#there’s like 10 racks of dresses in our book room

[poedameronwifey]

A true home (The hobbit Fanfic)

Chapter 1

Have you ever felt like you were meant for more? Like there is somewhere else that you're meant to be? There is something that keeps you from what you want but you can't figure it out so you just push it to the back of your head, hoping it will stop but the desire grows with each passing minute. Well that's how these girls felt. Girls who have stuck together through everything and have a bond that is so strong it manages to change their life and how they view life completely. Lets just hope it will be strong enough to fight against the evils of the new place they will find themselves in. With the help of their new friends they will finally understand who they are and why this new world feels more like home and the reasons why they wanna stay. This is a story of three girls who discover who they truly are and fight for their new future.

__________________________________________

Chapter 1

Third Pov

Remember when life was easy and you didn't need to worry about rent and student debt?

Where did those days go and why did we take them for granted?

Why did we choose to grow up so fast?

That's what is on every university student's mind when they wake up every morning and it was also the same for these three girls who decided to sleep in instead of switch off their alarms. Well at least one actually got up but with so much effort while the other two slept peacefully in their beds.

Katherine woke up with a yawn and knew that it was time to get up. She got up and walked into the kitchen to make breakfast for her friends and herself. She made some Oats and toast with 2 cups of coffee and one cup of rooibos tea. She then went to wake up her two lazy friends.

Kate's Pov

I walked into Renée's room and pulled the curtains and window open which resulted in her groaning and throwing her pillow at me which I dodged with ease.

"Time to get up, young lady. You have Psychology and Lilith has Criminology in less than an hour and it takes like 20 minutes to get there so get your fat ass out of this bed, get dressed and come eat. Your breakfast is probably cold. Come on lazy bones."

I pulled the blankets off her and walked out of the room to wake Lily. When I walked in, I expected her to be sleeping but she was sitting up and looking at her phone. Probably checking social media. I pulled her curtains open to let some light in.

'Morning Lils. Breakfast is ready so get dressed and come eat."

I walked out and went back to the kitchen so I could have my coffee.

I heard footsteps and looked up to see Lilith dressed in a blue dress that went down to her knees and her black heel boots.

How she can walk in those all day I have no clue.

However when Renée entered into the room she looked, to put it nicely, like a zombie.

She was working green Sweatpants and a black hoodie with cyan vans. She looked ready to drop dead.

"Why is it so early? I just wanna sleep. Is that so wrong?" Renée said as she dropped her head on the table next to her food.

I sighed and warmed her food. She drank her tea and had her breakfast. Lilith had already finished and put her dishes in the sink and washed them before leaving them on the drying rack.

Renée soon followed and did the same and went to the bathroom to finish getting ready. We all finished getting ready and made sure we didn't forget our books and laptop for class.

I looked at the clock and saw that we had about 30 minutes left before class started. We headed for the door and double checked that we had everything before  Renée locked up. We headed out of the building and went to the parking lot.

Third Pov

We climbed in Lilith's car and left. We got to campus with 10 minutes left before class started. Kate had art while Renée had Psychology and Lilith has criminology, so they went their separate ways.

They made it to class and waited for the lecturer. They were all so happy because this was the last class before they went on a break for 2 months but the only problem, it was 2 hours long for their first lecture and then still had to wait another hour because they didn't want to get stuck in the traffic. And non of they had a lot of energy left, especially Renée because she was up most of the night working on something, most likely a paper that was due at the end of the day but the girls powered through.

Kate was at least enjoyed her class, mainly because it was a free period. She just had to ask her lecturers some questions regarding her art project. When she had everything sorted she headed towards their hang out spot in the library in a hidden section.

When she entered, she immediately went to Lilith and sat next to her. Renée wasn't there yes as she was busy talking to her lecturer about something regarding her paper. When she was happy she headed towards the library to their spot and sat next to Kate, putting her head her shoulder. They just relaxed for an hour for the end of semester rush to thin out.

They went to the car and headed to the shops to get groceries. They were going on a camping trip in the forest near their apartment building and they just needed to get some more snacks. Kate and Renée handled the food while Lilith handled the drinks. Renée went to get some more chocolate because she has a sweet tooth, they all did actually but Renée and Lilith had the biggest sweet tooth out of the three of them.

Once they had everything they needed, they paid for their items and headed back to the car and headed home. They were home a few minutes later and headed to their apartment. Lily unlocked the door and they all walked in with the bags of groceries.

They packed away the stuff they didn't need for the trip into the cupboards. They then got their bags, which consisted of their clothes, medication, books, their electronics, a map and a first aid kit, and packed the remaining the food and drinks into them. They then double checked their bags before reconsidering how they packed the bags and resorted the food and drinks into their own bag while each girl had their own water bottle. After about an hour of this, everything was packed in the car and the girls changed into something simple.

They were all ready to get going but they decided to chill a little before leaving. There was a café not to far from them so they walked to get something to drink. Once they got there, they walked in and stood in the queue, looking at the menu. Katherine decided to get a cappuccino, Lily got a Chai Latte and Renée got a white hot chocolate. They got some biscuits and sat at one of the tables as they waited for their drinks.

Luckily there weren't a lot of people so they only had to wait about 10 minutes. They got their drinks and left the café but not without noticing a group of boys looking at them with wolf grins and whispering amongst themselves. One of the boys walked up to them before they walked for the door, making the girls groan.

"Hey there, gorgeous. I was wondering if I could have your number. I think I can make you very happy." He smirked as he looked over the three of them before his eyes rested on Lilith.

She just straight up looked at him with confusion.

"Wait, are you asking me or my friends? My guess is me because you're staring at me like I'm some sort of meat that you want to sink your teeth into. And I really hate to be the bearer of bad news-No. Never mind no I'm not so sorry dude but I'm not interested. You're not my type for one your like what? 14? You haven't even hit puberty and your friends over there? Well I just so happen to know that this was a bet to get a girls number but you guys are pussies and can go get fucked. Better yet you can go fuck each other because of how desperate you are to get your dicks wet. So fuck off, I'm not interested and neither are my friends. Sorry, not sorry." She said not even looking at him.

His smirk faded slowly and his face become red with humiliation as he could hear his friends laughing at him. So to fix his ego he just puffed out his chest and said. "You are such a bitch! You know what? I didn't even want to ask for your number. All girls are just the same! Fucking bitch I didn't even want to do this it was a dare."

They laughed as the guy ran away with his tail between his legs and left, not before giving a mock kiss and wave at the group of guys. They headed to the parking lot and got in. Renée was the driver, Lilith was in charge of music and directions while Kate was in charge of the snacks because they knew Renée was going to eat them all if she was left in charge with them.

They left and went on the open road to the forests behind the city. They enjoyed the ride and sang their favourite songs. After about 40 minutes they finally made it to the forest. They looked around for a nice camping ground and found one close to the river. They got out and stretched a bit before getting the gear out of the car. They put the tent up and put the kitchen together before putting the food and drinks away. They looked for a plug for electricity and found one not too far from their tent.

They hooked it up and Viola! there was light. They blew their mattress up and put the bedding. After about 20 minutes they were done. They got ready to hike so they grabbed the basics and hid their other stuff in the car before locking it. They checked that everything was good before leaving with their bags and slime change of clothes just in case.

They walked around for about an hour, just admiring the forest. Renée would pet the little bunnies and Kate would feed them some carrots. Lilith took some photos of the forest to use. They kept walking until Renée spotted a cave. She didn't know why but she felt something pull her towards the cave, almost like there was something familiar about it.

Lilith and Kate noticed Renae heading to the cave and they followed her, getting the same weird feeling Renée had. They took out their flashlights and went inside. They kept walking until they found a pool inside with the most clear water they had ever seen. They were mesmerised.

Kate put her stuff done and looked at the water, putting her hand in. Soon they all were in the pool with their bags next to the pool. They swam around and laughed. Splashing each other and relaxing. They decided to go underwater and explore the bottom of the pool. They swam around and looked at each other. This was something magical to them. They never felt free and peaceful. They never wanted to leave but they knew they had to.

They got out and waited for their clothes to dry before picking up their bags and heading back out of the cave.

What they didn't know was that they were no longer where they thought they were. They were about to discover something new and magical.

They walked out of the cave and what they saw shocked them...

[sallysgrancanwrite]

Chapter Twenty-One

Chloe went to the wedding shop and got her dress and veil. It made her happy looking at it. But she needed to know she would be happy after the “I do’s” are over. She thanked Glenda for everything and asked to look at some wedding shoes. She saw white and silver ones. Then she saw a pair that was kind of holographic it seemed and had sparkles. Every time you moved you saw color and sparkles. They probably weren’t the ones anyone else would pick but she liked them, they made her smile and they were in her size. She bought them and left the store. When she got home Beth was there. She had gotten home from work. Chloe had taken these last few weeks off. She’ll go back after the wedding.

“How was work today. Busy?” Chloe asked Beth.

“Not really. It’s was too slow for me. It made the day seem longer. I miss having you there. Can’t wait for you to get back.” Beth responded.

“I actually miss work,” Chloe laughed, “can you believe that?”

“Beth can you help me get my dress up to my room? It’s a bit heavy and I don’t want to step on it.” Chloe stated.

They got the dress upstairs and hung it on a rack in Chloe’s room to keep it from wrinkling. Chloe pulled out the box with the shoes in them.

“I bought my wedding heels today while I was at the shop.” She said.

“Oh god Chloe, I saw a holographic pair that were so awesome but not sure they’re wedding shoes. Anyway, sorry to interrupt. Show me your shoes”.

Chloe was sick now. Obviously she bought the wrong shoes. She thought they would be fun on the dance floor. She put the box away.

“I just got an ordinary pair of white heels, nothing special. Something else to mark off the list.” she said. “Did you get our room for our long weekend at the Casino?”

“Yes I did,” Beth said excitedly. “I booked the 16th through the 18th. Have you told Michael yet?” She asked.

“No not yet. I have to make clear,” Chloe said, “that he can’t come bothering us. I’ll talk to him tomorrow morning. It Saturday, he’s off work and more relaxed.”

“So it seems,” said Beth, “that Edith is gone. Should we throw something together you think?”

“Okay, let’s go see what kind of damage we ca do.” Chloe laughed.

They looked through the pantry and the freezer and then Beth opened the fridge. “Hey there is chicken in here. How about chicken spaghetti?”

“That sounds good. You take care of the chicken meat and get that boiling and I will start chopping onions and red peppers.” Chloe said

Chloe did wonder where Edith and Bob were. They are always home around this time. They got the meat cooked and shredded they got all the ingredients incorporated and in the oven and still had not heard from them. Beth put some garlic bread in as well. They took the bread out after about 10 minutes and the spaghetti after about 30 minutes. They sat and waited not knowing what to do. Finally the phone rang. It was Edith.

“We were out at the flea markets all day and on our way home the truck started to die or something. The transmission fell we need a knew one. We decided to buy a new truck and give the guy this one for parts. We’re at the dealership now. Bob is haggling over the price of a truck he wants. Oh my goodness, have you girls eaten anything?” Edith asked.

“We’re fine, Edith. We made chicken spaghetti for all of us, how long before you’re home?” asked Chloe.

“We’re not far, just over in Harvey, 30 miles away.” Edith answered. “Put the spaghetti in the oven and we’ll eat when we get home sweetie.”

“Okay, drive safe now.” Beth hollered from the table.

The two girls were relieved Edith and Bob were okay. They sat down and ate and then Chloe covered the pan with aluminum foil and put it back in the oven on warm. As they were washing dishes the phone rang. Beth answered it. It was Michael.

“Chloe, it’s Michael,” she said all excited.

“Why are you excited Michael is on the phone?” Chloe asked.

“So you can tell him about our trip!” She smiled and laughed..

“Okay. Okay I’m going”. Chloe responded.

She picked up the phone and took a deep breath, still upset about their discussion earlier.

“Hello, Michael. I didn’t expect to hear from you tonight.”

“I know,” he said “but I just wanted to say I love you and goodnight.”

“That’s all?” She asked “You don’t need to say anything else?” She said a bit ticked off.

How could he just act like treated her like garbage this afternoon!

“I know I was a bit mad today. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you cry. “Michael said

The same apologies he always gave and yet for some reason Chloe couldn’t see it. As long as he was sorry that was enough.

“Michael, I’m going to be gone from the 16th through the 18th. We’re doing a girls last fling bachelorette party before the wedding on the wedding Saturday. “

There was silence on the other end. Then he spoke.

“Why do you feel you need to do such juvenile things? I will need to know where you are going and where you’re at at all times. I have to look out for you.”

“No, Michael. This is for us girls. We can take of ourselves like we always have. And by the way, it isn’t juvenile, it’s a little bit of fun. Get some friends together and have some fun too.”

“I’m not happy about this but go ahead. We’ll goodnight. I love you.” Michael said a bit cold.

“Good night darling” I love you too.” Chloe said as she hung up.

When Michael got off the phone he was full of rage.

“Go ahead on your weekend but when we are married things will be different. We’ll see who is in control!”

[softly-potter]

Still Friends | Chapter 17: Specially Gifted

Summary: After a chance encounter at a party, Wanda and Bucky find they have more in common than they realized.

This fic is heavily inspired by 'Friends' by my lovely friend Poppy. She is aware of this fic and I've been given permission for this marvel-version retelling! If you haven't read her dramione fic 'Friends', I HIGHLY suggest it. I fell in love with the story and couldn't help but wonder, what if it was Wanda and Bucky instead of Hermione and Draco? Thus "Still Friends" was born. Enjoy!

Pairing: Bucky X Wanda

Word Count: 33,068

Warning: smut, drug use, depression

A/N: Find the rest of the chapters here; Chapter 1: Greetings | Chapter 2: Unloading | Chapter 3: Cherries | Chapter 4: Worth the Wait | Chapter 5: Books | Chapter 6: Grief | Chapter 7: Unlikely | Chapter 8: Happy Birthday, Solider | Chapter 9: A Christmas Moment | Chapter 10: The Best Holiday | Chapter 11: Permission | Chapter 12: Revitalize | Chapter 13: Backstabber | Chapter 14: Luck of the Dead | Chapter 15: Pain Reliever | Chapter 16: Apologize | Chapter 18: New Day

-

April 21st, 2028

He’s already buzzed when he walks into the gym, nearly tripping over his undone laces. Sif is nowhere to be seen, and he huffs.

Good. He didn’t feel like sharing his bottle today.

He drops his bag, turns on the treadmill. His brain tingles with a faint excitement. There’s nothing that makes him this exuberant, this numb. As he begins a light jog, he takes a gulp, the liquor no longer burning as harshly as it did, but the taste is oh so sweet.

The only sound echoing around the gym is the machine, his burps, and the light buzz of a wall tv hooked up in the corner.

Its isolated perfection.

When Sif arrives, he’s nearly passed out on the barbell rack. She laughs, kicks his thigh with the tip of her shoe, takes a drag from his bottle.

“Don’t fuckin’ - fuckin’ gimme,” He slurs, attempting to grab it. She holds it out of reach, takes another swig. “You goddamn bitch.”

“Watch how you speak to your supplier,” she warns, but her eyes are glossy and he knows she doesn’t actually care. “You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.”

Bucky groans, sits up. His head is pounding, heart lightly stuttering in his chest as he leans against the rack. “You better get your act together, wouldn’t want the security guards seeing you like this.”

“I’m here because of her, not you.” Bucky spits, and Sif frowns. She waves his words off, looking away as she undos her bag. “Don't act like you’re-you’re better than me or somethin.”

Sif clicks her tongue. “Yeah yeah.”

Bucky eyes her as he raises the neck to his lips, dragging his tongue over the opening. Careful, has to ensure non of this liquid gold goes to waste.

They workout in silence, and when Bruce Banner walks on the screen, a recording from last night’s press conference, Bucky doesn’t have any choice but to listen.

“We know SHIELD and SWORD are liable for every damage they’ve caused,” the doctor says, his glasses perched on his nose. “But they’re also responsible for multitudes of goods. Take for instance, our android here.”

Bucky whips his head around to the tv, his full attention suddenly settled on the corner of the room.

Vision is dressed in a fucking vest, his skin now returned to its red and green state. He looks nervous, unsure, but very much alive. He stands next to Bruce, hands clasped in front of him, and when Bruce gestures to the podium, he taps the mike lightly before he speaks.

“Thank you all, for your attendance. It's my understanding that I have caused…a bit of a problem for the population.” He begins, his voice steady and flowing easily. “I hope to right those wrongs. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my darling wife, who never gave up on me.” He gestures to somewhere off camera, and Bucky feels his throat tighten.

Wanda walks onto the stage, stopping right beside him, a gleaming smile stretched on her face. She’s gorgeous, her hair curled and cheeks pink. Reaching out, she slips her hand into Vision's. He smiles at her, presses his mouth to her temple, then turns his attention back to the crowd.

“It was Wanda's idea, but we hope to begin giving back to a world that has granted us this one gift; each other. In accordance with SWORD and Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, we will be opening an orphanage for the specially gifted.”

Wanda is practically radiating with joy, and Bucky has to tear his eyes away before it maims him. He lifts the bottle to his mouth, takes deep long drags before coughing harshly. Sif laughs, and Bucky thinks he can feel something break inside. Dropping the bottle, he grabs her arm, dragging her to him, his mouth on hers in a harsh kiss.

There’s nothing sweet or good about his movements. They’re a mess of ripped clothing and spit, his teeth sinking into her skin hard enough to draw blood. Sif treats him the same, knows what he wants and is more than willing to give it; she wants the same.

His hips are erratic, his head dizzy as he moves. Sif is gripping his hair tightly, pulling, and he latches to her neck. The tv sound is low, but he picks up words and phrases in-between his grunts and slaps of skin.

So happy,

grateful,

school for the gifted,

our family.

Bucky sobs into Sifs neck, his tears mixing with their sweat, and she hums softly.

“Just pretend,” she mummers, bites his lip and drags it painfully. “That's what I do.”

Dread sets in now, his gut twisting around his muscles and tendons, and he wishes it would stop his heart.

He finishes inside her, pulling out the second he does and drags his clothes back on. Sif stares at him sadly as he moves, leaning against the wall and catching her breath.

“You’re going to have to let her go one day.” Sif murmurs, lifts a bottle to her mouth. “It might kill you if you don’t.”

“Don’t,” he warns, grabbing his bag. He’s still drunk, and his mind isn’t right at all. “Don’t tell me how to get over you. You fucking lost that privilege.”

Sif stays silent, doesn't bother informing him that she isn’t the her he’s referring to. They’re both well aware they’re using one another, they both enjoy the game. Sif wonders if his heart would ever move on. If it would ever stop breaking.

He wished it would.

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[oneshortdamnfuse]

A heavy industrial metal pipe dress rack fell on top of me today, bashing right into the side of my face/head so that’s how my day went

[cheekygreenty]

Familiar - The Darkling x Reader

He was living his worst nightmare. You were in danger because of him. He swore to protect you, to get himself caught in the crossfire if it meant saving you but right now he was useless and you were suffering. He didn't know where you were or who took you from the Palace, the place he said was like a fortress, the safest place in Ravka. You were swiped from right under his nose, most likely roughly and mercilessly and it was all because you loved him.

