#“trio” means “three” but is has four letters...

[katha-angel]

Vasilia in a hot dress

That's it.

There's other people drawing the rest of the panini trio

Imma reblog with their art and tag the artist as they get done

[ecargmura]

The Mochi Mayhem Epilogue Was Hilarious (Review)

Here it is. The finale of the DLC. The ending to an era. How should we celebrate this milestone? Excuse me? Could you repeat that again? The Chicken Dance? What?

Anyways, this epilogue is bringing in the main story and DLC together by making the Paldea trio meet up with Kieran and Carmine, the DLC characters in one last misadventure to stop the land of Kitakami from doing the chicken—er, Mochi dance by a mysterious Pokemon that looks like a Pecha Berry.

The overall epilogue was very hilarious, but it also got me having a lot of questions. I know that the event starts in Kitakami when you examine the peach plush in Peachy’s. After the little scene that happens, Arven calls because he wants to come over to the player’s house, meaning you have to travel all the way back to Paldea where Nemona and Penny tagged along and then Kieran gives the player a letter, which then makes the Paldean group go back to Kitakami, which is when the event starts happening. I don’t know why the game makes it so that we have to jump through different regions. I know it’s for plot as the Paldean trio didn’t get offers to study abroad. It made me wonder what would’ve happened if they had come along during Teal Mask.

Despite that, Kieran meshes well with the Paldean trio. It sucks that Carmine was possessed throughout the whole story, but it makes sense as she had her fair share of spotlight in the Teal Mask. This is Kieran’s time to shine! I find it hilarious how he was theorized to have been possessed, but when Pecharunt showed up with the evil mochi, Kieran is the only other person aside from the player to not eat the mochi as it hit his forehead and flew off. Ha, take that, theorizers! I wonder what would’ve happened if Nemona had been involved in the Teal Mask DLC—maybe that was why they took the Paldea trio out of the story for the DLC because the story’s issues would’ve resolved fast.

Pecharunt is a weird Pokemon. While it has a connection with the Kitakami lore, it was never really explored. It just showed up and wrecking havoc. While it did give the Loyal Three their toxic chain, it never really had an involvement in Teal Mask until this DLC. The Loyal Three are its retainers, but there were slight hints of its existence sprinkled here and there. I’m also confused on why it decided to wake up and decided to possess everyone with toxic mochi. Is it angry? Chaotic? I’m not sure. Despite that, Pecharunt is no slouch in battle.

What I liked about the DLC is the fact that Kieran joins the player as a Multi Battle partner which is a definite redemption from his behavior in the Indigo Disk DLC. It was nice being able to battle together with him. I was actually surprised that Kieran’s grandparents were trainers too. They were pretty tough. Arven and Penny were challenging too. I do like that in the midst of the double battles, the last match is against Nemona, who is challenged as a single battle. I loved the mix-match of battling styles.

Once you complete the DLC, Nemona, Arven, Penny, Kieran and Carmine can be interacted with in the League Club with the former three being special coaches. I do like that they give you such a bonus afterwards. I feel like it’s a good way to end everything as you are reunited with the three most important characters in the main story followed by the two most important characters in the DLC. What makes Paldea special is the unique varieties of characters that makes it a worthwhile experience.

Argh, it’s going to be hard to say good-bye to these characters because they’re all so good. All the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, teachers, Team Star, students and DLC characters were just so GOOD! Scarlet and Violet legit shot up to my third favorite mainline Pokemon game because of how good the game and DLCs were. What will Pokemon do now after the masterpiece that was SV? If Unova remakes are true, will it live up to SV’s hype? Will it be better than BDSP? Only time will tell. What are your thoughts on this epilogue and the DLCs as a whole?

[thruheavenandhighwater]

Pairing: Single Dad! Eddie/ Steve Harrington

Requested By: NA

Word Count: 1,596

Series Summary: Eddie left Hawkins in 1986 with no reason to ever return. But now, a few years have passed and life has changed. Eddie finally returns home and has to deal with everything he left behind, including Steve Harrington. This story starts in May 1991.

Part One Summary: Eddie is supposed to be a rockstar, not a single father of a four month old.

Stranger Things Masterlist

Steddie Masterlist

Series Masterlist

~~~~~

Eddie was supposed to be a rockstar by now. World famous and a few tours under his belt. Maybe even a supermarket tabloid scandal or two. But instead he's in the passenger seat of his uncle's truck on his way back to Hawkins. Back to the place he swore he'd never step foot in again. 

A small sound escaped the baby who sat buckled between the silent men. Eddie's left hand shot into action, immediately coming to rest on her dark hair. All seemed to be well, just a little fussiness while she slept. Wayne watched from the corner of his eye, deciding which question to ask first. 

"Where's her mama?" 

Eddie shrugged, his shoulders dropping as he let out a long breath through his nose. "I don't know, man," he answered, shaking his head. "Got no fuckin' clue." 

"How old is she?"

"Not sure," Eddie answered. "Twenty-four, twenty-five. Something like that." 

"The baby," Wayne groaned, bringing one hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as he signaled a turn onto the highway. "How old is the baby?" 

"Oh," his nephew giggled. "She's uh, just about four months. On the twelfth." 

Wayne spared a glance at the infant to his right. She'd been wailing while he loaded up her and Eddie's meager belongings from the disgusting apartment. But the moment the old engine in the truck roared to life she'd quieted. And now, nearly three hours into their drive she'd barely made a peep. 

"You waited four months to tell me I have a granddaughter?" 

"Figured you'd be pissed," Eddie shrugged again. 

"I'm pissed you let your little situation get so bad. I'm fuckin' fuming, kid." Wayne was not one to mince words. He never had been. Not when his brother showed up eight months after dropping Eddie at his door expecting him to go with him. Not when Eddie came home for a second time with news that he wouldn't be graduating. And certainly not now. "You owe it to her to get your shit together." 

"You think I don't fuckin' know that?" Eddie all but screamed, his voice echoing in the small cab of the truck. This finally roused his daughter from her nap. It started small, like it always did. Her tiny face scrunched up, her nose wrinkling as her lips turned down into a pout. Eddie put one arm over the car seat, the other crossing his body to press a soft hand to her pudgy stomach. He rubbed gentle lines on her tummy with his thumb in an attempt to soothe her before all hell broke loose. It didn't work. Of course it didn't. She screamed like a man ten times her size. 

"Oh, honey," Eddie sighed, his head dropping to his chest. His long hair fell into his face, tickling at his already upset daughter. "Come on, Lu, I'm sorry. Daddy didn't mean to yell." 

His voice sounded so tired. Almost broken as he begged her to quiet down. The trio still had seven hours ahead of them and listening to her scream would only make it seem that much longer. Wayne saw a sign advertising a motel five miles ahead. 

He turned off at the next exit, following the signs along the road. Like a sign from heaven the neon letters came into view. MOTEL flashed in bright green, VACANCY in pink beneath it. Wayne parked his truck and left Eddie with the baby while he went into the lobby. He was sure he looked like shit. He'd gotten off work at 7 am, driven ten hours, and was now three and a half hours into the drive home. It had been a long day, to say the absolute least. 

Wayne parked the truck outside of their designated room. The baby was still screaming, her face turning red now. Eddie slid from his seat before reaching back into the truck to retrieve the car seat. 

"You wanna unload the crib?" 

Wayne shook his head, waving his hand flippantly as he reached into the truck bed. He retrieved the beat up leather bag that held his change of clothes. "Think she'll be okay to sleep in that for one night." 

Eddie nodded, too tired to disagree with his uncle. He hooked the plastic handle of the car seat over his elbow with a groan. Even at just four months, she was heavy. With his free hand he mimicked his uncle's movements, pulling own bag and the diaper bag from the truck before following Wayne into the room. Two twin beds sat against the wall, a chest of drawers on the opposite wall. It wasn't fancy, but it was somewhere for the family to rest. And that was what everyone needed right now. 

Eddie sat his daughter on top of the bed furthest from the door. Her diaper bag followed close behind her as Eddie began to pull out the necessities, a clean bottle and the last can of formula he had. He opened the lid and prayed it would be enough to get her by. He knew it wouldn't be. 

His hands moved by muscle memory alone as he prepared her dinner. 4 ounces of water from the sink in the bathroom. One scoop of formula. Shake and serve. He set the bottle on the small table that sat between the beds and took a seat on top of his bed next to the car seat. Just as he was beginning to unbuckle her, Wayne coughed. 

"Let me do that," she said. "You go shower." 

"I'll shower after she's fed." 

"Eddie, you stink." His words weren't unkind or intended to hurt. He was just being honest. Not unlike the many times he'd had to say the exact same words to Eddie when he was 13 and didn't believe in hygiene. 

Eddie smiled at that. It was small, like he was too exhausted to smile properly. But it was something. He nodded as he stood from the bed before walking into the bathroom. Once Wayne heard the water begin to run he resumed unbuckling her. She was solid as he pulled her away from the car seat to his chest. Her screams had softened into whimpers by now, but it didn't take an expert to see that she was clearly still unhappy. 

"Come on, little lady," Wayne sighed as he positioned her head into the bend of his elbow. "Chow time." 

Once she began drinking the, truthfully, disgusting milk she quieted immediately. Wayne couldn't help to smile as he watched her dark eyes scan the room around them. Just like your daddy, he thought. 

By the time Eddie walked back into the room Wayne was putting her over his shoulder to burp her. Eddie handed him a small hand towel from the bathroom to save his shirt. 

"Been a long time since I did this," Wayne told him with a smile as he tucked the towel under her body. "Old man still got it." 

Eddie seemed lighter after his shower. His uncle's bad joke pulling a genuine giggle from him, his lips curling to a real smile. Wayne glanced over Eddie as he turned away from him to rummage through his bag. He was so thin, suddenly. Half the size he was when he'd driven away from Wayne's house five years ago with his band. He saw the way his ribs showed as he stretched his arms over his head to put his shirt on. His legs looked skinnier, too. He felt the solid weight of the baby in his hands and he knew why. 

He saw so much of himself in his nephew. Going without so that she wouldn't have to. Trying to make it on his own as best he could. Eventually doing what he knew was right, and taking her out of a bad situation. He'd never wanted any of that for himself, but he'd done it all for Eddie. He certainly never wanted any of this for Eddie. He always thought Eddie would do better.

"Alright, princess," Eddie said, suddenly facing them again. He reached his arms towards them and Wayne handed Lucy to her father. He hugged her tight to his chest, one hand covering her back while the other supported her bottom. She tucked herself under his long hair, her eyes closing contentedly. "Let's get you a bath and a new diapy, huh? Stinky girl." He cooed, his fingers tightening around her tummy to tickle her. 

Wayne made himself comfortable on his own bed as he listened to the one sided conversation happening in the small bathroom. "Ooooh, Lucy!" Eddie feigned offense. "Stinkiest baby in the land." The sink squeaked on and he heard Eddie humming. He began to doze, the sounds of Lucy's giggles and the splashing water gently lulling him to sleep. 

He hadn't slept for long when Eddie's voice woke him. He cracked open one eye, finding the baby sleeping peacefully on her stomach on the other bed. Eddie laid behind her, perched on his elbow while his other hand rubbed her back. 

"-never meant for this to happen. Man, I hope you don't remember this." He sighed as he whispered to her. "But soon as we get home, daddy's gonna get a job. A real job, yeah? Gonna make you proud of me. Gonna make grandpa proud of me." He leaned forward, his lips meeting his daughter's dark hair at the back of her head. Wayne closed his eyes, trying to fall back to sleep. He knew his nephew was right. He was going to make him proud. 

