#the last hours series

[parkerslatte]

Unspoken Words

Matthew Fairchild x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.9k

Warnings: mentions of substance abuse.

Summary: Matthew surprises Y/N at her flat after his year of travelling. Some unspoken emotions surface.

A/N: this is kind of a au where Matthew never had any sort of relationship with Cordelia except for friendship :)

Shadowhunter Chronicles Masterlist

•••

Y/N knew that she wasn’t expecting anyone. If any of her friends and family were going to pop around, they would send a note beforehand. Y/N was just getting ready for bed when there was a loud knock on her front door. At first she debated even answering it, but after knowing that the nice mundane doorman would never let anyone up to her apartment without knowing them beforehand, she felt the smallest bit safer.

She threw her robe around herself and took the few steps down the hallway from her bedroom to her front door. When she opened it, Y/N froze and stared wide-eyed. Her heart had immediately begun pounding.

“Hello, Y/N,” Matthew said, his beautiful smile stretching across his face.

“Matthew?” Y/N whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Y/N stepped back to allow Matthew into her flat and closed the front door, still trying to process everything. Once she turned back to Matthew she hesitantly reached out and brushed her hand over his arm, trying to deem if he were real or not.

“I can’t tell if it’s really you or not,” Y/N said as she took one more step closer.

“It’s really me,” Matthew said, his voice low and warm.

Y/N trailed her hand up his arm until she reached his shoulder and gripped onto it. “You’re really here.”

“I am,” Matthew said breathlessly.

Y/N smiled and threw her arms around Matthew’s neck and pulled him tightly to her. His own arms wrapped around her waist and pressed her body into his own until there wasn’t a single gap between them.

Y/N’s head buried in the crook of Matthew’s neck as she breathed in the familiar scent of his cologne. She hadn’t realised how much she missed it until now. Her shoulders shook as she tried her best to keep the tears from flowing down her cheeks but failed. All the emotion she had over missing Matthew was all coming out.

Matthew pulled away from their hug and rested his forehead against Y/N’s. “There’s no need to cry.”

“You’re crying too,” Y/N said as she noticed the tears brimming Matthew’s eyes.

He tried to blink his own away but only succeeded in making them fall down his cheeks. Y/N let out a breathy laugh and wiped his tears away, her hands lingering on his cheeks.

“I missed you so much,” Y/N whispered. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I missed you too,” Matthew said. “More than you can imagine.”

“I wished everyday that you would show up on my doorstep, I’ve even dreamed of it a few times,” Y/N admitted. “That’s why I didn’t believe you were really here.”

“I dreamed of you too,” Matthew said. “Nearly every night I was away.”

Y/N closed her eyes and savoured the feeling of Matthew’s arms wrapped around her. It had been just over a year since she had last seen Matthew. They had sent letters to one another over the year but it wasn’t ever nearly enough. Having Matthew with her and hearing his voice was the greatest gift Y/N had ever received.

A loud crash echoed from the flat above Y/N’s and caused the two to jump apart in surprise. Y/N immediately missed the warmth of Matthew’s body. As she now stood opposite him she realised how little she wore. Her night clothes were thin and didn’t do a huge job of concealing her body. Y/N flushed and Matthew tried not to move his gaze away from her face.

“Do you want tea or anything?” Y/N asked, leading Matthew through her flat and to her living room.

The room had a lingering warmth from the fire that had been roaring not too long ago. Despite this, Y/N still felt a chill.

“I’m okay, thank you, Y/N,” Matthew’s response was strangely formal.

Y/N only nodded and took a seat on her couch and beckoned Matthew over. “Tell me about your travels.”

“I’m sure you’ve already heard all about them,” Matthew said, getting comfortable next to Y/N.

“I want to hear about them again,” Y/N said. “I want to hear you tell me, not just read about them.”

“Okay,” Matthew said, settling further down into the couch, his arm brushing Y/N’s as she unconsciously shuffled closer.

When Matthew began talking about his travels, the smile on his face was infectious. It was a smile that, before his travels, Matthew brought out so rarely. A soft smile graced Y/N’s face as she listened to Matthew. His hands flapped about as he spoke and she wanted to reach forward and intertwine her fingers with his.

It was no secret to anyone else that Y/N loved Matthew dearly. Before he left, even she hadn’t known exactly what she felt for the blonde Fairchild. She had only ever thought that her relationship with him was a close friendship. It wasn’t until he left for his travels where she realised that the ache in her chest wasn’t because her friend had left. It was because the person she loved had left.

For weeks, Y/N didn’t leave her flat much, only to buy food or gather her post. She was happy for Matthew. Happy that he was doing something he had always wanted to do. The only thing she wished was that she had realised her feelings for the Fairchild sooner.

“Are you even listening to me?” Matthew teased as he noticed Y/N’s faraway expression.

“Of course I am!” Y/N exclaimed.

“Then what did I just say?”

Y/N’s mouth opened and closed trying to respond but she couldn’t because she truly didn’t know what Matthew said.

“I will listen now, I swear,” Y/N said.

Matthew rolled his eyes and pulled Y/N closer to his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve spoken enough of my travels, tell me about what you did.”

Y/N sighed and wrapped her arms around Matthew’s torso and rested her head on his chest. “You don’t want to hear about what I did. It’s rather boring.”

“Nothing you do is boring,” Matthew said, his arm moving from her shoulders to rest on the dip of her waist.

Y/N felt the heat of his hand through her thin nightgown and robe. She wasn’t entirely sure that Matthew even realised that he had moved his arm, but Y/N didn’t say anything about it.

“Honestly Matthew,” Y/N said. “I haven’t really done much.”

“Liar,” Matthew whispered against her hair.

Y/N sighed. “I did a little travelling of my own, not to your scale though. I just did a small tour around England, Scotland and Wales for a few months, nothing too grand.”

“Did you enjoy it?” Matthew asked.

Y/N nodded. “I did, it felt…freeing.” Y/N traced the pattern on Matthew’s waistcoat with her finger. “I do like London but being away for a bit made me realise how little I’ve actually done with my life.”

“Don’t say that,” Matthew said. “You’ve done a lot with your life.”

“But only to the confines of London,” Y/N said. “When I travelled, it was the first time I’d ever seen the sea and felt sand between my toes.”