He never wanted anyone to know of your relationship, you were his most protected and valued secret and he would put his life on the line to keep it that way. But now you were gone and he couldn't bare to look at himself. The promise he made to you was broken and he let you down.

For our love is a ghost that the others can't see

You agreed with it too, knowing that you would immediately become a target if Aleksander introduced you as his. But here you were now, sitting in the back of a moving coach, gagged and handcuffed with a blood and tear stained face.

The ride was more bumpy and painful than it was at the start, having now been on it for at least 4 hours, you knew you were far from home and heading to Fjerda.

The realization hit you as soon as you felt a pair of strong hands at your wrists, holding them apart in the safety of your chambers to prevent you from summoning. The festivities were loud and blocked out your shouts of self-defense and cries for help. That's where Aleksander's protection had run out, right there in your shared rooms.

You cursed yourself as more tears slipped out your eyes, you were a fool who didn't listen to their own advice. Ravka didn't know about you, the Darkling seemingly had no weaknesses until your irrationally tipsy behavior. Tonight's stupid actions would cost you your life.

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

'Enjoying the celebrations?' You held your fourth champagne glass of the night tightly in your hand as you walked up to Aleksander and Ivan. They were all business and no party as the Little Palace roared to life following a day of successful business negotiations. Grisha of all orders let loose and had fun, forgetting the troubles of war as foreign delegations joined in, all in unity for a single night of fun.

The Zemeni were dancing with the Kerch, the Shu were peacefully discussing with the Kaelish, it was a utopia. Your own mind was for once calm, be it the champagne or the vibes you didn't know and didn't care.

'You did a very good job Y/N, I'm impressed.' Ivan gestured to the party and pride filled you. It was stressful and nerve-racking to plan a banquet of this magnitude, but seeing it all accomplished and with no fights made you unbelievably happy.

'Thank you Ivan. Go enjoy yourself, I'm sure Fedyor is looking for you.'

He walked away just as you'd hoped, leaving you and Aleksander alone. You moved a step closer, taking his hand in yours.

'It is magnificent darling, you look magnificent too.' His head dipped as it usually did when he was about to kiss you, but he stopped himself and instead looked around the room, inspecting it to make sure no one was watching him.

'Relax, we're in a large crowd, I highly doubt anyone is paying us any mind.' With the foreign ambassadors here, Aleksander's black attire was balanced out with black tuxedos and suits. He wasn't sticking out anymore, he blended in. You wanted to be with him, and perhaps you could be right now.

'If you say so' Although your words did something to reassure him, his sweet lips were brief on yours. It was a short kiss, but he somehow conveyed his love for you in that quick second before he was back to his usual General persona.

'Alright General Kirigan, I'll go annoy Genya.' You joked and in the process knocked the glass over onto your fine silk kefta. 'Shit'

You didn't miss the look of amusement on his face as you tried to dry the stain with your sleeve. 'Or I'll go and change' you laughed, leaning into his laughing body.

You were certain the moment was intimate and private, that nobody was watching, but a pair of eyes closely watched the scene from afar, mouth open ajar as he found the Darkling's only weakness; You.

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

'Moi Soverenyi what is the meaning of all this?' Ivan didn't expect to be dragged out of bed at this hour and see the General's inner circle crowded around his war table in their nightclothes. He thought the banquet went well: nobody fought or got injured or even argued, it was the perfect night so to speak. But the powerful Grisha still dressed in his silk black kefta was restless and panicked.

His hair was disheveled and he looked ready to kill as he stood with his back to everyone, facing the big map of Ravka. The room was silent save for a few yawns and sighs. Nobody knew anything about why they were there but the tension surrounding their commander was hostile and frightening.

'Y/N Y/L/N is missing from Palace grounds. I think she may have been taken.' Ivan stilled, he was the only person in the room who knew of the relationship between his General and you and had grown to like your refreshing presence. He cared for you in a brotherly way and your disappearance ignited a fury in him.

'I need you searching the streets, interrogating the delegates, anything we can to bring her back.' His face was still turned away from them, and Ivan knew he wouldn't turn around.

Aleksander was beside himself with worry and guilt, he was on the verge of tears. You were gone and it was his fault. His mind was swirling with the accusations and the self-hate, but also with memories of you. Your life echoed around the walls of his head, bouncing off of his heart with a shatter.

He wasn't going to wake up tomorrow next to you curled up in his arms. He wasn't going to hear you rant over breakfast. You were gone and it was his fault.

He was trying so hard to devise a plan to find you, to command his Grisha and be a General, but in that moment he was just Aleksander, Y/N's Aleksander. Worry took up his mind and all the commanding bones in his body yearned to have you next to him.

He turned his head briefly to Ivan, who had the same expression on his face that Genya wore when he woke her up searching for Y/N. She was already out in the streets of Os Alta with David, trying their luck with tracking your jewelry.

'We leave in 10 minutes. Every single Grisha in the Second Army will be used if need be.' If you listened closely, you could hear the edge to his voice, a slight pang of heartbreak and anguish. He was trying to hide it, but alas he was only a man.

The Grisha started muttering amongst themselves and Ivan caught a few words of their conversations and couldn't help but let the rage rise in him 'She's not even that good of a soldier.....' 'Who is that?' 'I want to go back to bed....'

'A foreign dignitary had the audacity to kidnap a Grisha after we let them into our home and you speak of going to bed?'

'Ivan.' Fedyor warned him.

'Moi Soverenyi, with all due respect, Y/L/N was simply a teacher to the younger Grisha, not a high-ranking soldier with valuable intel. Should we really assume a kidnapping happened? For all we know it was desertion. Y/N found a good moment to slip out and escaped.'

Every shade of us you fade down to keep

Them in the dark on who we are

The second those words were spoken by Polina, Aleksander's black shadows let loose. They crept up her legs and around her throat, tightening and tightening until air could no longer enter the inferni's lungs. She was petrified, she was simply stating another perspective on the situation but her General's and Ivan's responses told her her opinion was not wanted at all.

Aleksander stopped himself before he killed her. It was his fault, all of it. His Grisha didn't take this seriously because they didn't know who Y/N truly was to him, perhaps a secret ready to be shared, spoke a voice deep in the back of his head, not your voice though. He wouldn't tell anyone anything until he had your approval. If he ever got it.

'Believe me, Y/N was no deserter.'

'10 minutes!' Barked Ivan at the Grisha when none of them moved from their tired trance.

-----

You didn't know Fjerdan fluently but you knew enough to make out the most important words 'We crossed the border', 'Witch', 'let her burn'. It was enough to drown your hope of escaping and coming home to Aleksander and your Grisha.

You never got involved in any war or fighting, simply choosing to teach the young students the basics of summoning. It made you content and happy, whereas war made you anxious and nervous. Your body had only ever known the luxuries of the Little Palace, the feel of a pen or book in your hands. To add to it, your powers were never used in a defensive way only summoned when you taught, so this was a drastic turn of events to say the least.

Being dragged and beaten by the Fjerdans, insulted in a foreign language, and cuffed so the one comfort you had available to you was useless, brought you to your knees despite the initial training you received when you joined the Second-Army. I am no soldier, I am a teacher.

The border had been crossed and you were officially a Fjerdan captive, ready to sit a trail where you would be found guilty and hanged for your gifts. The chances of Aleksander finding you were slim to none as you tried to remember if any clues were left behind at the scene of your kidnapping. The Fjerdans were quick and concise, neat and skilled, leaving no traces of their presence in your chambers.

The back of the carriage yanked open and let in the evening sun, blinding you in the process. You stopped counting the time after the 8th hour passed and your space was still pitch black. The shadows once were a comfort, now they were simply a tool to frighten you even more.

'Let's go, Witch.' A tall man spoke as he grabbed you by the arm, dragging you as if you didn't weigh anything. You complied, not seeing a reason to tire yourself by fighting back. It was pointless and futile.

You were in the middle of nowhere, a field of open green space with patches of snow. Fjerda. You'd never been anywhere near the border even, but the cold wind was whiplash-inducing just as Aleksander once described it.

'I thought I am to face trial.' You had barely spoken a word in fear in the carriage but the suspicion had rousted you to mutter the words.

'You? I'd rather kill you right here' joked the man and his companions laughed along as if what you said was the beginnings of a hilarious joke. 'You are the Demon's vulnerability, we hurt him for revenge' He pushed you to your knees roughly.

This love is gonna be the death of me

It's a danger

'So I am to die in a field?'

'Not before you tell us everything about the Darkling' then a kick to your stomach shut down your senses.

-------

'We are crossing into Fjerda Moi Soverenyi' Ivan shouted over the galloping horses. Not even 2 minutes after the meeting, Fedyor noticed 3 Fjerdan delegates missing from their rooms in the Little Palace and raced to tell his General who was now fiercely riding his black stallion with a fury no one dared to comment on. He had Squallers feeling the air for you, Durasts tracking your jewelry, and Heartrenderers listening to heartbeats as they all made their way up to Fjerda, the enemy country.

As time passed, the fear rose and turned into a strange combination of denial and grief. Aleksander tried to desperately shoo it away, to rid the thought as it came. You were alive. You had to be.

He felt his crew getting restless and tired but he didn't dare slow his pace. His stallion seemed to understand the urgency of the situation and for lack of a better word, legged it as his master requested.

'General, we think we can feel something.' The Durast and Squaller riding right behind him suddenly burst out. 'About 5 miles northeast, I can direct us from there.' The man in the purple kefta bellowed and Aleksander's heart picked up the pace to a deadly rhythm. He was immortal, but he was sure this was going to be the death of him.

---------

It took every ounce of courage and pride to not give in but you hurt all over. Your ribs were cracked, lungs quickly collapsing, your arms and legs unmoving. The only aspect of you that looked normal was your face

'I'll leave it, let him see you dead in a coffin with only your pretty face as a reminder of how disgusting he is, how disgusting all of you are.'

You had told them nothing, not a word, not even a cry of pain to satisfy them. If these were truly your last moments, you wouldn't go down as a traitor. Your eyes closed on their own accord a while ago, your ears stopped listening when you heard the first bone crack in your leg.

You didn't see Aleksander's shadows flood the field, cutting down everything in his path. You didn’t hear the Fjerdans scream out in pain and fear. There was blood everywhere, not just yours as he ran to you.

'HEALERS NOW' you didn't see him, you didn't hear him, but he saw you beaten and dying right in front of him. His hands traced the side of your face lovingly as a small tear escaped his eye. You felt it, his touch on yours and your lip pulled up in the faintest smile you could manage. He was here.

Ivan was next to you in an instant, attempting to quicken your heartbeat, fill your weak lungs with air and keep you alive but his shaking hands were rigid and stiff with fear at the possibility of losing his friend. The other Grisha watched with perplexed faces as they quickly approached, the Healers running for dear life to get to you in time. You were only a teacher in their eyes, not the General's love or the Heartrenderers comrade.

'Y/N you'll be okay, I promise.' Aleksander left a kiss against your forehead, keeping his lips there for as long as he could before the red keftas swarmed around you and fought to save your dwindling life.

And the dark was opening wide, do or die

You registered his touch, his kiss, before the itching took over and the pain slowly lifted. The darkness was back as a comfort and death seemed far away.

The Darkling only had one weakness, one vulnerability, and only one reoccurring nightmare; the death of Y/N Y/L/N and he made sure to let the world know if you ever came to harm, he would kill anyone and anything in his path.

------

Here’s my masterlist 🥰

Taglist (Tell me if you want to be added!!)

@aleksanderwh0r3 @theonelittleone @searching-for-gallifrey @lostysworld @0-artemis @exo-1204 @staradorned @bookfrog242 @simp-for-ben-barners @keepdaydreamingbb @acciorudolphx @pansysgirlfriend @pansysgirlfriend @justmesadgirl

[ghostlypeachdonut]

Little Bucky or Little y/n pt.3

part 1,            part 2,             Taglist

Bucky Barnes x Pregnant!Polish!Reader PT. 3

Warning : pregnancy,  bad english,   general fluff

Summary: You get pregnant and your boyfriend dies you fall into depression, but not long afterwards you yourself die in an unfortunate accident together with your friend. However, you suddenly wake up in a hospital in the 21st century.

from the author : Open tag list. If you see an opobliking of my book elsewhere than on my profile or on wattpad with the name (@celestiaromanoff) let me know

words:  712

GIF NOT MINE

"So when did you sign up?"- You rummaged around in your plate with your fork.

"I didn't actually sign up, a month ago a letter came to me about the mission."

"So you've known about it for a month and you're only now telling me! James, why didn't you tell me anything?"

"Oh doll after all it's no big deal, before you know it the war will be over and I'll be back."

"You're right."

"So now don't think about it, think about our date. Like it's our first. Okay?"

You nodded with a smile looking down at your plate.

"What's up? Why aren't you eating?"

"I'm not particularly hungry somehow." - You stood up and put your plate back in the fridge. "I'll eat later." - You sat down again next to your boyfriend. - (Bucky did you ever think about our future.) This question was about to burst out of your mouth, but Bucky was ahead of you with his statement.

"No need to wait for me to eat, fly chic. Everyone will see what a beautiful girl I have tonight."

"Sure honey."-You got up and headed for your bedroom in search of a suitable dress. You decided to pick one that wasn't somehow tighter around your belly, since it was almost 3 months your belly was getting bigger and bigger and surprisingly your boyfriend still hadn't noticed. You took the dress off the rack and went into the living room to ask your boyfriend if this one would be good. He nodded with a smile and said, "This one will be perfect." You smiled at him and hugged him. Then you went back to the bedroom.

.................................................................................

(This is your outfit.)

You were fixing your curls when Bucky walked into your bedroom. "So who is this lucky guy?" At first you didn't understand, but then you answered. " Oh he's my friend, he's very affectionate and kind." "Is he handsome?" -Buck smiled "I must admit he is quite good looking." "You must meet me with him." - Bucky Mused your peachy lips. ..............................................................

You and Bucky walked into the "bar" (I have no idea what else to call it.) There were lots of young couples there, groups of female friends who flirt with soldiers.

You sat down at a table and the waitress almost immediately came over to your table and started writing down your order. Bucky for himself ordered a drink and when the waitress looked at you you whirled "Water." "Just water?" - Buck asked. "Oh, somehow not the head for alcohol." The waitress nodded and went back behind the counter.

Bucky stood up and bowed to you then shook your hand. "Could I dance with the most beautiful woman in the world?"

"Sure." - You stood up and grabbed Bucky's hand and he pulled you to the dance floor.

You had already been dancing for a few minutes when Bucky suddenly knelt down. Your heart stopped in an instant, your boyfriend had finally proposed to you, even though you had been dating for almost 10 years. Before he could say anything you shouted "YES, yes, yes and yes again!"  Everyone in the room applauded and you kissed Bucky.

................................................................

When you and Bucky got home he moved you in front of the door wedding style and started heading for your bedroom, as he sat you down on your bed you decided that this was the perfect time to tell him about the baby, after all he would have noticed today anyway. "Honey I need to tell you something."

"Tell me."

"Bucky... I'm pregnant."

His eyes lit up, then he smiled and sat down next to you. "What, what month is it?"'He asked and looked at your belly.

"It's almost three."

"Already the third? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Aren't you angry?"

"No come on, I've always wanted a family, even more so with the woman I love."

You smiled at him barely holding back tears and hugged him. "Thank you."

[flyingkiki]

We Played Dangerously (3/?)

May our hearts and nerves be ready for the rollercoaster of emotions these stupid birds will take us on. Gaaaaaah.

Enjoy my loves. Adult nonsense will be ready for you in the next chapter to fuel the this storm of emotions.

~~

Present, downtown Gotham

Red Robin slipped through Raven’s balcony relatively easily, something that he found deeply concerning. He frowned as he carefully closed the balcony door and locked the flimsy lock. He'd have to remind her that she lived in Gotham and practically anyone could climb through her doors.

Turning around, he looked at the sparsely decorated living room, taking in the old brick walls of the building and the large fireplace that stood in the center of the room. Raven always did like the appeal of a fireplace.

Not bothering to turn on the lights, Tim silently walked through her apartment, mildly surprised that she still wasn’t home. It was close to 10, would her job at the library really take that much of her time?

Tim had returned from his business trip in Japan a little while ago, his itinerary stretched out way too much for his liking. The moment his plane landed, he had thanked Tam for her help and brushed past her in a heartbeat, rushing down the tarmac of their private hanger and disappeared into his car. Within an hour he had gone home, showered, downed two cups of cold brew, and changed into his uniform.

And found himself slipping into Raven’s apartment uninvited.

As he absently stared at the sole decoration that stood on top of fireplace mantel -- an old group photo of the Titans in civvies. His nerves were buzzing under his skin as he stared at the familiar scene. He chalked it up to his coffee and lack of sleep.

Her apartment was small, decently sized for a single occupant -- was she a single occupant? His night vision-enhanced gaze briefly swept through the apartment, trying to find any signs of a roommate. The thought unsettled him.

The living room was filled with a few cardboard boxes, several neatly stacked piles of documents and books, tons of books piled on a rather large coffee table and scattered across the floor, a bookshelf that seemed halfway built, and a handful of potted plants and decorations. His gaze settled on a ugly beige throw blanket strewn over the backrest of Raven’s large couch, the intricate woven pattern looked worn. The sight of the familiar blanket made his chest jump at a distant memory.

Tim stilled as the lock of Raven’s front door jiggled and turned, breaking the silence. He paused and watched from the shadows as the hallway lights switched on and Raven walked into the apartment, busy talking to whoever was on the other end of her phone call. He ignored the relief that washed over him when she entered her apartment alone.

“Yeah, Toni, just a small papaya salad on the side,” Raven said while she absently tossed her keys and her phone on the hallway table, leaving her phone on speakerphone. Her keys clattered into a ceramic bowl and Tim blinked at the noise, intently watching her. He watched as she struggled to deposit her laptop bag on her floor before proceeding to pull off her heels.

“So, pad thai and a side order of green papaya salad. Do you want that spicy or not so spicy, but probably spicy still?” Tim could hear the garbled voice of the store owner through the rustle of clothes. He watched Raven pull off her trench coat, revealing a grey a-line office dress. Raven paused, her hands lingering on her coat as she stood by the coat rack and Tim could see the familiar rise of her shoulders, tensing just a fraction of an inch.

“Sorry, could you change that?” she said suddenly, her tone changing ever so lightly. “Could you make that into a large order of Pad Thai? To share. And add an order of Khao Pad fried rice, large. And some Thai fried chicken? Throw in an order of mango and sticky rice, please,”

Raven pulled the hair tie out of her hair and ran a hand through her hair, trying to get most of the tangles out as she listened to the restaurant owner prattle through her order. Tim watched her blink and nod, before continuing. “And two large Thai Iced Teas,” she paused as she picked up her phone from the small hallway table and easily caught Tim’s eye from where he stood in the dark corner of her living room. Tim watched a familiar smile form on her lips before turning back to her phone. “Thanks, Toni. That should be all.”

