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lawslessons · 4 years

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hi hi! i js found your blog and omg its amazing??? especially what you wrote for Sabos soulmate vv mucho gusto😤👌🏽

could i request B from the soulmate alpha for Law? i feel like Law is the last person to believe in soulmates and love and all that bs, but when he sees tattoos he’s all too familiar with on someone else... yeah! he probably thinks they’re some intense groupie at first until one of his men brings up the whole soulmate business. anywho, hope all goes well! :D

Law x Reader - Rivers of Ink

I agree with that! He would be a stubborn man for sure. Honestly I was a little self indulgent with what I wrote for this, I do hope you forgive me if this isn’t what you were expecting. Today is February 17th and tomorrow, the 18th, is actually my birthday so I made this one extra long as a mini gift to you all! I hope you enjoy this, dear. I had a fantastic time writing this!

Warnings: Slight NSFW, Love at First Sight

Synopsis: Nightmares plagued the doctor every night, nothing seemed to be able to remedy his affliction. But could one artistic individual on an island hold the answer to his worries? A sudden and unexpected whirlwind of a romance, Law struggles to see and accept the fact that he was falling hard so quickly.

“Haven’t you heard that tattoos don’t age that well?” Someone whispered into Law’s ear as he walked down the dark alleyway. The lights flickered above him, moths swarmed around the light until it was barely visible, it served no purpose in being there. He rolled his eyes and turned his head to see who was there, but he was unable to see anyone.

“Marking up your pretty body like that? What a shame,” Another sneered, the words grew louder and soon it turned into chanting, it was louder, louder and louder. His ears began to ring, laughter pierced his ears and soon Law felt like he was falling.

Law gasped as he woke up with a start and clutched his chest. His eyes were wide as he felt around his bedside table for his glass of water. He chugged the remnants of what was inside while he used his free hand to wipe the sweat off of his brow and onto his palm instead. He felt clammy and gross from waking up so suddenly, his eyes felt dry and heavy, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep that easily after what he experienced. Leaving his bed, he grabbed his jacket and left his room to go to one of the main hallways of his submarine so he could look out at the ocean. The ocean was beautiful, they all said. But in the night, the normally blue ocean was a vast expanse of black ink. He stared out at the ink and saw that there was nothing notable to look at. The ocean was dark, the submarine was dark, nothing seemed able to emit much light here. He didn’t even know his purpose in coming out here, his nightmare seemed to have more light than the hallway he was currently in. Dismayed, he grabbed onto one of the walls and groped his way back to his room before he laid down on his bed and did his best to force himself to sleep. He was blessed to not have anymore dreams, or nightmares that night about his inked up skin. He woke up and overheard his crew talking about how they noticed an island on the radar and how they were going to go up to restock on some supplies and to also get some fresh air as well. Law made himself get ready for the day, he couldn’t let anyone else find out about his restless night.

Law went up to the deck for the first time in weeks when they finally reached land. The warm air on his tanned cheeks caught him off guard, he felt disoriented after coming out of his underwater hibernation. The captain glanced around the shore of the island with his steely eyes and saw how the island was rather boisterous and full of life. The islanders were walking around, laughing, flying kites that were covered in extravagant designs.

“I’m going for a walk,” Law said as he left the submarine and stretched his arms up in the air, he watched as some people ate snacks while some were walking and were just enjoying the island’s temperate weather. One thing he noticed was how no one was alone, and how everyone - except for the children of course - had exquisite, matching tattoos that covered their arms and legs, backs and necks. Anywhere there was space, unique designs covered people’s bodies and it caught Law’s attention. He started to “people watch”, he noticed how this one woman had a long, intricate dragon tattooed on her arm, and how her girlfriend had a matching one on the same arm in the exact same place. He watched as a mother and father had matching ones on their wrists, it was the same with everyone he met. Law’s curiosity soon took the better of him and he approached one of the happy couples and awkwardly looked down at them.

“Those tattoos… where are they from?” Law asked as he pointed to the intricate ink snaking down their bodies. The woman answered for the two of them and told him about a tattoo artist who lived on this island who specialized in “Soul Tattoos.” While he got no further elaboration on that, he decided to follow the directions he was given by the polite couple and soon found himself knocking on the door of a random shop. The door soon opened and Law was greeted by something… strange, familiar. He looked down at their hands and noticed how death ran across their fingers, and how from under the collar of their shirt, he could see the start of a large tribal heart. Law brushed it off as a major coincidence as he slowly walked inside of the shop and looked down at them.

“I saw some of your work out on the streets, it’s really well done,” Law said as he looked down at the person in front of him.

“You did? Oh, thank you,” They smiled as they walked back into their shop and showed off some of the work they had on the walls of the shop. “I’m proud of the work I do, and especially for people like that? This? I really do enjoy it,” Law studied how their lips curved into a smile and how they parted when they let out a small breath.

“What work are you talking about?” Law asked, he knew that they were all tattoos and he appreciated the artistry behind it, but other than that he wasn’t sure about what they were referring to.

“I do Soul Tattoo’s they’re all about -- “ Before they were able to say more, a clock chimed behind them and they looked over at it.

“Oh, closing time -- “ They looked over at Law and suddenly sparks coursed through their entire being. His steely eyes pierced straight into their own like a sword, their heart begin to race as they maintained eye contact with one another for a prolonged period of time. Their breathing slowed as they took in the sight of the captain in front of them. The tattoos were the first thing that caught their attention. Finally... he was here. Before they could even speak, Law looked away from them and at the door in some discomfort.

“It’s alright, goodnight,” Law said as he went to leave the shop before he heard any objections from the person who was there. As he walked in the dimmed streets, he looked at the inky sky and couldn’t help but think about their tattoos. The knuckle tattoos were similar to his own, he glanced down and was surprised to see that it could have been the exact same thing. Death on his knuckles, the ornate tribal style tattoo heart on his chest, the more he thought about it, the more perplexed and creeped out he became. He went back to his submarine, that confused look mixed in with his usual cold look caught the eyes of some of his subordinates. Bepo looked at his captain and quickly stood up to give him a hug.

“Captain! Welcome back!” Bepo cheered as he hugged the tall man, Law didn’t resist the hug but he didn’t hug him back either. Bepo noticed how his captain was more stone cold tonight than other nights which confused the poor bear. “Captain? Are you alright?” Bepo asked him.

“I’m fine,” Law assured as he pulled away from his warm companion and looked up at the sky for a moment. “I met someone strange,” Law said as he studied the stars with his eyes next, the mixing of the bright white against the blueish black was a wonderful contrast. Mindless thoughts, Law was trying to distract himself again.

“What do you mean?” Bepo decided to ask him.

“Someone with the same tattoos as mine,” Law shared as he glanced over at Bepo. Bepo was confused too, he looked over at Penguin who was taking in the cool, night air.

“The same as yours? That’s a little weird,” Bepo agreed, and Law was glad that he wasn’t crazy for thinking otherwise. He didn’t understand why they had the same ones as him.

“Maybe they’re some weird follower of mine or something,” Law grumbled, that thought upset him. Bepo noticed the upset look, but he had to agree with his captain, it was strange.

“You did gain a lot of popularity after the Doflamingo incident,” Bepo reminded him. That seemed to almost settle it for Law, he had a stalker, a fan and that made a weird chill shoot down his spine. Was that the shock he felt from earlier? No, that was more powerful, the captain stared out at the ocean with a blank, thinking expression until he heard Penguin clearing his throat to speak.

“I don’t think it’s a weird fan,” Penguin said as he continued to relax on the deck. Bepo and Law both fell silent and looked over at Penguin for more of an explanation, one he was happy to give. “Well, I was talking to some of the locals and they told me about how people who are supposedly soulmates would have the same tattoos on their body and how they would always get big pieces so they could find them easier,” Penguin explained. Law listened to what he said and couldn’t help but think that his words were ridiculous, that story didn’t even make any sense. Soulmates? Partners for life? As if.

“I’m going to bed,” Law simply said as he went to go to his quarters. But the seed of doubt was already planted, and as he slept, he couldn’t help but think about that possibility.

“Marked skin… we warned you, didn’t we?” A stranger mused.

“Yes, yes we did, we did,” Another chirped, their voice was too cheery for the grim, nightmarish atmosphere.

“Pirates can’t have soulmates, they can’t have -- “

Law gasped, he shot out of bed and didn’t even grab his water, he grabbed his jacket and left his room to go to the hallway. He noticed that they were on land, they were still on land, this wasn’t all just a dream, he really did meet someone with the same tattoos as himself. His mind for once wasn’t able to process what he saw and he soon found himself on the deck of his submarine looking out at the blue ocean and the black sky. He stared at the scene for a minute before he looked at his knuckles. How could something so alarming, something he had that was meant to push people away be the reason he got close to someone else? It hadn’t even been a day but all Law was able to think about was their infectious smile, their incredible art… There was more that had caught his eye too, but it was too inappropriate to even say, Law was embarrassed that he was caught up in such juvenile affections. Maybe Penguin was right. Law scoffed under his breath and continued to deny the truth that was in front of his face, he was falling for them after only one day. It was such an unreasonable thought that it disturbed him, it seriously caught him off guard. How was that even possible? Was it possible to fall this hard for someone after one day? Law was slowly beginning to lose his mind. Against his better judgement, he grabbed his sword and left his submarine to go back into the dark town. As he wandered around, he noticed how the dim lights mimicked stars, and all those stars led him down a straight path towards their place. Moths were around the lights like in his dream, in fact the alley looked eerily similar. Law forced himself not to think too hard on that, after all was he even thinking? He was walking over to some stranger’s studio in the middle of the night to ask questions, none of it made sense. It was late, they wouldn’t be awake. Before Law could even knock on the door, the door opened and Law was met by their piercing eyes.

“You’re back,” They breathed out, their voice was smooth and rich, Law felt his breath hitch in his throat when he was able to see their hand that rested on the door. There was no mistaking that their tattoos were the same as his.

“We need to talk,” Law quickly said, they offered no objections and opened their shop up for Law to walk inside. The warm atmosphere still was present, it contrasted the typically cold submarine he lived on. His eyes scanned them over in their casual night attire and felt his heart stop, he was hyper aware of every hair on his body, the electricity that was in the room. “We have the same tattoos,” Law said as he swallowed his shock away. Don’t stare, he ordered himself, but the tension between the two of them was thick. Their batting eyelashes, their soft smile, Law felt drunk off of them already. He watched as they shifted their weight onto one hip and how they pouted as they thought about what the captain spoke to them about.

“These? I’ve always had them,” They shared as they held up their hands to show off the tattoos that decorated their skin. Next, Law watched as they pulled the collar of their shirt down to show off the top part of their tattoo, it was the same as his and it was a little unnerving to see it so perfectly replicated on their skin. Not only was Law staring at the tattoo, he was staring at their skin, he let out a small breath and did his best to dim those thoughts in his sleep deprived brain.

“How long,” Law asked them.

“Always. Like ever since you got them I suppose,” They shrugged.

“So you know?” Law asked.

“I’m not stupid, I know who you are, Trafalgar Law,” they said as they poked a finger at his built chest. The captain staggered back and frowned down at the person in front of him. “I’ve known it was you for a long time, I was just waiting for you to come and find me.”

“You sound like you’re just some fan,” Law stated with a small scowl on his face, he didn’t like the arrogance they were presenting.

“Don’t test me, Law,” They snarled back as they grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pushed him against the wall. Their hips met his as they got closer to glare at him. They weren’t aware of how close they were and how this proximity was slowly getting to Law’s head. Law decided to toss all sense of reason out, why should he care? His mind was swarming and he needed release desperately.

“Oh yeah?” Law smirked, he looked down at where their bodies were touching and then back into their eyes. And just like he predicted, they gasped and tried to step back from him, but Law wouldn’t allow that. Law grabbed them by their hips and tsked when he saw their face slowly going red. “What happened to all that confidence from earlier, hm?” He purred into their ear, his large, calloused hand groped their rear and he chuckled at the gasp that escaped from their lips.

“You’re such an ass!” They gasped, while they wanted to sound menacing, it didn’t seem to be working, Law was proving to be in control of the situation as of now, but it was clear that they were enjoying Law’s teasing.

“I think you like me like this,” Law teased as his hand slipped under the back of their shirt. His fingers dragged up their spine and he drank in their heated expression. “How long did you fantasize about this?” Law asked as he pulled them back to look them in the eyes with an arrogant smirk on his face.

“I-I don’t -- “

“Lying? Oh my, are you sure you want to be doing that now?” Law asked as his free hand wandered down to their pants. He watched as their face contorted with need and want, but Law knew he had to resist for now no matter how tempting they were to him. He let out a small sigh and reluctantly pulled away from them, he watched as their expression contorted to dismay but he knew he needed to stop, he had to remember the gravity of his situation, their situation.

“Did you think about what you were going to do once you found me?” Law decided to ask.

“It’s obvious, don’t you think? Go on your ship, er - submarine. I want to travel the world and see all the art that exists, and I also want to get to know you more,” They said before their eyes scanned over Law’s built figure, there would for sure be a lot to explore later on for sure.

“What about your shop?” Law asked them. He watched as their lips curled into a small smirk and Law nearly felt his heart stop again.

“I’ll bring it with me, I’ll travel and help other’s find their soulmates with my tattoos. Those who already needed my services here had me, I’m not needed here anymore,” they shared to the captain. There was suddenly silence as the two of them stared into each other’s eyes.

“Then come with me,” Being this impulsive wasn’t usually Law’s forte, but with an opportunity like this, he knew he had to live it to the best of his ability. He was surprised to see how they grabbed his hand without any hesitation and smiled.

“Let me lock up my shop,” They said before their adventure with Law began. All Law could recall was holding their hand, running through the dark streets and stopping here and there to fiercely kiss them in dark alleys on their way to the submarine. He remembered taking them to the submarine, dragging them to his room and the sound of clothes hitting the ground. Lips, hands, warm skin touching one another and soft sounds throughout the rest of the night. When Law woke up in the morning, his head felt empty, he was relaxed for once, he didn’t have another nightmare. That surprised him, were they the answer to his nightmares? The room seemed lighter, he was amazed with himself by how he just followed his heart like that. When he looked over to his side, he saw them sleeping next to him and he found himself softly smiling. He leaned in and kissed their shoulder and watched them stir in their sleep. This wasn’t what he had planned at all for his trip here, but he was pleasantly surprised with himself, affection always sprung up from the most unexpected places, didn’t it? Even if his tattoos didn’t age well and wrinkled into his skin when he was older, he knew that they both would age well by growing with one another, and that was enough for Law.

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laurenwritesfics · 3 years

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Untidy Lives (Preview)

YEAR ONE:

There was only one person April Kepner could truly count on to brighten up a dull day – her mother, Karen, and it seemed she had taken that duty literally. Crunching up the driveway in white heels and a sunshine yellow dress, she greeted April with a screech, enveloping her in a tight hug.

Today, Harriet Kepner-Avery was turning one.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, honey.” Karen pulled back, holding April’s wrists. “Let me look at you.” Her eyes drifted from her daughter’s warm cinnamon hair to her loose blouse, jeans and white sneakers. Throughout April’s adolescence, people had gushed over how much she looked like her mother. Now, she was an entirely separate person. No longer her mother’s shadow. Karen tutted. “Is this what you’re wearing?”

April sighed. “I didn’t have time-“

“Nonsense,” Karen wafted a hand, “your father’s getting the gifts from the car. Go freshen up. We’ll keep the birthday girl occupied for a little while. Besides…” she trailed off, miming a gagging motion and nodding towards the stain on her shoulder. April pulled at the soft cotton and frowned. How long had that stain been there? She didn’t know. The discovery of the stain had diverted her train of thought. She leaned over Karen’s shoulder and caught a glimpse of the familiar blue Volvo.

“Wait, Dad’s here?”

Karen was interrupted – a rare occurrence in their almost forty year marriage – by her husband, Joe. He ambled towards the two of them, lugging a stack of immaculately wrapped gifts.

“Well, hello there Little Miss!”

“Dad! I thought you were working on the farm?”

“What, and miss my granddaughter’s first birthday? Not a chance!” Joe chortled. Karen took two boxes from the top of the pile when Joe arrived at the doorstep. “And I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to this one.” He inclined his head, his voice soft and peppy as he reached past April to tweak Harriet’s nose.

April whipped around to see Matthew bouncing a half-asleep Harriet in his arms. “She’s supposed to be napping for another hour.” She chided.

“I know, but it’s her first birthday. I don’t want her to miss it.”

“She’ll miss it when she uses her ice cream cake as a pillow because she didn’t get a whole nap.”

Matthew huffed. “I think Mommy underestimates me.”

April ignored him, one foot in the doorway. “I’m gonna go change my shirt. You can put the gifts in the living room.”

Karen followed her inside while Matthew, Harriet and Joe moved to the back yard.

As much as she hated to admit it, her mother was right. Changing into a floral blouse and a pair of flats – and at Karen’s insistence, some light makeup – although April felt tired, she didn’t look it anymore. With a final scrunch of her hair and a pop of her lips, she peered out of the bedroom window. Harriet was sat in the grass, her tiny fingers wrapped around the string of a pink balloon. Jackson was pulling the string, making it bob up and down, much to Harriet’s delight. Shit. Jackson. She had assumed he would be late, fresh from the hospital. She blinked rapidly, taken aback, and rushed out of the room. Karen found April with her head in the refrigerator.

“Mom, can you get the candles?”

“What’s the rush?” Karen exclaimed.

April tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning back to meet her mother’s baffled gaze. “Jackson’s here.”

“Oh.” She replied flatly, rifling through every drawer in the kitchen island. “Where are the darn matches?”

“I’m married to a First Responder, remember? They’re in a super-secret safe place that nobody on Earth can find.”

“Of course,” she shook her head in amusement “I’ll go ask him.”

“No,” April stepped away from the refrigerator to block her path “I’ll go. The paper plates and napkins are in the-“

“Third drawer, I know.” Karen pressed a hand to her cheek. “Take a breath. Go out there and enjoy it. I can take care of everything.”

Karen Kepner was a woman of her word. She had fussed over Harriet from the moment she was born. April would usually have found this irritating, but losing Samuel, her first-born, changed that. Karen dropped everything to be with April and Jackson while they grieved. While Jackson worked and April sat sobbing on the couch in their cramped condo. When April got up in the middle of the night, convinced she could hear his cries and Jackson couldn’t console her. What might have seemed like interfering before was now a blessing. Harriet was a blessing. And April was going to experience every moment with her to the fullest extent.

Outside, Joe and Matthew were hunched over the barbecue.

“Mommy’s here!” Matthew hollered, a few whoops and cheers sounding behind him. He sauntered over to April and wrapped his arms around her, lowering his voice to a sultry whisper. “And Mommy looks hot.”

April pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “I should go and say hi to everyone before the cake’s brought out.” Her hands slipped from his chest. It wasn’t hard for Matthew to work out that by ‘everyone’, she meant Jackson. She mingled with family and friends, ate one of Joe’s famous almost-cremated burgers, cuddled and cooed at Harriet. From the outside, it looked easy for her. On the inside, it took every ounce of strength she had.

The moment her eyes locked with Jackson’s, Matthew strolled over, one hand placed protectively on the small of her back. Her past and her present stood before her, and the only similarity between them was the brand of beer they were drinking. Jackson removed one hand from the pocket of his grey hoodie to offer Matthew an awkward handshake.

“No Maggie?” April probed.

“We broke up.” Jackson rubbed the back of his shaved head. “A while ago.”

“Oh, sorry.” April scrunched her nose and inhaled sharply.

“Yeah. I was seeing someone, actually – a paramedic – but we, uh…” He glanced at his feet.

“Ah.” April nodded.

“That sucks, buddy.” Matthew smacked Jackson on the arm. It was like this every time Matthew and Jackson met. Awkward. Stunted. A sterile attempt at civility.

Harriet toddled over, held up by Joe. He wiggled her arms to make it look as if she was waving. “Little Miss was chewing her fist, so I think it’s time for cake.” Jackson bent down as Joe handed her over. “I’ll go help your mother in the kitchen.” He smoothed his shirt. “At least I won’t have to call 911 in an emergency.”

“Good luck.” April quipped.

Jackson’s eyes popped, making Harriet giggle. He, April and Matthew burst into laughter. She was the glue that held their paper-thin relationship together.

A discordant rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ drifted from the kitchen as Joe and Karen emerged with a large pink ice cream cake. Jackson bounced Harriet and kissed her wispy hair. A single candle wilted, unlit, in the center. Still, they mimed blowing it out. Matthew stuffed the candle in his pocket before the cake was set down on the patio table. April held Harriet to her hip and pulled up a chair.

“Everybody grab a plate!” She yelled, and the crowd scattered. They returned to the sight of Harriet happily digging her fist into the cake.

When the time came to open Harriet’s gifts, everyone gathered in the living room to watch her grab and teethe on the corners of the boxes. The first gift was from Matthew’s mother, Patricia, who Harriet had dubbed Tee-Tee. Her relationship with April was complicated, but not complicated enough to stop her from spending time with her second granddaughter. Harriet already owned a sensory play set, but still they appreciated the gesture, thanking her with kind eyes.

“Say thank you, Tee-Tee.” April encouraged Harriet, pointing to Patricia.

Harriet’s lips grappled with the word for a moment. Then, an outburst of “Tee-Tee!”

Patricia smiled, walking over to the couch to sweep her palm across Harriet’s hair and press a kiss to the crown of her head. The next gift came from Jackson’s mother, Catherine, and step-father Richard. A beautifully engraved silver piggy bank with a dollar tucked into the slot.

“It’s never too early to start saving. Especially if she’s going to get into Harvard.” She quirked a perfectly curved eyebrow and smiled.

“Catherine!” Richard playfully chided.

“Thank you.” April said again, beginning to feel the words lose their meaning.

Joe and Karen had bought an assortment of farm-related toys and books, which made April roll her eyes. Harriet immediately shoved the rubbery head of a cow into her mouth.

Matthew and April’s gift, a sit-to-stand walker, was yet another addition to Harriet’s collection of pink items. When they had decorated the nursery, Matthew’s only comment was that it looked as though someone had poured Pepto-Bismol over everything. April countered this with the argument that it would encourage Harriet to unapologetically embrace her femininity. Besides, she was sharing the room with Matthew’s daughter Ruby. As usual, he was out-voted by estrogen. So, he buckled under the weight of his love for his three favorite girls.

