#she is my beautiful brainless daughter and i need everyone to see her

[spiria]

this is now a certified don quixote moment!!!

[janetbrown711]

Princess Angelina II was never fond of being told what to do.

Ever since she was a little girl, she loved being defiant. However, her parents were strict and had their ways of forcing her to do things anyway, so she adapted. If her parents wanted her to study? Fine, then she would read every book in the library and become far more intelligent than most of her teachers and would “smart ass” them constantly. Of course, her parents disapproved, but Angelina knew they technically couldn’t punish her this way, as she was doing what they asked after all. Still, she was aware that she was treading on thin ice, but she continued anyway, as it felt like the only thing keeping her sane. 

It was this mentality she carried with her during her least favorite activity of all: 

Meeting Suitors. 

The moment Angelina turned 16, her mother began arranging meeting after meeting with different princes and noblemen, all of which she hated. They were always so prideful and stuffy, they never had a sense of joy or humor in them. So, as was natural for her, she never refused to see them, but while they talked she’d always attack their pride and make sure they never wanted to see her again. She had hoped her actions would’ve given her a reputation as an “ineligible princess” but alas, rumors of her beauty and singing kept them coming. 

And so today Angelina found herself preparing yet again to meet with another boring suitor, this time a prince who was soon coming of age and was to rule the neighboring kingdom fo Ticktockia. Angelina spent several weeks reading up on the history of the country, as well as learning their customs, and knew she was ready by the time he arrived. 

“I don’t want you to play any funny games this time, Angelina. Ticktockia is a very important ally, and I don’t want you embarrassing my good name,” her mother, Queen Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca I, was quick to remind her right before the doors of the throne room were to open. Angelina wanted to roll her eyes, but didn’t have the energy or the time, as the doors were opened, and the prince entered. 

The prince of Ticktockia was a human, which she had expected. He was a particularly... interesting piece of work. He was growing a mustache, but he was very bad at it, and so it looked wispy and gross. his fashion sense was something else entirely, and he wore a giant clock on his chest, which Angelina recalled as the symbol of Ticktockia (as it was the meaning behind their name). 

“Hello,” He greeted her, but didn’t bow. Angelina rolled her eyes internally and curtsied. 

“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” She said. He only nodded in response. 

This was gonna be fun.

“Well, off you two go then,” Angelina the First waved the pair off, and Salazar held his arm out and Angelina took it, and they went off into the halls of the castle. 

“So... Prince... Salad bar is it?” Angelina asked. 

“Salazar,” He corrected, snappy. Angelina smirked. 

“Right, right, right, my apologies,” She said. “So... where are you from again?”

“Ticktockia, one of Warnerstock’s most important allies..? Surely you’ve heard of us,” He said, annoyed. 

“Not really, no,” She shrugged, removing her arm from his. 

“Oh please, we’ve made all of your clocks,” He pointed out. 

“Oh, those old things? They break every other week, we honestly should replace them all,” She lamented, internally pleased when she saw his anger rise and saw him desperately try to hide it. 

“Well then,” he huffed. “Perhaps I shouldn’t blame you, you are just a woman after all. I shouldn’t expect you to know the history of such an important country.” 

Oh he did not. 

“I can assure you Salazar, I know more of Ticktockia’s history than you do,” she warned. He smirked. 

“Sure you do,” He said. 

“Who was the 17th king?” She quizzed. Salazar paused to think. 

“King... Edmund?” He asked. Angelina shook her head. 

“King Raymond the Beloved. He helped create an era of peace in the land and helped create new trade routes for kingdoms all across the lands,” Angelina said. 

“Everyone knows King Raymond. I was simply... pretending not to know,” He so obviously lied. 

“Alright... who was the 20th king?” She asked. Salazar thought once more, stroking his gross wispy mustache. 

“Easy, King Walter,” He lifted his chin in the air. 

“Wrong. It’s your father, King Jonathan,” She said with a condescending smile. Salazar glared at her. 

“Well I never,” He huffed and crossed his arms. 

“Never what? Studied anything in your life? Because that’s something I’d believe. I mean, come on, who doesn’t know their own father?” She snorted. Salazar looked at her with disgust. 

“You are very unladylike,” He said. 

“It’s an art,” She replied.  

“Mhm,” He mumbled, continuing their walk through the castle once more. 

“So.. tell me... what about your kingdom do you know?” She asked. 

“We’re the number one supplier of clocks in the world,” He stated. 

“Right, but other kingdoms are coming up close behind, so I’d keep a close eye on that if I were you,” Angelina pointed out. 

“Ridiculous,” He scoffed. 

“Oh, but it really isn’t. Your methods are old and outdated and so people from the outside have worked on improving your old designs and they’re only becoming better and better,” Angelina said nonchalantly. Salazar’s eye twitched. 

“You know, this really isn’t the way you should talk to your betrothed,” He snarled. 

“Betrothed? What on earth makes you think we’re betrothed?” Angelina jumped in surprise. 

“I was invited here, no?” He eyed her up and down. “I was promised a bride, and seeing as you’re the prettiest one around and I was invited, we’re betrothed,” he said, placing a hand on her waist, to which she then jumped back and away. 

“Hate to break it to you, dimwit, but that’s not how this works.” She outright glared at him. 

“Oh please, there’s no sense in fighting it,” He rolled his eyes. “I want you, and so you’re going to be mine. Nobody says no to me.”

“Oh I’m sure they do, you probably just ignore it or are too much of a moron to see it,” She spat. 

“I am not a moron.” He raised his voice, but Angelina wasn’t frightened. 

“Sure. And my name isn’t actually Angelina,” She rolled her eyes. “Get real, you know almost nothing about your own kingdom’s history, and I’m sure if I wanted to bore myself further I’d discover you know nothing of Warnerstock, and it’s very apparent you haven’t a single clue of manners or decency in front of a princess.” 

“I. Am. Not. A. Moron,” He clenched his fist. 

“Oh please! If I were to look up the word ‘moron’ in the dictionary, it would have a picture of you. I mean- assuming you’re betrothed to me just because my mother invited you here? My mother may hate my guts, but she’d never do that,” Angelina smirked.

“I can have anything I want, just watch me,” He growled, stepping towards her, and Angelina realized just how much taller he was than her. 

“You’re nothing more than an arrogant, stupid, brainless, spoiled baby that hasn’t heard ‘no’ nearly enough in his life,” She defied him, and he raised his hand and struck her across the face so hard, she fell to the floor with a loud thud. 

Angelina laid on the ground a moment, realizing what just happened, feeling the sting and burn in her cheek. Slowly, she sat herself up. 

“You hit me,” She looked up at him. He dusted off his hand. 

“You’re truly a disgusting creature, Angelina.” he scowled. “I showed you nothing but decency, and you lash out like the vicious animal you are.”

Not even wanting to dignify his bullshit, she instead called for the royal guards. Salazar’s eyes widened as four guards came into the room from their posts, and upon seeing their princess on the floor with a newfound bruise and the neighbor prince red in the face with anger, they were quick to separate the two. 

“I won’t forget about this Angelina. I’ll be back, and I’ll make sure to give you hell once I’m in charge,” He declared for all to hear as he was escorted out. Angelina shuddered as she was helped up by one of the guards. 

“You alright, Princess?” He asked. 

“I’m fine,” She said, not wanting to get into it. 

Despite the stinging in her cheek, she had done what she had to. 

“Just take me to my mother, I’m sure she’ll be delighted to hear about this,” Angelina sighed. The guards nodded and she was escorted to her mother’s private study. She knocked on it once before entering. 

“Angelina, why am I not surprised?” Her mother didn’t look up from her paperwork, shaking her head. “What happened?”

“He had to leave early,” Angelina said. 

“He just barely arrived,” The queen remarked, before looking up at her daughter’s face and frowning. 

“Angelina, what did I tell you? I told you you had to be on your best behavior and you deliberately disobeyed me,” She set down her work. 

“Well gee, I’m sorry alright?” She rolled her eyes. 

“You and I both know that isn’t true. Honestly Angelina, why do you feel the need to sully the kingdom’s good name like this?” Angelina the First rubbed her forehead and stood. 

“Because it’s dumb. All of this is. The suitors, the manners, It’s just so dumb,” She complained. 

“Angelina, I’m not having this conversation again,” The queen stated. “These rules and rituals are tradition. You don’t have a choice. One day you will marry a suitor I picked out for you, whether it makes you happy or not.”

“I’d sooner die,” Angelina glared. 

“If you had any sense in you, you’d learn to bite your tongue, Angelina. Or do you want to be hit a second time today?” The queen raised her hand with her wedding ring on it and Angelina flinched. The queen smirked a little. 

“That’s what I thought,” She said, before sighing and returning to her paperwork. 

“We’ll have to reschedule the other suitors I had planned to visit this month until that bruise heals. We can’t have rumors spread,” She said, writing something down. If she had been feeling better, Angelina would’ve smiled. Her mother went silent a long moment, the only noise being the scratch of her quill touching the paper. Eventually her mother looked up at her, with an expression that looked like a mix of disgust, tiredness, and annoyance. 

“You can go now,” She said. Angelina curtsied for her mother, and then left.

For a while, Angelina found herself wandering the halls of the castle as she rubbed her bruise lightly. She knew she had done what she had to, but she still felt dazed. Perhaps it was from hitting her head, but she felt... odd. Light headed was the best term she could think to describe it. 

It wasn’t too long before Angelina noticed that she had wandered into the garden. That was good. The flowers and fountains did a lot to clear her mind on days like these. Eventually, she made her way to the middle, and sat down on the bench and watched fountain and birds that stopped to bathe in it. She couldn’t be sure of what she was feeling, but whatever it was, it was a lot.  

After awhile of just sitting there, a familiar voice called out, and Angelina looked up and felt herself revive a little. 

“Angelina! There you are,” William smiled and ran to sit down next to her. 

“Hi,” She smiled and scooted over so there was room. 

“How was your- oh my... what happened?” William gasped, referring to the bruise. 

“O-oh it was nothing, really,” Angelina brushed it off. 

“You’re hurt Lena,” He frowned with concern. Angelina took in a deep breath and sighed. 

“A suitor visited today- Prince Salazar of Ticktockia. I pushed things a little too far this time and well... he got pretty mad. And now my mother is pissed that I managed to make one of our strongest allies hate my guts,” Angelina chuckled sadly. 

“Lena... I’m so sorry. That’s terrible,” William said, his eyes watering. Angelina didn’t know how to respond. 

“William- I’m okay. Really. I’m used to it,” She tried to laugh it off. 

“You’re used to it?” His concern only grew and Angelina bit her words. 

“I-i mean...” She sighed. “You know my mother by now. I’m used to this.”

“Lena, I’m so sorry. Nobody should ever, ever hit you, especially your own mother,” William said. 

“Thank you William,” She smiled tiredly at him. 

“Lena, I swear to you, so long as I live, I’ll never let anyone hurt you like this ever again,” He held her hand and kneeled on the ground. 

“W-william, I-i don’t know what to say,” She sniffled, and realized her own eyes were starting to fill with tears. Quickly, she wiped them away. William then stood and pulled her into a tight and loving embrace. At first, Angelina was hesitant, but she chose to embrace it, and she hugged him back, and found herself quickly sobbing into his shoulder. 

“It’s okay Lena, I’m here. It’s okay. I won’t let anyone hurt you anymore,” he promised, and Angelina believed him. She felt safe in his arms, and never ever wanted to let go. She wanted to stay with him forever, safe and happy and secure. She knew he’d never hurt her, ever. 

She loved him. 

Princess Angelina the Second was in love with William. 

She smiled a little and embraced him even more. 

No matter what her mother tried to do or who she tried to set her up with, Angelina knew she was in love with William, and nothing was ever going to change that. 

[eolewyn1010]

3 seasons of Charité - upsides and downsides

Includes spoilers for all three seasons!

What I like about Charité, season 1:

- Ida is a relatable and stubborn woman, and while I think the protagonists of the newer two seasons are written better and more interestingly, she makes for a good central character

- Behring is great to watch, complex, enthusiastic, arrogant, passionate, desperately forlorn, sweetly encouraging, irascible, honest, and I’m always torn between loving and hating him with all my heart

- he also stands in for how badly society was suited to handle people with psychological issues back in the day

-  actually, none of the characters are simple or one-sided; expectations are often subverted – Behring is not heartless, but he can’t just be “saved” either, neither Koch nor Virchow are as benign as they seem at first, Tischendorf is not the sweet young Prince Charming who’ll give Ida the dream life she deserves, Hedwig is not a brainless little floozie with no deeper thoughts or feelings, neither Therese nor Martha are all the strict boss ladies they want to be, Edith is not just a snotty bitch etc.

- medical history of that time, a blunt look on methods and circumstances

- the rivalry between the doctors; it’s fun to watch them passive-aggressively piss on each other

- the staging of the Tuberculin scandal was really effective, with all the hyping, the downfall and the consequences

- we get sweethearts! Stine is a sweetheart, Else is a sweetheart, Therese is a sweetheart, Dr. Kitasato is a sweetheart, and most of all Dr. Ehrlich. I like kind people, ok? Especially in a setting where so many people are asses

- the music is atmospheric and quite nice

- despite two options of marriage, the female protagonist remains single and gets to focus on her career, even in a time and setting that’s not supportive

- I’m having a blast with Minckwitz – he’s such a bitch, I love it

What I hate:

- the lesbian dies for no good reason

- did our main character really have to be a tragic, left-all-alone orphan in debts? Would you like some cheese with that whine?

- the big, hammy speeches get on my nerves after a while

- my sweet lesbian Therese dies, awfully, of frickin’ tuberculosis

- say what you will, Ida and Behring could have made it work; I think they would have been good for each other. Kinda disappointed

- Else Spinola deserved better

- poor Therese dies, thinking that God punishes her for being in love with Ida

- those weird slo-mo shots between scenes don’t serve any purpose

- what’s with the random fortuneteller scene? What was that good for?

- THERESE DIES! We go with f***king Bury Your Gays??? F*** YOU!

_________________________________

What I like about Charité, season 2:

- Anni and Dr. Sauerbruch – different than with Ida, we get two focal characters who aren’t presented as doubtlessly morally good. On the contrary, Anni starts out as quite the happy-go-lucky little Nazi follower – and then we get all the character development; hell yeah!

- Anni chooses to keep and raise her disabled baby herself, come hell or high water; damn, she fights for that kid. And Martin is positive disabled representation, too – thanks for giving me a handicapped veteran who’s not a bitter, drunk wreck just whining about what a cripple he is! He’s got a grip on his life, and the leg only ever comes up on three occasions; it doesn’t define him

- Otto, Martin, Doc Jung, Margot, Maria Fritsch and Kolbe are more clearly positive characters, but they aren’t one-sided, either – like, Otto plays that bright sunshine, but there’s so much seething in him. My sweet baby boy

- same for the negative characters, because they aren’t flat either; Artur, de Crinis and Christel are super interesting, all different levels between quiet, only semi-aware compliance and full-on, not-so-blind fanaticism. Gawd, those shitheads, but they’re fascinating to watch

- all them relationships – Margot-Ferdinand, Otto-Martin, Otto-Anni, Artur-Anni, Margot-Doc Jung, Ferdinand-Doc Jung, Anni-de Crinis, Bessau-Artur, Martin-Christel, Otto-Christel, Anni-Martin… there are so many interplays, so many dynamics that influence each other! SO many layers!

- the acting is better, I think; the characters altogether feel less wooden, much more human than the first time around – perhaps because it’s not 19th century manners anymore now, I dunno; I’m getting really emotional over shit, and I love it

- incorporation of the political and social situation into the hospital setting – much more than in the first season, the state ideology influences the way the doctors can do their work, and many of them do their best to still hold onto their duty when everything around them falls apart, which is beautiful

- power struggles between the characters in charge and ideological / political nuances are more subtle; nothing is black and white

- but there’s nothing subtle about the presentation of Nazi crimes and how many people actually just went along willingly – that cold bluntness is just what that subject needs

- interactions with patients are better this time; they’re more now than passive, pitiable creatures who quietly die their way, they’re characters with their own minds and drives (Lohmann, Magda Goebbels, Hans von Dohnanyi, even Emil)

- the music is even better than the first time around, I love it – so gentle most of the time, but it can also really help to build the tension

- we get a very sweet, functioning queer romance between characters who consist of more than “well, they’re gay and it troubles them”, and they both live – THANK YOU for learning your lesson; there was no good reason to have the gay character die, so Otto and Martin get a happy end. Was that so difficult?

What I hate:

- Yrsa von Leistner is so effing random. Who the hell wrote this? If you can’t incorporate a character properly, why bother including them in the first place?

- the passivity and anonymity of the disabled children – why didn’t Artur or Anni ever get to perceive one of them as a person? That girl Traudel for example, Anni could have talked to her

- there’s a slight tendency to “I’ll just tell the character next to me” exposition – Artur when he and Anni wake up together that one morning (why wouldn’t Anni know yet what he’s working on? That long-winded explaining sentence just came off as awkward), Peter Sauerbruch to Margot about the Dohnanyis and Bonhoeffers

_________________________________

What I like about Charité, season 3:

- I’m all pro ProPro! Honestly, that man is a treat, both how the character is written and how the actor carries the situations and interactions he’s in. He’s arrogant and narcissistic, but he’s also principled, insightful and caring, unpolitical in a smart way and honest in a quiet way, and he gets how people are, and his mentorship of Ella, how he supports and encourages her and also bluntly gives her the dressing-down she needs, is a thing of beauty. And that she has to earn his attention first

- I have a personal soft spot for the scene where ProPro is doing his sports and going jogging while talking with Ella, and then just has her run along. That man’s hilarious, I love him

- Ella’s spirited, and while I don’t love the protagonists of this season as much as those of the second, she’s still great in her own right – the dedication to her research, the strength with which she handles the shit that’s thrown at her

- everyone’s so snarky!

- the wider focus on medical history and research; we see a lot past surgery now

- everyone’s taking shit in stride – staff is running off to the West? Ok; rest gets double shifts. We don’t have a senior doctor on the ward this morning anymore? We do shit ourselves. An illness we’re not prepared to treat anymore because, actually, there should be vaccination enough? We’ll make do. I love that spirit

- positive disabled representation! Rapoport’s daughter actually interacts with people, is presented as a person, has dreams and strengths and can handle her issues – yes, please!

- we get an intersex character, not for long and the story isn’t treated with the care and attention it should have, but props for the effort, I guess

- the setting allows for Ella to focus fully on her work and passion, not really giving much on romance and marriage without that seeming out of place – Ida’s conversations most often revolved around a man, Anni was considered a Nazi role model for being married and a mother, but Ella, while the relationship with Kurt is an option, never prioritizes this and never needs it

- personally, I’m smelling threesome subtext between Ella, Kurt and Alex Nowack – that may just be me, but I like it

- how everyone handles situations, how the changes happening in the country are incorporated into the world the characters live in, how they are able to cope with stuff and make decisions, in the end even without shifting blame

- even more so than in season 2, I really like how human the patients and their relatives are, that interacting with them in the right way is made an important part of the doctors’ work, even when some of the patients are asses

What I hate:

- people are mumbling – it’s not dialects, it’s not accents; they’re mumbling. They never were in the first two seasons

- the cancer stories were really no favorite of mine; what’s with the teary melodrama and the sudden gory shock value? Come on, Charité, you can do better. Presenting the human side of everything has always been the strength of this series, so why going so overboard now?

- I dunno, the crime cases ProPro investigates don’t seem to be incorporated that well? I suppose they’re there to establish his main field of pathology, but they spend a lot of time on that “Biter” case, and I’m not sure why

- would have been nice if Inge Rapoport had gotten to interact a bit with important characters other than her husband, Arianna and Kraatz – she’s a lovable, strong female character; why keep her so one-sided?

- what’s with the black’n’white painting? You showed us how conflicted and nuanced people under the Nazi regime could be; why now the clear line between “those people are good” and “that one sold his soul to the Party”?

- you show us an intersex person, introduce her as a character, make us sympathize, show us her hindrances and possibilities – and then she’s just gone? What about her treatment? Positive development? Making Kraatz’ interactions with her a counterpoint to his interactions with Doc Rapoport? What WAS that?

[jlalafics]

“I loved you first”-an Everlark fic

This prompt was requested by @b-boop5. Thanks love!

5. “Wait a minute. Are you jealous?”

Summary: There are divorced couples. Then, there are Katniss and Peeta Mellark.

I loved you first

Johanna Mason looked around the high school field, lined with rows of plastic chairs. In front of her stood two middle-aged women, dressed in their ceremony best, looking over the crowd gathering for the graduation.

“I didn’t have a chance to look over my program, but who is the Valedictorian?” one woman asked.

“It’s the Mellark girl—Adeline,” the other woman responded. “She’s heading to Stanford this Fall, you know.”

“I’m not really familiar with her…I don’t think that she and Katie really hang out.”

“Oh—everyone knows about the Mellarks.” Johanna moved in closer, grimacing at the woman’s overwhelming floral perfume. “Adeline’s parents were practically teenagers when they had her. They stay together long enough to have Adeline’s younger brother before getting divorced.”

“So, they’re what? In their thirties?”

“About that. Katniss, her mother, barely looks like she’s hitting her thirties. She owns that cute little boutique downtown.”

“And, the Dad?”

