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seriouslysnape · 3 years

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hi! i saw your requests are open and i wanted to ask about something that has been on my mind for a while now

could u please write about harry dating a ravenclaw girl who is into music? she plays the piano and sings and harry is basically her biggest supporter and he is always praising her, i haven't seen anything like this before so it might be nice :)

Harry Potter x Fem! Ravenclaw! Reader

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 1.1k

A/N: I tweaked this request juuuuust a tad, Anon. Also, I’m going to count this as a one-shot instead of a drabble. I’m pretty sure this is too long to be considered a drabble.

“I never knew...”

Harry’s feet automatically carried him towards the source of the angelic sounds that were currently registering in his ears. He wasn’t even exactly sure what part of the castle he was in, because his ears had led him to a section that was unfamiliar to him. Harry had always been the curious type. Most people would say that his curiosity is what got him into trouble most of the time.

But he just couldn’t help but seek out the noise that was drawing him in. He could identify the sounds of a piano being played with ease, but he was a bit fuzzy on WHO could have been playing a piano in such a talented manner. None of his friends were much of musicians (although Ron would argue that he had perfect singing pitch), and he was pretty sure none of his enemies were musically gifted.

He suddenly found himself in front of two dark, wooden doors that were acting as a barrier between the corridor and the room inside. The musical notes had gotten louder as he grew closer, but the music was still muffled from the wall between him and the room.

He debated on whether or not he should enter. He wanted to hear more. He practically needed to hear more to satisfy the itch that was bugging him to get closer to the noise. But for all he knew, it could be Professor Snape behind those doors playing the keys as a form of stress relief. Harry wasn’t sure that he was keen on walking into the middle of that.

He pressed his ear against the wood for an even better vantage point, his eyelids gently shutting at the melodious music. The classical music brought a sense of ease and comfort to him. It came crashing over him like tidal waves on a coastal beach in the dog days of summer. He was sure that he had never felt anything like whatever he was feeling right now. It brought a flutter to his heart, like a million little garden butterflies being released from captivity. He was sure that this was as close to dancing amongst the stars as he’d ever get.

Just as he was preparing to depart, a new sound was heard from within the mysterious room. He pressed his ear back up to the door like a magnet on a refrigerator, his gut doing an excited roll at the sudden noise. It took him a moment to decipher what he was hearing, and then it hit him.

Whoever the mystery pianist was had a voice of gold...and also one that was strikingly familiar.

He was sure that he was mistaken, because surely no one he knew was this talented with the piano. It was a female voice for sure, which ruled out his Professor Snape theory. She sounded young, her voice not sounding aged or wise like Professor McGonagall’s did. It was definitely a student, and likely someone that he had at least seen around before. Suddenly, his curiosity was too strong to ignore.

He had to see who it was.

He turned the knob of the right door as quietly as he could, not intending to disturb the musical peace. He half expected to see a halo of light around the girl sitting at the piano, based on how wonderfully celestial she sounded. Instead, his eyes were met with a set of blue and bronze robes sitting at a bench in front of a massive piano. It was set conveniently in the middle of the room, and it wasn’t accompanied by much else. There was one massive window against the back wall, casting a certain glow into the room that settled onto the girl sitting just twenty feet or so from him.

He stood halfway between the doorway and the room, still soaking in the beautiful music being bestowed upon him. She was still singing perfectly and quietly, her nimble fingers dancing from key to key with extreme precision.

That voice...

He abruptly realized that he did know that voice. He knew that voice and those hands anywhere. They belonged to someone that he cared about so very much. Someone whose presence and heart in and of themselves were music to Harry’s soul. He couldn’t stop himself before he had time to think about it. Her name fell from his lips rather loudly, stopping her completely.

“[Y/N]?”

He mentally smacked himself just as fast as her name left his mouth. He blushed at the sudden intrusion of privacy, but it melted away when she turned back to face her boyfriend.

“Harry. I...what are you doing here?” She asked, suddenly very aware that she had been caught in her secret hobby.

Harry took that as an invitation, closing the door behind him and making leisure strides to the piano where his lover sat like a deer in headlights. Harry knew his girlfriend well. He knew her favorite food, her favorite Muggle movie, and had even learned her morning routine.

But this? This was something that had completely taken him by surprise.

“I heard you playing from a few corridors over.” He explained, his hand resting between her shoulder blades when he made it to her.

Harry noticed that she hadn’t even a scratch sheet of music. She had been playing purely from the heart and memorization. He was floored at his new realization of his girlfriend.

“Oh.” She said meekly, her embarrassed eyes avoiding his astonished ones.

“I never knew...” He whispered out, almost a little hurt that there was something about his girlfriend of almost two years that he didn’t know, “You’re positively brilliant, darling.”

He was gushing over her as if she had just been appointed to be the next Minister of Magic. He was impressed, stunned, and even more in love all at the same time. He knew that she kept things to herself sometimes, and he always respected that.

But he was sure that her talents needed to be shared with the world...or at least with him. He sat down next to her in a bubbly manner, his core practically vibrating with excitement.

“Play something else!” He shrilled, his eyes shifting back and forth between her and the piano.

Her cheeks burned deeper, but her smile was blinding.

“Really?” She breathed out, her fingers finding their positions again.

His hand rested on her thigh, his thumb running back and forth in a careful manner. He pressed a kiss to her temple, smirking underneath the kiss when she giggled. Her laugh was the best sound that he’d ever have the pleasure of hearing.

“Absolutely.”

#Harry Potter #harry potter x you #harry potter x reader #harry potter x y/n #harry potter x female reader #harry potter x fem!reader #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter x ravenclaw!reader #harry potter imagines #harry potter imagine #harry potter fluff #harry potter oneshot #seriouslysnape

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deiliamedlini · 3 years

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WIP Wednesday

I wrote this last night and really don’t know where I’m going with it because I wrote another section of this that’s completely different from this first part, but I’m having too much fun so this might become a long oneshot or like a two/three chapter short fic eventually. I signed into my Guild Wars account for the first time in forever to watch the chat and apparently Lion’s Arch isn’t as interesting as it used to be. Not that any of that is really relevant.

This is Zelda and the Champions as internet friends playing a MMORPG video game called Hyrule Warriors.

Zelda Harkinian loved Fridays. Not that it was a rare thing to be obsessed with the weekend, but she maybe loved it a little too much. After a week of lesson plans, and cleaning the classrooms, and sneezing students, and emails asking for an extension on a paper that wasn’t even due yet, she relished the escape the weekend provided. Granted, she still had to grade about a hundred tests, but that was a problem for Sunday or even Monday.

Smiling down at her roommate, a kitten she’d raised when she found it in the street all alone, Zelda fed her girl—whom she’d named Duchess because she had every intent of treating her like royalty—and played with her for a bit before throwing down her bag in her room and then grabbed a water and a granola bar before heading to her desk. She flipped her laptop open and booting up Hyrule Warriors, her favorite open world MMORPG.

Her internet sucked, so she grabbed her phone to aimlessly scroll to see if there was any news or updates. But it was pretty dull.

Instead, she thought back to how this whole weekend ritual began.

She’d been in a cavern just off of Death Mountain for about three days killing fire keese, lizalfos, and beamos. As a mage, her AOE skills made short work of the larger groups, hitting them all at once. It was especially useful here because her main specialties were water and light, but she struggled when boss fights came out. The NPCs weren’t great teammates, and she constantly found herself resurrecting far from the boss, only to make a long run with a health penalty that ended with her getting killed again, until her heath penalty was maxed out and she had to restart for any hope of succeeding. As a mage, her light armor made her vulnerable to physical attacks, and this boss was very physical.

Zelda didn’t like interacting with people in this game. It was massively popular, and the chat was always running. Sometimes, she’d just sit at an outpost and watch people talk. Her favorite interactions were often the random ones. She’d begun to look up the acronyms everyone used in chat just to understand them better. WTS= want to sell.

Indigo2421: WTS: Guardian Short Sword 4k rupees

Indigo2421WTS: Guardian Short Sword 4k rupees

Britneigh4Horses: WTS My mother. 1 rupee. Will pay postage fee.

But after her days of suffering in the lonely caverns in Death Mountain, she relented.

A quick search had her hands shaking, but she typed quickly so she couldn’t back out after she’d hit enter.

xPrincessZx: LFG Dodongo’s Cavern

Holding her breath, she’d waited in the hopes of a private message being sent to her.

One did.

(PM): ThunderstruckQueen: What missin are doing there?

(PM): ThunderstruckQueen: Mission*

(PM): xPrincessZx: I have to kill the Dodongo boss for the main story

ThunderstruckQueen would like to join your party.

Biting her nails, she’d accepted.

(PM): RockRoast12345: Still need someone?

(PM): xPrincessZx: Yes! That would be great! Thanks!

RockRoast12345 would like to join your party.

That had been how it started: A goron warrior with a Warhammer and some serious defensive moves joined as the tank to take as much damage for the team as he could stand, and a Gerudo Paladin had joined her party. Zelda was jealous of the purchase-only red hairstyle the Gerudo had for her character. She had a sword and shield, but her body flickered with elemental lightening magic. In-game purchase effects.

They’d defeated Dodongo with ease, and had gone on several missions together that day, taking down their storylines with relative ease. But they couldn’t function with the NPC healer who barely functioned at all.

So, ThunderstruckQueen had taken to the map chat and put out a request.

ThunderstruckQueen: I found someone. She’s a Zora Cleric. Level 40

RockRoast12345: Let her in! I want to get this one over with

Rutella Zoran IV would like to join your party.

After that, the four of them realized they worked so well together that they’d formed a guild. The Champions. ThunderstruckQueen paid the guild fee, bought a hall, and began decorating it with merchants, and chests. Zelda still shuddered, wondering what she did to have so many rupees ready to go. Needless to say, she made herself the leader.

Some days, they didn’t play together. Other times, only two of them were on. But on weekends, they all came together.

But it had been a Monday when Zelda played, and she’d been alone. Having already tossed her tissue box across her room in frustration, she debated making a new character with more defense, but she sucked it up and went into the Castle Town map, ready to ask for help. She couldn’t wait until she could get to be a higher level. As it was, she’d only gotten to these level 40 areas as a 32 because of Rutella.

Suddenly, a random Hylian man in green with a fancy sword and shield ran up to her and bowed. Zelda scoffed at her computer screen, unsure if she was supposed to respond.

She didn’t need to.

(PM): WildKnightOut2: Hey Princess

(PM): xPrincessZx: Hello?

(PM): WildKnightOut2: Jst wondering if u have a spare flower crown from yesterday’s festival. Missed it. Will pay

Zelda pulled up her inventory, forgetting she was still wearing her flower crown from the Flower Fest. It must have been what tipped him off. In fact, she had four spares.

(PM): zPrincessZx: Yeah, I do. Come to the chest and I’ll trade.

(PM): WildKnightOut2: Thx

She’d never done a trade with anyone who wasn’t in her guild, so she’d felt nervous running to grab it.

(PM): WildKnightOut2: How much u want?

(PM): xPrincessZx: Actually, I’ll give it to you free if you’re willing to help me with a quest? Or 10k.

WildKnightOut2 would like to join your party.

She accepted and watched his character appear in the corner of her screen.

WildKnightOut2: That’s a rip off, btw. Crowns are with 15k at least. Don’t undersell

xPrincessZx: Thanks. I didn’t realize. I’m still kind of new.

WildKnightOut2: Howd u get out here then?

xPrincessZx: I had a run from a friend in my guild.

WildKnightOut2: Got room for a warrior in there?

Zelda introduced him to the other Champions when they’d signed back on, and after a few weeks, Zelda had leveled up enough that she didn’t need to constantly rely on a teammate. But still. She liked Wild the best after ThunderstruckQueen.

They’d brought in a Rito Ranger named TheBestYouveNeverMet, which immediately set Wild off.

(PM): WildKnightOut2: should I aggro a group over so he has to fight them for us?

(PM): xPrincessZx: No! Don’t do that! I’ll get sent over to deal with them!

(PM): xPrincessZx: HEY! I SEE YOU ON THE MAP!

(PM): xPrincessZx: WILD GET BACK TO THE GROUP

On the mini-map, she saw a hoard of red coming at them and rolled her eyes before joining TheBest to kill them with area attacks. Rutella stayed back to heal them, but Thunder and Rock both continued on, unfazed.

ThunderstruckQueen: Wild you’re an idiot

But that was then. This was now.

They’d been together for months as a guild, and now, the six of them knew how the others worked.

If Wild or TheBest took off on their own, no one would follow. They’d both been killed numerous times in an attempt to piss the other off. Zelda had learned to stay with Thunder and Rock. Rutella flitted between running back to revive the idiots, or sticking with the smarter members while letting them heal on their own.

(PM): WildKnightOut2: u wound me

Zelda chuckled, but he wasn’t done.

(PM): WildKnightOut2: After all ive done for u

(PM): WildKnightOut2: u leave me to die

(PM): xPrincessZx: Don’t run off next time

It was a Wednesday when she and Wild were playing alone, so they freely used party chat for ease. She’d surpassed his level, and towered as a 93 while he was an 87.

WildKnightOut2: Hang on. Fuzzball wants food

Zelda stared at his character on her screen, wondering if he looked anything like that avatar. Blonde hair, muscular, piercing blue eyes. She’d made her character look like herself, so it wasn’t hard to imagine others had. Plus, he was the only Hylian. She highly doubted that RockRoast12345 was actually a giant rock-man, or that Rutella Zoran IV was a short fish lady.

She knew everything about these people except their names, faces, and voices.

She knew that ThunderstruckQueen was a single mother who called her daughter Ri on chat. She was a chief of police, and had a few hundred of her force to look out for. Still, she wanted to quit soon to join the military reserve forces now that her daughter was getting older. Devoted and loyal, Thunder occasionally snapped when everyone would start fighting with each other, though it was usually directed at TheBest and Wild, the annoyance sometimes extended out to others.

She knew that RockRoast12345 was older than all of them and had a young grandson. He’d bonded with Thunder over their children at first, and then, without meaning to, they became the parents of the group. Recently, Rock had retired from working as a supervisor in a mine, and gaming had become his way of relieving some of that boredom. But he told the best stories when they were idling around, just stories about anything, and they were always captivating. Also, he was afraid of dogs.

She knew that Rutella Zoran IV was the daughter of a politician. She cared for her little brother like he was her own, and sometimes, he took control of her character, proudly revealing that his real name was Sidon. She was in school to be a doctor, and that made her family prouder than anything. She lived and breathed for her family.

TheBestYouveNeverMet was a pilot. His schedule was the most hectic out of everyone’s because of the flights, but he was sarcastic to the core, and sometimes, the sarcasm was simply rude and definitely didn’t translate well over chat. He was superior, and since he’d been playing the game longest, he thought it entitled him to make more decisions. But Zelda knew from her private conversations with him that deep down, he was sweet and caring. He’d always be the first to ask her how her day was, and he’d learned some of her students’ names to ask if they’d been nuisances.

But Zelda spent the most time talking to WildKnightOut2, so she knew the most about him. At first, they’d bonded over the fact that they both had cats. His was called Fuzzball, an orange, fat cat that needed to exercise more. He’d tried to leash him, but Fuzz wasn’t interested. Sometimes, Fuzz would crawl over the keys, send Wild running, and send chat a long stream of letters.

He was funny and made comments in her private chat while they were playing that had her roaring at times.

He was a rock-climbing instructor and in his free time, he was a free solo climber. When she’d looked it up, she’d been horrified to see that he basically climbed mountains without a harness or ropes, and a fall could kill him. She’d asked if he was good at it, or just did it for fun, and his answer had been an ambiguous “yes.”

She knew about his family. He didn’t live near them, but he kept in contact with his grandparents, his father, and his little sister.

WildKnightOut2: k back. Where we going princess?

xPrincessZx: I need to farm for new armor out in the Haunted Wasteland. Do you need to do anything?

WildKnightOut2: I need to help u farm in the haunted wasteland. What do you need?

xPrincessZx: 10 Rubies

WildKnightOut2: damn ok I have 2 u can have so u only need 8

xPrincessZx: Thanks. How’d that party go last night?

WildKnightOut2: Sucked

xPrincessZx: Cool details

WildKnightOut2: If ud been there, ud have hated it

xPrincessZx: Why?

WildKnightOut2: Bunch of self-absorbed idiots. Like TheBest is

xPrincessZx: Lol. He’s not that bad.

WildKnightOut2: if u say so

They headed into the Wasteland looking for red poes that had rare drops for rubies. She and Wild took out a few groups before they started to struggle. Neither could play and talk at the same time fast enough to warn the other that something was happening, and they both ended up at the shrine of resurrection more times than they cared to admit.

xPrincessZx: Hey Wild. This might sound weird, but do you have that gaming app where we could just maybe voice chat?

xPrincessZx: Unless you’re not comfortable with that. We can invite the others, and when we play together, and it would probably make life a thousand times easier

xPrincessZx: But it’s okay if you don’t want to

WildKnightOut2: yeah I have it

Oh, Zelda thought to herself. That was easy.

xPrincessZx: Do you want to add me? I have the same name

She watched her phone like it was food in the microwave, only occasionally glancing at her computer to see if Wild had sent her another message. She drummed her fingers and her leg started to bounce until her screen lit up.

