#plans changed so i have to be in brussels an extra day

[omtai]

was talking to customer service abt a booking issue and i was on hold for ten minutes and i was starting to freak out so to keep calm i was just scrolling thru gerard images. it worked. gerard to the rescue

[gemkubiat]

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

You're looking for ways to lose weight, and we're here to help. After all, healthy weight loss is within reach for anyone who's willing to put in the work.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss, but there are some general tips that can help you get started. Here are a few of our favorites:

Click here to see my number one way of losing weight quickly

1. Start by making small changes to your diet and exercise routine.

2. Drink plenty of water and avoid sugary drinks.

3. Avoid processed foods and eat more whole foods.

4. Exercise regularly and mix up your workouts to keep things interesting.

5. Find a support system that will help you stay motivated.

6. Be patient and stick with it – weight loss doesn't happen overnight!

7. Celebrate your successes along the way!

Cut Out Processed Foods

You know that processed foods are bad for you. But sometimes it's hard to break the habit of eating them.

I get it. I used to be a processed food addict myself. But once I made the switch to whole, unprocessed foods, I started to feel a lot better. My energy levels went up, and I lost weight without even trying.

So how do you make the switch? It's not as hard as you think. Start by cutting out processed foods from your diet. That doesn't mean you can never eat them again, but try to limit them as much as possible.

Choose whole, unprocessed foods instead. Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats are all great choices. When you eat these types of foods, you'll be doing your body a favor health-wise and weight-wise.

Eat More Protein and Fiber

When it comes to losing weight, protein and fiber are your best friends.

Protein helps you feel full longer, which means you're less likely to snack between meals. And fiber keeps you regular, which helps you stay on track with your diet.

So how do you make sure you're getting enough protein and fiber? Try adding more high-protein foods to your diet, like eggs, poultry, fish, legumes, and nuts. And load up on fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beans, and berries.

Drink Plenty of Water

You know you should be drinking more water, but it's hard to make a habit of it. Here are a few tips to make it a little bit easier:

1. Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. This way, you'll always have access to water and you'll be more likely to drink it.

2. Set a goal for yourself. Decide how many glasses of water you want to drink each day and work towards meeting that goal.

3. Drink plenty of water before meals. This will help you feel full and eat less.

4. Add fruit or herbs to your water for extra flavor. This can help make drinking water more enjoyable and help you meet your daily intake goals.

Avoid Eating Late in the Night

You've probably been told that it's best to avoid eating late at night if you want to lose weight. And there's a good reason for that.

When you eat late at night, your body doesn't have a chance to burn off those calories before you go to bed. And over time, that can add up to some serious weight gain. So if you're serious about losing weight, try to make dinnertime your last meal of the day.

Get Enough Sleep

Get enough sleep. This is something that's so important, and it's often overlooked. When you're well-rested, you're going to have more energy and be less likely to indulge in unhealthy foods.

So make sure you're getting at least seven or eight hours of sleep every night. And if you can't seem to fall asleep, try reading or doing something calming before bed.

Incorporate Exercise Into Your Daily Routine

Exercise is a key part of any weight loss plan, and it's something that you need to be incorporating into your daily routine.

But it doesn't have to be a huge commitment. Even something as simple as taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes each day can make a big difference. And if you can't fit in a walk at lunch, try going for a walk after dinner.

Just make sure that you're always moving! The more active you are, the more weight you'll lose. 

Click here to see my number one way of losing weight quickly

Conclusion

You don't have to go on a crazy diet or spend hours at the gym to lose weight. There are a lot of simple things you can do to drop those pounds and feel better in no time.

Try eating healthy, balanced meals and avoiding processed foods. Get moving and exercise regularly. Drink plenty of water and avoid sugary drinks. And last but not least, stay positive and don't give up on yourself!

Losing weight can be tough, but it's definitely doable with a bit of effort. Try out these tips and see how you feel. You may be surprised at how much easier it is to lose weight when you have a plan!

[crazyblondelife]

The Most Decadent Thanksgiving Side - Brussels Sprouts Gratin

It kind of feels like the fall season flew by so quickly and I barely had time to enjoy it! Thanksgiving is this Thursday and I’m making my grocery list, setting my table and getting ready to start making the feast at the same time I’m planning for the Christmas holiday!

We always go and get a fresh Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and this year, I’m thinking of having 2 trees…one for the children in the den, and a really fancy one in the living room…we shall see!

But…back to Thanksgiving! I kind of half did my front porch in early October and the squirrels ate so many of my pumpkins that the porch was a mess and nothing looked very nice anymore! Last weekend, I went and got more pumpkins and made these arrangements in some old urns and I’m really pleased with how they turned out, although the dang squirrels are still getting into them! If anyone has a suggestion, other than a BB gun (which I’ve seriously considered), please let me know because it’s making me crazy!

After I arranged the pumpkins, along with some real and some artificial fall leaves and magnolia, I sprayed everything with Modge Podge (thinking that would be a squirrel deterrent), and I’m really pleased with how they turned out! If I can just keep them until Friday morning, we’ll be good!

And now…on to the Brussels Sprouts Gratin recipe…

I love Brussels sprouts anyway…raw in a salad, roasted, fried - in my opinion, these cute little round cabbage looking vegetables are delicious, but if you don’t like them, this recipe will change your mind!

Sliced leeks are sautéed in olive oil until they’re velvety and delicious and then added to very thinly sliced (shredded) Brussels. Then the fun begins…

Heavy cream, combined with Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, nutmeg, salt and pepper make a delicious and decedent sauce that’s poured over the Brussels and then baked until bubbly and fragrant. The whole thing is topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs and popped back into the oven for just a few minutes. You must try this because it’s just soooo delicious! The recipe is below so keep scrolling!

I’m sure you all know this, but be sure to wash your leeks really well because they have so much dirt in them and you don’t want that in your gratin!

The recipe calls for one cup of panko breadcrumbs but I used extra because I love the crispy topping…just be sure to add a little more olive oil and add a bit more Parmesan if you increase the amount of panko!

Fresh thyme leaves on top of the casserole dress the dish up and make it look really pretty for serving!

{"image":"https://i.imgur.com/KKkWDR0.png","name":"Brussels Sprouts Gratin","prepTime":"PT20M","cookTime":"PT25M","totalTime":"PT45M","description":"Velvety sautéed leeks are combined with very thinly sliced Brussels sprouts in a gratin to create a very heavenly Thanksgiving side!","yield":"6","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Suzanne Smith"},"recipeIngredient":["Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling in skillet","3 cups thinly sliced leeks (from 3 large leeks)","4 garlic cloves, minced","1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded","2 cups heavy cream","1 cup grated Gruyère cheese","½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese","Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste","Fresh thyme leaves","A good grind of fresh nutmet","1 cup panko breadcrumbs (use gluten free if necessary)"],"recipeInstructions":["Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.","Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Transfer a large bowl. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts to the bowl and toss to combine.","Add the cream, Gruyere, ¼ cup of the parmesan, salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg to the same skillet. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and a thick sauce forms, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over Brussels sprout mixture and toss to coat.","Transfer the Brussels sprouts mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake until the Brussels sprouts are tender, about 20 minutes.","In a small bowl, combine the panko with the remaining ¼ cup of parmesan and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt and pepper.","Remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven. Evenly sprinkle with the panko mixture, then bake until the topping is golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes more."],"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Recipe"}

This is going to be such a busy weekend filled with Thanksgiving preparation and getting the bedrooms ready for the everyone to come home! I plan to completely set my table tomorrow, so I’ll share some pictures here on Monday! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and please let me know if you make this Brussels Sprouts Gratin! Also, remember…I love your comments so please let me know what you think!

[thesimplyluxuriouslife]

338: Tips on Taking the Eurostar between Paris and London

It's been said that taking the Eurostar (which runs under the English Channel, connecting London to Brussels, Paris, Lille, Rotterdam and Amsterdam) is much more like taking a plane ride than taking a train ride, and in many respects, I would have to agree.

Why? It's swift, it's non-stop and there is wonderful service and amenities for comfort as you drift along in either direction.

Today's episode/post is for the first-time traveler choosing to take the Eurostar and especially for those of you like me, who don't live in Europe or Britain and want to see as much of the two countries that you love during one trip with ease.

I booked my first ticket on the Eurostar in 2012, boarding in London, destined for Paris. Riding Standard (aka Coach) with my traveling companion, the ease of having your luggage with you, sitting in comfortable seats with spacious seating arrangements all the while knowing the only stop will be your stop eased my mind as it was the first time I had traveled abroad to Europe since 2000.

Fast forward to 2022, and I booked our Standard Premiere tickets (there are three classes - Standard, Standard Premiere and Business Premiere), leaving Paris, departing for London. The upgrade was lovely and worth the additional space, a bit quieter (although Standard was fairly quiet as well), and the upgrade in dining service was oh, so good. But I am getting ahead of myself.

How to Take/Book the EuroStar

1.Book online via Eurostar.com

Booking online is super simple as their website is easy to navigate. You will see all of the prices for each of the classes on the date you have chosen up front. You then continue through the process and can print out or email yourself the ticket. You can also upload your ticket on the Eurostar App on both Apple or Google, which I would recommend as you can receive notifications of any changes, etc.

2. Book as far in advance as you can, let me explain why - don't worry you can change the time you depart

So I did a little bit of experimenting just to see if booking ahead was worth it, and found out that indeed it was. The earlier you book, the cheaper the tickets will be no matter what time of day. The closer our departure day came on the calendar, those same tickets kept inching up in price (Standard can be less than $100, and while Business Premiere doesn't change as much as you near, it does increase; in comparison, in just one week's departure, the Standard can be $200 or more). But here is why I encourage you to book early even if you are not certain about the time or even day you want to leave: Eurostar permits you to change your ticket for free up to 7-days before your departure; the only thing you would have to pay for is the difference if you change the class your ticket is in. So for example, I had originally planned for us to depart late in the afternoon, but then I realized, nope, we want to leave earlier and can leave earlier, so I went in and changed it. No extra fee, same ticket. If you change your ticket within 7 days before your departure, you will incur an exchange fee.

Arriving at the train station either in London (St. Pancras) or Paris (Gare du Nord)

Departing from Paris (Gare du Nord)

1.Take a right and then go up the escalator

Having had the opportunity just recently to travel on the Eurostar from Paris, I have to give much thanks to our taxi driver (Victor's Cabs and G7). As soon as we arrived at Le Gare du Nord in the center of Paris on the right bank, he instructed us to take the right upon entering the doors and go up the escalator to the Eurostar. Phew!

2. Checking in takes place upstairs above the trains

If you have traveled in Paris and used the Metro you know that the Gare du Nord is a central hub for trains in the city, and many lines of trains run in and out of this station. The boarding for the local, within France, trains takes place on the lower level. The Eurostar loading platform and waiting room and check-in are upstairs on the second level which is accessible by both elevator and escalator. See my pic below of the view from this level after having just road up the escalator with our luggage. The trains you see here are the local trains, not the Eurostar trains. The Eurostar trains on the other side, left of these trains (and I neglected to take a photo - argh!).

3. You can only check-in when your time is welcomed (about 1 hour before departure)

You will have to wait in the open area just to the left of the escalators once you go to the second floor until your train departure time is welcomed. This not a bad place to wait as there is much to entertain the eyes (the photo above was captured while waiting here); however, this is helpful to know because you don't have to arrive two hours early for example in fear that you will get through security lines earlier. They won't even begin to process your ticket or begin security checks until your window is open for check-in.

4. The waiting area for EuroStar is separate from the other trains

Once you check-in and go through security, the large waiting area has many seats (although they fill up fasts when departure time nears (it was nearly packed just 15 minutes before we boarded - standing room only). There is also coffee and food, as well as a Pierre Hermé chocolatier shop.

5. The order of classes on the train - which way to go to board

Initially, you follow the signs and everyone goes the same way (from the waiting area on the second floor and down the stairs), but once you are the train level, you have to know where you class is loading. You are looking for your Car #, but even that can be confusing on your first time if you aren't sure. They do station employees at each door to each cab so you can check before you get on, but just know that Business Premiere (1st class) is the furthest down the train heading toward London, and Standard is the closest to the station.

6. Finding a Taxi upon arrival

Upon stepping outside of the train station in London, simply cross the street, then turn right, walking until you see the long long of taxi cabs. You will then go around a soft corner to your left and see the Taxi Queue to stand in (silver bars creating rows). Even if the line is long, it does tend to move quite swiftly. The pictures below is taken while waiting in the queue for our taxi and St. Pancras station is seen across the road.

Departing from London (St. Pancras)

1.Check-in is on the same level as when you enter from the street

You will easily see the long winding lines as you walk in the door and EuroStar signage. I found London's Eurostar check-in area much easier to find than in Paris which is why I was grateful to our taxi driver. Once you are in line (they too will only let so many people in the queue determined by when you train leaves, you will have your ticket scanned and go through security (à la Brexit).

2. Waiting area

While the last time I waited in this space was ten years ago, I do know and saw at a glance this time around when we arrived from Paris, it is largely the same. Very modern, a bit smaller than Paris', but I liked it. There is ample seating and food and beverage available. However, I would peruse St. Pancras' entire station before getting in line to check-in as they have many, many shops (for news and books - they have a Hatchards bookshop now in the station which is quite lovely - look for the William Morris Willow Bough wallpaper in the shop, food and shopping).

3. Loading the train

The reverse is true as to where your Class car is located, but again, they have employees by each door to each cab to ensure you step on the correct one.

The loading area is the one with the ginormous bronze statue of the two lovers greeting each other in an embrace. I absolutely love this station. And be sure to visit the St. Pancras Brasserie, or Champagne Bar as it is often referred for sip and nibble before or after you arrive or depart.

A look of the side exterior of St. Pancras, captured while waiting in the taxi queue line (which moves quite quickly). Simply cross the street when you walk out the doors on the ground level, and you will see where all the taxis are going, and then the queue of silver metal rows.

Benefits of Taking the Eurostar

1. Sustainable travel

Eurostar states proudly that when you choose to take the train from London to Paris (or visa versus) you are emitting 93% less CO2 per passenger, to Brussels 92% and to Amsterdam 86%.

2. Fewer security limitations

There are no limits on liquids as there are on planes, even though you do pass through security checks, you and your luggage.

3. Luggage weight is not limited

While the amount of luggage you bring is limited (2 pieces + 1 personal for Standard and Standard Premiere; 3 pieces + 1 personal for Business Premiere), your luggage will not be weighed.

4. Delicious food - chef Raymond Blanc menu!

If you choose to purchase Business Premiere tickets, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a menu and meal created by chef Raymond Blanc (learn more about him here as I spoke about him previously here on the blog). Even with our Standard Premiere tickets we had a delicious meal, complete with drink service, alcohol before and during the meal - all part of the ticket price.

5. Friendly service

The service is more attentive as you go up in class, but all was welcoming and comfortable.

6. Comfortable seating

Spacious area to rest your eyes, read and simply watch the French countryside whiz by as you spend most of your time going through Normandy, and only about 20 minutes under the English Channel going through the Chunnel, and maybe 15 minute above ground in England.

7. A swift ride

The train ride length, non-stop, is just over 2 hours. I am always amazed as how fast this time flies especially as you will be enjoying a meal. Before you know it you have arrived in another country with your luggage right along side you (you place it in the front or back of the car you are in, and can also place carry-on above you).

Traveling by Eurostar is my way of traveling back and forth between the two countries that I love. I find it quite stress-free, enjoyable whilst on the train and delicious too! Learn more on EuroStar's home site here.

Petit Plaisir

~Le Fine Fleur

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #338

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Explore all of the posts/episodes share during TSLL's 7th Annual French Week

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[losingitinjersey]

Everything over here is moving right along and going well!  I love the routine we’ve established now that Erp is at daycare (and thriving!).  

I drop her off anywhere between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., depending on how the night/morning goes.  Then as soon as Aug and I get home, we either head out for a walk or I get my lifts in.  Then it’s shower, breakfast, chores, odds and ends, then relaxing.  I’m thoroughly enjoying this last month of my maternity leave yet also looking forward to creating a new routine and new normal once I’m back working again.

Starting next week the daycare is back up to their normal hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (instead of their reduced hours of 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. due to their staffing shortage) so it’ll be SO WEIRD to have so much extra time without Erp at home.  I know we’ll both adjust to it but I’m not exactly looking forward to it at the moment, though it’ll be crucial once I’m working since I work west coast hours.  

My weight loss efforts have been more lax this month after a positively stellar last three months, which I’m totally okay with.  I feel great about my continued momentum yet while not killing myself to hit a certain number by a certain timeframe.  Though, I would LOVE to see 215 or lower by the week of Christmas, especially since we’ll be having family photos taken with my folks and sister’s fam.  

Since Kevin is working tomorrow, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving on Friday.  While it won’t be a keto meal like I originally planned, I am looking forward to a day off diet then getting right back to it on Saturday.  I’ll be making turkey, mashed potatoes, Kevin’s mom’s stuffing recipe (to die for), brussels sprouts with sweet potatoes and my first attempt ever at making a blueberry pie.  I hate pie so I’m glad I won’t be very tempted to have a lot of it!  

Then, on Saturday, it’ll be time to decorate for Christmas!  Yes, I’m firmly in the can’t-decorate-until-after-Thanksgiving camp.  Though, I won’t be going wild with decorations especially since I never even decorated the house for normal life given the fact that we’re only here for a year.  All the same, I’m looking forward to the slight change in décor cheer :)  

I recently bought six Christmas books and will be wrapping them up and giving them to Erp once a day starting December 1st.  Figure I’ll add a few more each year until we can celebrate the 25 days leading up to Christmas this way.  Looking forward to clearing out all her current books to make way for these new ones so during the month she’ll have a far smaller collection to choose from and they’ll be all the more special.  

Now Aug and I are off to pick up Erp since daycare closes at noon today.  I’m certainly enjoying holidays more as she gets older.  Looking forward to that feeling only increasing as she (and Aug!) becomes more aware and anticipating of it all!  

Happy early Thanksgiving, friends!

[mxchellesworld]

𝟑 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝 - 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐝 𝐱 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: smut, oral (male receiving), unprotected sex, praise

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫

***

It had been a little over a month since the last time you went to the club. Work was starting to pick up for you and they had the same situation. However that never stopped you guys from seeing each other every so often. Time was either spent out for dinner or at their place.

Although you stuck to the ‘no dates’ rule you could tell there was a little more going on. You and Cat would always walk around holding hands which always warmed your heart. It was good to see her let go of the hard demeanor she held onto. 

Spencer was as kind and gentle as always. He would always put his hand on the small of your back as you walked. He loved to help you get dressed, buttoning up your shirts, and helping you into sweatpants when your legs were entirely too weak to stand. 

They never failed in taking care of you, not just sexually but emotionally as well. You’d spend nights on a call with either one of them talking about your lives and what was going on. They’d even send you good morning texts which would always make you smile. 

The weekend was coming up so you texted in the groupchat to ask if they were busy, you had planned to do something nice for them. Since your apartment was now styled to your liking, you wanted to cook and have them over. 

“What do you guys think about dinner at mine? Maybe Saturday night?”

Spencer responded first, “Yeah that works princess, can’t wait :)”

You giggled at the smiley, he was never one for emojis. Somehow you could always picture the little smile he gave whenever he typed one of those. 

Cat responded a minute later, “What an amazing idea angel. We’ll be there lets say 5:30?”

“Perfect! See you guys then,” you sent with a red heart emoji. 

You spent the rest of your day at work on cloud nine. Abbie had made a comment on how you were in for it tonight. Even your boss had noticed the way your shoulders seemed a little lighter as she bid you goodnight. 

_

Saturday rolled around and you pulled out everything you needed to make dinner. You decided to make your aunt’s famous mac and cheese recipe along with roasted chicken and brussel sprouts. It was quick and easy but you took your time to make sure everything was cooked to perfection. You set up your dinner table with cute placemats and new plates you had bought. 

