#surely there are still places in UK without a square reader...

[itwasanangryinch]

10/10 Creepy

10/10 Cinematic

9/10 Characters

4/10 Answers

Spoilers in tags

[sarahjkl82-blog]

Artistic Instinct Chapter Nine

Header thanks to the lovely @yespolkadotkitty

Summary: Marcus Pike and OC Anushka Pierce have been selected to work on a 5 eyes (Australia, Canada, NZ, the UK and US) intelligence team to track down art forgeries as a part of taking down an international white terrorism cell. Marcus is trying to escape his broken heart, Anushka is just trying to escape what the world expects of her.

Word count: 6500

Warnings: Language as always, warning of racist language (Nush talking about her mother's experiences), yearning, fluff to second base (yes, my darlings- IT IS ON!), alcohol is mentioned, food, anxiety attacks.

Pairing: Marcus Pike x reader (OC)

This comes with a MASSIVE THANK YOU to the lovely @yespolkadotkitty , who read, re-read, pointed out the constant flipping between tenses and gave me the confidence to try to write something. This is the first thing I have written since angsty poetry as a teenager. Apologies if it is shit!

People often think artists

Create with their hands

But really they create

with their hearts

So please be gentle

For we wear our vulnerability

On our sleeves

And freely give all we have

Hoping someone will fall

In love with the parts we offer

R. Evelyn

Chapter Nine

The sharp buzz of the door startles you out of your daydream. Laden with roughly the entire contents of your spice cupboard, vegetables, meat and prawns, your hands are crisscrossed with creases from where the weight of the totes has gouged at your skin. A smart-looking kindly gentleman greets you, “You must be Ms Pierce. Mr Pike has asked for you to wait here for him.”

Wow! Marcus’ place has a concierge - who did he have to blow to get a place like this?!

Throwing the bags onto one of the hotel lounge-like chairs, you slump into another as you rub soreness from your hands. A small ping tells you that the lift has arrived - you look over in the direction of the noise, a tremor of excitement rippling through you. An adorably scruffy Marcus, wearing old jeans and a t-shirt, steps out - his face utterly beaming on seeing you. “Hey! How are you doing?” he leans in to kiss your cheek twice - hang on, when did this start being a thing?

“Why didn’t you let me pick you up? You’ve carried so much over- lemme see your hands,” his brow knits on seeing the rapidly reddening welts as he takes your hands in his, brushing his thumbs gently across your palms.

“You live four roads away from me - they’re not that bad! And anyway, you can help me now- which floor do you live on?” You outwardly roll your eyes at the sweetness Marcus shows you, secretly enjoying the stroke of his fingers and the ghostly press of his lips still burning a hole in your cheek.

Marcus takes all of the bags from the chair, refusing point blank to entertain you helping him to take them upstairs - you watch as his arms twitch under the weight, enjoying the mixture of confusion and shock at your strength across his face, “you carried all of this?”

Nodding at him, you try to take a bag again, but he dangles it just out of reach, “Watch it - you do realise that I have two other brothers apart from Ads? I will think nothing of rugby tackling you to the floor and pinning you down,” you warn, enjoying the flush brought to his cheeks.

“You’ll be the death of me,” Marcus flusters as he calls the lift, handing you the smallest, lightest bag.

✪✪✪✪✪

Exiting at the top floor, you’re taken aback by the amount of light and quiet that washes throughout the building. Feeling so removed from the shadows cast from the tower blocks and the hustle and bustle of the streets below, the broad daylight offers a sense of serenity, a peace that invites itself into the soul and makes itself at home. As Marcus unlocks the door to his flat, you kick off your shoes at the entrance, “You don’t have to do that,” he offers through the keys in his mouth, holding the door open with his elbow, still refusing any help from you.

“Oh believe me, if I didn’t, my mum’s radar would go off and I would be cruising for a bruising,” you giggle, taking in the glorious spaciousness of his apartment, “I promise my feet aren’t too stinky and that I put on clean socks.”

“Whatever makes you comfortable,” Marcus’ eyes crinkle at you, “Can I get you something to drink or eat?”

“A coffee would be ace - strong and black please,” you reply, your gaze drinking in the details of his home. Books line the shelves along one wall - such a mixture of titles ranging from airport bestsellers to obscure art catalogues - the relief to see actual paper and hardbacks adorning the shelves rather than trinkets and plants when so many keep their books electronically in their pockets.

A couple of large canvases lie propped against another - long hours preventing them from being hung - their bright colours sure to bring joyful hues to quite a stark room. There are a few photo frames dotted around - mostly pictures of a moment in time rather than poses - of people you assume are friends and family from back in the States. Handing you a steaming mug, Marcus looks over your shoulder as you look at a photo of an older couple dancing and laughing at a wedding, “That’s my mamá and papá at my oldest sister’s wedding. It was such a magical day - just so much love in the air.”

“You can feel the joy radiating from them,” you offer, lowering your gaze from him to grab the frame next to the picture of his parents, “Are these your sisters or cousins? You all look very alike.”

“Yeah, my little sisters,” he grins proudly. “This one is Beth - she’s two years younger and is a paediatrician in Texas. Has two kids with her wife, Sophie. And this one is Cat - she’s doing her own thing out on the West Coast as a musician. They definitely inherited all the clever and cool genes.”

“Hah! You’re kinder to your sisters than I am to my brothers,” you grin, “They’re all total idiots but due to some weird genetic and biological insistence, I still love them.”

Taking a gulp of your coffee, you turn back towards him, “Come on you, we’d better get to work if you want a curry this evening.”

He pouts, looking more like a sulky little boy than a middle aged man. You can’t help but laugh at the sad puppy dog eyes he is conjuring at the thought of work, “Oh poppet, what’s wrong?” you teasingly mock.

“I kinda hoped you were a magician who could just magic a curry outta nowhere so we could watch films til the others arrive,” Marcus grumps shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Well, there is UberEats for that but you horrible lot put me up to this so you’re going to help,” you wag your finger at him, “But as you’re the only one here, you get the honour of being the chief taster,” you add, tapping him playfully on the nose.

With a soft huff and a furrow of the brow, Marcus guides you into the kitchen where, whilst he was making your coffee, he has helpfully already put all the fresh produce in his fridge as the sides are delightfully blank apart from the bags of spices.

“What are we making today, Chef?”

“Ok, meat dishes are a spiced yoghurt leg of lamb, a keema - don’t you give me that look, a cardamom butter chicken, and, a prawn and courgette curry,” you turn to Marcus’ fridge to find the lamb, “Needs to come to room temperature before we cook it.”

“My tummy is rumbling already,” Marcus adds, his eyes glinting excitedly as he licks along his lower lip, the skin glistening damply. You have never quite figured out whether your love of his lips is due to their fullness or the association with the kindness of his words.

“Hah- you’re not getting away without having some veggies, too, mister,” you cluck as you hand him a bag of onions and several bulbs of garlic to skin, chop and crush for the various dishes.

“Ok, Moooom,” Marcus dramatically rolls his eyes at your dictate, “I admit, I’d rather eat sugary or salty things over green stuff but I can make an exception for curried veg.”

The arch of your eyebrow virtually reaches your hairline at him teasingly calling you mom, so you reach for the towel, twist it and flick him hard on what you’d hoped would be his hip but catch him square on his arse instead.

A yelp of pain and wide eyes greet your action, “Did you just…? Oh, it is on.! You might think you’re tough from your brothers but my sisters taught me sneaky tactics.”

“Come at me, bro!” you taunt from the other side of the kitchen, putting up a boxing stance.

Brandishing the hand without the paring knife in your general direction, he answers, “Nope, gonna use the element of surprise and attack when you least expect it!”

Tutting your tongue at Marcus’ weak ass response, you grab the spices you need to prepare under the power of your pestle and mortar. With the waft of roasting cumin soaring through the air and your battle with your boss at a supposedly declared ceasefire, everything starts to feel comfortable and easy again. You could be six years old and standing on the chair next to your mum, watching like a hawk as she lovingly prepared meals for your family with an ever burgeoning belly. It was then, during those hours shared in the galley kitchen that became your time with her when normally it felt pretty split between her work as a GP and your brothers.

What the fuck… You jump out of your skin when a warm, solid wall presses you out of your nostalgic reverie, “Hah! Pinned ya! Sneaky tactics- told ya they worked,” a deep, soft voice whispers in your ear.

Your heart flutters like a bird trying to escape its rib cage with the closeness of Marcus, the heat rising through your body from your proximity to him - a visceral response to the glorious cocktail of masculine smell from his aftershave and body wash.

What do I do next?

Why can’t I bloody think straight?

Wiggling yourself around so that you face him, his face now so close that you can feel his warm breath upon your cheeks. Your eyes playfully catch the steady gaze of Marcus’ deep soulful pools. It would only take the smallest of movements to reach forwards and kiss him right on that stupidly gorgeous, plush Cupid’s bow and crease. But… what if he doesn’t want that? He’s my fucking boss - that would be a stellar move to make…

Instead of the tiny incline forwards to press your lips against his as every inch of you screams to do so, you drop to the floor and crawl out from between his legs, “Not pinned well enough it seems,” you tease haltingly as your tongue sticks in your dry throat.

As you check the browning of the cumin seeds, out of the corner of your eye you see Marcus’ head drop sadly, hearing a small sigh - his hands still upon the work surface and feet not having moved from the position he had pinned you in moments earlier.

Did he want to...? No, surely not.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, Nush,” Marcus humbly apologises, pushing himself off the side, “I hope that I haven’t made things awkward.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” you softly say, pouring the roasted cumin into the mortar, ready to be ground, “I was the one who flicked you on your arse - I am the one who should be apologising.”

You beckon gently to Marcus, who has now taken refuge in the furthest corner of the kitchen from you - wringing his hands instead of chopping the onions, “Come over here - I want you to experience one of my most favourite smells of childhood. These are roasted cumin seeds and when you grind them, they release the most heavenly scent.”

After a few grinds, you offer the bowl towards Marcus’ face as he closes the gap between you, “I… Wow! I wouldn’t have thought it would make such a difference but it’s almost like you’ve entirely transformed it. See,” the dimple deepens in that right cheek of his, “you are a magician.”

“I love how spices - a bit like paint - can take on completely different characters depending on how you treat them. Leave the spice whole and you have this mild and fragrant taste. If you crush them, then their attitude comes back tenfold with a vengeance. Toast them, and they may as well be Clark Kent in a phone booth.”

Looking up you see Marcus gazing at you with a sweet half smile on his face - could he like me… like that?

“Sorry, you don’t need to hear me blathering on,” you fluster, waving your hand in a dismissive gesture as the heat rises through your face.

Shaking his head gently without dropping your regard, “No. No, please don’t ever stop. Your passion for things is beautiful.”

“Growing up, I didn’t realise that other people didn’t have whole cupboards filled to the brim with herbs, spices and seasonings. I mean, for all the damage the British Empire reeked, you’d have hoped that the spices would have entered more of their culture, but no! Apparently, my family was the weird one for having food with a flavour,” you shrug your shoulders at some of the ridiculous things you’d heard as a child - accusations of differences you’d never thought to be of note.

Marcus chuckles at your indignance, “It’s funny you should say that. I didn’t realise that my mamá had an accent until it was pointed out to me when I was a kid.”

Noting your slightly confused expression, Marcus explains, “She’s Argentinian- came to the States as a political refugee as she was a journalist following the disappearances during the Dirty War. Met my dad, and I came along very soon after, and the rest is history..”

You can’t help but laugh at the flush on Marcus’ cheeks as he recounts his personal history to you, “Love can’t be held back when it hits and it’s obvious that they’re still crazy about each other now from that photo.”

“Exactly, no point in wasting time when you know what you want,” Marcus grins, looking at his feet.

“My parents have a similar story. My dad is as English as they come - I mean we’re on a freaking island so there’s no true thing as being completely English. My mum is from Pakistan - Karachi - it’s in the South.”

“She came over due to the fighting between East and West Pakistan - the two countries that are now Pakistan and Bangladesh. It kept interrupting her studies to become a doctor so she came to England and restarted her degree here.”

Marcus’ brow creases in thought, “Why did she restart her degree? Could the credits not just be transferred to the college she moved to in the UK?”

“Hah- yeah. It was the seventies, during a time where all Southern Asians were P*kis - no matter where they were from on the Indian subcontinent- and thought of as dirty, lesser beings. There were constant race riots for anyone who wasn’t ethnically white or English. She would never have been taken seriously with her mediocre medical training from some Adobe hut in the middle of a jungle,” you fume, pounding the seeds into fragments. The mortar being threatened with the same fate too.

Marcus’ fingers wrap around your wrist to try and prevent your rage at the ignorance of others from causing you an injury, “I am so sorry,” he pulls you into a warm, tender hug, tucking your head under his chin, “How long before food can take care of itself so we can put a film on? I think we both need a rest.”

“Hmmm, ten minutes and then most things can simmer or be switched off ready for a reheat or proper cook this evening,” you say, leaning reluctantly out of his comforting arms to go check on the bubbling saucepans of food.

“‘K. I’ll go get things set up so you can flop for a bit,” Marcus touches you gently on your shoulder as he goes to set up the front room. You go to squeeze his hand but it’s removed from your shoulder too quickly for your response.

✪✪✪✪✪

“You ready?” Marcus calls through the wall as you turn off the heat from the final pans.

“Mhm,” you mumble in response to his question - double, triple checking that everything is off. Too many fire alarms ruining perfectly lovely meals or moments.

“What did you pick?” You ask, curling up on the other end of the sofa to Marcus, “Do you have no cushions?”

“Shit, no -I’m a guy, what can I say? - lemme grab the pillows from the bed,” Marcus jumps up, calling through from his bedroom, “Bet you have loads on your couch.”

“A fuckload, but, mainly to hide the fact the springs have gone. It’s like a precarious balancing act of comfort on there,” you surreptitiously sniff the pillow, inhaling the smell of Marcus’ shampoo, “Did you give me your pillow?”

A confused look is shot at you from the other end of the sofa, “Whaddya mean?”

“Smells of your hair,” you say as you squish it into the perfect comfy shape, “Like a mixture of lemon and eucalyptus.”

“That’s a sharp nose you’ve got. I gave you the other side though,” Marcus huffs through a chuckles he shakes his head at your somewhat strange comment, “Guess I’ve been sleeping across both sides then.”

“Best thing about sleeping alone- getting to starfish across the bed. Unless of course…”

Marcus can’t help but laugh at your awkward dig to find out whether he’d brought home the goddess from Friday’s antics, “So you wanna know if I brought home Kemi?”

“She was very beautiful. You’d have been mad not to,” you try to school your expression as best you can, keeping your eyes glued to Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly singing about true love, desperate to hide the jealousy coursing through your veins.

“Must be mad then. Didn’t even kiss her,” Marcus honestly answers whilst copying your tactic of staring at the tv, “She could see that there was someone else I liked so it would have been cruel to have done anything.”

You mull this over in silence, trying not to speak, to ask a million questions.

“Nush.”

“Mhm?”

“Can I talk to y…”

You both jump as an alarm goes off on your phone to remind you to turn the lamb down in the oven.

“Oh shit. Hold that thought,” you jump up from the sofa, heading in the direction of the kitchen with zero thought of what the man at the end of the sofa is desperately trying to tell you. Fiddling with Marcus’ ridiculously swanky oven until it looks like it is doing what you want it to do, you walk back in with two ice cold beers from his fridge.

“Raided your fridge,” you cheekily grin, holding one out to Marcus, the condensation running, down your fingers, “Hope you don’t mind!”

“Good thinking, Batman,” Marcus nods in appreciation, “Any more alarms set to scare us both?”

“Only due to go off when the film is done, so…” you yawn widely, “We’ve got a while yet.”

Marcus’ hand that was slung over the back of the sofa, lifts to stroke your shoulder, “You sleepy? C'mere, you.” With a soft tug of your t-shirt sleeve, he pulls you into his side - your willingness to sink into his broad chest very apparent. Your ear is pressed against him, his heartbeat singing a lullaby to you as his fingers stroke and caress the silken waves of your hair. You wonder at how this man - a total stranger a week ago - has seemingly knitted himself into becoming a cocoon of safety for you, his gentleness and calm offering a haven of tranquility in your otherwise cacophonous world, as the light in the room slowly fades to black.

✪✪✪✪✪

“Uh oh.”

“Hey, welcome back, sunshine!” a gentle pair of fingers stroke back the hair that had drifted into your face as you dozed.

“Sorry for falling asleep. Again,” trying to finesse your way through the heat flaming your cheeks, you offer an awkward grin towards your chuckling pillow, “Guess we’d better start getting things finished as we’ve only got a couple of hours until everyone arrives.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, Marcus! I don’t want to move either but this curry won’t finish cooking itself.”

“Spit spot, there’s work to be done,” Marcus trills as he adopts his best attempt at a British accent.

“What the fuck was that? Did you just turn into Dick Van Dyke or something?” You tease mercilessly at the appalling sound coming from those lips, choking back laughter at his mock offended face.

“C’mon, you’re right. We’d better get moving,” Marcus stands with a stretch and a creak before reaching back to tug you to your feet.

Back under the glowing lights of Marcus’ kitchen, his presence is now constantly close to yours as you glide together around the space - stirring, chopping and checking. Every time he passes, above the general aroma of cumin and coriander, the onions and garlic, you can smell the cedar and amber upon his skin- a deliciously masculine scent that only seeks to entangle your senses further.

“Here, try this,” you hold out a heaped teaspoon of mince curry to Marcus, “This is the keema - I promise that I only put in the two chillies you chopped for me, this time.”

“Mmm, that’s so good,” he says thickly between chews, stealing the spoon from you as he dives in for a second, third, fourth spoonful.

“Hahaha! Leave some for the others- and you need to try it with some raita and fried onions too,” you check through your dog-eared, yellowed and slightly sticky recipe book that your mum had handed you the day you’d left home at eighteen - a memo of all the times you had cooked them together.

“Shit, I’d better start the chicken,” going through the spices in front of you, you search for the cardamoms that would make the butter chicken sing, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Marcus’ head snaps up from the green beans he was preparing towards you, “What’s up, sweetheart?”

“I can’t find the cardamoms for the butter chicken - gah I knew I’d fuck this up!” you cry, scraping your trembling hands through your hair, eyes flashing around the room wildly as your cortisol rises, making you want to run and scream at your failure to feed your friends.

“Whoa - where’s this coming from? C’mon, look at me. Look at me, Nush,” Marcus has his hands on either side of your shoulders, squeezing them gently, “There’s enough here to feed our whole office for the week with the daals you prepared yesterday, the vegetables we’re about to make and the meats that we’ve cooked up already here. Andy is bringing all the rice and naan, Kiri is bringing beers and Dian is on gin and tonic duty. You have done more than enough and I will not allow you to get this upset over one missing ingredient especially when there is a small store downstairs that I’m sure will have it, if we cannot find it after we look for it together.”

After seeing your numb nod as an agreement, Marcus moves his hands to the side of your head to focus your gaze on him rather than the panic seeping through you. As he strokes his thumbs across your cheeks, you allow your eyes to close and your breathing to regain a normal pattern.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologising?” Marcus searches your now open eyes.

“My reactions are ridiculous. Most people tell me to stop being so stupid and that just whips the storm inside my head even more,” you whisper, “But you. You know how to slow everything down and stop the spinning.”

The corner of Marcus’ mouth twitches, “D’ya wanna know a secret?” You nod at him, “As you know, I was married before. When it ended, I totally spiralled. The world kept spinning too fast and I experienced constant anxiety, very nearly burning out of my role.

“I was lucky. My boss was understanding but made me promise to get some support. He knew of someone mental health trained within the FBI who was there for mainly hostage negotiations - not part of the true psych team but someone who could help without it turning up on your record.

“Kwame worked with me for almost a year - pretty much to the point my decree absolute came through. Our sessions were done on a track - by running with me, he was teaching me the skills I needed to control my fears. By my feet hitting the tarmac, he was grounding me. By going over running techniques, he was teaching me how to control my breathing- taking longer and deeper breaths. And running is just repetition. A mindful repetition that allows your brain to have a bit of a break.

“So when I see you start to spiral, I try to give you the same steps he taught me. Get you grounded, opposite me so you copy my breathing and hope that gets you on the right track.”

“Thank you,” you drop your head forwards, relaxing onto his chest. He feels so - safe.

“You don’t need to thank me. Well, okay maybe you do as look what I’ve just spotted,” Marcus holds the offending spice aloft.

“Oh my god, I could fucking kiss you. You have just saved the curry,” you dramatically declare, clutching the cardamom jar to your heart before placing it next to the other ingredients on the counter.

“Go on then.”

What?

His comment makes you snap your head over to catch Marcus’ tremulous gaze, his eyes darting between the floor and your lips. He takes a small step, closing the small distance between the two of you, threading his fingers between yours. Each slow movement offers an unspoken opportunity for you to step away. To tease him and move on with the day.

But why on Earth would you?

With your heart racing faster and faster, you lure him ever closer with your eyes, soft but absolute in their conviction of what was about to pass between you. A small part of you understands that when you kiss him, something will change forever. That within his lips you may find the place to call home - the aching in your stomach may cease and life could start to make sense again. The anxieties of the week washing away, the pain of your collective pasts and the hint of a brighter, happier future before you.

When he doesn’t move again, you seize the moment. Pushing up onto your socked tiptoes, you tilt your chin, inclining your face until your lips come to rest upon his in the sweetest, chastest kiss. Drawing back slightly to check that Marcus is okay with a raise of your eyebrows and widened eyes, he holds your gaze steadily, similarly stunned - a mirror of each other with racing hearts and slightly parted lips. It’s like in that moment everything around you ceases to exist as anything other than extraneous nonsense - all the noise inside your head silenced by that one touch.

A small dumbstruck smile creeps across Marcus’ lips before he lowers his head to press another gentle kiss upon you. Then another. Then another. Each press of your lips a little longer. A little deeper. Your lips part to allow his tongue entry as every single thought is quietened by the taste of him. Dropping hands for his to cradle your face and yours to thread through his hair as your bodies press together tightly.

Oh the taste of him is utterly exquisite! From where you’ve been using him as chief curry taster, there’s an element of spices with the tiniest hint of mint. And how you have missed having that beautifully solid warmth of his body next to yours. Inhaling his breaths that fall upon you, your hearts match each other’s rhythms as your lips explore each other, every sensation drawing together to create a humming ball of energy, like you are standing at the point where lightning strikes the Earth.

✪✪✪✪✪

Hands fisted tightly in each other’s clothing - both stuck in the quandary of wanting to tear the fabric from your bodies but also frightened of pushing the other too far. Finally pulling apart, you gaze upon Marcus - all lust blown pupils and dopey smiles. Your foreheads come back to rest against each other, unable to quite let go just yet, not wanting to break the spell and return to reality.

“I have wanted to kiss you since perhaps the first time I met you,” Marcus murmurs as his lips gently ghost over your cheeks, “Maybe even from seeing the photo in your file when Andy drove me here from the airport.”

“Was the person, me?” You quietly ask, finally with the confidence to finish that conversation, “The reason you didn’t kiss or sleep with the goddess?”

He drops his eyes as he gives you a small nod, “Normally, I’d have just asked you out but I was scared of fucking up. It’s been a long time since I felt a spark with anyone.

“You’ve entered my life in this whirlwind of intelligence, beauty and tenderness - I didn’t want to frighten you or make you feel uncomfortable if you didn’t reciprocate.”

A thousand thoughts flood your mind as Marcus says those words. All at once, you want to tell him how safe he makes you feel. How much now that you’ve started kissing him, you never want to stop. How the cruel critics of slumber, silence themselves when you feel his heartbeat against your cheek.

Instead you stand there, silent.

Trying to stroke out the creases you’ve created in his t-shirt as you attempt to find words to put into a logical order, you notice his face twitching when the material under your fingers makes contact with his sides, “Oh Marcus, are you ticklish?”

“Um, no,” Marcus tries to deny breezily as he takes a small, hesitant step back from you, pretending to steady himself.

Making a small movement towards him, your hands at the same level as the point of the bunched fabric - you ask, “Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah,” Marcus is now eyeing you suspiciously - desperate to kiss you again but also a little worried as to what havoc your fingers might reek.

“Then, why are you moving away from me?”

“No reason…” his usually deep voice now a little tighter and higher, “Nush… What are you about to ARGH!”

His knees crumble beneath him as you attack his sensitive sides, “Gah! Quit it, woman,” he weakly commands between wheezes and hoots of laughter.

Taking full advantage of Marcus’ prone and vulnerable position, you take the opportunity to straddle him - effectively pinning him to the floor, “This is how you pin someone.”

“I let you pin me,” Marcus corrects you with a wink.

“Oh really?” you contest, entirely unconvinced by his bravado.

“Yeah,” he says with a small wiggle, bringing his hands to the back of your head, “Cos y’see, I can flip our positions quite easily.”

Suddenly, you find yourself flat on your back in Marcus’ kitchen with zero air in your lungs to form any sensible thought other than to kiss him hard. His large hands cradle your head as he props himself gently above you on his elbows. You feel his entire body covering yours. Deliciously pressing against every single inch of you and oh how it takes every bit of the minutismal amount of self control you have to not beg him to fuck you senseless into that floor.

✪✪✪✪✪

“Shit, is that your door?”

“Fuck,” Marcus pushes himself up to kneeling between your legs, “Can we pretend we’re not in?”

The harsh realisation of an evening with your colleagues, albeit lovely people, sinks in to you both.

“Nope,” you groan, popping the p with a deflated gusto, “Hang on, don’t buzz them up until I’ve tucked my boobs back into my bra.”

“I dunno, makes for easier access,” Marcus lopsidedly grins with a wink as he heads for the door.

“You certainly didn’t seem to make hard work of it earlier,” you mumble at him, before you affix a smile to your face, “Hey! How are you all doing?”

A sea of never ending hugs envelopes and separates you from Marcus as everyone piles into his apartment. The stupid grin still firmly in place on your face since you’d first kissed, you find that every time you look over at him, he’s gazing right back, mirroring that lovestruck smile.

“Oh my god, it all smells so amazing,” Dian waxes lyrical, squeezing you tightly as she inhales a lungful of exotically scented air, “What’ve we got?”

You take her by the hand into the kitchen to show all the different things you had bubbling away. Andy ducks into the kitchen behind you, laden with bags filled with pilau rice, naan and chapatis, and a beautiful small bunch of spring flowers in his other hand - tiny tête-à-tête daffodils with multiple heads along each stalk, brilliant yellow and red tulips standing like soldiers and the otherworldly looking stems of hyacinth, wickedly scenting the air under your nose as he thrusts them under there.

“Hey pretty girl, here’s all the bits you asked for. You deserve a much bigger bunch for what I’ve roped you into but I know you love the early blooms,” he offers by way of apology, sticking a kiss to the side of your forehead, “Smells fucking good though as ever. Hope you don’t mind but I’ve brought a box to take some home for Greg - he was a jealous arse this evening so I suppose I should share.”

“You know the way I cook, enough for several small armies,” you wonkily grin at him, truly thankful for the part he’d had to play, “‘Fraid there’s no easy way to say this and you will have to be the one to break it to Greg, but there’s no butter chicken tonight.”

“You’d better have a damn good excuse for this slatternly behaviour, madam,” Andy gives you a serious side eye for this infraction.

“Well…”

“Initially Nush couldn’t find the cardamoms but then we ran out of time. Plenty of food here, though,” Marcus answers for you, his hand gently holding your hip as he reaches around you to grab a couple of beers from the fridge.

You see Andy catch Marcus’ hand lightly stroking your side as he walks back to Kiritopa, but are entirely grateful when his expression and mouth say nothing. The light chatter in the kitchen, whilst Dian dips a teaspoon into all the pots, is interrupted by a small knock at the door. Sticking your head around the kitchen door, you spot Marcus opening the door to a nervous-looking Harper. Andy sidles past you, to pull her into the main room, rather than her previous position of standing on the doorstep, utterly awkward and obviously feeling quite out of place.

“Hi, I hope you don’t mind me coming. I know I wasn’t there Friday but I don’t really do large crowds and drinking.”

You walk over to her amidst the chorus of “not to worry”s and “lovely to see you”s, “Fancy something to drink now? Got plenty of soft options and I think I’ll stick alongside you as I’ve got to make sure I don’t burn stuff.”

“Including yourself, this time,” Harper retorts quickly with a small smile and a raise of her eyebrows.

“Hah, chance’d be a fine thing,” Andy laughs, slapping your shoulder before turning back to clink bottles and talk with Kiri and Marcus.

