#(love that he is his mama's favourite boy. she must be so incredibly proud of him)

[russellius]

@.georgerussell63: Always by my side. Love you, Mum 💙

[writer-akihiko]

Chapter 8 - Pasts [STARISH]

This chapter is tagged [#spoilers for days] due to some content containing spoilers from the Utapri games.

Chapter 9 →

Otoya Ittoki

He had brought you to a special place as a symbol of your first date. The building looked like some sort of kindergarten, with the many children playing outside.

"Otoyan!" A little girl called. The children looked at your boyfriend, all having wide eyes of joy.

"Hey guys!" Otoya did a childish pose for them. He brought your hand in his, introducing you to the children.

"This is my darling YN! Everyone, please be nice with her!" He said, hugging you.

"Otoyan was supposed to marry me!" A girl with pigtails said.

Another little boy took her hand. "You can marry me instead!"

"Alright!"

You giggled at the cuteness.

Once the children dispersed, Otoya told you about the place, "This orphanage was where I grew up in. It's a special place to me..."

"Otoya..."

"And now, you're the special one in my life."

Masato Hijirikawa

You carried your duffel bag on your shoulder, walking to Masato's room. The crack in door shone the light in, but Masato's voice from the room was not comforting.

He was speaking in a low tone, sounding almost fierce. You've heard stern in games, but this was deathly fierce.

"YN?" Masato put his phone down, seeing you at the crack of his door. "Did... Did you overhear me?"

You walked in, setting your bag down. "I didn't pay attention... You were kinda fierce..."

He held his head down. "It's..."

You motioned him to sit on his bed next to you. You held him, letting his head lean on your shoulders. "Now you can tell me."

"It's my father," He said. "He pressures me. I wasn't supposed to be an idol. He laid out my life for me as a businessman. We made a deal... I would stay here for a year and then take over his business..."

You jolted up, forcing Masato's body to fall into your lap. "You... You're kidding right?"

"What?" He got up in confusion.

You hugged Masato, laughing. "Who knew we'd be in the same situation?!"

"Wait... so youー"

"Mama always wanted me to take charge of her bridal company," You explained. "My Papa didn't care; he taught me basketball. I made a deal that if I win the nationals, then I could stay in the Academy."

He brushed your hair with his fingers, bringing you in closer. "Looks like we're in this together..." He smiled, his eyes poignant in thought. "Has your mother ever gone to one of your games?"

"Nope. Your dad?"

"Never."

Natsuki Shinomiya

After an eventful baking 'class' ー which consisted of throwing flour at each other ー you cleaned up the bowls and spatulas. You set the timer on the oven, hanging your favourite apron up.

As you were wiping the counter, you noticed that Natsuki's glasses were on the counter. Did he leave them when he was washing his face? You did throw a handful of flour on his face...

You wanted to go check up on Natsuki just in case he needed his glasses.

Eh?

Why was the door locked?

"Natsuki?"

BAM!

"H-Hey... What's going on?"

The door swung open. There Natsuki stood, looking truly pissed.

"Natsuー"

"Stop calling me that! The name's Satsuki. And you..." He panted. "Have to break up with Natsuki."

"What?!"

"Oh honey... He didn't tell you?" He cooed, stepping closer to you. "I'm the beast living inside of him. You thought he was all innocent and sweet. Oh no darling... there's two sides of a coin."

"Why should that matter?!" You said in outrage.

"What?"

You repeated yourself. "Why does having another side of him make any difference? I still love him the way that he is!"

He scoffed, cornering you. In general Natsuki was soft with you but now 'Satsuki' was intimidating you.

"You're just after his talent. A gold digger, aren't you? Dating an idol sure makes youー Hmph!"

You killed him full on the face, wrapping your arms around his neck. You brought him in deeper, bringing your face closer. You sneakily slipped his glasses on at the sly movement of your wrist.

Natsuki now pulled away.

"YN... you taste sweet..."

You turned red. "Natsuki! Stop!"

"Didn't YN-chan kiss me first?" He smiled.

You shook off the embarrassment and asked Natsuki. "Natsuki... Can you explain what Satsuki meant by 'just after his talent'?"

His expression fell. He hugged you tightly to his chest. "I liked my former teacher so much that I made a song her. Then she became famous because of that song. Satsuki just thinks you're trying use me... but... I love you YN... Don't break up with me..."

"You know what he says?"

He nods. "Ever since I dated you, we could hear each other at times... YN, did I scare you?"

You kissed his cheek tenderly. "I could never and will never."

Ren Jinguji

He had invited you over to your next date at his house, since he claimed he 'wanted to show you his charismatic side'. When you entered the house, the main butler had told you that Ren was not back from his modelling appointment.

You decided to explore Ren's home by yourself. You walked around silently until you came across a family portrait of the Jinguji family. In the centre was a supposed younger Ren on his mother's lap as his two brothers stood by his mother, one on each side. His father stood proudly, holding the shoulder of his wife.

"It looks like my fairy decided to magically appear in my humble abode," Ren whispered into your ear.

"Ren!" You pushed his body away only for him to trap you in his arms.

He smiled and let you go. He then turned to the painting of the wall and his expression stiffened. "YN... Who took you here?"

"I wandered on my own," You replied curtly, uneasy about how forward he was. Sure, you are often frank but for Ren to do so is a little strange.

"Let's go to the gardens," Ren took you by the hand. "It was rude of me to leave you alone and to come late to our date as well."

You shrugged it off. "I did not mind... I was examining the regal decor of your home."

He tighten his hand slightly. "Were you intrigued by the family portrait?"

"Yes."

"I'll tell you of it in the garden."

~○~

You and Ren had tea together at the gazebo in the gardens. You gave time for Ren to muster up his courage, not pressing on the matter.

"You must be wondering where the lady of the house is," He said. You nodded, your eyes sparkling in curiosity.

"Well she's sitting across from me with such magical eyes..." He winked. You simply gave him a hard stare at his comment.

He chuckled, then took your hand in his. "The lady of the house ー my mother ー passed away. As well as my father," He explained. "When my mother passed away, my father got rid of anything related to her... My brother finally put up the one family portrait we had after his passing."

"Your mother is incredibly beautiful... I wish I had met mine..." You earnestly told him. "My birth mother passed away after I was born."

He took your hand and kissed it. "She would be proud to have a daughter like you."

Cecil Aijima

The two had nothing much behind your pasts that would shock the other in all honesty. It didn't surprise you that he was a prince, especially with the way he acts.

The main reason was Cecil being so honest with you. You had mentioned one thing to Cecil which you think he didn't understand. It was the fact your family was a yakuza group.

You were inspired to pursue theatre by your cousin, who currently is doing acting in Mankai Theatre.

Cecil unfortunately found out when bodyguards tailing you two nabbed him and interrogated him. Much less to say, there was nothing tragic in the past to harm your relationship. Well... with the exception of your cousin.

