#or more recently when i tried to show him moods and modes and he pulled the whole ‘that’s nice dear’

[josiebelladonna]

my dad is such a putz 

[arvinsescape]

Attention.

A/N: I’m back! Felt ready to post something, I’m not sure on a schedule yet but I’m going to try and start posting a few things again! Things are looking better at the minute and I’m in a better head space.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of smut.

W/C: 5.1K.

Your chest tightened the longer you sat there, glass of wine in your hand as you slouched in your chair. The tears you felt building behind your eyes burning your eyeballs as you blinked rapidly to hold them back. You knew he’d been distant recently, spending less time with you over the last couple of weeks but you hoped tonight that’d change, apparently not. You’d been sat here now for forty-five minutes waiting for Tom to show up and so far? Nothing.

The looks you were receiving from the waitress were beginning to annoy you, you hated pity, you really did. She knew who you were and who you were waiting for, she’d served you many times before in this restaurant, she was lovely and probably didn’t mean anything by her pitiful looks. You reached for the bottle of wine as you refilled your glass, the waitress making her way over.

“Are you ready to order?” She asked and you looked up at her with a sad smile receiving one in return.

“I’ll just take the bill please.” You said in defeat as she nodded in understanding and disappeared. You almost jumped in your seat as the one across from you scraped across the floor, Tom making an appearance.

“I’m so sorry darling, I got held up.” He said as he reached for your hand across the table, you gave him a tight-lipped smile and allowed him to place his hand over yours. Not wanting to cause a scene. “You look beautiful.” He said as he ran his thumb along the back of your hand and you smiled at him.

“Thank you.” You sighed out and he furrowed his brows.

“Are you okay?” He asked and you nodded. “You sure? I’m sorry I was fifteen minutes late baby.” Baby it made your heart flip in your chest, he hadn’t called you that in almost three weeks, it was always your favourite pet name he gave you. That and Princess had the ability to make you crumble at his feet but not right now, the ache in your chest intensifying.

“Forty-five.” You corrected quietly and his furrow deepened as the waitress returned, bill in hand. She looked almost as surprised as you had to see Tom sat across from you.

“Do you still want the bill?” She asked and before you could speak Tom interrupted.

“No, sorry to mess you around but I got my times mixed up. I think we’re good to eat now?” Tom asked you and you shrugged in response. Tom and the waitress both looking at you for a straight answer. You felt bad holding her up and messing her around, it was a busy night for her, you could see that.

“Yeah, we’re good. I’m sorry for messing you around.” You smiled apologetically and she smiled in response, dismissing your panic and taking Tom’s drinks order and yours for a second bottle of wine.

“Darling- “

“Don’t Tom, I’m not in the mood.” You interrupted and he nodded slightly in response, neither of you a fan of making a scene in public. “How was your day?” You asked as you took in a deep breath, ready to make this as civil as possible. Tom sensed it, he knew this was going to be short lived, the civility between the two of you would end as soon as you stepped foot through the door to your home.

“It was, yeah, it was good, nothing to report.” He shrugged and your anger brewed, he was late, got held up but didn’t have anything to report? “Yours?”

“Yeah, was good, busy day in the office but other than that it was fine.” You said with a small smile.

This continued on, the dinner being far from what you’d been hopeful for. You ate, made small talk, finished your drinks, paid the bill and walked home. It was cold on the walk home, your arms covered in goosebumps, silently cursing yourself for not bringing a jacket. You rubbed your hands along your arms to try and create friction and warm your cold arms.

“Here.” Tom said as he handed you his blazer, you were feeling stubborn, wanting to give him the cold shoulder.

“I’m good.” You said.

“Y/N,” he warned, he knew he was in the wrong, but that didn’t stop him worrying about you and being his usual protective self. “I know you’re angry with me and we’re gonna talk about it but you’re cold, please don’t be so stubborn, I don’t want you to get ill.” He said as he placed the blazer around your shoulders.

Your heart lifted as you became encased in his warmth, became encased in his scent you’d missed over the last couple of weeks. You pulled the blazer on properly, hands digging into the pockets to try and warm them up, it was working, slowly, nothing like when it was in Tom’s but that wasn’t an option right now. The feeling of dread hit you as you made your way up the driveway and into the house, the inevitable argument you were about to have settling in your chest.

You made your way into the living room, Tom following carefully behind as you took your heels off and greeted Tess, bag finding its way to the floor. You took in the living room, the TV in standby but the orange light of his PlayStation catching your eye. It was in rest mode, a sign he’d been on it before heading out to meet you and showed his intention of firing it back up when he returned. It made your blood boil, that’s why he was late.

“Darling..” he trailed off as he watched the realisation set in on your face.

“Were you late because you were gaming with the boys?” You asked and watched as Tom cringed at how awful it sounded.

“I swear I lost track of time.” He defended and you nodded as you walked passed him and into the kitchen. “Princess, I’m sorry.” He said as he followed you, your eyes moving to the calendar on the fridge. Your hand writing catching your eye, you had written the correct time, you’d reminded him that morning as well. “Y/N/N?” He asked carefully and you spun on your heel to look at him.

“You’re an arsehole.” You stated simply and he let out a sigh as he nodded.

“I know. I swear I thought you said half seven, not seven.”

“You would still have been late.”

“I lost track of time.”

“Thought you got caught up?” You fired back and his face fell.

“Come on, I’m trying here.”

“Really hard, I noticed.” You spat out sarcastically and you saw the flash of confusion behind his eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, I’m just used to it at the minute.” You shrugged as you walked passed him again and up the stairs, Tom hot on your heels.

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter, go back and play with the boys, I’m sure that was how you wanted this evening to turn out.” You said, voice far more stern than you’d expected considering the heart ache and tears that were starting to take over at the situation.

“I’m confused here, I know I was late today but I feel like I’m missing something else.” He said as you walked into the bathroom.

“Just me.” You mumbled out in hopes he wouldn’t hear you but he did. Your hand moving to the shower to turn it on and let it warm up.

“What?” He asked, a hint of anger to his tone.

“Nothing, just leave me alone.” You snapped.

“I don’t want to, you’re obviously upset with me and I want to know what’s going on.” He said, arms crossed over his chest.

“Makes a change.” You spat at him and his face turned to one of anger, you were both growing more and more irritated with one another.

“You gonna tell me what you mean by that? Or are we gonna continue with the riddles?” He asked, voice stern. Although he knew he’d fucked up, he hated when you got into one of these moods when you were either too angry or too upset to be straight with him.

“Can you just leave me alone while I shower?” You asked and he huffed before making his way out of the bathroom and you slammed the door shut, locking it for good measure. You needed to get your thoughts straight, pull yourself together and allow yourself to cry, you’d wanted to all evening.

You took your dress off throwing it into the basket as you undressed and got into the shower, letting the warm water raise your temperature, the walk home had left you cold. You let the tears fall as you let the heart ache set in, a part of you wondered if he didn’t know he was doing it, but then wouldn’t he miss you too? Wouldn’t he miss the closeness you’d not had for a couple of weeks.

Another, more insecure part of you wondered if he’d met someone else, he hadn’t touched you in a good few weeks, not in that way. It was unusual for you not to be all over each other, not when he was home, so it left you wondering if he just wasn’t interested anymore. It wasn’t that you hadn’t tried, you had, wearing things around the house that usually got him going but recently his eyes would flick from the TV and then back to it. The tears fell faster at the thought, you loved him, god you loved him more than you could bare at times.

You finished up your shower as you tried to compose yourself, letting the anger set in because you couldn’t focus on the heart ache right now. You’d just cry in front of him and you didn’t want to do that right now. You got changed into your pajama pants, they felt strange to wear because you barely wore them, a hoody was pulled over your head as you placed your hands into the pocket.

You made your way back into the living room where Tom was, the TV still off which surprised you. Tom’s head snapped in your direction, his eyebrows raised at your attire, it was unusual for him to see you in pajama pants, you usually wore them when you were ill and trying to cling to any warmth that you could. You couldn’t shift your thoughts from your head, the thought that he just wasn’t attracted to you anymore.

“Tom,” you let out in an almost pleading way, the anger you wanted to hold onto slipping. His eyes found yours and softened at the clear sadness and heart break in them. He moved carefully from the couch, making his way over to you, standing in front of you as you found his feet suddenly interesting.

“Hey,” he said as he placed a hand under your chin and tilted your face to look at him. Your eyes were red and rimmed with tears threatening to spill. “Talk to me.” He almost pleaded, voice soft.

“I” you started before a sob choked your throat. “I miss you.” You said as you fell into his chest and cried into it, your hands fisting his shirt as your tears stained it. One of his hands found your back whilst the other found your hair, massaging your scalp slowly.

“I’m right here princess.” He said as he stroked your hair. Your anger rose at that, he had no idea how distant he’d been.

“You haven’t been.” You said sternly as you pushed back from his chest and took a step back, his hands falling from your frame.

“What? I’ve literally been home for a month.” He said, confusion evident.

“Not really, your precious boys have been more important than me.” You spat, that anger you wanted to hold onto was back and you didn’t want to let go of it.

“What do you mean?”

“Your fucking PlayStation Tom. Your golf dates with them. Your complete lack of any sort of interest in me.” You shouted at him and he huffed, his own anger taking over.

“I think you’re being a little dramatic. I’ve been here, I’ve been with you. I miss the boys too you know.” He said, voice colder than you was expecting.

“I get that, I do.” You acknowledged. “But you don’t come to bed with me anymore, in fact you come to bed when I’ve fallen asleep these days. You fail to tell me when you’re going to play golf with the boys, I find out in the morning when you’re already set to go. I asked you to give me your sole attention tonight and you couldn’t, the boys coming first.”

“I have apologized for tonight, I don’t know what more you want. I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve been prioritizing the boys, I haven’t meant to.” He said that coldness still in his voice.

“It’s not just that. You’re dismissive, if you’re not online with the boys you’re playing some shite and that takes all your attention.” You said, you’d created a distance between the two of you, your arms now folded across your chest, mirroring him.

“So you want attention?” He spat out.

“Don’t patronize me.” You spat back as you pointed a finger at him. “You don’t call me anything other than my name at the moment, the last couple of hours have been rare in the past couple of weeks. You haven’t touched me.” You said, anger faltering slightly in the last sentence.

“What are you talking about? That’s not true. Not touched you? I distinctly remember you straddling my lap the other day.” He shouted at you.

“To try and get your attention Tom.” You said, anger falling from your voice. “To try and get you to notice I’m still here. We didn’t exactly do anything, you didn’t even turn your fucking console off. Tom, you haven’t slept with me in almost three weeks.”

“You know, if you wanted me to come off my console, you could’ve asked.”

“I shouldn’t have to.” You said sadly and his face fell, the anger was disappearing for the both of you now.

“Look, I’m sorry…” He started as you interrupted him, a question that had the room falling to silence.

“Is there someone else?” You voiced your insecurity, your true fear of why he was so distant. He’d been back a month, you’d slept together once and he barely made time for you, what if he had found someone whilst he was away. You knew he hadn’t cheated, he wouldn’t, you knew that but that didn’t mean he couldn’t become attracted to someone that wasn’t you.

“I haven’t cheated on you.” He said softly after a while, stepping towards you carefully.

“That wasn’t what I asked.” You said as the tears started again, your hand that was wrapped in the sleeve of your hoody coming to wipe at your face. It wasn’t long before Tom’s hand encased it and pulled it from your face, his eyes finding your own, the heartbreak in them was so evident you regretted ever asking the question.

“Baby, no. There isn’t anyone else, not for me. I would never, I couldn’t, you’re perfect princess.” He spoke and it was so honest that it pushed that insecurity way into the back of your mind again. “I’m sorry.” He spoke, your hands in his as a tear made its way down his face.

“I just want your attention Tom. Not all the time, I understand you miss the boys, I do. But I miss you too Tom, I didn’t say anything because I thought tonight would fix everything but it just made it worse.” You spoke more to yourself than him. “I just feel like you haven’t missed me half as much as I’ve missed you.” You finished and with that you took your hands from his and made your way upstairs, leaving Tom with his own thoughts.

You went into the bedroom, closing and locking the door as you made your way into bed, pulling the covers over your frame as you cried into your pillow. It was almost half an hour later when you heard Tom try the door, you could almost imagine his face when he realised it was locked, this wasn’t something you’d done even in your worst shouting matches.

“Baby,” he called and you heard his forehead make contact with the wood of the door. “Can you open the door for me? I just wanna hold you, I’m so sorry.” You heard the sadness in his voice, the pure heart break with himself.

“Tom, I just wanna be on my own right now.” You said, it felt contradictory to the argument you’d had but you just wanted to be by yourself at the minute.

“Okay, you know where I am if you need me.” You heard him sigh as he disappeared. It took a while but eventually sleep took over.

**

You woke up to an alarm blaring and Tess barking furiously, it startled you awake as you bolted out of bed, unlocked the door and flew down the stairs. You had to stifle a laugh as you took in the sight in the kitchen, Tom was batting a tea towel across the fire alarm as Tess barked and ran in circles around his feet.

You quickly made your way over to the kitchen door, opening it as Tess shot out, you made your way to the window and opened those too. Tom looked at you with an embarrassed smile gracing his lips as the smoke made its way from the kitchen and outside.

“Sorry.” He said once the alarm had stopped blaring. You laughed as you looked around the kitchen, it looked as though a bomb had gone off.

“What were you doing?” You asked amused.

“Making you breakfast.” He said shyly as he bit his lip.

“That was never gonna be a good idea, unless it was cold.” You teased and he laughed, it was no secret he wasn’t the best cook in the house.

“I’m sorry, I was just, I don’t know.” He concluded as he watched you begin to clean the kitchen. “I didn’t mean to wake you up so abruptly either.”

“It’s okay.” Your heart warmed, you know what he was trying to do and it felt like a small step in the right direction. “I know what you were trying to do.” You said as you made your way in front of him and kissed his cheek. “I appreciate it.” The atmosphere was way better than last night but there was still a sadness in the air.

“You locked me out.” Tom said, voice laced in nothing other than sadness, you felt guilty but you needed to be alone last night.

“I know, I’m sorry. I just, I needed to be alone.” You said, hand on his cheek as you swiped your thumb over it. He nodded, his hand finding your hip as he squeezed it slightly.

“I get it. I’m sorry.” He said as he carefully leant forward and caught your lips in his own, you smiled into the kiss, it felt nice to have everything out in the open, a weight lifted. “I love you.” He murmured as he pulled back, forehead resting against your own.

“I love you.” You smiled before taking a deep breath and looking around the kitchen, lightly patting his cheek with your hand. “We should clean this place up.” You laughed and he nodded.

**

Almost twenty minutes later and the kitchen looked normal again, your laughs filling the kitchen as you tried to work out how he’d done half of the things he’d done.

“Do you wanna go and grab something instead? I don’t think I should try cooking again.” Tom teased and you grinned.

“I’d love to.” You said as you made your way back upstairs to get changed, Tom joining you.

“I’m sorry.” He said and you looked at him, ready to respond before his phone rang. “Hey mate.” Tom said as he placed the phone against his ear, you busied yourself with fixing your hair. “Not today.” He said, you knew he was talking to one of the boys and your heart hammered in your chest, was he gonna ditch you for them again? “Taking Y/N/N out.” He said, happiness lacing his tone. “Maybe mate, I’ll see what she wants to do.” He said, phone between his ear and shoulder as he fixed his belt.

“Been a bit of a shit boyfriend recently.” Tom said and you heard the laugh that filled the speakers, Harrison. “Shh.” You suddenly heard Tom interrupt his friend, “she’s literally right here.” He said and you felt your chest tighten, what could Harrison have to say that you couldn’t maybe overhear? “I will, cheers mate, bye.” Tom said as he put the phone down and placed it in his pocket, you shook your thoughts away as your eyes met his in the mirror. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” You said as he held his hand out for you and you took it as he interlaced your fingers.

You made your way towards your local café, a place you absolutely loved and Tom found endearing, a lovely old lady ran it and it was cheap and cheerful. A stark contrast to the usual places you and Tom would eat, but you loved it here.

“Y/N.” Mary said as you both walked through the door, a warm smile on her face. “You brought Tom too, I feel underdressed for an A-list celebrity to be here.” She said and you giggled.

“You know he doesn’t care.” You said as you hugged her, she was like a grandmother to almost everyone who stepped through the door.

“Thank you by the way, my grandson was over the moon when I took him your autograph.” She said to Tom who smiled, a small blush creeping up his cheeks, he may have been famous but he was forever humble.

You ate your usual and drank your coffee as Tom focused his attention on making you laugh. It worked as he placed some icing sugar on your nose that was on the tip of his finger. You shook your head as you wiped your nose with a laugh. You’d really missed him over the last couple of weeks and you couldn’t be more thankful you’d finally said something last night.

“Tom, I’ve told you before, you don’t need to tip me so much.” Mary said as she watched Tom place a ten-pound note in her tip jar.

“The service was exceptional as always.” Tom shrugged as he placed a kiss to her cheek in goodbye. He used to tip a lot more but Mary had in return started not charging for the two of you to come in, the ten-pound tip seemed like the most she’d accept without throwing in freebies.

“You are a charmer Mr Holland.” She smiled as she hugged you.

“Is he?” You teased and Mary laughed.

“He is, however, he’s lucky to have you.” She smiled as she pinched your cheek. “About time he got down on one knee.” Mary teased and you saw Tom tense slightly, your heart sinking at his reaction, was that not something he wanted?

“Don’t scare the poor boy.” You teased, trying to lighten the mood in your heart.

“Not scared.” Tom said with a smile as he took your hand in his and laced your fingers together.

**

You had an amazing day, went for a walk and talked to each other, it felt nice, normal. You still had a heavy feeling in your heart, thoughts of what Harrison had said that had caused him to quieten him so quickly invading your mind. You tried your best to shrug it off, it could be anything, your insecurities getting the better of you. You were cuddling on the couch watching a film when he suddenly got up.

“Where are you going?” You asked.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” He waved off as he made his way out of the room.

It wasn’t long before he placed himself next to you, envelope in his hand. You furrowed your brows as he handed it to you.

“I know I’m a few days early but here.” He said and you opened the envelope, pulling out two tickets to the Maldives.

“Tom, what?”

“Happy birthday.” He said as he kissed your cheek and you smiled, looking at the date on your ticket, you were set to go on your birthday, a ridiculously early flight time stamped on the ticket. “I know how much you love it there and I wanted to get you something nice.” Tom said and you smiled at him.

“Nice is a bottle of perfume. Tom, this is so expensive.” You scalded and he laughed as he pulled you into his chest.

“Nothing’s too expensive when it comes to you.”

“You cheesy fucker.” You laughed as you kissed his t shirt covered chest. “Thank you. Is that the surprise Harrison wasn’t supposed to ruin?” You asked and Tom laughed.

“Yeah.” Tom lied through his teeth, the actual surprise was currently in his office drawer. The black box hidden beneath scripts he’d been reading over. He was glad that you hadn’t asked about his golf trip last week, it was never a golf trip in the first place, he’d gone to your parents to ask permission, Harry promising to cover if you asked if they’d been together.

**

“It’s gorgeous.” You said as you sat on the decking outside your hut, feet in the clear water below. Tom sat next to you, taking your hand in his.

“Yeah, it is.” He agreed as he played with your fingers. “That’s why I was so caught up with the boys, I wanted to make sure this trip was perfect, we were running through ideas.” Tom suddenly said and you turned to look at him.