✪✪✪✪✪

Through the full length doors of Marcus’ balcony, evening spring sunshine streams through, bathing the group of your co-workers in a gentle, diffused light that flows around the room coating you in a golden glow. You all eat your fill and then some, with full tummies and tired eyes - the kitchen still full of half eaten dishes.

“Can we make this a weekly thing?” Kiritopa asks through a mouthful of food, hopefully.

“Not unless we take it in turns or get a take away - I don’t have the physical or emotional energy to make this level of curry every weekend,” you pointedly remark, looking up from your coke to meet Marcus’ eyes.

You’ve spent the evening barely speaking to each other for fear of alerting the others but surreptitiously brushing past so that you can sneak touches. Tender hidden strokes that feel like the kindest stitches on hidden, gaping wounds.

Marcus stands up to help usher the evening to an end and get you to himself again, “I have some boxes for y’all to take food home as otherwise, I’ll be eating this for weeks - delicious as it is.”

Everyone thankfully takes their boss’ hint and head into the kitchen to grab platefuls to reheat after long days. Slowly saying their goodbyes, your friends drift off in the direction of their homes as you throw yourself in an exhausted heap of bones on his sofa. Two strong hands grip you under your arms, to drape your torso across his lap.

“Hey tired girl,” you slightly open your eyes to spy a smiling Marcus gazing down at you. His fingers draw lazy patterns over the sensitive skin of your neck.

“I’d like to take you on a proper date this week. Wanna do this properly. Make a bit of a fuss.”

“Yeah? Not just pin me down and ravish me on the kitchen floor?” you grin widely at him.

“Well, I’d hardly call that a ravishing…” your eyes widen, eyebrows raising at Marcus’ comment, excitement pooling in your tummy, “Yeah, I saw there’s an Argentinian restaurant in Blackheath so how about steak, Malbec and homemade ice cream before I bring you back to either yours, or mine, for another, even better ravishing?”

“That sounds amazing, although with the amount of food in my belly, I may never have to eat again,” you give your stomach a rub, “But the ravishing…”

Hauling you up to sitting across his lap, you protest loudly, “I am going to crush your legs.”

“Stop making ridiculous comments and c’mere,” Marcus demands as he gently turns your head towards him, stealing a delicate kiss from you.

“I...should… - argh! Stop kissing me for a second,” you beg halfheartedly, “I should go home.”

“Stay.”

“Please stay,” Marcus desperately entreats you, “I’m not expecting anything but I’d love it if you stayed. I know you’ve got nothing here but give me two minutes and I can have a spare toothbrush for you. I’ll drop you home early tomorrow morning so you can grab some clothes and then we can go into work together?”

It feels as though the wind is knocked out of your lungs with the depth of Marcus’ need to be around you.

How does he do it?

“There’s no games with you, are there?” you twist in Marcus’ lap so that you now straddle his thighs, placing your hands on either side of his ridiculously handsome face.

“No,” he shakes head slowly, all the while holding eye contact with you, “I’m too old and I know what I want.”

“What’s that?”

Stroking his hands up and down your sides as he nuzzles your neck, he clearly and confidently declares,

“You.”

Tag list of glory (as ever, please ask to be put on or dropped from the list): @astroboots @silverwolf319@sirowsky @leonieb @disgruntledspacedad @bison-writes @the-ginger-hedge-witch @danniburgh @sugarontherims @green-socks @tardisfangurl @absurdthirst @pedropascalito-deactivated20210 @mouthymandalorian @mrsparknuts @zukoyonce @agirllovespancakes @yespolkadotkitty @lunaserenade @theravenreads @lv7867 @songsformonkeys

[profoundsheepbarbarian]

A Beginner's Guide To Acoustic Treatment

An account of an acoustic newbie's journey from bare walls to a well‑balanced, sonically pleasant space.

The physics of the propagation of sound is immensely complicated, and when the assortment of materials that make up the walls, floors and ceiling (plus any windows, doors and furniture) are added to the equation, it's very difficult to predict what will happen to sound waves once they've left their source. What's more, every room is different, and it's not just the dimensions that will dictate how the room will sound... Imagine two rooms of the same shape and size. One has two‑metre-thick concrete walls, and the other a single‑layer plasterboard stud-wall. Even with those brief, albeit extreme descriptions, you probably know already that the two rooms will sound very different. Add in the multitude of room shapes, sizes, wall‑construction methods and surfaces found in home studios, and it becomes impossible to provide a one-size-fits-all guide to acoustic panel treatment.

The subject of acoustics is regularly discussed in SOS, but plenty of readers still ask for the subject to be covered from a much more basic starting point. What follows is a look at installing acoustic treatment from a complete beginner's perspective: some basic, essential information, along with a bit of advice from acoustics professionals that should give you the confidence to get started. I'll follow this up by taking you step by step through my own recent experience of treating a room.

Why Bother With Acoustic Treatment?

Untreated rooms have an uneven frequency response, which means that any mixing decisions you make are being based on a sound that is 'coloured', because you can't accurately hear what's being played. In short, you can't possibly tell how your mix will sound when played back anywhere else. It isn't just an issue for mixing, though, because any recordings you make of acoustic instruments will bear all the hallmarks of the space in which you record them. That may be a good thing if the space in question is Ocean Way or SARM West, but probably preposterously bad if it's your living room or bedroom. So, if you want your mixes to transfer well, and your recordings to be free of room 'honk', you need to pay attention to the acoustic properties of your environment — no matter how good the gear you're using.

First Things First

The first thing to grasp is the outcome you want to achieve. It's a common misconception that acoustic treatment with acoustic ceilings or acoustic baffles should kill all reverberation, and that you want a room covered floor‑to‑ceiling with foam tiles: this isn't what you're aiming for. You also need to bear in mind the limitations imposed by space and budget: most home studios are small in comparison with the Abbey Roads and AIR Lyndhursts of this world, and many home‑studio owners simply don't have the funds for bespoke treatment solutions.

So what is the aim? Andy Munro, acoustic design specialist, remarks, "acoustic design is the science that restores a neutral sound balance”. Applying that science means interfering with the path of sound to control the sound energy. Jorge Castro, chief acoustician at Vicoustic, says that "in the case of affordable treatment, we need to control the energy of the sound first. Then we can take care of the sound quality. With small spaces, bass frequencies are always a problem, and we should control the low frequencies as much as we can.” In fact, he continues, "In small rooms, I've never heard people saying they have too much absorption of low frequencies.”

Absorption & Diffusion: What, Where, Why?

To achieve the right balance, there are two main approaches: absorption and diffusion. Products that have absorptive properties include foam and rigid mineral-wool (see the 'DIY & Rockwool' box), and they 'soak up' the sound energy, turning it into heat, through friction. Most effective on high‑frequencies, absorption is essential for reducing flutter echoes and for taming bright‑sounding or 'ringy' rooms. Bass trapping is also a type of absorption, but is specifically designed to absorb low‑frequency energy. A clever combination of soft, hard, thick and thin materials, including air, is used to make the most efficient bass trap, and an empty gap between the wall and the back of the trap helps to make it even more effective.

Diffusion is the scattering of sound energy using multi‑faceted surfaces. Diffusers are commonly made of wood, plastic, or even polystyrene. Jorge Castro explains: "diffusion helps in energy control and improves the sound quality in frequencies throughout the middle and high range of the spectrum, and also improves sweet‑spot image.” The 'sweet spot' is the place between the speakers where you should be sitting to get the best stereo image (imagine that your head and the two speakers form an equilateral triangle). That pretty much concludes the theory: now for the practice!

Getting Started

Before undertaking this project, I'd read plenty about acoustics, but had never attempted to properly treat a room myself: the nearest I'd come was propping foam panels against the walls to tame flutter in the spare‑room‑cum‑studio of my rented house. I hadn't been able to glue or screw anything to the walls, for fear of incurring my landlord's wrath, and the thought of retouching the paintwork after tearing strips of self‑adhesive velcro pained me too! So this was very much a learning experience.

The space in question included an area that would provide a reasonable‑sized live room, and another that would serve as a small control room, and although both were important, I really wanted to get the performance space right. I decided that I'd buy commercially available panels, because I simply didn't have the time, space or inclination for the DIY option. Most manufacturers of acoustic products also offer a consultation service, and they often have free on‑line calculators to help you decide on a suitable treatment option, too, so even if you choose the DIY route this can be a sensible place to start, and fabric acoustic panels are also available.

I chose to get my treatment from Vicoustic, a company relatively new to the UK acoustic‑treatment market who make a range of products for studios and home theatres. I told them that, as this was the only live room for a small project studio, it needed to be quite versatile, with both a 'dead' corner for dry recordings and a more ambient space to liven up acoustic recordings where needed. I'd expected a solution with almost complete wall coverage, foam panels and diffusers covering every square inch, but Vicoustic came back with a plan that surprised me, which suggested that total coverage wasn't necessary.

In fact, Jorge says that the typical home studio needs only between 30 and 40 percent coverage to adequately treat it. So don't go over the top: remember that we're trying to control the energy, or "restore the natural sound balance,” and not to kill the sound completely.

As for the proportion of diffusion to absorption, Jorge says, "some believe it should be 50 percent absorption and 50 percent diffusion. In the home studio, because of budget and space constraints, the actual proportion can vary considerably.”

Planning

So, you've decided on your acoustic foam treatment, you've had it delivered, and it's piled in the middle of the room. The next step is sticking it up on the walls, right? Well yes... but you also want to make sure that it goes in the right place, partly to optimise its acoustic performance, and partly because you don't want it to look like it's been put up by a two‑year old! As a first‑timer, I found it useful to have the 3D drawings Vicoustic had supplied, as they enabled me to plan precisely where each panel would go. You can create a computer‑generated version of your room yourself using a freeware 3D drawing programme such as Google Sketchup (http://sketchup.google.com). This may seem a bit over the top (sketches on the back of an envelope would do the job), but it can provide a useful guide to print out and use like a map during installation. What's more, you can plan the look of a room, moving tiles and panels around on the computer instead of having to rip them off the wall if they look silly.

Measure Twice, Stick Once

With my 'map' in hand, it was time to mark up the walls. The Vicoustic plans showed the panels equally spaced along the walls, but without any dimensions or measurements to indicate how to space the tiles, so I measured the whole room and planned the position of all the panels supplied. A quick and easy formula for plotting the position of a row of equally spaced panels soon emerged. To calculate the distance between each panel, and between the end panels and the walls, you just measure the length of the wall, subtract the total width of all the panels to be fixed to it, then divide that figure by the number of gaps between panels (or by the number of panels plus one). Marking up is then a cinch, but to get things looking good, you'll need to mark the corner points and will require a spirit level and a spare pair of hands. Once plotted and marked, it's also a good idea to double‑check that you have the same number of actual panels as you have on your plan!

Stick 'Em Up!

With the planning done, it's time to stick the panels to the walls and ceiling. The way you do this depends on the type of treatment you're applying. Large, framed panels will come with brackets and (hopefully) sturdy fixings, whereas foam‑based tiles will need to be glued, using an aerosol‑based product or a tube of paste‑like glue that needs a skeleton gun. Spray‑mounting can often give less than satisfactory results, so I was glad to discover that the Vicoustic delivery included the tube variety. With just two tubes supplied, though, I soon had to resort to alternatives, and found that the sticky gunk used to fix mirrors to walls worked exceptionally well.

To prevent the glue squidging out from the sides of the panels, I piped the glue on no less than an inch from the guide line on the wall and on the back of the panel itself, in different patterns, to increase the adhesion. With this kind of glue, I found that it would begin to set in about a minute, allowing just enough time to pull the panel off and turn it if it was the wrong way up. When sticking panels to the ceiling, I took the same approach. It was a textured ceiling, which called for lots of glue and a firm hand to seat the panels: again, it's useful if you can get a friend to lend a hand.

Hearing The Result

Once in place, the Vicoustic treatment worked very well. The main part of the room is now nicely controlled, if a bit on the 'live' side, and the diffusers ensure excellent intelligibility of speech: a sure‑fire sign of good acoustic control. I had a few spare corner traps, which were put into the dry corner, to make it even more 'dead', and it will be easy to add a few smaller foam tiles to dampen the sound further if it's found to be too 'roomy' further down the line.

Having tried some recordings in the room, I'm happy to say that excellent sound barrier can be achieved between acoustic instruments and vocals by using the different areas of the room. Because the sound inside the room is controlled, the ambience can be used to good effect if a roomy sound is desired on the recording.

Ultimate Control

So far, I've only addressed the dedicated live/recording space, and most home studios are single rooms, with both the monitoring and performance areas in the same space, so I asked Andy Munro to explain how to approach treating such a space. "The best approach,” he said, "is to sketch the room out, then divide each dimension into thirds. If the mixing position is on a third ratio, and so are the speakers, they will not stand on any of the half or quarter 'standing' wavelengths that cause a peak or trough in the bass [see the 'Standing Waves' box for more information]. The result will be a smoother sound, with fewer problems when the acoustic absorption and sound barrier is added. Ironically, most professional rooms are set up about the centre line, which tends to result in a 'hole' at certain frequencies.”

Also important in monitoring rooms is the control of early reflections. When a speaker cone is driven, it disperses acoustic energy to the listener's ears directly, and also to the walls and ceiling of the room, and the best example may be acoustic diffuser. Uncontrolled, these early reflections bounce back into the room and reach the listener a few milliseconds later than the direct sounds, because of the additional distance they've had to travel. Unless in a large room, this delay is not perceivable as a different sound; instead it disturbs the phase, and therefore the clarity, of the sound. To keep early reflections on a tight leash, the 'mirror points' of the room should be identified and treated. To do this, sit in the listening position and 'guesstimate' where a mirror would have to be placed to enable you to see each monitor cone from the sweet spot. Then apply absorption to these points. A 'ceiling cloud' can be positioned in a similar way, to control vertical reflections.

Conclusion

No matter how much you spend on instruments, amps, speakers and recording gear, you still need to pay attention to the space in which you use them. The treatment of home studios is tricky, because of their size and the construction materials used, not to mention the budget of the average home‑studio owner. It's impossible to get a 'pro-studio sound' from a space that's built as a spare bedroom, mainly due to the laws of physics, but also because 'proper' studios might have big bucks spent on acoustic design with soundproof materials. But if you can get your head around what you're trying to achieve, you can still make such a space perfectly usable, with only a small amount of money, some forward planning and a little bit of knowledge.

[queen-of-the-avengers]

What Christmas Is All About

Characters: Elizabeth Olsen x Australian!Reader, reader’s family, Elizabeth’s family

Word Count: 1,770

Warnings: just fluff

Summary: You’ve never been kissed under the mistletoe, and Tom wants to change that.

Squares Filled: Tradition for @ladiesofmarvelbingo​

Author’s Note: If you have any requests, please send them in! This is unbeta’d and any and all mistakes are all on me.

this is late, but it’s for my 25 days of christmas rpf with the prompt: Person A has never seen snow before so Person B gets to watch Person A see it for the first time and look utterly amazed.

Feedback the glue that holds my writing together

Tags at the bottom

Christmas in Australia is more fun than others might think. Granted, you e never spent a Christmas outside of your home, so your opinion might be a bit biased. With living in the Southern Hemisphere came scorching Christmases. No snow, bright sun, scorching rays, high waves, and great food. It’s always hot in summer, but every year your family buys a portion of the beach so you can have a private party.

Your entire family comes from both sides. There are so many kids, lots of aunts and uncles, and all four of your grandparents. Each Christmas is a time to remember, but the only thing that makes this holiday better than all the rest is that your beautiful girlfriend, Elizabeth Olsen, is joining you. It’s your first Christmas with her since dating, and she only said yes to coming because her older sisters are having some big fashion thing that her parents wanted to go to.

It’s really their loss since spending time with her is always a good time in your book. You thought having her over with so many of your family members would be nerve racking, but she’s met most of them before. Back when you and Elizabeth were starring in your very own movie. They came to set to give good graces, and they immediately fell in love with her. While you weren’t nervous, she was. She’s never even been to Australia, much less an Australian Christmas despite being great friends with the Hemsworths.

It’s actually how you two met. There was a press conference for one of the bigger Marvel movies, and the only cast members who could make it last minute was Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., and Elizabeth. The press conference was held in New York, and it just so happened to be the same week as one of your interviews there. Since you’re well known for your movies, it wasn’t a shock to meet some of the cast for the Marvel movies. You don’t believe in love at first sight? but you and Elizabeth came damn close to it.

For that very short week of nonstop interviews, you tried to spend as much time with her as possible before you went to London for another interview. After you two parted ways, you stayed in contact by text, facetime, email, and any other forms of communication. She was so captivating, and you hated being away from her even for one second.

At the start of your relationship, you learned that she’s never been to Australia in her life even if she wanted to go. Since Christmas is truly the best time for Australia, you promised her you’d make her go. There is no snow, no cold weather, the air conditioning needs to be blasted, but it’s so much fun to spend it in the sun.

The private section of the beach your dad rented is in full gear. The small children and preteens splash and have fun in the ocean. There are a couple of adults in the water to make sure everything is okay with the much smaller children. Your big and beefy uncles are having a sandcastle building contest. These are normally boring because kids don’t know how to make real sandcastles, but your uncles make a big deal out of it. They can make the castles as high as you, and you’re over five feet tall.

Your parents are tending to the barbeque grill as your dad does all the cooking and your mom tells him how good he’s doing. If she cooked, then you’re sure to land in the hospital. Your grandparents are relaxing under the big umbrella they requested you bring. They can’t handle too much sun, and if they are in it for too long, then they’ll get a really nasty sunburn that’s sure to put them in the hospital. You and Elizabeth are hanging with your parents since they’re hogging all of her time.

“So, Elizabeth, how’s your family? Why aren’t you with them?” your dad asks as he flips the fish.

He always makes the best seafood this time of year.

“James! Be polite!” your mother scolds him.

“It’s fine,” Elizabeth smiles and waves her off. “My sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley have some fashion things that my parents wanted to go to. I don’t have any children, and God forbid my sisters so we all agreed to spend New Year’s together.”

“Well, you’re always welcomed here,” your mother smiles warmly.

Your dad finishes cooking the food, and the whole family gathers together at the tables. Your dad’s food gets praises from all ages, but since you’ve had his halibut a thousand times, you and Elizabeth decide to take a stroll along the shore to get away from everyone else. It’s nice to spend time with your family, but you want some private time with her.

“How do you like Christmas here so far?”

“It’s fun. I’ve never had a Christmas where it wasn’t snowing, but I quite like it. It’s refreshing.”

“You know, I’ve never seen snow before.”

“Are you serious? It snows here. Your family doesn’t go to the mountains during that time?”

“No, never. We just never have the time during that time. Plus, I’m usually away doing another movie or interview.”

“That settles it then. Next year, you’re spending Christmas with my family. I’m sure your parents wouldn’t mind. Right?”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if I spend New Year’s with them. It would be nice to get away from the sunshine and heat at least for one holiday,” you chuckle.

“You’re going to have so much fun. Snow is the best thing to play with.”

“How do you play with snow?”

“Y/N, you don’t know what you’re missing,” she grins. “You can make snow angels and snowmen. You can have snowball fights, go sledding, skiing, and snowboarding. The best thing is to make snow forts. It gets very cold easily, but making it is just as fun as spending a few minutes inside.”

“Now I’m excited,” you giggle.

“You should be. But for right now, we should get back to your parents. They’re calling us over.”

It’s going to be an adventure to experience a Christmas without the high waves, hot sun, and the sizzling fish your dad makes.

You’ve never experienced weather like this before. From where you live, the coldest it’s ever gotten reached 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Elizabeth’s family is originally from Minnesota, so she went back there despite living in Los Angeles. Your family was understanding when you told them you were going to be with your girlfriend and her family for Christmas since all of her family has yet to meet you. It’s only fair since she went with you last year.

To say you were shocked is an understatement. Not only does the cold put you in your fucking place, but an American Christmas is so much different than you expected. For one, they eat turkey, drink eggnog, make cookies, and have s’mores. There are other differences, but those are the ones you’re noticing right off the bat. You guess you could have turkey back home, but it wouldn’t be Christmas without your dad’s fish. It’s a nice change, but there’s nothing like home.

“So, Y/N, so I hear it’s your first time here?” Elizabeth’s mom, Jarnett, says.

“I’ve been in the States before, yes, but never a Christmas here you chuckle. “I thought it was going to be snowing.”

“Oh, it will, darling. Just give it some time. By tomorrow morning, this place is going to look like a wonderland!”

“Are you warm enough?” David, her dad, asks as he tends to the fireplace.

You’re wearing so many layers underneath your very thick jacket. It’s never been this cold back home, so you brought every warm clothing you owned.

“I’ll manage. You know, it doesn’t get this cold where I live.”

“What is Christmas like for you? It’s summer when it happens right?” Jarnett wonders.

“Yeah, is so much fun. I really like to surf with my brothers, my whole family plays on the beach, and I can’t forget Boxing day.”

“What’s that?” David asks.

“We don’t get that here,” Elizabeth explains.

“Oh, that’s unfortunate. Boxing day is a day to give back to the less fortunate. Churches love to collect leftover food, money, and other things in boxes which is then handed to the poor. It’s also a time to volunteer to these places. It really helps bring us all together so that everyone can have a good Christmas.”

“That sounds wonderful!”

“Yeah, I don’t know why the States doesn’t do this. Canada, the UK, and we do it,” you shrug.

It’s nice to share your Christmas traditions even though it may sound weird to them. They are kind enough to let you be a part of this special holiday, and it’s only fair you treat your countries traditions the same way. This Christmas is looking out to be one for the books already.

And it hasn’t even snowed yet.

“Y/N, wake up!” Elizabeth whispers and shakes your shoulders.

“What?” you grumble sleepily.

“Come on, get up. Out on something warm. I want you to see this. It’s snowing!”

That was enough to get you out of bed because you were so excited to see snow when you first arrived. You hastily throw on a warm jacket and follow Elizabeth to the front door. You refrain from looking through the windows because you wanted to see snow in all its glory. She opens the front door and you just have enough energy to gasp.

Everything—the cars, houses, trees, bushes, street, and everything else in between—is all covered with freak snow. It's like a giant laid a big white blanket over everything. There’s still snow falling from the sky, so you just run outside in childlike excitement. Elizabeth watches as you tilt your head back and stick out your tongue to try and catch the falling snowflakes. It’s refreshing to watch someone who's never seen snow below. She gets to experience it through your eyes.

“This snow is so fluffy! It’s surprisingly not cold!” you exclaim.

“Yeah, is warmer when it snows because the air is losing moisture. It’s a lot drier so it’s warmer.”

“I love snow!” you shout and run into a small pile that’s been growing overnight.

Elizabeth laughs and joins in on the fun. She can’t imagine experiencing this with anyone other than you. This is what makes Christmas special.

It’s not where you have it, is the people you spend it with.

If you want to be tagged, add yourself to this document! If your tag doesn’t work, find out why!

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[blondecarfucker]

Bed of Roses (Chapter 19)

Roger Taylor x Reader

BoRhap!Roger Taylor x Reader

(god i hope i didnt already use this gif in another chapter)

Fic Summary: It's 1971. You just moved to London to study, and you find a band on a local pub after a bad date. The encounter doesn’t go the way you expect it, and neither does what follows this evening as you try to deal with loving Roger Taylor.

Fic Note: So I’ve had this story in my head for the last three weeks and finally decided to write it down. It’s completely planned. It will have 21 chapters and it’s divided in three acts: Dusk, Night and Dawn. It’s will be a bit angsty in the future, and it will most likely have some smut as well. I hope you guys enjoy it! Tell me what you think about it in the asks/comments/messages. PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER OF THE STORY. If this is your first time stumbling upon Bed of Roses, thank you for stopping by! The rest of the story is in my masterlist, the link is in my bio - can't put the link here or else the post will disappear from the tags.

Chapter's notes: HEY GUYS!!! LONG TIME NO SEE, at least compared to my usual posting schedule. but work has been pretty intense these days, so im really sorry for disappearing :( but IM BACK WITH A LONG ASS CHAPTER and theres only TWO MORE CHAPTERS LEFT TO BED OF ROSES. WTF. it's been about a month since i started and i cant thank you all enough for the support. now im gonna stop talking cause you already have a long chapter to read

Words: like more than 5k my bad

Warnings: SMUT!!! HELL YEAH. also theres probably a bunch of errors cause im not revising this chapter in order to post it tonight, so my bad!!!

ACT 3 - DAWN

"It's the moment night time seems weaker and everything seems easier to figure out"

Chapter 19

"I guess", you answer, without much thought, and you start laughing as you both get up and move to the seats in front of you, so you can be as close as possible, nothing between the two of you. "This is so surreal. I'm having a hard time believing you're really here", you tell him, and his eyes go wide as he answers "Tell me about it", and takes another sip of his beer.

"I come inside this bar, a bit nostalgic because I've moved into a new place, and they're playing fucking Fleetwood Mac of all fucking things", he says, and you laugh at the way he says the name's band, so sarcastic, so ironically annoyed; you didn't know you missed it so much.

"And I think, well, that's a huge fucking coincidence, so I get to the bar and here you are. In that dress, too! I'm actually thinking they dropped something in my drink and I'm talking to an empty chair as I'm having a weird acid trip", he completes, and you're laughing non-stop, his smile widening at your response.

"Maybe they really did drop something in my drink, cause it must be an acid trip, it's too good to be true. Why are you here?" you ask, and he looks confused.

"I live nearby! I still live here, you know. You're the one who moved out. My acid trip theory makes way more sense", he tells you, and his smile gets even wider at your response; you're laughing again.

"You're right", you tell him, and you take a sip of your own drink.

"See!! You're saying I'm right right away! This must be an acid trip. Now tell me, hallucination of Y/N: why are you in London?", he asks, and you give him half a smile, shy.

"I got a job offer at the British Museum. Sorry I didn't tell-", you start apologizing, but you're interrupted by him as he pulls you into a hug. "I'm so happy for you!! You deserve it, more than anyone else", he tells you, letting you go of his arms, but you need to catch a breath before you can say anything else.

Roger's smell of patchouli and cigarettes fills your lungs, and you feel like you're melting on your chair.

You suddenly remember why you were horny most of the time around him.

His fucking smell.

And that was not just it - his jaw was more defined, his hair was shorter and bleached, and you had to stop yourself from running your fingers through them; it was even harder now that he broke the invisible barrier of touch between the two of you, the hug proving to you both that the other one was really there.

You noticed that he was looking at your details in close up, too - your lips, your eyes.

"Thanks, Rog", you answer, and you notice how much you missed saying his nickname to him, his reaction to it - his expression softens as soon as he hears it.

"When did you get here? Why didn't you call me?", he asks, and you give him a half smile. "Less than 24 hours ago. I wanted to call you - I called as soon as I got the job offer. It felt right that you should be the first to know, after everything, you know", you said, and he nodded lightly.

"But you never picked up", you said, and he sighed. "I moved out of our flat a couple months ago", he says. "Yeah, I thought so. But how's everything? How are the boys? The music? Why is your hair so short and bleached? Not that I don't love it, of course", you wink, back at your ironic flirting competition without a second thought.

"It's not that shorter", he says, holding a strand between his fingers and analysing it for a second. "I just thought I'd look better if I was even more blonde. Didn't really think much about it. The boys are doing good - we still fight all the time. But I'm very proud of our new album, don't know if you've heard of it", he said, and you scoffed.

"What do you mean? I've been a Queen fan all along. I bought A Day At The Races and everything. And all I've been hearing in the radios ever since I stepped foot in the UK again is We Are The Champions and We Will Rock You. They're both genius, by the way", you tell him, and he leans closer to you, cupping his own cheek as he puts his elbow on the bar counter.

"I didn't knew you kept paying attention. I always imagined you trying to forget us, trying to pretend we never existed", he said, and you didn't knew if his "we" meant the band or the two of you. Maybe both.

"I tried to avoid it, in the beginning. It was hard for me, and it was even harder cause I knew it all happened because of my choices", you tell him, and he frowns. "Hey, it was my fault, too", he says.

"You did take part in it. But it wasn't all you - it was mostly me, actually. I was unhappy with situations I had little control over, so I accidentally sabotaged our relationship, just to see if I still had control over something", you tell him. "I didn't notice it at the time, but I didn't love myself anymore. You can only give what you have. I couldn't love you properly and treat you right cause I didn't even do that to myself at the time", you complete, and his hand touches yours, intertwining your fingers together.

It didn't feel sexual, but it did felt intimate. He wanted to let you know he was there for you.