Syo Kurusu

He confessed his past in an... unexpected way. Your family called him to confess his past ー with several spears at his neck ー which he complied with.

"I have a twin brother, mother and father. My mother is an orchestra conductor and my father is a stylist. I was born with a heart condition andー" He panicked as the blade reached closer. "I will give YN no harm; please let me go." He pleaded.

"Grandpa, please let him go. He does no harm..." You said, on your knees. "Syo even swore to wait for me."

"Release him."

After comforting Syo, he swore to never break his promise. "I won't let them kill you," You told him.

Tokiya Ichinose

You had asked Tokiya to assist you in cleaning your room since you were moving dorms. As you cleaned through your closet, Tokiya took off the photos that hung on your wall. One particular photo was of you sitting in the middle of many men.

"Are these your relatives?" He asked.

"My brothers..." You said. "There's 10 of them."

He seemed surprised. "I hope I meet them someday... How did your mother manage that?"

You shook your head. "They're my foster brothers. Actually, we're all adopted. My dads adopted all of us from the streets separately."

"I'm sorry to say..." He said. "Please stop me if I'm getting too deep. Did you know your parents?"

You shook your head again. "I'm a dumpster baby. I was probably the product of some one-night stand gone wrong."

Seeing you solemn, he expressed his own thoughts. "I know how it feels to not be wanted to say the least. My parents divorced and they never supported my idol career."

You were shocked. "You're pretty good though at the whole idol thing." You remembered those times watching Tokiya practice.

"You're a pretty good mangaka yourself," He said. "I hope I meet the respectful men who raised you."

You smiled. "Alright! These boxes won't move themselves!"

Chapter 9 →

[goldenwilliamson]

hii uh this is weird but im super soft rn. could you write a george imagine where you're in labor/give birth to your first baby together (a girl) and its really soft and then the other boys and wives come to meet her and maybe show the first nights at home and how he reacts when the press/tabloids find out and just make it really soft and fluffy and sweet i trust your process. thank youuu ❤

oh my gosh this is not weird, it’s so sweet. i love reading things like this, so thank you for your request lovely!

pairing: george harrison x reader

summary: you and george welcome your baby girl into the world. the boys come to meet her, just general fluffy sweetness.

warnings: no warnings just pure fluff

word count: 829

“Here she comes!” The doctor announces cheerfully as you do your final push before you get to meet your baby. It’d been a long nine months and it hasn’t been easy but knowing that within seconds you’ll be holding your little girl on your chest seems to make this whole thing worth it. You can hear George murmuring encouraging things at your side, although everything is blurry you know he’s there for you.

“She’s here and she’s beautiful Mr. and Mrs. Harrison,” the doctor announces as hands your little girl over to you. 

“Oh my god,” you hear George’s voice break, and this alone makes you start crying. Emotions are high and you feel equally the happiest and most tired that you’ve ever felt. Regardless of how tired you feel, you look into the face of your beautiful baby girl and she is absolutely perfect.

“She’s perfect George.”

The nurses take her off of your chest to clean and wrap her up and take all her measurements. You close your eyes and take a deep breath; George is by your side holding your hand.

“I’m so proud of you,” he says, “You were incredible.” Before you can respond, the nurses ask about her name.

“You tell them,” you say to George, too tired to speak.

“We’re going to call her Grace,” George informs the nurses. 

“Gracie,” you mutter under your breath, pleased with the name that you two had settled on after months of debate. Grace for your grandmother. 

Within a couple of days, you and George are back at home and surprisingly, you’re feeling much better than you thought you would. You think it must be the excitement of being a parent for the first time and the fact that you and George get to do it all together. 

When the two of you get home, you lay her down in her cot to rest. You both stand over her, amazed at what you’ve created.

“We created her,” you turn to say to George which makes him laugh.

“This is unbelievable. Y/N we have a child. We’re parents,” he says in disbelief.

“She’s beautiful. Do you think she looks more like you or me?” You ask.

“You. She’s got your nose and eyes, I can already see,” George says, already having thought this through.

“You think?”

“Oh yes, look at it,” he says, bopping his finger on Grace’s little nose. 

“Little Gracie. She’s perfect. We created a perfect human George,” you smile.

“We did,” he says pulling you into his chest and resting his head atop of yours. George’s hugs can make even the worst days feel amazing. Being in his arms is your favourite place to be. 

Your third day at home Paul, Linda and Heather, Ringo and Mo, and Cyn, John and Julian all come round to check up on you both and meet little Gracie.

“Oh wow, she’s beautiful. Nice work Y/N,” Paul says as they enter the living room to where she is resting in her bassinet. 

“Thanks Paulie,” you laugh.

“Hey, she’s half my work too,” George adds.

“No, she’s all Y/N, look how cute her nose is. Just like her mamas,” Linda says, backing up Paul’s comment which makes your heart swell. 

Heather and Julian are absolutely enthused with Grace, trying their best at saying her same and stumbling over a few ‘Gwace’s’.

“Amazing Grace,” John sings the tune of the song quietly to her as he holds her in his arms. 

“She’s a beautiful little thing. Congratulations you two,” he tells you both. 

Ringo and Mo both awe at Grace as Mo holds her in her arms and gives you an emotional look. You two are very close and she knows how excited you are to be starting a family with George. She was such a good friend and advice giver through the whole pregnancy, and you can sense she is blown away that your baby girl is finally here. 

Within the days of the birth, the press goes nuts. Headlines on every publication about the new ‘Beatle Baby’. Ringo brings the papers by to show you, thinking it’s rather amusing how much attention little Grace is already receiving. 

“You know you’re the most famous baby in the world at the moment,” Ringo coos to your daughter, making both you and George laugh. 

As much fun as it has been showing off your beautiful baby to all your dearest friends and family members, the most precious times are when you and George are alone with Grace. 

One night about a week after Grace’s birth, you and George sit in your lounge room as the warm afternoon light casts itself over you three. George sits with his guitar and strums gently as Gracie lays soundlessly sleeping in your arms. You can’t help but beam with joy as you look between the two people you love the most in the world. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier,” you tell him. 

“Me either.”

[alexsfictionaddiction]

8 Fantastic Middle-Grade and YA LGBTQ+ Titles For 2021

I’m sure you know that June is Pride Month and I always like to mark it with some new book recommendations because we are blessed with a wealth of amazing new LGBTQ+ reads every year. 

When I find a well-written, heartfelt, queer book that falls within the middle-grade or YA umbrella, it fills me with joy because it means that more young people have the opportunity to see themselves within the pages of beautiful stories. Being young and queer often is incredibly tough, so anything that gives LGBTQ+ kids some hope for the future should be shouted about from every rooftop in the world.

Here are 8 middle-grade and YA books, released this year, that you definitely need to pick up this Pride month. Pick them up and let your heart fly!

-Love, Alex x

1. Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea by Ashley Herring Blake.

