#so i brought in a doctor who picture with lots of bright beautiful colors

[stripesysheaven]

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY WIFEY ❤️💕💙💙💜💗💙💖💞💓❣️💘💓💘💖💗💕💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 i love you i love you i love youuuuu. you are one of my favorite people ever and i hope you have the BEST day ever. telepathically sending you a big birthday cake with Ben’s face on it and frosting the color of the hard flag. Or maybe Jack’s face. Hmm. I have to think about it.

I LOVE YOU 🎉🎉🎂🎂

WIFEYYYYYYYY 🥺 oh i might genuinely cry gdhsnjfnfmxh that’s the sweetest thing ❤️ you’re one of MY favorite people ever 💜💜💜 and i think ben and jack’s faces can share a cake 😌 they’re both hard enough i believe in them. girlie i love you so so dearly ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[cosmiclatte28]

Disorder (Yuta x reader)

a/n : contains sensitive topic about eating disorder, do not read if it’s triggering or uncomfortable for you :”) 

I do not personally support this topic, but last time I worked on this and I don’t know why I post this.. just tell me to delete this if this is too controversial I’ll take it down.

don’t force yourself 

The dark cloud loaming on the sky is terrifying enough to make you crouch under your blanket as you mutter prayers so the lights won’t go out and the thunder won't surprise you.

However the cold feeling creeping on your feet and hands should be the real deal to worry about. You shake under the blanket, hiding more under the fluffy linen if that is possible. Your lips tremble, chapped lips, and icy blue in color.

You know he won’t like what he sees. Yuta will never like this state you are in, but no matter how much you want to stop it, you can't.

Your body refuses the tiniest amount of food forced into your mouth. It happened three months into your marriage with Nakamoto Yuta. World's famous idol, actor, heart stealer. Life was perfect with Yuta before the marriage announcement. You love him, he loves you… his members are all supportive about his relationship. You're healthy and Yuta loves you for everything you do.

That was until Yuta got his first major role in a drama. The drama won a lot of awards, thanks to your husband's wonderful acting skill as a mafia and the perfect chemistry between the doll actress and him. You need to admit you're jealous of her, but the problem doesn’t come from the actress nor from Yuta.

Your husband is still loyal to you, he takes the marriage vow seriously… you actually do not have to worry about Yuta falling out of love, you clearly can see his love grows more and more each day to you. It's already your second anniversary!

It was the fandom, the talk of the town, the tweets of the bullies that broken you. You know you're not the perfect girl to marry the oh so perfect Nakamoto Yuta. No, you're not ugly or fat. You're fit, you’re healthy, you look fresh. You have a bright smile, cheerful personality, and kind heart. You have your own charm, the glowing smile that makes Yuta bears with the harsh schedule every day. Your hugs bring his broken pieces back, and your laugh it makes Yuta realizes no matter how hard life is, he will keep striving for you.

But the comments of the web, of the unknown faces caught you. Crept slowly into your mind and ate your heart bits by bits on lonely night when you have to fake a smile over calls and videocalls with Yuta.

“(Y/n), I'm coming home In two weeks! The world tour is tiring, but it's worthy!” Yuta one night greeted you over video call. He was unwinding from the tiring show and you were getting ready to work in your own company.

You always put a smile to him, no matter how harsh the comments of the world is whenever people brought up Yuta's marriage with you. The comments are always about how unsuitable you are to be Mrs.Nakamoto.

At first it just hurts, but as you try to ignore them, you just think and think more about it. What if they're true. What if the world really hates seeing you by his side. What if one day you're just going to ruin everything Yuta worked hard for?

With Yuta's tight schedule with comeback and more drama, you found yourself sleeping by yourself and eating by yourself. The lack of companion after coming back from a tiring day makes you skip dinner and directly go to bed.

You thought, skipping dinner will not trouble you, Yuta won’t know and you'll just ignore the pain. You skipped dinner not to lose weight, mainly because you don’t feel happy eating alone. And this happened for a while. You don’t drink anti-acids even when you feel like throwing up at nights, you don’t feed your grumbling stomach when they beg for solid foods. No, you lost your appetite. For weeks, the only thing you have in the morning is just water, one small apple if you really cannot help it and on lunch you try your best to only consume little to none food. Did you lose weight? Drastically! Not in a healthy way, you're not proud of your body. No, this lost of appetite doesn’t make you happy. You don’t feel like living.

“(Y/n)-chan, have u had dinner?” Yuta called on his last week of tour. It has been almost four months since he left for the world tour. He'll have another one month away to finish the closing tour.

You lied and nod your head “Yes, what about you?” Yuta couldn’t see your dining table, you just put your face there.

“I am having breakfast! Anyways, make sure you're eating enough… your cheeks are gone honey!” Yuta looks concern, but his smile is still there coz he is always treasuring the short time he has to call and see you.

“Well, it's the camera maybe. Good thing right?” you try to laugh it off although you know you really lose weight.

“No, I love your glowing cheeks! Don’t tell me you're skipping meals" he suddenly opens his eyes wide.

You chuckle “No. Don’t worry Yuta.”

He grins “Then what did you eat? Why you never show me?”

You are taken aback “Uh I've eaten it.”

Yuta doesn’t give up “Next time, send me a picture okay so it feels less lonely! Gomen, I have to go rehearsal! Byee love you!” he closes the call after you bid him goodbye, goodluck and a love you.

You walk to the mirror in your room. Grimacing at your skeletal body. You were fit and now you look sick. Your skin doesn’t glow, your lips are chapped, and your hair looks dull. No matter how hard you try to bring your glossy hair back, the lack of nutrients won’t allow you.

You hate your current state, you look horrible. Thin body but with a very dull skin, pale lips, unlovely eyes. You look like a walking zombie. Your nail and hair vitamins did not help, the polished healthy nails are now chipped and broken.

You tried, eating some foods, but your body throws them back out. Your friend suggested going to the specialist, but you're too stubborn and shy to go. What if someone caught you on camera, what will the world say about Yuta? About you?

Yes some people know about you. Your wedding picture was published online, you were pretty back then! Some fans supported you, but after they realize how regular you were they started comparing and regretting their idol's choice.

You go to work with your big clothes, trying to hide your sick appearance but everyone in the company realizes you're not doing good.

“Yuta will hate me,” that’s all you can think about when you close your eyes and force your light head to sleep by yourself in the big room while wishing you can still see the sunlight and greet Yuta.

What you fear the most, happened.

Yuta got home to you, shaking so bad from the lack of food. You're working too hard and forgot all the meals. You only drink water, and Yuta got home from his tiring tour to find you laying almost lifeless on his bed.

“(y/n)?! What joke is this?!” he lightly slap your cheek to wake you up, but your breathing is slow and your eyes are heavy.

Yuta rushed you to the hospital and all you remember was the worried look he has once you opened your eyes.

“The specialist said this is not something new. For you to reach this state of disorder, they said it has been at least two years. Why have you never told me? Why?” Yuta asked first thing first when you woke up.

You cried, feeling bad to see Yuta this worried “Gomen, I'm stupid Yuta. I skipped dinner… and it became a routine.”

Yuta shook his head “You were lying to me…”

You cried, unable to deny him. He stayed silence and a tear fell from his face “Why do you lie? Why are you killing yourself? Do you not love me?”

You shake your head furiously “I love you yuta! I love you so much! But it’s lonely without you.”

Yuta trembles upon your remark. Is he the reason you're like this?

Yuta feels bad about your condition, he wants you to return to your healthy self but the doctors all tell him it will take time and patience and a whole lots of determinations!

The medics have to give you fluid foods which sadly you cannot deny. For a week you live from the liquid nutrients injected to your body and for the next month you're forcing yourself to consume food at least a real food.

Yuta takes a break from his promotion, making sure he is with you throughout the process. You feel bad for him, feel pitiful about your condition yet at the same time you hate yourself.

“It's awful Yuta.” You sob as you sit on the toilet floor, after barfing away your dinner once again.

“I'm just wasting food.” You desperately cry and Yuta's there to lend you his shoulder.

“No. Come on, it's not everything! At least your stomach is learning to work and digest again. Come don’t cry my beautiful princess.” He brings back the name he used to call you back on the younger days. You asked him to stop calling you princess after you get older and feel shy about the nickname.

But hearing that from Yuta's own lips, with pure sincerity when he is standing by your side makes you determined to overcome this together with him. For you and for him. For many more memories to make with him and for your future.

“Thank you, Yuta" you whisper before closing your eyes and leaning to his chest because you feel weak.

Yuta kisses the temple of your head “Always and forever my princess.” He hugs you closer to his chest and picks you up to carry you to bed.

“We'll get over this together okay?” You nod “Promise?” he shows you his pinky

You hook your pinky to his “Promise.”

“I love you not for how you look but for who you are.” Yuta slowly say that when you're falling into sleep.

You smile knowing this silly storm in your head will slowly fade with Yuta’s sunshine in your life.

end

[pterodactylterrace]

Beautiful

Title: Beautiful

Chapter: 1/1

Summary: I'll take just a moment with you, rather than a lifetime without.

Rating: T

Warnings: Drinking, fluff, death, pregnancy. Definitely not my greatest work, but it makes me feel some kinda way, so I thought I’d share anyway. 

When his Ma used to tell him about when she first met his Pop, Syverson always thought it was a dramatic, romanticized version of events. How could you possibly know someone is right for you the second you meet them? You need time to get to know them, to see if you can tolerate living with all the fucked up parts of them before you decide they're the one you'll stick with for the rest of your life.

Now though, his blue eyes catching on a pair of green ones from across the bar, Syverson was beginning to think she may have been onto something. Something about that girl felt... right. A little voice in the back of his mind told him 'yup, she's the one we're gonna marry'.

Being a little old fashioned, he'd asked her for a dance, clumsily moving to some sort of made up rhythm that most definitely wasn't the song that was playing. Her laugh. Oh God her laugh. He swore his heart beat to the sound of her laughter, so pure and carefree. It was a sound he wanted to keep hearing for as long as he could.

He'd spent most of his night with her after that. They shared many rounds and found themselves lost in conversation. Before either one knew it, it was last call. Syverson offered to walk her home, willing to do almost anything to prolong his time with her. After all, he never knew when he would see her again.

They had barely gotten out of the bar when she'd stumbled off to the bushes, violently throwing up the last several rounds of drinks. Syverson dutifully held her long brunette strands from her face, his large hand gently rubbing her back, his callouses catching on the soft material of her dress.

In spite of that, he'd still managed to get her number. He didn't bother waiting the 'required' three days before calling. Games were for boys, and he wasn't about to waste time he could be spending with her. They had their first official date later on that week. Syverson broke out his 'good' shirt and everything, no matter how ridiculous he felt in it. Dress clothes and Syverson just didn't mix, but he couldn't just take a pretty girl like her out wearing one of his usual t-shirts.

She'd been delighted by the flowers he'd bought her on their first date. Surprised when he got more for their second, and downright shocked when he continued the tradition for their third. For some reason, he absolutely refused to show up at her door without flowers for her. The first one had been from a store. She could tell from the cellophane wrapping. The other two, she suspected he picked himself. The image of such a burly man delicately trying to pick flowers was both silly, and endearing.

She'd been reluctant when Syverson mentioned wanting to introduce her to his parents. His meeting with hers had gone off without a hitch, her father commandeering him to the study for most of the night, luring him in with scotch, and promises of framed pictures from when she was growing up. The two men were fast friends, and her mother was delighted with how well mannered he was. She just wasn't sure what she would do if his mother didn't like him. He was definitely a mama's boy, though he'd probably kill any man that dared to say that to his face.

He'd reassured her over and over that she was going to love her. He was almost desperate for the two most important women in his life to like each other. Thankfully, they had hit it off almost as well as Syverson had with her father. He was almost a little jealous (fine, he was definitely a lot jealous) when his mother offered her the spatula to lick when they were making cookies. He was the chief cookie dough spoon licker, and he had a t-shirt form his childhood that proved it. If it meant they liked each other, however, Syverson was willing to relinquish his title. This time.

He was gobsmacked when his mother handed him a pillow and a spare blanket that night, shooing him off toward the couch. It only took one stern, raised eyebrow from his mother to keep him from protesting. He knew she expected him to wait for marriage. She also knew that he hadn't. He was well aware she knew of that fact as well, but that didn't mean had to put up with it under her roof. She had raised him to be a gentleman, after all.

The pair of them found a beautiful home out in the country, a ton of property for kids to play on and for Aika to run freely. There were even a few apple trees in the far back of the property. That's where they got married, under those trees, who's fruit was the same color as her eyes. It took a few years of work to turn it into their dream home, but it was their labor of love. They had ripped the inside down to studs and rebuilt everything just how they wanted it. Syverson put in a fence around the property, a project that took over a year to complete.

It was just a week after they had finally finished the last of their renovations that her water broke, all over the brand new tile floor in the kitchen. It was also two months before her due date. Syverson had done his best to stay calm for her. He was just as terrified as she was, but she needed him to be strong. The most terrifying moment of his life was when she gave her final push and the doctor began wiping off the baby. The silence was like a knife to the heart. A team of people were rushed in and began working on the tiny infant.

"What's going on?" She had whispered, turning tearful eyes up to her husband, her heart dropping more and more with every passing second. Syverson had slid around the bed, peering over the nurses heads at the little girl that had just been brought into the world. They were sucking out her nose and mouth, vigorously rubbing her with a towel, trying to get her to take a breath.

His world started spinning again when he heard her first tiny cries, steadily growing louder and louder as she made her unhappiness known. He was sure to wipe the tears from his eyes before he turned to his wife, carefully taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles. "She's ok. She's ok."

Walking his daughter down the aisle was the hardest thing he ever had to do. He was a good guy, sure enough. He treated his baby right. That didn't make it any easier to give her away to her new life. That day was only the second time his wife had seen Syverson cry.

He could tell he was getting older, and that the years hadn't been kind. His knees clicked whenever he moved, his back was in constant pain, and he developed tremors in his arms. His wife had aged beautifully, however. The lines around her bright green eyes only underlined their beauty, and grey had been threaded gracefully through her hair. Now, though, was the most difficult time of his life. They had found the cause of the tremors. A tumor, deep in his brain, and an aggressively growing one at that. The risk of operating on someone his age was too high. It was getting closer and closer to his time to go, and he never felt so powerless in his life. All he had ever been able to promise his wife before was that he would be there for her. What could he tell her now? He was leaving her all one. There wasn't going to be anyone at home to take care of her anymore.

Her small, delicate hand found it's way into his palm, still rough even after all the years. She didn't want him to go, but they both knew his time was coming. "Don't cry for me, darling. I had a good life. The Lord blessed me with a little girl and a beautiful wife. I promise, I'll see you again one day."

"Where's Teddy?" The most heart wrenching words that had ever left her mother's mouth. Her mind had started to go in the years following her father's passing, and lately she'd been forgetting more and more. Telling her mother that her father had passed years ago was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do. She watched her mother break all over again. She vowed to never tell her again. Every time after that she had told her mother "he's in the garden".

"Teddy." Her mother's weak voice broke through the monotonous beep of the monitor.

"He's in the garden, Mama."

"Teddy." She repeated, her eyes fixed just beyond her daughter's face.

"I told you I'd see you again, darling. What do you say we go home, beautiful?"

Taglist: @Xxxkatxo @Weallhaveadestiny @lunedelorient @summersong69 @mis-lil-red @lharrietg @amberangel112 @mansaaay

[bungou-stray-dingus]

Hello! If requests are open, can I please request a scenario where Mori and Akutagawa's s/o (separate) is in labor but problems arise with the birth. The baby comes out safely, but s/o loses too much blood and is in danger of dying. How would the two react to a very real chance of losing the love of their life? Ending is up to you. Angst is just my main request. Thank you!! 😊

A/N : OOOOH I LOVE ANGST! What a great request! I Love this!!! Thank you love~~ I got slightly carried away with Akutagawas... oops! I hope you enjoy though!

T/W : Birth Scenario; Blood; Near Death Experience; Reader! Death; Angst; All Around Sadness;

Mori

You looked so beautiful, the lighting in the room illuminated your sweat covered features, but you continued to smile up at him, squeezing his hand tighter with every contraction. He never thought that he would be lucky enough to meet someone like you, someone who loved him even when everyone else thought he was evil, sadistic, manipulative, he could go on forever, but you saw the good in him. You brought out the best part of him, all the love that he had, the love that he believed he would never be able to give anyone, he was able to give it to you, and he didn't want to give it to anyone else... that is, until you told him you were pregnant.

Finding out that you were expecting his child seemed like a miracle to him. Having a child of his own, a child that would be part him and part you, it was a dream come true. Whenever he thought about his child he would get this silly grin on his face, gazing off into space as he imagined what they would look like, what they would be like, he already had his child's future planned out. This was the most exciting, and the most important time in his life.

"We're going to make a beautiful family, aren't we dearest?" He murmured, his lips brushing against your temple as he spoke. The doctors were in the room, checking to see how dilated you were, checking the babies heart rate, everything was going great.

"Alright Mrs. Ougai. Looks like the little one is ready to come out. Let's get you ready." The doctors had your legs lifted in the stirrups, a light shone down between yours legs. Two other doctors helped keep your legs back at the end of the bed, while Mori and the midwife stayed up near your head, holding your hands as you began pushing. "You're doing great! Let's get a deep breath, and then I want you to push as hard as you can. Let's get that head out!"

Being in the Port Mafia had brought you your fair share of pain, you had been shot, you had been stabbed, at least before you had begun your relationship with Mori. Those things, that pain, that was nothing compared to this. It felt like fire, you understood now why many people called it the burning ring, it was terrible. Not only that, it felt like your bones were being broken over and over, crushed, snapped, ran over by a tractor trailer, it was awful. "I see the head, dear. You're so amazing." Mori whispered in between kisses that he pressed to your forehead.

One more push and he was out. Your beautiful son, his head was covered in raven black hair just like his fathers. "Our wonderful Hideo is here. You did fantastic, my dear." You heard his voice, but it felt like you were drifting, but it wasn't from the exhaustion of the labor process... it's like... you couldn't keep your eyes open no matter how hard you tried.

"Doc! Doctor! She won't stop bleeding!" One of the nurses yelled, but for some reason you didn't seem to mind it. You weren't worried much about yourself now, you heard your son crying in the distance... he sounded so far away... you had done your job though. You had brought your son into this world, he was healthy, he was strong... that's what you were supposed to do. Your vision became hazy around the edges, it was tiring trying to keep your eyes opened, so you finally closed them. The last sound you heard was the distorted mixture of voices, doctors yelling, Mori panicking, your son crying, and the slow beeping of the heart monitor.

"Get the bleeding to stop!" He shouted to the doctors, still gripping onto your hand. His eyes were wide as he stared down at the doctors who were working vigorously to try to stop the hemorrhaging. Was he just imagining that your hand was becoming colder with each passing second? Were his eyes playing tricks on him or was he watching the color in your face slowly fade?

"Get the baby out of here!" The doctor yelled back to the nurses who were working on Hideo. This isn't how he pictured it would happen. This wasn't the perfect delivery he had pictured, that he had imagined and day dreamed about while laying in bed next to you. What had gone wrong? "The uterus isn't contracting! It won't stop bleeding!"

