#reese's unwrapped mention...

[jacksonekennedy]

"— the article was my idea…"

Huh. Something about that stirred a bit of pride in Jack. And then worry. What did she think of him before coming here? Did she think he was another arrogant politician? Or did she admire his beliefs and what he stood for? Or maybe she had no opinion at all. If Jack had to bet, he figured maybe it was the first or last option, but after her arrival, she’d changed her mind.

He’d changed her mind.

The phone call ended not long after. Jack stared ahead at the mess of candy wrappers and snacks. Alice was apologizing, and Jack shook his head in protest.

“No, don’t be sorry. Please.”

Jack’s face was red. He felt a little awkward. How to address what had just happened between them? Maybe they didn’t. Not right now, anyway. And maybe that was a bad idea, too. Jack felt bad initiating anything now, knowing that she’d just gotten in trouble for … being distracted.

Alice had admitted that she’d written about him, but she hadn’t provided Ron with any rough drafts. The things she’d written were private, it seemed. Not for the public. Had she written any of the article at all?

“Yeah. The big red button. I’ll definitely add Ron to the list.”

Jack stood because, well, the couch wasn’t somewhere that he could be sitting at right now. Or ever again, Jack thought. Maybe he’d have to throw the couch away. Maybe he’d have to seal off that room completely because he wasn’t sure how he was ever going to watch a movie in there without thinking of Alice. The way she’d moaned and arched beneath him —

No. Jack wasn’t going there again. No, no, no. No more thoughts about that.

“It’s okay. Don’t be sorry. I should clean up anyway, and …”

He checked his phone for the time. He could take Cora for her evening walk. Clear his mind. Or he could go work out. Maybe that would feel better. Yeah, maybe sprinting a few miles would take his mind off of everything.

“Take care of some other things.”

There was plenty of leftover candy for another day, but Jack had a feeling that he and Alice wouldn’t be having another movie day anytime soon. He sealed the Reese’s bag shut and swept up a few crinkled wrappers of Kisses. He tossed the trash into the sack.

“I don’t want you to be in trouble. So, please. Take the evening to write and send Ron whatever you need to. And we can spend tomorrow working on the interview.”

He was always tearing Alice away to do things, wasn’t he? A trip to a waterfall and swimming and movie days. They'd even planned a trip to New Mexico. A trip that they only had ... three or four more days to actually make happen. Somewhere in between that, she was supposed to write an article.

Jack was blowing this.

He wouldn’t do that tomorrow. He’d be on his best behavior.

“I won’t distract you,” Jack promised.

There was no sound more grating than Ron's voice.

Which is funny, because Alice is fairly certain she didn't hold that belief a few days ago– look how quickly things had changed!

Her hand raises, lifts a mass of curls off her neck as the older man drones on. Fuck— she was warm there. Alice was warm everywhere!

"There were a lot of other writers I could have delegated the assignment to."

Alice cuts in swiftly.

"— the article was my idea..."

"Just the same. When you're writing for this publication, I expect consistent communication. You're not some rogue agent in deep camouflage. Update me, when I ask, and get that rough draft to me right away."

She wants to laugh— what rough draft? The only thing that existed right now, both in her brain and on her computer, were pages and pages about Jack. None of it was investigative journalism, really.

All of it had to do with the way he made her heart stir simply by grinning. Or grilling vegetables. Or spinning her, atop a sun-warmed patio. Or listening to her as she detailed the darkest time of her life and somehow managing to make her feel buoyant. And cared for. And special. And protected.

Jack whispers back to her— it's okay— and the hushed reassurance makes her smile back, despite how mortified she is they were interrupted this way.

Fuck, though. The heat in her belly was noticeable. The wetness between her legs too. Poor Jack, too.

This was the pool, all over again.

But no dalmatians to be blamed here— simply one very obnoxious boss. Despite her attempts to catch Ronald's last words, all Alice can think of is the way Jack had asked to fuck her. The blue, blazing heat in his eyes. How was she supposed to sleep tonight thinking of that?

"Yeah. Yeah. I will turn all that in. I will email you, and I'll email Samantha too."

Samantha— Alice's copy editor. Noticeably, that woman, that saint, had not harangued her once about getting the draft!

A long sigh escapes her, watching Jack fasten his jeans— oh, fuck, to think he could have been inside her by now— before picking up some of the trash littered about their seats. God. She misses his hand at her ankle. She misses the weight of his body.

"I have to go. But I will touch base with you tomorrow."

Well— not if she could help it, but. Anything to get away from this conversation.

Alice drops her phone, drops her face into her palms and lets it rest there for a long, mortified, frustrated second.

At last she raises it.

"I am so sorry."

A long groan escapes her.

"He's usually not such a fucking ... nanny boss. I don't know what that was! Maybe everyone else at the office was behind and that's why he's being so insane right now..."

It was embarrassing, to be chastised like that in front of him. As if she were some teen that was late returning home from prom.

Alice swallows, smiles at Jack apologetically before flopping back against the couch. What a fucking stark reminder this was— that they hadn't simply met a bar, or some mundane event that led her coming back to his home for the week. This was a work trip!

Or something.

Or something.

Alice has already decided that the article cannot exist now; not in the way it was originally intended, at least. Not when her feelings for Jack slip into every sentence and simile.

What Alice will do? She's not certain, and confusion swirls around in her head like sediment. But in her gut, she knows she cannot write about Jack as if he didn't make her heart thud loud in the morning, whenever she heard him stirring for a run. Funny, how her body had already started waking up around that time.

Ronald would just have to fucking deal with the change. There was no way that Alice would betray Jack, nor her own blazing feelings.

A beat. Alice straightens from the couch, collects a half-empty M&M bag, simply because she doesn't know what else to do with her hands.

"— I know you mentioned that big scary button you keep up in your office?" Jack had joked about that on the first day. How did three days ago already feel like months? "You should definitely feel free to use that on him."

Maybe Jack could drone strike him and that ugly old Camaro Ron insisted on driving.

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Lightning Bug - Chapter 7

Previous Chapter // Master List 

Warning: religious trauma, mention of an exorcism, reader needs a hug 

Word Count: 2.5 

Kate groaned as America climbed over the couch and kicked her. “Sorry,” she said, getting comfortable under the throw blanket. 

“You could sit on the couch like a normal person,” America smiled at the archer. 

“I’m not a normal person.” The teen said. Kate rolled her eyes. 

“Don’t I know it.” Yelena sat down next to Kate with a bowl of caramel popcorn. The Black said it was the perfect movie snack, a little sweet and salty. It was movie night and all the Young Avengers as Tony called them gathered (the ones that were in the tower) on Peter’s floor. The Young Avengers plus Ned and Mj but they were at the tower so much no one batted an eye when they were walking the hall. 

“What are we feeling like?” Ned asked, flipping through the various streaming services. 

“Action,” MJ suggested, unwrapping a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and threw it in that air, catching it in her mouth. The Black Widow groaned. 

“We see enough action as is.” It was true. Besides whenever they did watch an action movie, the Avengers found themself critiquing the fight scenes instead of watching it for the plot. 

“Musical?” Peter suggested. America shook her head. 

“We just watched Hairspray.” Kate sighed, throwing her head back. 

“Horror,” her friends looked at one another and no one objected. “Put on The Conjuring.” Ned nodded, queuing up the movie. 

“Wait!” America yelled. The sudden sound caused Ned to jump and drop the remote. It landed on the ground with a crash. The back opened and the batteries scattered to the ground. “Opps. Sorry Ned.”

“It’s no biggie. Just gave me a small heart attack.” He and Peter began to look for the batteries. 

“Why the sudden outburst, Lil Liberty,” America rolled her eyes at the nickname. 

“Should we invite Y/n?” She asked. The mention of the newest addition to the tower made everyone freeze. 

“Mr. Stark said she had a rough day.” Peter said. She had a bad day because of Stark, Kate thought. But she did seem in a better mood at dinner. “Do you think she’d want to join us?” The archer shrugged. 

“Can’t hurt to ask,” Kate stood up. “I’ll go ask.” She shoved some popcorn in her mouth before heading off to her floor. The worst that could happen was she said no. She felt horrible for the teen today. When Natasha came back telling everyone she ran away, Kate felt her stomach drop. It was like she was on a rollercoaster, going up and down and up and down. Even FRIDAY didn’t even know where she went so they were required to find her the old fashion way, search known places she would likely visit. In the end, Kate was glad she was home. 

*

You were placing the few books you owned on the bookshelf you and Tony built. To anyone that walked into your room, it looked like a normal bookshelf. But the bookshelf had FRIDAY’s interface built into it which was connected to an app on your phone. It could keep track of what books you had to prevent double buying and it kept the progress of each book you were reading. “Kate Bishop is at your door,” The AI said. 

“Thank you, FRIDAY.” You said, putting on your gloves and walking to the door. “Hi,” you greeted as you opened the door. 

“Hey, how are you?” She asked. 

“Pretty good actually.” You answered honestly. Kate smiled. 

“Good, a bunch of us are watching a movie and we are wondering if you want to join us?” Your eyes went wide. 

“You want me to join you guys,” she nodded. “Why?” The question seemed to startle the brunette in front of you. 

“Because you are our friend and friends invite friends to hang out.” Oh. That made sense. “So, do you want to hang out?” You nodded with a smile. 

“Yeah, I’d love to.” You stepped out of your room and closed the door behind you. “Who's going to be there?” You asked, following Kate to the elevator.

“It’s on Peter’s floor,” you haven’t seen the excited teen since that night you ran into him. “So it’s him, his girlfriend, MJ, and his friend, Ned.” You nodded, if they were anything like Peter it was going to be a long night. “Then me, Yelena, and America.”

“Cool.” You said, rubbing your hands on your shorts. You were a little nervous, a little excited. It was a weird feeling running through you. The metal doors opened and Kate stepped onto Peter’s floor. 

“MJ, Ned met Y/n, Y/n met the other people that aren’t Avengers but are here all the time.” You gave them a small wave. MJ rolled her eyes at Kate’s jab.

“Your life would be colorless without me in it.” You smiled, sitting down in the empty space between Kate and America. 

“Hi again Peter.” He seemed surprise that you remembered him. He waved. 

“Do you want some popcorn?” Yelena asked, passing a bowl to you. You looked into the bowl. 

“What is that?” You’ve had popcorn before. At special events at Lucia’s store, she had a popcorn machine. This wasn’t popcorn. 

“It’s caramel popcorn,” the Russian said. “Instead of butter, they use caramel.” Oh. You’ve had caramel, sometimes Annie would drizzle it on your hot chocolate. You picked up a piece and ate it. It was delicious. 

“That’s really good.” You said, taking a few more pieces. 

“Have you had a Reese’s?” MJ asked you. You shook your head. She tossed you an unopened candy. Chocolate and peanut butter. “You aren’t allergic, are you?”

“No..” You said slowly. 

“That did not sound convincing,” Ned laughed. You smiled, opening the candy. You weren’t allergic to peanut butter. A peanut butter sandwich was a staple in your childhood, it was a food you lived on. 

“This is my favorite,” MJ tossed you another one. 

“Try this.” Peter handed you a red candy. Licorice, it read. 

“If you like this I’ll be amazed.” America said. You opened the candy and smelt it. It was sweet. You took a tentative bite and your face scrunched up at your distaste of it. The group laughed.��

“That’s not good,” You swallowed the piece in your mouth and Yelena handed you a bottle of water. 

“Enough with the sweets or she’s going to be sick.” Yelena said. “Let’s start the movie.”

“We are watching a horror film,” America whispered to you. “Is that okay?” You nodded as Ned pressed play. Horror wasn’t a genre you gravitated towards but you’ve read your fair share of horror novels. Stephen King. Shirley Jackson. Your favorite was The Shining. 