Hazel used to live with her family in California but when her mum dies, her other Mama moves Hazel and her little sister Peach from town to town, seeking a fresh start. When they settle in a mystical town in Maine, Mama meets an old friend and Hazel meets Lemon, who is obsessed with a local mermaid myth. To deal with her grief, Hazel must find the power within herself to step into the light again. As well as the fact that Hazel was raised by two women, there is also a nonbinary character named Jules. The characters are so imperfect and real and I think that’s what gives it a lot of its charm. This is a beautifully written story that is tinged with heartache and struggle but also a huge amount of hope.

2. Proud Of Me by Sarah Hagger-Holt.

Becky and Josh were born just 12 days apart to different mums via the same donor father. While Becky finds herself developing feelings for Carli, the new girl at school, Josh has to find out who his dad is. Both siblings just want their mums to be proud of them. Proud Of Me is about cherishing the love that you have in your life and discovering how special you really are, no matter how big the holes left by missing parts may seem to be. It is also a wonderful friendship story of acceptance with a fantastic cast of queer characters. Your heart will soar on finishing this one!

3. Cool For The Summer by Dahlia Adler.

Lara has had a crush on hot, popular boy Chase for years and he is finally starting to flirt with her. She can’t believe her luck and decides to roll with this crazy development. But then Jasmine turns up at school. Jasmine, the girl who Lara had a wonderful, romantic summer with and suddenly Lara has no idea why she can’t stop thinking about Jasmine especially when she finally has Chase. This is the perfect book for anyone who is trying to figure out their sexuality. It captures the intensity of teen infatuation so well and also explores issues of identity and self-growth. There is also ace representation in the fantastic cast of side characters. An all-round, fun, romantic read for this summer.

4. The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: The Edge of the Ocean by L. D. Lapinski.

At The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, every suitcase is a door to a different world. Flick is now a certified member of the Agency who joins Strangeworlds guardian Jonathan on an adventure to a land full of magic and pirates. This is the sequel to The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, so you should of course read that one first. One of my favourite things about this series is Jonathan who has such a wonderfully warm aura and who provides a lot of the humour. In the new instalment, we meet a new character named Avery and she and Flick have a beautiful sparky friendship. Whimsical and compelling, this unique fantasy series is the perfect escape this Pride month.

5. Love Is For Losers by Wibke Brueggemann.

Phoebe’s best friend Polly has completely lost her mind and fallen in love with a boy. With her mum in Syria doing fantastic humanitarian work, Phoebe feels lonely. When she begins volunteering at a local charity shop, she makes some unlikely friends and an intriguing girl captures Phoebe’s attention. Will Phoebe finally learn what all the fuss about love is? With fantastic wit, Love Is For Losers charts the coming-of-age of a young lesbian alongside a cast of adorable, small town characters. I laughed out loud at several points, so get ready for an authentic, feel-good read with a VERY slow-burn romance.

6. Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow by Benjamin Dean.

Archie Albright’s parents are acting strangely and they don’t live together anymore. Archie just wants things to go back to the way they were. Then he notices a colourful flyer fall out of his dad’s pocket and he and his best friends Seb and Bell go on an adventure to find out what’s really going on in Archie’s family but discover so much more. This vibrant, hopeful book has so much heart and life in it. Despite our protagonists being young and naive, they’re so full of kindness and empathy and that alone is so uplifting to read. There are so many amazing queer characters in this book and it’s the perfect gateway to the LGBTQ+ community for young readers.

7. Both Can Be True by Jules Machias.

Sometimes Ash feels like a girl but sometimes Ash feels like a boy. Daniel has been labelled over-sensitive more times than he can count and struggles to regulate his emotions. When Daniel hears that a little dog named Chewbarka is about to be put to sleep, he knows that he has to rescue him and he’s delighted when Ash is willing to help. But when sparks appear between them, Ash isn’t sure how to tell Daniel the whole story. Genderqueer and nonbinary stories are still very rare within children’s fiction but this very recently released book is a gorgeous example of how gender issues can be handled with utmost care and sensitivity. It’s incredibly emotional with a tremendous amount of heart and a great insight into how damaging gender norms can be, not only for transgender and genderfluid people but for everyone.

8. You’re The One That I Want by Simon James Green.

For too long, Freddie has been the nice guy but it has got him nowhere so far. So, he decides to change everything about himself and ends up falling in with the popular drama kids. The beautiful Zach is also starting to pay attention to him and Freddie can’t believe his luck but he’s about to discover that a complete personality transformation isn’t necessarily the key to finding true love and happiness. As well as being wonderfully funny, You’re The One That I Want touches on the struggles of having low self-worth and toxic relationships. However, it is bursting with hope and is a true celebration of flaws and being true to who you are. This fun, relatable rom-com is a must-read this summer!

[bangtan--ff-blog]

Whatever It Takes - Chapter 22

Summary - Y/N has moved to Seoul and landed a job working at the company that her godmother Kay composes for. Four months after her heart was broken, she’s left to figure out how to be away from her widowed father for the first time in her life. Genre - Angst/Fluff Word count: 4517 A/N: I hope you enjoy the chapter --- It took everything in me not to turn, and back straight back out of the house.  Of course, Jimin’s parents were here, it was their eldest sons birthday. Why hadn’t I considered this? Probably because I was still intoxicated, even more reason to run screaming like a banshee from the dorms.  I plastered a smile on my face and bowed low, before greeting Jimin’s family. I turned to Jimin, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have interrupted your family time on your birthday. We should do this some other time.” I began to bow my way back out of the room but Jimin’s father’s voice stopped me. “Y/N, if you would, we’d like to talk to you for a moment.”  It was more of a statement than a question, but the animosity I’d felt at the end of our last encounter was no longer apparent, so I raised my head to look at Jimin’s dad. He smiled and indicated to the couch in front of him and I glanced at Jimin nervously before making my way over to the seat.  As I sat down, Jimin’s father took his wife’s hand in his.  “Y/N. My wife and I would like to apologise for the way we treated you last time you we met.” I didn’t know what to say, so instead I nodded and mumbled out an acceptance.  When I didn’t say anything more, Jimin’s father carried on.  “The most important thing to us, as parents, is that our sons are happy. We are incredibly proud of Jimin and everything he has achieved and worked for, but we are more proud of the fact that we have raised a son who is so loving and caring, and selfless and humble. Despite the success of BTS, Jimin has remained the same hardworking and determined boy he’s always been, but more importantly, he is a person who has endless love. He will always try to do the right thing by the people around him, especially the people who mean the most to him. We have seen in the past, both before and after he became an idol, that people can take advantage of his good nature, and in our surprise at seeing his grandmothers ring, we wrongly judged you. For that we are sorry to both you and Jimin, and our sons heartbreak at losing you became our heartbreak, knowing we were instrumental to that.” I looked over at Jimin who looked as surprised as I felt. Jimin’s mother began to speak and I tore my gaze away from her son to meet her eyes. “We know now how much Jimin loves you. When the two of you broke up he came to us and he was different. I know my sons, and I’ve been there for Jimin through break-ups and heartbreaks before, but this was different. I am ashamed at how we behaved without first speaking to our son. I think my husband and I were just surprised and, being taken off-guard, that… It caused us to behave in a way that was unlike us, and unlike the way we raised our sons to be. We hope that you and Jimin can fix things, and that the way we behaved will not have a lasting affect – I don’t think my husband and I could forgive ourselves if this were to be the case.” Jimin’s father gave his wife’s hand a squeeze and then stood, bringing her up with him.  “We will leave the two of you to talk now, I’m sure you have a lot to discuss without us old folks continuing to harp on.” He laughed, only slightly relieving the tension, and then took my hand. “It was nice to see you again, Y/N. I hope next time we see one another it will be on much more amiable terms.” I nodded, feeling a little dumbstruck, and bowed as Jimin’s mother took my hand and nodded at me before saying goodbye.  Once they had left the room with Jimin, who was seeing them to the front door, I thudded down onto the chair in shock. I didn’t even notice that Jimin had walked back into the room until he took the seat to my right that his brother had just vacated. 