“How much planning can one holiday take?” You teased and he shrugged as he placed a kiss to the back of your hand.

“You know me.” He said and you laughed. “The lack of sex though, there was no excuse for that, I’m sorry. My mind was elsewhere.” He said with a small smile and you placed your free hand on his chest as you laid your head on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, you’ve made up for that.” You bit your lip, your legs still aching from the activities that had taken place no less than ten minutes ago. Your thighs, neck and chest covered in marks he’d left, you bit your lip thinking about it as you removed your hand from his chest and traced the marks on your thighs.

“I suppose I should let you in on a little secret.” He said and you furrowed your brows looking up at him. He smiled before standing and bringing you with him. “I’ve been distant because I’ve been planning something.” He said, both of your hands in his. You gasped as he got down on one knee in front of you. “I wanted it to be perfect.” He said as he fished around in his pocket. He pulled the black box from them.

“Tom.” You gasped, heart soaring, you were at a loss for words.

“When you asked me the other day if there was someone else, I was so heart broken. Princess, I’m sorry, I’ve been so stressed about asking you this question, so scared I’ll get it wrong that it sort of took over. I love you more than anything, you are the only woman I’m interested in, I’ve never in my life felt more at home than I do when I’m with you. I have never met someone who understands me the way you do, who’s as supportive as you are. I want to give you everything you deserve and more, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Y/N L/N, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” He asked and you were both crying, both letting happiness consume you as he opened the box.

The ring was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen, it was all too much, the happiness you felt was too much and you fell onto your knees in front of him, hands grasping his back as you pulled him into you. Head finding his shoulder as you cried into it. He held you close as he too cried into your hair.

You pulled back after a while, looking into his eyes and you swear you couldn’t be happier. That’s what Harrison had mentioned that he didn’t want you to hear, that’s why he tensed in the café, he was probably worrying you’d mention you didn’t want that.

“You gonna keep me hanging?” Tom asked as he wiped at your eyes. It dawned on you that you hadn’t given him an answer.

“Of course I’ll marry you.” You said and he released a breath he’d clearly been holding. He took the ring and slipped it onto your finger, the sun catching it and making it sparkle in the most brilliant way.

He lifted you both to your feet, hand finding your cheek as he pulled you in for a kiss, your hand slipping into his hair as your other held his bicep. He deepened this kiss as he slipped his hand to cup your neck, his other finding the curve of your bum as he squeezed. You giggled as you pulled back slightly.

“Wanna go for a swim?” You asked and he raised a brow.

“Right now?”

“Yeah.” You shrugged and he laughed.

“Okay darling.” He said as he stepped back slightly, he was so close to the edge of the decking that you couldn’t help it. You bit your lip mischievously as you placed your hands on his chest, he looked down at you and his eyes widened, he was too late to act as you pushed against his chest. He lost balance but not before grasping your hands which meant you fell with him, both your bodies hitting the water which made for a large and loud splash.

You both resurfaced, your body gravitating towards his own as you wrapped your legs around his waist, arms loosely hanging from his shoulders. His hands finding your thighs, your hands making their way into his now wet hair, he smiled up at you and pulled you in for a kiss.

“I love you.” You both said in unison, pure happiness filling both of your hearts.

[sdvharveybby]

so i fell fast and hard for harvey, you know, as you do. i was wondering if i could request harvey and the farmer going to an aerobics class together? this man was so shy about it and it absolutely melts my heart 🥺🥺 thank you so much!!

OH bby anon do I understand! When I first watched that event I was like, “Oh you sweet man. So so precious!!” This ask is such a cute idea, thank you so much for sending it in! I never thought about this, personally, so I’m glad you sent it! 

I really enjoyed writing this, as well, but I’ll be honest... I’m not 100% confident about it? I certainly loved writing it, but if this isn’t up to your liking- I’m totally down with re-writing it. I don’t want anyone to feel major dissatisfaction with my work, you know? Let me know! I, originally, intended to do some headcannons (because thems are easy mode), but honestly- it fit a fic type better. Also, Zumba is crazy crazy fun- I did it in high school, and I had a blast! I felt like it fit the story and his event!

Regardless, inspiration with this was actually memories! I recently quit my martial arts class (due to health reasons), but the mood in this story is exactly how it was in my dojo! One time I was doing a Naeryeo-Chagi (also known as “axe kick”, but you bring your leg up as high as you can and with a flat foot you snap your leg down), I can kick pretty high, so when I kicked as high as I could I felt my other foot leave the ground and I fell FLAT on my butt. I was so stunned!! Eyes wide, all I could do was just laugh. Everyone thought it was funny and so did I! That stuff just happens- it’s hilarious!! I have so many wonderful memories in that class...

ANYWAYS- HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BBY. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. I feel your love with Harvey (the boy deserves all the love in the world!!) 

Word Count: 1572

An eventful day of hard work for the farmer, but luckily, they finished their chores early- hopefully to spend some time with Harvey. He always seemed to disappear on Tuesdays closer to noon and he never told the farmer why. It was perplexing, but he always carried a duffle bag with him and a look that bashfully avoided eye contact.

There he was, carrying his duffle bag as he made his way to town. Approaching him, the farmer stopped him in his tracks, “You like to disappear around this time,” they teased as Harvey looked away. “Y-Yeah well, you know… Heh, doctor… duties?” Harvey’s words didn’t sound convincing whatsoever, especially since he came home from work early because his patient rescheduled their check-up. “With a duffle bag?” The farmer further challenged, now crossing their arms and putting their weight on one leg. They gave him a cocky smile as he began to blush, “Okay, okay-“ He submitted as he held up a hand, “You caught me! I’m taking cooking classes with Gus!” Harvey tried looking into the farmers eyes as he said this, but it wasn’t for long. “Harvey, you’re already a great cook. Now, what are you really doing? I won’t make fun of you!” They assured him as they walked and pulled Harvey into a big hug. He gave a heavy sigh and scuffed the dirt with his shoe. “Heh, well… Uhm… I’m still taking those aerobics classes. It’s a bit embarrassing, but you know- you saw it before. Just trying to work on myself!” Harvey was bashful and quiet as he said this, but he reciprocated the hug. Once they pulled away the farmer bounced back with a smile that made his heart stop. “Great! Let’s go then. We don’t want to be late.” They walked away from him making their way to Pierre’s. Harvey stood, stunned at the farmers response but bounded after them yelling, “What do you mean ‘we’?!” “I’m coming with you, and you can’t stop me.” The farmer smiled to Harvey and he blushed once again, “You don’t have too. You must be tired after work and all- I can’t ask you too-“ The farmer stopped and faced him, they gave a jokingly annoyed look, “We can do this together, Harvey. It’ll be fun and maybe it’ll be less embarrassing for you. My cardio is bad,” They laughed, and Harvey gave them a soft and affectionate look, “Okay, but don’t get worried about me. Even if I say I can’t breathe- I can,” He laughed back, and they made there way to Pierre’s together deciding to hold hands as they did so.

Harvey was nervous about the farmer joining him- he wasn’t sure how they’d react. Towards himself or the class! He didn’t want the farmer to feel embarrassed or witness him messing up. Most of all- it was hard for Harvey to be social with the ladies in class and he didn’t want them to see him as stiff compared to everyone else.

Walking inside they saw Marnie, Robin and Emily already there. They all gave Harvey and the farmer warm smiles, “What do we have here?” Robin began as they put an arm around the farmer, “I decided that I’m joining today! My cardio sucks,” Robin laughed and whispered into their ear, “Don’t worry, mind does too.” Emily jumped up and clapped her hands together, “This is awesome! We have the cute duo joining us!” They all gave them an endearing welcome that made Harvey and the farmer blush, and after roughly 20min of chatting they all decided to get to work. The farmer looked around and watched everyone begin to pick their spots. “Today is actually Zumba class led by Caroline. You’ll love it- it’s really fun. She’ll teach you the dance moves to the song she chooses, and we just copy her,” Harvey remarked leaning towards the farmer. Now, this was all new territory for the farmer, but they were determined to have fun and get some exercise in. Harvey seemed confident so why couldn’t they?

The session lasted about an hour long, and it wasn’t until the farmer had sweat droplets running down their face that they realized how intensive these classes get. These women have to be power houses to get through this and still smile like it was nothing, the farmer thought as they hunched over breathing heavily. “You… You look tired,” a voice heaved behind them and as they looked, Harvey didn’t look any better. He had his hands on his knees and he closed his eyes trying to get his breath back. Sweat dripped off him as he brought up a hand towel and began wiping his face. “Please,” the farmer choked out as they smiled, “You look worse than I do,” they managed to finish as they laid down to relax a bit. “I blame the fact that I already did my farm work before this,” Harvey laughed as they said this and sat beside them holding a water bottle. “You did great! Isn’t it fun?” The farmer sat up and took his water bottle, they downed about half of it before responding, “I can’t believe how fun this is! Once you get the moves down it just flows. I felt so… powerful,” they laughed and gave Harvey a big smile. “Thanks for coming,” he admitted, “You being here, with me, actually helped a lot. I was pretty embarrassed being in a class full of women who have been doing this longer than I. They’re so strong and they can get through the whole class like it’s nothing- I felt so out of place.” The farmer gave him a friendly punch to his arm, “I’m coming back- this feels great! But wow, it also hurts.”

The walk home was slow, but it was filled with excitement from both the farmer and Harvey. “Honestly, it’s pretty admirable for you to go those classes,” They began as Harvey walked beside them- he kept his sweatband on and occasionally drank from his water bottle. “You think so?” He questioned wiping the excess water from his mouth. “Oh, yeah! You see Marnie? She can move, I was in awe. She knew everything and was so confident- it was kind of intimidating! I know what you mean about feeling out of place.” The farmer admitted and cracked their knuckles, “I’ll show her up next time though! Then she’ll be in awe!” Harvey laughed at that and watched them with admiration. The determination the farmer had to want to keep coming to the class eased his nerves and made him quite happy. It was something they could do together, something new to experience, and having a partner who was almost as out of shape as he was, was comforting. “Thanks for coming. Like I said, it helped out my confidence having you with me.” He didn’t look at them as he said, he looked forward as he walked, and he wore a small smile. “Oh, Harvey- you knew the moves too! You were so cool to watch, I mean, I didn’t know you could even move like that,” The farmer teased nudging him. He chuckled at that and offered the farmer the rest of his water through the walk home.

It had been a few months since they went to there first class together, and they had a blast! They both felt like they were getting stronger and with the farmer at his side Harvey worked like he never had before. He had someone he wanted to impress, and it gave him the motivation to keep working on himself and his health. Whenever they’d go to class together, they wore ear-to-ear smiles and it was filled with plenty of laughable moments, like the farmer using the jump rope. They weren’t bad at it, but the one time the rope wrapped around their ankle, tripping them, and they hit the ground face first. Harvey was of course worried but was relieved when the farmer rolled over roaring with laughter. He then, of course, joined the laughter while he helped them stand. Or the time that Harvey was lifting his weights- he pulled one up with enough force that he accidentally let go and it flew! When it hit the ground (making a loud BANG) he blushed madly as Pierre bolted in the room and began lecturing everyone in the class. Nobody could hide their smiles and giggles when Pierre grew red with anger, “You better not break anything! This isn’t some stomping ground!!” Course Robin was the first to break as she fell out in laughter, keeling over as soon as Pierre left the room. Harvey no longer felt out of place in the aerobics class, and he constantly thanked the farmer for that. He realized that he was more embarrassed about possibly messing up than just accepting that moments like that just happen and he began to laugh whenever something silly happened to him. Whenever someone tripped or dropped something he learned to laugh (when they did) and not immediately assume something was wrong. He learned that the most from how many times the farmer tripped, fell, scrapped something, dropped something and instead of feeling embarrassed or nervous, they just laughed. Everyone else did too!

Looking back, Harvey was extremely grateful for having the farmer at his side. He never expected this to happen, but he was happy that it did!

[mertronus]

Perfect Courage

This has been in my head ever since I first saw the music video for "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. So, feeling in an extra fluffy mood tonight, I put the video on a loop, stuck my headphones on, and started to write. And this little beauty came out of it.

Summary: Ron and the crew go on a weekend ski trip...will he finally get the chance and find the courage to tell the girl he loves how he feels? (rated G)

Read it on AO3

****

'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love Not knowing what it was I will not give you up this time

Friday

I stepped off the train and pulled my coat tighter around me. Blimey it was cold. But I guess when you’re in the mountains of Switzerland, it’s to be expected.

I made my way through the station until I stepped out into the village and adjusted my rucksack on my shoulder. Looking up I could just make out the slopes that I guessed I would be hurtling down on a pair of wooden sticks the next day. Who’s idea was this anyway?

Right...Hermione’s.

A smile stretched across my face. Not a surprise that I would do something like this simply because Hermione suggested it. Because Hermione organized it. Because it was Hermione’s parents’ property where we would be staying.

Anything with Hermione’s name on it I would immediately sign up for. I would do anything for her.

I started walking down the street towards the cafe we were meant to all meet, thinking about my best friend. I’ve known her almost all my life, been in love with her since - good God at least since we were thirteen. At least, that’s when I cottoned on to the fact that I couldn’t get enough of being around my nagging, know-it-all, nightmare of a best friend.

And yet, I never made a move, I was too scared, too nervous, feeling too unfanciable or too undeserving...I was convinced she would never go for the likes of me. And, more than all of that, I didn’t want to lose her as a best friend. I was resigned to being her friend for the rest of her life if that meant I got to be in it.

Until she started dating that bloody wanker Cormac McLaggen.

He treated her alright - I would have treated her better - and she seemed happy enough, but I was miserable. I couldn’t do it. For a whole year I watched them and dreaded the moment she would ask me to walk her down the aisle to the tosser.

When she finally ditched him before the fall semester started, I made up my mind. There was no life for me if Hermione wasn’t in it - like really in it. And mine. Otherwise it’s absolute torture. But with us attending different universities, and her in super studious mode during the semester, I never got my chance...until now.

So, yeah, while I hate the very thought of skiing, my attendance on this friends weekend adventure with our lot from school definitely has an ulterior motive. This weekend I would make my move. This weekend I would tell her how I feel. This weekend I would finally, finally, tell Hermione Granger how unbelievably in love with her I am.

I found a love for me Oh darling, just dive right in and follow my lead Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

When I reached the cafe, the first thing I noticed through the window was an adorable head of curly brown hair. She looked amazing sitting there all comfortable in her oversized jumper and hat. The waitress was just handing her a steaming cup - likely tea. More specifically Earl Gray tea with half a sugar and just a bit of milk.

Yes, I know how she takes her tea. Don’t judge. I did say we’ve been best friends since we were kids right? Sod off then.

I took a deep breath and opened the door to step in. Courage of a Lion ...our school motto. Am I a lion or not?

“Ron!” she cried, a huge grin on her face. “You’re early!”

“Well, yeah I - OOF!” I caught her mid lunge and wrapped my arms around her waist. My nose involuntarily dipped into her curls and I breathed her in. Her familiar scent warmed me immediately and I knew my ears were likely bright red. She pulled back and looked at me expectantly. Oh, yeah...what was I saying to her? Right...early...I’m early.

“Caught the earlier train so I wouldn’t be late,” I finally explained.

“Well, I’m glad,” she grinned and reached up to ruffle my hair. I fought the urge to close my eyes at the feeling of her fingers running through my locks. “Been so long since we’ve had time together - the two of us.” When I looked into her eyes, I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of something...longing? Love? Blimey I hope so.

She led me over to the table and plopped me down as she began talking a mile a minute. Most of us were starting our final semester at uni in a couple of weeks, but Hermione of course beat us all to the finish line, having graduated a semester early...with honors thank you very much. Did I mention how bloody brilliant she is?

I gazed at her as she filled me in on all I’ve missed recently in her life - the last exams she took, the jobs she’s going for, visiting her parents over the holidays…

“But oh, listen to me drone on and on, what about you Ron? How was your season? Your semester?”

I snapped myself out of my daze and tried to collect my thoughts as best as I could. I told her a bit about how things were going with football, how I scraped by as usual with my usual mediocre grades and recapped my own holidays. Suddenly it hit me that this was likely the only time this weekend we would be alone. If I wanted to talk to her, now was the time.

Now or never. Courage of a Lion.

“I’ve uh...I’ve been thinking a lot too, Mione,” I said softly.

“Don’t think too hard, Ron,” she teased as she took a sip of her tea.

“Yeah har-dee-har-har,” I shook my head but grinned at her. For a moment I forgot what I was saying altogether as the sun made some of her curls look golden dancing around her head. It always caught me off guard how beautiful she is. How much I love her.

Right...focus Weasley. Just say it... ‘Hermione Granger, I love you’...

“Hermione, I..I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about -”

“Harry!”

“No, not of...what?” She jumped up and ran off to throw her arms around our other best friend...the one who always seemed to have the most impeccable timing.

“Hi Hermione,” he said with a grin. He released her and patted my shoulder. “How’re you Ron?”

I stood and smiled, pulling him into a hug. I was really happy to see him, even if I wished he waited another ten minutes or so. “Good, happy to see you mate.”

Behind Harry, Hermione was happily greeting my sister Ginny - who was dating my git of a best mate - and our friend Neville. It wasn’t long before Dean and Seamus came bustling into the little cafe to join us.

“We’re all here!” Hermione exclaimed. “Shall we head up to the cabin?”

It wasn’t long before all of our bodies and bags were piled into a van that Hermione rented for the weekend to get us around. Not a fan of driving the slick roads of the mountains, she asked me to drive. I was a bit disappointed when Neville happily called bagsy and jumped in the passenger seat beside me. I was really hoping to have Hermione beside me for the almost thirty minute drive up the mountain. Instead, I watched as Hermione wound up squeezed in between Dean and Seamus way in the back since Harry and Ginny took the middle two seater.

Gits. All of them were gits.

We drove up the mountain and I tried to keep my focus solely on the road, but it was hard when I kept wanting to glance back in the rearview mirror to catch a particular pair of brown eyes. I caught her eyes a couple of times and she smiled at me...it was as if the smile was only for me.

I really had to focus on the road.

“Ooh I love this song!” Ginny suddenly lunged forward to turn up the radio as Ed Sheeran’s “Sing” was starting up.

“ I don't wanna know If you're getting ahead of the programme…”

I glanced back and laughed at the sight of my friends singing at the top of their lungs.

“I want you to be mine, lady And to hold your body close Take another step into the no-man's land For the longest time, lady…”

I watched Hermione laughing with Dean as they sang and felt a pang of jealousy...until she looked up and caught my eye again and winked. I blushed and looked at the road but when I glanced back up, she was still singing and watching me. A chill ran through my body although the van’s heat was blasting.

We decided to stay in that night and get an early start the next morning. Hermione’s parents had the caretakers stock the fridge and pantry, so the seven of us had a good time pulling out random ingredients and making a hodge-podge of food - paired with the excessive amounts of liquor Seamus procured for us of course.

Everyone started to drop off one by one, and I tried to hang on so I could maybe get a few moments alone with Hermione again, but the last thing I remembered seeing was the girl of my dreams curled up on the armchair before I dozed off myself.

Saturday

Ski lifts are bloody scary!!! It’s bad enough you have all this gear on with your coats and snow pants and boot, then you’re also clipped to these long wooden sodding sticks that are weighing you down, all while sitting precariously on a bench that’s flying through the air.

Who’s idea is this of fun!?!?

