#what difference does henry understand when alex grabs his hair? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

zalrb · 1 year

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Red White and Royal Blue Review

I'm sorry but as the president's son, wouldn't you know not to get drunk at an official engagement like this?

Is that cake about to get ruined because it feels like the cake is about to get ruined. I didn't see the trailer.

2. Yes, it was ruined. I feel like I should be drunk for this.

3. I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT MY REPUTATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. I was like what’s going on with Uma Thurman but I realize she’s trying to do an accent. I do not think it’s working.

5. This ... looks weird to me

It almost looks like photoshop, idk.

6. I’ve only been watching this for ten minutes but .. why can’t I remember his name, whatever president son dude, I think he’s the weakest link. The dialogue isn’t as snappy as it thinks it is although I did chuckle at the “you’ll act like the sun shines out of his ass and you have a vitamin D deficiency” but Zahra sells the quick “snappy” wit with more ease than he does. He isn’t comfortable with it.

7. Equerry dude is hotter than both of them.

8. Alex. His name is Alex.

9. Honestly, out of the two of them, Alex is acting like the bigger jackass.

10. Yeah, Alex kinda irritates me.

11. He flirts better with Miguel. Those eyes?

like I know we’re not at the flirty part with Henry yet but I can already tell we’re not going to get the same energy.

12. I don’t think you understand the laugh that came out of my mouth when I saw this

because it’s basically like they each got their own Black Best Friend and I know this is supposed to be like DIVERSITY.

13. “Omg people would kill to come to my NYE party” so far, this is a pretty basic party, sir.

14. So Henry is supposed to be uptight and posh and Alex is supposed to be more carefree, the drunk partier dude, but the thing is, the actor doesn’t come across carefree, he feels like he’s trying to be carefree so he actually makes me feel more uptight than Henry because I’m like, you’re not letting loose but you’re supposed to be the loose one.

15. TO THE WINDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW TO THE WALL! TILL THE SWEAT DROPS DOWN MY BALLS! AH SKEET SKEET MUTHAFUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, AH SKEET SKEET GOTDAMN!

16. LMAOOOOOOOOO. Honestly, I don’t know if them choosing Get Low as the song they’re supposed to see each other across the dance floor and look at each other longingly is brilliant or terrible.

17. Aww Henry wanted a NYE kiss. Sad face.

18. Henry, I just feel like you could do better than Alex?

19. WE GET IT YOU WERE WORKING CLASS

20. Well at least they’re not Malec when they kiss.

21. He’s reminiscent of a a young Al Pacino -- I’m actually thinking of Al Pacino in Scarface but they did darken his skin for Scarface, which is you know.

22. “He grabbed my hair in a way that made me understand the difference between rugby and football” this line is wasted on these two. Jesus, give it to people with chemistry.

23.

he deserves a better scene partner.

24. I can’t believe I’m not even an hour in.

25. Alex, do some work!

26. Oh, this banter is terrible. People are comparing this to Merthur?

27. Wait, but I want to know which other famous boys he’s shagged.

28. This is probably the most I’ve cared about them so far

29. And he's blinking rapidly to show he's nervous but it should be in the body language, Alex is kind of just standing there. It should be nervous and exciting and intimate and thrilling, it's just ... kind of happening. Like the dude who plays Henry, his back must be TIRED from carrying all of this.

30. Ah yes,

it's giving

but way less intimate.

31. OK. So. I was going to add a screenshot but I was afraid tumblr would block it if I did so when they're making love, Alex -- who I almost called whatshiface -- says "I can't believe how wrong I was about you" and here's my thing with dialogue during sex scenes and I feel really bad for comparing these two movies because no one deserves this but it reminds me of when anons were like please watch some clips of the um, what's that movie series based on Harry Styles fanfiction -- After -- WE ARE GOING TO PAUSE TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE PROCESS I WENT THROUGH TO GET THE NAME OF THESE FUCKING MOVIES:

I typed in movie based on harry styles fanfiction and then Google was like Anne Hathaway and I was like what no, there's another movie based on One Direction fanfiction?? HOW MANY ARE THERE? then I was like wasn't Jughead in the movie? but then I forgot his real name so I had to be like Riverdale cast and it was like Cole Sprouse and I was like RIGHT! then looked up his fucking filmography and it wasn't there and I was like I swear I saw a clip with him in it and then I was like RIGHT, he is a twin so then I Googled his brother's name then I got Dylan Sprouse and then I looked up HIS filmography and got the name of the movie JUST FOR THIS BRIEF MENTION IN THIS STUPID POST and I was like, but anons can't search the masterlist??????????

anyway there's that scene where they're having sex in her office or something and like in the middle of them having sex he's like "SAY I'M THE ONLY ONE" or something and it just made me laugh because his voice is unaltered, he just delivered the line like they were having a regular conversation and that's what happens here, Alex just says this line and it takes me out of the moment because I'm like you're not being breathy or moaning or something as you talk, you're just talking like normal? THEN DON'T SPEAK.

32. But what does Alex do? Is he in school? Is he ... what does he do? I know he wrote a memo that nobody read and will probably end up being a huge meaningful contribution down the line but he's talking about wishing he could help more and I'm like what's your job? Like you can still help people in whatever job you're doing, like are YOU going to hospitals and talking to dying children? Like what's happening here?

33. And he's going on and on about making his dad proud and being someone who can do something but you're the guy who got drunk at a wedding and made a 75,000 pound cake fall. I...

34. Ah he's a law student. Volunteer at a free law clinic then, jesus christ.

35. OK their together texts are infinitely worse. "I CAN'T HAVE SMUT FILLING MY INBOX".

36. I mean, Miguel is a journalist, Alex, I...

37. So I'm guessing Miguel will break the Alex/Henry story. Because duh.

38. HENRY IS TRYING SO HARD.

39. "Dad, what is this music? It's so not the vibe" I'm sorry but I find Alex insufferable.

40. Oh so Henry DOES read nonwhite authors, jfc.

41. Ohhhhhhh whatshisface, Alex, is having the IT ALL MAKES SENSE moment, which MUST happen when the love interest is singing, HENRY IS HIS FOREVER BOO. And then of course, princes can't be gay so even though Henry feels the same way, I'm sure he'll be all I TOLD YOU NOT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH ME.

42. This movie seems like there'll be a rain kiss in it.

43. "Yeah, he's tougher than he looks." You guys were drinking tequila shots, doing karaoke and playing volleyball, not chopping wood for your only source of heat during winter in the Appalachians. Relax.

44. "You can understand my life a little more" which is cool but what about HIS life, Alex? I don't know I just find him extremely self-centered.

45. IT'S LIKE THERE'S A ROPE ATTACHED TO MY CHEST AND IT KEEPS PULLING ME TOWARDS YOU. Yes, I see the Jane Eyre reference.

46. Aww, he's in the pool with his hand over his heart. I needed a better couple for this.

47. And here we go with the downturn before the uptick.

48. He's trying so hard to be melancholy and this is what we get?

A furrowed brow?

49.

I mean are you? What is this, Stefan about Caroline? Please be serious.

50. Well, there's rain. But they're not kissing.

51. "I flew across an ocean" which would be more impressive if you weren't the president's son, Alex.

52.

You didn't actually storm the castle, though. Who are you now, Damon?

53. This should be way more frenzied than it is. He should be yelling, out of his mind, and Henry should be doing exactly what he's doing now.

54.

Well that's because he's amazingly self-centred.

55. ON. HIS. BACK.

56. Stephen Fry being in this is kind of perfect though. I just wish the movie was better.

57. OK well that's over.

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andrea-lyn · 3 years

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The Recs (Less Travelled)

I’m excited to bring you the first installment of my ‘roads less travelled’ recs! I will be doing another round of this, probably once the Ted Lasso fic tag hits about 25 pages, and then I’ll also grab a couple more fandoms to collect in there!

The Rules:

Each fandom/pairing was sorted on Archive of Our Own by completed works. Anything recced here was not in the first ten pages when sorted by kudos at the time of reccing. There may be some more well-known authors on this list, but the specific fics I’ve picked are ones that didn’t crack that top ten or just didn’t get much traction and I think deserve it, so hopefully I have also balanced it out with other under the radar (and still great!) works. As ever, I have a pinned post of my other recs (none have been duplicated from there), so you can also check those out! Under the cut you’ll find 10 recs in each fandom for:

Raven Cycle

Roswell New Mexico

The Old Guard

Inception

Star Trek (mainly Kirk/McCoy)

The Raven Cycle

savor all the little pieces by littlelionvanz

“Since when do you garden?”

Ronan snorted, “Since I grew up on a fucking farm, genius. Jesus who gave you permission to pursue higher education.”

the old grip of the familiar by littleseal

"There is a single black feather and a printed out picture of Gansey, Blue and Cheng standing in front of some fucking monument Ronan didn’t care enough to remember the name of. Gansey sent it to Ronan’s phone some time ago, but it sat in his messages until Adam picked it up and grinned at it so hard that, one afternoon later, Ronan cursed and kicked and glared his old printer back to life in order to print it out.

Fuck, he thinks, I’m in love with a hoarder."

Adam collects things. Ronan is in love with him.

No Sweeter Innocence Than Our Gentle Sin by gansey_is_our_king

Ronan Lynch has wanted to kiss Adam Parrish for a long time.

(alternately titled: four times that Ronan could have kissed Adam)

Cheers to Another Seven Years! by skyermirth

Adam left Henrietta for Harvard and never returned. Now, seven years has passed, and an unexpected work assignment has brought him back to a place and people he hardly recognizes.

Row, row, row your boat by emmerrr

“What. Why are you smiling at me,” he says suspiciously.

Adam shrugs. “You’re cute.”

“I’m not cute, I’m terrifying.”

“Terrifyingly cute,” Adam says.

and now the world is ours to take / and every single move is ours to make by thatlittleblackcat

"Adam was the scientist, Ronan was the data, and Orphan Girl was the key that explained the strange outliers that Ronan presented, his previously unexplainable actions."

Adam sorts out his feelings, Ronan helps him, Gansey is the number one dad friend, Blue is the number one mom friend and Henry tries to make Ronan smile. Otherwise known as the story of how Orphan Girl became Opal.

All These Things You Make Me Feel by SilverOpals394

It was late. Adam could feel the long day catching up to him as he left Boyd’s, all his energy exhausted. When he started his car, the tape deck whirred to life once more. He sighed and raised his hand to turn it off, but before he did a soft melody began to play.

AU in which the mixtape Ronan made for Adam only plays the murder squash song until Adam realizes he's in love with Ronan, too.

Ways to Communicate by Jalules

Blue Sargent reflects on an early memory (and gets busy with her boyfriends.)

(The two things are related, trust me.)

Hold Me Closer, I'm Safe in Your Arms by actuallyronanlynch

“You wanna tell me why I had to hear from Henry Cheng that my boyfriend was at the hospital?” Adam hissed, though his voice wasn’t as acidic as it could’ve been. Ronan took small victories where he could.

“You don’t have a cellphone,” Ronan pointed out flatly. “It’s not like I could’ve gotten a hold of you.”

arts and crafts and the inevitability of death by sunshineinthestorm

Adam comes to the public library in search of a study spot, not a boyfriend.

But it must be his lucky day—because he ends up with a bit of both.

Roswell New Mexico

a conversation between insignificant others by Bellakitse

“Hey…have you noticed that our boyfriends are madly in love with each other?"

“You noticed that too, huh,” she answers dryly, letting out a huff of reluctant amusement.

***

Forrest and Maria share a drink and a conversation and start a friendship.

Own Personal Hell by BeStillMySlashyHeart

Now that Isobel's getting the hang of her telekinesis, Michael decides to test out his telepathic abilities. It backfires. Badly. Now Michael's trapped inside his own mind and only one person can break him out.

Drop the Hammer by brightloveee

Max makes a new friend at the shooting range, who turns out to be even more bad-ass than he expected.

(Takes place mid-S1)

Boys Like You by forgadgetsandgizmos

Curly, dirty blond hair (the mere description ‘curly’ felt like an injustice) twisted in every direction off his head, a sharp contrast with the scruff darkening his strong jawline and scowl-ridden face.

Alex made a mental note to compliment Maria on her excellent taste in men.

—

Or, Alex has coffee with Maria's one-night stand, a man who he definitely does not have a crush on.

let's exchange the experience by lostin_space

Michael decides they need to quarantine.

Michael floods Alex with love and care over and over and over.

This Is Hardcore by Anonymous

Michael makes a proposal. Alex accepts. Michael wonders what the hell he’s gotten himself into.

i don't know what to think (but i think of supernovas) by Milzilla

michael discovers that the console can talk. then, he discovers it can do far more than that.

iridescence on skin by Lire_Casander

In a world where (almost) everyone has a tattoo on their right wrist with one set of coordinates that point to the place where their soulmate is born, Alex thought he wouldn't be any different. He couldn't be more mistaken.

He has two.

The Real Thing by elliebird

Max checks on Michael the morning after Michael saves Max’s ass from Wyatt Long and his dumbass buddies. He sees more than he’s supposed to.

Written for a Tumblr anon who one of their friends walking in on them or anyone of them finding out about Michael and Alex in an interesting way

Sundering by romancandles

“You know it was just an Air Force balloon, right?” says Alex.

Michael smirks. “That’s what they want you to think,” he says, with a wink.

The Old Guard

Peer Reviewed by ishandahalf

[From:] Journal of Medieval Studies ([email protected])

[Subject:] Ad-hoc note from the editor

I have noticed an uncommon level of animosity in your responses to your reviewers (or rather, one reviewer in particular). I am writing to ask if you would please do your best to keep your interactions civil. In fairness, I have also sent a similar request to the reviewer you seem to have this friction with. I trust you will both try and remain more professional in the future.

Again, thank you for submitting your work to this journal.

Sincerely,

James Copley, PhD

Editor-in-Chief

Journal of Medieval Studies

An (accidental) academic epistolary romance as (inadvertently) documented via a (theoretically) rigorously blinded peer review process.[citation needed]

third for a word and the song keeps going Macremae

It was honestly shaping up to be a pretty uneventful year before the Vatican got on Nicky’s bad side.

Or: three times in 2008 that the team genuinely thought about killing Nicky if only to get him to shut up about the changes to the Catholic English Mass and his unrelenting opinions on them, and one time Nile did.

Apex Predators In Island Ecosystems (Freeman et al., in press) by Sixthlight

Palaeobotany PhD student Nile Freeman and her supervisor Joe al-Kaysani are invited to billionaire Stephen Merrick’s new project – a theme park full of cloned dinosaurs. What could possibly go wrong?