~~~~~

next part

~~~~~

I worked for like two months on this fic and it's really special to me. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Can't wait to hear what you all think! If you like this story even a little bit, please considering commenting and reblogging. Thanks! Have a great weekend!!🥰 

If you'd like to be tagged in my Stranger Things fics, please let me know. I also have individual tag lists for Steve, Eddie, Robin, Nancy, and Steddie.

Tag List: @redwineanddnicotine @renaissan-vvitch

[yourfellowhuman07]

Where Do We Go Now?

A She-ra: Princess of Power 2018 fanfiction

The war is finally over. Prime is dead, the hive mind is broken, and everyone is reunited with their loved ones. However, there are some questions left unanswered. What will be the fate of Catra and Hordak? What are these new memories Wrong Hordak has? What is Etheria's place in the wider universe? Where do we go now?

___________________

Hello everyone, it's chapter 23. Once again, thank you for all the reception I've gotten on both of my fics. I love you all.

___________________

Chapter 23: The Thought of a Name

Everyone sat at a long table in one of the old dining rooms in the Crypto Castle. Thankfully, to cooking staff was still in the Crypto Castle and were caught off guard to suddenly have 9 more people to cater for. Though, they were thankful to make things other than sugary confectionaries. Per the recommendation of Hordak and TD, they made a simple soup so it will be easier for the clones to get used to eating actual food rather than the liquid rations they were given. The clones were initially very sheepish to consume the meal before them, but with some encouragement from their older brothers, they eventually caved and even enjoyed the new sensations created on their pallets. Along with the soup, the horde trio was given more solid foods such as some pork and bread, which they could handle from getting a hot meal for dinner while in the Etherian Horde. Entrapta and Imp had the same things only on a smaller scale.

Then the door hissed open to let in a bot caring a large stack of thick files. The group fell silent as they watched the bot awkwardly weel over to Entrapta.

“What are those?” Lonnie pointed her fork at the teetering stack of files.

“Forms so you all can become citizens of Dryl. Only if you want to of course. Though you all could fill them out once you are done eating.”

“Wait does that mean we have to actually pay taxes now?”

“Of course. Did you not pay taxes in the Fright Zone?”

“In the Fright Zone, you did not have to pay any taxes if you were a part of the army,” Hordak explained.

“Wait, how are we and the rest of the clones supposed to pay, we have no money,” TD asked, the other four clones nodded. 

“We could always take whatever money Prime left behind. As his son, I would be the sole beneficiary of whatever funds he had since he never drafted any Will, so I could take whatever money he had and divide it up between all the other clones and me.” Hordak suggested.

“Are we allowed to take his money,” JJ asked.

“I doubt it really matters when he is you know… dead,” LD commented.

“Either way we will manage, now let’s go ahead and start so it will be over with faster.” An unsurprising fact about Hordak is that he hated paperwork, which is why he often saddled his second-in-command with the bulk of it. Now, he did not have that option. I mean, he appreciated the organizational aspect of it, but he saw most paperwork as a waste of time and resources. He found that electronic forms are much more practical and less time-consuming. However, at this point, his stances on paperwork scarcely mattered.

Once all the dishes were taken up, the files were all handed out. Then a problem presented itself on the first page.

“Um… what do we put down for our names?” JJ asked. All five brothers looked to Hordak. He sucked up air through his teeth as he contemplated a possible response.

“Entrapta, is the name changeable in the future?”

“Yes.”

“Then for now, just put the two letters we call each other for your first name.”

“What about last names, are those required?” ZD inquired.

“They are required they’re probably the most important out of all three names. Also, the middle name is optional.”

“What should our last name be then?” JD asked.

This simple question sparked a long debate that probably lasted longer than it should have. The men first agreed they should all share a last name since they were brothers, which created even more problems. The idea of having the last name ‘Prime’ was immediately shot down. Then LD suggested they should go for a space-themed name and suggested the last name ‘Starsweeper’ which was quickly dismissed by Hordak. They went through hundreds of names, and they took so long everyone else had left, leaving the brothers alone.

“Can’t we just do a simple name like ‘Smith’,” ZD exclaimed.

“Not happening.” LD retorted.

“How about the last name ‘Lightyear’?” Hordak suggested.

“You know what,” JD tossed his pen on the paper, “might as well.” All the other clones agreed and jotted down the name and went on to fill out the rest of the paperwork.

The only brother that did not continue was Hordak, whose eyes were fixated on the first two lines where his name was supposed to be. It was not like he did not have anything to put, he had two names. Hundreds if you count all the things he has been called by people, even though most are insults. He was stuck on the order of them. When he first laid eyes on those three lines he knew he wanted to use the name his mother gave him. It was a sign of respect and to honor her memory. Even though not a day goes by where she pops into his head at random. When it happens it isn’t terrible, but it is never pleasant.

Back to his name, he did not know which name should go first. On one hand if ‘Hordak’ is first he would be more recognizable, and people could easily identify what name he wanted to be called. On the other hand, making ‘Orion’ his first name would be more respectful of his mother, and it is common for people to go by their middle names. After much thought and debate, he landed on a name: Orion Hordak Lightyear.

_____________________________________

Entrapta sat in her lab repairing one of her bots when a survey droid came in frantically beeping, telling her to come to look outside. She and the bot ran to the nearest window. Initially, she saw nothing until she saw a swarm of people crowding around the base of the mountain.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Outside POV (5) Masterlist

Links last checked: December 11, 2024

part one, part two, part three, part four

all that kindred eyes can see (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Teachers Dan and Phil figure that they could quite easily keep their relationship secret while working at the same school. It's only for half a year after all. But the keen eyes of a trio of friends soon start to pick up on little hints and clues. It's a good thing the students mostly just want to admire their love and figure themselves out along the way.

Always Together, Never Apart (ao3) - cherryblossomphil

Summary: “They were attached at the hip. The centers of each other’s lives. Inseparable.”; Dan and Phil’s relationship, as seen through the eyes of their friends (based on Vidcon 2k15)

House Hunters (ao3) - citizen101erased

Summary: Kath and Nigel go down to London to help Phil and Dan find a house to buy.

Immediate Family (ao3) - philsroots (shanegray)

Summary: “The first few times I didn’t mind all that much, but now it’s all the time and I’m starting to dread starting conversations.” Cornelia says, almost laughing.

Dan peels at the corner of the crisp bag, creating a small tear before slowly pulling it apart.

“It’s really that constant?”

or the one where Dan really wants a metaphorical picket fence and I write a love letter to being the gay cousin in a huge traditional family

Merry and Bright (ao3) - ahappyphil

Summary: Dan and Phil host their first Christmas.

now i smile and face the girl who shares my name (ao3) - plinth_of_life

Summary: kath meets her newborn granddaughter.

Oh Brother (ao3) - ahappyphil

Summary: Phil comes home from the Halloween gathering, and Martyn has questions

shadows / nocturne / parting clouds (ao3) - Tarredion

Summary: Phil wakes up with a migraine, causing him to snap at Dan. Throughout the day, while visiting a city for the ii tour, Cornelia observes the tension, and eventually, the two of them console.

since i looked up to you (ao3) - morelikeexisting

Summary: I've been meaning to tell you something, but never had the courage to — it reads — basically, i am gay.

And Adrian thinks: this is how he is going to come out? Through a fucking e-mail, and then he laughs, happy and proud and overwhelmed, because confrontation has always been Dan's weakness and this ... this e-mail is so, so Dan.

( or the one where dan comes out to his brother )

slipping through my fingers (ao3) - Gal_tic

Summary: Even though he said he’d never grow up, Phil grew up.

Or, Kath reminisces on how time flies

sometime, stranger (ao3) - dieofthatroar

Summary: Karen's thoughts on a little boy she thought she knew

the bear (ao3) - dizzy, waveydnp

Summary: Seven year old Phil has an imaginary friend, and his mother is concerned.

The Fantastic Mr. Whiskers (ao3) - chiridotalaevis

Summary: Mr. Whiskers does not approve of guests. But this human? This human was ok. This human could stay.

The Royal Mr. Whiskers (ao3) - chiridotalaevis

Summary: Mr. Whiskers just could not understand why they had to move to a new apartment. This apartment was perfect! It had the couch Mr. Whiskers liked, the little nook above the fridge from where Mr. Whiskers could keep watch, a nice warm bed for him. All the smells were accounted for, all the walls sufficiently improved by Mr. Whisker’s claws. But no, apparently with Phil moving in, his humans didn’t have enough space anymore.

the conversation (ao3) - calvinahobbes

Summary: "They had a joke in there. About a sex tape with him and Dan." A fic about Phil's parents and That Conversation.

they grew up so nicely, didn't they? (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Cornelia doesn’t just get a boyfriend when she starts dating Martyn, she gets a whole second family too. Kath and Nigel welcome her with open arms and she becomes a pseudo older sister to Phil.

She is there watching from the sidelines as a boy bolts right into Phil’s heart and sets up camp. She gets to watch as Dan and Phil build careers and an internet community and all the trials and tribulations, as well as the pride and happiness, it brings along.

through the years, we all will be together (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: Martyn comes home for Christmas in 2009 and finally meets Dan, that guy his brother won’t shut up about. Ten years later, and it’s like Dan’s always been a part of the family.

Two of Martyn’s family Christmas celebrations, a decade apart.

to use black ink (ao3) - moonythejedi395

Summary: Laura Anise Jones, at the ripe old age of 12 ½, knew exactly four things in life. The first was that she would never touch illicit drugs. The second was that it was best not to tell anyone anything about herself, as nothing good would ever come of it. The third was that adults will always lie. The fourth is that the only exception to the previous rule is her English teacher, Mr. Lester.

together: a tale in five board games (ao3) - dieofthatroar

Summary: Dan in his BBC LGBT interview: "I had friends who honestly would be like, 'so, are you going to get a girlfriend at some point?' and I was like, 'so you have no idea, even though we've been friends for five years.'"

Dan and Phil have this friend that comes over for monthly board game night.

watching terrariums (ao3) - obsessivelymoody

Summary: They’re silhouetted against the gloomy grey London sky, light only touching the high points of their faces, illuminating their eyes. They look carved from marble, and by someone who is really able to capture love.

Or, Dan and Phil in 2019, told through two perspectives at two different times.

where we can live (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: Karen and Kathryn wait for their sons.

"Why did we have to have kids?" (ao3) - yikesola

Summary: Cornelia is recording on her phone, hoping she’ll never forget this sight. It’s so beautiful, more beautiful than she can say. So expansive, so lush— so peaceful… peaceful…

A ficlet about peacefulness and laughter.

[hashtagordinarygirls]

#July24mailbag

Art by AyylaGTS

Which of you has the highest-valued wardrobe?

Whitley: Depends. Do you mean whose cost the most or whose is the most valuable?

Krysta: I would like to preface by mentioning my wardrobe includes eleven custom-made bras lettered in the latter half of the alphabet and designed by a licensed mechanical engineer.

Alicia: ..and my wardrobe includes two custom made fur suits, not-one-not-two-but-three pairs of angel wings, and a suit of armor.

Whitley: And it's still me by a landslide #gigantique

Krysta: Other than bras, the rest of my wardrobe is secondhand and tailored.

Alicia: You're welcome. And I make most of my own clothes or get them free through sponsorships.

Whitley: Downsides of outgrowing the big & tall shops.

Alicia: But if you're asking who has sold their clothes for the most money...

Krysta: Keep in mind, I do not sell bras for any less than twice what I pay for them, and I have a penchant for outgrowing them.

Alicia: ...and my old cosplays were designed and handmade by a professional cosplayer *two thumbs at self*

Whitley: I still win, and it ain't even close. #thankyoufootstuff

If you had to spend a day as one of your roommates, who would you pick?

Krysta: Whitley. Standing taller than everyone for a day would be refreshing, and I am already used to people staring at me.

Whitley: Alicia, because burning an entire day spent lifting heavy stuff while baked sounds kinda fun.

Alicia: Krysta, because she has humongous boobs that she doesn’t let her roommates play with.

Whitley: Speak for yourself.

Krysta: I know what you are talking about, and that did not qualify as “play.”

Alicia: Wait, what?

To Krysta and Alicia: how does it feel now to not be the shortest people around? Now you can understand what Whitley feels all the time around the "normal height" people.

Whitley: Okay first, who says I’m not the normal one and all y’all are short?

Alicia: You might even say she's rather ordi—

Whitley and Krysta: Stop.

Krysta: To begin with, the only thing we “outgrew,” was the room. And we did not change size, it was an illusion using—

Alicia: LIES! So, last weekend we got this mysterious package in the mail. No return address. Inside was an ancient magic wishing stone that, when we touched it, made the three of us suddenly start growing, and GROWING. Bigger, and bigger, and bigger until...

Whitley: Before you go on, does the 'no speaking with the intent to arouse' house rule still apply in this interview?

Krysta: Yes.

Alicia: Um, next question, then?

Which of the trio likes filling the room the most?

Alicia: Loved it. Got some next level selfies. There's something about being thirty feet tall really brings out your eyes.

Krysta: Your sense of scale is atrocious.

Whitley: Thumbs down. If you think being too tall to stand in a room sucks, try being too tall to sit.

Krysta: Indifferent. seeing as I am the second most likely in our group not to fit in a space due to my proportions.

Whitley: Remember that time your tit got stuck in the elevator?

Alicia: That video was amazing! Oh, and Krysta's right, Whitley. That doesn’t count as 'play.'

Whitley: I had fun.

Alicia: It did look fun.

Krysta: Moving on…

And to the whole group: Anyone have an update on our friend Nika?

Alicia: I haven’t heard anything now that she’s back with her ex.

Krysta: …again.

Alicia: She mainly posts about the two of them. Date pics. Beach pics. Volleyball. Talk about legs for days!

Whitley: …

Alicia: I forget, what was her name? Sue Ellen?

Krysta: Selene?

Alicia: Sonya?

Krysta: Sienna?

Whitley: …

Alicia: Salome?

Krysta: Solange?

Alicia: Shiloh?

Krysta: Siobhan?

Whitley: Sloane.

Alicia: Someone sounds jeaaaaalous.

Krysta: It’s not because she’s tall is it?

Whitley: I hear Lexie Cheer is up to an H-cup. No wonder she’s up to four million followers.

Krysta: …

Alicia: You two are so competitive. Yumi has like, five times more followers than me and we're great! We even played strip Mario Party live on stream last weekend—which I won, by the way—because I was naked way before her.

Krysta: I believe that means you lost.

Alicia: But did I? That’s the thing because I don’t actually care!

Whitley: It’s like they they say, if you can’t beat ‘em, fu—

Whitley was a big eater before...now what'll she do??

Whitley: Probably buy and manage my own farm where I can ethically and sustainably farm my own food, employ a few staff. Then work out a co-op deal with my neighbors for any leftovers.

Alicia: With the money you’d be making on foot stuff at that size, you could probably buy two.

Krysta: You appear to have thought about this.

Whitley: I do two-hour weekly live chats. You think this hasn’t come up? Besides, what are your guys' contingencies if you keep growing?

Alicia: I figure the government will come pick me up at some point and hire me as Captain America. Except I won't do the superhero stuff. Just the stage shows with backup dancers where I wear costumes and dance.

Krysta: Macromastia to immobilization would easily make me enough to afford full-time breast care professionals.

Whitley: Wait, is that a thing?

Alicia: I would do it for free.

Krysta: Professionals.

Whitley: Seriously though, is that a thing?

How difficult is it to use technology at this new size?

Krysta: I have a touchscreen and small hands to begin with, so it was only a mild inconvenience.

Whitley: Not worth it. Just gave me more reason to unplug.

Alicia: It was sooo hard! I kept accidentally smashing stuff because if you think I'm strong now, I'm a freakin' behemoth at nine feet tall—

Krysta: Do you have no sense of scale whatsoever?

Whitley: You probably could have deadlifted the entire house.

Alicia: OMG new life goal unlocked!

Krysta: Must you plant these ideas?

Whitley: What? I'd like to see it.

Whitley: Have you considered doing a web series that documents your ongoing growth spurt? I'm sure that it would be very popular.

Whitley: Why? I have fans to do that for me.

Alicia: No kidding. Have you read her Wikipedia page lately?

Krysta: I have. I also corrected several errors in her Vietnamese page last week.

Whitley: Aw, I’m flattered, P-Cup.

Krysta: I have a low tolerance for inaccurate information.

Alicia: I only have English, Japanese, and German Wikipedia pages, but I also appear on the trivia section of Yumi's IdolWiki page.

Krysta: I do not have a Wikipedia presence, but I do have one of the top-three highest traffic pages on the Big Titty Wiki.

Whitley: Wait, who’s higher than you?

Alicia: If I had to guess—

Krysta: Next question.

Alicia: Have you ever considered a career in professional wrestling?

Alicia: Oh absolutely! I tried out a few times. I even made a costume and everything. Didn't work out though 😞

Whitley: Too many rules?

Krysta: Lack of creative control?

Alicia: Yeah, those and I kept accidentally putting dudes in the hospital 😇

Whitley, can we say you are unquestionably a mini giantess now?

Whitley: Dunno. How tall am I?

Alicia and Krysta: 226 centimeters

Whitey: There you go. Y’all can call me whatever you want.

Alicia: Except “late for dinner!”

Krysta: Alright, I am done here.

[malachitezompofficial]

Thunderstruck (H. Potter x Oc)

0.2

0.2 (Its all right)

The next day in the Great Hall Jacqueline walked in and noticed the golden trio turning and staring at her. She waved and smiled at them before walking over to the Hufflepuff table and sitting next to a random girl she didn't know.

Jacqueline had friends but they were never in her own house or the friendships didn't last long. Of cource she stayed loyal but her friends never did. Not that she minded surely she was bound to meet friends who stuck around for the long road. She looked up and noticed Harry staring at her from his table. She smiled at him before looking down  and finishing her breakfast and getting prepared for her first class of the day.

What has gotten into that boy lately? She wondered as he hadn't even noticed her before there adventours night from the previous day.

The day went by in a daze as Jacqueline went to her last class of the day which happened to be charms. It was weird for Harry to just suddenly notice her but it felt nice. I mean technically it was sudden as the pair have had classes and talked to each other throughout there years at Hogwarts. This was there 6th year after all so it only makes sense he's been bound to have seen her before.

"Hello students today were continuing the Bubble Head Charm!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed happily

"Remember to go find a partner" he added on as he hopped down from his book stack to help students in need

Jacqueline sat there for a moment thinking about who she could ask to be partners with.

"Would you like to be my partner?" Harry asked as he sat down next to the girl smiling

"Yeah that would be nice actually" she responded with a comfortable smile

The pair got to work and the first person to successfully cast the charm was Jacqueline which came as a shock to many. Usually Hermoine would be the one to cast charms first.

"Brilliant Ms. Williams 10 points to Hufflepuff" Proffessor Flitwick exclaimed smiling

"Your bloody brilliant you know" Harry leaned over whispering to her repeating the words he has told her less that twenty four hours ago

She smiled and thanked the boy as class ended. She grabbed her bag waving goodbye before exiting heading back to her dorm so she could get some rest and head to the Astronomy Tower again.

Jacqueline went almost every night, and as she lay down on her bed, she hoped Harry would be there again as well. He always brought a smile to her face.

Three hours go by and the girl wakes up and quickly brushes her hair before heading down to the Great Hall. She sat down at the Hufflepuff table where she always sat. A letter with her name on it rested gently as she sat down.

"Dear Pretty Girl,

I hope I can see you again tonight? I kind of have an idea so if you deside to arrive at the Astronomy Tower try and wear a nice dress or suit of preference!

-Harry

P.s Look up" Jacqueline read silently to herself smiling softly

As she skimmed and read the letter she looked up to see Harry smiling at her. She smiled back giving him a thumbs up and his smile got wider as he turned to his friends and started chatting away.

The girl grabbed some food and ate quickly before exiting to get ready.

She put on a simple green silky dress which was floor length and had a sweetheart neckline. It was strapless and looked very elegant on the girl.  She waited a few hours before making her way to the tower.

She was quite excited to see what the boy meant and only hoped it wasn't a prank.

As she made her way up the stairs she could hear classical music playing.

She made her way to the top and there stood Harry holding out his hand in nice robes like the ones he wore to the 4th year Yule Ball.

"Care to dance Jacqueline?" he asked as he looked at the girl

"Why I do belive a dance would be lovely" she responded with a laugh taking a hold of his hand and getting into a waltz position.

Harry wasn't the best dancer but he had improved sense the last time and she quite enjoyed her time dancing the night away under the stars.

Two hours went by and the pair finally stopped as they were getting tired.

"Always full of surprises aren't we Mr. Potter" Jacqueline said with a smile

"Yeah I suppose so but I guess you can also say this is our first official date?" he asked sheepishly with a sly smile

"Yes I do suppose so and it was quite lovely" Jacqueline responded smiling