“Having fun Ron?” Her arm wrapped around mine and she pulled herself in close as we rode the lift up to the top of the slopes.

I smiled but I’m pretty sure a wince was seen too. “Bit nervous honestly.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall…” I pulled her in close and nuzzled my nose in her hair. “Not too much anyway.”

Okay, I’ll admit it: skiing is kind of fun. Or rather, skiing with Hermione is fun.

We spent the entire day on the slopes, stopping for an early lunch and mid-afternoon to warm up. Hermione spent most of the day teaching me the ropes and I spent most of the day falling on my arse. Even Neville showed me up - him, Dean and Seamus speeding passed us repeatedly on snowboards.

We finally called it a night and headed into the inn for dinner and drinks. We were a few shots in when someone got the great idea to start up karaoke. I hid myself in the back as much as my tall frame with flaming red hair would allow, but quite enjoyed watching Hermione and Ginny’s rendition of “Lady Marmalade.”

As I sat there watching her laughing and carrying on with my little sister, my mind wandered to many more nights like this...double dates with Harry and Ginny, playdates with all of our kids, family events where Hermione feels really comfortable letting her hair down because she knows she’s with people who love her and have her back.

Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets To carry love, to carry children of our own

“Hey,” a voice called out to me. I looked up to see Hermione leaning over me. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn’t even realize that her and Ginny were finished and Dean had taken the stage with Neville and Harry. “Come with me?”

I’ll go anywhere with you. “Yeah...uh sure. Where we going?” I stood and pulled on my coat. It honestly didn’t matter where we were going...as long as it was just the two of us.”

“You’ll see!” She threw her own coat around her and spun around with a laugh as she head out the door. I laughed too because I loved it when she let loose and had a few drinks. She spent so much of her time fussing over books and school and all of the boring adult things that bogged down our lives. Seeing her like this - now spinning in the falling snow trying to catch flakes with her tongue - this is the Hermione I love most. I love all sides of Hermione Granger, but this side...this side is the most beautiful side.

I threw my head back to catch snow on my tongue too, making faces and noises to get her really laughing. I dropped my head to look for her when I felt a distinct splat on my back.

“Oh it’s a snowball fight you want is it?” I called as she ran off towards the road that led up to our cabin. I stooped over and gathered a massive snowball as I commenced chase, her squealing as she ran ahead of me. I aimed and caught her right in her bum.

“Ronald!” She yelled with a laugh. “I’ll get you for that!” She ran toward me with a handful of snow and jumped on my back to stuff it down my back - a favorite torture method of ours when we were kids.

Her laughter echoed in my ears with her so close. I grabbed onto her legs and spun her around on my back to keep her there. “Roooooon!” she yelled. “I’m getting dizzy!” We both toppled into a mound of snow in a fit of giggles. I slid over so I wouldn’t crush her and we lay in the snow in a fit of tipsy hysterics. I looked over to see she had slid away from me in the snow, and was reaching the tips of her fingers to mine smiling. Suddenly she started to giggle again and waving her arms in the snow while moving her legs. I followed suit and after a bit we helped each other up to admire our snow angels.

She hugged my arm and leaned in close. “I want to show you something.”

I took off after her towards our cabin. It was obvious the others weren’t back yet and I thought this could be my chance. Get her in the cabin and get a few minutes alone before the others decided to walk back.

But she ran passed the cabin into the woods behind it.

“Hermione! Where are you going?!”

“Come on!”

We ended up running right into a smaller cabin hidden just a few yards away from the main cabin where we all were staying.

“What’s this?” I asked when we stopped.

“Come on,” she said again, pulling me inside. It was a cozy little one room cabin, a tiny kitchenette in one corner, and a couch and a few chairs around a rug with a stone fireplace. There were stairs leading up to a loft where I could just see a low bed with blankets and pillows just waiting to be crawled into.

“It was an old shed that the caretakers renovated into a separate guest house when there were a lot of people staying in the cabin,” Hermione explained. “When we used to come with the rest of my family, my grandparents stayed out here, to get away from the noise of their kids and grandkids in the cabin.”

“It’s cozy,” I said quietly, looking around. “And quiet.” I caught her eye and smiled. “Hiding out here tonight?”

She blushed but shrugged nonchalantly. “We can...if you want.”

“If you want.”

As if she couldn’t surprise me anymore, she pulled out a small bag with a change of clothes - for both of us.

“Hey! I’ve been looking for this Oxford United shirt! You’ve had it all this time?”

“Remember after Ginny’s birthday party a couple years ago? I was supposed to go home but it was pouring rain and your mum pretty much forbade me to leave.”

I nodded and smiled. “And you came to steal pajamas from me. My Oxford United shirt and,” I pulled a pair of navy blue flannel pajama bottoms out of the bag, “and these.”

She shrugged. “I wore them home and I guess I kept forgetting to give them back. Figured we’d need something to change into - which I’m glad I thought of it since we were literally rolling in the snow!”

We each took opposite corners of the room and turned to give the other privacy to change. As I was changing, I caught sight of something behind the couch. I pulled out a pretty pristine acoustic guitar when I felt Hermione come up behind me.

“My Grandad’s,” she breathed. “He must have left it here.” I sat on the arm of the couch and set it across me, plucking a few strings.

“Bit out of tune but…” I started twisting and tuning the guitar to my liking.

Hermione smiled as she sat in front of me. “I forget you used to play.”

“Still do, sometimes,” I said softly. “I just fiddle around mostly, nothing crazy. I’m no Ed Sheeran or nothin,” I chuckled.

“No,” she sighed. “You’re definitely cuter.” Our eyes locked and I tried to form the words but it was as if I was frozen - trapped in her gaze as I fell mercilessly farther and farther in love with her. “Tea,” she breathed out.

“Huh? What?”

“Tea,” she stood. “I’ll make us both a cup. Two sugars and a bit of cream?”

I smiled and nodded. “Perfect.”

As she kept herself busy in the tiny corner kitchenette, I suddenly had a moment of inspiration and started playing a song I knew, thrilled that I remembered it.

Courage like a Lion, Weasley.

“That sounds familiar,” she said as she set my cup on the small table besides me and sat back in her spot.

“Yeah,” I whispered. She sipped her tea and watched me, her eyes bright and round and locked onto mine. I cleared my throat and started to sing softly.

“We are still kids, but we're so in love Fighting against all odds I know we'll be alright this time Darling, just hold my hand Be my girl, I'll be your man I see my future in your eyes”

Tears started to form in her eyes as she stilled and watched me intently. I knew my voice was likely rubbish, but I didn’t care. When she looked at me that way, I felt as if I could do anything.

“Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song I have faith in what I see Now I know I have met an angel in person And she looks perfect I don't deserve this You look perfect tonight”

When I stopped playing, she set her cup down and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Ron,” she started.

I pushed the guitar aside and slid down off the arm of the couch to sit beside her. My hands cupped her face and her fingers wrapped around my wrists. “Ron,” she said again, this time as if she was pleading with me. I answered her by pulling her face to mine and brushing my lips against hers softly.

I pulled back the tiniest bit and looked at her. “This okay?”

“More than,” she breathed out. At that I captured her lips with mine and vowed to never let her go.

I was lost. Completely and utterly gone. Her lips were as soft as I imagined they’d be and more. They were gentle and yet persistent, shy and yet demanding. I marveled at how she could always be so many things at once.

When we pulled apart, I noticed she was crying again. “You alright Hermione?”

She let out a slow breath and smiled. “Never better.”

“Good, because I believe I made you an offer.”

“And...what offer was th-that?”

“Be my girl, I’ll be your man,” I rubbed my nose against hers. “Cause I most definitely see my future in your eyes.” She giggled and nodded. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own And in your eyes, you're holding mine Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight

[seasidewriter1-writes]

Replying to @elizabeth0020 for: Hello!! I’ve always wondered how you decide what arcs/episodes you’re going to write? There are sooooo many, how do you know what’s a good one for your story vs one that isn’t? And a second question (if you feel like answering lol): how do you picture all the details you wrote? Like lighting, movements, facial expression etc? You’re so good at that and I’ve always been amazed at how you come up with them!

I love answering anything and everything, so never worry about sending me too much! I don’t often get to talk about the technical stuff (like the questions you’ve asked), so I love getting any chance I have to talk about them! (So hold on tight, ‘cause this is a ramble! 😂)

So, for the first question regarding the arcs... I picked out what episodes/arcs I thought were beneficial when I did my first watch through of the Clone Wars this past summer. I had a google doc that I wrote down all the episode names in, then jotted down the preliminary ideas. Let me tell you, with a show that has seven seasons of 20+ episodes, it was... so daunting to even think about narrowing down what episodes and arcs to use. It was what initially deterred me from using any of them at all. So I started to look for things that I felt would directly impact Elara, her character, and her development. For example, I didn’t really use all of “Cat and Mouse” because the episode, on a whole, wouldn’t have Elara much involved in it. It did, however, provide a wonderful backdrop for her time on Christophsis, which is why I didn’t nix it entirely. Aside from forcing Obi-Wan and Elara to be tied together, “Dooku Captured” and “The Gungan General” were used to introduce her to Hondo, whom both allows her to be more playful, and showcases her knowledge of the seedier side of the galaxy. And there are plenty of episodes that I love and adore that I just... don’t think would fit. For as much as I love “Senate Spy” and the introduction of Clovis, there’s no way for me to put Elara into that episode and not have it feel forced. That’s another huge thing I look for when picking episodes; if Elara doesn’t feel like she would naturally fit into the storyline somehow, even if it’s indirectly, I’m not going to force her into it. That’s when I do things like mention the events of the episode in a chapter (like with “Clone Cadets”) instead of doing a whole episode. So Clovis is obviously going to get a mention (she’s Anakin’s sister and Padmé’s bestie, of course she’s going to hear about the debacle), but the whole episode won’t be written out.

Then, of course, you have the arcs. The ones that I had immediately chosen are (and these probably come as no surprise): Ryloth, Mandalore, Mortis, Slavers, and Deception. The arcs I find easier to choose because you have a chance to work with more surface area so to speak. It gives me a chance to really flesh out Elara’s part in the story, focus in on her and her emotions and how she’s tied to this particular plot. With the Mortis Arc, for example––Elara is a Skywalker. She is strong with the Force, and in the “Balance” verse, considered a Chosen One. That ties her into the Mortis Arc very interestingly, since it’s not just Anakin going God Mode. It’s going to lend me the chance to really dig deep into Elara, her connection to the Force, to the Light and Dark (the Daughter and Son), and her relationship to being a Chosen One. At first I was like ‘holy shit I’m never gonna be able to do this arc,’ and then when I buckled down and really thought it over... I realized it’s going to be really important for her as a character, and particularly her relationship with Anakin (stay tuned!). It also probably comes as no surprise that a lot of the arcs (and episodes) that get picked are influenced by whether or not Anakin or Obi-Wan are in them. Which is why I almost turned a blind eye to the Umbara Arc until someone brought it up. I did a rewatch of it and knew I had to include it, too. Because that’s going to be an awesome opportunity to flesh out how close Elara is to the 442nd, and be able to contrast her ideals as a General against those of Krell. A lot of the picking of episodes and arcs ends up being trial and error. I wrote the first four-ish pages of “Clone Cadets” before I realized it just didn’t flow right.

All this being said, I like to envision Elara is around for all of the Clone Wars episodes, so I’ve got lots of fun little random snippets for things that I’ll probably never write, but figure would happen in some part of a CW episode.

And after all that, here we finally are at your second question! ☺️

Coming up with all those small details is actually an amalgamation of things at work. I do attribute a lot of it to my training as an actor/theatre artist. I think about how, if I were directing it, how I’d want the movements to look, and how that would translate on both a small scale, and a large scale. A touch of a hand for Obi-Wan and Elara can feel like a world shifting movement––but come off as nothing but a simple, friendly gesture to their fellows. On a small scale, what makes the difference is the way the touch happens. How light the pressure of the touch is, how long it lasts, how slowly their fingers brush against the other person’s hand... all those things help me figure out the mood of that touch and how they’d respond to it. Also, when choosing words to describe movements I often think about the attitude attached to it. A ‘turn of the head’ when Anakin’s being moody may end up being a ‘swivel,’ or the ‘arch’ of an eyebrow from Obi-Wan is more sarcastic than a gentler ‘raise.’ I often agonize picking out those sorts of words. I’ll sit there and try them over and over again, then put them all into a Thesaurus website because I worry I use the same words too much. The thesaurus (particularly when writing Obi-Wan), is my best friend.

When I write mannerisms for canon characters, I use a lot of reference for. I’ll literally just scroll through gifs, watch movie clips, or rewatch the scene I’m writing to pick up on character-specific mannerisms. A couple chapters ago I was describing Anakin’s angry face, and I just looked at images of him from Revenge of the Sith (him alone in the Council room, him being knighted as Vader, his expressions on Mustafar, etc.) I’ll also do this for vocal ticks/inflections. I will also unashamedly admit I will sit there and compose my face into whatever expression I’m trying to describe. Sometimes feeling it physically, or physically composing it helps me come up with words or ways to describe the look. Same thing with touches AND with vocal inflection. Do I sit by myself and read what I’ve written aloud in my best Obi-Wan Kenobi cadence? Yes, yes I do. And has it helped me figure out what words/phrases do and do not work? Yes, it absolutely has!

Also, a lot of describing the details of motion/facial expression/touch gets affected by music for me. Like, if you listen to “Stairway to Heaven” as played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra while reading, say, the scene in “The Gungan General” where Obi-Wan and Elara wake up pressed up to one another... that song is just THE feel of that moment. Listening to the right music when writing (the little details especially) is big for me. Kinda like how “Blue Monday” is the music that works best for the bunker scene in “Storm Over Ryloth.”

There are also a lot of details that I pull from real life. I remember when I wrote Elara seeing Naboo for the first time—and consequently grass, trees, and flowers, too—it was summer time for me. I was staring out at the trees and the way the light filtered through them, watched how they swayed... the grass had just been cut and the breeze smelled sweet... and I was like ‘god, imagine experiencing this all for the first time.’ So I took what I felt and elevated it a little, tried to add a kind of wonder to the things that we all, for the most part, kinda take for granted. I like pulling on experiences I’ve had in real life as a basis.

I ask attribute a LOT of my detail work to my training as a theatre artist. I think about lighting now differently than I did a couple years ago; because I learned what kinda of light fit different moods. Like the scene of Obi-Wan at Dex’s would feel completely different if I’d described the light as cool toned. It would lack a sense of hope. His reminiscences would be sadder, it would feel more stark. The warmer tones suggest that there’s still heart and hope, a possibility for things to get better, and that reflects his inner life better than colder, bluer light. Or how I used light when I wrote Elara seeing Watto again after 10 years to describe her struggle between Dark and Light in that moment. She stepped out of the sun and into the shade because, for a moment, she almost gave in to the Darkness. (Inspired by the scene in Force Awakens where Kylo asks for Han’s help and the light shines down on them... with hints of red low lighting to hint at the struggle... only to have the light disappear as he overrides his own vulnerability, reverts to the Darkness and kills his own father).

I also love using physical objects as emotional triggers, like is done in theatre quite a bit. A good recent example being Elara’s lightsaber. Obi-Wan having it reminds him of his worries regarding her safety, and his struggle with choosing what path to take in regards to his feelings towards her. Or Elara with the Snow Blossom. These things have the ability to spark different emotions depending on the situation. On a good day, the Snow Blossom will make her smile; on a bad day, it may make her feel more sad than happy. And sometimes they don’t have to be objects—they can be bruises or scars or healing wounds. Having something physical spark an emotional response can be really helpful, and has actually helped me though rough spots in my writing.

I could literally go on for hours about all of this kind of stuff! So thank you for asking about it and giving me a chance to discuss it even a little bit! ☺️

[attackonmyself]

Beat the Heat--NSFW

Inspired by a prompt from @voltage-vixen​‘s Summer of Smut Writing Challenge but took waaaaay too long for me to complete, and I missed the deadline. Anyways, thanks to @voltagesmutter​, @passagesthroughpages, and Lia_Jones (all amazing writers themselves!) for all your help! Dedicated to all Victor stans, and my Discord family!

Please see this amazing artwork that inspired my fic!: https://m.sg.weibo.com/user/2173912080/4472175635540915

And also this Karma owned by MLQC:

Link on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25654276

I sprinted into the LFG lobby, out of breath. I was late. Again. 

Cindy spotted me, and quickly gestured towards the stairs. “He’s been waiting for you, go on up.” I groaned, still out of breath, then crossed the lobby. Great, I thought as I ran up the stairs. Another lecture on punctuality, coming right up. I stopped before the office door, taking a moment to catch my breath before knocking.

“Come in,” came the clipped reply. Even better, it sounded like he was already in a bad mood. This should be fun. I entered, closing the door behind me. Victor was sitting at his desk, skimming something on his computer. He looked up, removing his glasses and placing them next to his desk calendar. “It is 2:33.”

I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

His normal poker face had been replaced with a scowl. “What time did I say to be here?”

“2:30.” It didn’t matter how close we had become, some things never changed. When at work, Victor was always in prime CEO mode, any trace of my shy and sweet boyfriend disappearing the moment he walked in the office doors. 

“It seems your memory is indeed working today, despite all evidence to the contrary. So perhaps you like to explain why that was not the time you entered my office?” Being on the receiving end of a Victor-Li-is-irked glare was never a good experience, but unfortunately, that was often the position I found myself in.

“Our printer jammed at the last second, and wouldn’t print a contract that my 1:30 client needed to sign before they could leave, so I was stuck there calling maintenance and then waiting for them to show up, and then waiting for them to fix it, and then--”

“Stop. I’ve heard enough.” He rubbed his temples, eyes closed. “You do realize this is the modern era, yes? Contracts can be sent over email, and signed digitally. We will need to discuss your company’s disturbing lack of adaptation to current technology at another time; you have wasted enough of it already. Begin your report.” 

“Right.” I pulled out my newly purchased tablet and cleared my throat. “As you can see, we exceeded our predicted revenue this month. Views that we lost last week were not just recovered, but doubled.” I fidgeted a bit under his intense stare. 

“I implemented the ideas we discussed last week, and they were successful  For future consideration, I’d like to bring to your attention--”

The soft whirring of the air conditioning of the building sputtered to a startling halt. I paused, and looked at Victor for direction. He sighed, and picked up the phone on his desk when it began to ring. “Speak.” I heard a hurried voice on the other end, and watched Victor’s frown deepen. “What?” More frantic explanation from the voice, trying to appease him, and then Victor hung up. 

“Something wrong?” I asked, hoping that an urgent matter had come up, so that I could move my report to later when he would hopefully be in a better mood.

“The air conditioning stopped working. It will take a few hours to fix.” I groaned internally. It was the middle of July, peak season for hot days, and Victor’s office was directly in the sun’s path at the moment, the windows offering no protection from its heat. He shed his suit jacket, draping it over the arm of his chair. “Continue,” he commanded.

“Uh,” I scrambled to remember my place. “For future consideration, I’d like to bring to your attention trendlines predicting future revenue on episodes based on current events.” I began to sweat, already missing the almost too cold climate I had complained about in the past, and vowed to never do so again. 

“Our most popular episodes to date have been ones related to current issues in the news. Our recent collaboration with Loveland TV gave us access to topics and resources that we might not have had otherwise. Therefore, I propose that we begin a new series to be aired in conjunction with local news stations beyond just Loveland TV that would cover oddities addressed in daily reports.” 