Raven quickly ended the call after the promise of having her food delivered within 20 minutes. Turning on her bare feet, Raven stared into her dark living room, easily spotting Tim next to her potted fern that was close to dying. “I’m going to change clothes. Our intern spilled some chai tea latte on my skirt and I smell like cardamom,” she said simply, speaking to his silhouette. Tim watched her blink, as if him lurking in her living room corner was nothing out of the ordinary. “If Sam the delivery guy comes and I’m not yet back just tell him to leave it at the door, I’ll pay for the food later via Venmo or something. Just make sure my neighbors don’t see you, it’ll be weird to explain you to them,”

And without another word, Tim watched Raven gracefully turn and disappear around the corner. He blinked, staring at the old red bricks of the wall she just walked behind as if they just picked up their conversation from six years ago. Unable to move, he heard her shower turn on and he felt his insides leap at the sound. What was he here for again?

After a few moments of listening to the distant noise of her shower and trying desperately to fight the tension that seemed to stretch across his shoulders, Tim finally came to his senses and stepped out of the corner. Tentatively walking into her sparsely decorated living room, Tim continued his venture through her apartment staring at bare walls and large framed pictures of landscapes propped against the wall waiting to be mounted.

Beyond the living room there was a small kitchen and black kitchen island, he could see that it was already set up. In the corner of the kitchen counter he found a red KitchenAid stand mixer and Tim smiled at the sight, wondering if she actually did end up learning to bake (“I’d like to be able to bake some passable shortbread cookies,” she told him one Christmas). He didn’t bother walking into the kitchen or anywhere else in her apartment, since it seemed too much invasion of her privacy - as if breaking and entering into her apartment wasn’t enough.

He lingered in the darkness of her living room, cataloguing trinkets and the general mess to memory. Tim stared at the myriad of little trinkets that littered one of the selves next to her television -- Raven had always liked picking up quirky trinkets from her travels. He spotted a few he had known she had kept from her days at the Tower. An assortment of rocks from Tamaran, a necklace from Zambia, a little carved box from Peru. A familiar little elf with a lettuce hat stood out from the group or ceramics and stoneware; it was a little elf souvenir she picked up in Iceland.

Tim blinked as her door buzzed loudly, pulling him out of his thoughts. The door buzzed again, longer this time and he stared at her front door unsure what to do.

“Could you get that?”

Raven’s voice carried through her apartment. Tim blinked and stared at the direction from where her voice came from before carefully walking up to the phone in the hallway and picking up the receiver just as it buzzed again. “Hello?” he asked tentatively, feeling just a little out of place.

“Err, Royal Thai’s. Uh, Rachel?” the voice on the other end of the line sounding terribly confused over the noise of outside traffic. “Did I get the right apartment number?”

Tim cleared his throat. “Yeah, 7 oh 4,” he said and blinked at the old telephone mounted on the wall. It was one of the older models that came with the building. “I’ll buzz you in. Just leave the food by the door, we’ll get it in a bit. We’ll pay via Venmo. We’re a bit, uh,” he stumbled and tried to find the right words as he looked at his combat boots. “Busy,”

Tim immediately regretted his choice of words, wincing at the snort of amusement from the other end. It sounded like they were busy with certain activities. Tim sighed, absently tapping the receiver with his gloved finger and pressing the buzzer and allowing access to the delivery guy.

He waited by the door and listened as the elevator finally dinged in the distance. There was a knock on the door followed by rustle of paper bags being deposited on the doormat. “Royal Thai’s!” came the muffled announcement through the old wooden door.

“Thanks, man. We got this,” Tim called back. He leaned into the door, waiting and listening as footsteps slowly disappeared with the sound of an elevator opening and closing. Waiting briefly to ensure the coast was clear, Tim finally opened the door slightly and carefully pulled in the paper bags to avoid being seen by her neighbors. It would be terrible to start rumors of a Red Robin sighting visiting a library researcher.

Enjoying the familiar smell of thai food, Tim silently went back into her living room and carefully deposited the bag on her coffee table, careful not to disturb any of her documents. Engulfed in the familiar smell of Thai fried chicken, Tim felt nervousness slowly creep under his skin as the familiarity of the smell and scene stirred distant memories. His chest tightened at the thought.

“Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” Raven asked as she stepped into the living room, the familiar scent of fresh lavender soap announcing her entrance. Tim watched, her silhouette cast from the hallway’s light, a sight he had committed to memory as she stood in the doorway of the living room. With the flick of her wrist, her lights turned on.

Tim wasn’t sure why his throat tightened at the sight of her, but he spent a moment staring at her. Last night’s image of Raven was familiar, but tonight seeing her in an frayed, oversized Gotham Knights shirt and blue sweatpants, was an achingly intimate image that he had burned into memory. He watched Raven blink, her lips curling into a smile.

“Your uniform has changed,” Tim watched dark blue eyes sweep over this uniform, lingering on some of the upgrades he added in recent years. She approached him slowly, keeping her gaze steady with his.

“Just a few upgrades,” he supplied, intently watching her face as she studied him. Tim felt his breath catch as she stood in front of him, her eyes sweeping over his form. He wondered what she saw as she stared at him, her lips curling as his voice carried through her living room. She looked the same to him, the sight of her in oversized shirts and damp hair a familiar sight he remembered well.

Raven stared up at him, she had to crane her head just a little bit to stare up at him. A small playful smile played on her lips as she studied his face. “Are you going to stay masked the whole time?” she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.

Tim chuckled as whatever moment broke and he shook his head, “No.”

Raven’s eyes brightened and she smiled. Not giving him the time to pull off his cowl, she leaned forward and stood on her toes, reaching out to carefully push his cowl off his head. The press of her fingers against his hairline were familiar and her movements well practiced as she knew exactly what to tug and unclasp.

“You’re taller,” she noted, her fingers curling into his cowl as she stood back and stared up at him. There was an amused sparkle and wonder in her eyes as she studied his unmasked face, and Tim found himself eagerly drinking in her curiosity and wonder.

“Might have grown a bit while you were gone,” Tim teased, his voice light and he smiled as Raven released a soft laugh.

Raven hummed, eyes bright and a small smile every present on her lips. She studied him for a moment longer before turning to her coffee table and eyeing the large paper bags. Dropping his cowl on her couch, she walked up to the table and picked up the bags. “Let’s eat. I’m starving and I’m sure you did not eat anything yet,” she said with an air of finality.

Tim silently followed her into her kitchen and watched Raven deposit the bags in her own kitchen. He stopped short in her kitchen doorway and found himself watching an intimate scene from years ago in his own apartment: of a much younger Raven plating a large order of Pad Thai onto the cheap plates Jason gave him as a housewarming gift.

“Are you going to stand around and watch or are you going to eat something?” asked Raven, pulling him out of his thoughts. Tim blinked and approached her kitchen island, staring in amazement at an all too familiar sight of thai dishes.

“You remembered,” he asked, an amused smile playing on his lips as he sat down opposite of her and pulled off his gloves. The familiar smell of Thai fried chicken and pad thai filled his nose.

Raven rolled her eyes and sat down, pushing a spare plate his way and nudging the pad thai closer to him. Her eyes were bright and playful as they shared an amused smile. “Difficult not to, when this is practically the only food you willingly eat every time we’re here without having to remind you it’s mealtime,” she teased.

Tim hummed through a mouthful of Royal Thai’s pad thai, his favorite. The first time they came up to Gotham together he had quickly introduced her to his favorite restaurant and ordering in had quickly become a routine for them.

Back then.

“I was kind of expecting you to sneak in here last night,” commented Raven absently as they went through their food. Tim caught her mild amusement as she took a small sip from her iced tea.

Tim shrugged and got himself a large helping of fried rice. “I had an early flight to Japan and I couldn’t risk missing the flight. Tam would kill me,”

Raven released a soft laugh. “I’m sure she would,”

"The last time I arrived late to a board meeting she gave me so much paperwork the next day to spite me," commented Tim wryly. "One should never mess with Tam's schedule,"

Raven made an amused face and snorted. “Oh, I know,” her small smile was playful and there was an amused lilt in her voice.

Tim chuckled softly and a distant thought crossed his mind, this moment seeming so normal to them. Like years had not passed. He swallowed the small lump that formed in his throat. He sobered up slightly.

As if catching the shift of his emotion, Raven blinked, her gaze sweeping over Tim’s face. Carefully placing her fork on the edge of her plate, she stared at Tim curiously and tilted her head. “How have you been?” she asked, her voice softer.

Tim gave her a wry smile.

“Busy,” Tim breathed. He winced at how lame the answer sounded. He stared at her, familiar blue eyes boring into his, and he suddenly was unsure where to begin and pick-up from six years ago. The easy moment minutes earlier slowly melted away and an uneasy feeling settled low in his stomach. “Mid-year reporting season is coming up, things are crazy at the office. There’s a new business acquisition we’re working on, too.”

“You’re acquiring that tech company in Tokyo, right?”

Tim blinked, surprised that she knew. “You know?”

Raven smiled, tilting her head and studying his reaction. “I read about you in the papers. You’re hard to miss,”

Tim released a bark of laughter, grinning teasingly. “I hope you only saw the good stuff,”

“I keep away from TMZ and other tabloids,” she sent him a teasing smile.

Tim paused and stared at her, drinking in the familiar sight of her. A wave of nostalgia washed over him. His stomach churned and he knew she caught his emotions as she tilted her head curiously. “You’ve been difficult to keep track of,”

Raven inhaled, breaking eye contact briefly. She stared out her window, thoughtful, before turning back to Tim and offering him a muted smile. “Reception was bad in Iceland,”

A distant memory of hot springs, breathtaking mountainscapes, and the aurora borealis crossed Tim’s mind and he immediately squashed those memories as his stomach churned and his chest tightened. He watched Raven’s gaze darken briefly. “Yeah, I guess it was,”

Raven picked at her food thoughtfully before continuing. She shrugged absently and glanced at Tim. “After I finished at NYU, I moved to Boston for the conservation and restoration program. And then I went around for a few research projects --”

“Indonesia, Africa, Bulgaria,” Tim looked at her, watching Raven’s reaction. He smiled at her. “Iceland once in a while,”

Raven looked thoughtful for a moment as she stared at Tim, a small smile playing on her lips. She swallowed and averted her gaze briefly, before turning back to him. “Yeah,” she breathed, a soft laugh followed.

Tim exhaled, releasing a breath he was unconsciously holding. “I guess we’ve been both pretty busy,”

Raven blinked and smiled pensively. “I guess so,”

Tim swallowed, conscious of how his nerves seemingly crawled under his skin.”Have you been in touch with the others?”

Raven shook her head. “Not in recent years. Rose once in a while, but not really the rest.”

He looked surprised. Rose had never mentioned that she and Raven had been in touch. “You should swing by,” he suggested, an encouraging smile playing on his lips. “The team misses you,”

Raven tapped her iced tea thoughtfully. Tim saw the brief flicker of emotions in her eyes, catching her microexpression easily and he felt his nerves jump. Raven nodded. “Yeah, I miss everyone too,”

“Do you like what you’re doing now?” Tim asked curiously, as they continued to navigate through their meal and finish their shared pad thai and fried rice. The fried chicken had been long gone, most of it polished off by Tim.

Raven shrugged and made a dismissive sound in the back of her throat. “I like it,” she said while shoveling a few spoonfuls of fried rice onto her plate. She fiddled with a peanut thoughtfully before spooning it. “I like the research and working on old books. It’s fun,”

Tim smiled in amusement. “Only you will say that gluing old pages together is fun,”

Raven rolled her eyes and lobbed the fried peanut at Tim, who easily dodged the projectile legume with a bark of laughter. “It’s more than just gluing pages together, jerk.”

Tim laughed and nodded. “I know. We’re funding your research project, I know the details. I’m sorry, I’m just teasing you,” he grinned, leaning over just a little bit and into their shared space, blue eyes dancing in amusement.

“It’s a lot less exciting than what we do with the Titans,” she mused. “But I get to travel for projects. I like that. It’s fun to go around Asia or Europe and get to experience food and culture without having to worry about being shot or killed at every corner,”

Tim chuckled. “I see where the appeal is coming from,”

“It’s nice when people don’t know you,” said Raven, absently stabbing the last of her chicken. She cast Tim a wry smile. “They don’t hold that expectation or fear that you can bring down an entire building or destroy the planet at will,”

Tim frowned, catching how she sobered up and looked away. He swallowed, knowing how deep some wounds ran. “Civilian life looks great on you,” he said, grappling to shift the somber mood, staring at her in the all too familiar Gotham Knights shirt she was wearing. “Even if you’re in a very ratty Gotham Knights shirt. I was wondering where that went,”

Raven released a soft laugh, blue eyes a little brighter and he watched her run a free hand over the terribly frayed and stretched collar of the shirt. “You leave it, I keep it,” she said simply.

“In fact, I lost quite a few pieces of clothing,” Tim commented, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“You leave it, I keep it, your honor,” Raven raised her hands in mock innocence as she stood up and threw an amused smile at him. She went to grab another plate for their mango and sticky rice.

“From what I hear you’ve not only been working on sticking old pages together,” said Tim as Raven slid their dessert in between them. He sent her a small grin as she snorted. “Intercepted a human trafficking ring in Africa, busted drug cartel in Indonesia,”

Raven shrugged and helped herself to the sweet desert, taking a large helping of sweet rice and mango. She always had a sweet, something she never would openly admit. But Tim knew better. “The police was not help, they barely did anything for those kids. Those were easy enough jobs. In other countries it's easier to slip on the uniform occasionally and no one recognizes you. Easy in and out jobs,” she explained.

“Do you miss it?”

Raven looked at him, blue meeting stormy blue. Tim watched her look thoughtful. “Sometimes,” she finally said.

He swallowed and tried to bite the bullet, nerves thumping under his skin as she stared back at him, anticipating his next question with bated breath. “Will you come back to us?” he asked, the pit of his stomach gnawing as he anticipated her answer. He wondered how he would react if she did not say the words he wanted her to say -- his stomach flipped.

“I don’t know,” Raven said finally, breaking contact and looking out the window. There was an air of melancholy that draped around her and she looked significantly smaller in his old Gotham Knights shirt, for the first time looking so vastly different from the woman he remembered. “I like what I do, Tim. I like the life I have and the opportunity of walking through this world without biases and fear directed towards me,”

He distinctly felt a cold jolt run down his back and Tim straightened in his uniform. Tim knew he had no place to ask for her to come back. He remembered their conversation years ago -- this was her life and this was what she wanted, needed. Tim felt his nerves take a tumble and his chest tighten as his first concerns from years ago were confirmed.

“Well, you did say you’d take a sabbatical. I did not hear a no,” he tried feebly, sending her a wry smile.

Raven exhaled and looked at him, her gaze soft. “Yeah. It’s not a no,” she repeated. Looking like she had enough of her food, Raven stood up and picked up her empty plates and started to carefully place them into her sink. Tim watched her movements silently, he tried to ignore how this looked exactly like an old scene from his apartment’s kitchen.

Sensing that tonight’s conversation was over, Tim slowly stood up and helped her with the dishes. They worked silently, putting away leftovers and placing all dishes into the sink. He stood to the side, watching as Raven used her powers to clean all dishes with a sweep of her hands and they were washed and neatly stacked on the drying rack.

“It’s getting late,” Raven breathed, pushing herself away from the sink and looking at him over her shoulder. A signal that tonight’s conversation was done. Tim swallowed. “I have an early meeting with the museum’s director tomorrow and I have to go through my notes,”

“Right,” echoed Tim. As he returned into her living room to pull on his gloves and pick up his cowl, he found himself in an internal battle, trying to figure out what to do next. His throat tightened at the thought of how he drew a blank and the panic of tonight ending with so many things still unresolved settled heavily on his chest. He drew in a rattled breath and pulled on his cowl. Perhaps tonight truly was enough.

“It’s good to see you again, Tim,” Raven said behind him, her voice carrying through her apartment. It was a tone he was deeply familiar with. He fiddled with his belt to keep his hands busy as he was unsure what to do next.

Turning around, Tim offered Raven a bright smile, quickly sweeping aside his unsettled feelings. He’d take what he could from her, from this moment. He ignored how different it felt, to be Red Robin in front of Raven, a civilian, in his old t-shirt, an image that he had burned into memory. “It’s good to see you again, Raven,” he told her.

Tim had his arms around her even before she was pressed into him. Raven stepped closer and offered him a long hug, arms wrapping tightly around his torso and fingers pressing into the kevlar of his back. The press of her was exactly how he remembered, warm and soft, perfectly tucked into his side and under his arms. He catalogued this to memory, inhaling the familiar scent of her and memorizing her softness. How could he have missed this?

Tim swallowed uneasily as she stepped away and slipped out of reach. “Good night, Tim,”

“Good night, Raven,” he smiled at her. He slowly made his way to her balcony and paused as he opened it. Looking over his shoulder, he caught her watching him leave. He licked his lips and continued. “I--” he paused and breathed. Fuck it. He felt his heart leap. “I wish we kept in touch,”

Raven tilted her head and Tim watched an expression he could not quite place cross her face. “Why didn’t we?”

His fingers tightened around the cold handle of her balcony. Tim blinked as a million reasons raced through his mind, stabbing him accusingly. Guilt and regret grabbed him by the throat. He inhaled shakily. “I don’t know,”

Raven smiled sadly at him. “I think we both know why,”

Tim dropped his head and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.” He looked at her, drinking in the sight of her basked in the dim lights of her living room. “I’m sorry,”

He watched the rise of her chest as she inhaled and emotions flicker through her somber face. She offered him one last somber smile. “Good night, Red Robin,” she said softly, a signal that tonight had truly ended.

[khneltea]

Jasonette headcannon #1 section b.

Woah, so apparently y'all like this stuff. Uhm, takes inspiration from @mochegato and @SquareBrain on AO3

Previous

↬ Jason will never admit that he felt scared out of his wits as he rocked up to the shop

↬ nope, nuh-uh, never

↬ the store owner who stood a head shorter than him wasn't scary in the slightest

↬ so, dressed up in his best leather jacket and jeans, plus that old red shirt that may or may not have a bullet hole in it somewhere but was the best one he could find, he opened the door to the shop

↬ only to tremble in his boots at who was in the shop (whether it was anger or sheer fear, he will not admit to either and will deny all allegations of said trembling)

↬ inside was 2 of the biggest crime lords in Gotham, the one from the docks and the one from the underground, notorious for trying to tear each other's throats out, sitting peacefully on pretty pink cushions and enjoying pastries and tea out of tiny dainty tea cups

↬ what.the.actual.fuck.

↬ the glaringly pink (he supposed that was the theme) door to the right suddenly burst open and out comes the lady of the hour, and behind her was a very hot teenage girl (about 15 years old), but for some reason, he didn't really pay attention to her

↬ all eyes were on the two ladies, the hot one giggling away about a quinceañera while the owner of the shop smiled serenely, surveying the surroundings (probably checking if there was a gang war)

↬ her bluebell eyes popped out when they saw him (he says it was because he was handsome, but don't listen to him-)

↬ "hello! Welcome to my boutique, would you like to take a seat while checking our ready-made garments? Or are you here for a commision?"