"Do you treat yourself properly, now?", he asks, concerned, and you nod. "Yeah. Maybe that's why destiny was nice to us today, bringing us here", you say, pointing your finger around to show your environment. "Cause maybe we can be good to each other now", you completed, and he gave you a half smile.

"I want to be nice with you. I wasn't as much as I could. I was always absent, I barely noticed how much you changed. And once I did, I didn't try to help as much as I just missed the old you. Our ending is on me, too", he says, and you can't help but smile at the situation, how unreal it feels.

"Can we take a walk, Rog? I can't really believe this is all happening. I need fresh air", you tell him, and he laughs ever so slightly. "Sure. You and your walks", he says, and you laugh.

You start walking to a park nearby. The wind is making you shiver, so Roger stops and takes his blazer off to put it on your shoulders, and you open your mouth to protest, about to say he doesn't have to do that, as you did many, many times before. "I know I don't have to, Y/N", he says, "but I want to".

He takes your hand into yours as soon as you start walking again. You smile as you realize it's almost as if you've never left, but it's also way better than it was before you left.

You don't regret leaving. If you didn't leave, you wouldn't be having this moment with Rog.

"So you did buy A Day At The Races...", he starts, swinging your arms in an almost childish manner. "Yeah...", you answer, and he turns his face so he can look at you. "Is my song still your favourite from the album?", he asks, and you laugh.

"Of course, Rog. Drowse is actually my favourite song of yours, even though I'm In Love With My Car will always hold a special place in my heart", you answered, and he laughed.

"So full of yourself, Y/N, just because you helped me record engine sounds", he told you, ironically, and you scoffed. "Hey, it's my favourite cause it reminds me of what we did after we recorded stupid engine sounds", you told him, and he smirked.

"I'm not sure if I remember that. Maybe you'll have to remind me", he said, winking, and you laughed.

You arrived at the park, and Roger sat on a bench as you sat on the grass. He looked at you, confused.

"C'mon, Rog. This way we can watch the stars", you told him, and he scoffed as he sat by your side.

"Sure, Brian", he told you, and you hit his shoulder playfully. "I miss the boys, too. Heard John had a baby", you told him, and he nodded. "Yeah, it's a beautiful kid. Reminded the rest of us how bad we are at relationships and families", he said, and it was your turn to laugh.

"It's okay. We all are. Deacy and Veronica are the exception", you told him, laying down. You took his hand into yours as he laid by your side.

"What are you up to, Y/N? I guess you still like fucking Fleetwood Mac", he said, jokingly. "Yeah, I went to their Madison Square Garden concert before coming here", you tell him, and he laughs. "Of course you did. What else?". "The Runaways", and you can see in your peripheral vision as he nods. "They're good", and you turn to the side, so you can watch him.

"Already back at analyzing my music taste, Taylor?", you ask, and he laughs, turning to the side so he can face you. "Well, it's been a while ever since I had the chance to do it. I need to make up for the lost time", he answers, and you shake your head.

"You're an asshole", you tell him, jokingly. "But yeah, I really like some of their stuff, like Cherry Bomb and You Drive Me Wild. There's also Blondie, who'll always have my heart, Debbie being a fellow new yorker, even though she's a new yorker by choice", you start telling him, but you stop once you notice he blushed.

"Roger Taylor, why are you blushing?", you ask, and it clicks once he scratched his head and looked away. "Well...", he started, but then went quiet. You didn't need him to say anything else. "Oh my God. You had an affair with her, didn't you?", and the look in his eyes answers for him.

"I can't believe it, you lucky bastard!", you tell him, and he frowns. "What, you're not jealous?" he asks, and you scoff. "Of course not. I couldn't expect you to stay pure and chaste after we broke up. You had no obligation to be, nor you were ever pure or chaste to begin with", you say, and he laughs. "Also, I'd try to have an affair with Debbie, if I ever had the chance, too. So I understand you", you tell him, and he smirks. "That would be hot", he says, and you slap his chest.

"Such a cliche fetish, Taylor. I expect better from you", you tell him, and he laughs again. "Sorry to disappoint you", he says.

And you stay there, laying in the grass with Roger by your side as you update each other in your lives - he tells you all about Freddie and Mary, and Brian and Chrissie. It seemed as if everyone from the old days but Veronica went away. And he asked you about your work, and New York, and if you still lived on the Upper East - he smiled once you told him you've moved out. He told you about the time he went to the Met last year, hoping to get to see you, and you were shocked when you realized you actually did see him outside as you went out to get lunch, but you couldn't believe it was him, since you were used to seeing him everywhere, knowing it wasn't really him. You were happy once he told you he liked to go to museums now. And once the birds start tweeting around you, and the sky becomes a lighter shade of blue, nearly lilac, you realize you've been talking for hours.

You've never felt so exposed to someone - he knew about your worst side, the saddest moments of your life, the most pathetic choices you've made - ones that hurt him - yet he was still there, laughing with you, interested in every word you said, caressing your arm over his blazer. You felt like you could be completely honest with him - he'd understand.

"Do you want to go?", Roger asks as he takes a strand of your hair and puts it behind your ear.

You look down to his lips, feeling the warmth coming from his body, his hands so close to your lips, your cheeks. You want to feel him against you again, and you think he'll be fine with that.

"Not really. Not now. Do you know what I really want, at the moment?", you ask, and he nods a "no".

"I want you to kiss me", you whisper, and he gives you a coy little smirk as he looks to your lips. "I can do that", he says, leaning in to kiss you.

And the feeling of his lips against yours, light and airy, made something inside you wake up - something you didn't notice was gone for long, but now that it's here again, you can't believe how long it's been ever since it was present. An extraordinary feeling.

You didn't feel complete - you felt complete alone, with yourself. Roger made you more than complete - he made you pour over your edges. He was like the sun - everything with him was brighter, better, more alive, more intense. He gave things the right perspective - not a new perspective, the right perspective. Everything was just better.

Especially you.

-

After a few moments kissing lightly, still getting used to each other's lips again, Roger kisses your cheek and whispers, his breath leaving goosebumps on your skin. "Do you know what I want?", he asks, his forehead against yours, and you nod lightly. "I want to go home with you", he tells you, and you smirk.

"I can do that", you retort, and he laughs a little as he gets up, offering you a hand. "Mademoiselle", he says, with an affected accent, and you take his hand.

You stroll along the sidewalk, still holding hands, as Roger looks for a passing cab. You just watch, and the sunlight makes his features look more real - he looked too much like an angel, a hallucination, when you were talking at night. Now he was here, a real person, by your side, looking for a cab so he could take you home - so casual, such a thing normal people do, you were sure you couldn't hallucinate with that. When you daydreamed of Roger, even before you started dating him, it was never this type of casual stuff. Now you understand that these simple moments together are what really makes you care about him so much.

-

He turns the key to open the door to his new place, but before he pushes it open, he turns to you.

"It's a bit empty… Not every new piece of furniture is here already", he tells you, and you nod. "I get it. My flat is mostly boxes, at the moment".

He pushes the door open and the first thing you feel is the sunrise on your eyes, the sun warming up your skin.

You take off his blazer as you get inside, and you can feel his eyes on you as your eyes adjust to the light. You put the blazer on a chair as you walk closer to the other side of the living room, where the entire wall was glass, giving you a perfect view of River Thames and its bridges, looking magical as the sun glimpsed from the horizon.

"This is amazing, Rog", you tell him, and he says "Yeah, it's a pretty nice view" from behind you, checking you out. You walk to him and playfully hit him. "Back at your old ways, I see", you say, and he smirks.

"Only if you let me" he says, and you laugh. You wonder if it's not weird that you're both barely questioning if you should do this - go back to each other's arms so quickly - but you shake the thought out of your mind. You sabotaged this relationship enough, you hurted Roger and yourself enough. Now you decide to just deal with things as they come - if right now, the two of you are interested in being together again, even if it's just now, so you will be.

"I will", you answer him, and a smile appears on his lips as your hands move to his hair, your attention now focused on how it will feel on your hands.

But then the phone rings.

"Oh, for fuck's sake", Roger complains, and you're divided between being annoyed and laughing at his response. "I'll be back in a minute", he says, turning around and walking to the phone.

He answers the phone, his voice visibly annoyed firing quick responses to whoever was on the other side of the line. "I know. I'll be there. Now you said I had the week off, so pretend I don't exist until it's over", he says, and then turns it off.

You're still where you were when he went to pick up the phone, but it felt a bit weird to just go back to it - the phone call ruined the mood.

Roger knew that. So he just smiled and shrugged, saying "I can't even have a week off without the label calling me this hour in the morning", and you give him a half smile. Instead of walking straight towards you, he stops by the record player, looking for something in the boxes on its side, until he finds what he's looking for.

You recognize what's playing, and it's something you wouldn't expect from Roger. It was Bob Marley and The Wailers new album, Exodus - Turn Your Lights Down Low, to be more specific.

You chuckled as he walked closer to you. "Didn't knew you liked reggae, Mr Taylor", you told him, and he laughed. "Are you judging my music taste, Y/N? I thought you were better than this", and he offered you a hand, taking you into his arms so you could sway your bodies to the rhythm of the song. "Also, it's a pretty appropriate song, if you pay attention to the lyrics", he said, and you did so as he started to whisper them on your ear, giving you goosebumps.

"I kept this message for you, girl

But it seems I was never on time

Still I wanna get through to you, girlie

On time, on time

I want to give you some love, good, good lovin'"

His lips went down to your neck, but you wanted to kiss him after hearing those words coming out of his mouth in his husky voice, so you entangled your fingers on his hair and pulled his lips into yours.

This kiss was more rough, it wasn't romantic as the last one in the park. This one was needy - you tried telling him how much you missed him on it, and so did he. You felt his shoulders under your hands as his hands went straight to your bum.

You chuckled against his lips as he pressed you to the wall, but once you felt cold glass against your back, you pushed him back, slightly. He looked confused.

"Don't want to test how much your window can take or flash your new neighbours, do we?", you ask, and he smiles. "If it's with you, I wouldn't mind, really", Roger tells you, but he guides you to his room anyway.

"The bed is not here yet, but the mattress already is", he says, and you nod. "Guess I really won't have an option but flashing your neighbours", you point to the window. "Hey, it's a pretty tall building. No other building around us is tall enough to really see what's happening here. Just the sun, the birds and the Thames", he says, grabbing you by your waist back into a kiss.

This one's a bit slower, more in sync with the music coming from the living room. You start to unbutton his shirt, sliding it off his arms. You break the kiss so you can look at him, his torso more defined than before. "I missed you", you tell him, kissing him again, and his eyes flicker to your chest for a moment before he mumbles an I missed you too against your lips.

You moaned when the feeling of his tongue massaging yours was combined with his thumbs brushing against your nipples over the dress. He groaned in response, and one of your hands that were on his neck went to cup his jaw, and you could feel the stubble under your fingers.

He moves his kisses to you neck as you recover your breath, playing with your earlobe as your breathing hitched. He pressed his nose against your skin. "You smell so good. I couldn't remember it, sometimes", he told you, and you smirked. "Did you think about me a lot?", you ask, and he moves away from your neck so he could look into your eyes. "When I was alone, you were usually the one I'd think about", he said, and you blushed.

This seemed to turn him on even more, as he unzipped the back of your dress and pulled it down, the chiffon making a ruffling sound as it hit the floor. Roger kicked his shoes and socks away as he kissed your cleavage, his lips leaving a fiery trace wherever they touched your skin. "God, you're so sexy", he said, pulling you closer by the hip as one of his hands slipped your bra strap off your shoulder, pulling the lace off from one of them as he cupped it.

You move your head back as you moan when his thumb repeats the movement on your nipple, but this time with no fabric between them. He moves his hands to your back and unclasps your bra, sliding the other strap off your shoulders and throwing the bra to the side.

He gets on his knees as he moves his wet kisses down to your stomach, and then closer to your underwear, and you get ready for him to take it off, but he doesn't, moving his hands to your ankles and moving them to the side, which makes you open your legs a bit wider. You hold onto his hair, a smirk on his lips as you do so, and he starts kissing the inner part of your things, and you groan, annoyed that he's teasing you.

But he's actually helping you take your shoes off, and you smile as you realize that. Once you kick your scarpins away, he strokes the sides of your legs until he reaches the elastic band of your lace underwear. He pulls it down slowly, moving his kisses to your lower stomach as they fall off and you kick them away.

You make an annoyed sound when he breaks away from you to take you to his "bed", the mattress on the ground. You lean into the pillows as he's on top of you again, and your annoyed to feel the fabric of his trousers against you. "You're wearing too many clothes", you complain, and he smirks. "Just a minute, okay, babe?", he says, and you can't hold a genuine smile at the sound of your old nickname.

He notices that, pinching your cheeks ironically before going back to kissing you. He doesn't take long before nibbling your lower lip and then moving his kisses back to your breasts, stimulating one with his thumb on one of your nipples while kissing the other. You can't help but moan.

Roger then slides the hand from your breasts to your sides, moving it down to your core, stroking you. You groan, and you groan again even louder as he starts massaging your clit. "You're so wet, already", he says, and you smirk at him, almost challenging him. What are you going to do about it? you seem to ask, raising your brow.

And he breaks contact with him, making your eyes narrow as you frown, only for them to get wide as his big, callous hands separate your thighs and his lips take the place where his fingers were moments before.

"Fuck, Roger", you moan, his tongue massaging your clit as he slides two fingers inside you. "God, Rog", you say, as he continues his movements. You're pulling at his hair to keep him where he was.

After a few minutes, you pull harder at his hair, and he starts to pump his fingers faster on you. He moans against you as you keep saying his name, and the buzz from it makes you vibrate. That's enough to send you over the edge, and he breaks away from you after your first orgasm that morning.

He licks his lips as he wraps his arms around you, still shaking from your orgasm. "You taste so good, Y/N. I also missed the way you scream my name, even though it's early in the morning. I'm happy to wake my neighbours up to this", he says, but you recovered your breath, and you want to do something you missed, too. So you turn him over so you can now be on top of him, and you kiss him, very roughly, grinding against him and feeling him hard under you.

"Told you you're wearing too many clothes", you said as he groaned. You kept riding him with his pants still on, just to tease him, as you left love marks on his skin. You missed it.

But you wanted to feel him against your tongue again, so you got off his lap and unzipped his pants, pulling them down along with his underwear as he sucked a breath. You felt like you teased him enough, but as you positioned yourself, you stroked him a few times, earning more moans from him, but nothing compared to the way he said your name as you moved your lips down on him, pressing a kiss to the tip before taking him completely into your mouth.

You loved the feeling of control having him inside your mouth always gave you, his taste on your tongue as he tugged on your hair to help you find a rhythm. You watched as one of his hands let go of you to tug on the bedlinen by the side of your head.

It was only a few minutes after you started when he pulled you away and onto his lips again. "I was about to come. I want to shag you properly before I can come, babe", he said, giving you a quick peck before turning you over so he's on top of you now.

"Sure, Rog", you say, giving him a peck back. "Can you go slow? It's been a while, at least for me. A few months", you shrug, and he gives you a soft smile.

"So guys in New York weren't that interesting, then?", he asks, and you smile. "Not that much. Nothing remarkable, really. And plain nothing ever since I found out I'd be moving here again", you told him, and he smiled. "I'll make your wait worth it", he said, and you smile. "You already did. This is gonna be a bonus", you told him.

You wrapped your legs around him, giving him free access to you while pulling him closer, and you moan at the same time once he starts to get inside you slowly, bottoming out and staying there for a few seconds.

"God, Y/N", he says, and the way he says your name drives you crazy - his beautiful voice almost sang it to your ears. He started moving slowly, so you could adapt to his size again, and soon he picked up a faster pace, closing his eyes when he cursed, looking down to watch your breasts bounce at his movements, leaving marks on your butt cheeks as he gripped on them.

It wasn't long before you had your second orgasm with him, crying out his name, which only made his movements faster - he was close again.

You watched his muscles popping under his skin as he thrusted, and you wanted to make him hit his high as soon as possible, since he did it for you twice today. "Fuck, Rog, you feel so good", you told him, and you could see the veins in his neck popping, his jaw clenching. "Come for me, Roger", you said, and he pushed into you once more, collapsing over your body later. You ran your fingers through his hair as he recovered his breath, feeling a thin layer of sweat covering your bodies.

"God, I've missed you", he told you, pressing a kiss to the curve of your neck.

-

You woke up, the afternoon light blinding you for a few seconds. But even once your eyes adjusted to it, you were confused about your surroundings.

Then you remember everything - Roger.

You're in his new place, and even though he's not in bed with you, you can still feel him around you - his smell, the feeling of him inside you.

You get up and pick his button up off the ground, almost second nature - you used to do it all the time. Once you get out, Roger is paying a delivery guy only in his boxers.

"Y/N! You're awake!" he smiles, shaking the delivery guy's hand a goodbye and closing the door, and you smile back at him. "Yeah, it's been a pretty long night", you told him, and he left the paper bag with the delivery on top of the table before pulling you into a hug, pressing a kiss on top of your head. "Love these long nights that turn into quite long mornings. It's 2pm, so good afternoon, sunshine, and I got us lunch", he told you, leading you to the table.

"Great, I'm starving", you told him, and he got sushi trays out of the bag. "Nice choice. Didn't think your taste for sushi would continue for so long", you told him, already eating.

"Didn't ever think I'd share sushi again with you", he shrugged, and you smiled. "Y/N, where are we?", he asked, and you frowned.

"I have no idea. I tried not to overthink us for the last few hours, but you're right. Maybe we should talk about this", you said, pointing your finger to the both of you.

"I love you, still", he said, simply, and you smiled. "I love you too, Rog. I never stopped loving you - we just needed time so we could figure our lives, maybe?", you asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm afraid to rush things now and ruin everything. But I also don't want this fear to stop me from being with you, if I want to", he said, and you agreed.

"Maybe we should just do the stuff we want to, no strings attached, no names given for what we are. We'll just go with it, at least for now", you said, and he agreed.

"Yeah, about that. I have the next week off before I need to go promote News Of The World, and it will be a month before I'm back here in London again. Then we have the launch party and three weeks of rehearsing before tour", he told you, and you knew he wanted to compare schedules, know how long you might have together. It happened before, many times.

"I only start working next Monday", you said. It was a Sunday, almost eight full days before you had to work.

"So we have a free week. I thought about what you just said now, and I have an idea", he said, a devilish smirk on his lips, the one you knew so well, and you raised a brow. "Enlighten me, then", you told him.

"You just talked about doing the stuff we want to, just going with it, stuff like that, right? So, at the moment, I just really want to take you to Paris and spend the week with you there", he told you, and you choked on your food.

He laughed as he helped you drink some sake to get the food down. "So, do you want to go?", he asked, and you thought about it, still red from the incident.

Your natural instinct was to say no - you had to unpack your stuff, and adapt or whatever, before work. But his question - do you want to go instead of can you go - made you reconsider.

You wanted to go, so you nodded. "Sure", you said, and then laughed. Life took the most unexpected turns with you, sometimes.

"Really? Great!! I can drive you to your new place so you can pack before we go to the train station and just hop on the next train to Paris", he said, excited, pulling you in for another hug, and then moving his hands to cup your face. "I just thought it could be fun if we went some country none of us really know and discover it together. Also, it's pretty romantic, so lots of opportunities to get you turned on", he winked, and you laughed.

As you felt his fingers brush against your cheeks, you remembered something you wanted to ask, and took one of his hands into your own so you could look at it. "Rog, your hands have always been pretty callous because of the drumsticks, but now the fingertips are, too. Why?" you asked, and he shrugged. "I've been playing the guitar a lot, recently", he said, and you opened your mouth in shock.

"No way! I need to see it", you told him, and he smiled. "Sure. Right after I take a shower, I'll take you to meet my Fender. Then you can help me pack before we go to your place", he told you, pressing a kiss on your lips. "Thank you. Really, thank you", he said, and you smiled. "Thank you, Rog. I was scared you'd hate me, sometimes. Now go take that shower before I join you and we never get on a train to Paris", you told him, turning him around and slapping his ass, playfully.

As you heard the shower and Roger's singing as he showered, you walked to the window, taking in the view.

You were back in London, and back with Roger.

And you couldn't be happier.

---

Chapter 20

Masterlist

Taglist:

@taylorroger-s @sarai-ibn-la-ahad @its-nessi @anamcg317 @frenchieswiftie @queen-danielle-dani-dan @minihemo @shutup-sorry @theyrealllegends @killerqueenisthebest @ashagracelove @hardy-s @fuckinghurricanesoul @secretsweetscollectionblog @mrswinterhater @11mb0 @tamtam-go92 @derptatosaur @brianandthemays @phantom-fangirl-stuff @the-hysterical-queen @rogerofmylife @notevenlxvely @discodeakyy @x1975sos @16wiishes @jennycidesstuff @partydulce @melros-e @onevisionliz

[jessefandomunited]

i spy ( nathan x reader) chapter 12

My head was throbbing as I came to. I didn’t’ recognize where I was but to be honest I didn’t really look around the community center with as much care as I probably should have. I tried to stretch out but I noticed that my hands and feet had been bound with zip-ties. I groaned and tried to decide which tactic to go with. It was either tell him who I was right off the bat, or lie till it got me nowhere, I decided to lie. I shot my head up and tried to maintain a terrified expression as I scoped out the room. I was enjoying this a bit if I was honest with myself. A whole month of nothing, no danger, not thrill, it almost killed me. As I looked around I saw that I was in a simply small room with one door and a table that held some unsavory things such as a buzz saw, a row of syringes and pliers. Suddenly Spencer sauntered out from behind me , holding his gun as if it was nothing more than a toy. I jumped and started to push myself back. “ Good morning, sleep well,” he asked in a sickly sweet voice. I looked at the gun then back at him before pushing back in my chair, “ what do you want from me?” He laughed and leaned over, gently trailing the gun down my cheek, “ oh, not much, I just wanted to know what you were doing WITH MY F*CKING LAPTOP!” The yelling startled me which got me to think quickly, thank goodness I wasn’t completely out of practice. I blurted out, “ i…it was a dare…th..the group…they said if I just got something interesting off your computer that they’d accept me .” I almost thought he bought it for a second but his expression went from thoughtful to elated too quickly , “ my my my, you are really her aren’t you?”  I didn’t like where this was going at all and managed to squeeze some tears out of my eyes as I said, “ what? No…what are you talking about?” He chuckled and got inches from my face, “ you’re that kid spy they trained, aren’t ya?” I tried to keep a mask of confusion as I said, “ a spy? What are you talking about?” Without another word he punched me square in the jaw before crossing over to get his laptop. I gritted my teeth and spat some blood onto the white tile floor, how could he possibly  know me? He came back and spun his laptop around showing me a web page with a very blurry picture of me that looked as if it was taken from a security camera. I didn’t have to look too hard to realize he was on the dark web. Images of the people he kept in that folder on his computer came back to me . I shook my head and focused on the problem at hand, why was I on here. We had people monitoring sites like this to try and break up these organizations, as well as to see if any of us ended up on here. This must have just been posted in the last week or so. I read the note that was under it, “ Uk’s best kept secret, they have trained this child from birth to be an expert killing machine, if anyone finds her and brings her to me I will pay you handsomely .” I pulled back , “ It’s hard to tell….the photo is quite blurry …what website is this?” “ You’re too cute,” He snorted placing the laptop back on the table and pulling out his phone, “ I’m about to be a very rich man, who  knows I might be able to retire after this sale, smile.” He snapped quite a few pictures of me even though I tried my best to look away. I began tugging at my restraints again and cried out, “ THAT’S NOT ME PLEASE LET ME GO!!.” Spencer smiled and shook his head, “ even if you are not her, I’m sure I can still fetch a good price for you.” I bit my lip, this little act wasn’t going to get any of my questions answered, I needed to know who was trying to hunt me down. “ Who made that post,” I said dryly wiping away any trace of emotion. “ Well look who is cooperating ,” He smirked. “ CUT THE BULL SH*T, who posted it,” I demanded. “ A dying wish aye,” He said typing a bit. “ Sure buddy,” I said sarcastically beginning to work on my bonds. After a minuet he sighed, “ he’s a scientist who you  had a little run in with, something about a fire, that’s all I can find , without a fee of course.” I felt all the blood drain from my face, Gregor…..he was alive? how did he survive the fire? I couldn’t dwell on that now,I noticed that Spencer was distracted, I had gotten my hands undone and it was time to strike. In an instant I stood up and hurled my chair at him. I then ripped the tie from my feet and sprang at him.He wasn’t much of a fighter, but he still had a gun, which was the main problem. He fired off a wild shot as I threw him against the wall, whizzed by me grazing my cheek, that was too close. He aimed at me again but I flipped him over smashing him into the ground. He crumpled , the gun skidding away from him. I snagged it and marched over to him the gun trained at his head, my arm unwavering. He just looked up at me with a crazed expression, “ He’s going to be so happy I got you.” My eyes narrowed, “ I don’t know what’s wrong with your head, but I have the gun now, and if you make even the slightest move towards me, I will shoot.” “ Of course , of course,” He said keeping that stupid grin on his face. I kept and eye on him and started moving back towards the door, when I heard it open. Scared that it might be an accomplice I swung my gun towards it only to find, no one. I was puzzled then realized I had made a terrible mistake. I had given Spencer an opportunity to attack. The gun was kicked out of my hand and his arm wrapped around my neck tightly as he jabbed a needle into my arm. He released me, pushing me into the far wall. I winced as I hit it and as i turned to charge him my eyes began to blur a bit . I took a step but my legs wobbled and I ended up falling to the ground. “ What..did …you do to me,”I gasped. “ Just relax darling it will be so much easier if you just give in,” he mocked then his face became red with anger, “ WHERE IS MY LAPTOP!?” “ HELL IF I KNOW,” I snapped, “ you were a bit busy stabbing me.” He stalked over leveling the gun at me again, “ let me ask you again.” He didn’t get to though because some unseen force pushed him roughly into the far wall , he hit it with a sickening crack and laid on the floor limp. I winced and looked around, “ wh…what?” “ CRYSTAL,” I heard a group of voices call. Soon Kelly , Alisha, Curtis and Nathan all burst into the room. “ Guys what are you doing here,” I asked incredibly confused. “ We came to help,” Kelly said as Nathan pushed past her to get to me, “ are you okay, what did he do to you are you hurt?” I smiled gently , “ Relax I go through this all the time, I’ve been through worse.” He sighed and pulled me close, I relaxed in his embrace but froze as I saw Spencer bloody, fuming, and lifting his gun. “ NATHAN MOVE ,” I pushed him off me but when he saw why he blocked me, “ YOU STUPID TWAT WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” There was a gun shot and I felt like everything went in slow motion. I tried to pull Nathan down but he refused and took the shot right to his heart. Kelly , without emotion as to what just happened to Nathan, marched over to Spencer and hit him with his laptop. I was shaking , Nathans blood was all over me he laid there, the life draining out of it, and I couldn’t handle it, I really did hurt everyone I was close to. I suddenly felt the drug pulsing through my veins more insistently, I didn’t fight it anymore , and I slipped into darkness, hoping I could just wake up from this  nightmare.

[thetravellingvagrant]

Day 12: Cusco - In Which I Do Not Kill Us Both

We had been messaged, late last night, by the purveyors of the ATV tour we were due to embark upon today, informing us that our meeting time had been amended from 6:45, to 7:00am. This extra fifteen minutes of sleep, you'd imagine, should have come as something of a boon to us, though given that until the point at which we received that message, we had believed, with full conviction that we were supposed to meet at 9, it actually came as something of a withering blow. Regardless, we pulled ourselves out of bed at six in the bastard morning, like the heroes we are and some time later, after a very sad breakfast, left our apartment to endure the twenty minute walk to the office, in the freezing morning mountain air.

We didn't have to wait long before our minibus arrived, to whisk us away to the other, higher mountains to begin our day. Or we wouldn't have done, at least if we had boarded the correct bus. Somehow, despite confirming with the driver that we were indeed going on an ATV tour with the correct company at the correct time for us to be picked up, we (they) had managed to beef the situation pretty hard, leaving us bound for the incorrect place, on the incorrect bus. Fortunately, the mistake was rectified after only a couple of blocks and we were unceremoniously dumped back on the street, left to trudge unhappily back to the offices. A good start, I think we can all agree.

Not long after that, we were picked up by the actually correct driver (at least we thought so; he called me by name, so he was either the right guy, or it was the most sophisticated scam I've ever been targeted by) and, after whizzing around the city to pick up some fellow quadders, none of whom were particularly interesting enough to mention, we were finally embarking on our adventure, on the right bus, to the right place and everything.

