…ugh…Meg…I love you! I love you so much!”

Reciprocating the embrace, Meg giggled softly as she comforted the sobbing knight. “You big dork…I love you too…don’t panic. Even if I said no, I wasn’t going to leave you behind either…You’re precious to me no matter what…”

“Sorry…I shouldn’t have lost my composure like that. It was unknightly of me, so to speak.” Forte calmed down as Meg wiped her tears away.

“I dunno, I have absolutely no problems seeing this side of you either.” Meg playfully teased.

“Hey!! Ugh…you’ve always been unpredictable at times, you know that?”

“Maybe. Maybe not…I wanna do something else unpredictable, of course.”

Forte swallowed a lump as her heart raced once more. “Well, what would that be?”

Kiss.

Eyes still widened, Forte stared blankly as Meg’s lips parted from hers in a quick but blissful instant. “Merry Christmas Forte. I love you.”

“Ah.” Forte said aloud and continued. “Ah. Ah. Ahhhhh.”

Thud.

“Oh my gosh, Forte!!” Meg cried out in horror as she witnessed her newly confessed girlfriend dropping to her knees. She immediately knelt down herself cradled the flustered knight around her arms. “Are you okay?! Do you have a fever?! Are you tired?!”

Meg was all the more puzzled as she witnessed Forte’s unconscious but dreamy eyed and flustered expression. It was as if she had gone to heaven and ascended into a higher plane of goddesshood.

“Honestly…I need to get us both inside ASAP. Can’t have my girlfriend fainting outside here.”

Unbeknownst to either of them, the royal couple stood quietly in wait within the observatory’s interior in a floor below.

“Fufufufu…looks like Operation Knight Song was a grand success.” Frey sheepishly giggled. “Mission accomplished!”

“Uhhhhh…We did absolutely nothing besides eavesdrop.” Doug informed in a deadpan tone.

“C’mon, dear. We promised to be backup for Forte incase she froze up but looks like she didn’t need our help. That’s my Forte, haha…”

“Well, I’m happy for them both. That much I’ll say. I think we need to go up there before Forte freaks out any further.” Doug proposed but his intentions were interrupted by the mischievous princess holding up a mistletoe over both their heads.

“Oh hell no. Dear, please. Not now…w-wait until home at least!!” the fiery red-head dwarf took a step back, panicking.

“Awwwww, don’t be like that.” Frey licked her lips. “It’s almost midnight. Besides, I want to give Forte and Meg some time to themselves while I have my own little fun…”

Doug swallowed hard, laughing nervously. He had no intention of denying his playful wife’s advances but he braced himself for what came next. This of course consisted of Frey pouncing on her husband and showering him with cuddles and a flurry of kisses over his face and neck.

Overall, it was just another snowy, heated, chaotic but romantic Night of Holies in Selphia.

[solarflarefanfiction]

Solar Flare 7

AN: Still don’t own Twilight. In terms of Kim’s last name, I’m not sure where it came from, but it seems to be the recognized name for her character, and it’s even an existing character tag on AO3, so I stuck with it.

The sun, and my brightened mood, lasted through the rest of the week.

I knew everyone noted my improved mood, but kindly chose not to comment.

Jake had a couple weekday afternoons off, and we walked on the beach, did homework at my house, and made out in a patch of sun in Charlie’s backyard like the teenagers we were, until I was breathless and aching for something just out of reach.

Saturday the sun was still shining, though huge puffy white clouds were moving across the sky like cheerful, overgrown bumble bees.

Kim and I were in short sleeves. Emily never wore short sleeves, but she had on a lightweight teal blouse that shone against her coppery skin. It was strange to remember that Emily was only a year or two older than me. But giggling, and talking about our boyfriends, baking, and books as we walked through La Push to the market (on the slim pretense of seeing if they’d gotten in any early strawberries) I’d never felt like such a normal person in my life.

Emily loved Sam. Like really really loved him. It was fascinating to me, because I still didn’t totally grasp the whole “imprint” thing. I mean, the love at first sight, feeling of “meant to be” I kind of did get. But the whole thing was so magical. And for all the wolves were clearly magical creatures, they never felt so unusual, or supernatural the way the vampires did.

I didn’t like to think of imprinting as exactly like “true love”, since mine and Jacob’s case was so unclear. But hearing Emily and Kim, it was hard not to see it exactly that way.

Still, the sun was out, and Jacob had made a very convincing case over the past several months that I was what he really wanted. The looming danger had overshadowed romantic concerns, and I was not anxious to bring them back.

We were walking back, promising strawberries in tow, when a mix of familiar and unfamiliar voices up ahead caught my attention.

It was Jake, Jared, and Embry, talking to three girls I’d never seen before.

The girls looked somewhere around our age, and they were all very pretty, with long hair (two of them glossy and straight, and one falling in perfect waves). Embry was smiling down at a small, curvy girl, who was all but batting her eyelashes up at him. A tall girl, rolling her eyes at her friend, was clearly making some sort of snide remark to Jared. And the third girl…

She was tall too, though less so, and willowy, and she was smiling at Jacob with a certain familiar light in her eyes. She was talking to him, something that made a flush chase across his cheeks and down his bare chest, while he shifted his weight in discomfort.

“Who’s that?” I heard myself ask faintly, eyes on Jacob’s blushing face.

His face turned immediately towards mine, and he straightened up.

“Jen, Megan, and Lindsay. They go to school with us.” Kim whispered quickly. “That’s Lindsay, talking to Jacob. She’s a Junior, but she’s really nice. She just-”

“Bella!” Jacob’s face split into a grin, and he waved his ridiculously long arm, like it was possible to miss him.

I tried to guess whether he was really happy to see him or not. There was no reason to think he wasn’t.

Except that girl, Lindsay, she looked exactly like the kind of girl Jacob should imprint on. Could imprint on. Would imprint on, in my very worst nightmares.

Jared caught Kim, who I hadn’t noticed running off, and spun her around as she locked her legs around his waist. The tall girl rolled her eyes again, but tugged at Kim’s messy ponytail, smiling affectionately.

Emily touched my arm.

“Okay, Bella?” I snapped back into focus.

Jake shoved Embry, nearly knocking him into the girl still smiling coyly up at him, and causing him to snarl in a way I really hoped no one thought too much about.

I felt painfully awkward making my way to him, not comfortable enough to run, the way Kim had, feeling like my loose weekend jeans and worn t-shirt were terribly shabby.

“Bells!” Jake pulled me to him with both arms, and pulled my back against his broad, warm chest. “This is Lindsay, that’s Meg, and that’s Jen - the one Embry’s drooling on. Linds, this is Bella, my girlfriend.”

He said it so easily. I relaxed against him and tried to smile in a friendly, not jealous, not crazy way at Lindsay, who was smiling back, only a hint of color in her cheeks suggesting any awkwardness.

“It’s so nice to meet you. The way Jake talks about you, we all thought for sure he was making you up for the longest time. Not that he has any reason to make up girlfriends these days.” She winked at us, patted Jake’s arm. “The guys around here have really been growing up well lately.”

Jacob snorted, like this was an old joke.

“We’d better get going. Jen, either you and Embry get a room or let’s go.” She linked arms companionably with Meg and waved goodbye.

Jared, now carrying Kim piggyback, trotted over, pushing Embry as he went.

“Get a grip, love boy. These chicks are going to gang up one of these days and cut your balls off.”

“Jared, gross.” Kim laughed, kicking his side.

“Oof, sorry babe. Still not a horse though.”

Embry cackled. “We heard he’s a hell of a ride though, right, Connweller?”

Kim shrieked as Jared lunged at Embry, who jumped behind Emily, sticking his tongue out.

“Coward,” Jake laughed.