WildKnight has sent you a friend request.

She hastily hit accept and grabbed her headphones from the drawer before typing into her phone.

xPrincessZx: Your name is missing a few things here.

WildKnight: Yeah HW already had someone with this name so I added on

xPrincessZx: The meaning completely changes

WildKnight: which do you like better?

Zelda froze, unable to make her fingers type. Was he flirting? Was that how people flirted online? She was really good at reading body language cues, and that was always how she knew someone was flirting. But this? There was no context! How was she supposed to know?

xPrincessZx: Which fits your personality more?

That was a safe way of getting out of answering while still sounding maybe like she was flirting. Right?

WildKnight: this one

Zelda’s face warmed up and she put her head in her hands, unsure how to respond. How does she respond to that? What if he wasn’t flirting? What if he was.

#wip wednesday #legend of zelda #LoZ AU #modern au #video games #link #zelda #zelink #daruk #mipha #revali #urbosa #writing #not proofread #zelda is a professor because I was too lazy to look up any job other than my own

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

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All in the Family

Chapter 82: Rita Skeeter's Scope

Frank landed spread eagle and bounced several times uncomfortably, head spinning even worse. Forcing himself to pay attention, he looked quickly at all the accompanying crashes and groans to see everyone was still alright and no worse for wear, Alice had landed on a table so sturdy it hadn't moved an inch and was large enough she was several feet off the ground. So was Frank for that matter, this bed looked comfortable enough it would have fit all eight of them if they'd piled on. The more he looked in fact, everything in here was larger than average, including the giant boarhound having a lovely sniff around the older Black, who was grinning and patting the dog on the head. Then Frank grimaced in unease as it clicked where they were, and he hastily leaped from the bed and wondered if Hagrid was going to come stomping in the door any moment.

They hadn't come across any humans though, not even ghosts according to the Marauders Map, but Hagrid wasn't all the way human he now knew...neither was Lupin, he mentally corrected himself, and he was hopping along just fine.

He was having the roughest go of it though, he acknowledged quietly to himself, as the guy swayed on the spot and looked rather gray as he glanced at the window. Despite the clear sun still bright, he managed to look as if several weeks had passed since the last time they met, and maybe it had. How badly did the full moon affect him even when he wasn't in the body of a monster trying to eat them?

There weren't house-elves about though, but animals a plenty. What was the baseline for who stayed and went then? Intelligence? The missing House-elves from the kitchens all but confirmed this theory the more he thought about it, and despite his ah, brutal nature, Hagrid was most definitely of human intelligence. Then Frank winced at his own analytical thoughts, Hagrid had never been violent to a soul. Neither had Lupin really, before he'd nearly murdered them all. He was the most mild of the Marauders, everyone knew he just laughed along or stayed out of the way, but rarely participated. It was hard to keep what he'd read about beasts and actually knowing of the two in line, how misconstrued were texts then?

"Frank?" He looked up in surprise to see Alice holding his hand and Lily giving him an odd look, he must have been quite spaced out in his own thoughts.

"Sorry darling, what was that?" He asked politely, dragging his eyes away from the door Lupin was still leaning against, watching Potter read with only half his attention about whatever Rita Skeeter's Scope was going to be about, nobody had taken a liking to her articles, most of his attention was focused on messing with Hagrid's pink umbrella he was apparently trying to get to work. The older Black had curled up in Fang's bed with the massive dog, the two cuddling and looking sickeningly adorable for it. Pettigrew and the younger Black were still up at the table, scraping their nails against what were presumed to be the infamous rock cakes.

"I was asking if you were alright, you've got bits of blood all over you," she squeezed his hand and already had her wand drawn, but her face still looked rather pinched. He knew he'd upset her again by having watched Lupin so long, but he just didn't understand why he was the only one who still was. As far as he could tell, nobody had really looked twice at him since the incident had happened, why was he the only one who still seemed aware how dangerous Lupin could be? At least, that's what every book he'd ever read about them said, they were always considered apex predators whether it was a full moon or not.

Maybe just full grown werewolves though, he tried to more clearly define. Lupin was still a teenager, an adolescent. Maybe the older he got the worse it would get, but for now he was still holding it in? Maybe that's why he didn't participate in the Marauders' pranks, he wasn't trying to tempt himself?

They'd heard of him full grown though, he argued back with himself, still unhappy at this clear lack of answers. He'd been a teacher at school for a year with zero problems, and he'd definitely been an adult by then, this was nearly twenty years into their future after all. The night of the full moon he hadn't even murdered anyone while loose on the grounds. Perhaps that wolfsbane potion had some sort of latent effect on him? While he hadn't taken it that night, he had been taking it for months previously, perhaps that had just dulled his senses?

"Frank?" This time he did hear Alice call his name, the concern in her voice evident as she inspected his exposed skin as if looking for something else she could fix.

"What kind of plant did you land in? Can you describe it?" Lily asked clinically, but there was concern in her voice as well.

"I'm alright," he quickly reassured them both. "I'm just, ah, thinking."

Lily didn't look particularly convinced, but Alice gave a soft laugh and a kiss on the cheek, distracting him all the more. "It's alright Lily, he's been known to be in his head for ages." Her eyes were still trained on him though, it was clear she wanted to know what had so caught him up, but he pursed his lips and didn't answer, skin still twitching uncomfortably in the present company. She didn't press him on that, and he loved her all the more for it.

In a very obvious chance to change the subject, he asked them, "Any guesses about that egg then?"

"Maybe, it'll act like a key during the next task?" Alice offered. "It'll, unlock something he has to use for the next part."

"They said it was a clue in itself though," Lily corrected, her eyes sparkling with joy once more, she clearly loved a puzzle. "Also, I don't think it would make noise if that was the case. You might be on the right track though, Harry may have to use it somewhere in particular to make it work."

"You think if he opened it underground, like in the dungeons, it would make a different noise?" Frank nursed the idea.

"Something like that, yes," Lily grinned in delight. "Cedric's clue of taking a bath with it certainly indicates it needs some special circumstances to activate the clue," she finished intensely. Frank wondered, before all this started, how long she'd gone without talking to anyone to be doing so with such enthusiasm now as she propelled off the idea into other avenues, mentioned a few potions she wished she could dunk the egg in to see the properties it housed.

Alice found herself going cross-eyed in moments as the two started bouncing ideas off each other, quickly slipping into plants, potions, and even spells she hadn't heard of. Alice swung their hands together and patiently let herself be ignored in their fun. Frank only had two other dormmates, and while they didn't outright ignore him, she got the feeling they didn't go out of their way to include him either.

She instead began listening to the others chatting around her. Potter had not gotten Hagrid's wand/umbrella to work for him and was now sitting cross-legged on the floor, the book in his lap to more easily flip pages while his hands were tossing a golden apple about, she had no idea where he'd gotten that. Remus Lupin looked like he was falling asleep right against the door, even a new development such as Grubbly-Plank mysteriously taking over the class was only just keeping his eyes open it seemed.

Hagrid was indisposed? What could that mean, Alice wondered on as she looked around more critically in his home for clues, but she'd never been in here to know if anything was out of place. There was no fire going, despite the snow on the windowsill, but he could have been out on the grounds as a gamekeeper was want to do and it interfered with his class for once. His bed was rumpled, but that could have been from Frank landing on it. From what they'd heard of his cooking, the food could have been days old or brand new and they'd never tell the difference. She really hoped Harry went over there to check on him after class. After that, spat, he'd had with Maxime, the poor guy clearly needed a friend.

Potter winced in surprise when he did seem to get to the reason, Skeeter's Scoop indeed.

"-That awful woman," Lily cut off what she'd been saying to scowl at the book in Potter's lap rather than the boy for once, still an odd sight. "How dare she spread his secret like that, Harry's bad enough!"

"You don't think others have a right to know?" Frank asked her in surprise.

"Not in this way," she tossed her hair and didn't even seem to register Frank's odd tone. Alice did, and she frowned up at him once more. "That bloody woman will completely misconstrue Hagrid just like she has been Harry. Even if by some miracle she doesn't, what does it matter as he's no threat to anyone."

Frank was frowning in unease by the end, tugging on his robes and looking very deep in thought once more. Alice sighed as she realized what he'd been debating this time, and she still deeply disapproved of his very black and white stance on this subject. Didn't being around Remus Lupin and Hagrid the past six years prove there was more to this than the stories they'd heard growing up?

Potter was protesting this article as vehemently as Lily was, and Alice got a bit of personal amusement at least those two were agreeing on something with so much vigor neither even seemed to realize it. Their child followed in their footsteps, he seemed in no way ready to let the matter end there about Hagrid and she was not the only one smiling at the kids' reaction to this as well. Sadly, Hagrid was not forthcoming, and Alice did notice the heavy-looking lock on his door was indeed shut tight enough Hagrid himself would have a job of breaking it down.

The passage of time was weighing all of them down as the Hogsmeade trip came and went in a blast of a fashion. Between Ludo Bagman's bizarre interactions and Skeeter all but rubbing in what she'd done, they all would have taken a crack at getting a chance to talk to Hagrid same as Hermione by the end. Of course none of them were expecting Dumbledore of all people to be in here, but trying to picture him sitting at the table with Hagrid and chatting with his friend in this time of need was honestly such a pleasant thing to think about, they were almost smiling again.

A feeling that only increased as Dumbledore took charge of the situation, flat refusing Hagrid's resignation and not allowing him to hide away in shame for something he had no control over. Alice wished she could hug her headmaster right now! She eyed Frank obviously, who was still fidgeting with his robes, but nodding along nonetheless. At least his faith in Dumbledore seemed to have tipped the scales in some regards, and she'd take the slow progress that was.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #reading the books #GoF #Wolfstar #Jilly #Frank Longbottom #Lily Evans #Alice Smith #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #James Potter #Peter Pettigrew #Regulus Black #Marauders

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adrenaline-roulette · 4 years

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Jet Lag

So, in honour of my 22nd Birthday which was on April 30th. I decided to gift myself some cute Ben Hardy x Reader fluff. This was originally going to be Roger Taylor x Reader, but I was craving some Ben (I mean, who isn’t?)

@not-the-cleavers (Because girl, we all need a little bit of Ben in our lives right now)

Story is based off of the song, Jet Lag by Simple Plan.

Pairing: Ben Hardy x Reader (Female) with friend Joe Mazzello Warnings: Pretty much just pure fluff and cuteness, there is a bit of angst though but nothing major! Word count: 5953

Jet Lag

You collapse on your bed, sinking into the plush blankets, and massive pile of decorative pillows, it had been a long, and lonely week. It felt as if the standard five-day work week you had just endured, had been going on for at least a month. Though according to the red crosses on your calendar, it really was Friday the 1st, and not in fact Friday the 29th like it felt. The lonely part stemmed from the lack of company in your apartment over this past week, your boyfriend/ partner in crime, Ben Hardy was currently on a press tour with his castmates from 6 Underground, somewhere in Australia. While he had been away, your old school friend had come to stay while you had the house to yourself, but she had left for a business trip on Monday leaving you once again alone. You settle yourself more comfortably against your pillows, tilting your head back and to the side, keeping your eyes on your phone on your bedside table, just waiting for it to ring. Any minute now, you knew it would ring, and the anticipation of who would be calling had your heart racing.

The cool metal of Ben’s watch lay in your palm, and you clasped your fingers around the gold, circular face, rubbing your thumb gently against the glass. He hadn’t intentionally left his watch behind, but by the time either of you had realised that it was still in London, Ben was somewhere in Japan. Just as you go to glance down at the time, your phone buzzes to life, before vibrating along to your ringtone. It was a stupid song choice for a ringtone, though Ben had changed it for you just before he left, and you didn’t have the heart to change it. The song in question was that ridiculous, Doug Dimmadome – owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome remix that had been going around lately. Every time your phone rang, it nearly gave you a heart attack, as after each conversation on it, you attempted to erase the memory of your ringtone.

You dart your arm out quickly, grabbing your phone and swiping your finger along the screen to answer, a wide grin spreading over your lips, showing off all your teeth. “Hello…” You ask softly with a bated breath.

“Y/N? Hi luv.” Ben’s smooth voice sends chills down your spine, goose bumps appearing over your arms.

“What time is it where you are?”

“I’m in Sydney currently, and it is 9:15am. How about you?”

“6:15pm here, I just got home from work.”

“God, trying to figure out these time zones is making me crazy.”

“Hey, at least we’re doing better than at the beginning of the week. You were saying good morning, when it was midnight!”

“I just hate the thought of you alone. Five more days then I’ll be home.”

As if on cue, a floppy eared beagle pup leaps onto the bed with as much grace as if she were a hippo. Sniffing around your toes, before galloping up the mattress, and butting her nose against your knuckles, then phone. “I wouldn’t exactly say I’m alone. Frankie just joined me, I think she misses you too.”

You can hear Ben’s smile through the phone, and you grin softly yourself, scratching the fingers of your free hand against her head. “So tell me about Sydney, what’s it like there?”

Ben sighs deeply, likely a combination of still waking up, the desire for a smoke and coffee, and the desire to hold you. “It’s alright. It’s really warm here, and the people are all nice. But it’s the same thing every day, we’re all a bit tired of it.” He pauses, and you can hear his bedsheets rustling as he gets into a more comfortable position. “Fuck, I don’t even wanna be in this town.” He grumbles.

“Sydney is a City…”

You know for a fact that he’s rolling his eyes on the other side of the world, you had known each other long enough to guess the other’s reactions without ever seeing them. “Oh yeah, thanks, go on and correct the guy running off five hours sleep!” He’s trying to sound stern, but there’s laughter peeking through his tired voice.

“Hey now, if I don’t correct you, then no one will!”

“I’m sure there’s at least one other person in the world who is game enough to pull me up on my mistakes.”

You raise an eyebrow, a smirk covering your lips as you watch Frankie toddle to Ben’s side of the bed. Circling three times, before curling into a ball. “Ben, you don’t exactly take constructive criticism well…”

Ben groans, and you’re half expecting him to argue, but it never comes. “Yeah, you’re right. Knowing my luck, I’d probably call Sydney a town in the interview, and never be invited back.”

“Nah, I’m sure they’d invite you back. It’d just be to make fun of you is all.” You shrug, grinning to yourself.

“Oi, be nice! You’re supposed to be supportive and caring.”

“Yeah yeah, you’re right. You know I love you.”

“Debatable.” Ben shuffles around again, and you can hear him stifle a yawn against his palm. “So what’s been going on in the world of you then?”

“Work, sleep, work. Nothing exciting really…. Actually, the most exciting thing to happen was on Monday last week.”

“Oh? What happened?”

“I was making dinner for me and Sophie while she was still here. I had just drained the spaghetti I had cooked, it was in the colander on the counter, and I turned around to finish the sauce. The next thing I know, there’s a massive thunk echoing through the apartment, I turned around, and Frankie has knocked down all the pasta, and is running off with spaghetti hanging out of her mouth!” You can barely contain your laughter, the memory of Frankie looking both guilty, yet extraordinarily proud of what she had just done seared into your brain. “She looked like one of those Ood’s from Doctor Who!”

Ben is howling on the other end of the line, the deep baritone of his laughter only causing you to laugh harder. “Yes! Good girl! Good Frankie! Dada loves you!” Frankie lifts her head, having heard her name being called from somewhere. You reach over and scratch her head again, making kissy faces at the cheeky beagle.

“You’re not supposed to encourage this sort of behaviour! You’re the reason why she still does this kind of thing. She thinks she can get away with it!”

“Of course she can get away with it! She deserves people food just as much as you do.”

“Ben! We had no more pasta! She took it all, and there was no more in the pantry to cook.” You whine, though you both know it’s all in jest. You could never truly be mad at Frankie. Despite the occasional theft of food, or shoes, she genuinely was a well-behaved pup.

“Aw come on, you know you’re not really mad at her.” You know for a fact that if Ben were here with you now, he would be pinning you with his best set of puppy dog eyes.

Your shoulders slump in defeat, there was no use in pretending to be mad, Ben would see through your lies instantly. “Okay fine, I’m not mad. But we did end up having to buy takeout for dinner, and that was not the plan!”

“Oh boohoo, you had to get tasty food delivered, what a tragedy.”

“Hold up! How come I have to be caring towards you, yet I don’t receive the same treatment?!”

“You raise a valid point. One which I do not care to argue.”

“Whimp.”

“That’s me! - Hold on a sec, I’m just putting you on speaker. I’ve gotta start getting ready sorry.”

You push yourself up into a sitting position, pressing your back into your pillows. “How long before you have to leave?”

Ben pauses for a few moments, likely to check his schedule for the day. “Um, first interview starts at half eight, last one is around seven-ish.”

“Shit, sounds like a long day, eh?”

Ben sighs, the soft sound causing your heart to ache. All you want is to wrap your arms around him, to make him feel comfortable, and at ease, but you can’t, not from the opposite side of the world. “Yeah, but it’s been like this the whole time. So I suppose I’m kind of used to it by now.”

“Should I let you go now? To go and get ready and all that? I don’t want to make you late.”

“I don’t want to say goodbye just yet.”