April heard the subtle hitch of Matthew’s breath beside her. He was smiling, but it was a tight-jawed, forced smile. She knew exactly what – or rather, who - was running through his mind. Karin. Sometimes at night, when April tucked Harriet and Ruby’s blankets into their cribs, she would stare at Ruby, examining every detail of her face. Every faint line on her palms. She felt guilty. Sitting here, watching her own daughter celebrate the milestone that Karin never would. A lump formed in her throat. She reached for Matthew’s hand, but he pulled away. He harrumphed, shifted against the cushions and promptly excused himself. He returned ten minutes later with a glass of water and puffy eyes.

“If you need to take a minute, it’s okay.”

“No, I’m good.”

“Matthew,” April rubbed his arm “take a couple minutes. Get some air. Please?”

He chugged the last of the water and wordlessly agreed, slipping out into the garden. He watched Jackson present April with a hefty 3-in-1 stroller – the one she’d been lusting after for a month. He watched her fumble with its clips to detach the balance bike and plop Harriet onto the seat. He watched another man be the father he would never be. A deep ache spread through him and he leaned against the cool fence, glancing up at the nursery window. He took a long moment to forgive himself for the act of betrayal he was about to commit, then he headed back inside, softly thudding up the stairs. He sat with Ruby for, well, he didn’t know how long, but it was long enough for him to catch a glimpse of Karin. For him to apologize to her with a prayer. Long enough for him to feel guilty for disappearing.

Downstairs, Jackson grabbed another beer from the refrigerator. He turned to April, who was mixing a rum and coke for her mother, and pulled an envelope from his pocket.

“April?” He tapped her on the shoulder. “I know I’ve already given Harriet a gift, but this is something extra. Just a small thing, I promise. I didn’t wanna make a big deal out of it back there.”

“Why?” April ripped the envelope open and her lips parted in confusion. Inside was a receipt for a monthly toy box subscription. “Jackson, what is this?”

“I’m not around all the time. I don’t get to take her to playgroup every week or build blocks with her or read The Velveteen Rabbit. This is my way of being there. I don’t wanna be that guy. The father who slips in and out of his child’s life. I can’t do that to her.”

“Jackson,” April gazed up at him, sharing the sadness in his eyes “you are not your father. If you wanna see her more often, we can work something out.”

Matthew entered the kitchen, dropped his glass in the sink and glared at the two of them. “Sorry for interrupting.” He slunk away.

“Can we?” Jackson quipped.

April rubbed her face and placed the envelope on the kitchen island. “I should get back out there before Dad has another beer and starts doing impressions of farm animals.”

Later, when the house was empty and Harriet had been put to bed messy-mouthed and content, April and Matthew were left to pick up the discarded pieces of wrapping paper and conversation. They sat the dining table, each waiting for the other to speak first. Matthew rolled a beer bottle between his palms as he tried to organize his thoughts. April traced the patterns in the wood-grain, eyes darting up to meet Matthew’s.

“Wanna talk about it?” She prompted, met only with silence. She leaned forward, palm pressed against her cheek. “I know it’s hard, but it would be nice if you let me in every once in a while.”

He replied with a non-committal grunt.

“Say something. Anything. Please, Matthew.” After a beat, she pushed back from the table and walked away. Then, just as she reached the kitchen archway –

“My wife died. What am I supposed to say?”

April’s next breath drained from her mouth. “I’m your wife, Matthew. You’re blinded by grief, not blind.”

Matthew’s head was in his hands, his voice muffled. “I lost Karin, and you saved me, April. You saved me. You know that.”

“Well, it sure doesn’t feel like it.” She snapped.

Every time they fought, April would end up sleeping in a half-empty queen size bed. She woke with a jolt when she felt a cold arm drape across her stomach. They didn’t apologize. They were long past that. They locked eyes and April grazed his cheek with the back of her hand.

“We’ll get through this together. We know each other’s pain, remember?”

“I know.” He pulled her into his chest and hummed against her lips.

That night, in spite of everything, they slept peacefully in each other’s arms.

Read the full story on AO3

#Japril #Jackson Avery #April Kepner #Grey's Anatomy #Lauren Writes #laurenwritesfics #grey's anatomy fanfic #japril fanfic #angst #drama #japril angst #greys spoilers #greys anatomy

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lunarliza · 4 years

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JJ Maybank Must Die | Chapter 5: Hair Dyes

fuckboy!JJ x Reader

series masterlist | prev. chapter | chapter one

JJ Maybank is the island’s most infamous fuckboy- not that you ever cared. But when a group of tourist girls come to your surf shop crying to you about him, you agree to help them plot revenge. Sabotage is all fun and games, until you find that the playboy you were sworn to ruin happens to be falling head over heels for you.

Yes, this is based on John Tucker Must Die lol

note: sexual-like content ahead. also pls keep in mind that this is just a playful haha funny story, this stuff isn’t meant to be taken seriously at all

“So are you a virgin?”

You scowled at the phone perched on your nightstand.

“No,” you lied, continuing to paint your big toe.

Oddly enough, after the whole nature-calling theatre debacle, JJ not only apologized profusely when the movie ended, but he actually pursued you even harder the week following. The universe really did work in mysterious ways.

He quadruple texted you during the day, sent you funny pictures of him lallygagging around the town with The Pogues, and called you every night until you both fell asleep.

At first you found it clingy as hell, but seeing JJ in the girl-filter or watching videos of him pranking John B sleeping had you entertained enough to actually respond.

Tonight’s phone topic was 21 Questions, and like the fuck boy he was, ‘what’s your favorite color’ turned dirty in a matter of minutes.

“What’s your body count?” you asked, actually curious about what that figure might be.

“Hm,” you could hear him smacking his lips, “To be honest, I don’t really know.”

“Are you serious?”

“Well,” he spluttered through the line, “I stopped keeping count after like 30. If I had to give a range it’d probably be from 50 to 70.”

Your nose crinkled. “Charming.”

Just then, you heard your mom’s voice echo from the front door, “Y/n! Package came in for you!”

“One sec,” you told the blondie on the phone and waddled down the hall on your heels, careful of your wet toes.

Ripping open the box, you gasped at the rows of assorted lacy thongs Annalise ordered yesterday to be sent to your house. You forgot rich people could afford express shipping.

“Everything good?” JJ questioned through the line.

“Yeah, uh, just a little shocked at how big the, uh, water bottle I ordered is.”

Your hand clawed through the stash, feeling how nice the silk and lace felt. No surprise, it was also a very expensive brand. You considered keeping a few for yourself.

“Hm, interesting,” JJ responded, “Anyways, continuing our game, do you have any kinks, like in bed?”

You held up a red g-string, inspecting the tiny bows lining the crotch area. “Yeah, I have a few.”

------------------------------- On your next day off, JJ invited you to go fishing with him and his friends. He picked you up early to grab some equipment from the store. Afterwards, you both sprawled on his bed, waiting for the others to arrive.

“Hey JJ?” you asked, hand tangled in his gold locks while he played some game on his phone.

“Hm?”

“So do you remember the other night when we talked about our kinks?” you asked as seductively as your inexperienced self could.

He immediately halted his game, a sly smirk danced its way across his lips. “Yeah...”

“Well,” you bit your lip, “I do have this one that just really turns me on.”

“I’m listening,” he piped, running a hand up and down your thigh.

You put on your best amateur sex-minx face, blinking up at him. “It’s a little weird though.”

He shifted positions so he laid between your thighs, kissing up your exposed stomach from your crop-top. “I don’t care. If it gets you wet baby, I’m all for it.”

“Okay then... I actually have a present for you.”

Sliding out from under him, you scrambled through your bag and pulled out the red g-string. JJ whistled from his bed in response, leaning back on his arms at the edge.

“That’s sexy as fuck,” he dragged you closer by the back of your thighs, “Try it on for me real quick, before the rest of the Pogues get here.”

“Oh no no no,” you hung the underwear out to him, “It’s for you.”

JJ’s mouth went agape, his eyes nearly exploding. “What the fuck y/n?! Are you kidding me?”

You pouted and sulked away with a huff. “I knew it! I knew you’d make fun of me! I thought I could trust you JJ!” You covered your face and wailed like a child who couldn’t get her way. If this wasn’t your Oscar-winning moment you didn’t know what was.

“Hey, hey, hey, wait,” JJ cooed, stroking his hand up your shoulders behind you. “I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t making fun of you, I was just a little shocked that’s all.”

“But you think it’s weird!” you cried out, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Well,” he scratched the back of his head, “I mean... you really want me to wear it?”

You sniffled and nodded.

“And this turns you on?”

You nodded again, facing him. “I just, I think it’s so sexy when a man can embrace his sexuality like this you know?”

“I guess... do you just want me to try it on?”

“That’d be nice,” you rubbed the side of your arm, “Maybe you could even wear it today when we go out? It’ll be under your shorts so no one will see.”

“Are you kidding me? N-”

Your puppy-dog eyes stopped him dead in his tracks, threatening to burst into tears again. Boy, was this guy putty in your hands.

He sighed, swiping the underwear from your hand. “Fine, but we do not mention this to any of my friends, got it?”

You quickly shook your head with an excited smile, knowing damn well the thong was high-cut.

Minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, giving you a little show of his new undergarments. You had to admit, under all those baggy shorts laid a nice pair of perky buns. The sight of him trying to body roll on the floor made you fall back cackling at his Magic Mike attempts.

Annalise definitely should’ve ordered a size up because his rising bulge was stretching out the lace that was clinging on for dear life. You had to shield your beet-red face.

The ring of the doorbell sent JJ scurrying to find his pants while you walked to the front to answer it. In came his friends- John B, Kiara, and Pope- who you greeted just as the blonde sauntered out of his room as if nothing was fishy was going on.

“So, who’s ready to hit the water?” John B asked as the guys gathered up the fishing equipment.

You followed the herd out to the docks where the famous HMS Pogue sat. JJ walked a little ahead of you and Kiara, casually picking at the wedgie through his shorts. Kiara scrunched her nose in disgust while you snorted and had to bite your lip from bursting out laughing.

Riding along the marsh, you chatted with Kiara on the back deck while the boys casted the net at the front. She raved all about the new tarot deck she bought and even practiced some palm readings on you. You didn’t know her very well, seeing as she attended the Kook school, but you were glad she was easy to get along with.

“So what’s the deal with you and JJ?” she asked out of nowhere. From the corner of your eye, you could see Pope do a discreet double-take at her question.

“Um, I’m not really sure,” you answered, “We’re just hanging out, I guess.”

“Well, you’re the first girl he’s ever brought to hang out with us,” she revealed, “Or even really hung out with in general, for that matter.”

A sharp gasp from the boys snapped you both out of your conversation. There, at the tip of the boat, was JJ bending over the net with the prominent lacy bows of his g-string exhibited for the world to see.

John B and Pope doubled over cackling like a pack of hyenas. “JJ what the actual fuck!”

The blonde whipped upright instantly once he caught on, hand flying to cover his backside. His entire face went the brightest shade of red. “Shut the fuck up! Or I’ll kill you both!”

Pope fell to the wooden floor of the deck, trying to regain his breath from the laughter as John B doubled over on top of him.

“Stop it you guys!” Kiara scolded at the boys who were practically in tears. She had to hold back a few giggles herself. “If JJ wants to wear that then let him! I think it’s,” she accidentally snorted, “I think it’s cool!”

JJ fastened his shorts and began play-fighting the hyenas. Meanwhile you filled your girls chat in on the hilarious scene, trying to muffle your own snickering.

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

“You want to be a what when you grow up?”

“A hairstylist,” you repeated through the phone. You hoped the pitch change in your voice wasn’t too much to give yourself away. Nevermind the fact that you knew nothing about hair as yours was always wet from surfing.

“Uh okay,” JJ responded, “That was kinda unexpected but you do you I guess.”

You slouched on the old-fashioned armchair in Annalise’s condo while your friends gathered around to listen in on yours and JJ’s call. A fit of snickers and shushes flew through the room as they tried to suppress their noise.

“Yeah, I’ve been wanting to practice on people for a while now. I need to have experience to get into this beauty school I’ve been looking at,” you went on, “Do you think I could try something on you tomorrow?”

You heard him scratch through the line. “Uh, why me? You don’t have any other friends that you could do it on?”

“Because JJ! You’re like the only blonde I know. And I really want to perfect my bleaching skills. C’mon please! It’ll only be like a shade lighter. You’ll hardly even notice,” you promised in your well-rehearsed begging voice.

“I’m not sure about this one, Y/n. It seems a little risky. Pope and John B are still ragging me for the underwear.”

“Hmph,” you took the phone and held it closer to you, “Come onnnn JJ! I swear it’ll be fine. Please just do me this teensy little thing. I might even return the favor.” Your voice sang at the last bit.

He hiked in a long breath. “F-Fine. Just promise me it won’t be noticeable!”

“Promise!” you cheered as the quad around you erupted in their silent happy dances. “Okay I’m going to go now, see you tomorrow before Sarah’s birthday Loverboy!” You sent him air kisses through the phone and hung up.

“Men are so easy!” Sophia drawled, taking a huge bite of her ice cream pint.

“You’re getting so good at this y/n!” Arabella pretend to wipe away tears, “I’m such a proud mama!”

Maia whisked into her room and popped out seconds later, handing you a bottle of squeeze hair dye. “Here it is. Use it wisely young grasshopper.”

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

You showed up to JJ’s house the next day. Thankfully, his dad was out a work so you had the entire house to yourself. Lord knows you needed it with the mild trauma you were about to put this boy through.

You had JJ sit in the bathroom, away from the mirror with his head leaned back and eyes closed. Clumsily, you applied the dye like the Youtube video you watched the night before. Needless to say, you were getting it everywhere- on your clothes, JJ’s clothes, the counters.

It was a disaster. But you played it cool, reminding JJ to keep his eyes shut or the dye will burn them. After wrapping his head in foil sheets and waiting 20 minutes, you bent him over the shower and washed everything out.

Drying his still covered hair in the towel, you yanked it off him as he turned to the mirror and let out a deafening, ear-splitting shriek.

“WHAT THE FUCK! OH MY GOD!”

JJ looked like he was about to cry, horror-stricken, at his bright new bubblegum pink hair.

“What the fuck is this?! What am I going to do?!” he paced back and forth in the clustered bathroom, “Sarah’s surprise party is tonight! John B’s gonna kill me if I don’t go! People can’t see me like this!”

You bit your finger, glancing off to the side. “It was a mistake! I’m so sorry! It was supposed to be ash blonde but I might’ve gotten strawberry blonde instead.”

JJ grabbed your shoulders, desperation drowning his eyes. “You have to fix this right now y/n! We have to be at the beach in an hour!”

“You can’t bleach it again right now,” you protested, “You’ll fry your hair and then it’ll look like a bird’s nest!”

“Then what are we going to do?! I can’t go outside like this!”

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

“Chug! Chug! Chug!”

Throwing your head back, you finished the remains of the beer and tossed the cup into a nearby bin. The small crowd yelped as you threw your hands up.

JJ crept up behind you and lifted you in the air, spinning you around. “Fuck yeah y/n!”

You patted on the backwards cap on his head and he let you back down, pecking your cheek.

Minutes before you guys arrived, he was able to rummage through is drawers for a hat big enough to stuff his Strawberry Shortcake hair into. Some specks still peeked out underneath, but, in the dark, you couldn’t really tell the island’s golden boy was now a pink poodle.

The birthday girl, Sarah Cameron, skipped over to the group around you and thanked everyone for coming. She had her fingers linked with her new boo and party organizer, John B, as she hugged all her friends.

You met her briefly after the big ‘surprise’ chant when she first arrived. When she referred to you as ‘JJ’s girl’ in front of everyone, you blushed and ignored her comment even though her and basically all the girls there were wondering the same thing.

If only they knew.

In your peripheral, you spotted your sabotage squad casually stroll into the beach and blend in with the pack of dancing kids. It was time to initiate Plan D.

As the party progressed, you clung onto JJ side due to the fact that you hardly knew anyone there. You sat in his lap during a few drinking games and he even held you up while you did a keg stand.

You were both dancing tipsy for a bit near the bonfire. His hands roamed your body while you pressed your ass to his crotch. You giggled when he bent over and kissed up your neck.

“It’s getting kind of crowded now,” you mentioned at the growing swarm of people. Word probably got out about the party which definitely drew the hordes of tourists that were arriving by the dozen. JJ hummed against your skin.

“We could get out of here for a bit,” you suggested, “Maybe go for a little dip in the water?”

You felt his ears perk. He eyed you questioningly while you sauntered away from him and the throng of people, motioning for him to follow.

And he did. Just like a lost puppy.

Both of you moved to a secluded section of the beach. The waves were calmer, and the music from the party muffled against the sound of the water crashing.

“What is your cute little ass up to now,” JJ teased as you peeled off your top to set on a rock, revealing a sexy push-up black bikini. Again, one of Maia’s.

“Come on! Let’s swim for a bit,” you coaxed, slipping out of your shorts. He grinned when you backed towards the water.

Here goes nothing.

Sultrily, you undid the back string of your bathing suit and flung it onto the sand. JJ’s lips parted slightly. You swore his spirit left his body for a moment.

You bit your lip. Still locking eye contact, you discarded your bottoms next.

Twirling your nude body around, ass in full view, you cocked your head back at the awestruck teenage boy. “What? Cat’s got your tongue? Are you gonna come in or just stand there?”

You’d never seen anyone undress at the speed JJ did, sans hat and everything. “Oh my God!” you squealed at the sight of him stepping out of the pink thong you gave him, “I can’t believe you wear those still!”

He darted towards you and the ocean, the smile on his face stretched all the way to his sculpted cheek bones. “Hey, you like them and they make my ass look good. It’s a win-win for everyone!”

You also couldn’t help but notice his, uh, junk that was swinging while he ran with you. One peep at it and everything clicked in your head as to why women were obsessed with him. It was a very pleasing sight.

Knees deep in the water, his hands drew up your sides. He ogled at your bare body, radiated by nothing but the moon, and you shifted a bit to make sure his back was fully facing the shore.

“You’re so beautiful,” he rasped, resting his hands just atop the swell of your butt. “Fuck,” he purred, “C’mere.”

Bending down, he crashed his lips onto yours, stroking up and down your backside. With one eye open, you peeked towards the rocks where two dark shadows hunched over and scurried away swiftly.

Turning your attention back to the kiss, you briskly pulled away and splashed him before he could react.

“Oh you wanna play huh?” he taunted and lunged at you while you playfully shrieked.

You giggled as he picked you up, hand under your neck and knees, spinning you around a few times before dropping you at a slightly deeper end. You floated back up and splashed at him again with all your might.

JJ swam towards you and wrapped your legs around his waist under the water, only your heads above the water at this point. “You’re so fun,” he gushed, kissing you again, a little more forcefully this time.

You two stayed that way for a bit until you heard the kids from the party faintly singing ‘Happy Birthday’.

“Fuck!” you shouted before scrambling out the water with JJ on your trail. You were able to pick up your bikini from the sand and pull it on. But once you got back to the rock, the only thing left was a single pink thong.

“Where the fuck did our clothes go?!” JJ hollered, outraged.

“Oh my God!” you joined, “Maybe some raccoons took them!”

Not even bothering with your preposterous presumption, he held his hands up to his head in stress. “What the fuck am I gonna do? I have to go back through the party to even get to the car! And I have fucking pink hair!”

“Uhh, maybe you could swim through the water past them? I could meet you on the other side with a towel.”

“Okay okay! Just hurry!” he urged, hurrying back into the water in just the skimpy underwear.

You jogged back to the party that died down by quite a bit. Only close friends remained.

“Where’s JJ?” Pope asked as you surveyed the area, “He missed the whole cake. We were looking for a lighter for ages.”

You merely shrugged. “Not sure, maybe he left for a bit?”

Pope glanced around, confused until a voice- Sophia’s voice- shrieked from the sides. “Oh my gosh is that JJ?!”

A few gasps emitted from the crowd as Arabella and Annalise shone their flashlights at the bubblegum head perched on top of the water.

“JJ what the fuck are you doing?!” John B yelled, “And why the fuck is your hair pink?!”

JJ looked as if he’d seen a ghost. He laughed sheepishly, “Yeah about that I-”

Before he could finish, the tide pulled out to reveal the fuchsia g-string on his hips. John B face palmed himself and shielded Sarah’s eyes from the indecent scene.

The party exploded in laughter, Pope and Kiara fell to their knees on the sand, joining the mass.

Middle fingers in the air, JJ dashed through the roaring flock and to the car. “Fuck you all! But happy birthday Sarah!”

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

note: hehehehhe. okay i had fun writing dis. pls msg me to be tagged!!

chapter six

tags: @obxlife @rudyypankow @yeehaw87 @ilymarkchan @jellyfishbeansontoast @tangledinsparkles @toloveortobeinlove @pixelated-pogues @normatural @teamnick @drizzlethatfalls @hazelgirl355 @wicked-laugh @jjmaybankswife @ponyboys-sunsets @5am-cigarette @everydayimfangirling @angvelics @poguecollins @xealia @floridabornandraised @girlsru1eboysdroo1 @booksandshish @apoguecalledjj @bananasfromtarget @lulbabes @arthiriticcricket @lasnaro @aaleksmorozova @himarisolace @obxmxybxnk @lopineapples @x-lulu @danicarosaline @llvinlavidaloca @toofarawaytobreathe @llvinlavidaloca @danicarosaline @ilovejjmaybank @socialwriter @searchinfornarnia159 @1-800-jjslut @jolomez @lopineapples

#outerbanks #outer banks #outer banks imagine #outer banks fanfiction #rafe outer banks #john b obx #obx fanfiction #obx imagine #obx #jj obx #jj x y/n #jj x reader #jj maybank #jj #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank x you #jj maybank fanfiction #jj maybank imagine

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cherryobx · 4 years

Text

To letting go//JJ Maybank x reader

requested?: yessssss “hey! you're probably busy or whatever,, so just ignore this if you want, but if you could, can you do something where the pogues save the reader from a toxic friend group and show them how friends are supposed to be? kinda need a fake scenerio to comfort me haha. it can be w anyone or just a platonic,,, just need a happy ending :) ty”

summary: The pogues take you under their wing after your kook friends lie to you

warnings: angst, toxic friends, some curse words

WC: 1335

(not my pic!!!)

I DIDN’T PROOFREAD!

