#real Don did not know how to be a husband but we will change that for movie!Don AMIRIGHT?!

[sassyandclassy94]

The Boys in the Boat fandom is not ready for my Don fic🤩 you’re not. I’m tellin ya right now, you. Are. Not.

It’s a LIIIIIIITTLE longer than I originally planned on, 6,000+ words and counting BUT, my hopes are that y’all will love it regardless of how long it is! It’s basically romance with a little bit of angst if you squint your peepers real tight but agh!! I’m so excited about it!! I’m even thinking about making it a lil series😏 a series of Don oneshots y’know? His first date, cute little random dates in between, their deep little talks, his proposal, his wedding, you name it! All snuggled into a little series of oneshots🤗

And for the Bobby fans: you’re gonna love it too!! (I hope!!) It BEGINS with Bobby, it has a little mention of Bobby in the middle, and then it ENDS with Bobby. Why? Because it wouldn’t be a TBitB fanfic without our very own favorite lil coxswain😉 Plus I’m a people pleaser and try to keep everyone happy, eheh! Buuuut we won’t talk about that right now

Oh yeah, and I am *very* close to being done with it. Like, as in, should be posed by tomorrow night kinda close😏

[vanessagillings]

Please talk about your favorite animated movies and what makes them special to you! I'm really curious about what you enjoyed about them both in the past and now?

haha, okay you asked!

I LOVE animated movies. My theory on this is that it took me a long time to emotionally relate to most media growing up, where I felt next to nothing watching most movies and shows as a young kid, and didn't relate to books until I was quite a lot older (I read picture books until I was around 10, and then suddenly in middle school, I hopped right to adult novels like 1984 and the entire Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley, ha). But even before I emotionally related to fiction, I really enjoyed watching animation. It was nice to look at, and I enjoyed watching everything move and change. I grew up in the 90's where animated movies were largely 2D, and I spent hours watching and re-watching my favorite movies just studying how the characters moved -- it's definitely a lot of where I got my understanding of human expressions from. But I also think as I got older and started to relate more to fiction, animation was easier to parse emotionally than live action. The body language is clear. The stories are direct and not as forgiving of bad human behavior (I get frustrated sometimes with the defeatism in adult media, that assumes that People Just Act Badly, and that just needs to be accepted). Facial expressions are also exaggerated and more stylized -- think of a single arched eyebrow, for example, an expression that's commonly drawn to express one particular emotion in animation/illustration but which you next to never see on a real human face. My first introduction into serious reading was also manga -- a highly visual medium -- which uses a lot of the same tactics stylistically as western animation: big, expressive faces, bold gestures and big stories. Compare manga with western comics being printed at the time and it's even more obvious to me why I didn't particularly like comics until I was given manga as an option -- and thankfully I lived close to a kinokuniya, so I could spend all my allowance on untranslated books and magazines, which is also where I learned Japanese (もうたくさん忘れてしまいましたけど).

As far as my favorite movies? THAT IS SO HARD. The first animated movie that BLEW MY MIND was The Lion King. I saw it in theaters when I was eight and I was obsessed; it was definitely one of my first special interests. I know that entire movie line by line, frame by frame, and I had the stuffed animals and the trading cards and the clothes (man, was I teased for those clothes!). My other favorite movies as a kid were The Land Before Time, American Tale, and The Secret of NIMH (I was a big Don Bluth fan!) which have left deep impressions on how to approach storytelling for children; I warn you, I go hard on emotions for kids, because I needed that as a kid, and I know I'm not alone. Some of my other favorites are anything Miyazaki but especially Howl's Moving Castle (I relate to Sophie a lot), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (what I watch when I'm In A Mood), Ratatouille (a huge source of echolalia for my husband and me, we often detect nuttiness, let me tell you), Wallace and Gromit and Fantastic Mr Fox, which I watch every fall as an autumnal tradition. Even as an adult who likes live action, too, I still tend to like slightly over the top directors like Wes Anderson and Guy Ritchie, or movies that are highly cinematic like Road to Perdition, which is still one of my favorite films of all time.

In my opinion, animation is a super important medium outside of it being a very beautiful one. I truly believe it helped me access and understand emotion better as a child, and as an adult, it's a massive source of inspiration in my own work 💛

(Sorry for length, but you did ask!)

[pocketramblr]

It was revealed at the jump fest that Horikoshi initially planned for Naomasa to be an ally of AFO's who spied for him. Obviously it was scrapped later on. Now I'm thinking about all those Kurogiri is Naomasa theories that were prominent with them comparing the similar ties...

Anonymous asked: In honor of this revelation, can we get an AU where Naomasa was indeed sent to spy on All Might by AFO, but ended up falling for his target.

1- AfO stole his nifty truth detector quirk from Naomasa's father before killing him a bit before Makoto was born. As far as the Tsukauchi's mother knows, AfO is her husband's brother who helped out a lot at the time. Naomasa is the only one who knows his Uncle is lying, and he hates it, but can't tell anyone the truth because Uncle made it clear that Naomasa must pay him back for protecting his little sister and his mom. Naomasa has to be the one to teach Makoto how to manage her lie detecting quirk, has to get good grades to get to the police academy like Uncle orders, and has to not be suspicious.

2- Here, Naomasa meets All Might earlier, for a certain definition of "meet"- AfO worked hard to get them in contact on cases, but All Might is busy fighting twenty hours a day and doesn't really do the paperwork part of his job so actual communication with Naomasa is rare. Which, he's fine with, the less there is he has to pass on to his Uncle

3- When Naomasa first meets Toshinori, he actually thinks he's another spy for AfO placed closer to All Might after Uncle's injury, though he says nothing to verify that. Still, he's friendly - and then he learns he's All Might, and he starts hiding information on purpose from Uncle for the first time. He doesn't ask him for help yet though, he can't.

4- that changes after the Sky Egg incident, when All Might saves Makoto and everyone else. Naomasa waits until his sister is safe in the States, far away and not coming back soon, before he goes to Toshinori. He begs him not say anything, just to listen from the other room. Toshinori, worried, agrees, and then Naomasa takes a call from his Uncle. Toshinori recognizes the voice, and Naomasa confirms that he's alone in the room before answering other questions, carefully selecting what information to give before his Uncle hangs up. Toshinori stares at him. Naomasa looks down. "He doesn't know about you wound, or weakened form. My father... Used to have a lie detecting quirk too, you know. But he died quirkless. Anyway. I'm sorry. That's the truth."

Toshinori stares, silent, for a few more minutes. Then he says "and now, you can honestly say you never told anyone about what you did, or what he did."

"yeah. I hope I can, anyway."

To attempt to make up for what he's already given AfO, Naomasa starts passing information the other way... And does a lot of Toshinori's paperwork.

5- UA is a stressful time, with Naomasa called in to help after USJ and Uncle expecting to be told how far along the heroes are in their attempts to find him, and UA would really like Naomasa's help in sniffing out their own mole. But they manage, and Naomasa, who's been in love with Toshinori a few years at this point and said nothing, sees Toshinori so bright and happy as he ruffles Izuku's hair, and thinks seeing the real smile on the blond's face must be better than even kissing it like he sometimes is embarrassed to dream about.

(he gets a kiss later- Naomasa is furious when he discovers the mole. Not at Yuga- at his parents. Naomasa's father died before working for AfO, and his mother would have done the same, but these two are the ones who invited him in, who basically sold him their son! he's down to imprison the parents, or leave them to AfO, but not Yuga, who'd be better served hidden abroad. Toshinori watches him pace angrily about this before taking his hand, and saying he's unhappy too, but his student doesn't blame his parents and also might be liable to explode if he flees. Then Toshi promises to ensure AfO pays for what he's done, that Yuga and Naomasa and himself and Izuku and everyone will have peace when this is over. Naomasa disagrees - one, he's planning on being imprisoned himself after the war, and two, Toshinori shouldn't go out there, shouldn't get himself killed. Toshi just kisses the back of his hand though and leaves, saying it'll be all right and he'll see him later.)

[threadbaresweater]

What You Need

When you find yourself in the midst of a marriage in shambles, you find a way to ease some of the pain, no matter how temporary.

Tags/Content Warnings: Heavy angst, infidelity, reader is married and has children; reader has...questionable morals and unhealthy coping mechanisms; Kishibe is willing to help ease her pain with some casual sex; vaginal fingering, unprotected sex; Kishibe calls her babe, alcohol and cigarette use, driving under the influence of alcohol. Please let me know if I forgot anything! Under 18 please don't interact! (Yes, this is a repost)

Everything feels wrong. You know you shouldn't be here, but there's some small, screaming part of you that demands that it be paid attention to. You feel slippery and lucid, as if you're not quite real. There's music playing, but it's muffled by the sound of your thoughts as you make your way to the darkened corner of the bar where he sits, three drinks in and poker-faced as ever.

He doesn't say a word as you slip onto the seat next to him. Dark eyes barely acknowledge your presence, and he throws back what's left of the whisky, gulping it down like it's water.

"Started without me?"

"You mad or something?"

You scoff as he signals to the bartender to bring two more drinks. "At you? Never."

"Right there's your first problem," he says, giving you a little bit of side-eye. He doesn't look directly at you. He hardly ever does; he doesn't like the feeling of someone being able to really look at him and see everything.

"Got a little tied up with the kids," you say, toying with the corner of a cheap, papery napkin.

"Right. Thought we agreed not to bring that up."

Your face grows warm and you suck in your bottom lip. "We did. My bad," you say, the guilt of it all gnawing at your stomach. With your thumb, you trace the indentation of where your wedding ring usually sits on your finger and take a deep breath. He knows you're married– you know he knows, but you still remove it anyway. It's tucked away in your change purse, a solid reminder that you belong to someone else.

Tonight, you'd rather not be reminded.

"Whatsa matter, you got cold feet?"

His question makes you twitch a little; you're brought out of your reverie and give him a flirty, bashful kind of smile. The corner of his lip barely lifts, but you see the glimmer of mischief clearly in his eyes. "No. I just…never imagined I'd be doing something like this."