He leaned forwards and rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands and then turned to look at me slowly. I let out a long breath of air and then began to laugh and it wasn’t long before Jimin joined in.  He was the first to speak when our laughter subsided. “Y/N, I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t expect it. I knew they’d been feeling guilty because, after I came back to Seoul a month ago, they asked if they could meet with us both, they said they wanted to apologise, but I told them we broke up. I think they blamed themselves, I told them not to and then it just became an uncomfortable subject for us all. When I told them you were coming today I was hoping that it would stop them from feeling so bad, but they were so stubborn about staying…” Jimin trailed off, laughing a little nervously.  I tried to organize my thoughts into a coherent sentence but there was a lot to process. Jimin filled the silence.  “So, you said you were drinking away your sorrows last night?” I looked at him, a little puzzled and then remembered our conversation from earlier.  Damn, I did say that didn’t I. I began to pick at my manicure, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. “Yeah, I was. It’s kind of silly really… I remembered it was your birthday, and then I started to watch a bunch of videos of you online… I went out with Taemin so that I wouldn’t be sad and alone with a bottle of wine and a take-out in front of my TV. I guess the plan kind of backfired though.” I grimaced, refusing to meet his gaze.  “So you didn’t go there with your ex?” Jimin asked. Even without looking at him I could hear the vulnerability in his voice as he asked the question. I lifted my head without even thinking, my natural response to comfort him and ease his doubts, and I shook my head.  “No, I actually saw Jae at the MAMA awards but we didn’t talk properly, and then I bumped into him again in Starbucks. He came to the pre-game at Taemin’s by chance and must have seen me wandering outside smashed.”  Then, for good measure, I added, “there’s nothing going on between us”, although I knew I didn’t need to.  Jimin flattened his mouth into a line clearly trying to hide the fact that he was pleased at my revelation, and then glanced up at me nervously.  “You, uh. You said on the phone that you missed me. Is that – is that true?” I swallowed. I knew this was going to come up and that we’d have to talk about it, but I didn’t really know what to say.  It was just a drunken phone-call?  I do miss you but my feelings about us haven’t changed?  I rubbed my temples to allow myself some time to think and then raised my head to meet Jimin’s gaze. I decided to be honest.  “Jimin, I do miss you. In fact, I miss you so much that it hurts. I spend every waking minute trying to throw myself into things that will distract me from the fact that I can’t call you, or text you, or kiss you. I can’t watch any of my favourite shows because it’s not the same when I’m not smothering you with cuddles and I don’t have your arms around me. But all of those things don’t change what happened. You were right earlier, when you said that it wasn’t your parent’s fault, because it wasn’t. Yes, of course that whole thing was one of the many issues we had, but as a couple, we dealt with them all so badly. It’s been over a month and I still love you just as much now as I did when we first got together and you lit all of those candles in my room, or during my birthday, or when we were at the cabin. Even when we weren’t talking on tour. Some days I feel like I’ll never be able to turn this off...” I paused, the tears had started to come and I needed to regain my composure.  “Sometimes I feel like I’ll never turn these feelings off. I thought I went through heartbreak before with Jae, but at this point during that break-up, I was already bouncing back. I could already see a happy life without him, but with you, every time I consider my future without you in it, it hurts. It hurts so much. So instead, I focus all of my attention on the present and try not to be too hopeless, because I’ve realized that even though I love you, even if I love you more than anything else in the world, there are too many things – too many variables – that make this whole thing impossible. And if we continue down this path I can only see us sacrificing our happiness over and over again.” At this point I was barely holding myself together and I wiped my eyes with the sleeves of my cardigan and stared at my feet, trying not to completely unravel in Jimin’s living room.  Jimin crouched down in front of me and, in a sort of twisted irony, I was reminded of our first date, when I hurt my ankle and he took care of me.  “Y/N, I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to change your mind. Whatever it takes. I told you before that I loved you and that I couldn’t lose you, and I won’t. I know that our relationship has already had a lot of difficulties in a short space of time, and I’ve made mistakes, I know that – but I don’t agree with you. I don’t believe we have to sacrifice our happiness to be together. Yes, it’s hard, and it will be hard, but so is anything else worth having in life. Why shouldn’t we have to work for this? I promise you, I will do everything and anything. I just need you to say you’ll give us another chance. We don’t have to go back to how we were, we can go all the way back to the beginning if you want, but I can’t lose you. I need you.” Jimin’s gaze, which had been steady throughout, dropped to his hands as he twisted his ring around his pinky finger, nervously awaiting my response. I knew at this point that point my resolve had crumbled. I wasn’t ready to fully accept that this was something we could fix, but I didn’t have the strength in me to cut Jimin out of my life again completely. Maybe we needed to go back to the beginning, everything had been overcomplicated and, if we went back to the simpler times when we were first dating and things weren’t so intense, it might be better. I nodded but Jimin wasn’t looking at me, so I cleared my throat and spoke up. “Yes. Okay, let’s go back to the start, and I mean the start. We aren’t going back to living together, and I have the gallery now, and friends here, so we aren’t going to be spending every waking hour of our free time together. We need to find balance.” Jimin nodded furiously, his grin almost splitting his face. It was infectious and I couldn’t help but smile back, but then he paused, a look of confusion on his face. “You have the gallery?” I nodded and laughed and Jimin sat back on the couch so that I could explain.  About three hours later when the boys came home, we were all caught up and I was laughing loudly at Jimin, who was stood in the middle of the room animatedly acting out an awkward encounter they had backstage with a girl group a few weeks back. I greeted the boys happily, and Jimin straightened himself out and said brightly, “oh you’re back! Did you eat yet?” The boys recovered form their initial surprise and bounded over to hug me. Once we’d all said our ‘hello’s’ Namjoon gestured between the two of us.  “So does this mean you two are…?”  I smiled a little awkwardly and looked up at Jimin. “Well, not completely. We’re just, taking it slowly and seeing how things go for now”. Namjoon nodded sagely in understanding and turned to Jimin. “To answer your question, no, we didn’t eat yet. What were you thinking?” Jimin looked to me and raised his eyebrows in questioning but I shook my head and pulled an apologetic face. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I already agreed to have dinner with Taemin this morning. In fact, I should probably head over there now.”  The boys all complained about having been replaced and I laughed. Jimin stood apart from the group smiling happily at the other boys’ teasing, and I could tell he was glad to have things back to how they were before. In the back of my mind though, I knew things weren’t completely back to normal, and I wasn’t sure yet if that was a good or bad thing.  It became even more obvious when Jimin saw me to the door. We said our goodbyes and then there was this awkward moment, where, out of habit, the two of us went to kiss each other goodbye. Unfortunately, we did so at different moments and then stopped ourselves at different moments. The whole thing resulted in an awkward hug, and I genuinely wanted to unzip my skin and crawl out of my body.