"She's losing too much blood! Dammit!" Mori wasn't squeamish, he had seen a lot of stuff during his time in the Port, but this was even too much for him. He had to look away as the doctors hand and half his arm seemed to disappear between your legs. He hadn't read about any of this, he didn't think there would be any complications, he hadn't imagined that anything like this could happen to you.

Doctors rushed in with multiple needles, he couldn't focus on what they were saying though. He was staring at your face, how is it that you still looked so beautiful while on the brink of death. Your heart rate was dangerously low, he didn't have to look at the numbers on the screen to hear how distanced the beeping was. He refused to lose you like this though. You were his, a part of him, you had a son together, life wouldn't be this cruel to him.

The doctors jabbed the needles into your arms, he understood now why they brought in so many though. "Dammit! Blew the vein! I need another one!" You had so many blown veins, Mori knew your arms would be a black and blue bruised mess when you woke up. He was sure that you would wake up, you had to.

While one doctor was elbow deep massaging your uterus, the other doctor worked to find a vein that wouldn't collapse when the needle went in. "Too many veins are being blown! We have to try something else!" He shouted. Mori watched as both the doctors nodded to each other before carefully injecting the needle into your abdomen, right into your uterus.

He tapped his foot to keep time, how long would it take for this medicine to kick in? The doctors had all stopped their practical assault on your feeble, seemingly lifeless body, now it was a waiting game. This was one game he never wanted to play again, waiting for you to come to again, waiting for the color to return to your body, for the warmth to come back. He was panicking, and although he would never outright admit it to you or anyone else, he was absolutely terrified. He couldn't do this without you, he wouldn't be able to go through life without you now. He wouldn't be able to look at his son without seeing pieces of you, parts of you that could possibly be gone forever. It would kill him. He always thought that power and money were the greatest things in the world, but now that he met you, those things were useless, pointless. All the money, all the power in the world were nothing if you weren't there to share in the glory with him.

"The bleeding is slowing! Pack it in! Come on!" The doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to get the bleeding to stop completely, and they finally got it done. You would be okay. It would take a little while for you to be completely okay again, you had lost a lot of blood, but you would be okay in the end. Everything would be okay. That's all that mattered to him.

Akutagawa

Pregnancy, becoming a father, it all terrified him, it was a foreign concept. He loved you though, his love for you was immeasurable. He would do his best for you, for this child... his child. How unfortunate for the little one, to have him as a father. That's what he always thought, but you were always there to comfort him, to tell him that there was no one else you'd want to be the father of your child. He didn't know much, well, honestly, he didn't know anything about caring for someone, especially a child. He could barely care for himself without your help, but you had promised to be there to help him, to guide him through it all. It's not that he was scared of hurting his child, he knew that he would never be capable of doing such a thing, not when he knew that the child was part of you as well. He was more worried about his child being afraid of him, that his child would somehow end up like him. "That wouldn't be a bad thing, Ryu. You're an amazing man. That's why I love you so much." You'd reassure him constantly, and over time, he started to believe it.

He would do anything for you, and the same goes for his child. He wanted to be the best man he could be for you, he wanted to be the best father for his child. Someone who his child could be proud of. As months passed he started to get... anxious? Excited? A mixture of both. Watching your abdomen swell with his growing child, it gave him a sense of pride. He had helped create that child. Maybe he wasn't as useless as people thought. He had gotten you, and he had been given the chance to build a family with you. He had stability, his walls were being broken down bit by bit, but in their place there was a strong foundation being built instead. He didn't need to wall himself in, instead he would build up his foundations around you and his child, his family. He wasn't worried about what others thought of him anymore, that was unimportant to him, he had you, and he had his child. Life was finally working in his favor. He found himself smiling even, thoughts of you holding his newborn child in the hospital bed as he watched over the two of you, it made his heart swell.

He sat in the armchair next to the hospital bed, his hand in yours as he brushed your knuckles with his thumb. Your eyes were so bright under the fluorescent lights in the room, you looked like an angel, the complete opposite of him. "Are you in pain, love?" He whispered, noticing the way your face scrunched up whenever you contracted. He felt stupid for asking, of course you were in pain, you were having a child. You still shook your head no in response, of course you would lie, knowing that it would make him feel bad, knowing that he was the reason for your pain.

"Ice please?" You asked between clenched teeth. He grabbed the cup, feeding you the small ice chips, adoring the way your lips pulled up at the corners as you chewed. "She's moving a lot, she's ready to come out and meet you, Ryu." You murmured, his eyes moved to your stomach watching the way your gown shifted as his daughter stirred around. He reached out to rub your stomach, feeling her kick again where his hand was placed.

"She'll be out soon. I can't wait to meet you either, Rei, my darling." He looked longingly up to you, his lips twitching up slightly as she continued to kick against his hand. How could he have brought about such a little wonder, a daughter, something so precious, so innocent, so pure. He was the opposite of all those things, yet he would become a father to a child that would be all those things and more. He would do his best to protect her innocence, to make sure that her mind stayed pure for as long as he could.

The doctors came in, prepared to begin the delivery. You were ready to go, and he was ready to have his daughter out, to hold her in his arms, for her to finally be there with the two of you. Your water hadn't broken by itself, so the doctors had to break your water themselves. "Wow, that's a lot of fluid... Alright, keep an eye on her. Let's go!" Akutagawa didn't understand what the doctor meant by that. Why would they have to keep an eye on you because of more fluid? He didn't get it. You seemed fine, you were breathing alright, just the way you had practiced with him while watching those lamaze videos at home.

The delivery was a success, your daughter had come out healthy, strong lungs, she screamed loudly when he had cut the cord, and she was still wailing as the nurses carried her away to be cleaned up. You smiled up at him, still holding his hand that had long since lost its circulation from how tight you were holding it, but he didn't mind. He mirrored your smile, staring back down at you, your eyes brimmed with tears, your hair matted and stuck to the sweat on your forehead. He loved you, he had known it before, but looking at you now, it felt like he had come to terms with the feeling once more, he was in love with you. He wanted you forever and always, for all of eternity, he needed you.

It had been twenty-four hours since your delivery. You were in the clear, you should have been, right? He had taken pictures of you holding little Rei in your arms, her head nestled in the crook of your neck. The smile on your face showed just how much joy Rei had brought you, and he felt the same way. Seeing you holding his child, his daughter, it ignited a flame inside of him, seeing the way you looked at her, it fueled this urge inside of him to always keep her safe for you, and to always protect you for her. His two perfect girls, his life wouldn't be complete, his heart wouldn't be whole without you and Rei. He couldn't imagine losing either of you, he would lose himself if it ever happened.

He was laying across the small couch underneath the window, his daughter in the bassinet against the far wall sleeping peacefully, you were sleeping just as soundly as she was. He cherished the way you and his daughter looked, he was in a state of bliss as he imagined bringing you and his daughter home, finally being able to relax and enjoy his family in the comfort of your own home.

Everything was silent, he was just beginning to doze off when the heart monitor started beeping rapidly. He shot up straight and looked over to you, you were gasping for air, clutching your chest, your eyes wide as you stared at the ceiling. Your mouth was hanging open, your breaths were short, raspy, he heard the rattling in your chest. He ran over to your bedside, grabbing the little remote the was hanging off the side pressing the call button repeatedly. "It's okay. It's okay, love." He pulled your hands away from your chest, holding them tightly in his own as he stared at the door.

Multiple doctors ran in pushing him out of the way, nurses were next to rush in, grabbing Rei and bringing her out of the room. Why were they taking her out? What was going on? He tried to watch through the wall of doctors that had surrounded you. He saw your body thrashing around on the bed, like a fish out of water. "She's seizing! Blood pressure is dropping! Come on!" You had stopped flailing, but your heart rate was also dropping. "We're losing her! Call code blue! Get the room ready! Go!" The doctor was shouting out orders to the other doctors and they dispersed. Most of them ran out of the room, others stayed around your bed, one was on the phone calling the code and shouting the room number over the rapid beeping of the heart monitor.

He felt... numb. Was he not allowed to be happy? Was there no silver lining? Would his happiness always be taken away from him? The monitor flatlined, he heard the doctors shouting, then the sound of the defibrillator being powered up. Your body rose and fell against the bed. The monitor beeped once, then flatlined again. "Another one! Lets go!" Why? Was he too happy? Was two too much? Was he not allowed to have you and his daughter? Life would never work in his favor.

Your body fell against the bed once more, they started doing compressions, anything to try to bring you back. He knew better though. You were gone. The life, the light had left your eyes. The sun couldn't compare to the light in your eyes, he loved waking up to see it every morning, and he wouldn't anymore. There would be no more lazy morning conversations in bed as he held you close, his fingers tracing the goosebumps that littered your skin. No more kisses against soft pink lips that were now a mixture of blue and purple from lack of oxygen. Your side of the bed would become cold, your shoes in the doorway would collect dust, your clothes hanging in the closet would slowly lose their color, but he would refuse to remove any piece of you from the house.

"Call it." The doctor rolled up his sleeve to check his watch. "Time of death, 10:47PM." He said, his voice was exhausted. They had worn out any attempt to try to bring you back, there was no time to get you to the operating room. They all turned to look at him, he didn't remember when, but he had at some point fallen to his knees on the floor. His eyes were distant, he wasn't looking at you, he wasn't looking at the doctors. He was imagining his perfect life, a life that had so quickly been stolen away from him.

One Week Later

He stood in front of the headstone, your name printed across the stone. His daughter was wrapped in a thick black blanket, held close against his chest. Gin stood next to him, her hand resting on his back. Rei reached out her tiny hand and he quickly placed his finger in her palm, letting her wrap her fingers around his own. He had brought his daughter home alone, he had laid her in her crib, watching over her without you there next to him. He had woken up every night in an empty bed to attend to her when she cried. He had changed every diaper, he had fed every bottle, he had done it all by himself. He had done his best to fill your shoes because you weren't there to do it with him, but he would make you proud. He would be the father you believed he could be, and more.

Gin grabbed Rei out of his arms before he got down on his knees in front of your headstone, his fingers tracing the etching of your name in the stone. "I love you so much. I told you I'd love you forever, and that will never change. Please, wait for me, my love."

A/N AT THE END : I am so sorry Akutagawa’s is so sad! He really does deserve to be happy. I love him. Reader passed from a Postpartum Amniotic Fluid Embolism btw. I’m SO SORRY READER! And to my lovely requester, I hope I fulfilled your need for Angst. 

[millytempesta]

Save me.

Chapter 1, chapter 3, chapter 4.

Paring: Asahi Azumane x reader

Rating: Fluff, love at first sight (?).

Summary: Asahi is a marine biologist, who is in charge of taking care of the strange creature that they found.But what happens when he discovers that other biologists are experimenting on his precious sea treasure, leaving it a shaky, scared mess?He'll need all the help from his friends to rescue the little fish and take it back to his blue house.

Warnings: This story will contain SMUT, MENTION OF DARK THEMES (Y/n past), MAY BE TRIGGERING TO SOMEONE.

A/n:  A little chapter that will help -hopefully- to make the next two more clear. A little of Asahi's backstory and the last drop that will make his put aside all his anxiety and save the little mermaid. The story is evolving, it's coming a little longer that what I expected it to be, but I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as I am.

It was now winter outside, in just a couple of days it will be Christmas, a holiday that Asahi used to love when little.

He remembered all his relatives coming to see his family, bringing lots of presents for him and his cousins. Lots of laughter filled the small dining room for the whole day passed enjoying Okaasan’s food. He missed his family lots. After he moved away for his job, he lost most of the contacts with all of them, only remaining informed thanks to his mum, who passed away last year.

His only family was now his high school friend, but most of them remained to work in Miyagi, or they moved to Tokyo for studies. Now that he was an adult, Christmas has been just another day who reminded him of how lonely he truly was. That’s why he usually preferred working all day, instead of going home and watching cheesy Christmas films all alone.

Walking to work, he stopped in his tracks in front of his favourite bakery. Along with all the various delicacies, what caught his eye was a white cake, adorned with statuettes of Santa Claus and little snowmen. An idea crossed his mind at that moment, making his feet move by themselves into the shop, and before he realized it, he was now standing outside of the bakery, with the fluffy cake in his hand. With a new sprint in his feet, he quickly made his way to the laboratory, greeting everyone with a warm smile.

Closing the door behind him, he slowly took his clothes off, leaving himself in his diving suit.

“(Y/n) look what I bought!”. He carefully seated on the edge of the pool, letting his feet swing into the cool water. Not even a second after, (h/c) hair made his way on the surface.

He greeted her with a kind smile, motioning for her to come closer. With a happy chirp as a greeting, she made her way to him, resting her head on his leg for him to stoke.

“Do you know what Christmas is?” He asked, looking into her curious gaze.

Shaking her head, she noticed the well packed box. A webbed hand made its way out of the pool, pointing with a finger to the said box, letting a question sound to reinforce her point.

“Christmas is a holiday we celebrate to spread happiness!”. The little mermaid made a celebrating dance at the world happy, singing happily. “Yes, happy!” He chuckles at her actions.

Taking hold of the box, he slowly opened it in front of her, letting her eyes study the new items. After a little of looking she pointed to the cake, to then point at her mouth.

“Yes! It is food, it’s a cake, just like the one I bought for Doctor Furukawa’s birthday, do you remember?” Shaking eagerly her head, she lifted her upper half on the pool’s edge, sitting next to him.

Taking the cake out of its box, he cut a slice for her to try. “It’s a little bit early to celebrate, Christmas will be in a couple of days, but I saw the cake this morning and I thought you would have liked it”. Smiling, she happily accepts the treat, letting the sweet food melt in her mouth. Her eyes opened wide open, shocked by the delicious sensation that the cream left in her mouth.

“You like that?”. Nodding fast, she quickly finished the rest of the cake, moving her plate back on his hands asking for more. Patting her head, he put the plate away near the rest of the cake.

“You can’t eat lots of it, or it will hurt your tummy”. He pointed at his tummy, making a hurt face. Worried he took hold of his hands, looking into his brown eyes. With an amused laugh, he squeezed her hands, telling her he was okay.

The warm smile in response vanished from her face when Asahi’s face got closer to hers. Her two hearts started beating faster, making her cheeks blow a bright blue (because why not, she is a mermaid, so I thought her blood would be blue). He licked his thumb, moving it to her chin where a little of the cream was resting on her soft (s/c) skin. After taking it off he bringed back that finger to his mouth, eating the sweet treat. A hum wakes her up from her trance, making her averting her eyes from his. “That bakery makes the best cream in the area”. Taking hold of her face, he turned it to him, studying her features “Are you okay? Your face is changing colour…”. A whimper escapes her lips at the close contact, making the man worried even more. After a couple of seconds, realisation hit him, making his face light up in a crimson red. Letting go of her, face he hugged his head low, staring at the reflection in the water.

A cold hand squeezed his warm one, making him look back up at her. With a kind smile she motioned to the water with her head, an invitation for him to join her in their daily swim.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he jumps in the water dragging her under with him, making her laugh. A halo of brown hair frames his face, his eyes slowly opening in the cool mass of water, locking into her (e/c) one. Puffy cheeks kept air into his mouth, a reminder that he couldn’t breath under water, in contrast with her open one, who was still giggling at his previous action. A timid smile made his way to his lips, gently pulling her harm, to make her get closer to his body. Hugging him, her tail took a curve under his body, letting his legs rest on top of it. Making her way up, they both came back to the surface, where the girl started swimming round with the man in her harms. Giggling, she started spinning around making Asahi’s head light. “Hey, stop it”. He tried to sound firm, but failed as soon as a small laugh escaped his lips.

She let go of him, swimming until her body was not facing his front. The finned ears perked up, moving in a wave-like motion, accompanied by a soft series of sounds that seemed like music. She was singing again for him. Oh... how much he loved her singing, he remembered him of the calm sound of the whales, but deeper, like a sad lullaby, who a sailor’s wife would sing hoping for her husband to come back safe. It made him move closer to her, letting his head rest on top of hers, feeling the vibration of her voice in his chest. After a little the sound stopped, making the man look down at the small body in his harms. He smiled down at her big eyes, kissing the top of her head. His watch started beeping, letting him know that it was time to go back home. A sad chirp made its way out of the mermaid’s lips, who had her head hung low. “Oh no, please, don't be sad, you know I’m not leaving yes? I need to finish some paperwork, why don’t you go to your room, so we can be next to each other?”. Resigned, she lets go of him, waving him goodbye.

Back in his office, he took a look at the big wall glass, locking eyes with the girl, who was now on the little step.

The step has been created from Asahi, after she insisted on wanting a bedroom just like the photo he showed her of his one. On the bottom of it seaweeds were put to recreate the mattress with a soft panda float secured on the pavement, making her pillow -Asahi found the panda float in a small shop; a smile made his way as soon as he spotted it, remembering when (Y/n) declared her love for the animal, stating that it reminded her of him; the smile that adorned her features when he brought it to her made it all worth.

It was missing a cover, as the object was not needed for the girl. The wall on the left side was full of photos, taken by Asahi, of animals that he spotted during his walk to and from work, various buildings who adorned the town, colorful flowers who were seated on his window and photo of the blue orange sky who made the sea look like a big lava mass. The sunset was (Y/n)’s favourite time of the day, one of the biggest things that she missed, closed in this building for such a long time.

The photo collection started when Asahi noted a change in her behaviour; The girl stopped eating , preferring to pass the time all curled up in her ‘bedroom’ when alone, or cuddle up during her session with the brunette. Her smile long forgotten on her features, now having a permanent halo of sadness on her (e/c) iris. It didn’t take him much to understand that the cause of said behaviour was her body showing how much she missed the infinite deep blue mass, that once she called home. Searching for a way to lift her mood, he came across an underwater camera, reminding him of all the photos that he used to take during his excursion, deep down the surface.

He started by taking photos of the seagulls flying in the sky who kept him awake during late night, the grey clouds ready to rain who shaken the waves to the coast, the deep blue of the sea filled up with colourful fishes. Slowly the girl came out of her shell, asking him to take more photos of the world out of the water, curious of the hidden beauty that the surface was hiding. All the pictures were carefully situated to form a perfect frame around her favourite phone, one of her and Asahi during one of their swims. She is positioned behind the man, holding him under the surface, while he was holding the camera in his hands. In both of their faces a huge beaming smile was showing, signalling how much fun they were having.

Looking at his paperwork, a sigh escapes him, remembering that time when she used to be home sick. With the past of the time, the bond created between the two only got stronger, making Asahi more and more emotional tied with her. He knows she is still sad, he knows how horrible it must be to be close to four walls for so long, not being able to swim in the infinity of the blue that once she was used to. And to top it all, it’s been weeks since they started putting sedatives into (Y/n)’s food, and bringing her who knows where to do an experiment on her body. When he tried asking Doctor Furuka, he refused to answer, only saying that no harm was done to the sea creature.

A loud siren turned on, signaling that the service door on the opposite side of the pool has been opened.They were once again here, ready to take her away to their laboratory. Scared by the loud sound, the girl swam to the big glass, asking for reassurance. Asahi put his hands on the glass, trying to show a warm reassuring smile, trying to calm her down. A net was thrown in the water, making the man agitated. ‘They usually wait for her to fall asleep before taking her away’. Her eyes filled up with terror as soon as her tail got stuck to the object, making her unable to swim away. All her wriggling brought the net to painfully tighten its grip around her long tail, letting a loud cry escape her lips.

“STOP IT YOU ARE HURTING HER!” He screamed, implorating in vain for the other men to let her go.

