#'annoying little brother' louis is the mom who stepped up

[tarsusingkirk]

armand pulled a typical maker move when he made daniel, didn't he. he poked his virginal fangs into that hot human throat sucked daniel to the brink, smeared his lips with the blood and then fucking hightailed it out of there, didn't he.

he made louis teach daniel how to be and how to deal with being a vampire, didn't he.

[holdingontoheadache]

Doly, Doly, Doly! My dear friend, I’m sorry for going like a week without sending a message! This week really got away from me. How’s your vacation been? How’s Hail Mary? I hope you’re doing well!!!

Oh my brother always hated having to share with me cause you know I was the annoying little sibling who wanted to play with all the stuff he had. It was the only way I played like any video games until I was in my preteens and got a wii and DS but I’m not sure which one was first lol. But I still tried to play games on his stuff.

We definitely would! There’s so many concerts I wanna go to and I can’t wait till I feel comfy enough to start going back to them!!! I’d absolutely go see Niall in a heartbeat. There’s just something about live music that really is magical. And it’s also one of those human moments of “I’m in a room full of all these people and we’re singing the same songs and love this person on stage.” And what a feeling that is. Especially for an artist that makes you feel like at home, that is truly special.

How exciting! Let me know how you like it once you get it! I found that I enjoyed it quite a bit! And I’ll have to see if I can find them! I took photos of that installation like six years ago now!

I want a Louis hoodie so bad! I have one of his shirts but it’s kinda old, too small and the back art on it is peeling. My favorite YouTubers announced they got married recently and oh my heart, it was so sweet. For streamers I feel like I rarely catch the streams live so I watch a lot of vods or people editing down the streams to the important/good bits. I think I said I tend to wear a normal like baseball cap? I’m not sure how else to describe it but I wear it when I’m having a bad hair day or just don’t wanna deal with it. I got to wear my beanie today which was nice since I rarely get to! It was pretty cold so it worked great when I went out/had to let my dogs out. I will say, I think I prefer ice skating to roller skating! I’ve been roller skating a normal amount and I think I’ve only gone ice skating once but it was so fun cause it’s just so different! I’d love to do it again. Italy! How exciting! I bet it was beautiful. I know this sounds crazy but I’m not sure of the last time I had a mango/if I’ve ever had one really. I know I’ve had kiwi but it’s been a very long time so I dont remember much about the taste. Cleaning carpet is awful! I’ve stained my carpet horrendously by accidentally leaving a tube of black paint out and stepping on it 😐 and then a blue drink spilled on my beige carpet sooo. I like it in my room but probably nowhere else in a house.

I know this isn’t as long as the others but I feel im blanking on what to talk about atm buuut I’ll still do a speed round of course!!!

Since it’s the holidays: if you have a Christmas tree, do you prefer a fake or real one? I understand the appeal of a fake one 100% because there’s no cleaning up, watering and throwing it out like a real one and plus it’s a one and done payment for years to come! However, im a sucker for a live tree. I love smelling the tree in the house and I love going to pick one out!

Do you dilly dally? Like when running to the store are you someone who gets everything they need and then goes straight to check out or do you kinda get pulled in by other things not on your shopping list? I feel I can do both but I absolutely dilly dally more than anything. I get distracted easily like when Walmart was open 24/7 my dad and I would just be like “we should go get snacks” at like 1am and then we’d be there for an hour and a half… it’s why my mom refuses to go inside Walmart with him.

Do you prefer to use the stove/oven or the microwave? Like when I make soup I make it on the stove my friend makes it in the microwave. And like a stouffer’s meal I make in oven every time my friend will just the microwave. Like even when making water I’ll boil the water instead of using the microwave. I hate using the microwave for most things I’m not sure what it is or why but it just feels better using the stove/oven.

When it comes to jewelry, do you prefer gold or silver? I personally prefer silver. I think it just looks better on me! But I feel that I don’t wear much jewelry anymore at all.

I can’t remember if I’ve asked but which do you find more interesting or even scary? Space or the ocean? I feel both are equally so fascinating but also absolutely terrifying!! I love the ocean though, I used to want to be a marine biologist sooo and someone tried to tell me we’ve explored a lot of the ocean so there was no point in being a marine biologist and I almost lost my mind cause anyone and everyone know how little of the ocean we’ve actually explored!

Do you enjoying sparkling water? I personally am not a big fan. I just don’t like the taste of almost jay of them! I think it’s very rare for me to find one I like.

What was the last movie you watched that had you thinking “I’ve got to tell everyone to watch this movie” because you enjoyed it so much? I’d say mine was probably Glass Onion and Nope. Also, what’s an underrated movie you think deserves more love?

Okay, I think I’m done for today! I’ll talk to you soon!!! Hope you’re doing well and are having a good day/night! ❤️

-🎉❄️

Hello, lovely!! Happy Louis Tomlinson day!! 🥳✨🥳✨ I can’t even believe he’s 31 like- time is truly and illusion cause he doesn’t look a day over 25!! Also, Merry Christmas Eve!! May you spend this day filled with the love and joy from friends and family!!

I totally understand!! I, too, have fallen behind on my Christmas asks this year. It’s been tough to find the time to send these asks, so no worries, love!

My vacation has been going very well!! The next couple of days are going to be me just trying to soak it all in!! The days are counting down and before I know it, I’m back in the cold again. 😵‍💫 how are you on the weather situation? I heard it snowed pretty bad in the southern states, so I wasn’t sure if you were affected? I haven’t read Project Hail Mary since I landed last week. It’s one of those things where I have to be in the mood to read it. But I definitely will get back into it at some point once I’m back home!! I like it too much to just abandon it!!

I think all of us younger siblings are embedded with the ability to annoy our older siblings into either 1.) letting us play video games with them or 2.) doing everything in their power to make sure we’re not two feet within the proximity of their gaming systems lol. It’s the annoying young sibling to gamer pipeline!!

You described the concert experience to a tea!! Two days ago, I went to see a Latin reggaeton duo that I’ve been listening to for as long as I can remember!! It was a magical experience in that arena and I would do anything to relieve it again!! Can’t wait for what next year entails for live music!!

Are you talking about Jenna and Julian? I saw!! I’m so happy for them!! I remember watching the one really old video where they both try MacBook filers. Julien had me in tears that day because of how hard I laughed!! I only wish the best for them!! ✨ wait, you’ve never had a mango? Oooo, if I can send you a box right now, I would!! It’s not mango season here on the island or else I would send a picture of what I believe are the best mangos! When they’re just ripe, they’re so sweet, yet tangy at the same time!! Highly recommend!!

Speed Round Answers!! Fake/real Christmas tree? All my life, I’ve only ever had fake Christmas trees, so I’d probably say that only because of convenience! If I had my own proper house, then I’d say yes, probably! Even if it’s just for one holiday season!! It sounds like something nice to have and I do like the smell of pine trees lol. When you get the chance, I’d love to see a picture of your tree when you can!! Do I dilly-dally? I can wholeheartedly say that I’m a dilly-dally kind of person!! I have to go down almost all the isles to find things that I would like, both when I’m grocery shopping and clothing shopping; hell, even just window shopping when I’m not buying anything!! Lol. I think I get it from my mom cause she’s the same way I am where she has to go down every isle, unless she’s in a rush for one specific thing. I’m definitely someone who’s down for snacks in the late hours of the morning lol. Microwave/stove? For convenience, I’m a microwave user, but I’ve also realized the importance of using a stove to reheat food! Especially things like leftovers, they taste better reheated on the stove than using the microwave!! Unless it’s like 3am and I’m hungry for something I’ve set aside, I’ll just pop it in the microwave and hope for the best lol. Gold/silver? Depends on what I’m wearing that day, but I would probably say silver! I think it goes with everything a lot better than gold does. I say, as someone who doesn’t wear jewelry all that much except for their ear piercings that have mismatched earring on that follow no specific pattern whatsoever. Space/ocean? Both are equally as cool as they are absolutely terrifying!! While there is still so much of the ocean that hasn’t been discovered, I can agree and say that we can definitely keep it that way!! I’d say space travel (I wouldn’t go up into space myself, but the idea of it does sound exciting nonetheless). Sparkling water? Not a big sparkling water/soda drinker. It doesn’t really taste like anything (even though water doesn’t have a taste anyway) and the carbonation isn’t really my favorite. I’ll only really have a carbonated drink when I’m out and that’s all they have to offer. Other than that, I’ll take a juice/plain water any day!! Movie to inform the masses? I haven’t watched a good movie in a long time!! The last movie I saw in theaters was My Policeman. Just out of the sake of my lack of movie engagement, I’m gonna say that!! It has a really good message about love and loss, especially in a society that didn’t allow that kind of love to happen. While many current places are still restricting lgbtq+ people today, it shows we have the ability to move past that kind of mentality in the upcoming years!! Underrated movie? Hmmmmmm…. I’m not sure. I’m gonna go with the easy answer and say the Andrew Garfield’s adaptation of The Amazing Spider-Man. I really enjoyed those movies when they came out and seeing a lot of people undermine the cinematic masterpiece that it is makes me sad. I haven’t seen Nope, but I heard a lot of good things about it. Never heard of Glass Onion though. Might have to take a look.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season, love!! Sending all the love to you and your family/friends/whoever you choose to celebrate this year with!! I’ve truly enjoyed talking with you this December!! Until the next one 💕.

[slapshot-to-the-heart]

baby, kiss it better - m. tkachuk

I saw a 13-minute video last night just called “the Tkachuk brothers annoying people” and immediately got an idea. Two and a half hours later, this was the result. Title is from cardigan off of Taylor Swift’s masterful new album folklore. Listen if you haven’t, and let me know what you think of this (and the album!)

——

You glanced up at the arena clock. 4:12 left in the first intermission. Taryn rubbed your shoulder lightly, catching your attention. “You good? You’re looking a little on edge.”

You blinked a few times, shooting her a tight smile. “Yeah. It’s good, I’m good. Just a little tired, nervous since the team’s down.” The score was 0-2, Vancouver having gotten in two early goals that the Flames hadn’t been able to catch up to. 

“There’s still 40 minutes of play,” she said, shrugging, “so don’t get too worked up. Weirder things have happened.”

This smile was a genuine one. “Fair.”

Chantal shuffled back into her seat, precariously balancing two trays of food in her left hand while trying to hold her phone in her right. “Hot dog for Taryn, and nachos for you, love,” she said, passing the chips over. 

“Thanks, mom,” you said. You and Matthew had been married for just under two years, but it still never ceased to amaze you how welcoming his family had been, straight from the start. It had never been a question of if you’d “fit in” or not with them; you were treated like a second daughter from the moment Matty brought you home to St. Louis. His mom was beyond grateful her son had finally found someone to tamp down his attitude, Brady loved having another person on his side when he’d chirp his brother, and Taryn was excited to finally have another girl around the house. You loved your own parents, but being grafted so easily onto the Tkachuk family tree was something unexpected but so, so welcome nonetheless. 

It had become something of an annual tradition to have them fly in for a week or so at least once during the season, usually at some point between Matthew’s birthday in December and your own in March. Keith was tied up with something back in Missouri, so he had sent his regrets and his wife and daughter on a plane to Calgary in his stead. They stayed in one of the spare rooms in the house you and Matthew had bought just before the wedding, a gorgeous slate gray four-bedroom on the edge of the city. It had an enormous yard that was practically begging for a dog, so you had dragged Matty to the animal shelter right after returning from your honeymoon in the Seychelles. Cocoa was the other love of your life, an exceedingly friendly lab mix whose chocolate brown eyes had captured you the moment you saw her. 

But Chantal really had turned into your second mom, even outside of your relationship with Matthew. You hung out with her and Taryn on your own accord during the off-season, and on more than one occasion Matty had walked into your bedroom only to see you on FaceTime with his mom. 

“It’s nothing,” she said, waving you off. “I know how you feel about cheese.” It’s true, you had an ongoing love affair with cheese. 

You bent down, taking a sip of water before replying to a text, slipping your phone back into your jeans pocket. You had never been the type of person to check your phone during games, even when Matty wasn’t on a shift. You were his wife, sure, but you were a hockey fan before you ever met and would rather step on a Lego barefoot than miss a single second of the action. The referee dropped the puck at center ice and the second period began. 

Midway through the period, they had cut the Canucks lead by half, Lindholm sneaking a wrap-around goal in the fourth minute, but were still trailing by one. The frustration was beginning to show. Chirps were being thrown more freely, hits got a little dirtier, and more than a few sticks had been banged against the wall in frustration on the home bench. Which is why it wasn’t particularly surprising when Matty dropped the gloves after a decidedly nasty cross-check on one of their rookies. 

Matty got into fights. It’s what he did, he was an enforcer; you knew that when you met him, starry-eyed and 21 and about to finish college. Even with the league’s increasingly restrictive rules on fighting, he always found a way around them. And if he couldn’t find a way around them, he just broke them. There was a reason he led the team by a mile in penalty minutes. You had long since accepted that some nights your husband would come home bruised and battered, a little worse for wear. It was the part he played on the team, and since he had been named captain after Giordano’s retirement, he felt a newfound responsibility to look after his team even more than before. Especially the new players, and especially the rookies. He remembered the feeling of being lost in a new city, in a country that wasn’t his own, with next to nobody that he actually knew. Nobody fucked with his boys, not on his watch. 

Like the rest of the thousands of fans, you watched the fight. You were invested. You played with the hem of your jersey, the same one Matty had given you for your first anniversary when you were dating. You were as proud as anyone wearing it to games back then, and the sentiment hadn’t changed after more than three years. All that was different was that you were wearing a jersey that had your last name on it too. 

Fights rarely made you nervous anymore. Hockey was a rough game, and fighting was a part of it. Everyone knew Matty could hold his own, and despite his devil-may-care attitude, he was usually good about not picking fights he didn’t think he could win. But all of the bets were off as soon as the gloves were thrown and the fists went flying. 

For the first few seconds, it seemed like Matty had the upper hand; he had grabbed a hold of the other player’s collar and had managed to land a few well-placed punches, but his lead was short-lived. He lost his footing for just a moment, but the Canucks player saw an opening and moved in, landing hooks and uppercuts and jabs that Matthew barely missed. The linesmen tried to move in, break up the pair, but they shook them off. Matty tried to land a punch with his left hand, but he missed his face and hit the helmet. The close-up on the screen broadcast his wince for the whole crowd to see. You felt a pang in your heart. As much as you understood that this was his job, this is what he was meant to be doing, it never got any easier. He tried to take a jab with his bad hand, an ill-advised decision that led to him cursing not-so-under-his-breath. The Canucks player missed one, harmlessly hitting the air above his head as Matty ducked. Then he just barely grazed his neck. 

And then he didn’t miss one, his fist leveling with Matty’s cheek. He lost balance, his skates coming out from under him as he fell to the ice, first his shoulder, then his head. You thanked God that he hadn’t been so stupid as to take off his helmet, but you didn’t like how he landed on his hand and how slowly he was getting up. The athletic trainer jogged out on the ice, kneeling next to your husband as your hand shot out to the chair on your left, fingers interlacing with Taryn’s as you held your breath, waiting for him to get up. And he got up a minute or two later, but there was blood and gauze and he had to be supported on both sides, gingerly skating off the ice and going straight to the dressing room. 

You tried to steady your breathing, reminding yourself that injuries happened all the time in sports, that half the time they weren’t nearly as bad as they looked, and that Matthew was one of the toughest people you knew and he would fight tooth and nail to get back out onto the ice barring anything extreme. 

Play continued for a few minutes. You broke your “no-phone” vow and pulled it out, flipping it over and over in your hands as you glanced down at the home screen, waiting for a text to come through. He knew to call you if it was something serious, or to get someone else to contact you, but leaving you hanging wasn’t something he was known for. At the next break in the action, an icing call against Vancouver, the PA system crackled to life. “Number 19, forward Matthew Tkachuk, will not be returning to the game following an assessment by the team’s medical and athletic training staff.” A nervous ripple of whispers chorused through the crowd. You gripped Taryn’s hand so hard you thought you’d break it. Your knuckles were so tight you feared they’d split. He’d never been pulled from a game after a fight; five minute majors here and there, once or twice a season he’d get a game misconduct and be thrown out for ten, but never in your entire relationship had it been his injuries that kept him from playing. 

You turned to Taryn and Chantal, your eyes wide-open in fear and your heart racing. Fuck it, you weren’t going to wait for someone to give you permission to see your own husband when he was probably in the worst shape you’d ever seen him. Chantal’s expression mirrored your own; she knew this feeling, she’d dealt with it for the twenty years her sons had played hockey. She looked over at you, mouthing three words. Go to him. You frantically nodded, squeezing Taryn’s hand before shooting up from your seat, grabbing your bag and shoving the strap over your head. One way or another, you didn’t think you’d be back. 

The heels of your boots clicked underfoot as you made your way out onto the concourse, following the familiar signs of the Saddledome to the private elevators on the far side of the arena. The attendant on call was an usher you knew, thank God, who opened the elevator doors immediately as you walked up. You tapped your foot nervously as the elevator descended down, down, down until it hit the lowest level, the underground corridors that were usually crowded with players, families, and media after games. It was eerily silent as you jogged through, the only sounds being your boots against the floor and the distant roar of fans as play continued. One left and two rights later, you were standing outside of the door to the dressing room, pausing for exactly two seconds to steel yourself to see whatever condition Matthew was in. Once you hand calmed your still-shaking hands as much as your body would allow you, you pushed the door open. 

You were greeted by the team doctor and the head athletic trainer, crowded around your husband, who was propped up on what looked like a massage table. His jersey and pads had been stripped off, all that remained was his sweat-soaked t-shirt. He caught your eye. “It’s worse than it looks, I promise, babe.” You gingerly took a few steps forward. Matty’s good arm, the one that wasn’t  being worked on, wrapped around your waist. He kissed you on the shoulder. 

“What’s the damage?” You asked timidly, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear and looking at the doctor. He finished splinting Matty’s third finger. 

“Couple minor cuts, mild concussion, sprained wrist, one broken finger,” he listed off. You sucked in a breath. He must have sensed the worry radiating off your body, because he smiled kindly at you. “I won’t lie, it’s not good, but I’ve seen worse. He should be back in a few weeks at the longest.” He turned to Matthew. “We’re done here, but you’ve got to promise me to take it easy.” He looked pointedly at you. “Listen to your wife when she tells you to slow down.” Matthew nodded, a hint of his old smile returning. “It really shouldn’t hurt much, but if it’s bothering you you can take some Tylenol. Let me know if it gets significantly worse.” The doctor zipped his bag shut, leaving with the trainer out the door and your husband with a finger splint and wrist brace. 

You carefully hopped up onto the table, carding your hands through his curls, your foreheads just barely touching. He was sweaty, but you couldn’t have cared less. “You really scared me out there, you know,” your voice said, cracking. 

Matty felt a pang race through his body, one that had absolutely nothing to do with his physical injuries. This was his wife, and he had scared her, even though it wasn’t entirely in his own hands and even though that was something he swore on their wedding day he’d never do to her. His heart broke like he broke his promise. “I’m sorry. He was about to beat up on the rookie, and I felt like I had to do something. I couldn’t just stand by and watch it when I could do something. But I worried you, and I shouldn’t have.”

You pulled away slightly, gently grabbing his good hand and running yout thumb over his knuckles. “I know, and how much you care about the boys, how deeply you care for the people in your life, is one of my favorite things about you. It’s one of the first things that made me fall in love with you.” The corner of his lip twitched up in a half-smile. “But I’ve never been scared for you in a fight before, Matty. And this scared the shit out of me, babe.”

His fingers skated up your arm to brush away the lone tear rolling down your cheek. You hadn’t even realized you were crying. “I promised when we got married that I’d always take care of you, put your needs before my own. I didn’t do that today.”

“I get that it’s what you do, I get that you’re an enforcer,” you said, shaking your head. “And I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to give that up for me. I married you for you, all parts of you. And like it or not, that includes the parts of you that beat people up on occasion.” You gave a watery laugh. “I’m not asking you to stop fighting altogether. The boys need someone to back them up, and I’m proud that you’re that person. I’m just asking you to maybe think a little more before you go to drop the gloves, you know?” His blue eyes pierced into your own, his expression softening. “This was fine when you were 21, and I knew what I was getting into back then. I know what I’m getting into now. But,” you took a shaky breath, “there’s someone else you’ve got to worry about.” 

His brows furrowed, not quite able to piece it together. You took a hard swallow. This wasn’t how I wanted to tell him. “I want to bring our baby to games. There’s nothing more that I want than for them to get to see you doing what you love. But I don’t want our son or daughter to have to see their father laid out on the ice because he couldn’t keep his temper in check for once in his life.” The tears were coming more freely now, and you reached up one hand in a futile effort to try and wipe them away, while the hand that was holding yours tightened almost imperceptibly. 