“Where was your favourite place to go?”

“Cornwall,” Y/N answered. “I spent a week there, the longest I spent anywhere. I stayed in a small village and everyone knew each other. It was nice to now worry about anything and just live in the moment. Is that how you felt?”

Matthew smiled. “That is how I felt.”

“It was a good feeling,” Y/N said.

The two fell into a comfortable silence. Y/N still lightly traced the patterns on Matthew’s waistcoat while he toyed with the ends of her hair. Y/N felt her heart begin to beat rapidly as Matthew’s hand moved from the dip of her waist to her hip. Still he didn’t seem to notice.

Y/N tilted her head up to look at Matthew, his eyebrows were furrowed as if he was in deep thought. However once he noticed Y/N’s changed in position his gaze shifted to meet hers.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he replied.

The two only looked at one another, no words exchanged. Their faces so close that Y/N could feel his breath lightly fan her face and she had no doubt that Matthew could feel hers.

A shiver made its way through her body and she pressed herself closer to Matthew, wanting his warmth. The hand that had been simply resting on his lap was now rubbing her upper arm lightly trying to give Y/N as much warmth as possible.

The places Matthew touched felt like they were on fire despite the plunging temperature. His touch sent her alight.

Y/N’s hand moved from where it was rested on his chest to his cheek, her thumb lightly brushing across his cheekbone. Matthew watched her movements carefully.

“Did you meet anyone while travelling?” Y/N asked the question before she could even think about the repercussions.

Matthew froze as did Y/N.

“I didn’t mean to ask that,” Y/N said, wide-eyed and began to pull away from Matthew. “That was completely out of line. I’m so sorry-”

“Y/N,” Matthew said. He didn’t sound angry.

Y/N stopped and looked at Matthew. She was beyond embarrassed. Even if he did meet anyone, it was none of her business. Matthew was his own person and could make his own choices. And just because she loved him, doesn’t mean that he loved her back.

As Y/N began to pull even further away from him, Matthew lightly grasped her and pulled her closer to him until they were in the same position as before.

“Ask me again?” Matthew said.

“What?” Y/N questioned, even though she knew exactly what Matthew wanted her to ask.

“The question,” Matthew said. “Ask me again?”

“Did you meet anyone?” She asked.

There was a pause while Matthew let out a breath. “No, I didn’t.”

Y/N felt bad that she felt the smallest bit relieved at his answer.

“Did you meet anyone?”

The question caught Y/N off guard. “Sorry?”

“Did you meet anyone?” Matthew repeated.

“No,” Y/N answered. “No, I didn’t.”

Matthew only nodded as he didn’t meet her gaze. His eyes were fixated on where his hand grasped hers.

Y/N now felt hot. Before she was cold but now she was burning everywhere and wanted to escape the conversation. The once comfortable atmosphere had changed to one of uncertainty. Y/N didn’t like the change.

“Why did you ask me that question?” Matthew asked, his gaze still purposefully avoiding hers.

“I-I don’t know,” Y/N said.

“You do know,” Matthew said.

Y/N sighed and looked at where their hands were joined, the cool metal of his rings pressed against her skin. The words were on the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t bring herself to speak them.

“I asked you that question because…” she trailed off.

“Because what, Y/N?” Matthew’s gaze finally met her’s. “Please tell me.”

“Because I am in love with you.” Y/N’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Despite her nerves, Y/N felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest. The words she had always wanted to write to Matthew in her letters were finally spoken. The world grew dark as Y/N closed her eyes, not wanting to meet Matthew’s gaze in fear of what he would say or do. If he pushed her away, Y/N wouldn’t know how she would react.

However, what Matthew did say surprised her.

“You can’t mean that,” Matthew said.

“What?” Y/N said and opened her eyes. “Of course I mean that.”

Matthew shook his head, emotions swimming in his green eyes. “You can’t.”

“Why can’t I?” Y/N said. “I am in love with you Matthew.”

“No,” Matthew said, tears welling in his eyes. He clutched Y/N’s hands tighter.

“I do,” she said, bringing her hands from his and caressed the sides of his face. “I love you.”

Matthew’s eyes bore into hers. They held a look on uncertainty, like he wasn’t entirely sure that anything was real.

“How can you possibly mean that?” Matthew said.

“I do mean it,” Y/N said. “I love you so much that it hurt me so much when you left for your travels. I didn’t realise it before but once you left I realised that what I felt for you was love. Not the type of love you share with any of our friends. I felt it long before but was too oblivious to realise it. I fell in love with you years ago.”

“You loved me even when…” Matthew trailed off, not wanting to speak much of that period in his life.

“Even then,” Y/N said. “I adore you.”

Y/N wiped away the tears from his eyes as Matthew gently held onto her wrists, leaning into her touch.

“If you don’t feel the same, it’s okay,” Y/N said, her voice cracking. “We can just forget about it.”

“I never thought I deserved you,” Matthew said, his voice wavered like any moment he would burst into tears. “I never told you I loved you because I didn’t deserve you.”

Y/N’s heart broke hearing the sadness in Matthew’s voice. “Why didn’t you think you deserved me?”

“I could barely take care of myself, let alone you,” Matthew replied. “There were times when I wanted to tell you, not caring how it would affect our friendship. You were– are the constant thing on my mind. I wake up thinking about you and I fall asleep thinking about you.” Matthew paused to let out a shaky breath. “When I went on my travels, I hoped that I could move past what I felt for you but with every letter I sent you and how you responded with such excitement and telling me how proud you were of me, the more I fell in love with you– even if I was thousands of miles away.”

Y/N let out a breath and pressed her forehead against Matthew’s. “You deserve the world, Matthew. You deserve everything good in it.” Y/N's thumb gently moved across his cheekbone. “I know your life hasn’t been easy. I know you have struggled for years. But you need to know how proud of you I am, how proud everyone is of you. You are always surrounded by people who love you so much. Never forget that.”

Matthew let the tears fall as Y/N wrapped him into a hug. He buried his head into the crook of her neck as his body shook. Y/N clutched onto him tightly.

“I don’t deserve you,” Matthew muttered.

“You do,” Y/N said. “You deserve every good thing.”

Matthew pulled away and took Y/N’s face in his hands. “You are the best thing in my life.”

