#which we then do profusely and remind her that we do love her and we do do things together and whatever the fuck is the problem of the day

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

.

[pablitogavii]

Please new story 🙏🏻

Ojos de su papá

For those that loved dad!Gavi <3

You've had one of the most trying days at the clinic where you work as a doctor so you couldn't wait to get home to get some rest.

The moment you entered the house, you heard Matteo's loud cries and your head started pouding immediately. Looking at your watch, you knew it was his bottle time.

Pablo was in the living room with the little boy in his arms trying to pack for his evening training while telling him how "mami will be home soon" which you found so adorable.

"Aii que pasa precioso mio? Papi forgot your bottle?" you say walking to them but Pablo showed you three different bottles on the table that he tried to use to feed the little boy.

"He only let's you do it, amor..he loves you more" Pablo said while pouting and you giggled shaking your head and taking the little boy in your arms as he started to calm down.

"It's normal Pablito..he's used to me breastfeeding him but he loves you just as much. He's a mini version of his papi, right Matteo?" you say and Pablo looks at the little boy in your arms immediately opening his mouth as you brought one of the bottles to his lips.

"Go get ready for training while I feed him cariño" you say but Pablo noticed the way your temples were scrunched and he wanted to know what made you feel bad.

"Amor, if you're tired I can just cancel training and then double up tomorrow..or after the game?" he said touching your hand and you smiled that he was always so careful and gentle with you. always makes you his priority.

"It's okay, mi amor te lo juro. I just had a long day but me and Matteo will eat something and get some sleep, right precioso mio?" you said kissing the little boys forehead while he sucked diligently on the bottle.

"Tan bien. I will be right back, just to grab my shoes" Pablo said leaving to the closet as you sat down letting your muscles relax while looking at the little hungry boy in your arms.

His big brown eyes are looking at you softly while he sucked on the bottle that it made your heart melt. Those same eyes that Pablo had when he looked at you with love for the very first time now has your son..and it was a beautiful feeling.

"Mis ojitos morenos lindos..tienes ojos de su papá mi amor.." you said gently to your son not knowing that Pablo was there listening and blushing profusely.

Ever since you had a baby, everyone said he was a mini version of Pablo and it made your husband both timid and proud. Having a son with a woman he loves so much and hearing her call their shared eyes beautiful made his whole body shiver.

"Bien. Pablo you will be late if you don't leave now!" you finished feeding Matteo and reminded your husband who was lost in thoughts walking towards you on the couch and laying his own head on the free spot on your lap.

"Amor, pero I want to stay with the two of you tonight.." Pablo said giving you his infamous puppy dog eyes that Matteo will surely learn to use later on you as well.

"Stop using your eyes to get everything you want Pablo!' you said softening when his eyes became bigger as the pout found itsway to his face.

"But you let Matteo do it!" Pablo was complains like a baby and you giggled looking at your son which has an identical look on his face. Damn it the two of them and their pretty eyes!

"But he's a baby Pablo" you say and Pablo nuzzled his face into your neck.

"Well, aren't I still your baby amor?" he asked and you sighed knowing where this is going.

"Si, you're both my babies" you answered and he smiled looking up at you again this time pecking your lips gently.

"And you said we have the same eyes, no?" he added making you smiled and nod your head.

"Then we can both use them to make you say si, amor" he giggled leaning in closer to Matteo so both of them could look at you with their same dark brown eyes.

"Bueno..si! But..make sure to tell Xavi you were not feeling well, bueno?" you say and Pablo cheered kissing your lips while Matteo giggled making you both smile. He was happy his papi is staying tonight too.

"Te lo prometo!" he said kissing your lips before sitting up and pulling you in his arms while Matteo started napping in yours.

"He might have mis ojos, amor..but he has your cute little nose" Pablo said making you blush and look at the perfect little boy sleeping in your arms.

[birdiewriteslit]

Hi ! I just love your writing ! ❤️ Also, I was wondering if you could write a story in which the reader is Thalia’s sister and dating Luke. The reader always thought that Luke liked Thalia and thinks that Luke only dates her because she reminds him of Thalia. She shares her doubts with Annabeth who tries to comfort her and Luke overhears their conversation. Then Luke talks to the reader about it reassuring he loves her for her and it’s all fluffy. Also, to add little angst, the reader has been traumatized by Thalia’s “transformation” and beats herself up thinking that it’s her fault that her sister is a tree.

thank you so much! sure, i can do this!!

luke castellan x daughter of zeus!reader

warnings: angst, self doubt, trauma, fluff at the end

sorry if this is bad i haven’t written angst in a hot minute

Your memory of the day you arrived at camp was still as vivid as it was when it happened. You, Grover, Annabeth, Luke, and your little sister were on the run from a horde of monsters, all of them attracted to the strong scent of the daughters of Zeus.

You were sprinting up the hill, breath ragged. Luke, Annabeth, and Grover were ahead of you. “We’re almost there!” Grover shouted. “Just keep running!”

You were exhausted, running for days with no help from any of your godly parents, but you had to keep going.

You looked back to make sure Thalia hadn’t fallen behind, but she had her shield up, showing Medusa’s face to the monsters that were catching up.

“We can’t outrun them!” she yelled. “I can slow them down, go on without me!”

Thalia started to run toward the monsters, but you grabbed her arm. “I can’t let you go. We can make it, please try to keep going.”

“I have to! Aegis will keep them at bay for a little while. It’s me they’re following,” she reasoned, her eyes stormy and unyielding.

“Thalia, don’t. They want me too. I’ll go instead, I won’t let you die for me,” you proposed desperately.

“You’re always doing things for me, let me do this for you. Let me repay my big sister.” She pulled her arm out of your grasp and turned to run at the monsters before you could stop her.

“Come on!” Grover yelled from the top of the hill, Annabeth and Luke now far in front of him. “They’re catching up!”

“I’m not leaving her!” you protested. Grover met you in the middle and grabbed hold of your arm, practically dragging you to camp as you shouted several curses at him. “Let me go!”

“I can’t. My mission is to get you across that border, and I’m not letting two of you die for the rest of us.” Grover was gritting his teeth, struggling to keep hold of you as you made it across the boundary.

You watched in horror as Thalia jabbed with her spear and missed, the Fury’s whip coming down hard and hitting her over the head, knocking her to the ground. She didn’t get up.

The biggest lightning bolt you’d ever seen struck the ground, sending the hellhounds into a panic. The monsters retreated, half victorious, as they only managed to kill one of you.

From the place where Thalia died, a large pine was growing rapidly out of the ground, and a magical force field spread across the woods, strengthening the border you just crossed.

Luke grabbed your shoulder, forcing you to turn away from the scene. His eyes were cast to the ground. He couldn’t look. “Come on,” he said, his voice breaking.

You walked past the strawberry fields with Luke’s arm around your shoulders keeping you stable. You couldn’t say anything. You knew that if you did, you would break down.

Annabeth was sobbing beside Grover, who was leading the three of you to the Big House, where Chiron stood on the porch, looking solemn. You weren’t even shocked by his centaur form. The image of Thalia’s body hitting the ground was still replaying in your mind.

You woke with a start, sweating profusely and breathing heavily. Five years later, and you still had nightmares like this. It was always the same scene over and over. You could never escape that night.

You slowly sat up in your bed, pulling the covers back and placing your feet on the cold marble floor. You rubbed at your eyes, sighing as you knelt at your father’s statue in the middle of the cabin.

You never shared this space with Thalia, but you missed her like you had. Sometimes you would dream of her and you when you were small, and you would expect to wake up and see her asleep on the other side of the room.

You stared into the reflecting pool around the statue, barely recognizing who was looking back at you. The girl in the water was tired, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

Looking up at your father’s carved face, you felt that familiar feeling of resentment. He had never helped you. When you were on the run, the only gift he gave was weapons for you and Thalia to defend yourselves with.

After you were claimed, it was like you never existed to him. He never answered your prayers, and he was never there for you when you needed him.

When you needed help facing Ladon on Luke’s quest, he was absent from the sky. You were forced to return to camp, two failures who learned to never rely the gods for help.

Luke was the only one you could relate to in that way. After that quest, you thought of each other differently. Finding that common ground changed your friendship into something more.

Sometimes you wondered if Luke saw Thalia when he looked at you. There would be moments where he would look at you like your sister was staring back, and he would get this sad glint in his eyes.

You certainly didn’t see her in your reflection. You’d looked for so long to find something that reminded you of her, but you could never find something good.

You had an aggression problem, which was about the only thing about you that resembled your sister. The only people you got along with were your boyfriend, Annabeth, and Grover.

Everybody at camp stayed clear of you anyways, as they were afraid of what you might do to them. Of course, you were more powerful than the others, and they were scared of that.

The day was off to a rough start. You were fifteen minutes late for breakfast, and when you entered the pavilion, heads turned. You were used to getting stared at, so you were able to ignore it.

You ate by yourself, keeping your head down. After breakfast, your first activity of the day was Ancient Greek with Annabeth.

You were reading out a boring passage to her when she stopped you at the end of a paragraph. “Are you having nightmares again?” she asked tentatively.

You looked up from the book. “Why do you ask?”

“You were late to breakfast. You’ve been looking so tired this past week. I’m worried. Luke’s worried. He says you’ve been distant,” she analyzed.

You sighed. “Yeah, I’ve been having them again. It’s the same as it’s always been.” You rubbed your hands over your tired eyes. “I can’t get it out of my head.”

“You haven’t told Luke?”

“No, I don’t want to stress him out. Besides, he probably sees enough of Thalia in me. Honestly, I think that’s why he’s with me. We all lost her that night, and he just needs something to remind him of her,” you confessed gloomily, picking at the corners of the pages.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise. “What are you talking about? Luke has liked you as long as I’ve known you. Thalia meant a lot to him, but you’re different from her. You mean something different to him.”

“Do you really think that’s why I’m with you?” Luke said, rounding the corner of the porch and making himself known. He had a hurt expression on his face.

“I’ll leave you alone,” Annabeth said awkwardly, standing up from her chair and hurrying away from the Big House.

“Luke, I-“

“I’m sorry to eavesdrop, but you can’t really think that.” He sat down next to you and pulled your hands away from the book pages. “Annabeth’s right, I’ve liked you forever. Thalia was like a little sister to me. The only time you remind me of her is when you get angry, and I’m not with you because of your anger,” he reassured, trying to make you believe him.

“Why are you with me?” Your voice came out small, and you were afraid of what he would say.

He shook his head, taking your face in his hands. “So many reasons. You’re smart, brave, and resourceful. You’re strong and beautiful. Honestly, you could name anything you don’t like about yourself and I promise you that I would love you regardless.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes,” he said sincerely.

You took a deep breath, ready to be honest with him. “In my nightmares, I see us on the night Thalia died. I see the moment she slipped away from me and I left her to fight on her own. I’m such a bad sister,” you admitted, voice breaking a little.

Luke looked pained at your words. His thumb was quick to wipe away a tear that had fallen. “What happened wasn’t your fault. Thalia was stubborn, once she got an idea in her head she wouldn’t let it go. You know that. If we let you go too, we would’ve lost you both. We couldn’t risk that.”

You were silent, taking in his reasoning and knowing that he was right. You leaned forward and kissed his lips softly. “Thank you, Luke,” you said quietly, resting your forehead against his.

“Of course.” He pushed a stray hair behind your ear. “Do you want me to sleep in your cabin tonight?”

“Yes, please.”

“Alright.” Luke pulled away and smiled at you. “What do you say we go zap some Dionysus kids in the strawberry fields?”

“That sounds like a great idea.” You grinned, already feeling much better.

[rizzanon]

[Favourite] Shinichiro Sano

in which Shinichiro's siblings love you as much as their brother does

a scenario from the childhood friend! Shinichiro post, but can be read as a standalone

“(n/n)-chan! You're finally here!!”

Before you could fully turn around to see the person who called out for you, you were immediately pounced on by two little gremlins. A blond haired boy and a honey blond hair girl.

It seems that the two kids had been waiting eagerly for your arrival.

You could only smile at the sight, quickly hugging the two kids back, as you kneeled to look the both of them in the eyes.

“Hi Emma, Manjiro! Have you been waiting for me to arrive?”

The blonde hair girl nods her head eagerly, as she linked her arm with yours.

“Yes! I want to show you my new tea set!”

“Hey no fair! (n/n)-chin promised me that she'll let me show her the new taekwondo moves I've learnt!” The blond boy interjected, as he grabbed your other arm and pulled you towards him.

Being sandwiched between the two kids, you didn't know what to do to ease the both of them. You were about to open your mouth to say something to calm them down when someone beat you to it.

“Hey now, both of you. Leave her alone. Give her some space to breathe, will ya’?”

You looked up to see a familiar black haired guy walking towards the three of you. His hair and shirt slightly messed up and his face filled with some minor bruises. The two kids who were begging for you to follow them immediately stopped their antics, looking down in shame at being caught.

“Sorry, Shin-nii.”

Leave it to Shinichiro to control his siblings.

You looked up at your black haired friend, eyeing his unkempt appearance.

“Woah, you look like shit.” The taller male scoffs at your words.

“Rude. You think I don't know that already?”

“Just reminding you, that's all.” You hummed.

Your friend rolls his eyes at your words, before chuckling.

“Leave it to you to remind me of my shortcomings.”

“Maybe if you didn't decide to avoid your grandather's dojo lessons, you might've been able to come out of the fight not looking like shit.”

Shinichiro only sheepishly looked away, knowing that he couldn't refute your words.

“And this is why you should hang out with me instead, (n/n)-chin! I'm way stronger than Shin-nii. Even gramps said so!” The blond haired boy proudly exclaims, earning a groan from his older brother and a giggle from his younger sister.

“Is that so? Maybe you should teach your brother some moves then. He could use some lessons.” You teased, ruffling the younger male's hair as he looked up at you with stary eyes.

“Oi, don't go giving him ideas now. It's bad enough I have gramps on my ass.” Shinichiro grumbled, shaking his head exasperatedly.

“And who's fault is that?”

“.....Fair enough.”

You felt a tug at your left arm, and looked down to see a wide-eyed Emma staring at you with pleading eyes.

“Come on (n/n)-chan! Now that Shin-nii's here, we can all have a tea party with the new tea set grandpa got for me!”

You see from the corner of your eye the brother duo quietly trying to escape, but you knew better and grabbed them both by their collar, stopping them from leaving.

“And where do you two think you're going?”

“Heheh... I just remembered I have work to do...!” Shinichiro mumbles out a poor excuse, as he tries to get out from your grasp, only for you to pull him back.

“Going to do some measley work when your dear sister over here invited you to a tea party?” Your expression right now was scary, even Manjiro knew not to do anything stupid and just follow what you say.

Shinichiro sweats profusely, as he avoided all eye contact with you.

“Right... right... my bad. You're absolutely right...”

“See, it's not so bad, right?”

You were seated at a kiddy table, with plastic cutlery and food on it, while holding a cup of imaginary tea that Emma handed you.

You hear some groans from the older male, and you shoot him a nasty glare.

“What's with the attitude?”

“What attitude? I'm thoroughly enjoying my afternoon cup of tea over here.” Shinichiro replies, as he pretends to sip on the said tea.

You chuckle and roll your eyes at his gesture, before turning to look at the younger boy, who was blatantly pouting.

“What's wrong lil' guy?”

“This is boring. What's the point of having a tea party when there isn't even any real food or tea?!?”

“Hey! I tried my best okay! Can't you see!!?” Emma exclaims, as she crossed her arms out of indignance.

“Who says there isn't any real food though?”

The two kids immediately whipped their head towards your direction, and in an instant, you could see their eyes light up at the sight of the goodies and snacks you had brought with you.

“Woah...! Did you-”

“Yes, Manjiro, I also brought taiyaki with me too.”

“(n/n)-chin, you're my favourite person from now on!” The blonde haired boy exclaims, as he rushes towards you to receive his favourite treat.

“Was I not already your favourite person?” You chuckled, as you took out the packet of taiyaki you had bought specifically for the younger boy. His eyes widened, before he flashed a boyish grin at you.

“Of course you were! You still are now too, just had to remind you again.”

“You're my favourite person too, (y/n)-chan!” Emma gushed, as she too made her way to see the variety of snacks you had brought for them.

“Is there any for me?” You see the older male peeking over your shoulder, with a hopeful look in his eyes. Seems like he too was in the mood for a treat.

“Nope.”

Shinichiro's expression immediately becomes one of distraught, as he puts a hand to his chest.

“Ouch! Your words wound me, (y/n). How could you forget to bring a snack for this dear friend of yours.”

Is this guy serious?

“Cut your bullshit Shin. You're fooling no one with your act.”

Shinchiro visibly flinches at your words, before returning back to his normal self.

“Oh well. It was worth a try. Wanted to see if it would earn me some pity points from you.” Shinichiro shrugs, right before he was met with a bag of chips smacked right across his face. He immediately falls back from the sudden impact, earning giggles from his two younger siblings.

“Woops, my bad. Didn't mean to aim for your face.” You apologised, not sparing a glance at the black haired guy.

You definitely meant to aim for his face.

Shinichiro just laughs it off, as he shifted to sit next to you, opening up the packet of chips you threw at him.

“Aww, I knew I was always your favourite. You even got me my favourite flavour of chips too!” Shinichiro teases, earning a scoff from you.

“Bold of you to assume you're my favourite Sano, Shin.”

Shinichiro dramatically pauses, letting out a huge gasp. He really looked like he was shocked by your words, but you knew that he was just feigning hurt.

“What?? How could this be? If not me, then who else would be your favourite Sano?” You shook your head in disbelief, but decided to go along with this act of his.