↬ "uhhhhhhh..." Jason didn't think that far ahead. And it's hard going impromptu when there was a beautiful lady devoting all her attention on him

↬ she smiled like she knew exactly what he was thinking

↬ "why don't you take a seat, monsieur, and I'll help you out dans juste un instant (oh gosh, I'm sorry all you people who speak french who are going to call me out for using Google translate-)"

↬ so he's just sitting there, a tiny tea cup with little black cats and ladybugs on the sides held in his hands as he sees her negotiating a purchase with one of the mobster groups

↬ he nearly sighed in relief when the crime lord by the docks left with the gorgeous girl (probably his daughter now that he thought about it) after leaving a heavy briefcase and a business card in exchange for a beautiful sleek gown and matching accessories

↬ kinda scared him how friendly they both seemed to the store owner and how...warm that look in both the father and daughter's eyes were

↬ and he couldn't help but flinch when the crime lord from Gotham underground (is this a thing-) grins while the blue eyed woman started taking his measurements

↬ "doll, you're always welcome to come over anytime. You're good at business, I need more people like that."

↬ she has the fucking audacity to laugh. Laugh, I tell you

↬ "non, non, monsieur. I am quite happy with my little shop over here. Besides, the young ones would miss my pastries too much if I moved."

↬ he waved a hand. "Those street rats? If that's all that it takes to get you on my side, then consider them to be in better protection and care than those kids Wayne adopts every 5 seconds."

↬ got to say, his heart went thump when he pieced together that she took care of the street kids

↬ she grins "well, you're already giving them protection for living in my block, so that's all I need. Don't worry about the rest, I've got it covered."

↬ the crime lord shrugs. "Eh, I don't really care about the brats. But you, you're the one that needs protecting. Where else will I be getting these good suits that don't tear all the goddamn time from knives and guns? Plus, what's another 5 or 6 men patrolling this area to keep my favourite designer safe? If it makes you happy that they're inadvertently looking out for the kids, then better for me."

↬ wait those suits protected him from knives and guns????? Who the hell was this woman???

↬ smiling in response, but not as brightly anymore, she stood up, jotting down some notes in her book

↬ "alright, monsieur, you'll have to come in to a fitting on Saturday, presumably before your interaction with Monsieur Falcone at 1pm, so would it be presumptuous to ask if you come in at 10:30?"

↬ "not at all, my dear! it's a pleasure of doing business with you"

↬ "also, preferably, don't wear the flashy red suit you have, might i recommend the blue one from the fitting before last week's? Monsieur Falcone would gladly appreciate the red suit blaring in his eyes after the concussion he received recently"

↬ wait

↬ how the fuck did she know that

↬ falcone got that last night (he should know, he gave it to him)

↬ and the only ones who should know about it right now are him, Falcone, and no one else

↬ either this kid was magic, or she was Alfred level shit (he's still not convinced that Alfred is fully human)

↬ "thanks doll" and the crime lord leaves

↬ she turns to him, smiles and everything

↬ "alright, monsieur hood, what would you like to purchase today? or are you still having difficulty choosing?"

↬ uhm fuck ok

↬ how the hell do you talk to pretty, badass women that can probably take over the entirety of Gotham in a day

↬ "uhhhhhh got anything in red that doesn't make me look like a fucking period stain?"

↬ she giggled in a way that you know it's not flirting but just generally found it funny, and he thought it was the creation of the universe

↬ "i'm sure we can find you something, monsieur hood."

↬ proceeds to pull him up (what the fuck she was so strong for such a tiny girl) and lead him to the back room

↬ fabrics upon fabrics upon fabrics lay everywhere in chaos, but he felt like if he moved something, the balance of the room would be upset

↬ finally comes to a bar that ran from one end of a rack to the other, thin fabrics lining it

↬ the blue-eyed girl takes a beautiful black silk cravat with red embroidery that boldly stood out (yes, he knows what a cravat is, sue him for wanting to know what Mr Knightley, Mr Bingley, and Mr Darcy wore in the books) and drapes it over his neck, critically eyeing it

↬ in the process, pulling him down by the neck to look at it and being very close to her pink plump lips

↬ uhm fuck what do i do what do i say who am i what is life what the fuck austen you didn't prepare me for this-

↬ "as i thought", she says, "this is a good colour scheme for you, but probably more of a black with a tinge of brown and a more muted red colour scheme for everyday use."

↬ she walks away and comes back with a measuring tape and measures his neck, shoulders, arms, and starts measuring around the torso

↬ he doesn't even register this because of how efficient she is and because he was used to it from living with Bruce fucking Wayne (he won't admit that he was just too distracted by the way her dainty little fingers brushed against the back of his ears as she leaned forward to check the measurements, nor when they fluttered against his biceps and chest)

↬ when she's done, she starts writing measurements and mumbling under her breath, which snaps him out of his stupor

↬ "why did you take my measurements?"

↬ "a good cravat needs a good suit, and what better than for me to make a matching one when I have the time and resources to do it?"

↬ she fucking grinned at him like a devious minx who knew more about him than she should and he melted a bit. 

↬ just a little bit.

↬ turning around, she stuck her hand out, still smiling like a fucking seductress

↬ "I'll be making your suit and cravats, let's hope to a wonderful relationship, it's going to be a pleasure working with you."

↬ he tried to match her smile, but ended up feeling like a dork with his heart beating 200 times a second. and he felt like an even bigger dork when he took her hand and gave her a small kiss on the knuckles. "believe me, the pleasure is all mine, dove. might i dare, i fain would ask, for your sweet name? that while a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, i feel that yours would double in so."

↬ she smiled back at him.

↬ "why, good sir, it is a good show of faith in the honey to the flower of life, as Hugo quotes, but I wish you would take me to dinner first before such matters. My name, you ask? It is Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

↬ He smirked. "My name is Jason Todd."

↬ "I know, Monsieur Hood."

↬ "Wait, how the fuck do you know-"

[babylooneytoonz]

Sweet Temptations - Tommy Shelby x Fem! Reader

A/N- So I really hadn't expected to get this one done so early. But here we go, I am done and I'm not sure if it's any good.

Summary- (Y/N) is a married woman, stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage with one of Thomas Shelby's rivals who mistreats her and abuses her. She embarks on this forbidden affair with him.

Read part-2 here.

Warnings- MAJOR SMUT MAYBE? Porn without plot? Read it at your own risk.

Requested by- @peakyfooky

Thank you to the creators for their lovely GIFs. These aren't mine. One of them was found on the internet so if it's yours, let me know and I'll credit you❤️

"Mrs. Button?" Your housekeeper stepped into the library of your mansion, her eyes trained on you. You were perched on an armchair, a book spread out on your lap, your finger holding a lit cigarette as you brought it up to your lip, the dried gash on your bottom lip burning slightly every time you tried to speak, so you just motioned to her to come in.

"Mr. Button requests your presence in his study."

You nodded, shutting the book and standing up, stubbing the cigarette into the ashtray and placing the book back on the rack from where you had pulled it out. You wondered what that vile, evil man who your parents had married you off to, for money, was upto now.

You were twenty four, married to this man for two years and still childless, because he was more into filthy street whores than he was into you. But you were okay with it. You would have felt worse if he had wanted your body.

Wrapping your arms around your body and rubbing the sides of your arms, you walked down the well lit hallway, towards the mahogany door that smelt like cigarettes and booze from a distance. You placed yourself by the door and knocked, hearing a grunt from inside. You stepped in, your eyes falling on the vile creature that sat lounged over the desk, his feet sprawled up on the desk, his baloon belly evident from underneath the layer of rich fabric that made up his shirt.

"Where were you last night eh? The maids fucking tell me you went out."

You bit the insides of your cheeks– there was nothing you wanted to do more than to slap the smug look from his face but the fresh gash from two days back still reminded you of what kind of a sick, twisted fuck he was.

"We were out of bread so I– "

"So I what? When I've given you twelve fucking maids to do these things for you, why do you insist on still going out? To whore yourself to men? Why?"

"Seriously, Michael– "

Before you could even reply, he had grabbed the nearest object on his desk, a tiny round decorative item that he had brought from his trip to America and thrown it towards you. Maybe they were your reflexes, but you found yourself ducking at the right time, the tiny object slamming into the wall behind you and breaking into many tiny pieces.

"You fucking bitch." He hissed,licking over his malignant, yellow teeth when there was a knock on the door.

"What the fuck do you want eh?" He yelled, his eyes not moving from yours as now you stood in a corner, your hands curled into fists, kneading into the fabric of your dress as anger coursed through you like lava.

The door opened and one of your husband's henchmen stepped in.

"Boss, Thomas Shelby's here."

Thomas Shelby– the striking blue eyed devil– the only one that managed to irk your husband beyond capacity, that one reason you were thankful to him for. Your husband was so busy planning and plotting to get this Thomas Shelby out of the picture, he didn't focus that much on you, for which you were grateful for.

"Bring the bastard in, of course." Your husband pursed his lips, his eyes flying to you. "Get us a drink now."

"I thought you had twelve fuckin' maids to do this for you." You spat angrily, moving to the liquor cabinet when the door finally opened and the atmosphere in the room changed and the wafting fragrance of a man's eu de cologne spread through your nostrils, a warm welcoming fragrance, that reminded you of anything but your husband's sweaty stink. The man that walked in was a handsome one, a cap placed over his side shaven head, his long coat flowing in after him. He had a cigarette in his grip. If you didn't know better, you wouldn't think this man was dangerous.

"Mr. Button, I see you accepted to meet me at such a short notice eh."

"Sit down, Mr. Shelby. I hear you have a proposition for me."

It was as though you were invisible in a corner but it was your husband's words that pulled you put of your concentrated stare on the man that had just walked in.

"What you fuckin' doing there eh? Can we bloody have our drinks?"

Mr. Button's directed gaze towards you caused the handsome stranger's head to snap towards you and that's when your eyes met his icy, blue ones, and unknowingly, you parted your lips, letting your tongue slide out and moisten your lower lip. There was something electrifying about the eyes; an imaginary pull that seemed to be binding you to him.

Quietly, you walked up to the men, placing your drinks on the desk for either of them and looked up at your husband.

"Can I do anything else for you, dear husband?" You said, sarcastically.

"Yes, just fuck off."

"Gladly." You muttered under your breath, taking a step away to turn towards the door, but not without sharing one last lingering glance with Thomas Fuckin' Shelby.

• ───━━━━─ ● ─━━━━─── •

You could hear the men screaming from your bedroom but you couldn't care. In fact, a part of you found thrill in an imagination that maybe, a bad scuffle will take place and somehow, your husband will be killed in action. You had just stepped out of the shower, wearing nothing but an almost sheer negligee, a towel wrapped around your head and a loose fitting robe that hadn't been knotted up in the center. You could hear the sound of the motorcar from your window so out of curiousity, you walked up to the window and fixed yourself to it.

You could see the leader of the Peaky Blinders get into his motorcar with the men that had accompanied him, the car slowly pulling off the driveway. You bit your lip, too hard, drawing out blood, the metallic taste spreading in your mouth. You wanted him to look up at the window once and as if he had read your thoughts, his eyes flew up to the window, catching you staring at him. You didn't realize why, but a smile broke out against your lip, your palm latching to the glass pane of the window, as you watched him drive away.

It was almost two minutes later when you heard the sound of the motorcar again, and this time when you looked, relief spread through you when you saw your husband and a few of his men leave in their cars. At least now you had the house to yourself, atleast for a few hours. Usually when he left around midnight, he wasn't back until 9 or 10 the next morning.

You took off the towel, drying off your wet hair that were now clinging to your body, droplets of water running down your neck. You wrapped the robe around your frame, pulling out a cigarette from the box and lighting it as you stepped out of your room and walked down the hallway to the library on the ground floor– the only room in this godforsaken mansion that didn't feel alien to you– the only room that you found yourself spending most of your time in.

The minute you stepped into the hallway, a shiver ran down your spine as the chilly wind hit you, causing you to realize that the connecting door to the garden from the library was wide open.

"Hello? Janice? Is that you?" You called out, hoping to find your housekeeper trot inside, with a broom in her hand but no one answered. So, shrugging your shoulders in an incoherent manner, you walked up to the glass door, bolting it shut from the inside when you heard it, the unmistakable sound of a footstep creaking against the wooden floorboards somewhere, in the library, with you.

A sudden fear gripped you, you knew your husband had many, many enemies and it wouldn't be unusual for one of the crazy ones to have sneaked into your home and was now hiding in the library, somewhere, alone with you. You quickly grabbed a candlestick, curling your fingers tighter against the iron, taking a small, yet cautious step towards the library. Your eyes scanned the book racks, trying to spot anyone hiding in between them, your mind alert when suddenly, you saw him.

He was just a shadow, lurking in a dark corner at the back of your library, shielded by the last book rack, but you could see that he was facing you.

"I can see you, you know." You murmured in your husky voice, ready to strike him with the candlestick when he finally stepped out from the dark, into the light, your eyes now adjusting to see who he was.

"You." Was all you could manage to say, your heart suddenly palpitating, your knees already feeling like jelly. There stood the man you had secretly been sharing glances with all day, right in front of you, within your arms reach.

"My husband's not here, Mr. Shelby, this visit of yours is very inappropriate." You commented, half heartedly, meaning no word of it.

"Yet you made no fuss, Mrs. Button. When you could have screamed and alerted everyone in your home." Thomas Shelby's lips held the slightest of smirks against its corners, but his eyes were emotionless and bland.

You didn't loosen your grip over the candlestick, your eyes following every movement that the man made, as you saw him pull out his box of cigarettes and nip one between his teeth. His other hand moved to the pocket of his coat, pulling out a box of matches but somehow, it fell from his hand and fell to the floor, settling right in between you and him.

You took a step closer, your eyes still on him as you bent and grabbed the box, before he could. You then pulled out a match, lighting it and stepped closer towards him to help him light the end of his stick, his features appearing even more glorious under the pale flickering light of the match.

"I saw you leave in your car."

"You should be more careful with that door." He pointed towards the back entrance of your library that led to the garden. "Any lad can get in through the back and not all of them will be here for– "

"For what, Mr. Shelby?" You cut him off abruptly.

You could feel a weird, tingly sensation in your fingers. You wanted to reach out and hook your fingers on the fabric of his coat, take it off. So you did. His eyebrow shot up in surprise for he hadn't expected you to be so forward. You tugged slightly on his coat and smiled, "We have a fireplace in here that should be warm enough, Mr. Shelby, I don't think you'll need your coat. May I?"

You helped him slide out of his coat first before holding it in your hands and making your way to the coat hanger and hanging it over. Your eyes fell on the library door and like a stealthy cat, you quickly swiped the door shut, trying to hide this little whatever this was from the employees of your house.

"Care for a drink Mr. Shelby?"

He hummed in response, his eyes fixed on you, moving slightly lower and then back up again. It was funny how this one act of vulgarity didn't seem to phase you, and in fact you even liked it. You slowly turned away from him, walking up to the other side of the room, your bare feet grazing against the carpeted floor on this side. You pushed yourself up on your toes, trying to pull out the bottle of whiskey from the cabinet, making sure to give him a good view of you from behind. Your fingers clasped against the neck of the bottle as you pulled it down from the top rack and poured it carefully into two glasses, taking them back to him.

He gladly accepted the drink, his fingers almost brushing with yours when he took the glass, causing shivers to run down your spine. You knew it– the game that he was playing – intentionally touching you so very subtly, knowing how you were actually enjoying the flirting.

"What's a woman of your likes doing with a man like him?"

You could sense the distaste behind his words so you just parted your lips and let out a weak sigh before taking a sip of your whiskey.

"Call it a punishment for being born into a greedy family. Sold me off to the monster for some good pounds like I was a mare." You commented.

"Why didn't you run away? You could have gone to London, or even to America."

"It's not that easy, not when you're married to a gangster. You out of all men should understand that." You said, relishing the bitter yet sweet taste of the whiskey on your taste buds.

"Mr. Shelby, enough about me. I wanted to know the reason for your visit. I know you're not here to meet Michael." You slurred.

You saw the man's eyebrow twitch but you couldn't determine if it was out of amusement or something else. After a lingering minute of silence, you watched as he downed the whiskey in one go, almost slamming the glass back against one of the racks.

"Can we skip past the formalities now, Mrs. Button? I think you know why I am here."

You couldn't deny it. You and this man had a sizzling chemistry. There was a raw desire spurting inside you, that wanted nothing more to be satiated. You could feel it– the sexual tension, the need to touch each other, the need to feel him touch you at places you had forgotten how a man's touch felt like.

You nodded.

Thomas Shelby's hands grabbed you, his hands locking around your waist as he pulled you into his embrace and slowly turned around, so you were now pinned against the rack, his front pressing into you. You could feel his slow, ready grinding against your core, causing your body to erupt into a sensation of desires, like small electric short circuits everywhere. You parted your lips and let out a low moan, only to be shut up when his lips slammed against yours in a needy way. You were a believer, a devout Christian by faith, you knew the temptations the Devil was capable of and you knew that Thomas Shelby was nothing more than the devil in disguise. But this didn't deter you from wanting to taste into the fruit of sin.

Your hands curled around his head, your fingers latching into the back of his head, tugging at his hair, your mouth struggling to keep pace with the sweet assault on them. His pupils dilated due to his lust for you, he kissed you, ravaging your lips, biting and tugging at them in the most animalistic way.

"Fuckin' hell." You cursed as his teeth almost bit into the gash on your lip, the one where your husband had mercilessly beat you a few nights before, the taste of your own metallic blood in your mouth. Maybe Tommy tasted it too, for he immediately pulled away, his hands still holding you in place.

"Did he do this to you?"

You nodded.

"Come with me then. Leave that man." Those were the words he said to you as he grabbed you by your hand and dragged you to the desk in the corner.

"And go where? He'll find me. You know I can't fucking do that." For once, you could feel yourself weaken, the sudden realization of it all seeping through you, that you were trapped in a life full of torture and abuse and there was nothing you could do about it.

"I'll think of something, until then –" he brought his palm up to your cheek, his thumb brushing over the gash on your lip that was bleeding now.

"Thomas– " You moaned.

Maybe the way his name rolled out of your lips was too much for him to bear, he literally started ripping your robe off in an attempt to free you of it while you hands fervently ran against the buttons of his shirt to get it off. Clothes were ripped off and the library floor was stocked with piles of discarded clothes, both of you naked and beautiful under each other's eyes, by the desk by the fireplace.

Tommy's hands grabbed your bare arse, kneading it lightly until he barked at you to turn over and you complied. You felt vulnerable, bent on your own desk with nothing to cover your modesty, his eyes snaking over your back, your arse but you liked it. So much so that you were horrified if someone was to hear you, not because of what your husband would do to you, but because of how you would have to part with this man right now when you wanted nothing more than to feel him inside you.