She thought she would freak out more but she didn't. She was calm and just enjoying the moment for once. It was different when she was around him. She didn't feel as things were being rushed as she had practically know Harry for six years. However she hadnt spoken to him and made the effort to be friends for said six years but it didn't seem to matter.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Harry asked

"Pick me up at Hogsmeade around 1 pm and it'll be a date" Jacqueline said boldy before leaving

"See you then Jacqueline!" He responded happily

She walked back with a smile as Harry cleaned up the tower. The night was more magical then she could have ever imagined in her wildest dreams.

[amxranthiine]

imagine being the ex-friend of the slytherin crew. [she/her] (no voldy bc ew)

had this thought at 3am last night while fangirling with my friend last night. sorry for any errors <3

angst, mentions of parents disowning child, blood prejudice, mention of childhood/forbidden crush

- [ ] you had known draco, blaise, theo, pansy, astoria and daphne since you were very young.

- [ ] since you all were two to be exact. your parents were close and your birthdays weren't too far apart, so it was only natural that you all became a crew growing up, anxiously waiting for your eleventh birthdays.

- [ ] you all were inseparable. you learned to fly together, talk together, walk together... hell, you had all learned you were wizards together.

- [ ] you were always closer to blaise than the rest of the crew. you were younger than him, though not by much, and he seemed protective over you. as inseparable the rest of you were, blaise couldn't go anywhere without you, and the same goes for you to him.

- [ ] how ecstatic you were when you all got your hogwarts letters! you were going to be in the same year and hopefully, probably, the same house!

- [ ] it was expected of you all to be in slytherin, all coming from very long lines of prestigious pureblood serpents.

- [ ] the other six were more than confident that they would all be in slytherin together. you? not so much.

- [ ] you were very nervous, to say the least. you didn't portray the slytherin traits as much as the others.

- [ ] and when pansy or blaise would try to reassure you that it would be fine, you couldn't help but wonder if they were trying to convince you or themselves.

- [ ] and because you didn't portray the serpent traits, that made them all extremely protective of you. blaise especially, draco and theo coming close in second, and the girls just wanted to make sure you were okay.

- [ ] but the moment the sorting hat yelled out a name that wasn't slytherin, everything stopped.

- [ ] your friendships with your lifelong friends, your crush on blaise (okay, that didn't go away), everything you grew up with just... disappeared.

- [ ] your now ex-friends wanted nothing to do with you, even your parents didn't want to speak to you. your housemates were cruel, jesting about how you were a stain on their house, and a snake deep down.

- [ ] it was safe to say you had no one.

- [ ] the crew started being mean to you somewhere around christmas of first year. before then, they had just ignored you. just like everyone else.

- [ ] after christmas though... they seemed to have a new hatred for you.

- [ ] especially blaise, which hurt the most. you swore you were seeing things when you thought you saw sadness somewhere in his eyes whenever he was rude to you.

- [ ] you were alone for the remainder of first year, and for the first two months of second.

- [ ] that's when you met luna, neville and ginny. you guys were thick as thieves, and for the first time for two years, you were actually happy.

- [ ] of course, your childhood friends were still mean to you, nothing had really changed on that part. but you were... happier, and that hurt them. because you happier without them, and that wasn't how it was supposed to be.

- [ ] they supposed they should be glad that you were doing better. last year, they were going mad out of worry for you. apparently you had stayed at hogwarts for christmas out of request from your parents, and it was christmas day when the adults told the rest of them to stop associating with you.

- [ ] it remained fairly passive over the next few years, you remained close with luna, neville and ginny, and had even befriended the golden trio and the twins!

- [ ] the serpent squad didn't like that too much, but they supposed your current friends were better than no friends, and as long as you were happy, they were happy

- [ ] but they still continue their kind-of bullying. they weren't as cruel to you as they were to others, but words still hurt and boy do they have a snake's tongue on them.

- [ ] blaise could hardly stand being away from you but his mother had made him swear that he would not associate with you, the blood traitor.

- [ ] all he wanted to do was hold you, but he rather bullied you instead.

- [ ] it was the beginning of sixth year when draco and pansy had gone too far. the other four were just watching blankly, trying not to let their discomfort show as the two reprimanded you, mocked you, and insulted you in the middle of the great hall. calling you a blood traitor, a stain of your family name and house name, and even going as far as saying "no wonder your parents don't want you, just look at you!" while the all the slytherins around them laughed. or at least, pretended to.

- [ ] you had looked at them for a long time, teary eyed and red faced, just trying to understand what you did to deserve this. until you nodded your head, said "okay," and walked out of the great hall.

- [ ] they heard your friends call your name, your closest ones even running after you.

- [ ] theo and blaise looked like they were about to beat draco to death, astoria and daphne were just disappointed in pansy, they knew how much she missed you, and yet she ruined any chance of you forgiving them.

- [ ] blaise eventually decided against killing the blonde and ran after you, the rest following suit after a moment.

- [ ] it didn't take them long to find you, sobbing against a wall with your head in your hands, ginny, nev and luna all crowded around you. rubbing your back and whispering reassurances in your ear.

- [ ] "i don't know what i did to deserve that," you cried, sniffling as you wiped your nose on your sleeve and looked and ginny.

- [ ] "oh love, you didn't do anything," the ginger said, wrapping her arms around you.

- [ ] "don't listen to them, y/n! they're just prats!" assured nev, leaning against the wall awkwardly, with one hand on your back.

- [ ] luna played with your hair, "yeah, y/n, they don't deserve your love and kindness."

- [ ] "thank you guys. i mean it. without you three i don't know where i would be." you laughed, but no part of it was humorous.

- [ ] draco, being the blonde he was, decided it was a good time to intervene, "hopefully alive, haha."

- [ ] the six of them had come out from around the corner, feeling ashamed and wanting to hit themselves for making you cry.

- [ ] "what do you lot wanf? haven't you done enough?" asked ginny, placing herself in front of you.

- [ ] "yes but.."

- [ ] "no, you don't get to talk. now piss off before you do even more damage."

- [ ] "we just want to apologize," said blaise.

- [ ] you scoffed, "a bit late for that."

- [ ] pansy looked down, "we're really sorry, y/n, for what just happened and for everything the past six years. you know how our families are and they told us to stop talking to you... so we did."

- [ ] all feelings of sadness were gone now, pansy's words has ignited a flame within you, one you've been holding in for years.

- [ ] "stop talking to me? so that gave you permission to be bloody awful to me? merlin's beard, you six were worse than umbridge on her bad days! you could have just... i don't know, explained what happened in first year? and apologized for abandoning me? and maybe we could still be friends! but no, you lot ruined any chance of that ever happening again. so thank you for that." you paused to take a breath. your audience was wide eyed and shocked, not quite believing you had such anger in you... but oh man, you weren't done yet.

- [ ] "and let me just say, blaise, your insults hurt the most. merlin, i thought the world of you. i thought you were my everything. but that all just went away the moment you thought not associating with me, meant making my life a living hell."

- [ ] you were, once again, crying. you took a deep breath and sadness took over you once again, you mumbled an "excuse me" and took off down the corrider.

- [ ] the serpent squad was stunned. they hadn't realised what they did effected you that much. blaise was upset with himself, disappointed, even. he felt the same about you, even if you both were too young for it to be love, and now he knew he never get it pack.

- [ ] theo cleared his throat and tried looking anywhere but at the trio in front of them, who were looking at the six with anger and disappointment.

- [ ] "you guys couldn't even begin to understand what she's been through," neville said after moments of awkward silence. "not long after the sorting ceremory, her parents sent her a letter, practically disowning her. before that, you guys abandoned her. she was alone for nearly a year and a half before we met her. and by merlin she was a wreck."

- [ ] ginny and luna chuckled, not out of humor, but out of irony. this situation was similar to the situation you were in when you met them.

- [ ] neville ignored them, and the curious stares the six were giving him, and continued, this time fueled by anger.

- [ ] "we were the ones who picked up the pieces. we were the ones who made sure she didn't die after losing everything she had ever known. we were the ones who made her smile again, happy again. we picked up the pieces because you weren't there, and you were exactly what had caused it in the first place." neville spit out the last sentence as if it were venom, hoping to hurt them as much as they hurt you.

- [ ] they were all on the verge of tears, daphne and astoria were holding each other and looked to be in the most pain, because they missed you the most.

- [ ] "i hope you lot are happy with yourselves, you're about five years to late to the pity party."

[early2000smovieimagines]

Meeting and Dating Hermione Granger

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

(I’m sorry but Hermione in her uniform is beautiful.)

- You and Hermione meet during your first year at Hogwarts. The two of you wound up being partners in potions class and we all know how Hermione is when it comes to her schoolwork.

- She’s very much so the “here let me do it” sort of person when she sees that you’re doing something wrong. Not that you mind; you aren’t exactly keen on getting on Snape’s bad side.

- She’s also very adamant on teaching you how to do things and having you try again; after she shows you the correct way to do them, which gives her the chance to look at you more closely and say to herself “wow she’s pretty”.

- Initially, she sort of just thinks that she’s envious of your good looks or that she finds herself looking at you merely because you’re pretty and people like looking at pretty things. It’s only after a bit of reflecting that she realizes she likes you more than a person likes flowers.

- The only logical conclusion is that she has a crush on you and …oh dear.

- Yeah, Hermione isn’t …the best with crushes. The minute she realizes that she likes you, she turns into a bit of an awkward mess.

- She’ll say somewhat strange things before nervously trying to correct herself. She’ll touch you for a bit too long or without meaning to before jumping away upon realizing what she’s doing. She’ll give you handshakes instead of hugs when you greet each other or do good on a joint project or what have you. Etc, etc, etc.

- She’ll do whatever she can to hang out with you one day while avoiding you like the plague the next; usually because she’s having a bad hair day or something similar. The boys are clueless as to why she’s acting strange but they agree to help her with whatever she asks; usually meaning that they help her hide from you.

- Once the two of you become friends; which is somewhat inevitable with Hermione and the people she likes since she’ll force herself into their lives, she’ll subtly hint at a relationship between the two of you and try to find out more about you and your type.

- There’s going to be a lot of mutual pining. Hermione’s obviously pretty so of course you’ll fall for the strong willed, activist girl who’s now your best friend. And she’s been in love with you since first year but it’ll take a while for her to admit her feelings.

- Viktor Krum probably found out Hermione liked you midway through fourth year and immediately began hyping her up, teasing and telling her to confess her feelings to you. He also probably got you a date to the Yule ball and you four hung out all night because he’s a sweetheart but I digress.

- The thing is, you’re now close friends and she doesn’t want to lose that, so she ends up spewing her feelings out in a fit of desperate frustration. She calls you an idiot, telling you that she loves you and has loved you for years, and if you’re too stupid to notice then nothing; not even her tutoring sessions, can help you, and you’re too stunned to even be offended.

- So there she is, standing there and trying to catch her breath, close to tears and embarrassed before you finally manage to find your words. You tell her that she’ll have to deal with your stupidity forever now because you like her too.

- She takes a deep breath, furrowing her eyebrows slightly and nervously saying “you …do.”, like she’s trying to quickly process what you’ve just said; as though she anticipated a wildly different response.

“Good.” She says after a moment, nodding as she does so. She says the words in a stunted, sort of relieved tone, like someone who didn’t expect an issue to be resolved as soon as it was.

- The two of you have your first date at Hogsmeade where you sort of just wander around the village and talk, trying to bond while enjoying a bit of privacy. Harry and Ron probably show up midway through and she tries her best to signal with her eyes that this “isn’t a good time” before she’s forced to give a pointed, whisper yelled “could you two please leave”. 

- Hermione tends to give a lot of cheek and head kisses to the people she’s close to and you would not be exempt from this. Just saying. 

- The two of you share your first kiss about a month or so after your first date. She’d been stressing over something and you’d laid a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that everything was going to be alright until she finally managed to calm down. 

- Later on, as you were getting up to leave, she’d leaned over and planted a soft, somewhat chaste kiss on your lips before you both made your way out of the room. You had smiles on your faces for the rest of the day. 

- Congratulations, you’ve managed to score the brightest witch in all of Hogwarts. Consider yourself a very lucky girl; she certainly considers herself to be one.

- The wizarding world seems pretty progressive all things considered so pda isn’t a taboo when it comes to your relationship. She’s more than happy to engage in it though she keeps it polite and innocent out of pure preference. 

- Her slinging her arm around your shoulder. 

- Tight hugs; especially when you’re reunited after a long time or you come back from something dangerous. 

- Handholding. 

- Cheek and head kisses. 

- Sweet and soft kisses. 

- Abrupt and passionate kisses; usually after a surge of emotion courses through her. She’ll occasionally get flustered and apologize for getting ahead of herself, as though you’re not in a relationship. 

- She usually just calls you by your given name but occasionally she’ll call you something like honey or dear. 

- The two of you cuddle laying on your sides with your arms wrapped around each other. Sometimes Crookshanks will wiggle his way between your bodies and you’ll get a nose full of cat hair but you get used to it. 

- Speaking of the orange baby: plucking cat hair from each other’s clothing and taking turns snuggling the endearingly ugly creature.

- Helping her carry all the books she lugs around.

- Getting matching bracelets/necklaces.

- Helping her with her hair.

- Compliments; the two of you are constantly praising each other. She tends to comment on your schoolwork like how you’ve improved so much or congratulating you on doing so well on an exam.

- She’s “secretly” really fond of making you little cards and origami. She lives for Valentine’s Day and you can’t help but find it adorable.

- Supporting S.P.E.W. and wearing one of her badges; whether or not you agree with it.

- Quiet days spent inside. The two of you usually just sit in one of your dorms or the library, talking about whatever comes to mind or doing your own things.

- Study dates.

- Assuring her she’s going to do great on tests. She always gets really stressed and frazzled before a big exam so you always have to make sure she breathes and relaxes a bit.

- She’s always jumping to help you in any way she can, and she always has the knowledge to do so.

- Writing letters to each other over the summer.

- Sitting together in the courtyard.

- Going to The Three Broomsticks and getting a bit tipsy off butter beer. She’s a lightweight.

- Having a cute little book club. The two of you take turns reading to each other and discussing the different novels you’ve read.

- Playing the piano together.

- Baking together.

- Play fighting. The two of you do that cute, grabbing each other’s arms and trying to push each other while giggling sort of thing that couples do.

- Having your dates interrupted by the boys. The two of them are going to be completely clueless about your relationship for a while before finally catching on and giving you more space; unless something oh so important happens.

- Tagging along and helping the golden trio whenever you can. You’re a certified member of their clique by now.

- Cheering the boys on at Quidditch games together. The two of you are usually huddled close to keep warm. 

- Speaking of cheering: she's your biggest cheerleader. She’s always wishing you good luck and rooting for you and giving you an enthusiastic whoop; even if it makes people give her funny looks. 

- Breaking her out of her shell and getting her to let loose a little more. She feels the need to constantly be put together and perfect and you do your best to reassure her that, sometimes, she can just have fun. 

- Dancing together. 

- Whenever she’s really excited and/or really wants your attention for one reason or another and you have homework, she always ends up impatiently snatching it with a “give it here” before doing it for you and launching into whatever it is she wanted from you. 

- Being on the receiving end of her scolding looks. You always get one if you’ve done something or are doing something wrong. 

- Comforting her. She’s a bit sensitive and cries sort of easily; particularly when she’s angry which she gets embarrassed about, so you’re always there to make her feel better.

- She’s constantly checking you over and taking care of you when you’re hurt and/or sick. It helps to have a half blood girlfriend who knows nearly every spell like the back of her hand.

- She always just seems to understand you and know how you’re feeling. She’ll always be there to give advice and comfort you.

- Defending her from wizard racism. You might not stand up for yourself but you sure as hell are willing to hex a man half to death for saying something about her. 

- She has a habit of grabbing onto you when she’s scared so expect to have her wrapped around you or holding your hand in a death grip whenever anything spooky occurs.

- Hermione is smart enough to tell when something is entirely platonic so she doesn’t get jealous very often. It’s only when someone shows actual interest in you that she gets a bit self conscious. She can usually keep herself in check but she’ll occasionally tell you that they were flirting with you in an exasperated tone before you reassure her that you don’t want them.

- She’s more protective in the “I’m going to take care of you” sort of way but she has been known to throw a punch at or use a hex on someone who hurts you or your feelings. She worries over you a lot so rest assured, if you’re upset/hurt, she’ll be right by your side fussing over you.

- She hates being wrong so that’s where most of your arguments probably stem from. You really don’t have a lot of arguments though, all things considered. She’s perfectly capable of communicating her feelings so you rarely need to fight about anything; at least not for long.

- She has a habit of holding grudges and won’t want to admit she’s wrong so expect her to take a bit of time before she says she’s sorry. If she’s proven right then she’ll pointedly say that “well, someone owes someone an apology” but if she’s proven wrong she’ll admit that she owes you one.

- She’s a big softie so she tells you that she loves you quite a bit; mainly in private though she isn’t afraid to say it in public.

- She’s gonna go places and she’s taking you with her. After everything that happened, the two of you enjoy a peaceful, fulfilling life together and she couldn’t be happier.

[janetbrown711]

I don't know how much i can endure this - Yakko

“Yakko I don’t wanna go,” Dot complained, pulling on her itchy and puffy black dress that was just a little too tight. 

“We all have to go, Dot, it’s not up to us,” Yakko sighed, adjusting the bow tying her ears together. 

“But this dress itchessss,” she whined, tugging on the sleeves. 

“You’re going to stretch it out if you keep that up,” Yakko warned. 

“Why do we have to go?” Dot continued with her complaining.

“Because Grandma said so, and what grandma tells us to do now... we have to,” Yakko glanced at his younger brother who was leaning against the wall and not facing them. 

“Why?” Dot asked.

“Because mom and dad can’t help us anymore,” Yakko sighed, taking her hand and walking towards Wakko. Wakko muttered something under his breath. 

Thankfully, Dot didn’t ask “why” again. 

“You ready?” Yakko asked Wakko. 

“Yeah,” Wakko said. Yakko rolled his eyes, noticing his brother’s shirt was buttoned all wrong. 

“Grandma would kill you if she saw you like this,” Yakko sighed, fixing it. Wakko muttered yet again. 

“What on earth are you muttering about?” Yakko shot him a look. 

“Nothing... nothing,” Wakko looked away. The older prince sighed. He really didn’t have the energy for this. 

Then again, he could hardly say he had the energy for anything anymore. The most sleep he had gotten the past four days was when he got knocked out by the assassins. Other than that, he was unable to sleep, the words of his mom ringing in his head. 

“Let him go! It’s me you want, not him!” 

He shivered. 

“Let’s just get going... the sooner it’s over, the better,” Yakko said, offering a hand to Dot and Wakko. Dot took it, but Wakko crossed his arms. 

They carried on. 

“Ready, you three?” Their grandmother asked, making that the fourth thing she had said to them since the day after the attack. 

She still hadn’t taken off that stupid thick black veil. 

“As we’ll ever be,” Yakko said, giving Dot’s hand a squeeze. 

Slowly, the grand doors to the overcast courtyard opened, and Yakko’s eyes quickly went to the two caskets. 

“Who’s in there?” Dot pointed as they went to their spot, which Yakko quickly made her put down. 

“Not mum and dad,” Wakko mumbled, and Yakko gave him a look as their grandmother went to the podium. 

“My people, we are gathered here today to do something no mother should ever have to go through. Today, we honor and mourn the memory of my only child, Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Second, and her husband, Sir William the Good,” She said, her voice cold and numb to the ears.

Yakko felt a wave of anger wash over him. She had no right to speak in that way. 