“Your cute and adorable siblings of course!” You replied, as you ruffled both Emma and Manjiro's hair.

“I'm cute and adorable too y'know,” Shinichiro huffs, as he crosses his arms and looked away from you.

“Says no one.” Manjiro replies cheekily before you could even open your mouth to say something. You had to hold in a laugh after seeing the look of betrayal on the older male's face as soon as his younger brother uttered those words from his mouth.

“Wha- I'll have you know that people have in fact said those words, Manjiro "Mikey" Sano.”

Shinichiro tries to back himself up, but his attempt was immediately shot down by his younger sister, who mumbles, “If people really said that, you wouldn't have gotten rejected so many times...”

You lost it at that moment, and burst out in laughter, together with Manjiro who was enjoying the whole roast.

“Seriously?? I can't believe you all are ganging up on me like this...!” Shinichiro pauses, as he let out a few dramatic fake sobs, before continuing.

“My very own siblings too... What did you do for them to favour you like this...”

“Not my fault that I'm just better.”

“Yeah! She's way kinder to us that you are, Shin!” Emma says, much to Shinichiro's disbelief.

“What?? But I'm always nice to you both too!”

“Sure you are. Besides, (y/n)-chin always buys us our favourite snacks too!! See??” Manjiro adds on, shoving the taiyaki and sweets you had given to him up Shinchiro's face. Shinichiro shoots you a glare, but you only just shrug your shoulders, insisting that it is what it is.

“Bribery at it's finest... I can't believe this..” Shinichiro lets out a dejected sigh, chuckling as he shakes his head.

“Though, it's not like I can't blame my siblings." He says, as he leans in closer to you, whispering the next few words only for you to hear.

“You're my favourite person too.”

m.list

[mrsnancywheeler]

Whatever you do don’t imagine Finnick and his sweet girl becoming intimate for the first time after she is sold. Don’t imagine how as soon as she feels his hands on her she cracks, don’t imagine how Finnick fears reminding her of all the clients, don’t imagine Finnicks sweet girl apologizing for not being able to give him that part of her, don’t imagine how she fights the urge to disassociate during it, don’t imagine how Finnick feels when he realizes that.

Okay…bye :)

tw nsfw and trafficking related trauma

there will be more discussions of this later on in the river but for now...

but I'm definitely not thinking about how

it's just so natural, the two of you have spent your day flirting, laughing, and you're just both in bed. you've been leaving light kisses all over each other's face, light enough to be slightly ticklish and then finnick is actually kissing you. at first it's fine, but then he's deepening it and he's already on top of you so you can feel him growing hard. how his hand that was on your hips is so close to your waist band when you're pulling away. it's too much and you're desperately wishing you weren't, but you're tearing up.

he's looking at you, confused for less then a second when he realizes what it is and off of you as fast as he can be. "I'm so sorry." And he feels so guilty for kissing you like that, for getting turned on by you.

but you're upset with yourself, he's so patient, loving, kind and you can't even be intimate with him. "No, I'm sorry, you deserve better and I really wish I could."

"You don't have to be sorry at all, sweet girl." And he's giving you tissues, making tea, making sure you have all the softest blankets, anything you need to try and help you feel somewhat better.

it takes so long for you to want to be intimate like that again and everytime you notice he might be in the mood, even though he doesn't mention it and acts like he's not, you apologize profusely for not being able to be that girlfriend which he always shuts down, soft kisses to push away your tears

nor am I thinking about

eventually one day you realize you might be finally ready, to be with him in that way again, to give the part of you that's been so hurt to someone willingly

you're sitting by each other on the couch, reading, when you softly take it from his hands and sit in his lap. he laughs lightly, "what do you need, sweet girl?" and you're kissing him and he's kissing back. it's nerve wrecking but you want him so bad, and you feel like you're finally able to try and have that. you're not sure if you can say it so you're just slowly starting to grind on top of him and eventually his hands are on your legs and he's pulling his lips away. he's getting hard and feels so guilty for it, "honey-"

"I want you, Finn." And he's staring at you long and hard trying to decipher if you mean it or just feel obligated because of how long it's been, he dreads you feeling that way. but your eyes are so pleading..

"are you sure?" you're nodding, "because we can stop at any time, I don't want to make you uncomfortable." He's nervous that he'll mess it up, he's wanted you for so long, missed the intimacy and hated himself for it.

"I'm sure." And later he's got you laid out on the bed and he'd ever so carefully taken off you clothes, kissed each part of you, praised you, muttered endless I love you's so you knew how much you meant to him. he needs you to feel loved but used. you're so grateful for it, but also you he's so slow and gentle that it's had you much to worked up with anticipation. "finnick, I'm not made of glass." you say it ever so softly.

"I know, sweet girl, I know. I just don't want to make you think of them, need you to know how much I care. You'll tell me if something's wrong right? I need to know if you need to stop and it's okay if you do."

"of course I'll tell you, Finn." and it would've been true if your body hadn't decided to go on autopilot. the moment he's finally slipped inside you, your brain takes it as a queue to leave. you don't want to, he's so sweet, and you're enjoying it, but your fighting the feeling of drifting away from your body. fighting off the daze you usually fall into and when finnick looks into your eyes he can tell. he knows what it's like, he's done it too many times to count. It's further cemented when you barely process the fact he'd stopped moving.

then his hand is softly caressing your face, his heart aching as he tries to get you fully back, "honey, we can stop it's okay." and your brain has somewhat started to settle

"no, it's okay, I'm fine, Finn. I'm sorry, just got lost."

"this is for you, sweet girl, if you don't want it, that's okay. I wanna make you feel good."

"I'm sorry." You're rubbing your face, trying to keep yourself in the moment. Then he's slowly pulling out, "Finnick..." You're so frustrated with yourself.

"just need to make sure you're okay."

He's so softly tracing calming circles onto your skin and you notice how hard he still is which makes you feel guilty. "Let me take care of you then."

Finnick looks so sad as he shakes his head, "You don't have to just get me off and then clock out for everything else, this is for you too.

"finn, I want you, I don't know why my brain is trying to escape, but I do want you." and he's making sure your being truthful again, so scared you'll lie to make him feel better, pull him into the same fantasy all those horrendous clients have

"why don't you keep your eyes on me then, sweet girl, and tell me how you feel as we go?" and you agree.

it's not necessarily the easiest bridge to cross, but it's baby steps because miss what you had and miss how much your body responded to him, so ever so slowly the two of you find a way

yeah I'm not thinking about any of that

[agustsmuse]

Somebody Does Love | MYG

Pairing: BestFriend!Yoongi x Reader

Genre: Idol au

Synopsis: You never wanted to burden Yoongi with your problems, he was healing and you weren’t even close but he was your best friend and he’d always turn up for you.

Warnings: Depression, self depreciation, implied self harm.

WC: 2.1k

Posted: 18 August 2023

It didn't take much for Yoongi to worry about you. He could tell something was wrong by something as simple as the way you worded a text or how you carried yourself on a particular day. In fact, he knew you better than you knew yourself. Habits, tastes, quirks. Some of which he'd tell you, others he kept to himself because he didn't want you to stop doing them, because he knew you'd stop if he did.

He knew you well enough that you'd stop all the things he loved most about you if he uttered a word about them, it was a habit of yours he hated. You never did it consciously, of course. It was like it was programmed into you that the second someone told you they loved a feature, you’d change it or one of your quirks, you'd stop doing it almost instantly.

And that list of things he loved was long. He'd probably have to write a book, but there were things he hated, one in particular.

You never wanted to bother him with your problems.

It drives him mad.

He's your best friend, Yoongi would remind you constantly. You're problems were his problems and vice versa. someone broke your heart? They broke his. Someone mistreated him? They mistreated you.

One thing always remained certain for both of you, no one would argue it. You'd take a bullet for each other in a heartbeat.

"You've been staring at the same screen for twenty minutes, hyung." Namjoon broke the silence of Yoongi's studio, interrupting the elder's thoughts.

"Sorry, You wanted something?" Yoongi asked nonchalantly as he swung his chair to face Namjoon, greeting him with a forced smile.

Namjoon held up a set of headphones he'd taken from one of the shelves in Yoongi's studio. "Mine broke, I knew you had a spare."

Yoongi rolled his eyes endearingly, a small breathly laugh slipped out.

"It wasn't my fault this time!" Namjoon protested his innocence.

For once, it actually wasn't the clumsy man-child’s fault.

"Ah yes, it's the little man that mysteriously comes in your studio and breaks all your stuff," Yoongi teased.

"Uhm, It was, actually." A blush rose on Namjoons cheeks, whether he wanted to admit it or profusely deny it, he could give a tomato a run for its money. "Jimin was in.. he.. sat on them."

"Suuure," he teased further, "I'm sure that’s what he, no, the two of you, were doing."

"Hyung!"

"Dongsaeng?" Yoongi hummed, giving Namjoon a knowing look.

"Back to the original point," Namjoon deflected. "Are you okay? You were miles away."

"I'm fine," Yoongi looked back at the lyrics on the screen, his expression changing instantly. "It's y/n."

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know" He rested back on his chair while running his hands through his long, fluffy hair. "I haven't heard from her in two days. I was meant to have dinner with her and got really into writing this song and I had an idea for the beat and went all in. She knows I get like that sometimes, and that's the reason when I don't reply."

"Sometimes." Namjoon rolled his eyes jokingly.

"I messaged her that I was sorry and we should have breakfast, no reply. I text about dinner an hour ago, and it's not even delivered."

"You're telling me this like you've never just welcomed yourself into her apartment a million and one times." Namjoon reminded him with a raised brow.

"I really have to fin.."

"GO!" Namjoon ordered his hyung. "Leader privileges," he defended quickly when he realised how abrupt he was while still pointing towards the studio door.

He didn't wait a second longer. Even leaving the studio in his slides, forgoing the Nike dunks by the door. Leaving Namjoon to save his work and sort all his equipment which he gladly did. He was worried about you too, more so because you meant so much to someone that meant equally as much to him. Thirteen years isn't easily forgotten, and you were there too.

He made it to your apartment twenty minutes later, letting himself in like it was his own home.

The sight he saw was enough to cause an ache, vice like grip on his heart.

Quickly making his way to be by your side.

With gentle calloused fingertips your best friend tilted your chin up, his smile was warm and inviting, but his eyes were filled with worry and sadness, even guilt for not noticing something was wrong sooner.

The pad of his thumb wiped away the tears that stained your cheeks, neither set of eyes straying from the others, you only briefly cut eye contact to blink away oncoming tears as they clouded your vision.

You weren’t there, not really. Yoongi knew better than to pressure you into talking, so he stayed silently knelt in front of you for a moment, his large hands engulfing your little ones before bringing them towards his lips for a quick peck before he took a seat beside you. He took you into his arms and kept you close until you stopped crying, not a care for the time that went by or the fact that his phone kept going off. It wasn't important, not right now.

“You're gonna be okay,” He talked softly, quiet as a mouse like he was afraid to startle you.

He repeated himself over and over, followed by 'i love you', 'you're safe with me" and every other sweet thing he’d ever told you. Your cries eventually turned into quiet hiccups to unsteady breaths and eventually a quiet calm, the room filled with nothing but your breaths and the noises from the street outside.

You stayed like that, in the comfort of his arms, in silence. An hour went by, maybe more.

He looked down at you, almost falling asleep from exhaustion, your entire face red and puffy from so much crying. All the overwhelming feelings all on your own, so intensely burst like a dam. He wasn't leaving your side, music would have to wait. For as long as you needed him, he was going to be there.

"Don't sleep, jagiya. Let me make you something to eat, alright? We'll get you cleaned up and in some fresh clothes. You can sleep after that."

You shook your head.

"Yes," Yoongi told you sternly, not too harsh, but he wasn't going to let you keep doing this to yourself, not on his watch. "I will chew it for you and spit it in your mouth like a mother bird, if i have too."

You scrunched up your face in disgust, causing Yoongi to chuckle softly.

"That's what I thought."

You didn't protest when Yoongi ushered you into your room, you didn't want to hurt him. He was getting you in the bath regardless. It wasn't like he hadn't seen you naked before, definitely not under the same circumstances, but it didn't faze him then, and it won't faze him now.

He went into the bathroom and starting filling the bath, picking your favourite bathbomb and dropping it into the bath, smiling to himself as it turned purple and a light lavender scent began to fill the air. He grabbed some towels and put them in the dryer to warm up for you before coming to help you out of your clothes.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Always," you replied in a coarse whisper.

He was careful, gentlemanly, checking your face for any sign you were uncomfortable. You were okay until he went to help you out of your tracksuit bottoms, he watches your hands clutch tighter to the bedsheet and the faint hitch in your breath.

"I'm sorry," you tell him before nodding in permission for him to take them off.

He took one look at your thighs before looking up at you, leaning up to press a light kiss on your forehead. "Don't ever apologise for how you feel, I just wish you'd told me it was getting this bad again."

He wrapped his arm around your body, helping you toward the bathroom and helped you step into the bath. He relaxed a little when he heard you hum as you lowered into the water.

"Is it hot enough?” he asked, watching for any discomfort.

“S’good.” you hum, tracing over the bubbles with the tips of your fingers. Yoongi watched on with a little smile before he sat himself on the edge of the bath, reaching for your favourite body wash and a soft sponge, opting for the soft option rather than a loofah.

He squeezed a drop of soap onto the sponge and scrunched it together in his hands until it was covered in vanilla scented suds.

“Tell me to stop if you want me too,” he told you, leaning forward to get a look at you when you didn't reply. You nod for him to go on, even though you were miles away. He could tell by your eyes, he decided to just get on with it. He moved gently around your back, air in the bathroom filled with it's vanilla scent, mixing with the lavender. It was even making him sleepy. He watched you close your eyes beginning to relax as he continued on.

Once he had you covered in bubbles he rinsed you off with a cup he had sitting near by in the water and began washing the bubbles off. He saw your back rise and fall with a deep breath, a yawn he came to realise. He glanced at your face and your eyes in a fight to stay open as you moved your hands up to your face slowly and rubbed at your eyes for a moment before dropping your hands back into the water. Yoongi smiled. You looked adorable, if he was honest.

He was equally as gentle when washing your hair, missing some of your routine but the goal was to get your freshened up and comfortable, not Miss Universe.

“You can lay back now if you want.” Yoongi offered, you sighed and slumped in the tub, body sinking into the bubbles.

"Why do you do this for me? You're always there." You finally spoke more than one word.

"Because even if everything else was to disappear, I know you'll always be there."

"What if I'm not strong enough?"

"You are," he told you, leaning down to kiss your forehead again before he left for the kitchen to make you a quick snack, knowings it’s probably all you could stomach or be bothered to eat.

Crackers and a makeshift topping would have to do because it was all you had.

He brought everything you two would need for the night including the hot towels from the dryer to the bedroom before Yoongi helped you out of the bath, taking you into the bedroom wrapped up in the toasty towel to get you dried off and into some PJs.

“Which Pyjamas do you want?”

You pointed to him with a sweet, innocent smile.

“My top?” he chuckled. “Really?”

“Please?” and like clockwork you put on your best puppy dog eyes. Jungkook taught you well because Yoongi could never say no.

He rolled his eyes playfully and took off his shirt, pulling it over your head for you and smiled contently when he took a look at you. “You’re so adorable,” he smiled up at you before instructing you to sit between his legs with the hairbrush he had in hand.

You sat in front of him, lightly snacking away on the food he gave you when you sat down while he brushed through your hair, effortlessly putting it into two french braids. He’d watched you do it enough times and he was a quick learner, especially if it was taking up his cuddling time with you.

When you finished eating, Yoongi went to tidy up while you got yourself into bed. Half asleep when he came to join you, he switched off the light and climbed into bed with you.

Instantly cuddling into him with your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as you began to drift off to sleep.

“Can I play you a song I’ve been working on?” he asked, cuddling you in close.

Yoongi presses play on his phone as you nod.

Somebody does love but I'm thinking ‘bout you.

He watched as you drift off to sleep, running his hands through your hair, softly singing along until his eyes fell heavy and he drifted off too.

Maybe one day he’d tell you the song is for you.

Authors Note: A huge thank you to @sopebubbles /@sopebubbles-replies for encouraging me to write this fic and proof reading, it's been a long time coming for her, you have no idea! also my bestie @lifeinakpopbubble who never thought she'd see this day.

[okaylikeschaewon]

Part 7: Rooftop

With a passed out Chaeyoung in your arms, you carefully opened the door to their apartment. After the first step in, you were greeted by Tzuyu who was walking around all dressed up, as if she had just arrived home.

“Oh! H-Happy birthday!” she stammered, blushing profusely.

“Thanks Tzuyu,” you replied with a smile as you put Chaeyoung down on their couch, remembering Tzuyu’s feelings towards being carried. As you turned back, your heart sank as you saw her expectant expression. “Oh, umm, thank you for the gift.”

“You didn’t open it, did you?” she asked, immediately figuring it out.

“Not yet…” you muttered, embarrassed by your thoughtlessness.

A weak smile to hide her pain and a subtle nod is all she gave you before turning away and avoiding eye contact. Before either of you could say more, Dahyun entered the living room.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” she screamed while running at you and jumping into your arms.

Over her shoulder, you saw Tzuyu walk to her room and close the door behind her. You felt terrible, but you decided to suck it up to avoid ruining your plans with Dahyun.

“I’m so excited for this,” you said while squeezing the soft girl in your arms.

She hopped down and looked up at you with the brightest of bright smiles. “I made you something!” she squealed while handing you a little container.

“Oh? What’s this?” you asked while opening the lid to find a bunch of chocolate.