This Rough Magic by Marivan

When Joe came to Scotland to study the sea, he did not expect to also encounter a beautiful man claiming that A. he’s a selkie and B. they’re married because Joe picked up his scarf.

It sounds like a fairy tale and that’s a problem. Because Joe’s a scientist. And selkies don’t exist.

Wars for the broken by Yuliares

Five years into his exile, Booker is joined by a companion he never expected to meet. Together, they try to work on healing.

Sometimes they go down to the sewers just so she can scream and scream. “I like to hear it echo,” she explains. “Underwater, you can’t hear anything. Here, at least I can be heard.”

“I don’t feel like a warrior anymore,” she tells him, throwing bread crumbs at pigeons. “I feel broken.”

“You’re still a warrior,” he says roughly. “This is still fighting.”

a good (eighth) impression by deanniker

Over the next few months, Joe runs into Nicky every so often at the farmer’s market. Some weekends Nicky doesn’t make it, because of his work schedule - Joe doesn’t understand it because he doesn’t ask, though he does start to recognize when one of those missing weekends is coming up because Nicky will stock up on things with longer shelf-life. When they do run into each other, they make small talk and move through the stalls together.

Joe doesn’t mention it to Lykon when he stops by, because it is kind of weird, that Lykon’s ex-boyfriend texts Joe things like - If you’re here, the apples look particularly good this week and thank you for that recipe, I did not know what I was going to do with that much couscous

Or,

Joe wouldn't usually consider starting anything with his best friend's ex, but as long as they keep it casual, it shouldn't be weird... right?

get back to where you once belonged by tenderjock

Nile takes a sip of her cappuccino and closes her eyes.

(Booker and Nile get that coffee. Life happens, along the way.)

a house; a home by mehm

“Is this a kidnapping?” Joe asks as Nicky checks both their seat belts. “Like, I don’t mind. It’s just not quite what I expected for my birthday.”

In which Joe gets a birthday surprise, because that’s the stuff you have time for when you and the love of your life become mortal at the same time.

the ties that bind by damaskrose

“There’s a story I heard many times,” Andy begins, “in the Mediterranean. Threads of fate and three sisters. One to spin, one to measure, and one to cut.”

Clutter And Croutons by flawedamythyst

Joe and Nicky have an argument, and then Nicky talks to Nile about what it really means to be in a relationship for 900 years.

Inception

My Big Fat Slightly Annoying Wedding by jibrailis

Arthur and Eames elope for ~tax reasons. Certain people in their lives are not happy at the lack of a wedding.

Remember Sydney by pathera

When Eames shambles into the safe house outside of London, he finds a red light blinking on the phone.

For the inception_kink prompt:

Arthur is on a plane which is about to crash. No way anyone is going to survive. Instead of panicking he calmly calls the team's office and gets the answering machine. He hangs up before the plane crashes.

Give me Arthur's last message to the team.

(TW: Character Death / Angst)

Of Such Deceitfulness and Suavity by delires

In which emotions manifest themselves in unusual ways.

YO, K2tog (it's like a code) by lazulisong

“Oh my God,” moans Arthur. “I’ve paid less for Somnacin. Good Somnacin.” A horrible thought strikes him. “How much is the yarn --”

“I want you to have an unguarded reaction,” Eames tells him, and pulls him up from the floor.

(They run an extraction on a knitter.)

hit the ground running by orphan_account

"I travelled halfway around the world for you. I dealt with the French for you."

Valley by wldnst

It's an old story: a knight, a prince, a kingdom in peril.

If This Is Rain Let It Fall On Me and Drown Me by Brangwen

We used to be so brave, Eames thought. Of the two of them, Arthur had always been the more fearless.

a gentle familiarity by jollypuppet

Two weeks later, Eames is on his doorstep with bad Italian takeout and a grin, and Arthur tells him he can sleep on the couch.

Your Crisis Cannot Be Completed As Dialed by sevenimpossiblethings

Arthur doesn't do snow, Ariadne is determined to be as Midwestern as possible, and blizzards make cell phone service unreliable.

Let’s Say I Do (I Do) by xsilverdreamsx

There were, perhaps some things worse that this, Arthur thinks, as he glares at the letter in his hand with his name printed clearly in bold ink, indicating his presence in two weeks for his esteemed marriage to one William H. Eames, III, at St. Catherine's Church in London, England.

Star Trek (predominantly Kirk/McCoy)

Show the World That Something Good Can Work by knune

Leonard McCoy is a doctor, not a personal assistant, and maybe that's why he can't stand working for Jim Kirk.

It's in the little things by winterover

Bones is bemused by a persistent secret admirer.

"Wedding" Away with It by pendrogon

One morning, Bones wakes up and he's single. By the same afternoon, he's married to Jim Kirk for Arbitrary Fic Reasons(TM).

How Long Will You Stay (For Your Whole Life) by withthepilot

Jim Kirk, deputy director of the Enterprise parks and recreation department, sees all of his hard work fall to pieces when budget specialist Leonard McCoy arrives from the state capital to cut Jim's budget and threaten the livelihoods of his colleagues. But thanks to a major parks project, Leonard finds a place in the department, as well as in Jim's life—and when all is said and done, Jim doesn't want him to leave.

All-Time Favorite by mardia

What to do when your best friend suddenly starts making new friends.

Joy Ride by Cards_Slash

While running for their lives from an alien species Kirk had accidentally enraged, they come across a car. And well, if you were to come across a car while being chased by aliens that wanted you dead, and you possessed some lingering knowledge of how to drive a car similar to said car, you would have decided to drive it toward the nearest cliff too.

Also a gunfight.

Syncytia by epistolic

He’d signed up for Starfleet on an impulse, but Starfleet meant James Tiberius Kirk: the first – and second, and third, and fourth – big mistake of Leonard McCoy’s life.

Renovation by canistakahari

Jim has a whammy put on him by an alien death ray and he suddenly craves domesticity. He's crazy with longing to shop at space!Ikea and get potted bamboo and he starts looking into adopting AND HE HATES HIMSELF AND CANNOT CONTROL THE SHIT. Luckily, McCoy is drunk all the time and plays house.

17:08 by butterflycell

She'd watched the news holos with a sick feeling, searching for information that was completely obvious in its absence. Amidst the reports of the the Enterprise's miraculous recovery and the damages sustained, there had been next to nothing about the crew or her captain. Jim had been mentioned only in passing, his name shied away from as his first officer limited interaction to the bare essentials.

The Honey of Hybla by shrift

"Bones, prepare to be my date."

#recs #fic recs #recs project #star trek recs #inception recs #the raven cycle recs #the old guard recs #roswell new mexico recs

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pawprintsmoon · 3 years

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Henry has no clue; The Aftermath

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31306808/chapters/77401784

Once Alex leans into the kiss, the prince is royally screwed. An immense energy encompasses them, and he loses his breath along with all his remaining sensibilities. He pulls Alex’s hair, eliciting the sweetest, smallest sound. If he doesn’t stop right now, he won’t be able to stop at all.

“Fuck,” Henry swears, pulling back. Apparently, he still has an ounce of sense after all, or at least an ounce of self-preservation. “I’m just, shit. I’m sorry.”

Snow crunches beneath his stumbling feet as he practically runs away from the freshly snogged boy. The boy who must be having a total identity crisis. Even drunk, he could taste Alex’s confused wanting and a yearning that might even match his own. Impossible. The type of impossible that makes you question your interpretation of reality.

The humid heat and festive noises of the Gala overwhelm him as he re-enters the White House. He is sweating under his wool coat and his collar is too tight around his throat. The champagne in his system is tilting the floor, and it’s too much. Where the fuck is Pez?

Eventually, he finds his best friend between June and Nora, all dancing scandalously close to each other. It’s a testament to Pez’s loyalty that as soon as he looks at Henry, he exits the dancefloor, bowing to the ladies.

“What did you do?” Pez asks, leaning close to talk over the music.

“The most foolish thing possible.” He grabs Pez’s arm. “We have to go.”

After a beat, Pez nods. “Okay, let’s go.”

They walk through the party together, Pez’s presence keeping him from unravelling completely. It’s unlikely that Henry is effectively hiding his emotions, what with the drinking and kissing and panicking. Hopefully everyone around them is too intoxicated to notice.

“So, are we just getting some air or are we calling it a night?” Pez asks as they meet their PPOs at the front door. “Should I call a car to take us to the hotel?”

“No.” He imagines Alex showing up at their hotel the next morning, hungover and demanding answers. “No, we’re going home.”

“Right now?”

“Right now.” Henry’s throat is dry and his eyes are unforgivably wet. “Please.”

Pez stares at him, presumably assessing the severity of the situation, before nodding again.

“Okay, I’ll call a car to take us to the airport,” Pez says, pulling out his phone. “And as soon as we board the plane you are telling me everything.”

Within ten minutes, Shaun arrives with their luggage, a shiny black car, and three burly PPOs. Within two hours they are flying over the Atlantic Ocean, Henry pacing up and down the aisle of their private jet while Pez sips champagne.

"What the hell, Hen?" Pez says at last. Henry had been monologuing his panic spirals since they’d boarded the plane and is finally taking a breath.

"It just kind of happened?" Henry replies. He had fucked up, real bad this time.

"Well, to be completely honest with you, that was too fucking awesome!".

"You mean I did the right thing?" Henry asks, disbelief coloring his face. He isn’t sure if he’s asking approval of his choice to kiss Alex or his choice to run away afterwards.

"I don't know, Hen,” Pez says in an apologetic tone. “All I know about Alexander Claremont-Diaz is that you’re obsessed with him. This was bound to happen eventually, right?"

Henry has no clue how to answer, so he sighs and starts his pacing again. He knows he isn't going to sleep tonight, maybe not ever if he has a say in it. Alex might murder him in his sleep, even if he is protected by PPOs all the bloody time. He makes a mental note to ask Shaan to keep an eye out for Alex and his transatlantic flights.

…

"So yeah that happened." Henry finishes telling last night's events to his therapist who sports an impassive expression.

"Henry, why are you so afraid of Alex's reaction? For all you know he might feel the same way," Shannon says. The sincerity and calm in her voice almost soothes his racing heart.

"Because I do know he feels the same way, but he wasn't ready to know that. His obliviousness was the only thing saving us from falling together; the only thing stopping me from losing control. But then I lost control anyways because he’s just so bloody dense! It’s torture. Hell, both Nora and June have caught on. He’s going to be the last person to figure out he is queer! And I don’t, well, I shouldn’t have pushed it. Rash and careless.” Henry is rambling, but isn’t that the point of therapy? “Sometimes I think I reread Jane Austin too much, because I can’t help pining. Fantasizing. I thought, sure, he’ll see our mutual attraction eventually, and I can wait, and generally, or I can resist making idiotic choices I like to think I’m patient, but-"

He stops speaking abruptly and looks away from her sharp gaze. Even after so many years of therapy, it's still hard for him to talk about his feelings.

"But what Henry?" Shannon gently prods him.

"But I was...I got jealous when I saw them kissing and I just couldn't wait any longer for him to be ready. I know it was not fair, but I’ve known for years now.” He sighs. “I was actually just waiting for Pez to have his fun so we could leave. But...but Alex- he came outside looking for me and he was infuriating and couldn’t take a hint. I just couldn't stop myself. God, I'm such an idiot."

"Henry, we have talked about this before. Not everything is your fault. You need to understand that.” She pauses as if to give him an opportunity to agree with her. When he doesn’t, she continues, “And you told me Alex kissed you back so how can you be sure that he doesn't know that he’s queer?"

"Because I know Alex. I’m his best friend, we’ve talked for hours on end and he’s an obliviously stupid prat and I'm in love with him!" Henry snaps, but Shannon already has an answer ready for that.

"Yes Henry, but it doesn't mean that it was a mistake. You may be in love, but that doesn’t mean you know everything about him and his relationship with his sexuality. You aren’t a mind reader. Maybe he’s just playing dumb, and it’s a farce just like yours. The difference is you appear heterosexual while he appears to be oblivious. You can't know for sure."

That gives Henry something to think about, and he goes quiet for several moments.

Could it be that Alex acting so oblivious was just for the public? But that couldn't be. He knows Alex, knows him, knows him. Not only from the months of constant texting and late-night phone calls but also from countless tabloids and magazines. It didn’t feel like Alex was hiding anything from him. But who knows? Maybe he did it so that he could be himself but still not be himself. Maybe, he could enjoy the queerness but pretend not to know in order to save his political career?

No, that is not the Alexander Gabriel Claremont Diaz, he has come to know. He would be out and proud if he knew. Henry suddenly registers the fact that he is overthinking again when Shannon calls his name.

"Yes, Shannon?" Henry asks politely. Apparently she’d been speaking, but he has no idea what she was saying.

“You can tell me what you’re thinking, you know. That’s literally my job.” She smiles wryly and he grants her a weak laugh. “I was just saying that you can’t possibly try to know what he’s thinking about the kiss, or where he is with his sexuality.”

“Exactly! That’s the other thing.” Henry shakes his head. “Maybe I’ve been wrong this whole time. I thought I knew what he wanted, and that I knew what I wanted, but now I don’t know anything. Maybe Alex is just a very flirty guy. Maybe it’s just an American thing. I haven’t been friends with an American before-”

“Henry”

“- and he was drunk and I kissed him and he probably thinks I took advantage. At the very least, I ran away like a scared twelve-year-old.”

“Let’s try to take a non-judgemental stance here,” suggests Shannon gently. “And for now, let’s just imagine a hypothetical. What if you were right all along, and he really does like you? That’s very much possible, so let’s explore what that would mean, yeah?

Henry shrugs noncommittally.

“You mentioned a couple of weeks ago that you think that if you two get too close you’ll be doomed,” she continues. “Do you still think that?”

“Well, yeah,” replies Henry, looking at his hands. “If he likes me -which I’m not sure he does anymore- then inevitably he’ll get sick of me. I like him so, so much, you know? He might be attracted to me, but he can’t possibly like me the way I like him. And even if by some horrible miracle he does like me back, then what? I’m a bloody prince and he’s an aspiring politician, and there’s no way it wouldn’t end in disaster. The whole world would be looking at us. I’m just… I’m…”

“You’re afraid of getting hurt.”

“I… I guess. Yeah. I feel like I’m about to fall off a cliff, holding onto the unstable rocks, and I have no idea where I’ll land.” Henry chuckled a little at his cliche metaphor. “He must think I’m a complete tosser.”