Ok, the heat had officially become unbearable. I took off my white cardigan, putting in on top of my bag. Victor did a double-take, eyes widening. Uh oh. I forgot how casual my dress was. I tried to distract him with the report. “The series would cover not just super powers, but also delve into the psyche--”

“Stop, stop.” Crap. He was still staring at my dress. “What do you think you’re wearing?!”

“Uh, a sundress?” I responded dumbly. He glared at me. I fumbled for an excuse, though not knowing why I needed one exactly. “It’s the middle of July. I know it’s not formal business attire without the cardigan, but it’s hot in here without the AC. I thought you would understand that and be ok with me not wearing it considering the circumstances.”

He gaped, apparently shocked. “You thought wrong. Do you seriously not realize how alluring that dress is?”

Wait what? “Huh?”

He shook his head. “Dummy, you are astoundingly naive sometimes. Wearing that to any presentation, including this one, leads the audience to focus not on your proposal, but your physical assets.” I blushed, and covered myself a bit with my arms. He continued. “For example, I missed everything you presented after taking off your cardigan. Be thankful this was only a weekly report meeting, and not an official proposal for more funding with the entire board present.” He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk.

I looked down, ashamed. “I really am sorry, Victor. That would have embarrassed both Miracle Company and you; I understand now and I will do better in the future.”

“No, you misunderstand me.” He stood, and strode quickly towards me, crossing the room in a few broad steps. He grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look him in the eye. “The only person who should see you in outfits of this nature is me.” It was the hunger in his eyes that made me realize I was no longer talking to the CEO of LFG, but Victor Li, my protective and now aroused boyfriend.  

Desperate lips met mine, taking my breath away. I was always weak for his kisses, this time literally. My knees gave in a bit, and I held onto his arms as he pushed deeper. I eagerly reciprocated, a need for his touch growing rapidly under my navel. We broke apart for only a moment, before he claimed my lips again and ran strong fingers up my neck and into my hair, gently nudging my face closer to his. 

Victor was not a man of many flowery words, but he made up for it in his actions. Every kiss we shared was so fervent that you would think it was going to be our last. Even in moments of raw passion, it was obvious how deeply he cared for me, and I fell more in love with him each time our lips united. This kiss was no exception; I sank into his yearning for me, throwing my arms around his neck. 

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around my thighs, and I felt myself being lifted into the air. I scrambled to wind my legs around his waist, holding him tighter. We were intimately closer than before, and I could feel his heart pounding in his chest. It amazed me that I could have such an effect on the seemingly stoic mogul, that I could be the one to break his cool. His lips captured mine once more, then he impatiently moved us towards his desk. 

“Hold tight,” he instructed, using one arm to awkwardly clear off the desktop, sending pens and his mouse flying. He set me atop it, beginning to suck at the pulse point above my collarbone, when reality hit me.

“Wait, stop,” I whispered harshly. He immediately backed away, arms to his side.

“What’s wrong?” Concern overtook ardor, and he scanned my figure. “Did I hurt you?” That thought seemed to shake him a bit.

“No, nothing like that,” I quickly reassured him. “But...should we really be doing this in your office? People might hear, or worse, what if someone came in?”

His confidence immediately returned, desire resuming its place in his eyes as I mentioned others overhearing our stolen moment of passion. He smirked, leaning in close.

“Let them hear.” He continued his attack on my neck, but I wouldn’t be swayed just yet.

“Victor,” I chided. “I’m not comfortable with someone catching us in your office. That wouldn’t look good for either of us.” He stopped, judging my sincerity, then walked away. 

“Wait, where are you going?” I asked, reaching out an arm towards him needily, missing his warmth already. Had I angered him?

“Relax, dummy.” He strode up to the door and turned the lock, its satisfying click signaling his intentions. He turned and smiled devilishly. “No one is going anywhere until we are finished.” 

He hastened back to me, as if I were his prey, strung up and waiting for him on a platter. He kissed me again, and loosened his tie to quell the sweltering heat. I grabbed for his shirt, undoing the first few buttons before he stopped me with a lick to a particularly sensitive area behind my earlobe. He undid his tie the rest of the way and set it down beside me on the desk. I finished unbuttoning his shirt, untucking it roughly. I gulped upon being met with the sight of his broad chest. As if controlled by some unknown force, my hands ran over his torso, brushing his collarbone and hips alike, searching for any point of contact with him. 

He placed feather light kisses all over my face and neck, brushing my cheek; my eyelids; the small v formed by my collarbones. As lovely as his display of affection was--and it truly was; not often did we get a chance to bask in the other’s devotion--it wasn’t quite enough. I needed more. 

I ran my hands down his abdomen, grabbing for his belt buckle, but he caught my hand in his and tsked. 

“Someone needs to learn to be patient.” His hands left me, and I let out a whine. He picked up the flimsy piece of fabric that lay beside me and wrapped it around my face, covering my eyes. 

“Is this okay?” I heard a soft whisper beside my left ear. 

His breath tickled me a bit, paused in anticipation of my answer. I hold absolute control over him at this moment, I realized with a small gasp. The power was a heady feeling; Loveland’s most eligible ‘bachelor’ was all mine, treating me as if I was some queen to be worshipped. Although he was leading most of the action, I held the ropes. And I would be ever so careful not to abuse this gift. What’s more, after years of having to take care of myself on my own, I now could trust him. Completely. 

“Yes.” 

That one word spurred him back into action. He quickly fastened the makeshift blindfold behind my head, careful to avoid knotting my hair with it. I heard a low groan, and then my skirt was pushed up, warm hands rubbing slow circles on my inner thighs. 

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he murmured, his lips brushing mine, sending shivers down my spine. "There is nothing I would not do to keep you safe and happy."

I bucked my hips towards his, searching for any friction to relieve my need. Suddenly, I felt a hand over my underwear, massaging my clit leisurely. I let out a breathy moan. Finally. His steady fingers ran back and forth across the fabric, gentle yet firm in their ministrations. "Faster, please Victor," I gasped, spreading my legs. He obeyed, for once, going faster and faster until all fear of others intruding disappeared. I could only think about him, his touch, and my palpable desire to become one with him. 

I could feel a flush rise in my cheeks, the sounds coming from my mouth garbled and brimming with pleasure. I reached blindly for him, needing to touch him for stability; so that I could hold off my climax a little longer, but was met only with air. I let out a whine. I heard a chuckle from somewhere in front of me. Seconds later, strong hands guided mine to his shoulders; his warm body moved closer, parting my legs further.

I was already beyond wet by this point, and I felt ready for him but knowing Victor, he wouldn't enter me until he was sure I was relaxed and ready for him. "Please, hurry up, I need you, now," I urged.

Surprisingly, he decided to grant my request. I heard the soft clink of a belt buckle being undone followed by a rustling of fabric. I hooked my ankles behind him, wanting, no, needing him in me as soon as humanly possible. A hand ran through my hair, and then my underwear was pushed to the side;  in one fluid motion he had both lifted me into the air and entered me with a soft moan. I gasped, throwing my head back and digging my fingers into the well-defined muscles of his shoulders.

The sensation of him inside me was more intense in the dark. I felt so safe, protected and satisfied in his arms. It was as if all my fears and worries had melted away. I knew that he would shield me from any incoming darkness that dared to threaten me. He pulled back for a moment, then slowly slid inside me once more, giving me time to adjust and savor the feeling of us, united as one. 

We maintained a comfortable rhythm, my hips grinding down to meet his as I panted against his neck. There was no need for words; anything that needed to be said was communicated through movement and small gasps and moans. I realized that I could no longer hear the ticking of the wall clock, its telling absence revealing that time was no longer in motion. 

I drew in a breath to mention it, but he suddenly changed to a different angle, shifting me in his arms, and sparks burst behind my eyelids. “Don’t you dare stop, right--right there!” I practically screamed. He hummed in confirmation, building speed. I let out a series of whines, bouncing down into his thrusts in desperation to add to the surging, rising tide of pleasure that's only just out of reach. I could hear Victor’s pleasure as well in the short, cut off breaths he let out. 

“Are you close,” he ground out, ever the gentleman in refusing to come before me. 

“Very,” I replied, concentrating on my climax, adding a finger to my clit. A few more strokes, and it hit me--hard. I screamed out his name and clenched around him. He gasped, and I felt a warmth inside me as he tightened his grip on me. The waves of pleasure taking hold of me ebbed slowly; suddenly, I could see again, tie dropping to the floor.  

Victor cradled me close and kissed the top of my head. We remained entangled in each other’s embrace for a few moments longer, catching our breath. He slid out of me, but didn’t let me go. I buried my face in his neck, flushing at the whispered “I love you” that came from beside my ear. 

Suddenly, the ticking resumed and the space that was only ours returned to being shared with the rest of the world. I was gently set down on the desk, and I grabbed a tissue to clean myself up. We began to redress and had almost finished when there was a knock at the door. 

“Sir, the mechanics from Four Seasons Heating and Air have arrived,” Goldman’s voice came from behind the solid wood. “Would you like to direct them or should I handle it?”

Victor gestured at my cardigan, “That goes on; tightly,” he said in a low voice, then he grabbed his suit jacket and approached the door. I buttoned it quickly, barely finishing in time before he swung the door open. 

There was an awkward silence as Goldman took in our appearance. He did a quick double take, then stammered an apology. “Sir, I--uh--”

 I flushed brightly; there was no way to conceal what we had been up to. Only Victor stood stoic as always, not caring about our disheveled state or the smudge of my lipstick on the corner of his mouth. “Mark me as booked for the next two hours,” he announced, glancing at his watch. “I expect the air conditioning to be up and running when I return.”

“Next two hours--but sir! You have the meeting with the investors from--” Goldman was cut off with a glare. Typical. I felt sorry for him. 

“Did I ask for any feedback? I said that I am booked for the next two hours. Make any schedule changes necessary in my absence.” He put an arm around my waist and led me out of the room in the direction of the elevator. 

“But sir!” Victor paid him no mind and as the door closed, he pulled me into another kiss. 

“How do you feel about lunch at Souvenir?” 

“Mm, sounds great!” I replied, smoothing down his slightly rumpled shirt. Oh! Pulling back with a smile, I suddenly laughed. “Victor!”

He frowned. “What.”

“You forgot your tie!”

[idnek83]

Aid - Chapter 11/13

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Soda Kazuichi/Tanaka Gundham

Tags: Alternate Universe - Island Mode, No Game Spoilers, Masturbation,  Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Semi-Public Sex, Grinding, Wet Dreams, Anal Fingering,  Friends With Benefits,  Getting Together, Internalized Homophobia, Anal Sex

Summary: Everyone is hot and half naked because of their beach vacation. Soda is horny and tries to do something about it. Gundham tries to help and does. It all gets a little out of hand.

Chapter: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Read on Ao3

This Chapter: Soda spends some time feeling sorry for himself: Soda wallows, Hajime uses violence to help him stop.

_____________________

It had been hours, but he was still just sitting on his bed.

He still couldn’t believe how badly he had fucked up. Still couldn’t believe Gundham had felt the same about him, still couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed, and still couldn’t believe how fucking stupid he was.

Still couldn’t believe he had thrown it all away.

He was so god damned worthless.

There was a know at the door.

He stopped breathing. The knocking continued.

Had Gundham changed his mind? Had he decided to give Soda a chance to stumble his way through another apology?

Or had he come by to laugh at him? To tell him it had all been a lie and he had just been fucking with him; of course he had never actually been into Soda, who the hell would be attracted to him?

“Soda, open the fucking door.”

Hajime.

He didn’t move. He just wanted to be alone.

More knocking.

“Open the door, or I swear I will tell Gundham that-”

He had never moved so fast in his life.

“Dude, not cool.” Soda opened the door and Hajime strode in, looking far too pleased with himself.

“What took so long? Were you jerking it or-” Hajime’s face fell when he finally looked at Soda. He must have looked like shit for Hajime’s mood to have changed so quickly. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Hajime put a hand on Soda’s shoulder and tried to look him in the eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to meet his gaze. “You okay man?”

Hajime probably didn’t want to hear the real answer, but-

“No.”

Both of them looked a little surprised at Soda’s blunt answer, but it was the truth, so Soda didn’t try to take it back. He just let out a defeated sigh before continuing.

“I fucked up, Haj, like, really fucked up.” He pulled away from Hajime so he could sit on his bed and put his head in his hands. Hajime looked around the room before closing the door and taking a seat beside him.

“What happened?”

“So much dude, I don’t even-” He sighed. Cut to the chase. “I fucked Gundham.”

To his credit, Hajime managed to look only mildly shocked.

“Oh, um, congrats?” Hajime scrunched up his face in confusion. “Or, maybe not congrats? I thought you were into him though, so…?”

“I am. I’m so god damned into him it’s stupid. That’s not the problem.” He looked up at Hajime, who just raised a concerned eyebrow and waited for him to continue. “I, um, never told him…”

He waited for Hajime to tell him how stupid he was.

“Is that really that big of a problem? I mean, he probably figured it out already, and you can just tell him next time you guys are together, can’t you?”

“He never wants to see me again.”

That time Hajime didn’t hide his shock.

“What? Why?”

“I told him it was just a sex thing.”

Hajime pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Why did you tell him it was just a sex thing if it wasn’t?”

“Because I thought it was!”

“Why?” Hajime looked exasperated.

Soda let his head fall back into his hands and sighed.

“Like I said, a lot happened.”

–

“Okay, so basically you and Gundham made a ‘pact’ and have been messing around for a while now?”

“Yeah.”

“And you thought you were just fuck buddies?”

“Uh-huh.”

“But then you realized you had feelings for him.”

“Mm.”

“And instead of telling him that, you had sex.”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“Let me finish. So, after, you were trying to confess your feelings, but you wanted to apologize for ruining your guys’ breakfast first?”

Soda nodded.

“So, you laid naked in bed with the guy who you not only liked, but had just banged the night before… and talked about how much you liked Sonia…”

Soda pulled his beanie over his face.

“Then you thought the best way to confess your feelings would be to call your whole relationship up to that point ‘just a sex thing’…”

“I was building to something!”

“You were being a dumbass.”

“I know!”

“So, he kicked you out and said he never wanted to see you again? That doesn’t really sound like Gundham…”

“Well, I mean, those weren’t his exact words, but, like, that’s obviously what he meant.”

Hajime heaved what was probably his hundredth sigh of the hour.

“What were his exact words?”

“Uh, something like ‘leave, I need to think.’”

“You’re so frustratingly stupid, how the hell is ‘I need to think’ the same as ‘I never want to see you again’? How?” Hajime was standing now, running an irritated hand through his hair.

“I-It was more of a tone thing I guess! Look, trust me, he’s done with me and it’s all my fault, okay? I give up.” Soda flopped back onto his bed with a dramatic groan. “If you’re really my best friend, you’ll just kill me right now and end my suffering.”

“Sure.”

“Wha-”

Before Soda could do anything, Hajime grabbed a pillow and jumped on top of him. He tried to bring the pillow down over Soda’s face, but Soda just barely managed to hold it back.

“What the hell man!” Soda did his best to push Hajime off of him, but he couldn’t get the proper leverage.

“Shhh, it’ll all be over soon. Just let it happen, you fucking idiot.”

“What the fuck!” Soda finally managed to wiggle his way out from under Hajime. He picked up a pillow of his own and slapped Hajime over the head with it. “You’re freaking me out man.”

“You asked me to kill you, just trying to be a good friend.” Hajime laughed and casually sat back on the bed like he hadn’t just been trying to smother Soda with a pillow. “Guess you weren’t really ready to die though, huh?”

“Of course I wasn’t really ready to die!”

“So you were just being dramatic?”

“Duh.”

“So, you’re not really ready to give up on Gundham either then?”

“Huh?”

Another one of those big disappointed Hajime sighs.

“You don’t even mean the things you’re saying, but you’re still acting like your life is over. I was just trying to show you you’re being way too dramatic, man.”

Hajime probably had a point, but-

“… You’re acting almost as weird as Nagito, you two have been spending way too much time together recently.”

Hajime smiled a little and… was he blushing?

“Yeah…” Hajime shook his head and a serious expression returned to his face. “Look, the important thing here is that you talk to Gundham. Apologize for being such a dumbass and then tell him how you feel. About him this time, preferably.” Hajime snorted in amusement.

“Yeah, yeah. But… he still probably doesn’t want to talk to me…”

“Fine. Die then.”

“Dude.”

“Then apologize.”

“Fuck you.”

“I though I wasn’t your type.”

Soda picked up a pillow and tried to smother Hajime’s stupid, smug face with it. Hajime fought back and they ended up discarding the pillow and wrestling on the floor.

It felt pretty good to just burn off some energy with Hajime. They rolled around, trying to pin each other down, and soon they were both laughing. Hajime let go of him and they laid on the floor in silence for a moment, breathing heavily, enjoying the moment.

Soda’s stomach growled.

It was about time for lunch, and he hadn’t even eaten breakfast but…

“Hajime.”

“Mm?” Hajime didn’t move from the floor.

“My dearest, most intelligent and handsome friend, Hajime.”

Hajime rose to his elbows and squinted at Soda.

“Perfect man whose soul is bound to my own, and who also has a rocking bod, Hajime.”

Hajime raised a brow and was obviously trying not to laugh.

“Please go get me something to eat. I’m starving.” His stomach growled again to punctuate the statement.

Hajime sat up full and rolled his eyes. “And you can’t get your own food because you’re scared you’ll run into Gundham, right?”

“You’re the best?” Soda gave Hajime his best puppy dog eyes and fluttered his lashes.

“You’re the worst.” Hajime stood up and stretched a little before heading for the door. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

-

Hajime returned with food for the both of them.

“Gundham wasn’t even around. Apparently he’s back at the ranch again.”

Oh, right. That would make sense. The foal was recovering, but Gundham would probably still be keeping an eye on it for a while…

“Thanks.” Soda took his food from Hajime and they ate in silence for a bit.

He was glad Hajime had come by to get him out of his head for a while, it was way easier to think clearly with someone else around to stop him from getting too caught up in despair.

He knew he really did need to talk to Gundham. Even if he really didn’t want to see him again, Soda would just have to beg him to listen long enough for him to at least apologize for being so stupid. At least then Gundham would know he hadn’t hurt him on purpose.

And then, if Gundham let him keep talking, maybe he could finally let him know how he felt too.

Not that it mattered.

“So… you gonna talk to Gundham after this?”

A heaviness settled in his gut.

“Y-yeah… well, maybe not right away…”

“Coward.” Hajime was smiling as he said it, grabbing his plate and getting ready to leave.

“F-fuck off. If you’re so brave, why don’t you just go suck Nagito’s dick or something.” Soda smirked, but Hajime didn’t falter.

“Maybe I will.” He winked as he closed the door and left.

Wait… what?

He was joking right? There was no way…

Why had Hajime come to his cabin in the first place? And he had been in such a good mood too… and then there was that little smile when Soda had said they were spending too much time together…

Well damn. Way to go, Hajime, get some.

Even if ‘some’ was a little crazy.

Soda took a moment to mentally congratulate his soul friend. At least one of them had some game.

At least on of them could be happy.

But… Hajime seemed to think there was still hope for Soda. So, maybe…

No. Hajime only thought there was hope because he hadn’t seen the look on Gundham’s face. He hadn’t seen how pissed he was, hadn’t heard how hurt he’d been, hadn’t heard him choke on his tears as he told Soda to go.