“I know, neither do I. But- but you’ll be home soon! And you’ll be home for at least a couple of months, so we won’t have to say goodbye at all for that whole time!” You’re trying to reassure Ben just as much yourself. The beginnings of these phone calls were always amazing; however the endings were almost impossible.

“Next time I go on a press tour, you should just come with me. That way we get to experience the world together, and never have to say goodbye.”

This time, it’s your turn to sigh. A deep, prolonged sound which conveys just how tired of this particular conversation you are. “Ben, you know I can’t do that. I have a job, I can’t just up and leave. They need me.”

“You don’t need a job! I’ll always look after you! You know that right?”

You rub your hand against your forehead, smoothing the lines which had formed there as you frown. “Ben, I know you’d do everything you can to look after me. But remember, you haven’t always been in my life. I grew up needing to work to look after myself. And, I don’t actually have an issue with that way of life. Don’t get me wrong, I mean, you make more in one month than I do in six. But you have to look at this from my perspective, what if one day, we aren’t together anymore? What if that happens, and I’ve quit my job so I could travel with you for tours and for work. I’d be fucked….”

“A-are you saying you don’t think we’re going to last?”

You blink in surprise, eyes growing wide as you take in Ben’s words. “How is that what you’ve taken away from what I just said?”

“Well that’s what it sounded like to me!”

You can’t help but groan, this certainly wasn’t going the way you had planned. You were both too tired to be having this conversation, that much was obvious. “Look, let’s talk about this when you get home, okay? I’m not suggesting we end our relationship, far from it. I promise. Besides, having two incomes is probably a good thing for the time being.”

Ben’s silence is deafening, and for a moment or two, you almost think he may have hung up on you. “Okay, I’m happy to talk later. Do you, um, have any plans for the rest of the night?” He’s trying to sound normal, though you know his mind has jumped to the worst-case scenarios imaginable.

“Yeah actually, Joe said he was going to drop round for a bit. He’s been in town the last couple of days catching up with friends, then he’s heading off to see Gwil for a little while. But he said he’d swing by tonight. He claims it’s because he wants to make sure I’m doing alright without you, but I’m positive he is actually just looking for an excuse to see Frankie again!”

This earns you a laugh from Ben, a genuine laugh. You knew it would, but just hearing it allowed you to relax somewhat. Maybe he would forget about what you had said, and you would be able to start this conversation fresh, when both of you were more awake. “Maybe we should get him a carboard Frankie to go with Ben-Cardy?”

“No! That is probably the worst idea you have ever had!”

“What? No way! I think it’s brilliant!”

“Benjamin, Joe has only just stopped posting videos of Ben-Cardy. Do you really want all of that to start up again?”

“Hey, it was funny! Especially that one where I got to be in it too!”

“No, that was the weirdest one!”

“You’re only saying that because you walked in on us filming it.”

“Well obviously! Put yourself in my shoes. You’ve just finished a long day at work, you come home to hear giggling in your bedroom, and your first thought is, fuck my boyfriend is cheating on me! But oh no, instead when you storm into the bedroom, you see said boyfriend in bed with his best friend, and a cardboard cut-out of himself!”

Yet another pause follows your outburst, before Ben begins chuckling. “Okay, yeah, I see what you mean. That probably would’ve been a little odd.”

A rattling of keys in the apartment door grabs your attention, and you peer down the corridor, keeping an eye out for who was coming in. You knew who it should be, but you could never be too sure. The door creaks open, and Joe pops his head in, grinning at you broadly. You had told him where the spare key was kept, so he could let himself in when he arrived, though you had assumed he may still knock to announce his arrival. “Hey babe, I should probably get going. Joe’ll be here soon, and you need to get ready. Like properly get ready, and actually eat something for breakfast. I know you’re back on the smokes…”

“How’d you know that?”

Joe walks further into the apartment, leaning against the bedroom door frame, a fond smile on his lips. “Ben, I know everything. I see all.”

There’s a smirk in his voice now, as if he’s challenging you. “Alright then Miss all seeing. What colour are the boxers I’m wearing right now?”

You bite your bottom lip gently, completely forgetting Joe’s presence for the time being. “You’re not wearing any.” Your voice is low and sultry, and you can hear Ben hiss out a sharp breath. “Have a good day babe, I’ll talk to you later.”

You swipe your thumb against the screen, ending the call before Ben has the chance to respond. “You’re early.” You smile, turning your attention to Joe now, who was intensely pretending to have not heard the ending to your conversation.

“Did you tell him?”

“And hello to you too Joseph.”

“Y/N, did you tell him?”

You sigh, pulling your legs up so you could sit cross-legged on the bed, facing your entire body towards your friend now. “I tried to, but it didn’t exactly go according to plan.”

“So did you or did you not tell him?”

“I didn’t tell him.” Your shoulders slump, and your chin drops as you scowl at the floor.

Joe steps further into the room, coming over to your side where he rests his palm over your shoulder. “You have to tell him, he needs to know.”

“I know that Joe. Don’t you think I know that?” You grumble, flopping your head back so you could look up at him. “It’s just, every time I try to allude to it in one of our chats, it always gets twisted, and it becomes this big misunderstanding. I think telling him face to face would be best.”

“What do you mean, when you allude to it? Are you actually coming out with the words, or are you trying to skirt around the truth?”

“I mean, I’ll get there eventually. One way or another he’ll find out, I’m just having trouble saying it is all.”

“Y/N. If you don’t tell him, then I will.”

<<<--->>>

Just as Ben had promised, five days later you were waiting at the airport for him to arrive home. The plan had always been for you to be there when he arrived home, however Joe had also decided he wanted to wait for Ben too, as he still had another day before meeting up with Gwil. The two of you stood in the arrivals terminal, you with an A4 sheet of paper with ‘Hardy’ written in pink sharpie, and Joe beside you, with an A3 piece of paper which read ‘Ben Hard-On’.

“Could you stand over there somewhere? Like, as far away from me as possible please? I don’t want people to know that I associate with you.” You grumble, though you’re having an exceedingly difficult time not laughing at his stupidity.

“Hey, it was your idea to make signs!”

“Sign! One sign, as in singular!” You sigh, casting a glare at the grinning American.

Joe simply shrugs, knocking his elbow against your arm playfully. “Well think of it this way, he won’t be able to miss us. Not with a sign like this.” He grins, gesturing down to his crude sign with his chin.

“If anything, he may intentionally miss us after seeing that.”

Before Joe has the chance to reply, you let out a loud squeal, before darting off and leaving him far behind. You sprint forwards, pushing past the couple of people who had decided to stand directly in front of you, blocking your sign off from Ben’s view. “Ben!” You call, throwing yourself at him with as much force as possible.

Ben drops the black rucksack he had been clutching in his hand, allowing it to clunk to the ground. His arms wrap around you tightly, his fingers digging gently into your sides as he pulls you ever closer to him. “Fuck I’ve missed you.” He whispers against your ear, before nestling his nose against the crook of your neck, pressing tiny kisses to the exposed flesh there.

There are tears stinging the backs of your eyes, and you feel as if you’re about to sneeze as you hold the tears back. “I missed you too. So, so much.” You whimper, clutching your arms tighter around his torso. People moved around the two of you, pretending not to see the blatant display of affection, or just too tired to truly care. The flight Ben had just departed had flown from Singapore into London, and everyone who exited looked like zombies, your boyfriend included.

“Well shit, I hope you’ve got enough to go round.” Joe pipes up, standing just behind you and to the left, this way, when Ben looked up to see him, he was greeted with the charming sign he had made.

“I thought airports had rules as to who was allowed inside?” Ben smirked, slowly lowering his arms around you, so one arm now rested around your waist.

Joe simply shrugged, grinning like an idiot. “British airports are a lot more lenient with letting in riffraff like me.”

Shaking his head, Ben stepped forward just as Joe did, both wrapping each other in a one armed hug. “It’s good to see you mate.”

“You too Benny Boo.” Joe chuckled, earning an eye roll from the blonde, and a deep sigh from you.

Ben heads back to you, bending down to scoop up his bag, before swinging it over his broad shoulder. “Here, I have a beanie and sunnies for you.” You offer with a grin, holding the items out to him. The beanie was black, and hand knitted by the old woman who used to live in the apartment next to yours. While the sunglasses were the spare pair he always kept in your car. “Just in case you’re trying to keep a low profile.” You shrug lightly, shoving your hands into the front pockets of your jeans.

“Hey, actually Y/N raises an excellent point. You’re a big movie star now. Where are all the photographers?” Joe demands, his eyes scanning across the crowds of people in the arrivals terminal. Lo and behold, there was a serious lack of paparazzi. In fact, the closest thing which came to paparazzi, was the small huddle of teenaged girls who were gossiping amongst themselves, whilst attempting to take sneaky photos of Ben. One even went as far as holding her phone directly in front of her face, pretending to be taking a selfie, and it would’ve worked too, if it weren’t for her flash going off.

Ben smirks, lifting his brows at the girls as the three of you walk past them and towards the baggage carousel. “Well there’s two reasons actually.”

“Oh, and what would those be?” You enquire, keeping an eye out for the bags you know Ben had taken with him. Although you were positive there would likely be one or two extra, filled to the brim with gifts and souvenirs from each country.

“Well reason one, is that aside from you guys, no one else knew the actual date I would be arriving home. In the last interview I did in Sydney, I said I would be flying out in a week. So there’s probably a heap of photographers around the lobby of my hotel asking where I am right this very moment.”

Joe turns and looks at Ben over his shoulder, brows creasing into a gentle frown. “You’re a cruel man Hardy.”

“I know, I try my best.”

You roll your eyes, nudging your arm against Ben’s lightly. “Alright, so what’s reason two then?”

At this, Ben’s face breaks out into a wide grin, as he looks between you and Joe. “I use a different name when travelling. One that’s less likely to have people catch on to it being me.”

Your eyebrows rise at this, this was the first time you’d heard of Ben going under a different alias when travelling. You had always assumed he used his own name… “What name do you use?”

“Probably something stupid, like Dinkleburg Flapjack.” Joe butts in, grinning childishly at his made-up name.

The carousel you were waiting at whirls to life, slowly chugging around as bags begin to appear along its tracks. One of Ben’s bags is one of the first to be spat out, and he walks backwards towards it, so he could answer your question. “I like to go by a name literally no one will ever now. Joe Mazzello is one of my favourites to use. Shockingly, no one’s ever heard of him?” And with that, Ben turns on his heel and darts over to grab his bag, as Joe stands stock still, his mouth opening and closing as if he were a fish out of water. As for you? Well, you’re struggling to contain your laughter, and doing a terrible job at it!

<<<--->>>

The three of you sat in comfortable silence as you drove out of the airport, you had requested everyone -namely Joe- be quiet while you attempted to find the exit to get you back on the freeway. You always hated driving around the airport, all of the exits looked the same to you, but you found it slightly easier when you had no other distractions at least. Both Ben and Joe had offered to drive, which although kind, you had declined. One, because Ben was dead tired, and you worried that he would fall asleep behind the wheel; and two, Joe had a habit of forgetting he wasn’t in the USA, and kept trying to drive on the wrong side of the road. All in all, you were the safest option when it came to driving, at least in this scenario.

Ben had his head resting against the passenger seat window, his eyes drifting closed periodically before he would snap them wide open again, as if trying to convince himself he wasn’t in fact about to fall asleep. “Are we dropping you off somewhere Joe, or did you want to come back to our place?” You glance up at the review mirror, catching Joe’s eye in the reflection.

You watch his reaction for a moment, before returning your attention to the road ahead. You knew what his answer would be, even before you had asked the question. He want’s you to talk to Ben, and he has no intention of actually being there when you do so. He just wants it to happen. “If you wouldn’t mind making a pit stop at that little café you showed me the other day, that would be great.”

You nod gently, flicking the indicator on as you make a left turn towards town. “Yeah sure. That’s no worries.”

“Shoot us through a message later on, and we’ll meet you up somewhere to grab dinner, yeah?” Ben grins, turning around and looking at Joe in the backseat.

“Of course, that sounds great!” Joe smiles, shooting Ben a cheesy thumbs up in order to prove his agreement with the idea.

<<<--->>>

After dropping Joe off, you make the short drive back to your apartment, still with Ben dozing off occasionally beside you. “Hey, what’s that?” He pipes up, squinting his eyes at the dashboard, his view obstructed by your hands on the steering wheel.

You cast your gaze down, searching for what had piqued Ben’s curiosity. “Oh, this?” You laugh softly, reaching one hand forward, and grabbing out the folded picture which had been jammed between the plastic dash covering. “I keep your picture in my car. I figure, if I can’t wake up next to you, then this is the next best thing.” You shrug lightly, embarrassment tinting your words.

Ben reaches forwards, taking the folded photo from you, rubbing his thumb over it gently before peeling it open so he could see both sides. From what you had visible; it was just an image of a bordering on tipsy Ben, his blonde curls tousled and unruly, and his ocean eyes shining brightly behind thick lashes. What had been hidden from view, was how on the other half of the photo, he had his arm wrapped around your waist, while your head was resting against his shoulder, an equal look of joy etched permanently upon your face. “Why’s it only me?”

You tilt your head slightly, looking down at the now flattened photo. “Because it’s a great picture of you, but not of me. Besides, I wake up to myself every day. It’s you who I’ve been missing.” You shrug, pressing the button on the garage key, waiting of the automatic roller door to curl up, before driving into the underground carpark attached to your apartment complex.

“Well I for one, think that this is a beautiful photo. Of both of us.” Ben sighs, rubbing his index finger and thumb along the crease which had formed down the centre.

You pull the key from the ignition then unfasted your seatbelt, swivelling on your seat so you could face Ben properly now. He’s looking at you expectantly, eyes unblinking, and focused solely on you now. “Something’s up, isn’t it?” He sighs, a brief flicker of hurt flashing through his eyes.

You want to lie, to tell him that everything is fine, and that nothing had changed while he was away. Tell him that your lives weren’t about to head down a path neither of you had ever discussed. “Yes, but not in a bad way perse. Let’s get upstairs? You need to catch up on some sleep, and while you do that I’ll start getting you unpacked. We’ll talk when you’re feeling a bit more human, yeah?” You smile, though it doesn’t quite reach your eyes like usual.

You push open the car door, sliding out and stepping into the cool garage, the perpetually damp air clinging to your skin like a second layer. “Why are you avoiding having this conversation?” Ben groans, following you around to the back of the car, where you both begin to pull his bags out.

“And what conversation is that exactly Ben?”

You swing his rucksack over your shoulder, pulling a large rolling suitcase behind you. “I don’t know. Whatever conversation it is that we apparently need to have!” He’s exasperated, and honestly, so are you. The fact that he’s tired, and likely has no idea what time it actually right now either, doesn’t exactly help the situation.

“Look, yes there’s a couple of things I need to tell you, but it doesn’t have to be right this instant! It’s not some big dramatic thing, okay?”

Ben frowns, folding his arms across his chest, watching you with a stern gaze. “Well for something that isn’t dramatic, you’ve certainly been putting it off. We could’ve had this, chat, last week. But you decided you didn’t want to!”

“Ben, I am not going to fight with you. Not here, not now, not ever. I am happy to talk with you when you’ve calmed down a bit. But as for right now, I’m going to our apartment, and I’m going to make a pot of tea. I can make it for one or two people, the decision is yours.” You don’t await a reply, grabbing the handle of the suitcase, and wheeling it behind you towards the stairs that lead out of the garage.

For a few moments, you almost think Ben is going to stay and fume by the car, but soon enough you hear his heavy footsteps following you up the stairs, lugging his two other suitcases behind him. “Green or black?” His voice flows from behind you, he sounds nervous, almost as if he thinks he won’t be welcome into his own apartment.

“Black, if that’s alright? I just got a new tin of Russian caravan.” You smile over your shoulder, catching his eye and sending a wink his way.

A blush creeps up his cheeks, one which you watch melt over his pale skin for the few moments it takes before you arrive at your apartment. You rustle around in your handbag for a few moments, before triumphantly retrieving your keys, shoving one into the main lock, and pushing the heavy wooden door open. Immediately, Frankie is bounding towards the door, barking happily at the sight of Ben. “Hey girl. Hey!” He grins, kneeling in the doorway, where Frankie stands on her hind legs, resting her front paws on Ben’s chest. “Oh I missed you so much! Did you look after Mama Y/N? Did you?” He’s speaking in his baby voice to the excitable beagle, and it’s honestly the gosh darned sweetest thing you have ever heard.

“Of course she did, she was an angel like always.” You call from the kitchen, smiling to yourself. It was the truth, aside from the odd hiccup or two -namely the spaghetti incident- Frankie had been on her best behaviour the entire time Ben was away.

“That’s my girl….” Ben’s voice is lower now, and you’re almost positive he’s bestowing belly rubs upon the spoiled pup.

Humming quietly, you busy yourself with brewing a pot of tea, taking far longer than strictly necessary to select which teapot to use. Reaching up to the top shelf in your pantry, you pull down the spherical BB-8 pot, blowing off the small amount of dust which had accumulated on its lid. As you pour the hot water over the loose tea, Ben heads into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around your waist, and resting his chin over your shoulder. “Hey – I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pick a fight with you before. I know it seems like it though.”