“Oh God—Peeta Mellark. A delicious specimen of a man. He’s the CEO of Mellark Bakery; his family started it from a small, mom-and-pop bakery and he turned it into a franchise. Now, they’re all over the country.”

Johanna was suddenly blinded as two hands covered her eyes. She smelled the faint scent of sugar and watercolor paints.

“You’re messing up my makeup, Luke,” she warned.

Whirling around, Johanna beamed at a gangly blond, grinning at her.

“Aunt Johanna!” Luke wrapped his arms around her. “You came!”

“Of course.” She embraced her nephew tightly. “Where’s your mother?”

“Her and Dad are heading down,” Luke informed her. “They’re deciding which restaurant to go to for Grandma’s birthday next weekend.”

“There they are,” the gossiping woman suddenly said. “Peeta and Katniss Mellark. The perfect exes.”

“Are you sure? They looked like they’re still into each other.”

Luke and Johanna locked eyes; the young boy rolling his at the two women being not-so-discreet.

“They’ve been that way for years. Every PTA meeting or school event, they’re together and usually talking amongst themselves, his arm around her shoulders and her leaning against him, just like now—here they come!”

“Johanna!” Katniss pulled away from her ex to rush into the woman’s arms. “I’m so glad you came!”

“I wouldn’t miss AJ’s graduation for anything,” Johanna replied. “And, how is my favorite ex-cousin doing?” She looked to the man talking to her nephew. “Hey, asshole.”

Peeta grinned at her. “Hello to you too, Johanna.”

“How are you enjoying Panem so far?” Katniss asked her.

Johanna looked to the shocked women, both red with embarrassment. She gave them a wink.

“It’s been illuminating.”

++++++

“Apparently, you and Peeta, are the ‘It’ couple when it comes to divorces,” Johanna informed the two as they found their seats.

“Are we?” Katniss looked to her ex-husband with a smile. “Did you hear that, Peeta? We’re the cool divorcees.”

Peeta snorted. “Don’t these people have anything else to talk about?” He sat next to Katniss, giving Luke the aisle seat so he could take pictures of his sister walking down towards the stage. His arm snaked over to the back of Katniss’ chair. “Sometimes I forget how small it is here.”

“Well, you two are freakishly close,” Johanna pointed out. “Probably more than most married couples.”

“It’s kinda true, parents,” Luke added as he played with the lens of his camera. “My friends are always surprised when I tell them you’re divorced.”

“Why are your friends so nosy, teenager?” Peeta asked.

“Because their parents ask.” Luke turned to them. “It’s not like I mind. I don’t really remember when you were together, but if it was the opposite of this, then I’m glad you’re divorced.”

“That’s very mature of you, sweetheart,” Katniss told their son.

Peeta smiled fondly at his ex-wife. “We made some smart children.”

She returned the gesture, her eyes on the handsome man. “All from me.”

He leaned towards her ear. “I don’t doubt that.”

Katniss trembled; even after all these years, Peeta always knew how to make her come undone. They had known one another since they were children, had fallen deeply in love when they were juniors in high school, and Katniss was pregnant by graduation.

They had tried to make it work.

The birth of Adeline had brought them even closer and they loved their daughter with all their hearts. However, the extra responsibility had been a lot on the young parents who both juggled work and college part-time.

Katniss and Peeta’s parents had rallied to help the two. Their families helped take care of the adorable cherub that Adeline was while they went to school. On the weekends, Peeta was at the Mellark Bakery, learning how to manage his parents’ business. Katniss would be at their apartment, textbooks on the kitchen table and their daughter in her arms.

They both graduated with business degrees.

Katniss was pregnant with Luke during their college ceremony.

By Luke’s first birthday, Peeta and Katniss could see the cracks in their relationship. Peeta had been spending less time at home, trying to bring Mellark Bakery up the corporate chain. Katniss was unsure what she wanted to do and had little time to think about it as she raised their two children.

Also, they both had tempers.

As the children slept, they argued, going to bed angry. Sometimes, one or both would be in tears.

By the time Luke was two and Adeline six, they had agreed to a divorce.

Katniss and Peeta sat their families down and told them that they would be separating but amicably. Katniss would have the home that they had bought together, and it would be where the children would live. Peeta would move into an apartment nearby and would have them on the weekends.

Their main priorities were Adeline and Luke. They wanted their children to grow up in a loving, supportive environment.

It was hard in the beginning; they still loved one another…but something changed. Maybe they had become too different or they had just grown apart.

Whatever caused their breakup hurt like hell.

They continued to push forward; Katniss eventually decided to open her boutique, Primrose—named after her younger sister. Peeta became a silent partner, helping her purchase the space, but mostly staying out of the way as a gesture of goodwill towards his ex-wife.

Now, Katniss could say with confidence that Peeta was one of her best friends and vice-versa.

They had dinners together with the kids—sometimes without them. She would go to the Mellark Home for Thanksgiving and Peeta would attend the annual Christmas party at her parents’ house.

They went to every recital, sports event, and even spelling bee together. The kids never felt neglected—at least she hoped they didn’t—and both parents had great relationships with Adeline and Luke.

“It’s starting!” Luke called out. He put the viewer of his camera to his eye as the strains of ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ began.

The navy-clad graduates were led by Haymitch Abernathy—Senior Class advisor and teacher—who held the school banner as he walked down the aisle to cheers and camera flashes.

He was followed by the Senior Student Council, each with white stoles denoting their roles.

Then, wearing gold stoles, were the Valedictorian and Salutatorian.

Adeline beamed excitedly, her long dark waves moving with her, as she walked down the aisle. Next to her, Evan Odair smiled, his cheeks red and his eyes caught on Katniss and Peeta’s beautiful daughter.

Adeline spotted her parents, waving excitedly, and flashing a peace sign as Luke took her picture.

Katniss took a deep breath, trying to keep her tears at bay. Sometimes, she still saw the little girl who would beg her to play tea party with her every afternoon.

Now, that little girl was getting ready to take on the world—and she wouldn’t need her mother anymore.

Peeta put an arm around her, pulling her side against his.

“She’s always going to need us, Katniss,” he assured her.

Katniss turned to him. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

Peeta reached, wiping the stray tear off her cheek, and giving her a sad smile.

“Because I know us,” he told her. “We all grew up together—you, me, Luke, and Addie. And, we’re never going to stop needing each other.”

Katniss nodded and he pressed a kissed to her temple.

Next to the exes, Johanna rolled her eyes.

Brainless, the both of them.

++++++

“Now, I would like to call up our Valedictorian—” Voluminous applause rang through the crowd along with some shouts from the rowdier seniors. “—an ambitious young woman who, besides maintaining a 4.0 GPA and taking all available AP classes, is the president of our youth volunteer club, one of our most popular tutors and a peer mediator. From personal experience, it has been an honor to have someone to debate with in class—” The crowd laugh at his words. “Ladies and gentlemen, Adeline Jane Mellark.”

The crowd was riotous as Adeline stepped onto the stage. She was always popular, though she never had a particular crowd that she hung out with. She went to prom with Evan—as friends—though Katniss believed that the boy next door had always wanted more.

However, Adeline had always been a free spirit.

She admitted to Katniss that she didn’t want to be tied down to anyone since she would be leaving for school—despite the cuteness of Evan’s smile.

Adeline stepped up to the podium, beaming at the crowd.

“Good afternoon, faculty members, families, and senior class,” she began. “My name is Adeline Jane Mellark. Most of you know me as AJ or, if you’re my Dad, Addie. I am supposed to be up here trying to inspire and give you advice for what comes next. However, I don’t think I could give you any advice as I’m in the same boat as the rest of you. I don’t know what’s coming next.”

Katniss leaned forward; her eyes trained on her daughter. Peeta sat in rapt attention, his own stare on their daughter.

“I can tell you that, whenever I’m not sure what to do, I think of my parents. You see, my mom and dad had me right after they graduated high school. They had to navigate going to college along with raising a child and by the time they graduated college, my brother came along. When I think about it, we grew up together.” Adeline smiled to herself. “We learned together.”

She met Katniss’ eyes.

“My mom taught me to always focus on what I want, to never back down, to fight for what I believe in.”

Peeta reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze.

“My Dad—” She heard Peeta’s breath hitch. “—taught me that there is good in everyone; that sometimes to get back on track all you need to do is look at a sunset, and to always have hope.”

She grinned.

“Mom, Dad…I just wanted to say that I’m proud to be your daughter. That, because of you, I am not afraid of what comes next. You both taught me lessons that I’m going to carry with me my whole life—that no matter what happens, I’ll always have a place to just be me.”

Adeline looked at her classmates.

“We’re always going to have each other. So, when you’re feeling lost or scared, think back to this moment—this is our place to be us. This great moment of excitement…fear…of endings…and beginnings—life is full of them. Enjoy them. It has been an honor to be part of this graduating class and I wish you all the best of luck in whatever comes next. Thank you and congratulations!”

The crowd was up on their feet and, over the sea of people, Adeline met her parents’ identical teary gazes to blow them both a kiss.

++++++

“You must be so proud, Peeta,” the woman…Karen—he wasn’t sure what her name was—said. “Adeline is so accomplished.”

In return, Peeta gave the woman a conciliatory smile. “Katniss and I are very proud of her.”

Beside him, Finnick and Annie Odair stifled their laughter at her obvious flirting in the middle of his own daughter’s graduation reception. The couple had been friends with the Mellarks since they moved into the neighborhood.

“It’s going to be awfully lonely for you now that Adeline’s going to be moving away,” she simpered.

“Not really. Our son is just entering high school. Katniss and I are sure we’ll have our hands full.”

“Luke is definitely a spitfire,” Finnick said. “But a hell of an artist.”

“He’s going to the fine arts high school, correct?” The woman frowned. “Do you think that’s the right path? The artist route isn’t very lucrative.”

“Well, it’s a damn good thing that Peeta and I care more about our children’s happiness than the amount of money they’ll make.” Katniss joined his side and gave the woman a cool smile. “Clarissa, we’re so glad you could join us.”

“Thank you for having us.” The woman looked around the house. “You have a beautiful home.” Her eyes suddenly darted behind them. “If you’ll excuse me.”

She was gone in a second.

“Clarissa! That was her name!” Peeta snapped his fingers, turning to his ex-wife. “This whole time I thought it was Karen.”

Katniss chuckled. “Please don’t tell me you called her Karen.”

“Peeta couldn’t get a word in,” Annie explained. “The woman had her sights on becoming the new Mrs. Mellark.”

“Many have tried, all have failed,” Peeta said. “Anyway, I’m not looking.”

“Why not?” Katniss questioned. “I was just too perfect, wasn’t I?”

He flashed her a smile. “We all didn’t find a Gale Hawthorne, did we?”

Peeta tried not to cringe saying the man’s name. Katniss had been dating him casually for six months, but he could tell that the man was set on making things official.

“Where is Prince Charming, anyway?” Finnick asked, his disdain obvious. Their friend had always believed that he and Katniss would eventually reunite. According to him, they had too much fire to be just friendly exes.

“Probably somewhere polishing his crown,” Peeta replied with a short laugh.

The look on Katniss’ face quickly cut him off. She looked disappointed.

“Peeta, you’re better than that,” she admonished softly. “Excuse me.”

Katniss walked away, heading upstairs, and his heart sank seeing the slump in her shoulders.

“What the fuck was that?” Annie asked, looking between the men.

“Truthfully, I think Gale is a douche,” her husband admitted. “I don’t know what the hell Peeta was on about—” Finnick looked to the downhearted man. “Wait a minute. Are you jealous?”

Peeta glared. “Why would I be jealous?”

Finnick guffawed. “Because the man is probably pounding into your ex-wife who you’re still pining over.”

“Focus, you two!” Annie pushed Peeta forward. “You should probably talk to her.”

“I’m already on it.”

++++++

Katniss looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.

Why was she even upset about Peeta’s remark? It wasn’t like it was mean.

Truthfully, Gale was a little high on himself sometimes. He was successful, having his own real estate firm, and had taken her to some nice places.

While he didn’t make an effort to get to know Adeline or Luke, she hadn’t gone out of her way to encourage his involvement with her children either. They didn’t need another father figure.

Truthfully, Katniss kept him because he saw her as a woman—and not just a wife or mother.

There had been a point in her marriage to Peeta where they stopped seeing each other as people and started seeing one another as parents who just slept next to one another. It was hard to keep the romance alive when she always had a baby to her chest.

Their fights had been epic and an argument over which preschool Adeline would go to ended with a bout of angry sex against the doorway of their bedroom.

Then, she ended up pregnant with Luke.

One day, they looked wearily to one another and both realized it was over.

They had no fight in them left.

“Katniss?” Peeta stood at the bathroom doorway, guilt on his face. “You okay?”

Katniss turned to him, crossing her arms as she faced him. “I guess.”

“I didn’t mean it,” he told her.

“I just don’t want us to get to that point where we’re snipping at one another,” Katniss told him. She moved past him to walk into her bedroom and sat on her bed. “I hated that.”

Peeta joined her. “Me, too.” He sighed, giving her a doleful look. “I’m just not used to not being the number one man in your life.”

She knocked into his shoulder, a smile rising on her lips.

“Peeta…you know that Luke is number one.”

“I will concede to our son,” Peeta told her. “Addie is going out with her friends tonight and Luke is sleeping over at Christian’s house. They have a video game to conquer, apparently. Did you want to have dinner? Like a parents of the Valedictorian celebration? We can go to that Chinese place that we love—with the mu shu you like.”

Katniss gave him an apologetic smile.

“After the cleaning crew leaves, I’m having dinner with Gale tonight.”

Peeta nodded. “How about I stay while the crew cleans up and you two can go on your date earlier?”

She raised a brow. “You sure?”

He stood, holding out his hand. “Truce?”

Katniss took it, standing and giving him a hug, her nose pressing his shoulder. She always enjoyed his smell, that warm spiciness of his cologne. It was comforting yet it still made her heart skip a beat whenever it hit her nostrils.

“We better get downstairs,” she said into his shirt. “We have a speech to make.”

Peeta nodded, lifting her chin so he could look into her eyes. “We did it, Katniss.”

“What do you mean?”

They walked out of her bedroom and Katniss looped her arm through his as they headed down the hallway towards the stairs.

“Remember when she was first born? We were both so scared of screwing her up…but we didn’t,” he told her.

They descended the stairs, staring at one another.

“I remember. I was constantly snippy and wanting to call the doctor at every weird noise she made,” she replied. “And, you were always worried about dropping her or cursing in front of her!”

“I may have cursed once or twice. Much more around Luke—” Katniss snorted and he laughed. “Things get a little more relaxed with the second one!”

Katniss sighed. “True.” They stopped halfway down, and she turned to him. “I’m sorry if I ever took my parenting fears out on you. It probably contributed to a lot of our fights.”

Peeta shrugged. “I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. All those late nights at the office…”

“It’s all in the past now,” she interjected.

At the foot of the stairs, Adeline and Luke were talking to Evan and his parents. When she turned to look at them, their daughter hurried up the stairs with a bright smile on her face before wrapping her arms around her parents.

“Thanks, you two.” Adeline pulled away; her blue eyes glowing. “This is a great party and you did so much—”

“You deserve it,” Peeta told her tenderly.

“You’re our little girl,” Katniss said. “We always kind of knew we would be spoiling you!” Adeline giggled. “And, we are enormously proud. A bit braggy, too…”

“Aunt Johanna told me about those two women gossiping about you guys,” their daughter informed them quietly. “It makes sense, though. Their daughters are bitches.”

Peeta guffawed and Katniss raised a brow at their daughter’s words. That was thing about Adeline; she never pussyfooted. Like Katniss, she could be blunt when need be. However, she was naturally empathetic like Peeta.

“While I’d usually prefer that you didn’t curse, you’re eighteen so I can’t really stop you,” Katniss said.

“Thanks, Mom!” They made their way to the last three steps and Adeline went to a nearby server, who handed her two glasses of champagne. She walked over to them, handing them both a glass. “Good luck, you two.”

Stepping back, Adeline joined her brother and friend.

Katniss turned to Peeta, a nervous grin gracing her face. “Go on. You’re better with this than I am.”

He chuckled, leaning to kiss her cheek.

“You’re probably right.” She elbowed him, ignoring the heat rising on her face. “You’re really too easy to fluster.”

Peeta cleared his throat and Luke tapped the glass he was holding with a spoon to catch everyone’s attention.

“Thank you, Luke,” he told their son, who grinned back with a smile so much like his own. “Thank you all for attending this reception. Katniss and I would just like to say a few words about our daughter…”

++++++

“How did the graduation go?” Gale asked as he cut into his steak, his eyes focused on the slab of meat.

“It was wonderful,” Katniss replied. She reached for her fork to cut into her salmon. “I wish you could’ve come to the reception. You would’ve enjoyed it.”

“It’s not really my thing,” the man replied easily. “No one wants the boyfriend at the family party. Anyway, I already gave Adeline her graduation gift.”

Her daughter had smiled blankly as Gale handed her the two gift cards; one for Target for school supplies and the other one to get a full tank of gas for her Prius.

It wasn’t that her daughter was ungrateful; she admitted to Katniss that Gale seemed a little…cold towards her and Luke—as if he didn’t like them.

However, who wouldn’t adore Katniss’ children?

They were sweet and kind…

The man in front of her, however, looked a little overwhelmed whenever he was in their presence.

“Don’t you like your food?”

Katniss realized that she had yet to take a bite. She gave him a smile before putting a piece in her mouth.

“Delicious.” She swallowed before reaching for her wine glass. She definitely needed to discuss this issue about the children. “Listen—”

“I know what you’re going to say.” Gale placed his utensils down. “Now that Adeline is leaving for school, you’re looking into more time for us.” He gave her a tight smile. “It’s just that we’re getting into the summer and it’s our busiest time with parents trying to buy or rent places for their kids—”

“That wasn’t what I was going to talk to you about that,” she interrupted. “It’s that whenever you’re around my kids, you seem to be a little…aloof.”

Gale looked non-plussed. “I mean, they aren’t my kids. I don’t necessarily need to be obliged to care for them like I’m their father. They have one.”

“I know that and Peeta is a great one,” she explained. “But I thought we were serious in a sense where you’d want to get to know them.”

“Hmmm…maybe if we had our own child, I might have to open up to them.”

Katniss blanched—was she really dating this guy? This man who didn’t want to let her children into his life unless he saddled her with his own?

In that moment, Katniss saw a future where she would once again be changing diapers, waiting for a man who was never home.

Suddenly, she was standing up.

“You know what? I’m going to save you the trouble of having to open up to my children. Goodbye, Gale.”

She made her way toward the exit, but not before grabbing the bottle of wine she paid for from the ice bucket.

++++++

Stepping out of the taxi, Katniss looked up her home, comfort washing over her immediately.

This home was where she watched her children take their first steps…where she’d wait at the front door as they stepped off the school bus and into her arms…where Peeta had carried her over its threshold…

They had purchased the two-story colonial-style house after Luke was born with the help of their parents. Since then, they had repaid the loan tenfold and found comfort that their children had a place to go whenever they needed it.

Heading up the brick walkway, Katniss reached into her purse pulling out her key to unlock the door before stepping into the house.

Closing the door, she was surprised to smell the scent of…cookies.

Toeing off her shoes, Katniss headed towards the kitchen and was surprised to find Peeta pulling out a tray full of chocolate chip cookies—her favorite.

“What are you doing?” she asked from the open doorway.

“Thought that you and the kids would like a fresh batch whenever you got home,” her ex replied as he placed the tray on the counter. Peeta pulled the oven mitts off, tossing them beside the cookies. “You’re home early.”

“Dinner didn’t go so well,” she told him glumly. Katniss presented him with the wine bottle in her grasp. “At least I have a consolation gift—that I paid for.”

“Ouch,” Peeta replied. “Well…cookies are the perfect complement to wine.”

She nodded. “Do you remember where the bottle opener is?”

He went to the second drawer to the left of the counter, pulling out the well-loved gadget. “Always.”

++++++

“Do you remember how we used to stay up late to watch R-rated movies after the kids were asleep?” Peeta asked. “I swear there was one point where I wanted to murder The Wiggles.”

“You didn’t know?” Katniss reached to grab another cookie from the coffee table. “I put a hit on them. That’s why you never hear about them anymore.”

The soft glare of the television was the only light in the room. They had discovered an old romcom that was popular when they were teenagers and decided that it would go well with their late-night snack.

Peeta chuckled, sitting back on the couch. He had changed from his ceremony attire to a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that Katniss had found in her closet. She had also changed into a pair of pajamas while Peeta had set up cookies and wine in the living room.

“If anyone could murder them, it would be you,” Peeta replied. “What time is Addie getting home?”

“I told her midnight was her curfew while she lives here,” Katniss informed him. “Once she’s in college, we will have no say on when she gets home.”

“I’m dreading not knowing what she’s doing.” He turned to her. “Do you think she’s going to come home during the holidays?”

“If she doesn’t want me to go all the way to Stanford to drag her ass here, she will.” Peeta snorted at her words. “She’ll come home. It’s going to be lonely here without her though. Nobody to have mani-pedis with or talk about those stupid reality shows …”

Katniss found herself sniffing back tears. She swiped them away with the back of her hand.

“Ignore me. It’s the wine and ending the most useless relationship in history.”

Peeta waved her over to his side and she scooted in towards him, her head going to his shoulder. She tucked her feet underneath her bottom as he put an arm around her.

“Did you love him?” Peeta asked gently.