“I prefer to think of myself as chivalrously protecting the ladies from the sight of Jared’s sorry ass getting kicked.”

See, I reasoned to myself, this is so easy.

And it was easy, so much of the time. But I stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Whether it was Jacob imprinting on some perfect, unknown girl, or the death of all of us. Maybe it was just me. No-fun Bella.

“You okay, Bells” Jake whispered down to me. Looking up at the tense, too old lines in his worried face I felt a pang. My Jacob, the Jacob I'd (though I didn't know it at the time) fallen in love with was always smiling. That gawky, awkward, sort-of-beautiful boy who made my parts all fit right.

I smiled up at him, hoping I was hiding my fears.

“Sure sure, Jacob. But would it really hurt you guys to put on shirts?” I poked his bare, very warm chest. “You’re going to cause some kind of mob riot someday.”

“As long as you come to my ‘shirtless mob riot’ I think I'm good with that, Bells.” He winked.

“Gross”

Embry shoved himself between us at that point, cheerfully ignoring Jake’s dire warnings, and I took that excuse to link arms with Emily.

“They never pick on you.”

“Oh, that’s just what I call the ‘Sam effect.’ He’s actually a big softie, of course. The way he mother hens those boys... Don’t want to ruin his mystique though.”  she waved her scarred hand as if performing a magic trick.

I still found Sam intimidating on a good day, but it was hard to doubt Emily’s smiling assurance.

“I don’t know what I’d do if it was Jake that everyone was intimidated by.��� I glanced back to see Jacob, now giving a piggyback ride to Embry and rushing toward Jared and Kim with a battle cry. “Though I guess I don’t have to worry about that…”

“I think you'd be surprised Bella. Are you coming to the bonfire in a couple weeks? The day before your prom I think.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. But yes. Jacob said I could come, to learn about...uh, wolf stuff I guess.”

“You’re one of us now Bella, part of the pack. Your connection with Jacob...you’re a wolf girl now.” She squeezed my arm affectionately, and we subsided into companionable silence.

Lunch that day was a rowdy affair, with even the periphery patrols pulled for a big pack lunch. It’d been a few weeks since any vampire sightings.

Despite the recent calm, and the general optimism of the wolves (excepting perhaps Leah and Sam), the discussion following turned grim.

“We’ve seen the news, and even if they haven’t tried our boundaries lately, we’ve smelled them.” Sam’s deep voice was solemn.

“The red-haired leech isn't giving up. She’s either setting up a distraction or creating an army. Most likely it is a combination of both.”  

“Is this still just to kill Bells?” Paul asked, ignoring a cautionary growl from Jacob, who was wrapped around me, a warm, protective, cloak. “‘Cause no offense, that kind of seems like overkill. Literally.”

“It could be. But I believe that though it started that way, and though she certainly still plans to kill Bella,” Jacob growled.

“Cool it, idiot, Jesus. Like he means it as a good thing.” snapped Leah.

“I believe encountering us has triggered this new action. That or she wants them, not Bella at all, and believes she can lure them back.”

“No matter our protection, if she wanted to kill one human girl...I’m sorry Bella, but she could  just wait and find an opening. She has forever.”

“I understand.” I paused. “Did- Did Jacob tell you what I told him. About…them, about James?”

“In the sense of injecting it into our wolfy-mind meld, yeah, basically I think we got it.” Quil, looking mildly horrified. “Can I see it?”

“It?” Jacob was tense behind me, and I ran a hopefully not too clammy hand down his thigh in what was meant to be a soothing gesture.

“Where it bit you.”

Kim gasped. “But she’s not a vampire, you said if you got bit you turned into one!” This was clearly directed at Jared.

“You should.”

I held out my hand, scarred palm up.

Jacob ran one finger across it and shuddered.

“E-Edward, sucked out the venom. That’s why I didn’t...”

“Gross!”

“That’s sick.”

“But she’s alive, isn’t she?”

“It’s kind of… romantic, isn’t it? That he saved her?”

“It’s messed up.”

“Shut up, Connweller.”

“Don’t talk to her like that!”

“Quiet, all of you.” The wolves went silent as one.

Kim, unrepentant, winked at me. Leah slapped her head lightly, and chaos threatened to break out again as Jared bristled.

“Bella, we’ve seen from your conversation with Jacob that some of them have special abilities. Outside of the Cullens, you are aware of vampires with these abilities?”

“James, he had a tracking ability. That's why we ran. Once he targeted someone he could always find them. And Victoria…”

“She’s the redhead?”

“Yeah, she had some kind of… Self-preservation power. Like she could find a way out. That’s why Rosalie and Esme couldn't catch her. I don’t really understand it much...sorry.” It felt so odd to be saying their names here, in this wolf war council.

I wasn’t holding myself together, even.

“Well, shit.” Jared.

The Cullens had never felt farther away, even though I was talking about them.

“How common are these abilities?” Emily, looking at me with my exact fears in her eyes

“They said they were rare. But… 5 of the vampires I met had powers.”

“Out of?”

“9”

“Well, shiiiiiiiit”

“So here is the question, of the bloodsuckers the redhead makes, how many of those might have special abilities? We don’t know.”

“How hard is it to make a new one?”

“Anyone who is bitten but not killed...but a lot of them can’t stop in time…” Weird, this new position as vampire expert. This information had felt so different when I'd been greedily acquiring it, as a prospective future member of the Cullen family. My fingers itched to grasp around my middle, hold me together. I felt like I was dissolving. I leaned back into Jacob instead, hard.

“It takes 3 days. They said. It...it hurts, the whole time. The venom, it burns. It feels like you’re being burned alive.”

“Awesome, so unless some “nice” vampire is there to suck out the venom… It’s basically death or being tortured until you turn into a blood-sucking monster.”

“Wait, does it have to be a vamp who sucks out the venom?”

“Well, the venom would turn you into a vampire if you got it into your mouth, right?”

“But, I mean, if you can kiss them without them turning you...”

“Eww.”

“What if it gets in a cut?

“But Bella, she kissed that one, her boyfriend, right?”

Oh God.

“Uhh,” I glanced at Jacob’s tense face. “Yes, we kissed, but that was all. Ummm. The Cullens had friends who...they were a group of sisters who didn't kill people but they would sleep with human men...and um, they were fine, as long as they didn’t bite them by mistake or accidentally...break anything...” I’m sure you could have seen my face from space.

“Ohh, ewww.”

Leah made a gagging sound.

Jacob was vibrating around me.

I patted his thigh again.

“Thank you, Bella” Sam said solemnly. I was very grateful for his stoicism.

“Vampire venom is toxic to us, according to our own histories. So while we are safe from transformation, it is good to consider the possibility of removing the venom before it can spread. Though it could be more toxic to us than to a normal human. It is not a sure thing, so try not to get bit.”

“Yeah, cause we were all gonna go out and try it out, just for fun.” Leah muttered, still the only one who could always count on being able to backtalk Sam.

It was silent for a long moment.

“So,” Quil asked, “How many bloodsuckers means we’re all toast, and probably the girls with us?”

Leah put a protective hand on Seth, who scowled. And Sam, Jared, and Jacob let out eerily in-sync growls.

“We aren’t toast.” Sam bit out through clenched teeth. “And Brady and Colin will be...any day now…”

“Brady and Colin are 13 years old, Sam” Leah said furiously, hand still clenched around Seth’s arm.

“Meg’s gotten pretty tall… Do you think…”

“Nah…”

“If...I mean, if Victoria...I don’t want to die, really, but...” Jacob was already shaking his head in silent fury and denial. I had to say it though,

“But maybe if she got me, that’s what she wants. She would…”

She would leave everyone I love alive.

Jacob's steady growl, and the shaking of the chair were were sitting in, was all I could hear.