Thankfully, the bartender brings your drinks, and you're temporarily occupied by the burn when you take a sip. Kishibe lights a cigarette, takes a drag, then offers it to you. For a moment, you hesitate, but your fingers touch his when you take it from him and you're reminded of why this was your idea in the first place.

"It's your circus, babe. I'm just your monkey."

That earns a laugh from you. Kishibe watches as you put the cigarette between your lips, a hunger in his eyes that you've seen a handful of times before, usually when you're alone in his office with the blinds drawn and the door locked.

It's been a long time since you've felt desirable to another man. Your husband's serial infidelity has left you broken; time and time again, he tells you he's sorry, and you've got a million and one reasons why you could leave him for good, but you just can't bring yourself to do it. It's complicated, you tell yourself and your friends who have begged you to leave him. But the kids need both of us. I'm not stable enough financially to be able to break free. The list is endless. Somewhere deep down, you think you still love him, but the fire has long been snuffed. When he tries to make love to you, you pretend to be asleep, and no matter how long he tries to kiss and touch you, you don't move. You don't want to. You can't shake the feeling that you're just another means for him to get off– that you're just an option for him now when his other lovers aren't giving him what he needs.

You know that fucking around with Kishibe isn't the right solution, but you don't want to think too hard about it. It's fun. It's hot. It's dirty and depraved and all things wrong and impulsive and reckless.

It's exactly what you need.

The drinks are enough to quell the uncertainty that simmers in the pit of your stomach and quiet your conscience, and when Kishibe throws down a few bills to cover the cost, you know he's had enough, too. Time is of the essence, so you quickly duck out of the bar and follow him to his car.

"What was your excuse tonight?" he asks, glassy-eyed but focused on the nearly deserted street. He really shouldn't be driving, but you can't bring yourself to care too much. You figure his blood is half alcohol anyway, and his place isn't too far away, so you relax and settle in for the ride.

"Drinks with friends," you say.

"Got a curfew?"

You shake your head. "As long as I'm home before–" Before the kids wake up.

Kishibe catches it. "Tsk. Strike two."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry!"

He reaches over to lay a rough, warm hand on your thigh and gives you a meaningful squeeze. "Relax. 'S no fun if you're gonna be all pent up like this."

He’s right, and you hate him for it. You take a deep breath to try and settle yourself, breathing out against your palm, elbow propped on the door frame as you watch the scenery crawl by. There’s an old song playing on the radio– you can’t make out the lyrics, but the tune is familiar, and you hum along while Kishibe makes the final turn to his house.

The night air as you step out of the car is balmy and heavy; it carries the scent of rain as it rustles through the trees that line the sidewalk, and you can’t help but notice how suburban and quaint his neighborhood is. It’s a far cry from what you were expecting, and your little laugh is carried off on the wind as he steps around the car and ahead of you, leading you up the concrete stairs on his porch.

As soon as the door is shut and you've just slipped off your shoes, he tugs you toward him with a strong arm hooked at your waist. You fall against him with a soft grunt just before he ducks his head to kiss your throat. You close your eyes and lift your face to the ceiling, and you're floating already. Tipsy and warm, you push your fingers through his hair and hold him as close as you can.

What you're doing with him isn't about love, and he knows it as well as you. It's not about revenge, or getting even; it's about doing something for yourself that doesn't benefit anyone else but you. It's about finally being selfish enough to chase your own pleasure, to stop trying so hard to make everyone around you happy by making all the wrong decisions for yourself that you could possibly make. Your children are home safe in their beds. You're not due at work, you even called your mother today to give her the latest news about your cheating husband. You're doing all the right things, all the time.

Sometimes, you just want to be wrong, though. It makes you feel alive. It makes you feel human. It makes you feel like no matter how bad things get, you can still grasp a little bit of happiness, no matter how fleeting it might be. No matter that it's built on a bed of lies and deceit and sneaking around.

Kishibe sucks on your jawline before drawing back to cup your chin between his thumb and forefinger. He's got a way of looking at you where it feels as if he can see every inner working of your psyche, but when you look back at him, you never quite know what he's thinking. Maybe it's the years of training he's endured to not show his weaknesses. Maybe it's just who he is. Maybe he's guarding himself from feeling something for you beyond a physical desire. Whatever it is doesn't matter when he bends forward just enough to kiss you.

It starts off like a whisper– open mouth, barely a breath between you, before he pinches your chin a little harder and licks into your mouth with a deep, raspy groan that makes you weak in the knees. Your trembling fingers tug at some of the longer strands of his hair, and you find that no matter how close he is, it's not close enough to satisfy the aching need that blooms throughout your body.

"Please," you whimper, muffled by the seal of his mouth over yours.

He pulls back just far enough to speak unhindered, lips bumping against yours as he breathes a reply. "Didn't think you were the type to beg."

You're consumed with him, overwhelmed by the way that your thoughts feel like static and your head is floating and you feel like you're drowning but oh wouldn't it be a wonderful way to go. It's a rush, it's too much, and it's scary because you've barely just kissed him but you're already lost in the flood.

Kishibe isn't the type of man you usually go for. He's rude, he's coarse, he's got an air of indifference that makes you want to slap him and wake him up. He's never seemed interested in anything that doesn't immediately benefit him or bring him some kind of temporary pleasure. You don't think you've ever seen him without a drink or a cigarette in hand, and the only time you've seen him with a semblance of a smile has been when he's caught wind of a devil being sent back to hell.

He's a far cry from the husband you have at home, who is– as far as anyone outside of your immediate family knows– a gentleman. Handsome and soft spoken and a doting father, he's exactly what he's supposed to be…except when he isn't. He's a liar and a cheater, and he plays one hell of a victim when it comes to confrontation. He's good at masking his true nature around those to whom his reputation matters. Behind closed doors, you know who he really is.

You like Kishibe because you know he's not bullshitting you. With him, what you see is what you get. He won't sugarcoat anything. He won't tell you pretty things to get you into his bed. He won't smile at you or compliment your outfit or tell you that you smell nice. He won't lie to you.

He won't lie to you.

He allows you to take control because he knows that it scratches some itch for you that you can't satisfy anywhere else. You're desperate to feel him inside you, to finally take that step into forbidden territory where there's no turning back. So you kiss him again and push weakly at his chest, guiding him to the couch just a few steps away where he sinks down into the cushions and rests his arms along the back. His legs are spread wide and he watches you with hungry eyes as you straddle him, grinding down on his half-hard cock as you settle into his lap.

"You're really worked up, aren't ya?"

One of his hands slides down around your hip, coarse fingertips digging into the swell of your ass to feel you sink a little deeper against him. "Yeah," you whisper, rubbing your cheek along the stubble of his chin, lazy tongue darting out to taste the salt on his skin. You don't want to talk. You want to feel good. So you take the lead (like you know he wants you to) and undo his belt, then his pants. Carefully, you peel away the elastic of his underwear; your breath catches when his cock springs free, already shining with a little drop of precum at the tip. You use your thumb to smear it before taking his length in your fist. It's so big that your fingers don't quite wrap all the way around, and your cunt throbs when you imagine how it's going to feel when he's balls deep inside you.

Kishibe's hands are at your waist again, thumbs on your skin beneath the waistband of your panties. He pushes, and you lift yourself away from his lap to take off your pants, leaving them in a crumpled heap on the floor at his feet. He appraises your figure through heavy-lidded eyes, his gaze dropping to your bare sex as he slides his tongue across his teeth.

You climb back into his lap, hovering just above where his cock stands at attention. He's pumping it himself, eyes trained on the way your thighs flex when you straddle him, on the softness of your belly and how it seems to quiver with every breath you take. You lean forward and kiss him again, hands on either side of his face, brows knitted together as you whimper softly.

He goes straight for the kill, fingers spreading you open to push one inside: he chuckles low, right next to your ear, when he feels how wet and swollen you are for him. Your body is alive and buzzing already, and when he fits another finger inside, your back arches and you cry out, gripping the back of the couch for stability.

"Fuck–" You gasp for air, too far gone to be embarrassed about how fast you feel your body responding. But just as you're reaching the moment where you know you'll fall apart, he slips his fingers out, leaving you breathless and empty.

You know what to do. Without hesitation, you sink down onto him slowly, the stretch even greater than you'd been able to imagine. Eyes wide, mouth formed into a pretty little 'o' shape that Kishibe thinks is just right for sticking his thumb into, you take his length until it feels like he's filled up every part of you.

"Oh my god," you whisper. Kishibe doesn't move, but you see the look in his eye. He allows himself the pleasure of feeling your walls open to him, the weight of you in his lap, the wet of your tongue as it traces along his throat.

"Go on, baby. See what you can do with it."

You being to rock, languid at first. Once you think you're accustomed to the stretch of him inside you, you move a little faster. He kneads at your ass with greedy hands, pushes his thumbs up under your bra to touch hardened nipples. He watches as you bounce in his lap as his length disappears inside you, coaxing you with words of quiet praise. Feels good, don't it? So greedy…take it all, sweetheart. Make it count.

You listen. You take and you take and you take, and you gasp for air when you feel the high you've been chasing reach a point where it's impossible to contain the way your body quakes and trembles around him. You grab fistfuls of his shirt and cry out his name at your peak, the pleasure almost too much for you to bear. It brings you to tears and you choke on a sob, falling forward to slump against him, chest heaving, a sheen of sweat beading across your brow.

A broad hand smooths over your back as you come down. He doesn't rush you to compose yourself. You rest in his lap, his cock growing limp inside you, the mess you've made of each other beginning to run down the inside of your thigh.

"You good?" he asks quietly, just after your silence becomes uncomfortable for him.

You nod, your face buried in his shoulder, arms linked around his neck.

"Need a drink?"

You nod again and sit up with a deep sigh, exhaled through your nose. He winces– still sensitive– when you lift yourself away from his lap and bend to grab your pants off the floor. He takes a moment to appreciate the view before tucking himself back into his own pants.

"Bathroom's down the hall to your left if you wanna get cleaned up."