"For fucks sake, Thomas, I need you now. I don't want anyone to– "

"Your wish is my fuckin' command." Was all he said. That was all the warning you received.

And then you screamed in a sweet, pleasurable pain when he thrust his hard cock into you, making you grab the edge of the table while his nails dug into your hips. A series of curses followed and soon, you found yourself enjoying the way his cock was ravaging your core. His pace inside you was relentless, his hits merciless, hitting you at just the right spot every time, causing you to just sneak closer to your edge with every hit.

"Fuck," Tommy grunted in a low voice, sliding in and out of you, the sound of your skin slapping against his echoing through the library.

"Fucking hell, Thomas– " You seethed, holding on to the desk as you felt your eyes roll at the back of your head, pleasure bursting inside you with every movement of his.

"You feel so good." He slurred, his voice thick with lust and desire. It was like music to your ears, a music you didn't want to stop listening to. But you also knew that all good things often come to an end. "Come for me now, love. Come on." His voice commanded you, making you tip over your edge.

And the command was all it took for you to come crashing down, your body trembling as your pussy clenched around his cock, shooting sparks all over your body. And after a few unsteady, light thrusts, you felt him twitch inside you as a final signal that he was there too, his warm seed spilling into you as he moaned something incoherent that you couldn't make out.

He stayed like that for a few silent seconds, both of yous erratic breathing empowering each others until you finally felt him slide out of you. You stood up, leaving a trail of his cum rolling down your thigh as you struggled to put your underwear on and then grabbed your robe silently while Tommy pulled his pants up and started rummaging for his torn shirt that had almost been ripped apart by you.

You bit your lip awkwardly now; a sudden void filling up your heart.

Thomas Shelby had gotten what he wanted, and maybe he would never look your way again.

Of course, this couldn't mean more than a one time thing to him, could it?

Suddenly, the sound of a match lighting brought you back into reality but you were startled to find him standing inches apart from you, his palm on your cheek, his index finger rubbing gently over your gash.

"You alright love?"

You gave him a weak smile and nodded.

You parted your lips to reply but a loud bang on the door caused you and Thomas to turn towards the door.

"Mrs. Button, is everything alright in there?" Janice called out.

"It-It is, Janice, is there anything you want?"

"Just wanted to let you know your husband's home."

"Fucking hell, looks like our time is up, Mr. Shelby," Your eyes flew to Tommy, as the curse escaped your mouth. He looked unbothered."I'll join him in a minute." You called out to Janice.

Tommy didn't say anything else. As quietly as he had come in, you saw him walk towards the door that led to your garden and you followed him. It was only when he reached the door and you unbolted it for him, did he turn and look into your eyes and speak.

"Until next time, Mrs. Button."

"Call me (Y/N). I don't want to be linked with that man. At least not with you around."

"Let me rephrase it then, until next time, (Y/N), who knows it might even be at your dear husband's funeral."

That was the last words that he spoke to you that night before you saw him sneak out through your garden until he wasn't in sight anymore and you stood there by that door, smirking inwardly at his words.

(What do you guys feel about a second part to this? Let me know?)

• ───━━━━─ ● ─━━━━─── •

[eideticmemory]

EVER SINCE NEW YORK V | MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER

Description: I was messaged saying: “If you don’t write a young Matthew enemies to lovers fic featuring an obsession with sucking on boobs then what’s the point 😔.” So, here it is, folks! The ultimate College!Matthew fic.

PART 5! Read Part 4 here!

SOUNDTRACK:

Falling - Opia.

Her - Majid Jordan.

Daylight - Maroon 5.

Word Count: 4,619.

Rating: M.

Warning/Includes: Sexual intercourse, drinking, recreational drug use, a bit of angst.

Spring, Junior Year.

Las Vegas,

Nevada.

“Hey.”

You pulled up the cover, holding it over your body and looking down at Matthew. His head was perched between your legs, and his lips were covered in slickness. “Hey,” you replied. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” he shrugged, and placed a kiss on your inner thigh. “Wanted to ask you something.”

“Right now?” 

He laughed, “Oh, relax, princess. You’ll get your nut. I just wanted to see if...maybe, you might wanna go to Vegas?”

“Vegas?” you mumbled. “Why?”

“A bunch of us are going for spring break. I’m gonna be everyone’s tour guide, my mom is putting us up for the week. You should come.”

“You know what?” You smiled. “I should come. I really, really should. So, c’mon, get back to it.” You grabbed onto his hair, twirling it on your fingers. 

“Bossy,” he whispered. He leaned down and continued to eat you out. Your head fell back against the pillow, you let out a happy sigh. 

“Worst timing ever, Matthew. Ask me in, like, 10 minutes.”

He stopped, gasping, “10 minutes?” 

“Fine, 15, 20, I don’t care. Just please—“

It took approximately 16 minutes. Matthew was able to get you off with his mouth in no time, and the two of you tangled together in a sloppy kiss. His cock pushed into you, his hand wrapped around your throat and you went dizzy as he pressed his fingers into your neck. It was three in the morning, soft music was playing through Matthew’s room, the lights were dim. The brief seperation last semester happened, it was over, and you both silently agreed that it shouldn’t happen again. 

Since returning from Christmas break last month, you’ve gone back to your late night schedule. Aside from seeing each other in class and parties and hangouts, you spent the hours between midnight and three AM at Matthew’s place. It often left you tired for your 8 o’clock class, but it was worth it. You were getting dicked down — very well, by the way — Matthew and you were getting along, laughing and cracking inside jokes with one another. Things were great. Hence, Matthew’s invitation to Nevada. 

“So?” He said, holding you against his chest after the deed was over. 

“So? So what?”

“Vegas? Spring break?”

“To meet your mommy?”

“Well—“ he stuttered. “Yeah, it’s her house, so you’ll probably meet her.”

“You gonna bring me home to your mom? And say ‘hey, mom, this is [y/n], my nutty buddy.’?” You laughed. 

“If that’s how you’d like to be introduced,” he shrugged. “I was just gonna tell her your name and keep it at that.”

“Wow, I’ve never been so honored!”

You shook his head at you, giggling, “A simple no would suffice.”

You looked up at him, a small smile on your lips, “I’ll go.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll go,” you repeated. “To Vegas. Count me in.” 

“Cool,” he smiled. “Cool.” 

“Only if Claire can come, too.”

He sighed, “Claire.”

“That’s my condition. Take it or leave it, dude.”

He took it.

You got a few hours rest in your own dorm, and woke up promptly to shower and get ready for class. When you got out of the bathroom, Claire was awake, brushing her teeth in front of the mirror. 

“Hey,” you grinned, drying off your hair. 

“Morning!” She pipped.

“Hey,” You began to get dressed. “You didn’t have plans for spring break, did you?”

“In what world would I have spring break plans that you don’t know about?” She asked. 

“Right,” you nodded. “So, how would you feel about going to Vegas?” 

Claire stopped applying her makeup and turned to you, “Vegas?”

“Yeah. We fly out the Sunday before break. What do you think?”

She leaned against the wall, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Sunday...” she whispered. “This wouldn’t be, uh, the trip Matthew’s taking everyone on, would it?”

You took a step back, freezing from buttoning your shirt. “Well...yeah, I guess. I’m not sure, I just got invited by someone else.”

“Who?”

“Huh?”

“Who invited you?”

“Um—“

“Cause I can’t think of anyone in our friend group that would invite you on Gube’s trip, knowing...how you feel about him.” She crossed her arms.

“So...is that a no to Vegas?” 

She sighed, shook her head, “C’mon, [y/n]...”

“What?”

“Are you...are you fucking Matthew again?”

Her words hit like a bullet. They blew through you like a disaster, racking your stomach with nerves and knots and fear. You felt yourself falling in this pit of despair, of terror, the realization that your worst fear had come to life. And you could only say one thing: 

“Huh?”

“Oh, God!” She shouted. “You are! You’re fucking Matthew again!”

You gasped, “C-Claire, what...what are you talking about?” 

“Oh, cut the shit, [y/n]! I saw you guys in the pool at the beach house, okay?”

You sighed deeply, closing your eyes and ducking your head to avoid her gaze.

“Claire...”

“He treated you like trash, [y/n]! He fucked me, he fucked you, and broke your heart—“

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, please. The Roni thing had you depressed for weeks. And I thought maybe Alex was getting your mind off it. Oh, my God, [y/n], tell me you did not dump Alex to mess around with Matthew. Please, please tell me you have not been running around here, letting Matthew Gubler put his dick in you.”

“Stop!” You shouted. 

“What is it about him? I used to have to pay you five bucks just to be in the same room as him. Now, he’s got you out at all hours of the night, and running off to Vegas?”

“What’s your deal, Claire?”

“My deal is that you’re my best friend. My very best friend. You deserve better.”

“I’m going to class,” you muttered. You continued to fix your outfit, moving on to your hair — which you quickly styled. You grabbed your backpack and headed out without another word. From you or Claire. 

You didn’t mention this spat to Matthew. You just began spending an abnormal amount of time at his place, but he didn’t mind. He welcomed you with open arms, supplied you with an ample amount of sex. He helped you study, waited up for you after ballet practice, and always, always kissed you goodbye when you left. 

When spring break rolled around, Claire and you weren’t on speaking terms. She was well aware that all the time you were spending away was spent with Matthew, and she refused to entertain it. She spoke roommate business with you, kept things civil, but there were no late night movie marathons or afternoon lunches. 

“I’m leaving for Vegas,” you told her, hauling your suitcase. 

“Okay,” she replied, flipping through a book on her bed, and not looking up from it.

You sighed, “Okay.”

Matthew greeted you at the airport, keeping his distance to keep from alerting the rest of your friends to the relationship. “Hey, where’s Claire?”

You gulped, “Um, uh, she’s not coming. I didn’t tell you?”

“Oh. No, you didn’t. Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. Hey, how much money do you think I can win in one week?” You changed the subject.

He giggled, “I’m gonna have to keep my eye on you, aren’t I?”

“And keep me close,” you whispered. “Very close.”

You sat separately on the plane, but took the same car to his house. Matthew held the door open for everyone, winking at you as you came in last. His house was charming, had family photos plastered on the wall. 

“Aw, look,” you murmured to him, pointing at a baby picture of him on the wall. “Little Matthew!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep it moving,” he rolled his eyes, and put his hand on your lower back, guiding you through the house. 

The group gathered in the living room, silently admiring the place. “My boy!” Matthew’s mom exclaimed, rushing from the kitchen with her arms wide open. This big smile grew out on Matthew’s face, and it made you smile instantly. His mom engulfed him a tender hug, holding him close, rubbing his back.

“Mom, you remember everyone,” Matthew said, his arm around his mom’s shoulders. He renamed everyone in the room, pointing them out to her. “And this is [y/n],” he motioned to you, giving you a faint smile. 

“Hi, Mrs. Gubler,” you greeted her. You reached out to shake her hand, and she shook it softly. 

“[y/n]...” She whispered, subtly glancing at Matthew. “Okay. Nice to meet you, [y/n].”

“Nice to meet you too.”

Matthew quickly ushered everyone upstairs. He showed your friends to the guest rooms, and while they were getting squared away, you waited in the hall patiently. He came up to you, your smiles mirroring each other’s, and the distance between you two was dangerously small.

“So, should I just set up my stuff out here? Lay down in the corridor?” You chuckled.

He shook his head, “Come on.” He grabbed your hand and your suitcase, and led you down the hallway. He pulled you into a bedroom on the right, set your stuff down on the mattress, and closed the door. 

“This is my room?” You asked.

“It sure is,” he nodded. “And the best part about it is that, there’s a room right next door.” He took slow strides up to you, a smirk on his face. You let him wrap his arms around you waist, pull you close. “And... tonight, or, every night this week, the door to that bedroom will be open. Real late at night. If you’d like to come check it out.”

“Oh, yeah?” You mumbled. 

“Yeah,” he put his forehead against yours, sighing. “I have to go talk to my mom. Be here when I get back.” 

“I might be,” you shrugged, watching him as he separated his body from yours. He gave you one last smile before leaving. 

Downstairs, Matthew’s mom was cleaning up the living room, talking to his roommate Steve. Matthew took a seat on the couch, kicking his feet up on the table. “Hey, my love! Is everyone settled in?” She asked Matthew. 

“Yeah, yeah, they’re getting there,” he replied.

“And your girlfriend?” She added.

He cut his eyes up to her, then Steve. Steve was chuckling under his breath. “I don’t have a girlfriend, mom.” 

“Oh? [y/n]’s not your girlfriend?”

“What? No,” he shook his head. “No. She’s not.”

“She’s new. I’ve never met her before.”

“Yeah...well, she...she’s my...uh—“

“Are you guys...are you...” His mom hesitated. He looked up at her, confused, until she raised her eyesbrows at him suggestively. 

“Oh, God, mom! Don’t ask me that!” He groaned, hopping up from the couch.

“I’ll explain.” Steve directed at Matthew’s mother. Matthew stopped in his tracks, and look at Steve, his arms crossed. “Matthew’s in love with [y/n].” 

“What?” Matthew shouted. “I am not—why would you say that?” His face turned bright red, the words flailing from his lips in jumbled stutters. 

“Oh, you really like her,” his mom grinned. 

“I don’t!” Matthew’s voice squeaked. 

“Matthew, I saw the way you two looked at each other. I saw how you came in with her, how you introduced her. You like her.”

“I’m hungry. Who’s hungry? I’m gonna see if everyone wants to go out for dinner.” Matthew rambled as he left the room. 

Matthew didn’t speak to you much throughout the day. He let you ride in his car, but not in the front seat. He started to pull the chair out for you at dinner, but played it off like that wasn’t his intention. It was his idea to show you all a nearby bar, and there, he was knocking drinks back, partying with friends, joking around. When you smiled at him, he pretended not to notice, and ducked his head down. And while your friends were keeping you plenty happy, you suddenly didn’t feel like being out anymore. 

You took an uber back to Matthew’s house, alone, and let yourself in through the back door as he had mentioned earlier. It was nearly two in the morning, pitch black, and you wound up getting lost upstairs. You waltzed into your room, at least you thought so. But when you opened the door, you came face to face with a room covered in movie posters, decorated with spooky trinkets. There was a blue undertone, a full size bed pushed against the wall and it smelled of smoke and mint. 

“You found it.”

“Ah!” You jumped, and turned around. “Fuck,” you huffed. “I’ve gotta get you a bell or something. What the hell, Matthew?”

“Why’d you leave tonight?” Matthew asked, stepping in and closing the door.

“I was tired. I wanted to sleep.” You shrugged. 

“In here?”

“I got lost. I can leave,” you sighed, and started heading for the door. 

Matthew grabbed onto your waist, and pulled your body into his. “What’s up, princess?” 

“Nothing. What’s up with you?” You scoffed. 

“What’s the supposed to mean?”

“You’ve been weird tonight! Why? Is it your mom? Are you — are you not comfortable with me being here?” 

“What? That’s crazy—“

“No, it’s not. Maybe me being here was a bad idea.” 

Matthew sighed, and ran his fingers through your hair. He turned away and walked up to his dresser, “You wanna know one reason I’m so excited to have you here?” 

You stared at the ground shyly, “Why?” 

He rummaged through his things, pulling out a small object that he craddled in his hands. “Because here...I have this.” He held up a sleek, professional looking camera.

You eyed it, stumped, “A go-pro?” 

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “Thought we could put it to use.” 

You tried to stifle your grin, “Put it to use?”

“Yeah. Let’s make a movie.”

You laughed dryly, “A movie?” 

“Yeah. A dirty one.” 

“Um...no!” You exclaimed. 

“Why not?” 

“Because...icky.”

He chuckled, “It’s not icky. It’s the same thing we always do. Just caught on film. C’mon, please? Pleeeease? I’ll make it tasteful.”

You rolled your eyes and exhaled, eyeing him intently. “Fine,” you agreed. “But, I have one condition.” 

“Name it.”

His bed was comfortable, soft. It permanently smelled like him. You laid on your back, your dress pushed up your thighs, and your panties laid on the floor. You held the tiny camera in your hands and had the lense aimed between your legs. You tried not to moan too loudly, Matthew working his mouth on you underneath the bed sheets. He was putting on a performance, twirling his tongue on your clit, sucking on it, humming in delight. 

You couldn’t help but touch his nose, admiring the way it sat on his face and grazed against your pelvis. You pressed your fingertip onto the bridge of his nose and ran it down to the tip, smiling down at him. He opened his eyes and peered in the camera. Watching on the camera screen, you couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of his irises, his gaze filled with intensity and lust. 

You tangled your fingers in his hair, your thumb tracing his cheekbone, “Come suck on my tits.” You commanded. 

He grinned, and he quietly began to kiss up your stomach. You kept the camera close to his face, capturing his every move. His tongue swirled around your nipple, and you had to push his hair out of his face to catch the action. The camera picked up the sound of your whimpers, the sight of Matthew gropping your breasts, his lips on you. 

Matthew kissed a trail up to your neck, sucking on your skin, so you could angle the camera and get a nice little shot of the two of you bundled up. “Give me this,” he whispered, taking the camera from your hand. 

He sat back and filmed himself undoing his pants, pulling his cock out and stroking himself. “Want me to fuck you?” He asked, and angled the camera at your face. You looked into the lense and nodded, twirling your hair on your finger. 

He bit down on his lip, pointed the camera back down at his cock, and pushed the tip into you. He listened to the wet sound of him sinking inside of you, pulling out halfway and them slamming back in. You tensed up and gripped onto the duvet cover, gasping. He immediately focused the camera on your face, watching through the screen as he pounded into you. 

“Fuck,” you muttered, your eyes rolling back. Matthew was practically drooling over you, huffing and puffing as he writhed on top of you. His shoulder were too far away for you to grab onto, but you dug your nails into his torso. You face was laced with pleasure and estacy, sweat forming on your forehead, your lips parted slightly. 

Matthew’s other hand held onto your face, his thumb tracing over your bottom lip. He continued to record your face as his thumb slid into your mouth. 

“Look at me,” he begged. “Look at me.”

Your eyes flickered up the camera, your lips tightened around his thumb and he nearly exploded. “Oh, God, you’re so hot,” he huffed. “You’re so fucking hot, princess.”

You whimpered against his skin, your jaw dropping down to release strangled moans. His hand dropped down to cup your boob, massage it between his fingers. He centered the camera on your chest, watching as your boobs bounced up and down. The camera followed his hand down to your clit, and he recorded himself fucking you and rubbing the sensitive nerve. You trembled underneath his touch, beginning to fall apart. 

“You gonna come, baby?” He panted, camera pointed at your face. You nodded quickly, your face hot, your lip caught between your teeth. “Come on, come on my cock.”

His voice sent you over the edge, and the camera caught everything. You — quivering, groaning, moaning, gritting your teeth. It set Matthew on fire. He fucked you through your orgasm, until you were melting into the mattress. His hips bucked into you sloppily, and aggressively, now videoing his cock with the camera. 