They didn’t care, they were hurting her and they weren’t doing anything about it.

A tranquilizer dart was fired, hitting her (f/c) tail. Slowly her wriggling stopped, indicating that she passed out. Only then the net brought her up, making her disappear from his sight.

After minutes of silence and staring into the now empty pool, Asahi fell onto his knees. Her terrified expression haunting his mind.

They hurt her, scared her and took her away right under his eyes, and all he could do was watch.

A tear escapes from his eyes. Flash of his past coming back to him.

“Asahi, stop being a coward!” “Asahi be a man once in your life” “You’ll never change, always stepping back when scared”.

Looking back up to the blue surfare, a dark light made its way onto his eyes, making him stand up.

‘No more’.

After a couple of hours the siren was heard again, followed by a loud splashing sound caused by something making contact with the water. Looking up, (Y/n)’s body was sinking slowly down the water motionless. Panic came back to him, who started running up the stairs and into the water room. Stripping off his clothes, he jumped into the cool liquid, reaching for her body. Bringing her to her bed, he gently positioned on her back, moving her hair from her face. The hand that was stroking her hair stopped on her cheek, caressing the cold skin there. ‘I’m so sorry’. Bringing their forehead together, he let his body rest next to her as much as he could, before his lungs screamed for oxygen. With one last look he made his way back up. Sitting on the edge of the pool, staring at the service door, a frown made its way on his face, while carefully he studied his plan back up again. ‘I won’t let them hurt you again, I promise you’.

[thegreatbigfourmain]

Dancing With Dragons

He knew something was wrong the moment he came to his senses. His entire body trembled with pain as he was forced to awaken from his blissful and painfully unaware sleeping state. The sound of beeping monitors and the soft echo of shoes tapping on hard floors rose once his eyes opened. Moments later, a doctor was there to greet him and inform him they were at the hospital, yet still on base. The battered-up brunet saw a glimpse of himself in a mirror given by a nurse. His hair was matted and dirty, his body stitched and bandaged. 

It took the doctor a moment before telling him that not only was he being sent home on an honorable discharge, he also had a terrible accident. It wasn’t losing his men or killing civilians, as one would assume. The tragic loss was the left stump that was now his leg, bleeding through the bandages. His green eyes widened at the sight. No words left his lips as his entire body shut down. As a result, the doctor pumped his IV with morphine to cause the soldier to rest. However, the shock never truly left him.

In all honesty, he wasn't too proud of going off to the Marines like he had. He thought that if he left his art scholarship and went to the army, his dad might actually be proud of him. And for a moment, the old man was. With his buzz cut and high rankings through bomb tech and military tacticians, he had been put in the hand of his squad. His father was proud of him every day.

Yet, it only took a single bomb to set back everything. He came home taller with lean ropes of muscle, a haircut and a foot gone. The looks of sympathy were worse than the disapproval. He spent months in the hospital and physical therapy, though it did nothing to help his mental state. His hair grew out back to the long length it had once been and he could actually walk in a straight line with his prosthetic, yet he still felt as weak as he was all those years ago. Even as a twenty-seven-year-old man, he still looked to his father for approval and now only saw that same disappointment.

There wasn’t anything he could do to change that’s man mind. 

***

Today, Hiccup Haddock the Third found himself outside a small dance studio recommended by his redheaded, Scottish doctor. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. 

The brunette sighed, looking down at the floor of the car.

“You ready?” his best friend asked from the driver’s side.

The man grumbled, “No. Take me home.”

Jack scoffed and turned off the car as to not waste the gas. Hiccup knew what that meant; a lecture from good ole’ Jack Frost. 

“Doc said it was going to help your coordination and that this girl was a good friend of hers. She’s not even going to charge you! What’s the worse that could happen?” the white hair male asked.

Hiccup gave him a look, “I fox trot myself into falling on my ass?”

Jack narrowed his eyes, “Get out of the car and go get better or so help me I will pull you out myself.”

The brunet rolled his green eyes before opening the door and lifting his legs awkwardly out of the vehicle. He slowly stood up, only to bend down and look back at his buddy. 

“Two o’ clock right?” 

“I’ll be here. I promise,” Jack said with a smile. The veteran closed the door and with a sigh, wobbled his way toward the dance studio. He was still slow in his walk and looked stiff. He refused to use a cane as it only furthered his disappointment and loss of his normality. Besides, it was mostly the pain that bothered him rather than his appearance. 

Everything inside him screamed that this was a bad idea.

His father had ingrained in him that real men don’t need help. Then again, he wanted a lot out of his fishbone of a son that didn't have much to give in the first place. 

Hiccup walked up to the door as the colorful fall leaves crunched under his boots. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a button up dark green shirt with a warm leather jacket over it. Now that his hair was long, he used a ponytail to tie it back. It showed off more of his sharp jawline and many, many freckles.

He hesitantly knocked on the door. 

Many thoughts swirled in his mind at the moment. Dr. DunBroch could have at least showed him a picture of her friend to ease his nerves. If she was cute, then this would most definitely end badly. If she wasn’t attractive to him, then it still probably end with him falling on his ass. 

With an awkward turn on his good foot, he only waited a second before heading back to the sidewalk. Hiccup was at the ready to pull out his phone to call Jack to turn around.  

Hiccup dialed Jack's number as the autumn wind tried to penetrate through his thick jacket. He hated the cold. The worst part of being out in the desert was the nights. It was always freezing. 

He brought the phone up to his ear, his other hand in his jacket pocket. 

As the phone rang, he heard the door behind him open.

“Hi, I’m Rapunzel. Are you Hiccup?” 

He turned to see who called his name. The person before him made his eyes widened. Oh this is bad. This is very, very bad. 

She was beautiful. 

She was a petite woman who wore a strapped rose pink dress that brought out the pink of her cheeks and the spring green of her doe eyes. Her hair was held up in a messy bun of golden strands. There was no makeup on her face to taint the natural beauty she possessed. Her lips were in a natural pout as she waited for him to answer. 

He gulped, ignoring the voice that yelled at him on the other end of the phone line.

He decided this was much worse than what his imagination concocted in his head. The last thing he wanted was to be exposing his flaws and handicap by falling all over the place in front of a beautiful woman. Warmth flooded his cheeks to the tips of his ears. He gave her an awkward smile, hanging up the phone and putting it in his pocket. Hiccup took a couple of careful steps towards the door, though he still wobbled a bit. 

The brunet stopped to take a deep breath, his smile gone from what he was about to say. His green eyes filled with a bit a self-loathing, but mostly embarrassment. 

“Umm, hi. Yeah, I’m Hiccup. Dr. DunBroch referred me here, but I think it would be best to continue going back to physical therapy. This dancing thing isn't for me. I was never coordinated, even before my accident. I'm sorry if I wasted your time.” 

He could see her face fall when he told her that he wouldn’t be taking her class. It seemed like she was almost looking forward to it. No, it couldn't be that. Injured veterans are charity cases. She was probably just trying to validate herself through some civic duty to a soldier. Just another person to pity him.

These emotions made Hiccup turn around. He couldn’t take looking at her hurt face any longer. He closed his eyes tightly at how stupid he must have sounded. He took out his phone again while walking stiffly towards the sidewalk once more.

All he heard was a soft “Oh, of course. No worries” from her before the door closed behind him, leaving him out in the autumn wind.

Haddock you asshole, he thought to himself. 

He called Jack again.

“What?” 

“I’m ready to go home.”

“You didn’t even go to the class, did you?”

“This is stupid. I want to go home.”

“Your doctor said this was the best chance you have to walk normally that’s faster than therapy. You can’t just walk away because you’re uncomfortable!”

“I can figure it out myself. And I’m not walking away. It just isn’t for me.”

“I’m not picking you up.”

“Then I’ll walk.”

“Are you crazy? You can barely walk as it is! No offense.”

“How is that not offensive?”

Hiccup was about to utter something to his supposed best friend when he felt a small tap on his shoulder. It made him turn around, his phone still up to his ear with Jack barraging him. 

The petite blonde stood behind him, out in the cold with her dance outfit on. 

She smiled at him and handed him her card. “Here. It’s my business card,” she explained. 

“I know you may not want to now, or ever. But if you ever do want to have a session in the future, I just wanted you to know you have other options. I may not be a licensed physical therapist, but I do know a few things about dance,” she joked, letting out the most melodious giggle Hiccup’s ever heard. 

Her words were almost lost on him because he found himself looking into her green eyes now that they were closer. They were green like summer grass. He felt like he was getting lost in all that was simple about her. That’s what it was. She was simple, uncomplicated and without drama. His whole life had been a series of problems and complications. Hell, his name was Hiccup: he was a mistake and a problem within itself. Even his own occupation was full of bomb techs, guns, drills, training and war mechanics. When he got home it was hospitals and surgeries, family issues and planning. She seemed so simple.

Hiccup reached for the card and, in doing so, gently brushed his fingertips with hers. That short contact caused jolts of electricity to run up his arm, followed by a bright crimson blush flustering his face. 

“Oh, th-thank you,” he muttered out. She gave him one more heart-stopping smile before spinning around in a dancer’s fashion and going back into the building. 

“Hiccup? Hic who was that?” Jack’s voice finally registering into the memorized brunet. 

“Th-that was my instructor. Sorry Jack, I gotta go. See you at 2,” Hiccup rapidly uttered before stuffing his phone once again into his pocket and following the direction of where the blonde beauty went. 

When he did catch up to her, she was beginning to put her speaker away and looked like she was closing up shop. Hiccup cleared his throat before knocking on the open door and entering. 

The blonde glanced towards him, tilting her head to the side a bit like an adorable curious puppy. 

“Hiccup?” 

He chuckled at that, whether it be to hide his incredibly nervous emotions or because the way she said his name was on the rapidly growing list of what he enjoyed hearing from her; her giggle being the first. 

“I, I’m sorry about before... This is all so foreign to me,” he started. 

She placed the speaker aside and began to walk towards him, Hiccup doing the same until the pair met in the center of the room with only their reflections in from the ballet mirrors to accompany them. 

“Well, If you’re up for it, I don’t mind helping you get un-foreign to it,” she grinned, her smile never failing to clench the inside of Hiccup’s chest. 

What was this girl doing to me? 

“What the heck, let’s do it.” 

What did he just get himself into? 

[comeoncomeout41]

I just watched the Elf episode of The Holiday Movies That Made Us on Netflix after remembering that I started writing an Elf supercorp AU for Christmas in 2018 (don’t judge me) and found my old notes app first draft so Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! MAYBE I’ll finish it this year... (she said as a lying liar who lies.)

*The fic in which Kara’s pod crash landed at the North Pole, 13 years later her adopted elf mother Eliza and her elf sister Alex tell her about her cousin Kal now Clark Kent and she decides to go to Metropolis to meet the only other person like her. She meets Lena “naughty list” Luthor. And Clark and Lois are Jewish.

🔥🎄🎄🎄🧝‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Some elves are born to work in Santa’s workshop. Kara Zor-El, however, was not born an elf or even from this earth for that matter.

When her pod crash landed at the North Pole thirteen years ago, she had no memory of a lost planet, no recollection of a cousin she was sent to protect who had already grown up to become Superman, and no idea how to be an alien living with elves. Santa was perturbed as to what to do with a skittish teenaged alien who cringed at the sound of tiny hammers building toys.

The elf doctor, Eliza Danvers, having a daughter around Kara’s age, naturally stepped in to help raise her, teach her elf culture, and attempt to control her powers. There were several mishaps of course.

Kara’s eyes lit up the first time she saw a Christmas tree. Literally. The green pine was burned to a crisp with her heat vision. But she quickly uprooted another tree from outside the elf village and helped Alex redecorate the new tree. And spent several hours carefully placing the new lights and ornaments, after breaking several of the glowing strings of light and the ornate red and blue colored bulbs. When Alex had trouble reaching the top of the tree, Kara swooped her up under her arms to help her place the star on the tree. And she managed to only break one of Alex’s ribs in the process.

After years of being at the North Pole, Kara was actually a wonderful toy maker once she learned to control her strength. When other elves managed to meet their five hundred toy quotas, Kara would have five thousand toys completed. The workshop wouldn’t need any teddy bears for another century, but finding storage for all of the toys Kara built was becoming difficult.

So from there, Kara’s primary job became Elf Master of Letters. She spends several hours each day answering letters for Santa as Santa’s tight schedule and the millions of letters he received each year became too much for the old bearded man. And although she always needed a little proofreading as the different Earth languages were sometimes difficult and much different than her native alien tongue, she enjoyed writing and speaking to children all over the world, bringing them the joy of Christmas.

Alex read over the letter Kara had just finished typing. Her younger but much bigger sister looked to her with a twinkle in her eyes and waited patiently. When Kara saw the red ink marked all over Kara’s letter she cooed and gasped, “That red is so pretty Alex. I know Raymond in Denver will love it! He told me red was his favorite color. I wanted to tell him that’s Santa’s favorite color too! But I didn’t want to give all of the big man’s secrets away, you know?”

Alex sighed and rested her hand on her sister’s shoulder, “Kara, these are your typos. Look here.”

Alex pointed to the last line, “Beleiving isn’t singing. Singing is beleiving.”

“He asked if he could see what the North Pole looks like. I set him straight. Believing isn’t singing. Singing is believing. That was in that one Santa Claus movie you had me watch, which I know isn’t historically accurate or based on true events, but I still,”

“Kara, remember your English spellings. I before e except after c? And it’s seeing not singing.

“Except in some cases like neighbor and weigh. And I just thought! It’s a play on words because ‘the best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear!’”

Alex smiled at her then, “You’ll get the hang of it.“

“Yeah, okay so I can’t spell that great, but the writing was good right?” Kara looked hopeful.

Alex shoved her shoulder, “You know you have more Christmas spirit than any other elf. Now come on and fix these typos, so we can go drink hot chocolate with Mom.”

That night when Kara had gone to bed, belly full of twelve drumsticks, eleven pickled peppers, ten cups of hot chocolate, nine hams glazed, eight glasses of milk, seven strudel pastries, six white chocolate goose eggs, five onion rings, four carrot cakes, three French bagels, two turtle chocolates, and a chocolate pecan pie, she curled up on her elf sized bed. Eliza had knit a fourth blanket onto her elf quilt the previous month when her toes started peeking out at the bottom. Alex had tucked her in tonight, making certain she was snug as a bug in a rug in the tiny bed, wishing sweet dreams of sugarplums dancing in her head.

She was content, happy, home and tomorrow would be her thirteenth birthday at the North Pole. What more could her life possibly be, what could be more rewarding than being apart of the magic that brought Christmas to children all over the world? And still Kara thought of that world and all of the little lights that wrote those letters to Santa, the gleaming eyes of all who opened presents on Christmas morning, and she wondered if any of them were like her. If they could hear the faintest sounds of snow falling or reach up and touch the clouds. If they could roast chestnuts with their eyes or see through all those pretty presents wrapped neatly under the tree. If the people of this world could believe that Santa would come every year to bring them gifts, then she had to believe that somewhere out there, there was someone else who was just like her.

That night Kara dreamed of a beautiful red sunset and little baby boy named Kal. It all felt so real, seeing him jet across the sky in a similar pod to the one Kara had found in an abandoned workshop years ago, knowing it must have been how she found her home. She wrote a letter to Santa as soon as she woke up, asking him to find a home for Kal for Christmas.

_____

Kara had been in trouble a bit, always an accident, because really how was it her fault if Blitzen couldn’t keep up with her? He could have flown faster if he hadn’t eaten all of that maple syrup and maybe then he wouldn’t have been left behind! She carried him back the whole way anyway! After she found him three days later in the Swiss Alps.

But this time when she was called to Santa’s office and Eliza and Alex sat patiently waiting for the charges from the big boss, Kara didn’t know why she was here at all, or rather, now she was on the floor with wood debris around her rear because the little chair was a lot lower than she had anticipated. That was the tenth one this month.

Santa cleared his throat and rubbed his white bearded chin, “I read your letter, and I spoke to your mom and sister. I think they have something they’d like to tell you.”

Kara widened her eyes and looked to her mom, “Are we going to adopt Kal? Like you adopted me? Please say we can Eliza. I promise I’ll teach him myself how to control his powers, and I can build him a crib myself. I’ll even chop down the tree for the wood and we can,”

Eliza cupped Kara’s face and kissed her forehead, a tear prickling at the corner of her eye, “Do you remember Kal now sweetie? Do you remember Krypton?”

Kara blew out her breath in bewilderment, “Krypton? What’s that? Is that where I’m from? Is it in Canada? I’ve always felt I was probably a Canadian because I don’t get cold at the North Pole, and I make the best maple syrup every year during the elf Christmas party.”

Santa nodded, “Its true, you really do.”

Alex gasped, “you know you’re not an elf?”

Kara chewed at her fingernails, “Well I’m not, am I? I’m bigger than all of you and I can lift a Christmas tree over my head like it’s mistletoe and fly with reindeer and all sorts of stuff. I’ve known for awhile I’m not from here, but this is still my home. You two are still my family.”

Alex held back all her unshed tears, “But you have other family out there, and we can’t keep you from knowing about Kal anymore.”

So that day Kara cried when Santa showed her the picture of Kal, or Clark Kent as he was called on Earth, glasses askew and a beautiful woman on his arm. Clark without the glasses bearing what she was told was her family crest, the House of El, taking up the mantle of Earth’s greatest hero, Superman. She had crafted thousands of figurines of her only living blood relative, and yet she hadn’t the faintest idea that she had been sent to protect him for all of these years. He had grown up, not alone at least. He was raised in Kansas on a farm, and now he lived in Metropolis with his wife Lois Lane and their son Jonathan Kent.

“Does he even know I exist?”

_____

Kara changed into her best elf attire and her bright red boots that Eliza had made her for Christmas, letting her open one present before she left. Today was the day that she would fly to Metropolis and meet her cousin for the first time. She couldn’t wait, but the dread at leaving Alex and Eliza settled deep in the pit of her stomach. And all of the letters to Santa she still wanted to respond to sat neatly at her desk in her room.

She was leaving behind her entire life at the North Pole. She told herself she wasn’t losing her home, but it still felt like it. Santa’s workshop, Eliza and Alex, it was all she had ever known or could remember. Would it be the same when she came back? Would her room still smell like a gingerbread house and would her stocking still hang by their chimney with care? Would Kal come with her or would she split her time between Kal and Alex and Eliza like some children who get double presents when their parents divorce?

Alex knocked on her door and waltzed in, “Hey Kara, mom made you something to take to Kal. There’s a winter storm over Greenland, you should probably get going soon.”

Kara wiped the tears from her eyes and her sister rushed to hug her. She had to bend down a little and lift Alex off the ground, but no way was she leaving without giving her sister a proper hug.

“I’m going to miss you and mom so much, Alex. I’ve never been away from home for more than a few hours, how am I going to make it to Christmas without you both? Will you even still want me back?”

Alex nuzzled closer, “You better come back because I don’t want to imagine this place without you. Who’s going to lift the fridge so mom can sweep under it hmm? Who’s going to change all of the light bulbs in the workshop when they blow out? Who’s going to drink hot chocolate with me and watch Hallmark movies in July?”

Kara laughed, shaking her head and deposited Alex on the floor, “I thought you hated the Hallmark channel.”