Matthew’s eyes searched your face, looking for any trace of a joke, but he should have known better. This wasn’t something you’d joke about. His breath hitched in his throat. “You’re pregnant?” His heart lifted. While the two of you hadn’t been actively trying, you had gone off birth control a few months ago, having agreed that you were both open to the idea of a baby now, choosing to let whatever happened, happen. 

You nodded, a real smile emerging on your face for the first time all night. Almost on its own accord, his hand moved to your stomach, hovering over it as if he was expecting you to already be showing. You looked down at his awestruck face, silent permission for his hand to creep under your jersey, pressing flush against your stomach. “How long have you known?”

You tilted your head. “I found out two days ago, just before I left to go pick up Taryn and Mom from the airport.”

“Do they know?”

“No,” you said, shaking your head. “I wanted you to be the first. I was going to tell you this weekend, but…” 

“Plans change.” You nodded. 

“How far along are you?”

You met his eyes. “Eight weeks.” Matty silently cursed himself. He wished you had been able to do it how you wanted. He leaned into you, ghosting a kiss over your lips that enchanted you and comforted you and took your breath away all at the same time. He pulled away. “I promise I’ll take a step back from the fighting. You’re right that it’s my job, but this, you, will always be more important.” He took a deep breath. “Being your husband is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. But this,” he breathed, running his thumb over your skin under his jersey, just above where your son or daughter the size of a raspberry was, “being a dad?” His voice cracked. “I’m never going to do anything better. I don’t care if we win the Cup, or I get into the Hall of Fame, or sign the biggest contract the league’s ever seen. You and this baby are the most important people in my life. And I swear I’ll never do anything again that could make you question that.”

He kissed you again, but this one was different. This one grounded you, somehow communicating all of the guilt, and confusion, and happiness he was experiencing without saying a single word. “And I’m so, so happy about this, babe. Do you know how happy I am?”

It was a little bit of a rhetorical question, but you smiled anyway. “Really happy?”

A full-blown grin burst out onto his face. “I’m fucking ecstatic, babe. We’re having a baby. You’re gonna be a mom. I’m gonna be a dad.”

Tears welled up in your eyes, but just like the kiss, these were different. Happy tears. “You’re gonna be a dad.”

[sunflowersunshinevol6]

Punkinhead (spooky mini series)

Pairing: Harry Styles x Reader

Warnings: horror, drug usage

Summary: On a camping trip with their friends, Harry and Y/N awaken an evil unlike any other.

Friends to lovers, spooky series

Part One

1963

Hellen jumped, woken by the sound of her Father's drunken screams. She tip toed to the door of her bedroom. 

"Bout as smart as them cows you're supposed to bring in! An' ya couldn't even do that!" Hellen winced, hearing her father's hand come down across her brother's cheek. Hellen watched her brother stumble, only to be yanked back up by her father. 

"I'm sorry Pa." He whimpered. 

"Know wha? You're gonna keep watch over them cows tonight. Give that scarecrow a break." Hellen heard her brother take in a sharp breath, struggling against their father's hold.

"No Pa! Please-"

"An' maybe Punkinhead'll take ya off my hands! Only need one Scarecrow right?!" Hellen watched her father grab a lamp and some rope, dragging her brother behind him. 

Hellen put her boots and coat on quickly. Surely he was kidding about Punkinhead. Punkinhead wasn't a real thing. He didn't exist. Twenty minutes later she heard her Pa come back inside, slumping into his chair. She waited until she heard his soft snores before sneaking out into the night after her brother. 

It was windy, the pumpkin patch was eerie at night, like little goblins waiting around, ready to strike at any moment. She shined her flashlight up where the scarecrow should have been. In it's place her brother, shivering in the cold.

"Abel!" Hellen shouted. She held the light between her legs, reaching up to try and untie him. 

"He….he's coming." Able wheezed. His eyes were wide, staring at something in the distance. "He's coming for me." 

"What?!" Hellen shouted, but she could feel it, the chill on the back of her neck. She looked up, Abel's eyes were red rimmed and filled with fear. He looked down at her. 

"Leave." Abel gasped. "Go Hellen!" Hellen kissed her brother's cheek before turning away. 

The wind howled and as she ran a piercing scream, blood curdling and filled with agony shook the night. Hellen glanced over her shoulder. What she saw would haunt her for the rest of her days. 

Present Day

“I can’t believe you invited her to go with us.” Kennedi rolled her eyes as she hoisted her gym bag over her shoulder. She stood in the lobby with her boyfriend and their friends. Her dig was aimed at him though, Harry, her boyfriend, who had a female roommate she was not fond of. 

It wasn’t that she was afraid Harry would sleep with Y/N. No, that would never happen. It was more so the fact that they were so close and she was so weird, yet Harry fawned over everything she did. Like she was the greatest person ever….it was annoying.

“Y/N is my best friend Ken. I can’t exactly leave her behind.”

“Yes you can,” Kennedi hissed. “You’re not joined at the hip.”

“I think Y/N’s cool,” Niall interjected before Harry could say anything. “She looks like she could kick my ass.” Niall had liked Y/N from the moment Harry introduced them. She was more on the punk alternative side with ripped leggings, diy vests and a plethora of band t-shirts. Let’s not forget her Doc Martens that were entirely kick ass by themselves. Kennedi rolled her eyes. 

“Whatever Niall, you would.” Kennedi turned her attention back to Harry. “You live with her. You see her everyday. Do you have to invite her everywhere? That’s all I’m asking.” she wrapped her arms around Harry’s waist. “Don’t you want to be alone with me?” Niall rolled his eyes when she bat her lashes at Harry. God she was annoying. 

“We will be alone baby,” he kissed the tip of her nose. Niall smirked at the way Kennedi’s face fell, annoyance furrowing her brows. “She’s my best mate. I can’t leave her behind.”

“You can, you just choose not to.” Kennedi pouted. Harry sighed, dropping his arms. “I’m sorry.” she said quickly. “I just...I worry sometimes.” Niall wanted to be sick. She played Harry so easily. He knew the real reason Kennedi hated Y/N was because she knew Harry. Y/N was first, all the time, and that pissed her off. Harry could deny it all he wanted. But everyone knew.

“Look. I gotta go home, but Y/N and I will meet you guys here bright and early in the morning so...be ready to go.” Harry kissed Kennedi once more before leaving the gym. 

Harry skipped steps as he made his way up to the flat he shared with Y/N. They had met three years ago when Harry had moved to the states for school. She needed a roommate and he needed a place to stay. Though it had taken a couple months for them to get used to each other, it was true, they were practically joined at the hip at this point. 

“Y/N!” he shouted, kicking the door shut with his foot. Their dog, Scrappy, bounded up to him. They weren’t sure what he was, he had been a stray, living outside of their building when they found him. Maybe it was weird for friends that lived together to have a pet. But they did. 

“Hey boy,” Harry knelt down, scratching behind Scrappy’s ear. He could smell food cooking in the kitchen and hear what sounded like Iron Maiden, from the kitchen. 

Y/N was cooking something Thai, a red bandana around her head, keeping her bangs out of her face. “Hello love,” Harry said, sneaking around her towards the cupboard. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. Anyone watching them would think they were a couple, but they knew better. 

“Hey. I’m making chicken teriyaki. Know you’re not much for meat but-”

“No, no,” Harry interrupted. “It’s good.” He filled a cup with tap water, leaning against the counter. “You ready for tomorrow?” he asked, knowing full well that the answer was no. 

“You sure I can’t just stay here? I mean, then my mom won’t have to come take care of Scrappy and I won’t embarrass you in front of your friends.” Harry studied her. Y/N was gorgeous, her humor was dark, but she was such a good and caring person. He hated that people judged her for the way she looked, especially his friends.

“Y/N you don’t embarrass me,” he said, grabbing two plates for her and another glass for her to drink out of. “You’re always home. You never go out….I think you could have fun. Kennedi is...tricky,” he said, unable to find the right way to say it, “but Niall is great. You’ll love Elenore and Gigi. Maya and you could get along really well...Louis , Liam and Zayn, they’re fun.” He took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “I want them to get to know you. To like you as much as I do.”

“Harry,” Y/N said, turning to look at him. Harry was extremely close. Their noses almost brushing as she looked up at him. She’d had feelings for him for a long time, but she knew he would never date her. Guys like him didn’t date girls like her. She was lucky just to be his friend. “I don’t want you to think you always have to invite me.”

“I don’t. I’m asking you.” he poked his lip out, giving her puppy dog eyes. “Please.”

“Harry.” Y/N said, trying not to smile. “Don’t.” he wrapped his arms around her, placing his chin on her shoulder. “Don’t give me that look.” he fake whimpered, giggling at the end and hiding his face in her shoulder. “Okay. Okay.” she laughed, tugging at his arms. “Get off me.” she smirked. “Like I could say no to you anyway.” 

That night Y/N crawled into bed, burrowing into the blankets. 

It wasn’t like she hadn’t tried to be friends with his friends. She was a loner, granted she had a couple of friends of her own, she preferred her own company. That was until Harry entered her life. He was sweet and fun to be around, he didn’t care how much she liked horror films or if she preferred the pit at a rock concert to front row tickets to see Ariana Grande (she’d gone, much to Kennedi’s dismay.) Harry just fit. He was her one ‘normal.’ Her one piece of consistency. But she hated feeling like she was holding him back. 

“I’m going to have fun tomorrow.” she sighed, looking at the ceiling. “I’m going to have fun on this trip.”

It was a grave. Six feet deep, already laid out in front of her. The cemetery was dark, wind howling around her. The headstone was blank. She stepped forward, fear gripping her belly, she looked down into the grave-

Beep. Beep. 

Y/N’s eyes snapped open. Her body drenched with sweat. She threw her hand over her face, groaning. Why did she agree to get up at six am. Why did she agree to this. 

Harry was already awake when Y/N came out of her room. Dressed in sweats and an oversized Meat Puppets t shirt, her hair tossed into a messy bun. Harry was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, phone in one hand, cup of coffee in the other. He was shirtless, his basketball shorts hanging low on his hips. He smiled up at Y/N, pointing at a plate of eggs and toast on the table. 

“Made you breakfast.” 

“Thanks.” Y/N smiled, sitting down. Harry watched her as she scratched her head, stretching her arms up before digging in. He smiled to himself. He thought she was always prettiest like this. No makeup, baggy, comfy clothes, hair out of her face. He could watch her all day. It was moments like this, when he was alone with her here, he would pretend they were more. He would pretend she was his wife and this was their home. He would never tell her that, he didn’t think she could ever like him as much as he liked her. That’s why he was with Kennedi. He needed to get over it. Y/N was his friend. Only his friend.

Y/N could feel Harry’s eyes on her. She cleared her throat, looking up at him. He was watching her with such intensity, she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “Harry?” he blinked, looking at her. “Might want to get dressed. We gotta leave in like an hour.” she smiled softly, watching his cheeks go red. 

“R-right.” he stuttered. Y/N watched as he downed the rest of his coffee.

“You know, you could have gotten into the back seat after we picked everyone up.” Harry said as he pulled the van up to the gym. His friends were waiting outside. Y/N rolled her eyes, tapping away on her phone. 

“And let the princess see me sitting next to you? God forbid.” Harry’s jaw twitched but he didn’t say anything. He knew she was right. If Y/N was sat up front by him, Kennedi would blow a gasket. That wasn’t something Harry was looking forward to. He had hoped maybe on this trip they’d get to know each other. Maybe get along. But he was doubting that seriously.

“Harry!” Kennedi squealed, she hopped into the front seat, pressing her lips to Harry’s. Her eyes flickered to the backseat, disappointed to find Y/N wasn’t watching. She would get it through her head this weekend though. Harry was hers. And she wasn’t going to let anyone get in the way of that. 

Y/N took her head phones out as the back door opened and Harry’s friends clammerd in. The one named Niall sat beside her. “Hi,” she did her best to smile at him. 

“Hey,” he gestured to her phone. “What are you listening to?” he asked. 

“Oh,” she held out an earbud. “Black Flag.”

“No shit.” Niall sounded impressed. “Lemme listen yeah?”

Harry couldn’t stop glancing into the rearview mirror. Niall and Y/N sat closely together, talking and whispering to each other. He felt the weight of Kennedi’s hand in his but also the raging jealousy. He wanted to be back there with Y/N. 

About an hour into their trip Harry pulled up to a rundown gas station. As he pulled in an old man and his son came out of the building. 

“Everybody out! Stretch ya legs!” Harry shouted. Niall let Y/N go first, before hopping down out of the van after her. He stumbled slightly, reaching for her hand as he righted himself. 

“Careful there,” Y/N smiled. Niall reached out, gently grabbing her waist. Y/N felt herself leaning up, eyes closing softly-

“Y/N!” Y/N’s head turned sharply. Harry was glaring at her and Niall. “Can I talk to you?” Niall smirked, letting her go. 

He was gonna get through to both of them by the end of this trip. It amazed Niall how blind the two of them could be. I mean, he didn’t even know Y/N but could tell she had some major feelings for Harry. 

“What’s up?” Y/N asked as Harry pumped the gas. Harry looked down at her, trying not to let his irritation at Niall show. 

“What’re you and Niall doing?” Y/N raised her eyebrows. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Just….just be careful please. I love Ni but-”

“Harry.” Y/N cut him off. “Harry this is what you wanted. For me to get along with your friends. That’s what I’m doing right?” Harry huffed, looking away. “Harry you’re not my boyfriend….you can’t tell me you want me to be friends with your friends and then two seconds later get mad when I do.” she glanced over his shoulder. “And Kennedi’s watching….Look I don’t want any drama okay.” Y/N turned away quickly. Just as  Kennedi was walking up on him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"You alright babe?" She asked. Harry nodded.

They got in the van and continued on their way. Louis and Zayn passed around a joint. Y/N talked with Gigi and Maya. They were sweet and Liam was adorable with Maya. Harry stayed up front with Kennedi. He hated hearing Y/N's laugh and not knowing what she was laughing at. He hated that she was having fun without him. 

"Hey! Hey!" Gigi crawled over Y/N's lap, pointing out the window. A sign reading 'Grover's Pumpkin Patch' was passing them by. "Come on Harry! Let's stop!" 

"We haven't even gotten to the cabin yet." Kennedi complained. Gigi rolled her eyes. 

"So? We can take some with us to carve." Kennedi huffed, crossing her arms as Harry made the turn towards the pumpkin patch. Y/N took Niall's hand as they made their way down the dirt path. An old house sat at the top of the hill, the wood rotted and flung apart. An old woman came out to the porch as Harry parked in front of the house, everyone filing out of the van.

"Welcome to Grover's Pumpkin Patch. How can I help ya'll?" She had thin white hair and coke bottle glasses, crows feet withered around her watery blue eyes. Her gingham dress blew gently in the breeze. Harry stepped up, shaking her hand. 

"Hi! 'm Harry. We were wonderin' if we could get some pumpkins?" She smiled, her eyes meeting Y/N's, there was something about the woman that put Y/N off though. She wasn't comfortable. 

"10 dollars. You each can pick one." Harry grinned, reaching into his pocket. "Just stay away from the Scarecrow." She pointed over their shoulder. A scarecrow stood in the middle of the field, with a jack o lantern head. Kennedi snorted. 

"What's that supposed to be?" Harry pinched her side and the woman narrowed her eyes. 

"That is the alter to Punkinhead." 

"Punkinhead?" Y/N repeated. "Who's that?"

"He's a demon. He fetches souls for the Underworld. If you done someone wrong they can summon him, and he won't rest until you're dead." Y/N's blood ran cold, the dream the night before flashing once more in her mind. 

"Sounds scary." Kennedi said sarcastically, "lets go Harry. Get the stupid pumpkin so we can get to the cabin." She tugged on his arm as the group followed them. Y/N lingered by the old woman. 

"It's true you know….you seem like you have sense." Y/N nodded. 

"I should….I should go." 

"Godspeed."

"Kennedi." Y/N said, her voice shaking with unease. "I don't think you should do that." She looked to Harry, hoping he would say something to his girlfriend, but he only glanced at Y/N and pursed his lips.

Kennedi had made her way straight to the Scarecrow. The old woman had annoyed her and she was gonna show her. She wasn't afraid of anything, especially not some stupid story. 

"Kennedi." Her eyes flickered towards Y/N, she looked genuinely terrified. "Don't." 

"Ooh." Kennedi said, her tone mocking as she grabbed the scarecrow's head. "Is Punkinhead gonna get me?" She yanked the head off the scarecrow, throwing it to the ground. Y/N shivered at the noise it made on impact, squishy as it split apart. Kennedi hopped down from the post, wiping her hands.

"Kennedi." Niall scolded. She rolled her eyes.

"Come on. I don't believe in stupid horror stories. Punkinhead is about as real as the Boogeyman." She nudged Niall hard in the shoulder as she yanked Harry back towards the car.

Y/N stood rooted to the spot, staring at the smashed pumpkin. A chilly breeze swept over her and her stomach was churning.

"She shouldn't have done that." She finally said, turning to look at Niall. "I have a really bad feeling." Niall shook his head, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, turning them back to the car.

"I don't like her either Y/N but you shouldn't worry. Punkinhead is just a story....an urban legend." Y/N looked back at the house as they got into the car. The old woman stood on her porch, still watching them. As they made eye contact the feelings grew. Y/N didn't know what it was, but something bad was on the horizon.

Hellen went back into her house. She went into her bedroom, kneeling down she ripped up the floorboard and pulled out an old book. She brought it to the kitchen, slamming it on the table. 

"Stupid kids. They'll learn." She growled, flipping through the pages. "Here it is." She said, stopping suddenly. 

"Cross my heart and hope to die, please keep me blinded from the sight. When Punkinhead appears tonight. Appease the soul, save the right, bad blood will feed this patch tonight."

[hungerpunch]

the more i try to reconcile my dad's death, the more i have to try to reconcile his life.

i rarely talk about my dad irl, even with friends who have known me since i was young. i think i struggle to do so because, despite everyone's best intentions, people--even some therapists--rarely have the degree of compassion around addiction that i need in order to feel like i can be vulnerable about him. yeah, my dad was not perfect. in fact he was deeply flawed. he made a lot of mistakes. he abused drugs, he gambled, he cheated, he went to jail, he attempted suicide repeatedly, he shrugged off or sabotaged most efforts to get him into any kind of real, long-term mental health care. when you put it all in a list like that, of course he sounds awful. don't get me wrong, all that was highly traumatizing, shaped me as a person, and fucked me up for life probably. but also it means that i learned at an age younger than most exactly the depths of humanity's nuance. that people are not really "good" or "bad" but varying shades of morally grey. that people can be good AND bad at the same time. that most people will cross their own preconceived boundaries given the right circumstances, even if they'll never admit it to themselves. and from a young age, i wondered who it was really up to, to assign value judgments on actions? and i wondered just how many rights it would take to outweigh a wrong and vice-versa? and i wondered how we really measure the impact of a person, do we measure it by the number of people they impact? by how profound the impact was? do the negative impacts matter more than the positives? what if the positives are really good? or what if they're far more numerous? anyway. yeah my dad was fucked up. but his mental illness and addiction issues paint him easily as a villain in many people's minds. they think his wrongs mean he lacked the capacity to be a good person, much less a good father. but the shocking news is that he really, really was. i could go on and on about the big-ticket stories; the time he saved a man's life, the people he represented in court pro bono; the animals he rescued; all the times he paid tickets, fines, fees for people in secret, etc. but i just can't stop thinking of the little things instead. like when we would watch scary movies, i had a nervous tic of pulling at my dad's forearm hair. he never acted annoyed or winced or made me stop, just let me carry on unconsciously pulling his hair out of his arms. like how he could tell just by the subtle change in my tone that i was calling his name to come kill a spider for me. like how he always went around the dinner table equally to make sure he heard from every kid about their day. how he ran my cross country meets alongside me, nearly step for step, cheering me and the other runners on and how the team loved him so much for that. how he didn't bat an eyelash when my brother came out to us but affirmed him instantly and reiterated how much he loved him.

like the times i cried so badly when he tried to drop me off at daycare that he gave up and took me to work with him instead, sat me in his office with a stack of calvin & hobbes books and kept an eye on me while he worked. how he would always put my mom's feet in his lap while they watched tv to give her foot rubs. like how if you needed help with anything, understanding homework or a lease or directions to someplace, he would stop and help you. like how actually if i ever got lost in st. louis and didn't have GPS access i could call him and give him the most random cross streets and he could nav me back home effortlessly, just out of his brain. how when he read us the hobbit and then the lord of the rings, he did all the voices. he was never too embarrassed or proud to be silly with us. like how if there was a crisis (that was not caused by him, at least), he would always adopt this really calm, slow voice and talk us through it. he would never leave you hanging if you were really upset about something or having a problem. how he frequently reminded us that he didn't care what we did in life, he just wanted us to be happy. like how any time anyone cooked something, he would sing its praises so totally over the top, like it was the best damn thing he'd ever eaten even if it was just some mac n cheese. how much he loved so many different types of music and passed that on to all of us. how all he ever wanted for christmas/birthday/father's day etc. was just mixed CDs, a drawing, or a letter. he never wanted anything else, he just wanted us to make him stuff and he prized that above all else. just his complete joy when his family as all together and doing something. despite all his flaws, i really don't think there was anything he wouldn't do for us if it was within his power. idk, i guess i could go on and on at this, too. i've just been thinking of him and his laugh again heavily today. i'm not really sure when it will register that he's gone for good because right now, i don't think it's quite sunk in. my dad hurt a lot of people, myself included, it’s true. but he also filled many people with love and he changed a lot of people’s lives. it’s tricky to navigate that, to make sense of how, or if, it balances out. but at the end of the day, i think the thing i hate the most is that outsiders looking in even feel like they get to. i don’t think there’s a thing in this world i’m more protective of than my family, and i hope that as time goes on, addiction issues become more normalized and people can find a way to discuss them without condemning those struggling with them.