He moved the camera perfectly, capturing the moment he pulled out and came on your dress. His hand moved quickly to jerk himself off, until every last drop was on the fabric. He crumbled into a fit of breathy groans, hunching over and trying to catch his breath. 

“My dress,” you whined.

“Well,” he sighed, shutting the camera off. “Guess you’ll just have to take it off then.” 

By the time spring break was over, the two of you had made 5 videos. The number of times you fucked, however, was much greater. You were grateful for an opportunity to get back at him for every hickey he’d given you in the past. You constantly left marks on him that he had to hide from his mother, and you enjoyed every second of his squirming. Feeling much looser and more relaxed in Vegas, the two of you fell into a comfortable rhythm. Still secretive, still sneaky, just...less. You even got up the courage to sit on his lap in front of everyone, and no one said a word. 

They did, however, let you sit with him on the plane ride home. 

Matthew gave you a kiss on the cheek before you headed back to your dorm. You stepped up to your front door, took in a deep breath, and stared at the peephole. You weren’t ready. Ready to tell Claire everything that had happened. Even though there was no one in the world you wanted to tell more. But she had made her feelings about the situation very clear, and you had to respect that. So, instead of facing up to her right away, you left. You didn’t even think about why, or where you were going. Because the destination was obvious.

“[y/n]?” Matthew said as he answered the door. He looked down, noticing your suitcase still at your side. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah, I, uh, locked myself out the room. Can I stay here for a bit? Just until Claire gets back.” You asked.

“Yeah, of course,” he nodded, letting you into the suite. 

You got to his room and instantly crashed on his bed, feeling so comfortable. “Jet lag?” He laughed.

“Amongst other things.”

“You really need to let your body adjust to the time change.”

“Mhm,” you hummed, pulling the covers over your body and snuggling into the pillows. He laughed at you, and sighed. Then he crawled into bed with you, and you let him hold you close. Thinking you were falling asleep, Matthew lightly ran his fingers down your cheek. It was soft and gentle and felt nice. And you desperately wished for a way to have this. To have him. Without losing your best friend.

But things between you and Claire just got worse. 

Over the next few weeks, she not only kept you at arms length, but Matthew as well. Despite living with you, she found creative ways to keep your conversations short and brief, and oftentimes would leave before you got back from Matthew’s. And despite being Matthew’s friend, she managed to avoid him at every party, every class. It just sucked. Because you were so, so happy, and then there was Claire. 

“We have to move out,” she grumbled as she entered the room.

“What?” You were stocking your mini fridge, but stopped to look at her. 

“They’re kicking us out because of this goddamn virus! Fuck!” She shouted. 

“What? Where’d you hear that?” 

“The school just sent out an email.”

You rushed over to your bed, grabbing your phone off your mattress. The email notification popped up, causing a vibration in your hand, and you opened the app right away. All NYU students to be moved out of campus housing by Sunday.

“Sunday?” You shouted. “Sunday? They expect me to pack all my shit in 4 days?”

Claire would’ve responded, but she was too busy already getting her stuff together, and you were occupied with rampant thoughts about, well, everything. You’d have to pack. Everything. Clear out your room. You’d have to call home. Have someone help. Fuck. You’d have to live at home. Home. For months. You couldn’t go out on campus, couldn’t see your friends, your friends!

Matthew. Oh, God. Matthew. 

He crossed your mind everyday for the next 2 days, as you packed your room into boxes and bags. He didn’t attempt to contact you, probably too busy with his own packing. Your family would be picking you up Saturday morning. So, you felt it best to go say goodbye on Friday. 

It was almost midnight, and you had just finished packing. You stood outside of Matthew’s bedroom door for a long time, after having been let in by his suitemate. Before you could knock, the door swung open and the two of you nearly collided. 

“Oh! [y/n].”

“Hey.”

“Hey,” he mumbled. “I was just on my way to see you.”

“You were?”

“Yeah.”

“I, uh, I’m leaving tomorrow morning. So, I wanted to come say...goodbye.” The words were hard to push out, and they hit Matthew even harder. His heart sunk to his stomach, and he wanted to do anything, anything, to make it go away. 

He grabbed onto your face and pulled you into a passionate kiss. You instinctively gripped onto his shirt, your face contorted in shock and confusion. He pulled you into the room, slamming the door behind you. 

“Matthew,” you whispered, but he continued to press his lips to yours. “Matthew.” You repeated as he began to kiss your neck. Your legs started to go weak, your breathing sped up. “Matthew, wait.”

He stopped abruptly and looked you in the eye, your face in his palm. “What is it?”

“I just—“ you sighed. “Are you okay?”

He digested the words for a second, looking down at you with a soft gaze. He kissed you once again, arms now around your waist, chest pressed against yours. You gave in. You both needed this. 

It was hungry. Eager. Clothes were torn off in less than a minute. Matthew pushed you onto the bed, tangled his fingers in your hair and devoured your body. He left a trail of hickies from your neck, to your chest, to your rib cage. The sensation was so overwhelming that you couldn’t do anything but stare at the ceiling, attempting to control your breathing. 

Soft kisses on your thighs led to an intense session of him eating you out, him pressing you against his face, his tongue encircling your clit. You rolled your hips against his mouth, gasping his name and pulling his hair. He worked himself to the brink, his jaw going numb, until you cried out his name as you came. It was an other-worldly, hypersensitive, super sonic orgasm. And it took you a minute to recover. 

His body laid on top of yours, his lips on your neck, his torso between your legs. You whined into your mouth as he pressed his dick in you, slowly, gently, until he was buried inside you. You could feel his arm muscles contracting and relaxing under your touch. His breath hit your shoulder with each quiet groan that escaped his lips. He put his forehead against yours, watching your face as he moved in and out of you at a steady pace.

You hummed softly, and kissed his lips, then his cheek, then his neck. His mouth dropped open, and he couldn’t stop himself from moaning. “Oh, my God, [y/n],” he panted. He never said your name to you. Ever. Very rarely. Especially not in bed. And it tore you apart. You held onto him for dear life and looked him in the eye as you massaged your clit.

Your moans increased in volume together, both of you nearing your release at once. You whimpered uncontrollably, your eyes fluttering closed. You couldn’t see Matthew watching you, but he was. He watched the way your hair framed your face, your expression of pleasure. He placed soft kisses all over your face, and the moment he caught your lips on his, you came. You accidentally bit down on his lip, and he let out a weak moan.

“S-sorry,” you whispered. 

“It’s okay,” he nodded. “It’s okay. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, baby.”

He followed his words with a grunt, slamming himself into you. Your chests rubbed against each other’s, the bed squeaked along with the movement of Matthew’s hips. His moans became breathy, vulnerable, and he proactively pulled himself out of you. You dazedly reached down and stroked his cock, watching his face as he trembled. He said your name again, faintly, very faintly, in a fit of moans as he released himself onto your stomach. 

You were sticky and sweaty and gross — both of you — but you held each other close, panting and wheezing. 

You spent the night at his dorm for the first time that night. The two of you slept cuddled up, his head on your chest, your arms wrapped around each other. At six in the morning, you woke up and slid out of bed without waking Matthew. You kept your vision away from him as you got dressed. And when you were ready to go, you turned to him and admired him.

He looked peaceful, soft. You wanted nothing more than to wake him up, stay in bed with him for hours. But you couldn’t, and you wouldn’t. So you gave him a kiss on top of his head, and you left.

[PART 6.]

[anantradingpvtltd]

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[suspiciouslypinkrosegarden]

Pairing: Unknown (Saeran Choi) X Female Reader CRACK FIC

Description: You are a humble teenage bookworm, obsessed with the performer Lady Gaga and her catchy music. Or perhaps, it’s not her you’re obsessed with, but her back up dancer, Saeran. When your bestie Sasha offers you the chance to watch a performance front row, a chance encounter happens. Can you successfully woo this ̶s̶e̶x̶y�� ̶b̶e̶a̶s̶t̶ handsome dancer? Or will your attempt to dress up lead to nothing at all.

This is in NO way shape or form to be taken seriously. It is supposed to be a funny parody of many Wattpad stories we may have read way back when. It is not targeting any one author and is entirely based on stereotypes and jokes made about old experiences.

Little warning: Some of the jokes made could be said to be 18+, but nothing is too over the top. The reader is described to be blond with blue eyes, etc., just following Wattpad stereotypes. All descriptions of the reader are for comedic purposes as well as the “authors notes”. The elixir is brought up at the end.

This fic contains and is based on a sketch done by my friend 🤎Melkinpump🤎, who you can find on tumblr here: https://melkinpump.tumblr.com/

——————————————————————

https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ song from chapter 2!!!

CHAPTER ONE-

I woke up to see my beautiful turquoise bedroom shining in the sun. It was finally time, today I was going to a Lady Gaga concert. My gaze drifted to the Lady Gaga poster on my wall. But here’s the plot twist. I wasn’t in love with her, but him. The man in the back of the poster, Saeran, one of her favorite back up dancers. He was in all of her shows, and today I just had to seduce him best I could, which would be hard because I was such a nerd. I stared lovingly at his face behind hers, tongue sticking out with a blue color to it from the koolaid he had in his hand. It was pretty rock and roll epic. I sighed. Time to get dressed.

I followed the advice of my friend Sasha, and wore one of her tight black leather dresses. I’m not used to tight clothes, but she’s a seduction master with 10 boyfriends right now, so I’m listening. It hugged my 1 inch waist so tight I couldn’t breathe, and the cleavage showed almost my whole natural DD rack, but I guess it looks hot. This felt weird, so not like me who usually wears big sweaters and big jeans. Of course, I still need to wear my glasses or I can’t see shit. I took down my long, straight platinum blond hair out of my pony tail and brushed it. Lastly, I brushed my teeth incase we do make out.

Sasha arrived in her Jaguar car. She’s super rich unlike me. She yelled at me,

“Why aren’t you wearing makeup? Come here let’s fix you up!”

She put on a lot of my makeup for me, thick black eyeliner and bright red lipstick. I put back on my glasses when she was finished, and she smacked my hand.

“No! Guys don’t like girls who wear glasses, show off those pretty blue eyes!”

I sighed as now I’d be blind for the concert. But it’s ok, it’s all to win his heart. The devil with the white hair and man whore outfit he always wore. It was Lady Gaga’s thing to make him dress like that, I didn’t mind because he’s incredibly sexy in it.

I tried not to let my mind wander too much as Sasha drove us to the concert. I could not be nervous, and I definitely couldn’t allow him to see that I was actually just a little nerd girl. Tonight, I’m a sex kitten just for him. Sasha made sure of that.

END CHAPTER 1

HEY guys I hope you enjoyed chapter one :) chapter two is just down below and maybe you’ll finally get to kiss Saeran idk it’s not like I’m the author ;))

CHAPTER 2-

The concert began. And there he was, dancing so close to me as we had front row seats which Sasha’s rich dad paid for. I’m so lucky to have a rich bestie.

He rocked his hips to the beat, that pink leotard type outfit barely covering much. I could see his beautiful pecs through the heart in the center, shiny from his glistening sweat. Unless Lady Gaga told him to shine up with something, I wouldn’t put it past her.

@melkinpump

After a few minutes, my heart stopped beating. He noticed me! His aqua orbs met mine in the crowd, gazing into my soul with such a fiery passion as he danced, white locks stuck to his forehead with sweat. My friend nudged me, smiling. I couldn’t believe it. I smiled at him, and started singing the words to the song playing to pretend I was unphased.

And then, it happened. He kneeled down next to me, chains from his outfit clinking a little, leaning in with his hand cupping his ear to hear my voice. He then spoke, the tone surprising me as his voice was rather airy.

“I can’t hear you!”

I sang louder.

“You can be louder than that!”

He smirked at me teasingly. My heart was leaping sky high as I got even louder for him. I’d do anything for him.

Just then, he passed me his hand, offering to take me up on stage with him. I hesitantly took it, feeling its heat in mine as he pulled me up on stage next to him. It felt unreal!

“YOU GO GIRL WOOOOH!”, Sasha screamed.

Lady Gaga stopped then cued the next song as Saeran passed me a mic. The music started playing and I could feel my heart in my throat. I couldn’t let him know this confidence was all a fake to win him as I’m usually just a bookworm. I sang best I could, the song was a classic, “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga (link at the top). To my surprise, Saeran also took a mic. It was just the two of us singing, and the audience was in awe because it sounded so good. I didn’t even know I could sing because I never have before, but now I understand I have a hidden talent, and I feel more confident.

As the song wrapped up, he smiled at me and handed me a VIP backstage pass! I thanked him profusely as I got down from the stage, eliciting a wink. I can’t believe I’m going to get to see him backstage!

CHAPTER 3-

Hey guys :/ adult content warning !

Skip ahead to the end of the awesome concert and me and Sasha were heading backstage with my shiny, black VIP pass. It had a mint eye symbol on it which looked bitchin. The guard stopped Sasha from entering,

“Sorry, only that one is allowed by Mr. Saeran.”

Mr. Saeran? Now that’s hot. But I’m also sad because I want to take Sasha too because without her, I wouldn’t even be at this concert! Sasha winked at me,

“It’s ok girl, go live your dream. My dad’s rich so one of my boyfriends is Justin Beiber so I don’t need this anyways.”

“Thanks bestie.” I smiled at her, preparing myself to go meet Saeran and Lady Gaga alone.

I took in a deep breath, my exposed chest nice and puffed out to attract his attention because I know guys like boobs. Sasha told me that, I don’t know much about guys because I’m a nerd. But hopefully now I’d be his nerd.

The security guard led me to the back of the hall, opening the big door, revealing Saeran and Lady Gaga, standing and talking. I was in shock! They were both so hot in person! I am so lucky!

Their heads turned in my direction, Saeran hungrily licking his lips upon seeing me. I couldn’t get any redder!

Just then, Lady Gaga handed me some blue koolaid and told me to take a seat with a sweet smile. I smiled back and sat like she said. Lady Gaga spoke,

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you! You really grabbed my dancer’s attention here as well as mine and the crowds, and I instructed him to pick one lucky girl to meet with today. And here you are! With a singing voice like that, I want to know if you want to join us on tour!”

With that, I’m certain I stopped breathing. To work alongside Saeran AND Lady Gaga?! Incredible! I didn’t mind leaving my old life behind to be sexy and cool always like I was tonight, because at home I was nothing but a 16 year old boring book worm. I’d be happy to never see high school again, but I’d miss Sasha.

“Yes!” I squeaked happily.

“Good girl~” Saeran cooed. I wasn’t expecting him to call me that, and I blushed red to my ears.

“First, let’s finish that drink with a toast to you joining us!” Lady Gaga cheered.

“Ok! Cheers to our new pet here!”, Saeran said raising a glass too.

It’s weird that he called me pet, personally I think a little ominous. But it’s ok, he can call me as he likes.

As I tasted the koolaid, it was super bitter and burned my throat. Saeran and Lady Gaga smiled at me, and I smiled back, forcing myself to chug it as they watched eagerly. I then felt super dizzy and sick…what was this koolaid? As the room started spinning, I reached a hand to my head and winced. Saeran sat next to me and guided me to lean on him. Even though I felt odd, leaning on him still made my heart race.

He stroked my hair, whispering “good girl” once more. This was getting freaky. Did they drug me?

Before I could open my mouth to speak, Lady Gaga took off her crazy wig. I saw long blond curls fall down as she removed her wig cap. Within another second, she popped out colored contacts, revealing orbs as green as emeralds. That wasn’t Lady Gaga at all! It was a fraud! I gasped, but Saeran held me closer, telling me to remain quiet.

“Just as you’re thinking child, this isn’t a Lady Gaga concert at all, but a recruitment for our cult! I killed Lady Gaga long ago, and took her place. Saeran here is in charge of choosing one lucky person each show to join us, and with your voice you’ll make a great performer alongside us here at the Mint Eye!”

I was so angry and confused. What did she mean she killed Lady Gaga? And a cult? No way…

Saeran spoke to me again, “don’t worry little blondy, I chose you because you’ll be a great assistant for me with that voice. We have a lot of work to do, and lucky for you, since I can tell you like me, you get to work alongside me~”. He cackled and then crushed my phone with his bare hands.

I was horrified. I spoke softly, still feeling weird.

“Saeran…I thought you were a good person…I know you are…I love you…”

He seemed moved in those minty eyes, but wouldn’t tell it. His eyes were a tad watery as he scooped me up into his arms and cradled me close to his chest. My head rested on the open heart in his costume.

“I know, and that’s exactly why I chose you. I’ve been watching you for a long time, y/n. You look different without your glasses. But don’t worry, we have contacts for on stage.”

And with that he carried me to his room, and I prepared for my new life as a cultist.

END!!!!

A/N: Hey everyone thanks for reading <3 I wonder what Saeran and y/n are going to do in his room next 😳😜😎🍋!!?!! If I get 3 comments, I’ll write the next part :3 which will be rated 18+ though!!! I think you know why ;)))) !!! Pray for me 🙏 because I just broke my pelvis and I’m so sorry that 18+ part will be a little late because of it but I’ll write it in the hospital! Safe wishes 💋! Thanks for all the support!!!!

Fin! *takes a bow*

[magicapandora]

Pre-Date Jitters

I decided to actually write about Rosie and Victor and thought it would be cute to show them being nervous about their first date so here

Rosie felt like they were gonna throw up.

They've been pacing back and forth in their dorm for the past 20 minutes now, constantly checking their reflection in the mirror and looking at the grandfather clock near the entrance. Those 20 minutes felt like an hour to them and they looked at the clock again.

10 minutes.

“What’re you doing?” A voice came from one of the beds in the room. Rosie jumped, letting out a small yelp and whipping their head to the voice. Rosie saw their black haired roommate, sitting crisscrossed with a book in her lap and several notes and papers scattered on her sheets.

Rosie pushed their bangs away from their face, tucking the extra hair behind their ears.

“Oh, hey Melds,” They gasped quietly, sitting down on their trunk and letting all of their weight down, slumping. Ismelda had gotten used to the ridiculous nickname their short roommate had given them and simply rolled their eyes, setting down the transfiguration textbook on top of the other scraps of paper.

“Okay, what's the deal with you? You're way too nervous, even for you.” Ismelda asked, tilting her head and staring at the curly haired individual. Ismelda knew Rosie had a date, since they never shut up about it all week leading up to it, but now it looked like they were gonna barf at any point.

“Oh, just pre-date jitters, that's all.” Rosie laughed dryly, rubbing their hands together and wiping the sweat from their palms. It was only fall and yet Rosie felt like it was 100 degrees in the dorms, which they found ironic since they're in the dungeons. Rosie hadn't felt this nervous since their first date during 5th year with Diego.

But this was different. This was someone Rosie actually had strong feelings for, not a puppy crush or anything like that. Victor made Rosie feel things. Good things. Things that made Rosie scream and yell into their pillow and annoy their roommates. Rosie didn't care, they were finally gonna have a real date with him and they're sweating like a sinner in church, and it felt like they were in hell.

“Rosie, I've seen pre-date jitters from Merula. You, however,” Ismelda said, getting up from her bed and walking over to the medium toned enby, bending down to their level, “are going into a borderline panic attack.”.