“No.” She closed her eyes, taking comfort in the warmth of him. “I’ve had my great love. I don’t need another…I just liked the feeling of someone making an effort to just be with me.”

“And, I wasn’t that way?” he replied tightly.

“Neither of us were making much effort towards the end.” Katniss looked up, seeing his eyes full of hurt. “It was no one’s fault. It just happened. I mean, we didn’t kiss each other anymore.”

“I should’ve kissed you more.” His hand reached to brush her chin and her body tingled, her lower half twisting in that familiar heat. “It was one of my favorite things to do.”

“Until it wasn’t.” Katniss swallowed harshly as she unfolded her legs. They were getting into dangerous territory. Reluctantly, she stood up. “I should clean up—”

Peeta suddenly grabbed her wrist and she stilled at the motion.

Standing, Peeta reached his arm around her waist, pulling her against him.

His other hand went to her cheek. “You’re always going to be my great love. You know that, right?”

Then, his lips were on hers.

Katniss fell easily into his kiss. She always did. Her arms circled his neck as she pressed against him, feeling her nipples tighten against the hard planes of his chest. Peeta’s hands moved down, palming at her ass and she groaned into his mouth, her tongue sweeping into his.

Peeta’s lips moved to her neck. “I forgot how good you tasted.” He sucked against the juncture and she mewled, the heat between her legs growing and her core throbbing. “Do you still taste this good everywhere else?”

“You can find out…later.”

Katniss guided him to sit on the couch as she pulled her unbuttoned her pajama top, shaking it off her quickly. Her breasts were in bare sight, nipples pebbled despite the heat in the room. Her pants were next, and she undid the drawstring before bending down to pull her bottoms down to the carpet.

Peeta stared up at her in awe. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Katniss smiled softly as she placed her knees on both sides of his lap before straddling him. Her lips went to his in a gentle kiss.

“Have you been with anyone else recently?” she asked against his mouth.

Peeta shook his head. “It’s been a year…and it was only once.” He looked to her. “And Gale?

“Never. He hardly came over and I have never been to his apartment,” Katniss explained. “We mostly had dinner or went to shows that his company was sponsoring.”

Peeta tutted. “Shame.” His hands went to her waist. “Who wouldn’t love to be deep inside you?”

Her hand reached under the waistband of his bottoms, finding him hard. Her hand wrapped around him, stroking smoothly to get him ready. He hissed, his eyes closing and his hips following her motions.

“Please don’t make me come all over myself,” he begged. “I don’t think I’d forgive myself if I did.”

“We wouldn’t want that—” Katniss eagerly helped him pull his pants off, her eyes going immediately to his length, standing erect and the tip of it glistening. She missed his cock—or at least her pussy did, as it immediately pulsed at the sight of him. “—I don’t think either of us is going to last.”

His hand went between her thighs, pushing the cloth between aside to plunge two fingers into her sodden core.

“Damn, you’re wet.” His eyes traveled to meet hers as he slid the digits in and out of her before putting them into his mouth. “You taste even better than I remember.”

“I forgot how I loved the way you looked at me whenever we were together,” she told him, her hands hurriedly moving the last piece of cloth. “Like I was the only woman in the world.”

“To me, you are.”

Her eyes filled and she leaned down to give him another kiss before helping him remove his shirt.

“You shouldn’t say things like that,” she admonished quietly.

Katniss looked over her ex-husband, familiarizing herself with his body once more. His chest and shoulders were broader and his abdomen firmer. However, there were other things that were the same; the scar on his shoulder from falling at the school playground and the feel of his strong thighs under her.

“Why not?” he asked her, his hand going to the nape of her neck.

He gently drew her down until their foreheads met and she looked into those blue eyes, dark with hunger. Her heart skipped at the intensity of his gaze and she remembered all over again how easy it was to fall in love with Peeta.

“Because this will be harder to forget,” she told him.

Peeta’s hand went to her hip, guiding her over him.

“I don’t want to forget.”

Then, in one motion, he was inside her.

++++++

“Katniss.”

She looked up from behind the register to find Gale standing before her.

“Hi. What are you doing here?” she asked, rounding the counter. “I haven’t heard from you in…”

“Two months,” he replied sheepishly. “Trust me, you don’t forget when a woman walks out on you at a restaurant.”

Katniss crossed her arms. “You kind of deserved it.”

“May I take you out to dinner to apologize?” Gale looked genuinely sorry for his behavior. “I miss you.”

“You don’t even know me,” she countered.

“Give me a chance—unless you’re seeing someone else.”

Her mind wandered to that night…that perfect night with Peeta.

She had forgotten how perfectly he fit inside her. Peeta had been her first and she was his. When they were younger, he had jokingly told her that her insides were perfectly molded to his cock—any other man’s would never fit exactly right.

And, it was true.

He continued to prove his theory a few more times before she insisted that he leave. It wouldn’t do any good for Adeline to see her father and mother reuniting carnally all over the living room couch.

They were still close, but they understood that it had been once and once only.

Even though the sight of him left her soaked.

Or that, occasionally, if Peeta was close enough to her, he would brush his hand against Katniss’ sending her hormones into overdrive.

She shook herself from her thoughts and looked to the man in front of her.

“There’s no one else,” she told him.

“Tonight? I’ll pick you up after closing.” Katniss nodded and Gale leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“See you then.”

Gale walked out of the store, heading towards the Mercedes parked in the front.

Katniss stretched, feeling an ache in her body. Lately, she had felt off. The stress of Adeline getting ready to leave and unexpected sex with her ex had left her feeling out of sorts.

Yesterday, she nearly tore Luke’s head off for leaving his muddy sneakers by the front door after soccer practice.

There was a beep on her phone, and she looked to find a text from Adeline: ‘Mom, you heading to a Target or a drug store after work?’

She typed back, ‘Wasn’t planning to. Do you need anything?’

‘Some Tylenol and tampons.’

‘Sure babe. I’ll see you later.’

Adeline’s cycle was very similar to her own; it came strong, leaving her sometimes unable to even move.

Katniss added soup to her list of things to grab after closing the store.

It always made them feel better during their periods—

Which she did not have, even though she and Adeline were usually in sync.

Katniss turned from the counter where a calendar featuring men with puppies was—no red circle marking the arrival of her period. She took the calendar off its hook before looking at the previous month.

No red circle either.

Fuck.

Without fail, every graduation ended with her being pregnant with Peeta’s child.

FIN(?)

Really enjoyed writing this one, it would make a great four-parter. Thoughts?

[writingwhywhywhy]

Derailed Chapter 11

A/N Sorry this is taking forever. The you know makes it hard for me to write. This one should be a lot longer, and it's a lot of explanation. Like wtf is up. I also had to start a new job that is 40   hrs without anyway to write a single thing. Also side note Y/M/N is your mom's name. Life also got complicated since I started so yeah.

"It's a coven." Freya stated

"The long shot was looking for a coven?" You asked slightly confused, while managing to forget that you hadn't told anyone else that Freya was attempting a Hail Mary.

"It was the only available solution. The good news is that they seem to collect in one town." She responded

"Which coven?" Asked Elijah.

"Zavala. They seem to be located about 200 miles from here. They apparently siphon their power from the magic lines that marry into the coven." Freya said.

"So what would they want with me? I have nothing magical about me." You tried to think through the problem

"I say we go and ask them." Dean said

"Sam and I will go in the morning." Klaus commanded

"Great. I am coming with you." You replied

"No." Came from all the men simultaneously.

"If I am or the children I am carrying are what they want, they can't kill me." You stated

"Or you could just be handing them exactly what they want." Klaus replied

"That's why I am not going alone, unless you think between you and Sam you can't defend one measly hunter." You said

"You should understand that witches do have their tricks." Klaus responded

"Hey." Freya started to protest.

"Anyone with brains can see they either underestimated us or didn't think we knew someone powerful enough to track them. Their tricks really are nothing compared to Freya’s." You replied.

"You think I am the brainless one here. I am not.." Klaus started.

"Enough." Elijah commanded.

The room fell silent. "Look, this is getting us no where. Dean, Y/N, and I will head to the town tomorrow. We will politely ask what they want. We are the three people they are lest likely to kill. Plus if they kill one or more of us, they most likely lose whatever they wanted." Elijah reasoned.

The logic was hard to argue with. The room seemed to be hit simultaneously with the sleepiness that everyone had spent the last few weeks earning. A non verbal agreement set in, everyone was going to go to bed. "I hate to admit it, but I think Dean and I might need a guide to our different rooms." You said reluctantly.

"I have got you, love. I believe that Sam has a better sense of direction than his brother." Klaus said

"Sam you can call me if you get lost. I will send my guide to rescue you!" You said exiting.

You stared at Klaus's back as you let your mind wander to tomorrow. It was going to be an awkward car ride. You were so out of it you almost missed when Klaus spoke to you. "You use to never get lost here." He stated

"Yes, but I also use to live here." You replied with no desire to continue the conversation.

"So what is your plan about the kids?" Klaus asked

"I am not sure. I still need more information." You replied

"Hope was a surprise I didn't accept at first. Hayley being pregnant made no sense. I almost missed out on that source of joy. I just want you to know that." Klaus said.

"Yeah but your history with Hayley was a lot less complicated. Plus she didn't have to split locations for her child." You replied

"Sure but her life got a lot more complicated. She made a lot of sacrifices to protect Hope. You might have an easier time." Klaus said

"If you are implying that I don't have a heart, I wish that I didn't because leaving when asked wouldn't hurt. If you are saying I don't love your brother, you are also mistaken. The only think you could be right about is maybe your brother not loving me." You bit back

"If you are blind enough to believe my brother ever stopped loving you, you have not been paying attention. Which makes sense because two men have been falling over themselves and you hardly noticed." He said

You knew exactly who he was talking about and you had to stop this conversation. "Thank you for the compliment but you and Sam really aren't my type." You joked

Klaus glared at you. You glared back. "I believe we have arrived at where you are staying." Klaus said dryly.

"Thank you and goodnight." You said doing your best not to slam the door in his face.

The following morning, you just grabbed your duffel bag and headed straight to the kitchen. Hopefully Dean would be down there and ready to go. You really just wanted to get out of here.  The upcoming car ride wasn't going to be pleasant but at lest everyone had the same goal in mind. Hopefully the silence would stay between the three of you.

Dean was waiting with Elijah. The three of you seemed to be like minded and laser focused. Without much talking the three of you packed the impala. The only pause came when the three of you were to get in the car. Dean was obviously driving and someone should take shotgun. You took the backseat you had spent your first year with the Winchesters riding in.

The car ride was silent even with a stop for gas. The air was thick with unease. About ten miles away from the city, Dean announced his intention to get more gas just in-case. Everyone knew the amount of gas on the car would make no difference in the scheme of things, but having this as a last ditch backup plan was comforting a bit.

You decided to go pee. On your walk back to the car a man seemed to stare you down. It freaked you out and you almost ran to the car. "Are you Y/M/N's daughter?" He asked

Your blood ran a bit cold. Very few people knew her name. Your feet were about to turn into a run, but Elijah and Dean flanked you very suddenly. "Yes. I was actually on my way to this town to do some research on my family history." You replied, hoping you would get away.

"Well I should be a lot of help considering we were married for a few years and had a daughter named Clarissa." He replied

Your heart stopped. That had been your oldest sister's name. He was lying you thought. Your mother had never told you any of this. Before you could process, Dean spoke up. "Any help you provide would be great. She dragged me and this guy along. None of us are great with history or directions. Could we follow you to a cafe?"

"Please she is practically family, you all can come to my home." He replied with his eyes drinking you in.

Before you could politely reject, Elijah stared him in the eye and said "You are going to invite me in as soon as we arrive."

You saw the strange man nod, and realized that Elijah had done a small test and intended to compel the answers out of him. In this moment you really wished the Elijah had been on more hunts with you.

The strange man did indeed invite Elijah in, once the three of you arrived. Hope kinda surged in you. Dean was about to set up and ask some questions. You stopped him with one touch and a look. Elijah had a plan and you knew you could trust Elijah.

Elijah was about to compel the man again, but he offered answers freely. "My name is Walter. I am going to go get my photo book. Your mother was a beautiful bride. You might actually put her to shame." He said walking to grab a book.

The three of you still stood. "Please sit. Would you like something to drink?" Walter asked in a way that made you want to trust him.

Your gut instinct told you not to. So you took the seat next to Walter. "No thanks. My mother never mentioned her marriage to you. Do you know why?" You asked

"Oh because she ran away from the coven. We were in love, but your father came along. I am sure I would still recognize my Clarissa. We were set to be the power couple coven leader with the most powerful children. Yet your mother fell for someone else. Did you know it broke your grandparent's hearts?" He chirped away.

"No I did not." You stuttered a bit shocked at how candid he was being.

"Why are you really here?" Walter asked

You prepared the lie, but instead the truth surged out. "I am pregnant with twins and really shouldn't be. Elijah's sister located that this coven stated it."

Dean and Elijah stared at you with a mix of disbelief and anger. You sent apologies back. "Oh boys don't be mad at her. As the coven leader I have an honesty spell on the house. No one can lie inside my house, not even me. Twins are extremely rare and so interesting. So the reason our coven is at fault, is the fact it is your coven. The Zavala coven was struck with a curse that almost chopped us down.

You see the coven use to gain power through marriages. Then a petty more powerful coven foresaw our great power, and lay a very powerful curse upon us. Every other generation would be without magic, and we could only gain power from a line by having two children of that line being born into the Zavala coven.

The part that almost did us in was the fact that they made it impossible for any members of the coven to have children unless they met some requirements. One was mutual love for each other. The other was you had to be past the age of 26."

That hit you like a ton of bricks. The twins you carried proved that they both loved you. You were still processing that when Walter spoke again.

"We fought it by making conceptions guaranteed, no matter what they were or what should stand in the way of having kids. Unless of course, the coven member or members get a magical block put up with consent from the coven member. So boys what were your last names?"

You watched as they both tried and lost the fight to lie. "I herd of your mother, Elijah. Her line seems to be strong. I approve of him. You know his vampire status will not hinder you having a third child. You should have another child with him. If you do that, we will welcome you and your family back. We need more people in the town, and we can keep you protected." Walter said

Your blood went cold. "I am not having children just to please people." You responded

"Oh well. Hopefully Elijah wins you back. Now do you want some tea while I fill you in on my marriage to your mother?" Walter asked with a sick smile.

You wanted to run. "We are going to go." Dean said

"Well you kids remember, we want her and her kids back." He said with the worst smile.

You almost ran out of the house. Your feet flew to the car and you hopped in back. Dean and Elijah were on your heels. You decided to look back as you pulled away. Walter was standing there waving with his horrible smile.

"So I can see why your mom left." Dean tried to joke.

"Well I can see why she never talked about him." You replied

The three of you traveled once again in silence. You stopped at a diner. The three of you selected a table. Your waitress was a pleasant lady who vaguely reminded you of Kathy. Your heart longed for the town you had called an almost home. "What can I get y'all?" She asked

"I will have a burger, Diana." Dean said

"I would prefer a salad, dear." Elijah said

"I want the greatest burger ever and a side of fruit instead of fries, Diana." You said

Diana gave you a weird look. You rubbed your belly and responded "These kids have been giving me the weirdest cravings."

She nodded like she knew that exact feeling. Now Dean and Elijah were giving you weird looks. "Trust me the cravings are very weird." You replied

Dean decided to barrel through. "So the Zavala coven gets their power from breeding their line."

"So basically, don't have another kid with either of you and we should be fine. They can’t gain more power from us." You replied

"You might want to talk to Freya about the birth control options you have." Elijah stated

"Will do. So now we need to get into the meat of this. What are going to do about them?" You asked

"I don't want to force you into anything you don't want." Dean answered

"Look Dean, we need to face some facts. One I never thought about kids before this. My focus has been on survival. The two of you both brought the topic up once, you need to tell me what you want. I am not against being the equivalent of a surrogate for you two. I just need information before I decide anything." You snapped

Dean was a taken a bit back. "If you decide to surrogate, and Dean is not inclined to be a father, I will take both of them. As far as I'm concerned they both are Mikealsons." Elijah volunteered

"Same." Dean mumbled after the shock wore off.

Before you could start the next leg of the conversation, Diana came back. The town washed over you again and you remembered the promise you made what felt like lifetime ago. You grabbed your stomach again. "I  know what I want. But man this isn't going to be easy."

You arrived at the compound a few hours later.  You walked in with the two men and your duffel bag. The moment the three of your crossed the threshold, you felt more than herd a barrier spell go up. Before you could react to that a figured walked into view. You couldn't believe your own eyes. "Mom?" You asked in a very broken voice.

[15dots]

Gemina: The Illuminae Files _02

Synopsis

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall. Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter, Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. Little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed to Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion. 

When an elite BeiTech team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. Soon, Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival. The fate of everyone on the Hypatia - and possibly in the known universe - is in their hands. 

But relax. They’ve totally got this.

They hope. 

Quotes:

“I cannot help but wonder if the thought of saving all those lives and hopes and dreams pales in comparison to the thought of seeing him again. I wonder.” 

“▆▆ me that felt weird. Like someone threw a rainbow at my head.” 

“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter and her name was Vengeance.” 

“It may comfort you to know that your death while astonishingly violent, will most likely be mercifully swift.” 

“And now, born from the ashes, she’s a warrior in bloodied black.”

Welcome back to the Illuminae Files where, after reading Gemina I am left to search for my pulse and heartbeat. 

You read that right folks, I am deceased. 

But before I tell you why, I would like to put a disclaimer that this review (or whatever this is) will have spoilers. So if you haven’t read the book or Illuminae, oh well, get ready for spoilers I guess. Do not fret however, I will warn you of upcoming spoilers. You’re welcome ;). 

Also, if you haven’t read my previous Illuminae post, go check that out first or after, whatever you decide. 

Alrighty, Gemina yes, one word. 

Deceased. 

Me. I’m deceased. 

I finished this book last night and let me tell you I almost threw this book across the room. Three times. It was near midnight and I almost screamed. Bottom line, I have thoughts. Many of them. 

So buckle up kiddos, this is gonna be a long one. 

Fair warning. This book might have slightly mature themes, like drug production and use (which is very pertinent to the plot-line, iykyk), sexual innuendos, sexual tension, an annoying sexual song about lollipops... yeah you get the gist. 

Let’s start by introducing Hanna and Nik. “Highness”, as Nik like to calls her, is a daddy’s girl. If she lived in our world she would probably be asking her daddykins for dresses and bags she doesn’t even need. However, she’s a black belt. So maybe don’t make fun of her... 

Nik, on the other hand, is the typical bad boy, tall, lean, with abs, tattoos up his arms, torso and neck. Served time in juvie where he obtained such abs. But he has dimples. Dimples. He’s also, like, really funny. Like what he says...

I’ll give you an example (He’s typing this by the way): 

“So you can me all to yourself. He says winking suggestively.” 

I like him- ahem, that speaks for itself, moving on. 

This story takes place on the Heimdall space station where the Hypatia need to pass through to the Core to inform them about the Kerenza attack. Everyone is getting ready for Terra Day, getting ready to party, to get drunk, high probably as well. Hanna waits for Nik to give her her dose of drugs for ‘party favours’. Her boyfriend, Jackson, waits for her at the Atrium which is where Terra day is being held. Nik is running late because of a ‘package’ arriving at the station. Hanna gets impatient, Jackson gets nervous, Nik just gets tired because that kid sure can smoke.

Then it all goes to crap when the station gets invaded by BeiTech Industries. Remember them? The jerks who invaded Kerenza to destroy the illegal mining operation and mass murdered hundreds of people? Yeah, it’s them again with Leanne Frobisher (SPOILER), Ezra’s mum by the way, their director. 24 of their ‘goons’ are there to clean up their mess and exterminate the Hypatia and the Heimdall with a drone fleet which will hopefully, for them, eradicate witnesses of the Kerenza attack. 

People die, cry, scream. The Atrium and Entertainment Center are the areas where they are trapped in which are guarded. Hanna and Nik, on the other hand, are trapped outside with the BeiTech baddies. It is up to them to save everyone.

Like the previous book, the story is told through a dossier of files and whatnot. Their main source of communication at the start is a programme called WhisperNET then they switch to palmpads (from my knowledge is quite similar to phones) because y’know the bad guys can track em’. I have one problem, one issue that I would like to address and discuss with the publishers or whoever is responsible for the layout of this book. 

Which fool decided it was a good idea to place black text onto a near black background? I couldn’t read crap. But I don’t know if that was on purpose...

Anyways, the invasion happens and Nik and Hanna are split up from each other. Nik has a cousin, Ella, who (like Kady) is a tech wizz and tries to help the pair with opening doors and being their eye in the sky. I mean, you need a character like that in a story such as this one. 

But BeiTech are not the only monsters. There’s another problem. One that is rather... disturbing. 

SPOILERS  (it’s more gross really).

Alright, remember how I said that drugs were very pertinent to the story. Well turns out you can have drugs made from organisms ‘colloquially’ known as ‘lickers’ and it rubs me the wrong way. I was uncomfortable to say the least. And seriously, while reading the Unipedia file and descriptions of the lanima, I swear I cannot see why that had to use the word “secrete’ or ‘secretion’ so many times. 

To make matters worse, they make their entrance by slithering out of dead cows’ bodies. Just imagine the Stranger Things demogorgons in Season One in their baby forms but longer and with four heads and sharp needle like teeth crawling out of a dead cow.  Again, was I uncomfortable? Yes, yes I was.  