“I thought James was?” Y/N joked, hoping it would make Matthew at least crack a smile. She succeeded.

Matthew smiled. “Second best then.”

Y/N smiled as she leaned into his touch. “I love you, Matthew.”

“I love you too,” Matthew said.

Y/N’s heart swelled as Matthew spoke those words. A year of sending letters back and forth and realising her feelings for him, she never expected that he would ever feel the same way. Now as she looked into his eyes and saw nothing but pure love, she knew she was home.

“May I kiss you?” Matthew asked.

Y/N smiled. “You may.”

Once their lips touched, Y/N could think of nothing else but Matthew. His lips were soft and he tasted sweet. When she thought of kissing Matthew several months ago after a very particular dream, she had imagined fireworks and an overwhelming amount of feelings. She felt none of those.

Kissing Matthew felt normal, like their lips were always meant to touch and connect. They fit perfectly together– two halves of a whole.

An arm wrapped around her waist and Matthew pulled her on top of him with one swift motion, without disconnecting their lips. Y/N let out a small noise of surprise.

“Sorry,” Matthew mumbled against her lips. “I just need to be closer to you.”

Y/N’s eyes fluttered close as Matthew pressed his lips against Y/N’s once more. Her arms wrapped around Matthew’s neck and threaded her fingers in his hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp. Matthew sighed in delight.

Y/N smiled into the kiss. She never would have thought that this was how her night would go. Finally kissing the man she loved after only loving him from afar. The feeling of his arms wrapped around her body made her feel safe and loved. Each touch sent her alight and left goosebumps in their wake. Everything about Matthew heightened her senses more than any rune ever could.

Matthew pulled away once more and opened his eyes to look at Y/N. His arms were locked around her keeping her in place and he tightened his arms the slightest amount.

“I love you,” Matthew said with a smile. It lit up his entire face. “I don’t know how I got so lucky to have you in my life.”

“How lucky you are?” Y/N said, brushing his hair away from his face. “I am the lucky one, because you, Matthew Fairchild, are a gift.”

Matthew smiled and nuzzled his head in the crook of her neck, pressing a light kiss to her bare shoulder where her robe had slid down.

Y/N smiled and held him long into the night.

_________________

[thrxughthenxght]

@iammadeofmemoriesforlife and I actually have a new TLH agenda and I'm very excited to share it with all of you. Sadly we're a little late for a certain celebration that relates to this particular set of headcanons but that's fine.

I'm going to write some fics for it and Pandora is going to do some headcanons. Let us know what you guys think once we get started with what I think will probably end up a little series collection. We're super excited for this idea. Also:

[blumenflowergelb]

Go to hell!

The ball room looked beautiful. The colors matches with the tables and the flowers were arranged perfectly. The was ball room was loud as always, the chatter of people and the clincking of the glasses filled Yn with excitement.Thomas, Matthew and Christopher were already there. Yn blushed while looking at Matthew. He was holding a glass of champagne in his hand while chating with Thomas. The fact that he drank champagne and not something hight percentage meant that he was happy.

„If you look longer at Matthew your eyes will fall out.“snickered Lucie. For this Yn just showed and ruffled her hair. Lucie gasped and hit her shoulder.

„Girls please behave. You can play after the ball.“Will said while looking at the guest and checking if everything was alright. „But papa Yn destroyed my hair! Mama needed hours for this!“Will only sighed.

Matthew looked around the room and saw Yn standing with Lucie. He wanted to go to them but suddenly James showed him. „If you look any longer at yn your eyes will fall out.“Matthew only responded with showing him back.While the boys were playing and talking the Carstairs family arrived. The moment Matthew saw Alastair his mood soured. He looked to James to say something but he saw that James mask comletly disappeared. He looked at Christopher who was observing James too.

Yn was taking a break from dancing when Alastair Carstairs appeared.He held his hand out for her. „May i have this dance?“

Surprisingly Charles and Matthew were standing next to each other. They did not speak just observed the dance. Suddenly Charles tensed up and his face became sour.“Is everything all right?“asked Matthew. „What should not be alright?“replied Charles without looking at Matthew. He was intensely staring at a pair of dancers. The realization left Matthew breathless. The pair looked handsome and they danced perfectly. Yn was laughing with Alastair while hanging from his arms. Of course it was normal since they were dancing but it still made Matthew sick. The closeness of them led Matthew of thinkig what if they were in love? The different scenarios he painted in his head did not help him feeling better. Just the thought of them touching and being intimate hurt. Jealousy clouded Matthews head. The moment the song ended he tensed and begann to walk toward yn.

Yn and Alastair almost reached the chairs when Matthew showed up. He had his sweet smile but his eyes were cold like snow. „Alastair what a nice day to see each other!“said Matthew with a clearly fake happiness. „It is, Fairchild.“ replied Alastair coldly. Alastair turned to Yn and bowed his head. „It was a pleasure.“ Yn smiled at him. „The pleasure was mine Alastair.“

While Alastair was walking away Matthew watched him. He felt angry. Regardless of his feeling he tried to hide his feeling. He looked at Yn. „May I have this dance my lady?“ smirked Matthew at Yn. Yn cocked her eyebrow and took Matthews hand.

Usually Yn felt warm while dancing with Matthew. His smell made her stomach churn in a good way but today she felt herself afire . She could barely look at Matthew who was intensely looking at her. He too felt the fire inside him spread. It was not sexual but more like love. He felt so incredibly happy to be near her ,he tought he would die of a heart attack. She made him so happy a kind of happiness he tought he would never feel again. The way she laughed, the way she looked while fighting and the way she existed made him warm. When the song ended he reluctantly let go of her hand but still looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

„You are not going to ask me about Alastair?“

„Is there something I should know ?“

„It depends on what you would like to ask.“

Before Matthew could ask anything Christopher and Thomas showed up. They begann to talk about the horrible dance with Rosamund Wentworth. Later on the others joined them too. When it was time to leave Matthew and Yn went ahead. He looked at her „You look absolutly regal. A mans dream, you are.“

„A mans dream you say? I only danced a few times tonight and no man wanted my hand nor my lips.“

„If any man wanted you I am sure he would not have made past Christopher. And what a scandal it could be! A man wanting the lips of the unmarried Yn Herondale. Just think about the rumors!“At that Yn could only laugh. „Come to my room tonight. We can talk about today if you want to.“

„An invitation to a ladys room at night. I could never pass on that expesially because it‘s you.“

„I hope you are not flirting with my dear sister, Matthew!“yelled James behind them. Both of them went scarlet red while the Merry Thieves and the girls laughed. „A man can only hide his feelings for so long my dear James.“said Anna while smirking.