The movie began to play. The ominous music filled the quiet floor. The couples around you began to cuddle up with each other. You didn’t miss the way Ned gagged. You could count the number of movies you’ve seen on one hand. Movies were available at Lucia’s bookstore and the shelters you visited but movies weren’t your thing. “See always trust a dog.” Yelena mumbled. You chuckled. It was different from watching a story play out on screen then in your head. You didn’t dislike it, it was just different. The movie was scary as it followed a married couple trying to help a big family with a paranormal problem. You enjoyed. You made a mental night to check the horror books the tower had. The genre was interesting. 

But it took a turn. Ed had to perform an exorcism on the mother to rid the demon that possessed her. You kept your eyes glued to the screen as the familiar Latin phrases were chanted in the room. You dug your fingers into your palm to keep you grounded, to stay in the room. It was so hard to keep your mind on the movie and not when your parents dragged you to the church. They forced you on your knees as the Latin phrases were screamed at you. Excorizamute, omnis immundus … omins legio diabolic  … Humilione sub potent…

“That was an actual scary horror movie.” Ned said once the credits started rolling. 

“That clapping bit was freaky!” Peter said. You agreed that part made you jump. 

“There are a few more movies we can watch the second one.” Kate said. “Did you like it?” She asked you. You nodded. 

“It was good. A little inaccurate.” You added. 

“Isn’t it based on a true story?” MJ questioned. You shrugged, playing with a string from the blanket America was using. 

“What was not accurate about it?” America asked. You didn’t answer right away. You should have just kept your mouth shut. 

“Exorcisms,” you said. “They usually happen at a holy place like a church not a house.” You sighed. “They are a last resort. Most people start with medication if no improvement is made then a priest is brought in.” You explained. The group was silent. 

“How do you know that?” Yelena asked slowly like she was afraid to know the answer. 

“My parents were really religious,” you kept the truth locked deep inside you. “Let’s start the second movie.” You said desperately trying to get the attention off of you. Ned looked around the group, no one said anything. He took the silence as confirmation to start the second film. You sat back with your arms crossed. You caught America sending you a smile. You forced a smile back. 

*

“That was weird, right?” Kate asked as she pulled back the covers of the bed. Yelena stepped out of the bathroom, brushing her hair. Kate tapped the spot in front of her and the Black Widow sat down in front of her girlfriend, her back to Kate’s front. The archer took the brush and began to brush the blonde hair. It was a red flag when the young girl began to talk about exorcisms like she’s had first hand experience on the matter. Yelena sighed, enjoying the feeling of Kate’s hands braiding her hair. 

“It was worrying,” Yelena finally said. “I’ll talk to Natasha about it tomorrow,” Yelena heard Kate sigh. “What is it, dorogoy?” The Russian asked, turning to face her. 

“I just worry about her. It seems everyday we learn something more heartbreaking.” Kate gently pushed on Yelena’s shoulder for her to look forward. 

“We’ll keep her safe,” Yelena said. “She’s not alone anymore.” The Russian felt Kate’s lips press a soft kiss on her shoulder. Yelena knew they couldn’t keep her safe from her mind. 

*

Yelena woke up early. She untangled herself from Kate and left her room. She found her sister on the couch, typing at her laptop. “Are you not going for a run?” Yelena asked, as she sat down next to her. Natasha shook her head. 

“I have to get this done for Maria.” She answered, not taking her eyes away from the screen. 

“So do you have time to talk?” Natasha immediately closed her laptop and gave Yelena her full attention. The blonde was grateful for this time with her sister. For years the two Russian sisters were separated but now they were back together. She knew her life could be incredibly different. 

“What’s going on?” Yelena looked toward Y/n’s door. 

“What do you know about her parents?” She asked. Natasha looked at her sister, trying to decode the real reason she asked. 

“Not much,” The redhead answered. “We found an article that may have been about her family.” Yelena raised her eyebrows. 

“May have?” She questioned. 

“FRIDAY found no record of her existing, not even a birth certificate. The article said a fire killed them and it appears that she may have been in the house but survived.” Natasha explained. “Her father was a priest, a popular one. What is this about?”

“It was movie night and we watched The Conjuring. At the end of the movie there was an exorcism. She said she enjoyed the movie but said the exorcism part was not accurate,” she watched the realization wash over her sister. It was haunting. Her voice was so clear and so unlike any other time she’s spoken. “Siestra, the way she talked about it made it seem like she’s been so close to one.” Natasha didn’t say anything as she let what Yelena said sit with her. 

“I’ll talk to her,” the older Black Widow stood up. “Her parents are dead, they can’t hurt her anymore.” Yelena wasn’t so sure about that. The blonde grabbed her sister’s arm, stopping her. 

“We all know that death doesn’t erase the pain.” Yelena was referring to the man behind the Red Room. He was dead. The Red Room fell from the sky. It was over, done, and young girls were safe. But the memories were still there. Natasha grabbed her hand. 

“You are right. But death is finite and the pain can begin to heal.”

*

You were startled to see Natasha when you opened your door. “Hi.” You said. She gave you a smile. 

“Where are you off to this morning?” She asked. 

“Oh I was going to go see Annie. I barely said two words to her yesterday.” You told the Black Widow. “Is that okay?” You added. You were going to tell someone just so they knew you didn’t run away. 

“Of course it is. Can we talk? It won’t take long.” You nodded, stepping out of the way so she could enter your room. You kept the door open and sat at the edge of the bed. “Are you okay?” Natasha asked, sitting down next to you. You looked at the red head. 

“I’m fine.” You said. She didn’t say anything waiting for you to continue. You were fine. It was the truth. Besides.. “Is this about last night?” You asked. You shouldn’t have said anything but your mind was scattered therefore you didn’t have time to process the consequences of what you were saying. You just spoke. 

“Yelena said you said something that worried her.” You sighed. “You can talk about your parents if you need to.” 

“They died in a fire,” you told her. “What more needs to be said?” You asked. 

“Just because someone that hurt you is dead doesn't erase the pain they caused.” Your heart began to pound. The organ was beating against your ribs. Thud. Thud. Thud. 

“I don’t think I’m ready to tell you about them,” you answered honestly. To tell them about your parents and your brother would mean you would need to tell them what you are, what you are capable of. You looked at Natasha and you weren’t surprised to see a smile. 

“When are you ready we’ll be here to listen,” she stood up. “Tell Annie we all say hi.” 

“I will.” She left your room. You fell on your back staring up at the ceiling. You let the beating of your heart settle down. You didn’t know how to talk about your parents. Wasn’t the point of a mom and dad to love their child? To keep them safe. To protect them. They didn’t do that for you. You wished they did, your life would be so different if they just loved you.

[collecting-stories]

Lucky - Murphy MacManus

Summary: Just a random drabble.

A/N: It’s my annual Boondock Saints imagine day. 

Boondock Saints Masterlist

✰✰✰✰

Every Friday went like clockwork at your part time job. You got there early in the morning, opening the small convenience store for your boss and staying until late in the afternoon, just as people began to trickle out of work, on their way home to families, the bar, or just to cash their checks at the Ninth Street check cashing. The best part of your Friday came toward the end of your shift, when, fresh off getting their money, the MacManus brothers came into the small store. While they usually caused mild amounts of trouble, simply from being loud and feeling the need to touch everything on the shelves, you didn’t mind enduring their behavior, if only because it gave you the opportunity to flirt with Murphy. 

Every Friday he came in after his shift at the slaughterhouse ended, money in hand, and played more scratch-offs than he could afford. Sometimes he hit for a few hundred and sometimes he lost more than he started with, but he always flirted while he played. Standing at the counter, taking space away from patrons trying to buy actual goods, teasing you as he scratched off card after card.  

“I think this one is it.” He would announce, holding a ticket above his head and waving it around.

“Oi, that’s what ya said ‘bout the last one and it was a loser.” Connor would always take the opportunity to point out.  

“Yeah well,” he stopped in front of you, slapping the ticket down on the counter, “got me lucky charm right here, don’t I?” He winked at you as he said it.  

You took the ticket from him, trying not to smile, “I kissed the last two Murphy and they were both losers.”  

“Oh ye of little faith,” he teased, reaching across the small space to pinch your cheek. You slapped his hand away and huffed at him but he only laughed, “this is the one. You and me, we’re gonna hit big and blow this joint.”  

“And where exactly do you plan on taking me?” You asked, kissing the scratch off ticket in your hand before returning it to a grinning Murphy. He looked so pleased with himself that you half-expected him to actually win something big.  

Connor might’ve sensed the same feeling because he stopped trying to stuff packs of gum and candy from the counter display into his pockets and came over to lean into his brother’s space, trying to see if there was any big winner on this ticket. “I’d like to point out that ye left me outta that plan.” He mentioned, as he unwrapped a reese’s to eat.  

“You have to pay for that Connor!” You snapped, smacking his arm. It was one thing to swipe a couple treats in the store, and you usually ignored their inclination to shop-lift, but blatantly eating it in front of you was definitely not going to slide with your boss.  

“I will before I leave.” He insisted, leaning in closer to Murphy as the other twin brushed the flakes of scratch paper off the ticket and held it up to carefully inspect each number that was revealed, trying to find matches in the game.  

You and Connor waited with baited breath, both foolishly optimistic though neither of you would admit that. Luck was not on any of your sides but you couldn’t help wishing, especially here in the Irish side of Boston when good “old country” luck seemed to be the only thing keeping most people together.  

“Well?” Connor stressed as Murphy leaned back over the table, scratching the bottom of the ticket just to be sure.  

“Nah, just a hundred...ain’t nothing big.” Murphy mumbled, passing it over to you to cash.  

“More than I’ve ever won.” You offered, trying to make him feel better.  

Connor rolled his eyes, “that’s cause you don’t play.” He replied. “Ye ain’t never won anything lass.”  

The anxiety of the win was never about the prospect of money though you did find yourself truly wishing that the flirting was more than flirting, that Murphy might really mean it when he told you that he was going to win big and take you out of there. The anxiety, for you, came simply from wanting them (Murphy) to keep coming back. You worried that the more he lost the more he would decide not to come here. What if he found another Friday spot? Another girl who got run down by Boston and dreamed of getting away?

“You wanna play more?” You asked, as you cashed the ticket for him, counting out 20’s, ignoring Connor.

“Nah,” Murphy shook his head, “had enough loss for the night, I’ll take me winnings down to drink.”  

He was cashing out early, you had another hour left before you could close up and make the long walk home. You handed over his money and he took it, promising to be back next Friday and winking at you. It was just silly flirting on his part, you were sure, but the attention he’d been paying you had developed into a crush that you couldn’t shake. You never missed a Friday, afraid you would miss him. He was the thing you looked forward to the most on the weekends, a bright side to the shit you endured the rest of the week.  

But when Friday rolled back around the next week and neither of the McManus twins came through the door you couldn’t help thinking that your worst fears were confirmed. That maybe he was trying a new place to play lottery. You thought about it all weekend while you worked your second job, worrying about him and whether he’d be there the next Friday or if he would blow it off again. It bothered you so much that you were still thinking of it Monday as you stumbled into work and locked yourself in the office to do the accounting for the morning.  

It was closing in on 6:30 in the morning when there was a knock on the office door and you got up, going to open it without bothering to look through the peep hole. Murphy stood on the other side, smiling at you, no Connor in sight. You stepped out of the office and shut the door behind you, crowded into the small space of the corner, between the milk cooler and office. “Murphy, what’re you doing here?”

“I won big.” He replied, simply, grinning at you in that way that made you feel like you were in on some secret.  

“What?” You almost didn’t register what he was saying to you. He’d stopped by your work at 6:30 in the morning to tell you that he had won big.  

“I won big.” He repeated, “came to tell ye over the weekend but the lass who works said ye weren’t in until this mornin’. Came as soon as I woke up.”

You always thought about what would happen if Murphy actually did ever win big. With a bit of cynicism in it, you always figured that you would congratulate him for winning and then he would probably forget about you by the time the state of Massachusetts awarded him his money. Most of the time, you figured he just never would win, that all that flirting and talking of leaving would be just another pipe dream that got you through an otherwise boring shift.  

“Well, congratulations then.” You replied, a touch of awkwardness as you stood there with him.  

“A promise is a promise lass,” Murphy said, not too deterred by your obvious confusion over the situation. “And I promised you that if I hit big we’d get outta here.”