Yeah, Soda wanted to apologize, but he knew that was as far as things would go. He would apologize, and maybe he and Gundham could go back to ignoring each other, maybe even get back to throwing harmless insults at each other one day. But there’d never be a them, Soda was sure of that much. At least he wouldn’t have to spend he rest of his life completely avoiding Gundham, that was something, right?

He felt himself tearing up. He didn’t want to sit in his cabin and cry for hours again.

He decided to go for a walk.

Next Chapter

[moonlit-jeno]

love sick

Chapter 6- Renjun

pairing: nct dream ‘00 line + reader

genre/warnings: angst, mild gore (i literally mention the word blood once)

words: 2.4k

summary: If Renjun were in the right headspace, he would know that something is off.

masterlist | prev | next

It’s not like Renjun expects you to suddenly start acting like you’re attached at the hip, but he’s not really prepared for you to start actively avoiding him. He would prefer something in the middle if he’s being honest. Somewhere along the lines of ‘you poured me coffee and now to show my appreciation I will kiss your cheek.’

You’re at the counter pouring yourself a glass of water when Renjun walks up, wrapping his arms around you from behind. He goes to place a kiss to the top of your head but you jump and his nose explodes with pain. Renjun lets go of you and you successfully duck away from him.

“Ow, fuck. You’ve got a really hard head.” Renjun winces and holds his nose, thanking the heavens above that it isn’t bleeding. 

“Don’t sneak up on me.” Is all you say, glancing at him before opening the refrigerator and grabbing a cup of jello. Weird. Normally you’d be exploding with apologies.

Renjun furrows his eyebrows. “Aww, is someone a little scared?” He teases, reaching out to pinch your cheek. You swat his hand away.

“Can you not?” You sound pissed off, and you certainly look angry. Your response has him a little taken aback and Renjun retracts his hand, looking at you more carefully. 

You’re glaring at him and your jaw is clenched, but you also look a little bit shaky. “Are you okay?”

“Why do you care?” You scoff, turning and walking away from him. Renjun watches you go, his jaw dropped open in disbelief. He’s still standing like that when Donghyuck walks in. 

He’s so out of it that he doesn’t even notice him, only being alerted of the other boys presence when Donghyuck walks up and screams in his ear. Renjun jumps, arms flailing as he instinctively tries to put Hyuck in a headlock. The younger just laughs, dancing away from him.

“Ah, Renjun,” Donghyuck shakes his head, tsking under his breath. “Gotta be alert, my man. Never know when someone’s gonna come up and getcha.”

Renjun laughs, still distracted by your odd behavior. “Yeah, sorry. I’m a little out of it.” Donghyuck picks up the kettle and shakes it, checking to see if there’s still water in it. There is. Satisfied, he puts it back on the stove. “Thinkin’ bout y/n?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“Yeah, actually.” Renjun laughs humorlessly. “How’d you know?” “I think it’s pretty fair to assume that she’s the cause of most of our distractions.” Hyuck responds, rummaging through the cabinet for the tea bags. He holds the box up. “Want a cup?” Donghyuck’s comment catches him off guard. “No, I’m okay. What do you mean she’s the cause of out distractions?” “Oh come on, I think you know what I mean.” Donghyuck wiggles his eyebrows once again and Renjun gets the urge to shave them off. He stares blankly in response. “Or maybe you don’t. What’d she do to capture the mind of the genius himself?” Renjun lets out a dramatic sigh. “I dunno, she just seems kind of off. Like she was in a super bad mood earlier.” Donghyuck starts to make his mug selection. “Oh, yeah. She was crying yesterday, so she’s probably still recovering from whatever had her so upset.” “She was crying yesterday? When?” “Man, I don’t know. Around when Jaemin made dinner?” Renjun’s mind mind goes into overdrive. That’s after they had their moment in the greenhouse. Shit. Was she crying because of him?

Renjun nods. “Huh. Shit.” “Why? Did you- oh fuck, I forgot to turn the stove on, damnit- did you do something?” Donghyuck asks.

“I don’t think so. I’m just wondering if she’s okay.” Donghyuck makes a sound of understanding. “I’m gonna go try to talk to her.” Renjun’s mind is running a million miles a second as he walks to your room, trying to work out what to say. Did you really regret hooking up with him that much? He didn’t make you do anything you didn’t want to do, right? He knocks lightly on your door, deciding to just walk in when you don’t respond. 

You turn, wide eyes hardening into a glare when you realize who it is. “You know that you’re supposed to wait after you knock.” “Yeah, sorry. Can I come in?” Renjun’s nerves take over and he laughs a little. You don’t.

“What do you want?” His laughter dies and he clears his throat, your icy tone leaving him with a bad feeling in his stomach. 

“Well, you seem kind of off so I just wanted to check in and see if you’re okay?” Renjun says, hovering unsurely in your doorway.

You roll your eyes, turning your focus to your nails. “You asked me that earlier and I said I was fine.” Renjun’s starting to get a little annoyed now. He feels his eye twitch and he wills himself to stay calm. “No, you asked me why I cared and then stormed off.”

“So why do you care?” You raise your eyebrow and Renjun swears if he sees another person raise their eyebrows at him they’re going to lose them.

“Well, I just thought that after all that time in the greenhouse that we-” You cut him off. “That we what? That we’re married now?” You laugh incredulously. “I met you what, a month ago? Two? We barely know each other, Renjun. I don’t need you watching over me like you care.” The words hit Renjun like a punch to the gut and he opens his mouth to argue before realizing that he has nothing to say. Poking his tongue into his cheek and nodding, he silently backs out of your room. He can’t even bring himself to slam your door.

He feels like crying, anger and frustration clawing at him. What do you mean you barely know him? Sure, you haven’t known each other for very long, but what about all the late nights you spent talking? All those times you sat in the greenhouse with him, reminiscing over childhood memories? It’s stupid, it’s so stupid that he’s letting himself get this worked up over it, but he can’t help it. Renjun debates going down to talk to Donghyuck about it, but he decides against it. It already sounds dumb to him, no doubt it’s going to sound even dumber to his best friend. He’s really not in the mood to be teased. Not knowing what else to do, Renjun turns and makes his way to the place that has recently become his safespace: the greenhouse.

Renjun runs his hand through his hair much too roughly as he storms towards the greenhouse, cursing at himself. He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment and grits his jaw, trying to relax himself as he enters the building.

He’s stuck in his own head, overanalyzing everything he’s said, everything hes done over the past day. Why can’t he think of what he did wrong?

It isn’t until he steps fully into the greenhouse that he realizes he’s not alone.

There’s a man kneeling in the dirt, pulling at one of the plants. Renjun watches as the guy inspects the plant, holding it in front of his face with his head tilted.

It’s not too late. Renjun hasn’t been noticed. He takes a step back. There’s a crunch.

The guys head snaps towards him.

He expects the guy to immediately launch himself at Renjun, rip his face off, tear him apart. But the man only looks at him, standing from his crouching position.

“Hello there.”

Zombies can’t talk, right?

“H-hello.” Renjun’s voice is shaky, barely audible. He wants to cry.

“Is this yours?” Renjun nods. “I’m sorry for the bother, but I was just so hungry”

If Renjun were in the right headspace, he would know that something is off. The guy’s too twitchy, hands shaking as he smiles much too intensely at Renjun. His eyes are a little bloodshot, and Renjun’s stomach twists as he realizes that his eyes are looking in two completely different directions.

“So, so hungry.” The eyes are completely vacant.

Slowly, he starts to back away. The guy doesn’t seem to notice. Anxiety wells up as he gets to the door. swallowing thickly as he turns the handle. He’s finding it hard to breathe, keeping his eyes locked on the guy as he slowly opens the door.  Nothing happens. He gets one foot out. The man doesn’t move. He opens the door wider.

The door creaks.

Clarity returns to the man’s eyes strikingly fast, and then he’s moving towards Renjun at full speed. Renjun watches in horror for a second too long, his body finally listening to his brain as he flees.

The door to the house is so close and yet it looks impossibly far. Renjun isn’t thinking logistics- he’s not thinking about how his friends are all in that house, how he’s leading a potential zombie to them. He’s just thinking that the house is safe, and right now he’s in the attack zone.

He risks a glance behind him as he gets to the door, and the man is right behind him, so close that he could grab Renjun with a reach of his arm. Renjun screams and launches himself up the three steps, his hand closing around the door handle. The stairs seem to be his saving grace, tripping the guy and sending him crashing to the ground. A hand closes around his ankle but Renjun manages to tear himself free, pulling the door open before slamming it shut behind him.

He collapses with his back against the door for a moment, panting, his life still flashing behind his eyes as he swallows down his vomit. It’s the feeling of the door rattling as the man throws himself against it that snaps Renjun into action.

“Fuck. Fuck! Y/N, Hyuck, fuckin- we have to leave right the fuck now!” He clicks the lock and scrambles to his feet, running through the house. “Jeno, Jaemin? Where are you, we need to fucking leave!”

The three boys are all in the kitchen, and Renjun would comment on the tension in the room if he wasn’t in such a frantic mode. Jaemin’s the only one sitting and he turns to look at the Renjun when he walks in. “What? Why?”

“Zombies, why the fuck else? Get y/n, get the keys, we need to go.” Jeno is already running off, screaming at the top of his lungs for you, and you appear a moment later looking dazed. Your eyes are puffy and you look absolutely murderous, but that look is replaced with fear as you take in their states.

You don’t question it as Renjun tells you you have to fucking go, just grabbing the sneakers by the door and nodding. Jaemin’s got the key in his hand and Renjun counts down to three before you open the door, sprinting out to the car as fast as you can.

The car beeps as Jaemin unlocks it and they all pile in as fast as possible. The doors are locked, the engine is started, and then they’re off. The tires squeal as they peel out of the driveway, breathing hard.

In their minds, they’re driving away from the threat, not towards it. Jaemin nearly crashes the car when something hits the windshield, yelling out a “oh, fuck no” when he realizes that it is 1) a person and 2) said person is slamming themself against the glass.

Jaemin swerves violently as he tries to throw the guy off, hitting a curb and nearly tipping the car onto its side. You’re screaming at the top of your lungs, one hand gripping onto Renjun, the other grabbing onto Donghyuck.

“Get him off!” Jeno screams, pushing his seat back as far as it goes as the zombie tries to break through the area right in front of him.

“I’m fucking trying!” Jaemin screams back, jerking the wheel violently to one side to get them off the sidewalk and onto the rode. He pulls a terrifying combination of stomping on the gas while jerking the wheel to one side, sharply turning the car and flinging the zombie onto the street in front of him.

The guy gets back up and Jaemin hits him full speed. Blood splatters on the window. You sob.

It’s followed by dead silence, all of you processing what just happened. Your face is buried in Renjun’s shoulder. Numbly, he pats your head.

Donghyuck breaks the silence. “Okay, I want to make it clear to god that I wasn’t joking when I said I never wanted that to happen against.”

That gets a weak laugh out of Jaemin and Jeno. “Guess that confirms that you’re not God’s favorite.” Jeno jokes.

“Like we didn’t already know that.” Jaemin scoffs. Hyuck sniffs in mock hurt.

You don’t respond, but you do pull your head away from Renjun’s shoulder and let go of his wrist. He glances at you out of the corner of his eye, watching as tears stream silently down your cheeks, your hands wringing nervously in your lap.

“At least we were prepared.” Jeno points out, referring to the pile of emergency foods you’d stashed in the trunk just in case. There are also guns in there, courtesy your father, though he has no fucking idea how those would come in handy. They’re more there for the allusion of safety.

Jaemin and Jeno bicker while the radio provides them with static, Jeno eventually giving up on finding a working channel and shutting it off. Donghyuck grabs onto you and shoves his face into the crook of your neck before falling asleep. You sit stiffly in your seat, staring blankly at your hands.

Renjun scratches absentmindedly at his ankle, frowning at the persistent itchiness. There must’ve been spiders in that greenhouse.

No, not a spider. The conversation in the background fades out as his ears start ringing, heart pounding in his chest. He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, praying under his breath. Slowly, carefully, he rolls back up his pant leg. Another deep breath. Renjun opens his eyes

The veins are black.

[dragons-socks]

Baby Bumblebee chptr 4

////////Six Months Later\\\\\\\\\

Bee was walking home from school. Lennox and Ironhide were hunting down Decepticons in Europe, so he didn’t really have a ride today, which was fine. He didn’t mind not going back to the house when Lennox or Ironhide wasn’t there. It’s not that Bee didn’t like Sarah or Annabell, but they just didn’t really get each other. Annabell tried to poke at every nerve Bumblebee had, just testing his patience. And Sarah either babied him too much or acted as if he should already know how to do some complex human thing.

And then there was school. Apparently, Sarah was right about his name. Though Bee still didn’t understand how a girl in his class can be named ‘jasmine’ after a flower, but to be called after the insect that lets that flower grow and flourish… that’s taking it too weird? Not to mention no one in the institute knows morse code, and only a few, including his teacher know sign language. The school said they’d set him up with an interpreter. That has yet to be seen.

“Oh, hey, you’re Honey Bee, right?” Bumblebee jumped as a boy his physical age tapped him on the shoulder. Bee pulled out a small keyring of flash card that said common phrases to help him interact with people who couldn’t understand his other forms of communications. He tapped on the one with his actual name on it. “Oh, well I’m Raven.”

Bee made a saluting gesture; instead of his hand being horizontal and pushed in front of him, his palm was vertical and facing out while his hand moved away to the side of his temple. Then, Bee finger-spelt the boy’s name. Raven looked at his hands with wide eyes.

“Woah, you really can’t speak, can you?” Raven asked. Bee let out angry trills, glaring at the boy. He started to walk faster, getting away from the human. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that!”

Bee chittered, turning around and raising an eyebrow. You have one chance.

“I just didn’t want to believe Harvey. He’s always making up things about other people. My mom says he’s a bully.” Raven rambled. Bee nodded in agreement. Harvey was a larger kid in his class who kept trying to pick fights and make fun of Bumblebee. Bee would hand the kid’s ass to him, but he was still an Autobots and harming humans was still a big ‘no’ in his books. “We should be friends. I see you like Voltron. My favorite is the red lion, but the yellow one is alright too.”

Bumblebee shrugged, not knowing what this ‘Voltron’ was, but decided not to try to confuse the other with too complex interactions. This is the most pleasant conversation he’s had since being forced to partake in the human learning institution.

Soon Raven had to split off to go to his own home, but made Bee promise to meet up tomorrow to walk to school. Bee felt lighter for some reason, almost like he wasn’t so alone. Annabell picked up on his good mood as soon as he entered the house. A toy sailed through the air and whacked him in the forehead.

“Hey, Bee.” She smiled.

“Annabell, stop throwing toys. Go sit in the corner.” Sarah gawked. This turned into a ten minute scream-cry feast in which Annabell was forced to spend time in the corner for longer than her original sentence. Bumblebee was already set up at the table by this point, pulling out his homework. “How was school, Bee?” The woman said as she signed the words.

‘Good, I meet a new friend. His name is Raven.’ Bee signed, his feet kicking in the open air under the table.

“Oh, that’s nice, what did you guys talk about?” Sarah leaned over the counter, ruffling Bee’s hair. He huffed and waved her hand away.

‘He kept talking about some lion-show called Voltage or something? Said I liked it too, but I don’t know why he would think that.’

“You mean Voltron? Your bookbag is designed to look like one of the characters on the show. He probably thought you got the bag because you liked the show, not because it was yellow and black.” She explained, lifting up the bag in question. On the back in vinyl letters did read ‘Voltron’. “We could watch it. So you know what your friend is talking about.”

Bee shrugged at this. He’s tried to watch human entertainment, but nothing really caught his interest. Well, he’s only really seen whatever the Witwicky’s watched, and that was just through their living room window as he was parked in their driveway. Recently, Annabell has been making him watch her shows, which were all about learning numbers, colors, and being nice. At least she has her numbers and colors down.

“Yeah, it can be our thing, when you’re done with your homework we can watch a few episodes.” Sarah nodded to herself.

Annabell was returned from her sentencing. She shuffled up to Bumblebee, holding out the wooden block that she had thrown at him earlier.

“M’sorry, Bee.” She toed at the ground and gave him large puppy dog eyes. Bee huffed and took the block from her. He’s learned pretty fast to accept her peace offerings or have her throw another tantrum.

‘Yeah, I’m sure you are.’ Bee signed back. Annabell jumped around to her mom.

“Mom, what did he say?” Sarah shook her head at the young autobot. “He said, ‘apology accepted’.”

It didn’t take long to finish the easy equations or sentence structures his teachers assigned for his class. As soon as he put his work back into his bag, Sarah ushered him onto the couch and turned on their television.

“Get comfortable, sweetie, the first episode is the longest.” Bee wrapped himself in the yellow blanket that he’s since claimed as his own. As the episode went on, Bee found himself drawing parallels of his own life and the autobots to those of these characters. He was so immersed into this stupid cartoon that he didn’t even notice that Lennox had arrived and sat down next to his wife. Not until the episode was paused.

‘HEY!’ Bumblebee turned to Sarah, jumping a little when Lennox was also there.

“Hey to you too, kid.” Lennox said, his voice thick and his face contorted into worry. Bumblebee sat up.

‘Is Ironhide okay?’ Bee signed, trying to twist out of his cocoon to get a better look outside for the mech.

“He’s fine, Bee. But I do have some bad news. The Decepticons found the base. The Autobots had to be relocated and for your safety, we might not be getting their new location.”

‘But what about Ironhide? He still needs Energon to function. How will I find them once we’ve figured out how to change me back?’ Bee asked.

“They don’t think there’s a cure for you, Bee. Optimus thought it best to cut ties. Don’t worry about Ironhide. We’re still going to get shipments of Energon for him.” Lennox pulled Bee into his chest. Bee didn’t have room to sign his frustrations, but he also didn’t have energy to fight off his prison of warm arms. Instead he let Lennox’s voice swirl around his own thoughts that wanted to drown him.

_______________

Bee slipped out of the house. The moon, street lamps, and his blinking shoe steps were his only light to navigate out of the neighborhood and try to find his way back to Optimus. The mech might not want him, but that was where he belonged, and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

It wasn’t the first time that he realized that walking was much more time consuming than driving. This was just another time that the notion ingrained itself into his head. This was the first time Bumblebee found himself walking for a long time after sunset. It seemed to take longer in the dark. It took so much longer to reach the school than it usually does.

Maybe it wasn’t the darkness of night that had Bumblebee shuffling his feet. Maybe it was the thought of seeing Optimus and the others after a month of not seeing them. Maybe it was the knowledge that this was in direct opposition of Optimus’s orders. This is the most rebellious he’s been in a long time. Bumblebee finds his feet stopping. He looks around and realizes he’s walked himself all the way just a house past Sam’s. The chill has already settled into his skin, but he’s just noticed his minutely shivers. His teeth are chattering, and he feels tired seeping into the very marrow of his human bones. His feet and legs ache. It must have been half the night gone by now.

A rumbling sound brings the rest of the world back into focus. Cars race towards him, screeching to a halt and boxing him in. At first he thinks its normal bad humans, until he recognizes the cars and notices the Decepticons’ insignias.

“I don’t get it.” Starscream’s voice is audible from his vehicular mode. “There is but a human child where the signal emits. No energon, no Autobots. Nothing.”