“Completely from scratch!” she said proudly as you took out one of the pieces of chocolate. “I even started with the cacao beans."

“Wow Dahyun I am impressed, this tastes really good.”

“Does it?” she asked with a slight pout of her lips. “I haven’t actually tried a piece myself, I was too nervous.”

“Here,” you held out a little piece for her which she accepted directly into her mouth before her eyes shot open.

“Wait, it’s actually not bad.”

“That’s what I just said,” you laughed while taking another bite. “So, where are you taking me for lunch?”

“It’s a secret!” Dahyun said happily before grabbing a bag from the kitchen counter. She walked back over to you and held her hand out for you to take. With her little fingers interlocked with yours, the two of you walked out of the apartment towards the elevators.

“What’s in the bag?”

She pressed the button for up before smiling at you again. “I spent the morning making kimbap,” she answered. “That and the chocolate. Oh, and remind me to send you home with some extra for Sana.”

“Will do,” you replied as the two of you walked into the elevator. It did sting just a tiny bit knowing Sana still hadn’t even sent you a text or anything. Maybe she forgot? You ignored it, figuring it wasn’t that big of a deal, before turning your attention back to Dahyun. “By the way, you hit the wrong button dummy.”

“No I didn’t.”

“You did, you pressed the button for up.”

“I know.”

Confused, you watched as she entered the elevator and then pressed the button for the top floor. When the elevator arrived, she held her hand out again and guided you down the hallway.

“Dahyun are we even supposed to be here?” you asked as she opened what looked like a maintenance door.

“It’s fine, I’ve done this before.”

“What exactly is this?”

“Come see for yourself,” she teased while opening another door.

As you followed her, it almost felt like you suddenly entered a new world. It was gorgeous. The door opened up directly to the roof where you could clearly see the Han River below. People were walking around, going about their daily business, like little ants scurrying for food.

“Dahyun…” you muttered, at a loss for words as you overlooked the view. “How’d you find this place?”

“I was exploring the building one day when I found it,” she explained. “I love living with Chae and Tzuyu, but sometimes I just like being completely alone. I would often come up here to be alone with my thoughts.”

“This feels like something straight out of a movie.”

“I guess it is a bit cliché,” she laughed while reaching into the bag and pulling out a blanket to sit on. “Regardless, I wanted to share my little special spot with you.”

“Thank you, Dahyun, this really does mean a lot to me,” you said while taking a seat next to the smiling girl. You kissed her on the cheek gently before helping her unpack the bag, noticing a subtle blush on her cheeks as you took out her homemade kimbap.

—

“Art museum?” Dahyun asked.

The two of you looked at each other before speaking at the same time.

“Chaeyoung.”

“Yeah that one was easy,” Dahyun sighed while laying down onto your lap. “What about something athletic, some sort of sport?”

“Well, I already have to workout with you girls all the time,” you said while resting your hand on her stomach. “Momo makes me go to the gym with her, Nayeon makes me do pilates with her, but I think golfing with Jihyo would be pretty fun.”

“You’re into golfing? Since when?”

“Not at all,” you answered with a smile, “but I’d go to the range with her. You girls look so damn cute in those Pearly Gates outfits.”

Dahyun started to laugh while you checked your phone.

“You know, we’ve been up here for almost three hours.”

“Has it really been that long?” Dahyun giggled. “Alright last one. Which member would you take to an amusement park?”

“Ah, and I’m still not allowed to pick you, right?”

“Stop trying to pick me,” Dahyun chuckled. “The whole point is that I want to hear which other member you would take.”

“Hmm, in that case,” you contemplated while lightly stroking Dahyun’s hair. “Momo.”

“Momo?” she gasped with her eyebrows furrowed. “I agree she’s pretty and all, but I don’t get that one. She’s terrified of rides.”

“I know, but I think it would be fun forcing her to go on them with me,” you explained while stifling a little laugh. “Also, she’d be down to try every single piece of food we could find.”

“Ah, okay that makes more sense,” Dahyun agreed. “It would be pretty funny seeing Mina all scared, too.”

“You’re one to talk by the way! You’d be just as scared as those two,” you chuckled while giving her cheek a playful poke on the cheek.

“No I wouldn’t,” she protested with a pout before her demeanor cracked and she started giggling, knowing that you were right.

“Alright how about I ask you which member you’d take out,” you suggested.

“I’m going on dates with Twice members?”

“It doesn’t have to be romantic, I meant more for fun,” you explained. “Unless you want it to be romantic.”

She gave you a strange look before nodding, “what did you have in mind.”

“Who would you take to a candlelit dinner?”

“Yah, what kind of friends go to a candlelit dinner?” she huffed, crossing her arms. “Give me a real suggestion.”

“Fine,” you laughed. “Who would you go on a trip abroad with?”

“Whoa, that’s…” she paused, pondering the question. “I think I’d pick Nayeon.”

“Oh? I’m not surprised, but why her?”

“I feel like she’d be fun to go with,” Dahyun answered. “I watched her whole Hawaii vlog, and I couldn’t stop wishing that I was there.”

“That’s so sweet of you.”

“I don’t really know how to explain it, but I feel safe around Nayeon.”

“Well, I think it makes sense,” you explained. “People might not notice it, but Nayeon really is always looking out for you guys.”

“I guess you’re right,” Dahyun said softly. “You know, back in the day I seriously got upset because she would always leave when I would show up on vlive. I made it a bit of a joke, but I was actually upset about it.”

“Oh yeah? This must have been before I joined the team.”

“Yeah, it was, but afterwards in private Nayeon came up to me. I realized after that how much she actually cares for us.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty lucky to be around people like this,” Dahyun added softly.

“All of these date ideas sound pretty fun. What about you, where do you want to go?” you asked softly while rubbing her arm absentmindedly, staring into the distance as the sun began to set.

“Bold of you to assume I’d want to go on a date with you,” she mocked you while smiling.

“Ah good point, alright well then pretend for a second that you’re going to go on a date with someone else, where are you picking?” you responded while poking her in the ribs.

After pondering the question for a bit, she looked directly up at you again with a tender expression.

“I don’t know, maybe something along the lines of sitting alone on a roof with a guy I like for a few hours.”

Your hand paused while your eyes met with hers. The afternoon had been full of casual flirting and cheesy lines like this, but this one felt more real. It wasn’t clear if she was being facetious.

“Lucky guy,” you said, staring into the distance.

Time seemed to stop for just a moment - a pause, a second alone with your thoughts - then, without warning, Dahyun stood up and walked over to the edge of the rooftop. She began to lean against the parapet, the wind gently blowing her skirt around as she watched the sun setting in front of her. It was a beautiful sight: Dahyun’s gorgeous body eclipsing the sunset, the orange glow surrounding her hourglass frame.

After a short moment of admiration, you stood up and walked behind her. She didn’t react as you wrapped your arms around her from behind, nor did she react when you kissed her cheek. Inch by inch, the sun disappeared over the horizon, leaving the river below shimmering. It was beautiful. The two of you stood there peacefully, enjoying the sight, when suddenly you heard a sniffle.

“Dahyun?”

Still, no response, but she let you turn her around. With her back to the sunset, that amber glow surrounding her pale skin gave her a divine aura, one of true beauty. She had dewy eyes, but her minimal eyeliner remained untouched. Before you could say anything else, she kissed you.

She held her face right in front of yours after it ended, her untouched eyeliner no longer untouched. Behind her, the sun had set, dimming the entire world around you. She reached forward with her hands, grabbing yours and squeezing.

“Alone on a rooftop with a guy I like,” she whispered into your face.

“You sure you wouldn’t go on a date with me?”

Dahyun giggled as a couple of tears slid down her face, letting go of your hands to wipe them away. She was smiling, but you could see through the facade.

“One day maybe,” she mumbled before starting to turn back.

“Dahyun,” you said sternly while grabbing onto her again, refusing to let her turn away.

She bit her lip, not wanting to open up, but your insistent eye contact eventually convinced her.

“It’s just really… I feel like… I’ve just been trying so hard.”

It was your turn to kiss her.

“Dahyun, I notice your effort.”

“Do you really, though?”

There was another pause.

“Am I just not good enough for you?” she asked as her voice cracked, but this time no tears came.

“How could you ever think that?” you responded with a hint of anger, unable to hide your passion for her.

“It just feels like you’re always picking the other girls, am I being crazy?”

Instinctually, you wanted to affirm her belief, you wanted to call her crazy for ever thinking that you didn’t find her good enough. However, you held back and looked from her perspective. She probably understood that your job was difficult, juggling nine girls, but it was probably still not easy to see you with the others.

“You’re not being crazy,” you said carefully. “I’m not perfect, all I can do is my best when it comes to being fair to all nine of you.”

“I know, you’re trying your best,” she sighed heavily. “I’m being selfish again, aren’t I?”

Again, you kissed her, but this time you were more soft and reassuring.

“No, you’re not being too selfish.”

“Then why do I feel this way?” she cried out in pain. “I just can’t shake this feeling.”

“You have worked your butt off for years, all that effort as a trainee, those years of hard work after debut,” you pointed out. “It’s completely reasonable for you to want more. In fact, you deserve more.”

She looked up into your eyes, her self-consciousness palpable.

“Do I?” she whispered.

“Yes,” you muttered, kissing her lips again. “You deserve the whole world, and then some.”

“I don’t want the world.”

“Tell me what you want.”

She bit her lip, unsure what to say. It was on the tip of her tongue, the words just weren’t coming out.

“Be selfish,” you whispered to her. “Forget everything else, be selfish. Tell me what you want.”

More hesitation.

“Forget about my job, just tell me exactly what you want,” you pushed.

She continued to waver, biting her lower lip again while you stared deeply into her eyes. She was nervous, unsure if it was appropriate to speak her mind. It wasn’t until you gave her hand a soft squeeze did she finally speak up.

“I want you,” she whispered.

“Then I’m yours.”

“I want you to lust for me.”

“I already do.”

“Show me how much you lust for me,” she added softly before kissing you briefly. “It’s your day, I want you to take what you want.”

“The only thing I want is you,” you mumbled, kissing her lips again while your hands slipped up her skirt.

“Make me feel wanted,” she moaned as you kissed her neck. “Make me feel… special…” (lol)

“You are special,” you grumbled into her neck, kneading her soft ass with your hands.

“Then hurry up and do it. Take me right here. Right now.”

“Right here?”

“Yes,” she moaned as you began toying with the wetness between her legs.

“Right now?”

“Stop teasing!”

With an added roughness, you slipped her underwear off, dropping it down to her ankles. You stared into her eyes. There was doubt, worry, insecurity. She still wasn’t entirely confident in herself, but you weren’t going to let her keep that presumption. You ripped her shirt off, leaving her in just her bra and skirt. Next came her bra as you reached around her back, swiftly undoing the strap and letting it fall to the ground.

She stood there with her bare breasts open to the world, the cool air making her nipples taut and firm. One arm came up across her chest, covering the beautifully shaped curves, and you ignored it temporarily as you crouched down and lowered her skirt to the ground. You took a single step back and admired her body - her bright red face, one arm across her chest, the other covering between her legs which were squeezed tight together.

“That’s not allowed,” you said while grabbing both of her hands, pulling them away so that her nude body was fully displayed. “Don’t look away.”

As she started to look at you, you picked up her right hand and pressed your lips against the back of it, staring back into her eyes. Then, with your eyes now on her body, you kissed her forearm. Then her bicep, her shoulder, the side of her right tit, her hip.

Then you crouched down, pausing face level with the wet part between her legs. Next, you planted a kiss on her thigh, followed by her shin. With a final bend, you kissed the top of her right foot before pausing, shifting over the left foot and kissing the top of it as well.

As you moved up her body from the other side, instead of kissing it, you ran your tongue across her skin. All the way from her shin, up to her chest, her soft body conformed to the pressure of your tongue - a subtle line of wetness left behind. When you got to her left tit, instead of kissing the side, you pressed your lips directly against her nipple - this earned you a gentle moan. Then you kissed her shoulder, while her left arm hung down next to her body.

Slowly, you began to kiss down her left arm, crouching down as you went closer to her hand. With a final kiss on the back of her left hand, you shifted your body over slightly so that you were between her legs.

She looked down at you, as you looked up at her. You’ve never seen Dahyun blush this hard before, that messy eyeliner making her eyes that much more gorgeous. With the sun completely set at this point, the night sky above was shining down on the two of you.

While staring directly into her eyes, you leaned forward and pressed your lips between her legs, finally getting a taste of her ecstasy. As soon as your lips touched the skin, Dahyun let out a long, drawn out breath through her barely-open mouth. As your tongue escaped your lips, finding refuge on Dahyun’s moist folds, she started to moan into the sky.

Licking and sucking, left and right, up and down. Anything you could do to make her moan louder, you did. The taste was driving you insane, an ever-growing sense of lust developing inside you. She wanted you, but you couldn’t get enough of her. Even though you could feast on her wetness all night, it was time to take your prize - to show Dahyun how badly you really wanted her.

“Do you believe me now, when I say I want you?” you whispered while standing up in front of her and lowering your pants. You tossed off your shirt and placed your hands on her ass while she grabbed your shoulders.

She nodded with her face, still bright red, scrunched up in desperation. Despite being unable to vocalize it, she couldn’t wait. She needed you. It wasn’t until you stepped a bit closer and grabbed the back of her thighs did she finally come to terms with what was about to happen - you lifted her up from the legs with her back against the wall.

Her slick pussy was beckoning to you, begging for you, even as you held your cock right up against it you could feel the heat emanating from it. Teasing was not an option right now, not that you could even if you wanted to. You pressed forward, pushing your hips into her body, receiving another one of Dahyun’s painfully sexy moans directly into your ear. You kissed her neck, a final act of tenderness before what was to come.

Moans and gasps became one as you stretched her pussy out. Her body was calling to you in desperation, the wetness and warmth of her inner walls cradled your shaft as you pushed to the base. Part of you wanted to just go at it, have your way with her pussy, but your body had other plans. Slowly, methodically, your hips moved back and forth, stretching her pussy to the limit with each thrust.

It was slow, but not gentle. Each pump of your hips had force, making Dahyun recoil against your body. Her soft tits squishing against your chest. Pleasure reverberated through her body with each heavy thrust. She took a sharp breath each time your cock slammed into her, the sound of her audible satisfaction right next to your ear.

She was getting considerably wetter, evident from the puddle forming between your feet. Gently, you spread her ass cheeks a bit with your hands, her soft body easily moving. Now, every time you thrusted into her, even more of her juices sprayed down onto the rooftop.

Finally, her pussy began to convulse around your cock. You didn’t speak up nor slow down, you simply continued jamming your body as deep as it would go into her, using as much force as you could muster while holding her up. She was losing strength in her own grip, her fingers no longer digging into your skin.

As she slowly slid down towards the ground, you fell forward with her, keeping your cock embedded balls deep as her inner walls sent waves of pressure along your shaft. Her moans became muted briefly - she was unable to make sound.

Keeping your cock deep inside her, you slowly moved back and forth just a tiny bit - easing her into extending her orgasm. The warm contractions continued to engulf your cock, you had to slow down just a bit in hopes to delay your own orgasm.

“That was amazing,” she moaned softly, her body completely out of energy in front of you.

“You’re amazing,” you whispered, leaning forward and kissing her mouth. You kissed her mouth a few more times, when a sudden urge hit you like a truck.

After pulling out of her wetness, you stood up in front of her. She looked up at you, her tits bouncing up and down with each breath she took. Stepping over her, your legs on either side of her little body, you grabbed the back of her head.

There was zero resistance, she let you take control of her: she let you use her. Once you leaned forward a bit, she even opened up her mouth wide - it seemed like she was just as excited for you to enter her throat as you were.

Slowly, you inched forward into her mouth until there was resistance. Then you pushed through, past the barrier. Noises began to emanate from her mouth, her saliva dripped down her chin onto her chest, her legs bent at the knees and came up towards her chest, her hands gripped onto your legs. You paused for a second, staring down at her with her eyes shut tight.

Part of you wanted to stop, part of you wanted to see how far she would let you go. Your uncertainty was erased when she tried to move her head forward - she wanted you to push the limit. You tightened your grip on her head, bunching her hair up with your fingers, and pressed forward until your entire shaft entered her warm mouth. After holding yourself inside her for a few seconds, you swiftly withdrew from her lips, leaving her coughing.

“You alright?” you asked while gently rubbing the back of her head.

She looked up at you with her eyes watering just a tiny bit and nodded, wiping the shiny mess off her chin with the back of her hand.

“Please keep going,” she whispered to you.

The way she spoke made her sound so desperate. Begging, yearning for your attention. She didn’t care how tough it was, she only cared that you were focused on her. In a strange way, seeing how badly she wanted you made you lust for her even more - it seemed her plan was working.

Hurting her was not your goal, it was the last thing you wanted to do. So as you stepped up in front of her face again, you were gentle. Lovingly, you slipped into her mouth again. Despite knowing she was fine with you grabbing her head and ruthlessly throat-fucking her, you took far more care.

Immediately, her warmth brought you back to that state of pleasure. There was no urge to push past her limit, but you did make sure to get there each time your hips moved. You wanted her to know that she was appreciated while still making her feel safe.

With your hands on the ledge, holding yourself up, you looked out into the night and continued pumping your hips. The warmth of her mouth felt unbelievably amazing on your cock, especially in the cool night. Her mouth was comforting, a place you didn’t want to leave. You kept your hips moving, not jamming yourself into her throat, but pushing her to take a good majority of your length each time.

Slowly, sensually, you took pleasure in her mouth. She was, involuntarily or not, allowing her saliva to make a mess all over your cock. Her wetness left a hefty layer along your length, making it incredibly easy to pump into her soft lips.