“Now?” Seemed to be the only thing you were capable of saying, as if the timing was the great problem with his proposal. “I’m at work.”

“Won’t have to work, way Connor and I got it.”  

“Murphy-” you almost wanted to laugh, if only to ease the awkwardness that you were feeling, “you can’t be serious.”

“Come on lass,” When the weekend started on Saturday morning after mass, there was no way that Murphy knew it would get to where it was. But he had more than enough cash now and more coming in with the way he and Connor were going. “Told ye I’d spring ye from this hell hole.”  

“I thought you were teasing,” you finally concluded.  

“Teasing?”  

You heard someone laugh an aisle over and realized that Connor was in the store, giving his brother just enough space to talk to you privately but not enough to be overheard. Murphy shot the chip display a glare meant for his twin brother and then turned back to you, eyes softening immediately.  

“I never joke about a pretty lass.” He said, “Connor and I are in a bit of a jam though, so it’s all time sensitive.”

“What is?”  

“Whether yer coming or not.” He stepped a little closer to you and you realized how much more persuasive he could be without the counter in between the two of you. “Been playing coming in here to see ye for months now, never seen anyone prettier and I’d love to take ye away from this place.”  

“This is all a bit unorthodox Murphy.” You replied.

“Unorthodox is what we do best.” Connor piped up, unable to stay quiet any longer, peeking around the corner at you.

“Shut up would ye?”

“Yer taking too long!” Connor snapped, “just get on with it already. He like ye, ye like him. Let’s go.”

“I think Connor might have a point.” You said, “I do like you.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Murphy asked, grin back in place.  

“This is totally crazy.” You insisted, even as you took Murphy’s hand and called to your co-worker that you were leaving, officially quitting was more the term. The little car that their friend owned sat in the first parking space available, just waiting for you to go with them. “I really thought you would ask me on a date before you asked me to runaway with you.”  

“There’ll be plenty of time for dates lass.” Murphy promised, climbing in the backseat with you, “trust me.”

[tiger-in-the-flightdeck]

Symbrock trick please - preferably involving chocolate

Another Trick or Treater rings my bell! I hope this sweetness is to your tastes!

This can also be read on AO3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34854022

“I think that might be the last one for the night,” Eddie groaned after closing the door and leaning on it. The streets were getting quiet and only a few teenaged stragglers were out now. Pretty soon the adults would be coming out for their parties and they could be ignored unless he wanted to get an eyeful of one of the neighbours dressed as a steampunk zombie Playboy bunny or just wearing literal lingerie.

After seeing Mr Connor from three doors down not quite fitting into his wife’s teddy the year before, he definitely planned on keeping the door shut until morning.

Dylan and Sleeper were in their room bingeing the Saw series, occasionally venturing out for more popcorn and insisting that they weren’t regretting their choice of movie after coming in with two loaded pillowcases of candy. If Sleeper was twice his usual size and considerably spikier than normal, his parents didn’t mention it to him. Eddie only hoped that the nightmares wouldn’t be too severe.

“Do we have anything left?” Venom asked from the kitchen where he was cleaning up the mess from the latest popcorn trip. Dylan had forgotten to put the lid on the pot, and kernels had shot everywhere. Picking up the fridge, he swept out a few stray kernels and Eddie’s missing driver’s licence.

“Don’t worry, babe. I saved some of the good stuff for you.” Eddie shook the bowl of candy. Tomorrow he would trawl the supermarkets, stocking up on the heavily discounted assortment boxes for his partner to last a few weeks. Unwrapping a caramel, he brought the bowl into the kitchen. “Here, I don’t think you’ve had one of these before.” He held out the caramel, trusting Venom not to snap off his fingertips when he took it.

The Symbiote’s tongue lashed out to wrap around the candy like a chameleon before his eyes went almost circular. It stuck to his teeth as he chewed, and he smacked and drooled for several minutes before swallowing. “That was. Odd.” He worked a bit of the caramel off his teeth with the tip of his tongue and shrunk down so he could crawl into the candy bowl. “Ah, now this is more like it.” His head popped back up with a Hershey miniature clutched in one tentacle. He tore open the wrapper and devoured the chocolate.

“One of these days I’ll take the three of you to the Chocolate World, and you and Sleeper can go buckwild.” With the bowl propped on his hip, Eddie carried Venom into the living room so they could put a movie of their own on, to drown out the sounds of screams and machinery from upstairs.

Vibrating slightly, Venom’s head poked up over the rim of the bowl, a bit of melted Reese Cup clinging to the corner of his mouth. “A world of chocolate? Such a place exists? Why do we not live there?”

Eddie wiped his Other’s mouth with his thumb and licked it clean. “It’s just a big store, don’t get too excited. It’s up on the Canuck side of the Falls, so we could do the torture museum while we’re there.”

“Chocolate world, and a museum of torture. I like Canadians.” Venom pressed against Eddie’s fingers before vanishing back into the bowl to root around. He saved the lollipops for Eddie and anything with peanuts for Dylan, but the rest of the chocolate didn’t stand a chance. Every so often he would fling an empty wrapper out before coming up for air to watch a few minutes of Hocus Pocus.

It was four in the morning when Eddie was woken up by clomping feet running down the hall then banging down the stairs.

“Dad!”

“Father!”

A gangly thirteen year old boy and a massive Symbiote whose shoulders bumped the walls tumbled into the living room where Eddie and Venom had fallen asleep on the sofa halfway through The Addams Family. They vaulted the coffee table to wrap arms around Eddie.

“Nightmares?” Venom asked, shaking candy debris away so he could stretch out tendrils to stroke Dylan’s hair and Sleeper’s cheek. Both boys were trembling.

“Looks like it. I’ll go make some cocoa.”

[swatheford]

golden anniversary

(swatheford short #1) gary and miss wilkins are some blog favorites (some might say a few might love them too much) and i actually had a backstory for them! i promised that i'd release it when i reached 400 followers and i did yesterday so thank you! a little 1k short awaits below the cut! :)

"Savannah! Reese! It's time to frost the cupcakes!" A frail voice calls out as feet frantically pad across the wooden floor. Two children around five and nine, peek over the tall table. Miss Wilkins wore a gentle smile on her face; one that held a warmth which never seemed to weather as she grew old.

24 cupcakes were placed on a platter and the children started to grab at them. "Remember not to add too much, okay?"

"Yes, Gran!" Multiple bowls filled the table, each packed with colorful frostings. All three of them sat around the table and the boy wasted no time decorating. With an eager grip, he took a spoon and heaved a rather generous scoop of frosting on his chocolate cupcake.

"Gran?" a quiet voice piped up. Savannah looked up at her grandmother in awe, dark locks held into two sprouting pigtails.

"Yes, dear?"

"Can you tell us more stories about Grandpa?" At that, Miss Wilkins' smile wavered as she took a deep breath.

"Of course I can. But first," a shaky hand reaches out to wipe a swipe of pink frosting from her granddaughter's cheek. "Remember the aquarium we go to in Castellan with all the jellyfish and sharks?"

"Ooh, yeah! Those were so cool!" The boy chimed in before messily drizzling his cupcake in frosting.

"Well that was where your Grandfather proposed," her heart swells fondly at the memory. She remembered the confident grin on his face as the light ripples of water danced across his features. His eyes glimmered like opalesent pearls. She couldn't forget him if she tried.

"What was he like?"

"You know your Grandad,” she chuckled. "Even then he was funny and confident." Her husband had always been smooth, anything he did wasn’t complete without a golden grin. It wasn't long until she fell for him. "We were looking at the otters and two of them linked arms with each other. He tapped my shoulder and said ‘apparently otters link arms with the one they love so even when they sleep, they won't drift away from each other. Just like us," her voice grew shaky and a breeze whipped past her thin arm, as if his ghost softly linked arms.

Reese tilted his head, "What about the fish? Didn't Grandpa love fish?"

"He loved all kinds, especially the koi fish in the garden area. We'd go there so often that it became our second home. By the end, he gave every single one of them a name."

"Did he name one of them Reese?"

Miss Wilkins chuckles, "He sure did."

Savannah raised a hand covered in coloring, "What about Savannah?"

"Of course, my love." The siblings shared a smile.

"So what happened next?"

"Well we were at the koi pond and he searched his pockets, fishing for something-"

Another set of footsteps interrupted Miss Wilkins' train of thought. Her son, Ethan, emerged from the backyard, pants stained with dirt. He wipes his brow and smiles at the sight. "You telling them about how Dad popped the question?" She nods as he silently asks to finish the story. He takes a seat at the table, unwrapping a cupcake. "Let me tell you, Gramps was really something. He was actually a magician,” Ethan flourished as his children looked at him, fascinated.

“Why didn’t he teach me?”

“A magician never tells his secret,” he winks and sits back. “Anyways, he was searching for the ring and found it behind Gran’s ear! Just like that, he proposed.”

“What did the ring look like?” Savannah asked, practically jumping out of her chair in anticipation. Miss Wilkins slid her hand across the table, revealing a golden band with two small diamonds in the center.

“Wow,” she gasped. Ethan stood up, stretching before ruffling Reese’s red locks.

“That’s Gramps for you,” he chuckled before clapping his hands together. “Start to finish up your cupcakes, kiddos. We’re gonna leave soon.”

“But I wanna stay with Gran!” Reese pouted and pushed himself off the chair before tottering to embrace Miss Wilkins.

“You’re coming over next week, dear. Don’t worry,” she rubbed his back soothingly. At the mention of visiting again, Reese completely forgot about his sadness and replaced it with excitement. He resumed to cover the cake with sprinkles as if nothing happened.

-

Ethan clicks the seatbelts in place before closing the backdoors of the car. He turns to face his mother who presses a kiss to his cheek. The look in his eyes was all too similar to her husband's. "Thanks for watching them, Mom."

“Castellan’s got you all formal, dear. You don’t have to thank me,” she chuckled. “How’s the backyard looking?”

“Spotless if I do say so myself,” he grins. “The pond is ready by the way. I’m guessing that it’ll be home to a few koi?” Ethan already knew the answer and the look on his mother’s face confirmed it. He nods, brushing away dark locks from his face before reaching into the car. “I was cleaning up the house the other day and I found this old thing collecting dust.” He places a box in her hand. "Happy Anniversary, Mom.”

From the red cardboard, she knew what was inside. With gratitude, she wrapped her son into a warm hug. “Thank you, dear.”

Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets sheepishly before looking back to the car where Reese giggles. "The more he grows up, the more he’s acting like Dad.”

“You know, you were like that too. I guess it runs in the family," she chuckles. “I’ll see you next week, okay? You have a long drive ahead of you.”

With one last hug, Ethan waved goodbye. “Love you, Mom.”

“Love you too.”

-

Miss Wilkins gently opens the box to reveal a photo album. It was like opening a time capsule as her mind drifted to the same mentality as her wedding day. She remembered how youthful and free she felt that summer afternoon. The tattered page flipped to reveal a photo of the radiant couple at the altar and her heart soars, soaking in the happiness and longing. A thumb caresses over the closeup of her husband, clad in a crisp suit.

"Oh Gary," she whispers. "Happy Anniversary, dear."

It would've been their 50th anniversary if he wasn't taken away too soon. As the days passed by, he grew weaker and weaker; barely hanging on. Through his final moments Gary still wore the same charming smile on his face as if nothing ever happened.

Her moment of sadness faded away as she reached for a container in the cupboard. The lid clicks open as she pours out a scoop of fish flakes before standing in front of the tank. A small goldfish swam around aimlessly as she softly poured the flakes into the water. Miss Wilkins takes a seat in the weathered armchair by the fish tank, fiddling with the golden band on her left hand.

Apparently otters link arms with the one they love so even when they sleep, they won't drift away from each other. Just like us. She smiled knowing that Gary kept his promise through fifty years and fifty more.