She hired the assassins. She wanted them dead and gone. It was all her fault. 

“It is with a heavy heart that I am forced to retain my throne until my grandson, Prince Yakko, is of age,” she gestured to him. He didn’t know what to do, so he just nodded, trying not to let his rage consume him, allowing the numbness to take over once more. 

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could endure this.

His grandmother continued on with her speech, but Yakko paid it no mind, his eyes stuck on the empty caskets. 

Wakko was right, his parents weren’t in them. Nobody told them why, but Yakko was smart enough to realize that just meant the assassins either burned them, threw them in a river somewhere, or buried them in the middle of the woods somewhere far, far away. 

In some sense, Yakko was glad the caskets were empty. He wasn’t sure if he had it in him to look upon the dead faces of his mother and father, and he was much more sure that seeing that wouldn’t be good for Wakko or Dot. 

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and heavier is the heart of one who has lost a child,” he heard her say.

Yakko growled, but controlled himself, burying the anger deep within himself.

Eventually, she was done, and other, more boring people spoke. There was a song and Yakko really wanted nothing more in the world than for this to end so he could go back into his room and be alone for just a moment, not standing in front of thousands feeling empty and hollow and numb. 

The queen chose to stand on the opposite side of the podium than the trio of children. She had been distant ever since the attack. Yakko suspected that was likely to change very soon, but for now he was grateful. The last thing he wanted to deal with was her complaining that Dot was crying too loud. 

Poor Dot... she was still too young to really understand what death was, no matter how Yakko tried to explain. All she knew was that they were gone, and they weren’t coming back. At first she thought it was because they abandoned them, but Yakko was quick to explain they’d never do that to them. After that though, she started looking around corners for them, expecting them to be there any minute...

Every night, Dot would wake up and start crying for them, but they never came. Instead, Yakko could come in and take Dot to his and Wakko’s room, and he’d cuddle with her until she fell back asleep. 

It helped him with his nightmares too. 

“Yakko, we’re going, it’s over,” Wakko said, snapping his older brother back into reality. 

“Right, yes,” Yakko shook his head, taking Dot’s hand again, and they all went to the great hall for refreshments, though Yakko hardly had the appetite. 

However, Wakko did have the appetite, so he stayed anyway, though he was unfortunately placed right next to his grandmother, looking evermore cold and blank behind that veil. He could hardly make out where her eyes were, until she looked at him, then he looked away. 

“It’s rude to stare at a woman in mourning,” She said. 

“Mourning my ass,” Yakko thought. He was so done pretending to care about her.

“Sorry,” he said instead. Knowing the new lengths she was willing to go to to get rid of people and things she didn’t like reminded him to keep his mouth shut. 

“That brother of yours is causing a racket. Fix it,” She waved her hand at him, and Yakko looked for Wakko and whatever racket he was supposedly causing, but all he was him and a few other random boys lauhging and playing a game in the corner. Yakko frowned. 

“I don’t see what the matter is?” He scratched his head. 

“This is a funeral, boy, you aren’t supposed to be playing games,” She seethed, and Yakko left without a word, sensing her anger. 

“Wakko, c’mon,” Yakko went to his brother. 

“What? I’m in the middle of a-”

“Now.” Yakko snapped, stepping out into the hall. Wakko quickly followed. 

“What did I do this time?” Wakko asked as the door closed behind him. 

“This is a funeral, Wakko, you can’t be playing games with strangers,” Yakko pointed out. “Or did you forget why we’re wearing these black uncomfortable outfits?”

“I didn’t forget,” Wakko rolled his eyes. 

“Oh yeah? Because it really seems like you have,” Yakko stepped forward angrily. Wakko blinked, not understanding where this anger was coming from. 

“W-well... it’s not my fault it doesn’t actually feel like a funeral. I-i mean seriously Yakko, they didn’t even find their bodies,” Wakko crossed his arms. 

“Wakko... they’re dead whether you like it or not,” Yakko said, feeling a lump in his throat. 

“No,” Wakko shook his head. “I don’t believe it. If they were dead, they’d’ve been in those boxes.”

“Wakko, i know i-it hurts, but-”

“but no! They aren’t dead! Th-they can’t be dead b-because if they were-” Wakko paused from his shouting. 

“I-if they were...”

“It’d be my fault...”

Yakko blinked. “Wh-what?”

“I-it was my idea to run i-in the garden a-and I ran through the flower b-bed and I tracked in the mud, a-and she took me to the tower a-and Dad broke me out a-and grandma g-got mad at mum a-and th-then everything was b-bad a-and n-now they’re gone,” Wakko shouted, a waterfall of tears streaming down his face. 

“Wakko, that isn’t true,” Yakko was mortified. 

“If they’re dead it’s my fault, it’s true,” Wakko didn’t listen, shaking his head and closing his eyes tightly, putting his hands on his head. Yakko quickly hugged him. 

“It’s not your fault Wakko,” He stroked his head. 

“It’s my fault- I’m such a screw up,” he continued to cry. 

“Wakko, you are not a screw up and you are not an idiot,” Yakko adamantly denied. 

“Th-then why are they gone?” Wakko looked up at him, tears still pouring. Yakko bit his lip. 

He could tell them. He knew why, he had seen the letter. 

But that would make them angry, and anger would cause them to lash out at the queen, which could get them hurt or far, far worse. 

“Because evil people decided to hurt them,” Yakko sighed. “I’m sorry, there’s nothign more to it than that.”

“I’ll kill them,” Wakko sniffled and buried his head in Yakko’s shirt. 

“I know Wakko, I know,” Yakko patted his head. For a long moment, the warner brothers remained in their embrace. 

“S-so... they’re really... dead?” Wakko glanced up. 

“Y-yeah... they’re really dead, Wakko.” He paused, before adding, “I’m so sorry.”

Wakko sniffled. “You don’t need to be sorry, it’s not your fault either.”

Yakko hesitated at that.  It made sense, of course, but.. he sighed.

“Worrying yourself to death isn’t going to do any of us any good.” His mother’s voice reminded. 

“Yeah... you’re right,” He sighed. “There’s no point in guilt anyway. We’ll just... have to move on.”

“...I miss them,” Wakko whispered. 

“I miss them too Wak, but they’re gone, and there’s nothing we can do expect move on, okay?”

Wakko slowly nodded. 

“Okay...”

.o0o.

“We’re almost there, I promise.”

THey had traveled for goodness knew how long, ignoring the stings, the rips, the sprains that burned throughout their bodies as they trudged through the snow. 

Of all of the years for it to snow early, did it have to be this one?

Well, then again, the snow had been their savior, the ice caused their carriage to overturn. 

That didn’t mean they weren’t injured in their escape, one was barely holding on as it was. 

“We’re almost there.” the stronger of the two repeated. 

“I-i can’t. It hurts too much,” they nearly collapsed into the snow, had it not been for the other catching them. 

“Just a little bit further, please,” The stronger pleaded. The weaker shook their head. 

“I’m not leaving you here.” 

“They need you.”

“You don’t think they need you too?” 

A pause. 

“I’ll carry you.”

“Y-you can’t-”

“I can and I will-”

“Your arm-”

“I don’t care,” The stronger made their decision. They braced themselves, and with tremendous effort, picked up their dying partner, and continued trudging through the snow. 

Slowly but surely a small town swelled on the horizon. 

They had made it. 

They carried on as fast as they could manage, ignoring the flairing pain shooting through their entire body when finally, they arrived. 

With their free hand they pounded on the door. Shuffling noises came from behind, and eventually, a familiar curvy blonde woman answered the door. 

“Dr Scratchnsniff’s Office, how can I- William?! Princess? What on earth are you two doing in Acme Falls? What happened?”

“We’ve had one hell of a week.” William responded, before collasping onto his knees, and passing out.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

[writethelifeyouwant]

Alpha and Omega - Ch 2 / 2

Pairing: Sam x Dean Rating: 18+ Tags: A/B/O, Darkness magic,  Alpha!Dean, Omega!Sam, Dub-Con (biological necessity), little bit of meta (cuz why not), Sam’s a needy mess, Dean is possessive af  Word Count: 4k Created for: @first-time-wincest-fest​ - 12x02 Mamma Mia | @spnabobingo​ - Male Omega | Summary: Amara wants to thank Dean by giving him the thing he needs most – Sam – but she knows the boys are stubborn, so she’s going to have to be creative. Problem is, she doesn’t tell Dean or Sam what she’s put in motion, and magic can be unpredictable.

Despite the many apparent flaws of these British Men of Letters dicks, at least Mick has the good sense to let Dean and Sam go. He offers to try helping Sam, but he doesn’t have any more ideas about his condition than that blonde bitch does, so Dean declines and gets Sam the hell out of dodge.

The moment they make it over the property line and past the efficacy of the anti-angel warding Cas is by their sides, sliding under Sam’s other arm to help Dean carry him to the Impala.

“Don’t touch him,” Dean growls, startling Cas and himself. Cas raises his hands in a show of good faith.

“I am just trying to help, Dean,” he reassures the hunter, lowly.

“Yeah, um, sorry man,” Dean shakes his head to clear it. He doesn’t know why he doesn’t like the idea of anyone else touching Sam right now but he doesn’t want anyone’s hands on his baby brother. Begrudgingly, he lets Castiel grab Sam’s arm and help them to the car, where they gingerly lay a shivering, and for all intents and purposes unconscious, Sam on the back seat. “Cas, what’s wrong with him?” Dean tries to keep a grip on the panic in his voice but he doesn’t have much luck.

“It’s hard to be sure,” Castiel mutters, laying a hand against Sam’s forehead, which is burning hot. “We need to get him home immediately, this fever is dangerously high.”

Dean rounds the car to root through the first aid pack in the trunk, pulling out a few instant cold packs. “Here,” he cracks one up in his hands and passes it to Cas. “Get in back, try to keep him cool.” Cas slides into the back seat of the Impala, pulling Sam over his lap and pressing the cold pack against the young man’s forehead. Dean drops the spare cold packs beside him as he jumps in behind the wheel and peels out of the dirt road driveway in reverse, gunning them back home towards Kansas.

The use of cold packs and bags of ice they picked up at gas stations along their way get the trio home without Sam’s condition worsening. Dean would send up a thank you to Chuck for that except that he’s nearly positive Chuck’s sister is the reason Sam is in this mess in the first place. I thought she wanted to do something to thank me, not destroy my life. They get Sam into bed without too much trouble, and Castiel suggests stripping Sam out of his clothes to help keep him cool.

“Get away from him,” Dean growls, baring his teeth at his friend. Castiel once again looks at him in confusion, his brow crinkling as he stares hard at Dean.

“I’m going to call Rowena, see if maybe she can help us determine what is wrong with Sam.” Cas backs up cautiously, and Dean is glad to see him go.

Once he’s alone with his brother, he does think that stripping Sam down is a decent idea – at the very least he should change him into some clean pyjamas instead of the bloodied tatters he’s dressed in now. Dean sits on the edge of the bed, gently brushing Sam’s hair away from his eyes. He has the sudden urge to lean down and kiss Sam, so he does – very carefully placing his lips against his little brother’s forehead. It seems to Dean like Sam presses back into the kiss, and when his lips retreat, Sam stretches his neck and turns his head into Dean’s side, almost like he’s burrowing there. The unconscious display of affection brings a surge of warmth to Dean’s chest, though he can’t find it in him to smile with Sam like this.

Gingerly, Dean unbuttons Sam’s shirt and eases it over his shoulders, his fingers tracing over Sam’s muscles on the way down each arm. He hadn’t spent too much time around Sam’s unclothed chest recently and he couldn’t help staring at the contours of his frame. Sometimes he spends so much time thinking about Sam as his little brother, he forgets how much he’d built himself up over the years, forgets about the strength that all those layers of shirts they wear everyday are hiding. Dean has to shake himself in chastisement for staring at Sam’s body and lusting after it like a creep when he’s supposed to be taking care of him. How could he be thinking with his dick, even now, when Sam is deathly ill? But he was thinking with his dick, because even seeing Sam half naked for a matter of thirty seconds seems to be enough to give him a semi. For fuck’s sake, Dean curses himself, and sets about the task of easing Sam out of his torn up jeans.

As he gets Sam’s abnormally long jeans off his abnormally long body, three things strike Dean as odd. The first, that the smell he’d overwhelmingly associated with Sam back at the farmhouse in Missouri all of the sudden permeates the air around him. Sure, he’d been smelling it this whole time – it had been almost unbearably strong on the 6 hour drive back to Kansas – but he figured he must have gotten used to it because it had sort of faded into the background until just now. Secondly, the way Sam’s legs were splayed out across the bed right now gave Dean a view of a dark wet patch on the light grey of Sam’s underwear – gross, Dean thinks to himself, until he realises that the stain isn’t on the front of Sam’s briefs like it would be if he’d pissed himself. That examination leads him to his third odd discovery, which is that Sam has a boner.

“Well, what have we here?” Dean spins to see Rowena standing in the doorway, smirking.

“I’m sorry, Sam’s turned into a what?” Dean blinks incredulously at Rowena, who’s perching on the edge of the table in the kitchen. He turns his head to look at Castiel, who is sitting stoically behind Rowena. The angel shrugs unhelpfully.

“An Omega, dearie,” Rowena enunciates more clearly, like she imagines she’s talking to a four year old.

“Right,” Dean nods, although he doesn’t really understand. “And I’m a–”

“An Alpha, yes,” Rowena reiterates, clearly annoyed Dean isn’t getting this. “Well, Sam’s Alpha, more specifically,” she amends.

“And what exactly does all this mean?” Dean grunts, frustrated.

“It means that you and Samuel are mates,” Rowena elaborates.

“We know that, we saw our shared heaven, like a decade ago. What the hell does it have to do with him being sick?”

“Samuel is sick because he’s an Omega in heat, and he needs his mate.”

“Well if I’m his ‘mate’ and he ‘needs me’ – I’m right here! So why isn’t he better?” Dean growls.

“I believe,” Cas clears his throat, “from what I understand of the traditional elements of this condition, that what Rowena means is that Sam needs you, as his mate, physically.” Cas looks sheepishly at Rowena for confirmation.

“Precisely,” she smiles thankfully at Castiel.

“Physically?” Dean’s not any closer to understanding what’s happening. “So what, I need to go hold his hand until his fever breaks?”

“Well, I’m not surprised that you might want to hold his hand, but it’s going to take a wee bit more than that.”

“Will you just tell me how the hell to cure him?” Dean shouts, accidentally shattering the beer bottle he’s holding. He looks down, surprised at his own strength and at the end of his tether now.

“Sexual intercourse,” Cas answers shortly, his face carefully blank. “Though, again, from my understanding, that will only cure his heat. He will remain an Omega and you will remain an Alpha.”

“What the hell are you talking about ‘from what you understand’?” Dean makes indignant air quotes at Cas.

“When Metatron put all of popular culture into my head it included every story ever written. There are a large number of stories on the internet that incorporate the dynamics of the Alpha/Omega hierarchy. It’s a trope primarily found in something called ‘fanfiction’,” Cas explains. “In fact, there is some ‘fanfiction’ about yourself and Sam if it would help you to understand the mating requirements.” Dean feels like he’s going to be sick.

“Cas, listen to me very carefully: under no circumstances are you to ever tell anyone else that those exist,” Dean groans, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Why is this happening?”

“That’s the part I’ve not got the faintest idea about,” Rowena sighs. “It would take something more than a simple spell to alter your anatomies like this. Not even an angel,” she glances at Castiel quickly to check she’s right in her assumption. “I’ve never heard of something like this actually happening outside of fiction.”

“It was Amara,” Dean sighs. “When she left she told me she was going to give me what I ‘needed most’, but I don’t know why she thought this was it. It just seems like some sick joke.”

“Ah,” Rowena nods sagely like she understands now. “She was giving you Samuel.”

“How is this ‘giving me’ Sam?”

“A physically bonded Alpha and Omega are bonded for life, inseparable. Without the other, they won’t survive their heats – or ruts, in your case.”

“So every time Sam goes into a heat, we need to have sex, or he dies?” Dean can’t believe how fucked up this is.

“You’ll also need to knot him,” Cas adds gravely. Noticing Dean’s look of incredulity, he continues. “The base of your penis will inflate when you ejaculate and lock you and Sam together for a brief time. It’s the knot that Sam needs to relieve the symptoms of his heat.”

“What the fuck?” Dean blanches.

“Not to importune but I do believe Samuel was running out of time when I examined him. You really should get to it, Dean,” Rowena cuts in.

“And how am I supposed to do that, huh? The guy’s unconscious! I can’t just–” Dean’s stomach roiled. The thought of fucking Sam was tempting, amazingly so, but the thought of doing it to Sam, without his knowledge or participation, was sickening.

“I can make him a wee draft to revive him and stave off the fever,” Rowena moves towards one of the cupboards in the kitchen where Sam keeps the common spell ingredients. “Then Castiel and I can make ourselves scarce and leave you two to it,” she smiles.

“And you’re positive this is the only way?” Dean presses desperately.

“That Amara is a crafty woman, she knew what she was doing.” Rowena throws some herbs into a small dish. “She saw that you would never ‘put the moves on Sam’, as you say. This is her way of giving you both that little push.”

“Yeah, well, she’s a bitch,” Dean grumbles, dropping his head in his hands and waiting for Rowena to finish the potion to wake Sam up.

Sam blinks awake wearily, vaguely aware that he’s safe and not being held captive anymore, but he can’t remember much more than snippets of sound and scent. The rumble of an engine, the smell of motor oil; the low tenor of Dean’s voice, and the scent of whiskey, apple pie, and old leather. He can make out all of those scents now, too, swirling around him and pulling him back into consciousness – like smelling salts.

“Hey, there he is,” Dean’s voice says nearby, he’s sitting on the side of Sam’s bed.

Sam nuzzles towards his older brother, inexplicably craving the closeness. “De,” Sam mumbles, still sleepy.

“Yeah, it’s me Sammy,” Dean smiles down at him gently, eyes soft. Sam feels an unusual rush of need wash over him like a heat wave and he presses himself as close to Dean as two bodies can possibly get with a blanket still in between them.

“Wha s’happening?” he grumbles into Dean’s chest, looping his long arms around his brother’s waist.

“Short version?” Dean scoffs, but not unkindly. “Listen man, I’ll explain everything, I promise but – right now I just need to make sure you get outta this in one piece,” Dean sighs, drawing his hand down Sam’s face and holding his cheek. Sam looks up at Dean quizzically, unused to the level of physical affection but finding he was in desperate want of more. He nods at his big brother – whatever’s wrong, he knows Dean will take care of him. “You trust me Sammy?” Dean’s voice is hoarse, and Sam realises he’s scared.

“Yeah, Dean,” Sam breathes quietly into the slowly decreasing space between them. “Course I do,” he confirms again.

“Alright then,” Dean gulps and nods, mostly to himself though, like he’s trying to psych himself up for something. Then without any further warning, Dean’s lips are covering Sam’s and pressing him down onto the bed.

The fire that had been smouldering inside Sam for days now leaps and dances, as if Dean’s kiss is gasoline being thrown across him. Sam clings to Dean as he’s laid back onto the bed, and lets Dean climb into his lap and bury his hands in Sam’s hair. Dean licks across the seam of his lips and Sam parts them willingly, drinking in every bit of Dean that is being offered to him. He can’t remember why he needs Dean like this so badly, or when he started needing him, but now that he has him he couldn’t care less. He knows with certainty that the only thing he needs to be happy for the rest of his life is Dean – Dean loving him, Dean kissing him, Dean inside him. Fuck, he needs Dean inside him right fucking now.

At this realisation, Sam starts tearing into Dean’s clothes, ripping through the thread keeping buttons in their places without a thought. He expects Dean to start doing the same to him, but then realises he’s not wearing anything but his underwear, which suits Sam just fine. Dean has to pull away from him to wriggle out of his jeans, and Sam groans involuntarily at the sight of the bulge Dean reveals when he strips down.

“Someone likes the view, huh?” Dean teases him, voice deep and throaty, but Sam’s too far gone to come up with a bratty retort. All he can focus on is that he wants Dean’s cock – now.

“Shit, you look so big De,” Sam groans, reaching out a hand to cup around Dean’s member, still hidden behind black cotton. The front of the material is wet with precum, Sam can feel it against his fingertips.

“Think you can handle me, little bro?” Dean grabs Sam’s wrist and drags his fingers along the outline of his cock, up to the elastic waist of his boxers, and then inside them. Sam’s fingers curl around Dean and stroke him gently beneath the fabric. “Think you can fit all that inside your tight little ass f’me?” he grunts, thrusting into Sam’s grip.

“Fuck yes,” Sam rasps, and his breath sounds like it’s raking over hot coals in his throat. He pulls back from Dean to shed his own underwear, staring at it puzzledly when it comes away from his body covered in slick. What is that, he wonders as he feels it on his fingers. It doesn't feel like lube… “Dean?” Sam looks to his brother for answers.

“S’okay,” Dean rushes to reassure him, joining his little brother on the bed, both of them now completely bared to the other. “I’ll explain later, yeah? Just let me take care of you right now, okay?” Dean’s eyes are wide and pleading as he looks to Sam, and Sam nods; he trusts Dean. “Just lemme take care a’you,” Dean whispers again as he brushes their lips together, and Sam pulls him in tight for another bruising kiss.

Their bodies twist and tangle easily, Sam just letting Dean put them together however he wanted. The heat of Dean against him is overwhelming, the sweat on their skin mingles and sticks them together, pulling at their nerves every time they part. Sam doesn’t want them to part. He reaches between them, grabbing Dean’s cock in his hand and thrusts his own into the same grip. Their moans ring through each others’ mouths as Sam jerks them against each other, and they take turns fucking into his fist. Before long Dean pulls away from Sam with a groan, probably to stop himself from finishing before he’s had a chance to see what the inside of his brother feels like. Sam is glad of his consideration in this case, because if he ends tonight without Dean locked firmly inside of him, he’s going to feel like he’s missing out. If he was more clear headed, he might question why the phrase ‘locked inside of him’ is the one that came to mind but he’s not thinking too deeply about what he wants right now — he just wants.