[louisapennyfeather2021]

Teen Wolf Imagine

Jack's story:

Jack Kelly.

Orphan. Artist. Goofball. Cowboy. Jacky. He goes by many names. He never had the best home life up until his thirteenth birthday when he was placed in the loving home of Ms. Medda Larkin. Of course it took him a while to get used to it, but it helped that a boy from one of his other foster homes was there with him. Jack had been in a foster home with Anthony Higgins, also known as Racetrack or Race, for years before they were separated. Jack always thought of him as his little brother, despite Race only being a few months younger than him.

Flashforward three years. Jack and Race are sixteen, midway through their sophomore year of high school. Both have made a pact to behave as best they can with Ms. Medda because she's a wonderful foster mom. That and Race's biological older brother, Louis also known as Kid Blink, is the sheriff of their small town. Both Jack and Race are in lacrosse, although both aren't particularly good. They stick with it on the ideology that they can maybe make first line.

Jack's doing practices in his room one night when he hears noise outside his room. He's immediately tense. Race was supposed to be having a sleepover at his brother's house and Ms. Medda was working as a nurse at the hospital, leaving him home alone. So Jack grabs his nearest weapon, which happens to be a baseball bat from when he went through that phase, and he sneaks downstairs towards his front door. He walks outside, trying to be as quiet as possible when suddenly someone drops down from his roof.

Jack screams.

And a now flailing Race screams, scrabbling away from Jack's bat.

They both yell at each other, although Race yells about why they even have a bat, before Race says he heard a conversation over his brother's police radio.

One that said someone found a dead body in the woods on the nearby preserve. And not just a body.

Half of the body.

Race convinces Jack to come search for either half of the body with him, both curious and Race just wondering if he can find the body before his brother. Race drives a beat up Jeep his brother handed down to him and both boys all but fly out of the vehicle when they reach the preserve. Jack's a nervous wreck, prompting him to take puffs of his inhaler being that Jack unfortunately has asthma.

Race drags Jack through the preserve until suddenly there are flashlights. Jack is quick enough to hide, although Race isn't so lucky as his brother grabs the collar of his shirt and drags Race to his police cruiser, all while chastising his erratic spaz of a little brother for being so careless. Jack makes a break back towards Race's keep to take it home, but he manages to get lost. He trips and slides down a short hill and when he lands at the bottom, he's shocked by what he finds.

The top half of woman.

He panics, scrambling away and running. Soon enough he needs to take his inhaler again since it's hard to breathe, but he's distracted when there's rustling nearby. He doesn't get a chance to yell when a heard of deer bolt past him, knocking him down and sending his inhaler far into the foliage of the forest. Shaken, he sits up, searching for his inhaler when he hears a growl. His heart palpitates and he's frozen as a large, dark mass runs at him. There's a sharp pain in his side before the mass disappears into the forest.

Scared beyond reason, Jack runs again until he finds himself on a road with headlights blinding him. He successfully avoids the car before hurrying as fast as he can home.

When he gets home, he's glad to see Medda isn't home yet. He goes to his room and hesitantly checks his side. He gasps as he pulls his hoodie up, reveling his side.

Instead of clear skin, there's a bloodied mark. Jack can't help but notice how it resembles and animal bite mark, like a dog of sorts. He cleans it carefully and bandages it before lethargically climbing into bed and paying no mind to it.

It's Race who wakes him up, asking all kinds of rapid fire questions like is he okay. Jack says he found half of the body, but that he also got attacked by something. He goes to show Race the bite, but he's shocked when it's healed completely with no trace of a wound. Race calls his bluff and laughs off Jack's paranoia.

Flashforward a few days to lacrosse practice. Today are the tryouts for the first line. Jack is ready, he knows he'll make it. Race is just hoping he doesn't get benched all season like usual. Jack is annoyed when he meets the gaze of his number one opponent for making first line: Hotshot Ferreri. Junior captain of the team, Coach Hannah's golden boy, the star athlete. He's the most popular kid in school.

On a personal note, he's always held himself so high and mighty, which annoys Jack. Race doesn't like Hotshot because he's a douche. Also because he's dating Race's crush since middle school, the infamous Albert DaSilva. For the past few days, Jack has been even more annoyed with Hotshot since he has become extremely close with the new girl in school, also known as Sarah Jacobs and Jack's new crush.

Anyway, tryouts start and immediately Race notices how good Jack is. It's unnatural. Coach Hannah put him in as goalie and Race is both excited and extremely confused when Jack blocks every throw, keeping everyone out of the net. That is, until it's Hotshot's turn.

Hotshot and Jack stare each other down through their face masks. Hotshot makes a play to get around Jack, which only results in Jack colliding with him. Hotshot falls to the ground, yelling in pain and holding his shoulder. It's then Race really knows something's wrong, so he drags Jack off the field and to the locker rooms.

It's there that Race sees that Jack's eyes aren't their normal color. Instead, they glow yellow. Race tries to run, but Jack's quick. He opts for grabbing his nearest defense; a fire extinguisher. After a solid thirty seconds and nearly the entire canister being emptied, Jack is calm again.

It's the that both boys realize something's definitely not right.

Jack's bite mark healing, his glowing eyes, his new found strength and agility on the field. Race immediately says he's a Werewolf, although Jack denies this and says it's stupid. They both discuss this as they retrace their steps on the preserve the night of the attack.

And that's where they meet Spot.

Well know around town for his family's entire home burning down, leaving just him and his cousin surviving, although his cousin is practically brain dead. Spot tells the boys to leave, that they're on private property. Jack claims they were just looking for something.

And that's when Spot tosses Jack his inhaler.

Without another word, while both boys are distracted by the inhaler, Spot disappears.

After that day, Race convinced Jack to consider the idea of being a werewolf.

And it only gets crazier from there.

Just a thought process I had. Sending me asks or messages if you want to see other imagines like this or of anything else. I'll probably make more of these for Teen Wolf, but don't be afraid to send me an ask!

[multi-fandom-imagines8]

The Joke’s On You

Request: I saw that you're in a dean mood!! Would you be willing to write a fic where it's game night in the bunker and Dean loses to the reader? His ego takes a hit and he's kinda grumpy, but at the end they make up? Can be fluffy, angsty, smutty- pick your poison ;). Requested by Anon.

Word Count: 1514.

“Who’s winning?” Cass came back with some snacks.

“Till now, it seems like Y/n is” Sam informed him.

“Hey, I heard that. The game is not over yet” Dean said.

“Everyone is betting on her, though” Sam added.

“Come on, have a little faith in your brother Sammy”.

“Dean, you’re great in many things, but games aren’t your strong suit” Mary reminded.

“Mom? Not you too” Dean sighed.

“I believe in you, dean” Cass showed support.

“Thanks”.

“You don’t wanna go to war with me, angel” you warned.

“She’s right. You don’t. That was a stupid move” Sam agreed.

“Never ever challenge me, Winchester. You will lose” you smirked.

“We’ll see about that, Y/l/n”.

“Aand checkmate. I win, you lose!” you teased.

“Shut up! It’s not fair”.

“Life isn’t fair”.

“Thanks Dean. Now I have to give everyone 10 dollars” Cass whined.

“This is what happens when you stand against me” you shrugged.

“I’m going to bed” Dean defeatedly said.

“So soon? It’s not even 10 yet” Mary replied.

“Don’t you want pizza or beer?” Sam offered.

“Nah, I’m good. I’m just tired” he lied.

---

“Morning” Sam greeted as Dean entered the kitchen in his grey robe and grabbed a beer.

“Where’s everyone?” Dean asked.

“Mom and Jack are on a case in Wyoming and Cass is sorting out some problems in heaven” Sam informed him.

“And Y/n?”.

“She’s probably still sleeping”.

“Ugh, so she’s here?”.

“Yeah. why?”.

“Nothing. We should wake her up” Dean knew how much you loved sleep and wanted to get back at you.

“Why?”.

“You found us a case, haven’t you?” Dean saw that Sam was on his laptop and came up with this idea.

“Mhm.. not really. It was just a normal murder in St. Louis”.

“Says who?”.

“Dean, what are you getting at?”.

“Nothing. I just think there’s a case and we should check it out”.

“Dean I’m not going to sit in the car with you for eight hours because based on hunch there may or may not be a case”.

“But Y/n doesn’t know that. So, what we’re gonna do is wake her up and tell her there’s a case in Missouri” Dean planned.

“So that’s what it’s all about. You getting your revenge. I’m not gonna lie to her, but I won’t interfere with whatever you’re planning on doing. Just don’t tell me and I’m still not coming with you” Sam was like most times; neutral.

“But you’re gonna wake her up, right?” Dean knew it was best not to come near you when you’re sleeping.

“No, that’s on you too. I’m gonna go grocery shopping, so I won’t have to face her. Good luck!”.

Dean rubbed his hands before knocking on your door “hey, Y/n? You awake?”. There was no answer. He knocked again but this time louder. There was still no answer “alright, I’m coming in”.

He opened the door and you were sleeping in a weird, funny position. He had to contain his laughter in order to take a picture.

He came closer but was still afraid of you. He poked you and took a few steps back, but there was no reaction. He poked you a second time and nothing changed. He got tired of waiting and shook your shoulder “Y/n wake up!”. This time you did, but in turning to face him, you slapped him “oh, it’s you!” you rubbed your eyes to see better.

“Ouch! Get dressed! We have a case” he instructed.

“So, what kind of case do we have? And where’s everyone?” you came out of your room prepared with a bag full of guns and other weapons.

“I’m thinking probably ghosts. They’re not here. It’s just you and me” he lied.

“Okay, hand me the reports or articles”.

“You don’t believe me?” Dean looked offended.

“What? No. I just thoug-”.

“Great, we have no time to waste. Let’s go!”.

“Alright, so the case-” before you could ask any questions he put on some of his music and turned up the volume so he couldn’t hear you.

“Okay” you muttered to yourself.

---

“Can you turn down the music a bit?” you asked nicely, but he pretended not to hear you “Dean, turn down the music” you shouted.

“Sorry, can’t hear you” he lied.

You turned it off and turned to face him “you hear now?”.

“Did you really have to do this?” he groaned.

“What’s wrong, Dean?”.

“Nothing’s wrong, why would you think that?”.

“You’ve been awfully quiet. You never just listen to a song and not sing along”.

“I’m just not in the mood. Can we leave it at that, please!”.

“Dean Winchester is not is the mood, who would’ve thought! Fine”.

---

“Okay, I can’t take this anymore. Something is wrong and I can feel it. You haven’t sung to your favorite songs  or talked to me the entire way. So, are you gonna tell me or do I have to torture you to get it out of you?” you gave him a choice.

“I told you nothing is wrong!”.

“So, the latter it is. Where should I start?”.

“How about nowhere?”.

“Why are you grumpy?” you poked his right arm.

“Hey, stop that!” he ordered.

“Or what?”.

“Or we’re gonna die. I’m driving”.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Firstly, since when are you afraid of dying. Secondly, you never pay attention while you’re driving- not that much attention”.

“Well, I-... shut up!”.

“Talk to me!” you ordered.

“I’m not in the mood!”.

“Ooh, so it has something to do with me? Hmmm…. Is it because I accidentally slapped you this morning?”.

“We both know it wasn’t an accident and no!”.

“Come on, tell me. How else am I supposed to fix it if you don’t tell me?”.

“There’s no fixing it. What is done is done”.

“That bad, huh?”.

“Worse” now he was being dramatic.

“Wait… don’t tell me it’s because of what happened yesterday” you laughed.

“Nooo” he lied.

“It totally is. Oh my god, you need to grow up” you mocked.

“You’re not making things better, you know”.

“So, why did you take me with you if you’re mad at me?”.

“Because I wanted to annoy you. I know you hate waking up early. And there was no one else available. Sam didn't want to be involved in ‘our drama’ as he calls it”.

“I see. How do I make things right?”.

“You can’t. It’s too late. You should’ve thought about that before you beat me”.

“Apple pie?” you offered.

“Yeah, that’ll make me forgive you”.

“I thought so” you shook your head.

After you arrived at the crime scene, Dean made you ask all the questions and question the witnesses, which took more that a day.

“Don’t you have something better to do?” you were reviewing the evidence and what everyone said while Dean was lying on the bed watching some stupid cartoon and laughing.

“What?”.

“Maybe come help me or go to a bar or something. There’d be a lot of girls” you suggested.

“Nah, I’m good here with you”.

“You mean you're good with not helping me and annoying me”.

“Yeah, sure whatever you wanna call it”.

---

“I mean we’ve looked everywhere. There’s nothing. Maybe we’ve missed something. Maybe it’s not a ghost. I’m gonna call Sam, maybe he’ll see something that we can’t” after not finding anything the second day, you were frustrated after everything you’ve done.

“No, no, no. There’s no need to call Sam. He doesn’t know. We have all the information here”.

“We don’t have anything. And you are not even useful. So, I’m gonna call Sam”.

“Hey, how’s everything going? I’m gonna send you some stuff of a case we’re working on. See if you can find something that we’ve missed” you called Sam and Dean stood next to you waiting anxiously to find out what Sam is gonna tell you.

“So, I gather that he hasn’t told you yet, has he?” Sam asked.

“Tell me what?”.

“Y/n, you have to talk to Dean. See you soon!” he hung up on you.

“What did he say?” Dean questioned.

“We need to talk”.

“About what?”.

“Sam said you haven’t told me about something, so what is it?”.

“Dammit Sam. He can’t keep his mouth shut for once” he sighed.

“So?”.

“There’s no case” he admitted.

“What?”.

“I wanted to get revenge for the day before yesterday”.

“Seriously?”.

“Uh-hm” he nodded.

“So we drove her for nothing?”.

“Technically”.

“So let me get this straight, you punished yourself by driving all the way here and wasting two days just to get back at me for winning fair and square?” you crossed your arms.

“Yeah. wait, no I didn’t punish myself. You see, I knew there was no case but you didn’t. So, the joke's on you, HAH!”.

“Dean… do the math”.

He stopped for a minute and thought about everything he’s done “Son of a bitch!”.

“Yup! So, I got a pie but I guess there’ll be none for you after all” you shrugged.

“No, wait, please!”.

Tags: @thisismysecrethappyplace​ @berruneko09 @spnwinchestersd​ @simonsbluee​ @capsheadquaters

[wallofweird]

Hi! Saw you were bored so I thought I’d stop by! What do you think the reactions of Kate,Toby, Beth, Miguel, Nicky, Rebecca, the girls and Randall are going to be? And with Rebecca’s Alzheimer’s would she need to be reminded every so often of Madison and the twins since her short term memory seems to be the most effect as we saw in the FF??

So, this is super long and I’m sorry, but I had a lot to say about all of the above, lol. By the way, thank you for the questions. :)

Their reaction regarding Madison’s pregnancy? I think they will be overall positive, Kate is the one who might be a little preoccupied at first since Kevin is her brother, Madison is her best friend and she is carrying her niblings. So she might worry a little, because if something goes wrong, it can affect four people who are part of her family. It may take a little for Kate to wrap her head around it, but I don’t believe she will condemn them for it. Kate knows how badly they wanted to have children and how they were losing faith in that happening, so even if it takes her a while to be 100% excited, she will get there and will probably help them navigate through the situation. I don’t know if Kevin and Madison will stay in LA or move to PA, but if they live in the same city, I guess she will help them deal with the pregnancy. They’re both new to this, so I can see Kate helping her with tricks to stop her morning sickness, being someone Madison can rely on and making sure Madison stays positive during all of it. I can see Madison being a little insecure about being able to go full-term with her pregnancy, and having a hard time due to her eating disorder and Kate will probably be there for her like Madison did when Kate was expecting Jack. However, I can see Kate stepping away a little bit when it comes to Madison’s relationship with Kevin, because the situation is tricky. It’s her best friend. It’s her brother. I don’t think Kate would like to talk about either of them behind their back, but if she sees something wrong in their behavior, I’m sure she will call them out personally. Like I said, it’s her family. It’s not just Kevin or Madison, it’s her niblings too. But mostly she will be quite supportive, because she knows how important this is for them. And Kate has matured so much after becoming a mother, she is the character that is on the best mental state right now, I can see her becoming someone people will run to like Kevin became this season. Specially when it comes to parenthood, because she is an amazing mom. And perhaps (hopefully) she (and maybe even Madison and Beth) will help bringing the brothers closer again. Like, the show hasn’t yet explored how Kate feels about Rebecca’s situation and her choice. Just Kevin and Randall. That might be intentional and she may serve as a mediator on season 5. 

Toby: I think he might be a little annoyed at first, nothing serious, though. He will probably joke about it, but again, I can’t see him having a negative reaction since he knows how it is to dream of having a child and almost losing all hope. I can see him making a lot of jokes about Kevin’s genes, how Kevin became a father in the most movie-like way possible and being disgusted at the possibility of the babies being conceived at his house and Kevin blushing and denying it right away, lol.

Rebecca: I assume Kevin will tell his mom before she moves to St. Louis and that her memory won’t have deteriorated so much yet. I can see her being shocked (I can see all of them being shocked at first, tbh), but supportive because she knows how Kevin wants to have a family and he will be amazing at it. However, I can see her being a little bit more rational about it, since she is older and she’s more in an observant position. She will probably ask Kevin how he and Madison will work things out, like the custody of the children, specially with him having to travel around because of his job as an actor and everything. I can see Kevin being so enthusiastic about becoming a parent and not even considering stuff like that, or even trying to avoid it because the thought of being with his children only 50% of the time or less is too frustrating. I’m not saying that will happen because we know he will propose to Madison (and hopefully they will get married), but at first I believe they will agree on being co-parents, trying to get to know one another and being friends. And Rebecca will be the most sensible one (at least before she leaves town).

Miguel: Miguel might be the one who will be the most excited when he hears the news. He always takes an interest in the lives of the Pearsons even if they don’t value it enough. I remember when Kate and Rebecca were disagreeing over the IVF situation, but he was being supportive. He may even help Kevin and Madison a little bit while he’s still in LA. Madison and Miguel had that moment at the hospital where he shared some wisdom with her. And one thing that is kind of frustrating on this show is how Kevin doesn’t have any friend outside of his family. Like, he had Cassidy for a while, but it looks like they don’t talk anymore. So I can see him going to Miguel for some advice about the situation, specially because Miguel got divorced from Shelly and since I believe K&M will agree on being co-parents for a certain period, he might help them with figuring this dynamic out.

Nicky: I can see Nicky saying something about Kevin complicating such a traditional human experience and becoming a father in the most unconventional and movie-like way too. Still, I believe he will be supportive and happy for Kevin. Nicky might look a little cold, but he’s a softie underneath. And he knows his nephew is a great caretaker and will be amazing with his own children. Kevin might annoy him a little bit talking non-stop about the babies and how they are already kicking and stuff and Nicky being like “I know how pregnancy works, Kevin”. I can’t remember if Nicky ended up becoming a doctor or not, but I know that was his dream job, so I can imagine Nicky needing to remind Kevin all the time that he already knows everything his nephew says about the development of the babies, because Kevin is just too excited he won’t shut up about every single little thing.