-

yay! now y'all know about gary's namesake! hopefully this made someone emotional because i was tearing up while typing this up. granted it might've been because of my depressing cello playlist or the fact that it was 1 am, but hopefully it made y'all feel something! thank you again for 400, i'm constantly blown away by y'alls support and i'm truly grateful for y'all! i can't wait to share more with each and every one of you. :)

[candyville]

The 11 Most Popular Christmas Candies.

But candy is unique in its ability to make us fat. Because it's so high in sugar and devoid of fibre, candy gives us a much faster sugar rush than any food found in nature. As a result, our bodies can often overreact, pumping out more of the sugar-management hormone insulin than we need. Then two things happen, neither of them good: First, insulin grabs all of that sugar and looks for someplace to store it, most often as belly fat. And second, stealing too much sugar from our systems, creates a sugar crash: a sort of hunger rebound that sends us back to the party to try for more chocolate bark.

So instead of going all Grinch on you, eat This, Not That! We took a hard look at the nutritional info on every sort of Christmas candy that might be rolling down your chimney this year and ranked them best to worst (comparing the nutritional profiles and quality of ingredients to equivalent serving sizes). Now, when you reach into the kids' stockings, you'll know you're setting yourself up for a Merry Christmas, not a flabby New Year.

HOLIDAY CHOCOLATES:

As a general rule avoid anything that's labelled "made with chocolate," "chocolate," or "chocolate-coated," which indicate the presence of partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, harmful dyes like Yellow #5 and Red #40 and artificial flavouring. Cocoa's waist-whittling effects do not extend to the fake stuff.

REESE'S BELLS

Reese's Bells, Reese's Bells, Reese's not all the way. Although there are a few on our Nice List, these guys are definitely naughty. Anything listed with partially hydrogenated oils AKA trans fat, which have been banned by the FDA, is a no-go.

DOVE PEPPERMINT BARK DARK CHOCOLATE SQUARES:

Although Dove advertises this product as a bark, there are really just artificial dark chocolate bite squares. Even more disappointing is the presence of trans fat. Did we mention the first ingredient is sugar?

DOVE SILKY SMOOTH SNOWFLAKE PROMISES CHOCOLATE ASSORTMENT:

These Silky Smooth Snowflake Promises may be innocent when you eat just one, but after five you're looking at 200 calories, 7 grams of saturated fat and 19 grams of sugar—that's as much sugar as you'll find in 10 Butterfinger BBs. And if you have any food allergies, avoid purchasing these snowflake chocolates at all costs. They've recently been recalled due to mysterious Snickers popping up inside their bags. If you're a fan of the caramel nutty chocolate bars this may seem like a bonus, but for those suffering from any nut allergies, it should not be taken lightly.

KIT KAT HOLIDAY CANDY BARS

Unwrap one of Kit Kat's cutesy holiday wafers and you'll find Santa smiling back at you. You'll also find 22 grams of processed sugar and 7 grams of saturated fat. Don't even think about having more than one, unless you own a big red suit.

CRUNCH JINGLES

Sadly the only thing that will be ringing when you pop these bell-shaped candies into your mouth is your blood sugar alarm. This is jingle hell.

HERSHEY'S CANDY CANE KISSES

Hershey's candy cane mint candies add antioxidant-rich and appetite-suppressing peppermint oil to the traditional milk chocolate kiss. But despite their potential weight loss ingredient, we can't ignore the artificial dyes, words "artificial flavour" and corn syrup in their ingredient list (or the steep sugar and fat counts).

CHRISTMAS JUNIOR MINTS:

Tied for the naughtiest chocolate, these two Junior Mint flavours are under 200 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving but boast a whopping 32 grams of sugar. Within 24 hours of eating added sugar, your body is flooded with elevated levels of triglycerides, which universally lead to one thing: belly fat.

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER TREES:

And your best Reese's option is… these Reese's Trees! You can indulge in one for just 90 calories, 5 grams of fat and 8 grams of sugar!

LINDT MILK CHOCOLATE SNOWMEN

If you're one of those people who love giving oversized holiday-shaped chocolates as presents, try downsizing it this year. These mini Lindt Milk Chocolate Snowmen are just 55 calories apiece. Whether or not the recipient decides to eat the full serving is up to them, but at least the nutrition comes from quality ingredients.

KIT KAT MINT MINIATURES

Take a break from shopping with one of these Kit Kat Mint Miniatures. They pop right into your mouth and contain peppermint oil, a weight-loss superfood. In fact, researchers conclude that by adding mint to your diet, more of the fat you consume will be metabolized, as opposed to steadily making your pants tighter.

[florahecate]

Read More 50 Unhealthiest Desserts on the Planet

The following post 50 Unhealthiest Desserts on the Planet is republished from Eat This Not That by April Benshosan

Whether you crave a chunky chocolate chip cookie, a warm mug cake, or a creamy gelato post-dinner, there’s a multitude of unhealthy desserts littering supermarket shelves. While it’s OK to indulge in your sweet tooth every once in a while, doing so regularly can lead you to pack on the pounds and put yourself at risk for metabolic diseases, especially when you choose some of these overly indulgent desserts we rounded up.

If you’re hankering for something sweet after dinner, “choose a dessert that contains zero artificial sweeteners, less than 10 grams of added sugars, and no more than 150 calories,” Jim White, RD, ACSM Health Fitness Instructor, tells us. If it has 3 grams of fiber and more than 5 grams a protein, that’s a bonus.” All of the store-bought picks we included here contain either more than 150 calories or over 10 grams of sugar per serving—but the majority fit into both categories. We divided them into categories of ice cream, candy bars, frozen cakes and pies, cookies, and packaged pastries. Steer clear and choose a scoop of healthy ice cream instead—or go the homemade route. White likes yogurt with fruit, a banana with dark chocolate and almond butter, or a homemade protein bar with dried cranberries, oats, whey protein, and cocoa for his after dinner treat.

RELATED: The easy guide to cutting back on sugar is finally here.

Ice Creams

1

Talenti Coconut Almond Chocolate Gelato

2/3 cup: 360 calories, 21 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 95 mg sodium, 40 g carbs (4 g fiber, 35 g sugar), 6 g protein

Talenti describes this flavor as taking your best friends on vacation. Whether you’re trying to slim down before a tropical escape or looking for some comfort food on the couch, this caloric pint shouldn’t be your pick.

2

Klondike Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

340 calories, 12 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 245 mg sodium, 55 g carbs (0 g fiber, 32 g sugar), 3 g protein

Two desserts, Mrs. Fields cookies and ice cream, come together to create a 340-calorie dessert disaster. This dessert mashup carries nearly four slices of white bread worth of carbs and 8.5 teaspoons worth of sugar.

3

M&M’S Cookie Sandwiches With Vanilla Ice Cream

240 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 150 mg sodium, 37 g carbs (<1 g fiber, 25 g sugar), 3 g protein

Would you spoon over six teaspoons of sugar into your mouth for dessert? That’s what you’ll find in this M&M’s cookie ice cream sandwich.

4

Blue Bunny Load’d Sundae Bunny Tracks

PER UNIT (185 G): 600 calories, 32 g fat (17 g saturated fat), 250 mg sodium, 70 g carbs (3 g fiber, 60 g sugar), 9 g protein

This frozen dessert is just not worth it. Blue Bunny manages to pack in a meal’s worth of calories and more than two days’ worth of added sugars. Instead, reach for Blue Bunny’s Caramel Mini Swirls. They’re similar to the King Cones you grew up with, but come in a smaller portion with a hint of caramel—clocking in at just 140 calories and 12 grams of sugar.

5

Talenti Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Gelato

2/3 cup: 330 calories, 19 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 55 mg sodium, 36 g carbs (1 g fiber, 34 g sugar), 6 g protein

Nutella meets your favorite cookie in this ultra-creamy gelato. But do you think it’s worth 330 calories and 8.5 teaspoons worth of sugar? We think not.

6

Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche Cookie Squares

PER BAR: 310 calories, 18 g fat (13 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 120 mg sodium, 34 g carbs (1 g fiber, 26 g sugar), 4 g protein

You’ll find a full day’s worth of saturated fat and sugar in these dulce de leche ice cream squares. If you want something cold and swirled with caramel, go for Enlightened’s sea salt caramel bar, which contains just 80 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 5 grams of sugar—not to mention, 7 grams of muscle-maintaining protein!

7

Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup

⅔ cup: 470 calories, 33 g fat (18 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat), 180 mg sodium, 36 mg carbs (0 g fiber, 32 g sugar), 9 g protein

You’re better off biting into a Snicker’s bar. Ben & Jerry’s PB ice cream packs in a whopping 32 grams of sugar and absolutely no fiber to help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Go for Halo Top’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream instead, which contains just 380 calories for the whole pint versus Ben & Jerry’s 1,400!

8

Talenti Peanut Butter Fudge Sorbetto

⅔ cup: 350 calories, 17 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 250 mg sodium, 46 g carbs (3 g fiber, 39 g sugar), 8 g protein

Just because it’s dairy-free doesn’t mean it will help you keep your weight in check. Talenti manages to swell its sorbetto with 9.75 teaspoons of sugar!

9

Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby

½ cup: 350 calories, 21 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 160 mg sodium, 33 mg carbs (1 g fiber, 26 g sugar), 7 g protein

Vanilla malt ice cream meets peanut and fudge-covered pretzels and fudgy peanut swirls in this caloric pint. The outcome? A chubby hubby, no doubt.

10

Tillamook’s Double Nutty Peanut Butter Ice Cream

⅓ pint: 460 calories, 34 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 250 mg sodium, 31 mg carbs (2 g fiber, 27 g sugar), 11 g protein

With your full day’s worth of heart-harming saturated fat and 90 more milligrams of sodium than a small order of McDonald’s fries, you’re better off skipping this pint and indulging in Enlightened’s chocolate chip peanut butter pint instead.

11

Häagen-Dazs Peanut Butter Salted Fudge Ice Cream

½ cup: 340 calories, 23 g fat (11 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat), 150 mg sodium, 26 mg carbs (1 g fiber, 24 g sugar), 6 g protein

Peanut butter can be a wonderful weight-loss food, but it happens to sabotage every ice cream pint on this list of unhealthiest desserts. Häagen-Dazs adds 24 grams of sugar per serving to its pint, and it also boasts a seriously high fat content.

12

Magnum’s Double Caramel Bar

1 bar: 270 calories, 17 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 75 mg sodium, 29 g carbs (1 g fiber, 25 g sugar), 3 g protein

This double caramel ice cream bar by Magnum is the ultimate treat: it’s filled with luscious caramel and gooey chocolatey coating, and then smothered in a cracking milk chocolate shell for both creamy and crunchy textures. However, indulging in this frozen dessert will set you back 270 calories and 17 grams of fat. Go for Magnum’s mini version instead.

13

Magnum Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate Raspberry

⅔ cup: 340 calories, 24 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 30 mg sodium, 35 g carbs (4 g fiber, 26 g sugar), 5 g protein

If you think you’re making the smart choice by choosing a fruity ice cream, think again. Magnum manages to pack in 26 grams of sugar and 15 grams of heart-harming saturated fat into this raspberry chocolate tub. Down the whole pint, and you’ll ingest a staggering 960 calories, 42 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, and 72 grams of sugar!

Candy Bars

14

Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch Triple Chocolate King Size Bar

per 59 g bar: 310 calories, 19 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 130 mg sodium, 34 g carbs (2 g fiber, 27 g sugar), 4 g protein

This king-sized bar is layered with milk chocolate, chocolate cookie bits, and chocolate creme—which all amount to over a day’s worth of sugar and almost triple the amount of saturated fat than what’s in a Snickers bar.

15

Milka Chocolate Bar Oreo Bar

Per 6 blocks: 220 calories, 14 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 80 mg sodium, 23 g carbs (1 g fiber, 20 g sugar), 2 g protein

Riddled with sugar, inflammatory palm oil, and artificial flavors, we see no reason to unwrap this Oreo-studded chocolate bar. Go ahead and dunk an Oreo into milk if you’re craving cookies and cream flavor.