Being a pogue and being friends with kooks was never easy. They got everything handed to them since birth. They were literally born rich.

Since your father worked for one of the kook families you started to go to work with him when you were little and that’s when you met your best friend Laurene.

When you started hanging out with her daily, you met her other kook friends. Her ‘squad’ as she called it.

Everything was simple when you were kids, money and clothes didn’t really matter. But as you grew older, these things became more and more important.

And that’s when you started to feel out of place.

Laurene often bought you presents. But you knew they were out of pity because you could never afford the kind of clothes she wore all the time.

Laurene was understanding most of the time. She understood when you couldn’t go shopping with them or couldn’t hang out because you had to go to work. You felt like you disappointed them when you couldn’t go and that tore you down mentally. But you never admitted that to yourself.

One day, Laurene dragged you to go shopping with her friends. You agreed, of course, because you thought that if you said ‘no’, they wouldn’t really accept you in their friend group anymore.

“What do you think about this one?” Laurene held a beautiful, and definitely very expensive, dress in front of her, showing you how it would on her body.

“It’s great! It would look so pretty on you,” you told her.

“Then I’ll buy it!” she happily exclaimed and practically ran to the register.

You and your friends walked out of the store. They all had a few shopping bags in their hands. Kooks were 100% the type of people who believed that money could buy happiness.

You walked behind them, hands in the pockets of your jean shorts that you ad found in a thrift store.

Sometimes you felt like they didn’t even notice you were there. You felt invisible beside them.

“Okay Y/N, we’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

You were confused. “Wasn’t Kara supposed to throw her birthday party today?”

“No, she canceled it. Right, Kara?” The blonde girl beside Laurene nodded.

“Oh, okay. Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye Y/N!”

“Bye!”

And then you were alone. You decided to go home since you had nothing to do anyway.

At home, you ate a bit and then laid on your bed, reading a book that Lauren had given you. You loved reading. It helped you escape reality and go to places you wouldn’t get to go to in real life.

When it was getting dark outside, you thought that you should go to the beach. You could see the stars there very well and it was always a beautiful sight.

When you arrived at the beach, you saw a group of people had set up a little fire pit there and were all sitting around it.

You knew those people. They were John B and his friends JJ, Pope, and Kiara. You had never really talked to them but they always seemed to have a lot of fun.

You sat a bit away from them and then laid down, so you could stargaze.

“Hey! Y/n?” JJ came up to you.

You didn’t take your eyes away from the sky but you nodded. “Yeah, that’s me. What do you want?”

“Why aren’t you at Kara’s birthday party?”

“She canceled it.”

“No, she didn’t,” he said, making you sit up and look at him. “What are you talking about? I just talked to her today. She said she canceled it.”

“She didn’t cancel it. Basically everyone is there right now.” He pulled out his phone and showed you someone’s Instagram story, where you could clearly see that there was a huge party going on at Kara’s place.

“So they lied to me…” you felt your eyes get wet. You knew that you didn’t really fit in with them. But why would they lie to you?

“Hey! No, don’t cry.”

“What did I do to deserve this?”

“You did nothing wrong. Kooks just are like this. Bunch of selfish assholes.”

“But they’re my friends.”

“Y/N, news flash, they’re not your friends. Kooks and pogues can never be friends, they despise people like us. I don’t know how you survived being close to them for so long.”

“Yeah, thanks for making me feel like shit, JJ. Why the fuck are you here anyway?” Tears were rolling down your cheeks like two waterfalls. You were angry at your friends, you were angry at JJ, but mainly you were angry at yourself.

“You just seemed lonely, that’s all.”

“Yeah because I look like a loner, right? Well, you can leave now. I don’t need you to make me feel even worse.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad. Look, come hang out with me and my friends.” He stood up and gave you his hand to help you up too.

“Fine. But if you’re like some kind of weirdos, I’m leaving.” You wiped the tears from your face with the sleeve of your sweater,

“Wow, being with kooks sure has its after-effects,” he laughed.

“Shut up.”

You walked over to his friends and sat down beside him, making everyone’s heads turn to you.

“This is Y/N. Y/N, these are my friends John B, Pope, and Kiara,” he introduced them, although you already knew who they were.

“Aren’t you that pogue who always hangs out with the kooks?”

You sighed. “Not anymore.”

So you told them the whole story, almost starting to cry again but luckily you held back your tears.

“Don’t worry, Y/N. We’ll show you what real friends look like.”

And they did. You had found your people. You were accepted there. You felt like that was where you belonged. They made you feel loved and never left out.

A few weeks after ‘the incident’, Laurene came to your place. She knocked on the door and waited for you to come out.

You had blocked all of them on all platforms and even deleted their numbers. You didn’t need fake friends in your life.

“What do you want?” you asked when you opened the door, seeing her standing there.

“I wanted to know why you’re ignoring us all of a sudden.”

“You lied to me. You made me feel left out and worthless. You want more reasons? Your friends never liked me, neither did you. And I know that for a fact.”

You didn’t even wait for her to respond. You just slammed the door in her face and walked into your backyard, where all of the pogues were waiting for you, setting up a fire.

“You ready?” Kiara asked, handing you a bag full of the clothes, pictures and jewelry that Lauren had given you throughout the years of knowing her.

“More than ever.” You had a plan of burning it all. You didn’t want constant reminders of all the shitty years you had spent pleasing the kooks.

To be honest, you were a bit nervous too. You were throwing away a big part of your life. But that’s what you needed to to to let go of all the bad memories.

In the few weeks, you had known them, JJ had developed a crush on you. A big one. You were broken, just like him and that made you two so similar. He didn’t want to fix you, neither did you want to fix him. But you felt like he was the one to make it all better. And you were absolutely right. Luckily you felt the same about him.

JJ grabbed your hand and kissed the top of it, looking into your eyes. “You got it.” He could sense the nervousness coming from you.

“To letting go,” Pope said.

“To letting go,” you repeated, throwing all the stuff into the fire, making it erupt in flames.

taglist: @teamnick @www-imbored-com @delightfullynlove @prejudic3 @afterglows7b-tch13 @tomhardybby @ad-infinitums @kindahavefeelingskindaheartless @ilovejjmaybank @drewsephsmiles @allycat449-blog @abbiesthings @teenwaywardasgardian

#jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj x reader #jj outer banks #jj obx #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank obx #jj maybank x you #rudy pankow #outer banks #the pogues #pogues #obx #obx netflix #obx s2

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disastermages · 4 years

Text

this is part five of the au where xiao xingchen is the one to raise wei wuxian

"Is he alright?" Xiao Xingchen asks, coming out of his own tent and watching the way his sister bounces her son in her arms. Wei Ying fought and fussed against any attempt Cangse made to soothe him, his cries only barely muffled against her chest.

The glow of the fire casts a shadow over Cangse's face as Xiao Xingchen comes to stand close to her, and for a moment, that shadow hides how exhausted she was, the worn expression on her face hidden in the night. "I don't know." Cangse admits finally, her shoulders starting to cave in. "I don't know if he's getting another tooth or if he's about to hit another growth spurt, but nothing I'm doing is working."

"Growth spurts can make children fussy?" Xiao Xingchen asks, eyes focusing on his nephew now. Wei Ying didn't look any bigger than he had earlier today.

"I don't know!" Cangse says, her voice too loud for the hour, but she's no louder than her son. "That's what some auntie told me after A-Ying was born! I didn't even ask her, people just tell you stuff when you have a kid!" Cangse's eyes get wide as she speaks, setting Wei Ying onto her hip so she can gesture with one hand and still hold him, his little hands clinging to her robes.

Tears are still rolling down Wei Ying’s cheeks, and Cangse wipes them away with her sleeve, sighing and closing her eyes. "Can you hold him for just a minute? He might like you better than me tonight." Cangse asks suddenly, stroking Wei Ying’s hair back, but looking right at Xiao Xingchen.

"Shijie, I don't-" Xiao Xingchen says, his eyes wide as his sister steps closer to him, already shifting Wei Ying back into her arms to pass him over. Since he'd met up with his sister's family, he'd only held his nephew twice over the last three weeks, and each time Wei Changze had taken his son back after just a few minutes, smiling as if he knew something Xiao Xingchen didn't.

Wei Ying is in his uncle's arms before Xiao Xingchen can finish what he was saying, his eyes owlishly wide as another whimper dies on his lips. Forcing himself to breathe slowly, Xiao Xingchen brings Wei Ying close to his chest, his arms tight around him. Wei Ying liked to wriggle and kick, Wei Changze had told him that, and Xiao Xingchen didn't even want to risk dropping him.

Xiao Xingchen expects the wailing to start all over again, he expects Wei Ying to turn around and grab for his mother, but neither of those things happen. Instead Wei Ying laughs, his tears drying up on his face as he holds onto the front of Xiao Xingchen’s robes as tightly as he can.

"Now he's happy, the little traitor." Cangse says, leaning up just a little bit to brush her finger against Wei Ying’s nose three times. All the stress from before has melted off Cangse's face now, leaving only a sleepy smile in its wake. "Maybe I should just let your Uncle Xiao keep you, what would you do then, A-Ying?"

Cangse tickles Wei Ying as she teases him, making him giggle and twist in Xiao Xingchen’s grasp, and Xiao Xingchen can't hold back the smile of his own anymore, the fear of dropping him evaporating.

The tickling stops when Wei Ying hides his face in his uncle's chest, and Xiao Xingchen can't stop himself from putting a hand on the back of his head, the same way he'd seen his sister and her husband do it.

When he looks over, Cangse is smiling at him. "I can't wait to tell Changze that I finally got you to hold him longer than a few seconds." She says, trying to turn her smile into a smirk and failing as she watches her brother hold her son so tightly.

Xiao Xingchen didn't know his brother in law had been so concerned about it.

"Are you alright?"

Song Lan’s voice snaps Xiao Xingchen out of the memory, the sight of his sister smiling at him disappearing.

Song Lan is the one standing in front of him now, their fingers laced together despite the worried look on his husband's face. Swallowing thickly, Xiao Xingchen shakes his head. "Just remembering something, that's all."

It was still dark in their tent, but Xiao Xingchen didn't need light to know that he was still being worried over. He squeezes Song Lan’s hand in his and leans his weight against his shoulder.

"We still have a few hours before A-Xian wakes up, if you want to tell me." Song Lan murmurs against the top of his head, and Xiao Xingchen chuckles. They haven't been able to leave anywhere before dawn since Wei Ying was eight.

"A-Ying and I have been here once before when he was still small." Xiao Xingchen confesses, this wasn't the exact place he'd made camp with his sister's family, but it was close enough. "My sister and his father were still here back then, we'd all been traveling together, but I was terrified of holding A-Ying. I thought for sure that I would drop him or hurt him, and I told myself that it was for the best that I didn't carry him."

Song Lan’s arm wraps around his waist at the mention of Cangse, though he huffs and smiles against Xiao Xingchen’s hair. Xiao Xingchen couldn't fault him for it, not when he'd so willingly and often carried Wei Ying by the time they met.

Laying back against his husband, Xiao Xingchen smiles too. "My sister finally made me hold him one night because he was fussy, and I thought he'd just keep crying or cry more because of me, but he laughed and held onto me instead."

Wei Ying hadn't been an overly fussy toddler, but he'd had his moments, and after that night, Cangse had made a point of dropping him into Xiao Xingchen’s arms until Xiao Xingchen had started picking him up on his own.

"Today is his birthday, I guess I'm only thinking about how big he's gotten." Xiao Xingchen finishes, looking at Song Lan again and smiling, more honest this time. "I can't pick him up anymore."

Well, he could. Both he and Song Lan could pick their nephew up if they wanted to, but that might earn them reddened cheeks and claims that he wasn’t a little kid anymore. Xiao Xingchen puts the idea away with a quiet laugh. He couldn’t be that mean to Wei Ying on his birthday.

It had only been three days since they’d left Lotus Pier, though Jiang Fengmian had tried to make them stay longer, insisting that Wei Ying and Jiang Wanyin should spend their birthdays together, and Xiao Xingchen had almost agreed, but then Wei Ying had asked him when they were going to leave.

That had been all the permission Xiao Xingchen had needed to leave Lotus Pier with both his husband and their nephew in tow.

They’re near Lanling when they hear the murmurs of the villagers, their voices hushed and their eyes unfocused on whatever was in front of them as they talked about it. Ghosts had all but taken over a village a few miles to the south, luring villagers into rivers too fast to swim against, calling them to the end of a steep cliff by imitating the voices of people the villagers knew, or some of them were even bold enough to try frightening the villagers to death.

Wei Ying is the only one able to work the exact location of the village out of an innkeeper, his eyes widening as the old man looks at him seriously and works the facts into a ghost story, tugging on his beard as though he were a professional storyteller.

Xiao Xingchen can’t bring himself to scold Wei Ying for it, not when the old man had seemed so eager to tell him the story.

The haunting seemed to be a recurring problem, the ghosts cropping up every ten years like clockwork and running rampant until cultivators arrived to put them down for another decade, though by then, the ghosts from the previous years had joined their ranks. According to the innkeeper, Lanling Jin had stopped coming out to deal with the ghosts soon after Jin Guangshan had become leader of his sect, his sniff of disdain hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“I’m afraid we can’t afford to pay for your services.” The village’s leader tells them when they arrive, the guilt on his face obvious, but then Song Lan is holding his hand up and shaking his head.

“We require no payment, sir, we only ask for a place to rest while we’re here.” Xiao Xingchen says, bowing quickly, Song Lan and Wei Ying following suit, and the man still looks unsure, but gestures for them to follow behind him.

They walk in silence as they’re led to an abandoned, but still standing house at the edge of the forest. “Years ago, the spirits dared not come past this point,” The man’s voice shakes as he speaks, and Wei Ying casts a worried look over to his uncle, “now they keep my villagers locked inside their homes all day and night.” The village leader bows deeply to them, then, “We cannot go on as we have in the past, Daozhangs, please put these spirits to bed for good.”

Xiao Xingchen opens his mouth to speak, but Wei Ying is faster, stepping forward and catching the man’s arms, a comforting smile on his face as he speaks, “We’ll do our best, please don’t worry, Sir.” Xiao Xingchen recognized the tone he was using, it was the same one he’d used whenever Wei Ying had nightmares and hearing his nephew use it now pulls at his heart.

“It doesn’t make sense.” Wei Ying says, once the village’s leader has left and they’re alone in the house, all three of them taking care around places where the floorboards seem weak. They’d stayed in worse places, especially during nighthunts, but as long as the house wouldn’t collapse on top of them, it was fine. “If they’ve had Jin cultivators out so many times, why haven’t they done away with the ghosts by now? Why would they just keep suppressing the haunting?”

Setting his bag down on the dusty floor, Xiao Xingchen hums. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been thinking the same thing, but Wei Ying was like his mother, he said the first thing that came to mind.

“A-Xian, some gentry families prefer to keep spirits suppressed with the aid of arrays and traps.” Song Lan explains, narrowly avoiding a hole in the stairs as he comes back down into the main room, wiping the dust from the railing off onto Wei Ying’s shoulder. “What happens to those arrays and traps over time?” Both Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen grin at each other when Wei Ying pouts, wiping at the dust on his shoulder.

“They wear out and break down over time.” Wei Ying says, shaking his head like it was the simplest question either of his uncles had ever asked him, but then realization hits his face, a bright grin following it. “The traps must have a ten year lifespan!”

“That’s just a theory I thought of upstairs,” Song Lan says, “we don’t have any proof that they used traps just yet.” It was a very likely theory though, Xiao Xingchen thinks, the Jin sect was known for overloading forests with spirit nets during nighthunts. A quick walk out into the forest before nightfall would tell them what they needed to know about how the Jin sect had been dealing with this problem.

The traps they do find are old and burnt out, some of them cracked along the edges from where the spirits had fought against them. “None of them have any spirit calming spells inscribed on them.” Wei Ying announces, turning the trap over in his hands again and again, looking up at his uncles as he tosses it to the side. They’d been intended to be a temporary solution to a constant problem, then.

“You don’t want to tinker with it?” Song Lan asks, nudging at the trap with his foot. Normally, one of the more salvageable traps would’ve been tucked into Wei Ying’s bag and only taken out again to be broken down and put back together once it was repaired or improved. This time, Wei Ying only shakes his head.

“These aren’t made to be fixed, I would only break them more if I tried.” There’s a level of frustration in Wei Ying’s voice that makes Xiao Xingchen reach out and put his hand on his shoulder. Everything they carried with them while traveling was meant to have multiple uses, some of their possessions could even be fixed as they failed, nothing was wasted by rogue cultivators.

It was a lesson from their grandmaster that Xiao Xingchen had taught Wei Ying from a young age. Xiao Xingchen could understand his nephew’s irritation at such a frivolous trap.

“A-Ying, I want you to be very careful tonight, stay close to me or Uncle Song when you can and stay on the defensive when you can’t.” Xiao Xingchen keeps his hand on Wei Ying’s shoulder as he speaks, turning him just slightly so he was looking at his uncle. Wei Ying could achieve immortality and Xiao Xingchen would still prefer keeping him close in a fight.

“I’ll be okay, Uncle Xiao.” Wei Ying protests, though he doesn’t shrug off Xiao Xingchen’s hand. The sun had already started to set, and the temperature in the forest was dropping right along with it.

“A-Ying.” Xiao Xingchen says a little more firmly, narrowing his eyes. If the spirits were strong enough to keep villagers inside their homes night and day, Xiao Xingchen wouldn’t let his nephew take any unnecessary risks, he couldn’t.

Their stare down only lasts a few seconds before Wei Ying gives in, slumping against his uncle and groaning out that he would stay close. The pout on his face makes both Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan laugh as they walk deeper into the forest, Song Lan at the front and the other two trailing close behind him.

They’re in position long before dusk, close enough to keep eyes on each other, but not close enough to get taken out as a group, their swords held in their hands rather than kept on their backs. Xiao Xingchen had expected more activity by now, even if the spirits hadn’t risen up at their feet, they should have seen at least a few of the harmless ones wandering.

Turning and locking eyes with Wei Ying, Xiao Xingchen nods, watching as his nephew takes a paperman out of his robes and sends it wandering out past the tree Song Lan was hidden against, letting it stop and look around as it comes to stand in front of a fallen log.

The paperman was bait, something to draw out spirits starving for spiritual energy, but Wei Ying could only let it go so far before he had to follow after it. Xiao Xingchen crouches down behind the boulder in front of him and watches as Wei Ying walks a few feet forward, allowing the paperman to pass in front of one end of the log when a spectral hand reaches out and snatches it.

The connection to Wei Ying’s spiritual energy is severed almost immediately as the paperman crumples and a high pitched shriek explodes out of the log before the ghost inhabiting it emerges, tossing its head in every direction as it tries to find the source of the paperman.

The spirit had been human once, Xiao Xingchen notes, even as it crawls out on all fours, twisted and tormented in death.

“A-Ying.” Xiao Xingchen whispers, and Wei Ying moves himself backwards almost silently, ducking behind a tree slightly closer to Song Lan’s without being told twice.

The screeching of the log spirit seems to draw out the rest, their voices sounding pitiful as they moan in response. Some of them rise up from the ground, others appear from the inside of bushes, but others descend from the trees just ahead of them, their eyes sightless as they toss their heads.

Decades of suppression instead of being put to rest properly hadn’t been kind to these spirits, it had whittled them down to their base instincts, and Xiao Xingchen forces himself to choke down the anger that rises in his chest.

A sharp whistle from just ahead of him brings Xiao Xingchen out of his thoughts and pulls him back into the moment, they would need to start working their way forward if they wanted to keep the spirits out of the village tonight.

Song Lan moves first, stepping silently to the right and forward, drawing Fuxue out of its sheath as he waits for Xiao Xingchen and then Wei Ying to move, Shuanghua and Suibian already held in their hands.

On their third rotation forward, a twig snaps underneath Xiao Xingchen’s foot and he eyes of the spirits are on him, the lot of them moving forward as he steels himself, Shuanghua already poised when a cleansing talisman flies forward and burns away a group of the weakest ones.

Xiao Xingchen can’t turn and look at his nephew now, but he knows full well if he did, there’d be a grin on Wei Ying’s face. Shuanghua cuts through the spirits that come charging at him first, purifying them even as they screech and wail against the blade now that they’ve lost the element of surprise.

Song Lan is working his way through the spirits on the opposite side of him, Fuxue glinting in the moonlight as Wei Ying flits between them, staying just close enough to both his uncles to avoid catching a lecture after they’d finished.

The three of them spend an hour working through the spirits that threw themselves upon their blades when one of the spirits at the center groans loud enough to shake the ground underneath their feet before it breaks away from the weaker spirits, the spectral jaw of it hanging open as it flees up a hill.

Before it goes too far, a talisman flies past Xiao Xingchen’s head and seals itself on the spirit’s back, drawing another scream from it.

“Was that one of your new ones?” Song Lan asks, landing next to Xiao Xingchen and Wei Ying, his eyes trying to track the movements of the ghost. They’d given Wei Ying three new stacks of talisman paper for his birthday a few months ago, and he’d been dutifully working through them.

“I modified the trace of evil spell,” Wei Ying nods, holding up two fingers to show his uncles a glowing character between them, the light of it flickering and growing dimmer as the spirit moved further and further away from them. “We can track it for an hour and a half like this, but I’m working on one that lasts a lot longer.”

Despite the situation, Xiao Xingchen doesn’t stop himself from smiling and patting the top of Wei Ying’s head. He’d never thought of himself as a prideful man until he came face to face with his nephew’s inventions. He almost misses the way Song Lan’s hand comes up and pats Wei Ying’s shoulder.

“We should get moving, wherever that spirit goes, we need to follow it.” Song Lan says, looking into Xiao Xingchen’s eyes and nodding as he takes back his position at the head of their group, though they walk closer this time.

Wei Ying’s talisman leads them to a northeastern corner of the forest, the air getting more and more stagnant as they move, making their clothes itch and seem too warm despite the coldness of the season.

A wail stops them where they stand, the three of them looking at each other before any of them dares to speak.

“Is that a kid crying?” Wei Ying asks, tugging at Xiao Xingchen’s sleeve, his eyebrows drawn together.

“Song Lan, it doesn’t sound spectral, it sounds human.” Xiao Xingchen keeps the panic out of his voice for the sake of his husband and nephew, though he knows his eyes betray him when Song Lan turns to look at him.