Randall, Beth and the girls: So we know that they still won’t be talking to each other on their birthday. I have no idea if one of them will try to apologize in this meantime or if they will just avoid one another for months. Kevin says they’re not speaking to each other, not just him or Randall, but both of them. I don’t know if he will keep in touch with his nieces and Beth or if all of them will have to take sides. I hope it doesn’t go that far. Kevin loves them so much and has such a special connection with Tess, I don’t want that to change because of their fight. I guess in a normal situation they would be happy, specially the girls. Randall and Beth would be a little more realistic and worried too because of the unconventional circumstances and Randall would may play a more sensible role the same I pictured Rebecca. Since they are not talking, I don’t know... Perhaps Kate will tell him and he soften up a little bit and consider apologizing to Kevin. I remember how happy and proud he was when his brother told him about wanting to have his own family. That could touch his heart a little bit. I don’t know. However, I’m sure they will solve their problems next season. I wish their birthday or the birth of the twins will bring them closer again. It would be heartbreaking to see them missing all those crucial moments of each other’s lives, specially when their mother is sick and they should be more united than ever.

Rebecca’s short term memory: So, I’ve seen Alzheimer’s by far, I’ve seen it in movies and read a little about it... I don’t really know how fast it can deteriorate and how bad it will be by the time of their birthday. We know it will be worse than it is right now because she gets lost and is driven back to the cabin by the police officers... I think she will definitely forget some stuff, maybe she will remember that Madison is his fiancée and she is pregnant, but she might forget the fact it’s twins or their gender. Or maybe Rebecca forgets that they are engaged to each other and they have to remind her. I can’t say what I specifically believe she will forget, she might forget about all of it and just know Madison is pregnant because of her belly... Considering she doesn’t remember about their fight and that happened the same day Madison revealed her pregnancy to Kevin, I believe everything is possible.

By the way, I may or may have not written some of these things on my fanfiction, lol.

[bearpillowmonster]

Onward Review

The biggest complaints that I've heard about this movie were that the ending is better than the actual movie and that it's not as funny as most Pixar films. This was okay for me, I don't see Pixar movies for the comedy anyway, I originally saw the trailer and thought it was just alright, looked average, then I got super excited for it, then more trailers came out and then reviews and I just kind of fell out of it, wasn't sure if I wanted to see it in theaters...well I didn't, corona made sure of that, there was actually a plan to go though, what corona also made sure of was that it ended up on Disney+ so I could see it anyway...

In the end I expected a fun movie, but not much beyond that and what I got was pleasantly good, my least favorite thing was the trailers (other than putting Magic by the Cars in there) because they make it seem dull and spoils some things that I was expecting by the end of it, it's a movie where I don't think you can explain, just experience. And while I do like Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, and Julia Louis Dreyfus, that doesn't sell me on the movie because that's a good bit of stars, sometimes they let that go to their head and think that alone will sell a movie but I stand corrected, they do a very good job.

Mixes with the world, I like how orderly it is but it's so much so that it's a bit too easy to pick apart and be like "Well that's going to happen later on." predictable with its teases. They basically structure it around learning the spells and creating memories with dad, who is actually pretty cool, we see his legs (obviously) but they give them a lot of character, and sometimes it's like "how can he hear?" but the body language says it all, there are points in this film where he straight up stands up for his sons...Get it? As a pair of legs. The top half they give him just reminds me of Weekend at Bernie's, luckily they don't try to make him talk but Barley acts like he's always been there "Check it out Pop, Ian's still a bit naive." it's pretty charming the kind of relationships they build on their journey and it makes the world they live in blend in that much nicer. The dad is also an accountant which is what my grandfather was, who also died of an illness, who was more of a dad to me and I also have his grey college sweatshirt (wearing it as I'm writing this review actually) but my brother 'did' get to see him, he was an infant so he won't remember much so I can connect to this plot a decent amount and it did give me feels throughout but it's not like when I heard "bring your dad back for a day" I was like "This is for me, this is genius, I wish I could do that." That's whatever, it's not the concept that interested me or made me see this or even made this movie for me, it was the delivery and it did so pretty well.

It conveys that convenience can come at the expense of wonder, interest and excitement. I think they could've taken this one step further with Barley. Throughout the movie, he's seen as this, well, "dude" but sometimes it seems a little over the top and annoying (on purpose I'm sure), the mom even flat out says at one point "One is afraid of nothing, and the other is afraid of everything." that is literally the dynamic. What I think would make it better and make Barley more interesting overall is if they had him bored, actively looking for something to entertain himself with, practically begging for a quest, to see that he's desperate, that everything in the town is the same old, same old and give him a reason to be obsessed with this nerd stuff. Which they don't really explain where the dad got the staff but that's no big deal.

Is it the best Pixar movie? No, but it's nowhere near the worst either, I'd put it right in the middle, above Cars and Planes and all that but under stuff like Inside Out, Toy Story, and The Incredibles. There's this one scene that I call "the training wheels" which has nothing to do with it but you'll understand when you see it why I dub it thee, I can't get that scene out of my head and is kind of the point where everything started boosting and climbing its way up, I'm not sure what people meant by "the movie is bogged down because the ending is better than the actual movie." I mean yeah, it has to build up, that's obvious enough for any movie but it's not diminishing the rest of the movie either. I certainly see this as a literal meaning, "Onward" is kind of like Pixar saying "more original films" after a slew of sequels, a new era if you will.

[ericsonclan]

A Father’s Day Gift

Written for @stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale ‘s one shot monthly challenge. Glad I was able to achieve all the points again and still make it sound natural XD

Summary: Willy learns from A.J. that it's Father's Day and wants to celebrate, but who can he give a Father's Day card?

Read on A03:

“Hey, AJ, whatcha doing?” Willy hopped over to the picnic table, watching his friend busily coloring away at a folded sheet of paper. For a second there, he’d reminded Willy of Tenn.

AJ looked up from his work. “Making a Father’s Day card,”

Willy’s nose wrinkled in confusion. “What’s that?”

“Aasim was talking with Omar about how it’s today. He said it’s important for us to remember all the old holidays and keep celebrating them to remember our history. It made me think about last year when Louis and I got those flowers for Clem on Mother’s Day. So this time I’m making something for Louis,”

Willy looked down at the card. It read “To: Louis” then below, “HAPPY FATHERS DAY”. Underneath was a drawing of a stick figure with squiggly noodle hair Willy figured was Louis then AJ with his afro and Clementine with her bun on either side of him. It looked nice. “I want to make one too!”

A.J. looked confused. “Who will you make one for? Your dad’s dead,”

“So is yours!”

“Yeah, but now that Clem married Louis that makes him my dad. You don’t have a mom or a dad,”

Willy’s face fell at the statement. He looked round the front yard, thinking about all the others. Clem and Louis weren’t A.J.’s real parents, just the ones he chose, so Willy knew he could make up his own too. If anybody counted as his mom, it was probably Prisha. She always made sure he had enough to eat, made a big deal about telling him how smart he was whenever he showed her a new invention and hugged him a lot. But then who was his dad? Mitch came closest, but he lost him years ago. Plus, he’d been more like a big brother. And Willy was pretty sure parents didn’t let you play with bombs.

“Hey there, goofball,”

The boys looked up to see Clementine making her way over to them. She playfully ruffled A.J.’s hair, ignoring his attempts to wriggle out from under her grasp. “Hey, Willy. What are you boys up to?”

“Secret stuff,” A.J. declared, leaning over to cover his paper. Then his eyes lit up in excitement. “Oh, Clem, can we go down to fishing shack today?”

“That depends. What do you want to go there for?”

“I’m gonna break off the mirror on the old truck that’s by there and give it to Louis as a present. That way next time he gets something stuck in his teeth he can find it right away and won’t get so embarrassed,”

Clementine chuckled at the memory. “That’s a good idea, but why does it have to be today? You and I will have fishing duty together later this week,”

“It’s ‘cause today is Father’s Day!” Willy exclaimed.

A.J. glared daggers at Willy for revealing his true motives.

Clementine look surprised before her face softened into a tender smile. She looked down at A.J., a hand on his shoulder. “If you want, we can go right now. I just need to ask Aasim to cover my watch shift for me before we go,”

“OK!” A.J.’s anger immediately dissipated with the promise of an outing.

Clementine headed out to find Aasim.

The boys colored in silence for a few minutes before A.J. looked over at Willy’s drawing in curiosity. “So who are you making a card for?”

“I don’t know,” Willy shrugged. “I’m just gonna make it super awesome then figure out who to give it to later,” He’d already drawn a bunch of explosions on the inside of the card. Now he was drawing a detailed picture of his possum Garbage on the front. He still wasn’t sure who to give it to. He didn’t want to lay it on Mitch’s grave. That would just make him sad like it always did. Louis was already getting A.J.’s card so he didn’t want to copy. Omar was shorter than him now; it’d be weird to give him the card. That only left Aasim.

Willy thought more about Aasim as he continued to color in his card, adding cool gears and more explosions on the back. He knew Aasim had looked out for him ever since Mitch died all those years ago. When he was smaller, Willy thought he annoyed Aasim since the older boy always seemed to want to be alone writing in that journal of his. Over the years though, they’d seemed to come to an understanding of each other. Aasim would play games with Willy and listen to all his crazy ideas about new inventions to improve Ericson and Willy would help Aasim out where he could and sometimes even listen when he went on and on about historical stuff.

Aasim wasn’t really Willy’s father, but he was probably the closest thing he’d ever had. He made sure that Willy stayed safe when they were out hunting, taught Willy to read and write better even though Willy had the attention span of a fly, and always seemed proud when Willy accomplished something. Hesitantly, Willy scratched out a message on the card: “To Aasim, Happy Fater’s Day”. Realizing he’d forgot the h, Willy jammed it in super small right beside the t. He hoped Aasim wouldn’t be weirded out by getting this card. Even if it didn’t work out the way Willy wanted, he still wanted to try giving it to him.

---

Evening fell and Louis and Prisha returned from their hunting trip. A.J. immediately ran over to Louis with his card, the broken mirror from the truck tucked underneath his arm. Willy watched as A.J. said something to Louis, holding forth the card excitedly. Louis looked at it for a moment before the full impact of what was being given to him hit him. An exuberant smile crossed his face as he lifted A.J. up into his arms, spinning him around excitedly before placing him down for a hug. He then took the mirror A.J. offered him, laughing sheepishly as A.J. likely retold the story of the time he got that piece of rabbit stuck in his teeth.

Willy hoped things would go as well with Aasim. He wandered over to where Aasim now sat on the steps of the admin building, reading a book. Willy cleared his throat to signal his presence. “Hey, Aasim. What are you reading?”

Aasim looked up from the book. “It’s a series of speeches by George Washington. You want to hear a bit?”

Willy nodded.

Aasim looked for a good place to start. “Our conflict is not likely to cease so soon as every good man would wish. The measure of iniquity is not yet filled; and unless we can return a little more to first principles, and act a little more upon patriotic ground, I do not know when it will.”

Willy wasn’t sure what to make of any of that.

Aasim could tell that he was lost. “Washington lived during the founding of America as its own country. He fought in a lot of wars for Americans to get their freedom. Here he was saying that if Americans didn’t unite and figure out the reasons why they were fighting for freedom, he didn’t know when or how they could win. Of course now America’s not really a country anymore, just a series of scattered territories. Makes you wonder if all that bloodshed was worth it. Still, I figured it would be nice to read something by one of the Founding Fathers today.

There was that word. “It’s Father’s Day!” Willy exclaimed.

“You’re right. Did A.J. tell you? He seemed awfully excited when he heard me mention it to Omar,”

“I-I made something for you,” Willy thrust the card forward along with the rock from his personal collection he’d decided to throw in as a last second gift. “I know you’re not my real dad or anything, but I thought you’d like to get something for Father’s Day too,”

Aasim seemed touched by the gift. He turned the card over in his hands, looking at all the details. “You did a great job with it. The explosions look pretty realistic and Garbage is spot on,”

“I always know how to draw Garbage,” Willy smiled proudly, his gap teeth showing. He pointed to the rock in Aasim’s other hand. “I thought you’d think the rock is cool too. I found it in the river a while back. It looks like it has scars all over it,”

“They’re quartz,” Aasim said, holding up the rock so they both could see it better. The grey rock was covered with bright crystal stripes. “You know, the way quartz forms is pretty cool. It actually comes from magma deep underground,” He looked at Willy’s uncomprehending face. “Volcanoes,”

“Woah, that’s awesome!” Willy’s mouth gaped open, his eyes large. A couple months ago Prisha and Aasim had made paper volcanoes for everybody to see and had them erupt fake lava and everything. It had been one of the best days of Willy’s life.

Aasim smiled at his enthusiasm. “You’re a good student, Willy. It just takes a bit of work to figure out what you want to know,” He looked back down at the card in his hand. “Thank you for this. It… means a lot,” He paused for a moment before awkwardly pulling Willy into a hug. “Man, I can’t believe you’re already as tall as me. Any day now you’re gonna have me beat,” He was silent for a moment before pulling away to look Willy in the eyes. “I’m proud of you, Willy. You’ve really stepped up over the years to help protect the school and keep everyone safe,”

Willy shrugged. “Just doing my job. You’re the one who does the hard stuff: all the planning to make sure we’ll make it through each winter. You’ve always had my back. I just don’t want to let you down,”

Aasim placed a hand on Willy’s shoulder. “You never have,”

Willy grinned again. It felt good to know Aasim was proud of him. “I guess with the baby coming we’ll all be working a lot harder, huh?”

Aasim’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Baby? What baby?”

“You and Ruby’s. She had me help her sneak back into the old nursery a couple days ago to see if we could use any of the old cribs. Didn’t you know?”

“I…” Before Aasim could answer, Omar’s voice rang through the front yard.

“Dinner’s ready! Get it before it’s cold!”

“C’mon, Aasim! It’s dinner!” the accidental reveal had already disappeared from Willy’s mind as he ran toward the picnic tables.

Aasim stood there in shock, looking toward the greenhouse where he knew Ruby was still working. He was going to be a father. This was all so sudden, so new. His eyes dropped to the card and stone in his hands. In Willy’s eyes, he already was a father figure of sorts. Did that mean with his own child he could be the father they deserved? Aasim felt a spark of excitement lighting deep within him. He certainly hoped so.

[demaury]

You and me both (1/2)

Lucas gives him a look. He doesn’t want to say it aloud, and he doesn’t think he needs to either. There are, in fact, a whole bunch of reasons why the Demaurys could decide on not liking him, the most obvious involving weed, a houseboat and their son running naked in the streets.

OR; Lucas meets Eliott's family for the first time and spends his first family weekend in ages. (ao3 link)

SAMEDI, 9:45

“What if they don’t like me?”, Lucas blurts out on their way to the Gare-de-Lyon, and he automatically wants to crush his face against the closest newsstand.

There’s a fine line between being insecure as fuck and being the whiny mess that always complains about it, and most days, Lucas is able to swallow it down until it’s just a churn in the pit of his stomach. Keywords being, ‘most days’.

Eliott spares him a glance, discarding his phone for a while. His grey eyes narrow as his body shifts towards him. “Why on Earth wouldn’t they like you?”

Lucas gives him a look. He doesn’t want to say it aloud, and he doesn’t think he needs to either. There are, in fact, a whole bunch of reasons why the Demaurys could decide on not liking him, the most obvious involving weed, a houseboat and their son running naked in the streets. Thing is, he knows that introducing him to his parents has been on Eliott’s mind for a while now, and- well, they’ve been together for a couple of months now, so it’s only logical for them to take that next step. Except that logic has nothing to do with one’s goddamn insecurities — that’s precisely why they can’t be treated with paracetamol and a gulp of water.

Eliott lets out a small sigh, and pulls him into a hug, wrapping his long arms around his shoulders and resting his chin on top of his head. “I know it’s hard but one day you’ll realize that people not liking you isn’t a default mode.”

Lucas snorts, but right now his face is pressed against Eliott’s collarbones and every single one of his senses is overwhelmed by a wave of Eliott. Thank God no one they know is around, or they’d never let him get away with that — the last time Eliott mentioned that Lucas started crying at the bus stop, everyone became extra obnoxious about it and making stupid jokes about him being a duckling or a baby koala, depending on the day.

“C’mon,” Eliott says, freeing him from the embrace, but cupping his face long enough to peck him on the lips, “time to go.”

Eliott picks up the Adidas travel bag he had set down at his feet, when they had first stopped to check on the time and their platform (seconds before Lucas opened his stupid mouth and made a fool of himself), and reaches to grab his hand. Lucas finds himself smiling, a bit shyly, as they start striding through the crowd. They don’t really hold hands that often, generally Eliott flings an arm around his shoulders and they roll with it, but there’s something both extremely intimate and casual about his boyfriend tangling their fingers together — something that makes him feel warm and protected.

The Gare-de-Lyon is packed with people taking off for the weekend, but they manage to make it on time, and to find a compartment that is as close from quiet as they can hope for. They’ve been sitting for five minutes when Eliott flips his sketchbook open and starts drawing, while Lucas fishes in his backpack to find his earbuds and play some music. Their train ride to Reims isn’t long, about two hours, and in the meantime, Lucas makes a point of remembering the things he knows about the Demaurys without freaking out at the thought of them being, technically, his in-laws — there’s something so adult and mature in these tiny words that make Lucas want to remind everyone he’s just 17.

The family had lived in Paris for most of Eliott’s life, but his father, who had been teaching History at the University of Reims for over a decade, suggested that the family moved there after Eliott had failed to take the BAC. “They thought a change of scenery would be ‘good for me’,” Eliott had explained once, mimicking the quotation marks, then he added: “They had just found out what was wrong with me, so of course after that they wanted to baby-proof everything. We stayed in Reims for the whole summer, Lucille was gone for a family trip abroad, my friends rather wanted me far than close, so… yeah, having my parents bugging me all day long kind of- fucked me up, I guess. They sent me back to Paris the following September and you know the rest.”

Lifting his head off the headrest, Lucas turns to Eliott, suddenly haunted by a thought that just crossed his mind. “What’s your sister’s boyfriend like?”

Eliott glances up from his sketchbook, his back resting against the window of their carriage. As usual, it takes a second for him to leave the little space his mind has gone wandering while drawing, then he shrugs. “Thomas? He’s okay, I guess. We don’t exactly hang out together, you know, because we’re in Paris and there’s this shit-ton of kilometers between us and them, but yeah, if Clémence likes him I think he must be decent on a daily basis.”

That’s so very comforting, Lucas cringes internally. Eliott isn’t really the most observant one when he doesn’t feel like he needs to be (details are overwhelming at times), so it can mean everything and its contrary at this point. He startles when Eliott pokes him on the cheek with his pencil.

“Don’t overthink everything, it’s going to be fine,” he says, grinning. “They’ve asked plenty of stuff about you, and I already told my dad to back off because History isn’t your thing.”

Lucas’ eyes widen in horror. “You’ve told him that I don’t give a fuck about the one thing he cares about the most?” Fuck he’s screwed, he’s not going to make it through the weekend. He wonders briefly what would be the penalty for trying to stop the train, but he guesses reluctantly that it’s probably not worth the shot anyway.

“Lulu, unless you’re saying that the Man in the Iron Mask was either Fouquet or Louis XIV’s twin brother, I very much doubt that it’s going to be enough for my dad to hate you,” Eliott adds nonchalantly, the faint sound of his pencil scrapping against the page of his sketchbook returning. Lucas blinks, and his fingers are already unlocking his phone and nervously typing away when Eliott glances up, eyebrows shooting up. “Oh my god, stop! You don’t have to go all Wikipedia now!”

“But what if it comes up somehow?”

Eliott laughs incredulously. “You seriously think it ever came up with Thomas ‘I work in retail for Kaporal’ Goncet?”

Okay, it seems fair enough to him, and Lucas locks his phone again. “If it does come up, it’s on you,” he threatens, eyeing him warily.

Eliott snorts and leans forward, tucking his sketchbook between his chest and his legs to kiss him on the cheek. He’s right, he shouldn’t be freaking out so much, and that’s a bit annoying, if Lucas is being honest. He just can’t help it, that horrible thought that keeps bubbling in his chest. He’s broke. He’s not able to take care of Eliott. He’s not on speaking terms with his dad, just barely starts making up with his mom, he’s younger and he’s a fucking boy.

It seems like Eliott is sensing that whatever he can say won’t do it, so he just spins around onto his seat, finally sitting correctly, and wordlessly claims one of his earbuds. Lucas’ head finds its natural place onto Eliott’s shoulder, and his boyfriend waits for a total of three songs before fussing to choose the next one, which Lucas allows with a fond eye-roll.

*

SAMEDI, 12:32

It’s not until after spotting Clémence Demaury and her mom waiting for them at the train station that Lucas realizes how relieved he is that Eliott doesn’t have a bunch of younger siblings.

Don’t get him wrong, kids are fine. But as an only child without many family ties (his mom’s an only child as well and his dad isn’t on speaking terms with his only brother), the closest he’s been from a kid in recent years is Yann’s younger sister (who’s old enough to punch him in the face for even stating she’s a child), and the family of three living two floors away from the flat share.