“Henry,” she gives him that Therapist Look. “You can’t read minds. Journal on that topic this week?”

Henry sighs and nods, letting that sink in. She has said it before, numerous times, and Henry never quite believes her.

They sit in silence before Shannon redirects the conversation.

"When are you meeting Alex again?"

That's an easy question, Henry has known the answer ever since he left D.C. He answers immediately, "Oh never."

"Henry," Shannon reprimands.

"No, you don't get it. I'm going to be murdered if I so much as go within 10 feet near Alex."

"No.” She’s holding back a laugh as she tries to look stern. “The answer is that you're going to the state dinner and you're going to talk to Alex like a mature adult and listen to what he says instead of guessing what he’s thinking. Meanwhile, I want you to think about what we discussed today and tell me next week what you might want to say to him."

"Hour's up then?" Henry asks, because he suddenly can't wait to get out of Shannon’s office. He needs time to think about everything. Or maybe he needs time to avoid thinking about anything.

"We have five more minutes, but if you don't have anything to add today, we can end early." Shannon smiles warmly at him and he knows that if he wishes to continue she wouldn’t mind, but right now he can't. Enough talking of emotions for one eternity, thank you.

So he leaves and as he hurries to the car he texts Shaan: SOS I need about a million boxes of Jaffa Cakes from the nearest corner shop.

Then, sliding into the back seat: Please.

…

The weeks pass by quickly with Henry trying his best to ignore Alex's texts and trying to convince everyone that he oughtn’t to go to the state dinner in D.C. No one listens to him, not Shannon or even Pez. Not even his own sister, rather Bea tries to make him see reason as to why he should go.

It's all 'you never know,’ 'just trust me, Hen' and other bits of vague encouragement. Predictably, Bea decides to drop Henry off at the airport herself so he can't escape at the last minute. When he accuses her of this, however, she’s all 'Can’t a girl escort her dear younger brother to the airport, or what?’

As they leave Kensington palace she explicitly instructs his PPOs that Henry should at all costs stay in America for the allotted time and should not be allowed back even a minute too soon. Shaan, for some reason, seems extremely happy to hear those instructions and can't stop smiling. Henry scowls at him whenever he sees him, thinking that he is Henry's personal equerry. It’s a lot.

"Do I really have to, Bea?" he asks her as they near the airport.

"Henry, you know this is important and by that, I do not mean the state dinner. That can go fuck itself for all I care, but you need to talk to Alex. Hiding from him like this is doing no one any good. Talk to him, see what he says and do not overthink this, Hen please." Bea squeezes his hand lightly as the car stops.

They walk silently side by side to the plane where Bea hugs him and sees him off.

As the plane starts to take off, the panic that had been sedated by her hug starts to grow again, fiercer than ever. Henry keeps repeating the same phrase throughout the flight.

Don't overthink this. It's going to be okay.

#Henry has no clue #The Whole Bloody Time #Henry Knew sequel #The Aftermath #pawprints.on.the.moon #slytherinnbitch #first prince #rwrb #fanfic #henry pov fanfiction #ao3 update #read on ao3 #rwrb ao3 feed

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imherongraystairstrash · 4 years

Text

Christopher and Gabriel Lightwood

Hey guys! Someone requested I do Christopher and Gabriel, so here it is. I apologize in advance for this length, I didn’t set out for it to be this long... I guess that’s all. Also, I haven’t finished gotten my copy of Chog yet, so it might not be so accurate. Up next: Anna and Christopher (I’m glad you guys love the Lightwood Herondales and much as I do) -Ana

Benedict Lightwood was staring at Gabriel. His eyebrows were furrowed and although Gabriel was taller than he was, Benedict seemed to loom over him. His figure was frightening.

“You have disappointed me, Gabriel.”

Gabriel felt himself shrink into nothingness, meanwhile his father grew and grew and morphed into a worm. Cecily came with her seraph blade. She exchanged blow after blow with Benedict until she lost her footing, and Benedict ripped her into shreds before Gabriel’s eyes. He cried out in pain, for he had lost his strong and beautiful wife. Anna had stepped up, trying to save Cecily, only to have Benedict swat his tail and throw her against a tree, where her lifeless body slumped in the grass. Alex called out to his father, his screaming drowned out by Benedict’s attack. Gabriel was powerless to stop any of it.

“Father, are you alright?” His son’s lavender eyes looked down on him.

“Kit.” He breathed.

Before Kit could answer, a blade pierced his chest, and he fell down to his knees, gasping for air.

Gabriel woke in a cold sweat. He blinked his eyes over and over, trying to stop the gruesome images from replaying in his mind. He looked at Cecily, who had edged closer to him. Cecily was a light sleeper, and he must have woken her up during his nightmare. He planted a kiss on her head and sat up.

“Where are you off to?” Cecily said, her words slurred from sleep.

Gabriel leaned down and planted little kisses on her face.

“I will be right back.” He whispered

“You better.”

Gabriel chuckled and softly kissed Cecy one more time before getting up.

The cold floor sent a shock through him. He walked down the hallways of the London house. Although he knew it was superstitious on his part, he felt an obligation to check on his children, and make sure nothing had happened to them. The first room was Alexander’s. They had made sure to keep him in close proximity, so if he had a nightmare, the trip to their room would not be so far. However, Alex rarely suffered from nightmares. Ironically, it was Gabriel and occasionally Cecily who had the most trouble when it came to sleep. Gabriel had assumed that over the years, the pain and horrors of the past would subside, but that never happened.

He looked into Anna’s room and found his daughter sound asleep. He smiled to himself. How could he have been blessed with such wonderful children? Anna was everything Gabriel had not been in the past. Anna would not have stayed with Benedict as Gabriel had, even after Gideon had begged him to come to the London institute. Anna would not have been afraid as he was.

Gabriel walked down the hall to Kit’s room. The door was closed, but light danced under it. He opened the door to find Kit wide awake, writing something down with crazed determination. Cecily had always said that that expression always reminded her of Gabriel.

The thought of Cecily reminded him of a conversation he had had with her a fortnight ago:

“I love Christopher to death.”

“But?”

“But I wish I could understand him better. I want to understand how he sees the world, how he picks apart and analyzes situations.”

“That seems quite difficult.”

“It is. Especially considering how intelligent he is.”

“That’s our Kit.” Said Cecily with immense pride, “I fear he is more intelligent than I could ever hope to be.”

Gabriel smiled. There was a time when Christopher’s habits of experimenting had frustrated them both. More than anything, they scared them. Very time Gabriel would catch his son with an open flame, or strong chemicals, he couldn’t seem to breathe properly. It took him a while to accept that his little boy, who would throw his arms up to be picked up and rest his small head on Gabriel’s shoulder, was grown. He still remembers when Kit was newly born, and his Uncle Will offered his finger for him to hold. Kit just stared at it in wonder, as though not sure what to do with it.

“He’s going to change the world, this one.” Charlotte had said.

“What makes you say that.” Cecily laughed

“Instead of simply grabbing it, he’s thinking of the best way to approach the situation. That differs him from most children, but definitely not in a bad way.”

...

“You do know, Mr. Lightwood,” the Inquisitor had told Gabriel once, “Basilias is a fine institution for, erm, special Shadowhunters.”

“I am aware.” said Gabriel, not knowing what the Inquisitor was implying he do with this information.

“An you do know, of course, that taking your son there does not make you or Mrs. Lightwood bad parents. The opposite really, you would be doing your son a favor.”

Gabriel widened his eyes in disbelief.

“It will provide you and your wife some much deserved peace.”

Cecily stopped the conversation she was having with the inquisitor’s wife. Gabriel gave the inquisitor a hard stare before saying, loud enough for the entire room to hear:

“My son is not a burden to myself or my family, nor do Mrs. Lightwood and I need “a break” from him. I am horrified you would think my wife and I would be so quick to rid ourselves of him.”

There were many more things he would like to tell the Inquisitor, but he had to stop himself for the sake of his family. To have an enemy with that much power could ruin their lives, despite being close to the Consul herself. Instead, Gabriel turned away from him, grabbed his coat and let him out. He had only walked three step into the snowy pathway before the door opened again and Cecily came rushing out to catch up with him. Every two steps Cecily took was equivalent to one of Gabriel’s, and she tripped on her feet. Gabriel caught her before she could fall on the ground. She looked up at him, smiling.

“The inquisitor’s expression when you left was priceless. He turned as red as a tomato!”

Gabriel looked at her.

Cecy’s smile faded. “What’s wrong, love?”

“I just cannot believe the nerve of him.”

Cecily sighed and held her gloved hand to his face. Her impossibly dark blue eyes looked into his own.

“The world is going to be cruel to our Kit and it will be our job as his parents to support and protect him until he is able to protect himself.”

“I just cannot comprehend why they think him crazed.”

“Because Shadowhunters are afraid of anyone that is different. That is why they shun Tessa and why the academy tried to get rid of Jamie. That’s why they though Henry foolish.”

That was the day that Gabriel realized that it was not open flames he had to protect his son from, but his own kind.

Gabriel opened Kit’s door just a crack and found his son bent over, writing something with intensity. Gabriel crossed the room and stood beside Kit. Then, he thought about how terrifying it must be to be writing something and not know your father is beside you. Benedict had done that so many times, it started to feel like he would do it in purpose, just to make sure Gabriel was still afraid of him. Gabriel quietly took some steps back, and walked back to his side, this time with more noise.

“Kit?”

Christopher looked up at Gabriel, half of his right eye was the color of lavender in the candlelight while left eye a very dark shade of blue.

Christopher was born with his eyes open, observing the world for the day he was born. Gabriel and Cecily were sure the magnificent color would change over time; lighten to match the color of Cecily and Will’s. Sophie had argued otherwise, but everybody else seemed to agree that the color would fade overtime. Gabriel remembered holding Kit and looking down at his son and feeling a rush of emotion, similar to when he held Anna for the first time. He thought about his father.

“I will protect you with my all heart,” he’d said “and I will never abandon you the way my father hurt me.”

Kit looked at his father with fascination as Gabriel began to cry. Gabriel supported his newly born son’s head, his fingers tangling in his small, brown curls, and kissed his forehead.

“Kit, why are you awake?”

“I am writing down an idea I had.”

“Can it not wait for tomorrow?”

Kit looked at him, completely baffled. Then he whispered:

“You can tell your thoughts to come back tomorrow?” His eyes danced. “Could you teach me how?”

“Oh, no Kit, I just meant writing this down tomorrow rather then at three in the morning.”

Christopher ran a hand through his hair.

“Blimey, is it already three in the morning?”

Gabriel smiled. “Yes, and that means it is time to go to bed.”

“Okay.”

“And sleep.”

Kit was silent.

“Father?”

“Yes?”

“It might take a while for me to fall asleep. I am not very good at it.”

“Neither am I, Kit.”

Christopher looked at him. “Do you suppose I inherited an allele for insomnia from you?”

Gabriel blinked, not knowing what his son just asked him.

“I don’t know.”

Christopher looked a little disappointed.

“Do not worry, Papa, I shall find out.” He set off to work.

“Tomorrow, Kit.” Gabriel said as he led his son to his bed. “Promise me you will wait until tomorrow.”

“I promise.”

Gabriel smiled. “Alright then.”

“Papa?”

Gabriel turned around.

“I wish you fast sleep.”

“And I to you Kit.” Gabriel blew out the candle, and when back to bed.

“Took you long enough.” Cecily whispered.

Gabriel planted a kiss on her head and drew her into his arms and then slept sweet dreams of his family, together and happy.

#gabriel lightwood #cecily lightwood #christopher lightwood #cecily herondale #anna lightwood #lightwood #gabriel and christopher #tsc #the last hours fanfic #tlhfanfic #christopher and gabriel #lightwood family #tsc fanfiction

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hms-chill · 4 years

Text

Feeling Deeply

Summary: It’s nearing the seventh anniversary of Henry’s dad’s death, and navigating the succession process only makes that harder, but at least Alex is there to help.

Chapter 2

The next morning, Henry's alarm wakes them both far too early. Alex has essays to write and grants to find and things to do while Henry's in meetings for the day, but getting up for them is the last thing in the world he wants to do. He just wants to stay right where he is, so when Henry starts to move toward getting up, Alex tightens his arms around him and nuzzles into his shoulder. Henry laughs a bit, running a hand through what Alex can already tell is an atrocious bed head, and Alex feels his heart soar. Today is better, then.

"I've got to get up, Love."

"No. Won't let you. Stay here," Alex grumbles, and Henry laughs again, moving away enough to press a kiss to Alex's forehead.

"I love you. And I... I really appreciate what you did for me last night. Thank you."

"I love you." He says it half buried in Henry's neck, but he looks up in time to see the little smile on Henry's face. He runs his hand though Alex's hair again before bringing it down to cup Alex's jaw, and Alex melts.

"I do have to get up. I'm meeting with some donors for breakfast, then with Pez at his favorite brunch place, then Buckingham all afternoon."

"Come back for lunch? I miss you," Alex says, and Henry gives him a smile.

"I'll do my best. I miss you, too."

Henry kisses his forehead, then his nose, and then Alex is smiling into a kiss on the lips. He watches from the bed as Henry goes about the process of getting ready for a day of meetings, building a prince around the core of a young man. It's something Alex has seen a hundred times by now, but it doesn't seem to take as long as it used to. When Henry kisses him goodbye and promises to have the kitchen send up coffee, there's more of Henry in the prince than there's ever been, and Alex is beyond glad.

It's only after Henry is gone that Alex launches into action, getting himself ready for the day. Henry thinks he's just going to be taking it slow and adjusting to the time difference before a fancy state dinner, and that was his initial plan, but after last night, it's been revised a bit. Bea's texted, so he takes his coffee to the music room and finds her on the couch, fiddling with something he thinks is called a thumb harp. She sets it down to come wrap him in a hug as soon as he appears, and he has to be careful not to spill hot coffee down her back.

"Thank you for doing this for him."

"Of course. Thank you for helping. I'll probably ask your mom, too, but I wanted to make sure it was a good idea first, and I thought you might know better than she would."

Bea just nods, and they get to work. She's got to go before too long, her own series of charity meetings and projects to get to, but she promises to send Alex an email with everything he needs to set his plan into motion. He texts Catherine as he makes his way back to Henry's room to work, and she responds quickly, so Alex settles in and gets started on something much, much more important than another project could ever be.