The bus ride was longer than expected, clocking in at just over an hour, winding through bumpy, uneven country paths, up into the even-more-mountainous bit of Cusco. Sam, who suffers quite badly from travel sickness, strangely did not enjoy the journey as much as me, and was left feeling rather peaky, to put it as crudely as I have been permitted to, by the end of it. Now all pale and shaky and one sad breakfast lighter, Sam no longer felt comfortable riding her own ATV and so, instead opted to jump into the passenger seat of mine and cling onto me like a sloth, for the duration, as demonstrated in this not at all terrible selfie.

#clout

Now having been given the added stress of having an additional person to try not to kill, we were instructed to try out a few practice laps along an empty stretch of road, which I did expertly, only Austin-Powersing the ATV at a particularly narrow turning point once, in the process.

Now a bonafide quad-bike expert and none of you can say otherwise, we set off for our first destination of the day; the Maras Salt Flats.

I found myself paying very, very little attention to the, frankly quite impressive scenery on the way

This is nothing to me

Instead opting to focus mostly on not running our bike into a ditch or crashing into a bush. Though, generally, despite my initial nervousness, I settled into the driving fairly quickly, only filling my pants once or twice, when passed by huge, speeding buses, travelling the opposite way along the narrow, dusty road, which we shared Somehow not dead, though, we arrived at the salt flats and disembarked our bikes for a quick look around, down ten soles which we had to pay for the entrance fee, even though you'd definitely expect that to be covered by the agency under almost any other circumstance.

The flats were, however, pretty cool and probably well worth the entrance fee, despite the relatively little time we were given to gawk at them

Kind of.

though after around fifteen minutes of staring out at this bizarre and genuinely quite impressive alien landscape,

Spooky. And salty.

we were quickly ushered away to the a series of market stalls, essentially operating as the gift shop, where we were left to mill around for substantially more time than we were given to look at the actual flats themselves - in a move which I felt was perhaps a little crass and inorganic. I still bought myself some salty chocolate, though, so I guess I'm a capitalist pig, too.

Back at the bikes, our group was given a choice, we could either go with Moses, our guide, to see Moray; an impressive, sprawling set of Inca ruins, set deep in the heart of the sacred valley, or...we could side with the other guide, whose name I never got, and go to a big splashy lake, yaaaay. Entrance to Moray costing seventy extra soles which we frankly, could not spare and also my disproportionate love of having a bit of a paddle coming into play, we opted to go to the lagoon.

We quadded there without issue and soon arrived at a genuinely pretty lovely little lake

Moist.

where we were given another (woefully inadequate) fifteen minutes to explore, nearly all of which I spend knee deep in weirdly freezing lake-water

After what must have been actually closer to ten minutes, we were called back to the ATVs and so, with a heavy heart, I dredged myself out of the water and, now with the added bonus of having cold, wet feet, popped myself back on the bike.

We drove back to base-camp, again without incident, meaning that I had completed the entire day without crashing the bike and/or horribly injuring either myself or my girlfriend – which I'd call an unexpected win – and, with the package now complete, we were loaded back onto the minibus to Cusco, with almost negative fanfare, if such a thing is even possible, and fucked back to the city, like a bag of shitty nappies.

We were dropped off...almost at the main square – pretty much as close to it as the driver could be bothered going, I think – and headed to the first place we could find, for some much needed lunch. The first place we could find, as it turned out, was actually quite a fancy hotel, right in the middle of the tourist-zone. This meant not only that we were basically paying UK prices for, admittedly very nice, sandwiches, but also, given that we were dressed for ATVing (a difference from the norm which much more noticeably effected Sam, than I) and covered from head to toe in dust, from our earlier efforts, meant we stood out like sore, dirty, tired, scummy thumbs. Regardless, we endured the stares and tuts from the other eatery patrons- an act at which, by now, I am an expert – munched through our food and paid in full, like we were in Pretty Woman, or something. I don't know, I haven't seen it, but that sounds about right.

After our lunch, we were left with little in the way of plans. It was only around mid-day and we didn't fancy going back to the apartment, quite yet, as good as going back to sleep definitely sounded to both of us. We had read of some Inca Ruins just a little bit outside the city centre called Saqsaywaman (very amusingly pronounced “sexy woman”). At just a fifteen minute walk from the Plaza Del Armas, we thought we'd be foolish not to go and have a look. Sure entrance, much like Moray, cost seventy soles, but apparently you could get a genuinely good-enough view of them from outside, peering over the fence, like some nonce from the 80s, and that sentence, as frequent readers of my blog will know, is like catnip to me. Looking at things from the outside, without paying, that is. Not the nonce part...

As it turned out, Google Map's estimation of the walk taking fifteen minutes was optimistic at best and a flat out lie at worst. It may have taken that long if it were at sea level, and the entirety of the trek wasn't straight up and I could breathe properly and didn't have to take a five minute break after every flight of stairs, but all of those things were the case and, as it stood, it actually took closer to forty. That forty minute walk, incidentally, was to Saqsaywaman's first entrance; the one from which you could peer over no fences and see no ruins, and so we had to keep walking, for close to an hour, also uphill, to get to the auxiliary peeping entrance. A walk which, by the way, shouldn't have taken that long, even at high altitude, though we had to stop every few seconds, so Sam could  have a right good complain, and, honestly? that really tacked on some travel time, if I'm being real.

After a very wearying amount of both walking and snipping, we finally arrived at entrance two, which we milled about, genuinely suspiciously, attempting to figure out the best way to steal a glimpse of the ruins. As it turned out, that would be by walking another two or so minutes along the road to a gap in the hedge. Sam, being the Lawful Good sort she is, was very concerned that we would be stopped, fined and/or get in trouble from the Saqsay tour guides, though I, being somehow the more relaxed of us two, was less concerned about this, given that ten feet away from where we had parked up, a double decker tour bus had stopped to lets its passengers take as many pictures of the ruins as they liked, over the hedge.

Having had our fill of sexy women, we made the significantly easier walk back downhill, taking a clever shortcut, sort of, to get back to our flat, without having to endure too many stairs. If I'm totally honest, the end result of all the walking to the ruins, probably wasn't really worth the energy expended in getting there, but don't tell Sam, though. She'll think it means she wins.

After an early start and close to twenty thousand steps, most of which were at a frankly silly incline, by the time we were home, I was absolutely ruined, as I seem to be every evening on this trip, except far, far worse. I made us dinner, because I am a hero and clambered back into bed- the only warm(ish) part of the entire flat – to eat it while watching a terrible film, expecting my shortness of breath, tightness in my chest and heart palpitations to abate after a short while. They did not, which was quite worrying, to be honest. I briefly considered that I might be having a stroke or something, but didn't voice my concerns for fear that it might have made Sam thought that she had won, and so, bravely soldiered on in silence, until I managed to fall asleep, instead. I wasn't having a stroke, by the way. Or if I was, I dealt with it incredibly well and can't see what the big deal is about, really...

[markedbysolas]

OC Interview meme

tagged by @dreadhobo Thanks! I might do another for my @sneakywitchthieves son Llewelyn!

1. What is your name? “Vhelani Misera Lavellan.”

2. What is your real name? “See above.” 

3. Do you know why you were called that? “My parents always stressed how much the clan meant to us as a people, and they named me as such- Vhelani means “helper of The People or one who puts others before themselves. Misera was my mother’s name, it means “Blade of the sky” she was pretty fierce and hoped that strength would carry on in me.”

4. Are you single or taken? “I... I don’t know.” Sets her brows firmly so you know it is time to move on.

5. Have any abilities or powers? “Apart from my obvious ability to manipulate magic as a mage, you mean? I have some skill with herbs and healing concoctions.”

6. Stop being a Mary Sue ”I don’t know what that means, but I do know that it isn’t polite to alienate the person you are asking for help.”

7. What’s your eye colour? “Amber? Gold? I’m not sure really, I haven’t given my reflection that much thought as to giving it a name.”

8. How about your hair colour? “Reddish brown I suppose.”

9. Have you any family members? ”None still with us. Can we move on?”

10. Oh? What about pets? “I’m on the road too much to give an animal the love and attention it deserves.”

11. That’s cool I guess, now tell me about something you don’t like. “Rudeness, unfinished tasks, being in the spotlight, violence, raspberries... I guess it depends what kind of thing you mean.”

12. Do you have any hobbies/activities you like doing?   “I enjoy experimenting with my potions and reading about different healing magics, I enjoy a quiet stroll in the woods, and have been known to take in a game of chance when the opportunity arises.”

13. Ever hurt anyone before? ”Unfortunately, too many.”

14. Ever… killed anyone before? “Yes, but only when I had to.”

15. What kind of animal are you? ”Mammal.”

16. Name your worst habits. “Over thinking/obsessing, biting my fingernails, getting lost- I mean that literally, I have a terrible sense of direction.”

17. Do you look up to anyone at all? “I admired my Keeper Deshanna greatly, and..” She looks away briefly and adds quietly, “Solas.”

18. Gay, straight, or bisexual? “There is a beauty to appreciate in every soul, but I have only had sexual experiences with men.”

19. Do you go to school? ”I have never been traditionally schooled by human standards, no.”

20. Do you ever want to marry and have kids one day? “I did that once, life determined that was not to be my fate.” She clears her throat. “Next question, please.”

21. Do you have any fanboys/fangirls? “It seems walking in the Fade guarantees you some fame, whether you want it or not.”

22. What are you most scared of? “The Unknown.”

23. What do you usually wear? “When I’m at Skyhold I prefer to wear leathers for functionality and comfort, I usually layer clothing for travelling,and prefer simple armour for ease of movement in battle.”

24. Do you love someone? ”Many someones, in fact.”

25. When was the last time you wet yourself? “When I was recovering from labour, I did not realize that my sneeze would have that effect, I make sure to warn all my new mothers now.”

26. Well, it’s not over yet! “Continue then.”

27. What class are you? (High class, middle class, low class) “I don’t think it works the same way for my clan, I suppose all of us are low class, but the Inquisition makes me high class, I guess that means I’m squarely in the middle then?”

28. How many friends do you have? ”Some.”

29. What are your thoughts on pie? “I prefer a savory pie to a sweet pie, but both have their merits.”

30. Favourite drink? “Water?”

31. What’s your favourite place? ”I have never been to one like I have read about it books, but I think I would love a beach, not like the ones on the coast with rocks and rain, a nice one. The sound of waves would be much louder there than the quiet lapping of a lake, and the feeling of warm sand instead of cold earth. If I had to pick somewhere familiar, I suppose the Rotunda.”

32. Are you interested in someone? “Sexually you mean? of course you do... what is this interview for again? Yes, I suppose yes then.”

33. What’s your bra cup size and/or how big is your willy? “If you are asking about my breast size I suggest you use your skills of deduction and get flowery with the language to describe it to your readers, I really don’t know how else to answer.” She sizes you up with a look that expresses her disapproval, “Next.” 

34. Would you rather swim in the lake or the ocean? “Lakes are usually safer, less chance of floating away.”

35. What’s your type? “Someone who could challenge me without making me feel small, someone who has suffered losses and understands that part of my life, someone who is interested in what I am interested in... someone who cares about people.”

36. Any fetishes? “Are you hitting on me?”

37. Seme or uke? Top or Bottom? Dominant or Submissive? “I don’t like where this is going.”

38. Camping or indoors? ”Camping, preferably by myself.”

39. Are you wanting the interview to end? “I was wondering how long you could drag this out.”

40. Now it’s over! “Thank you.”

Tagging some mutuals/followers (sorry if you’ve been tagged, I am terrible at figuring out who to tag): @vivalaegghead @solastrophe @catherea @dickeybbqpit @rhunae @pinkypancake @crystal-grace @water-whisp @sweet-holy-andraste 

[petersasteria]

Ms. Universe - George Smith

Pairing: George Smith x Reader

Requested? Nope.

* * * *

"It's unfair for you to live out your dream and I'm just here waiting for you to come home"

Your P.O.V

When I was a little girl, I've always wanted to be somebody. Whether it was a ballerina or a reporter, it's fine as long as I get to be one. In my whole life, it all came down to two big dreams of mine: becoming Miss Universe and a famous writer/author.

People tell me it's impossible for me to be Miss Universe, because I don't have what it takes. They also tell me that being a writer/author won't do me any good, because I won't get to do anything.

The reason why I want to become Miss Universe is because I want to show the world what I can contribute and I want to be a writer because J.K. Rowling inspired me to write about things out of the ordinary that made people like me change the way we view things. Like how a normal column/pillar at the train station could be something we can run into in order to get to Platform 9 3/4.

My boyfriend of 4 years, George hasn't been really on my side. I brush it off and think nothing of it, but now I think it's unfair.

It all started when we started dating back in 2014. He said he wanted to be in a band that would go places. Of course, I supported him and he asked me what I wanted to do. I'm the kind of person who gets excited when it comes to talking about my dreams so, I kinda got upset when George told me that my dreams were rubbish. That didn't stop me, though.

Fast forward to 2017, George managed to slightly change his view on my dreams. He said that I should just keep dreaming. Although it sounded sarcastic like, "yeah sure, keep dreaming".

I'm getting kind of tired just waiting for him to come home from tour. So I make sure to keep myself busy by writing a book and joining some small pageants. George's fans haven't been really supportive either. Of course, why would they support me in the first place? All they support is George and the rest of the lads. They don't give two shits about the people around them. George defends me, though. But he can't keep doing that forever so, I told him not to bother anymore.

George's coming home today from tour and to be honest, I'm really nervous. I know that he's tired, but he has to know what I'm truly feeling. It's not that I don't love him anymore, it's just unfair already. I feel like I haven't been treated fairly in this relationship.

I was sitting on the couch when I heard the door open. It's him.

"Hey babe! How're you?" George greeted cheerfully and kissed my forehead. I smiled slightly and looked at him. "I'm good. How're you? How was the tour?" I asked as he sat down next to you; not bothering to put his suitcase in your shared room.

"Tour was amazing! I had the time of my life. I wish you were there, Y/N. It'd be more fun with you! The boys missed you too...not as much as I missed you, though." George cheekily smiled.

"I missed you too." I said. Here it goes. I packed my things a few days before and I'm going to move back to my parents' house for awhile. "George, I need to tell you something."

"Okay what is it?" George asked. Thank goodness he knows when it's time to be serious.

"I don't think there's any nice way to say this, but I'm breaking up with you." I said. After saying that, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Why? As far as I know, there's nothing wrong." George said softly.

"Actually, there is. You're just blind. You don't see how long you've been hurting me." I said loudly.

"What do you mean 'hurting you'?! I never hurt you and you know that! Heck, I know that! What's this bullshit you're saying?!" George shrieked.

"The bullshit I'm saying is you not being here!" I yelled. From this point I knew that I just sparked up something in George, because I knew that we're going to start yelling at each other.

"What do you want me to do?! Quit the fucking band?! Let me remind you that I'm working for the both of us! You wouldn't know, because you don't work at all!" George yelled and kicked the side of the couch.

"I never said that you should quit the band! And you should know that I would never tell you that, let alone suggest it! I know how much you love that band, George! You've always wanted that and I want you to be happy!" I yelled back.

"Then what're you trying to say?! Stop being so childish and get straight to the point!" George yelled and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

I opened my mouth to yell again, but what's the point? Instead I said what's been going through my mind for the past 4 years. "You know what? This is unfair. All this time I've always been here to support you. I supported you and adjusted to give way for you to make your dreams happen. What about my dreams, huh? What about my dreams, George? You never supported me in anything. You're being selfish. Just because I'm your girlfriend who's willing to stick with you through all this, doesn't mean that I don't have dreams. I'm human and I have dreams too, George." I said calmly and went upstairs to get my already packed things.

George sat down on the couch; not believing any of this and sighed heavily. He looked at me as I descended the stairs with all of my things. All the color drained from his face when he saw all my things.

"W-Where are you going? We're not--we're not done here. Y/N, please there has to be another way." George shakily stood up from the couch and walked to me. I just kept walking until I reached the door. I put my hand on the doorknob and looked at him one last time and gave him a curt nod and left his life forever.

When I got to my parents' house, George kept tweeting about his misery

@NewHopeGeorge: I honestly didn't know that I was hurting you until you left.

@NewHopeGeorge: Back to square one; cuddling with my pillow.

@NewHopeGeorge: I'm so sorry.

@NewHopeGeorge: It's funny how yesterday we were together and happy, but now we're not.

I decided to tweet indirectly, because his fans wanted to know and they kept bugging me.

@Y/T/N: All I'm gonna say is that I've been treated unfair. There, I've set my peace.

I clicked "tweet" and before I knew it loads of his fans were "shookt" and kept tweeting me. I yawned and head to bed.

-one year later-

George's P.O.V

It's been a year since we broke up and the situation is still eating me alive. I honestly didn't know that I was being selfish. I feel like a jerk.

Today the boys decided to hang at my place and chill. We needed a break from writing and recording and we wanted to just stay in and watch tv.

Blake was flicking through random channels and stopped at a beauty pageant. "Guys, who's down for watching Ms. Universe?" Blake asked, his eyes not leaving the tv.

"I mean, there's nothing to watch so might as well watch this." Reece shrugged and put his feet on the coffee table.

"G, remember when Y/N said it was one of her dreams to be in this?" Blake asked. He didn't know that it was still a touchy subject so, I forced a smile on my face. "Yeah I did." I said softly.

"Wouldn't it be crazy if she actually joined?" Blake wondered.

"Speaking of, look at candidate number 10." Reece said. I didn't know he was listening to Blake and I.

Blake and I fixed our gaze on the tv and sure enough, candidate number 10 is Y/N. Wow. She really is serious about this. I pulled out my phone and opened my Twitter. My notifications have been blowing up than usual and I checked some of them.

(a/n: these are all made up fan accs and if it's the same to any real fan acc, it's a coincidence.)

@glakesbutt: @NewHopeGeorge watch Ms. Universe you little shit

@GeorgeIsMyHero: @NewHopeGeorge *cough* candidate no.10 *cough*

Even some people I personally know are tweeting me about it.

@TheVampsBrad: @NewHopeGeorge #MissUniverse candidate no.10 looks familiar...oh yeah you used to date haha x

@NewHopeBlake: Candidate no.10 looks gorgeous! I don't want to break the bro code bc @NewHopeGeorge dated her oops

I decided to tweet a picture of the tv showing Ms. Universe.

@NewHopeGeorge: Yes I'm watching #MissUniverse right now. Calm down guys hahaha

I liked some of the fans' replies but one reply caught my eye. (a/n: holy crap I rhymed again. I've been rhyming a lot this year.)

@reecemysugarplum: @NewHopeGeorge who are you rooting for? ;)

I quoted the tweet and said: "Candidate no.10 of course! UK all the way :)"

Of course a lot of people reacted and freaked out saying that I still love her and care for her. They're not lying. I'd be lying if I said it's not true.

A few hours later, it was now time for the question and answer portion. Yes, Y/N made it until the top 3 thing. It's now her turn to be asked and she looks absolutely stunning in her gown.

"She's hot." Blake said, staring at her in awe. I would've smacked his head, but we're not together anymore. We all just agreed with what he said, because he's right.

((a/n: your gown))

"Good evening, candidate number 10!" the judge, Ellen DeGeneres, smiled at her.

"Good evening, Ellen." Y/N smiled that perfect smile of hers that I've grown to love more and more.

"How are you?" Ellen asked. "I'm okay. You?" Y/N said.

"I'm good. You look gorgeous tonight!" Ellen complimented.

"Thank you." Y/N lightly blushed. She's too pure for this world.

"Okay. So, young people today, especially young girls, are much more aware about their appearances. My question is, what constitutes true beauty?" Ellen asked.

Holy shit. I personally think it's a difficult question, but I know she can do it. After all, she's beautiful and I hope she knows it.

"I'm so nervous for her." Blake said, holding his breath.

"She can do anything." I whispered, thinking no one would hear me. I was wrong. Reece heard me...again. "Yeah, she's smart. She can do anything." Reece said with his "game face" on.

"Thank you for that wonderful question." Y/N began. "For me, it's when a person shows selflessness, compassion, and empathy towards others even without expecting anything in return. Physical attributes are also included however, a bad attitude always ruins a pretty face. In love we also experience true beauty by learning to love ourselves and loving others, because love is one of the most beautiful things and feelings in the world no matter what type it is. That's all, thank you." Y/N answered and ended with a smile. The crowd was cheering her on and so were we.

"I know that Y/N is smart, but I never knew she was THAT smart." Reece grinned. Blake pulled out his phone and immediately tweeted.

@NewHopeBlake: @Y/T/N is one of the most intelligent people I know. So proud of you, candidate 10! #MissUniverse

I liked and retweeted it and so many people have been tweeting about her answer.

"Guys, Y/N is trending number 1 worldwide!" Reece said with wide eyes. Wow. She did all that without me in her life. I guess I've just been holding her back from what she can do.

A few minutes later they're announcing the winner of the pageant. Y/N and the two other girls held hands together and looked at the crowd. All of us were at the edge of our seats as well.

"Second runner up is, Ms. Colombia!" the host said and Ms. Colombia got her sash and flowers.

Y/N and the other girl are facing each other, smiling and held each other's hands.

"Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for. Ms. Universe 2018 is...Ms. United Kingdom!!! Congratulations! Ms. Philippines is our 1st runner up." the host said.

We all cheered and Y/N cried tears of joy as they crowned her, gave her flowers, and the sash.

"Ms. United Kingdom, you may now take your first walk as Ms. Universe." the host said.

With that, the pageant was over.

Everyone was tweeting Y/N.

@TheVampsBrad: @Y/T/N I'm so proud of you! *cries* Congrats!

@NewHopeReece: @Y/T/N remember when you & I used to ask each other difficult questions? I never knew you wanted this and now you won! You're the OG. Congrats!

@TheVampsJames: @Y/T/N QUEEN. THAT'S ALL. QUEEN. #MissUniverse

@TheVampsCon: Congrats to our new #MissUniverse ! @Y/T/N don't forget me haha xx

@NewHopeBlake: My best friend @Y/T/N is the new #MissUniverse. That's right be jealous hahaha

@TheVampsTristan: @Y/T/N is officially my celebrity crush. She's gorgeous & intelligent. How can someone be both? *heart eyes* Congrats, love! #MissUniverse

Heck, even my mom tweeted.

@OrchieNatasha: I always knew you could do it @Y/T/N ! I'm so proud of you. You're like a daughter to me. Lots of love x :)

I decided to tweet too.

@NewHopeGeorge: @Y/T/N congratulations on winning and making your dream come true! :)

The haters are gone now. Everybody loves her. I guess her haters ate their words.

-a few months later-

The lads and I are here to perform at this charity event. We've never done anything for charity before. Needless to say, we're so excited to perform.

"Guys! Guys!" Blake said pushing through the crowd to join Benjamin, Reece, and I.

"What?" Reece asked.

"You'll never guess who I saw." Blake said.

"Who?" I asked.

"Y/N. She's here! Turns out, this is one of her projects as Ms. Universe! Small world, huh?" Blake smiled.

Yeah. Small world.

"I heard she's dating that actor..." Reece trailed off in deep thought as to who that actor is.

"Well? Don't leave us hanging!" Blake chuckled.

"Ahh! Timothee Chalamet! Such a great actor." Reece said as he drank soda.

"Go talk to her, man." Blake nudged me.

"What? No! She's dating someone else. Plus, she probably hates me." I said. She's doing fine now. I don't want to ruin that for her. She's also in the process of writing her biography. She's come so far and I'm so proud of her.

"You'll never know until you try." Blake said with a shrug and talked to Reece and Benjamin.

I walked up to her when she was finally sitting alone and tapped her shoulder.

"Um, hey Y/N. Long time no see." I casually said, trying to act cool.

"Hi George. I'm excited to hear you boys perform today." she smiled.

"Same here. Um, listen. I'm really sorry for doubting you and ignoring your dreams. It's just that I've been so focused on mine that I never got to support you. Like, I didn't know you and Reece kept asking each other difficult questions, not because you find them fun but because you're preparing yourself in case you're serious about joining Ms. Universe. I didn't realize you were so serious about this. I'm so sorry. I really want you back in my life, Y/N. I really do." I said, pouring my heart out.

"I want things normal again. We'll be civil about this, okay? I forgive you, but that doesn't change what you did. It's too late to realize that you've been selfish throughout our relationship. It is, and always will be, unfair. I'm going to be honest, even being friends with you right now won't help. Let's start again as acquaintances. Then we'll see. If I act like how I used to towards you, that means we're friends. Deal?" Y/N suggested. I mean, I do want her back in my life..and arms. If this is her only offer then I'd take it.

"Deal." I smiled.

"Okay. I have to meet Timothee by the entrance." Y/N said, standing up from her reserved seat. She looked so good especially with her crown on. "Good luck on your performance, G. You'll smash it. I know you will, because you always do." she smiled before leaving.

I don't know if I'll ever find someone like her. Timothee is very lucky.

* * * *

A/N: I BLESSED Y'ALL WITH AN UPDATE WHAAAAT

Reblog if you liked it

P.S. Timothee Chalamet is my bae skhdkdf

[pondandpuddlejumping-blog]

We have a lot of catching up to do...

You know the friend that you have where you can go months or even years without talking and it’s like nothing has changed and you’re happy to just catch up on everything that has happened since the last time you spoke? Oh good, ‘cause that’s what this blog has become. 

We have five months of catching up to do. This is not how I had intended this blog to be and I’m a bit disappointed with myself that I’ve gone five months without a single update considering all of the great adventures I’ve been on in the mean time. For the summer I’m entertaining the idea that I will do at least 1 post a month, which is totally attainable. I’m planning to stay in Europe over the summer and I have some friends and family visiting over the next 4 months so I will not be short of things to write about. 

Anyway, here’s the Reader’s Digest version of my life over the past five months though a lot has happened so this post is longer than my others:

Christmas 2017: London, Vienna, and Bled

I decided to stay in Europe over the Christmas holiday. We got a 5 week break and I had plans to spend some time in London, Vienna, and Bled. My friend was kind enough to let me stay in her London flat while she went to home to Canada and for the latter half of my break I had plans to meet up with a couple friends from my Halifax to explore Vienna and Bled. 

Firstly, I was blown away by the lights and decorations alone. London knows Christmas. It made how we decorate at home look like peanuts in comparison. The lights on Regent street and Oxford street were stunning. I also checked out Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and multiple Christmas markets around the city. I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of skating rinks set up around the city and was sure to take advantage of them.

Christmas decorations at Spitalfields Market. 

This was the first time that I would be spending Christmas away from family. I hadn’t made it home to my immediate family for Christmas 2016 but I had gotten to spend it with my aunt and uncle who lived in Edmonton, a city only a few hours from Calgary, so it didn’t hit me in quite the same way it had hit me this year. There were multiple points during the day where I regretted not going home. However, I wasn’t completely alone, a friend from school had also decided to spend Christmas in Europe and so the two of us were making the most of our surroundings. 

We went to the service at Westminster Abbey for Christmas morning. I’m not a religious person in the slightest however, I was able to appreciate the service in a way that I had never experienced church before. The sense of community and just genuine joy that seemed to be in the air was comforting. This was also the first time I had been inside the Abbey and it was incredible. 

Our original plan was to go to the movies after the service however literally EVERYTHING is closed on Christmas day in the UK. Who knew? So, we went on a mission to at least find a restaurant that was open. We ended up in Chinatown for a late Christmas lunch and after lunch proceeded to go on a nice walk through the city: seeing Marble Arch, through Kensington Park and past Buckingham Palace. Even though I had been feeling homesick more than I had ever been since arriving in the UK, I was also really happy to have spent Christmas day experiencing things I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to. 

The next city on my list over the holiday break was Vienna. This was also where I would be ringing in the New Year. I had come to notice that the over-the-top Christmas decorations wasn’t just a London thing but rather a European thing. Vienna did not disappoint. The city was oozing with culture and history and I was excited to explore. 

We went to the Albertina museum, saw a small ensemble performance of Strauss and Mozart (twice!), and went to the state opera over the next four days in addition to checking out other museums, Christmas markets, and (more) ice skating. I think the thing that I loved most about this city was the food! I definitely overindulged while in this city but that’s what vacation is for, right? It was also so lovely catching up with my friends. I hadn’t seen one of the them in almost two years so we had a lot of catching up to do - she had been on some crazy adventures herself, through Southeast Asia!

With the year coming to a close I had the opportunity to reflect on all that had happened. 2017 was good to me: not only had I moved overseas and started law school but earlier in the year I had learned to ski and was getting more into rock climbing and hiking. I had also reconnected with old friends and made many new ones. I was looking forward to continuing this positive trend and seeing what the New Year had to offer. 