16

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate & Reese’s Pieces Candy Bar

PER BAR: 220 calories, 12 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 55 mg sodium, 27 g carbs (1 g fiber, 25 g sugar), 3 g protein

We’re clearly not fans of this Hershey’s bar’s nutrition panel, but the ingredient list is just as frightening. Hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, artificial colors, oh my!

17

Snickers Crisper

PER 2 BARS: 190 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 85 mg sodium, 26 g carbs (1 g fiber, 20 g sugar), 3 g protein

You’ll find milk chocolate, peanuts, crisp rice, and caramel in this candy bar. Snickers really outdid itself with the Crisper, which houses almost a full day’s worth of sugar.

18

Reese’s Crunchers

PER 14 PIECES: 200 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 95 mg sodium, 24 g carbs (2 g fiber, 17 g sugar), 4 g protein

Munch on these for dessert, and you’ll ingest about half a day’s worth of saturated fat and sugar. Why not post-game your dinner with a tablespoon of real peanut butter? Not only will you save about 100 calories, but you’ll also nourish your body with more heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and save yourself from 17 grams of added sugars!

19

Caramel M&M’s

PER 40 G BAG: 190 calories, 7 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 60 mg sodium, 29 g carbs (0 g fiber, 26 g sugar), 2 g protein

Just when you thought M&Ms couldn’t get any richer, the confectioner decided to crank the sugar up a notch in the form of infusing the chocolate bites with a caramel center. If you’re craving the classic combo, go for a square of Alter Eco’s Dark Salted Burnt Caramel bar with 70 percent cocoa.

20

Hershey’s Gold Bar

PER 1.4 OZ BAR (39 G): 220 calories, 14 g fat (7 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 85 mg sodium, 22 g carbs (0 g fiber, 20 g sugar), 3 g protein

Hershey’s newest candy bar houses a boatload of calories coming from sugar and fat. Go for a square of 70% dark chocolate to get your sweet fix and a dose of disease-fighting antioxidants instead.

Frozen Cakes and Pies

21

Banquet Cherry Berry Pie

1 pie: 400 calories, 13 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 430 mg sodium, 65 g carbs (3 g fiber, 28 g sugar), 4 g protein

Cherries and berries are chock-full of antioxidants, but don’t rely on this pie to get your free-radical-fighting fix. With a staggering 400 calories per single serving, we’d steer clear of a spoon.

22

Sara Lee Banana Creme Pie

⅙ pie: 340 calories, 18 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 260 mg sodium, 43 g carbs (1 g fiber, 28 g sugar), 2 g protein

You’ll get seven teaspoons worth of sugar in this banana creme pie coming from five different sources of the sweet stuff. Yikes!

23

Banquet Apple Pie

1 pie: 360 calories, 10 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 490 mg sodium, 64 g carbs (2 g fiber, 25 g sugar), 3 g protein

Banquet’s apple pie comes in a single-serving package but should definitely be shared with a pal. No one needs 490 milligrams of blood-pressure-spiking sodium and 25 grams of sugar in one sitting!

24

Edwards Turtle Pie

�� pie: 380 calories, 21 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 310 mg sodium, 46 g carbs (1 g fiber, 30 g sugar), 4 g protein

This decadent cake found in the freezer section starts off with a chocolate cookie crumb crust and piles on rich caramel, chocolate, pecans, and whipped crème rosettes. These layers will cost you a full day’s worth of saturated fat and nearly eight teaspoons worth of sugar.

25

Marie Callender’s Dutch Apple Pie

1/9 pie: 330 calories, 14 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 170 mg sodium, 49 g carbs (2 g fiber, 29 g sugar), 2 g protein

Marie brags that her streusel-topped pie is made with 100 percent fresh Fuji apples baked in a made-from-scratch crust, but we’re not convinced you’d use hydrogenated soybean oil in your homemade pie.

26

Sara Lee Chocolate Creme Pie

⅕ pie: 440 calories, 27 g fat (19 g saturated fat), 320 mg sodium, 46 g carbs (3 g fiber, 32 g sugar), 3 g protein

Besides for the absurd calorie and sugar contents, we hate to see sugar as the first ingredient and hydrogenated palm oil—a source of inflammatory saturated fat—as the third ingredient in this chocolate creme pie recipe.

27

Toblerone Chocolate Cake

per serving: 444 calories, 26 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 280 mg sodium, 44 g carbs (N/A g fiber, 34 g sugar), 9.8 g protein

Your favorite pyramid-shaped chocolate turned into a layered cake? Sounds like something dreams are made of—however, one look at the nutritional panel deems otherwise. When the craving for Swiss chocolate hits, just indulge in one triangle of the original Toblerone for just 46 calories and about 5 grams of sugar. Not bad for a post-meal dessert, if you ask us.

28

Marie Callender’s Lattice Peach Pie

1/9 pie: 360 calories, 18 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 160 mg sodium, 48 g carbs (1 g fiber, 19 g sugar), 3 g protein

Another fruity pie that’s so not worth the caloric damage. Just because Marie Callender concocts her pie with Freestone peaches, doesn’t mean you should go ahead and indulge in a slice.

29

Edwards Georgia Style Pecan Pie

⅛ pie: 500 calories, 27 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 270 mg sodium, 60 g carbs (2 g fiber, 35 g sugar), 4 g protein

All of Edwards’ frozen dessert pies are caloric landmines, but this Georgia Style Pecan Pie takes the cake—er, pie—when it comes to the worst desserts on the planet. If you indulge in a slice every day for just one week, you could expect to tack a full pound onto your frame. Sorry Edwards, but we’re not falling for your southern charm.

30

Sara Lee Carrot Cake

⅙ cake: 340 calories, 17 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 300 mg sodium, 44 g carbs (1 g fiber, 31 g sugar), 4 g protein

Carrots are jam-packed with eye- and skin-benefitting vitamin A. However, this cake packs in just two percent of your daily value of the nutrient. Plus, sugar is the first ingredient. Hard pass.

31

Marie Callender’s Southern Pecan Pie

⅛ pie: 500 calories, 24 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 210 mg sodium, 67 g carbs (3 g fiber, 26 g sugar), 5 g protein

Another southern favorite, this pecan-studded dessert is brimming with calories, fat, and sugar. Although the serving size is a bit larger than the other Marie Callender’s desserts on this list (⅛ of a pie rather than 1/9), this crispy pecan pie still gets the red light because of its outrageous calorie count.

32

Edwards Key Lime Pie

⅛ pie: 450 calories, 22 g fat (17 g saturated fat), 310 mg sodium, 57 g carbs (1 g fiber, 44 g sugar), 6 g protein

A staggering 44 grams of sugar—the equivalent of over three heaping tablespoons of maple syrup—sneak into this key lime pie. If you want the tart, refreshing taste of key limes, go for Icelandic Provisions key lime skyr yogurt, which is thick, creamy, and way more satisfying with 15 grams of protein.

Cookies

33

Mega Stuf Oreos

per 2 cookies: 180 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 90 mg sodium, 25 g carbs (1 g fiber, 18 g sugar), 1 g protein

The standard Oreo serving size is three cookies—however, Nabisco rounded it down to two cookies for these Mega Stuf Oreos. They carry more vanilla creme than the Double Stuf Oreos, which means 5 more grams of sugar and 2 more grams of fat. Go for the Oreo Thins instead—four of them clock in at just 140 calories and 12 grams of sugar.

34

Nana’s Chocolate Chip With Walnuts Cookie

PER ½ COOKIE: 210 calories, 9 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 160 mg sodium, 29 g carbs (2 g fiber, 11 g sugar), 3 g protein

Note that Nana’s serving size is for just half a cookie—sneaky, huh? Even if you muster enough willpower to bite into half and save the rest for another day, Nana’s cookies don’t come in resealable packages, so you’re basically doomed to eat the entire thing. The whole cookie will cost you 420 calories and 22 grams of sugar worth of damage.

35

Oreo Fudge Cremes

per 3 cookies: 190 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 75 mg sodium, 25 g carbs (0 g fiber, 19 g sugar), 1 g protein

Your classic Oreo gets a decadent makeover with a thick layer of chocolate fudge. Skip this dessert after your meal to save nearly 200 calories and almost a full day’s worth of sugar.

36

Reese’s Crunchy Cookie Big Cup

PER 2.68 OZ PACKAGE (75 G): 380 calories, 21 g fat (8 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 270 mg sodium, 44 g carbs (3 g fiber, 38 g sugar), 8 g protein

This king-sized treat isn’t fit for royalty. It packs in just as much sugar as a 12-ounce can of Coca Cola!

37

Nabisco Chips Ahoy Original Chocolate Chip Cookies

PER 3 COOKIES: 160 calories, 8 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 110 mg sodium, 22 g carbs (1 g fiber, 11 g sugar), 1 g protein

Instead of dunking these chocolate chip cookies into milk, make your own at home. Using a nutritious base such as almond flour and tossing in dark chocolate, concoct a dessert with benefits! You’ll save yourself from vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavor that’s found in Chips Ahoy’s recipe.

38

Mrs. Fields Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip Cookies

PER COOKIE: 140 calories, 7 g fat (3.5 g saturated, 0 g trans fat), 130 mg sodium, 20 g carbs (1 g fiber, 12 g sugar), 1 g protein

These extra-sweet chocolate chip cookies have more than twice the amount of saturated fat as a small order of McDonald’s fries and are littered with added sugars. Instead, go for Mrs. Thinster’s chocolate chip cookies. Five of these crunchy cookies pack in less sugar and calories than just one of Mrs. Fields’ treats!

39

Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Big Deluxe White Chunk Macadamia Nut Cookies

per cookie: 170 calories, 8 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 95 mg sodium, 22 g carbs (0 g fiber, 14 g sugar), 2 g protein

These white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are ready in minutes and are beyond easy to overeat. It’s highly unlikely you’ll stick to the single cookie serving size. Go one cookie overboard, and your dessert will clock in at 340 calories and 28 grams of sugar—yikes!

40

Pillsbury Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies

per cookie: 160 calories, 7 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 105 mg sodium, 23 g carbs (0 g fiber, 15 g sugar), 2 g protein

These cookies ‘n’ creme treats are riddled with sketchy ingredients such as inflammatory palm oil, saturated fat-filled hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavors. We’ll give this Pillsbury dessert a hard pass.

41

Betty Crocker Mug Treats Soft-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 pouch + mix: 400 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 370 mg sodium, 71 g carbs (1 g fiber, 50 g sugar), 5 g protein

A cookie that comes in a mug? This soft-baked spoonable dessert is chock-full of sugar—two days’ worth, to be exact.

Packaged Pastries

42

Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cupcake: 160 calories, 6 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 210 mg sodium, 26 g carbs (1 g fiber, 18 g sugar), 1 g protein

Anyone who has ever unwrapped a Hostess cupcake knows they can’t stick to just one. In fact, the chocolate treat with creamy filling usually comes in twos. Unwrap two, and you’ll ingest 320 calories and 36 grams of sugar.

43

Entenmann’s Rich Frosted Donuts

per donut: 300 calories, 20 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 190 mg sodium, 30 g carbs (1 g fiber, 17 g sugar), 2 g protein

These cake-style donuts are blanketed with chocolate frosting for the ultimate post-meal experience. Sure, they’re extra fudgy and rich—but all that flavor comes from the whopping 20 grams of fat and 17 grams of sugar.

44

Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies

per brownie: 280 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 150 mg sodium, 42 g carbs (1 g fiber, 24 g sugar), 2 g protein

These nostalgic, candy-studded brownies were the lunchbox staple of every 90s kid, but shouldn’t make it onto your grocery list any time soon. One Cosmic Brownie clocks in at 280 calories and nearly a full day’s worth of sugar.

45

Entenmann’s Rich Frosted Sprinkled Donuts

per donut: 310 calories, 18 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 170 mg sodium, 36 g carbs (2 g fiber, 24 g sugar), 3 g protein

Take Entenmann’s rich frosted donut and throw on some crunchy bits, and you’ll get this caloric concoction. The sprinkles endow this donut 10 more calories, 2 more grams of fat, and 7 more grams of sugar!