Sam looked at me for a long moment. A weighing gaze, and I didn’t look away.

Was that respect, in his dark eyes?

“Your offer is appreciated, Bella. I do not think she would stop at this point. If Bella was still her only goal, she could easily wait for a weak spot in our defenses. This show of force, the testing of our defenses. That’s something else. She has forever, after all, like we said, and we are more than merely human, but we aren’t perfect.”

Jacob’s growl hadn’t let up, if anything he seemed to be getting angrier.

“Jacob Black, you will control yourself, or you will get out of this house.” Whatever pack magic Sam used leashed in Jacob’s growling, but I could feel angry, frustration vibrating under his skin.

“It’s okay, Jacob. Shhh,” I soothed.

“Regardless of whether the leech would cease her attacks. We would not surrender you, Bella Swan,” Sam spoke with some kind of extra push behind his voice. “We will not. Despite our continuing questions, Bella Swan is recognized as the imprint of Jacob Black, our brother. And no harm can be allowed to come to her. She’s ours.”

Oh. That was a surprise. I felt something warm in my chest, and my eyes teared up.

Jacob must have felt it too, because he relaxed around me, sighing.

“So what are we going to do?”

No one knew the answer to the question, beyond ‘do our best to not all get dead’.

Still, the amazing thing about the boys, and even Sam, who by all rights should have still been a boy himself, was that they were never down for long.

Somehow the conversation soon shifted to some embarrassing incident involving Embry, Quil, and some girls who were unfamiliar to me, but everyone else (except maybe Emily, who I recalled was not from La Push originally) seemed to know well.

Soon it felt again like a cozy little house, only overflowing with overgrown teenage boys. The talk of supernatural battles faded to the background, though it didn't vanish entirely.

---

Dinner with Charlie was very quiet, by comparison , but comfortable, and he seemed content hearing my stories of my La Push friends, a group he heartily approved of, crediting them (not incorrectly) with my improved well-being.

I had the nightmare that night.

It was different, they always were. But it was the same.

“Please don’t leave me”  I sobbed holding Jacob’s bloody face in my hands. The forest was so still. Where was Edward? He was supposed to...

I woke up with a gasp, as if ripped free of the nightmare by my own sense of self-preservation.

I felt myself being pressed against a warm chest before I realized someone was even in the room with me.

“Bella,” Jake groaned, sounding pained. I relaxed against him, holding back tears. Listening to his heartbeat.

I fell asleep with him wrapped around me, keeping my fears at bay.

In the morning he was gone, and I felt oddly adrift.

I had versions of the nightmare every night that week. By Friday, I was exhausted at school, feeling like a shambling zombie again.

Jacob couldn’t be around every time I had a nightmare. In fact, I hadn’t seen him since Wednesday. It couldn’t be that he was avoiding me. It’d only been a few days. It made me anxious though, and uncomfortably reminded of the confusing, painful distance Edward had created before he’d left. Had I done something? No, no, it must just be a coincidence, or wolf business. Maybe even school.

I was holding myself together again by only the barest thread, and I caught myself surreptitiously gripping my arms around my middle.

I still had a lot. I had Emily’s house, and Emily and Kim and Leah, and the rest of the pack. Surely, if Jake wasn’t...if something was wrong, then I would know.

I made extra effort to talk to talk with Angela and Jessica, and even with Mike, Eric, and Ben at school. I wasn’t going to become a zombie again.

But it was hard to remember what we talked about. It was like the world was retreating from my eyes, getting harder and harder to see.

I’d see Jacob tonight. Or tomorrow. Everything would be fine.

The nightmares would go away again.

---

I had plans to go dress shopping with Kim in Port Angeles on Saturday.

Given the current situation, us going by ourselves had been out of the question, and Leah had very acidly refused to take on more human-sitting, just because she happened to be the lone wolf-girl. Jared had, of course, volunteered, and to only my slight disappointment, Paul was along as support.

I’d picked up a jumbo sized coffee at Starbucks first thing when we pulled into town, and my mood lifted along with the fog of my exhaustion.

Kim was an easy person to shop with, since she really cared about clothes only a bit more than me, and we both had similar minuscule budgets and no desire to splurge. Paul and Jared waited outside (Jared only reluctantly agreed after the combined efforts of Kim and Paul).

We giggled over silly dresses. It felt nice. I didn’t want to compare it to my time with the Cullens, but inevitably I did. It was really my only prior experience with this sort of thing. I felt a pang of guilt. Because, this was better. It felt natural, and like me. And there was no uncomfortable extravagance to remind me of my inferiority, or bulldozing of my opinion.

Not that I didn’t still love Alice. I’d been lucky to receive her over-the-top affections.

Paul and Jared were laughing about something when we left the store, purchases in hand, looking like a catalog advertisement for laughter, or manliness, or something, and drawing the gazes of several passers by, though luckily they were fully dressed.

Paul slung a casual arm around my shoulder, as Jared wrapped Kim up in a hug and tugged at her bag, trying to peek inside.

“Success, I take it?” Paul asked, rolling his eyes at Jared. “I’m just glad you guys don’t shop like some chicks do.”

“Yes, I think so.” I felt uncomfortably aware of the heat of Paul’s arm, welcome for its comfort, but unfamiliar and odd.

Paul had begun extending these casual affections to me only in the last couple weeks. He was similarly affectionate, especially with Kim, (the wolves tended to keep certain respectfulness for Emily’s person, though they all clearly adored her). With the pack his affection took a form that was frequently semi-violent. So I didn’t feel uncomfortable exactly.

I’d just never had these kinds of affectionate relationships before. I’d always thought it was something in me. Too much reserve, or just plain too weird to fit in with people that way.

“So, can I see? What’d you pick, something sexy? Jake’ll lose it, and probably cry, which would be funny. On the other hand, you don’t want to know the kinds of things he thinks already.”

“Ummm, what?” I squeaked, blushing.

Paul laughed.

“Trust me. But don’t worry, Swan, you really  don’t want to know the shit we know about Connweller over there. Jared’s the absolute worst at hiding his thoughts. Jake’s getting better pretty fast.”

“Okay...what kind of...no, I don’t want to know. Poor Leah.”

“Yeah, it’s no wonder she’s turned into such a bitch. Not that she was exactly a sweetheart before. We’re just lucky that Sam can control his thoughts. She’d definitely slit every one of our throats to avoid having to experience that shit show from the other side. Imprinting is so fucked up.”

Jared’s long arm shot back at that, hitting Paul hard in the chest so that he stumbled back, almost knocking me to the ground.

Paul snarled and his hand on my arm was painful, even as it kept us both upright. His was still the shortest temper of any of the wolves, and thus he often had the worst control.

But then he laughed, and suddenly he was just Paul again.

Kim made Jared walk with Paul after that, though I could tell she really wanted to cave into his puppy dog eyes.

She linked arms with me instead, grinning us, and turning us away from the car, “Now, for some serious shopping.”

---

It wasn’t until I got home that afternoon tired and carrying a bookstore bag in addition to my dress (thank goodness for Kim), that I realized I’d been hoping that Jacob would show up, even though I knew he had patrol, and that he was terribly behind in school, and probably had a million other things to do too.

Or he just didn’t want to see you.

You’re no good for me Bella.

The remembered words didn’t sound like him in my head, but the sting  (at the moment at least) had nothing to do with the memory of that terrible night in the woods.

I had a nightmare again, of course, recalling that night always resulted in nightmares.

“Bella,” Jake said, eyes sad, in a familiar forest. “I’m no good for you. I’m no better than him.”

“You’re not him, Jake.”

I woke up with tears drying on my face, to curtains blowing against the now open window.

I was alone.