You see, Nik’s crime family loves making drugs from within cows’ bodies. I mean, this is some Stranger Things crap right here.

You know what makes them even more terrifying? Before killing their prey, they secrete (ugh) this fog like substance out of their skin that makes them high. Yeah, you’re high before these slime-balls kill you. So really you wouldn’t know what hit you, until the kittens and rainbows turn into black and you’re just a brainless, soulless person. They suck your face off, basically. And not in that way, you nasties. 

It was thanks to these lanima that a page scared me. Yes, a page (pg 368). What the crap did they put in this book? 

What I really enjoyed was how Hanna and Nik’s relationship progressed throughout the story. Like Kady and Ezra, they were able to joke around while under immense pressure. And to be completely honest, Hanna and Nik had higher stakes this time around. 

When they were still bantering and tip toeing around each other, I was like, “ugh, just kiss already, goodness.” I was more relieved they kissed then surprised. Honestly, it was about time they did, I almost choked on the sexual tension. 

OH and AIDAN makes a comeback and let me tell you I was so happy. AIDAN follows the movement of the lanima and it describes it in such a creepy way that shivers went down my spine. 

I do not like those lanima slime balls. Periodt. 

During the last pages of the book though, I almost had a heart attack. Can this book just let me breath? Please. For just a second. Oh my word. Just one thing after the other slapped me in the face until I questioned my sanity. Like the ending? WHAT THE FLYING CRAP WAS THAT ABOUT?

I don’t want to spoil too much for those who haven’t read the book or haven’t got the guts to do so anyway but overall, this book was just a roller coaster of a ride. No complaints. Only that the publishers and authors do something about the black on black formatting. Please, we don’t want to be squinting at pages like we need glasses (my apologies to those reading with glasses, you know the problem first hand).

Anyway, it will be a while until I can finish this series as I don’t have the third book, Obsidio. I know, sad face. But alas, I will wait after Christmas (because sales, duh) to obtain the last piece of the puzzle and hopefully I can get a break from feeling like I’m dying. But I am really enjoying this series; one of the best ones I’ve read in a while!

So, until next time. I might do small book reviews here and there so that’s good at least. So stay tuned kiddos and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Let me know how this book treated you. Or don’t. Depends on what you decide.

[tilltheendwilliwrite]

Of Two Brothers

A/N: So, I hate all of you who fed the plot bunny because this happened. Now, this is just a little sneaky peek for those still screaming “WRITE THE THING!” 

As you can see, I’m writing the thing. 

Had he ever been so bored?

The low murmur of voices, people laughing and celebrating, did nothing to alleviate the ennui. They were all so transparent in their fluff and their finery, smiling their plastic smiles and waving around their champagne flutes. At three hundred quid a bottle, one would think they would be more careful than to slop it haphazardly over his marble floors. Still, these troglodytes and clingers-on had little respect for him or his possessions. 

They were lured here by the bright lights of his stardom, desperate to be close, cling to his coattails, and ride their way to the top. Or, in the case of some, climb over his cooling corpse to achieve his level of fame.

Such was the nature of the bottle blonde currently clinging to his Armani. The woman was too thin for his tastes usually, but her beauty looked good on his arm. She dazzled and shone in his spotlight, taking the attention onto herself when he desired a moment to breathe air that was not laced with the tones of everyone's arse kissing.

And she was an excellent blow when he wanted his cock sucked; eager and experienced. That she was twenty-four and relatively brainless didn't hurt either. More than once, he'd caught her talking to producers and directors about how she was just using him to meet the right people and that she'd do anything for a chance at whatever role she was after. 

He didn't care. They weren't in a relationship, she was just a convenient place to warm his cock when he felt the need. Like at the end of the night when this party finished and everyone and their agent left. He would pin this bimbo Barbie against the wall and fuck her till she couldn't walk, then send her on her merry way. 

He was done playing her games. 

He was tired of playing all these games.

Then, the elevator to his flat dinged and drew his attention. A late arrival? Perhaps someone with some semblance of wit he could hold an actual conversation with. 

But, when the brass panelled doors opened to reveal a tall man in a Stetson, Thomas sneered and extradited himself from the woman on his arm. 

Down the stairs and threw the crowd, he wound his way, watching as the people parted for the out of place cowboy, striding through them in boots and wranglers with that ridiculously out of place hat. When, finally, he caught the man's eye, Thomas growled, "What are you doing here, William?"

The cowboy hooked his thumb in his pockets, eyes as cold and hard as Thomas'. "I've got news."

"And you also have a telephone."

"This isn't telephone kind of news."

Already drawing stares and whispers, Thomas jerked his head. "Come along, William. You're enough of a spectacle already."

They carved an imposing path through the people, Thomas leading the way to his office where he shut out the curious faces. "Drink?"

"You know I don't." The hat came off, revealing waves of ginger locks he thrust a hand through. 

Thomas shrugged and poured three fingers of scotch. "Well?"

"Dad's dead."

His hand froze for a moment before he added another finger of scotch. "Is that so? I'm sorry for your loss."

"Our. Our loss, Tommy."

He turned and lifted the glass in salute before tossing back half the drink. "Sodding right. Not that he gave two shits about me after I left to live with Mum."

"He was still our dad, Tommy."

"Don't call me that! It's Thomas. Not Tommy. Not Tom. Thomas!" he hissed and tossed back the rest of the liquor before slamming the glass down. "You could have called me about him. You know it means nothing to me!"

"You fucking shit! He was your dad too! You've gotta have some Goddamn feelings over this, Tommy!" The Stetson landed on a chair before William wrenched the zipper down on his jacket, revealing the same ugly plaid, snap-front shirt he'd been wearing all his life. 

"He hasn't been my dad since I was seventeen and moved to London to be with mum! And you're a Goddamn git for showing up tonight of all nights to tell me the old bastard's dead!"

"Don't you talk about him that way!" William bellowed. 

"My house! I'll bloody well say what I want to!" 

"Goddamn, you're as mean as a snake now! I can see Mom in you."

Thomas sneered but didn't dispute it. "This can't be the only reason you're here. What else? You wouldn't have flown all the way to New York just to tell me Dad's dead. That never would have drawn you off your precious ranch. What else is going on?"

William thrust his hand through his mess of hair, inches longer than Thomas's own. "SueAnn Clement, you remember her?"

"Fondly," Thomas muttered, lacing his voice with sarcasm.

"She's dead too."

"So?" What did that have to do with them?

"You remember what happened the night of our seventeenth birthday?"

Thomas smirked. "Oh, yes, brother. I remember that."

William paced across the room to stare out the window of his downtown apartment. "Her cousin contacted me. I guess SueAnn left a note behind when she died. Laid a few things out for this cousin. SueAnn moved not long after that night. Guess she had a kid."

He stiffened. "No."

William glanced at him. "Yeah. She's fifteen now."

"Fuck!" Thomas snapped. 

"Was my sentiments too."

"She's not mine. I want nothing to do with it," he denied vehemently. 

"You motherfucking dumbass," William sighed. "We're identical fucking twins! There's no way to know who she belongs to! She could be either one of ours, and we'll never know whose 'cause we've got the same damn DNA!"

"So? She's yours then." He waved a dismissive hand.

"No." William pointed his finger at him. "I'm tired of takin' on all the responsibilities here. She's our damn daughter! Yours and mine, and after readin' Dad's will, I come to find out he left the ranch to both of us, equal shares, so now I've got to run everything through my partner to make any decisions! So you, Tommy, are gonna come home and help out and meet your damn daughter. The cousin's arriving in a week."

"Kiss my dick, Will! Like hell, I will! This is my life," he snapped, waving at the apartment. "I'll just sell you my half, and we can be done with it!"

William sighed and went for his hat. "I can't buy your half right now, even if I wanted to."

"If it's the money, I'll sell you the entire thing for a dollar. What do I need your money for when I have more than enough of my own."

"It's not the fucking money! Dad left contingencies! He wanted you home. Made it clear if you don't come back, give it three months, I lose everything. The ranch goes up for sale, and we get nothing." He slammed the hat down on his head and looked at Thomas from the shadows beneath the brim. "I haven't asked you for anything our whole lives, Thomas. Not a damn thing. I'm asking for this. Three months. You come home. You meet our kid. You help me save our inheritance. Then, if you want out, you can have out, and we can be done with each other for good." He looked disdainfully around the room. "Cause that's clearly what you want."

William turned on his heels and made for the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. "Happy thirty-third birthday, brother." 

The door shut deceptively quietly behind him.

Thomas sank into a chair and lowered his head to his hands. "And you, brother," he whispered, a single tear dripping to the tile between his feet.  

[sparklemichele]

Torn-25

This is the last chapter folks. Thanks to all who have been with me since day one and all the readers who came along for the ride. XXOO

Torn Masterlist

Eric was dressed in his dress suit for Abbey’s ceremony. You and your parents as well as Four, Tris and Jen was also dressed to the nines. You stood in line with Eric as you waited for Abigail’s name to be called. Once called Four and Jen joined you as her godparents. They pricked her tiny little finger and Abbey cried as her blood dropped in the burning coals. Max said some formal words and they were done. You had a small get together at your house after the ceremony and Eric was civil with everyone. After everyone left and you cleaned up you found Eric asleep with his daughter tucked under his arms. Your heart leaped. You had such a beautiful family. You softly nudged Eric to tell him you were going out.

“Where are you going?” He asked half asleep.

“I’m going out with Nova and Jen. I should not be too long. Eric nodded his head and went back to sleep snuggling Abbey.

______________________________________________________________ 

Nova held your hand as you got an intricate tattoo on your back to cover what scars did not heal well.

“You can hardly see the scars, but I understand why you want it.” Jen told you as she sipped on a mix drink.

“This will not be painful just a little uncomfortable especially with your scars.” The tattoo artist told you. You closed your eyes as he went to work. You were pleased with how it turned out. It was a massive tattoo that covered the majority of your back. It was beautiful. When you got home, Eric was up with Abbey playing. You undressed and Eric gasped at your new tattoo.

“Do you like?” You asked as you showed your back to him. “I didn’t want the scars to show.”

“It’s beautiful. I wish you would have asked me first.”

“Eric it is my body.”

Not wanting to argue Eric was silent.

 ______________________________________________________________

Weeks passed and you were back at work and in a routine with Eric and Abbey. You had made dinner and you all were comfortably eating. Well Abbey was making a mess in her highchair.

“I want to have more kids.” Eric told you before taking a bite of his dinner you just cooked. You mouth fell open and a green bean plopped back onto your plate.

“Excuse me?”

“I want a son. I only want kids with you. We can make it work. We love each other.”

“Is love enough Eric?” You successfully put more green beans in your mouth.

“I know it is. As much as we have been through there is no one else on this earth for me.”

“Maybe one day.”

“One day soon, I hope. I want Abbey to grow up with a sibling close in age. You need to stop the birth control.” Eric demanded.

“We shall see.”

“Your mom is here, and you know I will help you.”

“Eric you work to much for you to help me.”

“I will change that as I missed out on a lot with Abbey. I want to be there for my family.”

“You promise Eric you will help out more often?”

“I promise.” You nodded your head.

“No more birth control?”

“I will stop next month.” To be honest you did not mind a little boy. A little Eric walking around. Probably scaring the shit out of the other kids.

 ____________________________________________________________

You were busy folding laundry you threw in the middle of your bed when you heard Eric let himself in. He was home early.

“Daddy’s home.” You told Abbey who was bouncing in her walker. You smiled at your daughter as she giggled when she heard the word ‘daddy’.

“Hey.” Eric said to you walking in the bedroom.

“Hey back. You are home early.”

Eric walked up to you and gave you a peck on the lips and went and kissed his daughter. You went back to your laundry to finish so you can start dinner. Eric walked back up to you and placed a small black box on the bed beside your folded laundry and went to the bathroom without a word to you. You frowned at the box.

“Eric what is this?” You shouted so he can hear you in the bathroom.

“Just open it!” He shouted back irritation laced in his voice.

You picked up the box and open it. You gasped when you looked at the beautiful round cut solitaire diamond ring. It was breathtaking. You started to get lightheaded and had to sit down on the bed as you gazed at the ring.

You heard the toilet flush and the faucet sink run as he washed his hands. You stared at the bathroom door until he opened it and walked back into the room.

“Eric?” You lifted the ring to him. “What is this?”

“What does it look like Y/N?” He snapped.

“It looks like a ring. I’m trying to figure out what it’s for?”

Eric sat next to you on the bed, his eyes were soft as he gazed at you. He took his fingers and caressed your cheek.

“How can you be so beautiful and brainless at the same time.” The softness left his eyes and you saw a flicker of humor in them.

“Oh, fuck you Eric!” You laughed. Eric chuckled as he took the box out of your hand, pulled the ring out and slipped it on your left ring finger.

“We are getting married.” Eric announced. Your eyebrows raised at his assumption.

“You are not going to ask me?”

“You are mine and I am yours it’s the next logical step. What do you say? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

You nodded yes as tears slowly ran down your face. Eric kissed them sway as he told you he loved you and Abbey and nothing in the world made him happier.

 Seven Months Later

 Four kissed your cheek and pulled you in a hug.

“I love you.” He told you as he pulled away. You heard a scoff from your husband. You looked over at him and gave him a ‘don’t fuckin start’ stare and he smirked a little before picking up Abbey.

“I love you too.” You told him honestly. Where would you be without Four. He would always be a part of your life. You gave Tris a hug and rubbed her six-month pregnant belly. I can’t believe we will be having our babies at the same time. Tris smiled.

“Yes Eric 2.0 will be walking around Dauntless.”

“Well at least we will have Four 2.0 to balance it out. You hugged Tris again your baby bumps bumping one another. You felt Your son stir in your stomach. You prayed that both kids would get along unlike their fathers. You looked at Eric who was actually holding a conversation with Four. Since your marriage Eric had tried to be civil you knew it was hard for him but Four was a permanent fixture in your life and he was not going anywhere. You looked at both men and thought back on all you three had been through. You never thought in a million years when you were at Abnegation you would fall for two Dauntless leader, have a baby and be married to the most fearless in the faction. Eric made you happy as he had cut his hours at work and spent more time with you and Abigail. He was a good father and you loved him from the deepest part of your soul.

 Finito

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[theoeclipse]

