#rachel is so INSTANTLY charmed by him

[paradiseprincesss]

I thought I would send this into your inbox hehe!💖🥹

Jonathan Crane x Rachel’s younger sister where after bumping into her at the courthouse (she’s not a lawyer, just a supportive little sister who wanted to see her sister at work, against her sister’s wishes for her to be kept out of it that is), he becomes very infatuated with her and feelings grow for her. When Rachel confronts Jonathan about his findings about Falcone, Y/n tags along with her for support (even thought Rachel really didn’t want her to), and Y/n did really wanna see Jonathan again (he was very charming to her and she also has growing feelings for him). Right before Jon sprays her sister with his fear gas, he drags Y/n towards him and shoves a gas mask on her so she would remain unharmed. Then when they’re waiting for Batman to arrive, he has her right by his side, still wearing the mask for safety. Jon being reallyyy soft with her, petting her hair, telling her how he won’t let anything happen to her. Omgg and at first Batman takes her away from him, but while Jonathan is locked up in Arkham, he has his men go grab her and bring her to Arkham, telling them NOT to harm a hair on her head. Omgg and he’s super comforting when they bring a very terrified Y/n into his Arkham cell (when they’re freeing him), but omgg if his men were rough with her and she did get hurt, ooooh boy would that not end well for them… but anyways… He brings her to his huge mansion for safe keeping while the whole plan with fear gassing Gotham happens😳

goodnight n go - jonathan crane x reader

masterlist

notes: if you don't know this song...you must. im putting u on so like, thank me later? also rachel is like in her thirties in the story making the reader like twenty something. anyway, hope yall like dis one.

summary: you're the little sister of rachel dawes, and one day while visiting her at work, you run into jonathan crane. the two of you are instantly drawn to one another, and when rachel confronts jonathan about falcone, he makes his attack on her - all while protecting you at all costs.

word count: 4.6k

warnings: 18+ mdni, smut, oral (f!receiving), p in v, creampie, kissing, swearing, fear gassing lol, reader has no morals and lowkey cray cray like jon

"you shouldn't have come here." rachel groans, looking at you with annoyance.

"i just wanted to come support you, i even got you your favourite coffee." you say, offering her a coffee that you got from her favourite coffee shop.

she sighs, taking it from you with a small smile. "ugh, fine - and thank you, i appreciate that. i'm just tired today, that's all." she tells you.

rachel dawes was your older sister, and she was currently working as an attorney, which you were so proud of her for. you were her little sister, younger by a almost a decade, and you were her biggest supporter. you were still in college, so you looked up to rachel greatly, as she was a hardworking, successful, headstrong woman who you aspired to be like one day.

"miss dawes?" a voice called out from behind you. turning around, you and rachel both answer with a "yes?" as you, of course, shared the same last name. as rachel looks over your shoulder, and you turn around, you were met with the most breathtaking man you'd ever seen.

he was very tall, extremely handsome, and had such gorgeous, blue eyes that took your breath away even from behind his glasses.

"sorry," you say, embarrassed, "force of habit."

rachel takes one look at the man with disgust, and she seems to be getting increasingly more irritated. "doctor crane, to what do i owe the pleasure?" she says, sarcasm laced in her tone.

"who might this be?" he asked rachel, gesturing to you, and completely ignoring what she had said. with a scoff, she shoots him a dirty look. "this," she says, taking a step closer to you, "is my little sister."

the man, who you learned was "doctor crane", had an amused smirk on his face after she had mentioned that you were her sister. "i wasn't aware you had a sister," he says to her, then turns to look at you, "i'm doctor jonathan crane." he introduces himself, and you smile at him shyly, introducing yourself back.

"it's a shame i haven't seen you before," he says softly, and rachel grimaces, "at least, i don't think i have. i surely would've remember if i saw someone as stunning as you around here."

"seriously?" rachel said with abhorrence, making jonathan smile with amusement once more.

"is something bothering you, miss dawes?" he asks her, to which she looks at him with disdain. "you have no sense of boundaries," she deadpans, "stop trying to flirt with my little sister."

"rachel," you interject, smiling a little awkwardly, "it's fine."

you knew how overprotective rachel was of you, but you didn't want her to start an argument with him, especially not in a courthouse of all places. your older sister had a tendency to be slightly...confrontational at times, so you tried to put out the fire before she started it. jonathan seemed to notice your shift in behaviour, as did rachel, and the both of them swiftly steered the topic of the conversation into all things work-related.

"you really think a man who butchers people for the mob doesn't belong in jail?" rachel asked, raising a brow at jonathan who remained stoic.

"well, i would've hardly testified to that otherwise would i, miss dawes." he says coldly, staring at her with a dead expression.

you stood there awkwardly, unsure as to what you could say in this moment since this conversation had nothing to do with you. you knew it was also none of your business. before you had the chance to escape the situation by silently walking away, rachel dismissed herself from the conversation, clearly fed up with him in just mere seconds.

"we'll see about that, doctor crane," she says, turning to you, "i have to get back to work. you should go, i'll see you sometime next week, okay? dad says he wants to do dinner with us or something on saturday. give him a call for me, please."

walking off with an annoyed huff, she left to get back to whatever work task she was working on prior to seeing you. "is she always like that?" jonathan asked you, his tone shifting into something much sweeter than the one he was talking to rachel with.

"she's just...confrontational, i think." you say, offering a sympathetic smile.

"hm, you don't take after her, i assume?" he asks with curiosity.

"not really, no. i do really look up to her, though." you admit, to which he gives you a small smile.

"i see," he says with a sigh, "i'm afraid i have to get back to work as well, my dear. maybe i'll see you around again - soon, i hope."

every time he spoke to you, your heart started to do little flips inside your chest, making your breath hitch as you stared into those sapphire pools that he had for eyes. "yeah," you say softly, getting lost in his eyes momentarily, "soon."

after he made his way back to the courtroom, you stood there in awe for a moment - he was just so attractive. you didn't know what to do with yourself. you weren't sure why rachel hated him so much; he seemed like a gentle soul.

the thought of him plagued your mind for weeks to come, the little fantasies of him that you conjured up playing in loops over and over in your head like a tape that never ended. his demeanour was magnetic and his aura pulled you in like no other. seven billion people on this earth, and yet, you'd pick him over all others - that's how striking you found this man. better yet, he was also extremely intelligent.

of course, jonathan was feeling the same way about you. he was thinking about you while he was at work, or even doing mundane tasks on his days off. he couldn't believe his luck, what were the odds that the universe that was so vast and filled with so many different people gave him the opportunity to run into someone as beautiful as you? maybe with luck like this, he should play lotto.

"please," you whined, "can i please come with you?"

"no, akrham asylum is for the criminally insane. do you know how dangerous it is? you're not coming." rachel tells you sternly, but you were determined to get her to agree to let you tag along.

"come on, rachel," you plead, "you shouldn't be going alone, then. since it's so dangerous, right?"

she rolled her eyes at your attempt to get her to change her stance on the matter, "i told you, he's dangerous," she warned, "i've seen the state some of his patients are in. i don't want you getting involved."

"i won't, i swear!" you say to her, whining like you were back in high school again and begging to go to some party after your parents had told you no.

"can you stop whining?" she laughed, shaking her head at your continuous attempts of tagging along to arkham asylum. "i know you only want to go because you want to see him again. if you like him so much, why didn't you, i dunno, ask for his number or something when you saw him."

"because i was nervous!" you exlaim, "and i thought you hated him."

"i do hate him," she says, a look of disgust flashing across her face before she changes her expression, "but hey, if you're okay with going to therapy for the next decade, he's all yours."

"he's really not that bad." you say, and in your defence, he'd never been rude to you.

"he's insane," she deadpans, "and you're insane if you think going after a guy like that will end in anything but flames."

"i want to go with you!" you whine again, and finally, she agreed.

"okay, fine, ugh. you can come. just stop whining - and stop talking about him." she groans.

happily, you make your way into her car as she drives off to arkham asylum, and you made sure to look your best for jonathan. you did your hair and makeup, perfecting it for hours, and threw on your favourite outfit. nothing too crazy, just something that said cute, but she's not trying too hard.

as rachel pulls into the parking lot of arkham, you feel your heart do that thing again - you know, doing little flips and making you feel short of breath. all at the just the thought of seeing him again. everything rachel had warned you about went straight over your head, and you were too busy with your head in the clouds to focus on a word that came out of her mouth unless it was jonathans name itself.

walking in, rachel tells the receptionist that she was here to see jonathan. the receptionist pages him, and you impatiently wait to see the man you'd barely known yet craved so deeply. finally, you saw him make his way down a hallway, walking straight to you and straight into your infatuated little heart.

"i didn't tell her to come, just so were clear. she wanted to see you or something, i don't know. but i'm here to talk about falcone." rachel clarifies right off the bat, making you blush. she wasn't supposed to tell him that.

"is that so?" he asked you with a smirk, "well, i did say i hoped to see you again rather sooner than later, so i'm more than happy you've tagged along."

"uh-huh," was the only response you could offer, his words causing your brain to short-circuit and your heart to go into arrhythmia.

"i'll take it you're glad to see me, too." he teases, but his soft, teasing tone and gentle smile disappear the moment he turns his attention to rachel. "and what exactly about falcone did you want to discuss, miss dawes?"

as soon as he gave her the green light to talk, she started to talk. she accused him of multiple things, like drugging falcone with unknown substances. she also accused him of saving falcones thugs with the insanity plea so that they could be under his watch, instead of the law. it was accusation after accusation - she was a lawyer, after all. it was just in her nature to act as such.

"i have something i think you should see." he tells her, expressionless as ever. "please, follow me."

he gestured the both of you towards an elevator that was clearly for staff only, and with the swift click of a key, the buttons lit up. he pushed one as the elevator started to ascend up, and rachel gave you a nervous look. you weren't worried, though. jonathan wasn't crazy...right?

as the doors in front of you opened with a screech, he allowed both you and rachel step out first. he followed suit, and he was guiding the two of you down a dingy, drab and dimly lit hallway which looked eerie as hell. hesitantly, you both followed him until you reached a huge door. jonathan pushed it open, and rachel kept you behind her just in case.

the room he had led you into appeared to be a lab of some sort, with a variety of inmates and patients in their arkham jumpsuits mixing away at some liquid chemicals and toxic looking substances.

"this is where we make the medicine," he says ominously, "perhaps you should have some. clear your head."

without second thought, rachel grabbed your hand and made a run for it back down the hallway. looking back, you saw jonathan hadn't moved - he was still standing there in the lab. rachel pushed you into the elevator, panicking as she slammed on all the buttons. as much as you should've been panicking, you didn't feel the need to. though, you couldn't quite place why you were feeling that way.

"i told you!" she exclaimed, but the elevator doors open again to what appeared to be jonathan with a scarecrow mask over his head. suddenly, he reached for you and pushed you behind him, putting a gas mask on you before a cloud of white surrounded all three of you. all you could hear was rachel coughing over and over, and then suddenly, a group of men were dragging her out of the elevator - leaving you unharmed.

jonathan gently took a hold of your wrist, dragging you along with the group of men as he waked back to the lab. after cascading down a flight of stairs (with jonathan helping you, of course), you reached an abandoned warehouse of some sort. his men placed rachel on some crates, and she was completely out of it. worried for your sister, you try to rush over to her, but jonathan wraps his arm around you softly, shaking his head.

gently, he leaned down slightly and removed the gas mask off of you. you looked at him with tears in your eyes, and he pulled you close. you could still see those strikingly blue eyes through the scarecrow mask, and it was oddly comforting. slowly, he started to pet your hair softly, keeping one arm wrapped around you as the other was gently playing with your hair.

"it's okay, darling," he said softly, "i needed to make sure she would stop interfering with my...plans."

"what did you do?" you whimper, clutching onto him.

"i just dosed her with some of my fear toxin, darling. not to worry, it was not a concentrated dose. she'll be fine and the effects should wear off within half an hour, or so." he says to you, hand still stroking your hair lovingly. "you don't seem too frightened."

"i'm not, i'm just worried about her. she's still my sister, jonathan." you say quietly, and he pulls his mask off swiftly. his eyes were even more electrifying now that his glasses weren't on.

"i know," he coos, kissing the top of your head, "she'll be fine, i promise."

"are you going to dose me, too?" you ask meekly, and he shakes his head, looking almost offended that you would think he'd even do such a thing to you.

"never, darling," he assures you softly, "i'd never let anything happen to you. you're always going to be safe with me."

"really?" you ask him with an innocent expression, looking up at him in a way that was so adorable, he felt his own heart rate start to stagger.

"my goodness, darling. you truly are too cute." he coos, pulling you into a soft kiss - much too soft for a time like this, but neither of you were thinking straight at this point. certainly not him, anyways.

after pulling away from the kiss, he laughs breathlessly. "he's here," he says under his breath, "the batman."

"what should we do?" one of his men asked, looking over at jonathan while he held you flush against him.

"what anyone does when a prowler comes around," he says, "call the police."

"you want the cops here?" another one of his men asked, loading up a gun.

"at this point they can't stop us." jonathan says, shaking his head.

the next moments unfolded in a blur. the whole time you were quivering in jonathans arms, and he held onto you tightly. he continued to place soft kisses against the top of your head and your cheek, telling you continuously that you were always going to be safe in his arms. eventually, the batman did show up to rescue rachel of course, and you were still wrapped up in jonathans embrace.

you were one of the few people that knew bruce wayne was batman, and as he approached you and jonathan, he stuck out his hand. "come," he said, "it isn't safe here."

"i-i don't want to." you whimper, clutching onto jonathans arm out of desperation, and bruce looked at jonathan.

"crane," he growled, "let her go."

before either of you could react, jonathan was being dosed with his own toxin, and bruce was grabbing him by his hair. he shoved you aside as to make sure you wouldn't get gassed with the fear toxin, but you instinctively tried to run towards jonathan. however, bruce being batman and all, was much too strong for you. eventually, the police poured in and bruce quickly grabbed both you and rachel, fleeing.

bruce took rachel to wayne manor, but you demanded to be taken back to your apartment, which was against bruces wishes. "he could've killed you!" he exclaimed to you, but you stayed defending the man who did quite the opposite. "he wouldn't hurt me." you say matter-of-factly, and bruce sighed. eventually, he did take you back to your apartment. you spent the next couple days reflecting on what had happened.

you were missing jonathan deeply, and you wanted nothing more than to see him. you resented bruce, as he had jonathan locked up in his own asylum, being an inmate at the very place he once was the chief psychiatrist at. you let your anger stir within you, but before you could react irrationally, there was a loud pounding at your front door.

cautiously, you open the door ever so slightly. to your surprise, two men who you recognized from the other night stood outside, armed. they said your name quietly, as not to alert the neighbours of what was going on, and told you to grab all your essential belongings.

"we have the others breaking him out of arkham," one of the men informed you gruffly, "and he has requested that we bring you, so grab whatever you need and lets go."

in a rush, you grab some essential belongings; your phone (obviously), a charger, and your wallet all stowed away in your little purse. you knew rachel would be pissed - but oh well, you were your own person, and this was your life, after all.

the armed men bring you to a blacked out car out back in an alley by your apartment building. all three of you get in hurriedly. the drive was quiet, your mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of seeing jonathan again.

soon, you were parked outside of arkham, and it appeared that all hell had already broken loose by the time you got there.

inmates and patients alike were screaming, running out of the building as police tried to keep everything and everyone under control - but it appeared they were failing miserably. the two men grabbed you, ushering you upstairs to what you assumed was where jonathan was. you were correct, as you saw jonathan in his scarecrow attire, the door to his cell busted wide open. he wasn't in a jumpsuit anymore, but back to his regular suit and tie, complete with the burlap scarecrow mask.

"my darling," he rushed over to you, pulling you close, "i'm so glad you're alright. i was so worried about you."

"i was worried about you, jonathan." you say, snuggling into his chest as he held you.

"we must go," he says, "there's no time. please, come with me, my love."

he takes your hand and intertwines it with his, and you happily allow him to. he wasted no time, though. within mere minutes, the two of you were back in the same blacked out car as before, and speeding off the lot so quickly, there was sure to be tire marks left on the pavement.

"darling," he breathes, taking the mask off, "i've missed you insanely."

giggling, you kiss his cheek. "i've missed you more, jon. where are we going?" you ask sweetly, and he swerves down a winding road on the outskirts of gotham.

"my place, nobody will find us. my men have this area surrounded." he says, placing his right hand on your thigh as he started to drive at a reckless speed.

"okay." you say cutely, leaning into his touch.

eventually, he threw the car into park on his driveway. helping you get out of the car, he wrapped his arms around you and walked you to the front door. you took a look at his home; it was breathtaking, quite like he was. the home was huge, a lonesome mansion standing tall in many acres of land far, far away from the dangerous city of gotham.

"this place is beautiful," you comment, hearing some birds chirping in the nearby forest, "it's so peaceful."

"isn't it?" he says, closing the front door behind the both of you, "i thought you'd like it. it's very you."

suddenly, he was pulling you close. he was getting handsy, touching the curves of your body softly as one hand came up to cup your face. "you have no idea what you do to me, darling." he whispered, the distance between you was getting smaller and smaller.

"i think i have an idea." you whisper, closing the gap between you and him.

his lips collided with yours, and within seconds, he had you pushed up against the wall in a hungry kiss. both of you were eager and desperate, not even a minute in your new home and you were already trying to get him to take you right now, against the wall. "bedroom?" you ask breathlessly, pulling away from the kiss. he nodded, picking you up with ease. you squealed and giggled, and he tossed you onto his king-sized bed.

he went right back to kissing you ravenously, the passionate act making you needier by the second. you wrapped your arms around him, kissing him like your life depended on it. he pulled away and started to trail kisses down your jawline and your neck, nipping and biting at the delicate skin. he was marking you up, claiming you as his without saying a single word. you moaned softly at the feeling, and he snaked a hand down.

"god, you're perfect." he mumbled against your skin softly, tugging at the waistband of your pants. he propped himself back up, and started to undress you hungrily, clearly getting impatient. the tent in his pants showed you he was. after he carefully shed you of your clothing, he took a moment to admire your body that laid underneath him. "you're truly a piece of art," he whispered, hooking his finger into the lace of your panties, "i'm gonna worship every single part of you, darling."

slowly, he sunk down between your legs, and you felt yourself losing your breath. teasingly, he pulled your panties down and the cold air made you shiver. tossing your panties somewhere in the bedroom, his mouth watered at the sight of your drooling cunt in front of him.

he dove in like he was starving, licking a fat stripe up your cunt, making you moan breathlessly. he continued to lick at your soaked hole, sucking your clit and peppering teasing kisses all over. "tastes so good." he moaned against you, teasing your cunt with his tongue, continuously licking and sucking in all the right places.

your back arched suddenly, feeling one of his fingers poke at your soaked entrance. slowly, he pushed a digit into your core which elicited a filthy moan out of you. pumping his finger in and out faster, he had you a moaning, withering mess for him in seconds. his tongue continued to lap a your pussy, and he sucked on your clit making your voice hoarse as you screamed his name.

"i-im gonna-" you panted, but he didn't stop, "fuck, gonna cum!" you squeaked, and he lapped up every last drop like it was the last thing he'd ever do. you came all over his tongue, legs shaking, and he took every bit of it proudly.

as your chest was heaving, he got back up and wiped your slick from his mouth with a dopey smile. "i need to feel you do that around my cock, baby." he groaned, unbuckling his belt in a rush while he pulled down his pants.

his cock sprung out against his stomach once he was out of his pants, veiny and thick, just begging to be buried in your warm, sticky hole. settling between your legs, he lined his cock up with your cunt, teasing your sticky folds with the tip.

"jonathan," you moaned, "m-mm, please."

with one hard thrust, he sank himself into your hole. the both of you moaned at the feeling, and he started to set a slow but deep pace. your back was arching out of habit, and you could feel him stretch you out completely. his cock twitched at the feeling of your tight cunt clenching around him, and he groaned your name.

"jesus, baby. you're so fucking tight- fuck-" he grunted, starting to fuck you at a faster, more merciless pace.

"a-ah, so full-!" you moaned breathlessly, feeling his entire length push up against your cervix, stretching you out to the point where the line between pleasure and pain started to blur.

"s'full, baby?" he asked, fucking you even faster, "feels good?"

"so good, o-oh my god!" you squeaked, feeling him split you open on his fat cock, pounding into you so brutally you were sure for the next week you'd be left sore and limping.

he continued to fuck your tight, soaked cunt. your warm walls sucked him in, and the both of you were moaning each others names repeatedly, the pleasure consuming you both. his hand reached down and started to rub circles on your clit, causing you to become an absolute fucking mess for him if you already weren't yet. he continued to snap his hips into you, cock plowing in and out of your aching hole as you took him balls deep.