City Hall Christmas Market. The NYE fireworks display went off behind City Hall.

We rang in the New Year with a bottle of Champagne in the City Hall square watching fireworks and dancing to live music. Again, a moment where I had a brief sting of homesickness but also surrealness - I was ringing in the New Year in Vienna! How incredible is that?

From Vienna we travelled 6 hours by train to Bled, Slovenia. Not the first place on everyone's travel list but it definitely should be! I was so pleasantly surprised by this town. It seriously looks like Narnia and that we had walked through the wardrobe upon arriving. The Alps are literally the backdrop to the town and Lake Bled, with its island church, adds to the picturesque landscape. 

View from a look-off we hiked up to. Notice Bled Castle in the background on top of the cliff. 

We spent two days in the town, hiking around the lake and up to the castle. The town isn’t very big but it was nice to just wander around and relax after the sights and sounds of Vienna and London. Bled is very sleepy in comparison. 

Most of the other tourists around are there for the skiing. There are shuttles leaving regularly from the town centre to the ski hill. I noticed that Bled also offers “adventure vacations” in the summer with SUP, canoe and kayaking tours, and white water rafting. Again, not a destination I would consider for an adventure vacation but now that we’d been there I would love to go back and experience that. 

Panoramic of town from Bled Castle. 

After our time in Bled we trained back to Vienna for one final night before parting ways to fly back home. I spent the final days of the break in London. Another friend of mine had moved to London on the 30th and it was great catching up with him before heading back to Canterbury. 

January 2018: Oslo, Norway

Within the first few days back in classes I booked a weekend trip to Oslo with some of the other girls at school. Flights were only £20 round trip! We quickly realized that our flight would be the cheapest thing all weekend. Norway is very expensive in comparison to other places I’ve travelled. That’s not to say that we didn’t have an excellent weekend, just that my original budget for the weekend was severely underestimated. Sorry bank account. 

This is when I’m supposed to justify my actions by yelling YOLO! and saying quotes like “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” Regardless, Oslo is a beautiful city and I loved learning about Norse culture and the Viking Age and would love more time to explore this city. Sculptures and paintings depicting Norse mythology are all over the city. We also went to the Viking museum where we got to see three Viking ships, including the world’s best preserved ship. The museum also had countless artefacts and a visual journey through the Viking Age. I highly recommend checking this place out if you’re in Oslo.

This picture does not do justice to how large these ships were. Like, look at the rudder! Also notice the carvings on the ship. 

Another highlight of our weekend was Holmenkollen National Arena, which hosts cross-country and biathlon venues as well as Holmenkollbakken, a large ski jumping hill. We venture up to the Arena for what we’ve been told are stunning views of the city and to watch the sun set. However, the day we went, the city is covered in a sea of clouds. The sunset is still spectacular and the arena also has a small museum of the history of the ski jump which was interesting. 

Under that sea of cloud is Oslo.

Other quick highlights from the weekend include seeing the architectural gem The National Opera House, the nightlife of the Grünerløkka district, the Vigeland sculpture park, and the Mathallen food hall. We packed a lot into that weekend! 

Mathallen Food Hall from above. 

Reading Week - February 2018: Warsaw, Poland

I travelled to Warsaw over the Winter reading week in February with two friends for a week-long conference on international commercial and corporate law hosted by ELSA - Warsaw (European Law Students’ Association). While this trip was mostly academic, the organizing committee also scheduled free time for us to explore during some of the days and hosted great social programmes in the evenings.

This was my first academic conference and it did not disappoint. We got to connect with law students from across Europe and engage with lecturers and professionals from around the world.

Warsaw is a beautiful city with a mix of old and new architecture. Fun fact: about 90% of the city was actually rebuilt after the war due to destruction and the modelling of the buildings came from pre-war pictures and paintings.

Entering the old part of the city.

The historic campus of the University of Warsaw is incredible and some of the buildings remind me of Dalhousie University where I did my first undergrad. The university is actually where Chopin studied music! And the law faculty is actually the oldest on campus, founded in 1808. 

On the main gate leading into campus.

The academic program for the week was organized around lectures, panel discussions and debates, and allowed ample opportunity to ask questions. At the end of the week we also got the chance to participate in workshops hosted by local firms. This conference supplemented the material that we’d been learning so far in the company law module at school. 

When not in class we skated at the National Stadium, checked out local nightlife, explored the Jewish Institute and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and went to a gala dinner hosted at the National Library at the end of the week. The week went by a lot faster than we would have liked.

The Supreme Court of Poland. 

March 2018: Stirling, Scotland

Lastly, my most recent trip (end of March), and second major ELSA event for the term, Scotland! I was so excited to go. Another weekend trip, I went with one of the friends I travelled to Warsaw with. We represented our local ELSA group at the National Committees Meeting for all of the UK ELSA groups. We also got to reconnect with some of the participants we had met at the Warsaw conference.

This weekend was a chance for us to meet other local ELSA groups, hear about what they had accomplished over the last academic year, and see their plans for the upcoming year. The University of Stirling group were excellent hosts and the campus was beautiful.    

Though we were based in Stirling for the weekend we also did a day trip to Edinburgh before heading back to Canterbury. Scotland is stunning. There are no other words to describe it. The history, the lush green space and mountains (which was a nice change from the flatness of England), and the people, who were so nice and genuine, made for a fantastic weekend. 

Wondering through old town in Edinburgh.

A part from the committees meeting, we toured Deanston Distillery and did a whiskey tasting paired with chocolate. We also explored Stirling Castle and the town centre. On our day trip to Edinburgh we walked through old town, tried the declared “best haggis in the city”, and went on a tour of Holyrood Palace (Fun fact: this is the official summer residence of the Queen!). I enjoyed Scotland so much and have already booked a trip back to Edinburgh for late August when my brother comes to visit the UK. 

Our whiskey tasting after the tour of the distillery. We were the only two to sign up!

Scotland made me feel like home. Which isn’t that surprising seeing as many families in Nova Scotia have origins in Scotland and in some communities in Cape Breton Gaelic is still commonly spoken. 

Panoramic from Stirling Castle. The weather was unseasonably warm. 

If you made it this far reading about my recent adventures, I thank you for bearing with me as I chose the highlights to mention. I found it hard to keep things short. 

The first year of my degree is quickly coming to an end and I’m honestly so shocked that I’ve already been in the UK for 8 months. I feel like I only just arrived! I’ve definitely been bitten by the travel bug and have started to plan a couple trips for after my exams.    

[you-andthebottlemen]

37 -

Request: hiii I had this idea of a really dramatic fic in which reader doesn't know anything about van in a few weeks while he's on tour and she sees pictures of him cheating on her and he comes back home without telling her trying to surprise her but she knows what happened and van regrets his actions. you're amazing btw I love what you do<3

Okay so I hope you don’t mind anon but I have changed the request slightly as I don’t feel comfortable about writing Van as a cheating boyfriend; I want him to remain in a positive light as much as possible. Anyway, I hope you like the fic regardless! XX

And thank you to @storiesaboutvan for the editing help <3 

References to this interview are used. 

*****************

“Promise me you’ll call?” you urged, clinging onto Van’s arm as he went to pick up his suitcase.

“Yes love, ‘course I’ll call. Promise,” Van laughed softly and reached over to kiss your forehead. A small action that meant a great deal to you.

This was the first time Van had to leave for tour since you’d started dating a few months ago. The relationship was in its early days but it was already the best one you’d ever been in. Van was a total sweetheart, he loved hard and loved all around him and that attitude had rubbed off on you. You saw things in a new light, you appreciated things more and you truly felt loved for the first time. You felt your love for him grow quickly; from the warm, bursting feeling in your chest whenever you saw him to the warmth that reached every little corner of your body. You were walking on clouds.

Van wheeled his case to the front door and lit one more smoke before hitting the road while waiting for the taxi to pull up. He stood leaning against the door frame, one arm crossed and the other holding the cigarette to his lips. Standing across from him in the hallway with your arms folded, you stared at every square inch of him. Even though you knew he was coming back, you burned the image of him as he was in that moment, into your brain. The afternoon sunlight shone through the doorway and all around him, illuminating his hair and making it look lighter than it was. He looked like an angel - well more of one. You watched the way he puffed on his cigarette while looking at you too, probably doing the same thing, a small and cheeky smile playing on his lips. You tilted your head slightly and smiled back at him; him with his ratty black sweater with the holes in the neckline and him with the uneven fringe falling boyishly into his eyes. He was the vision of home. He was all you ever needed.

“You’re gonna be just fine yeah?” Van assured, knowing you were nervous about him leaving for the first time.

“Yeah.”

“I’m gonna miss you like hell though,” he admitted, breathing out and shaking his head a little.

“I miss you and you haven’t even left yet!” you whined jokingly, holding your hands to your forehead. While you meant it as a joke, it was true. You wanted nothing more than to pull Van back inside and into bed where you’d keep him close and never let each other go. You’d laugh and joke and kiss and curl up forever. 

The sudden screech of tires on the asphalt outside told you the taxi had arrived. Your heart lurched and dropped to your stomach. Van let out one last, long breath of smoke into the air and sighed. You closed the space between the two of you and tangled your arms tightly around his body. Burying your face into his neck, you breathed in his smoky scent for the last time in a while. You made sure to take in every detail. The way his hair smelt strongly of your shampoo because he never bothered to get his own, the sound of his heartbeat and the feel of his body against yours.

“I love you, y/n,” Van whispered. You fought back tears.

You watched him pack his bag into the boot of the taxi, as he climbed into the back seat waving at you and as the car took off, disappearing down the road. When he was well and truly gone, you rushed back inside and leaning against the closed door you sighed. He’d be in the UK playing festivals for one month, then somewhere else entirely for another.

You would be fine. It was just two months. You could do it. 

Van had not officially moved in with you, but he may as well have. Since the beginning, you’d hardly left each other’s side. It started with the sleepovers following late nights out when Van would drive you home. Quickly, that routine turned into him staying for nights on end, until eventually, you’d cleared him his own drawer in your bedroom and his own shelf in the shower. Your home had become his too and that was how you liked it.

You decided to curl up on the couch for the rest of the evening and get stuck into a new TV series, one Van didn’t want to watch. While you were in the kitchen making tea before starting the first episode, your phone buzzed. It was from Van.

“Miss you babe! I’ll be home before ya know it. Larry won’t be as good to cuddle up with at night. Love you!! XXXX”

You smiled at your phone and your chest was filled with the familiar warm fuzzies. 

After making your tea, you cuddled up on the couch under the soft woollen blanket Van had bought you and began to watch your TV show, all while quickly and happily texting back and fourth with Van.

Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as you thought.

.....

The weeks passed, some slower than others. You were okay. Not good, but okay. You missed Van so much and part of you felt pathetic for it. But after being stuck together like glue for so long, it was strange not having him around. The small place you rented, suddenly felt much too big for you without his presence inside it.

Van would try and comfort you over the phone, teasing that you won’t want him back because with him gone, you didn’t have to clean up the ash on the coffee table, or the stale toast left on the counter tops or the wet towels left carelessly on the carpet. You laughed along, but if anything, you missed his mess. You missed coming home from work and finding the house left in chaos after he’d been bored staying home alone and struggled to find something to do. You missed the way he’d not be able to decide which bubble bath to use, so he’d use them all and then the bubbles would overflow onto the tiles. You missed his body sleeping next to you at night, stealing the covers and eventually pulling them off onto the floor while he dreamt.

You’d been out to numerous lunch dates and drinks with friends; their attempts at making sure you weren’t lonely. You were kept busy with work and in all honesty, you didn’t have much time to sit around and pine for Van. Though you couldn’t deny that it became extra tough when you skyped. Looking at him on the screen, miles and miles away, made you feel as though he’d taken part of you with him. You felt the ache in your chest tighten and become more difficult to deal with when you heard his voice or saw his face.

“How’s the tour? What have you guys gotten up to?” you asked him, hoping for an answer that wasn’t the normal ‘smoking with Larry’ and ‘lots of press’. 

You were always curious about what it was like for him to be away, about the people he met and the places he saw. You knew he lived for it and that he and the boys were so so loved, so widely. It almost made your absence from each other worth it. You liked the idea that he was brightening up other people’s lives just by singing and just by existing. He was a ray of sunshine, literally. But you wondered what toll it took on him too. 

“Babe. It’s fucking incredible, I wish you were here. Me and Bond....” and with that he was off on a tangent, telling you about some steak and chips place he and Bondy had found and how it was the best food he’d ever had, bar his mum’s cooking. You listened, though you couldn’t help but zone out slightly, listening to the sound of his voice rather than exactly what he was saying. 

“You look tired y/n, are you okay? You coping?” Van asked, sounding worried and a little sad. 

“Yeah...yeah I’m good. Just miss you is all. But I’m good,” you smiled sadly into the webcam. You spoke bluntly, like you were trying to convince yourself more so than Van, that what you were saying was true. Van nodded and stared back at you. You wished you could reach through the screen and pull him into your arms. 

“You’ll be okay. I’ll be home in a few weeks! Then we can try that new tea place you told me about!” Van grinned trying to lighten the mood. 

“We can indeed,” you smiled back for his sake, not letting the sinking feeling in your chest become too obvious on your face. You didn’t want him to worry about you, you wanted him to have the time of his life on tour. 

After he’d been called to soundcheck by someone, you said your goodbye’s and your I love you’s and you reluctantly shut off the skype call with a sigh. You sat at the computer desk for a while, not doing anything but spacing out. Deciding enough was enough, you picked yourself up and went to the bedroom. You opened Van’s drawer and pulled out one of the sweaters he’d left behind. You threw it on, feeling instantly safer and fell into bed for a nap. 

.....

Soon, your skype calls with Van became less frequent. You knew he was busy with meeting fans, doing interviews and of course the shows themselves. But something wasn’t sitting right. He’d forget to call, would rush off unexpectedly in the now rare situation where you did get to talk and was just generally antsy and off. You couldn’t bring yourself to discuss it with him though, you hated confrontation. However, he still told you he loved you and you believed him. You put the whole thing down to you just being paranoid and lonely. 

You pushed aside the thought that sat in the shadows of your mind, that Van was cheating on you. The thought alone made you sick. You knew that Van wasn’t like that. But then again, you had only known him a few months and you had virtually no clue about what he actually got up to on tour. Especially with his recent decline in communication with you. You ignored that possibility with all the energy you had.

Though one night, a glass of red wine in hand and unspeakable suspicions plaguing your mind, you decided to look up Catfish online, to see what the fans were saying. You trawled past the fan fiction, the photos, the blog posts. Suddenly you were inundated with gifs and screenshots of a certain interview. Van had his arms around a red-headed girl and was looking at her with starry eyes. Your heart lurched. You clicked the link, unsure if you’d regret it or not. 

The many comments read things like “she’s so pretty! They make such a good couple!” and “I bet they’re dating!”. Not to mention “is he high?” and “I bet he shagged her”. You felt sick and you hadn’t even seen the video yet. 

As you watched, you were horrified. He was all over her, couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Every line he spoke was overtly flirtatious and full of sexual innuendo. Tears began to stream down your face and you felt your whole world crashing. You knew something had happened between them....and if it hadn’t, it would. You recognised the way he behaved around her all too well; it was how he treated you before you dated officially. All flirty pickup lines and no thought. He was showing off.

She commented on the smell of his hair, another thing that made your insides shatter. They had their arms around each other, he talked about sex, threesomes, about wanting to see her in a bikini. The final straw though, was when they said they loved each other. You knew it wasn’t serious, he couldn’t actually be in love with her. Or could he? You slammed your laptop shut and violently sobbed into the sleeves of Van’s sweater, almost spilling your wine as you put the glass down. In a fit of rage between waves of tears, you pulled the sweater of Van’s that you were wearing off and threw it across the room. You didn’t want anything of his near you. That was not behaviour you tolerated from Van or any boyfriend. You felt disrespected and you felt betrayed. 

........

Days rolled over in a haze of grey and soon Van would be home. Only two weeks away. You were dreading it. You’d only spoken a few times since you’d seen the youtube video. When you spoke, you did your best to act normal and as if nothing was wrong, it was excruciating. Van believed it all. But where you could, you’d duck his calls or ‘forget’ to respond to his texts. You took extra shifts at work so you’d be out of the house and busy for longer. All the while you didn’t tell anyone what you saw or what you thought had happened. You didn’t want to believe that Van had cheated on you, but you were almost certain of it. At first you’d thought maybe it was a one off, but as you sat there alone in your flat for days on end you began to imagine the worst. Between the already suspicious and abnormal behaviour he presented, the interview itself which was undeniable proof that he clearly flirted like mad with other women and the fact he didn’t seem to notice or care that you were calling and talking less, you’d decided that at least something had happened, most likely with that red-headed interviewer. 

You sat curled up on the couch looking at her Instagram; she was gorgeous, popular, worldly, confident and relatively famous. She was the type of girl you thought a rock-star like Van should be with; not you with your shitty office job 9-5, your mundane lifestyle and your mountain of other issues. Your self-worth took a massive hit, as hard as you tried to stay above it all. You were restless at night, worrying about all the things Van could possibly be doing at that moment. It was toxic. 

You tried your best to push it all aside but soon the anxiety turned to anger. You were sat on Van’s side of the bed, your legs dangling over the edge and glaring at his drawer, contemplating whether or not to pack it into a box. Just as you were about to open it, the doorbell rang. Weird. 

You pulled on a cardigan over your pyjamas and lazily trudged down the cold hallway. Who would be calling in this early on a Sunday morning?

As you went to open the door, you hesitated slightly but opened it anyway. To your utter surprise, there stood Van with a bright bunch of flowers in one hand, suitcase in the other and an enormous grin on his face. Two weeks early. Ordinarily, it would have made your heart burst with joy. Today, however, your eyes bulged wide and your body tensed; it was the last thing you wanted. 

“Surprise!” he yelled excitedly, bundling you up in his arms immediately. 

You reluctantly hugged him back and forced a smile. You could feel your hands become clammy and your heart began to race, making you feel sick. When he pulled away he gave you the flowers and stood to wait for a response. Quickly his face dropped and you could tell he was feeling many things at once: disappointment, confusion and worry. 

“Are you not happy I’m home?” Van asked, sensing something was wrong just from your body language. You felt like a deer in the headlights. 

“Of course I am, I missed you,” you smiled, trying. You did miss him; at least that part wasn’t a lie. When you looked into his face, all you could see was him with his arms around the red-headed girl. You swallowed painfully. 

“Okay. Well, can I come inside?” he asked slowly. You nodded and moved to the side of the doorway letting him and his suitcase pass.

Once he was inside, you shut the door and followed him back into the house. What would you say to him? Would he even tell you? It was clear he didn’t know that you knew, just that something wasn’t right. You ducked into the kitchen and silently put the flowers in a vase, using it as a distraction and excuse for not placing your attention on him. Once you’d done that, you walked over to where Van had rested his suitcase against the wall in the living room, with your arms crossed defensively and shoulders hunched in anxiety. He turned to face you.

Van stood in front of you clearly wanting nothing more than to bury himself in your arms but he knew something was wrong, so instead, he fiddled with the sleeves of his jumper and darted his eyes around nervously. 

“Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?” he asked after a few seconds of awkward silence. 

“If anyone should be explaining things, it’s you,” you replied, a little more poisonously than intended. 

He jolted his head back slightly and furrowed his eyebrows, shocked at your comment. 

“How do ya mean?” he asked, confused.

You wished you had more self-control, that you could wait until he just told you himself or just not bring it up with him at all. But you wanted answers. 

“I saw the interview, Van.”

“The interview? Wha-”

“With the red-haired girl,” you hissed and his face snapped into realisation, his mouth making a small ‘o’ shape. You rolled your eyes. 

“What about it?” he asked innocently. 

“What about it? Van, you practically eye-fucked her! You were all over her, it was so fucking inappropriate when you have a girlfriend. Or do I just not exist in the face of other women when you’re on the road?” you exploded angrily. Van took a step towards you and you took one back, not wanting him to touch you. 

“Nothing happened y/n, I swear!”

“Sure. Okay. Even if it didn’t, how would you feel if I went off for months and hardly spoke to you, then a video of me appeared online where I was just flirting like mad with some guy I had my hands all over?” you argued chaotically. Van’s expression changed yet again. 

“Then on top of that, all the comments were arguments about whether or not I fucked him or that we should fuck if we haven’t already,” you finished, feeling better about manically getting your feelings out into the open. 

“I didn’t think of it like that, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to actually flirt with her! Honest! I was just joking around,” Van replied, sounding frustrated. 

“Not good enough Van.”

“I was high as a kite y/n! And I missed you like mad, I was goin’ off the fuckin’ dial! Ask Larry! Nothing happened with her or anyone, I promise and I’m so fucking sorry.  I was busy and I am shit with my phone, I forget things when I shouldn’t and I didn’t think. I mean it. I’m sorry,” Van elaborated desperately. 

You sighed and looked down at the floor.

“I thought you cheated on me or something,” you whispered, ashamed that you were even saying that to him.

“Babe, no, I swear. I’d never,” Van responded softly. He slowly moved closer to you and you let him curl his arms around your body. 

You allowed yourself to sink into him and be gently rocked side to side. Rationally, you knew he wouldn’t cheat. How he interacted with that girl though still hurt and still scared you. 

“I love you y/n. Only you. Yeah?” Van whispered into your hair and you nodded, starting to cry. This reminded you of just before Van had left; when you held him tight in the doorway, fighting back tears that threatened to spill as he told you he loved you. You believed him then and you believed him now.

Van held you, stroking your hair until the shaking stopped and you got your breath back. He let you go and placed his hands on your shoulders, crouching down to look you in the eye. You tried your best to swallow the horrible feelings that had mixed around in your body, becoming tangled up with your insides. 

“I know I fucked up. I’m an idiot. I gotta start thinkin’ more about how stuff that’s totally innocent to me looks an’ how it makes you feel too. Because I never wanna hurt you y/n,” he said sincerely and you nodded again, wiping away your tears.

“It’s just you. You’re my girl, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

...........

A bit later that day, you and Van were sat together on the couch, his arm around your shoulders. You were watching Austin Powers, continuing from where you left off; Van was forcing you to watch all movies with him in order as he couldn’t believe you’d never seen it. Van was all showered and clean from being on the road, he’d made you both tea and he’d even unstacked the dishwasher. You could tell he still felt insanely guilty. As hard as you tried to focus on the film, the unpleasant feelings still lingered and you couldn’t completely let go. You wished you could, but it wasn’t happening. 

Van laughed at one of the jokes and you forced yourself to laugh along too so he wouldn’t notice that you were still anxious. You glanced at him quickly; his eyes were glued to the screen and a stupid, cute grin was plastered to his face. Your heart skipped a beat; you really did love him so much. 

“Ouch kabibble,” Van laughed more to himself than you, “I should start saying that.”

When you didn’t respond, Van turned and looked at you with concerned eyes.

“Still not feeling good babe?” He said sadly, you shrugged. 

“Do you believe me when I say nothin’ happened with anybody?” He asked, tightening his grip around you and holding your hand. 

You nodded.

“Then what’s the matter?”

You knew you couldn’t explain in words he’d understand. The boy was sweet and innocent and didn’t understand why you felt threatened. In his mind, his love for you was concrete and assured. In his mind, he could harmlessly flirt with anyone and it didn’t mean he loved you any less or was any less loyal. You also knew that Van was bubbly and personable; a natural and uncontrollable flirt as it were.

“Hard to explain. But just feel a bit shit still that you were hardcore flirting with another girl while I was sat here at home thinking you’d cheated on me,” you responded bluntly. 

Van’s eyebrows knitted together as they did when he was concentrating and he nodded, sticking his tongue out a tiny bit. He was trying to think of how to make it better, make it right. 

“I can’t even begin to imagine how fucked you must have felt y/n. From now I’ll be extra careful and if I fuck up again you can dump me, yeah?” 

“I don’t want to dump you, Van. I want to feel like I’m good enough for you and like I’m safe in this relationship. Because when I see videos of you flirting with other girls, I don’t. Makes me wonder what you get up to while I’m not around.”

Van roughly pulled you into him and planted his lips on your forehead while wrapping his arms around you tightly. You could feel him shake slightly underneath you.

“You’re more than enough. You’re everything and you’re so fuckin’ safe y/n,” he whispered desperately and you wrapped your arms around his neck. 

He kissed your forehead over and over and whispered that he loved he loved you as many ways as he could.

You sighed. You believed him. You already knew Van was too good for this world; he’d just made a mistake. A mistake that hurt you and would mean your trust in him took a hit. But still a mistake. You’d learn to forgive him. 

“Sorry I’m pissed and grumpy,” you groaned, burying your head into his clothes. He raked his fingers through your hair gently and you rolled over in his arms so you could look at him.

“Don’t be. I deserve it,” he chuckled and you cracked a small, thin smile to which Van grinned. 

“There she is! Now, tell me, what can I do to make it up to you?” He asked.

“You can do all the washing. Don’t even think about giving it to Larry,” you responded quickly and monotone.

“Done,” he responded, reaching to kiss you for the first time since he’d gotten home. 

At first, you were hesitant but quickly melted into him. You pressed your forehead into his for a few moments after the kiss and just listened to each other’s breathing. 

“Wanna choose dinner tonight? I’ll get you whatever take out you want,” Van stated. 

“Nope. You’re cooking. Punishment,” you grinned smugly. 

“Fine,” he whined, he hated cooking. 

“Big proper meal, no toasties,” you demanded, rolling around under the blanket on Van’s lap. He looked down at you with his beautiful blue eyes and you found yourself unsure how you could have ever doubted him.

“I’ll cook up a storm, love.” 

Van convinced you to go shower while he went out to buy some groceries for dinner. Part of you felt bad for making him slave away in the kitchen on his first night home, but you knew he was more than willing. You washed your hair, pretending that the hot water was washing away all the bad memories and feelings of the last few weeks. When you stepped out, you wrapped yourself in the soft, fluffy, white towel and made the decision to try your best to move on. Upon entering your bedroom, you saw that Van had laid out your favourite flannel pyjamas and a bathrobe for you and you smiled. After you tied your hair up in the towel, you went back out to the living area to find that Van was back and cooking away behind the stove. You stood leaning against the doorway with your arms crossed and a small, contented smile on your lips. You had that warm feeling, love, in your chest again. He hadn’t yet noticed your presence as he was busy stirring the pan, his face contorted in concentration as he tried to multitask and read the recipe at the same time.

“Smells good,” you commented, pretending you’d just walked in.

“Does it?” his face lit up, you nodded with a smile that showed your teeth. 

You stood behind him and quickly wrapped your arms around him for a hug before you left him in peace to finish dinner. 

When he called out that dinner was ready, you laid the table for the two of you and Van dished out; he’d cooked a roast as it was Sunday night. It smelled good and homey. You were genuinely impressed at how well he’d done. 

“Always had a Sunday roast growin’ up, you know?” he smiled, tucking in. 

Van spent the rest of the evening looking after you and doing his very best to cheer you up and show you just how much he loved you. He dealt with your anxiety, your mood swings and the occasional tears that came out in waves you couldn’t control. He recognised that what he did was going to take a toll, but you’d work through it together. 

Eventually, you fell asleep with your head in his lap, With a smile, he carried you into bed, making sure you fell asleep properly, knowing just how deeply loved you were. 

[imsarabum]

{PART 26} I Won’t Stop You // Jeon Jungkook, Vampire!AU

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Vampire!AU, Fantasy, Angst, Smut

Summary; Jungkook attempts to do the impossible; keep Yoongi under control for as long as he can in his own Manor. But, after an unsuspecting escalation - everything ends in tears...and blood.

“How sobering it is, to love something that evil can corrupt”

|| Warning: This chapter contains violence and some scenes that readers may find upsetting ||

I update this series every Tuesday evening, 9pm-10pm (UK Time) 

{Part 1} // {Part 25} {Part 26} {Part 27}

As the Manor door opened, you stood beside a smirking Yoongi – still being firmly held in Namjoon’s leathered grasp while Taehyung, Jimin, Seokjin and Hoseok all lingered behind you in the freezing cold. The wind and the rain continued to lay their mark upon the land with no intentions of stopping anytime soon, as you raised your eyes to look into Jungkook’s; hearing the rumbling of thunder loom in the distance.