You nod, trying in vain to fix your hair, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. You clutch your pants to your chest and tuck your chin, the reality of what you've just done beginning to sink in. Kishibe begins to unbutton his shirt on the way to the kitchen, seemingly unaware of your moral conflict.

"Hey," he says. It catches you off guard, and you jolt a little, looking up at him with brows raised, bottom lip tucked under your teeth.

"What?"

"Why the long face? You had fun, yeah?"

"Yeah," you say, a breathless giggle bubbling over. You don't remember the last time you wanted something so bad.

"Then smile. You're hurting my feelings." His deadpan delivery is so on brand that you can't help but laugh as he turns away.

"Kishibe?"

He calls from the kitchen. "I'm thirsty. Make it quick."

"Can we do it again?"

You're still standing in his hallway, still clutching your pants. Still riding the high of what you've done, shoddy marriage be damned.

"It's gonna cost ya," he says, appearing in the doorway with a glass of liquor.

You know the implication of what he says. It's going to cost you a lot of things, should you happen to get sloppy and your secret gets out. Kishibe lifts his glass in a mock toast and raises a brow, waiting for your answer.

"I know," you say. I'm good for it."

[tipsygnostalgy]

the vampyre by 18th century author john polidori is a self insert vampiric yuri

ok fucking hear me out on this one.

general thesis: lord byron (you might know him as the guy who wrote don juan), infamous for being a queer little hedonistic slut, pioneered gothic romantic horror by permanently changing the brain chemistry of one mary shelly + john william polidori. part one of two.

so the story starts off when byron and his doctor (polidori) fucked off to some mansion for the summer. shelly (~19 at the time)? + her husband (percy shelly, also rlly prolific poet) was convinced by one of byron's fangirls to chase him there, and somehow ended up living at the mansion. they did cocaine and drank and probably fucked in that lovely summer house, but MOST IMPORTANTLY they wrote. a lot. they were all authors/poets to some extent, they ended up swapping ideas and bouncing criticism and basically doing the 1800s equivalent of livejamming on discord. this went on for a few weeks or so.

one fateful night, all these fuckers got locked into the mansion because of a huuuuuuuge storm that took place, and naturally byron started telling them horror stories (The Burial: A Fragment, probably) that he made up on the spot. this scared the living shit out of his audience, and byron gleefully challenged them to come up with a story just as good. polidori attempted, proceeded to get humiliated live in front of the other authors by byron, and years later, out of spite, wrote:

THE VAMPYRE, one of the very first written vampire novels.

byron's influence in this novel cannot be understated. as aforementioned, byron thought polidori couldnt write to save his life, and polidori therefore had this weird idolizing love/hate relationship with him. the vampyre was, in essence, a giant "fuck you" to his old employer that he too could write a good book—even if, at the same time, he took parts of the burial from earlier to write it. in fact, the villain of vampyre is simultaneously 1) modeled after byron 2) a ruthless heartless sadistic vampire who ends up killing several perfect young girls and eventually the main protagonist 3) the world's first vampiric sexyman.

that's right. polidor's lord ruthven (who is, again, a lord byron insert) is the quintessential the reason why we perceive vampires today as suave queer homoerotic womanizing charismatic GAYS. this gets even funnier when you realize that in vampire, the protagonist (this young rich adventerous "i want to travel the world!" twink named aubrey) & ruthven have this yuri-esque homoerotic relationship involving death and murder and betrayal. see:

aubrey is enchanted by ruthven at first sight and capriciously requests to join his travels (to which ruthven AGREES);

aubrey notes over and over how horrible of a person ruthven is but only leaves once he realizes he's a vampire;

aubrey runs from ruthven across countries and cities only to have ruthven magically show up + kill off one of aubrey's love interests;

ruthven dramatically dies in his arms at one point and makes aubrey promise he'll follow these super specific instructions post-death, to which AUBREY agrees (swears an oath);

later ruthven comes back (duh) and tries to marry aubrey's sister—aubrey attempts to tell everyone but ruthven reminds him of the oath;

aubrey has a nervous breakdown and ends up dying while ruthven marries his sister, sucks her blood, and flees to the night.

gay. gay gay homoerotic gay you CANNOT tell me the vampyre was anything but a queer real person self-insert fiction about him and lord byron. polidori wrote the world's first self-insert about him and the man he was a DOCTOR to and performed PHYSICAL CHECKUPS ON.... C'MON GUYS YOU SEE WHAT I'M SEEING RIGHT. I'M NOT GOING INSANE RIGHT. FUCK

[hummingbird-of-light]

In Our Favor

Part 173

McCoy

A sigh left McCoy. He’d thought it over quickly when Jaylah had spoken, and there was no point in not telling their friends.

“It’s Andre,” he said reluctantly.

“Andre?” Jaylah asked, looking over at McCoy.

“You saw him when we started here.”

Jaylah’s brow furrowed in thought.

“He was your security guard,” she said slowly, the memory coming to her. “Why is he here now?” she demanded.

“The king wanted to make sure our return was safe,” Scotty said quickly before McCoy could answer. “Just for a day or so. To ease his mind after the attack on Leah.”

The friends around the table murmured understanding and nodded agreement. McCoy gave Scotty a bump with his knee in thanks.

“They’re giving me space so I can try to keep being a normal cadet,” McCoy muttered.

“What if we went out this weekend?” Jim suddenly said. “All of us. Relax from everything that’s happened.” He looked around the table eagerly.

“Maybe,” Sulu said. “I do have a big paper I need to finish writing.”

“And I have a star charting project to start,” Chekov said with a nod at Sulu.

“Aww, c’mon guys,” said Jim with a pout. “We need some fun after all this,” he nodded towards McCoy and Scotty.

“We’ll see Jim,” McCoy said.

McCoy had been keeping an eye out for when Cora and Eugene got up to leave. Though he hated to interrupt them, he did still have a few questions for Eugene about their classes. He leaned close to Scotty and explained where he was going, then gave his husband a quick kiss and left the table.

He caught up with the pair outside the dining hall.

“Hey!” he called.

Cora and Eugene turned.

“Leonard!” Eugene said with a big smile. “Cora said you guys were back. It’s good to see you!” He clapped a hand on McCoy’s shoulder.

“You too,” McCoy said. “I’m not interrupting?”

“No,” Cora told him. “We were just getting a little sun before class.” She looked up at the clear sky and smiled.

“Your sister is really alright?” Eugene asked.

“Yes,” McCoy said. “Back to work and all.” A movement nearby caught his eye and he looked over to see one of Andre’s team passing.

“That must have been so frightening. I can’t imagine…”

“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” McCoy agreed.

“You didn’t try to do homework through all that did you?” Eugene asked. “I don’t know how you’d even concentrate.”

“I didn’t,” McCoy chuckled. “But after she was ok I did some. And it is a six hour flight between here and home.”

“If you need any help…” Eugene began.

“That’s actually why I came after you guys,” McCoy explained.

“Yeah, of course,” said Eugene. He glanced at his watch. “We’ve got a bit of time before class. Come on.” He turned to Cora. “I’ll see you after classes?”

“Sure thing sweetie,” she replied with a smile.

“I’m sorry Co—”

“Don’t worry about it, Leonard,” Cora waved his apology away.

“Maybe he can make it up to us with dinner sometime,” Eugene said with a laugh and a knowing look at McCoy.

“Any time,” McCoy said. “Just name a day.”

“Have fun,” Cora said. She gave Eugene a kiss, waved a hand at McCoy and headed off towards her class.

“Come on, we can get to class early and go over some stuff,” Eugene said.

Part 174

Scotty

"The king wants to know his son safe, huh?" Aporal asked quietly as Scotty and him walked to their next class. Scotty gave him a nod.

"Aye. It was a real shock to him what happened to Leah," he retorted, keeping his voice low.

"I see," Aporal nodded understandingly, before he glanced over his shoulder, "and she's here to protect you?"

Scotty followed his gaze and saw that Averie was following them, keeping a safe distance. He looked over at Aporal, a frown on his face.

"Oh, Scottish boy, I know when someone is watching me. Or someone close to me. It's something I learned quite well during —" Aporal clarified his words, but didn't finish. Scotty knew what he didn't want to say. During his kidnapping.

"How was yer weekend? Ye wrote something about yer parents visiting?" The Scotsman chose to change the subject and his Andorian friend sighed.

"Don't remind me of it," he groaned.

"Judging by the way ye say it, it didn't go too well?" Scotty asked, concern filling his voice.

"Keep a low profile. Don't cause any troubles. You're just a cadet so act like one," Aporal imitated a high-pitched voice, probably the one of his mother. He sighed. "They act as if I was the one who attacked someone."

"But... that's not fair on ye." Scotty blinked in surprise.

Aporal laughed humorlessly. "You tell me, Scottish boy. They only want me to behave. They want me to sit still and look pretty. They know about everything I've been through and still they don't want me to speak my mind."

Scotty thought about Aporal's words for a moment. The Andorian's parents sounded like horrible people, but Scotty wasn't sure if they actually were that bad. He always wanted to believe that people had good reasons for their actions.

"Maybe... maybe they are just scared of even more bad stuff happening to ye. Maybe they want ye to keep a low profile so that ye won't get into problems," the Scotsman carefully suggested.

Aporal huffed.

"Of course they are scared! You don't think I know that? I'm not stupid, Scottish boy. My mum is a real mother hen and my dad just listens to everything she says. But they don't understand that I'm different. The things that happened to me changed the person I am. I'm not the quiet, shy boy that left them. I say and do what I want. And I defend myself."

Scotty watched his friend for a long moment. He could see that Aporal didn't actually hate his parents. He just felt misunderstood by them.

"Did... ye ever talk to them about the way ye think and feel?"

Aporal nodded. "Believe me, I tried. But they won't listen."

"Are... are ye their only child?"

Another nod from the Andorian.

"So they want to protect ye with everything they got. But they have trouble understanding how much ye've grown," Scotty mused.

Aporal raised an eyebrow at him.

"Acting like a real therapist, huh?"

Scotty felt a blush touching his cheeks and he smiled weakly.