"s-so fucking close, oh fuck." you moaned, feeling the familiar feeling building up in your stomach as he continued to assault your pussy with his fat cock.

"y-yeah? cum for me, pretty girl" he asked, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose, "i'm gonna fucking fill this cunt up till you get fucking pregnant."

the threat had you clenching down on his cock, making him moan. the thought of him filling your cunt so deeply with his cum pushed you over the edge, and the threat of him knocking you up had you screaming his name as you creamed on his cock.

"f-fuck, just like that, baby-" he groaned, "gonna fucking cum in you."

as he let you ride out your high, his hips stuttered and with a few more shallow thrusts, he was filling you with every last drop of cum he had. after he came, he continued to give you a few more thrusts, making sure every single drop would fill your hole. he pulled out after he caught his breath, watching his cum trickle out your abused pussy.

"what a sight." he sighed, smiling as he watched you leak his cum. "i need to see this everyday, i think."

you giggled, and he came to lay beside you, holding you like you were a plate of fine china that could break at any given moment. "i didn't hurt you or anything, did i?" he asked softly, petting your hair as you pulled the covers over the two of you.

"not at all." you tell him, resting your head on his chest.

jonathan held you close to him gently, kissing the top of your head. "you're so pretty," he whispered, "i'm going to give you everything, darling."

"all i need is you, jon," you say, kissing him gently before pulling away for a split second, "now, how are we going to fear gas gotham city together?"

he smiled at you - in that moment, he'd fallen in love with you if he hadn't already. his crazy thoughts and your crazy heart were simply meant to be, complimenting one another in the most unhinged of ways.

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[simplyholl]

Practice Makes Perfect Pt 6

Summary: Loki and Y/N have to pretend to be newlyweds for a mission. What can go wrong?

Pairing: Avenger Loki x F Avenger Reader

Warnings: Fake Dating

W/C: 917

See my Masterlist here

*The events Loki describes during dinner are taken directly from @lokisgoodgirl ‘s A Moment of Mischief. Mostly all of his dialogue in that scene was written by her too. Thank you for letting me use your work, my love! ❤️

Russell and Nicole invited us to dinner at their house. I just took the dessert I made for it out of the oven. I look over my outfit, the bruises Loki left on me are still as prominent as the day he left them. With all the sex we have been having, they will never fade.

Loki holds the dessert as we walk next door. He takes my hand after knocking rapidly on their white door. We have pulled this off so far, so my nerves aren’t as bad as they previously were. Nicole answers the door, her chestnut brown hair hangs down in waves. She is very dainty. If we didn’t have confirmation, I would never suspect she was a Hydra agent.

She takes the dessert and we follow her inside. She leads us to the dining table. Everyone else is already here. I rub the dagger Loki concealed against my thigh. “We can’t let our guard down tonight. We will be in their home, their comfort zone.” He warned me. But all I could think about was how that same dagger felt against my skin while he was deep inside me.

The conversation flowed easily amongst the group. I listen intently trying to notice if they talk in code. Rachel asks Valerie about her and Craig’s first date. We take turns telling our stories. I can tell Russell and Nicole were caught off guard by her question. They played off each other, making the answer up as they spoke.

When she asked me, I was prepared. Loki and I had discussed how to answer it. I told her about a hike, how spectacular the view was, how Loki had kissed me on top of the mountain. Loki smiles beside me. The lies we had rehearsed were believable. Loki taught me how to lie. I didn’t add too many details. I pretended to think back fondly on the memory.

Valerie and Craig must have practiced their story as well. She spoke of their fun filled night of nachos and bowling with such passion, I almost forget she’s making it up. Rachel sips her water slowly sitting it down before her loud outburst. “Oh! I want to know how everyone knew they were in love! I’ll go first!”

I stop listening to her because I’m in full panic mode. We didn’t expect this question. We don’t have a go to answer that I rehearsed hundreds of times. I look at Loki trying to hide my fear from everyone else. He places his hand on my thigh squeezing lightly. Nicole and Russell stumble to answer. Valerie and Craig are super believable, as expected.

Rachel beams at Loki expectantly. “She defended me when a group of our…. colleagues thought I had taken an item of importance.” My mind instantly recalls the time Loki had taken Steve’s shield. He needed it for a photo shoot, and immediately blamed Loki for its disappearance. I stepped in asking if he saw Loki take it. I even suggested he check with Tony because he might have brought it in for an inspection.

I knew Loki had something to do with it. I just didn’t like the way they were talking to him. Like it was his fault when any misfortune occurred. “Aww that’s so sweet. Y/N knew you were innocent.” Rachel looks between us. “Oh no, she knew I was guilty. But she defended me anyway. That’s when I knew.” Loki faces me, winking. I am stunned. Why would he tell a real story for this? He seemed so genuine. Maybe that’s the key to lying, tell mostly truth with a little falsehood sprinkled in. I don’t have time to linger on it, because Valerie is asking me when I knew I was in love with Loki. 

She looks too eager. I know she can’t wait to hear how he charmed me so she can imagine herself in the same situation. I take a deep breath, deciding to go with the half-truth. I stick my hand in the air letting Loki’s ring shine under the lights. “This was Loki’s mother’s ring. He gave it to me while we were dating as a promise ring. I felt so special that he wanted me to have it. It’s such a beautiful family heirloom. I know how much his mother meant to him. When he gave it to me, I knew he trusted me. We have a mutual friend who suggested I get a more modern one for my wedding ring. But Loki’s ring felt like it was made for me to wear.

Even though a bigger ring is more my style, this one felt right. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I realized I loved him when he placed it on my finger the first time.” Loki wraps his fingers around my hand. He brings my ring finger to his lips placing soft, delicate kisses to the finger his ring sits on. He looks surprised at my story. But I know he remembers the moment Tony tried to give me the flashier one.

I remember how his eyes showed that he was hurt just for a moment. At the time, I thought I was sparing his feelings. But thinking back on it, I wanted to wear Loki’s ring. It really did feel like it was hand crafted for me to wear thousands of years after it was designed. That’s what scares me the most about this mission. It feels too real.

Part Seven

Tags

@lokisgoodgirl @fictive-sl0th @lokidbadguy @ozymdias @potter-puff007 @cakesandtom @eleniblue @marygoddessofmischief @coldnique @mochie85 @goblingirlsarah @jaidenhawke @lokissidepeice @huntress-artemiss @those-late-night-feels @acciotherapists @muddyorbsblr @lokixryss @lonadane @sheris532 @ladyjames78 @ravioli19 @lokidokieokie @usagishira @javagirl328 @fifufcc @assemblingavenger @lilibet261 @foranythingandeverything @luna-y-nova @vickie5446 @lemonadygirl @joyofbebbanburg @msturi2u @chrisevanscardigan @mybugabomlb @bunny24sstuff @anonymously-ominous @luthien-elvenia-asher @iambetterthanbefore

[cherish--these--times]

VERY LONG POST ALERT

I've been doing a SGA rewatch. Seeing John and Teyla in a new light and wanted to spread the love and share some thoughts! Bear with me on that one. They might be more to come.

-

I think The Legacy Series very cleverly exploited what had been established by the end of season 5. If we consider the Fandemonium books canon (Stargate Wiki certainly does) then John and Teyla are openly in love and in a committed relationship. The first couple of books reveal that Teyla had harboured feelings for him for a long time but believed he didn't see her in that way. Concept best illustrated by this scene, I believe. When Teyla offers a comfy thigh for his sleepy head and he doesn't say so much as a thank you and she looks discomfited to say the least.

And whether this was scripted or simply an acting choice on Rachel Luttrell's part, this look signifies a lot in an episode mentioning a man she has feelings for who has yet to make a move.

As stated in the books, following the deaths of Carson, Elizabeth and Kate, she sought comfort where she could find it, which was in the arms of a fellow Athosian whom she knew since childhood and who had the Gift as well. She tried to move on with her life with someone she trusted and loved. And it makes sense. Rachel Luttrell loved that about this storyline and I agree with her.

Truth be told, not much is happening regarding John and Teyla in the first three seasons, especially after season 1. John puts on the charm on her when they first meet the same way he does with every pretty girl they encounter on a mission, which clearly indicates that he finds her attractive. And she is INTO IT. Instantly. Her little smile and Colonel Sumner's raised eyebrow and barely concealed amusement LOL... The only moment of levity on his part regarding Sheppard...

You can glimpse that she might be falling for him right there and then. And the necklace scene.. Uuggghh the sexual tension there hehe.

John trusts her implicitly and immediately, it's beautiful to see. I love when he defends her against Bates when she's suspected to be a double agent for the Wraith. And he has little to show for it apart from the fact that he just really likes her and knows that she's a kind hearted person. It's not based on anything factual. Bates was absolutely right about that. And John losing his shit with him because he is well aware of that is delightful. He doesn't know why, yet, but he already adores her and will defend her honour to Earth and back (and that's a long way alright!). Same when she learns she has Wraith DNA and Bates once again suspects the worst. Teyla struggles to fit in and John is her anchor, for sure. Equally, I love when she volunteers to go through the gate with him when he has the iratus bug on his neck. She wants to do it straight away. Knowing she might not come back on the other side. She is already willing to do anything for him at the expense of her life and they've only known each other a few weeks by that point.

But after that first season... Nothing. Teyla finds an ally in Ronon as they both share the burden of not being from Earth and therefore being outsiders, to some extent. He takes John's place by her side and I am digging their friendship so hard it's unreal. Far more than I used to, actually. Ronon loves her so much it's so endearing. She is too reserved to show it in the same way but it's honestly so cute.

Regarding John, sure there is the Conversion episode. And to me it confirms what we already knew which is that John is attracted to Teyla and the virus lowered his inhibitions to the point that he just went and did what he probably thought about doing a handful of times. And the "He cares for you more than you know" body possession thing in The Long Goodbye is a clever way of insinuating that John has deeper feelings for her than he is letting on. Without truly committing to anything. And deeper feelings I believe he had from day one. That's how I had interpreted it. I just didn't think the writers were gonna do anything substantial about it.

And sure enough, John's relationship with her changes from season 2 onwards. It's subtle but you can feel that they have drifted apart, somewhat. Or perhaps things have now settled and John doesn't need to be so protective of her and her place on his team anymore. One thing I did notice is that Teyla is always annoyed when John flirts with other women. The camera is never focused on her specifically but you can see her doing a massive eye roll or else just staring at the back of his head everytime. Or sharing a look with Ronon. Sometimes all three LOL

I guess we can give season 3's episode The Ark an honourable mention for shippy content (and Sunday, more on that soon). When John is ready to die for her by landing the shuttle on the planet, even if Rodney deems it impossible. But that's just John for ya. He did the same for Elizabeth in The Real World. And Jennifer in The Seed. And for other people and Atlantis at large on too many occasions to count.

What the Remnants episode and subsequently the books did beautifully was to establish one paramount fact about John Sheppard. He considers himself a marked man whose impending death will be fate's retribution for his failure in Afghanistan. It was the defining moment of his character, I think. Every time he survives, it's just delaying the inevitable. And so risking his life trying to protect his team and Atlantis feels like fair dues. What else does he have to live for?

But then... Season 4 happened. And it is rather magnificent, in my humble opinion. I'm quite certain John is the one Teyla speaks of to her friend in Sunday. A man who is oblivious to her feelings for him. Very interestingly, that conversation about this mystery man happens at the exact same time Ronon is telling John that he always thought he and Teyla would hook up (Hurrah for Ronon, our biggest Sheyla supporter out there LOL). We know this because the explosion happens in both places shortly after. That, from a storytelling point of view, could not be more on the nose.

And so... in my view, Teyla got tired of pining. John wanted to spend time with her, risked his life saving her, freaked out when she was harmed but still, he did nothing. She was grieving. Kanaan was there. She knew and loved him. It made sense.

One thing I'm mad about is that, because the writers had to justify Rachel's pregnancy, they committed the ultimate sin: exposing Teyla's relationship with Kanaan to us rather than showing it. We had to make do with multiple characters saying something like "Oh the father is Kanaan, right? I noticed the way you spoke about him." KILL ME NOW.

Nothing is more off putting than forcing the audience to accept that something exists by telling them rather than giving them ON SCREEN evidence so they can buy it (looking at you, Ted Lasso). I mean... I would have probably hated the guy anyway (I am a shipper after all), but I don't know enough about him to have an opinion LOL. I only now understand Kanaan and his history with Teyla thanks to the books but it's certainly no thanks to the show.

Yet, it demonstrated one thing. The writers didn't care much about Kanaan. It was all about John and his feelings instead. They presented Kanaan as a fait accompli without doing any of the legwork to solidify their bond aside from some lukewarm scenes that defines them as nothing more than affectionate past lovers.

Instead, perhaps for the first time ever in the show, John gets emotional. Several times. And it's all to do with Teyla, let it be before or after the birth of Torren. More on that later.

I love this quote from the Outcast episode, when he goes back to Earth for his dad's funeral. I can't think of a better scene to encapsulate John's character:

SHEPPARD Well, maybe you meant something to him, too. You never know what people are thinking.

AVA Even those you're closest to?

SHEPPARD Especially those.

This is referring to his father who, to John's surprise, regretted the way things had ended between them. But in truth, I think it applies to John himself as well. That's Sheppard in a nutshell. Keeping his cards close to his chest and never letting the people he loves know how much they matter to him. They might be snatched away, or he might let them down, or he might die and cause them pain. This is post pregnancy-revelation by the way. Considering the context of the episode, this again clearly referres to his family (namely dad, brother and ex-wife), but it also applies to himself, the way he treats his friends and perhaps, dare I say, the fact that he's too late and Teyla is no longer free.

I believe we witnessed something rather fascinating on the writers' part once the decision had been made to make an unknown man be the father of Teyla's child (and rumour has it John has once been the main candidate). They could have dropped the John/Teyla ball right there and then. They in fact had, as far as I was concerned, except for the small hints in The Ark and Sunday mentioned above. But then they picked it up again in a way that leads me to believe they actually wanted to keep the ball.

(Sidenote: This has been proven true because it was planned that John and Teyla would get together in the movie following the end of season 5. As stated here by executive producer Joe Mallozzi. I discovered this after writing this post).

They had the perfect opportunity to have Teyla and Kanaan drive off into the sunset (I know they don't have a car... you get my point LOL) and leave it there but... No. They wanted to keep the romantic tension alive. Which is fantastic to me.

First little clue that feels different is that when they encounter Larrin again and John swiftly enters prince charming mode, the camera purposely shows Teyla's reaction. Which never happened before. This feels very deliberate. And for the first time she doesn't look mildly annoyed but simply... resigned.

It fits nicely with the narrative that she thinks John simply does not reciprocate her feelings. Consider that this is an odd directing choice to make when the writers have already told us she is pregnant with another man's child (though John does not know it yet by that point, which is important to note). To me, they clearly wanted to show that she still has feelings for him but probably thinks she made the right call by deciding to try and move on.

Now. To the main subject... Following Teyla's pregnancy revelation, it appears that John, probably against his will, caught (shudders) emotions.

In a predictable and intrinsically human move (if slightly infuriating), he kinda loses it the moment he learns Teyla is not only seeing someone, but has also conceived child with another man. Now, I know what you're thinking. I am reading too much into it with my shipper goggles on. Well, first of all, no because he loves her that's canon.

Secondly, he shows a level of anger and disquiet that we rarely get to see. He is still John Sheppard and is SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE with anything to do with feelings. But it's undeniable that he is shaken and rattled by the announcement of Teyla's pregnancy. In a way that immediately feels personal. Like not much else ever has on the show. Bear in mind, her people are missing. She is expecting a baby. This is good news and he should be over the moon for her. A glimmer of hope in an otherwise very bleak and gloomy time. But no.

The man is aaaaangry. One could argue that he is just upset because she's under his command and she hid something that could very well jeopardise their missions... That's very true, too (though she makes a point of saying Athosian women remain very active up until the birth of their child). But nobody else cares about that. Not even Sam, who would be well within her right to give Teyla an earful about this. She hid it from everyone but only he reacts so badly. Ronon could have been upset too! He is perhaps a closer friend to her by that point, yet he doesn't feel betrayed by her dissimulation. In fact, he could not be more supportive. Everyone but John is super happy for her. Kudos to Lorne for giving her a hell of a pep talk. I love Lorne. What a guy.

They all trust Teyla and know she can look after herself. John of all people knows that more than anybody else! But this is different. He always respected her decisions but this, he cannot cope with... That's not a direction the writers would have taken had they truly wanted to sail that ship once and for all (see what I did there?).

What he is saying is:

"You put yourself, your child and the rest of the team in danger by hiding crucial information from me. NOT COOL!"

Based on what follows in the show and the books (and the never to be seen movie script), what he is actually saying is:

"You slept with someone and I didn't even know about it and had I known I would have taken my head out of my ass sooner and now it's too late YOU'RE PREGNANT how could you do this to me?? Sure I flirt with every skirt in my vicinity, I give no evidence whatsoever that I love you except when I'm possessed by alien entities taking away my free will and therefore disclosing things I would rather keep buried as deep as Atlantis when we first found it. And I know you have a lot on your plate with your people missing and your child potentially being the last of them and whatnot but WHAT ABOUT MY FEELINGS TEYLA???"

I firmly believe that this is more than Teyla hiding the pregnancy and putting herself in harm's way. I have evidence of this because he loves her it's canon because in a couple of episodes later, in Quarantine, he is the one telling her that she will do more good as a mother by being on the field than by staying home.

And in season 5, in The Queen, she makes the decision to pose as a Wraith Queen and risk her life and John, though very concerned, supports her decision.

That and his faith in her ability to fend for herself since day one are proof, in my book, that his initial reaction was not entirely to do with worrying about her safety. Don't get me wrong, it partly is! And he is mad as hell because she put herself in danger and she's under his responsibility so if she and her child die, that's on him. He has every right to be pissed off. What strikes me though is not so much the reason for his anger but the fuel behind it. The immediacy of it. The "losing his cool in front of Ronon and in the middle of a corridor" type of shit. The inability to bottle things up the way he usually does. It's personal. He is affected in a way that's impossible to repress, which happens to be his coping mechanism of choice. Therefore all the more jarring when he fails to do it. And it's not the only time when it comes to Teyla and the daunting possibility that she might no longer be a part of his life the way she used to:

This scene is very interesting to me. Again with the "in a corridor and in public" thing. This time because he learnt that Teyla is considering leaving the team... And once again, he cannot contain his fury.

True, she has not been upfront about her intentions, probably because she feared his reaction... BOTH TIMES. Uhm...

Both times, she is going through the wringer and he lashes out because he doesn't know how to properly articulate that he is deeply, deeply affected. Teyla must have known this unconsciously because she chose to hide something from him twice. She knew that he would react badly. I think she knows that he is holding back on her and burying feelings. Women know these things. Teyla was a part of his world in a way that he thought was never going to change. But he was wrong. And facing that is unbearable for him, turns out. Considering that they get together in the books (or would have gotten together in the movie), his behaviour makes SO MUCH SENSE.

He's not always a dickhead though. In Quarantine he assures her that her boy will have a family no matter what. Even if she dies, they will look after him. And that is FREAKING AWESOME. He HATES talking about deep stuff. But he also knows she needs to hear from him, specifically, that she's an amazing warrior super mama who's not meant to stay home and change nappies and that they all will be there to look after mini-Teyla if anything happens.

It's unbelievably wholesome and further proof that John loves and understands her so so so so much. And the fact that when the baby kicks for the first time she takes his hand and he feels it...

And then climbs a fucking tower like a fucking prince when he senses that she's really starting to worry. He is already that kid's stepdad I tell ya. I know that Atlantis was emitting a signal that could attract baddies and that the city was vulnerable and he had to do it but the defining factor for his reckless Batman move was seeing Teyla distressed and you cannot convince me otherwise.

One thing that really struck me as well was that in the following episode, Harmony, two pretty women flirt openly with John and Rodney. The latter is hot and bothered whereas John is utterly unmoved. Which is a first. He is even the one who wants to cut this short and leave. Fascinating, right? The timing of this, to me, shows that John is not emotionally available in that moment. Not so soon after realising he lost his chance with Teyla. Sure, one of the women puts the charm on him times a hundred when she sees he's not keen on staying and she theatens to undo their alliance should he decline. And it works because John is still John and I'm under no illusion that he is immune to seduction. But it really dawned on me that yes... John is now aware of his feelings for Teyla. It becomes tangible, if subtle, because it's the MGM and they don't do shippy stuff.... Except for Rodney. Because Rodney is their favourite golden child LOL

That being said... it's still John Sheppard we're talking about. In season 5 he clearly wants to hook up with Larrin and then hangs out with sexy scientists because well..... Teyla is not impressed btw LOL

We can't really blame him. He thinks he missed his chance after all.