[affectedexistence]

Get to know me tag! I was tagged by @whoshugginghop 

Name: Meg

Birth year: 1991. I was born in a mirror world.

Sign: Fishies do the swim-swim.

Put your playlist on shuffle and name the first five songs

1. “Spirit Cold” Tall Heights

2. “Ribbon” Billie Marten

3. “In the Beginning” Fahrenhaidt, Alice Merton 

4. “The Night We Met” Lord Huron

5. “Until the Levee” Joy Williams

Grab the nearest book and turn to page 23. What’s the 17th line?

All of my book-books are in the closet of doom with all of my other earthly possessions, so picking from the top of my kindle library instead. Which means this is coming from a free Kindle read that I haven’t actually read. I also had to go to page 24 because the Kindle skipped from 22 to 24. Will I ever read this book? Probably not.

“-other faiths and developed her own brand of spirituality. But she hadn’t wanted to-”

(The Snow Gypsy by Lindsay Jayne Ashford)

Ever had a song or poem written about you?

Don’t think so. If you’ve written one about me (or want to take this opportunity to do so), let me know and send it my way. Especially if it’s a diss track. Keep me humble, folks. I do know people who have based characters off of me for their scripts, which has always been super flattering. 

When was the last time you played air guitar?

Probably a week ago, at my dad’s wedding reception. Twas much good times, and the band was fantastic. If you’re in Southern CA, I highly recommend them. They’re OC based, and they’re called Ragdoll. They did a series of classic rock covers and the female vocalist did a great job on Stevie Nicks songs. They were also super fun with the wedding group and let guests come up and sing with them, including the bride and groom. Previous to this, they’ve been one of my dad’s favorite bands, so he was super stoked that they did the reception. Check them out!

Celebrity crush(es)

In the traditional sense of a crush, eh. Ace/Aro here. But in the Friend-Crush kind of way, I think Robbie Sheehan would just be fantastically fun to be around. Him or Brendan Urie. Talented folks who I imagine could only make a person better to be around. 

What’s a sound you hate/love?

hate: chewing (if I can still hear you while wearing headphones blasting my music at full volume, you need to figure that shit out), fireworks (too unpredictable, the fourth of july is a nightmare, I feel nauseous the whole day), crying (not just like light crying, but that broken-hearted, nothing you can do to help, defeated sort of cry where it’s like the person’s soul is trying to flee them. it’s so hard to be around when I know I can’t do anything to help), animal pain shrieks (they deserve nothing but snuggles), background noise (I have tinnitus, which means I’m already sorting through lots of noise in my head to listen to people, when there’s music playing or someone else talking really loudly in the same room, I have a hard time hearing what people are saying because I can’t sift through all of the stimulus, and I hate having to ask them to repeat it five or six times)

love: waves, rain (also the smell of rain is perfection), blasting music in the car, my sister singing, cats purring, that little whine that dogs do when they want ear scratches, weirdly I like the sound of fabric rubbing against fabric (like that sheet noise that happens when you’re all snugged up in bed and you shift and the topsheet rubs against the bottom sheet. I don’t know why, but I really like that sound), towel-drying hair, shower (any kind of running water, honestly), the voices of people I feel safe around (jane, val, my parents, my sister, my new step-sister, my grandma, my cousin, my aunts and uncles)

Do you believe in ghosts?

To me it’s one of those things where I kind of want to believe, and there are times when I get close, but I don’t really believe in them. I think it’s not entirely impossible that if individual particles are capable of time-travel, that many particles could be time-traveling at the same time in which case an impression of a person or figure could be witnessed, but I don’t really believe in souls, so it’s kind of impossible for me to really believe in the traditional sort of ghosts.

Do you believe in aliens?

Insomuch as do other lifeforms exist outside of Earth, obviously. Perhaps even something resembling animal life, even intelligent life. But intelligent humanoids within our ability to contact? Profoundly unlikely.

Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

I love driving, and have driven cross-country six times. I’ve never crashed, though I have been in an accident during one of my cross-country drives where a van pulled into my lane, almost knocked me under a sixteen-wheeler, and then sped off down the next exit when I pulled off to the side. Also of note, I was in a convertible at the time, and if they’d hit me any harder, I probably would have gotten thrown under the trailer and gotten decapitated. 

Last book you read?

Oh, gosh. I couldn’t tell you. I have a tendency to read multiple books at a time and I have been focusing of script reading the past few months. Book-wise, the last few I’ve been cycling through are Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge, The Black Mage series by Rachel E. Carter, and basically any other female protag fantasy I can get my hands on because I love that shit unconditionally. Even the garbage. If it’s staring a female character who defies all expectations put on her by a patriarchal fantasy culture, I will eat it up with my bare fucking hands. SOUND LIKE A STORY YOU KNOW? TELL ME ABOUT IT AND I WILL DEVOUR IT. I also have a soft-spot in my heart for anything fantasy-assassin related.

Do you like the smell of gasoline?

I’m indifferent? It doesn’t bother me, but I’m not going to go shove my face in it.

Last movie you saw?

Bohemian Rhapsody, I’m not big on features but it was alright.

Do you have any obsessions right now?

Umbrella Academy as Vines Compilations. 

Do you tend to hold grudges?

Not if it’s for a wrong done to me, but I will hold a grudge forever if I think someone is fucking with people I care about. Like you can treat me like shit and I’ll probably be able to move past it because I have a lot of issues and I need people to like me, but if you fuck with my family (which for me includes my friends, without question) then I will never forgive or forget.

Are you in a relationship right now?

Yes. I am happily committed to my Playstation 4. Ours is a pure love. We stay up late talking into the wee hours of the morn. We rarely have communication issues, but when we do, I immediately seek to rectify the problem. 

So no. And not looking either. Not my jam.

I’ll tag... YOU! IF YOU’RE READING TO THIS POINT THEN YOU ARE CLEARLY INVESTED AND NOW YOU HAVE TO DO IT, I DON’T MAKE THE RULES, I JUST ANNOUNCE THEM IN ALL CAPS.

[minhoinator]

By My Side, A Hogwarts AU (23/75)

a little change -  The bells in the clock tower chimed, and everyone in Classroom 4F slammed the books shut, hurrying for the door before Professor Binns even stopped talking. History of Magic was their last class for the day, since this was their first half-day of the term. Half-days at Hogwarts came few and far between, and they usually fell on major holidays and the days before vacation.

Today was Halloween, and on top of that, there was a Quidditch game scheduled right after lunch -- Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor.

master list // AO3 // AFF // first year - muggle-born, sorted, first day, homesick, hallowe’en, deck the halls, possibilities, belonging, exceedingly acceptable, return to king’s cross - second year - diagonally, taking flight, ten points, all that glitters, holly jolly, push and pull, shooting stars, special treat, sleepover, promises made - third year - promises kept, troublesome tea

@lockandminkey @minhosbowties @sapphicshawol @shinyexo  @posygal @bumkeyko @usuallydreamin  @taespoon-of-sugar (if anyone else wants to be tagged in this, just let me know!)

A/N: I’m not saying it’s necessary reading, but these are all canon things that have happened between the last chapter and this one that I might be making reference to in this or later chapters... I'm a little behind, as I've been working on getting this chapter out by today (for Megan’s birthday -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY ILY) but I promise I'll get caught up within the next couple of days!

* - * - *

The bells in the clock tower chimed, and everyone in Classroom 4F slammed the books shut, hurrying for the door before Professor Binns even stopped talking. History of Magic was their last class for the day, since this was their first half-day of the term. Half-days at Hogwarts came few and far between, and they usually fell on major holidays and the days before vacation.

Today was Halloween, and on top of that, there was a Quidditch game scheduled right after lunch -- Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor.

“Ready?” Kibum asked Minho as he rolled up their notes and stuffed it into Minho’s backpack.