“Good evening, cousin. Shall we skip the aspects of meaningless, polite, sociable behaviour – or would you care to tell me about how much you’ve missed me?” Yoongi’s sarcasm was so thick; it could have been cut with a sharp knife as he raised his eyebrow to gauge the Prince’s reaction. Jungkook tightened his jaw upon seeing you – wanting nothing more than to reach forward and pull you right into his grasp. But he knew he had a war to fight, and compromising his composure would surely be the downfall of you both. Jungkook bore his eyes into yours – seeing the tear stained rings around them, noting how your mouth had since become all red and chaffed from the rag that silenced your inaudible whimpering from the cold. It was almost as if no words needed to be exchanged between you both at that moment, as even then – you could somehow sense that Jungkook was on the same wavelength as you, both of you apologising profusely to each other, with the prominent look of guilt and disgust of himself that swam deep in his dark pools of distress.

“Please, put this over (Y/N) and make your way into the main living room to the left” Jungkook held forward the plush throw that usually sat upon one of his chairs to Namjoon.

“Of course” you heard Namjoon’s gentle whisper from behind you as he took the throw off Jungkook, before proceeding to carefully place it around your body. “He doesn’t seem as harsh as Yoongi and the other two...is it just his demeanour? Or is it something deeper than that?” you pondered quietly to yourself as Jungkook stood back to let you all inside while you felt your chilly bones being engulfed by the slight warmth of the Manor.

“I like what you’ve done with the place, my Prince. It’s very...Jeon style” Yoongi chuckled as waltzed inside and took a left into the living room. “What a nice cosy love-nest you’ve made for you and your pet...the aroma in the air is one that turns my stomach, however” he added in reference to the smell of both of your love-making still thick in the atmosphere as Jungkook closed the front doors, before joining you all in the living room and closing the living room doors in turn. Jungkook almost lost his temper at how Yoongi referred to you – as a pet, reducing you and your intelligence to nothing more but a mere plaything to describe his relationship with you. He looked to you, still shivering, bound and gagged as your eyes never left his; but he couldn’t help notice how Taehyung and Jimin’s eyes almost never left the floor – which let Jungkook instantly know that they harboured the same guilt and hatred he had for himself. “I was a fool for misjudging you both...” Jungkook winced – regretful that all he could do, was stand there and watch.

“There’s hardly much need to keep (Y/N) bound and gagged like some species of vicious animal, Yoongi. Surely now that we’re all inside – and seeing as no one is going anywhere, it makes no sense to take such extreme measures?” Jungkook asked for the sake of your comfort – and also to further stall to allow for more time to pass. Yoongi licked his lips boldly as he took a step forward to Jungkook, as if to square and size himself up to the taller Vampire, before looking back to Namjoon and nodding his head.

“Surely, my Prince – as long as she knows to keep her wonderful hands to herself...understood?” Yoongi questioned you as you nodded your head quickly. You knew from the moment the binds were placed on you – and from how all of the rogues had gone to the trouble of covering every possible area of their skin that they could; that they didn’t wish to have your domitor touch marry their bodies – not like you would have wanted to lay your hands on the Vampire that murdered your family, either. Yoongi continued, “You know – she’s been such a good little mouse for me the entire time we waited in the car for you to arrive back home. I thought that she might possibly give me some trouble after she came to from her little dose of chloroform...but she was such an angel – undressing in front of all of us and slipping on that beautiful, thin dress for me”

You widened your eyes as Namjoon removed the gag from around your mouth – knowing that every word that passed Yoongi’s lips was a lie. You thought back to just a few hours ago; how the only people left in the car had been you, Taehyung and Jimin, how Taehyung instructed you to put on the white dress that Yoongi had told him to make you wear; and how both Vampires turned away to allow you to keep your dignity intact while you reluctantly changed. You knew that the entire time – Yoongi had been with the others outside - talking amongst themselves after driving a far enough distance from the Manor. “He’s trying to get a rise out of Jungkook...” you flashed Jungkook a look that said “It’s a lie – don’t believe it” as you desperately tried to calm your heartbeat by taking steady breaths – feeling Namjoon loosen the rope around your waist that held your hands in place. Jungkook picked up on your signal, but it didn’t stop him from feeling petrifying anger nonetheless.

“I believe you requested permission to enter my home so that we could discuss all of this?” Jungkook shifted his weight as he folded his arms rather defensively – looking at Yoongi, but never taking his sights off you either as you hugged the blanket further around yourself; your throat still dry and hoarse from when you had gulped down chloroform from earlier. Yoongi began walking slowly – producing echoed footsteps that only seemed to add to the throbbing headache that had since made itself at home in your frontal lobes.

“You believe correct, my Prince.” Yoongi circled around Jungkook.

“Then shall we all take a seat – rather than standing on ceremony?” Jungkook’s eyes followed Yoongi’s every movement – his senses working double-time as he kept them focused on each soul in the room. Yoongi snickered at Jungkook’s diplomatic remark, before walking in front of him to face him once again.

“I suggest you drop your little ‘holier than thou’ act, my Prince. We shall all stand for the duration of our conversation. I don’t plan on being here for long. No doubt your mother dearest will be on her way with reinforcements...by which time; it will all be too late” he sneered with delight as you felt a shiver run up and down your body. Not only were you terrified of Yoongi for the patently obvious reason of what he had subjected you and your family to in the past...but his whole presence was nothing less than the feeling of evil. His eyes – his stare, the maddening stare that your brother had been drawing his entire life; and you could see it right in front of you.

“As you wish” Jungkook inclined his head ever-so-slightly, playing along with Yoongi and letting him believe he was the king of the chessboard to keep him calm and docile. “Perhaps, if I might ask to break the ice...how did you manage to escape your mansion?” Jungkook asked plainly as if it were the most normal question that could happen during small-conversation. Yoongi smiled – baring his teeth and gums as if he found something to be terribly funny.

“My poor old mother has a soft heart, my Prince. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t have been able to manipulate her into letting me flee to avoid my certain death? Well...not like she had much of a choice. I did have father in my grasp – ready to remove his head from his body. You see, Jungkook – emotions aren’t all what they’re cracked up to be. Sure, you can feel pleasure, happiness...but you can also feel pain; guilt...remorse...tenderness” Yoongi’s eyes glistened feverishly as he knew Jungkook was probably feeling every sense of negative emotions; and he fed on it like it was his only life source.

“I see.” Jungkook responded, looking over to Taehyung at the mention of his parents. “And – Taehyung and Jimin?”

“Same scenario, cousin! It’s amazing how weak a Vampire can be when they feel. It’s laughable how – when someone they love is in immediate danger...that even a Vampire would be willing to do anything. Even if it means fucking someone else over in the process!” Taehyung shut his eyes tight at Yoongi’s description – hating absolutely every inch of his own entire being...but knowing that he would have done anything for Jimin, just as Jungkook would do anything for you. It had never even crossed your mind before this moment – but you found yourself thinking, “Would it have been better if I never made Jungkook feel emotions? As a domitor...does he hate the weakness that I made him feel?” you became filled with even more remorse than before.

“It’s true – emotions can be good and bad and, I’ve learned that recently. But, through learning that – one can come to understand that there can never be light without shadow...or good without evil in the world. I believe it’s balance that makes the world what it is. Don’t you agree, cousin?” Jungkook found himself almost smiling as that’s exactly how he thought of you – the balance, the love and the power that drove him to become a better version of himself every day.

“Hmph” Yoongi snorted, stepping away from Jungkook and proceeding to linger around you.

“I suppose you must be very confused as to how I knew that (Y/N) was a domitor?” Yoongi asked plainly as you and every other Vampire in the room became more than interested for an explanation; as no one had ever known Yoongi’s plans or intentions. Yoongi pursed his lips together, looking at you as you stood with your hands on either side of your thighs – the fright in your eyes making him feel more enthralled by you in response.

“I didn’t know what it was at first” he began, “I – how does one put it? Bumped into her thirteen years ago while I believe she was with her father. At the time, I had been on my way to work – when this delightful little being accidentally walked straight into me – her hands brushed against the skin on my forearms as we passed each other on the street” his voice was almost nostalgic – as if he were speaking of fond memories. As you searched your mind for recollection of the incident in question, Jungkook and Taehyung couldn’t help but reminisce about how normal Yoongi was back then. Even though there had always a harsh divide between Taehyung and Yoongi; Taehyung had always been proud of his older brother – who used to be one of the top history lecturers at the most prestigious University in the country. “And then...he met (Y/N)...and everything snowballed from there” the missing pieces of the puzzle finally began placing themselves together in both Taehyung and Jungkook’s minds.

“You asked me back then; ‘Why did you do it, Yoongi? What caused you to murder two innocent humans?’” Yoongi’s eyes looked like they were glazing over, as Jungkook recalled his words he had spoken thirteen years ago when he was trying to decide whether or not to dispose of his elder cousin. “At first, I felt as idiotic as you, from her brief skin on skin contact. The emotion, the life, the rush...but it only left me with more questions. Questions that I certainly had the contacts to find answers to. The more I dug – the more information and theories I stumbled upon...” he paused to chuckle – his face coming right up close to yours as you stiffened your entire body; watching Jungkook glare at his boldness as he knew there wasn’t a damn thing he could do.

“...did you know...that domitors can do more than just give Vampires their lost emotions?” Yoongi spoke to Jungkook – however, he never took his eyes off your skin as you reeled in response.

“Do enlighten me.” Jungkook replied – flashing a silent look to Taehyung and Jimin. They, and you included, knew that you possessed more power than just essentially giving life...however, Jungkook wanted to know what Yoongi thought he knew; ultimately, stalling once more and giving you all a little more time, but also seeing how his brain really worked.

“Tell me, Jungkook...do you know what would happen if a domitor were to be turned into a Vampire?” Yoongi relished in the pounding of your heart as the words fell from his mouth.

“It’s to my understanding that no one does. For, it has never been done before. Really –“

“Exactly! Exactly my point, dear cousin” Yoongi cut Jungkook’s sentence off abruptly as he turned away from you to look him in the eye once more. “After I touched her – I began searching for more information...and I happened to stumble across an old archived book in my parent’s mansion that held some outstanding theories on creatures like (Y/N) – how her DNA would change...if – let’s say, a Vampire such as myself were to...change her...” Yoongi’s inner history lecturing persona formed its way to a front.

“And what do you think that would achieve?” Jungkook tried his best to push the rage inside of him down below deck as he watched fear sweep across your face in turn.

“Her power would be limitless, Jungkook!” Yoongi’s mad, manic voice reverberated throughout the living room as his eyes went wild with delusional wonder. “The possibilities are endless – her very stare alone could kill anyone in her way; the amount of knowledge she would possess...she would be able to see as far back in time to when time itself started, and maybe even foresee the future!”

“...he’s...he’s gone completely insane” Taehyung stared at his brother as Yoongi continued to walk around the room – waving his arms in the air and rhyming off things he believed you could do if you were changed. “Even if there was any truth to what he was saying...to want to change someone for those reasons is just – diabolical”

“...and so, Jungkook – as I would be the one to turn her...she would be bound to me; her master...” the very thought of Yoongi’s words not only terrified you, but they disgusted you to no end.

“And what would you do – as her master?” Jungkook lowered his head, watching Yoongi’s face contort in maddened deviance while still keeping his eyes fixed on him.

“Isn’t it obvious? With her power at my disposal in its highest form...I intend to show our creator, our great sanguinem daemonium that Vampires want his presence back in their lives! I’ll be a hero – I’ll be his right-hand Vampire...and I will create a legion of Vampires more powerful than any regium could ever hope to be...” he stared wistfully at nothing as he let out a series of small giggles. As everyone in the room kept silent in the wake of Yoongi’s explanation, Namjoon – who was still standing behind you, found himself with his eyebrows knitted and his mind doing laps of confusion. But before he could even take a moment to collect his thoughts properly, Taehyung spoke up – taking the words right out of Namjoon’s mind.

“You plan to use (Y/N) as a Vampire, domitor hybrid to summon the blood demon once again...based on a random book you found in our parent’s library?” he chuckled to himself inwardly as he knew without a shadow of a doubt that such a plan would never work. Even Jungkook knew that, once a creature from the Netherworld vowed to their word; that they could never go against it. The blood demon made a pact with Jungkook’s grandfather all those years ago – promising never to return; which in turn, meant that there was no sanity to Yoongi’s train of thought whatsoever.

“Yes – my dear, idiot brother! For the blood demon whispers to me often; tells me of what I should do. That is why I’ve hunted (Y/N) down; that’s why I intend to take her for myself...to become the God that this world needs. And she’ll be by my side...helping me to rid the world of Vampires who wish to stain our heritage by fucking drinking manufactured blood! We are hells children...and it’s shameful that it has even gone on this long, don’t you think?”

In that moment, Jungkook thought about all the ways in which he truly wanted to respond – “You’re delusional, you’ve gone insane” and so on, but it only left Jungkook and Taehyung with the notion of your touch, which was meant to be a true blessing to their species, had seemingly turned Yoongi into a power-hungry monster with a god complex; and a thirst for blood. “It’s almost as if...he was born evil” Taehyung shuddered at the thought. No matter, Jungkook knew that regardless of what exactly you would turn into – should you be turned at all; you would be absolutely bound to Yoongi if he was the one to bite you. And that was something he would certainly not allow. However, you had since been working everything out for yourself in your own head – concluding on something that Jungkook failed to pick up on.

“Yoongi...Yoongi needs me. He ‘plans’ to use me to do all these things...which means; he can’t hurt me. He can’t afford to lose me. Essentially, I’m the greatest weapon in his arsenal” you found yourself growing an extra layer of skin as your backbone hardened to steel.

“And the best part of my plan?” Yoongi continued to pace around the living room – Hoseok and Seokjin nearby with Namjoon still standing right behind you. “I’ll have the power to eliminate anyone who chooses to get in my way. Either they join me...or I’ll destroy them. How long I’ve wished to eradicate the privileged regium that have looked down upon me for as long as I’ve lived...” Yoongi’s words made Jungkook flinch at the thought of his entire family being decimated by him.

“...why would you even reveal any of that?” you spoke up – catching everyone completely unaware as Jungkook shot his head in your direction. “(Y/N)...” he gave you a concerned look – all while Yoongi panned his vision back to you; his stare ice cold as his features donned a look of confusion mixed with disgust.

“Excuse me?” Yoongi let out half a laugh, wanting to entertain your boldness to speak up; before your voice took on a mind of its own and wrapped itself in a severely clipped tone.

“Well – haven’t you just given your entire position away? Like – I’m not a Vampire or anything but...why would you even bring me back here, reveal all of your ‘amazing’ plans to Jungkook and then proceed to tell him that you’re gonna’ kill him and his family? Seems a bit counter-productive...if it were me; I would have opted for the element of surprise. But what do I know? I’m just a weapon that’ll be controlled by some fucking maniac whose tree...whose tree clearly doesn’t go the whole way to the top” you muttered your last sentence under your breath; but it was heard loud and clear.

Every single Vampire in the room stood with their mouths wide open – most of them impressed that you seemingly possessed larger testicles than all of them combined. Yoongi; however, was not in the least bit impressed at your sudden outburst that he found to be the height of rudeness. That – and you had just hit him right where it hurt him the most; his ego. Before Jungkook even had time to blink, Yoongi was right in front of your face – grabbing a fistful of your hair in his hand to pull your head back – peering deep into your eyes as you struggled to push him off you.

“You’ve got a lot to say for someone who’s the weakest one here; don’t you?!” Yoongi snarled right into your face – producing a knife that Jungkook could smell the potent aroma of deadly toxins coated on its steel. Jungkook knew that, although such toxins couldn’t necessarily kill a fully grown, regium Vampire like himself; but it could severely weaken him to the point of sickness and exhaustion; which in turn, left him standing a few feet away from you – ready to pounce if Yoongi were to show any sign of further hostility towards you.  It was then, without thinking, you gathered every drop of saliva that pooled in your mouth, hawked it to the back of your throat – before spitting it out right on to Yoongi’s unsuspecting features...a small smile of meaningless victory spreading on yours in turn.

“...you crude little slut!” Yoongi went to raise his hand to strike you; however, Namjoon pulled you back into his chest – causing Yoongi to completely miss you altogether. “...Mother was right...Namjoon has a tenderness in his heart that he cannot escape” Jungkook thought as he watched the situation play out from a few feet away – hardly believing the spitfire insolence that exuded from you; but he knew you were strong, and he knew that unless it was life threatening...you didn’t need anyone to protect you, other than yourself.

“You...madam...you are very lucky that I have great use for you” Yoongi proceeded to wipe the remnants of your saliva off his face with his leather-bound hand, before smearing it back over your own face while his thumb toyed with your bottom lip. “You’re a feisty one...we’ll have lots of fun together, (Y/N)...just you wait...” his voice was ominous and his eyes even more vicious than before, but you had since grown tired of his psychotic behaviour as you took his words with a pinch of salt. Meanwhile, Jungkook took to taking deep breaths and clenching his fists – feeling the consumed blood inside of him almost rise to a boiling point at the image of Yoongi with his hands anywhere near your body; but he knew that he had to keep his cool...for your sake as much as his own.

It was then that Taehyung took it upon himself to clear his throat, catching Yoongi’s attention while also meaning to defuse the situation. “Yoongi, while your plan may or may not work with your intentions to turn (Y/N) yourself...what would happen if – for talk’s sake...if (Y/N)’s body could not handle the change? I have done my own research on domitor DNA, and I have deducted that it’s entirely possible that complications due to three different types of DNA combining inside her could cause her body to just...shut down. Have you considered it?”

Yoongi blinked several times over, taking his brother’s words into account while keeping his eyes fixed on your stare that held equal amounts of anger and fear. “I have thought about such things...but really – what have I got to lose? If she dies, she dies – and I’m no better off than I was beforehand. It would be a shame, but I’d still find a way to get what I want” he smirked unapologetically – however, Namjoon knew that Yoongi was definitely concerned about such a thing as Yoongi had secretly gone to extreme lengths to research about the unknown transition of a domitor to a Vampire...alas, he was always left being no wiser than he was before. However, his words and lack of conscience sent a roaring fire of hatred to sweep Jungkook’s entire patience. You knew from the look on Jungkook’s face that he was fighting against himself to bite his own tongue – to not say or do anything that would cause a full scale fight to break out.

“(Y/N)’s question is a valid one, Yoongi” it took every ounce of self-control Jungkook possessed to swallow his anger and pride; to try and keep the situation firmly in his control. “One can’t help but wonder why you would reveal all of this to me. Unless – you’re just doing it for fun and dangling the idea right in front of me?” Jungkook could see you looking at him out of the corner of his eye as Yoongi finally turned around to him once more.

“Because, cousin; I never forget”

“...what is that supposed to mean?” Jungkook tilted his head as his eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Thirteen years ago – you could have sentenced me to death for the ‘crimes’ I committed. However, with the begging and pleading of my mother and the righteous nature of the way you had been brought up, my Prince...you spared my life. I believe your words were ‘I’m giving you the choice of redemption...and you’ll live out the rest of your days in solitude to repent for your sins...’” Yoongi smiled wickedly as Taehyung widened his eyes; knowing exactly what Yoongi was about to say.

“...I’m going to give you the same chance...the same choice to either live in my world; or die in yours” Yoongi stepped forward – his unkempt raven hair as wild as ever. “Join the legion of Vampires that (Y/N) will help me make...join me – serve me as your King and I’ll make you my right-hand auxilium – my advisor; my consiliario!” Yoongi’s deranged tone only further instilled his madness as he took to circling Jungkook once again. You, Taehyung, Jimin – and now Namjoon; all watched to see how Jungkook would respond; however, Yoongi continued.

“The offspring that (Y/N) and I will produce will create a new race of Vampires – far superior to the ones that currently inhabit the earth’s surface. With my guidance and control over her power; we will improve our own DNA as we know it...and the new legion will dominate the new world” Yoongi stopped right behind Jungkook to whisper in his ear “...join me, cousin...join me and use your own prowess the way it’s meant to be used...”

You scrunched your eyebrows together at the mention of ‘offspring’ with Yoongi – multiple thoughts of how you would never willingly lay with the one being that you wished nothing but death upon; however, Jungkook soon took you straight out of your thoughts with something you would have never thought in a million years he would say.

“...do you think the blood demon would be okay with me joining your legion?” Jungkook’s voice remained calm – keeping a sense of interest prevalent in his intonation as you looked to him; seeing him flash you a reassuring look that ultimately confused you even more.

“Of course he would! You are regium – you are the current Prince! You’re strong – you’re somewhat intelligent and I could make great use of your physical strength” Yoongi replied very matter-of-factly as he walked back around to stand with his back facing you to converse head on with Jungkook.

“Oh, that’s nice of him” Jungkook widened his eyes – relaxing his furrowed brows to look like he was displaying believable relief to Yoongi; however, you picked up on the fact that Jungkook was essentially playing ball with him – as did Taehyung, Jimin and Namjoon; all while Hoseok and Seokjin remained none the wiser. “What about the others though? Your own, current right hand-soldiers...Namjoon, Hoseok and Seokjin...do you think the blood demon would approve of them? What if he doesn’t?” you swallowed the lump in your throat as you could practically feel the itch that burned deep within Namjoon to know Yoongi’s response.

“In the grand scheme of things – do you honestly think that I would care if the blood demon told me to get rid of them? I created them – I am their master...they’re a means to an end, and they’ve known that from the very beginning. Sure...I would like to keep them around – Vampire’s are creatures of habit too, after all” Yoongi replied with a crooked smile – never looking around to observe the obvious hurt and frustration sketched on Namjoon’s soft features. You looked over to Hoseok and Seokjin who were standing some distance in between Taehyung and Jimin to watch over them, seeing both of them looking as clueless as the first time you laid eyes on them. “Those two seem to just be blindly following Yoongi – is that the power of being bound to someone?” you questioned, before silently raising your head to look back at Namjoon. “Then why is this one different? Is he like Taehyung? Has he tapped into his human emotions? Or...or is he just lost?” you wondered as you found yourself feeling a little sorry for the rogue who had shown you the most mercy out of all of them. “You pulled me back from Yoongi...does that mean you don’t wish to see me hurt?” you had more questions than answers available. However – despite Jungkook’s attempts to keep Yoongi calm and under control, you found yourself unable to hold your tongue a moment longer.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you mentioned that our ‘offspring’ could bring about this great new legion of Vampires; and that sounds impressive and all, but I can’t help but notice some shortcomings of your fantasies” you rolled your eyes as Yoongi looked at you out of the corner of his. Jungkook’s head shot in your direction – giving you a look that screamed for you to be quiet; but you paid no heed.

“For one – how do you know that I’m even capable of bearing children? Have you checked? Have you conferred with my general practitioner? And furthermore; going off of Taehyung’s point, let’s say that I live to see the other side of becoming from Vampire-domitor hybrid. How do you know that the change wouldn’t make me barren? Do you even know if a Vampire-domitor can bear children? Or are you just pulling these ideas out of your ass – like everything else you have done thus far?”

“(Y/N) – that’s enough” Jungkook spoke up in the wake of your words as everyone else in the room could practically feel the steam of rage rise from Yoongi’s shoulders as he just stayed quiet – keeping his unwavering stare fixated on you. Deep down, Jungkook certainly couldn’t help but smile to himself in secret – knowing that essentially, he had gotten to you first and ‘made his mark on you’ in such a way that no one else in the room except he knew about.

“I might have to put that gag back over that...lovely mouth of yours; if you don’t shut the fuck up...” Yoongi’s baritone whisper growled at you – but this time, none of what he said scared you, rather...it only angered you into antagonising him further.

“Yoongi...what if I’m not the problem at all? What if you’re the one who’s the problem, hm? How do you know you’re not firing blanks? I mean – do you know if you can even produce children? ‘Cos like, you have been locked up for thirteen years. I don’t know much about Vampire sperm but...what if you’ve gone sterile from having a major case of blue balls?” you tried your best to stifle back the giggle that was building at the back of your throat – but you did a piss poor job of it as your small voice tittered throughout the room. You could see each Vampire’s face as you looked around you – most of them in shock, Hoseok and Seokjin looking like they were about to burst out into fits of laughter at your crude, distasteful joke. However, Taehyung, Jungkook and Namjoon held sobering stares...while Yoongi took to cracking his neck with one swift motion, before setting his sights back on you with vengeance clear as day in his eyes.

“I was planning on waiting for the Prince’s answer before doing this, but it looks like there’s no time like the present!” Yoongi roared at you as he began striding towards you much quicker than you anticipated. Contrary to your previous spitfire, you froze on the spot as all you could see was the epitome of rage and disaster coming right into your personal space; but before you even had time to blink, let alone take a worried breath – you felt yourself being firmly pulled to the side by a pair of strong arms...but they weren’t Jungkook’s. In no more than a split second, you observed Namjoon as he proceeded to use himself as a shield for you – while Jungkook wasted no time whatsoever in grabbing Yoongi by both of his shoulders in a backwards motion; the force of which sent both Vampires crashing to the ground in a heap on top of each other. You let out an inaudible scream as you looked over Namjoon’s shoulder to see Jungkook and Yoongi scrambling to their feet with twisted faces, all while you tried to push Namjoon out of your line of vision; feeling incredible guilt for letting your pride build up inside of you that further antagonised the most hostile creature known to the world.

“I thought you’d be smarter than this, Jungkook! But it appears you’ve chosen the weaker life to live...so you’ll die by my hands...right here, right now” Yoongi’s voice thundered at Jungkook. Jungkook knew that his mother had told him not to engage in battle, but now he was left with no other choice.

“Then so be it, cousin” Jungkook snarled back at him – before the most vile, frightful scene unfolded right in front of your eyes as all you could do was stand there and watch; not being able to take your eyes off the two Vampires as they began...changing.

The first thing you witnessed was the sound – the sound of bones snapping, joints dislocating and locking into un-human positions as you saw the build up of Jungkook’s jaw-line become distorted. You watched in horror as his jaw completely snapped of its own will – seeing his mouth becoming at least four times larger than its previous size...to allow for what you saw next; his upper canines and lower lateral incisors growing at least four times their natural size, with the upper canines being much larger than the bottom fangs. Wondering how you were still able to stand up straight, you then witnessed the broadening of Jungkook and Yoongi’s shoulders – their entire body form becoming more of a monsters than resembling an average human as Jungkook’s white shirt ripped at the seams to allow for his growth – with Yoongi’s leather jacket doing much the same. Ignorantly, you just assumed that only the fangs would grow in length. But right then in that moment as you saw Jungkook’s beautiful hands claw into something that resembled something made from nightmare fuel, the true nature of a Vampire was unveiled right before your eyes – and you could hardly breathe due to feeling formidable terror sink you like an anchor into one of the deepest oceans. And as if things couldn’t possibly have become any more terrifying – you heard the sound of the roaring thunder crash over the Manor; along with a fierce strike of lightning that seemed too close for comfort. Unknowingly, you had been gripping on to Namjoon’s protective arms for dear life as the whole scene played out in front of your eyes – and every Vampire could hear your heartbeat pound like a maddened drum as it pumped your blood through your entire body at an undeniably quickened rate.

Jungkook kept his eyes on Yoongi as the two Vampires began circling each other while they crouched animalistically – each one waiting for the other to strike the first move. Jungkook let out a pre-eminent growl – his voice as gravely at the earth’s crust while Yoongi snarled back viciously. You watched on as another lightening strike proceeded to light up the entire room; and you caught the image of Jungkook’s eyes which had since completely blackened; the previous whites of his sclera’s no longer existent as it appeared his pupils had dilated to cover his entire eyeballs; as had Yoongi’s .

Without warning, Yoongi lunged for Jungkook with his fangs fully intent on ripping him to shreds. You screamed, but Jungkook was far too quick as he somewhat gracefully sidestepped Yoongi and circled around him once more. Jungkook then extended his hands to sink his elongated nails into Yoongi’s back – piercing his skin through the remaining leather and dragging them down his spine; producing a river of Yoongi’s previously consumed blood that began painting Jungkook’s wooden floor red beneath them both. Yoongi let out a deafening howl of excruciating pain; one that echoed every hall and room of the Manor as he spun around to try and counter strike Jungkook; but again, Jungkook’s speed and experience far outweighed Yoongi’s ambition to win him in a one on one fight. Once again, Jungkook managed to sink his claws into Yoongi – this time, leaving three deep marks across his face from his ear to his mouth. In the midst of the thunder and lightning and the wicked sounds of battle, Jungkook and Yoongi proceeded to almost dance around the furniture with finesse, occasionally scattering a chair here or a table there to try and weaken the other; but every time, Jungkook proved that he was undoubtedly more powerful than Yoongi.