After leaving Jimin’s house I had mixed feelings.

One was relief. I was so glad that the torment of not knowing how Jimin was, and just generally spending every waking day missing him, was finally over.

The other was doubt. I had this nagging worry in the back of my mind that I may have made a mistake. I mean, we broke up for a reason, didn’t we? I knew that I’d been missing him constantly, but surely that would have gone away eventually…

I sighed as I made my way over to Taemin’s house and resigned myself to the fact that, only time would tell whether or not we had done the right thing.

Taemin and I decided to go somewhere local and quiet for lunch, and it was lucky, because I nearly gave the whole game away when he finally told me his gossip.

“JONGHYUN?!”

Taemin shushed me and leaned forwards, glancing around surreptitiously to make sure nobody heard my outburst. Given that we were the only people in the teashop aside from an elderly couple who were paying us no mind, he relaxed.

I lowered my voice to a whisper anyway. “Jonghyun? Seriously? I didn’t even know you liked him?”

Taemin leaned back, suddenly shy.

“I didn’t really know how I felt either. Over the course of the past 6 months’ things have been a little different between him and I, but I dared not say anything. I couldn’t have handled it if I ruined things between us and I’d totally mis-read the signs. Anyway, the other day, to test the water, I decided to finally tell the rest of the members – before, I’d only told Minho. Anyway, I told them maybe a week ago, and nothing. Then last night… I don’t know. I guess one thing led to another after we got back to the house, and we were listening to music together and he kissed me.”

Taemin looked so happy, and I practically jumped on him to envelop him in a hug. “This is perfect” I gushed, I’m so pleased that you’re happy Tae.”

He laughed and hugged me back. “Thanks. Now, it’s your turn to spill.”

I told Taemin what had happened at Jimin’s place and my concerns and he gave me the same advice I’d given myself. To give it another chance and see how things panned out. We said our goodbyes and once I got home I checked my phone to see that I had a bunch of notifications.

My most recent was a text from Jimin, and I smiled. I’d missed this more than I realised. I opened it and read;

Jiminie: Hey. I hope you had fun with Taemin today. I really haven’t stopped smiling since earlier and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out to dinner at some point this week? We’ll be around for a while in preparation for the next come back and I’d like to hang out with you properly. Or you could come around here for dinner if you’d prefer. Or I could come there? Haha, whatever you’d like I don’t mind.

I grinned at the effort Jimin was making to accommodate me and tapped out a quick text. 

Of course, you choose. This Saturday?

Jimin agreed and I settled down in front of the TV with a cup of tea, and got started on some work.

For the remainder of the week I spent much of my time at the gallery preparing for the grand opening. Jimin and I texted and spoke on the phone frequently enough, and it was nice. It was just like in the beginning, except this time around I had other friends, and I we didn’t work 30 feet away from one another. My doubts about whether ‘going back to basics’ would work, were beginning to subside and I was genuinely excited about our date.

I’d felt a little bad about the fact that I hadn’t got him a birthday present so, although I knew it was late, and that I wouldn’t be able to go all out like he’d done for me, I decided to put a little surprise together. Over the course of the next few days, I ordered and purchased all Jimin’s favourite things, including snacks from the US that were imported to Korea. I was making him a hamper and I wanted it to be perfect. Outside of the food and drinks, I included a new phone case, a few items of clothing from his favourite brands, a pair of trainers and a black rope bracelet with a silver boat charm hanging off it. Once I was satisfied with the contents of the hamper, I had a balloon made and tied to it which said, “Happy Belated Birthday Jiminie.”

On the day of the date, I was standing on the sidewalk outside of the gallery finishing up a call with one of the artists we were displaying. I was super excited since she’d been a favorite of mine when I was a student, and she was extremely well known overseas. Now my gallery would be displaying her work. I hung up and in my excitement, I didn’t sense the figure coming over until they were practically on top of me. I jumped a mile when Jaebum stuck his face in my view and shouted a cheery “hello”.

In a complete reflex from the days of our relationship, I reached out and tried to hit him. As always, he caught my hand before I could smack his arm and smirked. At the same moment, both of us seemed to become aware that, in the past, this would be the moment that Jae pulled me to him and kissed me, and I would attempt to squirm away in feigned anger.

Jae dropped my hand immediately and cleared his throat and I dropped my gaze to our feet and hurriedly asked “what are you doing here?”

I sensed him shrug so I looked up to meet his gaze and he said, “well, I knew where the gallery was so I decided to walk over. I work just over there, behind the Mango Six building”, he nodded his head towards the café and continued. “I decided to see when you guys opened officially, I thought there’d just be fliers around but I guess it’s my lucky day.”

All Jaebum’s embarrassment from earlier had vanished, and he was back to his smirking self. I raised my eyebrow.

“Why did you want to know when we opened?” I asked.

Jae looked at me like I was braindead, “Uh, so I could come to the opening. Why else Y/NN?”

I blanched. “Stop calling me that, it’s weird – we’re not dating anymore.”

Jae shrugged and smiled, “I called you that before we started dating remember? Or do I need to remind you of how you got that nickname because I can if-”

I grimaced and cut Jae off before he could recount the cringeworthy story. “It’s fine, I remember, and I won’t turn down guests for the opening either. It’s next Saturday. We’ll kick things off at 7pm – bring anyone you think would appreciate it. We’re flying in Jenny Holzer and will be exhibiting original work by Jen Garrido” I gushed excitedly.

Jaebum’s eyes widened, he wasn’t an art major but he’d spent hours and hours listening to me talk and visiting exhibitions with me, so he was very well versed in my favourite artists and inspirations, and knew immediately how happy I must be. “Y/N, that’s incredible! I can’t believe it, you must be so proud of yourself for arranging all that – not that it comes as any surprise… Jesus, you’re amazing.” The smile Jae presented me with was sincere and my heart jumped a little.