Why would there be a child all the way out in the forest if all the villagers were locked in their homes? The thought of it churns Xiao Xingchen’s stomach, but Wei Ying walks forward before he can say anything more, looking back to his uncles with his mouth agape when the character glows brighter between his fingers when he turns towards the wailing.

“A-Xian, I want you between us, now.” Song Lan says and Xiao Xingchen nods, coming to stand directly behind his nephew while Song Lan stands in front, when Wei Ying doesn’t argue, they start moving forward again, climbing up the hill and only communicating silently as the glow intensifies.

It could very well be a trick, all three of them know that, the spirits had been crafty, but if there truly was a child out here, they wouldn’t leave them here.

The crying stops as they reach the top of the hill, leaving them to look around themselves, both for the spirit and for the child that had led them up this high.

“There!” Wei Ying whisper-shouts, pointing out a shape hiding against a bush to the left of them. The child was covering their eyes with their hands and their shoulders were shaking, either with cold or with fear.

Song Lan steps forward, trying to move their group closer to the child, but stops when the ghost appears again, though it’s eyes aren’t focused on them, they’re bearing into the child, the jaws hanging open in a snarl.

The beast moves first, breaking out in a run towards the child at the same time Wei Ying breaks away from his uncles, diving forward to gather them in his arms and then behind a large tree.

It slams against the tree and the child cries out again, vaguely, Xiao Xingchen thinks he can hear Wei Ying trying to soothe them, speaking quietly as Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan make their moves on the beast. They each take a side of it and drive their swords in, ignoring how it howls when they throw cleansing talismans on it.

They go through half a stack of talismans each before they can land the killing blow on the spirit, and even then it fights, growling at them until it fizzles away and leaves a pile of bones, large ones, but not human, behind.

Wei Ying and the child come out from behind their tree once the bones are buried underneath a half dozen calming talismans, their tiny arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

“Her name is A-Qing,” Wei Ying says, swallowing thickly and bouncing her in his grip, “she says she’s five.”

Forcing himself to breathe again, Xiao Xingchen nods and reaches out, turing Wei Ying’s face either way to check for any injuries that needed dealing with right away, and then he sets about prying A-Qing away from him, Song Lan eventually joining in on their circle of soft-talking and gentle encouragements.

Aside from scrapes and bruises, A-Qing is only cold, hungry, and scared after being lured out into the woods two days ago. The village’s leader hadn’t told them there was a child among the missing people.

She clings to Wei Ying on their walk back to the village, whimpering at every noise. The spirits that had surrounded them had long since dispersed, gone from this world and onto the next after the spirit keeping all of them there had been put down, and the eerie feeling of the forest had been taken with them.

Dawn is already breaking when they return, the village leader waiting for them at the tree line with his hands clasped in worry, and then relief when he sees all three of them, plus another, alive and walking towards them.

“A-Qing’s mother died a few days after she was born, and her father was one of the first to be taken by the spirits.” The village leader says, looking apologetically at the little girl, even as she slept on Wei Ying’s shoulder. “She’s been staying with neighbors while we’ve been trying to deal with the spirits, but then she’d wandered off one night.”

Xiao Xingchen doesn’t miss the way Wei Ying’s arms grow tighter around A-Qing, but he doesn’t allow himself to linger on it, instead he turns his eyes onto Song Lan silently for a moment.

They’d discussed it, they’d discussed adopting children many, many times, but talking about it was different from actually doing it.

All it takes is the slightest nod of his head and a clearing of Song Lan’s throat for Xiao Xingchen to speak.

“We intend to ask A-Qing’s opinion on the matter after she wakes, but with your permission, Village Leader, my husband and I would like to adopt her.”

The man seems flabbergasted at the request, but recovers after a moment, his face going still as he considers it.

“If A-Qing wishes to leave with the three of you, I will allow it.”

“Xian-gege, don’t go!” A-Qing cries, her cheeks red as she tugs at his robes, staring up at him pleadingly. Guilt gnaws at Xiao Xingchen when he finds that he agrees with her, though he tries his best not to let it show as he watches Wei Ying lean down and pick up his younger sister, one arm holding her on his hip and the other hand reaching up to pinch her cheek.

“A-Qing,” Wei Ying starts, leaning his forehead against hers before he sighs dramatically, “Uncle Xiao already wrote to Sect Leader Jiang and told him that I would go to Gusu Lan’s lecture, it wouldn’t be nice for me to change my mind now.”

A-Qing wrinkles her nose at the mention of Jiang Fengmian despite only meeting the man once since they’d taken her in. “I don’t like Sect Leader Jiang.” The little girl speaks with finality that was beyond her years, and Xiao Xingchen doesn’t bother holding back his laughter, they still had a few more minutes before they would meet up with the Jiang attachment.

“Do you have everything you need?” Xiao Xingchen asks, holding out his hands to take A-Qing from his nephew, reaching out with his free hand to straighten Wei Ying’s robes once he has her.

“Yes, Uncle Xiao.”

“You have your talisman papers? I know you’ll go through the ones they give you.”

“Yes, Uncle Xiao.”

“Your winter robes? It gets cold in Gusu.”

“Yes, Uncle Xiao.”

“The sweets Uncle Song made for you?”

“I snuck them into his bag last night.” Song Lan says, coming up behind Xiao Xingchen and brushing their arms together. “Those were supposed to be a surprise.”

Xiao Xingchen throws his husband a look of apology that’s quickly waved off, instead, Song Lan starts his own version of straightening Wei Ying’s robes.

“You have your stationery? Remember to write to us once at least once a week, A-Ying.” The stationery had been something the three of them had worked on together, traditional letters were out of the question, they wandered too far to even consider it.

There’s a hand on the small of his back then, and Xiao Xingchen struggles to swallow down the rest of his questions.

Stepping forward, Xiao Xingchen pushes down the feeling rising up in his chest. “You can come back to us anytime you want, remember that, A-Ying, you don’t have to wait out the year if you don’t want to.” It had been part of his and Jiang Fengmian’s agreement, Wei Ying was allowed to leave Gusu Lan’s lecture after the first two months if he wanted to, and any major punishments were to go through Xiao Xingchen.

Getting Jiang Fengmian to agree to those terms had been like twisting an arm, but Xiao Xingchen had won out in the end.

Suddenly there are arms around his neck as Wei Ying hugs him tightly, and Xiao Xingchen returns it as best he can with A-Qing still on his hip. Her weight shifts and Xiao Xingchen lets out a wet laugh when he realizes that A-Qing has joined their embrace.

When they part, Wei Ying’s eyes are wet, but Song Lan has already started speaking, one hand resting on Wei Ying’s shoulder.

“Behave yourself, A-Xian, if you have to break the rules, don’t get caught.”

A grin spreads across Wei Ying’s face, and he opens his mouth to speak, but then, someone is calling his name and waving their hand at him. It only takes a moment of squinting for Xiao Xingchen to recognize the young man as Jiang Wanyin, taller and more grown into his features as he waves Wei Ying over.

For a moment, Wei Ying looks between the three of them and the Jiang attachment, but Xiao Xingchen only nods at him, his grip on A-Qing tightening ever so slightly, still smiling sadly.

He expects Wei Ying to run and join them right away, maybe he would wave at them over his shoulder before he disappeared from view, but then there’s another hug pressed against his side before it’s gone, and Wei Ying only hesitates for a moment before launching himself at Song Lan and giving him one of the same.

Xiao Xingchen presses himself against Song Lan’s side as they watch their nephew disappear from view, his heart in his throat until he hears Song Lan sniffle beside him.

“He’ll come back to us.” Xiao Xingchen says quietly, to who, he isn’t sure.

#songxiao #xiao xingchen #wei wuxian #song lan #song zichen #a-qing #a qing #wei ying #this chapter turned into a fuckin monster length wise real quick #as usual the ao3 link and links to the other parts will be in the reblog to my main

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suwya · 4 years

Text

Till the Stars Had Run Away - Prologue

Summary: Killian Jones was a voyager. Actually, he was many things, or at least he had been - a lieutenant, a brother, a loving boyfriend - until everything had turned upside down and his life had hit an all time low. So, he gave up. Aboard his spaceship he abandoned Arcadia, his planet, navigating the stars and other solar systems in search of... well, he still didn't know what he was searching for, but his rule was "never remain in the same place longer than necessary."

Rating: M

AO3

A/N: I started to write this story two years ago, but I never found the courage to post it. Until something happened.

I read some of the brilliant fanfics written by @thisonesatellite, and commenting them with her, gave me the pleasure to getting to know this amazing person. She is the reason why this fic sees the light of the day. And she is also my beta: I will be forever thankful to her for all the help she gives me, I owe her so much!

Happy birthday Stephanie! I hope you’re having a wonderful day, because you deserve the best!

Prologue.

And a softness came

from the starlight

and filled me full

to the bone.

(W. B. Yeats)

Fucking ice bitch is not so icy after all. Killian thought while he was crossing the Royal Palace's limits. And yes, he was probably drunk, but not enough to forget that he didn't want to stay on this ridiculous planet another day more than necessary. He needed to repair his ship and fly far, far away from here as soon as he could. He would be damned if he didn't.

***

Eight full moons before.

The room was too bright for his liking; it was big, neat and decorated with minimalist furniture, just a double bed with a couple of night stands.

Killian shook his head; this was a mistake, a huge mistake, one that would pester his soul for the rest of his life. He knew better. Why am I even here? He thought. Oh, yes, because of the bloody money. If there was any chance to leave this damn place, this was it. He needed the money to repair his ship.

Killian Jones was a voyager. Actually, he was many things, or at least he had been - a lieutenant, a brother, a loving boyfriend - until everything had turned upside down and his life had hit an all time low. So, he gave up. Aboard his spaceship he abandoned Arcadia, his planet, navigating the stars and other solar systems in search of... well, he still didn't know what he was searching for, but his rule was "never remain in the same place longer than necessary."

When a rock had collided with his ship, Killian had made a forced landing. New Tolemac seemed a quiet place to lie low for a while, at least at the beginning. But, the ins and outs of the Royal Government of this planet weren't aligned with his philosophy. Long ago he had sworn to himself to serve no king and live by his own rules.

There were only two things that stood between him and his next destination: A new gimbal block for the engine of his ship, and the money to purchase it.

He stood at the end of the bed pondering over the best outfit for the occasion. He wasn't exactly attending a Royal Gala, this was a commercial trade... sort of.

In the end, he stuck with his usual attire: a black vest over a dark grey long sleeved shirt, black jeans, and boots. He was in contrast to the place he was staying. Everything was white: the blankets, the walls, the pavement, even the door.

He didn't flinch when that door suddenly opened. “Here we go.” He said to himself and tried to put on his best poker face.

Through the door frame, he could spot three figures. Two of them were Royal Guards with black and maroon uniforms, helmets hiding their faces, and the characteristically rounded blades around their waists. Killian wished he had his automatic harpoon with him as well, but of course, no foreign arms were allowed inside the confines of the Royal Palace.

The third person of the group was a lithe, young girl with straight blond hair tied in a complex braid. She was wearing an elegant but simple white dress with thin straps that was long enough to hide her feet. She was the only one who entered the room; the guards closed the door behind her.

So this is the famous Princess Emma, Killian thought. Well, she was beautiful, indeed, and young, so very young. Nobody had ever seen the Princess in public, not the common people at least. Raised by the Royal Family in the utmost secrecy, she had never crossed the barriers of the Palace and its gardens. Protected like the most precious treasure in existence, she held the future of the entire planet in her hands.

And that was exactly why Killian was in that room with her.

She stopped a few steps in front of him, her chin raised and her arms crossed in front of her, in what Killian would have defined as the typical arrogant Royal attitude.

"Let’s do it quickly. I have a pretty busy schedule today," she stated.

"Well, that's a shame, Princess, because I do like to take my time around a woman."

"We are not here because of what you like," she replied. "During the last few weeks, you have been thoroughly tested by a highly professional medical team, and you've been selected as the most capable for the role, and that is what matters to get the most satisfying result," she explained in an unsentimental tone.

"Capable sounds good, but it's probably not the adjective I would choose to describe myself." Killian tilted his head and hooked his right thumb in one of the loops of his belt, then made a step towards her invading her personal space. His flirty innuendos usually had a certain effect on women. "Regarding the satisfying results…" He added in a low sultry voice "well, love, you don't have to worry about that."

"I'm not worried and I'm definitely not your love," she huffed impatiently and he immediately realized he had not impressed her. "Now, if we are finished with the preliminaries, I'd rather get to the point," she added, indicating the bed near them. "As I said before I have a busy schedule. Some people have responsibilities."

"Believe me, Princess, I haven't even started with the preliminaries." He grinned, blinking at her.

"Mr. Jones..." she started what seemed to be a petulant comeback, but he lifted a hand to stop her.

"Killian will do," he smiled. “Or Captain, if you prefer something more formal.”

"Whatever." She went on, "let me make this clear: you're expendable. You're here just because you were the first name on the list, but that doesn't mean that I can't discharge you and choose the second one."

Killian remembered who the ‘second one’ was. Some bloke full of bullshit named Cassidy, whom he had met while waiting for a test to run. The thought of that piece of work and this beautiful young lady in the same room sent an unexpected shiver down his spine. He suddenly felt like he had to protect her, but why? "Oh, but you won't, because Royals never settle for second best. Besides, you don't intimidate me, Princess. I believe you're the one who's going to lose here." Confidence had always been his most effective weapon.

"You're so full of yourself, but at the end of the day I will fulfill my duty. You, on the other hand, will end up with no reward at all. And I've heard the paycheck is quite alluring. Wasn't that why you applied in the first place?" Damn woman, he thought. She knew how to push his buttons.

Something about the Princess captivated him but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He studied her. She was guarded, she clearly didn’t want him to look through her barriers. But it wasn’t all due to her status, it seemed more of a protective measure.

He decided it was time to stop with his demeanor; he shouldn't have even started from the beginning. What was he thinking? Flirting with a girl so young. But innuendos and suggestive remarks had always been his coping mechanisms in a thorny situation.

A muscle clenched in his jaw and with a more serious tone of voice he asked, "How old are you?"

"Excuse me?" Her eyes widened for a brief moment. She looked him up and down as if she was wondering who he was exactly.

The fleeting crack in her stance she had just shown him confirmed to Killian that there was much more behind those pompous Royal walls of hers. "You are way too young. How old are you?" He insisted.

"Not much younger than you are." The Princess put her hands on her hips and immediately stepped back. Her posture was rigid, her mouth set in a firm thin line, her eyes cold and challenging.

"Appearances can be deceiving. I'm quite a lot older than you can imagine. I’m not from here, and I’ve been in many lands where time runs differently."

She seemed to consider his words for a few seconds. "I'm seventeen." She answered, but before he could react she went on to explain,“and tonight the three moons of New Tolemac will align with the northern star, which makes the best scenario for me to conceive a Royal Heir.”

“This is the most preposterous nonsense I've ever heard.” Killian knew what he was supposed to do in that room, but this was insane. The girl was only seventeen years old, she had a whole life in front of her.

"I don't expect you to understand. As you said, you're from another planet. In this realm, we follow the rules. And my parents raised me to be a reliable part of the Royal Family, who in spite of my age can assume the responsibilities of a pregnancy, and consequently raise a child to be our future King."

"The same sweet dear parents that locked you up in a room to be fucked by the first random guy of the week, I presume?"

"It's not locked. I can go out whenever I want." She answered in the same pragmatic tone with which she had been speaking the whole time.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, how could she agree to these methods? But maybe, if it was true that she had been raised for this purpose, the King and Queen had probably done everything in their power to not let her think otherwise. "But you won't." He stated as a matter of fact.

"Of course, I won't. I'm here to fulfill my duties." She replied, and it didn't slip by him that it was the second time she had used the exact same words, as if they were a memorized speech.

“Oh, come on, don't tell me you've never imagined a grandiloquent wedding.” He tried to tease her.

“I will marry a suitable candidate when the right time comes, but it's definitely not on my agenda at the moment.” She explained as if it was the most obvious thing in all the worlds.

“A suitable candidate? No knight in shining armor who will rescue you from your miserable existence?”

“I'm no damsel in distress, Captain Jones.” She answered, emphasizing his rank, “I don't need to be rescued.”

“What about love?” He needed to probe her limits, to know what was behind her walls.

“Love is overrated. We are at war. There's no time for such trivialities.”

That surprised him. “I had no idea New Tolemac was at war.”

“Maybe not right now, but the Lepka Industry is pushing forward, and we all know the consequences.”

Killian definitely knew something about those consequences. I've seen with my own eyes what that monster is capable of. He thought to himself. Invading a peaceful planet and depleting all the resources until it ends up imploding with no safe getaway for its inhabitants. It was a painful memory he had spent years trying to avoid and eventually forget. “I’m well aware of The Industry’s methods.”

“Then, you of all people should understand the importance of some good defensive measures.”

“But The Industry is very far from here.” He wasn’t sure why the Government of this planet was so intimidated by a faraway menace.

“For now. But we have to be prepared for every possibility. And the population will need their rightful ruler when the time comes.” The Princess explained. “So, if everything is clear, I'd like to get started.” She added.

Killian stared at her. He was starting to understand. She seemed so young and somehow vulnerable, but behind that fragile appearance she was a tough lass, and he liked it. Still, he believed that this was a terrible mistake. “I'm not going to touch you.”

“What?” She asked outraged. “This is not what you've signed on for.”

Killian shrugged. “I've changed my mind.”

“Why?” She inquired with wide open eyes, and he couldn’t decide if she was shocked by his refusal to follow an order, or if it was the rejection that was hurting her.

He stepped forward, and now they were so close he could spot some golden flecks in her emerald eyes. “Because no woman in any land should be treated like this, no matter how noble the reasons are.” He almost whispered.

“I'm not being treated in any way.” She replied in the same low voice. “This is my choice and my duty. My planet needs an heir that will be able to lead it.”

“You are the heir.” He stated and made a step back. Then, he lifted a hand to his head as if he was suddenly remembering something and added in a mocking way, “But oh, I forgot, you're a woman, which means that you can't govern because of some stupid rules.”

“You don't understand.” She hissed through her teeth, now clearly annoyed. “This is the only chance I have to save my people.”

“Well, then, do whatever you have to do, savior, but not with me.” Killian bowed to let her clear that the conversation was over from his point of view. “Sorry Princess, but as appealing as it may look, I'm not going to have sex with you.”

"You're wasting my time!” She didn’t raise her voice, but she definitely looked furious now. “Guards!” She shouted, and when the door opened she ordered: “escort this man outside the Palace's boundaries."

***

Eight full moons after.

Taverns in New Tolemac were scarce, leisure activities were not banned, but not happily welcomed either. The Crimson Crown was probably the worst tavern Killian had set foot in, and he had been in many of them. A band was trying to lighten the atmosphere, but the music was awful and the acoustics even worse. Killian didn't mind; his gaze fixed on the bottle he was grabbing. The glass long forgotten, he was swirling the amber liquid inside, or what was left of it. His senses were with him: the cold crystal in his hand, the out of tune string in his ears, the sour taste in his mouth; but his mind, his mind was in a place very, very far from where he was sitting.

"In which galaxy are you right now?"

He had completely zoned out and forgotten he had company. "Come again?" He tried to focus on the presence beside him.

"What's bothering you? And don't tell me it's nothing, 'cause that look on your face speaks volumes."

Robin was his best friend, his only friend would be more exact to say. He wasn't from around here either, but he had been living in New Tolemac for much longer than Killian. The two of them had known each other since Killian had landed on this damned planet.

Two foreigners, two lonely souls with no attachments, maybe that's why they connected so easily.

But Killian was in no mood for conversation, not tonight. He was going to finally leave this planet once and for all: he had bought the last piece he needed to fix the engine of his spaceship first thing in the morning. A couple of days more just to arrange everything and he would pack his things and fly away.

He had asked Robin to go with him, to search for a better life in a more hospitable place, and his friend eagerly accepted the invitation. They had ended up in that tavern to celebrate it. Killian should have been euphoric. But his guts were clenching. Why wasn’t he so happy to leave as he was supposed to be?

Nine months had passed since his unfortunate landing. So many more than those he would have stayed if he had had the chance to leave. Eight months since the day he met the Princess.

No, no, no. He thought, shaking his head. Don't let your mind go down that path again. He warned himself.

Killian drew the bottle up his lips, but a hand stopped his movement.

"Easy. Don't you think you've had enough for tonight?"

"There's no such a thing as enough alcohol." He grunted, but the hand didn't relent. "Fuck off, Robin!" He exclaimed.

"Your enchanting behavior doesn't work with me." Robin retorted ironically. "Come on, let's get out of this place." He added tugging at Killian's arm.

The air outside was thick and humid. "Bloody summer" Killian cursed while stumbling over a little rock. As he regained balance he realized that maybe his friend was right, and even if he could hold his rum, he might have had too many drinks.

They walked silently side by side for a while, since one of the perks of having a best friend is that you don't need to entertain the other person all the time. So Killian's mind started meandering through a road he had tried to avoid just a few minutes before.

"It's completely bad form." He exclaimed eventually.

"What is?" Robin asked, probably taken a little aback at his abrupt words.

"I just wanted to help her. Why didn't she accept my help?" Killian went on without many further explications.

"Wha...?" Robin started to ask, but then realization clearly struck him. "After all these months why are you still thinking about her?"

"Fucking ice bitch." Killian cursed.

"I beg your pardon?" Robin was having problems in following his friend's thoughts.

"It's the moniker I chose for her, don't you think it's accurate?" The other said as if it was the most obvious thing.

Robin shook his head. "It's not like you to talk this way about a woman. You must be really wasted." And after a moment of silence, each of them lost in their own inner world, Robin asked: "Are you sure you can get home safely by yourself?"

Killian stopped and realized that they had arrived at a crossroad where their paths back home diverged. "I'm fine, mate." He replied with a little persuading smile.

"I'll call you in the morning... or not. You tend to be a bit irritable when you're hungover."

"Good night to you, too." Killian answered back ironically. And they went separate ways.

The night was still young, at least for Killian's standards, so he decided to walk a bit more, clear his mind, and his feet brought him near the water. The sound of the ocean waves crashing into the shore had always calmed him.

He inhaled deeply the salted breeze and for a while he just stood there staring into the horizon that was clearly visible due to the bright light of the three full moons. After a while lost in his thoughts, he was almost ready to call it a night when he noticed a presence not far from where he was standing.