You replace the lid on the teapot, allowing the tea to steep for the necessary 3-5 minutes. “I didn’t mean to bite back. I think we’re both a bit on edge right now. It’s always like this when you’ve just come home, maybe next time we just need to try and remember that?” You half laugh, bringing one hand up, to stroke your fingers against Ben’s jaw. “If you’re ready now, we can talk?”

Ben lifts his head slightly, pressing a soft kiss against your shoulder before standing up straight, using his hand on your waist to turn you to face him. “I’m ready when you are.” He whispers, crystalline eyes boring into yours.

A deep sigh slips from your lips, a frown creasing between your brows as you attempt to form your next words. “Remember on the phone the other night, and I said that me leaving my job wasn’t such a great idea?”

You know that he remembers, how could he not? But this time you genuinely were stalling. “There’s a reason for that. No, not just because the pessimist inside of me is warning that one day I may not have your income to rely on. But because, having two incomes could be a really good thing right now. In fact, it might be for the best.”

Ben has one hand still resting against your hip, while the other is dragging his fingers through his overgrown locks. “What do you mean? I- I don’t get it?”

“What if, it wasn’t just the two of us here Ben?”

“There’s three of us. You, me, and Frankie!”

You can’t help but roll your eyes, a soft smirk on your lips now. “Right, of course. Well what about four then? What if there were four of us?”

“Do you mean Joe? Is that why he came to the airport today? Is he living with us now? Because if he is, he can bloody well help with the rent!”

“Whoa! No, not that! Not at all!” Your lower lip presses between your teeth, as you shuffle your feet along the tiled floor. “Ben, I mean a baby. I- I’m pregnant. And I figure, babies can be hella expensive, so maybe the two of us working will make things a little bit easier?” You’re rambling now, you know that. And poor Ben seems to still be trying to compute the news you’ve just dumped on him.

“Y/N, can we just rewind for a second?”

Your mouth slams shut, eyes wide as you nod at Ben. “I’m sorry. I was going to tell you another way. Ben, I’m pregnant. I found out I think maybe, three days after you left.”

“Holy fuck. I mean, holy shit! No, I can’t swear in front of the baby. Oh my god? Is that okay? Or am I not allowed to blaspheme around the baby either?”

At this, you can’t help but laugh, stepping forwards and throwing your arms around Ben’s neck. “I’m only six weeks along. I don’t think you have to worry about thing’s like swearing yet.”

Ben freezes, locking eyes with you as he holds both hands around your waist, pulling you closer against him. “So you’re telling me. You’re pregnant, and the number one take away you have from that, is whether you should keep working or not?” There’s humour in his voice, and his eyes are sparkling with joy.

“Yep. I guess so.” You shrug, allowing your laughter to flow freely now, uncaring if anyone else heard you.

Ben shakes his head, grinning like a mad man. “Fuck, I love you.” He whispers, leaning in towards you. Your lips lock together, melding into one like the perfect match they are. Teeth knock against teeth for a few moments as you work to find a comfortable pace and position, though your lips never part once. His hands cling to your waist, fingers pressing into your soft flesh, as if he were your anchor to reality, while your hands tangle in his hair, fingers curling and tugging at his blonde curls. Slowly, Ben pulls away, his eyes opening just barely so he could look down at you. “I’ll need to stop smoking. I promise I will.” He whispers.

You smile softly, tilting your head up so your nose bumps against his. “Now that, we can agree on.”

If you enjoy my writing, feel free to check out my MASTERLIST. I write for a somewhat varied number of fandoms. My askbox is ALWAYS open, and I love taking requests! It just may take me some time to write up your request, but I will always get to it!

#ben hardy x reader #ben hardy x you #ben hardy fanfic #ben hardy fic #ben hardy #ben hardy one shot #joe mazzello #friend joe mazzello #frankie #frankie hardy #frankie the beagle #frankie the dog #fluff #one shot #fluffy #cute

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chocochar · 4 years

Note

Hi! Could you write a one shot where Hawks takes out his secretary, whom he has a massive crush on, out to a fancy dinner? They think it’s all for business but later it’s revealed Hawks took them out on a date. Pls and thank you!

(AN: I’m SO SORRY this took so long! I had it started for a while but my brain was radio static TuT But it’s dooone, hope you enjoy and thank you for the request!)

"Come oooon, (F/n), don't make me beg~" Hawks already is begging, and (F/n) sighs as she fixes the papers on her desk. For the last week now this birdbrain has bothered her every day to go to this new restaurant with him. They supposedly have incredible food, especially their chicken and seafood, and for some reason she was his choice to take there.

Being the secretary of the no. 2 hero, for the most part, is fine. She comes to work, gets the jobs she has done, then goes home. At least at first, but working for him for a few months now there's definitely been a shift; he's more attentive when it comes to her, even if it's a typically boring discussion about a job he did, his eyes never leave her and he's always got the grin on his handsome face. He also seems to listen more, like when she told him to pay more attention to his own health in a fight last week he's had fewer injuries they'd need to take care of. Which means less stress for her.

If she didn't know any better she'd assume he has a crush on her, but that's a silly thought right? She's just looking too into it.

"Takami-san, I've told you more than once I'm not going. Why don't you ask one of your sidekicks?" She asks, turning to face him.

"Cause I asked you, that's why," he pouts slightly, before continuing,"C'mon, it'll be fun, I'll pay for everything! I wanna take you out, pleeease?"

"Why are you so persistant?" she asks the younger hero, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Cause I like you," he grins, (F/n) jolting and looking at him in surprise. No, no why is she getting so shocked over hearing that? There's no hidden meaning behind it! Shaking her head she finishes tidying up her desk and goes to pass him when his arm is suddenly blocking her way. He's leaning against the wall, palm pressed against it, and throwing the puppy dog eyes her way. "Please, (F/n)?"

She narrows her eyes, ready to throw out another 'no', but sighs,"Fine, fine, I'll go."

He smiles brightly and holds up two thumbs up, saying,"I knew you'd give in eventually! You're off Saturday, right? I'll swoop on over to your house and pick you up around 6 or 7, is that good for you?"

She nods, and it's set, the woman watching him go before she leaves the agency. 'Why did I agree?? Damn him and those puppy dog eyes! This kid is going to be the death of me.' she thinks while rubbing her neck, pulling out her phone and putting it into her calendar.

[X][X][X]

Saturday comes and (F/n) dresses up in nice, formal clothes. She puts on some makeup, does her hair, and checks herself in the mirror; does she look too done up for this? After all, it is just dinner with Hawks.

'He'll probably tease me or something about looking so nice while he's in his hero outfit or something casual,' she thinks, debating on changing or not. But she doesn't get the chance to decide when a knock comes at her front door and she hurries to it. Opening it she's surprised to find Hawks here already, as well as carrying a rose and actually looking... nice! She nearly rubs her eyes to make sure she isn't seeing things. He's in a loose fitting suit that he pulls off really well, his hair looks a little more styled, and he looks like he's blushing lightly looking her over.

"Wow, (F/n), I was coming ready to get you to change but you look nice," he smiles. He hands her the flower and she thanks him taking it, walking inside letting him come in as she goes to find a vase or cup to put water into for the plant.

"I think I'm even more shocked, Takami-kun," she replies, coming back after getting the rose in water. "You look very handsome though."

He grins while his cheeks turn redder, scratching the back of his head, saying,"Awww, really?? You always know what to say, (F/n).~" Checking the time he asks,"So, ya ready then?"

"Sure," she replies leaving her apartment with him before locking the door. She looks around below in the parking lot but doesn't see any unfamiliar or new cars, so she asks,"Uh, where's your-"

"Oh we're not driving," he answers before she's suddenly lifted into his arms,"I thought you'd prefer to see the sights so we're taking to the skies.~"

"W-Wait what??" she asks with wide eyes; her arms wrap tight around his neck as his wings unfurl and they take a large leap into the air. She goes to scream burying her face in his jacket, but goes quiet when wind starts whipping at her arms and hair. Peeking she's shocked to find they're already quite high above the buildings, the growing night giving them more cover as they fly. He's not zooming around, fortunately, he seems to be taking it slow probably so she doesn't panic, and his arms have a tight hold under her back and knees so she feels more secure. She's still terrified but is slowly calming down admiring all the lights below as well as the parks they soar over. He grins seeing the entranced gaze she has and asks,"Never seen anything like it, huh?"

"No, it's... It's beautiful," she replies, smiling herself. It's odd what's going on, but she won't complain.

"Yeah, sure is," he sighs, his eyes lingering on her before he focuses ahead of them as they get close to the restaurant.

He starts to glide down until reaching the sidewalk and landing on both feet his wings close and he places (F/n) back on her own legs. She holds onto his shoulder for a moment, her limbs feeling like jelly, before shaking off the feeling and letting him go before looking at the place. It's really nice on the outside, and she can smell the food from out here, it smells delicious! She looked up reviews before coming, all positive about the atmosphere and delicacies... Is he really okay bringing her to a place like this? This is more of a place couples come to right?

Shrugging that off she follows Hawks to the entrance double doors and stops when he opens the door and says in a charming way,"Ladies first.~"

Rolling her eyes she smiles and replies,"Thank you." before walking in. It certainly is exquisite, definitely not a place she could afford on her own. She actually turns to the bird hero and asks,"Takami, are you sure about this? I don't know if I can afford it."

He gives her a puzzled look before waving her off. "Don't worry, (F/n), I'm paying for everything."

She wants to tell him that that wouldn't be appropriate but already a welcomer comes up to the duo and whisks them off to a table before she can get a word in. It's an especially nice looking set up too, and as they pass by seated patrons she takes note of their appearances; from the pricey looking outfits to the jewelery that twinkles under the lights she feels slightly out of place.

Sitting across from her boss the secretary can't stop looking over everything, and he laughs at how almost childlike it is.

"If I knew you'd be reacting this cute I'd have taken you somewhere like this sooner," he grins and she turns back to him with pink cheeks. "Although this time I wasn't rejected, meaning I could finally see it.~"

"T-Takami," she mumbles, pushing some (hair color) locks behind her ear while willing away the growing blush on her cheeks. "Are you sure this is okay? I mean, I couldn't possibly ask you to-"

He holds a hand up and presses a finger to his lips, her mouth closing while he retorts,"I already planned this out, (F/n), I couldn't possibly expect you to pay, right? That wouldn't be very gentlemanly." He smiles sweetly at her and she feels her heart thump louder in her chest. Clearing her throat she nods, opening the menu... And nearly leaving the moment she saw the prices. The only thing stopping her is his wing and him assuring her it's fine.

[X][X][X]

After the two order they get to talking, a lot of it being Hawks asking her about more personal things like her hobbies, what she does after work, does she like this or this, and (F/n) answers truthfully although she thinks,'I don't quite get what's going on, I thought this was just going to be for business mostly but it feels more personal...' Their hands have brushed more than once and he keeps complimenting her making her flustered.

Taking a sip of her water she changes the subject and asks,"So, are you alright after that fight the other day? Your wings look much better."

"We handled it just fine, did you have your doubts?" he teases.

"I just worry for you, Takami, I care about you," she honestly answers. He's a little surprised hearing this and he feels his cheeks turning warm as he brings up a hand to try to hide it. She cocks a brow, asking,"Are you okay, Takami?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine," he tries to play it off but this woman... She always seems to make him weak like this.

Originally he hired her because she seemed to know what she was doing and has done her job well every step of the way, but over the months they've been working together he started to notice small things like the way she bites her pen when stumped on work, or will nibble her lip when thinking. Slowly he started noticing more and more things, and before he knew it he realized he grew feelings. Even tonight she looks adorable! And he finally managed to score a date with her, so he wanted to make it all special.

She gives him a soft smile and says,"Alright, well anyways, I'll always have faith in you, Takami, even if I worry and scold you."

He returns the smile and decides to say,"You know, you don't have to call me Takami."

She looks confused now, and he continues,"Just call me Keigo." She blinks in slight surprise; that's odd to say. After all, 'Keigo' would be rather personal right??

"Um... I suppose, but would that be okay, I mean-"

She can't finish as their food is brought and Hawks' eyes light up with anticipation as his dish of chicken is placed in front of him. (F/n) also almost starts drooling at the smells alone. She takes a bite, and melts right away. No wonder this place is so well received! Looking at the hero in front of her he's already started eating, the sight of him looking so happy causing her to giggle at the faces he's making. His golden eyes move to look at her as he stops, and she laughs,"Sorry, sorry, you're acting really... It's cute!"

His face erupts in red at this and he lifts some of the chicken on a fork up to her mouth. She calms down and eyes the food puzzled.

"Here, try, it's pretty good," he grins and now it's her turn to go red in the face. He's feeding it to her?? It's such a simple gesture but her racing heart won't shut up! She also realizes he's taken a bite from it...

"N-No, I'm fine," she tries to tell him, holding up her hands and waving them in front of her.

"Aww, c'mon, (F/n), it's not going to bite," he teases playfully, and she swallows looking at the fork. Everything about this is way too strange, although this whole night has had a series of odd moments. Biting her lip she decides to do it, leaning forward and biting into it. It's really good, but she's having trouble focusing on the food when he finishes it off. Swallowing it down she keeps eating but has trouble focusing.

It goes quiet between the duo and Hawks catches on pretty quickly as his eyes lift to find her staring at her plate, lost in thought with furrowed brows. He stops and asks,"Uh, (F/n), you okay?" When she doesn't answer he lifts a hand to wave in front of her face and says,"Earth to (F/n), hello? You still with me?"

"Takami, if it isn't too strange to ask, why did you want to bring me here?"

Hawks freezes, appearing puzzled and pulling his hand back.

"What do you mean? Isn't it obvious?" he asks tilting his head, to which her response is a shake of the head. Wait is she being serious here? "Really? I thought it was pretty out in the open but do I gotta say it?"

"Yes, because truthfully I've been confused, isn't this just a sort of business dinner or something?" she asks with an (adorably) confused expression.

He on the other hand stares at her in an almost incredulous way. This... Cute, blind idiot.

"(F/n), I was taking you on a date," he finally answers. (F/n) goes wide eyed once she realizes what he said. 'A d-date?! I-Is that even appropriate?!' Technically yes, there's no laws saying they can't date each other, but... "That's why I got the flowers and got all dressed up, I was trying to make a good impression."

"B-But wait, why?! How long have you...??" she asks in a flustered way, her face red.

He scratches the back of his head while he replies,"Liked you? I'd say 2 months, maybe? I thought I was being pretty obvious, I wasn't being subtle with my flirting, (F/n)." Seeing how shocked she is, how much her blush has grown, he teases,"See, how can I not go for you when you're acting so adorable?~"

Her heart won't let up and she hides her face in her hands, groaning,"I had no idea... Hawks, why tell me now?..." Her reaction causes his smile to lower and he rubs his neck.

"Is this too uncomfortable?" He asks, which causes her to lift her head to look at him; his expression is a dejected one as he averts his eyes, his smile now more sad as he chuckles,"Maybe I flew too close to the sun, right? I was hoping I'd finally win you over with this but maybe I was expecting too much, huh?" He meets her eyes finally and finishes,"Sorry, (F/n). If you want I'll take you home."

She's silent staring at the hero, unable to find the words. The look he has her pounding heart starts to ache; sure she's shocked by this, but she wouldn't say she's uncomfortable, this was just unexpected. He did seem to pull out the stops, too, and hearing him sound so sad fills a guilty hole in her gut. She's noticed the flirting, she's noticed his watching her more often than before, she just never put the pieces together until hearing it from his own mouth. If she'd known this was a date...

After taking a few moments to think it all over she shakes her head, and responds,"No, Takami, it's okay, really! I'm not uncomfortable being here, to be honest you've been quite the gentleman." She smiles and his cheeks turn pink. "I'm more just really surprised, but... I suppose finishing this date won't hurt, especially now knowing that's what it is."

He eyes her, asking,"Are you sure?" She gives him a warm look and he slowly smiles back.

"Well if you're okay then let's eat.~"

[X][X][X]

The dinner ends and the two leave full and content. After they walk out (F/n) is swept off her feet again and looping her arms around the bird hero's neck she holds tight, still not used to flying.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just drive??" She asks as they drift through the air.

"And miss the best part of the night? Just hold onto me, I won't let you fall," he assures the nervous secretary. She nods and does just that, her arms holding a lock on him while her eyes glide over all the lights below. She's so lost in the sights she misses them heading towards a tall building's roof until they land and he sets her on her feet. He keeps a hold on her as she gains her own footing, and when (F/n) looks ahead she's mesmerized by the sights. Hawks smiles seeing the way her (eye color) orbs light up and still not moving his hand off her side he asks,"Pretty, right? That's one thing I love about being able to fly, at night I get a front row seat to see things like this."

"It must be nice," she replies with a grin, before realizing his hand is still on her. She's still slightly worried about going into this type of relationship with him, after all he's her boss, but over dinner she'd been thinking it over, and she made her decision. "Keigo."