In short? Children are not exactly his forte, and if you ask him, they are mildly intimidating.

The first interaction with the two women doesn’t go so bad, mostly because they are busy hugging his boyfriend to death for the first five minutes or so.

“Can you- Can you not do that?” Eliott mumbles, trying to get away from his sister’s grip.

“I haven’t seen you in forever, that’s basically my birthright,” Clémence fires back, unapologetic to the last degree as she squeezes her brother even more.

Eliott gives Lucas a pleading glance that makes him chuckle, and instantly there are two more sets of grey eyes drawn on him. He doesn’t really know what Eliott’s dad looks like, but there are already a lot of things Clémence and Eliott have in common that Lucas can track back to their mom, starting with the hair and the eyes. It feels strangely overwhelming, because he’s never really paid much attention to that sort of thing before, but now he just can’t unsee it.

“Lucas, right? I’m Clémence, it’s nice to meet you,” Clémence says with a polite smile. It’s not one of those big-ass grins that make the Demaurys’ eyes crinkling, but right now he welcomes everything that doesn’t involve being yelled at or glanced over as a victory (self-esteem who?).

“Nice to meet you too,” he replies.

Eliott’s mom eyes him a split-second too long — long enough for his heartbeat to start picking up. “Caroline. Nice to meet you.” And without transition she turns to Eliott, her gaze softening before Lucas even has the time to blink. “I was worried you’d get delayed, I’m glad you made it in time sweetie.”

“Let’s get home, I’m starving and Dad will want to hear about the details anyway,” Clémence chimes in.

Oh fuck, that’s just the first half, Lucas thinks, barely holding back a groan. Eliott slings an arm around his shoulders, startling him slightly, and beams at him as they’re heading out for the parking lot.

The trip to the Demaurys’ sees Caroline and her daughter bicker about a variety of things, which allows Eliott and him to talk a little between themselves at the back. It’s the first time he’s finding himself in Reims (the first time in a while he’s leaving Paris at all, to be completely honest), so he just takes some time to glance through the window every now and then to ease himself a bit. Eliott draws soft patterns onto his knee in the meantime, and that’s almost enough to make him forget it’s just the beginning of a very long weekend of basically watching himself and behaving.

Eliott’s parents’ house is located about twenty minutes away from the city, in a quiet neighborhood that doesn’t spark much at first glance; the two-story house itself is rather big and modern-looking, with slate rooftops, white walls and sharp edges. When they climb off the car, a beagle welcomes them, bouncing and enthusiastically yapping.

“Maia, come here,” Clémence calls out, tapping at her lap, and immediately the dog hurries to her side. She pets her a little, then she follows her mother inside, Lucas and Eliott trailing just behind, up the pathway to the front door.

The first thing that shocks Lucas once he steps inside is the nice smell, which, along with the pleasant warmth of the house, hits him in the face in the best kind of way. The entrance is facing the kitchen from across the hall, with the living-room on the left side and a staircase leading up to the upper floor directly to their right. There are a couple of pictures framed on the walls, on the way to the kitchen, or set on display on a console in the main entrance, and Lucas is sure he can spot Eliott on several of them, but he doesn’t dare to take a close look since everyone is already flocking in the kitchen.

As it turns out, Eliott’s mom well and truly seems to be the scariest parent of the two, because when he’s introduced to his boyfriend’s dad, he finds a smiling man in his fifties busy preparing lunch, and who apologies profusely because he needs to wash his hands before greeting him properly. The table is already set in the living-room, and the four of them sit down while Clémence is gone searching for her boyfriend Thomas.

“What is he even doing in the garage?” Caroline asks, cocking an eyebrow.

“He said he had to check something on Clémence’s car,” her husband, Olivier, supplies as he takes a seat next to her at the end of the table. So far, the only things Lucas can pinpoint in him that belongs to Eliott are probably the cheekbones and the sharp jawline, but it’s not like he’s spending his time staring either.

“Let’s hope he’s better with fixing cars than fixing a clogged bathtub,” she mutters. “Did we receive the papers from the insurance already?”

“I don’t think we should be expecting them until next week at best.”

Lucas can’t help himself and his eyes fly immediately to Eliott, who stares at his mother in return. “Mom, don’t start now, Thomas is fine.”

She smiles at him, and it doesn’t take much for Lucas to realize it’s her very special ‘Eliott’ smile. “Of course he is. But let’s be honest, it’s not like Clémence is going to spend the rest of her life with him.”

Lucas’ hands tighten on the edge of the table. What the fuck is he doing here? He doesn’t even know if he should cry or laugh at the situation right now. Cry, probably. Because if Caroline doesn’t really bet on her daughter’s long-term relationship to work out when both she and her boyfriend are fairly close from adulthood, how on Earth would she bet on him?

She’s totally going to chew him and spit him out in a two-day span of time.

“Caro, they move in together in three months, get over it,” Olivier sighs, handing her the bread basket.

She seems about to argue when the door leading to the garage opens on Clémence, a tall guy with dark hair and a grey button-down following close-behind. His faded jeans are hanging low on his hips, probably lower than Caroline and Olivier like it on their son-in-law, and maybe it’s this tiny detail, or the massive GUESS stamped on his belt, or the way his hair is styled, but all of a sudden Lucas has no trouble at all to picture him in a Kaporal store.

His face breaks into a grin when his eyes trail on Lucas. “Oh, hey. I’m Thomas,” he says, holding out his hand.

Lucas stands up, careful not to make a mess between his chair and the carpet on the floor. He smiles back, shaking his hand a bit awkwardly. “Lucas,” he offers a bit uselessly. He’s spent less than an hour with the Demaurys but somehow it’s not that hard to think he’s been the hot topic for quite a while. For better or for worse.

“What were you talking about?” Clémence inquires, visibly suspicious, as she takes her seat next to Lucas, and Thomas places himself between his girlfriend and Olivier.

Eliott picks up a piece of bread from the basket and he hands it to Lucas. “The train ride. Boring.”

The lie rolls off so smoothly that Lucas can’t help but find it a bit hot. Clémence hums in response. “At least you got here in time. Last time my train got delayed for four hours.”

“And that’s why we ended up driving for four hours to get here this time,” Thomas snarls.

Olivier passes around the crudités. “You should get your driving license too, Eli. The SNCF never stops failing, it could come in handy someday.”

Eliott shrugs. “There’s still the subway. And the bus. I don’t know what I’d do with a car.” And then he smiles, looking at Lucas who suddenly feels like his cheeks are heating faster than they should. “And I wouldn’t have met Lucas otherwise.”

Lucas knew it would suck to be at the other end of the table but he’s still unpleasantly surprised to feel so awkward under everyone’s glance when they all focus on him. He clears his throat. “We-uh, we met at a bus stop. After- uh, after school,” he explains, trying to keep his voice in check.

Eliott probably did it on purpose, judging by his bright grin that has nothing to do with the topic of the conversation.

“Oh, that’s sweet. So you didn’t know each other at all?” Clémence asks while she fills her plate.

“No,” Lucas answers honestly. “At least I didn’t, but apparently Eliott’s got some great stalker skills.”

Take that, he thinks, shooting a grin to Eliott. There’s something that glints into his boyfriend’s grey eyes and it makes his heart beat faster. “I bumped into him the moment I walked in, in January,” Eliott says nonchalantly, “I just kept an eye on him until we found ourselves together, is all. Besides, you came to talk to me.”

Lucas snorts, and immediately he swallows back his smile when he remembers where he is.

Thomas frowns. “Weren’t you still with Lucille back in January?”

The smile on Lucas’ face vanishes for good and it’s stupid, really, because it’s not like he never thought she wouldn’t be brought up at any point, ever. She’d been dating Eliott for the past four years, so of course it’s only natural that-

Fuck that, he just wants to crawl into a hole. The worst part? He can distinctively feel that his mind is torn between guilt at the thought of having taken Lucille’s spot in a family that apparently liked her very much, and being completely aware that Lucille wasn’t the right person for Eliott.

“It was complicated,” Eliott mumbles. “Too complicated if you ask me. Everything’s much simpler with Lucas.”

“And that’s what should matter in the end,” Olivier intervenes. There’s a second of silence, then he smiles at Lucas, gesturing at the plate Clémence had set between them at some point when they were talking. “Lucas? Will you take some?”

*

SAMEDI, 14:37

After lunch, he’s dragged along with Eliott in a very long, very tiring, and very intense shopping session in a shopping area nearby, which gives him massive war flashbacks from his childhood. He’s spent tons of afternoons like this, trailing behind his mom, occasionally whining because he was tired and wanted to go home while she kept filling shopping cart after shopping cart.

“Can’t we stay here?” Eliott asks after Caroline knocks on the door of his bedroom, literally five minutes after they got inside, to give them a heads up on the program.

“Honey, we barely ever get to see you. It’s going to be fun, you’ll see,” Caroline replies, and so Eliott caves in.

Since they can’t fit everyone in one car, Eliott and Lucas go with Clémence and Thomas, thus allowing him to catch a bit of a break.

As it turns out, shopping with his boyfriend instead of his parents is a bit more fun than he expected. It’s not the first time he’s going out with Eliott (aside from the occasional raid to the closest FNAC store every now and then, his boyfriend would sometimes drag him through all of his favorite record stores and Lucas would just watch Eliott rummage through them for hours without ever getting bored), but this time feels different, for some reason. They spend most of their time sharing jokes and decorating ideas while the whole family walks through IKEA.

“That kid is definitely called Stella,” Eliott says at one point when they walk by the nursery section, briefly stopping in front of a small area decorated with shades of pink and green. There are flowers laced together framing a round-shaped mirror, and plushy blankets in the white crib. “She lives with her single mom and her two aunts are always around to dote on her.”

Lucas quirks a brow, laughing. “Alright. What about this one?”

The following area is designed for a toddler, with a small bed instead of a crib and a tipi spilling toys on the floor in the corner. The various pieces of furniture are made of a light-colored wood that vaguely reminds him of bamboo. Eliott gives it a thought. “Esteban,” he says. “He’s been diagnosed with ADHD and his parents are always trying to follow him through all his activities even if they’re dying to get a quiet afternoon.”

Lucas huffs a laugh. “Okay, let me try.” Eliott gestures as if to say ‘be my guest’, and Lucas gets a look at the next one. The walls are painted light-grey, with wooden letters spelling the name Lola on one of them and a white crib in the center. The large carpet is white with small baby foxes playing. “Well, she’s called Lola-”

“You must be tired already,” Eliott snickers and Lucas elbows him in the ribs.

“-and her parents have a dog that she’s constantly petting. She’s got those extra-expressive eyes and she’s always laughing.” He turns his head to the side and Eliott grins at him. “It’s not that hard.”

His boyfriend pulls him closer. “You forgot the most important part though.”

Lucas cranes his neck up. “Which is?”

“She’s got two daddies.” Eliott winks at him and Lucas flushes while he’s already sauntering away, tugging at his hand as he does so.

After IKEA, Clémence and Caroline head for another furniture store but Lucas and Eliott decline to follow, opting to wander around on their own instead. They stop by at Subway to grab a drink and settle on a bench outside, which is probably not the best option regarding the temperature, as Lucas quickly realizes. “Are you cold? We can go back inside,” Eliott suggests when he sees him shiver a bit.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Lucas waves. Eliott slides a bit closer and wraps his arms around him, which makes him feel warm but for another, much sappier reason than mere body temperature. He doesn’t mind people looking at them anymore — it barely ever gets to him now. He’s just happy with how things are, and he doesn’t think he could ask for more than that.

“Sorry about my parents, they’re a bit overwhelming. They like to do tons of stuff like this,” Eliott says. “I guess they forgot I can’t always deal with it.”

Lucas turns around in his arms, worried. “Are you okay?”

Eliott tilts his head to the side. “Oh, yeah.” Then he smiles, cupping his face. “Yeah, it’s fine.” He pecks him on the lips, once, twice, before Lucas goes for a longer kiss.  

Eliott’s dad texts him not long after to agree on a gathering point, and they head to the spot, where the Demaurys suggest that they should have dinner at a restaurant, which makes Clémence snickers as soon as they climb in the car. “Mom can’t cook to save her life, be grateful Lucas.”

“I already got food poisoning from one member of the Demaury family,” he snorts as Thomas maneuvers through the parking lot, “but thanks for the tip.”

Clémence turns onto her seat. “Eli, what the hell did you do?”

“Why are you throwing me under the bus?” Eliott complains and Lucas tugs on his arm to kiss him on the cheek. “I made it with love.”

“I’m just kidding. And your eggs are great, generally.”

Eliott snorts.

“Still better than mom,” Clémence observes. “Once she put eggs in the microwave, it felt like we were reenacting that scene from the Gremlins movie. Luckily we had dad growing up. Not sure we would have made it otherwise.”

[stylesgalaxy]

mastermind; chapter 6

turns out some of you actually enjoy this fic!! i didn't think anyone really liked it so here's chapter 6! ngl i kinda forgot about this bc i was working on something else, but i'm here now :)

***

"You didn't call," Harry says when I stumble home a few hours later. I was trying to be quiet but clearly it didn't work because Harry hears me and quietly slips out of Julia's room.

"I didn't need you," I respond. Which was true, I didn't. Zayn got an Uber and dropped me off here before going home himself.

"Your friend drop you off? He was drunk, Aria, you could have—"

"Relax he called an Uber," I say, taking my shoes off and hanging my jacket on the coat rack. "Zayn's not stupid."

"That was Zayn?" he says, appalled. "Hold on, I knew the name was familiar and he looks familiar... He's not the one who Julia..."

He trails off awkwardly.

"Yeah, he went home with Julia after a party in freshman year," I say rubbing my eyes. I was going to say "fucked" but I thought it was too insensitive considering he's in love with Julia. I sigh heavily when I remember being so hopeful that Julia would like Zayn long enough for me gather the courage to talk to Harry. But the universe was cruel, and I was too late.

Harry nods and I'm left wondering if he ever thinks about that night. Thinks about whether he saw Julia at the party they were both at, or thinks about how another guy went home with his future girlfriend, or thinks about the girl he made out with blindfolded. He obviously doesn't know it's me. But he never gave any indication on whether or not he even remembered kissing me.

Well, of course he wouldn't. We were acquainted through Julia, his girlfriend, he's not allowed to talk about those things. Just like how Julia didn't talk about how good Zayn was in front of Harry.

Harry remains silent so I start walking towards my room.

"I'm sorry," he says just as I pass him. "I shouldn't have interrupted you... o-or talked to you the way I did."

"Good," I deadpan. "You should be."

This makes his softened expression fall, and confusion spread.

"Aria, I was just looking out for you--"

"Harry, are you really going to defend your actions after you apologized for behaving that way? And besides, I don't need you to look out for me."

"Everyone needs someone to look out for them," he says quietly.

"Maybe," I answer, not trying to get deep or philosophical with him right now, "but you embarrassed me in front of Zayn and made me feel like a child."

"I thought he was—!"

"Whatever you thought was wrong," I counter, frustrated. "I'm an adult, I can take care of myself. Me and you, we're friends, Harry. That's all we are. Save this type of reaction for your girlfriend."

His eyebrows pinch and I am mortified by what I say.

"Goodnight," I squeak and all but run to my room, nearly slamming the door.

Could you not have made it anymore obvious, Aria?!

What the fuck was wrong with me?

---

The next day I wake up around noon. Normally I'd spend this day of relaxation watching something with Julia, but since Harry is here, I don't want to. I slip into the bathroom unnoticed and take a shower. I hope that if it's long enough Harry will realize that I'm awake and leave.

I dry off in the bathroom and change into fresh clothes before wrapping a towel around my hair. Upon leaving the bathroom, I find out Harry did not take the hint and he was still here.

He's sitting on the couch with his arm around Julia, fixated on the television in front of him. He's eyes snap to mine when he sees me exit the bathroom and he gets up and gathers his things. Julia watches him pack his things with a sad frown on her face.

"Must you leave so early? We're almost done season six," she says with puppy eyes. Seriously, how does she not get tired of always sitting on the same couch watching the same shows with him?

"Sorry, love, but I have to see my father," he kisses her forehead. He turns around and pins me with his gaze just before I can escape to my room. "Aria? Can you walk me out?"

I want to roll my eyes at him. He's closer to the door! Julia looks between us curiously.

"It's only a few steps, Harry, I'm sure you'll manage to find the door," I say, opening my door.

"Aria, please."

I sigh and look at Julia first. She's watching me questioningly as if to say, what's up with him? I give her a look back that says, I'll explain later.

Only then did I look at Harry's pleading expression and walk over to the door with him. I hand him his jacket and he says quietly, "I just want to make sure everything is okay between us."

The bitter and petty part of me wants to respond with, There is no 'us'. But I shut her up because last night's response kept me up.

"I really am sorry about how I acted," he continues with pleading eyes. "You're right. You're an adult and I shouldn't tell you what to do. Just please forgive me, I don't want you to go back to ignoring me. I promise I won't do it again."

My heart clenches at his words. He really likes being my friend?

"Of course, Harry, it's okay," I say softly. He looks relieved but his smile is still a little tense. To ease the mood, I say, "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily. I'll remain an annoying thorn at your side."

He chuckles.

"Are you sure I'm not the thorn?" he says.

"You are, actually, I was just trying to be nice. But thanks for realizing what you truly are," I chirp. I open the door for him and he steps out waving at me.

I'm almost about to shut it when Julia yells, "Bye, Harry!"

Harry quickly comes back, says goodbye to her too, then leaves.

"So what was that all about?" Julia sits up immediately after I lock the door.

I relay what happened last night at the party to her, deciding to keep out the conversation we had when I arrived.

"So he just wanted to make sure we were cool, and I told him we are."

Julia nods, "That's good."

I go to the kitchen to grab something to eat when she says, "Hey, you know what we should do? We should go shopping!"

---

Since Julia and I are at the mall, I make her do her Christmas shopping. She already knew what to get her mom--a Valentino bag--but I force her to look for something for her father too. It would make him happy that she thought about him. Julia whines and complains, but eventually we settle on a flask set and a fancy Montblanc pen for him. I leave her to look for a gift for Harry while I go to shop for my family.

In the cheaper side of the mall, I shop for my parents and my little brother. I go inside Barnes & Noble and buy a bunch of cute homey things I know my mom likes. My dad loves board games so I pick one up for him along with a puzzle. I get two books for my brother because I wish he read more, but I also sneak in a video game from another shop, because I want him to like his gift. My bags are getting heavy, but I'd really rather not come back another day since the mall will only get busier closer to Christmas, so I look for gifts for my friends too. Niall and Louis are easy, they'll like anything. I get a fancy jewelry box for Julia with fancy scented candles and fancy bath bombs that she likes.

I leave Harry last. This will be the first time I get him a gift from myself and I want to make it special since he bought that leather sketchbook for me but it was hard because I'd already gone over my budget. So, I get him a Gordon Ramsay cookbook, a trivia game, and chocolates. It's not until I go to Starbucks where Julia and I were supposed to meet, that I see a set of six reusable cups with cute sayings like "Live in the Wow" or "Be About Love". This was perfect. Smiling, I purchase it and add it to my bags.

I sit at a table with my bags around me and wait for Julia to show. She arrives, with way less bags because she was only shopping for three people. And her gifts were small but expensive. She joins me at the table and I ask her what she got for Harry.

"Socks," she says, pulling out a pair Christmas socks. I look at her, somewhat annoyed.

"That's it?!"

"And chocolate!" she says quickly, pulling out a Lindt chocolate bar.

"Julia!" I chastise.

"What?"

"He's your boyfriend! You can't get him socks and chocolate!"

"I know," she whines, "but I looked and looked and I didn't know what else to get him!"

I sigh heavily and pin Julia with a glare.

"Let's go," I huff finally, "I'll help you find something for him but you're carrying half my bags."

She grabs my bags with great eager and sets out of Starbucks.

---

"Oh my God, you know what we should do now?" Julia says once we're done shopping. I'm about to roll my eyes because I can't imagine doing anything else except lying down or eating. "We should go to that Italian restaurant! The one I said I'd take you to for getting Harry a gift!"

That grabs my attention.

"Okay but where will we put our bags? We can't take them with us there's too many," I say.

"It's okay, I'll call Liam. He can take them to our place and drop us off, he wouldn't mind," she assures and pulls out her phone, searching for his number. "Hey, Liam? Yeah, yeah everything's okay! I was just wondering if you're busy right now? No? Well it's just that Aria and I have been shopping all day and we have so many bags, but we're really hungry and want to go for dinner, and--" she pauses for a moment. "Thank you so so so much! Okay... yeah... great, see you soon!"

She ends the call and smirks at me.