Looking at the time you saw it was 4 pm which gave you just enough time to get ready. Turning the oven off but leaving the food inside to stay was, you made your way to the shower. You hopped out and grabbed your fluffy towel for your body, letting your hair air dry. 

You settled for jeans and a silk tank top, not trying to dress up much but still look nice. You topped everything off with a belt and your everyday jewelry to add some spice to the outfit. 

You made your way back to the bathroom where you did your makeup. Just a natural glam. Checking your phone you saw it was 5:15. That gave you enough time to clean up your kitchen and lay the food on the table. 

Always one for being punctual, Spencer knocked on your door at 5:30 on the dot. You opened the door and he swallowed you in a big hug. 

“Hey Spence, come in. Make yourself at home,” you said widening the door so he could get inside. 

“Thanks,” he said shrugging off his jacket. He was dressed differently then you’d ever seen him. Jean jacket on top of a grey v-neck and blue jeans. You had always seen him in suits he wore for the lounge and when he was teaching. This was a good look on him too. 

“Where’s Cat, I thought you’d guys would be here together?” you asked taking out some wine glasses. 

“She was at her office earlier today, they got a new case so I think she was looking over it quickly. She’ll be here soon though.”

You motioned for him to sit on the couch and you came over with the glasses and a bottle, “Red okay?”

“Perfect,” he sighed. 

You popped off the cork and poured him a glass then one for yourself. He reached over to clink your glass with his and you giggled at his actions. You both took a sip then set your glasses down. 

“So what tricks are up your sleeve for tonight?” he asked raising his brow. 

You opened your mouth in shock, “Me? Tricks? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He gave you look telling you he knew you were full of shit. 

“Fine. It’s nothing bad,” you sighed, “You guys do so much to take care of me so I wanted to be nice and pay you guys back. Ya know take care of you for once,” you said picking the skin of your nails. 

“Aw princess come here,” he said pulling you to straddle his lap. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he put his warm hands on your cheeks. 

“We are so grateful to have you and that you want to take care of us,” he paused and you searched his honey eyes, “i - we really like having you around.” 

You smiled and he pulled you in for a kiss. His kisses were always intense compared to Cats more delicate ones. You could feel the passion radiating off of him. You guys were stopped by a knock on your door. 

You pulled away and ran a hand through his hair to comb it down, “Let me go get that.” 

He nodded and you stood from his lap, walking over to your door. You opened it to see Cat holding another bottle of wine. 

“Hey come in,” you said letting her through. 

She set the bottle down on your table and pulled off her coat, “It smells great in here angel.” 

You knew you’d be blushing so you looked down, “Thanks Cat.” 

You turned into the kitchen to start pulling out the food. Spencer and Cat greeted each other with a nod. You looked at them questioningly but then quickly changed your expression. You had noticed that they never kissed in front of you. 

“Do you need any help y/n/n?” Spencer asked. 

“No don’t worry. Just bring our glasses over,” you turned to Cat, “let me get you a glass babe.” 

“Babe?” she said questioningly. 

Since when was that name off limits? you thought to yourself, you had used pet names before. 

You turned to look at her, “Oh shit sorry. I didn’t mean-” she cut off your rambling. 

“Y/n/n it’s fine, a glass would be great angel.” 

You smiled at her then took out a glass and set on the table, filling it up halfway. You set it down and went back to get the chicken. Once all the food was at the table you took your seats. 

“Alright dig in guys,” you said excitedly. 

You all took turns serving yourselves the various items. Spencer was the first to take a bite of the mac and cheese. He let out a moan at the taste, “Where have you been hiding these cooking skills Y/n?”

“Hey they were not hiding. You guys just love to order out,” you defended. 

“You need to write down the recipe for me later,” he said. 

“Why so you can burn it,” Cat jabbed. You could tell it was meant to be light hearted but came off a little more hostile. 

You quickly changed the topic to clear the tension in the air. 

_

Dinner went by and the food was mostly done. A new bottle of wine was popped open mostly drank by you and Spencer. However he was holding it better than you were. You guys migrated over to the couch and had a movie playing in the back. Mostly you spent making conversations about work. Spencer was talking about his grading and lectures he planned. Cat couldn’t say much about her cases for confidentiality reasons. 

10pm came by and they stood to leave. 

“Hey um, do you guys wanna stay? I mean with the wine I just would feel better if you stayed later or maybe the night,” you looked at them hopefully. 

“Sure” “No I should go”

They answered at the same time. You looked between the both of them. Cat spoke up first, “I should get going. I only had a glass and I need to be in early tomorrow to review the case. Spence you can stay though.” 

“Aw ok. Well it was great having you Cat. Let me make you a plate to go,” she nodded and picked up her coat. 

You walked over to the kitchen and pulled out some tupperware for her food. You looked over to see them silently talking. You tried not to listen in and instead focused on packing the meal. 

Why was Cat acting so hostile all of a sudden? Everything was going fine and you thought maybe there could be something growing between all of you. Maybe she was having second thoughts about having invited you to play with them. 

She walked over to the door and you handed her the box then wrapped her in a hug. 

“Thanks for dinner. It was really great Y/n,” you slightly frowned at her use of your name instead of calling you angel. 

She opened the door and didn’t look at Spencer as she walked out. You locked the door then turned to walk back over to him. He pulled you down onto the couch, picking up the remote, “Have you ever watched Doctor Who?”

_

You guys had made it through an episode before you both ended up asleep slumped on one another. 

You woke up to the television still playing. The time on the cable box read 4 am. Looking over at Spencer you saw a curl splayed over his forehead and moved it out of the way. You lightly shook him awake, “Spence cmon lets go to bed.”

He stirred then his eyes opened and he looked at you with a smile. You stood up then held your hand out for him. He eagerly took it as you turned off the tv and made your way to your room. 

“Alright I have a pair of your sweatpants I can pull out for you and there should be an extra toothbrush in the bathroom for you to use,” you said digging in your closet. You turned when he never replied, “Spence?”

You stood up and he stepped towards you smashing his lips on yours. He walked you over to your bed, never once breaking apart for air. His hands trailed up inside your tank top, gliding up and down the smooth skin. He separated from you to slide it over your head. 

“Wait Spence,” you said. 

“Are you alright? Did I do something wrong,” he said searching your eyes. 

“No no. Cats not here and we’ve never done this alone so I don’t know if its... I don’t know allowed. I don’t want her to be upset.” 

“Don’t worry about that princess. She won’t be mad and even if she is I’ll take the heat. It’s just us right now, okay? Don’t worry about anything else.” 

He put a strand of hair behind your ear. You searched his eyes and saw nothing but comfort. You nodded, satisfied with his answer, “Alright.” 

He smiled then leaned back in to kiss you. You felt him rock his hips between your legs. You let out gasps at the feeling of friction where you needed him most. Mustering up some force you flipped him over and nodded for him to slide up to the pillows. Your crawled over him and slid your hands up his chest before removing his shirt. 

You leaned in to kiss his neck. Trying not to leave marks as you went. You trailed kisses down his abdomen and saw it flex under you. 

You looked up at him as you went to unbuckle his belt, “Told you I wanna take care of you this time.” 

You went to undo his zipper and pull down both his pants and boxers. He lifted his hips to help you then put his hands under his head, “Yeah you wanna make me feel good princess?” 

You nodded eagerly, licking a stripe up the base to the tip, “Yes Sir.” 

You wrapped your hand around his shaft, using your thumb to swipe over the precum leaking out of the top. He shuttered at the feeling. You licked the tip then started to take him into your mouth, sucking at he top. One of his hands moved to your hair, gathering it into a pony tail. He helped you bob your head and take him further down your throat. 

He let you to catch your breath. A trail of split fell down your chin. He used his thumb to swipe it away before speaking, “You look so pretty like this princess.” 

You went to start pumping his cock when he grabbed your hand, “Get the rest of your clothes off baby.” 

You stood from the bed and went to your belt to pull your pants off. You reached behind you to unclasp your bra and let it fall to the ground. Spencer was laying bare in front of you, stroking his long length, just weeping with arousal. 

You bit your lip as you slid your panties down then got on the bed straddling his hips. You lined his cock up with your entrance and slowly slid down. You both let out moans at the feeling. His hands moved to grab your waist your placed yours on either side of his head. 

After getting used to the stretch you starts to move your hips with his hands aiding you. Your head fell forward and your eyes scrunched closed at the feeling. 

“Look at me pretty girl, Look in my eyes as you ride my cock,” he gritted out. 

You moaned at his words, speeding up for motions to start bouncing on his thick length. You could feel every vein along your walls. You looked into his lust blown eyes, coffee rings were the only thing visible around his dark pupils. 

The grip on your hips got tighter as he started meeting each of your thrusts. You moaned his name as he started hitting the spot inside you that made you see stars. He flipped you guys back over and started drilling into your pussy. The sound of skin slapping vibrated throughout the whole room. 

He leaned in to press his lips against yours. You swallowed each others moans as he kept pounding into you. His hand intertwined with yours, “Fuck you’re so perfect y/n. You’re taking me so well baby, m’so proud of you,” he gritted in your ear. 

“I’m so close Spence,” you whined in return.

Your legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer than he already was. There was no way to tell where you started and he ended. The way his pelvis was perfectly rubbling your clit was enough to set you off. You came with a silent scream. The knot in your tummy bursting as you trembled. 

“That’s it cum for me princess. You’re doing so well. I’m right there with you.”

“Want you to fill me up Spencer. Cum inside me,” you moaned tugging on his hair. 

That was enough to set him off. The way your walls contracted, milked him for all he was worth. He stilled his motions and his head fell in the crook of your neck. One of your hands was still interlaced and he brought to his lips. 

He pulled out and you sighed at the loss. You got up slowly to head to the bathroom. Meanwhile Spencer laid in bed thinking about what he was going to do. He was starting to catch feelings for you and he knew Cat knew it too. He knew she was cleaver enough to figure it out and sometimes he swore she felt the same way about you as well. So why had she been so distant all of a sudden?

He was pulled out of his thoughts by you walking back. You pulled the shirt you had out for him over your frame and opened the covers to get under. 

“Go clean yourself up,” you said looking at him, “but do it quick I want cuddles,” you pouted. 

He laughed then pecked your pouted lips as he got up and took the sweatpants with him. 

When he came back you were dead asleep on your side facing where he would lay. He slid under the covers and pulled you into his arms. He played with your air and kissed your forehead as you let out soft snores. 

“I think I love you princess,” he whispered into the dark room. 

𝐚/𝐧; 𝐨𝐨𝐡 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲! 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫, 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝:)

[theparanormalperiodical]

The REAL Story Behind The Crooked Man And The 7 Other Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes With *Even More* Disturbing Backstories

It was 4 years ago that we first met the Crooked Man.

With a *sickening* reveal via rottweiler fit for the latest season of Rupaul’s Drag Race, the suited gentleman staggered his way from The Conjuring 2 (2016) into our nightmares.

But his ashy undertones, gnashing teeth, and general aura of “I’m a demon, or something, which means I have no real motive apart from wanting to kill you” isn’t the only thing that fits the film far too well.

The Conjuring universe is the definition of ‘based on a true story’. And the Crooked Man fits the brief.

In the opening scenes of the film we see lovable and bulliable Billy stutter through a nursery rhyme:

There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile, He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile; He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse, And they all liv'd together in a little crooked house.

Accompanied by a totally-cursed-i-mean-just-look-at-it zoetrope (it’s a bit like a mini projector that shows you a moving cartoon), Billy introduces us to one of the handful of extra entities terrorising London’s most haunted house. You can discover more about the true story of 284 Green Street which inspired The Conjuring 2 here. 

But Billy also introduces us to a real nursery rhyme inherent in British culture - and British history.

Yes, the nursery rhyme, like many, is based on dark and twisted reality softened for a bedtime story. And amongst this history was a real person. Unfortunately, the Crooked Man is not the only fairy tale monster or nursery rhyme entity that will be haunting your dreams.

Are y’all tucked in?

The Crooked Man

The nursery rhyme was first told sometime in the 17th century during the reign of King Charles I. But the Crooked Man was not the Stuart King - it was allegedly inspired by Scottish general Sir Alexander Leslie and the covenant he signed.

The covenant secured religious and political freedom for Scotland despite prevailing animosity between the English and the Scottish.

The crooked stile is the awkward alliance between the two parliaments and the crooked house refers to the collective union the Scottish and English lived together in. But the ‘crooked’ part works on another level, too.

The great recoinage of late 17th century meant sixpences - which feature in the rhyme - were made of very thin silver and thus easy to bend.

An alternative origins story links it back to Lavenham, a village in Suffolk (England). The half-timbered houses leaned at off angles as if supporting each other, creating a crooked aesthetic that matches the nursery rhyme.

The Pied Piper Of Hamelin

I distinctly remember hearing the story of the Pied Piper when I was about 7 years old. I was there, sat crossed-legged on the wooden floor in assembly and listening to the headteacher tell us the tale of the musical maverick with an overhead projector.

I remember it being far more nostalgic and not so traumatising.

The story goes that sometime in the 13th century a peculiar man dressed in brightly-coloured clothes (pied clothing) was hired by the town to rid them of the rats with his pipe-playing abilities. Hamelin had been suffering from an infestation that would threaten the locals with the plague. The piper was to play his pipe, entice the rats with his magical music, and lead them to a river where they would promptly drown.

He was hired and he did the job - but they didn’t pay up.

The piper couldn’t exactly refund his services. Instead, he sought vengeance, luring away the children of the town with his magical pipe. He waited until Saint John and Paul’s day where the adults would be in the church, dressed in green like a hunter, and played his pipe. The children of the village swarmed to him, all 130 of them, following him out of the town and into a cave. Three were unable to follow due to being blind and deaf and thus told the villagers what had happened.

The real story:

Some versions of the story claimed he made them walk into a river, others claim he returned them after payment. But what we do know for sure is that there is a street in Hamelin called Bungelosenstrasse. On this street - ‘the street without drums’ according to translation - the children were seen last. No music and no dancing is allowed on this road.

Bluebeard

We open on a typical Medieval scene: a powerful and wealthy man is looking for a young wife to replace the last one who mysteriously went missing. Bluebeard’s been through quite a few women, actually, but it’s his latest bae that stars in this story. Bluebeard marries his neighbour’s daughter and goes on a business trip.

He tells her he can stay alone in their house but she cannot open a certain door.

Of course, she opens the door and finds the corpses of his ex-wives. Her and her sisters band together to kill Bluebeard, showering themselves with a wealthy inheritance.

The real story:

This tragic tale of murder and mystery is unfortunately all too true.

There are many alleged origins of the folktale. Let’s start with the Medieval ruler of Brittany, Conomor the Cursed: his new wife agreed to marry him to prevent him from invading her father’s lands but accidentally walked in on a room full of his dead, old wives. She was visited by their ghosts who warn him if she falls pregnant, he will kill her, preventing a prophecy that claims he will be killed by his own son.

She gets knocked up, gives birth, and then she gets her block knocked off.

An alternative inspiration could be a similarly brutal figure: Gilles de Rais (15th century). He was accused of murdering approximately 140 children who suddenly went missing in the Nantes countryside. He was condemned to death and executed in 1440.

Snow White

It’s one of the most popular fairytales of all time.

The story goes that a queen gives birth to a baby girl but dies in childbirth. The king’s new wife is wicked and vain, asking her magic mirror ‘who is the fairest one of all?’ on a daily basis. When the child turns seven, the mirror changes its answer from the queen to the child, Snow White (yeah, that’s weird). The queen hires a huntsman to kill Snow White, but she begs for mercy and says she will live in the woods and he can pretend he killed her.

She finds shelter in a cottage belonging to seven dwarfs who agree to let her stay as a maid until the evil queen asks the mirror her favourite question. It claims Snow White is still alive and the fairest of them all. She goes through several methods of attempting to kill Snow until she falls into a deep coma. The dwarfs host a funeral, a prince comes along, and he, uhhh, kisses what he assumed to be a corpse and she is awakened.

They then get hitched but don’t invite the queen to the wedding. The queen asks the mirror yet again the identity of the fairest, assuming Snow is well and truly deceased but the mirror breaks the bad news to her again. The queen tries to kill her once more but Snow’s hubby forces her to wear red-hot iron slippers and dance in them until she dies.

There’s a lot going on here.

But rather than unpacking everything that's wrong with all of this *gestures to everything*, let’s just get to the dark reality beneath it all.

The real story:

The inspiration is generally deemed to be Margaretha von Walbeck, a young woman who had a terrible relationship with her stepmother. She was forced to move to Brussels and fell in love with Phillip II of Spain, a romance not popular with her parents.

Suddenly, however, Margaretha died. Rumour has it she was poisoned.

Another detail of her life also links her to Snow White: her father’s copper mines were often filled with child labourers whose growth was stunted by working in them, mirroring the ‘dwarves’ in the story.

But Margaretha is not the only contender: Maria Sophia Margaretha Catharina Freifräulein von Erthal *inhale* also hated her stepmother. This - and the fact that her stepmother was given a mirror as a gift by her husband - also ties her to Snow White.

Hansel And Gretel

It’s possibly the most simple fairy tale up for discussion: a brother and sister are sent out to the woods by their father. The mother asked for him to send them away so they can survive a famine. But Hansel uses stones to trace their steps back home. One day, however, he uses crumbs. They get eaten by the local wildlife, so the kids get lost.

They then discover a witch's house, a gingerbread cottage. She lures ‘em in, fattens up Hansel, and prepares to feast on his flesh. The kids plot against her, throw her in the oven, and steal her stuff before heading back to live with their father.

Okay, so maybe this one isn’t based on a true story. It’s based on true stories. Yep - plural.

The real story:

Child abandonment and infanticide was pretty common during plagues, famines, and all other circumstances of poverty. In fact, this particular tale is believed to come from the Great Famine which stretched across Europe from 1315 to 1317. Child abandonment surged during this time.

Rapunzel

Turns out Disney lopped off a lot of Rapunzel’s real story to make it a family friendly movie. Yep, this is a weird one.

A pregnant woman begins to crave a kind of salad leaf (Campanula rapunculus, also called rapunzel) in the garden of the house next door. He goes out to nick it but is caught by the homeowner - a witch. She says he can take the rapunzel, but in return he must give her the child once it is born.

The witch raises Rapunzel as her own but locks her away in a tower when she is 12 to protect her from the outside world.

A prince eventually rocks up and decides to climb her immensely long hair. Unknown, probably PG-13 and probably not consensual acts happen. Still, given it's the medieval era they agree to get hitched after escaping.

The witch discovers her plan, cuts off her hair, exiles Rapunzel, and uses the locks as bait for the prince before throwing him to the briar roses below where he is promptly blinded. Rapunzel gives birth to twins and the prince finds her, identifying her only by her voice. Her tears restore his voice.

The real story:

Being kidnapped or being kept hidden away from the rest of the world is pretty common, well, all of the time. But Saint Barabara, a Greek saint, was the main inspiration for the tale.

She was locked away in a tower in Turkey in the third century by her father in an attempt to protect her Christianity. But her Pagan father’s efforts did not succeed and she discovered the ways of Jesus. She escaped but she was eventually caught by her father who then tortured and beheaded her.

Religious intolerance, y’all.

Beauty And The Beast

Time for another Disney classic with a heavily edited plotline.

The father of a family seeks shelter in a grand palace during a storm. In the morning before he leaves he takes a rose from the garden but is caught by a beast who threatens to kill him for nicking a flower. But the beast agrees not to kill him if his daughter takes his place instead.

The daughter moves to the palace but asks to go see her family for a week. She is then convinced by her sisters to stay at home. A magic mirror then reveals the beast is dying because she isn’t with him. She returns to him and her love breaks the curse that makes him appear so monstrous.

The real story:

Petrus Gonsalvus (1637-1618) was born with hypertrichosis. This meant he had a thick layer of hair all over his body - his physical difference didn’t go down very well. He was kept as a ‘wild man’ in a cage and fed raw meat.