He looks at her in surprise and she smiles warmly and says,"Thank you for tonight. I'm a bit hesitant, I'll admit, to start a relationship but... If it's you I suppose I can make an exception.~"

Hawks is even more taken back, his eyes widening and for once he's speechless, before he grows a happy grin and he asks,"So there's a possibility to make you Mrs. Takami, too, right?~"

"Wait what-" she asks with shock but she's silenced when he suddenly kisses her. It's a short, sweet, yet still deep kiss and she almost melts into it before he pulls back. His smile becomes more charming and he chuckles,"Just kidding, for now we'll just be two turtle doves, but I'll get you to say yes one day, just wait.~"

Her face is red and hot and she sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose before she looks at him with a smile of her own and replies,"We'll see what happens, Keigo.~"

"I'm not hearing a no," he practically coos and shaking her head she pulls hims close and pecks his lips.

"We'll see, birdbrain.~"

#hawks x reader #hawks bnha #hawks mha #hawks fanfiction #hawks x secretary reader

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mermaidxatxheart · 4 years

Text

Home for Christmas

This is my next prompt for @panicfob‘s #25 Days of Christmas.

Day 14: The Company Holiday Party

Pairing: Sam X Reader

Warnings: Swearing, small acts of violence, threats of violence against Steve.

Summary: This is a continuation of my Home story. Sam’s been gone for even longer this time. Naturally, you hate every second. But the worst part is that he’s supposed to accompany you to your stupid work holiday party. And now that he’s not going, you really don’t want to.

Word Count: 3328

How do people make long-distance relationships work? This is impossible.

Your boyfriend, Sam, has been gone for his longest mission to date.

3 months.

7 days.

16 hours.

And you’ve counted every single second of absolute agony.

You shake out the towel you’re folding with a grumble. “We won’t be gone that long, baby. You won’t even have time to miss me.” You mock his parting words, lips still tingling at the memory of his searing goodbye kiss. The door clicked shut and you had to look down and make sure you were still dressed.

“Right.” You sigh, giving up on the towel and throwing it onto the bed. “Steve Rogers is gonna get a Captain America sized slap the second I meet him.” You curse, dogging through the laundry basket, looking for your cloud shirt.

It’s really Sam’s, but not anymore. It’s soft as sin, worn to perfection, and he knows it’s your favorite, so he leaves it with you.

You crumple it to your face and inhale, trying to remember what his cologne smells like. It’s faded from the shirt, doesn’t smell like your Sam anymore. Just you.

You pull it away, a frustrated, strangled sigh escaping. You’re about to fold it back in his drawer when you notice a small dark spot towards the bottom.

“No.” You whisper, bringing the section closer to your face. Sure enough, it’s a hole. Your eyes fill with tears as you stare at it, heart thumping erratically in your chest, banging painfully against your ribs. You fold the shirt, being extra careful with it, placing it in his drawer and wiping your eyes.

Your phone chimes with a text message and you dive for it, thinking it might be Sam, finally replying to one of your four hundred text messages.

But it’s just your coworker, Ashley, reminding you about the holiday party tonight.

“Calvin told me to remind you that it was mandatory.” She writes.

“Calvin can sit on a cactus.” You mutter, tossing your phone on your bed. You look at the bright red dress hanging over your closet door. Sam’s suit is next to it, but you don’t think he’s going to make it home in time for the party.

You don’t feel like going to a stupid party, not without Sam. Everyone thought you were scary when he’d been gone for just two weeks. They were downright avoiding you this time. You can’t even find it in yourself to feel bad about it.

You groan and get in the shower, cursing Steve Rogers again. It’s bad enough that they’ve been gone for so long, but his phone calls have gotten further and further apart until last month they just stopped altogether.

You scrubbed and scrubbed, digging your nails into your scalp harder than you should have. He would want you to go and have fun. Which makes you want to go even less. Partly because Sam was supposed to go with you, and partly because you’re so mad at him for being gone for so long. You don’t want to do anything he’d want you to do.

Jerk.

***

The hotel ballroom is beautifully decorated. Massive Christmas trees are brightly decked out in silver and gold, placed in the four corners. A long table, half the length of the room, runs the back wall, covers in food and maintained by the hotel staff. Fairy lights are strung from the ceiling over the wide-open dance floor where the majority of your coworkers are enjoying themselves.

You watch from the side, not really interested, unable to leave yet. The only saving grace about this whole fiasco is that Ashley keeps bringing you glasses of bourbon-spiked eggnog.

Bless her.

You have her Christmas present in your small black clutch. Sam helped you pick it out and you’re slightly reluctant to let it go.

Calvin saunters over, holding his hand out. “May I have this dance?” He asks.

You have nothing against Calvin, except that you just don’t particularly like him. You’re debating your ability to say no and get away with it when he speaks again.

“Just one dance. You look so bored over here. And I don’t know if you noticed, but everyone else seems to be afraid of you. So, they won’t be asking you to dance any time soon.”

You sigh, figuring one dance can’t hurt, but you’re keeping your drink. “That’s by design, Calvin.” You mutter, following him out to the dance floor. You haven’t made it easy on him, clutch in one hand, very necessary drink in the other, but he manages. One hand rests on your waist while the other awkwardly clasps your palm in his fingers.

“So, what do you think?” He asks, gesturing around the extravagant ballroom.

“It’s nice.” You answer, taking a big sip of your drink. The bourbon burns on the way down and you very nearly choke on it as his hand slides down over the curve of your ass. You grab his wrist and yank it off you.

“Sorry.” He says automatically, very carefully placing it back on your waist. You’re much more wary of him this time. Any sign of him being inappropriate, and you’re going to punch him right in his face.

He guides you across the dance floor, seeming to have a direction in mind and your gut is telling you to cut this short. You glance around, looking for a way to make your exit and when you look back at him, his face is almost to yours, lips puckered. His hand tightens on your waist, trying to hold you close. You put your clutch bag between you two and push his face away roughly with it.

He splutters indignantly and glares at you. “What’d you do that for?” He demands.

“Don’t act stupid.” You hiss.

“It’s tradition.” He points upward and above you is a ball of mistletoe. All of a sudden the move across the dance floor makes sense. Rage boils inside you and you throw your drink in his face, followed shortly by the glass. Everyone stops and turns as he lets out a shout and the glass shatters on the floor.

“So is being a gentleman.” You snap and storm out of the ballroom, your coworkers rushing to part for you. Your heels click on the floor as you find the nearest restroom and shove the door open. Thank god the room is empty because you probably would have ripped someone’s head off if they had been in here. You lock the door and stomp back and forth until your feet hurt.

You knew, you knew you shouldn’t have fucking come tonight. You should have just stayed home in your pajamas and thrown darts at Steve’s perfect picture.

Where are they?

You pull out your phone and call Sam’s number. It goes straight to fucking voicemail again.

“Hey, it’s Sam. You know the drill.” His recording picks up.

“Wilson, I swear to god. Rogers better hope I never meet him for making you miss this awful fucking party. And when you come home, because you have to come home, just know you’re in deep shit. I love you so much, you asshole.” You hang up and drop your phone back in your clutch.

Time to find Ashley and give her her Christmas present. Then it’s time to peace the fuck out. You take a deep breath and check your reflection before leaving the bathroom to find your friend.

You stand on the side again, looking for the pretty blonde girl in the gold dress. Suddenly, she’s right in front of you, holding out another glass.

“Are you okay? I saw what Calvin did.” She says. “I added extra for you after that.”

“I’m fine. I have something for you. It’s from me and Sam.” You say, digging through your bag and handing her the envelope. You take the eggnog so she can open it and you watch with a fond smile as she opens it excitedly.

“Oh, no way! How did you get tickets to Ed Sheeran? He’s been sold out for months!” She practically shouts.

You just smile and accept her hug. “I’m glad you like it.” You nod.

“Are you leaving?” She asks.

“I’ve made my mandatory appearance, turns out just so Calvin can make a fucking move. Now I’m going home to plot Steve Rogers’ murder.”

“Okay, that all sounds great. But can you wait until you at least finish your drink? My Christmas present for you will be here in just a minute.” She asks excitedly.

“Fine. But if it’s not here by the time I finish, you’ll just have to give it to me on Monday.”

“Deal! Wait right here.” She points at you and disappears into the crowd.

You’re tempted to just chug the drink and leave. She’s sweet but you’re 100% positive that no matter what her present is, there’s no way it could possibly make this night any better. But you promised, so you sip the drink slowly, looking around for your friend. You spot her over by the opposite edge of the dance floor and you frown.

Isn’t she supposed to be getting your present? You watch her walk over to the DJ, feeling more and more confused.

“Like a Queen watching over her peasants, she stands to the side, aloof and-”

Your heart stops dead in your chest and you turn, already swinging your arm. Sam catches your wrist easily, holding it against his chest.

“-apparently always ready for a fight.” He adds and you glare at him. “Okay, a well-deserved fight.” Your eyes narrow. “Baby, it’s not my fault.” He sighs, closing his eyes. His thumb is tracing your wrist gently.

Your annoyance and anger soften slightly when you see the fading bruise over his eye. In theory, you know what he does is dangerous. You’re aware that each mission could be his last, but he’s generally pretty careful about not coming home with too many injuries.

Gently, you touch the bruise, no pressure because you’re afraid to hurt him. He exhales softly and cups your hand to his face, holding it there. He was tense before and you didn’t notice it. But he seems to breathe easier under your delicate touch.

You’ve always had an understanding that you definitely need Sam Wilson more than Sam has ever needed you.

It’s not that he doesn’t love you, because you know that he does. He shows it in every touch, every look. It’s that when he’s away on a mission, you completely lose control of everything and he never has that problem. He’s your rock, your sunshine, he keeps you grounded and you know that when he calls you from a mission, he can tell how miserable you are. You’re no good at hiding it, while he’s always smiling, in a good mood, cracking jokes. One last laugh before he has to go, sweetheart.

He’s always happy, even when he’s gone. So, maybe he doesn’t miss you as much as you miss him.

“Baby girl, please say something? I haven’t heard your voice in too damn long.”

“And who’s fault is that, Samuel?” You ask, but you can’t quite manage enough venom.

“There she is.” He sighs with a smile.

“Where have you been?” You demand, feeling your eyes start to water. “And who did this to your face? I’ll fight them.” You sniffle and he fucking grins.

“It’s a long story, they should be terrified. Please don’t cry, I’m right here, I’m okay.” He promises, rubbing your shoulders.

“It’s not that.” You sniffle, almost too emotional to speak. Because he’s here, in front of you and you can’t figure out why you’re not kissing him. “It’s just...” your fingers trace over the black silk bow tie at his throat.

“Just what, beautiful?” His thumb strokes over your cheek softly.

“It’s just... who taught you how to tie a bow tie? It’s awful. You look like a first grader.” You mutter and he laughs, a loud, hand on his belly, head tipped back laugh.

“Well, my girl wasn’t home to fix it for me. So, this is what ya get.” He sasses and you’re still not sure you won’t slap him. The song changes to your song and there’s a light in his eyes. A slow-burning fire that makes you feel warm all over.

“Dance with me?” He asks, maybe a little uncertainly.

“I was gonna head out. I’m not actually having fun.”

“Y/N, please? It’s our song, you look amazing and I’m here. I just need to dance with you in my arms. One song and then we can go. We’ll finish a bottle of wine and you can yell at me for being gone for so long.” He promises with his eyes closed, almost as if he can’t stand to look at your face as you reject him.

That hurts you more than you can say. Without a word, you slip your hand into his. He closes his fingers around yours with a small exhale, eyes squeezing shut. He leads you to the dance floor with no resistance from you. He holds you close, cheek resting against yours as you sway gently back and forth. So far, you think you’ve done a damn good job holding onto your emotions.

“I missed you.” He sighs quietly and buries his face in your neck. He inhales deeply, fingers tightening desperately on your waist. Your breath gets stuck in your chest, but you won’t cry, not here in front of everyone. Later, at home with Sam, where he can comfort you and tell you stupid jokes while you cuddle in his favorite shirt-

“Christ, I almost forgot what you smell like.” He mutters, lips nipping at your skin.

“I know the feeling. Your shirt doesn’t smell like you anymore.” You tuck your face into his neck, voice clipped as it shakes precariously. Don’t lose it here. “It has a hole in it.” You mumble, gripping at his shoulders.

“We’ll find you another favorite shirt, baby. I’ll find you ten.” He promises. “They always look better on you, anyway.”

You can feel your coworkers’ eyes on you, whispering as they realize who you’re with. Looks of understanding pass over their faces and they move along, letting you have your moment.

“Please tell me I’m not dreaming again. Tell me you’re really here.” He whispers, his voice cracking just a little and your heart right along with it.

You guide his face back to yours, kissing him slowly. You should have done this the second you realized he was behind you, not try to hit him. His lips, usually so soft and gentle are hungry, unrestrained as he kisses you back. He snuffs out your breath and clings to you desperately. He crushes you against his solid chest and it feels like he’s trying to merge you together.

You pull back, very out of breath and his eyes are still closed, his face somewhere between pain and bliss.

“Did your dream ever do that?” You ask and he grins.

“That and a lot more, sweetheart. I have a fantastic imagination and like I said, I missed you a metric fuckton.” He says softly.

“Well, let’s get out of here and you can show me just how much you missed me.” You say, turning to leave. “Ashley can give me my present on Monday.”

“Baby, I’m your present.” He laughs, pulling you back against him. “She saw me standing by the door and wanted to surprise you.”

“Even better. Can we go now? I really need your mouth in places.”

He snorts, but then his face gets serious. “In a second.”

You follow his gaze and realize that he’s spotted Calvin. He’s talking to some people, holding a napkin to his forehead where the glass cut him. “Sam, he’s not worth it.” You start, grabbing at his hand.

He latches onto yours, pulling you with him. “No. But you are.” He walks over to your boss and taps him on the shoulder. He doesn’t push you away, which means he doesn’t plan on punching him. You watch curiously as Calvin turns and his eyes get wide at seeing Sam Wilson-Avenger, standing in front of him and looking pissed. “I don’t need to threaten you, because my girl can take care of herself. But you try something like that again, and I’ll forget that fact.” He says, his voice dangerously low.

Calvin nods, absolutely terrified, and Sam drapes his big arm around your shoulders. “Come on, gorgeous. Let’s get your coat.” He mutters, guiding you away.

You wait until after he’s helped you into your coat and outside waiting for a cab before speaking. “Is it awful that you really just turned me on in there?”

“Really? Oh, thank god. I was worried I went too far.”

“It was perfect.” You assure him, leaning into his side.

He squeezes you close, nuzzling into your hair. “I got your messages, by the way. Including the last one. Were you in the bathroom?” He asks, his lips moving against your hairline. He can’t seem to pull away from you long enough and you know the feeling. You need to feel him under your hands, you missed him so fucking much.

“I’m sorry I called you an asshole.” You mumble.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, sweetheart. I’ve never gotten mad at you for calling me names before. I’m not about to start now, especially when it follows you telling me you love me. It helps me know exactly what you’re thinking.” He turns you flush against his chest and wraps his arms around you with a satisfied groan.

“I don’t think I understand.” You mumble into his jacket.

“You’re complicated, Y/N. And my job doesn’t make it any easier. I understand that. You worry about me, and it stresses you out. And you get mad at me. But when you tell me you love me and call me a name, I know it’s not out of anger, it’s out of frustration and worry. And I’m so sorry that I have to disappear the way I do sometimes. I hate it, not being able to let you know I’m okay, that I’m thinking about you every second I’m away.”

You sniffle and he rubs your back gently. “If you don’t stop talking, I’m gonna start ugly crying and that would be an embarrassment for the both of us.” You warm thickly and he laughs.

“I’m just saying I don’t mind. You can call me all the names you want. Because none of that matters. You’re my whole fucking heart, Y/N. And I leave it here with you every time I step outside that door.”

You groan and thump your forehead against his chest. “Here comes the ugly crying.” You whisper and he laughs.

“You don’t have to be strong all the time, you know.” He cradles your head against him.

“But crying hurts so much.” You whine.

“That’s kind of the point. Doesn’t fighting it just make it hurt longer?”

“You want me to cry, or what?”

“Only so long as I’m here to make you feel better.” He smiles, nuzzling into your hair. “I have some bad news, sweetheart.” He mumbles.

“I swear to Christ, Wilson if you’re gonna tell me that you have to leave again-“

“Whoa, slow your roll, baby.” He laughs. “I was just gonna tell you that Steve invited you to our holiday party next weekend.”

“Oh, so he’s into being slapped? Publicly humiliated?”

Sam cackles. “You can’t slap Captain America, babygirl.”

“Watch me.” You pull him close, that wicked park back in your eyes that he loves so much. “Now, it’s been 3 months, 7 days and-”

He crushes his lips over yours and judging from the blistering passion with which he kisses you, there is no doubt in your mind that he’s been counting, too.