"I thought he was your father's personal assistant not yours," I comment.

"He is, but he told me that if I ever need anything to not hesitate to call him. He's really nice. I'm gonna tell my father. Hopefully Liam can get a raise."

---

Liam drops us off at the restaurant and then drives away with Julia's key to take our bags home. I watch him driving away and wonder if this is what it's like to be rich. Huh.

My mood is instantly brightened when our server places our food in front of us. Julia whips out her phone to take a Boomerang of our pizzas, I stick my tongue out when the camera reaches me. She puts that on her Instragram story and I guess she was really feeling the love for me because she asks to take a proper photo. She pushes her chair to sit beside me and asks our server to take a photo.

I shrug one shoulder and smile sweetly at the camera, while Julia rests her arm at the back of my chair and leans her head closer to mine.

"Adorable, fucking adorable," Julia says after she takes her phone back, typing away. I get a notification that Julia tagged me in a photo, but ignore it for now. I have more important things to focus on, like my pizza which I take a slice out of before shoving it into my mouth. Julia looks up right then and howls with laughter, snapping another photo.

"Julia, no!" I try to say but my mouth is full.

"You look so funny!"

"Don't post that one, okay?"

She promises she won't and we eat the rest of our dinner laughing and talking about random things.

---

"Hey," I say to Julia when the episode of Friends that we were watching ends.

"Hmm," she replies, looking up from her phone.

"I kinda... I kinda wanna try makeup," I hesitate. I'd seen a lot of girls with perfect makeup on their face and it made me want to give it a go. And today, at the mall I went inside Sephora and wanted to buy everything. Sephora was just a fancier, prettier art store.

"Oh my God!" Julia hollers. "Come, I'll teach you everything."

She drags me into her room and sits me in front of her vanity. I'm a little overwhelmed by all the products she throws at me, but I get the basics: primer, foundation, concealer, setting powder, brows, mascara. She says that the primer and foundation I use are the most important part, and then hands me some good ones to keep.

"You're about my colour," she says, dabbing some on my face to check. "You're a little darker, that's okay you can use bronzer to even it out."

Bronzer, blush, and highlighter: they were good but not always necessary, she says. She applies eyeshadow to my eyelids and then swipes a thin line of eyeliner over it. I curl my own lashes and apply mascara. My eyes instantly stand out so much more.

"Wow, this colour really enhances your eyes," Julia says. "I wouldn't even wear foundation if I was you, you have nice skin. Do your eyes, though, they make you look like a bad bitch."

I smirk and we start experimenting with lipstick, giggling and dabbing some on each other's faces.

"Okay, now I have to show you how to wash it off," Julia says half an hour later.

"What, you mean I can't just use water and soap?" I ask feeling stupid.

"No, silly, not all soap will wash off makeup. You'll be scrubbing at your skin harshly then breaking out." We go to the bathroom where she pulls out her makeup remover, gently wiping the makeup away from my face. "There, all clean."

"Thanks," I smile.

"Here, I'll give you the products I don't use that you can experiment with. I'll give you some brushes too, and I'll show you how to clean them."

Putting on makeup sounds like it's includes a lot of cleaning that I didn't anticipate. I take the items she gives and watch how she washes brushes and sets them upright to dry. I've never had to deal with germs when it came to art supplies, but it makes sense why you have to with makeup supplies.

I call it a night after I put away the makeup. Getting in bed, I start scrolling through my phone. I open my Instragram notifications and see the cute picture Julia posted of us with the caption: My ride or die, love you @aria_collins.

Smiling at my phone, I double tap the picture. I comment, love you too bitch <3 before scrolling through the other comments. Some are from her other friends, that I don't know that well, and one is from her mom. My heart jolts when I see Harry commented on it too.

harrystyles: Cute

It was just one word.

Cute.

But it made butterflies erupt inside me. I shake my head at myself.

He was talking about his girlfriend, stupid.

Nonetheless, I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

---

The sound of my door opening wakes me up. I was never a heavy sleeper like Julia.

"Aria?" Julia whispers in the dark. I hum back in response. I'm awake now, might as well see what's up. "You're awake?" she says hopefully. I check the time and see I've only been asleep for half an hour.

"Yeah, what's up?" I turn fully towards Julia who looks wide awake, she hasn't even changed into her pyjamas yet.

"I really, really want to take a bath but Harry won't stop texting me," she says coming to lay down on my bed beside me.

"So tell him to shut up," I deadpan, letting my eyes shut in fatigue.

"I can't... he's like talking about serious things. And it's stressing me out and we had such a long day, I just want to take a bath and sleep. Can you just talk to him for a bit? It's way past his bedtime, I'm sure he'll fall asleep soon."

I want to ask her why she doesn't think I want to sleep, and why it makes sense to wake me up so I can talk to her boyfriend while she relaxes.

I grab her phone to see what he's even saying. Maybe I can tell her how to respond to end the conversation. But Julia takes this as me giving my consent and kisses my forehead before running out. I roll my eye before blinking to focus on the texts but they don't make sense so I scroll up to about half an hour ago, where he seems to be asking her a lot about her day. I skip through the parts where they talk about shopping and the restaurant we went to until I get to the serious part.

You're not busy are you? he wrote.

no, what's up? Julia responded.

I'm just a bit frustrated.

oh no baby, what's wrong?

So you know how I went to see my father today? It didn't really end well...

what happened?

He has a girlfriend

He wanted me to meet her because apparently they're "serious"

they've only been dating for four months

Not to mention, I'm JUST finding out? Four months later?

oh shit

Sorry, I know I'm just dumping all this on you. I tried to forget about it but it's been a few hours and I'm still kind of mad, to be honest.

Babe?

I curse Julia for leaving him like this. Stumbling out of bed, I hurriedly knock on bathroom door.

"Julia!" I call.

"What?" she responds.

"This is serious stuff!"

"I know, that's why I was so freaked out."

"I can't pretend to be you! That's-thats... wrong."

"Well I can't get out now, I just applied this mask, it needs at least thirty more minutes to set! Fuck."

"Why would you leave him like this! He clearly needs someone to talk to, how can you even think about relaxing and taking a bath?"

"I'm sorry! But I freaked out and panicked so I came to you!"

"Well now he's panicking."

"I'm sorry, Aria, please don't yell at me, I don't know what to do in situations like this. He's never told me anything about his father before!"

I sigh deeply. That makes it worse!

"I'll talk to him, but you have to get out as soon as you can!"

"I will."

I go back to my room and sit on my bed. Harry hasn't sent anymore texts after that last one. I try to come up with something quick to excuse her absence.

hey sorry, aria nearly burnt the kitchen down i had to help her

I send the text with a terrible feeling growing in my chest.

Oh okay, that's ok. I thought you fell asleep.

I shake my head and glare at Julia through the wall for making me do this. I don't want to pretend to be Julia like this to Harry. I know I told Julia a lot of what to say or do in this relationship, but those were things I hoped she'd learn from.

Fuck that, right now Harry needs someone to talk to, and the he thinks the person he turned to abandoned him.

no, i wouldn't fall asleep on you, I continue.

why are you mad that your father has a girlfriend?

I dont know... I guess I'm just mad that he would even consider marrying someone else after my mother

My heart breaks a little for him.

but it's been a few years since your mother died

don't you think your father deserves to move on?

I guess. five years just seemed a little too soon

you can't decide how much time someone else needs to mourn and move on. that's up to them

you're right, but that doesn't mean he should have told me this late

Doesn't he care at all what I think?

he probably knew you wouldn't take it well. maybe that's why he waited until your exams were over

You're making it sound like he cares for me. he doesn't.

he does, harry. he's your father. of course he cares for you.

My father isn't like yours, Julia. He doesn't just call me up out of the blue and shower me with gifts to show his love. The only interaction i've had with him in months was the money he's been depositing in my account.

My heart aches for him. His father doesn't talk to him? I never knew that. Harry is always so positive and keen on keeping everyone happy that I never once thought he might have issues like this.

my father was the same. he didn't talk to me, only sent me money for months.

do you want to know what changed?

what

one day he wanted to have dinner with me and update me on his life, and ask about mine

after that, i visited him regularly even though i didn't really want to

and now we're actually getting somewhere in our relationship

He doesn't respond for a few minutes.

does that situation sound a little familiar?

I send the text hoping to get a text back from him. I dread that I may have overstepped and said too much.

You're right.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to undermine anything you're going through

it's alright, you didn't :)

i just don't want you to look at this negatively. i know you don't like him, or the fact that he's getting married

but you have to try to make the best out of it, right?

When did you get so wise?

I have the smartest girlfriend in the world

I nearly choke on my spit. I'm an awful, awful person. I hate this, I hate doing this.

Before I can type out another response, he says:

Thank you for letting me talk to you. I really needed to hear this

Sorry if I kept you up, love

You should go sleep now :)

it's okay, you didnt :)

text me if you ever need to talk again

I love you.

I stand up. Marching to the bathroom, I'm about to pound on the door when Julia opens it.

"There," I fume and shove her phone at her. "Now you need to get your shit together, and be a better girlfriend," I say. Julia nods, tears welling up in her eyes. "Get some sleep, I'm going back to bed."

*** Please let me know your thoughts!

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[finderskeepersff]

55.

Wiping the sleep form my eyes, I am so tired. I am honestly more tired now than ever before and I get more sleep, I used to be be staying up all night and now I am like this. I expected Sofia to not be in bed, her friends are over, they arrived last night and I was asleep then, I can’t stop sleeping. Maybe it’s a sign of depression, I don’t know. Henry said that to me when I kept on staying in bed, he was a good guy. Pushing the covers off of me, getting up out of bed and sitting on the edge of the bed. Right on time, my phone rings. Well my burner phone that is, as long as it ain’t my dad. Looking at the caller I.D, it is Ethan “I just woke up my nigga” I answered the call “I sensed it, I have her here for you” I love that Ethan listens to everything I do “pass her the phone” clearing my throat, I can’t shake this off at all “sorry about your brother” Celine said down the phone “I was at the funeral and I saw what happened” I knew she would have “then you know, if you fuck on me you know what will happen. I have given you many chances and you know this” which I have “you still care” this is what I mean “no, I felt obliged because you took me in when I was on drugs, you did take care of me when you had the chance to kill me, I was vulnerable so that is why. But it’s the past now, I need you to get your son back. I want you to take him” the phone line went silent “how can I do that? That boy was taken from me, I have no right. Legally I can’t” that is true “fuck the law, I am the law. You take your son back, I will send you the hotel details. You good now, you want him don’t you?” is she crying on the phone, pulling a face “are you crying?” I questioned “I didn’t realise what I had until I lost him, I am right. I saw him at the funeral and he knows me, he does but I wasn’t allowed near him. Thank you Cassius” I am shocked she cried “you do right by my nephew, he need a lot of love Celine. I will be always watching, remember that” I will always know what Bryce is doing “how will I get him?” licking my top lip “it’s funny, I mean not funny but sad. Carnell sold him” it’s not funny but it’s laughable “erm, what do you mean sold him?” every time I speak on this I smoke a blunt “in exchange for some money he will give you Bryce, nothing will come of it. Trash people” lighting the blunt “you bought Bryce from your dad? I am trash, I know I am but that is real trash. You bought my son? I will change, I don’t do drugs. My home is not no drug place anymore. I sold it, I live with my mom now” blowing the smoke out from my lips “cool, Ethan will deal with it. Just know I will be watching you” disconnecting the call, placing the blunt between my lips thinking. I was just playing when I asked Carnell and he did it, I am not buying them any house, he took the money and is giving Bryce up.

Sofia will be so angry with me, so I opened the balcony doors and air this bitch out and sprayed a little something, I just need to have a blunt sometimes, I mean most of the time. Kyle is not here so I am dealing with a lot of it, not a problem though because I ain’t need to work any nights. Fixing my dick in my sweatpants as I made my way downstairs, looking down at my hand. Why do I have my lighter in my hand still, that weed hit differently this time. I am tired again, I need food and a nap. Placing my lighter in my sweatpants pocket and fixing my snapback on my head, I don’t even know the time. Hearing the girls giggle in the living area, walking into the room “I heard you wash hair” Mia said as soon I entered, not even a hello first “I don’t know what you mean?” Sofia slapped Mia “what? Honestly, do you?” Sofia is airing me out like this, looking over at Sofia “do I?” I asked, Sofia pressed her lips into a hard thin line “no” she said in a whisper “wow, daddy is here and now you back tracking. You little liar” Mia pointed, Sofia mouthed sorry. She better be sorry “y’all daddy is here, get it right. Why you boring Cartier with this mess, what is this?” walking over to them “wedding planning” rubbing my bare chest “right, how is that going?” Mia looked up at me “you had a blunt for breakfast?” I just smiled at her “look at him but why don’t you sit your ass down and participate, if Mitch didn’t I would be offended” I sniggered “I guess y’all going to be offended” walking off to get some cereal.

Drinking the OJ from the bottle “not heard of a cup?” Olivia said behind me “yeah” closing the fridge door “you’re such a nigga sometimes, why you playing? Sofia thinks I came to get a drink. She was raving on about you, she was like he really went all out, rose petals. Ran her a bath. You let her sleep in the mornings. She is so happy. Yes we know you washed her hair but she really wants you to help with the wedding. Some input would do nicely, you don’t need to act a certain way with us Cassius. That blunt got to your head, I just don’t like to see my friend sad, she values your opinion the most, you just don’t see it. I know you love her behind closed doors but just be more interested on a day she never thought she would get” I think Olivia and Mia would kill me if I ever did anything wrong by Sofia “and actually I did come for a drink. Get me a diet coke from the fridge thanks” opening the fridge door “she is so proud of you Cassius, she gushed about you for an hour on that couch. Don’t be annoyed with her” holding the can out to Olivia “I ain’t annoyed with her, ever” I simply said, I am not ever angry with Sofia. I may have been a little annoyed that she told but being really angry is a no, I have a lot on my mind.

With my bowl of cereal, I thought I would take myself into the living room and I guess be more interested in this wedding thing. It’s not that I don’t want to get married but I don’t do well with public events I guess, I am not sure “I would have made you something” Sofia said as I sat down across from them “it’s ok, it’s kind of late anyways. So what you doing now?” I will try this “thinking on what to do, should we do it overseas?” maybe I am harsh, maybe I don’t participate like Olivia says, I feel bad somewhat “why don’t we just stick with Hawaii, it will better for people to get there. Well the handful of people, it’s not far and it’s better. We can go away for the honeymoon” Sofia looked at her friends “this is y’all thing” Olivia said “if you think that is better” nodding my head “do it in Hawaii and then we can go away” best way “I will pay for the honeymoon, I want to go Bali” pulling a face “where the fuck is that?” I am confused, Sofia laughed “Indonesia” letting out an oh “I only know America, ok how about we go halves. You tell me how much it is and we can work that out. It sounds expensive. But keep it to Hawaii” looking down at my watch “shit, someone is going to come” getting up from the couch and placing the bowl on the coffee table in the middle “but you ain’t eat it?” Sofia said “I know, I got someone coming” I forgot all about this.

“Cassius! Someone is here for you!” Sofia spat, placing my shades over my eyes. Pressing my hair down, I miss my outgrown hair. Smiling in the mirror, I got a new gold cuban chain, new diamond Rolex and a new gold grill. Jogging down the steps “who is this guy?” Sofia asked with Cartier in her arms “he is a new friend, Nav. My man” dapping him “Cassius, good seeing my brother” Sofia is just staring at me up and down “show me, I am excited” I was upset that my new baby had to go into a garage already but that was because I wanted to change colour “you will be happy Cassius” stepping outside “I like the Bentley and Range, matching and all that” nodding my head laughing “the Range is my girl’ car so she drive that but I want to see the mean bitch” seeing my new Lamborghini being driven off of the back of the truck “ooohhh shiit, look at her!” jogging over to my car as a guy got out of the car “For you” he said “this is fucking dope, I wanted it black. I am sick of white, shit gets dirty too quick. The rims” leaning down and touching the rims “this is dope Nav, you know I got you. I think the neighbours think I am selling dope, ain’t nobody rattled their cage, I don’t think they like the engine noise” dapping Nav again “they just jealous, I thought I would come out for this” Louis is stood right behind Nav, they are so untrustworthy about people “don’t mind him, he is with me” Nav just stared up at Louis “he is scary, damn” he moved to the side of me “not to be messed with but thank you” I got my new car.

“I have never seen this like in person Cassius, what!?” Mia spat, touching my Lamborghini “beautiful ain’t it?” Mia walked over to my new car “wow, this is beautiful. Oh my god, can I sit inside!?” she asked, I nodded my head “you remind me of a light skinned rapper. Look at you” Olivia said, Sofia just stared at me confused “what is this?” she questioned “my new car, look at it” she doesn’t seem pleased with it “I mean nice but why?” I shrugged “treating myself I guess” picking Cartier out of Sofia’ arms “me and the boy riding in this, you know how we do big boy” kissing his cheek “this shit is so low down but wow, it’s beautiful Cassius. The car looks amazing” Mia complimented “appreciate it, don’t we dada? This is mine and yours” crouching down at the side of the car, placing him in the passenger seat sitting him back “me and you son, forever. We going to show niggas on these streets, ain’t nobody going to fuck with us” Cartier is just looking around his surroundings “who is this big guy?” Olivia asked “Cassius friend” Sofia said “you don’t need to ever dream of something, because I will make it a reality for you” I smiled at him “you have been busy, you can drop me off at work. I need to see Gio” Sofia walked off saying.

I am going to kill him, I told him to not smoke in this room. He says it’s not Cartier’ room but he stays most of the time here, he is so annoying. Throwing the mess of blunt from the side if the bed table into the trash, he is draining at times. I understand he is having to do a lot, he is also getting a lot of money delivered to the home, he is up to something and now I know what. He has been spending, which I don’t mind. It’s his money but people are seeing these big guys outside, expensive cars and duffle bags coming here, he needs to be careful. He has been busy with whatever he is doing and I just feel like I am left with the wedding, he just wants to turn up. Like he doesn’t care and I don’t like that feeling, I want some sort of effort from him. I don’t understand why he is even getting duffle bags when the money should be filtered, I am learning these things. He is doing something more than spending and I don’t know what it is but I am waiting.

I will have a talk with him in the car, if I can because to be honest I think he will be too happy about his new car “do I look ok? I am not that dressed up but am I ok?” Cassius pulled a face “I mean you look good, no denying it but your legs are on show, you got nothing under that?” lifting up his hoodie “I got booty shorts on, you can’t really see anything. It’s a quick meeting. You just need to wait outside for me, thank you” Cassius doesn’t look pleased, I don’t know why and it’s not nice “why do you want me to go?” I just turned on my heels “girls, I will be back. Just need to do this” he will soon follow on, I don’t know what his issue is, there is something bugging him and I know him. Picking my bag up from the side, if I leave this house and he is not behind me I will be angry. Hearing Cassius clear his throat behind me “I will take the new car” he said behind me, I knew he would come up.

This car is so low down, it’s like it’s on the ground. Putting my belt on “do you like my car?” Cassius asked as he put the engine on, it roared as he did “that does sound nice actually” I smiled at him “better than hearing you moan” rolling my eyes at him “sure, I sound better than that” glaring over at him as he put his foot down “Cassius!” I spat, my body flew back into this seat “it’s good though, sexy ain’t it?” he’s only smiling because of this car “it’s just a car that makes a lot of noise, but it’s cute. You know, you have been a little off with me, I said I am here for you. I have told you this, I am here when you need me. Just I feel a little sad with the fact you distance yourself when it comes to the wedding. I don’t feel you are fully there with me, this is what makes me sad and hurt Cassius” I am going to express my feelings whether he likes it or not, he has been a little distant with me “I just have a lot going on, it’s nothing bad” it’s bad when he is not there for me “and you don’t smoke a blunt in the room. What I tell you about that, stop it” he is so aggy at times “it’s my room too, I ain’t do it when he is there. He has his own room Sofia” what don’t he get “I want you to stop having blunts, clearly you don’t know how to act” Cassius rolled his eyes and I saw him do it “I can act, you just fussing” he mumbled “fussing? Is that what you call it, just drive” I said shaking my head.

I hate this car, shit is too damn low and then pulling the stupid door down, I huffed out after just managing to do it “break the door, can’t you just close it like a normal person” he is so sensitive about this stupid car “you know what Cassius, go. Drive off, I don’t need you to drive me back but I mean what I say, stop having blunts” Cassius turned his head not saying a thing, walking towards the building and hearing the engine roar as he went. I rather catch a cab, you never know Gio may take me back home “hey” I said to the receptionist “welcome” she opened the gate for me, I have Cassius on my mind. I know he has so much on his mind but I am here for him. I want him to speak to me, why won’t he just talk to me. He just won’t speak to me, he stresses me out sometimes. I mean he has been the best but it’s like now he is just not letting me help him.