“There’s no way I can fight him alone!” Yoongi grimaced to himself as he felt his life source of blood drain from him – feeling weaker by the second and knowing that he needed help.

“What are you three idiots doing? Help me – you useless bastards!” Yoongi let out a distorted, demonic scream as he proceeded to once again produce the toxin coated knife that had Jungkook widen his eyes; knowing that if the toxins came into contact with any kind of open wound of his, that he would surely not only lose his battle position; but he would no longer be able to keep you from Yoongi’s wicked, sadistic intentions.  In less than a second, Hoseok and Seokjin lunged forward to assist Yoongi in a three verses one battle. With no time to lose, you watched as Taehyung and Jimin went through the same transition into a Vampire’s true form, before running to Jungkook’s side to engage in the fight; making the odds fairer.

You felt a cold sweat make its way across your skin as you looked to your left, seeing Namjoon frozen to the spot; as if he were questioning his very moral stance.

“...Namjoon...” you whispered, dreading to know what he was thinking.

Namjoon took his eyes off the ongoing battle to pull you back towards the window to a safe enough distance. “...I – I don’t want to fight. I don’t...I don’t want any of this...” he almost whimpered back as he looked down to you – his eyes saying more than a thousand words could ever explain.

“Then help Jungkook! Go and fight by his side...Yoongi has already said he doesn’t care about what happens to you...why are you still thinking about what to do?”

“(Y/N) – I am bound to Yoongi...he is my master...I cannot harm him. Although he cannot control my movements or my mind, I cannot fight against him. I just...I just can’t” Namjoon shut his eyes tight as if to try and hold back real tears that threatened to escape his worried, tormented soul. “The only thing I can do to help Jungkook now...is to protect you. I don’t know why...but I feel like it’s what I have to do...”

You searched Namjoon’s entire features for a glint of a lie – a shimmer of doubt; but you found nothing but a broken being, caught between right and wrong and questioning his entire existence. Since becoming a Vampire, Yoongi was all that Namjoon knew. In many ways, Namjoon looked to Yoongi like a father figure, always desperately seeking his approval and recognition; to which he never achieved. “Namjoon...” you whispered, causing him to open his eyes as the crashing of the battle ensued. “Let me touch you – take off your gloves...” you begged him.

As the fight continued, Hoseok was the first to fall unconscious as Taehyung and Jimin took him on – while Seokjin and Yoongi tried their best to corner the Prince of Vampires. With more experience and wit under his belt, Taehyung managed to send Hoseok flying across the room with an uppercut to his head, leaving him knocked out cold at the far end of the living room. It was common knowledge to all Vampires that the only thing that could kill another Vampire; was a Vampire. The sheer strength of removing one’s head from their body was something that the everyday being couldn’t hope to possess or achieve in any way. But since Taehyung didn’t wish to have himself labelled as a murderer, he opted for the next best thing – a blow to a Vampires head; knocking them unconscious for a short period of time.

Yoongi looked back at Hoseok on the floor as he thought about how useless he was – before noticing that Namjoon wasn’t involved in the fight at all. As he watched Taehyung and Jimin jump to Jungkook’s side to take on himself and Seokjin, he quickly looked back behind him to observe Namjoon with his gloves just after falling to the floor; and your hand encasing the bare skin of his fingers.

“That insolent little temptress” Yoongi lost all sight and sense of calm and collectiveness as all he could see was the blind rage that filled his entire body. Not caring that he was leaving Seokjin to fight against the odds that would surely cause his death, Yoongi sprinted over to you and Namjoon as fast as he could – taking Namjoon in his hands, lifting him clean off his feet, before sending him crashing through the window that sent the glass flying in all directions; shattering into different pieces. Completely distracted by trying to defend himself, Jungkook sank his fangs straight into Seokjin’s upper arm – causing him to wail in agony as Jungkook proceeded to rip into him. However, Jimin caught sight of Yoongi just after Namjoon crashed through the window and landed on to the gravel at the front of the manor.

“No!” Jimin screamed to himself as he saw Yoongi turn to you – shaking in vexation and his wild, blackened eyes full of terror and inhuman sickness. You couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t do anything as fear took over your basic nerve functions – rendering you unable to move let alone run away. And just as Yoongi took a step towards you, out of the corner of your eye, you saw Jimin pounce on top of him in an attempt to pull him away from you.

“Jungkook!” Jimin screamed at the top of his lungs to alert the Prince, but no sooner had his name left his mouth, Yoongi turned to Jimin...before stabbing him straight in his chest with the knife in his hands.

“...no...no – Jimin!” you screamed in unison with Taehyung as Jungkook took his eyes away from Seokjin to observe Jimin stumbling backwards towards the living room doors – his hands clutched around the knife coated in toxins buried deep inside him.

“Do you feel that? Can you feel how painful it is? Tell me, Jimin...was protecting her worth it? Was protecting her worth dying for?” Yoongi smirked as he saw Jimin drop to his knees – his true Vampiric form diminishing as he returned to his normal state, hardly able to breathe as he choked inaudible words. “Soon...the toxins will break down your newly formed, weak Vampiric cells...they will dissolve everything from the inside out...it will be a slow death, but I hope you can appreciate the height of your stupidity during that time” Yoongi’s voice disappeared into a menacing whisper as Taehyung fled from the fight to be by Jimin’s side.

“Jimin – stay with me darling, breathe – okay? Just breathe, you’re okay, look at me...god damn it!” Taehyung screamed as he cradled Jimin in his arms, looking into his agonised face as he knew every single one of Yoongi’s words were correct. Although the toxins would take a while to kill Jimin...they would inevitably do just that; kill him. “Everything’s going to be okay, alright my love? It’s...it’s okay, don’t worry, I’m here...I’ll...Jimin...oh god I –“ Taehyung couldn’t stop the river of tears falling from his eyes as Jimin continued to struggle to breathe – feeling the poison engulf his system.

“Tae...I –“

“Shh...don’t speak, it’s okay. Save your strength” Taehyung whimpered back, tasting the saltiness of his own sadness on his lips, while you felt your legs shake as Jungkook continued to try and make his way over to you; but since becoming distracted, it ultimately gave Seokjin the upper hand.

“I...I tried my best” Jimin squeaked, opening his eyes to look into the face of the one he loved with every beat of his heart – both when he was human, and now as a Vampire.

“I know, I know you did;...and I am so, so proud of you...” Taehyung placed his hand over Jimin’s – both of their hands encasing the knife as Taehyung thought about whether or not to leave it in or remove it; knowing that it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“Tae...I...I love you – so much...” Jimin whispered. “Th-thank you for...a-always p-protecting me..and loving me...and for being th-the only thing in my life...that I’m pr-proud of”

“Don’t you dare say your goodbyes, Jimin – don’t you dare! You can’t leave me!” Taehyung screamed as if he were being stabbed himself as he completely forgot about everyone else in the room.

You stood in silence with tears cascading down your face – watching Taehyung envelope Jimin in his arms as he rocked him back and forth on the floor. You panned your eyes over to Yoongi – seeing him with a detrimental smile on his face as he looked more than impressed with his actions. “I...I did this...” you felt the regret of the entire situation almost grab your heart and clench it forcefully. In less than a moment, all of your memories with Jimin played in your mind; from the moment you first met the blonde in Taehyung’s boutique – how timid and shy you thought he was. You recalled his kindness – his gentle nature, even when he was a natum lamia battling against himself; for he never wished any harm to come to you. You thought back to the instance of him fixing the crystals on your dress, giving you the beautiful pashmina to wear on your shoulders – his beautiful, bashful smile that made your heart pound faster with endearment, and finally; the moment your skin came into contact with his – the moment you took him out of a hellish purgatory and set him free.

“...and now...look what I’ve done” your chest heaved in tormented guilt – the guilt of knowing that Jimin had just essentially sacrificed his own life in an attempt to save yours.

“(Y/N)! Come to me – get over here!” Jungkook screamed at you – but you couldn’t hear anything. You couldn’t focus on anything, you felt numb, you felt nothing but pure emptiness fill you entirely as Jungkook desperately tried to push Seokjin out of the way.

“Not so fast, my Prince!” Seokjin cackled as he successfully managed to send Jungkook flying in the direction of the marble fireplace. Jungkook’s head came into direct contact with the mantle that didn’t knock him out, but severely threw him off balance, just enough to cause him to stumble as he tried to pick himself up...but it was too late.

Before you could even begin to comprehend what was going on, you saw Yoongi swiftly step beside you – taking you in his leathered hands and pulling your head back; leaving him with a direct view of your jugular vein that protruded with each beat of your heart.

“See you on the other side – my beautiful domitor” Yoongi growled into your ear.

“No! Yoongi – Taehyung; s-stop him!” Jungkook screamed as loud as his throat allowed him as he began almost crawling towards you; only to have Seokjin kick him back in his rib-cage that left him near lifeless and energy-drained on the wooden, bloodied floor.

And with that – you felt like nothing was worth fighting for, as you watched Yoongi widen his mouth to its full capacity; seeing the ferociousness of his fangs in all their gory glory while his eyes glistened with hedonistic excitement. At the last second, you trailed your eyes over to Jungkook on the floor – hearing his bellowing screams of torment at having to watch without being able to do anything about it.

“Jungkook...I’m sorry” you whispered, before all you could feel; was Yoongi’s fangs penetrate the skin on your neck – the pain, the excruciating agony that entered your body almost too much to bear as you felt the sensation of his scalding hot venom enter your bloodstream and consume you from the inside out.

“(Y/N)!” Jungkook let out a long, elongated cry.

{...to be continued...}

[jenniferfaye34]

#Giveaway + Excerpt ~ The Promise Kept by Maggie Mae Gallagher... #books #romance #readers

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Maggie Mae Gallagher will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Cybil Roe gave her heart away thirteen years ago only to have it wind up shattered. With painstaking determination, she has rebuilt her life into something to be proud of today. Yet all her future plans are upended when the only man she has ever loved returns to Echo Springs. Nor does it help that he seems bound and determined to draw her back into his life. Cybil vows to stay away from him, no matter what seeing him all the time does to her resolve. Miles Keaton wiped the dust of his hometown off his shoes years ago, never expecting that life would lead him back to the place where he had begun. Coming home to Echo Springs, to Cybil, to start a new law practice and a new life is a risk he never thought he'd take. She hates him – with good reason. Years ago, he walked away when she needed him the most. But now is he back, and intends to argue the case of his life, one more important than any he has debated in a courtroom, because she is the one woman he cannot live without. Can Miles convince Cybil to take a second chance on him, or will a secret she has kept all these years destroy any future they might have?

Read an Excerpt At five until seven, Alex texted her that he was outside the building. Cybil headed down the wooden stairs that tended to creak in spots. At least the lighting in the stairwell was decent, glowing off the muted tan walls to create a warm atmosphere. When she strode across the small building lobby that was really nothing more than an oversized foyer and opened the door, she noticed that the lights in Mr. Biddle’s office were on already. The old codger did like to get an early start. She pushed open the front glass and wood door to permit entry to her client. Admittedly, Alex was an attractive man in his black workout gear. His naturally wavy blond hair was meticulously trimmed, his angular jaw clean shaven, his cheekbones sharply pronounced, and he had a mocha gaze that always seemed set to smolder anytime he glanced in her direction. She just wished his smolder, along with his six-foot lean build, did something for her girly bits, but it didn’t. Maybe it was because she knew him well and thought he had the personality of a turnip. Not to mention there was an undercurrent of menace she sensed that he tried to hide behind a polished sheen that she didn’t trust. She kept her grimace to herself and said, “Alex, come on in.” “Cybil. You look refreshed this morning,” Alex said, telling her with his gaze that he appreciated her, the way a man did a woman he found attractive: his gaze roving over her body, warming over the sweet spots like he was a lion envisioning sinking his teeth into a gazelle. A part of her wished she could feel something for him, anything really, other than mild annoyance. Before she could reply, Clark Biddle shuffled out of his office, wearing gray tweed slacks with a matching suit jacket, a bright canary yellow dress shirt, and a multicolored plaid bow tie to complete his ensemble. For a man in his eighties, he was rather spry and moved with efficiency. “Cybil, I’m glad I caught you. If I could have you come into my office for a few minutes so I can introduce you to your new landlord?” Clark’s voice boomed and echoed in the stairwell. “I have a personal training session. Can it wait?” she asked, indicating Alex with a slight nod as he crowded her. Really, the man needed to learn about personal space. “It shouldn’t take more than a minute,” Clark said, his bushy, stark-white eyebrows raised. The tufts of his matching white hair were in wild disarray and windblown. Clark’s hair, for all his styling clothing wise, always looked like he’d stuck his finger in an electrical socket and was just too busy to care about taming what was left on his balding dome. With a sigh of defeat, because she knew Clark well enough that he wouldn’t let up until she capitulated, she turned to Alex. “Would you mind going on up and getting yourself warmed up on either the treadmill or elliptical? I’ll be right up.” “Sure thing, as long as you don’t forget about me,” Alex teased in an attempt to flirt with her. Her annoyance at his insistent innuendos climbed, but instead of showing it, she pasted a bland smile on her face and said, “I won’t. I’ll be up shortly.” Alex gave her what she was sure to his mind was a sexy half grin and a swaggering tilt of his head intended to make her swoon. Too bad it made her want to roll her eyes and ask if that move had worked for him in the past. As Alex ascended the stairs, Clark steered her into his office. The man without fail smelled of peppermint and Old Spice aftershave. “Now, as I mentioned last week,” Clark said, “the terms of your lease will stand for the full twelve months. Then you will have to negotiate a new lease with your new landlord.” Cybil replied, “Thank you, I appreciate that. I—” Oh, sweet biscuits and gravy, no! Not him. Anyone but him. She’d take the devil himself in exchange. Give her Beelzebub, give her Hades, give her the Hells Angels biker gang, all of them, over the man sitting so casually in Clark’s office like he owned the place—which from all indications, he now did. “Cybil. Good to see you. From what I understand from Clark, you’re one of my new tenants,” Miles Keaton said in his deep baritone voice as he rose from his seat when she entered the office. “No,” was all she could say. He couldn’t be her new landlord. Surely she was still in bed and having a nightmare. That was all. She would wake the moment her alarm rang. Any minute now. Miles raised a golden brow in her direction. His turquoise eyes, the ones that had haunted her dreams for thirteen years, regarded her coolly, with indifference. It would have been far better if he had gotten fat or gone bald over the last thirteen years, losing some of the tousled golden hair that always looked like he’d run his long, sturdy fingers through it a hundred times. But if anything, he was like a fine wine or scotch, where he’d only gotten better, more potently gorgeous and alpha with age. The handsome, strong lines of his face had matured, and there were crinkled lines at the corners of his enigmatic eyes that glimmered with intelligence. He hadn’t shaved today, and there was a hint of darker golden stubble gracing his square jaw, framing a pair of the most kissable lips she’d ever seen and tasted on a man. His six-foot-two, broad-shouldered frame, which had always been solid, had thickened and filled out with muscle. He wore a pair of tailored black slacks that rode low on his lean hips and a crisp salmon dress shirt, unbuttoned at his neck, that should have looked girly, but which made Miles appear even more dominant and alpha, if that were possible. About the Author:

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Maggie grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Maggie never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History. Maggie is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes erotic romance under the name Anya Summers (http://www.anyasummers.com. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the United States Midwest with her two furry felines. Website: https://www.maggiemaegallagher.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagMaeGallagher Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magmaegallagher Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7846308.Maggie_Mae_Gallagher Twitter: https://twitter.com/magmaegallagher?lang=en Amazon Author Page US https://www.amazon.com/author/maggiegallagher Amazon Author Page UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maggie-Mae-Gallagher/e/B00JG1IIVC/ Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maggie-mae-gallagher Newsletter: https://www.maggiemaegallagher.com/newsletter/ Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UbMvQE Nook: https://bit.ly/3dyNhyN Kobo: https://bit.ly/3dHWzYE iBooks: https://apple.co/2XwRPQI a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To Die For Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars are a delicious treat inspired by campfire s’mores with melty marshmallow, a buttery graham cracker crust, and a rich-sweet chocolate.  These satisfying and easy to make bars are irresistible!

If you love s’mores then be sure to try Nutella s’mores bars too!  My family loves the creamy chocolate Nutella flavor and anything made with it is worth trying in our opinion!

Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

Last weekend we went to a friend’s house for a barbecue.  We roasted marshmallows around their fire pit and everyone made s’mores.  It was so much fun!   Now, you know that I pride myself on being able to make a pretty fantastic s’more! However, my youngest really struggled.  After a few marshmallows dropped into the fire pit and a few caught fire, finally I got the idea to make a more practical version of this classic treat.  One that would still have all the classic marshmallow chocolate and graham cracker flavors without the hassle of the fire.

These ooey gooey bars are so quick and easy.  They are perfect for those of us with no patience for waiting for the perfect marshmallow, and those who want leftovers that can be eaten for days.  And let me tell you, the texture of biting into this ooey gooey s’mores bar is unbelievable!  It has the chewy graham cracker crust, and a warm, rich chocolate layer with marshmallow oozing out of every bite.   Such an amazing dessert that everyone will be craving all summer!!

Ingredients for Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

These ingredients are all staples in my pantry.  I find that with these basics I am ready to make most of the desserts my family loves the most!

Graham crackers: The sweet and crunchy crust of the s’mores bars. (UK readers use digestive biscuits if you can’t find graham crackers)

All purpose flour: Combine together with graham crackers and salt.

Salt: Adjust to your taste depending on preference and the butter you use.

Butter: Softened to easily mix together with graham crackers. If you use unsalted add a bit of salt so the bar is not too sweet.

Brown Sugar: Rich sweetness mixed in to the chewy cracker crust.

Vanilla Extract: Brings out the other flavors and add its own richness into the graham cracker crust.

Hershey Bar’s: Hershey’s is my favorite, but any kind will work.

Marshmallow fluff: Sweet gooey marshmallow

How to Make Ooey Gooey S’Mores Bars

These yummy treats are so easy to make and even easier to disappear! The hardest part is waiting for these babies to cool! Sometimes I even put them in the freezer to speed up the process!

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8×8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Crush graham crackers:  In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker sheets until finely ground without any lumps. Combine it with the flour and salt and set aside.

Make Crust: Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the graham cracker and flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Form Layers:Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your 8×8 inch pan. Lay the Hershey Bars evenly across the bottom. Using a small spoon dollop the marshmallow fluff evenly on top of the nutella. Crumble the remaining dough on top. I would kind of pat the dough flat with my hands and lay it on top and spread it on top. Some of the marshmallow will peek through.

Bake: Place in oven for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let them completely cool before cutting. They can still be a little warm and are amazing!

  More S’Mores Please!

I couldn’t believe how easy it was to create such a sweet, transportable s’mores dessert!  In what felt like no time I was serving these delicious treats up and everyone was amazed at how delicious they were! To make the most perfect version for your friends and family (or for yourself…self care is so important!) consider these things I learned when making mine.

Chocolate: Use any chocolate you have.  To me the Hershey’s Chocolate bar is the exact chocolate flavor I am looking for in a s’mores dessert.  However, any chocolate bar that you love will work great!

Add Peanut Butter: I experimented with adding in peanut butter and crunchy peanut butter. I have to say I loved the creamy!  I would advise melting the peanut butter slightly so it easier to spread over the chocolate layer.

Garnish: Add some chocolate chips on the top for an impressive presentation.  It is totally not necessary for taste, but it looks great!

Parchment Paper: To get a great layer of graham cracker on the top of your bars form the dough on a piece of parchment paper then carefully flip onto the top of the marshmallow fluff.  It will be easier than trying to spread it on top of the sticky fluff.

Graham Cracker: Be sure when you crush the graham crackers you have no big chunks left.

Serving S’Mores:

Although usually a great sign of a well made s’more is a messy face, this s’mores bar is meant to look a little more put together.  So here are my tips for having great looking s’mores bars in addition to their fantastic taste!

Cool: Let the bars cool completely before cutting into them. (I recommend chilling in the refrigerator overnight) Otherwise, you will have a hot mess of marshmallow fluff and chocolate.  Delicious, but not so pretty.

Parchment Paper: After the bars have cooled, using the edge of the parchment paper lift the bars out of the baking dish.  Then, cut into small squares.

Store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.

Don’t Forget these S’mores Desserts Too:

No Bake S’mores Pie

S’mores Fudge Pops

Gooey S’mores Cookies

S’mores Brownies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup S’mores

S’mores Dip

Print

To Die For Ooey Gooey S'mores Bars

Ooey Gooey S'mores Bars are a delicious treat inspired by campfire s'mores with melty marshmallow, a buttery graham cracker crust, and a rich-sweet chocolate.  These satisfying and easy to make bars are irresistible!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword smores bars

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 Pieces

Calories 272kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

9 sheets graham crackers

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 Hershey Bar's

1/2 jar marshmallow fluff 7 oz.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker sheets until finely ground without any lumps. Combine it with the flour and salt and set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the graham cracker and flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your 8x8 inch pan. Lay the Hershey Bars evenly across the bottom. Using a small spoon dollop the marshmallow fluff evenly on top of the hersheys chocolate pieces. Crumble the remaining dough on top. I would kind of pat the dough flat with my hands and lay it on top and spread it on top. Some of the marshmallow will peek through.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let them completely cool before cutting. They can still be a little warm and are amazing!

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

  from The Recipe Critic https://ift.tt/2MfoMuK https://ift.tt/2yN9SJ1

Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars are a delicious treat inspired by campfire s’mores with melty marshmallow, a buttery graham cracker crust, and a rich-sweet chocolate.  These satisfying and easy to make bars are irresistible!

If you love s’mores then be sure to try Nutella s’mores bars too!  My family loves the creamy chocolate Nutella flavor and anything made with it is worth trying in our opinion!

Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

Last weekend we went to a friend’s house for a barbecue.  We roasted marshmallows around their fire pit and everyone made s’mores.  It was so much fun!   Now, you know that I pride myself on being able to make a pretty fantastic s’more! However, my youngest really struggled.  After a few marshmallows dropped into the fire pit and a few caught fire, finally I got the idea to make a more practical version of this classic treat.  One that would still have all the classic marshmallow chocolate and graham cracker flavors without the hassle of the fire.

These ooey gooey bars are so quick and easy.  They are perfect for those of us with no patience for waiting for the perfect marshmallow, and those who want leftovers that can be eaten for days.  And let me tell you, the texture of biting into this ooey gooey s’mores bar is unbelievable!  It has the chewy graham cracker crust, and a warm, rich chocolate layer with marshmallow oozing out of every bite.   Such an amazing dessert that everyone will be craving all summer!!

Ingredients for Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

These ingredients are all staples in my pantry.  I find that with these basics I am ready to make most of the desserts my family loves the most!

Graham crackers: The sweet and crunchy crust of the s’mores bars. (UK readers use digestive biscuits if you can’t find graham crackers)

All purpose flour: Combine together with graham crackers and salt.

Salt: Adjust to your taste depending on preference and the butter you use.

Butter: Softened to easily mix together with graham crackers. If you use unsalted add a bit of salt so the bar is not too sweet.

Brown Sugar: Rich sweetness mixed in to the chewy cracker crust.

Vanilla Extract: Brings out the other flavors and add its own richness into the graham cracker crust.

Hershey Bar’s: Hershey’s is my favorite, but any kind will work.

Marshmallow fluff: Sweet gooey marshmallow

How to Make Ooey Gooey S’Mores Bars

These yummy treats are so easy to make and even easier to disappear! The hardest part is waiting for these babies to cool! Sometimes I even put them in the freezer to speed up the process!

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8×8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Crush graham crackers:  In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker sheets until finely ground without any lumps. Combine it with the flour and salt and set aside.

Make Crust: Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the graham cracker and flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Form Layers:Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your 8×8 inch pan. Lay the Hershey Bars evenly across the bottom. Using a small spoon dollop the marshmallow fluff evenly on top of the nutella. Crumble the remaining dough on top. I would kind of pat the dough flat with my hands and lay it on top and spread it on top. Some of the marshmallow will peek through.

Bake: Place in oven for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let them completely cool before cutting. They can still be a little warm and are amazing!

  More S’Mores Please!

I couldn’t believe how easy it was to create such a sweet, transportable s’mores dessert!  In what felt like no time I was serving these delicious treats up and everyone was amazed at how delicious they were! To make the most perfect version for your friends and family (or for yourself…self care is so important!) consider these things I learned when making mine.

Chocolate: Use any chocolate you have.  To me the Hershey’s Chocolate bar is the exact chocolate flavor I am looking for in a s’mores dessert.  However, any chocolate bar that you love will work great!

Add Peanut Butter: I experimented with adding in peanut butter and crunchy peanut butter. I have to say I loved the creamy!  I would advise melting the peanut butter slightly so it easier to spread over the chocolate layer.

Garnish: Add some chocolate chips on the top for an impressive presentation.  It is totally not necessary for taste, but it looks great!

Parchment Paper: To get a great layer of graham cracker on the top of your bars form the dough on a piece of parchment paper then carefully flip onto the top of the marshmallow fluff.  It will be easier than trying to spread it on top of the sticky fluff.

Graham Cracker: Be sure when you crush the graham crackers you have no big chunks left.

Serving S’Mores:

Although usually a great sign of a well made s’more is a messy face, this s’mores bar is meant to look a little more put together.  So here are my tips for having great looking s’mores bars in addition to their fantastic taste!

Cool: Let the bars cool completely before cutting into them. (I recommend chilling in the refrigerator overnight) Otherwise, you will have a hot mess of marshmallow fluff and chocolate.  Delicious, but not so pretty.

Parchment Paper: After the bars have cooled, using the edge of the parchment paper lift the bars out of the baking dish.  Then, cut into small squares.

Store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.

Don’t Forget these S’mores Desserts Too:

No Bake S’mores Pie

S’mores Fudge Pops

Gooey S’mores Cookies

S’mores Brownies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup S’mores

S’mores Dip

Print

To Die For Ooey Gooey S'mores Bars

Ooey Gooey S'mores Bars are a delicious treat inspired by campfire s'mores with melty marshmallow, a buttery graham cracker crust, and a rich-sweet chocolate.  These satisfying and easy to make bars are irresistible!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword smores bars

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 Pieces

Calories 272kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

9 sheets graham crackers

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 Hershey Bar's

1/2 jar marshmallow fluff 7 oz.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker sheets until finely ground without any lumps. Combine it with the flour and salt and set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the graham cracker and flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your 8x8 inch pan. Lay the Hershey Bars evenly across the bottom. Using a small spoon dollop the marshmallow fluff evenly on top of the hersheys chocolate pieces. Crumble the remaining dough on top. I would kind of pat the dough flat with my hands and lay it on top and spread it on top. Some of the marshmallow will peek through.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let them completely cool before cutting. They can still be a little warm and are amazing!

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

  from The Recipe Critic https://ift.tt/2MfoMuK via Blogger https://ift.tt/36Mq9Kx

[ladystylestores]

To Die For Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars are a delicious treat inspired by campfire s’mores with melty marshmallow, a buttery graham cracker crust, and a rich-sweet chocolate.  These satisfying and easy to make bars are irresistible!

If you love s’mores then be sure to try Nutella s’mores bars too!  My family loves the creamy chocolate Nutella flavor and anything made with it is worth trying in our opinion!

Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

Last weekend we went to a friend’s house for a barbecue.  We roasted marshmallows around their fire pit and everyone made s’mores.  It was so much fun!   Now, you know that I pride myself on being able to make a pretty fantastic s’more! However, my youngest really struggled.  After a few marshmallows dropped into the fire pit and a few caught fire, finally I got the idea to make a more practical version of this classic treat.  One that would still have all the classic marshmallow chocolate and graham cracker flavors without the hassle of the fire.

These ooey gooey bars are so quick and easy.  They are perfect for those of us with no patience for waiting for the perfect marshmallow, and those who want leftovers that can be eaten for days.  And let me tell you, the texture of biting into this ooey gooey s’mores bar is unbelievable!  It has the chewy graham cracker crust, and a warm, rich chocolate layer with marshmallow oozing out of every bite.   Such an amazing dessert that everyone will be craving all summer!!

Ingredients for Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

These ingredients are all staples in my pantry.  I find that with these basics I am ready to make most of the desserts my family loves the most!

Graham crackers: The sweet and crunchy crust of the s’mores bars. (UK readers use digestive biscuits if you can’t find graham crackers)

All purpose flour: Combine together with graham crackers and salt.

Salt: Adjust to your taste depending on preference and the butter you use.

Butter: Softened to easily mix together with graham crackers. If you use unsalted add a bit of salt so the bar is not too sweet.