"I just want to help," he muttered and Aporal eyed him closely, then patted his shoulder.

"Try it. Just remember that you can't help everyone. Or else you'll get hurt yourself." He glanced at a close by clock. "Come on, we better hurry or else we'll be late for class."

With that Aporal increased his speed and Scotty stared after him for a moment before he followed quickly.

Somehow he would help his Andorian friend.

After dinner Scotty and Leonard quickly made their way to their room. Leonard had recieved a message from Andre earlier on, telling him to meet the guard there.

They entered the code and were surprised to find the security guard already waiting there. He nodded his head at them apologetically.

"Your highness, Sir. I'm sorry for entering your room, but I assumed it would be better if I hid in here so that no other cadet could see me."

Leonard nodded quickly.

"It's okay, Andre. We understand. Thanks for you and your team keeping a safe distance. I don't think anyone noticed the reason you were here. Except for our friends of course."

Andre nodded.

"I just wanted to inform you that the undercover team is all set up. My team and I will head back to Georgiares now."

Leonard's shoulders slumped in relief and Scotty grabbed his hand to hold it.

"Those are great news! I mean... it's not like we aren't grateful to you for protecting us, but —"

Andre just smiled at the prince's explanation.

"I know, your highness. You want to get back to your regular lives."

"You know me so well, Andre." Leonard gave the young man a smile.

"I wish the two of you all the best. Just call us if you need anything."

Both Scotty and Leonard nodded. They knew that Andre and his Team Alpha would always protect them. But now it was time for the undercover team to do that job.

[thehypotensivegrad]

The Adviser (11/40) | Bechloe Mafia AU

The Star Witness - Chapter Preview (Read the rest at ao3)

"Grazie mille," Beca replied. "I'm sorry if the whole thing was so boring."

"Oh no, that's not it," Chloe then said, looking embarrassed for a moment before she procured a long black box from her bag as well. "Here."

"What's this?" Beca asked, as she accepted it. Once she opened the box, she saw a sleek black pen with her name engraved.

"A little something extra to show my gratitude," Chloe then said. "You asked me to have faith in you, Beca. I did, and you kept your promise. I know it's not a suit, but you're still a lawyer. You write a lot, take notes, all that stuff. It's just something to remember me by whenever you work. And well, at least, once this is done, when you do use it, I hope it reminds you to write me from time to time."

"I can just call, you know," Beca then noted, but she nevertheless thanked her for the pen.

"Yeah, but there's something magical about writing people letters. You don't get to hear what the other people say in real time, you're not as guarded because of it, and it lets you express yourself better, more clearly. So, for whenever you return to Italy, write me, okay?"

Beca looked at her speechless, moved by the care and thought Chloe had put in selecting that simple gift. "Of course."

"Well, I guess that's that, I should probably let you go now," Chloe then said, "What with all the people throwing themselves at you, you're probably busy with managing your time with all the opera dates."

Beca laughed. So, she's bothered by that, she thought to herself. "I would, if only I had given those people my number."

"Didn't you do that?" Chloe asked coolly, trying to seem uninterested and detached. "I mean, I saw you give your number to Dr. Matthews, the woman one, Hannah, not the creepy husband."

"I gave her Lilly's number," Beca then replied. "And Lilly has since replaced her number."

"Really?" Chloe asked, trying to pretend she wasn't pleasantly surprised to hear that. "Why? I'd have thought someone like you… well…"

Beca chuckled. "Maybe I did, but I'm not interested."

"In her… or…" Chloe then went on to ask.

Beca shook her head. How many times had she gone out with some new stranger she has charmed? How many women have walked in and out of her life already, knowing they were just simply passing by? With Beca knowing it would never amount to anything? Her life came with dangers and risks. She couldn't possibly drag anyone in it. She couldn't be selfish. Not that anyone held her attention long enough to want them to be there for longer than a fleeting moment.

But for some reason, Beca couldn't find the courage to tell that to Chloe.

And Beca didn't want to answer the question why. She simply couldn't allow herself to.

She had a mission at the core of her visit to the states. Sure, Babel ended up being one of them, but it didn't change the fact that at the end of the day, Beca had to choose the family that took her in and raised her. For Don Fabio, and the others who needed someone dependable to lead them.

Beca couldn't let wishful thinking sway her. She simply couldn't entertain those thoughts.

Instead, she changed the topic.

"Come one, you've gotten me more than what I've asked for, it's time I return the favor," Beca replied.

"You're going to buy me a suit?" Chloe jokingly asked.

"No, but let me buy dinner," Beca offered.

"A little early for that," Chloe pointed out.

"Fine. Coffee then? Some shopping if you want. We can drop the suit and anything else we buy in my car, and then dinner? We can even call Aubrey and Emily if you want," Beca then proposed.

"No way, today is our day, we can celebrate with them later," Chloe then said, wrapping her hands around one of Beca's arms. "Come on then, let's go. You promised me my dirty water," Chloe teased.

Beca laughed. How much had she been smiling lately? Laughing too? She wasn't sure. She had certainly lost count.

Has she even smiled and laughed this much before?

No, she never had.

Will she ever again? After all this was done?

Beca didn't want to find the answer out.

For now, all she wanted was to enjoy the time she spent with one Chloe Beale.

[mjfan4life18]

Its over😫😫😫

I will say my piece and then move on from this amazing drama. People will give their own opinions but, I will ignore them like the plague cause sometimes some ppl opinions aren't necessary😂 j/k...👀

If Park Eun-Bin doesn't win Top excellence award, Best actress, and Daesang I will riot.🤬🤬🤬

I have been watching PEB dramas since Hello, My Twenties (which is good btw has 2 seasons) then I worked my way to watching Ghost Detective (another good one💜) then hot stove league to Do you like Brahams? (a beautiful slow burn romance drama filled with classical music, angst and pain. I'm being dramatic😂) to The Kings Affection (another good one) all the way to EAW. I think I have watched everything she's had a lead in except Judge vs.Judge.

I believe if EAW didnt get the mass popularity it received and there was no talk of a season 2 and it ended like it did. I would still think it ended nicely and want a season 2 lol

Its one of those dramas that have the potential to go for another season or more because, of the potential to further dive into the relationships and the people of Habanna and the cases!!!

x We have a potential relationship of woo young woo being a older sister to her younger brother if her shit mom allows it or if the younger brother even wants it.

x The ups and downs of Junho and woo young woo dating. (She still needs to introduce him to her dad lol and he still hasn't introduced her to his parents which I kinda hope he don't give how the whole meeting with his sister went🤨😑)

x Then there is the redemption arc of shit Minwoo and him becoming/living like a fool for Choi soo-yeon.

***Real quick I read a lot of ppl pissed that choi soo-yeon started to like Minwoo. That the writer did character assination to her and I do disagree. Yes, I was annoyed by her liking him after everything he's done. But if you take away your anger for a bit she doesn't know EVERYTHING he was trying to do. We the viewers did. Yes, he wrote that shit post about nepotism that choi soo-yeon knows about and yea that should be enough in some ppls eyes to not get involved with someone like that. And she was annoyed by him all the time and ridiculed him for it until her heart started backstabbing her from his bare minimum gentleman acts. (I think its from all those shit dates she went on)🙃 let's be real we have been choi soo-yeon or have some friends like that who end up liking douche bags!!! Let's not lie~ and we try to 'change them' which sometimes works or most of the time doesn't! But when you like someone or fall in love you do start to do things completely out of character lol hence the scene where Minwoo said he will "start acting/living like a fool" cause...those are traits that Choi soo-yeon likes😝👏🏾

**Some people were pissed that Minwoo didn’t get exposed for working with Tae su-mi and trying to get woo young woo to quit or be fired. Someone said they tried to resolve it by having choi soo-yeon have a crush on him and he gets off Scott free. To that I say huh?!??! There is no correlation at all to that and I think that viewers just come to this conclusion because, we disliked him so much lol.

 Honestly in my opinion now that the drama is over can we really say Minwoo is a top notch villain? Asshole, absolutely but he sucks at being a villain.

x One, he tried to get woo young woo in trouble by sending documents the attorney could have used representing the two woman that were fired for being females and told to take care of their kids at home so the men could bring in the $$$. (That shit still makes my blood boil) Luckily the attorney wasn’t a ass and knew that would get woo young woo in trouble so she didn’t use them. Fail for Minwoo~

x Two he tried to make woo young woo anxious or maybe uncomfortable turning up the volume on the tv to have her  here them talking about her mom but, she was so focused looking for something and meeting Junho sister and husband she didn’t here it then her friend turned it to spongebob lol. I don’t know what he was really trying to do with that but FAIL for Minwoo.

Like homeboi had one job and he couldn’t even do that right lol. I believe that sometimes all characters involved don't need to know everything other characters know/did unless it crucial to the development of the drama. Does that make sense? For example not every single character found out woo young woo was Tae su-mi daughter. Another example not every character found out that the hacker that went to trial to confess his wrong doing was her half brother. Like things like this can add more to the plot that the writer will have to tie together nicely in an 1hr in 30 min or sometimes they just don’t add to what the writer is trying to convey in the next scene. So, Minwoo not getting exposed was how I saw that as well~

Don't get me wrong no way am I on the soo-yeon&minwoo love train because, nothing has really even happened BTW the two besides soo-yeon confessing that she likes him. Will have to see how they develop in season 2 but, minwoo is heading in the right direction 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I was not expecting Minwoo to do a complete 180 and be this sweet, kind person half way through the series, so for him to make a choice towards the end of the series how he wants to live his life going forward was a scene I was expecting.

People talked about the cases being boring....

If your already set in your ways watching a drama for the romance solely and that's the only thing keeping you invested then yea sadly your going to overlook the other great parts of any drama cause your brain can't seem to want to be engaged in anything else but, OTP!

Don't get me wrong I was EXACTLY like this to the 'T' in someways I still am but I think it was possibly Japanese dramas that taught me how even a subtle hint of romance or hell even none at all can still be an amazing drama keep me engaged and that has open me to so many amazing movies and dramas that have very little or no romance at all!