46

Little Debbie Cookies and Creme Cakes

per 2 cakes: 320 calories, 15 g fat (9 g saturated), 190 mg sodium, 43 g carbs (1 g fiber, 31 g sugar), 2 g protein

These chocolate mini cakes come smothered with vanilla icing and a middle layer of more creme, along with a dusting of cookie crumbles on top. The damage? You’ll get 7 more grams of sugar and double plus one more gram of saturated fat than what’s in a Snickers bar.

47

Entenmann’s Chocolate Chip Iced Cake

⅛ cake: 330 calories, 18 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 170 mg sodium, 40 g carbs (N/A g fiber, 31 g sugar), 2 g protein

This golden cake may seem innocent compared to some of the other treats on this list—after all, it’s got a sprinkling of chocolate chips and a light mocha icing to top it off. However, it packs in more calories per serving than any other cake in Entenmann’s line. Also, we bet you’re not sticking to the ⅛ cake serving size, so you’re better off skipping this dessert.

48

Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

per roll with icing: 300 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 540 mg sodium, 54 g carbs (1 g fiber, 22 g sugar), 5 g protein

Whether you pop these warmly-spiced rolls into the oven for a comforting breakfast or a post-dinner treat, you’ll be doing your waistline a disservice. One roll drizzled with cream cheese icing packs in a quarter of a day’s worth of belly-bloating sodium in addition to the 22 grams of sugar. Plus, you’ll find partially hydrogenated oils, which is a sneaky source of trans fat, in this recipe.

49

Entenmann’s Cheese Topped Buns

per bun: 320 calories, 15 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 320 mg sodium, 40 g carbs (1 g fiber, 19 g sugar), 6 g protein

Sweet buns are already a sugar and fat landmine, but when you add creamy cheese filling, expect the fat content to skyrocket. Just one bun packs in 4.75 teaspoons of sugar and just about as much fat as a packet of hash browns from Burger King.

50

Betty Crocker Mug Treats Hot Fudge Brownie

per mug cake: 380 calories, 9 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 310 mg sodium, 72 g carbs (2 g fiber, 50 g sugar), 5 g protein

At first glance, Betty Crocker’s hot fudge mug treat seems like a portion-controlled option, but one glance at the nutrition panel says otherwise. It packs in a whopping 50 grams of sugar—that’s two days’ worth of the sweet stuff—and the carb equivalent of nearly five slices of white bread.

The post 50 Unhealthiest Desserts on the Planet appeared first on Eat This Not That.

[thetruthhive-blog]

Great Ideas for last minute halloween fun!

I have the best news for you!

And this news, I'm sure will make you last minute parents extremely happy.

If you waited until the last minute to plan for Halloween, whether it be bringing your favorite dish to a party or planning a fun filled day with the kids, it's not too late to appear as if you have it all together.

I've put together some fun, yummy treats and activites that the whole family can enjoy. And did I mention how easy and fun it will be?? Oh I didnt? Well, the next few paragraphs, receipes and pictures will be sure to excite all of your senses!

So hold on tight, its going to be a scary ride!!!

If you are looking to get the kids out of the house, I recommend hitting up your local pumpkin patch. In my town, we have a Spooktacular event for the kids. If you are not sure where to go, then just use good ole Google for some ideas and help in finding activities and events in your area!

This past weekend my fiance' and I took our son Jax to Fair Weather Acres Fall Festival in Cromwell, CT. It is a huge farm, where they have a corn maze, hayrides, many other activities for the kids and of course, food!

We had a blast! And best of all, before you leave, you can grab a pumpkin, ANY SIZE! How cool is that!?

After our eventful day, we went home and painted pumpkins!

We also made some sweet Halloween treats! Spider cookies and mummy rice crispy treats were on the spooky menu.

These treats are very easy to make and even better to make if your little ones are old enough to help! All the ingredients used can be found at your local grocery store, as well as, your local craft store.

*Pro-Tip before starting: Lay out some parchment paper as your workspace for easy clean up. If you do not have parchment paper, then go buy some! Just kidding, you can use foil, cooling rack or simply a plate!

Spider Cookies

Chocolate is always a crowd pleaser, especially chocolate chip cookies with a little SPIDER on top! Give your chocolate chip cookies a spooky spin, by adding Reese's cups to the mix!

Ingredients:

Favorite cookies - I used store bought chocolate chip

Miniature Reese’s cups

Chocolate candy melts

Candy eyeballs

Small Ziploc bag

Directions:

Start by unwrapping all of your Reese’s cups. This was the most annoying part for me lol.

Now, let’s melt the chocolate candy melts. To melt the chocolate, you simply place about half the bag of candy melts in your microwave safe container and then microwave it in 30-second increments. Once the chocolate is melted, place it in your Ziploc bag. Then push all of the chocolate to one of the corners of the bag and cut a very tiny piece of the tip off of the bag.

Boom! You just made a piping bag!

Now, lay out your cookies. Use as many as you want. Take a little bit of chocolate from your fancy piping bag and put a small amount on the top of the Reese’s cup. Place the Reese’s cup upside down in the center of the cookie. Take your candy eyeballs and glue them onto the upside down Reese’s cup by using your melted chocolate. Place a small dot of chocolate on the back of the eyeball and then place on the side of the Reese’s cup.

Lastly, drizzle out the 4 legs with your chocolate on each side of the cookie! Let the cookies set and you will see the chocolate harden.

They really look like cute spiders, if there was such a thing lol

Mummy Rice Krispies

Rice crispy treats! I get chills up my spine just typing it!  I mean, you can't go wrong with this marshmallow favorite.  It's a beloved favorite for many adults and kids all around the world.  I am sure, once you serve this yummy snack, only crumbs will survive its demise.  

I thought a fun way to make this snack more festive and enjoyable, was to turn it into "Mummy Krispies!" 

Ingredients:

16 oz. container of Fluff (2 cups)

1/4 cup of butter - unsalted

5 cups of Rice Krispies cereal 

White chocolate candy melts

Candy eyeballs

Small Ziploc bag

8x11 parchment lined pan 

*If you do not have parchment paper you can line your pan with foil

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Then once the butter is melted, add all of the Fluff. Continuously stir the Fluff and butter until it is all melted together, then add the cereal. 

Once that is all mixed together, dump it all out onto your parchment or foil lined baking pan. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan and then press it down firmly.

Pop the pan in the fridge and let it cool for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Now that your treats are cooled, take them out of the pan by lifting your parchment paper or foil. Then cut them into squares. It is now time to melt our chocolate in a microwave safe container at 30-second increments. Once the chocolate is melted, place it in a small Ziploc bag. Push all the chocolate to one of the corners of the bag and cut a very small piece of the tip off the bag. 

Place a small amount of chocolate on the back of the candy eyeballs and place it onto your treat squares. I placed my eyes in the center, however you can get funky with this part and place the eyes however you would like. 

Now, take your chocolate and drizzle it back and forth like a zigzag, from the top to the bottom of the treat. Make sure you drizzle some chocolate around the eyes as well. Then place to the side and let it set for about 5 minutes until the chocolate has set. Then you are done!

These are the cutest treats and my family had so much fun making them.  The best part was, eating them. 

I used the treats as Halloween gifts for my son’s daycare. My Fiancé also took some to work and of course, I kept a stash for home.  

I hope you enjoy making these! 

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

[roreomarsh-blog]

reflections of you || r x s

TAGGED→ @roreomarshall & @sawycrffs

NOTES→ Under the cut are two unfinished paras between Rory and Sawyer from January that are now serving as flashbacks.

A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More “Touch Me.”

DATE/TIME→ Saturday, January 21st

LOCATION→ Room 214B, Brittany Hall (NYC)

NOTES→  The one with stolen xboxes, sophisticated forts and a whole lot of touching.

Rory crouched low on the balls of her feet, planting her hands firmly beneath the skewed bed frame before pulling. It wasn’t much of a struggle since the bedding in Brittany Hall consisted mostly of twin sizes, but the width of the room wasn’t exactly spacious, and it took some careful maneuvering before Rory could get the beds to give. Wood scraped against wood, and she managed to create a triangular space between the beds and the wall before falling back triumphantly. “Yes,” She breathed, resting on the palms of her hands. She reached for their pillows and lined them up against the point before snatching the fuzzy blue blanket nearby. She spread it out across the floor to sit on, and once she was satisfied with her work, she stood, glancing around to make sure everything was in place. If Eury were here, they’d pin a blanket above them to make a fort, but this was a sophisticated place; somewhere she hoped Sawyer would be comfortable in. Sure, the TV was sitting on the floor in front of the nightstands, but it was safer that way. (Trust her.) With the XBOX turned on, she retreated to her desk to grab the small bowls of fresh fruit and homemade trail mix she had prepared for the occasion. She’d just barely reached them over the side of her bed when she heard a knock at her door. “Go away, Reese! I didn’t steal your XBOX!” Looking back at the system, she contemplated throwing a towel over it. (She totally stole his XBOX.)

Sawyer stood outside the door, raising her hand to knock, but quickly shoved it back into her pocket. Things had been, for lack of better words, strange lately – even things between her and Rory seemed different. So much had happened in such a short amount of time and honestly, it was beginning to get to Sawyer. That was one of the reasons she offered up this get together, for whatever reason Rory never failed to take her mind off things, and she needed that right now. She needed something to keep her mind away from the fact that she now apparently had superpowers and all the information Dr. Hillard had thrown at them, information she was doing her best to forget. And what better way to distract herself than the blonde? Plus Sawyer figured she owed her with all the worrying Rory did over her get together with Griffin. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips at that thought, but the sound of something moving around in the dorm room caused her to chuckle. It sounded like someone was moving furniture; she could only guess what Rory and/or Eury were up to now. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand and knocked once. “It’s not Reese, but from your plans for today, I’m guessing you did steal his XBOX?” She yelled back, leaning against the wall next to the door as she waited for Rory to let her in.

Rory wrinkled her nose from behind the door, caught. “Hi, Sawyer,” she called back, running her fingers through her hair as she meandered over to the vent. Popping it open, she retrieved a couple of beers and shut it back up, making her way to the door and cracking it open. “Don’t rat me out,” she peaked out. “You’re an accomplice now.” Flashing her a bright smile, Rory opened the door wide for Sawyer to enter and shut it quietly behind her. “Watch this,” she prompted, her eyes lighting up with excitement. Using her t-shirt, she cracked the bottles open and raised them to her lips. She blew gently across the rims, her eyes trained on Sawyer as the bottles began to frost over, and she passed one to Sawyer. “Neat trick, right?” She chuckled to herself. After everything they’d learned from Professor Hillard, things were starting to make sense. If only it were her powers that scared her… “I’ve been practicing. I kind of had to so I’d stop breaking everything I touched,” she turned over a palm to reveal the aged knicks and scratches there. “Just like old times, huh?” she referred back to their very first meeting. “Except this was tragic. Aspen took my candles and filled my drawer with anger management pamphlets. Though I’m starting to think that last part was Eury,” she rambled, pondering the likelihood of Eury pulling a prank. When she stopped to take a breath, she seemed to realize what was happening and leaned up back against a desk to steady herself. Crossing her arms, she sucked in a breath hoping to regulate the rapid beating of her heart. “Hi,” she started over, unable to pull her eyes away. Sawyer was beautiful in every which way, and it relaxed her to know that she was here and away from Griffin for the time being. “I figured it was safer if we just started on the floor this time,” she laughed, motioning to her epic construction.