Someone was sitting on a large rock in a meditative position with straight back and crossed legs, hands resting on the knees. It was the Princess, as if she had somehow materialized from his thoughts. But how could it possibly be?

Maybe he had already passed out and was now dreaming, he thought, or maybe he was simply hallucinating because of the high level of alcohol in his veins. Otherwise, he would never have trespassed the Palace's limits without being aware of it, which could only mean problems.

He should turn back home, he knew it. But as a moth is attracted by a flame, he was drawn by her. While approaching her silhouette, he could make out her closed eyes.

He didn’t mean to startle her, so he cleared his throat to announce his presence. The Princess opened only one eye; if she was surprised to see him she didn’t show it. “I’m trying to concentrate.” She closed her eye again and went on with whatever she was doing.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” He asked nonchalantly, disregarding her statement.

“Do you need help finding your way back home, Mr. Jones? From the smell that precedes you, I assume you may not have realized that you entered a property where you’re not welcome.” She said without changing her position.

“You remember me! It’s always a pleasure to know I did a good impression!” He exclaimed cheerfully. “I mean, it’s quite some time we haven’t come across each other.” But after a deeper glimpse at her, he realized that the curves of her dress weren’t the result of the breeze. She was very much pregnant. "And you clearly let that bastard fuck you." The words left his mouth before he could even think about them.

She didn’t move, didn’t even open her eyes. He hadn’t exactly approached her with the intention to start an argument, but now that the cards were already on the table, there was no point in going back on his words, so he went on. "Of course you couldn't disappoint mom and daddy. But let me tell you one thing, no mother or father would ever do something like that to their own daughter.”

She was making an effort ignoring him if the sudden increase in her breathing rhythm was a hint, but that was all he obtained from her. “Don't you see it?” Killian insisted. “They are not some loving parents, you're just a pawn in their hands. They don't have a legitimate heir to the throne, because, oh what a shame, you are a girl! So they raised you just to give them what they've ever wanted: a boy."

He knew he was hurting her. She hadn't moved a muscle during his speech, but he saw her bottom lip trembling in spite of her efforts to remain untouched. Nevertheless, he couldn’t give a damn. He had nothing to lose at this point. At least she would listen to everything he had needed to tell her since the day he left the Palace eight months before.

"Do you really think they will let you take care of your child? Don't be so naive. They will probably discard you as soon as you give birth. They have locked you inside this prison for all your life, a shiny beautiful cage, that is, but still a prison. You don't have a life of your own. They didn’t let anyone near you. Nobody knows you, and nobody will care about you when you will be expendable."

At those words she finally opened her eyes and if looks could kill he would be instantly dead. She was angry, he could see that, probably furious with him, but there was more, her eyes had become a little watery and a turmoil of feelings was passing through them, he could read it. He held a hand up and didn't let her speak "No need to call the guards this time. I'm going to walk myself out of this miserable place with great pleasure."

Fucking ice bitch is not so icy after all. He thought while crossing the Royal Palace's limits. And yes, he was probably drunk, but not enough to forget that he didn't want to stay on this ridiculous planet another day more than necessary. He needed to repair his ship and fly far, far away from here as soon as he could. He would be damned if he didn't.

#cs ff #cs au #Till the Stars Had Run Away #alternate universe - science fiction #space au #my writing

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hermadnessmacwrites · 3 years

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A Game of Puzzles (Making the Pieces Fit) Chapter 4

Summary: With the war over and Sasuke home again, Sakura is more hopeful for Team 7’s future than she has been in a long time. She’s quickly disappointed to find that nothing in the Village fits quite like it used to—not her old bedroom, not her clothes, and definitely not Team 7. Join Sakura as she scrambles to understand her place in this new team dynamic.

If she has a place there at all.

-OR-

It takes three dorks a painfully long time after moving in together to realize that they all belong together.

It’s the first time Sakura remembers October 10th ever being this...jovial.

The streets are always crowded this time of year, but the laughter seems oddly out of place. Gone are the mournful monochromatic clothes she’s used to. Everything she looks at—the clothes, the storefronts, the people—is so bright she has to work to avoid squinting.

“Oooh, Sakura, look, there’s a dango stand!”

Brightest of all is Naruto. He’s actually wearing less orange than usual, having been convinced into a pair of dark tan pants, but his expression more than makes up for the loss. Each street vendor and colored lantern is taken in with equal amounts of awe. He looks like a kid at his first birthday party, which…

...it’s a painfully accurate description. Sakura tries not to think about it.

“Didn’t you just eat like five bowls of ramen?” she teases. Naruto opens his mouth and closes it, looking for an excuse, but Sakura elbows him lightly in the side. “Just kidding, let’s go grab some. I heard they were going to add a new flavor today, too.”

Naruto’s eyes widen comically. “For me? Really?”

“Of course it’s for you,” Sasuke cuts in from behind them. Walking three across really isn’t possible in these crowds, but, like most genin teams, Team 7 feels most comfortable navigating public spaces in a loose triangle formation. “It’s not like Konoha has anything else to celebrate today, right?”

The pointed question isn’t lost on Naruto, who visibly deflates. Sakura spins to glare at Sasuke and catches a flash of a frown as his gaze drops to the pavement. It’s not Naruto that Sasuke is annoyed with, but that’s exactly who he’s hurting with his bitterness. It doesn’t take much for Naruto to swing to extreme sadness when he’s this happy, which Sasuke knows. She had hoped he would mind his temper today.

“Hey.” Sakura draws Naruto’s hand into hers and gives him her best smile. “Why don’t you take Mr. Killjoy and find a spot to sit for a bit. I’ll bring the dango over, okay?”

Naruto’s smile starts small, but quickly grows as she holds his hand.

“Yeah, I’ll keep him out of trouble,” he agrees, “Could you grab a couple different flavors?”

“As many as I can carry,” she assures him. Sakura sends one last pleading look at Sasuke before they disappear. She’s pretty sure he rolls his eyes at her, which isn’t exactly a promise to behave, but it does mean that he got the message. Probably. Hopefully.

Once Naruto is out of view, Sakura takes a quick second to get her emotions back in check. Sasuke’s right. The Village’s abrupt one eighty in its treatment of Naruto grates her nerves if she lets herself think about it for too long. They’d gone from disdain to reverence in the span of six months. Technically this is a festival celebrating the end of the war, but there’s been a fair amount of Uzumaki branded treats and well-wishes from strangers as well.

At least she had apologized.

A couple deep breaths later, Sakura’s pushing through the crowds towards the stand. There’s a line forming, but the vendor calls Sakura forward as soon as he sees her. Embarrassed, Sakura ducks her head in a small apology to the people in line as she moves past them. She doesn’t want to make more of a scene than she already is, and she really wants to get back to her team as soon as she can.

“Could I get two Hanami dango, a mitarashi dango, and a”—she cranes her neck to get a better look at the name of the new flavor from the poster on the side of the cart—“and one Uzumaki dango, please?”

“Absolutely! Would you like a Team 7 dango as well?”

“Oh!” There’s nothing about a Team 7 dango on the sign. Is that actually a thing? Did he make that up when he saw her? “Um, yes, please. Thank you.”

By the time Sakura’s done counting out her coins, the dango are being shoved towards her. She scrambles to put her money pouch away and grab her sweets without holding up the line any longer. Four of the dango end up in one hand while a white, pink, and orange dango ends up in the other. It takes her a second to realize that this is supposed to be the Team 7 dango. The anger kicks in a second later.

To be fair to the vendor, she’s never actually seen blue dango before. Then again, she’s never seen a red habanero dango before today, and that’s definitely one of the flavors on the Uzumaki stick. Choosing the white dango for Kakashi feels like a dig at Sasuke. Sakura bites the orange dumpling off the stick and chews furiously. There. Now it just looks like a partially eaten Hanami dumpling.

That “Team 7” roll better not be on the actual menu. For the vendor’s sake.

Sakura finds Naruto and Sasuke sitting on top of one of the tables in an eating area, of all places. She has no idea who’s idea that was. It’s an extremely rude thing to do with so many people looking for seats, but Sakura doesn’t really want to be joined by the type of people who are deterred by her teammates’ antics right now.

Naruto spots her first and starts waving wildly—as if she could have missed the pair of them. Sasuke turns to see who has caught Naruto’s attention. When he recognizes her, he pulls one of his legs off the bench and onto the table so she’ll have a place to sit. Naruto follows his lead, pulling both his feet off the bench and into a criss-cross position. So they were trying to deter people from sitting with them.

She’s not even mad.

“One mitarashi dango, one hanami dango, and one Uzumaki dango,” she declares, handing over her loot. Naruto cheers, promptly digging into the hanami stick as soon as it’s in his hand. He’s two dumplings deep before Sakura’s even fully seated.

Sasuke’s eyebrow raises as she nibbles on her own dango. “You got two hanami dango for yourself?”

Busted.

“Uh, one of them is for you?” she tries. At Sasuke’s unimpressed expression, she relents, “Fine. Yes, I got two hanami for myself.” He still looks skeptical for some reason, so she tries for classic misdirection, “You might actually want to try the red dumpling from the Uzumaki dango, though, I’m pretty sure it’s spicy.”

“It is?” Naruto pauses his munching on the mitarashi stick to take a bite of the red dumpling before recoiling immediately. “Ack—it is! Why is it spicy?”

Sakura laughs. “I think the colors represent your family. The orange and yellow are pretty self-explanatory, so the red is probably for your mom. For the Uzumaki hair, I’m guessing. I don’t know why they didn’t choose cherry or something, though—that would have gone better with the rest of the flavors.”

“Her nickname was the ‘Red-hot Habanero,’ so that’s probably it,” Naruto explains, his smile dimming. It’s Sasuke’s turn to glare at her, and she winces, appropriately abashed. She always manages to stick her foot in her mouth when the conversation turns to parents. “Anyway, you should try it, Sasuke. It’s not sweet, like, at all, so I bet you’ll like it.”

Sakura figures the odds are skewed sixty/fourty in favor of Sasuke rejecting the offer, but Sasuke doesn’t actually say anything at all. Instead he bends down and bites the rest of the dumpling right off the stick that Naruto’s holding. Some of the drizzling sauce clings to his lower lip, and his tongue darts out quickly to wipe it clean.

She’s not even the one holding the stick, but Sakura is absolutely certain her heart fucking stutters to a stop at the sight. Poor Naruto looks appropriately shocked. His lips are parted in a gentle “o” of surprise, and his eyes are, dare she say it, looking a little glazed over. He rallies quickly, though, shoving the rest of the Uzumaki stick right under Sasuke’s nose.

“Try the orange one next!”

“Ugh, no.” It’s Sasuke’s turn to recoil. “That one probably is sweet, dumbass.”

"Come on," Naruto wheedles,"Just take a little—wait. Wait, are you saying my mom tastes better than I do?"

"Why do you have to phrase it like that!"

The words are different, but the cadence of her teammates bickering is familiar enough that it quickly fades to the background of her attention. She works through the rest of her "hanami" roll at a leisurely pace, scanning the crowds as she does. There's so much laughter. Even actual festivals haven't been this boisterous for years.

Most of these people weren't on the war front. It's easy to resent them for that—for celebrating the anniversary of such a trying day. Victory is not a reward granted, but a luxury paid for in blood and flesh by the pound. She understands the relief, but is this much pomp and circumstance acceptable? Does a life saved by a black market kidney still deserve celebration?

Sakura doesn't know.

A child screams, high and piercing, shattering through the joyful murmur of the crowd. Her teammates' argument grinds to a halt. Sakura swivels to locate the source, and, in her periphery, she notices the majority of the adults around her do the same. Chakra flares around her as ninja spread their senses in search of a threat.

"Kenta!" a petite woman scolds, bending down, "What did I say about screaming?"

"Not to," the child mumbles. He's small enough that a picnic table nearby obscures him from Sakura's view.

"Unless?" the woman prompts. If Kenta answers, it's too quiet for her to hear.

Everyone in the vicinity, ninja and civilians alike, visibly relaxes. It's sobering to realize how on-edge they all are despite the upbeat atmosphere. Life has not been kind to Konoha's residents.

How self-absorbed of her.

No, the civilians around her didn't watch Neji die. They didn't despair as the Ten-tailed beast appeared in the battle-ground. To say they didn't know fear—didn't know suffering—is terribly short-sighted.

Konoha is a thriving militaristic society. Has been for decades. But having the pointiest sick doesn't ensure safety. Often the wielder becomes a target of others struggling to create their own rags to riches stories.

Or revenge. Pointy sticks are great at poking avengers into action.

Point is, Konoha has been leveled three times in Sakura's short time on this earth. If the civilians don't get to celebrate the peace she fought for, maybe she doesn't get to celebrate the Village they rebuilt.

Food for thought.

Sakura lays her finished dango stick on the table. The untouched dango stick sags in her hand with her increasing disinterest. Her recent train of thought is more than enough to derail her appetite entirely despite the fact that dango is one of her favorite treats.

"You okay?" Naruto asks immediately. He glances at the dango dangling in her grasp pointedly.

Sakura doesn't even have to force the smile. His concern forces its way through the heavy stormcloud of her thoughts like the sunbeam he is. Sweet. Naruto's just so sweet.

"I'm fine.” She fans herself with her free hand. "Just kinda hot, yeah? It's killing my appetite."

Naruto's expression clears immediately. "In that case, let's go get some shaved ice soon! I think I saw a vendor on our way in."

"I did not sign up to wrangle the two of you on a sugar high," Sasuke interjects sourly. Sweet sauce is smeared across his cheekbone, and there might be a crumb of fried dough occluding one nostril. Sakura chokes on a giggle which clearly earns no points from Sasuke. "No more sweets."

Sakura raises her hands in surrender, but Naruto isn't as quick to acquiesce. They start bickering, again, and as Sakura watches a dango skewer slides dangerously close to Sasuke's eye. Idiots. That does explain the out-of-place dough and sticky sauce, though.

The reprimand on her tongue withers at the enthusiastic sparkle in Naruto’s eyes as he advances further and further into Sasuke’s personal space. And Sasuke—brooding, angsty Sasuke—has a smile playing at his lips as he avoids the sticky dessert. He’s making a good show of being annoyed by his teammate’s antics, but if he was really done he’d be slapping the blond away. Angry Sasuke wouldn’t lean back unconcernedly on his only hand like that, and he certainly wouldn’t let Naruto rest his stump on his shoulder as he pesters him.

Bright. It’s so, so bright out today—ridiculously sunny for October—but no amount of sunblock would protect her from their megawatt smiles.

If the fight gets enthusiastic enough to disturb the table, she'll step in, Sakura decides, turning her head to give them a little privacy.

Or the illusion of it, anyway.

Sakura’s not sure how her teammates are able to ignore all the attention they’re attracting. The picnic table they have selected is on the outskirts of the eating area, but they might as well be on center stage. Her skin prickles under the weight of the public’s stares.

Logically, she knows the curious civilians don’t mean any harm. It’s rare that Team 7 is out in the public eye for such an extended period of time. That doesn’t stop the shinobi buried deep beneath her medic persona from sharpening her kunai warily. Sakura doesn't resent the instinct exactly—that's what keeps her alive—but she does try to shake it. The eyes on her aren't dangerous.

Just oppressive.

It’s in pretending to look out across the crowd—and ignoring the alarming number of heads that whip away from her that she does—that she notices them.

A trio of girls sit at two tables away from them at a diagonal. Four older women share the table, but there's enough space between the two to make it clear that they're separate parties. And anyway, the women are laughing, with clenched eyes and wide smiles. The younger ones, though, they're tittering. The sound is sharper than the murmuring of the crowd around them, which is probably why they stood out to her in the first place.

In their mirth, they haven’t noticed Sakura’s attention. One of the girls has a blush dark enough to match the hair of the girl digging an elbow playfully into her side. She can’t see the face of the final member of the trio, but her shoulders shake in obvious laughter under long, black hair. Suddenly the girl’s arms come up in an exaggerated stretch before dropping to her hips so she can make a show of twisting and stretching her back. Not bad for a civilian. Sakura would have almost believed her if not for how quickly she turned back to her friends after a less than sneaky peek at Team 7’s table.

Any amusement she might have held for the girls’ antics slip away immediately. Clearly the trio isn’t looking at Sakura, or they would have noticed her attention. The number of times they’ve all slid glances her direction is too high to be a coincidence, however, which only leaves one option.

The boys.

Now it’s abundantly clear what the brunette is being teased about. It’s been a while since the Academy, but Sakura has sent her share of moonstruck looks a certain Uchiha’s way. She knows what it feels like—what it looks like—to laugh and tease over crushes. Her eyebrows narrow fiercely for all that she tries to keep her expression neutral. The only real question left is: which boy are they looking at?

Four years ago, the answer would have been Sasuke hands down. His sharp features and aloof personality are easily misread as the mysterious persona of at least fifty percent of the love interests in romance novels. Barely dodged war crimes have tamped down the general enthusiasm for Sasuke, though there is always the chance the girl thinks she has a thing for “bad boys.”

Sakura hopes not, for her sake. Sasuke’s particular brand of “rebel with a cause” needs at least three years of serious training and an instruction manual the size of one of her medical textbooks to have any chance of walking away unscathed. Even then nightmares and traumatic events are pretty much a given.

Naruto laughs, loudly, and throws his head back enough to give a clear view of the syrup that drips down his chin. The brunette’s expression softens, and Sakura can hear the lovesick sigh she heaves from twenty feet away. So Naruto is the object of her affection. The realization makes her stomach twist.

There’s a sharp crack, and Sakura’s dango drops to the grass beneath them. She blinks, confused. The bottom half of the stick is still clenched tightly in her fist. It takes longer than it should to notice the splintered edge of the stick and piece together what happened.

“Are you alright?” It’s Sasuke that asks this time.

“Yeah, I’m—I’m fine.” Sakura bends down to grab her dango from the ground. She hadn’t planned on eating it anyway, but the grass coating the dumplings means that’s not an option for later anymore. “I just, ah—”

Before Sakura can come up with an excuse for her ill-timed use of super strength, the tittering behind them grows in volume enough to catch Sasuke’s attention this time. Sakura’s eyes flit to the trio of girls automatically, and they are looking at her now. Great. Even the blushing brunette has joined in the action, so Sakura knows that the laughs are meant for her. She grinds her teeth together. They’re civilians. Sakura can’t go around just laying civilians out because she feels like it.

“That’s enough time in the sun,” Sasuke declares, sliding off of the table top. He shoots a viscous glare over his shoulder. Sakura shouldn’t find so much satisfaction in how rapidly the giggles grind to a halt, but she does. The knots her intestines have tied themselves into loosen enough that she can take aim with a sharp smile of her own.

“Guys…?” Naruto asks. He can tell that something is going on, but doesn’t have enough information to piece the story together as Sasuke did. Blonde eyebrows furrow lightly as he glances from his teammates to the girls’ table.

The brunette has the audacity to sigh again. Every muscle in Sakura’s body tenses for a fight, and she doesn’t even pause to think about how ridiculous her reaction is. It’s not like she has any sort of claim over Naruto. Sasuke is the one who has been messily sharing finger food with him this whole afternoon. If anyone has any right to feel the sudden rage coursing through their body, it’s him. How dare that girl assume she has a chance when Naruto is clearly taken?

Sure enough, Sasuke’s expression has doubled in intensity. Disgust and possessiveness mix in equal measure on his face as his lip curls up and over his teeth. He probably doesn’t even realize what an overprotective boyfriend he looks like, and Sakura can only watch smugly as the girls wilt under his glare. Serves them right.

“We’re getting out of here,” Sasuke declares, firmly. He turns away from the trio before hefting Naruto off the table and over his shoulder in one fluid motion. Naruto squawks in surprise, understandably, but Sasuke’s malice is clearly not directed at him, so he allows himself to be carted away with only token protests. “Let’s go, Sakura.”

The urge to gloat is irresistible. Sakura tosses a taunting wink that the girls are too shell-shocked to react to before falling into her place at her boys’ backs. The rage and, okay, she’ll admit it, jealousy that bubbled up so unexpectedly earlier washes away in the face of her contentment. Maybe neither Sasuke or Naruto are hers in the romantic sense, but they’re hers in all the other ways that matter.

Sakura will guard their backs for as long as they let her with a smile in her heart.

Read the rest of the chapter on ao3

#hermadnessmac writes #Team 7 ot3 #NaruSasuSaku #Team 7 moves in together #A Game of Puzzles (Making the Pieces Fit)#Read on AO3

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sunshinejs · 5 years

Text

Home to You

A/N: shoutout to @shawnsthighs for coming up with this deployment CONcept! This one’s for you, love 💜

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little fluff to make up for the back to back angst pieces and Merry Christmas everyone! xx

(And also, the brown beaded bracelet mentioned in this is inspired by the one I keep seeing on his wrist)

————————————————————

Word count: 3.4k -ish

Connor watched as you said goodbye to your family from a distance. He leaned against a pole as he watched your mother hugged you close to her as she cried into your shoulder; trying to get the words out of her mouth between sobs.

Just the sight of that made his heart hurt; it made a frown appear on his lips.

Connor told himself he wasn’t going to cry this time around. He didn’t want to break down again, like he did the first time when you were being deployed. But he also knew that wasn’t physically possible.

This was your 2nd deployment as a marine and it was still difficult for him to believe this was something that you wanted to do; to be brave enough to put your life in danger and be away for an uncertain period of time from your loved ones.

The first time you were away for deployment felt like hell for Connor. The first few weeks, he kept getting nightmares that something horrible had happened to you and that he wasn’t going to see you again. He couldn’t sleep or eat properly and his anxiety peaked during this time. The letters you’ve sent him monthly weren’t enough to assure him that you were safe and sound.

The thought of losing you could literally kill him. He’s heard so many stories of people not coming home from their deployment, one of it that came out of your mouth when you told him about what happened to your father years ago.

And he prays to God that it’ll never happen to you. Because Connor wouldn’t know what he would do if he really lost you.

He watches as you pull away from your younger sister, smiling at her with watery eyes as you pressed a kiss to her head for one last time. You motioned to where Connor stood and your mother nodded understandingly.

You walked over to him slowly; proudly wearing your blue uniform that he wants to hate because it was the one thing that was getting in the way of you and him.

“Hi,” You greeted him. Your voice came out shaky, from all the crying you did while saying goodbye to your family.