Bumblebee’s heart spikes. He backs away from Megatron’s right-hand. The other ‘Cons have switched back to their natural state. They leer down at Bumblebee. One even tries to grab at him. He rolls to the side, and books it for a crack in their formation. Breakdown snagged Bee’s leg, scooping him upside-down, before he could make it. Bee kept hissing and sputtering at the Cons, but they weren’t intimidated.

“It appears, Starscream, that the boy is the origin of the signal. Maybe Knockout’s weapon wasn’t as defective as we had first thought. This human child does have a striking resemblance to their mute scout.” Breakdown muses.

Bee lets out sharp whistles, hoping the sleeping humans around them will awaken, but its almost no use. His vision starts to blur as the Cons start moving away. He doesn’t know what to do. He starts pushing against the metal fist around his leg, but with each shove the only result is his palms getting hotter.

Bumblebee can feel in his gut that Breakdown is about to shift. He can hear the t-cog clicking its gears in the split second preparation of turning into the alt mode. Bee panics, pulling his arm as far back as he could and smacking hard onto Breakdown’s grip. Instead of being halted by the warm living metal, his hand pushed in with no resistance. A shot of blue energy cut a path from his hand to the open sky. Breakdown drops Bee on the ground in surprise. Bee is able to twist himself to land on his back rather than just his head. He ignores the searing pain of smacking into the asphalt and scrambles away from his capture. The other Cons make a quick double-back, but not before Bee is on his feet. His palms and fingers tingle from the heat, but are unharmed from the powerful blast-ray. Cons surround him. He pulls his arm back and lets out another blast, sweeping his arm in an arc and taking out a line of the enemies, and also some of the residential appliances.

“Bee?” It’s Sam’s voice as he scampers out of his house in a shirt and boxers. “Where’s Lennox? Why are you here?” Bee doesn’t answer. He can’t answer. He sidesteps a blast from the Cons. Its not enough, Bee is grabbed again. His arms are pinned to his side in Starscream’s hand.

“I’ve got him, retreat.” Starscream proclaimed, ignoring Bee’s chitters and Sam’s shouts. A ground bridge was opened a few feet away. Starscream watched his men walk into the portal before turning to Sam with a viscous grin. “Till the next time, Witwick-”

Bee was once again hitting the ground. His back is singing and his ears are ringing from the gunshot. His vision is blurry, but he can still make out Mikaela cocking back a rifle as Sam ran to him. Sam carefully moved Bee away from the Decepticon, who was clutching his shot-up hand. There was a moment where it looked like Starscream was going to exact revenge. Luckily the portal behind him started to close and if he wanted a ride back home he couldn’t fight the humans. Everyone sighed with relief until they looked down at Bee.

The worried shouts of his friends were cut short as Bee’s small body finally gave it quits and fell asleep.

[myheroheacanons]

Hi Ana, this one is kind of angsty I'm sorry about that. Can I get comfort HCs for Sero, Tokoyami, Shoji, and Bakugou where their gf has been internalizing a lot of bad feeling and while they are hanging out alone, some little thing pushes her over the edge and she breaks down? Afterwards she says that she didn't tell them about her emotional state because in the past when she tried talking to family about it she was met with dismissal or yelled at for it. Thank you.

aww honey, I know you’ll be okay! I hope this makes you feel better! My dms are always open

Sero

He’s a pretty chill dude

Sero always knows how to lighten the mood 

He’s overall a good boyfriend

One day, you and him are just chilling in the dorms playing some video games

He’s noticed that recently you’ve been acting kind of distant

Sero’s been worried about you but decided not to press the subject

As you and him were playing Mario kart and you got hit with a red shell, you just stared at the TV for a second and burst out into tears

Sero quickly pauses the game and asks you “Woah babe are you alright?!”

He pulls you into a big hug and just hold you and kisses your forehead

Sero loves you a lot and it pains him to see you in such a state

“Honey, why didn’t you tell me you were on the verge of a mental breakdown”

You explained to him everything that has been happening and why you’re afraid to tell him about your emotional state

As you were telling him, you saw pain in his eyes

After you were finished, he gave you a kiss on the forehead and hugged you closer

“Babe, I’m always here to listen. I’ll always be here”

You and him cuddled for the rest of the day

Tokoyami

He’s a very observant guy

Tokoyami’s noticed that you’ve been acting strange the whole week

He decided to leave it alone and if you needed to talk to him you would

One night, you and him were studying together in your dorm

Midterms were coming up and math is a bitch

Geometry was getting to you and the anxiety of the test adding on to internal problems is not fucking pretty

So this one geometry problem was very hard

And you have tried to solve it multiple times and to no avail

You just couldn’t hold it in anymore and just burst into tears

He was stunned the first couple of seconds

“Are you okay y/n” 

When that question made you cry even harder, he was beyond confused

Tokoyami did the only logical solution and hugged you 

He held you until you stopped crying

Tokoyami didn’t pry anything from you, he was ready to wait as long as you needed to feel comfortable

After you explained why you didn’t tell him of your mental state he felt horrible

“Trust me y/n, I’ll always be here to listen. Come to me even for the smallest things. I don’t mind, I really like your voice anyways”

Shoji

He kind of didn’t notice at first

Shoji only started seeing it when you weren’t laughing with the class at their dumb jokes

He knew not to press the subject cause that could end bad

Shoji decided to wait for you to be comfortable enough to talk to him

But by the end of the week it was killing him

So Shoji decided to take you out on a cute date

For the first time that week he saw a genuine smile on your face

It made him happy

But halfway through the date he saw your attitude dropping

When you got back you asked him if he can stay the night in your dorm

He agreed and you two started getting ready for bed

Shoji couldn’t handle it anymore and decided to ask the forbidden question

“Are you okay y/n?”

That just broke you

You couldn’t help the tears from flowing

Thankfully, Shoji is quick on his feet

He wrapped you up in a blanket and held you close to him

After your breakdown, you explained why you didn’t come to him for help

He was pretty shocked but reassured you

“Love, I will always be here to talk. I’ll never turn you away”

Bakugou

Ok I’m a Bakugou lover and I can safely say he’s a fucking bitch

Does he show any other emotion than anger to people? No

But with you it’s different

He’s been so vulnerable with you so he safely assumed that you would be with him too

When Bakugou saw you acting strange all week, he asked you multiple times to which you assured him you were fine

He didn’t believe you but left the matter be

And one faithful day you and him were hanging out in the dorms studying

He called you a dumb ass (with affection) because you couldn’t solve a math problem

When you started crying from that, he obviously knew something was up

“umm why are you crying”

Instant panic mode

Did he say something? Maybe shes finally tired of me? What if she wants to leave me?

He gives you an awkward hug but you can feel his love to it

Bakugou listens to you when you’re done crying

He very shocked to hear why you didn’t tell him about your mental state

“Well I’m not like those dumb-asses! I’ll always listen to you! Please tell me when something is wrong, I hate to see you hurting..”

Cuddles you for the rest of the night and tries to be a little more gentle with you

[rosedavid]

Slip-Ups

A Merthur hurt/comfort fanfic

tw // blood and injury description //

Prompt: Merlin gets injured nothing too serious, but Arthur gets into super over protective mode and refuses to leave his side. Throughout the day people keep coming in to remind him of his princely duties, but Morgana ends up blocking them and sending them away so that Arthur can spend time helping Merlin.

...

             Usually, Merlin is more careful than this. Okay, well, careful to an extent. There’s a difference between being carefully reckless and just reckless all together. Today, though, he’s particularly on edge. It’s been a tedious week full of constant running about. Arthur’s seemed to be in an especially bad mood recently, as well, probably because he’s been just as busy as Merlin. With his duties as King starting to mount up to incredulous levels, Arthur’s been at wit’s end recently trying to manage his new role and duties. As a result, he’s been working everyone harder; his advisors, the knights, and of course Merlin himself. With every usual duty, Arthur decides to stack on three more for Merlin to do, with a quick grumble of, “Hurry it up!”

             Now, completely exhausted and frustrated, Merlin is in Arthur’s chambers at night haphazardly finishing the prat’s chores. All Merlin wants is to collapse into bed and sleep for the next few days, although he knows that won’t be possible. His stomach growls as he cleans up. Despite his previous reservations about Gaius’s meals, nothing sounds better right now than a big bowl of gruel.

             “Stupid King Prat,” Merlin growls to himself, scrubbing ruthlessly at Arthur’s filthy armor. “Merlin, you missed a speck of dust on my armor! I’ll have you thrown in the stocks! Merlin, my sword is getting rusty! I’ll show him.”

             The worst part is that before all of this, Arthur was actually starting to be (sort of) nice. Until this week, Merlin hadn’t been forced to muck out the stables in months. Although their constant bickering continued then, it was lighter than usual, more playful. Things had been going well, in other words. And now, Merlin feels like he’s been dragged through the mud.

             After sufficiently getting his anger out scrubbing Arthur’s already clean armor, Merlin switches to the sword resting on the table’s edge. This is where things go horribly wrong. So pent up with frustration and weariness, Merlin grapples above him blindly for the sword, still muttering insults. In that moment, he fails to grab the correct end of the sword. Instead, his hand slices against the sharp edges of the sword. He bites back a curse, yanking his hand away. Of course, since luck loves Merlin at the moment, the sword comes with it, slicing even further down to his wrist.

             Merlin clutches at his bleeding hand shakily. Blood pools in his palm, red tendrils slipping down his arm and dripping on the just washed floors. Still trying to comprehend what just happened, Merlin stares at the drops of blood, watching as they fall from his hand. This, of course, is when Arthur chooses to stumble into his chambers.

             “You would not believe the day I had!” Arthur groans, stomping through the doors. “I can’t even breathe without someone telling me I’m doing it wrong! Not to mention, my incompetent manservant doesn’t even have dinner ready for me!”

             Merlin continues staring at the blood numbly. Realizing that Merlin isn’t biting back like usual, Arthur finally turns toward him with an open mouth ready to berate Merlin yet again for something trivial. But the words die on his lips when he catches sight of the boy bleeding all over the floor.

             “Merlin!” He cries out, rushing over to the boy. “You idiot! You’re bleeding all over the place.”

             “Am I?” Merlin wonders, head going a bit fuzzy. Along with the blood loss and lack of food and sleep, his consciousness is gradually wavering.

             “What in God’s name happened?!”

             “Had to clean your sword, prat,” Merlin slurs, the conversation bringing him back a bit into reality. Also, the reality of his pain. “Ouch. That hurts a bit.”

             Arthur rolls his eyes, and if Merlin didn’t know any better, he would think Arthur looked scared behind his façade. But why would Arthur be scared? It may be a lot of blood, but it’s just a cut; Gaius will have him stitched up in no time at all. Besides, based on this week, Arthur didn’t seem to care too much about Merlin’s well-being. Why would he suddenly care now?

             “What did you do, gouge your hand open?” Arthur frowns, tearing off a piece of his own tunic before Merlin can protest. He then kneels by Merlin’s side.

             Merlin hisses as Arthur presses the tunic firmly into the crevice of his palm. “Now I hafta…mend that too, prat.”

             Arthur doesn’t respond; instead, he furrows his eyebrows and purses his lips as he applies more pressure to Merlin’s still bleeding wound. “Think you can stand?”

             “’Course I can stand!” Merlin argues. To prove his point, he abruptly pushes himself off the ground, only to find the world spinning around him. He gasps, tipping dangerously. Luckily, Arthur still has his firm grasp on Merlin’s bleeding hand, so the instant he starts swaying, he falls into Arthur’s side instead of back onto the floor. Merlin blinks away black spots and tries to ignore the pain lacing from his hand.

             “….almost fell, you idiot!” Arthur’s voice comes back into focus. “What if I hadn’t been here? Would you have just bled out on my floor?”

             “I’m fine,” Merlin stresses again.

             “You’re ridiculous, Merlin. Come on, let’s get you to Gaius.”

             With that, Arthur takes Merlin’s good arm and wraps it around his own neck. Then, he wraps one arm around Merlin’s waist while the other continues to hold the now soaked rag tightly to Merlin’s wound. It’s an awkward position that makes it hard to walk, but somehow they manage to make it all the way to Gaius without Merlin passing out (although they had to stop a few times to avoid it).

             Arthur yanks open the door, immediately alerting Gaius to their presence. With the combination of Arthur’s panicked expression and blood still dripping onto the floor beneath Merlin, Gaius stands up quickly to help.

             “My goodness, what happened?” Gaius asks, bringing Merlin over to the nearest patient cot. Arthur helps ease Merlin down into a sitting position while Gaius gathers supplies, including a clean rag to continue to staunch the flow of blood.

             “Sword fell,” Merlin mumbles grumpily, not wanting to hear Arthur’s recount of the tale complete with insults and jibes at his manservant.

             “Will he be okay?” Arthur buts in, holding the new rag to Merlin’s hand per Gaius’s instruction.

             Gaius briefly lifts the rag against Merlin’s cut up to inspect the wound. It’s still bleeding, but not quite as profusely as it was before. “Yes, sire. It will require some stiches and it will be sore for a few days, but you got him here fast enough that infection shouldn’t start in.”

             Arthur lets out a deep breath, stepping back to allow Gaius to clean Merlin’s wound. To Merlin’s credit, he only winces and hisses through his teeth as Gaius cleans up the wound. After all the excitement, though, Arthur can clearly see the fatigue covering Merlin. Guiltily, Arthur stares at him, suddenly realizing just how harsh he’s been to his manservant this week. It’s not like Arthur meant to, it’s just with all the pressures of his new duties as well as his newfound feelings…he thought it best to put Merlin away and to work. If he hadn’t made Merlin do so many chores, perhaps Merlin wouldn’t be injured so badly.

             “Drink this, Merlin, it will put you to sleep while I do your stitches,” Gaius coaxes, bringing a vial of probably foul-tasting liquid to his lips. Merlin doesn’t complain, though, simply swallowing it quickly. In an instant, his eyes begin to get heavy, world blurring around him, before he finally falls into a deep slumber.

             Arthur stares at Merlin for an unknown amount of time before Gaius clears his throat. When Arthur looks back up, he realizes that Merlin’s wound has been all stitched up. It gives him a clear view of the length of the cut, extending from the top of Merlin’s palm down to the bottom of his wrist.

             “He is okay, sire,” Gaius reassures him, placing one comforting hand on his shoulder. Arthur nods through clenched teeth. “Sire, if I may…the guards came by asking for you a few minutes ago. You have a meeting to attend soon. Perhaps you should get yourself cleaned up.”

             Arthur is confused at first because one, he doesn’t remember the guards coming by the physician’s chambers, and two, he doesn’t know why Gaius says he should clean himself up. He only begins to understand the second one when he finally takes a look at his hands, caked with dried blood. Merlin’s blood.

             He doesn’t want to leave Merlin’s side for a second, but he also knows that he can’t forget his duties as King. Conflicted, Arthur looks back at Merlin’s pale face tucked into the side of the pillow with a fondness he never knew he possessed.

             “I shouldn’t leave him,” Arthur decides. “Not like this.”

             “I understand your concerns, sire, but what if I had one of the knights sit with Merlin in your absence? Sir Gwaine would be willing, I’m sure.”

             Arthur considers it, but shakes his head. “No, I just…I can’t leave him like this, Gaius. W-what if this was my fault? It’s been a busy week, and I’ve been working him really hard, probably harder than he deserves—”

             “Arthur,” Gaius addresses kindly. “It’s been a busy week for us all. Everyone is tired and frustrated, including Merlin. It sounds to me like it was just an accident, nothing more. You couldn’t have prevented that.”

             Arthur purses his lips but says nothing. Meanwhile, Gaius pulls up a seat beside Arthur, gently coaxing him down into it. “Let me at least get you a fresh basin and rag to wash your hands off, sire.”

             “Yes, that would be good. Thank you,” Arthur clears his throat, not wanting to see this much of Merlin’s blood ever again.

             As Arthur sits there through the remainder of the evening, guards and members of the court come and go, trying to coax Arthur away with no success. Despite some of their glares toward Arthur’s manservant, and some frankly rude comments, Arthur refuses to budge. A few hours later, he thinks that the guards are about to forcefully drag him out of the room when an unlikely hero comes to his rescue.

             “Can’t you see the King is doing something important already?! He’s been at everyone’s beck and call all week, so I think you can survive without him for one goddamn night!” a feminine voice shouts outside the hallway. Then, there are determined footsteps before the door is being opened and closed gently, a large contrast to the tone mere seconds ago.

             Morgana stands in front of the doorway, as regal and snarky as ever. Even though Arthur tends to butt heads with Morgana more than he does anyone else, he suddenly feels a great relief for her actions. As much as he hates to admit it, he probably owes her one, but he’ll think about that later. Right now, as per Gaius’s instructions who left to take care of a woman giving birth in the lower town, Arthur needs to keep his eyes on Merlin to be sure an infection won’t take hold.

             Silently, Morgana strides over to the other side of Merlin’s cot, where the boy lies deathly still and pale. The only thing keeping Arthur from completely losing it is watching the steady rise and fall of Merlin’s chest. That, and clutching at Merlin’s uninjured hand, which he drops when Morgana comes into the room (although he’s pretty certain she saw since Morgana has eyes like a hawk).

             “He looks exhausted,” Morgana comments, glancing at the boy’s stitched up hand.

             “Yeah,” Arthur agrees quietly, eyes latched on Merlin.

             “You look exhausted too, Arthur.”

             Arthur waves her off. “I’m fine. It doesn’t matter anyway, I have to stay awake to take care of him.”

             “Well, you won’t be any use to him if you pass out.”

             “ But I can’t—”

             “I will watch over him, Arthur,” Morgana interrupts. “I am Merlin’s friend too, after all. Although I have a feeling that he may mean something more to you.”

             A red flush brightens on Arthur’s cheeks, a mix between embarrassment, anger, and thoughts of Merlin. “Morgana!”

             “Hush, I have eyes, you know. I can tell you’re both infatuated with each other. Please, Arthur, go lie down and rest.”

             “If you truly know, then you understand I can’t leave him.”

             Morgana purses her lips in thought. “Then take Merlin’s bed. I’m completely sure he wouldn’t mind. Gaius or myself will wake you when Merlin wakes up, himself.”

             The thought of sleeping in Merlin’s bed sends shivers down Arthur’s spine. It’s not like the bed is anything special based on when Arthur has seen it. In fact, it’s probably more uncomfortable than most of the beds in the castle. But because it’s Merlin’s bed, it won’t feel uncomfortable to Arthur. He hates to admit when Morgana is right, but she has a few good points. Too tired to argue anymore, Arthur takes Merlin’s hand again and squeezes it, bidding him goodnight. Morgana takes his place, hand lingering on Arthur’s forearm.

             “Promise you will wake me if anything at all happens?”

             “Yes, Arthur. I will. Now please, you look worse than Merlin. Get some rest. Merlin will be fine.”

             Arthur barely registers climbing up the steps to Merlin’s room. He practically collapses onto the bed. He breathes in a combination of the smell of soap and Merlin. It’s like home. Nuzzling his face into Merlin’s pillow, Arthur almost instantly falls asleep.

…

The sunlight is the first thing to wake him up, streaming through the window and lighting up the entire room. The second thing he registers is the sound of people moving about in the kitchen. Although Arthur wants nothing more than to curl back under the covers and fall asleep, his waking thoughts immediately drift once again to Merlin. What if Merlin is awake? Or what if he’s worse than before? Arthur shoots up out of the bed immediately while thoughts plague his head. He’s aware of how gross he probably looks and smells, still dressed in yesterday’s clothes, but he can’t bring himself to care.