„Oh all of you, go to hell!“ They only replied with an even bigger laughter.

[gracetopher-week]

Hello everyone and thank you for your participation and support of Gracetopher Week! We had an excellent "Canon What Canon?" last day.

We're super happy we got so much participation this year. We take late submissions until the end of the month. Thank you and happy Gracetopher week!

[admircot]

"they would find each other in any universe" and I love that it doesn't necessarily mean always romantically. They can be sworn enemies in this universe but that means they still found each other.

[skimmeh]

Tapestry of fate

Winners woven

[canarydarity]

cue that audio thats like 'i cant stop thinking about those tragic little gay men, they consume my every waking thought' cause yeah

[kedreeva]

Okay if you haven't yet, and you have Netflix/Paramount+, consider giving "School Spirits" a chance.

It looks like a silly little cheesy teenage ghosts show, I put it on for background noise, and then got totally engrossed in the mystery. It's VERY well written, very well filmed, the mystery was GREAT and the payoff at the end is also great.

One of the things majorly lacking in shows I've recently tried to watch is that they try to do a twist/reveal at the end that comes out of nowhere. They don't want you to guess what they're doing. This show doesn't do that. This show wants you to guess. They give you seven different mysteries and enough clues to guess (most of) what is going on, so that when you get the final puzzle piece to any given mystery, it feels GREAT.

The story premise is this: a teenager in hs wakes up as a ghost in the hs, and doesn't remember how she died, and with the help of the other ghosts, tries to solve the mystery of her own death.

Simple premise. BEAUTIFULLY executed. Not all of the questions that arise get answered, but the main one (what she doesn't remember) gets solved by the end of the season, leaving the "why/how and what comes next" to be carried to the next season. It does a cliffhanger RIGHT. But now I desperately want to see the second season (which I believe has been approved, so it's a matter of waiting).

So pretty please, if you're looking for something to do and a great, engaging lil mystery to watch, consider! School Spirits!!

[becca-e-barnes]

Sub Bucky and a breeding kink 💀 dead unlived it's one of my favourite things 😌

This is pretty high up there on my list of dream fantasies 🥵 these are two of my biggest weaknesses, don't even look at me rn

One of life's greatest joys is cuddling with the other person's head resting on your chest so you can play with their hair and rub their shoulders. I love that shit, having someone else's body weight on you is so comforting.

I imagine that's something Bucky would really enjoy too. It's so soft and sweet and tender and getting to feel cared for would really appeal to him.

But that's up until his hands work their way under your top, up over your bare skin so he's able to cup your breasts and bury his face between them while he's getting his hair played with. Life's pleasures don't get much simpler than that.

After a few moments he shifts slightly, tugging the neckline of your shirt out of the way to give himself space to kiss and nip your skin. All of a sudden he's desperate and it's beautiful to watch.

"Please." He whispers between frantic kisses, flicking his tongue over the stiff peak of your nipple before engulfing it with his warm, eager mouth.

"Please, what?" You tease, tugging on his hair just a little for emphasis.

He groans, frustrated by his own lack of coherence, pulling his mouth from your nipple. "Please let me put a baby in you."

That's not what you were expecting but fuck, he makes it sound pretty appealing.

"Bucky-" You begin but he cuts you off, giving your other nipple the same attention as he gave the first. God, that's distracting.

"You'd make. Such. A pretty. Mommy." He whispers, kissing his way down your body until he reaches the bottom seam of your top. From there, he pulls it off, letting it fall to the floor before removing the rest of your clothes.

"You'd look so pretty with a little baby bump." His huge hand rests on your bare tummy, imaging how your body would change.

"I want it, Buck." You mean it too. It doesn't sound like such a bad idea when he's taking his clothes off.

"I know you want it." He groans, rubbing the tip of his dick against your soaked core. "Y-you're so wet."

He presses his hips forward, sliding inside you and you can't explain it but you swear it feels different this time.

"Don't even think about pulling out." You cup his face in your hands, keeping his eyes on you and you almost worry he's going to fuck himself senseless into you. "I want you to make me a mommy. You're going to give me every single drop of cum and when it starts to drip out of me, you're going to fuck it back in."

His head falls onto your shoulder, sobbing a pathetic moan against your already hot skin. The pace of his thrusts matches his need, his hips slamming into yours and when he finally gives in, he cums inside you with your legs clamped around his waist, making sure he couldn't pull out even if he wanted to.

[chinzhilla]

This is as tender as I can be. Someone like me.

[kayawolfhorse]

Hello? Miss GeminiTay?

(From the description of her latest Hermitcraft video)

[parkerslatte]

Nervous Encounters

Christopher Lightwood x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Summary: Y/N is new to London from the York Institute. She doesn’t know anyone and is normally quite nervous around new people. When she meets Christopher at the London Institute, the two spark up a friendship.

A/N: This will be a slight AU where the demon attack at the picnic in Chain of Gold does not happen and everything is fine and no one is injured :)

Shadowhunter Chronicles Masterlist

•••

The ballroom was bustling and Y/N remained near the wall, her heart beating rapidly. After she had her introductions with Will and Tessa Herondale, she parted from her parents and remained on the outskirts of the dance floor, quietly watching everyone. The groups of Shadowhunters all seemed so friendly with one another and Y/N felt too awkward to intrude. 

Y/N played with the ends of her hair as she stood by the drinks table, picking up a glass of water for herself. She could have easily stood with her mother and father but then she would be a part of boring conversation that she was sure she would die of boredom. Being alone was a better option. 

People danced in the centre of the room and Y/N watched them intently. She loved to dance, she always had ever since she was little. Before she had her first rune, her mother had even sighed her up to ballet classes. It pained Y/N to think about. She wanted nothing more than to return to them. 