The pressure was building up, and you could feel yourself getting close. It was becoming difficult to maintain your slow and steady pace. There was a desire in you to unleash, to thrust your cock as deep into Dahyun’s little throat as you could.

After pushing yourself back slightly with your arms, you looked down at the pale girl. She was so diligent, never once complaining about having her mouth invaded. She took it well - like a professional. You placed one hand on her head again, and pressed deep into her throat one last time before slowly pulling out of her lips.

“Keep going if you want to,” she gasped for air while looking up at you, her chin completely drenched in saliva. She reached up with one hand and wrapped her small fingers around your cock, slowly stroking. “Cum in my throat, on my face, do whatever you want with me.”

“You’re already giving me everything I could ever want,” you replied warmly while leaning down to grab her hands and lifting her up. You turned her around so that she could also see the river below being illuminated by the lights of the night. “Bend over,” you commanded the petite girl as she leaned against the barricade.

As she moved her hips back, your throbbing manhood naturally pressed up towards the sky. You pushed down, sliding your shaft between her ass cheeks. You slid up and down between her cheeks, enjoying the soft cushioning of her ass around your cock.

With one hand pushing down on your shaft, you slipped into her pussy again. Her lips spread with little resistance, a gentle moan escaping her lips as you pushed in. You wrapped your arms around her body, grabbing her tits as your hips started thrusting.

She kept her mouth open, softly moaning into the night each time you pressed against her backside. Just like you were with her mouth earlier, you were careful with her pussy. It wasn’t soft, but you weren’t willing to risk hurting her - she was too precious.

After fucking her from behind for a bit, her incessant moans filling the air, you took one step back. Your hands slid down her body and pulled her back from her hips, bending her over even more. She was so wet, that puddle between your feet from earlier was gigantic at this point.

It was time to finish, your cock was basically begging for it now. You placed your hands on top of hers, holding the barricade alongside her, and pushed your cock into her one more time. While your hips chased that not-so-distant climax, you bent over her back and started kissing her spine.

The slightly salty taste of her back filled your mouth as you neared your orgasm. Your hands squeezed hers gently, and her moans turned into gentle squeals. That warm pussy was driving you insane. Just as you were about to cum, you wrapped your arms around her core for support, holding yourself up with her body.

“Dahyun, fuck,” you cried into her back as your cock began to erupt inside her warm cavern.

Pump after pump you shot your load into her. Like the perfect girl she was, she held herself up, allowing her pussy to become a pocket for you to deposit your load into. The strength in your legs was disappearing, and this time you were the one sliding down to the ground while Dahyun followed.

After falling to the ground, you rolled over onto your back, staring up at the sky and heaving for air. With the little strength you had left, you turned your head to see Dahyun squatting next to you, a stream of white goo dripping out of her and adding to the messy puddle from earlier.

She then straddled your body, kissing you briefly, before rolling over to your other side where the ground was less soaked in your aftermath.

“It can be difficult, you know?”

“What is?” you asked, trying to control your panting.

“Seeing you with the others, I know that it’s your job, but it can still be difficult,” she sighed, holding her knees up to her chest.

After sitting up with your back against the barrier and snuggling up closer to her, you wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I know, and I’m sorry things have to be this way,” you said softly. You silently vowed to give Dahyun some extra attention, cherishing what this girl meant to you. “Was that as good for you as it was for me, though?”

“It was,” she whispered, moving closer to you. Her body was shivering. “Thank you for looking out for me.”

“Always, I’ll always be looking out for you,” you replied, trying to transfer your body heat to her with your hug. “Never forget that.”

“I won’t,” she whispered softly, her teeth clattering. “Do you think there would ever be a world where we could start dating?”

“Of course, if it was announced that Dahyun from Twice wanted to start dating there would be a massive line,” you said softly while crawling forward and grabbing the blanket from earlier. “And I would be at the front of that line,” you added, wrapping the blanket around her.

“What if it was just Dahyun,” she asked quietly.

Your heart skipped a beat.

“Do you mean…”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “I’m worried, what if the others don’t?”

“We both know I’m not allowed to tell you about the others,” you answered solemnly. “I can only discuss what you’re going to decide.”

“I’ve already agreed to renew,” she said softly, squeezing your body under the blanket. “My only worry is if the others don’t. Without them, there is no Twice.”

“When I said I’ll always be looking out for you, I stand by that,” you said while squeezing her back. “Even if the nine of you decide to move on, I’ll be here for you.”

“That’s more comforting than you could ever know,” she yawned, the fatigue of her efforts today finally hitting. “But I’m not ready to move on, not yet.”

“Then, before you move on, maybe we need to explore this idea of us dating,” you suggested.

“I don’t know if that’s fair to Sana,” she said shyly. “The two of you aren’t exactly a secret.”

“Hey, I assure you Sana is fine with it if you are,” you responded. “Are you?”

“I think I’d be open to trying,” she said, her cheeks turning bright pink.

“In that case, let’s get you inside before you hurt yourself,” you chuckled. “It’s freezing up here.”

“It wasn’t so bad while you were fucking me,” she giggled.

---

A/N:

What can I say, I'm a Dahyun simp. Honestly this Birthday series was initially only going to be two chapters, but it's looking more like it'll be four. Le Sserafim... soon... sorry to keep everyone waiting! For Twice, there is soooooo much to come. After Birthday is done, I'd expect two cameo chapters and then MiSaMo focus!

As always, I am loving all the support from my readers! I can't believe how many people genuinely enjoy my writing. Someone even said I'm their favorite author... love you guys!

I do want to ask one thing. Of course follows/likes/whatever are cool, but I'd really love to hear feedback! I honestly care about feedback through comments, DMs, whatever, way more! Not only does it make me happy to hear what people think, it also helps me with my future plans.

Of course, if you don't want to send feedback, then you absolutely don't have to. Just keep reading and enjoying or whatever, or don't, live your life <3.

[active-mind-15]

I've got some more chronic Akashi brainrot for y'all...

I had re-watched parts of Last Game not too long and I remember the scene after Team Vorpal Swords won when Riko's dad bought a bunch of snacks and drinks for everyone to celebrate. While eating, Midorima asked Akashi (referring to the haphazard way snacks were spread across the table), "Are you sure you're okay with something so sloppy, Akashi?" And Akashi looked at him and said, "What are you talking about? We used to sit around and celebrate like this in middle school all the time."

It really stuck in my head for a reason I kinda mentioned the other day, when I was talking about Akashi's dynamic with Hayama. I won't explain that entire post, but I was mainly discussing how Hayama is touchy with Akashi but Akashi never minds, and the last sentence of my post regarding that was, "Akashi seems to be very unfazed whenever he's manhandled by his Rakuzan teammates which shows that he was never really that uptight about people touching him to begin with and people just assumed he was". This brings me to the main topic of this post: Akashi Seijuro and the assumptions the KNB cast has about his personality.

As I love to point out on this godforsaken app, Akashi has been done dirty by every adult in his life with the exception of his mother. So much of what went wrong in his 3rd year at Teiko was due to high expectations and the idea that Akashi was not allowed to be anything less than perfect at whatever he did, but at the root of all of this are assumptions.

False assumptions that he was able to handle such a heavy workload. False assumptions that he was ready to be captain in his second year. False assumptions that he was coping with stress well. False assumptions that he wasn't already cracking before he even enrolled in Teiko. He was let down so many times by so many people because people assumed he was okay when he wasn't and hadn't been for YEARS.

And I think it's a big reason as to how and why the rest of the Teiko gang unintentionally isolated Akashi back in middle school. They put Akashi on a pedestal and assumed that there was some sort of invisible barrier between him and the rest of the team. In the same way when, during Last Game, Midorima assumed Akashi would stick his nose up at... eating chips and drinking juice with the homies... everyone has this idea that Akashi is more haughty than he actually is? Akashi isn't haughty at all. In fact, the Replace Plus Chapters highlight the fact that he's the complete opposite. This boy saved a baby in one chapter, and as the mother of the baby profusely thanks him, he says "Anyone could have done that." As if he didn't showcase superhuman reaction time and reflexes by pulling a baby out of a runaway stroller coming down a hill at high speed right before the stroller was obliterated by an oncoming truck. 💀

These assumptions make even less sense when Akashi has already shown people how much he doesn't want to be put on a pedestal. Again, back to the scene in Last Game, Midorima assumed Akashi wouldn't be down for the "sloppy" afterparty, but Akashi had to remind Midorima that they'd already done things like that in middle school. Momoi has cute nicknames for every member of the Teiko gang except Akashi, who she refers to simply as "Akashi-kun". Maybe that was her assuming Akashi would never accept being called by a cute nickname. Never mind the fact that he already was being addressed as "Akashicchi" and "Aka-chin" by Kise and Murasakibara, respectively, and then later was being addressed as "Sei-chan" by Mibuchi. And you can't even argue that she didn't want to make Akashi uncomfortable, because Midorima has outwardly expressed before that he didn't wanna be called "Midorin" but Momoi just kept calling him that.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're shitty friends for doing this. I just think that there was a lack of communication within the Teiko gang, and in an attempt to respect what they assumed were Akashi's boundaries, they unintentionally excluded Akashi from activities that he would absolutely participate in if he had just been given the chance.

This post is long asf so I'll just conclude here, but one of my delusional headcanons for the Teiko gang post-Extra Game is that Akashi becomes more open with them about how he feels and also about wanting to be included in more of their activities, and so he finally gets to experience having a regular hangout with friends like a regular teenager. I just think he deserves that so bad after feeling alone for so many years.

[izvmimi]

cw: fluff. reader is royalty by way of the Silvas, and engaged to Asta.

Your hands shielded by oven mitts, you scrape a potful of mashed pop potatoes in a large bowl before transferring it to the table, then arrange the rest of the meal you’ve spent the day preparing, steamed assorted vegetables, a roast, the works… It’s hard to cook in a new kitchen, and even if you spent the morning going to the market and filling the new pantry with the things you enjoyed, you know your speed has been reduced and your faithful maid would have done a far more efficient job than you could have. What you can only hope for is that the food is at least good, and as you dip a tasting spoon into the pop potatoes, you are happy to confirm that it’s at least decent.

It’s early evening and Asta has stepped out on magic knight business for the day. Just a week has passed since you’ve moved into this new cottage just on the edge of the city, and Asta has apologized profusely ever since the first day you moved your things out of the Silva estate into this cozy space for not being immediately able to provide you with the lavish life he’s somehow convinced himself you deserve, but you’ve loved it ever since he presented it to you on bended knee, and spend your time daydreaming how you’ll make it into the home of your dreams. Given the circumstances, you’ve made sure to let none of the servants know of your new dwellings (they assume you still live at the hideout) except for the woman who partially raised you and also taught you to cook once your mother no longer could. 

It’s odd for royalty to have any skills of this respect and thus you are very thankful for her, even if she always thought it strange that you hung so close to her in the kitchen. It at least gave you something to talk about with Charmy, and now, as you plate a meal for you and your future husband, you feel a sense of accomplishment that has nothing to do with magic or any royal bloodline. 

Asta is surprised to say the least when he finally makes it back, eyes widening as he smells Hage’s flagship meal from the very door.

“No way!”

A smile is impossible to wipe from your face as you tell him to go wash his hands before he sits down with you, and he does so quickly, then slips into the chair beside you, offering you a kiss on the cheek before digging in.

“You didn’t - mpgh- have to - cook!” he reminds you between sips and swallows. With honesty, he reminds you that he’s surprised every time anyone of noble descent cooks but you tap him on the forehead with the edge of your fork instead.

“Is it good though?” you ask. The most important question. 

“Incredible, actually!” he asks. “Like you used magic!”

“Asta…” you pout and he laughs at your annoyance, then kisses your nose before going back to stuffing his face. “I mean effort and love,” he rectifies.

It’s filling enough just watching him eat, but you do manage to eat your fill as well, and when the two of you are satisfied, he thanks you for the meal before he recounts his day to you.

“So we might have to spend some time at the Eastern border again, just because there are some concerns that Diamond Kingdom might be sending in spies through Kiten to mess with the witches. That being said, I’m pretty sure the witches can take care of themselves, but it seems that there was a specific request for backup. I think it’ll be a short trip, but if you want, I know this place is small, so if you do feel like going back to the Silva estate for a while…” he starts, and then you frown.

“You keep calling our house small as if it’s a bad thing, Asta. It just is different, but not any worse.”

Asta adjusts in his seat, then lets out a sigh finally. His eyes focus on yours and he takes both of your hands carefully before continuing.

“I just don’t want to force you to settle into a humble life just because you care about me,” he finally admits.

There’s a short pause, in which you can practically hear his heart thumping, in unison with yours; you grip his own hands gently, rubbing the roughened skin tenderly before answering.

“You couldn’t force me to do anything Asta. I’d live on a farm and uproot pop potatoes by hand every single day for a living in a space half as small if only I were doing it with you.”

It’s a heavy declaration, but you mean it with your whole heart. Asta’s face reddens as he gets flustered, practically indignant at the very thought.

“Absolutely not! I’ll become Wizard King and I’ve already worked hard enough for the both of us, so no damn way you’ll ever have to work that hard!”

As expected, Asta never changes. You smile at him and kiss his forehead.

“My point is that I love you regardless. Wherever your home base is will be home for us both now, okay? I personally love our home.”

You can practically see Asta’s heart swell as his lips part, and at a loss for further words, instead pulls you into his lap and holds you tightly. You settle into his hold comfortably, burying your head into his chest.

“You’re too good to me. I want us to have the happiest life possible,” he whispers into your hair. “Everything.”

“Any life with you in it, Asta. Gladly.”

[jieunoclock]

Love Your Feeling (JJK) || Drabble one

- Beat Him To Death ₊˚⊹♡

“She was crying in my arms” I say. He chuckles which makes me look up at him. “What?” I smile. “Nothing, nothing” He tells me shaking his head, with a big grin on his face “Let’s go”.

Pair: jjk x femOC, college students, best friends

Word count: 701

masterlist || drabbles chapter || taglist

!Friends to Lovers, Protective Brother, Secret Dating, Friends with Benefits, Angst, Mature content, Dysfunctional Family, Fluff, Smut, Mentions of Alcoholism and Abuse

——————————————————————₊˚⊹♡

JK pov.

She left a while ago, her perfume still lingers in my room. I’m so fucking angry. Angry at that Taehyung dude, how dare he fucking treat her like that?

Me: Yo Cho Me: Bouta visit a friend, Wanna come with?

He knows what that actually means.

Guesung: Sure. Usual spot in 5.

Me: I’ll be there

Dressed in baggy jean and an oversized white shirt. I grab my keys and put my sneakers on. Close the door behind me quickly as I make my way downstairs.

Down the alley at the abandoned playhouse, the usual meeting spot.

“Yo Kook” he holds up a hand for me ready to dab me up. “Sup Cho” I say

“Who’s the lucky guy? Tracked him down already?” Funny how he makes me sound like some crazy assassin.

“Names Kim Taehyung” I tell him as he chuckles. “You’re kidding me right?” He grabs a cigarette out of his trousers pocket and holds the open packet out to me, offering me one as he puts on in his mouth. Rude to decline right?

“What he do?” He asks as he takes a drag of his cigarette.

“Hurt Yun” I tell him. “How so?” He’s rarely ever curious. Doesn’t care, just wants to know how valid the fight is he's about to be part of.

“Doesn’t matter, he fucked her up bad. Was crying in my arms” He makes my blood boil. I didn’t know how to respond to her. She was talking and, I practically left her on heard. I know she still likes him, so I can’t cuss him out in front of her. That would only hurt her more.

Guesung chuckles which makes me look up at him. “What?” I smile. “Nothing, nothing” He tells me shaking his head, with a big grin on his face “Let’s go”.

I just follow Guesung, he knows the way usually. Knows way too many people. Calls around a little to find out if anyone’s seen Taehyung today. And to his surprise someone has. Still at the house party, passed out. Supposedly.

We walk in, the whole house almost trashed. Rubbish all over the floor because of yesterday. People spread out across the room, completely passed out.

I spot Taehyung and my fist clenches.

He’s sitting on the couch, a girl sleeping with her head on his thigh, this man has the nerve.

I grab him by his collar, dragging him outside as Guesung follows close behind me. Taehyung is mad confused, half woken up. Slow in my grip.

“Listen, big dude” I say pushing him into the fence right beside the wide open back door of the house

“Let me the fuck go you dickwad” he tries to push me off, far too hungover to put actual strength on it.

“You’re gonna walk up to Nayun tomorrow m’kay? And you’re gonna apologize” I demand.

“Apologize for what?” God, he’s oblivious. Something snaps in my brain, my jaw clenches and I punch the fence right beside his head.

“DO I HAVE TO REMIND YOU?” I yell in his face. “DUDE. WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT?” He yells back, and I punch him.

“YO CHILL CHILL, I’ll apologize!” he says apologizing profusely. I punch him again, against his sharp jawline other on his eye. I wish I could beat him to death.

“UNDERSTAND?” I push him to the ground, and he nods profusely. Pathetic little loser. If that’s what will make Nayun happy. Then she can go for it.

He’s sitting on the ground. Far from being unconscious but still having proper visible wounds now scarring his beautiful face. A black eye, bleeding jaw, bruised cheek. Guess he ain’t so beautiful no more.

——————————————————————————

Taehyung walks past us, it’s Monday morning. “Oh my god, what happened to him?” Nayun asks me. Hiding the damaged knuckles in my sleeve. “No idea. Guess he deserved it huh?” I say.

“Guess so..it doesn’t look good” I stay silent. Why the fuck does she even care? I grab my phone out of my pocket, checking it. No messages.