He does finish his essay and start his grant search before he meets Henry for lunch, an honest to god picnic in a secluded part of Kensington Gardens, because it's beautiful out and Henry's been inside all day. And lunch is perfect, all laughter and casual touches and stealing bites of each other's food as they finally, finally get to spend time together after days apart. Henry had come into it looking a little tired and with a hug that begged for a break, but he looks better as they're wrapping up. Alex suggests they walk to Buckingham, because it's a nice day and it's not too far, and the fresh air is clearly doing Henry good. So Henry grabs his hand, and they drop the picnic basket off at Kensington and start toward Henry's next meeting. Alex can feel the tension building as they get closer, as Henry gets ready to go in and see every piece of his family's history that could ever hurt them picked apart and put on full display. Alex just distracts him as best he can, rambling about all sorts of things and keeping a tight hold on his hand.

When they get to Buckingham, Henry gives him a hug, the kind that says he wants Alex to stay close even if he can't. So Alex hugs him as tightly as he can and tells him he's proud of him. He offers to break into the meeting and cause a ruckus to end it, and that makes Henry laugh, and when he pulls out of the hug, he's got his armor back on. Alex stands on his toes to kiss him, and Henry goes, leaving Alex to try not to feel like he's sending his boyfriend into a war zone.

He takes his laptop back to the Waterloo Vase for the afternoon, because of all the places to study, a towering vase that reminds him of how much Henry loves him is probably the best one. Henry finds him there a few hours later and greets him with a hug that just says he's tired, tired of all the questions and the taking and the picking. It's a hug that's begging for cuddles and an episode or two of Bake Off, but it's not one that means Henry's going to fall apart or that he needs a long weekend where they don't see anyone else, so Alex counts it as a win.

They go back to Kensington and facetime June, and she puts David on so Henry can baby talk to him while she and Alex catch up. Then, Alex and Henry curl up on a couch in the music room to watch Parks and Rec with Bea, Henry's head on Alex's shoulder as Alex tries to absorb some of the "too much" that gets to him in times like these.

Their last event of the day is a state dinner, and Henry is tired, but Alex can tell he's enjoying it as much as he ever enjoys events like this. There are interesting people to talk to, and there's good food, and afterward they're free to mingle with whoever they'd like, so in sum, it's far from the worst. Alex gets into a conversation with a Hungarian diplomat about the finer points of Hungary's shift to the Euro, and he sees Henry laugh at something one of the waiters says. He tries not to be too distracted by that laugh, tries not to fall too much in love with the fact that in a room full of diplomats and politicians and activists, Henry has chosen to talk to a member of palace staff.

Eventually, Alex is getting another glass of champagne when Henry comes to give him a hug that asks if they can go. Alex puts the fresh champagne flute down and takes his hand instead, and Henry leads him through a side door and into the kitchen. From the kitchen, they stop in a wine cellar just long enough to grab a bottle before Henry is leading the way back out to Buckingham Gardens. He tucks them away somewhere out of sigh of the palace and lies down on the grass, tugging Alex down to join him before turning his attention to the sky.

"Looking for Orion?" Alex teases, but Henry shakes his head.

"Orion's a winter constellation. I'm not sure what I'm looking for; maybe Leo or Signus."

Alex chuckles, but Henry doesn't say anything, just moves to rest his head on Alex's chest, eyes still turned toward the stars. Alex puts a hand in his hair, but doesn't say anything. Henry's quieter now than he has been for a while, the sort of quiet sadness that Alex knows comes over him sometimes, so rather than try to force him to talk, Alex wraps an arm around his chest and waits.

"We used to do this with my dad," Henry says eventually. "He'd take us out at night, each of us on our own, and he'd show us where the constellations were. It's... my earliest memory with him is waking up late one night, and I was so sleepy, but he wrapped me in a blanket and took me outside to see Orion. He told me that every culture in the world could see a soldier or a hunter or a hero in those stars, and he taught me to see it, too. And I... well, in the Greek myth, Orion's a bit of an ass. More than a bit, if I'm honest. So I decided that my dad was probably a better hero to celebrate, and I told him he was the one the stars made a picture of. I pretended the whole world saw those stars and decided to celebrate my dad. And now, he... well. That's why I look for Orion the way I do. It... it was always sort of our constellation, and I... I like to think, sometimes, that he's connected to it somehow. I know that's a bit daft, but it's nice to imagine."

"I don't think it's daft," Alex says. Henry's quiet, and again, it's the sort of quiet Alex doesn't want to step on.

"This... this is seven years since he died. Seven is... well, I'm not sure how much I buy it, but it's an important number in nearly every religion. So if I'm, you know, especially maudlin or quiet..."

"I understand. I mean, I... I understand as much as I can," Alex says. "And I love you. Even when you're maudlin or quiet. Especially then."

Henry turns his head and kisses Alex's chin. Alex smiles and kisses the side of Henry's head, just above his ear. Henry opens the wine, then points out his first constellation. Alex holds him close, and after a bit, he asks, "H? I know we're supposed to be taking time and relaxing after this week, but would you maybe want to visit your dad while we're on vacation?"

Henry sits up, and Alex is worried for a moment, but then Henry grabs his face and kisses him, and he feels a flood of warmth as he realizes he's said the right thing.

On AO3, Chapter 1

Notes:

@steelrosealchemist and I were talking about Orion a few days ago, and it's my favorite constellation, so I thought it might be nice to work in some backstory about why Henry's looking for it on New Year's, right before he makes a move. So there’s that fun little tidbit for y’all.

#my fic: rwrb #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor x alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #rwrb #rwrb fic #red white and royal blue

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swan-archive · 8 years

Note

Imagine the your son is now a murderfish letter: "Dear Henry Laurens, your son sustained a mortal wound in battle and is now a mermaid. My condolences/congratulations on your new fishy son. Gen. Washington P.S. pls see the attached guide on the care and keeping of murderous faeries."

“They said—all the letters said—they said you fell at Combahee, that you were shot, that you died a hero—”

“Can’t believe everything you read,” says Alex amiably.

“To be fair, I did get shot. And it was at Combahee.”

“We mourned you, we had a funeral—”

“Aw. That’s nice. Flowers on my grave. Just out of curiosity, did Francis—?”

“General Washington sent me his condolences!”

“And was the General in South Carolina at any point while he was drafting that letter? Yeah. People who haven’t seen the body shouldn’t be trusted to tell everyone about it,” says John with an irritable little snort. “I should’ve written you myself.”

“Like you would’ve been able to,” says Alex, throwing off his pilfered shirt and trousers and slipping back into the water. “Your handwriting’s worse than mine, probably, nowadays.” John splashes him, and Alex makes a face before diving under to change.

Henry is still goggling at John like John’s sprouted another head. Which—okay, he looks a little different, to be sure, but not that different, in the grand scheme of things. Still curly-haired and freckled, still hazel-eyed (although the quality of the color is different now, an odd flat metallic tone, his pupils catlike slits). Still, recognizably, John Laurens, albeit minus a couple of limbs.

“You didn’t—” Henry says. Stops. John waits patiently for him to finish. “You were shot. You were dying.”

“Yes, Dad, we went over this.”

“And then you were—” He visibly works over two or three different words in his head. Healed? Fixed? Ruined? “Changed,” he says at last.

“Obviously, yes.”

“That was in ‘82. Nearly two years ago. Two years…” There are tears in Henry’s eyes. “We mourned you, Jacky, why didn’t you come back to us, why wouldn’t you tell us you were alive?”

Two years, really? Doesn’t seem like that long. Time has a different feel to it, now that he’s a fish. Pools into a great shining present where words like two years ago and yesterday and before the war seem very meaningless. John does feel a little bad about that, though. He could’ve tried harder, he supposes. Swum across the Atlantic and popped up out of the Thames and explained it all to Henry in person. Gotten his hands on paper and ink, or at the very least dictated a letter for Alex to send off. Coulda, shoulda, woulda.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” is all he can say. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you all, really I didn’t. It was just—there was just—” He trails off, spreads his hands to encompass the change and the hunger and the adjustment to his new body and every little thing he can think of. “…It was a lot,” he finishes lamely.

“But—how, how did you, why are you like—what did you do to him, you monster, what did you do,” Henry chokes, stabbing an accusatory finger at Alex, who has just bobbed back to the surface.

“I didn’t do anything to him,” says Alex, rather offended. “I even told him to slow down and think about things for once in his stupid life, but did he listen to me? Does he ever listen to me? Nooooooo. And now look at him.”

“You love it, though,” John says, with a teasing smirk. Freckles showing bright blue against his scales. He leans over and nuzzles at Alex’s neck where the gills open up. Sensitive. Almost like being kissed on the mouth.

“Pretty fish,” Alex purrs, and shivers. Henry looks as though he would like to vomit. John is faintly surprised at how little he cares about that. He can remember being hurt by the disgusted looks people used to throw at them, but it all seems very silly now with Alex sleek and greeny-blue and smiling in his arms.

“So, so,” Henry says, desperately trying to haul the conversation back to a place he can bear to look at, “So surely—you can land-walk, can’t you? Like…him? You’re here now, can’t you just come up out of the water and—”

“Um. Yeah. About that.” John works the sailfin on his back, folds it down, flares it up. New nervous tic. Funny little stretch in the muscles there. “It’s…I guess the legs were the trade-off for the. You know.” He gestures vaguely at the green-gold of his own belly, the smooth scale where there ought to be an ugly scar from the bullet. “So…no legs. It’s not so bad, really. I get around fine. ‘S long as there’s water.”

“Yes. Of course.” Henry lets out a bark of horrified laughter. “Stuck in the water, cut off from your family, from your country, from—humanity, how could you choose that, how do you live, how do you bear it?”

And this is starting to sound like one of the old arguments he and Henry had used to chase each other around with, although a little more hysterical in tone. How could you choose this, how can you justify this, why are you like this, I don’t understand how you can live like this. They’d never quite been on the level with each other back then, either.

“The same way as anyone bears living, I guess—” John begins.

“Wait. Wait. Live, how do you live, oh, Jack—” Henry has gone very white. Another wave of horror dawning on his face. “Jack, what do you eat?”

John blinks at Henry. Looks at Alex. Looks back at Henry.

“Let’s just say we, ah, we don’t want for food,” John says, as delicately as he can. “Especially not while we’ve been here in town. We should be thanking you for putting us up, so to speak.”

“For…oh. Oh, God.” Henry sways like a sapling in a high wind. “There was. There was an overseer who went missing. Three days ago, he—we thought. We thought he’d just. Oh, my God.”

“He was a bad man,” says John with calm certainty. “I remembered him. Cruel. Unusually cruel. Sometimes you have to start small if you’re aiming for big changes along the line. And we were hungry.”

Henry lets out a little wail. The legs go out from under him and he sits down hard in the grass and sandy dirt there at the edge of the river.

“Hey, no, it’s okay, Dad.” John hauls out onto the bank—with some difficulty, he’s adjusted to most things but still feels strange about how awkward and lumpen he is on land—and slither-crawls toward Henry. “It’s fine, it’s me, it’s just Jack, you know me…”

“No no no no no, get away from me get away get away,” sobs Henry, scuttling backward several feet. John grabs him by the ankle, pulls him up short. Clumsy hands, not much good for anything more involved than snatching a moving fish or dragging a thrashing human underwater, but strong. John reaches up and pats Henry comfortingly on the cheek, taking care to be extra gentle. It’s been so long since he’s touched a human that he didn’t intend to—

“Shh, Dad, it’s fine, don’t worry, don’t be afraid, just hold still. I won’t hurt you. Just relax, you’re safe, you’re safe…”

“John,” Alex chides lazily from the water, and John startles a bit and snips off the thread of the Compulsion between his teeth. Smiles guiltily at Henry. Henry shakes, and shakes, and shakes, and doesn’t move. Can’t, maybe.

“Sorry,” says John. “My mistake. Still learning how to control that.” John probes at the space in his head that should be filling up with disgust, horror, self-loathing. Something rejecting the way he is now. Finds nothing. Oh well. Sometimes it appears after the fact, sends him retching and trembling down to the mud at the bottom of the river for Alex to chase and reassure and soothe with shark-toothed kisses. Sometimes it doesn’t. John supposes he’ll deal with that when and if it creeps up on him.

For now, though, Henry is quivering in front of him, cringing and making little mewly fear-noises, and, silly human, didn’t John apologize, didn’t he say he didn’t mean to? Nothing personal. Just instinct. As a gesture of good faith, he lets his scales fade down to a dull, unthreatening silvery-bronze. Pats Henry on the cheek again, pat pat pat. Careful with the soft little human. His skin so warm and so pink against John’s shining scales.

“Jacky,” Henry whispers.

“It’s fine, Dad. I’m here now, like you said. I’m alive. Aren’t you happy I’m alive? Isn’t it better this way?” John cocks his head curiously. Flares his fin. “Isn’t it better?”

#Anonymous #swan talks #hamilton for ts #murderfish au #which is to say that probably after john was last seen floating downriver; possibly dragged by a hungry mermaid #most people would probably assume '......................welp! better start drafting that letter of condolence to henry!'#anyways. john lost a little more than just his legs in that bargain in case it was not entirely clear #he is a scary faery :')

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superteenwolftrash · 8 years

Text

You belong to me/Peter Pan

Most of these are taken from my Wattpad account! (Twtrash01)

Send me requests for the following Fandoms: Teenwolf, Vampire Diaries, Dolantwins, OUAT(Peter Pan, Robbie Kay, Supernatural, Suicide Squad, The 100. Basically I’ll write for any fandom.

I wondered though the woods like I did every night, when I went to sleep I dreamed about this wonderful place!