Sylvanas Windrunner- On Being a Parent

Pairing: Sylvanas/Jaina

Universe: World of Warcraft

Notes: All characters belong to Blizzard Entertainment.

~~~~~~~~~

“Would you please stop your incessant pacing, sister?”

Vereesa's voice snapped through the crisp air of the sterile hallway, her eyes weary as she watched Sylvanas stop dead in her tracks; finally a moment to rest.

Fingers clenched at her sides, Sylvanas snapped her head to meet her sister's gaze, wanting to construe anger and agitation but only succeeding in appearing like a petulant, tired child who was very overdue for their afternoon nap.

“You sound like those damned nurses, Vereesa,” Sylvanas retorted, her voice losing some of the edge she had intended. Sighing softly, she brought her hands to her temples and began to rub them absent mindedly, brow furrowing before she finally allowed herself to be seated beside her sibling.

A cocked brow, Vereesa rested her elbows on her knees while regarding Sylvanas.

“If you would have just calmed yourself and sat still like any other perfectly supportive wife or husband, I'm sure the nurses would gladly have allowed you to stay in the room,” the corner of Vereesa's lip twitched into a smirk. “Jaina does well to put up with you under most circumstances but I feel even she was glad to have you removed.”

A loud scoff left Sylvanas' lips, her eyes narrowing at the silver haired woman beside her. The very cheek of her!

“As Ranger-General I am entitled to every right to be by my wife's side and assist in the delivery-”

“-you literally tried to take the tools from the doctor's hands and called him a 'careless buffoon',” Vereesa stated in a deadpan voice, meeting her sister's gaze and regarding her for a few moments.

Clearing her voice, Sylvanas averted her eyes and tucked a few strands of silken hair behind one of her long, pointed ears. Said ears pushed back along her scalp, almost horizontal as they lay there in indignation and perhaps- just a little bit- of embarrassment.

“I was concerned he would hurt her. Down-” motioning with her hand, Sylvanas gave a vague wave to her nether regions.

Eyes widening momentarily, Vereesa had to contain a snort of laughter that was threatening to escape from her lips. She settled instead for a shake of her head, resting her face in the palm of one of her hands.

“Dearest sister, I can guarantee you have less to worry about the doctor hurting her, when something the size of a baby half-elf, half-human is coming out of an opening the diameter of several fingers.”

A blush crept its way onto Sylvanas' cheeks, her high cheekbones painted a rosy red as she realised the absurdity of her own behaviour. It's not like it was her fault, after all, she was a control freak and not being in control of a situation was maddening to her and sent her into a state of panic and unrest.

By the Goddess, she had never even seen herself as the motherly- fatherly?- type. At least, not until Jaina. In the beginning it had been different of course. An arranged marriage, one of political and leadership reasonings, to bind together the two great nations of land and sea- Quel'thalas and Kul'Tiras. There had been many options of course, to take the beautiful Lord Admiral's hand in marriage, and so Sylvanas was surprised when she received word that she would be taking that honour.

The first couple of years had been tentative. It was a slow, careful dance between the two. Sylvanas could be insufferable, wary and distant. Jaina was confusing, burning brightly hot one minute and cold the next. Both of them could act like toddlers at times, and it took many attempts at getting to know one another before they fell into regular routines together. Small touches and warm smiles became lingering gazes, wandering eyes and playful banter. Cautious intimacy became comforting embraces and warmth throughout cold nights, until it seemed all the puzzle pieces fell into place.

Almost overnight the two became inseparable, a shining beacon of love and hope and all that everyone had wished would become of a union between the two races. Now, several more years later and some good old fashioned sorcery, Jaina had been gifted with a magical pregnancy that belonged biologically to both her and Sylvanas.

While children, or at least heirs, had been stipulated in their marriage contract at some point in the 238 pages, Sylvanas had never had any intention to force her wife into parenthood unwillingly. It had come by choice of one too many nights spent babysitting Vereesa's twins, or visiting by the local orphanage to hand out boxes of toys, blankets, and clothing. Sylvanas had seen the warmth in Jaina's smile as she sat down to read a bedtime story to the sleepy twins, or kneeling down to receive a thank you hug from a happy orphan; somewhere along the line the Elf had found herself feeling that same warmth.

A click sounded from their right and the both of them shot up from where they were sitting to stand before the Doctor who was coming out of Jaina's room. His long flowing golden hair was tied back tightly to avoid any stray strands falling into his face. A warm smile graced his thin lips, his pale scrubs covered in a few smears of blood and clear fluids.

“Well? How is she?” her voice came out more clipped than she had intended, her patience wearing to a very thin line. Trying to see past the doctor in the room, Sylvanas could just make out the shape of Jaina in her bed.

Clasping his hands behind his back, the doctor followed her gaze.

“She is doing well, there were no complications. She is of course very tired after her labour, and a little tender.”

Sylvanas didn't notice the small change of tone at the end of his sentence, furrowing her brow just a little at his implication. Of course her wife would be tender, did he take her for a brainless fool?

“And our child?”

He stood up straighter, bowing his head down in a polite manner.

“Eight pound five, a perfectly healthy baby girl.”

Sylvanas' eyebrows rose on her head, a swirling of warmth building in her chest and a prickling starting to press at her eyes. Jaina and her had left the baby's gender up to guessing and old wives tales, but secretly Sylvanas had been hoping for a little girl.

Motioning with her hand, she averted her gaze from the man and took a step towards the doorway, Vereesa close behind her. “May I?”

The doctor nodded briskly, moving out of the way so that they might pass.

“Of course, do take as long as you need.”

Without another word, Sylvanas moved into the room with Vereesa closely in tow. Her footsteps were soft, padding over to the side of the bed where her wife lay, arms wrapped around a bundle in her arms as it lay against her chest. After a moment, Jaina tilted her head up to meet the warm elven gaze above her.

“My love,” Sylvanas regarded her, just above a whisper, leaning down to press their lips together in a gentle kiss. Pulling away, she threaded fingers through Jaina's blonde locks of hair. They were damp in places from sweat, clinging to her flushed cheeks and falling around her face in a mess. Yet to her the woman was still a shining light of beauty. “Are you feeling well?”

A single brow lifted above Jaina's right eye, a tired smile working its way onto her pink lips.

“I'm fine, I feel like I should be asking you the same thing. You've been acting a nervous wreck ever since we arrived here.”

A light roll of her eyes was the taller elven woman's only reply, but she allowed a smile despite herself.

“A concerned wife and father-to-be, that's all.”

Reaching out with her slender fingers, Sylvanas began to gently pull back the soft white blankets until they parted to reveal her newborn daughter's face; the warmth that blossomed inside of her at that very moment almost had her falling to her knees.

“She has your eyes.”

It was true, the child had Sylvanas' glowing, steely eyes. But there was something beneath them, a tinge of warmth that as she looked into them reminded her of the plucky human she was lucky enough to call her wife. Atop the child's head sat a little mop of blonde locks- the same tone blonde as Jaina's. Little pointy elf ears were pressed against the side of her head, her skin a softly shimmering tone of bronze.

Sylvanas wasn't aware of the wet streaks of tears rolling down her cheeks until she felt a warm hand reach up, brushing away the offending tears and cupping her cheek with a palm. She pressed her face into it, cherishing the touch of her wife. Reaching out, she ran the back of her index finger along her daughter's soft, chubby cheek, letting out a small hum of approval when the little child grabbed her finger with her chubby little hand and gripped it tightly.

“Such a strong grip, my littlest one. You shall make a fine archer someday.”

A snort sounded from behind her- Vereesa- and a chagrined sigh fell from Jaina's lips.

“Really darling, I will not have our daughter running about shooting arrows everywhere.” Another snort, this one earning Vereesa a withering glare as Sylvanas snapped her head back in warning.

“Don't speak such nonsense,” Sylvanas' voice was tight and posh, the epitome of her entire race in a single sentence. She turned back to Jaina, her stern features slowly melting into a mischievous grin and a squeeze from her hand. “She must of course learn to shoot from a standstill before she can perform tactical manoeuvres and movement while shooting.”

Groaning softly, Jaina let her head fall back onto her pillow, her eyes slipping shut and revealing the true tiredness she had been trying to mask.

“Gods Sylvanas, how did I ever let you talk me into parenthood?”

Taking a moment to pull a chair up beside the bed, Sylvanas allowed herself to sink into it. Her hands remained in the bed however, one now linked delicately with Jaina's fingers while the other cupped the back of their daughter's head.

“As I remember, it was about three bottles of very expensive wine, some musty old seer's spell-book and the blessings of your mother,” a soft smile crept onto her features, her hand giving Jaina's a squeeze. “And from memory, it was much of you who did the convincing, not myself.”

A second later, Jaina's lips curved into a matching smile. A small hum of approval left her throat and her head shifted to the side to face Sylvanas, her eyes remaining closed however.

“It was good wine, too.”

The room was quiet save for the soft cooing of the baby in Jaina's arms, Vereesa's feet shuffling against the tile before moving closer beside the bed.

“So, have you decided what you're going to name such a precious one?”

Truth be told, they had only really discussed names in passing, but hadn't given much thought to it. Sylvanas had assumed Jaina would choose some silly Human sounding name and they would argue over it before ultimately coming to some sort of truce on a Thalassian name. What she hadn't expected however was for her wife to open her mouth right there and utter an Elvish name without skipping a beat.

“Elaria.”

Both Sylvanas and Vereesa looked down at her, a look of contentment on the blonde woman's face as she opened her dark rimmed eyes and met those of her wife's with a look of absolute love and adoration.

“Elaria Windrunner.”

Everyday this woman found ways to surprise Sylvanas- 99% of the time being good surprises- and this was one of those good days.

Leaning over, Sylvanas pressed a tender kiss to Jaina's forehead before bending down a little further to press an accompanying kiss to their daughter- Elaria's- forehead.

“Elaria Windrunner, daughter to the Ranger-General and the Lord Admiral.” A smile played at Sylvanas' lips, a burning sensation of pride and adoration pulsing behind her chest. She felt the strong hand of her sister steady upon her shoulder, the corner of her lip twitching up even more as she heard the other woman sniffle in the subtlest way possible.

Sylvanas had no doubt their daughter would go on to do many great things. Whether she became the greatest archer the lands had ever seen, or a magnificent mage weaving spells to turn the tides, she just knew that this small life peering up at her with inquisitive eyes would make her and Jaina so incredibly proud some day. But she also knew that even if she didn't go on to make a great name for herself, Sylvanas and Jaina would always be there for her. To love her, to dote on her, and to encourage her regardless of the path life took her on.

And perhaps, just maybe, Jaina might even agree to the joy of bringing even more little perfect Human-High Elf hybrids into the world with her.

As though hearing Sylvanas' thoughts, the very wife in question began to softly snore.

Well, perhaps not just yet.

~

[pantherlover]

Rosemary and Rue Re-Read: Part 11

Here’s part 11!  As always: possible spoilers up to Night and Silence!

Chapter 23

We finally get to meet the Luidaeeeeeeeegg I’m so glad to seeeeeee heeeeeeeerrrrr

Toby says that according to rumor, the Luidaeg has been settled in San Francisco for nearly 70 years.  I wonder what made her come then.

It’s interesting comparing Evening’s persona with the Luidaeg’s.  Evening’s intimidating because she Seems Fae, even while she’s pretending to be mortal.  Toby says multiple times that mortals would know that there was ‘just something’ about Evening, and even other fae were intimidated by her.  

The Luidaeg, on the other hand, seems entirely normal; she’s not even really Impressive by mortal standards considering that she looks like a 19 year old girl who thinks it’s a good idea to tie her hair up with electric tape.  She’s not unusually tall, no abnormally clear skin, she isn’t so beautiful you can’t stand to look at her she’s just completely, 100% ordinary.

And that’s the most terrifying thing about her, because how can someone who’s so old, so powerful, so wild just hide that???

... water and fire, blood and burning.  She and her sisters were goddesses then, she and Black Annis and Gentle Annie, tending the younger children, roaming the bogs and rivers of the world.  Maeve’s Firstborn, pulled from her in blood and screaming while Oberon walked far, far away.  But they died one by one at the hands of men and fae, by iron and ash and rowan and fire they died, until the Luidaeg was the last, running, always running, called monster and demon because her blood was so much older and wilder than their own... ... did we lose it all for the roses?  Oh, Mother, you fool...

So, this seems... significant.  This is what Toby reads from the Luidaeg’s blood, and I think it’s the closest we’ve gotten to actual backstory about the Luidaeg.  Most of this past is hinted at in the rest of the books, but I don’t think her sisters’ names are mentioned again.  I kind of wonder what races of fae they were Firstborns of.

Also, this part demonstrates why this series is awesome for re-reads, because if I re-read this after The Winter Long came out, I would’ve assumed that the ‘did we lose it all for the roses’ line was about Eira.  Now?  I think it’s actually about Janet.

And just like that, Toby has switched her categorization of the Luidaeg from ‘horrible monster’ to ‘friend?  Scary friend?’

Is it just me, or does Oberon seem like he was kind of a jackass.  Like, he’s considered the final authority for all of Faerie, but he doesn’t seem like he actually pays attention to what anyone was doing, he didn’t consider changelings worthy of protection, and he seemed to get led around by his dick a lot for a king who was, like, actually good at his job.  Plus, he was a horrible husband to Maeve and a terrible father to Maeve’s children.  No wonder the Luidaeg’s so angry with him.

Also he seems kind of dumb?  Like, if you’re going to force Maeve’s oldest Firstborn under a geas to protect all of the descendants of your second wife, why did you not force Titania’s oldest Firstborn under a geas for the same reason?  And either Eira is way better at finding loopholes than the Luidaeg is, or Eira’s geas to stop her from harming the people of Amandine’s line was very poorly worded.

“I was wondering how long it would take for a member of [Amandine’s] line to bother tracking me down - although I’ll admit your blood’s a bit thinner than I expected.  Tried to fix matters on her own, did she?  She always was brainless.  Runs in the family.”

Okay, a couple parts of this confuse me.  By this point, August has tracked the Luidaeg down and demanded help on a quest.  And the Luidaeg already knows how thin Toby’s blood is, because she’s the one who stopped Amandine from turning Toby completely human.  A possible answer to this is ‘Seanan McGuire hadn’t come up with August or decided the Luidaeg was the one who intervened yet’ but a) that’s a boring answer, and b) I’m not 100% sure that tracks, so I want to see if I can come up with an in-canon reason.  The Luidaeg isn’t supposed to be able to lie, but maybe that’s only if she’s asked direct questions?  And that’s how she can indirectly lie about August?  I wasn’t really sure why the Luidaeg brought up Toby’s blood in the first place, but maybe she’s trying to get Toby curious about her blood; because that line makes sense now, but I think I remember being very confused the first time I read it.

Annnnnd the Luidaeg refers to Evening in the present tense.  Didn’t catch that the first time.

“You were that stupid by yourself?  Wonderful.  Amandine’s line is going to die out all on its own.  I won’t have to lift a finger.”

Even Toby thought that was noteworthy, so that line is probably going to be important in some way.  Maybe it has to do with Evening not being able to hurt Amandine’s line?

I wonder if the Luidaeg heard that Toby didn’t know that drinking the blood would make the curse stronger and thought, ‘Damnit, Amy, you are going to get your daughter killed.’

“The first hope chest was a gift from Oberon to Titania, to allow her to adjust her Court to her desire.  She passed it along to the first of her half-blood children, and somewhere along the line, there were more of them.  No one knows who made the later ones.  I don’t know, so don’t ask.”

This doesn’t quite match up with the short story The Fixed Stars.  In that story, the Luidaeg helps the changeling/merlins in a war against the fae in order for Oberon to step in and create the hope chests.  According to that story, the hope chests were created specifically to help the changelings.  Maybe the first one was made for Titania, and then the other ones came after that war.

Ahhh, my theory about why the Luidaeg owes Devin is wrong.  She says that it’s because he stopped people trying to burn her at the stake.  Although, she said that it was sixty years ago; who (and where) the hell was burning someone at the stake in 1949???

Hahaaaa, the Luidaeg called Toby pretty smart.  I bet that was the last time the Luidaeg ever thought that.

Did the Luidaeg ever ask Toby the question that had to be answered completely honestly?  The Luidaeg asked her a question, but I don’t think it reallly counted.

Chapter 24

Cagney and Laceeeeeeey.  I think this is the beginning of them being personal messengers to their King.  I think that should be utilized more often.  (I’m biased; if there’s a way to add cats, I want to add cats)

I’m confused about Toby not wanting Tybalt to know about the curse.  I thought the binding was the curse.  If it is, then he doesn’t need to hear about it from everyone else, Toby; you told him about it already.

Annnnnd here’s Julie attacking Toby over Ross’ death.  I have never been particularly sympathetic to Julie over this.  I understand being angry at Lily over this; if Toby’s right about her motivation, then Lily did send them out despite knowing they were best suited to actually stopping the assassin.  But both Ross and Julie knew what they were getting into when they agreed to escort Toby to her taxi.  It’s definitely a tragedy that Ross died, but it’s not Toby’s fault that they both agreed to do the dangerous thing, and then it turned out to be dangerous.  I could maybe understand it in this book, but it’s more and more childish the longer Julie insists that it’s Toby’s fault.

I didn’t really understand why Tybalt kept Julie in his Court, since Toby’s already said that he’s kicked her out when she’s refused to listen to him before, but then I realized that if he kicked her out, there would be nothing stopping Julie from tracking Toby and killing her, where as if she was part of his Court then Tybalt would have the authority to stop her.

Ahhhhhh Tybalt’s trusting Toby with access to his memorieeeeeeesssss

That’s it for this recap!  I THINK there’s only going to be one more, but we’ll see.  I’m hoping to be done by Tuesday, but we’ll see how it goes.  As always, come talk to me about the books!

[imaginesmai]

Ubbe: My Viking Prince (2)

Soo here it’s the second part! I think it’s the longer imagine I’ve ever done, so I hope you like it! Maybe I will make like an extra part with smut, who knows! Love you all and thank you for reading me

Plot: you ‘re Alfred sister, princess Y/N. Your life is different now that prince Ubbe is in you life, and you can’t help falling in love with him. But your life is not a fairytale; or is it?

Ubbe kept his promise, and each day he would take you to walk with him. You spent time with Lagertha, who you had come to admire, and Torvi, the beautiful and intelligent wife of Bjorn. Then, the prince would take you away claiming that you paid more attention to them than to him. And after your walk, he would leave you in your room, always kissing your cheek before leaving. The weeks passed by, and you grew more and more interested in the prince. One day, you were watching Lagertha and Torvi fighting when Bjorn stopped by your side. He was taller than you, even taller than your husband, and you would be lying if you said he didn’t scare you a bit.

-          I see you have been spending a lot of time with my brother.

-          I am, he is a good friend of mine. -you said, trying not to look at him in the eye.

-          He really appreciates you.

-          I am glad to hear that, Bjorn Ironside. He seem proud of his big brother too. When he starts talking about you, it’s difficult to shut him up. -you smiled, thinking about the way Ubbe’s eyes brightened up when he talked about his big brother.

-          He is a good man. -he said quietly. -And he has a good heart. I do not wish him to have it broken by a princess who is promised.

-          We don’t…I don’t see him that way.

-          Maybe he sees you that way.

-          I’m sorry but that’s not of your business. -you were getting angry; who did he thought he was talking to?

He just smirked and left. For the rest of the day, you couldn’t stop thinking about what Bjorn said. You had been so happy with Ubbe, so happy with the things he made you feel, that you forgot about the poor boy’s heart. You stayed quiet most of your walk with the prince, and he seemed to notice your sadness.

-          I did not see you today in the hall, eating with your family. -when you didn’t respond, he pressed further. -And I noticed you had been absent all the way to the forest. Is there something bothering you?

-          There is nothing wrong, my prince. Winter is near, and I do not enjoy the cold.

-          “My prince”? I thought we didn’t need to be so formal. -after a long silence, he tried again. -Is it about king Cliven?

-          What about him?

-          I…know he is not the sweetest guy in the world. He just seems a little rough. He reminds me of a bear, kind of a brainless bear. -you laughed and he smiled. -I bet that, if he was a bear, he would crash with every damn tree in the way.

-          He is like a big armour, yeah. -once you stopped laughing, you admitted. -He is good in battle, and an experience warrior. But he is just like an armour; useful in battle but without feelings or brain.

-          Then why are you going to marry him?

-          I have to, Ubbe. -you knew that he had to ask sooner or later.

-          He is much older than you. You are beautiful, and he is rude. You are kind and selfless, and he is a brute. You don’t love him.

-          Love doesn’t matter here, Ubbe. -he was getting angrier, and you could feel a fight coming. -I am a princess, and he is a powerful king. If my country is ever under attack, I will need an army to defend myself. He has that.

-          And you are going to just give yourself to that man? You are worth more that a bunch of soldiers, Y/N!

-          I need to protect my country! -by now, you had stopped, and he was in front of you with his eyes narrowed in anger.

-          You need to protect yourself! For Odin, you and your stupid god are ridiculous. A princess should have the privilege to marry whoever she wants.

-          Well, not everyone lives in a such a carefree religion, Ubbe! Here, we care about the lives of our people.

-          You just care about what your mother says. -that hurt, because you knew that in the end, he was right. -You are not living your life, you’re just living your mother’s dream. Just like a puppet.

-          I’m keeping my family alive, Ubbe. That’s more than what you can say about yours, huh?

-          At least I can have and fuck whoever I want, and I can live my life! -he was shouting by now. -I prefer the Gods that provide better than a false God that forbid.

-          At least my brother is alive, he loves me, and I had been able to protect him! -when the words left your mouth, you regretted, and tears filled your eyes. -I-I didn’t –

-          I will see you at dinner, princess Y/N.

Before he could leave, you saw the sadness in his eyes. You thought about Bjorn’s words; you didn’t even need a weeding to break his heart, you could do it with your words. You started walking towards the castle, silent tears falling down your tears. Ubbe had been nothing but good to you, and you had broken his trust in you just with a few words.

That night you cried yourself to sleep. The next morning, you saw Ubbe in the castle, but he didn’t look at you. You were sitting in the yard, reading a book, when your brother sat beside you.

-          I can feel your sadness from kilometres away. -he could read you so well, like if you had been the same person at some point if your life. -It is because the Viking prince?

-          I don’t know.

-          What you don’t know?

-          I… I don’t know what to do, brother. -your eyes filled again with tears; it seemed that the only thing you could do was cry.

-          Do you love him?

-          I don’t know. I don’t know what I am supposed to feel, or what loving someone means. I just know what mother taught me.

-          Sometimes, I wish I hadn’t leave you. -Alfred pulled you closer. -I know mother is harsh, but she only tries to give you the best. I mean, she has a complicated impression about the best thing is.

-          I just want to make everyone happy, Alfred.

-          You make everyone happy being yourself, and that’s enough. -he stood up and hugged you.

After talking for a while with your brother, you went back to the library. It wasn’t a big place, or a luxurious one. There were some tables in the middle, where your grandad used to write, and a lot of old books. You liked it there, it was a tiny space where you could feel at ease. But today you weren’t alone. Ubbe was there, looking at a crucifix with curious eyes.

-          That’s where our God died. -you said, making the prince jump in surprise.

-          How can a God die?

-          The Bible said he send his son, Jesus, to save us. And he died so the way to heaven would be open for us. -your eyes filled with tears once again, and you looked at the ground. -I’m sorry. God, I’m such an idiot, I shouldn’t have said that. You were right, I can’t make anything by myself, and I-