“I mean,” Minho shrugged before he slipped his backpack on. “I guess.”

“Hey,” he bumped into Minho’s shoulder as they started walking down the corridor on their way to the Great Hall. “At least we’re going to Hogsmeade after.” Minho instantly perked up, his eyes bright as he glanced over at Kibum. “You did remember to get the permission slip signed by your parents, right?”

“Yeah! It was the first thing I did when I got home!” “Good!” They followed the crowd into the Great Hall, Kibum grabbing Minho’s arm before they headed for their tables. “Eat if you’re hungry, okay?” The light in his eyes dimmed slightly, but he nodded as he walked away. Kibum trudged over to his table and slid into his spot beside Analecia. “Excited about Hogsmeade?” she asked him when he started dishing up some soup for himself.

Of course, he was excited. Dad had told him all about the wizarding village years ago. It was where he and Mom had their first date at Madam Puddifoot’s shop. He’d seen the pictures of them around the Shrieking Shack -- which, he had told Kibum specifically to never go there, or else he’d get in trouble. He couldn’t wait to explore the shops with Minho, and Mom had even sent him a couple Galleons to spend during his first visit.

Prices have changed, so I don’t know how much it’ll get you, but do be sure to get yourself a treat of some kind, she said in her letter.

“I am!” Callum said in Kibum’s stead. “Hopefully the game won’t be too long so we can spend as much time there as we can before the feast tonight.” “Yeah, hopefully.”

Kibum stirred his soup, watching the steam curl off the surface. He was halfway done with his soup by the time the Hufflepuff team made their exit, lead by their new tiny female captain. Meg was her name, if Kibum remembered right. Minho said that Tanner had passed on his captain’s pin and the locker room stereo to her after their final game last year.

She seemed to be treating Minho well, which was all he cared about.

By the time Kibum fished the last potato out of the broth, the Gryffindor team was leaving too, the entire table cheering rowdily as they strolled out of the Great Hall. Kibum rolled his eyes, slurped up the rest of his soup, and stood. “I’m heading down there, anyone want to come with?”

Aaron and Callum shared a look, both shaking their heads. “No, I think we’ll wait until everyone else goes.”

Kibum nodded with a sigh. “Okay.”

He hurried downstairs and to his house, sprinting through the common room to get to his dorm. He changed out of his uniform and into casual clothes -- jeans, Dad’s old Weird Sisters band shirt, and the mustard sweater Grandma made him -- as quickly as he could. Soon, he was running back upstairs and down the corridor that lead out to the lawn.

Heavy gray clouds covered the sky, the petrichor from last night’s rain still hanging in the air. The ground was still wet from it, and it drenched his shoes as he ran across the yard to the pitch. Above the stands, the occasional Quidditch player appeared, their red or yellow robes whipping around them as they flew their practice laps around the pitch.

Kibum ducked into the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time as hurried to his usual seat. He sat up straight, craning his neck, searching the yellow robes for Minho’s 10. There he was, down on the pitch, talking with Madam Hooch and what looked like Gryffindor’s Seeker. It wasn’t a long conversation, and soon Minho was walking back to where his team was gathering on the field.

He held his hand out before him, and Kibum scooted forward on the bleachers, wondering if his earlier injury was acting up again. One of the Beaters handed him his broom and they huddled together while Gryffindor did the same several meters away. Kibum glanced around at the stands, which were full of the other students now.

Madam Hooch blew the whistle twice, and both huddles dispersed, standing in their formations on the ground until Hooch blew the whistle again. They shot up into the sky, cheers erupting from the Gryffindor side of the stadium.

Kibum cupped his hands around his mouth, yelling, “Let’s go, Minho!” He waved when Minho looked over at him before the Quaffle was thrown.

* - * - *

Sunlight peered through the clouds as Minho walked out of the hallway and onto the pitch behind the other Hufflepuffs. He yawned, his broom heavy in his hand as he stretched. “Go ahead and start stretching, guys, I’m gonna go talk to Jeffery,” Meg said before she started jogging down the pitch to where Gryffindor was coming out onto the field.

“It’s gotta be weird to play against your boyfriend,” Melissa, the sixth-year Keeper, said once they were all sitting. Minho reached for his toes, resting his forehead on his arm. “At least they’re both captains.”

“Mm.”

“Okay, so what do we remember from their last game?” Zach, the second Chaser, asked. "It was against Slytherin, right?”

Everyone nodded, and Claire, the third Chaser, spoke up. “Manns is getting lazy with his maneuvers. Like, remember last time -- “ Minho switched legs, glancing over at her, “ -- he just, fucking, let that ball through the goal, he didn’t even try to get it.”

“They still won,” Minho muttered.

“I mean, yeah, but it’s still something.”

Cameron, the second Beater, looked away from the opposite end of the field. “I know it’s been a while since we’ve played them, but we gotta remember that they play dirty.”

Sighs scattered through the group, and they all looked up as Meg ran back to them, plopping down on the ground between Marc and Cameron. “Okay so, I overheard Rogers telling Jeffery that Barnes is still not able to play.”

“The flu?”

She nodded, smiling. “So, they’re down their best Chaser and had to sub someone from their second string.”

“Everyone, gather ‘round!” Madam Hooch called from the center of the pitch. They scrambled to their feet, the wet grass squeaking with every step as they ran to meet her. Meg and Jeffery came up to the front of the teams. “Ward is playing for Barnes today?” Hooch asked as she pulled the team cards out of her robe pocket.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She made a quick note before her hawk-like eyes flicked up to meet Meg’s. “Any substitutions for you?”

“Nope.”

Minho rubbed his hands over his face, trying to make himself wake up a little, as Hooch tucked the cards back into her pocket. “Start flying laps to warm up. Seekers, stay here for a minute.” Minho dropped his hands, glancing from Hooch to Damien. The other players darted off, the swoosh of their brooms ricocheting off the walls of the pitch. “Choi, how’s your hand?”

He held out his hand, inspecting his splotchy yellow bruise. “It’s fine. I got it checked out by Madam Pomfrey last week and she said I’m fine to play.”

“That’s good.”

Damien cleared his throat when Hooch started to walk away. “Did you have something to say to both of us?”

She turned, giving them a smirk. “This Snitch is particularly feisty, so be ready for that.”

They watched her walk away from them, Damien taking a couple steps closer. “That’s too bad for you, really. I was gonna say there’s a first time for everything, but...” he sighed and Minho didn’t even bother to acknowledge him. “I would wish you luck, but I don't want to waste my breath, you know?” He patted Minho's shoulder before he turned around.

Minho glanced down at his hand as he walked away, opening and closing his fist and watching the bones move in his hand. “You good, Minho?” Cameron asked, passing him his broom.

“Yup.”

“Guys!” Meg said, standing up on her tiptoes to look over their teammates. “Huddle in.” Minho placed his hand on top of the others, leaning in when Meg lowered her voice. “No matter what, do your best out there, okay?” Everyone nodded, watching her as she looked at each of them. “That’s all I care about. That we go out there, have fun, and do the best we can.” She placed her hand on top of the pile, squeezing Minho’s hand tightly. “One, two, three -- “

“Badgers!”

“Lions!” sounded from the other side of the field a couple seconds after.

Hooch blew her whistle twice. “Okay, get in your positions.”

They all jogged across the field, Minho breaking away from Meg and Cameron to stand before them and behind Zach and Claire. Marc stood at the center of the pitch with Jeffery opposite him, and Melissa jogged to her place behind the Beaters. Hooch inspected the numbers on their backs, just to make sure everyone was in their proper place. When she blew her whistle again, Minho dropped his broom, letting it bob in the air before he mounted it.