Y/N was so invested watching people dance that she failed to notice the presence of someone standing next to her. The boy was taller than her and wore gold rimmed glasses, accentuating his violet eyes. 

Feeling eyes on her, Y/N tore her attention away from the dance floor and directly to the boy who stood next to her. She offered him a soft smile.

“Hello,” she greeted quietly. “I’m Y/N.”

The boy was silent for a brief moment, his eyes studying her from behind his glasses. “I’m Christopher.” 

The smile didn’t leave Y/N’s face although her heart began to beat rapidly as she spoke. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Christopher said. “You’re new to London? I haven’t seen you before, I don’t recognise you.”

Y/N nodded. “My family moved here a week ago, it’s the first time I’m really meeting anyone.”

Christopher nodded and looked out at the dance floor. “Would you like to dance? I noticed you have been on your own for a while and thought I’d offer. I wouldn’t wish for you to spend the whole night alone.”

Y/N’s face heated up. He had been watching her? 

“I didn’t wish to impose on anyone,” Y/N said. “Everyone seems to know each other well already.”

Christopher offered her his hand. “You won’t be imposing.”

Y/N looked at his hand and took it gently afraid that he would run if she held it any tighter. Christopher smiled at her and firmly grasped her hand and led her to the dancefloor.

“I noticed you looking at people dancing,” Christopher said as they passed a group of three boys, each looking between Y/N and Christopher as if they couldn’t believe their eyes. Christopher simply ignored them. “You seemed to enjoy it.”

As the two made it to the centre of the dancefloor, Y/N nodded. “Before I bore my first rune, my mother took me to ballet classes. I’ve always loved dancing.”

“Then I apologise as I am not the best dancer,” Christopher said.

Y/N smiled at him and positioned his arms. Christopher froze when she positioned his arm on her waist. “Then I will teach you.”

Christopher offered her a nervous smile in return as she began to talk him through the steps and soon enough he was picking them up with ease. 

“I think you’re getting the hang of it,” Y/N said with a smile. 

“I am?” Christopher said as he stumbled a little over his feet. His grip on Y/N tightened the smallest amount. “I don’t feel like I have.”

“You have,” Y/N said, laughing softly.

Christopher’s focus shifted from his own dancing to his friends standing at the side of the dance floor. Each with a smile on their face. As he looked to his friends, he stumbled over his feet once more. 

“Hey,” Y/N said, lightly tilting Christopher’s head back towards her. Once their eyes met, Christopher suddenly became aware of the hand on his face and a deep blush spread across his face.

“Just focus on me,” Y/N said and grasped her hand in his once again. “Pretend no one else is here.”

Christopher nodded and blocked out everyone else around him but Y/N and miraculously it did help with his dancing. 

Y/N smiled. “There you go.”

Christopher smiled back at her. “I apologise that you are teaching me how to dance. I’m the one that asked you so I should be able to keep up with you.”

“It’s okay,” Y/N said. “I’m having fun.”

Christopher thought for a second. “So am I.”

Y/N looked into Christopher’s eyes. “Do you want to get a drink? Possibly give you a small break from dancing and stepping on my toes.”

Christopher’s eyes widened. “I didn’t step on your toes, did I?”

“I was joking,” Y/N laughed. “But I wasn’t joking about getting a drink with you.”

Christopher smiled as the two stepped off the dancefloor and to a more secluded area of the room.

***

Y/N’s heart was nearly beating out of her chest as she and Christopher slipped out of the ballroom and into a more secluded room. As the two conversed it seemed to get louder in the room and proved impossible to focus on their conversation, so slipping away was the best thing they could do. As Y/N took a sip of her water, Christopher smiled to himself. Y/N thought that it was beautiful.

“I would love to come and see some of your experiments,” Y/N said. 

Once Christopher had begun to talk about what he was interested in, he had suddenly perked up even more, explaining nearly everything he knew to Y/N. Even though she didn’t necessarily understand it, she was hooked onto every word. 

“You would?” Christopher questioned, surprise lacing his tone.

Y/N nodded. “They sound interesting. I must admit I will be a bit useless in helping you but I’m willing to learn. Science is fascinating.”

Y/N watched as his smile widened and he pushed his glasses up further onto the ridge of his nose, a habit she had seen him begin to do more and more as they conversed. 

“Your smile is beautiful,” Y/N admitted. “It lights up your whole face.”

Christopher blushed and looked down at his lap. “Really?”

“Really,” Y/N said. 

His hand rested in his lap and she wanted to grip it and intertwine their fingers together. But she forced herself not to, she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. 

“No one has told me that before,” Christopher admitted. “I only hear people talk about my eyes and how they are wasted on a boy like me.”

Y/N frowned. “People say that?”

Christopher nodded and looked up at her. “All the time.”

“Your eyes are beautiful,” Y/N said.

“But wasted on a boy?”

Y/N shook her head. “They are not wasted. They only enhance your beauty.”

Christopher didn’t dip his head again but he did break eye contact. Y/N slowly brought her hand and brushed her fingers over his, silently asking for permission. Christopher granted it as he inched his hand closer to hers as she intertwined their fingers. There was a small cut on the back of Christopher’s hand. Y/N gently brushed a finger over it. 

“How did you get this?”

“One of my experiments blew up,” he answered. “A glass beaker exploded and cut me. I forgot about it until now.”

Y/N brought his hand up to her mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to the cut. She didn’t know what had overcame her to make her do that but the gentle and flattered look on his face made it worth it. 

Christopher’s thumb gently rubbed across her knuckles and Y/N wasn’t entirely sure that he realised he was doing it. She only shuffled closer to Christopher until her leg brushed his. Despite her layers of skirts, Y/N flushed. She had never been this close to a boy before. 

Christopher met her gaze and his eyes roamed alla across her face, lingering on her lips for a second longer than anywhere else. When his eyes finally reached hers his gaze softened. 

“Your eyes are beautiful too,” Christopher said, his voice strangely quiet. “Even more so than mine.”

“None can be as beautiful as yours,” Y/N said, avoiding the compliment knowing that it will only get her flustered. 

“Yours are,” Christopher said. The hand that wasn’t grasped in her’s slowly trailed up her arm and cupped her cheek, his thumb ghosted over her cheekbone. 

By now, Y/N was sure her heart was going to leap out of her chest, she was pretty sure Christopher could probably hear it.