-          I’m sorry too. -he said. -You may be a little stupid sometimes, I mean, who believes in a virgin mother? But you just look out for your people. Much better than me, it seems.

-          No! -you moved closer to him, so close that you had to look up to see his eyes. -You are a wonderful prince, Ubbe. Winning a war doesn’t make a king a good one. You have saved your brother, and your family. And you have been brave enough to come to a place where your enemies could have killed you!

-          Yet I am not brave enough to say you that I love you. -Ubbe’s voice was low, and his face was just a few inches away from yours. He kept looking between your eyes and your lips. -I have had the chance to know you this last weeks. Its not time enough, but… I love how you try to hide your smile when something is funny, I love how your cheeks turn red when I talk about sex, I love how your hand seems to fit perfectly in mine… and I just can’t hate the fact that you are going to be married to another man, because I know that you do it for your people; and it just makes me love you more.

He moved slowly, like if he was asking for permission, and when you nodded, he put his hand in your cheek and kissed you. When Cliven kissed you, you had to put your hands in his arms so he didn’t touch you where he shouldn’t, and his mouth bruised against you. Ubbe’s lips were gentle, caring, and you knew he was restraining himself. You put your hands around his neck, you fingers playing with his braid while he grunted loudly. Soon the kiss deepened, and he ran his tongue down your lower lip, asking for permission. You had to part his lips to breath after a while.

-          I wish I could wipe the smirk out of your face. -you smiled.

-          Maybe someday I could teach you.

You were going to kiss him again when the door opened suddenly and Cliven’s soldiers entered loudly. They took Ubbe by his arms and dragged him out of the library; king Cliven stood behind them, and without saying a word he took you by you arm and left. You were dragged across the different parts of the castle, and soon the great hall appeared in front of you. Judith stood there, next to Lagertha and some other women. King Clive threw you in the front of the room, tearing your dress apart. You tried to cover yourself the best you could, while Ubbe just screamed and kicked.

-          You promised me a virgin wife, Judith! -he screamed. -A good wife, who knew how to behave and that would always be loyal!

-          Y/N it’s not some piece of meat you can buy king Cliven. -you heard Ubbe behind you. -She is worthy of a man who loves her, not a man who intimidate her!

-          My queen, I demand the death of this…pagan and the right to take my wife to my country. -you saw in your mothers eyes the doubt, but soon it was gone. – If you do so, my queen, I promise that our deal will be the same and I will protect your country from any attacks.

-          I…I am sorry for the behaviour of my daughter, but I am sure she will make it up to you. You can leave tomorrow, king Cliven.

Everything around you seemed to disappear. You couldn’t cry, you couldn’t see your brother’s angry face while he discussed with Judith, and you couldn’t hear the cries and please from your Viking prince. Some of the soldiers took you away to the dungeons, while others took Ubbe to the front of the room. King Cliven made a move with his hand, telling the soldier to wait; he wanted you to see this. Ubbe felt angry at himself; he did not mind the blade that soon would cut his head off, he just regretted the life that you were going to suffer.

When Ubbe was put on his knees, the door was open roughly by Bjorn Ironside. He was covered in blood, and some of the men that followed him seemed hurt. He walked right in front of the throne and looked at Judith in the eye.

-          King Cliven has no longer an army to defend your kingdom. -a few gasps could be heard.

-          How dare you to say such a thing? My men could not be killed by a brainless pagan like you! -King Cliven shouted.

-          You can go and discover yourself. I have made a pile with the heads of your soldiers so they would be easier to identify.

-          You come here, saying that you have killed the army that was going to fight for me. -your mother said, while she went down the stairs of the throne slowly. -And you expect me not to kill you?

-          I have killed your army, but I offer you a greater one. My Vikings will fight with you, and I don’t need some stupid compromise to make the deal.

King Cliven tried to talk, but Judith just lifted her hand. She looked at Bjorn’s eyes for a while, and she nodded. The queen’s soldiers took King Cliven out of the hall, and Ubbe was put on his feet. He ran then to you and tried to cover your body with his capes. You took him by the hem of his shirt and kissed him, this time crying out of happiness.

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

A few months later, you were in your room trying to fit your wedding dress. Your mother died after the deal with Bjorn was done, and your brother Alfred became king of all Wessex. He was happy for you, and that meant that you could marry Ubbe freely. Torvi walked in your room, helping you to tie your hair.

-          You look beautiful, Y/N. More than ever.

-          Thank you Torvi. -you moved so that you were facing her. -I’m so thankful for having you here, with me… All of you have become the best of my life.

-          Don’t worry, you have made our lives much better too. Now go, I don’t think you want to keep your Viking prince waiting.

There were two ceremonies. One Christian, that you celebrated in the main church of Wessex, and one Viking, where Alfred had to run with Ubbe in, your opinion, some stupid wedding race. You had fun, and you enjoyed every second from the beginning of your new live. When the wedding had come to an end and the night had fallen, your brother approached the little bench where Ubbe and you were sitting.

-          I have a present for you, sister.

-          It’s not your birthday? -Ubbe said frowning.

-          No, you silly. It’s tradition to receive presents in your wedding, at least here in Wessex.

-          Your religion is full of stupid things, you know, Alfred? Or, should I say brother-in-law? -Ubbe laughed.

-          I’m really happy that you are married. I didn’t remember seeing her smiling like this since she went to the forest for the first time. -you snuggled closer to him, feeling the pride fillings your prince’s heart. -Ubbe, you have proven to be trustworthy, and I want to give you the lands of your father’s dream.

-          What? -he was surprised to see the papers he had wanted for so long in front of him.

-          These lands are your now. And I expect from you to farm them and to take care of them. Along with my sister, of course.

Ubbe hugged Alfred close, feeling like for the first time in his life he had a real friend; that was probably what Ragnar felt when he had Athelstan. He felt closer with his father than he ever had felt, except he wouldn’t leave the woman of his dreams. When your brother left, he took you by the back of your neck and kissed you with love and adoration. He was badmouthed, pagan and a little rough; and you felt the luckiest princess alive, because you had finally found your Viking prince.

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[littlexredxwolf]

Beauty and the beast

Fandom: Marvel/Disney Prompt: It’s beauty and the beast, with a twist. Word Count: 5,067 Character: Bucky and Reader. Warnings: None Author note: originally posted on impala-imagines, awfully written but amusing. Credits: I do not own marvel, i do not own this story and I do not own Disney.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young Sergeant lived in a war filled world although he didn’t have much, the Sergeant was sweet, kind, caring. But then, winters night, a mission came to his team and caused him to go against those who would turn the world to hell. The Sergeant fell from the train that night and was found by a hideous scientist, who offered him a single rose as an agreement to work for Hydra. Repulsed by their haggard appearance, he sneered at the gift and turned them away. But they warned him not to be deceived by appearances for beauty comes from within, when he dismissed them again they stepped away to let him die. The Sergeant tried to apologize, but it was too late for they had seen there was no desire to live in his heart, and as punishment they turned him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful memory wipe on him. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Beast concealed himself inside his home with a computer as his only window to the outside world. The rose the scientist had offered him, was truly an enchanted rose, and would bloom until his twenty first year. If he could to love another and earn that person’s love in return, by the time the last petal fell then the spell would be broken, if not he would be doomed to remain a beast, for all time. As the years past, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a Beast?

Leaving your home early that morning, you carried your bag and made your way toward the apple store. As you reached the edge of the town center, you saw the baker and gave him a smile. “Good morning Y/N, where you off to?” The baker questioned looking at you with a curious smile. “To get the new Ipad, it’s out today and it has better battery and, and-.” But the baker wasn’t interested, he was just making idol chitchat. “That’s nice. Marie, the baguettes, hurry up!” Excited, you shrugged it off and carried on walking passed the hair dressers, where old ladies were already having their hair done. You knew they would probably be gossiping about you always, calling you funny, strange, and that you were dazed and distracted. You noticed someone else commenting say you were never part of the crowd and another saying about how your head was in the clouds. But that didn’t matter, you were on a mission and you didn’t care.

“There must be more than this Proventil life.” You uttered to yourself shaking your head softly. Pushing the door open to the apple shop open, you walked inside and gave a giant smile to the owner. “Ah Y/N.” The store owner said looking at you with fond eyes as he always did whenever you came in. “Good morning, I’ve come to get the new IPad.” You were practically bouncing as you looked around the shop. “Already? Well you’re early.” He pointed out glancing at his watch. “Oh I couldn’t sleep last night, is it here?” He nodded before going out the back to get you the iPad you’d ordered weeks ago. “I’ll pay on this one.” Biting your lip, you knew you might be maxed out, but you had to hope as you handed over your card. “That one, but you’ve maxed it out twice.” Your shoulders slumped at the thought of not getting the IPad. “I know, but it’s the one with the best limit on it.” The man thought for a moment, looking at you, before he smiled. “Well if you want it this much, it’s yours.” A look of complete shock appeared on your face as he spoke, you couldn’t believe it. “But sir?” You tried to hand it back, but he pushed it toward you. “I insist.” Jumping the counter, you hugged him tightly and smiled. “Why thank you, thank you so much.”

Leaving the bookshop, you took your iPad out of its box and turned it on as you started to walk, getting the settings how you wanted them, you had a dreamy look on your face as you looked deeply at the iPad. You knew no one else understood you, but that didn’t matter at all. “Oh isn’t this amazing! It’s my favorite one so far, because it has better graphics, a quicker speed and connects to wifi so easy. But I won’t discover all the secrets with this low battery.” You carried on walking, not paying attention to anyone, or anything. You didn’t care what people said to you as you walked. Not even noticing Tony Stark and Bruce Banner talking, Tony turned to Bruce with a wide grin on his face.

The pair of men stood together, discussing a mission they’d had the night before. “Wow, you didn’t miss a bad guy Tony, you’re the greatest Avenger in the whole world! No bad guy stands a chance against you, and no girl for that matter.” Bruce said grinning at Tony. “It’s true Bruce, and I got my sights set on that one!” He pointed at you as you walked past, pushing buttons on your tablet. “That one, you mean the scientists daughter?” Bruce looked shocked, surprised that he’d even go for recluse like you. “She’s the one, the lucky girl I’m going to marry!” “But she’s-” “The most beautiful girl in town!” “I know but-“ “That makes her the best, and don’t I deserve the best?” Tony made his way through the crowds as you carried on looking at your IPad, making your way back home. Not noticing a single thing. No one really understood you at all, or how you operated. Computers made you safe, they always had, you were able to hide behind them and not have to face the world out there.

“Good morning Y/N.” Looking up from your Ipad you smiled softly. “Good morning Tony.” Reaching over, he took the Ipad from you. “How can you like this, it’s apple.” Taking it back, you glared. “Well, some people enjoy good quality.” You replied. He rolled his eyes as he watched you, suddenly Bruce was beside Tony too. “What do you say, you come and take a look at Stark tower and see some of my computers.” Moving away from him you shook your head. “Maybe later, I have to get home and help my father.” You said quickly, turning on your heel, you rushed off back home, not daring to look back.

Opening the front door, you rushed inside and looked for your father, finding him in his lab you smiled gently. “Hello Papa.” You exclaimed rushing down. “Hello sweetheart, did you have a good time in town today?” He asked causing you to show him your Ipad. “I got the new Ipad… Papa, do you think I’m odd?” You asked tilting your head. “My daughter odd, no… why do you say that?” You shrugged a little bit and watched him adding chemicals. “It’s just that I don’t really fit in here, everyone else likes none apple products.” Walking around, he placed his hand on your shoulder and smiled. “This invention will be the start of something new, just you wait and see.” Glancing at the time, your father rushed off to get changed and get ready to leave.

“Goodbye Papa, good luck!” You waved him off as he headed off in a cab. “Goodbye Y/N, take care while I’m gone.” Once your father was gone, you were upstairs on the internet enjoying the things you spent most days doing, you lost track of day and night until finally you heard a knock at the door. Getting up, you walked downstairs and opened the door to find Tony stood there. “Tony, what are you doing here?” He forced his way inside and smiled. “Just picture it Y/N, my penthouse, my latest news reports on the tv, while the little ones play with the dogs. We’ll have six or seven.” Looking at him confused, you raised an eyebrow. “Dogs?” Laughing softly, he shook his head. “No y/n, strapping boys like me. So what do you say?” Stepping back slowly, you took hold of the door handle and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry Tony, I just… I don’t deserve you!” Swinging the door open, you watched him fall flat on the ground as you moved to slam the door shut.

Storming back upstairs, you sat down at your computer and carried on skyping with a friend from across the sea. “He asked me to marry him, can you believe it? Me the wife of that boorish, brainless!” You started to imagine how awful it would be and cringed, even the thought of it made your stomach twist and turn, a sick feeling inside your stomach. “I just want someone to understand me, is that too much to ask?” It was then that your laptop started beeping. Getting up, you rushed over to it and opened it, your father’s GPS. “Oh no, Papa.” Writing down the location, you grabbed your things and headed out to try and find him. Your heart racing as you got into a cab and told him the location. “Hang in there Papa, I’m coming!”

The cab refused to go any further, leaving you at the end of a long winding path and screeching off before you could even think about changing your mind. Taking a deep breath, you walked slowly through the gates and noticed your father’s name badge. “Papa?” You rushed over and picked it up, looking at it and then looking around. Standing up, you looked up at the towering castle in front of you, it looked pitch black, uninhabited, looked as if nothing or no one had been in there for years and years. Taking a very deep breath, you touched the door and slowly opened it. It was even creepier from there. You took your time, gently edging in through the door, closing it behind you, you began to search. “Hello? Is anyone here? Papa?” You noticed a light on the steps and rushed after it, running up to find who or what it was? It led you to a room on the first floor.

“Hello?” You called out softly, until you heard the voice that you needed to hear. “Y/N?” Rushing across the room, you ran to him and hugged him through the bars. “Papa, oh your hands are like ice.” You said cupping them trying to warm them up. “How did you find me?” You shook your head. “It doesn’t matter.” Your father seemed to straighten up and look at you seriously. “You need to leave, go no. Not a minute to loose!” You found yourself snapping at him with anger. “No, I’m not leaving. Who done this to you!” Suddenly, you felt yourself flying across the room and landing on the ground, slowly looking up, looked around the darkness. “Who is there? Who are you?” A guff sandpaper like voice replied to you, causing you to swallow hard. “The master of this castle.” You slowly stood up, your eyes fixed on the location. “Please let my father go, can’t you see he’s sick.” The man yelled back at you. “Well he shouldn’t have trespassed here!” You paused for a moment, looking between your father and the figure.

“Take me instead.” There was a sound of a snigger coming from the man. “You?” He paused for only a minute. “You would take his?” You nodded gently. “Come into the light.” Slowly, the man walked into the light, you too in the tall figure with long hair and a metal arm and gasped. “You have my word.” You whispered, he moved to open the door for your father and he rushed to you instantly. “No, Y/N. I’m old I’ve lived my life.” You went to hug your father but he was dragged away instantly. “No, wait!” You screamed, watching your father leave with the monster. You crumpled on the floor and sobbed softly, the thought of never seeing your father again, never getting to be with him again and never even getting to say goodbye.

“Come, I’ll show you to your room.” Your head shot up at the voice in the doorway. “My room, but I thought…” “Do you want to stay in the tower.” You slowly shook your head, then got up and began to follow him. “This place is your home now, you can go anywhere you want, except the attic.” Looking at him curiously, you tilted your head ever so lightly. “What’s in the attic?” “It’s forbidden!” He snapped back at you causing you to nod slowly. You followed him to a room, where he opened the door and you slowly walked inside. “You will join me for dinner, that’s not a request!” The door slammed behind you, causing tears to prick your eyes. Rushing across to the bed, you threw yourself down and began to cry, just wanting everything to go back to the way it was before.

Meanwhile back at Stark Tower, Tony was licking his wounds, feeling awful about the fact that he’d been rejected, he couldn’t believe it. He was furious that you could say no to him. The avengers were busy throwing a party to celebrate their latest mission success, when suddenly Your father ran inside. “Someone, someone help me. He’s got her, he’s got her locked in the dungeon.” “Who?” “Y/N!” Tony stood up and adjusted is blazer. “Woah, slowdown, who has Y/N locked in a dungeon?” Taking a deep breath, your father looked at everyone. “A beast, a horrible monstrous beast!” Everyone stopped and looked at each other, before starting to chuckle. “Was it a big beast?”

“Massive!”

“With sharp cruel fangs?”

“No, a metal arm! Will you help me?” Tony quieted everyone down and smirked. “We’ll help you out.” Security escorted him out, as Tony looked at Bruce. “Bruce, I’ve been thinking. That wacky old coot is Y/N’s father and his sanity is only so/so. Now the wheels in my head have been turning, since I looked at that loony old man, I promised myself I’d be married to Y/N and right now I’m creating a plan!” With his spark back in his eye, the party carried on into the night, everyone, especially Tony celebrating.

You refused to go to dinner with the man who had you, you refused to even speak to him when he came to see you. The servants were kind to you however and when you finally snuck out, they fed you and entertained you for a little while. “Would you show me around?” You asked, they nodded and started to lead you around the massive house, as you passed a flight of stairs, you glanced up. “What’s up there?” A servant grabbed your hand and made you start to walk. “Nothing, nothing of interest in the attic.” You couldn’t help but glance back, curious as to what was up there. “Come, let us show you the computer room.” That perked you up, turning to look at them with a grin and an excited bounce in your step. “You have a computer room?” They started to lead you away, but you couldn’t help but glance back, after a moment you managed to turn around and rush off up the stairs leaving the servants to talk.

Slowly you made your way up the steps to the attic. A gentle cough came from your lips as you looked around, the dust was thick and it looked as if the place had barely been used for years. You edging into the room, you noticed a picture slashed and walked over, lifting it up to look at the handsome man in the picture. Looking away, you noticed an old army uniform, the only thing that hadn’t got a single piece of dust on it. Reaching over, you touched it gently, before you noticed the only form of light in the room. Slowly, you turned around and looked at the rose. Walking slowly over, you lifted the glass off and reached out to touch it.

A growl caused you to turn around, the beast placing the glass back over the rose and glaring at you. “I told you never to come here!” He snapped, looking at you as your heart started to pound heavily in your chest. “I’m sorry.” Lifting up something, he threw it across the room, smashing behind you. “Do you realize what you could’ve done. Get out!” Fear filled your eyes as you turned and ran, going as fast as your feet would carry you, you ran down past the servants. “Y/N?” Looking back at them, you shook your head. “Promise or no promise, I can’t stay here another minute.” Flying out of the door, you rushed off into the wilderness outside the gates and began to run, not caring that it was pitch black, you’d find your way, you had to find your way.

You ran through the wilderness, panting hard as you raced down a hillside, trying to find A road to follow back to civilization. As you ran down the hill, your foot caught on a branch and you tumbled down and started to roll, catching speed, unable to slow down until finally you reached the bottom of the hill. Laying down on the ground, you let out a soft groan. Laying there in the dark, looking through the canopy of trees toward the moon, you let out a gentle gasp as you regained your breath. As you lay there, you listened to the silence, until the sound of a howl caught your ears. Pulling yourself up, you began to run, not sure where to go, but trying hard to escape the wolves that had picked up your scent and were chasing after you.

Rushing through a ticket, you found yourself being caught on branches, some trying to take your legs out from under you, others ripping at your clothes trying to keep you from running away from what hunted you. Managing to get through with an almighty heave, you toppled to the ground once again, just in time to see glowing eyes coming toward you. You swallowed hard, trying to find the will to push yourself back up, but you were tired and in pain. Just as the first wolf lunged at you, it was scooped up and thrown, followed by another one, and another until they ran off in pain. Looking up, you stared shocked at the man in front of you, he didn’t speak, just stood there for a moment, before falling down. Rushing over, you helped him up and the pair of you slowly made your way back to the house.

Once you were inside, you ordered the staff to get you some hot water and a cloth as you helped him take a seat beside the fire. “Thank you.” You commented taking the warm bowl. “Stay still, this might hurt a little.” You explained as you began to clean his wounds. A growl left is lips, causing you to shy away from him. “That hurts!” He yelled loudly at her. “Well if you hold still it wouldn’t hurt as much!” You snapped back at him. “Well if you hadn’t run away, this wouldn’t have happened!” He quickly retorted. “Well if you hadn’t frightened me, I wouldn’t have run away!” He slowly opened his mouth, is eyes looking at you trying to find something to say. “Well you shouldn’t have been in the West Wing!” Looking up at him, you glared slightly. “Well you should learn to control your temper!” He stared at you, not a single world leaving his mouth as he looked shocked. “Now hold still, this might sting a little.” Your words came out tenderly, causing him to grit his teeth and bare the pain as you cleaned him. “By the way, thank you for saving my life.” There was a moment of silence, he stared down at you, surprise on his face. “You’re welcome.”

“I don’t usually leave the S.H.I.E.L.D at this time of night, this better be good boys.” Bruce and Tony looked between each other and nodded. “Yes, we do.” Pulling out a small file, they slid it across the desk. “I believe he’d working for Hydra; I’d like to get him investigated. Then what?” Nick asked looking between the two men. “Then, I would like to bring him in for questioning…” Tony explained looking at the man with the eyepatch in front of him. “Then what if he’s not?” Tony shrugged his shoulders a little. “Y/N will do anything to try and protect her father “So you’re doing this to get a girl.” There was a glint in Tony’s eye as Nick caught on. “Alright, I’ll play along.” Nick agreed with a smirk. The men left and made their way to Your house and banged on the door, ready to arrest your father, however, there wasn’t anyone there. “Bruce, you stay here, and wait till they return. Don’t move from this spot!”

Time rolled on and you and the beast began to bond, you found yourself finding a sweet side to him, you’d play outside in the garden together, and before you knew it, you were falling in love with him. Your eyes glanced at him for a moment, before hiding yourself. You felt conflicted, panicked, worried about what this would mean for the two of you. “Y/N, come on, I have something I want to show you.” Poking your head out, you got hit in the face with a snowball, chuckling softly, you threw one back and then dodged and hid, and gathered more snow, throwing it and hitting him before he was even able to gather the snow to throw again. “Come on, it’s time for a surprise.” Taking hold of your hand, he led you inside and glanced at you with a small smirk. Leading you through the castle to a room. “Close your eyes.” You looked at him a little skeptically, but then closed your eyes, slowly he led you inside and pulled the curtains back. “Can I open them?” He laughed softly and nodded. “Yes, open them.” You let out a gentle gasp as you moved your hands away from your eyes and began to look around shocked. “I’ve never seen so many books in all my life.” His hand moved to touch your cheek and he smiled. “I know it’s not a computer, but I thought you might like these.” You flung your arms around him and hugged him tightly. ���It’s wonderful! Thank you so much Bucky.”