“Shit, gotta go” I say, having absolutely nowhere to be. “What why?” She shouts as I’m already partially run off. “Talk to you later Yun!” prev drabble | next drabble

[lulubelle814]

In Every Life - Part 1

Summary: Two souls destined for each other, but life has other plans. Will they find each other and have their happy ending?

In Every Life

Masterlist

It was late September of 1883 when they met.  Some would call it kismet.  Others destiny.  The miserable ones would call it coincidence. He needed to go into London for a few weeks to work on some business prospects and handle some estate matters with his lawyer.  Lucille stayed back as she did not care to leave home but was not happy to be without her brother for so long. 

Josephine and her mother were on their way to the hospital when she had a sudden dizzy spell, causing her to fall to the street but found herself saved by a beautiful stranger, rescuing her from being hit by a carriage riding too close to the sidewalk.

"Are you alright?" her mother inquired.

"I'm alright mother, thanks to this kind gentleman." She was shy and blushing, unbelieving that she made a fool of herself in front of this handsome man. 

Her mother looked at him, thanking him profusely. "You may have saved her life, mister…."

"Sharpe, Thomas Sharpe, baronet, madame."

"Thank you so very much, Lord Sharpe. I am Victoria Morrow, and this is my daughter, Josephine. How can I ever repay you?"

His words failed him as he locked eyes with Josephine. In that moment, he felt as if there was something linking his heart to hers.  His heart, nay his soul, screamed to not let this beguiling creature to depart from him.  

Unbeknownst to him, Josephine was similarly affected. 

He responded to her mother without looking away from Josephine.  "There is no need, madame. I am more than happy to assist."  Josephine smiled at him causing his heart to skip with joy.  "If it is not too forward, might you be available for dinner this evening Ms. Josephine?" He held his breath, praying she would accept his offer. 

The way her name rolled off his tongue could soothe an angry lion, and she would do anything to hear him say it again.  Looking at her mother for approval before answering, she said, "I would love that." They let him know where they were staying, advising he would pick her up at 7 pm.

That evening, he arrived promptly on time, having arranged a carriage to drive them to a nice restaurant he knew nearby. His breath escaped him as she descended the stairs, thinking her to be an angel descended from the heavens in a beautiful dark blue dress.  “You look breathtaking.”

Josephine found her heart beating so loud thinking he must be able to hear it.  Blushing, she reminded herself to breathe before taking his arm.  “Thank you Lord Sharpe.”

“Thomas, please.”  He wanted nothing more than to run away with her to some far off place or at least back to his home.  

She nodded.  “Thomas.  You look very dapper yourself.”

She scolded herself.  ‘Dapper?  That’s the best you can come up with?’

“Shall we?”  He held out his arm which she took.  He aimed towards the door, and she followed him, a willing captive.  When entering the carriage, it took all his strength to tell the driver to take them to the restaurant rather than what his head and heart were telling him.

At dinner, they exchanged stories. He told her the joke about why his estate is called Crimson Peak.

"That sounds extraordinary."

"It is fascinating but sometimes also a bit macabre when someone walks around and leaves what looks like bloody footprints."

"That must be a sight to behold. Oh how I wish I could see that." She froze. She had not meant to be so bold and admit that last part, but he simply smiled and said, "I would love for you to see it. You are most welcome to come observe the sight any time you wish."

She felt a bit relieved. They continued to talk and walked leisurely back to her hotel as they did not want the night to end. 

"I would very much like to see you again tomorrow, if that is alright?"  He didn't want to let her go, yearning to whisk her back to Allerdale as his. 

"I would like that as well. My mother and I have an appointment, but we should be back by 1."

"1 o'clock it is. I look forward to it." He smiled, taking her hand in his and placed a kiss across her knuckles before departing. 

Arriving at her room, she found her mother was pulling out the metallic syringe and an opaque bottle of liquid. "Did you have fun?"

She smiled and nodded. "He's wonderful and incredibly kind. He has asked to see me again tomorrow when we get back.”

"I see no problem with that at all, my dearest daughter, but it’s time for your medicine."

Josephine was not a fan of needles, but her mother insisted it would help with her deteriorating health.

When she awoke the next day, the front desk brought flowers that had been delivered early that morning. 

My Dearest Josephine,

These flowers pale in comparison to your beauty. I very much look forward to seeing you again today. 

Sir Thomas Sharpe

She placed them by her bedside, smiling like a loon. Her left hand began to shake and held it with her right to help control the tremors.

The visit at the hospital took longer than anticipated as they wanted to run a few tests to get a diagnosis as they felt they were close. By the time they arrived back at their hotel, it was half past 1.

Thomas waited patiently in the lobby. He had not been to the hospital much but knew appointments of any nature could run longer than expected.  When she arrived flustered, he tried to give an air of calm and understanding. 

"I'm so sorry."

"It's quite alright. No need to explain. If you need to take a moment to freshen up, I am happy to wait."

Josephine appreciated his offer and went up to her room to fix herself quickly and was back down ten minutes later. She was sure to wear a dress with a larger skirt to help hide the tremors in her legs that were becoming more frequent.

He took her to a shop that prepared a picnic basket for them which they took to a nearby park. He laid everything out on the blanket, and they spent the afternoon enjoying each other's company, talking about various things such as nature, science, hopes, dreams.  Before they knew it, evening fell upon them, the picnic food gone hours before. 

"Would you like me to escort you back to your hotel?"

She felt a pang of disappointment, not wanting to leave just yet. As if he could read her mind, "or, perhaps, we could get some dinner?"

Thomas wasn't ready to take her back but feared she might be tired of him. He hoped she might accept his second offer, his heart almost refusing to beat.

"Dinner sounds delightful."

Internally, he breathed a sigh of relief, his heart relieved.  As she went to stand up, the tremors began again, causing her to lose her footing; however, Thomas caught her before she fell to the ground.  She tried to brush it off.  “I’m so sorry.  My legs must have fallen asleep.”  She smiled.  “Not to worry.  I’ll help you to the restaurant.  It’s nearby.”  She took his arm, using it to steady herself, trying her best to ignore the looming headache.

They continued to enjoy one another's company through dinner and dessert, not realizing the late hour while looking at the stars in the park until they arrived back at her hotel to her frantic mother who calmed the moment she saw her daughter was with Sir Thomas. 

"Thank you so much for escorting my daughter. It appears she had a lovely time." This caused Josephine to blush profusely. 

"My apologies for keeping her so late. I do so much enjoy spending time with her."  He couldn't help but shyly smile as he spoke.   “If your mother permits, I would love to see you again.”

“That would be lovely,” she said, trying to hide the pain from her headache that seemed to only be getting worse.

“Would tomorrow be too soon?”  He was hopeful she’d agree.  It was too soon, but if he could, he would see her every day; however, he did not want to scare her, unsure if she felt the same.  Little did he know, she did.  As much as she loved her mother, she wanted adventures with him.  She’d run off with him at that very moment if she weren’t worried about leaving her mother alone.  Maybe he’d allow her to come with them?  Or would he disappear when learning of her declining health? ‘No, Josephine.  You mustn’t let your heart get ahead of your mind.  Perhaps he merely wants company while he is in town.’

Taking her hand, he turned it, kissing her palm and felt her hand shaking a bit but brushed it off, believing she was likely as nervous as he.  

Arriving back to her room, her mother was ready to give the next dose of medicine.  “Do we have to, mother?  How many more of these treatments must I endure?”

Her mother approached with caution.  “It is only for your benefit.  Do you not wish to be well?”

She sighed in defeat.  “Yes, mother.  It’s just that the treatments have become more difficult to handle.  I just want to be well and hope the doctors here can find a solution.”

“I am sure they will, but in the meantime, you need to continue this course of treatment.  The doctors have not been opposed to it, and I feel it has slowed down at the least.  I am truly sorry for how difficult this has been for you, but it’s not any easier watching you be forced to endure.  You are a strong, capable woman.  As your mother, I only want to see you succeed.”

Josephine relented and allowed her mother to administer the needle treatment.

“I must also say this.  Sir Thomas seems like a capable young man, but I am not sure he is right for you.  I fear he may take advantage of you due to your health.  I do not believe I can abide his visits much longer.  I want to see you happy, but I also want you to be safe.”  She put the needle away with the future treatments, placing them in the drawer of her nightstand.

She rubbed her arm at the injection site, momentarily forgetting her headache.  “I know, mother, but there is just something about him that I cannot explain.  I feel connected to him on a spiritual level, and if he were to propose tomorrow, I would say yes, but….”

Sitting on her bed, her mother looked nervous.  “But what, Josephine?”

“But I fear leaving you alone.  Father passed so long ago, and I do not want you to feel as if I am attempting to abandon you, but I feel I must follow my heart.  I am hoping, perhaps, that if he does propose, that you may come to live with us.  I know.  I’m getting ahead of myself.  Just wishful thinking.”

Her mother moved over next to her, holding her from the side.  “Darling daughter.  I am in awe of your desire to see me happy, and I feel the same for you.  I just………..want you to be safe.  The thought of you running off with that man scares me.  There is just something about his countenance I cannot trust.  I mean, what do we really know about him?”

She knew her mother was right.  She was always right, but something in the back of her mind said her mother was wrong about this.

As he walked back to his hotel, he could not stop thinking about the feel of her hand, the honeysuckle smell drifting off her hair.  He knew what needed to be done.  Once back in his room, he pulled out a pen and parchment.

My Dearest Sister,

Please forgive my neglect of you. I have been so thoroughly occupied of late, and have so very much to tell you. Foremost, that I send you my love and sincerest well wishes for you in my absence.  All is well here, I have been meeting with Mr. Westridge regarding the estate. He has been kind enough to assist in clarifying the terms of the paperwork so we have nearly concluded our business; however, I must confess that, while I do miss you, I am not eager to return home just yet.

I have had the absolute pleasure of meeting a most outstanding lady.  Her name is Josephine.  She is here in town with her mother.  With her mother’s permission, I escorted her to dinner.  She is such a remarkable woman.  She gazes fondly at the stars as if they were her dearest friends.   I showed her the constellations of Perseus and Andromeda, telling her their tale.  Dear sister, I would slay every beast in the world just to stand in her presence.

She adores reading the poets and makes spirited defenses and criticisms of every page she consumes.  She listens tirelessly to my myriad mechanical ramblings and discusses my ideas with a curious and open mind. Never has a woman taken such an intellectual interest in my work. I must admit that while her face caught my attention, it was her mind that has kept my interest.  

Oh, how I wish you were here to help guide me through this.  The very sight of her makes my heart flutter.   This strange feeling is beyond my comprehension, yet I do not wish for it to dissipate.  What must I do, dear sister?  Please, I beg for your guidance in this matter.

Your loving brother,

Thomas

Sealing the letter, he called upon the front desk to have the letter delivered to his sister, eager for a response as he was eager for his sister’s council.  They ensured him that short of unexpected, disastrous weather, they would have the letter delivered post haste.

While a cold cloth to her forehead helped alleviate her headache, Josephine suffered another night of unrest.  Rather than toss and turn, she quietly took out her diary to write, always addressing her entries to her father as it helped her feel close to him even though she never had the opportunity to meet him as he passed shortly after she was born.

Dear Father,

I must tell you of the noble gentleman who came to my rescue yesterday.  His name is Sir Thomas Sharpe.  I felt faint and began to stumble, but he saved me before I could be injured.  Dearest father, he is an angel, both in action and countenance.  When our eyes met, I knew in that instant he was my soulmate.

I know you never truly believed in soulmates and love at first sight, but I felt whole for the first time in my life.  I thought for so long that the missing piece of my soul occurred when you passed.  I realize now that the missing piece was him.  The cracks running deep to my core now feel as if they are mending each time we meet.

Father, I know you would approve of him.  We share similar interests.  He loves to read, star gaze, dance, and invent.  Yes!  He’s an inventor!  His mind creates these extraordinary ideas for machines.  His latest idea is for one that would make the harvesting of clay easier and more efficient with less likelihood for injury to the workers.  I find myself completely fascinated when he spoke of it

My first hesitation is mother.  I do not wish for her to feel abandoned.  She seemed amenable to come with me to Thomas’ estate, should he propose.  I have only known him for two days, but I would marry him at this very moment should he ask.  I do not care if he has money or not.  If he does not have an estate then the ground where we lay would become our home and the stars our blanket.

My second hesitation is my health.  I have not yet told him of my ailments and am afraid to do so.  My fears tell me he will reject me, not wanting an ill spouse, but my soul tells me he will not care.

I know not else how to describe this feeling, but I cannot deny it.  Mother reminds me that a lady does not openly express her feelings to a gentleman.  I wish you could meet him, see him as I do, but I know you watch over me.  

I also fear that I have created this imaginary scene in my mind, that my heart has overruled my mind to the point where I live in fantasy.

I beg of you for your help, courage, and wisdom to know what to do.  I miss you so much.

Your loving daughter,

Josephine

Putting her journal away, she climbed back into bed.  It was another hour before she was finally able to sleep.  

The following morning, Thomas readied himself, going by the florist first.  Looking for the perfect flowers, he looked for ones that might be worthy of her presence.  Once he found them, he paid the proprietor and left swiftly to her hotel and waited for her patiently in the lobby.

Josephine was lost in a fitful slumber, but her mother was awake and ready, knowing Sir Thomas would be arriving shortly.  Descending the stairs, she saw him holding the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen.

“Good morning Ms. Morrow!  How are you this fine morning?”  The joy in his face was evident to any who saw him.

“Good morning, Lord Sharpe!  I am well, but I’m afraid Josephine is still resting.  Her rest was very troubling last night, which is to be expected.”  

“I am so sorry to hear that, but I do hope she is well.  Do you know when she might awaken?”  He was very eager to see her.

“I could not say, but I do not wish to disturb her as her health has been poor, especially as of late.  I will ensure she receives these.”  

When she put her hands forward, he hesitated.  “I would be happy to wait until she is awake as I would live to give these to her myself.  I must confess.  I am eager to see her again.”  He wanted to see her so much, even if for a moment.  

“I cannot say when she may awaken and feel well enough for a visitor, but I assure you I will take these directly upstairs.”  Reluctantly, he handed her the bouquet.  

“I thank you for doing so.  If there is anything I might do to aid in her recovery, please do let me know.  I am very……..fond of her.”  He could not help but blush.

“You are too kind, Lord Sharpe.  We are fond of you as well.”  He smiled at her response.  

“Please do not hesitate to call upon me should there be anything I can do to assist in her recovery.”

He waited until Ms. Morrow disappeared up the stairs and out of view before taking his leave.

As her mother returned, she found her daughter to be awake and brushing her hair.  Turning at the sound of the door, she saw the flowers her mother held.  “Those are the loveliest flowers I have ever seen!  Where did you find them?”

Her mother walked over to the vase in their room, discarding the old flowers and placing the new ones in there with some water.  “A handsome gentleman gave them to me.  They are pleasing, are they not?”

“They truly are, and you deserve them.  You have been so kind and helpful with my health.  It’s the least you deserve.  I do hope he calls upon you again.”  Josephine turned around and continued to brush her hair.  She was feeling exceptionally unwell this morning but did not want to alarm her mother, keeping her thoughts to herself.  

As her mother went to place the flowers in a vase with some water, she removed the ribbon from the stems, placing it aside as a keepsake.  “I communicated your increasingly poor health to the hospital.  They recommended bed rest and valerian tea until your next appointment in 3 days.”

Disappointed, she returned to her bed, already plotting her escape.  She could not stand to be cooped up, preferring the fresh air and sunshine, or the stars at night.  In the meantime, she placed her head on the pillow, knowing she could use some more rest.

That was two days ago.  Thomas paced back and forth around his rooms wondering what to do, how he could capture even a glimpse of her.  Perhaps he could return back to her hotel in the evening with more flowers?  Or would more flowers be too much?  Maybe a new pair of gloves?

Then it occurred to him.  He knew exactly what she would like, departing for the desired object he had seen just the other day.  When he exited his hotel, he looked around to realize it was later than he thought, not having realized he had been pacing around his room for hours.

Holding himself back from running, he reminded himself of social protocol, trying to keep an acceptable pace as there was no emergency.  Upon arriving at his desired location, he spoke with the shopkeeper, describing the item he was looking for.  The shopkeeper knew exactly what he was describing.  “Would you like me to wrap it for you sir?”

Thomas smiled.  “I would be most grateful.  I am very grateful for your help.”  Pausing for a moment, he had another idea.  “Might you have a piece of parchment and ink I might use?”  

The shopkeeper smiled and retrieved the requested items.  “This must be for someone very special.”  Thomas smiled back at him.  “Yes, for someone very dear and precious.”  It took him a few moments, but the words finally came to him.

My Dearest Josephine,

Words fail me to accurately portray the bewildering spell you have cast upon me with your beauty and intellect.  I hope this may help convey what I am unable to express.  For I am unable to retain a singular thought when simply near you.  I yearn to see you.  To simply breathe the same air as you is a privilege that not even God himself is worthy.

I pray you can accept this humble token from an unworthy man such as myself.

Yours Always,

Thomas

Gently folding the note, he placed it inside before the shopkeeper who then safely wrapped the item, securing it with twine.  Holding it carefully, he departed.  

As he neared her hotel, he noticed a woman become unsteady, falling to the ground and hurriedly made his way to assist her.  

“Madam, are you alrigh………Josephine?”  Her face was contorted in pain.  “What is wrong?  What can I do?”  She could hear his voice off in the distance; however, she was more focused on her prevailing issue as her extremities continued to tremble. Lifting her bridal style, he started towards the hospital.  