Peter called it Neverland. I was only able to visit when I was asleep, or at least I thought I was asleep. I've been coming here for as long as I remember and Peter took care of me when I was there. "I don't wanna leave." I said as a tear slipped down my cheek, "Don't cry love, soon you'll be able to stay until forever ends." Peter said wiping my tear. I was five when he said that and ten years later and I still can't stay, "Peter come on Please." I said with puppy dog eyes. "Y/N you can't-" he was saying but I cut him off. "I don't understand, how can the lost boys stay but I can't?" I asked frustrated "Because Y/N you don't hear the flute, you aren't lost." He explained and I know it made sense but I just wanted to stay here the lost boys were my family and Peter well he was a different story, I've known him my whole life but I've started to develop feelings for him but he thinks of me as just a kid. "Peter this is where I belong, don't you see that?" I asked looking over Neverland from a cliff that hung over the lagoon. "Yes love I know that but you have a family, a life outside of here. I simply can't take that from you Y/N as much as I would love to have you stay here, now is just not the time." He said shaking his head. "Peter I want to be here with you." I said turning around to face him. "I have to say goodbye Y/N." He said caressing my cheek as the shadow came to take me back home. The following night I fell asleep and like clockwork the shadow came to take me to Neverland. Peter was waiting for me on the beach where the shadow always dropped me. "Peter." I say coldly as I went to find the lost boys. "Y/N don't be like that." He said following me. "Like what?" I asked as I kept walking through the woods "If it was my choice I would have you stay here, but it isn't." He said catching up to me and grabbing my arm "Then who Peter? Who gets to choose weather I stay or not?" I asked pulling my arm away "You do." He said with his eyes softening "I already told you-" he cut me off "You can say that you want to stay all you want, but you have to hear the flute before you can stay." He said softly "You told me a long time ago I'd be able to stay forever." I said confused "But I'm never gonna be lost as long as I have you, and soon I'll be too old to come here Peter." I say quietly "Come with me." He said grabbing my hand and pulling me to camp where the lost boys were. "Alright boys we're in need of a much overdue celebration." Peter said with a smirk and all the boys hollered as one of them lit a the fire. Peter sat on a log and started playing his flute, I started walking away because I heard nothing. I knew I was never gonna be able to stay here and that killed me inside, it made me feel Horrible. I dreaded going home even though I loved my fault dearly. But I was almost at the tree like when I hear faint whistling, I quickly turned around and made eye contact with Peter as he continues to play. The music got louder as the lost boys danced around the fire, I couldn't help but smile. I couldn't believe it I quickly ran to Peter and I jumped into his arms and he stumbled back a few steps surprised by my actions "What is it love?" He asked with a chuckle "I hear it Peter." I said and pulled away to see his face. "Are you serious?" He asked with a shocked face and I nodded "My own little lost girl." He said wrapping his arms around me and the boys kept on dancing. Peter didn't usually show me any affection when the boys were around because he didn't want them to see this side of him or anyone to see me as a weakness. "Does this mean I can stay?" I asked eagerly "Yes love, until forever ends." He said with a smile and I pulled away and he started playing his flute again and I finally knew why the boys got so excited. I quickly tired myself out and I felt myself being carried and I opened my eyes and looked up and saw Peter "Shh love." He said as he kissed my forehead and I fell back asleep. I woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar place and I rolled over and Peter was asleep next to me and I couldn't help but smile. "You're staring." He said his eyes staying closed "I'm admiring." I said and he opened his eyes. "I thought I would wake up and I would be back home." I said with a sigh "Are you disappointed?" He asked furrowing his brows "Of course not, I'm just worried." I said sitting up "What are you worried about?" He asked "I'm worried that you'll get tired of me and send me back." I said quietly "Don't think things like that, always think lovely thoughts." He said kissing my cheek before getting out of the bed. Peter and I never made anything official that was the first time he's every kissed me and I felt my entire face heat up. "I must go, lots of things to be done". He said putting in his shoes. "Relax take the day to look around and get familiar to your new home." He said "Peter I've been coming here every night for my entire life I think I'm pretty familiar." I said with a laugh "Yeah but now this is your home you'll find things aren't as they were when you were just visiting." He said getting up and leaving. I decided to do as he said and I left soon after he did to go see the lost boys, but when I went to meet up with them all I got were blank stares. They acted like they didn't even know me, they shoved me as they walked past me. "Felix!" I called and he turned around to face me "What's the matter with everyone?" I asked totally confused "They're worried that you'll make Pan week." He said bluntly "But you guys are my family." I said sadly "Don't worry Y/N they just have to get used to you being here now." He said with a soft smile as he walked away with the rest of them. I walk walking through the woods when I heard Peter talking to the lost boys, "You kill anyone who doesn't belong here otherwise you'll be joining Devin in the bottom of the lagoon." I started to back up when a stick crunched under my feet. "Go." Peter said and the boys rushed off "Y/N I know you're there." I heard Peter say and I came out into the trail "What happened to Devin?" I asked nervously, the Peter I knew could never hurt a fly "He thought he could challenge me." He stated "You killed him?" I asked not really wanting to know. "We don't need to talk about that Y/N." He said taking my hand and leading me back to camp. "Listen Y/N now that you live here you need to know the truth, I'm seen as let's see what's the word "A bloody demon." As some call me." He said with a smirk but it wasn't his usually smugness it was what I can only describe as Evil. "And what does that mean for me?" I asked "That means people will see you as my soft spot and they will come after you to get to me but don't worry I'd never let anything happen to you, but I need you to do something for me." He said grabbing both of my hands "Don't ask questions about anything that you see me or my lost boys do, can you do that for me love?" He said looking down at me and I nodded "Say it." He said sternly while tightening his grip on my hands "I promise I won't ask questions." I said and that was the first time I felt uneasy around Peter, but sure enough ever time I say the boys or Peter doing something out of the ordinary like ripping a heart from a chest or taking food into the woods I wouldn't say a thing. These last few days Peter hasn't been around much and I've had around the clock watch by the boys. "I'm going to the bathroom." I said and they started to follow "Alone." I say stopping in my tracks "But Pan said-" I cut Alex off "I don't care what "Pan" said Don't you think he'll be even angrier if he finds out that the lost boys were in the bathroom with me?" I said crossing my arms and they nodded and I made my way towards the bathroom but I quickly took a turn and went into the woods, I had to know what was going on. "She's finally starting to see me as the man I really am." I heard a gruff voice say "What? a one handed Pirate with a drinking problem?" I heard pan and I could practically tell he had a smirk on his face. I felt a hand cover my mouth and I couldn't see who hand me because I quickly blacked out. I woke and I was surrounded by a Blonde haired women and a black haired women "Who are you?" I asked trying to move but I was tied to a tree "Are you Wendy?" The blonde women asked "No I'm Y/n." I said confused who was Wendy. "Then what are you doing here?" The black hair women asked "I live here." I said struggling "The other other girl who lives here is Tinkerbell and Wendy who is being held here." The blonde said "What are you talking about?" I asked totally confused "Don't like to me." The black haired women said holding a fire ball in her hand "Regina." The blonde women said "She clearly knows more than what's she's saying Emma." Regina said. "Listen we're just trying to find our son Henry Pan is holding him." Emma said "I don't know Henry, Wendy or Tinker Bell. I'm sorry." I said "But you do know Pan don't you?" Regina said with a smirk "Regina?" Emma said obviously confused "She knows Pan and if he didn't kill her that means she has a purpose." Regina said "I'm not following." Emma said "She leverage." Regina said crossing her arms. "Just let me go." I said struggling as I heard rustling and I was hoping it was Peter but a man with a hook for a hand and a short black haired women a man with a sword came out. "What's this?" The black haired women said "Snow meet our way to get Henry back." Regina said "Who is she?" The man with a sword asked "Y/N." The man with a hook said "You know her?" Emma asked "Aye, she's pans little love interest Tink told me about her." A smirk spread across Regina's face "She's innocent there has to be another way." Snow said "There is not other way!" Emma stated "Emma we can find another way." The man with a sword said "No David we need to get Henry back." Emma said walking off "So am I just gonna stay tied here?" I ask looking around hoping for Peter or the lost boys to come. "Shut it." Was the last thing I heard from Regina before purple mist came over me and I passed out. "Y/N Y/N" I heard a faint whisper before I snapped out of my sleep. I opened my eyes and there he was "What?" I said half audibly "Come on snap out of it." The voice said and I finally registered who it was "Peter." I said quietly as I felt my knees buckle from being tied up. "Let's go." He said and the ropes just vanished and I was falling to the ground before Peter grabbed me. "What did you get yourself into?" Peter asked but already knew the answer "I- you don't tell me anything and I'm left in the dark when it comes to you or whoever those people are, and I want to be able to protect myself." I stated as Peter carried me back to camp. "I protect you!" Peter said and I felt him tense up. "Great job there." I scoffed as I pushed myself away from his grasp. "Are you serious?" He said loudly as I started walking away or stumbling away my legs still numb. "What Peter?" I said turning towards him "I thought you and I were together, I thought you loved me! God after what 15 years? And you still don't trust me! What the hell is that dude?" I said getting carried away. "Y/N I don't tell you things because I don't want you to be in danger!" He said grabbing my wrist "I don't belong to you Peter! You can't make those choices for me!" I said pulling my wrist away "I'll show you." He said proofing us back to his treehouse "Peter!" I said angrily "You can't just poof me places!" I said crossing my arms but he had this look on his face his eyes were dark. "I'll show you who you belong to." He said grabbing my face and pushing me up against the wall and he started kissing me roughly. "Peter you can't just get out of this argument because you kiss me." I meant to say sternly but came out more as a whisper, his lips were so close to mine and as much as I wanted to fight with him I wanted to kiss him even more. He didn't say anything he just leaned in and kissed me again, I felt his thigh separate my legs. He pressed it his leg against my clothed core and I couldn't help let a moan slip from my mouth and I felt Peter smirk against my lips. He pulled away and walked over to his window, when he pulled away I whined at the loss of contact "I want you to beg me love, beg me to fuck you into oblivion." He said turning around with a smirk, I don't beg but I needed him and I knew he wasn't gonna do anything unless I did. I bite my lip and laid across his bed on my back, "Peter please, I need you!" I meant to say it it came out as a moan "Come on love you can do better than that." He said walking over to me. I propped myself up on my elbows "Peter please fuck me! I need you so bad! I'm so wet." I say tipping my head back and I felt his crawl in between my legs. "That's it love." He said attacking my neck with rough kisses. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him down against me, I let out a gasp at the sudden friction and I could feel him smirk against me neck. "Who do you belong to?" He asked looking into my eyes "Nobody." I say biting my lip knowing what I had just done. Peter pressed his leg against me core and start rocking his leg back and forth, "That's not enough Peter." I moan out and before I knew it we were both naked, I had never even seen Peter shirtless his has a beautiful sculpted body and I could feel myself dripping just by the sight of him. "Tell me who you belong to and I'll fuck you so hard that you won't be able to walk." He said kissing my jaw "Peter." I said almost in a whisper "What was that love?" He said leaning down and biting my nipple gently "Peter!" I gasped out "I belong to you Peter!" I moaned I needed to feel him inside me and I was getting impatient. "That's what I wanted to hear." He said moving down between my legs "Stop." I said sitting up and he raised an eyebrow "Fuck me now please!" I said arching my back up just as the thought "As you wish." He said and without warning he thrusted into me. I clung to his back and my nails raked up and down his soft skin, he hissed in pain but that made his pound into me harder. "You're so tight." He gasped and reached his thumb down to my bundle of nerves and started rubbing it roughly, the pleasure took over and I felt that burning sensation build up in my stomach. "Fuck Peter I'm cuming" I gasped and I didn't even know it was possible but he thrusted in harder. "Cum for me love." He said kissing my shoulder "Peter!" I moaned as I came all over him. He kept thrusting and soon after he I felt his warm cum shoot inside me "Y/N" he moaned out and he kept thrusting but a lot more gentle than before helping us both come down from our highs. He pulled out and laid next to me both of us out of breath. (Oh my god I need to be baptized by God himself)

#peter pan #robbiekay #robbie kay smut #peterpansmut #ouat #PeterPan #peter pan smut #peter pan imagine #robbiekaysmut #robbie kay imagine #ouat imagine #ouat smut #ouatimagine

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thezacharywinters · 5 years

Text

Arguing with Zach [Zope]

@hope-robinson

[Hope]

Hope made sure all the kids were sitting at the table as she served dinner but made sure not to give Zach his plate. “Get it yourself.” She said under her breath to him as moved to sit down in her chair.

[Zach]

Zach had a rather long day at work and the last thing he wanted was to come home to a cranky wife. “What got into you today?” He mumbled under his breath before getting up and getting his own plate.

[Hope]

“I don’t know maybe I saw something in a magazine today like my super stupid husband all over some new trainee. Since when did you start training girls by yourself? I don’t remember Mark ever doing that.” She said looking at him.

[Zach]

“Training girls by myself? I wasn’t the only one there.” He responds. “I train them in groups not one on one so I don’t know where you would get the idea that I am all over some trainee. I am trying to teach them to fight nothing more than that. So stop overreacting, you already know I don’t want any of them. Even if they throw themselves at me I don’t care about them.”

[Hope]

“Oh so I say that to you about that boy in my office and you literally hold it against me but you do it and I’m overreacting. Great. Great to know.” She said going back to eating.

[Zach]

“Oh please. He was trying to kiss you and I stepped in that is all there is. You would have done the same if someone tried to take advantage of me so why are you flipping out about this?” He asks while looking at her.

[Hope]

“Because you were all over that girl Zach. You don’t treat any of your trainees like that and I know because I’ve been there. What is so special about her? Seriously?”

[Zach]

“I wasn’t all over her Hope. Gosh you know that I don’t look at anyone other than you. Whatever she was doing, I don’t care about it. I care about you.” “ He explains. “Stop twisting things all the time. You do this all the time. You did this with your sister and now you are doing it with someone who is going through something that you of all people should understand. Nothing is going on between her and I, everything is strictly professional. Why don’t you just trust for once? I have done nothing to prove that you should ever doubt me. Every time something happens I come back to you, I come home to you. None of them mean anything to me.”

[Hope]

“Oh you do nothing? You have no idea why I would feel this way? What world do you live in Zach really, because obviously it’s not this one. I didn’t twist anything with my sister your head was between her legs. You literally did that I didn’t dream that.”

[Zach]

“There is nothing to be worried about. She is your sister I wouldn’t sleep with her. I don’t find her attractive okay? She isn’t my type. You are the one that told me to get along with her and I was doing what I do when I want to try to have fun with someone and get to know them. You go out to the bar to have fun too. Big deal you caught us taking a shot wow that is such a horrible thing. At least I stop people before they try to kiss me or touch me in a way that might get me killed.” He growled as he raised his voice. “You act like I am cheating on you. I never slept with her. Stop bringing it up if anyone were to cheat it wouldn’t be me.” He growled. “I never cheated on you not even when we were dating Hope. I have never given you a reason to doubt me. Never, so you need to stop with this nonsense.”

[Hope]

“I didn’t ask you to grind against her. I didn’t ask you to wrap your hand around her waist, I sure as hell didn’t ask you to tell her to put her head between your legs. You ruined a relationship between me and my fucking sister because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants.” She snapped. “Oh right thank you. Yes Zach I fucking cheated on you, but if we are going to count all the times I cheated on you, are we using when Jack raped me too? Or does that not count because you handed me over to him?” She smiled asked. “You were just as drunk as me with Ellie and were all fucking on her. I didn’t do shit to him. And now this girl, you are a piece of shit Zach.”