“You are beautiful,” Christopher whispered. 

Y/N leaned into his touch, her hand caressing his wrist. “You are too.”

“None can be as beautiful as you,” Christopher said. 

Y/N smiled softly, her gaze flicking down to Christopher's lips and back to his eyes. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do. Christopher didn’t seem to know what to do either but he slowly began to lean closer to her. They would find out together. 

They both let out heavy breaths as they neared one another. Their hearts raced as if they had run a marathon although they had only moved centimetres at most. Y/N flet Christopher’s breath lightly fan her face as their faces were inches apart. 

Christopher’s hand remained on her cheek but slowly moved lower until it cupped her jaw, tilting her head up. Their lips were now in line with one another. Their eyes met, both held a look of unsureness. 

Y/N closed her eyes and began to move the final few inches to connect their lips before the door to the room creaked open.

Y/N and Christopehr both jumped away from one another. Christopher blinked rapidly as if snapped out of a daze. 

“Y/N L/N?” A boy with golden eyes questioned.

“Yes?” she said breathlessly.

“Your parents were looking for you,” he said. “They mentioned that they were leaving soon.”

“Leaving but it’s only…” Y/N trailed off as she glanced at the clock on the wall. “Midnight?”

The boy only nodded.

“Kit, I think aunt Cecily and uncle Gabriel are leaving too,” the boy said, looking between the two Shadowhunters who now sat opposite ends of the couch.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Christopher said, avoiding looking at Y/N.

The boy only nodded and left the two in the room, not before he sent a look Christopher's way. 

Y/N and Christopher didn’t look at each other as they were left alone. 

“I should get going-”

“Would you like-”

They both spoke at the same time. It made Y/N smile. 

“Please, you go first,” Y/N said.

“There is a picnic happening at Regents Park tomorrow, and I wondered if you would like to attend?” Christopher asked, pushing his glasses up on the ridge of his nose. 

Y/N smiled. “I would be glad to attend.”

Christopher let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. “I can pick you up in my carriage at eleven?”

“That is good with me,” Y/N replied.

Christopher nodded. “What were you going to say?”

“I was just saying that I should get going,” Y/N said. “I don’t wish to keep my parents waiting.”

Christopher nodded. “I don’t wish to keep you from them.”

Y/N only nodded before she slowly stepped up to Christopher. He was tense so she didn’t want to startle him in case he ran away. 

“Thank you for tonight,” Y/N said. “The night could not have gone better.”

Christopher finally met her gaze and smiled. “It was a good night for me too.”

Y/N smiled and reached up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “I will see you tomorrow Christopher.”

Y/N left the room without another word. Her lips burned where they had made contact with Christopher’s skin. She brought her hand up to touch them and let out a sigh. If only that boy hadn’t walked in.

***

Regents Park was bright and sunny and Y/N was grateful for it. Ever since she had arrived in London a week ago it had been raining nearly everyday. The sunshine was a welcome change. 

Christopher walked at Y/N’s side through the park. The two hadn’t spoken much except for their greeting and Christopher telling her who would be in attendance. She was nervous to meet so many people, especially the people he was close friends and family with. 

What nerved Y/N more was Christopher’s adamant refusal to look her way. Her stomach churned at the way he would avoid eye contact and stay silent. Even when she tried to link her arm through his, he pulled away and began to fiddle with a contraption he had brought with him. Even when Y/N asked what it was, he only gave a very brief answer. Nothing like the in depth discussions the two had had the night previous. 

“Kit!” A tall boy ahead of them exclaimed as he took long strides to meet them. He towered over both of them. 

Christopher lifted his head in greeting before his gaze returned to the contraption in his hands. 

Y/N smiled up at the tall boy in greeting, recognising him from when she walked past in the ballroom. 

“I’m Thomas,” he greeted, smiling down at Y/N.

“I’m Y/N,” she replied. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Thomas nodded and fell into step with Y/N and Christopher. “I heard that you moved to London recently.”

“I did,” Y/N said. “From Cornwall. It’s quite a big change but one I’m slowly getting used to.”

Thomas nodded. “If you need any help with anything, locations of things, training, that sort of thing, let me know. I’d be happy to help.”

Y/N smiled. “That’s very kind of you.”

As Y/N turned her gaze away from Thomas to look forward, she caught Christopher’s head inclined toward her. When he noticed her change in focus, he quickly snapped his attention back to his hands. 

Y/N sighed internally. She had tried her best to get Christopher to talk but she shut her down every time. If he regretted anything from last night, he was definitely showing it.

Thomas led the two towards a picnic blanket, many people already sat around it and Y/N tensed up. Many eyes were on her and she tried her best to smile. 

“Hello,” she said. “I’m Y/N.”

The boy who had interrupted her and Christopher the night before, James, smiled at her in greeting, his gaze once again shifted between her and Christopher. 

It was the girl next to James who spoke up. “It’s nice to meet you, Y/N.” Her red hair seemed to glow in the sunlight.

Y/N felt her body relax as every one sent greetings her way. She sat down on the picnic blanket as conversation resumed. 

“So, Y/N,” Anna, who sat to her right, spoke up. From the carriage ride, she had come to know that this was Christopher’s sister. “Christopher tells me that you are a dancer.”

Y/N looked at Christopher who seemed to busy himself in writing in a small black notebook.

“Well I was when I was younger,” Y/N said. “I don’t do much dancing nowadays, only at social gatherings.”

“It’s a shame,” Anna said. “You seemed to teach my brother well last night.”

Y/N waved her hand. “That was nothing, just simple steps.”

“That my brother has never been able to get right until you showed him,” Anna said, glancing at Christopher as if she knew he was listening.

Y/N wasn’t entirely sure how to reply so she simply nodded. “People can learn at any age to dance. Some might not perfect it until later in life while some master lit early.”

Anna nodded and leant back on her elbows. “I’m glad that my brother has taken notice in something other than his experiments. He smiled a lot more at the end of the night.”

Y/N felt her face heat up. “Well I’m sure that has nothing to do with me.”

“I’m sure it does,” Anna said, lowering her voice slightly. “Didn’t you and him disappear for two hours last night?”