But people like what they like, it  can't be helped.

I enjoyed the cases because, there were engaging and it showed the rookie attorney's put in work and grow from every case they were on. It showed how smart and how Woo young woo would find out a way to win the case. And of course having Junho tag along and have special little moments with woo young woo🥰

If they didnt have cases that would be like the biggest plot hole. 😂 A bunch of attorney meeting at a restaurant that never has customers lol eating talking about cases we barley see in a courtroom lol. Just like those romance dramas with the ML is a ceo but never really see him the office working.

** side note how is that breaded man able to even still have a restaurant 🤣 from the moment he was introduce we have only seen woo young woo eat there and I doubt the gimbap she orders is keeping the lights on 💀💀💀 unless that was simply the gag through the series him never having customers. Lol

Anyways I'm happy the dad recognized his daughter is growing up and he should be so proud of his parenting as a single father👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💜

For those who did not cave and have been waiting for the drama to end I salute you. Now you can enjoy to binge watch without the week long wait.

I loved the drama I have no nitpicks whatsoever. It gave me what I wanted. I do feel this drama will win lot of awards at the end of the year and some country will probably make a remake of this drama but, honestly I hope not cause I just don't think they'll do it justice. Just watch with subtitles! Its not hard!!

If y'all still here see ya 2024~ 🤪💜🌸

[chlocent]

"they are just husbands. i am evelyn hugo."

a blog by chloe denise nunag of bs psy 2a.

taylor jenkins reid is an american author, well known for her works like daisy jones & the six, malibu rising, after i do, and most notably, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo.

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo is one of the most treasured pieces of literature in the book community. but what is it about, really?

this is a peek into tshoeh, an unbiased and non-spoiling review to get you to read it as well.

for a short background, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo is centered on hollywood movie icon, evelyn hugo. decades have passed since her peak and golden days, and now, she is finally ready to let the public in on the truth about her rather scandalous (love) life.

scandalous, how? well, as the title indicates, hugo married seven times in her life, and this has been a hot topic among the people for years and counting.

with this, monique grant, a journalist for a prestigious magazine, is contacted for a sit-down with hugo. now, hugo has never done exclusive interviews throughout her career, especially not about her private life. so for grant, this could be the scoop that will boost her position in the company and change her career forever.

hugo tells grant about each of her marriages in detail from the first to the last, and grant listens and takes careful note of each one. however, as the book progresses, one would realize that it is not simply a coincidence that hugo personally chooses grant to write her biography.

why?

well, that's reason number one for you to pick up a copy and start diving into hugo's vibrant life.

the story in itself is captivating, but the characters you will definitely fall in love with; evelyn hugo is complex and sometimes morally gray, not often by choice as she was only ever navigating her way through the messy hollywood scene. she is the personification of the idea that is beauty and brains: beautiful, sexy, smart, sensual and ambitious. but she is also mean and calculating, having used people to get what she wanted.

and i'd talk about her seven husbands in detail, but as this review is spoiler-free, i will describe them the way hugo did; poor ernie diaz, goddamn don adler, gullible mick riva, clever rex north, brilliant, kindhearted, tortured harry cameron, disappointing max girard, and agreeable robert jamison.

then, there is also celia st. james, another one of the most famous actresses of hollywood's golden age alongside hugo. being "america's sweetheart", st. james intimidates hugo with her talent in acting, which sparks a rivalry between the two.

of course, there is monique grant. she is charismatic, driven, and like hugo, ambitious. she is a commendable black woman in journalism, consistently standing out for her works, notably for her piece on the right to die.

and that's reason number two for you to grab a copy, physical or virtual.

lastly, aside from the story and the characters, taylor jenkins reid has a way with words that will engulf you in hollywood's golden age and the present time. she stripped bare the movie industry, and she will make you question the truth about the celebrities we know and the lives they present to the public.

she will also make feel a (crazy) range of emotions. one second, you love evelyn hugo, then you hate her the next. reid will make you laugh, then cry. you will be filled with fury with the actions and words hugo leaves, then feel for her and the things she has to go through.

then, there are also the newspaper articles and letters from the past, as well as the features of the present.

more importantly, it is real and raw in a sense that it shows the reality of life and love—how it's never easy, how it's not as glamorous as presented in other forms of media; life is full of twists we never expect, and love will consume you alive.

ultimately, the book was structured and written in a manner that will leave you wondering about what comes next until you are just incapable of putting it down.

yes, that's reason number three of why you need to get into tshoeh as soon as you can.

overall, i can say that the seven husbands of evelyn hugo left me with no words. but at the same time, i have a million things to say. when i first read it, i completed it in one sitting. it was 4 in the morning when i bawled as quietly as i could as to not wake up and alarm the other people in the house.

it's that good.

so, it's your move now. (cmon, put tshoeh in your shopping cart, and check it out Right Now.)

[catnherthoughts]

husband?

i was chatting with my therapist the other day. we were discussing my love styles and such.

"who do you see yourself marrying?"

"does how he treat you reflect how your parents treat eachother?"

"did he treat you that way?"

he did. that's the thing. I fell in love with him i think. I loved who he was as a person. it's so stupid because we barely had anything when you think of what could've been or what a real relationship is. we never lied down together. i never got to kiss him all over his face and see him blush. we never held hands in public. i didn't get to have most of what a real relationship consisted of. that makes me sad. we could've had so much. we can't change it though. one day i'll have the sweetest man on earth. we will talk all night and he'll treat me like i'm his whole world. i have a theory on who i'm attracted to and the ratio of how much they like me back but that is a whole other thing. he will kiss me all over my face and i'll blush. he'll cuddle me while we sleep. he'll sit with me in a cafe as we have a little bite to eat. we can kiss in public. he will make sure i'm loved and that i know it. god how great it felt to have him grab my face and call me pretty. but a husband material man will do that to me while we are just hanging out. i deserve to be loved outside of sex. wow a crazy thing to say ik. he will grab my waist and kiss my neck sometimes. tell me out of nowhere that i'm pretty. it's odd how many men are attracted to me. you'd think i'd picmk a man that would do this for me. they're not that interesting to me. sorry mr sweatshirt, i know you;d probably give me the moon and stars. who knows maybe you're just another shitty frat guy. you like me. i don't like you. yk what i do? i just leave you alone. if you come to me and asks like hi can we talk. i won"t lead you on. if i am not 100% sure i can give you all of my love, i won"t even try. i couldn't do that to someone. there are so many questions one is left with when it ends. he left me a mess. i don"t know why i cut myself to be honest. afterwards, that is what i regret the most. sure he hurt me an extreme amount but eventually i could forget about it whatever. now, or at least for the next few months, i'll look down at my own arm and think of you. that's not fair. i bet you don't even think of me. how sad is that. i've started to go through our old messages. i wonder what went wrong. i don't want to write about you anymore. if i could eternal sunshine of the spotless mind myself i would. you don't deserve all the space you take up in my mind. i want to forget you even exist. i wish i could hate you but i don't think i can. because i don't think you're a bad person. awooga. one day there will be a man who will be nice to me. a man that will give me a hug. until then, i guess i'll be nice to myself. whateva.

[gothicblog]

Blog entry about "Under the Weather" by Stephen King

The time has come, the final blog post. So, for the last time, today we are going to be discussing “Under the Weather” by Stephen King. 

Let´s cover the plot- a man named Brad Franklin goes to work, while his wife is home sick. He leaves a note for her. He returns and it turns out that the wife is dead and judging by the things he said before, has been dead all along. 

The story is written in 1st person, takes place in the late 20th/early 21st century. The main characters are Brad Franklin, Ellen and their dog Lady.  It covers approximately one day. The story is written mostly in chronological order, but does include one flashback. 

At first, to me and probably for other people as well, it really did seem like Ellen, his wife was alive and was just sick. I think the fact that made me believe it was how he left a note for his wife, and when everyone at work asked how Ellen was doing, Brad responded telling them that she's sick. 

Is this title suitable for this story? Yes, I believe that it would be very hard to think of a better headline for this story. Before reading it, it doesn't reveal too much of the plot, but isn't also completely random. 

Could this story be real? Well, because there are no paranormal elements to this story (such as for example ghosts), it could be real, as there could be a person who just holds onto their past and doesn't let go. 

The previous paragraph leads us to wonder about why a husband would do that. I believe that as she was really important to him, he just didn't want to let her go and accept the fact that she's gone. He tries to keep living as though she is still alive, although I don´t think that it would be very successful, as at one point he´s got to realize that holding onto his wife isn't  going to change anything, as she still would not interact with him or do anything.  

What are the gothic elements? Well, there is a moment of suspense, but it isn´t set in an eerie setting nor does it contain anything paranormal.

Theory: as Brad Franklin talked about how once when he was on a plane with his wife, it seemed like Ellen was dead. Even though she wasn´t, he told her that if she had been, he would have just pretended like she was still alive. Now for the real theory part- Ellen could've died in the plane and he could have carried her home and pretended that she´s still alive. 

Metaphors- I think that the man doing things as his wife is still alive (leaving her notes, not burying her) could be a metaphor of his inability to let go of Ellen Franklin. 

What are the characters like? Brad Franklin- Franklin seems like a normal man living a normal life. He works in an advertisement company. He seems kind and caring judging by how he treats his wife Ellen, but he seems overprotective and lacks the ability to let go and leave the past in the past, as he doesn´t let go of his deceased wife. Ellen Franklin- Due to the fact that she is dead during most of the story (is only alive during the flashback), we don't really know her, but by how she acted and talked in the airplane scene, she seems to be a sweet, friendly, kind and caring woman. 

What is the theme? I believe that the theme in this story is that let go of your past, even when it´s painful and you want to keep living in it.

In my opinion, the author wrote this text because he wanted people to know that it isn´t good to hold onto the past. You have to move on and let go.

Overall, even though there was a really surprising plot twist, I didn't like this story. The thought of someone pretending that their loved one is still alive, even though they're dead, was really disturbing, not even talking about how the dog ate Ellen´s hand. 