I smiled back, suddenly feeling a little shy, and told him “thanks”.

His smile didn’t falter and he said, “we should go out to celebrate” before I could interrupt he held up his hands. “It’s not a date, I got the message the last time I saw you, you have something complicated going on with that Jimin kid, I just want to celebrate this awesome achievement.”

I was still unsure, and it must have showed in my expression, because Jae added, “If you want, we can invite other people, if you think it’s weird or uncomfortable.”

I nodded, “okay, let me think it over and then I’ll let you know. Is that alright?”

Jae looked over the moon, even though I hadn’t even told him yes. “It’s perfect. I should go anyway, I really was only planning to swing by to get the details” he said, grinning sheepishly, “I’ll see you next Saturday?”

I nodded, “yeah, I’ll see you then”.

I walked back into the gallery and I couldn’t help the smile that was glued to my face. From the moment I woke up, to the moment I would go to bed, I felt like today would go down in my memories as a good day.

Later that evening I was sitting in my underwear at my dressing table in the spare room texting Jimin about our date. He hadn’t really told me what we were doing, so I didn’t know whether to go with subtle make-up, or night at the Oscars – and don’t even get me started on an outfit…

Over text at least, Jimin had regained some of his “Jiminie” cockiness and he was making it extremely difficult for me in the wardrobe department in the fear that I might guess where we were going.

Jiminie: You don’t need to know! You just need to turn up at my place and we’ll take it from there.

Y/N: Park Jimin, if you don’t tell me where we’re going on this date I’m gonna stand you up…

Jiminie: Okay, okay. I’m not telling you, but I will tell you what you need to wear… Warm comfortable clothes. That’s as much as I’m saying.

Y/N: That’s not helpful… How am I supposed to do my make-up based on that?! Jiminie: You don’t need make-up. Firstly, it’s not that kind of date, secondly, it’s not something you should be wasting time on since you’re already beautiful and you could be spending those extra minutes with Chim Chim.

I rolled my eyes and smiled at his cheesiness before tapping out a quick reply and telling Jimin that I would see him later.

I dressed as I was instructed and packed Jimin’s birthday hamper into the car, alongside a small birthday cake I’d purchased from his favourite bakery. I made sure I’d packed candles in my handbag and texted Namjoon, asking him to keep Jimin upstairs for the next ten minutes, and to leave the front door unlocked.

Once I arrived I took off my shoes and padded into the living room. Before any of the boys could noisily announce my arrival, I put a finger to my lips instructing them to be quiet, and gestured to the hamper that I was struggling to keep upright due to its weight and size.

Ever the gentleman, Jungkook bounded over to help me, placing it on the coffee table in the middle of the room. I ran back to my car to grab the cake and my handbags and began setting everything up, then I sent Taehyung upstairs to go tell Jimin I was here.

He walked into the room smiling, a smile which grew even bigger when he saw the set up on the coffee table beside me. All of the present members joined in when I started singing happy birthday, and Jimin hugged me when it was over.

“What’s all this?

I shrugged, “well, we didn’t really get to celebrate your birthday. It doesn’t come close to what you did for me, but at least I was able to get you something…” I trailed off, suddenly realising that, compared to a shopping spree and a boat, the hamper looked pretty lame.

Jimin looked ecstatic though and he gestured to the cake, “can I make a wish?” I nodded, feeling a little less put out, and watched as Jimin bent over and closed his eyes before blowing out his candle. “Am I okay to open these now? We have some time before we have to leave”.

Jimin looked like a kid on Christmas morning, so I nodded and perched on the arm of the seat that Namjoon had taken. We all watched as Jimin opened all his gifts (with the help of an excited Taehyung) and laughed as Jungkook held up each item of clothing to see whether he might be able to borrow (steal) them. Once Jimin had opened and gushed over each individual item in the hamper he pulled me up by my hands and enveloped me into a huge bear hug. “Thank you, so much. This is the best. You’re so thoughtful.”

I smiled into his chest, pleased that he liked his gifts, and when we pulled apart I noticed that the other members were looking on at us like proud parents. I laughed and looked up at Jimin.

“Okay, are we ready to go now?”

He nodded emphatically. “Yep, I’ll drive.”

I followed Jimin out to the car and grinned at him in excitement once we were both buckled in.

“Okay”, he said, beginning to back out of the driveway. “Get ready for our second first date!” 

[empressfiend]

Light Of My Life (A Magnus Bane Birthday Fic)

Magnus Appreciation Month December 8th: Birthday Read on Ao3.

#humanau #childrenau #angst&fluff #hurt&comfort #party #presents #sappy

Snow flitted about in a flurry with the wind, little soft flecks caught on the rusting steel of the swings and the building mounds on the ground. There were small boot indentations in the otherwise smooth and flawless mountains of snow of the abandoned playground which just made Magnus sadder because he was alone on his birthday.

He had left the orphanage around sunset and it was currently nearing dawn and no one had looked for him. His heart was in pain and his eyes were swollen from all the tears he had shed. The snow below the swing set had turned icy and slippery from his presence. He had slipped on it when he stood up around lunch because he was getting hungry and he didn’t try to get past it again.

In the seven years he had spent in the orphanage, no one had bothered to greet him a happy birthday and in the four years he had started going to school, no one had bothered either. He was sad and he was lonely and he didn’t know why he felt so much worse about being abandoned today since it wasn’t anything new.

He had made a few friends though so perhaps he wished they cared…

This year there were three big families that had moved into the neighbourhood and he had become friends with all of them. He didn’t know why they liked him but he was happy that he wasn’t left by himself anymore. His friends had all celebrated their birthdays joyfully together and he had thought the same thing would happen to him but it didn’t.

No one had called. No one had texted. No one had asked about his plans. No one had even said anything on the days that led up to his birthday. And today, no one went to see him.

He didn’t know what was sadder: that he didn’t have friends to greet him before or that he did have friends and no one greeted him anyway.

A cough racked through his little body and he suddenly shivered from the cold. He pulled in his small ill-fitting dark purple jacket around him and huddled in it to protect from icy wind. His mother had bought it for him when he was five and it was so big then and so small now. Too much time had passed and he had grown since but he still wore it because it was his favourite and one of the few things he had that shown his mother’s affection towards him before she stopped caring too.

He sniffled a little as tears started to fall from his eyes again and sneezed miserably. His warden would get mad at him for this and he would probably be told to suffer through his sickness because he had brought this upon himself but he didn’t find that he minded. In fact, he had half a mind to just die here from the cold since it was obvious no one cared anyway.

The sound of gravel and ice being crunched in the distance startled him and he neatly fell out of the swing to land face-first on the mushy snow. He gasped in pain when he felt a sting on his hands and he wiggled around to see that he had managed to wound himself in the process too. His spirit dropped even more and he curled up into a ball in the snow whilst he started to cry in earnest once more.