I do think sometimes if it’s good to work here at the building, it seems so nice and chilled. Smiling at this girl as she smiled at me “Sofia, you’re early. I will be with you, see me inside” smiling at him as I made me way to his office “missed your legs” I thought he would be gone “I thought you would be gone by now” sitting down on the chair “I am forever here, in all seriousness. It’s good to see you, how are you?” Jordan is so fake “I am fine” holding my hand up “engaged” smiling at him, he just smiled at me, a pained smile nodding his head “nice, it’s funny what money can buy a woman” I sniggered “buy me?” I pointed at myself “oh no hunny, you can’t afford me. It’s called being in love, I don’t think you have formally met him. If you want too, I will be happy to introduce you both. But I think you should ask your friend before that happens, I am sure he has told you to stay clear” he thinks he is fucking clever every time “Sofia! I am so glad you came” I winked at Jordan as I got up “you know me, I love seeing you” hugging him.

We never speak on work when I come here, I spend more time talking shit to him “sometimes I just want to turn lesbian, men can be so hormonal at times. But I am going to invite you to Hawaii, for our wedding. I mean it is happening, I know I complain but I love him” Gio cooed out “I know you won’t leave him, not because you can’t just meet any man but because you love him and that is sweet. Love is rare but I feel the same way about women, they be so bipolar at times, I am glad to be gay. Oh was you happy with your pay?” Gio asked “oh my god yes, I mean I know it pays well but that is good. Did they really like it? It’s funny because I had so much going on when I did it. But yes, I bought Cartier a little something with it. I was so happy, thank you” the door opened behind us “Gio, this guy jumped the barrier and is not-” the door flew open “you said quick” Cassius walked in “I also told you to go, me and Gio are talking” what is he even doing, Gio rushed around his desk “I know him, it’s ok. Cassius! Looking well, looking like those rich rappers” Gio hugged Cassius and I had to laugh, like this is so funny to me “y’all just drink wine? I thought this was work?” I shrugged “we gossip” turning around in the seat “mostly about how men can be trash, Cassius just go” I did say for him to go.

Cassius didn’t leave which cut the conversation short, Cassius is just sat here being awkward “so this needs to be complete in a month, so this needs to be in by the end of the week” Gio said, nodding my head “I guess so, shall we go?” getting up from the chair, he could have gone and then Gio and I could just talk but no “It was so nice seeing you Cassius, honestly” Gio opened the door for me, Jordan is stood right there and then stepped to the side “you two met before right?” Jordan looked at me like I wasn’t speaking to him “this is my fiancé, Jordan was telling me that you missed my what again?” Jordan froze “uh, I didn’t say such a thing” fuck him, I will snitch “aye!” Cassius said “aye, look at me. You got something to say?” Jordan shook his head “you seemed like a real dickhead in the car park that time, I remember shit like that. Did you say you missed her?” Jordan shook his head, he is such a liar “I will break your fingers and feed it to your dog, and let your dad watch while I do that. You will have no eyes if you look at her again” Jordan’ face dropped “how do you know I have a dog?” He said in disbelief “don’t fuck with what is mines, got it?” smiling at him as I walked off, I am sure he won’t look at me now or say a word.

I guess he did wait so I will go home with him, I slammed the car door shut “why do you do that!?” he spat “I am a little person, I can’t do it any other way” I barked back “I am sorry” he said to me “sorry doesn’t fix your attitude does it?” which it doesn’t “I have a lot going on right now, I have had some decisions I needed to make personally. I get stressed out, it’s hard to be normal and then doing something fucked up. I am not angry at you or anyone else, it’s just hard” turning in the seat to face him “tell me, I am here for you. I am your wife, a wife knows everything” Cassius shook his head “it’s over with” he is lying “but it’s not, talk to me Cassius” it ain’t over like he thinks because his mood is still shit “I got the insurance money from the fire at the house, I took the money and bought this, jewellery and then bought Bryce” blinking at Cassius several times before I could comprehend what he just said “you bought what? That last line needs repeating” I didn’t catch it right “I bought Bryce” he repeated “like you paid cash and got him? Did he get kidnapped? I mean is there something missing here?” I am confused “I contacted Carnell, I said for him to get out of my city and leave Bryce. He said no, then I gave him a price and he agreed. He is going back to his mother” my mouth hung open staring at Cassius “you did the opposite of what I said?” he really didn’t do anything I said “I kill people that betray me, they are alive. That is lucky for them” looking at Cassius in sadness.

This is hard to take in, he bought Bryce. I mean fuck the rest, Carnell sold a child for nothing “how do you know Celine wants him? She can’t be good for him” what if he she don’t want him “she cried on the phone, she wants him. I know” he looks so deflated “I don’t want you speaking to her Cassius, what the hell!? She is the same one making up shit in your mind, she likes you and you call her?” what is wrong with him “I wanted to know Bryce was ok, that is all I care for” nodding my head “ok so you took the insurance money, you bought this. Is there a reason why you wanted to buy?” He doesn’t really buy this much, it’s not him “because it’s mine Sofia, from all of the shit I been through. It’s mine, that home is mine. I was the dad, I ain’t giving shit to them now. I ain’t doing it, I am not their dad, I am not Monique’ husband. I am not doing it, ok?” Cassius voice broke saying that “I ain’t doing it because I am not nice anymore, I think what hurt me is that he took that money for Bryce. He sold me like that, to the streets he did that to me. Just that I made it work for me, but if I wasn’t strong I would be dead. I am not angry at you or anyone else but I have a lot on my mind, I don’t want to upset you. So I am sorry if I did” placing my hand on his arm “Cassius, I just want you to talk to me. I understand why you didn’t, I do. You’re not a bad guy so don’t think that of yourself. I just want you to talk to me about it. You’re a great guy and I love you. Your dad doesn’t scare you anymore, that respect left a while ago now. I support you Cassius, you ain’t done bad” Cassius smiled at me “I do care Sofia, you know me. I hope you do now, I just be trying to do a lot of things” I understand, he just never speaks to me like he should.

Cassius can be very ruthless when he wants to be, I don’t think I have seen that nice boss Cassius in a while now. I am sad for him but I can only support him and I do, reaching over and grabbing his hand that was on his lap “you’re the first girl to be in this car” frowning at him saying that “liar, Mia sat her fat ass in this” so that is bullshit “she don’t count, but yeah I am sorry. Olivia near bit my head off and was like you ain’t making no effort, you’re upsetting my friend. I took it, I ain’t want to upset you. I try and stay away from you with all of that but thank you for understanding, it’s probably annoying on your side” I shrugged “I just like you to talk to me, I like to feel involved. I mean my advice is just dumb anyways but I am always rooting for you, you scared Jordan anyways. Thanks” I am glad he did that, I don’t think he will look at me anymore “he saw me storm onto the floor, like he didn’t say shit. I was annoyed. Ethan called me, and told me that he saw my mom and she had a black eye but it ain’t my problem but I was still heated” my face softened “your mom is a grown woman, she should walk away. This is not on you at all” Cassius bought my hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to my hand “I got my own family now” it will bug him but Monique is a grown ass woman.

Cassius parked his new car on the drive “I think your car does make a nice addition to what we have, she is cute” let me compliment his car and mean it “why can’t you say sexy?” he turned the engine off “because I am the sexy one, that is why” I smiled “but I am saying sexy because you are here in the car with me, come on” I cooed out “thank you baby, you know Cassius with me. I just like to know, or I just think it’s something else” Cassius got his phone out “I know but sometimes I don’t want to drag you in with the bullshit, I find it hard sometimes” he likes to be secretive “I love you baby” leaning over the panel to kiss him “look at me” I whined out “taking a picture of us” Cassius said, looking over at him pointing his phone at us “no way, you’re taking a picture of us? You’re taking a picture of us!?” I repeated “you hate pictures” I am shocked “I am trying, I want to put you on Insta. Can I?” I cooed “yes baby you can, look at me” I said to him, he looked over at me. I pecked his lips “you can do what you like Cassius, just know that I see the changes with you. Just I want to help you” Cassius grinned at me “you mean a lot to me, I don’t know what person I would have been without you” he said, he means so much to me.

[yellowsugarwords]

I've noticed you made a Luke, Nick, and Clem reunion... What if, say, I don't know, Duck was still alive? (I don't know how many people liked him, but he deserved to LIVE.)

I actually have a handful of requests asking for this so here you goooooo more reunion stuff!!! and you’re so right his death hurt

It felt like Clementine’s luck that for years she had been stuck with no one but Duck as a partner.

She was thankful for the company.

Not for Duck himself.

When AJ came along, that started to change.

He became less annoying. More concerned.

He took on a more parental role.

He became Clementine’s equal, not child.

Clementine had appreciated it.

Maybe that was why arriving at Ericson felt bittersweet.

For ages she had been praying to stumble across another community they could call home.

So she wouldn’t be co-parenting with Duck.

But that was before Duck had grown up.

Why were her old wishes coming true now?

She still had plenty that had gone unanswered.

She had wished for Lee to revive. It hadn’t come true.

She wanted Kenny to make it. He didn’t.

She wanted Christa to come back. She vanished.

Her wishes never came true.

But that one, for some reason, came true years later.

It wasn’t the only one.

“There’s someone outside.”

“What?” Marlon scoffed, staring up at Aasim.

He was in the guard tower on lookout.

“There are two adults. They’re a ways back, but getting closer.”

“Seriously?” Louis asked, panicked, scurrying forward.

Duck approached from behind, wandering up beside Clem.

A pace behind him was AJ.

“I’ll look into it,” Clem said.

Duck reached out and snagged her arm.

She stopped, recognizing the grip.

She had grown up with him. He was like her brother.

She knew his grip, his cough, his laugh.

She knew him cover to cover.

“You can’t go alone,” he said, brows curled. “I’ll go with you.”

“You need to stay with AJ,” she said, wriggling her arm out.

Duck huffed and started after her.

Louis wandered back, keeping AJ behind him.

Clementine stopped at the gates, hands on her hips, staring down the faint figures.

They were a fair distance away, and we were walking relatively slow.

Frankly, they didn’t seem like too much of a threat.

In the sense that Clem could take them if they were violent.

They didn’t seem too strong from their slow movements.

“What’s the plan?” Duck asked over her shoulder.

Clementine wasn’t surprised he hadn’t listened to her.

He was stubborn. She expected as much.

“Wait,” she said, reaching into her back pocket and removing her axe.

As they drew closer, her shoulders lessened.

Duck could sense it.

“What?” He asked, not looking.

Clem paused. “They don’t seem dangerous.”

“What makes you say that?”

She squinted. “They’re off.”

Duck didn’t know what she meant.

But Clementine was often vague.

He didn’t question it.

A moment passed.

Her eyes squinted.

Her lips parted.

She said nothing.

Duck followed her lead a beat later.

He was always a little slower.

“It’s them,” Clem breathed.

Duck stayed silent.

They unlatched the gate and stepped outside.

And they waited.

Hoping.

Praying.

Nobody questioned it.

They thought they were “dealing with it.”

Another moment passed.

The two’s walking had grown slower.

“Please come closer,” Clem pleaded.

It sounded more desperate than she had intended.

Her voice sounded too familiar.

Their shoulders perked.

Through the forest fog they could tell.

And the strangers continued.

Faster this time.

Urgently.

Like they knew too.

Then, they stopped.

And the cotton air parted.

And there they stood.

A foot away from each other.

Luke and Nick.

And Clem and Duck.

They said nothing.

They just

Stared.

For ages.

The two who had fought to keep them alive were here.

Were there.

Living and breathing.

And Clementine cried.

Duck hadn’t seen her cry in years.

Behind them, he could feel everyone watching.

Especially AJ.

Duck didn’t cry.

He watched Clem sob into her palms.

She brokenly stumbled forward.

And, like he had years prior, Luke opened his arms and held her together.

His jaw was agape.

Silent tears rolled down his own face.

But he put Clementine first.

He always did.

“Heya kiddo,” he managed out.

His tongue was clammed up.

Duck and Nick made eye contact.

Nick smiled first.

Duck followed.

Nick made the first move.

He started forward, a hand out, wanting to meet him halfway.

Duck abandoned it.

He started forward, arms wide.

Nick met him halfway.

Marlon started forward, watching their tearful exchange through a confused lense.

Clem and Luke’s embrace continued.

Duck and Nick had parted, beaming.

Nick pat his shoulder.

Duck chuckled, his joy seeping.

Pulling away from Luke, their whimpers fluttering, Clem turned.

She wiped her happiness onto her sleeve. “Sorry guys,”

Louis was beaming as much as they were.

Their joy was contagious.

For him it always was.

“This is Luke and Nick,” Clem said, gesturing to the two.

Marlon and Violet remained stuck.

Stone-cold.

Skeptical.

“They took care of Duck and I for a while.”

Shifting her attention to AJ, her smile grew warmer.

“They knew your mom.” She said through happy sniffles.

AJ’s eyes glimmered.

The burst with new life.

That was all the rest of them needed.

Marlon’s expression faded with warmth.

Violet’s cold demeanour crumbled, and her crossed arms fell.

They loosened immediately.

“Come on in,” Marlon said, holding the gate back. “We should introduce you.”

Luke smiled, his arm locked around Clem. “We’d love that.”

Clementine’s grip on the back of Luke’s jacket tightened in her fist.

She turned, snagging a glance of Duck.

His gaze met hers.

He saw her smile, so genuine and lovely.

So teary and happy.

He had never seen her that happy.

Not since they were kids.

Then, he cried.

Only then.

Then, Clem reached out and clung to him too.

Her family.

That’s who she would always cling to.

That’s who they would always cling to.

[drpepperwithcream]

Headcanons for if certain ships had babies

Hello! It’s your friendly, neighborhood content dealer friend and I wanted to mix three ships with my headcanon goodness and wrap it all up in a nice “little” master post instead of three separate ones. So if y’all wanted some adorable Clouis/Violentine/Marlontine content, here you go :)

(Imagine adults never found them because they are hidden in the woods. Everything is all fine and dandy and all the kids are alive. I’m just dealing providing wholesome content)

Louis

Louis couldn’t stop smiling when Clem brought it up.

He always wanted kids.

Loves the crap out of AJ.

“I’m thinking we name it LJ if it’s a boy, and CJ if it’s a girl.”

“Louis, no.”

“I like the sound of Louis Junior.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Alright fine, I like Louise, too.”

(Shout out to the lovely artist who drew Louis, Clem, and Louise, super cute! I won’t be using Louise, because to me it kinda feels like I’m stealing the name. Again, I adore your work, love!)

Louis gets super cuddly with Clem, like 10 times more cuddly.

Sometimes it annoys her.

Always says she’s glowing, even when she feels like shit.

Found a “teacher of the year mug” and scribbled out “teacher” and wrote “father.“

Louis doesn’t use it, but Clementine does for coffee.

Found a baby carrier and wore it all day to “break it in” and “prepare” for when the baby arrives.

He put Chairles in it.

Also tried to put AJ in it, but almost broke it.

Is 100% prepared with dad jokes and tries them out on AJ and Clem all the time.

AJ laughs

Clementine rolls her eyes.

He likes to hum to Clem and the baby.

Sometimes he’ll tell dad jokes to the baby, mostly when Clem’s asleep so she’s not annoyed with him.

He loves feeling the baby kick.

“The baby kicked me, that means it likes my jokes!”

Is super calm and relaxed throughout the whole pregnancy.

They were both in the piano room late at night and Louis was playing to the baby.

Clementine’s water broke after he finished the song.

Louis went into full panic.

“Shit, Clem, what do we do?! Are you hurt?! Is it coming out now?!”

“Fucking get Ruby, you idiot!”

Louis was panicking so much.

He woke up the entire school.

“Louis, calm the fuck down!” said everyone, mostly Clem.

He hated seeing her in so much pain.

They had a boy.

“How about Louis II?”

“No.”

“Worth a shot.”

“You’re such a dad.”

Louis wanted the name to be music-themed, Clem liked the idea.

They settled on Elliot after Duke Ellington, a famous pianist.

Louis did a history report on Duke Ellington, that's how he knows him.

Middle name is Ed, after her father.

Louis has researched a bunch of current and old music artists before everything because he LOVES music and used to spend his day in the music room reading music books.

Even before the pregnancy, he already had nicknamed AJ “AJ Charles” (Ray Charles)

A few years later, Louis and Clementine are watching AJ and Elliot sleep.

“They’re so quiet when they sleep,” Louis said.

“Yeah, they are. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” she said. They both were exhausted after hours of trying to get them to fall asleep.

“I don’t know, I think one more would be perfect,” Louis said.

Clementine agreed.

Louis, again, was calm during the second pregnancy.

Until her water broke.

Louis didn’t know what to expect the first time around, but now knowing all the bad stuff that could happen, he was freaking out twice as much as last time.

They had a baby girl.

Louis tried for CJ, Clementine II, and Louise.

Clem said no again, wanted to keep the music-themed names and asked Louis about other artists he knew.

Settled on Holly (Billie Holiday, famous jazz singer).

Middle name is Diana, after her mom.

Elliot is more like Clementine, serious and stuff.

Holly is more like Louis, goofy and silly.

The five of them are one, big happy family.

Violet (It’s more story than baby, but still cute)

Clem, Violet, and Ruby were fishing today.

They see that the shack by the stream has been broken into.

They enter the shack and see a very pregnant woman on the bed.

She says that she’s going into labor.

Ruby went back to the school to let the other kids know.

Violet and Clem went to help the woman up and help her back to the school.

Clementine tells the woman to breathe.

Violet is surprised at how calm Clem is.

They get her back to the school.

The kids were all hesitant to bring her in, she’s the first adult they’ve seen in a while.

Clementine told Marlon to keep a lookout for walkers while she gives birth.

Clem and Vi got her inside and brought her to the nurse’s office.

Once they got her to lay down on the bed, her contractions lessen.

“Braxton hicks.”

“How the hell do you know that?” Violet asked.

“I was with a woman who was pregnant when I was younger. She had those, too.” Clementine explained.

The woman said her name was Carmen.

All the kids agree to have Carmen stay and have her baby.

Clementine and Violet were stargazing a couple nights later on the front steps, making up constellations and signs that night all wrapped in a blanket and cuddly.

They kissed.

Heard an “Aw” and turned to see Carmen in the doorway.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to spy, just you both remind me of me and my wife.”

They ended up talking about Carmen’s wife, her baby, constellations, and they felt the baby kick.

Violet couldn’t help but smile.

Clem has never seen her light up like she did.

“It’s cool, right?” Clementine asked.

“It feels like a tiny punch,” Violet said. “I bet it’s going to kick ass when it’s older.”

At the end of the night, Carmen asked for Clementine and Violet to be her baby’s godparents in case she didn’t make it.

They both agreed.

They all hugged, it was a very sweet moment.

Carmen went into labor that morning

Clem and Vi held her hands while she pushed.

Carmen gave birth to a boy.

Carmen soon died afterward.

Clementine nearly got her arm bitten off because they didn’t know she died until she attacked Clem.

Violet used her meat cleaver to kill Carmen

They then looked at each other, realizing that they’re now parents.

Clementine and Violet held each other for a moment, they didn’t talk, they just mourned the death of a new friend and dealing with the feeling of parenthood.

Clementine then went to hold their new baby.

She held him first.

He was sleeping.

Violet went to go inform the others.

When she came back she found Clem humming to the baby.

“Vi, do you want to hold him?”

“Wha-? No- I-”

“Trust me, you’ll like it.”

Clem gave Violet the baby.

Vi couldn’t help but smile seeing it’s cute, little face.

The baby wrapped his tiny hand around Vi’s finger.

Clem presses a kiss against her temple.

“Got any ideas for names?” Vi asked.

“No clue.”

They wanted it to start with “C.“

They settled on Cameron.

They all buried Carmen’s body by the greenhouse.

Cameron was very fussy for the first few weeks.

“Clem, how the hell did you do this with AJ?”

“This is nothing compared to AJ.”

AJ was happy with a little brother.

Violet likes to hum Cameron to sleep.

Clem likes to read to Cameron.

Sometimes Vi and Clem will make up a story to tell Cameron.

Cameron’s face would light up seeing Vi and Clem.

Violet will cut someone’s head off if they threaten Cameron. This usually applies to walkers.

Clem gets called Mom.

Vi gets called Mommy.

Cameron 100% acts like Violet and follows her around.

Clementine thinks it’s hilarious.

Violet was annoyed at first, but eventually found it cute.

Cameron runs to Clem when he’s scared or hurt.

They are a cute lesbian couple raising a cute child.