That night, both you and Bucky dressed in beautiful, clothes sort of like a first date. You had the most beautiful elegant 1940s dress and Bucky had a suit on, he didn’t know why but it was always what he’d been into. The pair of you met at the top of the stairs and you smiled at each other, you curtsied and he bowed, before escorting you downstairs to the ballroom. After dining on all of your favorite foods, you stood up and rushed over to him and held out your hand. “Dance with me?” Looking nervous, he slowly stood up and took your hand. “I don’t know how.” Ignoring him telling you this, you guided him to the floor and placed his hands in the right places and took hold of his hands and began to lead, showing him how to dance. You moved to the beat, all the way till he figured out what he was doing and took control, leaving you able to rest your head on his shoulder, it didn’t bother you that you could feel is metal arm through his jacket, his metal arm didn’t bother you at all.

The pair of you retired outside to spend some time getting fresh air, Bucky slowly turned to look at you. “Y/N, are you happy?” You nodded softly, looking up at him with fond eyes. “Yes, I… I just wish I could see my father one last time.” Bucky thought for a moment, and took your hand and rushed upstairs with you to the attic. Picking up a small tablet, he opened something and handed it to you. “This will show you whatever you want, just type in the words.” Nodding softly, you typed in the words and watched as a satellite zoomed in on an area not far away. “My father, he may be dying and he’s all alone!” You jumped up fear in your eyes. “Then you should go.” Turning around, you looked at Bucky. “What?” You spoke in a half whisper. “You’re free.” Hugging him tightly, you let out a soft sigh. “Thank you for understanding.” You went to hand back the tablet, but he shook his head. “Take it, so you always have a way to look back and remember.” Looking at him once again, you then turned and ran off.

You found your father and got a cab home. “Don’t worry Papa, I’ll look after you.” You said as you helped him inside and got him into bed. “How did you escape?” He asked, looking down at him you smiled softly. “I didn’t, he let me go. He’s different now Papa, he’s changed somehow.” You explained as you made him some tea. The sound of someone knocking on the door caused you to look around. “I’ll get it.” Slowly opening the door, you looked up to see Nick Fury and several different agents. “Yes?” He smirked softly. “I’m here to pick up your father, he’s suspected to be working for Hydra.” You shook your head. “No, my father would never!” You yelled. “He was raving about some sort of creature; he must be working for them and created it!” Tony shouted from the street, a mob was starting to form around. “I can clear up this little misunderstanding… if.” You looked at Tony curiously. “If?” He smirked and leaned closer. “If you marry me.”

“Never!” Men forced themselves past you and went inside to get your father, running inside after them you grabbed the tablet. “My father doesn’t work for Hydra; I can prove it!” Grabbing the tablet, you rushed outside and turned it around to show everyone. “He’s a human, my father doesn’t work with humans!” You shouted, showing everyone. But there were gasps as they saw the dark look in his eyes, the metal on his arm. “Is he dangerous?” You shook your head. “No, he’s kind and gentle, he’s my friend.” A glare appeared on Tony’s face as he moved over and snatched the tablet away. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have feelings for this monster.” You pulled away from him. “He’s no monster Tony, you are!” A sneer appeared on his face. “She’s as evil as her old man!” He snapped. “The beast will make off with your children, he’ll come after them in the night!” Gasps spread through everyone as they looked around and Tony started to rile them up. “Lock them in!” He ordered, you were dragged and thrown inside your house with your father, guards stood on the door and refused to let you out.

The mob started to make their way toward Bucky’s house, anger on their faces as they went together. “We won’t rest until he’s dead!” They announced as they made their way off. Unaware that your father was sneaking you through the cellar and out of a small window so you could make off after the mob and try and rescue the beast. The mob drew close to Bucky’s house, Tony leading them in his super suit. “Take whatever you can find, but remember the beast is mine!” He announced as they moved and blew the doors open. Everyone stopped as they found a silent entrance. Suddenly the servants burst out and began to fight with everyone. They were all clearly going to protect their leader for as long as they could.

Tony slipped through and made his way up the stairs, searching for Bucky bursting into the attic, he found him and hit him out of the window. “Get up, you worthless piece of shit, get up.” He snarled at him. “Were you in love with her you beast? Did you honestly think she’d want you, when she had someone like me?” He moved and smashed into him once again, an angry glare on his face, causing him to end up close to the edge of the roof. “No! Tony, please, no!” You screamed as you arrived, it was then Bucky moved and pushed himself up and began to fight against Tony, they collided hard as Tony flew into him and Bucky stopped him with his suit. Running through the house, you made your way up to the attic and out onto the roof. “Stop it, please.” You arrived just to see Bucky holding Tony over the long drop, he suddenly changed and dropped him down onto the pavement. “Get out!”

Bucky turned around and started to make his way up toward you, but then suddenly Tony hit him. Bucky fell backward, you caught him and held onto him, trying to pull him up. Tony slipped and plummeted toward the earth, his suite failing as he did. You pulled Bucky up onto the ledge and lay him down. “No, please don’t leave me.” You uttered, your fingers touching his cheek. “At least I got to see you one last time.” He whispered as he gasped for breath. The petal fell from the rose as tears trickled down your cheeks. “Please, don’t leave me. I love you.” Suddenly everything started to change, you stepped back as light flooded around Bucky, his body moved into the air and something happened to him, before gently lying him back down.

You watched, mouth open as he pushed himself up and turned to look at you. “I remember.” He whispered. “I remember everything.” He moved over to you and scooped you up in his arms and kissed you deeply, spinning you around as he did. “I love you Y/N, you broke the spell.” He said holding you in his arms. “I love you too Bucky.” You stood looking up at each other, smiles on your faces as you knew this was the start of a beautiful new adventure.

[sweetsmellosuccess]

The Best (and Worst) Films of 2017

Determining what you deem to be the “best” films of a given year – or the “worst,” for that matter – is something of a drain. First of all, what, exactly, is your criteria? Do you choose the films that made the most impact on you? The ones that months later you still remember in vivid detail? The ones that seemed the best made? Sometimes, a film you dismiss one year you eventually come to realize is actually very, very good. Other times (though more rare), a film you absolutely loathed comes around for you and you realize you made a huge mistake in your original harsh judgment. Ultimately, it has to come down to the most basic and inexcusable of fallacies: It just feels right to you, for whatever reason, and shut up, it’s my list. This obviously makes these year-end lists little more than a document of my utterly subjective whims in a given calendar year, so take any of these so-called lists, no matter how definitive they want to appear to be, with a giant salt-lick block. Withering disclaimers in place, let’s go ahead and do this.

The 20 Best Films of 2017

20. Wind River Taylor Sheridan’s directing debut – a whodunit conducted on reservation lands in frigid Wyoming, lead by a BFW hunter (Jeremy Renner) and a neophyte FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) -- does have some glaring weaknesses – he does seem preternaturally fond of the whole “female agent in over her head” dynamic, and there is certainly some White Guy in Native Lands stuff that might turn people off. But one thing he does get right is the landscape, in all its pitiless beauty, and a sense of just how thoroughly American society has largely turned its back to the plight of our country’s native peoples. It’s a murder mystery with more of a political kick than you might expect. Full Review

19. Logan Just when the superhero genre had about exhausted its bag of tricks, James Mangold’s more haunting vision of a Wolverine (played for the last time by Hugh Jackman) old, riddled with guilt and doubt, and loss of purpose felt like a revelation. The lion in winter, whose adamantium claws were still in effect – and to particularly bloody purpose, with the application of the hard ‘R’ rating – became a version of the character we hadn’t seen before, and one that proved to have much more emotional complexity. Full Review

18. The Meyerwitz Stories (New and Selected) I realize Noah Baumbach, with his archly literary sensibilities and dynamic wordplay between admittedly sad sack, often dislikable characters, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But I’ve always found his stuff riveting, and here, with a full-blown cast (including Dustin Hoffman, Adam Sandler, Emma Thompson, and Ben Stiller) and a bevy of characters whose intricate interactions yield emotionally rich scene work, he’s in fine fettle. Sandler, proving once again that he’s capable of far more than brainless, lazy fart comedies when pressed by a good director, is very strong, and Hoffman, playing an irascible, egocentric aging patriarch, is excellent. Full Review

17. Berlin Syndrome Another film I thought would do better than its limited-run-straight-to-video release might indicate, Cate Shortland’s cat-and-mouse thriller about an Aussie tourist in Berlin (Teresa Palmer) who has a brief affair with a German man (Max Riemelt) before he abducts her and keeps her locked in his apartment for months on end. The film is smart and riveting – featuring yeoman work from the two leads, and a pulse-tripping last act that welded me to my seat – and, in this unofficial Year of the Female, featured a strong-as-nails heroine standing up to the worst sort of male oppression, a perfect metaphor for 2017. Capsule Review

16. Free Fire Amongst an admittedly soul-searing line-up at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival, Ben Wheatley’s absurdly entertaining shoot-em-up struck me as exactly the kind of elixir I needed to pick myself up off the floor. With a sterling cast – including Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, and Oscar-winner Brie Larson – and a can’t miss bottle-episode premise – a pair of gangs during a gun-buy gone bad are forced to square off against each other in an abandoned umbrella warehouse in ‘70s-era Boston – work to make this thing pop like a series of firecrackers. I actually expected it to be a bigger hit than its more modest returns indicate, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it picks up steam after repeated viewings on cable and streaming services. Someday, it will get its due. Full Review

15. A War Quietly, Tobias Lindholm has been making tremendous films over the last decade, either working with director Tomas Vinterberg, or on his own helmed projects. This military drama stars “Game of Thrones” actor Pilou Asbek – a star in his own right in his native Denmark – as a captain of an outpost in Afghanistan forced to make a difficult, but totally understandable, decision that leads to his having to endure a court martial hearing. Asbek is absolutely masterful, and Lindholm has a way of creating difficult and complex narratives that puts his characters and his audience in a moral quandary. Full Review

14. The Salesman Every film from Iranian auteur Asghar Farhadi is a cause for celebration, and this film – an interesting meditation on repressive misogyny, Iranian social politics, and Arthur Miller – is no exception. The film utilizes Farhadi’s trademark tightly wound, concentric narrative wrapped around a central core mystery. While it’s not quite at the level of some of his best work (including A Separation, and The Past) it’s nevertheless a fascinating film further probing deeply into the human condition. Capsule Review

13. Strong Island I had the pleasure of watching Yance Ford’s deeply moving doc, about the murder of his older brother and the ways his loss devastated her once-happy family, at last spring’s True/False festival. Here’s what I wrote about it at the time: “Shot in a pastiche of styles – for most of the interviews, the camera keeps a respectful distance, but for Ford’s own confessions, he shoots almost uncomfortably close, almost daring us to look away – the somber themes are greatly enhanced by the addition of inspired poetic visuals: an angled roof against the blue of the sky, snow swirling in air against a dark night, a particularly haunting overhead shot of the grease stain on the concrete outside the garage where his brother lay down to die, which untether the film from clear narrative delineation, and send it into spiraling layers of grief and acceptance. The result is uncompromising and almost impossibly raw.” Capsule Review

12. Wonder Woman Just when we were all ready to take the DCU and chuck it into Zack Snyder’s garbage disposal, along comes Diana Prince, who revitalized the entire comic book genre, and breathed new life into what had been Warner Bros. desultory foray into comic book universes (a life almost immediately put back on life support after the disastrous Justice League debacle this past fall, but I digress). Gal Gadot’s star turn as the heroine of the summer could not have come at a more precipitous time, given the political wave of female empowerment, and Patty Jenkins’ film was thrilling and ground-breaking. DC might have only given us one winning film this year, but it certainly was a doozy. Full Review

11. Graduation Cristian Mungiu’s narratives always challenge his protagonists in deeply disturbing ways, either by dint of the oppression they are under, or the moral quandaries he elicits. His latest film, about a well-connected Romanian doctor (Adrian Tetieni) who uses his influence to illicitly aid his stricken daughter (Maria Dragus) on the eve of her college entrance exams, is another master study of moral nuance and precise scene composition. A single, wordless shot of the doctor coming home with his wife (Lia Bugnar) sitting in the kitchen tells us everything we need to know about their marriage, which is fantastic filmmaking. Mungiu greatly helped spur the Romanian cinematic revival over the last two decades, this film continues to cement his considerable legacy. Capsule Review

10. The Unknown Girl Recently, the Dardennes Bros. have been quietly making some of the more ethically absorbing films of the last few years. In 2014’s Two Days, One Night, we got to see the plight of a depressed woman attempting to get her old job back by pleading with her co-workers; here, we follow an obsessive doctor, Jenny (Adèle Haenel), after a young woman is murdered after first trying to gain entry into her small clinic after hours. Jenny devotes most of her time and energy not to try and solve the crime, but only to discover the identity of the woman so she can notify her family. You get the impression the Dardennes – whose previous oeuvre contains many unflinching dramas – want to lay out the ways we need to respond to our fellow human beings in order to be truly happy with ourselves. It says something that their protagonists stand out so much for simply just doing the right thing. Capsule Review

9. Personal Shopper Kristen Stewart has become far more than a starlet; she’s a bloody force of nature. Working again with Olivier Assayas (their previous collaboration, Clouds of Sils Maria, was also very strong), the two have made a film so filled with provocative energy, it can’t stay in one place for very long. Part ghost story; part fashion treatise; part character study; part Millennial ode, it moves in so many directions, you can’t catch your breath. Rather than feel scattershot, however, it’s anchored by Stewart and her undeniable screen presence. It will be fascinating to watch the rest of her career play out as she gets older and her muse carries her in different directions. Full Review

8. My Happy Family One of the joys of going to a festival like Sundance (and having critic friends with excellent taste) is getting to catch films you likely wouldn’t have seen under normal circumstances. Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß’s Georgian drama concerns a middle-aged matriarch (Ia Shugliashvili, in a fantastic performance) who suddenly decides to move out of her busy apartment where her vast extended family live, and move into her own flat where she can hear herself think. To her husband’s consternation, no matter how tightly the thumbscrews are applied, she remains resolute, which comes to make more and more sense as the drama unfurls. Currently on Netflix, I can’t recommend this one strongly enough. Capsule Review

7. I, Tonya One of the true surprises at last year’s TIFF, Craig Gillespie’s black comedy plays out the life and times of Tonya Harding with verve, wit, and absolutely brilliant performances, none more so that Allison Janey’s scene-stealing turn as Tonya’s witheringly acerbic mother. “Through a series of recreated interviews with the participants, screenwriter Steven Rogers has a grand time, breaking 4th walls, and giving glorious, epithet-spewing life to its decidedly lowbrow characters. Admirably, it also manages to make salient points as to the nature of celebrity culture, and the simple, one-dimensional character forms that American society so adores. It’s a colorful noisemaker, with a strand of barbed wire wrapped around the handle.” Capsule Review

6. Lady Bird Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut was a spiky, scintillating reverie on teen identity, and the difficulties of holding onto those things that most matter to you even as you strive to open yourself up to totally new experiences. “At its heart, too, through all of its sweetly comic undertones -- and laugh out loud bits of extemporaneous dialogue that flows through Gerwig's script like a guzzle of warm syrup -- it's an emotionally powerful evocation of the way loving parents and their children have to forge a way to learn to live apart from one another. "I want you to be the very best version of yourself you can be," her mother tells her at one point, and Lady Bird's struggle to figure out just who that might be is thoroughly captivating.” Full Review

5. The Florida Project A kind of reimagined Little Rascals, but set at an Orlando residence motel on the dirty outskirts of the strip outside Disney World, Sean Baker’s film is filled with the vitality and spark of life, even as the lives it depicts are difficult and often suffering. As far as the children of these hard-scrabble parents are concerned, the whole area is like an unsupervised playground. Featuring fantastic performances from the children – and a wondrous turn by Willem Dafoe, as the building manager – none more so than impossibly young Brooklynn Prince, the film is smart, sassy, and, at the end, extremely moving. Full Review

4. Get Out Much digital ink has already been spilled (um, generated?) in praise of Jordan Peele’s stunning directorial debut, a brilliant comedy/horror-based dissection of racial politics in this country, but here’s just a bit more: Peele’s film is so tightly constructed and carefully put together, it works equally well on multiple levels. That a film so loaded with racial politics can also be so damn entertaining is a marvel that needs to be seen multiple times before fully appreciated. Full Review

3. Phantom Thread Not that there was any serious doubt before but Paul Thomas Anderson is so fully in control of his craft he can make a riveting, emotionally wrenching film from a fussbudget dressmaker who likes his breakfast to be eerily silent. It helps when you have the luminescent efforts of a fantastic cast – lead by Daniel Day Lewis, in his reported last ever film role – but PTA is also the man who put that cast together and got such fantastic performances out of them. It’s a love story from a particularly obtuse angle – in this way, somewhat reminiscent of PTA’s earlier Punch Drunk Love – but takes such vibrant risks along the way, it’s all you can do to keep from applauding midway through. Delicate, fussy, nuanced, and absolutely gorgeous to look at (thank you, DP PTA!), with a wondrous score from Johnny Greenwood, it’s almost shockingly good. If this is indeed Day-Lewis’ last film, he’s gone out with a hell of a swansong. Full Review 

2. Call Me By Your Name I have written more about this film, and the year’s best winner, over this year than I can ever remember doing before. Hence, I quote but one of my various musings thusly: “The film’s first couple of hours are perfectly entertaining, but is in its closing scenes that it goes from engaging to sublime, including a monologue from [Michael] Stuhlbarg, consoling his now-bereft son, that is truly one for the ages. The closing credits, set over a long, single-take of Elio’s face in front of the fire, will sear your soul.” Full Review

1. A Ghost Story Ladies and gentlemen, David Lowery’s powerful meditation on love, time, and the fallacy of human legacy was the only film this year that very nearly dropped me to my knees in anguish as I departed the theater. You can actually view it as having something of a happy ending, but even so, it strikes nerves deep in your cerebral cortex you never even knew existed before. “It’s a film of felt, quiet spaces, whose emotional intensity builds in small increments to become at times almost overwhelming. It goes places you don’t expect, and keeps you there, frozen stiff in your chair, as it comes full circle. It’s definitely not a film for everybody – if, for example, you require three full acts and complete character arcs, you might want to take a flyer – but for the people who can hang with it, it has an enormous amount to offer.” Full Review

Other Worthy Mentions:

47 Meters Down, A Gray State, Abundant Acreage Available, Atomic Blonde, Baby Driver, Bad Day for the Cut, Beach Rats, Beatriz at Dinner, Blame, Did You Wonder Who Shot the Gun?, Dunkirk, I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore, Jane, Killing Ground, mother!, Quest, The Cage Fighter, The Endless, The Force, The Square, Thumper

The 5 Worst Films of 2017

5. Mary Shelley “Unfortunately, working from a truly terrible script from Emma Jensen, Al Mansour’s film is at best inartful, and at worst, the kind of simplistic, every-scene-has-a-point! pabulum that would embarrass a high school English class. Each element of Frankenstein is foreshadowed (here, Mary learns about galvanism; here, she sees an article about sewing body parts together, et al.), as if all she needed to do to write the novel was to pluck them directly from the sources. Even the film’s strongest moments – where Al Mansour, the worlds first female Saudi director, gets to show 18th century male oppression at its most vile and condescending – get watered down under that lead weight of a script. Everyone deserved better.” Capsule Review

4. Hostiles “Cooper confuses macho bravado and grittiness for any kind of verisimilitude – there are a staggering number of plot holes, and character inconsistencies – including the continual presence of a pretty frontierswoman (Rosamund Pike), whose family was wiped out by a group of marauding Comanche – that only serve to move the meandering plot forward. Worse yet, the action sequences themselves are both incoherent, and oddly designed (one of the oddest choices is putting us outside a closed series of tents in one scene, such that the action sequence is totally lost on us). The male actors sport very real and copious facial hair, as to suggest the worthiness of the project, but any filmmaker that can take a pair of powerhouse actors like Bale and Ben Foster and reduce them to this level of low-wattage really needs to self-examine.” Capsule Review

3. The Promise “Worse than any of its stylistic decisions, however, is to take something as horrific and criminally under-represented as the Armenian genocide and saddle it with a hokey love story that is virtually lifeless on its own. Naturally, the timeliness of the film -- taking us back to another age where virulent nationalism ran rampant, and minority groups were targeted as the subjects of its wrath -- is all too sickeningly relevant in the age of Brexit and Steve Bannon's type of exclusionist populism, but even there, the film either falters on the side of its overbaked plot, or sticks its more relevant political points in blithely didactic lurchings. ("This whole country is a graveyard," one character says.)” Full Review

2. Aardvark “A turgid, draggy drama (mostly around the premise that Slate’s character has to be an almost impossibly bad therapist to do to her patient what she pulls off here), a pasty comedy, coddled around a fantastically unbelievable premise and its flailing execution, the film tries to play with our sense of reality, using Quinto’s recurring hallucinations, but it doesn’t even want to bother to play by its own rules. It’s hard for me to imagine those talented actors reading this script and signing off on it, but here we are.” Capsule Review

1. Kidnap “As a means of conveying information, Knate Lee's "script" calls for Karla to talk incessantly to herself in the car, narrating her dilemma ("So now what's the plan?" she asks herself at one point, quickly concluding that she hasn't got one) pretty much so former Oscar-winner Berry has something to do other than grit her teeth and bleed out the nose. She also has a penchant for broad exclamatory statements ("Wherever you go, I'll be right behind you, no matter what!" and so forth). The effect is like overhearing a young boy playing with his GI Joes.” Full Review

Other Dishonorable Entries:

Axolotl Overdrive, Baywatch, The Mummy

Random Notes:

Inexplicably Overrated: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Biggest Welcome Surprise(s): I, Tonya, Lady Bird, Logan

Most Bitter Disappointment(s): Downsizing, Mary Shelley, The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Film That Critics Got Wrong: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Film(s) I Totally Whiffed On: Coco, I Love You, Daddy

Best Upcoming Releases of 2018

1. The Rider 2. Lean on Pete 3. Happy End 4. Chappaquiddick

[jadehqknb]

It's Lana! I came up with one request so far, it's fairly simple. Could I see either headcanons or an imagine of Tsukishima and Kageyama falling in love with their demigod! s/o? (Might be back later ;))

I approached these from the position that the boys don’tknow the girls are demi-gods. Once again, seeded by Admin Red, thank you!