Y/N’s mouth opened and closed in search of an answer but none came. Anna simply winked at her and turned her attention to the blonde sitting next to her. He gave her a wink as well before falling into conversation with Anna.

Y/N picked at the edge of the blanket as she looked at Christopher. He was still looking at his notebook but he stopped writing in it. She knew for sure that he had been listening to her brief conversation with Anna. If he was seemingly so happy at the end of the night, why wasn’t he showing it now?

Y/N leaned closer to him. “Can I talk to you? In private.”

Christopher glanced at her hands still fiddling with the edge of the blanket. “Okay.” Was his response.

Y/N stood first and then Christopher. By now everyone’s attention was on them, Y/N couldn’t find it within herself to be embarrassed. 

She led him over to the carriages and slipped in between them, knowing that they couldn’t be seen. Y/N folded her arms across her chest as she looked at Christopher who still refused to meet her gaze.

“What is going on with you?” She questioned. “Yesterday you were full of conversation and now you won’t even look at me.”

Christopher looked around at anything that wasn’t Y/N. Despite agreeing to the conversation, he wanted to immediately find a way to leave. 

“Was it something I said?” Y/N said. “Or did?”

She thought to their almost kiss the night before. In the moment, Y/N was sure that they both wanted the same, but thinking about it now. Maybe he didn’t want it and Y/N made him feel uncomfortable.

“I didn’t make you uncomfortable, did I?” Y/N said nervously. “If I did, I seriously apologise, Christopher. That wasn’t my intention at all and I understand if you don’t want to talk to me or-”

“You didn’t make me uncomfortable,” Christopher interrupted. 

Y/N’s eyes met his for the first time that day. Christopher pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

“I apologise if I ever made you feel like you made me feel uncomfortable,” Christopher said. 

Y/N watched as Christopher took her hands in his. They shook with nerves. 

“Then why won’t you look or talk to me,” Y/N asked. “You invited me here.”

“I know,” Christopher said. “But after last night and what nearly happened– I can’t seem to get it out of my mind. I don’t know how to feel– I tried to write up some of my experiments but I couldn’t.” Christopher sighed.

Y/N squeezed his hands and stepped closer to him. “Did you want it to happen?”

“Yes,” Christopher breathed. “I wanted it to happen more than anything.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me?” Y/N questioned.

“Because I was nervous,” Christopher said. “I have never done anything before. I haven’t kissed anyone. I haven’t ever thought about anyone this way.”

Y/N brought Christopher’s hands up and pressed gentle kisses on each knuckle. “I haven’t kissed anyone either. I’ve never even been this close with a boy before.”

Christopher removed his hands from Y/N’s and cupped the sides of her cheeks gently. If he gripped her any tighter he was afraid she would break. 

“I like you, Christopher,” Y/N said.

“I like you too,” Christopher said. “I’m just not entirely sure what to do.”

“Neither do I,” Y/N smiled at him. “Shall we find out together?” Christopher smiled before leaning down and captured her lips with his own in a sweet kiss. His lips were slightly chapped but it suited him. Christopher pulled away, his breath fanned her face. 

Both of them looked into each other’s eyes before Y/N pressed her lips against his once more. This kiss lasted slightly longer than the last. Both Y/N and Christopher slowly figuring it out. 

“I think we are figuring it out,” Y/N mumbled as she quickly pecked his lips.

Christopher smiled, thumbs brushing along her cheekbones. “I say we are near experts at it.”

Y/N laughed and pecked his lips one final time before stepping away, taking his hands in hers. “We should get back to the others. We have been away long enough, they will have questions.”

Christopher agreed and began to lead Y/N back to where his friend and family were. His hand ghosting her lower back. 

The others were silent as they approached and sat down. To both Y/N and Christopher’s surprise, no one asked any questions as the conversation resumed. 

However everyone shared a secretive smile with one another at how Christopher and Y/N’s hands were clutching each other’s behind them. They also didn’t fail to notice how Christopher never looked back in his small notebook, instead his full attention was on Y/N as he watched her talk with his family.

____________________

[thrxughthenxght]

You said to give you requests so here I am!

"Are we flirting?" "That's up to you." For gracetopher??

Lock & Key

Prompt: "Are we flirting?" "That's up to you."

Words: 1568

Thank you so much for this Bella!! I really like how this turned out and it's just in time for gracetopher week day 7 🤗 Thank you!

Also I haven't read CoT at all so forgive me if this isn't canon compliant. I did my best to be semi-canon. Let me know if you'd like to be on my taglist!

If Christopher wasn’t with his family or his friends he was with Grace. They were walking outside or reading in the library, but most of the time they were in Christopher’s lab, Grace preferring his home to the Fairchild household. Christopher missed the supplies Henry had but he had decent enough items in his lab, and he preferred Grace comfortable. Grace was often tense around other people, even if he tried to assure her all was well. She was quick to jump and fidget and twice she had been the first to exit a room if something startled her, always ready to exit. Now, in the light of the candles on the walls, he noticed the change in her edge.

Her shoulders were relaxed as she measured, and her knees were bent in front of her, her feet resting on the highest run of the stool she sat on. She lacked a corset so could slouch, when usually she was rigid like a log. Her hair was tied upon her head, a few bright strands falling from the hastily done updo. She wore the smallest pair of goggles he could find, and they framed her icy eyes, letting the light illuminate the iris'. Her lips were pressed in a hard line, a slight squint to her features in the thinning of her eyes and wrinkles of her nose. She was deep in thought with that face, and Christopher was both shocked and mortified when she suddenly looked up.

She raised an eyebrow at his staring, and he turned away. "Apol-apologies," he murmured softly, trying to focus on his notes. "You were very focused."

The goggles made a soft noise when the leather scraped the wood. She walked over to him, peering over his arm at the notes. "You're allowed to look at me," she said. "You're not the type to hurt a woman because you find her attractive."

"I wouldn't- I, um-" he sputtered for a moment, tripping over words as he did his own feet when he stepped backwards. He fell on all fours, his rear hitting the stone floor and a grunt flying from his mouth, cutting off his scramble for a response. They stared at each other for a few long moments, then Grace quickly turned away and covered her mouth. Christopher shot up, dusting himself off in the few steps it took him to get over to her. His hand hovered over her shoulder. "Did I startle you? I'm sorry-" Her shoulders started to shake gently and when she looked up he saw the crinkle by her eyes, but no tears. He furrowed his brow. "Are you... Are you laughing or crying? Because I'm not quite sure."