Now... Speaking of season 5...

I think it's fair to say that John Sheppard thought he would not die of old age. He was traumatised by Afghanistan (btw I think it's no coincidence Teyla was the only one who wasn't a threat to him in Phantoms, and appeared to him as someone he trusted and loved) and his failed marriage. By adding the otherwise utterly useless Dream Sequence between he and Teyla in Search and Rescue, it's clear to me the writers wanted to tell the audience John always had feelings for Teyla but had never allowed himself to go there because of the above. Also he perhaps had not realised the extent of those feelings. Until it was too late. Which is tragic. So I love, LOOOOOVE that they get together in the books. I love that he succumbs to his feelings for her and now has a partner and even a son to live for. Finally! Finally his existence is no longer about mere survival. It's what his character deserved all along. I love that she reminds him that he is a good man and adresses his fears head on. I love that he helps her embrace her Wraith heritage and her role as both a leader and a mother. I love that they lay kisses on each other's ugly parts. With nothing but mutual understanding, acceptance and love.

I love them your honour.

[my-shields-are-down]

Isabel/Rachel/Ashley meets Chenford kids 5/10 years down the line?

Ooh, this is a fun one! Thank you for this! I’ll do 3 separate posts. First up Rachel.

————+

Seeing them in person and seeing their family dynamic is so different than looking at the growing number of smiling faces on Lucy’s yearly Christmas cards.

Rachel came back to California when her dad’s condition began to worsen and hadn’t reached out to Lucy until recently. When Rachel opened up the door, Lucy put the baby carrier on the ground and leaned in to hug her friend. They broke apart after a long hug and smiled at each other with tears in their eyes.

“Tim is hanging out in the car, he wasn’t sure you wanted to see him.”

Rachel smiles and says, “tell the fool to come inside so he can argue football. My Marcus is a 49ers fan.” Lucy laughs and texts Tim to come along and join them. A few seconds later, Tim bounds up the steps - just as Rachel’s fiancé steps behind her. Marcus leans out to shake Tim’s hand, and says “Why don’t we go sit out back by the pool? I’ve put up the umbrella so we’ll be in the shade. “

Rachel and Marcus lead them through the house. Lucy, having spent many of her college breaks here noticed the updates - that wall removed to open the space, new gorgeous hardwood floors, big bay windows, and a landscaped back yard with flowering trees, a deck, outdoor kitchen and a pool. As they sit down, the baby starts to squawk and fuss. Tim instantly reaches down to grab the swaddled babe, grabs the bag and asks where the bathroom is.

“I know, right? He does everything and dotes on the lad and me. I had a rough go when he was born. The lad did not want to come out. 42 hours of labor - it was exhausting. I yelled at Tim - a Lot. So now, he’s making up for it. He bought a mini blender so he could practice making baby food. I think he’s overcompensating for his dad being a jackass to him. Tim is continually proving to himself he is not and will not be like him. As if that were even possible.”

Rachel smiles at Lucy. She looks so calm and serene and happy. Rachel was not surprised when she heard they got together, she always had an inkling. One of the many reasons she didn’t fight too hard when she was in New York.

In short order, Tim comes back and has the lad strapped to his front. All you could see were dark curls and tawny skin. He immediately walks back to Lucy leaning down so she can kiss the baby. They then smile at each other and say “love you” and then Tim sits down with one hand on his beer and the other on the baby. He also looks relaxed, content and joyously happy.

Tim turns to Marcus and asks, “Have we met before? You seem very familiar to me. “. Marcus laughs, you maybe saw me on tv recently or you have a distant memory of me repeatedly tackling you in that state final football game. Tim’s eyes got big and he laughed… “Wait, are you Marcus Scott? (Marcus nods). Oh wow. I’m a big fan! Your college and NFL careers were fantastic. You retired well before people expected you to, why? If you don’t mind my asking…” before Marcus can answer, Tim turns to Lucy and says, not only is his football career full of record breaking stays, but he raises money and builds schools and gives back to his community.”

Marcus shyly looks at Lucy and says. “Yes, I broke almost all of my idol’s records (Deion Sanders) and my mom instilled in me a serious work ethnic and love of my community. My mom knew Rachel’s Dad from back in the day and she introduced us. Our next project is a community center in Sweet Water - it’ll be named after Rachel’s dad. “. Marcus turns back to Tim and says, I left football when it hurt to walk. My knees were destroyed. He lifts a leg and said, both were replaced with titanium. I’m bionic now. I can turn on the charm when needed, so tv announcing was an easy move that pays me a lot of money so Rach and I can continue to contribute to the community but not get sucked into the madness of it.”

Marcus looked at Tim thoughtfully and said, “you’re him. You’re the one she was dating long distance when I met her. She told me her boyfriend was most likely in denial about the feelings he had for her friend (Lucy waved) who set them up.” Marcus started laughing like a little kid and came over and hugged Tim. Then said, “Thank you so much for not fighting for her. You made it super easy for me to win!”

Just then the boy strapped to Tim started to giggle.

Tim, carefully undid the straps and handed the bundle of laughter to his wife. Rachel and Marcus, please meet Patrick Kuaile Bradford. Kuaile is Chinese for joyful because he laughs all the time. He’s 6 months old now and laughs at everything, especially his dad. Patrick a/k/a “the lad” had inherited most of his mom’s traits - curly dark hair, tawny skin, big expressive eyes, but he has his dad’s blue eyes.

Lucy grabbed Tim’s hand and said to Rachel and Marcus, “thank you for reconnecting and inviting us to your lovely home. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. “. Rachel grabbed Marcus’s hand and said, “Thank you for reconnecting and for coming to Dad’s funeral. He loved you so much. Also we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you either.” Both couples kissed and the baby laughed and laughed.

[sohemotional]

Breaking Girl Code

Summary: Girl Code Rule #1: Don’t fall for your best friend’s sibling. Too bad Brittany has already broken it.

Or

Rachel and Santana are sisters but they couldn’t be more opposite in personality. Much to the preppy good girl’s confusion, Rachel’s cheerleader best friend Brittany has a huge crush on the brunette’s badass older sister and will stop at nothing to get her attention.

Pairing: Santana Lopez/Brittany Pierce

Genre: Alternative Universe, Romantic Comedy

Rating: M

Read on AO3

Part I

Rachel, Brittany and Finn were a trio of the most unlikely best friends. At least that was how it seemed to the rest of the McKinley High student population.

Rachel was a complete nerd who always scored at the top of all of her classes but was an outcast when it came to her social life while Brittany was a popular, charming dumb blonde cheerleader with her head perpetually stuck in the clouds who was rumoured to be the sluttiest girl in the school. Meanwhile, Finn was the star quarterback but an innocent boy who had never had a girlfriend before and seemed more interested in food than anything else, despite the many cheerleaders who were throwing themselves at him.

No one understood what the three saw in each other but they had been fast friends ever since the start of senior year when Brittany heard a recording of Rachel’s song “My Headband” on YouTube and begged the bewildered brunette to teach her how to sing it then had introduced her close childhood friend Finn to the short girl. The rest was history.

Finn and Brittany were like two very pale, Viking giants compared to the tiny, olive-skinned brunette girl who was walking between them as the three high school seniors made their way out of class when school ended that day.

“Can we go over to your house again, Rachel?” Brittany pleaded with her as she skipped along happily beside the short girl, wearing a tight skirt that was several inches too short according to the school’s dress code. “I really need help with the chemistry homework again because last time Mrs. Hagberg didn’t believe me when I said I was up all night because Lord Tubbington was fighting a rival cat gang.”

“Sure, fine but I know the real reason why you want to come over.” Rachel pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, while slow-witted Finn strolled along beside them with his typical clueless expression as if he didn’t quite register what was happening - but that was normal for Finn. The gigantic boy just blinked slowly at Rachel but didn’t argue when she grabbed the sleeve of his flannel shirt and pulled him along with them.  

“Whatever. Your sister’s really hot so you can’t blame me.” Brittany just shrugged, unfazed by Rachel’s disapproval.

It had all started a few weeks ago when Rachel invited Brittany and Finn over to her house to hang out after school as she had been doing for a while.

The Schuester house was more like a small mansion and the blonde teen girl was in awe as always as Finn pulled into the driveway. She knew the tiny brunette was rich but she hadn’t expected all this. Rachel had explained to Finn and Brittany that when she had been adopted by Will and Emma Schuester as a thirteen year-old, she chose to keep her original first and last name, which was why she had a different surname to her parents.

Rachel was excited to have friends, as she confessed to the two athletic teens that people had never really wanted to get close to her before so they were the first people who had ever accepted her invitation to go over to her house.

The small girl led her two best and only friends over to the kitchen table, pulling out an array of Finn’s favourites: pizza pockets, chips, string cheese and other snacks to share with the two. Finn was instantly delighted at the sight of food and began to chow down without a second thought as Rachel sighed at him stuffing his face.

Brittany was more interested in something else or rather someone else who had suddenly appeared.

“Fuck, Rachel, you seriously couldn’t warn me before you brought your dumb little friends over? I just got back from the gym!”

That was when Brittany first saw her. Her sexy angel - well, maybe demon would be more accurate.

The door to the garage slammed open and a gorgeous, raven-haired Latina swaggered in, wearing nothing but tiny black boyshorts that left barely anything to the imagination and a black sports bra with a towel thrown carelessly over her shoulders. She strutted arrogantly through the kitchen, cursing under her breath.

Her brown skin was shiny with sweat and her body was impressive. Brittany’s eyes were glued on her muscular ass, sculpted abs and the toned arms that were on full display. Her arms looked like they were strong and lightly muscular.

She had full, pouty lips, chiselled high cheekbones and the darkest, most haunting eyes the blonde had ever seen, that flashed dangerously as she turned toward Rachel and the other two, her plump, sexy lips twisting into a scowl.

Brittany’s lips parted and she couldn’t take her eyes away from the stranger. Her heart raced like it never had for anyone before.

The woman swept her long, straight, glossy black hair out of her face and crossed her leanly muscular arms over her chest as she glared in Rachel’s direction.

Though she was small, maybe even a few inches shorter than Brittany herself, her body was perfectly toned and she had a powerful, commanding presence.

“Sorry, Santana,” Rachel mumbled but just rolled her eyes, bristling at Santana’s tone. “Just leave us alone. We’re doing homework. And for goodness sake, put on some clothes!”

Even her name is pretty and sexy… Brittany thought. Finn hadn’t even looked up once, finishing his fifth pizza pocket and downing a glass of milk with his potato chips in the space of a few seconds.

“Hmph. Whatever.” Santana responded, tossing back her silky hair again flippantly.

“Hi…” Brittany husked in her most seductive, breathy tone possible with a little wave, and instinctively leaned forward to display as much cleavage as she could as she stared at Santana brazenly, with the flirty, fox eyes look she had perfected.

She dropped the pen she was holding, pretending it was accidental, bent over slowly to pick it up and then snapped back up quickly, just like Elle Woods had taught her. Legally Blonde was the one film she had memorized by heart and it came in handy at times like these.

It was the same technique Brittany had used to entice the entire football team into getting it on with her and it had always worked like a charm, so she figured it was worth a shot with Santana as well.

The blonde hadn’t been able to resist flirting with the stunning woman, who was probably somewhere in her early twenties if she had to guess her age. She had always had a thing for older men and women.

Judging by the reaction Santana had, Brittany could consider her technique to be a resounding success. Santana finally noticed the blonde and did a double take, seemingly speechless and bewildered. Brittany giggled as the black-haired girl momentarily forgot her tough girl act and walked straight into the nearest wall after seeing the tall blonde then nearly fell over on her own wobbly feet.

Once she had managed to right herself, she became flustered, embarrassed by her own dorky response, then she turned around fast and took off at full speed, slamming another door upstairs rudely.

“What a scoundrel, she is. Sorry guys, that was just my jerk big sister. She’s the worst!” Rachel told them apologetically once Santana had left.

Oh… Brittany thought, Rachel never mentioned having a sister before.

The short brunette noticed that Brittany still had a dreamy expression on her face and she thought that was weird.

“Brittany! Are you even listening?”

“Your sister’s really sexy. I’m going to marry her.” That was all Brittany got out in response, in a dazed voice.

Rachel made a sound of disgust and turned to Brittany with a grimace, as if she couldn’t think of anything more appalling.

“Ew you like Santana ? Why?”

“And you don’t think it’s the least bit inappropriate for you to have fantasies about a college student?”

Rachel frowned at the blonde as she flipped through her math textbook while Brittany lay on her back lazily on the brunette’s bed, staring up at the ceiling in a lovesick daze. Rachel’s parents, Will and Emma, were away on a business trip as they usually were, so the massive house was empty and Brittany had the feeling that Rachel was glad for the company. Rachel kept her voice low just in case anyone other than Finn, who was perched on the edge of the bed silently heard them.

“Far less one who happens to be my older sister who’s a complete beast ?! Goodness, this is so weird!”

“I like beasts. She’s just really hot and I want her.” Brittany said simply, undeterred. She didn’t understand why Rachel was being so dramatic about this. There was nothing more to it.

“No offence, Brittany, but I swear, you only ever think with your…” Rachel coughed and blushed when she remembered that an actual boy was right next to them and Rachel never liked saying inappropriate things. “Lady parts.”

Brittany just giggled, not paying much attention to Rachel and her dramatics. She went back to musing about Santana’s long, dark lashes, gorgeous, flawless caramel skin and those perfectly chiseled abs.

She’d make Santana Lopez hers, no matter what it took, even if the woman herself didn’t know that yet.

“Do you have any more of those pizza pockets?” Finn suddenly spoke up, cutting through the awkward silence. “I’m kinda hungry.”

Rachel sighed and threw down her pen violently in frustration. “Again, Finn? You just ate a full meal! Does anyone here even care about getting this assignment done except me?”

“Probably not,” Brittany replied honestly, twirling a ringlet of her hair that she had curled before coming over to Rachel’s house just to make sure she looked really cute in case Santana was there to see her around her pen. “Can I pay you to do mine?”

“Of course not! For goodness sake, Brittany Susan Pierce!” Rachel sighed in exasperation, throwing up her hands. “What would your mother think?”

“Um Rachel, I’m just gonna go get some snacks from your kitchen if that’s okay…” Finn looked up at the brunette girl sheepishly, holding his stomach as it growled loudly with a guilty look on his face.  

“I like snacks. Especially Dots,” Brittany remarked absently. “Do you have Dots?”

“Okay, fine, we’ll take a break since apparently none of us can concentrate, c’mon you two.” Rachel relented, sighing as she gestured to them to follow her like she would two fluffy, very large dogs. Brittany and Finn just smiled goofily at each other as they followed her, both excited at the prospect of food, though more so Finn.

Brittany’s eyes suddenly lit up when she thought about the chance of potentially seeing that sexy woman who lived with Rachel again. “Hey, is your sister home?”

“I don’t know,” Rachel frowned, annoyed at the mention of Santana again. “She’s probably skipping class and partying as usual. ”

“Oh…” Brittany sighed, disappointed.

She was dying to hear the unmistakable hazy, deep voice of Santana again. Rachel rolled her eyes skyward, knowing exactly what Brittany was thinking about.

“Hey Rachel, are these chicken sandwiches still good?” Finn asked, though he was already chewing on a mouthful of bread. “Mm, they’re delicious.”

Rachel didn’t hear him, too busy glaring in the direction of Santana who had just arrived minutes later and was wearing much more clothes than she was last time - how unfortunate Brittany thought - this time in a black leather jacket, high-heeled boots and super tight, black jeans. Still, the clothes were really flattering on her. Brittany’s insides felt like they’d turned to jelly, her cheeks growing hot and she was suddenly a little lightheaded.

“Nice of you to waltz in before four a.m. in the morning for once, Big Sister .” Rachel pursed her lips, crossing her arms.

Santana just narrowed her dark eyes and ignored the younger girl, sticking up her middle finger at her.

Rachel shrieked in annoyance, throwing the nearest item she could find at her sister, which happened to be her heavy chemistry textbook.

Her aim was terrible and the book missed her sister by at least four feet, bouncing off of the kitchen wall instead which made Santana laugh mockingly.

Santana made no attempt to acknowledge the presence of Rachel’s company, as if they were beneath her as she went to the fridge and spent a long time searching for something. Rachel muttered something that sounded very much like, “Big Shot, thinks she’s the queen of the universe…” under her breath.

Then the raven-haired woman whipped around fast, facing the three of them with a confused expression that quickly turned to fury. Her aggressive mannerisms reminded Brittany a lot of the moody, feral black cat she had recently adopted.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing, Porky?!” She demanded, rounding on a fearful Finn who swallowed nervously, backing away from her slowly. “Are you eating my food?! What the fuck!?”

“He didn’t know! Don’t yell at him!” Rachel jumped up and stood in front of the tall boy defensively, wagging a finger at Santana.  

“Why not? Your dumb loser friend ate all my food!” Santana groaned, throwing up her hands dramatically then she lowered her voice threateningly as she rounded on Rachel. “I’m going to kill you for this, Pipsqueak!”

“Stop being so dramatic!” Rachel shouted back at full volume, her voice becoming shrill. “And don’t call him a loser!”

“Dramatic? Look who’s talking. Oh I’m sorry did I insult your boyfriend , Rachie?” Santana taunted with a smirk, using the nickname she always used to annoy Rachel since they were little.

Rachel just blushed and glowered at her. Finn had a petrified expression around the two sisters, collapsing into himself and looking like he was desperate to get away from the tense situation while Brittany just rolled her eyes, studying her painted pink nails in her boredom.

Out of nervousness, Finn who had finished both sandwiches began grabbing handfuls of popcorn and shovelling them into his mouth rapidly. Santana gave the massive high schooler a withering look, shaking her head in disgust. “Jesus Christ, do you ever stop eating, Manboobs?”

“That’s it! If you don’t stop picking on my friends, I’m telling Mom and Dad!” Rachel shouted, completely losing her temper with Santana.  

“Tell Will and Emma what? How you’re being a little brat again picking fights with me?” Santana countered, dusting off her shoulder and unfazed by Rachel’s shrieking. “They can’t do anything to me.”

“We’ll just see about that!”

As amusing as this was, Brittany had grown tired listening to them arguing, especially when Santana was wearing way too many clothes, so she decided it was time for her to cut in. What Brittany really wanted to do was score some alone time with the resident sulky bad girl in the Schuester family but she wasn’t sure how she was going to make that happen.

“Hi, I’m Brittany. Brittany S. Pierce,” The blonde purred seductively as she casually slipped in between Rachel and Santana’s bodies, fluttering her eyelashes as she met the taller sister’s gaze and ignoring Rachel who squawked behind her, bewildered by Brittany’s actions. “We met last time.”

Santana immediately became silent and then totally flustered as she noticed Brittany. A look of something like apprehension came over her as she swallowed hard at the way the leggy blonde was looking at her.

She took a step back a foot everytime Brittany came closer, putting plenty of space between them even as her cheeks tinged red.

“Um, hi!” Santana said in a much softer, more hesitant and awkward tone than the harsh, arrogant voice she had while arguing with Rachel. She was evidently alarmed by the way Brittany was looking at her even though the blonde wasn’t actually doing anything other than watching her adoringly. “I um… have to go now!”

Santana took off again quickly just like last time, leaving Brittany pouting while Rachel just shook her head in annoyance.

“She’s so weird!” Rachel groaned, covering her face with her hands. “I just don’t understand her.”

Brittany really wanted to ask Rachel if Santana was dating anyone.

It turned out she didn’t have to as they got their answer the next day when Brittany came over to Rachel’s place after school again.

There was an elegant black Porsche parked outside on the driveway and Rachel groaned when she noticed it. Brittany realized it was probably Santana’s car.

Rachel and Brittany walked closer and gasped, getting an eyeful of something neither of them had expected.

Santana was in the backseat with a tall, curvy woman with long blonde hair sitting on the darker woman’s lap and draped over her. They were making out with Santana’s tan hands running over her back then the dark-haired girl reached down to squeeze the blonde’s ass.

They were barely dressed, Santana just wearing a black bra and unzipped jeans while the woman was completely topless as Santana hitched up her pink mini skirt.

Both of the younger girls reacted at the same time but in opposite ways.

Rachel reeled back, screaming in horror and covering her eyes. Brittany simply let out a soft “Oh” , feeling rather turned on and flushed in the face, covering her mouth with her hand as she watched the scene unfold with great interest, not taking her eyes off of it.

This was much better than even the best porn she had seen.

Once Rachel was done screaming, she kept her eyes hidden with one hand, marched purposely toward the vehicle and knocked on the window loudly. “Excuse me! What on Earth do you think you’re doing on this suburban driveway?!”