Sawyer chuckled a bit, hearing her name called out from the other side of the door. “Hi, Rory,” she greeted back, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to think about anything but melting the wall she was leaning against. She hadn’t figured her powers out all that much, but she could only hope that ‘ability’ was transferred through just her hands. Hearing the door open and Rory’s voice clearer, her green eyes popped open and she quickly slipped inside the room, forcing a smile. “I wasn’t going to, but you could’ve just borrowed mine rather than stealing your brother’s you know?” She grinned a bit more genuinely this time. Keeping her gaze on the blonde, Sawyer arched a brow at the display. That certainly explained why she had been feeling so cold since they came back from the island. “Better than mine,” she mumbled, looking down at the bottle in her hand with a small wince as if she expected it to dissolve as soon as she touched it. “That’s good.” Nodding, Sawyer took a sip of the drink and looked around the room. She had spent most of her time trying not to touch things rather than trying to practice. “What? Why did she or they do that? Does that have to do with the whole closet thing you were talking about?” She questioned, unable to hold back her laughter at the thought. As crazy as things had been it was kind of nice to hear something as silly and trivial as that. “Hi, I’m still in one piece as you can see.” She smiled over at Rory, her green eyes glinting in amusement. “Oh shut up, I wasn’t going to push you again. Unless you’re giving me alcohol to try and make me kiss you again, then maybe.” She added with a quiet snicker, rolling her eyes for good measure.

Rory ducked her chin and tried to catch Sawyer’s eye. She could tell that her powers were still bothering her, and it pained her to watch the silent struggle unfold. “I know what’ll cheer you up,” a mischievous grin crossed her face. She pulled open a desk drawer and reached inside to grab the small knife hidden there. Unwrapping her fingers, she held out the blade out for Sawyer to take. “It’s a little dinged up because I had to pull it out of the wall, but I found it for you.” Grinning sheepishly, Rory picked at the ribbon on her wrist. “You should’ve seen me too,” she continued. “It was just like the Sword and the Stone. Liam tried but,” she flexed a muscle. “I’m the one who came through. As for Eurydice,” her soft chuckles grew more nervous at the mention of the closet incident, and she continued quickly. “I’m sure I did something. Completely unrelated to the closet. That was a fluke,” she brushed off, feeling more and more certain that whatever this thing with Sawyer was, wasn’t. Their entire worlds had changed over the course of a few weeks. She didn’t need for that to change too. Not yet anyway. The thought alone was enough to fill her with apprehension, and she shuffled over to the beds, climbing swiftly on top. Blue eyes caught green, and it was enough to make her chest swell with indecipherable feeling. “Just the way I like you,” she didn’t push, knowing how difficult it must be to fear the sense of touch. “But we don’t have to drink. I just wanted to show you my trick,” she admitted. “We’ve for soda and juice boxes too,” setting her own beer down, she chuckled at the redundancy of it. “It doesn’t affect me anyway. Unfortunately for you,” she teased back. Hopping down from the bed, Rory looked at her through her lashes. “My drunk phone sexing days are over. Now come join me in my fort. It’s sophisticated and everything.”

Sawyer glanced over at Rory with a curious, somewhat suspicious gaze. “I’m fine,” she argued, despite being far from it. Watching the blonde, Sawyer’s eyes went wide as she reached for the familiar knife. Had it been just a normal knife Sawyer wouldn’t have put much thought into losing it, but it had been a birthday present from her grandmother, therefore it held a lot of sentiment to her. Setting it down, she pulled Rory into a tight hug, forgetting her worries about touching for the moment. “Thank you,” Sawyer murmured into her shoulder before pulling away after a moment. “Where did you? It was in a wall? Oh shit, I bet I threw it at that Devon. Nice going, Sawyer…” She mumbled to herself, running a hand over her face. The way Dr. Hillard talked it sounded like this man was insane and she threw a knife at him. Trying to push her freak out away, she nodded along as she listened, not fully buying the words but not questioning them either. Her free hand was shoved back into her pocket and a small smile tugged at her lips at Rory’s display, the blonde was so much more of a free spirit than she was, it was nice to see some carefree. Honestly, she wanted nothing more than to sit next to Rory, but thought perhaps it wasn’t the best idea. For one she could hurt her, and the other, she didn’t fully trust herself to not act impulsively. So she continued standing, for the time being. “Show off,” she grinned, taking another sip of her drink. “I can handle one. But wait what? What do you mean it doesn’t affect you?” Her head tilted in confusion at the words. Sawyer swallowed hard at both Rory’s words and the way she was looking at her. Chewing on her bottom lip, she then took another long drink, and finally sat down on the bed. “You’re the one always wanting to kiss me anyways,” she pointed out, a smug smirk growing on her lips.

Rory tried to swallow the swelling of her chest, but it was of no use. Warmth and affection spread throughout her from even the smallest of touches, let alone a full blown hug. Rory shrugged, slowly, as if the retrieval were no big deal. “Does that mean I’m forgiven for going off without you?” she pressed, revealing a toothy grin in the process. “I knew you were pretty bummed when you lost it, and I didn’t want you to be,” she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and took a seat, positioning herself against the fold. “Don’t beat yourself up though. We might be the power rangers,” she emphasized, the words feeling foreign and unrealistic in her mouth, “but we still don’t know what happened. You could’ve saved your life. Or Griffin’s. Maybe even mine,” she chuckled at that. “I think it’s brave. You’re brave,” she smirked up at her. Rory caught herself staring a bit longer than intended, and she blinked, looking away. “Not that that’s surprising,” she added with a soft chuckle. “Even when the world was ending, you stepped up first.” Unable to kill the sparkle in her eyes, she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ears and glanced back up. Her eyes were always so drawn to her, and it drove Rory crazy. Patting the spot next to her, she found it a little strange that Sawyer hadn’t joined her yet. Her stomach twisted at the thought of saying too much, but she kept a straight face, unwilling to grow visibly flustered by the woman. “I do believe I was promised cuddles,” she looked up expectantly. “Make good on that, and I’ll even let you pick. What’s it gonna be? TV or video games?”

Sawyer fought back an eye roll, that was beside the point completely. “I wasn’t upset because you went without me, Rory. I was upset because it was dangerous and something could have happened to you. Just like you were worried about me meeting up with Griffin. It isn’t really any different, other than you thinking I was going on a date.” She grumbled with a small shrug of her shoulders. Pushing the thought aside, she gave her a small smile. “Yeah, my grandma gave it to me so it kinda means a lot to me. Thank you,” Sawyer repeated once more. “He still wouldn’t mention Devone, so I’m still as in the dark about all that as I was. He just threw a whole other thing at me,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “Thanks, though.” Trying to keep her smile from growing, Sawyer scoffed. “You’re being dramatic. It wasn’t that big of a deal, someone had to do it, because the rest of you were freaking out and/or telling Dr. Hillard off. I mean I don’t like it either, but the way I see it, it happened and we can’t change it. Better to just accept it, move on, and try to find a reasonable solution.” If nothing else this would provide her with plenty of things to study in the scientific field. Sawyer clinched her jaw and scooted over a bit once she sat next to the blonde. “Rory I – I’m not so sure that’s a good idea anymore. I don’t want to hurt you,” she admitted quietly.

Rory averted her eyes, picking at her nails in her lap. She was hoping Sawyer would overlook that part, but alas, no such luck. As much as she hated disappointing people, the confirmation that Sawyer cared so much made her heart soar. Pressing her lips together, Rory turned to face her once more. “So I’m a hypocrite!” she admitted, grimacing through her smile. “Still like me?” She raised her arms in a hopeful shrug. Smoothing out her face, she dropped them to her sides. “Of course,” Rory accepted. “I want to say that I wouldn’t do it again if I had the choice, but I would.” She pointed to her own grin as a sign of example, and her eyes dropped timidly to the floor. “It’s that smile. It kills me,” she confessed. At the mention of Griffin, however, she rolled her head back in mild exasperation. “He just wants to mess with you,” she shook her head. “I stupidly asked him not to, and being the giant douchenozzle he is,” she waved an arm as a way of finishing the sentence. Crossing her arms, Rory’s mouth dropped open. “I’m so not dramatic,” she refuted. “I’m honest. You stepped up, Sawyer McClintock. And it was hot! Don’t take it back now,” she challenged. Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but chuckle at her reasonings. “You’re such a nerd. I bet you’re dying to cut one of us open to study our brand new mutant DNA. I’ll tell you what. If my blood turns blue, I promise you can have the first vial,” she smirked. Sawyer inched closer, and Rory tilted her head at her reasoning. Her immediate reaction was to just take her hand and prove her point, but Rory hesitated, stopping her hand inches above Sawyer’s instead. Catching her eyes, she asked, “Can I?” Rory waited for an answer, sincerity shining through her eyes and she inhaled deeply. “I know you could,“ She started. "But I also know you won’t. I trust you.”

Sawyer: “I’m not upset,” she repeated softly as Rory looked away and picked at her nails. She only worried because she cared, she could admit that much now. “Well, at least you admit it,” Sawyer chuckled. She had grown up with enough people who refused to admit such things. Needless to say she didn’t want to surround herself with that in New York, she had enough of it at home. “Hmm, I suppose.” Her tone was light and laced with amusement. “I’d be one too if I said no,” she added, shrugging. “I know you would, which is worrisome, but I can’t really do anything about it.” That was something Sawyer had started to accept as well, her lack of control around Rory. For whatever reason, that just went out the window when it came to the blonde. “What smile?” She asked, her head tilting in confusion. “I hope so, I don’t want to think about the alternative.” If Griffin had been telling the truth she knew it would just bring more problems, for all of them. “So you think he’s messing with me to get to you? Interesting.” She mused, pursing her lips for a moment. Arching a brow, Sawyer grinned. “Right, and I’m not competitive. But sure, whatever you say.” She conceded, rolling her eyes. “I’m not! Okay, maybe Bianca but you know, I have reasons. Hey, some animals have blue blood, it isn’t that far stretched.” Sawyer knew her argument made no real sense, but it didn’t stop her from making it. Watching Rory as she seemed to internally debate with herself, Sawyer nodded. She still didn’t think this was a good idea, but she didn’t like the idea of never being able to touch anyone, especially Rory. Nodding one more time, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing to keep herself calm.

Rory never took her eyes off of Sawyer. Her hands lingered, steady, for just a moment longer as she searched for any indication of hesitancy or regret. “Tell me if you change your mind… I’ll stop,” she promised in a soft, but calming, voice. The last thing she wanted to do was push Sawyer too far. As confident as she was, Rory didn’t know what it was like to have the brink of destruction at her fingertips, and she understood that. Sawyer was scared and rightfully so, but Rory knew in her heart that she would never hurt her. Slowly, she lowered her hands until the pads of her fingers rested gently atop the back of Sawyer’s hands. She trailed her fingers against her skin, her touches smooth and light as she gave her time to adjust. Her palm slipped beneath her hand and she held it firmly while running a thumb across her fingers. And still, her eyes never left her. “See?” A fond grin crossed her face, and Rory became suddenly aware of how quick her heart was beating. She slipped her hand to Sawyer’s wrist and brought the palm of her hand to rest on her cheek. Leaning into it, she sighed. “Still breathing.”

Standing Still.

DATE/TIME→ January 30th, 2017

LOCATION→ Room 214B, Brittany Hall (NYC)

NOTES→  The one where everything is cute and then Rory tells Sawyer the truth about Syria.

Sawyer snuck back into Rory’s dorm, hoping she wouldn’t wake the blonde, just in case she was still sleeping. Balancing two coffees and a McDonald’s bag, she smiled softly at the sight of the still sleeping blonde. Sawyer had no idea what had gone on the night before during Rory’s meeting with Syria, although, it was quite clear the younger girl had been crying. Sawyer had noticed that even before noticing just how exhausted Rory looked. And as curious as Sawyer had been, she knew Rory needed sleep more than anything, she could always get answers later. That’s why she stayed in bed with her, choosing to skip her morning classes, knowing she didn’t have the heart to wake her up when she so obviously needed the rest. But she did still slip out for a quick run. Setting the coffees and bag of food aside, she sat on the edge of Rory’s bed and gently ran her fingers through blonde locks, lightly pushing the hair away from Rory’s face. “Rory, wakey wakey,” she whispered, continuing to run her fingers through her golden hair. “We’ve already missed classes; you need to get up before your coffee and food gets cold.” She added, giving her a quick peck on the lips before grabbing one of the coffees. “Here’s your Starbucks’ cappuccino, since you don’t know how to use Google Maps.” Sawyer teased, a slight smirk tugging at her lips as she held out the drink.