Unfortunately, this week I can't say that next week I'll blog about another gothic short story, as this one is the last. Maybe we´ll see each other again! Bye (for now)!

[drcarlaanyaso]

❤️🤍💙🇺🇸Happy 247th Birthday Marine Corps!!! Semper Fidelis ❤️🤍💙🇺🇸 I love ❤️ you “Mad Ghost” Marines 2/24th Command. 🇺🇸Happy Veteran’s Day to everyone who ever had the courage to don a uniform in honor of their country. 🇺🇸To all of the HEROES who wear uniforms in lieu of capes. God Bless you! God Bless America. 🇺🇸I know that my late husband, Vince, is proud of me. I made it my 1st full year without him. He left this earthly realm 11/11/21 last Veteran’s Day. My feature film debuts today to empower women. 🇺🇸Additionally, I published 4 books this year. My 3rd personal memoir, A Letter to My 5 Year Old Self is complete. Its a journey back to the root of my trauma where I found healing ❤️‍🩹 from the inside out. 🇺🇸Vince’s memoir, written by him and myself is complete, “A Warrior’s Journey.” It’s the story of a hero who’s vulnerabilities are exposed, and his life’s work celebrated. He finished ✅ everything that he set out to accomplish and found the love ❤️ that he always desired. 🇺🇸How to Land a Federal Job, and How to Fund Your Nonprofit are two books. 🇺🇸Me and Vince’s wedding vow was to “Serve God and All Others.” That’s what I have done this entire year. 🇺🇸I did everything that I could possibly do as a wife, a comrade, and best friend to Vince. I tried for years to save him. Then I finally learned that sometimes real love ❤️ is surrender. No one ☝🏾 took away our love. We just surrendered it back to God. I’m eternally grateful that God trusted him to me for the time that we shared. 🇺🇸Vince, my love, you can continue to rest in peace knowing that everything is finished. Your legacy is in place. I finished everything that I started. 7 books total, and the best is yet to come. 🇺🇸I now write ✍🏾 the blueprint of my life in pencil ✏️ instead of ink 🖊. I can move forward, and adjust “on the fly. I understand that change is always on the horizon. Nothing in life is permanent. My plans are God’s plans❤️🤍💙. They change as he see’s fit. (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck0uWB4LDtW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[brisfanfictions]

Episode 27: The Fall of Kaiba! The Invincible Toon World!

Rose was with her friends on the balcony. Frowning as she gazed at the Dueling Ring below her. About to witness a duel with her long-time crush (which none of her friends know about), Seto Kaiba, and her archrival, Pegasus J. Crawford.

She was an entrant to Duelist Kingdom.

-FLASHBACK-

Before her parents moved her and her older brother, Ash, to Japan, she was a local champion in the state championship in America. Having lived in the south, she has a southern American drawl.

Somehow, Pegasus found out about her being an ex-reining champion for Virginia, which was where she lived. He sent her a package with a dueling glove, two star chips and a video.

Both her and her brother was curious about the video and popped it in. Quite eager before she was brought out of the real world. To which she started to panic.

"My darling Cecelia," came Pegasus' creepy drawl. "Oh how I missed you so~."

Rose raised an eyebrow, annoyed. "Who you talkin' 'bout, asshole?" She asked in her southern accent.

Pegasus looked offended. "You don't remember your husband?"

Rose begun to snarl. "What makes you think Ai'm your wife?!" She was completely baffled and disgusted.

"You look exactly like her," he deadpanned.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Sorry, hun. Ya've got the wrong gal."

He smirked. "I heard that you were a state champion for X* years."

"What's it to ya?" She was hesitant now.

"Why don't we have a little friendly duel?" He held up his deck. "However, I think we should make it a little interesting."

"And how do ya wanna make it interestin'?" She took out her placemat and placed her deck where it should be.

"If I win, you enter my tournament and I get to take what is precious to you."

"And if I win, I don' and I'll continue my retirement." She gave an innocent smile.

"Also, there will be a time limit."

She just has a confident glint in her eyes.

"Let's duel," they said in unison.

Fifteen Minutes Later...

Rose was in complete shock.

How could've I lost? She asked herself.

"Now I get to take something precious to you!" He gave an evil laugh as his weird eye glowed.

She saw the beam of light go over her head and hit her brother.

"Ash!" She yelled. Wanting to go over to him. However, she found that she couldn't move.

She had to watch her brother's soul get ripped out of his body. Which was sucked into the TV set.

"Rose!" He yelled through the screen. Appearing for only a minute.

Then she pressed her hands against the screen. Tears streaming down her face as she screamed for her brother, over and over again.

-FLASHBACK ENDS-

Her hands gripped the little water elemental locket around her neck. Inside was a picture of her family, which was both her parents, her and her brother.

I will defeat you, Pegasus. She thought with such vengeance. You will release my Nii-sama from that Soul Card.

Pegasus' eyes drifted up to her with a smile. "Cecelia!" He cried, waving to her. "My sweet, darling Cecelia!"

Rose just cringed. Looking absolutely disgusted. "Ya've got thee wrong gal!" She shouted in response.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Seto looking at her and Pegasus. And boy did he look ready to murder the Industrial Illusions CEO.

"She's a stupid American southerner!" Seto shouted. Despite his feelings for the blonde girl. "And she isn't your dead girlfriend!"

Rose's hopes died immediately. Then retaliated.

"I'm NOT a stupid American southerner!" She screamed. "When I get my hands on ya, ya're dead!" She was shaking her fists in anger Which hid her sadness and disappointment in her voice.

He'll never change. She depressingly thought. Not for me...

When her friends were focused on the duel, she slipped away to get away. And to be alone in her thoughts.

Several Minutes Later...

Before the duel concluded, Seto apologized to his brother, Yugi, and, the second person that is precious to him, Rose.

Afterwards, Pegasus had his goons take Seto away while Rose had begun her way back towards the arena.

Her eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips, as she watched Pegasus' goons drag Seto's lifeless body away.

Running in front of Seto, her hands lightly cupping his cheeks as she gazed into his lifeless eyes.

"Seto?" She asked. Tears had begun to form in her crystalline eyes. "What had he done to ya? My dear, sweet, darling Seto..."

Rose? Seto asked, locked away inside the Soul Card. He looked around in confusion, but faintly smiled. He reached a hand out into the void, hoping to touch a wall or something. In hopes that he could touch her hand or cheek or even a strand of her long, soft blonde hair. It's as if I could hear her and feel her warm, loving touch on my cheek... Yugi will get us all out, my dear... Have faith in him, but don't get too depressed when you can't rescue me. I know that we'll be reunited in the end...

Having forgotten that there were guards around. Until the last minute where two more goons appeared and grabbed her arms.

She was struggling against them. Which proved to be futile.

"Let me go!" She shouted as they drug Seto away from her. "Seto!" She repeated, over and over. More tears escaped her eyes.

Soon she gave up. Slumping in their grasps.

I WILL make you pay, Pegasus. She mentally vowed. Determination and anger shone in her clear blue eyes. For stealing away the two most precious people away from me... I will get you... If it's the last thing I do...

[mandobatemans]

Submit To My Rule (Duke Leto x f!Reader)

Part 2

rating: 18+ only

warnings: authority kink, thigh riding, name-calling

word count: 1,312

parts 1&2 on ao3

It had been a gorgeous day on Caladan, but perhaps you were biased as the lady of the planet. You took comfort in the mountains; the waves crashing against their base had been your lullaby since you moved to the castle. Even just standing on the beaches and hearing the flow of water was soothing for you. Sometimes you could settle your husband long enough to stare at the water without any mention of “sea power.” Even on a gloomy day, you still loved the view, the way the rain reflected off the mountains, leaving a shine on their sharp edges. Luckily, there had been no rain on this historic day. Castle Caladan had been visited earlier by messengers of the Emperor, solidifying the command that your House was to take over Arrakis. 

You had since changed out of the gown you had donned for the ceremony into your nightgown and robe. The day had exhausted you, and you had only needed to oversee the relocation of your staff and possessions. You couldn’t imagine how draining it had been for your husband. He had been in negotiations since the ceremony and you hadn’t seen him since--it was now nightfall. Late nights were not uncommon for a duke, especially one with such honor and prestige as an Atreides, but this one somehow felt longer. Yes, the ceremony had been important and life-changing, but the image of your husband in his uniform commanded your thoughts. Was it the way the lapels outlined his throat? The decoration across his chest? The grip he held on the hat by his side? You were unsure, but you could feel the heat surging between your legs, almost as hot as the sands of Arrakis you had been reading about while lounged across your lonely bed. You were often lost in thought about your duke, but something about him this afternoon had been intoxicating. 

The man in question had entered your chambers, unbeknownst to you until the third time he called your name, snapping you out of your haze. Leto chuckled, “My lady, we must get you some training from Gurney in the practice of awareness.” He crossed to your side of the bed and pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Long day?” You asked, eyes closing under the familiar brush of his beard against your skin.

“You’ve no idea. I haven’t had a chance to speak with you since the ceremony; what did you think?”

Mid-running your fingers up and down his back as he spoke, you paused. Did he know what you had been imagining before he had entered the room? “Extravagant,” you decided to answer with.“The Emperor has quite a flair for the dramatic.”

“Maybe he took inspiration from your gowns.” Rolling your eyes, you removed your arms from his middle and lay back into the comfort of the pillows. “Speaking of clothing, my love...Was something wrong with my uniform today?” Shit. “I noticed you staring quite a lot during the ceremony..”

You sat up, staring into his crinkled eyes, a wide grin revealing the whites of his teeth. Of course he knew, he knew you better than the layout of the land his family had ruled for centuries. But you knew your duke just as well: he relished in this kind of thing. Yes, he had power over a whole planet, but he only cared about his effect on you. How large your smile was after he kissed you, the grip you held his hand with, the amount of times he could make you cum on his fingers, how loud he could make you scream on his cock. This was the real measure of his power. Land nor title didn’t matter, Caladan or Arrakis, only how much ecstasy he could make you feel. 