She turned to look at him.  “Thomas?”  She sounded weak.  “Dear Josephine!  Do not worry.  I will get you to the hospital posthaste.”

She placed a hand on one of his lapels.  “Please no, not the hospital.”

“But you are unwell.  You must see a doctor!  If nothing else, I should take you back to your hotel to rest.  You cannot be out here in your state.”

“I beg you. Please do not take me back, at least not yet.  Can we delay a little?  Perhaps sit on a bench at the park?  I yearn for fresh air and sunshine.”

He could not deny her request, heading for the park nearby as she leaned her head on his shoulder.  Gently placing her on the bench, he sat next to her.  She held onto his arm.  To provide her better support, he wrapped an arm around her, finding her leaning into him.  They stayed like that for sometime, receiving odd looks from passersby.  Finally, Thomas broke their peaceful quiet.

“Darling Josephine.  If I might implore, what is ailing you?”

This was it.  She was about to be confronted with her fear of his rejection of her due to her health.  “I’m afraid, Thomas.” she turned her face up to look at him.

“What are you afraid of, my dear?”

there was nothing she could do to hide or deny it any longer.  “I have been unwell for sometime.  Mother thought it best to come to London to see if the doctors might know what is affecting my health.  No one has been able to uncover the cause.  They’re only able to treat the symptoms.”

Thomas listened attentively as she looked away and continued.

“The doctors here have hope for a diagnosis and solution.  In the meantime, mother has been administering medicine to help me, but I fear it might not be working well enough.”  

“Why have you not told me of this before?”  His worry increased, not wanting her to suffer.

“I’m afraid you might not want to see me anymore.  No one wants to be saddled with an ill person.”

Placing his finger under her chin, he guided her face back towards his.  “My dearest darling Josephine.  Nothing could change how I feel about you.”

She blushed and attempted to bury her face in his chest, but he would not allow her to do so.  “If God himself told me I had to choose between you and the heavens, I would dwell happy as a dead man in hellfire for having known you.”

She could not help a tear or two from falling.  “Please, Thomas, do not take pity on me.  I could not bear it.”

Using the back of his finger, he wiped them away.  “Please do not cry.  I am not worthy of your tears.”

He brushed some falling hair out of her face, and she leaned her face into his palm as he did so, yearning to stay close to him.  A gust of cold wind fell upon them, and she began to shiver.  Against society propriety, he removed his coat and placed it around her to help keep her warm.  She confided in him her desire to be a dancer.  “I’ve always wanted to dance, but my health never allowed it.”

“One day, you will dance.  We will dance, even if I have to sweep you off your feet and hold you while I carry you around the dance floor.  Come, love.  We must get you back to your hotel for some rest.”  She agreed but found she was still unable to walk.  The tremors were affecting her more and more as time moved on.  Seeing her distress, he picked her up bridal style once again and moved towards her hotel.  As he carried her, she found herself warming between his coat and their close proximity, allowing his calming scent to envelop her.

They arrived at her hotel moments later, finding her mother running frantically down the stairs.  “Where have you been?  Are you alright?”

Josephine nodded, looking up at Thomas.  “I needed some air and fell, but Thomas rescued me.”

“We need to get you back to bed.”  Thomas began towards the stairs but was stopped by her mother.  “It is not appropriate for you to be in her room.  I can help her back to our rooms.”

He looked back at Josephine, not wanting to leave her in such a state, but Josephine knew once again that her mother was right.  He placed her down gently, her mother moving to help support her.

“Thank you again for rescuing me, Thomas.”  She gave him a weak smile, her energy still draining and began to remove and return his coat, but he stopped her. 

“No, my dear Josephine.  Please use it to keep yourself warm.  I can come back and retrieve it tomorrow or the day after when you are feeling better.”

He leaned forward to wrap his coat back around her, using the moment to whisper so that only she could hear.  “There is something in the pocket for you.”

She looked at him and smiled once more.  “Thank you again, Sir Thomas.  You have been most kind.”

He stayed and observed to help ensure her and her mother had no problems ascending the stairs, not leaving until well after they were out of sight.

Arriving back at his hotel, he found there was a letter and small package awaiting him.  Seeing his sister’s hand writing, he swiftly took the items to his room, eager to read her response.

Darling Brother,

I am beyond delighted to receive your letter.  What you describe in your letter is nothing short of love.  I have been worried for so long to find someone worthy of your time and attention, to be a partner, a friend, and a confidante.

She sounds to be the most exquisite creature.  It warms my heart with how you talk of her.  I have never heard you speak of anyone in such a manner, not even your childhood love, Angelica.  

From what you’ve told me of her, it appears she feels the same as you.  The only guidance I can give you is this.  Your heart already knows what to do and will not lead you astray.  All you need now is to listen to it.

I have enclosed mother’s ring.  While it is ghastly, use it to purchase a ring for my future sister.  Go, dear brother, and ask her to be your Andromeda.

Your loving sister,

Lucille

He knew she was right, always providing the truest insight and finest guidance.  In all the times he thought he was falling in love, none compared to his affection for Josephine.

Opening the small package, he found their mother’s ring encased in an intricately carved jewelry box.  While the box was beautiful, he agreed with his sister that the ring was frightful.  Gazing at the ring, he pondered where to go.  Placing the ring on the desk, he decided to begin his search for the perfect ring the next day.  All night, his mind stirred with ideas of how to ask his dear Josephine to be his Andromeda once a worthy ring was found..

Back at her hotel, Josephine placed Thomas’ coat over the back of her chair and bided her time to check the inner pocket until her mother had fallen asleep.  As she climbed into bed, her mother brought her nightly remedy.  Not wanting to anger her mother, she gripped the bedsheet tightly as the needle was administered in her other arm.  

As the needle and bottle were put away, Josephine noticed the flowers again by her mother’s bedside.  Whomever sent those must truly be enamored, and it delighted her heart, giving her hope that her mother would finally find someone.

She gently turned over to see her mother gazing at the flowers once more.  “Mother?  I am so sorry to have worried you like that.  It was not my intention to cause any harm.”

Looking back to her daughter, the smile on her face dropped as she prepared the valerian tea.  “You know, daughter.  I only wish the best for you.  The instructions from the doctors are only for your betterment.”

Although crestfallen, she knew her mother was right, as always.  “I’m just so tired of doctors and hospitals.”

“I know you are, my daughter.  I wish I could make it all go away, but they are necessary.  The physicians here seem to have better ideas on how to help you, and we must let them do it.”

She knew there was nothing else to say.  Taking the tea from her mother, she drank it without complaint, falling asleep soon after.

Waking up to the sound of song birds, Thomas yearned to see his beloved.  Taking the time to bathe and dress, he decided to surprise her at her hotel and take her to breakfast. Taking the ring, he placed it in his breast pocket.  

Swiftly arriving at her hotel, he inquired with the desk clerk if she was awake.  Having one of the staff check, it was only moments before Ms. Morrow arrived downstairs.

“Sir Thomas!  How delightful to see you this morning.”  

“Ms. Morrow, it is a pleasure to see you.  I was hoping to take your daughter to breakfast?  If it’s already with you, that is.”

“I’m so sorry, Sir Thomas.  She is still slumbering and will not be awake for a while, but I would be delighted to join you.  This would be an opportune time to get to know one another.  I feel that we may be spending more time together in the near future.”

He smiled, trying to hide his disappointment in not seeing his darling.  “That would be most wonderful, Ms. Morrow, and a most excellent idea.”

Taking his arm, she led him out of the hotel.  “Please, call me Victoria.  I insist.”  They arrived at a restaurant just minutes later, being seated without hesitation.  They discussed hobbies and interests.  He asked questions about Josephine’s upbringing, wanting to know her better.

“To be honest, she was never a well child.  Her father passed when she was an infant, and I took the burden of being mother, father, and nursemaid.”  She proceeded to tell him how her daughter’s health has been poor since she was little and has steadily declined over the years.  “I’ve had to play nursemaid by myself.”

They chatted away a while longer before Thomas escorted her back to her hotel, taking his leave in search of a prize.

Going from store to store, he felt more and more despondent.  The staff at each store tried to be helpful, but nothing was good enough for his dear Josephine.  Before returning to his rooms for the evening, he tried one last store: Hatton Garden.  The gentleman behind the counter introduced himself as Harold.  Harold was not much to look at, a short balding man in his fifties, but he had an immense talent for helping people find the perfect piece.  He showed him his mother’s ring, hoping he could sell it to purchase a ring fit for a goddess.

“Tell me about your fair lady.”  This was his trick, to use how the person felt about their beloved and match it to a ring.

“She is the most beautiful creature I have ever beheld.  Her eyes are blue like the ocean and sparkle like the finest stars in the sky.  She loves poetry and astronomy.  She is like no other I have ever met before.  I want to find something unique and individual that will compliment her beauty and show that she is nothing short of a queen among peasants.”

Harold smiled.  Never before had he heard such an elegant description of a fine young lady, and he knew exactly the ring for her.  Retrieving it, he placed it delicately on the counter.

This was the ring.  THE ring he had been searching for.  The smile on his face told Harold he had chosen wisely.

“May I see the one you brought in?”  Thomas placed his mother’s old ring on the counter.  “Unfortunately this is all I have, but I cannot give her a ring that does not befit her beauty.”  Harold picked it up to inspect it.  Taking out his jeweler eyepiece, he looked closely at the stone and inspected the silver holding the gem.

“I hope you do not find me impertinent, but this setting does not do justice for such a fine ruby stone.”  He looked at it further before placing it back on the counter. 

“Not at all.  To be honest, I find the ring itself ghastly, but I know it must be worth something.”

While the setting itself was considered junk these days (it was made mostly of cheap aluminum), the stone was worth something; however, the value fell short on the cost of Thomas’ chosen ring.  There was something about him he only rarely saw in others who came to him for help and came to a decision.  This young lady described sounded not only enchanting but also one of the only women worthy of a ring like this.  While the gentleman in front of him would not be able to pay the actual cost of the ring, he wanted to help him.

 “I do believe we can come to an agreeable arrangement.”  Harold described the value of the stone in the ring brought to him.  While he could not use the current setting, he could have a new setting created that would be more appealing and appropriate for the stone.  “You came on a most auspicious day, my boy.  For today is the only day this particular ring is on a special sale.”  He told Thomas that with the sale price of the ring, it would match the amount he would pay for the ring Thomas brought in.  “In fact, I would be most glad to exchange the ring you brought to me for this one.  It is most fortunate you arrived this evening.”

Thomas was elated, finally having found the perfect ring for his (hopefully) future wife.  Harold included a ring box befitting such a ring.  To avoid theft, he placed the ring box in his breast pocket where the previous one resided.

“I cannot thank you enough, sir.  You have been a tremendous help!”  Harold gave him well wishes as he departed.

It was late in the day, perhaps too late to call upon his dear Josephine.  Regardless, he walked to her hotel, stopping in front and peering up to what he believed to be her window.  He had to stop himself from running inside, up the stairs, and to her room.  He didn’t care that her health was poor and would take any time God would grant him, be it years, months, days, or even minutes and would love and take care of her.  

Before the constable could be called, Thomas went back to his own hotel and spent hours working on his proposal.

The following morning, he was ready.  Placing the ring box in his jacket pocket, Tom went to the florist first.  He wanted to have the perfect flowers to give her as he proposed.  The florist was kind and helped pick the right flowers that would show love and affection and created a one of a kind bouquet of peonies and roses.

“Any girl who would turn you down after giving these flowers is not a girl worth having,” the florist told him.

“She’s worth much, much more than these, but I think she’ll find them adequate.”  His smile was big and bright, lighting up the shop.  It wasn’t hard to see how hard he had fallen for Josephine.  Anyone who looked at him knew he was a man in love.

Now armed with the beautiful bouquet, he made his way to her hotel.

Once arrived, he asked for her at the front desk.  “Might Miss Josephine Morrow be available?  I do not wish to disturb…….”

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the grim look on the concierge’s face.  “Normally, I would not share such private information, but I have seen you and her together.  She’d want you to know.”

The smile on his face dropped, his heart racing with fear, the flowers dropping to the floor.  “Know what?”

The concierge took a moment to compose himself.  “It was very late last night, her mother came running, asking for help to get her daughter to the hospital.  I was able to find someone to take her to hospital, but when I saw her?  To say she looked poorly would not do it justice.”

Before the gentleman could finish, Thomas was out the door and running to the hospital.  He had to see her for himself.  If she was that ill, he wanted nothing more than to be by her side.  He’d never run so fast before, but it also seemed to take forever to get there.  The nurse at the desk confirmed she was there and took him to her room.  When he entered, she looked deathly pale.  Tremors were happening at random intervals, and it was obvious she was having breathing issues.

“Her mother stepped out a few minutes ago.  We urged her to get some rest.  You must have just missed her.”

“What is wrong with her?  Will she be alright?”  She had to be alright.  He refused any other outcome.  

“Honestly, we don’t know.  We cannot figure out the source of her ailment.  If we had some idea, we might be able to do something, but I fear it may be too late.”

He was now sitting at her bedside, holding her hand.  “She told me her mother had been administering medicine.  Has that not helped?”

The nurse looked puzzled.  “What medicine?  The doctor has been very hesitant to prescribe her anything except to help her rest.  If we knew what she was being given…..”

He was out the door before she could finish, knowing he needed to find the medicine her mother was administering.  Why had her mother not told them?  Would it not benefit to give the doctors all of the information in order to help her daughter?

Arriving back at the hotel, he told the concierge to call the police as he ran up the stairs to her rooms.  Rather than knocking, he barged right in.  The room was unoccupied.  There were no thoughts as to where her mother might be, but he began searching every bag he could find.  As he neared the desk Josephine regularly used, her mother entered the room.  “I beg your pardon.  What do you think you’re doing here?  Why are you going through our personal things?”

“Where is it?” he demanded.

“Where is what?” She retorted.

“The medicine you’ve been administering to her?  ”  He continued to shuffle through papers.

“I have no idea what you are referring to, sir.  I demand you leave at once!”

He turned to look at her, fury evident in his eyes.  “Your daughter told me you’d been administering medication.  The hospital has no record of it.  Where is it?  What have you been giving her?” 

Ms. Morrow was frozen in place, speechless.  Out of the corner of his eye, he spied the flowers he’d given Ms. Morrow to give her daughter on his behalf.  They were not on Josephine’s bedside table.  Rather, they were by Ms. Morrow’s.  Why were they there?  

He moved swiftly to the flowers.  “Why are these here?  They were for Josephine!”  He started searching through the drawer of the nightstand, finding the items he was looking for.  He pulled out the needle and a bottle of silver liquid.  “What is this?  What in heaven’s name have you been giving her?”

“I’m her mother!  I take care of her.  You have no right to question me.  I demand you leave at once!”  They were both flustered.  Thomas examined the bottle of silver liquid, looking for any sign of a label.  It wasn’t until he turned it upside down that he found a partial label that said “....cury”.

“You’ve been injecting her with mercury?  Why would you do such a thing?”  Ms. Morrow launched herself at him, trying to get the bottle back.  He held it above her head to which she responded by slapping him several times.  Before she could get in the next blow, police blew in through the door.

He directed the police to arrest her.  “She’s been poisoning her daughter.  I must get this vial and the needles to the hospital before it’s too late.”  While two officers arrested Ms. Morrow, another officer gave him a ride to the hospital.  Thomas hoped it wasn’t too late.  He couldn’t bear to live without her.

Rushing to her room, he found the doctor there examining his Josephine.  “This is what her mother has been administering.”  He handed the bottle over to the doctor who examined it, and then sat by Josephine, holding her hand and kissed the back of it.

The doctor turned to his patient.  “Is this true, Ms. Josephine?”  She let out a breathy ‘yes’, unable to speak much more than that.  Even in the short time he’d been at her hotel, she continued to deteriorate.

It didn’t take the doctor more than a moment to recognize the contents: mercury.  Now having the missing piece of the puzzle, the doctor turned them.  “This explains your symptoms, but I’m afraid they’ve progressed too far.”

“What do you mean, too far?”  Thomas was angry.

“If we had known much sooner, the effects could be reversed, but at this point, there’s nothing we can do.  She’s not much longer for this world, I’m afraid.”

The tears poured out of him.  He gazed into his darling’s eyes.  “I’m so sorry, my love.  I’m so, so sorry.”

She gathered what strength she had left, placing her palm on his face.  “It is alright, darling.”

“How is it alright?”

“You’ve given me the greatest gift I’ve ever wanted.  You showed me what it is to love and be loved.”

He held her other hand with both of his, tears continuing to fall.  “We haven’t had enough time.  We need more time!”

“Do not worry, darling.  I will always be with you.”

At that moment, he remembered his original intention that morning, and pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket. She may not be long for this world, but he wanted every moment he could get.

“Dearest Josephine, I love you more than life itself.  I do not care if it is only for a few minutes or a few days.  Would you please do me the honor of being my wife?”  He opened the box to show her the ring.

She smiled and nodded.  “Yes,” she said with as much enthusiasm as she could gather.  He removed the ring from the box and placed it on her finger.  What he had not noticed when he purchased the ring was that the jeweler had placed a matching silver ring under the cushion, a ring for him; however, it fell out of the box, creating a clunking sound as it hit the floor.  He picked it up before turning to the doctor.  “Is there a parson here?  I wish to marry my fiance as swiftly as possible.”

The doctor sent the nurse to find the vicar who had been visiting other patients and brought him to Josephine’s bedside.  Thomas expressed his wishes, and Josephine confirmed.  Both her engagement ring and the groom’s ring were placed on the open bible held by the vicar.