Marlon (ft. Rosie)

Is 100% prepared and ready in case Rosie somehow got pregnant and had puppies, but isn’t ready for him and Clem to have one.

Flabbergasted when Clem brought it up.

He thought AJ was enough.

He was more concerned if Clem really wanted to do this, he didn’t want to lose her.

Clementine assured him that she’d be fine, but she was a bit scared, too.

Marlon never really thought about kids of his own.

If he ever did have a kid or kids, he had no idea what he’d name them.

Except if it was a girl, then her name would be Hailie.

He likes the name (also because it’s Eminem’s daughter’s name and Paramore is his guilty pleasure).

Dropped the name out of nowhere to get Clem’s thoughts on it. 

She loved it.

Marlon becomes extremely protective of Clementine during her pregnancy, especially later in the pregnancy when she starts showing, then really showing.

Rosie gets extra cuddly with Clem because dogs senses are wild af, and it sometimes makes Marlon jealous.

Marlon likes to cuddle with her too, his hand would usually rest on her stomach.

When Clementine asked him about boy names, he thought about his older brother.

His was a troublemaker, much older than him (early high school when he got sent to Ericsons), and tended to be an ass towards him. His brother was furious when their parents sent Marlon to the boarding school and he was the only one who sent Marlon stuff (such as Eminem music).

It felt like he was the only one who cared, but he never came to visit him.

Never said anything about him to Clem. He’d use his brother’s name as a last ditch effort if they couldn’t find one they both liked.

He thought it’d be weird to use his brother’s name in general.

“You should talk to the baby.”

“I should?”

“Yeah, I think it’d want to hear from dad.”

Dad. He liked the sound of that.

“Uh… hi, squirt.”

He felt awkward.

He loved hearing her chuckles though.

He felt the baby kick, mostly when they’d cuddle and his hand rested on her stomach.

He was going to remember that feeling forever.

He asked AJ what he thought the baby was going to be, he said a boy because he wanted a brother.

He liked the idea of having a son.

He looked at Clem and would love to have a baby girl if she grew up to be like her.

She went into labor while he was out hunting with Louis and Aasim.

He came back two hours later to a frantic Willy, telling him that she went into labor.

Clementine called him an asshole when he finally came to her side.

Marlon felt like an ass for not being there.

He felt like his hand was going to break when Clem began pushing.

It was a girl.

While Clem was holding her, Marlon helped clean up.

He asked Ruby to check his hand to make sure it wasn’t broken.

He went back to the room and couldn’t help but smile.

He sat next to her on the bed.

Clementine asked if he wanted to hold her.

He did, but he made her promise to not fall asleep. He was afraid she’d die.

She gave out a tired nod.

Their baby was so small, he was scared he’d break her.

“She’s got so much hair.”

“She does… you’re not allowed to cut her hair.”

Marlon chuckled, he was too happy to be pissed at that comment.

“She looks like a Hailie.”

“I love it.”

“I love both of you.”

Clementine ended up falling asleep from exhaustion.

Marlon asked Ruby twice to make sure Clementine was healthy and well.

He may or may not have shed a tear while holding her in her arms while Clem slept against him.

She was beautiful, just like her mother.

AJ was still happy that he had a baby sister.

When they introduced Hailie to Rosie, Clementine was slightly worried she’d bite her.

Rosie sniffed her face then licked her and she began crying.

Rosie loves to cuddle with the baby.

When Marlon or Clementine needed to do something, they’ll prop Hailie against Rosie and have AJ keep an eye on her so she doesn’t fall.

Rosie will lay down next to the baby when she’s sleeping.

Rosie and Hailie become best friends when she gets older.

Hailie is just like her mom in almost every way.

Especially her being a daddy’s girl.

Asks Marlon to give her a piggyback ride at least five times a day

Pretends to shoot arrows to be like her dad.

Clementine found Marlon practicing his shot with his bow and Hailie next to him pretending to have a bow and pretending to shoot arrows at the target.

Marlon tells her that she gets a bullseye every time.

Clementine thought it was the cutest thing ever.

They’re a bunch of cuties!

Hope you enjoyed! Now savor it!

[hbwbyniall]

“I didn’t think you could get any less romantic…”

“I didn’t think you could get any less romantic…”

Niall rollshis eyes but Harry can see it. It’s not like he’s hiding his displeasure forthis situation, Harry or anything related to this wedding. And Harry ispatient, he has to be, it’s his job after all. He has dealt with these kind ofpeople enough times before to know how to make them participate, but Niall’scynicism is really getting on his nerves.

Harry hasworked with frat-boys as the best mans that seem to find everything to be ajoke, but after some chats alone, they would break in tears telling him howmuch they love their friend and how proud they are of them. He has deal withbridesmaid’s in love with the groom and has stopped disasters more times thathe can count, he’s had alcoholic fathers, long-lost relatives, wedding crashersand even animals in the equations, but conversations are not working with Niall.He barely listens to him but nods at the right times to pretend to be payingattention. It’s exasperating, almost like he’s trying to sabotage this wedding.

He playsaround, never listens to Harry and eats the testing food but gives zero reviewsabout it. He even finished all the glasses of wine before Eleanor could evenget to the venue the first couple of weeks of the wedding planning. But then,there are other times when Harry finds him sitting alone, looking at the wall,absorbed in his own mind until he would heard Harry walk in and proceed to makefun of his shoes or shirts even if he has the exact items according to thephotos Louis gave to him for the wedding album.

And it’sfrustrating because the first time Harry saw him, he took his breath away withthat strong chin and those beautiful blue eyes, especially with that wide smilewhen he kissed Eleanor’s cheek and hugged Louis longer than necessary. Hewasn’t gonna do anything about it. Harry is a professional and the onlyconnection he has with these people is the fact that he’s the wedding planner –even if they have actually become friends in the last six months –, he wasn’t goingto act based on attraction, but that wasn’t necessary the moment the two ofthem were left alone and Niall wouldn’t even let Harry finish with his ideasfor the reception when he sarcastically laughed at him and looked at his phonefor the rest of the hours they had scheduled.

“What areyou talking about, mate?” Niall laughs, holding Lottie’s hand and making her spina couple of times. “I’m not gonna be romantic with Tommo’s little sister.”

Charlottefrowns and slaps him on the arm, Harry wishes he could do that too.

“The onlything you have to do is walk her by the arm to the altar and split in differentdirections, Niall.” Harry says, holding onto the last bit of self-control hehas, otherwise, he would explode. “We’ve been trying to do this for the lastforty minutes, everyone would appreciate it if you stop fooling around andstart to cooperate.”

Niall turnshis head to see the rest of the best men and bridesmaid looking at their phonesand chatting with each other, obviously trying to prove Harry wrong. He sighsand Niall smirks, like he enjoys making Harry suffer. This is the leastfavorite part of his job, when Harry and his mom decided to open awedding-planning business they thought everything would be a daily display oflove and happiness, but the things he had seen, the things he had heard, thepeople he has met. Not everything is flowers and rainbows and most people justwant a beautiful wedding instead of a meaningful marriage.

Harry isabout to pull his own hair out when Louis and Eleanor walk in, holding hands,smiling like they’re just three months in of his relationship and Harry thinksthey may be his favorite couple so far. Niall is looking at them as well, witha big smile on his face and holding Lottie by the arm, walking her down thealtar just like Harry indicated an hour ago. The rest of the bridesmaids andbest men follow their steps.

“How’severything going?” Louis asks, letting Eleanor on the other side of the room ashe walks and stands next to Niall.

“Wonderfully.”Niall says, pretentious tone in his voice as he looks at Harry. “Our friendHarold here is doing an amazing job.”

Louissmiles at him and Harry nods in return, because even if Niall is not sincere,Louis is, and that’s enough for him, he’s the one that truly matters, not thestupid prick that the best man is, at least only with him because he seems totransform when any other person is around, especially Anne, Harry’s mom, whoseems to love him and laughs at him every time Harry complains about the Irishman.

Eleanorwalks down the aisle, making faces at Louis as he looks at the floor to keephimself from laughing but Niall is right there, sending kisses and she pretendsto catch them. How is that someone this sweet can behave like an asshole mostof the time? Harry will never know the answer.

Therehearsal ends forty minutes later than Harry anticipated, giving them only twohours to change for the dinner rehearsal at the other salon in the hotel.Lottie and Sophia drag Harry to the hallway out of the room and they give him ahard drive with the presentation they made for Eleanor to be played at thedinner later, Harry nods and puts it in his pocket to check it when he gets inhis room.

He reminds eachperson that dinner is at 8 o’clock asthey leave the room, and of course, Niall is still inside, maybe he knows Harryhas to close the room and give the key to the Hotel’s manager and he just wantshim to wait longer.

Harry opensthe door and finds him facing the window wall, looking somewhere down the city.He clears his throat to make him notice his presence but he’s doing that thingagain when he zones out and everything else disappears around him. Harry findshim annoying, but for some reason, this time it feels sad.

“I have toclose the room,” he tries again, and Niall seems to wake up, blinkingrepeatedly as he turns to face Harry.

“Yeah,sorry.”

He takeshis jacket from the back of one of the chairs piled at the end of the room andleaves. And that’s the nicest thing he has said to Harry yet.

*

Harry isstanding in a corner of the salon, laughing as he looks at the pics of Eleanorand Louis’ sisters in the projector. It’s a good thing after the tears everyoneshared after the twins played the video their mom left for Louis and Eleanorbecause she knew they were gonna end up together, eventually. Harry thought itwas better to play it the day after tomorrow, the actual day of the wedding.But they begged saying they could play it at the wedding too and he couldn’tsay no.

It wasworth it, the way everyone held their breath when her face showed up in theprojector and she started speaking.

Louis, my beautiful boy…

And hecried but Niall was there to hold him and Eleanor kissed him. The things hismother said, the love in her eyes and his voice, made Harry cry too, feelingincredibly grateful to have his mom with him. The room was silent until thechildhood photos popped up and everyone started laughing.

Louis waskissing his sisters, with the little ones on each leg as they wiped up thetears on his face and laughed about memories they don’t have, Eleanor holdinghis hand. It’s a beautiful picture and Harry is so happy he can witness it.

“You shouldhave warned me about Jay’s video.”

Harryjumps, spilling some of the champagne on the floor and curses, hoping it won’tlighten up the wood of the floor. He turns to his right finding Niall in ablack suit, looking gorgeous with his red nose and red eyes.

“Phoebecame to me asking for permission. I didn’t see it until now.” He answers andNiall nods, rubbing his eyes and Harry wants to take his hands off it so hewon’t hurt himself.

“It wasperfect. Louis’ biggest regret is his mom missing his wedding. They weren’ttogether when his mom…” Niall clears his throat and now it’s Harry’s turn tonod, letting him know that he is listening, “with that video, somehow, it’slike…”

“She’shere.” Harry finishes for him because his voice is trembling. Niall nods again.

“The placelooks incredible.” Niall says, looking at the chandelier over their heads andthe decoration of the tables.

“Do I haveyour approval now?” Harry says sarcastically.

“You’re notthat lucky.” Niall winks at him, walking to the bar and Harry wishes he doesn’tlook as red as his face feels.

*

“It’sfunny.” Eleanor says as she hands Louis a glass of champagne.

He smilesat her, like the moon itself is on her eyes and backs up the chair so she cansit on his lap, and she does so, gracefully. “What is?”

“How Nialllooks like a lost puppy whenever Harry is around.” She laughs and points to theother side of the room where Niall is playing with Ernest while stealingglances of Harry organizing the waitresses.

Louislaughs too, loud and hard and full of joy. It’s a good day, he has his futurewife with him, his son will be arriving any time tomorrow and his best friendseems to be remember how life can be if you let things go.

“Poorthing, it’s been a while since he liked someone.” Eleanor takes a sip of herdrink and Louis snuggles her closer.

“It’sgetting better,” Louis sighs, “He’s been more talkative and he’s actually beencontributing the last couple of weeks with the wedding thing.”

Eleanornods, kissing Louis in the cheek, suddenly remembering a similar situation twoyears ago. Niall looked so happy at this rehearsal dinner, greeting all of hisfamily, laughing with his friends of college, introducing his brother’s son toeveryone. Louis wanted to tell him about the engagement in that moment, butEleanor wanted to wait so they wouldn’t take the spotlight off them. And it wasa good thing they did.

Sometimes,Eleanor thinks that she should have ended things at the rehearsal dinner. Couldhave been simpler. It doesn’t matter what Niall or Louis say, she hates herbecause she stole Niall from a lot of things and then, left him there withoutnothing other than pain. And yeah, she was there when she met Niall but he washer friend, not her.

“I justwant him to be happy.” Eleanor sighs, looking at Niall across the room. He’snot fully looking at Harry with the same expression he had when they first met.Speechless but also annoyed, like he doesn’t want to be attracted to him butHarry is not making it easy for him, being all charming and cute all the time.

“He’sgetting there!” Louis says, confident. Pointing at Niall debating on going Harry’sdirection or coming to talk to the couple. Louis nods in his direction andNiall rolls his eyes, trying to hide his face behind his drink.

“Rememberthe first time he saw Harry?” Eleanor laughs in Louis’ ear, resting her arm onhis shoulder. Louis laughs, nodding again. “He literally had his mouth open.”

“And thentried to ignore him for the rest of the day,” Niall takes some steps at thedistance, stopping to talk to some people on his way but his eyes never leaveHarry.

“We shouldgive Harry a bonus for bringing Niall to the real world,” Eleanor smiles,blowing kisses at Niall every time he turns to them, like looking for approval,“I didn’t even know he was ready for dating again.”

“I don’tthink he was, but Harry didn’t give him a choice, did he?” Louis says, lookingat Eleanor for what seems to be the first time the whole night. They have beenbusy, but not in a stressful way – thanks to Harry – in a lovable tired kind ofway, like a long day after hiking or touring a new city. They’re excited.

“It’s socute when Niall gets frustrated and mad because he doesn’t know how to handlehimself,” She smiles, tenderly, “like when he got drunk with the testing winebecause he couldn’t talk to Harry like a normal person.” Eleanor finishes herglass of champagne and leaves it on the table. “Poor Harry, he has to put upwith a lot.”

“All theflirting he knows goes back to when he was fifteen, remember?” Louis finisheshis glass as well, putting it next to Eleanor’s.

They seeNiall walking to Harry now and maybe he’s a little too drunk by the way hissteps seem to go sideways but when he’s finally behind him, he takes his wristand stars walking out of the salon. Harry struggles a but until he realizeswho’s dragging him and walks with him.

“Oh, damn.”Eleanor whispers.

*

“If youweren’t so fucking corny I’d have made out with your face long ago.” Niallbreathes right over his lips as he tries to unbutton his pants.

Harrylaughs, slapping his hands out of his hips, making him whimper but he doesn’tgive him time to complain when he leans in for another kiss.

His head isfuzzy and his moves are slow for all the champagne he had as the night movedalong. One minute he was alone at the bar, drinking as everyone started leavingto go to their rooms and the next thing he knows, Niall is dragging him to the washroomwith his hand on his pants.

The kissturns slow and Niall makes these little sounds that are driving Harry crazy.His hands are now in Harry’s hair, pulling, rubbing, pressing. And it feelsgood, too good to think clearly. So he starts walking to the faucet untilNiall’s ass hits the sink and he jumps to sit on it, getting his pants wet andhissing about it.

Harrystarts leaving kisses from his cheek to his neck and a voice in the back of hismind is counting all the reasons why this is a bad idea but Niall’s legs aroundhis waist makes him forget them all.

“You lookso hot in that suit.” Niall moans in his ear and he wants to say the same thingbut his knees hit the floor and Niall doesn’t let him talk anymore.

*

Harry hasbeen busy enough to keep him from thinking about how Niall seems to be avoidinghim now. His mom came along to help him to check the food and the flowers, theguest list, the security guys and the decoration of both salons in the Hotel.She’s also helping Eleanor and the girls get ready so Harry has enough time totake a shower and get ready for the ceremony.

He haseverything planned by schedule and all is going according to it. What hedoesn’t expect is someone knocking at his door two hours before the wedding.He’s buttoning his shirt when he opens the door and finds Niall in his blue suit,one hand in the pocket and his eyes on the floor.

“Hey.”Harry says, unsure.

“I needyour help.” Niall says, and he sounds so little.

Harry stepsin, letting Niall walk into his room. He wants to reach for him but somewheredeep down he knows Niall doesn’t feel the same way and it’s fine, Harry hasbeen in this situation enough to know what’s coming.

“I can’tfind the rings.” Niall says, and that wasn’t what he was waiting for.

“What?!”

Harry nevershouts, he likes to talk slow and tender, phrasing his words so it would matchhis thoughts and most people find it exasperating but they have grown used toit, so it doesn’t only surprise Niall when he screams, Harry’s own heartbeat isrising at an incredible speed.

“I don’tremember much from last night but it wasn’t on the shelf next to my bed where Ileft them before going to the club and my room is already upside down and Ican’t focus with all the mess…” Niall is talking fast and moving his hands andHarry would be worried if he wasn’t so mad.

“Are youtrying to ruin this wedding?!” He asks, making Niall looks up, “Are you in lovewith Louis or Eleanor or something?!”

Niallfrowns and he’s ready to hit Harry on the face but he stops with his fist inthe air, controlling his breathing as he sits on the bed, holding his head inhis hands.

“Just helpme find the fucking rings and I’ll be out of your sight.”

*

Harry feelslike he can finally breathe when Louis and Eleanor exchange an I do and kiss. The rings were in thefridge in Niall’s room next to the empty bottles of alcohol. They didn’t sayanything after they found them. Harry just left the room and went to the firstfloor for the final touches.

It’s been acouple of hours and everyone seems to be having fun. Eleanor looks perfect inwhite dancing with Louis’ sister and a beautiful smile on her face. Sophia isdancing with one of the best man, Liam, and maybe they’ll end up together againjust like Lottie planned all along.

An armfalls over his shoulders and he finds Louis at his side holding a pint andlooking at his wife holding his son, spinning around, making Briana laugh asshe waits for her turn to dance with Freddie again. He looks happy and thatsatisfies Harry in an incredible measure.

“Thank youfor all of this.” Louis says and Harry smiles, nodding.

“I hate tosay that’s my job.” Harry mumbles. “I want to say something like you’re myfriend and-”

“Hey!”Louis laugh, slapping the back of his head. “We’re family now, curly.”

Harryblushes and looks at the floor. He didn’t want to say goodbye to these people,maybe he doesn’t have to.

“And I knowNiall has been a pain in the ass, I’m not blind.” Now he’s looking at Niall atthe bar, drinking another whisky a sip at a time. “He hasn’t always been likethis, I promise.”

There’ssomething in his voice, like a flicker of sadness down his throat that he’sbeen trying to let go, but it’s still there.

“Wepostponed the wedding a year, you know?” Louis says, eyes still on Niall.

Harryfrowns, turning half of his body to look at Louis eye to eye. “Why?”

“He wasleft at the altar two years ago by the girl he was in love with since he wasfifteen.” Harry’s mouth opens and his eyes travel to where Niall is sitting,looking at his empty glass. “We were gonna announce the good news at the party,but Niall was so broken, we couldn’t…”

Harry nods,understanding.

“He avoidedevery social event after that, all of his friends know this girl so it wasalmost impossible not to walk into her and her new boyfriend.” Louis sighs, “Wedecided to wait until he was ready to leave his bed and put a smile on his facefor us.”

He wants tosay something, he wants to walk to Niall and apologize and maybe hug him, if heallows it. Maybe it’s written all over his face because Louis laughs and hisarm falls from his shoulders and he pushes him to Niall’s direction.

“The smilehe has when you’re around.” Louis points at Niall, “I haven’t seen that one ina while.”

*

“Hey,”Harry says, sitting in the empty sit next to Niall.

He doesn’tlook up, he doesn’t acknowledge his presence. He just drinks and lets the glasshit the table loud enough to make Harry shiver.

“I want toapologize,” he says, slowly, “I’m so sorry, Niall…”

But helaughs, strong and rough, turning to Harry, giving him goosebumps.

“Did Tommo spillthe beans?” Harry looks down and that’s all the confirmation Niall needs. “Idon’t need your pity.”

“I don’t pityyou.” Harry puts a hand on his arm and his chest gets warm when Niall doesn’t throwhim off. “Everyone deals with their own shit. I just seem to have forgottenthat.”

Niallshakes his head, looking at Harry’s hand on his arm and he puts his own handover it before Harry could move it.

“There’s noexcuse for the way I’ve been treating you.” He clears his throat, looking upwith his red teary eyes. “I’m just afraid, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.I’m sorry.” He smiles.

Harry nods,smiling as well. “Maybe we can star over after this wedding is over.”

“What aboutnow?” Niall says, squinting.

“That’salso a good idea.”