Alex simply rolled her eyes, “But I love spending time with my sister, and I love you, you big sap. I swore I wasn’t going to cry.”

Feeling slightly better Kara shoves her sister’s shoulder, a little too hard and catches her before she falls, “I love you too, dork. Don’t open the present I got you until you get back, pinky swear?”

Alex locks pinkies with Kara and kisses her thumb, “I’ll miss you. Please be safe. No breaking the sound barrier, watch out for pigeons because there’s a lot in Metropolis or so I’ve read. And when you see Kal remember to call him Clark Kent.”

“Got it, and don’t eat anything I don’t buy myself or anything not given to me by Clark, Lois, or Jonathan because there’s a high chance it’s not candy.”

Kara hugged Eliza for thirty minutes after that, and then Alex for another ten minutes before waving goodbye to Santa and all of the elves at his workshop. Metropolis wasn’t so far for her to fly, and she’d be home in no time.

She coasted through the peppermint sparkled glaciers, touched the northern lights, sailed through the skies above the Arctic Ocean, grazed the top of the Daily Planet, and landed atop the small two bedroom apartment building on the rent controlled side of town. Inside the windows of the corner apartment on the top floor, Kara saw Kal with his family, lighting candles, looking happy and calm. She decided to wait until morning to meet Kal, Clark, alone.

She listened into the city around her, all of the heartbeats like a million tiny hammers beating together, all except one. Kara flew the city, pinpointing the sound, admiring all of the lights on all the trees in all of the buildings and all the shining multicolored bulbs lining the streets. And it was there, in the tallest tower of the tallest building, one light shone through the wall to wall window, a small desk lamp in the large office. At the desk a woman with jet black hair and skin as white and fair as snow sat, typing away at her computer, nibbling on the pen in her mouth. She strained her long elegant neck, and stretched her arms above her head before getting back to work.

Kara glanced below the balcony to the street corner, finding what she knew the young woman needed. She floated down to the alley and walked into a coffee shop, took some time figuring out how to pay for a cup of coffee with the paper and coin money that Santa had given her before she left. Smiled and thanked the cashier for helping her, put one of the bills in his tip jar (it was a hundred.) She quickly flew into the woman’s office, left the coffee on her desk, and flew out of sight, feeling a little like Santa herself in the moment.

The woman grabbed the coffee absentmindedly and sipped, not expecting it to be so hot Kara sees her fanning her mouth and frantically searching the room with her eyes. When she turns to peer out her balcony, Kara sees her face, hard jaw line, soft endearing green eyes. She smiles as the woman screams and locks her balcony door as the windows go pitch black.

[thedramaclubs]

The acceptance song

This song was robbed from the movie

Summery: The actors arrived at the hotel they were staying at and they are about to do the rally

Ships: Logicality, Prinxiety, demus/dukeceit

When they’re singing

Thomas-pink

Roman-red

Remus-green

Two people-blue

All-purple

After the whole school thing, the actors went to the hotel they were gonna stay in.

“Oh my god this is worse than the bus.” Said Roman as they enters the lobby

“Well at least it’s quieter, if I have to sit through “Day by Day” one more time I definitely won’t kill them all one by one.” Said Janus as he walked to the desk

“4 rooms for Allen I called yesterday” Roman than interject “4 rooms varying in sizes to the reflect the hierarchy of the company” the front desk man was very confused about what Roman said.

“Where’s my suite?”

“We don’t have a suite.”

“Oh” Roman want buying it so he went into his purse and place a tony award on the desk “do you have a suite now”

“No we don’t have any suites. All the rooms are the same”

Roman still wanted his way so he placed a second tony award next to the other one

“Surely you know who I am. I’d at least like a room next to the spa”

“We don’t have a spa. We have a foosball table. I can put you near that.” Roman put his Tony’s back in his purse and Remus came barging in

“JANNIE! Have you seen these rooms? We’re gonna be murdered and stuff. And I’m the one who’s supposed to murder and stuff Roman”“I can hear you!” “I mean it has 3 stars” Said Janus as he tried to find his flask

“Do you have any cabins?”

“We don’t have any cabins”

Remus then grabbed a drama desk out of his bag and placed it on the table “How about now?”

Roman looked at what he just placed “What is that?” “It’s a drama desk.” “A what?” “You know What it is!” He grabbed his drama desk and Thomas came in looking sick

“Well I vomited in the back of the bus again! Can I speck to the hotel doctor?”

“If there’s a doctor here he’s in the basement holding our essences in a pot” Said Remus as he went to lay his head on Janus. Just then the man at the desk was really excited

“Oh my god it’s you! I can’t believe it it’s really you!!!”

Remus lifted his head “You know him but you don’t know us?” “I suppose my artistry speaks for itself.” “YOUR THAT GUY FROM “TALK TO THE HAND!” It comes on every night at nine right after Two of a kind!” He grabbed his room key being annoyed and went to the others.

“Alright let’s change some lives! Joan’s finding us a venue, Thomas, what about the song that you mention that we would use for the rally”

“Uh, about that. I was misled by my representation. Mr Sondheim, man who was supposed to write the song is not a huge fan of my Sweeney Todd. Quite the opposite actually. He said there’s a lot of anger and clever, clever anger.” Everyone was devastated and Roman got up “Thomas you screwed us. We can’t have a rally without a song”

“Don’t worry I....wrote something myself. Quite rousy, it is in a very humane key. The Godspell kids will back us up they have their own costumes”

The three men looked st the music Thomas gave them.“Oh my god” Said Janus as he started laughing.“This is awful” Remus kept looking through the song questioning everything. “You rhymed bigotry with.... big of me” Roman started why they brought Thomas along.

“Yeah pretty great huh take that Lin Manuel Miranda” Remus then interjected “We can’t sing this they’ll throw beer cans at our heads and we know that Roman will use me as his shield to protect his hair” “Shut up Remus!!!” “No I’m calling you out!!!”

“Trust me all we need is a simple message to tug at the heart strings plus a little pageantry we have everything we need right here” “Except a venue” Janus then proceeded to chug his flask just then Joan came bursting in.

“I GOT ONE! I had to get down in my knees a few times but it was was worth it” everyone got a burst of energy “And there’s 25000 guaranteed” “That’s amazing.” Roman and the others we’re getting excited “What is it one of those beautiful antebellum opera houses?”

“No it’s an arena! Your gonna be the halftime show of something called a monster truck rally!” We are now at the monster truck rally and the halftime show and the announcer began to speak “Ladies and gentlemen Truckosaurus, the car-eating robot dinosaur, will not be your halftime entertainment today. Instead we have some guests who’ve come from New York to sing us a song about intolerance”

Thomas walk on stage and with confidence “Hello I’m Thomas Sanders, actor and Juilliard graduate” a man from the crowd screamed “HEY ITS THAT GUY FROM “TALK TO THE HAND”!!”

Thomas was about to loose his shit but stayed calm “Yeah ya know “talk to the hand” is a small part of my resume. In the early aughts I did a 3 episode arch on greys anatomy. But I realize something about people. Even though we all look different on the outside skin, nose, shapes on the inside we’re all the same on the inside. We all got lungs, intestines, corazons. So I wrote this song, this ones for you Patton” he revealed a picture of Patton when Janus was trying to take his picture. Then the music began

🎶Flowers accept the rain and grow more beautiful, babies accept heir mothers breast so they can grow strong🎶

🎶I accept that I was born a handsome man. So join with me and sing this acceptance song🎶

The cast of godspell came out in very bright an colorful costumes

🎶Let us accept one another🎶

🎶I know it’s truly hard🎶

🎶We’re sister and brother🎶

🎶Here’s what I learned at Juilliard. Bigotry’s not big of me and it’s not big of you🎶

🎶Let’s all work together to make rainbow dreams come true🎶

Ladies and gentlemen, two time Tony Award winner, Mr Roman Allen

🎶Acorns accept the sun and turn to might oaks, Sperm whales accept fresh air through their blow hole things (blow hole)🎶

🎶Bumble bees accept they’ll die within a year🎶

🎶And still they flap their soon to be dead wings🎶

🎶Let us accept one another🎶

🎶Forget you politics🎶

🎶We’re sister and brother🎶

🎶So let’s not be total dicks. Bigotry’s not big of me, and it’s not big of you🎶

🎶Let’s all work together to make rainbow dreams come true🎶

Ladies and gentlemen, the non-equity cast of Godspell and one time drama desk winner, Remus Allen

Remus came in wearing a yellow shirt saying “We’re all gay” as the Godspell kids did choreography

🎶Accept me (he says it 8 more times and I’m too tired to write that so pretend I did here)🎶

Roman and Thomas came back in wearing the same yellow shirts

🎶Let us accept one another join the fight today we’re sister and brother🎶

🎶Make people hear us when we say🎶

🎶Bigotry’s not big of me and it’s not big of me and it’s not big of you let’s make a rainbow🎶

🎶And make rainbow dreams come true (accept us, accept us, accept us, accept us)🎶

Janus came in wearing a rainbow outfit and with two black bags with rainbow fabrics that two people pulled out

🎶Let’s make rainbow dreams come TRUUUUUUUUE🎶

ACCEPTANCE!!

People to tag/ @artissijules @patt-off @frogsandcookies @icantthinkofacreativeurl

Sorry this didn’t come out yesterday I was really tired

[power-rings]

A Different Life

50 Years Ago...

-

Of what Shadow could see was all just a blur of colors as his escape pod entered the Earth’s atmosphere, the very thing that was keeping him from burning alive was falling to pieces as it continued to descend...very rapidly. 

The events before he escaped his home - The Space Colony A.R.K, it was literally hell. Gunfire after gunfire, his Creator disappearing from his eyesight within seconds after they were ambushed. Why was this happening? He never understood. Among all of that, Maria was under fire as well. He had hollered from his escape capsule for her to get to safety. Before he knew it, she had been shot.  In the chest. Words were exchanged between the two, and before he knew it, his escape pod was released. Was she... gone? Never to be seen again? 

Shadow braced for impact as the ground grew closer and closer. He blacked out momentarily, he shook his head as his ears started to ring. Cringing in pain, he glanced up to the blue sky. The hedgehog would be awed by the beauty if the circumstances were different. He scanned his surroundings, it looked like he was on some kind of Island... soon he found the strength to roam the island. There was no sign of another escape pod. Perhaps she landed elsewhere... he quietly hoped. The sound of commotion distracted his search for his companion. There were more men dressed in the same attire that attacked their home. A low growl escaped the hedgehog. What did they want?!

“Commander!  The lifeform just landed on the Island. Do you wish for us to capture?” Shadow’s ears pinned back, prepared for a fight. “Yes, sir! We’ll need backup...” The human tensed up, as he raised his gun, loaded and ready to fire. “Don’t do anything stupid.” He muttered, as more men in uniform joined him. He fired a shot at the target, Shadow quickly dodged, and ran in the other direction. Forgetting there was a unwelcoming sea. He may be the ultimate lifeform, but he did not know anything about the ocean, except the creatures that lived in it.  He whirled around to face his enemy. Of course, they were quick to charge at him before he made a move. With the training he took at home, he was able to dodge every blow; only a few bullets brushing against his arm. The last soldier he kicked away, while another approached Shadow from behind...jabbing something sharp in his neck. Shadow swung a fist at the man, making contact with his jaw, he felt his neck. Odd. No blood? What did... oh wait, there it is. Everything around him started to spin out of control, he shook his head with no prevail. Before he knew it, he was shaking, and on his hands and knees while they gathered around him. Everything went completely black. He was out cold. 

When he woke up hours later... or was it the next day? Damn, at this point he didn’t care. What woke him was a familiar voice... Prof. Gerald Robotnik, better known to him as his creator. 

He was angry. 

“This was not the deal, at all! She had nothing to do with this!” Gerald shouted from down the hall. “He... listen! Damn you.. I built that place to protect this world. I created...-”

“What about....” whatever was said, it was inaudible to Shadow’s ears.

“...I did exactly as you selfish fools asked for, and paid me millions for. What I get in response? My granddaughter was shot for Christ’s sake! I see I made a mistake striking a deal with the likes of you....”

If anything else was spoken between the two, was muttered to Shadow as they moved to another room further from the one he was currently in. There were so many questions he had, what did his creator mean? They paid him? For what exactly?! Quite frankly, he only wanted to know if Maria was still alive. 

--

“Prison Island, really?” The elderly Professor scoffed, disgusted with the current circumstances. 

“A perfect place for criminals, don’t you think?” The commander eyed the shorter human.

“I am not a criminal.”

“That’s what they all say.” Prof. Gerald glared, “besides, you should be grateful before you leave this world... that your granddaughter’s life was spared. Oh, need I remind you before you blame my soldiers, she did intervene in the capture of Project: Shadow. Therefore, my soldier did his job like trained beforehand.”

“She’s still a child!” Gerald was furious about his last statement, despite his hate against the commander, he was relieved to hear Maria was alive. The commander guided him to her room where she was lying in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV, and various machines to keep her stable. She was still out of it, but all her vitals read normal.

--

“In the upcoming days, you will be granted a trial. Lucky you.  If you wish, you can say your goodbyes to your granddaughter. In the chair where you’ll be spend your last hour. Whatever you say will be recorded for legal purposes.” 

“Do you have any questions, Professor?” 

“I just want to see my granddaughter.” Gerald didn’t fight his consequences anymore, he had his plan ready for the years to come and that involved his greatest creation.  He had requested to have some of his former colleagues to join him in the lab that he use to work at a lot before this island became a prison. He told Maria he loved her, and as him and the other Professors watched her vitals, “you’re gonna go to sleep for awhile, ok? Once you wake up... maybe you’ll still see the beauty in this world. Somehow.” He held her hand, “I love you, my dear..” tears stung his eyes. Young and innocent. She was so blinded to the sins of this world. Oh how he wished he had felt that way. Maria looked up at him, there was a hint of panic in her eyes before falling into a deep slumber. The last thing he requested before being sent away to his death sentence, he wanted her to rest someplace a little more comfortable instead of the eerie Island they were on. 

Shadow too was preserved in a capsule, but remained on Prison Island because G.U.N was wary of how dangerous Shadow could be. He was sealed underneath the prison, to be remained untouched until the appropriate time came. 

-

Today...

Approximately, 30 years later Maria was found in Mystic Ruins when a group of people were investigating, soon she was taken to the hospital to be checked out. She was perfectly healthy...

Maria searched the room, there was a t.v displaying the news, info about the recent events around the world. The longer she watched the more she grew confused. How long has she been asleep? What happened to Shadow? And grandpa? Neither of which she knew the answers to. She got up from her bed, and stumbled to the windows, tugging at the cord to open the blinds. She was blinded by the sunlight. Once her eyes adjusted, she took in the surroundings and was in awe. Not exactly the beautiful forest she saw in books, instead she was welcomed to the busy life of the city. 

Hours, days and weeks passed by and Maria remained in the hospital, the doctors in awe of how she was still healthy after being asleep for roughly 30 years. They ran tests, poked and prodded her. Finally after the second week, the doctors left her be. Then, the cops came to ask her questions. She vaguely remembered much except her former home, save for the hellish events that almost took her life. Of course, she remembered her best friend... Shadow. But why wasn’t he in the hospital with her?  No one knew who she was talking about, of course. Eventually, she was released from the hospital and sent to a foster family had a close connection to the local orphanage. They of course welcomed her with loving arms. 

As she grew accustomed to her now current life on Earth, Maria attended the school located in Station Square, she fit right in with her classmates. She told them stories about living in space, but they didn’t believe her. Unfortunately, she had no evidence to prove her story. She would look at pictures they shared of space at school, then she would burst out where the A.R.K was located (to them it looked like a bright star). Her adopted parents listened to these stories, but was unaware of the existence of this creation.

No one took her seriously when she brought the subject up, that was until her “parents” met with her teacher at a local café to discuss her progress in school. “Yeah, she speaks about this place called... The Space Colony A.R.K, I’m not sure where she got this from-” They were interrupted by a tall gentleman in a uniform.

“Excuse me? Did you just say the Space Colony A.R.K?”

Slightly frightened, the wife confirmed his suspicions.

“...Strange. What’s your daughter’s name?“

“Maria...” The male at the table squinted at the taller individual.

“...R-Robotnik?!” 

“Why does her last name concern you?!” He stood up from the table, his eyes accusing the stranger.

“Mr. Tower, what the hell? Leave them be. We must head back to headquarters.” The other gentleman joined them, their uniforms similar.  This so called Mr. Tower muttered something under his breath before leaving with the soldier.

-

Roughly 10 years later, Shadow was found on Prison Island by Gerald Robotnik’s grandson...well-known as Dr.Eggman, his greatest plan was starting to unfold... 

Author’s note:

chapter 2 is coming hopefully. Ok it’s bedtime... Haha

[let-me-love-you-loki]

Yearning Too Late

The wailing had stopped. Thank God. After months of colic, midnight diaper changes, and feedings every three hours, Mattie—who had quickly been nicknamed Tea by Matt and Nick—was sleeping through the night. The exhaustion that her birth and those first wild weeks home had wrought on me had not been visited upon her fathers. Matt and Nick were on a hair trigger when it came to their daughter. Her slightest whimper or expression of unhappiness sent them into a tailspin trying to make her happy again.

           I loved watching my husbands with our daughter. Each time I watched them gather her up in their arms and coo over her, my heart melted. After a few hours, I’d feel like the Grinch after Christmas—with my heart three sizes too big. Those early days after we brought her home showed me more to love about them.

           Matt was desperately protective of her. When she learned to crawl, Matt panicked whenever she got out of his sight. He would follow after her, snatching her by the back of her onesie or carefully redirecting her with his foot if she got too close to tables or “dangerous” stuff. Of course, to Matt, everything that wasn’t round, a foot high, squishy, or soft was dangerous.

           Nick on the other hand was dedicated to making her smile and laugh. He popped around corners, played peek-a-boo with towels, teddy bears, and his hands, chased her around on his hands and knees, blew raspberries on her belly and cheeks, and nibbled on her fingers and toes. Nick hovered over her crib first thing in the morning making faces—all wide eyes and open mouth grins—until she giggled.

           Mattie, for her part, was enamored with them as well. I couldn’t count how many times I’d walked into the nursery or the living room in one of the houses and found Matt stretched out on a sofa or the floor, Mattie snuggled sound asleep against his chest. More often than not, so was Matt. Nor could I keep track of how often I would come upon Nick sitting with our daughter on his lap, tickling and making faces at her until she squealed with laughter.

           I fell in love with my husbands over and over again in those first months of our daughter’s life. Mattie was the light of their lives, just as she was mine. She grew into thick, dark hair and wide blue eyes that mixed the things I loved the most about my husbands. When she smiled, her cheeks rounded, and I could see Matt in her face. When she was angry or frustrated, she scrunched her nose and all I saw was Nick. Each time I thought of the gift they’d given me in our life together, in our daughter, I felt my heart squeeze with adoration.

           She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and I loved her desperately. But I don’t think—no matter how deeply rooted my mother’s love ran—that I could match the way that Matt and Nick felt.

***

Matt

           Mattie was everything I had ever dreamed of and more. She smiled and I felt like my heart was going to explode. She cried and I thought my ribs would crack from the pain. The very moment I saw her, I fell in love in a way I never could have imagined. When I held her—so fragile and small, wrapped in a fluffy blanket—a fierce protectiveness took root in my chest. Mattie—my Tea—was the love of my life. As soon as she was born, that very second, I knew that I would lay down my life, I would take my last breath for her.