When he was 10 years old he was gifted to the king of france. But he wasn’t kept as a ‘beast’. He was educated like a nobleman and was taught to read, write, and speak three different languages. He was then married off to the daughter of a court servant.

He was married to her for over 40 years and they had seven children together.

(Aww.)

Three Blind Mice

Three blind mice, three blind mice, See how they run, see how they run, They all ran after the farmer’s wife, Who cut off their tails with a carving knife, Did you ever see such a thing in your life, As three blind mice?

The real story:

It's one of those nursery rhymes you grow up with - and 17 years later you realise how traumatic it actually is.

This nursery rhyme can be traced back to the reign of Bloody Mary (16th century) who had a tricky relationship with Protestants. And by that I mean she burnt them alive, hence the nickname.

The three blind mice represented three Protestant bishops who may have been blinded before their execution or spiritually blind for following Catholicism. Another reference to Queen Mary was her as a farmer’s wife.

Her husband, Philip of Spain, owned several estates and thus was technically a farmer.

Welp, there goes your childhood.

If you liked this post go on and like and reblog. Go on, share your love for my amazing talents with the world!

And if you want to read an article about the paranormal every weekend then you best be hitting follow!

See you next week, kiddos. Sleep tight.

[butterbuni]

♥ Prologue ♥

Prologue of Disguise, a Kaminari x Fem Reader

"Hello my dear viewers! Thank you for joining my stream. If your new here thanks for coming. If your one of my regulars welcome back, you know the drill." I looked up at my left monitor watching the numbers of watchers rise as well as the number of donations.

"We are just waiting for one more guest! LightningMcSpark101 he is always late." I rolled my eyes playfully knowing he would be watching the video later when I upload it. My discord rang and I quickly answered it, "Dude you are so late!! The viewers were waiting!" I said into my mic.

"Aw man, I was so sure I was on time this time!" I heard him say from the other end. "Alright alright, all is forgiven! Hurry up and let's get this started. I only have 2 hours today!"

"Sure thing dude! I am so beating you this time!"

"In your dreams Sparky!"

"It's on G/N (Gamertag name)"

I smirked at my screen and took hold of my controller pressing play on the newest battle game that I was sent to try and review.

The screen lit up as it announced my ultimate victory. "Haha! In your face Sparky!! I win once again!"

"Awe man!!! I was so sure I was going to win this time!! You defeated me dude how is that even possible!!!" he exclaimed from his end.

"Ha, you thought. Thanks for helping me show off this game!" I looked over to my left monitor and saw my view had only gained as well as the occasional donation, "I hope you guys enjoyed my demonstration as much as I did! Make sure to go out and buy this amazing game! It's a lot of fun to play especially with friends maybe one of you may get lucky and I would play with you next time. Unfortunately, it is time for me to log off however same time next week. What do you say Sparky?"

"You bet!"

"Bye guys!" I said as I waved goodbye with one hand and clicked end stream. I let out a sigh of relief. That was so much fun. "Sparky you do not know how much fun that was!"

"I am so glad you let me try it out with you! Hey, when are you going to let me see your face you always wear that face mask. I only see half of you!"

"I will let you see my face when pigs fly!" I said scratching the side of my face avoiding not wanting to give him a straight answer. He asks this every single time we go on live together. "Plus it's not like I've seen your face either for all I know you are a 40-year-old man, but you don't sound a day over 15," I said cheerfully.

"Oh wow thanks." he said sarcastically, "I would show you my sexy awesome face but I don't think you would be able to resist me."

"Ha, you wi-"

The alarm on my phone went off stopping all conversation, "Oop looks like my time has come! See ya later dude!" I said quickly changing tabs to end our call. "Aw, c'mon just a little longer. I'll promise I'll be good."

"Sorry, sparky you know the drill I really need to go now," I said hastily wanting... no needing to end the call.

I heard him sigh from the other end. My cursor hovered over the end call button impatiently. My eyes kept darting to my bedroom door. He was taking too long and I didn't want to end without saying goodbye

"I'll catch ya next time G/N. Next time I promise to beat you in whatever game we play."

"Don't hold your breath," I laughed and clicked the end call button. Once it ended, I quickly tore off my face mask and took off my headset. I pulled out a medium-sized box from beneath my desk and put both of them in.

I quickly took out the game cd and put it back into its packaging. I pulled out a bigger box from beneath my desk that had various other games I've collected and put the game in. I sighed, "I wish I didn't have to live like this." Almost as soon as I closed both boxes and put them away, there was a knock on my door.

Fuck. Already?

"One moment!" I called out. Why why why now. I went into my walk-in closet and quickly changed into clothes that my parents deemed suitable for walking around the house. There was another knock at the door, "I'm coming!" I fixed my hair and opened the door quickly revealing my butler. He wore a simple black and white suit with a handkerchief hanging off his arm and as usual his gray hair was slicked back.

"Hello Bertrum," I said standing up as straight as possible.

"Hello ma'am your parents are waiting for you downstairs. Dinner today is coffee-rubbed steak with brussels sprout salad." He bowed down to me.

Great just my luck. I rolled my eyes just before Bertrum rose from his position. "How wonderful I will be down in a second."

He nodded and went on his way. I shut my door closed once he left. With my back against the wall, I slide down to the ground. I wish we could have normal food for one. I would kill for a hamburger right about now.

I got up from the floor and dusted myself off. I might as well get this over with. The sooner I get there the sooner I can leave.

I walked over to my vanity mirror making sure all my 'imperfections' were perfect in the eyes of my parents.

Once I felt ready I walked out of my bedroom making sure to be extra slow about it. I walked through the halls of our family portraits and statues. I've walked this same path for years and each time I still don't feel like I belong.

Every single one of the pictures had a family member who did something great with their lives. Some went on to be some of the greatest support items manufactures. Some became politicians. Some even became costume developers. But here I was, some random teenager who just happened to be born in a family with everything.

I walked down our spiral stairs my hand running down the banister. Well, everything except parents with the capability of love and care.

I walked into the family dining room to see the long table completely dressed in fancy dishes. Both my mom and dad weren't looking at each other. Mother was typing away at something on her laptop and Father was talking to someone on the phone.

I don't even know why they require me here anymore when they wouldn't even pay attention to me.

"Hello Mother. Hello Father." I said flatly announcing myself in. "Hello Y/N," they said without even glancing at me.

I sighed. Of course, they wouldn't even look at me. I am sure they have even forgotten how I looked considering I don't even remember the last time they looked at me for more than 10 seconds.

I took my seat at the far end of the table to wait for the maids to deliver the food.

The dining hall instantly fell into silence with nothing but the clacking of Mother's keyboard and the low gruff talking of Father on his phone. It was unbearable.

Mother finally spoke to me as the maids came into the room with our dinner.

"We have decided where you will be going for high school." She spoke, "With your quirk, we decided that you will go to U.A and join their support course."

"But mother I was planning on becoming a hero like the rest of my friends," I spoke up as a maid dropped my dish in front of me.

She scoffed at me, "I can see why the Todoroki family would want their son to be in the hero course but I don't know why the Yaoyorozu family would let their daughter partake in such a trivial career."

"Mother heroes have a lot of importance in our society! Without them, the world would spiral into chaos. Plus the support course won't even have people to sell their inventions."

"Support for quirks will always be in business with or without the heroes. The heroes are the cause of chaos. They refuse to properly dispose of villains, making our society go into a cycle of a hero-catching villain only for the villain to escape and wreak more havoc. If they would make an example of one of those good for nothing bastards, the people in our society wouldn't have the nerve to stand against heroes."

"But Mother that is such a horrible-" I started to say looking at Mother in disbelief.

"I know you are not talking back to me right now!" she raised her voice at me slamming her fork down on the table.

"No Mother," I said looking down at the plate of food.

"Good."

It was silent once again. Father didn't even bother trying to come to my side and I didn't even bother standing up for myself.

I've learned the hard way that when something is asked of me, I have to do it. Or else.

I picked up my fork and picked at my food. I wasn't even that hungry plus it wasn't like brussel sprouts and steak were very appealing.

"Aren't you eating Y/N?," Father said turning off his phone and picking up his own fork to eat. He only said that to me so he could still pretend to be that caring father he once was in his only little fantasies.

"I just don't have the appetite right now," I said dejectedly. "You should eat your food. Do you know how many kids are starving?" Mother said.

"Maybe you should feed them this nasty stuff," I mumbled.

"I didn't quite hear what you said. Could you repeat that for me?" Mother's eyebrow twitched as she gripped the fork in her hand tightly. I didn't think she could hear me. "I just think we should distribute our wealth to help people less fortunate. People could stop going home hungry," I said dropping my fork down. If she wanted to talk about starving people we can talk about starving people.

"It is not our fault that they made bad choices in their lifetime and ended up poor. Why should we share what we worked hard to get." She said not sparing a glance at me.

I rolled my eyes once she paid more attention to her food than me. Every time I try to have this conversation with her she shuts me down with her hypocritical ass. I stared at her as she ate her food. Who is she to talk about hard work when she worked her way up into my father's pants. The only hard thing she's probably ever done up till now was picking a way how to seduce him.

After a considerable amount of time of pushing my food around my plate the maids came and whisked away our plates. I gave them my thanks. Mother and Father however just picked up their laptop and phones and excused themselves from the table leaving me by my lonesome.

I sighed. Welcome to the life of L/N Y/N.

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

Once my parents were out of sight I rushed up the stairs and past the halls filled with everything my family wanted me to be and into my bedroom. The one place in this house that I felt comfortable. The one place in this big mansion that felt like home.

I locked the bedroom door and quickly logged into my computer. I looked at the number of donations I received from today's stream. I let out a yell of excitement seeing the 2000$ on the screen. A whole 500 more than last time.

I could do more with this money. I pulled up a list of local poverty fundraisers. If Mother and Father won't do anything, I will.

I donated the money equally between the topmost trusted charities. As soon as I clicked the submit button for each I felt satisfied. Even if it wasn't much, the money I made off my twitch account was what kept me motivated to keep going. People out there were suffering and people like my parents were sitting down and letting it happen when they could be doing something about it.

I've thought about wiring money from my parents' accounts but I'll just get myself in trouble so two years ago I started live streaming. When I started earning money from it, I realized I could be making a difference with it.

I sighed as I leaned back in my chair. Two years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of going against my parents' wishes but here I am. Created my own monitors from scratch with the help of my quirk and Momo making the parts. I let out a sad laugh. I even went as far as to covering half my face just so I won't be recognized by anyone.

Just as I spun in my chair looking at my ceiling, my phone buzzed on my table. My head perked up looking at it. Who could be texting me at this time?

I picked up my phone seeing it was a discord notification from Sparky. I smiled softly at my phone. It's like he always knew when I was down in the dumps. I may not know who he is behind that screen but he has quickly become my best friend. ~~~~ Y/N Character Sheet 

[hudsonespie]

World’s Largest Civilian Hospital Ship Transits Suez Canal

As the International Day of Charity (Sunday, September 5, 2021) draws closer, Mercy Ships has announced that the Global Mercy completed its journey through the Suez Canal and the ship is headed for a short courtesy visit in Malta. The Global Mercy, the newest hospital ship of Mercy Ships, is in the last leg of the journey to the Port of Antwerp, where it will be further equipped and crewed.  The ship is scheduled to arrive mid-September in Belgium and remain until early next year.

Unique international and national cooperation

The Senegalese and Egyptian governments facilitated the passage of the Global Mercy through the Suez Canal, so that the ship could pass through free of charge. This unique gesture allows Mercy Ships to save many thousands of extra lives in Africa in the long run.

Bert van Dijk, international board member and president of Mercy Ships Belgium, is enthusiastic and grateful for the tremendous cooperation and support for this unique project, "On the initiative of and led by President Macky Sall of Senegal together with an active involvement of his ambassador in Brussels, the President and the authorities of Egypt have agreed to guide the Global Mercy through the Suez Canal free of charge and without any cost to the charity. This is a wonderful example of a unique collaboration between two heads of state to support Mercy Ships and contribute to the improvement of healthcare in Africa.”

President Macky Sall of Senegal says, “I have seen and experienced with my own eyes that Mercy Ships is a wonderful organization that brings hope and healing to many African countries. We will welcome the Global Mercy with open arms in the spring of 2022 and give our full support at the start of its first mission in Africa. We are very grateful for the indispensable support of so many to actually help my country and my people."

The Port of Antwerp has made the arrival of the Global Mercy in Antwerp possible by offering a free berth and support. Volunteers from home and abroad will set up and finish the Global Mercy, the largest private hospital ship in the world. This includes the installation of medical equipment and IT systems, as well as the supply and crewing of the ship for its first mission.

"This unique project is a highlight in the collaboration between Port of Antwerp and Mercy Ships. The social commitment in the port community is very high, so we are not alone in our support. Dozens of companies in our port already support Mercy Ships structurally and will do the same in the equipping of the Global Mercy. Mercy Ships and the wonderful work they do are close to the heart of the Port of Antwerp," says Annick De Ridder, chairman of the Port and Alderman of Antwerp.

Doubling of impact in Africa

The Global Mercy will be the 'partner ship' of the current hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. Mercy Ships expects to more than double the impact of its work with the new vessel, both with life-changing operations and with education and training of local caregivers in the poorest countries in Africa.

During its missions, the Global Mercy can accommodate 950 people, including 641 crew members, who consist of volunteers from all over the world. In addition to the hospital, the ship also has first-class training facilities with which Mercy Ships contributes to the sustainable development of local medical care in many countries.

Largest private hospital ship in the world

The Global Mercy is a unique ship in the passenger class: 174 meters long, 28.6 meters wide and a gross tonnage of 37,000. It has 6 operating rooms, 200 beds, a laboratory, general outpatient clinics and eye and dental clinics. The total area of the hospital department is 7,000 m².  

In the spring of 2022, Mercy Ships plans to open the ship to the public for tours in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, before beginning active service with the Global Mercy in Dakar (Senegal), the first of many new missions in the next 50 years.

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/world-s-largest-civilian-hospital-ship-transits-suez-canal via http://www.rssmix.com/

[mystery-fic-anon]

Christmas Dinner for Two

This is my gift for the Undertale! Secret Gyftmas exchange. For this I wrote a fic for @starsgivemehp based on her prompt: Horror!Sans's lover brings him much food for Gyftmas. This is just some nice fluff, no warnings here!

Note: I used her character interpretations of horrortale and farmtale Sans, so please go to starsgivemehp on Tumblr to learn more! These guys seem really sweet!

Warnings: none, pure fluff

Thank you to @nugget4550 and @silverryu25 for beta reading :)

Read it on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764666

Terrence sat in the rocking chair in the corner of his living room, his hands folded in his lap. A soft Christmas tune played over the radio, but all of his focus was on the door. He had his glamour on for how, but he was hoping that he could shed it when his partner knocked on the door.

He knew Guts wasn't particularly fond of large gatherings, so he’d invited him over the day before his brother’s planned holiday party. Finnegan coming back out to the country was a special occasion, and many more people would probably drop by to say hello. Terrence was hoping Finnegan and Guts could meet soon, but maybe in a quieter setting. Over the seasons with the farm, he’d learned to be more patient. He knew the two would meet eventually, and he knew with just as much certainty that they would get along.

Guts had refused at first, not wanting to be an imposition. Of course, when Terrence had said that he wanted to see Guts, he’d sent a blushing face and a thumbs up. Terrence knew it was a bit of a journey to get out to his farm, but he knew just as well that Guts wanted to do it on his own. Terrence wasn’t the sort to deny his sweetheart’s independence, and he would make sure that Guts ate more than enough to make up for the walking he had to do. The food was in the kitchen, warming on the stove. All that was missing was Terrence’s beau.

There was a knock on the door, three slow, deliberate, taps. Before it had ended Terrence was on his feet, and he quickly strode over to the door. He opened it up a bit slower, not wanting to startle Guts. He smiled softly as he saw Guts standing there, his jacket and boots covered in powdery snow.

“Come on in.” He took off his glamour, tugging at the front of his shirt. He didn’t change out of his usual flannel and denim very often, but it was a special occasion. He just hoped the cashmere sweater didn’t put Guts off. “Here, let me take yer coat.” He held out his hands, waiting patiently. Guts moved a bit slower than usual, but he could still hear Terrence perfectly well.

Guts handed Terrence his coat, and Terrence quickly went to hang it above the heater. The clothes from the trip to milk the cows earlier in the day were already dry and warm, and Terrence put them in the laundry basket on the floor. There was a place for everything in his house, and lately he’d been working to make sure Guts was accommodated during his visits. Guts usually left his bag by the front of the house, and Terrence didn’t object. It was small and out of the way, unlikely to trip up either of them.

Guts was looking towards the kitchen, and Terrence smiled at him. “The food’s waiting for you, love. Shall we?”

Guts gave a slight nod, ambling towards the kitchen. Terrence walked next to him, pulling out the chair. Guts stared at him, but Terrence just leaned in and pecked his cheekbone.

“Have a seat, let me get everything out.” Terrence ran one hand over Guts’ shoulder, then stepped away. Guts reached into his pocket for his phone, but he just put it down on the table. Good; Terrence wanted to treat him today.

He’d cooked Guts a proper Irish feast: roast turkey, stuffing, baked ham with cloves, goose fat potatoes, Brussel sprouts, buttery carrots that were cooked with the ham, parsnips, bread pudding, and an extra bowl of gravy. He used a towel to grab the pan of turkey, laying it down on the beaded heat pad right in front of Guts. He smiled as Guts’ good eye socket widened, turning to get more food. He used the good serving dishes; he could always wash them again before tomorrow.

Finally Terrence opened a pot on the stove, and carefully poured two mugs of spiced apple cider. He didn’t want to get drunk just yet, and he wanted to create an extra treat for Guts. This drink warmed the insides like nothing else, and went especially well with a large mouthful of turkey.

He put the drinks down beside the two place settings, and then sat down next to Guts. Guts was sitting there, his hands folded in his lap. He was staring at the food, but Terrence couldn’t tell if he was excited to eat or not. He wasn’t leaking tar, but Terrence was still a bit concerned.

“Are you alright?” Terrence rested his hand on the table next to Guts, not wanting to startle him with a touch. He kept his voice as calm and soothing as he could, talking lovingly to Guts. “This food is safe. I prepared it all myself. I promise you, this is okay to eat.”

Guts nodded, reaching out for the turkey. He pulled on a leg, and Terrence helped him cut it off. He took a bit of meat from the breast for himself, and then served both of them some stuffing and potatoes. Both of them had been stewed in juices from the meat, so they would be easier for Guts to swallow.

Terrence smiled as Guts took his first bite of turkey, a pleased sound rumbling through him. Terrence enjoyed his deep voice, and he watched Guts with a soft smile on his face. “That’s it, love. You’re doing so well.”

He continued to watch as Guts ate, periodically passing him one dish and then another. Guts ate quickly, but the noises he made showed that he was appreciating the food. Terrence put some food on his place, but he didn't dig into it just yet. He knew that Guts needed him to keep speaking, and he was happy to do it.

“I’m so proud of you, darling. Thank you for eating my food. I care about you quite a bit, and it’s nice to know that I can take care of you. Most of this came from my garden, and the turkey came from my neighbour just up the road. It’s good to eat; all of this is safe, good food. Nourishing yourself is a good thing.” Terrence continued speaking to Guts, peppering in extra information about where the food had come from with more praise. This wasn’t his first time working Guts through this, but he still got a bit nervous every time. He wanted to do right by Guts, and treat him to the holiday dinner he deserved.

Eventually Guts’ eating speed slowed down, and he stopped gulping down the cider like he was drowning. Terrence took a few bites of his own food, humming softly. It tasted tender and well-spiced to him, but he knew his taste was a bit different from most. Thankfully, Guts seemed to be enjoying it. Terrence wasn’t going to pester him to speak; he could ask about it later.