[Zach]

“Your insecurity of your sister wanting my dick which she doesn’t and me wanting her which I don’t, has nothing to do with me or Ellie. Your relationship with her was ruined because of your overreacting not me. Both of us knew nothing was going to come from what we were doing and stop swearing in front of our children Hope. Jack didn’t do that while we were dating. And I wasn’t that fucking drunk. You chose to leave and you told me to have fun so I did. I knew that nothing was going to happen. I actually know how to tell someone when to stop. Your sister is in love with Tommy and I am in love with you there is nothing to discuss. So fucking stop it.” He hissed before embers started to fill the air as his eyes glowed red.

[Hope]

“My insecurity? Gosh you know sometimes you can be a real asshole. I never once threw your insecurities about Ken in your face but please continue to be a complete jackass and throw my feelings in my face. So you were fucking drunk when you asked my sister to put her head in between your legs?” She asked in disbelief before seeing the embers in the air. “Is someone supposed to be fucking scared of you? Don’t tell me what to fucking do.” She snapped as she looked at Zach.

[Zach]

“We were both clothed nothing was going to fucking happen.” His wings came out as he lost his temper. “Stop it.” He growled as his voice echoed through the house, his eyes glowing bright red.

[Hope]

Hope went silent as Zach growled and the kids started crying around them and she just scoffed. “Fuck you Zach.You told me that you were different from Jack, but maybe you were just lying.” She said standing up and moving to grab her keys before leaving.

[Zach]

Her words went right to his heart as he collapsed his wings. “No, wait I am sorry. I didn't mean to let my anger get that bad. I am sorry. I know you wouldn't do that. I never should have said all that. I am sorry." He says before blocking the exit so she couldn't leave.

[Hope]

Seeing him standing in front of the door she was going to reply but all the kids were crying and honestly she couldn’t think. “Zach I-shit hold on.” She said going over to calm the kids.

[Zach]

“No, it’s okay. You were right. I am no better than him.” He explains before going over to comfort Hallie.

[Hope]

“No that’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean to say that I was just angry.” She said picking up Emmett and rubbing his back as she moved to pick up Henry. “I saw that picture and I just got jealous. I don’t like seeing you with other girls like that.”

[Zach]

"Hope it's fine you don't have to explain yourself. I saw you drunk with Alex and I assumed the worst, I shouldn’t have done that. I am sorry. I know how you get when you drink and I just don’t want someone else taking advantage of you. I worry you know. Not a lot of people understand how serious it could be to kiss you or you know...but they just don’t care. I don’t want to lose you to something like that. You are right I already put you through enough hell concerning that, you shouldn’t have to go through that again.”

[Hope]

“Zach I get it. I should have at least text you to let you know I was helping Alex. Sometimes I forget you need that stuff too. I just think you trust me and know I can handle it, I forget you worry. So I will work on being more considerate to that.” She said. “I was hurt Zach, I said something I knew would hurt you. If I thought you were anything like Jack I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be married to you and I certainly would allow our children to be around you. You are nothing like him. And I shouldn’t have said that.”

[Zach]

“I know you can handle yourself but still. I should stop worrying so much.” He explains while looking at her. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I will work more on controlling my anger.” Zach picks up Hallie and bounces her in his arms. “See nothing to worry about everything is fine.”

[Hope]

“No I don’t mind you worrying. I worry about you all the time when you go to work. I don’t tell you but I am always scared you won’t come home to me.” She told him as she shook her head. “It’s okay, I’m sorry too.” Hope said kissing the boy’s cheeks as she tried to calm them down.

[Zach]

“You know that I will always come home to you. Look who I have waiting for me.” He smiles as he looks at her with a smile.

[Hope]

Hope smiled back and went back to focus on the kids. When she finally got them to calm down she gave them each some ice cream before letting them go off and do what they wanted.

[Zach]

Hallie took a bit longer to calm down and he tried to sing to her to calm her down. That seemed to work and Zach told Hope he was going to put her down for a nap since she started to fall asleep.

[Hope]

She nodded and watched Zach go upstairs with Hallie. She sighed as she moved to grab some wine out of one the cabinets and was just going to pour her a glass but decided to just drink it out of the bottle.

[Zach]

Zach put Hallie down for a nap before seeing Hope drinking from the bottle. “Can I have some too?” He asks while looking at her.

[Hope]

Hope saw Zach and nodded as she handed him the bottle. “Go ahead.” She replied running a hand through her hair as she sat on the counter.

[Zach]

Zach took a swig from the bottle before leaning against the counter. “That was a pretty bad fight…”

[Hope]

“Yep.” She nodded as she took the bottle and took another drink.

[Zach]

“Let’s try not to do that again. I think I might have scared the kids for life.” He tries to joke lightly to lighten up the atmosphere before taking another drink.

[Hope]

“Yeah definitely can write that in the shitty parent booklet.” She sighed before looking over at him. “I’m sorry.”

[Zach]

"I am sorry too. I guess I need to work a bit more on not you know flipping out so quickly." He explains before rubbing the back of his neck. "But for what it is worth we have done pretty well as parents so far."

[Hope]

Hope smiled, “Yeah I think so too.” She nodded. “And for what it’s worth, if the kids weren’t there I would have fucked the shit out of you.” She smirked taking another drink.

[Zach]

"Oh I think we can both agree on that. I would have made sure you knew who makes you feel good. Nothing can compare to how tight you are and how big I am, especially when you work me up enough to when I shift inside you." He jokes.

[Hope]

Hope bit her lip as she placed the bottles down. She moved closer to Zach and gently turned his head to face her before kissing him deeply.

[Zach]

Zach smiled when she turned his head towards hers, he pulled her closer when she kissed him. A hum of content escaping his lips as he deepened the kiss between them.

[Hope]

She felt him deepening the kiss and smiled as she followed his lead and let her tongue trail on his bottom lip before she playfully tugged on his lip ring.

[Zach]

He let out a moan when he felt her tugging on his lip ring. His tongue piercing trailing against her upper lip ever so teasingly.

[Hope]

Hope felt him teasing her and smirked as she took the opportunity to deepen the kiss even more now that his mouth was open.

[Zach]

His hands pulled her even closer as he nipped at her bottom lip. “Upstairs?” He asks against her lips low enough for her to hear him.

[Hope]

She moaned softly as she nodded, “Yes please.”

[Zach]

Zach takes her hand before leading her upstairs to the bedroom. They made sure the children were fine downstairs first though. Once they got to the bedroom, Zach closed the door and locked it before pushing Hope against the door and kissing her.

[Hope]

She felt him pushing her back against the door as she kissed him back and wrapped her arms around him as she deepened the kiss.

[Zach]

Zach didn’t hesitate to rip her clothes off not caring where they landed, he just wanted to have his wife in that moment. He picks her up and carries her to the bed as he deepened the kiss as well, he took his time to tease her as he grinded against her before placing her on the bed.

[Hope]

Hope felt her the cold air hit her skin as he ripped her clothes off and wrapped her body around him as he picked her up. She moaned as he grinded against her and she wanted nothing more then Zach in that moment. “Make love to me...please.”

[Zach]

“With pleasure.” He smiles before stripping himself of his clothing and hovering over Hope. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips before letting just the tip of his cock tease over her folds. Zach could already feel just how wet she was and didn’t think that she needed any prep as he intertwined his fingers with hers and slowly started to slide into her.

[Hope]

She smiled as she kissed him back and squeezed his hand as he slid inside of her. She moaned softly as she could feel every inch of him inside of her, filling her up completely. There had always been something special about the way Zach made her feel. Even the first time they met, he made her feel special. One of a kind. And she would always love him for that.

[Zach]

“I love you.” He purrs while looking at her and kissing her. He squeezed her hand as he started to thrust in and out of her slowly. There was no one else that made him feel like Hope did. He would always love her that was a fact and he knew that she changed him for the better. His life was so empty before she came and with her, she gave him purpose.

[Hope]

“I love you too.” She smiled before she felt him kissing her again. She kissed him and squeezed his hand back as she moaned against his lips. I love you so much.

[Zach]

I love you more. He teases before leaving more marks against her neck as he slowly started to pick up the pace in which he was thrusting into her. “We fit together so well you know?” He coos.

[Hope]

Hope moved her head to allow him to mark more of her neck as she moaned out his name. “You were made for me.” She teased him before clenching his hand harder feeling herself getting close.

[Zach]

“And you were made for me.” He purrs before feeling himself getting closer as he started to pick up the pace ever so slightly. “I am getting closer baby girl. Are you?” He asks.

[Hope]

“Yes.” She moaned softly as her back arched. “Cum with me.”

[Zach]

Zach didn't hold himself back as he came deep inside of her when he felt her muscles clamping down on his cock. A moan of her name escaping his lips as he rode out his orgasm and brought his hand down to rub against her clit.

[Hope]

Hope came with him, moaning his name as she trembled underneath him. She could feel some of their cum dripping out of her and brought their lips together in a sweet kiss.

[Zach]

"I love you so much." He purred as he kissed her. Zach then continued to pepper her face in kisses as he smiled.

[Hope]

She laughed as she tried to stop his kisses, “I love you too. Stop it.” She laughed happily.

[Zach]

"Stop what baby girl?" He asks while looking at her before just peppering her in more kisses. "My kisses are one of your weaknesses." The male jokes.

[Hope]

Hope laughed and smiled as she nodded. “One of many.” She replied before looking over at the time. “I think we should let the kids stay home from school tomorrow. Tonight was a lot for them.”

[Zach]

"I think that would be a good idea. I think we should prepare them for things they might see. I mean what if they see a shifter out you know? I don't want them to get scared."

[Hope]

“Especially Emmett, I don’t want him to think he’s any different because he’s no part dragon.” She told him playing with his hair.

[Zach]

“That is true, he would be the same as you right? Hybrid and a little human in him? I don’t know if he would be more siren or shifter though…” He explains while looking at her.

[Hope]

“I don’t know, he hasn’t shown any sides of it. I’m scared he won’t have anything and feel left out. And I can’t bite him. I can’t do that.”

[Zach]

“You won’t have to even if he is a late bloomer that will be fine.” He explains reassuringly.

[Hope]

“I want him to know he is no different. It can be hard for him. And then Hallie, girls aren’t dragons so what are we going to do about that?”

[Zach]

“I mean he won’t be any different. I am sure that they will happen. Maybe not right away but I am sure that he will. I have a lot of faith in him.” He smiles. “And well, we could always try for another baby boy if you want a little dragon walking around.”

[Hope]

She laughed at his words, “Are you saying we should try to get pregnant again?”

[Zach]

“Maybe? I mean why not?” He asks, “Unless you don’t want to…I mean if you don’t want to we don’t have to.

[Hope]

“I mean, yeah. I would love to be pregnant again. I would love another child with you. But are we ready? I mean we just lost one and the way it happened...are you ready?”

[Zach]

“I am ready whenever you are. I know that was hard for the both of us, moreso for you because of the whole no emotions mother thing. But your mother has her emotions back now, we don’t have to worry about that. I want us to have another kid at some point at least. If you aren’t ready for one that is fine. I want you to make sure you are ready and okay before we do anything.”

[Hope]

“I want a baby with you Zach. Yeah when it first happened I wasn’t ready. It didn’t seem like the right time, but the thought of four little ones running around makes me really happy. So I’m ready. And I’m okay. I want another child.”

[Zach]

“I want one too, I think we have a high chance of having one after we just made love baby girl but we should do it again just for you know...insurance.” He smiles before hearing the kids knocking on the door.

[Hope]

She nodded as she smiled. “Yeah, just for insurance.” She laughed softly before hearing the knock on the door. “Hm, will you hand me your shirt?”

[Zach]

“I guess we could you know try again later tonight.” He smiles, “Once they are all in bed.” The male smirked before giving her a kiss and handing her his shirt before throwing on a pair of sweatpants.

[Hope]

“Or we could just try again tonight, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day…” She teased him before kissing him back and throwing on his shirt. She got out of bed and got some new panties before moving to open the door to let the kids in.

[Zach]

“I think that sounds like a great idea.” He smiles before hearing the kids rushing into the room after Hope opened the door. “Woah woah woah, what got all of you so excited?” He asks with a smile as he picks up Emmett when he runs over to Zach.

[Hope]

Hope watched the kids rush into the room and picked up Hallie as she was crawling to catch up with the Emmett. She kissed her face as she moved to sit on the bed.

[Zach]

Emmett had been carrying his baby dragon toy with him as he showed Zach. “Yes Emmett that is a dragon.” He watched as Emmett pointed to Zach before Zach nodded his head, “Yes daddy is a dragon too.” Then he watched as Emmett pointed to himself after pointing to the dragon. “I don’t know baby, maybe you will be.”

[Hope]

She watched Emmett and Zach and frowned slightly before standing up. “Okay, time for bed. Say goodnight to daddy Emmett.”

[Zach]

Emmett hugged Zach before giving him a kiss on the cheek and Zach happily reciprocated. “Come on, let’s go to bed.” He explains before carrying the other out of the room and brought him to his room. “Sing daddy.” He hears Emmett ask him as he tucks the smaller into bed. “Okay but only for a little bit.” Zach smiles before singing Emmett a song that he heard his mother sing at one point to him as a little kid.

[Hope]

Hope left Emmett and Zach to take Hallie to her room and put her to bed. She waited until she fell asleep before going to check on the boys. She leaned against the door as she watched them together.

[Zach]

Zach finished singing the song to Emmett as he saw the smaller finally fall asleep. Seeing Emmett hugging the dragon, he frowned. He waited a few more seconds before getting up and heading out of the room and seeing Hope there. “Oh, did you want to say goodnight to him?”

[Hope]

She shook her head as she moved to close the door. “I heard you singing.” She teased him as she took his hand and lead him back to their room.

[Zach]

Zach smiles as he squeezes her hand, "oh? And what do you think about it?" He asks with a smirk.

[Hope]

“Oh it was okay. Nothing too amazing.” She teased him as they headed inside the room.

[Zach]

“Mhm is that so? Maybe you should be the one to sing to them at night.” He jokes with a smile before they made their way into their room. “Now about earlier...care to pick up where we left off?”

[Hope]

She laughed softly as she closed the door behind them. “Don’t you have to go to work tomorrow? I don’t want to keep you up all night.” She teased him.