As soon as Santana saw them through the car window and heard Rachel’s scream, she pulled apart quickly from the woman and got out of the car, adjusting her clothes. Brittany just gaped at her because…wow. So hot.

“Rude. The fun police have arrived. What do you want, Little Sister?” Santana just sounded annoyed rather but not remotely ashamed.

The tall, buxom blonde college girl she was with quickly fled the scene, awkwardly passing by Brittany and Rachel on her way out of the car, her lipstick completely smudged, hair askew and ignoring the contemptuous look Rachel was sending her way.

Brittany wondered how the woman managed to run so fast in those super high heels. “You’re a total cockblock as usual.”

“Good heavens! Must you be so crude?” Rachel reprimanded Santana and Brittany winced at the shrillness. The tiny girl sounded like she was on the verge of one of her signature Rachel Berry freakouts. “You’re corrupting me and my friend with your indecency! The least you could do is keep your…lady friends to the privacy of your dungeon-like bedroom instead of… fornicating with some hussy in front of innocent school girls like us.”

Santana didn’t seem to be paying any attention to Rachel’s rant. Instead, she looked over at Brittany skeptically, arching an eyebrow at the word “innocent.” Brittany just smiled at her sweetly, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was checking Santana out again blatantly the whole time.

“Yeah whatever, Pipsqueak. Just go play with your dolls or something  - I don’t need a lecture.” She muttered, adjusting her jacket and watching Brittany suspiciously with narrowed eyes, as if she knew exactly what kind of inappropriate thoughts were going through the blonde's mind.

From then on, it kept happening whenever Brittany came over, with or without Finn or one of the other girls from their class who wanted to study with them.

Santana was always with some new fling of the week and they all mostly looked the same, tall, femme and blonde. It was never the same girl twice.

To say Rachel didn’t approve would be an understatement. She was beyond fed up with her rebellious older sister and hated that she had no control over her. In fact, the more Rachel made a scene, the more Santana seemed to look for ways to outdo herself in more scandalous ways.

“It’s so wrong. She’s always… cavorting with anything that moves and never settles down with anyone.” The short brunette complained one night after school, while Rachel’s parents Will and Emma were away on some business trip.

She was lying on her stomach on the bed and going over some math equations while Brittany sat at her desk, chewing on the back of her pen as her mind drifted to Santana’s abs again, as it always seemed to instead of paying attention to her homework. “Brittany! Are you even listening to me?”

“Yeah.” Brittany replied absently, twirling a strand of her long hair. “Santana’s really hot. I should be her girlfriend if those girls don’t want to be. I’d be way better for her. I know it.”

Rachel shrieked. “Oh my goodness, have you been listening to anything I’ve been saying? My sister is a total…barbarian! She’s twenty-one years old, she’s uncouth, she smokes, she drinks, she uses foul language and she treats her lady friends like disposable objects!”

“Yeah I know, Rachel. You’re making her more of a turn on the more you talk,” Brittany sighed, biting her lip and crossing her legs as she fanned herself. “You don’t have to convince me anymore because I already like her.”

The short brunette groaned, grimacing in disgust. “I- I’m not trying to…I can’t figure out what goes on in that interesting brain of yours, Brittany. This is highly inappropriate!”

Before the blonde could respond anymore, the girls heard what sounded like a woman’s scream and a series of high-pitched shrieks.

It was late at night and the tiny brunette girl began to panic, jumping up and grabbing the nearest object, which happened to be a giant statue of Barbra Streisand from her desk.

“Oh my, Brittany…” Rachel whispered to her fearfully. “What could that be?”

The girls shivered and huddled close together, leaning up against Rachel’s bedroom door as they heard the weird noises again. It sounded like someone was being murdered.

Actually, Brittany thought it sounded more like…

Rachel took a deep breath, gathering her nerves before pushing open her door and the two girls crept into the hallway hesitantly.

They heard the continued moaning and shrieking which sounded unmistakably female. Rachel frowned when it became obvious that it was coming from Santana’s room.

“This is unbelievable. She better not be watching horror movies again so late at night.” Rachel mumbled, so much fury on her small face that it looked almost comical.

Brittany narrowed her eyes at her short friend in disbelief but she felt her own cheeks flush. Heat crept up her chest and neck to the tips of her ears.

“ Rachel, she’s probably just having sex.” She deadpanned.

“What?! Gross!” Rachel screeched, seeing a trail of bras and panties leading towards Santana’s room. She covered her ears and kicked one of the lacy bras out of her path violently. “No, she can’t be! This is so wrong! I can’t listen to this!”

Brittany couldn’t help but continue to listen in, feeling hot all over as she could easily visualize what Santana was probably up to in her room.

It was abundantly clear that Brittany’s intuition that Santana would be amazing in bed was proven to be right.

“Ugh she is just lucky Mom and Dad aren’t home tonight! Mom is going to ground her forever when she finds out about this!” Rachel fumed, practically stomping her tiny feet in her futile anger.  

Brittany was in a complete daze when Rachel finally grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away from the scene after a long moment then pouting in exasperation when the blonde girl didn’t budge. “Brittany, no! Are you just going to stand there and listen in on them all night?!”

Eventually the door slammed open when the short girl continued to screech in impossibly loud tones that only Rachel had the lung capacity to be capable of and an irritated Santana poked her head out, growling. “Rachel Berry, what the fuck are you doing?!”

“I could ask you the same thing, Santana Lopez!” Rachel shrieked back in response, hiding behind Brittany as if the blonde could protect her from Santana’s wrath and indecency. “You seriously brought a woman over? To do… that with?!”

Brittany just turned her head to the side, trying to see if Santana was wearing anything. She could see her bare shoulders but the door was blocking everything else. Damn.

“Yeah and what of it? Scram already, in case you haven’t noticed I’m a little busy with something here,” Santana smirked, putting her hand on Rachel’s head and shoving her out of the way lightly. “It’s past your bedtime, Brat.”

Then Santana noticed Brittany’s presence once again and just gave her that same dumbfounded, wary look she always seemed to get around the teen as the blonde girl never took her eyes off of her, shaking her head in exasperation at her.

Santana cursed loudly when the sheet she was holding around her chest loosened and slipped momentarily. Brittany’s eyes tracked the movement, gasping a little as she saw more of Santana’s body than she had hoped for in her wildest dreams. Brittany wasn’t disappointed in what she saw and licked her lips.

Santana noticed where Brittany was looking and pulled the sheet up quickly to cover herself.

“You- you - both of you smartass little girls - just go!” Santana yelled, slamming her door shut and locking it behind her from the inside. “Don’t fucking bother me again!”

“Language!” Rachel shouted back at her, grabbing a dazed Brittany’s hand and pulling her back towards her bedroom with its bright gold walls and stars as she began ranting to her friend in panicked tones.

“How could she want to make love with someone if she’s not married to them or in love with them?” Rachel shook her head, as if the thought alone was astounding and too depressing to imagine. “I don’t even think she’s dating that girl.”

Brittany lay on the other side of Rachel’s bed, listening to her loud snoring. She hadn’t been able to sleep that night during their sleepover, tossing and turning almost the entire time as her hormones went crazy. She spent the next few weeks fantasizing about the hot older girl.

Two months passed by quickly, with the teenagers being caught up in studying for midterms. Since Brittany and Finn were actually attempting to study for once, they didn’t spend too much time hanging out with Rachel for a long while.

Brittany breathed a sigh of relief when exam time was finally over. Studying just gave her a headache.

“Rachel, can I come over to your house after school again?” Brittany walked up to the small girl who had been having another awkward conversation with Finn, the two of them gazing at each other shyly. “We can hang around by the pool.”

Rachel beamed at her two closest friends, clasping her hands together enthusiastically. “Sure you can! I have an idea, Let’s have a movie night at my place! It’ll be so much fun! We can do a Barbra marathon!”

Brittany frowned, thinking for a moment. “Hmm, well I was supposed to go to this keg party with Quinn and the girls on our squad at some jock’s house but I mean it would probably be boring anyway. This will be way better.”

Plus, your super hot sister might be home…

Though Brittany had hooked up with a few guys since that time, they were quite mediocre and the sounds she had heard that night and the burnished, dark skin of Santana’s sculpted body still replayed themselves in her mind quite frequently whenever she was in that kind of mood. She was already thinking of ways that she could finally seduce the woman of her dreams.

They spent the afternoon relaxing in Rachel’s swimming pool, Finn still wearing a shirt the entire time to hide his pale, massive chest and trying to disguise the fact that he was sneaking glances at Rachel in the new bikini Brittany had bought her while the blonde frolicked around, splashing water at both of them.

That night, the three of them huddled together on a mattress that was set out on the floor of the massive karaoke room in the basement of the Schuester home where Rachel’s mom and dad always held parties. Rachel even had a stage set up to perform impromptu concerts with her parents because they were all into singing so much.

Brittany was in a purple polka dot nightie while Rachel was wearing pink, long sleeved silk pajamas, so it felt just like a slumber party for the girls except for Finn being there in a Power Rangers t-shirt and sweatpants.

Surprisingly, Brittany and Finn had managed to make it through two Barbra Streisand movies without being too bored even though Brittany thought they were way too long. She started braiding Rachel’s hair whenever her mind drifted.

They had switched to Dirty Dancing, another of Rachel’s favourite movies that Brittany also liked surprisingly, considering their taste was so different, when all of a sudden Santana turned up out of nowhere, making a big scene to announce her presence as usual.

She swiped popcorn from Rachel’s bowl without asking and mumbled greetings to the other two for the first time, even though she never usually acknowledged their existence.

“Oh no, what are you doing here?” Rachel hissed in annoyance, pausing the movie as she turned to Santana in anger while Finn looked terrified by Santana's presence and moved behind Rachel, as if he thought Santana was going to really kill him in revenge for the chicken sandwich incident. “I thought you weren’t supposed to be back from your cheerleading thing until Monday!”

Santana shrugged casually and smirked. “The tournament got cancelled. What are you watching?”

Rachel cringed. “You’ll just make fun of me if I tell you. Dirty Dancing.”

“Ha!” Santana snorted derisively, laughing in Rachel’s face while the short girl glared at her, cheeks burning. “Lame!”

“You’re such a bully.”

"You're such a bully!" Santana mimicked her in a high-pitched, nasally voice.

Santana hesitated in the doorway, looking like she was unsure of what to do with herself now that she had taunted Rachel about her movie taste.

Brittany thought it was endearing how the girl seemed rather shy now that she was alone with them, her cocky smirk disappearing when Rachel wasn’t looking and she didn’t walk away even though she could have at any time.

“Did you wanna hang out with us, Santana?” Brittany asked kindly, thinking that maybe Santana was too shy to admit that she wanted to hang out and wanting her to feel welcomed. “You can watch movies with us if you want.”

Santana faltered, scowling but her confident attitude dropped for a moment as she looked stunned that Brittany would talk to directly and so boldly at that. “Why would I want to watch stupid movies with a bunch of high schoolers?”

Brittany just shrugged, grabbing some M&Ms from Finn’s bowl. “Cause it’s fun and you’ll love it.”

The black-haired woman’s lips parted in shock, taken aback but then she switched to that hardened, devil may care attitude she usually kept up all the time around everyone.

“No thanks, hard pass. I have better things to do with my Friday night than hang out with my complete dork of a little sister and her little weirdo friends.” Santana sneered coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Good because we don’t need your bad attitude and ego around here!” Rachel retorted, getting up to point her finger accusingly at Santana.

“Calm down, Rachel…” Finn whispered to her pleadingly, pulling her back before she lunged at her sister and another long argument between the two started.

“As if I care what you think,” Santana scoffed at Rachel. “Your movies suck and let’s face it, I’m way too cool to be here.”

“Okay, if that’s how you feel.” Brittany replied in a noncommittal tone and shrugged. She didn't really care if Santana was going to act arrogant and her harsh words didn't affect her.

The fact that Brittany showed no emotion and refused to argue with her seemed to frustrate her even more. Santana just marched off without a word, huffing in anger and the three teenagers continued to watch the rest of the movie in virtual silence.

Brittany rolled her eyes as Rachel and Finn would accidentally touch hands whenever they reached for the popcorn and then apologize awkwardly everytime.

It was more than obvious that they were into each other but both were way too innocent to ever make a move. It was hopeless and Brittany knew she needed to give Rachel some lessons on how to flirt properly sometime, but at the moment the blonde was too distracted by her own love life.

Ten minutes later, Santana returned to the basement and sat on the couch without explanation just as Brittany expected she was going to.

The older sister was grumbling under her breath the whole time, which Brittany thought made her even cuter and she had to stifle a giggle.

Rachel just shot Santana an infuriated look for a moment, not even bothering to ask what she was doing and just shook her head at her sister’s antics.

Brittany spent more time watching Santana than paying attention to the movie. She saw the way Santana’s dark eyes lit up and she smiled genuinely with the cutest dimples Brittany had ever seen deepening on her cheeks, invested during the dance performances, even though she didn’t squeal and fangirl over the movie like Rachel did. The younger sister constantly shrieked and grabbed a startled Finn whenever anything exciting happened in the movie.

“What?” Santana eventually snapped at Brittany. “Why are you staring at me?”

Finn and Rachel just turned around to see what the commotion was about.

“It’s a good movie, right?” Brittany asked. “You look like you’re enjoying it.”

“It’s old and corny.” Santana stated dismissively, pretending to inspect her nails… though by the looks of it, they were cut super short and practically non-existent.

“You take that back!” Rachel protested with an outraged gasp.

“Just not my thing, I guess,” Santana drawled casually, leaning back and drinking beer. “No need to get all worked up about it, Rachie.”  

Rachel wriggled her nose and made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. “You’re seriously drinking alcohol? You’re not supposed to do that in this house. There are minors here, Santana, in case you haven’t noticed! You’re so irresponsible!”

“So what? I’m older so I make the rules.” Santana muttered, sticking out her tongue at her childishly.

“Mom said you’re not supposed to drink anymore!”

“What Emma doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Jesus, you need to live a little, Rachel.” Santana chuckled. “Do you ever do anything fun at all?”

Brittany jumped up from the mattress as the argument continued, bouncing onto the couch casually and scooting over until she was sitting very close to the older sister who was watching her every move suspiciously.

Santana froze then when she finally composed herself and she began to shrink away a few inches whenever Brittany attempted to lean in closer. She leaned back so far that she practically fell off the side of the couch, completely flustered by Brittany’s actions.

At least she’s not running away from me anymore… that’s progress, Brittany thought proudly.

“What do you want?” Santana eventually demanded and Brittany giggled because she was trying to sound so scary but really wasn’t.

“Can I have some of that?” Brittany asked, pointing at the beer. “I want one.”

“Brittany!” Rachel yelled in outrage. “You can’t do that here!”

“No way…” Santana moved the beer out of Brittany’s reach. “You’re what, seventeen? I’m not gonna be responsible for corrupting Rachel’s little friends.”

“I’ve been eighteen for a few months.” Brittany argued.

“Like that’s any better,” Santana snorted, mockingly. “You’re not getting any.”

“Hmph.” Brittany pouted and rested her chin in her hands as she watched the TV glumly.

Moments later, Santana swaggered upstairs and looked up at Brittany in irritation when she followed her into the kitchen. She yelped and stepped behind the kitchen table, putting plenty of space between the two of them.

“So is this like a game where you hide and then I have to find you or the other way around?” Brittany asked in a flat tone.

“W-what?” Santana sputtered.

“I think you’re hiding something.” Brittany said with a smirk as Santana watched her nervously.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Santana muttered, rolling her eyes.

“You’re not really as bad as you try to act and I know you wouldn’t hurt me or Rachel even though you act so tough.”

“Hmph.” Santana grunted, turning away from her.

“You really just wanted to come home and hang out with us, right?” Brittany quipped, glancing at Santana knowingly. “The cheerleading thing was just a lie to Rachel. We can be your friends if you want.”

“What? That’s…ridiculous. As if.” Santana grunted. She turned around and went up to her room, ignoring Rachel and her friends for the rest of the night because she had “better things to do,” even though Brittany knew she was miserable but her pride wouldn’t let her admit that.

To Be Continued

[fumikomiyasaki]

💏 with either Mel and Tyler, (she's under Rachel's influence) Carol and James (with Gracia) or Forte and Greg (only doing it for a modeling shot)

(I just came back from pain and get more pain... welp this will hurt... )

Kissing someone else ask

He noticed something was off. Trying to call Mel giving some clothing advice she usually would go on the phone imidiatly... he somewhat was not satisfied to hear less of her these days. Especially cause he finally did notice he took a liking to her... so he went out to find her in person... mainly cause he hoped to see if she is fine... what surprised her is that he did find her in His school of all places however... she was occupied... she was right now kissing Flynn out of all people... what to him at this point it made sense. He flirted with her a lot, he charmed her... he might be annoying but he would protect her... so he left the scene... he didn't understand why he was so upset though... and what he didn't know as he left was that Rachel was the one making a copy of Flynn to kiss her... so in actuality... he didn't even kiss her... Tyler started to work again tk get distracted... but at one time got so pissed he tore some fabric apart by accident... and this led to him having a restless night beating himself up and hating the world for his own feelings.... eventually he did start to lose tears and passed out...

(Next one has for the joke sake of the last ask a guest appearance by @rosietrace Azure)

She had finally gathered her courage to try to tell James how she felt... she did prepare to give him a visit at his school as he usually did and got some advice from Melanie what to wear and how to ask him... her heart was beating out of her chest and she hoped her best she could finally tell him about her feelings... as she arrived in RSA Fabio pointed her the way... however....

As she saw what happened she dropped everything she was holding instantly... seeing James being kissed by Gracia... who she was actually kinda get along too... teats well up in her face... the worst is that he even did notice her after his kiss with her...

"Carol, I...."

And as he called after her she ran away quickly... the letter she wanted to give him left behind and her heart feeling pierced like a sword in her chest... it hit even more given she was friends with Gracia and to see her take him away... she felt just like the worst...

She hid in a corner and continued to cry as a familiar student found her.

"Carol... are you alright?"

It was Azure whom she often spend time with as well... often reading with him in the Library...

"I just want to be alone...please just stay away..."

"Hey... maybe you need someone to cry out on... if you do... you know where you can find me."

"W-wait... I g-guess you are right..."

Her tears still didn't stop and she still felt pain in her whole body but... it's best to at least try to cope with it and learn from this than to continue to well in misery... and so she left with him for the Library to relax... sending Mel one text...

"I am sorry but... my plan has failed.... I think for now I need general distance..."

The worst she had in her mind was... leaving the letter behind he now fully well knew her feelings... and to her that's even worse then finding out about it and leaving him be...

Gregory just wanted to get over it... he did agree to join the shoot Forte was part off but... he just got bored after a while... at least until he found out that the she had to kiss the so called male actor he nearly had to be hold back cause he jealousy kicked in...

"It's just one kiss..."

"I don't want him to get what I want... I don't want any guy to take you away from me..."

"He won't don't worry... after this I give you tenfold more kisses..."

He sighed and then sat down... but as he saw the kiss he accidentally slammed some damage into a wall out of rage...

He did promise to pay for it but half of the night he was in a mega foul mood... at least until she did spoil him after.

[leslie-lyman]

Stranger At My Gate - Chapter 9 (Pero Tovar x modern!OFC)

A time-traveling Pero. A modern woman trying her best. A kitchen full of possibility. A helping of Midwest kindness. A dash of magic. And a lot of Christmas spirit.

pairing: Pero Tovar x modern!OFC

rating: E 🚨 [18+ ONLY, minors DNI]

warnings: so there’s no actual smut in this chapter, sorry y’all, but we’re just keeping the rating where it is; like the smallest possible lil allusions to sexy times; probably super inaccurate depictions of how book publishing actually works; aaaaaaangst

word count: 6.4k

a/n: 😶

Previous chapter.

Masterlist.

———

Nine.

Henry comes to pick Pero up just after 8 the next morning. Tessa hopes she’s adequately hiding how nervous she is. She has no reason to believe Pero won’t want to stay. That he wouldn’t choose to be with her. But the imminent prospect of having that conversation with him and finding out for sure still twists her gut and makes her hands shake.

“Pero,” she says out loud to her empty kitchen, wrestling with herself and trying to rehearse what she’s going to say.

“Can we talk?”

No, sound like you have some confidence, come on.

“We need to talk.”

No, any conversation that starts that way never ends well.

“I want to talk to you about something.”

Better.

“I think you should stay. With me. And not go back through the Gate. I want you to stay.”

Not the most eloquent you’ve ever sounded. Didn’t you used to argue in courtrooms for a living?

“Ugh, fuck me.”

That’s more direct, at least.

Barely ten minutes have elapsed since Henry’s car left her driveway when Tessa’s internal debate is interrupted by her phone ringing.