For now, he just enjoyed Guts’ presence. He only went into town once or twice a week, and even then he only spent a few hours with Guts before his obligations called him back to the farm. Their friendship had been steady for a good few years before Terrence had asked Guts on a date, and even then he’d wished he could spend more time with Guts. Even if he didn’t communicate much, he exuded a kind of calming, friendly energy that Terrence enjoyed immensely.

Between the cider and Guts’ company, Terrence’s chest felt warm. The carols from earlier had faded into classical music, and he hummed along. The turkey was almost completely stripped, and Guts was halfway through the ham. Terrence had eaten his fill by now, and he was just watching Guts.

He wasn’t keeping track of the time, all he noticed was the food steadily disappearing. He’d prepared a few things for tomorrow, and he was even prepared to break into his pantry and start cooking more if it meant satisfying Guts. His appetite was immense, but Terrence’s determination was even greater.

Finally, with only a few slices of ham left, Guts sat back and wiped his hands with a napkin. He’d mostly stuck to the meat, but he’d eaten a good bit of everything else. His head was lolling a bit, and Terrence hoped he would be relaxed enough for a nap. He knew Guts tended to be on-edge, and nothing made him happier than knowing that Guts felt safe enough to relax around him. Even after a long day of working around the farm, there was nothing that satisfied him more than seeing Guts accept the work he put into taking care of him. Terrence wasn’t usually the doting type, but Guts deserved it.

“Merry Christmas, love.” Terrence scooted his chair a bit closer, and tentatively wrapped an arm around Guts. Guts pushed into the touch, resting his head on Terrence’s shoulder. He smiled, running his hand up and down Guts’ back soothingly.

After a minute, things got even better. A rumbling purr rattled through Guts’ chest, and Terrence smiled even wider at the sound. He’d been hearing Guts purr more often lately, and his soul melted every time. Stars, his partner was just too adorable. Terrence tilted his head, pressing a kiss to the corner of Guts’ mouth. He scooted so their chairs were pressed fully together, letting Guts make himself comfortable on his chest. The way he snuggled in like a large, boney cat made Terrence chuckle softly, and he happily continued petting Guts.

Guts’ purr got softer, his breathing slowing down. His hands were still curled in Terrence’s sweater, holding him close as he dozed. Terrence knew there were more comfortable places to sleep, but he didn’t want to wake Guts by moving him. He wrapped both arms around Guts, holding him close. The inside of his farmhouse was nice and warm, and Terrence closed his eyes too, savouring the feeling of his partner in his arms. This was the best Christmas present he could ever get, and he was going to enjoy it to the fullest.

[infinitevariety]

May Your Days Be Merry

Having never been able to celebrate previously, Aziraphale and Crowley decide to embrace the festive season and make the most of their first December together since the world didn’t end.

Chapter Twenty Two: Friends & Family (AO3)

Aziraphale and Crowley have a visit from the friends they saved the world with.

It was mid-afternoon when the bell above the door tinkled and the whole atmosphere in the shop changed. Crowley had been there for over an hour already, helping Aziraphale get set up. Putting out nibbles, miracling up extra armchairs, and, who is Crowley kidding, mostly lounging on the sofa watching Aziraphale do all of that.

Multiple sets of footsteps can be heard making their way inside, along with a lot of muttering. Crowley watches as Aziraphale stands, wringing his hands over his waistcoat as he moves to greet their guests.

Crowley grabs his special tray of ‘Ferrero Rocher’ and goes after him.

“Hello everyone,” says Aziraphale.

“Aziraphale!” cry back a couple of familiar voices.

Before any other words can be exchanged there are several loud gasps and a one awed-sounding “Woah!” and then four shorter-than average people are dashing into the shop at large, running between bookshelves and around the spiral staircase.

“Please do be careful, children!” Aziraphale calls after them.

Crowley privately wishes Aziraphale good luck in getting the Them to listen to him.

Aziraphale sighs, seemingly giving it up as a bad job. He shares brief hugs with Tracy and Anathema, a hearty handshake with Newt, and a begrudging nod with Shadwell. Then he ushers everyone to the seating and snacks area.

As they pass, Crowley offers a smile in greeting along with his tray of ‘Ferrero Rocher’.

He gets an, “I don’t think so, love,” and a knowing smile from Tracy.

Anathema says, “No, thank you,” and eyes both Crowley and the tray suspiciously.

“I don’t like to eat in front of other people, if I can help it,” says Newt. But he plucks a chocolate from the tray and slips it into his pocket, so Crowley counts it as half a win.

Shadwell turns him down with a, “Ferrero Rocher are too fancy for my tastes, lad.” He then heads straight for the box of Heroes and digs in.

Crowley scowls, more than a little frustrated his prank isn’t going to plan. He wonders if Aziraphale has prewarned everyone—he had been a little too quick to acquiesce to the whole thing. Flouncing just a little because he’s grumpy, Crowley collapses onto the sofa, thankful to have it to himself.

Keeping himself low on the sofa and radiating an air of unapproachability, Crowley observes Aziraphale chatting animatedly with Tracy, Anathema, and Newt. He proudly shows off his collection of prophecy books, which Anathema shows a polite but unenthusiastic interest it. It doesn’t seem to upset Aziraphale even a jot. Tracy asks what predictions the books contain that have come to pass, and Aziraphale becomes a little flustered and changes the subject.

Crowley smiles privately to himself.

When the subject of Aziraphale’s computer comes up, Newt cranes he neck to get a glimpse of it in the back room.

“Is that a Amstrad PCW?” he asks, sounding not a little flabbergasted.

“I can’t remember what it’s called, but I did get it when it first came out in 1985. I’m not always so behind the times.” With this Aziraphale looks directly at Crowley with his eyebrows raised.

“I’ve not seen one of those outside of a museum,” says Newt.

Crowley chuckles and raises his eyebrows right back at Aziraphale.

“Does it still work?” Newt carries on, oblivious to the silent conversation between Crowley and Aziraphale. “Can I have a go on it?”

“Ah, no, Newt—that’s probably not a good idea.” Anathema curtails Newt’s excitement with her words and a gentle hand on his arm.

“Yeah, I suppose,” concedes Newt.

Aziraphale jumps when he hears a dull thud from somewhere towards the back of the shop.

“Children?” he calls. “Is everything all right?”

By ‘everything’ Crowley knows he means ‘my books’.

“It’s fine!” call back a chorus of four voices.

It does very little to settle Aziraphale’s nerves. Crowley can see his hands wringing a little tighter than usual.

“I’ll go check on them,” offers Anathema. “I’m sure they’re just antsy after being cooped up together in the back of Newt’s car all the way here.”

Aziraphale flashes her a grateful look and goes back to chatting with Tracy and Newt.

Shadwell seems to be oblivious to the conversation, busy wolfing down as many sweets and chocolates as he can reach. Within 20 minutes he’s leaning back in one of the newly miracled armchairs, eyes closed, mouth open, snoring like a trooper.

In an effort to tune out the sound, Crowley shifts his focus to the rest of the bookshop, and the children currently running around it. They appear to be playing some kind of fantasy game in which they’re trying to rescue an unspecified special old magical book from the evil clutches of someone or other. Crowley's can’t be sure on the details, but he doesn’t have to wonder where they got the idea of a special old book.

The game seems to run its course, with Pepper and Wensley defeating the evil henchmen (Adam and Brian), and ensuring the safety of The Book. Apparently worn out from their adventures, all four members of the Them come over and collapse on and around the sofa with Crowley. Pepper and Brian right beside him, Adam perched on the arm, and Wensley cross-legged on the floor.

“So, were you there when baby Jesus was born?” asks Adam.

“Not personally, but Aziraphale was.”

“And all the wise men and gifts and stuff, that all really happened?” Wensley speaks up from the floor.

“More or less,” says Crowley with a shrug. “Just don’t ask Aziraphale about the shepherds.”

Pepper is straight in with her own question. “Did God ask Mary’s permission to get her pregnant? Because if not that’s technically assault.”

“Pass,” Crowley says with feeling.

“If Jesus was walking on water and turning water into wine and things, why wasn’t he accused of witchcraft?” puts in Brian.

“He was, a bit, but—”

“But he was a man, and it’s mostly women who were accused of witchcraft because men are terrified of strong women and would have rather burnt them or drowned them if they couldn’t be kept under control.” Pepper crosses her arms to punctuate her point when she’s finished.

Adam, Brian, and Wensley turn from Pepper to Crowley.

“I mean… she’s not wrong,” admits Crowley.

Pepper lifts her chin proudly. Crowley grins, happy to admit, if only to himself, that he likes her.

Throughout the questions and answers, all four children reach for and idly munch on the many sweets and chocolates covering the coffee table.

Crowley clears his throat and casually asks, “Do any of you want a Ferrero Rocher?”

Four pairs of wide eyes stare back at him.

“Really?” asks Brian in a slightly breathy, disbelieving voice.

“Yes, really. Why?” He wonders if Aziraphale even told the bloody children.

“We’re not usually allowed them,” Wensley tells him.

“They’re grown up chocolates, apparently,” Pepper explains.

“My parents only have them for special occasions, like boring dinner parties and things,” adds Adam.

“Apparently we ‘wouldn’t appreciate them’,” finishes Brian.

All four of the Them roll their eyes in unison.

“Well, that’s absolutely rubbish,” Crowley tells them. “You should eat as many of these Ferrero Rocher as you want to.”

With matching grins of excitement, the children all reach for a chocolate. They hurriedly unwrap them, as though Crowley might change his mind and snatch them back again at any moment. It’s only a matter of seconds before the chocolates are stuffed unceremoniously into mouths.

Crowley is faintly thrumming in mischievous anticipation as he watching them all chomp down onto chocolate covered brussel sprouts.

As one, the children cry out in horror and disgust. Wensley immediately spits his back out into his bare hand. Pepper grabs the tray and drops hers off her tongue back to where it came from. Adam’s jaw hangs open with a look of despair on his face, but the sabotaged Ferrero Rocher remains in his mouth.

Crowley cackles wildly and idly wonders if he's put them off Ferrero Rocher forever. He kind of hopes he has.

Despite the joy his successful prank has brought to Crowley, there is still Brian, who continues to munch happily on his Ferrero Rocher. As everyone starts to realise he’s still eating they all look at him in shock.

Brian shrugs. "What? It's good!"

[chappedandfadedvds]

Jan 5th, Tuesday 17:51

„And Martin did steal the pen. I saw him put it in his pocket.“

„Really? The teacher did nothing?“

Jens sat on the chair by the window, listening in on the story he already had been told on his way over to the hospital. So his eyes had darted out onto the lawn of the courtyard, only one or two shadows passing in the yellow light of lamps, as the crossed from one building to the other.

„No they did. Martin had to pull it back out to show that he had taken it. Obviously.“

„Obviously. Of course.“

His mom’s giggle made his lips curl up into a soft smile. She had been even livelier today. Her spirits bright and high as soon as they had stepped into the room, presenting their mother with a large bouquet of flowers ranging from white to orange and pink. Lotte and him had passed the flower shop on their way to the busstop and his little sister had tugged on his arm, while she told him she wanted to bring the bouquet displayed in it’s window. Or at least something similar. Not as massive as the overly expensive one they had seen. They still had to be able to find a vase for it here.

„Yes, but he didn’t apologise, even though Olivia was really upset.“

„Not even when the teacher was there?

Jens also had gotten an extra one of these white flowers with dark green leaves. It looked a little like a blooming twig. Camellias? But he really thought it looked quite pretty on it’s own, and had promptly wanted to give one to Lucas tomorrow. Boys also liked flowers, right? Jens wasn’t sure. He knew he would love to get one, but hadn’t recieved a single flower in his life yet. He also hadn’t seen other boys get one. Perhaps this was a stupid idea. Or not. He was definitely overthinking this.

„No. Martin is awful, everyone in class thinks he is stupid.“

„I definitely get why. I’m sorry for you and I hope he is learning to be better.“

His gaze lifted from the ground outside, back into the room. His phone rested on the window sill next to him. The screen lightened up with another notification, he guessed, swallowing down the groan in his throat. Since yesterday, and him being oddly quiet in the group, Jens had recieved a couple of messages from everyone, asking if he is fine, if he needed anything. And though he really wanted to appreciate their concern and worry, he grew rather annoyed with each incoming new text.

„I don’t know. I’m not sure.“

„Olivia hopefully feels better? You are a great friend to stick up for her.“

The message could also be one from Lucas or Robbe. Or maybe Sander? All exceptions to his strict ignorance towards anyone else. He knew it wasn’t fair to his friends, he just couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment. Maybe with Lucas around tomorrow, he’d be able to answer them and apologise for the late reply as well as assure them that he was doing alright. Because he was.

„Mhm, I guess. Olivia is my best friend. Also she would do the same.“

„I am pretty sure, you are right. What are you two doing on friday?“

Without another thought, Jens picked up the phone. Checking on the newest notification. And to his surprise it was another email from his dad, Hendrik. He straightened up in his chair on alert, as his eyes curiously stared at the litte bit of text, that only told him a quick greeting. Other than the document that he had recieved by mail the week before christmas, Jens hadn’t heard from him again. Nervous he slid his finger across the screen, the message opening up.

„Oh Olivia is coming over to play. We are not sure yet what we are doing. But Jens said that he would try and bake a cake for her birthday.“

„That’s really nice. It must be sad for her to not be able to celebrate it with all of her friends. But good that she has you.“

Jens’s hear briefly focused in on the conversation of his sister and mom at the mentioning of his name, however, as it only revolved around friday, his attention was swiftly set back on his phone.

Hello Jens,

I hope you are handling everything as well as possible, given your mother’s situation. And further I hope you have found that I changed the sum of the monthly bank transfer, as well as I send you an additional bit of money into your own savings account. It’s not much, but perhaps it will suffice to pay for university in summer. 

The main reason, that I am writing you now, is that I have my trip to visit you Helena planned out. I will arrive at the Alta harbour in Norway  this weekend, and from there I’m going to take a car over Stockholm and Hamburg to get some more work done. There is a professor in Hambrug who has done quite some research in my field, who could really help me out. But I don’t think you’d be even remotely interessted in that. I also have to make a stop in Brussels at my university for funding.

To get to the point. If everything goes well, I’ll be in Antwerp the week after.

Roughly the 17th til the 20th. 

And I’ll make sure to see your mother hopefully most days, though I’d love to see you as well. And Lotte perhaps?

We don’t have do decide on anything yet or make arrangements, just think about it maybe?

I would love to hear from you.

With kindest regards,

Hendrik

„I know and she is sleeping over as well. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Maybe we can build a pillow fort or something. I hope Lucas is going to be there as well. He wasn’t yesterday or today. Which I don’t like.“

„It’s okay to miss him, but he also needs to be there for his friends and family from time to time, you know.“

Jens leaned his head back into his neck, closing his eyes, as he placed his phone blindly back onto the window sill. Not having the energy to deal with everything that was this email. He somehow had forgotten about it. About the fact that his father would come to see his mom and stay for a couple of days. Jens wondered if he’d be even able to avoid him, if Hendrik would be around the hospital a lot as he had implied in writing. Jens also hadn’t talked to Lotte about it. He felt a headache slowly rising, trying his best to concentrate on the cheerful voices occupying the space of the room instead.

„Oh. Right! Mom! I brought a book to read. I got so much better, because I read for Sander on the weekend, and he said so.”

„Well, then it must be true. As long as I get to cuddle you, I promise to listen intently.“ __ __ __ tagged: @odi-et-amo85, @tayspots this is a tiny bit different from how I usually construct my writing, I think. But I really like it and it hopefully works as well for you as it does for me. 🙃

[ussjellyfish]

fic: Work-Life Balance pt 3 | AoS | Philinda | mature

(this chapter is still barely teen, mature things next chapter)

Melinda and Phil attend a fancy fundraiser, which has dancing, which isn't that terrible. They also get to see Mack and Yo-yo.

Many thanks to @plechka for your help with DC stuff.

read on Ao3

Espionage 218 - the Dance Elective

He makes her breakfast, which involves running out for bagels, but she sleeps in, contented and calm. She slept better in Tahiti than he's ever seen her to, so maybe it's just being free from the encroaching danger. Nothing's coming to get them. There's no giant conspiracy out there waiting to destroy the world, just classes and field reports, seminars and exams. 

Mack, Director Mack, said he can do some recruitment, when he's up for it. Phil's read the file a few times. Part-time, very flexible, based at the Hub which is right near the Academy. Very short drive, shorter still in Lola. Sounds ideal if he wants to stay involved. There are plenty of things to do at the Academy too. May has a full course load, plus extra fitness training classes, and she's mentoring the newest crop of SOs in the field. Just looking at her calendar is headache worthy. No wonder she doesn't have anything in her fridge. 

That morning Phil lets her eat her bagel in the car on the way into campus, even though usually eating in Lola is strictly forbidden. He didn't have the heart to wake her, especially when she'd shut off her own alarm three times. Must be making up for years of lost sleep, or teaching exhausts her in a way flying the Bus and saving the world did not.  

After he drops her off, he spends the morning in kitchen stores, and then buying his own clothes. He has one bag, and a handful of old stuff in storage in Wisconsin, but he keeps dying and leaving the planet and getting his suits blown up. It's frustrating because he had some nice suits, some books that had that great old book smell. 

May emails him the invite to the Congressional Security Committee fundraiser that she has to attend tonight, because she's one of the most respected professors at the Academy. Also, she's gorgeous, and Mack likes how much that distracts people.

It'll be a long night of mediocre drinks, passable hors d'oeuvres and terrible conversation. The dancing might be all right. Maybe he can sneak May off to look at some of the art because he's always liked the National Potrait Gallery, and the courtyard's really something to see. She'll fit right in at an art museum. 

He has to use SHIELD resources to get good black tie at the last minute, but he knows a guy who's pretty quick and he just has to look good enough to be with May. She probably has some absolutely stunning dress and he keeps losing his train of thought as he's buying spices, imagining how she'll look. He's far enough away that she can't feel his particular emotions right this moment, hopefully. Didn't ask what the range was, and it seems like it's different with him. 

Mack got them dinner reservations, and it's not really double date, but it's Mack, Yo-yo, Melinda and him, which is basically the double date set up. Maybe it is. Maybe it's just really good friends with a lot of history. Getting to see them again is wonderful, but he's a little nervous. 

Putting pots and pans away as he rearranges Melinda's kitchen helps him think. She has whole cabinets that just sit empty until he adds measuring cups, mixing bowls, and a coffee maker. One of the perks of never being able to be out in public is that he has years of salary just sitting in his bank account. Melinda doesn't need a stand mixer, but he does. 

Because he's moving in. Well, moved in to be fair. His new toothbrush sits right next to hers and there's plenty of closet space when he has clothes. He's just got the utensils right by the stove when Melinda texts. The day has flown by; it's already four, her last class just ended. 

She's running late, students need help. They're supposed to be at the restaurant at five thirty which doesn't give her much time to get ready. He gets dressed in his tuxedo, smirking at the cufflinks. He loves when he gets to wear them because they're such a classy, old school kind of touch. He throws his tie around his neck, but doesn't tie it yet. Melinda does it better. 

He grabs her dress, makeup, jewelry, hairpins, hairspray- collecting the arsenal it'll take to get her ready for black tie. Not that she needs it. She could go in a t-shirt, but this is a fancy politician charming thing. Carrying her dress in a garment bag and the rest of her things in a duffel, he parks Lola outside her office and heads in. 

There are still students in the hall, most of them dressed as waiters and it clicks. They're going undercover. Melinda's sending some her students undercover to the fundraiser for practice. Smart. They'll be catering a lot in the field. No one really pays attention to the hands serving the food. 

They talk between themselves, but part when he arrives. Melinda's all the way down the hall, at the heart of their group, explaining how to swap champagne flutes in order to get fingerprints and DNA. 

"Professor May, your husband's here," one of the cadets calls down the hall. 

"That's right, dear," he says, beaming. Might as well roll wih it. "I think I have everything."