He didn’t hear the sound of snow being stepped on nearing him through his terrible howls and he flinched so violently when a hand touched his face clumsily that he shot up from the ground only to slip on the slush and fall right back down with an almighty thud. His spine tingled in pain and he clutched onto the seat of a swing to haul himself back upright, tears drying on his face as his crying stopped abruptly from the shock.

“Oh!”

Magnus turned warily to look at the female voice that had gasped, scared that he’d be chastised, lectured, or beaten for what he had done but he didn’t get to see the woman because his eyes had stopped at the sight of his best friend; black curls fell loosely to cover bright hazel eyes and a wide smile was partially hidden behind a big scarf. His own lips tugged up as he noted that his best friend was wearing the scarf he had knitted and he hurriedly wiped at his damp face to cover up his tears. “Alec!”

“Hey Magnus,” Alec turned a bit shy and held out a small cupcake topped with glitter. “Happy birthday!”

Magnus felt tears prick his eyes again and he began uncontrollably bawling. He could see Alec turn concerned and try to approach him but he couldn’t stop himself. His heart was bursting from the overload of emotions and it was all he could do to cling on to Mama Maryse when she hurriedly rushed over to carry him in her arms.

He let himself be wrapped in a fluffy neon pink towel that was probably Izzy’s and obediently shuffled into a seating position when he was set down. His tears were still pouring from his eyes and his sobs continued to wrack his body but he was really happy and he wanted to let Alec know because his best friend was looking incredibly sad as he was pulled into a hug.

“Th – thank you.” His voice broke and he heaved in a big breath to take in more air so he could speak properly. “Thank you!” He gasped and he managed to smile through his mess of emotions when Alec nodded against him to show that he had been heard and understood. “Wuv u, ‘Lec.” His mumble was near-uninterpretable but he knew that his best friend could feel the feelings behind his words.

The car stopped a moment later and he saw the car door to his side open through his blurry vision. His smile quivered as he looked up at Mama Maryse and he rubbed his eyes roughly. “Sorry.” He apologised sadly. “I didn’t mean to dirty your car and… Alec…” His eyes were lowered but they quickly shot up when Mama Maryse cupped his cheeks gently and he was given a sincere and warm smile.

“Silly Magnus, you must not be so conscious at such a young age. Now, dry your tears, Alec has a surprise for you. But before that, I will be dressing you up in cleaner clothes because the birthday boy mustn’t get sick.” Mama Maryse smiled genuinely.

Magnus blushed a little as his nose was bopped gently by a manicured nail and he obediently used the towel to clear away the tears from his face. A wet tissue was handed over to him and he looked gratefully at his best friend for the assist when he found himself with a face-full of wet tissue being used to scrub at his face. His giggles grew in volume as Alec pounced on him and he was rendered incapable of movement, only able to watch while his best friend studiously cleaned his face, neck, and hands up.

The wound on his hand stung a little as Mama Maryse rubbed a cotton ball on it and placed a Band-Aid on it but it was okay because his heart never felt so full. He stripped off his favourite jumper and wet pants then changed into new clothes that he had seen Alec wear before. Mama Maryse looked proud as he bounded out of the car with Alec in tow, her arms full of his dirty clothes that she promised to wash and return.

“Ready?” Alec asked excitedly, a wild grin on his face as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

It was infectious.

Magnus gripped onto his best friend’s hand and nodded enthusiastically. With a nod from Mama Maryse, he was dragged along by Alec through the house. It was huge and fancy and homely and he loved every moment he got to spend in this home. He dearly wished it could be his home too. His eyes zoomed into a glittery pink dollhouse to the side he hadn’t seen before but he was pulled out into the backyard too quickly to have a proper look at it.

All thoughts of the dollhouse fled from his mind when he saw the grand transformation of the boring barbecue area that they would regularly have lunch and dinner at during weekends. Instead of the boring old wooden chairs and wooden table, there was a long marble table filled with food and light blue benches where all his friends sat waving at him and Alec.

The grill was smoking and the mini bar from the living room had been turned into a dessert corner. There was also a lot of toys and games scattered around the grass but best of all and what really hit home was the huge tarpaulin that had caricatures and anime faces of his friends and their families with him smack dab in the middle wearing purple glitter all over his face and on his stylish clothes.

He could see the amazing skills in drawing that Mama Jocelyn and Clary had used for the thing and he could also identify the messy Star Wars space car-airplane-thingy that Simon had drawn. Izzy’s touch was there too with the excessive pink glitter that carved out his name and then Alec’s neat writing of ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!’ right above.

It was perfect.

Alec tugged him again, eyes wide and anticipatory, and he granted his best friend a big bear hug. He heard an ‘oof’ and they toppled down onto the grassy ground with blinding grins. Footsteps came thundering towards them and in no time they were a big messy puppy pile rolling around on the ground. Izzy and Clary’s sweet perfumes clouded the savoury smell from the grill and he couldn’t be happier.

“Alright, alright.” Papa Luke’s voice sounded from above them, hearty and warm. “We’re all starving and the guest of honour needs to take the first bite!”

Magnus popped his head out from the tangle of limbs and stared up hopefully.

“Yes, that means you, little magpie.” Papa Luke confirmed.

“I’m a magpie!” Izzy’s hand shot up from below.

Papa Luke chuckled and bent down to extract Magnus. “You’re also a princess, little Isabelle.”

“And a scientist!” Izzy cheered.

“Ouch!”

Magnus twisted around to look behind him as he was carried away and saw Alec glaring half-heartedly at Izzy. He giggled a little when Izzy just winked and twirled so her pink and purple dress floated gracefully in the air. His attention was pulled back to the front when Papa Luke patted him and he gaped at the food on the table.

It was amazing!

On the far left, there was a mini bronze three-level stepladder that had four tiny black cauldrons filled with sauces and right beside it was a miniature drink fountain filled with fruity water and small mason jars complete with wacky straws and each of their names printed on the front. There were four plates of different raw meats on top of ice shavings and a big sized mortar and pestle filled to the brim with mac and cheese at the centre. To the far right there was a three-tiered tea tray stuffed with mini hamburgers and four quiver dishware he was sure Mama Maryse bought for Alec with shrimps skewered into tiny arrows.

The usual Star Wars-inspired ceramic plates they had all made in Mama Jocelyn’s art workshop were on either side of the table along with the royal gold utensils Izzy had insisted they all have. What was unusual was the small pots of charcoal and foil under mini cooking grids they each had too. He tilted his head in wonder and pointed at it. “What are those for?”

“Ah.” Papa Luke looked infinitely pleased. “Those are my idea. I figured you’re all old enough to have mini-grills so you guys can cook your meat on your own today with that! You can also make some s’mores there for dessert.”

Magnus felt his jaw drop and he excitedly smacked Papa Luke’s big arm. “I want to cook meat!”

“Yesss!” Simon popped out from the side with a grin. “I’m so ready to see this!”

“Is it the grill?” Izzy crawled onto the bench on the other side, her eyes sparkling. “Did he choose the grill?”