Stumbling out of the room, his eyes search out the familiar black mop of hair. He finds it quickly, still tousled as Merlin sleeps on the cot. Morgana has now been replaced by Gwen, who is helping Gaius organize some herbs and medicines.

“Gaius, how is he?” Arthur clears his throat, trying to sound less worried than he really is. Based on Gaius’s raised eyebrow, it doesn’t work.

“He’s doing well, sire,” Gaius responds with a slight smile. “He stirred a bit in the night, but fell into a deeper sleep. But based on the medicine I gave him, I bet he’ll be waking up anytime now.”

Somewhat relieved, Arthur goes to take his place at Merlin’s side again, but Gwen coaxes him away. “Have some food, your majesty. Based on what Morgana told me, you haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.”

Begrudgingly, Arthur sits down at the table, biting into an apple. He is hungry, but right now food just doesn’t sound appetizing. Still, he manages to eat a bit, even chatting with Gwen about random goings on in the town. It’s only about half an hour later when Merlin begins to fidget.

Arthur, of course, is the first one by his side. Merlin squirms, wincing as he rolls over on his stitched hand. Arthur rolls his eyes before helping un-trap Merlin’s hand. As he grabs Merlin’s hand, one finger traces beside the stitches in a delicate, almost not-there touch. Finally, Merlin’s eyes flutter open, looking dazed.

“ ‘Thur?” Merlin murmurs, squinting up at him.

“Yes, you dollop-head, it’s me,” Arthur teases, still stroking his hand.

“That’s my word.”

“Is it? Because I think it describes you much better.”

Gaius takes that moment to interrupt. “Merlin, how are you feeling?”

Merlin hums, sitting up more. “I feel fine. Hand’s a bit sore, but otherwise I’m okay. Can I get up, stretch my legs?”

“As long as you take care not to exhaust yourself, that should be fine.”

Arthur frowns, “Are you sure, Gaius? I mean, Merlin was just badly injured. Should he really be up and about already?”

“I’m okay Arthur, truly,” Merlin smiles. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were worried about me.”

In a rare moment of affection, Arthur blurts out, “Of course I was worried about you, idiot!”

Merlin gapes. “Y-you were?”

“Merlin—I found you dripping with your own blood, and it was my fault. I thought—I mean, what if I hadn’t been there in time? You could have bled out!”

Merlin’s face goes stern. “Arthur, this wasn’t your fault. If anything, it was my fault. I should have been more careful.”

“I should have noticed how exhausted you were, though. I’ve just been so caught up in everything…”

Arthur feels a hand intertwine with his own. His heart picks up speed, and Merlin looks at him hesitantly. Arthur makes no move to pull away, simply squeezing Merlin’s good hand with his own. Merlin softens at that, unconsciously leaning towards him.

“You were kind of being a prat,” Merlin admits, earning him a glare. “but I know you’ve been overwhelmed recently, too, with everything that’s been going on. I don’t blame you at all.”

Arthur swallows. “Yes, well, I suppose you deserve a day off after all this.”

At this, Merlin snorts. “How generous, my lord.”

“Hey, I can take that day away!”

Both of them are beaming by now, impossibly closer to each other. With a tenderness seldom shown to anyone else, Arthur brushes a stray strand of Merlin’s hair from out of his eyes, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Merlin leans into his touch.

“I’m glad you’re ok,” Arthur whispers, stroking his temple with one thumb. There’s so much they need to say, but right now isn’t the time. Instead, they both stand there, taking each other in. There will be time for sorting everything out properly later. Right now, they are content to relish each other’s company.

“Me, too.”

[garyrennell]

FLUFF ALPHABET — GARY RENNELL🧸

hi beautiful people💕 i’m doing the fluff alphabet challenge by @ravena-dottir, in collab with awesome @mrsgaryrennell✨ we really took our time to analyze crane boi’s personality here, to give the most accurate responses posible💖 aaaand this is a long one, as everything i write�� i hope you like it.

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

physically, he is drawn to a girl’s eyes and smile, as he compliments MC for those in the game. he also is a butt and thigh guy👀 personality wise, he appreciates curiosity, intellectuality and overall kindness.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

absolutely YES. he wants to have children of his own to take care of and to prove himself that he can be the best dad ever, the father he never had. he dreams of taking his little boy to football practice and teach him mechanics💙 you bet he’ll be there for this children whenever they need him and will be extra protective and such a cool dad🥺 and if he finds a girl with the same love and care inside of her, there’s no doubt he’d be eager to start a family asap.

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

in canon, he’s always giving cuddles or asking for them, so crane boi here is a cuddle fan💖 @mrsgaryrennell and i came to the conclusion that Gary’s love language is mainly physical, because cuddling is his type of intimacy and his way to show affection, rather than words for example. he likes bed cuddles with his girl lying on his chest and his bigs arms around her, especially in the morning. even if his girl is not close, he’ll pull her into a cozy cuddle or simply ask for one✨

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

he prefers very casual dates and if he gets to plan it, he’ll put thought into it. for example, he plans a simple picnic date and makes sure he brings good food and takes his girl to a nice place; or a movie date and makes sure to buy popcorn and get really good seats. overall, Gary transforms simple dates into something especial without going over the top💕 during the date, expect a “top quality banter and an absolute gent” lmao, especially the gent part because he’s basically proud of his nan educating him like that.

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

he’ll probably turn this phrase into a joke because he doesn’t like being a melt😂 it would ruin his lad image. in joking mode, he’d say something along the lines of “you’re the loaf of my life” while holding a piece of bread lmao, but in a serious occasion he’d say “you’re my happiness” or “you’re my favourite”.

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

in the game, we think he realized he had fallen for MC while the girls were away in CA. he found himself missing her big time and thinking about her all the goddamn time, wishing she was there with him. also the idea of having a domestic life with MC is what made him sure that she was the one💖

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

gentle is basically Gary’s middle name lmao, that boi is full of gentleness. he’s gentle when he holds his girl, when he kisses her, in his wording even when he’s not very good at expressing himself with words. everything he does, he makes sure he does it with care and tenderness🙈

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

as most of his way to show affection is through physical contact, he often reaches for his girl’s hand. Gary is a simple guy, so he doesn’t really care if he’s holding the back of her hand, her palm, if his fingers are intertwined or not— he doesn’t really care as long as their hands are together💕 he’s also the type to caress the back of her hand with his thumb in a soothing manner.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

oh boy oh boy, when it comes to first impressions, Gary comes across as handsome, confident, cheeky and flirty, which can result into him looking like a laddy lad type of guy💪🏻 it’s not far fetched lol but in the first impression of him you miss a lot of the depth of his character and personality.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

not👏🏻at👏🏻all. he doesn’t mind if a guy approaches his girl and flirts a little, because he likes to see that others appreciate her too. when he would definitely get jealous is when the person hitting on his girl is really bold and obvious. Gary is a “silent jealous”, which means that he will not be confrontational about it but will throw deadly glances, frown and mutter under his breath. he will just stand at one side trying not to look bothered, arms crossed and grumbling to himself lmao. and then, when asked, he’ll deny to death that he’s jealous💀

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

we all know the guy has experience, so he is definitely an expert kisser. he really enjoys slow kisses and likes to take his time, he doesn’t rush and is also very gentle. basically, he knows what to do, when to do it and how to do it😉 he likes playful and sneaky kisses too, everything that comes along with some cheekiness. in the game, MC always initiates the kisses, so there’s that🤷🏻‍♀️ but it fits his personality more for him to be the one initiating the kisses.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

him, and it’s canon. Gary is an open book, so as soon as he is sure that he’s in love, he’ll try to let his girl know in the most intimate way posible. he’ll say it in private and will make sure he picks the right moment.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

in the game, the final date, when he asks MC to be his girlfriend. outside of the Villa, definitely the shipyard date, because it’s the first time a girl accepts to go watch the lights of the cranes with him🥺💕

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

crane boi doesn’t spoil, less with expensive things🤷🏻‍♀️ but, he will treat his girl with everyday, simple and casual details. she likes a certain type of tea? he will make sure to buy it whenever he can. she likes chocolate? he’ll buy some whenever he goes grocery shopping. maybe will even buy her a flower if he wants to come home with a surprise. in general, he buys small, meaningful things that will come to usage for her.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

for MC, he reminds her of navy blue and the color red. the first one is partially influenced by his eyes and the second is because of his cozy flannel💕

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

in canon, he uses “love, babe, cutie, darling and poppet” when referring to MC. he also uses “mate” as kind of a pet name too😂 we recently noticed that Gary is all down for melty pet names and even makes them up himself, so he surely will have a personalized and creative nickname for his girl💕

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

he likes old and vintage appliances, especially ones that are broken so he can fix them. @mrsgaryrennell has a cute headcanon in which Gary likes to fix old stuff (e.g radios) for elderly people or for donating them to charity😢💙

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Gary loves rainy days, it’s canon. he either is down to go dancing in the rain or to spend it at home, cuddling next to a window with his head lying on his girl’s lap as she plays with his hair💖 and drinking a warm cuppa, of course.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

this is a heavy one. we all know Gary’s struggles with mental health, so even after his therapy his first option is going to the gym. he thinks it helps with sadness when it doesn’t, but at least he feels less stressed out afterwards. after that, if he is really down, he’ll go talk to his nan about it🥺 to find comfort and support in her.

when cheering others up, he is all about company and being reassuring. he tries to get people to talk about their feelings because, through therapy, he has learned that it works. when the other person is well enough, he will try to make a joke to lighten the mood✨ as my girl @mrsgaryrennell said: even though he’s a little broken himself, he still tries to make others feel better.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

cRAnEs🏗 aND hiS nAn👵🏻😂 he’s a Star Wars fan, so he would be very chatty about it, or about science in general. he also likes to share funny stories lol.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

again, the gym thing, sadly😔 but apart from that, he likes to fix broken stuff when he is stressed, or build things for other people.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

his killer pecs and huge arms💪🏻😂 crane boi is very proud of who he is, so he mostly shows off his thicc body. we also have this headcanon in where Gary likes to show off his girl, to let the world know how amazing she is. he never shuts up about her💕🙈

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

he would propose after a 3-4 year relationship, to make sure the time is right, and wouldn’t do it without talking about the idea of marriage with his girl first. he would propose in a very intimate and private way, just the two of them in a especial place for both💙

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys and Stone by Jaymes Young🎶

Y = You the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

he’d say “you’re the levers to my crane” lmao or “you’re the safety to my worksite”💀

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

he wants a big, energetic dog (just like him lol) so probably he would own a fluffy golden retriever🐾

[f1united]

ceo luke/calum part 4

Summary: You are Luke’s PA and have a thing for his rival Calum after meeting him in a bar one night but you don’t know who he is

You got to the office before Luke on Monday morning. You placed his coffee on his desk and sat down at your own. Switching on your computer you were glad to see they were working. As you opened your email, your inbox was flooded with messages from Luke's clients and fellow business partners. You rolled your eyes slightly at the amount that you had to get through. At least it would keep you busy.

Luke seemed to have more and more meetings nowadays. When you first started he usually had one every week or two but now his schedule seemed to be more jam packed.  After replying to a few you decided to go and grab some breakfast from the kitchen. As you turned in your chair and stood up from your desk Luke came through the door.

"Morning" you smiled.

"Morning, how was your weekend?" he asked as he made his way to his desk. "Thanks for the coffee" he nodded his head towards the cup.

"My weekend was good, how was yours?"

"Good?" he seemed shocked by your answer.

"Yeah, good" you replied, "Is that strange or something?"

"Well normally when I ask you your answer is 'Alright'" he mimicked you for the last part. "So, what happened to you for it to be good" a smirk was plastered on his face as your lips curled into a smile.

"It was just good" you shrugged. In all honestly you'd had a pretty good weekend. After meeting Calum on Friday night you were in a good mood in general. You hadn't really done much over the weekend. Went food shopping, ordered a few bits online, visited your family and dog who lived a little bit further away from Sydney and then had a chilled Sunday night consisting of a facemask and lots of TV under a pile of blankets.

"You've met a guy" Luke smiled as he watched your face drop.

"No I haven't" you laughed off his comment.

"You seem to forget that I know you really well by now" he couldn't help but giggle slightly. You both knew he was right.

"Okay but I only spoke with him for a few hours, nothing else happened"

"Did you give him your number?" Luke asked

"Yessss" You replied as you made your way over to the door. "I'm going to grab some food from the kitchen, you coming?"

"Has he text you?" Luke nodded as he spoke.

"As a matter of fact Luke, he has" you had your back to the door, ready to push it open.

"Oooo what did he say?" You knew that Luke was only being nosey to make sure that you were okay. You never had much luck when it came to boys so never really got too involved with them.

"He thanked me for a nice night" Luke was grabbing things from his bag and placing them on his desk as you spoke to him. Once he was done he put the bag on the floor, grabbed some cereal from the shelf behind him and walked towards you.

"A nice night? I thought you said you just spoke, what the hell did you two get up to?" Luke laughed as you both walked towards the kitchen at the other side of the office.

"Not like that" you smiled at him. "He bought me a drink and then walked me home, didn't even come in"

"What did you reply back?"

"I just put 'thanks for the drink, i had a nice night too' with a smiley face" you grabbed some fruit from the basket that had been delivered.

"A smiley face? Are you serious?" Luke giggled slightly as he took a bowl from the cupboard, adding his cereal and some milk from the fridge.

"What's wrong with that?" you asked

"He might think that you're not the interested, should've put a winky face"

"Who said I was interested? We're not all players Luke" you raised your eyebrows at him jokingly as made your way back to your office.

"I wouldn't say I was a player" Luke argued

"I'm only messing with you, but you're not exactly innocent are you?" you pulled the door open and made your way to your desk, Luke doing the same.

"Okay enough of your dating life, my meetings at 2 right?" Luke changed the subject

"We're not dating"

"Yet"

"Luke"

"You know where to find me if he does anything to hurt you" you smiled at Luke's comment. Despite his mean business demeanour, he was a big softy at heart.

"You're meetings at 1, not 2" you ignored his recent comment.

"I mean it" he replied

"I know Luke, I know"

You both ate your breakfast in a comfortable silence, typing away at your computers, eyes glued to the screens. You liked it when there was lots of work to be getting on with, the days went quicker. You would have the odd conversation with Luke about things in the news that had been emailed round the office or something that had been on the tv the night before. You glanced out the window. It was another clear day and you loved it. A loud ring knocked you from your thoughts.

"Hello" Luke answered his phone, staring at his computer as he listened. "Yeah I'll send someone down for them now"

"Remind me why you need so many meetings with this Hood guy?" you asked as Luke hung up the phone.

"He's with me at the top of our game, need him to think we're friends not competitors"

"And how exactly are you doing that? Inviting him round for lunch every day?" Mentioning lunch made you slightly hungry. Luke laughed at your comment as he picked up his phone and called for someone to meet the clients at reception. After thanking them, he put the phone down and turned to you. "Got everything you need?" you asked.

"I think so" he didn't sound convinced as he lifted a folder from his desk and grabbing his phone from his desk waving it at you slightly. "If not, I'll give you a message" he smiled as he made his way to the door.

"Have a wonderful time" you called after him sarcastically. After spending a few minutes on your phone, you decided to go and grab some lunch. Usually you'd make something either the night before or in the morning to take to work with you, but after having a lazy Sunday and waking up early to get into the office, you hadn't bothered. Your snack drawer was almost empty so you decided to head to the shop that was just a few streets away.

You took the cardigan that was hanging over your chair and slipped it on. Even though the weather was warming up it was still a bit chilly out. As you headed towards the lifts, you saw the back of Luke and a few others heading into a meeting room. When you first started, you used to sit in on his meetings but they got longer and you had other things to be getting on with. You enjoyed most of them, it was interesting seeing Luke in full business mode. Maybe you'd ask him if you could sit in on one soon.

You'd grabbed a sandwich from the shop and some snacks for you and Luke. On the way back to the office you found your mind wondering to Calum. You weren't expecting him to reply to your text but you couldn't help wondering if he'd send you another message soon. He had mentioned to you that he was only in town for a little while longer but you couldn't quite remember when exactly he was heading back into Sydney. You considered sending him a text asking if he was free tonight, you got in early so could leave early as long as Luke had finished with his meeting and didn't need you for the rest of the afternoon.

Walking into the kitchen you grabbed a plate from the cupboard. The little breakout area near the kitchen was used during lunch so people had somewhere to eat other than their desk, but on days like today when there was lots of work to be done, you usually just took your laptop over to the sofa and coffee table in yours and Luke's office and ate there instead. As you sat on the sofa, you got out your phone and decided to type a text to Calum.

'Hey, just wondering if you're free one evening this week? x'. It was short and simple. If you didn't get a response then it didn't matter, at least you'd tried. As you pressed send, your phone started ringing. It was Luke.

"Everything okay?" you asked

"Yeah we're just taking a break, the other guys needed to chat about something so they've gone into another meeting room for the minute, would you be able to bring over my laptop charger?" he seemed a bit stressed.

"Yeah I'll be two seconds" you hung up the phone and left your lunch on the glass coffee table, along with your laptop and phone. You rushed over to Luke's desk and untangled the charger from the wires that littered his desk. For someone who  came across as organised his desk wasn't exactly showing it. You made your way to the meeting room, knocking and getting Luke's permission to come in before you opened the door. He was the only one sat in there, at the head of the table taping away at his laptop keys. You walked over to his side of the room and plugged his charger into the wall, switching on the plug and handing him the other end of the cable.

"Thank you" he muttered, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Welcome, I got you some snacks from a shop but I left them in the office" he took his eyes off the screen and looked up at you as you spoke "How's the meeting going?"

"We're almost there, just getting the last bits done"

"That's good then" you replied as you perched yourself on the side of the huge meeting table that filled the entire room. "Need any help?"

"I think I've got it covered, there's some documents that we need but I'm just about to email someone about those, I'll copy you in so you know what's happening with it all though" Luke wasn't very organised when you first started, your way of doing things had started to rub off on him slightly and you appreciated the effort that he put in to try and make your job easier for you but at times you wished that he'd just step back and let you help more.

"Luke I can sit in for the second half and sort out all the admin stuff like this if it just makes it easier, I kind of miss being in these big meetings anyway" he knew that you were only trying to help him but he never wanted you to be under pressure. "And before you say that you don't want to stress me out, it's my job Luke its what I'm here to do, i've got plenty of time to sort other things out" you saw him breath out heavily, considering your offer.

"Would you mind?" he asked. He seemed to wince slightly as he spoke, like you were going to be offended.

"Luke I've just offered, of course I don't mind, let me grab my laptop and I'll be back" You hopped of the desk and made your way out of the door back towards your office. You grabbed your laptop and headed into the kitchen, your sandwich would have to wait until later but you did need a drink. Opening the cupboard, you spotted your glass on the top shelf. You reached up on your tiptoes, trying to grab it but the dress you were wearing was riding up slightly and it was too short to try to reach up any further.

Sighing as you put your feet flat on the ground, you were suddenly being gently pressed against the unit as someone much taller than you reached over you and grabbed the glass, placing it on the side next to you. The smell of fresh linen and cologne suddenly hit you and you spun on your heel as they took a step back from you.

You couldn't quite understand why he was stood in front of you, but the sight of Calum instantly brought a smile to your face.

"I'm free tonight" he smiled at you before picking his mug up from the coffee machine and heading into the meeting room that Luke was currently sitting in, leaving you speechless in the kitchen.