The black haired witch took out a white handkerchief from her pocket, handing it to the shorter one. Rosie looked at it, then quietly took it and thanked Ismelda. Rosie quickly wiped their hands and their face from any perspiration and handed it back to Ismelda.

“Nah, keep it for now. I don't want your weird sweat on me,” Ismelda grimaced, scrunching her nose at the handkerchief and standing upright. Rosie took a deep breath before standing up too, gaining some composure and walking over to their full length mirror next to their bed. Rosie smoothed out the soft and lacy fabric of their skirt and checked over themself one more time in the mirror.

“Do I look okay? Is this too much? I don't wanna over dress-WAIT, what if I'm under-dressing? Am I dressing appropriately? What if it starts raining? What-”

“ROSIE!”

Rosie flinched at the loud shout, seeing Ismelda from the reflection of the mirror stalk over to them and spun them around to face her. Ismelda had a dark look on her face, not angry or annoyed but...holy shit, was Ismelda concerned?

“Rosie Mayfield, you are fine. You look good for being the personification of a Rainbow Brite and My little Pony. No, it won't rain, I checked the weather. You two are just gonna go around Hogsmeade, so you aren't going anywhere fancy. If you can survive a murder attempt, Kidnapping, several dark Wizards and witches, and fighting a damn dragon, you can survive this stupid date. You are fine.``

Rosie's eye was wide, their mouth slightly agape. Ismelda sighed, adjusting Rosie's eyepatch slightly to make sure it was secure, then wiping some dust off that had fallen on Rosie's shoulders.

This was weirdly intimate, Ismelda the wannabe dark witch helping one of their housemates with a date. Rosie didn't hate it, they actually enjoyed having this quiet moment with Ismelda, letting the goth girl adjust their outfit and hair how she saw fit.

Ismelda turned the shorter one around again, this time much more gently and less abrupt. Rosie saw their reflection and sighed in relief. Ismelda had pushed Rosie's bangs forward, letting the curls fall in their face and frame it, but also tucking a bit of hair to show off Rosie's eyepatch, a dullish dusty pink with a black rose embroidered on the leather patch.

“There. You're ready.” Ismelda stated, the smallest smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Before Rosie could say a thank you, Ismelda shoved Rosie near the exit and walked away, going back to where she was before. “Now go on that date, Rosie. Don't chicken out or I will curse you,” Ismelda said, sitting on her bed and opening up the same transfiguration textbook she had opened a couple of minutes ago.

Rosie looked back at her freckled girl, then smiling and running down the stairs, quickly shouting ‘Thank you!’ Before going out of the common room door.

Ismelda sighed, smiling a bit before going back to her notes.

Meanwhile, in the Ravenclaw Boys Dorm

“But do I look good?”

“Victor, for the 3rd time, you do, so shut up.” Talbott sighed, his attention mostly focused on his divination homework. His attention was then very abruptly halted when the taller ravenclaw snatched the book from Talbott’s hands and threw it to the other side of the room. “Hey! What the hell?” Talbott yelled, looking at his roommate, debating whether or not to punch him in the face.

“Tal, I know you're not actually looking at my outfit,” Victor sighed, putting his hands on his hips and raising his eyebrow at Talbott.

“That's because you're wearing the exact same outfit you wear everyday,” Talbott emphasized, motioning his hand up and down Victor's body. I mean, he wasn't wrong. Victor simply just put on what he has in his closet and thought it was acceptable. “This is a date, you weirdo. You gotta look nice for Rosie or else they'll think you don't care about your appearance.”.

Victor opened his mouth to debate, but then slowly closed it and realized that Talbott was right. He didn't have a lot of nice clothes and the ones he did have were mostly sweatpants, flannels, and hoodies. Not really ‘going out on a date’ material. He knew he should've just gone to Andre for help.

As if on cue, Andre was at the entrance of their dorm room and looked at his two roommates. He sighed and went over to Talbott’s closet, opening the mahogany doors and sifting through the few racks of clothes he had. Talbott quickly noticed this and stood up abruptly from his desk.

“Why is everyone touching my stuff today?!” He yelled in frustration, flinging himself and laying face down on his bed, groaning into the sheets. Victor laughed, leaning on the wall and looking over to his more fashionable roommate. Andre quickly pulled out a dusty pale blue turtleneck and a pair of black slacks with a matching belt, then with a pair of plain black boots. He strided over to Victor and handed over the clothes to him.

“It's a miracle that you and Talbott almost have the exact same measurements and height. Even if you're a bit broader with your shoulders and chest, the top has some elasticity so it'll fit,” Andre said, going over to his own desk and rummaging through some hair and makeup products he kept in case of emergencies like these.

Victor looked down at the clothes in his hands, quickly changing into the new outfit Andre had provided for him. He flattened the pants to make sure there weren't any creases and quickly turned around in front of the mirror-wait...oh right. Vampirism. He sighed, seeing the clothes but not his own body. He forgot that the mirrors at Hogwarts all had silver backings. He then went over to Andre's mirror, which was one of the only mirrors that was normal, having a plastic backing instead.

Andre pulled up a chair in front of his mirror and motioned Victor to sit down. Victor reluctantly did, fiddling with the cuffs of the sleeves, rolling them up and down constantly and feeling the knitted material of the turtleneck.

He felt Andre talk a chunk of his hair and pull it a bit harsh, making the pale teen wince in pain as Andre fiddled with his hair and styled it. He spread the short ponytail with his fingers and let the rest of his hair be as is, then messing with his bangs to have it frame his face.

“There, much better.” Andre said, admiring his work. Victor stood up and looked at himself in the full length mirror, He actually didn't look that bad.

He looked like a whole new person, but in a good way.

“Oh wow, you clean up nice,” Talbott said, leaning on his arms and looking at his fellow vampire. Victor chuckled a bit, hearing a compliment from his distant roommate was a bit flattering.

“Okay, you have a date you need to go on! So, c’mon! Get outta here!” Andre shouted, pushing Victor out of the dorms while laughing. Victor laughed too, running down the stairs quickly and jumping from the last 5 steps.

“Hey! Thanks! I owe you both favors!” He yelled, about to open the door to the common room before running back to his dorm and grabbing a black, blue, and silver scarf from his bed, then shouting another ‘thanks!’ Before Andre and Talbott heard the common room door slamming shut, making almost the entire house shake from the force.

“You think he’ll be alright?” Talbott asked, going towards the slightly damaged divination textbook from the floor and wiping the dirt off of it. Andre sat on his bed, picking up the latest copy of a fashion magazine and flipping to the first page.

“Eh, if he can survive us, I think he can survive a date with our favorite cursebreaker.”

[godess-ofthe-underworld]

Love Finds A Way

(sequel to “See You Again) (A Harry Hook x reader story)

Part 9

"I… I…"

"You what?"

Harry stepped closer, the movement making Hadley look up from the hook.  Their eyes met, Hadley could see the emotions swimming through his ocean blue eyes.  

She let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I love you…"

Part 9

Harry's crystal blue eyes widened,enhanced by the thick line of eyeliner around them, his shoulders slumped, his jaw slacked a little. 

Hadley saw the other vks close to the pipe and had to act fast.

"I'm sorry"

Harry snapped out of it just as Hadley dropped the hook over the railing and into the water. 

Harry rushed past her not saying anything as she ran past to join the others. 

A few tears prickled in her eyes as she fought more pirates.

Hadley helped Ruby fight off two pirates as Jay and Lonnie ran through the pipe.

They backed closer to it.

Hadley watched as Harry fought Ben, dripping wet. There was a rage in his eyes that Hadley never saw before. She snapped out of her staring when Evie pulled her back.

"Carlos! Smoke bomb!"

Carlos tossed the smoke bomb to Evie and she held it up.

Purple smoke billowed out from the broken bomb, covering them to escape.

"Ben go!"

Evie, Ruby and Ben went through the pipe.

Hadley and Mal made it over the bridge, stopping at the opening.

Together they kicked the bridge off the docks and into the waters below.

Mal smirked at Uma and turned away going through the tunnel.

Hadley lingered a few moments longer looking at Harry.

He was looking straight back, his blue eyes sad. He almost looked like he wanted to say something.

"i'm sorry"

Hadley turned and ran through the tunnel, throwing her sword in the trunk of the limo and climbing in.

When she settled in her seat a  silent tear slipped down her cheek.

The way back was silent, no one said anything aside from Dude saying things he shouldn't.

When they got back all Hadley wanted to do was sit in her room and cry.

Ruby ran off to the dorms as soon as her feet hit Auradon soil.

Evie pulled her and Mal away walking towards the dorms.

"We need to talk"

Hadley nodded, another tear dripping down her cheek.

"No."  Carlos stepped forward making the girls turn around.

"No?"

“You guys are always going off in a huddle, whispering your girl-talk or whatever.  And Jay and I are tired of it.”

Jay looked at Carlos wide eyes before holding his hands up.

“I'm not.” He shrugged.

“We're your family, too.” Carlos continued “We've been through a lot. Together. I'm not stopping that now. Okay?” Mal and Hadley shook their heads.

Carlos looked at the other four standing around him.

“Everyone, sit.” Carlos sat down cross-legged in the grass with Dude in his lap.

They looked around at each other before sitting down.

The five sat in a circle in silence for a few seconds before Carlos spoke again looking over at Jay.

“I don't know how to start girl-talk.”

Jay shrugged “what up?”

Evie chuckled and Mal spoke up.

“Um… Well…” she paused looking for the right words, “ I'm a mess. I'm such a mess.” Mal laughed nervously and Evie placed a hand on her shoulder and Hadley reached out for her hand squeezing it reassuringly “I mean, six months ago, I was, you know, stealing candy from babies, and know, everyone wants me to be this Lady of the Court and I have no idea how to keep up the act”

“Then don't” Carlos shrugged.

“See? This was dumb.” Jay sighed starting to get up.

Evie held out her hand stopping him from leaving the grass.

“Maybe not,” she readjusted to hold Mals other hand and face the others.

“we are always going to be the kids from the Isle.  I tried to forget it, I really tried. But those are our roots.  And we all did what we had to do to survive, but it made us who we are.  And we are never going to be like anyone else here.  And that's okay.”

“And we can't fake it” Carlos added.

“Yeah, I mean, especially without my spell book.” Mal sighed.

“Well of Ben doesn't love the real you, then he's not the one.  The same goes with Harry, Hadley.  If Harry can't see the way you feel for him and what you gave up, then he doesn't deserve you” Carlos gave a small smile.

Hadley laughed nervously and another year slid down her cheek.

“See that's the thing, Harry does know how I feel, at least he does now now anyway.” Hadley looked down.

“What do you mean?” Jay furrowed his eyebrows.

“I, um.., I told him that I loved him.” Hadley let out a sharp breath.

The others gasped.

“What did he say?” Evie looked wide eyes at her.

“He didn't say anything.” Hadley gave a sheepishly sad smile “ I said it right before I dropped his hook in the water, he dove in right after,” Hadley paused before starting again. 

“He thought I forgot about him, he thought I abandoned him there.  And I know you guys don't necessarily like him because he's on Umas crew and everything, but he does have a heart.  And to see the look on his face when he confronted me outside of the Ursals’, I broke my heart.  Knowing that I was the sole purpose of it.  Hell I wouldn't be surprised if he hated me now, I mean, I did tell him I was coming back for him.  And now I won't even get to know what his answer would be.” Hadley wiped away the tears that had fallen.

“Well, if he's dumb enough to not love you back then, you don't deserve him.” Jay nodded.

Hadley smiled sadly.

There was silence for a few minutes before  Evie spoke.

“ Hadley and I are going to go make some changes to your dress. And if you're up for it, only if you're up for it, it'll be waiting for you, okay?” Mal nodded slightly and Evie pulled her into a hug mounting 'thank you’re to Carlos who nodded.

Jay, Evie, Hadley and Carlos stood up and began walking away.

When Hadley and Evie reached Evie's dorm, Hadley flopped on her bed.

“E, what am I going to do?” Evie leaned against the post at the foot of her bed.

Evie gave her a small smile.

She sat down on the bed as Hadley sat up and pulled the girl into a side hug. 

“What does your heart say?” 

“That right now, I'm hoping for a miracle” Hadley sighed.

(Evie)

They don't always happen when you ask And its easy to give in to your fears But when you're blinded by your pain Can't see the way, get through the rain A small but still, resilient voice Says hope is very near, oh (Oh) There can be miracles (Miracles) When you believe (Boy, when you believe, yeah) (Though hope is frail) Though hope is frail (Its hard) Its hard to kill (Hard to kill, oh, yeah) Who knows what miracles You can achieve (You can achieve, oh) When you believe somehow you will (Somehow, somehow, somehow) Somehow you will (I know, I know, know) You will when you believe (When you)

(A/n: for those of you who read 'see you again' will know where this song came from :))

Hadley turned and hugged Evie tight.

“What would I do without you?” She smiled.

“Not sure. But now, we have a dress to fix.” Evie stood up pulling Hadley with her.  After getting changed from their Isle clothes, Evie gladly let Hadley borrow some clothes, together they pulled out Mal's yellow and blue dress, attaching it to the mannequin.  Evie cut and Hadley sewed.

Just over an hour later, there was a frantic knock on the door.

“Come in” Hadley said through the pins in her teeth.

The door burst open and in walked a tear streaked Ruby.

Hadley stood up and removed the pins from her mouth seeing her friend in such a state.

“Ruby? What's wrong?” Hadey and Evie both rushed over to console the blonde girl.

“I think I'm in love.” Ruby didn't look up from the floor.

“Well that's great!” Evie squealed.

“Ruby?” Hadley already had an idea on who it was.

“With who?” 

Ruby looked up at them.

“I think I'm in love with Gil.” 

Hadley and Evie looked at each other.

Oh boy..

“Okay, you need to talk and we need to work, let's go” Hadley shut the door and pulled Ruby over to the dresses.

Hadey and Evie resumed their work both listening to her

“Spill.”

“I don't know, I just, I felt something when we ran into him the first time on the Isle.”

Hadley urged her for more details

“After I was captured by Umas crew, Gil never left my side. He also didn't let any of the other crew members get close to me.  We got to talking, found out we have a similar interest in adventures and discovering new places.  He's really sweet." Ruby had a far off look in her eyes. 

"Gil always was. Granted he can be a bit thick headed but, nonetheless,  he is a great guy.  Harry's told me that." Hadley hadn't looked away from the lace she was sewing.

"I understand completely" she reached out and placed her hand on Ruby's knee. 

"I just wish there was some way to bring him over, you know?"Ruby sighed.

"Oh believe me, nobody knows about wanting to bring someone over more than Hadley and I" Evie said walking around the front of the dress.

"There are many people on that island that don't deserve to be there."

Hadley finished stitching, stepping back with Evie and looking the dress up and down. 

"Its even more perfect than before." Hadley high fived Evie admiring their handywork.  

Hadley walked over to Ruby and pulled her up holding onto her hands.

"We will find a way to get Gil off the Isle.  Even if I have to go back there and drag him out myself." Hadley smiled. 

Ruby gave a slight chuckle and pulled Hadley and Evie into a hug.

"Now, its almost time for cotillion." Hadley walked over to the rack of dresses and pulled off a large dress bag labeled 'Ruby'.  She held the bag out.

"Go back to your dorm and get some rest, ill be over in a bit to help you get ready i gotta help deliver dresses and help Evie get ready." She leaned in as Ruby took the bag,and whispered "and to be honest, Evie is the only one who can get me into my dress." Ruby laughed as she nodded her head and walked out the door. 

 I gotta say this part tor me up writing... anyways.. If you liked this part and would like part 10 please like and comment.  As always you can read the illustrated version over on my Wattpad (@phelpsphan).  If you would like to be added to the tag list please message me. <3<3<3

Summary: You would think that six months in Auradon would do any villain kid good.  Well, not Hadley.  After the events of the Coronation, Hadley's mood took a downward spiral; and for one reason, guilt.  She'd broken a promise and left her best friend on the Isle of the Lost.  How will she handle seeing him again when certain circumstances bring her back to the Isle? Will she finally tell him what she really feels?  

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Descendants.  Hadley and the plot between her and Harry are mine. 

Tag list: @unded-bride

[bluescarfvivi]

A Taste of Christmas!

Merry Christmas @talifu! 

I’m you’re Secret MSA Santa for @msaholidayspirits! You wanted some fluffy, slice-of-life, wholesome goodness with the team? I got you covered! This is the first year I decided going with a fic! Change it up a bit and try something new! I hope you enjoy it, and have a fantastic holiday season!! 

Briiiing! Briiing!

Briiing! Briiing!

Briiing! Briiing! 

“Nggggh...just five more minutes...I gotta...take the potions...to the village elder…for exchange….exotic breads…” 

“Vivi!” 

Something warm and wet wiped across her cheeks instantly waking the bluenette up from her mumblings. “What!? What...I’m here. ‘M...here, I’m awake...” Somewhat. Her eyes held a stark heaviness, slowly blinking and shutting closed on occasion. “Wh...what’s so...you’re so loud...why..” 

“You slept through your alarm Vivi! Three times!”    

No answer.

“...you do understand what day it is, right?” 

“Mmmis jus’...another...day off for me…” Vivi tossed onto her other side snaking an arm around a very blue, very worn stuffed turtle plush. “M’fine…” 

Mystery sighed. Goodness this girl didn’t even realize why he provoked her. He jumped up on the bed, landing on top of the slow-breathing mound. Two paws massaged the sleeping creature beneath the sheets. “Vivi, it is Christmas. I believe you had plans with the others today involving-”

“HOLY SHIT, WAIT YOU’RE RIGHT!” Why didn’t it click?! It’s one of her favorite holidays! The sudden outburst sent the poor dog tumbling off the bed, but thankfully Mystery timed it so he landed on his feet. Vivi threw the covers off (poor Mystery couldn’t react in time when the sheets descended upon him) and ran to her closet. Most of her clothes lay haphazardly or shoved towards the sides in massive, dirty clumps. She saved a specific outfit just for today. After counting through several hangers, Vivi violently heaved the festive garment off its hanger. It looked as if Jolly Old Saint Nicholas literally used all his magic to make the most appropriately, most disgustingly festive, handknit outfit. Handknit too, and paired with bright dark green stockings. 

“What time is it? What time is it!?” There wasn’t any time to check the clock, nor anytime to waste dawdling in the bathroom. A quick splash of soapy water on her face, a healthy dab of deodorant under her arms, and she called it clean. Now to slip on the dang outfit. She flipped the Christmas dress over her head struggling to shove the material past her chest. One little wiggle after another and the rest fell into place. Two arms through each sleeve, a simple fix near the hem, a onceover in the full body mirror and she looked set to jingle some bells! 

“We still have plenty of time before your arrangement at the Kingsmens.” Mystery trotted in with a sheet in tow, and a Santa hat clutched in his mouth. “I doubt Arthur or Lance won’t you give you much trouble if you arrive just a few minutes late.” 