           Those first few weeks were exhausting for all of us. We brought her home and almost immediately she got colic. Nick and I did what we could at night—walking the floors, singing lullabies, making rounds from my house to Nick’s and back again to get her to sleep. Nick’s Nissan took some miles from driving up and down the street to soothe her. We took turns, and I don’t think we were grateful in the moment of how much easier it was with three rather than two. But my brother and I knew one thing—Y/N had done the work of carrying and bringing our beautiful baby girl into the world, now it was our turn to carry the load.

           My favorite thing was seeing Y/N with Mattie in her arms. They were my girls, my loves, everything in this world that was worth giving up everything.

Nick

           Being a father was terrifying. In the days before Y/N went into labor, I spent a lot of time talking to our dad about what to expect. Sometimes those conversations were hard. It had taken a while before we could bring our parents around to the life Matt, Y/N, and I had chosen for ourselves. But with a baby on the way, Mom had come around. And where Mom went, so went Dad. And I don’t know what I would have done without those conversations.

           When Mattie was born—good Lord, when the doctor put her into my arms—I cried like I’d never cried before. She was so perfect, even if she was red and screaming at the top of her lungs. I loved her the moment I knew she was coming, but there was nothing like that first glance of her. Our daughter immediately became the center of everything. And I knew just by looking at my brother, that we agreed—Mattie was ours and we loved her and her mother more than ourselves.

           I don’t know how many nights that I pulled my wailing daughter from her crib and walked the hall with her bouncing in my arms. She watched late night Sports Center with me, and I decked her out with Clippers gear. I used to wrap her up in one of my t-shirts, and after a while it just became a security blanket. Mattie would sleep on my shoulder while I watched the game.

           Every time I looked at my wife, I was amazed at how she had given us this beautiful little girl. I loved them both so desperately and completely that I knew that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for them.

***

           The bed was empty when I woke up. It wasn’t odd for us to sleep in the same bed, me snuggled between the two of them, but it was strange for both of them to get up before me. Of course, now that Mattie was here our lives revolved around her schedule. I rolled out of bed and tiptoed down the hallway toward the nursery of Nick’s house.

           In the months leading up to our daughter’s birth, I’d sketched out a wall of thorns, a castle, and a dragon. The boys painted and put together every piece of furniture they could. Of course, there were two Red Cherry rocking chairs—one in each house—from the front of the local Cracker Barrel. In Matt’s house, the nursery was mermaids, beaches, and underwater fish. The boys had picked out the themes, and I’d had fun putting my art degree to work.

           When I saw the room was empty, I slipped into the living room to find my husbands and our daughter on the sofa. Mattie was tucked against Matt’s shoulder, bundled up in the Clippers shirt that had become her favorite blanket-drool-spit towel-teething ring. Nick was at his side, turned to face the little girl who had stolen his heart. He made faces at her, and she smiled.

           My husbands must have been up very early since they were both wearing their glasses.

           I leaned against the wall and watched them, wishing I had a camera. My heart thumped as I watched them with our daughter. They were completely enamored with her. It made my love for them grow so much that it hurt.

           Matt saw me first. He smiled in that way he had—the smile that rounded his cheeks and squinted his eyes and showed off the dimples at the corner of his mouth—and held out his hand for me. “Morning, Mama,” he said happily.

           I crossed the room and sat on his other side, curling my feet beneath me. He turned his head and kissed me softly. “Morning, Dada.”

           Nick leaned over his brother’s lap to give me a kiss of his own. “Morning, Sunshine.”

           I grinned. “Morning, Papa.”

           The two of them looked at each other and made faces. “Ugh, I don’t like that,” Nick said, turning his attention back to Mattie. Matt held her out to sit on his lap. “You pick, my love. Who’s Papa?”

           As if she understood their words perfectly, she looked between her two fathers. They watched her patiently. Mattie let out a little huff, as if she were thinking terribly hard, and leaned forward to put her head on Matt’s chest.

           “I guess that settles it, then,” Matt said before dropping a kiss on her dark hair. “I’m Papa. You’re Dada.”

           “That sounds better,” Nick agreed. He grinned widely—that smile that was like a kid cheesing for a picture—and leaned in to playfully munch on Mattie’s arm. She let out a squeal of laughter and retreated closer to Matt’s chest. “Where are you going, munchkin?”

           Mattie squealed louder as Nick reached out for her, tickling her as he wriggled her from her Papa’s grasp. He bounced her up and down, going higher over his head each time. Every time he brought her back, he blew raspberries on her belly. I could live the rest of my life in this moment, I thought.

           “Oh, don’t churn her tummy up too much, Nick. I don’t want her spitting up all of her breakfast.”

           At the sound of food, a pair of stomachs grumbled angrily. One of them was mine. The other was Matt’s. We looked at each other and broke into giggles.

           “You get her some breakfast and I’ll get us set up with something to eat,” he said as he stood up. He kissed me on the forehead as he passed by.

           Nick scooted closer and handed Mattie to me. I gathered her close and kissed her cheeks. She grinned and nuzzled against me. “Good morning, my darling,” I whispered. “Are you hungry?”

           “Here.” Nick passed over Mattie’s nursing pillow. It had been a gift from Brandon Cutler and his wife at our baby shower. Brandon’s wife, Denise, was the one who made all the boys’ gear, and she’d outdone herself with her gift. It was a donut pillow done out in fabric that matched my favorite set of their gear—the bright colored paint splash—with the Elite logo right where her head rested.

           I sat the pillow on my lap and settled Mattie into it. She grinned up at me as I adjusted her and pulled the side of my shirt up. It didn’t take long for her to latch on. I tucked my arm beneath her and rolled her a little closer.

           Nick’s fingers brushed along my cheek and tucked my unruly morning hair behind my ear. He settled his chin on my shoulder as he continued stroking his fingers along my scalp. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “Both of you.”

           “Even when it’s too in the morning and she’s squalling and I’m an exhausted zombie?” I joked.

           He smiled a soft, sweet smile that made me warm inside. He stroked his thumb along my jaw. “Even then. Especially then.”

           “Midnight feedings when you look half-asleep and Mattie is looking at you like you’re the best thing in the world,” Matt called from the kitchen. “Those are my favorite.”

           I sniffled, trying not to cry first thing in the morning. Nick pressed a kiss to my cheek just about the same time Matt came around the corner with a plate piled high with steaming scrambled eggs and toast. He handed the plate to Nick, who immediately held up the toast for me to take a bite. Not even a minute later, Matt reappeared with a little tray table and a mug of perfectly made coffee. Between the two of them, they set up my breakfast within reach and settled in on either side of me with their own food.

           “What would I do without you two?” I asked around a bite of scrambled eggs and salsa.

           Nick laughed. “You’d have far fewer headaches.”

           “But not nearly as many laughs,” Matt teased.

           They smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheeks. Mattie rustled and fussed. I sat her up slowly. Nick took our daughter and sat her on his lap, cradling her front and head with his hand, patting her gently on the back. Within a minute, Mattie had burped twice.

           Her third burp brought up a little milk that ran straight over Nick’s bare hand. He looked up at me with a half-disgusted face. “Beautiful.”

           I wiped the mess up with the burp towel and grinned. “Parenting is so glamorous.”

           Nick propped our daughter in his lap, where she immediately started drooling and gnawing on his t-shirt. He shared a meaningful look with Matt.

           “It is with you,” Matt said seriously. “And to be honest, I’m getting baby fever.”

           “Me too,” Nick added.

           I looked between the two of them, not even feigning the shock on my face. “She’s not even a year old!”

           They looked at me sheepishly. “I know,” Matt replied. “But there’s something about seeing you pregnant…”

           Nick watched me with his blue eyes going dark. “I don’t know how we controlled ourselves around you.”

           I felt heat run over my face. “Well, you were on loops all the time.”

           “That’s going to be different next time,” Matt promised.

           “Next time?” I quirked a brow at him.

           “Oh yeah,” Nick tossed in, “there’s going to be lots of next times.”

Tag List

@mox-made-me-do-it​ @not-that-kinda-gurl08​ @lilred91​ @imagineall-the-fandoms​ @maelleoute​ @librathepheonix13​ @justamess44​

[bunnitears]

Nervous Habit Chapter Two

Thank you so much for 100 notes on the first chapter of this story! It means  so much to me to know that people like my writing! I’m sorry this took longer than I wanted, but I have a lot of ideas for this story. It won’t be too long either, just a few chapters. Thank you so much! Let me know what you think of this chapter, if you want! 

"I didn't believe her, but I'd really, really like to…" 

-----

The rain started to pour down on Maya and I as we stood outside of the Hybrid Shelter. People were scrambling all around us trying to find their way out of the rain. The booming thunder and the blindingly bright crack of lightning against the darkening sky broke me from my anxiety induced state. 

"Y/N come on, we need to get inside!" Maya shouted over the sound of running footsteps and rain hitting the pavement. 

She dragged me by my arm and my feet quickly followed. I know why I'm so nervous, but I feel stupid for feeling this way. 

"Not all men are dangerous. There's some who may have bad intentions, just like there are women who have bad intentions, but not everybody is like that, Y/N" I hear the voice of my therapist echo inside my head. Her words calming me down as Maya holds the heavy glass door open for me. 

The freezing air hitting both of us like a wave crashing on the sea shore, causing us to shiver as we walked inside. If I didn't know better, I'd say I just walked onto a film set for some sci-fi movie. Everything in this building is white and it's kinda unsettling. The floors, walls, countertops, furnishings. There's canvases on the wall, which should be holding marvelous works of colorful artwork, but they don't. They blend into the wall because they've been whited out, as well. What's the point of having a blank canvas on the wall? To remind you of what could have been there? That's a little morbid. 

"Geez… this place could use some remodeling." Maya says with a sneer. I nod my head, agreeing wholeheartedly. You know what,  I wanna go home now… nothing would make me happier than being at home wrapped in my big fluffy comforter with a bag of chips and a cup of iced tea. 

"Okay, let's go check in, yeah?" Maya asks.

The receptionist is sitting behind a very long white desk, typing something into her computer. She looks up at us and smiles, waving us over to her. Her blonde hair is pulled into a high ponytail and her makeup is flawless. Some people just always look pulled together, always look their best. Her white dress was probably ironed this morning and is without a single stain or pulled thread. Well, in my jeans and oversized hoodie, with my hair dripping wet and hanging in my face, I'm starting to feel out of place. 

The receptionist glances at me and says, "How may I help you today?" More so talking to Maya and sort of ignoring my presence, but I don't mind at all. Maya's more of a talker anyway. 

"So, my friend here has an appointment at 3:30. She's looking to adopt a Hybrid today!" Maya claps with excitement. She has always had a way with people and I envy her for that, just a little bit. She makes people comfortable, I make them worry. 

"Excellent!" The receptionist exclaims. She asks me for all my information, my name, address, estimated income, credit score. I feel like I'm buying a house with all the information she needs. 

I fidget nervously, tapping on the counter top, as she types my information into her computer. I'm nearly frozen from my wet clothes and the air conditioning that's probably on full blast. Does it have to be that cold in here? Maybe for sanitary reasons? Like a hospital, I'm guessing. I really don't know, but I do know that I'm gonna be an ice cube before I leave this place. 

"Alright… I see that you have an appointment with Dr. Jung Hoseok. He is amazing, really one of our best! I'm sure he'll help you find the perfect Service Hybrid." She says with a smile. 

"He…?" I say hesitantly. I look at Maya and she must have seen the panic in my eyes. She thanks the Barbie Doll-looking lady and leads me to a couch in the corner of the room, far away from anybody. She starts telling me to take deep breaths and not to worry. She says he's a doctor and doctors don't hurt their patients. Yeah, they're not supposed to but I've seen the news. I know not all doctors obey their oath. I feel myself start to zone out, all these "what if" thoughts doing laps in my mind. 

"Y/N?" Maya says. I hear her, but I'm stuck staring at the ground. Has that ever happened to you? Like when you stare at something and you can't seem to look away, no matter what? That happens to me a lot and I don't really know why. Maya starts shaking my shoulder and calling my name, I feel like a child. Why am I like this? "Y/N, I think that's him." 

I look up to see a man in a white coat walking joyfully over to us. He's got dark brown, almost black hair that bounces as he walks. He's smiling like he hasn't got a care in the world. To be honest, he wasn't what I was expecting. He looks like he takes care of himself, lean but not too skinny. I mean, he's attractive… I've never had a good looking doctor before. 

He locked eyes with me and I must have looked nervous because, all of a sudden, his whole vibe softened. He walked a little slower and his smile went from blinding bright to a warm glow.  There was no other seat for him to sit down, so he slowly crouched down in front of me. The way adults do when they talk to children… 

"Are you Y/N?" He asks gently while looking up at me. If I wasn't as still as a stone before, I certainly am now. How am I expected to function at an normal human level, when those beautiful eyes are staring at me like I'm a precious diamond. Like I'm not just a socially anxious girl with a low self esteem and a very great need for a hot chocolate and a hug right now. 

"I'm sorry doctor, she's a little nervous…" I hear Maya say. I feel bad for staring at Dr. Jung, so I resort to staring at my hands resting in my lap instead. My mom always said it's not polite to stare, but I feel like if you're as attractive as Dr. Jung, you have to expect some stares. 

"That's not a problem, I understand." He takes a quick look in the folder he brought with him, and I steal a quick glance. He nods like he understands whatever's in that file, and looks at me once more. His eyes meet mine for a brisk second and I have to abort mission and stare at my hands again. Why is my heart racing? This is my doctor, and even though he's painstakingly handsome, I can't think about him like that. He is my doctor. And that is all. 

"Would you like Maya to join us during our appointment Y/N?" All I can bring myself to do is nod my head and that seems to be enough for him because he stands up and Maya and I follow. We follow him through the lobby and into an awaiting elevator. He pushes the button for the 35th floor and away we go. 

Dr. Jung's office is not exactly what I expected. It's very… colorful. I just assumed that a professional's office would be sophisticated and refined, but his office has cartoon figurines everywhere and paintings of sunflowers on the walls. His wall to wall windows have no drapes or coverings, always allowing the sunshine through. If his office was a person, it'd be just like Dr. Jung; happy. 

"Alrighty Y/N, I have thoroughly evaluated your file and I have no doubt in my mind that you'd benefit from adopting a Service Hybrid." He says. Maya and I take our seats, as does he behind his mahogany desk that's covered with loose papers and knickknacks. A pair of headphones, a couple picture frames, and a bottle of water. 

"See, I told you." Maya whispers as she elbows me jokingly. Her smug smile making Dr. Jung chuckle. Man, his smile is so contagious. No wonder he's a doctor for people like me; he makes people happy. 

"The process is quite simple, all things considered. I have already personally chosen a few that I feel would help you the most, so let me pull up the list." He starts typing away on his keyboard. Maybe this is a good thing. If he really thinks I need a Service Hybrids help, I might actually need it. And as much as I wanna go home right now, I can’t help but feel this is the right move for me. 

"So," He begins. “The are the hybrid I chose is named Min Yoongi. And I know, I know, you have a little bit of a phobia of men, but I assure you Y/N,`` He clasps his hands together on top of his desk and looks at me. "I assure you, this is a good man who will not hurt you. He’s been training for 5 years to be a Service Hybrid and he’s one of the best ones we have." Maya squeezes my hand in an attempt to comfort me. I smile nervously; even though the thought of a man living with me is more terrifying than getting shot, this has to be something I need, right? I can’t continue living my life afraid of men, they’re everywhere. There’s a man less than 5 feet in front of me and he’s not trying to hurt me. I just gotta keep reminding myself that not all men are bad. I’ve gotta trust Dr. Jung and believe that this Yoongi person is only trying to help me. And well, here we go… 

--- 

Dr. Jung brings Maya and I into one of the meeting rooms. It’s supposed to be a calm and comfortable place where Hybrids meet their potential “owners” and get acquainted, but I don’t feel comfortable at all. It’s so cold I can barely feel my hands and the room is all white; save for the Hybrid toys that look too much like dog toys and bright red circular carpet under a semi decorated Christmas tree. At least there’s some festivity in this building… 

“Alright ladies, why don’t you two have a seat and I’ll go and get Yoongi, okay?” Dr. Jung says as I sit down at one of the round tables. Maya starts looking around the room with her hands in her pockets. She always shoves her hands in her pockets when she’s nervous. I’ve known her for too long to not know her habits and little ticks. “Wow… I’m so surprised there’s a Christmas tree here.” She laughs and walks over to me. I giggle, but I’m trying to maintain my heart rate so I don’t have a panic attack, you know? 

“You ready Y/N? This is a huge step for you! I feel like  proud mom right now.” She sits down in the seat next to mine and takes my shaking hands in hers. She keeps reminding me that this is a safe place with people who want to help me and that’s it. All they wanna do is help me, right? I mean, that’s what everyone keeps saying, but I can never really tell. I’m not a great judge of character and I’ve been hurt for being gullible and naive. Can you tell? 

The door behind Maya and I starts to open and we look back to see a smiling Dr. Jung holding the door open for one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen in my entire life. What is up with all of the guys here? Is there something in the water in this building that makes them all so unbelievably good looking? Or is this just how guys look now? I’m so confused… 

The man Dr. Jung gestures inside is as pale as snow with hair blacker than the sky at midnight. His eyes are sharp and nearly covered by his fringe, but not quite. He’s smaller than Dr. Jung but he looks just as healthy. A little on the skinny side, but maybe he just has a fast metabolism. I’m so distracted by his beauty that it takes me a second to notice the black tail swaying relaxingly behind his legs. And then I look up and notice the tufty, black ears sitting atop his head. What do I do? I’m staring and I can’t look away. Maya help! 

“Y/N, this is Min Yoongi.” Dr. Jung says as he and Yoongi take the seats across from Maya and I. Yoongi seems to be a very relaxed person, or he just doesn’t care about anything. He doesn’t seem mean… His eyes are kind, but I can tell he’s putting up some kind of a front. Probably in case this doesn’t go well and he can just wipe me from his memory. I’ve read that some Hybrid species can get attached to someone incredibly easy, so I don’t blame him for the icy exterior. He’s just protecting himself. 

Yoongi and Maya exchange greeting and then Dr. Jung begins to explain my situation. He tells Yoongi about my stupid fear of men and that I have some serious social anxiety and depression. All Yoongi does is nod, he doesn’t say anything throughout Dr. Jung’s explanation. Neither do I. He sometimes mumbles a grunt of understanding, but not much more than that. All he’s doing is staring at me the way a student stares a textbook; like he’s studying me. 

It surprisingly doesn’t make me nearly as uncomfortable as it normally would. Maybe the cold is causing hypothermia to numb my brain. Dr. Jung’s and Maya’s voices starts to fade out of my ears and all I can focus on is the man sitting in front of me. My eyes meet his and I can’t look away. There’s kindness in there, I’m sure of it. 

“Yoongi, why are you so cold?” I ask out of nowhere, interrupting what Maya was saying. I didn’t even realize I was speaking until Maya snaps her head to the side and looks at me in disbelief. I don’t think she was expecting me to say anything for the entirety of this meeting, and honestly, neither did I. Yoongi’s eyes widen a bit, but he plays it off. His body noticeably relaxes, no longer stiff with tension. His gaze falls from my eyes to the top of the table. 