[Zach]

“Morning then?” He teases before stripping off his sweatpants and getting into bed and motioning for her to join him.

[Hope]

“Yes, morning I’m all yours.” She smiled climbing on top of him and kissing him. “I love you.” She said before moving to lay beside him.

[Zach]

Zach pulled Hope closer as he smiled, “I love you too baby girl.” The dragon kissed her cheek before cuddling up next to her and falling asleep.

#hope090 #hope

0 notes

sprnklersplashes · 5 years

Text

A New Hope (5/?)

AO3

Henry isn’t sure who to run to first.

His sister is crouching next to Lucas, calling out Henry’s name with increasing concern. While he can’t see Lucas’s face, the way he’s curled in on himself is enough to make him shake. Robin is helping a struggling Alex to her feet, meanwhile Gideon is taking a look at a gash on Melody’s forehead. Philip stands close to him, looking completely lost in the middle of it all.

“So, what do we do now?” he asks, looking up at Henry. When he looks at him, he realises with painful clarity how young he is. He may be one of the oldest in his grade and may be turning seventeen in just over a month (older than Lucas by a day and proud of hell of that fact) but he’s a kid. And right now his young face is splattered with yellow monkey saliva and sticky, thick black blood and clouded in confusion.

“Um, I don’t know,” he says honestly. “We should get inside, regroup. Go spread the word. And see if Alex needs help, she’s not looking great. I’ll see what’s wrong with Lucas.” Philip nods shakily, running a hand through his black hair. His jacket has a long, angry looking slash along the back, but other than that he seems to have gotten away relatively unscathed. Physically at least. His eyes are wild and he pulls his sleeves over his hands. He pushes the slightly too long hair out of his eyes and squeezes his shoulder tight, trying to give him some reassurance before they go their separate ways.

When he runs over to Lucas and Hope, he finds that Lucas looks even worse. Hope looks up at Henry, shrugging. Lucas is staring right ahead and when Henry crouches next to him, he sees that he’s trembling, and his face is chalk white.

Henry swallows the lump in his throat. It’s not like he’s never seen someone like this, not when his grandma and step dad has had PTSD since he was a teenager and his mom has had rough days more times than he’s cared to remember. Ever since Rumpelstiltskin died, he’s watched Belle go into states similar to Lucas’, her mental state a twisting path. Even his grandpa, with his all sunlight demeanour, has had days where the past catches up with him and leaves him sitting in the corner of his room. Hell, his less than perfect childhood and teenage years meant he had made himself comfortable on Archie’s couch until he left for college. But he was never face to face with it. Pulled out of the room when Killian was in the middle of a panic attack or already in bed when Emma was finally able to break down and then book a session with Archie the next day. There’s something unnerving about seeing it up close, and even more so on Lucas. Like Philip, he’s just a kid, who’s facing the world way too early, but he’s also not used to seeing Lucas doing anything other than laughing and joking, winding people up, making puns and pulling pranks. Sometimes he wondered if Lucas even had emotions like fear or sadness or grief.

Well, at least that’s cleared up.

“Luke?” he whispers softly.

“We killed them,” he states flatly. Henry follows his uncle’s eyeline and sees the dead flying monkey close to them. They were terrifying when they were alive and flying and screeching and trying to take chomps out of them with their fangs, but dead, he can’t decide which is more unnerving. It looks like something from a museum, only not pristine and preserved. The blood forms clumps around the fatal wound and saliva still bubbles from its mouth, its once blood-red eyes fading to a dull orange.

“I know, kid,” he says softly, putting his hand on his back. “Hey, can you take my hand? I need you to take my hand, buddy.” He offers Lucas his hand, brushing it against his, which is curled into a tight fist. “It’s okay, Lucas. We’re going to get you back to the library, cleaned up, sitting down on an actual chair, okay? Just get you away from all of this. Okay?” After a pause, Lucas nods slightly and wraps his shaking hand around Henry’s. “Okay there we go, we’re going stand up now, okay? I’m here and Hope’s behind you. We’ve got you.” He and Hope share a brief nod over Lucas’ head before pulling him to his feet. He tries to stand up, but he ends up sagging against Henry, his head colliding with his chest. “Okay, kid. We’re going to go back to the library, okay?” He only nods again, holding Henry’s hand tighter as he begins to cry. Hope looks up at Henry, green eyes wide.

“Hope, go see if Gideon and Melody are okay,” he tells her. “Phil’s checking on Alex and Robin. Just get back inside quick.”

“Yeah, okay,” she whispers, running off to her friends, red hair flying behind her.

When they get back to the library, the first thing Henry does is set Lucas down in one of the chair and kneels in front of him, taking his shaking hands. He seems to have come back to reality a bit, more clarity in his green eyes, identical to his mother’s, sister’s and niece’s. The others file in behind them, voices overlapping, concerned, scared exhausted. Much as Henry loves each one of them, he wishes for a moment they weren’t there. Or more accurately, there was more of him.

“You okay now, kid?” he asks gently.

“Yeah… no,” he answers. “I don’t know it’s just… we killed them!” His voice gets louder and higher, his fists curling and pounding against the chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Gideon coming towards them.

“I know, I know,” he says. He turns around for a second. “Gideon I know you’re trying to help but I need you to just stay back there for bit.” Gideon stops, but nods and disappears down the room. Henry focuses back on Lucas, whose face is twisted in anger and bright red, tears making their way down his face. “Luke, Luke just look at me for a minute.”

“We killed them,” he states again. “Heroes don’t kill, that’s what Mom and Dad always say.” Henry holds his arm and Lucas grabs his shoulders in response.

“The first thing we’re going to do is focus on your breathing, Luke,” he tells him. “In and out. Slow. Deep, okay kid?” Lucas shakes his head, blond hair flying.

“No, I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” he tells him. “Come on with me, in for five, out for five.” It takes a while, but Lucas begins to copy his breathing and the redness fades from his face. “There we go buddy. In and out. In and out, you got it. Just breath. Keeping breathing.”

“Where did you?” he asks before breathing in and out. “Learn this?”

“Our family’s been through a lot,” he explains, deciding to leave it at that. “You good now?”

“I think so,” he confesses. He relaxes into the chair, letting out a long breath, but fumbles for and grabs Henry’s hands. “Oh God.”

“Now,” he begins now that his uncle has (sort of) calmed down. “What’s wrong.”

“We-we killed them,” he stammers, squeezing his eyes shut. “I killed them. I killed so many of them. Heroes don’t kill, that’s what my parents always said, but we killed them. I killed so many of them.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Henry says softly, rubbing his back. He’s never seen Lucas like this, his face contorted and red and streaked with tears, struggling to keep the rhythmic breathing they had built up. He’s too young to deal with this. But then again, he’s not much older than he had been when he was fighting his way out of an alternate reality. Still, he had never killed anyone. Just been behind the people who did. “Lucas… That’s a good sentiment. It really is, but it’s crap.” Lucas’ tear-filled eyes meet his. “Kid, your parents have killed people too.” Lucas winces and Henry wishes he could take the words back. Does Lucas not know? Hope and Robin know about what their parents have done. But his grandparents, much as he loves them, have always been less willing to share their pasts, or even acknowledge its existence. “Luke-”

“I know,” he whispers. “But that was different. They were bad guys.”

“And flying monkeys aren’t?”

“I don’t know,” he says. “What if the weren’t? What if they were just following orders?”

“Lucas, they attacked us,” he reminds him. “Your sister, your parents, they all fought flying monkeys back in the day, and it was to protect themselves and everyone else. And that’s what you did today. It was you or them. Hell, it was us or them.” Lucas shakes his head and Henry takes his chin in his hand. He wracks his brain for something to say. He can’t tell him not to feel guilt, he’d be a monster to say that. “Lucas, sometimes, heroes have to do the hard thing to protect people. It doesn’t make them less of a hero. You’re still good, Lucas.” He sits still as a statue, the tears drying onto his cheeks, his hair messy and spiked from where he’s ran his fingers through it and pulled on it. “I need you to say something. Tell me you understand, at least.”

“I understand,” he whispers after a long while. Henry pulls him into a hug. He wants to tell him again that he’s still a hero, or that he’s still good at least, but he knows he shouldn’t labour the point. The longer he goes on, the less Lucas will believe it.

“We did what we had to do,” he reminds him instead. “If I go check on everyone else will you be okay?” Lucas nods against his shoulder. “Promise?”

“Yeah,” he says tightly.

“You just sit here,” he tells him. “Take a break, you need it.” Henry stands and looks at Lucas curling in on himself on the chair, tucking his knees under his chin. He looks so much younger than he is, and so different without a smirk or a tell-tale mischievous sparkle in his eye it’s chilling.

“Hey.” As he enters the main foyer of the library, where the rest are gathered, he takes Gideon by the shoulder. “He might need you right now.” Gideon nods and disappears around the corner to where his boyfriend is sitting, hopefully ready to find some comfort in Gideon’s arms.

He looks around at the rest of them. It’s quiet enough to hear a pin drop, save for Alex’s laboured breathing. She’s sitting against the front desk while Robin crouches next to her, and the scarlet blood on her knee is hard to ignore.

“Henry,” Robin says. He comes over and sits on Alex’s other side. Up close, he’s relieved to see that the cut on her leg is nowhere near as bad as it looks. Still pretty nasty, but he can deal with it. “She got hurt outside. She said some monkey got the drop on her.”

“I can talk, you know,” Alex says, but there’s too much fondness in her voice for it to be ill-intended. “Just a cut.”

“Not sure it’s just a cut,” he says, and Robin’s eyes go wide. “But we can deal with it. Let me just… Gideon?” Gideon comes into view within seconds. Either he must have sounded more afraid than he intended, or Gideon’s still on edge.

“Uh-huh?”

“Does your mom have a first aid kit in here?” he asks.

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.”

“Here,” Philip says, jumping off the windowsill and grimacing. He rummages through his backpack and pulls out a pack of white bandages. “Will these work?”

“Perfect, thanks,” he says. “Now we just need to get to wash this out. Alex, you think you can make it to the bathroom?”

“Of course,” she says. She grabs Robin’s shoulder and makes to stand and immediately cries out in pain. Robin lowers her back down despite her complaints and protests that she’s fine.

“Okay, never mind,” Henry sighs. “It’s fine.”

“Here,” Hope says, suddenly appearing by his side with a packet of tissues and a bottle of water. “It’s not the bathroom, but…”

“Next best thing,” he says, smiling at her gratefully. Soon, Alex’s cut is wiped as best he can with water, and patched up with three bandages, and even then it bleeds through. Her jeans around the cut are stained red, but she smiles.

“Thanks,” she says before turning to Robin and placing an affectionate hand on her cheek. “See, it was nothing.” Robin nods, but remains silent, watching her girlfriend worryingly as she helps her stand. They stay next to the front desk, clutching each other’s hands.

Henry looks over at the rest of them; Hope, Philip and Melody. Selfishly, he hopes they’re all okay and relatively unscathed, either mentally or physically. So far he’s only patched up Lucas and Alex and he’s already exhausted. They look bad, but not worse than the rest of them. All three are pale, dirt and grime and tears and sweat on their faces, and they’re all out of breath even now, and wincing against some kind of pain. But it’s the sight of Hope sagged against the wall that puts fear in his heart.

“How are you three?” he asks.

“Peachy,” Hope sighs, making him chuckle. “My arms feel like they’ve been put through the woodchipper and then stitched together and put back onto my body. And I’m a little…” She waves her hand around lazily, looking for the right word. “Pooped, but I’ll be fine.”

“Magic overuse?” he asks, remembering that morning.

“Exactly,” she says, firing finger guns at him. “Not as bad as this morning, though. Maybe I’m building an immunity. Or whatever.”

“Okay, Cygnet,” he says. “Philip, Melody?”

“I’m fine,” Melody asks, putting on a bright smile. That girl is far too nice for her own good. She could have been stabbed through the heart and still be insisting she’s just fine. Henry takes a good, hard look at her. She’s definitely pale, like everyone else, her skirt is torn, but there seems to be no other sign of physical damage.

“Just rest up, kid,” he tells her, patting her head gently. She apparently doesn’t need to be told twice, pulling her knees against her chest.

“Philip?” he asks. He’s sat himself back on the windowsill, his back against the window and legs dangling lazily, sighing in relief.

“My legs are shredded,” he says honestly. “And I think my heart might have been going at three times the normal rate. But other than that I’m good.”

“Okay,” he says. “Just um… stay here, rest up. Then we….”

It’s then Henry realises a fundamental problem with the book. It told the stories of their parents and grandparents’ great adventures, the swordfights and glass coffins and deals and break in plans that were made, but they rarely show the in between stages. How they got from the swordfights to the coffins, or what they did on Neverland in between Lost Boy raids and attacks on Pan’s camp. He guesses they’d have made for a pretty boring story.

“Um, you know…. We…” He scratches the back of his neck whilst the three of them look on, Hope with raised eyebrows that is the double of their mother. An unspoken communication passes between them, Hope letting him know she sees right through him, and so does everyone else, and then letting him know that it’s okay. “We think of something. Try to work this out.”

Hope pushes herself off the wall and approaches him. They angle themselves away from Philip and Melody and distance themselves from them. Henry places a hand on Hope’s back, still feeling the irrational fear that she’ll pass out on him.

“You’re definitely okay?” he asks her.

“Are you?” she asks, folding her arms. He chuckles at her stance; she looks so much like their mum in that pose. She looks up at him, her chin jutting in the air.

“Of course I am,” he tells her. He’s as fine as any of them could be anyway. They’re all confused, upset, scared, but that doesn’t need saying, especially not from him. He pushes her hair away from her face, poking her cheek gently. “Don’t worry about me, kid.”

The corner of Hope’s mouth quirks into a smirk, her head shaking ever so slightly.

“I’ll always worry about you,” she says. Her tone, her words, they surprise him. Hope’s always been a funny kid; mentally ranging between two years younger or fifty years older, but that was always for fun, a little joke that would give them all a chuckle and she’d run off and act fifteen again. Now, well, she sounds too much like an adult.

“Well, don’t,” he says softly. “Not your job to worry Hope, it’s mine.”

“Then what’s my job?” she asks seriously. He looks back at her friends; Melody has her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them but is talking with Philip while he sits on the windowsill. They can’t hear them.

“Maybe make a move with Melody?” Her cheeks go pink, a small squeak escaping her, and she smacks his arm, eyes darting quickly back to Melody and him again.