“I still have to put everyone’s gifts in my bag.” Vivi scurried out of the bathroom back to her bedroom. Over on her desk were neatly wrapped gifts, decorated in various colors and tied together with small bows. Each color seemed to represent a certain person, some were rather small while a few took an extra coating of wrapping paper. She did her best! That’s what she figured. “Come on Mystery. Help me find my purse. I thought I had it on my chair!” 

Mystery sighed. “Alright, just don’t get yourself too much in a tizzy.” It had to be somewhere in her room. He remembered seeing it draped on the back of her desk chair, but now it was covered in one of her bed blankets. He grabbed it with his mouth and pulled it off, with no sign of the item in question. Maybe it got lost in the sea of covers? He nosed into the pile, sticking his head further in until it swallowed him whole. A small lump moved around beneath the pile, and after a few moments his head poked out with a small, deep sea blue purse in his teeth. “Purse found!” 

“Good good good!” Vivi swiped it out, tucking it over her right arm, while her left arm held a brightly colored, green and white paper bag full of her presents. She looked like a modern day Santa Claus in her outfit minus the blue boots. “No more wasting time. We gotta get over there or else lunch will get cold!” Her room may be in a tattered mess, but that would be a problem for future Vivi. 

Her feet flew down the stairs taking two at a time, then jumped off right near the landing. A solid stance: give it an 8/10 since she did misstep. Her winter coat lay on the coat rack near the door, along with Mystery’s own doggie jacket and leash. She fixed up Mystery first, then pulled the jacket over her Christmas outfit. Everyone would get quite a festive surprise when she showed this off.

Double check everything. Purse. Gift. Outfit. Purse. Mystery. She couldn’t have forgotten Mystery of all people. Er well...scratch that one. “Let’s get going! I bet you Lance whipped up something yummy and delicious for us!” 

“Hopefully I won’t have the intoxicating scent of haggis clogging my nostrils.” Mystery mused. 

It wasn’t the best of days in Tempo. Cloudy and rather chilly. Even if the weather appeared gloomy, it couldn’t halt the joyous cheers and jolly greetings from the residents. Maybe the weather was holding out for something…

-----------

The local mechanic shop came into view. The bright, giant crowned wrench lit up just as usual decorated with garland. A little santa hat topped it all off. The windows were adorned with various strings of flashing colored lights, coupled with dripping icicle lights on the awning. Very festive and inviting. 

“Wow, the icicle drips are new! I couldn’t even grab one of those for the book shop!” Vivi commented while watching the light show. “Duet had to order a set online but they didn’t come until a few days later. Chloe and I managed to hang them up before the store opened.” 

“I’m sure all the little ones enjoyed the festive decorations you two put together.” Mystery nodded with a smile. 

Vivi chuckled. “Alright! It’s time to get our Christmas on!” The duo stepped underneath the awning, and Vivi reached out rapping her hand against the wooden door. No answer, not even muffled voices beyond the doorway. They said they could come by anytime around noon. The bluenette double checked pulling out her cell phone. 12:20PM. Late but not ‘fashionably late’ in her eyes. Another knock still didn’t get them anywhere. 

...until she heard a distance crashing sound. 

“What the…” Vivi moved toward the closest window plastering her face against the glass. She peered inside seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The usual storefront was all she took in, albeit it’d been darkened due to the shop closure for the day. She scanned around the rows of hardware, the front desk, and locked on the low light coming from a doorway. That’s the store entrance to their home, but no signs of anyone. “I can’t see anyone near the back but...you heard that too, right?”

Mystery trotted over standing up on his back two legs so he could take a look inside. “I did...however with this low visibility and the nature of the crash I can’t judge whether it’s something we should be concerned about..” 

“There is a side entrance. Let’s try knocking over there.” 

This wasn’t the usual entrance for customers. It’s like a side-alley back door, where the employees could hang out during their break or needed to take out the trash. Piles of scrap metal and rusty materials lay against the brick walls, creaking here and there in the light breeze. Vivi stepped up the two stone stairs and knocked on his steel frame. “Arthur! Lance! It’s me and Mystery!” There wasn’t a response at first so she tried banging a little harder. “Guys? Is anyone-” 

“VIVI!” 

The door swung open catching Vivi and Mystery by complete surprise. She fumbled down the stairs catching herself on top of the squashed dog. Right in the entrance stood a familiar blonde mechanic. The smile on his square face could brighten any cloudy day. The greens and reds adorned on his sweater complimented the bright red nose taped over his own nose. 

“Heeeeeey Vivi! Uh...sorry for scaring you there!” He offered her a helping hand. “I was about to catch you at the front, but then Lance told me he heard the knocks coming from the side.” 

“That’s okay Artie.” Vivi sighed adjusting the bottom hem of her Christmas dress. “I wasn’t sure whether I should have gone the usual way or try my chances around here.” 

“It’s noooo problem!” Arthur seemed very enthusiastic, and oddly cheery. Maybe it was the Christmas spirit...or he could be hiding whatever that faint trail of smoke billowing in the corner. Something seemed suspicious about that. 

“Well...in any case, we’re sorry for coming here late. I overslept...a bit, but we’re here for a good lunch!” 

“Yeeeeeah, so...about that.” Arthur chuckled nervously. 

“Artie!” The familiar, Scottish drawl of the mechanic shop owner brightened the bluenette’s smile. A shorter man sauntered from behind the taller blonde rubbing a handkerchief over his thick beard. Lance wore a matching sweater, just like Arthur, with a Santa reindeer-horned hat on top. “Why are you letting this lass stand out in the freezing cold!? Bring her in! Come on, Vivi! We’re just about ready to eat!” 

“Thank you Uncle Lance!” Vivi politely bowed, then skipped up the stairs past Arthur’s fumbling expression. 

“Uuuuh Lance, are you sure you...really want to…” 

“Ahhh don’tcha worry there, Artie. The fish may not have come out as perfect as planned, but that’s why we have a backup!” Lance laughed heartily.

“So that was the loud bang I heard, and why you looked in such a titz when you opened the back door.” Vivi commented adding a playful jab at his arm. It wasn’t a big deal or horrible outcome if something didn’t turn out right. Just take Vivi’s own cooking as an example! No one could ever trust what she brought to the table, and Vivi knew it very well. 

“Heh heh...sorry about that.” Arthur shyly smiled and scratched one one his stripped sidebangs. “We really did want to make something special for the holiday, and just for you as well, but…” 

Vivi stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder, accompanied with a small squeeze. “You don’t need to apologize for the flop. These things happen, and as long as I’m spending Christmas with my favorite people in the world I’m happy.” She smiled sweetly. 

Arthur returned the smile with a goofy, toothy grin of his own. “Right...thanks Vi.” With that all cleared up, the blonde seemed to spring back to life. He hopped in front of the doorway leading inside the mechanic’s living quarters. His posture mimicked that of a fancy, snobby butler: puffed out chest, arms tight against his sides, his nose stuck in the air, and his hair slicked back. It sure got the giggles out of Vivi. “Now, madame and monsieur, I do hope you have prepared yourself for quite the luncheon.” His rigid left arm extended towards the door, carefully opening it until it stopped creaking. “Do have yourself a wonderful time~” 

Vivi couldn’t stop giggling but played along with this silly act. She politely bowed to the ‘butler’ and curtsied her dress. “Oh thank you my good sir. How polite and...mannerly you are to such an exquisite lady such as myself.” Even Mystery played along bowing his head. The three joined in a fit of laughter before joining Lance’s round table. 

It was a fantastic lunch: a healthy spread of sandwiches, various flavors of chips, and drinks galore. Galaham and Mystery were treated with scrumptious delights. Vivi may have slipped a few pieces of salami, ham, and of course...roasted chicken into his bowl. Arthur’s little ham-ham was treated to yogurt bites. The tiny hamster munched them all down, and then some. At one point he crawled up Arthur’s pant leg begging and scritching his sweater for more sweet treats. He couldn’t resist those beady, black eyes! 

Jokes were thrown plenty around the table. Arthur stabbed two pickles on two separate forks and used those as tiny feet, while his giant head became the make-believe character’s body. Vivi snorted up a storm which resulted in spewing out fizzy soda through her nostrils. Absolutely gross, but hilarious nonetheless. After the clean up, Arthur brought out one of his prototype catapults. He played ‘fling the meat at the Mystery’ while Vivi offered to help Lance clean in the kitchen. All in all a successful afternoon at the Kingsmens! 

A few hours passed, and once everything was set back to normal Vivi and Arthur grabbed their stuff. It wasn’t too late in the afternoon, but their next destination was a bit of a longer distance. Arthur offered to take the van instead of walking there, and when Vivi stepped outside after soaking in the cozy warmth she immediately agreed. 

“I may be back late Lance, so don’t worry about leaving the back door unlocked.” Arthur patted the smaller man on the shoulder. “I got my keys so everything is fine.” 

“Aye, alrighty then.” Lance nodded, and slapped Arthur on the back. Not too hard but enough force for Arthur to cough once. “Just don’t forget to get yer bum back here in the morning. We got the New Year’s stock coming in and you know how it be like around here right after Christmas.” 

“Oh I know...I know very well.” Arthur shuddered. “Don’t worry, and I won’t go too crazy either.” He stepped outside the back door heading for the bright yellow van. Best to start up the old girl and get her warmed up. 

Vivi took one of Lance’s hands firmly shaking it, then politely bowed once again. “It was a pleasure getting to spend the afternoon with you. I enjoyed the food and the good company. So did Mystery.” The dog chimed in with a playful bark. “Thank you so much for inviting me over.” 

“Aaaaah you know we love having you around here.” Lance smiled warmly. “It warms my beating heart seeing you and Arthur so happy.” He jabbed her on the arm. “Now go and git! The Peppers are waiting for you!” 

Vivi excitedly nodded. “Merry Christmas Lance!” She waved as the two ran out towards the van. The passenger door swung open, letting Vivi easily slide into the seat and Mystery hop into her lap. “Alright Artie! TO PARADISIO!” 

“High ho Silver! Away we go!” 

The van took off across the damp ground, smoothly transitioning to the pavement. It seemed like the clouds drew thicker, and darker too. Did the weather call for snow today?

-----

“Feliz Navidad!” 

The joyous, festive greeting welcomed Arthur, Vivi, and Mystery upon their arrival at the local restaurant. The Peppers shut down for the day in observance, but for those lucky few who personally knew the family it meant the whole place for themselves. Garland adorned across the booth seats, white lights draped down from the ceiling, and on each table were candles of various reds and greens. 

Even the Peppers went all out for the occasion, including their outfits. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper dressed in identical red and white attire complete with matching hats. Were they trying to play off Santa Claus and Mrs.? They looked adorable, but the ones who really stole the show were the little sisters. Green and white striped socks, dark green jackets with a buckle laced over the front, red mittens, and pointed green hats with glued on pointed elf ears! 

“I see you two have quite the helpers on your hands.” Vivi giggled and leaned down admiring the girls’ outfits. Paprika gently pushed herself past Cayenne, who kept picking at a small hole in her left mitten. 

“Mama picksed it out four usssh.” Every time her tongue clicked against her front teeth or she made certain hard sounds, a hissing whistle accompanied. It looked like little Paprika just recently lost a tooth! “I helped pick out thhhhhe mittens…” 

“You did a great job helping out your mama.” Vivi smiled warmly. She patted Paprika on the head, careful not to let the hat fall off. Afterwards she stood back up looking around the empty restaurant. The majority of the Peppers were here to greet them, all except for one. “I thought we’d get to see all the family at the front door but….where’s-” 

“MAMA!” A familiar, baritone voice echoed from the other end of the restaurant. The sounds of running sneakers squeaked on the linoleum flooring, and from the “OUT” door bursted a recognizable, purple-haired boy. “Mama, I just took the pork out of the oven, but I think it may have overcooked!” 

Mrs. Pepper didn’t say a word, but the gleaned seen in her right eye said all. No one could get in her way. Her husband immediately stepped to the side allowing the woman her pathway towards the back kitchen. He followed her just a few feet behind. Lewis held the door open until they disappeared into the unknown. She knew what had to be done. No one else could bother her now. Which meant it was Lewis’ turn for his holiday greeting. 

“Vivi! Arthur!” The larger, broad shouldered member spared no time taking each of his friends in a tight hug. He always gave the best, most squishy hugs! Vivi giggled while attempting her own hug back, but Arthur succumbed to the vice grip letting him shake the mechanic around like a rag doll. They shared their laughs then Lewis broke off, making Arthur gasp for more air. “It’s great having you guys over here again. Sorry I couldn’t swing by your place, Artie.” 

“No..” He spat that out with a cough. “It’s...it’s all good, big guy. We had a...great lunch and I know...you always *COUGH* help out your folks here...”

“Veevee….veevee...veevee….” Belle snuck underneath Lewis’ legs and grabbed hold of a hand. “Come over and see what Santa left us!!” 

“Yeah yeah!!” Joining behind Vivi was the troublemaker of the girls, Cayenne. “Santa left a HUUUUGE haul of gifts this year! He must have known I’ve been extra good.” The smaller girl gently pushed Vivi, and with Belle tugging the bluenette towards the tree what could she do. No way out of this now. 

“Well I think the girls are going to kidnap me for a while. If you need me, I’ll be over in toyland.” 

“No worries Viv!” Lewis chuckled waving her off. It’s heartwarming, as their older brother, how much the little ones enjoyed Vivi’s company. She held this welcoming air, always inviting others into her conversations or going out of her way to make a total stranger smile. Bless her little beating heart. 

“...Hey big guy!” Arthur snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Helloooo, earth to Lewis? You still with me buddy or are you wandering off into space again?” 

“Oh!” It took him a few blinks before his mind wandered back to Earth. “My bad, I was just...surprised the girls could take Vivi before even I had a chance to say Merry Christmas.” 

“Well, you know it’s one of their favorite times of the year, including Vivi herself. Have you seen the outfit she planned? It’s like Christmas threw up all over her!” Not much of a complaint, but more of a blunt truth. Arthur loved her enthusiasm when it came to the holidays. 

Lewis chuckled heartily. “That’s Vivi for you though. When it involves something she loves, or spreading some happiness in this quiet town she goes all out.” He placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder nudging his other arm playfully. “Come on, take your coat off and get warm. Papa made a special hot cocoa blend for today!” 

“Two editions, to be precise!” Mr. Pepper piped up from the kitchen window. “We concocted two special recipes combining the sweetness and rich flavor of chocolate and added a little fiery kick to the batch.” As if he were waiting for this moment, Mr. Pepper brought out two crock pots setting them right below the window. “The one on the left is a chili spiced hot chocolate and the right one is a cinnamon spiced chocolate mix. Add some of our homemade, fluffy marshmallows to the mix and it’s pure delight!” Mrs. Pepper took that cue to slip a small bowl of square-shaped marshmallows on the window counter. Perfect timing! 

“Hmmmm…” Arthur took a moment thinking it over and stroking his maroon goatee. Every time he tried something new here it either ended in his tongue bursting into flames or having a mellow, sweet filled experience. 50/50 shot. He’d bite the bullet. “I think I’ll take a stab at the cinnamon spiced one.” Again, right on cue, a Christmas cup skidded across the window counter. Mrs. Pepper nodded from behind, holding a large ladle on her shoulder then disappearing once again. No other comment from Arthur when he accepted the cup, then scooped about a half-cup worth. He picked a few marshmallows, letting them splash and soak up the hot, sweet liquid. A few ‘huffs’ across the surface and Arthur carefully sipped. 

“They’ve been working on these recipes this past month.” Lewis poked in taking some of the chili based hot cocoa. “My sisters and I were the taste testers. I couldn’t tell you how many batches they worked through until they came up with a finalized product. It’s not the ABSOLUTE final yet, but they need others’ opinions. Our taste buds have gotten used to the flavors by now.”

“Oh..*cough* of course…” Arthur smiled with a nervous chuckle. It’d been one sip but he could feel the kick right in his throat. Delicious yes, but a wake-up call as well. “It’s….*cough*, it’s really good...I’m not dying from it I swear, it’s...really really good with the spice…” 

Time must have passed quickly since their arrival. Mrs. Pepper returned to the front, with Mr. Pepper in tow, leading everyone to the back area of the restaurant. Right through the kitchen and pass the freezers, the Peppers prepared a section of their living quarters for dinner. Various side dishes spread across the table, trays of sliced meats (that pork did come out well) and of course, sweets of all kinds decked out on a table against the wall. That’s what Vivi looked forward to the most. 

The company was lively and boisterous. The Pepper sisters could never sit still in their seats, so they slipped underneath the table at times playing ‘tag’ with Mystery. He kept an eye on them just in case they wound up in any trouble, or plotted causing any too. Such mischievous little girls. Vivi scarfed down everything on her plate, then seconds, and thirds, with a little bit of fourths. Didn’t she already have a big lunch today? How could she be so hungry? 

It’s a mystery Lewis and Arthur never understood, nor did they bother figuring out. 

Arthur talked up a storm about the shop and his new blueprints for the coming year. A working, mechanical arm was his biggest project to date, but it didn’t sound like it’d be easy. Lewis didn’t talk much but laughed and smiled along with the conversations. He enjoyed the warm atmosphere, being around the people he called his family, and having his close friends to spend it with too. 

“Mama! Mama!” After the sweets were eaten and cleared (thanks to Vivi as well), the three little sisters ran into the backroom. Mystery came in tow with a snow covered snout. Paprika ran up to her mother climbing up and sitting in her lap. “Mama mama, itshh shhnowing outshide!”

Everyone scrambled outside. Arthur and Vivi threw their jackets on, Lewis put on a simple coat, and the sisters waltzed outside in their Christmas attire. Sure enough, flaky specks of snow dotted the now blackened night sky. The lights from downtown illuminated off the low hanging clouds making the entire town glow. Combine that with the spots of colored Christmas lights and it made everything look vibrant and colorful. 

“It’s so pretty….” Vivi stared into the sky, eyes lighting up with their own natural glow. “Snow on Christmas Day...who would’ve thought-” 

“INCOMING!!” The sentimental moment came to a screeching halt when a rogue snowball landed right in Vivi’s face. She heard Arthur snickering across the street, and three little squeaks too. So that’s how it would be, wouldn’t it? 

Vivi shook her head, much like a dog, getting rid of the cold, wet snow. “I see you have declared war upon us!” She tucked an arm around Lewis and scooped Mystery into her other arm. “Well, if that’s how it shall be then we will not back down from this battle! Lewis, start piling up snow! Mystery, stand guard and use your small body as a distraction.”

“R-Roger, Captain Vivi!” He broke away and scrambled to start squishing snow into smaller balls. Mystery wiggled free and playfully barked at the girls. Vivi, however, took a chance and scooped up snow in her arms. If they were about to head into battle they would need a solid foundation to keep themselves safe. 

“You’re going down Arthur!” 

Back and forth with the playful, sassy talk. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper watched from the safety of the opened back door. It looked like the snow would continue through the night. The wind and chill could freeze anyone to the bone, unless you were as fired up as these kids. 

Another successful Christmas spent together. What more could anyone here ask for, other than a warm fireplace once the snowballs ceased.