“I’m just uh… trying to get a feel for who you are.” Smooth, I guess? I probably caught his off guard, and I didn’t mean to. Was I rude? Did I come off as a bitch? I messed up, didn’t I. 

“I’m sorry, I just - I didn’t mean to - I don’t know why I - “ What in the world is wrong with me? Why can’t I just conjure up some sort of coherent sentence. I think my mouth disconnected from my brain again. And now my breathing is quickening; great. I love life when I’m wishing I’m dead. 

“No, no Y/N, it’s okay.” Dr. Jung jumps in. He’s a smart man; he probably sees my oncoming panic attack. 

“It’s great you asked! And I’ll tell you something about Yoongi.” He says. “He’s a very caring person. In the 6 years I’ve known him, he’s always been the most generous and nurturing friend. He just has this cold front up because Cat Hybrids like him get attached very easily. If you decided you didn’t want him as a Service Hybrid, it would be easier for him to get over the rejection.” So I was right. Wow, that hardly ever happens. 

“But he’s a very kind person Y/N, I promise.” He nudges Yoongi with his elbow and smiles at him. They must be pretty close because Yoongi smiles back; finally letting his shield down for a second. Maybe this is what I need. Somebody so calm and easy must balance out my unstable and nervous personality somehow. 

Yoongi looks at me while he’s smiling and I can honestly say, I’ve never seen something that made me relax so quickly. Despite his icy shield, I can feel the warmth radiating out of his personality. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all…

[multi-fandom-writer]

the boy with the colors - h.o.

part 5

Masterlist

taglist: open, just send me an ask!! word count: ~2.9k warnings: mentions of medical stuff, lots of angst, maybe some fluff at the end

After Harrison left, you settled on doing the household chores that you’d been putting off for so long. Ten exhausting hours later and you had finished almost everything on your list: clean the kitchen, pick up the living room, wash your sheets and your clothes. The only thing left to do was to fold your laundry before you could check in for the night and fall asleep in your nice clean sheets.

You were folding your laundry when you noticed your usually bright yellow sundress had faded to be a duller yellow. Your instinct was to call Harrison right away to make sure he was okay. You knew what happened when someone’s soulmate died; the colors started fading. While your gut tugged at you to call him, you knew it was late and he was with Tom. It was more than likely that Harrison was going to be fine. You were still on edge when you pulled one of his shirts out of his laundry basket. You could have sworn that the flowers were supposed to be light pink instead of light grey but your memory could be playing tricks on you. 

As you pulled your phone out of your sweats pocket, Tom’s picture popped up on your screen. “Tom, is everything okay?” you answered your phone. You had a horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach and your nerves were on edge. You could feel your palms getting sweaty and your was heart beating out of your chest. You were hoping he would tell you that Harrison would just be staying with him tonight. Or maybe they needed a ride. Unfortunately, part of you knew that neither of those would happen. 

“There’s been an accident,” Tom breathed out heavily. With those four simple words, you could feel your heart shattering. Your legs gave out on you as you crumpled to the floor. Your phone fell to the floor near you, Tom’s voice still echoing through it. The hot tears were running down your cheeks as you brought your phone back to your ear. “We’re at the hospital and he’s in surgery right now.” Tom’s words went in one ear and out the other. Accident, hospital, surgery. “Y/n. Y/n, I need you to listen to me. He isn’t doing to good. You need to get here as soon as you can.” You knew Harrison wasn’t doing well. Your world was teetering between the dull blacks and whites you were used to and the vibrant colors that you were new to.

The next few minutes were a blur. You got to the hospital but you don’t remember how you got there. You could feel your heart beating in your head still. When you walked into the hospital, time slowed down. You weren’t supposed to be here. This isn’t a place for you. Harrison shouldn’t be here either; he should be at home with you, cuddling on the couch. His arm should be wrapped tightly around you as you two were watching a movie or playing a board game with Tom and maybe his brothers too. You should be talking about your future kids, not worrying about if you were going to have any at all. You two should be watching dinosaur movies that looked so much more realistic in color. 

Even though it was late at night, the hospital was bursting with life. You noticed the small details of everything. One of the nurses was scurrying with five different charts in her arms; she must have been having a long night, too. Another nurse was talking with a family, who looked too hopeful for good news. You hoped against everything you knew that they would be getting the good outcome that they looked like they needed so badly.

It felt like an hour before a nurse walked over to you. She was obviously exhausted as her light strawberry hair was pulled into a messy bun. The dark bags under her eyes stood out against her pale skin. Her voice was gentle as she started, “are you Y/n?” Knowing your voice wasn’t going to work for you, you didn’t even try talking and instead just nodded. “I’m Talia, and I’m one of the nurses working on Harrison. Let me show you to where Tom is, he’s been waiting for you,” she said as she started leading you to where Tom was. 

The way Tom looked was worse than you expected, and it made you that much more nervous. It was obvious that he had been crying; his eyes were puffy and red and his leg was shaking. What worried you most was the fact that his hair was darker than it usually was and his shirt was no longer colorful. Your soulmate was dying. You knew this, but you couldn’t accept it.

He couldn’t be though. You just met him and you just started getting to know him. You couldn’t lose him yet; you couldn’t let him go. You still had to laugh with him and cry with him. You hadn’t fallen asleep next to him enough, yet. He was your dear and you were his peach. You loved him. You really truly loved him. The tears running down your cheeks were full of fear that you would never get to be held by him again. He might never get to make you feel safe ever again. As you sat next to Tom, your mind drifted back to that first night. You wanted more than anything for him to throw popcorn at you again. Hoping that you would get to experience life with him, you let more tears escape from your eyes. Harrison was the boy that made your world alive with color.

Tom’s voice broke the cold silence between you two, “he got this made for you, he was really proud of it.” His voice was empty as he held out a necklace with a pendant shaped like a peach, that was thankfully still in color. Looking at it closer, you noticed it said ‘I love you, my peach’ in messy handwriting that you could only assume belonged to Harrison. You took the necklace from Tom and put in on. It was oddly comforting to you, but it wasn’t the same as having his strong arms holding you tightly against him. 

After what felt like an eternity, even though it was realistically an hour or two at most, Talia came back into the room with a small smile adorning her pale face. In your tired and anxious state, you noticed she was the simple and natural kind of beautiful, but her hair was now light grey instead of strawberry blonde. “They’re finishing up surgery now and we’ll bring him in here when they’re done. He’s stable for now, so we can take a deep breath and relax a little. Do you have any questions for me?”

You and Tom both shook your heads and she left without another word. You weren’t about to ask her why the colors were fading if Harrison was supposedly stable. You didn’t want to think about a world without color - a world without Harrison. A few minutes passed before a team of nurses wheeled Harrison in on a bed. You thought your heart couldn’t break anymore that night, but you were wrong. He still had a tube down his throat and he had bruises covering most of his usually tan skin. He barely resembled the man that you had fallen in love with. What hurt you to see the most was the scar you could see in the middle of his chest. Most of it was thankfully covered by the blankets, but you could still see a sliver of it.

You and Tom slowly moved to sit in the chairs on opposite sides of him. Delicately taking Harrison’s hand in yours, you placed a soft kiss on the back of his hand. The dark bruises contrasted against his pale body. Leaning closer to him, you pressed a kiss to his temple and whispered, “I am so in love with you, Harrison James. And I need you here. I need you to fight the good fight for me, for us. You aren’t allowed to give up because I love you and I need you to love me, too.” As you leaned back in the less than comfortable chair, sleep overtook you. It wasn’t a peaceful sleep, though. You woke up every few minutes, before finally settling into a deeper sleep. 

You were only asleep for what felt like a minute when you were woken by the sound of a flatline. You were awake and moving before you even knew it. A horde of nurses and doctors were running into the room almost directly after you dashed out. Tom was already in the hallway, watching with a vacant expression. The dull blues of the hospitals simultaneously faded together into a mix of greys as you watched a doctor try to give him CPR. An ear piercing screech ripped through your body as you felt everything inside of you shatter. You were trying to run to his side but a pair of strong arms was stopping you. They weren’t strong like Harrison’s, though. They were forceful, not protective. You were trying to pry the hands off of your waist, but they were stuck where they were; you accepted that you weren’t going anywhere and your body fell slump against the person holding you back.

“Y/n, you need to breath. We’re going to be okay, even if he isn’t.” For the second time that night, Tom’s words went in one ear and out the other. Sobs wracked through your body as he pulled you into his chest, letting you fully fall apart in his arms. It only took a few seconds for your exhaustion to take over and pull you back into sleep. 

By the way the sunlight was just starting to shine in your eyes, you guessed it was early morning. There was still a steady beeping in the background and Harrison’s messy blonde hair was just that - blonde. Taking a few moments to register, you realized that you still held the beautiful gift that Harrison had given you. Which meant that Harrison was still alive. You sat up from the chair and slowly looked around the room. Harrison was still unconscious, but Tom was awake and scrolling through his phone.

As he looked over to you, he held out an iced caramel latte. “I didn’t think you cared about him that much,” his voice was soft and judgement free. After your mental breakdown last night, it became apparent to Tom how much Harrison really meant to you. Looking back at it now, you wished you would’ve told him you loved him earlier that day, when he could definitely hear you and maybe he could even say it back. And now, he may never know.

Nevertheless you did love him. You loved his ocean blue eyes and his soft blonde hair. You loved his beautiful laugh and his delicate voice. You loved wasting time with him, whether that was going on walks or watching movies together. You loved thinking about your future with him. You wanted three kids with him and you wanted to watch him teach your son football and have tea parties with your daughters. You wanted to give him everything he deserved in life and more. But you couldn’t explain that to Tom. While you were busy getting lost in pain and suffering, Tom was holding himself together. You weren’t the only person that was at risk of losing somebody important to them, somebody they loved. “Tom, I’m sorry for falling apart-”

“You don’t need to apologize. After you went to sleep, I broke down, too. I just know how to act like everything is okay, at least for a little bit. . .” his words trailed off toward the end. Tom knew how to lose someone who could change his entire life, it had happened to him before. The look in his eye told you that he was hopeful. It also asked you the one question he wouldn’t dare to ask out loud. If you could still see in color, that meant Harrison was still alive. You could keep yourself in check with how he was, but no matter how much Tom cared about and loved his best friend, he didn’t have that kind of link to him. Knowing you couldn’t deny Tom of simply knowing Harrison was okay, you gave him a small nod. He seemed to understand as he nodded in return. 

“I don’t want to take him away from you. I really don’t,” you said softly, looking from Tom to Harrison. You could only hold your gaze for a few seconds before the tube in his throat forced you to look away. Even though you knew he was alive, it hurt to think about how a machine was still breathing for him. He wasn’t out of the woods yet.

“It’s okay, actually. By some twisted fate, I think I found the girl that’s my soulmate,” Tom should have sounded happy when he said that, but instead, he had tears threatening to roll down his cheeks yet again. “I wanted Haz to be the first person I told, honestly. But, I’m okay with you knowing,” Tom finished as he looked up at you, letting a single tear escape and roll down his already stained cheek.

The radiant smile on your face seemed to lighten his mood a little. “It’s the nurse, isn’t it?” you asked in a hushed tone. With a cheeky smile and a slight nod of his head, Tom confirmed your suspicion.  “You should go talk to her,” you continued, “I can keep an eye on Harrison.”

After a pinky promise to let him know if anything happened with Harrison, Tom left to go find the nurse, whom he hoped and prayed was his soulmate. You knew Tom wasn’t the kind of person to leave his best friend’s side, but he needed to get away for just a few minutes and you couldn’t blame him. Once Tom was gone, you settled on scrolling through Instagram while drinking your coffee. Your walk with Harrison the day before was all over social media, as was the accident that landed you in the present situation. Before long, you heard a small choking. Looking over to Harrison, you noticed his eyes were wide open as he was coughing on the tube. You were pushed to the side as a couple of nurses rushed into the room to help him, Talia being the last to arrive. 

Talia must have noticed the worried look on your face. “Choking is a good thing. It means he’s trying to breath on his own,” she spoke as she and the other nurses started working to get the tube out of his throat. You couldn’t bring yourself to watch, but after another loud choking sound and a few scratchy breaths, you assumed it was safe to look.

Harrison was still drowsy, but he was awake. As the nurses cleared out of the room, his sleepy eyes landed on you and the laziest smile spread across his face. It looked out of place when you looked down to see the bruises still blossoming on his chest and surrounding the terrifying stitches. He carefully reached his hand out for you. You took his hand in one of yours and a glass of water with a straw in another. Holding the cup for him, he started drinking the cold water. His voice was raspy and just above a whisper, “I love you too, peach.”

Your heart swelled at the five simple words; happiness bubbled over in your stomach as you smiled. There was still a long way to go with Harrison’s recovery, but he was safe and alive and he loved you, too. “Go back to sleep, you need to rest, my dear,” you whispered, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. 

He shook his head barely and whispered, “Tom?” Even though Harrison had every right to just be worried about himself, he was still thinking about Tom. 

“I’m right here mate,” Tom’s voice echoed from the doorway, “and I agree with Y/n. Get some more sleep, I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

Harrison gave you an irresistible pair of puppy dog eyes as he patted the bed next to him. “Let me hold you, peach?” He accompanied the request with a smile he knew you couldn’t say no to. If you were being honest, the puppy dog eyes weren’t necessary. Every part of you ached to lay next to him again.

With a sigh, you carefully crawled into the bed next to him. His head rested against your chest and his arms wrapped around your waist as his eyes fluttered shut. One of your hands went to draw little patterns on his back and the other went to peacefully play with his hair. It barely took a minute before the love of your life was safely asleep on your chest. Tom flashed you a small smile before leaving the doorway, you assumed to go find the nurse that was his soulmate. Everything was okay for now, and that was all you could ask for.

tagging: @mrs-hollandstan @stuckonspidey @thollandss @yo-sugg

[totally-incorrect-theatre-quotes]

Hair (fanfic)

Look at me go, two fanfics in two days. It’s almost like I should be studying or something but would rather write sad fanfiction instead of dealing with organic chemistry. 

Anyway, this fanfic is heavily inspired by a text-post from @lesbian-deetz  about blonde Lydia and how she ended up with black hair and a tiktok by @vrronicasawyer-cosplay 

 I took an already sad text post and made it ten times sadder!

Tw: Mourning, death

__________________________________________________________

Everyone always said Lydia had the most beautiful blonde hair. When she was first born everyone was so shocked to see this tiny baby girl with light blonde hair when both her mother and father had dark hair, it wasn’t until they remembered Charles’ red-headed father that it all made sense that Lydia was blonde. From the day she was born, nobody could deny that Lydia was Charles’ daughter. Even as a baby she looked exactly like him from her eye color, the shape of her nose, and her face in general. Emily tried not to be envious, though she did land in a few remarks about how unfair it was that she grew Lydia inside of her for nine months and she looked exactly like her father, who’s job in making the baby ended nine months and fifteen minutes ago. Little did Emily know that even though she looked like Charles, Lydia would undeniably be considered Emily’s little clone. 

As a toddler, she had little curls that killed people when she gave a rosy-cheeked and buck-toothed smile. Her mother would love to braid flowers in Lydia’s hair and pretend they were fairies in the garden. Her father used to gush about how he loved the light, almost white colored hair that contrasted Lydia’s dark brown eyes. As she got older Lydia always just kept her hair long. She liked the way that it blew all crazy when she was running on the playground, and the time spent every morning with her mother helping her fix her hair for the day. She begged her mother to let her get bangs when she was around ten years old, and Emily begrudgingly agreed only because she also had bangs as a child and hoped that letting Lydia get them done once would get it out of her system. Lydia ADORED her new hair cut, and even Emily thought the look suited her. Mostly she was just thrilled her daughter was happy and expressing herself.

Lydia never really thought much about having blonde hair, she just thought it was funny when people would joke about how her family must have brought home the wrong baby because her hair was so light compared to hers. Her father kept his brown hair in a professional style like all the other father’s Lydia saw of her classmates, she teased him for being boring. Emily though, she had shorter hair from as early as Lydia could remember. It was dark brown, nearly black hair that Emily kept cut just above her chin in a messy bob. At nights Emily and Lydia would flip through old photo albums and Emily would groan when photos of her with long hair appeared. 

“My parents always wanted me to keep it long, said it was ‘proper of a young lady’ ” Emily mocked in a stuffy voice, “As soon as I turned sixteen, I went to the hairdresser and told them to chop it off! My mother was less than thrilled when I came home missing ten inches of hair.”

“Would you be mad if I cut my hair like that?” a ten-year-old Lydia asked

Emily shook her head, “Of course I wouldn’t be. You can do whatever you want with your hair. I just like mine this way, I’ve kept it this short ever since I was sixteen years old. I think it’s very me, don’t you?”

Lydia nodded, “I like my hair like this. I think I would keep it that way, besides daddy really loves my hair long.”

“I think you’d look cute with short hair, but if this is how you like it you should keep it that way.”

Lydia thought about it for a second, “Maybe when I’m older...I’ll test out some new looks.”

“Didn’t you just test out these bangs little lady?”

Lydia was twelve years old when Emily first got sick. The doctors seemed hopeful in the beginning, said that her chance of beating it was sixty percent, but as time went on Emily got worse and worse. Emily’s once beautiful black hair was brittle and falling out as a reaction from the medication she was on, by the time the end was drawing near, she had only patches of hair left. Lydia remembered crying when her mom asked to braid her hair one more time,  just hadn’t been able to do her own in so long, and even though Lydia was all grown up now, just once more Emily wanted to it. Slowly and deliberately Emily twisted Lydia’s blonde hair into two strands, and when she was done both women were in tears. Charles, who was silent for the whole thing, remarked how beautiful they both looked. 

A few days later Emily took her last breath. Lydia and Charles at both sides of the bed, holding her hands in theirs. Lydia doesn’t remember much of what happened afterward, it was all a blur to her but it still pains Charles to play over in his mind how Lydia screamed and cried for her mother to come back, that she wasn’t ready to let go, how he had to pry his sobbing daughter away from her dead mother, Lydia’s arms still outstretched reaching for one more hug, one more kiss, one more time of Emily doing her hair. He regretted not letting her, at the time he found it morbid but he often wondered if he had just let her say goodbye on her own terms that she would be coped better. Instead of righting his wrongs, he simply tried to ignore it, and hope that Lydia would come around. 

At home that night Lydia felt so numb, she had already cried so much that she couldn’t even make tears anymore. Her father was so busy preparing arrangements for the funeral and organizing family that he didn’t have time to console his grieving child. She would stand right in front of him, tears running down her face but he would dismiss her, as he scrambled to get everything in order. She never felt so alone, even with all the people constantly parading in and out of her house. Adults simply giving her pitiful looks as they went to talk to Charles about how strong he was and what a good example he was for Lydia. She could hear their whispers to each other, and their glances at the frail and meak little girl sitting on the stairs. She knew they wished she could just give them a polite smile or thank them when they gave their condolences. She couldn’t though, because she knew it was fake. They weren’t sorry for her loss, they were sorry that she hadn’t moved on. She couldn’t tell anybody how she felt, any time she tried they would just turn away. 

Her aunt sat by her in the living room and instead of reading the tone, Lydia was silent and tearful, she picked up a picture frame of Lydia’s family and remarked, “You know, you look just like your father.” 

She lost it, she managed a mousy, “I get that a lot.” before she ran up to her room, slammed the door and cried. 