His shoulders fell when the cheers sounded from the Gryffindor side of the pitch as they all took to the sky. They all looked so happy to be there; they weren’t resigned to losing. Again.

"Let’s go, Minho!", faint as it was, cut through Gryffindor’s excited whooping and hollering. Sighing, he turned to the Hufflepuff/Slytherin stands with a small smile. The weight on his heart lifted, if only slightly, and the toss of the Quaffle drew his attention back to the other players.

Possession went to Gryffindor. Minho listened for Meg’s signal, and it came with three taps of her bat against her broomstick. “Three, okay,” he murmured to himself as he flew up and out of the way just in time before Cameron blew past him to get into his new position. Jeffery shouted orders to his own team, but Minho could barely hear him over the sound of the wind whipping past his ears.

He cringed when one of Gryffindor’s Chasers crashed into Claire to get her from catching the Quaffle. She was almost knocked off her broom, and Minho listened for the whistle indicating a foul that never came. Minho tried to fly down to see if she was alright, but she recentered herself on her broom and darted away before he could.

Shaking his head, he started scanning the arena and the sky for any glimpse of the Snitch.

“Ten points for Hufflepuff!”  Marjory Phillips called from the announcers stand, and Minho turned to see Marc and Cameron flying back toward the center. Minho briefly clapped, catching himself when he started to lose his balance.

Zach flew up to him, glancing back as the next play was getting set up -- Meg had tapped her broomstick once. “See anything yet?” Minho shook his head and Zach patted his shoulder before he flew to his new position while Minho shot up above the stands to start doing his laps.

He passed Damien, who had been hovering on the center line since the Quaffle was thrown, without sparing him a glance. The Snitch still hadn’t made its appearance, and Minho started his second lap, scrutinizing every angle as he flew around the pitch.

There was a flash of gold in the corner of his eye, but by the time he turned his head, it was gone. Luckily, it didn’t look like Damien noticed it.

There came a crack from his left, and Minho glanced over to see a Bludger rocketing toward him. He pulled back before it clipped his broomstick and threw him into a spin, watching the Bludger as it returned to the Gryffindor Beater. The Beater’s attention turned from Minho to Cameron, who flew below him, and he started to swing his arm back, aiming for Cameron.

“Cameron, look out!” he yelled, whether out loud or just in his head, Minho wasn’t sure. Regardless, Cameron didn’t hear him, and without a second thought, Minho bore down on his broom and rushed to push him out of the Bludger’s trajectory.

“Minho, what the h -- “ he started to ask, his eyes widening when the Bludger rammed into Minho’s ankle with a crack.

The pain didn’t register, at first. Instead, his left ankle and foot went numb and tingly in an instant. The force of the hit almost knocked him off of his broom, but luckily Cameron caught his arm before he completely lost his balance. The Gryffindor Beater flew away before Minho and Cameron could look back at him.

“You okay?”

Minho struggled to answer, his ankle beginning to throb. When he finally opened his mouth, there was a glimmer of gold behind Cameron. He blinked hard once, twice, then pushed Cameron away from him as he shot after the Snitch.

Wind whipped around him, the chill cutting through him as he followed the flitting path of the Snitch. At some moments, it was so close he could almost graze it with his fingertips, and then a second later, it would dip and launch itself away from him. It didn’t take long before Damien swooped in beside him, reaching out the catch the Snitch for himself.

His hand tightened on his broomstick as he stretched closer to it, watching it swoosh back and forth in front of them. It had been flying straight for a few seconds, that meant it would probably change in the blink of an eye. The last two changes in direction, it had shot upward, but this time...it would probably dip down and away from them.

Even if he were wrong, he didn’t really have much to lose, right?

Minho dropped away from Damien before the Snitch’s flight changed, his broomstick dragging on the ground. A second later, the Snitch darted before his eyes and he lunged for it, losing his grip on his broom and tumbling to the ground.

It took him a second the catch his breath.

He rolled over, his breath hitching as he twisted his ankle, and stared up at the cloud-covered sky. Deep breath in; deep breath out. He brushed his hair off of his sweat-drenched forehead and squinted as the sun reappeared between the clouds. His brow furrowed when something fluttered in his hand and he held it up, opening his fist. Minho’s eyes widened as the Snitch’s wings fluttered again and curled around itself.

He did it...He finally caught the Snitch.

Groaning, he sat up and looked across the pitch to the Hufflepuff/Slytherin stands, squinting when he thought he saw a patch of the yellow of Kibum’s sweater at the forefront. Minho pushed himself up, wincing as he leaned on his good ankle, and held the Snitch up high to show Kibum.

“Choi Minho has caught the Snitch! Hufflepuff wins!”

The arena erupted in cheers, and above them all, Minho was sure he could hear Kibum.

* - * - *

“Ten points to Hufflepuff!”

Kibum held himself back from cheering with the Hufflepuffs in the stands, instead opting to clap with the other Slytherins who also didn’t want to see Gryffindor win. The players started flying again, becoming a confusing mix of red and yellow in the sky. It took him a second to find Minho again, his eyes trailing after him as he flew above the play and started a lap around the arena.

He let out a quick whoop! when Minho blew past them on his way around the pitch. Once he was on the other side, he stopped abruptly, looking around. Had he spotted the Snitch? Minho pulled up on his broomstick when a Bludger blazed past him. Kibum huffed, glaring at the Gryffindor Beater who was raising his bat to strike again, and his attention turned back to Minho as he darted to his teammate.

A shock coursed through him when the Bludger connected with Minho’s foot, and he grabbed Aaron’s sleeve when Minho almost fell off his broom. He closed his eyes when a wave of nausea hit him. “Is he okay?”

“I…think so. It looks like he spotted the Snitch.”

Kibum opened his eyes, finding Minho again quickly enough. His flight path was erratic, which definitely meant he was following the Snitch. Soon, Damien was at his side, reaching out to grab Snitch. Kibum’s brow furrowed when Minho dived below Damien, diving toward the lawn. He wasn’t sure if Minho jumped off or if his broomstick caught on something, but Kibum’s breath hitched and he shot to his feet when Minho fell off of his broom and rolled on the field.

“He…he’s not getting up. Aaron, he’s not getting up.”

Before Aaron could respond, Minho turned over, and Kibum weaved around the others in the bleachers to stand at the banister. He held up his hand – had he hurt that again, too? – staring at it for a second before he eventually stood holding his hand up proudly.

“Choi Minho has caught the Snitch! Hufflepuff wins!“

The cheering behind him and around the stadium was deafening, that Kibum almost couldn’t hear himself yelling “That’s my best friend! He – Minho! You did it, buddy!” Kibum was pretty sure his heart was about to jump out of his chest, and if he was this excited, he couldn’t even imagine how happy Minho was at this moment.

Grinning, Kibum found him on the field again, staggering towards his approaching teammates. Oh…right. In the excitement, Kibum had forgotten that he was hurt. The others in the stands had crowded around him now, so much so that he had to push around people to get to the stairs. He ran down the steps and outside to the Hufflepuff hallway, hurrying down the hall to the open doors leading to the pitch.

He stopped at the threshold, staring at the cluster of players landing on the field. Was he even allowed to come out onto the pitch? Maybe not, but the question right now was did he care if he couldn’t? The answer to that was a solid no. Kibum jogged out, catching up to the rest of the players, and rushed to where Minho was now sitting again, his captain and Madam Hooch crouched beside him and inspecting his ankle.

“Hey!” Minho said, his eyes bright and cheerful, even as he winced when Hooch turned his ankle. He patted the ground beside him and Kibum sat down, their shoulders brushing together. “Wanna see it?”

Kibum nodded, and Minho held out the Snitch, passing it to him.