"Great, I'm sorry, we got carried away, okay, I'll see you tonight, remember, when you're undercover, you're invisible, so don't impress anyone, not Director Mack, and definitely not me."

They laugh and Phil has to smile. She's pretty hard to impress. He sets her dress on the desk and pulls the blinds while the students leave them. Melinda pulls off her blazer and starts unbuttoning her shirt. 

"How much time do we have?"

"Slightly less than half an hour, which is plenty, you're already beautiful."

"Not black tie beautiful."

She sighs, dropping her bra to the desk and he has to swallow. He will never get over how beautiful she is, and it's been a terrifying constant in his life for decades. 

"Let me help you with the dress." He gently removes the black and gold dress from the garment bag. He shakes it out, opening the clasps while she changes her underwear and pulls on her stockings. 

"Okay, let me get this over your head." The complicated straps cross high on her chest and leaves her back bare. He whistles as it slips into place. "I think this is better than the sequins."

"Oh?" She starts pinning up her hair, smiling. "It's more comfortable."

"Your breasts make the dress look great."

Melinda laughs. "I thought you'd like it." 

He sits on her desk, handing her pins as she puts her hair up. He holds up a handful and looks over the pictures on her desk. "These are nice, Daisy, FitzSimmons and Alya, don't know if that's the best picture of me."

"I've always liked that one." She titls her head towards the hairspray and he hands it over. 

"I look too stern."

"You are stern."

"Me?" He takes the hairspray and hands her the eyeliner, holding it while she yawns into her hand.  "Couldn't fit a nap in, huh?"

"I slept at lunch."

"Good plan, these things always go so late." 

Melinda sighs, shaking her head. "I know." 

"Lipstick,"

"Give me that first." He looks, following her hand. A abandoned mug of coffee sits on her desk. 

"You hate coffee."

"It's vile, but it keeps me awake."

"Well, it's definitely worse cold and without anything in it."

"Just hand it to me, Phil." She shuts her eyes and swallows it, grimacing. He's seen children make that face when they've been told to eat brussel sprouts. 

"You hate it."

"I hate falling asleep at dinner more."

He touches her shoulder. "This is hard. You're carrying a lot. Don't push yourself beyond your limits."

"Tomorrow's an easy day, no lectures, just seminar, and it's in the afternoon."

"I'll make waffles."

"And no coffee."

"None, for you." 

She laughs, finishing her lipstick. "What earrings did you bring?"

"These matched the best."

"I would have gone with the gold."

"The dress is more bronze."

"Oh I see."

"These bring out your eyes more."

"Yes, that's what you've been looking at. My eyes." She toys with his hand, smiling. 

"Exactly." He rests his gaze on the exquisite display of her breasts, then looks up, 

She leans in, kissing him lightly. "You still can't tie these."

"I have you." 

The next kiss is a little deeper, hungrier, and they don't have time. Mack and Yo-yo will be at the restaurant in a few minutes ad they're already pushing it, even with Lola. Flying through DC isn't exactly subtle. The cloaking will help but--

Melinda finishes tying his bow tie and pats his chest. "Shoes."

He sets them up and she steps into her impossibly high heels, holding on his shoulder. 

"Ready?"

She takes another moment, taking a breath. "I still don't understand how you drink that every day."

"It grows on you."

"Like a tumor." 

He rests his hand on her bare back, chuckling. "Exactly, a delicious, caffeinated tumor." 

 Mack and Yo-yo are waiting for them at the table, already laughing over their drinks.

"Sorry, parking is terrible." 

"Our quinjet is on the roof," Yo-yo says, getting up to hug Melinda. "You look amazing."

"Doesn't she?" 

"You don't look too bad yourself," Mack says, getting up to shake his hand. They stare, take hands and then hug. He didn't think he'd see Mack again, or Yo-yo or...anyone, and here they are. Mack pats Melinda's shoulder and Yo-yo pulls out her chair. 

"Sit, eat, we don't have that much time before we have to talk to the boring people." 

"Thanks, sorry--"

"She had cadets swarming her office."

"All ready for tonight?"

"They're some of my best, about half of the catering team are future agents. Tell me how many before the night's over and I'll buy dinner next time." 

Mack lifts his glass, grinning. "Oh you're on."

Yo-yo leans forward, elegant in a dark blue dress, with her hair down in waves. Mack's pocket square complements her dress and they look fantastic together. The way they talk, laughing, filling in each other's stories, they're happy. It's good to see. This time has been good for them. 

The food arrives a few minutes later, concerned for time, Mack and Yo-yo ordered, and it smells incredible. Melinda yawns into her hand again and flags down the server for tea instead of wine. 

"They might have coffee."

"Oh no, one is my limit." 

"You had coffee?" Yo-yo asks over her naan bread. "The Academy's that bad, huh?" 

"It's disgusting but it keeps me awake." 

"I'm gone for a little while and look how things change." It's a poor joke but Melinda's little smile has forgiveness in it. 

"It felt a little long." She reaches across, squeezing his hand. 

"It's nice to have you back." Mack digs into the chicken. "This is incredible."

Melinda sets down her fork and reaches for her tea. "It's hard to get reservations here, but my mom likes it."

"Do they do take out?" Phil passes her one of the sauces and she gives him that look. "May's a connoisseur of take out." 

"Very funny."

"Do they? This is near the Hub, I'd love this for lunch."

"Places like this don't do take out," Yo-yo says, pointing at her napkin. "Real napkins, fancy silverware."

Mack shakes his head, wiping his mouth. "We'll have to find a way to get them to make an exception."

"Use those director perks." Phil jokes, meeting Melinda's gaze. 

"What director perks?' The server hands Mack the check and Yo-yo chuckles.

"There's a perk."

"I asked for this." Mack waves the check at them. "I know how hard it is to live on an academic's salary."

Phil titls his head towards Melinda. "You should see how empty her apartment was, couldn't afford anything in the kitchen."

"I am funny, I'm the director." He hands over a card and they reluctantly leave their seats. 

Phil offers Melinda his hand to get to her feet, touching her bare back as they head for the door. Her skin's warm and smooth under his hand and she allows it to remain there. The clouds overhead are dark and heavy, and the air smells like rain. The gallery's only a quick walk, and it almost feels like old times. Very fancy old times. 

At the door he hands over their IDs from Melinda's purse. Hers is a little worn, and his brand new. Billy did good work on it. They head through security, have their retinas scanned and fingerprints checked. Eventually they end up at another table, and two of Melinda's students bring them drinks. 

She takes a sip, then sets her glass down. "Well, lets get it over with"

"It?"

"You're going to make me dance."

He listens to the orchestra and smirks. "That's a waltz." 

Melinda holds out her hand, reaching for his and smiling. "Do you want to wait for a tango?"

"Are you just using me to avoid Senator Ellis?"

"You caught me." She leans in, brushing her lips agains his ear. "Also, my students are watching."

"So we're making your students uncomfortable?"

"If they're watching us dance, they're not watching other things."

"I'd be watching you."

She glances down at her chest and her smile brightens. "I know what you'e watching."

Dancing with her is easy, comfortable. She'll have to talk to senators and congresspeople,  be charming, talk about the Academy, but for now, and maybe the next dance, he can hold her. 

The next song is a tango and she rolls her eyes, but she remembers the steps. Her muscle memory's always been incredible. She leads him into a dip near some of her students and she's right, they're watching them, not observing the room. 

"How are you going to get them to stop watching us?"

"We'll talk about it in seminar."

"That sounds fun."

"You should come, it's my most interesting class."  Melinda wraps her leg around the back of his and executes another dip. She's so good at it. The bonus for him is that he gets to hold her, tight and close and it's too bad that can't last all night. 

Eventually he has to surrender her to Mack, and a few senators. He gets one song to dance with Yo-yo, who tells him all about her team: Piper and Davis, and her adventures. She finds time for Mack too, and they seem happy.

"She needed you back," Yo-yo says over his shoulder, smiling at Melinda. "She said she was happy, but this is happy."

"What was she before?"

"Busy." Yo-yo twirls out and then back to him. "Really busy."

"She's still busy." 

"But now at least you can cook for her." 

"Yeah."

"Which makes you happy."

"It's such a little thing."

"Not little." Yo-yo walks with him back to the table, reaching for her champagne while Phil scans the crowd for Melinda. "Mack fixes my car when I'm home, worries about my motorcycle, tunes the engine. You cook."

"Melinda's a terrible cook."

"And I never remember when my car needs an oil change. Love brings us people who look after what we can't. May did that for you, for years. Maybe now you switch." 

"Yeah?" He finishes his drink. 

"You love her."

"I do."

"And she's happier now, today, than I've seen her in years, maybe ever." 

Melinda walks towards them, smiling, free of the last lobbyist who wanted something. She walks past one of the caterers, must be a student because she walks straight up to him and kises him like the world is ending thirty seconds from now, or they're being shot at. He nearly stumbles back but it's too wonderful to be pressed against her. 

Yo-yo laughs and leaves them to it. 

"Hi," he whispers, catching his breath. 

"My students are easily distracted."

"They like you."

Melinda rolls her eyes and he loves her so much in this instant. She's supervising all of these cadets, making them better agents, saving the world one showy kiss at a time. "They like my stories."

"May, you're an incredible teacher."

She sighs, shutting her eyes. She kisses his cheek then rests against him, her head on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just, thank you." 

He strokes her cheek. "It's good to be back."

"You didn't even know you were gone." Her voice is light but her eyes hold so much more. 

"I see it." He holds her face, staring at her, drinking her in. She's been through so much and she's still here, powerful, beautiful and so resilient. "I'm sorry."

"You always come back."

He laughs and she kisses him again. She pushes him back towards the table, scandalizing the students, maybe part of Congress. She's worth it. 

"I love you," he whispers into her hair, running his hand down her spine. 

 The sky's opened up while they've been in the gallery, and the rain drums on the glass roof. It's late, and the last stragglers at the party are drunk and headed home in a line of cabs. Lola's only a block away but the storm's rolled in hard. Lightning flashes overhead and the heavy humidity's erupting into drenching rain.

"Stay here, I'll bring the car," he offers.

Melinda shakes her head. She reaches down, holding his arm for balance as she takes off her shoes. She sighs, even wavers a little. 

Phil shrugs off his tuxedo jacket, passing it to her. "Here."

"I'm fine."

"So am I."

Melinda rolls her eyes again but takes it, wrapping herself in his coat. 

"There could be broken glass."  

"You want to carry me?"

"I--"

"It's fine, Phil." She offers her arm and together they walk out into the rain. 

The air's still warm and the rain crashes down cool over them. They walk quickly, arm in arm, and it's too loud to talk but thy don't need too. She remembers being a student, when they were cadets together, all the moments that got them to here. They climb into Lola, soaking wet, laughing as the rain patters on the roof. He starts the car and the windows fog as they dry. 

Melinda leans back in her seat, eyes closed. "That was better."

"See, you do like dancing."

"It's all right with you."

He heads through the nearly empty streets, making his way back to her apartment. "And mortifying your students."

"Now that was fun."

"I love your sense of humor." 

"You love a lot of things about me." 

"Your hair. Your breasts. The way you talk in your sleep."

She doesn't, and she can't remind him of that because she is asleep. He pats her knee in her soaking wet dress and drives them home. 

The garage at her apartment is out of the rain and she remains asleep as he shuts off the car. Circling to the passenger side, he bends, straightens his back and lifts her up.

She murmurs, waking a little as they move through the elevator and then the hall. 

"Are you being chivalrous?"

"I was trying to let you sleep."

Melinda slips from his arms, regaining her feet in the hall as he takes out her keys. "That was kind."

"You're doing a lot."

"I know."

"Let me help."

"I am, aren't I?" She stands on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I'll let you take the pins out of my hair."

"Okay." He guides her to a chair, pulling the hairpins out of her wet hair while she smiles at him, nearly falling asleep again at the table. He guides th =e dress off her shoulders, then takes her earrings. "Come on. Time for bed." 

He strips off his own wet clothes in the bathroom. Leaving them on the floor before crawling into bed next to her. 

"I love you," she whispers, curling into his chest. "You're warm."

Chuckling, he holds her close. "Glad to be of service."

[moonlightrichie]

i’ll be your light (i will guide you home)

Chapter 1 - “Tour groups sure are fun, aren’t they?”

My contribution to the @itfandomprompts​ IT Fandom Week day 3: Summer Romance AU This started simple, but I got super carried away so now it’s a multi-chaptered thing oops I’m not even sorry

Summary:

Eddie is on his summer vacation when he meets the charming tour guide Richie Tozier, and even though he's only staying there for five days, that doesn't stop Eddie from falling utterly and completely in love.

Word count: 6908 Pairing: Reddie Rating: Explicit (this chapter isn’t, but there will be sexual content in a later chapter) Warnings: Mentions of sex, drinking alcohol, cursing

READ ON AO3 HERE

Eddie had always dreamt of travelling across Europe with train. Ever since listening to Bev and Ben talk about the trip they went on the summer three years ago, it was all he wanted to do. From Berlin to Prague to Paris, then Budapest and Brussels, to Munich and Amsterdam, all these wonderful places he’d heard so much about, but never seen for himself.

Ben had been his best friend ever since they were kids and they had stayed that way until they finished high school. Beverly had come into their lives the senior year when Ben started dating her, and she’d fit in so well with them that it felt natural to go from a duo to a trio. And even though they were couple, the two of them never acted in a way that made Eddie feel like he was third-wheeling.

It had been Beverly who had wanted to go to Europe that summer after graduation, the adventurous girl that she was, and so her and Ben planned it together, saving up tons of money for the train tickets. If Eddie was honest, he had been horrified at the thought of travelling like that, three weeks with no permanent place to stay, living in shitty motels, a new one every couple of days.

Didn’t seem like a very relaxing vacation if you asked him.

But when the two of them had returned, they had seemed like new people, suntanned and happier than Eddie had ever seen them.

And the stories they told, oh wow, Eddie had gotten so jealous. How beautiful the Eiffel Towel looked at night when it lit up, how it would sparkle for a couple of minutes every passing hour after dark. How devastating it was in Berlin when they heard all the terrible stories about concentration camps and the Berlin wall during a tour, but yet how cool some of the artwork on the wall was. How good the waffles were in Brussels (the best they’d ever tasted) and how there was a five-story nightclub in Prague with a different theme for each floor. 

“You should have seen it!” Beverly had said. “It closed at 7am and when we left our motel, I’d thought no way in hell are we staying that long. I was thinking like maybe we’d leave around 3am or something? But then the hours just flew past, and we danced and drank- it cost less than two bucks a beer, did you know that? Two fucking bucks! Anyways, before I knew what was happening the club was emptying out and I was all like, what’s happening, where is everybody going? We had been partying for six hours straight without even noticing! All night long!” 

“Wow”, Eddie had said, not quite able to imagine Ben partying all night. They hadn’t even been old enough to drink in the states at that point.

But then there was the story from Paris about the motel they’d stayed at. They’d gotten to the city late that day and after checking into the motel. They’d gone out for a late-night dinner, and then when they’d gotten back at around 11pm, there had been a random man sleeping in their bed.

“We were just walking in, chatting quietly and planning to go to bed when Bev saw him”, Ben had explained. “She’d quieted down as I was rummaging around in my suitcase, poking at my shoulder frantically and pointing at the bed. So we quickly left and checked out of the hotel, I mean… we couldn’t stay.”

“Yeah! And we didn’t even get our money back”, Bev had added.

“Yeah, but it was an interesting experience.”

“And it’s turned into a great story.”

Eddie had listened with wide eyes, knowing that he himself would have been terrified. If it was that easy breaking into a motel room, he was definitely not ever staying in one. Beverly had only laughed when telling the story though, so she was obviously not that traumatized by the incident.

Oh yes, Eddie sure dreamed of purchasing that Interrail ticket and just go. Only he’d book some proper hotels just to be on the safe side. Then again, he didn’t want to do it alone, but his friends weren’t able to come with. They had spent too much on their Interrail that one summer, making it impossible for them to afford a trip that expensive again. And even though he’d asked them every single year since, hoping they’d say yes, they’d only apologetically shaken their heads instead.

Eddie didn’t use to see himself as a person who liked to travel, but he’d definitely changed his mind. Who was he to decide that when he hadn’t even tried it? Besides, he’d lived his whole life in Derry, and he craved to get out. His fingers had been itching all year, a deep pain in his chest festering with every day passing, and it was summer again. And finally, he was going on his first travelling experience.

And okay, so it wasn’t interrailing across Europe, but instead the west coast of the US. And fine, it wasn’t l’Arc du Triomphe and Belgian Chocolate, but instead Hollywood and maybe the Grand Canyon if he was lucky. And yes all right, it wasn’t with his friends, but with his Ma.

But at least they were travelling by train.

Oh, who was he kidding, he was on a vacation with the one person he needed a vacation from. And it wasn’t that he hadn’t looked forward to visiting California and Nevada and seeing their beautiful cities and nature, but he had truly struggled a whole lot getting real excited about it.

As he stepped out into the LA light for the first time in his life, suitcase in hand and grease in his hair, he felt the Hollywood sun blind his vision, and for a second he was overwhelmed at the contentment settling in his chest. Closing his eyes he let himself breathe in the thick air, and he smiled slightly to himself. After the four-hour ride, it was nice to finally move his feet again. They’d had to get up at 7am to take the train that left at 8:30am, and even though he was tired, Eddie was glad to have the whole extra day to spend there.

Los Angeles was their third destination, and one of the longest stays on their trip (four nights, five days), and it was definitely the one he had looked the most forward to.

“I’ve booked us a tour in Hollywood at 3pm”, his Ma said from next to him, already holding a map of the city. “I think we have time to get to our hotel and leave our baggage there before going out again.” 

“Do I have time for a shower?”

He hadn’t had time for his routinely morning shower, and he was starting to feel gross. Earlier on the train, he’d put on a sweater on top of his t-shirt to hide the sweat patches under his arms. And even though that’d only made him sweat more, it had made him more comfortable, knowing he could move his arms properly without everyone seeing.

“I think so.”

So that’s what they did, and soon later, at 2:58pm, the two of them were standing with a tour group in the walk of fame, waiting for the tour guide to show up.

“Oh, hold on”, his Ma said suddenly, rummaging through her purse. “I need to take out some cash.”

“I think I saw an ATM around the corner back there.” Eddie pointed back to where they had come from.

“Good, I’ll be right back.” And she was gone.

Uncomfortable he looked around at the tour group, all evident tourists in shorts and tank tops with backpacks and maps in their hands. A group of girls in their twenties had dressed up in what they’d probably call ‘Instagram worthy outfits’ with caked makeup (one of them had overdrawn her lips a whole lot with bright red lipstick), all holding phones ready in their perfect manicured hands. There were a few couples there, one specifically who wasn’t able to keep their hands off of each other. The girl was stroking the guy’s arm way too sensually for the public eye to see, and Eddie looked away uneasily. Then there was what seemed to be a Scandinavian family, all of them blonde and pretty. The dad was wearing an ugly beige baseball hat with a moose on it, and Eddie wrinkled his nose.

“Tour groups sure are fun, aren’t they?” A raspy voice interrupted Eddie’s observations from behind him, and he spun around frantically.

A tall man seeming to be around the same age as Eddie was smiling down at him, crooked teeth on full display. With the sun suddenly blinding him, Eddie put up a hand over his eyes to block the bright light, and he could see the man properly now.

With a mop of dark curly hair and pretty blue eyes behind massive glasses, he managed to make Eddie speechless for a couple of seconds.

“Uh…”

“In this unbearable heat, this should be a lot of fun, don’t ya think?” the man continued, lifting his eyebrows in expectation of an answer.

“Sure.” Eddie felt completely and utterly awkward, not really the best at talking to strangers, and especially not tall, lanky guys with shining eyes and a charming smile.

“You here alone?” he asked, either seeming to not notice Eddie’s awkwardness or simply choosing to ignore it.

“I’m with my mom, she had to go take out some cash.” He pointed with his thumb behind him.