The night before the funeral Lydia came down the stairs and found her father clutching a framed photograph of Emily in his hands. Lydia stared at the photo. Her mother and father were dancing, something that Charles never did unless Emily coaxed him into it. They were younger, maybe in their twenties. Charles in the photograph had messier hair and was frozen in a laugh as he dipped Emily. Emily’s mouth was in a wide smile and her short black hair was fanned out behind her. Lydia held back a whimper as she snuck out the backdoor and walked down to the drug store a block away. It was a route she was familiar with, growing up in New York Lydia walked a lot of places, but talking to the drug store this time felt strange as if reality felt off. Mindlessly Lydia walked through the aisles, unsure of what she was even looking for until she stumbled into the rows of hair coloring. Cautiously she picked up a box in her hand and ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. Without saying a word she dropped the box on the counter, paid for it, and walked back home. 

She went into the kitchen and grabbed a pair of gloves and a pair of scissors. She quietly went into the bathroom and set everything down, careful not to attract the attention of her father. She held a photograph of her mother up to the side of her face as she stared at herself in the mirror. She stayed emotionless as she applied the dye, showered, and dried her hair. Standing back in the mirror she twisted the now dark black hair around her fingers, looking back and forth between the photo of her mother and herself in the mirror. She picked up the scissors and aggressively started cutting, long curls of her hair falling to the floor. Tears were streaming liberally and her face burned a bright red as she sobbed. When she was done it was choppy, uneven, and short. Shorter than she had even had it before. The longest section rested above her chin, but it was exactly what she wanted. When she looked at her reflection she didn't even recognize who she was, but she felt like she was looking at a ghost. 

“Lydia?” Charles called from downstairs, “What’s going on up there, are you alright?”

She gathered up the mess she made and threw it away before walking calmly down the stairs to greet her father. She hesitated on the banister, but there was no going back. She stood in front of her father and just waited for a response.

“What the hell did you do!” He screamed, “Oh my god Lydia, why did you do this? The funeral is tomorrow and you had to do this tonight, do you not think before you do things! Look at it-”

Lydia’s eyes started welling up with tears but she tried to keep herself under control. She knew he would be shocked, but she hadn't expected him to scream at her, not two days after her mother had died. 

“Lydia your hair was beautiful! I loved it, your mother..she loved it! Why did you do this! What the hell have you done, can you please just explain why.”

Lydia couldn’t help herself, the dam broke and she started screaming back at him, she could feel angry and hot tears running down her face, and her chest felt so tight that she was afraid she couldn’t breathe. She wouldn’t give him a straightforward answer, she just yelled at him about everything that she had been feeling, for how everyone had been treating her.

“I’m invisible dad! Nobody sees me, you don’t see me. All you do is look at everyone else, and look at pictures. Well, guess what dad, now you have to look at me! DO YOU SEE ME NOW DAD!”

“I am looking right at you, I haven’t gone anywhere. It has just been a rough couple of days-”

“I am so sick of everyone telling me that. That it’s been rough, and that it’s going to get better. It’s not going to get better, they are liars because they can’t bring her back!”

He sagged his shoulders, “Lydia, I’m sorry you feel that way. I just, I don’t understand why you felt like you had to do this. You cut your hair, you dyed it black. We understand you’re in mourning, but isn’t this taking it too far!”

Lydia’s face contorted and she began to violently shake, she collapsed on the ground and sobs wracked through her tiny frame. She looked up at her father and whimpered, “Do I look like her?”

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[atths--twice]

The first Christmas apart, Scully spends it working in order to not think of the day. Of course, the best laid plans rarely work out the way we imagine.

Chapter Eight 

Peace for Christmas 

December 2014

Scully walked into her office on Christmas Day and sat down in her chair, leaning her head back and taking a deep breath. She was tired, but still had a few hours left in her shift. Swiveling her chair, she looked out the window and watched the snow falling.

It had been three months since she had left Mulder and gone to her mother’s house. Three months on her own, without the man she loved. She missed him more than she thought possible, but she knew this was right.

Three weeks ago, she left her mother’s and moved into a one bedroom apartment, closer to the hospital. She and her mother went out one day and looked at places that would fit her needs. There were two and she chose the second one.

The place was close by, but other than that, it was not something she thought much of. It was the place she slept and got ready for her day. When she was picking out furniture, she was careful to not have the place be too comfortable or too homey.

Before, her place was her escape and her sanctuary. Now, it was a place she needed to have in order to receive her mail and to sleep. Her mother kept insisting she could continue to stay with her, but Scully needed to be on her own.

Shopping for her furniture was hard and at times she wanted to break down, but she got through it. Everything had a nice clean look to it, but it was also unfeeling and lacked happiness.

At home, the stuff she and Mulder had were things they had collected for years. The couch had conformed to their bodies. The books, pictures, posters, and even the dishes were things that were home to her. She missed her home, but she also needed to have her own place for the time being.

She chose dark wood furniture for her table and chairs, coffee table, and side tables. The kitchen had a white marble gray counter top and the cupboards were white with glass fronts. Two bar stools, also in dark wood sat under the counter. A cream colored area rug lay in the middle of the living room. She added a cozy cream colored throw to the back of the dark gray couch, and a pillow she found online.

One night she was up late before moving into her place. She stumbled upon the photo of the pillow and it made her smile, imagining Mulder’s reaction to seeing something like it. She found the website, purchased it, and waited until she moved in before she opened it.

When she set it on the couch, she smiled and then cried for a bit, before smiling again. It was such a simple thing, but it did make her happy and think of Mulder. It was a small light gray throw pillow with purple stars as the background. A blue single seater spaceship with a space cat alien was the main focus. The cat was white with stripes, had pink in its inner ears, three eyes, and antenna.

A CAT-lien, or something similarly silly, she could almost hear Mulder saying. She shook her head, hoping one day he would see it.

For a reason she did not understand, the pillow had a name and it was called Lisa. Maybe it was the name of the cat, but Scully thought he looked more like a Jasper for some reason. Maybe the designer was named Lisa, but Scully had no idea. She did not mind that she did not know, she loved the pillow and every time she saw it, it made her smile.

Her bedroom had a new comfortable bed and frame, again in dark wood colors, with white sheets and a white duvet. Here the only splash of color and personality was in the bed throw pillows, four of them in different shades of blue. They made her think of the sea and it calmed her.

The only photo in the room was the one she took with her when she left, the one of her and Mulder. One day they went with her mother to a church function, a bazaar type thing where different booths had been set up. People brought foods to try, things to sell, and things to donate.

“Oh, Mulder,” she had said, as they walked up to a booth. “Try this jelly, it’s so good.” She picked up the sample piece of bread and handed it to him. She knew the person who made it, and that this particular jelly packed a spicy punch.

He had obediently taken the bread and tried it. As she stood watching and waiting for the inevitable moment, her mother unknowingly captured the exact second in a photo. Mulder’s eyes had gone wide and Scully had thrown her head back in laughter, her hand at her chest. She loved the joy she saw in the photo and though he bitched about her tricking him, he too smirked every time he glanced at it.

She placed the photo on the dresser so she could see it wherever she was in the room. Some days it brought her joy and some days it tore her apart, knowing they had been so happy. Yes, Mulder always had been one to overly obsess about something, but not like the past couple years.

Scully sighed, hoping he was okay. They still had not spoken since she left and it hurt. She left him text messages, one per week to tell him she missed him and that she loved him. She called and left messages on his voicemail. Short little updates, just to stay in touch, but he had not responded to any of them.

He did this occasionally, turning off his phone, and shutting out the world. Every time he did, it was maddening. After not hearing from him, she called the pharmacy and inquired if he picked up his medication recently. He had and she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing two things- he was alive (the shit) and he was taking care of himself. He would call her when he was ready, she supposed. His silence hurt, though. It hurt a hell of a lot.

She sighed again and watched the falling snow. It was beautiful and the sun was just beginning to set, her favorite time of day. The ground was now covered with snow and she was thankful she was living close by and would not be forced to stay at the hospital in order to avoid treacherous roads.

“Doctor Scully?” a voice cut into her thoughts. She turned around in her chair and looked to see who had called to her.

“Doctor Clark,” Scully said, nodding her head to the woman in the doorway. She was about her own age, brunette with deep brown eyes, and a kind smile. She was also smart as hell and an amazing doctor.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” Doctor Clark said, stepping in the room with a smile. “But, Sydney Brown is asking for you.”

“Is she all right?” Scully asked, standing to her feet and reaching for her stethoscope.

“She’s fine, she would just like to see you,” Doctor Clark said with a wider grin.

Scully stared at her curiously. Sydney Brown was ten years old and awaiting a surgery. She was incredibly bright and loved to give Scully complicated riddles to solve. She quickly become one of her favorite patients and hearing she was asking for her worried her.

“It’s nothing medical, Doctor Scully,” Doctor Clark said, with a knowing smile. “It’s Christmas.” She raised her eyebrows and looked at her, as if that explained everything.

Scully nodded at her and walked past her toward Sydney’s room. Maybe something was wrong and Doctor Clark did not want to tell her. Oh, Christmas Day, of course. She had volunteered to work for anyone on Christmas who wanted the day off. Since she had no plans for this day, and wanting to keep her mind off missing Mulder, coming in and letting others be home with their families, was an easy decision to make.

Yesterday afternoon, her mother came over and they celebrated Christmas with a small meal and some gifts. Scully had gone to a craft store and picked out a small decorative fake tree and set it on the coffee table.

“Well, it seems you found a tree your father would finally approve of,” her mother said, touching the fake needles, smiling at Scully.

“Ahab was a tough one to please when it came to trees, that’s for damn sure,” she laughed.

They made their meal together, watched A Christmas Story, laughing and groaning in all the right places, and opened gifts after the kitchen was clean. Scully got her mother a beautiful red cardigan, a white scarf, and diamond earrings.

“Dana! This is too much. I can’t accept these,” she said, shaking her head as she looked at Scully.

“It’s not. In fact it doesn’t feel like enough, Mom. Thank you for all you’ve done these past few months. For the help you’ve given me, the listening ear, and your advice. I can’t thank you enough,” Scully said, tears in her eyes. They embraced, both crying, before laughing at themselves.

Her mother gave her a purple coat that she might not have chosen for herself but after trying it on, immediately loved. She was also given fancy bubble bath and a tea kettle and fancy teas, as she did not have one in her new place.

“For the next time you need a listening ear,” her mother said as she looked at all the new kinds of tea. Scully smiled and nodded.

Considering it was just the two of them, and the reality of where she was in her life, it had been a good day. Now, as she walked hurriedly to check on a patient, she hoped she was okay and simply wanted to wish her a merry Christmas.

Arriving outside her door, she stopped to take a breath before entering, so as not to seem worried. When she walked in, she saw both parents were there, and she smiled. She usually only saw Nancy, Sydney’s mother.

“Mr. and Mrs. Brown, hello,” she said, shaking their hands. “Sydney, hello to you as well.” She stepped over to her and squeezed her hand. Sydney grinned at her and squeezed back.

“I was told you were asking for me, are you feeling okay?” Scully asked as she put her stethoscope in her ears and started to place the end on Sydney’s heart. Sydney giggled and Scully stopped.

“Doctor Scully, I’m fine!” Sydney said with another laugh. “It’s Christmas today, you know.” Scully smiled at her and took the earpieces out, hanging her stethoscope around her neck.

“Yes, I do know it’s Christmas today,” she said, raising her eyebrows, making Sydney laugh.

“My parents brought me some gifts,” she said pointing to her table, where there were several gifts. A stuffed dog, a joke book, markers and a sketchbook, and some magazines.

“Wow, that’s a nice haul of stuff you have there, but it looks like you missed one,” Scully said, pointing at the one box still unopened. “Are you saving it for after your surgery?”

“No, Doctor Scully!” Sydney said, smiling at her. “That present is for you!”

Scully turned her head to Nancy, finding her smiling, with tears in her eyes. “Sydney wanted to thank you for all that you have done for her. This is for you.” Nancy said picking up the gift and handing it to Scully.

Scully was stunned and stood there in shock. No patient had ever given her a gift before and she felt awkward standing there holding it. She had nothing to give them and when she caught Nancy’s eye, she knew her gift had already been given. This gift was the thank you, the reciprocation of a gift to be received.

“Open it, Doctor Scully!” Sydney said, clapping her hands and smiling. “I can’t wait to see how you like it.”

Scully looked back down at the gift and started to unwrap it. The paper came off and then she took the lid off the box. Opening the tissue paper, she gasped. It was a painting, on canvas, of the ocean at night, the color of ink, with the moon shining brightly on the water. There were little stars in the sky and the bow of a boat was visible in the lower left corner, as if it were just sitting and enjoying the view.

On the boat, stood Scully, her profile prominent as she looked out at the water. She had a smile on her face and her one visible eye was very blue. She was wearing her lab coat and it was blowing in the breeze, along with her hair. It was truly beautiful and she was amazed by the talent Sydney showed at only ten years old.

“Do you like it?” Sydney asked in a tiny voice.

“Sydney,” Scully said, shaking her head. “I absolutely love it. It’s incredibly beautiful and so detail oriented. You did an amazing job painting this for me. Thank you so much. What did you name it?”

“Name it?” Sydney asked her, looking confused.

“Oh yes!” Scully said, patting her pockets for a pen. She found a black marker in it and handed it to Sydney. “All artists name their creations, what will you call yours?” She handed the painting to Sydney and pointed to the back where she could write the name down.

Sydney thought about it and then smiled. Scully watched her write “Peace for Doctor Scully” and she had to hold back a sob.

“Can you sign it for me too?” Scully asked, clearing her throat. Sydney smiled, signed her name, and gave it back to her.

“I remember you telling me that you liked the ocean and the stars, so I combined them,” Sydney said with a shrug. “I’ve never seen you in clothes besides your lab coat.”

“It’s perfect,” Scully said, looking at it again. “It’s almost like it’s a superhero costume or something like it.” Sydney laughed and Scully gave her a hug. “You know, my father was a Navy Captain, so this is extra special. Thank you, Sydney.” She touched her arm, and nodded at Nancy and Jeff, wishing them all a merry Christmas.

She quickly walked back to her office, closed the doors, and sat at her desk. Looking at the painting again, she let her tears fall. If she chose to have a more cynical view it would seem she was sailing out to sea on her own, not looking back. She knew that was not what was intended, but given her circumstances it was how she felt right then.

She dried her eyes, took out her phone and opened her text message app. There was still no response from Mulder. Although she did not expect there to be, she still sighed and felt that hurt again. She would keep trying, keep the line of communication open, even if it seemed to be jammed on his end.

Merry Christmas, Mulder. I love you.

Message sent, she put her phone back in her pocket. Holding the painting, she looked at her face, at the happiness Sydney had captured. The blue black inky color of the water was one she had loved for most of her life. She loved how the inviting beautiful bright blue could turn to ominous and dark by nightfall.  

It was like life in that way, she supposed, the lightness had to give way to the darkness. But the light would always come around again, though it sometimes may take a while.

She leaned the painting against her coffee mug and sighed. Glancing out the window, it was completely dark now, the street lights illuminating the snow on the ground and the snow that continued to fall.

Peace for Doctor Scully, she thought. She closed her eyes and wished that she could find it as simply as one could write it on canvas. How easy life would be, if that was the case.

Peace for Doctor Scully, she thought again, taking a deep breath and waiting for peace.

[ramblinganthropologist]

N7 Challenge Month - 7 (Free Day)

Summary: Normally, the first yead med school class at Johns Hopkins has a demonstration from a biotic to understand the system. Problem is, he can’t make it. Luckily, they can rely on their quiet an unassuming classmate to help them out of a tight spot. Did I mention that classmate used to be Commander Shepard? 

---

-Brain fuckers group chat-

John: Ugh, bad news.

Al: ?

John: Biotic Bob can't make it for the demonstration Monday. Looks like we're having a lecture instead.

Al: Oh? That sucks.

John: Yeah I did not want to listen to Dr. Yamada again. Ugh... too bad all the biotics are military, right?

---

“Please tell me you brought coffee...”

“No, I thought we were having that demonstration.”

The 1st year class of John Hopkins was not in the happiest mood that Monday morning as they sidled into their normal 8 AM lecture. It was the middle of the semester, so that was to be expected. The reality of the next four years had settled in at last; the only thing waiting for them was more classes, labs, and eventual clinicals. To do it without coffee was suicidal.

And now, they didn't even have the biotic demonstration to liven things up.

That was somewhat of a recent addition to the curriculum. After all, biotics were less than 50 year development in human biology. Most of the times, cases presented as children with tumors or the rare adult who had been discharged from the military. Any others were handled by Alliance doctors, so it wasn't like med students got much to study from. Even their school had to face that.

Still, it was a disappointment they had to live with. It wasn't like they could make a biotic appear.

“Hey, anyone seen Al? He never misses class.”

A quick glance around showed none of the class' oldest student. Al as he introduced himself was hard to miss: his bright red hair drew the eye, as did his scars and artificial parts. He had been in the military before this, or at least that was what he had told them when they had asked. From his less than forthcoming replies, it was clear he didn't want to talk about it. Since he was a nice guy, they had left the matter drop.

Besides, trying to picture the long-haired Irishman in uniform was impossible. You got a headache trying to do it.

“Maybe it's his headaches again.”

“Poor guy, he's been getting those a lot lately. He missed our study session last week because of one. Hope it's nothing from...”

The conversation died soon after that. Even though it had been almost half a decade since the Reaper war, people didn't like to bring them up. Too many had lost loved ones or seen the destruction first hand. Hell, it was probably why most of them had gone to med school in the first place. Doctors had been at an all time need during the war, and after there was a dire need for replacing the ones lost. There would always be that reminder there, like a scar that wasn't finished healing. Maybe it never would.

But... that didn't matter. They had a lecture to sit through. Becoming melancholy saps could wait until after their brains had all been fried.

Right on the dot, as 8 AM hit Dr. Yamada entered the room. However, the small woman was smiling as she surveyed the class. There was a glint in her eye that made them worry about a pop quiz, but then they relaxed. She didn't have scantrons.

“Good morning, everyone. You're in luck, we found a replacement for our usual demonstration of the biotic system in action. If you wouldn't mind going outside, our guest is waiting for us.”

The mood improved immediately as students packed up their notebooks and stuffed them back into bags. Within a minute, the lecture room emptied as they followed their teacher out. Outside, it was a beautiful day as the leaves were really starting to change color. Their goal was an empty field not too far from class.

A giant of a woman was standing there ,wearing nothing but a tank top and some pants. Her muscular arms bore the scars of military service, which contrasted greatly with her bright pink hair and glowing red eyes. Most knew her immediately – retired Commander Bo Peep Shepard, humanity's second Spectre. Thanks to her, they were able to have class and, you know, be alive in general. She was standing there, arms crossed over her chest.

“Remember, you owe me lunch for this. There's still Burger Man's on this world last I checked.”

She was speaking to someone on the other side of the field. A general murmur picked up as they realized who was standing there. Honestly, it was a surprise they hadn't noticed them first. Then again, Al usually wore a hoodie when he was in class.