“Need you, Dean,” Sam pants, widely, grabbing at Dean, trying to bring their bodies back together. “Need… ne—” Sam’s vocabulary has become shockingly singular, and he doesn’t have the presence of mind to be irritated with his brother when Dean smiles down at him smugly, knowingly.

“I know what you need, Sammy” Dean grins down at his little brother. Having Sam this strung out and desperate for him is like a drug. I could get used to this being a monthly thing, he smirks to himself, reaching his hand down between Sam’s legs and rubbing at his slick entrance. “Need me right here, dontcha Sammy? I can feel how much you need me,” Dean groans as the tip of his finger slips inside of Sam too easily, “fuck, you’re wet. So fucking wet for me, huh Sammy?”

Sam just nods blissfully down at Dean; it seems his vocabulary of one word has now receded to zero.

Cas had warned him about this, that as an Omega, Sam would start leaking like a fire hydrant, but at least it saved him having to hunt around for some kind of lube — he’d never needed to have that on hand before, and if he found any lying around the bunker there’s a decent chance it would be cursed or something. Plus, he bet this made the whole experience way better for Sam, so he was all for it. Dean moves between Sam’s legs and runs the head of his cock over Sam’s twitching entrance. Sammy lets out a weak moan and arches against the pressure, trying to get Dean to slip inside. Dean’s about to oblige when he remembers what Cas said about them getting locked together by the Alpha’s knot once he comes, and he thinks better of their position. It will be easier to roll on to their sides and rest if he does this with Sam on his hands and knees.

He manhandles Sam into position, rolling him over, and when Sam gets the idea and pushes himself onto his hands and knees, arching his back and presenting himself to Dean like some kind of trophy, Dean can’t hold himself back any longer. He pushes his cock inside Sam slowly, agonisingly and torturously slowly. Not because he’s concerned about hurting Sam, who is opening up beneath him like he was born for this — born to take Dean’s cock — but because he knows he wants to savour this moment for the rest of his life. He wants to remember every second of the first time he felt what it was like to truly possess Sam, to be joined so completely to one another that not even their bodies can keep them separate. So Dean goes slow, even though Sam is begging beneath him, asking him to just fuck him already, Dean ignores him, and he drinks the feelings in.

When he’s got himself bottomed out inside of Sam he leans down over his brother and presses a kiss to his shoulder, tenderly, thanking him for what he’s giving Dean right now. “You feel so good Sammy,” Dean moans, and he doesn’t mean for it to sound as sappy as it does but it’s hard to regulate things like that when you feel like you’ve just connected to your soulmate for the first time, so he gives himself a pass.

The next time Sam begs, Dean gives in, snapping his hips back and fucking into him as hard as he can manage. And once he’s started he can’t stop. Every instinct inside of Dean is shouting at him to take, to fuck Sam into the mattress and never let up, which Sam doesn’t seem to mind, because no matter how roughly Dean thrusts into him he keeps shouting for more, faster, harder, please. So Dean, ever the good big brother, gives Sammy what he needs — what they both need.

Dean can feel himself getting closer and closer to his release, and that’s when he notices that he can’t quite pull out as far as before. His knot has begun swelling at the base of his cock, getting ready to pop and bind him and Sam together. The fattening edges catching on Sam’s rim give Dean a kind of friction no sex ever has before and, fucking hell, it feels unbelievably good. He grinds himself harder against Sam, dropping over his back so they can be as close as possible, and bringing his hand up beneath Sam to grasp at his little brother’s dick. It’s the first time he’s properly touched it, felt it in his hand, and shit, it feels even bigger than it looks.

“Oh my god, Dean,” Sam groans, sounding absolutely wrecked, and Dean takes that as a compliment. “Fuck, don’t stop, don’t stop, fuck, please,” Sam is pleading with him so prettily, and Dean wants to cum just as badly as him.

“Not stopping Sammy,” Dean strokes him faster, grinds into him harder, “not stopping until you cum all over my hand baby boy, so c’mon, want you to cum f’me.” Dean thanks God that Sam starts to cum loudly when Dean tells him too, because the second he feels Sam start to convulse around him his knot pops and he’s cumming harder than he ever has in his life. The thought of his seed whitewashing Sam’s insides is sickeningly thrilling and he swears a second, small orgasm rocks through him — and hey, if that’s a perk of being an Alpha, I could get used to this.

When Dean comes back to himself, his breathing finally evening out, he notices Sam slumped beneath him, no longer holding himself up. He quickly checks for a pulse, and relaxes when he finds one – Sam’s just passed out. Fuck, he came so hard he passed out. Dean shudders, feeling another small blurt of cum force itself out of his cock at the thought that he’d fucked Sam so thoroughly. To be honest he was a little proud of himself.

Dean arranges himself on his side on the bed, so he can curl around Sam while he waits for his knot to deflate. He thought he’d be annoyed by having to stay still like this for so long but it’s surprisingly peaceful, laying here with Sam asleep in his arms. He hugs his little brother tighter to him, clasping his hands over Sam’s chest – over his heart – feels the rhythm and reassures himself that Sam is here, and alive, and safe. And his. The realisation hits Dean unexpectedly. Sam is finally his in the most permanent way he can think of, and his heart leaps at the thought. The last thing he thinks before he drops off to sleep too, is that he hopes Sam still wants to be his when he wakes up.

Tags: @vulgar-library​ @tintentrinkerin​ @negans-lucille-tblr​ @fandomfic-galore​ @petitgateau911​ @whoreforackles-deactivated20210​ @schaefchenherde​ @kickingitwithkirk​ @little-diable​ @laxe-chester67​ @kassyscarlett​ @akshi8278 @deandreamernp @lyarr24 @lovealways-j @stoneyggirl 

[friendly-philosopher]

Forbidden Feelings and Hidden Corners: Draco Malfoy X Reader

Finally! I've posted this for your request! Thanks for requesting. I don't know if this was what you expected, but I hope you'd like it. Happy reading!

"I am asking you for the final time boy! If you don't accept the mark from the dark lord, I'll have to find ways to make you accept it." The Lestrange woman sneered at her nephew.

Narcissa Malfoy stood hidden in the darkest corner of the room, blending with the darkness, making Draco doubt if she was really there. He knew she wanted to help him, but the wizarding laws, the wedding laws, and the way she was brought up made her unable to speak against her sister who was obsessed with the dark lord, nor her husband who had his arms crossed, staring at his son, who had become the biggest disgrace to the Malfoy bloodline, with disgust.

"Are you taking it or not?" Bellatrix snapped once again.

Draco let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes. The moment he did, all he could remember was her – his sunshine.

He could remember all the beautiful memories with her. Her stunning smile, her radiant face, her ethereal beauty, her angelic laugh, her soft kisses, everything about her, only her!

He remembered how she would interlock her fingers with his. He remembered how she would cuddle with him. He remembered how she would run her fingers through his hair. He remembered how she would hug him from behind, announcing her presence. He remembered how she would make him lay his head on her stomach, hugging him and falling asleep on the couch. He remembered how she would hold him, when everything became too much for him to handle. He remembered how she would hint soft kisses on his head, forehead, nose and finally his lips. He remembered how they both would spend their nights in the astronomy tower, star-gazing.

Finally, he remembered the way she would mumble "I love you"s in between the kisses. Now, he wished he could have told it back to her. He had always been a very private person, building walls. She was the first one to break many of those walls. Yet, he was afraid to tell her that he loved her.

But she waited. She knew how he was when it came to feelings. She knew expressing emotions weren't his strong suit. So, she was patient enough to give him the time he needed, and he appreciated it.

But now, he regretted taking too much time to just state a fact - the fact that he loved her to the moon and back , she was his everything and he wanted a forever with her.

"No!" he heard himself whisper.

"What?" Lucius snapped.

"No! I'd never take the mark nor become a death eater." He stated firmly and felt proud of that bravery.

Lucius glared at him but Bellatrix just laughed an evil, cold laugh that could rival her master's.

"We'll see my dear!" she told him in a sickeningly sweet tone and left Draco's room, motioning his parents to join her.

***

(Y/N) (Y/L/N) missed Draco Malfoy. If someone had told her that she would miss him so badly that her heart will ache for him, four years before, she would have laughed at them. But now, after years of getting to know the true him and loving him, he had become everything to her. She had caring friends and was really grateful for them, but she missed him.

True, their relationship was a secret one, and no one knew about them. But it didn't mean she loved him any less. She loved him all the same and she knew he loved him too, even if he wasn't so vocal about it. She loved spending time with him, and wasted all her days anticipating their midnight meetings.

Her being a Gryffindor, a muggle-born and worse, a part of the golden quadruplet, and best friend to the golden trio and Draco being a pureblooded, a Slytherin and worse, a Malfoy, had them not go public in mutual understanding. But she did love the memories of the midnight, and they took care of their forbidden feelings in their in hidden corners!

But, it had been a week - a week since holidays were over, a week since school had started, a week since she had seen him, a week he didn't attend school. She decided to write him an anonymous letter to find if he was okay. If he got the letter, he would recognize her handwriting immediately. If it somehow, fall in the wrong hands, then they can't know it was from her. Boy, how wrong she was.

She sent a letter to him. It contained a simple question : "Are you okay? Missing you!"

***

It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the Sixth year for the Golden quadruplet. They were enjoying themselves. Even (Y/N) had pushed aside her worries for a few hours and enjoyed the time with her friends. They decided to head to the 'Three Broomsticks' for a butter beer. While they started walking, suddenly everything became dark and they could feel themselves being grabbed harshly and being aparrated to somewhere.

When (Y/N) opened her eyes, she found herself in a dungeon. She could see her friends in some sort of jail.

She heard someone calling her. The voice was so familiar. Her breath hitched in her throat and her eyes widened. It couldn't be!

"Draco!" She whispered, turning around.

She saw him. It was really him. But his hands were held behind his back by his father while his aunt stood near him.

"How is our little surprise, Draco dear?"

"Let them go!"Draco snapped, pulling his hand away from his father's grasp and reaching for his wand. But before he could even point it against her, Bellatrix disarmed him and bound him with a rope. His wand fall down near his legs and he was forced to look at Bellatrix, now circling (Y/N).

"Ahh....I take it you are the pretty little mudblood that bade my nephew turn against us?" (Y/N) remained silent. "Did you seriously think we can't find you if you didn't sign the letter. Our pure blood magic is way better than that!" She spat.

"Shove your pure blood pride up in your - "

But before she could finish her statement, she fell to the floor, screaming.

"Draco, you take the mark or enjoy watching her die a slow and painful death."

Tears flowed freely from Draco's eyes as he watched the love of his life on the floor, screaming an writhing in pain.

"Please, stop it!" He screamed.

"Will you take the mark, then?"

Before he could answer (Y/N) spoke "Draco, don't. They are gonna kill me even if you take the mark. They'd never let us get together. At least, I'll die knowing I saved you from a terrible fate!"

"Shut up, mudblood! No one asked you to speak" Bellatrix sneered, throwing another "crucio" at her.

Magic is a wonderful thing. It can understand emotions more than any human being ever could. And it did. When Draco felt love for her, anger at his father and aunt for doing this to her and frustrated because he couldn't do anything to save her, his magic swooped in to save the day. His magic came out of his hand without a wand, blasting the iron bars open, freeing the Golden Trio and bursting the lights of the dungeon.

Bellatrix's wand flew away from her hand and so did Lucius's. He caught it and threw them to the trio, before picking up his own, grabbing (Y/N) and apparating to the first place he could think of – The Shrieking Shack. He saw that she was unconscious. She carried her bridal style all the way through Hogsmeade, towards Hogwarts. People stared at him throughout the way, but he didn't care. He walked as quickly as he could, because the only thing he cared about was saving her.

Draco was in a daze all the while – explaining the situation to the matron, the headmaster, Professor Mcgonagall and Professor Snape ; the golden trio rushing in, out of breath, apologizing to them for all his faults and his bullying, his hateful attitude; them forgiving him after seeing the way his own family treated him but saying that it would take them sometime to accept him for who he really was.

Finally, (Y/N) decided to open her eyes. Seeing her best friends and boyfriend having a civil conversation, she thought she was having a dream. But the memories of the past hours came back to her and she sat up suddenly, her body feeling like it was set on fire.

"But why did they take us to make you get the mark?" Harry inquired, stupidly.

"Er.." Draco uncertainly glanced at (Y/N), thinking if it would be appropriate for him to tell them without her, only to see her awake.

He immediately rushed to her, and hugged her gently, like she was a glass flower who'd break at the smallest level of pressure.

"I'm sorry" he mumbled, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"It's okay!" She told him, cupping his face and gently peppering kisses all over his face, finally landing on his lips, locking it with her own. As they pulled away from the kiss, they could see the totally gobsmacked faces of Harry and Ron, and a slightly shocked yet satisfied look on Hermione's.

"Uh....guys.....I have something to tell you."

"I've been doubting this since the Christmas break of the last year!" Hermione whispered.

"Guys....We really love each other! You've seen him only as a pureblooded Slytherin bully but I've seen the other side of him. The one that has emotions and insecurities, fears and desires, just like a normal person. And I fell in love with that side of him. But you are important to me as well. I would be happy if you accept us!"

"How long has this been going on?"

"Um...We started being civil to each other from the time he was scratched by Buckbeak. You know I love helping around in the infirmary and I helped him. Then we met in the Astronomy tower, quite coincidentially but then started meeting each other. We got into a relationship by the beginning of the last year."

"Are we that bad friends, that you've been lying to us for years?"

"No! The problem was you guys were amazing friends and I felt guilty about loving someone who you considered your enemy! But I couldn't help it. We can't control who we fall for, can we? You guys are very important to me and I didn't want to lose you. I love you too much to lose you!" She said, and she could feel tears leaving her eyes. Draco interwined his fingers with hers and squeezed it. The trio didn't miss his movement. They sighed.

"We understand that he does care for you, or the deatheaters would have never used you to threaten him."

"But one thing Malfoy! You hurt her and we kill you!"

(Y/N) beamed and Draco smiled.

"I would never even dream of it! I love her too much to hurt her!" He said, looking into her eyes. Their gaze locked and they smiled.

There was a war approaching, those were dark times, but they were there for each other. He had her and she had him. And to them, that was enough!

(A/N: Hope everyone liked it! Requests ae still open and you can request me in the comment section or PM me!

Until the next update

- Mischief Managed!)

[anissanightyoung]

Of kisses and Roman traditions

[SUMMARY] Where Seungkwan enjoys kissing you and blames it on the Romans.

Idk what this is. Fluff? Flirty!Seungkwan definitely. Oh and noona!reader😁

3,087 words

HAPPY 6 YEARS TO MY BOYS💖💎

masterlist

You and Seungkwan have already kissed on three occasions. You didn't want to put too much thought into it, and you never mentioned it anyway. But sometimes it's hard to stop thinking about what those kisses mean.

The first kiss was at Seungkwan's house. All your friends were already asleep, tired of playing all his board games, and drunk innumerable bottles of liquor. You had finished cleaning up when Seungkwan came towards you. "Yah, why did you clean? This is my apartment.” You laughed at his half-asleep state, you could see just how tired he was trying to beat Soonyoung with one drunk. He did his best, but Soonyoung kept giving him +2s and +4s of tequila or vodka and mixing alcohol in Seungkwan's system ended badly. He threw up twice overnight.

"Look at you, hangover's gonna bite your ass in the morning. And you know I can't sleep when this place is trashed." You can hear him laughing lazily, trying to stay awake. "Come on, let's get you to bed." Seungkwan grins, "Starving. Creamy cheese bagels. Feed me?" You laughed at his antiques. You met him a year ago, and you know drunk Seungkwan needs to eat before he goes to bed. "This is a way of waking up hangover-free, noona. You should try it." But you know that Seungkwan will still have a headache the following day, with an Americano as a telling sign.

"You're too cute for your own good, do you know that?" You joked to him, shaking your head. You were warming up the bagel when he took your hand. "Happy anniversary, noona."

"What?"

"Do you think I wouldn't remember? It's the anniversary of the first time we met.”

"What a sappy, sappy man you are." You laugh while finishing his sandwich. You turned around to face him and said "ah" so he could take a bite out of the bagel. When he did, it was as if he had tasted food for the first time. When he had already swallowed his first bite, he suddenly threw his arms into your waist, swallowing you in a cuddle. That surprised you because he's not usually that sweet, and now he's very touchy.

"What are you doing?" You asked him when he set his bagel down on the counter and tugged the ends of your shirt pulling you closer to him. This is the only time you have noticed how he is a few inches taller than you, and that he has long eyelashes a bit like those of a baby. You were that close to notice that. He slowly bent over your face, staring directly at your lips, waiting for you to stop him. When you didn't, he closed the gap between the two of you and kissed you softly.

When he retired, he laid his head upon the counter and slept his intoxication away. You figured he’s too wasted to have done so. When you asked about the kiss the next day, he brushed it off, saying,  “Sorry, got wasted trying to beat that tiger hyung.”  

“Just don’t do it again okay? Friends don’t do that.”

“Yepp,” popping the last letter, “I’ll take you to your favorite burger place to make it up to you.” He drags you to his car while holding your hand. When he was driving, he held your hand still. “Hey, it's not okay to kiss, but it's okay to hold hands?” There was complete silence.

“Friends can hold hands, sure. When did friends start kissing on the lips?

“Friends with benefits do.”

“Ya are you asking me to? Cause you know I’m not into that kind of shit!”

Seungkwan laughed at your outburst. “Joking noona, sheesh. You’re getting old.”

“Shut it, I’m barely a year older than you.”

Throughout the ride, he didn't let go of your hand. However, you didn't seem to mind the extra warmth.

The second kiss took place around a campfire.

Soonyoung told the three of you that he wanted to go for a drive, and you were shocked when he suddenly parked by a beach. You never asked how Soonyoung got all of your clothes and other belongings, but he seemed to need the view of a peaceful ocean at night, so you all decided. You were already there, and the semester had just ended.

While you and Seungkwan were eating dinner you bought near the store, Seokmin began jamming to a guitar and singing his heart out. Soonyoung was on the lookout for the beach's caretaker to inquire about some wood for a campfire.

“I swear, I know Soonyoung oppa is the most spontaneous of us all, but I never expected him to be this bad. Is it really because of the finals?” 

“He may look carefree, but hyung goes through a lot,” Seokmin chuckled. You understand; everybody has their own way of dealing with their baggage, and Soonyoung's are to be daring and laugh his problems away.

“Minnie, can you play the song you submitted for your music class as a group project?” Campfire?” You believe it is appropriate for the atmosphere of the evening. While Seokmin was singing, you glanced over at Soonyoung to see how he was doing. His smile is beaming, and his eyes are glassy as he takes in the stunning scenery in front of him. You were relieved to see that his plan worked.

You looked at Seungkwan, realizing that this was his first time hearing the track. “Kwannie, pay attention to the next line. It's comforting.” You sang with Seokmin when the part came up. It reminds you of how Seungkwan made getting out of bed easier every day. Your anxiety held you awake at night or made you fearful of what might happen the next day. But Seungkwan, he unintentionally shone on you at a difficult period. Slowly but steadily, you began to anticipate waking up knowing that he would face the day with you.

Soonyoung accompanied Seokmin to the market to buy some food after he finished jamming due to his hunger. It was time for you to jam. Of course, you'd choose Taylor Swift's The Way I Loved You, in honor of her Fearless cover. You've always admired Taylor Swift's music, especially the older songs because you identify with the words she wrote. You were grateful for how her music got you through your childish heartbreaks.

You were so engrossed in Seungkwan's angelic voice that you didn't know he was already squatting in front of you. Both of you were grinning at each other when the last chord was struck, and you kissed him as though it were nothing out of the ordinary. The kiss felt right; it felt like it was what completed the song you were singing; it felt like the happy ending the song promised. To keep your balance, you clutched his arm. When you jerked away from him when you awoke from your daydream, he immediately drew you back in and kissed you again, squeezing your hand three times.