Tags:

@everythingisoverrated @dsakita @shreddedparchment @bitsandbobsandstuff @after-avenging-hours @alexblrus @thinkingsofamadwoman @i-dont-want-to-be-called @thefridgeismybestie @fortheloveofallthatsholy @crazychaotic @pleasureoftheguiltiestvariety @redstarstan @septic-boye @justreadingfics @themistsofmyavalon @sebastianstanslefteyebrow @wkemeup @thiccbinch @glide-thru @moli1497 @ellaenchanted91 @part-time-patronus @janeyboo @jensensjaredsandmishaslover @thirstybitchqueen @xxloki81xx @stuckonjbbarnes @browngirlmagic @geeksareunique @nicoleplacee @lexshead

#panic's 25 days of christmas fics #panic's 25 days of christmas #marvel #sam wilson #sam x reader #sam wilson x reader #sam wilson x you #sam wilson fanfiction #sam wilson x y/n #falcon #mermaidxatxheart-writes

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aurorasilverthorne · 3 years

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Total Misunderstanding Part #1:

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Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!! Esteban, Shuriki, Armando and Fiero belong to Disney.

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Note: Elizaveta, Aléjandro, Llorona and Esperanza all belong to me. If you use them in fanfiction or fanart, please remember to give me proper credit as their creator. Thank you.

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Esteban wasn't prone to sleeping late. He'd been an early riser all his life, but he'd spent the night entertaining the queen, and had indulged in one too many glasses of wine.

I should've stopped at three...

But Shuriki had been in such high spirits and invitations to her bed were rare these days. Esteban had begun to believe Shuriki was losing interest in him altogether. The previous evening had assured him she still desired his touch.

Esteban groaned. His head kept throbbing like a pulse as he tried to go back to sleep and not think about the day ahead.

Dame Elizaveta Kapeka of the Northern Islands was going to arrive later that afternoon and that was troublesome. Shuriki always viewed other women as competition. Esteban should've been worried, but all he could think about was the noise their constant bickering would make.

I'm starting to sound like Shuriki.

Shuriki was probably still in bed sleeping off her hangover. He sat up slowly so as not to irritate his already nervous stomach.

Had he even eaten anything? He couldn't remember. Esteban was debating on whether they should just forego their meetings for the day when his bedroom door flew open startling him so bad that he fell off the bed. When he opened his eyes, Armando was standing over him, his expression that of a man on the verge of panic.

"Dame Elizaveta Kapeka is here!"

Of course she is...

Esteban hauled himself up off the floor. "Where is the queen?"

"Sleeping," Armando answered sheepishly.

Esteban gave the steward a half-hearted scowl then snatched his coat off the back of a chair as he headed for the queen's personal chambers. He managed to make it halfway down the hall before pausing to retch in a gilded vase.

Apparently he'd eaten something after all. Carrots, or corn maybe? Esteban didn't really care and he wasn't going to stick around to find out.

The drapes were closed and the previous night's candles burned down to the wick when Esteban stepped into Shuriki's bedroom. He nearly tripped over a pile of clothing before pulling back the curtains on the massive canopy bed.

"Your Grace?

Shuriki groaned.

"Elizaveta Esfir Kapeka of the Northern Islands has arrived."

"Who?" Shuriki asked her voice muffled by the blanket covering her head.

Esteban could tell she was still half asleep elsewise she would have launched into a tirade.

"Elizaveta? Older lady, silver hair pulled back in a braided bun? Green eyes? Any of this ring a bell?"

Shuriki pulled down the blanket to scowl at him. "Seriously, Estéban? We've met a plethora of women that could fit that description."

The chancellor sighed. "La Monstrua de Ojos Verdes."

The Green Eyed Monster.

Shuriki had thought she was being clever when she had given Elizaveta the cruel nickname. He wasn't about tell the queen most of the palace staff called her that when she wasn't within earshot.

Shuriki scowled. "Ugh, not her."

The last time Kapeka had come to Avalor to talk trade, she and Shuriki had almost killed each other due to an argument over negotiations. Shuriki refused to say why she detested the other sorceress so much, but she and Elizaveta were always vying for dominance any time they had to interact with one another.

Shuriki wanted nothing to do with it. "Leave me here to die."

Esteban huffed. "It's customary in Avalor for the ruling monarch to greet visiting dignitaries."

Shuriki buried her head under a pillow. "I really don't care about proper decorum."

Esteban folded his arms and began to tap his foot impatiently as he tried to figure out a way to rouse her. Then it hit him like a runaway carriage. "Well, if you aren't feeling up to it..."

"-Oh, thank Maru-"

"I'm sure Doña Paloma wouldn't mind helping with the dame."

"That money hungry hussy?!" Shuriki grabbed his cravat and yanked him towards her. "Estéban, I told you to stay away from her!"

"Mamá...? Papá...?"

Esteban and Shuriki both turned to see their seven year old twins, Aléjandro and Llorona, hovering in the doorway.

"Oh, my little darlings..." Shuriki cooed.

She released Esteban and held out her arms to the pajama clad children. "Come here..."

Esteban knelt to steal a hug from the little ones before helping them up onto the bed.

"Why are you fighting? Did Papá do something wrong?" Alé asked.

"We weren't fighting, were we, Estéban?"

Esteban shook his head. He couldn't help smiling when their children were around. "No, just having a discussion, that's all."

"About what?" Alé asked.

"Oh, nothing important," Shuriki answered, giving Esteban a warning glare to drop the subject. She smiled softly at the twins. "What are you two doing out of bed so early, hmm?"

"I don't feel good," Aléjandro replied.

Shuriki frowned. "You don't? What's wrong?"

"My nose is stuffy and I keep coughing. It makes my throat hurt, Mamá."

"My poor, sweet boy..." Shuriki pressed a hand to his forehead. "You're running a fever. Estéban, cancel everything that's on my agenda for today. If Elizaveta throws a fit about rescheduling, tell her to go eat sand. And have breakfast brought up. The children need to eat, especially Alé or his illness will worsen."

Shuriki was adamant about not using vulgar language in front of the children. She would've been spewing obscenities at Elizaveta by now if not for them. "Yes, querida."

"Can we have ice cream for breakfast?" Aléjandro asked, giving her the cutest look he could muster.

Shuriki quirked an eyebrow feigning displeasure, but her facade cracked, and she gave him a smile. "Oh, alright. The cold treat will help with your sore throat, but you'll have to finish the real food first. Only then can you have the ice cream."

Aléjandro nodded and smiled. "Si, Mamá. Gracias!"

Shuriki chuckled. "You're very welcome."

What she didn't tell the child was that she'd be lacing his treat with a medicinal potion to combat his illness. Shuriki had learned early on that the best way to convince a child to take medication was to hide it in their favorite desserts and not tell them it was in there elsewise they wouldn't eat it and she'd have to force it down their throat which was something she didn't enjoy doing.

Esteban knew it was probably a bad idea to make Elizaveta wait, especially given they intended to reschedule, but his son was sick, and he felt like it had been ages since he'd enjoyed a warm meal with his lover and their children.

Esteban even made breakfast. He cooked them guava-cheese empanadas and pão de queijo with atole and avena because they'd do less damage to Alé's sore throat when he ate them. He prayed the fruit he'd put in the oatmeal would strengthen the boy's immune system and speed up his recovery. He also prepared some green tea with honey and lemon in the hopes that it would keep Shuriki safe from the illness while she was caring for their son.

Shuriki was waiting for him when he brought in the food. She'd retrieved four year old Esperanza from her crib so she too could enjoy eating with her parents and siblings.

Esteban blocked young Aléjandro's view of the ice cream bowls so that Shuriki could stir a vial of healing potion into the already half melted treat then feign resignation as she handed the child the bowl.

Aléjandro ate every bit without questioning his mother's motives. If he'd asked, Shuriki would've just fibbed and claimed she'd let him have the sweets first due to him giving her the puppy dog eyes. They couldn't risk him getting too full off the empanadas or the potion would upset his stomach.

The boy was half way through his second empanada when he began yawning and rubbing at his eyes. "Mamá...I'm tired..."

Shuriki bit her lip to suppress a triumphant smirk as she pulled him close and stroked his hair. "I know, child. Close your eyes. I'm here. No harm will come to you."

Alé tucked himself up against her side and buried his face in her shoulder. At first, she thought he'd fallen asleep, but then the boy lifted his head. "I can't sleep, Mamá. Sing for me, por favor?"

Shuriki groaned. She wasn't a fan of music or dancing due to having a problem with sensitivity to noise. She'd gone so far as to ban both from Avalor, but had allowed Esteban to keep a guitar. Shuriki had also let him teach the children how to dance. She'd even sung a lullaby or two back when they were infants in the hopes they'd fall asleep. She'd been in desperate need of rest herself, of course, elsewise Shuriki would've taken a dagger to the throat rather than be heard singing or seen dancing around even if it was for her children who were the only people she loved more than Esteban or herself.

"Why would you want that?" she asked. "My voice sounds terrible when I sing."

"But I like when you sing, Mamá."

She quirked an eyebrow. "You can't be serious."

"It helps me sleep and makes me feel better." He gave her another one of his puppy dog pouts. "Por favor, Mamá?"

Shuriki sighed. "Fine..."

The sorceress closed her eyes trying to gather her thoughts. The Northern islanders didn't have too many lullabies as music, dancing and art were all considered nonsensical frivolities. There was a song she did remember from back when she was a child. Her mother had sung it to her on the rare occasions when she was ill.

Now is the time for the wolves and thrushes, to sing to the moon from the forests and rushes.

Sleep, my love. Sleep my only dear, in the dark.

Fragile and magical shadows will suddenly start to appear, lovely and lyrical, a frightening miracle, within your ear.

Carefully raising their voices, in a chorus loud and gracefully clear,

Over and under, the multi-toned, wonder of dreams endear.

Why are they singing, calling, and braying all night long?

What are they trying so hard to convey with their haunting song?

Sometimes when somebody loves you, they say and do things you don't understand.

And there in the harsh truth lies the proof of a parent's love.

Aléjandro fell asleep midway through the song. Esteban sat and listened to Shuriki sing while she stroked their eldest child's hair.

He tended to forget just how hard her childhood had been. The Northern Islands was a dark, cold place with authoritarian laws and an intolerance for failure of any sort. It was a miracle that she'd survived what with the horrid weather and the unrealistic expectations heaped onto her by her parents, peers, and the royal family she'd once served.

Shuriki laid Alé down beside her and curled herself around him to cuddle and protect the child while he slept.

"Put Esperanza back in her crib, and make sure Llorona gets back to the nursery on your way out, would you, Estéban?"

Esteban nodded. "Si, mi amada."

"But I want to stay with you," Llorona pouted, "I don't want to go back to the nursery. There is no one there for me to play with."

"Nonsense. You've more than enough toys to play with," Shuriki said, "And the last thing I need is for you to catch whatever it is your brother has. Now run along..." Shuriki was only half listening or she would've realized it was the lack of playmates not the quantity or quality of toys upsetting her eldest daughter.

"But, Mamá-"

"I said no," Shuriki snapped.

Shuriki hadn't meant to be so harsh towards the girl, but the damage was done. Llorona recoiled at the sharpness in her tone before retreating over to Esteban who was putting Esperanza down for her midmorning nap. Shuriki wanted to tell Llorona to come back, that she was sorry for having lost her temper, but the girl had bypassed a preoccupied Esteban and already left the room before she had the chance.

Shuriki sighed. "Estéban, would you-"

"I'll check on her on my way back to my office," he promised, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. "You just focus on Esper and Alé right now and leave everything else to me."

"Thank you."

"You're muy welcome, mi corazón."

"I didn't mean to shout at her," Shuriki admitted. "I just...it's so frustrating at times..."

"I understand what you mean," he assured her. "Llorona is going to be fine."

"Are you sure?"

Esteban nodded. "She's always been a resilient child. Give her an hour or two and she'll have forgotten all about it."

#eoa #disney #elenaofavalor #shuriki #elena of avalor #chancellor esteban #esteban flores #fanfiction #EoA #original character

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yourturntodieheadcanons · 5 years

Note

Could I get some Joe and Sara friendship headcanons? I crave that pure best buddy content.

Their friendship is *chef kiss* so pure

They have movie nights like every single week. Whenever Sara picks the movie it’s either a horror or action movie, but Joe prefers romcoms or any movie that went straight to DVD because it’s horrible. He wants them to get to laugh at something super bad together!

Mario Kart… Neither of them are very good and whenever they race against the AI’s, neither of them get in first. But they have a lot of fun racing!!

Sara works part time at a restaurant and Joe comes by to see her and gets a milkshake pretty much every time

Joe goes through a lot of phases of things he’s really into, and Sara supports him through all of the phases. Like one week he’ll play baseball, the next week he wants to quit.

Joe has like three big dogs, all of them are super sweet and they love Sara so much. Every time she comes over she has to make her way past three massive dogs, each with wiggle butts and who want to give her kisses.

They get each other joke gifts for their birthdays. They just go to the Dollar Tree and get a few of the weirdest things they could find. Joe got Sara an at-home weed test and several baby bibs. Sara got Joe several bad Dollar Store movies and a “crab meat” roll.

Joe will take almost any dare given to him. He thinks it’s one of his best qualities. Sara won’t give him dares, but he’ll pretend she does and give himself dares

Sara gets CPR and first aid certified mostly because Joe is so accident prone.

They walked down the street and someone made a comment about Sara, just like an off-hand kind of rude thing and Joe threatened to beat the shit out of a guy who is so much bigger and stronger than him. They had to run away from this big burly man. Sara really appreciated it though.

They get frozen yogurt and ice cream together! Sara gets one flavor and then some chocolate chips or chocolate sauce on top. Joe likes to mix several flavors and then puts… So many toppings on his.

They’re both closet nerds. They do cosplays of best friends and go to conventions!! At least, they cosplayed in middle school. Now they just like to go to the conventions.

Joe is a bit of a fashionista, and brings Sara shopping with him sometimes. Neither of them really buy much, but they like to dress up and make really bad outfits for each other.

They’re both in the marching band. Joe plays the trombone, Sara plays the clarinet or the drums.

Band was one of Joe’s phases. He’s not super into it anymore, but he gets to hang out with his best friend and playing music is kinda fun, so he’s not going to drop out of it.

They have so many inside jokes… It’s like they have their own language.

Joe goes with Sara’s family on a day trip one time and they have So Much Fun it’s a very treasured memory for both of them.

They have complaining sessions together. They talk about family drama and stuff at school, and whatever else they want. Every time they have comfort food and end up staying up all night, then passing out surrounded by food wrappers and open cans of soda and iced tea.

When one of them is sick, the other visits as soon as they can to help them get better.

They text or see each other every single day.

They don’t go to the movies often because it’s expensive, but sometimes there’s a movie they both really want to see. Joe brings a backpack full of popcorn and Sara brings a backpack full of sodas.

They go to the drive-in a lot!! They get to stay for several movies in a row and sit in the trunk of one of their cars surrounded by tons of pillows and blankets and it’s The Best

Theater was one of Joe’s phases, and stayed in it for about two years. Sara went to all of his shows of course!

Sara wasn’t in too many clubs, but the ones she was in she stayed in all throughout school. She was on the debate team and was in the photography club!

Whenever she needed a model for her photos, it was always either Ryoko or Joe. Usually she would invite both of them to be a good wingman and try to get her two best friends to hang out more.

Sara has a cat, a really fat and soft one. He’s a lazy boy and he loves to sit on Joe’s lap whenever he visits.

They’ve known each other for the longest time. No matter what happens… No matter if they fight or what life things get in the way, they will always be friends.

okay this is getting to be Too Many Headcanons so I need to stop myself for now but,,,ya i love healthy platonic relationships so much !!!

#your turn to die #kimi ga shine #youdie #sara chidouin #joe tazuna #jou tazuna #weed mention

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theguardianangel-fanfiction · 4 years

Text

Current Progress/Life Update

Maybe I should do one of these each week for those of you who are here for my writing (I’m sure one or two of you are just here for the memes and I think one person is here for my personality).

So for OBTD’s rewrite, my current plan is to split it into three separate fics that will be tied together with a series. The series is going to be called No Shepherd To Guide You. The first fic, which I’m currently working on putting into place, rewriting (like, legit, typing up and changing a lot of) the early chapters and setting up some plot points that I really wanted to explore, like the whole Mike-Ralph thing and “What happened to Christa?” and some other stuff. I’m wading through a lot of confirmed deleted content and plot points, trying to get OCs straight (obviously, I’ve gotten criticism before, but I’ve tagged everything now and at this point, maybe don’t read if you just don’t like OCs in the background or even in supporting roles once or twice?), and trying to figure out a good way to tie everything together with a pretty bow. This fic is not nor has it ever been my intention to be compliant with seasons 3 and 4; not because I don’t like them (I love the season 3 characters, just not the plot) but because I started writing this fic in 2016 when neither of those seasons were out.

The first fic in the series is Lambs To The Slaughter; this is the one I’m currently writing, and it will take us until the end of my arc with Howe’s. The sequel will be called Elysian Fields, and number 3, if I get there, will be Burning Daylight.

You can scroll down if you don’t care about my personal life, but here’s a life update for anyone curious. I just finished my semester in college about a week ago and I’ve been having some issues related to that; it’s difficult to get out of the “oh my God I have to this this and this” headspace and I’ve developed some nervous tics that I don’t think are going to go away any time soon (restless legs, constant twitching, the works). My panic attacks have kind of increased since about October, but I’ve been keeping a diary of them and I plan to get help when I can.