The number of people Tessa would actually answer a call from would not require all her fingers to count, but her agent is absolutely one of them.

“Rachel?”

“Tessa!” The other woman practically yells, instantly reminding Tessa that Rachel Owen’s default state is best described as exceptionally caffeinated.

“Congratulations on finishing the first full draft of your book last week, that is fucking huge.”

Talking with Rachel always made Tessa feel like she was catching up with an old friend - if that catching up were taking place inside a tornado. Rachel was a born-and-bred New Yorker who used her seemingly endless energy to both go to bat for and fiercely protect the authors she took under her wing.

“Listen, I’m calling with glad tidings of great joy. You will never ever guess what I got you for Christmas.”

“Oh, Rachel, you didn’t have to -“

“I got you a meeting with Ed Finley.”

Rachel pauses for what feels like dramatic effect.

“Rachel, am I supposed to know who that is?”

Her agent huffs and Tessa just knows she is rolling her eyes.

“Ed. Finley. The editorial director of Hachette Livre UK.”

Tessa’s gasp is audible. Rachel’s just named the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom.

“Does that mean - ”

“We’re selling the international rights to your book! Well, almost, it’s not a done deal, but I sent your manuscript to my contact over there and they passed it on up to Ed and apparently he loved it. He wants to meet in person before anybody signs anything, though. Very old-school that way. But I’m sure after a few minutes in your charming company we’ll be dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.”

Tessa half-collapses down onto her couch. Her current contract was just for the book to be sold in the United States. Publishing outside the country, as Rachel had walked her through more than a year ago when Tessa had signed with her, was a completely different process. Selling the international rights to a book meant new separate contracts, sorting out translation rights, another advance paycheck, a whole new audience and potential source of royalties. And getting published in the UK meant getting a foothold in Europe, not to mention the British Commonwealth, making it easier for Rachel to generate additional interest in the book and for contracts to publish in additional countries in additional languages to follow, even contracts for books beyond this first one. The potential professional and financial implications were huge.

And if Ed wants to meet her in person, that’s more than fine. Tessa’s head spins for a moment with ideas of flying to London to chat with him, presumably after the holidays. It’s been over a decade since her semester abroad there and she’s missed it dearly. Maybe she could even figure out a way to have Pero come with her -

“I - oh my god, Rachel, I don’t know what to say. This is amazing. When does he want to meet?”

“Okay so don’t shoot the messenger but - today at four.”

Tessa swears she can hear the cartoon sound effect of tires screeching to a halt.

“Wait, what?”

“I know! Apparently he’s in New York right now for a few days and can squeeze you in this afternoon. I know it’s last-minute but this all just came together so fast - ”

“Wait, wait, wait, Rachel. He’s in New York? He wants to meet, with me, at four pm today…in New York?”

“Yes, haven’t you been listening? Don’t worry about it, it’s all being arranged by my assistant as we speak. Plane tickets, hotel, the works. Just throw some shit in a bag and get your ass to O’Hare pronto.”

“Hotel? Rachel, I can’t just, I can’t just leave, I have - I have something I have to -“

“Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow, can’t it? Look, if it will make you feel better, I promise we will get you on the first flight home in the morning. Come out here, meet with this guy, and then while you’re here let me take you to meet with some other folks. My agency’s big annual Christmas party is tonight - people from all over the publishing world are going to be there, I’m talking publicists, food writers for national outlets, buyers for booksellers of all sizes. You’ve done the hard part, you’ve written the thing, now it’s time to really start hyping you up. Especially if you have a freshly signed international rights contract to brag about! And all of this happening on the same day? It’s fate, Tessa. Kismet. Meant to be.”

Tessa cycles through a litany of responses but can’t quite articulate any of them. Rachel must be able to tell that she’s floundering, because the next time she speaks, it’s with a quiet reassurance.

“Tessa, honey, this is a great thing. I know it’s sudden, but it’s going to be fine. I will be there with you every step of the way. That’s my job, remember?”

Nerves. That’s what Rachel thinks it is. That the meeting is the source of Tessa’s trepidation, rather than the timing. Tessa lets herself fall back against the cushions with a heavy exhale.

“It has to be today?”

“Gotta strike while the iron is hot, babe. Plus I already told Ed’s assistant yes.”

Tessa can hardly fault Rachel for that. The process of publishing may be lengthy, but there are moments where things move fast. And if you didn’t act right then to meet the moment, it would pass you by. It reminds Tessa a lot of her previous profession, the way cases could drag on for years but when the circumstances were just right to reach a deal, you acted, and hoped you were quick enough.

“I want to be on the first flight out tomorrow, Rachel. I have to be back as early as possible.”

“You got it. Check your email, all the details should be there in the next few minutes. I’ll see you soon.”

The call ends.

Sure enough, flight and hotel confirmations are already in Tessa’s inbox. Tessa does the math in her head. The flight from O’Hare leaves in three hours, factoring in the change to central time. On a decent day the drive from Grennich takes just over ninety minutes. She factors in ten minutes to pack a bag, another ten to get from the parking lot to the main terminal once she gets to the airport, a solid thirty for security given the probable start of the holiday crowds…

She can make it. But there’s no time to stop at Henry’s on the way, no way she can have the conversation she needs to have with Pero before she gets on a plane. And this is not the kind of chat she should be having over the phone. Even if it were with someone who understood how to use a phone.

Her return flight gets her back mid-morning. If all goes smoothly she could be right back where she’s currently sitting just after noon tomorrow.

She can do this. She can make this work.

It’s with crossed fingers that she throws her overnight bag into the passenger seat twelve minutes later, hoping she’s packed all the things she needs through the blind panic of trying to race against the clock.

She calls Henry from her car.

“Tee, you’ve got to be kidding me,” he says when she’s done catching him up.

“I know.”

“I mean, this is amazing, and I’m so happy for you, you know that I am, but the fucking timing - ”

“I know. Just…just tell Pero I’ll be back tomorrow, okay? And that there are tons of leftovers in the fridge?”

Henry’s sigh is a crackle of static over the phone.

“Tee - ”

“Please, Hank. It’s not like I meant for all this to happen today. What else am I supposed to do?”

Tessa hears a faint rumble of noise in the background followed by the loud squeak of brakes releasing.

“Shit, the delivery guys are here. Yes, alright, I’ll tell Pero you’ll be back tomorrow. But then you need to tell him everything else the second you get back, okay?”

“I will,” Tessa vows.

“And Tee?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really fucking proud of you, y‘know?”

Tessa’s vision goes slightly watery.

“I know,” she says. “But look, I’m about to merge onto the tollway so I can’t get all mushy. Just keep Pero in one piece for me, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, quit your worrying. I promise I won’t let Pero throw his back out or anything over the course of the morning.”

Tessa grins.

“Well good, cause you know, throwing his back out is really more my job - ”

“Good-bye, Tess.”

———

She makes her flight, but it’s a near thing.

In the blink of an eye her plane is landing, and her cab gets her to her hotel in Manhattan with just enough time for Tessa to drop her bag and spend two minutes attempting to no longer look like she’s spent the last several hours rushing across nearly half a dozen states to get here.

Rachel meets her in the lobby, the much taller agent leaning down to immediately fold her into an embrace.

“You look great,” Rachel assures her. “You ready?”

A quick Uber ride drops them off in front of what looks like a private townhome near Gramercy Park. When they enter, it’s clear that it once was indeed a stately residence, but its rooms are now filled with intimate tables and clusters of plush antique furniture.

A tea house, Tessa realizes, biting back a small smile at the slightly cliché notion that her meeting with an Englishman is to be conducted over afternoon tea.

The Englishman in question is seated at a table tucked into a corner near an elaborate antique fireplace. Ed Finley is a balding man in his late fifties. He has the lean build of someone with the dedication and discipline to get in an early morning swim more days than not. His gray tweed jacket and maroon sweater call to mind images of the ivy-covered walls and wood-paneled offices of many English literature departments. If such things were still allowed indoors, Tessa imagines he’d be smoking a pipe.

He stands to greet them with a warm hello and a friendly handshake. Tessa likes him immediately.

For the next hour she, Ed, and Rachel trade pleasant conversation over tea sandwiches of smoked salmon and cream cheese, cucumber and mint, and coronation chicken, raisin-studded scones with dollops of clotted cream and raspberry jam, colorful macarons and chocolate petit fours. Tessa tries not to devour everything with inelegant speed, having not eaten since breakfast many hours before. She orders a pot of Earl Grey and, as her British compatriots taught her during her semester in London, pours a splash of milk into her cup first before filling it the rest of the way with the tea. Ed, she notes with some satisfaction, appears pleasantly surprised at her process.

When the three of them are down to their last lukewarm dregs of tea, Ed finally broaches the subject Tessa has come all this way to discuss.

“I appreciate you coming out here on such short notice, Ms. Walsh. You may think it strange to ask to meet in person - I already have your manuscript, and Ms. Owens here was kind enough to provide extensive information about your career thus far and metrics on your substantial online following. But I find that it is always better to speak to someone face-to-face before agreeing to take them on as an author. There is no substitute for basic human connection, for time spent together when deciding to enter into business with a person, and that strategy has not steered me wrong in thirty years.”

Tessa thinks of her Gift, currently manifesting as a contented flicker of warmth somewhere in the vicinity of her now-full belly as she speaks with Ed, quiet and calm like a cat lazing in the sun.

“I don’t think it’s strange at all, Mr. Finley.”

He swirls the remaining tea around the bottom of his cup, then drains it.

“There is something in the way you write about food, Ms. Walsh, and the preparing of it. Uncomplicated, approachable, earnest. And such a sense of, well, I suppose I’d call it a sense of love. Particularly in the last few recipes you’ve posted on your site this month.”

Tessa’s eyebrows lift in surprise.

“You’ve read those?”

“Indeed,” he nods. “The love you have for this craft comes through quite strongly, but also the love you seem to have towards those for whom you are cooking. You write as though you treat food as a gift, as an act of service, as an expression of love for those with whom you share your table. Whoever that is, I find myself somewhat envious. They must surely have been eating exceptionally well of late.”

A heated blush creeps into Tessa’s face.

“That’s very kind of you to say, Mr. Finley. I believe, well, I certainly hope you are right.”

Ed pulls a pair of thick reading glasses from his breast pocket and fishes several sheets of paper from the briefcase resting on the chair next to him.

“I sent this over to Ms. Owens for her to review earlier today, but this is the contract to purchase the international rights to your book that we’d like to offer you.”

Rachel had told her in the car ride over that there were no red flags in the fairly standard contract; if anything, it was generous, especially for a first-time author.

Tessa reads it over. The additional advance for the international edition of her book is healthy, healthier than she’d been expecting.

It’s scary, sometimes, to have your dreams come true. When she’d signed her original contract Tessa's hands had been shaking so badly with nerves and excitement and disbelief that she’d needed two tries to successfully write her signature. But this time, it’s with confidence and a steady grip that she inks her name on the contract, then passes it to Rachel so that she can do the same.

“I look forward to working with you, Ms. Walsh,” Ed says with a kind smile as he gathers the papers together and stands to leave. “And have a merry Christmas.”

Tessa somehow waits until she and Rachel are back in an Uber before burying her face in her hands and emitting a high-pitched squeal.

“That could not have gone better, babe!” Rachel says, triumphant and pulling Tessa into a hug. “Now, we celebrate. Properly, with booze. The second you get changed we’ll head to the agency’s party, where I believe there will be a number of glasses of champagne with our names on them.”

Tessa can only nod against Rachel’s shoulder, not trusting herself to speak, and only thinking of how much she can’t wait to tell Pero.

———

The party passes in a blur.

It’s in some fancy hotel ballroom just north of Midtown, blue and purple uplighting reflecting garishly off the silver-edged mirrors lining the walls. A live band plays jazzy covers of Christmas songs interspersed with Top 40, and there are no fewer than five full, open bars. Tessa clutches a glass of champagne and tries not to tug nervously at the hem of her dress. It’s been too long since she’s done this, since she’s made herself all fancy and socialized with people. Since she had to be on. She actually put on a full face’s worth of makeup for this and she’s pretty sure her mascara expired sometime around last Easter.

She falls back into a technique she hasn’t used since her days of navigating Chicago’s high-profile, money-soaked legal scene and lets her Gift guide her, letting it dictate her reaction to each new person Rachel introduces her to. She can’t force her Gift into action, but instead tries to open herself up to that sense of intuition, not questioning the way she just knows that this person appreciates a particularly firm handshake, or the feeling that this woman genuinely wants to know about her book while another is just asking to be polite, and Tessa tailors her answers accordingly. She dedicates more time to chatting with a writer for Cherry Bombe when her Gift gives her nothing but a feeling of warmth and trust when the person introduces themselves, and excuses herself from a conversation with a publicist as soon as possible when her Gift immediately morphs into a queasy, slimey notion in the pit of her stomach the moment he walks up to her.

For all she frets about the timing of this trip, there’s no denying her excitement about the things happening with her career. Anxiety about the timing of it all interrupting her plans to ask Pero to stay hasn’t diminished the pride and elation she feels about the new contract, or the thrill of what might come of the conversations she’d had and contacts she’d made at the party tonight. Rachel had been right to convince her to come out for this.

Tessa also thinks about the possibilities for Pero. What would he think of being in a big city? She’d likely be traveling a bunch in the fall when her book came out to promote it - maybe Pero could come with her. The places she could show him, the foods she could introduce him to. The things they might be able to do, together.

After several hours, two full rounds of the ballroom, and three total glasses of champagne, Tessa makes her excuses to Rachel and extricates herself from the party. It’s late for Tessa but still early for New York, and her hotel is a short enough distance from the party that she chooses to walk. It’s a cold but clear night in the city, the street lined with storefronts that boast impressive holiday window displays that blaze brightly even at the late hour.

The bright twinkle of lights catches Tessa’s eye a few blocks from her hotel and she makes a detour, not having realized she was staying so close to such an iconic Christmas landmark.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree towers over its accompanying ice rink, which is still open and full of skaters. The tree is even bigger than it looks on television, thousands upon thousands of lights working valiantly to keep the second-longest night of the year at bay. A speaker system is blaring Christmas music and Tessa joins several other passersby at the railing above the ice rink to take in the unmistakable, unavoidable, overwhelming sense of Christmas the scene imparts upon even the most casual, fleeting viewer.

She fishes her phone out of her pocket and snaps a few pictures, and a series of desires rolls through her with increasing speed and force, like a snowball gathering size and momentum down a hill. Wishing that she could send these to Pero, that she could call him, talk to him, hear his voice -

That he were here.

This last one sticks in her throat. God, she misses him. For as much as she’s resisted having the conversation about having him stay, suddenly, it’s all she wants to do. For one crazy moment, she imagines calling Henry and asking him to drive to her house and wake Pero up, the thought of having to wait another twelve hours at minimum to tell him how she feels all at once seemingly unbearable.

The old-timey, slightly uncomfortable romanticism of Baby, It’s Cold Outside playing over the speakers fades away, replaced by the decidedly unromantic tones of Alvin and the Chipmunks harmonizing about how impatient they are for Christmas to arrive. Tessa shakes her head and smiles to herself, letting her own moment of impatience subside, resolved that her feeling from earlier this morning (and god, had it really just been this morning?) that this was a conversation that should only be had face-to-face is still correct.

She lingers for a few more songs, basking in the slightly hypnotic radiance of the tree, before making the rest of her way to her hotel. The full weight of the day finally hits her as she gets back to her room and peels off her dress, exhaustion pulling at her limbs. It takes several attempts with the hotel soap to wash her makeup off, and even then she doesn’t feel like she’s gotten all of it. But her face looks and feels more like her own now, even if a smudge of eyeliner still lingers.

After several years of sleeping alone, it’s remarkable how odd it now feels to be in bed by herself after just three weeks of sharing her bed with Pero. It doesn’t feel right; there should be a wall of solid warmth stretched out alongside her, the broad planes of Pero’s chest pressed against her back. An arm draped over her stomach, fingers brushing the underside of her breasts. The steady sound of his breathing in her ear. The impressive outline of his cock nestled against her ass. That intangible sense of being safe, of being wanted, of being cared for that settles over her like a favorite blanket whenever Pero is near, even as he sleeps.

One night, she thinks. One night without him, and then, hopefully, never again.

———

Pero cannot believe that he once found Tessa’s house to be full of noise. Sounds made by the modern comforts of the house have faded into the background for him. And without Tessa occupying it, it seems quiet, dull, empty, the person who breathed life into the house, that made it a home, no longer there.

Henry does his best to explain to Pero what’s happened, the circumstances leaving Tessa with little choice but to leave with no notice and a promise to return the following day. Her brother offers to host Pero for the remainder of the afternoon, but Pero politely declines, not wanting to intrude on Henry and Martin’s last bit of time together alone before heading, as Henry had told Pero as they wrestled the new treadmill into place, to spend the rest of the week with Martin’s extended family.

But after Henry brings him back to Tessa’s house, Pero isn’t sure what to do with himself. If Tessa were here, he might help her in the kitchen with a few last batches of Christmas cookies she’d been planning to make and deliver to some of her friends in town as early gifts. Maybe he’d watch her work on a few end-of-year posts for her blog before coaxing her away from her computer and onto his lap, slipping his fingers beneath the waistband of her leggings to give her a well-deserved break. Or maybe he’d simply tuck her beneath his chin and ask her to put on a movie to watch before dinner, the soft presence of her cuddled against him its own kind of pleasure.

But without her, there’s no routine, no tasks, no work, no pleasurable activity to be had. He considers what he’d used to do in such situations: care for his horse, clean and sharpen his weapons, worry about where he was going to sleep that night and where his next meal was going to come from. But none of those is an option now, the realities of Tessa’s time rendering them all moot.

The hours pass slowly, the only eventful moment the one where Pero digs into Tessa’s fridge to find some kind of meal for himself, a pale and meager imitation of what Tessa would no doubt pull together if she were here.

When he decides to turn in for the night, he automatically heads for Tessa’s room, but pauses in the doorway.

It feels so different without her here, and for the first time since she led him into her room he has doubts about whether he’d be welcome. This space is hers more than anywhere else in the house, even the kitchen, and while he’s always eager to share it with her, he’s not sure it’s right for him to sleep there without her. It feels like he’s intruding.

He retreats to the other bedroom and it seems so bare and cold and impersonal, an assessment of his sleeping quarters that would never have bothered him in the past. He slips between the sheets and they smell only of the soap they’ve been washed with, no hint of Tessa’s floral shampoo or the sweet cherry-scented lotion she always puts on before bed.

The tiny clock on the bedside table ticks away the minutes in the darkness and sleep refuses to claim Pero. He considers getting up and padding across the hall to the other room, trying to reason that Tessa most likely would not mind at all, and in any case, would never have to know.

It wouldn’t be the same, it wouldn’t be anywhere near the same as her being there, but he wonders if there’s enough of a ghost of her presence in the space to quiet his mind and soothe his restless body. But as the clock ticks steadily onward, he ultimately stays where he is, finally drifting off into a restless sleep.

———

Pero wakes the next morning to cold, gray skies. Little sunlight makes it through the clouds, leaving the house full of lingering shadows.

Tessa will be back today, Henry had said, though he’d not indicated precisely when.

Tessa had mentioned the likelihood that she’d need to travel more once her book came out. It makes somewhat intuitive sense to Pero, for it seems difficult to gin up interest in and sell a book to many people from the comfort and confines of your own home.

How long she would be gone, she hadn’t said. But is this what it would be like, he wonders? Him, alone in this house, idle and dependent and useless? Just waiting for her to come back?

Perhaps he could go with her.

But this scenario fills Pero’s head with troubles too. Tessa has worked so hard and so long on her book. She deserves for it to be a success, to keep making her way in the world on her own skills and her own merit so that she never has to return to the kind of work that had made her so unhappy before.

Pero fears she cannot do that if he were there. She’s been so patient with him, so endlessly patient during his time here. Every time they go somewhere, she’s always so attentive, making sure he understands things, that he’s not confused or scared or alarmed by anything he encounters, and making sure no one else has reason to be suspicious of his reactions to elements of modern life.

But it also means he’s a distraction. He would not want to pull Tessa’s focus away from her work and he cannot decide what might be worse: that she would never waver from her dedication to looking out for him, even at the expense of other parts of her life, or that one day…one day, her patience might run out. That one day, the care and kindness in her eyes might be replaced with resentment.

He fears that no matter how much time he spends in this century, he will never truly adjust to it. That he will never know enough about this world to move through it with any sort of ease.

That he will never be enough.

You really think you can hold onto her? Be there for her? Keep up with her?

Take it from someone who also couldn’t measure up in the end: one way or another - next week, next year, someday - you will lose her.