While they did not have a license, the vicar did not care.  He quickly understood the situation and gave them a brief ceremony, marrying them in the eyes of God.  At this point, no one in the room cared about the legalities.  Within moments, they were married, the rings placed on their respective fingers.  

From that moment on, they were not parted.  He refused to leave her side for anything, standing vigil day and night, wanting to spend every possible moment with her that she had left.  The only thing she asked of him was to hold her.  He and the nurse moved her carefully so that he could join her in bed.  Giving her a sweet kiss, he held her for the next few hours as she continued to deteriorate.

The doctor came to check on her that night.  When he came back the next morning, he let Thomas know that she did not have much longer.  He continued to hold her, forgetting all else.  In her last moments, she looked at him.  “Thomas….”

“Yes, my love?”

“I…..”  She had to regain her breath for a moment.  He waited patiently for her to continue.  “I will always love you.”

He dared to hold her closer.  “And I will always love you, in this life and the next.”

“And the next,” she repeated.  “I love you.”  And with those three words, she took her last breath.

The funeral was small but nice.  His sister did not have enough time to be there for her brother at the funeral, but she arrived that night in order to help him pack.  At his request, the concierge and staff helped to pack up her belongings so that Thomas may bring them back to Allerdale Hall.  While he could no longer bring his wife, he could have some part of her there with him.

As it got deep into winter, Lucille found him up in his attic more and more to the point where he refused to leave.  He had his favorite gown of Josephine’s on a mannequin in his workshop so she could watch him work.  He’d explain to the mannequin what he was doing and how he was doing it, as if she were truly there with him.  The most he would allow from Lucille was a blanket for warmth and the occasional tea.  

He’d not been home for a month when he caught a cold.  Lucille tried to urge him to take the medicinal tea and treatments to help him recover, but he had lost his will to do anything.  Melancholia and grief had such a tight hold on him that he could think of nothing else but his wife and his desire to be with her again.

Lucille returned about 20 minutes later with the medicinal tea and the determination to force her brother to take it and get better.  Arriving in the attic, she found he had passed, holding on to Josephine’s dress.

Knowing what he would want, she had his body brought to London and had him buried next to his wife.  As there was no proper headstone for Josephine, Lucille had a double headstone fashioned for her brother and his wife, finding it the very least she could do for her dearest brother.

Taglist: @vbecker10

Dividers created by the amazing @jiyascepter

[library-ghoulette]

Under the Spell - Chapter 2/?

Pairing: Mary Goore x f!OC

Rating: Mature (mostly for language, SFW, later chapters will be NSFW)

Tags: first person POV, unnamed Sister of Sin OC, he/they Mary Goore, slowburn, banter, jealousy, stressed out overachiever, if I don't admit that I'm attracted to you then it's not really happening

Words: 1704

Summary: Mary Goore is spending the summer at the Abbey to assist with the Ghost Project when one of the Sisters of Sin catches his eye. Can they find love--or even just a place to hook up--under the wrathful gaze of Sister Imperator? (chapter one)

A/N: Sorry not sorry ghesties, but I love a slowburn. And making them fight! It's their foreplay, I promise.

ao3 link

divider by @gothdaddyissues

I spend the next week haunted by Mary Goore. They don’t appear again at the courtyard bench where I take my furtive stress-smoking breaks–not that I hope they will–but that seems like the only place in the Abbey unmarked by their presence.

Everywhere else? They seem to follow like a song I hate but can’t get out of my head. They brush past me in the hall on my way to class. They’re leaving Sister Imperator’s office right when I need to talk to her about something. They even sit on the far end of my pew during mass–which I’m sure they only attend to annoy me–leaning forward across the other worshippers to catch my eye and wave.

They talk too loudly, and they laugh too much, and I have no idea how they’re managing to get any work done for the Ghost Project when they never seem to be in the music room. Why would they do any work, when they could be following me? 

Or when he could be sitting across from me in the dining hall, surrounded by a gaggle of Sisters, all of whom are looking up at him with bright smiles, playing with their hair and giggling at remarks that I’m certain couldn’t have been that fucking funny, touching his arm and–

My roommate nearly shouts my name from across the table, and I snap my attention back to her. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

She sighs. “I was saying, that’s so annoying.”

“What is?” I realize that I’ve lost the thread of our conversation so thoroughly that she could be talking about anything from being put on extra cleaning duty to the cafeteria not having the good french fries today, and I have no idea which. 

She flaps a hand Mary’s direction. I look over just long enough for them to catch my eye and give me a wink before I turn away again. 

“See, that’s what I’m talking about. He acts like he owns the place, and everyone falls all over themselves trying to get his attention.” She adjusts the clip holding back her profusion of dark curls and says something that I don’t quite catch, because there’s another wave of giggles from Mary’s table and I look over to see him stretching his arms over his head, the hem of his shirt rising just enough to reveal a sliver of pale skin right above his studded belt–

“Huh?” I ask, when my roommate reaches out to poke my hand.

“I said, I’m glad you’re not taking part in all that nonsense.”

“Oh. Yeah, I uh… I don’t really see the appeal.”

She gives me a suspicious look, eyes narrowing and lips twisting to the side in an expression that I know too well. “You’ve been so spacey lately.”

“Yeah, I know.” I drop my eyes to my plate, dragging my fork through the remnants of my salad. “I’m just kind of stressed out about my classes and everything.”

“Well, if you want to do some extra studying together, let me know,” she says. “The summer is going to be over before we know it, and if you want Sister Imperator to approve you to take your vows this fall–”

“Yeah, that would probably be good,” I cut her off, before she can fully launch into yet another reminder of why I’m spending my summer studying instead of… whatever it is that fun people do with their summers. “I’m free tomorrow after–oh shit, what time is it?”

She checks her watch. “Uh, 1:30?”

I swear under my breath, a litany of shitshitshit as I gather my things. “I’m half an hour late for my library shift.”

“Go on,” she says, stopping me as I toss my trash onto my tray. “I’ve got this.”

I might feel annoyed with myself for eliciting the look of concerned pity she gives me, if I had the time to spare. As it is, I almost sprint out the door and across the Abbey to the library.

I stash my bag in the librarian’s office with my apologies, shrug on my cardigan to ward off the air-conditioned chill, and collect a cart of books ready to be returned to their shelves.

I love my shifts in the Ministry library, hours when  I can disappear into soothing work, cushioned by the susurrus of research happening all around me, the turning of pages and the tapping keys forming the perfect backdrop for my thoughts. 

I’m looking forward to resuming the comfort of my usual routine, to clearing my mind and maybe passively mulling over Secondo’s notes on my most recent Latin translation. But when I locate the correct range and turn down the aisle, an all-too-familiar disheveled head peeks around the next shelf, stopping me short.

“What are you doing here?” I hiss.

“Research?” Mary offers.

“Nice try, but try again.”

“Okay, fine. I saw you giving me the eye back there in the cafeteria. Thought you might want some company.”

“You followed me?” I can already feel that tell-tale blush that I hate creeping up out of my collar and across the face, the one that makes people confuse pissed off for something else.

Mary grimaces as they approach. “Followed makes it sound creepy.”

“It is”--my words come out louder than I intend, and I catch myself, because they are not going to bait me into making a scene in the middle of the library--”it is creepy. Go away.”

Of course, he doesn’t go away. 

“Are you trying to deny a humble seeker of knowledge the opportunity to improve their mind and grow in their dark faith?” he asks, voice dripping affronted piety as he plucks a book from the shelf at random. 

“Fine,” I sigh. “But be quiet. And don’t bother me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” They lean against the shelf and flip the book open with an exaggerated motion that makes me cringe for the poor book’s spine. I try to go back to my work, but I can feel their eyes on me, and it can’t be more than a minute before they’re talking again.

“Did you know that weird Cardinal has, like, a whole stash of antique porn hidden in here somewhere?” Mary asks, snaping the book shut, voice getting progressively louder. “I hear it’s the really weird stuff!”

I hear a grumble from one of the nearby study carrels as someone shoots us a glare, and I shush Mary with a light slap on the arm with the book I’m holding.

“Shut up. And go away.” I turn to shelve the book in my hand. “I’m trying to work.”

Mary doesn’t leave, just cocks their head at me mischievously and rubs the spot where I hit them, right over the devil inked into their skin. “Sure, I’ll go away. If you come meet me tonight.”

The retort is poised on the tip of my tongue, but to my surprise, what comes out of my mouth is, “Meet you? Where?”

“The cemetery.”

I shake my head. “No.”

“It’ll be fun.”

“No, Goore.”

“Ugh! So impersonal!” He clasps a hand over his heart, wounded. “Don’t you think we’re on a first-name basis, babe?”

“No. And I’ve told you not to call me that.”

I start to wheel the book cart away, rolling down the aisle to the next range of books I have to shelve, finished with this conversation. But Mary’s hand shoots out, grabbing me gently around my upper arm, their calloused touch setting off sparks inside me, sparks that I refuse to label as anything other than anger.

I’m about to say something scathing, but they lean close, and the openness of their expression stays my tongue.

“I’m sorry,” they say. “I’m an asshole, I know. But seriously. The cemetery, midnight. We’ll have a little picnic, just you and me.” A lopsided grin. “It’ll be nice.”

I bite my lip, considering, looking down at their hand where it still rests on my arm. For whatever reason, I don’t shrug it off. And they don’t take it away.

Here is the part when I say no, I think. But what I say instead is, “Maybe.”

Mary smirks like he knows, just knows, that “maybe” really means “yes,” and it makes me want to take it back now to spite him. But I can see where the conversation goes next if I say no: the way he will relish teasing me for not having the guts while I get increasingly flushed and flustered, looking every bit the good girl being pestered by the bad boy who won’t leave her alone. Worse, looking like the good girl who doesn’t want the bad boy to leave her alone.

They’re leaning in close enough now that I can smell them: clinging smoke, the salty tang of sweat, and something spicy and earthy. There is a small voice inside of me that urges me to lean in closer, to breathe in more of that oddly intoxicating scent. That small voice assures me that if I just tilt my head up ever so slightly and close my eyes, then Mary will meet me halfway. 

Stupid. What would I want that for? He’s distracting, and annoying, and–

“Midnight,” he says again, breaking my train of thought and the inexplicable spell I had fallen under. “Don’t be late.”

I roll my eyes. “Maybe,” I say again.

“I’ll take maybe.” They squeeze my arm gently, briefly, before finally releasing me, having gotten what they wanted from me. 

I should let them go, should be relieved to be left alone, left to get back to the work I’m here to do. But for reasons unknown even to me, I say, “I’ve seen it, by the way.” 

It works: they turn back, intrigued. “Seen what?”

“Cardinal Copia’s porn collection.” Nonchalant, eyes cast down as I rearrange a misfiled book on my cart.

“No shit? Was it weird?”

I shrug, leveling him with a deliberate gaze. “I’ve seen weirder.”

And just for a moment, I’m rewarded with the rarest of occurrences: Mary Goore rendered speechless. 

And then one of those smiles that says I’ve won this round, while promising that there will be another.

“See you tonight, Sister.”

[elisysd]

One way or another - Blondie

Masterlist - Previously - Next Chapter

One way or another, I'm gonna find ya I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya

“Do you want some tea?” asked Renée, Lyanna’s mom, after she helped them settled in Lyanna’s teenage bedroom.

“Yes mom, please. Charles?”

“With pleasure! Do you want some help?” asked Charles ready to do whatever Lya’s mom would ask him.

“It’s just boiling water, I think I can manage.”

Lyanna tugged gently on Charles's hand, urging him to sit down beside her on the sofa. Since they had entered the house, Renée had barely spoken to the young man, preferring to observe him out of the corner of her eye. Charles didn't mind, even if it made him a little uncomfortable. He understood that her mother preferred to talk to her daughter, it had been a long time since they had seen each other. But still, his ego was bruised.

She returned later with three steaming cups of tea and some cakes, which Charles ogled but didn't dare touch. He didn't want to appear so impolite as to help himself first.

“So, Lya, any new projects on the way?”

“Nope, I did not have much time to focus on auditions and scripts. Between Charles’ accident and James… it was no easy.”

“I see. How are you doing Charles? It was a big crash. And Lyanna was deeply affected. She was crushed. It was painful to hear her so broken and not being able to hold her in my arms…”

“I’m doing better. Still recovering but I think the worst is over. I know how hard it was for your daughter and honestly, she deserves an award for putting up with me during my recovery. I don’t know where I would be if she had not been there.”

“She is a good person indeed. She has the biggest heart but sometimes people like to play with it.”

“Hello, I’m right here. I can hear you.” Lyanna joined in the conversation.

She hated it when people talked about her as if she wasn't there. And she knew exactly what her mother was doing. She was testing Charles.

“I’m not playing with her. I would never, I can assure you of that.” Said confidently Charles while taking Lya’s hand that was resting on the table.

“Words are nice, Charles, but actions speak louder than them.”

“Okay, I think we are all a little tired. It’s been a long day. Maybe we should just call it a night?”

“You are right, sweetheart. I prepared the guest room as well. I was not sure both people could fit in your bed Lya.”

“Don’t worry, Renée, I’ll make us fit.” Tried to reassure Charles.

Lyanna gave Charles the stink eye, while Renée let out a long sigh and looked away. Understanding how his remark might have been interpreted, Charles tried to make up for it.

“I mean. Sorry, it came out wrong. I meant don’t worry, we will be fine. I’m sure the bed is not that small and even if it were, which then again I doubt, it would be okay. I’m used to small spaces and how to fit comfortably in them. I drive a F1 car for a living I know a thing or two about small spaces. And Lyanna never takes much space in the bed, she is almost always sleeping on me most of the time, so it’s fine… Do you know what your daughter reminds me? A sloth and its branch. Or a mussel on a rock, you know those species that are always stuck to something and you can't get rid of them. Well, that's Lyanna.”

“Charming.”

“But she makes a cute sloth.” He added.

He knew that he should shut up and was just not marking points with Lya’s mom but he couldn’t stop. It was like his mouth had a mind of its own.

“And to have her against me during cold nights, it’s great. She is a perfect blanket. And if it saves me money on heating…she has many use.”

“Charles for the love of god, please shut up.” Lyanna whispered as she discreetly pinched his arm.

“I’m making things awkward, don’t I?”

“No, you think?” sarcastically said Renée.

Once in Lyanna's room, away from prying ears, Charles apologised profusely.

“On a scale from 1 to to 10 how much do you think I screwed up with your mom?”

“I’d say that you screwed up really bad but you still have a chance to make things right.”

“You think so?”

“A tiny little chance, yes. No but really, she can see that you were stressed out, it’s okay. She will forget about it and tomorrow it will be like it never happened.”

“Do you say that to make me feel better or do you actually believe it?”

“Does it make you feel better?”

“A little.”

“Then I say that to make you feel better.” She said as she stood up on her tippy toes and kissed him slowly to try to take his mind off the stress.

She gently pushed Charles onto the bed and straddled him, taking care to avoid injuring his ribs. Gently, she unbuttoned his shirt and placed light kisses on his neck.

“Lya, slow down… Your mom is right next door.”

“And? I didn’t think it would stop you. Not reckless anymore, mister Leclerc?”

“I don’t want her to hate me more than she does already.”

Lyanna got to her feet and began to get rid of her clothes in front of Charles, who swallowed. She was going to drive him crazy. And he had to admit that she was having quite an effect on him. Just as he was about to change his mind and grab Lyanna to do all the dirty things he had in mind for her, the young woman slipped under the sheets and turned off the light with her back to him.

“The sloth is wishing you a good night.”

Lyanna was not awake when Charles opened his eyes the next morning. She was fast asleep next to him and he did not want to wake her. She needed the good sleep. He could hear noises coming from what he supposed was the kitchen and decided to come out of the room. Renée was preparing the breakfast while humming the song that was playing on the radio. When she saw Charles, she stopped altogether.

“Good morning.” Said Charles, trying to be cheerful.

“Hello Charles. Did you sleep well? Was my daughter a nice blanket?”

“Yeah… about that, I’m sorry. I have the tendency to overshare when I’m stressed out. And you kind of make me feel nervous.”

“Well you should be. I want you to understand something Charles. I have nothing personal against you, it’s just… Lyanna went through some horrible things, you know it. And I was not there to protect her. I should have been but I was not. I don’t want to ever relive this. Ever again. It broke me to see my daughter so… half dead. I felt like I failed as parent. I did not do my job. I did not protect her. So understand that I want her to find someone who will always prioritize her, who will never make her forget how beautiful her soul is, who will make her the happiest because she deserves nothing other than this. And I don’t know if you will be that person, Charles.”

“Because of my job?”

“Surely there are a lot of distractions that come with it.”

“I would never cheat on Lyanna. I’m not that kind of man.”

“I hope so. I really hope. Lyanna loves you, it’s obvious, and I don’t doubt that you love her too. But you are both young, both with busy careers and it’s just the beginning of your relationship. When things will get rough, when routine will set in, when love will be something to fight for and keep on nurturing, will you be there? Because I know my daughter and I know she will be. But you?”

“I can’t promise you that I will always be the perfect boyfriend and that I’ll always make her happy because I would lie. I will make her cry. Unintentionally. We are going to fight. Like all couples. We are going to have our misunderstandings. We still have to learn how to communicate, we are working on it. But I can promise you that I’ll take care of her heart. That she will always have a shoulder to lean on when I’m not around. That the more the time flies, the more I fall in love with her and the more I think she is the one for me. I can promise you that as long as she needs me, I’ll be there, by her side. I’ll be her biggest supporter, her shoulder to cry on and the one to mend the broken pieces of her heart. I want the bad days and the good ones. I want everything.”

“You have a way with words, Charles…”

“Years of media training do that to someone. But I’m being honest.”