It was heavier than Kibum imagined it would be, given how small it was. He closed his fist around it and grinned at Minho. “I knew you could do it.” Minho’s smile turned bashful as he looked down at his hands. “I’m so proud of you.”  Kibum handed the Snitch back to Minho and slid his arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer as Madam Pomfrey approached them.

Minho audibly winced as she untied his shoe and Kibum rubbed his shoulder, hopefully soothing him, if only slightly. She carefully slipped it off and passed it to Hufflepuff’s captain. “I’m going to roll your ankle a little to see what your range of motion is, alright?” Slowly, she started rotating his swollen ankle, and Kibum’s hold on Minho’s shoulder tightened.

Far above them, announcements were being made. Kibum wasn’t listening, but one of the Minho's teammates hunkered down beside the captain. “Hey,” he said in a poorly concealed whisper. “The group for Hogsmeade is leaving soon…is it okay if we go?”

“Sure. Good job today, guys!” she said, waving the rest of the team away before she returned her attention back to Minho.

“Well, it’s a probable fracture, but I won’t know for sure until we get you back to the infirmary.” She took her wand out from the waist of her apron and pointed it at Minho’s ankle. “Ferula!” A bandage appeared out of thin air, wrapping itself tightly around his ankle. Pomfrey glanced between the captain and Kibum. “Who’s going to help him get to the castle?”

“I will,” they said, both glancing at each other.

“You don’t have to,” Minho said, speaking in quiet Korean. “You can go to Hogsmeade.”

Kibum scoffed. “This is just the first trip. There'll be more. Why the fuck would I go without you?”

"Bummie..." Minho’s eyes widened, his already flushed face growing a deeper shade of red. “We can’t say that. Do you want to get in trouble?”

“What, can they speak Korean?”

Blinking, Minho looked back at the captain and Madam Pomfrey, who were watching him with concern. A smile played with the corners of his lips as he met Kibum’s eyes again. “Fuck!”

Both of them started to giggle, stopping when Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat. “I’ll stay and help,” Kibum said to them, glancing over at the captain.

“Are you sure?” she asked, and Kibum nodded. “Okay,” she said apprehensively, looking back at Minho and grinning. “You did so good! I’m so proud of you!” Minho’s smile turned shy again as she patted his knee. “I’ll get you something from Honeydukes, okay?” He nodded and she started running down the field.

Pomfrey stood, looking down at Minho. “I’ll go get a bed ready for you.”

“Okay.”

Kibum rubbed his shoulder before moving his hand down to Minho’s waist. “Think you can stand, buddy?” He pushed himself up, pulling Minho up with him. Both of them staggered as they tried to steady themselves, Minho on one leg and Kibum under the added weight. He stayed still, watching Minho as his breathing steadied. “Ready?”

Minho nodded with a sigh. “Let’s go.”

[orphanbrigade]

All That Glitters

Orphan Brigade [High School Years]: Geoffs boys are growing up fast. They’re attending High School, meeting girls and participating in epic heists.

(I’ve posted this one in sections before, but here’s the whole thing)

(Warning: Contains guns and violence)

Ryan had no-one to blame but himself.

He never should have mentioned it.

But for their latest heist, they needed someone to go undercover at a glitzy, socialite fundraiser ball.

Jack instantly dismissed Ryan as being unsuitable for the role.

“It’s nothing personal Ryan. But it’s the same social circle as your family. Your parents might even be there themselves. There’s too much risk that you’ll be spotted.

“Ah, but you’re forgetting that it’s a themed event.” Ryan explained casually. “And this year it’s masquerade. Everyone will be wearing masks.”

“Still-”

“I’m the only one with the training to pull this off.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “I’m the only one who knows how these events work. I know the posture, the greetings, the dances-”

“Dances?” Jeremy interjected.

“…Well, it’s a ball. There’s always dancing.”

Jeremy struggled to contain his laughter at the mental image.

“You can dance Ry?” Gavin laughed, thoroughly amused.

“Yeah, I do it all the time with your girlfriend.” Ryan countered impassively.

The room erupted in laughter and jeering from the Lads (and Geoff) at Gavin’s expense.

“Okay, okay!” Jack managed to regain order. “Ryan, You’ll be our way in then. As long as you wear a mask the whole time.”

“And not the skull mask.” Michael added, still snickering.

“You got it.” Ryan nodded, a determined look on his face.

Ryan had his signature mask. The black skull which represented his darker side; the Vagabond.

But over the years he had accumulated a number of different masks from various themed heists (usually the ones orchestrated by the lads). He opened the drawer which housed them all and searched for something which would be appropriate for the masquerade.

He smirked to himself when he spotted the wolf mask. The theme of the ball was fairy-tales, so he would fit in perfectly as the Big Bad Wolf.

A knock on his bedroom door broke his train of thought, he dropped the mask into his bag before opening the door.

“You’re going?” Meg asked, without prelude.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Ryan responded coyly.

“Cut the crap Ry. Gavin already told me.” Meg walked into the room, dropping down to sit on Ryan’s bed.

“Okay, yes. I’m going. But I’ll wear my mask the whole time so no-one should notice me.”

“They’ll notice a big guy like you all alone. You’ll draw attention to yourself. You need some arm candy.” Meg flicked her hair over her shoulder.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ll go with you. Help you blend in more and draw the attention away from you.”

“I don’t know…”

“It’s not that dangerous, right? Gavin didn’t explain the whole plan to me, but it seems simple enough. And I’ll be there anyway, my families dragging me along. I might as well do something fun while I’m there.”

“It’s not a game Meg.” Ryan warned tensely.

“I know that. But it’s still exciting!”

Ryan weighed up the pros and cons. He figured that the mission had a very low risk factor. He couldn’t envision many ways for it to become a dangerous situation and even if it did, he was confident in his abilities to keep Meg safe.

“Fine. But I’m in charge.��

“You got it boss.” Meg winked and saluted before jumped up and leaving, eager to tell Gavin the news.

It wasn’t a comfortable environment for Ryan, but it was certainly a familiar one.

The large ball-room twinkled with warm light radiating from the chandeliers. A string quartet sat up on the stage, their music mixing with the sound of chattering party attendees. Everyone was dressed to impress, expensive tuxedos, dazzling ballgowns and, most importantly, their masquerade masks.

Meg fit in perfectly. She wore a tight fitting black dress, with a blood red cape draped over her shoulders. A red and black masquerade mask concealed her eyes.The Little Red Riding Hood to his Big Bad Wolf. “Come on.” She smirked, eyes glinting with mischief. “Let’s go dance.”

Ryan and Meg has always been each others dancing partners. Their parents had been close and had encouraged the two to spend time together, especially during formal events. They were well trained in dance and familiar with each others movements and timing. It was second nature at this point.

Ryan rested on hand on Megs waist and held her hand with the other. He laughed as Meg started to hum the theme song from Beauty and The Beast, “I’m not that kind of beast.” He pointed out as they swayed across the dance-floor, his voice somewhat muffled by his wolf mask.

“You’re not a beast at all.” Meg retorted. “Now be quiet and let me have my Disney moment.”

As the next song started to play, Meg tensed. “Your parents are here.”

Ryan didn’t look.

“Have you seen them? Since…. you know?” Meg asked, vaguely alluding to Ryan’s college graduation party, when a rival gang had burst into his family’s home looking for the Vagabond. Ryan had revealed his criminal identity, dealt with the attackers, then ran. He was surprised nothing had gotten out to the press. He assumed his parents had paid for everyone’s silence.

“No.” Ryan replied bluntly. “They haven’t tried to get in touch either. No calls, texts, emails. Nothing. I’m just giving them space.”

“If you want to talk to them…”

Ryan shook his head. “It’s fine Meg. Don’t worry about it. Worry about the job the hand.”