“Aah”, the guy nodded his head. “A nice family vacation then?”

Eddie shrugged. “It’s fine.” He groaned internally at his lame answers, for some reason wanting to impress this guy and for him to find Eddie interesting enough to keep talking to him. There was no denying that the man was cute. 

“Well Hollywood’s real nice, lots of fun things to do, so I’m sure you’ll have a great time.” The man poked Eddie’s upper arm with his elbow, a playful smile on his pink lips. 

“Well”, Eddie fumbled, looking down at his watch to see that the tour was supposed to start four minutes ago. “As long as the tour guide bothers to show up, then maybe I will.” He laughed, a little awkwardly.

The man creased his eyebrows, a semi-shocked expression taking over his face, and Eddie regretted his words instantly, scared he was coming off as mean.

He continued looking at him for a few seconds, but then his facial expression turned amused. He laughed slightly, just a small huff coming out his nose. “Yeah, kinda douche baggy to not show up for the tour you’re guiding, am I right?”

Eddie breathed out in relief, his next words flowing out of him before he could even think. “Right? Bad enough getting stood up by a date, but by the tour guide? I’m heartbroken”, he said sarcastically, trying for a small smile.

The guy only laughed more, Eddie joining in carefully before the two of them stopped and a comfortable silence settled between them.

“What’s your name?” the guy asked.

“It’s Eddie.”

“It was very nice meeting you Eddie, but I kinda need to get goin’. I’m late for work.” He winked at him, and Eddie could feel disappointment already forming in his chest, the pride he’d felt from making this pretty man laugh disappearing quickly.

But then the guy just stepped back a little, reached into the back pocket of his shorts and took out a black baseball hat. In confusion, Eddie looked as the guy put it on and clapped his hands loudly, attracting the attention from the other tourists.

“Alright, guys! Welcome to Hollywood. I’m Richie and I’ll be your tour guide today.” Eddie could feel all the heat in his cheeks disappear immediately, heart picking up speed. Looking at the man’s, Richie’s, hat, he noticed that it clearly said ‘tour guide’ in big red letters.

Oh, how Eddie had messed up.

“I’m sorry I was a little late, I got distracted”, he looked over at Eddie briefly; something of a small secret smile forming on his lips as they locked eyes, and he winked. “I’ll start by telling you a little bit about the background of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and then we’ll walk down it after, sounds alright?” 

The group gave scattered ‘yes’-es and nods of their head.

He noticed just then that his Ma was back by his side. “This will be so much fun, Eddie-bear”, she whispered to him, clapping her hands silently together.

He could only nod, his eyes locked on Richie.

The guided tour lasted for about two hours, and more than once Richie would look over at Eddie with that same smile and a spark in his eyes. Being funny and cracking dry jokes, he made the tour group laugh a lot between the informative parts of his script. Eddie didn’t doubt the jokes were scripted too, probably not the first time he was saying them today. 

When it ended they were in the middle of the most popular part of the Walk of Fame, where there were tourists taking pictures with impressionists that had dressed up like Darth Vader and Spiderman and look-alikes of Justin Bieber and Britney Spears.

It was chaotic to say the least, and Eddie just wanted to get something to eat, starting to get tired from all the walking and still worn-out from the lack of sleep after the early train-ride.

“Let’s get something to eat, Ma”, he turned to her.

“Sure, bear”, she started looking around for a restaurant. “That tour was great, wasn’t it?”

“Sure.”

She reached down in her purse to take out her wallet. “I have some cash here, maybe you could go tip the guide a little while I find somewhere to eat?” She placed a five-dollar bill in his hand.

He nodded his head, and she smiled before taking out her phone, probably to search up different eating locations in the nearby area.

As Eddie started walking towards Richie, he noticed him already looking at him. It seemed like he was talking to the Scandinavian family, and they were laughing at something he’d said.

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed the tour! Have a great vacation!” Eddie heard him say. The family all said their thanks before scattering away just as he stepped up in front of Richie.

“Uhm, the tour was really great”, he reached out his hand, the tip between his fingers.

“Thanks”, Richie smiled and took the cash, their hands brushing for a second.

“And I’m really sorry for earlier, I’m absolutely mortified”, Eddie admitted, shaking his head with wide eyes.

Richie only smiled wider, eyes squinting at the bight sun in his eyes. “Don’t be, it was cute. And it was funny, I mean, you were right, so…”

Eddie chuckled sarcastically. “No seriously, that was totally uncalled for. The tour really was great.”

“Well, I’m glad, and I accept your apology”, Richie winked again.

“Alright, well, bye then”, Eddie smiled sadly at the thought of having to leave. Honestly, Eddie didn’t really ever get much attention from guys. Being gay had made it difficult for him to flirt obviously, having more than once been shot down by straight guys who’d told him things like ‘sorry, dude, I’m not gay’ in their most bro-voice, even close to sounding offended at the accusations that they might be.

But this time, Eddie was sure they’d had some sort of connection; at least Richie had seemed to be flirting with him. Or maybe he was only being friendly, and Eddie was seeing things that weren’t there, letting the excitement of being flirted with get the best of him.

He started to walk away, missing the way Richie’s smile dropped when he turned around.

“No, wait!” Richie yelled after him.

Eddie spun around. “What?”

“Are you free tonight?” he sputtered out in a rush.

The question caught Eddie off guard, and he stopped for a second to collect his thoughts. “I, uhh…”

Richie interrupted him before he could continue.

“Because yeah, being a tour guide is my job and all, you know, gotta make that bank and gets that moneys.” He rubbed his fingers together in a ‘cash’-gesture. “But I also play in a band? And we’re playing a concert tonight at this local pub. It’s not too far from here actually, but in a little more of a secluded area than the Walk of Fame, you can see how it is.” Richie was rambling, sounding almost nervous. “I just mean, maybe you’d like to come? Not to be rude or assuming, but you don’t really seem to be having the best time on your vacation, and I get that, especially if you only have your mom to hang out with. So I just thought maybe this would be fun? Getting to experience a normal LA night out and not just the façade that the tourists see when they visit, ya know? And I’d also really like to see you again too, and uhm…”

He stopped himself, scratching timidly at his neck and finally realizing he’d been talking for way too long. With his monologue, Eddie’s smile had grown larger by the second, absolutely charmed by the cute man in front of him.

The hat was still perched on his head, dark curls pushing out from underneath it, and in a way it framed his head in a weird way, but it only made him even more mesmerizing to watch. Now that he was no longer silhouetted by the sun, but instead lit up by it, Eddie could get a good look at his face.

With freckles all over his pale skin and blue eyes glittering in the shadow from his hat, he was now looking at Eddie with a blush on his face and a crooked smile playing on his lips. He still had some awkwardness to him, being much taller than Eddie with gangly limbs and eyes magnified behind his glasses.

In a way, Eddie was surprised at the nervous ramble Richie had just stammered out after seeming to be so smooth when they first started talking.

All in all, the man was undeniably charming and cute, and Eddie would love to see him again. So he nodded, trying to hold back the wide smile that was trying to force its way onto his face. “I’d love to.” 

Seeming almost surprised, Richie breathed out in relief. “Shit, that’s… Uh, that’s great! It starts at 10:30pm, and we have a soundcheck at 7. But I have time after that, so I can probably meet you here at 9 then? And we can walk there together?”

“Sounds great”, Eddie nodded, smiling widely. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Richie’s grin grew bigger. “Me too.”

Silence settled over them, both smiling at each other shyly.

“Eddie!” They were interrupted by the voice of his Ma. They both turned, and she was waving Eddie over. “I found an Italian place that looks pretty nice!”

“Coming, Ma!” He turned back to Richie, hands on his hips. “I have to go.” He nodded his head in the direction of his Ma.

“Okay.” Richie cocked his head to the side. “You like Italian?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, important question. Pizza or pasta?”

Eddie snickered lightly, his laughter fading into a thoughtful ‘uh’. “I think pizza.”

Richie nodded his head approvingly. “Pizza’s a good choice. I prefer pasta myself.” Then he pressed his lips together to suppress a smile. “I mean you’re quite the snack, Spagh-Eddie.” He amplified the pronunciation by splitting up the words, putting extra pressure on the last part.

Eddie sputtered. “Oh, god, that’s…” he shook his head. “That’s so bad.”

“Oh, what can I say, I’m quite the bad boy.” Richie winked.

Eddie put up his hands with a shocked scoff. “Nuh uh, nope, I’m cancelling our plans, this is goodbye.”

Of course he was kidding, and Richie knew that, if the amused smile on his face was anything to go by. “Nah, you’re too charmed by me.”

And of course Richie was just messing around, but Eddie couldn’t help but smile genuinely. “Yeah, I am.”

Richie’s eyebrows rose slightly, seeming to process Eddie’s admission. “Oh.”

“I’ll see you at 9”, Eddie said before Richie could say anything else. “Bye.”

Then he turned around and started walking towards his Ma, barely catching the dazed ‘bye’ from Richie.

His Ma looked impatient, tapping her foot on one of the stars with a name Eddie had never heard before.

“What took so long?”

Eddie kept quiet for a second, considering what to tell her. “I have plans tonight.” 

“What?” She gaped. “But we’re on a vacation together, the two of us.”

“I know, Ma”, Eddie sighed. “But he asked if I wanted to go to a pub tonight, and I really want to.”

“No, I’m not allowing that”, she declared.

“You don’t get to decide that”, he snapped. “Ma, I’m 22 now, you can’t stop me from doing things for myself.”

She only grumbled, unlocking her phone to open the maps app. It was obvious the discussion was over, nothing she could do about it.

The pasta restaurant was nice, Eddie not being able to resist ordering spaghetti, settling for the Bolognese and thinking about Richie the entire time. He kept catching himself smiling into his pasta whenever he thought about the night he had in store.

It was around 7:45pm when they arrived back at the hotel, and Eddie only had about 45 minutes until he had to leave. Quickly washing his face and armpits and brushing his teeth, he managed to mentally prepare what outfit he wanted to go with. He ended up with some high-waisted washed-out denim jeans and a light copper-colored t-shirt with a little chest pocket. Something simple that wasn’t trying too hard, but still cute enough to look good. A simple styling of his hair and he was out the hotel door, ten minutes early.

His Ma didn’t even look at him when he passed her bed on his way out, but he didn’t care, only putting on his white denim jacket and converse. “Don’t wait up”, he mumbled before closing the door.

It was getting chillier outside, and he was happy he chose jeans instead of shorts, knowing it’d get colder as the night progressed. Taking his time walking, knowing he was early, he appreciated the sight of the city. The sun had set only a little while ago, and the sky was still a pretty turquoise where it had gone down.

Turning the final corner, he could see the spot they were supposed to be meeting in the short distance, and he quickly noticed Richie already standing there. Eddie looked down on his watch. 8:52pm.

Richie was rocking back and forth on his heels, seeming to fix the way his jean jacket was looking and pulling up his pants and adjusting his belt, and Eddie could feel excitement build in his stomach at the sight.

Then Richie looked up, finally noticing Eddie getting closer and he waved, and soon the two of them were in front of each other, shy smiles on their faces.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Another silence followed, neither of them knowing how to continue. Richie gestured with his hand. “Shall we?”

“We shall”, Eddie agreed, and the two of them started walking, Richie leading the way.

They chattered a little along the way, Richie asking about what music Eddie liked (“80’s pop divas and Ariana Grande”, he’d replied honestly, refusing to be ashamed of himself even though he knew that most likely Richie didn’t listen to any of that stuff. “What about you?” “Oh, I prefer rock and hip hop mostly, a little indie sometimes and like you, I really love stuff from the 80’s, just maybe not the same artists”, he winked.), and telling him about the band he played in.

Richie talked about how it was his dream to make it with his band, but was also content with the idea of just having it as a hobby if they weren’t able to. Even though Eddie asked, Richie didn’t want to reveal too much of what kind of music they played (“you’ll just have to wait and see, Spaghetti”), but Eddie learned that Richie played guitar as well as being the lead singer.

When they finally got to the pub, there were several people waiting in line to get in.

“They don’t open the pub until 10pm, but because I’m in the band, we can get in early”, Richie whispered into his ear, and after a quick text, the doorman opened the entrance. He narrowed his eyes at Eddie, but Richie only smiled and said: “he’s with me” and the two of them were let in after a quick ID-check.

It was weird seeing a pub so empty, only a couple handfuls of people sitting around, most of them looking like employees.

“I’ll buy you a drink, what do you want?” Richie asked.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Oh, sure I do!” he waved his hand in dismissal. “I invited you here, and besides, I get a discount because I’m playing tonight. 

“Oh, sure then, I guess.” Eddie smiled. “Just a beer is fine.”

“Comin’ right up”, and he was off, leaving Eddie standing there alone.

Eddie wiped his clammy hands on his jean-clad thighs uncomfortably, not knowing what to do. There were three people sitting in a booth by the window, not looking like they worked there. Probably Richie’s band, Eddie thought.

They were looking at him curiously, but when they noticed he’d caught them staring, they quickly looked away, resuming their conversation. He walked over to where Richie was standing by the bar, seeing the newly poured beer being handed to him by the bartender. 

“Thanks, man”, Richie said before turning to see Eddie standing right next to him. “Here ya go.”

“Thanks”, Eddie said, grabbing the beer, their hands brushing again. Richie kept his fingers on Eddie’s for a second longer this time, stroking his index finger with his thumb softly before pulling away. The tiny touch made electricity course through Eddie’s veins, from the tips of his fingers and down to his toes. Even in the darkness, he could see the way Richie’s cheeks turned a pretty pink color, and feeling the heat in his own cheeks, Eddie knew his face looked the same.

Richie then introduced Eddie to his bandmates, the three from the booth. There was Stan, a dirty-blonde haired man in a black turtleneck with good cheekbones; he played guitar. There was Bill on bass: a tall man with red hair and an attractive authority. And then there was Mike on drums: a handsome dark-skinned man with the kindest smile Eddie had ever laid eyes on. They all shook his hand politely, Mike apologizing for their staring earlier.

“Just Richie who’s been talking about you non-stop all day”, Stan laughed, teasing Richie by elbowing him in his side. 

The three of them laughed at Richie’s expense, and Eddie couldn’t help the happy smile forming on his lips at their words, trying to hide it by looking down at the table. Richie just flipped him off even though the blush on his cheeks was undeniable.

“Alright guys, way to embarrass me”, he groaned. He was sitting next to Eddie in the booth, their thighs pressed together. Eddie felt something like bravery edging him on, and he let his hand drift over to Richie’s leg, laying his hand gently just above his knee.

Seeing Richie’s head snap towards him immediately in his peripheral vision and feeling his gaze burn into the side of his face, he slowly looked over shyly. “This okay?” he whispered so only Richie could hear.

“Uh, yeah.” Richie was staring at him so intensely, bright eyes seeming to study Eddie’s face. But then he looked away, and soon after Eddie could feel the gentle touch of Richie’s hand land on top of his.

Putting his elbow on the table, Eddie leaned his chin in his hand, covering his mouth with the palm to hide his wide smile.

First 10pm rolled by, the pub quickly filling up with people, and then it was 10:15 and the band had to go backstage to start their pre-concert routine. Eddie ended up standing by the bar, a nice view of the stage even through the mass of people in front on him.

Soon it was 10:30pm, and the band was exiting the back and stepping onto the stage, all of them turning on their amps and making sure everything was working the way it was supposed to. And then they were breaking out into their first song.

It started just with a groovy guitar riff from Stan and a drum beat. But soon it picked up, Richie playing a simply lead on his guitar and the bass joining in. Eddie wanted to dance already. 

Richie stepped up to the microphone and started singing, the others joining in on backup vocals. His voice wasn’t the absolute best, but it worked well with the vibe of the song, the lyrics simple, but melody catchy, and Eddie found himself bop his head to the beat.

“I only see you when you’re walking”, Richie sang. “Walking to somewhere. You’re so restless.” Bill and Stan replying with an “aha, aha”.

“It must be special there”, he finished the chorus, gaze locked on Eddie as he backed away from the mic for an instrumental break. Moving with the music, he smiled widely, and he looked truly happy. There was no doubt about it that Richie belonged on that stage.

The crowd was dancing, some just nodding their head, while others were swaying back and forth. The entire atmosphere was magical, and it was obvious they had some actual fans in the front row, singing along and cheering louder than the rest of the audience. The sight made Eddie smile, feeling his shoulders relax, and he let out a content sigh. 

Richie had bought him another beer before they’d left for backstage, but Eddie had already finished it, and he quickly waved down the bartender for another.

Their set lasted for another half hour (one song especially with a reggae vibe and lyrics that had made Eddie laugh was carved into his memory) when Richie announced they were playing their last song for the night. With cheeks starting to hurt (he hadn’t been able to stop smiling the entire time, feeling a happiness he hadn’t experienced in a while), he started cheering himself.

Their last song started with just Richie’s vocals.

“I wanna do something!” he yelled.

“What d’ya wanna do?” the others followed.

“Dance!” he finished before jumping into the first verse, and then the entire crowd was doing just that, even more than before. With time passing and intoxication rising, it seemed the people were less scared to dance.

As the chorus started, the hook going ‘I’m touching you, you’re touching me, I’m touching you, you’re touching me’, Eddie couldn’t help but start bouncing on his feet, the lyrics so easy that he found himself singing along.

As the band finished, the crowd was cheering loudly, and the four of them were happily standing on the stage proudly, accepting the applause. “Thank you all!” Richie yelled, and then they started packing up their gear and disappeared backstage, Richie winking at Eddie as he passed him.

Eddie stood standing by the bar, waiting and contently sipping at his beer. Feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading through his body, he felt comfortable standing alone for a while. Not like before.

Soon he saw a body move next to his own and leaning against the bar. “Hello there.”

“Hi!” Eddie turned, hands moving wildly, energy taking over him after the show. “That was amazing! Those songs were so fun and catchy, wow, uhm, I had such a great time watching.”

Richie was grinning. “Oh, you sure know how to make a gal blush”, he said in a weird southern accent.

Eddie shook his head in amusement.

“No, but seriously, thank you.” Richie was leaning in closer, eyes boring into him.

“Can I buy you a beer?” Eddie asked. “After the amazing show you just pulled off, it’s well deserved.”

“Sure”, he kept his eyes on Eddie even as he ordered and paid, something special in the look on his face, head tilted back, his gaze powerful and the ghost of a smirk to be seen on his lips, which Eddie just noticed were invitingly plump and soft looking.

Something was bubbling in Eddie’s stomach, and he was pretty certain it wasn’t from the alcohol. Looking around he noticed there were no places available to sit, so the two of them ended up standing there for the next hour or so, drinking and chatting. When Richie heard what hotel Eddie was staying at, he excitedly told how he didn’t live too far from there. He shared an apartment with Stan, and they’d lived there together since they left high school two years ago. Something about the fact that his hotel was close to Richie’s home made a spark form in Eddie’s chest, heart picking up the slightest of speed.

They were moving closer to each other by the second, Richie’s hand landing on Eddie’s waist at some point.

After a while, Richie looked over Eddie’s shoulder quickly before looking back at Eddie. “Wanna dance?”

Eddie turned around to check out the dancing crowd, the perfect amount on it, not so few that it was awkward, but not so many that dancing was impossible with the lack of space. So he nodded, a little breathless. “Yeah.”

And high on the tension between them and drunk from the alcohol they’d had, the two of them were dancing close, Eddie’s arms around Richie’s neck and Richie’s hands on Eddie’s hips. Even though Eddie wasn’t the best dancer in the world, he was still comfortable, knowing he still had rhythm in his body. And Richie was following his lead, his body flushed against Eddie’s. They were pressing close, Richie’s breath hot against Eddie’s ear.

It was intoxicating having him so close, feeling Richie’s cheek press against his temple, his stubble scratching gently at Eddie’s skin. With their bodies touching everywhere and the heat from the rest of the dancing crowd, they were both sweating, air thick between them. Something bubbled deep inside Eddie’s stomach when he felt Richie’s fingers push underneath his sweater and onto bare skin, and he let out a shaky breath.