She let her hand fall, and a wide grin was on her face as she laughed gently. He started to lower his hand, relieved he hadn't upset her. He knew she was sensitive to sudden things, whether it be words or movements or memories. He smiled when her laugh got louder, and simply stood and watched her attempt to compose herself. "You fell," she giggled. "Am I truly that frightening?"

He crossed his arms and tried to further straighten his spine. "Grace Blackthorn, you are terrifying."

She smiled. "I'm just a woman."

"And a brilliant one at that."

She shifted to lean on the desk, smiling softer now, but it was close to something mischievous. "Am I not seductive enough for you?"

"That is not a part of your danger."

"No?"

"No. Some people can be seduced. Everyone can be outsmarted."

She smiled. "Well, then I guess we're very dangerous people."

"Indeed." For a moment it was silent, and Christopher cleared his throat. He shifted and broke his stance, looking down before meeting her soft, thunderous eyes. "Is this flirting?"

She shrugged and crossed her arms, tilting her head at him. More of her hair fell to the side. "It could be."

"Are we flirting?"

"That's up to you."

He stood still, trying to understand what she wanted him to do. It occurred to him that many times she had stated she trusted him, but he didn't want to break that trust. Grace was also a person he could spend him time with that involved his primary joys and interests. He loved his friends but he felt best alone with Grace in his lab, their lab. He wanted Grace to be... something, anything. Not to be his but to be theirs. He wanted everything to be theirs. His heart, her strength, his intelligence, her brilliance. He wanted them to be something beyond a friendship but he'd simply never had that before and it was frightening for him. All of Grace's experiences with such things were part of the reason she did not believe in herself or other people, and that scared Christopher most of all. He couldn't bear to be another man on the list of those who wanted her only to hurt her in some way.

"I think-" he snapped his mouth shut, correcting himself. He said he "thought" things far too often when he did in fact know things. "I would like us to be flirting."

She grinned. "So would I."

He lifted his hands gently, as though she could hand him answers. It would be much simpler that way. "What happens now?"

"Well," she said softly, pushing herself off the desk and walking to him until their chests were barely an inch apart. "I would be alright if you wanted to kiss me. Or... touch me, I suppose."

He shook his head. "You want me to do something?"

"Do you not want to?"

"I am frightened to."

She nodded, but her smile was never gone, just a little flicker of light to guide his lips to hers. It was gentle, just a small peck on each other's lips, but it was enough to make Christopher's face warm. She drew back by falling off her toes to her heels and opened her eyes. He blinked for a moment, then started to pull at his sleeve.

"Kiss me again?" She nodded, and he saw a light pink pulling at the snowy complexion of her face.

With another push to her toes she connected their lips again, but this time it was longer. His heart thumped, and another part of his anatomy wanted to join in but he wouldn't allow anything to ruin this; This rush of emotion and immense joy he felt now that he knew Grace wanted him in what was hopefully a similar sort of affection. He could only trust his brain and Grace at the moment, and when his brain slowed that trust fell to solely Grace, but he was quick to trust her to lead him wherever his heart desired. Sometimes it seemed she knew him better than he did. He had seen Matthew kiss girls before, had seen James kiss Cordelia, but he didn't want to do anything James might have done and he didn't fully trust Matthew to be his romantic guide. Instead of wrapping his arms around her he simply rested his hands on her arms, pulling her gently to him and leaning his head down so she didn't have to reach for his lips. Their chests pressed together, and she wrapped her arms around his forearms in return, much like a lock and key clicking into place.

They drew away from each other, and Grace relaxed against him, placing her head on his chest. He stiffened, but took a deep breath when she placed a hand over his heart. "Are you alright?"

She asked, turning her head and looking up at him. He frowned. "Me? I'm fine. Are you?"

She smiled gently. "More than fine, Christopher. I'm very happy."

His smile was quick and light, and he put a gentle kiss to her head, making sure to lean slowly in the event she wasn't happy with the action."I'm glad. I am not one for romance, but," he shook his head, "I have never met someone so wonderful."

She ran her other hand along his arm in soothing lines. "And I have never wanted to love someone so much."

"You could love me?"

"Anyone could love you."

He adjusted his glasses. "I'm not quite sure."

She shook her head. "I know it."

"Then love me."

She laughed gently. "It's not so simple."

"Do you understand love, then?"

"Not in the slightest. Though," she glanced down at the hand that ran the length of his arm. "I'm sure it's like an equation. You need multiple components and some time, then everything will fall into place."

He smiled. "That sounds quite nice."

"Then maybe we should work on it," she looked back up, her gaze so gentle he wanted to hold her closer. "Together."

Together was all it would take, just like many of their experiments. They could go through everything step by step, hand in hand, double checking and erasing their mistakes to make it right. They would figure out how to love, how to be together, as one. That seemed the perfect thing to him, two parts of a whole. One mind and one heart split into two people. That was how they could love, in small pieces they would eventually pick up and fit back together. It was as simple as a lock and a key, with the same hidden depths and perfect unison.

He nodded. "Together."

••••••••••••••••••••••

@iammadeofmemoriesforlife @grace-lightwoodd

[guzhufuren]

#like fathers like son

[hotstreak2k3]

September 30 October 1

[hermitcraftx]

The way Grian's 100 hour hardcore challenge typically goes so... ignored in this fandom never becomes less frustrating to me.

Look. There's this guy, it's right after Last Life, arguably one of the darkest (if not THE darkest) seasons of the series. Everyone came into Last Life with their expectations from the beginning of third life slaughtered. They walked in expecting to die.

Now, 100 Hour Hardcore series comes along: Grian quite literally mentions that he's between Hermitcraft seasons, between servers, in episode 1, and just looking for something to do, and so he's repurposed this last life server to do that. As a result, Joel and Scar invite themselves in and happily tag along.

I don't know... it just serves as a GREAT transition and as grounds/room for an explanation of what Grian does between Hermitcraft and the Life Series, which a lot of artists and writers play around with in this fandom. I just wonder why not with the 100 Hours Hardcore series! I mean......

He practically lays the building blocks right out for you.