He knows he should not allow Ryan’s words to affect him so. He knows what kind of man Tessa’s ex-fiancé is, he knows just how little value he should assign to his judgment.

And yet.

He can’t help but feel something about Ryan’s harsh assessment struck true. Pero replays their encounter over and over in his mind.

Take it from someone who also couldn’t measure up.

But oh, how Pero wants to. How he wishes he could.

He’s gotten used to the sight of his reflection in the mirror above the bathroom sink over the past seven weeks. Seeing his every feature in crystal clear detail is no longer a shock, but for the first time since he arrived here, Pero stands at the mirror this morning and looks, really looks, at himself.

Weeks of rich and regular meals have softened his body; there’s a little extra padding along his belly that wasn’t there before. The harsh lines of his face have been smoothed out somewhat, the sharp edges of his jaw and cheekbones blunted.

But no amount of Tessa’s cooking can erase the scar from his face, the thick red line of tissue still marking him as a man who has seen far too much violence. Nearly two months of idleness hasn’t coaxed the harsh, untrusting glint from his eyes, nor untwisted the near-constant scowl from his lips. The more he looks at himself, the more the changes his time with Tessa have wrought look and feel like an ill-fitting mask, a hastily constructed facade that does a poor job of hiding the true man underneath.

You’ll never get what you want from this, he had once told William when his friend had tried to convince him to stay and defend the Wall and its people. You think they see you as some kind of hero? A man of virtue? Maybe you can fool them, but I know what you are. You know what you are: a thief, a liar, and a killer. And you can never undo the things you have done.

He’d been trying to goad William into a reaction. He’d been trying to convince him not to stay and fight in a situation where death seemed all but certain. He’d been trying to hide how afraid he was that William would refuse to leave anyway. It had been a purposefully harsh judgment of his friend. Unjustly so.

But even if the things Pero had said hadn’t been true about William, he knew they were true about himself.

And he knew there were no happy endings, not for men like him. Not for thieves, liars, killers. Not for cowards. There was only survival until your luck ran out. The past seven weeks had been a sort of dream, a wondrous fantasy of the kind of life he might have been able to lead had he been born in a better time.

If he’d been born a better man.

But all dreams must come to an inevitable end.

Pero had been alone before. He could learn to do it again.

———

The morning of the solstice finds New York blanketed in the kind of gray, grimey cloud cover that embodies the phrase in the bleak Midwinter. Freezing rain begins to fall during Tessa’s cab ride to the airport and, in hindsight, was probably the first sign of how this day was about to go.

Tessa’s flight, as Rachel had promised, is an early one. But winter weather stretching across the Midwest and along the East Coast has delayed incoming flights to New York despite the local conditions being merely cold and annoying, not debilitating. Fortunately the plane Tessa is meant to get on makes it in from Nashville, albeit an hour or so later than intended.

Time slows to a crawl. Once she’s finally on the plane, Tessa knows it can’t be taking any longer than usual to get everyone settled on the 737, but it feels like the least efficient boarding process of all time. They push back from the gate nearly ninety minutes off schedule.

Then they wait for another twenty minutes for the plane to get de-iced.

Then there’s another nearly half an hour of sitting on the tarmac waiting for the backlog of planes lined up next to the runway to take off.

By the time her flight actually gets into the air, Tessa is clenching her teeth so tightly her jaw begins to ache, the frustration of being helpless to make the process of getting home to Pero go any faster making her want to tear her hair out.

On top of all of that, she spends most of the two-hour flight gripping her armrests for dear life, the rough weather across the Midwest offering no smooth path for the plane no matter the altitude.

It’s not until she makes it to Chicago, gets into her car, cranks up the heater, and starts navigating her way out of O’Hare that she realizes that what she’s feeling isn’t just lingering anxiety over the rough plane ride. It isn’t just nervousness about her conversation with Pero, or leftover adrenaline from yesterday, or a desire to get home after being delayed.

Underneath all of those things is her Gift, trying to warn her that something is wrong.

It’s the tell-tale feeling of cold, black dread hooking itself into her lungs, of ice spreading up her spine and lodging in her throat. It’s the feeling of invisible smoke and grit surrounding and covering her that makes her want to scratch and rub at her skin to make it go away.

It steals her breath and only years and years of learning to live with and react to her Gift keeps Tessa steady at the wheel.

Fear wraps itself around her heart.

Who? She silently shrieks at her Gift. Who am I going to lose this time?

But somewhere, down deep in her being, Tessa already knows, even if she doesn’t have the strength to admit it to herself.

She considers calling Henry, or Amie, or Moira, and asking them to check on Pero. But her phone is some side pocket of her bag that’s sliding around in the backseat, and Tessa doesn’t dare attempt to fish it out while she’s driving. She could pull over, she could take two minutes to stop and find it, but the idea of even the smallest additional delay makes her want to scream. Instead, she flexes her hands against the steering wheel and resists the urge to obsessively count each mile marker she passes.

There’s no denying the holiday travel rush has begun; there’s definitely more traffic on the tollway than there was yesterday, enough to slow things down. Tessa hits thirty minutes on the road, then sixty, then ninety, each half-hour feeling like a year, and she’s still a good distance out from home. She flips through radio stations constantly, no song or commercial or DJ able to hold her attention for longer than a few seconds. Even Christmas music neither distracts nor calms her the way it usually does, not with vehicles constantly surrounding her on every side, hindering her ability to push past the speed limit.

Ninety minutes becomes two hours. Then two and a half. This day is starting to feel like a terrible dream, the kind where you know you have to be somewhere, you have to do something, but the more you fight to move the more the universe pushes back against you until you feel like you’re trying to run through a swimming pool of molasses. The kind of dream where you always wake up before you get to where you need to be.

Storm clouds building off Lake Michigan start to roll across the sky like an omen, chasing away what little sun there is even earlier than usual on the shortest day of the year. Mid-afternoon starts to rapidly feel like twilight and Tessa is twenty minutes from home when the wind picks up with a sudden newfound ferocity. Snowflakes begin to fall and Tessa drives as quickly as she dares, trying to make it home before conditions deteriorate too far.

Hurry, hurry, hurry the gray-blue wall of clouds seems to say as it pushes unceasingly across the horizon. Hurry home, little witch, and hope you are fast enough.

Finally, finally Tessa turns into her driveway, the back end of her car threatening to fishtail at her speed and increasingly slick conditions. She barely takes the time to throw the vehicle into park and turn it off before racing up the steps to her front door.

“Pero, I’m home!” She calls as she bursts in, trying to keep the panic from her voice. But the house is dark and silent, the only lights on are the ones on her tree, set to a timer.

Something is definitely wrong.

“Pero?” Tessa shouts again, hastily checking the rest of the house. There’s no sign of him. And even more worrying, everything he’d arrived on her doorstep with is gone: his swords, his dagger, his clothes.

And the pendant.

No, no, please, no -

Tessa runs back outside and stands under the eaves of her porch, squinting out into the dim remaining light where the snow has now begun to come down in earnest.

When she’d left the day before, the existing snow cover across her front yard had been undisturbed. Now, there is a single set of footprints leading away from the house and towards the woods. Towards the Gate.

Her Gift is a dull roar in her ears as Tessa comes to the inevitable, unmistakable, undeniable conclusion it’s been trying to warn her about:

Pero is gone.

Chapter 10.

———————————————————————

a/n: I know. I know. But reminder that this is not the end. There is one more chapter left, folks. Deep breaths.

[itsbeaconhillsbaby]

distractions || tom holland x reader

a/n: I cannot believe I've now written three of these and actually posted them on here but I've had such lovely responses and you guys are such wonderful readers, so if you’ve liked misty morning, CLPS or this fic - thank you so much for reading! means the world. I still have a bunch of ideas I want to tackle, but thought I'd see what you guys felt about me possibly opening up requests in the future? would anyone be interested in that? let me know, and as always don’t be afraid to send me a message, lets be friends yo x  word count: 1127 warnings: none, its just fluffy summary: tom completes a day of zoom interviews whilst you work upstairs, except its the first day of your trip in atlanta and you haven't seen your boyfriend in weeks...

You stumble in between Tom’s legs, laughing as he pulls you closer into him until you end up perched on his knee; ring lights, cameras, phones and a laptop all set up on the counter in front of him. “Don’t touch the hair!” Rachel warns. You hold your hands up in mock innocence as she smirks, winding up the hairdryer and gathering her brushes before sneaking out and into the smaller room next door. A small station was set up just out of shot with all the products she’d used, as they would be needed to touch up Tom later during his long day of interviews. You wind your arms around his neck, as he curls his around your waist. You restrain yourself from playing with the tendrils of slightly curling hair sitting at his nape. “Good to see you dressed appropriately this time, Holland,” you tease. He tilts his head back and to the side, pretending to be offended, eyes creasing slightly at the edges giving away how amused he was. “Oh yeah?” You press your lips together, mouth twitching as you nod in response. He sighs, “Sorry about all this, when I flew you out here I completely forgot how much time press would take up. You wanna decide what you want for dinner and we’ll order in tonight?” Keeping one hand firmly around your waist, he brings the other to brush some of your hair out of your face, tucking it into place behind your ear instead, sweeping a thumb back along your cheekbone. You felt your face lean into his touch. The minute Harry had text you regarding Tom’s latest on-set injury, after checking it was nothing dangerously serious, you asked him to make sure Tom called you that night. Despite the reassurances, you wanted to see for yourself that everything was fine. As well as that, you knew he wouldn’t be too happy with an injury especially if it was going to push production back, and you knew he would need to vent. You’d be lying if you said you were surprised when he asked you to come and spend the week with him. It wasn’t long until he was home for good, and whilst on a tight deadline with your own work, you thought you’d bite the bullet anyway and before you knew it you were being flown to Atlanta. “I have plenty to keep me busy. I just like knowing you’re here, plus I can nip down in between interviews-” you softly nudge his nose with your own, before gently sweeping his mouth with yours. You feel those flutters in the depths of your stomach, continuing to speak as you speckle kisses across his jaw, “-as you do make a pretty good distraction.” This time he took control, bringing your lips together again, pushing further and harder this time. Your eyes fluttered shut, and you pressed closer, you’d twisted your body round enough that your torsos were pressed into each other. Landing late last night, you knackered from your flight and Tom sleepy from his previous busy day at work, plus slightly drowsy from some pain medication, you had both basically curled around each other and fallen straight into bed, sleep coming almost instantly. “Hey, you are not going to use me as an excuse to procrastinate! You have a deadline.” he says, in between peppering kisses along your jaw and down your neck slightly. “Oh, really?” you pull back, before fully shifting off his good knee and standing up. “I’m going to procrastinate with or without you around, Holland,” you said with a wink, opening the door to the hallway, “let me know what you prefer.” Tom stared at you slack jawed, your laugh ringing out in the hallway as you left him to his interviews. //// You were deep in concentration. Your brow furrowed, as you frowned at your laptop screen, gliding the cursor back and forth trying to find that perfect sweet spot to cut the video. You were editing a promotional video for a big theatre down in London and it had to be perfect. This was a big digital marketing gig for you, and you wanted to prove that you were good enough to take a chance on, despite the fact you had only graduated from your degree 10 months ago. Headphones on and back to the door, sitting on the desk chair legs folded underneath you, you didn’t hear the creek of the door opening. You jumped slightly at the arms that wound themselves around your shoulders, “Hey.” You slid the earphones off your head, resting them on the desk, saving your project before spinning round in your chair to face him. “Hey, you!” You’d already headed downstairs a couple of times, on a drink or snack run. You popped in on Tom every so often, smiling in support as you watched him charm countless interviewers before leaving him to it. You looked at the time on your phone, noting it was now past six. “We’re all done down there, how are you getting on?” “I had a breakthrough on it earlier, now it’s just getting it perfect...” you couldn’t put your finger on what it was but there was a different sort of glint in Toms’ eyes. “Can i see?” he asked, excitedly, leaning against the back of the chair. 

You laugh, nodding - unplugging the headphones, letting the video and sound play as you leaned back in your chair. Instead of the screen you were focussed on Tom’s face, who was giving your video his full attention. “That was sick!” he says, as it comes to an end. “You think so? I just hope they’ll love it when it’s done,” you take your lip between your teeth, worrying at it slightly. He brushes a thumb over your lip, stopping you from biting, “Of course they’ll love it, you’re amazing.” He takes your hand allowing you to uncurl yourself from your seated position, “Hungry?” You listen as people leave out the front doors, the styling team all had their own digs and you were pretty sure most people were gone now that the interviews were finished. “I dunno...feel like we could work up a bit more of an appetite?” “I’m so glad you said that, knowing you’ve been up here the whole time has been killing me...” You yelp slightly as he fireman lifts you out the room you were in and into the master bedroom you were sharing together. You were both laughing as he did so and you took the opportunity, as he put you down on the bed, to finally mess up his perfect styled hair, finally running your hands through those curls at the back of his neck. “Would you say I was a good distraction?” you whisper.  “You have no idea.”

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Let's talk about The Mummy (1999)

Someone was talking at me yesterday about this movie and I was getting riled so I decided to go full rant. Specifically in regards to the feminist podcast that slammed it.

I don't even remember which podcast it was, but I am still rankled and baffled that any "feminism in movies" podcast could jump to anything but "this movie is phenomenal."

First of all, even just discussing the overall quality: sure, it might not have been groundbreaking with its cgi or plot twists. But back in the 90s, that wasn't the standard of measure like it is now (and even now is a shitty standard that needs to die). This movie was light and funny and yet hit all the right beats to maintain the dire stakes needed to make it a compelling action flick.

Its characters are fully realized and entirely distinct from each other. Even those treated with a broader brush, such as the Americans, were charismatic enough that we were fully invested in their fate. The entire cast of characters were real people with real impact and real agency.

The script is quotable and fucking hilarious. There are gems from literally every single character. Rick and Evie have actual chemistry, aided by Rachel Weisz's natural magnetism and Brendan Frasier's career-long knack for acting utterly charmed with his female costars.

Actually, let's talk about Rick O'Connell for a second. This is peak 90s Brendan Frasier. He is absolutely GORGEOUS, suave, and cool, rugged and handsome. He is the epitome of the 1920s adventure hero. Dear god I want to kiss those casting directors. But for all his general peak masculinity? He's feminist as fuck. He is equally dumbstruck by Evie as she is by him, and it's wholly evident that it's more than a "oh no she's hot" thing.

How do we know?

He steals her some tools to dig with. This gift demonstrates that he a) has identified her passion for archaeology, b) has recognized her proficiency in the field, despite it not being explicitly stated on screen, and c) sees a chance to restore her full and active participation in the discovery of Hamunaptra.

There is never a moment where Rick assumes to be the leader of the expedition. He is the weapons expert, the muscle--and he knows it. Better than that, he's totally okay with it. He follows Evie's lead in all things.

Another favorite moment of mine is when they're facing off with the American team on Day 1, and Evie realizes there's a chamber underneath Anubis they could use to excavate the statue. She puts her hand on Rick's arm, looks him in the eye, and says very deliberately "there are other places to dig." And he yields, instantly.

By comparison, see the way the Americans treat their workers and guide.

Does he groan about his work being made exponentially harder as a result? Nope. And that's a recurring theme in his behavior the entire goddamn movie. The only time he is in charge is when a situation is in his wheelhouse-- namely, combat and rescue. And it deserves mentioning that the majority of the time that he's in charge, Evie is not present.

Meanwhile, Evie-- her adventurer's spirit chafing in an academia that dismisses her for her gender-- is an absolute marvel. She is visually coded as being very feminine (she's in dresses and long hair most of the film), but that fact in no way detracts from her competence and agency.

She is consistently protrayed as a fully capable expert in egyptology and there is never a single moment where she waffles on what to do. Even when she's the damsel in distress, she actively makes the choice to be so because she weighs the potential outcomes and decides doing so provides their best chance of success.

Evie is never the passive victim. She is constantly brash, constantly scheming, and saves the lives of her would-be rescuers mid-abduction. And when her brother (who is the failure of the family, against type) needs help with translation, she correctly translates for him while being throttled by a mummified priestess.

When I first saw this film, I was too young to realize how novel it was. Back then, all I knew was that it was just a good time. But now as an adult-- an adult acutely aware of the treatment female characters have gotten in the twenty years since-- I marvel at the respect with which the writers and directors treated Evie.

I marvel at how tender Rick was allowed to be, despite his rugged adventurer archetype.

The Mummy (1999) is peak storytelling. It doesn't try to outsmart the audience, but rather lays out a consistent, coherent narrative that gives the characters and viewers room to breathe. It invests the audience enough to care whether the characters succeed in their goals.

The Mummy (1999) does it right. It's the reason that any talk of the Tom Cruise version gets an immediate eyeroll from me, because whatever modern grimdark grit they shove into a story about a mummy cannot compare to the reliable and timeless entertainment of the 1999 adaptation.

All modern media should aspire to be the kind of film that The Mummy (1999) is.

[ajokeformur-ray]

i’m the skincare nonnie! thank YOU sou much for your everyday kindness.

also there is this idea that i just have to vent out because i’m not really a writer, but it’s been stuck in my head for weeks now. i was curious as to what j’s reaction would be to seeing someone he used to babysit years before he turned into the joker? like teenage years. maybe he was doing it for some extra money. from a reader’s perspective, maybe you see him on the news that first time and are hit with the realization that is him.

i imagine a scenario like this;

you’re sitting in front of the tv, scrolling through when you land on the news station. at first, it seems a bit off. killer clown? you stay on the channel, thrown by the wording of the headline. the news anchors drone on about the back robberies before displaying a picture.

you drop whatever it is in your hands, recognizing that wide smile. you know it’s him, there’s something in your gut telling you.

then one day, you’re strolling through the streets of gotham and just... end up at the wrong place at the wrong time in some alley when he’s closing a deal. your freeze when you see him. it’s been so long. his head snaps up at the sound of your approaching footsteps and he is almost starstruck.

i don’t think his face would display it so much, but he would genuinely be surprised to see how much you had grown. he recognizes you instantly, and i think his mood would completely uplift and he’d put on that charm like he did with rachel.

“well,” he says, his lips curling up into a small smirk. “look at how big you’ve gotten, kiddo. haven’t seen ya since you were, ah, runnin’ around, givin’ me a hard time.” he narrows his eyes at you pointedly, a silent message that he remembers babysitting you and how much of a pain you were (in the best way possible, of course.)b

but nonetheless, you were like family to him at that point and... that hadn’t exactly changed. he still saw the kid he used to take care of.

“ja-”

he practically lunges forward, his hand clamping onto your mouth as he shushes you with a stern expression. “ah-ta-ta-ta. careful throwin’ that name around, doll. don’t ah, want it falling into the wrong hands now, do we?” another pointed look with a raise of his eyebrows- he’s telling you to zip it.

“okay. j it is then.”

i don’t know why, but i just think this would be such an interesting dynamic to see. almost like a brother-sister kind of ordeal with a slight twist. i’m sorry if this bothered you and you don’t even have to read it or respond, i just really needed to write that out’

Skincare nonnieeee ~ 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Ever since you mentioned to me the use of witch hazel, my skin has cleared right up and my acne scarring’s gone down a bit, too! I now only get spots if I’m close to being on my period; but it’s minimal compared to what it used to be. Thank you so much once again for your guidance and helping in seeking proper care for my skin!!🥺🙏💙

I love this scenario; it’s perfect!!!💖💖💖 It’s so well written and it’s such an interesting dynamic to think of. I think J really would remember babysitting you and I think he’d be a... casual protector of sorts over you. Short on money one week? Someone wires you just enough to get you through to your next paycheck from a throwaway account. Late for work? Some kind of traffic accident or hold up occurs which means you get there on time and/or get told to not come in because the road’s blocked up too badly.

Things such as that would keep happening after the reunion; or so I like to think! It’s really interest to think of and definitely a brother-sister type thing. I love this so much, thank you so much for writing it out and for sending it to me! I’m so sorry that it took me so long to respond to this hasdfghjk I hope you’re around to see my response!!!💛🌸🌸🌸

[reiven2017]

Delicate steel.

Chapter 2.

Raven wondered for a long time when this happened.

Her morning started quite early, but all she remembered was how, having discovered the opportunity, she immediately slipped out of the house and was about to walk, as at the most inopportune moment she was overtaken by a panic attack.

As if this is the right time.