“Do you want to come back to my place after?” Richie whispered, voice rough.

Eddie wasn’t surprised by the question, knowing what the night had been leading up to all along. But still he hesitated. Of course he wanted to have sex with Richie, but he was also scared for it to become a one-time type of thing and that they’d never see each other again.

And even though Eddie wasn’t completely inexperienced, there was also the fact that Eddie hadn’t ever fully fucked anybody before, and he was sure as hell not giving up his virginity to a one-night stand.

“Uhm”, he started, unsure of how to form his sentences. He didn’t want it to come out too rudely, desperately wanting Richie to understand that Eddie wanted to, but just not on their first day of knowing each other.

“Maybe not tonight?” he whispered carefully, trying intentionally to hint at them meeting again and pulling his head back so he could look at Richie properly. Something about the look in Richie’s eyes was intoxicating, hypnotic, and Eddie could feel himself getting entirely entranced by this gorgeous man in front of him. 

Eddie didn’t know what to expect as a reaction, afraid of something angry, or maybe an indifferent ‘whatever’. Worst of all, he was afraid of Richie leaving and ending up going home with someone else. But instead, Richie’s intense stare only softened, a sincere smile on his face. “Alright.”

But he didn’t move away, only continued dancing, the air a little less affected by the sexual heat between them now, but still pleasant.

“Maybe I can see you again tomorrow? Show you around the city during the day or something?”

Eddie smiled, grateful. “Yeah, I’d love that.”

“It’s a date.”

Richie ended up following Eddie back to the hotel. After another half hour of dancing, they had ended up in an empty booth. At around 2:30am they’d said goodbye to Richie’s bandmates, and soon after they were stepping out into the cold Los Angeles night.

Holding hands as they walked down the street, they continued their conversation about their current life-situations that they’d had back in the booth. When Richie found out Eddie lived back in Maine, he’d pouted massively, making Eddie giggle.

“I never asked you, how long are you staying for?” Richie asked when they were outside the hotel.

“We leave on Wednesday”, Eddie replied. Their Saturday had just finished three hours ago, and Eddie realized with a crushing devastation that at some point he’d have to leave LA and most likely wouldn’t ever see Richie again.

“Shit”, Richie sulked, dragging a hand through his messy hair.

“Yeah”, Eddie agreed quietly. “Shit.”

“Well, let’s not think about that just yet!” Richie perked up slightly, replacing his frown with a smile. “That’s still, what, four more days?”

“It is”, Eddie laughed.

“Well, that’s four days for us to spend together, and I have the day off tomorrow. I’m already mentally planning all the places I wanna show you!”

Letting go of his disappointment from earlier, Eddie stared up at Richie with a soft gaze, feeling happiness blossom at the knowledge that Richie wanted to spend the next days together with him. “I can’t wait.”

“Me neither.”

They stood looking at each other for a few moments, neither saying anything. But then Richie placed his hand on Eddie’s cheek, and he was leaning down slowly, checking if Eddie was going to pull away as he moved closer. Eddie pushed up on his toes, closing the gap between them, and then they were kissing.

It started gentle, Richie’s bottom lip between Eddie’s. His lips were soft, and their kisses were tender and meaningful, nothing like Eddie had ever felt before.

Richie’s fingers were caressing Eddie’s temple, a gentle touch, his other hand placed on Eddie’s waist and pulling him closer as the kiss got deeper. The tip of Richie’s tongue was poking at Eddie’s lips, and soon they were making out, tongues meeting desperately with every opening of their mouths. Putting his hands on the collar of Richie’s jacket, he tried to pull him even closer, but it was close to impossible at that point, and he opted with pushing his fingers between Richie’s dark locks instead.

As it started getting heated, spit making the kiss slippery, Eddie was starting to reconsider going home with Richie in his mind. His dick twitched in interest when Richie hooked his thumb into the top of Eddie’s pants, the bare skin of his hip being set on fire by Richie’s touch. 

But he knew it would be a bad idea (they had all the time in the world (actually only four days, he had to remind himself)) and with that thought he pulled away just enough for their mouths to part before it got too far and he wouldn’t be able to help himself anymore.

“I had a great night”, he whispered, scared that if he spoke too loud it would break the magic they’d created between the two of them.

“Me too”, Richie rubbed his nose against Eddie’s gently. “And now I can’t wait to see you again tomorrow.”

Eddie sighed happily. “Me neither.”

“Drink some water before you go to sleep, alright?” 

Eddie huffed out a laugh at that.

“No, I’m serious”, Richie insisted. “You drank a lot tonight, and you’ll feel better if you drink some water before bed.”

Eddie shook his head delightedly, their noses bumping together with the movement. “Alright, I will.”

“Good.”

They parted with a gentle peck on the lips and an exchange of phone numbers, Eddie watching Richie walk away.

A little while later, when Eddie had just gotten under the covers after sneaking in and chugging a glass of water, his phone dinged. He reached for where he’d put it on the floor, quickly turning off the sound in case it was to ding again and wake his Ma.

3:12am From Richie pick u up at 11 tmrw ! xxxxx

3:12am To Richie Looking forward to it! X

3:12am From Richie only 1 kiss? :(

3:12am To Richie You can have all the kisses you want tomorrow xxx

3:13am From Richie cant wait !! n dont bother with breakfast, ive planned a place to eat! :D xx

3:13am To Richie sounds great! xx

3:14am From Richie night my darlin <3 xxxxxxx

He blushed at the pet name, imagining how it would sound if Richie was to call him that in real life.

3:14am To Richie Goodnight Richie, sweet dreams <3 xxxxxxxxxxxx

Quietly giggling to himself, he sent that last message.

3:14am From Richie <3 <3 <3

Eddie fell asleep with a smile.

Taglist: @annoyingtozier, @spastuetheobsessedphylosopher, @constantreaderfool

[fanficsandfluff]

Emotions Get the Better (8)