[dolphin-enthusiast]

OOOO NOW THAT HC ARE OPEN I HAVE AN IDEAAAA!!! Maybe Bucci with a lover who gets put on death row??? have been in a wild mood recently 😘 Ily dad 💞💞

Ok but this is v v original?? Also they would all fuckin break into the prison instantly dont @ me jkkjgs

Bruno:

- Immediately gathers his men and breaks into the prison to save s/o.  Oh but he’s utterly shocked! How did this even happen in the first place? Was his s/o a wanted criminal and he didn’t have the slightest of ideas about it?

- He’s the first one to visit them and ask them what the hell is going on. His heart quite literally shatters once he enters the room and spots his distressed s/o, the man beginning to reassure them that it’s all going to be fine and that he’s going to pull some strings in order to save their life.

- If s/o wasn’t already part of the mafia then it’s going to be even harder for him to get them out of this mess, but you bet your ass that Bruno won’t stop fighting until he knows that his dear partner is safe and sound. Eventually the man (somehow) manages to get them out, proceeding to scorn them almost motherly not even mere hours later as he tells them to never do whatever they did ever again.

Giorno:

- Ngl he mildly panicks once he first receives the news. It’s like a slap in the fucking face knowing that your partner has been convincted for whatever crime and now they’re on fucking d e a t h r o w. He visits them shortly after and tries getting as much info as he can from them.

- The man is visibly concerned as he listens to s/o go on and on about what happened and how they got into this mess. Now if s/o would be part of the mafia he’d be more at ease knowing that he would have more chances of saving them, but if not then they are in some deep fucking shit and he’d bluntly tell them just that as well since there’s no time for sugarcoating.

- Just like Bruno he’s VERY stubborn and determined so he fights and fights until he eventually manages to save s/o. He too proceeds to lecture them afterwards and tell them to absolutely NEVER pull this shit ever again or else he won’t be able to save their ass once more. But hey at least everything ended well??

Abbacchio:

- Hates to admit it but he had a full on anxiety attack once he found out about it. He cannot imagine how or why in the hell his s/o would suddenly be put on fucking DEATH ROW but at this point it doesn’t matter, he will do all in his power to help them.

- First thing first he lets them know just how much of an idiot they are for getting themselves into this mess. After his short rant he begins making up a plan along with s/o then as soon as he gets back home he tells Bruno as well, making the man sigh while facepalming in frustration.

- Abba starts losing a good amount of sleep as he spends all of his nights stressing over the possibility that he’ll lose his s/o and lemme tell you that shit is like his worst fear ever. He keeps getting grumpier and grumpier because of the lack of sleep as well and at some point he entirely loses his already fragile as fuck faith until one day s/o shows up at the door claiming that Bruno and the gang succeeded in their quest to save their life. Needless to say Abbacchio almost had a certified sheer heart attack.

Mista:

- Throws MAJOR tantrum and refuses to believe everything until he’s faced with s/o in jail and that’s when he realizes the gravity of the situation. Yes, this IS indeed happening. His s/o is FOR REAL boutta die and he has to do something about it as fast as possible.

- Literally begs Bruno to help him and spends all of his days crying and screaming about how he’ll never see his dear law defying s/o ever again. Eventually the entirety of the gang gets sick of his complaining and so they all join forces and eventually get s/o out of that shitty ass situation. Did they do it through legal ways? Not at all. All that matters is that Mista and his partner are reunited again. It was worth the risk.

Fugo:

- He too nearly goes into cardiac arrest then starts overthinking the entire situation, thinking of the worst scenarios ever. Bruno would most likely be the one to calm his ass down because the man would be constantly snapping at everyone then storming back into his room and locking the door which wasn’t really unusual for him, but this time was different.

- Literally has to be held down in order to not break into the fucking prison and get s/o out himself. All that the others tell him is to sit the fuck down until they figure out the best plan to save his partner, but that proves to be near impossible as Fugo would keep throwing tantrum every fucking day.

- And the second the gang brings s/o back home the man literally jumps into their arms and refuses to let go since he’s just THAT happy to have them back. He thought that they would be gone forever, that he’ll never see their glamorous smile or hear their melodic laughter ever again. At this point it didn’t even matter anymore if they killed someone or not, he’s just happy to be reunited with his dear partner.

Narancia:

- Is a bit confused at first then remembers just how fucking serious death row is. When the reality sets in he goes into sheer panic mode and asks everyone for help because holy S H I T his s/o is about to die.

- Demands that he visits them right away and he has to hold himself from crying the entirety of time when he actually gets a chance to talk to his s/o in jail. Poor boi would be utterly heartbroken but would still put on a confident persona and reassure them that he’ll get them out of there as fast as possible.

- Just like the others he keeps stressing and stressing until one day he receives the news that his s/o is coming back home. That’s when he instantly jumps out of his lowkey depressed state and rushes towards the door in order to welcome s/o back home. That night he holds them closer than he ever did before.

Bonus - Trish:

- She actually tries keeping her calm at first but that proves to be fucking impossible since the crippling anxiety settles in mere seconds later. Her life would pretty much be over if she were to lose the person that she cared the most about.

- And so she nonetheless tries pushing through and convinces the others to help her get s/o out. As the entire gang works on saving her s/o she keeps calling them every single day and even tries visiting them as often as possible. Deep down she’s still afraid that she’ll lose them so this is part of why she almost obsessively tries hearing their voice/seeing their face whenever she can. Luckily though the gang manages to get s/o back and from that day on Trish makes sure to cherish them EVEN MORE than before, if that’s even possible.

[cuddletime-blog]

Lucien: A Special Dinner Date For Four

Lucien and I entered our house with several bags of groceries in our hands. I was planning on cooking a dinner as a double date together with my close friend Andrea and her husband Victor Li. I looked up into Lucien’s eyes and warned him firmly, “No funny business tonight, Lucien. I understand that you and Victor might have had an unhealthy and fierce rivalry in the past, but please be nice to my best friend and her husband at dinner. Andrea supported me through an especially difficult time when I was struggling with my work recently so I would like to have a pleasant dinner together to thank her properly.” Lucien grabbed the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc out from the grocery bag and smiled at me reassuringly saying, “Of course I know how important your friendship with Andrea is to you, Elise. You are overly concerned. I am being a good host to our special guests tonight and I am prepared to show them my good will. In fact, I have prepared a little gift for Victor to thank him specifically tonight.”

My expression softened somewhat, but I was curious as to why Lucien wanted to gift something to Victor. I looked up at Lucien in surprise and said, “That sounds good actually. I’m relieved if you are making an effort to make amends with Victor even though you don’t agree and get along with him most of the time. Let the past stay in the past and let’s just enjoy this double dinner date with our friends tonight, Luci. I am looking forward to learning from and trying Andrea’s Portuguese cooking for the first time.”

           I prepared a quinoa shrimp mango pomegranate spinach salad with white balsamic vinaigrette and sliced a loaf of bread. Lucien helped me open the wine to use for cooking and drinking and he set the table. Andrea told me that she planned to cook her special Bacalhau com natas or cream cod dish with potatoes and a second dish of steamed clams in garlic with chorizo, white wine, lemon juice, and fresh cilantro. I requested that she make pastel de nata for dessert with me and next time, I would make cream puffs topped with chocolate and caramel sauce for her.

           Andrea and Victor arrived before dinner with their own separate groceries too and Lucien greeted them after opening the door to welcome them inside. I smiled, hugged Andrea, and showed her inside the kitchen where she could place the groceries so that we could begin cooking the steamed clams and cream cod. Lucien showed Victor to our greenhouse outside and there, they picked some herbs together. Then, Victor poured the wine into the glasses right before the food was served at the table. Dinner was splendid and we made pleasant conversation together despite some silence here and there from Victor. Lucien was just mostly observing and listening attentively or answering Andrea’s questions about the house and our neighborhood. We decided to play some card games after dinner, such as Crazy Eights and Slapjack. It was quite fun, but Victor and Lucien entered into their intensely competitive modes and started a game of chess with one another after the 4 of us finished playing our card games.

           Both men were stubborn and absolutely hated to lose. They were so lost in concentrating only on their chess game. Unable to convince them to snap out of it, Andrea and I decided to sit back and observe how the game progressed. I expected Lucien to win, but the game ended in a stalemate. Victor might have been slightly disappointed, but he looked calm enough. I was relieved that the evening was going so well without anyone getting angry or frustrated. I think Victor was in a rather good mood tonight. However, the rest of the evening took an interesting turn when Lucien presented Victor with a gift.

           The gift turned out to be a wine opener, but Lucien had also included a Batman keyring next to the wine opener. Victor stared at the gifts awkwardly and muttered a quick word of thanks. I blushed a bit in embarrassment and tried to restrain myself from bursting into laughter, suddenly remembering that I revealed to Lucien that Andrea told me about the one time she made a bet with Victor and got him to say, “I am Batman.” In return, Victor invited Lucien and me to tour his and Andrea’s vineyards in France and Portugal and also his villa and lake house in Italy. He said that on the Italian property, he kept a few swans and thought Lucien should get along fine with those swans. I knew what Victor was referring to in Lucien’s dark past, but Lucien replied saying, “I’m surprised there aren’t peacocks instead on your property.” Lucien had implied that Victor was being prideful and he knew that Victor had just poked an uncomfortable old wound or sore spot in his past. The situation was escalating quickly now between them with both men staring rather intensely at one another, waiting for the other to say the next triggering remark.

I attempted to defuse the situation and added, “Thank you for your incredibly kind offer, Victor. I love vineyards and have always wanted to travel someday to France, Italy, and Portugal. Andrea does like peacock feathers, such as the ones used in the designs of her favorite jewelry, but peacocks are rather noisy so I don’t think they would be good birds to keep around. I am comfortable with observing swans from a safe distance on the lake though. Geese frighten me more than swans. However, if you two don’t apologize to one another and make up right now, it would upset me greatly if I had to end our night here early and say good night to Andrea earlier than I planned without even having our dessert first. Let’s not end this evening on a sour note because mark my words, I would rather squeeze lemon juice all over both of your pastel de natas tonight or refuse to serve you any dessert altogether than have to continue watching the both of you bicker any longer like this…like 2 little boys instead of the 2 mature men that you should be!” I gave Lucien a stern look and he started his apology, saying that he didn’t mean for his joke gift to go this far, but he was sorry about his earlier remark about peacocks. Victor apologized too, saying that he too had provoked Lucien by bringing up the topic about swans.

           Victor looked over at Lucien and whispered quietly, “Your wife, Elise is scary when she makes threats about dessert.” Lucien replied, “She’s usually the sweetest person most people ever meet, but she gets very serious about eating dessert sometimes so I like it when she becomes so assertive and speaks her mind firmly in front of me.” Victor said with slight smirk on his face, “I think you made the right decision earlier. Otherwise, I would have been even more afraid if her threat to deny you dessert would be extended into the bedroom and you would be sleeping on the couch tonight after the little stunt you pulled with the joke gift earlier.” Lucien replied, “Touché. Perhaps my originally harmless little joke did cross the line tonight, but I couldn’t resist wanting to see the somewhat astonished look on your face when you saw what was in the box after opening my gift.” Victor said, “Let’s just consider it all even now and I’ll forget your Batman nonsense fiasco.” Lucien smiled and said, “Alright, deal. We’ll meet again in Europe in a few weeks. I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to try some good new wines from your properties and enjoy the milder weather there. In the meantime, I’ll try to get back on Elise’s good side again so it’s as they say, a happy wife makes for a happy life.” Victor said, ‘You finally said something I don’t disagree with so just do as you like. Andrea will be glad to show Elise around abroad and they can just enjoy themselves. I can see that Elise is a good person and a better influence or friend than you are, but I don’t mind enduring any minor hassles or challenges if it’s all for Andrea’s sake and future happiness.” Lucien simply commented, “Well said.”

[asexual-hugger]

Christmas is approaching in the small village that Allison McQueen grew up in. She recognizes the decorated trees lining the snow-covered ground instantly, along with the giant Christmas tree erected in the middle of the square. Every year, she and her family join in caroling around this tree as a tradition to bring in the holidays and as part of the annual tree-lighting celebration. This year, however, Allison hopes to include a very special guest in the family village tradition: her big-city boss from London, Detective Ernest Sinclaire.

She steps out of the carriage that she took into town, breathing in the all-too-familiar scents of pine, spice and peppermint. Ahhh, Christmas. Her favorite holiday of the year. Her parents were overly thrilled that she was coming home to spend the holiday with them, and even more so when she told them that Detective Sinclaire would be joining her. Lord Sebastian and Lady Eleanor had remembered the handsome young private investigator very fondly, and Lady Eleanor, along with the youngest member of the McQueen clan, Allison’s brother Kade, had secretly hoped they would set eyes on him again. This time, it would be the full family under one roof, since the two oldest brothers, Dominic and Harry, would be taking time off work to celebrate with their loved ones.

Allison had not seen either of her two oldest brothers in months. She felt excited, but also nervous. How would Dom and Harry respond to seeing a private detective bunking in with them? Allison had mentioned to them via group text that one Detective Ernest Sinclaire was going to visit this year for Christmas and that he was her boss at work, but the most she could receive as a response was “OK,” from both of them. They were either too busy to give a full response or they just decided to run with it for now.

I’m sure I’ll get the stranger danger lecture from both of them once I get home, she thinks. Dom and Harry were notorious like that: anyone they didn’t know that their little sister got involved with or brought home with her immediately caused Older Brother High Protective Gear mode. They loved Allison dearly, and the last thing they wanted was to see someone hurt her.

They don’t know Detective Sinclaire like I do, Allison continues silently. He’s my boss. Our relationship is purely platonic and professional. He wouldn’t hurt me. Ever.

Still, she plans out what she’s going to tell her brothers the moment they begin to blab.

She walks into the town square to admire the giant tree and the colorful display of Christmas lights lining the shops and bushes all around. Everything is alive and cheery for the season. Families are laughing and walking around, Christmas music playing through speakers and causing some people to sing. Not being able to control her Christmas spirit, Allison starts to sing the lyrics to the instrumental We Wish You a Merry Christmas filtering out from the entrance to a jewelry store. Her breath comes out in white steam before her, catching under the colored glow of the flashing red and green lights lining the windows. Soft snow has started to fall, making the moment even more magical.

“Wow! You have an amazing voice!” Allison jolts when she feels someone come up next to her, and she stops singing for a moment to find the man himself, Detective Ernest Sinclaire, brushing her shoulder. His cheeks are pink from the cold, he wears a black top hat and a scarf around his neck, and he’s staring at her with astonishment. His breath is ragged as if he’d been running, the white puffs of steam more noticeable than hers. “Oh, don’t stop on my account. Keep going. I was enjoying it immensely!”

“Detective, when did you get here?” Allison asks in surprise, looking around outside the square for any sign of his black patrol car.

“About a half hour before you,” Sinclaire responds. “And I didn’t drive this time. I took a bus. It dropped me off right at the edge of the village. I’ve been in the jewelry store looking for something to give my mum for Christmas. It’s nice and warm in there if you want to get out of this cold. I saw you standing outside and I came right out.” He fiddles with his thick jacket a bit nervously, his already-pink cheeks looking a bit more flushed. He flashes his million-megawatt smile at her. “I remember you told me you sang in the shower all the time, but I never knew you could SING! Your voice is incredible, Miss McQueen. How come you never sang for me?”

“Er, because it never seemed appropriate.” Allison flushes. “I mean: yes, I can sing, but I usually do it in the privacy of my apartment, in my shower or whenever I’m in the mood. Sure; I’ve sang in front of people before, but it was a long time ago. I haven’t had many opportunities recently. The closest I’ve gotten to performing is during the annual tree-lighting ceremony that we have here every year to bring in the holiday season. Our family has never missed a year. The town lights the big Christmas tree over there and everyone gathers around it and sings Christmas carols. I was hoping you’d join us this year since you’re considered a guest of our family.”

“Erggg.” Sinclaire grimaces, sucking in a breath through his teeth. “I’m not exactly the best singer. That was one gene that skipped over me when I was born. I tried when I was young, but I could never get these vocal cords to cooperate. Perhaps I could just stand next to you while they light the tree, and I can just listen to you singing. Your voice has more Christmas cheer than anyone’s out here. Do I HAVE to sing? Because if it’s a tradition in your family to participate, I can at least try, for your sake. You might want to bring earmuffs if you have any, because my voice sounds like squeaky pipes.”

Allison stifles a giggle as she forms a mental image in her mind of Detective Sinclaire trying to sing. “You don’t HAVE to sing,” she assures him. “It’s completely optional. We have plenty of people in the group that come to watch the tree light up and they just stand next to their friends and family while the others sing. Christmas isn’t about caroling or having the talent. It’s about the experience and spreading cheer with your loved ones. It’s about family, both blood and not. You being here is enough to celebrate Christmas. I get to spend the holidays with someone I care about. Dominic and Harry are going to be home, so you’ll have the chance to meet my whole family this time. Mum and Dad and Kade really liked you when you came with me to help on the farm last summer. They couldn’t stop talking about what a gentleman you were. Even Dad was impressed by you, and strangers RARELY impress him.”

“Well. I am quite pleased that I was able to make a positive impression,” Sinclaire says, feeling proud. “And I definitely cannot wait to meet your older brothers. I’m sure they are just as pleasant as the rest of your family.”

“Pleasant, and VERY protective,” Allison says. “In fact, I was just going over in my head what I was going to tell them when I arrived at the house. I sent a text message to each of them to tell them I was bringing you, so they’re probably going to start lecturing me the moment they see me.”

Sinclaire frowns. “Lecture you? Why?”

“That’s just how they are.” Allison shrugs. “Any man their little sister brings home has to get the Older Brother Seal of Approval. Because they’ve never met you, you’re considered Stranger Danger. I have to make sure you stay out of the Stranger Danger zone and inside the Welcome Zone. Luckily my parents and Kade can back you up. Dom and Harry don’t want to see me get hurt.”

“You know? I get it,” Sinclaire states. “I do, Miss McQueen. I know exactly what you’re saying. Protective older siblings are all too common in this world. I’m actually glad they’re so protective of you. If I had a younger sibling, I’d probably be protective of them, too. If you need help convincing your brothers that I’m worth their Seal of Approval, I’m willing to support that. I’ll even do the talking. Anything to make sure I’m not labeled as Stranger Danger. You do know that I’d never touch a hair on your head without your consent, I hope. I wouldn’t even DREAM of hurting you in ANY way, and if anyone out there DOES try to lay a finger on you, they’ll be staring down the barrel of my pistol in a flash.” He sweeps the right side of his long jacket aside, and Allison sees a flash of metal against his hip. “I never go anywhere without it. Holstered and secure, unless I have a reason to use it.” He gazes at her for a moment protectively.

Allison pulls out her phone. “I should probably get home,” she says. “I just wanted to see the town decorated before I went. Mum and everyone is probably wondering if I’m ever going to show up. I’m guessing everyone else is already there.”

“Well, then, allow me to walk you there.” Sinclaire looks at her hopefully, offering her his arm. “We are both going to the same place, after all. It’s pretty cold out, and I’m not letting you freeze.”

“Me? Well, what about you?” Allison asks, taking his arm. “You’re only human, Detective. You look pretty flushed yourself.”

“I was inside for the most part,” Sinclaire argues. “You look colder than I do, Miss McQueen. I think I should walk you home so you can get warm. We’re both freezing our toes off standing out here.”