“Mommy!” Clary shouted from behind. “Magnus chose the grill!”

“Oh dear.”

Magnus giggled again as he was settled onto the bench and tugged Alec to his side when he saw his best friend wander over. He was proud to have chosen the grill because everyone seemed to want that too. His eyes lit up when Papa Luke lit up a fire and bit his lip when the flame was lowered to the charcoal.

There must have been some magic involved because charcoal didn’t catch fire quickly but it did now. He clapped his hands excitedly with his other friends – even Alec clapped – then grabbed the tong that was offered to him. His hands shook slightly as he grabbed a slice of beef and he leaned back a little, scared, when he placed it above the flaming pot.

“Oooh!” They all exclaimed when the raw meat turned brown and curled up.

“It’s like a movie!” Simon shouted cheerfully.

Magnus carefully took a bite of the meat and moaned happily. “It’s magic.”

“No,” Izzy denied with a stern shake of her head. “It’s science!”

Clary rolled her eyes in a very Alec-way and hastily started to grill her meat.

The other adults slid into the bench with them at this point. Papa Luke was beside Clary with Mama Jocelyn across her to Magnus’ right and Mama Maryse beside Alec across from Simon.

Drinks were passed around to them in the mason jars and Magnus quickly took a sip of his. He licked his lips at the taste of the fruit juice and smiled happily as he took another meat for his grill while Mama Jocelyn placed two hamburger sliders and two shrimp skewers onto his plate. His stomach fluttered happily at the kind gesture and he ducked his head shyly.

A nudge to the side made him look up and he met Alec’s bright hazel eyes staring at him. He blushed for the second time that day and pulled his best friend in for a hug. His head was tucked in comfortably between Alec’s shoulder and neck and he melted into the embrace. He pulled away after a moment and slid over one slider and one skewer to his best friend’s plate.

“Magnus?”

“Yeah?” Magnus faced his best friend again.

“Are you happy?”

Magnus paused in surprise. He opened and closed his mouth and then he beamed. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m so happy!” His best friend’s smile mirrored his and he felt incredibly blessed and infinitely happy to have met Alec and his other friends and their kind parents. He was pulled into another hug by Alec, this time short but sweet. “You’re the best friends I could ever ask for.”

“That’s because you deserve the best, Mags.” Alec said simply and happily with a wide smile.

Magnus let the words sink in and the light feeling in his chest grew exponentially until he was laughing hard, harder than he ever had before. His friends grinned at him, confused but pleased, and the adults looked at him fondly, and the stars shined above them.

After so many cold, frigid birthdays spend alone, lonely, and sad, he finally had this perfect one with newfound friends who loved him, adults who cared for him warmly, and food made with so much affection for him. He found himself happy that night, so happy that he spared no thought for his lost family and the cruel neglect he would face back in the orphanage when he returned.

His grin remained for the rest of dinner, up to when they were all messily grilling s’mores and gorging on home-made ice cream while the adults lit up fireworks for them to watch. And there it remained when he took a shower in Alec’s bathroom, snuggled into his best friend’s sleepwear, and laid down in the middle of the puppy pile that consisted of his friends, their stuffed toys, pillows, and duvets inside the tent erected in the living room.

When the adults left them with the flickering light of fake lanterns that filtered through the thin material of the tent from outside and the night fell ever more thickly, he noticed that the heart pendant he had been gifted that was made by Mama Jocelyn and Clary from the ideas of all his friends was glowing purple. His throat clogged up as he lifted it up to eye-level and he let out a few tears as he remembered what Alec had whispered to him one night they had a sleepover with just the two of them.

“I think it’s stupid that we can’t give hearts away. If I could, I’d give you mine so when you’re lonely and sad and alone, I’ll be there to light up the darkness for you.”

A hand closed around the pendant gently and Alec shifted closer with a gentle smile. “It was supposed to be only my gift to you but I didn’t know how to make one so I had to get everyone’s help.”

“I love it.” Magnus whispered back.

“Yeah?” Alec grinned. “The pendant was Clary’s idea. I told her I wanted to give you my heart and she said this could be a way. And then Izzy overheard and she insisted to have it glow and that she knew how to make it happen.”

Magnus giggled softly. “I’m sure she saw it from a fairy tale or something and found a scientific solution for it.”

“Yep.” Alec twisted his lips and gravely nodded then brightened up again. “Simon added those wings on top of the heart… I’m not really sure what they are for but they look nice so…”

“They do.” Magnus assured.

Alec turned pleased. “But, you gotta remember that even if they all added their ideas into this pendant,” The pendant was revealed again. “This is still only my heart.”

“Of course.” Magnus swallowed thickly, incredibly touched. “Alec’s heart.” He placed a gentle kiss on the glowing pendant and knocked his forehead onto his best friend’s. His heart was thudding rapidly inside his chest and he wanted to say so much more but his lips stayed sealed as he was rendered incapable of speech from how overwhelmed he felt.

They slept soon in each other’s arms without another word said though the need to return the gesture didn’t die away. So a year later on Alec’s birthday, Magnus successfully made his own glowing hazel heart with Mama Jocelyn’s help and it became a tradition after that.

All of them eventually took lessons with Mama Jocelyn – Clary was the perfect helper, always lending them a hand when they were having a hard time – and after two years, he, Alec and Simon were able to create charms for the bracelets Clary and Izzy made.

The three of them made Izzy a microscope charm, Clary a paint palette and brush charm, Simon a lightsabre charm, Alec a bow and quiver charm, and Magnus a spell book charm though, only Alec and Magnus exchanged tiny glowing omamori charms in private.

They continued to add to their charms every year, and soon it wasn’t just charms that Alec and Magnus exchanged in private but letters, trinkets, and gifts both expensive and cheap when they finally started to date that by the time they hit mid-twenties, there were so many gifts they collected over the years that it was ridiculous.

It was okay though because Magnus had become an incredibly successful fashion designer and Alec had perfectly assumed his role as CEO of Lightwood Industry so their huge two-story mansion had a special room just for their gifts to each other along with five special showcase drawers.

Four of them presented the charms from their friends and ones they made with them for each other while the one that stood at the very centre of the room exhibited the small trinkets and jewellery they had gifted each other through the years. In the middle of that were two small pillows that cushioned two very special rings they had made for each other in secret and then given upon proposing simultaneously like the sappy, lovey-dovey idiots their friends accused them to be.

And it was those rings that Magnus and Alec looked down on, hands interlocked with each other, their marriage rings glowing on their fingers that they swore to each other and everyone else contained their souls. Their lives had begun to weave together the moment they met and had become forever intertwined together the moment each of them confessed their love for each other as they did right then.

“I love you, Magnus, love of my life.” Alec whispered fervently.

Magnus tipped his head back and kissed his husband’s lips. “And I love you, Alexander, light of my life.”

Ao3 | Buy Me Coffee

I’ll write you a story/fic on Fiverr!