She remembered only how at one moment it became dark in her eyes, and oxygen stopped flowing into her lungs. It was happening so violently and swiftly that Raven felt like she was dying. Fear slowly settled in the very center of her chest and that's it. One slightest fear filled her entire body. She remembered how she sank onto the wet asphalt, her body, legs, arms, head ceased to obey her and she was unable to stand on her feet. The breathless fit continued and seemed not going to stop and Rachel lost hope for a split second. She did not remember how much time had passed and how long she was already on the side of the road, when she caught the movement next to her, and then she was smoothly put on the curb. Raven was still tossing between panic and reality, but she could feel how all this time someone was carefully giving her water. The stranger seemed not for the first time to see such a development in front of him, his actions were clear and careful, just what Raven needed. And then, when she came to her senses and the stranger was still trying to offer her help and take her to the hospital, the girl thanked him dryly, but completely withdrew from persuasion. All Raven remembered was the man's pale blue eyes before he disappeared around the corner.

Rachel winced and remembered another attack without much enthusiasm. This shit was repeated to her without any schedule or even warning and Rei sometimes felt that her body was demanding her death. She could not control the work of her brain at such moments and it was quite irritating and problematic. It made her ... vulnerable. And that's exactly what Raven hated the most.

She had a rather bad habit of switching off and thinking for too long, so she was not embarrassed when a floating hand appeared in front of her eyes.

“Hey, if you’re not going to hang around here forever, I advise you to go home. - Raven dismissed the remarks of her classmate and he grunted in response, left the class.

She blinked a couple of times, returning to reality, and then her face took on her usual sullen expression and Rachel glanced at her watch. 8:30. The last lesson ended 40 minutes ago, which means that she was passed out all this time and Rachel moaned pitifully, dropping her head in her hands. She is confident that her mom is going to arrange an execution at home for another curfew violation.

Excellent.

She took the phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and turned it on and off. A couple of missed calls and threatening sms from my mother were highlighted on the screen of her mobile phone and Rachel decided that she would somehow sort it out later and, taking her bag with her, left the empty audience. In the school corridor she met only a couple of cleaners and two students, but they immediately disappeared into one of the school toilets and Raven had little interest in what they were going to do there. In the front, huge doors appeared and, wrapping herself tighter in her kurta, thrusting her hands into her pockets, Rei greeted the cold autumn wind with a shiver. It was late autumn outside and in Day, a fairly northern city, it felt a few degrees colder. Rachel let out a breath, mentally wondering if it was as cold in New York this time of year, and a warm cloud of steam began to billow from her lips. She followed this short journey of warm air and caught herself with a soft smile on her lips. It was strangely calm. Even though she still has a problem with her mother, Rachel continued to stand on the school porch, inhaling and exhaling air. Everything in this city was strangely calm and quiet, but Rachel didn't mind that much. She had been here for about two weeks and was satisfied with everything, and deep down Raven was ready to admit that she even liked Date. It was a small town, abandoned in the thicket of the forest, with its legends about heri and about the brave discoverers. It was not as famous as Las Vegas and not as densely populated as New York, but that was its sweet charm.

Raven rubbed her hands, trying to rid her body of the approaching cold. She frowned, increasing the friction between her palms, but she was still cold and Raven wasn't sure if it was the weather. There was a short whistle and Rachel reflexively paid attention to it, lifting her head and fixing her gaze on the forest in front of her. Dusk had already fallen on the street, so the huge tundra and the trees in front of it were several shades darker, but it did not look frightening, one could say that Raven liked just such a forest more. Dark but quiet and calm. Maybe her gothic nature was played out in her, but in Raven there flashed a fleeting desire to walk there, but ... she was sure that the sound came from there. Rachel shivered chilly and rolled around in place, looking around.

Several minutes passed before Raven's phone rang again and the girl frowned in resignation. If she continues to be here and not at home, Raven is not entirely sure that she will have a home at all. She threw a last glance at the night forest, saying goodbye to him for today and ... froze in indecision. If it was a stupid game of her sick mind, then she gave her brain minus 10 points for a bad joke and asked to bake it in the hospital. In the very center of the forest, where a huge black hole gaped and it seemed that all objects in it were disappearing, there were two glowing lights. They did not move, did not move, even when a gust of strong wind blew and Raven grabbed the bag on her shoulder more tightly, they did not flinch, continuing to loom in the very center. Rachel frowned, a fine line on her forehead, but in her mind she felt a lump of fear slowly creep down her throat. As if even the air froze in tension, afraid to move in front of this devilry and deathly silence fell, Raven literally felt how life had stopped, and her heart was pounding anxiously. Part of her analytical and rational brain insisted that this was some kind of misunderstanding, but something was wrong in these lights. They shone with a bright, yellow light and they seemed to be conscious, as if someone, or something, was looking at her from there. Rachel narrowed her eyes, swallowing nervously and mentally urging herself to calm down.

Of course, we did not have enough to make friends with the Martians Rachel Roth.

It was the first thing that flashed through her thoughts, before Raven's eyes involuntarily widened with horror and instantly enveloped in a wave of fear. The blood in her veins became a lump and Rachel was sure that she had stopped feeling the pounding of her heart. The lights moved and after a split second, it seemed a huge, black spot, dimly resembling a muzzle, half hidden in shadow with eyes glowing with a bright yellow light and looking directly at her.

Hell…

Rachel blinked, unable to really accept in front of her and when she opened them, neither the eerie glowing lights, nor the unknown creature was already gone. In the blink of an eye, the air became alive again, the sounds returned, in the distance there was the noise of passing cars and the dead silence evaporated.

Raven swallowed hard, looked around the darkening forest and turned sharply, walked as far from this place as possible. She did not turn around, but with each step she took, she increased her speed, remaining with the only thought in her head - to bring down.

When some ass happens, it's never too late to dump Rachel Roth.

===========

Damian sat back wearily in his desk chair, massaging his face with his hands, hoping to get the paperwork out of the way as soon as possible. Unfortunately, questions from the pack were not resolved by themselves and for a long time hung over the younger Wayne as a heavy pendulum of danger and the guy ditched the whole evening for this. Sometimes Damian began to regret that he lived in the modern century, and not in the Middle Ages, where all questions and reflections were solved alone by the menacing growl of the alpha.

He frowned again at another piece of paper with numbers, as his ears caught on the first floor the joyful exclamations of his mother and Damian mentally whined knowing perfectly well who could deserve such a warm welcome. Grayson. The happiest ass in the world and also his older brother. He was aware of his arrival ... well, of course, his entire family and some members of the pack kept buzzing about it throughout the week, causing more and more irritation in Damian. Not that he hated Richard, he was as unbearable as his brothers ... well, he had some advantages over Jason, but several rather stupid personalities once said that they were not happy to see the gloomy cloud of the younger Wayne at the head of their pack, and would gladly replace him with the sunny boy Richard Grayson. After that, Damian was completely furious. He himself did not understand how his older brother manages to be so liked by people, but even to some extent he envied Grayson ... although, on his deathbed, he would not dare to admit it even to himself. So, now he wanted to feel like a 17-year-old teenager and lock himself in his office, gloomily ignoring what was happening. So he did, and even when he heard how his whole family spilled out on the first floor and Talia displeased asking about where Damian had gone, the guy stayed where he was.

It didn't take long before his secret hideout was discovered and loud footsteps were heard, and the next minute Grayson's pretty face appeared in the doorway.

Ugh you.

Damian wasn’t quite sure he hadn’t said it out loud.

- And I'm glad to see you too, brother. Richard opened his bear hug and a smug grin spread across his face.

“Don't be like Jason, Grayson, degradation doesn't suit you. Dick ignored Damian's disgruntled grumbling as he brushed him off and walked over to the table.

- And you become like the old grumpy wolf Demi.

“Forgive me for upsetting your hopes. Wayne was going to continue to ignore Dick, but as the man approached his desk, Damian didn’t consciously stiffen. Either Grayson had successfully changed his perfume, or some strange, but rather disturbing, smell appeared in the room. Wayne looked up from the pile of papers and sucked in air through his nose with all his might. The pupils of his eyes dilated as if after a strong rush of adrenaline into the blood, and his brain slowly floated. Smell. A subtle, almost imperceptible scent made Damian's blood burn hot as fire, and his wolf whined inwardly.

Dick watched the change in his brother's face with a mixed expression and stepped back reflexively as Damian rose abruptly from his seat, never ceasing to sniff. All the same, he is a young alpha ... what can get into his head Richard had no purpose to know. But when Damian seemed unable to find anything within a radius of a meter, approached Dick and began to sniff with the same eagerness, the man could not help laughing.

- Wow, take it easy, I understand that you missed me, but can we limit ourselves to hugs? - but Damian obviously did not listen to him and did not hear. He, like an instinct, walked around Grayson's circle, sucking in air and seemed not to notice what was happening while in his world. He eagerly grabbed his brother's hands, sniffing and froze for a moment in that position. Several seconds passed before he returned to the starting position and without opening his eyes, clenching and unclenching his fists, he firmly asked and was surprised at how unfamiliar his voice sounded. His question turned more into a kind of command and a rude uterine growl, which are on the verge of little politeness.

“Now Grayson, you’ll tell me in detail about your day. - a mute question arose between them in the air, when Dick raised an eyebrow inquiringly, being in confusion from his brother's rudeness and strangeness, he wanted to joke about the change in the mood of the young alpha, but stopped ... Damian finally looked up at Richard ... eyes bright and burning with green flame ... Grayson swallowed involuntarily and tensed, mentally preparing for something bad.

[freedom-of-writing]

Forever my wife

Just my take on how the WayHaught wedding could’ve turned out. I wrote this before the airing of episode 4x12, so expect it to be different. 

It’s here. Their weeding day has finally arrived. Nicole has been smiling her brightest smile all morning. She can’t believe she is finally getting married to the love of her life, her Angel, the Guardian of her heart. Waverly Earp. Her wife. Wow... that sounds so good.

She is all dressed up and almost ready for the ceremony, thanks to Rachel. She is wearing a beautiful maroon suit with a very simple and natural-looking makeup. It was Rachel’s idea, and she absolutely loves the result. As for Waverly, she has Wynonna to help her get ready. Obviously. Part of Nicole wishes she could just peek at them, sure they must be having a lot of fun right now. But she and Waverly agreed their wedding looks should be a surprise, so she is getting ready in the barn, while Waverly is in their room in the Homestead.

“Alright, there you go!” Rachel exclaims when she’s done with Nicole’s hair. “What do you think?”

Rachel curled her beautiful red hair, and clipped it backwards on one side, so that it is falling nicely on her right shoulder.

“Wow...” Nicole stares in awe at her figure in the mirror.

“I know. I’m pretty proud of my work too.” Rachel says with a proud smirk.

Nicole chuckles lightly at that, and then she turns to face her. “Thank you.”

Rachel smiles brightly at her, moving her hand up to fix a lock of Nicole’s hair. “I’m... I’m gonna go check on Waves. See if Wynonna needs any help...”

“Okay.”

When Rachel leaves, Nicole moves to sit on Wynonna’s bed. Closing her eyes, she tries to recall all of the milestones that led them here. Their first meeting at Shorty’s... Waverly Earp smiling at her from her front porch... her heart shattering when Waverly told her they should’ve been just friends, and all its pieces coming back together the minute Waverly kissed her in Nedley’s office... their first time, their big fight, all of the times they’d lost and found each other over the years... her regret of not having said yes right away... her hope slowly fading away in those 18 months alone... what they did on the stairs, and on the kitchen floor, and in the barn this morning... What a ride they had, huh?

That’s what she said. She can imagine Wynonna saying to her. The thought makes her smile. That woman is a real sucker for a dirty joke. And she’s part of their journey too. Who would’ve thought they could become best friends. And yet, here they are. It’s crazy how close they’ve become.

Right as she’s thinking about that, Nicole is brought back to reality by the sound of knocking on the front door. Speaking of the devil...

“May I come in? Please, tell me you’re not naked...” Wynonna asks as she walks in with a hand covering her eyes.

“Actually, I’m lying completely naked on your bed right now.” Nicole jokes.

“I’d rather not think about what you did on my bed this morning...” Wynonna says lowering her hand.

“Excuse me?!” How the hell does she know about their morning... exchange of love.

“Poor innocent Jeremy told me about it. Poor soul, I think you traumatized him for life...” she mocks her.

Nicole shakes her head in disbelief. “Just come here, and sit with me, Earp.” She invites her patting at the space beside her on the mattress.

“Huh uh, no way. I’m never touching that bed again.”

“We didn’t even do it on the bed!” Nicole yells before she can realize what she is actually saying.

“Yep. I’m burning this whole barn to the ground tonight.” Wynonna states in a joking tone before going to sit on the bed near Nicole.

When she was settled, Nicole smiled her beautiful bright smile at her, and Wynonna noticed her eyes were sparkling with tears.

“You okay, Haught?”

“I’m getting married to Waverly Earp today...” she says as if that could answer Wynonna’s question.

“You’d better.”

Nicole chuckles lightly at that, and then she asks: “how is she?”

“She’s ready.” Somehow Wynonna knows exactly what Nicole needed to hear. “Oh, I almost forgot. I got you something” She exclaims a moment later, taking a necklace from her dress, in the space right over her boob. “No pockets.” She explains with a shrug when Nicole laughs lightly at her. Same old Wynonna.

“Please tell me it’s not a boner necklace...” Nicole jokes.

“Damn it! Now I’m mad I didn’t think of that!”

That makes Nicole laugh again. And in that moment, she realizes the tears that once threatened to fall are now completely gone. Wynonna did it again. It crazy how this woman can make it all go away with just one joke.

“But seriously... here.” Wynonna says as she hands over the necklace to Nicole.

Nicole takes it and lays it on the palm of her hand, so she can study the pendant. It’s the shape of a heart, and inside it there are two small figures, two girls sitting on its outline as if the pendant was a swing. On the outline of the heart, then, there are two small inscriptions: always my sister / forever my friend. Nicole reads them, and then turns to look at Wynonna in shock. That’s definitely not the gift she was expecting to get from “miss everything’s a joke to me”.

“Waverly gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday, right before I left Purgatory... She wanted me to know that I’d always have a home here if I wanted to come back. I always have it with me. Even if I’m not wearing it. It’s like my lucky charm. Which is kind of stupid considering all the troubles I got in in my life...”

“Wynonna, I...” Nicole’s at a loss of words. No one’s ever given her something that was so special to them.

“You’re gonna be my sister now, right?” she says matter-of-factly, and Nicole can feel herself getting all emotional again.

“I’ve never had a sister…” She states, mimicking what Wynonna had told her a little less than two years ago. I’ve never had a best friend.

“You do now.” Wynonna states in all seriousness as she fights back the tears blurring her eyes. “A pretty messed up one, but...” she starts to joke, but Nicole interrupts her.

“She’s perfect that way.” She says taking hold of Wynonna’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

They stay like that for a moment, neither one breaking the peaceful silence that fell upon them. Nicole can’t take her eyes off the necklace. Waverly gave it to Wynonna, and now Wynonna is giving it to her. It’s not just a promise to be friends and sisters forever, it’s also a way for Wynonna to say “Waverly’s the most precious thing that I have, and now she’s yours to protect and love”. The idea makes her even more emotional, but if she cries now, she’ll ruin all her makeup, and it took Rachel half an hour to put it on. So she takes a deep breath to force back the tears, and then she gets up and turns to face Wynonna.

“Help me put it on?” She asks, holding out the necklace for Wynonna to take.

A tear falls down Wynonna’s cheek as she smiles at her friend. She wipes it away quickly with the back of her hand, and then, she gets up grabbing the necklace. As she is fastening it, they hear a knock on the door. It’s Rachel. In a very Wynonna-fashion she does not wait for an answer before walking in. She is here to let them know everyone’s ready, and they’re just waiting for the two of them. All of a sudden Nicole feels like she can’t breathe. It’s happening. It’s time. OMG. Her heart is racing uncontrollably, and she thinks she might get sick. That, of course, does not go unnoticed on Wynonna, who puts her hand on Nicole’s shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

“C’mon, Haught. You’ve waited long enough. Now you get to be happy.” She smiles lovingly at her friend. Best friend. God, she’s so happy for her right now. She finally gets to be happily married to the love of her life. It’s what she deserves.

When she feels Nicole is breathing somewhat steadily again, she offers up her arm for her to lean on as they walk out. With a deep breath, Nicole puts her hand on Wynonna’s arm, and she lets her friend lead her out of the barn, with Rachel in tow. It’s a beautiful sunny day, and she can smell the perfumes of a thousand flowers, and the green grass around the Homestead is glowing bright in the summer sun. Nicole takes a look at the guests waiting for them by their seats. It’s not many people, it’s true, but all the ones who matter are here. Jeremy, Doc, Nedley, Billy, Mercedes… wait. No way! No! She turns towards Wynonna in shock.

“Are you serious right now?!” she exclaims in disbelief.

“Do you know someone else who can officiate your wedding?!”

“Anyone but Bunny!”

“Listen, sheriff, she’s who I found, okay? Do you wanna get married or what?”

“You’re gonna be the death of me, Earp…”

“Oh, please, your life would be so boring without me.”

“I’m marrying your sister, I can think of a few ways to entertain myself…” she objects with a smirk.

Their banter is interrupted by Nedley clearing his throat to get their attention. “Ladies…”

Both turn to look at him. Nicole can instantly feel the tears forming in her eyes. He’s here to walk her down the aisle. This is all surreal. How is this real life? She feels like she’s in a dream.

“Wow… Look at you.” Nedley says in admiration.

“Yeah, you don’t look bad yourself.”

“I’m proud of you, kiddo.” He says in her ear as he brings her in for a tight hug.

Nicole’s been able to hold back the tears so far, but after those words she just can’t. Her parents might not be there to support her, but she has Nedley, and that’s all that matters. She allows one tear to stream down her cheek, but then she collects herself quickly. She can’t cry. Not before the ceremony has even started. Nedley smiles lovingly at her as they let go of each other, and then he holds out his arm for her to lean on. Nicole takes one last look around, and she notices Wynonna is gone. She must’ve gone get Waverly. It’s time. No more waiting. This time it’s for real. Smiling back at Nedley, she puts her hand on his arm, and they start walking towards the others. My God, this is crazy. She thinks as she sees Bunny waving at her happily. Just a perfect Earp-fashion wedding...

As they walk slowly down the aisle, her eyes get wet all over again. She just can’t help it. When she got to Purgatory she was completely alone, and now she’s getting married to the love of her life and she’s got a family who loves and supports her. She is smiling so big right now, she can feel her cheeks beginning to hurt, and just the idea of seeing Waverly makes her hearts burst with joy. She looks at Rachel, her maid of honor, and she feels so proud. The past 19 months weren’t easy for either of them, but they got through. Together. They’ve seen each other at their worst, and now hopefully they’ll get to see each other at their best too. Today a new chapter begins. A better one for sure. No matter what happens next, nothing can be worse than the hopelessness and loneliness she’s felt in those eighteen months alone.

Nicole is brought back from her thoughts when Nedley gives her hand a gentle squeeze. Nicole gives him a sweet kiss on the cheek, and then he moves away to get to his seat. All of a sudden, murmurs fill the air, and she turns to see Waverly and Wynonna walking out of the homestead and towards them. Nicole can feel her heart pounding hard. Wow… Waverly looks so beautiful… She is in a long sleeveless white lace dress. Her hair is tied up on the back of her head, and it has beautiful colorful flowers in it. Her makeup, just like Nicole’s, is very simple, and she is absolutely breathtaking. Nicole can’t help but stare at her in awe as she walks down the aisle leaning on Wynonna’s arm. And the same goes for Waverly as she studies her fiancée’s look. They both look perfect. This is all so perfect.

“Hi” “Hey” They greet each other once they’re standing side by side.

“Haught.” Wynonna says as she lets go of Waverly to embrace Nicole. “You take care of my baby sis, okay?” she whispers in her ear, her voice cracking with emotion.

“Always.”

“You got the girl, Nicole. Now go get your wife.” Wynonna says leaning back and winking at her.

What happens next is a mystery to Nicole and Waverly. All they can focus on is the person standing right in front of them, and it feels like they’re in a bubble, just the two of them. They can barely process what’s going on as Bunny takes the word to let the ceremony begin. They come back to reality when it’s time for them to say their vows.

“Sheriff…” Bunny invites her to go first.

She’s had a hard time in the past few days trying to find the right things to say, but she’s figure it out at last. Although no words could ever fully express how much Waverly Earp really means to her. As she takes Waverly’s hands into her own, she begins.

“Waverly Earp… You are my home, my love, my Angel. You are the oxygen that keeps me breathing, and the light that brightens my days. Being loved by you is by far the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You came into my life at a time when I was lost, and alone, and you turned my world completely upside down. You filled the void in my heart with joy, and laughter, and love. You gave me memories to hold onto, and reasons to fight, and stay. You turned this unfamiliar place into my home, and these strangers into my family, and all of my insecurities into my biggest strengths. You taught me to love myself just as much as I love you, and you showed me perfection where I could only see flaws. You inspire me to be the best version of me, and to always be fighting for what I believe in. You are everything I’ve ever wanted, and so so much more.” She pauses briefly to turn and take the ring from Rachel, and then she continues.