Rory stirred, bathing in the sunlight as it peaked through the curtains and set the room aglow. She felt herself being urged gently awake, but her eyelids were stubborn and heavy, and her mind fought to keep up. Instead, Rory relaxed into the touch, the soft combing sensation spreading a much needed comfort throughout her. The smell of greasy hash browns and breakfast sandwiches reached her nose, and a lazy grin made it’s way to her face as last nights events came back to her. “Mmmm,” she groaned, her voice thick and groggy with sleep. Her lips tingled from where Sawyer had met them just moments ago, and she almost wished it could happen again — when she was more alert — to fully enjoy it. “I should’ve known you were the love ‘em and leave em type,” she joked. Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked, wrestling the sleep from her eyes. She squinted through the light as Sawyer came into view. “Hi,” she grinned, looking up at her softly. She was grateful for more than she could possibly convey. It took a moment to find the motivation, but slowly, Rory scooted herself over so that she could, at least, prop herself up on an elbow and accept her beverage. Her bones felt stiff and uncooperative, but regardless, she sat up. “That’s because Google Maps is confusing,” she argued. “Turn left, she says two minutes too late. By then I’m halfway between streets and does she mean my left or her left? It’s a mess,” She sipped at her coffee, eyes fixed on Sawyer. The hot beverage slipped down her throat, spreading a warmth Rory wasn’t sure it was responsible for. “Besides, who needs a map when I can get lost in your eyes?” Rory countered, chuckling into her cup. She set it aside and opened her arms. “C’mere.”

Sawyer continued to watch Rory as she played with her hair. Sawyer always found her beautiful, breathtaking even, but seeing her like this was like seeing another side of her. She looked so peaceful and different than how she looked after her meeting with Syria the night before. Seeing her like that had scared Sawyer, she had never seen Rory look so tired and well, broken. So seeing her smile again was beyond refreshing. “Definitely,” she grinned, watching Rory as she slowly woke up and became aware of her surroundings. “That’s why I left to get you food and coffee,” she scoffed lightheartedly with a quick quirk of an eyebrow. “Hi,” Sawyer smiled back, shoving her hands into her pockets once Rory took the drink from her. The brunette wanted to crawl back into the warm, safe haven she fell asleep in the night before, but kept her distance for the time being. She was already questioning why she had just kissed Rory. “Confusing? It’s beyond simple,” she chuckled, shaking her head a bit. “Your left. Computers don’t have left or rights, Rory. Do you have a hard time with Siri as well?” Sawyer inquired, laughing a little harder at the blonde’s words. As someone who had a terrible sense of direction she relied on the app far more than she cared to admit, but she knew it had its faults. “Glad to see you’re back to normal.” She smiled, rolling her eyes at the younger girl. “Bossy,” Sawyer mumbled, kicking her shoes off, she crawled back into bed with Rory and snuggled up against her to try and get warm – which was of course in vain. “You feeling better today?”

Rory felt strange; like she was at peace somehow even after everything that had happened last night. Waking up to the sound of her voice and the feel of her touch felt oddly domesticated and it scared her that it didn’t scare her. This girl was rapidly breaking down every barrier that she had ever built, and the fact that she wasn’t even trying made it all that much worse. Growing more alert by the second, Rory’s arm shot across the nightstand to cover the top part of her cell phone. “Now that’s just rude,” she scolded before adding in a hushed voice, “You’ll hurt her feelings.” Sawyer’s laugh was infectious, however, and she couldn’t keep the straight face. Leaning back, she looked pointedly at her phone. “Siri’s just a bitch,” she chuckled, waiting for Sawyer to join her on the bed. Once she had, Rory wrapped her arms around her instinctively and pulled them back so she laid flat while Sawyer laid partially on top of her. “Much, thank you,” she reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She paused, basking in the sheer beauty that was Sawyer McClintock and dropping her hand to her waist. At what point she began rubbing soft lines into her back, Rory couldn’t tell you, but she knew it felt right. “And thank you for the food. You didn’t have to do that, especially after I…” her eyes dropped, and she swallowed as the guilt sank in. The way she had talked to Sawyer was completely uncalled for, and no excuse in the book could make up for that. Her heart broke a little more as she realized this was exactly why she couldn’t have her. Her hand paused its ministrations, and she exhaled deeply. “I’m sorry,” she started. She was beginning to regret the position that she had put them in and tried to pull away, backing into the wall as much as she could. She looked at Sawyer then, desperately trying to convey the things she couldn’t say. “I was mean and rude, and I should have never spoken to you like that. That’s not how you speak to people you care about, but I did, and I’m sorry.” She ran a hand through her messy hair and paused. “That’s not who I am,” she spoke, earnestly. She lifted a finger to trace patterns into the back of Sawyer’s hand. “And that’s not who I want to be, no matter how bad things get. I just want you to know that.”

Sawyer scoffed at Rory, fighting back another eye roll. “You’ve clearly watched Her way too many times,” she chuckled. “They don’t have feelings,” she insisted, still laughing softly. Sawyer had started to get used to the many ridiculous things that left Rory’s mouth, but they still managed to make her smile and/or laugh. “Oh, now who’s being rude?” She teased, poking Rory’s nose with her index finger as she looked down at her. Had it been anyone else, Sawyer would’ve pulled away without a second thought. This wasn’t a situation she would normally get herself in, not with another girl. Yet she couldn’t shake how right it felt, and as Rory rubbed her back, her eyes fluttered closed. “It’s not a big deal, but you’re welcome. I was hungry so I was going to grab something anyways.” She mumbled, giving a small shrug, but her eyes slowly popped open. “For what?” Sawyer asked, tilting her head in confusion. As far as she could remember Rory hadn’t done anything to her. A quiet groan escaped her lips as the blonde started moving, disrupting her previous source of comfort. “Where are you going? I was comfy.” She pouted before rolling onto her back with a sigh at Rory’s words. “You were beyond exhausted, Rory, why do you think I kept telling you to get some sleep? Our bodies betray us when we’re tired, it’s simple science. You kind of were, but I wasn’t upset with you, it’s okay.” Sawyer tried to reassure her, the only thing that had upset her was the talk of her ex. “I was more worried about you than anything.” Sitting up, she gently grabbed Rory’s face, rubbing her cheeks with her thumbs. “I know exactly who you are. You’re an amazing friend and sister. You’re someone that will never give up on someone you care about, despite what they put you through. You’re a huge weirdo, who never fails to make others smile or laugh, me included. You’re a girl that pushes happiness away out of fear, even though you deserve happiness more than anyone. You’re the girl that drives me insane, but I wouldn’t change that for anything. You’re the only person I’ve ever felt comfortable enough to be myself with. You’re the reason I’m trying to be a better person. You’re the reason I even give a damn about any of this ranger stuff. You’re flawed, but you never stop trying, and that’s beyond admirable.” Taking a deep breath, Sawyer let her hands drop and chewed on her lip. “You have no idea how much you’ve helped me. I don’t think I could think bad things about you even if I tried, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Rory kept her eyes trained on Sawyer, smirking fondly from her spot on the bed. “Well if that’s true, then why do I have to watch her?” she countered, a playful glimmer in her eye. She loved seeing her like this. Open.  Free . It wasn’t a side that Sawyer showed often, and Rory caught herself wondering if it were somehow reserved just for her. Maybe she was deluding herself, but the fact that Sawyer felt comfortable enough to allow her these glimpses at all made her heart swell. Every day, she drove her wild, and Rory had never felt more out of control in her life. Sawyer poked her nose, and she scrunched up her face, somewhat thankful for the distraction. She relaxed into the weight of Sawyer’s body and found herself pinned to the bed. The close approximation caused her heart to flutter in the most inconvenient ways, but she was powerless to stop it, and when Sawyer’s eyes fell shut, Rory decided she never wanted to be anywhere else. For a moment in time, she forgot what she was so scared of. Her body quivered beneath her, shuttering at her touch. A finger trailed up and down the underside of Sawyer’s bicep, and she felt vulnerable. Exposed.  It was just breakfast! , she snapped, mentally scolding herself at the lax in judgment. Her jaw clenched tight, she bit her tongue to keep herself from making it into anything more than what it was. The previous night came flooding back to her and then she was moving, creating some much needed distance between them. Both ashamed and disappointed in herself, Rory didn’t know what to do. Sawyer was looking at her with such genuine sincerity… she wanted to bolt. Every nerve in her body tingled and danced across her skin, telling her get out while she still could, but she was falling, falling, falling. And it was dangerous. Somewhere along the way, she had tiptoed across the line, blindfolded and venturing into uncharted territory. There was no going back now. She remained anchored to this treacherous ground, completely taken aback by Sawyer’s kind words. Her eyes prickled with tears as she opened and closed her mouth, words betraying her as warm, gentle, hands caressed her sun-kissed cheeks, and affection rushed through her like a hurricane. The walls fell, and she urged forward, closing the gap between them, but their lips did not quite meet. Instead, she lingered, nose brushing softly against Sawyer’s, and she wished for nothing more than to express her gratitude the only way she knew how. Rory’s breathing grew ragged, and her eyes flickered down to her pouty lips. She could barely contain herself. “I know I shouldn’t,” she resisted, the struggle written clearly across her face. Her mouth hung open, breathing hotly and hovering so close now that she could feel her warm breath mingling together with own. She closed her eyes to hide the way they had darkened and rested her forehead against her. Overwhelmed with desire, she lifted a hand to hold her wrist, grounding her as a tear slipped down her face. “But I really want to kiss you.”

Sawyer paused, “I-” staring back at the speechless blonde, Sawyer wondered if she had taken things too far. If she had pushed Rory too far. The words tumbled from her lips before she could stop them, and even if they were nothing but the truth, she didn’t know how Rory would react to them. Chewing on her bottom lip, Sawyer averted her eyes briefly when she saw the tears in her blue eyes. Even if they were most likely happy tears, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. She wanted to make her feel better, not make her cry. The feel of Rory’s nose brushing against hers made Sawyer look back up, her breath hitching at their close proximity. Letting her hand slide into blonde locks, the corners of her lips tugged upwards. Sawyer didn’t miss the look in Rory’s eyes, it was quite clear that she was struggling just as much. She also knew they shouldn’t, but that didn’t help curb her desires any. For once, deciding to just feel rather than think, she closed her eyes and brushed her lips against Rory’s. “Then kiss me, Rory.” Sawyer husked, running her fingers through the blonde’s hair. “Please.”

Rory released a shaky breath, their lips grazing in a touch so soft and tender that she had barely felt them at all. It left her starving and thirsty for more. Heart racing in anticipation, her eyes darted to Sawyer’s, and she pulled back to see her more clearly. As badly as she wanted this, she cared too much to push her into things she wasn’t ready for. The air thickened between them and Rory trailed her thumb against her wrist, attempting to both comfort her and ease her struggle. Her stomach lurched, and her eyes flickered back down to her lips. It felt like she was in the sixth grade all over again. They were both obviously outside of their comfort zones, and because of that, Rory needed the extra confirmation. She needed to know that everything was still okay; that she was okay, and once she had it, there was no turning back. Her eyes fluttered closed, and Rory leaned back in. “Last chance to change your mind,” she all but whispered, breath hot against Sawyer’s lips. She waited just a moment before closing in, capturing her lips with her own and pouring all the words she couldn’t say into a delicate kiss. From the moment their lips touched, Rory was glad she was sitting down for she felt herself growing weak from the sensation. Sawyer’s lips were soft and smooth against her own; her mouth warm and intoxicating. For a moment, she forgot where she was entirely. Sucking at Sawyer’s bottom lip, she tugged at it softly. She ran her tongue along it’s edge and requested access, but before it could be granted, she pulled away as the familiar urge of want and desire began to stir in the pit of her stomach. Her head hung low, Rory kept her eyes closed while she tried to catch her breath. “How do you do that?” she wondered. When she looked up her eyes were dark and hooded, filled with a mixture of both lust and awe. “You always…” she started. The frustration kicked in and she frowned. “You make me want to be brave… but there’s something I have to tell you.”