“Leto…”

He pulled you toward the edge of the bed by your waist so you were eye-to-eye with him. “Tell me.”

“Something about your whole army following your every move, waiting on your every word...I don’t know.”

“You’ve seen me in command before, darling. I wonder what it was about today…” His gaze was unfaltering, trying not to let you read his expression. The intensity of his stare would have frightened anyone else: an advisor, a Mentat, even someone on the Imperial staff. You knew he was your Leto, though. No matter the tone he used in disciplining a soldier or giving a command, you knew he would always treat you gently and dotingly. Maybe that’s what it was about today—you wanted him to treat you the way he would an insubordinate soldier. He seemed to see this in the way you looked at him through your lashes, fingers tracing down your side until they bunched the fabric of your nightgown and began to lift it. You helped him lift the garment over your head and throw it on the floor, leaving your chest bare to him and your sex only just covered by your panties. 

Leto made a move to remove his uniform, stopping as you placed your hand over his. “No,” you whispered. 

“No? You attempt to give orders to your duke?” 

“Leto, please keep it on,” you implored, not caring how desperate you sounded.

He dropped his hand from his lapel, his eyes never once leaving you. “I’ll grant you this wish, but no more challenging me. You follow my orders. And that’s ‘sir’ to you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Very good.” Leto placed his hand at the base of your neck, pulling you in for a kiss to your forehead. He used this gesture to whisper, “If it is too much, my love, you tell me so.”

Beaming back at your husband, you assured him that you understood. 

“My good girl,” he praised, pressing a final kiss to your forehead as your Leto before slipping back into his role as head of House Atreides. “Always so eager to please.” 

He held you at arm’s length as he drank in your form, eyes raking up and down every inch of skin. No matter how many times he saw you naked, the way he admired your body made it seem like it was your first night together. “You’re going to get yourself off on my thigh.” He tracked your eyes as they scanned over the bulge in his pants. “You don’t get my cock until you cum.” 

You fumbled out of your underwear, throwing them on the floor in an effort to climb on his thigh faster. Leto smiled to himself, helping you position yourself over him. As you ground your hips, his hands and lips wandered across your body, worshipping every inch of skin available to him.

He took a nipple in his mouth as he kneaded your other breast with his large hand, sucking and licking as you rode his thigh. The cloth of his pants gathered in such a way that it rubbed your clit at the perfect angle, coinciding with a particular ministration of his thumb around your nipple. You let out a strangled moan, throwing your head back.

Leto took his mouth off your breast, disconnecting with a string of spit. “You like that?”

You nodded feverishly, still thrusting on his thigh, gripping his shoulders for leverage as you chased your high.

He laughed, grabbing a fistful of your hair and pulling your head back so he could kiss your neck. “Go ahead. Cum all over the uniform you love so much.” That was it. You gasped at your release, shaking at the intensity of it. 

You nuzzled your head into the crook of his neck, letting out wanton moans that were still caught in your throat. 

Leto slid two fingers through your slick, collecting it and bringing it to his mouth to taste. Some dribbled into his beard, and you watched with wide eyes. “Do you want another order, my good little whore?”

A/N: This was originally meant to be longer but I got a bit of writer’s block and just wanted to get it out there! If anyone’s interested, there may be a part 2.

Tagging: @damerondjarin​ @leto-duke​ @autumnleaves1991-blog​ @writefightandflightclub​ @aellynera​ @acedameron​ @iflostreturntobudcooper​

[storytellerofuntoldlegends]

an icarus and his sun: chapter 15

A/N: well, the end is finally here. I’m not done with this lil au by any other means, there are some oneshots (like missing scenes from this story that I couldn’t get to flow with the rest of the fic) and some oneshots that take place before and after this story. there is also a nature wives sequel that I am contemplating. anyway, I just wanted to give a HUGE thank you to all the love this fic has gotten. when I set out to write this, I never imagined it getting this much love. I was writing this story mostly for myself, and this has been a work that I have never been more motivated to write, and that is largely due to the love that it has gotten. again, thank you so much. and I wrote this chapter while listening to Like Real People Do by Hozier on loop, I think it fits the mood of this chapter very well.

Warnings: pretty much nothing, just kissing and a ton of fluff

AO3 Link - Tumblr Masterpost

-

Quite some time had passed since that fateful day that Jimmy had saved Scott from the corruption. Jimmy still didn’t quite agree that his kiss was what had saved Scott in the end, he was sure Scott had something to do with it too- safe to say this was a common debate between the two. Debating was something that had not changed between them in the slightest. They still bickered, but it was lighthearted, more affectionate now. Their arguments, if they could even be called that, were filled with laughter that glittered like gold and grins that shimmered like bronze.

The defensive strategies that the new and improved House Blossom Alliance came up with helped a great deal- not that they really ended up needing it anyhow. Fwhip and Sausage kept to themselves most times these days. Both of them seemingly felt guilty about what had happened, even if they made no moves to try and repair the bond that had been broken. That stung more than some of the former Wither Rose Alliance members cared to admit. Pearl and Gem both wanted to see the best in Fwhip and Sausage, but even if either of them came crawling back for forgiveness, neither one was sure they would give it to them. And Scott wasn’t sure how he could handle even seeing one of them again.

Then there was the matter of the corruption. The containment box Gem had made seemed to be working enough, but every now and again one of them would spot a strange red plant growing from the ground, and would have to uproot it and add it to the box. Luckily nothing seemed to be spreading too far yet, and there was no sign of the “he” that the red Scott spoke of. Shelby seemed constantly on edge, and Jimmy caught Scott staring up at the statue of Aeor and asking for answers on more than one occasion. But Jimmy was confident that the containment would work, and since they beat it once, they could beat it again!

But it was silly to worry about those things, not on a momentous day like this. Jimmy adjusted the pale green bow-tie for about the millionth time, and fidgeted with the suit jacket, unused to the blinding white color of it. He wasn’t wearing his cod head- and he didn’t have a cod mask either- but the bronze scale-like pattern dotted here and there on the white suit was enough for Jimmy. Besides, for once, he wanted his head to be entirely visible today. However, upon Lizzie’s insistence, he did don a bronze-colored crown inlaid with emeralds.

“You ready?” Lizzie asked softly, holding out her arm to Jimmy. She had traded her dress with its blues of the Ocean Empire for one with the greens of the Cod Empire. Jimmy swallowed nervously and nodded with a smile, not trusting his voice to break. He took Lizzie’s arm, and the two of them walked out of the hallway and down the aisle of the new ceremony room of Katherine’s castle. Joel waited for them at the front, while all of Jimmy’s friends- Pixl, Katherine, Shelby, Pearl, and Gem- were sitting in the pews on either side of the aisle. Once they made it to the front of the ceremony room, Lizzie squeezed Jimmy’s arm encouragingly before taking her seat in the audience. Joel gave Jimmy a supportive smile, before the music began and both of them looked to the entrance of the ceremony room. Everyone rose from their seats- and in came Scott.

He was breathtaking. The dress he wore had white lace detailing, while the skirt itself was satin and had a layer of tulle over it, with more lace detailing at the hem. It was sleeveless, and must have been backless to make room for his wings. Gold jewelry adorned him, including the crown on his head, and in his hands he held a bouquet of blue orchids picked from Jimmy’s empire. Jimmy felt himself getting a bit misty-eyed, and couldn’t keep the adoring smile off of his face as Scott made his way down the aisle, finally coming to a stop to stand across from Jimmy. The bouquet was handed off to Joel, who set it down on the table behind him, but Jimmy was too busy gazing up at Scott, hardly able to believe that this day was happening.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Jimmy, the Codfather and ruler of the Cod Empire, and Scott, the winged elf ruler of Rivendell. Their love is one that was won through adversity, and may they always have each other through whatever trials they may have to face,” Joel said, then turned to retrieve the pillow that held the two rings on it from the table. Jimmy took one of the rings, the one that was gold with a sliver of bronze through it, and reached out for Scott’s hand.

“With this ring, I declare my love for you. No matter what you say I did to save you, I still believe that you are one of the strongest people I know. You are as imposing as the mountains you rule in, yet your smile is like morning sunlight and your laughter is glittering gold. My love for you is as steady and sure as the ground beneath me, and as strong as the ocean's currents. I could stumble, or get swept away- but I know you'll be there to save me, as you say I have saved you," Jimmy said, gazing at Scott as he slipped the ring onto his finger. Scott's eyes were glassy as he tried not to cry, smiling that sunshine smile that never failed to make Jimmy’s heart soar. Scott took a deep breath, then took the other ring- this one was bronze with a sliver of gold through it, the inverse of the one Scott now wore.

"In the red dreamscape you saved me from, the corruption made a comment about you and I. It said that you are an Icarus, and that I am your sun. But I think it's the other way around. Sure, you can certainly be an Icarus- ambitious and determined, but you are my sun, Jimmy- warm, radiant, and dazzling. If I am the mountains, then you are the sun that peeks over them. My heart soars for you like I do with my wings, I fly ever closer to catch the beams of light you give off- and I fell. I fell for you- sweet, brave, wonderful you- despite everything. So with this ring, I declare my love to you- my Icarus and my sun," Scott said, taking Jimmy’s hand and slipping the ring on his finger. Jimmy wiped at his eyes with his free hand before taking Scott’s other hand. He looked away from Scott for a brief moment to nod at Joel, before looking back to Scott. Joel turned again, setting down the pillow and trading it for two lengths of ribbon- one gold, and one bronze. An amused sparkle came to Scott’s eyes, and Jimmy gave him a look that said not-now-Scott-not-on-our-wedding-day when Joel began speaking as he looped the fabric around their wrists.

“May the threads of these ribbons never unravel, just as your love will not. May your bond stay strong and true, just as the ribbons that connect you now,” Joel said, removing his hands once he was done. The gold ribbon was looped around Scott’s right wrist, then under their clasped hands to wrap around Jimmy’s right wrist. The bronze ribbon was looped around Jimmy’s left wrist, then over their clasped hands to wrap around Scott’s left wrist.