“So today, in front of our friends, and family, I take you, Waverly Earp, to be my wife. I give you this ring as a promise to love you, respect you, cherish you, and support you as my partner, my person, and my equal. And I swear I’ll do my absolute best to make you smile as bright as you do today for the rest of our lives. I vow to be a loving and protective wife, to be open to change, and ready for every challenge that comes our way. And for as long as I live and breathe, I will be by your side. Always your shield, forever your wife.”

Wow... that was a lot. Waverly knows it’s her turn now, but she is so emotional she is afraid she might forget everything that she wanted to say. She looks down at the ring on her finger, and somehow it calms her down. Looking back up into Nicole’s beautiful brown eyes, she knows she just has to speak from her heart, and the right words will come. So she takes a deep breath to steady her voice, and then she begins.

“Nicole Haught... wow, I can’t believe this is actually happening! I’ll never forget the day you walked into Shorty’s with your uniform, and your Stetson in your hands, and confidence for days. I’d been living a life in black and white for so long that I’d forgotten what real happiness felt like. But then you smiled your beautiful bright smile at me, and it all turned into colors. You showed me that it’s okay to be ambitious, and that I should never settle for anything less than what I deserve. You gave me a choice when I thought I had none. In a world of people telling me who to be, you just asked me to be myself. You held me together when my world was falling apart, and you made me feel special, when I didn’t know who I was anymore. You... you, Nicole Haught, are extraordinary. Whenever I’m in a dark place, you light my way back to safety. You are my harbor, my anchor, my rock. I don’t have anything to give you if not unconditional love, and support. And I don’t know what the future will hold for us, but I’m not afraid. Because I know that, whatever comes next, we will face it together. Side by side as it’s always been.” Mimicking Nicole, she pauses briefly to turn and take the ring from Wynonna. And then, she continues.

“Today, I take you to be my wife, on this land that’s always been my home, because you, Nicole Rayleigh Haught, are my home. With this ring, I promise to love you, respect you and support you as my love, my equal, and my partner. I will be your shoulder to cry on, and a rock to lean on. Your number one fan, the reason for your smile, and your light in the darkness. I vow to be a loving and protective wife, to love all of your flaws and imperfections, and to stand by your side for the rest of my life. Always your angel, forever your wife.”

Tears are streaming down their faces by the time Waverly finishes talking. They turn to look at their family, and they are all crying as well. Even Bunny seems to be a little bit emotional when she takes the word to conclude the ceremony.

“Alright then. Let’s make this official!” She exclaims. “By the power vested in me by... Wynonna Earp this morning, I now pronounce you partners for life, wife and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Waverly and Nicole don’t waste a second. Without letting go of each other’s hands, they lean in for their first of many many kisses as wives. It’s just a tender kiss, but it still conveys all the love they have just professed for one another. When they part, Nicole leans down so her forehead is resting on Waverly’s. And as they stay like that for a moment, it seems like everything else disappears, and it’s just the two of them. Their eyes are blurry with tears, and all they can see are the big bright smiles lighting up their faces. This is doubtless the happiest day of their lives. There is so much joy in their hearts right now that it feels as if they might even explode.

“My wife.” Nicole states in a dreaming tone.

“Forever.” Waverly adds.

“I love you, Waverly Earp.”

“And I love you, Nicole Haught.”

None of the rest matters. As long as they have each, there is nothing they can’t overcome. Their love has survived the most impossible situations, and it will last forever. Of that they are sure.

Always your shield, forever your wife.

Always you angel, forever your wife.

[ofstarsandfireflies]

It’s been a long day. Always good to curl up with a good movie after a long day

Tony might say that all he needs is Happy to keep him safe, but the truth is Happy can’t protect Tony from every threat out there.

Trying to is what landed him in the hospital to begin with.

He needs some extra help of the magical kind.

Stephen isn’t at all thrilled about being a bodyguard for a celebrity, but when he finds out how someone has broken in to Stark’s house without setting off any alarms twice now, he begins to suspect that whoever is doing it must be using some magic of their own, or at least is someone close to Tony.

So he agrees.

But only to help Happy out.

And that’s how he meets Tony Stark.

Arrogant, I-like-things-how-they-are-Strange, Tony Stark.

Stephen does a complete sweep of the house, ignoring everyone as he checks everything for possible tampering.

No one wants him there, especially the guy he’s meant to be protecting, but he’s not here to make friends.

He has a job to do.

He meets Rhodey, Tony’s best friend and one of his other body guards, who isn’t at all thrilled having a new face around here.

He meets Peter Parker, who’s just a kid but is willing to learn anything new to help protect his mentor.

He meets Pepper, who seems to be the only one who can talk Tony into things, like hiring Stephen on.

And he meets Obidiah Stane, who doesn’t do much of anything really unless Tony needs a coffee.

It’s a tight knit group of people Tony has around him, people who obviously care about him, who don’t want anything to happen to him.

And Stephen quickly finds out he’s not wanted as part of that group.

Nothing has happened to Tony yet with them around, despite what Happy thinks.

So, to make Tony feel that little safer, he gives him a small charm that will alert him if Tony needs him and he promises he’ll come running.

Tony makes a joke about Stephen being his hero, and Stephen makes sure to look away to hide his slightly more red cheeks.

But no matter what they do, things still happen.

Obidiah doesn’t seem to realise that Tony is in danger, because he keeps making Tony go to public events where these things happen.

It’s mild things at first, threats in hate mail, fans trying to storm anywhere Tony would be, these things are easily dealt with, but then they start ramping up rather quickly.

Tony narrowly escapes being given a bomb as a gift from a ‘fan’

He’s swarmed on stage and Stephen has to fight his way to him, pulling him through a portal to safety and leaving everyone else behind.

He’s shot at during a gala, the person responsible becoming lost in the crowd.

Stephen does everything he can to protect Tony but Tony is starting to become paranoid all because of him.

It all comes to a head when a new Villain using Stark tech attacks Tony when he’s racing at the Grand Monaco Race Track, Stephen just getting pissed with him at this point because he’s trying to keep him safe and Tony doesn’t seem to care in the slightest.

Once the guy with whips for hands is defeated and Tony is safe, Tony wants to go out on a date with Stephen and not his bodyguard.

Stephen agrees to it, and spends the night with, ultimately waking up the next day with Tony still in his bed.

He shouldn’t have gone and crossed that boundary, he knows it will only complicate their relationship, but while Tony is angry at Stephen for being used, Stephen is more angry at himself.

Of all the people he had to go and fall in love with, it had to be Tony Stark.

Tony decides to go right back to being difficult, making sure Stephen sees him in the arms of someone else at any given chance, something he knows makes Stephen jealous.

It’s not until whoever is after Tony tries to attack him again and Stephen is alerted by the charm he gave Tony do they each realise how much they need one another, and how far in danger they really are.

Taking Tony and Obidiah to the Sanctum in hopes whoever is after him won’t find him there, it takes one day for them to fall back into bed together.

And two for the person who has been trying to kill Tony this entire time to reveal themselves.

Mordo had only taken this job because he’d found out Stephen Strange had somehow gotten involved.

He killed Obidiah first, the man who had hired him in the first place to kill Tony Stark as publicly as possible to drive Stark Industries stock up.

And next to enter his line of sight was Stephen, drastically unprepared for the large thorns of magic as they pierced his body and dragged him away from Tony.

Now, Mordo he had a new plan.

He was going to kill Tony in front of Strange.

Make him watch, defeated and broken and helpless to do anything to stop it.

Tony didn’t move, eyes locked on Stephen as if he was the last thing he wanted to see, clutching the charm in his hand.

Only, there was something coming out of it.

And whatever it was was already all over Stephen, forming a suit of armour around him and pushing at the magic which has a hold of him until he was freed.

Mordo instantly directed his next attack toward Tony and Stephen held up his hand to stop him, his own magic erupting out of his palm and propelling him backwards into Tony, both of them falling to the ground as the almighty blast of his attack hitting its mark left a good sized crater in the floor where Mordo had been standing.

It was finally over.

Happy was out of the hospital, so Tony had no use for a wizard bodyguard anymore.

He was safe now, much safer than he’d previously been.

That’s what mattered.

He knew Tony would go on to do great things.

They had their own lives to get back to.

Their own, seperate lives.

Stephen opened the portal for Tony, the last one he ever would, and just as Tony stepped through, he turned right around and ran back to Stephen, who held him tightly and kissed him for as long as he could, for as long as he dared, committing this feeling of Tony against him to his memory with all the others.

And then, with one final goodbye, Tony was out of his life.

But never out of his heart.

Quotes -

“You’re turning down 2000 bucks a week? So you’re saying you won’t protect Rachel Marron just because she’s in show business?”

“I don’t do celebrities.”

“2500.”

“Look, there’s several good men available for that kind of money.”

Happy begging Stephen for his help

“You don’t approve of me, do you?”

“Disapproval’s a luxury I can’t afford.”

“Oh, gets in the way, right? Don’t like your emotions getting to you? Never mix business with pleasure?”

“That’s right.”

The two bickering

“Nice suit, Frank.”

“Rachel? I want you to keep this.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It’s fitted with a radio transmitter. When you close the clasp, it sends a signal. So if there’s ever a problem, or we’re seperated, just press it and I’ll know you need me.”

Stephen giving Tony the charm

“Farmer, I have this problem. This minor little problem, you see. I’d like to go out for an evening, with a guy, you knoe? Like a date? But, I can’t go out on a date because you have to be with me every minute. I mean, what is he wants to invite me up to his place afterwards? Are you gonna come too? So…the only thing I can figure…is for you to take me out. That’s what I was wondering. I mean, what do you think? Only if you want to! Only if you want to.”

Tony tripping over himself asking Stephen out.

I’m Not What You Need

Tony needs a bodyguard.

Stephen needs to keep his distance.

January, February

Missed a Day? Catch up here!

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10

Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15

Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20

Day 21

[glamourofyesteryear]

MY 2020 FAVES

I was tagged by @hildy-dont-be-hasty and @joanleslies to list my 2020 favorites!! Thank you so much for tagging me Lucie and Rachel!! 💖💖 I changed up the format a bit and made it into my Top 5 music albums, TV shows, and first-watched movies during 2020!

Top 5 Music Albums

Pony by Orville Peck

Cigarettes After Sex by Cigarettes After Sex

Dreamland by Glass Animals

Paradise by Lana Del Rey

Soundtrack for Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti

Top 5 TV Shows

1. Frasier (1993-2004) - This is the funniest show ever made!!!!!!! Help! My family and I are seriously obsessed!

2. Twin Peaks (1990-1991, and 2017) - This show is literal art. There is never a dull moment, and it’s definitely the best show of the mystery genre that I’ve ever seen. 

3. Sherlock (2010-2017) - AHHHHHHH just look at him!!!

4. Gran Hotel (2011-2013) -Where can I find a gorgeous Spanish man who will help me investigate murders in an old mansion and have secret rendezvous with me?!?!? I know its specific but I’m waiting haha!!

5. The Crown (2016-) - Can William and Kate become King and Queen next, and just skip Charles and Camilla?????

Top 5 Movies (First Watches)

1. Love in the Afternoon (1957) - Instantly became one of my favorite films of all time. 

2. Jewel Robbery (1932) - So incredibly charming!!! If only robbers were as debonair and romantic nowadays....

3. Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) - My jaw literally dropped during those musical numbers. I couldn’t believe my eyes!!!

4. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - I love you Marilyn 💖

5. Carrie (1952) - When I watch this again, I’m plopping a box of tissues next to me.

I’d love to tag and see the 2020 favorites of: @rememberedkisses @classicfilmgemss @norashelley @jim-stewart @chantalstacys @silverscene​ @filminghere​ @miss-audrey-dear​ @silvertechnicolor​ @petegoestotown​ @angelicavantassel​ @maureenoharra​ @beatlesgirlfab​ @classicrebel​ @britishsixtiesbeat​ 💖

[slipping-through-my-fingertips]

the last great american dynasty

Part of my folklore series

Summary: Blaine’s got a big ol’ crush and can’t take his eyes off of Kurt despite the other singers performing

Notes: for the purposes of this story we’re assuming this song existed while they were still in high school

AO3

Blaine loved watching the weekly assignments in the choir room. Everyone in New Directions was extremely talented. Unlike, Mr. Schue Blaine tried to not pick favorites unless it was a competition week. But when it came to Kurt Hummel, Blaine saw no one except him.

He was sitting next to his best friend, Sam when some of the girls and Kurt got up to perform together. Personally, Blaine preferred when Kurt sang solos because he didn’t have to worry about focusing on the other people singing. It was the perfect excuse to have all of his attention on Kurt. No one but Sam and Mike would tease him about it.

Then, Santana opened her mouth to sing. Blaine couldn’t help but focus on her.

“Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train, it was sunny Her saltbox house on the coast took her mind off St. Louis Bill was the heir to the Standard Oil name, and money”

Quinn, Brittany, and Santana all raised a hand to the side of their mouth as if whispering the next line together: “And the town said ‘How did a middle-class divorcée do it?’”

Quinn picked up the next verse alone with Brittany and Santana harmonizing behind her.

“The wedding was charming, if a little gauche There's only so far new money goes They picked out a home and called it ‘Holiday House’”

The trio, took a step back to join the rest of the group, pushing Tina front and center. Tina smiled at Quinn briefly before singing the next half of the verse.  

“Their parties were tasteful, if a little loud The doctor had told him to settle down It must have been her fault his heart gave out And they said ‘There goes the last great American dynasty’”

The entire group harmonized for part of the chorus. Blaine’s eyes drifted to Kurt as they tended to do.

“Who knows, if she never showed up what could've been There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen She had a marvelous time ruining everything”

Then, Rachel took the spotlight for the next part. The group stood in a half-circle behind her, singing gentle backup vocals.

“Rebekah gave up on the Rhode Island set forever Flew in all the Bitch Pack friends from the city Filled the pool with champagne and swam with the big names And blew through the money on the boys and the ballet And losing on card game bets with Dalí”

Again, the whole group sang the chorus.

“And they said "There goes the last great American dynasty" Who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been There goes the most shameless woman this town has ever seen She had a marvelous time ruining everything”

Finally, the bridge came and Kurt started to sing. Was there a pair of more expressive eyes? Those bright baby blues made Blaine’s heart ache. What he wouldn’t give to have Kurt look at him, just for a second. A passing moment of Kurt’s attention would surely silence all of the doubtful voices in his head because with a happy memory of Kurt how could Blaine ever be upset again.

“They say she was seen on occasion Pacing the rocks staring out at the midnight sea And in a feud with her neighbor She stole his dog and dyed it key lime green Fifty years is a long time Holiday House sat quietly on that beach Free of women with madness Their men and bad habits, and then it was bought by me.”

The girls and Kurt were all singing together again to finish off the song but Blaine, as usual, only had eyes for Kurt.

“Who knows, if I never showed up what could've been There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen I had a marvelous time ruining everything I had a marvelous time Ruining everything A marvelous time Ruining everything A marvelous time I had a marvelous time”

Sam had to nudge him when it was over. Mr. Schue started talking as the group took their seats. When glee was over, he asked Sam to fill him in. Truly, how could he focus on sectionals after that performance.

“I don’t get it, dude. They literally stood up and sang,” Sam said.

“He’s beautiful,” Blaine told him.

Kurt was standing at his locker just down the hall with Mercedes at his side. Packing up for the day. 

“Whatever,” Sam replied. “Are you coming to mine for video games?” 

Mercedes was waving goodbye to Kurt. 

“Um, I’ll get back to you.” 

Blaine quickly made his way down the hall. 

“Hey Kurt,” he said. 

Kurt froze and turned to look at him. 

“Oh, hi Blaine.” 

Then, he pulled the final book he needed from his locker and shut it. 

“I really loved your performance in glee today.” 

“Thanks.” 

That was it. Blaine didn’t have anything else to say to him. Nothing he could say without wanting the earth to engulf him. 

He stood there in silence for a minute too many because Kurt asked if there was something else. 

Blaine couldn’t let him walk away. He had to do something, say something. So, he blurted out: “can I buy you a coffee?” 

Instantly, he felt his cheeks warm but he forced himself to meet Kurt’s glaze. 

“Now?” 

Blaine nodded. “If you’re free.”

“I am.” 

Kurt offered to drive them to the Lima Bean since Blaine was paying. Without missing a beat, Blaine ordered for the both of them. 

“You know my coffee order?” 

Blaine blushed again. “Um…”

“How long have you wanted to ask me to coffee, Blaine?” Kurt asked. 

He seemed genuinely curious. Kurt wasn’t asking for an ego boost or to make fun of Blaine. 

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and murmured. 

“What was that?” Kurt questioned, “please don’t be embarrassed.” Kurt put a hand on Blaine’s back, comforting him. Blaine met his eyes. “I just wanted to know if you’ve liked me as long as I’ve liked you.”

Eyes wide and swallowing hard, Blaine managed to ask, “how long?” 

Kurt shrugged. “About two years.” 

The barista called their names. Blaine added a dash of cinnamon to his medium dip before following Kurt to a table. Giving himself a second to process the fact that Kurt had apparently like him for the last two years. More importantly that Kurt still liked him. 

Currently liked him. 

Blaine sat down across from him. 

“The moment you walked into the choir room,” Blaine said, “you introduced yourself just like the rest of us. As soon as I looked up at you, my heart pounded.” 

“Mine too.” 

Kurt was smiling at him. 

This was his moment. Blaine could remember this when he felt like the world was melting around him. When everyone was against him. 

Except when Blaine had imagined this happening, he hadn’t considered that Kurt wanted to give him more than just one moment. 

He could easily take up all of Blaine’s free time if only Blaine had asked earlier. “Then, let’s not waste any more time.” 

“Let’s not,” Kurt agreed. 

Blaine smiled as he took his first sip of coffee.

[shoreabove-moved]

@loserlikewe​ said : [ RAIN ] your muse kisses my muse outside during a rainstorm. ( puck )

                      leave it to rachel berry to get stuck in a love triangle she wants nothing to do with. ( she tried making things work with finn. he’s sweet and he’s nice and rachel really, truly believes that she gets to see a side of him that no one else does. their environment, however, doesn’t lend itself well to their budding young love. and despite her want and her need to fight for them, finn couldn’t handle it. )

                      and now she’s alone, fending off santana lopez for the twentieth time in assurance that she doesn’t want anything to do with noah. ( she ignores the way her cheeks flush at the mention of his name. she ignores the way she thinks about them ending up together. she ignores the way her stomach flares with nerves every time they’re alone together. she can’t be the only one to think they’re meant to be, but in the same vein, she has to be. because noah doesn’t understand how relationships work, and rachel can’t let herself fall prey to his charms. she’s smarter than that. )

                      that’s what she tells herself, anyways, as she storms away from his car and towards her front door. she insisted on leaving the party early, as per usual, when quinn and finn couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. and when santana started making wildly inappropriate accusations, she knew she had reached her limit. she doesn’t look at noah as she leaves, eyes focused strictly on the front door.

                      his larger hand around her wrist has her turning, though, and rachel hates that she’s crying. she hates that he can tell, too, despite the rain falling around them. ❛ i can’t do this anymore, ❜ she insists, tugging her hand back as it smooths down the front of her dress. ❛ i don’t know why she hates me so much, and i don’t know why you won’t say anything, but -- i’m done, noah. i’ve got more important things to worry about than this. ❜

                      he insists that she doesn’t understand, but rachel knows she does. ❛ you’re my best friend, ❜ she explains, her eyes wide as her voice breaks on a wet sob. ❛ and i can’t -- i care about you too much to watch you play this game with her. with both of us! ❜ the last part is unexpected, and it shocks even herself as her eyes widen. ( she knows she’s blushing, now, and her brows crease as her head shakes. )

                      he wants to hug her, but she’s not ready. she can’t. she just wants to go inside, take a warm shower, and sleep for ten hours. he tells her that there’s no game, and rachel’s disbelief is visible as she scoffs. before she can prove him wrong, though, he pulls her closer. out from underneath the shelter of her front porch, down the front steps and into the rain. she’s tired, her throat sore as she tries to say something, but her thoughts ( and words ) are silenced. instead, noah tugs her against his chest, his hand rough but soft as he cups the side of her face. ( it’s too intimate for them, a line in the sand they don’t cross. they know better. she does, anyways. )

                      whatever they’re afraid to say, they seem to convey with actions. instantly, noah’s head tilts down, and rachel pushes up on her tip toes to meet him in kind. when their lips connect, a wave of relief crashes over her -- like she’d been waiting for this moment for the past four years of her life. with how tightly he’s holding her, rachel has to believe that some part of him feels the same way.

( kissing prompts | accepting! )