“Somehow… I know that you are.”

Charles thought that Lyanna's mother would be the most difficult to convince, but that was nothing compared to her entire family. He knew he was in hostile territory from the moment her grandfather shook his hand and tried to crush it. Lyanna, having seen the scene, rushed to intervene, explaining to her grandfather that Charles had already suffered a broken wrist, so now was not the time to break the bones of his other hand. Then, when Charles politely declined three different slices of cake from her grandmother, he knew he was being judged. Even more so when he heard the old lady tell Lyanna that a man with little appetite was a man who would die young. To which Lyanna tried to explain that he was a high-level athlete and had to watch his diet. And then there was Lyanna's famous uncle, a long-time F1 fan who Charles learned was a fan of Red Bull, which the man was quick to point out to Charles.

“I mean, you were lucky in Monza. If Checo and Max had not ended up in the gravel, they would have crushed you. Not sure you would even have gotten the podium.”

Charles tried as best he could to smile.

“In the end, even if winning Monza was a nice feeling, it’s also the day I got this girl… so to be honest, I don’t care about the podium.”

“Lyanna is not a thing to get, young man, she is a woman you have to woo, be respectful towards her.” interjected her grandfather.

“That was a just a figure of speech, grandpa. I promise you, there is no one more respectful than Charles.”

Charles spent the whole afternoon, getting teased from left to right but finally he was able to catch a break when one of Lyanna’s cousin asked him if he wanted to play football with them, which Charles was grateful for. As he was about to stand up to go with them, Lyanna grabbed his arm and whispered in his ears.

“Are you sure you want to make a fool of yourself today?”

“I mean, they are kids, how worst than them can I be?” confidently answered Charles.

The answer was way worse. Charles decided to try to be a goalkeeper to what the kids took a great pleasure to make him jump to catch the ball. Lyanna was observing them with a worried look and when it seemed that Charles was about to pass out from exhaustion, she took in.

“Hey, c’mon guys. I think it’s enough. He needs a break.”

“You’re no fun Lya! We wanted to see how long he could keep up and it’s only been thirty minutes.”

“What thirty minutes?” asked Charles surprised. To him it seemed to have lasted hours.

“Yeah, but it’s getting late and Charles is not used to intense physical activities anymore, so he has to take it easy. Doctor’s words.”

“I’ll show you, intense physical activities when we come back, Lya” whispered Charles to her ear, a little offended.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You are too scared of my mom to try something under her roof.” She responded with a wink.

The next day, it was already time for Lyanna and Charles to set off again. Charles was due to meet Andrea the day after tomorrow and Mia had sent a message to see if he could make himself available to discuss something urgent. As for Lyanna, her agent wanted to talk to her about a project she might be interested in. She had tried to find out more but her agent had refused to reply, simply telling her that she was not allowed to tell her more by text message, thereby piquing the young woman's curiosity.

One thing was certain, the young woman reflected as she watched the landscape pass by as Charles drove onto the motorway, the break they had enjoyed with Lyanna's family was over and a busy week lay ahead.

=======

author's note: I think I've never laughed so hard writing a chapter. I hope it made you at least chuckled. As usual, don't forget to like / reblog / comment as it is the best way to support a story that you like.

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[tw-inkl-e-tit-s]

✩-Truth or dare-✩

Pairing: Miguel Cazarez Mora x Fem!Reader

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: Kissing that's all

| Miguel Cazarez Mora Masterlist

"So, what are you wearing for tonight?" Maya asked me as she laid herself down in a clumsy manner on my bed. I hummed while searching through my closet, my nerves hitting differently tonight as I realized Miguel was going to be around. "It's just pizza night y/n." She sighed, watching me have a mental breakdown.

"I know Maya, it's easier for you to say," I said, leaning back down on the cold ground. She raised her eyebrow at me, asking me for a genuine explanation. "Miguel seems so chill around you. You guys are like the best of friends, if it wasn't for Eddie trust me, he would've asked you out by now." I said nervously, groaning seconds later as I gripped my hair in frustration. "Calm down y/n. It isn't what it seems like." Maya said confidently. "We literally have a sibling kind of relationship going on, nothing more." She confirmed, getting off the bed. "How about I pick out something for you?" She suggested as I sprang back up while crossing my legs together, nodding vigorously, she giggled at me before proceeding to look through my, now wrecked, closet.

"Done!" She yelled out, I jolted off the ground and clapped my hands strenuously, loving the outfit she picked out for me. "You're a lifesaver." I embraced her into a quick tight hug before hopping into the bathroom and getting changed up for pizza night tonight. -"Okay, so remember what I told you?" Maya asked me for the fifth time that night before we proceeded through the front door. "Just stay calm okay? It's just a normal pizza night." She reminded me once again as she flung the door open, the rest of the group shot their heads towards us as we made our entrance.

Eddie was by Maya's side at once, giving her hugs and kisses while I only wished for a relationship like theirs. "Y/nnnn." Miguel called out, patting down the seat beside him. I blushed profusely and walked over to him, getting comfortable on the couch within seconds. Occasionally our legs would touch and I'd have butterflies play their effect all over again, reminding me of how this boy could make me gush over him within seconds.

"Guys, how about a round of truth or dare?" Mason suggested while wiggling his eyebrows at Miguel. We all agreed and sat down in a perfect circle, my position somehow changed as I was now facing Miguel, sitting directly opposite to him. "Here we gooo." Tristan chimed while spinning the bottle. It spun for a couple of rounds and landed on Brady. The crowd oohed and aahed, shortly after cheering for Brady.

"Truth or dare dude?" Tristan asked him as the group remained silent, adding to the suspense. "Dare," Brady replied back, smirking at Tristan while showing off his masculinity which soon washed away once Tristan thought of his marvelous dare. "Put ice cubes down your pants and stay that way till your next turn," Tristan said, laughing uncontrollably. Brady's mouth was left wide open, denying the dare until we pushed him to do it. The crowd cheered for him once again as he squirmed once the ice cubes fell down his pants, stiffening his body while the rest of us laughed. We began playing once again and to a coincidence, it landed upon Miguel.

I looked around the room and saw Maya flashing a cheeky smile at me before saying, "I dare you to tell y/n about your feelings!" She yelled out, clapping her hands together accompanied by her renowned laugh. My head shot towards Miguel, watching him turn into a crimson shade as he began stuttering. "I-I really find you beautiful." He said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, putting me in a daze.

"I've been meaning to tell you that for quite some time but never thought it would be this way.." he trailed off sadly, his eyes softened with sadness in them. "But yeah..you're really beautiful and kind, and I guess you could say I have feelings for you." He said, breathing heavily at the end. My face showed no emotion at all as my eyes flickered from Miguel to Maya, not believing a word that just came out of his mouth. Before I could utter a word, the tension was cut away as Mason spun the bottle once again, presuming the game.

Throughout the rounds, Miguel and I kept glancing at one another. His eyes hoping to find some form of approval while I remained still. This wasn't the way I wanted to confess my feelings. -The game quickly ended as the group got split up, doing their own thing. I got off the cold floor and made my way to the balcony for some fresh air, Maya decided to join me since she wanted to speak on behalf of Miguel.

"Y/nnnn. Just go talk to him." She pleaded, nudging my arm in the process while I sneered at her.

"You knew this whole time?" I asked her, my eyes gluing her down in place. Her eyes scanned the floor for a brief minute before sending a slight nod toward me. "He made me promise not to tell you. I guess he wanted to do it himself but never found a perfect time." She said, leaning on his side more. I rolled my eyes at her remark and decided to head back home since I was done for the night.

"Bye guys, see you later," I said, waving while heading towards the door and swinging it open. "Bye, y/nnnn." The group sang, biding me off. I giggled at their childish behavior and headed toward the elevator but was interrupted by someone's hand. Miguel. He pushed open the elevator door and accompanied me, I could feel my ears burning. "Hey.." he whispered, starting off a conversation.

"Hey, Miguel." I sighed while running my fingers through my hair before nervously tugging on my crop top. "I was wondering if I could walk you home." He said nonchalantly while proceeding to walk out of the elevator. I hummed in response, craving his company. "Um..y/n listen, I seriously had no intentions of confessing my feelings for you through this silly game. Trust me I was going to talk to you about it but.." he mumbled, stopping for a minute to search the exact words for his feeling but failed miserably. I remained silent, asking him to continue. "I really really like you y/n, ever since the day Maya introduced you. She knew from the beginning itself but I made her promise not to tell you. I guess you could say I was terrified, terrified that I could lose you as a friend too." He whispered softly while walking beside me.

We turned around the corner and arrived at our destination.

"I know it was foolish of me-" I cut him off mid-sentence as I placed my lips upon his. He was surprised at first but soon melted into the kiss, I could even feel him smiling through it. "I'm glad you decided to talk to me about it at least." I shrugged, wrapping my arms around his neck. His hand followed the same and wound up against my waist, staring deep into my eyes. "So you're not mad at me right?" He bit his lip nervously while scrunching up his eyebrows. I chuckled and shook my head 'no' before standing on my tip toes to place yet another soft, tender kiss on his lips. He pulled away and exhaled deeply, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this." His voice lowered as he placed his fingers under my chin and lifted up my head once again before leaning down and kissing me softly.

...

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[eatmangoesnekkid]

When you are multidimensionally birthing, when you are creating, producing, curating, or sculpting signature work, you may have birthing pains that remind you of a mother in labor. I have assisted in delivering a baby alongside my friend who was working as a midwife at the time, and I am grateful to have experienced the primality and passion of a natural birth experience. I wasn't professionally trained to be an aide, an unofficial doula, but she and the mother and father trusted my temperament, breath, and heart to be of service which was more than enough reason for me to say "YES!" to their request. Of course a mother laboring a child spirit into this reality is a high octane energy that nothing could EVER compare to, and it was also very real for me in a deeply spiritual way. I didn't feel physical pain, but spiritual/energetic, (meta)physical, the incredibly overlooked and undocumented kind of birthing pains I felt. Earlier this evening I had the deepest guttural cry. I was wailing, sobbing and making loud heaving sounds while profusely shaking and unaware that I was bent over in a deep squat position. My partner was at an event and I knew if called, would have been worried and came home right away and I really didn't want that to happen. I really didn't want to talk to anyone to be honest. What calmed me into harmony was realizing that I was squatting like a sovereign mother about to have an unassisted birth. With my postural awareness and growing comfort in a resting deep squat position like the Grandmothers who flexibly squatted while prepping and cooking garri or egusi soup on the ground, I felt primordially held and cared for. After thumbing through my body of work and being taken aback by the content and page petals, feeling the potency, vulnerability, and magic and at the same time, feeling devastated and a bit scared, all I could do was surrender and sob. Encoded within our the female line and feminine psyche is a fear of being harmed whenever we speak uncommon truths that change lives, expands hearts, and free minds. These memories can put us in unconscious "fight or flight" or freeze states. I can't explain the polarity much more than my exhilaration and excitement was coupled with deep grief and devastation like "will someone come for me?" Weep, weep! There is some subtle part of my system--your system-- that remembers --this ancient fear fermenting in the female line. A signature body of body full of divine wisdom and here I feel mixed dense contradictory emotion. The last time I held this level of mixed emotion was in 2006 when my mum transitioned from breast cancer. As her primary caregiver, I felt a sense of relief that she was no longer in chronic pain but was also incredibly devastated and couldn't imagine living life without her. Being able to feel what we are actually feeling is an immeasurable blessing that I won't ever take for granted. Deeply listening to our tissues and becoming emotionally attuned to the needs of our body are gifts we give back to a world that lacks deep feeling and deep listening skills. This way our female tissues- breasts, vulva, and vaginal canal--and heart do not become contracted and hardened. And the accompanying nerve endings do not numb out. Nor does our nervous system normalize dysregulation. Like "this is it, India. Time to let it go." And I wailed and screamed because my body felt safe to release what was there. I feel tears bubbling up again as I type. It's all stunning and achy. This too is part of the love story. When there is new love, when you meet a potential new lover, there is also this fear of waiting-for-the- other-shoe-to-drop so I feel like the presence of oppositional states are a kind of creational thrust of the universe, similar to feminine and masculine energies elevating in divine union.  I know authors are usually not emoting their authoring struggles online- I'm not like them.  I live with an immense amount of self-generating pleasurable energy streaming through my body and on the rare occasion pain arrives at this time in my life, it's also immense. I don't care to live life like other authors. No shade to anyone but I feel things in my body that a person who lives mostly in their left brain would not be able to fathom. I know the difference because I have lived both realities. No advice needed from anyone...only vulnerably documenting this part of my journey. I will graciously receive energetic hugs though. :)

India Ame’ye, Author

[j4m3s-b4k3r]

The Australian Crawl

When living nearby, I used to swim at the North Sydney Pool. One of the most spectacular swimming pools in the world. As you swim in one direction you face the iconic LUNA PARK, and in the other direction is that famous ‘coat hanger’ - the SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE.

Swimming laps at the North Sydney Pool

Though I came to love it, my introduction to swimming was fraught with drama. While kick-boarding in an ocean rock pool at the age of 6, my board was flicked from my hands when a wave came over the sea wall. I went from misplaced confidence to abject terror within two gulpings of sea water. Thankfully, Dad spotted me going under and ran along the sea wall, dived in, and fished me out. 

I was wary of the water afterward. This wasn’t helped by my maternal grandfather ‘teaching’ me how to swim by literally throwing me in at the deep end a few times. Amazingly, this did not result in spontaneous swimming skills. Quite the opposite - I became allergic to the water. However, near the end of high school, after years of avoiding the pool, I became fed up with myself and wanted to learn to swim. 

My childhood friend John Dillon was an all around athlete, and offered to meet me at the town pool in the early mornings, and teach me. Mentally, I prepared for gruelling water boarding torture. However, under JD’s patient guidance, I was swimming within no time at all. Seriously, within a few days. Something that had intimidated me for so long was suddenly doable, and I threw myself into it. By the time I lived near the North Sydney Pool, I was a decent swimmer. Doing laps a few times a week.

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Later, when living & working in Tokyo, swimming at a pool near Takadanobaba Station was part of my daily routine. A little swimming in the sea happened too. My girlfriend Shoko arranged a summer vacation in Shimoda, a popular beach town. I was amazed at the density of the crowds on the sand, as anxious lifeguards patrolled the shoreline, warily watching the equally crowded surf. 

I wanted to show people at home in Australia what a crowded beach really looked like, so we walked up to the heads to take a photo. As I did so, I saw some little children playing with kick-boards in the deep water below us. No sooner was I reminded of the time that I lost my kick-board at about the same age, when suddenly, one of the kids was caught in the backwash off the rocks. A wave stole her kick-board, and she went under. 

Nearby, people screamed in alarm, and Shoko urged them to run & tell the lifeguards, as I slid down the steep rock face and into the sea. The moment I hit the water, I regretted not first removing my shoes & clothes. Which instantly became waterlogged, and extraordinarily heavy. Thankfully I was swimming a lot in those days, in good shape, and reached the little girl within seconds. 

The next problem was how to get her out of the sea. The way I’d come was an almost vertical sheet of rock, so I headed for the shore. Holding her out of the water while swimming backwards, as I’d seen on TV shows & movies. About halfway, I was met by a lifeguard who took her off my hands, checked that I was OK, then struck out powerfully for the beach. 

I swam to an accessible spot on the rocks, where Shoko anxiously waited. The little girl’s dad approached, and thanked me profusely, in a jackhammer blur of rapid bowing. Then scurried away, red faced with embarrassment. Shoko thought that the family had been distracted from their kids by a drinking party. We’d seen several such jolly family gatherings on the sand..

It felt good to help that little girl, and does to this very day. I was grateful that my pal John had taught me to swim. Otherwise I couldn't have helped, and the lifeguard wouldn't have reached her in time from the beach. 

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A few years later, in San Francisco, I joined the Chinatown YMCA, and became a regular user of their pool. Swimming a mile 3 times a week after work. Or at lunchtime at a pool in the Mission District with a trio of coworkers (with office gossip on the drive to & from our swim). This was the period when I swam the most devotedly. Actually thinking about swimming, and looking forward to it. After much trial and error, I eventually figured out how to do proper tumble-turns. Allowing me to maintain a sustained rhythm without interruption.

The laps would be difficult at first. Awkward. Tiring. Eventually though, something interesting happened. A coordinated rhythm kicked in, seemingly automatically. Almost as if my body worked on its own. The hypnotising quality of hearing nothing but my own rhythmic breathing calmed me. I could focus intensely on this metronomic beat, like a mantra. Or let my mind wander, onto random thoughts, or the problems of the day. I’ve never meditated, but from hearing people talk about it, probably the closest I ever came was when engrossed in lap swimming.

Eventually in my late 30s, I stopped swimming due to shoulder trouble. A physical therapist explained that by not swimming any other stroke than the Australian Crawl, I’d caused a muscular imbalance. I should have mixed in backstroke and breaststroke, so that a variety of muscles were worked equally. So I did her exercises, and stopped the regular lap swimming. Replacing it with working out at the gym. Running on the treadmill had some similarities, but for me, nothing has quite replaced the mental clarity of lap swimming.

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Nowadays my body is an absolute mess of paralysed & palsied bits & pieces. My onboard gyroscope is busted, and I’m beset with twitching spasticity. Such that the synchronised elegance of swimming is beyond me. The coordination of even simple tasks takes extraordinary effort. Getting in and out of a bath is extremely awkward. Let alone entering a pool, and doing something so balletic as swimming. However, I do fantasise that someday I might head back to the pool for some physical therapy. Who knows, maybe even a spastic lap or two of Australian crawl..