Connor shakes his head, already feeling his lips start to tremble with tears in his eyes “You know, I told myself I wouldn’t cry this time around” He confessed “But I don’t think that it’s possible”

You fall into his arms, as you let out the sob you were holding in. Connor’s arms went around your waist as he shuts his eyes; letting his tears fall from his cheeks.

“I think of how you’re putting yourself in danger like this and sometimes I want to be mad at you” He sniffled against your shoulder “Why couldn’t you want to be a lawyer or something, idiot? Why this?”

You laugh in between sobs, tightening your grip around his neck “You and I both know that I would be a shitty lawyer, baby”

“Yeah but at least I would see you almost every day and know that you’re safe in a building” Connor reasoned back “I won’t be having sleepless nights thinking of all the negative thoughts when you’re out there”

You pushed away from him just so you could look at him. Your eyes matched his; puffy and filled with tears “I’m going to be okay, bubs” You reassured him “I know it’s going to be hard to get through with this but you have to trust me when I say that”

“Anything can happen” Connor said in a fragile tone “And I’m just scared, honey. I’m scared I won’t see you again”

Your heart broke at how he sounded. You hated doing this to him, just as much as you hated doing the same thing to your family. You understood their fear, knew their paranoia about you going on your job, but this was something you had to do.

This was something you wanted to do since you were a little girl; to be able to do what your father did and followed his footsteps.

You raised your right sleeve a bit, revealing the brown beaded bracelet that you had on your person at all times. You untied the strings and took it off your wrist. Taking a hold of Connor’s hand, you wrapped it securely around his wrist as he silently watched you.

“Why are you giving me this?” He asked confusingly.

“Because you’re going to hold on to it for me” You told him “And you’re going to keep it safe for me until I see you, okay? This bracelet is my promise to you that in any circumstances, I will come home to you in one piece, Connor Brashier”

“In a year?”

“In a year” You confirmed “I promise”

Connor nodded, smiling softly as he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear “Please be careful out there, honey”

“Con, you know I always am” You insisted “It’s not my first time”

“I know… But I always want to make sure you’re extra careful” He said “You’re pretty important in my life and I’m going to need you around when I decide to put a ring on that pretty little finger of yours”

Your cheeks turned red at his words, a smile on your face matching his “Is that a marriage proposal, Brashier?”

“Maybe it is” Connor shrugged “Guess you’ll have to wait until you come home to me to find out”

“Always,” You muttered softly, and rested your head against his chest; listening to his heartbeat for one last time “I’ll always find my way back to you. I love you, Con”

Pressing a kiss to your forehead, Connor breathes out “I love you more, baby”

A year later

A few hours before the concert starts, Connor sat in the green room alone as he read over the handwritten letter in his hand again, with a frown settling on his face.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. You were supposed to be here with him tonight for his 22nd birthday but you weren’t. You were supposed to be home from your deployment but you weren’t. Instead, you were still held up in your base.

He wanted to be mad at you, at your job, at everyone else because all he wanted today was to have his favourite girl physically with him. But he knew he couldn’t. He was just being selfish and it wouldn’t be fair for him to be mad at you.

Dear Connor,

Hi bubs!

I don’t exactly know when you’ll be receiving this letter but happy birthday! (I’m so hoping this got here on time but I could be extremely late, so I’m sorry for that)

I know I’ve apologized so many times for extending my deployment and not being home in time for your birthday but I really am sorry, baby. I’ll make it up to you when I see you next month, I promise.

In the meantime, enjoy your day and go crazy with the boys! (although don’t get too drunk, mister) For this one day, I need you to not worry about me okay? This is your special day and you deserve to have a great time.

I can’t wait to see you soon and be in your arms, my love.

“Hey man”

Shawn’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he tears his eyes away from the letter. He met his best friend’s concern gaze, “Everything okay?” Shawn asked worriedly.

“Yeah,” Connor answered shortly, nodding his head” Everything’s fine”

Shawn sat down next to him on the couch and caught a glimpse of the letter in his hand “Doesn’t seem like it” He frowned “Is that from her?”

“Mom got it in the mail yesterday” Connor replied “Can I ask you something?”

“Course, man”

“Is it wrong of me to be mad at her for not being here?” He asked sadly “Does that make me a bad person?”

“Connor, of course not” Shawn insisted “It’s your birthday and you wished she was here; we all get that. But you’ve got to realize that it’s not like she wants this, you know? If it was up to her, she wouldn’t even want to extend her deployment”

“I know that” Connor nodded “It just sucks a lot right now and I haven’t seen her in a year and I swear I’m going to fucking break soon if I don’t hold her in my arms”

“I know it is” Shawn pats his best friend’s back comfortingly “You have to hang on for just a little more and she’ll be in your arms soon, okay? It’ll be quicker than you realize, man”

The door pushed open and Brian walks into the room “Connor, Cez is looking for you” He told his friend.

Connor nodded and stood up from his seat. He folded the letter and slipped it in his jean pocket “Thanks for the talk, Shawn” He said.

“I’m glad it helped” Shawn smiled “And hey, don’t you worry! We’re going to have a good time tonight and freakin’ partyyyy!”

“Hell yeah we are!” Brian cheered.

Connor rolled his eyes playfully and a smile made its way to his lips “You’re not going to get me drunk, idiots”

“We’ll see about that, Brashier!” Brian called out to him before moving to the couch. Once the door was closed and they waited a few seconds later, Brian turns to Shawn “So?”

“The plan is still a go” Shawn grinned mischievously “He has no idea”

“Thank God” Brian sighed in relief “Dylan emailed me the video yesterday and I’ve given a copy to Cez so he can tell the tech people to play it over the big screen later”

“Sounds good” Shawn nodded in response “He’s going to flip shit, isn’t he?”

“He is” Brian agreed “But it’ll be so worth it to see his reaction”

xxx

“Okay, hold on for a second” Shawn spoke into the mic after the song finishes “I just want to say a few things before we continue”

“You guys are familiar with my videographer, right?” Shawn asks as the crowd shouted in reply “Connor Brashier?”

Connor was standing nearby the giant rose at Stage B when he hears his name being mentioned over the speakers. He stopped in his track and stared at the big screen in confusion; wondering what his best friend was doing.

“Well, it’s his birthday today!” Shawn cheered “Can we get a spotlight on the birthday boy please?”

When the light hits him and he sees himself on the big screens, he blushed furiously.

“Connor!” Shawn exclaimed once he sees him on the screen “Can you join me up here on the stage, buddy?”

Connor groans because he already knows Shawn was going to embarrass him. Brian was near him so he walked over to his friend, snatched the equipment out of his hand and pushed him towards the direction of the stage without hearing Connor’s protest “Go!”

Once Connor approached Shawn on the stage, he sees the mischievous grin on Shawn’s face which made him raise an eyebrow “What are you planning, Mendes?” He asked off-mic.

“You’ll see!” Shawn smirked in reply

“On a count to 3, can everyone sing happy birthday to Connor loudly?!”

While everyone in the stadium sang to him and was recording him, all he wanted to do was crawl into a hole. Connor still wasn’t used to the attention he was getting from Shawn’s fans. All he could do was shyly smile and awkwardly stand beside Shawn on stage. Once it ended, he mouthed a ‘thank you’ and waved to the crowd.

“Happy birthday, bro!” Shawn said after, patting his shoulder lightly “And now, the whole team has prepared a little surprise for Connor that we want to show to everyone tonight. Con, we hope you this cheers you up a little and just know that we were given permission to record and put this up on the big screens tonight!”

Shawn forced Connor to turn around so they were facing the screen behind them instead.

The big screen turned black with a countdown from 3 starts. Connor grew more confused by Shawn’s statement but when your face popped on the screen, his heart starts to beat faster.

“Okay, I’m going to ask you some questions now” Dylan’s voice said from behind the camera.

The video shows you in your little room at your base through Dylan’s laptop screen over a Skype session you had with him over a month ago.

“I feel like I’m on a talk show!” You giggled “Is this how celebrities feel like, Dyl?”

“Sure, sis. We’ll go with that” Dylan chuckles “We’ve got about 5 minutes left till you have to end this call so let’s make it quick”

“Okay, shoot”

“When did you and Connor first meet?”

“We met in the park a couple years ago” You answered “I was walking my dog when I saw him taking photos of the trees and I got so mesmerized by the way he was working. Then he caught me staring and like the dumbass I was, just turned around and basically ran home”

“I saw him again a couple days later in the supermarket” You admitted “I was reaching for a box from the top shelf and couldn’t reach it then someone asked from behind me if I needed help. When I realized it was him, I was so embarrassed because he remembered me as the lady who was staring at him in the park then we just got to talking in the middle of the cereal aisle”

“Funny thing was, Connor wasn’t even crept out by it” Dylan chuckled “He came home from the park and told me a pretty girl was at the park with him and he caught her looking at him while he was working on a project. He was upset he didn’t get your name then”

You blushed furiously “Yeah, our love story started because I was acting like a stalker. That’s something to remember, alright”

“Do you remember your first date?”

You smiled at the memory of it, still clear in your mind as if it happened yesterday “He invited me over because he’s been bragging about learning how to cook through Gordon Ramsay’s videos on YouTube and honestly? It was the best first date meal I’ve ever eaten and ever since, Connor makes it a point to cook for date night at least once a week”

“When did you realize he was the one?”

“Dylan!” You whined as you blushed furiously “Do you really have to ask me that?”

“Yes!” He laughs in response “Sorry sis, it’s Shawn and Brian’s orders. Can’t say no to them”

“I can’t believe thousands of people are going to see this” You groaned “I’m going to feel just as embarrassed as Connor is”

“Shut up and answer the question”

“When I first told him that I wanted to join the Marine, he was so supportive, you know?” You said “Most guys would’ve freaked out or something but Connor knew why I so set on joining the Marine and he told me, ‘Do whatever you feel is right, baby. I’m behind you 100%’ and I just knew right there that he was the one”

“But I know it gets tough on him” You continued with a frown appearing on your face “I know he’s scared, just like my mom and sister and hell; I’m scared too. And I just hate having to worry them all the time when I’m on deployment”

“You’ll see them soon” Dylan insisted “Just gotta hold on for a little while, right?”

“Yeah,” You nodded “Made a promise I’d be home to them and I don’t want to break that”

“Is there anything you want to say to him?” Dylan asks “In the mean time while you’re still away?”

You look at the camera on your laptop and smiled softly “I miss you so much, bubs and I’ll be home sooner than you realize. Happy birthday, my love”

When the video ends there, Connor doesn’t even realize that he had tears in his eyes. The screams from the crowd were so loud but at that moment, it felt like it was only him in that stadium.

While he appreciates his brother and friends putting that together for him as an attempt to make him feel better, he can’t help but feel more homesick for your embrace now.

For him to wait another month until he could do that was honestly the worst feeling for Connor right now.

Shawn notices the look on Connor’s face instantly and when he looks to the side and sees Andrew’s thumbs up, his smile grew wider. He taps Connor’s shoulder lightly to get his attention and when he does, he points to the crowd; where the spotlight was shining.

To Connor, it felt like he was dreaming. He blinks a couple of times to make sure it was real because he didn’t want to believe it.

You stood amongst the crowd not too far away from the stage, still in your uniform, with a bouquet of flowers in your hand. You’re looking at him with a huge smile on your face and if anyone looks closer, they would see the tears in your eyes as well.

“Ladies and gentleman, back from her year long deployment; please give a warm welcome to y/n!” Shawn spoke into the mic as Connor practically runs off the stage to give you the biggest hug.

With his amount of force, he nearly knocked you to the ground as he tackled you in a tight hug. The flowers were long forgotten as they dropped to your legs.

Connor buries his face in the crook of your neck and breathes in the scent he has missed for so long. He doesn’t care if he’s crying in front of thousands of people who were recording this moment; he was so thankful to be holding you in his arms.

Shawn watches from the stage and he has tears in his eyes at the reunion happening in front of him. He’s smiling widely and wipes the tear away as he spoke into the mic “This next one is called fallin’ all in you and this is dedicated to Connor and his girl”

You and Connor didn’t say a word to each other. You just stood there in each other’s arms and enjoyed the moment.

You were home in his arms and Connor has never felt happier.

xxx

“I can’t believe you’re finally home” Connor muttered softly. It was a few hours later after the concert and Connor’s birthday dinner, you two were curled up under his blanket “It feels like this is all a part of a good dream”

You rested your chin on his chest and lifted your head to look at him “If I’m dreaming baby, please don’t wake me up” You smiled cheekily as you sang Shawn’s song “Every night I’m with you, I fall more in love”

“Everyday I’m with or without you, I fall more in love” Connor corrected “I missed you so much, baby”

“I missed you too, honey” You pressed a kiss to his bare chest “So much”

“I felt like I was going to break soon if I don’t get your kisses”

You rolled your eyes playfully and cooed “I’ll give you all the kisses you want after this to make up for the one year, Brashier”

Connor lifts his right hand to show you the brown beaded bracelet securely wrapped around his wrist “You can take it off if you want your bracelet back, babe”

“I think you should keep it” You told him “So you’ll have a part of me with you always”

“That means you’ll need to have a part of me with you always, right?”

“Sure, I guess”

Connor takes your hand in his and you feel the cold metal against your finger. Looking down at your intertwined fingers, you see his favourite ring sitting on you ring finger “Con, this is your favourite ring” You noted “You never take it off. Ever”

“I know, but you’re an exception” He smiled as he tucked a strain of hair behind your ear “It’s my promise to you that I’ll continue to love you through good and bad days and it’s a promise that someday I’ll have the guts to ask for your hand in marriage”

You blushed in response as you took a hold of his hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of his hand “I know that’s not right now but my answer to that question is always going to be yes, Connor D. Brashier”

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Reblog, like or leave a comment; always appreciated! ❤️

x rina

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sweetmemories2606 · 5 years

Text

Emergency (Gruvia and NaLu Fanfic)

Wrote this one-shot for @jfangirld since today is her birthday.

Sorry this is a little late. I hope you've had an amazing day!

Title: Emergency

Pairings: Gruvia/NaLu/Luvia brotp

Summary: Everyone believed that Lucy had been saved by Wendy and Chelia, but the truth was much more complicated than that.

Warning: IMPORTANT!! This story is the prequel of If They Knew, so you gotta read that one first if you want to understand what happens.

Word Count: 2.000

Happy reading, everyone!

___________

January of X791

Juvia watched the unconscious man below her, relieved that he was breathing normally again. “There you go, my love.”

Gray stirred, but didn’t wake up. She assumed he would remain unconscious for a while after having been knocked out by the leaders of the cult they had come to arrest.

The mission had seemed rather simple when they had taken the flyer a couple days before, but as it turned out these people were expert magic users and they were light on their feet.

They had made defeating Gray look easy, although Juvia knew that the only reason they had done so was because he had been distracted when she was injured.

When she had screamed in pain, he had glanced at her and in that one second they had hit him hard in the head, knocking him out.

To make it even worse, they had started beating his unconscious body, which led Juvia to increase her magic power in order to trap all of them in her water lock.

Thankfully, her plan had worked, thus all the cult members were now scattered across the sunflowers field behind the church where they operated.

Once they were defeated, she had immediately come to her beloved’s side and that’s when she had realized the extent of his injuries.

The blow to his head had managed to draw a lot of blood and someone had stabbed him in the lungs.

Even if Juvia had known that Gray was strong and would probably be fine, she hadn’t wanted to take any risks.

“You’ll be okay now.” Leaning down to press a soft kiss to his forehead, she was worried by its coldness.

“You didn’t have to heal him.” Now that voice was unmistakable.

The water mage straightened herself and turned around to face her oldest friend. “I know.”

“I thought we agreed that you shouldn’t use the Fairy Heart anymore.” Mavis sternly said.

“And I haven’t used it in years.” Juvia replied before glancing at Gray again. “But this is different.”

Mavis followed her gaze and sighed. “This is dangerous, Juvia.”

“I know very well how dangerous love is.” The water mage sincerely said. “But it’s also worth it.”

“Is it worth constantly lying to him?” Fairy Tail’s first master inquired.

“What choice do I have?” Juvia stood up and crossed her arms. “He can’t know about the Fairy Heart, so…”

“So you should stay away.” Mavis interrupted.

“No.” The former shook her head. "I spent decades living in loneliness. I want to live this life now; with Fairy Tail.”

“I understand.” The latter nodded. “But I still think that you shouldn’t use the Fairy Heart anymore."

“I’ll try not to.” Juvia conceded. “Unless there’s an emergency.”

Before Mavis could say more, Gray stirred again and groaned; signaling he was about to wake up.

She gave Juvia one last pleading look before walking away. Once she was at a safe distance, she looked back at them.

Watching as Juvia wrapped her arms around him and Gray hesitated before hugging her back, Mavis sighed once again. “I hope that at least their story will have a happier ending."

___________

July of X791

“Lucy!” Natsu’s scream resonated throughout the stadium once he rushed to catch the celestial mage.

Juvia watched him, noticing the familiar pain and desperation that Zeref had shown so many years before.

Can anyone else tell that he absolutely loves her?

It was clear as day, but not clear to all apparently.

Soon her attention was caught by Gray, who rushed after Natsu. He seemed tense; which was understandable after having been forced to watch one of his closest friends be tortured.

Though Juvia knew that’s why he didn’t spare a glance at her, it still hurt to be ignored after she had just declared her love for him in front of everyone.

Although; if she were to be honest; it might be best if he says nothing. She had a feeling that his response might not be positive.

Everything with Gray was so complicated. There were times when Juvia was sure he felt the same, but during others it seemed he didn’t even think about it.

It had become rather irritating how he could ignore her one moment, then become sweet and caring in the next.

It specially didn’t help that he acted like a jealous boyfriend whenever Lyon interacted with her.

Juvia had never encountered someone as confusing and complicated as Gray Fullbuster in her 100 years of existence, but somehow that only made her fall for him even more.

“Come on, Lucy, please say something.” Hearing his voice, her attention went back to the present situation.

Noticing the fear in his eyes once he tried to awake their friend, her heart squeezed with sorrow.

“What in the hell is your problem?” There was an unmistakable yell. Natsu. “You went way too far!” Juvia followed his angry gaze towards Minerva and frowned.

How could someone be so cruel and ruthless?

“Hang on, I need to give her emergency treatment!” Wendy yelled and Juvia realized that she was rushing towards the celestial mage.

I should do the same. No time to get distracted.

“I’ll help you.” Chelia offered; she was running closely behind the water mage.

Good. With the two of them helping Lucy, she'll be fine.

“Just hang in there, Lucy.” Having reached the celestial mage, Juvia stood behind Chelia as the two healers combined their magic.

Her attention shifted between Lucy’s concernedly pale face to the rest of team Natsu, who were facing off against Minerva and her pals from Sabertooth.

They traded dirty looks and threats, with Erza reminded them that making an enemy of Fairy Tail was a decision that they would regret.

Juvia knew just how true that statement was. She hoped they would face the consequences soon, but for now her focus was on Lucy.

It was truly worrying that the celestial mage’s injuries didn’t seem to be lessening despite being healed by both Wendy and Chelia.

Why wasn’t their magic working?

Soon two guards came with a gurney, so Juvia and Wendy began attempting to lift Lucy up until Natsu rushed to her side.

Understanding that he wanted to do it himself, they stepped away and watched as he carefully took the celestial mage into his arms; dismissing the gurney with a shake of the head.

Fairy Tail Teams A and B plus Chelia followed him to the infirmary, where Porlyusica was already waiting.

___________

Juvia followed Team Natsu closely, keeping an eye on Lucy to see if her condition improved.

Once Natsu gently placed the latter on the first bed and sat on the chair beside it, the water mage smiled softly.

He’s not going to leave her side, is he? He’ll stay here until she wakes up because he needs to know if she’ll be okay.

Her thoughts were confirmed a moment later when Porlyusica began scolding the dragon slayer and trying to persuade him to leave.

He refused to, claiming he wasn’t leaving until Lucy was awake. Thus Gray and Erza had to half drag him to the waiting room that was being filled with Fairy Tail members.

Juvia watched from her chosen spot by the window as the latter tried to comfort him. “She's going to be okay, Natsu.”

“She was hurt pretty bad.” Gray muttered, ignoring Erza’s glare.

“At least she managed to get second place.” Gajeel said and Levy frowned at him.

“Is that really all you care about?” His face hardened.

“Of course not! Do you really think I’m happy that blondie is hurt?” Juvia chose to intervene before this turned into a fight.

“No one thinks that.” Gajeel glanced at her and already knew something was wrong. “What's wrong?”

“Are you okay, Juvia?” Mirajane asked. Now all eyes were on the water mage.

It’s taking too long. Lucy should be better by now.

“Yes.” She offered a weak smile. “Just worried about Lucy.”

“She's going to be fine.” Erza repeated.

“I don’t understand.” Wendy whispered, exasperated. “Chelia and I joined our powers, so why didn’t it heal her?”

“You did a great job, Wendy.” Mirajane reassured the young girl.

“That is a good question, though.” Levy frowned.

Something isn’t right. Wendy’s magic has never failed before.

“My guess is that Minerva’s magic power is stronger than we had imagined.” Makarov suggested. He had been deep in thought ever since entering the room.

“There's something strange about it.” Erza said, crossing her arms.

“I don’t care what her magic is, I just want to take her down!” Natsu yelled and many people nodded in agreement.

Minerva’s magic. It did feel strange; different. What if Lucy was in more danger than they'd assumed?

It was decided. Juvia had to check up on the celestial mage and make sure that she would be alright.

“Excuse me.” Natsu frowned when the water mage tried to move past him.

“Where are you going?” Gray asked and she tried not to look at him.

Why is he always so distracting?

“I’m going to check up on Lucy.” His confusion was clear once she avoided his gaze. After all, she had never done that before.

“But Porlyusica said…” Natsu started.

“I don’t care.” Juvia firmly said, catching him off guard.

Seeing an opportunity, she slightly pushed him to the side and managed to move forward to reach the infirmary.

Thankfully, it had been spelled to be soundproof so no one could hear what happened inside.

Closing the door behind her, Juvia’s eyes were drawn towards the nearest bed.

Lucy was still as pale, lifeless and injured as before. It seemed no matter what anyone tried, she wasn’t getting better.

“What are you doing here?” Porlyusica yelled as soon as she spotted the water mage.

“Her condition isn’t improving.” Juvia whispered, taking another step until she was in front of the bed.

The healer sighed. “Something is preventing her wounds from being healed.”

They could try to figure out what that was, but time was running out. Saving Lucy was the most important thing and Juvia quickly realized that there was only one way to guarantee her friend’s survival.