The four of you had agreed to spend Christmas Day at Seokmin's. Your mother didn't let you hear the end of it when you told them you couldn't come home because your family has always been conventional. Your mother guilt-tripping you to come home, saying, "We're family, we're supposed to spend time together." “Ah, well, families are supposed to support one another, not nag each other to death when one fails to meet one's expectations.” After that, you hang up, assuming that if you don't agree, your mother will say something else that you don't want or need to hear.

Seungkwan was supposed to pick you up, so while you were waiting for him, you double-checked everything you'd packed to make sure you hadn't forgotten anything. Seungkwan's introduction of Soonyoung and Seokmin is one of the things for which you are grateful. You've outgrown your crappy friends from high school, so the trio is a breath of fresh air for you.

You place your bags in the trunk as soon as you see his car, like a little kid heading to Disney World. “Thanks for picking me up, Kwannie,” she said, beaming. You excitedly slid down to the passenger seat. He immediately hugged you once you were sitting, saying, "Ah noona, you're in a good mood?" You can see his smile doesn't reach his eyes when you've broken free from the embrace. He's giving you a fake one.

“This is my first trip away from my home. I already know it'll be a lot of fun.”

“Really? At Seokmin Hyung's house, you'll feel right at home. His mother prepares the most delicious Christmas dinner. My mother's cooking pales in comparison.” Seungkwan once gave you a dish made by her mother, and one bite was enough to make you feel like you'd died and gone peacefully to heaven. The fact that Seokmin's mother cooks better piqued your curiosity. “Ah really? Then I'd really have to give it a taste.” He smiled again, the false smile, and you're starting to get bothered by it.

“What are you doing, Kwannie?” You're giving me this strange grin.”

“What do you mean strange?”

“Fake smile. It's the first time you've feigned a smile at me. What’s up?”

“You can see right through me, can't you?”

“Yes, I do. Would you like to talk about it?”

“Nope. But I'd like to take your hand.”

Seungkwan is holding your hand and exhaling contentedly. He kept it until you arrived at Seokmin's house.

Seokmin's house is warm and inviting. They live in a house on a corner with a vibrant garden surrounding it. The living room has an L-shaped couch that can comfortably seat all four of you, with additional seating available. Seokmin and his sister have a wall full of family photos and accomplishments. You can tell Seokmin's parents are a laid-back, loving family, as shown by his kindness and good humor. You don't know if it was the long ride, but you fell asleep as soon as you sat on their couch after the house tour.

When you first awoke, you chose to visit their garden, which you recall has a swing set. Seungkwan is seated by himself.

You teased, "Where are your twins?"

“They went grocery shopping with Mrs. Lee.”

“What kept you from going?”

“Too exhausted from driving.”

“Then you should've just slept with me.”

Seungkwan swung his head in your direction right away. “I-uh, what?”

Then it dawned on you what you'd said. This is so humiliating. “Sleep!” you exclaimed, “Sleeping, with eyes closed and resting-“

“I never expected you to finally ask me-”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY "FINALLY" YOU LITTLE SHIT?”

He laughed out loud at your reaction while you chased him around the backyard. He quit running around after you told him that you wouldn't smack him in the head.

“I hate you.”

That made Seungkwan stop laughing.

“Do you regret meeting me?”

You were surprised at his sudden change of tone, no longer joking. “Is this what it’s all about?”

“Well. Yeah.”

“I'm not sure what got you to think like that. You said, “But you know our first meeting was a flop.” When people meet for the first time, they usually ask for each other's names, go through some more tedious formalities, and then seal the deal with a handshake. You had an early class with him, and you didn't mind sharing a seat with him almost every time because you thought he was one of the quiet ones. The year was difficult for you because things didn't go your way, you had a lot of misfortunes, and you had a lot of work piling up that was affecting your mental health.

As you sat down in your chair one fateful morning, you put your cup of coffee on your side of the table. This is where Seungkwan got his drink mixed up with yours because you both have the same coffee taste.

“- flop is an exaggeration for that noona-”

“-you drank my coffee in our 8 a.m. class thinking it was yours, I'll never forgive you.” Reliving that moment made you roll your eyes. “But you know what? You wouldn't have replaced it if you hadn't, and I wouldn't have had the best year of my life.” It may seem to be an exaggeration, but it is true. You were grateful for Seungkwan's carefree and playful personality, which helped you get through your lowest point. He had no idea what you were going through, but you were relieved that someone was taking care of you.

He can be seen chewing his mouth, attempting to conceal his smile. “Ah dumb main character in a drama,” air quotes the phrase, ‘I wish I hadn't met you.' “I instantly thought of you.”

“Huh, that's strange.”

“What is?”

“That. As I previously said, this has been the best year I've had in, what, three years? And it's all thanks to you. I might be harsh with you all of the time, cursing at you whenever I get the chance, but that's just how I am. I'm glad I got you as one of my most reliable friends, my rock, and my go-to person. Even Seokmin and Soonyoung oppa were introduced to me by you. Seungkwan, I'd rather live in a world with you in it. Don’t think otherwise.”

Seungkwan stared at you and felt a combination of emotions. He kissed you when he understood what he felt.  At first, you thought it’ll be quick like the last time, a peck. But he deepened the kiss, and when his tongue touched yours, you hear him groan. He tugged you closer, afraid you’ll get away. He reassuringly held your hands, squeezing them three times just like the second time. I can get used to this. You thought. You focused on his soft lips, how you’ve always felt content while kissing him.

He pulled away, his chest heaving for breath. “Holy shit,” Seungkwan said. You nodded in agreement, apparently unable to concentrate because of your heart beating so loudly.

“I-, uh, I--”

“I thought we’ve talked this through?-”

He sighed deeply before adding, “I-I got cold. Sorry, noona.”

“You dumb shit, if you were cold, I would have made you hot chocolate. I’m nice sometimes you know.”

“I don't mind,” he smirked, “you're hotter anyway.”

“What the heck is wrong with you? I swear to god, you've been flirting with me since that drunk uno shit.”

“It's a Roman thing to kiss under the mistletoe,” he said, pointing to the mistletoe he was carrying.

You both laughed it off, thinking about how ridiculous it sounded. “Roman tradition my ass.”

You and Seungkwan are both in the hospital on New Year's Eve.

“Ah, what a dumb plan you had there,” you exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.

“Well, I've always wanted to go out of my comfort zone...”

You give him a light smack on the head. “Shut up. Now I'm trapped in a hospital over New Year's because of your dumb plan.”

It's never a good idea to combine Seungkwan with hiking. Sure, he's fit, but when was the last time he went hiking?

“Then have Seokmin hyung or Soonyoung hyung accompany me.”

“They're still at Seokmin's.” You and Seungkwan both arrived at your dorms earlier than anticipated. After all, you didn't want to overstay your welcome; it was your first time. You were worried that Seokmin's mother would think you were too at ease in their home.

“Well, if you want to go home, you can.”

“Who will look after you if I go home?”

For a moment, Seungkwan didn't dare add a sarcastic comment on that question. So, instead, “Come on y/n, don't be so mad...”

“Where are your manners, I'm your noona?”

“three kisses in and I still can't call you by your name?”

You blushed when you remembered all of the times Boo SeungKwan kissed you and how sweet his soft lips were.

“Noona is blushing, wah.”

“I hope your ankle doesn’t heal you little shit.”

Raising his eyebrows at you. "You don't mean that. You love me."

"Of course I do. I love all three of you."

He reached for your hand. "I bet you love me more." There it was again, Seungkwan surprising you with his sudden seriousness. He was staring straight into your eyes, waiting for your response. Luckily, a nurse came in to check his vitals.

 A few minutes after the nurse came out, both of you were ignoring each other due to that sudden tension. To ease the situation, both of you just watched television until you fell asleep.

"Y/n wake up." Nudging you by your shoulders. "We're nearing the countdown. Cmon," and urged you to stand by the window, waiting for the fireworks.

Seungkwan then leaned in to put an earphone in, with a song already playing in the background. You realized it was a song written by Soonyoung's classmate, Woozi, for a songwriting class. You were bopping your head to the music when the ten-second countdown started. 

You and Seungkwan alternately sang along.

10

9

"I promise myself, while drinking a glass of water in the morning, to tell you"

새벽에 물을 마시면서 혼자 다짐해 나는 너에게

8

7

"Beautiful words like the lines in a movie"

영화처럼 달콤하고 예쁜 그 ���

6

5

"The words I've prepared overnight for days"

몇 날 며칠 밤새 연습했던 그 말

4

3

"I want to say them to you tomorrow with clenched fists"

내일은 꼭 두 주먹을 꽉 쥐고 말해주고 싶어

2

1

Seungkwan turned to face you just in time for the next line.

"You are pretty." 

너 예쁘다

As soon as the clock struck twelve and the fireworks went off, Seungkwan kissed you. What astonished you was how you knew he was about to kiss you and how you returned the kiss with fervor as he deepened it. You can't help but compare this man to fireworks; how dark it was before him, and how awestruck you were when he came into your life.

Seungkwan was the first to back away, touching his forehead to yours and giggling like a joyful little kid. “Did you know that it’s a Roman tradition to kiss on the first minute of the new year?”

“Blaming the Romans again, I see?” playfully raising your eyebrows at him.

He laughed at that, giving you no excuse. "I love you, Y/n."

You grinned as you silently thank the Romans for their weird traditions.

[kissinginkitchens]

You Bring Me Home—Chapter Eleven: Water Under the Bridge (Finale)

a/n: welcome back my loves <3 It’s so weird to think that this is the final chapter of YBMH and I’m definitely having a lot of feelings about it (denial, mostly). I want to say a huge thank you from the very bottom of my heart for sticking with this story and these characters that I love so much. I’ve had the most fun over the past few months talking to some of you and hearing your thoughts; I cherish it more than you’ll ever know. With all of that said, I’m going to miss this era so so much but I would still love to hear from you lovelies, so please feel free to drop by my inbox and let me know what you thought of this series!! Feedback, criticism, all of it is welcome :) Much love, Mel <3

Pairing: Hawai’i!Harry x Original Character (Halani <3)

Warnings: swearing, angst

Word Count: 6.7k

catch up on parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten

January, 2018

A strand of hair tickles Harry’s nose and his eyes flutter open. The faint sound of car horns and traffic outside reminds him of his location when his memory fails. He gently slips out of the bed and tiptoes over to the window, careful not to wake the girl sleeping soundly next to him. A thick layer of snow blankets every building and surface in New York City as far as the eye can see, and the grey sky above signals another storm on its way. 

I’m going to die of hypothermia, Alani shivers, nursing her steaming cup of tea as she walks away from the office window and takes a seat behind her desk. Even after living in the city for a year, she still hadn’t adjusted to the cold weather and feared that she never would. Her boyfriend had joked on numerous occasions that you can take the girl out of the island, but you can’t take the island out of the girl. 

“Vanessa’s on line three,” her assistant calls from the doorway. 

“Thanks,” Alani nods before bringing the phone to her ear. “So, what did you think?”

“It was brilliant,” the editor admits. “Insightful, witty. I think they’ll love it,”

Alani smiles and spins in her seat to face the window again. “St. James has been on my ass about this piece for weeks. I hope it’ll shut him up,”

“It will, trust me. Hey, I gotta go, but I sent the revision notes and we can discuss more later,”

“Great, thank you so much. See you at dinner,”

“Ta-ta.”

Alani reaches for a pen and scribbles a reminder onto a pink post-it note nearby. 

Bloody five-star hotel, you’d think they could afford decent pens.  Harry grumbles to himself, shaking the ballpoint to no avail. 

“Where are you going?”

Harry freezes in his tracks and turns to the brunette stretching out her tired limbs. He has to clear his throat to keep from saying the wrong name. 

“Just a quick walk,” he explains with a tight lipped smile. “Go back to bed.” 

She flashes a wide grin and snuggles back into the covers, but he secretly hopes that she’s gone by the time he returns. 

The snow crunches under Harry’s feet and he digs his hands deeper into the pockets of his coat. He had never been very fond of the cold, but he did have to admit that Central Park looked unbelievably beautiful in the winter. His phone buzzes inside his pocket and he digs it out to read the message. 

Mitch: Me and Sarah are going to Bisous in ten. Meet us?

Harry: See you there. 

********

“French is such a pretentious language,” Maleah scoffs, taking a bite of her pastry. “But I’ll be damned if I have to give up my chocolate croissants,”

Alani chuckles lightly and traces the restaurant’s logo of a red kiss printed on her napkin. Going to Bisous at least once a day had become a tradition during her best friend’s visits. 

“I’ll have to smuggle a real one back for you and then you can tell me if this one’s the real deal,”

“When are you going, again?”

“Next month,”  

Maleah wiggles her brows. “Oooh, Valentine’s Day? Are you taking Mason with you?”

“No,” Alani says casually. “It’s for work,”

“Well, who says you can’t mix business and pleasure?”

“Literally everyone.”

“Okay,” Maleah sighs, patting her full stomach. “Let’s go now before I get sleepy.”

The two friends make their way out of the busy restaurant and Alani’s shoulder brushes someone next to her. 

“Sorry.” she apologizes, making brief eye contact with the other person before doing a double take. 

Mitch purses his lips and turns his head back to the other girl at his arm while Maleah drags Alani out the door. 

********

“I mean, what the hell was that? I could barely keep my drum kit together,” Sarah laughs gently, sipping her coffee. 

“Cause of death: rocking too fucking hard,” Mitch shrugs. “There are worse ways to die,”

Harry stirs his black coffee with a spoon and watches the mini whirlpool grow. “Rob said you could feel it in the balcony, too,”

“I’m surprised you didn’t die,” Mitch pokes. “Mr. defective lungs,”

“Heyyy, I can’t help the asthma thing, alright?”

“Well it’s the last night,” Sarah chimes in. “Are we gonna try to beat the Kiwi record and go for four times in a row?”

Harry shrugs, a soft grin on his lips. “Dunno. Maybe if it feels right,”

“I say we cut out the middleman and just bulldoze MSG ourselves. What difference does it make if the fans tear the house down or if we do?” Mitch suggests. 

“Oh yeah,” Harry nods. “I’m sure Irving would love that.”

“Some food for thought.”

The trio finish their breakfasts and excitedly continue their conversations about the impending show, but the entire time, Mitch is haunted by the knowledge of Alani’s presence in the city. He debates telling Harry, but is suddenly reminded of the intense aftermath of the pair’s falling out. 

********

“Where’s Alani?”

“Don’t fuckin’ say that name to me ever again.” 

Mitch’s brow furrowed. “What’s going on?”

And with a simple question, anger had subsided into grief. Mitch still didn’t  know all of the details surrounding their split, but he had pieced together sufficient bits from Jeff and, in part, from the lyrics Harry penned in the following weeks. The slump had lasted through the fall and winter of that year, but as spring rolled around and the album’s release drew closer, Harry pulled himself together enough to promote and tour. It felt good to be on the road, and he found himself revitalized by the energy of those who came to support. Tour itself had been relatively intimate, as he had actively decided to play smaller venues than the sold out stadiums he was accustomed to, but the enthusiasm of the crowds hadn’t changed from his band days. As Harry occupied his attention with music, Hawaii grew smaller and smaller in the back of his mind. Eventually, it dwindled into a dull ache at the center of his chest, felt only on particularly long nights coaxed with a little bit of alcohol in his bloodstream. For now, he tried to focus on his last show at Madison Square Garden. 

********

Alani’s stomach turns. Had she really seen Mitch or had it been a remarkable doppelgänger? She hoped it was the latter, knowing that if he really was in New York City, Harry wasn’t far behind. This was by no means the first time she had been reminded of her summer love turned sour, but it stung just as much every time. The first incident was last April when she turned on the T.V. only to find Harry performing one of his new songs on Saturday Night Live. It had resulted in the loss of her favorite mug as it shattered against the hardwood floor in her apartment. Since that day, Alani had seen his face on countless billboards in Times Square and habitually asked taxi drivers to change the radio station or turn it off entirely. After a while, she had gotten better at dealing with the sinking feeling whenever he was mentioned, it was easier to detach feelings for someone who lived on a screen. Running into Mitch, however, had blasted a hole straight through the fourth wall that Alani had erected,  and she knew that there was absolutely no way she could cope with a similar encounter from Harry. 

“Oh shit,” Maleah gasps softly, looking through the windshield at the hundreds of people lined up on the pavement outside of Madison Square Garden. 

“What?” Alani asks, head still spinning. 

Her best friend immediately turns to her with a nervous smile and shrugs. “Oh it’s nothing. Hey do I have something in my teeth?”

Alani glances out the window behind Maleah and her eyes bulge. “Woah, what’s happening there?”

“Oh it’s probably, like, Lady Gaga or something. Anyways, look at this random text I got the other day.”

But it wasn’t “Lady Gaga or something.” The marquee reads “Harry Styles—SOLD OUT” in bold lettering. Alani retches into her bag. 

********

“Oh, for fucks saaake!” Harry shouts playfully, the sound of his obscenities echoing throughout the large venue. 

Mitch and Adam chuckle beside him and continue setting up their equipment while Sarah offers a comedic “badum-tss” on her drum set. 

“Okay then at that point, stage lights will come down and it’s ‘Meet Me in the Hallway’,” the technical director speaks into his earpiece.

Harry nods and watches the screen behind him roll through the animation that will play during the song. 

“Alright, then it’s—”

“Wait,” Harry interjects over the mic. “Sorry, can we run it?”

“Run ‘Meet Me’?”

“Yeah,”

Mitch tenses listening to the conversation that filters through his own inner ear piece, but he continues fiddling with the strings of his guitar.  

“Running ‘Meet Me’,” the director affirms. “Sarah, stand by.”

Harry’s eyes dart over to Mitch and he nods as a sign to begin. The guitarist clears his throat and strums the opening chords. 

Meet me in the hallway 

“M’gonna go wait in the hall…”

Meet me in the hallway 

“Give you some space to think and then we’ll talk, yeah?”

I just left your bedroom 

“I never wanted to hurt you.”

Give me some morphine 

“I hope you got all the material you wanted.”

Is there any more to do?

“Please don’t go.”

Just let me know and I’ll be at the door, at the door

Hoping you'll come around

Just let me know I’ll be on the floor, on the floor 

Maybe we’ll work it out

********

“Maybe I shouldn’t go,” Maleah offers. “I can catch a return flight tomorrow,”

Alani sits up in her bed and shakes her head. “No, Mi, it’s okay. I’ll be fine,”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. It’s probably just a stomach bug or something,”

Maleah gives her friend a tight squeeze and pulls away to read her face. “Let me know if you need anything, I’ll come right back,”

“Thank you,” Alani says, forcing a smile. “I’m so sorry to put a damper on your last day.”

“Nah, there’s nothing to worry about. Feel better soon, Nani.”

The door closes softly and Alani burrows deeper into the covers. She tries to bury the emotion back under a lock and key, but a gentle sob fights its way up her chest. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, she cries, but maybe it was. Just as the sun rises and sets, so had Harry entered and exited her life, and maybe that’s exactly how it was meant to be. After all, Alani had gotten exactly what she wanted, hadn’t she? So why does it still hurt? 

The snow falls gently outside of her window, but the entire scene blurs into shades of white and grey behind her tears. It had snowed just like this on the day she moved to the city. Shortly after the article about Harry had been published by a small gossip site, Alani had contacted the publishers and threatened litigation if they didn’t take it down. Unsurprisingly, they had also been contacted by Columbia Records and thus, the piece was removed that same day. Despite the quick turnaround, Rolling Stone had caught wind of the storm brewing on social media and reached out to Alani a few days later. They had been impressed that the elusive Harry Styles granted her an interview, but they didn’t push the matter much further. Instead, they had offered her one piece of her choosing to prove herself. If the reviews were favorable, she would be given a regular contributor spot, unpaid of course. They would re-evaluate at the beginning of the new quarter and negotiate from there. When January of 2017 rolled around, Alani’s writing was making surprising waves in the Rolling Stone community, so she had been hired on as a junior writer and assistant to the Editor in Chief. The pay wasn’t great, but it was a leap in the right direction. 

Despite everything that had changed in a year, a string of random letters on a building that Alani passed a million times had brought her emotions right back to the day she had tried so hard to forget. Her phone buzzes under the covers and she reaches out a hand to locate it. Her editor’s name appears and she answers it quickly. 

“Hello?”

“Darling, hello! Where are you?”

“Oh my god,” Alani groans. “Vanessa I’m so sorry,”

“Is everything okay?”

Alani sits up and clears her throat. “I have food poisoning,”

“Christ, from where?”

“Bisous,”

Vanessa sighs. “Poor thing. Okay, no worries we’ll just reschedule,”

“I’m so sorry, I’ll make it up to you,”

“No need to be sorry, get some rest and we’ll catch up later!”

The call ends and Alani gawks at the time. 7:30 already?  She slumps back under the covers and sifts through her social media, wincing when she sees several of her friends posting about the line outside of Madison Square Garden. No, Alani decides sternly when the sudden urge to go stirs in the pit of her stomach, absolutely no fucking way. 

********

“10 minutes!”

Harry scans the crowd from the monitor backstage. He pinches his lower lip between his index finger and thumb as the nerves settle in. 