This one’s a bit longer than my other installments, I hope you all like it! I also really hope I’m not making Arthur too out of character. But y’all will let me know.

~~~~

It was date night!

You were excited and for once you didn’t feel much shame over how you felt. It was nice. You did realize the day before that you didn’t even give Arthur a real time to show up, so you didn’t know how to plan the dinner so everything was ready in time. 

You pulled your hair up into a bun and rolled the sleeves of your sweater up and got to cooking. While you were cooking, you were listening to a talk radio channel you frequented, usually because they had funny people on the show. And tonight was a hilarious comedian from another state, and he had you laughing out loud as you prepared dinner. 

You let out a laugh just as you put lamb chops into the pan to start cooking, sizzling as they hit the butter, and you just about missed the knock at your door. You cursed under your breath as hot butter splattered onto your arm when you put in another chop, “Coming!” you yelled as you left your station and went to the door. 

You opened up and there was Arthur, dressed in a button down shirt, vest, and dress pants. It looked like the same thing he wore to Pogo’s. You smiled, “Hi! Come on in, make yourself at home. I just gotta finish up in the kitchen, sorry,” and you went off to watch the potatoes that were probably about to boil over on the stove. 

Arthur chuckled at her erratic nature. He almost didn’t show up, mostly because he kept thinking he dreamt his interaction with Y/N in his doorway. But he pushed himself to come to the written address and now he was very happy he did. He put his shoes neatly next to the other by the door and stepped inside. The smell of the food made his mouth water. And he took a little walk inside her living room, looking at all the pictures she had and what her couch looked like and at the pattern on the rug. Everything. And he liked how everything looked. 

“Can I help with anything?” Arthur asked, approaching you in the kitchen.

“No, I’m fine. I got this under control.”

“You sure?”

You looked over your shoulder at him and smiled, “Actually, can you set the table? Everything’s over there,” you nodded to a spot on your kitchen countertop where you had stacked what needed to go onto the table but never made it. Arthur happily obliged. 

“Wanna hear something funny?” you spoke louder over the radio currently on commercial break, mashing potatoes as you went, “I almost expected you to come in your clown outfit.”

Arthur chuckled, “Why would you expect that?”

“I dunno, my mind is just weird.”

“Well,” Arthur set the forks out at each plate and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a red nose, “I do always have this on me.”

You looked over and laughed pretty loudly, “Oho my god! That’s amazing!” and you set the potatoes aside to finish off your lamb chops in the oven. 

Arthur seemed emboldened by your laugh, so he stuck the nose on and cartoonishly started to walk towards you again. You didn’t pay him much mind, focusing on transferring roasted brussel sprouts into a dish. Then you saw him twirl and take one of your ladles hanging from its place on your kitchen wall, positioning it like a fencing sword in front of him. 

You looked at him like he was a little insane, “Aaaalright, D’Artagnan,” you chuckled and held the dish with the veggie out in front of you, “Can you bring this to the table, please?”

Arthur, or should you say Carnival, saluted you and took the dish from your hands. 

You finished up the rest of the meal and went to join Arthur at the table. He pulled off the red nose before he sat, smiling at you. 

“Thank you for coming,” you told him. You wanted to say thank you again for when he saved your life, but you just didn’t want to bring that up.

“Thanks for the invitation,” and he started filling his plate with food.

You both took your first bites, and Arthur said, “Everything’s delicious.”

“Really? Thanks, I thought I oversalted the potatoes and the lamb was kinda tough--”

“Delicious,” Arthur said again, grinning at your overreaction, “I never eat like this at home.” 

There was another quiet filled by the radio still talking. The comedian was still going, and you snorted into your drink when you were taking a sip, quickly grabbing a napkin to cover your increasingly red face. Arthur looked up.

“Is everything ok?”

“Y-Yeahah... yeah, sorry,” you chuckled, wiping your nose and mouth off, “It’s just.. the radio. You ever listen to this? It’s called Comedic Comedians Nightly. Not a very creative name, I know. But I think you’d like it. They bring on new comedians every night.”

“I haven’t heard of it. I mostly just watch the Murray Franklin show.”

“Oh, you’re a fan?”

“Yeah. Do you like him?”

“Actually, I’ve never really watched his show,” you admitted and Arthur looked shocked and betrayed all at once, which made you laugh again, “I knohow, I know! It’s like a staple for every Gothamite. I just don’t like the whole guest interview stuff, sue me.”

“We can watch him tonight, if you’d like,” Arthur immediately offered, “Just watch the opening bit he does with his standup. You’ll like it.”

You had to smile and you pretended to think about it, “Weeellllll....” you watched his face contort in anticipation of your answer, “Sure, why not.”

Arthur smiled in relief, his whole body relaxing. The two of you continued to eat the dinner you’d prepared. 

“You know what’s weird, ever since that night, I always feel like there’s someone following me whenever I go to work,” very abrupt change of topic, but you just had to talk about your experience. You kept it bottled up ever since it happened.

Arthur tensed up when Y/N mentioned that. He looked right at her. How was he going to say that maybe that feeling was real? How would he admit that he’d been tailing her a few days out of the week, not all of them. He knew it wasn’t all the time. Just a couple times. He knew where she worked, he just wanted to make sure she made it safely. She was the only person in so, so long that treated him like he was a normal human being, that actually liked him. Would she get mad? She wouldn’t want to see you again. Oh fuck, you’re so fucking stupid, you fucking perverted creep...

Arthur let out a laugh, and then a hand flew to his mouth. You stared at him, confused. 

“Uhumm.. was that funny?” you asked, a little hurt that he would think your concern was amusing; and you knew he wasn’t laughing at the soup commercial playing from the radio. 

Arthur shook his head and he laughed again, almost doubling over from it. Now it was an almost continuous stream. 

“Arthur?” you grew concerned once you saw him loop a hand around his throat and a choking noise made its way through the laughter. It was strained, definitely. His eyes showed no joy a normal laugh would produce. He kept shaking his head and he held out an arm to stop you when you made the move to stand up, the other one digging through his pockets. 

The laugh died down to chuckles and Arthur kept trying to clear his throat as he finally pulled out, with shaking hands, a white card. 

“I-I’m sohoaha--- sorry, hehehe...”

He extended his hand to you with the card in it, and you reached across the table and took it.

Forgive my laughter. I have a condition. (more on back)

You looked up at Arthur, mouth agape. But you turned the card over as he had to ride out the last of his laughs. When you finished reading the card, he’d stopped laughing. He looked disgraced, like a kicked puppy; his head hung low, eyes not wanting to meet yours.

“Arthur, I... I didn’t know, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Please. You didn’t do anything.”

“You live with this? Every day?” you couldn’t believe this was a real mental issue and that someone so kind had to experience this on a daily basis. 

Arthur nodded his head in response. 

“Is it painful?”

Arthur looked up at you for the first time since his outburst and he nodded once more. You frowned and looked at the card in your hands. You just noticed it says to return it after reading. He gives this card to people as an excuse for something completely out of his control. The brain injury part of the card also concerned you. It sickened you, thinking of the ways people must treat him out in public if this happened out of nowhere. 

“Are you okay now? Do you need anything?” you stood up anyway, ready to get him something. 

“No,” Arthur said.

You sighed and handed his card back to him. 

“I’m better now. It passes.”

You went into the kitchen and filled a glass with water and brought it back to him. 

“Thank you,” he took the glass from you, his fingers brushing over the back of your hand as he took it. You nodded and sat back down, appetite still there but diminished. Even Arthur kept eating after he drank the water. The two of you were full eventually, and that’s when you started clearing the plates. Arthur stood and helped you put the dishes into the sink. 

“Don’t feel bad for me,” Arthur said when he was right beside you by the sink. 

You looked up at him and said, “Well, I do. I feel bad that you have to live with this horrible... thing! Is there anything I can do? Is there like a procedure I can follow if you have another outburst to kind of lessen it, or...?”

Arthur had never heard someone act so concerned about his condition before this moment. Not even his own mother ever offered to comfort him if he was going through an attack. 

“I don’t think so--- no one’s ever tried,” he answered honestly. 

You felt worse for him and you gently placed a hand on his chest, “I’ll figure something out, then. To help,” and you brushed the material of his vest with your thumb before you took a breath and said, “I’ll be right back,” and you headed off to your bathroom. 

It was medication time, so you opened your medicine cabinet and took the medicine collectively, washing them down with some sink water cupped in your hand. You took an extra three or four minutes to yourself in the bathroom, taking deep breaths and trying to center yourself. Arthur probably didn’t want to talk about his condition and by you bringing it up, it was making him uncomfortable. Don’t be so insensitive. Be playful with him. It seemed he liked it earlier when you were loose and letting him be himself. 

You exited the bathroom and heard running water, so you went back to the kitchen, seeing Arthur busy washing the dishes. What a sweetheart, you almost squealed. Instead you walked as close to him as possible without him noticing you from behind and said, “Did I say you could wash the dishes?”

Arthur jumped and spun around, one sudsy hand splashing some water on your shirt, “Sorry, sorry, I was just trying to help..”

You chuckled and took the plate from his hand and then the sponge from the other, “You did. Thank you so much. Make yourself comfortable in the living room, I’ll be there in a sec,” you flicked your now wet fingers in his direction as retaliation for him getting your sweater wet. He winced when some water hit his face and you laughed softly. 

Arthur smiled and he felt his heart was about to burst. Her cadence was so gentle, so playful, and it made him not want to ever stop looking at her smiling face. 

“You really do have a great laugh,” he complimented, leaning against the counter beside the sink.

“Yes, you’ve told me that,” you blushed, ducking your head so your focus remained on the dishes. 

“It’s true though. It’s one of the most attractive things I’ve ever heard.”

“Aharthur...” you said in a tone of warning, but your blushing cheeks and smile betrayed that sentiment. Fitting for a clown and coincidentally a guy who suffers from a laughing condition to say that he finds laughs attractive. 

“You’re distracting me,” you said softly, grinning when you glanced up at him. 

“Heh,” Arthur smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at a clock on the wall and said, “I’ll go get your TV ready. Murray’s almost on.”

“Sure, I’ll be right there,” you smiled back at Arthur. You let out a breath when he left the kitchen, still smiling goofily. He was certainly getting better at flirting.

You finished the dishes and dried your hands on a dish towel before running over to the couch when you heard the opening theme. You folded your legs under you and got comfy on one side of the couch, Arthur sitting upright at the other. He draped an arm over the back of the couch. 

“You know, if you still don’t like Murray after tonight, I don’t see how we can get along anymore,” Arthur said, clearly making a joke.

You chuckled and prodded his thigh with your socked foot, “We’ll just have to watch the show and see, then, won’t we?”

You both settled in to watch the show, and Murray Franklin came out to a raucous applause from his live audience. Arthur seemed in his own world by this point, you could tell just by looking at him. His eyes sort of glossed over and his smile softened. You heard the audience make its first laugh of the night and you realized you were watching Arthur more than you were watching the show.

The jokes he made were very family friendly. A lot of them relied on puns. Arthur was chuckling happily to himself, and you really didn’t find Murray Franklin’s work very funny. A few times he made you smile, but that was the extent of it. 

Arthur seemed to be knocked out of his reverie and noticed when you wouldn’t laugh at a joke the studio audience went crazy for. 

He started to doubt himself. Well, he was certainly joking before about not getting along with her. But... Murray is a part of who he is. He grew up with him on the television screen being admired and loved by so many people. He was the male voice in the household when there was no other one besides his own. Arthur rifled through his jacket pocket until he pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. He stuck one in his mouth and looked at you, “May I?”

You looked over and nodded, “Yeah, go ahead. I don’t mind.”

Arthur took his first puff and he visibly tried to relax. You were on him more than on the show at this point. You could tell he was hitting the cigarette in more than a leisurely way. 

The show moved into its interview segment, and you were interested because you knew the first guest on the show.

“Crazy how he films this right here in the city, huh?” you said. 

“Yeah, well, he’s a very down to earth guy,” Arthur contended, “He belongs to the people.”

Interesting way of saying that, for sure. You watched Arthur lean forward and put out his cigarette butt in the ashtray on your coffee table. When he leaned back, his legs both started to visibly shake. Oh god, he was getting anxious again.

“You okay?” you leaned over to his side of the couch and rested a hand on his bouncing thigh. He looked at you so suddenly his hair whipped around.

“You aren’t enjoying yourself...”

“Says who?” you ask, indignantly. 

“Well, you’re not liking the show.”

“Whoho cares?” you smiled at Arthur, adding pressure to your hand on his thigh because it was still bouncing away, “But you like him, and that’s what matters. If you’re enjoying yourself, good. Don’t be so concerned about me.”

Arthur soon stopped his shaking and looked right at you. 

“Look, they’re back from commercial break,” you scooted closer to Arthur and kept your eyes on the screen, “I like the actress he’s interviewing.”

Arthur was still looking at you. His arm that was draped over the back of the couch grew stiff when you nestled into him snugly. 

You chuckled a few times at the quips that were being made between actress and host. 

“I wanted to be an actress when I was younger,” you said, still mostly looking at the television screen.

“You did?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah.”

“What happened?”

“I grew up,” you grinned, a little sad, “It’s too cutthroat of an environment, and that career path was not that stable. But that’s also partially why I work at a theater. Get it?” you moved your hand back onto Arthur’s thigh, toying with a piece of bunched up fabric, “I hope you have better luck being a comedian than I did trying to be an actress, Arthur. I really do. You have a great comedic idol to look up to,” you pointed at the screen. 

Arthur didn’t want to let it show but every time she touched him, it sent shivers up his spine. Affection wasn’t a much-utilized word in his vocabulary. But here she was, touching him so willingly. 

“I think you would’ve been a great actress. I would’ve watched your films,” Arthur said, his voice coming out softer than usual. 

“You’re sweet,” you smiled and looked up at him. At that moment, the both of you talking, your noses almost touched. You stayed wrapped up in each other’s gaze for a bit longer, and your lips parted. But then you smiled and pulled away slightly. Why’d you do that!?

“Sorry,” you and Arthur both whispered at the same time, making you each smile bashfully. 

You turned back to the television, but you did notice a small tent growing in Arthur’s pants, making you blush hard. You could still feel his eyes on you. 

“And always remember... that’s life!” and the blaring horns of the studio band played, bring you and Arthur back to a reality that you both seemed to have left.

“I like the Murray Franklin show. You converted me,” you smiled at Arthur and stood to switch channels on the television. 

“Oh, good,” Arthur chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. He stood up as well. Well, he might as well use the bathroom while he was up. She probably was going to kick him out soon enough. He turned and went into the next room for the bathroom.

Sirens blared on the outside, also drawing you depressingly back down into the reality that was Gotham City. You had the news on and plopped back down on your couch. 

Arthur relieved himself and washed his hands, looking at himself in the mirror. He felt like being nosy and pulled back the mirror that was also Y/N’s medicine cabinet. He saw the usual things like deodorant, her toothbrush, toothpaste... and then he saw the familiar orange pill bottles. He lifted each of them up, reading what they were. Arthur smiled and sighed from happiness. She got it. She’d understand and wouldn’t ask questions about his antidepressants or his mood suppressers. They even got their prescriptions from the same pharmacy. Arthur put everything back where he found it and left the bathroom.

“It’s getting late,” he said when he saw you sitting on the couch still. 

“Yeah, um, are you gonna be okay going home this late?”

“I’ll be fine,” he smiled at you.

You stood up, “I had a great night, Arthur. Thank you for coming. I want to do this again.”

Arthur smiled, “Me too. I would do this every night if we could.”

You smiled back at him at that sweet comment, “Do you maybe, um, want my phone number?”

“Yeah, sure!” Arthur seemed like he let out a held-in breath when he accepted that offer.

You giggled and walked to the hall where you had a pencil and a pad of paper always, and you wrote your name and your phone number, “This way we can coordinate better. Instead of me, like, coming to your house out of nowhere,” you chuckled.

“If you did that more often, it would be a relief, trust me,” Arthur smiled at you and took the note. 

Your cheeks flushed for what felt like the millionth time that night and you smiled, “Well, goodnight. I do want to see you soon.”

“I do, too,” Arthur said in return.

And you were both at the front door and left it at that. You shared smiles and you reached across Arthur, opening the door for him. He left, still turning to look back at you, which made you chuckle. 

When you were alone in your apartment again, you took a few quick breaths and couldn’t stop smiling. You liked him. Really liked him. And he seemed to really like you! You changed into your pajamas and flopped into your bed. 

“Hey, Y/N!”

Hearing such a distant shout and hearing your name made you jump from your bed and go to the open window by your bedside. You wrenched it open more and stuck your head out. Down five stories below was Arthur, red nose on, and waving.

You laughed and waved back.

He did a little jig and spun around a few times before skipping down the street. You laughed some more, watching him go. He was nuts! But maybe that’s why you liked him. You would mark this first date down as successful, in your books. 

[thehomierobbstark]

Do you think Erik likes being in front of the camera? Like if his woman was a photographer and asked him to do an x rated photo shoot just for their eyes only. I’m talking baby oil and everything, would he be a little nervous?

+

A/N:  First, l want to say that I absolutely LOVE this question.  I know I’ve been sitting on it for a minute, but every time I read it I get so many ideas in my head of how this would go, and I love how unique this thought is.  I also really wanted to incorporate the above twitter post into a story, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity! I broke this up into two parts because I felt like it would flow better, so more is to come for this. As always, thank you for asking!  I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of this!

Warnings: At the bottom 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿.

This is for all my lil cute ass black gorditas out there rockin back fat, belly rolls and thick ass thighs that touch!!  x Reader is always gon be black, chubby, and sassy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I want you to come home.”

Erik lies face up on the arm of the couch, his long legs making his feet dangle over the edge on the other side, his huge body taking up all the space in the middle.  He throws an arm over his forehead, blowing a raspberry and playing with the coiled extension cord that strung out from the base on the wall.

He was soo bored, waiting for her to get back to keep him company and make his night much more interesting.

“Baby, you know I’m working late tonight.  I won’t be back for another few hours, I’ve got one more client left to shoot.”  Y/N looks out the large glass window of her downtown studio, looking at the traffic pile up down below.  

She hears him groan on the other side of the line, followed by the sound of shuffling.

Erik sits up, leaning over the back of the couch to look at the wall clock.  6:47.  He kisses his teeth, pressing the phone back to his ear as he lays back down.

“Is this that same picky ass indie chick that cancelled on you twice already?”  The bass in his voice comes out, and she can tell by the way his breathings changed that his nostrils are probably flared out in irritation and his grip on the phone is tighter.

It was 6:47 on a Friday night, and instead of being laid up on the couch with him, his baby was still at the studio waiting on some flake.

“You should’ve told her to find somebody else, my baby time far too valuable to be sitting around for some bummy ass knotted haired white chick to show up.”

“Relax, babe! Please? She called earlier and told me she’d be here at 7:15.  I’m good babe, I promise.”  Her voice is soft and soothing in his ear, and the veins in his forehead smooth down at her request.

Fine.  He’d relax.  But only because she’d told him to.

Rolling over to his side, he changes the subject, not wanting his own sour mood to influence hers before the shoot.

“You eat yet?”

“…No,” she admits, voice meek.

“I’ve been caught up in portfolios since three, but I’ll see if I can take a break around 8:30 and order in.  Maybe that Indian place down the street?”

It was one of her favorites, and she’d discovered it one day when she was scoping the area for her studio a few years ago.

“You ain’t eat since WHEN? Uh uh. I’m coming down there Y/N.  That lady got you and me fucked up.”

He shoots up from his spot on the couch, reaching over to grab his Nike Air Bakin’s he’d kicked off earlier.

“Erik-”

“Nah babe, that bird not coming, and my girl not going hungry a second longer.  Call up that Indian place and order what you want. I’m on my way.”

She doesn’t even have a chance to dispute the plan before he air kisses her over the phone and hangs up, the hum of the dead line left ringing in her ear.

“Well, OK then,” she shrugs, and she holds down the switch, listening for the dial tone before typing in the number to Akbars Indian Restaurant.

~

At 7:30, Erik rolls into the parking structure under the building, the warm to-go boxes of Indian food filling the car with their mouth watering aroma.  He’d taken it upon himself to order a couple extra samosas and garlic naan, even though Y/N said she was swearing off carbs a couple days ago.  

He knew she loved the baked goods, and even though she didn’t agree, he loved the way she looked when she carried some extra weight on her.  All he wanted to do was keep her fat, happy, and laughing.  

His perfect little plump princess.

He keys himself into the building, riding the freight elevator all the way up to the top floor.  He lifts up the gate with one hand, stepping onto the dark marble floor of the wide open space and hearing the melody of soft jazz echoing around from the overhead speakers.

She often liked to work while playing music, stating that it helped to get her mind in the zone.  He eases up on his heavy footsteps to quietly navigate his way through the hallways, the veins in his forehead making a comeback.  

Even if that bird did end up showing up he didn’t care, she was just gonna have to wait in the lobby or some shit while he pulled Y/N aside for a lunch break.  And if she had any problems about that she could speak directly to him.  He had a few things of his own he wouldn’t mind getting off his chest.

He turns the corner into the main room, seeing a white backdrop and studio lighting on the far wall, the reception desk mirroring it on the other end of the room.

A few white leather couches decorated the space in the middle surrounding a dark oakwood coffee table, and off to the side laid an old quilted blanket with a couple floor pillows thrown on top, looking out of place.

He puts the food down on the coffee table and walks around, looking to see where Y/N is.  Before he can exit out into one of the neighboring storage rooms, she appears from around the corner, carrying some silver utensils and napkins from the kitchen as well as a couple bottles of water.

Her face warms as she sees him, mouth spreading open to reveal that gorgeous million dollar smile of hers that Erik couldn’t get enough of.

“You’re here,” her voice is airy and light, and he walks to meet her halfway, enveloping her into his arms.  She lets herself be engulfed, burying the side of her face into his chest.

They stay like that for a few minutes, no words being said as they hold each other, Erik making soft grunts of contentment as he presses kisses into the top of her head.  He lets the smells of her blueberry scented hair products fill his nostrils, taking in a huge breath.

“I missed you.” He finally speaks, and she leans her head back, neck craned as she looks up at him, resting her chin on his stomach.

“I missed you too,” she smiles, and she links her arms together behind him, his head dipping down low to kiss her on the lips, groaning lowly at how soft and plush like they feel against his.  

He closes his eyes, letting his mouth lazily rest on top of hers, too comfortable to move away.

“Where patchouli at?” He mumbles against her mouth, and she snorts a laugh.

“She not coming.”  She sighs, and he sniffs, giving her an admonishing Uh huh, told yo ass.

“Whatever,” she grunts, peeking around him towards the coffee table, the smell of the Indian food sparking the interest of her nose and her stomach.

She tries to pull away to go check out the awaited meal, but he pulls her back, whining from the back of his throat.

“Mmm nooo, I’m not done yet.” He lays his head on top of hers and holds her in place, her weak little attempts at wiggling out of his grasp failing miserably.

“Mooveee,” she moans at him, fake crying. “I’m hungryy.”

He can hear the pout in her words, and he smacks his gums and lifts off of her, succumbing to his baby girl.

“Fine.  But I’m laying on you while you eat.”  He takes her hand and leads her over to the blanket and pillows on the floor, grabbing the bag of food on the way.

“Baby ass…” she comments under her breath, but his ears pick up it, and he drops her hand, swatting her on the butt.

“Yeah and you love it too, don’t even front.”  He remarks confidently, and a bashful smile pokes at her cheeks that she fights from becoming full blown.  She did love it.

They sit, working together to lay out the food, Y/N grabbing one of the brussels sprouts out of the container and popping it into her mouth, chewing hungrily as she finishes filling up her plate.

She sits cross legged, digging in as Erik settles himself with his head in her lap, the rest of his body sprawled out on the floor far out of the range of the blanket.  He doesn’t care at all though, rubbing his large palms against her thighs and nudging his face under her shirt to kiss at her increasingly expanding stomach, happy to see all of the items on his list of three being fulfilled.

He munches on some of the food eventually too, mainly after she’d shoved one of the potato samosas into his mouth to stop his nipping at her tummy so she could finish in peace.  

After scooping the last bits of saag paneer into her mouth, she packs up the leftovers, Erik taking it to go put it in the staff refrigerator.  She folds up the floor blanket, dumping it and the pillows into one of the storage chests lined against the wall.

Before she even realizes he’s back in the room, Erik latches back onto her, wrapping his arms around the front of her waist and puling her back into him, humming into her neck and rubbing her full belly.

“You gon gimme a tour now?” He asks her, and she laughs at their little ongoing joke.

Y/N always changed around the decor and artwork of the studio, utilizing the projects of her latest clients and collaborations to give her fresh ideas and inspiration for upcoming shoots.  

Every few weeks there was a new theme, and since Erik could only visit a couple times a month because of his own busy schedule, every time he came it was like a new experience for him.

Since it was February, her current theme was “Black Love,” her way of honoring both the cultural celebration for the month and the Valentine’s Day celebration that fell in the middle.  There were portraits of several of her old clients hung around each studio room, like family portraits, engagement photo shoots, and maternity spreads.

Each studio had a different focus, too, so it was almost like walking through a museum the way that each room told it’s own story.

Since Erik had wedged himself back into his favorite spot - arms around her shoulders and nose buried in her hair - she had no choice but to waddle herself (and his) out into the hallway to begin the tour, starting with the first door on her left.

Opening the door, they step in, immediately hit with the scent of cinnamon and soft vanilla, and it feels like the aura of the room wrapped them in its arms for a warm, comforting embrace.

“I present to you: Studio One; Age Ain’t Nothin But a Number.”  She smiles lightly to herself at the name she’d borrowed from Aaliyah’s infamous first album.  She’d absolutely loved the artist since childhood, and wanted to pay homage to her legacy, honoring her the right way.

The color scheme was a shimmered gold and deep burgundy, the colors immediately, reminding Erik of his friends grandparents house he’d often visit after school back in Oakland.  Their house smelled exactly the same, and he could even spot the cinnamon broom sticks in the corner, giving off the fragrant smell.

The couch was vintage but it wasn’t old, and the carpet under his feet had him flashing back to the countless nights he’d spent on one just like it playing hot wheels and street fighter Sega matches.  

The whole room reminded him of his childhood, a feeling somewhere between nostalgia and longing striking him in the chest.  It was solidified even further for him when he looked up at the wall and saw the portraits that were hung around.  

Staggered along the wall were pictures of older black couples, some by themselves, and some of couples portraits.

The biggest picture hung in the middle, and it was of a young black couple, maybe early to mid thirties, the man a deep chocolate and the woman and ebony goddess.

It wasn’t until Erik took a closer look that he noticed the clothing they wore appeared to be from an older time.  As he studied their facial features, he realized that all of the pictures in the room were of them, just at different ages.

“One of my first clients,” she speaks from under his chin.  He’d walked them further into the room, stopping in front of the wide portrait to get a better look.

“They came in for a shoot to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary and they told me their story.  How they met, their first kiss, their first ‘I love you’s’.  Four kids and eight grandkids later, and this is the legacy they’ll be leaving behind.”  She smiles warmly as her eyes roam around the walls, taking in the history of their love.

“I asked if I could feature them in this months theme and in return restore their old photos for them, and they happily agreed.  They even lent some photos of their own parent’s for me to use.”

She points over to the corner of the room, Erik shuffling the both of them over to look at the aged photos from another time.

The both of them observe silently for a few moments, finally separating from each other to explore on their own.  Since Y/N had already seen the collection, she hung by the door, watching as Erik walked around the room like he was visiting and exhibit.

“I wanted this room to represent love in it’s truest form, and how it can survive through the years if you’re willing to put in the work.  It’s never too late to find love, or do everything you can to keep it alive.”

The entire display was absolutely beautiful, and after Erik was done soaking in everything, he felt as if he’d experienced this couples love story, right along side them.

“What are their names?” He asks her, making his way back to her to assume his original position.

“Judy and Maurice Jackson.”  She answers, and it’s almost as if by saying their names it breathes life into the room.

“This is amazing, baby.  You’re so incredibly talented,”  he praises her, and he brings her hand up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles, making her cheeks warm shyly.

“Thank you Erik,” she whispers back, and she kisses him on the cheek before grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the room, turning off the lights and shutting the door behind them.

For the next hour, that’s how they spend their time; moving from studio to studio as Y/N explains the story behind each idea.

The themes explored parental love, familial love, friendship, and cultural identity, the last one detailing just a few examples of how diverse and expansive black culture is in the United States.

Each studio had it’s own name as well, titled in order: ‘Me and Your Mama’, ‘We Are Family’, ‘Way Back’, and ‘Say It Loud’.

The last studio was a private one that Y/N had been working on for the last couple months to get it prepared for a new service she was offering in the spring.

The service would only be available to select clients, but she’d been dying to give it a test run.

Luckily, her favorite client had decided to drop by today of all days, giving her the perfect opportunity to try it out.

Approaching the closed door, she slides herself out from under Erik, instructing him to stay put while she goes inside to get the room ready.

Thinking it’s an interactive theme, he stays put, his only complaint being for her to hurry up because it was cold without her.

A few minutes pass with Erik out in the hallway by himself, and when she finally opens up the door, her small body is looking up at his, her favorite DSLR camera around her neck with a 28mm lens attached to it.

Before he has a chance to voice his confusion she pulls him into the room, shutting the door behind her.

This studio is significantly bigger than the other ones, large enough to fit an entire California King size bed and two sofas, one a suede midnight black and the other a leather blood red.  Fur pelts decorate the ends of the couches, and a gigantic faux white fur rug sits in the middle of the floor.

A couple lighting setups are sitting in the corner of the room, along with a few shaded lamp covers, one in purple, one in red, and the other in white.

Over the bed hangs a low hanging chandelier with both red and purple bulbs alternating around it.

Erik hadn’t said a word since he’d stepping into the space, just the sound of his footsteps as he walks around the room, observing everything.

His curiosity leads him over to a table on the far side of the room, and he picks up one of the many bottles of baby oil sitting on top of it.

He turns around, and his face says it all.

“Y/N….” She can hear the unnervingly calm tone in his voice, meaning that she had about 5 seconds to start explaining before he put a hit out on all her male coworkers.

“Okay BEFORE you start freaking out, just wait a minute and listen.”

His nostrils flare out a little bit and he works his jaw, putting the bottle down and crossing his arms.

“You got one minute.”

She launches into her rehearsed pitch, already having practiced it in her head ten times before she even opened the door to let him in.

“Spring is coming up, and I want to offer a new service to returning customers who’d expressed their interest in the past when I brought it up.  I’ve done their maternity shoots, their engagement portraits, their anniversary photos, and now I want to try my hand at…boudoir photography.”

He opens his mouth to speak, but she cuts him off, still having 30 seconds on the clock.

“It’ll only have a trial run of two months and I already have five clients booked.  It won’t become a permanent service yet until I can get feedback from them, but… I need someone to test it out on first before I can start.”

His eyes grow wide at that, his eyebrows almost up to his hairline.  He’d met a few of her loyal clients, and while he tried to keep it under control, he couldn’t help but be a little bit cautious when it came to some of them.  

She was adored and loved by all of them, and on more than one occasion he felt like a few of the women had tried shooting their shot at her, right in front of him.

When he’d brought it up she’d laughed it off, telling him he was just being paranoid because she was bisexual, but he knew what was up.

No way anyone could just take one look at Y/N and not be immediately drawn to her; she had that effect on people.  He had to protect what they had, and he wasn’t about to just watch it slip through his fingers.

“Nah babe, Ion like it.  You already got way too many people up in here tryna get atchu, they don’t need an entire room dedicated to giving them an opportunity.  Get one of your interns to do it.”  The plain look on his face combined with his still crossed arms indicated that the conversation was over, and there would be no further discussion on the topic.  

He must’ve forgot who he was fucking with.

She narrows her eyes, taking a step towards him.

“First of all, I wasn’t asking for your permission, I was telling you about my next business venture.  I’m a grown ass woman and this is my business.  You have no say here, Erik.”

His eyebrows were raised again, but for a different reason this time. It wasn’t often that he and his girl got into arguments, but when they did he always got just a little bit aroused at the fire in her eyes when she started going off.

She continued.

“Second of all, my interns aren’t paid to soothe your bruised ego, they’re paid to assist me when need and to gain valuable experience in their field.  So try again.”  She’d gotten increasingly closer with each word, and before either of them realize it she’s back in front of him again, her presence dominating.

He gives her a once over before laughing humorlessly, looking away for a moment before speaking again.  

“So, what? I’m not even allowed to have an opinion on this?” His brows are furrowed together, eyes concentrated on her face.

Her own facial features soften, and she reaches out with one hand, holding his face in her palm and stroking her thumb over his cheek.

“Aww babe, of course you’re allowed to have an opinion.”  A small smile appears on her lips, and she finishes her statement.  “Just make sure you have it quietly.”

She drops her hand and turns and walks away to finish setting up one of the light fixtures in front of the bed.

He stares at the back of her head as she goes, burning holes into it with his blazing thoughts.

She was completely right.  He had no place trying to take control over her ideas regarding her studio, especially after just seeing how amazing the outcome could be when she had creative license.

Even so, he couldn’t help but to be pissed with the way his princess was speaking to him.  He’d have to remind her before they left tonight about keeping that mouth of hers in check when she was popping off at him like that.  He figured a few backshot sessions over the front desk would be a good memory refresher for her.

Reaching down to adjust himself through his pants, he grunts in acceptance, following her over to where she was.

“Well, do I at least get to have a loud opinion on who it is you’re gonna be testing this out with?” He pouts.

She clicks the soft white shade into place on the camera, then walks over to the light switch to turn off the main fluorescent lights and tun on the red ones, their subtle glow primarily on and around the bed.

“I hope so baby.  Because you’re the one whose gonna be testing out for me.”

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Warnings: Fluff, Humor, SoftBoi! Erik