I’m still furloughed from the pet store and I’m debating quiting once my furlough is lifted (if it indeed is) and trying to find a second vet hospital to work at (now that I have my foot in the door) as I finish off at community college. I only have four classes left before I graduate with my associate’s degree, but it’s two chemistry’s, a math, and physics, so pray for my ass lmao.

Now for the story progress:

Once Bitten, Twice Dead - planned chapter 32 and I have several thousand words written for it, but I think I’m probably going to be waiting for the publishing of Lambs To The Slaughter and we’ll how we go from there.

Lambs To The Slaughter - written chapters 1-3 and vastly changed what once was the beginning of OBTD to include Christa’s fate, the whole Mike-Ralph thing, and some other stuff related to that. - chapter 4 is not finished but it’s getting there. Chapters will be a lot longer than my early OBTD chapters were (which they really only were because when I was 15 and writing them, I wanted to do a weekly release, which is no longer feasible due to me at 19 working the equivalent of a full-time job, being a full time student, and being burned out due to fibromyalgia and my mental issues). - I’ve waded through a lot of deleted content to find things that I thought would be interesting to write, not just Mike-Ralph. I’m still piecing them together in some places, but the general flow of the story is still there and I know what’s going to happen.

alone, myself, i stand - a huge thank you to cadeparade on AO3, because they gave me a massive compliment and a few ideas for the final chapter, chapter 4, titled “the night will be over soon”. - I currently have dug out my old first draft of a few scenes I planned on writing for chapter 4 before my involuntary hiatus, so I have a rough idea of what the chapter is going to be about, what’s going to happen, and how’s it’s going to end. My only fear this is that I know that this chapter is probably going to double the size of AMIS, if I’m judging by the size of OBTD’s equivalent chapter. - any mentions of assault, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anything else of the sort are still tagged and will be getting a warning, as is usual. This fic isn’t supposed to be about assault in and of itself; it’s about trauma, recovery, and relapse. The ending isn’t happy, but it isn’t and will never be sexually graphic; it may not even be violently graphic, depending on how things go. Hotlines and references will be available in the notes for anyone that needs them. - again, I’ve been through some shit myself. I know how it affects mental health.

tainted blood series - Nothing confirmed, but I do have an idea for a fic that could take place in season 3′s setting. We may get an appearance of the Garcias and insight into surviving t1d further into the outbreak. - yeah, how do you keep insulin cold? Where the fuck do you get 31 gauge needles (the ones most people use for insulin) from? I work for a veterinarian now and yeah, I’ve learned a lot about insulin dependent diabetes even just from taking care of insulin dependent dogs. I’m even looking into becoming a veterinary endocrinologist. Edit: 31 gauge needles, 1 cc syringe is what I meant; in my experience working with animals, they use the same type of needles and syringes that people do, depending on the person of course. My dad’s medication (not insulin) is given intramuscular through a 3ml syringe with a 20G needle. All depends on the person. - Again, nothing confirmed, but there is an attempt. I’m not 100% guaranteeing that there will be a part 4, but there is a possibility. Similarly to AMIS, the reception that I received for tainted blood is something I never could have imagined, not for even a moment, that I would ever reach. I love you all.

Upcoming Fics/Fic Ideas Yes, I need to stop starting shit when I already have too many fics to finish.

Kindly Stop For Me: Edith’s POV and a little bit further on during the Wellington ending, exploring Wellington and its functions, and how Edith ended being the person who took care of Clem and AJ.

16 Months Later: A short multichapt fic exploring an AU where Christa and Omid’s baby (a daughter) survived. After Christa is killed by scavengers in All That Remains, Clem takes the 16 month old and ends up squatting in (underneath) the cabin and in the shed, relying only on herself to steal food and keep the baby fed and alive.

Awakening: A Detroit: Become Human fic that I’ve been writing on and off for the past year, but it isn’t published. It’s a reverse AU featuring human Connor (and RK800-60 and RK900) and android Hank, Luther and Kara switching spots and a human Alice, and human Markus and android Carl. Ships are: SiMarkus, Luthara, Reed900 (shut up, I like it), and maybe even ConNorth (again, shut up, I like it)? Who knows.

So there you have it. This is my life now.

Come check out my fictionpress, Always Good for a Smile, for original poems, short stories, and longer that I write.

#update #obtd updates #obtd announcements #fanfic

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freckled-words · 5 years

Text

Fake It Till You Make It

This is a re-post.

This was originally prompted with “I told my sister I have a boyfriend so she’d stop trying to set me up with people, but now she’s coming to visit and I’m in too deep. I need a fake boyfriend, ASAP!”

Love to my editor @the-wild-ego

There were some days that Mare had to ask himself, “Why did I decide to befriend this person?”

That morning, the question came to the forefront of his mind. What else was he supposed to think when you barged into his bedroom, at nine in the morning?

You were a whirlwind of frantic energy, with a coffee in one hand and your keys in the other. You had simply rushed into his pitch black bedroom and began ranting while turning on his bedside light.

“Mare, I have an emergency. Not the same kind of emergency where I ripped my pants on presentation day. No, this is a Sister Emergency. By that, I mean she just would not shut up!”

Being a bounty hunter, by default, made Mare a night person. Nine in the morning was far too early for him. He growled into his pillow, trying desperately to block out your voice. He had his usual night out, canvassing for a hook-up and a pay break. He hadn’t crawled into bed until 3am.

You sat on the edge of his bed, your attention more on the space in front of you rather than on your friend trying to ignore you. “She was doing it AGAIN! Needling me about this friend, or that friend that’s single and would be promising for me. I could not take it anymore, Mare, I just wanted her to stop!”

Mare curled himself into a smaller ball under his blanket, hoping you would conclude your rant and then leave. He’d have a proper talk with you about your problems later.

“SoItoldherthatIalreadyhadaboyfriendandnowshe’scomingtovisitandwantstomeethim.PLEASEBEMYPRETENDBOYFRIEND!”

Mare’s sleep deprived brain relished in the silence that followed this last blurt. He was just starting to pass out again, and then he realized what it was you said.

He lifted the corner of his pillow, allowing you to see his bleary eyed glare. In turn, he got to see your absolutely pathetic expression with hopeful, puppy dog eyes.

You didn’t budge, despite the chill he was sending your way. If Mare didn’t help you out, your next choice would demand a cost for the favor.

“No.” Mare growled this just before burying himself under his pillow again.

Not accepting this answer, you launched yourself at him. You laid on top of him, bouncing you whined, “Pleeeeease Mare! It’ll only be for a few hours. Pleeeeeaaaaaase! I’ll owe you the biggest favor in the world for this!”

In a blur of movements, that left you disoriented, you suddenly found yourself buried under Mare’s blanket, and Mare on top of you. Fed up with your whining, Mare had knocked your arms out from under you, flipped over beneath his blanket, grabbed you in the blanket, then rolled you under him.

His brown eyes were tinged grey as his power fed off his grouchy mood, “I will do this, once, and only once, after that you will tell your sister we broke up, and you will never use me for your fake boyfriend again…. You’ll also do my laundry for the next two months.”

Pinned as you were, the only part of you Mare could see were your eyes. Your gush of enthusiasm was muffled,“YES! Thank you, thank you!” You were grateful for the blanket covering your face, as the blush on your cheeks might have made Mare a bit suspicious.

Groaning, Mare got off and made his way to the kitchen to make a cup of espresso. He was going to need three of them before he was ready to leave the house. His sleep addled brain also needed some help to process his jumble of thoughts. If it weren’t for the rude wake up call, Mare wouldn’t have any hesitation in agreeing. This would be a good way for him to, at least, get a chance at experiencing what he’d been considering for some time.

You waited until Mare was out of sight before calling out to him, “One more thing! It needs to be today, she’ll be here at noon!”

The resulting clatter of something being dropped, followed by Mare’s swearing, convinced you to stay where you were under the blanket.

A couple hours later….

You sat next to Mare, out on the patio section of your local Cactus Club. It was a restaurant that people, wearing work casual clothes, or even suits, tended to go to for lunch. They catered to meetings, but didn’t discriminate against more casual guests.

You currently felt lumped in the casual category, dressed in your jeans, sneakers, and a zipper sweater. Mare was good looking enough to be considered well dressed, even in his black t-shirt, black denim jacket, and dark blue jeans.

Your sister, Melanie, looked ready to become the next president of the United States. An off-white blouse; smoke grey blazer; black, form fitting pants; gold, chain necklace; tiny, gold, hoop earrings; and her hair pulled up in a tight bun.

Melanie worked in the corporate world, and had been a go-getter all her life. She was a good, big sister, didn’t tease or make snide comments about your life. She’d pick a little, wanting to help you strive to the top of whatever field you were interested in. For Christmas she always gave you a classy new outfit, that usually were to your tastes. Those Christmas outfits were a blessing for job interviews over the years.

“It’s really nice to meet you, Mare. I’ve heard about you over the years, and I know you two were friends, I was just waiting for the day you two got together.” Melanie practically crooned as she said this, her eyes on the menu in front of her.

Mare raised a brow at you, “You’ve been telling your family about me?”

Your eyes were glued to your menu as well, debating between the chicken tenders or the quesadilla, “Sure, you’re my best friend. It reassured my parents to know I had someone looking out for me.”

Mare made no comment, deciding instead to casually slip his arm around your shoulders, squeezing you against him with a teasing smile.

Melanie caught this over the top of her menu, and noted the blush both wore. She was happy she spotted this, as Mare took back his arm and their blushes faded.

Her decision made, Melanie closed her menu and settled her gaze on Mare, “So, tell me, how did it happen? What changed to make you go from friends to lovers?”

Tough, paranormal, bounty hunter that Mare was, he still blushed alongside you at the word ‘lovers.’

You were quick to answer, having anticipated the question in advance, “It was one of those realization moments, ya know? We were hanging out at his place, venting about our jobs, and I just felt like, it was easy. It’s always been easy, and with him being so good looking, it was a no brainer for me to ask.”

Melanie rested her elbows on the table, her fingers locked together as she listened, “You asked? Just right then and there? That’s not usually your style, normally you take weeks to get up the nerve just to talk to a guy you’re head over heels for.”

Mare chuckled, “Y/N didn’t confess their love or anything, they just asked if we could try.”

You smiled warmly, appreciating Mare jumping in, and adding to the illusion of them being a couple.

Melanie smiled, relaxing back in her seat, “That’s rather mature for you, being on your own has really helped your growth.”

From there things fell into an easy pattern of conversation, thankfully with Melanie wanting to learn a little more about Mare, and sharing stories of common interests.

By the time they’d had their food delivered, along with some drinks, it felt more like a group of friends hanging out than a couple under scrutiny from the big sister.

The three of you were nearly done eating when the bill was brought over. You reached to take it, and to your surprise, Mare grabbed it first, “I’ve got this. It was a treat getting to meet you, so I may as well treat you both in return.”

You and Melanie made a kind of snort/scoff at the same time, which embarrassed Melanie, as she tried to refrain from ever doing it in public. Mare thought it was cute that you two shared something like that.

Just as he opened the slim, black folder with the bill inside, movement caught his eye. Turning to look he froze.

Taking the order from an elderly couple, three tables down, was Jacob Matthews. Mare had been trying to find the guy for weeks! He was wanted for an armed robbery. If Mare brought him in, he was looking at a whopping $5,000 upon delivery.

Smiling pleasantly back at you and Melanie, Mare put the bill back down, “If you’d excuse me a moment, I have a work matter to take care of.”

You paled. You’d been with Mare once before, when a ‘work matter’ arose suddenly. Before you could tell Mare to leave it he was hopping out of his seat, his smoke pooling in his hands to form a semi-solid length of rope.

Melanie gaped, “Uh… Y/N… remind me what his job is again?”

“Mr. Matthews, I’d like to have a word with you!”

Jacob Matthews looked at who was calling him out, recognized Mare, and immediately bolted.

Grinning at being given a chase, Mare swung his rope around and up in a lasso. Patrons rushed out of their chairs, clearing the space that Jacob was approaching, and where Mare was walking past.

Mare tossed the lasso forward and it immediately honed in on it’s target. The noose snagged onto Jacob’s ankle, allowing Mare to yank back hard. Thrown off, Jacob did a massive face plant onto the floor, just inches from the employees only entrance.

Covering your face with your hands you groaned, “It’s his job to make a big fucking scene.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Mare had secured Jacob in the back of his car, he’d come back and paid for the bill. The smile on his face was the brightest, happiest thing you’d seen him wear in months.

Melanie’s opinion of Mare, thankfully, didn’t change too much. She even dared to make a joke about it, “If he can do that to catch a criminal, just be sure to use a really good safe word when playing in bed.”

She’d said this to you in a whisper, leaving Mare confused as to why you were suddenly blushing and spluttering.

She gave Mare a hug and demanded he keep you safe.

He smiled over at you with a wink, “That was always the plan.”

Once Melanie had driven off you fully relaxed, “Well that wasn’t the complete nightmare I thought it might turn into. Thanks for putting up with the charade.”

“It wasn’t any different than a normal outing for us. Just a little lying mixed in this time.”

You walked alongside him back to his car. When you reached the front passenger door, Mare put a hand out that kept you from opening it.

“You know… it doesn’t have to be a lie.”

You blinked up at him. If you weren’t mistaken, that was an adorable blush on his cheeks.

Tilting your head a bit, so his eyes would meet yours, you asked, “Are you asking seriously, or are you just getting off on the adrenaline from earlier?” You jerked your thumb at the tied up Jacob in the backseat of his car.

His mouth twitched with a smirk, “I’ve actually been meaning to ask you out for a while… you just always seemed indifferent to me, and I didn’t want to lose what we have.”

The air in your lungs whooshed out. Stepping back from him you felt your face heat up with a blush of your own, “It’s not that I’m indifferent… just…. comfortable? And what was I supposed to think when I’ve seen all the partners you drag to bed?!” You gestured to yourself, as though to remind him of exactly how you looked.

Mare’s smirk came out in full as he closed the distance between you in a couple easy steps. Leaning in close, he asked with an almost purr to his tone, “And who’s fault is it, that I’ve been dragging so many one night stands to bed, hmm? Maybe I’ve been trying to scratch a particular itch, that none of them can satisfy.”

You didn’t dare move, much less breathe! You’ve never had this side of Mare unleashed on you, and it was causing your brain to fight itself between terrified and exhilarated.

“I…. um…..”

“You two are hot to watch and all, but if you’re going to bring me in, can you just do it already? I’m sweating to death back here.”

The simmering heat in Mare’s eyes froze over. You could only give Jacob a pitying stare when Mare leveled his glare on the man. You heard Jacob yip and watched him squirm as the smoke rope began to heat up. You knew, from experience, that it would get just hot enough to be really uncomfortable, but not painful. If Jacob had been sweating before, he was going to be a dried out husk in a puddle of his own sweat by the time they reached the police station.

Able to get your thoughts back in order, you gave Mare a friendly poke to the chest, “Come on cowboy, let’s get this varment to the sheriff. We can talk more about us over some ice cream after.”

Mare rolled his eyes, but he was smiling again. He opened the front passenger door, and as you went past him to sit, he snuck a kiss to your cheek.

That was his first stolen kiss, and it certainly wouldn’t be his last. He’d make sure of that.

#ReaderxNateMare #reader insert #fanfiction #NateMare #prompt fic #re-post #Fake It Till You Make It

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mytitsareontheinternet-blog · 4 years

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Being Jewish/Being Labour

My very first political experience came in Year 4 when I had to argue against Liverpool Football Club building a new stadium in Stanley Park, the iconic separator of Anfield and Goodison. Earning myself a lot of praise for my naturally argumentative streak and on a high from my first real debate, 9-year-old me wanted to be a politician for the best part of 3 hours. I recall my dad telling my neighbour of my new-found career path and said neighbour telling me to “always fight for the poor.” At the time I probably, definitely shrugged that remark off, now I see how that comment is representative of the city I grew up in.

Welcome to Liverpool, a city built and repaired by the EU when Thatcher’s reign wanted to drive our city into the ground. A city that has fought and continues to fight tirelessly not only for the justice of the Hillsborough victims but to erase everybody’s misconceptions about a city of workers, artists, volunteers and activists that welcome the world with open arms. It is almost a moral obligation to vote Labour in this city, in more recent times “Did you vote Labour or Tory?” is becoming as common as “Are you a Red or a Blue?” You owe it to your city, to your family, to your friends and to your community to vote Labour in Liverpool, no matter who is in charge.

My second political experience came aged 10, completely unbeknownst to me. My grandad randomly goes silent and teary and takes our dog on her second walk of the hour. She definitely didn’t need to go out again, she wasn’t expressing any want to… Now I see my grandad just didn’t want us to see him break down. As I’ve gotten older, the more my family have opened up and the more honest the world has become around me, I learned that my grandad suffers from severe panic attacks. This is believed to be from the trauma of losing loved ones to the Holocaust and a series of antisemitic attacks that he has been the victim of a handful of times in his life. These revelations have made me angry, not only have my family lost loved ones and not only do we have to grieve family that could’ve been, we have to watch something that supposedly ended 75 years ago still snatch the livelihood from our nearest and dearest even now.