“The house is packed,” Jeff comments with a hand on the singer’s shoulder. “And there’s still a crowd outside,”

“We did it?”

“You did it,”

So why does it still hurt? 

“Thanks for everything,” Harry says, bringing his manager in for a hug. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Jeff pats Harry on the back. “All in a day’s work for the dream team.”

Before heading out, Harry stops one of the crew members and asks if any of the guests on his list have arrived yet. Names are read off, friends from different inner circles over the years, but there’s one name in particular that isn’t called. He offers a thumbs up and a forced grin before making his way to the stage.

It always surprises the technical crew at every venue that Harry has specific lighting requests for the house. Performers had their individual preferences, this wasn’t unusual, but no one made a bigger deal about being able to see the crowd like Harry did. He enjoyed being able to see each person and connect with them, especially when performing an album that was as personal as this one. But in every sea he searched, one face was always missing. Tonight’s audience, much to his disappointment, was no different. 

The crowd cheers as “Sweet Creature” fades out and the lights on stage dim. More than half of the show has already gone by and they’ve reached the point that is always a little harder to get through. Harry takes a swig from his water bottle and clears his throat to fight the lump that forms. He breathes in deeply and “Meet Me in the Hallway” begins, but no matter how hard he tries to focus on the technical aspects of his performance, it’s nearly impossible not to get dragged back into the moment when the song was written. 

“I should go back,” 

“H, I don’t know if that’s such a good—”

“I have to go back.” 

And so he had. After two hours of pacing the airport lounge, Harry had jumped into an Uber and sped back to the hotel. It had taken another agonizing twenty minutes to explain his situation to the front desk workers and retrieve his old room key, but it was no use. He was too late. The bed was still unmade, but there was no sign of Alani save for the faint scent of Baby Honey and a gold necklace tucked away between the sheets. 

The flight back to the mainland had already departed by the time Harry stumbled through the hotel lobby, and there wouldn’t be another one for three more hours. In the meantime, he decided to get some fresh air and clear his mind, hoping all the while that he would find Alani at the edge of the beach waiting to run back into his arms. She never did, and he was left with all the words he wished he had said. 

I walked the streets all day 

Running with the thieves 

‘Cause you left me in the hallway 

Just take my pain away 

Just let me know and I’ll be at the door, at the door

Hoping you'll come around

Just let me know I’ll be on the floor, on the floor 

Maybe we’ll work it out

********

“Great show,” praises Rob Sheffield, author of one of Harry’s favorite books, Love is a Mix Tape. “Drummer’s incredible,”

Sarah beams and Harry flashes her a grin. “Thanks. It’s Sarah’s band, really. I’m just the frontman,”

“Well she kicked ass. All of you did, and I can tell by the way the floor was shaking that I’m not the only one who thought so.”

“Thank you so much, that means a lot.”

More guests filter in and congratulate Harry and the rest of the band, but while he sincerely appreciates all of the love, he can’t help the way his eyes flicker to the door every once in a while in the hope that someone else will straggle in. He slowly loses that hope when the room empties and the night drags on. 

********

This isn’t ethical, Alani chastises herself, this is wrong on every level and you’re gonna pay. She runs her fingers over the Rolling Stone press badge in her hand and stares at the marquee towering over her. What the fuck are you doing? 

“Excuse me!” Alani calls when she sees an employee slip through a side door. “Hi, I know I’m really late but I’m actually here with Rolling Stone,”

The blonde-haired woman blinks and scans over the badge with an unamused look on her face. 

“Nice try,”

“No, wait,” Alani begs. “I have to get in there, please—”

“You and every other girl within a twenty-five mile radius.”

Alani takes a deep breath and re-groups. “You don’t understand. I really need to get back there, I’m working on an important piece,”

As the struggle continues, another woman in stiletto heels exits through the side door with a clipboard in tow. 

“My name is Alani Hale, see? Please just—”

“Wait,” the woman with the clipboard intervenes. The name sounded strangely familiar, probably from the blacklist, in which case security would need to be notified. “What did you say your name was?”

Alani holds her badge out and swallows hard. “Alani Hale, junior writer for Rolling Stone.”

The woman checks through the blacklist but the name isn’t registered. She does a cursory glance over the V.I.P section and her finger lands on a note that reads “Mahealani ‘Alani’ Hale—Code Carolina: escort backstage and inform Mr. Styles immediately.”

“Follow me, please,”

Alani trails behind, doing her best to keep up with the long strides of the woman with the clipboard.

 “Marta to security, I have a Code Carolina,” she murmurs into her ear piece. “Repeat, I have a Code Carolina.”

Alani’s heart races as they zig-zag through the arena. Did Harry know that she was coming? Had Mitch told him that they saw each other at Bisous? The answer was no, Mitch hadn’t told and Harry didn’t know. He had only hoped. Unbeknownst to Alani, her name was printed on the Madison Square Garden list and on every list of every show in all the countries scheduled. Through Paris and all through Rome, Harry had looked for her face in the crowd and he dreamed that one day his efforts wouldn’t be in vain. 

“Wait here,” Marta instructs, leading Alani to a back room with mirrors, a couple of couches, and a clothing rack. “Someone will be with you shortly.”

Before she can ask any questions, Marta is gone and the sound of her heels echo down the hall. Alani takes a deep breath and her lungs are immediately filled with the familiar scent of vanilla. Her eyes carefully rake over the scene and land on a familiar white shirt hanging on the rack and the words “Enjoy Health, Eat Your Honey.”

“Thief,”

“I meant to return it.”

Alani spins on her heel and Harry stands with his fists shoved deep inside the pockets of his flared pants, eyes cast down at the floor. She tugs on the sleeves of her coat and offers a shy smile. 

“It’s okay, looked better on you anyway.”

A brief silence follows and they size each other up like it’s a gunfight, each waiting to see who will draw first. His hair is longer and curlier, Alani notices, chest and shoulders broader, too. But there’s a familiarity in his creased brow and in the heart shaped curve of his cupid’s bow. Harry does his own inventory; dark, almond shaped eyes, check. Round face, cinnamon skin, check and check. Her long, wavy locks are now shoulder length, but he’d recognize the scent of Baby Honey anywhere. The two are absorbed in their own silent assessments for a moment longer, but Alani quickly gets the urge to flee after she counts too many similarities between this Harry and the one that left her with a broken heart. 

“I should go,” she croaks, taking a step back. “I shouldn’t have come—”

“Why did you?” Harry asks earnestly. 

Alani tugs at a loose thread on her sleeve before crossing her arms. “Saw your name outside and got curious. For a while there, I started to think that maybe I imagined you,”

Harry doesn’t know what to do with the knowledge that he had haunted her as much as she had plagued him. He had spent so long believing that he meant nothing to her, but nevertheless, a part of him left room for her return. 

“You did, this is a hologram projection,”

Alani smiles and her shoulders relax at his humor. It really was him. 

“Did you enjoy—”

“I didn’t see the show—” they speak at the same time, eager words overlapping. 

“Oh,” Harry laughs softly. “You didn’t miss much,”

Alani shakes her head and takes a single step forward. “No, that’s not true. I’m sure it was amazing,”

Harry offers a coy grin, the shadow of a dimple on his left cheek. One hand emerges from his pocket and his knuckle brushes against the tip of his nose. Alani catches sight of the silver rose on his finger and she still remembers how it feels under the pad of her thumb. 

“Are you hungry?” he asks softly, pulling her from her reverie. 

“What?”

“Have dinner with me?”

Alani blinks, her throat suddenly dry. “Oh. Well I don’t know, I don’t wanna interrupt—”

“Never an interruption,” Harry assures her. 

She nods and he takes a step back. 

“M’gonna go change,” he explains. “I’ll just be a minute.”

“What, you don’t wear custom Marc Jacobs suits to dinner?” She teases. 

He grins, amused, and continues backing away towards the door before correcting her. “It’s Gucci.”

Alani rolls her eyes and he disappears into the hallway. 

When Harry reemerges in a beanie, puffy coat, and light wash denim jeans, he leads them through a series of tunnels and exits. 

“Where are we going?” Alani asks, bracing herself for the snow outside. 

“It’s a surprise.” he offers and she doesn’t fight him on it.

********

“We’re not eating here?” 

A soft smile falls on Harry’s lips. He hadn’t realized just how much he missed her incessant questioning. 

“No,”  he replies, opening the passenger door with one hand and passing her the bag that contains their dinner. “Too crowded,”

“Oh,” 

It made sense that Harry would want to keep a low profile and avoid any possible paparazzi sightings of the two of them, but it still felt strange to worry about such things after they had lived so carefree in Hawai’i. But that was then, and this was now, things had inevitably changed. 

“D’you wanna play some music?” Harry asks, settling behind the wheel. The parallels between this moment and their first excursion together make her chest tighten. 

“How about,” Alani starts. “Your album? Since I didn’t get to hear it live,”

Harry’s breathing hitches. “Well, I dunno—”

“Please?”

He meets her pleading eyes momentarily and, against his better judgment, agrees. 

“What’s it called?” she questions. 

“It’s just my name,”

“Self-titled, very classy. I like it,”

“I thought about calling it Sign of the Times,” Harry reveals. “But it’s already been done before,”

Alani hums. “Prince,”

“Yeah,” he nods. “But then I also thought about going with ‘Pink,’ because, you know, when in doubt—”

“Go with the pink one,” they say in unison and Alani smiles softly. How had he remembered that?

“And it’s the only true rock ‘n roll color,” she continues. 

Harry beams. “Exactly. But then Jeff suggested that we just go with the name. Simple, but effective,”

“Okay, so now that we’ve got the background,” Alani pokes. “And you’ve sufficiently distracted me, can I listen now?”

He swallows and checks the GPS, still twenty-five minutes to go. 

“How about we hold off,” he suggests. “Just for now so we can listen to the full thing and really soak it in?”

Alani backs off. “Alright, deal.”

She presses shuffle on the playlist of her frequently played songs for the month and immediately regrets doing so. Clearing her throat, she goes to press skip but Harry stops her. 

“S’a good one.” he says gently, so Alani lets Adele fill the awkward space. 

If you’re gonna let me down 

Let me down gently don’t pretend 

That you don’t want me 

Our love ain’t water under the bridge

********

Harry opens the passenger door and Alani steps out, her eyes squinting to make out any recognizable landmarks in their surroundings. They remain a comfortable two feet apart and make their way to the entrance of what appears to be some sort of greenhouse. Alani is filled with more confusion, but she doesn’t ask further questions until they reach the white double doors. 

“What?” Harry questions. “Never been to the New York Botanical Garden?”

Alani’s eyes widen. “The—wait, you—we’re?”

“After you,” he chuckles lightly, opening the doors. 

“Are we even allowed? I mean is it open?”

“I pulled some strings,”

She enters cautiously, immediately met with an archway of blush colored flowers and string lights that takes her breath away. A long, narrow pond in the center reflects the image back and creates a kaleidoscope of pink, green, and golden hues. 

“How did you,” Alani begins, at a complete loss for words. “Who are you?”

Harry nods in the direction of an adjacent hallway. “There’s a ballroom set up for a wedding tomorrow night, but Jim said we could crash as long as we clean up after ourselves,”

“Jim?”

“The director.”

“Of course.” 

Sure enough, round tables with cream colored tablecloth and elaborate floral centerpieces are arranged around the room. A delicate, yet undoubtedly expensive, chandelier twinkles in the center of the room and casts such a warm glow that Alani momentarily forgets about the snow outside. 

“Dig in,” Harry instructs, setting the pasta on the table in front of them. 

Alani sits and gently sheds her winter coat as he does the same. Underneath his jacket, Harry wears a yellow shirt that catches her eye with the words “treat people with kindness” printed in black lettering. She freezes when she spots a gold chain with a sun and moon pendant nestled comfortably between above the words.

“How is everyone?” Alani questions politely to shift her attention. “Mitch, Tom, Jeff,”

“They’re good, yeah,” he nods. “How’re Freddie and your family?”

“They’re fine, and he’s living his blissful little life,”

“Good for him. Miss his cuddles,”

And yours, Harry thinks, but he pulls back. Alani offers a shy laugh and thinks about the elephant in the room yet to be addressed: the break-up. It’s worth discussing, but she sure as hell isn’t going to be the one to bring it up. 

“And how’ve you been?” Harry asks when the silence stretches out for too long. 

Alani chews and ponders the question. “Good. Been working a lot,”

“Where at?”

“Rolling Stone,”

“Really?” he beams. “That’s incredible, congratulations,”

“Thank you,” she replies graciously. 

Harry’s chin rests in his palm and he twirls a noodle around his fork. “So you live here?”

“Yeah, in the Village,”

“Wow. Greenwich Village, a real city-slicker now. Traded Stevie in for the Holland Tunnel?”

A bittersweet smile spreads across Alani’s lips at the memory of her beloved Bronco. “Sadly, yes. And you?”

“Malibu,” Harry divulges. “I hate the cold.”

“It’s not so bad. You can always cuddle up with the giant rats,” she jokes, which makes his nose scrunch.

“I’m just gonna pretend you didn’t say that,” 

“Speaking of pretend,” Alani wiggles her brows. “You were in a movie after all,” 

“I was,” 

“I didn’t watch it, sorry,” 

Harry feigns offense and Alani quickly back pedals. “I don’t like war movies!”

“And you hated my guts.” he teases, though it pains him that there might be some truth to his words. 

Alani shakes her head and fights the urge to reach across the table for his hand. “No, not really. It was kind of the opposite, actually.” 

Harry’s eye wanders to the outside of Alani’s wrist and a faint smile creeps across his face when he spots the black outline of a crescent moon. He wonders if there are any new inked designs that he isn’t aware of. Despite all the time that has elapsed, there is a familiarity in her presence that he hadn’t felt even in the comforts of his California residence. It was like kicking off your shoes in the doorway after a long trip. It was like coming home. 

They finish their meal and continue their light-hearted banter into the night. Harry tells his favorite stories from tour and Alani wishes more than anything that she could have been there. She details the events of her own busy life in New York and the highlights of working for Rolling Stone, one of which being the time that she got to meet Stevie Nicks in the flesh. 

“Did you tell her about your car?” Harry presses enthusiastically. 

“No way,” Alani chuckles, draining the last of her drink. “I wasn’t gonna embarrass myself in front of the Supreme,” 

“I think she would’ve found it flattering,” 

“Naming your child after someone is flattering, not a car,” 

Harry shrugs. “I think it’s cute,” 

“Yeah well,” Alani sighs. “You’re not like most people,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

She mulls it over, studying the familiar sea glass irises that she never thought she’d see again. What had Alani meant by that statement? Truthfully, she didn’t know if she could put it into words, nor had she meant to say them in the first place. But something about Harry always made her feel brave, like she could speak her mind uncensored and he would understand without even trying. 

“I just meant that you’re, you know,” she starts. “Not judgemental. Like, I could tell you that I think I’m part alien and you’d probably try to help me find my home planet,” 

Harry laughs and leans forward with his elbows on the table, an unspoken challenge for Alani to continue her thoughts. 

“You make people feel seen and heard,” she says finally with a wistful look in her eye. “I mean, why do you think all those people lined up to see you tonight?” 

The last part of her statement is a deflection from what she really wants to say, which is that Harry makes her feel seen and heard. Despite all the time and space between them, it was still true and it terrified her. There was only so much bravery that Harry’s presence could evoke. The mood shifts suddenly when Alani’s phone buzzes and the name “Mason” with a pink heart emoji lights up the screen next to her glass of water. Harry hadn’t meant to look and he deeply regrets that he did. 

“You have a boyfriend,” he comments dejectedly, and though he hadn’t meant it to be accusatory, all words carry the sting of judgment when falling on guilty ears. 

“Oh, and I’m sure you’ve stayed celibate this entire time,” Alani bites back. 

Harry’s brow furrows. “I wasn’t—I didn’t mean—”

“I’m sorry, this was a mistake,” she apologizes, standing with her coat. 

“Wait,” he jumps up. “What just happened?”

“I have to go—”

“Just stop for a minute, please,”

Alani stops in her tracks and turns back to face Harry slowly. His jaw is tight and the crease between his eyebrows is deeper than she remembers. 

“I’m sorry,” she begins carefully. “Thank you for tonight, but I really shouldn’t be here—”

Harry’s eyes clamp shut and he runs a frustrated hand through his messy curls.  

“Can you stop acting like you’re doing me a favor by leaving and just talk to me?”

“What do you want me to say?” Alani pushes back. “‘I’m sorry that I saw your name in flashing lights and I got caught trying to spy on you’?”

“Alani—”

“‘I’m sorry that I tried to move on’?”

“Stop apologizing—”

“I’m sorry that I fell in love and fucked it all up because I was afraid and I’m sorry that I betrayed the one person who meant everything to me,”

Silence falls between them and the only sound is the sniffling of Alani’s nose as she tries, and fails, to hold back the emotions that pour over. 

“That’s why I went,” she continues, voice wavering. “Because I’m selfish and I couldn’t stay away. Every single day, I’m reminded of how royally I screwed everything up and it tears me apart, so I went to try to make things right and take some of that pain away. Even though I hurt you and there’s nothing I can ever do to change that,”

Harry swallows hard and his eyes sting, but Alani speaks up again before he can respond. 

“So please,” she begs. “Please, just let me finally do something right by you and let me go,”

He takes a cautious step forward and shakes his head. “I don’t want to,”

They both hold their breaths, anticipating the other person’s next draw. 

“And maybe that makes me selfish too,” Harry adds. “‘Cause I went back that day, back to the hotel,”

Alani blinks. “You did?”

“Yes,” he nods. “Because I wasn’t mad that you published the article, I was scared that it was the only reason you were with me—”

“Harry—”

“But then I realized that I didn’t care,” he laughs dryly. “Because I still loved you, and I figured that having you— having just a little bit of your heart and your attention—was worth it, even if you didn’t really love me back,”

He takes another step forward and the toes of their shoes nearly touch. “And maybe I’m being selfish now by asking you to stay, but you’re not the only one trying to get rid of the pain,”

Alani takes a shallow breath and studies the eagerness in his eyes. The sight makes her chest pound. 

“I’m sorry that I ever made you doubt,” she whispers. “But I meant every word I said, you were everything to me. You were the sun that my life revolved around and I was terrified of losing you because the truth is that I hate the cold, too,”

Harry gently reaches a hand up to her cheek and Alani leans into the warmth of his touch. 

“Can I show you something?”

You and your goddamn surprises. “Yes.”

He leads them down several winding hallways before flicking a light on in the gallery. Alani’s heart stops when she sees it. 

“Not quite as impressive as the real thing,” Harry offers. “But Ms. O’Keeffe did a pretty damn good job,”

An original Georgia O’Keeffe painting of a waterfall, their waterfall, the one that Alani had mentioned all that time ago, is displayed proudly on the wall before them. A replica had hung above the bed they shared on many nights and all at once a faint memory resurfaces. 

“Where did you say the original was?”

“New York Botanical Garden,” 

 “M’gonna take you one day,”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Alani takes a step closer to the artwork and examines the details of the oil on canvas. A few steps behind, Harry is only concerned with her reaction and pays little attention to the piece of art on display. As far as he was concerned, Alani was the only one worth admiring. 

“Do you remember what you told me when I asked why you went to the falls to write?” Alani asks. 

Of course Harry had, but he remains silent to let her continue. 

“You said that you liked going there,” she adds, deliberate. “Because it made you forget about every bad thing that ever happened to you, because none of it was real in comparison to the feeling of standing in front of that waterfall,”

Harry nods gently, but he still doesn’t speak. 

“Do you know what that feeling is called?”

“No,”

“It’s called home,” Alani says softly, turning to face him. “It’s what I felt, what I feel, when I’m with you,”

His breath hitches and he stands frozen as she carefully walks toward him.

“And while we’re making wishes come true,” she smiles delicately. “I never told you what I wished for the day we saw that rainbow,”

“What did you wish for?” Harry searches. 

Alani’s eyes fall to his parted lips. “That you would kiss me.”

His mouth curls at the edges and he releases a long breath. “Think maybe I can deliver on that one, too.”

Harry leans in, ever so slightly, and Alani closes the gap. They had been standing mere inches apart, but the meeting of their lips bridges an entire chasm. Over and over again, like waves against the shore, their mouths collide desperately as they pull each other closer with no intentions of ever letting go. 

********

February 14, 2018

“Comment est le temps?” 

Alani peers up at Harry and shields her eyes from the sun behind his back. “What does that mean?”

He grins softly and kisses the top of her head before taking a seat on the balcony next to her. 

“Means ‘how’s the weather?’,” 

“Oh,” she leans over, lips puckered for a kiss. “Full of perfectly Parisian sunshine,”

“Try sayin’ that ten times fast,”

Alani swipes his pink, heart shaped sunglasses and slips them onto the bridge of her nose with a contented sigh. Ahead, the Eiffel tower stands proudly in the distance and the lenses of her glasses tint the entire scene in a picturesque rosy glow. 

“La Ville de L’amour,” she hums. “Did I say that right?”

“Oui,”

“Hey, you know what I saw on the room service menu?”

Harry shakes his head. “No, what?”

“Piña coladas,” Alani wiggles her brows. “Think they deliver at midnight?”

He chuckles lightly and his hand takes purchase on her knee. “They better,”