“I know, I won't forget.” Al was wearing just a t-shirt and loose shorts as he stretched. Much to their surprise... the little guy was actually pretty strong looking. He must've been hiding those biceps under his loose hoodies. That wasn't the only thing hiding either -  his prosthetics were in full view, gleaming in the light. With his hair pulled back, those behind him saw both his scars and the embedded metal they had studied in textbooks. It was the very picture of the standard Alliance L7 biotic amp – which meant their classmate was packing some serious brain heat. “Thanks for helping out.”

Commander Bo smirked as she shrugged. She too had a biotic amp, though hers was a bit more visible. “What can I say, you sounded so fucking desperate on the phone and I was near Earth anyway. Now, are we doing this or what? I'm hungry.”

Both turned towards Dr. Yamada, who seemed pleased by her ability to get such an entertaining class. Most of the class had fallen silent as they kept trying to figure out on who to focus on first. After all, it wasn't every day they had such a high powered biotic in their midst. They had seen Bo plenty of times on the vids, tearing reaper husks apart as she blasted her way through the battlefield. Al... well, he was always in class with coffee and chipper encouragement that they could get through the hell that was their first year.

Now... he was fucking biotic apparently!

“I would like to introduce our guest today. Commander-”

Bo interjected. “Retired, doc.”

“Yes, forgive me. Retired Commander Bo Peep Shepard agreed to help us out.” She nodded to the redhead on the other side of the field. “You of course all know your classmate. Al arranged this for us when our previous presenter had to drop out, so make sure to thank him later.”

He answered with a somewhat awkward smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. He often did that, but now they knew why – he was touching the spot where his amp had been embedded into his neck. Now most of them realized they had never seen him with his hair up before. Maybe this was why?

“It's a lot easier to understand biotics when you can see it in action.”

Yamada nodded, pleased. “Indeed, it is. I learn something new every time we hold this demonstration. Now, could you explain what you're going to do?”

Al nodded as he approached the class briefly. His posture shifted as he did, falling into a form that reminded most of other vids they had seen in years prior. Bo, after all, was the second human Spectre the Council had appointed in 2183. Another had stood with her, almost dwarfed by her size. The other Commander, the one who had commanded the famous Normandy. The man who had died, come back, and beaten the Reapers in the desperate days of 2186.

Retired Commander Alistair Shepard: a biotic, a medic, and their classmate.

“Well, we're going to go through some of the basic biotic moves.” his voice projected in a way it never had. It sounded like a post puberty version of one they had all heard on his appointment vid. “Bo's focused on on melee offense, whereas my specialty is more in defense. I would advise everyone to step back a bit more. We uh...”

Bo finished for him. “It's been a while since we've gotten to crack each other's skulls.”

Much to the class's surprise, Al laughed. “I don't know if we're going to crack any skulls, but it's been some time since we've gotten to practice with each other. Though, it has been a while since I've used my biotics, so I have a pretty strong charge to work off...”

Biotics had been mentioned in previous lectures when they had gone over the nervous system. Those who had better memory recalled the nodules, how they interacted with the brain's electronic impulses and the implanted amps that augmented their training. The class was supposed to be going over both the perfected system and all the side-effects that failed cases would be presenting with that week if the schedule was right. This demonstration usually served to help them understand how the human system responded to the training and implantation.

And... well, the cases were swelling post war. Eezo exposure had been on the rise ever since the final days of the battle for Earth. A lot of ships and Reapers had fallen after the battle, so it was no surprise they were seeing more biotic children.

So, now they got to watch two adults kick each other all over a field. You know, for educational purposes and all.

“A good idea. “Yamada motioned them back, behind a line someone had drawn in the field in chalk. “You can begin when ready.”

Al and Commander Bo both took their positions on the other side of the field. They breathed, and then a hum of energy filled the area with static that made people's teeth itch. Both of their eyes started to glow as they powered up, bringing up dust with them. Then a glowing blue wall erected around Al as he held out his hands.

“This is called a barrier. It's a basic biotic ability that allows for defense from physical attacks.”

Al was still speaking, projecting his voice as he held out his hands. He was bracing for something that soon became obvious. Bo had charge forward, a red field crackling around her head. There was a loud thud as she collided, head first, with the wall. Energy filled the field as their energies battled against each other, and sparks flew.

“Bo is using a technique she improvised from a krogan battlemaster named Urdnot Wr-”

He had to stop talking. She was applying more pressure, seeking a way to break his barrier. However, he let it down instead and used a smaller field to jump over her massive frame. She whirled around as he landed on the other side, not letting him rest.

“Improvised? This is shit I figured out on Omega!”

Al, despite the onslaught, laughed as he blocked and dodged. “My mistake, Bo's technique is a human reaction to krogan underground wrestlers trying take her title!”

“They still haven't, but they love trying!”

They clashed again, this time with Bo's hands glowing. Al responded with a wave of energy from his hands that he threw out. The textbook called hers Pull, while his most resembled Shockwave. Both sent out crackles of energy in red and blue that sent hair raising. In the center of this storm, the two participants were too focused on beating the shit out of each other to realize that a crowd was beginning to gather. Other students and various passers-by were stopping to watch, and more than a few omni-tools were recording.

This was definitely going on the extranet later. It wasn't every day you saw biotics sparring out of uniform.

“Your attacks feel different, is that because you're on T now?”

“Yeah, they're a lot stronger now. I had to relearn how to use Warp because of it, it kept going wild and I almost took a window out last time I tried.”

Despite their high level of activity, the pair were still able to talk to each other. Granted, it was more like shouting due to their adrenaline levels pumping, but they were definitely having a conversation as they tried to beat the shit out of each other. Maybe that was something they had developed on the Normandy or any of the galaxy saving missions they had been on together.

Or maybe it was just sibling banter. Who knew with biotics.

Al shifted at one point, and then it was Bo on the defensive. Unlike her opponent, she didn't use a full barrier. Instead, she shifted it to smaller fields wherever he tried to attack.  After all, she was the offensive master.

“Someone's been working out, your attacks are actually starting to sting a little.” And then she threw out a sudden wave of energy and he was back on defense. “Whoops, you got cocky there didn't you? Why don't you save the preening for the next dirty pics for Scars?”

His answer came with a shimmering wave of energy  - the aforementioned Warp. It made Bo back up to get out of range of the damage. Then she had to block a pretty vicious looking kick that came when Al dropped low. That definitely would've bruised her thighs had it landed.

“Get it straight, he's the one sending dirty pics not me.”

Bo whistled as she dodged. There was a conversation between them,built up on history, that most of them were missing. All that mattered was that two incredibly strong biotics were currently trying to beat the shit out of each other and they were getting to see it first hand. This was the kind of thing none of them ever got to see.

And maybe because of that, the comment about dirty pics and Commander Shepard went over their heads a little.

Al's hand was glowing as he lunged forward. To the more experienced, it could have been a warp or shockwave. With how fast he was going it was hard to tell. “So, how's my favorite sister in law to be doing?”

Bo blocked and sent him jumping back when she swung down with her fists glowing as well. Hers looked more like warp. “Still the best admiral the Fleet has. Well, not much of a fleet since they got Rannoch back and all, but you get what I mean.”

“Your house there looks great, by the way. We getting an invite any time soon?” Al laughed as he dodged, ducking lower than where Bo's fist could have reached due to her height. He was enjoying himself – they had never seen him smile like that in class. Even though he was breathing hard and his cheeks were red, there was no way to deny the fact he was having fun.

Weird, that fun for him involved nearly getting the shit beat out of him. Marines were weird, even the retired ones.

“She said something about winter break, so maybe.” Bo swung hard again. “Ugh, I'm getting bored. Let's just finish this shit before it winds up on the extranet. I think you've had enough of a workout to keep your amp happy.”

Al nodded as he flipped back with surprising grace for someone missing half his limbs. “Sounds good to me. Hope you're ready to bring it.”

“Hey, that's my line.” Her head was glowing as she reared back. “Let's see if you can handle what the last three challengers couldn't!

And then they charged, with the space between them suddenly feeling very heavy. The effect was coming from Al – he had launched a singularity just as Bo struck hard with her forehead. The two forces collided in the center, energies bouncing off each other as the explosion began. However, before it could spread, everything was stopped by a wall of shimmering blue force that kept the whole campus from exploding.

Well... that was a way to end it.

When the energy cleared, both of them were laying on the ground, breathing hard. Bo's forehead was bruised, and Al's hands looked a little sore. Despite that, they both looked pretty happy as they sat up, sweating like pigs.

“I needed that.”

“That makes two of us.” Bo got up first, holding out her hand. Al was soon back on his feet, barely coming up to her shoulder. “Your singularity stings like crazy, by the way.”

Al was grinning as the professor walked back over to take back the class. “I've been working on it.”

Just like that, the demonstration was over and they were heading back inside. The crowd was starting to dissipate, their phones full of images of two Spectres going at it. Nobody was going to forget that anytime soon, least of all the class of first year med students.

After all, it wasn't every day they learned their classmate had pretty much saved the galaxy before he was 40. Though, maybe it was more they had forgotten about it... they wouldn't be doing that anytime soon, thank you very much.

---

“I can't believe I missed that!”

“Well, lucky for you the video is everywhere. It's gone viral!”

Tuesday came with a buzz of activity as the first year med school class waited for their lecture to begin. Most of them had their phones or omni-tools out, watching the different angles of the very fight they had witnessed the day before. To say it had gotten popular was... putting it mildly.

Also people were seriously thirsty for both Shepards. Like calm down, they were both taken.

“I don't see Al, do you think he's out sick with a headache or something?”

His seat was empty. Maybe overdoing it with his biotics had caused a migraine or something. They were learning about that in class – something about the amp overheating and causing feedback. It didn't quite make sense yet, but they were still working on the biotic system. In time, they would come to understand it.

Luckily for them, the class didn't have to wait long. A side door opened, and someone slipped through with the trained calm of someone who had done it way too many times. Al sighed in relief as he closed the door behind him with his foot, already heading over to his seat.

“Morning, everyone. Man, it is crazy out there.”

He took his seat like he did every day, coffee in hand and a neon pink bandage over his cheek and nose. There was also a band-aid with cartoon cat paws covering a few fingers, and he had a few bruises to match that. It didn't take a genius to figure out where it had come from, but... it hadn't looked that bad the day before.

Al smiled at their looks as he waved it off with his bandaged hand. “I might have overdid it with the biotics yesterday, but I'm fine. Besides, we should probably be more worried about class. I think we've got a pop quiz coming if the look on Dr. Yamada's face was anything to go by when I passed her earlier.”

The whole room groaned as notes were grabbed for frantically. They could worry about that later – her pop quizzes were hell on earth. Besides, their biotic classmate who had more or less saved their collective asses would still be there, suffering with them through the worst of med school. In a weird way, that was a comfort.

But, seriously. No wonder he was so calm in class – the guy had shot a fucking Reaper in the face and lived to talk about it.

[misssunflowersandsangria]

Roses

Chapter 7: White Roses

Hello, my beautiful readers!  Here we are at the end.  Thank you for sticking with me till the end.  I loved writing this story so much and I hoped that you enjoyed it as well.  

Summary: Life is a wonderful thing. 

White Roses: Suited to reverent occasions, the white rose is a fitting way to honor a friend or loved one in recognition of a new beginning or a farewell. Their pure color conveys respect, pays homage to new starts and expresses hope for the future.

Flashback

“This assignment is ridiculous.  How can we possibly know where we’ll be in 10 years?”  Sai complained staring at the blank document on the screen.  Life had been quite unpredictable so far.  How could he possibly try to imagine his future?

Ino looked up at him surprised. “You don’t know?”

“You do?”

“Of course!”

He just smiled at her amused.  “Please enlighten me.”

“Okay, so ten years from now means that we will have just finished university and we’ll be graduating.  By that time you’ll have become a super famous artist.”

“Really?”  He couldn’t help but grin at how animated and excited she was while developing their imagined future. 

“Yes!  They’ll eat up the tragic orphan story.”

“Thank you for narrating my pain.”

She just waved off his concerns.  “Oh, hush.  It’s part of the mystique.  Anyway, you’ll have already made a ton of money selling your paintings and you'll have spent a good amount of it on your very best friend.”

“Who might that be?”  He teased her to which she just ruffled his hair. 

“Stop it, you love me.  As I was saying you’ll be this super amazing famous artist and I’ll be your wonderful best friend that you’ll attribute all your success to.  We’ll move into this amazing house.  You know the one you promised to buy me.”

“The one that you’re forcing me to buy you with all my hard-earned artist money.”

“Yes, precisely!  I’ll keep going to school to be something really awesome like a doctor.  You’ll keep painting and we’ll be happy.”

He just smiled at the simplicity but perfection of the future she painted.  They were still together, pursuing their dreams and happy.  It was more than he could ever hope for.

“So we’re still best friends ten years from now?”

“Obviously, nothing will ever change that.”  She promised with a bright smile. 

He nodded praying that Ino got everything that she dreamed of and that he would be lucky enough to see those wishes come true.   “Okay, I’m going to write that for my essay.”

“Hey!”

End Flashback

At the end of the semester, Sai sat with the Yamanakas cheering along as Ino and their friends crossed the stage to collect their degrees.  

As a teacher and as a friend it was very gratifying to see them all take that leap into adulthood.  The world wasn’t quite ready for them yet.

His gallery opening had gone well and the critics hailed it as a renaissance. His work was new, innovative and different from what he’d done before. He had multiple offers for his drawing of Ino. Especially upon knowing that it was one of his original works. He refused each time. It was far too precious to him. 

As he reflected on the path that life had taken him he appreciated all the highs and the lows.  His life was far better than most and he knew that it could have been a lot different if one pretty blonde girl hadn’t chosen to become his friend.  

He had always imagined that a relationship with her would be incredible but he could have never envisioned just how sweet it would be.  He’d struggled his whole life to find a place in the world, to find somewhere that he belonged.  All along that place was with her.  When they were younger they would dream about this moment.  Becoming adults, entering the real world together.  It was the future that he would picture when he was sad and alone.  Life had a funny way of working out.

His class had given him a glowing review at the end of the semester. Many of his students came up to him personally to tell him that they were now interested in the Arts.  The university had been so impressed that they offered him an additional class to teach the following semester.  He was thankful for the opportunity, excited to inspire the next generation of artists.    

Ino may not have a future in art but she had chosen a path in life.   After a quick vacation together she was jumping headfirst into a post-baccalaureate program to pursue her Ph.D.  She wanted to become a Psychologist.  She’d always wanted to help people and relished in the idea of helping them heal mentally and emotionally.

Once the ceremony was over she ran over to her parents who heaped on praises and words of congratulations.  They had been in tears the entire ceremony overwhelmed with pride.  

Sai greeted her with open arms.  “Congratulations beautiful.”  He kissed her forehead affectionately. 

“Thank you, Sai.”  She took a deep breath to take in the moment.  “I’m happy that you’re here.”  Neither took for granted that they were there in this moment together. 

He squeezed her just a little tighter. “Me too.  I have a surprise for you.” 

“Another one?” She asked touching the rose pendant on her necklace that he’d given her that morning.

“Yes.” 

“Go, sweetheart, we’ll see you at the party tonight.”  Her mom assured her excitedly knowing about the surprise. The parents of all their friends decided to host one large graduation party that evening.

Ino nodded, her boyfriend never failed to amaze her. “Okay, lead the way.” 

He drove them about 20 minutes away from the university to a small neighborhood the street lined with large trees.   Beautiful family homes filled the sidewalk while kids played and ran up and down the streets. 

She stared out the window awed by the different homes they passed.  “Where are we? Is the surprise here?” 

He simply kissed her knuckles. “Patience Beautiful.” 

He parked in the driveway connected to the house on the corner. It had a large front yard with a welcoming doorway. From outside she could see large windows that showcased the interior.

Surprising her he took out a key from his pocket taking her hand to bring her inside. The entryway was large featuring a spiral staircase to the second story.  It was spacious and she could easily imagine a family making wonderful memories there. 

“Sai? What are we doing here?”  Why did he have a key?  Was it okay that they were just walking into someone’s house?

“Just a minute.”  He led her through the kitchen out towards the porch.  Walking outside she was floored by a gorgeous garden filled with flowers, purple bush clovers, and roses of every color.  Suddenly it began to dawn on her. 

Taking her into his arms he whispered.  “Welcome home Ino.”

She felt her breath catch.  “What?”

“I bought you your house with a garden of roses and bush clovers.” 

She brought a hand to cover her mouth stunned and overwhelmed.  “Sai…”

“If you hate it we can always find another one-“

“No, Sai, it’s perfect.  Thank you. That’s not enough but I’m speechless.” She couldn’t believe that he remembered that conversation. 

“Just imagine it.  I can paint out here. We’ll set up your office upstairs. Our son can play in the living room and ride his bike down the street.  I think that we can be very happy here.”  His smile was so bright and his eyes looked so hopeful.  

There was no stopping the flood of tears. The life and future that he described of home, and family. There was little else that she could want in life.  She had her best friend, her true love and a home that they would build and fill with memories.  They would experience birthdays, anniversaries, milestones and celebrations.  Once they all had kids, Chouji and Shikamaru’s kids would come by and play and their babies would become an unstoppable trio.  The next generation of InoShikaCho.  Her and Sai would grow old together and fall more in love with every passing day. No matter what may come she knew that they would be happy.  And she knew at this moment that she was the luckiest girl in the world. 

They walked hand in hand amongst the roses before touring their house.  She couldn’t have dreamt a more perfect place for them to build their lives together.

“Sai, this is incredible.  I love you so much.”  His thumbs brushed the tears away from her eyes.  

“I love you too Beautiful, I’m excited for our adventure to continue.”  He kissed her with the promise of their future and forever on his lips. 

Flashforward 

“Ready to go see your mommy graduate Jin?”  Inojin just giggled smiling and looking up at his father.  While Ino prepared for the graduation ceremony they spent the morning outside tending to the garden. 

“This hat is hideous,”  Ino complained before placing it on Inojin’s head. He just grabbed at it before placing it in his mouth. 

They smiled down at their sweet baby before Sai pulled her into his arms. “How are you feeling Dr. Yamanaka?”  Sai asked with a grin knowing how relieved and excited she was to finally be done with school. 

Her arms were wrapped tightly around him sighing against his chest.  “Wonderful Mr. Yamanaka.  Is Inojin all ready to go?”

“All set.”  It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to have a baby while trying to complete a doctorate program but Ino wanted to start a family and his flexible schedule helped out a lot.  Inojin was their final missing piece, giving them a sense of completion and joy.  Sai couldn’t wait to be a father, ready and excited to give his son the childhood and experiences he didn’t have. 

“I’m very proud of you Beautiful.”

She smiled at him before reaching up for a kiss.  Relief, joy, and appreciation a mix of emotions ran through her.  While he was gone she’d all but given up on the idyllic future she’d imagined with him.  Their life now though was far better than either of them could have ever dreamt.  

Sai held onto his family taking a moment to thank the universe for his wife and son, for this family and life that they shared.  Their journey may have taken some twists and turns, but it was worth it for all the roads led him there.  A life with his Loves amongst the roses. 

The End 

Roses: 🌷

Chapter 1: Roses

Chapter 2: Yellow Roses

Chapter 3: Purple Roses

Chapter 4: Pink Roses

Chapter 5: Orange Roses

Chapter 6: Red Roses

Chapter 7: White Roses 

Thank you again for all your love and support.  They are such an amazing couple and that made it so easy to write for them.  I hope to have something for them again soon.  But till the next one, thank you and I love you! 💕