I’m in my last year of school, and everyone around me seems… weirdly excited about politics. It was almost like One Direction split up and British Parliament was the next best thing. I don’t know if there was something in the water or if Jeremy Corbyn’s rebranding of a rebranded Labour lit a fire up everyone’s arse, but knowing very little about him, I really liked him. He wants everyone in the country to have a garden? Oh, what a world. A wholesome, transparent and faultless politician? That is everything everyone ever told me an MP wouldn’t be, and there is nothing more exciting than being 17 and proving a boomer wrong. A year goes by and I’m still wooed by this man, sure he has a few haters by this point but who doesn’t… It’s not like Tories don’t have a reputation for saying and doing anything to protect themselves and as a Scouser, I knew that fact all too well.

Throughout the rise and fall of Corbynism, I turned 18, I started making my own money, I reconnected massively with my Jewish heritage and I was forming all kinds of relationships, I just wasn’t as invested in it anymore. I blindly voted based on a honeymoon-like misconception I had of a politician when I was a teenager. Coming up to the General Election 2019, I started to make some discoveries about Corbyn and the never dying anti-semitism accusations that came with his name. At first I thought these claims came from opportunistic Tories that would later turn their back on Jews when they got the outcome they wanted, and don’t get me wrong, a lot of it was just that, a lot of these accusations came from people that don’t care about Jewish people at all. I simply found it hard to believe that somebody who had it so right about every other aspect of my identity, could be so wrong about my ethnicity and religion.

Time proved me wrong. I quickly realised not all of these accusations came from fake allies riding on the back of Jewish activism to push their personal agenda. In fact, most of them never and I was confused. I confided in Labour Party members on multiple platforms about my confusion and upset and I simply just wanted people to be able to justify why the face of Labour called anti-Jewish terrorist organisations his “friends.” I wanted people to tell me why this man thought English humour was lost on British Jews. I wanted everyone who told me to support this man and his cause to explain why he was defending antisemitic caricatures and why he uses the word Zionist so loosely and why he can’t help but defend countless Holocaust deniers. I, myself, was met with the same abuse and anti-semitism that my grandad described. As well as what seemed like a reluctance of people coming to my defence, which left me more perplexed because this was unusual for Labour and its members when racism surfaces.

Despite what I was put through, how unwelcome and unheard I felt in a party bouncing with activism calling out social injustice, I felt like I would be a traitor not to have marked an X in the Labour box on my ballot. Part of me was saying you’re voting for a party, not a person. I thought about Steven Smith from Kensington being sanctioned, I thought about nurses and doctors and patients on corridors, I thought about the soaring numbers of food banks and rough sleepers. I thought about myself and the career I want to pursue in medicine and how I’m even going to get there when I know I’d struggle to make ends meet at university. The other part of me was reminded that I was now blacklisted from most Labour forums for being a Jewish Labour member with concerns, that Luciana Berger was forced out of her position as Wavetree’s MP as a Jewish woman because the anti-semitism that she received was so unbearable and of course, Labour’s leader wasn’t shy of antisemitic behaviour himself. This made me feel like a traitor putting X in the Labour box too. I couldn’t win. I did so on the grounds that I wanted a Labour government, I always had and I justified this on the basis that I would continue to to fight anti-semitism within the party, no matter how silenced I was. I wanted Jewish people to be able to access Labour and campaign with Labour without feeling either unwelcome or tokenised.

It was tough. It still is. It’s going to take a while to drain the party of antisemitism and it’s going to take even longer for Jewish people to be at the forefront again, but Labour isn’t inherently anti-semitic, it doesn’t have to be, there is a future for Jewish voices in Labour, but there is also a future where I will no longer advocate for a party that doesn’t advocate for me.

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darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts · 5 years

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Winter Escape

Ok, guys, I hope you are all having fun and enjoying yourselves. I have created as planned a festive short modern AU for you all. The unplanned part came after I reached the end and characteristically for having something of an indecisive brain I have ended up creating another select your own ending tale. This is different... there are 4 alternative endings. I really hope you all like them ^^ - Aerion x

Warnings: Snow, fluff, Aerion’s humour spread liberally throughout, some strong language.

Masterlist

---

Winter Escape

I was starting to think this whole modern technology thing was a bit of a curse. It had started with Sasuke sending me a text saying he needed help and it somehow snowballed into a group video chat with everyone. I have no idea what they expect me to do at the minute I just feel like I’m witnessing a badly filmed sketch show.

Nobu looked like he was sitting at his desk about to tell someone they were fired. Hideyoshi was trying to scrub something off of Mitsunari’s face with a cloth. Masa looked like he had attacked a bag of rice flour. And lost.

Ieyasu was doing something with some Petri dishes because he was in the university lab finishing up some research papers. Mitsuhide was talking to people off camera. I don’t even want to know what he is doing, to be honest. Kenshin was sitting with Shingen on a sofa arguing about something. Yukimura appeared a short while later and smacked Shingen on the head with a rolled-up paper.

My phone chimed next to me and I saw from the screen it was Sasuke. Sliding the screen to reveal it, “I’m sorry even I’m at a loss as to how it got this bad. I would have thought it a scientific impossibility but …” I laughed which caused all the others on camera to fall silent and look at me. Oops.

We had all moved away to different locations after college. Some went on to university and some of us, myself included went to work. It was a boring weekend that felt like it echoed the boring week I had just spent in the office. It was nice to see the guys like this. It really is like we never split up.

“What is so funny?” Nobu was the first to ask as he drank some coffee.

“Huh? Oh, nothing.” I stuttered as I tucked my phone back in my pocket.

“She got a text from someone and it made her happy.” Mitsuhide wasn’t on screen but I could hear his smirk in his voice. He always was a damn psychic.

“Who was it? A Boyfriend?” Masa laughed as he asked.

“Boyfriend? What?” The collective outcry from my laptop speakers was almost comical. Come on guys, would it really be such a shock if I did get a boyfriend?

“Whoever it is better to be prepared to be questioned by us. After all, we won’t tolerate some random guy swanning in and playing tricks with our little Princess.” Shingen relocated himself on the sofa looking every inch like a parent about to give a lecture on dating. Kenshin looked like he was searching for something to use as a weapon to go out hunting. Oh no, you are the last guy I want to give me a lecture on relationships. And if I don’t do something about ‘Mr always ready to fight’ this is going to be a problem.

“Hang on a minute. There is no one “swanning in”. There is no one playing tricks, except possibly Mitsuhide.” From almost out of nowhere Mitsuhide appeared back on camera. It was almost perfectly timed with Hideyoshi looking at the monitor for the chat window when Mitsuhide appeared suddenly Yoshi jumped in his seat. This caused Mitsuhide to smile even more and Hideyoshi to glare at the white-haired menace. “And since when did I become “your” Princess?” I could feel the pout on my face even without any of them pointing it out to me. I mean I love them all but sometimes they really are so overprotective its comically insane.

“You’ve always been “Our Princess”, Fireball you know that.” Nobu smirked.

“Yet another nickname I really wish you wouldn’t use.” I sighed. I have no idea why I thought growing up would mean they dropped their nicknames for me. Wishful thinking I guess.

“Ha-ha, come on Kitten it’s cool. Anyway, while we’re all here what’s the plans for the Winter Vacation?” I have no idea what Masa is playing with it looked like some sort of thing used in a sci-fi movie for an alien autopsy.

“Do we seriously have to spend all the holidays together?” Ieyasu asked.

“It’s tradition. Besides, I’m interested that you would suggest we don’t when the alternative is spending the entire time with family instead.” Shingen replied in his usual light-hearted way. He’s good at handling people.

“I retract my question. Just try to pick somewhere quiet I want to do some reading.” Ieyasu indicated what looked like a stack of medical journals and was that a novel from the best seller list? Surely not.

“Oh, that is such a good idea Ieyasu I’ll join you, there are some new books I have I want to read.” Mitsunari’s voice was clear as a bell. Unfortunately, the tune it played always got on the fluffy haired medical student’s nerves.

“I didn’t say I would read with you.” Ieyasu spat.

“Mitsunari you are not spending your entire time with your nose in a book you will be getting some exercise too.” Hideyoshi informed the loveable bookworm. Which earned him a set of big puppy dog eyes from Mitsunari as if to silently beg him not to take away his books. Oh, that’s too cute.

“And eating. Wherever we go better have some good food.” Masa had vanished from the camera but appeared again with a tray in his hands covered in freshly baked gingerbread cookies. Great, now I’m hungry. When did I eat anyway?

“Are you incapable of thinking of anything other than your stomach?” Ieyasu asked. Don’t you start on about… oh, he meant Masa.

“Of course I can. I also think about the ingredients and how they are cooked.” Masa’s retort earned him several giggles and a round of laughter from the others. If it had been an intended joke I would have praised him highly for his ability to deadpan better than Sasuke, but knowing Masa he was being deadly serious.

“Well if we must go somewhere, I think it should have snow. It is winter after all.” Kenshin stated.

“What a shock Lord Icy wants snow.” Shingen shuddered as if the thought of snow made him feel the chill.

“What did you just call me?” Kenshin took the rolled-up paper from Yukimura’s hand before Yuki could stop him and hit Shingen on the head with it.

“Guys come on. Let’s just make our suggestions and then let a neutral party decide.” Sasuke raised his voice a little on the microphone. He was at his part-time job working security so he looked a little like something out of a spy movie. The earpiece he had lit up with a green light in his ear. I think I may have lost count of how many times he’s made some reference to mission impossible movies when he has called me at work.

“Exactly lets… Erm, Sasuke why do I get the feeling I AM the neutral party?” I trailed off mid-sentence as I suddenly realised who Sasuke was going to suggest. Seriously?

“Because you have always been the only one capable of controlling this bunch.” Sasuke stated. It was true I had always found a way to settle them down eventually but I don’t think it’s always me. Is it?

“Hey man, you make us sound like a pack of animals.” Yukimura piped up as he somehow managed to free the rolled-up weapon from Kenshin.

“In your case Yukimura I’m not sure we could argue any different.” Mitsuhide said with a deep grin. He knew it would get a reaction and he just had to stir the pot.

“Ok, now that is just rude.” Yuki predictably responded and with that our group chat erupted once more. This is going to be a long night.

---

The conversation rattled on long into the night. A list of suggestions was written down by Sasuke as they were being said and then he copied it into a group mail so we could all see it. Our group of eleven was not something that was easily accommodated anywhere with short notice. But after a lot of debating that was if I was honest basically an organised argument. It was decided we would go to a lodge in the mountains.

Nobu had contacts we all knew it but looking at this place I was wondering exactly who the contacts he had might be. It was a Ski lodge and spa. There were about forty rooms and as well as the spa facilities, that included a pool and sauna. A massive open plan seating area with a stone fireplace greeted us on our arrival. It was so bright in there too. A whole wall in the room was occupied by large panels of glass revealing a stunning view of the slopes and the rest of the landscape. The trees outside looked like they were frosted as the sun caught the snow that dusted them. Basically, the whole place felt magical.

“Wow.” I couldn’t help but let out a sigh as I looked around the place.

“If I knew this was all it took to impress you Fireball, I’d have brought you here earlier.” Nobu said as he gave a smug smirk.

“It’s amazing. I can’t believe we are staying here for the rest of the holidays.” I could have been annoyed by him but chose to ignore it and just be honest. It really is amazing here.

“I can’t believe he got the whole place with staff and it’s only us staying.” Yukimura spoke from by the doors as he was handing over some of the luggage to the staff.

“Yeah exactly what kind of Devil’s contract did you pull to get this?” Shingen asked, brushing snow off from his jacket after placing his bags down.

“Nothing special. The owner owed me a favour I simply made a request.” Nobu spoke as if it was totally common to have things like this happen. I suppose it is, after all, it’s Nobu. Even in school, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do anything that was standard normal person stuff.

“Uhuh, sure you did.” Yukimura shrugged and went to help with more bags.

“Well, I know what I’m doing before we hit the slopes.” Masa declared as he dumped his bag on the ground with a thud. Honestly, I think he is incapable of being subtle.

“And what is that?” Kenshin asked from behind him as they both apparently had walked up the incline to the building together.

“Putting dibs on the best room.” Masa said with a feral grin on his face. It was a familiar challenging look we had all become accustomed to. Everything is a game to him.

“What?” There were a few exclamations before several of the guys broke off from the group and went running into the facilities like children. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Remind me why I’m on vacation with that idiot again?” Yasu mumbled before brushing past me and walking calmly at his own pace in the direction of the rooms. The sounds of laughter and occasionally insult filled the air with a friendly atmosphere.

---

After choosing rooms we all found ourselves outside dressed in our winter wear. Masa wanted to hit the slopes but eventually let himself be convinced that it was too late in the day to do that so naturally, the next best thing was apparently playing in the snow.

“What is that?” Yukimura laughed as he pointed at a snow mound that had a hat on it.

“A snowman.” Yasu mumbled. Building the things was not something he had suggested and he was only doing it because I had said it would make me happy if everyone took part.

“That is a snowman?” Yuki looked stumped as he squinted at the snow blob.

“Damn dude and I thought your drawings were terrible.” Masa called out from his sculpture that looked like it should have been in a competition.

“No one asked for your opinion.” Yasu huffed and lobbed a snowball hard in Masa’s direction.

“Oh, now that is a declaration of war.” Masa laughed as he ducked just in time to miss the ball hitting his head. He quickly formed a ball of his own and returned fire.

“If its war you want its war you’re gonna get!” The flying snow had begun to involve the others in the snow fight. And quickly the group was divided into what looked like camps.

Nobu had taken up a position at the rear calling out orders like a general on a battlefield. Hideyoshi was close to him with Mitsunari making more ammo and working on some defences. Mitsuhide had typically vanished from the scene. Masa who had been targeting Yasu had now paired with him against Kenshin who was creating snowballs and attacking at a speed that resembled a snow storm. Yuki was laughing until one of them hit him in the face. This had Shingen laughing like a hyena until something similar happened to him and he stopped to glare at Yuki who was looking at his now empty hand wondering if he really did just throw, the snowball at Shingen.

“Guys, come on!” I tried called out over the din they were creating but obviously, I wasn’t being heard. “Jeez, it’s the Monopoly Massacre of 2003 all over again.”

“[Name] over here.” A voice called out from behind me and before I had a chance to turn, I was wrapped up in a pair of strong arms and pulled out of the way of some renegade snowballs.

“Eek!” I let out a cry as the world tilts around me.

“Sorry I should probably have given you more warning.” It takes a moment to realise that I am staring at the solid chest and broad shoulders of Sasuke. His face is as expressionless as ever but his eyes have a look of concern. Everyone always said he was difficult to understand but I never had a problem really. He was the first one in the group of guys that I had met after I transferred and whilst he was too smart for his own good, there was no way you could call him expressionless if you looked at his eyes when he spoke.

“It’s ok thanks I think you saved me from death by a thousand ice crystals.” I gave a little awkward laugh and tried to back away a little to us both space. But his arms around me tensed and I found myself locked in position. “Erm… Sasuke?”

“[Name] I… I’m sorry I know this isn’t…” As he stumbled over his words his eyes never left mine. Those molten brown orbs reflecting me as he tried to process words.

“Sasuke what are you doing back here?” A quizzical icy voice appeared next to us which sent a shiver right up my spine. Again I went to move but Sasuke held position.

“Protecting the Princess. Did you notice that some of your ammunition nearly collided with an innocent bystander?” Sasuke answered Kenshin’s question with a question. It was rare to see him act so assertive.

“No, I didn’t as they weren’t mine they were someone else’s. I would never do anything to hurt her.” Kenshin drew close enough to press against my back and if I wasn’t feeling tense before I certainly was now. Great stuck between Mr Protective and Mr Obsessive. It’s not the worst place in the world but can this get any more awkward?

“Is this a private party or can anyone join in?” The melodic deep voice rolled like caramel over us as the tall redhead strode into the gathering as if nothing at all was out of place. “I have little interest in what you think you are doing but it looks like the Princess is a mite uncomfortable.” Actually, I was sort of thinking it was nice here sandwiched like this… warm and… what and I thinking!?

“I agree so If you two will leave I shall attend to her myself.” Kenshin stated as he put a hand on my shoulder tilting me towards his chest behind me.

“And why should we leave? You leave and I’ll look after her.” Sasuke said as he locked me even tighter in his arms.

“I wouldn’t dream of allowing our fair lady here to be looked after by a guy who thinks it is perfectly acceptable to give a girl pickled plums as a gift.” Shingen who was no standing at my side took hold of my hand lightly playing his thumb over my knuckles as he glared at Kenshin.

“Er, guys? I’m really ok so we can just head back.” I raised my voice a little so I could be sure they all hear me. How did it come to this?

The three men fell silent the atmosphere was something you could have cut with a knife each one was holding firm in a now silent exchange of wills. Well, that answered my question on how this could get any weirder.

---

We eventually made it back to the lodge and I was in my room when a firm knock rapped my door.

“[Name] it’s me.”

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Winter Escape Alt End 1 (Shingen)

Winter Escape Alt End 2 (Kenshin)

Winter Escape Alt End 3 (Sasuke)

Winter Escape Alt End 4 (Group)

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