“I don’t…. you can’t…. we’re not….” She stammers, desperately searching for the right words. Henry laughs and pulls her close, kissing the top of her head gently.

“Go hang with your friends, kid,” he tells her.

“What are you going to do?” she asks. “Given that all your friends are either in LA, or…” He nods when she doesn’t finish her sentence. Gretel, Hansel, Grace, Violet, all his friends from Storybrooke were born in the Enchanted Forest, and as a result are in the same state his parents are. He kicks himself for not at least checking on them.

“I don’t know,” he confesses. “Maybe start looking through some books. There’s a load of magic history books here, maybe something can help us.” Hope opens her mouth, moving forward a little, her eyes sparkling, and he can tell what she’s about to say before she can get a word out. He holds up a hand to silence her. “No, Cygnet. Go hang out with your friends and fail at talking to your crush.”

“But I want to help!” she protests, ignoring the part about her so-called “crush” altogether.

“I know you do,” he sighs. “But you’ve been through a lot today. Just take a minute, okay? Relax.” She narrows her green eyes at him, pursuing her lips.

“One condition,” she says, holding up one finger to emphasise her point. She then jabs her finger into his chest, one hand on her hip. “You take the night off too.” Henry shakes his head, laughing. “I’m serious. You’ve had a long day too. You’ve done as much as any of us.”

“Okay, okay,” he sighs. “Okay, you have a deal, Hope.” She smiles and takes his hand pulling him back towards her friends.

He worries, of course. Not just about her, but about all of them. On the one hand, he feels like he should ask them how they’re holding up because they’re just teenagers, but on the other hand…. They’re teenagers. He remembers enough about his teenage years to know when to leave well enough alone. Sitting on the floor, he looks up, still listening to Melody making small talk about her violin practice and Hope ask any questions she can. He guesses Gideon and Lucas are sitting in that same armchair, and he can only hope that Lucas is okay, while Alex and Robin are probably together doing who knows what.

He presses his thumb into his hand. It’s hardly dark outside, but it’s not like there’s a lot else for them to do. But boredom leads to being alone with their own thoughts which leads to thinking about that morning which leads to… well he’d rather they didn’t think about that morning in any regard. Which means he needs to somehow keep them (and if he’s honest, himself) occupied.

As he looks up to the upper floors of the library, he begins to remember a day a few year ago, Gideon must have been 10 or 11, when he was home for a few weeks and helping Belle move stuff around; she had been meaning to get around to renovations and reorganisations in the library for a while. It had been weird for him, moving around the shelves he’d walked through since he was a kid and taking up boxes of books and games to the upper floors, Belle swearing no one played with them or read them anymore. They were mostly either relics from the Enchanted Forest or an even further place, the 1980s. His generation apparently hadn’t bothered to look at them, but maybe this generation could.

*****

Alex winces as she settles onto one of the couches Belle set up around the library, despite her insistences that she’s fine, in fact that she barely feels anything. Her fingers graze the bandage in her knee.

“This better leave a cool scar,” she declares and Robin snorts. “I’ll look like a badass. Tell people I got it fighting off flying monkeys.”

“You’re a total badass,” Robin tells her. Ever since she was a freshman, Alex had been the scariest girl she’d ever known. Especially with her indigo streak, ripped jeans, beanies and sneakers under princess dresses when her mum could force her to wear one. It took her no time at all to fall for her.

Alex smiles, but it barely meets her eyes.

“Thanks,” she mumbles. She shrugs, but her eyes go wide quickly, and her hand flies to her shoulder.

“Alex?” she says, feeling panic swirling in her stomach.

“I’m fine,” she says, breathing slowly and deeply. “Just… I think I fired the gun wrong.” She gestures to the rifle lying on the floor beside them. “I remember it… it rammed into my shoulder.” She chuckles lowly. “Hurt like hell.” Robin nods, rubbing her thumb in circles on her shoulder. “Guess you were right, Rob. Shouldn’t have tried to use it. So much for badass.”

“What?” she asks, caught off guard. Alex rarely ever admits that she was wrong. But also, the bitterness in her tone, the pained smile is what catches her attention. She takes Alex’s chin, mindful of her shoulder, and turns it towards her, making her look her in the eye. “Alex, what are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” she says, gently pulling her hand off her face and turning her head away. “Just forget I said anything.”

“No,” she says, turning her face back to her again. “Alex, what’s wrong.” Alex takes in a deep breath, rubbing her thumb along the back of Robin’s hand.

“Just… out there, I thought this was it. This was my hero’s moment. Like when your mom killed Hades. I thought I was going to go out there, shoot some monkeys. Kick ass,” she explains. “Instead, you know what happened?” Robin shakes her head, but she thinks she can guess, and it hurts her heart. “I went out there, fired the gun and missed. Again and again. The ass I was kicking was my own. The damn gun kept hitting me in the shoulder and it hurt. Then one nearly got me and that’s how I got this.” She gestures to the ugly looking cut on her leg. “I was weak, Robin! I thought I was going to be a badass like my mom, like your mom, like everyone’s parents, and I nearly died. If you hadn’t shown up, I’d have been monkey chow.” She shakes her head, loose blonde strands flying. “And it’s not that I wasn’t happy you were there, and that you weren’t really hot firing those arrows. But I don’t want to need to be rescued, Robin. I don’t want to be weak.”

“Alex,” Robin says, cupping her cheek with her hand, making her look at her. The look in her girlfriend’s eyes, lost and defeated and crushed, is so new to her it’s painful. “You’re the toughest person I know.” Alex shakes her head, not meeting her eyes, but Robin won’t give up on her. Not until she sees the smile that makes her insides melt. “Alex, what made my mom a badass wasn’t that she killed Hades. It’s that she was brave enough to stand up for herself and protect my aunt. And my dad. That’s what makes everyone we know so tough. Emma’s tough made sacrifices for her family. Your mom didn’t need a shotgun when she stood up to your step grandma. Or when she got her happy ending.” Alex smiles softly against Robin’s palm, her fingers curling around her wrist. “And you’ve been tough and strong and kick ass since grade school. And you never needed a gun for that. You’re brave, and say what you’re thinking and you scare the hell out of-”

Robin squeaks in surprise when Alex kisses her before melting into her embrace, giggling against her lips.

“What was that for?” she asks, panting slightly when Alex pulls away. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“To say thank you,” she answers. “And to get you to stop babbling.”

“Remind me to babble more often,” she says, and Alex laughs, dimples forming in her cheeks and Robin pokes one of them gently. There’s the smile she fell in love with.

Robin gets up to go to the bathroom, Alex squeezing her hand just before she goes. Briefly, she thinks about how funny it is; the storybooks never show the mundane or even gross parts, like peeing in between battles. The closest she ever got to that discussion was her asking Emma what she did when she got her period in Neverland or the Underworld, to which Emma had laughed and replied “tmi”.

When she comes out of the bathroom, Henry is standing awkwardly outside, holding her bow and quiver. The way he’s holding it pains her; she knows very little about bow-maintenance but she feels like the way he’s holding it is sure to mess up the string.

“You left this at the front desk,” he says, holding them over to her. “Figured you might want to keep them close.”

“Oh, yeah,” she replies, taking them from him. She pulls the leather strap of the quiver across her body and holds the bow by her side, her hand wrapped around the centre. Henry looks her up and down, a small smile playing on his lips, and he huffs out a near-silent laugh. “What?”

“No, nothing,” he says, shaking his head.

“That’s not nothing,” she tells him. She pokes him gently but seriously with the edge of her bow. “What is it?”

“Well,” he begins and she sees the smile drop a little. “Just, you with the bow and arrows and seeing you out there… you look a lot like your dad, I guess.”

Robin steps back, shocked. That was the last thing she was expecting Henry, or anyone, to say to her. The subject of her dad is touchy for her mum, and as of last year, she now knows the reason why. Her Aunt Regina told her bits and pieces of what he was like, but she knows it’s not a subject she likes to get into without a little bit of alcohol in her. And then there’s her brother who filled her in on as much as he could, every little bit of information from the five years he shared with their father. She gets different versions of her dad depending on who she asked; Aunt Regina gave her the lover side of him, David and Killian gave her the fun drinking buddy and loyal her, Roland gave her the goofy but loving dad side. All pieced together in her mind, forming one whole image of the man her dad was. Or as whole as she could make it. She never felt connected to the man in the photos or from the stories. She saw the family resemblance. She knew that 50% of the DNA in her body was also his. But she could never see him as her dad.

Until now.

“Really?” is all she can say.

“Yeah,” Henry says, his tone regretful. Until he sees the smile that she can’t fight if she tries on her face. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she says, not looking at him. “I should go. Alex is going to be wondering what’s taking so long.”

“Okay.” Henry doesn’t sound upset anymore, his head tilts as he looks at her but he’s smiling. She heads back towards Alex and the rest of her friends, the quiver sitting comfortably around her body. She can’t explain how she feels exactly, or why despite the fact that her world seems to be falling apart, she feels like a missing puzzle piece has fallen into place. She pauses and makes a quick detour, running swiftly and quietly down past the shelves to the fairytale section. Hardly anyone ever comes here; any story they want they can get from their parents. Except for her. She scans the shelves, ignoring stories about princesses and princes and fairy godmothers until she spots the one she needs. It has a deep scarlet hard cover with slightly yellowing pages, Robin Hood etched on the front in gold cursive writing.

*****

Lucas doesn’t speak, and it scares the crap out of Gideon. His boyfriend has been the life and soul of any room he walks in to, and it’s why he likes him so much. But instead of the usual sparkle that promised fun and jokes and kisses, his eyes are almost dull and look haunted as he holds onto Gideon’s arms, trying to slow his breathing. He kisses the back of Lucas’ head and it just makes him hold on tighter. Eventually he feels him relax against his body, his breathing becoming less slow and laboured and controlled. The grip on his arm turns slack, his hand trailing down his arm.

“Luke?” he asks softly. “Lucas? Are you asleep?”

“No,” he replies. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” he asks, kissing the back of his head again. Lucas shakes his head, running his hand up and down Gideon’s arms.

“Nothing.” Lucas is like his sister in more ways than either one of them will care to admit. There are all the physical similarities; the blonde waves and green eyes and dimpled chins, but their personalities are so much the same it’s not a wonder they clash just as much as they hug. Stubborn, reckless, brave. And when they get scared, they put up walls. And right now, Gideon’s on the wrong side of Lucas’. And it hurts, he won’t lie. Even if he won’t say it to him either.

“Come on,” he says, rising to his feet, which is easier said than done when his boyfriend takes up half his lap, and pulls Lucas with them. “All our limbs are going to fall asleep if we keep sitting there.” It’s a half hearted excuse, they both know that, but for now, he just wants Lucas off the chair, and he lets him drag him to the main foyer.

There, they find three small piles of boxes on the front desk, two more on the floor and Hope opening another large cardboard box as she sits cross legged on the floor next to Melody. Henry sits behind the front desk with Philip as they inspect one of the boxes.

“What’s all this?” Gideon asks, making them all look up.

“Some games Henry found upstairs,” Hope explains. “This one’s from like, forever ago.”

“1983,” Henry corrects her. “Same year our mom was born.” Hope giggles and checks the instructions on the back of the box.

“Gideon, want to play?” she asks, pulling the board out of the box. It’s startlingly bright plastic with four different coloured hippos sitting on top of it. “That way I can beat you.”

“You cheat,” he says, pulling Lucas over and sitting next to them. He looks at Melody, who kneels next to her, her skirt fanned out around her, and decides to poke the bear, so to speak. “She always cheats. You sure you want to play with her?”

“I don’t cheat!” she snaps, casting a death glare at him before looking at Melody. “I don’t. Anyway, this looks pretty simple. You just need to make your hippo eat the most the little balls as possible.” Lucas snorts a laugh. After seeing him fight, cry and then sit in silence, it’s music to Gideon’s ears.

“Yeah I want my hippo to eat little balls,” he says. Hope rolls her eyes but still giggles. Meanwhile, Melody frowns in confusion.

“Why is that funny?” she asks. Lucas’ mouth falls open as he looks from Hope to Melody. Poor child. Ariel and Eric are the very definition of over protective (not that he can blame them) and it’s left Melody with such a sheltered, innocent outlook.

“It’s not,” Gideon says. “Lucas is just being funny.” Melody nods and giggles politely, but it’s quiet and confused. “I want to be the yellow one.”

Before long, any sound in the library is overpowered by the sound of the four of them yelling (well, three, Melody is hardly a yeller) and banging on their little leavers, making the hippos open and close their big plastic mouths. Their noise is enough to draw Alex and Robin out from wherever they were, Alex’s knee stained an angry red and their hands linked.

“What’s going on?” Robin asks. “Who’s killing who?”

“We’re playing Hungry Hungry Hippos,” Hope explains, slightly breathless. “It’s this game from like a century ago.”

“Forty years ago!” Henry corrects her again.

“Hey, want to play this?” Philip asks, mostly directing the question at Robin. He drums his hand on the cardboard box in front of him.

“What is it?” Robin asks, pulling Alex with her as she crosses over to him.

“Uh, Connect 4,” he reads.

“How do I win?” Alex asks, eyeing the game.

“You just have to get four of your little counters in a row in the grid,” he explains, sliding it out of the box.

“Sounds fun,” Alex says, shaking her hands out like she’s stepping up to the boxing ring. “Let’s go.”

Hours pass, and their initial games get abandoned. Henry finds a game called Cluedo and reminisces over the fun he used to have playing it with his friends. At first, the idea of a murder mystery board game confuses Gideon, but once they’re sitting (or lying in some cases) around the board, he find it’s right up his alley. He chooses Professor Plum as his character, maybe feeling a little kinship with the glasses wearing, tweed wearing apparent geek. Hope snuggles next to him, resting her head on his shoulder in between turns. They keep playing until the sky turns dark, Henry running out to the store and putting on bags of chicken nuggets and fries to keep them going. It’s far from the healthy food their parents would be wanting them to have, but it’s easy and quick and their parents aren’t here. Their laughter and shouting when arguments inevitably start (they never last long though) echoing throughout the room and the empty streets. They keep playing and laughing long into the night, their laughter a little too loud and the changing of games a little too fast, until sleep finally comes for them one at a time, each one nodding off at a different time, curled up and draped over each other, pyjamas and sleeping bags entirely forgotten.

#ouat #ouat ff #hope swan jones #robin mills #gideon french #cygnet believer #cygnet guppy #dreaming prince #pumpkin archer #fic: a new hope

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