Brown Sugar: Rich sweetness mixed in to the chewy cracker crust.

Vanilla Extract: Brings out the other flavors and add its own richness into the graham cracker crust.

Hershey Bar’s: Hershey’s is my favorite, but any kind will work.

Marshmallow fluff: Sweet gooey marshmallow

How to Make Ooey Gooey S’Mores Bars

These yummy treats are so easy to make and even easier to disappear! The hardest part is waiting for these babies to cool! Sometimes I even put them in the freezer to speed up the process!

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8×8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Crush graham crackers:  In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker sheets until finely ground without any lumps. Combine it with the flour and salt and set aside.

Make Crust: Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the graham cracker and flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Form Layers:Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your 8×8 inch pan. Lay the Hershey Bars evenly across the bottom. Using a small spoon dollop the marshmallow fluff evenly on top of the nutella. Crumble the remaining dough on top. I would kind of pat the dough flat with my hands and lay it on top and spread it on top. Some of the marshmallow will peek through.

Bake: Place in oven for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let them completely cool before cutting. They can still be a little warm and are amazing!

  More S’Mores Please!

I couldn’t believe how easy it was to create such a sweet, transportable s’mores dessert!  In what felt like no time I was serving these delicious treats up and everyone was amazed at how delicious they were! To make the most perfect version for your friends and family (or for yourself…self care is so important!) consider these things I learned when making mine.

Chocolate: Use any chocolate you have.  To me the Hershey’s Chocolate bar is the exact chocolate flavor I am looking for in a s’mores dessert.  However, any chocolate bar that you love will work great!

Add Peanut Butter: I experimented with adding in peanut butter and crunchy peanut butter. I have to say I loved the creamy!  I would advise melting the peanut butter slightly so it easier to spread over the chocolate layer.

Garnish: Add some chocolate chips on the top for an impressive presentation.  It is totally not necessary for taste, but it looks great!

Parchment Paper: To get a great layer of graham cracker on the top of your bars form the dough on a piece of parchment paper then carefully flip onto the top of the marshmallow fluff.  It will be easier than trying to spread it on top of the sticky fluff.

Graham Cracker: Be sure when you crush the graham crackers you have no big chunks left.

Serving S’Mores:

Although usually a great sign of a well made s’more is a messy face, this s’mores bar is meant to look a little more put together.  So here are my tips for having great looking s’mores bars in addition to their fantastic taste!

Cool: Let the bars cool completely before cutting into them. (I recommend chilling in the refrigerator overnight) Otherwise, you will have a hot mess of marshmallow fluff and chocolate.  Delicious, but not so pretty.

Parchment Paper: After the bars have cooled, using the edge of the parchment paper lift the bars out of the baking dish.  Then, cut into small squares.

Store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.

Don’t Forget these S’mores Desserts Too:

To Die For Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Author Alyssa Rivers

Servings 12 Pieces

Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars are a delicious treat inspired by campfire s’mores with melty marshmallow, a buttery graham cracker crust, and a rich-sweet chocolate.  These satisfying and easy to make bars are irresistible!

9 sheets graham crackers

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 Hershey Bar’s

1/2 jar marshmallow fluff 7 oz.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8×8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker sheets until finely ground without any lumps. Combine it with the flour and salt and set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the graham cracker and flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your 8×8 inch pan. Lay the Hershey Bars evenly across the bottom. Using a small spoon dollop the marshmallow fluff evenly on top of the hersheys chocolate pieces. Crumble the remaining dough on top. I would kind of pat the dough flat with my hands and lay it on top and spread it on top. Some of the marshmallow will peek through.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let them completely cool before cutting. They can still be a little warm and are amazing!

Nutrition Facts

To Die For Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 272 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 10g50%

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 306mg13%

Potassium 51mg1%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 15g17%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 473IU9%

Calcium 27mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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[charllieeldridge]

21 Things To Do in Paris: Top Experiences and Sights

When we were Googling things to do in Paris, the first thing we realized is that pretty much every list that came up was the same. While there are a few things in Paris that everyone has to do, like visit the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, there is so much more to the city than just ticking items off your landmark check-list.

That’s why we visited the French capital with the goal of having some more off-track experiences and trying to get under the skin of Paris. We’ve never been ones to follow the tour groups, so even when exploring the sixth-most visited city in the world, we found our own little slice of it. 

We used recommendations from our Parisian and ex-pat readers, as well as from our local tour guides, hosts and people we met along the way to come up with the absolute best things to do in Paris, including those things that aren’t too swamped with tourists.

In this post, I’m going to list the best things to see in Paris, from the must-visit sights and attractions to the unique experiences that may just end up being your favourite.

Top Sights in Paris

In this post, I’ll break down different areas of Paris by Arrondissement and the best things to do in each. I’ll also give you directions to our top 5 favourite sightseeing walks in the city, which take in pretty much every sight you’d want to see on your first and second trip to Paris.

But just for clarity and ease of reading, here’s a quick list of the sights we’ll cover in this post.

Surprisingly, we were able to see most of these on our short 5-day trip, but you’d be able to see many of them with just a couple of days in Paris. We didn’t feel too rushed, but because we tackled the city in the way I’ll show you in this post, we were able to get a lot done.

The Landmarks

Place Saint Michel The Notre Dame de Paris Eiffel Tower The River Seine Pont Neuf Bridge The Louvre Museum The Palace of Justice Sainte Chapelle Musée d’Orsay Place de la Concorde Sacre Coeur Basilica Montmartre Pantheon Bastille Market The Catacombs of Paris The Wall of Love Luxemburg Gardens Montparnasse Tower Archives Nationales Petite Ceinture Railway Montmartre Cemetary Promenade Planteé

Berthillon The Ile de la Cite Jardin des Plantes Hôtel de Ville The Army Museum The Invalides The Invalides Hotel Champ de Mars Park Place Joffre Statue of Marshal Joseph Joffre Pont d’Iéna Bridge Trocadéro Gardens Palais de Chaillot Arc de Triomphe Ave Champs-Élysées Cour Carrée Square du Vert Galant Marché aux Fleurs Saint Genevieve Jardin des Tuileries Jardin du Palais Royal

… and much more.

The Top Things To Do in Paris

We’ll start the post off with the items that you’ll find on everyone’s list. These are the must-sees and the places to visit in Paris that you probably don’t want to miss. Funnily enough, you won’t see the most visited place in Paris on this list and you probably won’t be able to guess it either.

It’s not the Eiffel Tower or The Louvre… it’s Disneyland. Anyways, on with the list of Parisian things that are worth visiting.

1. Join a Free Walking Tour

This is our best recommendation for getting to see Paris while ticking off some of the major sites and actually learning a lot about the city along the way. There are free walking tours in most major cities in Europe and we’ve done plenty of them over the years.

They never seem to disappoint and the Free Walking Tour in Paris was no different.

We booked our free walking tour with Sandemans and we would definitely recommend the tour. Our guide was Oliver, a theatre major from the UK who has lived in Paris for 8 years.

He was passionate about the city, spoke perfect English (of course), and gave us a lot of great tips about the city, without boring us too much with specific dates and moments in history that we’d forget anyways.

This free walking tour takes you through the main sights in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Arrondissements such as Place Saint Michel, the Notre Dame de Paris, the famous River Seine, Pont Neuf, the outside of the Louvre, the Palace of Justice, Sainte Chapelle, the Musée d’Orsay and Place de la Concorde.

If you’ve never done a free walking tour before, at the end it’s expected that you give a small tip per person. Usually, €5-10 is fine. 

2. Visit The Louvre

The largest single-building museum in the world and without a doubt, one of the most stunning displays of art and history in the world, the Louvre is one of the main things to do in Paris that most visitors won’t want to miss.

This is evident in the lines. More than 10 million people visit The Louvre each year, so you’ll want to purchase your ticket ahead of time. We bought our “Skip The Line Tickets” through Get Your Guide and we were able to pretty much walk right into the museum without waiting. Well worth the extra few Euro it cost us.

If you’re really into art and history, you’ll most likely want to join a guided tour of the Louve (which also includes skip the line access). Learn more about those tickets here. 

However you get your ticket, you’ll want to have a plan once you enter the Louvre. Everyone has a few things they want to see when they enter. 

Whether it’s the oldest piece of art in the world (8,000+ years old), the Mona Lisa, the $65 million Regent Jewels or the Venus de Milo, if you’re not going with a guide, you’re going to want to have a game plan to navigate the 60,000-meter ² (652,000 square foot) museum.

Dariece and I were in and out in a little over an hour. We had a few main things we wanted to see and that was it. All of Paris is a living museum, so by sauntering around hallways with 60,000 other tourists, we felt like we were losing time exploring the fascinating streets of the city and meeting local people.

Having said that, we’re not huge museum people but the Louvre was one of our favourites for sure. It’s worth adding to your must-see list of things to do in Paris.

Pro Tip: Download Rick Steeve’s Europe City Guides app and then download the audio guide for The Louvre in-app. It’ll give you a good 2-hour tour of the museum for free (but make sure you still get your skip the line ticket!).

3. Take Photos of The Notre Dame

Once demanding nearly a half-day to explore as it was the grandest, most visited and most recognizable religious structure in the world, today the mostly burnt down Notre Dame Cathedral can only be glimpsed from the outside as a decade-long restoration effort is underway.

Nevertheless, getting a selfie from below this towering gothic masterpiece is still on every Paris visitor’s list, so I’m adding it to mine. We gazed at the once grander monolith in awe, more so knowing that it was once even more impressive. 

You can see the Notre Dame from pretty much anywhere in the 4th, 2nd, 5th and 11th Arrondisments so once you catch a glimpse of the tower, just head towards it and cross the bridge for the best view. Take your photo and move on, keeping in mind that you’ll have to return in 10-15 years to see it again once the repairs are complete.

4. Get a Selfie By The Eiffel Tower

Probably the most iconic structure in all of Europe, the Eiffel tower is a pillar that defines Paris. Love it or hate it, it has become the most recognizable part of the city.

Originally built for by engineer Gustave Eiffel as the entrance to the World’s Fair in 1889, the 324 meter (1,063 ft) tall rod iron tower was once the tallest structure in the world.

Today it is the most-visited paid monument in the world with nearly 7 million people buying tickets to enter it every year. But, there’s actually not much reason to pay to go up the Eiffel Tower.

Parisians will all tell you that it’s better to go up the Montparnasse Tower, the most hideous structure in the city. That way, you get a view of Paris with the Eiffel Tower and without the eyesore of Montparnasse itself (more on that later in this post). Having said that, many people want to actually go inside the famous tower. You’ll need a ticket for that, which you can get here. 

5. Climb The Steps of Montmarte & Gaze Up At The Sacre Coeur Basilica

The artistic capital of the city and home to the breathtaking Sacre Coeur Basilica, Montmartre was one of our favourite areas of Paris to walk around. Because it’s set on a hill 130 meters above the city, there are views of Paris from every narrow alleyway and open plaza.

There are plenty of tourists around the Sacre Coeur, but as you get farther away from the basilica there are enough quiet alleyways and narrow streets to get lost in. Having said that, you’ll still want to enter the Sacre Coeur. It’s free and well worth a visit.

6. Walk Along The Seine

The Seine River is a 777-kilometer long waterway and important commercial transportation route that runs through the center of Paris.

Many of the city’s top sites lie on the banks of the Seine so one of the best things to do in Paris is to take the metro to any stop along the banks of the river, get off and simply walk for hours along the broad boardwalks that are built on either side of it.

We have some self-guided sightseeing walks that you can do along the Seine River later in this post.

Less-Visited Things To Do in Paris

These are the things that aren’t completely off-track, but where you’ll find fewer tourists and maybe feel a little bit like you’re in real Paris rather than just following crowds of tourists around. We’ll get to more off the beaten path experiences a little later in this post.

7. Walk Around The Pantheon

We decided to stop at the Pantheon because we were already walking from the 2nd Arrondissement to the catacombs in the 14th (we recommend this 45-minute stroll as a thing to do in Paris by itself). We were pleasantly surprised that the Pantheon area was actually quite breathtaking.

Located in the Latin Quarter, the 18th-century structure was first built as a church dedicated to the patron saint of Paris, Saint Genevieve.

Today it stands as a wonderful example of neo-classicism and yes, the front facade is modeled after the more famous Pantheon in Rome.

Nearby buildings worth checking out include the Gothic-Renaissance church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, the imposing Research Institute Judicial Pierre Raynaud, and the Town Hall of Paris.

All of these stunning buildings are built around the Pantheon, making the entire open area feel like a museum of architecture. Definitely worth a visit, even if you don’t decide to pay the €9 entrance fee to enter the Pantheon.

8. Go Shopping At The Bastille Market

This open-air market is one of the largest and liveliest Parisian street markets and stretches for 10 city blocks from The Place de la Bastille to Rue Chemin Vert. Open only on Thursdays and Sundays from 8 am to 1 pm, if you’re in Paris during these times don’t miss this place!

It’s one of the best markets that we’ve ever been to.

Venders call out the quality of their products from each of their stands which sell anything from meats and cheeses to last year’s Parisian fashions, all under the backdrop of the beautiful Colonne de Juillet looming overhead.

Come here to buy some fresh vegetables, cheeses, meats, and bread and then plan to have a picnic somewhere in the neighbourhood afterward.

9. Descend Into The Catacombs of Paris

Not for the squeamish or the extremely claustrophobic, the Catacombs of Paris are an incredible sight to behold. There are over 350 kilometers of old limestone quarries built in a labyrinth 30 meters below the city, but visitors have access to around 2 kilometers of the eerie tunnels.

You pay an entrance fee of €14, plus €5 extra for the audio guide (well worth the money), and then you descend down a spiral staircase into the depths of the catacombs. If you don’t feel like waiting in line all day, it’s recommended to get a skip the line ticket so you can enter the catacombs when you arrive.

In the tunnels lie the skeletal remains of between 6 – 8 million bodies that were buried here or moved here from local cemeteries in the late 18th century.

The spooky thing about these dimly-lit chambers is that the skeletons, including the skulls, are not behind glass kept out of reach of visitors. This adds to the peculiar experience of walking through a sea of skeletons 100 feet below the city of Paris. This is an experience that shouldn’t be missed for sure.

10. Take a Minute at The Wall of Love

I wouldn’t really recommend a trip specifically for the wall of love, but if you’re walking down from Montmartre back towards the center of Paris (as we did and many others do), then you might as well detour a few minutes to check out this cool blue tile wall.

It has the words “I love you” written in 250+ languages. There’s usually a line-up for selfies forming so just follow the crowds.

11. Picnic with Locals in Luxemburg Gardens

This is one of the most beautiful open gardens in Paris (in our opinion). Pick up a snack from one of the nearby pâtisserie or boulangerie, get a bottle of wine and enjoy the late afternoon sunlight while people-watching in this beautiful park.

We stopped here, along with a stop at the Pantheon, on our 45-minute walk from the 4th to the Catacombs.

12. Glimpse a City View of Paris From The Montparnasse Tower

This is one thing we planned to do but just didn’t end up having time, but we were recommended it from numerous sources and would definitely try to do it on our return.

We decided not to pay the fee or wait in line for the climb up the Eiffel Tower with the thought that we’d head up the Montparnasse Tower for a better view of the city. Many people do this and it’s definitely the best view of Paris.

Offtrack Things To Do in Paris

There are plenty of offtrack things to do in Paris. To us, the best experiences are those with people who actually live in the city. Airbnb Experiences are a great way to have a unique insight into the city of Paris. Here are some activities in Paris you won’t want to miss.

13. Stroll The Petite Ceinture Railway

It might not quite wow visitors like the Highline in New York or the 606 in Chicago, but this abandoned railway (only open to visitors in a couple of sections) is still worth a visit if you want to get away from the crowds and have a unique, peaceful experience in Paris.

The railway is no longer in use and was only actually running from 1962 for a little under a century, but recently more areas have been opening up so visitors can enjoy a slice away from the bustle of Paris.

To get here, enter in near Parc Georges Brassens in the 15th Arrondissement — a section of the tracks known as the ‘Passage de la Petite Ceinture’. Here it’s legal to visit and won’t cost you a penny. Stroll along the tree-lined tracks along with joggers, cyclists, and local families.

14. Browse The Archives Nationales

This state museum of French history and the small gardens that surround it are often called one of the romantic places to visit in Paris. I don’t think I’d go as far as agreeing completely with that moniker, but nonetheless, the archives and the leafy area surrounding it is definitely worth a visit.

It’ll only take you a few minutes to stroll through the gardens and check out the inside of this 14th-century building.

15. Check Out The Montmartre Cemetary

This cemetery isn’t far from the Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre so it’s definitely worth strolling through if you’re already in the area.

Wander past cobwebbed mausoleums, cracked tombstones and some 180-year-old graves with hardly another visitor in sight. 

Tip: Not too creeped out by cemeteries? You might also want to head to Pere Lachaise Paris Cemetery where you’ll find the burial site of Jim Morrison. With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, this is the most visited cemetery on earth, so not very “off-track”.

However, it’s still worth a visit if you’re interested in visiting the graves of Mr. Morrison, as well as Oscar Wilde, Victor Noir, Édith Piaf, and many other famous individuals. 

16. Walk Along The Promenade Planteé (Coulée Verte René-Dumont)

Another abandoned railway! Ever since our visit to New York and Chicago, we’ve loved checking these ones out. Well, the Promenade Planteé is actually the first of its kind in the world. Until New York copied their idea, this was the only elevated park built on an old railway anywhere. 

Here you can stroll in peace, high above the bustling capital below. There are birds chirping, flowers in bloom, trees, ponds and nice areas to visit. The Promenade stretches for 4.7 kilometers from Bastille to the edge of the city, so it’s worth checking this out after a visit to the Bastille Market. 

Best Things To Do in Paris For Foodies

If you’ve been following this blog, our YouTube or our social media for a while, you’ll know that Dariece and I are self-proclaimed foodies. To us, food is one of the best parts of travel, not just because it tastes good, but because it often gives you a unique insight into culture, tradition and family life.

Paris is no different. Parisians take their food very seriously and there are some amazing things to do in Paris for foodies. 

Not all foodie experiences can be enjoyed in a normal restaurant. Sometimes, true foodies have to book a tour or an experience to have their tastebuds tantalized in an extra-memorable way. Here are our top 3 foodie experiences/tours that you’ll have to book a day or two in advance.

17. Enjoy Wine & Cheese Tasting in an Old Wine Cave

Cost: $79 Per Person

4.9/5 ︎(996 Reviews)

Click Here to Book on Airbnb

When we came to this Airbnb Experience we really didn’t know what to expect, but we really enjoyed it. Set in a cave at the bottom of one of the oldest buildings in Paris, this experience is casual, so don’t worry about being surrounded by pretentious wine sniffers.

Instead, it’s just a group of people sitting around and tasting different French regional wines with some cheeses. The host, Simon, is laid back and has no judgment, which is always nice when tasting wines!

18. Take a Food Tour Around Paris

Cost: $96 Per Person

4.8/5 ︎(63 Reviews)

Click Here to Book on GetYourGuide

We ran out of time to do a food tour in Paris, but we have booked with GetYourGuide so many times before on different experiences, so I’m confident that this one would be great. The 3-hour small-group tour takes you through the center of Paris to try 5 different Parisian favourites.

They also tell you where Parisians get their cheese, charcuterie, wine, bread, and pastries. These tours are a great way to add to your list of must-visit restaurants and must-try foods in the city.

19. Join a Chef’s Table Dinner With a Parisian Chef

Cost: $91 Per Person

4.9/5 ︎(502 Reviews)

Click Here to Book on Airbnb

This is one of the best Airbnb Experiences we’ve done to date. Set in an old atelier (art studio) of a famous painter, this experience takes you (and your tastebuds) on a historical journey through the life and times of the artist. 

The French chef prepares a fabulous meal for you as you sit around chatting with other travellers and the chef himself. I can’t tell you what artist lived here, or much more about the dinner because the host has asked me to keep his wonderful experience a secret. So I’ll say no more… other than “don’t miss it”!

20. Dine at Tasty Restaurants in Paris

Speaking of must-visit restaurants, we ate at a new restaurant every breakfast, lunch, and dinner so that we could share with you the best places to eat around the city. Here’s our list of the best restaurants, just in case (like us) one of the main things you want to do in Paris is eat.

Many of these were recommended to us by Parisians and the more local ones didn’t disappoint. A useful tip for finding restaurants more frequented by locals is to search Google Maps for restaurants nearby, then click on the reviews and change the order to “Newest” rather than “Relevant” (that way, you’ll see reviews in all languages). 

Bistrot Victoires

6 Rue de la Vrillière, 75001 Paris (2nd Arrondissement) 4.4/5 (2,023 Google Reviews) €10-€12 / Plate

This little place is one of our favourites in Paris for sure. We popped in during lunch rush hour and the bistro was buzzing. Most of the people were speaking French, so we figured that even though the restaurant is so close to The Louvre, it was a pretty local joint.

When the food came, we were amazed. The duck confit that I had and the roast chicken that Dariece ordered were both fantastic and were under €11 each!

Le Coup de Torchon

187 Rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris (5th Arrondissement) 4.5/5 (155 Google Reviews) €14-€16 Set Lunch (1 Main with Starter or Dessert)

This little place won’t be on most restaurant lists for Paris because very few travellers know about it, but it’s a hidden gem. Located close to the Pantheon in the 5th Arrondissement, this was one of the more affordable restaurants we ate at in Paris.

Try the delicious foie gras salad and the French onion soup to start, and the duck skewers and pasta mains. We had this, along with a cheeky lunch carafe of wine and it only cost us around €28 in total.

Constant Cafe

139 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France 4.1/5 (1,875 Google Reviews) €10-€13 Starters / €19-€21 Mains, €8-11 Deserts, €37 Set Meals

Run by a Michelin starred chef, we went to this little place around 8 pm one night and it was buzzing with mostly Parisians and a few foreigners. The food was fantastic. Dariece had cream of pumpkin with chestnut soup to start and the Beef Bourguignon as her main.

I had  Escargot to start with the prawn main course. We shared cheese and profiteroles for dessert and all were fantastic. I really can’t recommend this place enough. 

Chez Hanna Falafel

54 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France 4.0/5 (906 Google Reviews) €5.50 Falafel, €8.50 Shawarma

We actually went to this place accidentally. We were on our way to the more famous L’As du Fallafel and when we saw the sign for “Best Falafel In The World” we just assumed that we were at the right place.

It turned out that this was a pretty good mistake because the falafel was excellent and we didn’t have to wait in line, while the more popular place was lined up around the block. If you’re hungry and don’t want to wait for L’As du Fallafel, then definitely pop into Chez Hanna as they make a great falafel.

Bastille Market

Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, 75011 Paris, France 4.5/5 (250 Google Reviews) Affordable Meats, Cheeses, Fruit, Veg and Full Meals

I know that this isn’t technically a restaurant, but it would be such a shame to miss this place if you’re a foodie. Come here with a reusable bag and plan to pick up some food here and either eat at the market or go picnic on a nearby step and people watch.

The Bastille Market is only open on Thursdays and Sundays but if you’re in Paris on these days, make sure to visit! 

21. Take a Sightseeing Walk On Your Own

Get your walking shoes ready for your trip to Paris, you’ll be walking… a lot. We were putting in around 26,000 steps every day according to our iPhone health apps and our legs could feel it at the end of the day for sure.

The best thing about walking around Paris is that you get to take in the city’s best sites along the way. Here are our favourite 3 sightseeing walks that we did in the city.

Between these 5 independent strolls, you can take in most of the must-see sights in Paris. You can combine a couple of them to make an entire day of sightseeing around the city as well.

The times given below are giving plenty of time to sightsee and people-watch along the way. If you were to just walk these without stopping you could complete the walks much quicker.

The Seine Sightseeing Walk

7 kilometres / 3 hours

Click Here to view this walk on Google Maps

I recommend getting off at the Concorde metro stop and walking from Place de la Concorde to Jardin des Plantes (near the Gare d’Austerlitz metro stop), taking in the sites of the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries,  Jardin du Palais Royal, Cour Carrée, Square du Vert Galant, Marché aux Fleurs, Love Locks bridge, Pont Neuf Bridge (the oldest in Paris), Berthillon, the Ile de la Cite (a small island in the center of the Seine), The Notre Dame and Jardin des Plantes along the way.

The walk is around 7 kilometers long and will probably take you around 3 hours to complete including time to take photos. Give yourself an extra hour or so to just sit on the banks of the Seine and people watch, which is arguably better than the actual sites.

Walking From the 4th to The Catacombs

4.3 kilometres / 2 hours

Click Here to view this walk on Google Maps

As I’ve mentioned earlier in this post, this was one of our favourite walks in the city. We got off at the Hôtel de Ville metro stop in the 4th Arrondissement, then we crossed the Pont Notre-Dame bridge and headed south towards the catacombs, stopping in at The Luxemburg Gardens and The Pantheon along the way.

If you have time, stop in at Odette Paris sweet shop for a little treat just after getting off the bridge on the south side of the river.

If you’re taking this stroll around mealtime, don’t miss the Le Coup de Torchon restaurant, which was one of our favourite French Bistros that we ate at while in Paris (listed above).

The Essentials of The 7th, 8th

6.6 kilometers / 2.5 hours

Click Here to view this walk on Google Maps

Get off the metro or take a taxi/Uber to Saint-François Xavier where you’ll find The Army Museum. Then walk through The Invalides looping past The Invalides Hotel towards the Eiffel Tower, stopping at Bleu Olive Cafe for brunch or coffee, Notre Patisserie for a croissant or pain au chocolat. And, if you’re here at dinnertime, check out Constant Cafe.

Enter in the Champ de Mars park from Place Joffre street near the Statue of Marshal Joseph Joffre and walk to the Eiffel Tower before passing under it and across the Pont d’Iéna bridge.

From there, check out the Trocadéro Gardens and the Palais de Chaillot, before heading northeast along Avenue Kléber towards the Arc de Triomphe. 

Strolling Champs-Élysées To The Louvre

3.6 kilometres / 1.5 hours

Click Here to view this walk on Google Maps

From the Arc de Triomphe, follow Ave Champs-Élysées towards Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde. Walk Through the Tuileries Garden to the Carrousel Arc de Triomphe and finishing at the Louvre.

If you’re here around mealtime, don’t miss our favourite restaurant in Paris, the affordable and delicious Bistrot Victoires. Get the duck confit!

Montmartre to The 1st

3.6 Kilometers / 1.5 hours

Click Here to view this walk on Google Maps

After strolling around Montmartre for a few hours and checking out the Sacre Coeur Basilica, head down the stairs through the Square Louise-Michel and towards the Wall of Love (Le Mur des Je t’aime).

Then head south and if you’re hungry, stop in at the Chéri Charlot sandwich shop before continuing through the Jardin du Palais Royal gardens, and ending at the Louvre or at the Seine.

Getting Around Paris

Getting around Paris is extremely easy. The best way is to walk, that way you’ll see all of the in-between bits. In Paris, it really is just as much about the journey as it is the destination.

We visited during the transportation strikes in the city, but even with reduced runtimes, the metro and buses were quick, convenient and easy to navigate. I have two tips for you to make your visit to Paris much less frustrating.

First, pick up an Orange SIM Card (for as little as €11 for 1GB) when you land in Paris and put it in your unlocked smartphone. Then, make sure you have the Google Maps app on your phone. Having data and using Google Maps will make navigating the metro system in the city a breeze.

Just type into the maps where you want to go and click directions, then click the public transport tab and Google will tell you where to walk to get to the nearest subway, what times they run at, what stop to get off at and everything else you can think of. I honestly don’t know how we got around before this app.

You can also use your data for calling UBER, reserving tables at restaurants with The Fork (La Fourchette) app, making phone calls and using electric scooters through the Lime app. Getting around Paris can be a bit confusing, but it’s a breeze when you have data and utilize technology. 

More Things To Do in Paris?

Of course, when it comes to things to do in Paris, there is always more to add to the list, but I think that this post gives you enough to satisfy even a two-week visit to the city.

One thing that’s more important than actually seeing the sights is giving yourself enough time to simply feel Paris. Don’t spend all of your days rushing from one landmark to another, effectively wasting your time in queue. 

Instead, give yourself time to wander around the Arrondissements, getting lost in the charm that is Paris. There’s a reason this is one of the most visited cities on earth and if you spend too much gawking at the tourist sites, you might miss it.

Looking for more places to visit in France, check out our list of the best 31 destinations! And, for more on Paris, check out our post on planning a getaway, the best Airbnbs in Paris, and our Paris itinerary for how to spend the perfect weekend in the city.

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