This is an emergency.

She looked in Porlyusica’s direction. “I can help her.”

“How?” The healer frowned, confused.

Lucy drew in a long, deep breath and her body trembled. She seemed to be in pain and Juvia wanted that to be over and fast.

“No time to explain.” Any explanation would include revealing secrets that were reserved only to masters of Fairy Tail.

“Alright.” Porlyusica nodded before stepping away.

Juvia sat at the edge of the bed and placed a hand on the celestial mage's forehead. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and soon enough felt magic power coursing through her.

A bright green light spread across her body, then the glow was transferred to Lucy’s. Miraculously, the latter’s injuries began disappearing one by one until her skin was once again flawless, the color returned to her face and her breathing returned to normal.

It was like she had never been injured at all.

“How?” Porlyusica watched this in amazement.

“There you go.” Juvia whispered after the light had disappeared. Briefly glancing at the healer, her expression turned serious. “You can’t tell anyone it was me. Please, promise me.”

“Why not?” Porlyusica was genuinely confused.

“It's complicated.” That didn’t even begin to cover the truth.

The healer assessed the young woman in front of her. After a few moments, she concluded that this was serious, so best to keep the secret. ”What should I say, then?”

“Wendy and Chelia’s powers were delayed because of the extent of Lucy’s injuries.” Juvia suggested.

“Alright.” Porlyusica nodded again and the water mage gave her a thankful look.

Juvia watched as she moved towards the door, opening it and walking outside. Then her voice resonated throughout the building once she explained that Lucy’s condition had finally improved thanks to Wendy and Chelia’s efforts.

I don't know why you agreed to keep my secret, but thank you.

#fanfic #gruvia #nalu #luvia brotp #angst #plot twist #grand magic games #fairy tail #fairy heart #birthday present #juvia lockser #amazing queen #mavis vermillion #zeref dragneel #gajeel redfox #levy mcgarden #erza scarlet

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seromreven · 5 years

Text

title: good day sunshine.

anonymous requested: “hi!! could i request either a john or paul x male reader who’s seen as the sweetheart? maybe they’re a beatle or just an individual songwriter? and they’re jus...... very soft....... please? thank u for ur time!!! have a nice day!“

author’s note: it’s past midnight here so, like, happy birthday johnny mah boi

---

1965,

When your manager informed you of a radio interview, you were to be doing the following day for your upcoming debut album one summer day; he hadn’t been so kind as to tell you that you would be sharing airtime with two members of The Beatles. And, well, you could just about die. Of course, Hank (name of said manager) weren’t quite aware of your admiration for the band. They hadn’t been something you had talked much about. You were told you could be rather… quiet and shy… reserved. Which, you supposed, could be true. In a way. You just needed to be comfortable and feel safe around the person you were with and then you could be hard to shut up! Really! And… well, Hank could be intimidating. Terribly so. But he was a nice guy and damn good at his job. He got you an opportunity to meet The Beatles, didn’t he?

It was only when you arrived at the studio that you found out which Beatles it were and, God, your heart jumped to your throat as you saw them through a set of wide glass doors. It was Paul and John! They wore nice, patterned suits, and matching sunglasses. They looked to be deep in conversation and didn’t take notice to you… staring at them… behind doors. You shook your head, took a deep breath and opened the door with trembling hands. A young woman, behind a desk filled with dials and buttons and… all kinds of things, looked to you as you entered and greeted you with an ecstatic hello and came to shake your hand faster than you could blink. You stammered through your greeting back and she giggled slightly as she pointed to your seat near the other men. “Mister Waller will be out in just a second,” she said with a polite smile and disappeared behind her desk. Your grip tightened and released on the strap of your guitar as you stumbled to your seat, carefully placing your prized possession next to you and felt the cool wooden material for comfort.

You adjusted slightly in your seat, careful in not hitting the large and round microphone in front of you when doing so. You felt warm… nervous. Your heart beating furiously. You had never been particularly comfortable with interviews and now, two very impressive people sat only a reach away from you. You carefully glanced to them, wanting to take a look, and found two sets of eyes meeting yours. Your eyes widened, and you readied yourself for an anxious, stammering, greeting when the doors flew open and a tall man with handsome features stepped inside. You recognised him as Charles Lee Waller, the host of the radio show you were now privileged to be on together with John Lennon and Paul McCartney. He gave you all a strong handshake and sat down, lighter already in hand, and lit up a smoke. You shook your head politely as he offered you one and watched in silence as the recording signal went on.

He started talking; introducing you and half of The Beatles to the audience after having laid out the schedule of the show. John and Paul were to be interviewed first, then a break, then you. And, lastly, you had a performance of one of the songs from your album (the reason why you had brought your guitar). You felt jittery, restless with unnerved excitement at the prospect of not only performing your song for the first time to an audience, but for that audience to be John and Paul!

“So, boys,” Charles started in his smooth made for radio voice and the Beatles looked to him in an equally swift turn of their heads, “let’s begin with you.” The host gave a smile, “earlier this month you released your seventh album, Revolver, to rave reviews,” they nodded and hummed in confirmation, “now, I’ve heard it myself and do quite agree with that census.” He looked to you with clear eyes, “do you share that opinion?”

You nodded eagerly, “v-very much so. It’s… b-briliant!” You smiled widely and nervously glanced to the pair, silently cursing your persistent stammer. “That’s high praise,” John said wryly and your heart twisted at the sarcastic voice but… something in his eyes, behind the tinted glasses, seemed to disagree with the attitude he had taken on. “Well,” Charles laughed, “let’s see if they will share that opinion of your own release.” You looked to him with sudden focused attention. But it was for nought as he announced the first commercial break and exited the room the moment the circle of red light went off. You sat, blinking for a few seconds, before you heard a small cough and felt a light presence on the back of your hand. You turned and saw that it had been Paul, reaching out to you to get your attention. “You all right?” He asked, and you fought hard not to fall into his stare. You nodded and choked out, “yeah.” You coughed slightly and took a sip of a glass of water, that had been placed in front of you, with shaking hands.

“You’re new to this, aren’t ye?” You heard John question and looked past Paul, to him. You nodded again, folding your hands in your lap, feeling them tremble and shake. “I haven’t… done a lot of interviews… yet,” you inched slightly further towards the table as you felt yourself slip back in the chair. You lips felt dry, and you gave them a slight lick, not noticing the eyes on it. “Oh,” Paul smiled sweetly and looked over his shoulder to John, “we’ve been there. You’ll get used to it, y’know. And then it’ll just be a breeze,” he patted your shoulder, and you felt a heat travel to your cheeks. You thanked him in a meek voice, “-that’s very kind of you to say,” and watched as John’s eyes drifted from Paul’s neck to you. And it stayed there. For how long, you didn’t know, but you felt trapped in his stare- but it didn’t feel… bad. Suddenly, your name was called and you willed your eyes away from John and Paul, losing the staring battle you had come to have, and looked to the chiseled jawline of the radio host, still not sure of how to make eye contact. He had, at some point, entered the room again and you now realise the beaming red light was back on. Your gentle smile stayed in its place and you awaited the next moment.

“Later this month we’ll finally see the release of your debut album Meadow, something that is looked forward to with much anticipation. Your recent single for it, Autumn Tree, was very well received and nearly knocked down the boys here,” Charles said in a rehearsed fashion and pointed with an open palm to John and Paul, “from their top spot.” They laughed and you couldn’t resist the urge to smile wider. John leaned in to the microphone with a smirk and looked at you behind his dark shades, something that made you feel so funny inside, “no hard feelings, I hope.” You snickered with a shake of your head, “none at all.” Laughter was shared around the room and the conversation seemed to flow more… naturally from there on. John and Paul joined in more often when you were asked or talked and you did the same when it was their turn. A good feeling was shared all around and you no longer felt a crushing sense of panic for when your time to perform finally arrived.

“Now,” Charles said your name and focused the attention back to him, “tell us what you’re about to play.” He smiled, professionally with no real life behind it, and postured towards your guitar. “Oh! Yeah,” you laughed softly and positioned the guitar over your lap. “It’s the first single I released for the album… last month, yeah,” another laugh gave away as a flow of content travelled through your chest. “It’s, uh, called Take Care… and, uh, yes,” you laughed and looked to the Beatles, both concentrated on you, and started to play the opening chords. You felt it had gone well as you finished the song and your confidence only slightly managed to waver before Paul started clapping, with John (who had received a slight shove to his stomach by the bassist’s elbow) who started to join in with Charles. “Very good… very good,” Charles hummed, looking through some notes in front of him. “Well, that’s about all we have time for today! We, all of us in the studio, look forward to what else you boys have in plans and, as always, be pleasing. Be thriving. And most of all; be happy.”

And, that was it. The end of the show. You sat silently in your chair as people flourished around you, your arms tight around your guitar as you waited for the right moment to move out and not be terribly in the way of someone’s path. And when that moment arrived, you hurried out of your seat and looked around for two familiar faces. You sighed in dismay; they were already gone. Of course, they must be very busy people! You packed together the little stuff you had brought, went out of the cramped room and turned to leave in the hallway when you bumped into a hard chest with soft fabrics dressed upon it. Blinking in shock, you looked up with the feel of hands on your waist, to see no-one else but John. He was smirking down at you and you felt your heartbeat spike up the way it had done earlier that day, the way it had done when he had smirked earlier. “I, uh… I-” he interrupted you. “You’re quite the cute lad, aren’t ye,” his smirk only seemed to grow wider as he watched your face turn a dark red colour. “And tiny too,” he patted you on the head and ruffled your hair. You stammered, and the smirk turned into a softer, more gentle, smile as realisation of your rather frazzled state dawned on him. He drew back but kept a hand on your waist. You noticed, finally, that he wasn't wearing his sunglasses.

He scratched the back of his neck and looked around; “I, uh, liked what I heard back in the studio, y’know, and was wondering… hoping that you’d, maybe, like some dinner with me?” His former confidence seemed to wash away with an invisible tide and he looked around yet again. You felt bold, strikingly so, and gently took the hand that nudged slightly against yours into your palm. He looked to you with slightly widened eyes and drew a sigh of relief when you nodded with a delicate ‘yes.’

#request #the beatles #john lennon #paul mccartney #male reader #reader #reader insert #beatles fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic

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tomokahiroshi · 5 years

Text

Happy birthday, Strong girl

August 29th, 2010.

The morning is quiet in her home, having been a Sunday.

By the window, a girl gazes outside from her home with a look of minor disappointment. Why you ask?

It's supposed to be a special day for her, but she can't go to school to meet her friends and yet-

Her parents have to be busy.

Staying home alone has its perks, she doesn't need to mind someone telling her to go do something instead of moping all day. Plus, she can just do anything.

Well, there is this particular thing she wants to do.

As soon as the thought crosses her mind, the purple-haired girl reaches for her phone and opens the messaging application.

Her finger hovers above a certain girl's name, now unsure if she should text.

What if she's too greedy? Wanting too much attention? She doesn't want that girl to think of her like that, absolutely n-

`You're just pathetic, aren't you~?`

Her inner self-loath comes to voice in her mind again.

As her heart starts beating rapidly with panic, her breathing becomes heavy and she curls up on her seat, clutching the sides of her head tightly.

"No, no no no..."

She mumbles shakily, not wanting the chain of negative thoughts to overcome her mind.

Ring, ring.

Her breath hitches as she flinches at the sudden sound, slowly glancing at the phone she left by her side.

[B-ko]

The name on the screen that notifies her of the person calling immediately snaps her out of her trance, moving to pick up.

"Hello?"

["Good morning, D-ne."]

She can almost feel the other girl's smile through the call, calming her instantly.

"Good morning to you too, B-ko.", she smiles in response. "How may I help you?"

["Oh, it's nothing much."], the other girl giggles. ["I'm just asking if we can come over."]

She blinks in surprise, before realizing what her friend meant. "Are the boys with you?"

["Well, yes."], comes the response. ["We agreed to meet up to see if we can come to your house together, C-ta tried texting you but he said you didn't respond."]

"Oh- I guess it was because my messages' notifications weren't working properly.", she giggles nervously.

Obviously, she lied.

["I see, maybe he can help fix that."], B-ko isn't fazed in the slightest. ["Is it alright, then?"]

"Of course.", she beams. "I'd love to have you over."

["That's great!"], B-ko replies enthusiastically. ["We'll be there in about ten minues, okay?"]

"Mhm, take your time.", she can't contain the happiness in her tone. "We have all day."

["Wonderful!"], hearing her voice so delighted melts her heart. ["See you in a bit, D-ne!"]

"See you too.", she hangs up after faintly hearing B-ko talk to the boys.

Letting out a breath, she stands and stretches with a quiet yawn.

"I better prepare everything, then.", she says to herself and starts with changing into more appropriate clothing. "Okay, let's do this."

With that she walks down to her living room, looking around to see what needs to be tidied up. Nothing seems out of place, though.

Whatever, then.

She shrugs and takes a seat on the couch, waiting for the others.

It didn't take long for her friends to arrive, exactly ten minutes after they talked on the phone. This kind of timing can only be done by either B-ko herself or E-noru, one of the smart people in their group.

Smiling, she walks to the door and opens it. "Welcome."

"It's good to see you, D-ne.", B-ko steps forward and surprises her even more with a hug. "How was your day?"

"Well... so-so, I guess.", she smiles sheepishly. "Nothing special really, yours?"

"Not too much except helping C-ta drag this guy out.", the short-haired girl jabs her thumb at A-ya. "He was not going until we told him why we want to gather."

"It's quite A-ya-ish, don't you think?", she giggles. "He isn't the type to go outside without a reason to."

"I agree.", C-ta chimes in. "He's not exactly social, you know that."

"... C-ta, you do not need to add that detail.", the mentioned boy stresses the 'not' as he speaks. "We're not here to poke me."

"Yeah yeah.", B-ko rolls her eyes but a fond smile plays on her lips. "Anyway, we have most of the time to ourselves right?"

"Yes.", D-ne nods. "My parents are... busy today."

There's a tiny hint of sadness in her voice, but she's not sure if anyone can catch it.

Well, wait a moment-

Someone's definitely catching it, she knows that look in those golden orbs.

With that same smile he always had on his face however, E-noru speaks.

"I suggest blowing this.", he turns to look at the others. "You know what I mean, we're here for that after all."

"Blowing... what?", D-ne blinks in confusion. "What do you mean?"

The rest seem to understand though, B-ko giggles and walks over to her.

"Of course.", she looks at the girl straight in the eyes. "We're here to celebrate your birthday."

Her amethyst eyes are so beautiful that she gets lost in them, spacing out only to silently admire that beauty.

"... Yeah, right.", she can hear A-ya's voice after a moment of silence and blinks to glance at him, catching a smirk which doesn't look like the creepy one he often shows as he tells them horror tales. It's more...

Smug, in a rather friendly manner though.

"Happy birthday, D-ne.", C-ta smiles at her. "Wish you the best, even if we didn't get along at first."

For a split second, she thought of how good he looked with that dazzling genuine smile and immediately slaps herself mentally.

No, she's not about to like a guy.

Not in a person's lifetime.

"Yes, sincerely.", E-noru turns to her and his smile becomes... more true to her, his eyes soft. "From all of us to you, happy birthday."

She goes speechless from their sudden wishes, her mouth slightly agape without knowing what to say.

"And...", B-ko smiles brightly once again. "We'll help you spend your birthday to its best!"

"... That's why we came here.", A-ya walks over closer. "I get what it feels like to not have your parents in your birthday, but we all have to experience different things sometimes."

C-ta nods in agreement. "If they've been with you in previous years, let's try celebrating without them this year. I mean, it won't hurt to try something new."

"Yes, besides...", E-noru pokes her forehead playfully. "Parents aren't the only important people, no?"

Blinking, it takes her a while to regain her composure and smiles back at her friends.

"Of course.", happiness bubbles inside her chest as she speaks. "I'd love to spend the day with all of you."

It's always going to be the best birthday, as long as you enjoy yourself along with ones that are willing to share your happiness.

Happy birthday, D-ne.

#post #fanfic #my fanfic #shuuen no shiori #happy birthday!#d-ne #b-ko #a-ya #c-ta #e-noru #occult club #2009

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royallyanxious · 6 years

Text

Set Of Mind

Basically, my take of @cagedin-simulations‘s story State Of Mind.

It’s an AU based on Mercy’s AU, I guess!

Written for the author herself. Happy birthday Mercy, my love!

word count: 1.6k

warnings: none

link to the original story: here

(Set Of Mind can be read separately but I highly recommend reading State of Mind first)

beta-read by @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2

AO3 link

𝕾𝖊𝖙 𝕺𝖋 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖉

“And… cut! We’re done, boys” announced the director, flashing her tired but bright smile, “Good job! You’re free for today and see you tomorrow! Jimmy, you can turn off the lights!”

The lights above the main stage turned off almost instantly, leaving the small resting area the only source of light. The clock was showing that it’s almost midnight and the members of the crew were rushing out of the room faster than the speed of light. Meanwhile both main stars - Virgil Carsey and Roman Rufete walked down the stage. Truth to be told Virgil was more of the “rolling-off the stage” type, while Roman was still trying to keep up his confident posture. Virgil gracefully stumbled over his feet while Roman with the last ounce of energy jumped off the final stair.

They were a surprising duo these two. It was quite funny how their personalities matched the personalities of the characters they played in the show. The show that was one of the biggest hits. Its title was State Of Mind.

Truth to be told, both Roman and Virgil got their roles in the split of a second. The director - Mercy - was so in awe that she changed the names of the main characters into actual actors’ names. Till the present day Virgil was a little concerned about this (“Who the hell is this woman and how many times a day does she change her mind?” he growled more than once during first week of filming).

The only, actual difference was that in reality Virgil was a little bit more rude than his alter-ego, while Roman was (quite surprisingly) quite of a blushing type.

“Well, fuck that last bit was shit to play…” sighed Virgil, falling down on his usual chair. The door closed behind the last member of the crew making Roman and Virgil completely alone in the room. It was nothing unusual. As top-stars they didn’t really demand much from the director, except getting a little bit of time alone after the recording.

“Don’t make me laugh, Virgil. At least you didn’t have to serenade me your love…” huffed out Roman. He looked tired but happy nonetheless. It was no secret that he loved his job.

“Oh shut up, would you? It was embarrassing just listening this…” laughed Virgil. His eyes were shimmering in the darkness. Tired Roman was quite a look as weird as it sounded. There was simply something magical in the satisfied stars in his eyes and heavy with emotions eyelids. Sometimes, though he wouldn’t admit, Virgil wondered how Roman looked when he woke up…

Roman closed his eyes, defenceless against his own body, and absently started unbuttoning his jacket, revealing expensive shirt that his character - Roman Lufe - wore more than often. The warm light of the lava-lamp was throwing a warm shades of pink and gold. Virgil liked this lamp a lot but, he thought, that he liked Roman better.

“What do you think State will do anyway?” asked Roman with his eyes still closed. He often asked Virgil what he thought about the show. As if he was director, not Mercy.

“No idea, they never tell us too much before filming…” mumbled Virgil, tearing his gaze away from Roman in case he opened his eyes and caught his colleague’s staring.

“It’s a tad frustrating, isn't it?” groaned Roman but Virgil knew that it’s just a pose. In fact Roman loved how the show kept surprising him. Quite on the contrary to Virgil who would rather know when their characters were going to make-out again.

“A little bit… Yeah…” Agreed Virgil absently. The silence fell between them but it wasn’t uncomfortable. They had been resting like that dozens of times before.

Suddenly, a realization hit Virgil. He was so used to seeing Roman everyday that he had no idea what he was going to do when the show would come to an end. Falling for Roman Lufe, and later for Roman Rufete, was never a part of Virgil’s plan. He just wanted to make some easy money and the show seemed interesting. It wasn't that deep. But the more episodes he watched - the more he fancied Roman Lufe’s character, the more he admired his handsome face and beautiful eyes... At first he blamed it on the make-up but… The more he talked to Roman Rufete, the more he learnt about him, the more lame jokes he heard and the more he talked to him off-stage, the better Virgil understood that he in fact wasn’t much different from Roman’s fans.

Yes, Roman was something exquisite. He was part of Virgil’s life that he never wanted to give up on. But Roman was a profesionalist. His name was known by every actor and actress in the business. Meanwhile Virgil was just Virgil. That guy from State of Mind. (“Oh! You know the show in which Roman Rufete basically plays himself.”) Virgil knew that after the show would be done, he would slowly fade away. He would hide in his small house and live on the clouds of his beautiful memories.

Virgil growled quietly and Roman opened his eyes.

“Something’s wrong, Virgil my love?” he joked. They often shared jokes like that off-stage, trying to paraphrase their characters, trying to be them in the real life. Virgil loved those jokes more than he was willing to admit, excuse him while he lives in his tiny wonderland.

Virgil only shrugged in response. “Just life being a bitch.”

Roman laughed, his wonderful, loud, somehow flamboyant laugh. Virgil would set it as his ringtone if he could.

“And why is life so nasty according to you, hm?” Asked Roman, straightening up his back. Two button of his silk shirt were unbuttoned. That was just wonderful. Virgil shook his head.

“I’m just thinking that when the show is over, my life will come back to normal and I don’t know if I wanna deal with all its shit again. You know. Normality.” Virgil blurted emotionally. Back in the days, when they weren’t that close with Roman, Virgil would be afraid to say something like that but now… there wasn’t a thing he couldn’t confess to Roman (maybe except of one…). If he was too afraid to do it off-stage, he would do it as an improvisation of one of the scenes the were currently shooting (that was a case when it came to one tiny confession…)

Roman sent Virgil a weird look.

“What do you mean? You’re basically an icon now! People love Virgil, I doubt that you could ever go back to normal life after this show!”

Virgil chuckled bitterly. “How can you be so sure? Do you love Virgil?” he said quickly before he could rethink his words.

“Sure, I do! He’s my favourite!” exclaimed Roman, blushing furiously. He was a blushing type hence to which the make up staff always had a lot of work with Roman. Virgil always argued (silently) with them about why they even bothered to hide this wonderful blush - it was so cute!

“You don’t mean it…” Virgil swallowed a big lump in his throat. Maybe he wanted to believe Roman but even if these words were true… Roman for sure meant Virgil Casey - the character, not boring and picky Virgil Carsey - the actor.