“Guess you’re stuck with me now,” Scott murmured, voice low enough that only Jimmy and Joel could hear him. Jimmy let out a soft laugh, and Joel rolled his eyes fondly.

“Scott, do you take Jimmy to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?” Joel asked, looking to Scott.

“I do,” Scott said softly, all joking and teasing gone from his expression, leaving only unabashed adoration in its place.

“Jimmy, do you take Scott to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?” Joel asked, looking to Jimmy.

“I do,” Jimmy said, unable to keep himself from grinning widely, feeling like he would float to the ceiling if Scott wasn’t keeping him tethered.

“Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss the groom,” Joel said, nodding to Scott. Jimmy barely got the chance to lean in before Scott tugged him closer by their clasped hands and kissed him softly. Jimmy couldn’t stop smiling into the kiss, and he let out a delighted laugh when they broke apart. Their friends were cheering and clapping, and Joel threw blue and green confetti over them, Jimmy giggling at the way it got caught in Scott’s hair. They slipped their hands out of the ribbons, carefully handing it over to Joel as he handed the blue orchid bouquet back to Scott. The two of them then walked arm-in-arm down the aisle, married.

-

Jimmy didn’t think he had stopped smiling since the ceremony started. He even kept smiling all throughout Lizzie’s speech full of embarrassing stories about Jimmy at the reception. He definitely smiled when Scott threw the bouquet, and Shelby enthusiastically leapt up and caught it- only to stumble back into Katherine’s arms when she landed. The rest of the night, the two of them kept exchanging sheepish glances and Shelby held the bouquet close to her chest for most of the evening. Jimmy couldn’t even bring himself to be mad that someone else seemed to be finding love at their wedding.

Jimmy’s smile finally settled to something softer as he and Scott shared their first dance as a married couple. He could feel the other’s eyes on them, but that quickly faded to the background as the way Scott held him and gazed down at him captured all of his attention. Jimmy couldn’t stop stealing glances to their matching rings, heart fluttering at the reminder that they were husbands now. If you had told Jimmy at that first House Blossom Alliance meeting that he would end up married to the winged elf that badgered him into picking a fight, he would have never believed you. In fact, if you had told Jimmy anything about what was going to happen to him and Scott, he would have called you crazy. Yet here he was, dancing with someone he once swore he hated, with the man who he had been to hell and back with. And Jimmy wouldn’t have had it any other way.

-

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[mrsavery]

OUR MIRACLE

Massimo Torricelli x Reader 

Warnings: None

Summary: You give Massimo the most precious Christmas gift that he always has wished but never got.

Word count: 1808

It had been exactly five years since your first Christmas together. Five years filled with love and happiness. The Christmas lights were dancing on the Christmas three, and soft music was playing in the background, as you walked through the empty house with a gift in your hands. It was for Massimo who, at this moment, was away for business but should be home in a few hours.

As you sat is down under the three and looked around the room, you could not stop smiling, knowing that one day things were going to change. You left the room and went to the kitchen, humming ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ under your nose. Since your husband was gone, the house felt empty and foreign, and you were counting hours until his return. The clock on the wall showed that it was only four in the evening, meaning that Massimo would not be home for another three to four hours.

You knew all about his lifestyle, about his work and family. It scared you at first, because you were afraid of his life not yours, knowing that every day could be his last. Never ever in the five years of being together you had been in danger, had been kidnapped or touched by others. Massimo had been doing everything to keep you safe, and he is keeping his promise.

You walked back to the living room and sat on the couch with a cacao mug in your hands. You will wait for your husband here and, while waiting, read a book that you have not been able to finish in a long time. It is a novel that Massimo gave you on your twenty-fifth birthday a few months ago. Your husband knows how much you love reading, and because of that most of his present are books.

One hour passes, then the other and soon you have finished reading the book. You put it in the bookshelf and return to your place on the couch. When ‘Last Christmas’ starts playing in the background, you close your eyes and let your mind take you back to your first Christmas together.

Massimo’s warm hands wrapped themselves around your waist, as he sat behind you on the floor. He put his head on your shoulder and inhaled your scent, like he always did. It helped him to calm down.

“Is everything alright?” You asked him.

“Si.” Massimo replied and afterwards kissed your cheek. “How was your day, farfalla?”

“I talked to my brother a few minutes ago.” You said and looked at the fireplace in front of you. The fire was dancing, and you felt Massimo shifter against you. “He said that my parents still cannot forgive me for leaving.”

Seven months ago, you left home, ran away from your arranged marriage and things that you knew. You were born and raised in a small town in west England where everyone knew everyone. There were two farms in your town, where most of the people worked. One was owned by your father, and the other was owned by the Carter family. They wanted to unite both farms, and the only way how to do it was by marriage. As the Carter family only had a son your age, and you were the first-born daughter in your family, you both were supposed to marry. Jonathan Carter was beautiful, but you did not like him.

You tried everything to get break the arrangement, even gave your place to your sister who wanted to marry Jonathan, but it did not give any results. Jonathan only wanted to marry you, claiming that you were the most beautiful girl in the town. Your brother, seeing tears in your eyes two days before the wedding, helped you to leave. You flew all the way down to Italy and started a new life there.

You missed your family very much, but the life was better for you here. If you tried to return… You did not know how it would end and did not want to find out. You had a new life here, a man who loved you and who took care of you. Massimo was giving you the world, but the pain in your heart did not leave easily.

You felt Massimo’s thumbs on your cheeks wiping away the tears that had fallen. “Everything is going to be alright.” You whispered and turned around to face your boyfriend. You got into his lap, wrapped your hands around his neck and kissed his lips softly. You looked into his dark eyes and whispered words that both never have told loud. “I love you.”

Massimo just smiled and kissed you back, this time with more passio. “I love you too, farfalla.”

You opened your eyes when your phone made a quiet sound. You took it in your hands and smiled because it was a message from your brother. He had sent a family picture of him, his wife, and their three years old daughter. You decided to call him in return, and your brother answered almost immediately.

“Hi, Merry Christmas!” You said with a smile.

“Merry Christmas to you too! Did you see the picture?” He asked. You could hear your niece’s laughter in the background.

“Yes, you all look amazing, when Massimo comes, I will show him it too.”

“Where is he?”

“Some unexpected things came up, and he was forced to go to the work. He should be back soon.” Your brother thought that Massimo owned a company and was CEO there. It was a partly true, since he owns a few companies around the world, but he mostly uses it as a cover, because truly he is a Don to the biggest mafia in Europe, but your brother did not need to know that.

“I will hope that Massimo comes home fast. I do not want you to spend the Christmas alone.” He said, and you heard pain in his voice. You have not seen him since your wedding that was four years ago, and both of you wanted to spent time together with your families, but never really had a chance.

“I will not.” You said and put a hand on your stomach. “Alice is growing up fast.”

“Yes, she is. It is like only yesterday she was born… I have been thinking about you and Massimo. You both are happy, but a little child would make things even better. You are already twenty-five, and he is, let me count… thirty-five.”

“We will think about it.”

“I have to go, [Y/N]. Mother is calling. Talk to you soon, alright? And give Massimo my greetings.” You were not able to reply, because your brother ended the call. You as well put your phone away and smiled when you looked outside the window and saw your husband’s car approaching. Massimo was finally home!

You stood up and made sure that room looks perfect, before walking to the front door. Before you could open them, Massimo beat you to it and smiled seeing you. “Hi, farfalla.”

“Hi, Massimo.” You let him take of his jacked and shoes before you ran into his embrace and kissed him with force. You had missed your husband all day, and you could not wait for him to open his present, because it was a tradition for you and Massimo to open presents on Christmas Eve instead of the next morning. “How did the meeting go?”

“I would have been happier to stay home with my wife instead of listening to them.” You chuckled at his answer.

“Nobody is perfect.”

“Only you.” Massimo said kissing your bare neck. “Can we skip presents and go up?’

You turned around and put hands on his chest. He was much taller than you, but the height difference had never been an issue for you. “After you open your present.”

He groaned. “Why does my present is so important? In my opinion, sex with my wife is more important than presents, because you are the biggest present that I have got.”

“Because after you open it, we will be able to go and celebrate.”

Massimo raised his eyebrow to you. “A celebration?”

You nodded and got out of his embrace. You walked to the tree and got out a little blue box that you had placed there earlier. “This is for you.” You said giving it to your husband. You sat down next to him on the sofa, as he slowly opened the present. Massimo undid the white bow tie, then unwrapped the blue wrapping paper, never leaving your eyes.

You smiled at Massimo when he opened the small carbon box in his hands and froze. He took out the white stick that was showing two pink lines and then looked at you. Massimo was too shocked to talk, and his tears were evidence of that.

It was a miracle that you were pregnant. Ten years ago, when Massimo was shot and his father was killed, he got the news that changed his life. He had survived an attempted murder but lost his chance to become a father. The chances of him becoming father were almost non-existent. Over the years he had reconciled that he will not have children, and once Massimo told you that you were free to leave him because of that.

You stayed, knowing that without him, you were nothing. Massimo came into your life as a savior, to save you from the darkness, but in the end, you saved him too. Doctors had said that chances were very low, even with artificial insemination, but you both managed to beat it all and become pregnant without trying.

When you saw these pink lines appear in the morning, you could not stop crying. It was a real miracle that you will always be thankful for. You and Massimo had talked about adoption, but it always ended with a fight and a make-up sex later. As much as you were ready to be a parent, you were not sure that you would be able to love a baby that was not genetically yours. There would always be fear that his or her real parents would show up and take him or her away from you. It would break you, so you both decided that it was not an option.

Massimo took his eyes off the pregnancy test and looked into your eyes that were full of tears too. “I’m pregnant, Massimo. We are going to have a baby!” It took him about three seconds to throw the stick on the glass coffee table and take you in his arms. You were wrapped in his large embrace and your husband’s wet cheek was pressed against yours.

“We are going to have a baby.” He whispered and put one of his hands on your flat belly. “A baby.”

You put your hand over his large one and said. “Our baby.”

farfalla- butterfly