“Never had a Parisian piña colada. Sounds romantic, though.”

“Sure does, sweets.”

Alani stands and reaches for Harry’s hand. He accepts and rises to his feet, pulling her close. Below, the sounds of the city serenade them as they gently sway in the chilly breeze. When Harry feels Alani shiver, he hugs  her to his chest and rests his chin comfortably on the top of her head. She feels his steady heartbeat against her cheek and smiles softly, fingertips smoothing up and down his back. 

“Are you ready for Valentine’s Day surprise number one?” he asks, pulling away slightly to meet her eyes. 

She narrows her eyes. “Where are we going?”

Harry pulls back with a mischievous smile, hands still attached to hers, and leads them back inside.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Alani giggles but she doesn’t push. Instead, she happily follows him out of their room, down the hall, and into the bustling streets of Paris. 

We don’t know where we’re going 

But we know where we belong 

And oh we started 

Two hearts in one home 

It’s hard when we argue 

We’re both stubborn 

I know, but oh

Sweet creature, sweet creature 

Wherever I go, you bring me home 

Sweet creature, sweet creature

When I run out of road 

You bring me home

[refinedbuffoonery]

Quarantine Moments (5)

This is my two favorite things in one: space stuff and making these pining idiots feel things, so it ended up being way longer than I intended. Oops. Enjoy some meteor shower shenanigans. :) 

*****

It’ll be fun, they promise. 

We don’t need a tent, they say.  We’ll sleep in the bed of the truck, they say. We’ll all fit, they say. 

It’ll be fun, they promise again. 

Riley knows better than to take “It’ll be fun” at face value. Especially when it comes out of Mac’s mouth. 

Five months into quarantine, when Riley’s favorite space nerds ask if she wants to drive out to the desert to watch a meteor shower, she agrees immediately. It’s a quick out and back trip. The plan is to have an early dinner, drive out to the desert for the night, and leave early in the morning before the August sun cooks them alive. Riley balks at their plan to sleep in the truck instead of a tent—sleeping in a truck bed always hurts, no matter how many blankets and pillows there are—but the boys’ excitement is infectious, and Riley can’t bring herself to say no. 

They argue about where in the desert to go. Mac wants to drive all the way to Death Valley, but Riley and Bozer shoot it down immediately. A four hour car ride is too far for an overnight trip. Then Bozer suggests Joshua Tree, but Mac claims it’s too popular. (Like there will be flocks of tourists there during a pandemic, but whatever.) So Riley forces them to compromise on Anza Borrego. It’s farther than J Tree, but not nearly as far as Death Valley, and they can pick up breakfast burritos in San Diego on their way home. 

Mac and Bozer never object to breakfast burritos. 

The boys do all the planning and preparation, so when Mac tosses Riley the keys to the truck, she’s almost surprised. “You’re driving,” he says. “Bozer’s in the back.” 

“Man, why am I always in the back?” Bozer complains. 

“Because Riley is a better driver than you.” Content to let them bicker, Riley smirks and starts the engine. 

“No,” Bozer corrects from the middle seat, “Riley is a faster driver. Not better.” 

At the same time, Riley and Mac both say, “Same thing.” 

“Unbelievable.” 

The drive goes much faster with Riley behind the wheel, although she refrains from rubbing it in. The sky shifts from lavender to deep blue to inky black as they drive away from the setting sun. 

It always amazes Riley that they can be so close to SoCal’s endless suburban sprawl, and yet be in the absolute middle of nowhere.

The moon is barely more than a sliver in the sky, and when they drop down into the desert, the vast darkness swallows the headlight beams. Riley rolls her window down, feeling the dry, balmy air caress her cheeks and neck. 

She figured someone else would have the same idea as them, but there isn’t another human soul as far as Riley can see. Even farther, most likely. 

When Riley gets out of the truck, the first thing she does is look up. The sky isn’t black at all, but rather a deep indigo alight with more stars than she could count in a thousand lifetimes. The Milky Way arcs overhead, and Riley’s eyes track it from one end of the horizon to another. It makes her feel small. 

It’s comforting, Riley thinks, to be reminded of her insignificance in the grand scheme of the universe, a welcome break from the constant world-ending consequences of her daily life. 

The trio get to work making their bed for the night. Mac’s two-person camping mattress goes down first, then the pillows and blankets. They didn’t even bother to bring sleeping bags since the nighttime temperature would only dip into the mid-seventies. 

Riley finds a tumbleweed near the front of the truck to pee behind before joining Mac and Bozer in the back. They’re lying on opposite sides of the truck bed, leaving as much space as possible for her in the middle. Realizing how close she’ll be to Mac, Riley takes a deep, steadying breath, grateful that it’s too dark for the boys to see her face. She should’ve begged Bozer to take the middle when she had the chance. 

Cursing herself for wearing booty shorts and a tank top, Riley tries not to notice how her bare skin brushes Mac’s as she squeezes into her spot. She blushes anyway. There is definitely not room for three people. They should’ve just brought the damn tent. 

She misses the days when she could be in Mac’s personal space without every nerve in her body being acutely aware of how close he is. Everything was so much easier then. 

Covering herself in one of the thinner blankets—more for comfort and security than anything else—Riley sinks into the pillows and looks up. She knows the Perseids originate from the constellation Perseus, but there are so many stars that she gets lost trying to orient herself in the sky. As she opens her mouth to ask for help, a bright silver light zips across the horizon, gone in less than a second. 

“Did you see that?” Bozer squeals. 

Riley laughs softly. “Yeah, but I have no idea where it came from, or where I should be looking.” 

It’s Bozer’s turn to laugh. “For starters, don’t look straight up. Look near the horizon.” He points toward a random spot in the distance, his hand a dark shadow covering the glittering sea beyond. “As Perseus gets higher in the sky during the night, the meteors will appear to come from higher up too.” 

Riley nods before realizing he’s not paying attention. “Thanks.” 

As she studies the heavens, the sense of ease settles over her once again. Riley feels her body start to let go of the stress she’s been holding onto for months—the awkwardness of living with Mac, the endless pile of work stuff she has no motivation to do, worrying about her mom and Bozer’s parents, waking up every morning to increasingly batshit news headlines. Out here, she can escape, if only for a few hours. 

Riley catches three meteors in quick succession, each darting across the sky in a completely different direction. Mac hasn’t said a word since they laid down, so when Bozer gets up to pee, Riley nudges him with her knee and says, “You’ve been quiet.” 

Mac doesn’t look at her as he speaks, his gaze locked on something straight overhead. “Ancient Chinese astronomers believed Vega and Altair were lovers, forever kept apart by the Milky Way.” He points. “Vega is one of the brightest stars in the sky. It’s in the constellation Lyra. And over there is Altair, which is part of Aquila, the eagle.” 

Riley hesitates, trying to separate fact from innuendo. A pit forms in her stomach as she understands why he’s drawn to these stars in particular. 

Mac must mistake her silence for being unable to find the stars, because suddenly his arms are around her and he’s pulling her toward him so her head rests on his shoulder. 

His touch feels like stars dancing on her skin. 

Mac’s bicep grazes her cheek as he points again, and Riley has no trouble following the line of his arm to a particularly bright star nearly straight up. That must be Vega, the bright one. The other blends into the Milky Way too well for Riley to pick it out. Her voice catches as she half-lies, “I see it.” His arm drops, but instead of letting her go, Mac’s hand rests on her ribcage. 

Riley nearly stops breathing as her heart pounds loud enough that she’s sure Mac can hear it. She doesn’t know what to do. This is uncharted territory, him holding her like this. They’re in each other’s personal space all the time, but they’re never handsy. Riley has never been a very touchy person, and she knows Mac isn’t either. 

So this...Riley doesn’t know what to make of this. 

“Show me something else,” she manages. Mac takes a shaky breath beneath her. 

He points in a different direction. “Over there are Sagittarius, which looks like a teapot, and Scorpius, which looks like a hook or the letter ‘J.’” Riley finds the constellations easily. “Between them is the supermassive black hole that exists in the middle of the galaxy. All of the matter in the Milky Way orbits around it.” 

Riley smiles. Mac and his black holes. 

Bozer is taking an awfully long time to pee, and Riley starts to think there might be an ulterior motive to his disappearance. She hollers, “You good, man?” 

“Yeah! Got a little performance anxiety from this creepy bug staring at me.” 

Riley and Mac burst out laughing. Tears sneak out of Riley’s eyes as she holds her stomach, giggling until her lungs ache. Just when she starts to get it together, Riley makes the mistake of looking up at Mac, and they both crack up all over again. 

If Riley could stay in this moment forever, she would. Laughing with Mac feels like stepping into a patch of sunlight on a chilly day. 

Mac is still looking at her when they finally recover. Not in Bozer’s direction, not up at the stars, but at her. Riley bites her lip. She could do it right now. Tell him how she feels. 

But a bigger part of her knows that it’s not the right time, no matter how much she wants it to be, no matter how many small moments give her hope that she’s not alone in her feelings. Relationships with a messy beginning never last. Right now, they’re not meant to be, but Riley lets herself hope that maybe, just maybe, in the future, they will be. 

Until then, she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her heart. Starting with loving him quietly, and never expecting anything other than platonic love in return. Just having him in her life is enough. 

Bozer climbs back into the truck, and Riley moves to extricate herself from Mac. His arm tightens around her at first, but when Riley pulls away again, Mac lets her go. She doesn’t think about what it might mean if she stayed. 

The three of them lay together for hours, just looking up at the stars, until Bozer yawns. Riley can’t help but follow suit. 

“Mac,” Bozer says. “Did you set the alarm?” 

“Yeah. My phone is right here.” Mac pats a pillow above Riley’s head. 

She can’t believe what she’s hearing. “Alarm?” 

Mac explains, “The meteor shower’s peak is between three and four am. So unless you’d rather stay up all night...” He trails off. 

Riley groans. Of course. 

She pulls up a second blanket and rolls onto her side, facing Bozer. Safely tucked between her boys, Riley drifts off almost immediately. 

~

Riley wakes before the alarm goes off, struggling to breathe. It feels like someone’s sitting on her chest. 

When she opens her eyes, Riley realizes it’s two someones. 

She’s lying on her back. Between Mac’s arm thrown over her shoulders and Bozer using her chest as a pillow, their combined weight is uncomfortably heavy. They probably got cold and rolled toward her in their sleep. The thought makes her smile. Riley rolls onto her side to dislodge Bozer and ends up flush against Mac’s chest. His warm breath tickles the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. 

Shit. She should’ve included not torturing herself in her resolution to love him quietly. 

Riley tries to move again, but it’s futile. She’s stuck. As if to further prove her point, Mac’s arm slides down her body and wraps around her waist, pulling Riley closer like she’s his favorite teddy bear. The gesture makes her melt. Bozer reaches out then, sleepily trying to find his missing pillow, and his hand settles on Riley’s forearm. If Jack could see them now, he’d kill Mac and Bozer without a second thought, but Riley likes being wrapped up in her boys, likes feeling warm and wanted and protected. 

She’s still smiling when she falls back asleep. 

~

The alarm blares in her ear, and Riley can’t do anything about it. Her arms are trapped. She groans. “Turn it off.” 

A weight lifts from her side, and then an arm bumps her face as someone mercifully turns the alarm off, followed by a mumbled “Sorry.” Riley isn’t awake enough to recognize the rough, sleepy voice. It sounds nice though, she thinks. She wouldn’t mind hearing it again. 

The weight returns, and the same voice says, “I hit snooze. You have five minutes.” 

It’s Mac, she realizes with a jolt. Bozer would never be so merciful. 

Now she really wants to hear that voice again. 

Mac strokes her shoulder, coaxing Riley into consciousness, and damn him, it works. Her eyes flutter open. It’s still dark out, and Bozer faces them, his head resting beside Riley’s chest, the comma to her and Mac’s quotation marks. 

“Riles, move. I have to pee.” Swallowing her disappointment, Riley uses her feet to push Bozer back to his side, taking back her space. 

“I’m awake,” he slurs. 

Riley feels Mac’s chest rumble as he chuckles. “Sure you are.” He gets up, and Riley immediately mourns the loss of contact. 

He’s back by the time the alarm goes off again, and this time Riley turns it off herself before sitting up to stretch, her joints popping softly. The stars look completely different now. Riley still doesn’t know how to find Perseus, or even what the constellation looks like, but it doesn’t matter. The meteors are more frequent now, nearly two a minute. Most are quick, bright flashes, but a few are slower, gracefully crossing the sky before burning up. 

Someone—Bozer—kicks her in the back. “Riley stop blocking the view.” Rolling her eyes, she lays back down. 

She’s exhausted, and her body hurts, but it’s all worth it when a massive, glowing meteor arcs across the sky in slow motion, lingering for a few seconds before winking out of existence. “Wow,” Riley whispers. 

Mac and Bozer promised her fun, and sure enough, they deliver.

Riley hovers in that sweet spot between sleep and being awake until the sky lightens and the first rays of sunlight stretch across the desert. The air seems to hum, the way it always does in announcement of the scorching summer sun. Riley and the boys pack up in record time, and Mac blasts the air conditioner even though it’s barely six am. 

Leaning into the pile of pillows occupying most of the backseat, Riley orders, “Wake me up when you have my burrito. Goodnight.” 

She dreams of shooting stars and the warm embrace of a certain blonde nerd. 

[onlyfreds]

Chapter 2 - Hard to Hide | TRP

Summary: As the stress of the coronation increases with every passing day, the secret itself becomes hard to hide.

Warning/s: Mentions of food, mentions of eloping

Series Masterlist

I sighed, leaning by the porch of the Burrow, reading the paper my sister sent me under the rising sun.

The press never seem to miss anything, the headlines read: Coronation of First-Born Princess to be Held Soon.

And that was the last thing I needed.

To add to my annoyance, the article kept on stating how excited and happy I am to be crowned when they didn’t even interview me and got my thoughts about the matter.

As if mum and dad would let them interview me anyway.

I threw the paper to the side in disgust, but as I heard footsteps approaching the spot where I sat, I hid it away from view as best as I can.

“What’cha doing here darling?” Fred asked, pressing a kiss to my temple as he sat down beside me.

I gave him a small smile, “Just watching the sunrise.”

He dramatically gasped, feigning offense as he said, “You’re watching the sunrise without me? How could you do such a thing Y/N?”

I laughed at his theatrics, “You’re always so overdramatic, aren’t you?”

He smiled, putting an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him, “But, honestly sweetheart, you seem stressed about something for the past few days. Is there something wrong?  Is there anything I could do to help?”

I chuckled, “Don’t need to worry Freddie. Everything’s absolutely fine, like I said, nothing to worry about.”

He raised a brow, “Are you sure sweetheart? You know you can tell me anything.”

I nodded, resting a hand on his chest, “Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know when I have a problem.”

“Oi Lovebirds!” George’s head poked out from the window, “It’s time for breakfast! The cuddling can wait later!”

Fred groaned, muttering something about wrong timing as we headed back into the Burrow hand in hand.

--

Snapping my book closed in frustration, not being able to keep the article from occupying my thoughts.

I stood up, walking over to the desk in Ginny’s room and writing a letter in response to my sister’s.

Someone knocked tentatively on the door. “Come in!” I said, sealing up the letter and tying it to Hedwig’s leg as he flew off to the palace.

“Hey Y/N!” Hermione greeted as she entered the room, “Ginny and I were going out for some ice cream, do you wanna come?”

I smiled, “I thought you’d never ask.”

We walked through the alleys of the muggle town near the Burrow, chatting happily with our ice cream in hand, looking around a bit at the stores.

That was until, Hermione and I dragged Ginny to the bookstore.

“Why do I need to supervise the two of you?” She asked, “Y/N is practically of age and Hermione, you’re the most mature and most level-headed person in your year.”

Hermione and I exchanged a look, “Well Ginny,” I started to explain, “we’re in a bookstore.”

“And if you leave us unsupervised in a bookstore, chances are, Y/N and I would be going back carrying stacks upon stacks of books. So, unless you want that to happen, you have to supervise us.” Hermione finished.

Ginny playfully rolled her eyes at us, sporting a small grin, “Fine. Fine. Now, run along before I regret my decision.”

So, thanks to the redhead supervising us, we only came home with four books each.

--

Dinner had just finished, most of us were gathered around in the living room while Molly had started knitting and Arthur was tinkering with a muggle radio in their shed.

I leaned against my boyfriend’s chest as he threaded his fingers through my hair. George was busy writing a letter to Angelina, the trio and Ginny were settled near the fireplace, talking about Merlin knows what.

I inhaled the familiar firework powder and cinnamon scent of my boyfriend as he had me wrapped in the warmth of his embrace.

I felt like I was being lulled into a state of comfort and peace as I traced random patterns along his arm.

“Freddie?” I asked quietly, looking up at him.

His eyes softened by the light of the fireplace, even though he was looking down at me with worry and concern, I couldn’t help but adore the man looking down at me as the soft glow of the fire seemed to compliment his features.

“Darling?” Fred’s voice quietly rang through the air, snapping me out of my daze, “Are you alright?”

I licked my lips, “I can tell you anything, right?”

He nodded, furrowing his brows a bit, “Of course, and if it’s something that’s bothering you, then I’ll do what I can to help.”

I gave him a grateful smile, “Can we talk somewhere private? I don’t want anyone else to hear about it.”

He nodded before standing up, pulling me up with him as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

“The missus and I will be retreating upstairs.” He said with a cheeky smile, ducking when Molly threw the dish towel at him when he said the name missus. “So, do not disturb and good night everyone!” He added as we retreated upstairs.

“Use protection!” George called after having Molly smack him at the back of the head.

As soon as we entered his room, Fred shut the door behind him and sat down on the edge of the bed, patting his lap.

I sat down in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck as I was engulfed back into the warmth of his embrace.

“What did you want to tell me?” He asked.

“Well, remember me being the first-born princess and someday I have to be crowned as Queen?” I said.

He nodded, staying silent.

“That day, might be coming sooner than I thought.” I said.

He gave me a confused look, “What do you mean?”

I got off his lap, walking over to my trunk as I took out the paper my sister had sent to me earlier and handed it to Fred.

His eyes scanned over the headlines, then to the article underneath it. Even if he stayed silent, by the way his jaw clenched, I knew he was furious.

“How could they say this rubbish about you?” He said in frustration, throwing the paper behind him, “They talk about your happiness as if they know you. Then they say about whether or not you’re fit to be Queen.”

He then harshly grabbed the paper, “And get a load of this, ‘in an interview with the chief of staff of the palace, he states that, “The Princess has been trained to manage Montenaro ever since she was five. She may not be present at the moment, but we assure you that she will not turn her back on her responsibilities to the kingdom. Though she may have made some friends at the boarding school she attends, she will not let their influences get in the way of what she’s truly destined for.’”

He stood up, running his hand through his hair in frustration, “How could he speak like that about you? Like he knows what you want?”

I stepped forward wrapping my arms around his torso as he held onto me tightly, “And your coronation is happening in three weeks?! You just turned seventeen and they’re already expecting you to rule over a kingdom!”

I bit my lip, “According to the law of Montenaro, seventeen is legally an adult. I don’t know why my parents want to get crowned this early, but I’m actually having some doubts about it.”

“What do you mean by doubts?” Fred asked, resting his chin on the top of my head.

I hummed, breathing in his scent to calm myself down, “My parents have drilled into my head that being Queen is always what I was meant to be. But, deep down in my heart, I know that, it’s not what I want.”

“Then why don’t you tell them?”

I sighed, “If only it was that easy Freddie. Unlike your parents, mine never listen to me or what I have to say.”

“And if I, by any chance, I go against their wishes, the worst-case scenario is I would be disowned. I’m already a disappointment to them, so, why make it worse.”

“Hey.” Fred said gently, placing a finger under my chin and lifting my head up, “You’re not a disappointment, any parent would be lucky to have you as their daughter. If your family is too daft to realize that, then it’s their loss.”

He pressed a brief kiss on my lips, “I’ll support you in whatever path you choose. And if your parents don’t approve of our relationship, then, we’ll run off, elope and then shove our marriage certificate in front of their faces if they even try to put you in an arranged marriage. Nothing’s stopping us.”

I laughed, “You always know what to say to make me feel better.”

He smiled, “No matter what you choose, I’ll always be here for you.”

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

@lumosandnoxwriting​​​ @wand3ringr0s3​​​ @famdomhideout​​​ @nova-darling @gaycatlord-stuff​​​  @pandaxnienke​​​ @escapingrealitybyreading​​​​ @catching-the-train-to-hogwarts @lunylovelovegood @thefallengodesse (Send in a Message/Ask if you want to be added)

𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

@dobbys-leftsock @freddiemylovelg @georgeweasleyswhre @gostupid-godumb @robinisfreddieshoe ​ @potters-heart @evieevergreen @fandomscombine @messagesinthesky @the-romanian-is-bae @thefallengodesse