“Right.” Meg nodded. “Find the banker. Steal his key…. What banks still use keys?”

“The key isn’t to the bank. It’s to his home.”

“… I don’t think I want to know any more.”

“Probably not.” Ryan nodded in agreement. “Come on, let’s mingle.”

While Meg was distracted by an old friend, Ryan took the opportunity to find them something to drink. He soon found a bar and waited to be served. While he waited, Ryan took a moment to survey the party, looking as casual as he possibly could. He hadn’t seen his target yet, but it was only a matter of time.

“James?” A familiar voice jolted Ryan out of his quiet surveillance.

A quick glance to the side confirmed what Ryan had feared. His father, Thomas Haywood, was stood right next to him.

Luckily, Ryan’s face was totally disguised by his wolf mask. “…No.” He mumbled, doing his best to disguise his voice.

“Ryan.” Thomas continued, knowing that, for some reason, his son preferred to use his middle name.

“I think you have the wrong person.” Ryan stated, trying not to panic.

His father smiled fondly. “Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just you remind me of my son. He ran away from home recently and I see him everywhere.”

“…Oh?” Ryan prompted, morbidly curious.

“Yes. We’ve tried to give him his space, but it’s difficult, you know?” Thomas took a long swig of his drink. This surprised Ryan who had never really seen his father drink alcohol before. “You try to do the best you can but sometimes its just… not good enough.”

“What happened?” Ryan found himself asking. He knew that he should have left the second he spotted his parents, but he found himself rooted to the ground, desperate to hear more.

“He was a good kid.” Thomas expanded, ordering another drink. Ryan wondered how many he had consumed already. “Top of his class. Active in extra curriculum stuff. Not very sociable with kids his age. But kids are jerks. I don’t blame him.”

Ryan suppressed a chuckle.

“I don’t know what happened. Our good little kid started doing bad things… Now he’s a criminal. I don’t know what we did wrong.”

“It’s not your fault.” Ryan assured him.

“How can you be so sure?” Thomas challenged, swallowing his drink in one swift swig.

“Some people are just… like that.” Ryan tried to explain. “There’s no reasoning behind it. No tragic backstory which lead to a life of crime. It’s just… who they are. Nature over nurture I suppose.”

“I wish we could have done more…”

“… Try reaching out to him. Maybe if you talked, you’d understand more about him?”

“You-” Before Thomas could finish his thought, the firm hand of his wife pressed down on his shoulder. “Martha.”

“Come on Dear.” She responded firmly, clearly not impressed with his drinking. “We really should be leaving.”

“Have you met my new acquaintance here? Mr…?”

“Perrault.” Ryan responded quickly.

“Well, Mr Perrault.” Ryan’s mother flashed him an apologetic smile. “We really must be going.”

Everyone jumped as a barrage of gun fire could be heard at the main entrance. Ryan sighed when he spotted Craig, one of the heads of the Screw Attack Crew, with one arm around a hostage. He was using his free hand to wave a gun around menacingly. “Everyone listen up!” Craig demanded. “This is a robbery. I want every cent of your money or the girl here gets it.” He pressed the gun to the temple of the girls head. Ryan snarled when he realised that it was Meg that was being threatened.

“Someone has to do something.” Martha Haywood gasped quietly.

“I’m on it.” Ryan stated confidently, striding towards the hostage situation. He had no plan. But he knew that he wasn’t going to let anyone harm a single hair on Meg’s head.

Ryan confidently pushed his way through the fearful crowd until he was face to face with the gang leader, who now had two other members of his crew flanking him.

“Let her go.” Ryan warned them firmly.

“Oooh.” Craig smirked. “Look boys. It’s the big bad wolf.”

The crew snickered as menacingly as they could.

“Wonder who’s under the mask.” Chad, another member of the Screw Attack Crew, mused aloud. “Probably some spoiled, preppy little rich kid. If this your girlfriend, Wolf-boy?” He asked, gesturing towards the captive Meg.

“I’m not a Wolf-Boy.” Ryan pulled his mask off to reveal his painted face. He found that even the face paint was enough to install fear into people who knew about Los Santos criminals. Which is why he had decided to apply it, even under the masquerade mask. He let the mask drop to the floor. “I’m the mother-fucking Vagabond.”

There was a collection of gasps from the party goers. Even some shrieks from people who found the Vagabond to be far more of a threat than the crew currently holding them hostage.

Before Craig had a chance to speak, an explosion rocked the side of the building and chaos broke loose as the attendees of the party yelled,screamed and clambered to the exits.

“Son of a-” Ryan darted forward, breaking Craig’s nose with a quick jab and yanked Meg away from him. “Time to leave.” He pulled her through the panicked crowd, pausing only when he spotted his parents cowering behind the bar.After a moment of inner debate, Ryan raced over to them. “Get up.” He demanded.

“What..?” Ryan’s mother started to ask.

“If you stay here, the next explosion could kill you. Get up and follow me.”

Ryan led Meg, Thomas and Martha Haywood out of the ballroom and onto the streets of Los Santos.

“What about everyone else?” Ryan’s mother asked quietly.

“I’m not Batman. I can’t save everyone. We have to get out of here. That explosion could cause one hell of a chain reaction.”

The escaped into a relatively empty alleyway. The presence of the Vagabond scared away any would-be muggers.

“Ryan… sweet-heart. I think we need to have a little talk.” Martha started, somewhat nervously.

Ryan sighed before taking a wet wipe out of his pocket. In one swift motion, he removed most of his face paint. “Come on then, lets get coffee.”

“I’ll leave you guys to it.” Meg stated, prepared to walk away.

“No.” Ryan wanted the support, but was too stubborn to admit to it.”I’d rather keep an eye on you. You know, in case the crew comes after you again.”

Meg gave Ryan a small smile. “Sure thing. I know a great coffee place a few blocks from here.” She informed them in a cheery tone. “Follow me.”

Ryan exited the cafe and let out a heavy sigh of relief. He hadn’t realised that he had been holding his breath, but now his lungs felt like they were ready to collapse.

The time spent talking to his parents had been tense but comforting and Ryan left the cafe feeling a little less alone.

Realising that he hadn’t brought any means of transport with him, Ryan started the long walk back to the penthouse.

The silence of his walk was broken as his phone vibrated, letting him know that Gavin was calling him. “Y’ello.”

“Hey Ryan, um...” Gavin sounded nervous. Ryan couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was clear that Gavin wanted to ask him something. “Could you-..” Gavin stopped himself before finishing the sentence.

“Jesus Christ.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “Spit it out already.”

“Could you teach me how to dance?”

“.... Excuse me?”

“Well, Meg invited me to this big party her parents are throwing her for her birthday. And I want to impress her. And her parents. So I need to fit in. And I figured that would be easier if I could, you know, dance and stuff.”

Ryan smiled. “I can teach you. I’ll be home late tonight, but we can have a class in the morning if you want?”

“Sounds great! Thanks Rye.”

That morning Ryan awoke to find the whole family (plus Michael’s girlfriend Lindsay) waiting for him in the living room.

“....Is this some kind of intervention?” Ryan asked suspiciously. “Because I’d rather die than give up diet coke.”

Michael laughed. “No dumb-ass, it’s a dance lesson. Right?”

Ryan looked at Gavin, his eyes narrowing into a glare.

“It’s not my fault!” Gavin squeaked. “Michael found out and told Lindsay. Who told Jeremy. Who told Ray. Who told Geoff and Jack. And, well, here we are.”

“Ready to learn.” Jack added with a smile.

“... You all want to learn how to ballroom dance?” Ryan clarified. “After laughing at me for knowing how.”

“Pretty much.” Ray confirmed with a sly smirk. “We’re fickle like that.”