“But I do!” Roman jumped off his seat and seconds later kneeled next to Virgil, grabbing his slim, pale hand. “Virgil is my absolute hero! He is so strong and confident about everything he does! He can defeat all and any obstacles! You don’t even know how much I admire that! Virgil is my absolute favourite!” he almost sang the last sentence, the blush on his face growing more and more red.

Fluttered and confused about Roman’s passionate exclamation Virgil turned away his gaze and quickly took away his hand. It was still warm in the area where Roman’s and his skin touched.

“I didn’t- I mean, I’m not… Umm… just-just thanks, I guess…” he stuttered finally and barked out an awkward laughter. “Typical Virgil here, am I right?” he joked, forcing himself to glance at Roman. His brown eyes were filled with these loving sparks that he sometimes showed on the set of the show. How Virgil wished these sparks were real and meant for him, not his character.

“Typical Virgil here and now.” Agreed Roman softly. “But isn’t that just the best thing about you?” he asked quickly and got up from the ground.

Roman’s fingers made their way through Virgil’s ruffled hair. How tender and caring they felt on Virgil’s head. It was like a touch of an angel. The heat was rushing through Virgil’s veins.

“We should probably get home, Virgil.” whispered Roman, his hand lingering on Virgil’s head for a moment longer than it should. “Do you need a ride home?”

The other male only shook his head, unable to make a sound. Right now, he was a silent actor of unseen scenes.

“As you wish, darling.” Nodded Roman. Virgil missed the hurt expression on his face. “See you tomorrow then.” He said and slowly walked out of the room.

The lava-lamp was still throwing pink shade on Roman’s seat. It looked cold and empty without him. The pink wasn’t as warm as it used to be. It wasn’t as warm as the blush on Roman’s cheeks.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.” echoed Virgil into the void. His mind was still adjusting the last parts of the conversation. The reality in his mind was mixing with the scripts and scenarios from the show.

Virgil curled on his armchair. His head rested on the knees and he closed his eyes.

“Hey, Roman?” he said weakly. “Which Virgil did you mean?” he asked. “Because you see… everything you said… I don’t know how to interpret… because of the state of my mind.”

GENERAL TAGLIST: @depressed-alone @changeling-ash @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @calmingthoughtsinyourhead @zo-geeky @fandomfreak-19 @thegnatnat @inha-led @tree4life25 @panic-at-theeverywhere @reallyanextrovertipromise @shit-happens-bitchachos @pastel-patton123 @pinkeasteregg @greymane902 @princeyssash @musicphanpie-b @all-these-trees-stealing-mah-o2 @birosezz @winged-outlaw @anxious-fander-talian-bean @lizaelsparrow @moonstonefox12 @pastelnerd101 somecrappyclone mysticalstrawberryface @ninjago2020 donteatmyassghostie toriwithacamera moxiety–sanders101 confinesofpersonalknowledge xxladystarlightxx wheeitsvee a-very-optimistic-realistnarniasfinestavengingsociopath thequeensqueer allycat31415 rileys-main-blog-spotroman-is-a-dramatic-prince virgil-my-diamond justanotherproblem faacethefacts beautifully-terribly logical-but-anxious queen-of-all-things-snuggly seabellart @generalfandomfabulousness lostin—translation knine-nights

#set of mind #state od mind #SoM #Mercy's birthday #prinxiety #vic writes

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rex101111 · 7 years

Note

I just read the eri and kota meeting drabble i need more of deku dad to eri and kouta like im starving for it

Izuku: It’s hard being a single father of two. (I kid I kid)

....but seriously though, for your consideration:

----

It starts with just a few meet ups between the two, someone has to supervise, someone needs to make sure Kouta doesn’t say something he’ll regret and that Eri doesn’t get too spooked.

So he says yes to be the one to supervise, and why wouldn’t he? He and Kouta have been sending letters back and forth for a few months now, and Eri might as well be glued to the side of his leg at this point, he’s the natural choice.

The two children have been exchanging letters themselves for a couple months, and them meeting seemed like a natural progression, but both the Pussy Cats and UA, who were Eri’s de facto caretakers, at least officially, thought it best to make sure things went as smoothly as they could.

And while Izuku is glad to help, he’s never thought himself to be all that proficient when it comes to dealing with kids, but the two seem determined to prove him wrong.

—

At first they just hang out around town near UA, for safety’s sake.

A trip to the mall to buy clothes, a walk to the nearby park to feed the birds, simple and calm things that seem to do wonders for Kouta’s short temper and Eri’s nerves.

He crouches down between them in the park one day, a bag of sunflower seeds in one hand as he quietly shows them how to give them to the birds without having them fly off in a freight. They both watch intently, and after a few minutes he hands the bag over to Kouta, who’s hands, he noticed, have started to twitch with restraint.

He grabs the bag with both hands, and then proceeds to lock gazes with an off white pigeon for a full minute, his mouth twisting in uncertainty as he moves his fingers on the underside of the bag and the bird moves its head this way and that, waiting for a meal.

Carefully, inch by inch, he reaches one hand into the bag and grabs the smallest handful of seeds before scattering it a few inches away from his toes, and the bird wastes very little time digging in, pecking away at the ground for it’s food.

Kouta seems to have gotten all the encouragement he needed, and he throws a few more handfuls of seeds about with a mild grin, catching the attention of a few more birds to come near, the soft sounds filling their tiny corner of the park.

Eri had been staring a bit herself, eyes widening as more and more white feathers filled the near vicinity, and although still glued to Izuku’s side she found herself drawn to the many cooing doves surrounding her.

So focused in fact that it took her a bit to notice Kouta offering her the seed bag.

“You want to feed them too don’t ya?”

She hesitates, she’s only known him for a few weeks at this point, at least in person. She isn’t sure if she’s allowed yet, part of her wants to just shake her head no and let him have fun, to content herself with watching.

But she steals a glance towards Izuku, and he smiles wide and inviting and suddenly she feels a little courage well up in her, and she reaches over to grab the bag.

“You better hurry,” Kouta laughs a little pointing down to a spot next to her feet at a particularly small bird, “That one likes kinda hungry.”

The pigeon looked up at Eri and cooed, tilting it’s head at the girl as if it agreed with the statement.

Gulping, she shyly took out a small amount of seeds, and started lower her hand to the ground to scatter them. But before she could, the small dove went ahead to start eating straight from her palm. Eri, for her part, froze on the spot as the bird pecked lightly at its food, trying not to scare it off.

She looked back at the other two, eyes mildly pleading for help, only to be met with a very amused smile from Izuku and a wide gape from Kouta, “That is so cool.”

Izuku nodded, chuckling slightly as he looked at the bird eating without a care right out of Eri’s palm. He then calmly rubbed Eri’s back, making her visibly relax, “It really is cool Eri-chan,” When the girl looked back quizzically, he took a few seeds from the bag and scattered them next to the same pigeon that was eating from her palm, who looked at them for a moment before eating, “These birds can tell if someone is dangerous.”

Eri only raised an eyebrow in response, only to have another bird start to eat what was left in her palm, making Kouta gape a bit more.

“It means they trust you,” Izuku continued, smiling softly at her as the bird finished and looked up at her, waiting for more food, “They know you won’t hurt them.”

Eri stared at Izuku for a moment, before looking back at the bird, who was joined by a few others, before her face adopted a confident look and she took another pile of seeds in her hand, bigger this time, and offered it to the birds, who happily started to dig in.

“Let me try!” Kouta cried, grabbing the bag from her and taking out some seeds in his palm, offering it to the some of the birds…who looked at him with tilted heads for a moment before walking over to Eri, calmly waiting in line behind those who were still eating.

Izuku laughed, while he patted Kouta’s head gently, who glared at the birds mildly before scattering his seeds a bit away, which were quickly pecked clean by a few stray sparrows, one of which flew over and landed on the brim of his hat and leaned down to peak at him, its’ small black eyes seeming to ask for food.

Izuku just laughed a little more, watching as the kids passed the bag back and forth to feed the birds, the sun slowly sinking below the horizon.

—

After a few months they started visiting his mother, who was delighted to have the two kids around the house.

She had them help her with cooking, which mostly involved them making a mess and tasting spoons to make sure the food tasted right, “Tasting spoons is the most important job in the kitchen you know!” She smiled when she handed over the chocolate laden wooden utensil to the two, “Used to have Izuku to help me with it, so now you two will have to help me instead!”

They were more than willing to complete their task, obviously.

They also have no complaints about visiting Izuku’s old room, still heavy with all the All Might memorabilia he couldn’t fit in his luggage to take to the dorms. Inko tries not to cry from nostalgia as Izuku, clad in a heavy blanket, is chased by the two kids as they wave around a couple of his All Might action figures around while they play “hero.”

If they need to stay the night, they also have no issue with sharing Izuku’s bed while he sleeps on the floor next to them.

(Inko has more pictures of that than she knows what to do with.)

One time while she and Izuku set the table for dinner, she keeps glancing his way and chuckling to herself.

Eventually Izuku laughs himself and looks at her, “Something on my face Mom?”

“No no dear,” She laughs a little more, putting a hand to her cheek, “I’ve just been wondering something for a while.”

“What?”

“Are you sure you didn’t get my quirk?”

Izuku raises an eyebrow, “Um...yeah, I’m sure.” He scratches his head in bewilderment, “What makes you think that?”

“Well,” She points to the kitchen, where Kouta and Eri are busy at work at putting the finishing touches, i.e sprinkles, to the cupcakes they’ll have for desert with a wily smile, “Small objects seem to be drawn to you, wouldn’t you say?”

His whole face catches fire, but he smartly clamps his mouth shut as the kids pile into the dining room, yelling for food. His mother winks at him as she goes to the kitchen to grab the plates of food, leaving Izuku to try and explain to Eri why his face is all red.

---

Every year Izuku gets a call from Kouta, where he simply says, “Can you come visit me today?...please?”

He always says yes, having made sure weeks in advance that this day in particular has a completely cleared schedule. He never told Kouta this, but he knows, and appreciates it.

No matter how old he gets, and no matter how many years go by, the sight of his parents graves always drags a sob or two out of the young man, always brings back the memories of when his aunt came home with news that would shatter his life for years.

He never goes alone, one of the pussy cats always tries to come with him, but Kouta always felt like he was being a burden when they did.

Asking Izuku always seemed easier, somehow.

Sometimes, Eri would come too, to hold his hand and cry with him when the cold sight of the tombstones became too much.

Those days were the easiest.

---

Izuku and Kouta made a decision one day, out of the blue, that they would throw Eri a birthday party.

The first challenge was the date, which they had no idea.

“...The day you saved her.” Kouta said one day, his face lighting up like he had the most brilliant idea ever thought, “That should be her birthday!” Izuku couldn’t find a reason against it, so they set to work.

And a lot of work it was, buying her gifts and inviting people and keeping it a secret without it seeming weird, but they managed somehow.

It ended up being rather small, they only invited class 1-A and B, as well as some of the teachers and Inko, who along with Satou made the cake, but it was loud and happy and lasted all day long.

Kouta saved his gift for last, a hat much like his own, only with the one horn on the top, a hole next to it for Eri’s horn to poke out.

(Kirishima and Ashido suggested the words “Horn buddy” to be written on the brim, and although he wasn’t sure why, but it sounded like a cool idea, so he went with it.)

He handed it to her with a slight blush, and when she opened it and took it out of the box she gaped at him for a long while. Before he could say something irritable about her giving it back if she didn’t like it she flung her arms around him in a tight hug.

(Izuku still has the photo of them with their matching hats from that day, Kouta putting an arm over Eri’s shoulder while she held up a peace sign and they both grinned ear to ear. It’s one of his favorites.)

It’s since become a tradition for the two to take on the responsibility of planning her birthday parties themselves, and every year they do something different to surprise her, and every year they collaborate on the gift.

She’s gotten all sorts of things over the years, but the hat is still her favorite, which she refuses to throw away.

“This ratty old thing is practically falling apart!”

“I don’t care! I like it!”

Izuku just chuckles and takes another photo, they’ve had this argument a hundred dozen times already.

“Papa! Tell him to stop bullying my hat!”

“I’m not bullying your damn hat, I’m bullying you for keeping it!”

She gasps, “What kind of friend does that!?”

“The best that’s who!”

“Kouta, stop that or you’re grounded.”

“Wha-! I’m 25!”

“Hah!”

(Kouta doesn’t call him dad...at least when Eri is within ear shot, “She’ll never let me live it down....”

Izuku has no problem keeping that to himself.)

#answers #division912 #My hero academia #Eri (bnha)#kouta izumi #Midoriya Izuku #stuff rex wrote #this was fun to write XD #MY DAUGHTER HAS A FRIEND #been a while since i used that tag...#off to eat something!

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petersasteria · 6 years

Text

Life - Brad Simpson AU (Part 4)

Requested by: @iconicnins

Here’s: Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3

Slight mention of Harry Styles and Liam Payne on this part.

You barged in Henry and Sarah's room with the ham behind your back. All three kids were there, and it's perfect. Henry and Audrey were binge watching YouTube videos of ThatcherJoe (Joe Sugg) whilst Sarah was on her bed.

"Do we have mustard?" you asked cheerfully.

"I don't know. Why?" Henry asked, smiling with Audrey.

"We've got ham!" you cheered and showed them the ham.

Audrey and Henry smiled, but looked at you weirdly.

"I sold a car!" you grinned. Henry and Audrey gasped and congratulated you.

You hugged Henry and Audrey, when you noticed Sarah feeling blue. You let go of the two kids, and sat on Sarah's bed. Henry and Audrey sat back down in front of the computer watching YouTube videos. (a/n: *insert fave YouTuber*)

"What's up?" you asked softly.

"Hippo's mommy and daddy are still on vacation." Sarah replied.

You looked at Henry and Audrey. Once they saw the look on your face, they understood.

"We're gonna go slice the ham." Audrey said as she got the ham and went out of the room followed by Henry. You looked back at Sarah and said, "They've been gone a long time."

"That's because they went really far away." Sarah said sadly.

"Where did they go?" you asked her even though you already knew. She didn't answer. She fumbled with Hippo's ribbon around its neck. "Honey, where did they go?" you asked again.

"Heaven." she answered simply.

"That's right, sweetie." you smiled sadly at her.

"And now, there's no one to give him a birthday party." Sarah said looking at you.

"When's Hippo's birthday?" you asked.

"Today." Sarah said.

"Today?! Why didn't you tell me? I'll cook the ham some other time. Let's go out to celebrate." you smiled at her.

Goodbye delicious ham. Looks like you'll be in the fridge.

You're now sat in a restaurant with the three kids and Hippo, of course.

"Say 'Hippo'!" the waiter said as he took your picture.

"Hippo!" you all said. You gotta admit it was cringe worthy, but it was for Sarah anyway.

The waiter, Connor, was a really good friend of yours so he was able to get you guys a decent table even though you weren't able to get a reservation first.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Con. Especially on short notice." you thanked him. Bless Connor Ball's heart. Bless him.

"It's no problem. I'd do anything for you, Y/N! We're best friends!" Connor smiled at you. "You seem to be hanging out with a new crowd." he added as he looked at the kids.

"Oh, yeah. Today's a very special day. You see, it's Hippo's b-" you weren't able to finish your sentence, because Connor interrupted you.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt you, Y/N. But I have to go now. The VIPs are here. I'm really sorry." Connor said sadly. You knew you weren't going to be angry at him for too long. How could you possibly get angry at him for too long when he looks like a lost puppy?

"It's totally fine. It's your job anyway." you smiled at him.

"Thank you! Excuse me." Connor left your side and entertained the VIPs.

All four of you watched him entertain the VIPs and sent them all a fake smile. Connor hated stuck up people. He shook hands with the three VIPs and greeted them.

"Hey Con!" one girl said from the group. She was holding hands with your ex; Harry Styles.

"Hi." Connor replied quickly so he can get over it.

"Harry just got the Burberry campaign." another girl said.

Wow. Harry seemed to be doing fine. I mean, he has two hoes around him, but he seems happy.

"Congratulations." Connor said with no energy whatsoever. He led them to their table and left immediately whilst another waiter handed them the menus.

All four of you just looked away.

"Can I get you guys anything for dessert?" the waiter, Liam, asked. He's also your friend. When you were still working at Monique's modeling agency, you and your colleagues go to this restaurant all the time that's why you knew Liam. On the other hand, you and Connor were childhood best friends. He needed a job, and you got him the job he has now. He's doing pretty well and he's now the head waiter.

"Oh! Can I have another cappuccino please?" Audrey asked politely.

You looked at Audrey with a smile and looked at Liam, "Make that decaf and I'll have the same thing, but not decaf." Liam nodded and waited if Henry and Sarah are going to add something. When they didn't say anything, he turned to leave.

"Um, Liam? Liam!" you stood up from your seat and called for Liam. "Excuse me, Liam." you added as he turned around.

"Hi. Do you think you could sing happy birthday?" you asked.

"Who's the birthday kid?" Liam asked with a smile. He's obviously in for the idea of singing. This means he can use his skill/talent: singing and beatboxing.

"Actually it's Hippo's birthday." you bit your lip nervously hoping he would agree.

Liam's expression made you think he's having second thoughts or he's not going to do it.

"You want me to sing to a hippo?" Liam asked with a facial expression you can't read.

(a/n: kinda like this so u have visuals and I know it’s Troye Sivan don’t fight me)

"Yeah." you shrugged.

"I'll take care of it." Liam smiles and left. You thanked him and sat back down.

Just as you sat down, Connor and a different waiter went up to your table. The waiter had a tray of 4 drinks you DIDN'T order.

"Another round of Double Cherry Shirley Temples!" Connor said with a lot of energy. He only has the energy around you. Connor put down the drinks on your table.

"Oh no." you were shocked. Connor ignored your protests and said, "And this is for you, Y/N." He put down the drink in front of you.

"Compliments to the gentleman right over there." Connor smiled and looked at the gentleman he was referring to before he left.

You followed his gaze and saw Harry raising his glass to you and nodded his head at you as if saying cheers. You mouthed a 'thank you' to him and did the same thing.

A minute later, Liam came back with a slice of cake (with a candle on it of course) and said, "Okay! This one's for Hippo!" he put the cake in front of Sarah and started getting everyone's attention. He beatboxed 'happy birthday' and it was amazing! Everyone in the restaurant clapped and cheered.

* * * *

A few days later, Nilma offered to take the kids out on a trip. Of course you said yes. You ran outside the apartment building and caught up to Nilma.

"Wait! Nilma! Wait! I forgot the money for their lunch!" you said as you ran to her.

"There's no need for that, Y/N. I already packed lunch." Nilma smiled at you.

"Well, if they want to buy a book or anything-"

"Y/N, it's okay. I've got it covered. You're a free woman! Go and have some fun! I'll text you when we get back." Nilma said. You smiled at her and gave her a hug.

Now, you didn't know where to go. You instantly thought of a place and decided to walk there.

* * * *

You felt so stupid. Why were you even here? You walked up the stairs and saw Brad's office door open. His back was facing you, so he didn't see you yet. This was your chance to leave. As you turned to leave, Brad turned around and saw you. "Y/N?" Brad said.

At this moment you turned around so fast you didn't see the last step. You basically Jennifer Lawrence'd up the stairs.

(a/n: kinda like this except you tripped on the last step going up)

"Are you okay?!" Brad asked worriedly.

You immediately stood up and brushed your clothes and said, "Yeah I'm fine."

"What brings you here?" Brad asked as he turned around and went back to what he was doing. He was fixing his bag and putting some stuff into it.

"Nothing. Are you free?" you asked with confidence.

"What?" Brad turned around so fast and was really shocked. He didn't expect you to ask him if he was free, let alone come to see him. His face was priceless.

"Are you free?" you repeated.

"No. Actually, I'm not. I've got a lunch date." Brad said as he turned around again and zipped his bag closed.

"Oh." your face falls in disappointment.

"You can come with me, though." Brad said as he walked towards you and closed his office door.

Next thing you knew, you were sitting on the bleachers in Brad's hockey game. Who knew pastors could have a game of hockey? Of course they can, but you didn't expect them to have teams. It's just like a normal hockey game. The only difference is that the players are pastors. In the end, Brad's team won the game. It was really fun.

-time skip after lunch bc I'm lazy is brought to you by Connor Ball's birthday-

You reached your apartment with Brad following behind you. "And that's why I hate prom." you told Brad as he chuckled and shake his head.

You leaned against the wall and faced Brad. "Thank you for today, Brad. I really had fun." you said to him.

He leaned in to kiss you, but you looked away. "I'm sorry. It's a little weird don't you think?" you told him.

"Why? Is it because I'm a pastor?" Brad asked, slightly hurt.

You hated hurting other people's feelings, but you can't lie to their faces either. You couldn't say anything, so you just nodded slightly.

"You don't think I'm sexy, because I'm not a party kind of guy?" Brad chuckled. You know that chuckle we all do when we're really hurt? Yeah, that kind of chuckle.

"It's not like that." you said with a sad smile as Brad looked directly into your Y/E/C eyes.

"Let me tell you something, Y/N. Whether you agree or not, I'm sexy. God made me this way. I'm a sexy man of God, and I know it." Brad said as he carried his bag and turned to leave. He pressed the 'down' button of the elevator and waited.

"Wait a minute." you said. Screw it. He's really nice and he won't cheat on you. He's every girl's ideal man. He turned around to face you probably asking himself what you could possibly need now.

"That was kinda sexy." you told him. He threw his bag on the floor and walked towards you. You immediately pulled him in and kissed each other passionately.

Suddenly the door opened, revealing Henry and Audrey. You immediately pulled away and blushed.

"Uh, Nilma? Have you met the principal of our school?" Audrey asked Nilma as she stood next to her carrying Sarah.

"Hi." Bradley said sheepishly.

"Hi." Nilma said holding back a smirk on her face.

Brad looked at you and awkwardly said, "Uh, I gotta go. Thank you for today! Bye."

"Mhm. Thank you. Bye." you said as he picked up his bag and pressed the elevator button again.

You went inside your apartment (which is apartment 1D *wink wink*) and closed the door.

"So, uh, I guess you're all getting A's." you joked.

"Yeah!" Henry and Audrey cheered jokingly.

Nilma and Sarah just laughed at the two.

Lmao reblog if you liked it

#bradley will simpson #brad simpson imagines #the vamps brad #james mcvey #the vamps james #connor ball #the vamps connor #tristan evans #the vamps tris #the vamps band #the vamps #the vamps imagines

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