Tsukishima and daughter of Minerva (Roman goddess of wisdomand strategic warfare, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy)

From the moment they first meet, Tsukishima is on his guard.She’s way too informed about their opponents for him not to be. Sure, there’ssuch a thing as scouting but she takes it to a whole new level. It isn’t thathe or the other crows don’t appreciate it but he can’t help but be skeptical asto how she acquires her information. And it’s not as though he thinks himself asaint or anything but aren’t there limits to what a person will do to gainthe upper hand? Especially in regard to something as simple as a club?

“Just how do you know all this stuff?” he asks her one dayafter practice. He’s waited until everyone else has left, hoping she’ll tellhim the truth if it’s just the two of them.

“Women’s intuition,” she chirps, continuing to pick up thevolleyballs surrounding them.

He pulls the one from her hand, grabbing her wrist andmaking her look at him. “And my intuition is screaming, bullshit.”

“Why do you care?” she snaps, wrenching away from his hold.The question catches him off guard. Why does he care? Shouldn’t he just behappy to have the information, no matter the method of its obtainment? But thedark considerations he’s had fliting about in his brain won’t allow him to besatisfied and it’s in this moment he realizes he cares not because of morality,but because of jealousy.

She startles him with her next words, seemingly able to readhis mind. “By the way, I’m insulted that you think so lowly of me Tsukishima-kun,I’m not a whore.” Her tone is solid, not a trace of guilt or untruth to befound. “I just happen to be exceptionally skilled in the art of strategicwarfare.”

“Warfare?” he questions, unable to keep incredulity out ofhis tone. “We’re playing volleyball, not marching onto the battlefield!”

“Now that is somemighty fine bullshit,” she spats whirling on her heel and getting right in hisface. “You boys are no different in your quest for victory than my mother’stroops were! Thankfully you don’t kill each other, just the ball!” The fire inher eyes lights something deep in the pit of Tsukishima’s stomach and before heknows it, his arms are around her waist, hefting her into a strong embrace. Hereyes are wide at his actions and he barely remembers to breathe. “Tsukishima-kun,let me go,” she orders but her voice is soft.

He swallows once, releasing her but just as she turns to goback to her task he can’t stop from grabbing her hand. “Don’t…don’t go,” hemumbles, “I…I’m sorry.” She turns, gaze meeting his again, eyes full ofsurprise. “There…there’s something different about you and I just…” he trailsoff, irritated that she can make him as brainless as Kageyama.

“You what?” she asks quietly, taking a step towards him.

He touches her cheek, his own heating up as his lips formthe words, “I…I like you.”

“Funny way of showing it,” she chides but there’s a playfulglint in her eyes now. He frowns but his eyebrows turn upwards when she reacheson tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I like you too, you salty dumbass.”

Kageyama and daughter of Apollo (recognized as a god ofmusic, truth and prophecy, healing, the sun and light, plague, poetry, and more)[Aged up to college age so it makes more sense for her to be in a medicalprofession. Also, this ended up just being the meet cute rather than the actualfall in love part]

His first encounter with her is less than preferred as he happensto be bleeding profusely from his nose thanks to an errant serve from Hinata.Kageyama has enough trouble dealing with girls as it is but to have one sobeautiful and kind fluttering about taking care of him is almost too much forthe nervous blueberry despite his transition into adulthood.  

“Just sit tight, I’ll be back in a jiff,” she says sweetly,hurrying from the room.

Kageyama sighs, tilting his head back to hopefully stem theflow of crimson. When it finally seems to slow down, he resumes a neutralposition, eyes meeting the mirror and he winces at the sight he makes. Hisshirt looks like a costume piece for a slash horror film. Grumbling aboutkilling Hinata, he stands, whipping the stained material over his head andmakes way to the sink.

From behind, he hears a gasp and the clatter of items hittingthe floor. Turning, his face flushes red all the way to his ears but his embarrassmentis momentarily forgotten when he sees that hernose is bleeding now.

“Are these contagious?” he asks loudly, horrified to thinkof the exposure his teammates had to him.

She blinks, confused by his question until a soft plunk against the tile floor draws hereyes away from the smooth skin and defined muscular lines of the male beforeher downward. Eyes widening in dismay, she covers her nose quickly, rushing outof the room to gather new clean supplies since those she’s brought are now onthe floor.

Using her minimal healing powers, she quickly takes care ofher own issue before heading back to the exam room where she finds Kageyamaseated, still shirtless, on the table.

“Are you ok? Should I get another attendant? Do I need to bequarantined?” he asks, voice rising in his panic of not knowing what’s wrongwith him.

She can’t help giggling which further confuses him but thetension in his chest is released when she shakes her head in the negative. “No,Kageyama-kun, there’s no need. I apologize for the mishap. Here, let me take alook,” she goes on, gently examining his nose. He winces but otherwise staysstill. “You’re in luck, it’s not broken,” she confirms, “but there will be bruising,and you’ll have to be extra careful with any strain.”

He sighs in relief, hand on the back of his head. “That’s good,thanks…”

“_______,” she supplies with a smile. A couple quickscribbles of writing provides him with a prescription for strong pain killers. “Iknow you’re a volleyball junkie,” she teases, “so this stuff won’t put you tosleep.”

“Thanks again,” he says and grabs his soiled shirt.

“You know, hydrogen peroxide may help get that stain out,but it may be better just to trash the thing entirely,” she offers.

“Yeah,” he grumbles, shucking it into the trash bin.

“So,” she goes on, taking out another piece of paper andhanding it to him, “if you feel like getting a woman’s input, give me a call.”

Kageyama stutters, blush growing on his cheeks, but hesomehow manages to put one foot in front of the other to exit her exam room,though his eyes remain on the number scrawled in hasty writing. Taking out hisphone, he enters it before typing out a text.

In the student clinic, the chime of her phone draws ________’sattention, and the text upon it makes her smile.

Does tomorrow nightwork? - Kageyama

[ferryboatsscrubcaps]

Confession

So this is a fic I wrote based off of a prompt I saw on @omeliafics. 

I really connected with it and wanted to write it, so here’s my “comeback” fic “Confession.” Hope you like it. :-)

Amelia sipped a bit of her champagne from the cool glass as she plopped down on the couch. It was just a bit too bouncy, probably because it’s an old couch that Owen restored after finding it in an abandoned area of the hospital. Amelia cringed, hoping no wine from her glass would splash out. She was awaiting a call, so as soon as the familiar, almost annoying tune rang out from her phone, she jumped to press the green answer button. When a familiar face flashed across the screen, her grin filled her whole face.

“Charlotte!” She cheered, glad to see her friend. “Don’t you look great.”

“Great? Pshh. More like exhausted. You know people usually say it gets easier as they get older, but I disagree.” Charlotte laughed at herself a little along with Amelia.

“So how’s the married life?” Charlotte asked, probably expecting to hear all about the great sex and romance of Amelia’s relationship.

“It’s uh… nonexistent.” Amelia’s face lowered upon talking about it.

“What do you mean?” She asks.

“I mean we have a lot going on. Owen just got a bombshell dropped on him, and before that I wasn’t even at home. I went back to be with him to support him. But we sleep miles apart in our bed, we don’t touch each other, we act like… friends. Maybe not even friends, just acquaintances.”

“What kind of bombshell?” Charlotte is always curious.

“His sister is alive, who everyone thought died years ago on the field in the army. They found her alive and she’s home in a facility. It’s taking a toll on Owen.” Amelia explained, her face reading all of the guilt and sadness she felt for her husband.

“And what about you? How do you feel?” Charlotte asked.

“How I feel doesn’t matter, Charlotte. This is about Owen and his family. He just got huge news and I have to be here to support him, even if we aren’t acting like a real couple right now. I don’t get to feel.”

“But you should, Amelia. You always suppress all your feelings deep down inside of you. You have to stop doing that. It’s not healthy. And that always leads to-,” Amelia cut in, “Don’t say it.”

“Fine,” Charlotte continued, “but serious Amelia, what’s up with you? You aren’t one just to give up on someone. You never settle. What’s going on?”

“Uhm, well, we haven’t been on the best of terms for a while now. One second I thought I knew what I wanted – Owen and a family with him. But the next second, I realized I wasn’t ready for kids. And that crushed him. I just couldn’t bear to stick around him knowing I had broken his heart, so I kept my distance. I’m just not ready, Charlotte.” Amelia explains, her face growing sadder and darker the more she speaks.

“Amelia. Are you serious? Listen I know you’re emotionally… challenged, but you got married! You found a guy who you love and who loves you. You need to tell him, Amelia,” Charlotte ranted.

“Charlotte, it’s not that simple.” Amelia said firmly.

“Yes, it is.” Charlotte said, pausing to pour milk for her daughter. “Tell me something: Do you love him?”

“Yes,” Amelia answered.

“Okay, do you trust him?”

“With my life.”

“Then tell him about your baby. You have to or your marriage may not survive. Just do it Amelia, I know you want to.”

In perfect timing, Owen walked normally into the kitchen, which was situated behind the living room where Amelia was. His steps must have been super quiet, because she didn’t hear him. Instead of rummaging in the cabinets like he would usually do, he stood still to listen to the conversation knowing it was of importance.

“Not right now, Charlotte!” Amelia raised her voice a little, causing Owen to listen closer. “He’s not in a great place. He needs time to cope with his situation, he doesn’t need to be spending time worrying about me.”

“I know you’re trying to help him, Amelia, but hiding your demons is damaging your marriage. You need to be able to grieve, in front of your husband, and he needs to know.” Charlotte said, and she paused but Amelia couldn’t say anything. “Listen, I won’t push you anymore but you know how I feel. You need to do it, for your marriage, Amelia.”

Amelia nodded in defeat. “Love you, Charlotte. See you soon.” She ended the call, ready to retreat to her room to lie in silence for just one more night.  

The small brunette sank into the fluffy couch, bringing her knees up to her chest. She dropped her head and sighed loud. Owen approached the couch because his curiousness was going to eat away at him if he didn’t. “What do you need to tell me?” Owen said, causing Amelia to jump clearly off the couch.

Her face read all sorts of deer in the headlights looks. “God, Owen, you scared me.” She stood up, wiping her hand slowly across her forehead.

“Sorry.” He apologized. “I didn’t mean to overhear, but what were you talking about?” Amelia’s eyes widened at his question, then she sighed, not realizing this would have come so soon. Just like she wasn’t ready to have kids, she wasn’t ready to discuss it with him. Talking about it was so hard for her, even after several years. It had always been hard for her, which is why she never shared her deepest secret with anyone. She almost felt bad that she kept such a beautiful 43 minutes of her life a secret, but it was what she had to do for her sake. Making it known just made it more real and that tore her up inside. Her baby had always been a part of her, and just her. No one else needed to know.

Even with all her mixed emotions about doing it, Amelia knew she needed to tell Owen. He was a huge part, actually the biggest part, of her life now. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted to tell him. Instead of answering his pressing question, Amelia just stood up and pushed right past Owen. She walked swiftly to their bedroom and went to her bedside table. She opened the drawer and dug around, her hands shaking so she could barely grab what she intended to. She gripped the picture tightly, but made sure she didn’t grip it too tight as to not bend it. It was such a beautiful picture and captured every emotion she felt about her son. Her expression showed pure joy, her mouth open wide as tears streamed down her face. It was one of the happiest moments of her life, but also one of the saddest. Her son, wrapped in a thin blue blanket looked so precious. She would never lose this moment; it would always be engrained in her heart and soul. She turned around, finding Owen leaned against the door looking quite uneasy.

She just stood there for a moment, unable to move. Owen waited patiently. He must’ve known she was about to share what she’s been hiding for so long. “This,” she murmured as she held out the picture, “is my son.” Owen glanced at it before looking up at her, silently asking permission to take it. She nodded. He grabbed the picture and examined it. “He lived for 43 minutes, right?” He asked, looking at her with sad eyes. “Yeah,” she responded, her voice indicating that she was on the verge of tears.

“He had anencephaly. I carried to term, then decided to donate his organs. I wanted something good to come from something so tragic. So I call him my Unicorn Baby. His life was magical because of how many lives he saved, even though it was so short.” Amelia talked between sniffles and Owen watched her intently.

“He’s beautiful, Amelia.” Owen responded, still clutching the picture.

Amelia fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, toying with it in her fingers, noticeably nervous.

“I, uh, I – I want kids. I always have. I want a big family, all the kids running around outside, I grew up like that and that’s how I’ve always seen my future. But that… my baby being born with anencephaly almost crushed that dream. I hit rock bottom and I never saw myself coming back from that, but I kept telling myself “do it for him,” so I did. And then I met you and I finally saw a future; I saw the possibility of the life I’ve always dreamed of,” Amelia swiped at the tears rimming her eyes.

“And Owen, I want kids. I want a family and I want it with you…more than anything. But it’s hard, okay? It’s so damn hard for me, O. I can’t begin to imagine a family without him in it.” Amelia looked at the picture and broke out in hysterical sobs. Owen grabbed her hand then pulled her in and engulfed her in his embrace. After a few moments, she pulled away.

“I see what I want right in front of my eyes, but I’m too scared to go after it. I’m so scared that we’re going to get pregnant, be so freaking happy about it, and then out comes another brainless baby. It’s my biggest fear, Owen, and I don’t want you to be dragged in to my mess. I want us to be happy and have everything we’ve ever wanted, but it’s just so hard.” Owen looked at her with such sad eyes like he felt what she was feeling. He wished he could take the burden from her, even if just a little bit of it.

“And I’m so scared that I won’t be able to give you what you want. What if I can’t have healthy babies?” She said, her voice soft and laced with hurt.

“There’s plenty of other ways to have kids.” Owen said calmly.

“And if I can never have healthy babies, I’m scared you’re going to leave me. And I wouldn’t blame you. You’ve always wanted kids and a family and if I can’t give that to you, you should just go now. Because I don’t know how I’m going to handle having another kid, but I don’t know if I can handle not having a kid.” Amelia, with tears streaming down her face, stormed over to the bed and sat down, throwing her hands over her face and sobbing.

Owen immediately went over and sat down beside of her. “Amelia, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you one hundred percent. We will somehow have a family, no matter what, okay? We will get our happy ending.” He tried to wrap his arms around her and pull her in close, but she violently pushed him away.

“No, Owen! No! I don’t want to hold you back! You should just go!” Amelia yelled louder. Owen didn’t flinch, ready to take the backlash of her emotions.

“Amelia, I’m not going anywhere!” He raised his voice back in hopes to calm her down.

She collapsed into him, her head landing on his firm chest. Her sobs wracked her body as she repeated over and over, “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

Owen wrapped his arms tightly around her small body, running one hand through her hair and whispering, “Shhhhhhh. It’s gonna be okay.”

And they would be okay. Eventually. You know, they say opposites attract, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes two broken people can heal together. And become something beautiful.

[winchesterprincessbride]

Political Animals-Part 14

This is an A/B/O AU.  You are the Omega artist daughter of Naomi Novak, a world-class heart surgeon who is running for Mayor of New York City.  After a meeting where your mother’s advisers call you a “liability”, she tells you that if you don’t do as your told she will cut you off.  You storm out and wind up in a bar a few blocks away.

The hottest Alpha you have EVER laid eyes on with a scent so mouthwatering you’re practically drooling offers to buy you a drink.  It’s just a drink, right? What do you have to lose? Only everything.

Characters: Omega! Reader, Beta! Naomi Novak, Alpha! Castiel Novak, Omega! Meg Novak, Claire Novak, Jimmy Novak, Alpha! Sam Winchester, Alpha! Dean Winchester, Alpha! John Winchester, Omega! Jo Harvelle

Big thanks to @moansmisha  for letting me use some of her ideas from this post.

Master List

Part 1 (all parts are linked)

Parts in bold are text messages

I was eating breakfast one morning while Sam was out for a run when my cell rang.  It was Meg.  “Your gonna want to turn on Channel 6, Y/N.  It’s about you.”

“Hi to you too, Meg,” I said, amused. “Thanks for the heads up.”

I turned on Channel 6 and my good mood instantly evaporated.  They were airing highlights of a press conference of my mother’s.

“Dr. Novak, are you aware that your daughter is rumored to have married Sam Winchester, John Winchester’s son?”

My mother sighed dramatically.  “My daughter has a history of letting men take advantage of her.  This is just the latest in a long line of poor choices.”

“Is it true you and Y/N are estranged?”

“My daughter chose Sam Winchester over her own family.  Now she’s living with the consequences of that choice.” My mom replied stiffly.

“Can you confirm the rumors that Y/N is pregnant?” The reporter asked. Mom blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting this question.

“I can’t comment on that, I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t listen anymore. I snapped the TV off in annoyance. When Sam got back, I was watching the whole press conference online and muttering under my breath angrily. “Twists the truth……”  “Makes everything about her.”

“So I don’t need to ask if you’ve seen it, then?” He said with a smirk.

I turned to him. “How would you feel about me doing an interview of my own to set the record straight about us and our relationship?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?  I don’t like the thought of you drawing attention to yourself with your father is still at large.” Sam replied, his mouth set in a hard line.

AM New York, the highest-rated morning show in the city, had asked me to come for an interview several times, and I kept saying no. But my cast was coming off tomorrow, I hadn’t heard from my father in weeks, and I was sick of my mother’s lies.

"I’m tired of hiding, Sam. My father’s proven that If he wants to get to me, he can get to me. Everyone is accepting my mother’s version of the story as the truth because it’s the only one they are hearing.  We need to live our lives.  I want to start appearing with the rest of the family at campaign events.  After all, I am a Winchester now.” I folded my arms stubbornly.

“You know if you do that you’ll be declaring open warfare with your mother, right?” Sam asked.  “Do you really want to open that can of worms?”

“I’m tired of people thinking that I’m a brainless Omega who got taken advantage of by the big, bad Alpha.  She’s making us all look bad.  I’m taking a stand!”

“You’re hot when you get all feisty,” Sam said in a low voice, slipping an arm around me.

‘Stop trying to distract me with sex, Sam Winchester! I know what you’re doing!” I said indignantly.

“Can’t help it.”  His voice was muffled because his mouth was sucking on my neck.  “You just smell so damn good when you’re pregnant.   I want you all the time.”  His mouth moved up to my ear and I shivered.

“If you keep this up we will have 10 kids at the rate we’re going,” I said with a snort.

“I’m game if you are,”  Sam said flashing me that dimpled grin I loved.

“Are you both ready to find out what you are having?” Karen, the ultrasound tech asked as she squirted the warm gel over my stomach.  Sam stood at my head, holding my hand, his eyes glued to the screen.  He had missed my other ultrasound, and he was beyond excited to see our babies.

“I don’t care what sex they are, Karen. Just as long as you tell me they aren’t going to be as big as Sam.” I said with a nervous smile.

“First I’m going to take some quick measurements to check gestational age, them we will see if the babies are feeling cooperative today.” She moved the transducer around my stomach and typed in some numbers into the computer. 

“You are measuring almost 3 weeks ahead, Y/N.  I hate to say it, but I think the twins are gonna take after Daddy.  If you go full term you’re looking at 9+ pounds each.” Karen told me.

“You are carrying the next one,” I said to Sam with a look of annoyance.

“And now for the news you’ve been waiting for.  Let’s see…… See that right there?” She pointed to the screen.  “Baby A is definitely a boy.  And baby B is a wiggly little thing.  Wait, got it! Baby B is a little girl! One of each! Congratulations, you two!”  Karen’s grin was infectious.

Sam leaned over and kissed me. “A boy and a girl!  This is amazing! I can’t wait until they are here!”

Karen gave us some black-and-white pictures to take with us, and Sam couldn’t stop looking at them as we walked to the car.  

“I was thinking…..what do you think of Mary for your mom and Charles for my dad?”  I looked over to gauge his reaction.

“I love that idea. Let’s do it.  Dad would love if we named one of the babies after mom.” Sam said in an emotional whisper.

My interview with AM New York was Friday morning.  Sam had refused to let me go alone.  He wasn’t appearing on camera but would be there for moral support.  I had spoken to Cas the night before and told him what I was doing.  He totally agreed with Sam that Mom was going to be furious.

“When this comes back to bite you in the ass later, Y/N, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Cas said in his best older brother voice.

“Blah blah blah.  All I hear is a faint buzzing.” I joked.

“Seriously, Little Sis.  Try not to antagonize her.  Stick to the facts.  Take the high road.  It will be better for the both of you. I gotta take Jimmy to soccer practice.  Call me after the interview, okay?”  I could hear Jimmy calling him in the background.

“Will do. Love you, Bro.”  I was smiling when I hung up the phone.

They had me bring in a few outfits for them to choose from.  Once I was dressed, they did my hair and makeup.  Sam and I were introduced to Ashley Caruso,  one of the hosts of the show and the person doing my interview.  I felt like a troll next to her, she was that beautiful.

“Just pretend the camera isn’t here, Y/N.  You and I are just going to have a conversation.  Just watch your language, okay?  Sam, you can wait over there, that way Y/N will be able to see you during the interview.”  Ashley and I sat down, someone attached a microphone to my lapel, and the interview began.

“Ashley Caruso here with Y/N Winchester, who has been in the news a lot recently.  Welcome to the show, Y/N.” Ashley gave me a dazzling smile.

“Thanks for having me.” I smiled back.

“Your mother is noted heart surgeon and Mayoral candidate Naomi Novak, but you are married to and expecting with Sam Winchester, the son of John Winchester, who is also running for Mayor.  I sense a story there.  When the campaign started, all the press about you said you were a Beta, but you are in fact an Omega, correct?”  Ashley paused to let me speak.

“The decision was made to keep my Omega status under wraps since I was unmated.  I was not given a say in the matter. When I met Sam I had no idea who his father was.  By the time I found out, it didn’t matter, I knew Sam was my Alpha.” I took a shaky breath.

“And how did your parents react when they found out about your relationship?”

“Sam’s father was fine with it.  He told us he remembered how it felt when he found his Omega, Sam’s Mom Mary.”  I smiled at the memory.

Ashley pressed.  “And your mother?”

I took a deep breath.  “She told me I was making a mistake and that I had to choose between her and Sam.  I chose Sam, so she cut me off.    I just want to be clear here, Ashley.  Sam didn’t take advantage of me in any way.  I made the first move, actually.  I may be his Omega, but Sam understands I have a brain and doesn’t treat me as inferior.”

“And how does your mother feel about your pregnancy?” Ashley queried.

“I have no idea.  We don’t talk.  My brother is thrilled, though.” I replied.

“Are you going to find out what you’re having?” 

I caught sight of Sam’s huge smile offstage and it made me grin.  “We already have.  Twins. A boy and a girl.  We’re thrilled.”

“Is there anything you would like to add, Y/N before we break for commercial?” Ashley asked me.

“Yes. I’d just like to remind everyone that there are two sides to every story.  Thank you for having me, Ashley.”

“Well, how do you think I did?” I asked Cas when I called him.

“Mom called me screaming as soon as your segment was over, so what do you think?” He told me with a sigh.

“I just told the truth, Cassie.  It’s not my fault that the truth contradicts all the lies she’s told.”  I knew I sounded defensive.

“I’m not disagreeing with you, Y/N.  So a boy and a girl, huh? You can still get on my good side and name him Castiel, you know.” I could hear the smile in his voice.

“We are going to name the boy Charles after Dad. Charles Castiel Winchester.”  I said softly, waiting for his reaction.

“Really? You’re naming him after me? I was just messing with you, Kiddo.” Cas told me in a thick voice, and I could tell he was trying not to cry.

“Careful what you wish for, Bro.”

Unbeknownst to me, in a cheap motel out by the interstate, my father watched my interview over and over.  The light from the laptop screen provided the only illumination in the pitch-black room.  He had watched the interview over a hundred times, but he just couldn’t seem to stop.

“Soon, Y/N………soon.”  He whispered to the screen.   “We’ll all be together soon.”

Part 15

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